Inadequate food intake at high temperatures is related to depressed mitochondrial respiratory capacity

Animals, especially ectotherms, are highly sensitive to the temperature of their surrounding environment. Extremely high temperature, for example, induces a decline of average performance of conspecifics within a population, but individual heterogeneity in the ability to cope with elevating temperatures has rarely been studied. In this study, we examined inter-individual variation in feeding ability and consequent growth rate of juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta acclimated to a high temperature (19°C), and investigated the relationship between these metrics of whole-animal performances and among-individual variation in mitochondrial respiration capacity. Food was provided ad libitum yet intake varied ten-fold amongst individuals, resulting in some fish losing weight whilst others continued to grow. Almost half of the variation in food intake was related to variability in mitochondrial capacity: low intake (and hence growth failure) was associated with high leak respiration rates within liver and muscle mitochondria, and a lower coupling of muscle mitochondria. These observations, combined with the inability of fish with low food consumption to increase their intake despite ad libitum food levels, suggest a possible insufficient capacity of the mitochondria for maintaining ATP homeostasis. Individual variation in thermal performance is likely to confer variation in the upper limit of an organism's thermal niche and in turn affect the structure of wild populations in warming environments

Innovation and creativity in organizations: a state-of-the-science review, prospective commentary, and guiding framework

YesCreativity and innovation in any organization are vital to its successful performance. The authors review the rapidly growing body of research in this area with particular attention to the period 2002 to 2013, inclusive. Conceiving of both creativity and innovation as being integral parts of essentially the same process, we propose a new, integrative definition. We note that research into creativity has typically examined the stage of idea generation, whereas innovation studies have commonly also included the latter phase of idea implementation. The authors discuss several seminal theories of creativity and innovation and then apply a comprehensive levels-of-analysis framework to review extant research into individual, team, organizational, and multilevel innovation. Key measurement characteristics of the reviewed studies are then noted. In conclusion, we propose a guiding framework for future research comprising 11 major themes and 60 specific questions for future studies.Grant IN-2012-095 from the U.K. Leverhulme Trust awarded to the first author and by British Academy Grant SG110409 awarded to the second author

Differential effects of food availability on minimum and maximum rates of metabolism

Metabolic rates reflect the energetic cost of living but exhibit remarkable variation among conspecifics, partly as a result of the constraints imposed by environmental conditions. Metabolic rates are sensitive to changes in temperature and oxygen availability, but effects of food availability, particularly on maximum metabolic rates, are not well understood. Here, we show in brown trout (Salmo trutta) that maximum metabolic rates are immutable but minimum metabolic rates increase as a positive function of food availability. As a result, aerobic scope (i.e. the capacity to elevate metabolism above baseline requirements) declines as food availability increases. These differential changes in metabolic rates likely have important consequences for how organisms partition available metabolic power to different functions under the constraints imposed by food availability

Lecturers’ perceptions and experience of integrating online videos in higher education

Integrating different types of media to deliver course materials to students is increasingly ubiquitous in higher education. Among these computer and Internetbased innovations, digital educational video clips have become prominent due to their capabilities for enhancing learning and teaching, providing deeper thought processes, communication and interaction among users. Video learning has become a distinct virtual learning medium for capturing and presenting information across different modes and subjects. The present study examined the video-enhanced learning experience and perceptions of tertiary lecturers from two different discipline areas in a rural and tropical university in Australia. The paper also looked at their views and challenges in implementing or creating videos in their teaching. The findings revealed distinctive similarities and differences between two disciplines in the extent of video integration, technology literacy, and types of videos that they use

Holidaying with the family pet: No dogs allowed!

This paper assesses the extent to which dog owners located in Brisbane, Australia, wish to holiday with their pets, and whether there is a gap between this desire and reality. The paper also examines the extent to which this demand is being catered for by the tourism accommodation sector. The need for this study reflects the increasingly significant role dogs are playing in the lives of humans, and the scale of the dog-owning population. The results suggest that, although there is a strong desire among dog owners to take holidays with their pets, the actualisation of this desire is comparatively low. A significant obstacle to the realisation of this desire appears to be a dearth of pet-friendly accommodation. This has implications for the ability of the tourism industry to benefit from this potentially lucrative market, that is, the dog-owning population

A Unitary Measure of L2 Silent Reading Fluency Accounting for Comprehension

This research presents a novel reading fluency (rf) measurement formula that accounts for both reading rate and comprehension. Possible formulas were investigated with 68 participants in a strategic reading course in an IEP at a small Pacific Island university. The selected formula’s scores demonstrated concurrent validity through strong correlation (r[66] = .680, p < .001) with the Adaptive Reading Test (ART), an assessment aligned with ACTFL’s proficiency levels. Furthermore, when ART scores were regressed onto formula scores, formula scores accounted for 49% of the variance in ART scores (R2 = .488, F[1, 66] = 62.88, p < .001); these results were comparable to a model in which comprehension and rate were the independent variables (R2 = .514, F[2, 65] = 34.38, p < .001). The formula appears preferable to currently available alternatives and ensures that high performance in reading rate cannot compensate for low performance in comprehension nor vice versa. An Excel workbook for exploring formula variants and tracking learners’ fluency is provided to readers of Reading in a Foreign Language

Hydrogeophysical Investigation at Luxor, Southern Egypt

Over the past 35 years, the exposed stone foundations of the ancient Egyptian monuments at Luxor have deteriorated at an alarmingly accelerated rate. Accelerated deterioration is attributable to three principal factors: 1) excavation and exposure of foundation stone; 2) construction of the Aswan High Dam; and 3) changes in the regional groundwater regime. In an effort to better elucidate the hydrostratigraphy in the Luxor study area that extends from the River Nile to the boundaries of the Nile Valley and covers about 70 km2, a geophysical/hydrological investigation was conducted. Forty Schlumberger vertical electrical soundings (VES), two approximately 6 km long seismic refraction profiles and a total number of 39 groundwater and surface water samples were acquired. Based on the integrated interpretation of the acquired geophysical/hydrological data, the main contributions of this study were the geophysical definition of the hydrostratigraphy using resistivity (seven distinct geologic/hydrologic units were mapped), the mapping of the water table using seismic refraction and the mapping of groundwater salinity trends through geochemical sampling. The factors contributing to the rise of groundwater and its accompanying increase in salinity were identified and documented. This characterization establishes a model for evaluating various plans to lower groundwater levels and salinities in the areas of archeological monuments

Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves to Detect Subsurface Voids

Systems and methods for detecting a subsurface cavity. A source applies a force to ground under inspection and a plurality of sensors coupled to the ground detect resulting surface waves. A processor is configured to extract phase and frequency components of the acquired seismic data, identify a phase shift in surface waves in the ground under inspection based on the extracted phase and frequency components, and determine one or more physical characteristics of a subsurface cavity based on the identified phase shif