Mandarin \u27even\u27, `all\u27 and the Trigger of Focus Movement

This article proposes a syntax for Mandarin even/all constructions. We show that “focus movement” under ‘even’ is not deeply connected to semantic focus or stress, since the same movement occurs in the absence of focus or prosodic triggers. Rather, these movements are mediated by a feature shared across ‘even’ and ‘all’ constructions, which we propose is the maximality feature on a potentially covert operator. This result, when placed alongside findings by Horvath (2007) and Cable (2007), supports the hypothesis that A-bar “focus movement” is always operator-driven. The syntactic similarities between ‘even’ and ‘all’ in Mandarin suggest a semantics where ‘even’ is built compositionally from a non-focus-sensitive ‘all’ (dou) plus a scalar focus operator (lian). We present a preliminary semantics of this kind, and discuss some challenges it faces. Finally, we address “partial focus movement” data that are initially unexpected on our account, and show how they can be incorporated under a framework that allows copy movement and PF deletion

Does resistance really carry a fitness cost?

This is the final version of the article. Available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Insecticide resistance mutations are widely assumed to carry fitness costs. However studies to measure such costs are rarely performed on genetically related strains and are often only done in the laboratory. Theory also suggests that once evolved the cost of resistance can be offset by the evolution of fitness modifiers. But for insecticide resistance only one such example is well documented. Here we critically examine the literature on fitness costs in the absence of pesticide and ask if our knowledge of molecular biology has helped us predict the costs associated with different resistance mechanisms. We find that resistance alleles can arise from pre-existing polymorphisms and resistance associated variation can also be maintained by sexual antagonism. We describe novel mechanisms whereby both resistant and susceptible alleles can be maintained in permanent heterozygosis and discuss the likely consequences for fitness both in the presence and absence of pesticide. Taken together these findings suggest that we cannot assume that resistance always appears de novo and that our assumptions about the associated fitness costs need to be informed by a deeper understanding of the underlying molecular biology.Work on insecticide resistance in the ffrench-Constant and Bass laboratories is supported by the BBSRC (BB/H014268 to R. ff-C), the Royal Society (Wolfson Merit Award to R. ff-C) and the ERC (ERC Consolidator award to CB)

Preventing School Shootings: The Interprofessional and Community Approach to Prevention

This essay examined the issue of school shootings within the United States, to include a literature review and analysis of the current status of the issue on a national level. From the review and analysis, the essay provides the multidisciplines engaged in school safety issues with viable, workable, and quickly implementable solutions to address this serious national issue at the local school district and even school level of implementation. This analysis examined a multidiscipline and multiprofessional community approach using existing federal guidelines that address actionable intelligence (social media and human information/informants), school design and incorporation of safety and protective features, involvement of law enforcement on campuses, and engagement of law enforcement with administrators and educators. Most importantly, it provides awareness to educators, administrators, and law enforcement along with the general public that the attitude of “It can’t happen here” can indeed and way too many times it has “happened here.

Exploring the experience of acute inpatient mental health care from the perspective of family and carers of people experiencing psychosis: A qualitative thematic analysis study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic

Family and carers play an important role in supporting service users who are in receipt of acute mental health inpatient care, but they can also be significantly emotionally and physically impacted. The aim of this study was to examine their needs and priorities during this time. Fourteen family and carers of inpatients experiencing psychosis completed semi-structured interviews examining their experiences of inpatient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Four key themes were identified: ‘A turbulent journey to hospital admission’, ‘I need information and support’, ‘Maintaining my relationship with my loved one’ and ‘Inpatient care is a mixed bag’. Each theme comprised four or five subthemes. The findings demonstrated that family and carers feel excluded from inpatient care and struggled to maintain contact with their loved ones, which was exacerbated by COVID-19 related restrictions. Communication and being regularly informed about their loved one’s care, as well as visiting loved ones, was particularly problematic. Inpatient care needs to be more inclusive of family and carers and ensure they are kept in mind at every stage of the admission

The neural stem cell microenvironment

In mammals, neural stem cells appear early in development and remain active within the central nervous system for the whole life duration of the organism. During this developmental process they assume different cellular morphologies and reside within changing microenvironments whilst retaining the basic properties of a stem cell: multipotentiality and the ability to self renew. In this chapter, the basic morphological characteristics of neural stem cells will be reviewed, along with the fundamental structural components and signalling molecules of their microenvironments. In early neural development, when the patterning of the nervous system is established, neural stem cells are called neuroepithelial cells; they are situated among other neuroepithelial cells and they are exposed to various signals such as retinoic acid, sonic hedgehog and fibroblast growth factors. When neurogenesis commences, stem cells are transformed to radial glial cells and the complexity of their microenvironment increases due to the emergence of various types of neuronal progenitors, differentiated cells and extracellular signaling molecules. Finally, during adulthood, neural stem cells assume astroglial morphology and reside in specific microenvironments that are called neurogenic niches; small neurogenic islands where neurons and glia are continuously generated under the control of mechanisms largely similar to those operating during embryonic development

Ion channels as insecticide targets.

Published onlineJournal ArticleIon channels remain the primary target of most of the small molecule insecticides. This review examines how the subunit composition of heterologously expressed receptors determines their insecticide-specific pharmacology and how the pharmacology of expressed receptors differs from those found in the insect nervous system. We find that the insecticide-specific pharmacology of some receptors, like that containing subunits of the Rdl encoded GABA receptor, can be reconstituted with very few of the naturally occurring subunits expressed. In contrast, workers have struggled even to express functional insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and work has therefore often relied upon the expression of vertebrate receptor subunits in their place. We also examine the extent to which insecticide-resistance-associated mutations, such as those in the para encoded voltage-gated sodium channel, can reveal details of insecticide-binding sites and mode of action. In particular, we examine whether mutations are present in the insecticide-binding site and/or at sites that allosterically affect the drug preferred conformation of the receptor. We also discuss the ryanodine receptor as a target for the recently developed diamides. Finally, we examine the lethality of the genes encoding these receptor subunits and discuss how this might determine the degree of conservation of the resistance-associated mutations found

Oscillations in the expression of a self-repressed gene induced by a slow transcriptional dynamics

We revisit the dynamics of a gene repressed by its own protein in the case where the transcription rate does not adapt instantaneously to protein concentration but is a dynamical variable. We derive analytical criteria for the appearance of sustained oscillations and find that they require degradation mechanisms much less nonlinear than for infinitely fast regulation. Deterministic predictions are also compared with stochastic simulations of this minimal genetic oscillator

Oscillations in the expression of a self-repressed gene induced by a slow transcriptional dynamics

We revisit the dynamics of a gene repressed by its own protein in the case where the transcription rate does not adapt instantaneously to protein concentration but is a dynamical variable. We derive analytical criteria for the appearance of sustained oscillations and find that they require degradation mechanisms much less nonlinear than for infinitely fast regulation. Deterministic predictions are also compared with stochastic simulations of this minimal genetic oscillator

Temperature-driven selection on metabolic traits increases the strength of an algal-grazer interaction in naturally warmed streams

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Trophic interactions are important determinants of the structure and functioning of ecosystems. As the metabolism and consumption rates of ectotherms increase sharply with temperature, there are major concerns that global warming will increase the strength of trophic interactions, destabilizing food webs, and altering ecosystem structure and function. We used geothermally warmed streams that span an 11°C temperature gradient to investigate the interplay between temperature-driven selection on traits related to metabolism and resource acquisition, and the interaction strength between the keystone gastropod grazer, Radix balthica, and a common algal resource. Populations from a warm stream (~28°C) had higher maximal metabolic rates and optimal temperatures than their counterparts from a cold stream (~17°C). We found that metabolic rates of the population originating from the warmer stream were higher across all measurement temperatures. A reciprocal transplant experiment demonstrated that the interaction strengths between the grazer and its algal resource were highest for both populations when transplanted into the warm stream. In line with the thermal dependence of respiration, interaction strengths involving grazers from the warm stream were always higher than those with grazers from the cold stream. These results imply that increases in metabolism and resource consumption mediated by the direct, thermodynamic effects of higher temperatures on physiological rates are not mitigated by metabolic compensation in the long-term, and suggest that warming will increase the strength of algal-grazer interactions with likely knock-on effects for the biodiversity and productivity of aquatic ecosystems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Leverhulme Trust Research , Grant/AwardNumber: RP G-2013-335; ERC-StG, Grant/Award Number : ERC-StG 67727