Indirect Reciprocity, Resource Sharing, and Environmental Risk: Evidence from Field Experiments in Siberia

Integrating information from existing research, qualitative ethnographic interviews, and participant observation, we designed a field experiment that introduces idiosyncratic environmental risk and a voluntary sharing decision into a standard public goods game. Conducted with subsistence resource users in rural villages on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Northeast Siberia, we find evidence consistent with a model of indirect reciprocity and local social norms of helping the needy. When participants are allowed to develop reputations in the experiments, as is the case in most small-scale societies, we find that sharing is increasingly directed toward individuals experiencing hardship, good reputations increase aid, and the pooling of resources through voluntary sharing becomes more effective. We also find high levels of voluntary sharing without a strong commitment device; however, this form of cooperation does not increase contributions to the public good. Our results are consistent with previous experiments and theoretical models, suggesting strategic risks tied to rewards, punishments, and reputations are important. However, unlike studies that focus solely on strategic risks, we find the effects of rewards, punishments, and reputations are altered by the presence of environmental factors. Unexpected changes in resource abundance increase interdependence and may alter the costs and benefits of cooperation, relative to defection. We suggest environmental factors that increase interdependence are critically important to consider when developing and testing theories of cooperatio

Identification of Key Proteins in Human Epithelial Cells Responding to Bystander Signals From Irradiated Trout Skin

Radiation-induced bystander signaling has been found to occur in live rainbow trout fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This article reports identification of key proteomic changes in a bystander reporter cell line (HaCaT) grown in low-dose irradiated tissue-conditioned media (ITCM) from rainbow trout fish. In vitro explant cultures were generated from the skin of fish previously exposed to low doses (0.1 and 0.5 Gy) of X-ray radiation in vivo. The ITCM was harvested from all donor explant cultures and placed on recipient HaCaT cells to observe any change in protein expression caused by the bystander signals. Proteomic methods using 2-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy were employed to screen for novel proteins expressed. The proteomic changes measured in HaCaT cells receiving the ITCM revealed that exposure to 0.5 Gy induced an upregulation of annexin A2 and cingulin and a downregulation of Rho-GDI2, F-actin-capping protein subunit beta, microtubule-associated protein RP/EB family member, and 14-3-3 proteins. The 0.1 Gy dose also induced a downregulation of Rho-GDI2, hMMS19, F-actin-capping protein subunit beta, and microtubule-associated protein RP/EB family member proteins. The proteins reported may influence apoptotic signaling, as the results were suggestive of an induction of cell communication, repair mechanisms, and dysregulation of growth signal

Providing Oral Health Education to Underserved Children and Families within an Interdisciplinary Team

This paper outlines the background literature, needs assessment process, and project activities of a master’s project focused on oral health outcomes through use of an interprofessional team. The project activities were based on recommendations from current literatures, including interprofessional education and teaming, as well as family-centered education to promote positive oral health outcomes for young children and their families. Recommendations for future collaborations and the occupational therapy role within interprofessional oral health care teams are shared

The Lunar Volatile Resources Analysis Package

The presence and abundance of lunar volatiles is an important consideration for ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilisation) since this is likely to be a part of a strategy for supporting long term human exploration of the moon. The Lunar Volatile Resources Analysis Package (L-VRAP) is part of the provisional payload for the ESA European Lander [1] and aims to measure the abundance and chemical/isotopic composition of volatiles from regolith samples and the lunar exosphere

Examining the Links between Multi-Frequency Multibeam Backscatter Data and Sediment Grain Size

Publication history: Accepted - 13 April 2021Acoustic methods are routinely used to provide broad scale information on the geographical distribution of benthic marine habitats and sedimentary environments. Although single-frequency multibeam echosounder surveys have dominated seabed characterisation for decades, multifrequency approaches are now gaining favour in order to capture different frequency responses from the same seabed type. The aim of this study is to develop a robust modelling framework for testing the potential application and value of multifrequency (30, 95, and 300 kHz) multibeam backscatter responses to characterize sediments’ grain size in an area with strong geomorphological gradients and benthic ecological variability. We fit a generalized linear model on a multibeam backscatter and its derivatives to examine the explanatory power of single-frequency and multifrequency models with respect to the mean sediment grain size obtained from the grab samples. A strong and statistically significant (p < 0.05) correlation between the mean backscatter and the absolute values of the mean sediment grain size for the data was noted. The root mean squared error (RMSE) values identified the 30 kHz model as the best performing model responsible for explaining the most variation (84.3%) of the mean grain size at a statistically significant output (p < 0.05) with an adjusted r2 = 0.82. Overall, the single low-frequency sources showed a marginal gain on the multifrequency model, with the 30 kHz model driving the significance of this multifrequency model, and the inclusion of the higher frequencies diminished the level of agreement. We recommend further detailed and sufficient ground-truth data to better predict sediment properties and to discriminate benthic habitats to enhance the reliability of multifrequency backscatter data for the monitoring and management of marine protected areas.This research was funded by the Marine Institute under the Marine Research Programme by the Irish Government Cruise CE19007 Backscatter and Biodiversity of Shelf Sea Habitats (BaBioSSH) survey. Staffing was supported through the Marine Protected Area Monitoring and Management (MarPAMM) project, which is supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPM) with matching funding from the Government of Ireland, the Northern Ireland Executive, and the Scottish Government, as well as the PhD studentship through a Vice Chancellor Research Scholarship of Ulster University (U.K.)

Falcon Neuro: an event-based sensor on the International Space Station

We report on the Falcon neuro event-based sensor (EBS) instrument that is designed to acquire data from lightning and sprite phenomena and is currently operating on the International Space Station. The instrument consists of two independent, identical EBS cameras pointing in two fixed directions, toward the nominal forward direction of flight and toward the nominal Nadir direction. The payload employs stock DAVIS 240C focal plane arrays along with custom-built control and readout electronics to remotely interface with the cameras. To predict the sensor’s ability to effectively record sprites and lightning, we explore temporal response characteristics of the DAVIS 240C and use lab measurements along with reported limitations to model the expected response to a characteristic sprite illumination time-series. These simulations indicate that with appropriate camera settings the instrument will be capable of capturing these transient luminous events when they occur. Finally, we include initial results from the instrument, representing the first reported EBS recordings successfully collected aboard a space-based platform and demonstrating proof of concept that a neuromorphic camera is capable of operating in the space environment

Characteristics of shallow and mesophotic environments of the Pemba Channel, Tanzania : implications for management and conservation

Information on the spatial distribution of habitats and vulnerable species is important for conservation planning. In particular, detailed knowledge on connectivity of marine ecosystems in relation to depth and seafloor characteristics is crucial for any proposed conservation and management actions. Yet, the bulk of the seafloor remains undersampled, unstudied and unmapped, thereby limiting our understanding of connections between shallow and deep-water communities. Recent studies on mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) have highlighted the western Indian Ocean as a particularly understudied marine region. Here we utilise an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to collect in-situ temperature, oxygen concentration, bathymetry, acoustic backscatter and photographic data on benthic communities from shallow (<30 m) and mesophotic (30-150 m) depths at selected sites in the Greater Pemba Channel, Tanzania . Further, we use generalised additive models (GAMs) to determine useful predictors of substratum (hard and sand) and benthic community type (coral, turf algae, fleshy algae, fish). Our results revealed the presence of a complex seafloor characterised by pockmarks, steep slopes, submarine walls, and large boulders. Photographs confirmed the presence of MCE composed of corals, algae and fishes on the eastern margins of the Pemba Channel. The GAMs on the presence and absence of benthic community explained 35% to 91% of the deviance in fish and fleshy algae assemblages, respectively. Key predictors of the distribution of hard substrata and the coral reef communities were depth, showing the upper boundary of MCEs present at 30-40 m, and seafloor slope that showed more occurrences on steep slopes. The upper 100 m of water column had stable temperatures (25-26°C) and oxygen concentrations (220- 235 μmol/l). We noted the presence of submarine walls, steeply inclined bedrock, which appeared to support a highly bio-diverse community that may be worthy of particular conservation measures. Our results also highlight the capability of using marine robotics, particularly autonomous vehicles, to fill the knowledge gap for areas not readily accessible with surface vessels, and their potential application in the initial survey and subsequent monitoring of Marine Protected Areas