Nitrogen Excretion and Aspects of Water Balance in Fasting Hooded Seal Pups (Cystophora cristata)

The post-weaning fast of hooded seal pups (Cystophora cristata) is not well understood. What energy sources are being used? How is water balance maintained? How are these mechanisms balanced with thermoregulation? This study aims to answer some questions on the physiological mechanisms in place to assist an Arctic seal pup in the early stages of their life with no source of food or freshwater. Hooded Seals have some remarkable adaptations to birth on the ice; they have the shortest lactation period of any mammal at 3-5 days and therefore the pup is highly precocious. After weaning, the pups will fast for an estimated 30 days, relying on their energy sources built up during lactation until they are capable of foraging for themselves. Six pups were captured in the Greenland Sea at the end of, or shortly after, lactation. Measurements of metabolic rate and mass were made weekly alongside weekly sampling of blood and urine samples throughout their 30 days of post-weaning fast. Samples were then analysed for the concentrations of nitrogenous compounds and relevant ions (Cl- , Na+ , and Mg2+) to find how they may change over the month-long fasting period. From the analysis of nitrogenous products within the urine samples, the amount of protein catabolised over a 24- hour period was estimated, allowing for calculating the proportion of metabolic rate that is accounted for by the catabolism of proteins. Results here for electrolyte concentrations in plasma and urine support previous literature demonstrating that hooded seals are capable of ingesting seawater in order to maintain homeostasis. Urine osmolality increased to values higher than seawater (1.3±0.13 osmol/kg, compared with 0.949 osmol/kg in seawater), while haematocrit values stabilised after entrance to seawater. Weight-specific metabolic rates were not detected to significantly decrease over the fasting period (at an average of 2.4±0.54 W/kg, 1.7 times estimated Kleiber value) and the proportion of this that is accounted for by protein catabolism remained low at an average of 3.4±3.1 %. The metabolism rate not being observed to decrease and the low rate of protein catabolism goes against some trends common among pinniped species. This may be due to the large amount of fat stores that hooded seals have, greater than other Arctic seal counterparts such as the harp seal. This may mean that sufficient energy is available that they can utilise their fat deposits for energy, without a requirement to reduce their metabolic rate or increase protein catabolism to supplement their use of fat as an energy source

UAVino

UAVino is a drone solution that uses aerial imagery to determine the overall plant health and water content of vineyards. In general, the system focuses on automating crop inspection by taking aerial imagery of a vineyard, conducting post-processing, and outputting an easily interpreted map of the vineyard\u27s overall health. The project\u27s key innovation is an auto-docking system that allows the drone to automatically return to its launch point and recharge in order to extend mission duration. Long term, UAVino is envisioned as a multi-year, interdisciplinary project involving both the Santa Clara University Robotics Systems Laboratory and local wineries in order to develop a fully functional drone agricultural inspection service

Host-selected mutations converging on a global regulator drive an adaptive leap towards symbiosis in bacteria

Host immune and physical barriers protect against pathogens but also impede the establishment of essential symbiotic partnerships. To reveal mechanisms by which beneficial organisms adapt to circumvent host defenses, we experimentally evolved ecologically distinct bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri by colonization and growth within the light organs of the squid Euprymna scolopes. Serial squid passaging of bacteria produced eight distinct mutations in the binK sensor kinase gene, which conferred an exceptional selective advantage that could be demonstrated through both empirical and theoretical analysis. Squid-adaptive binK alleles promoted colonization and immune evasion that were mediated by cell-associated matrices including symbiotic polysaccharide (Syp) and cellulose. binK variation also altered quorum sensing, raising the threshold for luminescence induction. Preexisting coordinated regulation of symbiosis traits by BinK presented an efficient solution where altered BinK function was the key to unlock multiple colonization barriers. These results identify a genetic basis for microbial adaptability and underscore the importance of hosts as selective agents that shape emergent symbiont populations

Engineering Customized Cell Sensing and Response Behaviors Using Synthetic Notch Receptors

The Notch protein is one of the most mechanistically direct transmembrane receptors—the intracellular domain contains a transcriptional regulator that is released from the membrane when engagement of the cognate extracellular ligand induces intramembrane proteolysis. We find that chimeric forms of Notch, in which both the extracellular sensor module and the intracellular transcriptional module are replaced with heterologous protein domains, can serve as a general platform for generating novel cell-cell contact signaling pathways. Synthetic Notch (synNotch) pathways can drive user-defined functional responses in diverse mammalian cell types. Because individual synNotch pathways do not share common signaling intermediates, the pathways are functionally orthogonal. Thus, multiple synNotch receptors can be used in the same cell to achieve combinatorial integration of environmental cues, including Boolean response programs, multi-cellular signaling cascades, and self-organized cellular patterns. SynNotch receptors provide extraordinary flexibility in engineering cells with customized sensing/response behaviors to user-specified extracellular cues

Investigating the Mechanisms of Hallucinogen-Induced Visions Using 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA): A Randomized Controlled Trial in Humans

The mechanisms of drug-induced visions are poorly understood. Very few serotonergic hallucinogens have been studied in humans in decades, despite widespread use of these drugs and potential relevance of their mechanisms to hallucinations occurring in psychiatric and neurological disorders.We investigated the mechanisms of hallucinogen-induced visions by measuring the visual and perceptual effects of the hallucinogenic serotonin 5-HT2AR receptor agonist and monoamine releaser, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. We found that MDA increased self-report measures of mystical-type experience and other hallucinogen-like effects, including reported visual alterations. MDA produced a significant increase in closed-eye visions (CEVs), with considerable individual variation. Magnitude of CEVs after MDA was associated with lower performance on measures of contour integration and object recognition.Drug-induced visions may have greater intensity in people with poor sensory or perceptual processing, suggesting common mechanisms with other hallucinatory syndromes. MDA is a potential tool to investigate mystical experiences and visual perception

A Classroom Activity for Teaching Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development

In two studies, we demonstrate an engaging classroom activity that facilitates student learning about Kohlberg’s theory of moral development by using digital resources to foster active, experiential learning. In addition to hearing a standard lecture about moral development, students watched a video of a morally provocative incident, then worked in small groups to classify user comments posted in response to the video according to Kohlberg’s six stages. Students in both studies found the activity enjoyable and useful. Moreover, students’ scores on a moral development quiz improved after completing the activity (Study 1), and students who completed the activity in addition to receiving a lecture performed better on the quiz than students who received lecture alone (Study 2)

Effect of Surveillance Method on Reported Characteristics of Lyme Disease, Connecticut, 1996–2007

The epidemiology of Lyme disease varies by surveillance method