Dreadlocks (Dock) is necessary to regulate growth of the germline ring canals in the developing \u3ci\u3eDrosophila melanogaster\u3c/i\u3e egg chamber

Infertility is a prevalent issue in the United States, impacting 1.5 million women (1). A possible cause of infertility is defects in gametogenesis, or the formation of sperm and egg. Therefore, understanding the basic mechanisms that promote normal gamete formation could impact our understanding of infertility. The Drosophila melanogaster egg develops from an organ-like structure called an egg chamber. The egg chamber is composed of a central cluster of 16 germ cells that are connected to one another by intercellular bridges, called ring canals. These ring canals are composed of filamentous actin and allow the transfer of materials from supporting nurse cells to the developing oocyte. The ring canals form during early oogenesis and then expand 20-fold. Defects in ring canal formation or expansion can lead to infertility. The purpose of this project was to determine the role of the SH2/SH3 adaptor protein, Dreadlocks (Dock), in the germline ring canals of the developing Drosophila egg. Dock is involved in the formation of other actin-rich structures and has been shown to interact with other known ring canal proteins; thus, I examined whether depletion or mutation of Dock affected the process of nurse cell dumping or the size of the ring canals throughout development. Depletion of Dock by RNA interference (RNAi) caused an over-expansion of the outer diameter of the ring canals in egg chambers between the stages of 6 and 10b of oogenesis. Reducing Dock levels also enhanced the phenotype caused by depletion of two other ring canal components, the kinase Misshapen or the Arp2/3 complex. This led me to propose that Dock functions with Misshapen and the Arp2/3 complex to promote normal ring canal expansion and stability. Because of the conserved nature of these intercellular bridges and the proteins being studied, this work could provide significant insight into gametogenesis in higher organisms

The role of citizen science in monitoring biodiversity in Ireland.

13 pagesInternational audienceCitizen science is proving to be an effective tool in tracking the rapid pace at which our environment is changing over large geographic areas. It is becoming increasingly popular, in places such as North America and some European countries, to engage members of the general public and school pupils in the collection of scientific data to support long-term environmental monitoring. Participants in such schemes are generally volunteers and are referred to as citizen scientists. The Christmas bird count in the US is one of the worlds longest running citizen science projects whereby volunteers have been collecting data on birds on a specific day since 1900. Similar volunteer networks in Ireland have been in existence since the 1960s and were established to monitor the number and diversity of birds throughout the country. More recently, initiatives such as Greenwave (2006) and Nature Watch (2009) invite school children and members of the general public respectively, to record phenology data from a range of common species of plant, insect and bird. In addition, the Irish butterfly and bumblebee monitoring schemes engage volunteers to record data on sightings of these species. The primary purpose of all of these networks is to collect data by which to monitor changes in wildlife development and diversity, and in the case of Greenwave to involve children in hands-on, inquiry-based science. Together these various networks help raise awareness of key environmental issues, such as climate change and loss of biodiversity, while at the same time promote development of scientific skills among the general population. In addition, they provide valuable scientific data by which to track environmental change. Here we examine the role of citizen science in monitoring biodiversity in Ireland and conclude that some of the data collected in these networks can be used to fulfil Ireland's statutory obligations for nature conservation. In addition, a bee thought previously to be extinct has been rediscovered and a range expansion of a different bee has been confirmed. However, it also became apparent that some of the networks play more of an educational than a scientific role. Furthermore, we draw on experience from a range of citizen science projects to make recommendations on how best to establish new citizen science projects in Ireland and strengthen existing ones

Combating Global Sex Trafficking: Addressing its Humanitarian Impact

This research project intends to make an impact on what the FBI has deemed the “third-largest criminal enterprise in the world”—human sex trafficking. Alarmed by the prevalence of these crimes in just Montana, our group was inspired to dig deeper into the causes of sex trafficking and its most vulnerable victims. By researching current legislation, meeting with local stakeholders, and contacting and partnering with several NGOs, we have found that many of the laws necessary to protect these victims are already in place. This research project, therefore, focuses on finding and addressing the largest gaps and needs of already established resources for these victims locally and internationally. Our research suggests that the greatest issues lie not in legislation but rather in the lack of enforcement of anti-trafficking laws. Important sublayers of our research uncovered the history of sex trafficking, which impacts cultural beliefs/stigmas that have led to corruption. This conclusion led our group to arrive at two different plans to impact sex trafficking in Montana and abroad, specifically Cambodia and India. First, we aim to educate Missoula’s public through the arts. To achieve this, we are working with members of the University of Montana’s theater department and other volunteers to give light to the complexities of sex trafficking through acting and storytelling. Second, we intend to make existing resources more accessible to these victims. By speaking with stakeholders like attorneys and law enforcement, we will identify the most prevalent nationalities of victims and create posters and cards with appropriate translations for established resources. To ensure the accessibility of these materials, we will partner with the Department of Justice or an NGO. Our ultimate hope is to have a tangible impact, both in Montana and globally, for the fight against modern slavery

Global Sex Trafficking with a Closer Look at the Role of Technology in Trafficking

No abstract available

Rapid climate driven shifts in wintering distributions of three common waterbird species

Climate change is predicted to cause changes in species distributions and several studies report margin range shifts in some species. However, the reported changes rarely concern a species' entire distribution and are not always linked to climate change

Rapid climate driven shifts in wintering distributions of three common waterbird species

Climate change is predicted to cause changes in species distributions and several studies report margin range shifts in some species. However, the reported changes rarely concern a species' entire distribution and are not always linked to climate change. Here, we demonstrate strong north-eastwards shifts in the centres of gravity of the entire wintering range of three common waterbird species along the North-West Europe flyway during the past three decades. These shifts correlate with an increase of 3.8 degrees C in early winter temperature in the north-eastern part of the wintering areas, where bird abundance increased exponentially, corresponding with decreases in abundance at the south-western margin of the wintering ranges. This confirms the need to re-evaluate conservation site safeguard networks and associated biodiversity monitoring along the flyway, as new important wintering areas are established further north and east, and highlights the general urgency of conservation planning in a changing world. Range shifts in wintering waterbirds may also affect hunting pressure, which may alter bag sizes and lead to population-level consequences