Computer‐assisted learning as an alternative to didactic lectures: A study of teaching the physics of diagnostic imaging

A computer‐assisted learning (CAL) package entitled Physics of Diagnostic Imaging was developed in 1995 to replace five hours of didactic lectures at the University of Glasgow Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and has been available as an additional learning resource for students in the other five UK veterinary schools for over three years. The package was reviewed by peer experts and the reaction of the students to its use gauged by post‐task questionnaire administration, informal discussions and observation. To assess the effect of integration into the curriculum, analyses of fourth‐year degree examination results over a six‐year period were carried out. Analyses of students’ examination results for pre‐ and post‐CAL delivery of the diagnostic imaging course showed that performance in the CAL‐based course was significantly higher than in other subjects. This confirmed that the courseware can be used to replace didactic lectures as part of a rich learning environment supported by other resources. Initial student resistance to lecture replacement with CAL occurred, but has lessened as the use of the package has become established in the curriculum

Mediating Controversial Technology: The Case of Monsanto's Attempt to Introduce Genetically Modified Wheat in North Dakota

When Monsanto attempted to release transgenic wheat in the upper Midwest of the U.S., localization efforts to accommodate stakeholders were unsuccessful. This paper explores this break down, focusing on the rhetoric of a group of people who attempted to establish protocols that would make co-existence between transgenic and organic producers possible. Their goal was to document best management practices that would satisfy both parties. The case points to the need for co-existence groups of this kind, but also indicates that there is still much we need to learn about negotiating controversial technology

Developmental Expression of Rat Target of the Antiproliferative Antibody (rTAPA) Protein in the Brain

The present study defines the expression pattern of rTAPA (CD81) in the developing rat brain. rTAPA is a member of the tetramembrane spanning family of proteins, and like other members of this family, appears to be associated with the stabilization of cellular contacts. On immunoblots of the brain, rTAPA is present in higher levels than any other tissue examined: muscle, tendon, peripheral nerve, cartilage, liver, kidney, skin, and testicle. Immunohistochemical methods were used to define the distribution of rTAPA in the brain. This protein is expressed by ependyma, choroid plexus, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, and rTAPA is dramatically upregulated at the time of glial birth and maturation. At embryonic day 18, the levels of rTAPA are low, with most of the immunoreaction product associated with the ependyma, choroid plexus, and the glia limitans. As development continues, the amount of rTAPA expressed in the brain increases and at postnatal day 14 the levels approach those of the adult. This increase of rTAPA at postnatal day 14 is due to the upregulation in the gray and white matter. Thus, rTAPA is found in all glial cells and the level of this protein correlates with their maturation

Differences in virulence of Diplocarpon earlianum isolates on selected strawberry cultivars

Huit isolats de Diplocarpon earlianum ont été évalués sur 18 cultivars de fraisiers (Fragaria x ananassa) pour leur virulence, laquelle a été mesurée par leur capacité de causer un pourcentage de surface foliaire portant des symptômes. Des différences significatives ont été observées entre les isolats et les cultivars, ainsi que pour l'interaction isolat x cultivar. Quatre des huit isolats, sur la moyenne des 18 cultivars de fraisiers, avaient une surface foliaire portant des symptômes de 6,7-9,6 % et ils ont été classifiés dans le groupe defaible virulence. Les quatre autres isolats avaient une surface portant des symptômes variant de 25,9-45,8 % et formaient un groupe de forte virulence. Parmi les cultivars testés, 'Vibrant' était résistant et 'Micmac' était susceptible à tous les isolats dans les deux groupes de virulence; 'Honeyoye', 'Redcoat', 'Scotland', 'St. Clair' et 'Vantage' étaient résistants au groupe de faible virulence, mais ils présentaient des interactions différentielles envers les isolats du groupe de forte virulence, les 11 autres cultivars étaient sensibles au groupe de forte virulence mais ils démontraient des interactions différentielles envers les isolats du groupe de faible virulence. Il est suggéré que plusieurs isolats de l'agent pathogène soient requis pour tester des génotypes de fraisiers pour leur résistance à la tache pourpre. Une méthode d'essai utilisant des disques foliaires a été développée et elle peut être utilisée pour évaluer la susceptibilité de génotypes de fraisiers au D. earlianum en laboratoire.Eight isolates of Diplocarpon earlianum were evaluated for virulence, measured as the ability to produce percent leaf area with symptoms (LAS), on 18 cultivars of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa). Significant differences were observed from isolate and cultivar effects, and isolate x cultivar interaction. Four of the eight isolates, on the average of 18 strawberry cultivars, had LAS ranging from 6.7-9.6%, and were classified as a group of low virulence. The remaining four isolates had LAS ranging from 25.9-45.8% and formed a high virulence group. Of the cultivars tested, 'Vibrant' was resistant and 'Micmac' was susceptible to all isolates in both virulence groups; 'Honeoye', 'Redcoat', 'Scotland', 'St. Clair' and 'Vantage' were resistant to the low virulence group, but had differential interactions to isolates in the high virulence group; the remaining 11 cultivars were susceptible to the high virulence group, but had differential interactions to isolates in the low virulence group. It is suggested that a number of different pathogen isolates are required to test strawberry genotypes for leaf scorch resistance. A leaf disk assay was developed in this study and can be used for laboratory evaluations of strawberry genotypes for susceptibility to D. earlianum

Sex Differences and Seasonal Trade-Offs in Response to Injured and Non-Injured Conspecifics in Red-Spotted Newts, Notophthalmus viridescens

Injured prey often release alarm chemicals that induce antipredator behaviors in conspecifics. Injured or killed prey most likely release a wide array of chemicals in addition to alarm substances, such as sexual pheromones, which could enhance or compromise antipredator responses. Thus, damage-release cues provide an excellent opportunity to examine the influence of seasonally fluctuating sexual pheromones on antipredator behaviors. We used a series of laboratory and field experiments and meta-analysis to examine seasonal changes and sex differences in the response of red-spot-ted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, to the odor of non-injured conspecifics and conspecific tissue extracts, the latter of which presumably contain pheromones of non-injured conspecifics combined with alarm chemicals signaling predation. During the peak of the breeding season, males were attracted to females and multiple males, but did not avoid tissue extracts from either sex. As the breeding season waned, male attraction to females and males decreased, while avoidance of alarm extracts from both sexes concurrently increased. In contrast to male behavior, females were indifferent to both sexes during the breeding season, and showed significant avoidance only of female extract. As the breeding season progressed, females displayed no change in response to treatments. Male and female responses to female rinse and extract differed significantly, but their response to male treatments did not. During the non-breeding season, both males and females were indifferent to the odor of conspecifics and avoided conspecific tissue extracts, with the magnitude of male avoidance greater than that of female avoidance, suggesting sex differences in response to alarm cues in both the breed-ing and non-breeding seasons. In general, both male and female response to conspecific odor and tissue extracts covaried positively, suggesting that social pheromones can be detected within conspecific macerates and com-promise alarm-chemical avoidance. Many of the sex differences in both seasons are likely explained by selection pressures imposed on males to intensely mate search during the breeding season, suggesting that the mating system of newts directly influences predation threat during reproductive activity and may have significant indirect consequences on risk during the non-breeding season

The Ontogeny of Chemically-Mediated Antipredator Behaviours in Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens): Responses to Injured and Non-Injured Conspecifics

Responses to alarm chemicals from injured prey may influence predation risk and foraging success of receivers and senders, while learning can influence the strength of these responses. Thus, it is important to know when in ontogeny prey produce and detect alarm substances and how learning shapes their response, but surprisingly little is known about either of these topics. We assessed when in the life of red-spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, alarm chemicals are produced and detected by comparing adult versus eft (terrestrial juveniles) and larval responses to rinses and tissue extracts from individuals in each life-history stage. To evaluate the influence of experience in larvae exposed to conspecific alarm substances and rinses from adults known to cannibalize larvae, we compared the response of naive larvae, which had no prior experience with alarm chemicals or predators, to experienced larvae, which were likely to have experienced alarm chemicals and predators in their native pond. Larvae were indifferent to larval rinses and extracts, but reduced their activity in response to adult rinses and extracts. There was no difference between responses of recently hatched naive and experienced larvae, indicating that larvae exhibit innate antipredator behaviors in response to adult odour. Adults were indifferent to all larval treatments and adult rinse, but avoided adult extract. Since neither adults nor larvae responded to larval extract, larvae did not appear to possess alarm chemicals, and consequently, we were unable to assess the influence of experience on alarm substance response in larvae. Adults and efts were indifferent to rinses, but avoided extracts from conspecifics of both life-history stages. Together, these results demonstrate that red-spotted newts do not produce alarm chemicals until late in larval development, but can respond to predation-related chemical cues soon after hatching

Behavioural Responses by Red-Backed Salamanders to Conspecific and Heterospecific Cues

Chemical cues released from injured prey are thought to indicate the proximity of a predator or predation event, and therefore, an area of elevated predation risk. Prey often avoid chemical cues released from injured heterospecifics, but there is little evidence to determine whether this is due to homologous cues among phylogenetically related species, or avoidance of injured syntopic species that experience predation from the same predators. The purpose of this study was to examine the response of terrestrial red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) to chemical cues from non-injured and injured members of their prey guild that vary in their relatedness to P cinereus. In the laboratory, P. cinereus avoided chemical cues from injured conspecifics, injured and non-injured slimy salamanders (P glutinosus), and injured confamilial dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus). Red-backed salamanders did not avoid rinses from non-injured conspecifics and dusky salamanders, or cues from injured and non-injured earthworms (Lumbricus sp.), a more distantly related prey guild member. These results cannot be fully explained by either phylogenetic relatedness (among plethodontid salamanders) or prey guild membership alone. We suggest that a combination of these factors, and perhaps others, likely influenced the evolution of heterospecific alarm cue avoidance in the red-backed salamander