Neutral Theory and Beyond: A Systematic Review of Molecular Evolution Education

Molecular evolution—including the neutral theory of molecular evolution—is a major sub-discipline of evolution and is widely taught in undergraduate evolution courses. However, despite its ubiquity, there have not been any previous attempts to compile and review the molecular evolution education literature. Here, we draw upon the framework proposed in a past literature review examining the broader evolution education landscape to conduct a literature review of papers related to molecular evolution education, classifying the contributions of such papers to evolution pedagogy as well as evolution education research. We find that there remains very limited coverage of molecular evolution in the education literature, with existing papers focusing primarily on providing new instructional modules and strategies for teaching molecular evolution. Our work suggests several areas of critical need as well as opportunities to advance evolution education and evolution education research, including compiling instructional goals for the sub-discipline, developing validated assessments, and investigating student thinking related to molecular evolution. We conclude by providing general strategies, advice, and a novel curricular activity for teaching molecular evolution and the neutral theory of molecular evolution

Innovative construction and the role of boundary objects: a Gehry case study

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Physical objects have long been used in addressing the challenges involved in constructing innovative buildings, yet their significance for collaborative problem solving in inter-organizational projects is rarely acknowledged. The aim of this research is to investigate what happens when a project team has to collaboratively innovate to address radical design challenges in a construction setting. We focus on the role of a full-scale mock-up of a façade in transforming the design intent for a building by Frank Gehry into design realization. The concept of boundary objects is used as an analytical lens via a case study methodology utilizing non-participant observation of weekly meetings and workshops over a period of 10 months covering client, consultant and contractor involvement. The research shows the role of mock-ups in radical construction settings is in tension along three delivery dimensions: performance, aesthetic and technical construction. Task completion competed with the requirements for experimentation around innovative problem solving with the how to construct it problem left unresolved. The findings suggest that co-location and synchronicity are critical conditions for collaborative and innovative problem solving in radical construction contexts. Project teams need to create open-ended ‘moments’ for iterating critical objects and the interactions that take place around them

Gender in agricultural mechanization: Key guiding questions

This tool describes case studies of gender implications in mechanization in RTB crops, illustrating both positive and negative outcomes. GENNOVATE research has shown that the beneficiaries of mechanization tend to be the wealthier rather than the poorer farmers and more often men than women. However, results also reveal that women have strong interest in mechanization as a way to improve their own circumstances

Diversity of O Antigens within the Genus Cronobacter: from Disorder to Order

Cronobacter species are Gram-negative opportunistic pathogens that can cause serious infections in neonates. The lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) that form part of the outer membrane of such bacteria are possibly related to the virulence of particular bacterial strains. However, currently there is no clear overview of O-antigen diversity within the various Cronobacter strains and links with virulence. In this study, we tested a total of 82 strains, covering each of the Cronobacter species. The nucleotide variability of the O-antigen gene cluster was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. As a result, the 82 strains were distributed into 11 previously published serotypes and 6 new serotypes, each defined by its characteristic restriction profile. These new serotypes were confirmed using genomic analysis of strains available in public databases: GenBank and PubMLST Cronobacter. Laboratory strains were then tested using the current serotype-specific PCR probes. The results show that the current PCR probes did not always correspond to genomic O-antigen gene cluster variation. In addition, we analyzed the LPS phenotype of the reference strains of all distinguishable serotypes. The identified serotypes were compared with data from the literature and the MLST database (www.pubmlst.org/cronobacter/). Based on the findings, we systematically classified a total of 24 serotypes for the Cronobacter genus. Moreover, we evaluated the clinical history of these strains and show that Cronobacter sakazakii O2, O1, and O4, C. turicensis O1, and C. malonaticus O2 serotypes are particularly predominant in clinical cases

International Law and Conflict Resolution: Palestinian Claims and the Arab States

Over the last few years there has been a revival of interest in international law as a mechanism for conflict resolution. These same years have seen a demonstration of the undeveloped state of international law, particularly concerning intrastate conflicts. The wide disagreement about questions of fact, legal consequence, and world order implications of internal war is a telling commentary on the current problems of applying legal standards to such conflicts. A major part of the disagreement can be explained in terms of the specific problems relating to fact determination and authoritative interpretation engendered by the nature of the environment in which the international legal order must function. The ambiguous and emotionally charged atmosphere that is characteristic of all international actions when force or the threat of force is involved also contributes to the disagreement. Conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli dispute clearly raise the question whether the traditional approaches and concepts of international law are adequate to characterize the range and variety of contemporary internal disorders and the types of involvement by third states. In addition, many international legal norms are not specific enough in content to allow illegal behavior to be identified with confidence. This is true especially of norms purporting to limit the use of coercion. Under the general heading of minor coercion, the many different forms of coercive influence have remained largely undifferentiated in law. The major problem is not the perennial one of making appropriate judgments about state behavior, but the more complex problem of constructing categories that will accurately reflect the changed and changing milieu in which the law must function