Sensitivity of the mussel Mytilus edulis to substrate‑borne vibration in relation to anthropogenically generated noise

© 2015 Inter-Research. Many anthropogenic activities in the oceans involve direct contact with the seabed (for example pile driving), creating radiating particle motion waves. However, the consequences of these waveforms to marine organisms are largely unknown and there is little information on the ability of invertebrates to detect vibration, or indeed the acoustic component of the signal. We quantified sensitivity of the marine bivalve Mytilus edulis to substrate-borne vibration by exposure to vibration under controlled conditions. Sinusoidal excitation by tonal signals at frequencies within the range 5 to 410 Hz was applied during the tests, using the 'staircase' method of threshold determination. Thresholds were related to mussel size and to seabed vibration data produced by anthropogenic activities. Clear behavioural changes were observed in response to the vibration stimulus. Thresholds ranged from 0.06 to 0.55 m s -2 (acceleration, root mean squared), with valve closure used as the behavioural indicator of reception and response. Thresholds were shown to be within the range of vibrations measured in the vicinity of anthropogenic operations such as pile driving and blasting. The responses show that vibration is likely to impact the overall fitness of both individuals and mussel beds of M. edulis due to disruption of natural valve periodicity, which may have ecosystem and commercial implications. The observed data provide a valuable first step to understanding the impacts of such vibration upon a key coastal and estuarine invertebrate which lives near industrial and construction activity, and illustrate that the role of seabed vibration should not be underestimated when assessing the impacts of noise pollution

Developing non-verbal ways of knowing in dance: Collaborative school / university action research.

Gardner (1983, 1993) has long argued that education privileges certain intelligences, primarily the linguistic and the logical-mathematical. As the arts tend to emphasise ways of knowing outside these intelligences, their marginalised status is exacerbated. A recent two-year project in eight primary schools on dance, drama, music and visual art found that the non-verbal aspects of each art form warranted serious attention to investigate what it means to learn in the arts. In this paper we describe and discuss the results of an aspect of action research in dance from this larger research project. We demonstrate how movement can be used as the primary expressive mode of communication, as opposed to privileging the spoken word. Through the use of powerpoint and video, we provide an intriguing and innovative model for providing non-verbal feedback and feed forward in the dance classroom

Addressing Implicit Bias in the Courts

Fairness is a fundamental tenet of American courts. Yet, despite substantial work by state courts to address issues of racial and ethnic fairness,2 public skepticism that racial and ethnic minorities receive consistently fair and equal treatment in American courts remains widespread.3 Why? THE INFLUENCE OF IMPLICIT ASSOCIATIONS Perhaps one explanation may be found in an emerging body of research on implicit cognition. During the last two decades, new assessment methods and technologies in the fields of social science and neuroscience have advanced research on brain functions, providing a glimpse into what National Public Radio science correspondent Shankar Vedantam refers to as the “hidden brain.”4 Although in its early stages, this research is helping scientists understand how the brain takes in, sorts, synthesizes, and responds to the enormous amount of information an individual faces on a daily basis.5 It also is providing intriguing insights into how and why individuals develop stereotypes and biases, often without even knowing they exist. The research indicates that an individual’s brain learns over time how to distinguish different objects (e.g., a chair or desk) based on features of the objects that coalesce into patterns. These patterns or schemas help the brain efficiently recognize objects encountered in the environment. What is interesting is that these patterns also operate at the social level. Over time, the brain learns to sort people into certain groups (e.g., male or female, young or old) based on combinations of characteristics as well. The problem is when the brain automatically associates certain characteristics with specific groups that are not accurate for all the individuals in the group (e.g., “elderly individuals are frail”). Scientists refer to these automatic associations as implicit—they operate behind-the-scenes without the individual’s awareness

Opportunities for mesoporous nanocrystalline SnO2 electrodes in kinetic and catalytic analyses of redox proteins

PFV (protein film voltammetry) allows kinetic analysis of redox and coupled-chemical events. However, the voltammograms report on the electron transfer through a flow of electrical current such that simultaneous spectroscopy is required for chemical insights into the species involved. Mesoporous nanocrystalline SnO2 electrodes provide opportunities for such ‘spectroelectrochemical’ analyses through their high surface area and optical transparency at visible wavelengths. Here, we illustrate kinetic and mechanistic insights that may be afforded by working with such electrodes through studies of Escherichia coli NrfA, a pentahaem cytochrome with nitrite and nitric oxide reductase activities. In addition, we demonstrate that the ability to characterize electrocatalytically active protein films by MCD (magnetic circular dichroism) spectroscopy is an advance that should ultimately assist our efforts to resolve catalytic intermediates in many redox enzymes

Aberrant Activation of p38 MAP Kinase-Dependent Innate Immune Responses Is Toxic to Caenorhabditis elegans

Inappropriate activation of innate immune responses in intestinal epithelial cells underlies the pathophysiology of inflammatory disorders of the intestine. Here we examine the physiological effects of immune hyperactivation in the intestine of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We previously identified an immunostimulatory xenobiotic that protects C. elegans from bacterial infection by inducing immune effector expression via the conserved p38 MAP kinase pathway, but was toxic to nematodes developing in the absence of pathogen. To investigate a possible connection between the toxicity and immunostimulatory properties of this xenobiotic, we conducted a forward genetic screen for C. elegans mutants that are resistant to the deleterious effects of the compound, and identified five toxicity suppressors. These strains contained hypomorphic mutations in each of the known components of the p38 MAP kinase cassette (tir-1, nsy-1, sek-1, and pmk-1), demonstrating that hyperstimulation of the p38 MAPK pathway is toxic to animals. To explore mechanisms of immune pathway regulation in C. elegans, we conducted another genetic screen for dominant activators of the p38 MAPK pathway, and identified a single allele that had a gain-of-function (gf) mutation in nsy-1, the MAP kinase kinase kinase that acts upstream of p38 MAPK pmk-1. The nsy-1(gf) allele caused hyperinduction of p38 MAPK PMK-1-dependent immune effectors, had greater levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, and was more resistant to killing by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared to wild-type controls. In addition, the nsy-1(gf) mutation was toxic to developing animals. Together, these data suggest that the activity of the MAPKKK NSY-1 is tightly regulated as part of a physiological mechanism to control p38 MAPK-mediated innate immune hyperactivation, and ensure cellular homeostasis in C. elegans

Here We Come Ready or Not: Occupational Therapy Program to Help Prepare Prisoners for Reentry into Society

poster abstractAbstract Background: In 2013 about 10 million people were involved in various stages of imprisonment world-wide. In that same year there were about 1,574,700 persons in state and federal prisons in the United States, and 29,905 in Indiana (state and federal) prisons. Most of those people will return to society, but for how long? According to the most recent data available, a little over two-thirds (67.8%) of those released were arrested for a new crime within 3 years and over three-quarters (76.6%) were arrested for a new crime within 5 years. Education is one of the most effective reducers of recidivism, but it is unclear what kinds of education best prepare people to not only return to society, but to thrive in society. Objectives: The first of a two-part study explored how 27 residents of a minimum security prison responded to an Occupational Therapy Community Living Skills Program (OTCLS) developed to help prepare residents for successful reentry into society. Method: Using a participatory action research (PAR) approach, we interviewed 27 residents who completed the program. Once the semi-structured interviews were transcribed, the PAR team conducted a summative content analysis of the data. Results: Initial content analysis yielded five concepts: doing; information; re-entry fears (socialization); technology; and self-worth. Participants seemed to gain a sense of self-worth by doing activities related to information gathering, socialization, and technology. Further interpretation yielded three overlapping themes: 1) validation of self-worth (participants expressed how self-validating it is to have “real people” come in to help), 2) doing (role playing, a common activity, “…was kind of nerve-wracking at first then [I] began to slowly ease into it…”), and 3) concerns about the future (one resident summed up the value of the program: having “…something real positive you’re looking forward to…helps in dissipating the fears perhaps in reentry.”). Conclusions: This retrospective study identified potentially powerful elements of a successful re-entry program. In the second part of the study we will evaluate a revised program using a pre-test; post-test and follow-up approach to learn more about what kinds of education best prepare people to not only return to society, but to thrive in society

The genetic and environmental hierarchical structure of anxiety and depression in the UK Biobank

Background. Anxiety and depressive disorders can be classified under a bi-dimensional model, where depression and generalized anxiety disorder are represented by distress and the other anxiety disorders, by fear. The phenotypic structure of this model has been validated, but twin studies only show partial evidence for genetic and environmental distinctions between distress and fear. Moreover, the effects of genetic variants are mostly shared between anxiety and depression, but the genome-wide genetic distinction between distress and fear remain unexplored. This study aimed to examine the degree of common genetic variation overlap between distress and fear, and their associations with the psychosocial risk factors of loneliness and social isolation. Methods. We used genome-wide data from 157,366 individuals in the UK Biobank who answered a mental health questionnaire. Results. Genetic correlations indicated that depression and generalized anxiety had a substantial genetic overlap, and that they were genetically partially distinct from fear disorders. Associations with loneliness, but not social isolation, showed that loneliness was more strongly associated with both distress disorders than with fear. Conclusions. Our findings shed light on genetic and environmental mechanisms that are common and unique to distress and fear and contribute to current knowledge on individuals’ susceptibility to anxiety and depression

Probing a Complex of Cytochromecand Cardiolipin by Magnetic Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy: Implications for the Initial Events in Apoptosis

Oxidation of cardiolipin (CL) by its complex with cytochrome c (cyt c) plays a crucial role in triggering apoptosis. Through a combination of magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy and potentiometric titrations, we show that both the ferric and ferrous forms of the heme group of a CL:cyt c complex exist as multiple conformers at a physiologically relevant pH of 7.4. For the ferric state, these conformers are His/Lys- and His/OH–-ligated. The ferrous state is predominantly high-spin and, most likely, His/–. Interconversion of the ferric and ferrous conformers is described by a single midpoint potential of -80 ± 9 mV vs SHE. These results suggest that CL oxidation in mitochondria could occur by the reaction of molecular oxygen with the ferrous CL:cyt c complex in addition to the well-described reaction of peroxides with the ferric form