1,358 research outputs found
Target enrichment of ultraconserved elements from arthropods provides a genomic perspective on relationships among Hymenoptera
Gaining a genomic perspective on phylogeny requires the collection of data
from many putatively independent loci collected across the genome. Among
insects, an increasingly common approach to collecting this class of data
involves transcriptome sequencing, because few insects have high-quality genome
sequences available; assembling new genomes remains a limiting factor; the
transcribed portion of the genome is a reasonable, reduced subset of the genome
to target; and the data collected from transcribed portions of the genome are
similar in composition to the types of data with which biologists have
traditionally worked (e.g., exons). However, molecular techniques requiring RNA
as a template are limited to using very high quality source materials, which
are often unavailable from a large proportion of biologically important insect
samples. Recent research suggests that DNA-based target enrichment of conserved
genomic elements offers another path to collecting phylogenomic data across
insect taxa, provided that conserved elements are present in and can be
collected from insect genomes. Here, we identify a large set (n1510) of
ultraconserved elements (UCE) shared among the insect order Hymenoptera. We use
in silico analyses to show that these loci accurately reconstruct relationships
among genome-enabled Hymenoptera, and we design a set of baits for enriching
these loci that researchers can use with DNA templates extracted from a variety
of sources. We use our UCE bait set to enrich an average of 721 UCE loci from
30 hymenopteran taxa, and we use these UCE loci to reconstruct phylogenetic
relationships spanning very old (220 MYA) to very young (1 MYA)
divergences among hymenopteran lineages. In contrast to a recent study
addressing hymenopteran phylogeny using transcriptome data, we found ants to be
sister to all remaining aculeate lineages with complete support
Building-based Decision-making: A Shared Planning Model for Inclusive Schools
When given support and the opportunity to work in building-based planning teams, teachers can implement remarkable school reforms
Reading Instruction for Children who use AAC: Considerations in the Pursuit of Generalizable Results
Our purpose was to review evidence-based literacy instruction for children with severe speech impairment (SSI) who communicate with AAC. This review focuses on three issues important to researchers in this area: participant heterogeneity, assessment and instruction, and research design. We found 8 articles that reported attempts to teach phonological awareness and individual-word reading to a total of 26 children with SSI who used AAC. We evaluated these studies based on reporting of participant characteristics, assessment and instruction modifications, and the strength of research designs. We conclude by highlighting the need for standard assessments that can be used across studies, discussing strategies for facilitating metaanalyses, and suggesting the creation of an online database for researchers to share results on literacy instruction for this population
Support for AAC Use in Preschool, and Growth in Language Skills, for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities
Little is known about how AAC use in preschool may impact language development for children with complex communication needs (e.g., children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other developmental disabilities). We developed two surveys (a) to describe children’s use of AAC in preschool classrooms, as well as the use of prompts and question asking, and augmented input by their communication partners; and (b) to describe teachers’ experience, training, and perceived support in providing AAC. We then examined the relationship between children’s experience of AAC, including the use of prompts, question asking, and augmented input by their partners, and the growth of receptive and expressive language for 71 children with developmental disabilities over a two-year period. The use of AAC by peers to provide augmented input was associated with stronger language growth; the use of prompting and question asking by teachers was associated with weaker language growth. Teachers reported that they received little training regarding ways to support a child’s use of AAC. Results suggest the need for further research on promoting AAC use at the preschool level, including research to promote peer interactions for AAC users
Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis on a U.S. Perspective
This review addresses the question of whether Thoroughbred horse racing is sustainable in the context of current social values. A recently acknowledged framework, known as ‘Social License to Operate’ (SLO), provides us with a lens through which to view and assess racehorse welfare. In multiple surveys of the general public, the horse owning public, and university students, the primary topics of concern regarding Thoroughbred racing show considerable concordance: concern about catastrophic injuries—particularly as related to track surfaces, concern over the racing of two-year-olds, whip use by jockeys, drug/medication policies, and aftercare opportunities for retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Legitimacy of an industry, consent from industry stakeholders, and trust between the community players, are all essential to have and maintain SLO. In the current era of 24/7 global media access, and the proliferation of social media providing an interactive platform for all interested parties, a dramatic change has occurred in commentary related to racehorse welfare concerns. The situation at Santa Anita (California, USA) from late December 2018 through mid-November 2019 demonstrated just how tenuous the SLO for horse racing is. This article will provide a brief review of what ‘Social License to Operate’ is, along with a brief literature review of five of the areas of primary concern voiced by stakeholders
Investigating a Multimodal Intervention for Children with Limited Expressive Vocabularies Associated with Autism
This is the author's accepted manuscript. The original is available at http://www.asha.org/default.htmPurpose: To investigate a new intervention package aimed at increasing expressive word learning by
school-age children with autism who have limited expressive vocabularies. This pilot investigation was
intended to show proof of concept.
Method: Ten children between the ages of 6-10 years with educational diagnoses of autism and limited
expressive vocabularies at the outset of the study participated. A multimodal intervention composed of
speech sound practice and AAC was used to teach individualized vocabulary words that were selected
based on initial speech sound repertoires and principles of phonotactic probability and neighborhood
density. A multiple-probe design was used to evaluate learning outcomes.
Results: Five children showed gains in spoken- word learning across successive word sets (High
Responders). Five children did not meet learning criteria (Low Responders). Comparisons of behaviors
measured prior to intervention indicated that High Responders had relatively higher skills in receptive
language, prelinguistic communication, vocal/verbal imitation, adaptive behavior and consonant
productions.
Conclusions: The intervention package holds promise for improving spoken word productions for some
children with autism who have limited expressive vocabularies. Further research is needed to better
describe who may most benefit from this approach as well as investigate generalized benefits to untaught
contexts and targets
Mapping Large-Scale CO Depletion in a Filamentary Infrared Dark Cloud
Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) are cold, high mass surface density and high
density structures, likely to be representative of the initial conditions for
massive star and star cluster formation. CO emission from IRDCs has the
potential to be useful for tracing their dynamics, but may be affected by
depleted gas phase abundances due to freeze-out onto dust grains. Here we
analyze C18O J=1-0 and J=2-1 emission line data, taken with the IRAM 30m
telescope, of the highly filamentary IRDC G035.39.-0033. We derive the
excitation temperature as a function of position and velocity, with typical
values of ~7K, and thus derive total mass surface densities, Sigma_C18O,
assuming standard gas phase abundances and accounting for optical depth in the
line, which can reach values of ~1. The mass surface densities reach values of
~0.07 g/cm^2. We compare these results to the mass surface densities derived
from mid-infrared (MIR) extinction mapping, Sigma_SMF, by Butler & Tan, which
are expected to be insensitive to the dust temperatures in the cloud. With a
significance of >10sigma, we find Sigma_C18O/Sigma_SMF decreases by about a
factor of 5 as Sigma increases from ~0.02 to ~0.2 g/cm^2, which we interpret as
evidence for CO depletion. Several hundred solar masses are being affected,
making this one of the most massive clouds in which CO depletion has been
observed directly. We present a map of the depletion factor in the filament and
discuss implications for the formation of the IRDC.Comment: 9 pages, accepted to ApJ, Mac users: Figure 1 is best viewed with
Adobe acroread rather than previe
- …