A color-tunable single-benzene fluorophore-based sensor for sensitive detection of palladium in solution and living cells

Single-benzene fluorophores are bright and the smallest fluorochromes known so far. In single-benzene fluorophores, the fluorescence is mediated by the push/pull effect of substituting groups. Despite a plethora of advantageous properties, this group of molecules has not been extensively studied for design of high-performance fluorescent sensors of catalytic or enzymatic activities. Thus, herein, new fluorescent probes based on the Tsuji-Trost reaction were developed for the selective detection of palladium and other transition metals (platinum and gold) in an aqueous/organic mixed solvent with the sensitivity down to 2.5 nM (for palladium). The relative flexibility in the synthesis of these probes allows for facile color tuning of the emitted fluorescence. In this study, we have successfully utilized a yellow emission variant for sensitive detection of palladium under cell-free conditions and in living cells, validating its possible applicability for high-throughput optical sensing of catalysts for bioorthogonal chemistry under physiological conditions.OA-hybri

Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Gunshot Activity in Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area

In the past, monitoring hunting behavior has been limited to self-reported numbers. However, the ability of autonomous recording units to monitor soundscapes may make them suitable for assessing spatio-temporal shooting patterns. Our goal for this project was to find out if it is possible to use acoustic monitoring to track human activity, and if there were differences in seasonal or daily shooting intensities. We hypothesized that shooting intensity would decrease from September to November and from the afternoon till morning due to people being less likely to go shooting in cooler temperatures. A grid of 91 ARU’s were deployed between September 2nd and November 30th, 2018 in Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. They were set to record continuously between sunrise and sunset with some recording during the night as well. We selected a random subset of 30 minute recordings, visualized them using spectrograms; visual representations of sound with time on the x-axis and frequency on the y-axis, and counted the gunshots in each. We compared differences in gunshot detections between months and different times of day using analysis of variance (ANOVA). There were no statistical differences found in seasonal or daily shooting intensities. One reason for this may be that sample sizes were low, due to the time needed to manually process recordings. We demonstrated that ARU’s can be used to provide us with an accurate way of assessing shooting patterns and therefore, be useful for monitoring other human behaviors such as detecting poachers, or assessing compliance with hunting laws

Beyond learning: Exploring visitors’ perceptions of the value and benefits of museum experiences

This paper explores the beneficial outcomes that visitors seek and obtain from a museum visit, in terms that are not related to learning outcomes. It uses a deductive qualitative approach to investigate the meaning and value of a museum visit from the visitors’ perspective. Three different levels of the meaning of the experience are considered: the attributes of the setting that visitors value; the experiences they engage in; and the benefits they derive. The findings confirm the importance of the “satisfying experiences” framework for understanding visitor experiences in museums, and extend this understanding in relation to the beneficial outcomes these experiences produce. The study also highlights the importance of “restoration” as an outcome of a museum visit. It is argued that the concept of the museum as a restorative environment, which enables visitors to relax and recover from the stresses of life, is worthy of further research attention. These insights will enable museum practitioners to better understand and meet their visitors’ multiple needs and expectations

A robust system for RNA interference in the chicken using a modified microRNA operon

AbstractRNA interference (RNAi) provides an effective method to silence gene expression and investigate gene function. However, RNAi tools for the chicken embryo have largely been adapted from vectors designed for mammalian cells. Here we present plasmid and retroviral RNAi vectors specifically designed for optimal gene silencing in chicken cells. The vectors use a chicken U6 promoter to express RNAs modelled on microRNA30, which are embedded within chicken microRNA operon sequences to ensure optimal Drosha and Dicer processing of transcripts. The chicken U6 promoter works significantly better than promoters of mammalian origin and in combination with a microRNA operon expression cassette (MOEC), achieves up to 90% silencing of target genes. By using a MOEC, we show that it is also possible to simultaneously silence two genes with a single vector. The vectors express either RFP or GFP markers, allowing simple in vivo tracking of vector delivery. Using these plasmids, we demonstrate effective silencing of Pax3, Pax6, Nkx2.1, Nkx2.2, Notch1 and Shh in discrete regions of the chicken embryonic nervous system. The efficiency and ease of use of this RNAi system paves the way for large-scale genetic screens in the chicken embryo