Big Data, Social Physics, and Spatial Analysis: The Early Years

This paper examines one of the historical antecedents of Big Data, the social physics movement. Its origins are in the scientific revolution of the 17th century in Western Europe. But it is not named as such until the middle of the 19th century, and not formally institutionalized until another hundred years later when it is associated with work by George Zipf and John Stewart. Social physics is marked by the belief that large-scale statistical measurement of social variables reveals underlying relational patterns that can be explained by theories and laws found in natural science, and physics in particular. This larger epistemological position is known as monism, the idea that there is only one set of principles that applies to the explanation of both natural and social worlds. Social physics entered geography through the work of the mid-20th-century geographer William Warntz, who developed his own spatial version called ‘‘macrogeography.’’ It involved the computation of large data sets, made ever easier with the contemporaneous development of the computer, joined with the gravitational potential model. Our argument is that Warntz’s concerns with numeracy, large data sets, machine-based computing power, relatively simple mathematical formulas drawn from natural science, and an isomorphism between natural and social worlds became grounds on which Big Data later staked its claim to knowledge; it is a past that has not yet passed

Phenotypic Characterization of Chicken Bursal Stromal Elements

Many, if not all, of the different phases of intrabursal B-cell maturation are controlled by the stromal components. We have used an extensive panel of mAb to provide a detailed phenotypic profile of these cells. Antigenic specificities were defined for the entire surface epithelium, interfollicular surface epithelium, follicle-associated epithelium, basement membrane, basement membrane-associated epithelium. Several mAb were specific for the medulla, including those reactive with the stellate network of epithelial cells, isolated macrophages, and granular, apparently secreted antigens. One of these, MUI-92, appears to be bursa-specific. Two mAb reacted strongly with stellate cortical macrophages, one of which weakly stained similar cells in the medulla. MHC-class II antigens were expressed on endothelium of the corticomedullary junction, macrophagelike cells in the cortex, and medulla and B lymphocytes predominantly in the cortex. Collectively, these mAb have demonstrated the antigenically distinct nature of discrete regions in the bursa, but also the continuity of the surface epithelium with the corticomedullary junction and medulla. They represent excellent reagents for defining the stromal cell contribution to B-cell development

“When We’re on the Ice, All We Have is Our Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit”: Mobilizing Inuit Knowledge as a Sea Ice Safety Adaptation Strategy in Mittimatalik, Nunavut

Increased variability in weather and sea ice conditions due to climate change has led to high rates of injury, trauma, and death for Inuit travelling on the sea ice. Contributing to these high rates are the ongoing effects of colonial policies that diminish and disrupt the intergenerational transfer of sea ice Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). Despite these challenges, place-based experiential IQ continues to be the most important information source for safe travel on the sea ice. This paper presents an Inuit-led, coproduced, cross-cultural research project in which Inuit youth documented and mobilized sea ice IQ in Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), Nunavut for safe community sea ice travel. We outline the Inuit youth training to facilitate the terminology and participatory mapping workshops and to document this IQ. We also discuss the IQ that was most important to share, and the mapping and artistic methods used to mobilize this IQ into a booklet, maps, and posters. Inuktitut sea ice terms are the foundation to enable youth with the skills to learn about sea ice IQ with experienced hunters. IQ enables Inuit to interpret and synthesize information from weather forecasts, earth observations, and community-based monitoring to apply to local conditions. Seasonal IQ maps of safe and hazardous sea ice conditions provide travel planning information at spatial and temporal scales that supplemental information sources cannot address. The IQ products mobilize preparedness, situational awareness, navigation, and interpretation skills so Inuit youth can become more self-reliant, as access to technology is not always possible once out on the sea ice.    La fluctuation accrue des conditions météorologiques et de l’état de la glace de mer découlant du changement climatique se traduit par des taux plus élevés de blessures, de traumatismes et de décès chez les Inuits se déplaçant sur la glace de mer. À cela s’ajoutent les effets permanents des politiques coloniales qui amenuisent et perturbent le transfert intergénérationnel de l’Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) au sujet de la glace de mer. Malgré ces défis, l’IQ tiré de l’expérience sur les lieux continue de représenter la source d’information la plus importante pour favoriser des déplacements sécuritaires sur la glace de mer. Cet article présente un projet de recherche interculturel dirigé et co-réalisé par des Inuits dans le cadre duquel de jeunes Inuits ont documenté et mobilisé l’IQ sur la glace de mer à Mittimatalik (inlet Pond), au Nunavut, en vue de déplacements communautaires sécuritaires sur la glace de mer. Nous mettons l’accent sur la formation reçue par les jeunes Inuits visant à faciliter les ateliers de terminologie et de cartographie participative ainsi qu’à documenter l’IQ en question. Nous discutons également de l’IQ le plus important à partager de même que de la cartographie et des méthodes artistiques utilisées pour mobiliser l’IQ dans un cahier, sur des cartes et sur des affiches. Les termes inuktituts propres à la glace de mer servent de fondement pour doter les jeunes des connaissances nécessaires pour apprendre l’IQ de la glace de mer avec les chasseurs d’expérience. L’IQ permet aux Inuits d’interpréter et de synthétiser l’information en provenance des prévisions météorologiques, des observations de la terre et de la surveillance communautaire afin de l’appliquer aux conditions locales. Les cartes saisonnières de l’IQ illustrant les conditions sécuritaires et les conditions dangereuses de la glace de mer fournissent de l’information pour la planification des déplacements à l’échelle spatiale et temporelle que des sources supplémentaires ne pourraient fournir. Les produits de l’IQ permettent de mobiliser les compétences en préparation, en connaissance de la situation, en navigation et en interprétation pour que les jeunes Inuits puissent devenir plus autonomes, car l’accès à la technologie n’est pas toujours possible lorsqu’ils se trouvent sur la glace de mer.

Phenotypic Characterization of Chicken Thymic Stromal Elements

Phenotypic profiles of the thymic stromal components provide an excellent approach to elucidating the nature of the microenvironment of this organ. To address this issue in chickens, we have produced an extensive panel of 18 mAb to the thymic stroma. These mAb have been extensively characterized with respect to their phenotypic specificities and reveal that the stromal cells are equally as complex as the T cells whose maturation they direct. They further demonstrate that, in comparison to the mammalian thymus, there is a remarkable degree of conservation in thymic architecture between phylogenetically diverse species. Eleven mAb reacted with thymic epithelial cells: MUI-73 was panepithelium, MUI-54 stained all cortical and medullary epithelium but only a minority of the subcapsule, MUI-52 was specific for isolated stellate cortical epithelial cells, MUI-62, -69, and -71 were specific for the medulla (including Hassall’s corpusclelike structures), MUI-51, -53, -70, and -75 reacted only with the type-I epithelium, or discrete regions therein, lining the subcapsular and perivascular regions and MUI-58 demonstrated the antigenic similarity between the subcapsule and the medulla. Seven other mAb identified distinct isolated stromal cells throughout the cortex and medulla. Large thymocyte-rich regions, which often spanned from the outer cortex to medulla, lacked epithelial cells. These mAb should prove invaluable for determining the functional significance of thymic stromal-cell subsets to thymopoiesis

RADseq as a valuable tool for plants with large genomes-a case study in cycads

Full genome sequencing of organisms with large and complex genomes is intractable and cost ineffective under most research budgets. Cycads (Cycadales) represent one of the oldest lineages of the extant seed plants and, partly due to their age, have incredibly large genomes up to ~60 Gbp. Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) offers an approach to find genome-wide informative markers and has proven to be effective with both model and nonmodel organisms. We tested the application of RADseq using ezRAD across all 10 genera of the Cycadales including an example data set of Cycas calcicola representing 72 samples from natural populations. Using previously available plastid and mitochondrial genomes as references, reads were mapped recovering plastid and mitochondrial genome regions and nuclear markers for all of the genera. De novo assembly generated up to 138,407 high-depth clusters and up to 1,705 phylogenetically informative loci for the genera, and 4,421 loci for the example assembly of C. calcicola. The number of loci recovered by de novo assembly was lower than previous RADseq studies, yet still sufficient for downstream analysis. However, the number of markers could be increased by relaxing our assembly parameters, especially for the C. calcicola data set. Our results demonstrate the successful application of RADseq across the Cycadales to generate a large number of markers for all genomic compartments, despite the large number of plastids present in a typical plant cell. Our modified protocol was adapted to be applied to cycads and other organisms with large genomes to yield many informative genome-wide markers

The Indestructible Insect: Velvet Ants From Across the United States Avoid Predation by Representatives From All Major Tetrapod Clades

Velvet ants are a group of parasitic wasps that are well known for a suite of defensive adaptations including bright coloration and a formidable sting. While these adaptations are presumed to function in antipredator defense, observations between potential predators and this group are lacking. We conducted a series of experiments to determine the risk of velvet ants to a host of potential predators including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals. Velvet ants from across the United States were tested with predator\u27s representative of the velvet ants native range. All interactions between lizards, free-ranging birds, and a mole resulted in the velvet ants survival, and ultimate avoidance by the predator. Two shrews did injure a velvet ant, but this occurred only after multiple failed attacks. The only predator to successfully consume a velvet ant was a single American toad (Anaxyrus americanus). These results indicate that the suite of defenses possessed by velvet ants, including aposematic coloration, stridulations, a chemical alarm signal, a hard exoskeleton, and powerful sting are effective defenses against potential predators. Female velvet ants appear to be nearly impervious to predation by many species whose diet is heavily derived of invertebrate prey

Molecular phylogenetics reveals a new species of Prostanthera from tropical Queensland with links to more southerly taxa

Prostanthera eungella B.J.Conn & K.M.Proft (Lamiaceae) is described as a new species from the South Kennedy botanical region of northern Queensland. Concatenated nuclear (ETS) and chloroplast (trnH–psbA) sequence data for 38 species of Prostanthera were analysed using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian-inference methods. These combined data recovered P. eungella as part of a polytomy that included P. galbraithiae, P. howelliae¸ and a P. tallowa + P. lasianthos clade. A detailed description, photograph of holotype specimen, and distribution map of P. eungella are provided

Widefield two-photon excitation without scanning : live cell microscopy with high time resolution and low photo-bleaching

We demonstrate fluorescence imaging by two-photon excitation without scanning in biological specimens as previously described by Hwang and co-workers, but with an increased field size and with framing rates of up to 100 Hz. During recordings of synaptically-driven Ca2+ events in primary rat hippocampal neurone cultures loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Fluo-4 AM, we have observed greatly reduced photo-bleaching in comparison with single-photon excitation. This method, which requires no costly additions to the microscope, promises to be useful for work where high time-resolution is required