Writing As A Survival Skill: How Neuroscience Can Improve Writing In Organizations

This article looks at the apparent paradox between the demand for strong writing skills and the lack of colleges of business that require their MBA students to complete writing courses. In the past, most approaches to teaching writing proved inadequate in producing graduates with the ability to write clearly, effectively, and efficiently. This article examines the implications of neurocognitive research on the reading process for the teaching of writing and ends with a set of 16 guidelines for teaching MBA students how to write well - principles that reach far beyond those specified in the SEC’s plain language guidelines

Climate change promotes parasitism in a coral symbiosis.

Coastal oceans are increasingly eutrophic, warm and acidic through the addition of anthropogenic nitrogen and carbon, respectively. Among the most sensitive taxa to these changes are scleractinian corals, which engineer the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Corals' sensitivity is a consequence of their evolutionary investment in symbiosis with the dinoflagellate alga, Symbiodinium. Together, the coral holobiont has dominated oligotrophic tropical marine habitats. However, warming destabilizes this association and reduces coral fitness. It has been theorized that, when reefs become warm and eutrophic, mutualistic Symbiodinium sequester more resources for their own growth, thus parasitizing their hosts of nutrition. Here, we tested the hypothesis that sub-bleaching temperature and excess nitrogen promotes symbiont parasitism by measuring respiration (costs) and the assimilation and translocation of both carbon (energy) and nitrogen (growth; both benefits) within Orbicella faveolata hosting one of two Symbiodinium phylotypes using a dual stable isotope tracer incubation at ambient (26 °C) and sub-bleaching (31 °C) temperatures under elevated nitrate. Warming to 31 °C reduced holobiont net primary productivity (NPP) by 60% due to increased respiration which decreased host %carbon by 15% with no apparent cost to the symbiont. Concurrently, Symbiodinium carbon and nitrogen assimilation increased by 14 and 32%, respectively while increasing their mitotic index by 15%, whereas hosts did not gain a proportional increase in translocated photosynthates. We conclude that the disparity in benefits and costs to both partners is evidence of symbiont parasitism in the coral symbiosis and has major implications for the resilience of coral reefs under threat of global change

Adaptations to Endosymbiosis in a Cnidarian-Dinoflagellate Association: Differential Gene Expression and Specific Gene Duplications

Trophic endosymbiosis between anthozoans and photosynthetic dinoflagellates forms the key foundation of reef ecosystems. Dysfunction and collapse of symbiosis lead to bleaching (symbiont expulsion), which is responsible for the severe worldwide decline of coral reefs. Molecular signals are central to the stability of this partnership and are therefore closely related to coral health. To decipher inter-partner signaling, we developed genomic resources (cDNA library and microarrays) from the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis. Here we describe differential expression between symbiotic (also called zooxanthellate anemones) or aposymbiotic (also called bleached) A. viridis specimens, using microarray hybridizations and qPCR experiments. We mapped, for the first time, transcript abundance separately in the epidermal cell layer and the gastrodermal cells that host photosynthetic symbionts. Transcriptomic profiles showed large inter-individual variability, indicating that aposymbiosis could be induced by different pathways. We defined a restricted subset of 39 common genes that are characteristic of the symbiotic or aposymbiotic states. We demonstrated that transcription of many genes belonging to this set is specifically enhanced in the symbiotic cells (gastroderm). A model is proposed where the aposymbiotic and therefore heterotrophic state triggers vesicular trafficking, whereas the symbiotic and therefore autotrophic state favors metabolic exchanges between host and symbiont. Several genetic pathways were investigated in more detail: i) a key vitamin K–dependant process involved in the dinoflagellate-cnidarian recognition; ii) two cnidarian tissue-specific carbonic anhydrases involved in the carbon transfer from the environment to the intracellular symbionts; iii) host collagen synthesis, mostly supported by the symbiotic tissue. Further, we identified specific gene duplications and showed that the cnidarian-specific isoform was also up-regulated both in the symbiotic state and in the gastroderm. Our results thus offer new insight into the inter-partner signaling required for the physiological mechanisms of the symbiosis that is crucial for coral health

Metabolic co-dependence drives the evolutionarily ancient Hydra-Chlorella symbiosis

Many multicellular organisms rely on symbiotic associations for support of metabolic activity, protection, or energy. Understanding the mechanisms involved in controlling such interactions remains a major challenge. In an unbiased approach we identified key players that control the symbiosis between Hydra viridissima and its photosynthetic symbiont Chlorella sp. A99. We discovered significant up-regulation of Hydra genes encoding a phosphate transporter and glutamine synthetase suggesting regulated nutrition supply between host and symbionts. Interestingly, supplementing the medium with glutamine temporarily supports in vitro growth of the otherwise obligate symbiotic Chlorella, indicating loss of autonomy and dependence on the host. Genome sequencing of Chlorella sp. A99 revealed a large number of amino acid transporters and a degenerated nitrate assimilation pathway, presumably as consequence of the adaptation to the host environment. Our observations portray ancient symbiotic interactions as a codependent partnership in which exchange of nutrients appears to be the primary driving force

The pleasure principle: immersion, engagement, flow

W hile few c ritic s w riting on re a de rs and hype rtext have focus e d on the a ffe c tive plea s ures of re a ding hype rtext fiction or inte ra ctive na rrative s like My st, thos e w ho as s e s s the e xperie nce of re a ding the m tend to a s s ume inte ra ctive te xts s hould be e ithe r imme rs ive or e nga ging. This s tudy us es s c he ma the ory to de fine the c ha rac te ris tic s of imme rs ion a nd e ngage me nt in both c onventiona l a nd ne w me dia. Afte r e xa mining how re a de rs ' e xpe rienc e s of the s e tw o diffe re nt a e s the tics ma y be enha nce d or diminis hed by inte rfa ce de sign, options for na viga tion, and othe r fe a ture s, the e s s ay c onc ludes by looking beyond imme rs ion a nd e nga ge ment to “ flow, ” a s tate in w hich re ade rs a re both imme rs e d a nd e nga ge d. K EYW OR D S: hype rtext fic tion, inte ra c tive na rra tive s, a e sthe tic s, re a ding “A situation is a game if each of the participants has at specified times a range of choices of action... and if the totality of the choices made by the participants determines an outcome... ” —Anatol Rapoport, Prisoner’s Dilemma [64]. “ It mus t be gra nted that there is s ome va lue in mys tific a tion, la byrinth, or s urpris e in the e nvironme nt... This is s o, howe ve r, only under tw o c onditions. Firs t, the re mus t be no da nge r of losing ba s ic form or orie ntation, of ne ve r c oming out. The s urpris e mus t oc c ur in an over-a ll fra me w ork; the c onfus ions mus t be s ma ll re gions in a vis ible w hole. Furthe rmore, the la byrinth or myste ry mus t in its e lf ha ve s ome form that c a n be explore d a nd in time a pprehe nded. C omple te c ha os w ithout hint of c onne c tion is ne ve r plea s urable. ” —K e vin Lync h, The Im age of the City [50]. Space for ACM copyright information. Remember to delete this before submitting final version. (Use a column break in MS word to stop text from overwriting this area

The end of books--or books without end? : reading interactive narratives /

Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-197) and index.Mode of access: Internet