Incidence and post-pollination mechanisms of nonrandom mating in Arabidopsis thaliana

Compatible pollinations from many differenttaxa display nonrandom mating. Here we describe a systemfor examining questions of nonrandom mating in Arabidopsisthaliana. Using this system, we demonstrate thatArabidopsis thaliana displays nonrandom mating betweendistinct accessions. Statistical analysis of these data demonstratesaspects of both pollen competition and male–female complementarity in these matings. Cytologicalexperiments implicate pollen germination and pollen tubegrowth rates as possible causal factors in these nonrandommating efficiencies

“Col/Ler Number of Fruits per Main Stem” QTL Mapping

Understanding fruit yield is important to the agricultural economy. The genetics of fruit production have not been fully defined for any plant. In order to identify the gene responsible for fruit production, we used a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of plants from the species Arabidopsis thaliana. We counted the number of fruit on each line and an ANOVA was performed in order to calculate the heritability for fruit production. We will report on our composite interval mapping experiment using this data

LAP3, a novel plant protein required for pollen development, is essential for proper exine formation

We isolated lap3-1 and lap3-2 mutants in ascreen for pollen that displays abnormal stigma binding.Unlike wild-type pollen, lap3-1 and lap3-2 pollen exine isthinner, weaker, and is missing some connections betweentheir roof-like tectum structures. We describe the mappingand identification of LAP3 as a novel gene that contains arepetitive motif found in b-propeller enzymes. Insertionmutations in LAP3 lead to male sterility. To investigatepossible roles for LAP3 in pollen development, we assayedthe metabolite profile of anther tissues containing developingpollen grains and found that the lap3-2 defect leadsto a broad range of metabolic changes. The largest changeswere seen in levels of a straight-chain hydrocarbon nonacosaneand in naringenin chalcone, an obligate compoundin the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway

Considering Vermont\u27s Future in a Changing Climate: The First Vermont Climate Assessment

The Vermont Climate Assessment (VCA) paints a vivid picture of a changing climate in Vermont and calls for immediate strategic planning to sustain the social, economic and environmental fabric of our state. The VCA is the first state-scale climate assessment in the country and speaks directly to the impacts of climate change as they pertain to our rural towns, cities and communities, including impacts on Vermont tourism and recreation, agriculture, natural resources and energy

Heritability of Seed Size in Different Successions of Arabidopsis Thaliana

Seed size is an important aspect in agricultural development, yet the genotypic effects are poorly understood. Populations of seed from recombinant inbred lines from the species Arabidopsis thaliana were measured in order to perform an ANOVA and calculate broad sense heritability of seed size. One hundred seeds per plant were scanned and measured using the software Image J. The obtained calculations gave 50.59 percent of broad sense heritability. This data is currently being used to map the genes responsible for the phenotypic output

Classification cards applied to team and individual learning.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Bridging the Climate Information Gap: A Framework for Engaging Knowledge Brokers and Decision Makers in State Climate Assessments

Large-scale analyses like the National Climate Assessment (NCA) contain a wealth of information critical to national and regional responses to climate change but tend to be insufficiently detailed for action at state or local levels. Many states now engage in assessment processes to meet information needs for local authorities. The goals of state climate assessments (SCAs) should be to provide relevant, actionable information to state and local authorities, and to generate primary sources, build networks and inform stakeholders. To communicate local climate impacts to decision makers, SCAs should express credibility, salience and legitimacy. They can provide information (e.g., case studies, data sets) and connect stakeholders to the NCA and its process. Based on our experience in the Vermont Climate Assessment (VCA), we present a framework to engage decision makers in SCAs using a fluid network of scientific experts and knowledge brokers to conduct subject area prioritization, data analysis and writing. The VCA addressed economic, environmental and social impacts of climate change at local scales to increase resiliency and manage risk. Knowledge brokers communicated VCA findings through their own stakeholder networks. We include a qualitative impact evaluation, and believe our framework for interaction among scientists, knowledge brokers and stakeholders to be an effective structure for SCAs and a transformative experience for students

LAP3, a novel plant protein required for pollen development, is essential for proper exine formation

We isolated lap3-1 and lap3-2 mutants in ascreen for pollen that displays abnormal stigma binding.Unlike wild-type pollen, lap3-1 and lap3-2 pollen exine isthinner, weaker, and is missing some connections betweentheir roof-like tectum structures. We describe the mappingand identification of LAP3 as a novel gene that contains arepetitive motif found in b-propeller enzymes. Insertionmutations in LAP3 lead to male sterility. To investigatepossible roles for LAP3 in pollen development, we assayedthe metabolite profile of anther tissues containing developingpollen grains and found that the lap3-2 defect leadsto a broad range of metabolic changes. The largest changeswere seen in levels of a straight-chain hydrocarbon nonacosaneand in naringenin chalcone, an obligate compoundin the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway

The Lilead Survey: A National Study of District-Level Library Supervisors: Roles, Responsibilities, Challenges, and Professional Development Needs

The school district library supervisor plays a pivotal role in supporting, advising, and providing professional development to building-level librarians; advocating for the program; providing leadership; and representing school library programs to stakeholders in the school system and the larger community. To gain a better understanding of supervisors\u27 roles, responsibilities, demographics, and challenges, and to establish baseline data upon which further research can be built, the Lilead Project was initiated in 2011 at the University of Maryland with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In 2012 the project team conducted the Lilead Survey, a survey of supervisors nationwide. In this paper, the second of two reports on the results of the survey, we present findings related to the responsibilities and tasks assigned to the position, professional development needs of supervisors and staff, and the range of stakeholder groups with which supervisors work