The central role of taxonomy in the study of neotropical biodiversity1

© 2020 Missouri Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. The Neotropics are the most species-rich area of the planet. Understanding the origin and maintenance of this diversity is an important goal of ecology and evolutionary biology. Success in this endeavor relies heavily on the past work of taxonomists who have collected specimens and produced the floras and monographs that constitute the foundation for the study of plant diversity. To illustrate this, we visualize collecting efforts through time and identify the importance of past taxonomic and collection efforts in generating the bulk of specimen data that broad-scale analyses rely on today. To demonstrate the importance of taxonomy for the study of Neotropical biodiversity, we showcase selected plant groups in which in-depth taxonomic understanding has facilitated exciting evolutionary and ecological research and highlight the teams of scientists who have built on the legacy of Alwyn Gentry, one of the most prolific taxonomists of the late 20th century. We also discuss challenges faced by taxonomists, including perceived subjectivity, difficulty in measuring impact, and the need to become more interdisciplinary. We end with potential solutions going forward, including integration of taxonomists in interdisciplinary research, advocacy for continued collection efforts, increased funding for alpha taxonomic research that is performed with increasingly replicable methodology, and explicit decolonization efforts to increase inclusivity and equity in the field of taxonomy. Acknowledging the central role of taxonomy and taxonomists is essential to accurately and completely describe Neotropical biodiversity patterns in an age of unprecedented extinction risk and conservation need

Integrating Experiential Learning Into Business Courses: Using Learning Journals To Create Living Case Studies

Research demonstrates that the capacity to implement strategy and to execute plans drives business success (Hrebiniak, 2007) and that businesses’ inability to succeed by executing effectively arises from the ubiquitous incapacity of business professionals to overcome the gap between what they know and what they are actually able to do, whether personally or professionally (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2000). Research and experience also demonstrates that the capacity to execute is not primarily about operational or tactical skills.  Rather, it is more a “discipline to learn” (Bossidy, Charan & Burck, 2002; i.e., the capacity to execute is primarily a discipline of continuously learning to acquire, to interpret, and especially to apply information (Garvin, 2000) in a never-ending spiral of improvement. Business professionals must possess this capacity in order to succeed over the long-term. The purpose of business education is to prepare professionals for successful performance in businesses.  However, unlike the preparation of medical doctors and many other professionals, the education in most business schools remains more theoretical than experiential in the andragogy employed. Even the typical case study, like many instructional techniques used in business schools, is still relatively “theoretical” in that it is not a business experience in which the student is personally involved. This paper introduces an instructional method, the journal entry assignment, to help address the challenge of creating a more experiential education and preparation for business. This assignment enables students to “learn by doing” and, in effect, it creates a “living case study” experience for students

Autophagy in the Eye: Implications for Ocular Cell Health

Autophagy, a catabolic process by which a cell eats itself, turning over its own cellular constituents, plays a key role in cellular homeostasis. In an effort to maintain normal cellular function, autophagy is often up-regulated in response to environmental stresses and excessive organelle damage to facilitate aggregated protein removal. In the eye, virtually all cell types from those comprising the cornea in the front of the eye to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) providing a protective barrier for the retina at the back of the eye, rely on one or more aspects of autophagy to maintain structure and/or normal physiological function. In the lens autophagy plays a critical role in lens fiber cell maturation and the formation of the organelle free zone. Numerous studies delineating the role of Atg5, Vsp34 as well as FYCO1 in maintenance of lens transparency are discussed. Corneal endothelial dystrophies are also characterized as having elevated levels of autophagic proteins. Therefore, novel modulators of autophagy such as lithium and melatonin are proposed as new therapeutic strategies for this group of dystrophies. In addition, we summarize how corneal Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) infection subverts the cornea\u27s response to infection by inhibiting the normal autophagic response. Using glaucoma models we analyze the relative contribution of autophagy to cell death and cell survival. The cytoprotective role of autophagy is further discussed in an analysis of photoreceptor cell heath and function. We focus our analysis on the current understanding of autophagy in photoreceptor and RPE health, specifically on the diverse role of autophagy in rods and cones as well as its protective role in light induced degeneration. Lastly, in the RPE we highlight hybrid phagocytosis-autophagy pathways. This comprehensive review allows us to speculate on how alterations in various stages of autophagy contribute to glaucoma and retinal degenerations. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Autophagy in the Eye: Implications for Ocular Cell Health

Autophagy, a catabolic process by which a cell “eats” itself, turning over its own cellular constituents, plays a key role in cellular homeostasis. In an effort to maintain normal cellular function, autophagy is often up-regulated in response to environmental stresses and excessive organelle damage to facilitate aggregated protein removal. In the eye, virtually all cell types from those comprising the cornea in the front of the eye to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) providing a protective barrier for the retina at the back of the eye, rely on one or more aspects of autophagy to maintain structure and/or normal physiological function. In the lens autophagy plays a critical role in lens fiber cell maturation and the formation of the organelle free zone. Numerous studies delineating the role of Atg5, Vsp34 as well as FYCO1 in maintenance of lens transparency are discussed. Corneal endothelial dystrophies are also characterized as having elevated levels of autophagic proteins. Therefore, novel modulators of autophagy such as lithium and melatonin are proposed as new therapeutic strategies for this group of dystrophies. In addition, we summarize how corneal Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) infection subverts the cornea’s response to infection by inhibiting the normal autophagic response. Using glaucoma models we analyze the relative contribution of autophagy to cell death and cell survival. The cytoprotective role of autophagy is further discussed in an analysis of photoreceptor cell heath and function. We focus our analysis on the current understanding of autophagy in photoreceptor and RPE health, specifically on the diverse role of autophagy in rods and cones as well as its protective role in light induced degeneration. Lastly, in the RPE we highlight hybrid phagocytosis-autophagy pathways. This comprehensive review allows us to speculate on how alterations in various stages of autophagy contribute to glaucoma and retinal degenerations

Postpartum Weight-Loss Tracker to Guide Low-Income Postpartum Women on their Weight-Loss Journey

Studies have shown that postpartum weight retention is a key contributor to obesity among women. Studies have also shown that resources dedicated to postpartum weight loss are scarce. Weight tracking has been found to help with weight management during pregnancy. However, a postpartum weight-loss tracker (PPWLT) was yet to exist. This article describes the creation and initial impressions of a PPWLT that were collected via focus groups (FG) discussions with WIC participants. Methods: Two FG discussions (English and Spanish) were conducted at a WIC clinic in Southern California. All discussions were audio-recorded for transcription. Transcripts were analyzed using the scissor –and-sort technique. The sample consisted of ten Latina women, with a mean age of 28.7 ± 5.06 years and a mean current Body Mass Index (BMI) of 32.8 ± 7.8. Results: Participants in both FGs expressed a strong interest in the PPWLT and reported a willingness to use the tracker if provided by WIC. The Spanish-speaking group had several specific suggestions to make the instructions easier to understand. Conclusion: We believe that this new innovative tool has the potential to impact a mother’s well-being and give her an opportunity to optimize her health before a subsequent pregnancy

Climate Action In Megacities 3.0

"Climate Action in Megacities 3.0" (CAM 3.0) presents major new insights into the current status, latest trends and future potential for climate action at the city level. Documenting the volume of action being taken by cities, CAM 3.0 marks a new chapter in the C40-Arup research partnership, supported by the City Leadership Initiative at University College London. It provides compelling evidence about cities' commitment to tackling climate change and their critical role in the fight to achieve global emissions reductions

What Is Known About the Secondary Traumatization of Staff Working With Offending Populations? A Review of the Literature

Being secondarily exposed to trauma through working with traumatized clients can be challenging for professionals, sometimes leading to them developing secondary traumatic stress (STS) and/or vicarious trauma (VT). Experiences of VT and STS have primarily been researched in relation to staff working with trauma survivors. Perpetrators of offenses have also often experienced traumatic events in their lives and may be traumatized by the offense they have committed. This review aims to summarize what is known about the prevalence and development of VT and STS in populations of any staff working with adult offenders. Relevant literature was identified by searching appropriate databases, and hand searching was conducted to identify any gray literature or omitted articles. A total of 11 studies were identified, critically reviewed, and synthesized. All of these studies found VT or STS to be present within their samples. Staff were largely categorized as being at low-to-moderate risk for STS. No studies attempted to clarify the level of VT within their sample. Factors associated with VT and STS are discussed. This literature base was challenging to synthesize owing to a lack of conceptual clarity and methodological issues within the included studies. The findings suggest that staff working with offending populations do experience VT and STS and that support could be improved to assist in mitigating the effects. Keywords: vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, offenders, staf

Prebiotics modulate the effects of antibiotics on gut microbial diversity and functioning in vitro

Intestinal bacteria carry out many fundamental roles, such as the fermentation of non-digestible dietary carbohydrates to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which can affect host energy levels and gut hormone regulation. Understanding how to manage this ecosystem to improve human health is an important but challenging goal. Antibiotics are the front line of defence against pathogens, but in turn they have adverse effects on indigenous microbial diversity and function. Here, we have investigated whether dietary supplementation—another method used to modulate gut composition and function—could be used to ameliorate the side effects of antibiotics. We perturbed gut bacterial communities with gentamicin and ampicillin in anaerobic batch cultures in vitro. Cultures were supplemented with either pectin (a non-fermentable fibre), inulin (a commonly used prebiotic that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria) or neither. Although antibiotics often negated the beneficial effects of dietary supplementation, in some treatment combinations, notably ampicillin and inulin, dietary supplementation ameliorated the effects of antibiotics. There is therefore potential for using supplements to lessen the adverse effects of antibiotics. Further knowledge of such mechanisms could lead to better therapeutic manipulation of the human gut microbiota

Faculty and student perceptions of post-exam attendance

This project investigated differences between faculty and student perceptions of student attendance in courses for the class period after an exam, including factors thought to influence student attendance. Participants from a single university completed a mixed-methods on-line questionnaire. Quantitative analyses revealed significant differences between faculty and student perceptions on all but one project variable. Qualitative analyses reinforced those findings and suggested that faculty misunderstand what factors actually influence student attendance. Taken together, the results suggest a substantial disconnect between faculty and student perceptions of the importance of class attendance and highlight areas for faculty to influence student attendance