Evidence that fin whales respond to the geomagnetic field during migration

We challenge the hypothesis that fin whales use a magnetic sense to guide migration by testing for associations between geophysical parameters and the positions where fin whales were observed over the continental shelf off the northeastern United States. Monte Carlo simulations estimated the probability that the distribution of fin whale sighting was random with respect to bottom depth, bottom slope and the intensity and gradient of the geomagnetic field. The simulations demonstrated no overall association of sighting positions with any of these four geophysical parameters. Analysis of the data by season, however, demonstrated statistically reliable associations of sighting positions with areas of low geomagnetic intensity and gradient in winter and fall, respectively, but no association of sighting positions with bathymetric parameters in any season. An attempt to focus on migrating animals by excluding those observed feeding confirmed the associations of sighting positions with low geomagnetic intensity and gradient in winter and fall, respectively, and revealed additional associations with low geomagnetic gradients in winter and spring. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that fin whales, and perhaps other mysticete species, possess a magnetic sense that they use to guide migration

The Zero Point of Extinction Toward Baade's Window

We measure the zero point of the Stanek (1996) extinction map by comparing the observed (V-K) colors of 206 K giant stars with their intrinsic (V-K)_0 colors as derived from their H\beta indices. We find that the zero point of the Stanek map should be changed by \Delta A_V = -0.10 +/- 0.06 mag, obtaining as a bonus a three-fold reduction of the previous statistical error. The most direct way to test for systematic errors in this determination would be to conduct a parallel measurement based on the (V-K) colors of RR Lyraes (type ab).Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur

Interstellar solid hydrogen

We consider the possibility that solid molecular hydrogen is present in interstellar space. If so cosmic-rays and energetic photons cause ionization in the solid leading to the formation of H+6. This ion is not produced by gas-phase reactions and its radiative transitions therefore provide a signature of solid H2 in the astrophysical context. The vibrational transitions of H+6 are yet to be observed in the laboratory, but we have characterized them in a quantum-theoretical treatment of the molecule; our calculations include anharmonic corrections, which are large. Here we report on those calculations and compare our results with astronomical data. In addition to the H+6 isotopomer, we focus on the deuterated species (HD)+3 which is expected to dominate at low ionization rates as a result of isotopic condensation reactions. We can reliably predict the frequencies of the fundamental bands for five modes of vibration. For (HD)+3 all of these are found to lie close to some of the strongest of the pervasive mid-infrared astronomical emission bands, making it difficult to exclude hydrogen precipitates on observational grounds. By the same token these results suggest that (HD)+3 could be the carrier of the observed bands. We consider this possibility within the broader picture of interstellar medium photo-processes and we conclude that solid hydrogen may indeed be abundant in astrophysical environments

Genotypic Variation in Constitutive and Induced Resistance in Grapes against Spider Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) Herbivores

We examined genotypic variation in constitutive and induced resistance in grapes against Willamette spider mites, Eotetranychus willametti Ewing, and Pacific spider mites, Tetranychus pacificus McGregor, 2 common species of tetranychid mites found in California vineyards. We found evidence that early-season injury by Pacific mites induced resistance against subsequent Willamette mite populations but early-season injury by Willamette mites did not induce resistance against subsequent Willamette mite populations. Significant levels of induction were detected for several cultivars of the Old World species Vitis vinifera L. as well as the North American species V. calif arnica Bentham. Phylogenetic relationships among grape genotypes explained little of the variation we observed in induced resistance. Phylogenetic relatedness among grapes did help explain patterns of constitutive resistance for Pacific mites; cultivars of V. vinifera L. tended to be susceptible, whereas North American species were resistant. Wi11amette mites, however, performed well on some Old World cultivars and 2 North American species of Vitis that are native to California. We did not find any strong evidence of a negative correlation between constitutive resistance and strength of induction for these grape genotypes. Our results show that several factors contribute to variation in constitutive and induced resistance in grapes against these 2 species of spider mites, including grape genotype, previous history of mite injury (induction), the species of mite causing previous injury, and to some extent, phylogenetic relatedness among grapes. We also suspect that mite genotype has important influence

Engaging with students as partners in education-space design

Engaging with Students as Partners (SaP) in areas of curriculum design and pedagogic consultancy is relatively well established. Here we present a case study of two recent projects at Imperial College London, a research-intensive science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) university, that have extended the SaP model to the design and delivery of modifications to education spaces. Using a research-informed approach and tested method ensured that the students remained active throughout the “twists and turns” of the project, rather than the more traditional snapshot student-consultation approach often taken early in the design process. Students experienced authentic partnership with staff, the space, and their department/institution more broadly whilst staff acknowledged that the quality of outputs significantly exceeded expectations at a fraction of the cost of engaging external design consultants. More broadly, projects such as these establish precedents for a more ambitious institutional approach to working with students as partners

Uma Visão da Empresa Baseada em Habilidades: Contextos Estratégicos e Contingenciais

This paper extends the corporation-based metaphor of the tree by proposing that cognition is the core ability which contributes to nourishing the development of core competencies in the organization. From such an extension, this paper takes a raises the following question: What is the role of cognition in the organization that is in the pursuit of core competencies and sustainable competitive advantage? This paper answers this problem by presenting two perspectives that contribute toward introducing the field of organizational cognition into the domains of the resource-based view and contingency. First, it proposes an ability-based view of the organization through analogies which are most associated with the concepts of the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities of the firm. Second, it proposes a contingency-based view of organizational cognition which is most developed through causal relations and also deductive and inductive reasoning. Grounded in these perspectives, this study sustains the thesis that cognition is a source of controlling environmental uncertainty and, complementarily, cognition contributes toward creating and sustaining the organization’s competitive advantage

Adaptive genomic structural variation in the grape powdery mildew pathogen, Erysiphe necator.

BackgroundPowdery mildew, caused by the obligate biotrophic fungus Erysiphe necator, is an economically important disease of grapevines worldwide. Large quantities of fungicides are used for its control, accelerating the incidence of fungicide-resistance. Copy number variations (CNVs) are unbalanced changes in the structure of the genome that have been associated with complex traits. In addition to providing the first description of the large and highly repetitive genome of E. necator, this study describes the impact of genomic structural variation on fungicide resistance in Erysiphe necator.ResultsA shotgun approach was applied to sequence and assemble the genome of five E. necator isolates, and RNA-seq and comparative genomics were used to predict and annotate protein-coding genes. Our results show that the E. necator genome is exceptionally large and repetitive and suggest that transposable elements are responsible for genome expansion. Frequent structural variations were found between isolates and included copy number variation in EnCYP51, the target of the commonly used sterol demethylase inhibitor (DMI) fungicides. A panel of 89 additional E. necator isolates collected from diverse vineyard sites was screened for copy number variation in the EnCYP51 gene and for presence/absence of a point mutation (Y136F) known to result in higher fungicide tolerance. We show that an increase in EnCYP51 copy number is significantly more likely to be detected in isolates collected from fungicide-treated vineyards. Increased EnCYP51 copy numbers were detected with the Y136F allele, suggesting that an increase in copy number becomes advantageous only after the fungicide-tolerant allele is acquired. We also show that EnCYP51 copy number influences expression in a gene-dose dependent manner and correlates with fungal growth in the presence of a DMI fungicide.ConclusionsTaken together our results show that CNV can be adaptive in the development of resistance to fungicides by providing increasing quantitative protection in a gene-dosage dependent manner. The results of this work not only demonstrate the effectiveness of using genomics to dissect complex traits in organisms with very limited molecular information, but also may have broader implications for understanding genomic dynamics in response to strong selective pressure in other pathogens with similar genome architectures

Intestinal barrier tightening by a cell-penetrating antibody to Bin1, a candidate target for immunotherapy of ulcerative colitis.

Patients afflicted with ulcerative colitis (UC) are at increased risk of colorectal cancer. While its causes are not fully understood, UC is associated with defects in colonic epithelial barriers that sustain inflammation of the colon mucosa caused by recruitment of lymphocytes and neutrophils into the lamina propria. Based on genetic evidence that attenuation of the bridging integrator 1 (Bin1) gene can limit UC pathogenicity in animals, we have explored Bin1 targeting as a therapeutic option. Early feasibility studies in the dextran sodium sulfate mouse model of experimental colitis showed that administration of a cell-penetrating Bin1 monoclonal antibody (Bin1 mAb 99D) could prevent lesion formation in the colon mucosa in part by preventing rupture of lymphoid follicles. In vivo administration of Bin1 mAb altered tight junction protein expression and cecal barrier function. Strikingly, electrophysiology studies in organ cultures showed that Bin1 mAb could elevate resistance and lowe