Ethics of Ebola Quarantines

The current outbreak of EVD has reached major cities, rather than just small, isolated villages. With this increased access to a far greater population of people, letting the disease burn itself out is no longer an option. By forcing cordon sanitaires, Public Health officials run an incredibly high ethical risk, which must be acknowledged, regardless of the danger posed to communities. If countries, NGO’s and the WHO can ensure that the basic needs of those who are caught in forced quarantines are met, then these methods may work. However, if these needs are not met, major ethical issues arise, and those must be dealt with. These ethical issues include infringement on individual liberties, limitations of autonomy, and violations of basic human rights

Word of God or word of honor? Honor, religion, and retaliation

The psychology of religion has long attempted to clearly identify religion’s effects on individuals’ beliefs and attitudes. Many of these results have been contradictory, with some indicating religion to have prosocial effects while others indicating the opposite. The current studies were designed to explore a possible alternative explanation; that cultural variables, specifically honor ideology, might react differently with different religious orientations, producing the contradictory results seen within the psychology of religion. Across three studies, we identified if there was a relationship at all between measures of honor ideology and simple categorical religious identification, identified and classified specific relationships between measures of different honor facets and religious orientations, and finally experimentally induced a “faith/honor conflict” between honor ideology and religious orientation. Results of these studies indicated that religion’s prosocial/antisocial effects may depend on the interplay between religious orientation and different facets of honor ideology. Implications of these findings are discussed. Keywords: religion, honor, culture, retaliatio

Honor Ideology and Perceptions of Coerced False Confessions

Within the field of psychology and law, a great deal of research has investigated issues of jury decision-making. It is well-documented that, in addition to the formal legal restrictions and guides placed upon their behavior, jurors will also attend to (legally speaking) irrelevant factors when making determinations of guilt or sentencing. While several specific constructs have been investigated for their influence on jurors’ decision-making processes, there is a paucity of research examining the influence of culture. The four studies described herein represent an attempt at such an examination by investigating perceptions and judgements of coerced false confessions through the lens of honor ideology, a cultural framework centering around maintaining and upholding personal reputation. It is well- established that confessions, even when potentially coerced, are perceived as indicating guilt. It is also well-established that individuals coerced into falsely confessing are more likely to be convicted and, upon exoneration, stigmatized, both by juries and the public at large. Because of honor’s central value of reputation, honor endorsers might be less likely to find the idea of coerced false confessions plausible, as a coerced false confession would be perceived as voluntarily harming ones’ own reputation, and thus utterly incompatible with honor norms and worthy of stigmatization. Study 1 examines the relationship between different facets of honor and specific attitudes and beliefs about coerced false confessions and the interrogation techniques that elicit them. Study 2 examines honor’s influence on perceptions of coerced false confessors as compared to those who do not confess or those who are factually guilty. Studies 3 and 4 examine honor’s influence on perceptions and judgements of coerced false confessions in both criminal and civil jury decision-making paradigms. Results indicate honor to drive effects previously examined in the literature, including perceiving coerced false confessions as being less likely to occur and uniquely stigmatizing coerced false confessors

Developmental, cellular, and biochemical basis of transparency in the glasswing butterfly Greta oto

Numerous species of Lepidoptera have transparent wings, which often possess scales of altered morphology and reduced size, and the presence of membrane surface nanostructures that dramatically reduce reflection. Optical properties and anti-reflective nanostructures have been characterized for several ‘clearwing’ Lepidoptera, but the developmental basis of wing transparency is unknown. We apply confocal and electron microscopy to create a developmental time-series in the glasswing butterfly, Greta oto, comparing transparent and non-transparent wing regions. We find that scale precursor cell density is reduced in transparent regions, and cytoskeletal organization differs between flat scales in opaque regions, and thin, bristle-like scales in transparent regions. We also reveal that sub-wavelength nanopillars on the wing membrane are wax-based, derive from wing epithelial cells and their associated microvillar projections, and demonstrate their role in enhancing-anti-reflective properties. These findings provide insight into morphogenesis of naturally organized micro- and nanostructures and may provide bioinspiration for new anti-reflective materials

Modulation of enhancer looping and differential gene targeting by Epstein-Barr virus transcription factors directs cellular reprogramming

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) epigenetically reprogrammes B-lymphocytes to drive immortalization and facilitate viral persistence. Host-cell transcription is perturbed principally through the actions of EBV EBNA 2, 3A, 3B and 3C, with cellular genes deregulated by specific combinations of these EBNAs through unknown mechanisms. Comparing human genome binding by these viral transcription factors, we discovered that 25% of binding sites were shared by EBNA 2 and the EBNA 3s and were located predominantly in enhancers. Moreover, 80% of potential EBNA 3A, 3B or 3C target genes were also targeted by EBNA 2, implicating extensive interplay between EBNA 2 and 3 proteins in cellular reprogramming. Investigating shared enhancer sites neighbouring two new targets (WEE1 and CTBP2) we discovered that EBNA 3 proteins repress transcription by modulating enhancer-promoter loop formation to establish repressive chromatin hubs or prevent assembly of active hubs. Re-ChIP analysis revealed that EBNA 2 and 3 proteins do not bind simultaneously at shared sites but compete for binding thereby modulating enhancer-promoter interactions. At an EBNA 3-only intergenic enhancer site between ADAM28 and ADAMDEC1 EBNA 3C was also able to independently direct epigenetic repression of both genes through enhancer-promoter looping. Significantly, studying shared or unique EBNA 3 binding sites at WEE1, CTBP2, ITGAL (LFA-1 alpha chain), BCL2L11 (Bim) and the ADAMs, we also discovered that different sets of EBNA 3 proteins bind regulatory elements in a gene and cell-type specific manner. Binding profiles correlated with the effects of individual EBNA 3 proteins on the expression of these genes, providing a molecular basis for the targeting of different sets of cellular genes by the EBNA 3s. Our results therefore highlight the influence of the genomic and cellular context in determining the specificity of gene deregulation by EBV and provide a paradigm for host-cell reprogramming through modulation of enhancer-promoter interactions by viral transcription factors

Making it clear: evolution, development and genetic basis of wing transparency in Lepidoptera

Pause for a moment, close your eyes, and picture a few of the most beautiful living organisms that come to your mind... What did you see? Perhaps the creatures were bright and shiny. Perhaps they were colorful and charismatic. Perhaps one of the beautiful creatures you pictured was a butterfly. Indeed, the diversity of colorful patterns in butterflies have captivated humans for centuries. Moreover, their wings have influenced studies in a variety of scientific fields, including evolutionary biology, ecology, and biophysics.Lepidopteran wings are covered with thousands of flat overlapping scales, each one of which derives from a single cell. The scales on an adult are cuticular projections that serve as the unit of color for the wing. Each scale can generate color through pigmentation, which results from molecules that selectively absorb certain wavelengths, or due to light interacting with physical nanoarchitecture on the scales, known as structural color. Thus far, researchers have made progress in understanding genetic pathways responsible for pigment production and the early transcription factors and signaling molecules that demarcate wing pattern positions. It remains less clear, however, what precise genes and pathways give rise to an individual wing scale cell, how such a novel cell type evolved, or what factors modulate cuticular micro- and nanostructures that generate specific optical properties. To better understand processes underlying scale and nanostructure development in Lepidoptera, my dissertation focuses on a unique optical strategy: wing transparency. The wings of butterflies and moths are typically covered with thousands of flat, overlapping scales that endow the wings with colorful patterns. Yet, numerous species of Lepidoptera have evolved highly transparent wings, which often possess scales of altered morphology and reduced size, and the presence of membrane surface nanostructures that dramatically reduce reflection. This trait has been interpreted as an adaptation in the context of camouflage, in which numerous lineages independently evolved transparent wings as a form of crypsis to reduce predation. In order to unravel the biological processes of wing transparency, I engaged in an interdisciplinary collaboration (including the labs of Nipam Patel, Marianne Elias, Doris Gomez and Serge Berthier) at the interface of physics, developmental biology and evolutionary ecology. Working in parallel with our collaborators, we aimed to investigate the structure, development and evolution of wing transparency in butterflies and moths by implementing experimental and phylogenetic comparative methods. We revealed a diversity of structural features that underlie transparent wings, notably modifications of scale morphology, size, and density, and the presence of finely-tuned nanostructures on the surface of the wing membrane that generate anti-reflective properties. We were able to characterize developmental processes of wing micro- and nanostructure formation of glasswing butterflies that were raised in the field and in the lab, and additionally utilized museum specimens and data to identify correlations between light transmission (a quantitative measure of transparency) and structural features. Together, our results provide insight into the development, ecology and evolutionary history of terrestrial transparency within Lepidoptera, highlighting multiple lineages that have independently evolved clearwing phenotypes, as well as potential trade-offs related to thermoregulation, water repellency and predation pressure. One of my main experimental systems became the so-called ‘glasswing butterfly’ Greta oto, which has thin, vertically oriented scales and nanopillars coating the wing membrane that enable omnidirectional anti-reflective properties. My collaborators and I employed a multitude of techniques, including confocal and electron microscopy, GC-MS, optical spectroscopy and analytical simulations to characterize wing development, comparing transparent and non-transparent wing regions. We found that during early wing development, scale precursor cell density was reduced in transparent regions, and cytoskeletal organization during scale growth differed between thin, bristle-like scale morphologies within transparent regions and flat, round scale morphologies within opaque regions. We also show that nanostructures on the wing membrane surface are composed of two layers: a lower layer of regularly arranged nipple-like nanostructures, and an upper layer of irregularly arranged wax-based nanopillars composed predominantly of long-chain n-alkanes. By chemically removing wax-based nanopillars, along with optical spectroscopy and analytical simulations, we demonstrate their role in generating anti-reflective properties. These findings provide insight into morphogenesis and composition of naturally organized microstructures and nanostructures, and may provide bioinspiration for new anti-reflective materials. Additionally, I undertook a comparative transcriptomic analysis to identify molecular pathways involved in scale cell development in the buckeye butterfly Junonia coenia and the giant silkmoth Antheraea polyphemus. I also investigated differential expression between two regions within the wing of A. polyphemus: a region we refer to as a transparent ‘window’ in which scale cells do not develop, and an adjacent region that undergoes canonical scale development. I then applied fluorescent in situ hybridization and CRISPR/Cas9 induced knockouts to characterize the spatiotemporal expression and function of genes involved in scale cell development. Comparative RNA-seq between J. coenia and A. polyphemus uncovered genes with similar expression levels during early pupal wing development and scale precursor differentiation, including proneural, cell cycle, and Notch signaling factors. At later pupal stages, when scale cell projections are forming and maturing, I identified genes with similar expression levels related to cytoskeletal organization, melanization, cuticle formation, and chitin-synthesis. Using stage-specific transcriptomic analysis followed by in situ hybridization, I uncover a suite of genes that likely play conserved roles in scale cell patterning and morphogenesis in butterflies and moths. I identified two achaete scute homologs (ASH1, ASH2) expressed at the scale cell precursor stage and loss of function of ASH2 resulted in the loss of scale cells. In contrast, loss of function of the Notch receptor led to overproduction and dense clusters of scale cells, likely due to improper lateral inhibition during scale precursor cell differentiation. I also identified that the ‘window’ scaleless region in A. polyphemus is associated with high expression levels of Wnt ligands, including wingless, and the bHLH transcription factor hairy, a negative regulator of sensory bristles, revealing how putative co-option of neurogenesis regulatory factors could contribute to scale cell patterning in Lepidoptera. Finally, I lay out a new and easy-to-follow protocol for portable, rapid, field-deployable amplicon sequencing through the use of new miniaturized lab equipment, which can be beneficial for biodiversity exploration and educational programs. Human-mediated environmental change is depleting biodiversity faster than it can be characterized, while invasive species cause agricultural damage, threaten human health, and disrupt native habitats. Consequently, the application of effective approaches for rapid surveillance and identification of biological samples is increasingly important to inform conservation efforts. Taxonomic assignments have been greatly advanced using sequence-based applications, such as DNA barcoding, a diagnostic technique that utilizes polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequence analysis of standardized genetic regions. However, in many biodiversity hotspots, endeavors are often hindered by a lack of genomic infrastructure and funding for biodiversity research and restrictions on the transport of biological samples. A promising development is the advent of low-cost, miniaturized scientific equipment. Such tools can be assembled into functional laboratories to carry out genetic analyses in situ, at local institutions, field stations, or classrooms

Supplementary table from: Spectrometry of Greta oto untreated and hexane treated clear wing regions and simulated reflectance spectra

The wings of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) are typically covered with thousands of flat, overlapping scales that endow the wings with colorful patterns. Yet, numerous species of Lepidoptera have evolved highly transparent wings, which often possess scales of altered morphology and reduced size, and the presence of membrane surface nanostructures that dramatically reduce reflection. Optical properties and anti-reflective nanostructures have been characterized for several 'clearwing' Lepidoptera, but the developmental processes underlying wing transparency are unknown. Here, we apply confocal and electron microscopy to create a developmental time-series in the glasswing butterfly, Greta oto, comparing transparent and non-transparent wing regions. We find that during early wing development, scale precursor cell density is reduced in transparent regions, and cytoskeletal organization during scale growth differs between thin, bristle-like scale morphologies within transparent regions and flat, round scale morphologies within opaque regions. Next, we show that nanostructures on the wing membrane surface are composed of two layers: a lower layer of regularly arranged nipple-like nanostructures, and an upper layer of irregularly arranged wax-based nanopillars composed predominantly of long-chain n-alkanes. By chemically removing wax-based nanopillars, along with optical spectroscopy and analytical simulations, we demonstrate their role in generating anti-reflective properties. These findings provide insight into morphogenesis and composition of naturally organized micro- and nanostructures and may provide bioinspiration for new anti-reflective materials.The wing reflection measurements were performed on a Cary 5000 UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, equipped with a light source of tungsten halogen and an integrating sphere diffuse reflectance accessory (Internal DRA 1800). Wing measurements from the dorsal wing surface were recorded using three different individuals for untreated and three different individuals for hexane treatments with unpolarized light with a spot size of 100 µm for an incident angle of 8o to avoid the loss of direct specular reflectance component through the aperture. All measurements were taken in the dark to avoid possible stray illumination from the surrounding environment and we performed two technical replicates for each individual wing. A reference measurement was done with a calibrated commercial white spectralon standard to calculate the relative diffuse reflectance. The reflectance measurements and mean data are presented in S2 Table