Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

With an Internet of Animals, Scientists Aim to Track and Save Wildlife – The New York Times

The International Space Station, orbiting some 240 miles above the planet, is about to join the effort to monitor the worlds wildlife and to revolutionize the science of animal tracking.

A large antenna and other equipment aboard the orbiting outpost, installed by spacewalking Russian astronauts in 2018, are being tested and will become fully operational this summer. The system will relay a much wider range of data than previous tracking technologies, logging not just an animals location but also its physiology and environment. This will assist scientists, conservationists and others whose work requires close monitoring of wildlife on the move, and provide much more detailed information on the health of the worlds ecosystems.

The new approach, known as ICARUS short for International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space will also be able to track animals across far larger areas than other technologies. At the same time, ICARUS has shrunk the size of the transmitters that the animals wear and made them far cheaper to boot.

These changes will allow researchers to track flocks of birds as they migrate over long distances, for instance, instead of monitoring only one or two birds at a time, as well as far smaller creatures, including insects. And, as climate change and habitat destruction roil the planet, ICARUS will allow biologists and wildlife managers to quickly respond to changes in where and when species migrate.

Its a new era of discovery, said Walter Jetz, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, whose center is working with the project. We will discover new migration paths, habitat requirements, things about species behavior that we didnt even think about. That discovery will bring about all sorts of new questions.

As an added bonus, people all over the world will one day be able to log on with a smartphone app to whats known as the internet of animals to follow their favorite bird or tortoise or fish as it migrates and is tracked by the space station practically in real time.

The science of wildlife tracking, known as bio-logging, has come a long way in recent years. In the 1990s, researchers were still tracking large mammals using devices the size of lantern batteries. The technology has grown smaller since then, but many collars and tags are still too big for some three-quarters of the worlds wild creatures.

This space-based approach to uncovering the hidden lives of animals is led by Martin Wikelski, the director of migration research at the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Germany, who pursued it with a passion for years to overcome gaps and drawbacks in current technologies. It has been funded primarily by DLR, the German space agency.

ICARUS combines off-the-shelf technology, which includes solar and GPS units, and new communication technology that was developed for this mission, and specifically designed for tracking small animals.

On the ground, researchers will attach solar-powered bio-loggers that are far smaller than other technology the size of two fingernails. They weigh less than three grams, about one-tenth of an ounce, and technicians say they will soon have one gram trackers.

Once secured an easy process that seldom harms the animal the sensors will hitch a ride on an array of animals and insects, like locusts, songbirds and baby tortoises. Most current wildlife tracking technologies cant be attached to creatures that weigh less than 100 grams, or about three and a half ounces. And while the new sensors are smaller and lighter, their advanced design will allow them to collect far more data by monitoring an animals physiology, including skin temperature and body position, and external conditions like weather metrics.

The technology can also be used to accomplish a range of goals beyond wildlife studies.

Dr. Wikelski has studied the ability of cows, domestic goats and sheep in Italy to sense earthquakes and volcanic eruptions hours before they happen. Behavioral changes can be picked up by the sensors, he said, so herd behavior may provide an early warning.

We think something smells wrong to them and there is static in the air, he said. So they move into wooded areas where they have shelter.

Why the animals react is not yet known.

Icarus could also help track elephants vulnerable to poaching in Africa, or keep tabs on species of bats, pangolins and other animals that have played a role in viral epidemics.

With skin temperature we can see in the ducks in China whether the next avian influenza is starting, Dr. Wikelski said.

The power of this new approach is partially based on the fact that the space station can pick up the signals of these animals almost anywhere on the planet (the station does not pass over Earths polar regions, however). And while other conservation projects have tracked sharks, birds and other migratory species with satellites, this one aims to be useful for a wide range of species that researchers can ask to have added.

The sensors it relies on, at about $500 each, are a fraction of the price of other widely used tags.

They can last an animals lifetime and even be reused. They are able to store up to 500 megabytes, an entire lifetime of data on an animal. A researcher need not retrieve the tag; its data can be downloaded with a computer or a smartphone.

ICARUS will truly change the study of animal migration, said Nathan Senner, a biologist at the University of South Carolina. He plans to use it for a study tracking the Hudsonian godwit, a shorebird that makes one of the worlds longest migrations, from southern Chile to Alaska.

We could get location estimates that are much more precise and help us develop targeted on the ground conservation measures, Dr. Senner said.

In Europe, studies show some 30 percent of migratory songbirds, or about 420 million, have disappeared. ICARUS may give a much more detailed answer to where and why the animals are dying and guide conservation measures.

Dr. Wikelski said he was asked by a farmer in the German village where he grew up why there were no swallows this year.

Its hard to say, Dr. Wikelski said. Did they die on the way south? Were they eaten in the Mediterranean? Were they hunted in North Africa? Were they poisoned in the Sahel? Was the weather really bad? Those are the kinds of things we will find out.

ICARUS will provide data on an individual bird, as well as a collective. In a study by Dr. Wikelski and others at Max Planck Institute, researchers are tagging 1,200 blackbirds in the hopes of better understanding the timing and route of their travels and where and why their numbers are declining.

In the Galpagos Islands, sensors will be used on baby tortoises to track their migration, a project of the Galpagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme.

No one knows how the hatchlings survive, said Dr. Wikelski, who works with the program. Those are the lost years of the sea turtles. Knowing where they go will allow us to protect them better.

Because ICARUS has the capability of tagging many more animals than other technologies do, Dr. Wikelski likened it to a smartphone traffic app that can track many cars on a highway at once. One phone can provide a lot of information about one car, but many phones sending information to one app can offer information about traffic patterns.

One of the goals of the project, Dr. Wikelski said, is to help conservation managers respond to a changing world. Protected areas like wildlife parks and forest preserves are defined by fixed boundaries. But many species are on the move as climate and other changes cause shifts, and protecting them will require an understanding of where they are going and where new protected areas and corridors may need to be created.

The system will be open to researchers around the world to use for research. And the data, with some exceptions, will be accessible to everyone. Dr. Wikelski said readings from ICARUS could be combined with other kinds of information, such as the eBird database, to make the data even more robust.

Another ambition of ICARUS is to allow anyone with a smartphone to follow tagged migrating animals. One app, called Animal Tracker, already exists as a way to tap into ground-based wildlife tracking systems.

Dr. Wikelski hopes that connecting people to a single charismatic animal whose movements they can follow will build support for conservation. If people hear Cecil the lion died its very real to them, he said, referring to a lion in Zimbabwe that was killed by an American hunter in 2015. But if you say 3,000 lions died nobody cares.

Mark Hebblewhite, a wildlife biologist at the University of Montana who has used wildlife tracking technology for decades, said ICARUS would have the capacity to fill in many gaps in our knowledge of the natural world.

Well get a lot of things from ICARUS we cant get any other way, he said. Its exciting.

But technology has downsides as well, he said. Birds may suddenly and unpredictably change their migration, for example, after years of traveling the same way, and Dr. Hebblewhite said there was a danger that conservation decisions could be made by people who dont know anything about birds except dots on a map.

Some might say nature should maintain a degree of mystery from an all-seeing eye in the sky, but Dr. Wikelski, not surprisingly, doesnt agree.

These animals are providing really important information, maybe for survival of humankind, he said. We should have this information.

Go here to see the original:
With an Internet of Animals, Scientists Aim to Track and Save Wildlife - The New York Times

Physiology

Students Receive Program Awards and Honors Recognition – Briar Cliff University News

Jun 8, 2020By Dept. of Marketing & Communications

Briar Cliff is pleased to announce the winners of program awards as well as recognizing this years graduating class of the Honors Program.

Undergraduate Program Awards:

Accounting Harrison Jestel

Art Joseph Hoyt

Applied Health and Exercise Science Breanna Allen

Business Administration Jin Onoe

Marketing Arianna Presilla

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Austin Roetman

Sports Management Aubury Coleman & Kathleen Glover

Dorothy Collins Art Scholar Mai Nguyen

Biology Jackson Lamb

Environmental Science Grace Whitlaw

Chemistry Jenessa Kardell

Biochemistry Casey Zoss

Computer Science Erin Gaitsch

Mathematics Anna Taylor

Criminal Justice and Sociology Dearion Stokes

Elementary Education Ashley Hohenstein

Secondary Education Ryan Harrel

English Brittany Evanger

Writing Brittany Greiner

Sister Loyola Service Award in English/Writing Rebecca Thoms

Digital Communications Dylan Speer

Graphic Communicatinos Rachel DeMoss

History Anna Taylor

Music Michael Danner

Nursing Laura Sanders

Psychology Summer Williams

Sister Muriel Ford Social Justice Award Amanda Asay

Spanish Isela Enriquez

Theology Andy Geelan

Graduate Program Awards:

Distinguished Graduate Student in Exercise Physiology Award Chase Lester

Distinguished Graduate Student in Health Administration Award Samantha Dodd

Distinguished Graduate Students in Master of Arts in Management:

Human Resource Management Blanca Gomez

Leadership Kaila Antisdel

Sports Management Megan Glover

Distinguished Graduate Student in Nursing Award Megan Ng

Distinguished Doctor of Nurse Practitioner Award Shannon Merk

Distinguished Graduate Student in Physical Therapy Award Jordan Cumbo

Distinguished Senior Alumni and Graduate Student Awards:

Distinguished Senior Alumni Award Danielle Ullman

Distinguished Graduate Student Award Mitchell St. Clair

Honors Program Graduates:

Ana Freire

Anna Taylor

Danielle Ullman

Colin Werner

Casey Zoss

The Honors Program at Briar Cliff creates a community for like-minded motivated students to come together and share transformational experiences.

Tags: BCU, Honors Program, Accounting, Art, Applied Health and Exercise Sciences, Business, Marketing, Sports Management, Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Criminal Justice, sociology, Education, English, Writing, Digital Media, Graphic Design, history, Music, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Spanish, Theology, Exercise Physiology, Healthcare Administration, Human Resource Management, Leadership, DNP, Master of Arts, Physical Therapy, DPT, Alumni, Graduate Programs

Link:
Students Receive Program Awards and Honors Recognition - Briar Cliff University News

Physiology

Undersized airways increase risk of COPD regardless of smoking habits – News-Medical.Net

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Jun 9 2020

A new study of lung anatomy may explain why 1 in 4 cases of COPD--a lung disease most often linked to smoking--occur in people who have never smoked, a fact that has long perplexed researchers.

The research analyzed CT scans of more than 6,500 adults and found that people with small airways relative to their lungs' volume--a relationship termed dysanapsis--are at increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) regardless of their smoking habits.

Our study shows that having an undersized airway tree compromises breathing and leaves you vulnerable to COPD later in life. Our findings suggest that dysanapsis is a major COPD risk factor -- on par with cigarette smoking,. Dysanapsis is believed to arise early in life. Understanding the biological basis of dysanapsis may one day lead to early life interventions to promote healthy and resilient lung development."

Benjamin M. Smith, MD, lead author, assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

The study was published online today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Air is transported into the lung via airways that resemble the branches of a tree.

In the 1970s, researchers using simple lung function tests speculated that some people have undersized airways relative to the volume of their lungs. The size mismatch was termed dysanapsis and is believed to develop in childhood when airway branches grow more slowly than lung volume. With the advent of high-resolution in vivo imaging, dysanapsis could finally be measured directly in large cohorts.

For many decades, the clinical significance of dysanapsis was unclear due to the difficulty in measuring airway and lung dimensions in large samples of smokers and nonsmokers.

A recent study showed that half of older adults with COPD had low lung function early in life.

"This observation motivated us to think about early life origins of COPD," Smith says. "Combining classic theories from respiratory physiology with state-of-the-art imaging in large epidemiological samples, we tested whether dysanapsis might explain a significant proportion of COPD risk."

COPD--including emphysema and chronic bronchitis-- is characterized by reduced airflow from the lungs and is the third-leading cause of death in the United States.

In the new study, Smith and his colleagues analyzed health data, including lung CT scans, from more than 6,500 older adults enrolled in three major lung studies in the United States and Canada.

They found that individuals with smaller airways relative to lung size had the poorest lung function and the highest risk of COPD and were 8 times more likely to develop COPD.

The findings support a landmark 2015 study demonstrating two major pathways that lead to COPD later in life. In the classic paradigm, individuals with normal lung function experience a rapid decline after years of exposure to irritants, like cigarette smoke or air pollution.

"But there's a second pathway in people who have reduced lung function from an early age. This low starting point increases the risk for COPD in later years, even in the absence of rapid lung function decline," says Smith. "Based on our data, dysanapsis may account for a large percentage of these cases."

The association between dysanapsis and COPD risk existed for both smokers and nonsmokers and may also explain why only a minority of heavy smokers develop COPD.

The study also looked at the lifelong heavy smokers without COPD and found that these participants had larger than expected airways for their lung size.

"This suggests that people at the opposite end of the dysanapsis spectrum, i.e. those with larger than expected airways, may be able to incur considerable damage from smoking while maintaining enough reserve to avoid COPD," says Smith. "Of course, the harmful effects of smoking are legion, including lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. So anyone who smokes should do their best to quit."

Source:

Journal reference:

Smith, B.M., et al. (2020) Association of Dysanapsis With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Older Adults. JAMA. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.6918.

Continued here:
Undersized airways increase risk of COPD regardless of smoking habits - News-Medical.Net

Physiology

URI anthropology professor challenges evolutionary narratives of big, competitive men and broad, birthing women – URI Today

KINGSTON, R.I. June 9, 2020 Men are taller than women because millennia ago big, strong men beat out their shorter rivals for access to mates. The female pelvis is broader than the male pelvis because women have evolved to give birth. So the thinking goes.

Theyre compelling evolutionary narratives that have lasted in textbooks, classrooms and pop culture as explanations for the skeletal differences between men and women. But as explanations, these simple stories no longer stand up to current science, says Holly Dunsworth, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Rhode Island.

Poring over decades of existing research, Dunsworth has reevaluated and rewritten the narrow, reigning theories for sex difference in height and pelvic width in a new paper, Expanding the evolutionary explanations for sex differences in the human skeleton. The paper, published online by the journal Evolutionary Anthropology, maps out the critical role of estrogen production on bone growth in men and women.

A lot of these conventions and how they support these old stories, such as sexual selection made men taller, are out of a tradition where we really only had skeletons to study, says Dunsworth. People hadnt done behavioral observations, or studied the physiology or the genetics. There have been so many advances in 150 years of human biology, and when you put all these things together, the old origin stories dont add up.

In rewriting the explanations, Dunsworth waded through hundreds of existing studies. Her paper cites 94 references, but she reviewed five times that. I tried not to go too far back. The further I went the more misconceptions I found, she says. I think there is an old assumption out there that testosterone makes men taller, but thats just not the science.

In her paper, Dunsworth focuses on how different levels of estrogen production dictate bone growth in both sexes, with ovaries producing more estrogen than testes. Boys and girls grow at roughly the same pace, reaching about 62 inches by age 13. At that age, greater estrogen production in girls causes long bone growth plates to fuse. Boys continue to grow taller for about five more years, until they reach levels of estrogen that fuse their bones. In that time, boys grow another 8 inches on average; girls just 2. As with height, sex differences in the pelvis skeleton are also rooted in the differing levels of estrogen and its effects over time on differing systems of gonads, genitals, ligaments and bones.

There are ways that men and women are so obviously different in their evolved reproductive physiology, Dunsworth says. Its really as if the reigning theories just look at the skeleton to claim that men are taller because they evolved to be dominant and competitive as if women didnt and to claim that women are broader because they evolved for reproduction as if men didnt. Conspicuous sex differences in our bodies lead to assumptions about gender differences. They feed our narratives about what a man is and what a woman is, and what our different roles in society should be. These myths about human nature havent exactly worked wonders for women and they fuel toxic masculinity.

Dunsworth, a biological anthropologist, sees it as her job as a professor and researcher to overturn outdated and false evolutionary traditions and to retell origin stories that are inclusive and unbiased.

We make meaning out of human evolutionary origin stories, she says. Whether they really dig human evolution or not, people are using it to make sense of the world and theyre thinking that some of these very narrow, very outdated ideas are the science, are the facts, she says. There are facts and then there are stories we tell about them. But we can improve our stories. There are more inclusive stories to tell, more complicated, more dynamic, more interesting, more scientific ways of describing the facts and telling stories about those facts.

Despite their flaws, theories of sexual selection for height and natural selection for pelvis size continue to be taught in classrooms, Dunsworth says, even in hers.

Weve taught it for years because theres an obsession with comparing the degree of difference between men and women to the much larger difference between male and female gorillas. Somehow, its supposed to show that we are more peaceful and more cooperative, while still acknowledging that, because human men are bigger than women, the big men in our ancestry have been the big winners, she says. I was teaching sexual selection. Its canon. I thought this is how we explain this until I sat back and thought it through.

Dunsworth had doubted the use of sexual selection to explain male and female body size differences. But the tipping point came in 2016 after she took exception on social media to comments by a well-known evolutionary biologist who was defending the theory in a politically charged rant.

Im a feminist and Im trying to be part of this inclusive, diverse future of the world, Dunsworth says. I knew that this one simple, narrow story wasnt even scientific. So, I spoke out. Thats when I realized this is a huge problem.

She started her research immediately and submitted her paper in 2018 for peer-review in Evolutionary Anthropology. Already available online, it appears in the May/June issue of the journal.

To have this new way of thinking in a major journal in my field and reviewed by my peers is the gold standard of knowledge, she says. Its not just me on my blog, raising my feminist fist in the air. This is how you advance knowledge.

Read the rest here:
URI anthropology professor challenges evolutionary narratives of big, competitive men and broad, birthing women - URI Today

Physiology

Love singing? These 5 online courses will help you upgrade your skills – VOGUE India

If singing practise and vocal training are next on your list of things to do while you self-isolate, we've got you covered. We recommend five reliable online courses on identifying the genre that suits your voice and style the most; warming up and learning breathing exercises to ease tension; increase your range while also bettering your posture; and more.

Make your way up from performing an easy karaoke to singing a song which is higher up on the difficulty level, all with the help of a few voice exercises. By the end of the course, you will be able to find your comfortable range, point out the genre your voice and style would go with the most, and learn how to maintain your vocal health, among other things.

Enrol here

If you believe you have a great vocal range, but haven't tried your hand at singing yet, the course will help you explore your strengths and prepare you to be a singer. Taught by California-based singer, guitarist and music coach, Steve Glazer, the eight-week class comes with video lessons, a free personalised vocal assessment from Glaze, and more.

Enrol here

While practising to sing, warming up your voice and doing some light-hearted study on its anatomy and physiology only sounds ideal. During this course, you will get an insight into the three important pillars of voice posture, breathing and resonance; and learn the fundamentals of how to prepare your throat before a session.

Enrol here

Meant for complete beginners, the virtual lesson will let you in on the basics of sur, taal and saptak, which are all extremely essential in classical singing. Work on your pitch, vocal range and learn how to hit higher notes for a longer duration during this course.

Enrol here

If you have the basic understanding of singing as well as the anatomy of voice, this online course promises to make you better within just 30 days. Including information on how to extend your range, incorporate movement within your vocal exercise routines, and practical tips on the subject, the online class could be just what you need to hone your skill in a short period of time.

Enrol here

6 online courses to enrol in if you're planning to learn a musical instrument

6 free online music courses you can enrol in while you self-isolate

7 free online creative writing courses that you can enrol in right now

Continued here:
Love singing? These 5 online courses will help you upgrade your skills - VOGUE India

Physiology

Graduate aims to make a difference amid challenges of lab work on COVID-19 project – SFU News – Simon Fraser University News

Abeline Watkins hopes the data she is discovering as part of SFU professor Peter Rubens Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group may one day make a difference in addressing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Watkins is investigating whether Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis sativa, can help to mitigate the negative side effects of taking Azithromycin, a drug that has been proposed to treat symptoms of COVID-19, particularly lung problems. The research is being funded by her second Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) for sciences, awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Life amid a pandemic means Watkins is carrying out her undergraduate research in isolation. To stay on top of things, the Burnaby residentwho will also celebrate her graduation this week during SFUs June 11 virtual convocation ceremonymakes daily treks to the lab.

Normally in my lab and the lab space we share, we work as a team, says Watkins, who starts medical school at University of Alberta this fall. This means we are around each other enough to help with trouble-shooting and even completing small parts of each others projects.

So being alone means I cant share the load on keeping the cell lines alive, or keeping the lab organized or get help. The easier part of being alone is that I have more freedom to work on my project as needed; I dont have to schedule out equipment or wait for supplies.

I also have to do each step myself, from start to finish, which makes me feel in complete control of my outcomes and my learning experiences.

Watkins started working with Ruben in 2018 after securing her first USRA, and stayed on as a part-time research assistant in the lab while completing her degree. She already has two journal publications and a published poster abstract from her lab work to her credit.

My career goal is to be a doctor, and while Im open to most disciplines, Im leaning towards cardiology because of my fascination with the cardiovascular system, says Watkins, who recalls being inspired by those who work in the field when her brother requiredopen-heart surgery as an infant.

And while celebrating graduation, given the limitations of a pandemic, may not be as exciting as she hoped, she says her accomplishment is all that really matters.

Ive still completed my degree, Ive gotten into medical school, my biggest goal thus far, and my family and friends have already told me how excited and proud they are of my university accomplishment, and that is all that matters to me. I don't have to walk acrossa stage to know my five years of hard work paid off.

Original post:
Graduate aims to make a difference amid challenges of lab work on COVID-19 project - SFU News - Simon Fraser University News

Physiology

High Adaptability Allows Invasive Fruit Fly to Thrive in New Environments – Entomology Today

The invasive fruit fly spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) originated in Asia but has invaded regions around the globe. A new review of existing research published in May in the Journal of Insect Science details the species high degree of phenotypic plasticitythe ability to shift traits in response to environmental influences. (Photo by Sean McCann, Ph.D.)

By John P. Roche, Ph.D.

Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is a fruit fly that originated in Asia and was first detected as an invasive species in the United States in Hawaii in 1980. It was discovered in the continental U.S. in California in 2008, but because it is so small and hard to detect, it could have been in North America far earlier. It also became an invasive species in South America and Europe and now has a global range.

Part of this species success in expanding its range is due to its effectiveness at exploiting new habitats, communities, and ecological niches. A recent study reported in May in the Journal of Insect Science details one important reason why spotted wing drosophila is so effective as an invasive species: It has a high degree of adaptability.

Spotted wing drosophila lays eggs in small fruits such as cherries, blueberries, and strawberries. One of the traits that makes it problematic to agriculture is that females have a serrated ovipositor that allows them to cut through the skin of intact fruit to deposit eggs. This is destructive on two levels. First, because laying eggs in intact fruit can damage fruit that would be untouched by other species of fruit flies. Second, because eggs and larvae are inside of fruits, they are hard to see, making controlling them harder when fruits are being transported. Other traits that make it a problem pest are its ability to disperse quickly, reproduce rapidly, and feed on a wide range of fruits. The species causes an estimated $500700 million in damage in the U.S. annually, and it can wipe out entire crops.

Variability in a population, which helps this invasive species thrive in new environments, occurs on two levels. The level that we most often think about is variability within a population that is shaped by natural selection. In natural selection, alleles of genes that provide their bearer with an advantage in terms of survival and reproductive success tend to increase in frequency in the population. This allows populations to become better suited to their environment over multiple generations. But members of populations can also change their phenotype, or set of characteristics, within their lifetimes in something called phenotypic plasticity.

Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) has a robust and varied ability to express phenotypic plasticity. Plasticity is found in its morphology, its development, and its behavior. One example is that, when temperatures are colder, SWD development slows, resulting in larger wings. These larger wings allow the flies to fly faster and disperse faster and farther, permitting them to increase expansion of their invasive range. (Photo by Sean McCann, Ph.D.)

In phenotypic plasticity, the germlines of the individuals involved do not change, but the genetic code of the organism has a blueprint allowing the organism to adjust facultatively to different environments or to fluctuations within an environment. Phenotypic plasticity offers the advantage of providing adjustments to the environment that are very fast. Also, with invasive species, the variability upon which natural selection can act is often lowered by genetic bottlenecks caused by the small initial population size of a colonizing species. Phenotypic plasticity can provide variation that adjusts to local conditions, even in very small populations subject to genetic bottlenecks.

In their review article, Catherine Little, a Ph.D. student at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, along with Memorial University colleague Thomas Chapman, Ph.D., and Kirk Hillier, Ph.D., of Acadia University, comprehensively compiled what is known about phenotypic plasticity in spotted wing drosophila and examined the astounding extent to which the species can change its traits in response to the environment.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) has a robust and varied ability to express phenotypic plasticity. Plasticity is found in its morphology, its development, and its behavior. One example is that, when temperatures are colder, SWD development slows, resulting in larger wings. These larger wings allow the flies to fly faster and disperse faster and farther, permitting them to increase expansion of their invasive range.

If temperature fluctuates while SWD are developing, they have an enhanced tolerance to cold as adults. Acclimation to low temperatures upregulates more than 1,500 genes, including those for cellular signaling, metabolism of carbohydrates, and ion transport. Low temperatures downregulate more than 1,300 genes, including genes for egg development. Exposure to cold stimulates cold tolerance through mechanisms that include accumulating amino acids and carbohydrates that protect against low temperatures.

In subtropical habitats such as Southeast Asia, SWD are active throughout the year. In temperate habitats such as the central and northern United States, however, adult females that have mated spend the winter months as a dormant winter morph. Acclimatization to cold temperatures and short daylengths improves survival in these winter morphs, which are larger and more resistant to cold than non-winter morphs. Females who overwintered as winter morphs have enhanced reproductive success and improved life spans compared to non-winter morphs. Winter morphs can survive in long periods of low temperatures. Female winter morphs can also live through long periods of low humidity better than summer morphs can.

There is likely no single one-size-fits-all pest management solution for this species across all crop systems or across all geographic areas, says Catherine Little, a Ph.D. student at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and lead author on a new review article published in May in the Journal of Insect Science on the high degree of phenotypic plasticity in the invasive fruit fly spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii). But changes in physiology for D. suzukii are often tied to changes in behavior. Understanding behavior of winter morph flies can open new opportunities for controlling this invasive species before local populations reach damaging levels each year. (Photo by Sean McCann, Ph.D.)

Diet can also trigger patterns of phenotypic plasticity in spotted wing drosophila. A difference in the availability of fruit changes wing morphology, which in turn changes flight ability. With a poor diet, adult SWD show lowered selectivity when choosing mates and a decreased ability to attract mates.

The development of SWD proceeds from eggs, to larvae, through three instar stages, to adults. Research has found that SWD larvae that feed on certain fruits, such as raspberries, cherries, and blueberries, develop more quickly than those fed standard diets. Investigators have also found that larvae feeding on blackberries and raspberries have an enhanced ability to survive competition than larvae that eat other fruit types.

Little observes, The most important conclusion in our study was thatD. suzukiibiology, physiology, and behavior are dependent upon the regional climate, local environmental conditions, and available feeding and oviposition resources.

When asked how the specifics of what we know about phenotypic plasticity might help inform control of this species, Little says, There is likely no single one-size-fits-all pest management solution for this species across all crop systems or across all geographic areas. But changes in physiology forD. suzukiiare often tied to changes in behavior. Understanding behavior of winter morph flies can open new opportunities for controlling this invasive species before local populations reach damaging levels each year.

As for possible directions for future work, Little says, We suggest that research intoD. suzukiibehavior and resource use during seasons prior to when fruit crops are at risk could be useful in limiting potentialD. suzukiipopulation growth.

Co-author Kirk Hillier adds, As a chemical ecologist, I think there are also many directions to pursue in looking at attraction and repulsion technologies.

Weve seen that spotted wing drosophila have pronounced phenotypic plasticity. Since the capacity for this phenotypic plasticity must be coded for by their genes, an intriguing additional research question arises: Why did the capacity for such a high degree of plasticity evolve in this species?

Because of its pronounced capabilities to adapt to new and changing environments, spotted wing drosophila is a formidable invasive species and a challenging agricultural pest. In addition, two general factors happening regionally and globally could be further improving conditions for spotted wing drosophila and will tend to necessitate continual adjustment of control measures: climate change and the extinction of native species. Because of its difficulty to avoid detection and its ability to destroy entire crops, additional research and tests of control strategies are critical for this adaptable and damaging insect.

John P. Roche, Ph.D., is an author, biologist, and educator dedicated to making rigorous science clear and accessible. Director of Science View Productions and Adjunct Professor at the College of the Holy Cross, Dr. Roche has published over 200 articles and has written and taught extensively about science. For more information, visit https://authorjohnproche.com.

Related

Continued here:
High Adaptability Allows Invasive Fruit Fly to Thrive in New Environments - Entomology Today

Physiology

Sensorion Announces Positive Preliminary Preclinical Data From Its Otoferlin Gene Therapy Program | DNA RNA and Cells | News Channels -…

DetailsCategory: DNA RNA and CellsPublished on Tuesday, 09 June 2020 10:59Hits: 229

MONTPELLIER, France I June 09, 2020 I Sensorion (Paris:ALSEN) (FR0012596468 ALSEN) a pioneering clinical-stage biotechnology company which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent within the field of hearing loss disorders, announces promising new preliminary data in non-human primates from its ongoing gene therapy program targeting the Otoferlin encoding gene (OTOF).

The following results relate to the first of two preclinical programs conducted under a broad research partnership with Institut Pasteur (Paris). The partnership aims to develop gene therapies to correct, safely and efficiently, hereditary monogenic forms of deafness. The first program targets specifically deafness caused by a mutation of the gene encoding for Otoferlin, which is highly present in cochlear sensory cells and is critical for hearing.

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) was used as an intracellular reporter molecule to assess gene transfer and expression. The selected adeno-associated virus (AAV), a safe and effective vector for gene therapy, enabled expression of the GFP protein under control of the selected promoter. An intense fluorescence due to GFP was detected by immunostaining in the cochlear tissue of two out of three treated animals, demonstrating adequate tropism for inner ear tissue. Remarkably, the expression of GFP was mainly robust in the inner hair cells, indicating an effective transduction of the relevant target cells at levels compatible with future therapeutic intervention of Otoferlin deficiency by gene therapy. These results are expected to be published.

Graldine Honnet, Chief Medical Officer Sensorion, observes: One of the challenges in gene therapy is the precise and safe delivery of the therapeutic to the targeted tissue. In this non-human primate study, the surgical procedure went smoothly in three animals. No infections were observed, either pre- or post-operation, and a perfect scar was obtained. There were no side effects such as transient vertigo resulting from the procedure.

The data confirms that the OTOF program is very promising and represents an important step forward to successfully achieving our gene therapy development to treat hereditary monogenic forms of hearing loss. Our collaboration with one of the leading academic institutions in the field of hearing as well as with one of the top pediatric ENT hospitals in the world sets a solid foundation to create a robust ecosystem in gene therapy development for hearing loss. The preclinical data further validates the potential of our collaboration to develop treatments that could revolutionize the lives of patients with disabling genetic inner ear diseases, remarked Nawal Ouzren, CEO Sensorion.

Sensorions exclusive agreement is with the Genetics and Physiology of Hearing Unit at Institut Pasteur, led by Professor Petit, whose laboratory has developed world-class expertise over the last 25 years in the molecular physiology and pathophysiology of the hearing system and has generated data supporting the development of potential gene therapies. The agreement grants Sensorion exclusive rights to obtain the full intellectual property licenses to develop and market drug products in gene therapy coming from collaborative projects for the restoration, treatment, and prevention of hearing disorders. The French government awarded up to 9.7 million to the AUDINNOVE consortium, which includes Necker Hospital, Institut Pasteur and Sensorion, to support the development of the OTOF program into human clinical trials.

About Sensorion

Sensorion is a pioneering clinical-stage biotechnology company, which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent within the field of hearing loss disorders. Its clinical-stage portfolio includes one Phase 2 product: SENS-401 (Arazasetron) for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Sensorion has built a unique R&D technology platform to expand its understanding of the pathophysiology and etiology of inner ear related diseases enabling it to select the best targets and modalities for drug candidates. The Company is also working on the identification of biomarkers to improve diagnosis of these underserved illnesses. In the second half of 2019, Sensorion launched two preclinical gene therapy programs aiming at correcting hereditary monogenic forms of deafness including Usher Type 1 and deafness caused by a mutation of the gene encoding for Otoferlin. The Company is uniquely placed, through its platforms and pipeline of potential therapeutics, to make a lasting positive impact on hundreds of thousands of people with inner ear related disorders, a significant global unmet medical need. http://www.sensorion-pharma.com

SOURCE: Sensorion

Read more:
Sensorion Announces Positive Preliminary Preclinical Data From Its Otoferlin Gene Therapy Program | DNA RNA and Cells | News Channels -...

Physiology

After first full week of virtual summer courses, students have mixed reactions – The Daily Pennsylvanian

Many students are using online summer classes to fulfill graduation requirements and explore prospective fields of study. Credit: Emily Xu

After students' summer plans were canceled due to the coronavirus, many are taking online classes to fulfill graduation requirements and explore prospective fields of study.

Students found little differences in remote summer learning in comparison to what they experienced during the latter half of the spring semester, and said some of their classes are better suited to online learning than others.

Rising College sophomore Helen Wu said she was motivated to take online summer courses for credit because as an international student, she does not have proper authorization to work, study, or participate in a virtual internship in the United States. She is taking "Intro to Linguistics," "Intro to Geology," and "Deviance and Social Control."

"All of these classes are fulfilling some type of requirement, Wu said. My rationale was that when I get back on campus and I can take classes in person, I want to take classes I really like."

Rising College sophomore Meghan Fersten is taking "Autonomic Physiology" to help her decide if she wants to declare a major in neuroscience. The summer class was originally designed to take place half online and half in-person, which she said made the transition to remote learning smoother.

I think for [the professor] to adapt it for online wasn't difficult but she ended up making it really engaging it even with the online meetings, Fersten said.

On the other hand, Wu said her online classes had some clear limitations, as she is unable to look at and touch the rocks she is learning about in her "Intro to Geology" class. She added, however, that her "Intro to Linguistics" class is able to have more intimate discussions with a much smaller online class size.

During the school year, students taking "Intro to Linguistics" are graded based on their exam performance and the creation of a journal. In Wus summer course, however, students earn points in discussions and smaller, more frequent, assignments.

Wu and Fernsten agreed that their professors and TAs offered enough office hours and were very flexible outside of class.

Penn announced on April 13 that all summer session classes would be conducted online and courses would begin on May 26. Over 1,200 students registered for one of the three summer sessions which run for either six or 11 weeks and are often smaller in size in comparison to courses during the academic year.

"Overall, the online experience has been pretty good and pretty much the same over spring and summer," rising Wharton sophomore Tianhe Xie, who is enrolled in "Accounting and Financial Reporting," said.

Continue reading here:
After first full week of virtual summer courses, students have mixed reactions - The Daily Pennsylvanian

Physiology

The facts about smoking and the practicality of stopping – Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

The World Health Organisation estimates there to be 1.1 billion smokers on planet earth, 80% of whom live in low and middle income countries. Up to 50% of those exposed to tobacco smoke die as a result of the habit and the harm is all the more vivid when one considers that deaths are at a rate of 8 million people annually.

This is equivalent to wiping out the sum of the populations of Nairobi, Kampala and Mombasa annually. More than an eighth of these deaths are amongst people who choose not to smoke but inhale second-hand smoke from people smoking around them. The list of health conditions associated with the habit is long and includes 14 different cancers, long term and irreversible lung conditions, cardiovascular illnesses, impotence and infertility, and diseases affecting bone health. Not to mention smoking increases the risk of contracting COVID-19.

But what exactly causes such an intense addiction to smoking? The mechanisms behind addiction are complex and involve both the physiology of the central nervous system, and psychology. Most career smokers will attest to multiple failed attempts to quit through their lifetimes.

Just know that it is never too late to stop smoking and the earlier you quit the better. In fact the benefits of quitting kick in within twenty minutes of putting out a cigarette. They range from immediate important physiological benefits to reversal of heart attack and stroke risks to normal levels within five to fifteen years of quitting. Studies have shown that people diagnosed with lung cancer have better outcomes when going into cancer therapy if they quit, and have a higher success rate at sustaining cessation.

Get breaking news on your Mobile as-it-happens. SMS NEWS to 20153

How about you seek professional help such as a support program to help quit? It may be easier than going it alone.Whichever route a person decides to take, the biggest player in the process is the quitter. The will to quit is a key and necessary ingredient. For the smokers who are not ready to quit, the first step is always to understand the health and economic harm caused by the habit, on both oneself and ones family, and the benefits of quitting.

Do not let previous failed attempts of quitting get you down; however numerous and spectacular. Each failed attempt is filled with lessons on what to do differently. Incremental targets are useful. This means quitting for a day, then trying for two days, then three and so forth to the point where there is too much to lose by smoking that one cigarette. Seeking inspiration from successful quitters is a useful tactic, and there are always important lessons on what works, and what does not. It is not uncommon that stress, anxiety and fear burden a quitter, especially when ponders the onerous task ahead.

Yoga and meditation, adopting alternative relaxation techniques and surrounding oneself with friends who cherish and support the quit process will aid you immensely. Adopting a healthy lifestyle with exercise and healthy diet usually helps condition the mind overall positivity.

Set a quit date weeks ahead and inform those around you of the date and ask for their support and understanding. This includes family, colleagues and friends. Of course remove any tobacco products from your surroundings.

The first few days and weeks are the hardest as it always is when breaking any habit. You will experience withdrawal symptoms in the form of coughs, headaches, cravings and weight gain from an increased appetite. Some people experience a volatile mood, difficulty concentrating, poor sleep and even symptoms that mimic the flu. Note that these symptoms rarely last longer than a month.

Good luck.

Go here to read the rest:
The facts about smoking and the practicality of stopping - Kenya Broadcasting Corporation