Reflections on race in contemporary Ireland

Any reflection on the category "race" in the contemporary world is inevitably framed by the cumulative layers of meanings and practices attached to bodies and cultures over the previous centuries. If the idea of race resembles anything, it is a palimpsest,1with past interpretations leaking through to make the ink of the present run. Accordingly, I present some historical notes not as a distinct prelude to the "real" story, positing a rupture of past and present, but as the beginning of the story proper.

AP-2 complex-mediated endocytosis of Drosophila Crumbs regulates polarity via antagonizing Stardust

Maintenance of epithelial polarity depends on the correct localization and levels of polarity determinants. The evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein Crumbs is crucial for the size and identity of the apical membrane, yet little is known about the molecular mechanisms controlling the amount of Crumbs at the surface. Here, we show that Crumbs levels on the apical membrane depend on a well-balanced state of endocytosis and stabilization. The adaptor protein 2 (AP-2) complex binds to a motif in the cytoplasmic tail of Crumbs that overlaps with the binding site of Stardust, a protein known to stabilize Crumbs on the surface. Preventing endocytosis by mutations in AP-2 causes expansion of the Crumbs-positive plasma membrane and polarity defects, which can be partially rescued by removing one copy of crumbs. Strikingly, knocking-down both AP-2 and Stardust retains Crumbs on the membrane. This study provides evidence for a molecular mechanism, based on stabilization and endocytosis, to adjust surface levels of Crumbs, which are essential for maintaining epithelial polarity.

Interictal autonomic abnormalities in idiopathic Rolandic Epilepsy

We investigated 50 young patients with a diagnosis of Rolandic Epilepsy (RE) for the presence of abnormalities in autonomic tone compared with 50 young patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy with absences and 50 typically developing children of comparable age. We analyzed time domain (N-N interval, pNN50) and frequency domain (High Frequency (HF), Low Frequency (LF) and LF/HF ratio) indices from ten-minute resting EKG activity. Patients with RE showed significantly higher HF and lower LF power and lower LF/HF ratio than controls, independent of the epilepsy group, and did not show significant differences in any other autonomic index with respect to the two control groups. In RE, we found a negative relationship between both seizure load and frequency of sleep interictal EEG abnormalities with parasympathetic drive levels. These changes might be the expression of adaptive mechanisms to prevent the excessive sympathetic drive seen in patients with refractory epilepsies. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) binds the PIKfyve complex and modulates its function

Phosphoinositides are important components of eukaryotic membranes that are required for multiple forms of membrane dynamics. Phosphoinositides are involved in defining membrane identity, mediate cell signalling and control membrane trafficking events. Due to their pivotal role in membrane dynamics, phosphoinositide de-regulation contributes to various human diseases. In this review, we will focus on the newly emerging regulation of the PIKfyve complex, a phosphoinositide kinase that converts the endosomal phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate [PI(3)P] to phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate [PI(3,5)P2)], a low abundance phosphoinositide of outstanding importance for neuronal integrity and function. Loss of PIKfyve function is well known to result in neurodegeneration in both mousemodels and human patients. Our recent work has surprisingly identified the amyloid precursor protein (APP), the central molecule in Alzheimer s disease aetiology, as a novel interaction partner of a subunit of the PIKfyve complex, Vac14. Furthermore, it has been shown that APP modulates PIKfyve function and PI(3,5)P2 dynamics, suggesting that the APP gene family functions as regulator of PI(3,5)P2 metabolism. The recent advances discussed in this review suggest a novel, unexpected, â-amyloid-independent mechanism for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer s disease.

Relational predictors of condom use among adolescents in outpatient substance abuse treatment

Past HIV interventions have been critiqued for their failure to incorporate relational factors linked to condom use. Furthermore, few studies have focused on the relational context of sexual risk behavior among adolescents at elevated risk for HIV/STI exposure in the context of substance use. Therefore, this study evaluated the influence of three key relational factors (rejection sensitivity, intimacy dating goals, intercourse-related anxiety) salient for understanding condom use among adolescents in outpatient substance abuse treatment in South Florida. Structural equation modeling was used to test relational factors as direct and indirect predictors of condom use. Specifically, the current study investigated the influence of rejection sensitivity and intimacy dating goals on percentage of protected intercourse, with intercourse-related anxiety modeled as a mediator of this association. ^ Results obtained from the hypothesized structural model suggest rejection sensitivity and intimacy dating goals are significant predictors of percentage of protected intercourse. As expected, rejection sensitivity was related to lower levels of percentage of protected intercourse via heightened levels of intercourse-related anxiety and was not related directly to percentage of protected intercourse. Intercourse-related anxiety was indicated as a partial mediator between rejection sensitivity and percentage of protected intercourse. In contrast, intimacy dating goals was related to lower levels of percentage of protected intercourse directly. The findings demonstrate the importance of relational factors in condom use among adolescents in outpatient substance abuse treatment. Levels of protected intercourse are likely to increase when relational factors are targeted among adolescents in this high-risk population. Implications for prevention strategies targeting this high-risk subgroup of adolescents are discussed. ^

Surprises and Insights from Long-Term Aquatic Data Sets and Experiments

long-term research on freshwater ecosystems provides insights that can be difficult to obtain from other approaches. Widespread monitoring of ecologically relevant water-quality parameters spanning decades can facilitate important tests of ecological principles. Unique long-term data sets and analytical tools are increasingly available, allowing for powerful and synthetic analyses across sites. long-term measurements or experiments in aquatic systems can catch rare events, changes in highly variable systems, time-lagged responses, cumulative effects of stressors, and biotic responses that encompass multiple generations. Data are available from formal networks, local to international agencies, private organizations, various institutions, and paleontological and historic records; brief literature surveys suggest much existing data are not synthesized. Ecological sciences will benefit from careful maintenance and analyses of existing long-term programs, and subsequent insights can aid in the design of effective future long-term experimental and observational efforts. long-term research on freshwaters is particularly important because of their value to humanity.

Conflict and Consonance: Implementing an Evidence-Based Middle School Science Curriculum

This study is to investigate the middle school teachers’ concerns and perspectives during the implementation of an evidence-based curriculum that supports the development of both content knowledge and scientific practices. Two themes emerge from data analysis: consonance and conflict.

A comprehensive and integrative reconstruction of evolutionary history for Anomura (Crustacea: Decapoda)

Background The infraorder Anomura has long captivated the attention of evolutionary biologists due to its impressive morphological diversity and ecological adaptations. To date, 2500 extant species have been described but phylogenetic relationships at high taxonomic levels remain unresolved. Here, we reconstruct the evolutionary history—phylogeny, divergence times, character evolution and diversification—of this speciose clade. For this purpose, we sequenced two mitochondrial (16S and 12S) and three nuclear (H3, 18S and 28S) markers for 19 of the 20 extant families, using traditional Sanger and next-generation 454 sequencing methods. Molecular data were combined with 156 morphological characters in order to estimate the largest anomuran phylogeny to date. The anomuran fossil record allowed us to incorporate 31 fossils for divergence time analyses. Results Our best phylogenetic hypothesis (morphological + molecular data) supports most anomuran superfamilies and families as monophyletic. However, three families and eleven genera are recovered as para- and polyphyletic. Divergence time analysis dates the origin of Anomura to the Late Permian ~259 (224–296) MYA with many of the present day families radiating during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that carcinization occurred independently 3 times within the group. The invasion of freshwater and terrestrial environments both occurred between the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary. Diversification analyses found the speciation rate to be low across Anomura, and we identify 2 major changes in the tempo of diversification; the most significant at the base of a clade that includes the squat-lobster family Chirostylidae. Conclusions Our findings are compared against current classifications and previous hypotheses of anomuran relationships. Many families and genera appear to be poly- or paraphyletic suggesting a need for further taxonomic revisions at these levels. A divergence time analysis provides key insights into the origins of major lineages and events and the timing of morphological (body form) and ecological (habitat) transitions. Living anomuran biodiversity is the product of 2 major changes in the tempo of diversification; our initial insights suggest that the acquisition of a crab-like form did not act as a key innovation.

A "Transforming the School-to-Prison Pipeline" Initiative: Mentoring Model Pilot Project Symposium

Abstract: This informative and interactive teaching symposium posits the Positive Peer Leadership Mentoring Program (PPLM) as an evidence-based wrap-around service for youth and families in Miami-Dade who are involved in the school-to-prison pipeline. Presenters first provide information to initiate the dialogic process of discerning and interpreting the school-to-prison pipeline, impacted by costs of incarceration for Black youth and families and the move toward effective mental health services in the juvenile justice system. Then, participants experience an interactive pedagogical mentoring format set forth in PPLM as the first step toward transforming the school-to-prison pipeline in their own classroom or other educational setting.

Uvigerina spp. minor element and derived d18Oseawater records over the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (500-1500 kyr), DSDP Hole 94-607

During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), the dominant glacial-interglacial cyclicity as inferred from the marine d18O records of benthic foraminifera (d18Obenthic) changed from 41 kyr to 100 kyr years in the absence of a comparable change in orbital forcing. Currently, only two Mg/Ca-derived, high-resolution bottom water temperature (BWT) records exist that can be used with d18Obenthic records to separate temperature and ice volume signals over the Pleistocene. However, these two BWT records suggest a different pattern of climate change occurred over the MPT-a record from North Atlantic DSDP Site 607 suggests BWT decreased with no long-term trend in ice volume over the MPT, while South Pacific ODP Site 1123 suggests that BWT has been relatively stable over the last 1.5 Myr but that there was an abrupt increase in ice volume at ~900 kyr. In this paper we attempt to reconcile these two views of climate change across the MPT. Specifically, we investigated the suggestion that the secular BWT trend obtained from Mg/Ca measurements on Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi and Oridorsalis umbonatus species from N. Atlantic Site 607 is biased by the possible influence of D[CO3]2- on Mg/Ca values in these species by generating a low-resolution BWT record using Uvigerina spp., a genus whose Mg/Ca values are not thought to be influenced by D[CO3]2-. We find a long-term BWT cooling of ~2-3°C occurred from 1500 to ~500 kyr in the N. Atlantic, consistent with the previously generated C. wuellerstorfi and O. umbonatus BWT record. We also find that changes in ocean circulation likely influenced d18Obenthic, BWT, and d18Oseawater records across the MPT. N. Atlantic BWT cooling starting at ~1.2 Ma, presumably driven by high-latitude cooling, may have been a necessary precursor to a threshold response in climate-ice sheet behavior at ~900 ka. At that point, a modest increase in ice volume and thermohaline reorganization may have caused enhanced sensitivity to the 100 kyr orbital cycle.

Water temperature reconstructions based on paired Uk'37 and Tex86 records, and paired surface and subsurface Mg/Ca records

This dataset contains the collection of available published paired Uk'37 and Tex86 records spanning multi-millennial to multi-million year time scales, as well as a collection of Mg/Ca-derived temperatures measured in parallel on surface and subsurface dwelling foraminifera, both used in the analyses of Ho and Laepple, Nature Geoscience 2016. As the signal-to-noise ratios of proxy-derived Holocene temperatures are relatively low, we selected records that contain at least the last deglaciation (oldest sample >18kyr BP).

Individual foraminifera variability from the western and eastern equatorial Pacific during the Late Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a major source of global interannual variability, but its response to climate change is uncertain. Paleoclimate records from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) provide insight into ENSO behavior when global boundary conditions (ice sheet extent, atmospheric partial pressure of CO2) were different from those today. In this work, we reconstruct LGM temperature variability at equatorial Pacific sites using measurements of individual planktonic foraminifera shells. A deep equatorial thermocline altered the dynamics in the eastern equatorial cold tongue, resulting in reduced ENSO variability during the LGM compared to the Late Holocene. These results suggest that ENSO was not tied directly to the east-west temperature gradient, as previously suggested. Rather, the thermocline of the eastern equatorial Pacific played a decisive role in the ENSO response to LGM climate.

Data compilation on the biological response to ocean acidification: environmental and experimental context of data sets and related literature

The exponential growth of studies on the biological response to ocean acidification over the last few decades has generated a large amount of data. To facilitate data comparison, a data compilation hosted at the data publisher PANGAEA was initiated in 2008 and is updated on a regular basis (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.149999). By January 2015, a total of 581 data sets (over 4 000 000 data points) from 539 papers had been archived. Here we present the developments of this data compilation five years since its first description by Nisumaa et al. (2010). Most of study sites from which data archived are still in the Northern Hemisphere and the number of archived data from studies from the Southern Hemisphere and polar oceans are still relatively low. Data from 60 studies that investigated the response of a mix of organisms or natural communities were all added after 2010, indicating a welcomed shift from the study of individual organisms to communities and ecosystems. The initial imbalance of considerably more data archived on calcification and primary production than on other processes has improved. There is also a clear tendency towards more data archived from multifactorial studies after 2010. For easier and more effective access to ocean acidification data, the ocean acidification community is strongly encouraged to contribute to the data archiving effort, and help develop standard vocabularies describing the variables and define best practices for archiving ocean acidification data.

Safety in bear country

Safety in Bear Country tells the story of Serena Palmer’s twenty-second year. At a time when she thought she would be making a living in Toronto as an artist and as an independent adult, the economic times and her emotionally fragile state due to the demise of a romantic relationship, prove obstructive. Instead, she lives in the basement of her parents’ home and works for the town’s largest employer, a mental institution. Here she embarks on an internal quest for meaning and a truer understanding of love. Specifically, as the novel’s action shifts through Australia and then to Northern Canada, ending with her near-death and shamanistic spiritual transcendence, Serena explores the contradictions that exist between love and fear: in order to ever fully love, one must make oneself vulnerable at the deepest level. And, in order to ever make oneself vulnerable, one must conquer fear. In this way, fear and love are inextricably connected. Here in lies the irony of the title: Safety in Bear Country.