A comparative study of commercially synthesize immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strips for two-dimensional electrophoresis

Abstract only availableTwo-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) is a widely used technique for resolving complex protein mixtures. The resurgence in this technique can be attributed to the contemporary approach for isoelectric focusing, which relies on an immobilized pH gradient of ampholines embedded within an acrylamide matrix. Furthermore, the commercial production of these Immobilized pH Gradient (IPG) strips has further simplified this technique to improve consistency of 2-DE. Since IPG strips are primarily purchased from vendors, rather than synthesized by the investigator, we wanted to compare the efficacy of strips from the principal manufacturers. In this study IPG strips selected from three major life science companies, Amersham, Bio-Rad, and Sigma (produced by Proteome Systems) were quantitatively compared for linearity of signal (spot volume) and qualitatively for parameters such as spot shape and same-sample reproducibility. To control for sample variation a Brassica napus protein leaf extract, prepared using an established protocol, was used as the test sample for all experiments. To compare the protein loading capacity and linear quantitative range, IPG strips were loaded with four different concentrations of protein: 50g, 100g, 200g, and 300g using the isoelectric focusing protocol recommended for Amersham strips. However, since the focusing protocol recommended for the Sigma IPG strips was approximately 8,000 Volt hours longer we also tested the strips at a longer focusing protocol. Spot volume was quantified using Phoretix 2D Advanced software. The spot volume was then plotted on graphs to determine the linear quantitative range. The graphs show Sigma to have the best quantitative range for each spot. However, Amersham IPG strips yielded more circular spot shapes and were more reproducible on a lot number and day-to-day basis.Plant Genomics Internship @ M

Estimating vocal repertoire size is like collecting coupons: a theoretical framework with heterogeneity in signal abundance

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available via Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022519315001125.Vocal repertoire size is an important behavioural measure in songbirds and mammals with complex vocal communication systems, and has traditionally been used as an indicator of individual fitness, cognitive ability, and social structure. Estimates of asymptotic repertoire size have typically been made using curve fitting techniques. However, the exponential model usually applied in these techniques has never been provided with a theoretical justification based on probability theory, and the model has led to inaccurate estimates. We derived the precise expression for the expected number of distinct signal types observed for a fixed sampling effort: a variation of what is known in the statistical literature as the "Coupon Collector׳s problem". We used empirical data from three species (northern mockingbird, Carolina chickadee, and rock hyrax) to assess the performance of the Coupon Collector model compared to commonly used techniques, such as exponential fitting and repertoire enumeration, and also tested the different models against simulated artificial data sets with the statistical properties of the empirical data. We found that when signal probabilities are dissimilar, the Coupon Collector model provides far more accurate estimates of repertoire size than traditional techniques. Enumeration and exponential curve fitting greatly underestimated repertoire size, despite appearing to have reached saturation. Application of the Coupon Collector model can generate more accurate estimates of repertoire size than the commonly used exponential model of repertoire discovery, and could go a long way towards re-establishing repertoire size as a useful indicator in animal communication research.We would like to thank Carl Wagner for the derivation of the expected value expressions, and Jan Rosinski for fruitful discussion. This work was supported by the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, an Institute sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture through NSF Award #EF-0832858, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. AK is supported by the Herchel Smith Fund as a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge

Animal vocal sequences: not the Markov chains we thought they were.

Many animals produce vocal sequences that appear complex. Most researchers assume that these sequences are well characterized as Markov chains (i.e. that the probability of a particular vocal element can be calculated from the history of only a finite number of preceding elements). However, this assumption has never been explicitly tested. Furthermore, it is unclear how language could evolve in a single step from a Markovian origin, as is frequently assumed, as no intermediate forms have been found between animal communication and human language. Here, we assess whether animal taxa produce vocal sequences that are better described by Markov chains, or by non-Markovian dynamics such as the 'renewal process' (RP), characterized by a strong tendency to repeat elements. We examined vocal sequences of seven taxa: Bengalese finches Lonchura striata domestica, Carolina chickadees Poecile carolinensis, free-tailed bats Tadarida brasiliensis, rock hyraxes Procavia capensis, pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus, killer whales Orcinus orca and orangutans Pongo spp. The vocal systems of most of these species are more consistent with a non-Markovian RP than with the Markovian models traditionally assumed. Our data suggest that non-Markovian vocal sequences may be more common than Markov sequences, which must be taken into account when evaluating alternative hypotheses for the evolution of signalling complexity, and perhaps human language origins.This is the author's accepted manuscript and will be under embargo until the 20th of August 2015. This final version is published by Royal Society Publishing here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1370

A comparison of facial expression properties in five hylobatid species

Little is known about facial communication of lesser apes (family Hylobatidae) and how their facial expressions (and use of) relate to social organization. We investigated facial expressions (defined as combinations of facial movements) in social interactions of mated pairs in five different hylobatid species belonging to three different genera using a recently developed objective coding system, the Facial Action Coding System for hylobatid species (GibbonFACS). We described three important properties of their facial expressions and compared them between genera. First, we compared the rate of facial expressions, which was defined as the number of facial expressions per units of time. Second, we compared their repertoire size, defined as the number of different types of facial expressions used, independent of their frequency. Third, we compared the diversity of expression, defined as the repertoire weighted by the rate of use for each type of facial expression. We observed a higher rate and diversity of facial expression, but no larger repertoire, in Symphalangus (siamangs) compared to Hylobates and Nomascus species. In line with previous research, these results suggest siamangs differ from other hylobatids in certain aspects of their social behavior. To investigate whether differences in facial expressions are linked to hylobatid socio-ecology, we used a Phylogenetic General Least Square (PGLS) regression analysis to correlate those properties with two social factors: group-size and level of monogamy. No relationship between the properties of facial expressions and these socio-ecological factors was found. One explanation could be that facial expressions in hylobatid species are subject to phylogenetic inertia and do not differ sufficiently between species to reveal correlations with factors such as group size and monogamy level. Am. J. Primatol. 76:618-628, 2014

Effect Of Cisplatin On Metallothionein Expression In Urotsa Cells Malignantly Transformed With Arsenite Or Cadmium

Heavy metals Arsenite (As3+) and Cadmium (Cd2+) are known human carcinogens and exposure to them occurs through cigarette smoking, industrialization, and contaminated water sources. Epidemiological studies have shown that prolonged exposure to these heavy metals are associated with several health issues, including bladder cancer. With survival rates directly correlated to detection age and tumor stage, the demand for early detection would effectively cut costs and improve the patient prognosis of human bladder cancer. Metallothioneins (MT) play an essential role in metal regulation, heavy metal detoxification, and cellular redox chemistry in cellular biological systems and tissues. Previous studies in literature have found elevated MT expression in patients with kidney, breast, prostate and bladder cancers. This increased presence of MT may contribute to the resistance to the chemotherapy drug Cis-diamminediechloroplatinum(II), CDDP (Cisplatin) in human bladder cancer. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that As3+ and Cd2+ can malignantly transform the human urothelial cell line UROtsa and these transformed cells can form subcutaneous, as well as, intraperitoneal tumors. The first goal of this study is to determine the expression level of six MT isoforms (MT-1A, MT-1E, MT-1F, MT-1X, MT-2A, and MT-3) in the Parent UROtsa cell line and the 13 independently derived As+3-and Cd+2-transformed cell lines. The second goal of this study is to determine the expression levels of the same six MT isoforms in the Parent UROtsa and in two As+3 (As #1 and As #5) -and two Cd+2 (Cd #1 and Cd #4) -transformed cell lines when they were acutely exposed to various concentrations of the chemotherapy drug, cisplatin. For this study, Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) was isolated from the Parent UROtsa cell line and the 13 independently derived As+3-and Cd+2-transformed cell lines, as well as, two As+3 (As #1 and As #5) -and two Cd+2 (Cd #1 and Cd #4) -transformed cell lines and the Parent UROtsa after the cells were acutely exposed to cisplatin. Real Time Reverse Transcriptase Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to determine the basal expression of the six MT isoforms in the Parent UROtsa cell line and the 13 independently derived As+3-and Cd+2-transformed cell lines. Real Time RT-qPCR was also performed to determine the corresponding expression of the Parent UROtsa and in two As+3 -and two Cd+2 -transformed cell lines after the cells were acutely exposed to cisplatin. The results demonstrated an overall decrease in the expression of the six MT isoforms in the transformed cell lines compared to the Parent UROtsa, as well as, an overall decrease in expression after exposure to cisplatin when compared to the basal expression levels. In order to further look at the basal expression, Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was performed on the subcutaneous transplants generated by the subcutaneous injection of the 13 independently derived As+3-and Cd+2-transformed cell lines into immune compromised mice. The six As3+ and the seven Cd2+ UROtsa mouse subcutaneous tumors were stained for MT isoforms 1/2 and MT isoform 3. MT isoforms 1/2 staining of the 13 UROtsa mouse subcutaneous tumors show moderate or weak-to-moderate staining. MT isoform 3 showed strong and diffuse staining, however the peripheral less differentiated tumor cells showed weaker staining. Additionally, western blot analysis was performed to determine the levels of MT proteins in the Parent UROtsa and two of the As3+ -and two of the Cd2+ -transformed cell lines. Overall, the results demonstrated a decrease in the levels of total MT in the Parent UROtsa, as well as, the transformed cell lines. In conclusion, our data shows that exposure to As3+ or Cd2+ decreases the expression of the six MT isoforms. This decrease in MT expression may disrupt the normal cellular redox within the cells, thus promoting the transformation process. In addition, exposure to cisplatin demonstrated a decrease in expression of the six MT isoforms, which may have implications in the treatment of human bladder cancer with this drug

Risks and Supportive Factors of Burnout among School Social Workers in Early Childhood Special Education Setting

This qualitative study examined the risk and supportive factors of burnout among school social workers in the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) setting. Data was collected through semi-structured standardized interviews with 7 licensed school social workers currently working in this area. Theme coding methods were used to inductively analyze codes in the data and to find common themes from the interviews. Themes that emerged were separated into six categories: personal, organizational, and job structural risks factors, and personal, organizational, and job structural supportive factors. The majority of the findings of this study were consistent with previous research. Other themes that were not consistent with previous research were found. Those themes included the importance of having a flexible work style, the impact of diminishing resources for families, and organizational support related to maintaining licensure requirements. Implications for this study suggest ideas for future research in this area, with hopes to enhance school social work education, research, and training

Climate resilient agricultural practices for urban growers in Kansas City

The Kansas City metro is expected to be the fifth most impacted urban environment in the United States with regards to climate change. Research indicates that we will continue to experience increased overall temperatures, increased numbers of heat waves, increased annual precipitation characterized by more extreme precipitation events and longer periods of drought, and increased pest, disease and weed pressure. Furthermore, because of increased heavy downpours throughout the Midwest, Kansas City area farmers report the rains we’ve experienced (such as the 11” of rain that fell over three days in October of 2018) pulverize their soil, resulting in compaction, poor movement of air and water through the soil surface, and crusting. Farmers across our region have begun to experience production, marketing, and management challenges because of changing weather conditions. Yields have become less predictable, pests and diseases have become more prevalent and damaging, sales at outdoor farmers markets becomes more variable in response to extreme temperatures, rain, and wind, and farm business management and planning have become more challenging because of those changes. Cultivate Kansas City recognizes that climate change is a threat to existing and future farm businesses and the local food industry. There is a strong need to educate farmers now to be prepared, to be adaptive, and be resilient with the coming changes to our urban and peri-urban environment. As such, Cultivate Kansas City is committed to providing climate resilient education and resources to urban farmers. In 2020, we launched a project, funded by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, to teach and adapt concepts of farm business resilience to a select cohort of urban farms located in and around Kansas City. In partnership with Laura Lengnick of Cultivating Resilience, two cohorts of farmers (n=13) have participated in workshops, site visits, and one-on-one consultations to identify short-term and long-term goals and strategies to make their farm businesses more resilient. Farmers have also participated in insect pest monitoring and have provided that data to Cultivate Kansas City. Our work with these initial cohorts has allowed us to share some of the lessons learned with a wider farmer audience and we are currently working on two new projects to expand the learning to the refugee farmer population we interact with through the New Roots for Refugees program

A Comparative Study of Secondary Student Teacher Attitudinal Change and Satisfaction with Student Teaching

The purpose of this study was to investigate comparatively attitudinal change and satisfaction with student teaching of secondary student teachers in two different supervisory formats. A control group was supervised conventionally by periodic individual visitations of the college supervisor; the experimental project group participated in several half day seminars in lieu of regular classroom visitations. A subsidiary purpose was to assess the value of the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory and college grade point averages as predictors of attitudinal change and satisfaction with student teaching. The cample consisted of 47 subjects randomly selected from a population of 144 Winter Quarter 1969-70 secondary student teachers at Moorhead State College. 18 study subjects represented the project group and 29 conventionally supervised student teachers represented the control group. Two hypotheses and four ancillary questions were designated to structure the investigation. Pre-student teaching MTAI scores were obtained for the entire study population by group testing during the regular orientation session prior to the commencement of student teaching. Post-test MTAI results were secured through the cooperation of college supervisors. Indices of relative satisfaction with student teaching were found by administering the Nichols Modification of the Aikman Inventory of SaLisfaction with Student Teaching to the subjects at the completion of student teaching. Analysis of the data by the application of t-test and product-moment statistical procedures resulted in the following major findings: 1. There was a significant difference in attitude change toward teaching and children between the project and conventional groups during student teaching. 2. There was a significant decrease in the MTAI mean scores of the project group during student teaching. 3. There was no significant change in MTAI mean scores of the conventional group during student teaching. 4. There was no significant difference in satisfaction with student teaching between the two groups. 5. There was no significant correlation between MTAI scores and ratings of student teachers by supervisory classroom teachers. 6. There was a significant negative correlation in the control group between MTAI pre-student teaching scores and satisfaction with student teaching. 7. There was no significant correlation between MTAI post-student teaching scores and satisfaction with student teaching in the control group. 8. There was no significant correlation between either the MTAI pre-test and post-test mean scores of the project group and satisfaction with student teaching. 9. There was a significant negative correlation between satisfaction with student teaching of the project group and professional education grade point averages. 10. There was no significant correlation between pre- and post-student teaching MTAI scores of the control group and grade point averages in professional education. Several conclusions were supported within the limitations of this study. 1. The attitudes of student teachers toward teaching and children became more negative during the student teaching experience as measured by the MTAI. 2. Tne type of supervisory format did not significantly affect the feeling of satisfaction with the professional student teaching experience of student teachers. 3. The MTAI w~ s not a useful instrument for predicting suudent teacher ratings of success or for predicting student teacher satisfaction with student teaching. 4. College grade point averages generally were not valid predictors of satisfaction with student teaching and student teacher attitudes toward teaching and children. Specifically, though, professional education courses grade point averages showed a significant inverse correlation with student teacher satisfaction

Risks and Supportive Factors of Burnout among School Social Workers in Early Childhood Special Education Setting

This qualitative study examined the risk and supportive factors of burnout among school social workers in the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) setting. Data was collected through semi-structured standardized interviews with 7 licensed school social workers currently working in this area. Theme coding methods were used to inductively analyze codes in the data and to find common themes from the interviews. Themes that emerged were separated into six categories: personal, organizational, and job structural risks factors, and personal, organizational, and job structural supportive factors. The majority of the findings of this study were consistent with previous research. Other themes that were not consistent with previous research were found. Those themes included the importance of having a flexible work style, the impact of diminishing resources for families, and organizational support related to maintaining licensure requirements. Implications for this study suggest ideas for future research in this area, with hopes to enhance school social work education, research, and training