Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus and naturalist Edward O. Wilson has received the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the ecology and conservation biology category.“This, for me, is a culminating award,” said Wilson. “It is a very substantial prize in view of the stature of the jury and its worldwide reach, but also because it recognizes the advancement of knowledge in the broadest sense. We are now in an age where the greatest need is for synthesis, the ability to take all the discoveries made in science to create a more unified body of knowledge. That seems to me to be what the foundation is recognizing.”The award carries a prize of 400,000 euros.
Chances are, you’d be hard-pressed to name something you have in common with a chicken. Would you believe that one answer is the head on your shoulders?For more than a century, scientists have attempted to understand how the bones of the skull develop in vertebrate embryos. Most have concluded that a single developmental pattern — first described in chickens — applies to all vertebrates.A new study conducted by Harvard researchers suggests that this may not be entirely true.The study, published last month in Nature Communications, provides a detailed look at how frog and salamander skulls develop, and shows that the pattern for frogs is different than that of other vertebrates. The work could lead to a new understanding of how and why development may change during evolution.The research was co-authored by James Hanken, a professor of biology, the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology; Nadine Piekarski, a former postdoctoral researcher in Hanken’s lab; and Joshua B. Gross, a former member of Hanken’s lab who is now a professor at the University of Cincinnati.“People had naively assumed that the pattern of development is the same in all vertebrates,” Hanken said. “That may still be a pretty safe assumption for many species, but this paper shows that it’s not correct for all.”To investigate how the skulls of frogs and salamanders form, Hanken and colleagues focused on a small group of embryonic cells — the neural crest — that give rise to a host of traits characteristic to vertebrates, from pigment cells to sensory neurons to skull bones.Though researchers had known for at least a century that neural crest cells were responsible for the development of cartilage, it wasn’t until the 1970s that scientists, working with chickens, were able to create “fate maps” showing that certain neural crest cells also drove the formation of specific bones in the skull.Though that work — and later studies that produced similar maps for mice — was significant, birds and mammals are relatively recent arrivals, in terms of evolution. To truly understand vertebrate development, Hanken and colleagues set out to determine whether amphibians, which evolved far earlier, follow a similar pattern.“One question we wanted to ask in this study was, if neural crest cells contribute to the development of bone in frogs the way they contribute to bone in birds and mammals, where are those cells between embryogenesis and metamorphosis?” Hanken said. “In order to do that you have to come up with some means of labeling the cells, and it turns out that is a very difficult problem to address.”The problem is particularly acute in frogs, Hanken said, due to their unusual development from egg to tadpole to adult frog. The tadpole skull consists entirely of cartilage; in some species it takes months for bone to develop.As a result, traditional dye-based methods for tracking the migration of embryonic cells don’t work, because the dyes wash out in a matter of days.Instead, Hanken’s team borrowed a technique from molecular biology, using a jellyfish gene that produces a fluorescent green protein to tag individual neural crest cells and follow their development.“We used a very traditional embryological technique that involved grafting cells from a labeled embryo into an unlabeled host,” Hanken said. “We then let the embryos develop over eight months until the bones form, section the animal, and shine a fluorescent light on it under a microscope, and if you’re lucky you see specks of green in the bone.“We had expected that for salamanders and frogs, since both are amphibians, that the developmental pattern in both would be the same. Wrong. It turns out that’s not the case.”The finding suggests that while the developmental pattern that evolved early in terrestrial vertebrates has been retained in birds and mammals, “evolution can and has occurred in at least one particular, restricted lineage — frogs.”Then there’s the evidence that the developmental pattern exhibited by salamanders has persisted, largely unchanged, in birds and mammals. That finding suggests that some bones in the skulls of chickens and other birds may have been mislabeled. Hanken, Piekarski, and Gross are now working on a follow-up paper that proposes renaming several bones in the skulls of birds to more accurately reflect their origins.“There may be some people who would say, ‘Who cares?’” Hanken said. “Anatomists and paleontologists put a great deal of stock into identifying these bones correctly because they’re used in establishing relationships between species. So the fact that we’re proposing these changes will likely cause a stir.”The work also holds potential for the study of birth defects.“There are many birth defects in humans that involve the skull and are believed to be the result of neural crest cells migrating improperly, or failing to differentiate properly,” Hanken said. “There is a biomedical reason to understand precisely which bones come from which neural crest cells if you’re going to diagnose and ultimately figure out how to treat or prevent these diseases.” read more
Share:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Image via jpsny.org/learningathomeJAMESTOWN – In order to help Jamestown Public School students and families with continued learning at home, the Instructional Services Team has added new information to the district’s website.The new resources, which mirror what teachers will be including in their instruction, are updated on the homepage of the Learning at Home website.Additional resources will still be available through the “additional resources” link.Some of the new materials and resources on the website include educational resources for grades UPK through high school. These resources include parent calendars with the topic, resources and even some ideas on how the parent can support learning at home.For example, during shape week families could go for a walk around the neighborhood and identify shapes that the child is working on that week.The calendars for grades UPK through sixth grades will appear weekly and the calendars for seventh through 12th grades will all be posted at one time.Also included are supplemental activities for UPK through eighth grade math and English language arts. These new materials can be used in addition to what teachers are providing and to help parents to continue at-home instruction.“These resources were added as an additional option for completion as families see helpful for their children,” said Michelle McDowell, JPS Chief of Instruction. “Attention should be given to what teachers send home first, but these resources are also a good option if families are looking for more ways to help their children.”“These materials provide a review of English language arts and math skills that are important at each grade level,” explained McDowell. “The Instructional Services Team wanted to offer a consistent look at the topics each grade level should focus on. Some of these topics are review, while some will be new. One example is, second graders have been working on adding two-digit numbers. The students will spend the next two months reviewing that topic, extending into three-digit addition and adding coins based on their value.”JPS teachers continue to reach out to students and parents. The educational packets for UPK through 4th grade students will be distributed on May 4 and 5 are only one resource for learning but will help demonstrate students’ continued growth.Middle and high school students will continue to learn primarily through the use of technology such as Google Classroom.“Students should continue to do the best they can and that is all we ask of teachers and parents as well,” said Mrs. McDowell. “We are in this together and parents should not hesitate to reach out for help through their teacher, principal or contact the Instructional Services team at curriculum@jpsny.org.” read more
Hilty headlined the John Rando helmed Encores! production of Jule Styne and Leo Robin’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in May 2012, playing Lorelei Lee, a role made famous by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film adaptation of the 1949 musical. Currently expecting her first child with hubby Brian Gallagher, she has a busy summer of concerts ahead of her. Broadway bombshell Megan Hilty may currently have a very special project in the works, but that’s not stopping her from eyeing a return to the Great White Way in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The Smash star told The Daily Beast: “I want do be doing Gentlemen Prefer Blondes…I’m so not done with it.” View Comments Megan Hilty Star Files Hilty most recently appeared on NBC’s Sean Saves the World. Prior to that, she portrayed Marilyn Monroe hopeful Ivy Lynn on the Broadway-themed NBC series Smash. She has appeared on the Great White Way in 9 to 5 as Doralee and in Wicked as Glinda. read more
Catch the Butcher Star Files Related Shows View Comments Jonathan Walker and more will appear in Catch the Butcher off-Broadway. Directed by Valentina Fratti, Adam Seidel’s new play will begin previews on September 23 and officially open on October 1 at the Cherry Lane Theatre.Joining Walker (The Assembled Parties) in the dark comic three-hander will be Angelina Fiordellisi (Snow Orchid) and Lauren Luna Velez (Dexter). Catch the Butcher follows what happens when a single woman sets off to find the serial killer of other single women. The production will feature scenic design by Lauren Helpern, lighting design by Graham Kindred, costume design by Brooke M. Cohen and sound and music design by Quentin Chiapetta.Following Catch the Butcher in Cherry Lane’s 2015-16 season will be the first English-language production in the U.S. of Ingmar Bergman’s Nora. Directed by Austin Pendleton and based on Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, the production will feature Larry Bull, Andrea Cirie, Todd Gearhart, Jean Lichty and George Morfogen. Nora will both begin previews and open in November. Show Closed This production ended its run on Oct. 30, 2015 Nathan Lane read more
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 View Comments Show Closed This production ended its run on Sept. 3, 2017 Star Files Related Shows Denee Benton Broadway’s Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is an out-of-this-world performance experience, and newcomer Denée Benton is luminous as Natasha. Benton stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on December 12 to reminisce about playing the Wicked cast recording on repeat when she was younger and discuss portraying a member of Russian nobility. “For me, being a dark-skinned black woman with natural hair, getting to be at the center of this love story…growing up, I didn’t get to see that very often,” Benton said. Watch the full interview below, and catch The Great Comet at the Imperial Theatre! Denée Benton read more
I knew it was going to be a long day whenever I saw my mother put on her old work gloves and head to the workshop, because whenever she headed to the workshop, I knew the only tool she would come back with would be the loppers.Even if you don’t know what a lopper is, I bet you’ve used one or had to pick up behind somebody who was using one.A lopper is a two-handed pruning shear with long handles. The long handles give you more leverage and therefore more cutting power than you get from one-hand shears. We had a couple of loppers, and Mom knew how to use them really well.Pile of Pruned BranchesIt wouldn’t take her long before she’d have a pile of pruned branches for me to pick up. Once she got those loppers warmed up, she’d shift into high gear and cut branches off faster than I could keep up.Mom could cut so fast she’d almost have to douse the blades in a bucket of water just to cool them off.That’s why I knew it was going to be a long day. When she got started pruning, she just wouldn’t quit.I always thought pruning was kind of like cutting grass: you just did it because something got too big or too tall. Little did I know back then that there are other reasons to prune.Different Reasons to PruneSome plants are pruned routinely to maintain a desired size or shape. But others need to be pruned to promote healthy, vigorous growth, flowering or fruiting. Sometimes it’s necessary to prune shrubs that outgrow their sites, crowd other plants or block the view from windows.I think Mom pruned just for the exercise and to give me something to do.Each plant has its own growth habit and a different requirement for pruning. Anyone can prune, but not everyone prunes properly. Improper pruning, or pruning at the wrong time, can result in plants with weird shapes, plants that don’t flower or plants that are more likely to be damaged by insects, diseases or cold weather.Prime Pruning TimeLate winter is a prime pruning time for some plants.Even if you prune just to get out of the house, it would be wise to find out how to do it right. Your county office of the University of Georgia Extension Service can give you the details.There’s more to pruning than just whacking off the ends of branches and getting your kids to pick them up. read more
Shell expands renewables portfolio with purchase of floating wind developer Eolfi FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Greentech Media:Shell has acquired the floating wind specialist Eolfi. The French developer will become a subsidiary of Shell New Energies.Eolfi is building a three-turbine pilot project off the north coast of France in waters too deep for fixed bottom structures. It will use MHI Vestas turbines. It also has a portfolio of onshore wind and solar assets. Shell has confirmed that these are all included in the deal.Floating wind can be used in deeper waters and farther from shore where better wind conditions can often be found. This opens new markets in Europe, Japan, Turkey and other locations around the globe.Shell is already active in the floating wind space, with a trial off the coast of Norway set to be developed next year. Through a partnership with Innogy, Shell will test Stiesdal Offshore Technologies’ Tetra Spar floating foundation. Shell has a two-thirds stake in the €18 million ($20 million) pilot project.With Eolfi, Shell can add some developer expertise to its own deepwater know-how.“Eolfi has been a pioneer of floating wind development. We believe the union of Eolfi’s expertise and portfolio with Shell’s resources and ability to scale up will help make electricity a significant business for Shell,” said Dorine Bosman, VP of offshore wind at Shell, in a press statement.Soeren Lassen, Wood Mackenzie Senior Research Analyst, told GTM the investment by Shell was a clear sign the concept was no longer being treated like a niche.“The acquisition expands Shell’s pool of expertise within floating wind. In turn, the acquisition will make Shell better equipped to seize opportunities in floating wind sector as the sector continues to unfold – not least in the French market which Wood Mackenzie forecasts to be a major floating wind market.” Shell already has one fixed offshore wind project in operation. The 108-megawatt NoordzeeWind project is a 50-50 joint venture between it and Vattenfall. Shell is the sole offtaker.It also has 50 percent stakes in the Mayflower and Atlantic Shores joint ventures that are building up to 4.1 gigawatts of total capacity off the coast of Massachusetts and New Jersey, respectively.More: Shell Buys Floating Wind Developer Eolfi read more
Whiskey Wednesday has been floundering recently. I blame a series of unfortunate events, namely a crappy winter, but also the fact that one of our Founding Fathers had another baby which, apparently “requires his love and attention.” Also, another one of our Founding Fathers decided to start “focusing on his career.” Obviously, I’m dealing with a couple of selfish bastards, so Whiskey Wednesday has been a hodge-podge of half-ass climbing sessions and ping pong exhibitions, most of which have seen a limited turnout. Some weeks, we don’t even meet at all. It’s shameful.But we’re at the precipice of biking season, so I’m hopeful that we can get the gang back together and keep Whiskey Wednesday alive. I think the tradition is more important now than ever. With all this uncertainty in the world, middle-aged dads need to commune once a week to practice the lost art of racing up and down mountains and drinking cans of beer in parking lots.In hopes of jumpstarting the spring session of Whiskey Wednesday, I took a streamlined exploratory crew to check out Fire Mountain, the new trail system in Cherokee, N.C. By all accounts, it was a successful Wednesday. We knocked out a 17-mile ride in brutal 85-degree temps on a buff trail system full of fast, flowy singletrack, won $32.50 at the blackjack table in Harrah’s Casino and scored a voucher for free Chinese food. Singletrack, free noodles and cash money…that’s as good as hump day is ever gonna get.I also had the chance to try MotherTown Blonde, a new beer from an upstart brewery called 7 Clans Brewing, which is owned by two enrolled women of the Eastern Band of Cherokee. They don’t have a physical brewing space yet, but they’ve partnered with BearWaters Brewing in Canton to produce the beer until they get their own shop up and running. I found the beer at the casino, and it was exactly what I needed after a hot day on the trails: crisp and refreshing and damn easy to drink. I’m typically not a fan of blonde ales, but they have their time and place. Specifically: right after you’ve ridden 17 miles in the sun, and just before eating a massive bowl of lo mein.The trip to Cherokee was like a mini-adventure where I gained perspective on life and learned some important lessons about myself. 1) I don’t eat Chinese food often enough. 2) It’s important to step out of your comfort zone and try new trails and new beers. And 3) I will not tolerate the lack of commitment from the other Whiskey Wednesday Founding Fathers. Family and careers be damned, this is God’s work that we do every Wednesday. The world needs us.http://www.7clansbrewing.com read more
By Dialogo April 19, 2012 The U.S. State Department official responsible for anti-drug efforts, William Brownfield, visited Mexico and Brazil from April 17 to 20, to discuss citizen security and the fight against drug trafficking with local authorities, a statement announced on April 16. From April 16 to 17, Brownfield attended the World Economic Forum on Latin America, which will took place in the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta, the State Department statement said. From April 19 to 20, the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is in Brazil to meet with members of Dilma Rousseff’s administration to discuss organized crime and citizen security. At the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena (in northern Colombia) over the previous weekend, U.S. President Barack Obama reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the fight against drugs, the violence of which has left tens of thousands dead in Latin America in recent decades. At the summit at the Colombian beach resort, the leaders of the Americas agreed to conduct studies on alternatives to the war on drugs promoted by the United States. Nevertheless, Obama has been clear that his administration rejects a possible decriminalization of drugs, as proposed by Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina. read more