The Influence of Texting Language on Grammar and Executive Functions in Primary School Children

When sending text messages on their mobile phone to friends, children often use a special type of register, which is called textese. This register allows the omission of words and the use of textisms: instances of non-standard written language such as 4ever (forever). Previous studies have shown that textese has a positive effect on children’s literacy abilities. In addition, it is possible that children’s grammar system is affected by textese as well, as grammar rules are often transgressed in this register. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of textese influences children’s grammar performance, and whether this effect is specific to grammar or language in general. Additionally, studies have not yet investigated the influence of textese on children’s cognitive abilities. Consequently, the secondary aim of this study was to find out whether textese affects children’s executive functions. To investigate this, 55 children between 10 and 13 years old were tested on a receptive vocabulary and grammar performance (sentence repetition) task and various tasks measuring executive functioning. In addition, text messages were elicited and the number of omissions and textisms in children’s messages were calculated. Regression analyses showed that omissions were a significant predictor of children’s grammar performance after various other variables were controlled for: the more words children omitted in their text messages, the better their performance on the grammar task. Although textisms correlated (marginally) significantly with vocabulary, grammar and selective attention scores and omissions marginally significantly with vocabulary scores, no other significant effects were obtained for measures of textese in the regression analyses: neither for the language outcomes, nor for the executive function tasks. Hence, our results show that textese is positively related to children’s grammar performance. On the other hand, use of textese does not affect—positively nor negatively—children’s executive functions.     

Pan-Arctic soil moisture control on tundra carbon sequestration and plant productivity

Long-term atmospheric CO₂ concentration records have suggested a reduction in the positive effect of warming on high-latitude carbon uptake since the 1990s. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the reduced net carbon sink of northern ecosystems with increased air temperature, including water stress on vegetation and increased respiration over recent decades. However, the lack of consistent long-term carbon flux and in situ soil moisture data has severely limited our ability to identify the mechanisms responsible for the recent reduced carbon sink strength. In this study, we used a record of nearly 100 site-years of eddy covariance data from 11 continuous permafrost tundra sites distributed across the circumpolar Arctic to test the temperature (expressed as growing degree days, GDD) responses of gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), and ecosystem respiration (ER) at different periods of the summer (early, peak, and late summer) including dominant tundra vegetation classes (graminoids and mosses, and shrubs). We further tested GPP, NEE, and ER relationships with soil moisture and vapor pressure deficit to identify potential moisture limitations on plant productivity and net carbon exchange. Our results show a decrease in GPP with rising GDD during the peak summer (July) for both vegetation classes, and a significant relationship between the peak summer GPP and soil moisture after statistically controlling for GDD in a partial correlation analysis. These results suggest that tundra ecosystems might not benefit from increased temperature as much as suggested by several terrestrial biosphere models, if decreased soil moisture limits the peak summer plant productivity, reducing the ability of these ecosystems to sequester carbon during the summer.     

HomeRange: A global database of mammalian home ranges

Motivation

Home range is a common measure of use of space by animals because it provides ecological information that is useful for conservation applications. In macroecological studies, values are typically aggregated to species means to examine general patterns of use of space by animals. However, this ignores the environmental context in which the home range was estimated and does not account for intraspecific variation in home range size. In addition, the focus of macroecological studies on home ranges has historically been biased towards terrestrial mammals. The use of aggregated numbers and the terrestrial focus limit our ability to examine home-range patterns across different environments, their variation in time and variation between different levels of organization. Here, we introduce HomeRange, a global database with 75,611 home-range values across 960 different species of mammals, including terrestrial, aquatic and aerial species.

Main types of variables contained

The dataset contains estimates of home ranges of mammals, species names, methodological information on data collection, method of home-range estimation, period of data collection, study coordinates and name of location, in addition to species traits derived from the studies, such as body mass, life stage, reproductive status and locomotor habit.

Spatial location and grain

The collected data are distributed globally. Across studies, the spatial accuracy varies, with the coarsest resolution being 1°.

Time period and grain

The data represent information published between 1939 and 2022. Across studies, the temporal accuracy varies; some studies report start and end dates specific to the day, whereas for other studies only the month or year is reported.

Major taxa and level of measurement

Mammalian species from 24 of the 27 different taxonomic orders. Home-range estimates range from individual-level values to population-level averages.

Software format

Data are supplied as a comma-delimited text file (.csv) and can be loaded directly into R using the “HomeRange” R package ( https://github.com/SHoeks/HomeRange ).     

Solution conformation of Lewis a-derived selectin ligands is unaffected by anionic substituents at the 3'- and 6'- positions

The selectins are a family of proteins that mediate leukocytetethering and rolling along the vascular endothelium. E-, P-,and L-selectin recognize various derivatives of the Lewis^a andLewis^x trisaccharides. The distribution of negative chargeson the Lewis^a and Lewis^x oligosaccharides appears to be an importantfactor in their binding by the selectins. Previous work exploringthis electrostatic dependence found that a series of syntheticanionic trisaccharides, 3'-sulfo, 3'-phospho, 6'-sulfo, and3',6'-disulfo Lewis^a. (Glc), exhibited differing selectin inhibitoryefficacies. To explore the possibility that these differencesarise from conformational differences between the sugars, thesolution structures of these trisaccharides were determinedusing NMR and molecular dynamics simulations. Interproton distancesand interglycosidic torsion angles were determined at 37°Cusing NOESY buildup curves and 1D LRJ experiments, respectively.Data from both experiments agreed well with predictions madefrom 2000 picosecond unrestrained molecular dynamics simulations.We found that 3'-sulfation did not alter the core Lewis^a conformation,a finding that reaffirms the results of previous study. In addition,we found that sulfation at the 6' position also leaves the trisaccharideconformation unperturbed. This is significant because the proximityof the 6'-sulfate group to the fucose ring might have alteredthe canonical Lewis^a structure. The disulfate exhibited greaterflexibility than the other derivatives in dynamics simulations,but not so much as to affect NOE and heteronuclear couplingconstant measurements. Taken together, our findings supportthe use of Lewis^a as a template onto which charged groups maybe added without significantly altering the trisaccharide'sstructure. oligosaccharides molecular dynamics simulations NMR sulfated Lewis^a phosphorylated Lewis^a     

An examination of the epiphytic nature of Gambierdiscus toxicus, a dinoflagellate involved in ciguatera fish poisoning

Twenty-four specimen of macroalgae were collected in nearshore waters of the island of Hawaii, identified, and maintained to examine how the epiphytic relationship between Gambierdiscus toxicus (isolate BIG12) varied among the macroalgal species. Gambierdiscus cells were introduced to Petri dishes containing 100 g samples of each macroalgal host, which were examined at two, 16, 24, and every 24–72 h thereafter, over a 29-day period. Gambierdiscus proliferated in the presence of some host species (e.g., Galaxaura marginata and Jania sp.), but grew little in the presence of other species (e.g., Portieria hornemannii). Gambierdiscus exhibited high survival rates (>99%) in the presence of Chaetomorpha sp., but died before the end of the experiment (after 21 days) with other host species (e.g., Dictyota and Microdictyon spp.). Gambierdiscus avoided contact with P. hornemannii, but averaged up to 30% attachment with other host species. The numbers of Gambierdiscus cells belonging to one of three classes (alive and attached; alive and unattached; and dead) were determined for each time point. The 24 algal hosts were grouped according to their commonalities relative to these three classes using a Bray-Curtis similarity index, similarity profile (SIMPROF) permutation tests, and Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis (PRIMER 6). The resultant six groupings were used to construct different Gambierdiscus growth profiles for the different algal hosts. Group A is characterized by a preponderance of unattached cells and high mortality rates. Groups B, C, E, and F also displayed high proportions of unattached cells, but mortality either occurred later (Groups B and C) or rates were lower (Groups E and F). Group D had the highest proportion of attached cells. Group E contained three out of the four chlorophyte species, while Group F contained the majority of the rhodophytes. Over 50% of the species in Group F are considered to be palatable, whereas Groups A, B, and C are composed of species that exhibit chemical defenses against herbivory. The results of this study coupled with previous findings indicate that Gambierdiscus is not an obligate epiphyte; it can be free-swimming and found in the plankton. The conditions that lead to changes between epiphytic and planktonic stages need to be better studied in order to determine how they affect Gambierdiscus growth and physiology, connectivity and dispersion mechanisms, and toxin movement up into the foodweb.     

A SAS-6-Like Protein Suggests that the Toxoplasma Conoid Complex Evolved from Flagellar Components

SAS-6 is required for centriole biogenesis in diverse eukaryotes. Here, we describe a novel family of SAS-6-like (SAS6L) proteins that share an N-terminal domain with SAS-6 but lack coiled-coil tails. SAS6L proteins are found in a subset of eukaryotes that contain SAS-6, including diverse protozoa and green algae. In the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, SAS-6 localizes to the centriole but SAS6L is found above the conoid, an enigmatic tubulin-containing structure found at the apex of a subset of alveolate organisms. Loss of SAS6L causes reduced fitness in Toxoplasma. The Trypanosoma brucei homolog of SAS6L localizes to the basal-plate region, the site in the axoneme where the central-pair microtubules are nucleated. When endogenous SAS6L is overexpressed in Toxoplasma tachyzoites or Trypanosoma trypomastigotes, it forms prominent filaments that extend through the cell cytoplasm, indicating that it retains a capacity to form higher-order structures despite lacking a coiled-coil domain. We conclude that although SAS6L proteins share a conserved domain with SAS-6, they are a functionally distinct family that predates the last common ancestor of eukaryotes. Moreover, the distinct localization of the SAS6L protein in Trypanosoma and Toxoplasma adds weight to the hypothesis that the conoid complex evolved from flagellar components.     

Wind and Water Dispersal of Wetland Plants Across Fragmented Landscapes

Biodiversity in wetlands is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, of which agricultural activities often are a cause. Dispersal of plant seeds via wind and ditches (water) may contribute to connecting remnant wetland plant populations in modern agricultural landscapes, and help to maintain and restore biodiversity. We developed a spatially explicit model to assess the relative importance of dispersal by wind and dispersal by water through drainage ditches for two wetland plant species in agricultural landscapes: a typical wind disperser and a typical water-disperser. Simulation results show that the typical wind disperser had a much higher capability to disperse by wind (90th percentile <30 m) than the typical water-disperser (90th percentile <2 m). Surprisingly, the capability to disperse via water was similar for the two species: 90th percentile dispersal distances following a combination of wind and water dispersal were between approximately 100 and 1000 m. Dispersal by water transported more seeds over long distances for both species. The main determinants for dispersal distance by water were roughness of the ditch (determined by, for example, bank vegetation) and the presence of obstructions (for example, culverts). Density or direction of the ditch network did not seem to affect water dispersal distances substantially. From a biodiversity conservation perspective, it would be most useful if areas with suitable riparian wetland habitat were intersected with a network of shallow ditches with a high roughness promoting seed deposition. These areas should then be connected to other suitable areas by a few regularly cleaned ditches with no obstructions and low seed trapping probability.     

Mechanistic Phenotypes: An Aggregative Phenotyping Strategy to Identify Disease Mechanisms Using GWAS Data

A single mutation can alter cellular and global homeostatic mechanisms and give rise to multiple clinical diseases. We hypothesized that these disease mechanisms could be identified using low minor allele frequency (MAF<0.1) non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) associated with “mechanistic phenotypes”, comprised of collections of related diagnoses. We studied two mechanistic phenotypes: (1) thrombosis, evaluated in a population of 1,655 African Americans; and (2) four groupings of cancer diagnoses, evaluated in 3,009 white European Americans. We tested associations between nsSNPs represented on GWAS platforms and mechanistic phenotypes ascertained from electronic medical records (EMRs), and sought enrichment in functional ontologies across the top-ranked associations. We used a two-step analytic approach whereby nsSNPs were first sorted by the strength of their association with a phenotype. We tested associations using two reverse genetic models and standard additive and recessive models. In the second step, we employed a hypothesis-free ontological enrichment analysis using the sorted nsSNPs to identify functional mechanisms underlying the diagnoses comprising the mechanistic phenotypes. The thrombosis phenotype was solely associated with ontologies related to blood coagulation (Fisher''s p = 0.0001, FDR p = 0.03), driven by the F5, P2RY12 and F2RL2 genes. For the cancer phenotypes, the reverse genetics models were enriched in DNA repair functions (p = 2×10−5, FDR p = 0.03) (POLG/FANCI, SLX4/FANCP, XRCC1, BRCA1, FANCA, CHD1L) while the additive model showed enrichment related to chromatid segregation (p = 4×10−6, FDR p = 0.005) (KIF25, PINX1). We were able to replicate nsSNP associations for POLG/FANCI, BRCA1, FANCA and CHD1L in independent data sets. Mechanism-oriented phenotyping using collections of EMR-derived diagnoses can elucidate fundamental disease mechanisms.