RNA silencing is an evolutionarily conserved system that
functions as an antiviral mechanism in higher plants and
insects. To counteract RNA silencing, viruses express
silencing suppressors that interfere with both siRNA- and
microRNA-guided silencing pathways. We used comparative
in vitro and in vivo approaches to analyse the molecular
mechanism of...
table isotope analysis is a powerful tool for assessing plant carbon and water relations and their impact on biogeochemical processes at different scales. Our process-based understanding of stable isotope signals, as well as technological developments, has progressed significantly, opening new frontiers in ecological and interdisciplinary research. This has promoted the...
This case study investigates how scientists who write technical marketing copy experience and resolve the tension that results from the conflicting demands of their local (company) and global (research science) discourse communities. Twelve scientists, who are currently technical marketing writers at a small biotechnology company, were interviewed by e-mail over...
Gazing behavior is a vital part of nonverbal communication, as it can provide information about attentional state, subtext, environment, and point of view. Both dogs and cats have previously been shown to display gazing behavior when presented with an unsolvable task, as well as follow nonverbal directional ques given by...
Stable expression of transgenes is required for commercial uses of genetically engineered trees. To better understand the stability of transgene expression under field conditions, we studied transgene expression and RNA interference (RNAi)-induced transgene suppression in 2,480 transgenic poplars (460 transgene insertion events) over three years. Stability of expression was assessed...
The development of problem-solving behaviors in canines, including persistence, has implications for canine training, welfare, and the human-dog bond. Past research has shown that a variety of factors, including genetics (domestication) and training experience, play a role in a how a canine might behave during a problem-solving task. Less well...
Robotic limbs have been shown to enable mobility in unstructured, real-world terrain; they allow robots to step around cluttered environments, scramble up hills, carry heavy loads, and even perform acrobatics. However, mechanical limbs cannot operate as a means for such dynamic locomotion if they are simply treated as general articulated...
The topics in this dissertation are centered around the way that trees respond to environmental stress in the climates where they occur. Though forests across the planet are expected to experience change in local climate due to historic and ongoing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of climate change will...
Early seral forests regenerating from stand-replacing disturbances provide unique habitat for many species in productive, temperate forest landscapes and contribute to supporting biodiversity. Population declines in some species associated with early seral forests have prompted concerns about the conservation of these habitats, particularly the characteristic structural and compositional complexity associated...
The ability of many domesticated animals to follow human pointing gestures to locate hidden food has led to scientific debate on the relative importance of domestication and individual experience on the origins and development of this capacity. To further explore this question we examined the influence of different prior training...