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Video recordings have been used in pre-service teacher preparation programs to facilitate greater self-reflection through pre-service teachers’ observation of their own and their peers’ microteaching. Few studies have, however, examined the perceptions of pre-service teachers regarding the use of peer feedback reaction videos on their microteaching. Therefore, video-recorded microteaching lessons were taught by preservice English teachers and then they were given video recordings of their peer’s reaction and feedback to their microteaching video. Qualitative data about their perceptions of microteaching and feedback they received were collected and analyzed. Participants indicated that the peer reaction video feedback helped them to discern their strengths and weaknesses as teachers, and learn more about how to teach from observing others. They also said it allowed them to view themselves through others’ eyes, provided detailed feedback, encouraged honest feedback, and allowed them to analyze and reflect on their own practice. Among the criticisms they raised were feeling like they were unprepared, concerns about technical difficulties, and reacting emotionally to negative feedback. Recommendations made to improve the peer reaction video feedback experience were to provide more detail in the feedback using more detailed feedback guidelines and sample lesson activities beforehand. Implications for practice are also discussed.

Despite considerable efforts made to understand the impact that instructional interventions have upon L2 reading development, we still lack a clear picture of the influence that PA and phonics instruction has upon reading in English as an L2. A search of the research literature published from 1990 to 2019 yielded 45 articles with 46 studies containing 3,841 participants in total. Effect sizes were recorded for the effect of various PA and/or phonics instructional interventions on word and pseudo word reading. Results demonstrated that L2 PA and phonics instruction has a moderate effect on L2 word reading (g = 0.53) and a large effect on pseudo word reading (g = 1.51). Moderator analyses revealed effects of a number of moderators including testing method, type of PA/phonics intervention, and context where the intervention occurred. Based upon these conclusions, policymakers and educators can provide beginning learners of English as an L2 with PA and phonics instruction that will enable them to read, understand and enjoy English better. Future research should also strive to adhere to more stringent standards of excellence in educational research.

Key Points Serotonin's suspected involvement in emotions such as anxiety and depression in behavioural and neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as in many physiological processes, has been suggested by indirect evidence over many decades. More recently, specific evidence of a major role for serotonin in human disorders was obtained from evaluations of gene variants, such as the 5-HTTLPR in the gene that encodes the serotonin transporter (SERT), in human lymphoblasts, as well as from studies of post-mortem brain tissue and dynamic brain imaging of SERT. Even stronger evidence of the roles of serotonin and SERT has emerged over the past decade from the use of genetic engineering technologies to produce partially and completely SERT-deficient mice and mice that overexpress SERT. Anxiety-like behaviours and other behaviours, as well as over 50 different changes in brain serotonin homeostasis, have been documented in these mice. These were accompanied by differential responses to anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs, as well as brain anatomical and physiological changes. Some of these changes are different from those that are produced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; drugs that inhibit SERT and act as antidepressant and anti-anxiety agents when given to adults). Other changes are congruent with the effects of SSRIs that are given early in the postnatal period, helping to confirm that there is a developmental role for many of the changes that are found in mice with genetically altered SERT — especially when gene–environment and gene–gene effects are taken into account. Many human neurological traits are linked to variations in the gene that encodes the serotonin transporter. Murphy and Lesch describe the phenotypes of mice with altered serotonin-transporter function, emphasizing how this might inform our understanding of the transporter's roles in humans. Mutations resulting in reduced or completely abrogated serotonin-transporter (SERT) function in mice have led to the identification of more than 50 different phenotypic changes, ranging from increased anxiety and stress-related behaviours to gut dysfunction, bone weakness and late-onset obesity with metabolic syndrome. These multiple effects, which can be amplified by gene–environment and gene–gene interactions, are primarily attributable to altered intracellular and extracellular serotonin concentrations during development and adulthood. Much of the human data relating to altered expression of the gene that encodes SERT are based on genetic-association findings or correlations and are therefore not as robust as the experimental mouse results. Nevertheless, SERT-function-modifying gene variants in humans apparently produce many phenotypes that are similar to those that manifest themselves in mice.

The human SLC6 family is composed of approximately 20 structurally related symporters (co-transporters) that use the transmembrane electrochemical gradient to actively import their substrates into cells. Approximately half of the substrates of these transporters are amino acids, with others transporting biogenic amines and/or closely related compounds, such as nutrients and compatible osmolytes. In this short review, five leaders in the field discuss a number of currently important research themes that involve SLC6 transporters, highlighting the integrative role they play across a wide spectrum of different functions. The first essay, by Gary Rudnick, describes the molecular mechanism of their coupled transport which is being progressively better understood based on new crystal structures, functional studies, and modeling. Next, the question of multiple levels of transporter regulation is discussed by Reinhard Krämer, in the context of osmoregulation and stress response by the related bacterial betaine transporter BetP. The role of selected members of the human SLC6 family that function as nutrient amino acid transporters is then reviewed by François Verrey. He discusses how some of these transporters mediate the active uptake of (essential) amino acids into epithelial cells of the gut and the kidney tubule to support systemic amino acid requirements, whereas others are expressed in specific cells to support their specialized metabolism and/or growth. The most extensively studied members of the human SLC6 family are neurotransmitter reuptake transporters, many of which are important drug targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Randy Blakely discusses the role of posttranscriptional modifications of these proteins in regulating transporter subcellular localization and activity state. Finally, Dennis Murphy reviews how natural gene variants and mouse genetic models display consistent behavioral alterations that relate to altered extracellular neurotransmitter levels.

This paper reviews current and emerging fabric softener technologies including various benefits that can be achieved by manipulating quat active structure, polymer/quat active combination systems, single rinse products, consumer product forms, softening-through-the-wash, and fragrances used in fabric softeners. The technologies reviewed are aimed at the consumer market. Insights are provided into the drivers behind the technologies as well as their influence on market trends.

Charismatic groups of animals and plants often are proposed as sentinels of environmental status and trends. Nevertheless, many claims that a certain taxonomic group can provide more-general information on environmental quality are not evaluated critically. To address several of the many definitions of indicator species, we used butterflies to explore in some detail the attributes that affect implementation of indicators generically. There probably are few individual species, or sets of species, that can serve as scientifically valid, cost-effective measures of the status or trend of an environmental phenomenon that is difficult to measure directly. Nevertheless, there are species with distributions, abundances, or demographic characteristics that are responsive to known environmental changes. In this context, single or multiple species can serve as indicators when targets are defined explicitly, ecological relationships between the target and the putative indicators are well understood, and data are sufficient to differentiate between deterministic and stochastic responses. Although these situations exist, they are less common than might be apparent from an extensive and often confounded literature on indicators. Instead, the public appeal of charismatic groups may be driving much of their acclaim as indicators. The same taxon may not be appropriate for marketing a general conservation mission and for drawing strong inference about specific environmental changes. To provide insights into the progress of conservation efforts, it is essential to identify scientific and practical criteria for selection and application of indicators and then to examine whether a given taxonomic group meets those criteria.

AbstractWe developed a mechanistic life-cycle model derived from the elicitation of multiple factors influencing the success of individual life-stages of the imperiled delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). We discuss the relevance of limiting factors in population ecology and problems with additive models in detecting them. We identify limiting factors and assess their significance using a non-linear optimization routine, combined with traditional metrics to assess the value of covariates and model performance. After reviewing previous conceptual models and multivariate analyses, we identified a set of factors that were consistent with conceptual models and useful in explaining the erratic fluctuations in a common abundance index: food at certain times in certain locations, predation by introduced species primarily in the spring, and entrainment. The analytical approach provides a transparent and intuitive framework in which to consider the contribution of covariates and consequences for population trends, and has the potential to assist with the evaluation of proposed recovery measures.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a syndrome characterized by recurrent and intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors or mental acts that a person feels compelled to perform. Twin studies, family studies, and segregation analyses provide compelling evidence that OCD has a strong genetic component. The SLITRK1 gene encodes a developmentally regulated stimulator of neurite outgrowth and previous studies have implicated rare variants in this gene in disorders in the OC spectrum, specifically Tourette syndrome (TS) and trichotillomania (TTM). The objective of the current study was to evaluate rare genetic variation in SLITRK1 in risk for OCD and to functionally characterize associated coding variants. We sequenced SLITRK1 coding exons in 381 individuals with OCD as well as in 356 control samples and identified three novel variants in seven individuals. We found that the combined mutation load in OCD relative to controls was significant (p = 0.036). We identified a missense N400I change in an individual with OCD, which was not found in more than 1000 control samples (P<0.05). In addition, we showed the the N400I variant failed to enhance neurite outgrowth in primary neuronal cultures, in contrast to wildtype SLITRK1, which enhanced neurite outgrowth in this assay. These important functional differences in the N400I variant, as compared to the wildtype SLITRK1 sequence, may contribute to OCD and OC spectrum symptoms. A synonymous L63L change identified in an individual with OCD and an additional missense change, T418S, was found in four individuals with OCD and in one individual without an OCD spectrum disorder. Examination of additional samples will help assess the role of rare SLITRK1 variation in OCD and in related psychiatric illness.