Eutardigrada systematics relies mainly on the morphology of the sclerified structures of the animals. In particular, the main division of Parachela into four superfamilies relies heavily upon claw morphology; however, this character, alone, may be either inadequate or useless for tardigrades with no claws, or when secondary claw branches are reduced or absent, as in the case of species belonging to the genus Haplomacrobiotus. This is a very uncommon genus, so far reported only in North America. The systematic position of this genus has been debated since its description, having first been placed in the family Macrobiotidae (Macrobiotoidea) and then in the family Calohypsibiidae (Hypsibioidea). Currently, the position of the supposedly related genus Hexapodibius is still debated, being attributed to Isohypsibiidae (Isohypsibioidea) or to Calohypsibiidae (Hypsibioidea), i.e. to two different superfamilies. The morphological (light and electron microscopy), chemical (X-ray spectroscopy), and molecular (18S and 28S genes) analyses of a population of Haplomacrobiotus utahensis Pilato & Beasley, 2005 from Snow Canyon State Park (Utah, USA) allowed us to validate the position of this genus within Isohypsibioidea. Our integrated findings placed Haplomacrobiotus in a close relationship with the genus Hexapodibius, and allowed us to erect the new family Hexapodibiidae, comprising the genera Hexapodibius, Parhexapodibius, Haplomacrobiotus, and Haplohexapodibius.

The purpose of our project was to explore the explicit or implicit engagement of faculty members across the curriculum in teaching the entrepreneurial mindset.  We begin by defining entrepreneurship on a spectrum, recognizing the contextual nature and psychological development associated with entrepreneurial thinking.  We developed a self-report survey containing a combination of quantitative and qualitative items to determine faculty member knowledge of entrepreneurship and their engagement in teaching elements of the entrepreneurial mindset.  We surveyed the faculty at a primarily teaching university in the western United States.  Sixty-four faculty members (~20%) with representation from across the disciplines completed our survey.  We found constrained knowledge of entrepreneurship, indications of teaching elements of the entrepreneurial mindset, and approaches to assignments that were limited in scope for fostering entrepreneurial thinking.  The implications of our research are a need for professional development to enhance faculty members’ knowledge of entrepreneurial thinking and support for instructional and content choices that could enhance student development of an entrepreneurial mindset.

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Formaldehyde, once the fixative of choice, is a known obstacle to DNA extraction and amplification. However, when fixed tissues contain other problematic compounds such as pigments, mucopolysaccharides, and chitin, and when only small amounts of archival tissues are available, obtaining amplifiable DNA can become extremely challenging. Here, I present a procedure that has enabled me to extract amplifiable DNA from minute specimens of polychaetes successfully; like many other invertebrates, these worms are rich in pigments, mucopolysaccharides, and chitin. This inexpensive procedure can be used to obtain and amplify DNA from miniscule amounts of other similarly-problematic formaldehyde-fixed tissues as well.

Background: Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are among the most common mammals in North America and are important reservoirs of several human pathogens, including Sin Nombre hantavirus (SNV). SNV can establish a life-long apathogenic infection in deer mice, which can shed virus in excrement for transmission to humans. Patients that die from hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) have been found to express several proinflammatory cytokines, including lymphotoxin (LT), in the lungs. It is thought that these cytokines contribute to the pathogenesis of HCPS. LT is not expressed by virus-specific CD4 + T cells from infected deer mice, suggesting a limited role for this pathway in reservoir responses to hantaviruses.