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1. User-driven product development: Designed by, not designed for

   https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2023.2275868  

   Peters, Joseph; Bleakney, Adam; Sornson, Annika; Hsiao-Wecksler, Elizabeth; McDonagh, Deana (January 2024, The Design Journal)

   The current state of function and design of accessible assistive technology is lacking, evidenced by low usability and high abandonment rates by people with disabilities (PwD). A significant contributing factor to these negative outcomes is a lack of user-centered design or user-opinion in the product development. The Human Performance and Mobility Maker Lab (HPML) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a new facility dedicated to developing assistive technology by PwDs. Rather than being excluded from the design and innovation process, PwDs are the primary drivers of innovation at the HPML. The HPML’s the central tenet is ‘Designed by, not designed for’. The purpose of this paper is to explore various assistive technologies developed in the HPML while providing an empathic framework for other research groups to follow in integrating PwDs into the development and design of assistive technology. 

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2. Isolation‐by‐distance and isolation‐by‐oceanography in Maroon Anemonefish (Amphiprion biaculeatus)

   https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13448  

   Fitz, Kyra S.; Montes, Humberto R.; Thompson, Diane M.; Pinsky, Malin L. (July 2022, Evolutionary Applications)

   Obtaining dispersal estimates for a species is key to understanding local adaptation and population dynamics and to implementing conservation actions. Genetic isolation-by-distance (IBD) patterns can be used for estimating dispersal, and these patterns are especially useful for marine species in which few other methods are available. In this study, we genotyped coral reef fish (Amphiprion biaculeatus) at 16 microsatellite loci across eight sites across 210 km in the central Philippines to generate fine-scale estimates of dispersal. All sites except for one followed IBD patterns. Using IBD theory, we estimated a larval dispersal kernel spread of 8.9 km (95% confidence interval of 2.3–18.4 km). Genetic distance to the remaining site correlated strongly with the inverse probability of larval dispersal from an oceanographic model. Ocean currents were a better explanation for genetic distance at large spatial extents (sites greater than 150 km apart), while geographic distance remained the best explanation for spatial extents less than 150 km. Our study demonstrates the utility of combining IBD patterns with oceanographic simulations to understand connectivity in marine environments and to guide marine conservation strategies. 

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3. Parasitism of Neoconocephalus katydids by the parasitoid fly, Ormia lineifrons

   https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.13245  

   Rogers, Kyler J.; Beckers, Oliver M. (October 2021, Ethology)

   Abstract Mating signals of insects do not only attract their intended receivers but also eavesdropping parasites and/or predators. As a result, an arms race between the host or prey and the eavesdropper ensues, propelling their co‐evolution and potentially contributing to their diversification. Here, we investigate the species interaction of the flyOrmia lineifronsthat usesNeoconocephaluskatydids as hosts for its lethal larvae. We surveyed the host use ofO. lineifronsover a 2‐year period in Kentucky and determined which species were used as hosts, the parasitism rate of each katydid host, and how many generations per year the fly displays. Four of the six surveyedNeoconocephalusspecies were parasitized and killed (Neoconocephalus triops,Neoconocephalus velox,Neoconocephalus robustus,Neoconocephalus nebrascensis) byO. lineifrons. Three of these katydid species were previously not known to be hosts ofO. lineifrons. Two of the six species were not parasitized in either year (Neoconocephalus bivocatus,Neoconocephalus retusus) even thoughO. lineifronswas active when they called. The parasitism rate of each host peaked between 38% and 100% across years. The fly had three distinct generations per year, and each generation used different katydid species as hosts. We discuss the importance of the synchronization of the three fly generations with their hosts as well as potential counteradaptations of the hosts. These semi‐independent arms races could provide valuable insights in the diversification of the hosts and their parasitoid. 

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4. Ruckerbactin Produced by Yersinia ruckeri YRB Is a Diastereomer of the Siderophore Trivanchrobactin Produced by Vibrio campbellii DS40M4

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c01047  

   Thomsen, Emil; Reitz, Zachary L.; Stow, Parker R.; Dulaney, Kalana; Butler, Alison (December 2021, Journal of Natural Products)
5. Stereoselective 1,2- cis Furanosylations Catalyzed by Phenanthroline

   https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c02063  

   Xu, Hengfu; Schaugaard, Richard N.; Li, Jiayi; Schlegel, H. Bernhard; Nguyen, Hien M. (April 2022, Journal of the American Chemical Society)