Williams College

About: Williams College is a education organization based out in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Politics. The organization has 2257 authors who have published 5015 publications receiving 213160 citations. The organization is also known as: Williams.

Biogeography and dispersal of coastal marine organisms: experimental studies on a replica of a 16th-century sailing vessel

Abstract: Observational and experimental studies were conducted on the dispersal of fouling organisms on a replica of a 16th-century sailing vessel along an 800 km transect from Yaquina Bay, Oregon to San Francisco Bay, California. The vessel sailed between four bays at slow speeds (3.5 to 4 knots), resided in each bay for approximately 30 d, and spent 1 to 3 d in the open ocean travelling between ports. Natural hull fouling and experimental fouling panels placed on the vessel were sampled upon departure and arrival at each port. All common fouling species survived the open sea voyages between the harbors, with largely no ecologically significant changes in abundance nor significant losses in overall diversity detected. In one port the vessel settled upon the harbor floor periodically; several entrained benthic organisms were then transported 390 km to the next port. Slow-moving, fouled sailing vessels of relatively long port residencies may have significantly altered the distributions of marine and estuarine organisms not only globally (leading to the invasions of non-native species) but also along continental margins (leading to the alteration of aboriginal patterns of distribution). Shipping traffic may further play an important role in gene flow between isolated populations of obligate estuarine organisms, particularly those with non-planktonic larvae.

The gene cortex controls mimicry and crypsis in butterflies and moths

Abstract: The wing patterns of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) are diverse and striking examples of evolutionary diversification by natural selection1, 2. Lepidopteran wing colour patterns are a key innovation, consisting of arrays of coloured scales. We still lack a general understanding of how these patterns are controlled and whether this control shows any commonality across the 160,000 moth and 17,000 butterfly species. Here, we use fine-scale mapping with population genomics and gene expression analyses to identify a gene, cortex, that regulates pattern switches in multiple species across the mimetic radiation in Heliconius butterflies. cortex belongs to a fast-evolving subfamily of the otherwise highly conserved fizzy family of cell-cycle regulators3, suggesting that it probably regulates pigmentation patterning by regulating scale cell development. In parallel with findings in the peppered moth (Biston betularia)4, our results suggest that this mechanism is common within Lepidoptera and that cortex has become a major target for natural selection acting on colour and pattern variation in this group of insects.

'Place Prosperity vs People Prosperity' Revisited: An Old Issue with a New Angle

Abstract: 'Place prosperity vs people prosperity' is a familiar shorthand expression of various issues in designing national policies to assist persons and places that are economically depressed. The paper reviews some traditional issues, including those introduced by Louis Winnick, who coined the phrase in the title, and also introduces some new ones. It suggests that 'sense of place' is relevant to the policy debate, because sense of place is a factor in regional and local identity and is an important form of intangible capital that has positive externalities. The paper relies on principles of benefit-cost analysis, and it notes that a concern for the sense of place is consistent with some recent developments in economic theory, namely in the theory of household production and theories of 'fairness' and community values. It also includes an appreciation of the work of Ben Chinitz, whose emphasis on 'supply' in regional analysis is consistent with a respect for the sense of place and is also relevant to a discussi...

Coming to terms with coming out: review and recommendations for family systems-focused research.

Abstract: For lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and young adults, coming out to family members, especially parents, is a major psychological decision and hurdle due to both perceived fears and actual negative consequences. But beyond the literature on factors associated with the decision to come out and parents' initial reactions to the disclosure, empirical studies of what unfolds afterward, and how the family adjusts to the LGB adolescent's identity over time, are sparse and scattered. This article reviews and integrates findings from studies of the individual-, dyadic-, and family-level variables associated with positive outcomes, focusing particularly on relationship variables. Methodological concerns within this body of research are discussed, and research recommendations are offered. A preliminary working model of how families successfully come to terms with coming out is proposed to guide future research that will advance theory and clinical work with LGB youth and their families.