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- Forensic science (3)
- Cell differentiation (2)
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- Adaptive evolution (1)
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- Female aggression (1)
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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Tympanal Asymmetry In A Parasitoid Fly: Small Asymmetries Produce Big Gains, Max Mikel-Stites, Anne E. Staples
Tympanal Asymmetry In A Parasitoid Fly: Small Asymmetries Produce Big Gains, Max Mikel-Stites, Anne E. Staples
Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference
No abstract provided.
Decreased Temperature Variance Associated With Biotic Composition Enhances Coastal Shrub Encroachment, Lauren K. Wood, Spencer Hays, Julie C. Zinnert
Decreased Temperature Variance Associated With Biotic Composition Enhances Coastal Shrub Encroachment, Lauren K. Wood, Spencer Hays, Julie C. Zinnert
Biology Publications
Regime shift from grasslands to shrub-dominated landscapes occur worldwide driven by altered land-use and climate change, affecting landscape function, biodiversity, and productivity. Warming winter temperatures are a main driver of expansion of the native, evergreen shrub, Morella cerifera, in coastal landscapes. Shrub establishment in these habitats alters microclimate, but little is known about seasonal differences and microclimate variance. We assessed influence of shrubs on microclimate variance, community composition, and community physiological functioning across three vegetation zones: grass, transitional, and shrub in a coastal grassland. Using a novel application of a time-series analysis, we interpret microclimatic variance modification and elucidate …
Topography And Disturbance Influence Trait‐Based Composition And Productivity Of Adjacent Habitats In A Coastal System, Joseph K. Brown, Julie C. Zinnert
Topography And Disturbance Influence Trait‐Based Composition And Productivity Of Adjacent Habitats In A Coastal System, Joseph K. Brown, Julie C. Zinnert
Biology Publications
Coastal systems experience frequent disturbance and multiple environmental stressors over short spatial and temporal scales. Investigating functional traits in coastal systems has the potential to inform how variation in disturbance frequency and environmental variables influence differences in trait‐based community composition and ecosystem function. Our goals were to (1) quantify trait‐based communities on two barrier islands divergent in topography and long‐term disturbance response and (2) determine relationships between community trait‐based composition and ecosystem productivity. We hypothesized that locations documented with high disturbance would have habitats with similar environmental conditions and trait‐based communities, with the opposite relationship in low‐disturbance locations. Furthermore, we …
Non-Destructive, Rapid Differentiation Of Cell Types Relevant To Sexual Assault Investigations Utilizing Morphological And Autofluorescence Signatures, Taylor R. Moldenhauer
Non-Destructive, Rapid Differentiation Of Cell Types Relevant To Sexual Assault Investigations Utilizing Morphological And Autofluorescence Signatures, Taylor R. Moldenhauer
Theses and Dissertations
Current methods for confirming the presence of spermatozoa in sexual assault samples can be time-consuming and often lack sensitivity; however, this remains the most definitive test for the presence of semen. Additionally, male DNA can be deposited without the presence of intact sperm as may be the case with seminal fluid from vasectomized individuals or sexual activity where seminal fluid is not recovered (e.g., perpetrator wears a condom, penetration without ejaculation, etc.). The ability to detect bodily fluids, as well as quantify their presence in a sample, could aid in forensic DNA analysis by limiting the amount of time performing …
The Process And A Pitfall In Developing Biology And Chemistry Problems For Mathematics Courses, Mary Beisiegel, Lori Kayes, Devon Quick, Richard Nafshun, Michael Lopez, Steve Dobrioglo, Michael Dickens
The Process And A Pitfall In Developing Biology And Chemistry Problems For Mathematics Courses, Mary Beisiegel, Lori Kayes, Devon Quick, Richard Nafshun, Michael Lopez, Steve Dobrioglo, Michael Dickens
Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations
In this paper, we describe our process for developing applied problems from biology and chemistry for use in a differential calculus course. We describe our conversations and curricular analyses that led us to change from our initial focus on college algebra to calculus. We provide results that allowed us to see the overlaps between biology and mathematics and chemistry and mathematics and led to a specific focus on problems related to rates of change. Finally, we investigate the problems that were developed by the partner disciplines for use on recitation activities in calculus and how those problems were modified by …
Seasonal Facilitative And Competitive Trade‐Offs Between Shrub Seedlings And Coastal Grasses, Michael N. Sinclair, Natasha N. Woods, Julie C. Zinnert
Seasonal Facilitative And Competitive Trade‐Offs Between Shrub Seedlings And Coastal Grasses, Michael N. Sinclair, Natasha N. Woods, Julie C. Zinnert
Biology Publications
Shrub expansion is occurring in grasslands globally and may be impacted by the balance of competition and facilitation with existing grasses. Along the mid‐Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the native shrub Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) is rapidly expanding and displacing other native coastal species. Recent research suggests that much of this expansion is due to warming winter temperatures, as temperatures below −15°C kill M. cerifera. The objective of this project was to understand the importance of species interactions with grasses on the growth and physiology of M. cerifera at the seedling life stage through both field and laboratory experiments. In …
Synaptic Plasticity In A Visual Cortical Region Induced By Early-Deafness, John M. Kay
Synaptic Plasticity In A Visual Cortical Region Induced By Early-Deafness, John M. Kay
Theses and Dissertations
When organisms learn and adapt to their environment or lose a sensory modality, neurons in the brain undergo a cellular process called ‘plasticity.’ This thesis explores the loss of a non- visual system (early deafness) and how it can affect visual plasticity. To examine this question, Golgi-stained cortical neurons were studied from the visual region PLLS from early-deaf cats and their hearing controls. Dendritic spine density and dendritic spine diameter are well-known indicators of synaptic plasticity and these neuronal features were measured using light microscopic techniques and Neurolucida. Within the visual PLLS, the mean spine density for the deaf cats …
Interspecific Gene Flow Potentiates Adaptive Evolution In A Hybrid Zone Formed Between Pinus Strobiformis And Pinus Flexilis, Mitra Menon
Theses and Dissertations
Species range margins are often characterised by high degrees of habitat fragmentation resulting in low genetic diversity and higher gene flow from populations at the core of the species range. Interspecific gene flow from a closely related species with abutting range margins can increase standing genetic diversity and generate novel allelic combinations thereby alleviating limits to adaptive evolution in range margin populations. Hybridization driven interspecific gene flow has played a key role in the demographic history of several conifer due to their life history characteristics such as weak crossability barriers and long generation times. Nevertheless, demonstrating whether introgression is adaptive …
The Influence Of Breeding Density On Female Aggression, Parental Care, And Ornamentation In A Secondary-Cavity Nesting Warbler, Elsa B. Chen
The Influence Of Breeding Density On Female Aggression, Parental Care, And Ornamentation In A Secondary-Cavity Nesting Warbler, Elsa B. Chen
Theses and Dissertations
Tradeoffs between individual survival and reproductive success associated with aggressive behaviors are a driving force of evolution, but these tradeoffs are often overlooked for aggressive conspecific interactions between females. For avian males, it is well documented that more aggressive individuals tend to provide less parental care. In the few studies that address this in females, the tradeoffs seem to be more context-dependent, varying due to factors such as predation pressure and habitat quality. The relationship between female ornamentation and aggression is similarly understudied, but evidence suggests that both aggression and ornamentation are important traits involved in social selection – the …
The Utilization Of Sex Hormone Antibodies For Screening And Separation Of Trace Biological Mixtures, Kristin N. Jones
The Utilization Of Sex Hormone Antibodies For Screening And Separation Of Trace Biological Mixtures, Kristin N. Jones
Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects
Touch or trace evidence consists of epidermal cells deposited by contact with items such as handled objects, touched surfaces, or worn clothes. This type of evidence has surpassed most other sample types submitted to forensic labs and typically consists of low quantities of DNA and multiple contributors. In this study epithelial skin cells, i.e., “touch/trace evidence,” were used as they are estimated to constitute approximately half of the casework evidence items submitted for DNA analysis. For the optimization of antibody staining, male and female skin epithelial samples from donors were incubated and hybridized with antibodies of various concentrations of Alexa …
Non-Destructive, Rapid Differentiation Of Cell Types Relevant To Sexual Assault Investigations Utilizing Morphological And Autofluorescence Signatures, Taylor R. Moldenhauer
Non-Destructive, Rapid Differentiation Of Cell Types Relevant To Sexual Assault Investigations Utilizing Morphological And Autofluorescence Signatures, Taylor R. Moldenhauer
Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects
Current methods for confirming the presence of spermatozoa in sexual assault samples can be time-consuming and often lack sensitivity; however, this remains the most definitive test for the presence of semen. Additionally, male DNA can be deposited without the presence of intact sperm as may be the case with seminal fluid from vasectomized individuals or sexual activity where seminal fluid is not recovered (e.g., perpetrator wears a condom, penetration without ejaculation, etc.). The ability to detect bodily fluids, as well as quantify their presence in a sample, could aid in forensic DNA analysis by limiting the amount of time performing …
The Utilization Of Eukaryotic Cell Types In Microbiomes For Semen, Vaginal Fluid, And Menstrual Blood Identification Using 18s Rdna, Ines Benaissa
The Utilization Of Eukaryotic Cell Types In Microbiomes For Semen, Vaginal Fluid, And Menstrual Blood Identification Using 18s Rdna, Ines Benaissa
Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects
The accurate identification of body fluids is vital for crime scene investigation and forensic analysis. While many body fluids can be presumptively identified, there is a lack of confirmatory testing for verification. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if body fluids (menstrual blood, vaginal fluid, and semen) could be differentiated based on their eukaryotic microbial communities. The target area of interest was the V9 hyper-variable region of 18S ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA). The samples were extracted, barcoded using a duel-index strategy, and PCR amplified before undergoing high throughput sequencing using the Illumina Miseq FGx instrument. The samples …
Application Of Optical Trapping To Obtain Single-Source Str Profiles From Forensically Relevant Body Fluid Mixtures With Modified Dna Analysis Workflow, Benjamin J. O'Brien
Application Of Optical Trapping To Obtain Single-Source Str Profiles From Forensically Relevant Body Fluid Mixtures With Modified Dna Analysis Workflow, Benjamin J. O'Brien
Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects
Current methods of mixture separation in forensic DNA laboratories typically deconvolute the mixture after analysis using statistical analysis or probabilistic genotyping. To save time and effort of labs already backlogged, a method to separate mixtures on a cellular level before analysis needs to be developed. Optical trapping is a method that uses a focused 1064 nm laser to manipulate cells. Previous research has shown that approximately 50 spermatozoa or 15 leukocytes from a liquid sample are required to produce a full STR DNA profile. It was found that the number of spermatozoa required remains constant when the method of sample …
Development Of A Quantitative Pcr (Qpcr) Based Method For Studying Temporal Dna Degradation In Waterlogged Bone, Isis Thornton
Development Of A Quantitative Pcr (Qpcr) Based Method For Studying Temporal Dna Degradation In Waterlogged Bone, Isis Thornton
Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects
Human activities are often centered around the presence of water, thus it is not surprising that there are many water-related human deaths. Accumulated degree days (ADD), and other aquatic variables may affect DNA retrieval from waterlogged bone. Calcium and collagen in bone can inhibit the PCR necessary to produce an STR profile; the current solution is a time-consuming organic extraction. While there are examples of research on DNA degradation in terrestrial bone over time, there has been little work done on submerged bone samples and they are usually limited to case studies. The major aim of this study was to …