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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Use Of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer And Bent Dna To Study Dna And Ion Interactions, Kaitlin Bullard
The Use Of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer And Bent Dna To Study Dna And Ion Interactions, Kaitlin Bullard
Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses
Studying DNA interactions is advantageous to developments in the medical field since DNA and its interactions affect our health greatly. In addition, it is important to understand how the bendability of DNA depends on metal ions, which are essential for various fundamental processes in cells. In this work, we investigate the use of FRET and self-assembled bent DNA molecules to quantify DNA interactions with magnesium ions. We measured that the FRET efficiency increased at higher concentrations of magnesium ions. We also ran simulations to further understand the mechanisms. These observations show that magnesium ions increase the stability and flexibility of …
Ongoing Calculus In The Cerebral Cortex, Luke Long
Ongoing Calculus In The Cerebral Cortex, Luke Long
Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses
Various modes of neuronal computations have long been theorized to be possible based on the structure and geometry of the brain. These computations also seem necessary for many of the integral functions of the brain, like information processing and regulatory processes in the body. However, experimental data directly supporting these claims have been rare.
In this study, data collected in mice from a large number of neurons over a long period of time provided the opportunity to search for some of these computations, specifically change detection and squaring calculations. Using Matlab, the goal of this analysis was to find statistically …
Scale-Free Behavioral Dynamics Directly Linked With Scale-Free Cortical Dynamics, Sabrina Jones
Scale-Free Behavioral Dynamics Directly Linked With Scale-Free Cortical Dynamics, Sabrina Jones
Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses
In organisms, an interesting phenomenon occurs in both behavior and neuronal activity: organization with fractal, scale-free fluctuations over multiple spatiotemporal orders of magnitude (1,2). In regard to behavior, this sort of complex structure-- which manifests itself from small scale fidgeting to purposeful, full body movements-- may support goals such as foraging (3-6), visual search (4), and decision making (7,8). Likewise, the presence of this sort of structure in the cerebral cortex in the form of spatiotemporal cascades, coined “neuronal avalanches,” may offer optimal information transfer (9). Thus, when considering the functional relationship between the cerebral cortex and movements of the …