Real-time PCR assays using locked nucleic acid (LNA) probes and high resolution melt (HRM) analysis were developed for molecular differentiation of Pseudoperonospora cubensis and P. humuli, causal agents of cucurbit and hop downy mildew, respectively. The assays were based on a previously identified single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the cytochrome...
Circadian regulation is essential for many physiological functions, from sleep/wake patterns to hormonal rhythms. While the brain’s biological clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), likely plays a role in reproductive rhythms, it remains unknown if intracellular circadian clocks elsewhere contribute to the neuroendocrine control of reproduction. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates pituitary...
If P is an integer polynomial denote the degree of P by ∂(P) and let H(P) be the maximum of the absolute value of the coefficients of P. Define Λ(P)=2[superscript ∂(P)]H(P) and for a fixed prime p let C[subscript p] denote the completion of the algebraic closure of the p-adic...
Discerning the intricacies of mating systems in butterflies can be difficult,
particularly when multiple mating strategies are employed and are cryptic and not
exclusive. We observed the behavior and habitat use of 113 male Taylor’s
checkerspot butterflies (Euphydryas editha taylori). We confirmed that two distinct
mating strategies were exhibited; patrolling...
Spatially isolated patches of soil located in Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are sites of elevated salt content and soil moisture. During Antarctic spring, in the absence of snow melt, visibly wet (reduced albedo) patches of soil are present at the surface. The soil pore fluids are hypersaline and...
The remodeling of the central nervous system (CNS) during metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster is a prime model system in which to study the genetic control of the sexual dimorphisms in the abdominal ganglion of the CNS. I have been using a P[tau-lacZ] enhancer trap line, 4.078, to label a segmentally...
Many diseases cause a heavier burden on women than on men; however, treatment guidelines are based largely on data on men (NCBI, 2012). It becomes obvious that certain differences in genetics between men and women account for specific sex-related diseases, but there is too spare research focus on that issue....
This capstone project is expected to be published by United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services (USDA APHIS WS) as part of a technical series guide available to the public through the website (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/sa_reports/ct_wildlife+damage+management+technical+series). USDA APHIS WS is responsible for mitigating human-wildlife conflict and...