Evolutionary history and hybridization in Passerina buntings

Understanding the genetic basis of speciation is of fundamental importance to evolutionary biology and hybrid zones offer unique natural laboratories in which to investigate the ecological and evolutionary processes important in creating and maintaining biological diversity. By comparing introgression patterns of different loci, researchers can begin to identify genetic regions that contribute to reproductive isolation between hybridizing taxa. In taxa, like birds, with heterogametic females, Haldane’s rule predicts that mtDNA and z-linked loci will introgress less than autosomal loci. I tested this prediction using the hybrid zone between Passerina cyanea (Indigo Bunting) and Passerina amoena (Lazuli Bunting), two species that hybridize where their breeding ranges overlap in the Great Plains of North America. Although a recent mtDNA-based phylogenetic hypothesis of the genus Passerina suggested these two species are not sister taxa, I found, using DNA sequence data from ten nuclear loci, that they are more closely related to each other than either is to P. caerulea (the mtDNA sister to P. ameona). Both cline-based and coalescent-based analyses of mtDNA (two genes), z-linked (two loci), and autosomal (four) loci indicated a reduction in introgression of both mtDNA and z-linked loci, relative to autosomal loci. These patterns, consistent with the predictions of Haldane’s rule, suggested the sex-chromosomes may play a large role in reproductive isolation between P. cyanea and P. amoena. Using DNA sequence data from an additional eight z-linked loci, I explored patterns of differential introgression of ten z-linked loci. Introgression of one z-linked locus, VLDLR9, was significantly less than introgression of the other nine loci, pointing to a candidate region for reproductive isolation between P. cyanea and P. amoena. Interestingly, VLDLR9 is an intron of the very-low density lipoprotein receptor, which plays an active role in egg laying. Additionally, in a particular strain of chickens, a point mutation in the VLDLR gene produces females that do not lay eggs. While my data are insufficient to adequately address the role VLDLR may play in maintaining reproductive isolation between P. cyanea and P. amoena, the hypothesis that female buntings may have trouble laying eggs warrants further investigation

Women and physical culture in modern Poland

This dissertation examines the interaction between the various forces of Polish nationalism and feminism in the construction of women\u27s physical culture in modern Poland from the late nineteenth century until the end of the twentieth century. The basic premise of this work is that unlike most western countries where sportswomen have typically been marginalized in their athletic endeavors, Polish female athletes have earned far greater respect and recognition in the development of their physical culture. On many occasions, women\u27s athleticism in Poland was a source of immense pride and prestige for both the state and society, albeit for varied reasons throughout the time period. This form of public acceptance, however, does not suggest that Polish sportswomen faced no discrimination in their efforts to become more athletic. Women\u27s physicality remained the subject of much debate throughout the history of Poland. Such scrutiny became even more intense when the socio-economic conditions worsened and threatened the survival of Polish families. Still, despite the patriarchal and other barricades, the Polish struggles for independence and women\u27s concerns to achieve greater equity with men created significant institutional spaces and ideological avenues for Polish sportswomen to build their physical culture. Although Polish sportswomen were not depicted as Soviet-style sports stakhanovites, neither were they portrayed as abnormalities quite typical of the western identification for their sportswomen. The Polish female athletes were not placed in either of these two ludicrous categories; rather, they were located in the middle of these two polarities. Polish sportswomen were simply heroic women who took advantage of the available opportunities to build their physical culture without causing much controversy in popular discourse and official rhetoric. In this manner, they made significant contributions to the feminist goals of self-awareness and self-authorization, albeit within the boundaries of a still patriarchal nationalist agenda

Risk Assessment of Hazardous Material Transportation for Small and Tribal Communities

By and large transportation of hazardous materials (HazMat) across the US is increasing, with truck transportation as the most common method of transport. Smaller communities (population \u3c5,000) and Native American communities often lack the economic and political influence to quantify the dangers that HazMat incidents present to the immediate and surrounding areas. Lack of such information is an impediment to adequate preparedness in cases of HazMat incidents. This research focuses on assessing the vulnerability of small and tribal communities in Nebraska to the impacts of highway HazMat incidents. This was done by estimating the expected number and type of HazMat incidents per population in each community. Additionally, statistical analysis was conducted on actual HazMat incidents to determine if small and Native American communities experience a higher rate of incidents per population and per HazMat VMT than large and other small communities respectively. For per population, it was found small versus large is statistically significant while Native American versus other small communities was not significant. For per HazMat VMT, neither comparison was found to be statistically significant. In estimated HazMat incidents, actual HazMat incidents per population, and actual HazMat incidents per HazMat VMT, small communities had higher mean values than their large counterparts. Communities on Native American reservation land experienced a higher estimated and lower actual HazMat incident rate per population than other small communities. For actual HazMat incidents per VMT, Native American communities had a higher rate than other small communities. Advisor: Aemal Khatta

The "Hierarchy of Institutions" reconsidered: Monetary policy and its effect on the rule of law in interwar Poland

Traditional wisdom in economics holds that institutional change runs from political institutions to economic ones, with the distribution of political power affecting the creation of property rights and rule of law. This hierarchy of institutions has been observed in macroeconomic policy, where it has long been understood that there are political incentives for economic mismanagement, namely the creation of inflation. But are there longer-term effects of currency manipulation on the rule of law in a country? That is, does the hierarchy not always hold? This paper answers this question by focusing on a specific case of monetary instability, the newly-independent Second Polish Republic of 1918 to 1939. Using appropriate econometric techniques on a new database of historical data, I find that monetary profligacy correlates strongly with significantly lower levels of the rule of law. This result is robust to several tests and most specifications, including the use of a new variable for measuring access to the political system. The results suggest that monetary instability is a threat to political institutions in its own right, eroding the rule of law in addition to creating macroeconomic difficulties

Poland and the coming of the Second World War: the diplomatic papers of A. J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., United States Ambassador to Poland, 1937-1939

(print) xvi, 358 p. : ill. ; 24 cmForeword ix -- Preface xiii -- Part I Introduction 1 -- Part II The Biddle Report 39 -- One. Pivotal Events, Factors, and Forces Which Led to War 41 -- Two. Final Steps of the Crisis : A Prelude to The German Onslaught 70 -- Three. The Polish-German Conflict and the Embassy's Activities 95 -- Four. Factors Contributing to Poland's Defeat 166 -- Five. Military Aspects of the Polish-German Conflict and Lessons to be Learned Therefrom 174 -- Six. The Russian Aspect 181 -- Part III Diplomatic Documents 193 -- 1. July 26, 1937 197 -- 2. July 10, 1937 201 -- 3. August 28, 1937 206 -- 4. [June 19, 1938] 208 -- 5. [June-July, 1938] 230 -- 6. July 28, 1938 239 -- 7. August 12, 1938 242 -- 8. November 5, 1938 246 -- 9. November 10, 1938 250 -- 10. December 7, 1938 254 -- 11. December 22, 1938 259 -- 12. December 22, 1938 275 -- 13. December 22, 1938 277 -- 14. December 23, 1938 282 -- 15. December 28, 1938 286 -- 16. January 5, 1939 290 -- 17. January 13, 1939 300 -- 18. February 15, 1939 310 -- 19. February 17, 1939 315 -- 20. February 17, 1939 317 -- 21. March 4, 1939 320 -- 22. March 11, 1939 322 -- 23. April 4, 1939 326 -- 24. May 12, 1939 329 -- 25. May 20, 1939 331 -- 26. June 9, 1939 334 -- 27. June 9, 1939 336 -- 28. June 27, 1939 339 -- 29. July 26, 1939 344 -- 30. August 9, 1939 347 -- 31. August 25, 1939 352 -- Index 35

Place of Physics in Secondary Education

During the last few years there has been an increasing awareness of the inadequacies of present-day teaching of physics in the American secondary school. The traditional physics course has been subjected to much criticism and concern has been expressed in many quarters over its deficiencies. The purpose of this report is to consider some of the criticisms which have been leveled at the teaching of physics at the high school level and some of the suggested means for its improvement. This has been done by surveying some of the literature which has been written in the last few years by prominent educators and scientists regarding this subject. The report covers briefly the history of physics teaching in the United States, a review of some statistics on the enrollment in high school physics and a discussion of the aims and objectives of physics teaching. The present status of physics teaching is evaluated with consideration of the physics teacher, the course content and methods of teaching. The work of the Physical Science Study Committee is reviewed and consideration is given to the use of the general physical science course. The diversity of opinion encountered in reading current material seems to indicate that the problems are complex and that there is no simple so:t.ution to the problems �acing high school physics courses. This report does not attempt to suggest any such solutions but concerns itself with apparent trends and some 0� the more commonly expressed ideas. Most critics seem to agree that there is need for a change in many aspects o:f the physics curriculum but specific suggestions on what these changes should be vary greatly. Surveys indicate that there has been a steady decrease in the percentage of high school students taking a course in physics. Most critics agree that the conventional physics course tries to cover too much material and chooses that material unwisely. The key to the problems probably lie with the physics teacher himself. There is a great need for improvement in the status and qualifications of the seccndary school physics teacher. The Physical Science Study Committee has proposed an interesting and entirely new type of physics course which they hope will answer many of the needs of high school physics.Natural Scienc

Brokers of Modernity

"The story of modernist architects in East Central Europe. The first half of the twentieth century witnessed the rise of modernist architects. Brokers of Modernity reveals how East Central Europe turned into one of the pre-eminent testing grounds of the new belief system of modernism. By combining the internationalism of the CIAM organization and the modernising aspirations of the new states built after 1918, the reach of modernist architects extended far beyond their established fields. Yet, these architects paid a price when Europe’s age of extremes intensified. Mainly drawing on Polish, but also wider Central and Eastern European cases, this book delivers a pioneering study of the dynamics of modernist architects as a group, including how they became qualified, how they organized, communicated and attempted to live the modernist lifestyle themselves. In doing so, Brokers of Modernity raises questions concerning collective work in general and also invites us to examine the social role of architects today.

The Chanticleer, 2006-11-06

The editorially independent student produced weekly newspaper of Coastal Carolina University.https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/chanticleer/1479/thumbnail.jp