Sex Determination and the Human Person

Abstract: For many species that reproduce sexually, how sex is expressed at different points across lifespan is highly contingent and dependent on various environmental factors. For example, in many species of fish, environmental cues can trigger a natural process of sex transition where a female transitions to male. For many species of turtle, incubation temperature influences the likelihood that turtle eggs will hatch males or females. What is the case for Homo sapiens? Is human sex expression influenced by contingent environmental factors like we see in fish and turtles, with whom we share common ancestry and DNA? Our paper explores the current biological science of sex determination and how it applies to philosophical and theological accounts of the human person. We argue that while human sex determination is not susceptible to environmental cues to the same degree we see in other species, there is sufficient variability among the pathways of human sex development to complicate simplistic biological categories of male and female

Sit-to-Stand Symmetry

Asymmetric sit-to-stand (STS) and static standing mechanics may be related to fall risk and function after hip fracture. Even in those individuals who achieve an independent status in rising from STS, asymmetric movement strategies are frequently adopted. Previous research has revealed that the asymmetry is not fully explained by strength deficits alone. Stroke literature suggests that STS asymmetry is a function of perceptual deficits, such as sense of effort, however, this concept has not yet been explored following a hip fracture

Sex Determination and the Human Person

Abstract: For many species that reproduce sexually, how sex is expressed at different points across lifespan is highly contingent and dependent on various environmental factors. For example, in many species of fish, environmental cues can trigger a natural process of sex transition where a female transitions to male. For many species of turtle, incubation temperature influences the likelihood that turtle eggs will hatch males or females. What is the case for Homo sapiens? Is human sex expression influenced by contingent environmental factors like we see in fish and turtles, with whom we share common ancestry and DNA? Our paper explores the current biological science of sex determination and how it applies to philosophical and theological accounts of the human person. We argue that while human sex determination is not susceptible to environmental cues to the same degree we see in other species, there is sufficient variability among the pathways of human sex development to complicate simplistic biological categories of male and female

FishFace: interactive atlas of zebrafish craniofacial development at cellular resolution

Background: The vertebrate craniofacial skeleton may exhibit anatomical complexity and diversity, but its genesis and evolution can be understood through careful dissection of developmental programs at cellular resolution. Resources are lacking that include introductory overviews of skeletal anatomy coupled with descriptions of craniofacial development at cellular resolution. In addition to providing analytical guidelines for other studies, such an atlas would suggest cellular mechanisms underlying development. Description We present the Fish Face Atlas, an online, 3D-interactive atlas of craniofacial development in the zebrafish Danio rerio. Alizarin red-stained skulls scanned by fluorescent optical projection tomography and segmented into individual elements provide a resource for understanding the 3D structure of the zebrafish craniofacial skeleton. These data provide the user an anatomical entry point to confocal images of Alizarin red-stained zebrafish with transgenically-labelled pharyngeal arch ectomesenchyme, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts, which illustrate the appearance, morphogenesis, and growth of the mandibular and hyoid cartilages and bones, as viewed in live, anesthetized zebrafish during embryonic and larval development. Confocal image stacks at high magnification during the same stages provide cellular detail and suggest developmental and evolutionary hypotheses. Conclusion: The FishFace Atlas is a novel learning tool for understanding craniofacial skeletal development, and can serve as a reference for a variety of studies, including comparative and mutational analyses

Effective monitoring of freshwater fish

Freshwater ecosystems constitute only a small fraction of the planet’s water resources, yet support much of its diversity, with freshwater fish accounting for more species than birds, mammals, amphibians, or reptiles. Fresh waters are, however, particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts, including habitat loss, climate and land use change, nutrient enrichment, and biological invasions. This environmental degradation, combined with unprecedented rates of biodiversity change, highlights the importance of robust and replicable programmes to monitor freshwater fish assemblages. Such monitoring programmes can have diverse aims, including confirming the presence of a single species (e.g. early detection of alien species), tracking changes in the abundance of threatened species, or documenting long-term temporal changes in entire communities. Irrespective of their motivation, monitoring programmes are only fit for purpose if they have clearly articulated aims and collect data that can meet those aims. This review, therefore, highlights the importance of identifying the key aims in monitoring programmes, and outlines the different methods of sampling freshwater fish that can be used to meet these aims. We emphasise that investigators must address issues around sampling design, statistical power, species’ detectability, taxonomy, and ethics in their monitoring programmes. Additionally, programmes must ensure that high-quality monitoring data are properly curated and deposited in repositories that will endure. Through fostering improved practice in freshwater fish monitoring, this review aims to help programmes improve understanding of the processes that shape the Earth's freshwater ecosystems, and help protect these systems in face of rapid environmental change

Using the everest team simulation to teach threshold concepts

This resource review focuses on “Leadership and Team Simulation: Everest V2” released by Harvard Business Publishing. The review describes the simulation’s story line of a commercial team expedition climbing to the summit of Mount Everest along with the simulation’s architecture and key features. Building on Wright and Gilmore’s (2012) finding that introductory management courses are underpinned by the threshold concept that management is a practice informed by theory, the review explains how the Everest Team Simulation can be implemented in these courses to help novice students understand the threshold concept. The review concludes by outlining the strengths and limitations of the Everest Team Simulation for teaching threshold concepts compared to more specialized business simulations

The Scientific Method and the Creative Process: Implications for the K-6 Classroom

Science and the arts might seem very different, but the processes that both fields use are very similar. The scientific method is a way to explore a problem, form and test a hypothesis, and answer questions. The creative process creates, interprets, and expresses art. Inquiry is at the heart of both of these methods. The purpose of this article is to show how the arts and sciences can be taught together by using their similar processes which might improve student engagement. Arts-integration research from the literature is discussed. Both the scientific method and the creative process are described through examples of scientists and artists in different areas. Detailed learning activities are presented that demonstrate how both the scientific method and the creative process can be implemented into the classroom. Two activities are appropriate for elementary-aged children, grades K-3, while the other activities are geared for intermediate school-aged students, grades 4-6. All activities are written where either a science educator or arts educator could utilize the lessons.

An analysis of the status of the Oplophorid shrimp assemblage in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill between 2011 and 2017

The family Oplophoridae is one the most abundant and diverse groups of pelagic decapod shrimps in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and plays an important role in the pelagic food web. There are 24 species of oplophorid shrimp found in the GOM, and the data presented here will focus on those species that contribute \u3e70% to the overall oplophorid assemblage, as well as one dominant pandalid specie. Presented here are results of analyses from samples collected around the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS), in 2011, one year after the spill and 2015-2017, five to seven years after the spill. There are no data available on the oplophorid assemblage in this region before the oil spill; therefore, to determine if significant changes were present in the assemblage structure, biomass and abundance of oplophorids, these parameters were compared between the 2011 samples and the 2015-2017 samples. Significant changes in these parameters may be indicative of a notable impact of the DWHOS. To eliminate seasonality as a confounding factor on assemblage structure, data from spring vs. fall samples were analyzed separately, and will also be discussed here. The information obtained from this study will act as a baseline against which to monitor changes in the assemblage of oplophorid shrimp. Key words: Oplophoridae, pelagic decapod shrmips, seasonalit

Model Lessons about Geography and Outdoor School

Model lessons about geography and Outdoor School to use with The Student Atlas of Oregon.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/geographyed_instructional/1003/thumbnail.jp