Birth order and gender : differential parental investment in Medieval England and France in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries

This dissertation addresses the question: will parents invest differently in their children based on gender and birth order? Using parental investment theory and four major sets of outcome variables--child survival, parental investment (through wealth, land, and titles), marriage, and reproductive success--this question will be examined in an historic population, medieval England and France in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries. The results presented in this dissertation shows that parents were willing to invest in their offspring differentially with a preference for sons over daughters and older children over younger children. Historic populations provide a microcosm in which to study human behavior. The findings in this dissertation have implications for both evolutionary ecology and evolutionary demography.Includes bibliographical reference

Positioning adolescents in literacy teaching and learning

Secondary literacy instruction often happens to adolescents rather than with them. To disrupt this trend, we collaborated with 12th-grade “literacy mentors” to reimagine literacy teaching and learning with 10th-grade mentees in a public high school classroom. We used positioning theory as an analytic tool to (a) understand how mentors positioned themselves and how we positioned them and (b) examine the literacy practices that enabled and constrained the mentor position. We found that our positioning of mentors as collaborators was taken up in different and sometimes unexpected ways as a result of the multiple positions available to them and institutional-level factors that shaped what literacy practices were and were not negotiable. We argue that future collaborations with youth must account for the rights and duties of all members of a classroom community, including how those rights and duties intersect, merge, or come into conflict within and across practices.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by a Faculty Research Award from the School of Education at Boston University. (Faculty Research Award from the School of Education at Boston University)Accepted manuscrip

A Comparison of Functional Movement Screens between Genders for NCAA D1 Swimmers

A Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a way to analyze movement patterns and observe mobility and stability deficits. The FMS test consists of a deep squat, hurdle step, incline lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight-leg raise, trunk stability, and rotary stability movement patterns. The score of the FMS can range from 0-3, 0 being the lowest. In this study, researchers compared FMS scores between male and female, NCAA, D1, swimmers. According to Anderson et. al (2015), Healthy secondary school female athletes scored lower on the total composite than healthy secondary school male athletes. Females also scored lower on the following individual FMS tasks: inline lunge and trunk stability push-up. Healthy secondary school female athletes scored 14 or less on the FMS total composite score and significantly lower in general compared with healthy secondary school male athletes, which suggests these female athletes may be at higher risk for injury. Factors that may contribute to increased injury risk include deficits in mobility, core stabilization, and coordinated movement patterns. According to Johnson et. al (2021), there were significant differences between male and female athletes when analyzing the FMS scores. Females scored higher on the incline raise and active straight- leg raise, whereas males scored higher on the trunk stability pushup. However, there were no significant differences when comparing deep squat, shoulder mobility, hurdle step and rotary stability assessments. Research has shown that males scored higher on the incline lunge and trunk stability pushup, and females scored higher on flexibility. Considering the findings of Taylor et al (2019); Anderson et al. (2015); and Johnson et al. (2021), it is hypothesized that females would score higher on the Functional Movement Screening test (FMS) due to more optimal mobility in the shoulders, hips, and knees. The purpose of this study is to identify the physiological differences in flexibility, coordination, and stability among male and female swimmers.https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/exercise-science-research-proposal-posters/1125/thumbnail.jp

Analysis of the role of NSF I-Corps training on engineering and science faculty retention rates at the City University of New York

Abstract and presentation slides.Since 2012, the City University of New York (CUNY) has had forty-two teams participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps; pronounced “eye-core”) program. This presentation will explore the 1. Retention rates of these CUNY PIs within academia after completion of an I-Corps course, 2. Comparison of retention rates to national averages, 3. Variations of retention rates by discipline and sex, and finally, 4. Notable differences between PIs that have completed regional versus national I-Corps training. The NSF I-Corps program facilitates the translation of deep-technology and basic research out of academia and into the marketplace. Teams of three consisting, traditionally, of a Science or Engineering professor (referred to as Principal Investigator(PI) or Technical Lead (TL)), their graduate student (Entrepreneurial Lead (EL)), and an Industry Mentor (IM) were awarded a $50K NSF grant to participate in a seven week bootcamp where the team was trained in the Lean LaunchPad Methodology and expected to complete 100 or more customer discovery interviews to help establish a potential product-market fit. Our analyses suggest that the NSF I-Corps also increases retention of STEM faculty in academia and may enhance their careers

Oil spill preparedness planning: filling critical species data gaps using habitat suitability modelling

Under the World Class Tanker Safety System Initiative (WCTSS) a national framework was developed to identify marine biological organisms most vulnerable to ship-source oil spills. The Pacific regional application of this framework identified 27 highly vulnerable biological groups, with sea grasses, salt marsh grasses/succulents, sea otters, and baleen whales at the top of the list. A gap analysis during the Pacific regional application identified critical species data gaps that must now be filled to ensure effective response in marine oil spill emergencies. In the absence of robust species distribution and abundance data, habitat suitability models can be used to predict this information using environmental spatial data layers and limited species distribution data. The Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) Habitat Suitability Modelling team is developing a workbook of standardized habitat suitability modelling approaches to illustrate how critical species data gaps may be filled. This workbook will include recommendations for data requirements, models to use, and how to deal with modelling challenges. Models will be developed and tested using data from Canada’s North Central Coast study area and then applied in the Salish Sea to the Strait of Georgia study area in support of the south coast Area Response Plan. In addition to the modelling workbook and model predictions, another major output of this project is the extension of bottom type classification layers from 50-200 m depth, which will be useful for other marine spatial planning analyses. The habitat suitability modelling workbook, model predictions, and extended bottom type classification layers will serve as valuable pieces in the larger puzzle of international transboundary ecosystem protection and recovery

Dialogues that Dig Deeper: Surfacing the Multiple Faces of Homelessness in Grand Rapids, MI (Report Two)

This community dialogue was designed to identify current gaps in responses to homelessness in Grand Rapids as well as options for addressing those gaps. Given the feedback received, this report focuses on (1) mentorship programs similar to the aftercare program at Dégagé, (2) facilitated housing, and (3) ideas for fostering social connectedness. Through primary and secondary research as well as an analysis of our dialogue, our team was able to identify key areas of need in the fight for consistent, stable housing. Below you will find an outline of those ideas, more theoretical research on the subject, and data on homelessness/home-finding in general. The results will be shared with Dégagé, Seeds of Promise, nonprofit leaders, Grand Rapids businesses and openly published so any interested stakeholders can access the lessons learned

MLK3 Limits Activated Gαq Signaling to Rho by Binding to p63RhoGEF

Mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3) is a MAP3K that activates the JNK-dependent MAPK pathways. Here we show that MLK3 is required for cell migration in a manner independent of its role as a MAP3K or MLK3 kinase activity. Rather, MLK3 functions in a regulated way to limit levels of the activated GTPase, Rho, by binding to the Rho activator, p63RhoGEF/GEFT, which, in turn, prevents its activation by Gαq. These findings demonstrate a scaffolding role for MLK3 in controlling the extent of Rho activation that modulates cell migration. Moreover, they suggest that MLK3 functions as a network hub that links a number of signaling pathways

Analysis of Gene Targeting Techniques for Huntington’s Disease and Gene Expression in Human Cells

Gemstone Team CHANGEHuntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Our team performed a literature analysis to investigate the current state of research for treating HD and identified a new technology called prime editing that could be applied to HD in combination with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We found that at least 729 SNPs within the HTT gene are compatible with our proposed approach. Experimentally, we performed preliminary studies using Western Blots and RT-qPCR to examine the differences in expression of HTT in a variety of cell lines. Our literature-based work suggests that prime editing is a promising tool for addressing the basis of a variety of genetic disorders. Our experimental-based work confirms that human fibroblast cells express HTT and therefore may be used in proof of concept studies of gene targeting techniques to address HD

Gene Targeting Techniques for Huntington's Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal neurodegenerative disorder caused by extended trinucleotide CAG repetition in the HTT gene. Although this mutation in the HTT gene is mostly associated with neurological and physical symptoms that HD typically exhibits, wild-type Huntingtin protein (HTT) is involved in a variety of cellular functions such as vesicle transportation, cell division, transcription regulation, autophagy, and tissue maintenance. The main cause of HD symptoms is due to aggregation and accumulation of mutant HTT (mHTT) proteins in neurons. In this review, we discuss multiple approaches targeting DNA and RNA to reduce mHTT expression. These approaches are categorized into non-allele-specific silencing and allele-specific-silencing using SNPs and haplogroup analysis, and the possible limitations of targeting mHTT is also discussed. Additionally, this review discusses am potential appliction of recent CRISPR prime editing technology in treating HD