Reconstructing Population Histories in Relation to Ecology

We live in an era of significant environmental and climatic change and it has even been suggested that the world is entering a new epoch, the ‘Anthropocene’. To understand better how species might cope under different future climate scenarios, studies are now frequently looking to explore how they responded to rapid environmental change in the past. Whilst census data can capture contemporary trends, genetic approaches can infer population trends stretching tens, or even thousands, of years back in time. In this thesis, I first used skyline plots to infer historical demographic trends from genetic data of a well-studied system, humans. Using this gold standard, my work revealed detailed demographic profiles, but also identified issues relating to the way key methodological assumptions are contravened. In Chapter 2 I present a discussion about the risk of misinterpretation or overinterpretation in the context of Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) analysis. Understanding that any single profile can be problematic, when moving to non-model species, I chose to work as many species as possible. This approach exploits the recent boom in sequencing projects that has generated a huge volume of publicly available data. By building large, novel, multi-species datasets it becomes possible to construct profiles averaged over many species with similar properties, such as habitat preference. The expectation is that average profiles will prove better at capturing broad trends for the species they contain. Collating and processing public domain data is not a trivial task. I therefore developed a pipeline, now an R package, to access and compile sequence data for over 100 species of bird, focusing on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). I found differences in the mean time of population expansion after the ice age between bird species associated with different habitats. However, notably, the demographic trends drawn from BSPs did not reveal a close match with the amount of available habitat indicated by species distribution models. BSPs frequently indicated population increases even though species’ habitat ranges were decreasing. These results further emphasise the level of care needed when interpreting BSPs. If genetic methods for demographic reconstruction are to be used extensively in the future, it is important that we understand what confounding factors commonly exist in real world populations so as to prevent misleading or inaccurate interpretations. To explore the impact of historic range dynamics on BSPs I created a realistic spatial demographic model for a small North American passerine, the yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia). From this I simulated mtDNA sequences for a number of populations across the modern species’ range. With these data I’d hoped to investigate how BSP profiles varied depending on local population history. However, true demographic signals proved hard to capture and further work will be required to explore my original question more fully.BBSRC DT

Therapeutic Exercise as a Treatment Strategy for Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain

Affecting up to 65% of the population, pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints among women. It is defined as “pain experienced between the posterior iliac crest and the gluteal fold”. Women with PGP have a significantly reduced quality of life, experience higher levels of depression and anxiety, and are 85% more likely to develop recurrent lumbopelvic pain. One in ten women still experience severe consequences due to PGP over a decade postpartum. The pathogenesis of PGP is unknown, though it is thought to be caused by a combination of biomechanical and hormonal factors. Therapeutic exercise (Ther Ex) has been proposed as a non-invasive strategy to combat these factors by increasing joint stability and improving load transferal throughout the pelvis

Creative Expression in Ceramic Design

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects and possibilities of earthenware and stoneware when formed by the pinch or thrown methods. After some experimentation with the two methods it was decided to continue to form various shapes and sizes by the wheel method and discover suitable ornamentation and glazes for each. Rounded forms created by the wheel method seemed to be the most satisfactory. Some of these forms were made in two or three pieces on the wheel and joined by slip and cross hatching after the forms were firm enough to support the upper section. In some of the clay bodies a colorant or speckling agent, such as milled or granular ilmenite, iron oxide, chromium oxide or manganese oxide was used for various effects when used with certain glazes or in a reduction fire. Incised, agraffito, or brushed effects were used to relieve the plainness of some forms. Most of the glazes for both earthenware and stoneware were matt except where a transparent or rutile effect was desired to enable a design to show through or to mingle colors. The band built sculpture, In the Beginning of Time, was stained end waxed requiring no glaze. Experimentation with the various methods, clay bodies, color ants, glazes, sizes, and shapes, has brought the writer to the conclusion that rounded forms have been the most satisfactory and pleasing, and that the possibilities in this method for further creative expression are unlimited

Molecular profiling of bark beetle mycobiota

No organism evolves in isolation; the symbiotic microorganisms associated with insects are key determinants of their hosts ecology and evolution. This thesis investigates the fungal communities found with bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae & Platypodinae) in an attempt to better understand the diversity and variability of this ecologically and economically important system. I start by assessing the efficacy of high throughput sequencing (HTS) and metabarcoding for the characterisation of fungal communities derived from whole arthropod DNA extracts (Chapter 2). I then apply this approach to understanding the biotic and abiotic determinants of beetle associated fungal taxa, and find that both beetle species identity and environmental conditions significantly predict community richness and composition (Chapter 3). In Chapter 4, I expand upon the beetle species level differences in microbial communities to show that they are driven by a relatively small subset of fungal taxa, predominantly belonging to the beetle associated Microascales, but also to the relatively unexplored Saccharomycetes. I further apply HTS to the recreation of beetle evolutionary histories using mitochondrial genomics, and test for correlations between beetle phylogenetic and mycobiotic similarities (Chapter 5). My investigations demonstrate the utility of recently developed sequencing technologies to the study of microbial symbioses and I conclude with a synthetic summary of my findings with suggestions for further research.Open Acces

The detection of drugs of abuse in biological matrices using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of ELISA and LC-MS-MS in combination and as individual techniques, for the detection of drugs of abuse in biological matrices. Overall the LC-MS-MS method showed good correlation results for opiates compared to the GC-MS method. 6-MAM was however detected in more root segments and segments excluding roots by LC-MS-MS. Morphine was detected in a greater number of root segments by LC-MS-MS compared to GC-MS. However, morphine was detected in a greater number of segments excluding roots by GC-MS. Codeine and dihydrocodeine were also detected in a greater number of root segments and segments excluding roots by GC-MS. The cocaine results showed excellent qualitative correlation between the LC-MS-MS and GC-MS methods for cocaine and benzoylecgonine. The GC-MS method did not however extract greater concentrations of cocaine and its metabolites compared to LC-MS-MS due to the higher recovery of the drug group specific GC-MS method. Cocaethylene and EME were detected in some samples by LC-MS-MS method for opiates and cocaine and its metabolites compared to the GC-MS method; there may be some cases where the GC-MS method would detect the analytes where the LC-MS-MS method would not. This has been demonstrated in 3 samples for morphine and in 6 samples for codeine. The LC-MS-MS method analysed for and detected amphetamines in samples that were not tested for amphetamines by GC-MS. In one sample that was tested by both methods, amphetamine was detected in the root sample by LC-MS-MS where GC-MS failed to detect it. Also a greater concentration of amphetamine was extracted using the LC-MS-MS method in the segment without roots. The LC-MS-MS method was useful for the analysis of 17 drugs of abuse in post-mortem hair samples in forensic toxicology cases. Using this method, it is possible to obtain maximum information from one hair sample which is extremely useful when the sample weight is limited. The ability of the LC-MS-MS method to extract and analyse a greater number of drug groups from one hair sample highlights the advantages of using this method over GC-MS which targets individual drug groups and requires splitting of the sample. This method is particularly applicable for implementation in the forensic toxicology laboratory at the University of Glasgow where currently GC-MS methods that target individual drug groups are used for routine hair screening and confirmation

Relation of hearing comprehension to reading comprehension in grades three and four

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1941. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Effective but Limited: A Corpus Linguistic Analysis of the Original Public Meaning of Executive Power

This paper will engage linguistic and historical analysis in an effort to discern the original public meaning of the phrase executive power as used in Article II of the United States Constitution. In light of significant modern controversy surrounding the proper limits of executive authority, an original meaning interpretation of this critical phrase will illuminate the executive’s function as it was commonly understood at the time of constitutional ratification. Part I will engage in a linguistic analysis of the phrase executive power, drawing primarily on corpus linguistic methodology surrounding the phrase’s Founding Era usage. Part II will analyze the history of Article II, with particular attention to the public discourse concerning the scope and reach of the British king’s powers. Part III will fuse these areas of analysis and propose a synthesized original meaning of the phrase executive power. And, finally, Part IV will consider the Supreme Court cases of Myers v. United States and Steel Seizure,12 seminal cases of executive power jurisprudence, as well as the public discourse surrounding those cases at the time of their being decided

HB 338 - Turnaround Elligible Schools

The Act creates the position of Chief Turnaround Officer (CTO) and authorizes the State Board of Education, in collaboration with the State School Superintendent and the Education Turnaround Advisory Council, to search for and appoint the CTO. The CTO has the authority to recommend individuals to serve as turnaround coaches upon approval by the state board. The Act defines the term “turnaround eligible schools” and identifies factors upon which the CTO may identify such schools. The Act provides procedures by which the CTO and turnaround coaches shall intervene in such schools. The Act creates the Education Turnaround Advisory Council, which shall review reports created by the CTO informing the Council of the progress of each school in which the CTO elected to intervene. The Act also creates the Joint Study Committee on the Establishment of a Leadership Academy. Finally, the Act amends the reasons for which a local school board member may be suspended or removed from his or her position

Global demographic history of human populations inferred from whole mitochondrial genomes.

The Neolithic transition has led to marked increases in census population sizes across the world, as recorded by a rich archaeological record. However, previous attempts to detect such changes using genetic markers, especially mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), have mostly been unsuccessful. We use complete mtDNA genomes from over 1700 individuals, from the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 3, to explore changes in populations sizes in five populations for each of four major geographical regions, using a sophisticated coalescent-based Bayesian method (extended Bayesian skyline plots) and mutation rates calibrated with ancient DNA. Despite the power and sophistication of our analysis, we fail to find size changes that correspond to the Neolithic transitions of the study populations. However, we do detect a number of size changes, which tend to be replicated in most populations within each region. These changes are mostly much older than the Neolithic transition and could reflect either population expansion or changes in population structure. Given the amount of migration and population mixing that occurred after these ancient signals were generated, we caution that modern populations will often carry ghost signals of demographic events that occurred far away from their current location

Recognizing Elementary Elements in Chemical Diagram Sketches

Organic Chemistry is a challenging subject that requires dedicated practice to learn the meticulous rules composing the subject, otherwise a student risks failure. Current software to teach chemical structures contains drag-and-drop components and fails to provide students with true understanding of Organic Chemistry concepts. My solution is to integrate a sketch recognition interface that can learn to recognize components of various, user-sketched chemical structures with a back-propagation neural network that can be trained to translate the components of the chemical structure to determine correctness. The accuracy of the program will be rigorously tested to determine correctness in interpreting chemical structures