De Novo Assembly of the Chimpanzee Transcriptome from NextGen mRNA Sequences

BACKGROUND: Common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) are the species most closely related to humans. For this reason, it is especially important to have complete and accurate chimpanzee nucleotide and protein sequences to understand how humans evolved their unique capabilities. We provide transcriptome data from four untransformed cell types derived from the reference Pan troglodytes, Clint , to better annotate the chimpanzee genome and provide empirical validation for proposed gene models of this important species. FINDINGS: RNA was extracted from primary cells cultured from four tissues: skin, adipose stroma, vascular smooth muscle and skeletal muscle. These four RNA samples were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Sequences were deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Sequence Read Archive (SRA). Transcripts were assembled, annotated and deposited in the NCBI Transcriptome Shotgun Assembly (TSA) database. CONCLUSIONS: We have provided a high quality annotation of 44,275 transcripts with full-length coding sequence (CDS). This set represented a total of 10,110 unique genes, thus providing empirical support for their existence. This dataset can be used to improve the annotation of the Pan troglodytes genome

Early tornado detection

The purpose of this project is to develop a controllable infrasonic source that can be used as a research tool for the early detection of tornadoes. The torch, using a propane source, will pulse at varying time intervals to create a desired frequency between 0.5 to 5 Hz. A microcontroller will be used to set the desired frequency and send an electrical current to the solenoid valve in order to control the opening and closing of that valve

Food Systems Relating to Greenness

Our understanding of the science of anthropogenic climate change and its immediate and indirect impacts has grown within the last decade. Alongside an increase in concern for the inequities within the industrialized food system, climate change is impacting agriculture and the communities that depend on it in myriad ways. These challenges have catalyzed investment in sustainable agriculture, “eat local” food movements, and rethinking of all aspects of food systems, including consumers, producers, retailers, and distributors. The body of literature on food systems primarily focuses on the connection between consumers and retailers; however, there is a notable absence of literature on the relationships between food producers, distributors, and retailers, even though the vast majority of consumers rely on this critical intersection in order to procure food. A great deal of social science research has explored farmer networks, consumer behavior around sustainable food, the marketing of more sustainable food products, and large-scale commercial food systems. Our research explores relationships between retailers and producers in western Montana in an effort to better understand how these two groups influence each other. We conducted one-on-one interviews with five retailers and five producers/distributors to better understand the relationships and influence that arise as these two critical stakeholders play their roles in a regional food system. The purpose of our research is to highlight the interconnectedness of producers, distributors, and retailers and how they directly influence each other. Additionally, our research helps to identify issues in more efficiently connecting these parties. Keywords: distributor, produce, organic, local producer, customer, shrink, food systems, food, green, sustainability, retailer, producer, farmer, agriculture, grocery store, consumer, produce manager, western Montana, procuremen

Wire Accelerated Life Cycle Tester

Fort Wayne Metals is interested in developing a new machine to experimentally test fatigue strength of various metal wiring manufactured by their company. The test rotates a wire while arced so that the peak experiences equal amount of tension and compressive loading until the sample breaks from cyclic loading. The wiring has a wide range of applications from industrial cable used in military helicopters to a more apparent use, medical wiring which includes neurostimulation and cardiac lead wire.The company has specifically requested the design of this system have more functional components integrated unlike their more primitive machines currently in use. This includes, but is not limited to, an integrated bath design to wet test samples in a circulating saline solution with a calibrated way to adjust the arc dimensions of the sample.Electronically, Fort Wayne Metals also requests a functional user interface to program test duration in terms of cycle count that the wire experiences. Likewise, the end design requires a form of break detection if the sample fails before the test duration is completed and an appropriate method of kill switching the motor as well as recording the cycle count at time of failure. Additional specific considerations regarding test conditions and housing have also been specified by the company.This document will discuss all requirements applied to the evolution of designs conducted by IPFW’s senior capstone design team during the fall months of 2012. Particular elaboration regarding design evaluation, cost analysis, and manufacturing plans are also taken into consideration and documented

The Relationship Between Food Retailers and Distributors

Our understanding of the science of anthropogenic climate change and its immediate and indirect impacts has grown within the last decade.Alongside anincrease in concern for the inequities within the industrialized food system, climate change is impacting agriculture and the communities that depend on it in myriad ways. These challenges have catalyzed investment in sustainable agriculture, “eat local” food movements, and rethinking of all aspects of food systems, including consumers, producers, retailers, and distributors. The body of literature on food systems primarily focuses on the connection between consumers and retailers; however, there is a notable absence of literature on the relationships between food producers, distributors, and retailers, even though most consumers rely on this critical intersection to procure food. A great deal of social science research has explored farmer networks, consumer behavior around sustainable food, the marketing of more sustainable food products, and large-scale commercial food systems. Our research explores relationships between retailers and producers in western Montana to better understand how these two groups influence each other. We conducted one-on-one interviews with five retailers and five producers/distributors to better understand the relationships and influence that arise as these two critical stakeholders play their roles in a regional food system. The purpose of our research is to highlight the interconnectedness of producers, distributors, and retailers and how they directly influence each other. Additionally, our research helps to identifyissues in more efficiently connecting these parties

Spatial Variation of False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica) Bacterial Microbiota in the Lower Missouri River, United States

Turtle populations around the world are continually confronted with changing environments that affect their ecology and conservation status. Among freshwater turtles, population dynamics are thought to be mediated by complex yet often cryptic causes. One recent direction of focus in addressing these causes is the turtle-associated microbiota. In turtles, the gut- associated microbiota is of exceptional interest due to its continual association with host species under changing conditions. Diet-based fluctuations and changes in microbial diversity may correspond to varying external environments at both the individual and population level. Environmental responses are of particular interest due to the anthropogenic changes that may underlie them. Pollutants, disruption of climatic patterns, and habitat fragmentation all have the potential to affect turtle-associated microbiota and subsequent population and species conservation. To better understand potential human-induced changes, the diversity of turtle-associated microbiota over local spatial gradients must be better understood. We examined microbial community alpha- and beta-diversity among 30 adult False Map Turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica) at three sites within the lower Missouri River, United States. Our results indicate significant microbial community centroid differences among sites (beta-diversity), which are likely mediated by various local environmental factors. Such factors will have to be carefully considered in any future attribution of anthropogenic determinants on turtle-associated microbiota as it relates to turtle population dynamics

INCREASING FOOD ACCESS IN HISTORICALLY REDLINED NEIGHBORHOODS IN DURHAM COUNTY, NC THROUGH MOBILE MARKETS WITH NUTRITION EDUCATION

Neighborhood and Built Environment, one of the five social determinants of health, encompasses the living, working, and recreational space which influence health outcomes (US EPA, 2017). Food access is one top issue currently facing the residents of Durham County (Hicks & Mortiboy, 2021). Access is determined by availability (number of food sources), accessibility (transportation to a food source), and affordability (cost of food) (USDHHS, 2022). In several neighborhoods within Durham city limits, less than 1% of residents have access to a nearby grocery store (Data Works NC, 2023). Our proposal aims to alleviate food access concerns by providing direct access to fresh fruits and vegetables within select communities via a mobile market. By modifying the built environment of Durham County, this program will increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and improve long term health outcomes. Keywords: Food Access, Built Environment, Durham County, North Carolina, Social Determinant of HealthMaster of Public Healt

Measuring the Obliquities of the TRAPPIST-1 Planets with MAROON-X

A star's obliquity with respect to its planetary system can provide us with insight into the system's formation and evolution, as well as hinting at the presence of additional objects in the system. However, M dwarfs, which are the most promising targets for atmospheric follow-up, are underrepresented in terms of obliquity characterization surveys due to the challenges associated with making precise measurements. In this paper, we use the extreme-precision radial velocity spectrograph MAROON-X to measure the obliquity of the late M dwarf TRAPPIST-1. With the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, we measure a system obliquity of $-2^{+17}_{-19}$ degrees and a stellar rotational velocity of 2.1 $\pm$ 0.3 km s$^{-1}$. We were unable to detect stellar surface differential rotation, and we found that a model in which all planets share the same obliquity was favored by our current data. We were unable to make a detection of the signatures of the planets using Doppler tomography, which is likely a result of the both the slow rotation of the star and the low SNR of the data. Overall, TRAPPIST-1 appears to have a low obliquity, which could imply that the system has a low primordial obliquity. It also appears to be a slow rotator, which is consistent with past characterizations of the system and estimates of the star's rotation period. The MAROON-X data allow for a precise measurement of the stellar obliquity through the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, highlighting the capabilities of MAROON-X and its ability to make high-precision RV measurements around late, dim stars.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, submitted to A