Climate change is increasing average temperatures and precipitation in northeastern North America, which is increasing mosquito habitat. Understanding more of their biology is essential to building effective management solutions to mitigate the spread of these potential disease vectors. Mosquito larvae develop in water and are susceptible to damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, larvae can […]
B01: Evaluating the serial homology of abdominal gills and wings in the giant mayfly, Hexagenia limbata
Despite the morphological novelty of the wing among insects, its evolutionary origin is still a highly controversial topic among the scientific community. Recently, some evo-devo studies have started shedding new light onto this hotly debated topic. However, these studies have used highly derived insects as their models, and therefore it is yet to be determined […]
CSII-02: A Study of the Trends in the Radiative Lifetime of Na2
Spectroscopy is a field which has been instrumental in furthering our understanding of extraterrestrial bodies and molecular architecture. A commonly utilized technique in spectroscopic research is to measure the radiative lifetimes of excited states, as it has been demonstrated to be effective in understanding the molecular structures. Predictive calculations shared by colleague Dr. Seth Ashman […]
C07: Examination of a bidirectional homeotic transformation in Tribolium castaneum
The forewings and hindwings of an insect often have different structural and functional identities. In beetles, forewings (called elytra) act as protective shields, while the hindwings are used for flight. The Hox gene, Ultrabithorax (Ubx), has a major role in forewing/hindwing differentiation during insect development. Removal of Ubx function causes a homeotic transformation of the […]
C36: Running on the Path Less Traveled: Examining the Emergence and Evaluation of Unconventional Female Candidates
The 2018 midterms resulted in the election of an historic number of women to the U.S. Congress (CAWP 2019). Consistent with the experiences of female politicians throughout history (Githens 2003; Burns, Scholzman, and Verba 2001) many of the women who ran for Congress in 2018 boast unique and diverse backgrounds relative to many of the […]
BRIII-03: The Effect of Argon Plasma Irradiation on 3D Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering using 3D scaffolds is an alternative to bone repair techniques that are currently used, such as autografts or allografts for bone non-union. Plasma irradiation is used as a sterilization method and can alter the surface topography of the scaffolds. We have prepared 3D scaffolds composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid (PLGA) and nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) using thermally […]
CSII-05: One Tough Balancing Act: Private and Public Choices in Two Upstate New York Counties and School Systems
The stakeholder tensions lying under community surfaces in two western New York (WNY) counties (Erie & Niagara) have contributed to creating a decades-long balancing act between maintaining public education systems and providing funds for religious schools. The New York State Constitution mandates free public education systems, yet it also requires that public funds not be […]
A58: 3D Printing Silk for Biomedical Applications
Natural silk has incredible mechanical properties of strength, elasticity, and durability. For this reason it is being utilized for 3D printing in hopes to optimize these properties. In addition to its mechanical properties, extracted silk possesses excellent biocompatibility and therefore it has many possible applications in medicine such as in bone graft surgeries, drug delivery, […]
CSIV-05: Car Cultures: How Postwar Media and Policy Shaped Current Transportation Use in Germany and the U.S.
The United States (U.S.) and Germany are both major automobile manufacturing countries, yet their rates of car usage differ enormously. The U.S. is primarily automobile dependent, with 86% of daily trips in 2009 taken by car, whereas in Germany, that figure is only 54% (Buehler et al., 2017, p. 4). According to transportation scholars Buehler […]
B17: What prevents the wing master gene, vestigial, from making wings everywhere?
During organismal development, some genes occupy the top of a gene regulatory network, orchestrating the development of a certain tissue type or organ. These genes are often called “master regulator genes”. One such gene is vestigial (vg), which is often considered ‘necessary’ and ‘sufficient’ to orchestrate the formation of wings (i.e. wing master gene). When […]