Mechanisms for sensing fluid flow are well studied in arthropods and in some aquatic mammals, but we know very little about how terrestrial mammals detect and localize airflow (Chapter 1). In this thesis, I will describe a series of studies in rodents that investigate the behavioral, mechanical, and neural basis...
Wind pollination has evolved from animal pollination at least 65 times in flowering plants, but the reverse transition is rare. Wind pollination is usually accompanied by the loss of traits that attract pollinators, and re-evolving them may be difficult. This dissertation examines this rare transition using Artocarpus (ca. 70 spp.,...
Literary critics typically oppose chronological and anachronistic historiographical schemes. In paired readings of early modern and contemporary poets, my dissertation, “The Shock of the Old: Periodization, Poetics, and Diachronic Exchange between the Renaissance and the Avant-Garde” investigates a series of poetic texts that defy this opposition. The poetic objects I...
What follows is a strictly post-genomic dissertation. Over the past five years, I have strived to leave the nucleus behind, and even the endoplasmic reticulum and golgi apparatus. The human genome was sequenced over 15 years before the submission of this document, and the world changed somewhat less than anticipated—besides...
This dissertation develops a framework to approach musical hybridity by considering style and genre interactions as an analytical layer of combinations of identities. It engages with the structural, contextual, and perceptual aspects of music by mixing perspectives from music studies with postcolonial studies, situated cognition, and genre studies. Hybridity is...
The rodent whisker system is a widely used model to study the sense of touch. Its neuroanatomy parallels that of the human, but its mechanics are vastly simplified compared to that of the human tactile system. Just like other modalities with complex sensor accessory structures, the geometry, mechanics, and material...
Many stroke survivors are left with residual movement impairments. Treating these impairments has proven difficult, because it is often unclear which mechanisms drive movement impairment. While the exact mechanisms are still uncertain, at present, evidence suggests that neuromuscular function is disrupted in two key domains following stroke: muscle biomechanics, and...
Metabolic conditions affect the developmental tempo of most animal species. Consequently, developmental gene regulatory networks (GRNs) must faithfully adjust their dynamics to a variable time scale. We find evidence that weak repressors of gene expression provide the necessary coupling between GRN output and cellular metabolism. Using a mathematical model that...
In the past few years, educators have been pushing for an integration of the arts into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning to promote innovation and creativity in these fields. The present study explores the relation between creativity and STEM learning among young children in digital and non-digital contexts,...