expression during postnatal development is critical for the establishment of normal circadian period.

The mammalian circadian system generates an approximate 24-h rhythm through a complex autoregulatory feedback loop. Four genes, (), (), (), and (), regulate the negative feedback within this loop. Although these proteins have distinct roles within the core circadian mechanism, their individual functions are poorly understood.

Characterization of Stress Responses in a Model of Werner Syndrome.

As organisms age, their resistance to stress decreases while their risk of disease increases. This can be shown in patients with Werner syndrome (WS), which is a genetic disease characterized by accelerated aging along with increased risk of cancer and metabolic disease. WS is caused by mutations in , a gene involved in DNA replication and repair.

Lower variability in female students than male students at multiple timescales supports the use of sex as a biological variable in human studies.

Background: Men have been, and still are, included in more studies than women, in large part because of the lingering belief that ovulatory cycles result in women showing too much variability to be economically viable subjects. This belief has scientific and social consequences, and yet, it remains largely untested. Recent work in rodents has shown either that there is no appreciable difference in overall variability across a wealth of traits, or that in fact males may show more variability than females.

Evidence for premature aging in a Drosophila model of Werner syndrome.

Werner syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive progeroid disease characterized by patients' early onset of aging, increased risk of cancer and other age-related pathologies. WS is caused by mutations in WRN, a RecQ helicase that has essential roles responding to DNA damage and preventing genomic instability. While human WRN has both an exonuclease and helicase domain, Drosophila WRNexo has high genetic and functional homology to only the exonuclease domain of WRN.

Mapping behaviorally relevant light pollution levels to improve urban habitat planning.

Artificial nighttime lights have important behavioral and ecological effects on wildlife. Combining laboratory and field techniques, we identified behaviorally relevant levels of nighttime light and mapped the extent of these light levels across the city of Chicago. We began by applying a Gaussian finite mixture model to 998 sampled illumination levels around Chicago to identify clusters of light levels.

3.4 million real-world learning management system logins reveal the majority of students experience social jet lag correlated with decreased performance.

Misalignments between endogenous circadian rhythms and the built environment (i.e., social jet lag, SJL) result in learning and attention deficits.

Evaluating the role of temperature in the reproduction of the yellow stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis).

We conducted a temperature-dependent reproductive study on Yellow Stingrays (Urobatis jamaicensis) at the John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois. A group of eight and six female rays were mated in 22°C ("cold") and 27°C ("warm") water, respectively, over a two-year period.

Circadian rhythms affect electroretinogram, compound eye color, striking behavior and locomotion of the praying mantis Hierodula patellifera.

Many behaviors and physiological processes oscillate with circadian rhythms that are synchronized to environmental cues (e.g. light onset), but persist with periods of ~24 h in the absence of such cues.