Chaminade University of Honolulu

About: Chaminade University of Honolulu is a education organization based out in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Experiential learning. The organization has 164 authors who have published 223 publications receiving 5381 citations.

Molecular systematics of the endemic Hawaiian blowfly genus Dyscritomyia Grimshaw : Diptera : Calliphoridae

Abstract: greenbottle fiies, although the exact systematic position ofthe genus has never been known. This is part of a larger problem in that the limits and systematic position of many calliphorid species are unclear, and the monophyly of the Calliphoridae itself is in dispute. As part of a larger investigation of calliphorid systematics, we perfbrmed a phylogenetic analysis of Ilyscritonryia nd members of the greenbottle genus Lueilia based on rnitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI+II) sequence data, The resulting cladogram had }l87% bootstrap support for all branches and it recovered the Lucilia species-groups that are supported by morphological criteria, llyseritoayia was the sister lineage to Lucilia. Therefbre it is unlikely that the Hawaiian genus evolyed from any Lucilia speeies. Although these results are preliminary it appears that COI+II sequence data will provide a strong phylogenetic signal for any future investigation f Ilyscritonryia and other greenbottle flies.

Human Bone Proteomes before and after Decomposition: Investigating the Effects of Biological Variation and Taphonomic Alteration on Bone Protein Profiles and the Implications for Forensic Proteomics.

Abstract: Bone proteomic studies using animal proxies and skeletonized human remains have delivered encouraging results in the search for potential biomarkers for precise and accurate post-mortem interval (PMI) and the age-at-death (AAD) estimation in medico-legal investigations. The development of forensic proteomics for PMI and AAD estimation is in critical need of research on human remains throughout decomposition, as currently the effects of both inter-individual biological differences and taphonomic alteration on the survival of human bone protein profiles are unclear. This study investigated the human bone proteome in four human body donors studied throughout decomposition outdoors. The effects of ageing phenomena (in vivo and post-mortem) and intrinsic and extrinsic variables on the variety and abundancy of the bone proteome were assessed. Results indicate that taphonomic and biological variables play a significant role in the survival of proteins in bone. Our findings suggest that inter-individual and inter-skeletal differences in bone mineral density (BMD) are important variables affecting the survival of proteins. Specific proteins survive better within the mineral matrix due to their mineral-binding properties. The mineral matrix likely also protects these proteins by restricting the movement of decomposer microbes. New potential biomarkers for PMI estimation and AAD estimation were identified. Future development of forensic bone proteomics should include standard measurement of BMD and target a combination of different biomarkers.

Participation in the Virtual Environment of Blended College Courses:An Activity Study of Student Performance

Abstract: This paper describes a study of success factors in the introductory semester of liberal studies blended courses offered at the bachelor of science level. The influence of student participation in the online course environment was examined, as measured by the number of times students logged into the learning management system (LMS) and average session length. These measures were correlated with final course grades to increase understanding of the participation patterns of successful students. The resulting patterns and their implications are identified. We observe that students with an intermediate number of logins and average session length tended to exhibit the optimal level of course performance with students who logged in near the low or high amount of times tending to receive lower grades.