bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variability and Predictability of the Bering Strait Ocean Heat Transport and Arctic Ocean Sea Ice Extent
Authors: Lenetsky Jed , Tremblay Bruno , Brunette Charles
Published: July 2022

Background: This study examines the monthly, seasonal, and interannual variations in Pacific Ocean heat transport entering the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait, and its influence on sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean.
Methods: Monthly ocean heat transport is calculated using temperature and volumetric transport data from moorings deployed in the Bering Strait. Pearson correlations are calculated between the observed detrended monthly cumulative Bering Strait ocean heat transport and the detrended monthly sea ice extent time series from May through September.
Results: An increase in the spring variability of the Bering Strait ocean heat transport is found since 2010, associated with both increased volume flux and water temperatures in May and June. A significant negative correlation between the Bering Strait ocean heat transport and Arctic sea ice extent in the Pacific sector is observed for May, June, and July, both within and outside the marginal ice zone, with a sharp decline in predictability for August and September.
Conclusion: The Bering Strait ocean heat transport is a skillful predictor for early melt season sea ice extent in the Pacific sector but loses predictive skills later in the summer in August and September due to changes in ice dynamics, in accordance with the loss of predictive skill in Global Climate Models.
Seeing the Forest for the Deer: Plant Abundance and Diversity at the Gault Nature Reserve During a Spike in White-Tailed Deer
Authors: Burnett Mackenzie , Hobbs Imogen , Ripple Alexa
Published: July 2022

Background: Deer populations have been rising across North America for decades. At the Gault Nature Reserve in Quebec, half of which is open to the public, the population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has exceeded the region’s carrying capacity, estimated to be 5 deer/km2, since 1996. Given that heavy grazing profoundly impacts forests, the purpose of this paper was to investigate the potential influence of white-tailed deer on plant abundance and diversity at the Gault Nature Reserve. We hypothesized that the abundance of deer, and by extension the effect of deer on vegetation, was negatively correlated with the proximity and frequency of human visitors on pedestrian trails. Our alternative hypothesis was that the effect of deer on vegetation was positively correlated with human disturbance, which is greater on the public side of the reserve.Methods: We recorded the abundance and diversity of vascular plants along 14 transects of increasing distance from pedestrian trails on the public and private sides of the reserve.Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, generalized linear models indicated that overall, plant abundance and diversity declined significantly as the distance from trails increased and that the effect of distance was significantly different on the two sides of the reserve. Pearson correlation tests revealed that there was not a significant correlation between distance and plant abundance and diversity on the public side, although there was a significantly negative correlation between these variables on the private side.Limitations: White-tailed deer were not directly studied, which limited the inferences that could be made about their influence on plant abundance and diversity.Conclusion: The distance from trails was a strong determinant of plant abundance and diversity on the private of the reserve, but not on the public side, possibly because trail edges generally receive more sunlight and because the increased number of trails on the public side may have confounded our results. Although we did not find support for our hypothesis, the influence of trail edges on plant communities was reinforced. Researchers should continue to monitor the influence of white-tailed deer and forest managers should be mindful of edge effects when making decisions.
An Evaluation of Microplastics in Lac Hertel Sediment Over Time
Authors: Brown Emily , Mackey Laura , Rothberg Libby , Burnett Mackenzie , Bergeron Noelle , Lewis Yael
Published: July 2022

Background: Microplastics, defined as plastic smaller than 5 mm, are pervasive in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. Humans, zooplankton, and fish have been shown to ingest microplastics, which could have detrimental health impacts. Consequently, this project investigated the question: are there microplastics in the sediment of Lac Hertel, located in the Mont Saint Hilaire Biosphere Reserve in Quebec, and if so, how has the amount of microplastics changed over time?Methods: One sediment core was obtained from the centre of the lake and one was obtained from the edge near the mesocosm dock. Next, one section from the top, middle, and bottom of each core was collected. Afterwards, the microplastics were extracted from the sediments, counted with a dissecting microscope under regular light, and a subset of fragments were tested with a hot needle to confirm that they were plastic.Results: A generalized linear model indicated that the number of microplastics in our samples increased significantly over time and that the sediment samples from the mesocosm dock had significantly fewer microplastics than the lake’s centre. Similarly, a Pearson correlation test revealed that an increasing sediment depth had a significantly negative relationship with the number of microplastics at the lake’s centre. However, another Pearson correlation test determined that this trend was not reflected at the mesocosm dock, potentially because of sediment focusing.Limitations: Due to resource and time constraints, we had a small sample size, only analyzed microplastics larger than 250 µm, and counted microplastics instead of weighing them.Conclusion: Our results suggest that there has been a significant increase in microplastics in Lac Hertel sediment over time. Ultimately, our results emphasize the need to mitigate plastic pollution.
Design and evaluation of small interfering RNAs for the treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2
Authors: Zhang William , Daher Aïcha , Gatignol Anne , Scarborough Robert J.
Published: July 2022

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. As the 2019 coronavirus disease continues to spread, it will be useful to have as many effective treatment options as possible. This research has the potential to create a siRNA treatment that is safe, effective, and practical in design and administration; 192 siRNAs were designed to target conserved regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The first aim of this study is to confirm, via sequence analysis, that these target sites have remained highly conserved over the course of the pandemic. Multiple sequence alignments were generated for the first half of 30,312 full SARS-CoV-2 genomes, which were averaged and compared with the Wuhan-Hu-1 reference genome. Most target sites maintained a very high level of conservation, suggesting that potential repressor siRNAs could be effective in a majority of infected individuals. To evaluate the efficacy of the 192 test siRNAs, we cloned sections of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome into GFP fusion genes. Some of these constructs were transfected in different conditions to set up a screening assay based on GFP expression. Preliminary data on the setup of this GFP reporter assay show that the M, N, E, ORF8, and ORF10 constructs produced a good GFP signal, whereas the S, F1, F2 and F3 constructs did not produce a sufficiently strong GFP signal to detect above background. In a preliminary experiment, we evaluated siRNAs targeting the M, N, and E open reading frames and found some to be efficacious. Future directions for this project include generating alignments of the second half of the SARS-CoV-2 genome for a complete sequence conservation estimate, and cell metabolism assays for supplementing visual observations of siRNA toxicity, optimization of GFP readout, and screening of all designed siRNAs.
EPR Paradox, Einstein-Rosen bridges and teleportation
Authors: Seefeld Florian
Published: July 2022

In this review, we go over the bases of quantum teleportation, ER bridges in General relativity, and the foundational work on the hypothesis ER=EPR and summarize the resulting wormhole teleportation protocol. We then discuss that − resulting from ER=EPR − certain wormholes have to be either traversable or at the very least let information permeate, resulting in the exploration of the possibility that incoming matter might change the metric outside of wormhole throats. In this study, made in the Schwarzschild metric with the original coordinate system, we managed to find a non-zero energy-momentum tensor produced by a particular solution of the electromagnetic wave equation in curved spacetime, implying a change in the overall metric by Einstein’s Equation.
Overblown? Analyzing Wind Speed in the Hurricane Warning Response System
Authors: Abellon Killian , Murphy Amelia , Anderson Anika
Published: July 2022

The role of wind speed in determining the impacts of hurricanes is examined via statistical analysis of Cate- gory 2-5 hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. Atlantic basin coastline, including Puerto Rico’s coast, from 1970-2020. The results indicate a positive yet statistically insignificant correlation between wind speed and hurricane deaths, cost of damages and federally obligated recovery aid. Other factors, such as storm surge, rainfall, and inland inundation, may be more strongly correlated with these impacts. The results are contextualized by a wealth of literature pointing to the role of social, political, and economic factors in determining the destructiveness of hurricanes. Finally, alternative indices to the popular Saffir-Simpson hurricane hazard scale – which relies on wind speed – are examined. As climate change advances and hurricanes become in- creasingly frequent and severe, more comprehensive hazard-rating scales may provide the basis for a more effective warning-response system, ultimately bolstering the resilience of coastal areas.
Tuning Aptamer-Switching for Biosensing Malarial Proteins
Authors: Forder Maxine , McKeague Maureen
Published: July 2022

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by a protozoan transmitted through mosquito bites. Early diagnosis is essential to start treatment and prevent further transmission. However, current diagnostic methods are expensive, time consuming, and lack the portability required for efficient testing. Emerging methods that are faster and more portable include specialized biosensors called aptasensors. This study compared a range of complementary probes against malaria-binding aptamers to develop an aptamer-switch based platform. One candidate showed a promising increase in fluorescence upon incubating with a malaria target protein. This work has the potential to be incorporated into an aptasensor for rapid detection of malaria infections.
Spatial distribution and socioeconomic differences between urban farms' production and distribution points in Chicago, IL
Authors: Melis Emmanuelle , Armitage Emma , Ma Yuxin , Weiss Amelia , Robinson Brian
Published: July 2022

Urban farming remains popular as a potential sustainable replacement or supplement for traditional agricultural models, but little comprehensive research has been done regarding the socioeconomic characteristics of this food production and distribution model. Using the City of Chicago as a case study, this research seeks to understand where urban commercial farms are located and whether there exists a significant disparity between the social demographics of the neighbourhoods where these farms produce crops compared to where their goods are sold. The distribution of urban farm and sale points was determined by geocoding the location of all production (farms) and distribution points (sale points) for commercial urban farming companies in Chicago, then calculating spatial statistics and calculating the mean centers, standard distance, and standard deviational ellipses (SDE) for each. These were then overlaid onto choropleth maps containing socioeconomic indicator data derived from the US 2016 census. These socioeconomic indicators — median annual household income, mean home value, and percent racialized minority population — were analysed to determine if a correlation exists between each socioeconomic indicator and the location of farm and sale points. Findings reveal statistically-significant differences in the socioeconomic indicators of census tracts of farm versus sale point locations, showing a skewness in distribution of farm locations towards areas of lower socioeconomic status versus a skewness in distribution of sale point locations towards areas of higher socioeconomic status. The results suggest that, while farms are more likely to be located in marginalized neighbourhoods in Chicago, most produce grown by these farms is sold in more privileged areas.
Sediment Geochemistry In The Canadian Arctic
Authors: Gilbert Carole , Mucci Alfonso , Sundby Bjorn
Published: July 2022

Given the current threat of fast-paced global change, it has become urgent to understand the biogeochemical response of the Arctic environment to external forcing. The Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES) is an interdisciplinary project put together by scientists from across Canada whose primary goal is to gain a better understanding of the Canadian Arctic environment. Objectives include evaluating issues such as the impact of climate change – extent of sea ice cover - on biological productivity and the carbon cycle. In order to predict the potential evolution of the complex Canadian Arctic system, the intricacies of its current dynamics must first be understood.
The Mystery of Rhomboid in Capicua mutant Fruit Flies
Authors: Saleem Hassan Ali , Nilson Laura A.
Published: July 2022

Drosophila melanogaster is a fruit fly that is one of the most commonly used animal model for genetic studies.

Dorsal-ventral (dv) patterning, which is the body plan, of the Drosophila embryo is determined by the asymmetric positioning of different underlying cellular molecules. DV patterning of the Drosophila embryo is established well before fertilisation. The Drosophila egg develop within a cluster of cells consisting of an oocyte interconnected with fifteen sister nurse cells, which function as a source of RNAs and proteins for the developing oocyte and degenerate by the end of oogenesis. Surrounding this cluster is an epithelium of follicle cells, which provide yolk and secrete the eggshell (Fig1).

Initial dv asymmetry is established at mid oogenesis and the information is then passed on to the surrounding follicle cells (3). The protein gurken (grk), in the oocyte, provides the initial polarizing signal to initiate the formation of the eventual polarity of the egg, and activates Drosophila epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in the dorsal follicle cells. Through positive and negative feedback mechanisms, this EGF signaling is refined and defines a precise pattern of cell fates within the follicular epithelium (3). This specific definition of fates will be used as a basis to understand the effects of the gene capicua (cic) on follicle cell fate patterning.
Successional Dynamics in Seagrass Communities
Authors: Mavromatis Charalampos , Binning Sandra , Guichard Frédéric
Published: July 2022

The sequence of ecological changes in which one species is replaced by another is known as succession. Den Hartog (1971) was the first to propose successional schemes for seagrass communities based on competition-colonization hierarchies, which have rarely been challenged. Wave-disturbed subtidal systems are characterized by the presence of gaps, the distinct topographic depressions devoid of vegetation defined. We present a study of a Caribbean seagrass bed exemplifying macroalgal-seagrass succession dynamics in relation to gap disturbance. We report a shift in species composition at the study site consisting of the replacement of seagrass by an extensive macroalgal cover. Succession patterns were tested in each zone by sampling macrophyte cover along transects running across gaps. Our results show that seagrass is always the first colonizer, independent of dominant cover in control plots. The reversal of competitive hierarchy described has important consequences for the understanding and management of seagrass ecosystems.
Lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury does not require production of reactive oxygen species by NAD(P)H oxidase
Authors: Charles Kevin , Harelb Sharon , Magder S.
Published: July 2022

We examined toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein signaling in the innate immune response to the invasion of the body by gram negative bacteria. When humans are exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS or endotoxin), neutrophils attach to the endothelium and infiltrate the lung. This involves activation of TLR4 on the endothelium and on neutrophils and the subsequent activation of cell signaling pathways, such as NF-kB and other transcription factors that stimulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, to promote the inflammation process. The activation of endothelial TLR4 produces a generalized inflammatory response that includes activation of adhesion molecules which results in the accumulation of neutrophils on the endothelial side of the inflamed tissue. To test the role of ROS production by NAD(P)H oxidase in this process, wild type (WT) mice and mice deficient in the p47phox component of NAD(P)H oxidase enzyme (KO) were challenged with LPS and the degree of pulmonary injury was assessed. In both WT and KO mice maximal lung injury was observed 4 hours after challenge with LPS. In contrast to WT mice, lung injury in KO mice was more severe and persisted for 8 hours
Urban form and climate change
Authors: Salzberg Andrew
Published: July 2022

Cities come in all shapes and sizes. The idea that these different shapes – whether sprawling like Los Angeles or dense like Manhattan – can play a role in determining the environmental impacts of urban areas is an idea that is gaining currency in both popular and scientific circles. This article will attempt to highlight the role that the ‘urban form’ of a city can play in either attenuating or exacerbating the production of greenhouse gases. ‘Urban form’ is a term that has been developed to describe the physical composition of a city. It encompasses an urban area’s density (inhabitants/hectare), its mix of land uses (divisions between residential, commercial, industrial, etc.), its provision of transportation options (public transit facilities, auto-related infrastructure) as well as the degree to which urban development is contiguous or ‘scattered’ around the edges.
Dynamics of the financial market
Authors: Mistry Shilan
Published: July 2022

Financial mathematics must make use of assumptions in the development of mathematical models that provide predictive power on the behavior of economic markets, as it is impossible to collect data on the market as a whole. As a result, important quantities, such as the risk-measurement of a portfolio, are often inaccurately estimated. The financial market seems to be an erratic, pattern-less system. Indeed, attempts to find patterns, and to explain the processes behind the price movements of an asset, have been largely unsuccessful. This is analogous to the ‘Turkey Problem' described by N. Taleb in his book "The Black Swan". To illustrate, a turkey spends its life being fed and raised for slaughter, a fact that is unbeknownst to it. From the point of view of the turkey, life is delicious and predictable, until the day it is killed. For the turkey, its death is a ‘black swan event’, as it represents something highly unpredictable and catastrophic. This same type of uncertainty is also present in financial markets.
Specialized morphology for a non-specialized diet: Liem’s paradox in an African cichlid fish
Authors: Cosandey-Godin Aurélie , Binning Sandra , Chapman Lauren
Published: July 2022

Cichlid fishes of the East African Great Lakes represent some of the most diverse vertebrate faunas in the world, and trophic specialization, the specific adaptation of feeding structures to one type of prey, is often used to explain the coexistence of these closely related species. However, Liem’s Paradox suggests that organisms with specialized phenotypes may act primarily as generalist feeders in nature, which can create a mismatch between diet and morphology. Our goal was to study the diet of a widespread African cichlid, Astatoreochromis alluaudi, over the course of 1 year to test the hypothesis that the molluskvore-like morphology of this species is not an appropriate indicator of diet choice. Lake Saka, in Uganda, was sampled monthly throughout 2006, and stomach content analyses were performed on preserved specimens using established techniques to identify the relative importance of various prey items in the diet of A. alluaudi. Stomach content analyses indicated an omnivorous diet in all months, consisting mostly of insects, fish, and plant matter, whereas snails accounted for only a small portion of their overall diet. Although trophic morphology in this species is a plastic trait, specimens from Lake Saka exhibit a molluscivore-like morphology. Our data suggests that the morphology of this generalist feeder may have developed to exploit non-favoured resources, a clear example of Liem’s Paradox. This study emphasizes the importance of examining both stomach contents and trophic morphology before inferring the feeding ecology of a species.
Culture and the Aging Brain
Authors: Balram Bhairavi
Published: July 2022

Research in the cognitive neuroscience of aging has revealed several significant changes that alter the functioning of the brain over an individual’s lifetime. Particularly, some of these discoveries have contributed to our understanding of age-related degenerative diseases and cognitive decline. Most of these studies have, however, been conducted in Western (North American and Western European) populations, casting doubt on the universality of these findings. Cross-cultural investigations allow for the distinction between changes in the brain that are a consequence of aging and those changes that are due to the impact of life experiences. Research suggests that different cultures place emphasis on distinct aspects of information and use different strategies for processing this information (Nisbett and Masuda, 2003). Therefore, performing cognitive studies taking into account cultural context may provide an effective avenue for differentiating between age-related neural changes that persist across cultures and those that are driven by culture specific life experiences.
The discrimination of correlated and anti-correlated motion in the human visual system
Authors: Lindemer Emily R. , Syed Ali
Published: July 2022

Introduction: how the brain integrates spatial and temporal information is not known. This issue is referred to as the “binding problem” of visual perception. It has been proposed that groups of neurons which correspond to the same elements of an image become synchronous in order to form a coherent neural representation; however, direct experimental evidence supporting this role for neural synchrony is highly controversial. as our perceptual capabilities are limited by the neural mechanism that supports them, an alternative approach to understanding neural synchrony is to instead characterize our ability to perceive synchrony. Thus, our aim was to demonstrate how correlated (i.e., synchronous) motion is perceived by the brain and how its discrimination can be enhanced or impaired. Methods: In this study, we used human psychophysics experiments to characterize the ability of subjects to discriminate synchrony in a moving visual stimulus. results: By varying stimulus length, motion speed, and direction we found that humans were less than optimal in their ability to discriminate correlated motion when compared to an ideal mathematical model. In addition, we found that the length of the entire stimulus was not an important factor, but the length of individual motion pulses which made up the stimulus was crucial to performance. discussion: overall these results suggest that neural synchrony is likely used by the brain, but its resolution is highly limited compared to an ideal model.
A new software package to stimulate the pattern of proposed transient chemical structures using the multislice simulation of the debye-Scherrer diffraction pattern for gold nanoparticles
Authors: Liu Lai Chung , Siwick Bradley J.
Published: July 2022

Introduction: much recent work in physical chemistry focuses on the ultrafast structural dynamics using new experimental tools like femtosecond electron diffraction. Due to theoretical limitations, an efficient modelling methodology is necessary to help identify and extract information on the structure of the sample under study. Methods: a software package was created to implement the multislice method for the purpose of dynamically simulating electron scattering in specimens with arbitrary structure. Results: We showed that the simulated Debye-scherrer diffraction patterns of gold nanoparticles are consistent with experimental results. discussion: our paper demonstrates a reliant and versatile tool that experimenters can use to simulate the pattern of proposed transient chemical structures. These structures can be compared with data.
New insights into template-based protein modeling techniques
Authors: Kim Minseon , Tiberi David A.
Published: July 2022

introduction: While the development of genomic sequencing methods has greatly improved the efficiency of collecting sequence data, experimental methods to obtain structure information have been lagging significantly. In order to elucidate protein structures, researchers have developed computational structural modeling techniques such as homology modeling and fold recognition (threading). The general consensus is that homology modeling is a superior approach with templates of high sequence similarity to the desired target (>30%), whereas threading is better suited for lower (<30%) sequence similarity templates. We compared recently improved threading algorithms with homology modeling to test the validity of this consensus. Methods: The most current versions of moDelleR and I-TasseR were used for model generation. We then used common assessment criteria (n-Dope, Q-mean and pRoCheCK) to verify the validity of the models. structure comparisons were also made using Chimera’s Cα root-mean-square deviation. results: Contrary to our prior expectations, the model determined by threading showed similar or even better assessment results in some criteria compared to the model generated from homology modeling. Furthermore, the structure analysis showed that homology modeling and threading protocols yield models with root-mean-square deviations of under 2 Å when used on protein sequences that share sequence identities of at least 30% to the experimentally determined protein template. discussion: We believe that recent improvements in threading algorithms will allow for broader applications of this methodology in large-scale modeling efforts. The fully automated steps could provide time efficacy. In contrast to popular belief in the modeling community, we have shown that threading could be a competitive means of modeling rather than a mere backup method.
Epigenetic modifiers enhance vesicular Stomatitis virus-mediated oncolysis in the refractory PC3 cell line
Authors: Wilson Marnie Goodwin , Nguyen Thi Lien-Anh , Shulak Laura , Nakhaei Peyman , Hiscott John
Published: July 2022

Introduction: Vesicular stomatitis Virus (VsV) is an oncolytic virus that preferentially replicates in and kills cancerous cells. however, many cancer cell lines are resistant to VsV treatment alone. previous work has shown that treating cancerous cells with histone deacetylase inhibitors makes them more susceptible to VsV infection and oncolysis. We hypothesize that treatment with a histone deacetylase inhibitor, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (saha or Voronistat), and a methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza or Decitabine), will result in an increase in VsV replication and virus-induced oncolysis in vitro. Methods: pC3 prostate cancer cells were treated with 1 μm saha, 1 μm 5-aza or both. of these samples, half were infected with oncolytic Vesicular stomatitis Virus expressing green fluorescent protein VsV aV1 – gFp at a multiplicity of infection of 1 × 10-2, 24 hours after treatment. Cells were then collected and subjected to either FaCs analysis or protein extraction at 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours post-infection. We confirmed increases in cell death by western blotting for cleavage of poly a Riboprotein, an important downstream effector of the Caspase pathway, as well as Caspases 8 and 9, hallmarks for the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways respectively. results: Treatment with saha, 5-aza or a combination of both resulted in increases in VsV replication and cell death. These observations were consistent over four time points spanning 72 hours. discussion: Treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitor/methyltransferase inhibitor combination increases VsV replication and cell death in tumour cell lines resistant to VsV infection. In combination with previous work, this data suggests that modulation of the antiviral response and apoptotic pathways increases susceptibility to VsV.
Equilibrium dynamics of single DNA molecules confined to nanopit structures
Authors: Brandao Hugo B. , Reisner Walter
Published: July 2022

Introduction: of great interest in the physical sciences today, is the study of single molecules in nano-fluidic devices. These ‘labs-on-a-chip’ can provide the basic framework for quantifying the behavior of molecules, such as polymers, under confinement. This study is an investigation of a theoretical free-energy model used to predict thermodynamic properties of DNA molecules situated in a device called a nanopit array. Two parameters in the model, molecule length and nanopit width, are varied and tested against experimental data. Methods: Video-fluorescence microscopy was used to image single DNA molecules in the nanopit array; analysis consisted of determining the average number of nanopits occupied by a single DNA molecule over time. results: good qualitative agreement was reached between theory and experiment for the nanopit width variation, but molecule-length variation predictions were shown to still need improvement. A least-squares fit of the theory to the data suggested that the entropic parameter, A, and the excluded volume term, b, have a modified dependence on nanoslit height and nanopit depth than what is currently predicted by the model. discussion: These experiments confirm that the theoretical model is adequate under certain regimes and predicts conditions under which theory and experiment may significantly diverge. Modifications to the theory are proposed.
The effect of familiarity on vigilance behaviour in grey squirrels
Authors: Shonfield Julia
Published: July 2022

Introduction: Vigilance enables an animal to obtain information about the environment but often at a cost of reduced foraging rate. some environmental information may not change rapidly, so vigilance might be safely reduced with familiarity with an area. studies have noted this declinein vigilance with familiarity, but the reason for this decline has not been tested. Methods: I proposed and tested two hypotheses to explain this decline in vigilance. The safe experience hypothesis suggests the probability of a predator being nearby but undetected decreases with time spent in an area, enabling an animal to decrease its vigilance due to the reduced risk. The Visual experience hypothesis suggests that as time progresses vigilant animals acquire more information from their surroundings (e.g. refuge locations) allowing for a decrease in vigilance because an animal would not need to detect a predator as early if reaching a refuge required less time. grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) were used to test these hypotheses by feeding them peanut butter in an apparatus that limited their access to visual information by varying degrees. results: An effect of familiarity was evident by a sharp decline in vigilance rates within trials. squirrels adjusted vigilance postures to the different treatments, but the rate of decline in vigilance was unaffected by treatment. discussion: while vigilance is related to visual information, the decline in vigilance with familiarity is not related to the amount of visual information obtained from the environment, giving provisional support to the safe experience hypothesis.
Assessment of human health risk for lyme disease in a peri-urban park in southern Québec
Authors: Tadiri Christina , Ainsworth Nick , De Bono Nathaniel , Gavin Sonia , Li Jun , Milbers Katherine , Sardinas Lien , Schwartz Naomi
Published: July 2022

Introduction: climate change has contributed to the spread of the hard tick Ixodes scapularis into increasingly northern latitudes, and subsequently has caused the spread of the lyme dis-ease causing bacterium, Borrelia burdorferi, into these northern areas. The spread of these ticks into the region of southern Québec is highly likely within the near future. As a result, new human populations are being exposed to these ticks and are at risk for contracting lyme disease. intent: This exploratory study examines the spatial and behavioral factors associated with human activity in longueuil regional park in relation to risk for lyme disease. Methods: we conducted exit surveys of park-goers to determine spatial and behavioral patterns of park use, as well as lyme disease awareness. results and conclusion: we found higher awareness of ticks in female park-goers, park-goers over 50, and high-frequency park-goers. our results, importantly, imply a discrepancy between peoples' awareness of tick bite precautions, and their perception of tick bite risk. we hope that these findings may help future research on the spread of lyme disease into Canada, as well as in the formulation of public health policy.
An Analytical Method development for the Study of Chemical Species of Mercury in the Atmosphere
Authors: Mei Ningsi
Published: July 2022

Introduction: both natural and anthropogenic activities add mercury (Hg) to the atmosphere. The speciation and chemical transformation of mercury in the atmosphere can significantly influence how it is deposited on the earth’s surface. Methods: To better understand the impact of urban emissions on global mercury cycling, we developed an inexpensive technique for the reliable measurement of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in air. This simple technique is based on a thermal decomposition-difference method previously developed by others for aircraft studies of gom in the remote troposphere. measurements of total atmospheric mercury (TAM) were made by decomposing all forms of mercury in ambient air to gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) at 500°c prior to detection using cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (CVAFS). The amount of gom was determined through the difference between TAM and GEM values. results and discussion: a diurnal pattern was found for GEM, with the highest concentrations of Hg species found ranging from 2:00 to 5:00 pm and the lowest and most stable values from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am. The amount of GOM was estimated on the 5th floor balcony of pavillon prépresident-Kennedy at université de Québec à montréal to be 14.7 ± 10.3 ng∙m-3 (arithmetic mean from eight groups of Tam-gem differences in the afternoons of july 12 and 14, 2011 and 95% confidence interval). The inconsistent GOM result, in addition to a large error value, suggests the need for further investigation, and to compare the efficiency of this method to previously established methods to identify and quantify the mercury species in urban gom.
Genomics of regulatory elements: A special focus on the hoxA gene Cluster and experimental techniques.
Authors: Sethi Akal
Published: July 2022

Introduction: The regulation of gene expression plays a pivotal role in maintaining proper biological functions as well as creating cell diversity. many regulatory elements are cis-acting and act over thousands of base pairs to affect the expression of their target gene. The development of novel techniques has provided a wealth of information into spatial chromatin organization, with the potential to unravel the mechanism of relatively uncharacterized regulatory elements, such as repressors and insulators. discussion: This review will highlight examples of genomic regulation, such as beta-globin loci and the Hoxa cluster, as well as discuss advantages and disadvantages of the currently employed experimental techniques. moreover, genomic regulation as it pertains to human disease will also be discussed.
Proof-carrying authorization in distributed systems with Beluga: a case study
Authors: Weiner Leah
Published: July 2022

The rising popularity of distributed systems creates a need for a secure method of message passing. One approach to access control is accomplished through proof-carrying and proof authorization. The requesting party must provide a proof of authorization of access while the serving party must verify the validity of the proof. PCML5 is a programming language which enables a programmer to encode proofs and perform proof-checking procedures more easily.

The purpose of this project is to encode PCML5 with Beluga, a new functional programming language which supports dependent types and which has built in some of the more common procedures. Such an implementation will provide formal guarantees regarding the language of PCML5 itself. Moreover, this case study will aid in the understanding of the development and implementation of software specically for programming with proofs. It will provide insight into the tools needed to allow any programmer to easily specify and verify complex behavioral properties of programs.
Operational transformation in cooperative software systems
Authors: Leung Clarence
Published: July 2022

Modern cooperative software systems involve multiple concurrent users undertaking a common task in a real-time distributed environment, such as editing a shared text document. Maintaining data consistency, transaction causality, and replication convergence in such an environment, while providing fast client responsiveness, is a substantial challenge for classical distributed computing techniques. Operational transformation (OT) is a class of concurrency algorithms and data models that supports these functionalities, which has drawn significant research attention in the past decade. In this review, we discuss the basic components of operational transformation models, the algorithms involved, and their actual implementations in real-world networked systems. We compare several existing OT control algorithms, the transformation functions and properties supported by each of the algorithms, and the trade-offs that are made with respect to each one. The data and operational models used in OT are well suited for high- latency environments such as the Internet, making them more frequently used in modern web services. Although many different OT control algorithms exist, choosing the most effective one often depends on the particular operations that an application must support.
Development of a Cellular System to Identify Modulators of B-Raf Induced Senescence in Human Fibroblasts
Authors: Shu Ran
Published: July 2022

Background: B-Raf is one of the earliest and most common genetic mutations observed in many different types of cancers. A single mutation in B-Raf cannot cause full-blown cancer, but may cause an observed phenotype called oncogene induced senescence (OIS). This suggests the need for cooperation between B-Raf and other genes for successful tumorigenesis.

Objective: We look to characterize Human Fibroblast cells that are able to senesce in response to elevated oncogenic expression of B-Raf.

Methods: We introduced ectopic expression of inducible B-Raf into human fibroblast cells. We characterized the successfully infected cells based on their ability to induce senescence.

Results: We isolated cells of clonal origin and we identified the clone most responsive to B-Raf expression.

Conclusions and Future Research: Our methodology proved to be effective in creating a model of B-Raf expression that can be used to study OIS. The next step is to screen the cells to identify genes that enable the cells to evade senescence. These genes could prove to be valuable chemotherapeutic targets.
Human Health and the Microbiota: Interactions Between Gut Microbes, Hygiene, and The Immune System
Authors: Fukada Simon
Published: July 2022

Background: In the past, much of the scientific research on microbes focused on mechanisms of infection and disease. This was not in vain, as we gained valuable knowledge about our immune system, as well as the ability to develop vaccines and antibiotics. However, the relationship between humans and microbes is complex. These species have been co-evolving since multicellular organisms evolved on Earth.

Summary: Recently, it is beginning to be appreciated that the majority of relationships between humans and microbes are beneficial. From this follows an understanding that beneficial microbes are vital to the normal physiological development of our gut and immune system. This beneficial relationship between the human host and the multitude of microbial communities is well established. However, currently in the developed world epidemiological studies are showing dramatic increases in autoimmunity, allergies, and obesity. It is thus suggested that within westernized societies hygiene is altering the relationship between the gut and the human host in a way that makes humans susceptible to conditions not seen in less developed countries. This understanding advanced the “hygiene hypothesis,” and more recently the, “old friends hypothesis” and “disappearing microbiota hypothesis” as possible explanations for the observed epidemiological phenomena. What follows is a review of the relationship between gut microbes and the host’s immune system, with a focus on how hygiene (antibiotics, chlorination of water, etc.) is beginning to alter this relationship. This review concludes that a further understanding of how hygiene affects the relationship between humans and microbes will be crucial for developing effective therapies considerate of our microbial friends.
Donne in rivalsa e nuove “simboliche dei corpi femminili” tra antropomorfismo filmico, moda e idealismo di genere nel primo periodo del cinema viscontiano
Authors: Biondi Teresa
Published: July 2022

Il verismo filmico viscontiano riguarda il racconto delle trasformazioni identitarie degli italiani dal dopoguerra al boom economico, e si basa sulla rappresentazione del contesto psico-socio-antropologico in cui “modelli di donne della contemporaneità” appaiono per tratti erotizzati, e sempre emblematici di tentativi di una rivalsa femminile ancora in germe. Nei primi film di Visconti questo particolare aspetto prende dunque forma in toni solo idealmente progressisti e non concreti, rappresentati in personaggi interpretati da dive del tempo quali Giovanna-Calamai in Ossessione (1943), Maddalena-Magnani in Bellissima (1951) e Pupe-Schneider ne Il lavoro (1962). Alla base dei potenziali espressivi di queste opere vi è il valore antropomorfico del cinema, descritto in un suo saggio famoso che sembra più una “dichiarazione di intenti”, un preambolo ai suoi film atto a evidenziare la capacità, tutta da costruire, di riprodurre il valore dell’autenticità umana nella recitazione attoriale e nella scena, o a partire dagli aspetti materiali di cui è composta. Proprio la teoria filmica alla base dei suoi film e la correlata rappresentazione scenica, sia nelle forme simboliche costruite dalla regia, sia in quelle materialistiche dell’insieme di scenografie, costumi e fabbisogno scena, inizialmente assumono i tratti del neorealismo, o come egli precisava del “verismo umano” del quale manterrà sempre il carattere, anche nei film del secondo periodo definito dalla critica barocco e decadentista. Questo cambiamento sarà determinato dalla comprensione che il boom economico e il correlato avvento di una nuova società capitalista hanno cambiato radicalmente la vita e la cultura degli italiani, e non sempre verso il meglio. Per narrare tale cambiamento Visconti definirà nuove forme del racconto “realisticamente pre-strutturate” che mostrano, nella ricchezza della materialità degli ambienti e dei costumi, gli aspetti simbolici di un nuovo verismo umano degenerato dal denaro e spesso celato dietro la maschera dell’apparente crescita sociale. A partire da questo discorso si analizzano i tre personaggi femminili citati sopra, con particolare attenzione a Pupe-Schneider, caso di studio scelto per le particolari connotazioni drammaturgiche costruite tramite elementi barocchi della scena e costumi/abiti del marchio Chanel.
Examining the relationship between the level of self-efficacy of teachers and the level of schools' openness to change
Authors: Duygu Seyma Avsar , Yusuf Inandı , Hacı Ismail Arslantas
Published: July 2022

The aim of this research is to reveal the relationship between the self-efficacy level of teachers and their schools’ level of openness to change. A correlational survey model was used in the research. The data were collected from 385 teachers working in the central districts of Mersin Province in the 2021-2022 academic year. The data were collected through the general self-efficacy scale and the openness to change scale, and the data obtained were examined through correlation and regression analyses. The findings revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between the self-efficacy level of teachers and their schools’ level of openness to change. There was a strong positive relationship between the effort-insistence sub-dimension of self-efficacy and the emotional attitude sub-dimension of openness to change (r = .403**) In addition, the sub-dimensions of teachers' self-efficacy had a statistically significant effect on predicting all sub-dimensions of schools’ openness to change. It can be stated that teachers’ level of self-efficacy predicts their schools’ level of openness to change. In particular, the level of self-efficacy of teachers accounted for 17% of the total variance of the emotional attitude sub-dimension to change (R2 = .175, p > .01).
Environmental Factors that Influence First Year Special Education Teacher Retention
Authors:   , Beaird Lisa Michelle
Published: July 2022

This study sought to determine what influences first year special education teachers to stay or leave their first full-time position through the prospectiveof the Theory of Work Adjustment.The study employed a quantitative, nonexperimental longitudinal design involving both intern and credentialed education specialists in their first year as a full-time special eduction teacher. Data were obtained through a self-administered online web-based survey using Survey Monkey, which was a modification of the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE) instrument.Spearman correlation from the analysis was used for the ordinal response data from the seven first-year special education teachers. Results indicated that early perceptions have a strong influence on the inclination to stay in or leave their first position.