Authors:Douglas Tuers Abstract: This article is a case study of botanical field work in the eastern United States in the early twentieth century. These cases will be analyzed as instances of browsing and serendipity. Browsing and serendipity have a rich literature in information science and this article will draw on this literature in order to better understand serendipity in botany. This article will show how botanical localities support browsing and serendipity for the botanists who search them. This article will also show how botanical institutions and botanists interface with localities in order to further support browsing and serendipity. As a whole this article will present a new way of understanding botanical practice and the role of serendipity within it. PubDate: Thu, 25 May 2023 07:27:53 PDT
Authors:Sasha Bronovitskiy et al. Abstract: The olfactory conditioning assay is widely used in Alzheimer’s disease research to quantify learning and memory in Drosophila melanogaster. The assay tests ability to recall an aversive conditioned stimulus of scent paired with electrical shock when presented a choice between shock-associated and unrelated scents. The T-maze, a commonly used apparatus for olfactory conditioning assays, employs an elevator mechanism to transfer live flies from the shock-delivering training chamber to the scent selection point. This elevator mechanism is known to cause fly casualty. T-mazes are not commercially available and often difficult to reproduce. Other existing variations of olfactory conditioning apparatuses use airflow or automated machinery to transfer flies in place of the elevator. These alternative methods are known to inflict stress on flies during transfer, potentially altering conditioning effectiveness. A new, single-chamber apparatus was designed to address these concerns. The design consolidates the training chamber and scent selection point into one space, eliminating the need for transfer. The chamber features a flexible copper printed circuit board, which is powered off to convert the space to the non-shocking selection point. A multi-opening slider component provides controlled access to the chamber, streamlining fly insertion, training, testing, and removal. All structural elements are 3D printed, allowing for simple reproduction and alteration if desired. In preliminary trials, the single-chamber design displayed both minimal fly casualty and promise in functioning as a suitable alternative for traditional olfactory conditioning apparatuses. PubDate: Tue, 09 May 2023 06:07:35 PDT
Authors:Cindy J. Lahar et al. Abstract: The detrimental impact of social isolation on health and well-being has been reported in older adults (Prohaska, et al., 2020). Yet findings also demonstrate that older adults have a motivational shift to prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and experiences (Carstensen, 1993; Sakaki, et al., 2019), prioritize emotional meaning in situations, focus on positive emotions and stimuli over negative feelings and live in the present rather than focus on future preparedness. Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) (Carstensen, 1993; Carstensen, Fung & Charles, 2003) suggests that older adults have a limited sense of time left in life and shift their focus to meaningful and positive experiences. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic most individuals became physically separated from family, friends and social activities that are so important to overall well-being. To explore the contradicting evidence in the literature about detrimental effects of social isolation and the SST theory, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 older adults ranging in age from 62 to 86 years old to explore their experiences during the pandemic and specifically to address emotional well-being, social experiences and coping mechanisms. Qualitative analyses revealed themes of problem-solving and emotion-focused coping, social support, and meaning making with ample evidence of the positivity effect. These findings support the SST theory as many participants expressed great resilience as they discussed how they engaged in emotionally meaningful activities and experiences and even made the best of adverse experiences during the pandemic. PubDate: Tue, 09 May 2023 06:07:31 PDT
Authors:Michelle Sackey-Ansah et al. Abstract: Pharmaceuticals are increasingly detected in water bodies, and their presence can negatively impact aquatic organisms. This effect can be amplified when combined with increasing salinity in freshwater ecosystems. Acetaminophen is a widely used analgesic that is commonly found in river, streams, and waters where it is discharged directly. Therefore, organisms present in these locations (e.g., insects, snails, amphibians, and fish) are likely to be affected by acetaminophen. In this study, we determined the effects of elevated salinity (0.68 g/L), acetaminophen (500 µg/L) and combined elevated salinity (0.68 g/L) and acetaminophen (500 µg/L), on the growth, reproduction, and movement of the freshwater snail Physa acuta. There were no effects on growth or reproduction. No changes were observed on movement in individual treatments groups; however, there was a significant effect in the combined treatment of salinity and acetaminophen. It is likely that an energetic trade-off between physiological mechanisms resulted in a synergistic negative effect on snails. PubDate: Tue, 17 Jan 2023 13:27:39 PST
Authors:Drew Budner et al. Abstract: The BooZi is a commercially available flavor-modifying device that claims to remove the negative flavor agents (congeners) from a number of different types of distilled spirits and wines. SPME was utilized for the extraction of the volatile and semi-volatile compounds within each sample. The analysis of the compounds found in the samples following exposure to the BooZi device were analyzed using a GC-MS. The most significant changes regarding the aroma profile of the distilled spirits were noticeable following 96 hours of exposure. The BooZi device was shown to be effective in reducing the concentration of a number of compounds, including 21 compounds having statistically significant changes. It was determined that the reduction of the compounds is associated with the mass of the product and the exposure time. This study has shown the effectiveness of the BooZi device in reducing the negative congeners within the distilled spirts samples tested. PubDate: Sat, 07 Jan 2023 08:22:30 PST
Authors:Stephanie A. Babinec Abstract: Light pollution at night is a growing issue in many suburban and urban settings, commonly referred to as artificial light at night (ALAN). Many studies have been conducted as to how the intensity or wavelength of this lighting can disrupt the circadian rhythm but none have evaluated how the timing of this light could affect it. It is hypothesized that those that chronically experience dim artificial light at night (dALAN) after biological day will lead to a more pronounced disruption in the metabolic system and therefore will cause an increased level of weight gain. Mice were used as test subjects and were split into four groups: 1) 12 light, 12 dark (L:N); 2) 12 light, 4 dim, 8 off (L:D:N); 3) 12 light, 4 off, 4 dim, 4 off (L:N:D:N); and 4) 12 light, 8 off, 4 dim (L:N:D). The weight of these mice was tracked weekly to obtain the necessary data. This data were then analyzed for percent body weight increase and an ANOVA was run, obtaining a p-value of 0.000053. A Scheffe test was then run, finding a significant difference between L:N and L:D:N, L:N and L:N:D, and L:D:N and L:N:D:N. These results support that chronic dALAN exposure can lead to increased percent body weight changes. Future studies can further examine the possibilities as to why this is. PubDate: Thu, 27 Oct 2022 09:32:02 PDT
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