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In-vitro analysis of cobalt sulfate exposure on human fibroblast lung cell health
No full textThe rapid shift toward sustainable energy solutions, particularly in the transportation sector, has driven a surge in electric vehicle (EV) production. As the demand for EVs continues to rise, so does the global reliance on cobalt mining and its subsequent use in commercial applications despite the long-term health consequences of increased cobalt exposure remaining largely unclear. An in vitro study using cobalt sulfate to induce toxicity was used to investigate the effect this toxin had on cellular proliferation and other cellular processes in a MRC-5 cell line. Preliminary results show that increasing cobalt sulfate toxicity concentrations have a negative impact on cellular morphology. Additionally, a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.09 mM CoSO4 was determined and used for future experiments. CoSO4 toxicity has a negative effect on the cell line and future work seeks to understand what cellular processes are being affected and whether or not these cells can be salvaged after toxicity
Purification of GST-Tagged major capsid protein for aptamer-based detection of ranavirus
No full textRanavirus poses a significant threat to amphibian populations, necessitating rapid and reliable diagnostic tools. This study optimized protein purification methods for Ranavirus major capsid protein (MCP), which is the primary structural protein of the virus. The protein expression was conducted using a three-day protocol. We purified our protein using two different types of affinity chromatography resin: glutathione transferase (GST) and Ni-NTA. Protein concentration and purity was assessed using Nanodrop spectrophotometer (A260/A280 ratios) and SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis. Initial purification with a GST-tag successfully yielded protein; however, Nanodrop analysis (A260/A280 \u3e 1.24) revealed DNA contamination, with a protein concentration of less than 5 μM. Gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of DNA contamination, requiring an alternative purification approach. An initial attempt to remove DNA using nuclease led to a significant loss of protein yield. To resolve this issue, a His-tag purification system was used instead of a GST-tag, successfully eliminating DNA contamination. This improvement allows us to use a cleaner Ranavirus major capsid protein sample for ouraptamer-binding studies and to avoid experimental complications that might result from the presence of the contaminating DNA
The impact of food insecurity on healthcare access in New Jersey
No full textFood insecurity is a significant public health barrier to accessing healthcare and affordable nutritious food for many New Jersey residents. This study examines the association between food insecurity and two healthcare access outcomes: the inability to see a doctor due to cost and the length of time since a routine checkup. Data used was collected through an online pilot survey administered in Fall 2023 where 26.1% of respondents overall reported experiencing food insecurity. In two logistic regression models, the associations were adjusted for income, education, gender, and race. It was found that individuals experiencing food insecurity were significantly associated with higher odds of needing but being unable to afford a doctor’s visit (adjusted OR = 38.95, 95% CI = 2.35, 645.49) but was not significantly associated with having gone more than a year without a routine checkup (adjusted OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.06, 2.57). The findings highlight the need for policies that address food insecurity as a means to improve healthcare access in New Jersey
Photocatalytic disinfection of titania nanotubes- graphitic carbon nitride
No full textPhotocatalysis is a promising method for bacterial disinfection that uses visible light-activated materials to produce reactive species that can kill microorganisms. This study compares the photocatalytic disinfection efficiency of graphitic carbon nitride (GCN), Titania Nanotubesnanotubes-graphitic carbon nitride (TiNTbs-GCN), and Titania Nanotubes (TiNTbs) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). It is interesting to explore the disinfection efficiency of GCN-TiNTbs due to its high stability, large surface area, and ability to act as photocatalysts by absorbing light and generating reactive species. E. coli K-12 cultures were standardized to a concentration of 1×103 CFU/mL and exposed to photocatalysts using a solar simulator with UV cut-off and heat filter cut-off. The viability of bacteria is determined via the traditional plating method. GCN-TiNTbs showed a viability of 52 % after having an exposure time of two hours under visible light. TiNTbs itself did not show any disinfection activity. These results showed that compositing GCN with TiNTbs will bring the photocatalytic disinfection properties to TiNTbs under visible light
How do phonological/phonemic awareness and speech sound production influence one another?
No full textClinical Scenario: Children that have difficulties with speech sound production and phonological/phonemic awareness face many difficulties within a school setting, especially in regards to literacy skills such as reading, writing, spelling, and decoding. To design effective interventions, many researchers have investigated how speech sound production and phonological/phonemic awareness intertwine and influence one another in school-aged children. Clinical Question: How do speech sound production and phonological/phonemic awareness influence one another? Search Strategy: Utilizing critical appraisal techniques, articles were gathered from peer-reviewed journals within the field of communication disorders such as the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, and the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. Inclusion criteria included articles about speech sound production, speech sound disorders, phonological/phonemic awareness, and literacy. Exclusion criteria excluded articles that were not peer-reviewed and sources that did not address speech sound production and phonological/phonemic awareness. Using the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy, the articles utilized met a criterion of at least level 2 or letter B. Key Findings: Research indicates that there might be a reciprocal relationship between phonological/phonemic awareness and speech sound production skills. Teaching children how to produce sounds can enhance phonological/phonemic awareness and implementing phonological/phonemic awareness activities into speech therapy can benefit children with speech impairments. Clinical Bottom Line: Phonological/Phonemic awareness and speech sound production bidirectionally influence one another and speech-language pathologists should integrate activities that combine these concepts in their clinical practice
Exploring dream therapy as an alternative to capital punishment: An ethical and psychological perspective
No full textOne justification for the death penalty is deterrence. However, the death penalty is barbaric. Innocent people have been wrongfully executed. A traditional alternative to capital punishment is a life sentence. A non-traditional alternative is dream therapy. Dream therapy can be used to help those convicted of capital offenses acknowledge and understand why they committed such crimes. With that understanding, a defendant may be deterred from criminal activity in the future. What can and should be done to eliminate or limit capital punishment and instead use dream therapy as a corrective measure? This is a complex problem implicating the disciplines of law and psychology. Using qualitative research methodology, I analyzed relevant sources including the Constitution, statutory and case law, and articles in scholarly journals from the disciplines of law and psychology, the latter specifically including articles regarding dream therapy. I identified conflicting insights from each discipline. I then found common ground between and integrated those insights to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. That enables me to suggest resolutions to the problem. I conclude that the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent. The federal government should fund a study of the effectiveness of dream therapy as an alternative to capital punishment. If the results of such study demonstrate that dream therapy can be an effective deterrent, it can be implemented on an experimental basis, and the results assessed before legislatures enact appropriate legislation permitting the use of dream therapy as an alternative to the death penalty
Social belonging and anxiety in black adolescents: Outcomes of a culturally adapted school-based intervention
No full textSocial anxiety (SA) is a common adolescent mental health condition characterized by persistent fear and avoidance in social situations, that can hinder relationships, academics, and overall well-being (American Psychiatric association, 2022). Social belonging, the feeling of acceptance within one\u27s social environment, has been noted to serve as a protective factor for SA in adolescents (Pickering, 2019). However, Black adolescents often report lower social belonging due to racism and discrimination, increasing their SA risk (Bottiani et al., 2017; Kline, 2021). This study examines the impact of a culturally adapted implementation of SASS, a school-based SA intervention designed to address the unique needs and barriers of Black adolescents (Masia Warner et al., 2024). Participants (N = 15) were identified by administering measures including the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED; Birmaher, 1999) and Sense of Social Fit Scale (SSF; Walton & Cohen, 2007), and completed the 12-week school-based program designed to enhance academic and socio-emotional functioning and reduce SA symptoms. Results of the correlation between SSF scores and SCARED scores at baseline indicated SA ratings to be moderately negatively correlated with social belonging ratings (r = -.343, p = 0.210); results of the ANCOVA with treatment responder status on post-intervention ratings of social belonging indicated a significant effect F(2, 9) = 4.46, p = .045, partial η2 = .50). These findings highlight the need to implement culturally responsive SA interventions in school settings to build social belonging and address SA in Black adolescents (Boyd, 2025)
The dichotomy between how the United States and Europe regulate hate speech online
No full textAs social media’s popularity grows, so does the online spread of hate speech and misinformation. In the United States, the First Amendment’s protections are broad and the Supreme Court has recognized few exceptions to it. Moreover, social media companies are largely unregulated due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Yet, online speech reaches a larger audience than offline speech, and the words never truly disappear. Other countries, such as Germany, have enacted laws to combat online hate speech and misinformation. What can be done in the United States to achieve a balance between rights of free speech and regulating the use of social media to spread hate speech and misinformation? This is a complex problem that requires interdisciplinary research to more fully understand the problem. I used qualitative research methodology, specifically textual analysis, analyzing sources to determine conflicting insights from the disciplines of law and comparative studies to examine how the United States and Germany address regulating online hate speech and misinformation. I then find common ground between such insights, and integrate them to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. That understanding leads to suggested resolutions of the problem. I have not completed my research, but I am able to conclude that government regulation can impede free speech online. However, given the real harm that can be caused by it, the Supreme Court should recognize a new exception to First Amendment protections for hate speech and misinformation disseminated through private social media platforms
She-wolf: An evolution of Roman symbolism
No full textThe historical foundations of Roman civilization are intrinsically connected to mythic symbolism. The Capitoline She-Wolf statue traditionally represents the mythological tale of Rome’s creation, wherein the demigod founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, defy death thanks to the She-Wolf’s intervention. A persistent symbol of Roman culture since the beginning, the She-Wolf has undergone interpretational transformations over the centuries. In antiquity, the She-Wolf reflected various ideals including the belief that gods and nature approved of Rome’s cultural dominance and the notion that, like wolves in nature, Roman society preys upon weaker civilizations in order to thrive. As centuries passed, philosophical thinking evolved and so did interpretations of the She-Wolf. During the Middle Ages, the statue was reimagined with new religious connotations that coincide with the European shift from paganism to Christianity. Academic study in the medieval era was characterized by the desire to recycle ancient concepts to represent the development of new ideas, and the She-Wolf was no exception. The She-Wolf continues to be a prominent symbol that represents the proverbial “soul” of Roman virtues. In the 20th century, it was repurposed as a political tool to further the agenda of Benito Mussolini. Mussolini sought to legitimize his government by drawing comparisons between the renowned Rome of antiquity and the Fascist regime. This paper analyzes written sources to examine the various social, political, and cultural trends that have influenced interpretations of the She-Wolf throughout the ages, evaluating how and why ancient symbols are reinterpreted to suit different social contexts and ideologies
Investigating Elementary Preservice Teachers\u27 Struggles in Mathematics Problem Solving and the Use of Scaffolds for Supporting Them
Get PDFMathematical problem solving is a topic that has seen an increased focus in recent years, highlighted by its inclusion as the first Standard for Mathematical Practice in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). However, elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) often struggle when solving problems that are nonroutine and require higher cognitive demand. Many have little experience solving this type of problem and show an increased level of anxiety around problem solving, which impacts the way they engage their students with problem solving. To support PSTs to become better problem solvers, it is important to provide opportunities for PSTs to engage in problem solving themselves. This dissertation explores the struggles that PSTs encounter while solving mathematics problems and the type of scaffolds that can support them to recover from impasses. A design experiment was conducted with ten PSTs working in pairs to solve six problems. When the PSTs hit an impasse, a scaffold was offered to see if it would help them to overcome the impasse and make their struggle productive. While the design experiment began with some scaffolds for each problem as conjectures based on prior research, these were open for modification as the experiment unfolded. Prior research with middle school students (Warshauer, 2015) has established a framework of types of student struggle. The findings of the current study showed that PSTs experienced similar struggles, and the study also expanded the framework to include three new struggles experienced by PSTs, namely struggle in developing a plan, struggle with not recognizing an unreasonable answer, and struggle with working with unproductive information. In terms of the use of scaffolds that can help those PSTs to overcome their struggles, this study found that some scaffolds, such as drawing a picture or trying a problem with smaller numbers, were particularly successful and were adopted and adapted by the PSTs in subsequent problem solving sessions. The study also found that some struggles, such as misconceptions and errors, had high rates of scaffold success, where others, such as the use of unproductive information, were challenging to scaffold successfully. In addition, the findings showed that sometimes a second scaffold was needed for the PSTs to complete the problems as some struggles became evident after the first scaffold was given. This study provides suggestions on how mathematics teacher educators can help their PSTs to become better problem solvers. Through the identification of both areas of struggle and effective scaffolds, teacher educators can design lessons in problem solving that encourage PSTs to both adopt and adapt specific scaffolds as new strategies for problem solving. The new struggles identified in this study provide teacher educators with areas to focus on and to address during instruction on problem solving. Beyond teacher education, this expanded framework can help any mathematics teacher to recognize their students’ struggles and support them with scaffolds that would help them make progress and become better problem solvers