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Representation matters: Students choose their study expert
No full textEar to the Ground features voices from several corners of the mathematics education world
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) impacts morphology of Fowler’s toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) sperm during short-term cold storage
Get PDFShort-term cold storage of amphibian sperm is a valuable technique for overcoming challenges associated with asynchronous gamete release during breeding events or for transferring sperm between institutions for genetic management. Unfortunately, sperm longevity declines over time even when kept cool. Maintaining sperm form and function is critical to achieving the highest possible fertilization rates. Thus, cold storage of amphibian sperm would benefit from the addition of compounds that could extend their quality, improve fertilization and result in more offspring. One such compound is bovine serum albumin (BSA), which provides membrane stabilization, prevents lipid peroxidation of cells, protects against free radical damage and may even be a source of ATP. Very little is known about the beneficial effects of co-incubation of BSA with anuran sperm over time and such studies would be valuable for threatened amphibian species in conservation breeding programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphology of chilled Fowler’s toad sperm over time with increasing concentrations of bovine serum albumin (BSA). To examine BSA’s effects on toad sperm structure, males (n=10) were administered 300 IU of human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) intraperitoneally and spermic urine samples were collected at 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours post-injection. Subsequently, samples were evaluated, pooled and mixed with three treatments of BSA (weight/volume): Low (0.25%), Medium (0.5%), and High (0.75%). Several morphological parameters were analyzed, prior to- and after addition of BSA, including the proportion of: normal sperm (N), abnormal head (AH), abnormal tail (AT) and abnormal head + tail (AHT). After the addition of BSA to each treatment group, samples were stored at 4°C and a subsample removed for morphology assessment on days 1,2,4,7,11, and 14. Results revealed that all three concentrations of BSA had a greater proportion of normal sperm over time when compared to the control. Across all timepoints, there was a greater percentage of normal sperm found in the BSA treatments vs. the control. Statistical analysis revealed BSA concentrations and experimental day significantly impacted the percentage of normal sperm (F(3, 194) = 4.31, p = 0.0057) and (F(5, 194) = 7.57, p \u3c 0.0001), respectively. However, there was no significant interaction between the treatment and experimental day that affected sperm structure (F(15, 194) = 1.04, p = 0.4202). Using a Kruskal-Wallis test showed no statistical significance in normal morphology on days 7, 11, and 14 amongst treatment groups. Pairwise comparisons showed statistical significance between 0.5% BSA and both the control (p \u3c 0.05) and 0.25% BSA (p \u3c 0.05) after day 1, with additional changes over time noted. Overall, these findings offer important insights on the beneficial addition of BSA for short-term cold storage. Enhancing the normal morphological structure of toad sperm during cold-storage should provide higher fertilization rates and overcome poor sperm quality issues resulting from asynchronous gamete release
Self-Recording Teaching Using Video Conferencing Platforms: Enhancing Reflection and Practice
No full textHow often do you use video conferencing platforms (VCPs) to self-record your online teaching so you can reflect on your practice afterward? How often do you encourage the teachers you work with, whether preservice or in-service, to self-record their online teaching using VCPs? Mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) and the teachers they support can use self-recorded teaching videos to reflect on, set goals, and improve their instructional practices. Building on van Es and colleagues (2015), we explored how VCPs, like Zoom, can extend the benefits of self-captured video. van Es and colleagues discussed key considerations for effective self-recording that we argue are still relevant when using VCPs, including camera positioning, video length, and task specification. Reflecting on our practice, we found that VCP-specific features offer additional opportunities to self-reflect and promote more meaningful online classroom interactions. These features may enhance self-recorded videos and help educators analyze details about their moves, student participation, and mathematical discourse. We highlight how MTEs could strategically use VCPs, a conveyance technology (Dick & Hollebrands, 2011), to optimize the usefulness of self-recorded online teaching videos by discussing potential affordances and constraints of key Zoom features. Before recording, educators must inform students and obtain their permission
Sustainability of the Fashion Industry: An Examination of the US Fashion Industry\u27s Impact on Water Quality
No full textWater quality has been a point of discussion in the global discussions on climate change and sustainability since their inception. With that in mind, anything that degrades the quality of water should be investigated and resolved. Numerous studies have been conducted on the garment industry’s water pollution and, therefore, the impact on water quality. While many studies have been done on countries with large garment production facilities, the US has been left out of these investigations. This research seeks to fill this gap in knowledge and provide an estimate of the marginal impact of garment production on water quality in the US using a fixed effects panel regression model. This study found that garment production in the US decreased dissolved oxygen saturation by 0.0664 percentage points on average for every million dollars in total wages and decreased pH by 0.0021 on average for every million dollars in total wages. These results illustrate a negative correlation between the garment production industry in the US even though the US has very strict water quality enforcement measures
Data Entry in a Snap: Using Technology to Enter Paper Survey Data
No full textSnap Surveys is helpful software that can make the data management process for program evaluations more efficient. In this article, we discuss the software’s paper-scanning feature and how it has positively impacted our data management strategy
Evaluation of plant growth regulators on sweetpotato slip propagation
No full textSweetpotato production is often impacted by high mortality of slips during transplantation to the field, particularly with greenhouse-grown slips. These slips develop thinner stems, thus being more vulnerable to transplant shock, resulting in reduced establishment. To address this issue, the study evaluated the effects of four plant growth regulators on the morphological and anatomical characteristics of sweetpotato slips. In the first experiment, external growth parameters were recorded over four weeks, followed by post-harvest assessments of plant and root material. In the second experiment, the widths of various stem structures in stained cross-sections of slip stems were measured. Results showed that two applications of uniconazole at 20 mg·L⁻¹ reduced slip height by 41.6%, while flurprimidol at 120 mg·L⁻¹ increased epidermal thickness by 31.8%. Chlorophyll content was enhanced at various rates of all tested chemicals. However, both flurprimidol and uniconazole reduced the external stem diameter. Future research should explore optimal application rates to improve slip establishment and yield potential
Evaluating the feeding value of almond hulls and the supplementation of carbohydrases on performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility and intestinal health in LSL-Lite hens
No full textAlmond hulls (AH) are a by-product of the almond nut processing rich mainly in insoluble fiber. Addition of fiber in the diet has been shown positive results in performance in poultry. However, scientific literature on the use of AH in poultry is limited. The objective of this dissertation was to determine the effect of the supplementation of ground AH and cellulase-xylanase carbohydrase enzyme (E) inclusions on performance, egg quality, ileal nutrients digestibility, jejunum gene expression and ceca microbiota of Lohmann LSL-Lite pullets and laying hens from 0 to 70 weeks of age. Chapter I describe the knowledge on the composition and effects of AH on performance and digestibility as well as the effects of fiber supplementation in the diet of poultry. In Chapter II, the study on supplementation of AH at 3%, 6%, and 9% and E throughout the pullet phase (4-16 weeks of age) showed that up to 9% AH, the overall FI, BW, ADG, FCR and body uniformity and CP digestibility was not affect by AH supplementation. Pullets during the grower phase increased their FI at 3% AH than at 6% or 9%AH when added E, and FCR decreased at 6 and 9% without reducing BW. In addition, gene expression of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) increased in hens fed 5% AH, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect of AH in the jejunum tissue, while ceca microbiota population was unaffected in all groups. In Chapter III, the study on supplementation of AH at 5%, 10%, and 15% and E in laying hens from 22 to 40 weeks of age showed that supplementation of AH at 5% and E, did not negatively affect FI and egg production. The addition of higher levels of AH (10% and 15%) and E reduced FI, and at 15% AH, FCR was reduced without BW reduction. Ceca increased its relative weight at 15% AH. Digestibility of CP was increased at 5% and decreased at higher inclusions. In Chapter IV, the evaluation on the addition of AH at 5%, 10%, and 15% and E in laying hens from 44 to 70 weeks of age indicated that supplementation of AH at 5% and E, did not negatively affect FI and egg production. However, higher AH levels (10% and 15%) reduced BW and FI, while increasing FCR and unsellable eggs when AH was used as the sole energy source. Eggshell quality decreased with AH inclusion at 10% and 15% compared to the control group. Digestibility of GE was increased at 5% AH but declined at higher levels. From 22 to 70 weeks, the ileal gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, tight junction proteins, and mucin synthesis genes, along with ceca microbiota composition remained similar to the control group. In conclusion, AH inclusion of up to 9% in pullets does not negatively impact performance or intestinal health, while supplementation with 5% AH and E during the production phase is comparable to a conventional diet
Optical flow-based Markov decision process control strategies for autonomous mobile robots in dynamic environments
No full textAutonomous mobile robots (AMRs) serve diverse purposes across various settings to assist with material handling operations. AMRs rely on advanced control methods to manage and execute tasks such as motion planning, environmental perception, navigation, and obstacle avoidance. As warehouse environments become increasingly complex, there is a growing demand for AMR sensing technology to maintain maximum safety. This thesis proposes to leverage optical flow utilizing AMR vision data to incorporate real-time sensory information into the control strategy framed as Markov Decision Processes (MDP). The proposed model investigates how dynamic and real-time sensing information can be incorporated into MDP models via optical flow, capturing AMR’s surroundings to enhance situational awareness and, consequently, pedestrian safety. Moreover, to maximize the model’s validity and practical application, it was tested within a physics-based simulation. Experimental results validate that the optical flow-based results outperform the standard MDP model regarding AMR efficiency, proving its enhanced effectiveness and reliability
The influence of incorrectly labelled AI-generated images on subjective feelings of truth and memory
No full textArtificial intelligence (AI) photo generators generated more than 15 billion images in the past year alone (Valyaeva, 2023). To subdue concerns about misinformation, many online platforms have mandated that content generated with AI be labelled as such (Bond, 2023), but the efficacy of these warning labels is largely unknown. Previous research shows that the presence of an image affects how much we trust the information we are exposed to, so we would expect these AI-generated images to influence people’s beliefs. The purpose of the present research was to examine how AI-generated warning labels influence people’s trust in claims presented with apparent AI-generated images. Three experiments investigated subjective feelings of truth (i.e., truthiness) and memory for statements presented alongside images labelled with warnings disclaiming they were “AI-generated” to determine the effect such labels and photos have on the truthiness of information
