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EMOTIONAL STATE OF SMALL ANIMAL VETERINARIANS AND EUTHANASIA: A GLOBAL APPROACH
No full textEuthanasia is a very common practice in veterinary medicine, encountered by small animals veterinarians in their everyday practice as the number of companion animals have exponentially increased these last decades reflecting the societal changes from a rural multigenerational family unit to a urban nuclear model, including companion animals, considered henceforth as family members. Although common, euthanasia does not come without consequences on the emotional state of the veterinarians practitioners worldwide. To fully apprehend its effects, euthanasia has to be understood from a global approach, including ethics, legality and psychology. Euthanasia appears as an ethical challenge for veterinarians, not only because of the caring-killing paradox of having to kill animals you wish to heal when embracing the profession, but also because it is unclear to whom veterinarians owe their primary duty, the pet/patient or the owner/client. However, euthanasia, even though regulated by laws and guidelines, is legal because animals are considered as property of their owner. Euthanasia also appears to be a significant work-related stressor resulting in a specific moral distress that can lead to compassion fatigue, burnout and mental health disorders such as depression and suicide for which veterinarians are at higher risk than the general population. To help veterinarians alleviate the negative consequences from having to perform euthanasia, their approach to euthanasia in practice will help to determine the main areas in need of improvement which appear to be the training, whether in veterinary school or after, through continuing education, and the communication with the client/owner to be able to voice their concerns and propose alternative solutions when they exist. Moreover, to improve their mental health, it is essential to help veterinarians building resilience through the development of positive coping strategies and a supportive work environment to increase their job satisfaction, therefore improving their overall mental health
Upsides of Cutting Down on Social Media: Potential Relationships With Self-Esteem, Self-Concept Clarity, and Social Anxiety
No full textResearch on the relationship between social media use and self-esteem has shown mixed effects, some positive and some negative, and highlighted the importance of individual variables in determining the magnitude and direction of the relationship. The current study aimed to examine self-concept clarity and social anxiety as moderators in the relationship between reducing social media use and increasing self-esteem. Hypotheses predicted reducing social media use would increase self-esteem, low self-concept clarity levels would predict a greater increase in self-esteem than high self-concept clarity levels, and high social anxiety levels would predict a greater increase in self-esteem than low social anxiety levels. In a two-week longitudinal study (N=8), participants reduced their social media use for one or two weeks. They completed the Self-Concept Clarity Scale, Social Phobia Scale Short Form, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale Short Form, and State Self-Esteem Scale Short Form, and answered social media use, demographic, and compliance questions. No inferential statistics were conducted, and conclusions are not generalizable. Self-esteem and self-concept clarity increased, and social anxiety decreased after reducing social media use in most participants in this sample. The study provides some support for the literature suggesting a negative effect of social media use on well-being
Cultivating Diversity: Investigating the Impact of Maize-Bean-Squash Intercropping on the Soil Microbiome
No full textSoil microbes have a direct impact on plant and soil health. The unsustainability of contemporary agricultural practices pose an increasing threat to the food security of human societies, as many of these practices result in the degradation of soil health, upon which future productivity is reliant. A number of studies have affirmed the assertion that organic farming methods such as milpa increase microbial diversity which has been shown to increase nutrient bioavailability and can help the restoration of damaged soil. The present study investigates the comparative bulk soil microbiome between maize, bean, and squash monocultures and maize, bean, and squash intercropping modeled on the milpa agroecosystem as to provide insight on the potential benefits of intercropping practices on the maintenance of soil health. A field experiment was conducted during the month of July at the Oxford College Organic Farm with seven treatments: maize, bean, squash, maize-bean, maize-squash, bean-squash, and milpa (maize-bean-squash). DNA was extracted from a total of 20 samples and sequenced by Zymo Research using 16s rRNA sequencing for bacterial identification and ITS1/2 sequencing for fungal identification. The samples underwent quantification using qPCR and automated electrophoresis and the final library was sequenced on Illumina MiSeq. Results revealed that a total of 2,634 bacterial and 727 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed. Microbial diversity results were inconclusive regarding if intercropped samples displayed greater soil microbial diversity when compared to monoculture samples. While there does appear to be a nominally significant association between the microbiome of the samples when divided between monoculture (maize, bean, and squash) and intercropped (maize-bean, maize-squash, bean-squash, and milpa) sample types, more research would need to be done under improved experimental conditions to confirm any possible association
DO BABIES LEARN FROM INTERACTIVE BABY MEDIA?
No full textChildren in modern society are exposed to media every day, and there is little to be done in regards to limits or screen time. Two types of videos were created and given to children between 17-24 months in order to examine the context of interaction in media and determine whether they were able to learn more novel words from interactive media than they were able to learn from non-interactive media. All participants learned between four and nine of the ten novel words they were taught via the media. Results found that the context of interaction in media did not predict the number of novel words that children were able to learn in this study. However, interaction is discussed as having possible important implications for how much children are able to learn from media
Youth Mental Health in Occupied Palestinian Territories
No full textDespite the pervasive presence of occupation and its potential ramifications on mental health, a notable gap in research exists concerning the specific impact of Israel’s occupation on Palestinian youth. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, this study identifies key determinants of mental health and examines their manifestation within the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Drawing upon established frameworks and empirical evidence, the research explores how factors such as violence, restricted movement, food and water insecurity, and inadequate sanitary infrastructure intersect to shape the mental well-being of Palestinian youth under occupation. For each of these major features of occupation, this thesis synthesizes findings from existing research on the impact of similar conditions on mental health in other contexts and applies them to the Palestinian context. By juxtaposing these findings with the realities faced by Palestinian youth and the limited empirical information we have about youth mental health in the OPT, the study explains the unique challenges posed by occupation and their implications for mental health outcomes. The research reveals significant parallels between the identified determinants of mental health and the conditions prevalent in the occupied Palestinian territories. Within the challenging context in which Palestinian youth live, the research we have shows that these youth do indeed suffer from alarming rates of the predicted mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, as well as self-harm habits, hyper-vigilance, sleep-disorders, and developmental challenges. These rates have no doubt risen with the recent events in Palestine, exacerbating the already dire mental health situation. Urgent action is required to address the mental health needs of Palestinian youth. Incorporating comprehensive mental health programs into humanitarian aid and government initiatives is imperative to mitigate the detrimental effects of both longstanding and acute forms of occupation and to promote the well-being of youth in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF SHARK ECOTOURISM ON SHARK BEHAVIOR AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION
No full textShark ecotourism is a popular tourist attraction that is increasing worldwide. Shark ecotourism is a form of tourism that focuses on observing and interacting with sharks in their natural habitats while promoting conservation, education, and sustainable practices. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of shark ecotourism on three specific shark species: whale sharks (Rhincodon typups), grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus), and white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). This analysis will consider both the potential advantages and disadvantages that stem from behavioral changes linked to ecotourism activities. Moreover, the study aims to evaluate the constructive outcomes of shark ecotourism on both shark conservation initiatives and public perception. Lastly, I identify key strategies that can enhance the benefits of shark ecotourism, allowing tourists to interact with sharks while minimizing negative impacts on their behavior
UV-VISIBLE ABSORBANCE SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF HEME ABSORBANCE AND OXYGEN BINDING OF FOUR C. ELEGANS GLOBIN PROTEINS
No full textGlobins are a protein superfamily found throughout many different organisms that are most commonly known as oxygen binding proteins, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin. Globin proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans were discovered over a decade ago, but only a few of these 33 globin proteins have been characterized. Three globin proteins, GLB-1, GLB-6, and GLB-26, have been characterized with UV-Vis, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography (Geuens, E. et al., 2010; Yoon, J. et al., 2010). In order to contribute to the limited body of knowledge about C. elegans globin proteins, we examined the heme absorbance and oxygen binding capabilities of globin proteins GLB-10, GLB-21, and GLB-31 under oxygenated and deoxygenated conditions using UV-Vis spectroscopy and GLB-1 as a control. Each protein was overexpressed in E. coli and purified. Soret and Q bands were noted in the UV-Vis spectra, because they are characteristic of the heme group. In particular, the Soret and Q bands represent the conjugated nature of the heme group and indicate the resulting electron configuration. Under oxygenated conditions, GLB-1 showed the expected spectrum with a Soret band at 414 nm, and Q bands at 543 nm and at 578 nm. GLB-10 showed a similar spectrum with a Soret band at 418 nm and Q bands at 546.8 nm and 574 nm. GLB-31 also exhibited these peaks at slightly different wavelengths, with a Soret band at 418 nm and Q bands at 540 nm and 570 nm. GLB-21 precipitated during purification, and as such, was not analyzed spectroscopically. Sodium hydrosulfite and a mixture of dithiothreitol and horseradish peroxidase were both tested as potential deoxygenation methods but were found to have little effect. Potassium ferricyanide was used to produce the met-heme spectrum of GLB-1, which showed an intense band with a peak at 420.4 nm and a weak band with a peak at 542 nm. Structure and sequence alignments were also performed using ChimeraX’s Matchmaker tool. Structurally, GLB-31 was the closest to GLB-1 overall, with a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 4.504 Å. However, the sequence alignment showed that GLB-21 had the most conserved residues from the heme residues of GLB-1, indicating that GLB-21 has heme-coordinated residues that are the closest to GLB-1 out of all the experimental proteins. GLB-10 was the closest to GLB-6 structurally overall, with an RMSD of 3.813 Å. None of the experimental proteins had more than one heme residue that was conserved from the GLB-6 alignment, and every residue that was conserved was the predicted heme histidine of the experimental proteins. As such, it was concluded that the experimental proteins are likely pentacoordinated proteins that have different functions
EMOTIONS AND AUTISM: EXPLORING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ALEXITHYMIA IN ADULTS WITH AUTISTIC TRAITS
No full textThe purpose of this research is to highlight gender differences in the experience of alexithymia that may contribute to our understanding of the different autism phenotypes. Alexithymia is a neuropsychological phenomenon characterized by difficulty recognizing and describing one’s emotions. Alexithymia is present in about 10% of the general population (Linden et al. 1995; Salminen et al. 1999), but about 50-65% of the autistic population (Berthoz and Hill 2005; Hill et al. 2004; Samson et al. 2012). In the current study, I investigated gender differences in the facets of alexithymia experienced by adults with autistic traits by analyzing responses to an alexithymia self-report survey that looked at difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking. This is an important topic to explore because understanding gender differences in the experience of alexithymia can help us understand differences in resulting behaviors. A total of 55 participants consented to participate in this study, all of which began the survey and completed at least one of the survey measures. I found no gender differences in alexithymia severity, or in the facets of difficulty identifying feelings, or difficulty describing feelings. I found that men with high levels of autistic traits reported greater externally oriented thinking than women with high levels of autistic traits. Due to the gender distribution in this sample, exploratory analyses were conducted. I found a significant effect of gender on externally oriented thinking, with men with high levels of autistic traits reporting greater externally oriented thinking than non-binary individuals with high autistic traits. This research is important because alexithymia can have negative impacts on one’s life and understanding how it is experienced in different groups serves to further the development of our understanding of differences in presentation for different autism phenotypes
Enzyme Kinetic Characterization and Quantitation of 2-Hydroxyglutarate Production by C.elegans Isocitrate Dehydrogenase-1 Enzymes: Wild-Type IDH-1 and Mutant Enzymes G98N and R133H.
No full textThe metabolic enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH-1) is the C. elegans ortholog of human cytosolic IDH1. The mechanism for both the human and the C. elegans IDH1 enzymes reversibly convert the substrate isocitrate (ICT) to α-ketoglutarate (αKG). The IDH-1 enzyme is particularly interesting due to the association of certain IDH1 mutations to human cancers. The mutations that are associated with oncogenesis are shown to inhibit the activity of IDH1 by introducing a neomorphic activity that converts αKG to α-hydroxyglutaric acid, also called 2- hydroxyglutarate (2HG).To determine if IDH-1 may be a reliable model system to explore the cellular abnormalities produced by IDH-1 mutations, three variants of the C. elegans IDH-1 enzyme were analyzed; Wild-type IDH-1 as well as two mutants, G98N and R133H, which correspond to the human G97N and R132H mutations, respectively. Each of the three variants of the C. elegans IDH-1 gene was inserted into an expression vector pET303 (NEB) and overexpressed in E. coli Rosetta cells. The expressed IDH-1 enzyme was fused to an intein-chitin binding domain. It bound to a chitin bead column and was released by DTT-induced intein selfcleavage. Bradford assays were used to quantitate the purified IDH-1 samples. The initial characterization of wild-type IDH-1 using UV-Vis spectroscopic assays to detect NADPH led to the discovery of increased enzyme activity in the presence of Mn2+ and NADP+ compared to Mg2+ and NAD+, respectively. The experimental KM for αKG was lower (14 ± 2 μM) for the C. elegans R133H mutant when compared with the αKG KM values previously reported for the human R132H mutant. The experimental results indicated that the wild-type IDH-1 and R133H mutant had similar characteristics in the forward reaction to the human wild-type IDH1 and its R132H mutant, respectively. In contrast, the G98N mutant had a higher forward enzyme activity than the human G97N mutant. Additional analysis via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to measure the amount of 2HG produced by the C. elegans enzymes in the reverse reactions. The LC-MS results indicated that the R133H mutant produced more 2HG per reaction (80 ± 20 2HG/ICT) than the G98N (13 ± 1 2HG/ICT) and wild-type (1.5 ± 0.3 2HG/ICT) enzymes. The buildup of 2HG in the system is associated with an increased risk of oncogenesis, indicating that the human ortholog to the C. elegans R133H mutant may pose an increased risk of oncogenesis compared with the wild-type and the G97N mutant
DEALING WITH DARK HISTORIES: EXAMINING REPRESENTATIONS OF GERMAN COLONIALISM IN MUSEUMS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE MEMORY, PUBLIC OPINION, AND POLICY
No full textGermany\u27s notable process of dealing with the past, known as Vergangenheitsbewältigung, has predominantly focused on the National Socialist era. However, it overlooks other dark aspects of its history, notably its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism. This thesis explores how cultural institutions, specifically museums and memorials, can address these overlooked histories to cultivate collective memory and influence public opinion and policy. Emphasizing emotional and interactive engagement, this thesis examines methods used by such institutions through qualitative analysis of interviews and site visits in Berlin, Hamburg, and Flensburg. Results underscore the efficacy of these methods in fostering collective memory and suggest potential implications for public opinion and policy in Germany. Through an exploration of methods of representation in museums and memorials, this thesis contributes to understanding the role of cultural institutions in shaping collective memory and its connections to public opinion and policy