1025 research outputs found
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Determining the Effect of a CBC-based Oxime on Cell Viability and Apoptosis in Sea Urchin Embryos
Full text linkNatural products are an important source of existing and potential new anti-cancer drugs. We have previously shown that cannabichromene (CBC) oxime and several CBC oxime esters have potent anti-mitotic activity when used in bioassays with sea urchin embryos. In this study we explored the effect of the CBC oxime on cell viability and apoptosis in sea urchin embryos. Newly fertilized or gastrula stage embryos were combined with 10µM or 50uM CBC oxime as well as a DMSO only control. At various timepoints, samples of the embryos were removed from the cultures and stained with three different fluorescent dyes. NucBlue (ThermoFisher) was used to determine cell number, apoptotic effects were observed with CellEvent caspace3/7 (ThermoFisher), and cell viability was determined with Live-or-Dye (Biotium). As expected, there was a clear effect of the CBC oxime on the rate of cell division. The embryos exposed to both 10uM and 50uM CBC oxime showed a reduction in cell division compared to the controls, with an almost total inhibition in the higher concentration. Cell viability assays using the vital stain Live-or-Dye showed a concentration dependent effect of the CBC oxime on cell viability, with levels of cell death reaching almost 80% in the 50uM concentration by 3 hours after drug addition. Finally, staining with CellEvent caspace3/7, which indicates the presence of active caspase activity, demonstrated concentration dependent induction of apoptosis following exposure to the CBC oxime drug. Therefore, the loss of cell viability observed was due to apoptosis rather than necrosis. There are clear toxic effects seen when this drug is exposed to developing sea urchin embryos, suggesting that it might have potential use as a chemotherapy agent capable of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. We plan to test this hypothesis on human cancer cell lines in the near future
Discussing Topics of Diversity in the Elementary Classroom
Full text linkThis is a breif overview of a self-study with the guiding research question of How does discussing topics of diversity in my classroom affect my teaching practice?
Brief-Stress Cue Alleviates Forgetting the Stress-Induced Impairment of Extinction Learning in Rats
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Landmark-Guided T-Maze Learning in the Wolf Spider \u3cem\u3eTigrosa\u3c/em\u3e \u3cem\u3ehelluo\u3c/em\u3e
Full text linkWolf spiders can learn spatial navigation through simple maze tasks. It remains unclear if spatial learning is acquired through idiothetic information (i.e. self-referential movement cues) or if they use allothetic cues (e.g. external landmarks) to navigate. Spiders may also use specific types of landmarks to navigate known as reference frames. A reference frame is an environmental shape or boundary that provides a framework for spatial localization. Using a modified water T-maze, we recorded the ability of adult female Tigrosa helluo wolf spiders to correctly navigate toward a target reward. We measured variation in spatial learning of the target location with and without a reference frame. We tested females over ten consecutive trials whereby each subject had a maximum of thirty minutes to successfully achieve the goal. We repeated training the following day for each subject for a total of 20 trials over two days. For each trial we measured the latency to achieve the goal and number of reversions or path retracing. Results indicate significantly shorter time to goal over subsequent trials with shorter mean latency to achieve goal on the second day compared to the first and these effects were more pronounced when landmarks were present. Wolf spiders can learn simple T-maze navigation under our testing conditions, but learning is enhanced when guiding landmark features are present. Collectively these results suggest that idiothetic cues are relatively less important for spatial navigation and that learned spatial navigation tasks are better retained over two days in the presence of reference frames
Introduction to the Environmental Humanities
No full textIn an era of climate change, deforestation, melting ice caps, poisoned environments, and species loss, many people are turning to the power of the arts and humanities for sustainable solutions to global ecological problems. Introduction to the Environmental Humanities offers a practical and accessible guide to this dynamic and interdisciplinary field.
This book provides an overview of the Environmental Humanities’ evolution from the activist movements of the early and mid-twentieth century to more recent debates over climate change, sustainability, energy policy, and habitat degradation in the Anthropocene era. The text introduces readers to seminal writings, artworks, campaigns, and movements while demystifying important terms such as the Anthropocene, environmental justice, nature, ecosystem, ecology, posthuman, and non-human. Emerging theoretical areas such as critical animal and plant studies, gender and queer studies, Indigenous studies, and energy studies are also presented. Organized by discipline, the book explores the role that the arts and humanities play in the future of the planet.
Including case studies, discussion questions, annotated bibliographies, and links to online resources, this book offers a comprehensive and engaging overview of the Environmental Humanities for introductory readers. For more advanced readers, it serves as a foundation for future study, projects, or professional development.https://scholarlycommons.susqu.edu/facultybooks/1092/thumbnail.jp
Cash: never leave home with it?
No full textIn London, consumer transactions were as plentiful as the eight million people who lived there. While cash was considered “king” in retail, cash payments dropped by 15% across the UK in 2017, and debit and credit cards became the predominant payment method (Kollewe, 2018). Cash represented only 40% of customer payments and was expected to drop to 21% by 2026 (Lyons et al., 2018). This was likely driven by contactless payments whereby consumers preferred the speed and ease of being able to “tap and go.” As businesses were charged fees to accept credit card payments, many expected that small businesses would insist on cash for small transactions. Instead, some banished cash completely. Insights from two London businesses helped explain why some were dropping cash and completely embracing cards
Sub-Lethal Effects of Herbicides on the Wolf Spider \u3cem\u3ePardosa\u3c/em\u3e \u3cem\u3emilvina\u3c/em\u3e
Full text linkWe tested the sub-lethal effects of six commonly applied herbicides on juveniles of the agriculturally abundant wolf spider Pardosa milvina. We compared spider toxicological effects from herbicides that were freshly applied to soil, aged for 69 days indoors at room temperature, or aged for 69 days in a greenhouse with variable temperature, humidity, light, and evaporative water cycling. Field-collected juvenile P. milvina were exposed to one of eight herbicide treatments (atrazine, glyphosate, mesotrione, Smetolachlor, 2,4-D, dicamba, a combination of all six herbicides, or a distilled water control; N = 960, n = 40, across 24 treatments) and maintained for 49 days on the treated soil substrate. We recorded prey capture behavior, weight change, and growth rate across treatments. Mesotrione had particularly significant negative effects on feeding and weight gain. Mesotrione impaired prey capture latency and led to weight loss. We found significantly decreased molting frequency of spiders in the 2,4-D, S-metolachlor, glyphosate, and dicamba treatments relative to the control but this effect was not present in the greenhouse-aged soil treatments. Fresh and indoor-aged soil had similar effects while greenhouse-aged soil dampened most herbicide effects indicating photodegradation and/or temperature degradation of herbicides over the 69- day period. Our results show that some herbicides significantly impair feeding and growth rates in this agriculturally abundant predator with some effects detectable even with greenhouse-aged herbicide residues