ABSTRACT: Every day, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent as new technologies are presented to the public with the intent of integrating them into society. However, these systems are not perfect and are known to cause failures that impact a multitude of people. The purpose of this study is to explore how ethical guidelines are followed by AI when it is being designed and implemented in society. Three ethics theories, along with nine ethical principles of AI, and the Agent, Deed, Consequence (ADC) model were investigated to analyze failures involving AI. When a system fails to follow the models listed, a set of refined ethical principles are created. By analyzing the failures, an understanding of how similar incidents may be prevented was gained. Additionally, the importance of ethics being a part of AI programming was demonstrated, followed by recommendations for the future incorporation of ethics into AI. The term “failure” is specifically used throughout the paper because of the nature in which the events involving AI occur. The events are not necessarily “accidents” since the AI was intended to act in certain ways, but the events are also not “malfunctions” because the AI examples were not internally compromised. For these reasons, the much broader term “failure” is used. KEYWORDS: Ethics; Artificial Intelligence; Agent-Deed-Consequence (ADC) Model; Principles of Artificial Intelligence; Virtue Ethics; Deontology; Consequentialism; AI Systems
{"title":"Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Society","authors":"Emma Johnson, Eloy Parrilla, Austin Burg","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2023.070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2023.070","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT: Every day, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent as new technologies are presented to the public with the intent of integrating them into society. However, these systems are not perfect and are known to cause failures that impact a multitude of people. The purpose of this study is to explore how ethical guidelines are followed by AI when it is being designed and implemented in society. Three ethics theories, along with nine ethical principles of AI, and the Agent, Deed, Consequence (ADC) model were investigated to analyze failures involving AI. When a system fails to follow the models listed, a set of refined ethical principles are created. By analyzing the failures, an understanding of how similar incidents may be prevented was gained. Additionally, the importance of ethics being a part of AI programming was demonstrated, followed by recommendations for the future incorporation of ethics into AI. The term “failure” is specifically used throughout the paper because of the nature in which the events involving AI occur. The events are not necessarily “accidents” since the AI was intended to act in certain ways, but the events are also not “malfunctions” because the AI examples were not internally compromised. For these reasons, the much broader term “failure” is used. KEYWORDS: Ethics; Artificial Intelligence; Agent-Deed-Consequence (ADC) Model; Principles of Artificial Intelligence; Virtue Ethics; Deontology; Consequentialism; AI Systems","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41703034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The relationship between instructors and their students is essential for developing a classroom climate where students feel motivated to learn. The current study surveyed 658 undergraduate students to examine the relationship between instructor-student rapport and motivation in online and face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated (1) students experienced more rapport with their instructors during face-to-face classes compared to their online classes, (2) students perceived their motivation was greater during face-to-face classes than in online classes, and (3) there was a significant positive relationship between instructor-student rapport and student motivation in both online and face-to-face classes. This study’s findings lend further support to research that emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of community in online classes, where students feel connected to their instructors and, consequently, motivated to learn. KEYWORDS: Instructor-Student Rapport; Motivation; Hybrid Courses; COVID-19; Online Learning
{"title":"Student Perceptions of Instructor-Student Rapport and Motivation In Hybrid Courses During COVID-19","authors":"Bianca Candelaria, M. Clements","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2023.072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2023.072","url":null,"abstract":"The relationship between instructors and their students is essential for developing a classroom climate where students feel motivated to learn. The current study surveyed 658 undergraduate students to examine the relationship between instructor-student rapport and motivation in online and face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated (1) students experienced more rapport with their instructors during face-to-face classes compared to their online classes, (2) students perceived their motivation was greater during face-to-face classes than in online classes, and (3) there was a significant positive relationship between instructor-student rapport and student motivation in both online and face-to-face classes. This study’s findings lend further support to research that emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of community in online classes, where students feel connected to their instructors and, consequently, motivated to learn. KEYWORDS: Instructor-Student Rapport; Motivation; Hybrid Courses; COVID-19; Online Learning","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47795037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Media portrayals of the “strong, silent type” reinforce the expectation that men should not demonstrate or even acknowledge their emotions. This trope, however, reflects more significant societal norms around masculine practices that can have profoundly negative impacts on individual men as well as those around them. Emotional compression (or modern stoicism) is fundamentally different from emotional repression. Emotional compression practices can allow men to process their feelings privately and then communicate their feelings clearly without the distortion of uncontrolled bursts of emotion. The treatment of mental health and masculinity in Season 5 of The Sopranos “holds up a mirror” to the costs of emotional repression for men as part of masculine gender performances. The show highlights, sometimes quite brutally, the costs of emotional repression to men and the people around them. In doing so, the content of the show implies that therapy could help men learn to face their feelings and alleviate their suffering as well as that of their families, though only if men are willing to face the feelings of vulnerability that come with having emotions. KEYWORDS: Stoicism; Alexithymia; Hegemonic masculinity; Emotional repression; Mental health; Gender performances
{"title":"“The Strong, Silent Type”: Analyzing the Portrayal of the Cost of Masculine Gender Performances in The Sopranos","authors":"H. Taylor, Annaleigh E. Curtis","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2023.073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2023.073","url":null,"abstract":"Media portrayals of the “strong, silent type” reinforce the expectation that men should not demonstrate or even acknowledge their emotions. This trope, however, reflects more significant societal norms around masculine practices that can have profoundly negative impacts on individual men as well as those around them. Emotional compression (or modern stoicism) is fundamentally different from emotional repression. Emotional compression practices can allow men to process their feelings privately and then communicate their feelings clearly without the distortion of uncontrolled bursts of emotion. The treatment of mental health and masculinity in Season 5 of The Sopranos “holds up a mirror” to the costs of emotional repression for men as part of masculine gender performances. The show highlights, sometimes quite brutally, the costs of emotional repression to men and the people around them. In doing so, the content of the show implies that therapy could help men learn to face their feelings and alleviate their suffering as well as that of their families, though only if men are willing to face the feelings of vulnerability that come with having emotions. KEYWORDS: Stoicism; Alexithymia; Hegemonic masculinity; Emotional repression; Mental health; Gender performances","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43793078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) contributes to the health and comfort of people living and working indoors. Poor IAQ can be linked to indoor and outdoor sources of contaminants. One recent solution for improving IAQ is the use of Electrostatic (ES) Air Cleaning technology. An ES air cleaner can be installed in an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system where it pre-filters large dust particles and shocks smaller particles into a collection tray. However, ES air cleaners have been known to give off ozone as a by-product, which is, itself, an air contaminant. Ozone is found outdoors as product of sunlight combining nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds generated from man-made pollution. Indoor ozone concentration will depend on the introduction of outdoor ozone indoors through natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and infiltration through the building’s envelope (in order of importance). Two different ES air cleaners, A and B, were installed in the air conditioning system of research House #2 of the TRANE Residential Heating and Cooling Research Lab at the University of Texas at Tyler. A series of ozone experiments were conducted, which included measuring the baseline ozone levels at the research houses with different levels of insulation, observing the increase in ozone due to the powering on of mechanical ventilation, and observing the increase in ozone due to the powering on of the installed ES air cleaners. The baseline ozone levels observed in research house #2, whose envelope is more tightly insulated, was found to be lower than in research house #1 whose envelope is less tightly insulated. With regards to mechanical ventilation, an increase in ozone levels were seen in addition to an even higher increase in ozone levels when the ES air cleaners were powered on in tandem. In terms of the single contribution of the ES air cleaners in raising indoor ozone levels, the data shows that although the ES air cleaners increased the ozone concentration in the house, the levels are not of concern as they were less than the FDA limit on indoor ozone generation. KEYWORDS: Indoor Air Quality; Ozone; Electrostatic Air Cleaner; Infiltration; Mechanical Ventilation; HVAC; Pollutant; Indoor Contaminant
{"title":"The By-Product of Ozone from Electrostatic Air Cleaners","authors":"Giovanni Cerrato, N. Fumo","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2023.071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2023.071","url":null,"abstract":"Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) contributes to the health and comfort of people living and working indoors. Poor IAQ can be linked to indoor and outdoor sources of contaminants. One recent solution for improving IAQ is the use of Electrostatic (ES) Air Cleaning technology. An ES air cleaner can be installed in an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system where it pre-filters large dust particles and shocks smaller particles into a collection tray. However, ES air cleaners have been known to give off ozone as a by-product, which is, itself, an air contaminant. Ozone is found outdoors as product of sunlight combining nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds generated from man-made pollution. Indoor ozone concentration will depend on the introduction of outdoor ozone indoors through natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and infiltration through the building’s envelope (in order of importance). Two different ES air cleaners, A and B, were installed in the air conditioning system of research House #2 of the TRANE Residential Heating and Cooling Research Lab at the University of Texas at Tyler. A series of ozone experiments were conducted, which included measuring the baseline ozone levels at the research houses with different levels of insulation, observing the increase in ozone due to the powering on of mechanical ventilation, and observing the increase in ozone due to the powering on of the installed ES air cleaners. The baseline ozone levels observed in research house #2, whose envelope is more tightly insulated, was found to be lower than in research house #1 whose envelope is less tightly insulated. With regards to mechanical ventilation, an increase in ozone levels were seen in addition to an even higher increase in ozone levels when the ES air cleaners were powered on in tandem. In terms of the single contribution of the ES air cleaners in raising indoor ozone levels, the data shows that although the ES air cleaners increased the ozone concentration in the house, the levels are not of concern as they were less than the FDA limit on indoor ozone generation. KEYWORDS: Indoor Air Quality; Ozone; Electrostatic Air Cleaner; Infiltration; Mechanical Ventilation; HVAC; Pollutant; Indoor Contaminant","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45904141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caroline M. Dumas, Anna M. Schmoker, Shannon N. Bennett, Amara Chittenden, Chelsea Darwin, Helena Gaffney, H. Lewis, Eliana Moskovitz, Jonah Rehak, Anna Renzi, Claire Rothfelder, Adam Slamin, Megan Tammaro, L. Sweet, B. Ballif
CT10 regulator of kinase (CRK) and CRK-like (CRKL) form a family of signaling adaptor proteins that serve important roles in the regulation of fundamental cellular processes, including cell motility and proliferation, in a variety of cell types. The Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain of CRK and CRKL interacts with proteins containing phosphorylated tyrosine-X-X-proline (pYXXP) motifs, facilitating complex formation during signaling events. A handful of CRK/CRKL-SH2-specific interactors have been identified to date, although in silico analyses suggest that many additional interactors remain to be found. To identify CRK/CRKL-SH2 interactors with potential involvement in neuronal development, we conducted a mass spectrometry-based proteomics screen using a neuronal cell line (Neuro2A, or N2A). This resulted in the identification of 132 (6 known and 126 novel) YXXP-containing CRK/CRKL-SH2 interactors, of which 77 were stimulated to bind to the CRK/CRKL-SH2 domain following tyrosine phosphatase inhibition. Approximately half of the proteins identified were common interactors of both the CRK- and CRKL-SH2 domains. However, both CRK family member SH2 domains exhibited unique binding partners across experimental replicates. These findings reveal an abundance of novel neuronal CRK/CRKL-SH2 domain binding partners and suggest that CRK family SH2 domains possess undescribed docking preferences beyond the canonical pYXXP motif. KEYWORDS: CRK; CRKL; SH2; LC-MS/MS; Proteomics; Neurodevelopment; Signal Transduction
CT10激酶调控因子(CRK)和CRK样蛋白(CRKL)构成了一个信号转导蛋白家族，在多种细胞类型的基本细胞过程调控中发挥重要作用，包括细胞运动和增殖。CRK和CRKL的Src Homology 2 (SH2)结构域与含有磷酸化酪氨酸- x - x -脯氨酸(pYXXP)基序的蛋白相互作用，促进信号事件中复合物的形成。到目前为止，已经确定了少数CRK/ crkl - sh2特异性相互作用因子，尽管计算机分析表明仍有许多其他相互作用因子有待发现。为了鉴定可能参与神经元发育的CRK/CRKL-SH2相互作用物，我们使用神经细胞系(Neuro2A或N2A)进行了基于质谱的蛋白质组学筛选。结果鉴定出132个(已知6个，新发现126个)含有yxxp的CRK/CRKL-SH2相互作用物，其中77个在酪氨酸磷酸酶抑制后被刺激结合到CRK/CRKL-SH2结构域。大约一半的鉴定蛋白是CRK-和CRKL-SH2结构域的共同相互作用物。然而，两个CRK家族成员SH2结构域在实验重复中表现出独特的结合伙伴。这些发现揭示了大量新的神经元CRK/CRKL-SH2结构域结合伙伴，并表明CRK家族SH2结构域除了典型的pYXXP基元外，还具有未描述的对接偏好。关键词:CRK;CRKL;SH2;质/女士;蛋白质组学;神经发育;信号转导
{"title":"Novel Interactors of the SH2 Domain of the Signaling Adaptors CRK and CRKL Identified in Neuro2A Cells","authors":"Caroline M. Dumas, Anna M. Schmoker, Shannon N. Bennett, Amara Chittenden, Chelsea Darwin, Helena Gaffney, H. Lewis, Eliana Moskovitz, Jonah Rehak, Anna Renzi, Claire Rothfelder, Adam Slamin, Megan Tammaro, L. Sweet, B. Ballif","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2022.068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.068","url":null,"abstract":"CT10 regulator of kinase (CRK) and CRK-like (CRKL) form a family of signaling adaptor proteins that serve important roles in the regulation of fundamental cellular processes, including cell motility and proliferation, in a variety of cell types. The Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain of CRK and CRKL interacts with proteins containing phosphorylated tyrosine-X-X-proline (pYXXP) motifs, facilitating complex formation during signaling events. A handful of CRK/CRKL-SH2-specific interactors have been identified to date, although in silico analyses suggest that many additional interactors remain to be found. To identify CRK/CRKL-SH2 interactors with potential involvement in neuronal development, we conducted a mass spectrometry-based proteomics screen using a neuronal cell line (Neuro2A, or N2A). This resulted in the identification of 132 (6 known and 126 novel) YXXP-containing CRK/CRKL-SH2 interactors, of which 77 were stimulated to bind to the CRK/CRKL-SH2 domain following tyrosine phosphatase inhibition. Approximately half of the proteins identified were common interactors of both the CRK- and CRKL-SH2 domains. However, both CRK family member SH2 domains exhibited unique binding partners across experimental replicates. These findings reveal an abundance of novel neuronal CRK/CRKL-SH2 domain binding partners and suggest that CRK family SH2 domains possess undescribed docking preferences beyond the canonical pYXXP motif. KEYWORDS: CRK; CRKL; SH2; LC-MS/MS; Proteomics; Neurodevelopment; Signal Transduction","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46526471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jeevan Rivera-Díaz, H. Phillippi, Nyduta Mbogo, Erin M. Nawrocki, E. Dudley
Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli are two pathogenic bacteria of worldwide importance that can infect the gastrointestinal tract. Contamination in the food supply chain is an area of concern. Animal feed may be supplemented with essential trace elements, which function as nutritional additives to promote growth & health and optimize production. Bacteria have acquired many metal resistance genes to adapt to the exposure of metals. In this study, our objectives were to evaluate in S. enterica and E. coli, the correlation between the resistance genotype and phenotype to certain heavy metals, and the ability of conjugative plasmids to transfer antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRGs) and heavy metal resistance genes (HMRGs). A total of 10 strains, five S. enterica and five E. coli, were used for this study. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for heavy metals: copper, silver, arsenic, and tellurite. The tested isolates showed resistance to copper (5/10; 50%), arsenic (7/10; 70%), and silver (9/10; 90%). Cohen’s Kappa statistics were used to analyze genotype to phenotype agreements. Among the 10 strains sampled, the accordance between geno- and phenotypic heavy metal resistance was fair for copper (kappa = 0.4), none to slight for arsenic (kappa = 0.19) and tellurite (kappa = 0), and no agreement for silver (kappa = -0.19). The transfer of HMRGs was determined in a conjugation experiment performed for all five Salmonella strains as donors using mixed broth cultures. Transconjugants were obtained only from the genotypically tellurite-resistant strain PSU-3260, which yielded a transfer frequency of 10⁻³ transconjugants per donor. In such strain, the tellurite-resistant genes reside on an IncHI2-type plasmid that shares high DNA sequence identity with known HMRG-disseminating Salmonella plasmids. Our results indicated no considerable correlation between the geno- and phenotypic resistance towards heavy metals in the sampled S. enterica and E. coli. The necessity of research in this area is supported by the lack of standardized protocols and MIC clinical breakpoints for heavy metals. KEYWORDS: Heavy metal; resistance; Salmonella; E. coli; agriculture; genotype; phenotype; MIC
{"title":"Comparison of Genotypic and Phenotypic Predictions for Heavy Metal Resistance in Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli","authors":"Jeevan Rivera-Díaz, H. Phillippi, Nyduta Mbogo, Erin M. Nawrocki, E. Dudley","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2022.064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.064","url":null,"abstract":"Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli are two pathogenic bacteria of worldwide importance that can infect the gastrointestinal tract. Contamination in the food supply chain is an area of concern. Animal feed may be supplemented with essential trace elements, which function as nutritional additives to promote growth & health and optimize production. Bacteria have acquired many metal resistance genes to adapt to the exposure of metals. In this study, our objectives were to evaluate in S. enterica and E. coli, the correlation between the resistance genotype and phenotype to certain heavy metals, and the ability of conjugative plasmids to transfer antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRGs) and heavy metal resistance genes (HMRGs). A total of 10 strains, five S. enterica and five E. coli, were used for this study. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for heavy metals: copper, silver, arsenic, and tellurite. The tested isolates showed resistance to copper (5/10; 50%), arsenic (7/10; 70%), and silver (9/10; 90%). Cohen’s Kappa statistics were used to analyze genotype to phenotype agreements. Among the 10 strains sampled, the accordance between geno- and phenotypic heavy metal resistance was fair for copper (kappa = 0.4), none to slight for arsenic (kappa = 0.19) and tellurite (kappa = 0), and no agreement for silver (kappa = -0.19). The transfer of HMRGs was determined in a conjugation experiment performed for all five Salmonella strains as donors using mixed broth cultures. Transconjugants were obtained only from the genotypically tellurite-resistant strain PSU-3260, which yielded a transfer frequency of 10⁻³ transconjugants per donor. In such strain, the tellurite-resistant genes reside on an IncHI2-type plasmid that shares high DNA sequence identity with known HMRG-disseminating Salmonella plasmids. Our results indicated no considerable correlation between the geno- and phenotypic resistance towards heavy metals in the sampled S. enterica and E. coli. The necessity of research in this area is supported by the lack of standardized protocols and MIC clinical breakpoints for heavy metals. KEYWORDS: Heavy metal; resistance; Salmonella; E. coli; agriculture; genotype; phenotype; MIC","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43194001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaylee Weigel, Kathleen Ruff-Schmidt, B. Prüß, D. Condry
Regulation of microbial symbiosis in the human intestinal tract is imperative to maintain overall human health and prevent dysbiosis-related diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and obesity. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the intestine are produced by bacterial fermentation and aid in inflammation reduction, dietary fiber digestion, and metabolizing nutrients for the colon. SCFA, notably acetate, butyrate, and propionate, are starting to be used in clinical interventions for GI diseases. While acetate has been shown to mitigate a stress response in the proteome of Escherichia coli cells, little is known about the effects of butyrate and propionate on the same cells. This study aims to evaluate the effects that butyrate and propionate have on the activation of stress promoters in E. coli when induced with a known stressor. Three different strains of E. coli containing the pUCD615 plasmid were used, each with a different promoter fused to the structural genes of the lac operon on the plasmid. Each promoter detected a unique stress response: grpE’::lux fusion (heat shock), recA’::lux fusion (SOS response), and katG’::lux fusion (oxidative damage). Activation of these stress promoters by treatment groups resulted in the emission of bioluminescence which was quantified and compared across treatment groups. All three SCFAs at 25 mM added to cultures prior to stressing the bacteria caused significantly lower bioluminescence levels when compared to the stressed culture without prior addition of SCFA. This indicates that these SCFAs may reduce the stress response in E. coli. KEYWORDS: Short-chain fatty acids; acetate; butyrate; propionate; Escherichia coli; stress response; Vibrio fischeri luxCDABE; grpE; katG; recA
{"title":"Preventing the Activation of a Stress Gene Response in Escherichia coli Using Acetate, Butyrate, and Propionate","authors":"Kaylee Weigel, Kathleen Ruff-Schmidt, B. Prüß, D. Condry","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2022.065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.065","url":null,"abstract":"Regulation of microbial symbiosis in the human intestinal tract is imperative to maintain overall human health and prevent dysbiosis-related diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and obesity. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the intestine are produced by bacterial fermentation and aid in inflammation reduction, dietary fiber digestion, and metabolizing nutrients for the colon. SCFA, notably acetate, butyrate, and propionate, are starting to be used in clinical interventions for GI diseases. While acetate has been shown to mitigate a stress response in the proteome of Escherichia coli cells, little is known about the effects of butyrate and propionate on the same cells. This study aims to evaluate the effects that butyrate and propionate have on the activation of stress promoters in E. coli when induced with a known stressor. Three different strains of E. coli containing the pUCD615 plasmid were used, each with a different promoter fused to the structural genes of the lac operon on the plasmid. Each promoter detected a unique stress response: grpE’::lux fusion (heat shock), recA’::lux fusion (SOS response), and katG’::lux fusion (oxidative damage). Activation of these stress promoters by treatment groups resulted in the emission of bioluminescence which was quantified and compared across treatment groups. All three SCFAs at 25 mM added to cultures prior to stressing the bacteria caused significantly lower bioluminescence levels when compared to the stressed culture without prior addition of SCFA. This indicates that these SCFAs may reduce the stress response in E. coli. KEYWORDS: Short-chain fatty acids; acetate; butyrate; propionate; Escherichia coli; stress response; Vibrio fischeri luxCDABE; grpE; katG; recA","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41679147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microfibers are small (<5 mm) fibers made of synthetic materials that are ubiquitous in the environment. The purpose of this observational study was to quantify the number of microfibers in marine sediments and determine which locations have the highest risk for this type of pollution. Sediment samples were taken from three locations in Southern California (Sycamore Watershed, Ventura State Beach Jetty, and Newport Beach Harbor) to determine which had the highest number of microfibers. It was hypothesized that microfibers would be found at each sample site and that the most microfibers would be found at Sycamore Watershed due to its proximity to a wastewater discharge point. The microfibers were separated from the sediment through a process of stratification and filtration and analyzed by a one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test. Per sample, there was an average of 111.5 (土99.3, n=14) microfibers found per sample at Sycamore Watershed, 59 (土17.4, n=18) at Newport Beach Harbor, and 53 (土14.4, n=18) at Ventura State Beach Jetty. A total of 3,590 microfibers were found from all three sample sites. Analysis revealed that Sycamore Watershed had significantly more microfibers than any other site (p<.05). It is likely that Sycamore Watershed had the most microfibers because of its proximity to a sewage-sludge disposal site that contains the polluted water from our washing machines. In conclusion, microfibers are polluting the sediments in harbors, open coastlines, and watersheds in California, negatively affecting the ecosystems in these areas. KEYWORDS: Microfiber; Microplastic; Macroplastic; Marine Pollution; Synthetic Materials; Wastewater Treatment Plants; Sediments; Watershed; Harbor; Jetty
微纤维是由合成材料制成的小纤维（<5毫米），在环境中随处可见。这项观察性研究的目的是量化海洋沉积物中微纤维的数量，并确定哪些地方受到这种污染的风险最高。从南加州的三个地点（Sycamore Watershed、Ventura State Beach Jetty和Newport Beach Harbor）采集沉积物样本，以确定哪些地方的微纤维数量最多。据推测，在每个采样点都会发现微纤维，而Sycamore分水岭由于靠近废水排放点，因此会发现最多的微纤维。通过分层和过滤过程将微纤维从沉积物中分离出来，并通过单因素方差分析和Tukey检验进行分析。每个样本的平均值为111.5(土99.3，n=14）在Sycamore Watershed的每个样本中发现的微纤维，59(土17.4，n=18），以及53(土14.4，n=18）。在所有三个采样点共发现3590根微纤维。分析显示，Sycamore Watershed的微纤维比任何其他地点都多（p＜0.05）。Sycamore分水岭可能是微纤维最多的地方，因为它靠近一个污水污泥处理场，里面有我们洗衣机的污水。总之，微纤维正在污染加利福尼亚州港口、开放海岸线和流域的沉积物，对这些地区的生态系统产生负面影响。关键词：超细纤维；微塑料；宏观塑性；海洋污染；合成材料；废水处理厂；沉积物；转折点港口码头
{"title":"Quantification of Microfibers from Marine Sediments from Three Locations in Southern California: An Exposed Beach (Ventura County), a Watershed (Los Angeles County), and an Enclosed Harbor (Orange County)","authors":"Adrianna Ebrahim, Mia LeClerc","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2022.066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.066","url":null,"abstract":"Microfibers are small (<5 mm) fibers made of synthetic materials that are ubiquitous in the environment. The purpose of this observational study was to quantify the number of microfibers in marine sediments and determine which locations have the highest risk for this type of pollution. Sediment samples were taken from three locations in Southern California (Sycamore Watershed, Ventura State Beach Jetty, and Newport Beach Harbor) to determine which had the highest number of microfibers. It was hypothesized that microfibers would be found at each sample site and that the most microfibers would be found at Sycamore Watershed due to its proximity to a wastewater discharge point. The microfibers were separated from the sediment through a process of stratification and filtration and analyzed by a one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test. Per sample, there was an average of 111.5 (土99.3, n=14) microfibers found per sample at Sycamore Watershed, 59 (土17.4, n=18) at Newport Beach Harbor, and 53 (土14.4, n=18) at Ventura State Beach Jetty. A total of 3,590 microfibers were found from all three sample sites. Analysis revealed that Sycamore Watershed had significantly more microfibers than any other site (p<.05). It is likely that Sycamore Watershed had the most microfibers because of its proximity to a sewage-sludge disposal site that contains the polluted water from our washing machines. In conclusion, microfibers are polluting the sediments in harbors, open coastlines, and watersheds in California, negatively affecting the ecosystems in these areas. KEYWORDS: Microfiber; Microplastic; Macroplastic; Marine Pollution; Synthetic Materials; Wastewater Treatment Plants; Sediments; Watershed; Harbor; Jetty","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42392502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samantha Rea, Alex H. Smith, Brooke Hornberger, Grace Fillmore, Jeremy Burkett, Timothy Dwyer
While the chemotherapeutic cisplatin is used to treat a variety of cancers, metal toxicity and cisplatin resistance via genetic and epigenetic changes limits its use and calls for alternative therapies. To combat the observed toxicities and create a more stable compound, which avoids isomerization into a trans configuration, three cisplatin analogues including cispalladium, dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II), and dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium(II) were synthesized as potential cisplatin alternatives. Each compound was evaluated for cytotoxicity on SK-OV-3 cells against cisplatin. Synthesis of dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) yielded 20.5% of the theoretical yield, while dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium(II) yielded 49.1%. Results from the cytotoxicity trial revealed that cispalladium was not effective against SK-OV-3 cells, and dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium had minimal effects. The dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) was the most efficacious with an IC50 value of 0.77 µg/ml compared to the IC50 of 0.61 µg/ml for cisplatin. With a similar IC50 to cisplatin, these results suggest that dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) has the potential to serve as a cisplatin alternative for cancer patients who develop resistance following their clinical course of cisplatin. Future studies on the cytotoxicity of dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) to induce cell death on cisplatin-resistance cell lines are necessary to determine the ability of the compound to be utilized as a cisplatin alternative. KEYWORDS: Cisplatin; Ovarian Cancer; SK-OV-3; Drug Resistance; Stability; Palladium; Ethylenediamine; Cispalladium; Dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II); Dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium(II)
{"title":"Stabilization of Cisplatin via Coordination of Ethylenediamine","authors":"Samantha Rea, Alex H. Smith, Brooke Hornberger, Grace Fillmore, Jeremy Burkett, Timothy Dwyer","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2022.067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.067","url":null,"abstract":"While the chemotherapeutic cisplatin is used to treat a variety of cancers, metal toxicity and cisplatin resistance via genetic and epigenetic changes limits its use and calls for alternative therapies. To combat the observed toxicities and create a more stable compound, which avoids isomerization into a trans configuration, three cisplatin analogues including cispalladium, dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II), and dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium(II) were synthesized as potential cisplatin alternatives. Each compound was evaluated for cytotoxicity on SK-OV-3 cells against cisplatin. Synthesis of dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) yielded 20.5% of the theoretical yield, while dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium(II) yielded 49.1%. Results from the cytotoxicity trial revealed that cispalladium was not effective against SK-OV-3 cells, and dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium had minimal effects. The dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) was the most efficacious with an IC50 value of 0.77 µg/ml compared to the IC50 of 0.61 µg/ml for cisplatin. With a similar IC50 to cisplatin, these results suggest that dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) has the potential to serve as a cisplatin alternative for cancer patients who develop resistance following their clinical course of cisplatin. Future studies on the cytotoxicity of dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II) to induce cell death on cisplatin-resistance cell lines are necessary to determine the ability of the compound to be utilized as a cisplatin alternative. KEYWORDS: Cisplatin; Ovarian Cancer; SK-OV-3; Drug Resistance; Stability; Palladium; Ethylenediamine; Cispalladium; Dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-platinum(II); Dichloro-(ethylenediamine)-palladium(II)","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45579798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cancer is a global concern and there is a need for effective drugs. CBL0137 is a small water-soluble molecule and a new second-generation compound in the family of curaxins with potential anti-cancer activity. Curaxins in general, including CBL0137 intercalate into DNA, and act by targeting the histone chaperone ‘facilitates chromatin transcription’ (FACT) complex and have the potential to treat tumors by reducing the growth of cancer cells which is shown in a variety of cell lines and animal models. CBL0137 is found to activate the tumor suppressor gene p53. However, the mechanism of p53 activation is poorly understood. Utilizing bioinformatics analysis on available datasets of CBL0137 treated cancer cells of glioma, cervical and multiple myeloma, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may lead to the activation of p53 were examined. Three GEO datasets of cells treated with various concentrations of CBL0137 were analyzed, namely HSJD-DIPG007 (GSE153441), MM1.S (GSE117611) and HeLa S3 (GSE117611). The DEGs were identified based on p-values less than 0.05, logFC values greater than 1 and less than -1 and analyzed using GEO2R, Enrichr, and STRING, and data visualization was performed on Tableau. Compared to the controls, a total of 229, 1425, and 1005 genes were upregulated while 368, 2322, and 1673 genes were downregulated for HSJD-DIPG007, MM1.S and HeLa S3 datasets, respectively. Further collective analysis revealed a total of 38 common DEGs among the three datasets. Using Enrichr and STRING on these 38 DEGs, seven hub genes were obtained, SKP2, RGS16, CSRP2, CENPA, HJURP, DTL, and HEXIM1 with these possible mechanisms: inhibition of AKT phosphorylation by upregulated genes RGS16 and CSRP2, p300-mediated acetylation of p53 via SKP2, inhibition of MDM2 by DTL downregulation and HEXIM1 upregulation, and inhibition of AURKB via CENPA and HJURP downregulation. This study analyzed the three datasets and highlighted how these identified hub genes may play a role in leading to p53 activation by CBL0137. KEYWORDS: Curaxin; CBL0137; Differentially Expressed Genes; Cancer; p53; Glioblastoma; Cervical; Myeloma
{"title":"Differential Expression of Hub Genes and Activation of p53 by Anti-cancer Compound Curaxin CBL0137","authors":"Tanvi M. Patel, Rochelle Ratner, N. Nath","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2022.061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.061","url":null,"abstract":"Cancer is a global concern and there is a need for effective drugs. CBL0137 is a small water-soluble molecule and a new second-generation compound in the family of curaxins with potential anti-cancer activity. Curaxins in general, including CBL0137 intercalate into DNA, and act by targeting the histone chaperone ‘facilitates chromatin transcription’ (FACT) complex and have the potential to treat tumors by reducing the growth of cancer cells which is shown in a variety of cell lines and animal models. CBL0137 is found to activate the tumor suppressor gene p53. However, the mechanism of p53 activation is poorly understood. Utilizing bioinformatics analysis on available datasets of CBL0137 treated cancer cells of glioma, cervical and multiple myeloma, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may lead to the activation of p53 were examined. Three GEO datasets of cells treated with various concentrations of CBL0137 were analyzed, namely HSJD-DIPG007 (GSE153441), MM1.S (GSE117611) and HeLa S3 (GSE117611). The DEGs were identified based on p-values less than 0.05, logFC values greater than 1 and less than -1 and analyzed using GEO2R, Enrichr, and STRING, and data visualization was performed on Tableau. Compared to the controls, a total of 229, 1425, and 1005 genes were upregulated while 368, 2322, and 1673 genes were downregulated for HSJD-DIPG007, MM1.S and HeLa S3 datasets, respectively. Further collective analysis revealed a total of 38 common DEGs among the three datasets. Using Enrichr and STRING on these 38 DEGs, seven hub genes were obtained, SKP2, RGS16, CSRP2, CENPA, HJURP, DTL, and HEXIM1 with these possible mechanisms: inhibition of AKT phosphorylation by upregulated genes RGS16 and CSRP2, p300-mediated acetylation of p53 via SKP2, inhibition of MDM2 by DTL downregulation and HEXIM1 upregulation, and inhibition of AURKB via CENPA and HJURP downregulation. This study analyzed the three datasets and highlighted how these identified hub genes may play a role in leading to p53 activation by CBL0137. KEYWORDS: Curaxin; CBL0137; Differentially Expressed Genes; Cancer; p53; Glioblastoma; Cervical; Myeloma","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47356621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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