Georgia Gwinnett College

We studied the effect of different filler items on rhesus macaques’ use of a feeding enrichment device called the ‘browsing bowl.’ We examined use of the device as affected by calories, sugar content, and volume of different fillers as well as the presentation of each filler as 1) whole, loose, or smeared and 2) frozen or not frozen. In addition, we examined the impact of age and sex of the monkeys on use of the device. Fifty-eight macaques were observed across 30-min sessions with the device, with one session for each of 12 different fillers. Scans occurred every 2.5 min, at which point the monkeys were scored as interacting or not interacting with the device. Subjects were recorded as interacting with the device during 47.6% of all observed scans and during 80% of the first 2 scans per session. Frozen items were associated with a significantly higher mean engagement (ME; proportion of observed scans in which animals engaged with the device) than items that were not frozen items ( t (57) = 12.91, P < 0.001). Whole presentations were associated with a significantly higher ME than for smeared ( P < 0.001) or loose ( P = 0.005) items. Loose items were associated with a significantly higher ME ( P < 0.001) than for smeared items. Sugar and calorie content did not impact use of the device. Younger monkeys used the device more than for older monkeys, and female monkeys used the device more than did males. We conclude that some filler items encourage more foraging behavior than others, and that it is possible to generate relatively long (up to 30 min) foraging bouts by altering the presentation of foods rather than increasing calories or sugar content. Indeed, some fillers were still present and engaged with at the end of the observation session.

The Reading and Appreciating Mathematical Proofs (RAMP) project seeks to provide novel resources for teaching undergraduate introduction to proof courses centered around reading activities. These reading activities include (1) reading rich proofs to learn new mathematics through proofs as well as to learn how to read proofs for understanding and (2) reading mathematician stories to humanize proving and to legitimize challenge and struggle. One of the guiding analogies of the project is thinking about learning proof-based mathematics like learning a genre of literature. We want students to read interesting proofs so they can appreciate what is exciting about the genre and how they can engage with it. Proofs were selected by eight professors in mathematics who as curriculum co-authors collected intriguing mathematical results and added stories of their experience becoming mathematicians. As mathematicians of colour and/or women mathematicians, these co-authors speak to the challenges they faced in their mathematical history, how they overcame these challenges, and the key role mentors and community have played in that process. These novel opportunities to learn to read and read to learn in the proof-based context hold promise for supporting student learning in new ways. In this commentary, we share how we have sought to humanize proof-based mathematics both in the reading materials and in our classroom implementation thereof.

Aurantiochytrium sp., a heterotrophic microorganism, has received increasing attention for its high production of polyunsaturated fatty acids and has been widely applied in various industries. This study intended to optimize the carotenoid synthesis pathway in Aurantiochytrium sp. by metabolic engineering to increase the carotenoid content. Multi-sourced key enzyme genes involved in lipid synthesis (LPAAT and DGAT) and astaxanthin synthesis (crtZ and crtW) were selected to construct single-gene expression vectors and transformed into Aurantiochytrium sp. The results showed that the overexpression of LPAAT of Phaeodactylum tricornutum in Aurantiochytrium sp. caused an increase of 39.3% in astaxanthin, 424.7% in β-carotene, 901.8% in canthaxanthin, and 575.9% in lutein, as well as a down-regulation of 15.3% in the fatty acid content. Transcriptomics analysis revealed enhanced expression of genes involved in purine and amino acid metabolism in the transformed strains, and the down-regulation of the citric acid cycle led to an increase in the source of acetyl coenzyme A for the production of fatty acids. This study provides strong experimental evidence to support the application of increasing carotenoid levels in Aurantiochytrium sp.

A single particle representation of a self-propelled microorganism in a viscous incompressible fluid is derived based on regularised Stokeslets in three dimensions. The formulation is developed from a limiting process in which two regularised Stokeslets of equal and opposite strength but with different size regularisation parameters approach each other. A parameter that captures the size difference in regularisation provides the asymmetry needed for propulsion. We show that the resulting limit is the superposition of a regularised stresslet and a potential dipole. The model framework is then explored relative to the model parameters to provide insight into their selection. The particular case of two identical particles swimming next to each other is presented and their stability is investigated. Additional flow characteristics are incorporated into the modelling framework with in the addition of a rotlet double to characterise rotational flows present during swimming. Lastly, we show the versatility of deriving the model in the method of regularised Stokeslets framework to model wall effects of an infinite plane wall using the method of images.

The purpose of this research study is to introduce a novel model explaining college students’ attitudes toward undocumented Latin American immigrants in the US. For this purpose, the author surveyed a representative sample of 225 Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) students in the state of Georgia in USA. The outcome variable is “GGC students’ opinion on undocumented Latin American immigrants’ contribution to improve or degrade the US culture.” The assumption is that the input variables of the model: social structure, group threat, self-interest, and cultural identity affect college students’ attitudes towards undocumented Latin American immigrants in the US. Results reveal that the expected probability of a student being anti-immigrant has higher probabilities (18.32%), as compared to a student having pro-immigrant attitudes (1.5%) of indicating that the Latin American immigrants contribute to degrading the US culture.

Introduction Chinemys reevesii (Gray) species–sourced Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum (TCP) is an animal-based traditional Chinese medical material, and its decoction or extract possesses multiple pharmacological effects. However, other species-sourced substitutes are sometimes used in the market, potentially impairing the quality and effectiveness of TCP medications. To address this issue, it is very necessary to develop applicable approaches that can accurately differentiate genuine TCP from its counterfeit counterparts. Methods In this study, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)–based metabolomic and lipidomic analyses were performed to comprehensively detect water-soluble metabolites and organic-soluble lipids in water decoctions of genuine TCP and its substitutes, such as Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied)– and Ocadia sinensis (Gray)–sourced tortoise shells. Differential analyses based on fold change (FC), principal component analysis (PCA), and Orthogonal partial least squares–discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed to assess the differences among TCP decoctions from different origins, as well as between decoctions of TCP samples and the two substitutes. Further, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database–based pathway enrichment analysis was performed for differential metabolites and lipids among them. Besides, LC-MS/MS–based absolute quantitative method was used to quantify the amino acid–relevant metabolites in decoctions of TCP and substituted tortoise shell samples. Results All told, 1117 water-soluble metabolites (including amino acids, organic acids, nucleotides and their metabolites or derivatives, etc.) and 574 organic-soluble lipids (including glycerolipids, sphingolipids, glycerophospholipids, fatty acids, and sterol lipids) were detected in decoctions of TCP and two substitutes. Comparative analyses revealed that there were significantly differential metabolites and lipids among TCP decoctions from different origins, as well as between decoctions of TCP samples and the two substitutes. Of particular interest, the content of N-methyl-4-aminobutyric acid was lower in the substituted samples than TCP samples. Furthermore, the content of 27 amino acids, 22 amino acid derivatives, and 18 small peptides in the decoctions of TCP and two substitutes were absolutely quantified, constituting up to tens of milligrams per 10 g of tortoise shell. Discussion In conclusion, our study provides comprehensive metabolomic and lipidomic information of TCP decoction. However, the current results represent preliminary data, and further extensive research is required to validate these findings.

A 4D system of stochastic differential equations is presented and analyzed with applications to mathematical biology and virus dynamics (called stochastic SEIR(S) models). Random fluctuations on contact, transition, and recovery rates in the deterministic SEIR(S) model with disease deaths are taken into account in a non-parametric manner. We obtain stochastic counterparts with general diffusion coefficients (i.e., functional contact, transition, and recovery rates) of the form with intensity (variance) parameters $\sigma _i\ge 0$ and positive constants $\alpha ,\beta ,\eta ,\gamma ,\zeta ,\mu \ge 0$. The introduced stochastic model has functional diffusion coefficients which involve arbitrary local Lipschitz-continuous functions $F_i$’s defined on 4D prism We prove the global existence of a bounded, unique strong solution, discuss asymptotic stochastic and moment stability of disease-free and endemic equilibria, and visualize our results with some simulations. Under appropriate conditions on $F_i$’s, all the stochastic dynamics takes place inside a compact, nonempty domain $\overline{\mathbb {D}} \subset \mathbb {R}^4$ with triangular-shaped boundary surfaces with natural saturation parameter K for the maximum population within the positive cone of $\mathbb {R}^4$.

Blue Catfish ( Ictalurus furcatus ) are an invasive species with expanding populations in freshwater systems, posing significant ecological challenges to native fauna. To assess their potential impacts in diverse aquatic ecosystems, we examined and compared the diets of non‐native Blue Catfish from four rivers in Georgia, USA, two of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean. A total of 936 Blue Catfish were collected from the Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, and Satilla rivers, with 90.38% of stomachs containing identifiable prey. Stomach content analysis revealed that Asian Clam ( Corbicula fluminea ) dominated their diet in terms of number (96.76%), weight (69.33%), and to a lesser degree, frequency (36.96%). Across rivers, smaller Blue Catfish (≤ 300 mm TL) had diets with a higher relative importance of insects and vegetation. Ontogenetic dietary trends showed increasing consumption of fishes and crustaceans as fish size increased in the Altamaha, Ocmulgee, and Oconee rivers. In contrast, the Satilla River population exhibited broader dietary diversity and distinct ontogenetic shifts. Stable isotope analysis (δ ¹³ C and δ ¹⁵ N) revealed significant differences between Blue Catfish from the Altamaha and Satilla rivers, underscoring their opportunistic feeding strategies in varying habitats. Bayesian niche overlap analysis indicated that size classes within the Altamaha and Satilla rivers had substantial intraspecific overlap, with Satilla subadults exhibiting the broadest niche (SEA B : 3.83). Factors such as prey availability, density dependence, and environmental conditions likely influence prey selection and feeding strategies in these systems. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for managing the ecological impacts of invasive Blue Catfish in freshwater systems of North America.

At present the development and application of antibiotics has shown a downward trend. This is attributed to the overuse of antibiotics leading to an increase in multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Therefore, it is important to identify alternative antibacterial substances that can help avoid the development of resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are widely found in nature and are not susceptible to drug resistance, making them candidates as an alternative to traditional antibiotics. Microalgae are an important source of AMPs. Spirulina contains natural AMPs that play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. However, due to the rapid development of genetic engineering technology, other microalgae have shown significant potential for the heterologous expression of AMPs and have become a research hotspot. Among the three commonly used heterogeneous production systems (bacteria, fungi, and microalgae), microalgae have shown the main advantages of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic production systems and are expected to become a substitute production platform of AMPs. It is reported that appropriate genetic elements can be selected to express a variety of AMPs with their antibacterial activities verified in the nuclei or chloroplasts of several microalgal taxa. Due to its effective prevention of gene silencing, chloroplast expression is more advantageous than nuclear expression. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the classification of AMPs based on their secondary structure, their mechanism of action, and the natural AMPs found in microalgae. We have focused on the research progress in utilizing microalgae as a production platform for AMPs and on the application of AMPs produced by microalgae.

Trends in higher education suggest that college programs emphasize career competencies to better match curriculum with labor market demands. Economics traditionally emphasized critical and analytical thinking, but these may be insufficient for today’s entry level jobs. Using data from Lightcast, a labor market analytics firm, we analyze job postings and the frequency of specific skills mentioned for job titles recommended for economics majors. Communication, management, research, and specific software skills are among the most frequently listed. The study aims to inform changes in tertiary economics education that preserve economic theory while providing students with essential workplace skills.

Homology modeling can help bridge the gap between missing 3D structures and available primary sequences of protein. More environmentally friendlier insecticides against domestic nuisance can target the octopamine receptor proteins, only expressed in invertebrates. Herein, octopamine receptor homologues from Periplaneta americana and Culex quinquefasciatus, which do not have tertiary structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), were built using homology modeling and evaluated with various molecular modeling tools. AlphaFold models (AFM), which use artificial intelligence from DeepMind, showed structural validity when superimposed on Swiss-Model models (SMM) for both insect octopamine receptor species. The UCSF Chimera and Modeler models (CMM) did not match those by AlphaFold and Swiss-Model irrespective of the insect species receptor model compared. The greatest discrepancy between any two structures resulted between AFM and CMM with only 21.46% similarity and 14.92% similarity between backbone αCs of their superimposed 3D structures, respectively, for cockroach and mosquito, yet their primary sequences are highly identical. The highest sequence identity for superimposed 3D structures occurred between AFM and SMM of cockroach at 75%, and their corresponding mosquito sequence at 35.12% just surpassed the threshold of pairwise structural validity set above 30%. The local model quality obtained from ProSA web server ranks AFM above SMM and CMM in that order, even though all models had good z-scores. Ramachandran plot paints a different picture where the CMM have a higher percentage of residues in the accepted zone and AFM have a few residues in the wrong places. However, the data from VADAR statistics show that AFM models are more thermodynamically stable with lower fraction of buried amino acids or charges. Docking studies conducted on UCSF Chimera software showed similarity in active site residues for AFM and SMM involved in a number of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. These include residues GLU202, LEU102, ASP95, and ASP105 for cockroach models and residues VAL24 and LEU174 for mosquito models. The active site of all protein models contains some identical residues found in bound complexes including GLU, LEU, APS, and SER, which happen to be in different positions. ANOVA analysis revealed no significant difference in docking energies, an indication that even when active site residues are different, they still conserve the essential qualities needed for binding. Thus, despite the differences in structures, based on validation evaluation, such differences are unlikely to affect binding with octopamine. However, for studies where the quaternary structure of a protein is crucial, the AFM that preserves the full quaternary structure is recommendable.

Extreme heat is one of the main climate-induced public health risks to communities around the world. Understanding an individual’s vulnerability to heat is challenging, as heat exposures vary significantly depending on occupation, travel behaviors, personal activities, and the surrounding urban environment. Previous validation studies have found that commonly used wearable temperature sensors are less reliable in highly urbanized areas and when worn in direct sunlight. The aim of our study is to investigate the potential to improve the reliability of wearable temperature sensors commonly used in personal heat exposure studies. To accomplish this aim, we designed and rapidly prototyped a set of solar radiations shields to decrease temperature bias when worn in direct sunlight and in areas of high impervious surfaces. In a field deployment, we tested four different form factors for solar radiation shields, which were specifically designed to house the iButton sensor and to be worn on-body. Initial results have shown that these wearable solar radiation shields can improve sensor reliability by decreasing temperature bias by 3 °F on average. These findings highlight the potential for wearable radiation shields to enhance personal heat exposure measurements in urban environments.

Book expansion brings voices to the page, celebrating linguistic diversity and building a more inclusive community.

Recently, enrollment in college precalculus, a crucial prerequisite course for STEM majors progressing to calculus, has increased significantly (Kamil et al., 2024). However, the low success rates in these foundational courses often hinder students' progression in their chosen STEM major pathway. At our institution, we identified similar challenges and embarked on an initiative to enhance students’ engagement and confidence in mathematics classes. Research shows that students who are actively engaged and motivated in their learning process show higher levels of confidence which leads to improved academic performance (Fredricks et al., 2004; Freeman et al., 2014). To attain this goal, our team transformed our precalculus curriculum from a traditional lecture-based approach to a student-centered approach. This effort was supported by an Affordable Learning Georgia Grant (https://www.affordablelearninggeorgia.org/), allowing us to create accessible online resources, incorporating active learning in a blended instructional model with the aim of deepening student engagement and comprehension. To assess the impact of these changes on student academic performance and attitudes toward mathematics, we conducted a case study involving six precalculus sections in fall 2022. The purpose of this study was to enhance students’ success and investigate how active learning influences students’ attitudes and confidence levels in mathematics. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through surveys developed by our research team. Data analysis revealed significant improvements in students' confidence levels and enthusiasm for mathematics.