Category: research

Summary
Malaria is a devastating parasitic infectious disease with an enormous impact on public health and economic growth, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Besides advances in anti-malarial drugs and vaccine development, a successful malaria eradication program relies on controlling the mosquito vector. In this study, we pursue a novel approach for malaria vector control by inhibiting an enzyme important for ensuring reproductive success of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. The enzyme, A. gambiae transglutaminase 3 (AgTG3), catalyzes the cross-linking of its native substrate Plugin, which is then transferred to a female mosquito in a coagulated mass known as the mating plug. Interfering with AgTG3-catalyzed mating plug formation prevents efficient sperm storage, with a direct consequence on fertility. This study demonstrates that the mutation of a highly conserved cysteine residue in AgTG3 (Cys323) abolishes its cross-linking activity without disrupting other properties of the enzyme such as protein folding and oligomeric assembly. These results suggest that Cys323 is an active site residue and support the design of specific inhibitors targeting this site as a promising strategy to reduce the malaria disease burden worldwide.

 

Minh-Quan D. Pham (1) and Richard H. G. Baxter (2)

Click here for PDF file: May2014(1)

Y. Yang

Summary
The projections for rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations indicate that the pH levels of the ocean surface could decrease by 0.3-0.4 units by the end of the 21st century. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of pH on the exoskeletons of six aquatic organisms commonly found in South Florida coastal waters. The exoskeleton samples studied were from the common nutmeg (Cancellaria reticulate), lettered olive (Oliva sayana), stiff pen shell (Atrina rigida), kitten’s paw (Plicatulidae), fan coral (Gorgonia ventalina), and common slipper shell (Crepidula fornicate). The exoskeleton samples were exposed to saltwater (34% salinity) at pH levels ranging from 8.3 to 6.0 for 5 days. The changes in the masses of the samples before and after exposure were compared. We normalized the data in reference to the observations at pH=8.3, which is the current pH level of the ocean surface. The fan coral had the highest percent mass loss, which increased with decreasing pH until pH 6.5. Exoskeleton samples from the stiff pen shell were not affected by the pH changes. Exoskeletons from the common nutmeg, lettered olive, and common slipper shell had similar responses to pH changes with relatively small changes in mass. Exoskeletons from the kitten’s paw had significant mass loss at lower pH conditions. The research results show that as ocean acidification increases, the exoskeletons of marine organisms will be affected. Some organisms, such as the fan coral and kitten’s paw, may lose their exoskeletons. Other organisms that rely on the marine organisms with exoskeletons for shelter and food could also be affected.

 

Derya Z. Tansel (1), Ariadna Arreaza (2), Berrin Tansel (2)

Click here for PDF file: January2014(2)

Summary
A nationally representative study of video game play among adolescents in the United States showed that 97% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years play computer, web, and portable (or console) video games (Lenhart et al., 2008). We hypothesized that if people play games as a regular exercise regime, gaming will correlate with an improvement in their cognitive skills. For this experiment, a few games that tested the logical reasoning and critical analysis skills under a given time constraint were coded in Python using Pygame and were played by a group of 7th grade students. In order to test whether there is a relationship between gaming and test performance, we divided the students into two groups and gave them tests before and after the experimentation period in order to measure their improvement. One group played the games while the other did not. In the group of students that played the games, an average improvement of 62.19% was seen (p < 0.0001). The group that did not play the games only improved their performance by an average of 18.51% (p = 0.0882).

 

Mohnish Chakravarti and Arati Chakravarti

Parents’ Perception of Online College Degree Programs for their Children

 

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed the rapid increase in enrollments in online learning programs as an effective alternative to traditional school settings because of various advantages offered by such programs, including convenience, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. As a result, online college degree programs have received increased research attention in the field of education. This study examines parents’ attitudes toward online college degree programs and investigates whether there are any differences in their perceptions depending on the gender or age of their children. The study also considers the most important factors influencing parents’ perception of online college degree programs and analyzes any gender or age differences in the factors they emphasize. The results indicate that although parents generally had favorable attitudes toward online college degree programs regardless of the gender of their children, those with female students were more likely to support online programs than those with male children. In terms of the age of the child (measured based on the child’s level of education–elementary, middle, or high school), parents with middle school students were most likely to favor online college degree programs. Parents with female children were most likely to emphasize program quality as the most important factor, whereas those with male students, program credibility. Parents were most likely to emphasize program quality as the most important factor regardless of the age of the child. These results have important implications for school administrators, teachers, and policymakers, and some limitations of the study are discussed.

Keywords: Online Degree Program, Parents, Attitudes, Children

Kelly Sunho Park