Wild bird feeding is one of the few instances in which humans are able to connect with nature, especially as bird biodiversity continues declining and urban human populations keep increasing. There is currently limited scientific literature regarding the safety of commercial wild bird feed. Consequently, the potential risks associated with pesticide residues remain unknown. As a result, this study aims to perform a pesticide multiresidue analysis on commercially sold bird feed. Commercial bird seeds were bought from stores around Ithaca, New York. A total of N=68 bags from 23 products of bird seed were purchased. The seed types consisted of bird feed mixes(n=13), black oil sunflower seeds(n=14), and sunflower chips & hearts(n=15). Small samples from each bag were obtained for pesticide analysis. Our study revealed that some wild bird feed has residues from one or more of the 95 pesticides studied in the Cornell Chemical Ecology Core Facility. Our preliminary analysis detected fungicides and insecticides across the samples, with the synergist piperonyl butoxide appearing in most. Our result showcases that commercial birdfeed can contain residues that may be harmful to wild birds.
In the present study, weinvestigated the role of Black psychological empowerment (BPE) and liberation in fostering sociopolitical development among Black youth impacted by community violence. This study developed a measure of BPE based on Black youths’ reports of empowerment, racial identity, and sociopolitical leadership, informed by a literature review. Data were derived from the Youth Voices program evaluation as part of the Healthy Communities for Youth study (Lozada et al., 2025). The Youth Voices program included 115 Black youth, ages 14–18, in 9th–12th grade from communities affected by community violence. A convergent triangulation mixed-methods design was utilized to establish a multidimensional measure of BPE, examine whether BPE predicts critical consciousness and sociopolitical development, and examine youths’ narratives. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in four factors: Awareness and Motivation for Community Engagement (α = .85), Collective Action Beliefs (α = .84), Positive Racial Identity (α = .82), and Positive Self-Esteem/Self-Concept (α = .82). Regression analyses indicated that Collective Action Beliefs negatively predicted critical action (β = -.31, SE = 0.11, p = .005). Positive racial identity did not predict perceived inequality (β = -.05, SE = 0.20, p = .818). These findings suggest that certain dimensions of BPE relate to sociopolitical development.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are two neurodegenerative diseases, among others, characterized by protein aggregation, specifically TDP-43 aggregation. Primarily, TDP-43 is localized in the nucleus, but research suggests that individuals with ALS and FTD show nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic aggregation of TDP-43 as well as sleep defects. In vitro experiments indicate the formation of stress granules (SGs), which are molecules that form when the cell is under stress and which are marked by G3BP1 in human cells. However, the mechanistic role and cellular implications of stress granule formation with respect to sleep deprivation and TDP-43 aggregation have not been fully explored in vivo. Here we use p62, ATG8a, TDP-43, and tubulin to investigate lysosomal activity in the presence of stress granules using Drosophila and iPSCs from human neuronal cells. In Drosophila, we found that TDP-43 overexpression induces sleep loss, and when the formation of stress granules is inhibited by the G3BP1 homolog Raspurin, sleep loss occurs even earlier. In human cells, we observed that stress granules inhibit lysosomal activity, which then inhibits the breakdown of TDP-43 in the cytoplasm.
C. elegans are small, transparent nematode worms and are widely used as model organisms in biological research. Their utility stems from their simplicity and well-characterized biology. Most of the population are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female reproductive organs, which facilitates self-fertilization. (males only make up about 0.2–0.5% in the wild) This reproductive capability, combined with a fixed number of cells, a fully sequenced genome, and a short life cycle, makes C. elegans ideal for studying gene function and development. In addition C. elegans possess the evolutionarily conserved Argonaute/PIWI proteins that interact with small RNAs such as piRNAs. These piRNAs play a critical role in reproductive stability, and their absence results in sterility since Piwi will be marked for degradation when a piRNA is not attached to it. This research aims to elucidate the mechanisms behind piRNA-related sterility and to explore methods of maintaining a stable Piwi Argonaute in their absence. Additionally, the study focuses on the role of lysine residues, which are known to be important for Piwi function, and their role in creating a stable Piwi Argonaute even when piRNAs are absent. In addition to testing the piRNA abundance in strains where different mutations are influencing their transcription.
This study analyzes the argument of artificial turf versus natural grass used in the NFL, addressing the rationale for the former. With a focus on Sport Administration, the research was composed of quantitative metrics and qualitative interpretation to bridge statistics with subjectivity. Data was collected from websites surrounding the NFL using secondary research then comparatively scrutinized. This framework addressed connections between the field materials, player and management dynamics, and marketability ambitions. Findings convey grass is better for athletes, establishing a campaign for its ubiquity at the professional level. Contrarily, results acknowledge turf’s benefits that warrant its use over grass, mandating further agricultural innovation for the latter to be predominant in the NFL. These outcomes provide support for grass to be standardized across sport leagues, challenging previous beliefs of turf’s capabilities in relation to grass. Overall, this study contributes to the advancement of player health and safety optimization across sports and offers practical implications for sport managers – including but not limited to commissioners, athletic trainers, coaches, and athletic directors. The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing players over profit, while also highlighting areas for future research, particularly in legal issues in sports and activity.
Incubation of Craving is cue induced craving that gets stroner overtime during abstinence. There are 2 types of abstinance : forced abstince and social based voluntary abstinance. In forced Abstinance rats are kept in their homecage, and incubation of craving increases with forced abstinence. For social based voluntary abstinence resident rats and partner rats press levers to socially interact, when compared with forced abstinence incubation of craving increases. In previous studies the Resident is the one to initiate social interaction while the partener is just there, but for our experiment the partner is the one to initiate social interaction we did this because we had a question "Is the Resident choices (social interaction or Drug) dependent on the partner's behavior. For our approach we had 5 days of mutuals social interaction, 14 days of self drug (heroin) administration, 1 test day of incubation, 14 days of voulntary abstinence, and 1 test day of incubation.
