Social Sciences: truthful or useful?

The theme of the 2006 IAP Conference, held at Alexandria, from 1-3 December 2006, was 'The Unity of Science'. Let me explain how I interpret this interesting motto. For me, this does not mean that there is one regina scientiarum that rules over the other fields of science and learning; a role that was allotted to theology in olden times, and that nowadays - in a more secular vein - is claimed by physics. In my view, the notion 'unity of science' rather refers to 'communality within diversity'. Disciplines vary in content, issues and methods. But there are also quite some common objectives, interests and concerns, the most important of which may be the common goal of searching for testable truth with objective and independent evidence. The communalities render it possible, or even imperative, to communicate and to cooperate. The diversity implies complementariness and calls for interdisciplinarity in the study of today's numerous and complex phenomena in science and society. © 2008 Academia Europaea

FOP:on the (bio)synthesis and biocatalytic applications of the artificial deazaflavin cofactor FO-5′-phosphate

Using enzymes to speed up chemical reactions can help make those reactions more environmentally friendly. Some enzymes need small helper molecules, called cofactors, in order to function properly. F420 is one such cofactor. Because it readily donates electrons to other molecules, especially those that do not typically react with other cofactors, F420 could be a more sustainable alternative to chemical processes that have no biological substitute yet. One difficulty of using F420 is that it either needs to be extracted from slow growing microorganisms such as Mycobacterium smegmatis, or needs to be synthesized chemically, both producing only a small amounts. We therefore designed an artificial cofactor, named FO-5’-phosphate (FOP), which mimics the chemical properties of F420 but can be produced much more efficiently.The first step in creating FOP is to chemically assemble its precursor (FO), which can then be converted to FOP using enzymes. In the first study, we used protein engineering to design a mutant enzyme that was capable of carrying out this last step in the process. In the second study, we designed a way to manufacture FOP inside of fast growing E. coli cells, by introducing enzymes from other organisms in this bacterium, and showed that this method was even more efficient than using Mycobacterium smegmatis to produce F420. Lastly, and most importantly, we found that enzymes that are dependent on F420 work just as well with FOP as they do with F420, which indicates that FOP can be a viable and scalable alternative

The Experiential Embodied Feminist Antimilitarist Learning Hack: A Learning Journey Through Niagara’s War of 1812 Museological Sites

In this Major Research Paper, I examine gendered representations of the War of 1812 at four significant cultural sites: the Niagara Falls History Museum, Lundy’s Lane Battlefield, Drummond Hill Cemetery, and Queenston Heights. I employed an experiential embodied feminist antimilitarist learning hack to view exhibits, sites, displays, and epitaphs. The overarching question that guided my research was: How does embodied feminist experiential learning intersect with the ways that gender and militarism are remembered and represented in War of 1812 museums and heritage sites in Niagara, Ontario? My research concluded that the way that the stories of the War of 1812 are told at these sites serves to perpetuate the hegemonic portrayals of war, including the celebration of violent and bloody combat, war as a male-dominated condition, and the conventional roles of men and women in wartime. My research demonstrates the need for change at these sites so visitors might understand the problematic ways in which gender and violence is presented with regards to the War of 1812.

Altered Na,k-Atpase Isoform Expression In Artemia Franciscana In Response To Hypersaline Environments

The Na,K-ATPase (NKA) is an essential membrane pump that helps to establish cell ion gradients, and regulate intracellular salt in many organisms. One such species, Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp), extreme halophiles which live in hypersaline environments, expresses 2 distinct α-catalytic subunits of the NKA. One of these subunits, α2-(KK), has two key lysine substitutions located within the cation binding sites. Prior work has demonstrated this specific subunit may be directly involved in brine shrimp adaptation to their extreme environments. However, the precise molecular and physiological effects of α2-(KK) have not been entirely elucidated. I determined through immunohistochemistry that my initial hypothesis that the NKA may be expressed apically in the gut epithelia was wrong. However, further exploration of the brine shrimp showed that the salt regulation organ, metepipodites, have distinct NKA expression and cell morphology. I also identified RNA expression of the α2-KK subunit was upregulated and apparent ion affinities were altered, when brine shrimp were reared in a hypersaline environment

A platform for numerical computations with special application to preconditioning

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Effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on Nonprofits’ Charitable Contributions

Background The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), passed in 2017, significantly altered individual’s taxes for all filing statuses, notably increasing the standard deduction. By nearly doubling the standard deduction, it considerably decreased those individuals choosing the itemized deduction. Due to this, it may impact charitable contributions, a major source of nonprofits’ revenues. Prior studies projected a variety of stances regarding changes in giving levels due to the TCJA. This study attempted to determine the overall effect of the TCJA on nonprofits, as well as within the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) major groups Education, Health, Human Services, Public and Societal Benefit, and Religion Related. Methodology This study utilized paired t-tests to determine if a statistically significant positive difference in charitable contributions occurred post-TCJA. Additionally, ANOVA analysis was used to determine if the TCJA’s effects were widespread or more material to a selected segment. Results All t-tests performed evidenced no statistically significant positive difference in charitable contributions before and after the TCJA. All ANOVA tests were rejected at the 99% level of confidence, showing that there were statistically significant differences in charitable contributions between groups. Conclusion The findings of the t-tests are in alignment with prior research that indicated no change in overall giving as a result of the TCJA (Hodge, 2020). Though we failed to reject all of the t-tests, the Public and Societal Benefit tests displayed p-values less than .01, which may evidence greater contributions post-TCJA in that sector. Following the ANOVA analysis, post hoc tests identified one nonprofit within each NTEE group that received significantly greater contributions. These nonprofits were Teach for America, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities Inc/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Feeding America, The Rotary Foundation, and Samaritan’s Purse. Keywords: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, TCJA, charitable contributions, standard deduction, itemized deduction, charitable contribution deductio