Experimental Data

This dataset contains ten years of data by and about the Archival Education Research Institute, 2009-2018. There are two types of data contained in this repo. The first set are the programs of the AERI Institutes, created by the host organizations. The second set of data are structured content of AERI Institute programs, compiled by and created by the authors. For additional information about the organization, choices, and complexities, please reference the GitHub repo README using this link: https://github.com/hsoyka/AERI (2019-12-24)

Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) is the most abundant steroid in humans and some non-human primates. This adrenal androgen contributes to immune enhancement, neuroprotection, and reproduction. In humans and apes, DHEAS levels increase before puberty, a phenomenon called adrenarche. However, a postnatal increase in the levels of these hormones is not apparent in cercopithecoids. In marmosets, DHEAS is only synthesized from female adrenal glands, if their ovarian function is compromised. However, DHEAS is poorly investigated among platyrrhines. Our main objective was to test the influence of sex and age on fecal and serum DHEAS levels in black-and-gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) under human care. We measured DHEAS levels in feces from 16 females and 21 males aged between 6 months and 26 years old and in serum from 27 of those animals using a commercial enzyme immunoassay kit. We found high levels of serum DHEAS in adult females, and DHEAS levels in fecal and serum samples were strongly and positively correlated. Fecal DHEAS levels showed a quadratic relationship with age, increasing from infancy to adulthood, then declining in older adults. There was no significant effect of sex, although females had a greater range than males. The postnatal increase in DHEAS levels in howler monkeys is like that of apes and humans, while the large variation in DHEAS levels among adult females suggests that, as in marmosets, DHEAS may be important for female howler monkey reproduction. This unique pattern highlights the importance of comparative studies to investigate the biological function of DHEAS in evolution.

As urban populations continue to grow, so does the need to address local issues including food security and accessibility. Green walls, particularly those used in Vertical Farming (VF), have potential for abundance in urban environments and may also provide secondary benefits relating to equity and community engagement. Coupled with advancements in 3D printing technology and the advent of bio-composite filaments, this study aims to utilize 3D printing to establish a baseline for cultivating food crops in bio-composite substrate. Test panels were fabricated using three different filament types: 100% pure PLA (polylactic acid), PLA with 11% wood powder, and PLA with 30% wood powder. Our findings show that there is a statistically significant difference in plant growth between filament types, suggesting that the higher the percentage of organic material present within composite filament, the higher the chance for wicking and moisture retention to occur, thereby increasing plant production and viability.

OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods) file contains tabulated data corresponding to each figure in the manuscript.

Abstract of corresponding article

Chronic sleep loss is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and reduced and fragmented sleep is increasingly appreciated as an early-onset diagnostic and potential therapeutic target for AD. However, robustly modeling AD-like sleep deficits in fruit flies has often been challenging. We report that cold-raising unmasks deficits in sleep duration, fragmentation, and latency in one  such  model  pan-neuronally  expressing  a  highly  pathogenic  AD-associated  amyloid  species. This sensitized  model provides a promising platform for identifying potential metabolic, proteostatic, glymphatic, and other candidate mediators bidirectionally linking sleep and AD.

These data are from three experiments used in the manuscript titled "Eastern redcedar roots create legacy effects that suppresses growth of prairie species"