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Kubernetes is a popular open source software (OSS) tool to manage containers at scale. Despite being beneficial for rapid deployment, Kubernetes-based software deployments are susceptible to defects that can lead to serious consequences. A systematic analysis of development-related factors that cause defects can aid practitioners on how to mitigate these defects. We conduct an exploratory empirical study where we use causal analysis to quantify the impact of one development factor called minor contributors, which refers to practitioners who author < 5% of the total code. By analyzing 29,028 commits from 157 OSS repositories, we observe (i) 5.6% of the 29,028 commits to be authored by minor contributors; and (ii) authorship of minor contributors to impact defects in configuration scripts. Based on our findings, we recommend researchers to (1) further investigate the characteristics of minor contributors; and (2) identify other development-related factors that may have a causal impact on defects in Kubernetes configuration scripts. 

Inhalation exposure to nanoplastic particles (NPPs) can lead to significant pulmonary toxicity; however, the effects of environmental processing on their toxicity remain poorly understood. This study examines the toxicity of polystyrene (PS) NPPs on lung cells following controlled atmospheric aging. Human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) were cultured in vitro at the air−liquid interface and acutely exposed to oxidized PS NPPs through electrostatic precipitation. Expression of proinflammatory genes interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was significantly elevated at 6 and 48 h postexposure to aged NPPs, with corresponding increases in interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein levels supporting an inflammatory response. The oxidative stress marker heme oxygenase-1 (HO- 1) also showed significantly increased expression at 6 h postexposure, supported by protein analysis. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS) revealed increased surface roughness and oxygen to carbon ratios in the atmospherically aged NPPs. Together, these results demonstrate that atmospheric aging alters the chemical composition and surface morphology of PS NPPs, enhancing proinflammatory and oxidative stress responses in bronchial epithelial cells, highlighting the critical role of environmental processing in determining the toxicity of nanoplastics. 

Parent–child communication is an essential part of developing and sustaining career interests. Parents’ involvement in the process of career interest development and persistence of women in STEM is critical to understand to marshal support for women entering high-barrier fields. This manuscript answers 3 questions about how parents are involved in the processes of career interest development and persistence: What do parents do? What do parents say? And what should parents say? Models of interest development, studies of parental vocational anticipatory socialization, and communication theories such as the support framework and confirmation theory answer these questions. We propose paths for future research that use communication theory to predict effective parental communication while embracing an intersectional lens and considering support gaps.