9150 research outputs found
Sort by
Metabolic Crossroads: GABA Synthesis in Trichomonas Vaginalis Infection
Full text linkThis study examines the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis pathway in Trichomonas vaginalis infection of human HCT-8 cells, focusing on key enzymatic processes in glutamate conversion to GABA and metabolic adaptations. The hypothesis tested was that T. vaginalis modulates GABA metabolism to enhance host cell invasion and adaptation. Infection time-point studies, RNA sequencing, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) assays were conducted. Comparisons between T. vaginalis strains Casu 2 and Casu 2/MOZ 2 revealed distinct infection dynamics. Casu 2 rapidly attached and replicated within an hour, peaking at 24 hours, while Casu 2/MOZ 2 exhibited delayed replication, peaking at 48 to 72 hours, suggesting immune evasion mechanisms. ALDH assays showed a slight increase in activity in Casu 2-infected cells but no statistically significant differences across control and infected groups. RNA sequencing (2-hour postinfection) revealed upregulation of GABA metabolism-related enzymes, including glutamate dehydrogenase, GABA permease, and succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, indicating enhanced GABA synthesis and transport. Increased expression of ornithine decarboxylase and NADH oxidase suggested metabolic shifts supporting parasite survival. These findings highlight the regulation of the GABA pathway in T. vaginalis infection, suggesting its role in cellular homeostasis and parasite survival. The observed metabolic reprogramming may optimize energy production and infection persistence. Excessive GABA production could disrupt host neurochemical balance, influencing immune modulation and inflammation. This study provides insights into T. vaginalis metabolic strategies and underscores the need for targeted therapeutic approaches
The Value of Constitutional Environmental Rights and Public Trusts
Full text linkAs part of the modern environmental movement of the 1970s, five states (Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, and Pennsylvania) adopted constitutional amendments recognizing a right to a quality environment, a public trust for public natural resources, or both. Half a century later, there is a renewed interest in constitutional environmental rights, inspired in no small part by the failure of existing laws to adequately address the climate crisis. A sixth state (New York) recognized a constitutional right to a quality environment in 2021, and more than a dozen states are considering such amendments. Still, the great majority of environmental protection at the state level is accomplished by statutes and regulations. In that context, what specific value do constitutional provisions add to environmental and natural resources protection? This Article attempts to answer that question for U.S. states, based on judicial decisions in these six states. These provisions can contribute value in at least three ways, depending on how they are written and how courts interpret and apply them. First, constitutional environmental rights and public trusts limit governmental authority to act contrary to their provisions. They can be the basis for invalidating inconsistent statutes, regulations, and other government actions. They can be used in a variety of ways to improve access to the courts, and they have been used to broaden and deepen protection for public natural resources beyond the protection accorded under traditional public trust law. Second, they provide supportive authority for govern- mental efforts to protect the environment and natural resources. Third, they can provide the basis for legal actions against private parties.
Constitutional environmental rights and public trusts are not a silver bullet for all environmental problems. But they can add value to a state’s environmental and natural resources protection effort in a rich variety of ways
The Secret Lives of Environmental Rights
Full text linkDo constitutional environmental rights change hearts and minds? How could they? This Essay describes three possible hypotheses of the relationships among constitutional environmental rights, meaning, and behavior: The Separate Domains Approach, The Constitutive Approach, and The Mutually Constitutive Approach. The theories underlying these hypotheses, and explored in this Essay, may provide some insight into constitutional environmental rights and how they may evolve throughout generations
Fatphobia Against Black Women: let’s talk about it
Full text linkThis zine was created for the course WS 297Z: Black Sexualities and Creative Resistance, taught by Prof. Elodie Silberstein.https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/student_zines/1013/thumbnail.jp
When it Rains, it Pours: Weather Modification Law in the United States and a Proposal for Federal Control
Full text linkThough weather modification has been used as a strategy to address issues such as drought throughout history, there continues to be a lack of federal regulation addressing weather modification. This Note surveys state regulations on weather modification and examines the current status of how the federal government addresses weather modification. Ultimately, this Note makes the case for why the Department of the Interior should take on the federal regulation of weather modification
Avoiding Performative Climate Justice
Full text linkThe Article first sketches the contours of precommitment strategies by identifying examples of precommitment strategies in existing climate change law, and contrasting them with other approaches for advancing justice that are not sticky, automatic, and early, and thus would not be considered precommitments. It then contemplates whether and why sticky, automatic, and early precommitments to justice may be an important strategy to advance justice goals in anticipation of and at high levels of warming. It concludes by analyzing the use of precommitments to justice in the context of the expedited siting and construction of renewable energy infrastructure
Educator Perspectives on a Kindergarten Entry Assessment: Implementation Experiences, Support, and Data Utilization
Full text linkThis mixed methods study provides insight into practitioner attitudes and experiences with the North Carolina Kindergarten Entry Assessment (NC KEA) and helps determine what resources are needed to support intended use of the assessment. The survey and follow-up interviews allowed researchers to gather quantitative and qualitative data to gain a more in-depth understanding of each individual’s unique views. While most teachers felt prepared to implement the KEA, the majority did not find assessment data useful. Interviews highlighted the lack of understanding regarding the purpose of the assessment and the frustration that can follow this type of misunderstanding
Influence of the Linguistic Context on the Comprehension of Complex Sentences
Full text linkAbstract
This study examined English learners\u27 comprehension of complex sentences and compared scores between a school in Boston and an American school in Bolivia. Studies have covered topics such as home language input, societal interactions, classroom influences, and language of instruction. Other research has centered on the comprehension of specific linguistic structures and the requisite skills. A considerable amount of the data is acquired from sample populations of bilingual students living in the United States, attending an English immersive school. The current study compared language comprehension scores between kindergarteners attending school in the greater Boston area in the United States and kindergarteners attending school in the greater Santa Cruz area in Bolivia. The research sought to answer the following questions: (1) Do the children struggle with certain syntactic constructions more than others? (2) Is there a difference in comprehension of sentences between English learners in the United States and English learners in Bolivia? (3) Is there an interaction between school and sentence type on students’ scores? If so, which sentence type does each school struggle with most? The study began with a preliminary item analysis of the sentences to explore possible similarities among the students’ performance. No pattern of specific constructs emerged. Importantly, the results of the two mixed effects models indicated that school and classroom did not account for variation in scores. Furthermore, sentence type and its interaction with school did not have an impact on student’s scores. However, the results showed that scores vary between students. The importance of context on second language development and sentence structure when teaching second language learners is discussed
Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in Surface Water and Tissues of Bivalves in Waterways of Coney Island, New York (USA)
Full text linkCombined sewer overflows (CSOs) are major sources of pollutants such as microbial pathogens, total suspended solids (TSS), oxygen depleting substances, toxicants, and nutrients. Untreated wastewater contains parasites like Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba which impact human health. Cryptosporidium is the leading cause of diarrheal diseases which spreads through contaminated water supplies. Our research on Coney Island in Brooklyn investigated the amount of Cryptosporidium oocysts found in the water and bivalves/shellfish tissue and to supports a parallel study examining both people\u27s use of waterways around Coney Island (for religious ceremonies, fishing, foraging, swimming, etc.) and their perceptions of how polluted the waterways are. Water and tissue samples were collected from three different waterfront areas around Coney Island supporting different activities that put people in contact with the water and with bivalves/shellfish in Summer 2021. All the water samples had \u3e50 oocysts and no significant differences were found in oocyst quantity between sample locations and dates, including sampling dates when little to no rain had fallen in the days and weeks prior to sampling. Further, all of the bivalve tissue samples collected contained oocysts. Water and tissue samples were collected from waterways that both did and did not have CSOs. This could suggest that CSOs bringing oocysts in the water are carried out by flushing and tides to recreational areas where no CSOs are found. My findings are concerning because those areas were used by people for fishing, swimming and boating on a daily basis in Coney Island could result in those people coming in contact with Cryptosporidium. Further, the fact that a fecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, or E. coli) is being used to confirm the safety of water use in Coney Island for recreation may mean that true risk of exposure to disease-causing organisms is not adequately captured in this location. Although E.coli levels typically are reduced to acceptable levels a few days following a rain event, Cryptosporidium appears to persist in water and bivalve tissues, posing a potential risk to people using Coney Island waterways