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Data Science Corps Wrangle-Analyze-Visualize (DSC-WAV) project
No full textThe NSF-funded Data Science Corps Wrangle-Analyze-Visualize (DSC-WAV) project organized a symposium of academic leaders, faculty, and other stakeholders to foster the development of flexible and inclusive data science pathways in Massachusetts
DSC-WAV contains courses, educational materials, papers, workshops, talks & posters, software, medi
What Is Special About Mahsa Amini?
No full textMahsa Amini was just another woman in Iran who, despite following the rules, was still arrested, humiliated and punished
Gut Microbiota-Derived Trimethylamine N-Oxide Contributes to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Through Inflammatory and Apoptotic Mechanisms
Get PDFBackground: Large-scale human and mechanistic mouse studies indicate a strong relationship between the microbiome-dependent metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and several cardiometabolic diseases. This study aims to investigate the role of TMAO in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and target its parent microbes as a potential pharmacological intervention. Methods: TMAO and choline metabolites were examined in plasma samples, with associated clinical data, from 2 independent patient cohorts (N=2129 total). Mice were fed a high-choline diet and underwent 2 murine AAA models, angiotensin II infusion in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr-/-) mice or topical porcine pancreatic elastase in C57BL/6J mice. Gut microbial production of TMAO was inhibited through broad-spectrum antibiotics, targeted inhibition of the gut microbial choline TMA lyase (CutC/D) with fluoromethylcholine, or the use of mice genetically deficient in flavin monooxygenase 3 (Fmo3-/-). Finally, RNA sequencing of in vitro human vascular smooth muscle cells and in vivo mouse aortas was used to investigate how TMAO affects AAA. Results: Elevated TMAO was associated with increased AAA incidence and growth in both patient cohorts studied. Dietary choline supplementation augmented plasma TMAO and aortic diameter in both mouse models of AAA, which was suppressed with poorly absorbed oral broad-spectrum antibiotics. Treatment with fluoromethylcholine ablated TMAO production, attenuated choline-augmented aneurysm initiation, and halted progression of an established aneurysm model. In addition, Fmo3-/-mice had reduced plasma TMAO and aortic diameters and were protected from AAA rupture compared with wild-type mice. RNA sequencing and functional analyses revealed choline supplementation in mice or TMAO treatment of human vascular smooth muscle cells-augmented gene pathways associated with the endoplasmic reticulum stress response, specifically the endoplasmic reticulum stress kinase PERK. Conclusions: These results define a role for gut microbiota-generated TMAO in AAA formation through upregulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related pathways in the aortic wall. In addition, inhibition of microbiome-derived TMAO may serve as a novel therapeutic approach for AAA treatment where none currently exist
Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of a Red-Pigmented Strain of \u3ci\u3eMassilia frigida\u3c/i\u3e Isolated from an Antarctic Microbial Mat
Get PDFThe McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica experience a range of selective pressures, including extreme seasonal variation in temperature, water and nutrient availability, and UV radiation. Microbial mats in this ecosystem harbor dense concentrations of biomass in an otherwise desolate environment. Microbial inhabitants must mitigate these selective pressures via specialized enzymes, changes to the cellular envelope, and the production of secondary metabolites, such as pigments and osmoprotectants. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, red-pigmented bacterium, strain DJPM01, from a microbial mat within the Don Juan Pond Basin of Wright Valley. Analysis of strain DJMP01’s genome indicates it can be classified as a member of the Massilia frigida species. The genome contains several genes associated with cold and salt tolerance, including multiple RNA helicases, protein chaperones, and cation/proton antiporters. In addition, we identified 17 putative secondary metabolite gene clusters, including a number of nonribosomal peptides and ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), among others, and the biosynthesis pathway for the antimicrobial pigment prodigiosin. When cultivated on complex agar, multiple prodiginines, including the antibiotic prodigiosin, 2-methyl-3-propyl-prodiginine, 2-methyl-3-butyl-prodiginine, 2-methyl-3-heptyl-prodiginine, and cycloprodigiosin, were detected by LC–MS. Genome analyses of sequenced members of the Massilia genus indicates prodigiosin production is unique to Antarctic strains. UV-A radiation, an ecological stressor in the Antarctic, was found to significantly decrease the abundance of prodiginines produced by strain DJPM01. Genomic and phenotypic evidence indicates strain DJPM01 can respond to the ecological conditions of the DJP microbial mat, with prodiginines produced under a range of conditions, including extreme UV radiation
Beyond the Gates: Smith Co-Creating Climate Justice Initiatives with the Local River Valley Community
No full textIn alignment with Smith College\u27s commitment to campus sustainability and to advance equity and inclusion, this report explores ways in which the college can actively adopt and promote climate justice. Overseen by students in the Environmental Science and Policy Major capstone course, this body of work is a participatory community-based action research project with three stakeholders: students, faculty, and community members. This paper details community stakeholders’ visions for climate justice in Western Massachusetts. A workshop was held on November 2nd, during which sixteen community members were invited to participate in visioning exercises as part of our data collection for our project. The discussions fostered during the workshop were analyzed using inductive and deductive qualitative coding methods. The results from our analysis yielded a list of recommendations to include in a future climate justice plan for Smith College. This document concludes with these recommendations
Envisioning Climate Justice with Smith Students
No full textSmith College has taken initiatives to increase on-campus sustainability in the face of the climate crisis, but there is work to be done to incorporate justice into these solutions. To envision how Smith can implement climate justice within its physical campus, workshops were hosted on Cromwell Day. The primary stakeholders for this report are Smith students, who are key constituents in implementing Climate Justice on campus. The workshop included three exercises to guide students in envisioning climate justice at Smith: illustrative visioning, participatory mapping, and an exit survey. The most important themes that emerged from the illustrative visions were Nature and Resources. From the participatory mapping exercise, the most prominent themes were Green Space and Infrastructure. The most common themes in the exit survey were Green Space, Infrastructure, and Divestment. Visions under the themes of Green Space and Infrastructure had the most synergy with projects mentioned by the Landscape Master Plan, indicating the potential for a climate justice framework in this guiding institutional document. A diverse range of climate justice visions was generated in the workshop, but many visions were either sustainability-oriented or justice-oriented, rather than climate justice-oriented. We recommend actions to incorporate climate justice into the physical landscape and other parts of campus life to increase discourse on climate justice at Smith
Predictors of Domestic Sex Trafficking Susceptibility in a Nationwide Sample of Women
No full textSex trafficking is a global human rights concern, but rarely studied. A non-random sample of 420 women in the United States between the ages of 18 and 30 were recruited to gauge susceptibility to sex trafficking in an online study. Participants were presented with a scenario describing a sequence of common grooming tactics used by sex traffickers that participants could reject or endorse. Participants were also surveyed on their demographics, attachment styles, adverse childhood experiences, past juvenile criminality behaviors, and current mental health. Bivariate correlations revealed small but statistically significant positive correlations between sex trafficking susceptibility and anxious attachment, adverse childhood experiences, interpersonal sensitivity, and juvenile criminality. Linear regression revealed that juvenile criminality, anxious attachment, adverse childhood experiences, and secure attachment were positive predictors of sex trafficking susceptibility. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was negatively correlated with sex trafficking susceptibility, indicating that PTSD symptoms may be protective for populations at-risk for sex trafficking. Findings may improve future research through the development of reliable scenarios to measure sex trafficking susceptibility and a potential constellation of symptoms most predictive of such susceptibility. Limitations include possible retrospective self-reporting errors, demand characteristics, social desirability bias, and use of a single-scenario measure for sex trafficking susceptibility
