Journal of Jazz Studies (JJS)
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Investigating the Strength of the Indian Monsoons during Climate Extremes with Stable Isotope Records in Corals
No full textThe Indian monsoon affects the lives of over a billion inhabitants living in southern Asia via the hy-drological cycle. Agriculture on land and freshwater discharge into the ocean. This discharge and nutri-ent cycling are tied with the monsoon cycles that di-rectly impact society and the economy. Previous studies have demonstrated a strong connection be-tween the strength of the Indian monsoon and the cooling of the North Atlantic during climate ex-tremes, such as during the last glacial period 20,000 years ago, and the Little Ice Age (~1300-1870 A.D.). In our study, we compare the relative strength of the monsoon during two different climate states: the Lit-tle Ice Age (LIA) and the modern (2015) with proxy measurements obtained in surface corals from Saint Martin’s Island, Southeast Bangladesh. We used the oxygen-isotope 18O/16O ratio (δ18Oc) of coralline aragonite (CaCO3) to reconstruct changes in the δ18O of seawater (δ18Ow) attributed to freshening from monsoon rains. During both climate states, corals recorded large variations in δ18Oc (up to 2 parts per thousand or ‰). We attribute these changes, in part, to local salinity changes which are reflected by variability in δ18Ow from local riverine discharge. While our records only represent 5-year snapshots and may not be representative of the av-erage climate state, this data does not support that the monsoon was substantially weaker during the LIA compared to the modern. In this study, the coral records indicate subtle patterns of isotopic compo-sition as a function of precipitation and temperature variability, serving as a preliminary for further study through longer records lasting a century. Beyond this, it would better our understanding of interac-tions between extremes in temperature and climate systems
Minimization of Fuel Consumption of A Swarm Of Spacecraft Through A Genetic Algorithm Approach
No full textAs humanity moves closer to forming realis-tic paths toward space exploration beyond that what we have already accomplished, multiple new chal-lenges have presented themselves. Traditional large spacecraft prove to be unfeasible both logistically and economically for missions where a single prob-lem can completely halt operations, especially given that higher reward missions are also of higher risk. A possible alternative to large craft is using a swarm of smaller craft made to accomplish the same goals while mitigating some of the drawbacks large craft face. Rockets, space shuttles, and satellites all prove to be too large to navigate areas of space dense with obstacles. Smaller craft on the scale of one meter in a large swarm would navigate these regions. Due to the decentralized nature of a swarm, any problems faced by one craft do not necessarily affect the oth-ers, allowing the swarm to stay operational despite some crafts becoming compromised. This feature means that a problem or miscalculation that could completely derail an entire mission in the context of a large spacecraft would not do the same to a swarm. In the context of exploring dense and/or extreme en-vironments in space, many logistic and economic problems faced by large craft due to their size and centralized nature will not affect a swarm. With an ac-curate mathematical model of the swarm dynamics from Benet et al.[1], a genetic algorithm’s metaheuristic method is utilized[2] to find optimal pa-rameters that yield a minimal fuel consumption value for a given trajectory/mission objective. From this approach, the total fuel consumption was cut in half while retaining desirable characteristics of the trajec-tory such as collision avoidance and final formation constraints, giving us a similar course that accom-plishes the same goal of transporting craft around objects and disturbances while also minimizing eco-nomic losses
The Role of Autophagy in Phosphatidylglycerol Facilitated Cholesterol Clearance from the Endolysosomal System of NPC-1 Deficient Cells
No full textNiemann Pick Type C (NPC) Disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder in which one of the genes that codes for either the NPC-1 or NPC-2 protein is mutated, causing cell lysosomes to accumulate cholesterol and lipids. Previous studies discovered that a unique late endosomal/lysosomal phospholipid, lysobisphosphatidic acid (LPBA), is involved in cholesterol clearance from late endosomes. It has also been shown that exogenous treatment of the NPC-1 deficient cells with LBPA’s precursor, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), leads to LBPA enrichment and subsequent endolysosomal cholesterol clearance. Autophagy is a mechanism of cellular clearance in the endolysomal system and we are interested to see if it is a partial route in cholesterol clearance during PG treatment of NPC-1 deficient cells. To do so, we silenced the gene that codes for an essential protein in the autophagy pathway, making the cells autophagy deficient. We then treated the cells with PG, measured the amount of cholesterol clearance in those cells, and compared it to cells with normal autophagy. We found significantly less cholesterol clearance by PG in cells with defective autophagy, confirming that autophagy is involved as a partial route in cholesterol clearance during PG treatment, but not enough of a difference to conclude that it is a major underlying mechanism
Targeting the Epigenetic Factors of Neuroinflammation
No full textCurrently, there are no effective treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI). This is because the mechanisms behind post-injury neuroinflammation are not well understood. This project studies a novel signaling pathway responsible for the activation of microglia post-TBI. Its goal is to identify epigenetic factors of neuroinflammation that may be targeted with future therapies.
We are examining the possibility that class IIa Histone Deacetylases (HDACs), particularly HDAC7, are responsible for initiating the inflammatory response after TBI. In addition, we plan to explore what its upstream regulation factors may be. One possible upstream regulation factor explored is regulating Kinase 2, also known as Par1b (Par1b/MARK2), since prior research indicates that a deficiency in Par1b/MARK2 increased the inflammatory response of microglia in a mouse model of TBI. In our experiments, we examined brains from sham mice (i.e., without head injury) and mice subjected to closed head injury (CHI). Our experiments made use of wild-type mice and mice deficient in Par1b/MARK2. Qualitative analyses were conducted using fluorescent microscopy imaging of immunohistochemistry. Using cell-specific markers of inflammation, we found an increase in astrocytic marker GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein) and microglial protein IBA1 (ionized calcium binding protein) expression in the cortex of the mice after CHI. These increases were dramatic ipsilaterally (same side) to the injury, but only moderate contralaterally (opposite side). In the control brains (sham operates), little to no increase in these markers were detected.
In our experiments, we observed increased expression of HDAC7 in post-TBI microglia as well as in reactive GFAP-expressing astrocytes. Others have observed that Par1b/MARK2 may negatively regulate HDAC7 activity and there is evidence that HDAC7 is an inhibitor of anti-inflammatory genes
The Role of Eicosanoids in Regulating the Ubiquitin Proteasome System and Proteostasis
No full textThe ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a protein degradation mechanism in eukaryotes crucial to maintaining protein homeostasis, or proteostasis. There are tissue-specific differences in UPS activity and proteostasis, but the intercellular signaling mechanisms that mediate these differences are not well understood. This work examines eicosanoid signaling molecules—which are derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)—and their role in proteostasis regulation, particularly the UPS. A reporter transgene that expresses the UbG76V-GFP chimeric protein, a metastable substrate for the UPS, is used in Caenorhabditis elegans epithelial cells to monitor the level of UPS activity. In wild-type nematodes, UbG76V-GFP levels remain high through 24 hours post L4 stage (L4+24). Then, levels decrease significantly due to increased UPS activity as the animals age and develop 48 hours past L4 (L4+48). Mutants for fat-1, a desaturase enzyme that converts ω-6 PUFAs to ω-3 PUFAs, exhibited elevated UbG76V-GFP turnover in the hypodermis even at the L4+24 stage, suggesting that either ω-6 PUFAs (or their eicosanoid derivatives) promote UPS activity or ω-3 PUFAs (or their eicosanoid derivatives) inhibit UPS activity. In the intestine, mutants for fat-1 showed reduced UbG76V-GFP turnover at the L4+24 and L4+48 life stages. Additionally, mutants for emb-8—an NADPH reductase needed to convert PUFAs into eicosanoids—also showed reduced UbG76V-GFP turnover in the hypodermis even at the L4+48 stage. These results suggest that elements of the eicosanoid signaling pathway, including ω-6 PUFAs and their derivatives, significantly contribute to regulation of the UPS and proteostasis
Characterizing and Evaluating the Diverse Microbial Communities and Their Mercury Resistance Potential from Hot Spring Sites Representing Gradients in Temperature and pH in Yellowstone National Park
No full textYellowstone National Park is home to many different hot springs, lakes, geysers, pools, and basins that range in pH, chemical composition, and temperature. These different environmental variations provide a broad range of conditions that select and grow diverse communities of microorganisms. In this study, we collected samples from geochemically diverse lakes and springs to characterize the microbial communities present through 16S rRNA metagenomic analysis. This information was then used to observe how various microorganisms survive in high mercury environments. The results show the presence of microorganisms that have been studied in previous literature. The results also depict gradients of microorganisms including thermophilic bacteria and archaea that exist in these extreme environments. In addition, beta diversity analyses of the sequence data showed site clustering based primarily on temperature instead of pH or sample site, suggesting that while pH, temperature, and sample site were all shown to be significant, temperature is the strongest factor driving microorganism community development. While it is important to characterize the microorganism community present, it is also important to understand how this community functions as a result of its selection. Along with looking at community composition, genomic material was tested to see if it contained mercury methylating (hgcA) or mercury reducing (merA) genes. Out of 22 samples, three of them were observed to have merA genes, while no samples had hgcA genes. These results indicate that microorganisms in Mustard and Nymph Springs may use mercury reduction. Understanding how microorganisms survive in environments with high concentrations of toxic pollutants is crucial because it can be used as a model to better understand mechanisms of resistance and the biogeochemical cycle, as well as for bioremediation and other solutions to anthropogenic problems
Agency in the Writing Center: Examining the Importance of Student Autonomy in Higher Education
No full textIn college-level English courses, students often struggle to achieve satisfactory results in their writing. To remedy this, they seek help at campus writing centers, where a tutor helps them improve their writing skills and their academic performance. Yet, students experience tension between the classroom and the writing center that universities should seek to minimize. In my research, I discovered how different learning methods may either foster or suppress student autonomy. Further, I found that current methods—such as the course-embedded model for mitigating the tension between the writing center and the classroom—fail to empower the student. Using Rutgers University and its style of minimalist tutoring as a benchmark, I discuss the topics of autonomy and agency, student-led negotiation with authority, lack of academic motivation, and how we can bridge the pedagogical gap between the writing center and the classroom
Chronic Corticosterone Shifts Effort-Related Choice Behavior in Y-Maze
No full textMajor depressive disorder (MDD) affects more than 16.1 million American adults (about 6.7% of the U.S. population age 18+) in a given year (ADAA). Understanding how chronic stress impacts decision-making may allow us to help people suffering from MDD receive the most suitable antidepressant treatment given their behavioral tendencies in reward and motivational processing. In these experiments, our objective is to characterize effort-related choice tasks using chronic stressors in mice. To study this topic, we take advantage of the well-validated homology between corticosterone (CORT) in rodents and cortisol in humans to induce mood disorders such as MDD and chronic stress in mice. Effort-related choice tasks have been characterized using stressors in rats, but the stressors have not been chronic and have not been characterized in mice. The results of these experiments would be a better foundation for research involving antidepressant treatment experiments on mice. The experimental group was administered CORT in their drinking water throughout all experiments. Then, both the control and experimental groups were tested in a Y-Maze barrier task to demonstrate the behavioral effects of CORT. The high reward (HR) arm of the Y-Maze contained a reward of four food pellets, which required high effort to obtain. The low reward (LR) arm of the Y-Maze contained a reward of two food pellets, which required less effort to obtain Animals chronically exposed to CORT displayed a stronger preference for low-effort, low-reward choices than control subjects. The results suggest that chronic CORT may reduce motivation to work for a highly rewarding reinforcer when a less rewarding reinforcer is available
Foreword to first issue of the Aresty Undergraduate Research Journal
No full textA unique resource for the Rutgers University community, the Aresty Research Center promotes the integral value of research in undergraduate education.This inaugural issue of the journal expands the scope of research activities the Center offers to Rutgers undergraduates to include the peer-reviewed publication process – a crucial element of any structured research activity. Students can engage with the journal in a variety of roles that all professional researchers take at different times – those of the authors of scholarly publications, those of peer reviewers who ensure the quality and soundness of the published work, and those of editors who coordinate the review process