Contributors

Biographical information on contributors to volume 8, and a list of donors, patrons and benefactors

Five Walls and a Roof

Ever so long ago before anything was modern, O Best Beloved, each house had just four walls and a roof. They were plain boxes with simple gables that glanced against the great blue cloud-scudded sky and there were no interfaces, interferences, or international styles to stumble on to..

Structure in the Landscape; Interventions

Structure in the Landscape: photographs by Peter Goin. Interventions: a poem by Dale A. Bryant

Characterization of MTHFD2L expression and alternative splicing and loss of MTHFD1L activity in murine embryos and adults

In Eukaryotes, folate-dependent one-carbon (1C) metabolism is a highly compartmentalized process in which mitochondria play a central role. Defects in folate metabolism are associated with diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and neural tube defects (NTDs). 1C units are attached to tetrahydrofolate (THF) and carried in various oxidation states between folate-dependent enzymes. There is an exchange of 1C units across the mitochondrial membrane, with 1C donors such as serine and glycine being oxidized to formate in the mitochondria, which is then released into the cytoplasm. 1C units in the cytoplasm can be used for the synthesis of purines, thymidylate, and methionine for the methyl cycle. The core of the pathway in both compartments is catalyzed by the methylene-tetrahydrofolate (MTHFD) gene family. These enzymes catalyze the reversible interconversion between CH₂-THF, CH⁺-THF, CHO-THF, and formate. The cytoplasmic protein MTHFD1 is trifunctional and carries the CH₂-THF dehydrogenase, CH⁺-THF cyclohydrolase, and 10-CHO-THF synthetase activities necessary to carry out these interconversions. In the mitochondria, two bifunctional isozymes, MTHFD2 and MTHFD2L, carry the dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase (D/C) activities. The monofunctional enzyme MTHFD1L is responsible for the synthetase activity. MTHFD2 is only expressed in embryos and transformed cells, and the enzyme responsible for the D/C activity in adults was unknown until the recent discovery of MTHFD2L. In this work, characterization of the expression of MTHFD2L in mouse embryos and adults is described. Expression of MTHFD2L in embryos was found to be switched on between embryonic days 8.5-10.5, and remains high throughout development. MTHFD2L is also widely expressed in adults, with highest expression in brain and lung. A splice variant of MTHFD2L lacking exon 8 was found to be abundant in embryos but was not catalytically active in vitro or in vivo. MTHFD1L is an essential protein, and SNPs in MTHFD1L are associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and NTDs in humans. Loss of MTHFD1L activity in adult mice with and without a folate deficient diet was investigated. Indications of sex-dependent behavioral anomalies were found, with evidence for genotype-dependent hyperactivity in male mice and diet-dependent anxiety in female mice, but further investigation of these findings is warranted. Finally, metabolic defects associated with NTDs and growth restriction in MTHFD1L-null (Mthfd1l [superscript z/z]) embryos were identified. Glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and the metabolism of methionine, purines, and multiple amino acids were found to be disrupted in Mthfd1l [superscript z/z] embryos. These altered metabolic pathways suggest potential future therapies for preventing NTDs in humans.Biochemistr

Mars habitat

The objective of this study is to develop a conceptual design for a permanently manned, self-sustaining Martian facility, to accommodate a crew of 20 people. The goal is to incorporate the major functions required for long term habitation in the isolation of a barren planet into a thriving ecosystem. These functions include living, working, service, and medical facilities as well as a green house. The main design task was to focus on the internal layout while investigating the appropriate structure, materials, and construction techniques. The general concept was to create a comfortable, safe living environment for the crew members for a stay of six to twelve months on Mars. Two different concepts were investigated, a modular assembly reusable structure (MARS) designated Lavapolis, and a prefabricated space frame structure called Hexamars. Both models take into account factors such as future expansion, radiation shielding, and ease of assembly

Smart & Savvy Students: Year 2

Smart & Savvy Students\u27 (SSS) main goal is to convert scientific psychological articles to understandable pieces of information for general audiences. We have a Twitter feed, Facebook page, and Instagram to spread the information to Clemson\u27s student body and other audiences that we post to 3 to 5 times a week. Each tweet contains a 140-character tip written in a dialogue format. The tweets include links to the Facebook page, which has more information. The Facebook page provides links to scientific sources that support our claims. These links provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the topics. In addition, we post to an Instagram account that links back to Facebook and Twitter, which allows us to spread our information to the largest audience possible. Using popular social media, SSS targets students by including information on topics such as study skills, exercise and diet, and healthy habits, which can be applied in day-to-day life for more positive lifestyles

Despite NAIS concerns electronic identification use by cow-calf producers is increasing

The proposed U.S. National Animal Identification System has generated concerns among producers relative to implementation of the system. Many of these concerns stem from the USDA’s Bovine Identification Working Group’s recommendations to use electronic Identification Plan Bovine Working Group has recommended radio frequency identification as the technology to individually identify cattle. Understanding and implementing an electronic identification system for cow-calf producers is believed to be one of the greatest challenges of implementing the National Animal Identification System

Children with Disabilities Tend to Stay in a Highly-resourced Early Head Start/Head Start Program Longer than Children without Disabilities

Using data from 21 Educare schools, the researchers measured the rate at which children from birth to kindergarten-age enter the school and rate at which they exit the school. Educare schools are highly resourced Early Head Start/Head Start programs targeting children at risk, especially children from low-income backgrounds. About 10% of the children have a disability. Results showed that children with a disability tended to stay in the program longer, especially when enrolled in Early Head Start.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ccids_posters/1037/thumbnail.jp

Organic carbon production, mineralization and preservation on the Peruvian margin

Carbon cycling in Peruvian margin sediments (11° S and 12° S) was examined at 16 stations from 74 m on the inner shelf down to 1024 m water depth by means of in situ flux measurements, sedimentary geochemistry and modeling. Bottom water oxygen was below detection limit down to ca. 400 m and increased to 53 μM at the deepest station. Sediment accumulation rates and benthic dissolved inorganic carbon fluxes decreased rapidly with water depth. Particulate organic carbon (POC) content was lowest on the inner shelf and at the deep oxygenated stations (< 5%) and highest between 200 and 400 m in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ, 15–20%). The organic carbon burial efficiency (CBE) was unexpectedly low on the inner shelf (< 20%) when compared to a global database, for reasons which may be linked to the frequent ventilation of the shelf by oceanographic anomalies. CBE at the deeper oxygenated sites was much higher than expected (max. 81%). Elsewhere, CBEs were mostly above the range expected for sediments underlying normal oxic bottom waters, with an average of 51 and 58% for the 11° S and 12° S transects, respectively. Organic carbon rain rates calculated from the benthic fluxes alluded to a very efficient mineralization of organic matter in the water column, with a Martin curve exponent typical of normal oxic waters (0.88 ± 0.09). Yet, mean POC burial rates were 2–5 times higher than the global average for continental margins. The observations at the Peruvian margin suggest that a lack of oxygen does not affect the degradation of organic matter in the water column but promotes the preservation of organic matter in marine sediments