An Effective Model for Engaging Faculty and Undergraduate Students in Neuroscience Outreach with Middle Schoolers

Engaging undergraduate students in science outreach events is critical for improving future communication between scientists and community members. Outreach events are opportunities for faculty and undergraduates to utilize active learning strategies to engage non-scientists in scientific questions and principles. Through careful design of outreach events, undergraduate students can practice science communication skills while reaching populations of the public that remain underserved and underrepresented in scientific fields. Here we describe a classroom outreach event designed to give a broad overview of the field of neuroscience to middle school students of all backgrounds by delivering the content in school, during school hours. Through a variety of active learning strategies, middle school students learned about basic structures of the brain and their corresponding functions. Additionally, these students participated in demonstrations during which they generated and tested their own hypotheses and learned about sensory transmission and responses. We designed the lesson to meet the educational goals for middle school students, fulfilling the criteria for the Next Generation Science Standard MS-LS1-8 (NGSS Lead States, 2013). We evaluated the impact of the event on both undergraduate student instructors and middle school participants. Our results demonstrate that these outreach events effectively deliver new content to middle school students while also reinforcing the importance and value of outreach to undergraduate instructors

Galaxy morphology in the rich cluster Abell 2390

We have analysed images of the field of A2390 obtained with the CFHT and HST. The analysis fits models to bulge and disk components to several hundred galaxies, with about equal samples from the cluster and field. We also have assessed and graded asymmetries in the images. The cluster galaxies are compared in different cluster locations and also compared with field galaxies. We find that the central old population galaxies are bulge-dominated, while disk systems have young populations and are found predominantly in the outer cluster. S0 and bulgy disk galaxies are found throughout, but concentrate in regions of substructure. Disks of cluster blue galaxies are generally brighter and smaller than those in the field. We find that the cluster members have a higher proportion of interacting galaxies than the field sample. Interactions in the cluster and in the field, as well as cluster infall, appear to inhibit star-formation in galaxies.Comment: 20 pages including 10 of tables, plus 7 figures; To appear in the Astronomical Jorurna

Immunohistochemical detection of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in fetal and adult bovine epididymis: Release by the apocrine secretion mode?

Originally defined as a lymphokine inhibiting the random migration of macrophages, the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an important mediator of the host response to infection. Beyond its function as a classical cytokine, MIF is currently portrayed as a multifunctional protein with growth-regulating properties present in organ systems beyond immune cells. In previous studies, we detected substantial amounts of MIF in the rat epididymis and epididymal spermatozoa, where it appears to play a role during post-testicular sperm maturation and the acquisition of fertilization ability. To explore its presence in other species not yet examined in this respect, we extended the range of studies to the bull. Using a polyclonal antibody raised against MIF purified from bovine eye lenses, we detected MIF in the epithelium of the adult bovine epididymis with the basal cells representing a prominently stained cell type. A distinct accumulation of MIF at the apical cell pole of the epithelial cells and in membranous vesicles localized in the lumen of the epididynnal duct was obvious. In the fetal bovine epididymis, we also detected MIF in the epithelium, whereas MIF accumulation was evident at the apical cell surface and in apical protrusions. By immuno-electron microscopy of the adult bovine epididymis, we localized MIF in apical protrusions of the epithelial cells and in luminal membrane-bound vesicles that were found in close proximity to sperm cells. Although the precise origin of the MIF-containing vesicles remains to be delineated, our morphological observations support the hypothesis that they become detached from the apical surface of the epididymal epithelial cells. Additionally, an association of MIF with the outer dense fibers of luminal spermatozoa was demonstrated. Data obtained in this study suggest MIF release by an apocrine secretion mode in the bovine epididymis. Furthermore, MIF localized in the basal cells of the epithelium and in the connective tissue could be responsible for regulating the migration of macrophages in order to avoid contact of immune cells with spermatozoa that carry a wide range of potent antigens. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Is Blood Donation an Opportunity for Hypertension Awareness?

Blood centers serve as a cornerstone of public health by providing potentially lifesaving blood products. Interactions with millions of potential donors provides these centers with a unique means of health education and screening opportunities.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1081/thumbnail.jp

Imaging of z~2 QSO host galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope

We report on deep imaging in 2 filters with the PC2 camera of HST, of five QSOs at redshift ~2, with a range of optical and radio luminosity. The observations included a suite of PSF observations which were used to construct new PSF models, described elsewhere by Dumont et al. The new PSF models were used to remove the QSO nucleus from the images. We find that the host galaxies have resolved flux of order 10% of the QSO nuclei, and are generally luminous and blue, indicating active star-formation. While most have clearly irregular morphologies, the bulk of the flux can be modelled approximately by an r**1/4 law. However, all host galaxies also have an additional approximately exponential luminosity profile beyond a radius about 0.8 arcsec, as also seen in ground-based data with larger telescopes. The QSOs all have a number of nearby faint blue companions which may be young galaxies at the QSO redshift. We discuss implications for evolution of the host galaxies, their spheroidal populations, and central black holes.Comment: 18 pages including 2 tables; to appear in A

Glutationski konjugati okratoksina A kao biomarkeri izloženosti

In the present study the photoreactivity of the fungal carcinogen ochratoxin A (OTA) has been utilised to generate authentic samples of reduced glutathione (GSH) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) conjugates of the parent toxin. These conjugates, along with the nontoxic OTα, which is generated through hydrolysis of the amide bond of OTA by carboxypeptidase A, were utilised as biomarkers to study the metabolism of OTA in the liver and kidney of male and female Dark Agouti rats. Male rats are more susceptible than female rats to OTA carcinogenesis with the kidney being the target organ. Our studies show that the distribution of OTA in male and female rat kidney is not significantly different. However, the extent of OTA metabolism was greater in male than female rats. Much higher levels of OTα were detected in the liver compared to the kidney, and formation of OTα is a detoxification pathway for OTA. These findings suggest that differences in metabolism between male and female rats could provide an explanation for the higher sensitivity of male rats to OTA toxicity.U ovom je ispitivanju korištena fotoreaktivnost kancerogenog mikotoksina okratoksina A (OTA) kako bi se stvorili izvorni uzorci reduciranih glutationskih (GSH) i N-acetilcisteinskih (NAC) konjugata osnovnog toksina. Ovi konjugati, uz netoksični OTα, koji se stvara hidrolizom amidne veze OTA putem karboksipeptidaze A, upotrijebljeni su kao biomarkeri za ispitivanje metabolizma OTA u jetri i bubregu ženki i mužjaka štakora soja Dark Agouti. Mužjaci su se pokazali podložnijima stvaranju bubrežnih tumora uzrokovanih OTA toksinom od ženki. Utvrdili smo da se raspodjela OTA u bubrezima ženki i mužjaka značajno ne razlikuje. Međutim mužjaci su imali intenzivniji metabolizam OTA nego ženke. U jetri su utvrđene mnogo više razine OTα u usporedbi s bubregom, a rezultati upućuju na to da je stvaranje OTα detoksifi kacijski put za OTA. Zaključujemo da bi se veća osjetljivost mužjaka štakora na toksičnost OTA mogla pripisati spolno uvjetovanim razlikama u njegovu metabolizmu

Nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 ectonucleotidase is required for normal vas deferens contraction and male fertility through maintaining P2X1 receptor function

In this work, we report that Entpd1(-/-) mice, deficient for the ectonucleotidase nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase1), produce smaller litters (27% reduction) compared with wild-type C57BL6 animals. This deficit is linked to reduced in vivo oocyte fertilization by Entpd1(-/-) males (61 ± 11% versus 88 ± 7% for Entpd1(+/+)). Normal epididymal sperm count, spermatozoa morphology, capacitation, and motility and reduced ejaculated sperm number (2.4 ± 0.5 versus 3.7 ± 0.4 million for Entpd1(+/+)) pointed to vas deferens dysfunction. NTPDase1 was localized by immunofluorescence in the tunica muscularis of the vas deferens. Its absence resulted in a major ATP hydrolysis deficiency, as observed in situ by histochemistry and in primary smooth muscle cell cultures. In vitro, Entpd1(-/-) vas deferens displayed an exacerbated contraction to ATP, a diminished response to its non-hydrolysable analog αβMeATP, and a reduced contraction to electrical field stimulation, suggesting altered P2X1 receptor function with a propensity to desensitize. This functional alteration was accompanied by a 3-fold decrease in P2X1 protein expression in Entpd1(-/-) vas deferens with no variation in mRNA levels. Accordingly, exogenous nucleotidase activity was required to fully preserve P2X1 receptor activation by ATP in vitro. Our study demonstrates that NTPDase1 is required to maintain normal P2X1 receptor functionality in the vas deferens and that its absence leads to impaired peristalsis, reduced spermatozoa concentration in the semen, and, eventually, reduced fertility. This suggests that alteration of NTPDase1 activity affects ejaculation efficacy and male fertility. This work may contribute to unveil a cause of infertility and open new therapeutic potentials

Author correction : a global database for metacommunity ecology, integrating species, traits, environment and space

Correction to: Scientific Data https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-019-0344-7, published online 08 January 202