Wildlife Research and Service Learning in Undergraduate Courses: Potential and Pitfalls

The benefit of authentic research for student learning in undergraduate biology curricula is well documented, with examples of innovative investigations at a wide variety of colleges and universities around the United States. Similar benefits in undergraduate wildlife programs are anticipated but less broadly documented. The block scheduling available at The University of Montana Western (UMW) provides unique opportunities to pursue long-term research projects across multiple science courses. Examples are presented of undergraduate research and management projects conducted in Southwest Montana in cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Conservancy and the Ecological Research as Education Network over the last three years. Research projects entail investigating wildlife habitat, non-game and game species. The potentials and pitfalls inherent in designing research protocols, collaborative investigations, peer mentoring, obtaining funding, and publishing research are reviewed. Prospects for refining existing projects and implementing new investigations will be discussed

Nutrient Regulation of Plasma Ghrelin Concentration in Lean and Overweight Female Humans

Investigating the role of appetite-related hormones on energy balance and body composition when varying diets are consumed could provide insight into the etiology of obesity. Eight female subjects, ages 20–30, were used in this study: four normal subjects with body mass index (BMI) of 19–24 and four overweight/obese subjects with of BMI of 27–30. Each subject received both treatments by a crossover design. Two normal and two overweight subjects were assigned to the Atkins’ diet. The Atkins’ diet contained 10% of energy as carbohydrate, 45% of energy as protein, and 45% of energy as lipid. The remaining two normal and two overweight subjects were assigned to the AHA diet that contained 63% of energy as carbohydrate, 12% of energy as protein, and 25% of energy as lipid. Each diet was fed for 14 days, and then subjects were switched to the other diet. We hypothesized that subjects consuming the Atkins’ diet would have lower plasma ghrelin concentrations than subjects consuming the AHA diet. On days 6 and 20, blood was taken at one hour before and after the noon meal. Blood was taken every hour from 7 am to 9 pm on days 13 and 27 of the study. On days 14 and 28, subjects were fasted from 7 am to 12 pm and fed their meal at noon. Two blood samples were taken on days 14 and 28 at 11 am and one hour after the meal. All plasma samples were analyzed for ghrelin. Normal weight women consuming the Atkins diet had lower fasting ghrelin concentrations than did women consuming the AHA diet (p=0.0141). Ghrelin concentrations in overweight women were not significantly different (p=0.8076). These results indicate a relationship of appetite-related hormones with respect to diet composition

Effects of Dietary Macronutrients on Appetite-Related Hormones in Blood on Body Composition of Lean and Obese Rats

Investigating the role of appetite-related hormones on energy balance and body composition when varying diets are consumed could provide insight into the etiology of obesity. Fifty-three adult male Sprague Dawley and 30 adult male Zucker Fatty rats were assigned randomly to one of five diets: Control, 75% control, American Heart Association (AHA), Atkins, or high fat (HF). Diets were fed for five weeks. Weekly plasma samples were collected and analyzed for ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and adiponectin. Terminal plasma samples were analyzed for ghrelin, leptin, insulin, glucagon, oxyntomodulin, adiponectin, and blood metabolites. Our results indicate that macronutrient composition of the diet influences appetite-related hormones differently in genetically divergent rats. For example, glucagon concentration was higher in obese rats fed the Atkins diet in comparison to obese rats fed the HF and 75% control diets (P\u3c0.05) and tended to be higher in obese rats fed the Atkins diet in comparison with rats fed the AHA and control diets (0.0

Natural and Induced Mitochondrial Phosphate Carrier Loss: DIFFERENTIAL DEPENDENCE OF MITOCHONDRIAL METABOLISM AND DYNAMICS AND CELL SURVIVAL ON THE EXTENT OF DEPLETION.

The relevance of mitochondrial phosphate carrier (PiC), encoded by SLC25A3, in bioenergetics is well accepted. However, little is known about the mechanisms mediating the cellular impairments induced by pathological SLC25A3 variants. To this end, we investigated the pathogenicity of a novel compound heterozygous mutation in SLC25A3 First, each variant was modeled in yeast, revealing that substituting GSSAS for QIP within the fifth matrix loop is incompatible with survival on non-fermentable substrate, whereas the L200W variant is functionally neutral. Next, using skin fibroblasts from an individual expressing these variants and HeLa cells with varying degrees of PiC depletion, PiC loss of ∼60% was still compatible with uncompromised maximal oxidative phosphorylation (oxphos), whereas lower maximal oxphos was evident at ∼85% PiC depletion. Furthermore, intact mutant fibroblasts displayed suppressed mitochondrial bioenergetics consistent with a lower substrate availability rather than phosphate limitation. This was accompanied by slowed proliferation in glucose-replete medium; however, proliferation ceased when only mitochondrial substrate was provided. Both mutant fibroblasts and HeLa cells with 60% PiC loss showed a less interconnected mitochondrial network and a mitochondrial fusion defect that is not explained by altered abundance of OPA1 or MFN1/2 or relative amount of different OPA1 forms. Altogether these results indicate that PiC depletion may need to be profound (\u3e85%) to substantially affect maximal oxphos and that pathogenesis associated with PiC depletion or loss of function may be independent of phosphate limitation when ATP requirements are not high

An Exploratory Study on Determinants of Regular Group Indoor Cycling Participation in Black and White Adults

This study investigated factors influencing regular group indoor cycling (GIC) participation in a sample of Black (71%) and White (29%) adults. Seventeen regular GIC participants (≥1 day/week for ≥3 consecutive months) completed surveys that examined motivations for GIC participation. Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), Preference for and Tolerance of Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire (PRETIE-Q), and open-ended survey questions were used. TSRQ showed autonomous motivation was significantly higher than controlled (p \u3c.001) and amotivation (p \u3c .001), with no significant difference between controlled and amotivation (p = .08). There was no significant interaction between motivation and race. There were no significant differences between race groups for PRETIE-Q. Five themes emerged as reasons for GIC participation: music, physical health, social support, studio atmosphere, and enjoyment/fun. Racial differences surfaced in the themes. More research is needed to understand the role of cultural relevance as it relates to exercise motivation and regular exercise participation. This could inform strategies for promoting regular exercise in various populations

Short-term Exposure to Particulate Matter Constituents and Mortality in a National Study of U.S. Urban Communities

Background: Although the association between PM2.5 mass and mortality has been extensively studied, few national-level analyses have estimated mortality effects of PM2.5 chemical constituents. Epidemiologic studies have reported that estimated effects of PM2.5 on mortality vary spatially and seasonally. We hypothesized that associations between PM2.5 constituents and mortality would not vary spatially or seasonally if variation in chemical composition contributes to variation in estimated PM2.5 mortality effects. Objectives: We aimed to provide the first national, season-specific, and region-specific associations between mortality and PM2.5 constituents. Methods: We estimated short-term associations between nonaccidental mortality and PM2.5 constituents across 72 urban U.S. communities from 2000 to 2005. Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Chemical Speciation Network data, we analyzed seven constituents that together compose 79–85% of PM2.5 mass: organic carbon matter (OCM), elemental carbon (EC), silicon, sodium ion, nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate. We applied Poisson time-series regression models, controlling for time and weather, to estimate mortality effects. Results: Interquartile range increases in OCM, EC, silicon, and sodium ion were associated with estimated increases in mortality of 0.39% [95% posterior interval (PI): 0.08, 0.70%], 0.22% (95% PI: 0.00, 0.44), 0.17% (95% PI: 0.03, 0.30), and 0.16% (95% PI: 0.00, 0.32), respectively, based on single-pollutant models. We did not find evidence that associations between mortality and PM2.5 or PM2.5 constituents differed by season or region. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that some constituents of PM2.5 may be more toxic than others and, therefore, regulating PM total mass alone may not be sufficient to protect human health. Citation: Krall JR, Anderson GB, Dominici F, Bell ML, Peng RD. 2013. Short-term exposure to particulate matter constituents and mortality in a national study of U.S. urban communities. Environ Health Perspect 121:1148–1153; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.120618

Safe food through better labelling: A robust method for the rapid determination of caprine and bovine milk allergens

Accidental milk cross-contamination is one of the most common causes for costly food recalls. Yet, quantifying trace-levels of allergen is time-consuming and current methods are not adapted for routine analyses making quality control for trace-level allergen content impractical. This perpetuates voluntary “may-contain” statements that are unhelpful for people suffering from food allergies. Here, we developed a rapid LC-MS method enabling milk allergen quantification by comparing all tryptic-peptides of major milk allergens. The bovine-specific αS-2 casein peptide and allergen-epitope NAVPITPTLNR provided excellent performance in sensitivity (LOD 1 mg.kg − 1; LOQ 2 mg.kg − 1) across various dairy products, good recovery rates in baked croissants (77 % with a 10 % inter-day RSD) and a linear range of 2 – 2,000 mg.kg − 1. The method can be used for routine determination of trace-contamination with bovine milk allergen and the adulteration of high-value caprine dairy products with lower-value bovine milk products, protecting consumer trust and the growing population suffering from food allergies

Tele-AAC Resolution.

Approximately 1.3% of all people, or about 4 million Americans, cannot rely on their natural speech to meet their daily communication needs. Telepractice offers a potentially cost-effective service delivery mechanism to provide clinical AAC services at a distance to the benefit of underserved populations in the United States and worldwide. Tele-AAC is a unique cross-disciplinary clinical service delivery model that requires expertise in both telepractice and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. The Tele-AAC Working Group of the 2012 ISAAC Research Symposium therefore drafted a resolution underscoring the importance of identifying and characterizing the unique opportunities and constraints of Tele-AAC in all aspects of service delivery. These include, but are not limited to: needs assessments; implementation planning; device/system procurement, set-up and training; quality assurance, client progress monitoring, and follow-up service delivery. Tele-AAC, like other telepractice applications, requires adherence to the ASHA Code of Ethics and other policy documents, and state, federal, and international laws, as well as a competent technological infrastructure. The Working Group recommends that institutions of higher education and professional organizations provide training in Tele-AAC service provision. In addition, research and development are needed to create validity measures across Tele-AAC practices (i.e., assessment, implementation, and consultation); determine the communication competence levels achieved by Tele-AAC users; discern stakeholders' perceptions of Tele-AAC services (e.g., acceptability and viability); maximize Tele-AAC's capacity to engage multiple team members in AAC assessment and ongoing service; identify the limitations and barriers of Tele-AAC provision; and develop potential solutions