Space Microbial Ecology

With the expansion of human space exploration, there is a growing demand to better understand the impacts of space stressors such as microgravity (µG), space radiation, extreme temperatures, and extreme isolation. Research has shown that space stressors alter bacteria response. The changes seen include increases in biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and growth rate. Understanding the effects of these changes is vital as they can affect astronaut health, spacecraft life support systems, and space crops used for food. The ERAU Space Microbiology Lab (SML) is working to show how microbial communities are affected by simulated µG. In natural microbial communities (e.g., human gut microbiome), bacteria can develop antagonistic or synergistic relationships between different species. By seeing community development in simulated µG, we can gain insight on how microbial communities adapt to the space environment. Our research was focused on evaluating the changes of a mixed bacteria culture exposed to simulated µG using an EagleStat, a microgravity analog developed by the SML. In the experiment Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were chosen for simulated µG mixed culture exposure due to their visual and physical differentiating characteristics. Results have shown that S.epidermidis can grow to higher colony densities while under sim µG

Urinary Escheria coli Susceptibility Profiles and their Association with Community Antibiotic Use in Tasmania, Australia

This study assessed urinary Escherichia coli antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Tasmania, Australia, and examined their association with community antibiotic use. The susceptibility profiles of all urinary E. coli isolates collected in Tasmania between January 2010 and December 2012 were included

Space Microbial Ecology

With the expansion of human space exploration, there is a growing demand to better understand the impacts of space stressors. These stressors include microgravity (µG), space radiation, extreme temperatures, and extreme isolation. Ongoing research has demonstrated that the space environment alters the physiology of bacteria. The changes observed have included increases in biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and growth rate. Understanding the effects on bacteria in these conditions is vital as they can affect astronaut health, spacecraft life support systems, and space crops used for food. The ERAU Space Microbiology Lab (SML) is working to identify how microbial communities are impacted by simulated µG. In natural microbial communities (e.g., human gut microbiome), bacteria can develop antagonistic or synergistic relationships between different species. Based on what we know about the response of individual species to space conditions, their interaction with other species and the host can change as well. By observing community development in simulated µG, we can gain insight on how microbial communities naturally adapt to the space environment. Our research is focused on observing the changes of a mixed culture of two bacteria subjected to simulated µG using the EagleStat, a microgravity analog developed by the SML. The mixed culture consists of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria due to the ability to separate the bacteria visually and physically after simulated µG exposure. Bacterial response will be evaluated by colony composition, biofilm development, antibiotic resistance, and differential gene expression of biofilm and virulence related genes

Plant and Microbial Interactions Under Simulated Microgravity Conditions

With human space exploration expanding to establish bases on the Moon, there are increased challenges involved to sustain astronauts. One major limitation is the food supply, which must be constantly replaced and increases mission costs. However, with long-duration missions to the Moon, the lunar environment can provide resources that can be accessed in-situ for plant growth. Plant production in space, however, poses challenges inherent to the biological stress response imposed by factors like microgravity and radiation, as shown by multiple experiments at the ISS or in simulated space environments. At the Moon, the regolith can provide support for plant growth and serve as a substrate for the formation of soil through weathering processes and the biological influence of crops and their associated microbial communities. To aid successful plant growth, microbial communities from human waste products could be used to develop organic soils, like traditional, Earth-based farming. This project aims to understand the implications of including microbial communities, from manure, on plant growth in the lunar environment. Completing this will require the utilization of lunar regolith simulant to grow Mizuna Mustard under simulated µG conditions and to study the organic content and microbial communities in the substrate as plant matter is reincorporated through successive growth cycles. To evaluate the changes, the team will study the plants\u27 physical changes, soil composition changes, and molecular microbial profile changes. The results of this research add to the growing study of space microbial ecology and provide relevant information to future long duration space exploration missions

Promoting dietary changes for achieving health and sustainability targets

Globally, about 21–37% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are attributable to food systems. Dietary-related non-communicable diseases have increased significantly from 1990–2019 at a global scale. To achieve carbon emissions targets, increase resilience, and improve health there is a need to increase the sustainability of agricultural practises and change dietary habits. By considering these challenges together and focusing on a closer connection between consumers and sustainable production, we can benefit from a positive interaction between them. Using the 2019 EAT Lancet Commission dietary guidelines, this study analysed interview data and food diaries collected from members of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes and the wider UK population. By comparing the environmental sustainability and nutritional quality of their respective diets, we found that CSA members consumed diets closer to the EAT Lancet recommendations than controls. We identified significant differences in daily intakes of meat; dairy; vegetables; legumes; and sugar, and the diets of CSA members emitted on average 28% less CO2 compared to controls. We propose that agricultural and wider social and economic policies that increase the accessibility of CSAs for a more diverse demographic could support achieving health, biodiversity, and zero-emission policy targets

human cytochrome P450 2E1導入ヒト肝癌細胞株(HLE/2E1)の樹立と薬物毒性に対する特徴

C1 - Journal Articles RefereedMutations in RAD51D have been associated with an increased risk of hereditary ovarian cancer and although they have been observed in the context of breast and ovarian cancer families, the association with breast cancer is unclear. The aim of this current study was to validate the reported association of RAD51D with ovarian cancer and assess for an association with breast cancer. We screened for RAD51D mutations in BRCA1/2 mutation-negative index cases from 1,060 familial breast and/or ovarian cancer families (including 741 affected by breast cancer only) and in 245 unselected ovarian cancer cases. Exons containing novel non-synonymous variants were screened in 466 controls. Two overtly deleterious RAD51D mutations were identified among the unselected ovarian cancers cases (0.82%) but none were detected among the 1,060 families. Our data provide additional evidence that RAD51D mutations are enriched among ovarian cancer patients, but are extremely rare among familial breast cancer patients

Implications and impacts of aligning regional agriculture with a healthy diet

One of the most intractable challenges currently facing agricultural systems is the need to produce sufficient food for all to enjoy a healthy balanced diet while minimising impacts to the environment. Balancing these competing goals is especially intractable because most food systems are not locally bounded. This study aims to investigate the likely impacts on production, profit and the environment that result from aligning food systems to a healthy diet, as defined by EAT-Lancet. For this, we consider two distinct areas of the UK, one in East Anglia and the other in South Wales. These two regions reflect different ecosystems and therefore differing specialisations in UK agriculture. We used the Rothamsted Landscape Model (a detailed agroecosystems process-based model) to predict soil carbon dynamics, nutrient flows and crop production for the dominant crops grown in these regions, and the IPCC inventory models to estimate emissions from six livestock systems. Two scenarios were considered, one in which the study regions had to meet healthy diet requirements independently of each other and another in which they could do so collectively. To map their production to healthy diets, both study areas require increases in the production of plant proteins and reductions in the production of red meat. While changes in production can feed more people a healthy diet compared to the business-as-usual state, the overall calories produced reduces dramatically. Emissions and leaching decrease under the healthy diet scenarios and pesticide impacts remain largely unchanged. We show that local infrastructure and environment have a bearing on how “localised” food systems can be without running into substantial constraints. Whilst isolation of the farming system to a regional level, as explored here, is unlikely to be practical, we nevertheless demonstrate that aligning agricultural production towards healthier diets can generate food systems with many associated benefits in terms of agroecosystems' health and resilience to shocks in the food supply chain

The association between life events And suicide intent in self-poisoners with and without a history of deliberate self-harm: a preliminary study.

The associations between life events in the 12 months preceding an episode of self-poisoning resulting in hospital attendance (the index episode), and the suicide intent of this episode were compared in individuals for whom the index episode was their first, episode and in individuals in whom it was a recurrence of DSH. Results indicated a significant interaction between independent life events, repetition status, and gender in the prediction of suicide intent, the association between life events and intent being moderated by repetition status in women only. The results provide preliminary evidence to suggest the presence of a suicidal process in women, in which the impact of negative life events on suicide intent diminishes across episodes

Electrical Stimulation Influences Satellite Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Unloading-Induced Muscle Atrophy in Mice

Muscle atrophy caused by disuse is accompanied by adverse physiological and functional consequences. Satellite cells are the primary source of skeletal muscle regeneration. Satellite cell dysfunction, as a result of impaired proliferative potential and/or increased apoptosis, is thought to be one of the causes contributing to the decreased muscle regeneration capacity in atrophy. We have previously shown that electrical stimulation improved satellite cell dysfunction. Here we test whether electrical stimulation can also enhance satellite cell proliferative potential as well as suppress apoptotic cell death in disuse-induced muscle atrophy. Eight-week-old male BALB/c mice were subjected to a 14-day hindlimb unloading procedure. During that period, one limb (HU-ES) received electrical stimulation (frequency: 20 Hz; duration: 3 h, twice daily) while the contralateral limb served as control (HU). Immunohistochemistry and western blotting techniques were used to characterize specific proteins in cell proliferation and apoptosis. The HU-ES soleus muscles showed significant improvement in muscle mass, cross-sectional area, and peak tetanic force relative to the HU limb (p<0.05). The satellite cell proliferative activity as detected within the BrdU+/Pax7+ population was significantly higher (p<0.05). The apoptotic myonuclei (detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) and the apoptotic satellite cells (detected by cleaved Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase co-labeled with Pax7) were reduced (p<0.05) in the HU-ES limb. Furthermore the apoptosis-inducing factor and cleaved caspase-3 were down-regulated while the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein was up-regulated (p<0.05), in the HU-ES limb. These findings suggest that the electrical stimulation paradigm provides an effective stimulus to rescue the loss of myonuclei and satellite cells in disuse muscle atrophy, thus maintaining a viable satellite cell pool for subsequent muscle regeneration. Optimization of stimulation parameters may enhance the outcome of the intervention