There and Back Again

As part of the National Collegiate Honors Council’s (2022) collection of essays about the value of honors to its graduates (1967–2019), the author reflects on the personal and professional impacts of the honors experience. I am fortunate to have experienced the Texas A&M University Honors Program in two unique capacities: first as an undergraduate (2001–2005) and now as a faculty member (2017–present). Both experiences have been tremendously enriching in different ways. As an undergraduate, my experience in the Texas A&M Honors Programs nurtured my growth as a scholar, encouraged independent thought, and allowed me to gain experience in scientific research, which started me on my path to becoming a scientist. As a faculty member, I now have the amazing opportunity to pay it forward by mentoring my own high-achieving undergrads, both in the classroom and the laboratory. I was intimately involved with the University Honors Program all throughout college. As a freshman biochemistry major, one of the very first classes I attended was the Honors Life Sciences Learning Community. This was a small group of students who met weekly to talk about current topics in biochemistry, learn about cutting-edge research in the department, read scientific papers, and discuss issues relevant to college students such as building good study habits. This was my first toe dipped into honors, and I never looked back

Determinants of quality wildlife viewing in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Participation in nonconsumptive wildlife recreation has increased substantially in recent years. Because of increased participation in activities such as birdwatching, wildlife viewing, and wildlife photography, a need for research has developed concerning determinants of quality among these kinds of recreation. This study was designed to determine what factors are important to the quality of a wildlife viewing experiences in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. During June, July, and August 1989, 384 visitors were interviewed in Cades Cove, after completing an 11 mile (18 km) auto tour. During the 5-7 minute interviews participants were asked to answer a few brief questions and were given a list of animals that could be seen in Cades Cove and asked to indicate the number of each kind of animal they had seen. After completing the interview, participants were given a mail-back questionnaire in a return postage-paid envelope. Almost 85% of the questionnaires were returned. Most respondents were well educated and employed as professionals, managers, or laborers. Although a large percentage of participants were from Tennessee, 27 other states and 3 other countries were reported. More than 60% of participants reported growing up in rural areas or small towns. Wildlife associated activities that respondents participated in most frequently were wildlife viewing, nature walks, and wildlife photography. Almost 35% of respondents indicated that they subscribed to wildlife or conservation related publications but fewer belonged to related organizations or clubs. Eight reasons for visiting Cades Cove were rated for agreement by respondents. Reasons concerned with seeing wildlife were rated highest. Also, when asked their purpose for the specific visit the day of the interview and for their many return visits, seeing wildlife was again most frequently reported. Sixty items concerning general attitudes about animals were asked of the respondents. Scores of agreement were computed for 11 attitude categories. Respondents scored highest in attitude categories labeled aesthetic, humanistic, and moralistic and lowest in categories concerned with the consumptive use of wildlife. Animals reported most often seen by visitors included white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), groundhogs (Marmota monax), and black bears (Ursus americanus). Most participants reported seeing fewer than 40 total animals. Butterflies (various species), crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and white-tailed deer were animals most often seen by the researcher during density estimates (count of the number of animals visible on the Cades Cove auto-tour, loop road). However, the researcher reported seeing more than 60 total animals during most periods of density estimates. Respondents indicated that they saw about the number of kinds, total number of animals, and the number of white-tailed deer and black bears they expected. Respondents also indicated that they felt the number of different kinds, the total number of animals, and the number of white-tailed deer seen were about right. Respondents did indicate, however, that they felt the number of black bears and wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) was too few and that the number of wild turkeys they saw was less than expected. Seeing different kinds of animals, black bears, and white-tailed deer was most important to visitor\u27s viewing experience. Stopping the vehicle, photographing, and getting out of the vehicle to see wildlife were viewing behaviors most frequently reported by respondents. A quality of wildlife viewing (dependent variable) regression model containing expectations toward wildlife seen, feelings toward wildlife seen, importance of different types of wildlife, density level of wildlife, visual encounters with wildlife, and viewing behavior predictors (independent variables) were examined for first-time and previous visit participants. When examining reduced multiple regression models, expectations and feelings predicted the most variation (25 to 43%) in quality of wildlife viewing for both first-time and previous visit participants. Seven predictors—expectations about the different kinds and the total number of animals seen, feelings about the number of white-tailed deer and black bears seen, the number of kinds of animals seen by the researcher, stopping the car to observe wildlife, and using binoculars or telescope to view wildlife—were significant for previous visit participants (R2=.42). Three variables—feelings about the total number of animals seen, photographing of wildlife, and using binoculars or a telescope to view wildlife—accounted for 52% (R2=.52) of the variance for first-time visitors

Activation of cAMP signaling transiently inhibits apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells in a site upstream of caspase-3

Intracellular signaling pathways that are involved in protection of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from apoptosis remain poorly understood. This study examines the effect of activators of cAMP/cGMP signaling on apoptosis in non-transfected VSMC and in VSMC transfected with c-myc (VSMC-MYC) or with its functional analogue, E1A-adenoviral protein (VSMC-E1A). Serum-deprived VSMC-E1A exhibited the highest apoptosis measured as the content of chromatin and low molecular weight DNA fragments, phosphatidylserine content in the outer surface of plasma membrane and caspase-3 activity (ten-, five-, four- and tenfold increase after 6 h of serum withdrawal, respectively). In VSMC-E1A, the addition of an activator of adenylate cyclase, forskolin, abolished chromatin cleavage, DNA laddering, caspase-3 activation and the appearance of morphologically-defined apoptotic cells triggered by 6 h of serum deprivation. In non-transfected VSMC and in VSMC-MYC, 6 h serum deprivation led to approximately six- and threefold activation of chromatin cleavage, respectively, that was also blocked by forskolin. In VSMC-E1A, inhibition of apoptosis was observed with other activators of cAMP signaling (cholera toxin, isoproterenol, adenosine, 8-Br-cAMP), whereas 6 h incubation with modulators of cGMP signaling (8-Br-cGMP, nitroprusside, atrial natriuretic peptide, L-NAME) did not affect the development of apoptotic machinery. The antiapoptotic effect of forskolin was abolished in 24 h of serum deprivation that was accompanied by normalization of intracellular cAMP content and protein kinase A (PKA) activity. Protection of VSMC-E1A from apoptosis by forskolin was blunted by PKA inhibitors (H-89 and KT5720), whereas transfection of cells with PKA catalytic subunit attenuated apoptosis triggered by serum withdrawal. The protection of VSMC-E1A by forskolin from apoptosis was insensitive to modulators of cytoskeleton assembly (cytochalasin B, colchicine). Neither acute (30 min) nor chronic (24 h) exposure of VSMC to forskolin modified basal and serum-induced phosphorylation of the MAP kinase ERK1/2. Thus, our results show that activation of cAMP signaling delays the development of apoptosis in serum-deprived VSMC at a site upstream of caspase-3 via activation of PKA and independently of cAMP-induced reorganization of the cytoskeleton network and the ERK1/2-terminated MAPK signaling cascade

Injured adult motor and sensory axons regenerate into appropriate organotypic domains of neural progenitor grafts.

Neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation has high therapeutic potential in neurological disorders. Functional restoration may depend on the formation of reciprocal connections between host and graft. While it has been reported that axons extending out of neural grafts in the brain form contacts onto phenotypically appropriate host target regions, it is not known whether adult, injured host axons regenerating into NPC grafts also form appropriate connections. We report that spinal cord NPCs grafted into the injured adult rat spinal cord self-assemble organotypic, dorsal horn-like domains. These clusters are extensively innervated by regenerating adult host sensory axons and are avoided by corticospinal axons. Moreover, host axon regeneration into grafts increases significantly after enrichment with appropriate neuronal targets. Together, these findings demonstrate that injured adult axons retain the ability to recognize appropriate targets and avoid inappropriate targets within neural progenitor grafts, suggesting that restoration of complex circuitry after SCI may be achievable

A community based participatory approach to improving health in a Hispanic population

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg region has one of the fastest growing Hispanic communities in the country. This population has experienced disparities in health outcomes and diminished ability to access healthcare services. This city is home to an established practice-based research network (PBRN) that includes community representatives, health services researchers, and primary care providers. The aims of this project are: to use key principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) within a practice-based research network (PBRN) to identify a single disease or condition that negatively affects the Charlotte Hispanic community; to develop a community-based intervention that positively impacts the chosen condition and improves overall community health; and to disseminate findings to all stakeholders. METHODS/DESIGN: This project is designed as CBPR. The CBPR process creates new social networks and connections between participants that can potentially alter patterns of healthcare utilization and other health-related behaviors. The first step is the development of equitable partnerships between community representatives, providers, and researchers. This process is central to the CBPR process and will occur at three levels -- community members trained as researchers and outreach workers, a community advisory board (CAB), and a community forum. Qualitative data on health issues facing the community -- and possible solutions -- will be collected at all three levels through focus groups, key informant interviews and surveys. The CAB will meet monthly to guide the project and oversee data collection, data analysis, participant recruitment, implementation of the community forum, and intervention deployment. The selection of the health condition and framework for the intervention will occur at the level of a community-wide forum. Outcomes of the study will be measured using indicators developed by the participants as well as geospatial modeling.On completion, this study will: determine the feasibility of the CBPR process to design interventions; demonstrate the feasibility of geographic models to monitor CBPR-derived interventions; and further establish mechanisms for implementation of the CBPR framework within a PBRN

Pausing controls branching between productive and non-productive pathways during initial transcription in bacteria

Transcription in bacteria is controlled by multiple molecular mechanisms that precisely regulate gene expression. It has been recently shown that initial RNA synthesis by the bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is interrupted by pauses; however, the pausing determinants and the relationship of pausing with productive and abortive RNA synthesis remain poorly understood. Using single-molecule FRET and biochemical analysis, here we show that the pause encountered by RNAP after the synthesis of a 6-nt RNA (ITC6) renders the promoter escape strongly dependent on the NTP concentration. Mechanistically, the paused ITC6 acts as a checkpoint that directs RNAP to one of three competing pathways: productive transcription, abortive RNA release, or a new unscrunching/scrunching pathway. The cyclic unscrunching/scrunching of the promoter generates a long-lived, RNA-bound paused state; the abortive RNA release and DNA unscrunching are thus not as tightly linked as previously thought. Finally, our new model couples the pausing with the abortive and productive outcomes of initial transcription

Age, Health and Life Satisfaction Among Older Europeans

In this paper we investigate how age affects the self-reported level of life satisfaction among the elderly in Europe. By using a vignette approach, we find evidence that age influences life satisfaction through two counterbalancing channels. On the one hand, controlling for the effects of all other variables, the own perceived level of life satisfaction increases with age. On the other hand, given the same true level of life satisfaction, older respondents are more likely to rank themselves as “dissatisfied” with their life than younger individuals. Detrimental health conditions and physical limitations play a crucial role in explaining scale biases in the reporting style of older individuals