Waste Water Energy Recovery and its Implementation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources is evaluating waste water energy recovery as a potential source of renewable energy. The purpose of this project is to enable the DOER to implement WWER technology in Massachusetts. We interviewed representatives that either had experience with WWER or could benefit from its installation. We developed criteria for the evaluation of potential installation sites. We also devised a process for the selection, installation, and operation of a WWER system at a site in Massachusetts

Tree Climbing Limb Saw

This document is the comprehensive report for the Tree Climbing Limb Saw Senior Project. The purpose of the Tree Climbing Limb Saw project, completed by mechanical engineers Andrew Bray, Aimee Chiem, Drew Robles, and Parker Tenney, is to remove low-hanging branches (\u3c15 \u3eft) to prevent forest fires from travelling up into the canopy, where wind can carry embers for miles. An RC car was heavily modified to create a solution for this problem. A chainsaw was also mounted to deal with the cutting part of the problem. Creating a project which aims to solve this problem is a great step towards innovation reaching the wildfire sector. With increased innovation in the field, wildfires may become easier to control. This comprehensive report includes the initial Scope of Work report of this project, followed by the Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, and Final Design Review Report

The genetics, structure and function of the M1 aminopeptidase oxytocinase subfamily and their therapeutic potential in immune-mediated disease

The oxytocinase subfamily of M1 aminopeptidases plays an important role in processing and trimming of peptides for presentation on major histocompatibility (MHC) Class I molecules. Several large-scale genomic studies have identified association of members of this family of enzymes, most notably ERAP1 and ERAP2, with immune-mediated diseases including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis and birdshot chorioretinopathy. Much is now known about the genetics of these enzymes and how genetic variants alter their function, but how these variants contribute to disease remains largely unresolved. Here we discuss what is known about their structure and function and highlight some of the knowledge gaps that affect development of drugs targeting these enzymes

Whose Land Is It Anyway? Navigating Ghana\u27s Complex Land System

This Article dives into Ghana’s complex land-registration system, which is influenced by both statutory and customary law. Section II discusses Ghana’s statutory land laws. Section III provides a brief overview of Ghana’s customary land laws. Section IV discusses several obstacles within Ghana’s land-administration system

Human resident gut microbe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron regulates colonic neuronal innervation and neurogenic function

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: As the importance of gut-brain interactions increases, understanding how specific gut microbes interact with the enteric nervous system (ENS), which is the first point of neuronal exposure becomes critical. Our aim was to understand how the dominant human gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt) regulates anatomical and functional characteristics of the ENS. METHODS: Neuronal cell populations, as well as enteroendocrine cells, were assessed in proximal colonic sections using fluorescent immunohistochemistry in specific pathogen-free (SPF), germ-free (GF) and Bt conventionalized-germ-free mice (Bt-CONV). RNA expression of tight junction proteins and toll-like receptors (TLR) were measured using qPCR. Colonic motility was analyzed using in vitro colonic manometry. RESULTS: Decreased neuronal and vagal afferent innervation observed in GF mice was normalized by Bt-CONV with increased neuronal staining in mucosa and myenteric plexus. Bt-CONV also restored expression of nitric oxide synthase expressing inhibitory neurons and of choline acetyltransferase and substance P expressing excitatory motor neurons comparable to those of SPF mice. Neurite outgrowth and glial cells were upregulated by Bt-CONV. RNA expression of tight junction protein claudin 3 was downregulated while TLR2 was upregulated by Bt-CONV. The enteroendocrine cell subtypes L-cells and enterochromaffin cells were reduced in GF mice, with Bt-CONV restoring L-cell numbers. Motility as measured by colonic migrating motor complexes (CMMCs) increased in GF and Bt-CONV. CONCLUSION: Bt, common gut bacteria, is critical in regulating enteric neuronal and enteroendocrine cell populations, and neurogenic colonic activity. This highlights the potential use of this resident gut bacteria for maintaining healthy gut function

The Uptake, Trafficking, and Biodistribution of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Generated Outer Membrane Vesicles

Gram-negative bacteria ubiquitously produce and release nano-size, non-replicative outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). In the gastrointestinal (GI-) tract, OMVs generated by members of the intestinal microbiota are believed to contribute to maintaining the intestinal microbial ecosystem and mediating bacteria–host interactions, including the delivery of bacterial effector molecules to host cells to modulate their physiology. Bacterial OMVs have also been found in the bloodstream although their origin and fate are unclear. Here we have investigated the interactions between OMVs produced by the major human gut commensal bacterium, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt), with cells of the GI-tract. Using a combination of in vitro culture systems including intestinal epithelial organoids and in vivo imaging we show that intestinal epithelial cells principally acquire Bt OMVs via dynamin-dependent endocytosis followed by intracellular trafficking to LAMP-1 expressing endo-lysosomal vesicles and co-localization with the perinuclear membrane. We observed that Bt OMVs can also transmigrate through epithelial cells via a paracellular route with in vivo imaging demonstrating that within hours of oral administration Bt OMVs can be detected in systemic tissues and in particular, the liver. Our findings raise the intriguing possibility that OMVs may act as a long-distance microbiota–host communication system

Fecal microbiota transfer between young and aged mice reverses hallmarks of the aging gut, eye, and brain

Background: Altered intestinal microbiota composition in later life is associated with inflammaging, declining tissue function, and increased susceptibility to age-associated chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative dementias. Here, we tested the hypothesis that manipulating the intestinal microbiota influences the development of major comorbidities associated with aging and, in particular, inflammation affecting the brain and retina. Methods: Using fecal microbiota transplantation, we exchanged the intestinal microbiota of young (3 months), old (18 months), and aged (24 months) mice. Whole metagenomic shotgun sequencing and metabolomics were used to develop a custom analysis workflow, to analyze the changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolic potential. Effects of age and microbiota transfer on the gut barrier, retina, and brain were assessed using protein assays, immunohistology, and behavioral testing. Results: We show that microbiota composition profiles and key species enriched in young or aged mice are successfully transferred by FMT between young and aged mice and that FMT modulates resulting metabolic pathway profiles. The transfer of aged donor microbiota into young mice accelerates age-associated central nervous system (CNS) inflammation, retinal inflammation, and cytokine signaling and promotes loss of key functional protein in the eye, effects which are coincident with increased intestinal barrier permeability. Conversely, these detrimental effects can be reversed by the transfer of young donor microbiota. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the aging gut microbiota drives detrimental changes in the gut–brain and gut–retina axes suggesting that microbial modulation may be of therapeutic benefit in preventing inflammation-related tissue decline in later life. [MediaObject not available: see fulltext.] Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

An individual based computational model of intestinal crypt fission and its application to predicting unrestrictive growth of the intestinal epithelium.

Intestinal crypt fission is a homeostatic phenomenon, observable in healthy adult mucosa, but which also plays a pathological role as the main mode of growth of some intestinal polyps. Building on our previous individual based model for the small intestinal crypt and on in vitro cultured intestinal organoids, we here model crypt fission as a budding process based on fluid mechanics at the individual cell level and extrapolated predictions for growth of the intestinal epithelium. Budding was always observed in regions of organoids with abundant Paneth cells. Our data support a model in which buds are biomechanically initiated by single stem cells surrounded by Paneth cells which exhibit greater resistance to viscoelastic deformation, a hypothesis supported by atomic force measurements of single cells. Time intervals between consecutive budding events, as simulated by the model and observed in vitro, were 2.84 and 2.62 days, respectively. Predicted cell dynamics was unaffected within the original crypt which retained its full capability of providing cells to the epithelium throughout fission. Mitotic pressure in simulated primary crypts forced upward migration of buds, which simultaneously grew into new protruding crypts at a rate equal to 1.03 days-1 in simulations and 0.99 days-1 in cultured organoids. Simulated crypts reached their final size in 4.6 days, and required 40 6.2 days to migrate to the top of the primary crypt. The growth of the secondary crypt is independent of its migration along the original crypt. Assuming unrestricted crypt fission and multiple budding events, a maximal growth rate of the intestinal epithelium of 0.10 days-1 43 is predicted and thus approximately 22 days are required for a 10-fold increase of polyp size. These predictions are in agreement with the time reported to develop macroscopic adenomas in mice after loss of Apc in intestinal stem cells

The Cynomolgus Macaque Intestinal Mycobiome Is Dominated by the Kazachstania Genus and K. pintolopesii Species

The cynomolgus macaque, Macaca fascicularis, is a non-human primate (NHP) widely used in biomedical research as its genetics, immunology and physiology are similar to those of humans. They may also be a useful model of the intestinal microbiome as their prokaryome resembles that of humans. However, beyond the prokaryome relatively little is known about other constituents of the macaque intestinal microbiome including the mycobiome. Here, we conducted a region-by-region taxonomic survey of the cynomolgus intestinal mycobiota, from duodenum to distal colon, of sixteen captive animals of differing age (from young to old). Using a high-throughput ITS1 amplicon sequencing-based approach, the cynomolgus gut mycobiome was dominated by fungi from the Ascomycota phylum. The budding yeast genus Kazachstania was most abundant, with the thermotolerant species K. pintolopesii highly prevalent, and the predominant species in both the small and large intestines. This is in marked contrast to humans, in which the intestinal mycobiota is characterised by other fungal genera including Candida and Saccharomyces, and Candida albicans. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the fungal communities present within the captive cynomolgus gut, and for the first time identifies K. pintolopesii as a candidate primate gut commensal

Regulation of Enteroendocrine Cell Networks by the Major Human Gut Symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron

Gut microbes have critical roles in maintaining host physiology, but their effects on epithelial chemosensory enteroendocrine cells (EEC) remain unclear. We investigated the role that the ubiquitous commensal gut bacterium Bacteriodes thetaiotaomicron (Bt) and its major fermentation products, acetate, propionate, and succinate (APS) have in shaping EEC networks in the murine gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The distribution and numbers of EEC populations were assessed in tissues along the GIT by fluorescent immunohistochemistry in specific pathogen free (SPF), germfree (GF) mice, GF mice conventionalized by Bt or Lactobacillus reuteri (Lr), and GF mice administered APS. In parallel, we also assessed the suitability of using intestinal crypt-derived epithelial monolayer cultures for these studies. GF mice up-regulated their EEC network, in terms of a general EEC marker chromogranin A (ChrA) expression, numbers of serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells, and both hormone-producing K- and L-cells, with a corresponding increase in serum glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels. Bt conventionalization restored EEC numbers to levels in SPF mice with regional specificity; the effects on ChrA and L-cells were mainly in the small intestine, the effects on K-cells and EC cells were most apparent in the colon. By contrast, Lr did not restore EEC networks in conventionalized GF mice. Analysis of secretory epithelial cell monolayer cultures from whole small intestine showed that intestinal monolayers are variable and with the possible exclusion of GIP expressing cells, did not accurately reflect the EEC cell makeup seen in vivo. Regarding the mechanism of action of Bt on EECs, colonization of GF mice with Bt led to the production and accumulation of acetate, propionate and succinate (APS) in the caecum and colon, which when administered at physiological concentrations to GF mice via their drinking water for 10 days mimicked to a large extent the effects of Bt in GF mice. After withdrawal of APS, the changes in some EEC were maintained and, in some cases, were greater than during APS treatment. This data provides evidence of microbiota influences on regulating EEC networks in different regions of the GIT, with a single microbe, Bt, recapitulating its role in a process that may be dependent upon its fermentation products