Multidimensional mass profiles increase confidence in bacterial identification when using low-resolution mass spectrometers.

Field-forward analytical technologies, such as portable mass spectrometry (MS), enable essential capabilities for real-time monitoring and point-of-care diagnostic applications. Significant and recent investments improving the features of miniaturized mass spectrometers enable various new applications outside of small molecule detection. Most notably, the addition of tandem mass spectrometry scans (MS/MS) allows the instrument to isolate and fragment ions and increase the analytical specificity by measuring unique chemical signatures for ions of interest. Notwithstanding these technological advancements, low-cost, portable systems still struggle to confidently identify clinically significant organisms of interest, such as bacteria, viruses, and proteinaceous toxins, due to the limitations in resolving power. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel multidimensional mass fingerprinting technique that uses tandem mass spectrometry to increase the chemical specificity for low-resolution mass spectral profiles. We demonstrated the method's capabilities for differentiating four different bacteria, including attentuated strains of Yersinia pestis. This approach allowed for the accurate (>92%) identification of each organism at the strain level using de-resolved matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) data to mimic the performance characteristics of miniaturized mass spectrometers. This work demonstrates that low-resolution mass spectrometers, equipped with tandem MS acquisition modes, can accurately identify clinically relevant bacteria. These findings support the future application of these technologies for field-forward and point-of-care applications where high-performance mass spectrometers would be cost-prohibitive or otherwise impractical.

Gentrification of the (Leisure) Mind: Organizational Justifications and Community Concerns of a Proposed LGBTQ2S Sport and Recreation Center.

In 2015, Toronto's largest LGBTQ2S organization, the city, and a private donor collaborated and proposed what they believed constituted the world's first LGBTQ2S sport and recreation facility in Toronto's Moss Park neighborhood. While conceived as a site that would expand community services in an underserved community, this project was met with criticism from segments of the Moss Park community. Using qualitative interviews with both representatives from the LGBTQ2S organization and local residents, the purpose of this was to analyze justifications behind the project and concerns from the community. In so doing, the authors reflect upon the relationship between sport, recreation, and leisure-based place-making and questions of queer/de-queering politics by exploring the transformative or assimilationist aspects of queer recreation practices, the homonormativity of leisure spaces, and spiritual displacement associated with queer gentrification.

"You Have to Validate It": Experiences of Female Sexual Minority Student-Athletes.

Lesbians in sport may reside in a culture of silence due to the fear of being negatively labeled. Often, ideologies regarding lesbian athletes validate social inequalities through institutional practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of NCAA female sexual minority student-athletes. Employing purposeful sampling, nine current and former female student-athletes participated in semi-structured interviews. Through a combination of inductive and narrative analyses during the data collection and analysis processes, the findings revealed five higher order themes: (1) climate, (2) validation and norms of behavior, (3), misunderstandings and misconceptions, (4) negotiating identities and risk, and (5) gender ideology and assumptions. Although results of the present study are not generalizable, this study can inform inclusive practices to improve the experiences of sexual minority student-athletes. Further, this study will create awareness regarding the obstacles female sexual minority student-athletes endure on college campuses and within the setting of intercollegiate sport.

Recombinant expression, purification, and structural analysis of two ectodomains of Syndecan-1.

Syndecan-1 (SDC-1) is an integral membrane heparin sulfate proteoglycan that is involved in inflammatory response, cell-signaling, cell proliferation, and numerous other cell-matrix interactions. Like the other members of the syndecan family, very little is known about structural conformations and dynamics of SDC-1. A majority of interactions occur through the extracellular ectodomain, therefore we have dedicated our research efforts to the study this specific portion of SDC-1. The ectodomain is often shed from the cell surface due to various stimuli. The released fragment has already been used as a useful biomarker for prognosis of some diseases and cancers. SDC-1 can be cleaved in different locations depending on the sheddase, generating soluble shed ectodomains that can be carried away in blood sera. In this study, we focus specifically on two main cleavage fragments that can be generated. We show the first successful expression and purification of recombinant SDC-1 ectodomains. Production of SDC-1 in E. coli allows the production of the core protein without risking heterogeneous post-translational modifications such as glycosylation, allowing a certain level of control over protein homogeneity that is not possible in mammalian expression. An expression vector was used to generate two different fusion proteins consisting of a His-tag and a TEV cleavage site for the removal of the fusion partner. SDS-PAGE was used to track the expression as well as the purification. Masses of the isolated proteins were determined using mass spectrometry and the purity and homogeneity were evaluated by solution NMR.

Campus recreational participation and COVID-19: impact on college student health and well-being.

Objective: Campus recreational sport activities impact college student health and well-being in a variety of domains. This multi-institutional study examined the participation of students in campus recreation during the pandemic and explored the relationship between student participation and their demographic markers, COVID-19 experience, and perceptions of risk, health and safety. Methods: Results from a survey of 1,815 American college students indicated the presence of statistical differences in sport participation based on Gender, Race, State, Personal COVID-19 Experience, Campus Safety Efforts, and Risk Perception Score within various areas of analysis. Results: The impact and meaning of these cross-sectional results are discussed with reference to the ongoing pandemic and student health. Recommendations are presented within the context of this vital programming area both during and beyond the current crisis. Conclusion: These results are especially important given the health benefits associated with participation in recreational sport as tools to mitigate against the unprecedented consequences of the pandemic.

Social motivation and health in college club swimming.

OBJECTIVE: Participation in recreational sport clubs on campus is a popular student activity nationwide. These sport-based organizations provide a host of benefits within recognized dimensions of health and wellness. Understanding participants' motives for engaging in these types of activities can provide insight in design and delivery and enhance participant health. This study focuses on outcomes related to the social motivations for participation in a recreational sport swim club and their potential relationship to social health. PARTICIPANTS: Current members of recreational swimming clubs were contacted for participation in the study from March-April 2016. METHODS: A Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS) survey was sent electronically to 196 collegiate swim clubs nationwide. Aggregate and multivariate analyses from 1011 responses were conducted to examine the social motivation and motivational differences of participants. RESULTS: Social motivations emerged as the predominate motivational construct, indicating important implications for social health improvement through participation. Demographically, results indicated no statistically significant differences in social motivation factors based on participant gender, and statistically significant differences within participant race, university affiliation and practice frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Impacts of these findings are important for practitioners and participants when evaluating the potential these programs have to influence participant social health.