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Maternal obesity is known to predispose offspring to metabolic and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. While the mechanisms underlying these phenomena are unclear, high fat diets dramatically alter intestinal microbiota, and gut microbiota can impact physiological function. To determine if maternal diet-induced gut dysbiosis can disrupt offspring neurobehavioral function, we transplanted high fat diet- (HFD) or control low fat diet-associated (CD) gut microbiota to conventionally-housed female mice. Recipient mice were then bred and the behavioral phenotype of male and female offspring was tracked. While maternal behavior was unaffected, neonatal offspring from HFD dams vocalized less upon maternal separation than pups from CD dams. Furthermore, weaned male offspring from HFD dams had significant and selective disruptions in exploratory, cognitive, and stereotypical/compulsive behavior compared to male offspring from CD dams; while female offspring from HFD dams had increases in body weight and adiposity. 16S metagenomic analyses confirmed establishment of divergent microbiota in CD and HFD dams, with alterations in diversity and taxonomic distribution throughout pregnancy and lactation. Likewise, significant alterations in gut microbial diversity and distribution were noted in offspring from HFD dams compared to CD dams, and in males compared to females. Regression analyses of behavioral performance against differentially represented taxa suggest that decreased representation of specific members of the Firmicutes phylum predict behavioral decline in male offspring. Collectively, these data establish that high fat diet-induced maternal dysbiosis is sufficient to disrupt behavioral function in murine offspring in a sex-specific manner. Thus these data reinforce the essential link between maternal diet and neurologic programming in offspring and suggest that intestinal dysbiosis could link unhealthy modern diets to the increased prevalence of neurodevelopmental and childhood disorders.

High fat diet-induced obesity is associated with inflammatory and oxidative signaling in macrophages that likely participates in metabolic and physiologic impairment. One key factor that could drive pathologic changes in macrophages is the pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant enzyme NADPH oxidase. However, NADPH oxidase is a pleiotropic enzyme with both pathologic and physiologic functions, ruling out indiscriminant NADPH oxidase inhibition as a viable therapy. To determine if targeted inhibition of monocyte/macrophage NADPH oxidase could mitigate obesity pathology, we generated mice that lack the NADPH oxidase catalytic subunit NOX2 in myeloid lineage cells. C57Bl/6 control (NOX2-FL) and myeloid-deficient NOX2 (mNOX2-KO) mice were given high fat diet for 16 weeks, and subject to comprehensive metabolic, behavioral, and biochemical analyses. Data show that mNOX2-KO mice had lower body weight, delayed adiposity, attenuated visceral inflammation, and decreased macrophage infiltration and cell injury in visceral adipose relative to control NOX2-FL mice. Moreover, the effects of high fat diet on glucose regulation and circulating lipids were attenuated in mNOX2-KO mice. Finally, memory was impaired and markers of brain injury increased in NOX2-FL, but not mNOX2-KO mice. Collectively, these data indicate that NOX2 signaling in macrophages participates in the pathogenesis of obesity, and reinforce a key role for macrophage inflammation in diet-induced metabolic and neurologic decline. Development of macrophage/immune-specific NOX-based therapies could thus potentially be used to preserve metabolic and neurologic function in the context of obesity.

Colleges, universities, and independent schools use branding to attract students, keep alumni close, and unite faculty behind the institution. That last bit is key because one can't box and ship global perspectives, personal attention, flexible programs, campus traditions, innovative research, and the limitless other qualities that make educational institutions distinctive. Faculty help make these things happen and, therefore, they must be part of any branding effort. If they don't believe in the messages the marketing team disseminates, they won't help deliver the brand through their words and actions. Here, things get a little tricky, because even the most upstanding educators at the very finest institutions can recoil at being asked to participate in a branding effort. Involving them starts with education, and it often begins at the top.

This article discusses how good faculty blogs can help institutions facilitate communication with some of the audiences they most want to reach. The blogs can be a resource for prospective students and parents and an easy way for alumni and friends to keep up with or reconnect with an institution. They're popular among those who write for them, including professors, graduate assistants, students, and alumni because they provide a way to showcase their work and are a platform for instantly sharing information and their viewpoints with the world. Still, maintaining a robust roll of faculty blogs has its challenges, which may lead many institutions to avoid sponsoring or hosting them for a variety of reasons, ranging from the difficulty of getting busy instructors to commit to writing regularly to the thought of public relations problems that could result from internal and external reactions to and comments on blog posts. And some aren't quite sure if there's a benefit to be had. But alumni and development offices should view faculty blogs as "gold mines of information." They promote conversation among faculty members, colleagues, and students, as well as peers at other institutions, and offer alumni and prospective donors a window into faculty research and viewpoints.

By all accounts, 2010 was a watershed year for community colleges. President Obama touted the role these institutions play in putting Americans back to work, and widespread enrollment increases lent credibility to the notion that students at long last are realizing the benefits of two-year quality and value compared with the higher price of four-year prestige. As community college leaders attempt to build on that momentum, one seemingly perpetual challenge stands in the way: funding. The faltering economy hasn't helped. Despite universally packed classrooms, the nation's two-year colleges are bracing for deep budget cuts this year and next. The nonprofit Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that 44 states and the District of Columbia are projecting severe cutbacks totaling more than $125 billion through F.Y. 2012, with a significant chunk likely to come from education. The extent of the recession is still unknown, and most state budgets remain in flux. But one thing is clear: If community college leaders are to secure the funds necessary to take their institutions to the next level, that money is likely going to be found somewhere other than state and federal coffers. That's where identifying new revenue streams, particularly through fundraising, can help. The author discusses how community colleges are finding new funding streams in the face of budget cuts.

Most colleges and universities that launch into social media do so by dipping one toe in the water rather than swan diving into the deep end. And while many people define "social media" as Facebook and perhaps Twitter, the term actually encompasses everything from blogs to photo- and video-sharing sites to LinkedIn to any of dozens of online communities and sites where people share and network. The use of social media is growing, particularly among younger, professional demographic groups who spend a good chunk of their days linked to a number of online tools, both at their desks and on the go via their smartphones and tablet devices. Colleges, universities, and independent schools seem to know at this point that social media tools are the way to go for networking in the future. The question is how to incorporate different aspects of the technology into a cohesive effort that benefits everyone and encourages participation. Experts say the key to making social media work for education is careful thought and planning, rather than willy-nilly racing from site to site to establish a presence and just letting it go as it will. The institutions that have embraced social media say it has been well worth the effort, as they have engaged more prospective students and alumni using platforms that those constituents have already integrated into their personal and professional lives. Schools need to thoroughly consider how the technology will best benefit the institution and develop a concrete strategy.

With more and more people attached to their computers, it's no wonder that publications are increasingly going online. Magazines are either supplementing their print content with online bonus information, such as extended features, photos, audio files, or videos, or looking to ditch the printing presses entirely to focus on all-electronic publishing. While publishers seem to love the instant-news nature of online publishing and the cost savings that come with avoiding paper and postage, readers in a variety of surveys say they'd far prefer to hold a publication in their hands instead of on their desktops. Most educational institutions are still printing magazines on paper, but many have either scaled back their publications' frequencies or begun supplementing print versions with online publications. Some are bumping up their online presence to include additional features that aren't included in their traditional magazines. And if they haven't started publishing online in some format, many say they're seriously thinking about where and how to start. The purists, however, say a printed magazine is a fundamental part of the communications strategy of an educational institution. These paper proponents say that they'll find the money in the budget to continue printing their main outreach publications on paper, and that cuts will occur elsewhere. While others aren't necessarily looking to increase their hard-copy publications, they do say that print is an amazing value in terms of cost to reach alumni and friends. Most editors think it's here to stay for the long term, working, in most cases, alongside electronic communications.

The economic downturn hit working America particularly hard, as agricultural, automotive, manufacturing, and retail jobs in many corners of the country all but evaporated. Consumers continue to cut back, and jobless rates in many states have eclipsed levels not seen in decades. Out of work and under pressure, many Americans are turning to the nation's community colleges to update their skills and train for new careers that promise to fulfill needs within their local communities. Colleges, for their part, are working to fulfill these needs by creating programs intended to quickly deliver marketable job skills and working with local employers to fashion curricula that dovetail with the needs of industry. So far, experts say, efforts are working. The author highlights innovative training programs in agriculture, automotive, and construction that rapidly deliver marketable job skills. These programs offer displaced workers skills for success in a reviving economy.

Community colleges across the country have reported waves of student environmentalists committed to "greening" their schools through student-faculty partnerships, environmental clubs, honor-society projects, and other means. From trash dumps and recycling sorting to educational campaigns born from the construction of greener academic buildings, college faculty say more students are arriving on campus in search of environmental activism and expecting to find it. Students aren't the only ones. Faculty and staff members, too, are working to improve campus sustainability. The movement bridges generations and shows no signs of letting up. College faculty say they're delighted to see such dedication to their campuses and surrounding communities and foresee even more growth in the future. The author tracks the growth of student-led efforts to environmentalism on campus and discusses how students further their environmental passions through clubs and groups.

It wasn't really a surprise when alumni began ringing their alma maters looking for job help a few years ago. The recession hit nearly every industry and business, leaving recent college graduates without great prospects for their first jobs and older professionals without incomes for, in many cases, the first time in their lives. While some larger universities had already made connections with employers, alumni, and consultants for career services such as resume help, interview coaching, skill crossover training, and job listings for people with 10 or 20 years of professional experience, many institutions found themselves with little to offer older alumni. Additionally, many career offices are not set up to deal with more established alumni needs. This requires a shift in the way career counseling is handled, and some institutions have started putting more career responsibilities in the hands of alumni offices, either by staffing them with job counselors or by merging the two offices. That equals great things for both the alumni who come looking for help, and the institution that's able to offer it in a meaningful way.

In the past few years, the online world has changed. It seems everyone is suddenly on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, and anyone who can string words together--and a few who can't--seem to have glommed onto blogs, spouting opinions into the cyberworld with abandon. Prospective students, parents, and alumni not only read what's being written about colleges and universities, but they also often form opinions solely based on what they find in a Google search, even when that information isn't completely steeped in fact. Through companies like Anvil Media or on their own with dedicated staff, more and more institutions are monitoring what's being written about them online. Institutions have two routes to bolstering their online reputations: a proactive one in which advancement professionals post press releases, blogs, and Facebook entries of their own; and a reactive one in which school officials respond to other people's posts and try to correct misconceptions. It sounds simple, but many communications and marketing offices are finding that managing an online reputation can be a rocky trail to navigate. In this article, the author discusses how to manage and protect the institution's online image.

"Accountability" has become something of a 2008 buzzword, tossed about in all kinds of contexts and all sorts of industries. Sparked partially by politics and partially by a business environment peppered with scandal, the accountability bug is everywhere, from local banks to technology firms to, most recently, the nation's institutions of higher learning. By all accounts, accountability in education is not a bad thing--after all, requiring educators to take responsibility for their actions and holding institutions to higher standards in the long run might help the nation's community colleges better prepare students for success in a global economy. But every once in a while, the accountability alarm is met with howls of protest from leaders who are pretty sure they're already plenty responsible. Such might be the fate of the recent recommendations of U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings' oft-criticized Commission on Higher Education, which last year accused higher education institutions of not employing high enough standards and failing to provide prospective students and their families with the necessary information to make an informed college decision. In short, the commission's report said the nation's colleges and universities have become complacent about providing quality higher education, and said more needs to be done to ensure that educational offerings are top-notch and that prospective students have access to reliable information when choosing a path to prepare them for life and work. In this article, community college leaders question the logic behind holding two-year institutions to the same standards of accountability as their four-year counterparts.

Across the United States, there is a need for professionals who have expertise caring for aging men and women. Doctors and nurses are among the most sought after. But it is not just clinicians who are needed; a variety of professionals, from housing specialists to social workers and service administrators, also are in high demand. Many of the nation's community colleges, highly sensitive to local workforce needs, have attempted to stay ahead of the curve through the addition of gerontology disciplines. Last year, the AARP released a report stating that at least 35 community colleges across the country offered courses in the field. Of those 35, however, AARP says, 17 have since discontinued or suspended programs, citing lackluster enrollments. Supporters of the programs counter that, despite a rocky start, the gerontology movement is poised to grow exponentially in coming years. Standing in the way of its success is not a lack of interest among students, they say, but confusion as to what gerontology is and what it entails. This article describes obstacles facing gerontology programs.

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure to high fat diet on the brain. Female rats were divided into high fat diet (HFD) and control diet (CD) groups 4 weeks prior to breeding and throughout gestation and lactation. After weaning, male progeny were placed on a chow diet until 8 weeks old, and then segregated into HFD or CD groups. At 20 weeks old, rats were evaluated in the Morris water maze, and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were documented in the brain. In comparison to rats fed CD, cognitive decline in HFD progeny from HFD dams manifested as a decline in retention, but not acquisition, in the water maze. HFD was also associated with significant increases in 3-nitrotyrosine, inducible nitric oxide synthase, IL-6, and glial markers Iba-1 and GFAP, with the largest increases frequently observed in HFD animals born to HFD dams. Thus, these data collectively suggest that HFD increases oxidative and inflammatory signaling in the brain, and further indicate that maternal HFD consumption might sensitize offspring to the detrimental effects of HFD.

Mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) have been most intensely studied in brain tissue for their link to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. However, APP is highly expressed in a variety of tissues including adipose tissue, where APP is also known to exhibit increased expression in response to obesity. In our current study, we analyzed the effects of mutant APP (E693Q, D694N, K670N/M671L) expression toward multiple aspects of adipose tissue homeostasis. These data reveal significant hypoleptinemia, decreased adiposity, and reduced adipocyte size in response to mutant APP, and this was fully reversed upon high fat diet administration. Additionally, mutant APP was observed to significantly exacerbate insulin resistance, triglyceride elevations, and macrophage infiltration of adipose tissue in response to a high fat diet. Taken together, these data have significant implications for linking mutant APP expression to adipose tissue dysfunction and global changes in endocrine and metabolic function under both obesogenic and non-obesogenic conditions.

Single‐case experimental designs (SCEDs) are rarely used in behavioral neuroscience despite their potential benefits. The current study used a SCED to evaluate the effects of dietary protein restriction in C57BL/6J and Fgf21‐knockout (KO) mice on body weight, food consumption, and protein preference and changes in those outcome measures were quantified using multilevel linear models. In C57BL/6J mice, rate of weight gain was lower and food consumption and protein preference higher during periods of low (4% kcal) protein diet feeding compared to periods of normal (18% kcal) protein diet feeding. In Fgf21‐KO mice, who do not produce the liver‐derived hormone FGF21, rate of weight gain and protein preference were not substantially affected by diet although food consumption was slightly higher during periods of low protein diet than periods of normal protein diet. These results demonstrate that protein restriction dynamically regulates physiological and behavioral responses at the individual mouse level and that FGF21 is necessary for those responses. Further, the current results demonstrate how a SCED can be used in behavioral neuroscience research, which entails both scientific and practical benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]