The University of Texas at Tyler
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2 Years On: Loss and Grief Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThis study sought to examine the variability and impact of different kinds of losses experienced during COVID-19 and how people reacted to and coped with those losses. The most common loss reported by individuals was the loss of social connection, while death-related losses were identified as the most impactful loss experienced. Results suggest that people responded in a myriad of ways, including increased cautiousness for health safety, refocusing their attention on important life matters, and finding alternative ways to connect with others. Furthermore, this study found that individual factors such as intolerance of uncertainty and perceived social support may play a significant role in positive and negative reactions to loss. Findings from this study provide valuable insights into the variability and impact of losses experienced during the pandemic. Future research should continue to explore experiences with death and non-death losses to better understand the dynamic processing of loss and grieving
IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAMWORK, INTERPROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION, AND INTERPROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
Get PDFObjective: The purpose of this body of work was to explore relationships among emotional intelligence (EI) and interprofessional (IP) competency domains to enhance IP team dynamics and communication.
Background: Decentralization of healthcare delivery may hinder effective handoffs creating opportunity for miscommunication of vital information and subsequent medical errors. Fostering effective communication is paramount for IP teams; however, differing communication styles can promote misunderstanding and conflict. Behavioral aspects of team dynamics and communication that comprise EI may be a solution but are rarely addressed in educational and safety programs.
Methods: Included in this portfolio are three manuscripts that help elucidate the relationships among EI and IP competencies. Chapter 2 begins with a cross-walked matrix of EI and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) professional competencies. Chapter 3 introduces a framework for connecting EI and IP competencies through the “Meshing Emotional Intelligence Determinants and Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies” (MEDICC) model. Chapter 4 explains the two-phased study exploring the relationships among EI competencies and IP communication, teamwork and leadership competencies.
Results: Although most findings did not reach significance, likely due to small sample size, it is notable that SA, SM, and SOA together explained 73% of the variance in RM. Also, collectively EI domains accounted for over 40% of the variance in each IP competency. Finally, IPC and IPT explained 73% of the variance in IPL.
Conclusion: This portfolio supports further consideration of including EI in IP team education and subsequent safety programming to enhance work environment as well as in future research
Community-Engaged Audit for Reform: One District’s Approach to Address Equity Issues
Get PDFThe traditional equity audit itself is going through a reform process. The process began with Skrla (2004, 2009) reimagining the traditional audit with a focus on equity. However, researchers support the notion of using audits to disrupt and dismantle oppressive practices and systems (Khalifa et al., 2016) and involving the community to ultimately have power through the audit process (Green, 2017). Translating theory into practice can be more difficult when school leaders cannot rely on their personal training and experience to solve the problem. The purpose of this case study is to analyze how one urban school district implemented a community-engaged approach to address equity. The researchers used a single instrument to analyze grounded community-based participatory research (CBPR) to understand how a district can attend to equity issues in a way that includes all stakeholders. Three themes were identified from an analysis of the data during the study: 1) understanding the importance of building capacity inside and outside of the school building, 2) institutionalizing the work of equity, and 3) plan for resistance to the equity work. For those social justice leaders focused on school reform in a way that disrupts and dismantles oppressive systems, a community-engaged approach can address technical issues of the district. But, more importantly, it is a process to root out and deal with those deeper issues in a safe space so a new cultural story can be created and adapted to the current needs of the community
METHODOLOGY TO COMPARE PERFORMANCE OF RESIDENTIAL HVAC SYSTEMS OPERATING IN COOLING MODE
Get PDFResidential HVAC systems are selected and installed based on the goals of the customer. For spec homes, the most common types of systems are traditionally ducted with standard efficiency. However, for custom homes, the recent trend has included high-efficiency HVAC systems that are often accompanied by air-tight home envelopes with highly thermally resistant foam insulation in the walls. Several high-efficiency systems are available in the market with the performance of these systems varying between the different manufacturers and the types of systems. The systems available in the market can be compared and ranked based on their thermal performance and energy savings, but a methodical approach has to be devised and applied to compare different systems under similar conditions. Therefore, a methodology was developed to compare HAVC systems, as a tool for research conducted at the TRANE Residential Heating and Research Lab at the University of Texas at Tyler. For application and validation of the methodology, a study was conducted using a zoned ducted variable speed system and a ductless multi-split system, both operating in cooling mode. During the summer of 2021, indoor temperature, indoor relative humidity, energy consumption, and weather data from an onsite weather station were acquired and used to perform the comparison. The summer season results showed that the zoned ducted variable speed system provided better overall indoor temperature and humidity control capabilities, as well as better energy efficiency, compared to the multi-split system
ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF α-HCD7 SCFV EXPRESSING EXOSOMES AND SYNTHESIS OF HYBRID EXOSOME-LIPOSOME FOR ANALYSES
Get PDFThe goal of this thesis project is to isolate and characterize exosomes that express anti-human CD7 (α-hCD7) single chain variable fragment (scFv), which will be further utilized for T celltargeted gene editing. To reach this goal, exosomes from HEK 293 cells and Jurkat cells were isolated and characterized with different methodologies. To obtain α-hCD7 scFv-expressing exosomes, the HEK 293 cells were subjected to transfection of custom-plasmid pDisplay-αhCD7 scFv, and the expression of α-hCD7 scFv on the HEK 293-derived exosomes were then confirmed by immunogold staining, western blotting, and flow cytometry. To transfect 293 cells, calcium phosphate transfection was utilized, and the exosomes secreted by these cells were isolated via sequential ultracentrifugation steps. The exosomes isolated from the transfected cells were further characterized by a series of methodologies, including western blotting, flow cytometry, and immunogold labeling, to determine the classic exosome-specific markers along with the presence of α-hCD7 scFv on the surface of the exosomes. The results suggest the presence of α-hCD7 scFv on the surface of the transfected 293 cell as well as exosomes when compared to the untransfected HEK 293 cells and their exosomes. Furthermore, all exosomes isolated from HEK 293 and Jurkat cells expressed the typical exosome markers, such as CD63 and CD81. We further explored whether exosomes could hybrid with a liposome cargo to carry the CRISPR-Cas9 plasmid for gene editing. To achieve this, the exosomes isolated from 293 cells were subjected to hybrid formation with liposomes by simply mixing in cold temperatures. However, no hybrid formation was observed by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). Taken together, in this thesis project, we have developed the methodologies to isolate and characterize the α-hCD7 scFv-expressing exosomes, further enabling the delivery of CRISPRCas9 using exosomes for efficient human T cell-targeted gene editing
DNP Final Report: Seal the Deal in Dementia Care
Get PDFBackground: Individuals with dementia are often burdened with behavioral problems, which augment health care costs and burden of disease. Treatment of behavioral symptoms with pet therapy is acknowledged to be emotionally beneficial. Robotic pets have demonstrated similar promising effects without the undesirable outcomes of traditional pet therapy. Robotic pet therapy offers an effective replacement to traditional pet therapy.
Objective: The DNP scholarly project rigorously appraises the effectiveness of the SAR, PARO, an FDA approved biofeedback device, for non-pharmacological treatment of dementia-related symptoms.
Methods: An experimental design with repeated measures guided the study. Pre- and post- measures included reliable, valid tools such as: RAID and CSDD. Participants of the intervention group interacted with the SAR, PARO. One urban secure memory care facility comprised the setting.
Results: Thirty-nine residents, with 61.5% females and an average age of 74.38, were placed in the intervention group for 6 weeks. Psychotropic medications decreased by relatively 73.91%, 21.74% of psychotropic medications were discontinued altogether, 1.45% increase in psychotropic medication use observed. Mean pre- and post- CSDD intervention scores were 11.77 (SD = 4.25) and reduced to 7.56 (SD = 3.24). Average pre- and post-RAID intervention score was 11.97 (SD = 4.52) and decreased to 7.46 (SD = 3.46).
Conclusions: Implementation of a non-pharmacological intervention, PARO reduced incidences of anxiety and depression in lieu of psychotropic pharmacological modalities in the intervention group of geriatric residents with dementia.
Implications for Practice: The existing standard of practice for treatment of BPSD necessitates change and should incorporate the use of the non-pharmacological intervention, PARO for reduction of anxiety, depression and overall quality of life enhancement of geriatric residents with dementia
ROLE OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN MYOSIN-19 AND INF2 IN MITOCHONDRIAL DYNAMICS
No full textThe mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are two fundamental organelles found within cells. The study of the interactions between them is a major field in cellular biology. The mitochondria and ER have areas that can interact with each other. In the present study, it was hypothesized that the motor protein myosin-19 (Myo19) on mitochondria interacts with the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein inverted formin 2-CAAX (INF2-CAAX). To address this hypothesis, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, colocalization analysis and the proximity ligation assay (PLA) were carried out. Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) colocalization analysis of confocal images gave information on the distribution of organelles and proteins in space. The PLA provided more precise information on the regions of close association of the proteins of interest in human osteosarcoma (U2OS) cells. Ca2+ activation via ionomycin was also tested. It was demonstrated that Ca2+ stimulation significantly increases the interaction between mitochondria and ER as well as Myo19 and INF2-CAAX. Since Myo19 and INF2-CAAX reside at mitochondria and ER, respectively, these results suggest that Myo19 and INF2-CAAX might have an important role in the interaction of the mitochondria and ER. It is hypothesized that such an interaction may be involved in mitochondrial dynamics, such as fission
Inhalation Injury Is Associated With Endotheliopathy and Abnormal Fibrinolytic Phenotypes in Burn Patients: A Cohort Study
Get PDFBurn injury is associated with endothelial dysfunction and coagulopathy and concomitant inhalation injury (IHI) increases morbidity and mortality. The aim of this work is to identify associations between IHI, coagulation homeostasis, vascular endothelium, and clinical outcomes in burn patients. One hundred and twelve patients presenting to a regional burn center were included in this retrospective cohort study. Whole blood was collected at set intervals from admission through 24 hours and underwent viscoelastic assay with rapid thromboelastography (rTEG). Syndecan-1 (SDC-1) on admission was quantified by ELISA. Patients were grouped by the presence (n = 28) or absence (n = 84) of concomitant IHI and rTEG parameters, fibrinolytic phenotypes, SDC-1, and clinical outcomes were compared. Of the 112 thermally injured patients, 28 (25%) had IHI. Most patients were male (68.8%) with a median age of 40 (interquartile range, 29–57) years. Patients with IHI had higher overall mortality (42.68% vs 8.3%; P \u3c .0001). rTEG LY30 was lower in patients with IHI at hours 4 and 12 (P \u3c .05). There was a pattern of increased abnormal fibrinolytic phenotypes among IHI patients. There was a greater proportion of IHI patients with endotheliopathy (SDC-1 \u3e 34 ng/ml) (64.7% vs 26.4%; P = .008). There was a pattern of increased mortality among patients with IHI and endotheliopathy (0% vs 72.7%; P = .004). Significant differences between patients with and without IHI were found in measures assessing fibrinolytic potential and endotheliopathy. Mortality was associated with abnormal fibrinolysis, endotheliopathy, and IHI. However, the extent to which IHI-associated dysfunction is independent of TBSA burn size remains to be elucidated
Comparative expression of soluble, active human kinases in specialized bacterial strains
Get PDFKinases act as molecular switches for cellular functions and are involved in multiple human pathogeneses, most notably cancer. There is a continuous need for soluble and active kinases for in-vitro drug discovery and structural biology purposes. Kinases remain challenging to express using Escherichia coli, the most widely utilized host for heterologous expression. In this work, four bacterial strains, BL21 (DE3), BL21 (DE3) pLysS, Rosetta, and Arctic Express, were chosen for parallel expression trials along with BL21 (DE3) complemented with folding chaperones DnaJ/K and GroEL/ES to compare their performance in producing soluble and active human kinases. Three representative diverse kinases were studied, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor kinase domain, Aurora Kinase A kinase domain, and Mitogen-activated protein Kinase Kinase. The genes encoding the kinases were subcloned into pET15b bacterial plasmid and transformed into the bacterial strains. Soluble kinase expression was tested using different IPTG concentrations (1–0.05 mM) at varying temperatures (37˚C– 10˚C) and induction times (3–24 hours). The optimum conditions for each kinase in all strains were then used for 1L large scale cultures from which each kinase was purified to compare yield, purity, oligomerization status, and activity. Although using specialized strains achieved improvements in yield and/or activity for the three kinases, none of the tested strains was universally superior, highlighting the individuality in kinase expression
MICROBIAL DIMENSION OF SYMBIOSIS AND DYSBIOSIS IN FUNGUS–GARDENING ANTS
Get PDFWith symbiotic partners, the means by which a host obtain a symbiont influence the specificity between the host and the symbiont. One such system where symbiont specificity is seen to varying degrees is with higher attine ants. Higher attine ants have symbiotic relationships with the fungal cultivar they grow and the bacterial symbionts in their microbiomes. Among the higher attines, there are two broad groups of fungi. Most ants in the genus Trachymyrmex tend to grow Clade–B fungi, which are a group of undescribed Leucocoprinus species, while leaf–cutting ants in the genera Acromyrmex and Atta tend to grow Clade–A fungi (Leucocoprinus gongylophorus). Previous work has shown switching the cultivar grown by Trachymyrmex ants, from Clade–B to Clade–A fungus, creates an unstable symbiosis between the ants and their grown cultivar, so that a sudden and catastrophic decrease in the size of their fungal garden invariably results. One hypothesis is that the stability of ant–fungal combinations is maintained by interactions among members of the microbiome of fungus–gardening ants and their fungus gardens. This thesis explored whether changing fungal partners impacts the microbiomes of the host ants and their symbiotic fungus by performing cross fostering experiments that forced ants to grow novel fungi. Specifically, these experiments forced ants of two Trachymyrmex species that normally grow Clade–B fungi to grow Clade–A fungi. The experiments revealed that Trachymyrmex ants altered their novel Clade–A garden microbiomes and that these were similar to that of the ‘control or sham switched’ Clade–B fungus gardens. These results suggest that ants play a role in determining the structure of the microbiome of their fungus gardens. Since these combinations are not stable, it is possible that the ‘novel’ microbiome structured by the Trachymyrmex ants is a factor in driving symbiotic collapse. Such findings suggest each fungal clade may have some specificity with a certain microbiome composition