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Geobacter sulfurreducens extracellular multiheme cytochrome PgcA facilitates respiration to Fe(III) oxides but not electrodes
No full textExtracellular cytochromes are hypothesized to facilitate the final steps of electron transfer between the outer membrane of the metal-reducing bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens and solid-phase electron acceptors such as metal oxides and electrode surfaces during the course of respiration. The triheme c-type cytochrome PgcA exists in the extracellular space of G. sulfurreducens, and is one of many multiheme c-type cytochromes known to be loosely bound to the bacterial outer surface. Deletion of pgcA using a markerless method resulted in mutants unable to transfer electrons to Fe(III) and Mn(IV) oxides; yet the same mutants maintained the ability to respire to electrode surfaces and soluble Fe(III) citrate. When expressed and purified from Shewanella oneidensis, PgcA demonstrated a primarily alpha helical structure, three bound hemes, and was processed into a shorter 41 kDa form lacking the lipodomain. Purified PgcA bound Fe(III) oxides, but not magnetite, and when PgcA was added to cell suspensions of G. sulfurreducens, PgcA accelerated Fe(III) reduction similar to addition of FMN. Addition of soluble PgcA to ?pgcA mutants also restored Fe(III) reduction. This report highlights a distinction between proteins involved in extracellular electron transfer to metal oxides and poised electrodes, and suggests a specific role for PgcA in facilitating electron transfer at mineral surfaces
Molecular and biochemical characterization of recombinant cel12B, cel8C, and peh28 overexpressed in Escherichia coli and their potential in biofuel production
No full textBackground: The high crystallinity of cellulosic biomass myofibrils as well as the complexity of their intermolecular structure is a significant impediment for biofuel production. Cloning of celB-, celC-encoded cellulases (cel12B and cel8C) and peh-encoded polygalacturonase (peh28) from Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) was carried out in our previous study using Escherichia coli as a host vector. The current study partially characterizes the enzymes\u27 molecular structures as well as their catalytic performance on different substrates which can be used to improve their potential for lignocellulosic biomass conversion. Results: β-Jelly roll topology, (α/α)6 antiparallel helices and right-handed β-helices were the folds identified for cel12B, cel8C, and peh28, respectively, in their corresponding protein model structures. Purifications of 17.4-, 6.2-, and 6.0-fold, compared to crude extract, were achieved for cel12B and cel8C, and peh28, respectively, using specific membrane ultrafiltrations and size-exclusion chromatography. Avicel and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were substrates for cel12B, whereas for cel8C catalytic activity was only shown on CMC. The enzymes displayed significant synergy on CMC but not on Avicel when tested for 3 h at 45°C. No observed β-glucosidase activities were identified for cel8C and cel12B when tested on p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside. Activity stimulation of 130% was observed when a recombinant β-glucosidase from Pcc was added to cel8C and cel12B as tested for 3 h at 45°C. Optimum temperature and pH of 45°C and 5.4, respectively, were identified for all three enzymes using various substrates. Catalytic efficiencies (k cat/K m) were calculated for cel12B and cel8C on CMC as 0.141 and 2.45 ml/mg/s respectively, at 45°C and pH 5.0 and for peh28 on polygalacturonic acid as 4.87 ml/mg/s, at 40°C and pH 5.0. Glucose and cellobiose were the end-products identified for cel8C, cel12B, and β-glucosidase acting together on Avicel or CMC, while galacturonic acid and other minor co-products were identified for peh28 action on pectin. Conclusions: This study provides some insight into which parameters should be optimized when application of cel8C, cel12B, and peh28 to biomass conversion is the goal
Genetic rescue, the greater prairie chicken and the problem of conservation reliance in the Anthropocene
No full textA central question in conservation is how best to manage biodiversity, despite human domination of global processes (=Anthropocene). Common responses (i.e. translocations, genetic rescue) forestall potential extirpations, yet have an uncertain duration. A textbook example is the greater prairie chicken (GRPC: Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus), where translocations (1992–1998) seemingly rescued genetically depauperate Illinois populations. We re-evaluated this situation after two decades by genotyping 21 microsatellite loci from 1831 shed feathers across six leks in two counties over 4 years (2010–2013). Low migration rates (less than 1%) established each county as demographically independent, but with declining-population estimates (4 year average N=79). Leks were genetically similar and significantly bottlenecked, with low effective population sizes (average Ne =13.1; 4 year Ne/N=0.166). Genetic structure was defined by 12 significantly different family groups, with relatedness r=0.31\u3ehalf-sib r=0.25. Average heterozygosity, indicating short-term survival, did not differ among contemporary, preand post-translocated populations, whereas allelic diversity did. Our results, the natural history of GRPC (i.e. few leks, male dominance hierarchies) and its controlled immigration suggest demographic expansion rather than genetic rescue. Legal protection under the endangered species act (ESA) may enhance recovery, but could exacerbate political–economic concerns on how best to manage ‘conservation-reliant’ species, for which GRPC is now an exemplar
Threaded Introductory Chemistry for Prepharmacy: A Model for Preprofessional Curriculum Redesign
No full textIntroductory chemistry courses are required as part of the undergraduate preparation necessary for entry into an array of professional programs. Given the varied priorities of the student population in these courses, it can be difficult to present the material such that students see their individual future academic priorities represented in each course. At St. Louis College of Pharmacy, introductory chemistry classes serve a singular population with a declared interest in pursuing further education in the professional pharmacy curriculum. As part of a campus-wide prepharmacy curriculum restructure, the chemistry curriculum was redesigned to take advantage of this focused audience. The result is a new, four semester Threaded Curriculum that merges topics taught in general and organic chemistry with filtering for relevance to prepharmacy. To compare student performance in the new curriculum to the traditional, students were evaluated on 245 common multiple choice exam items as the relevant topics were covered in each course of the curriculum. Initially, traditional curriculum students outperformed the Threaded Curriculum students in first semester organic topics, but both groups scored the same average on the ACS Organic Chemistry End of Year exam. This occurred even though Threaded Curriculum students had only three semesters of chemistry preparation at the time of the exam. Furthermore, Threaded Curriculum students surpassed the national average on the ACS General Chemistry End of Year exam at the fourth semester. This indicates that students can be taught chemistry by providing more relevant topics for their future while still ensuring that students are meeting content goals reflected in standardized chemistry exams
Detection, occurrence, and removal of selected pharmaceuticals in Missouri source and finished drinking waters
No full textA simple, sensitive, and selective solid phase extraction–ultra-fast liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UFLC-MS/MS) method was developed and applied for the analysis of selected important pharmaceutical compounds in source and finished drinking waters. The method detected the following six pharmaceuticals, cotinine, cephapirin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacein, azithromycin, and diphenhydramine, at sub-μg/L level in multiple water matrices after pre-concentration by SPE. Cotinine-d3 and 13C315 N-Ciprofloxacin were used as internal standards for accurate quantitation. This method was validated through spike recoveries (67–129%), reproducibility (RSD: 2.3–15.7%), and method detection limits (MDLs: 2–5 ng/L). The method was used to test for occurrence of these pharmaceuticals in source and drinking waters from 13 Missouri water treatment facilities in four different seasons. In general, higher detection frequency and concentrations of pharmaceuticals were observed in colder months due presumably to less dilution (at lower flows) and slower degradation. The PPCP removals by different activated carbons were also evaluated. The occurrence and removal results in this study provide valuable information to help water treatment facilities taking appropriate strategies for better control of trace pharmaceuticals in drinking water
An autoethnographic examination of postpartum depression
No full textPURPOSE This article examines postpartum depression (PPD) using autoethnography to explore the stigmatization of depression and cultural expectations of motherhood. Because the personal experiences of living with PPD are often absent from primary care literature, this article uses first-person narrative and analysis of intensive mothering to explore the barriers to seeking PPD treatment, the need for increasing physician confidence and comfort using screening tools, and the impact PPD stigma has on patients and their health care. METHODS Autoethnography, as a relatively unfamiliar methodology in primary care, is used to illuminate individual experiences of living with PPD. The author details a series of encounters as wife, mother, and patient by narrating what it means to live with the disease. A thematic analysis of the series of first-person narratives was employed to further understand the culture of motherhood and shed light on the stigmatization of PPD. RESULTS Four themes emerged from the analysis revealing the pressures surrounding the cultural ideologies of intensive mothering and the stigma of mental illness: essentialism, failure, shame, and avoidance. DISCUSSION There is a need to reframe cultural perceptions of motherhood and PPD to positively impact familial interactions and health care encounters for those who live with the illness. The article calls for providing broader diagnostic efforts, more comprehensive care, and engagement with patients in shared decision making around the diagnosis and treatment of PPD
The use of control charts by laypeople and hospital decision-makers for guiding decision making
No full textGraphs presenting healthcare data are increasingly available to support laypeople and hospital staff’s decision making. When making these decisions, hospital staff should consider the role of chance—that is, random variation. Given random variation, decision-makers must distinguish signals (sometimes called special-cause data) from noise (common-cause data). Unfortunately, many graphs do not facilitate the statistical reasoning necessary to make such distinctions. Control charts are a less commonly used type of graph that support statistical thinking by including reference lines that separate data more likely to be signals from those more likely to be noise. The current work demonstrates for whom (laypeople and hospital staff) and when (treatment and investigative decisions) control charts strengthen data-driven decision making. We present two experiments that compare people’s use of control and non-control charts to make decisions between hospitals (funnel charts vs. league tables) and to monitor changes across time (run charts with control lines vs. run charts without control lines). As expected, participants more accurately identified the outlying data using a control chart than using a non-control chart, but their ability to then apply that information to more complicated questions (e.g., where should I go for treatment?, and should I investigate?) was limited. The discussion highlights some common concerns about using control charts in hospital settings
Should torsion balance technique continue to be taught to pharmacy students?
No full textObjective. To determine the types of balances used in compounding pharmacies: torsion or digital. Methods. A survey was mailed to the pharmacist-in-charge at 698 pharmacies, representing 47% of the pharmacies in Missouri as of July 2013. The pharmacies were randomly selected and stratified by region into eight regions to ensure a representative sample. Information was gathered regarding the type and use of balances and pharmacists’ perspectives on the need to teach torsion balance technique to pharmacy students. Results. The response rate for the survey was 53.3%. Out of the total responses received, those pharmacies having a torsion balance, digital balance or both were 46.8%, 27.4% and 11.8%, respectively. About 68.3% of respondents compound prescriptions. The study showed that 52% of compounding pharmacies use torsion balances in their practice. Of those with a balance in their pharmacy, 65.6% favored continuation of torsion balance instruction. Conclusions. Digital balances have become increasingly popular and have replaced torsion balances in some pharmacies, especially those that compound a significant number of prescriptions. The results of this study indicate that torsion balances remain integral to compounding practice. Therefore, students should continue being taught torsion balance technique at the college
Clinical updates on the management of asthma
No full textAsthma is a complex airway disorder that involves multiple inflammatory cells and cellular elements. Genetic and environmental factors result in recurrent episodes of the symptoms of asthma: coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, and chest tightness. Left untreated, these initial symptoms can transform into exacerbations ranging from spontaneous reversible airflow obstruction and airway remodeling to death. As a result, the need for novel therapeutic options for the treatment and long-term management of asthma has become increasingly vital. Some therapies that have been developed in recent years include medications with longer half-lives that can lead to increased adherence, agents biologically altered to decrease side effects, therapies targeting specific pathways within the inflammatory response, the application of radiofrequency, and long-term administration of agents to increase or boost the immune system. Each option represents an individualized treatment approach to managing patients with asthma. Healthcare practitioners need to be educated about these new therapeutic options so they can properly and safely manage their patients\u27 regimens. Mechanisms of action, clinical trial data, and current market availability for each medication are highlighted to provide pharmacists with the fundamental knowledge necessary to effectively and safely treat patients suffering from asthma