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Thermodynamics and Structural Effects of Metal Ions Binding to the Antimicrobial Peptide Calcitermin
No full textAntibiotic-resistant infections have become the defining global public health threat of the 21st century. The widespread use and overuse of currently available antibiotics have accelerated antimicrobial resistance, and the slow pace of traditional antibiotic drug discovery over the past few decades has led to a shortage of novel antimicrobial agents to treat multidrug-resistant pathogens. Alternatives to traditional antibiotics are a promising source of next-generation agents to treat infectious diseases, and one such source is antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which often exhibit broad-spectrum activity against pathogens and low levels of resistance. Calcitermin (VAIALKAAHYHTHKE), a 15-mer AMP isolated from human airways. Calcitermin exhibits antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi under acidic conditions (pH 5.4), and its activity against some microbes, particularly C. albicans, is greatly potentiated in the presence of Cu2+ and Zn2+. However, the mechanism of action of calcitermin remains elusive, as does the mechanism of potentiation of these metal ions. Previous work has characterized the binding of these metal ions, but not the complete thermodynamics of binding, an aspect increasingly recognized in drug discovery and development. Here, isothermal titration calorimetry is used to quantify the binding thermodynamics between these metal ions and calcitermin. Cu2+ binds to calcitermin with nanomolar affinity, while Zn2+ binds with micromolar affinity. Both binding interactions are entropically driven, with the binding of Cu2+ having a greater enthalpic penalty but overall greater favorability. Additionally, 1H and 1H-1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to investigate metal-binding sites; it was found that both metals bind to all three histidine residues in the HxHxH motif, and the data suggest that Cu2+ coordinates the N-terminus while Zn2+ coordinates the E15 or C-terminal carboxylate. Taken together, these thermodynamic and structural insights may guide future understanding of metal-AMP interactions and drug development as an alternative to traditional antibiotics
Decarbonizing California Wine: Navigating Scope 3 Emissions Challenges and Opportunities
No full textClimate change is already impacting the California wine industry through increases in extreme weather, such as prolonged heatwaves and atmospheric rivers. For the industry to survive, it is important for California wineries to mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to current and future impacts. Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., emissions generated throughout the supply chain) from glass packaging make up 29% of a typical California winery\u27s carbon footprint, representing both the largest Scope 3 climate impact and greatest opportunity for reductions. This research examined key factors shaping California wineries’ Scope 3 emissions reductions efforts. A mixed-methods approach was used to conduct a policy analysis of emerging climate disclosure regulations, evaluate Scope 3 emissions reductions practices in the beer and global wine industries for transferable practices, and develop a case study of a large California winery to evaluate approaches to emissions reductions. Policy analysis revealed that California climate regulations are unlikely to encourage Scope 3 emissions reductions. SWOT analysis determined increased recycled content and reusable glass bottles represent opportunities for emissions reductions. Case study analysis demonstrated that supplier engagement is both the most important and most challenging component of value chain emissions reductions. To reduce Scope 3 emissions, policy makers should create incentives for target setting and reductions, such as fee reductions for climate action plans and create or restore funding opportunities for glass manufacturing decarbonization projects
Variation in Nectar Rewards Under Water Limitation Across Flowering Species
No full textDrought is becoming an increasingly dominant force shaping plant–pollinator interactions, yet we still know little about how nectar rewards respond to water limitation across species commonly used to support pollinators. We examined nectar volume and sucrose content in six flowering species relevant to California’s Mediterranean climate and quantified how drought alters these traits for four of those species. Under well-watered conditions, species differed in their nectar production, spanning more than two orders of magnitude. Perennial species such as Epilobium canum and Scrophularia californica produced the highest nectar volumes and sucrose amounts, suggesting that they contribute substantial carbohydrate resources when moisture is sufficient. Among the species for which drought treatments were implemented, water limitation significantly reduced nectar volume and sucrose availability overall, but these reductions varied among species. While Clarkia unguiculata and Phacelia tanacetifolia both showed declines under drought, Linaria purpurea’s nectar rewards increased under drought. These results reveal substantial interspecific variation in how floral rewards respond to drought and demonstrate that some species may continue to provision pollinators reliably even as water availability decreases. Identifying drought-resilient nectar sources will be critical for designing pollinator-supporting plantings in a warming, increasingly water-limited climate
Joyce Carol Oates and Feminism: Facts Found and Foundered
Get PDFThis essay explores the nuanced relationship between Joyce Carol Oates and feminism, distinguishing between Oates as an individual and “JCO” as the authorial process. Through analysis of novels like Babysitter, the essay argues that Oates’s fiction resists fixed labels, instead foregrounding ambiguity, interpretation, and the limitations of categorization. Drawing on philosophical and literary contexts, it contends that while Oates’s work invites feminist readings, her narrative style deliberately undermines definitive conclusions. Ultimately, the essay suggests that JCO’s writing stimulates inquiry and self-reflection, positioning art as a process of response rather than a vehicle for asserting categorical truths—including those of feminism
The Skin and Its Girl: A Novel
Get PDFIf you’re not reading queer Palestinian stories, you should start. Queer Palestinians have been fighting for their right to live and tell their stories, as queer stories have been criminalized and labeled as a threat to “morality and public decency” (Kakissis, 2017, para 10). In November 2023, “Queering the Map” became an online story wall for queer Palestinians living in Gaza to claim space and be remembered (O’Neal, 2023). Reading these and other queer Palestinians’ stories is an act of resistance. It is through these stories that readers can humanize and connect to the queer Palestinian experience, ensuring it cannot be denied. The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher (2024) is one of those stories that brings to life an existence that colonization attempts to deny
Queering the Global Filipina Body: Contested Nationalisms in the Filipina/o Diaspora
Get PDFQueering the Global Filipina Body: Contested Nationalisms in the Filipina/o Diaspora, written by Gina K. Velasco, engages with the intersections and relationships of gender, sexuality, and nationalism as it is understood through the nuanced and complex variations of Filipina/o diasporic identities and communities. This book delves into how Filipina/o diasporic identities are constructed, contested, and recreated through the different expressions of gender and sexuality through the discussion of the concept of the Global Filipina Body
Thinking Beyond the University: Toward a Black Abolitionist Pedagogy
Get PDFThis track centers the spaces I co-create that attend to my overall well-being as a Black woman educator making demands for Black student well-being and educational justice. Situated within higher education, this study accounts for the current realities of anti-Blackness within academia while creating spaces that support Black students ’ well-being. It builds on literature that advances abolitionist and fugitive praxes and emphasizes radical self-care for Black women in academia. This research uses autoethnography and concepts from Black critical theory, school abolition, and engaged pedagogy. The findings highlight one model of a Black abolitionist pedagogy
(Re)storying our Education: Black School Counselors Engaging and Cultivating Black Joy and Resistance in P–12 Schooling
Get PDFWith the rise of national anti-DEI and anti-CRT legislation, public school continues to be unsafe for Black youth, their families, and Black educators. Yet Black people still find themselves in P–12 schools working to create fugitive spaces that resist the carceral nature of schooling while promoting abolitionist principles of healing, community, and joy. Toward this end, the authors interviewed 10 Black school counselors to understand their role in creating these spaces of Black joy and resistance. Findings from this study will help to expand the approaches Black counselors take in creating Black joy and resistance across educational spaces
Enhancing Patient Outcomes: Improving HCAHPS Scores via Implementing Pressure Injury Prevention Care Bundle Education in Acute Care Setting
Get PDFObjective: Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) have a powerful effect on patient outcomes, satisfaction, and health costs. In the face of multiple interventions, nurse-patient communication failures and decreased HCAHPS scores reveal patient safety hazards. Aim: The purpose of this quality improvement effort was to enhance HCAHPS nurse communication scores by instituting a Pressure Injury Prevention Care Bundle (PIPCB) on a 93-bed medical-surgical/telemetry unit. Methods: The intervention was nurse-implemented education through educational posters and education cards distributed at admission and shift report. Nurse participation and education delivery were measured through pre- and post-intervention questionnaires and observations. The change in the HCAHPS nurse communication score was the main outcome and the nurse-reported education practice and patient comprehension were the secondary outcomes. Results: The HCAHPS did decline from 70.31% to 63.29%, though the results of the follow-up survey showed 100% of the nurses recommended continued utilization of the educational materials and 70% of the nurses agreed or strongly agreed the educational materials improved patient comprehension. Conclusion: The quantitative goal of the HCAHPS was not met while the intervention improved education process delivery and the role of the nurses. Future steps involve the implementation of relational communication strategies, bilingual materials for patient access, and education workflow integration. The research displays the merit of combining patient education and relationship-centered communication to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes of safety