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Characterization of cyclic-di-GMP metabolizing genes in Streptomyces scabies
No full textStreptomyces scabies is a gram-positive bacterium that causes a scab disease in potatoes. The bacterium itself is filamentous and produces spores which allows it to spread and reproduce. The rmdA, rmdB, and cdgC genes in S. scabies are used in the cyclic-di-GMP signaling pathway. This pathway is responsible for regulating many processes including cell cycle progression and differentiation. RmdA and B are phosphodiesterases that break down the second messenger, cyclic-di-GMP. CdgC is thought to relate to the cyclic di-GMP pathway by making cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate. Cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate is a second messenger that helps to regulate cellular processes within bacteria. The specific question addressed is what role rmdA, rmdB, and cdgC play in the development of S. scabies and their ability to cause disease in potatoes. One aim of the project will result in the deletion of the rmdA gene. This deletion has been constructed using the lambda Red recombinase system (REDIRECT). REDIRECT works by first designing a forward primer sequence that will provide a region of homology for 39 bases that includes the start codon and flanking DNA directly upstream of the gene. A reverse primer was then designed to provide homology to the stop codon and downstream sequence of rmdA. Both primers also contain 19-20 bases to amplify an apramycin resistance gene cassette that ultimately replaced the rmdA gene. The cosmid containing the wild type rmdA gene has been transformed and the apramycin resistance cassette that has flanking regions of homology to the gene to be deleted into Escherichia coli to create the deletion. The new cosmid containing the deletion of rmdA (pAP1) has been introduced into the mating strain of E. coli and will subsequently be conjugated into the wild-type and rmdB mutant to construct single and double mutant strains, respectively. Meanwhile, the rmdB and cdgC mutants which had been previously designed by the Bennett lab were further characterized. Here, multiple time courses on various media types have been performed to determine phenotypic differences between wild-type and both mutants. Finally, phenotypic differences were analyzed using radish seedling and potato infection assays
Evidence-based Recommendations for the Use of Neostigmine Versus Sugammadex in Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgery
Get PDFNeuromuscular blocking agents play a vital role in the safe delivery of modern anesthetic practice. These medications provide patient paralysis for anesthesia staff to perform tracheal intubation and for surgeons to have a motionless surgical field. At the end of surgery, the effects of these paralytic agents must be fully reversed by reversal agents. Incomplete reversal impairs the patient’s ability to maintain an airway, which can lead to various postoperative pulmonary complications such as respiratory failure, pneumonia, and atelectasis. Patients undergoing thoracic surgery are at high risk for this incomplete reversal due to deep levels of paralysis required to keep the diaphragm motionless for surgical manipulation. Therefore, optimal paralytic reversal strategies must be analyzed and incorporated into clinical practice to decrease residual paralysis and subsequent complications. Neostigmine has traditionally been the primary agent used for paralytic reversal. However, a newer alternative is available with the relatively recent introduction of Sugammadex. Literature has shown that in patients undergoing thoracic surgery, utilizing Sugammadex for reversal of neuromuscular blockade, compared to Neostigmine, improves patient outcomes by reducing postoperative pulmonary complications. This evidence-based practice project evaluates the most up-to-date literature to identify, plan, and implement recommendations for an optimal paralytic reversal strategy in patients undergoing thoracic surgery at a level-one trauma center in the Midwest United States
Effects of papain and benzyl isothiocyanate on the motility of Parascaris spp. larvae
No full textParascaris equorum and Parascaris univalens are two closely related nematodes that infect the respiratory and digestive tracts of equine foals, and cause clinical signs such as coughing, depression, and weight loss. Both Parascaris species have demonstrated resistance to all current anthelmintics, necessitating the search for novel anthelmintics. The aim of this study was to determine if compounds benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) and papain, present in the seeds of tropical fruit Carica papaya, decrease the motility of L2 Parascaris equorum and Parascaris univalens larvae. Eggs were collected from foal fecal samples, isolated, hatched, and exposed to seven different concentrations (2.0 μg/ml, 10.0 μg/ml, 50 μg/ml, 100 μg/ml, 500 μg/ml, 1000 μg/ml, and 2000 μg/ml) of each compound for 24 hours. Concentrations were tested in triplicate and larval motility was scored before and after exposure. Data were analyzed through linear regression and logarithmic regression, with R2 values of 0.852 (
Incorporation of Mindfulness Application Use in Doctoral Nurse Anesthesia Curricula for Mitigation of Stress and Anxiety in Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Get PDFThe nurse anesthesia specialty is highly stressful, with educational training being no exception. High didactic demands and intensive clinical experiences are placed on student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs), increasing stress and anxiety in their personal and professional lives. High levels of psychological distress can lead to inadvertent consequences in students’ mental, emotional, and physical health and can contribute to illness, burnout, substance use, and compromise in patient safety. Some degree of stress is necessary for motivation to succeed and perform at high levels, and encountering stress while enrolled in a doctoral nurse anesthesia program is expected and unavoidable. A search of the literature showed that mindfulness meditation training reduces stress and anxiety and improves performance in graduate student populations. An evidence-based practice project was developed and implemented to provide doctoral nurse anesthesia students with a tool to manage stress and anxiety while enrolled. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Model guided project planning, development, completion, and dissemination. The chosen intervention modality was the Headspace smartphone application, as it uses science-backed meditation and mindfulness tools to support mental health, is easy to access, and offers a free introductory period. SRNAs participated in a 14-day trial of the Headspace application after attending a presentation for oral solicitation and submitting consent. Pre and post-intervention surveys were conducted and analyzed, showing significant reductions in stress and anxiety. These results suggest Headspace could be a helpful mindfulness tool in improving overall SRNA well-being
The Pseudo-Liberation of Women and Feminism in American Cinema of the 1970s
Get PDFThis thesis provides an analysis of how women, feminism, and female liberation is depicted in American film of the 1970s, in context to genre revisionism and the second wave of feminism. The portrayal of women in film is reimagined due to the Hollywood Renaissance taking place in the mid-sixties and throughout the nineteen-seventies. As genre revisionists began re-working and undoing the tools of classical Hollywood cinema, the role of women began to shift as well, creating a form of counter-cinema. Films of this era, rather intentionally or unintentionally, start to address relevant issues of marital status, liberation, sexuality, and the stipulations that surround the guidelines and structures of a white, heteronormative, women’s lifestyle. My essay will consider how directors in the 1970s such as Martin Scorsese, Alan Pakula, Woody Allen, Martin Ritt, and Barbara Loden provide audiences with contemporary images of “liberated” women, who although liberated in a new sense, still fall victim to the societal and cinematic system working against their said liberations. Furthermore, I will be analyzing how this portrayal of women relates to second wave feminism, as it is important to examine the effects that politics have on a director’s interpretation and cinematic depiction of womanhood. Stereotypes of women in film changed to reflect the different stereotypes emerging surrounding the second wave of feminism, leading me interested in discussing how the unconscious of patriarchal society structures film form in the 1970s
Evaluating Nurses’ Turnover Intention and Organizational Commitment Following Stroke Unit Staffing Changes: An Evidence-based Quality Initiative
Get PDFNurses are known to be overworked, overwhelmed, undervalued, and understaffed at dangerous levels throughout various inpatient hospital units across the United States (U.S.). Hospital registered nurse (RN) turnover is a significant issue that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in economic impacts and other burdens for organizations, individuals, and communities. Evidence suggests that evaluating Registered Nurses’ Turnover intention (NTI) and Organizational Commitment (OC) can help maintain a ready and capable team of skilled RNs; however, most healthcare organizations (HCOs) do not collect or analyze NTI and OC data and focus on staffing numbers and monetary incentives to get adequate nursing numbers. Research shows that RNs with higher OC tend to demonstrate lower NTI and stay in their profession, jobs, and HCO longer. In a local example of one 32-bed stroke unit at a large regional medical center in the Midwest, high staff RN attrition resulted in inadequate RN staffing and closed unit beds, delaying patients\u27 access to timely care. Despite increasing staffing by 3.6 Full-Time RNs, the degree of NTI and OC among nurses working on the stroke unit remains unknown, placing the unit at increased risk of closing beds and disrupting care access in the future. Therefore, the purpose of this Quality Improvement (QI) Project was to provide new data to the Nursing Leadership and the healthcare executives who oversee RN staffing. The project was guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act QI framework and aimed to evaluate the relationship between NTI and OC through a systematic record review of staff RN questionnaire response data following a unit’s recent increase in RN staffing levels. Due to the sensitive nature of the data, the project’s data collection could not occur. Despite the limitations encountered, the lessons learned from the project and the proposed use of the NTI/OC Questionnaire in this Report can offer valuable insight to RN leaders in understanding staff RNs’ intent to leave and commitment to the organization, which may ultimately help to maintain a ready and capable nursing team and prevent avoidable nursing turnover and delayed patient access to care services
Otterbein Towers Spring 2024
Get PDFA Healing Foundation; Teaching Excellence Spotlighted; FAQs for the Common Good; Outstanding Seniors; Serving Up a New Dining Experience for Students; Philanthropy; Alumni Matters, and Class Notes.https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/towers/1279/thumbnail.jp
Survey of Bordetella bronchiseptica Presence in Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis)
No full textWild orphaned and injured Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) at a midwestern wildlife rehabilitator, the Ohio Wildlife Center, were experiencing increased mortality rates due to unknown respiratory illness. A qPCR test for B. bronchiseptica was developed and cleared for use at the Ohio Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for the purpose of testing individuals experiencing symptoms. 65 individuals from the Ohio Wildlife Center were tested, and all tests were found to be negative for B. bronchiseptica. This evidence strongly indicates that the mortalities were caused by aspiration pneumonia or some other unknown pathogen. Future testing could be pursued by the Ohio Wildlife Center to determine this for certain.
To better understand these findings and to search for other causative factors for young squirrel mortality, historical Eastern Gray Squirrel survival data from 2020-2024 was investigated using a generalized linear model. Of the possible correlated factors of location, injury type, season, and weight, only weight showed a significant relationship (
06. The Pink Flamingo Wore Her Red Dancing Shoes While the Cow Jumped Over the Moon!
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/stichweh_landscapes/1005/thumbnail.jp