1997 research outputs found
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The Effects of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Yeast-Absorbing Creatine in Varying Concentrations of Salinity
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Civil Rights History Program: Birmingham, Selma, & Montgomery: The Role of Franciscan Values
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Association and Impact of Hypertension Defined Using the 2017 AHA/ACC Guidelines on the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in ARIC Cohort
No full textHypertension is an established risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). We evaluated the association and population impact of hypertension defined using the new 2017 guidelines on risk of AF. In this analysis, we included 9,207 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities prospective cohort without history of cardiovascular disease. Participants underwent blood pressure measurements at baseline. AF was ascertained from study electrocardiograms, hospital records and death certificates. Cox proportional models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of AF among individuals with hypertension based on the JNC7 and 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines. Poisson models were used to obtain risk ratios and calculate population-attributable fractions (PAFs). We identified 1573 cases of incident AF during the study period. Prevalence of hypertension was 29% and 43% under the JNC7 and 2017 ACC/AHA definitions, respectively. HRs (95%CI) of AF in hypertensives versus non-hypertensives were 1.6 (1.5, 1.8) and 1.5 (1.4, 1.7) after adjusting for age, sex and race under the old and new guidelines, respectively. The corresponding PAF (95%CI) using the old and new guidelines were 12% (9%, 14%) and 14% (10%, 18%), respectively. Overall, our analysis shows that even though the prevalence of hypertension using the new criteria is 50% higher than with the old criteria, this does not translate in meaningful increases in AF attributable to hypertension. These results indicate that prevention or treatment of hypertension based on the new (versus old) guidelines may have a limited impact on AF incidence
Engaging Nursing Students in a Culture of Integrity
No full textBACKGROUND:
In order to become safe, effective professionals, nursing students must have a working knowledge of academic and professional integrity principles. However, nursing students have knowledge gaps in these areas, which may lead to unethical practices postgraduation. Inconsistencies in faculty enforcement of integrity principles may lead to student confusion and further student risk. METHOD:
An interactive online integrity course was designed to address knowledge gaps related to academic and professional integrity. Course engagement occurred through self-reflection, quizzes, and a commitment statement. The pilot course was deployed to all nursing faculty and staff for feedback and approval. RESULTS:
Of the 38 faculty and staff invited, 20 participated in the course. Based on feedback, course adjustments were made to address navigation, quiz clarity, and content. The online integrity course received full faculty approval. CONCLUSION:
An interactive online integrity course is one option to support student engagement in and assimilation to a culture of integrity
Lipid Droplets Play an Important Role During Obligate Intracellular Bacterial Infections
Get PDFContext: Lipid droplets (LDs) are cytoplasmic lipid storage organelles that have recently gained importance in host-pathogen interactions. Surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer, they store excess cellular free fatty acids and cholesterol as triacylglycerol and cholesterol ester, respectively. LDs are crucial to lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, cell signaling, and inflammation, making them a prime target for pathogens. Several bacterial, viral, and protozoal pathogens exploit host- or self-derived LDs to build infectious progeny and/or modulate inflammation to promote infection. However, the diverse role of LDs in different bacterial pathogens remains elusive and merits in-depth elucidation. Objective: Our goal is to summarize the current research describing how certain bacterial pathogens manipulate LDs and how those LDs affect bacterial survival and infectivity. Methods/Design: We explored literature from the last ten years involving LD-pathogen interactions for the obligate intracellular pathogens Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp), Coxiella burnetii (Cb), Anaplasma phagocytophilium (Ap), Ehrlichia chaffeensis (Ec), and Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot). Results: Ct aggregates host LDs in the inclusion membrane which is speculated to be the bacterium’s nutrient source. Alternatively, there are no studies yet describing the relation between LDs and Cp,; however, this bacterium does show lipid dysregulation and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines during LD-rich foamy macrophage formation. Further, the tick-borne pathogens Ap and Ec use host-derived lipids for cell wall biosynthesis. Whereas, Ot and Cb manipulate LDs for survival. Conclusion: Our review sheds light on how obligate intracellular pathogens utilize LDs to promote survival in host cells. Since LDs are important metabolic organelles, focusing on their role will help us understand cellular metabolic processes important during host-pathogen interactions
Chemokine Profiling of Vaginal Epithelial Cells Exposed to Gardnerella Vaginalis
Get PDFGardnerella vaginalis (GV) is associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), a dysbiosis that predisposes to preterm labor and increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections. The potential role of cytokines elaborated by the vaginal epithelium may impact BV symptoms and hence, is the topic of this research. We hypothesized that host-derived chemokine expression will correlate with Nugent (Gram stain species diversity) severity scores obtained from women with GV colonization. This was tested in a co-culture model of human vaginal epithelial cells (VECs) exposed to various clinically isolated strains of GV. These strains were obtained from ATCC/BEI as follows Two additional clinical isolates of GV (strains 14 and 15) with unknown Nugent scores were also obtained. To further characterize the strains, clade analysis was performed by PCR. VECs were grown in KSF media and GV strains were grown on V-agar, all incubated at 37º C in 5% CO2. For co-culture, 10 µl aliquots of each GV strain (obtained from an overnight culture) was inoculated into confluent cultures of VECs; uninfected VECs served as control. After 24 hours, culture medium was collected, centrifuged, and 500 µl aliquots of the supernatant was applied to a chemokine assay membrane (Proteome Profiler Human Cytokine Array R&D Systems chemokine profiling was performed according to the manufacturer’s protocol which tested for 36 analytes. Membrane profiling showed that 23 cytokines and chemokines were variously upregulated following exposure of VECs to GV, while others are down-regulated relative to the control. Continued investigation will attempt to correlate Nugent scores and placement of strains into clades 1-4. Our results indicate that co-culture with GV induces release of numerous chemokines from VECs. Future work will determine if these chemokines signal in an autocrine/paracrine manner and/or participate in the recruitment and activation of immune cells in response to GV colonization