Transient microbiota exposures activate dormant Escherichia coli infection in the bladder and drive severe outcomes of recurrent disease

Pathogens often inhabit the body asymptomatically, emerging to cause disease in response to unknown triggers. In the bladder, latent intracellular Escherichia coli reservoirs are regarded as likely origins of recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI), a problem affecting millions of women worldwide. However, clinically plausible triggers that activate these reservoirs are unknown. Clinical studies suggest that the composition of a woman's vaginal microbiota influences her susceptibility to rUTI, but the mechanisms behind these associations are unclear. Several lines of evidence suggest that the urinary tract is routinely exposed to vaginal bacteria, including Gardnerella vaginalis, a dominant member of the vaginal microbiota in some women. Using a mouse model, we show that bladder exposure to G. vaginalis triggers E. coli egress from latent bladder reservoirs and enhances the potential for life-threatening outcomes of the resulting E. coli rUTI. Transient G. vaginalis exposures were sufficient to cause bladder epithelial apoptosis and exfoliation and interleukin-1-receptor-mediated kidney injury, which persisted after G. vaginalis clearance from the urinary tract. These results support a broader view of UTI pathogenesis in which disease can be driven by short-lived but powerful urinary tract exposures to vaginal bacteria that are themselves not "uropathogenic" in the classic sense. This "covert pathogenesis" paradigm may apply to other latent infections, (e.g., tuberculosis), or for diseases currently defined as noninfectious because routine culture fails to detect microbes of recognized significance

Low Temperature Matrix Isolation Study of the AI(CH3)3 + HN3 Reaction

The reaction of trim ethyl aluminum, Al(CHJ)J, and HNJ was experimentally studied in the lab by low temperature matrix isolation. The reactants, each diluted to 1% in argon, were deposited at selected stoichiometric ratios onto a potassium chloride salt window at approximately lO K. Low temperature matrix isolation eliminated the reaction of the reactants and products with the walls of the reaction vessel. FTIR was used to monitor the presence of chemical species, the reactants and new azide containing species, in the solid argon matrix. Goals of the low temperature matrix isolation study was to observe new species being formed by the appearance of features in the FfIR spectrum that were unique to the reactants and to confirm the identity of the species. Comparison of frequencies to be calculated for likely candidates of products and comparison of the chemical shifts of the products\u27 azide asymmetric stretch from the N3 asymmetric stretch of HN3 with the frequencies and chemical shifts observed in the FTIR spectrum will be used to identify products

Attitudes of teachers to evidence based medicine

AIM: To describe the attitudes of general practitioners and specialist clinical teachers toward teaching evidence based medicine (EBM). PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Questionnaire survey of 114 general practitioner and 162 specialist university teachers teaching EBM. RESULTS: Two hundred and six (80%) teachers responded; 196 regularly consulted with patients, 21% had received training, and 40% taught EBM. Those with formal training (68%) taught more often than without (32%) (p=0.0001), 27% had taught EBM for over 5 years. More GPs (57%) than specialists (40%) asked students to assist in finding evidence (p=0.036). Most welcomed EBM and were confident in teaching it. Barriers included antagonism to EBM philosophy, shortage of time, and a need for training in teaching EBM. DISCUSSION: Although not all trained, GPs and specialists teach EBM, enjoy doing so, and want to increase their ability to teach it

Tutors’ Responses to Student Disclosures: From “Suicidal Ideation” to “Feeling a Little Stressed”

Tutors in higher education are receiving and responding to student disclosures that include racism, anxiety, loneliness, legal disputes, family upheavals, physical, emotional, and mental health, bereavement, legal battles, and harassment. In many cases, this caring aspect of the tutor role is not acknowledged, allocated time in job descriptions, or accurately remunerated. This qualitative study explored how tutors experienced and managed student disclosures, the personal and professional impact of responding to disclosures, and how tutors believed they could be better supported. Data was collected from two cohorts of participants tutoring at a University in Aotearoa New Zealand. using interviews and questionnaires and analysed by reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings showed that our participants believed they were positioned vulnerably between a rock and a hard place. At the rock, tutors were told to follow university guidelines and refer distressed students to over-loaded course coordinators or over-subscribed support services. At the hard place, tutors were often the first to be disclosed to, because of their front-facing positioning at the university and once they had heard the disclosure felt it was unethical not to try and help. Tutors believed they could assist students with personal challenges if their precarious positioning within the university was protected and strengthened and if appropriate support was provided by their university through training, time, and remuneration. Findings have implications for higher education providers to reconsider how tutors are supported to support students

Reading Interest and Behavior in Middle School Students in Innercity and Rural Settings

We examined the reading interest and behavior of students in one rural (n = 664) and one inner-city (n = 510) middle school. Responses to the questionnaire indicated that in general, middle school students are not interested in reading and spend very little time engaged in various reading activities. Further analysis of the data showed differences among school, gender, and grade in responses to the questionnaire. Therefore, although one can make broad claims about middle school students, we propose that it may be useful to look also at different groups of middle school students when trying to make decisions concerning this population

Lunchtime Practices and Problem Behaviors Among Multiethnic Urban Youth

Research has begun to show associations between adolescents\u27 mealtime practices and their engagement in problem behaviors. Few studies have addressed this longitudinally and/or examined lunchtime practices during the school day. This study tests for associations between urban multiethnic middle school students\u27 (N = 1498) lunchtime practices in the sixth grade and their engagement in problem behaviors by eighth grade. Positive associations were found between not eating lunch at school in the sixth grade and increased drug use and delinquency by eighth grade. Eating lunch outside of school was found to be significantly associated with smoking and marijuana use only. Gender differences in associations between lunchtime practices and problem behaviors were suggested. Implications for school policy and prevention efforts are discusse

Moving from Binders to Bytes: Processing, Digitizing, and Publishing a Paper-Based Archive to an Institutional Repository

At San Jose State University, a paper-based archive centering on library and information science history is being processed, organized, and uploaded onto ScholarWorks, the campus institutional repository. Prior to its digitization, the presenters grappled with many questions. What platform should be used to house the archive? What entry points would researchers expect in order to access the collection? What research purposes would this collection satisfy? The presenters will discuss their rationale for their decision-making in transferring 300 binders to an open access, digital format. Among the individuals who are involved in making this detail-rich collection openly accessible online and searchable are a scholarly communications librarian, a cataloging and metadata specialist who is serving as the interim institutional repository coordinator, and a library and information science graduate student focusing on archival records and management. These individuals will discuss their varying perspectives and how each of their emphases contributes to the enterprise of making this paper-based archive discoverable, searchable, and digitally accessible in an ever-evolving institutional repository and scholarly communications environment

Supporting a Student with Asperger’s Syndrome: Perspectives From The Student, Sibling, and Non-Familial Tutor

When working with a student with Asperger’s syndrome, tutoring strategies can vary depending on the person implementing them. The purpose of the presentation is to discuss current research in regards to successful tutoring strategies for students with Asperger’s syndrome, and which of these strategies have been successful in the high school student with Asperger’s syndrome’s academic endeavors. Dr. Shu-Fei Tsai, a faculty member of CWU, provided training on the use of self-management skills. Both the sibling and the tutor have been assisting the student with Asperger’s syndrome to implement self-management skills to track his academic work. The outcomes demonstrated that the student improved his assignment completion and academic performance through using self-management skills. The sibling and the tutor will discuss their experience of helping the student with Asperger’s syndrome. Furthermore, the student will share his voice of using these self-management abilities

Entering a Community of Writers: The Writing Center, Doctoral Students, and Going Public with Scholarly Writing

In addition to taking advanced courses, graduate students navigate a potentially challenging transition of learning to write for publication. We, the authors, explored solutions to this transition with a study designed to explore the research questions: How does a systematic effort to help doctoral students enter a community of writers via writing center collaboration influence doctoral students’: (1) proficiency with academic writing, (2) writing apprehension, (3) self-efficacy as writers, and (4) comfort with “going public” with their writing? We used a collaborative, multi-layered self-study research approach because it allowed us to focus on critical examination of teaching practices that are of interest to the practitioner/researcher and to the greater educational community. Authors/participants include the co-director of a university Writing Center; two professors of a doctoral-level qualitative research methods course; four doctoral students who participated in a series of writing center collaborations; and one master’s student who served as a writing center consultant. These four perspectives provide unique insights into how writing center collaborations supported graduate students in developing their writing proficiency and efficacy, helping to initiate them into a community of writers who “go public” with their scholarship

Bladder exposure to Gardnerella activates host pathways necessary for Escherichia coli recurrent UTI

Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) are a costly clinical problem affecting millions of women worldwide each year. The majority of rUTI cases are caused by uropathogeni