Geriatric influenza

This issue of eMedRef provides information to clinicians on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutics of influenza in the geriatric population

Lamellar Structures of MUC2-Rich Mucin: A Potential Role in Governing the Barrier and Lubricating Functions of Intestinal Mucus

Mucus is a ubiquitous feature of mammalian wet epithelial surfaces, where it lubricates and forms a selective barrier that excludes a range of particulates, including pathogens, while hosting a diverse commensal microflora. The major polymeric component of mucus is mucin, a large glycoprotein formed by several MUC gene products, with MUC2 expression dominating intestinal mucus. A satisfactory answer to the question of how these molecules build a dynamic structure capable of playing such a complex role has yet to be found, as recent reports of distinct layers of chemically identical mucin in the colon and anomalously rapid transport of nanoparticles through mucus have emphasized. Here we use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to image a MUC2-rich mucus fraction isolated from pig jejunum. In the freshly isolated mucin fraction, we find direct evidence for trigonally linked structures, and their assembly into lamellar networks with a distribution of pore sizes from 20 to 200 nm. The networks are two-dimensional, with little interaction between lamellae. The existence of persistent cross-links between individual mucin polypeptides is consistent with a non-self-interacting lamellar model for intestinal mucus structure, rather than a physically entangled polymer network. We only observe collapsed entangled structures in purified mucin that has been stored in nonphysiological conditions

Can nurses rise to the public health challenge? How a novel solution in nurse education can address this contemporary question.

This paper raises the problem of how improvements in health outcomes, a key component in many governments' strategies, can be achieved. The work highlights a novel undergraduate educational approach which offers solutions to public health challenges within nursing. Against the backdrop of one UK university institution it discusses approaches that can guide nursing students towards a deeper understanding and engagement within the principles of public health. It then proposes how nurses can use their learning to become leaders of health improvement

Principal Succession: a View Through the Lens of Mary Douglas' Grid and Group

This Naturalistic Inquiry Case Study examines principal succession at two small, rural high schools through naturalistic inquiry presented through the lens of Mary Douglas' grid and group cultural typology. A grid and group cultural analysis survey was sent to all school employees then in-depth, follow-up interviews and observations were conducted in order to gather the personal side of the principal succession process. This method provided a constructivist perspective. The results of this study are meant to contribute to the body of literature on principal succession. The findings provide insights that are helpful for incoming principals as they traverse through the first year in a new assignment and for central office administration as they place and mentor principals placed in new positions. Findings included the need for the principal to provide credibility, stability, listen and gather input and to earn trust and respect before any cultural changes could be accomplished.School of Hotel and Restaurant Administratio

Seasonal and Event-based Hydrological Response in a Hillslope-Riparian Zone setting of the Temperate Beverly Swamp

Wetland ecosystems are an integral part of the landscape, providing vital habitat for species at risk, while providing important services in hydrological and biogeochemical cycling. Since many of the habitats and biogeochemical processes depend on hydrology, it is important to first understand hydrological functioning of these systems. Past studies have largely focused on one or two variables such as topography or antecedent moisture conditions, but fail to assess the complex interconnected factors that produce hydrologic responses of wetlands. This thesis examines the combined influence of topography, seasonal variability in antecedent moisture conditions, and natural (climatic) and anthropogenic (upstream reservoir release) event responses along the hillslope-riparian zone continuum of a temperate deciduous swamp. Results demonstrate seasonality in hydrological processes within the hillslope-riparian zone continuum where, water table position rises in response to the spring snowmelt freshet, declines gradually through the summer and subsequently rises again as evapotranspiration decreases in the autumn. During this time, event hydrologic responses vary with event properties (intensity, duration, etc.) and antecedent moisture conditions. These responses vary spatially throughout the study site, both with riparian zone topography, and with distance from the Spencer Creek that receives inputs from the Valens Reservoir, upstream of the study site. Upland sites more actively respond to precipitation events in comparison to low lying topographic positions. Low-lying sites in the riparian zone in close proximity to Spencer Creek are more temporally variable than low-lying wetlands further away from the stream; however, wetland responses at the same sites to precipitation events are dampened during flooded conditions following dam releases from the upstream Valens reservoir. Hydraulic gradients across the sites are more spatially variable than they are temporally variable. However, sites located in the middle of the riparian zone-hillslope continuum (located at the break in slope) have highly variable vertical hydraulic gradients, much more so than those of upland or riparian sites, suggesting that they could be important sites for biogeochemical processes. This thesis combines the influence of physiological, climatic and watershed management variables within one wetland to further knowledge of hydrological response along the hillslope-riparian zone continuum

Anthocyanins protect the gastrointestinal tract from high fat diet-induced alterations in redox signaling, barrier integrity and dysbiosis.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract can play a critical role in the development of pathologies associated with overeating, overweight and obesity. We previously observed that supplementation with anthocyanins (AC) (particularly glycosides of cyanidin and delphinidin) mitigated high fat diet (HFD)-induced development of obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and steatosis in C57BL/6J mice. This paper investigated whether these beneficial effects could be related to AC capacity to sustain intestinal monolayer integrity, prevent endotoxemia, and HFD-associated dysbiosis. The involvement of redox-related mechanisms were further investigated in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Consumption of a HFD for 14 weeks caused intestinal permeabilization and endotoxemia, which were associated with a decreased ileum expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins (occludin, ZO-1 and claudin-1), increased expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX1 and NOX4) and NOS2 and oxidative stress, and activation of redox sensitive signals (NF-κB and ERK1/2) that regulate TJ dynamics. AC supplementation mitigated all these events and increased GLP-2 levels, the intestinal hormone that upregulates TJ protein expression. AC also prevented, in vitro, tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced Caco-2 monolayer permeabilization, NOX1/4 upregulation, oxidative stress, and NF-κB and ERK activation. HFD-induced obesity in mice caused dysbiosis and affected the levels and secretion of MUC2, a mucin that participates in intestinal cell barrier protection and immune response. AC supplementation restored microbiota composition and MUC2 levels and distribution in HFD-fed mice. Thus, AC, particularly delphinidin and cyanidin, can preserve GI physiology in HFD-induced obesity in part through redox-regulated mechanisms. This can in part explain AC capacity to mitigate pathologies, i.e. insulin resistance and steatosis, associated with HFD-associated obesity

Tolerability and safety of the intake of bovine milk oligosaccharides extracted from cheese whey in healthy human adults.

Mechanistic research suggests a unique evolutionary relationship between complex milk oligosaccharides and cognate bifidobacteria enriched in breast-fed infants. Bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) were recently identified as structurally and functionally similar to human milk oligosaccharides. The present single-blind three-way crossover study is the first to determine the safety and tolerability of BMO consumption by healthy human participants (n 12) and its effects on faecal microbiota and microbial metabolism. Participants consumed each supplement (placebo-control; low- and high-BMO doses) for eleven consecutive days, followed by a 2-week washout period prior to initiating the next supplement arm. Low and high BMO doses were consumed as 25 and 35 % of each individual's daily fibre intake, respectively. Safety and tolerability were measured using standardised questionnaires on gut and stomach discomfort and stool consistency. Faecal extracts were profiled for bacterial populations by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bifidobacteria presence was confirmed using quantitative PCR. Urine was analysed for changes in microbial metabolism using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR). Consumption of both the low and high BMO doses was well tolerated and did not change stool consistency from baseline. Multivariate analysis of the NGS results demonstrated no change in faecal microbiota phyla among the placebo-control and BMO supplement groups. In conclusion, BMO supplementation was well tolerated in healthy adults and has the potential to shift faecal microbiota toward beneficial strains as part of a synbiotic treatment with probiotic cultures that selectively metabolise oligosaccharides

Adaptation of the Child - Parent Relationship Therapy Model for Use With Senior Citizen Volunteers in School Settings: A Pilot Study

This study provides a proposal for crucial volunteer services to fill the gap for overburdened school counselors when parents are unable to engage in Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), a highly effective intervention for childhood problems. CPRT has been successfully adapted for use with individuals other than the child’s parents. The researcher in this pilot study adapted CPRT for use with senior citizen volunteers who often possess untapped abilities and talents. Seniors received several weeks of training, and then met with children for 1/2 hour supervised, video-taped play sessions for several weeks. Childhood adjustment problems were assessed before and after the intervention using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Teacher Report Form (TRF). Seniors’ responses were measured before and after with the Older Adult Self-Report and qualitative interviews. Although no significant differences were noted on pre versus posttest measures for the children (CBCL and TRF), anecdotal reports suggest potential effectiveness of this volunteer intervention for school counselors to utilize. In addition, senior citizens reported their own benefits from working with the children. Suggestions for future research in this area are offered

Copy number variation genotyping using family information

BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been a growing interest in the role of copy number variations (CNV) in genetic diseases. Though there has been rapid development of technologies and statistical methods devoted to detection in CNVs from array data, the inherent challenges in data quality associated with most hybridization techniques remains a challenging problem in CNV association studies. RESULTS: To help address these data quality issues in the context of family-based association studies, we introduce a statistical framework for the intensity-based array data that takes into account the family information for copy-number assignment. The method is an adaptation of traditional methods for modeling SNP genotype data that assume Gaussian mixture model, whereby CNV calling is performed for all family members simultaneously and leveraging within family-data to reduce CNV calls that are incompatible with Mendelian inheritance while still allowing de-novo CNVs. Applying this method to simulation studies and a genome-wide association study in asthma, we find that our approach significantly improves CNV calls accuracy, and reduces the Mendelian inconsistency rates and false positive genotype calls. The results were validated using qPCR experiments. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the use of family information can improve the quality of CNV calling and hopefully give more powerful association test of CNVs