Effects of Art from the Heart on Nurse Satisfaction and Patient Well-Being

Introduction. Art programs have been shown to positively affect unit culture, quality of care, and nursing practices. Art interventions improve well-being, reduce stress, and enhance nurse-patient communication. Art from the Heart (AFTH) is an art program that provides art supplies, visual art, and patient About Me pages to patients, families and employees at University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC).Objective. Assess the efficacy of AFTH through nursing staff perceptions, understanding, and attitudes toward the program.Methods. Structured interviews were conducted on Baird 4, an adult inpatient ward, at UVMMC. A 19-question survey using Likert scales and short answer formats was administered to nursing staff. Questions assessed perceptions of effects of art on patient anxiety and pain, communication, and job satisfaction. Surveys were analyzed to extract major and minor themes.Results. Twenty-eight interviews were obtained and two major themes emerged: nurse satisfaction and patient well-being. Nursing staff satisfaction minor themes included improved productivity, promoting conversation, and creating a positive influence on the unit. Respondents reported that AFTH helped initiate conversations with patients (100% of respondents) and reduced workday stress (68%). The second major theme, patient well-being, included benefits to patients with dementia, providing comfort, and serving as an outlet or distraction. Utilizing AFTH improved perceived patient mood (100%), health (78.5%), and reduced patient anxiety (89.3%).Conclusions. AFTH provides positive benefits by reducing nursing staff stress and perceived patient anxiety; improving communication, perceived patient mood and health; and creating a sense of community. AFTH should be expanded to the entire 6 Community Agency: Burlington City Arts, Art from the Hearthttps://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1240/thumbnail.jp

Genome -Scale Reconstruction of Metabolic Networks of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 and 12A

Lactobacillus casei strains are widely used in industry and the utility of this organism in these industrial applications is straindependent. Hence, tools capable of predicting strain specific phenotypes would have utility in the selection of strains forspecific industrial processes. Genome-scale metabolic models can be utilized to better understand genotype-phenotyperelationships and to compare different organisms. To assist in the selection and development of strains with enhancedindustrial utility, genome-scale models for L. casei ATCC 334, a well characterized strain, and strain 12A, a corn silage isolate,were constructed. Draft models were generated from RAST genome annotations using the Model SEED database and refined by evaluating ATP generating cycles, mass-and-charge-balances of reactions, and growth phenotypes. After the validation process was finished, we compared the metabolic networks of these two strains to identify metabolic, genetic and ortholog differences that may lead to different phenotypic behaviors. We conclude that the metabolic capabilities of the two networks are highly similar. The L. casei ATCC 334 model accounts for 1,040 reactions, 959 metabolites and 548 genes, while the L. casei 12A model accounts for 1,076 reactions, 979 metabolites and 640 genes. The developed L. casei ATCC 334 and 12A metabolic models will enable better understanding of the physiology of these organisms and be valuable tools in the development and selection of strains with enhanced utility in a variety of industrial applications

Modelling study of dimerization in mammalian defensins

BACKGROUND: Defensins are antimicrobial peptides of innate immunity functioning by non-specific binding to anionic phospholipids in bacterial membranes. Their cationicity, amphipathicity and ability to oligomerize are considered key factors for their action. Based on structural information on human β-defensin 2, we examine homologous defensins from various mammalian species for conserved functional physico-chemical characteristics. RESULTS: Based on homology greater than 40%, structural models of 8 homologs of HBD-2 were constructed. A conserved pattern of electrostatics and dynamics was observed across 6 of the examined defensins; models backed by energetics suggest that the defensins in these 6 organisms are characterized by dimerization-linked enhanced functional potentials. In contrast, dimerization is not energetically favoured in the sheep, goat and mouse defensins, suggesting that they function efficiently as monomers. CONCLUSION: β-defensin 2 from some mammals may work as monomers while those in others, including humans, work as oligomers. This could potentially be used to design human defensins that may be effective at lower concentrations and hence have therapeutic benefits

Effects of variable magma supply on mid-ocean ridge eruptions : constraints from mapped lava flow fields along the Galápagos Spreading Center

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 13 (2012): Q08014, doi:10.1029/2012GC004163.Mapping and sampling of 18 eruptive units in two study areas along the Galápagos Spreading Center (GSC) provide insight into how magma supply affects mid-ocean ridge (MOR) volcanic eruptions. The two study areas have similar spreading rates (53 versus 55 mm/yr), but differ by 30% in the time-averaged rate of magma supply (0.3 × 106 versus 0.4 × 106 m3/yr/km). Detailed geologic maps of each study area incorporate observations of flow contacts and sediment thickness, in addition to sample petrology, geomagnetic paleointensity, and inferences from high-resolution bathymetry data. At the lower-magma-supply study area, eruptions typically produce irregularly shaped clusters of pillow mounds with total eruptive volumes ranging from 0.09 to 1.3 km3. At the higher-magma-supply study area, lava morphologies characteristic of higher effusion rates are more common, eruptions typically occur along elongated fissures, and eruptive volumes are an order of magnitude smaller (0.002–0.13 km3). At this site, glass MgO contents (2.7–8.4 wt. %) and corresponding liquidus temperatures are lower on average, and more variable, than those at the lower-magma-supply study area (6.2–9.1 wt. % MgO). The differences in eruptive volume, lava temperature, morphology, and inferred eruption rates observed between the two areas along the GSC are similar to those that have previously been related to variable spreading rates on the global MOR system. Importantly, the documentation of multiple sequences of eruptions at each study area, representing hundreds to thousands of years, provides constraints on the variability in eruptive style at a given magma supply and spreading rate.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation grants OCE08–49813, OCE08–50052, and OCE08– 49711.2013-02-2

X-ray diffraction line broadening under elastic deformation13; of a polycrystalline sample: An elastic-anisotropy effect

A homogeneous stress field imposed on a polycrystalline sample containing elastically anisotropic13; crystallites produces an inhomogeneous strain field. The average strain causes a shift of the13; diffraction-line position, and the variance of the strain is a measure of line broadening. Though the13; shift of the line is commonly observed, earlier attempts to measure the broadening caused by elastic13; anisotropy were not conclusive. In the article, expressions have been derived for the average strain13; and variance of strain for a polycrystalline sample cubic system! subjected to uniaxial elastic stress.13; The 310! and 222! lines of beta brass under an uniaxial load have been recorded using Co K aand13; Cu K aradiations, respectively. The average strain and variance of strain derived from the measured13; diffraction line profiles are in good agreement with those predicted by the theory. The present13; measurements provide conclusive evidence for the diffraction line broadening caused purely by13; elastic anisotropy. xA9; 2001 American Institute of Physics

Adaptation of Sonication-Assisted Matrix Solid Phase Dispersion of Tissues for the Subsequent Extraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Gulf Menhaden ( Brevoortia patronus

A new adaptation based on matrix solid phase dispersion of tissue for the subsequent isolation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was developed and used for extractions of Gulf menhaden caught during the summer of 2011. Many Matrix Solid Phase Dispersion (MSPD) methods require specific cartridges and other clean-up materials in order to achieve proper extraction. For this study, the tissues were lyophilized prior to applying the adapted MSPD method allowing for a much more complete homogenization with the C18 silica. The tissue was spiked with phenanthrene d10 as a surrogate as a measure of PAH recovery prior to the lyophilisation process to determine if any target compounds were lost and prior to sonication as per the finalized adaptation procedure to determine method efficiency. This technique used C18 silica in a 1 : 1 ratio as the primary homogenizing material for the menhaden tissue matrix and was eluted with dichloromethane (DCM) until visibly clear. The overall study mean recovery was 88%±5% with method detection limits between 0.4 ng/g and 4.4 ng/g tissue dry weight. This adapted protocol has been used exclusively on the analysis of high lipid content fish stocks affected by dispersed and weathered oil from the BP Horizon incident

Solid-State NMR Investigation of the Depth of Insertion of Protegrin-1 in Lipid Bilayers Using Paramagnetic Mn(2+)

The depth of insertion of an antimicrobial peptide, protegrin-1 (PG-1), in lipid bilayers is investigated using solid-state NMR. Paramagnetic Mn(2+) ions bind to the surface of lipid bilayers and induce distance-dependent dipolar relaxation of nuclear spins. By comparing the signal dephasing of the peptide with that of the lipids, whose segmental depths of insertion are known, we determined the depths of several residues of PG-1 in 1,2 dilauryl-sn-glycero-3-phosphotidylcholine (DLPC) bilayers. We found that residues G2 at the N-terminus and F12 at the β-turn of the peptide reside near the membrane surface, whereas L5 and V16 are embedded in the acyl chain region. The depths increase in the order of G2 < F12 < L5 < V16. These intensity-dephasing results are confirmed by direct measurement of the paramagnetically enhanced (13)C transverse relaxation rates. The relative depths indicate that PG-1 is tilted from the bilayer normal, which is consistent with independent solid-state NMR measurements of PG-1 orientation in the same lipids (Yamaguchi et al., 2001). They also indicate that PG-1 is fully immersed in the lipid bilayer. However, a quantitative mismatch between the bilayer thickness and PG-1 length suggests a local thinning of the DLPC bilayer by 8–10 Å. The depth sensitivity of this Mn(2+) dephasing technique is tunable with the Mn(2+) concentration to focus on different regions of the lipid bilayer