Effect of Religiosity and Combat Exposure on Combat Veteran Posttraumatic Growth

Investigates two research questions

Denominational Support for Clergy Mental Health

To date, minimal research has addressed the actual services provided to maintain the mental health of leadership in the church. Three major Protestant denominations were consulted within this study, including a total of 434 pastors across the United States. Among these three denominations, a range of services are now being offered to support clergy, with services such as time off, prayer support groups, and clergy retreats among the most valued, adequately provided, and utilized. Still, clergy do not see the provision of services as fully adequate, and report a number of obstacles to utilizing services. Generally, the most highly rated obstacle was financial limitations, followed by difficulty getting time off and concerns about confidentiality. Recommendations offered by clergy respondents are provided

Silver Foam as Long-Term Passive Biocide for Potable Water Systems

A spacecraft water disinfection system, suitable for extended length space exploration missions, should prevent or control the growth of microbes, prevent or limit biofilm formation, and prevent microbiologically-influenced corrosion. In addition, the system should have minimal maintenance requirements, the effluent should be chemically compatible with all materials in contact with the water, be safe for human consumption, and suitable to be shared across international spacecraft platforms and mission architectures. Silver ions are a proven broad spectrum biocide. Silver is also the potable water biocide of choice for future exploration missions. Currently, the proposed method for implementing silver biocide in spacecraft systems relies on silver electrode technology to produce a controlled amount of silver ions. Unfortunately, electrolytic-based silver dosing presents multiple inherent challenges that affect performance and increase maintenance requirements over time. To decrease the risk of failure, an alternative silver biocide delivery method is needed. Control-release technology is an attractive option for developing a passive high-reliability silver dosing device. The concept of a nanoparticle/polyurethane (PU) composite foam for the controlled release of silver was prompted by the controlled release technology developed by NASA for the delivery of corrosion inhibitors and indicators. This paper presents the technical background and results from the synthesis and properties testing of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)/PU composite foam that is being developed for use in spacecraft potable water systems

Effects of Surface Treatments on Stainless Steel 316 Exposed to Potable Water Containing Silver Disinfectant

Silver has been selected as the forward disinfectant candidate for potable water systems in future space exploration missions. To develop a reliable antibacterial system that requires minimal maintenance, it is necessary to address relevant challenges to preclude problems for future missions. One such challenge is silver depletion in potable water systems. When in contact with various materials, silver ions can be easily reduced to silver metal or form insoluble compounds. The same chemical properties that make ionic silver a powerful antimicrobial agent also result in its quick inactivation or depletion in various environments. Different metal surface treatments, such as thermal oxidation and electropolishing, have been investigated for their effectiveness in reducing silver disinfectant depletion in potable water. However, their effects on the metal surface microstructure and chemical resistance have not often been included in the studies. This paper reports the effects of surface treatments on stainless steel 316 (SS316) exposed to potable water containing silver ion as a disinfectant. Early experimental results showed that thermal oxidation, when compared with electropolishing, resulted in a thicker oxide layer but compromised the corrosion resistance of SS316

Activity of the DNA minor groove cross-linking agent SG2000 (SJG-136) against canine tumours

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the leading cause of death in older dogs and its prevalence is increasing. There is clearly a need to develop more effective anti-cancer drugs in dogs. SG2000 (SJG-136) is a sequence selective DNA minor groove cross-linking agent. Based on its in vitro potency, the spectrum of in vivo and clinical activity against human tumours, and its tolerability in human patients, SG2000 has potential as a novel therapeutic against spontaneously occurring canine malignancies. RESULTS: In vitro cytotoxicity was assessed using SRB and MTT assays, and in vivo activity was assessed using canine tumour xenografts. DNA interstrand cross-linking (ICL) was determined using a modification of the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. Effects on cell cycle distribution were assessed by flow cytometry and measurement of γ-H2AX by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. SG2000 had a multi-log differential cytotoxic profile against a panel of 12 canine tumour cell lines representing a range of common tumour types in dogs. In the CMeC-1 melanoma cell line, DNA ICLs increased linearly with dose following a 1 h treatment. Peak ICL was achieved within 1 h and no removal was observed over 48 h. A relationship between DNA ICL formation and cytotoxicity was observed across cell lines. The formation of γ-H2AX foci was slow, becoming evident after 4 h and reaching a peak at 24 h. SG2000 exhibited significant anti-tumour activity against two canine melanoma tumour models in vivo. Anti-tumour activity was observed at 0.15 and 0.3 mg/kg given i.v. either once, or weekly x 3. Dose-dependent DNA ICL was observed in tumours (and to a lower level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells) at 2 h and persisted at 24 h. ICL increased following the second and third doses in a repeated dose schedule. At 24 h, dose dependent γ-H2AX foci were more numerous than at 2 h, and greater in tumours than in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. SG2000-induced H2AX phosphorylation measured by immunohistochemistry showed good correspondence, but less sensitivity, than measurement of foci. CONCLUSIONS: SG2000 displayed potent activity in vitro against canine cancer cell lines as a result of the formation and persistence of DNA ICLs. SG2000 also had significant in vivo antitumour activity against canine melanoma xenografts, and the comet and γ-H2AX foci methods were relevant pharmacodynamic assays. The clinical testing of SG2000 against spontaneous canine cancer is warranted. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-015-0534-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

The Wild Beans of Southwestern North America

Desert Plants is published by The University of Arizona for the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum. For more information about this unique botanical journal, please email the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Publications Office at [email protected]