Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: prevalence, impact, and management.

Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder affecting many horse breeds. Clinical signs include a symmetric ataxia and an abnormal stance at rest, similar to cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, and equine herpesvirus 1 myeloencephalopathy. This review will provide an update on the disease prevalence, management, impact, and ongoing research

Peer-Mediated Interventions for Students Classified with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

It is critical for students with disabilities to be placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE) so they are able to reap the benefits of peer interaction, thereby obtaining a sense of belonging and inclusivity. Peer-mediated interventions are necessary to consistently place students in the least restrictive environment and ensure student success. Peer-mediated interventions also assist teachers in holding all students accountable. The three-tiered model provides an outline for prevention and intervention strategies that assist in maximizing student potential in the least restrictive environment. A review of literature focuses on effective peer-mediated interventions for students classified with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Peer-mediated interventions may assist with the student-to-teacher ratio, assist students in positive interactions, and perhaps be quite competent in helping students to achieve academic and social goals. To date, there have not been extensive research studies conducted to explore students with EBD specifically as tutors or mentors for their peers. Such studies would show whether or not peer mentorship is feasible, as well as potential benefits

Previously Identified Genetic Variants in ADGRL3 Are not Associated with Risk for Equine Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy across Breeds.

Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is a neurologic disease that has been reported in young horses from a wide range of breeds. The disease is inherited and associated with vitamin E deficiency during the first two years of life, resulting in bilateral symmetric ataxia. A missense mutation (chr3:71,917,591 C > T) within adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L3 (ADGRL3) was recently associated with risk for EDM in the Caspian breed. In order to confirm these findings, genotyping of this missense mutation, along with the three other associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genomic region, was carried out on 31 postmortem-confirmed eNAD/EDM cases and 43 clinically phenotyped controls from various breeds. No significant association was found between eNAD/EDM confirmed cases and genotype at any of the four identified SNPs (P > 0.05), including the nonsynonymous variant (EquCab2.0 chr3:71,917,591; allelic P = 0.85). These findings suggest that the four SNPs, including the missense variant in the ADGRL3 region, are not associated with risk for eNAD/EDM across multiple breeds of horses

Reaching out by looking within: The #WellnessWednesdays initiative at Texas Tech University

Academic library outreach initiatives that focus on wellness include movement-based fitness programs such as yoga. These programs offer students, staff and faculty who participate a chance to de-stress, lessening the impacts of tension, anxiety, and depression. Academic libraries are suited for these types of programs because we already provide space for other de-stress events, and research of the academic library literature shows that yoga programs in these spaces are increasing. However, the COVID19 pandemic forced changes in outreach programming. In January 2021, Texas Tech University Libraries started offering a yin and restorative yoga program that met weekly in the evenings online via Zoom. Because the university was previously offering these sessions for free to on-campus students, there was a need for a different type of yoga programming that also included online students, as well as staff and faculty. Designated “#WellnessWednesdays”, this program allowed the Texas Tech University Libraries to facilitate yoga sessions for members of the university community by creating a therapeutic environment that is both inclusive and accessible in an online setting.Ope

Physical Activity and Blood Glucose Effects on Weight Gain Over 12 Years in Middle-Aged Adults

While high body weight and low levels of physical activity are established risk factors for type 2 diabetes, the associations between these risk factors and blood glucose levels in adults without diabetes are not well understood. We evaluated these associations in a cohort of adults studied over twelve years in a population-based sample.This work was supported by NHMRC [grant numbers 973302, 179805, 157125, 1002160, 1063907] and ARC [grant number 130101705]. Nicolas Cherbuin and Kaarin Anstey’s Research Fellowship are funded by ARC [grant number 120100227] and NHMRC [grant number 1002560]

Implementation of Staff Training Curriculum Aimed at Improving MDS Coding in a Long-Term Care Setting

Minimum Data Set (MDS) is used in long-term care facilities to document resident’s information and assessments and to determine the resident’s eligibility to receive Medicare or Medicaid insurance coverage for treatment expenses while in the LTC facility. When reviewing the MDS, the facility identified inaccurate documentation of the resident’s functional mobility ambulating on the unit. This quality improvement project was undertaken to improve assessments, resident interventions, and documentation regarding functional mobility. Following literature review and chart audits, an educational intervention was implemented for nursing assistants to promote understanding of the MDS coding system when charting functional mobility on the unit. The educational intervention included information on coding for the level of staff assistance and accurate charting of assistance levels. Following the education intervention data was again collected through chart review on MDS coding to determine effectiveness of the intervention. The goal of this project was to create more accurate MDS documentation and ultimately improve resident independence while ambulating on the unit in this long-term care facility

MEASURING ALGAL GROWTH IN AGAR FOR USE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Through a NASA Hunch grant, we are attempting to grow algae in a semi-solid agar media for oxygen production on the International Space Station (ISS).  Novel growing conditions are necessary to sustain algal cultures in the microgravity environment of space.  The results show that algae can be grown on earth, embedded in agar, with a uniform growth pattern.  A 3% agar growth media is cooled to 47OC and inoculated using a saturated liquid culture. The inoculated agar is poured into impact-resistant Nalgene® containers. Once solidified, the agar is exposed to near-IR (infrared) and near-UV (ultraviolet) lights for 13 hour light / 11 hour dark cycles.  Within a Nanoracks one unit aluminum box, we are able to fit 3 Nalgene® containers, two of which have algae and one does not.  An exact duplicate of this experiment will be launched to the ISS in July 2015 to compare algal growth in microgravity with algal growth in the lab.  The long-term goal of this project addresses the use of algae to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide on the ISS