As Long As Grass Grows And Water Flows : Lyda Conley And The Huron Indian Cemetery

Amongst a sea of concrete in a restless city stands a cemetery that predates the Civil War. The final resting place of at least four hundred Wyandots, Huron Indian Cemetery reflects the tribe’s long history. Today a sense of calm surrounds the sacred grounds, canceling out the noise of Minnesota Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, but this grassy space was once the target of controversy and legal dispute. Beneath the century-old trees, surrounded by her immediate family members and Wyandot ancestors, lies Eliza “Lyda” Burton Conley, attorney and historic preservationist. Without her dedication, strength, and love for her people, the cemetery would now be a distant memory replaced by a parking lot or warehouse. Conley earned her law degree to save the Huron Indian Cemetery. Using that degree, and physical occupation of the grounds, Conley fought to save the cemetery with the help of her sisters Helena and Ida. Conley stood against those who threatened the cemetery, making history when she presented the case to the United States Supreme Court in 1910. However, defending the cemetery became Conley’s full-time occupation. Knowing the importance of funerary customs in Wyandot culture, preserving this aspect of her ancestor’s history was more important to her than money, or life itself. Conley made it clear that the destruction of the cemetery and Wyandot remains would happen “over her dead body.” The Huron Indian Cemetery, protected as a National Historic Site since 1971, stands as a testament to history, heritage, and the difference one person can make. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, Conley fought to save the last remnant of Wyandot heritage in the state of Kansas. Though she did not secure its final safety herself, Conley’s fight on behalf of the dead led to the sites’ eventual preservation. For that, history owes Lyda Conley the courtesy of remembering her name

State-dependent Neural Inhibition by Extracellular Stimulation

Utilizing the Aplysia california buccal ganglia neurons, our research built upon previous findings concerning the presence of neuronal activity states, but demonstrate that these states play a role in the cell’s responsiveness to electrical stimulation. It was demonstrated that fast-firing neurons are more resistant to inhibitory stimulation as compared to slow-firing neurons. NEURON computational modeling revealed differences in ion channel dynamics that may underlie the differences in stimulation responsiveness that are associated with neuronal states

Building empathy through a design thinking project : a case study with middle secondary schoolboys

Adolescents' empathy is an essential socio-emotional concept that helps mediate friendships and family relationships. Year 10 boys, aged 14-15 years, were invited to participate in a five-day experiential education program (Design Week) based on a social equity challenge using a Design Thinking concept. Students worked in small groups, mentored by experts. Student groups developed innovative solutions to support women who experienced domestic and family violence. As a key outcome, students' empathy measured by the Comprehensive State Empathy Scale increased significantly from a baseline of 63% to 75% at post-test, representing a large effect size (d= 1.06). Six empathy subscale factors were also significantly increased (p= <0.05). The program was feasible and was rated by teachers and students as engaging, relevant to learning, and learning about complex social issues. This paper presents a case study of the Design Week program, shown to be worthy of further testing with secondary school adolescents. © 2021, Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc. All rights reserved

Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Characterization and Identification of Inhibitory Compounds

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial infections and has highly developed systems for acquiring resistance against numerous antibiotics. The gene (lysS) encoding P. aeruginosa lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS) was cloned and overexpressed, and the resulting protein was purified to 98% homogeneity. LysRS was kinetically evaluated, and the Km values for the interaction with lysine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and tRNALys were determined to be 45.5, 627, and 3.3 µM, respectively. The kcatobs values were calculated to be 13, 22.8, and 0.35 s−1, resulting in kcatobs/KM values of 0.29, 0.036, and 0.11 s−1µM−1, respectively. Using scintillation proximity assay technology, natural product and synthetic compound libraries were screened to identify inhibitors of function of the enzyme. Three compounds (BM01D09, BT06F11, and BT08F04) were identified with inhibitory activity against LysRS. The IC50 values were 17, 30, and 27 µM for each compound, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined against a panel of clinically important pathogens. All three compounds were observed to inhibit the growth of gram-positive organisms with a bacteriostatic mode of action. However, two compounds (BT06F11 and BT08F04) were bactericidal against cultures of gram-negative bacteria. When tested against human cell cultures, BT06F11 was not toxic at any concentration tested, and BM01D09 was toxic only at elevated levels. However, BT08F04 displayed a CC50 of 61 µg/mL. In studies of the mechanism of inhibition, BM01D09 inhibited LysRS activity by competing with ATP for binding, and BT08F04 was competitive with ATP and uncompetitive with the amino acid. BT06F11 inhibited LysRS activity by a mechanism other than substrate competition

Plant Poisons in the Garden: A Human Risk Assessment

A study of the plants, and their associated poisons, in the Poison Garden at The Alnwick Garden was undertaken across a calendar year. By selecting 25 plants in the Poison Garden, we have been able to develop a single chromatographic method for the determination and quantification of 15 plant toxins by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column (3.5 µm, 100 × 4.6 mm) with a gradient method using water +0.1 formic acid and methanol +0.1 formic acid. The developed method was validated for precision, linearity, limits of detection and quantification and extraction recoveries. The method showed good linearity with a R2 value of >0.995 for all 15 compounds with good precision of 10.7, 6.7 and 0.3 for the low, medium and high calibration points, respectively. The LC-MS method was used to analyse 25 plant species, as well as their respective parts (i.e., bulb, flower, fruit, leaf, pollen, seed, stem and root), to assess the human risk assessment to children (aged 1 to <2 years) in relation to the plant toxin and its respective LD50. The analysis found that the greatest potential health risks were due to the ingestion of Colchicum autumnale and Atropa belladonna. As a caution, all identified plants should be handled with care with additional precautionary steps to ensure nil contact by children because of the potential likelihood of hand-to-mouth ingestion

The use of induced pluripotent stem cells in domestic animals: a narrative review

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are undifferentiated stem cells characterized by the ability to differentiate into any cell type in the body. iPSCs are a relatively new and rapidly developing technology in many fields of biology, including developmental anatomy and physiology, pathology, and toxicology. These cells have great potential in research as they are self-renewing and pluripotent with minimal ethical concerns. Protocols for their production have been developed for many domestic animal species, which have since been used to further our knowledge in the progression and treatment of diseases. This research is valuable both for veterinary medicine as well as for the prospect of translation to human medicine. Safety, cost, and feasibility are potential barriers for this technology that must be considered before widespread clinical adoption. This review will analyze the literature pertaining to iPSCs derived from various domestic species with a focus on iPSC production and characterization, applications for tissue and disease research, and applications for disease treatment

Forensic profiling of smokeless powders (SLPs) by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS): a systematic investigation into injector conditions and their effect on the characterisation of samples

Smokeless powders (SLPs) are composed of a combination of thermolabile and non-thermolabile compounds. When analysed by GC-MS, injection conditions may therefore play a fundamental role on the characterisation of forensic samples. However, no systematic investigations have ever been carried out. This casts doubt on the optimal conditions that should be adopted in advanced profiling applications (e.g. class attribution and source association), especially when a traditional split/splitless (S/SL) injector is used. Herein, a study is reported that specifically focused on the evaluation of the liner type (L type) and inlet temperature (T inj). Results showed that both could affect the exhaustiveness and repeatability of the observed chemical profiles, with L type being particularly sensitive despite typically not being clarified in published works. Perhaps as expected, degradation effects were observed for the most thermolabile compounds (e.g. nitroglycerin) at conditions maximising the heat transfer rates (L type = packed and T inj ≥ 200 °C). However, these did not seem to be as influential as, perhaps, suggested in previous studies. Indeed, the harshest injection conditions in terms of heat transfer rate (L type = packed and T inj = 260 °C) were found to lead to better performances (including better overall %RSDs and LODs) compared to the mildest ones. This suggested that implementing conditions minimising heat-induced breakdowns during injection was not necessarily a good strategy for comparison purposes. The reported findings represent a concrete step forward in the field, providing a robust body of data for the development of the next generation of SLP profiling methods. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.).</p

How food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report how food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety and how they believe consumers understand their role in relation to food safety. The implications of this on the role of food regulators are considered. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 42 food regulators from Australia, New Zealand and the UK participated in a semi-structured interview about their response to food incidents and issues of food regulation more generally. Data were analysed thematically. Findings – Food regulators have a key role in communicating information to consumers about food safety and food incidents. This is done in two main ways: proactive and reactive communication. The majority of regulators said that consumers do not have a good understanding of what food regulation involves and there were varied views on whether or not this is important. Practical implications – Both reactive and proactive communication with consumers are important, however there are clear benefits in food regulators communicating proactively with consumers, including a greater understanding of the regulators’ role. Regulators should be supported to communicate proactively where possible. Originality/value – There is a lack of information about how food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety and how food regulators perceive consumers to understand food regulation. It is this gap that forms the basis of this paper

Glutaminyl-tRNA Synthetase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Characterization, structure, and development as a screening platform

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a high potential for developing resistance to multiple antibiotics. The gene (glnS) encoding glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) from P. aeruginosa was cloned and the resulting protein characterized. GlnRS was kinetically evaluated and the KM and kcatobs , governing interactions with tRNA, were 1.0 μM and 0.15 s-1 , respectively. The crystal structure of the α2 form of P. aeruginosa GlnRS was solved to 1.9 Å resolution. The amino acid sequence and structure of P. aeruginosa GlnRS were analyzed and compared to that of GlnRS from Escherichia coli. Amino acids that interact with ATP, glutamine, and tRNA are well conserved and structure overlays indicate that both GlnRS proteins conform to a similar three-dimensional structure. GlnRS was developed into a screening platform using scintillation proximity assay technology and used to screen ~2,000 chemical compounds. Three inhibitory compounds were identified and analyzed for enzymatic inhibition as well as minimum inhibitory concentrations against clinically relevant bacterial strains. Two of the compounds, BM02E04 and BM04H03, were selected for further studies. These compounds displayed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against mutant efflux deficient strains of P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Growth of wild-type strains was unaffected, indicating that efflux was likely responsible for the lack of sensitivity. The global mode of action was determined using time-kill kinetics. BM04H03 did not inhibit the growth of human cell cultures at any concentration and BM02E04 only inhibit cultures at the highest concentration tested (400 μg/ml). In conclusion, GlnRS from P. aeruginosa is shown to have a structure similar to that of E. coli GlnRS and two natural product compounds were identified as inhibitors of P. aeruginosa GlnRS with the potential for utility as lead candidates in antibacterial drug development in a time of increased antibiotic resistance

Bronchiectasis-associated infections and outcomes in a large, geographically diverse electronic health record cohort in the United States

BACKGROUND: Bronchiectasis is a pulmonary disease characterized by irreversible dilation of the bronchi and recurring respiratory infections. Few studies have described the microbiology and prevalence of infections in large patient populations outside of specialized tertiary care centers.METHODS: We used the Cerner HealthFacts Electronic Health Record database to characterize the nature, burden, and frequency of pulmonary infections among persons with bronchiectasis. Chronic infections were defined based on organism-specific guidelines.RESULTS: We identified 7,749 patients who met our incident bronchiectasis case definition. In this study population, the organisms with the highest rates of isolate prevalence were Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 937 (12%) individuals, Staphylococcus aureus with 502 (6%), Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) with 336 (4%), and Aspergillus sp. with 288 (4%). Among persons with at least one isolate of each respective pathogen, 219 (23%) met criteria for chronic P. aeruginosa colonization, 74 (15%) met criteria for S. aureus chronic colonization, 101 (30%) met criteria for MAC chronic infection, and 50 (17%) met criteria for Aspergillus sp. chronic infection. Of 5,795 persons with at least two years of observation, 1,860 (32%) had a bronchiectasis exacerbation and 3,462 (60%) were hospitalized within two years of bronchiectasis diagnoses. Among patients with chronic respiratory infections, the two-year occurrence of exacerbations was 53% and for hospitalizations was 82%.CONCLUSIONS: Patients with bronchiectasis experiencing chronic respiratory infections have high rates of hospitalization.</p