Benbarrow: novel & process commentary

Benbarrow was initially conceived as a dual-perspective narrative, set in the period immediately preceding WWII. The main apparatus of study is a coming-of-age prose novel set in a rural inter-war context, for which the complementary research forms an integral part of the writing process. With a specific focus on ‘middlebrow’ fiction for women set in a period of history that broadly qualifies as being ‘within living memory’, the PhD thesis will articulate the insight this offers into the craft of creating a fiction text and will contribute to an understanding of the process of, and relationship between, research and creative writing. Following my MPhil-PhD transfer (Oct 2013) I explored the areas discussed in the profile of enquiry, guided by the advice of the transfer panel. My research was subsequently interrupted by personal factors, including family illness and bereavement, and the resignation by my DoS of his MMU post. These impacted on my studies, and I elected to suspend for twelve months. My return to studies enabled me to thoroughly review my enquiries to date, and to reconsider methodology and direction. Supported by my new DoS, Dr Paul Evans, I reconsidered my focus, developing previously ‘secondary’ characters and addressing the interactions and influences between a group of women of differing age, background and experience. I have also been encouraged to reflect on the ‘source’ potential of my wider writing interests, which include poetry and non-fiction and the ‘output’ impact of my learning on my teaching As a result, there have been significant changes in both the narrative and the “methodology, scale and parameters of study”. With revised emphasis on process and the way in which personal circumstances can influence the text, my thesis explores “the craft of creating a fiction text” and as discussed in my original proposal contributes to an understanding of the “relationship between research and creative writing”

An inter-platform repeatability study investigating real-time amplification of plasmid DNA

BACKGROUND: The wide variety of real-time amplification platforms currently available has determined that standardisation of DNA measurements is a fundamental aspect involved in the comparability of results. Statistical analysis of the data arising from three different real-time platforms was conducted in order to assess inter-platform repeatability. On three consecutive days two PCR reaction mixes were used on each of the three amplification platforms – the LightCycler(®), ABI PRISM(® )7700 and Rotor Gene 3000™. Real-time PCR amplification using a fluorogenic 5' exonuclease assay was performed in triplicate on negative controls and DNA plasmid dilutions of 10(8)–10(2 )copies to give a total of 24 reactions per PCR experiment. RESULTS: The results of the statistical analyses indicated that the platform with the most precise repeatability was the ABI PRISM(® )7700 when coupled with the FastStart PCR reaction mix. It was also found that there was no obvious relationship between plasmid copy number and repeatability. An ANOVA approach identified the factors that significantly affected the results, in descending order of magnitude, as: plasmid copy number, platform, PCR reaction mix and day (on which the experiment was performed). CONCLUSION: In order to deliver useful, informative genetic tests, standardisation of real-time PCR detection platforms to provide repeatable, reliable results is warranted. In addition, a better understanding of inter-assay and intra-assay repeatability is required

Are nurses meeting the needs of men in primary care?

Meeting men’s health needs by improving healthcare service access is a key objective of comprehensive primary health care. The aims of this qualitative study were to explore the perception of nurses in men’s health services and to describe men’s expectation of the nurse. The comparative component identifies the barriers and facilitators to improved access to health services. A purposive sample of 19 nurses and 20 men was recruited from metropolitan and regional settings in the state of Victoria, Australia, and each participant was interviewed individually or as part of three focus groups. The main findings were: nurses and men were unclear on the role of the nurse in men’s health; and health promotion provided by nurses was predominantly opportunistic. Both participant groups indicated barriers to healthcare access related to: the culture and environment in general practice; limitation of Australia’s Medicare healthcare financing system; out-of-pocket costs, waiting time and lack of extended hours; and men not wanting to be perceived as complainers. Facilitators related to: positive inter-professional relations; effective communication; personal qualities; and level of preparedness of nurse education. The findings demonstrate a need for the role to be better understood by both men and nurses in order to develop alternative approaches to meeting men’s healthcare needs

DEJEMOS A UN FUTURO ESTUDIANTE DE BSN QUE SEA ESCUCHADO. TAREAS DE CAPTACIÓN Y PERMANENCIA.

The purpose of this article is to describe results of two surveys undertaken by the faculty in a West Texas school of nursing. The initial survey had as its focus the assessment of factors important to registered nurses when considering a return to the academic environment for the BSN. The second survey also had a focus to assess the perceptions of currently enrolled registered nurses in the RN to BSN program. Recognizing the complexity of recruitment and retention issues for RN to BSN programs, a program decided to take a proactive position in addressing these issues. The market area for this program is a seventeen county region in a primarily rural area of West Texas. This region has a population to registered nurse ratio of 175:1 as compared to the state of Texas of 131:1. A faculty task force developed a survey tool that was mailed to registered nurses in the region. Data were analyzed to determine preferences of these registered nurses for enrollment and completion of the program. Concomitantly, the faculty also surveyed currently enrolled students to determine their perceptions of the factors important for returning and remaining enrolled. Data analysis was conducted to determine information that would have implications for future recruitment and retention strategies of the school. Both surveys provided data that assist faculty in determining strengths and barriers for the registered nurse population to recruit and retain the registered nurse population enrolled in rural programs.El objetivo de este artículo es describir los resultados de dos encuestas llevadas a cabo por el profesorado de una Escuela de Enfermería al Oeste de Texas. El estudio inicial se centraba en la valoración de qué factores eran importantes para las enfermeras tituladas cuando consideraban la vuelta al entorno académico para cursar el Máster en Ciencias de Enfermería, BSN (Baccalaureate in Science Degree Nurses). El segundo estudio también estaba enfocado en la evaluación de las diferentes percepciones que tenían las enfermeras ya incluidas en dicho programa con respecto al mismo. Reconociendo la complejidad existente en las cuestiones de captación y permanencia de las enfermeras en los planes de estudio BSN, un programa decidió tomar una posición activa en lo que a estas cuestiones se refiere. El área marco de este programa es una región con diecisiete condados contenida en un entorno primordialmente rural al Oeste de Texas. Esta región tiene una relación de 157:1 de población con las enfermeras en activo, en comparación con la proporción 131:1 del estado de Texas. Los profesores desarrollaron un cuestionario que fue enviado a las enfermeras registradas en la región. Los datos fueron analizados para determinar las preferencias de estas enfermeras a la hora de inscribirse y completar el programa. Paralelamente, la universidad también encuestó a los estudiantes sobre los aspectos para ellos más importantes en estas mismas cuestiones a la hora de permanecer matriculados. El análisis de los datos condujo a establecer una información que tendría implicaciones en las futuras estrategias de la escuela en cuanto a la captación y permanencia en el ya citado programa. Ambas encuestas proporcionaron datos que ayudaron a la universidad a esclarecer los apoyos y los obstáculos con los que contaba la población enfermera para captar y retener a la población enfermera en los programas rurales

Lewy Body Dementia Association\u27s Research Centers of Excellence Program: Inaugural Meeting Proceedings.

The first Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) Research Centers of Excellence (RCOE) Investigator\u27s meeting was held on December 14, 2017, in New Orleans. The program was established to increase patient access to clinical experts on Lewy body dementia (LBD), which includes dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson\u27s disease dementia (PDD), and to create a clinical trials-ready network. Four working groups (WG) were created to pursue the LBDA RCOE aims: (1) increase access to high-quality clinical care, (2) increase access to support for people living with LBD and their caregivers, (3) increase knowledge of LBD among medical and allied (or other) professionals, and (4) create infrastructure for a clinical trials-ready network as well as resources to advance the study of new therapeutics

The genome sequence of the fish pathogen Aliivibrio salmonicida strain LFI1238 shows extensive evidence of gene decay.

BACKGROUND: The fish pathogen Aliivibrio salmonicida is the causative agent of cold-water vibriosis in marine aquaculture. The Gram-negative bacterium causes tissue degradation, hemolysis and sepsis in vivo. RESULTS: In total, 4 286 protein coding sequences were identified, and the 4.6 Mb genome of A. salmonicida has a six partite architecture with two chromosomes and four plasmids. Sequence analysis revealed a highly fragmented genome structure caused by the insertion of an extensive number of insertion sequence (IS) elements. The IS elements can be related to important evolutionary events such as gene acquisition, gene loss and chromosomal rearrangements. New A. salmonicida functional capabilities that may have been aquired through horizontal DNA transfer include genes involved in iron-acquisition, and protein secretion and play potential roles in pathogenicity. On the other hand, the degeneration of 370 genes and consequent loss of specific functions suggest that A. salmonicida has a reduced metabolic and physiological capacity in comparison to related Vibrionaceae species. CONCLUSION: Most prominent is the loss of several genes involved in the utilisation of the polysaccharide chitin. In particular, the disruption of three extracellular chitinases responsible for enzymatic breakdown of chitin makes A. salmonicida unable to grow on the polymer form of chitin. These, and other losses could restrict the variety of carrier organisms A. salmonicida can attach to, and associate with. Gene acquisition and gene loss may be related to the emergence of A. salmonicida as a fish pathogen

Genomes as geography: using GIS technology to build interactive genome feature maps

BACKGROUND: Many commonly used genome browsers display sequence annotations and related attributes as horizontal data tracks that can be toggled on and off according to user preferences. Most genome browsers use only simple keyword searches and limit the display of detailed annotations to one chromosomal region of the genome at a time. We have employed concepts, methodologies, and tools that were developed for the display of geographic data to develop a Genome Spatial Information System (GenoSIS) for displaying genomes spatially, and interacting with genome annotations and related attribute data. In contrast to the paradigm of horizontally stacked data tracks used by most genome browsers, GenoSIS uses the concept of registered spatial layers composed of spatial objects for integrated display of diverse data. In addition to basic keyword searches, GenoSIS supports complex queries, including spatial queries, and dynamically generates genome maps. Our adaptation of the geographic information system (GIS) model in a genome context supports spatial representation of genome features at multiple scales with a versatile and expressive query capability beyond that supported by existing genome browsers. RESULTS: We implemented an interactive genome sequence feature map for the mouse genome in GenoSIS, an application that uses ArcGIS, a commercially available GIS software system. The genome features and their attributes are represented as spatial objects and data layers that can be toggled on and off according to user preferences or displayed selectively in response to user queries. GenoSIS supports the generation of custom genome maps in response to complex queries about genome features based on both their attributes and locations. Our example application of GenoSIS to the mouse genome demonstrates the powerful visualization and query capability of mature GIS technology applied in a novel domain. CONCLUSION: Mapping tools developed specifically for geographic data can be exploited to display, explore and interact with genome data. The approach we describe here is organism independent and is equally useful for linear and circular chromosomes. One of the unique capabilities of GenoSIS compared to existing genome browsers is the capacity to generate genome feature maps dynamically in response to complex attribute and spatial queries

The complete genome sequence and comparative genome analysis of the high pathogenicity Yersinia enterocolitica strain 8081

The human enteropathogen, Yersinia enterocolitica, is a significant link in the range of Yersinia pathologies extending from mild gastroenteritis to bubonic plague. Comparison at the genomic level is a key step in our understanding of the genetic basis for this pathogenicity spectrum. Here we report the genome of Y. enterocolitica strain 8081 (serotype 0:8; biotype 1B) and extensive microarray data relating to the genetic diversity of the Y. enterocolitica species. Our analysis reveals that the genome of Y. enterocolitica strain 8081 is a patchwork of horizontally acquired genetic loci, including a plasticity zone of 199 kb containing an extraordinarily high density of virulence genes. Microarray analysis has provided insights into species-specific Y. enterocolitica gene functions and the intraspecies differences between the high, low, and nonpathogenic Y. enterocolitica biotypes. Through comparative genome sequence analysis we provide new information on the evolution of the Yersinia. We identify numerous loci that represent ancestral clusters of genes potentially important in enteric survival and pathogenesis, which have been lost or are in the process of being lost, in the other sequenced Yersinia lineages. Our analysis also highlights large metabolic operons in Y. enterocolitica that are absent in the related enteropathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, indicating major differences in niche and nutrients used within the mammalian gut. These include clusters directing, the production of hydrogenases, tetrathionate respiration, cobalamin synthesis, and propanediol utilisation. Along with ancestral gene clusters, the genome of Y. enterocolitica has revealed species-specific and enteropathogen-specific loci. This has provided important insights into the pathology of this bacterium and, more broadly, into the evolution of the genus. Moreover, wider investigations looking at the patterns of gene loss and gain in the Yersinia have highlighted common themes in the genome evolution of other human enteropathogens

Identification of Membrane Proteins in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus Furiosus Using Proteomics and Prediction Programs

Cell-free extracts from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus were separated into membrane and cytoplasmic fractions and each was analyzed by 2D-gel electrophoresis. A total of 66 proteins were identified, 32 in the membrane fraction and 34 in the cytoplasmic fraction. Six prediction programs were used to predict the subcellular locations of these proteins. Three were based on signal-peptides (SignalP, TargetP, and SOSUISignal) and three on transmembrane-spanning α-helices (TSEG, SOSUI, and PRED-TMR2). A consensus of the six programs predicted that 23 of the 32 proteins (72%) from the membrane fraction should be in the membrane and that all of the proteins from the cytoplasmic fraction should be in the cytoplasm. Two membrane-associated proteins predicted to be cytoplasmic by the programs are also predicted to consist primarily of transmembrane-spanning β-sheets using porin protein models, suggesting that they are, in fact, membrane components. An ATPase subunit homolog found in the membrane fraction, although predicted to be cytoplasmic, is most likely complexed with other ATPase subunits in the membrane fraction. An additional three proteins predicted to be cytoplasmic but found in the membrane fraction, may be cytoplasmic contaminants. These include a chaperone homolog that may have attached to denatured membrane proteins during cell fractionation. Omitting these three proteins would boost the membrane-protein predictability of the models to near 80%. A consensus prediction using all six programs for all 2242 ORFs in the P. furiosus genome estimates that 24% of the ORF products are found in the membrane. However, this is likely to be a minimum value due to the programs’ inability to recognize certain membrane-related proteins, such as subunits associated with membrane complexes and porin-type proteins