“Raining” in Your Emotions as a Student Affairs Professional

As younger generations of student affairs professionals become more involved in the field and aware of their mental health identity, there appears to be a disconnect between young professionals and those who are older and keep the state of their mental health hidden. The author questions whether young professionals’ openness about their mental health identity lines up with the institutional/general professional expectations for dealing with emotional trauma in their field. In this narrative, I discuss my understanding of how student affairs professionals encounter tragedy while holding their own mental health wellness. I will further delve into how professionals can feel restricted in their ability to voice their concerns about mental health, especially because of the fear of judgement. I will be exploring this experience through the story of my life as a live on professional in residence life between Fall 2018 and Spring 2019

Adolescent moral judgement: A study of UK secondary school pupils

Despite a recent world-wide upsurge of academic interest in moral and character education, little is known about pupils’ character development in schools, especially in the UK context. The authors used a version of the Intermediate Concept Measure for Adolescents, involving dilemmas, to assess an important component of character—moral judgement—among 4053 pupils aged 14–15. Data were generated in 33 UK schools of varying types between February 2013 and June 2014. Results showed that compared with US samples, the pupils’ scores were, on average, low, suggestive of tendencies towards ‘self-interest’, ‘not getting involved’ and ‘conformity/loyalty to friends’. Judgements varied by subscales assessing ‘action’ and ‘justification’ choices; pupils more successfully identified good actions than good justifications, but generally struggled more to successfully identify poor actions and poor justifications. Highest scores were for a dilemma emphasising ‘self-discipline’ and lowest for ‘honesty’, with ‘courage’ in between. Overall average results were significantly and positively associated with being female, having (and practising) a religion and doing specific extra-curricular activities. Differences in schools were also noted, although the kinds of school (e.g. public/private, religious/secular) were unrelated to student scores

Genotypic Variation in a Foundation Tree (\u3ci\u3ePopulus tremula\u3c/i\u3e L.) Explains Community Structure of Associated Epiphytes

Community genetics hypothesizes that within a foundation species, the genotype of an individual significantly influences the assemblage of dependent organisms. To assess whether these intra-specific genetic effects are ecologically important, it is required to compare their impact on dependent organisms with that attributable to environmental variation experienced over relevant spatial scales. We assessed bark epiphytes on 27 aspen (Populus tremula L.) genotypes grown in a randomized experimental array at two contrasting sites spanning the environmental conditions from which the aspen genotypes were collected. We found that variation in aspen genotype significantly influenced bark epiphyte community composition, and to the same degree as environmental variation between the test sites. We conclude that maintaining genotypic diversity of foundation species may be crucial for conservation of associated biodiversity

Commode Cardiaâ Death by Valsalva Maneuver: A Case Series

The Valsalva maneuver is used in clinical medicine for the diagnosis and/or treatment of various cardiovascular conditions. It can also be used in activities of daily living, such as defecation. Due to the cardiovascular effects produced during the Valsalva maneuver, it may be contraindicated in certain medical conditions and could be a trigger of sudden cardiac death. The incidence and prevalence of death following Valsalva maneuver in the presence of underlying cardiovascular disease, or â commode cardia,â has not been examined. In 2012, the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office (Detroit, MI) investigated 21 deaths that occurred on the toilet, fourteen of which were due to cardiovascular disease. In another 31 deaths in the bathroom due to cardiovascular disease, the possibility that the decedent defecated immediately prior to death could not be excluded. Hence, the incidence of commode cardia in this population ranges from 2.3 to 7.4% of all cardiovascularâ related deaths.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134829/1/jfo13196_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134829/2/jfo13196.pd

Divergent trophic responses of sympatric penguin species to historic anthropogenic exploitation and recent climate change

The Southern Ocean is in an era of significant change. Historic overharvesting of marine mammals and recent climatic warming have cascading impacts on resource availability and, in turn, ecosystem structure and function. We examined trophic responses of sympatric chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguins to nearly 100 y of shared environmental change in the Antarctic Peninsula region using compound-specific stable isotope analyses of museum specimens. A century ago, gentoo penguins fed almost exclusively on low-trophic level prey, such as krill, during the peak of historic overexploitation of marine mammals, which was hypothesized to have resulted in a krill surplus. In the last 40 y, gentoo penguin trophic position has increased a full level as krill declined in response to recent climate change, increased competition from recovering marine mammal populations, and the development of a commercial krill fishery. A shifting isotopic baseline supporting gentoo penguins suggests a concurrent increase in coastal productivity over this time. In contrast, chinstrap penguins exhibited no change in trophic position, despite variation in krill availability over the past century. The specialized foraging niche of chinstrap penguins likely renders them more sensitive to changes in krill availability, relative to gentoo penguins, as evinced by their declining population trends in the Antarctic Peninsula over the past 40 y. Over the next century, similarly divergent trophic and population responses are likely to occur among Antarctic krill predators if climate change and other anthropogenic impacts continue to favor generalist over specialist species

Improving the diet for the rearing of Glossina brevipalpis Newstead and Glossina austeni Newstead : blood source and collection - processing - feeding procedures

One of the challenges to maintain tsetse fly (Diptera: Glossinidae) colonies is the sustainable supply of high quality blood meals. The effect of using anticoagulants during collection of the blood, the addition of phagostimulants to the blood meals as well as using mixtures of bovine and porcine blood in different proportions for feeding on colony productivity was assessed. Defibrinated bovine blood was found to be suitable to maintain both the Glossina brevipalpis Newstead and Glossina austeni Newstead colonies. Blood collected with the anticoagulants sodium citrate, citric sodium combination, citrate phosphate dextrose adenine and citric acid did not affect colony performance of both species. Defibrinated bovine and porcine blood in a 1:1 ratio or the feeding of either bovine or porcine blood on alternating days improved pupae production of G. austeni and can be used to enhance colony growth. Bovine blood is appropriate to maintain G. brevipalpis colonies, however, feeding either bovine or porcine blood on alternating days did improve productivity. Adding the phagostimulants inosine tri-phosphate, cytosine mono-phosphate and guanosine mono-phosphate to the blood at a concentration of 10−4 M improved pupae production of the G. brevipalpis colony. The addition of adenosine tri-phosphate and inosine tri-phosphate improved the performance of the G. austeni colony. Decisions on the most suitable rearing diet and feeding protocols will not only depend on the biological requirements of the species but also on the continuous supply of a suitable blood source that can be collected and processed in a costeffective way.The National Assets (000773) at the Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization / International Atomic Energy Agency Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture under the coordinated research project (CRP) 12618/R0/RBF Department of Technical Cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency under project RAF 5069.http://www.plosone.orgam2017Veterinary Tropical Disease

Modulation of Nitric Oxide Release in Cultured Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells by Myristoylated-PKC Epsilon Activator/Inhibitor Peptides

Protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) is known to increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and subsequent nitric oxide (NO) release via phosphorylation at serine 1177 of eNOS in previous in vitro and in vivo animal studies under normoxic conditions. However, the role of PKCε regulating eNOS activity and NO release is not well known in human endothelial cells. Moreover, understanding the role of PKCε in regulating eNOS activity would be essential in the clinical setting of myocardial infarction. Re-establishing blood flow after thrombus removal results in endothelial dysfunction and is characterized by decreased NO bioavailability and excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by uncoupled eNOS during reperfusion. Therefore, determining NO release using selective cell permeable PKCε activator (Myr-PKCε+) and inhibitor peptides (Myr-PKCε- ) in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under normoxic conditions would provide a foundation to test these peptides under hypoxic-reoxygenation conditions when eNOS would be uncoupled and produce ROS instead of NO release. Single-donor HUVECs at passages 3-4 were grown to confluence in 6-well (106 cells/well) plates. NO release was measured in real time using a calibrated NO electrode following the administration of 10 μM Myr-PKCε+ or 10 μM Myr-PKCε- treatments in the absence or presence of 10 μM acetylcholine (Ach) stimulation of NO release. Basal NO release (83±12 pM) was determined by measuring the difference between wells with and without HUVECs (n=9, P\u3c0.05 compared to wells with no cells). In the absence of Ach stimulation, Myr-PKCε+ significantly enhanced NO release to 136±13 pM (n=6, p\u3c0.05) and Myr-PKCε- attenuated total NO release to 16±27 pM (n=7, p\u3c0.05) compared to basal levels. Similar to Myr-PKCε+, 10 μM Ach significantly enhanced NO release to 153±11 pM above basal levels (p\u3c0.05, n=20). Moreover, in the presence of 10 μM Ach, Myr-PKCε+ still significantly increased NO release (129±17 pM, p\u3c0.05, n=8) and Myr-PKCε- decreased NO release (34±12 pM, p\u3c0.05, n=7) compared to basal levels. In summary, these results suggest that in cultured HUVECs, Myr-PKCε+ presumably increase NO release via activation of eNOS; whereas Myr-PKCε- attenuates eNOS activity by inhibiting its phosphorylation. Therefore, the effects of Myr-PKCε+ and Myr-PKCε- are translational across species in regulating NO release

Evaluation of light emitting diode suction traps for the collection of livestock-associated Culicoides species in South Africa

Risk analysis of pathogens transmitted by Culicoides (Diptera; Ceratopogonidae) depends on the ability to detect all potential vectors attacking livestock in an area. Onderstepoort 220-V ultraviolet (UV) down-draught light traps are considered the gold standard for this purpose. To improve the flexibility of this trap in the field, in the absence of 220-V power, the possibility of using low-energy light emitting diodes (LEDs) was assessed. The efficiency of a standard 220-V Onderstepoort trap (30 cm 8 W fluorescent UV light tube) was compared to that of 220-V Onderstepoort traps fitted with either two, four or eight individual white LEDs. The Onderstepoort 220-V trap was also compared to a 12-V Onderstepoort trap fitted with an 8 W fluorescent UV light tube, a 12-V Onderstepoort trap with 12 individual white LEDs and 12-V and 220-V Onderstepoort traps fitted with 12 individual UV LEDs. Higher numbers of Culicoides as well as species diversity were collected with a brighter light source. The use of UV LEDs in both the 12-V and 220-V combinations was comparable to the Onderstepoort 220-V light trap with ration to species diversity collected. The Onderstepoort 220-V light trap is recommended if large numbers of Culicoides need to be collected.The Agricultural Research Council—Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, The South African Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation of South Africa.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652915hj2022Veterinary Tropical Disease