Biocompatible Copper Oxide Nanoparticle Composites from Cellulose and Chitosan: Facile Synthesis, Unique Structure, and Antimicrobial Activity

Copper in various forms has been known to have bactericidal activity. Challenges to its application include preventing mobilization of the copper, to both extend activity and avoid toxicity, and bioincompatibility of many candidate substrates for copper immobilization. Using a simple ionic liquid, butylmethylimmidazolium chloride as the solvent, we developed a facile and green method to synthesize biocompatible composites containing copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) from cellulose (CEL) and chitosan (CS) or CEL and keratin (KER). Spectroscopy and imaging results indicate that CEL, CS, and KER remained chemically intact and were homogeneously distributed in the composites with CuONPs with size of 22 ± 1 nm. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) suggests that some 25% of the EPR-detectable Cu(II) is present as a monomeric species, chemically anchored to the substrate by two or more nitrogen atoms, and, further, adopts a unique spatially oriented conformation when incorporated into the [CEL + CS] composite but not in the [CEL + KER] composite. The remaining 75% of EPR-detectable Cu(II) exhibited extensive spin–spin interactions, consistent with Cu(II) aggregates and Cu(II) on the surface of CuONPs. At higher levels of added copper (\u3e59 nmol/mg), the additional copper was EPR-silent, suggesting an additional phase in larger CuONPs, in which S \u3e 0 spin states are either thermally inaccessible or very fast-relaxing. These data suggest that Cu(II) initially binds substrate via nitrogen atoms, from which CuONPs develop through aggregation of copper. The composites exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against a wide range of bacteria and fungi, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus; and highly resistant Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Candida albicans. Expectedly, the antibacterial activity was found to be correlated with the CuONPs content in the composites. More importantly, at CuONP concentration of 35 nmol/mg or lower, bactericidal activity of the composite was complemented by its biocompatibility with human fibroblasts

The Experiences of the Elderly Transitioning From Home to the Nursing Home Setting

Elderly persons transitioning from home to a nursing home setting may struggle with unaddressed mental health issues. The problem addressed in this study involved a lack of evidence regarding how elderly individuals experience these transitions in living from their own perspectives. The purpose of this study was to better understand the lived experiences of elderly people who are making the transition from home to a nursing home setting. The qualitative design utilized in the research was phenomenology. Fourteen participants were interviewed to ascertain their experiences in the transition from home to a nursing home setting. Follow-up questions were formulated and posed based on responses received from participants. The Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of analysis of phenomenological data was used in analyzing the data collected from the interviews. This study revealed (a) the lack of natural and community supports; (b) health issues; (c) poor self-care; (d) frustration, fear, and sadness about immobility; and (e) loneliness and depression among the elderly interviewed at the nursing home. Residents felt that their mental health was suffering because they were always alone and could begin to feel depressed or down. Recreational activities at the nursing home are very beneficial in supporting residents’ mental health as it gets them out or their room and helps them to feel less alone. Nursing home supports, including the social worker, are very helpful to talk to in order to openly process their innermost thoughts and feelings around the transition to the nursing home setting. Further interviews should be conducted with a variety of nursing home residents and should be expanded to nursing home staff and family members to get their perspective regarding the transition from home to assisted care living for specific residents. Quantitative studies should also be performed to explore the breadth of the issue. This research can be applied to elderly people who are transitioning to a nursing home or rehabilitative placement in both short- and long-term placements. This research can be used to help to better inform families, workers, and elderly individuals who are considering moving from home to assisted care living

Barley

"Barley production in Missouri usually increases following a drought. Livestock producers need feed if corn supplies are low or need pasture if grass is not recovered."--First page.James A. Schaffer (Department of Agronomy), Einar Palm (Department of Plant Pathology), Gene Munson (Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture)New 12/85/5

Sorghum aphid pest management (1985)

Revised 4/85/10M, New 4/92/5M

Sorghum aphid pest management (1993)

Three species of aphids commonly are found on grain and forage sorghums in Missouri. One species, commonly known as 'greenbug,' has caused the most consistent damage since its introduction to Missouri in 1969. This publication provides a description of Sorghum aphids and gives advice for the control of infestations

Barley

Barley production in Missouri usually increases following a drought. Livestock producers need feed if corn supplies are low or need pasture if grass is not recovered. As a feed grain, barley is considered to have 95 percent of the feed value of corn. Barley acreage has not been estimated by the Crop Reporting Service since 1977, but estimates range from 5,000 to 20,000 acres each year. Barley is used in the malting industry as well as for livestock feed. However, attempts to produce barley for malting in Missouri have failed because malting barley requires bright sunshine with little disease during grain filling - a condition most often found in more arid regions of the United States

Nuclear Export Through Nuclear Envelope Remodeling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [preprint]

In eukaryotes, subsets of exported mRNAs are organized into large ribonucleoprotein (megaRNP) granules. How megaRNPs exit the nucleus is unclear, as their diameters are much larger than the nuclear pore complex (NPC) central channel. We previously identified a non-canonical nuclear export mechanism in Drosophila (Speese et al., Cell 2012) and mammals (Ding et al., in preparation), in which megaRNPs exit the nucleus by budding across nuclear envelope (NE) membranes. Here, we present evidence for a similar pathway in the nucleus of the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, which contain morphologically similar granules bearing mRNAs. Wild-type yeast displayed these granules at very low frequency, but this frequency was dramatically increased when the non-essential NPC protein Nup116 was deleted. These granules were not artifacts of defective NPCs; a mutation in the exportin XPO1 (CRM1), in which NPCs are normal, induced similar megaRNP upregulation. We hypothesize that a non-canonical nuclear export pathway, analogous to those observed in Drosophila and in mammalian cells, exists in yeast, and that this pathway is upregulated for use when NPCs or nuclear export are impaired

Meet Your Regulators

In this session, representatives from Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, US Army Corps of Engineers, and US Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss their roles in transportation projects as well as best practices and areas of concern they see when reviewing projects. Agency roles include waterway permitting, endangered species, historic preservation, and biological/floodway concerns

Heart Rate Variability : Effect of Exercise Intensity on Postexercise Response

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of two exercise intensities (moderate and severe) on heart rate variability (HRV) response in 16 runners 1 hr prior to (-1 hr) and at +1 hr, +24 hr, +48 hr, and +72 hr following each exercise session. Time domain indexes and a high frequency component showed a significant decrease (p < .001) between -1 hr and +1 hr for severe intensity. The low frequency component in normalized units significantly increased (p <.01) for severe intensity at +1 hr. Only severe exercise elicited a change in HRV outcomes postexercise, resulting in a reduction in the parasympathetic influence on the heart at +1 hr; however, values returned to baseline levels by +24 hr