Dedication Open Plymouth Schoolhouse

Clipping form an article discussing the dedication ceremony held at the stone schoolhouse.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/buildings/2109/thumbnail.jp

Epigenetic marks as the link between environment and development: examination of the associations between attachment, socioeconomic status, and methylation of the SLC6A4 gene.

BackgroundEpigenetic processes act as a link between environment and individual development. This pilot study examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES), attachment, and methylation of the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4).MethodsAttachment classification and SLC6A4 methylation was determined in 100 late adolescents. We hypothesized that (1) SES would interact with methylation to predict higher unresolved loss (UL) or trauma scores on the Adult Attachment Interview; (2) across SES, participants with unresolved attachment would have lower levels of methylation than organized or secure participants; and (3) within the unresolved classification, SES would predict methylation.ResultsResults showed that lower methylation and low-SES were associated with higher UL, and higher methylation and low-SES were associated with higher unresolved trauma. Across SES, unresolved participants had lower levels of methylation than organized participants. Within the unresolved category, low-SES unresolved participants had higher levels of methylation than mid/upper-SES participants. SES was unrelated to methylation within the secure and organized categories.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the quality of attachment relationships may impact epigenetic processes

Autonomic nervous system functioning assessed during the Still-Face Paradigm: A meta-analysis and systematic review of methods, approach and findings.

Animal and human research suggests that the development of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is particularly sensitive to early parenting experiences. The Still-Face Paradigm (SFP), one of the most widely used measures to assess infant reactivity and emotional competence, evokes infant self-regulatory responses to parental interaction and disengagement. This systematic review of 33 peer-reviewed studies identifies patterns of parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic (SNS) nervous system activity demonstrated by infants under one year of age during the SFP and describes findings within the context of sample demographic characteristics, study methodologies, and analyses conducted. A meta-analysis of a subset of 14 studies with sufficient available respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data examined whether the SFP reliably elicited PNS withdrawal (RSA decrease) during parental disengagement or PNS recovery (RSA increase) during reunion, and whether results differed by socioeconomic status (SES). Across SES, the meta-analysis confirmed that RSA decreased during the still-face episode and increased during reunion. When studies were stratified by SES, low-SES or high-risk groups also showed RSA decreases during the still face episode but failed to show an increase in RSA during reunion. Few studies have examined SNS activity during the SFP to date, preventing conclusions in that domain. The review also identified multiple qualifications to patterns of SFP ANS findings, including those that differed by ethnicity, infant sex, parental sensitivity, and genetics. Strengths and weaknesses in the extant research that may explain some of the variation in findings across the literature are also discussed, and suggestions for strengthening future research are provided

Manipulating Fate: Medical Innovations, Ethical Implications, Theatrical Illuminations

Transformative innovations in medicine and their ethical complexities create frequent confusion and misinterpretation that color the imagination. Placed in historical context, theatre provides a framework to reflect upon how the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies evolve over time and how attempts to control fate through medical science have shaped -- and been shaped by -- personal and professional relationships. The drama of these human interactions is powerful and has the potential to generate fear, create hope, transform identity, and inspire empathy -- a vivid source to observe the complex implications of translating research into clinical practice through the lens of other individuals. As the scientific landscape shifts at an ever increasing pace, it becomes even more essential to search for creative approaches to better understand the issues and to place them in historical and societal context. This article is structured in the format of a play with six Acts representing the evolution of societal issues raised by attempts to manipulate fate by advances in medical science. Excerpts from forty-six plays are integrated chronologically to reflect the ethical and legal context of their era -- and the analysis of the themes that reoccur over the centuries. Even though the power of technology continues to increase dramatically, raising more ethical implications, the urge to use medical innovations to manipulate our fate and those of others remains constant. This article is part of a broader bioethical and legal research project to stimulate interdisciplinary discourse on the implications of emerging medical technologies and to enhance the health policy process

Teaching Ethics To Undergraduates: An Examination Of Contextual Approaches

Our purpose was to advance the current academic discussion on how to most effectively teach managerial ethics at the undergraduate level.  We argued that undergraduate ethics education should be comprehensive, multi-dimensional and woven into the fabric of each student’s experience.  In particular, we hypothesized that the inclusion of service-learning experiences and a rigorous honor system would lead to better identification and resolution of ethical dilemmas.  A survey of 304 undergraduates from four colleges and universities yielded modest support for our hypotheses.  In conclusion, we discuss possible explanations for the results and avenues for future studies.&nbsp

Is it necessary to change the classification of ß-lactamases?

Peer reviewe

Crystal structure of the wide-spectrum binuclear zinc β-lactamase from Bacteroides fragilis

AbstractBackground: The metallo-β-lactamase from Bacteroides fragilis hydrolyzes a wide range of β-lactam antibiotics, and is not clinically susceptible to any known β-lactamase inhibitors. B. fragilis is associated with post-surgery hospital infections, and there has been a recent report of plasmid-mediated dissemination of the enzyme. Effective inhibitors are therefore urgently needed. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure will aid in the drug design effort.Results The crystal structure of the enzyme has been determined by using multiwavelength anomalous diffraction at the zinc absorption edge and refined to 1.85 Å resolution. The structure is a four-layer α/β/β/α molecule. The active site, found at the edge of the β sandwich, contains a binuclear zinc center with several novel features. One zinc is tetrahedrally coordinated, the other has a trigonal bipyramidal coordination; a water/hydroxide molecule serves as a ligand for both metals. The residues that coordinate the two zincs are invariant in all metallo-β-lactamases that have been sequenced, except for two conservative replacements. Despite the existence of the pattern for binuclear zinc binding, the reported structure of the Bacillus cereus enzyme contains only a single zinc.Conclusion Structural analysis indicates that affinity for the penta-coordinated zinc can be modulated by neighboring residues, perhaps explaining the absence of the second zinc in the B. cereus structure. Models of bound substrates suggest that the active-site channel can accommodate a wide variety of β-lactams. We propose that the zinc cluster prepares an hydroxide, probably the hydroxide that ligates both zincs, for nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl carbon atom of the β-lactam. The resulting negatively charged tetrahedral intermediate implicated in catalysis is stabilized by an oxyanion hole formed by the side chain of the invariant Asn193 and the tetrahedral zinc

Distribution of Campylobacter and Arcobacter in Livestock

We designed polymearse chain reaction (PCR) primers to distinguish Campylobacter jejuni from Campylobacter coli and to differentiate Arcobacter from other species of Campylobacter. We applied these PCR methods to estimate their prevalence in feces of healthy cattle and hogs and to identify risk factors for infection. For cattle, C. jejuni (23%), Arcobacter (11%), and C. coli (1.57%) were detected in healthy dairy cows (n=1,628). Campylobacter coli (69%), Arcobacter (46%) and C. jejuni (0.28%) were found in market weight hogs (n=1,057). This indicates the widespread distribution of these microbes livestock

Prevalence of Sensitivity to Sulfiting Agents in Asthmatic Patients

Ingestion of sulfiting agents can induce wheezing in some asthmatic patients. However, neither the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity nor the clinical characteristics of the affected asthmatic population are known. In a prospective single-blind screening study, 120 non-steroid-dependent and 83 steroid-dependent asthmatic patients underwent challenge with oral capsules of potassium metabisulfite. Five non-steroid-dependent and 16 steroid-dependent asthmatic patients experienced a greater than 20 percent reduction in their one-second forced expiratory volume within 30 minutes following the oral challenge. Twelve of these sulfite reactors were rechallenged with metabisulfite capsules in a double-blind protocol. Under these conditions, only three of seven steroid-dependent patients had a positive response. Moreover, only one of five non-steroid-dependent patients had a response to double-blind challenge. On the basis of this challenge study, the best estimate of the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the asthmatic patients studied is 3.9 percent. This population, however, contained a larger number of steroid-dependent asthmatic patients than would be found in the general asthmatic population. It is concluded, therefore, that the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the asthmatic population as a whole would be less than 3.9 percent and that steroid-dependent asthmatic patients are most at risk