Book Review: Florida Fiasco

A review of Florida Fiasco: by Rembert W. Patrick. University of Georgia Press, Athens, 1954: (pp. x, 359, notes, bibliography, index, no maps or illustrations, $5.

The Use of Molecular Beacon siRNA to Induce Degradation of SARS CoV-2 mRNA in Infected Cells

Undergraduate Basi

Estimating Risks of Heat Strain by Age and Sex: A Population-Level Simulation Model

Individuals living in hot climates face health risks from hyperthermia due to excessive heat. Heat strain is influenced by weather exposure and by individual characteristics such as age, sex, body size, and occupation. To explore the population-level drivers of heat strain, we developed a simulation model that scales up individual risks of heat storage (estimated using Myrup and Morgan’s man model “MANMO”) to a large population. Using Australian weather data, we identify high-risk weather conditions together with individual characteristics that increase the risk of heat stress under these conditions. The model identifies elevated risks in children and the elderly, with females aged 75 and older those most likely to experience heat strain. Risk of heat strain in males does not increase as rapidly with age, but is greatest on hot days with high solar radiation. Although cloudy days are less dangerous for the wider population, older women still have an elevated risk of heat strain on hot cloudy days or when indoors during high temperatures. Simulation models provide a valuable method for exploring population level risks of heat strain, and a tool for evaluating public health and other government policy interventions

Disruption of the Serotonergic System after Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia in a Rodent Model

Identifying which specific neuronal phenotypes are vulnerable to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia, where in the brain they are damaged, and the mechanisms that produce neuronal losses are critical to determine the anatomical substrates responsible for neurological impairments in hypoxic-ischemic brain-injured neonates. Here we describe our current work investigating how the serotonergic network in the brain is disrupted in a rodent model of preterm hypoxia-ischemia. One week after postnatal day 3 hypoxia-ischemia, losses of serotonergic raphé neurons, reductions in serotonin levels in the brain, and reduced serotonin transporter expression are evident. These changes can be prevented using two anti-inflammatory interventions; the postinsult administration of minocycline or ibuprofen. However, each drug has its own limitations and benefits for use in neonates to stem damage to the serotonergic network after hypoxia-ischemia. By understanding the fundamental mechanisms underpinning hypoxia-ischemia-induced serotonergic damage we will hopefully move closer to developing a successful clinical intervention to treat neonatal brain injury

A Comprehensive Plan for an Ecological Restoration-based Eco-toursim Program at Glacial Park

McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD) manages 25,000 acres of open lands in northern Illinois, including Glacial Park, a 3,273-acre park and conservation area. Dr. Tom Simpson, Research Field Station Ecologist for MCCD, approached the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan with the proposal that a master’s project team join him and MCCD in reestablishing a weekend-long event, called the Weekend of Restoration, and analyzing ways to turn the event into a sustainable annual or semi-annual program at Glacial Park. To guide the project’s activities, objectives and research, the team formulated a fundamental question: What elements of event planning, marketing, implementation, and evaluation can best create a successful, repeatable weekend restoration program at Glacial Park? The team developed a set of recommendations based on a combination of personal observations, evaluation findings, background research on relevant topics, and conversations with MCCD and other conservation professionals. Additionally, site analyses were conducted to inform future restoration projects by providing educational resources via maps, teaching points, references, and activities. The project resulted in the establishment of a 2012 event, complete with outside funding as well as staff and volunteers registered to help plan, market, implement and evaluate the event.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90881/1/Ecotourism_Bomey_Dreps_Hanna_Haroutunian_Pierce.pd

Patients with Cancer and Family Caregivers: Management of symptoms caused by Cancer or Cancer Therapy at Home

People are diagnosed with cancer sooner nowadays thanks to increased awareness and improvements in cancer screenings. Patients are able to live longer due to cancer treatment regimens; however, they suffer the consequences of living with cancer and therapy-related symptoms. Symptom management is challenging for both patients and family caregivers. Therefore, family members must be integrated in the patient’s care plan. For this review, a literature search was conducted to determine what types of interventions were available that involved family members of cancer patients with the management of cancer and therapy-related symptoms. The following interventions were found that were designed for the family caregivers or both the patient and caregiver to aide with symptom management: pain intervention program, massage therapy, telephone intervention, self-efficacy improvement, coping enhancement and a multidimensional intervention. A positive effect was noted in all the studies, but several had no significance in the patient intervention group but did in the caregiver intervention group. However, studies indicated decreased symptom intensity for various symptoms, decreased symptom distress for both the patient and caregiver, increased self-efficacy of the family member, and increased satisfaction with certain interventions. Further research should be conducted on both existing interventions to better determine their effect and on family symptom management of cancer patients as they need support from healthcare professionals as well

Redox-Active Nanomaterials For Nanomedicine Applications

Nanomedicine utilizes the remarkable properties of nanomaterials for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Many of these nanomaterials have been shown to have robust antioxidative properties, potentially functioning as strong scavengers of reactive oxygen species. Conversely, several nanomaterials have also been shown to promote the generation of reactive oxygen species, which may precipitate the onset of oxidative stress, a state that is thought to contribute to the development of a variety of adverse conditions. As such, the impacts of nanomaterials on biological entities are often associated with and influenced by their specific redox properties. In this review, we overview several classes of nanomaterials that have been or projected to be used across a wide range of biomedical applications, with discussion focusing on their unique redox properties. Nanomaterials examined include iron, cerium, and titanium metal oxide nanoparticles, gold, silver, and selenium nanoparticles, and various nanoscale carbon allotropes such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and their derivatives/variations. Principal topics of discussion include the chemical mechanisms by which the nanomaterials directly interact with biological entities and the biological cascades that are thus indirectly impacted. Selected case studies highlighting the redox properties of nanomaterials and how they affect biological responses are used to exemplify the biologically-relevant redox mechanisms for each of the described nanomaterials

Prevalence and characteristics of pictures in cancer screening information: Content analysis of UK print decision support materials

This paper answers calls for further theoretical work into types of pictures used in health information. Pictures influence message reception, interpretation, and retention, making this an important area for research in health communication. A content analysis was used to produce a systematic and theory-orientated assessment of the use of pictures in cancer screening information materials (N = 44) produced for invitees to either cervical, breast or bowel screening in the United Kingdom. The main categories investigated in this study were function, content and style of the pictures. Pictures used in cancer screening information materials were twice as likely to be used to demonstrate what something looked like or depict a situation (display pictures) than to convey a specific cancer screening message (message pictures). The messages being conveyed were predominantly related to screening procedures (51%) or outcomes (38%) rather than screening experiences (6%) or decisions (9%). Pictures were rarely used to portray a narrative in the materials (n = 12). The paper brings conceptual clarity to the ways pictures can be, and have so far been used, to communicate cancer screening information. This study identifies that pictures conveying a cancer-related message, and pictures in the format of a narrative, should be used more often in print cancer screening communications

Assessing short-term economic consequences of cow-calf contact systems in dairy production using a stochastic partial budgeting approach

Introduction: While early separation of dairy calves after birth has been debated from an ethical and animal welfare lens, the economic evidence surrounding alternative cow-calf contact (CCC) systems is scarce.Methods: To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the economic consequences of CCC systems using data from the Agri wise database as well as parameters from published literature in a stochastic partial budget model. Theimplementation of CCC is very diverse between farms, so in our study wetherefore selected a limited number of CCC systems to assess. The examinedCCC systems were: (i) dam rearing with limited contact at milking (15 minutestwice a day for 115 days) with no manual milk feeding; (ii) dam rearing with 21-dayfull contact, after which calves are manually fed 8 kg of whole milk for 94 days; and (iii) mixed calf rearing with using both dams and foster cows with full contact; calves are initially kept with their dams and then moved to foster cows at 9 daysof age.Results: We found that adoption of CCC systems was associated with decreases in contribution margins in the range of 1 to 5.4%, as compared to a rearing system here the calves were separated from their dams after one day and were that differences in milk sales, assumptions on changes in labor requirements, and changes in daily calf weight gain depending on CCC system were the main variables that governed the net impact on the contribution margins.Discussion: We did not include building costs in the analyses assuming that barn tructures may not change in the short-term. The study focused only on short-term pecuniary associations between changes in CCC systems and contribution margins. To strengthen the economic decision-making around CCC systems, future research should consider non-monetary impacts of different CCC systems, as well as long-term economic impacts of these production strategies manually fed 8 kg of milk for 12 weeks. These results illustrated that the costs associated with CCC systems may be fairly high under certain circumstances and may prohibit farmers from adopting this practice. Sensitivity analysis suggeste

A population-based study of dystrophin mutations in Canada

Introduction: We carried out a population-based study of dystrophin mutations in patients followed by members of the Canadian Paediatric Neuromuscular Group (CPNG) over a ten-year period. Objectives: We aimed to describe the changes in diagnostic testing for dystrophinopathy and to determine the frequency of dystrophin mutations from 2000 to 2009. Methods: De-identified data containing the clinical phenotypes, diagnostic methods, and mutational reports from dystrophinopathy patients followed by CPNG centres from January 2000 to December 2009 were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: 773 patients had a confirmed diagnosis of dystrophinopathy based on genetic testing (97%), muscle biopsy (2%), or family history (1%). 573 (74%) had complete deletion/duplication analysis of all 79 exons or whole gene sequencing, resulting in 366 (64%) deletions, 64 (11%) duplications, and 143 (25%) point mutations. The percentage of patients who were diagnosed using currently accepted genetic testing methods varied across Canada, with a mean of 63% (SD 23). 246 (43%) mutations involved exons 45 to 53. The top ten deletions (n=147, 26%) were exons 45-47, 45-48, 45, 45-50, 45-55, 51, 45-49, 45-52, 49-50, and 46-47. 169 (29%) mutations involved exons 2 to 20. The most common duplications (n=29, 5.1%) were exons 2, 2-7, 2-17, 3-7, 8-11, 10, 10-11, and 12. Conclusion: This is the most comprehensive report of dystrophin mutations in Canada. Consensus guidelines regarding the diagnostic approach to dystrophinopathy will hopefully reduce the geographical variation in mutation detection rates in the coming decade