Complete genome sequence of the gliding, heparinolytic Pedobacter saltans type strain (113T)

Pedobacter saltans Steyn et al. 1998 is one of currently 32 species in the genus Pedobacter within the family Sphingobacteriaceae. The species is of interest for its isolated location in the tree of life. Like other members of the genus P. saltans is heparinolytic. Cells of P. saltans show a peculiar gliding, dancing motility and can be distinguished from other Pedobacter strains by their ability to utilize glycerol and the inability to assimilate D-cellobiose. The genome presented here is only the second completed genome sequence of a type strain from a member of the family Sphingobacteriaceae to be published. The 4,635,236 bp long genome with its 3,854 protein-coding and 67 RNA genes consists of one chromosome, and is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project

Improving Diabetes Self-Management and Coordination of Care Among SASH Participants

Introduction: SASH (Support and Services at Home) coordinates the resources of social service agencies, community health providers and nonprofit housing organizations to support Vermonters who choose to live independently at home. Currently, SASH does not have a way by which they monitor participant’s diabetes management. Aims of this project: 1. Improve diabetes management among SASH participants with a Diabetes Self-Management Tool; 2. Provide SASH Wellness nurses tools for education of newly diagnosed diabetics. Methods: The Diabetes Self-Management tool documents aspects of the participant’s disease (blood pressure, blood glucose, A1C) and health goals. This was trialed in a small group of SASH participants that have established diagnoses of type II diabetes. Weekly one-on-one check-ins were conducted among all the participants. At the end of the trial, all materials were placed in an electronic repository, accessible by all Wellness Nurses and education was provided regarding how the tools can best be utilized. Results: Outcomes were assessed by questionnaires administered to participants who trialed the Diabetes Self-Management tools. Questions pertained to satisfaction, ease of use, and perceived helpfulness. Survey results revealed that most participants did not feel a need for a formal Diabetes Self-Management program or education and that their diabetes was already adequately managed. Survey results from the SASH Wellness Nurses revealed a need for a set of Diabetes education and management materials which could be used to help coach and educate newly diagnosed diabetics. Conclusion: SASH participants who agreed to take part in the Diabetes Management Program had pre-existing methods for managing their diabetes and did not feel the need to incorporate the Self-Management Tool in their daily routine. Tools designed for this project were placed in an on-line repository for SASH wellness nurses to use for future educational purposes of newly diagnosed diabetics

Great Teachers, Great Me

Who was your favorite teacher? What characteristic do you remember first about her/him? In a nation-wide survey, these questions were asked of over 3000 people in order to determine the characteristics of favorite teachers. This poster presents the results and provides valuable insights into what should be included in teacher preparation programs. Preliminary results indicated that people remember the human characteristics of their favorite teachers before the knowledge they imparted or teaching skills they employed. This information would be useful for improving the learning impact of future and in-service teachers. Most recent efforts to improve student learning have focused almost exclusively on increasing teachers\u27 knowledge rather than on the human elements such as helping teachers interact more positively with students or improving teaching skills. While content is obviously important, the survey results indicated that the teachers who can facilitate significant and meaningful learning are those who can create and maintain positive learning relationship with their students. Over the past year, the survey data has been analyzed and grouped into three general categories: disposition, teaching skills, and knowledge. Based upon the data, people tended to remember the dispositional characteristics as being most important. Our poster displays results and asks observers to participate in a brief self-scoring exercise about their favorite teacher

What Favorite Teacher Research Says: Implement Dispositional Growth Plans!

In an effort to further evaluate the effect of educator dispositions, favoriteteachers.org asks people to recall memories of their favorite teacher and list the first characteristic that comes to mind about them. Ongoing research shows that between knowledge, skills, and dispositions of former teachers the greatest factor in determining what makes a teacher someone’s favorite is that the teacher they chose possessed certain dispositional traits. Identifying teacher disposition as the most important factor in favorite teachers, we can examine ways to increase these traits in new, current, and even experienced educators. The benefits of implementing dispositional growth plans may translate into an increase in achievement while saving time and money for the schools. With more teachers demonstrating the desired dispositional traits of favorite teachers, student interest, attendance, and motivation could translate into increased student performance and success. Promoting these desired traits with the development of dispositional growth plans may also increase teacher satisfaction and help to meet the personal and professional needs that many teachers cite as areas of neglect and reasons for quitting the profession. With more than forty percent of new teachers leaving the profession in the first five years, the cost savings to districts and states in reducing attrition could be a real cost savings while promoting an environment more conducive to academic and personal growth for students and teachers alike

Carbene Complexes of Plutonium: Structure, Bonding, and Divergent Reactivity to Lanthanide Analogs

Organoplutonium chemistry was established in 1965, yet structurally authenticated plutonium-carbon bonds remain rare being limited to p-bonded carbocycle and s-bonded isonitrile and hydrocarbyl derivatives. Thus, plutonium-carbenes, including alkylidenes and N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), are unknown. Here, we report the preparation and characterization of the diphosphoniomethanideplutonium complex [Pu(BIPMTMSH)(I)(μ-I)]2 (1Pu, BIPMTMSH = (Me3SiNPPh2)2CH) and the diphosphonioalkylidene-plutonium complexes, [Pu(BIPMTMS)(I)(DME)] (2Pu, BIPMTMS = (Me3SiNPPh2)2C) and [Pu(BIPMTMS)(I)(IMe4)2] (3Pu, IMe4 = C(NMeCMe)2), disclosing non-actinyl transneptunium multiple bonds, and transneptunium NHC complexes. These Pu-C double and dative bonds, along with cerium, praseodymium, samarium, uranium, and neptunium congeners enables lanthanide-actinide and actinide-actinide comparisons between metals with similar ionic radii and isoelectronic 4f5 vs 5f5 electron-counts within conserved ligand fields over twelve complexes. Quantum chemical calculations reveal that the orbital-energy and spatial-overlap terms increase from uranium to neptunium, however on moving to plutonium the orbital-energy matching improves but the spatial-overlap decreases. The bonding picture that emerges is more complex than the traditional picture of the bonding of lanthanides being ionic and early actinides being covalent but becoming more ionic left to right. Multi-configurational calculations on 2M and 3M (M = Pu, Sm) account for the considerably more complex UV/Vis/NIR spectra for 5f5 2Pu and 3Pu compared to 4f5 2Sm and 3Sm. Supporting the presence of Pu=C double bonds in 2Pu and 3Pu, 2Pu exhibits metallo-Wittig bond metathesis involving the highest atomic number element to date, reacting with benzaldehyde to produce the alkene PhC(H)=C(PPh2NSiMe3)2 (4) and ‘PuOI’. In contrast, 2Ce and 2Pr do not react with PhCHO to produce 4

Complete genome sequence of the gliding, heparinolytic Pedobacter saltans type strain (113).

Pedobacter saltans Steyn et al. 1998 is one of currently 32 species in the genus Pedobacter within the family Sphingobacteriaceae. The species is of interest for its isolated location in the tree of life. Like other members of the genus P. saltans is heparinolytic. Cells of P. saltans show a peculiar gliding, dancing motility and can be distinguished from other Pedobacter strains by their ability to utilize glycerol and the inability to assimilate D-cellobiose. The genome presented here is only the second completed genome sequence of a type strain from a member of the family Sphingobacteriaceae to be published. The 4,635,236 bp long genome with its 3,854 protein-coding and 67 RNA genes consists of one chromosome, and is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project