Is University Nursing Education in Canada Taking the Lead in a World Focused on Sustainable Development? / La formation universitaire au Canada est-elle à l’avant-plan dans un monde centré sur le développment durable?

Global Health is widely being adopted by universities and higher education institutions in Canada and around the world. The current global climate has given rise to an emphasis on the necessity of global health education for nurses. Nursing educators as well as nursing students are seeking guidance as they integrate global health as part of their learning, teaching, research and practice. In September 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): seventeen goals to end poverty, protect the environment, and ensure health and well-being for all. These seventeen goals will guide the world’s development agenda for the next 15 years. Canadian universities, especially nursing faculties/schools are uniquely placed to help implement the SDGs, particularly goals three and four which focus on good health and well-being and quality education. Little has been done in understanding universities and in particular nursing’s overall commitment to achieving these 17 goals. Nursing is the largest health care provider group and it is critical to understand our educational responsibilities in attaining the SDGs. The purpose of this paper is to share findings from a study which examined Canada’s largest nursing faculties’/schools of nursing’s mission statements and strategic plans, and to discuss how these mandates align with the achievement of the SDGs. Résumé La notion de « santé mondiale » est largement utilisée par les universités et les établissements d’enseignement supérieur au Canada et partout dans le monde. Le climat mondial actuel a fait naître le besoin de former les infirmières au domaine de la santé mondiale. Les professeures et les étudiantes en sciences infirmières sont à la recherche d’orientations alors qu’elles intègrent la santé mondiale à leur apprentissage/enseignement, recherche et pratique. En septembre 2015, les États membres de l’ONU ont adopté les Objectifs de développement durable (ODD) : dix-sept objectifs qui visent à mettre fin à la pauvreté, à protéger l’environnement et à garantir la santé et le bien-être pour tous. Au cours des 15 prochaines années, ces dix-sept objectifs vont guider le développement à l’échelle mondiale. Les universités canadiennes, et surtout les facultés de sciences infirmières, sont particulièrement bien placées pour contribuer à la mise en œuvre de ces ODD, plus spécifiquement les objectifs trois et quatre qui portent sur la santé et le bien-être et une éducation de qualité. Peu d’efforts ont été faits pour comprendre l’engagement des universités et surtout, celui des sciences infirmières, pour atteindre ces 17 objectifs. Les infirmières représentent le plus important groupe de prestataires de soins de santé au pays, et il est essentiel de comprendre nos responsabilités en matière de formation pour la réalisation des ODD de l’ONU. Le but de cet article est de faire part des résultats d’une étude qui portait sur les énoncés de mission les plans stratégiques des plus grandes facultés de sciences infirmières/école de sciences infirmières au Canada, et de discuter de la correspondance de ces mandats avec l’atteinte de ces ODD

The Soil as a Bioreactor: Reaction-Diffusion Processes and Biofilms

Abstract: The fate of organic substances in soil strongly depends on biological processes. These biological processes are shaped by microorganisms, which occur in soil pores, either in suspension or as biofilms inside and outside soil aggregates. Biofilms alter the pore geometry while growing which directly influences the soil water flow field and hence the convective transport of organic substances. In this paper we present a model of the bioreactor soil at the pore scale under saturated conditions comprising coupled fluid flow, transport, reaction, sorption, and biofilm dynamics. The spatio-temporal development of the biofilm is altering properties such as viscosity, diffusion coefficient and degradation rates. The degradation potential of organic substances was analyzed by considering the influence of microbes on their breakthrough behavior. The model results underline that biological processes exert a major influence on the fate of organic substances in soil

Human Biomechanical and Cardiopulmonary Responses to Partial Gravity – A Systematic Review

The European Space Agency has recently announced to progress from low Earth orbit missions on the International Space Station to other mission scenarios such as exploration of the Moon or Mars. Therefore, the Moon is considered to be the next likely target for European human space explorations. Compared to microgravity (µg), only very little is known about the physiological effects of exposure to partial gravity (µg < partial gravity < 1 g). However, previous research studies and experiences made during the Apollo missions comprise a valuable source of information that should be taken into account when planning human space explorations to reduced gravity environments. This systematic review summarizes the different effects of partial gravity (0.1-0.4 g) on the human musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems using data collected during the Apollo missions as well as outcomes from terrestrial models of reduced gravity with either 1 g or microgravity as a control. The evidence-based findings seek to facilitate decision making concerning the best medical and exercise support to maintain astronauts’ health during future missions in partial gravity. The initial search generated 1323 publication hits. Out of these 1323 publications, 43 studies were included into the present analysis and relevant data were extracted. None of the 43 included studies investigated long-term effects. Studies investigating the immediate effects of partial gravity exposure reveal that cardiopulmonary parameters such as heart rate, oxygen consumption, metabolic rate and cost of transport are reduced compared to 1 g, whereas stroke volume seems to increase with decreasing gravity levels. Biomechanical studies reveal that ground reaction forces, mechanical work, stance phase duration, stride frequency, duty factor and preferred walk-to-run transition speed are reduced compared to 1 g. Partial gravity exposure below 0.4 g seems to be insufficient to maintain musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary properties in the long-term. To compensate for the anticipated lack of mechanical and metabolic stimuli some form of exercise countermeasure appears to be necessary in order to maintain reasonable astronauts’ health, and thus ensure both sufficient work performance and mission safety

Synergistic research synthesis enabling evidence based practice

Introduction Evidence based practice requires showing upon what we are basing medical opinions and guidelines, or recognising when evidence is absent that guidance is “expert opinion” and research is required to fill evidence gaps. Aerospace is one of the final medical fields to begin organising a critical summary, adapted periodically, of evidence underpinning operations, and the Aerospace Medicine Systematic Review Group is a new initiative to fill this gap. This group facilitates high quality, transparent synthesis of evidence, to inform operational medical guidelines in best practice, while simultaneously guiding future research by identifying research gaps. The group has (A) facilitated a second review with the European Space Agency Medical Office to inform human Lunar and Martian mission medical considerations and (B) developed and published, open access, new review methods to aid others to undertake aerospace medicine systematic reviews. Methods (A) Electronic databases were searched from the start of records to April 2016. Studies were assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Effect size analysis was used to assess the effect of various g loading on human biomechanical and cardiopulmonary systems. (B) A new rating scale to appraise technical principles of studies to simulate partial gravity was implemented. Additional method guides for developing questions, protocol drafting, data extracting, quantifying effects and scoring a bed rest study quality were also developed. Results (A) The review identified 43 studies that found partial gravity appears unable to protect against cardiovascular and biomechanical changes. (B) The group designed and developed a website (www.aerospacemed.rehab/systematic-review-group) to provide free access to methods developed by the group and provide links to wider resources. Discussion The systematic review informed medical considerations for future human exploration missions and demonstrates how systematic synthesis of the evidence base more strongly and better informs medical operations than expert opinion, basic reviews or disordered individual studies. Limitations in the current conduct and reporting of aerospace medicine research are also highlighted. Continuing development of review methods, published as open access guides on the group website and working with review teams globally, will help bring synergy to, and enable high quality summary, of the aerospace medicine evidence base

Using Colistin as a Trojan Horse: Inactivation of Gram-Negative Bacteria with Chlorophyllin

Colistin (polymyxin E) is a membrane-destabilizing antibiotic used against Gram-negative bacteria. We have recently reported that the outer membrane prevents the uptake of antibacterial chlorophyllin into Gram-negative cells. In this study, we used sub-toxic concentrations of colistin to weaken this barrier for a combination treatment of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium with chlorophyllin. In the presence of 0.25 µg/mL colistin, chlorophyllin was able to inactivate both bacteria strains at concentrations of 5–10 mg/L for E. coli and 0.5–1 mg/L for S. Typhimurium, which showed a higher overall susceptibility to chlorophyllin treatment. In accordance with a previous study, chlorophyllin has proven antibacterial activity both as a photosensitizer, illuminated with 12 mW/cm2, and in darkness. Our data clearly confirmed the relevance of the outer membrane in protection against xenobiotics. Combination treatment with colistin broadens chlorophyllin’s application spectrum against Gram-negatives and gives rise to the assumption that chlorophyllin together with cell membrane-destabilizing substances may become a promising approach in bacteria control. Furthermore, we demonstrated that colistin acts as a door opener even for the photodynamic inactivation of colistin-resistant (mcr-1-positive) E. coli cells by chlorophyllin, which could help us to overcome this antimicrobial resistance

Geometrically defined environments direct cell division rate and subcellular YAP localization in single mouse embryonic stem cells

Mechanotransduction via yes-associated protein (YAP) is a central mechanism for decision-making in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Nuclear localization of YAP is tightly connected to pluripotency and increases the cell division rate (CDR). How the geometry of the extracellular environment influences mechanotransduction, thereby YAP localization, and decision-making of single isolated mESCs is largely unknown. To investigate this relation, we produced well-defined 2D and 2.5D microenvironments and monitored CDR and subcellular YAP localization in single mESCs hence excluding cell–cell interactions. By systematically varying size and shape of the 2D and 2.5D substrates we observed that the geometry of the growth environment affects the CDR. Whereas CDR increases with increasing adhesive area in 2D, CDR is highest in small 2.5D micro-wells. Here, mESCs attach to all four walls and exhibit a cross-shaped cell and nuclear morphology. This observation indicates that changes in cell shape are linked to a high CDR. Inhibition of actomyosin activity abrogate these effects. Correspondingly, nuclear YAP localization decreases in inhibitor treated cells, suggesting a relation between cell shape, intracellular forces, and cell division rate. The simplicity of our system guarantees high standardization and reproducibility for monitoring stem cell reactions and allows addressing a variety of fundamental biological questions on a single cell level

Close Homolog of L1 Is an Enhancer of Integrin-mediated Cell Migration

Close homolog of L1 (CHL1) is a member of the L1 family of cell adhesion molecules expressed by subpopulations of neurons and glia in the central and peripheral nervous system. It promotes neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival in vitro. This study describes a novel function for CHL1 in potentiating integrin-dependent cell migration toward extracellular matrix proteins. Expression of CHL1 in HEK293 cells stimulated their haptotactic migration toward collagen I, fibronectin, laminin, and vitronectin substrates in Transwell assays. CHL1-potentiated cell migration to collagen I was dependent on alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1 integrins, as shown with function blocking antibodies. Potentiated migration relied on the early integrin signaling intermediates c-Src, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase. Enhancement of migration was disrupted by mutation of a potential integrin interaction motif Asp-Gly-Glu-Ala (DGEA) in the sixth immunoglobulin domain of CHL1, suggesting that CHL1 functionally interacts with beta1 integrins through this domain. CHL1 was shown to associate with beta1 integrins on the cell surface by antibody-induced co-capping. Through a cytoplasmic domain sequence containing a conserved tyrosine residue (Phe-Ile-Gly-Ala-Tyr), CHL1 recruited the actin cytoskeletal adapter protein ankyrin to the plasma membrane, and this sequence was necessary for promoting integrin-dependent migration to extracellular matrix proteins. These results support a role for CHL1 in integrin-dependent cell migration that may be physiologically important in regulating cell migration in nerve regeneration and cortical development