Southern Illinois Ticks: An Ecological and Medical Overview

Ticks are of concern to southern Illinois residents because they are common in the forested landscapes of the region and have the capability to cause disease in humans and pets. There are several tick-borne illnesses of concern to southern Illinois residents. Prescribed burning is a potential method of tick control, but no significant results were found in the correlation of tick density with time since burn

Structural characterization of cytoskeleton regulating protein villin and its C-terminal modular domains

Villin is a modular protein that regulates F-actin bundles in the microvilli of absorptive epithelial cells in the intestine. At low (10-100 nM) calcium levels, Villin is an F-actin bundling agent supporting the specialized brush border membrane of the absorptive epithelium. At intermediate micromolar calcium levels, Villin nucleates and caps the barbed ends of F-actin and in high (\u3e 100 μM) calcium Villin is an F-actin severing agent (Bretsher & Weber, 1980; Glenney et al., 1980, 1981; Mooseker et al. 1980). The amino acid sequence of Villin has seven modular domains. The first six Villin domains (D1-D6) form a core of ~50% sequence identity with Gelsolin; and contain a Ca2+-dependent actin-binding site associated with the D1-D3 fragment. The last domain, Villin\u27s unique C-terminal headpiece (HP), contains the other F-actin binding site, which is Ca2+-independent (Bretsher & Weber, 1980; Glenney et al., 1980, 1981; Mooseker et al. 1980). Recent investigation by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy and Negative-Stain Electron Microscopy (EM) of the backbone dynamics and actin-binding of Villin\u27s D6-HP, 208-residue, C-terminal modular fragment, revealed that: a) folded domains D6 and HP are interacting only via a largely unfolded 40-residue linker, and b) at millimolar calcium levels, the monomeric D6-HP fragment bundles F-actin and has two actin binding sites; one, which is previously known on HP, and the other is novel, cryptic and Ca2+-dependent, associated with domain D6 or the linker (Smirnov et al., 2007). We have investigated how the domain structure, domain-domain and linker-domain interactions in D6-HP fragment of Villin define its actin regulation properties. Toward this goal, we are: a) making the D6 and D6-HP NMR samples; b) determining the NMR resonance assignment of isolated D6; and c) elucidating the solution structure of D6 domain in isolation and within the D6-HP fragment. Our NMR data indicate that the D6 protein fragment in isolation likely adopts a Gelsolin-like fold and that HP and D6 structures in isolation resemble those in the context of the larger modular fragment D6-HP. The potential effect of the linker on the D6 and HP domains structure is exemplified by the noticeable chemical shift differences for residue 84 of D6 and residue 166 of HP (15N-HSQC spectrum of D6-HP vs. D6 and HP in isolation). These two positions are ~23 residues away from either end of the linker and located on the surface of these domains. In the absence of calcium, Gelsolin adopts a compact, inactive conformation stabilized by the 12-residue C-terminal helix. This helix was suggested to keep together Gelsolin domains D2 and D6 as a latch closed in low calcium and released at higher calcium levels (Robinson et al., 1999). Our ensuing structural study of D6-HP will clarify whether the linker sequence in D6-HP corresponding to this C-terminal helix of Gelsolin forms a helix as well and thus may or not undergo a gelsolin-like, calcium-induced rearrangement. The solution structure of D6 will be determined by NMR and analyzed in combination with the complete solution structure of HP and known structural properties of D6-HP. Together with the calcium and F-actin binding properties of D6 in isolation (currently under study), these data will clarify the role of the C-terminal domains of Villin in its activity as a physiologically principal actin regulator of microvilli

Examining the physiological and psychological impact of smoking cessation on patients with acute myocardial infarction

This study examined the physiological and psychological stressors of hospitalized acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients who abruptly ceased smoking. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 57 AMI patients (29 smokers and 29 non-smokers) on day two following admission to the coronary care unit. Psychological stress was measured using the Profile of Mood States and the Insomnia Severity Index. Retrospective chart abstraction was conducted to examine the impact of smoking cessation on the physiological outcomes. MANCOVA suggested that after adjusting for age, smokers experienced significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety and anger as compared to the non-smokers. Student \u27t\u27-tests and chi-square analyses revealed no differences in length of stay, ischemia and arrhythmia between the two groups. The findings support some propositions of the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and offer support for continued assessment and research related to the management of nicotine withdrawal following AMI

A Cross-Sectional Study of Palliative Care Nurse Attitudes Toward Medical Assistance in Dying

Background: In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada decriminalized physician assisted dying for persons suffering grievous and irremediable medical conditions. In Canada, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is not provided by professional nurses; however, nurses are involved in providing physical care, education, and support for persons who are in various stages of the process. Its integration in palliative care settings has been controversial as MAiD is philosophically at odds with a palliative care approach that seeks to neither hasten nor prolong natural death. Therefore, it has potential to create moral and ethical distress among palliative care nurses who respect adherence to the tenets of palliative care. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to explore the attitudes of palliative care nurses toward MAiD and to identify their professional support needs. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of palliative care registered nurses and registered practical nurses in Ontario, Canada. Letters that provided a link to an online survey were sent to participants by standard mail. Participants completed a novel instrument, the Nurse Attitudes Toward MAiD Scale (NATMS) that included 24 items ranked on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1= ‘strongly disagree’ to 5= ‘strongly agree’). Data analyses included univariate and bivariate statistics, and linear regression. Results: The final sample (N=239) included 173 registered nurses and 66 registered practical nurses who had worked in nursing for \u3e20 years, and in palliative care for \u3e10 years. The overall score on the NATMS was 3.42 + 0.62. Perceived expertise in the social domain of palliative care (β = 0.16; p=0.02), personal importance of religion/faith (β = -0.40; p=0.00), professional importance of religion/faith (β = -0.22; p=0.01) and nursing designation (β=-.18; p=0.03) predicted the NATMS score. Ethics training and clear policies for MAiD integration were reported as required supports in palliative care work environments. Conclusions: This is the first study to reveal the perceived importance of religion, versus religious affiliation alone, as significant in influencing provider attitudes toward assisted dying. Organizations are encouraged to address the professional needs of palliative care nurses. To support MAiD integration, further research is needed to understand differences in attitudes between registered nurses and registered practical nurses, and how the social domain of palliative care influences nurse attitudes toward MAiD

The Montana Coroner System: An Archaic Inadequacy in Need of Reform

The Montana Coroner System: An Archaic Inadequacy In Need Of Refor

The Montana Coroner System: An Archaic Inadequacy in Need of Reform

The Montana Coroner System: An Archaic Inadequacy In Need Of Refor

Global protected area impacts

Protected areas (PAs) dominate conservation efforts. They will probably play a role in future climate policies too, as global payments may reward local reductions of loss of natural land cover. We estimate the impact of PAs on natural land cover within each of 147 countries by comparing outcomes inside PAs with outcomes outside. We use ‘matching’ (or ‘apples to apples’) for land characteristics to control for the fact that PAs very often are non-randomly distributed across their national landscapes. Protection tends towards land that, if unprotected, is less likely than average to be cleared. For 75 per cent of countries, we find protection does reduce conversion of natural land cover. However, for approximately 80 per cent of countries, our global results also confirm (following smaller-scale studies) that controlling for land characteristics reduces estimated impact by half or more. This shows the importance of controlling for at least a few key land characteristics. Further, we show that impacts vary considerably within a country (i.e. across a landscape): protection achieves less on lands far from roads, far from cities and on steeper slopes. Thus, while planners are, of course, constrained by other conservation priorities and costs, they could target higher impacts to earn more global payments for reduced deforestation

Malpractice Cases in Wound Care and a Legal Concept: Special Defense

There is no doubt that in today’s practice of emergency medicine it is imperative to be familiar with how the law relates to administrative and clinical practice. It is my pleasure to announce, as section editor, the new Legal Medicine section of the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. It is anticipated that the articles will cover a variety of areas and cases in the law. Some articles may focus on a particular disease or entity, with representative malpractice cases, and clinical caveats. Other articles may focus on legal concepts that enter the arena of emergency medicine. I have provided brief examples of each of these in this initial manuscript. Other articles could also cover original research related to law such as the standard of care in a given clinical situation or legal concepts such as consent, do-not-resuscitate, and AMA among others. I am hopeful that it will be of great interest to the readers. We welcome submissions and contributions for consideration

It’s About Quality: Private Confinement Facilities in Juvenile Justice

The youth justice system in the United States has always depended on nongovernmental organizations to provide some of the services, supports, and sanctions for youth after juvenile court adjudication. As the use of state-operated youth confinement declined in recent years, primarily as a result of falling rates of serious juvenile crime, the relative importance of private facilities increased. The number of juveniles held in privately operated secure confinement facilities is now larger than the number confined in state institutions

Solar cell research, phase 2 Semiannual report

Radiation effects on properties of lithium solar cell