Using Grounded Theory to Understand Resiliency in Pre-Teen Children of High-Conflict Families

Using grounded theory, this study identified factors that contributed to children’s ability to utilize their resilient attributes. Children between the ages of 9 and 12 from high-conflict separated or divorced families participated in a study that examined how family and community interactions promote resilient behaviour. Substantive-level theory gained from this study yielded that children from separated or divorced, high- conflict families exhibit resilient characteristics when family cohesion is used to incorporate additional family support systems, particularly step- parents and extended family members. External support systems, particularly peers, augment these resilient characteristics. In order to build resilience in pre-teen children parents need to encourage relationships with external and internal support systems

Assessment of Seminary Education on End of Life Issues

Background: The US health care system faces increased costs from end of life (EOL) care. The intensive approach to EOL treatment with greater use of procedures in ICUs has led to decedent spending six times greater than that of survivors in the hospital. Experts in ICU and Palliative care fields have called for greater utilization of end of life planning and education. To date, EOL education has been dominated by the technologically driven medical field and the church has been under-utilized. The US population relies on clergy support for many mental health and EOL issues. Clergy report feeling uncomfortable in their ability to provide EOL care and desire more education. Research in clergy preparation for EOL education is relatively small and no studies in Virginia have been completed. Purpose: Document the current state of Richmond, VA, seminary education on EOL issues and document graduating seminarians\u27 desire for more EOL education. Methods: A two-page questionnaire was approved by the VCU IRB and distributed amongst graduating seminarians at the three Richmond Theological Consortium seminaries: Union-PSCE, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, and Virginia Union University Seminary. The first section of the survey evaluated education on EOL issues received while in seminary. Experience with counseling the dying and bereaved along with placement at medical institutions was also evaluated. The second section evaluated the desire for more didactic and practical education. Desire for future Continuing Education Classes was also evaluated along with demographics. SAS was utilized to create frequencies and chi square associations and odds ratios.Results: Overall, 75 surveys were returned, a 35% response rate. Eighty-six percent of respondents stated that pastoral care overall education was covered (missing = 20), while 38.3% stated that medical aspects of dying was covered (missing = 9). Fifty-seven percent had some kind of placement at a medical institution. Sixty-nine percent had experience in an EOL situation. Approximately 75% wanted more education, with practical education and pastoral care predominating. Forty-eight percent desired more theologically-focused EOL continuing education classes. Prior education in preaching sermons and pastoral care of the bereaved was associated with desire for further education in those respective topics, OR = 3.42, 95%CI 1.58, 11.05 and OR = 4.64, 95%CI 1.10, 19.50, respectively. Placement at an institution was associated with desire for more didactic (OR = 3.10, 95%CI 1.03, 9.35) and practical education (OR = 3.89, 95%CI 1.22, 12.35). Experience with counseling the bereaved was associated with a decreased likelihood of wanting more education on how to interact with medical and hospice staff. Demographics were not statistically associated with desire for more education.Conclusions: Several EOL topics do not receive full coverage, specifically self care of the pastor, teaching adults about end of life planning, the medical aspects of end of life, and mobilizing the laity for the care of the dying and bereaved. Placement at an institution or experience was absent in 30-40% of participants. The majority of participants wanted more education. Placement along with previous education was associated with desire for further education. Curriculum change to reflect these findings may benefit in increasing the overall confidence and competence of pastors, increase the ministerial goals of the church, and aid in preparing the public for the end of life, thus decreasing the burden on the health care system

Prison Within Prison

In the United States, around 80,000 prisoners are currently in solitary confinement. Solitary is seen as a “default” for prisons when it comes disciplinary actions taken against prisoners without consideration of its repercussions. These prisoners are locked in their cells alone anywhere from 22-24 hours a day. Prisoners in solitary for long periods of time have serious psychological repercussions and solitary often does not actually solve the targeted problems. Since there aren’t any policies controlling the maximum amount of solitary confinement time, many facilities do not abide by federal rules and instead make up their own. Solitary confinement can be considered torture because of the prolonged cruel and inhumane treatment prisoners have to go through. Many current policies make it very easy for a prisoner to go to solitary confinement, yet few make it easy to get out. Our policy focuses on fully removing solitary confinement as a form of punishment from all prisons. We start by limiting periods of isolation and having humane and adequate living conditions for prisoners. Also, correctional officers need alternative ways to manage dangerous and challenging inmates. In order to start creating change, it is important to educate the public on what is really going on in prisons and how our country is treating its people so that they are able to vote on local and state officials who will reform laws on solitary confinement. As a result of this, the focus of our activism project is spreading awareness about the cruelty of solitary confinement

Complete genome sequence of Halorhabdus utahensis type strain (AX-2).

Halorhabdus utahensis Wainø et al. 2000 is the type species of the genus, which is of phylogenetic interest because of its location on one of the deepest branches within the very extensive euryarchaeal family Halobacteriaceae. H. utahensis is a free-living, motile, rod shaped to pleomorphic, Gram-negative archaeon, which was originally isolated from a sediment sample collected from the southern arm of Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. When grown on appropriate media, H. utahensis can form polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the a member of halobacterial genus Halorhabdus, and the 3,116,795 bp long single replicon genome with its 3027 protein-coding and 48 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project

Complete genome sequence of Halorhabdus utahensis type strain (AX-2).

Halorhabdus utahensis Wainø et al. 2000 is the type species of the genus, which is of phylogenetic interest because of its location on one of the deepest branches within the very extensive euryarchaeal family Halobacteriaceae. H. utahensis is a free-living, motile, rod shaped to pleomorphic, Gram-negative archaeon, which was originally isolated from a sediment sample collected from the southern arm of Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. When grown on appropriate media, H. utahensis can form polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the a member of halobacterial genus Halorhabdus, and the 3,116,795 bp long single replicon genome with its 3027 protein-coding and 48 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project

Controlled Anchoring of Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles on Polymeric Nanofibers: Easy Access to Core@Shell Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposites for Magneto-Scaffolds

Composites combining superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and polymers are largely present in modern (bio)materials. However, while SPIONs embedded in polymer matrices are classically reported, the mechanical and degradation properties of the polymer scaffold are impacted by the SPIONs. Therefore, the controlled anchoring of SPIONs onto polymer surfaces is still a major challenge. Herein, we propose an efficient strategy for the direct and uniform anchoring of SPIONs on the surface of functionalized-polylactide (PLA) nanofibers via a simple free ligand exchange procedure to design PLA@SPIONs core@shell nanocomposites. The resulting PLA@SPIONs hybrid biomaterials are characterized by electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and EDXS analysis, to probe the morphology and detect elements present at the organic/inorganic interface, respectively. A monolayer of SPIONs with a complete and homogeneous coverage is observed on the surface of PLA nanofibers. Magnetization experiments show that magnetic properties of the nanoparticles are well-preserved after their grafting on the PLA fibers and that the size of the nanoparticles does not change. The absence of cytotoxicity, combined with a high sensitivity of detection in MRI both in vitro and in vivo make these hybrid nanocomposites attractive for the development of magnetic biomaterials for biomedical applications

Complete genome sequence of Rhodothermus marinus type strain (R-10T)

Rhodothermus marinus Alfredsson et al. 1995 is the type species of the genus and is of phylogenetic interest because the Rhodothermaceae represent the deepest lineage in the phylum Bacteroidetes. R. marinus R-10T is a Gram-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacterium isolated from marine hot springs off the coast of Iceland. Strain R-10T is strictly aerobic and requires slightly halophilic conditions for growth. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the genus Rhodothermus, and only the second sequence from members of the family Rhodothermaceae. The 3,386,737 bp genome (including a 125 kb plasmid) with its 2914 protein-coding and 48 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project