Characterization of the CIP Protease System in the Growth and Development of Chlamydia trachomatis

Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterium that differentiates between two distinct forms during its developmental cycle: elementary bodies (EBs) and reticulate bodies (RBs). The EB is the small, electron dense form that mediates host cell infection. Within the cell, the EB differentiates into the RB, which is the replicative form that develops within a host membrane derived vesicle, termed an inclusion. RBs replicate within this inclusion and eventually differentiate back into EBs. Upon accumulation of EBs at the end of the developmental cycle, the host cell lyses, releasing the EBs for infection of proximal cells. The EB and RB have distinct proteomic profiles, and, given the unique functional and morphological forms, the role of proteomic turnover through protein degradation is understudied in Chlamydia. We hypothesize that the CIP protease system plays an integral role in protein turnover by targeting specific proteins from one developmental form or the other for degradation. Chlamydia contains five genes encoding five CIP genes: clpX, clpC, two clpP paralogs, and clpB. Homotypic oligomerization of the CIP proteins was determined with bacterial two-hybrid assays and native-PAGE gels. Transcriptional analysis via RT-qPCR determined these genes are expressed mid-cycle. Antibiotics that non-specifically activated the ClpPs negatively affected chlamydial development. Additionally, inducible, poly-histidine tagged inactive CIP mutants were used to determine the effect of overexpression on Chlamydia. Taken together, these data suggest that i) the CIP system of Chlamydia functions comparably to other bacteria and ii) CIP proteins are important for chlamydial growth and development

Tuning the relaxation rates of dual-mode T?/T? nanoparticle contrast agents: a study into the ideal system

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent imaging modality. However the low sensitivity of the technique poses a challenge to achieving an accurate image of function at the molecular level. To overcome this, contrast agents are used; typically gadolinium based agents for T? weighted imaging, or iron oxide based agents for T? imaging. Traditionally, only one imaging mode is used per diagnosis although several physiological situations are known to interfere with the signal induced by the contrast agents in each individual imaging mode acquisition. Recently, the combination of both T? and T? imaging capabilities into a single platform has emerged as a tool to reduce uncertainties in MR image analysis. To date, contradicting reports on the effect on the contrast of the coupling of a T? and T? agent have hampered the application of these specialised probes. Herein, we present a systematic experimental study on a range of gadolinium-labelled magnetite nanoparticles envisioned to bring some light into the mechanism of interaction between T? and T? components, and advance towards the design of efficient (dual) T? and T? MRI probes. Unexpected behaviours observed in some of the constructs will be discussed. In this study, we demonstrate that the relaxivity of such multimodal probes can be rationally tuned to obtain unmatched potentials in MR imaging, exemplified by preparation of the magnetite-based nanoparticle with the highest T? relaxivity described to date

An Examination of Emotional Resilience among Athletic Trainers Working in the Secondary School Setting

Purpose: Athletic training is a demanding profession that is a stressor for many practitioners. Emotional resilience allows Athletic Trainers (ATs) to persist in their roles and benefit from long and successful careers. The purpose of this study was to explore the level of emotional resilience of ATs working in secondary school settings and identify factors perceived to contribute to or mitigate one\u27s emotional resilience. Method: A sequential explanatory mixed-method design using a cross-sectional online survey followed by in-depth interviews was used to gather information from 160 (16% response rate) secondary school NATA members - 97 (60.6%) female; 63 (39.4%) male with 13.28+9.46 years of experience. Six individuals (5 female, 1 male) participated in a follow-up semi-structured interview. The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to measure perceptions of individual emotional resilience. Open-ended questions were also used to gather information from the participants who agreed to participate in a follow-up semi-structured interview about the factors perceived to both facilitate or reduce emotional resilience. Results: The mean emotional resilience score (79.84 ± 11.38) for the sample was consistent with the average US adult population. Only 14.1% of the sample reported high emotional resilience scores. There was a significant positive correlation between emotional resilience scores and years of experience as an AT (r(158) = .16, P = .048) and age in years (r(158) = .16, P = .048). There was no significant difference between emotional resilience and academic degree earned (F(2,157) = .775, P = .83). The inductive analysis resulted in the following emergent themes that were perceived to facilitate ones’ emotional resilience: social support, communication, self-care, and past experiences. Also, the following emergent themes were perceived to reduce ones’ emotional resilience: emotional responses and role overload. Conclusion: The results of this study help understand secondary school ATs\u27 perceptions of and factors that contribute to their emotional resilience. Strategies are suggested to help ATs develop emotional resilience to manage their occupational stress and reduce feelings of burnout

National park research fellowships increase capacity and creativity in responding to climate change

The challenges posed by climate change in national parks and other protected areas demand creative approaches, new ideas, and experiments that are beyond the capacity of any single park or agency staff. Research fellowships provide a critical way that the National Park Service (NPS) and its partners can address the agency’s needs to address climate change adaptation challenges. At least 30 such programs support stewardship-relevant science in national parks. Some national programs and initiatives at Acadia National Park in Maine, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California serve as examples of how researchers in these programs are informing restoration, relocation, vegetation and fire management, and resource protection activities; documenting change that has already occurred; providing baseline data on biodiversity; and conducting novel experiments. Successful fellowship programs have strong engagement of resource managers, emphasize communication with management and public audiences, and incorporate ongoing support and evaluation. As a result of these successes, NPS and partners are working to expand and strengthen the sustainability and effectiveness of research grants and fellowships

Case-by-Collaboration: An Adaptable Soft Skills-Based Educational Model for Health Disciplines

Purpose: The purpose of this study was two-fold and consisted of the development of a skills-based model for Case-by-Collaboration (CBC) and the collection of qualitative data from students and teachers aimed at answering the research question: What skills do individuals (students) apply during the completion of a hypothetical medical laboratory management-based Case-by-Collaboration capstone project? Method: A consensual qualitative research design was selected for this study. Students and their instructors from three Medical Laboratory Science programs located in Texas, New York, and Missouri were recruited. Students were given a case that centers on the fictitious Cheapskate Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). The project culminated when each team presented their proposal to become the sole provider of laboratory testing services to the Cheapskate HMO Board of Directors (BOD). The project was initially designed to be accessed and completed online, where students from different institutions would come together and remotely complete the requirements. Data were collected through in-person observations of the final presentation, semi-structured interviews with students and instructors, and analysis of project documents. Data was coded, and transcripts were reviewed numerous times. Two strategies were employed to ensure the integrity of the study. First, the coded data were examined across the data collection strategies, transcripts containing the data, and the themes identified by a researcher and an outside auditor. Secondly, an audit trail was established to document how the data were collected and analyzed, along with documentation of the thought processes used in the data interpretation phase of the project. Results: The current study analyzed responses from 36 students and 5 instructors across the three data collection sites. Seven themes, in the form of skill sets, were identified in the data analyzed:1) information technology, 2) collaboration/team building, 3) verbal and written communication, 4) clinical reasoning, 5) creativity, 6) managerial, and 7) research/investigative. Conclusion: These results suggest the CBC can develop desirable soft skills. This model can be transferrable and apply to CBCs independent of the studied content. Thus, the CBC is an innovative model to teach soft skills across health disciplines

Communicating Hazard Location through Text and Map in Earthquake Early Warnings: A Mixed Methods Study

The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of presenting hazard location in different formats on key warning message outcomes—understanding, personalizing, believing, deciding, and milling. We conducted two studies using experiment and focus group methods. In the experiment, we compared a standard ShakeAlert earthquake early warning message, which merely implied location, to three enhanced messages that communicated information about the earthquake epicenter via text, map, or a combined text-and-map format. Focus groups explored reactions to warning messages accompanied by different types of maps. Overall, the standard ShakeAlert message was associated with worse message outcomes compared to messages that explicitly stated the hazard location; communicating hazard location via text was associated with better message outcomes than the map or combined text-and-map format. Although participants preferred the combination text-and-map format, the text format was associated with significantly better message outcomes. Findings revealed that providing specific hazard location information leads to improvements in message outcomes; however, the format in which the information is communicated via text is the best strategy

Public perceptions of U.S. earthquake early warning post-alert messages: Findings from focus groups and interviews

In May 2020, a false earthquake alert message was sent to the city of Ridgecrest, CA, in the U.S.A., an area that just 10 months prior had experienced a significant series of earthquake events. The false alert was followed by a post-alert message, indicating that the message was cancelled and under investigation. This event, the first of its kind in the U.S.A., provided an opportunity to learn about public perceptions of the post-alert message, including what individuals understood about the threat and their safety, and what actions they should take as a result. We conducted individual interviews with 40 persons in the Ridgecrest community, followed by a series of focus groups in Southern California to discuss post-alert messages, and to learn about information people most needed following false earthquake alerts. We found that individuals with and without prior earthquake experience expressed confusion about content describing the investigatory actions of the organization and had a largely negative response toward content that complimented those who took action in response to the initial earthquake early warning. While current post-alert messages are intended to reinforce the good intentions of the organization and the protective actions taken by message receivers, the message issued was perceived by members of the public to be largely ineffective in achieving either objective because it did not provide the information they desired most—an explicit statement about their safety. Instead, message receivers need information that primarily affirms their current level of safety so they can return to normal functionin

The Ursinus Weekly, March 10, 1941

Dr. Luther Harr warns the Haines Society of laziness in government • Dr. Catharine Macfarlane to speak at women\u27s vocational conference • Shaw called showman of the western world • Fireside chats back Food for Europe plan • Arnold releases name of prom bandleader • Soph hop to feature St. Patrick\u27s theme • \u27Beliefs that matter\u27 are discussed at Buck Hills • \u27Tri-annual\u27 includes article on employment • Men\u27s and women\u27s debating societies send three teams on road to meet nine colleges • Coach Jing Johnson to speak at baseball clinic Thursday • Ursus may be \u27bear\u27, but he\u27s on our rings • Marine officer to define place of grads in draft • Survey suggests students seek school success through thought, thrift, theology, theatricals • After fifty years: the dean reminisces • Drexel loss marks bear court finale • Wrestlers end fifth in Middle Atlantics • Snell\u27s team gets season\u27s first jolt • Girl jayvees down Temple, defeated by Rhode Island • Barab and Kuhn score freshmen over Drexel • MacMahon\u27s 153 points take varsity scoring honors; Kuhn leads frosh with 102 total • St. Paul brotherhood hears history of Schwenkfelders • Hahnemann\u27s dean speaks to pre-meds on body\u27s wonders • Beardwood Society to hear lecture on crime detection • Eilts and Yeomans to discuss Food for Europe before IRC • Committee chairmen for May Day pageant are announced • Faculty club hears Heiges present paper on education • Newman Club discusses book on life of Pope Alexander VI • Meistersingers sing at Stowe • Sturges reviews Masefield • French Club makes planshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1811/thumbnail.jp

Reparametrising the Skyrme Model using the Lithium-6 Nucleus

The minimal energy B=6 solution of the Skyrme model is a static soliton with $D_{4d}$ symmetry. The symmetries of the solution imply that the quantum numbers of the ground state are the same as those of the Lithium-6 nucleus. This identification is considered further by obtaining expressions for the mean charge radius and quadrupole moment, dependent only on the Skyrme model parameters $e$ (a dimensionless constant) and $F_\pi$ (the pion decay constant). The optimal values of these parameters have often been deliberated upon, and we propose, for $B>2$, changing them from those which are most commonly accepted. We obtain specific values for these parameters for B=6, by matching with properties of the Lithium-6 nucleus. We find further support for the new values by reconsidering the $\alpha$-particle and deuteron as quantized B=4 and B=2 Skyrmions.Comment: 18 page