Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3TL, UK
Correspondence David J. Stickler stickler{at}cardiff.ac.uk
Received 15 May 2007
Accepted 4 July 2007
Previous experimental ...investigations of the crystalline biofilms that colonize and block urinary catheters have focussed on their formation by pure cultures of Proteus mirabilis. In the urine of patients undergoing long-term catheterization, P. mirabilis is commonly found in mixed communities with other urinary tract pathogens. Little is known about the effect that the other species have on the rate at which P. mirabilis encrusts catheters. In the present study, a set of data on the nature of the bacterial communities on 106 catheter biofilms has been analysed and it was found that while species such as Providencia stuartii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were commonly associated with P. mirabilis , when Escherichia coli , Morganella morganii or Enterobacter cloacae were present, P. mirabilis was rarely or never found. The hypothesis that the absence of P. mirabilis from some biofilm communities could be due to its active exclusion by other species has also been examined. Experiments in laboratory models showed that co-infection of P. mirabilis with M. morganii, K. pneumoniae or E. coli had no effect on the ability of P. mirabilis to encrust and block catheters. Co-infection with Ent. cloacae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa , however, significantly increased the time that catheters took to block ( P <0.05). The growth of Ent. cloacae , M. morganii , K. pneumoniae or E. coli in the model for 72 h prior to superinfection with P. mirabilis significantly delayed catheter blockage. In the case of Ent. cloacae , for example, the mean time to blockage was extended from 28.7 h to 60.7 h ( P 0.01). In all cases, however, P. mirabilis was able to generate alkaline urine, colonize the biofilms, induce crystal formation and block the catheters. The results suggest that although there is a degree of antagonism between P. mirabilis and some of the other urinary tract organisms, the effects are temporary and whatever the pre-existing urinary microbiota, infection with P. mirabilis is thus likely to lead to catheter encrustation and blockage.
Propionic acid (PPA) is used to study the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodevelopmental conditions like autism spectrum disorders. PPA is known to disrupt mitochondrial biogenesis, ...metabolism, and turnover. However, the effect of PPA on mitochondrial dynamics, fission, and fusion remains challenging to study due to the complex temporal nature of these mechanisms. Here, we use complementary quantitative visualization techniques to examine how PPA influences mitochondrial ultrastructure, morphology, and dynamics in neuronal-like SH-SY5Y cells. PPA (5 mM) induced a significant decrease in mitochondrial area (p < 0.01), Feret's diameter and perimeter (p < 0.05), and in area2 (p < 0.01). Mitochondrial event localiser analysis demonstrated a significant increase in fission and fusion events (p < 0.05) that preserved mitochondrial network integrity under stress. Moreover, mRNA expression of cMYC (p < 0.0001), NRF1 (p < 0.01), TFAM (p < 0.05), STOML2 (p < 0.0001), and OPA1 (p < 0.01) was significantly decreased. This illustrates a remodeling of mitochondrial morphology, biogenesis, and dynamics to preserve function under stress. Our data provide new insights into the influence of PPA on mitochondrial dynamics and highlight the utility of visualization techniques to study the complex regulatory mechanisms involved in the mitochondrial stress response.
Early-life experiences are critical modifiers of development. An important component of early-life experience is the nature of maternal interactions, which can be modified by stress. During rearing, ...mothers are typically allocated to single-level cages where they are readily accessible to pups, a potentially stressful scenario not reflective of nature. Accordingly, mothers regularly removed from the rearing environment interact differently with their offspring, leading to long-term changes in offspring physiology and behavior. Such changes commonly include modifications within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, of which corticosterone is a major component. Modifications in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may also be manifested through changes in affective behavior and assessed via tests such as the open field and elevated plus maze as well as via ultrasonic vocalization (USV) analysis. As a means of assessing the impact of rearing in a shelved environment, we allocated mothers to standard single-level cages or cages with an integrated shelf, which allowed the mother to temporarily escape pups. While there were no differences in fecal cortico-sterone, behavior in the elevated plus maze, or USVs, male rats reared in standard cages weighed more, and all standard single-level housed rats spent more time in the center of the open field. The observed differences indicate that allocating nursing mothers to shelved environments throughout the postnatal period has long-lasting effects on offspring behavior that must be considered when establishing dam enrichment protocols.
The Arctic has been home to Indigenous peoples since long before the international legal system of sovereign states came into existence. International law has increasingly recognized the rights of ...Indigenous peoples, who also have status as Permanent Participants in the Arctic Council. In northern Canada, the majority of those who live in the Arctic are recognized as Indigenous. However, in northern Russia, a much smaller percentage of the population is identified as Indigenous, as legal recognition is only accorded to groups with a small population size. This article will compare Russian and Canadian approaches to recognition of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous rights in the Arctic with attention to the implications for Arctic Ocean governance.
The article first introduces international legal instruments of importance to Indigenous peoples and their rights in the Arctic. Then it considers the domestic legal and policy frameworks that define Indigenous rights and interests in Russia and Canada. Despite both states being members of the Arctic Council and parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, there are many differences in their treatment of Indigenous peoples with implications for Arctic Ocean governance.
Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a hormone with numerous beneficial cardiovascular effects. Recently, a mutation in the ANP gene, which results in the generation of a mutant form of ANP (mANP), ...was identified and shown to cause atrial fibrillation in people. The mechanism(s) through which mANP causes atrial fibrillation is unknown. Our objective was to compare the effects of wild-type ANP and mANP on atrial electrophysiology in mice and humans.
Action potentials (APs), L-type Ca(2+) currents (ICa,L), and Na(+) current were recorded in atrial myocytes from wild-type or natriuretic peptide receptor C knockout (NPR-C(-/-)) mice. In mice, ANP and mANP (10-100 nmol/L) had opposing effects on atrial myocyte AP morphology and ICa,L. ANP increased AP upstroke velocity (Vmax), AP duration, and ICa,L similarly in wild-type and NPR-C(-/-) myocytes. In contrast, mANP decreased Vmax, AP duration, and ICa,L, and these effects were completely absent in NPR-C(-/-) myocytes. ANP and mANP also had opposing effects on ICa,L in human atrial myocytes. In contrast, neither ANP nor mANP had any effect on Na(+) current in mouse atrial myocytes. Optical mapping studies in mice demonstrate that ANP sped electric conduction in the atria, whereas mANP did the opposite and slowed atrial conduction. Atrial pacing in the presence of mANP induced arrhythmias in 62.5% of hearts, whereas treatment with ANP completely prevented the occurrence of arrhythmias.
These findings provide mechanistic insight into how mANP causes atrial fibrillation and demonstrate that wild-type ANP is antiarrhythmic.
Abstract Context Current health care delivery models have increased the need for safe and concise patient handover. Handover interventions in the literature have focused on the use of structured ...tools but have not evaluated their ability to facilitate retention of patient information. Objectives In this study, mock pictorial displays were generated in an attempt to create a snapshot of each patient's medical and social circumstances. These pictorial displays contained the patient's photograph and other disease- and treatment-related images. The objective of this randomized trial was to assess the ability of these snapshots to enhance delayed information recall by care providers. Methods Participating physicians were given four advanced cancer patient histories to review, two at a time over two weeks. Pictorial image displays, referred to as the Electronic Whiteboard (EWB) were added, in a randomized manner to half of the textual histories. The impact of the EWB on information recall was tested in immediate and delayed time frames. Results Overall, patient information recall declined significantly over time, with or without the EWB. Still, this trial demonstrates significantly higher test scores after 24 hours with the addition of pictures to textual patient information, compared with textual information alone ( P = 0.0002). A more modest improvement was seen with the addition of the EWB for questionnaires administered immediately after history review ( P = 0.008). Most participants agreed that the EWB was a useful enhancement and that seeing a patient's photograph improved their ability to retain information. Conclusion Most studies examining the institution of handover protocols in the health care setting have failed to harness the power of pictures and other representative images. This study demonstrates the ability of pictorial displays to improve both immediate and delayed recall of patient histories without increasing review time. These types of displays may be amenable to generation by software programs and have the potential to enhance information transfer in various settings.
ALS Health care provider wellness Hansen, Gregory; Burton-MacLeod, Sarah; Schellenberg, Kerri Lynn
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration
25, Številka:
3-4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Interest in health care provider (HCP) wellness and burnout is increasing; however, minimal literature explores HCP wellness in the context of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) care.
We sought to ...determine rates of burnout and resiliency, as well as challenges and rewards in the provision of ALS care.
A survey link was sent to physicians at all Canadian ALS centers for distribution to ALS HCPs in their network. The survey included demographics questions, and validated measures for resiliency and burnout; the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and the Single Item Burnout Score (SIBS). Participants were asked to describe challenges and rewards of ALS care, impact of COVID-19 pandemic, and how their workplace could better support them.
There were 85 respondents across multiple disciplines. The rate of burnout was 47%. Burnout for female respondents was significantly higher (
= 0.007), but not for age, role, or years in ALS clinic. Most participants were medium resilient copers
= 48 (56.5%), but resiliency was not related to burnout. Challenges included feeling helpless while patients relentlessly progressed to death, and emotionally charged interactions. Participants found fulfillment in providing care, and through relationships with patients and colleagues. There was a strongly expressed desire for increased resources, team building/debriefing, and formal training in emotional exhaustion and burnout.
The high rate of burnout and challenges of ALS care highlight the need for additional resources, team-building, and formal education around wellness.
A case report of a 70-year-old Indigenous man from a reserve in northern Alberta presented to an emergency department in Edmonton with a long-standing history of abdominal pain is presented. He had a ...3-month history of worsening symptoms and declining function at home. His ultrasound results revealed a Klatskin-type hilar cholangiocarcinoma with involvement of the right-sided bile ducts and hematogenous metastases to the liver. The cancer was unresectable owing to circumferential encasement of the right hepatic artery, and the family decided not to proceed with a biopsy. The patient had been living with his daughter after his wife's death 3 months earlier. Past medical history included type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and bilateral blindness from a previous work accident.
Acid deposition released large amounts of aluminium into
streams and lakes during the last century in northern Europe and eastern
North America. Elevated aluminium concentrations caused major ...environmental
concern due to aluminium's toxicity to terrestrial and aquatic organisms and led to
the extirpation of wild Atlantic salmon populations. Air pollution reduction
legislation that began in the 1990s in North America and Europe successfully
reduced acid deposition, and the aluminium problem was widely considered
solved. However, accumulating evidence indicates that freshwater systems still show
delays in recovery from acidification, with poorly understood implications
for aluminium concentrations. Here, we investigate spatial and temporal
patterns of labile cationic forms of aluminium (Ali) from 2015 to 2018 in
10 catchments in Nova Scotia, Canada; this region was one of the hardest
hit by acid deposition, although it was not considered to have an aluminium problem
due to its high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations that were expected
to reduce Ali concentrations. Surprisingly, our results show the widespread
and frequent occurrences of Ali concentrations that exceed toxic
thresholds in all sampled rivers despite high DOC concentrations.
Generalized linear mixed model results reveal that DOC, instead of being
inversely related to Ali, is the strongest predictor (positive) of
Ali concentrations, suggesting that the recruitment properties of DOC
in soils outweigh its protective properties in streams. Lastly, we find
that, contrary to the common conceptualization that high Ali levels are
associated with storm flow, high Ali concentrations are found during
base flow. Our results demonstrate that elevated Ali concentrations in
Nova Scotia continue to pose a threat to aquatic organisms, such as the
biologically, economically, and culturally significant Atlantic salmon
(Salmo salar).
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