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The emerging millennial generation of young professionals in student affairs, often accused of being shielded from many of life's developmentally stimulating challenges, may not be sufficiently self-authored to effectively facilitate epistemological, intrapersonal, and interpersonal development among their students. Contrary to expectations, however, results from this study suggest current graduate assistants and recent job-changers have higher levels of self-authorship than their colleagues. Implications for graduate preparation, professional practice, and future research are discussed.

Microorganisms associated with medicinal plants are of great interest as they are the producers of important bioactive compounds effective against common and drug-resistant pathogens. The characterization and biodiversity of fungal endophytes of the Petiveria alliacea plant and their antimicrobial production potential are of great interest as they are known for their antimicrobial and anticancer properties. In this study, we investigated the endophytic fungal microbiome associated with P. alliacea, and the endophytic fungal isolates were classified into 30 morphotypes based on their cultural and morphological characteristics. Ethyl acetate extract of fungal endophytes was obtained by liquid–liquid partitioning of culture broth followed by evaporation. The crude extract dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide was screened for antimicrobial activity against three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli ATTC 25902, Staphylococcus aureus ATTC 14775, Bacillus subtilis NRRL 5109) and two fungal strains (Candida albicans ATTC 10231 and Aspergillus fumigatus NRRL 5109). Among the crude extracts from endophytes isolated from leaves, 65% of them showed antimicrobial activity against the bacteria tested. Similarly, 71 and 88% of the fungal crude extracts from endophytes isolated from root and stem, respectively, showed inhibitory activities against at least one of the bacterial strains tested. Crude extracts (at a concentration of 10 mg/mL) from ten of the fungal isolates have shown a zone of inhibition of more than 12 mm against both Gram-positive and negative bacteria tested. Sequenced data from isolates showing strong inhibitory activity revealed that Fusarium solani, F. proliferatum, and Fusarium oxysporium are the major endophytes responsible for bioactive potential. These results indicate that Petiveria alliacea harbors fungal endophytes capable of producing antimicrobial metabolites. Future studies need to focus on testing against drug-resistant bacteria (ESKAPE group) and other pathogenic bacteria and fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating renewable fuel into practice, especially from algae, is a promising approach in reducing fossil fuel dependency. Algae are an exceptional feedstock since they produce abundant biomass and oils in short timeframes. Algae also produce high-valued lipid products suitable for human nutrition and supplement. Achieving goals of producing algae fuels and high-valued lipids at competitive prices involves further improvement of technology, especially better control over cultivation. Manipulating microalgae cultivation conditions to prevent contamination is essential in addition to promoting optimal growth and lipid yields. Contamination of algal cultures is a major impediment to algae cultivation that can however be mitigated by choosing extremophile microalgae. This work describes the isolation of alkali-tolerant / alkaliphilic microalgae native to South Florida with ideal characteristics for cultivation. For that purpose, water samples from Lake Okeechobee were inoculated into Zarrouk's medium (pH 9-12) and incubated for 35 days. Selection resulted in isolation of three strains that were screened for biomass and lipid accumulation. Two alkali-tolerant algae Chloroidium sp. 154-1 and Chlorella sp. 154-2 were poor lipid accumulators. One of the isolates, the diatom Fistulifera sp. 154-3, was identified as a lipid accumulating, alkaliphilic organism capable of producing 0.233 g L-1 d-1 dry biomass and a lipid content of 20-30% dry weight. Lipid analysis indicated the most abundant fatty acid within Fistulifera sp. was palmitoleic acid (52%), or omega-7, followed by palmitic acid (17%), and then eicosapentanoic acid (15%). 18S rRNA phylogenetic analysis formed a well-supported clade with Fistulifera species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentumMoench) is an excellent choice as a cover crop. Buckwheat grows quickly and is utilized as a cover crop for weed suppression, a nectar source for native pollinators, and for soil nutrient enrichment, primarily phosphorus. Even though buckwheat is not commonly grown in Florida’s subtropical zone, it has the potential to be grown as a cover crop supporting sustainable agroecosystem. The purpose of this research was to analyze the suitability of buckwheat as a cover crop in Florida in conjunction with a comprehensive assessment of its response to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation, soil types, and its effect on soil nutrient enrichment. Buckwheat was planted at the Florida International University organic garden (Miami, FL, USA) in early November and harvested in mid-December. After incorporation of buckwheat residues, soil analyses indicated the ability of buckwheat to enrich soil with major nutrients, in particular, phosphorus and nitrogen. Correlation analysis on aboveground buckwheat biomass and soil characteristics showed that high soil pH was the major limiting factor that affected buckwheat growth. Results also showed that buckwheat forms symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; buckwheat root colonization ranges from low to medium. Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased inorganic phosphorus uptake and overall buckwheat growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presence of microcystin (MC), a predominant freshwater algal toxin and a suspected liver carcinogen, in Florida's freshwaters poses serious health threat to humans and aquatic species. Being recalcitrant to conventional physical and chemical water treatment methods, biological methods of MC removal is widely researched. Water samples collected from five sites of Lake Okeechobee (LO) frequently exposed to toxic Microcystis blooms were used as inoculum for enrichment with microcystin LR (MC-LR) supplied as sole C and N source. After 20 days incubation, MC levels were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A bacterial consortium consisting of two isolates DC7 and DC8 from the Indian Prairie Canal sample showed over 74% toxin degradation at the end of day 20. Optimal temperature requirement for biodegradation was identified and phosphorus levels did not affect the MC biodegradation. Based on 16S rRNA sequence similarity the isolate DC8 was found to have a match with Microbacterium sp. and the DC7 isolate with Rhizobium gallicum (AY972457). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The invasive exotic Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae) has become a serious threat to the delicate ecosystem of Everglades National Park in Florida, USA. More than 4000ha in the Hole-in-the-Donut (HID) area within the park have been infested with Brazilian peppertree. Brazilian peppertree is a prolific seed producer, which enhances its invasive potential. Native phytopathogens can be a viable tool in the management of exotic species; no prior studies have reported on the occurrence of native seed-borne pathogens of Brazilian peppertree in Florida. This study showed that drupes of Brazilian peppertree are affected by seed-borne fungal pathogens. These fungal pathogens either cause germination failure or attack seedlings after germination, which results in reduced vigor or seedling death. The seed-borne fungal isolate BPSPF-1 was found to be virulent, and when inoculated it was able to kill Brazilian peppertree seedlings in seedling assays, and 1year old saplings in greenhouse trials. Field inoculation of Brazilian peppertree branches with BPSPF-1 resulted in dieback symptoms. Host range studies on one related native species (winged sumac, Rhus copallinum) and one non-native species (mango, Mangifera indica) showed that neither was affected by girdle inoculation of stems. The BPSPF-1 isolate produced dark melanized mycelium on agar media and did not produce conidia or other fruiting structures. Based on ITS DNA sequence analyses, the isolate was identified as Neofusicoccum batangarum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Treatment with paliperidone palmitate (PP) has been shown to reduce hospitalisation, however its effect on broader service use remains unknown. Our objectives were to describe and compare the health care professional (HCP) use of patients treated with 1-monthly PP before and after its initiation. Methods Data were sourced from South London and Maudsley (SLAM) electronic health records on patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, who had received 1-monthly PP for at least 365 days. We employed two mirrored image analyses to determine the number and frequency of HCP contacts in the 12 months before and after PP initiation: 1) excluding all inpatient days at the time of initiation; 2) excluding only the post-initiation days for that stay. More specifically, we looked at face-to-face, telephone contacts, days spent as an inpatient and number of active days in the service. Results Of 664 patients who had received PP (mean age 42 years), 60.1% were male, 60.1% of black ethnicity, 78.5% single, and 82.7% unemployed; 56.5% of initiations occurred during inpatient episodes. The two mirror image analyses yielded similar results following PP initiation, inpatient bed-days were lower (mean (SD)) with the number of bed-days before and after initiation respectively: 31.6 (52.0) and 21.1 (52.9) in model 1; 45.1 (64.0) and 21.1 (52.9) in model 2; both p<0.001). Significant post- vs. pre-initiation period HCP contact differences (model 2; respective mean (SD) contact numbers) included fewer face-to-face contacts with nurses (15.3 (12.7) vs. 17.6 (16.9), p<0.001) social workers (3.3 (6.1) vs. 4.0 (5.), p<0.001), medical staff (1.2 (2.1) vs. 1.7 (3.0), p<0.001) and unspecified professionals (0.9 (3.1) vs. 1.3 (4.7), p<0.001); and increased contact with clinical psychologists (0.9 (3.6) vs. 0.6 (2.6), p=0.04). Total staff face-to-face contact numbers reduced to mean (SD) 25.8 (20.4) from 29.7 (24.9) (p<0.001). Numbers of phone contacts showed similar changes comparing the post- vs. pre-initiation periods: reduced total contacts (8.7 (8.7) vs. 11.0 (10.5), p<0.001), and those with nursing (4.9 (5.9) vs. 6.1 (7.4), p<0.001), social work (2.0 (5.7) vs. 3.0 (5.7), p<0.001), medical (0.1 (0.4) vs. 0.2 (0.8), p<0.001) and unspecified (0.2 (0.8) vs. 0.4 (1.4), p<0.001) professionals; increased contact with clinical psychologists (0.24 (1.1) vs. 0.19 (0.9), p=0.03). Discussion Our findings indicate a change in the profile of inpatient bed days and HCP contacts following initiation of 1-monthly PP, consistent with a transition from treatment to rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Differential technique enables NMR mapping of powered water-cooled resistive magnets. • We combined ferroshims and resistive shims to shim two high-field Bitter-type magnets. • 25 T resistive Keck magnet reached 2.3 ppm in 1 cm diameter spherical volume (dsv). • Series-Connected Hybrid magnet reached 0.9 ppm in 1 cm dsv at 23.5 T, 28.2 T, 35.2 T. Abstract Powered resistive and resistive-superconductive hybrid magnets can reach fields higher than superconducting NMR magnets but lack the field homogeneity and temporal stability needed for high resolution NMR. Due to field fluctuations in powered magnets, commercially available mapping systems fail to produce maps of these magnets with sufficient reproducibility, thus hampering attempts to improve homogeneity of the field they generate. Starting with a commercial mapper, we built a mapping system which uses a two-channel (measurement + reference) mapper probe. We used this system to map and then to shim two magnets of Florida Bitter type at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, FL. With a combination of passive (ferromagnetic) and active shims we achieved 2.3 ppm homogeneity in 1 cm diameter spherical volume (dsv) at 25.0 T in the Keck resistive magnet, and 0.9 ppm homogeneity in 1 cm dsv at 23.5, 28.2, and 35.2 T in the series-connected resistive-superconductive hybrid (SCH) magnet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]