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The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in changes to higher education, including how campus spaces are used and defined. Institutional pivots to meet health and safety protections impacted the way we think about public and private spaces in lasting ways. The end of the acute emergency presents an opportunity for colleges and universities to reflect about the physical and virtual student experience to cultivate a renewed sense of place and belonging. Campus spaces have historically been linked to students' sense of belonging, which correlates with student engagement and academic success. Over generations, higher education has been shaped by social factors, evolving to become more equitable and inclusive. Campus spaces are now physical and virtual, and the COVID-19 endemic period presents an opening for higher education to recenter a student's sense of belonging in community-based locations, physical campus spaces, and virtual learning environments.

BackgroundPsychodynamic psychotherapy is a type of psychotherapy for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, competency in conducting effective psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD is difficult to evaluate. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the psychometric properties of a comprehensive scale to assess cognitive, affective, and psychomotor competencies (CS-CAPC) in psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD.MethodsThis is a qualitative study. The first step used the Delphi technique to gather experts’ opinions on the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor competencies necessary to conduct psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD. The experts comprised three psychotherapists, seven psychiatrists with experience in psychotherapy, and nine teaching staff. A panel discussion was conducted to obtain qualitative data. Thematic data analysis was adopted, and content validity testing was used to analyze the content validity of the CS-CAPC in psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD.ResultsThe CS-CAPC comprised two scales assessing two specific competencies in psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD: The first scale, the psychodynamic formulation competency assessment scale (PF-CAS), comprised six items, including the case description, etiology, and potential course of therapy. The second scale, the practical-competency assessment scale (PC-CAS) for psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD, comprised 12 items, including building a therapeutic alliance, performing psychodynamic interventions while working through the therapeutic process, and closing the session. The scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) for the PF-CAS was 0.981, and that for the PC-CAS in psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD was 1.00.ConclusionThe CS-CAPC in psychodynamic psychotherapy for BPD had good validity in assessing individual competency in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains.

The emergence of variants posing threats to human health and animal production characterizes the epidemiology of Salmonella (1) and also S. enterica serovar Infantis (antigenic formula 6,7:r:1,5). Over the past [...]

Uncommon Salmonella Infantis variants displaying only flagellar antigens phenotypically showed identical incomplete antigenic formula but differed by molecular serotyping. Although most formed rough colonies, all shared antimicrobial resistances and the presence of usg gene with wild-type Salmonella Infantis. Moreover, they were undistinguishable wild-type Salmonella Infantis by whole-genome sequencing.

Raw milk cheeses harbor complex microbial communities. Some of these microorganisms are technologically essential, but undesirable microorganisms can also be present. While most of the microbial dynamics and cross-talking studies involving interaction between food-derived bacteria have been carried out on agar plates in laboratory-controlled conditions, the present study evaluated the modulation of the resident microbiota and the changes of metabolite production directly in ripening raw milk cheese inoculated with Listeria innocua strains. Using a proxy of the pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes, we aimed to establish the key microbiota players and chemical signals that characterize Latteria raw milk cheese over 60 days of ripening time. The microbiota of both the control and Listeria-inoculated cheeses was analyzed using 16S rRNA targeted amplicon sequencing, while direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) was applied to investigate the differences in the metabolic profiles of the cheeses. The diversity analysis showed the same microbial diversity trend in both the control cheese and the inoculated cheese, while the taxonomic analysis highlighted the most representative genera of bacteria in both the control and inoculated cheese: Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. On the other hand, the metabolic fingerprints revealed that the complex interactions between resident microbiota and L. innocua were governed by continuously changing chemical signals. Changes in the amounts of small organic acids, hydroxyl fatty acids, and antimicrobial compounds, including pyroglutamic acid, hydroxy-isocaproic acid, malic acid, phenyllactic acid, and lactic acid, were observed over time in the L. innocua-inoculated cheese. In cheese that was inoculated with L. innocua, Streptococcus was significantly correlated with the volatile compounds carboxylbenzaldheyde and cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, while Lactobacillus was positively correlated with some volatile and flavor compounds (cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, pyroxidal acid, aminobenzoic acid, and vanillic acid). Therefore, we determined the metabolic markers that characterize a raw milk cheese inoculated with L. innocua, the changes in these markers with the ripening time, and the positive correlation of flavor and volatile compounds with the resident microbiota. This multi-omics approach could suggest innovative food safety strategies based on the enhanced management of undesirable microorganisms by means of strain selection in raw matrices and the addition of specific antimicrobial metabolites to prevent the growth of undesirable microorganisms.

Abstract Aim To explore and synthesise findings from qualitative studies on adult patients' experiences of day surgery and the processes of recovery. Background There has been a shift in the practice of elective surgery, from inpatient to ambulatory treatment. Accordingly, more patients are undergoing day surgery and expected to care for themselves at home. To our knowledge, an updated metasynthesis on patients' experiences of day surgery across diverse contexts and continents is lacking. Design Meta‐ethnography. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were systematically searched for qualitative research in English published between 2006 and 2023. Noblit and Hare's meta‐ethnographic approach guided the synthesis of findings from 12 qualitative studies, and the eMERGe Reporting Guidance was used in the writing of this article. Results Four themes were revealed: (1) requests for tailored information, (2) challenges of recognising and understanding postoperative symptoms, (3) being dependent on continuous professional and personal support and (4) calling for individual adaptation. Conclusion Our meta‐ethnography indicates there is a need to improve information provision to better prepare patients for the processes of day surgery and recovery and promote their self‐care abilities. Our findings highlight the importance of ensuring adequate levels of individualised care and support throughout the treatment process. Relevance to Clinical Practice To improve quality of care in day surgery practice, implementation of interventions to enhance information provision and promote self‐care during recovery at home may be considered. Pre‐admission appointments that incorporate provision of tailored information and assessment of the patients' individual needs of care and support, home conditions and access to assistance from family/friends can be recommended.

Pain, whether acute or chronic, is one of the most unpleasant experiences. It can have different origins and long-term effects on the body starting from the trivial once such as physical discomfort, accompanying by emotional distress and going to the more serious like depression, anxiety, and social isolation. The removal and proper treatment of the pain is a problem highly dependent on both the source and the individual features of each organism. Herein the view is turned on investigation of activity of new analogs of natural FELL peptide as a promising alternative of the existing antipain molecules. All targeted compounds are obtained by means of conventional peptide synthesis on solid support using standard Fmoc/OtBu approach and their analgesic activity was evaluated by Paw-pressure (Randall-Selitto) test. Determination of the in vivo analgesic activity of the newly synthesized substances showed that the substitution of both Leu (BB11) with Val residues (BB8) increased PPT of the experimental animals on the 10th min, compared to the values after the nonmodified parent molecule injection. On the 20th and the 30th min, BB8 analgesic activity was comparable to BB11 and further a decrease in the PPT was observed. In addition, compared to the controls, analgesia exists until the end of the monitored period of 50 min. The other three newly synthesized substances including Nle (BB6), Ile (BB7) and triple Leu (BB5) instead of double Leu residues showed time-varying short-term analgesic activity, which did not reach that of the parent molecule BB11. Final results show that D-Phe in a first position of the molecule, combined with both Leu residues in the third and fourth positions are the best combination concerning analgesic activity. In addition, lengthening the peptide chain by adding one more hydrophobic residue has also a positive effect on the obtained analgesia. Cytotoxicity of final molecules is significantly lower than those of the positive control SLS, combined with complete hydrolytic stability, which allows their safety use in pharmacy.

Peer and cohort interaction are essential elements in building a sense of community for doctoral students, yet the restrictions placed on universities in the rapidly evolving COVID-19 environment challenged the ways both doctoral students and faculty approached their teaching and learning. In many environments, public health measures forced doctoral programmes to reconsider traditional delivery methods of supervision and peer learning. This study explores the value of a virtual doctoral networking group created to foster academic connection and peer learning during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Uniquely, the membership draws students from both traditional and applied doctoral programs that use different delivery modalities (online and in person) and includes students at various stages of their doctoral studies. Through the use of personal reflections, we created narratives that we analysed thematically using the Braun and Clarke method. Our findings challenge and extend the previous understanding of the cohort model of learning. We demonstrate that the benefits of the cohort model of learning can occur across programs and independent of the stage of progression in the programmes, in a virtual context. These benefits open opportunities to new ways of supporting doctoral students in a post-pandemic environment.

Background: COVID-19 can have serious long term health consequences, which is called Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS). Currently, the available evidence and understanding of PCS management is limited. Because one of the symptoms of PCS is associated to psychological symptoms, psychotherapy is believed to have a role in the management of PCS. This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of supportive psychotherapy in PCS patients at Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital. Methods: This study was a single blind randomized clinical trial using a pre-and post-test with control group study design. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: a psychotherapy group with 40 participants and an education group with 37 participants. Each group was given internet-based psychotherapy or education three times a week in a form of group consisting of 6-8 participants. Symptom Checklist-90 questionnaire was used to evaluate somatic and psychological symptoms. Heart rate variability and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio were also investigated. Data analysis was performed using the independent T test. Results: An improvement in the SCL-90 score was found to be 17.51 (SD 30.52) in the psychotherapy group and 19.79 (SD 35.10) in the education group, although there was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.771). There was no significant difference between the two groups in decreasing NLR (p = 0.178) and improving HRV (p = 0.560). Conclusion: Both internet-based group supportive psychotherapy and education improved psychological and somatic symptoms in PCS patients, although there was no significant difference between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in decreasing NLR and improving HRV. Suggestions for further research regarding adding frequency of internet-based group psychotherapy in PCS patients and held in the morning to achieve more optimal results.

IntroductionThe spread of antimicrobial resistance among zoonotic pathogens such as Salmonella is a serious health threat, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) carrying antimicrobial resistance genes favor this phenomenon. In this work, phenotypic antimicrobial resistance to commonly used antimicrobials was studied, and the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and plasmid replicons associated with the resistances were determined.MethodsEighty-eight Italian Salmonella enterica strains (n = 88), from human, animal and food sources, isolated between 2009 and 2019, were selected to represent serovars with different frequency of isolation in human cases of salmonellosis. The presence of plasmid replicons was also investigated.Results and discussionResistances to sulphonamides (23.9%), ciprofloxacin (27.3%), ampicillin (29.5%), and tetracycline (32.9%) were the most found phenotypes. ARGs identified in the genomes correlated with the phenotypical results, with blaTEM-1B, sul1, sul2, tetA and tetB genes being frequently identified. Point mutations in gyrA and parC genes were also detected, in addition to many different aminoglycoside-modifying genes, which, however, did not cause phenotypic resistance to aminoglycosides. Many genomes presented plasmid replicons, however, only a limited number of ARGs were predicted to be located on the contigs carrying these replicons. As an expectation of this, multiple ARGs were identified on contigs with IncQ1 plasmid replicon in strains belonging to the monophasic variant of Salmonella Typhimurium. In general, high variability in ARGs and plasmid replicons content was observed among isolates, highlighting a high level of heterogeneity in Salmonella enterica. Irrespective of the serovar., many of the ARGs, especially those associated with critically and highly important antimicrobials for human medicine were located together with plasmid replicons, thus favoring their successful dissemination.

IntroductionWhole genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used for characterizing foodborne pathogens and it has become a standard typing technique for surveillance and research purposes. WGS data can help assessing microbial risks and defining risk mitigating strategies for foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella enterica.MethodsTo test the hypothesis that (combinations of) different genes can predict the probability of infection [P(inf)] given exposure to a certain pathogen strain, we determined P(inf) based on invasion potential of 87 S. enterica strains belonging to 15 serovars isolated from animals, foodstuffs and human patients, in an in vitro gastrointestinal tract (GIT) model system. These genomes were sequenced with WGS and screened for genes potentially involved in virulence. A random forest (RF) model was applied to assess whether P(inf) of a strain could be predicted based on the presence/absence of those genes. Moreover, the association between P(inf) and biofilm formation in different experimental conditions was assessed.Results and DiscussionP(inf) values ranged from 6.7E-05 to 5.2E-01, showing variability both among and within serovars. P(inf) values also varied between isolation sources, but no unambiguous pattern was observed in the tested serovars. Interestingly, serovars causing the highest number of human infections did not show better ability to invade cells in the GIT model system, with strains belonging to other serovars displaying even higher infectivity. The RF model did not identify any virulence factor as significant P(inf) predictors. Significant associations of P(inf) with biofilm formation were found in all the different conditions for a limited number of serovars, indicating that the two phenotypes are governed by different mechanisms and that the ability to form biofilm does not correlate with the ability to invade epithelial cells. Other omics techniques therefore seem more promising as alternatives to identify genes associated with P(inf), and different hypotheses, such as gene expression rather than presence/absence, could be tested to explain phenotypic virulence [P(inf)].

Abstract The majority (85%) of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (nsCL/P) cases occur sporadically, suggesting a role for de novo mutations (DNMs) in the etiology of nsCL/P. To identify high impact protein-altering DNMs that contribute to the risk of nsCL/P, we conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analyses in 130 African case-parent trios (affected probands and unaffected parents). We identified 162 high confidence protein-altering DNMs some of which are based on available evidence, contribute to the risk of nsCL/P. These include novel protein-truncating DNMs in the ACTL6A, ARHGAP10, MINK1, TMEM5 and TTN genes; as well as missense variants in ACAN, DHRS3, DLX6, EPHB2, FKBP10, KMT2D, RECQL4, SEMA3C, SEMA4D, SHH, TP63, and TULP4. Many of these protein-altering DNMs were predicted to be pathogenic. Analysis using mouse transcriptomics data showed that some of these genes are expressed during the development of primary and secondary palate. Gene-set enrichment analysis of the protein-altering DNMs identified palatal development and neural crest migration among the few processes that were significantly enriched. These processes are directly involved in the etiopathogenesis of clefting. The analysis of the coding sequence in the WGS data provides more evidence of the opportunity for novel findings in the African genome.