Lipid metabolism in Trypanosoma cruzi: A review.

The cellular membranes of Trypanosoma cruzi, like all eukaryotes, contain varying amounts of phospholipids, sphingolipids, neutral lipids and sterols. A multitude of pathways exist for the de novo synthesis of these lipid families but Trypanosoma cruzi has also become adapted to scavenge some of these lipids from the host. Completion of the TriTryp genomes has led to the identification of many putative genes involved in lipid synthesis, revealing some interesting differences to higher eukaryotes. Although many enzymes involved in lipid synthesis have yet to be characterised, completed experiments have shown the indispensability of some lipid metabolic pathways. Furthermore, the bioactive lipids of Trypanosoma cruzi and their effects on the host are becoming increasingly studied. Further studies on lipid metabolism in Trypanosoma cruzi will no doubt reveal some attractive targets for therapeutic intervention as well as reveal the interplay between parasite lipids, host response and pathogenesis.

Teaching Spiritual Care Within Nursing Education: A Holistic Approach.

Student nurses are unprepared to meet the spiritual needs of patients, and are often uncomfortable addressing this. This article aims to describe the student perspective of spirituality in relation to the holistic care model. Findings from the study provide insight about preparing nursing students to deliver spiritual care in nursing practice.

Integrating Optimal Screening, Intervention, and Referral for Postpartum Depression in Adolescents.

According to the World Health Organization, 10% to 13% of postpartum women develop a mental disorder, mainly depression. This number is higher in developing countries. This percentage increases in adolescents and symptoms in adolescents tend to be overlooked. These disorders can be treated successfully if detected early, which will in turn prevent more severe symptoms from developing. This article provides evidence-based clinical best practices for the assessment and early recognition of postpartum depression, specifically in adolescents. In addition, suggestions for integration into practice and recommendations for interprofessional collaboration are discussed.

Compassion: a universal language.

Nursing was founded on the ideas of care and compassion. Research has shown that nursing students have the potential to struggle with the concept of compassion or rather maintain this compassion throughout their careers. The compassion and excitement that many students begin nursing programs with can quickly be dissolved with the high demands of nursing curriculum. With teaching strategies afforded through service learning activities such as international medical trips, compassion can be reignited and demonstrated in ways that are more evident since this is not a typical clinical setting. It is vital that nursing education utilize any available resources in order to demonstrate and model compassionate behaviors in order for students to not lose sight of what compassion means for the profession and calling of nursing.

Synthesis and Characterization of Multilayered Diamond Coatings for Biomedical Implants.

With incredible hardness and excellent wear-resistance, nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) coatings are gaining interest in the biomedical community as articulating surfaces of structural implant devices. The focus of this study was to deposit multilayered diamond coatings of alternating NCD and microcrystalline diamond (MCD) layers on Ti-6Al-4V alloy surfaces using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) and validate the multilayer coating's effect on toughness and adhesion. Multilayer samples were designed with varying NCD to MCD thickness ratios and layer numbers. The surface morphology and structural characteristics of the coatings were studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Coating adhesion was assessed by Rockwell indentation and progressive load scratch adhesion tests. Multilayered coatings shown to exhibit the greatest adhesion, comparable to single-layered NCD coatings, were the multilayer samples having the lowest average grain sizes and the highest titanium carbide to diamond ratios.