Isolation and genome characterization of Paenibacillus polymyxa 188, a potential biocontrol agent against fungi

AIMS

In this work, we aimed to isolate marine bacteria that produce metabolites with antifungal properties.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Paenibacillus polymyxa 188 was isolated from a marine sediment sample, and it showed excellent antifungal activity against many fungi pathogenic to plants (Fusarium tricinctum, Pestalotiopsis clavispora, Fusarium oxysporum, F. oxysporum f. sp. Cubense (Foc), Curvularia plantarum, and Talaromyces pinophilus) and to humans (Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium oxalicum, and Microsphaeropsis arundinis). The antifungal compounds produced by P. polymyxa 188 were extracted and analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The complete genome sequence and biosynthetic gene clusters of P. polymyxa 188 were characterized and compared with those of other strains. A total of 238 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were identified in P. polymyxa 188. Two antibiotic gene clusters, fusaricidin and tridecaptin, exist in P. polymyxa 188, which is different from other strains that typically have multiple antibiotic gene clusters.

CONCLUSIONS

Paenibacilluspolymyxa 188 was identified with numerous biosynthetic gene clusters, and its antifungal ability against pathogenic fungi was verified.

Assaultive behavior by psychiatric in-patients and its related factors

The purpose of this article is to explore assaultive behavior of psychiatric in-patients in a hospital and to examine the interplay of patient, environmental, and staff factors related to assault. The present study was carried out prospectively using standardized instruments applied in four acute wards in one hospital. A log system was used to record the occurrence of assaults. The results showed 595 episodes of assault from 238 patients in 7 months. Forty one nurses participated in the study. To further examine the differences between assaultive and non-assaultive patients, and assaulted and non-assaulted nurses, a logistic regression analysis was used. The results indicated that patient factors (diagnosis, history of assault, time since admission, and history of smoking), environmental factors (patient/nurse ratio and spatial density), and staff factors (age, length of work experience, training program received in prevention and management of assaults) are contributing variables to assaultive behavior. The present study examined a wider range of variables than have been included in many previous studies. This reinforces the necessary complexity of models likely to prove useful in predicting assaults among psychiatric inpatients.

Caregiver burden: a concept analysis

The development of the concept of burden for use in research lacks consistent conceptualization and operational definitions. The purpose of this article is to analyze the concept of burden in an effort to promote conceptual clarity. The technique advocated by Walker and Avant is used to analyze this concept. Critical attributes of burden include subjective perception, multidimensional phenomena, dynamic change, and overload. Predisposing factors are caregiver's characteristics, the demands of caregivers, and the involvement in caregiving. The consequences of burden generate problems in care-receiver, caregiver, family, and health care system. Overall, this article enables us to advance this concept, identify the different sources of burden, and provide directions for nursing intervention.

Burden experienced by caregivers of relatives with dementia in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

The burden produced by caring for relatives with dementia is an increasing problem in the United States and Taiwan, necessitating a better understanding of the interrelationships of the factors that influence burden.

OBJECTIVES

To test a theoretical model specifying how the demands of care, filial obligation, caregiving self-efficacy, coping strategies, and caregiving involvement affect caregiver burden.

METHOD

A descriptive cross-sectional design with a convenience sample (n = 150) from outpatient clinics of three hospitals in Taiwan was used. The Caregiver Burden Inventory and the Cost of Care Index assessed caregiver burden. The antecedents of burden were assessed by the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Revised Memory and Behavior Problem Checklist, the Montgomery obligation subscale, Cicirelli's obligation scale, the Caregiving Self-efficacy Scale, the Caregiving Involvement Scale, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The original model did not fit the data well but minor respecifications produced a good model as evidenced by a chi2/df ratio of 2.1, a goodness-of-fit index of .89, and a comparative fit index of .93. Demands of care on the caregiver and filial obligation had direct positive effects on caregiving involvement. Caregiving involvement and emotion-focused coping had direct positive effects on caregiving burden. Filial obligation, caregiving self-efficacy, and problem-focused coping had direct negative effects on caregiving burden. Six of the seven original hypothesized structural relationships were confirmed in the final model.

CONCLUSIONS

The Burden Model tested in this study corroborates findings from other burden studies and extends our knowledge of caregiver burden. Filial obligation, self-efficacy, demands of care, involvement in care, and coping were shown to predict burden in this sample of Taiwanese caregivers. Future study is needed to evaluate interventions designed for family caregivers of persons with dementia. Especially needed is research in the area of counseling and mental health services to assist caregivers in dealing with manifestations of burden.

Assaultive behavior in geriatric patients

The causes of assaultive behavior can be grouped into three categories: patient factors, environmental factors, and caregiver factors. History of previous assault and diagnosis of dementia or organic brain syndrome are most often associated with assaultive behavior in elderly patients. Limited body space and excessive environmental stimuli can trigger assaultive behavior. Gerontological nurses can prevent the incidence of assault by recognizing the potential risks, preventing patients' fear and anxiety, reducing the outburst of anger, and decreasing patients' agitation.