All posts from the past seven years on race & gender challenges - in one place!

All Classroom Q&A posts on race and gender challenges from the past eight years are described and linked to in this compilation post.

The Newseum in Washington has just launched Decision 2012: Exploring Elections and the Media, an online resource for teaching about the presidential campaign and election.

Ya paso otro año así que le daremos otro vistazo a nuestra busca perpetua por el ISP mas veloz en México

For more than a year and a half, UN peacekeepers have continuously supported military operations conducted by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) against the Rwandan rebels of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) in North and South Kivu.

Bacteria of the genus Campylobacter are major foodborne pathogens which have become increasingly resistant to clinically important antimicrobial agents (1)....

Chromosomal and plasmid-borne AmpC cephalosporinases are a major resistance mechanism to β-lactams in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The new β-lactamase inhibitor avibactam effectively inhibits class C enzymes and can fully restore ceftazidime susceptibility. The conserved amino acid residue Asn³⁴⁶ of AmpC cephalosporinases directly interacts with the avibactam sulfonate. Disruption of this interaction caused by the N³⁴⁶Y amino acid substitution in Citrobacter freundii AmpC was previously shown to confer resistance to the ceftazidime-avibactam combination (CAZ-AVI). The aim of this study was to phenotypically and biochemically characterize the consequences of the N³⁴⁶Y substitution in various AmpC backgrounds. Introduction of N³⁴⁶Y into Enterobacter cloacae AmpC (AmpC_cloacae), plasmid-mediated DHA-1, and P. aeruginosa PDC-5, led to 270-, 12,000-, and 79-fold decreases in the inhibitory efficacy (k₂/K_i) of avibactam, respectively. The kinetic parameters of AmpC_cloacaeand DHA-1 for ceftazidime hydrolysis were moderately affected by the substitution. Accordingly, AmpC_cloacaeand DHA-1 harboring N³⁴⁶Y conferred CAZ-AVI resistance (MIC of ceftazidime of 16 µg/ml in the presence of 4 µg/ml of avibactam). In contrast, production of PDC-5 N³⁴⁶Y was associated with a lower MIC (4 µg/ml) since this β-lactamase retained a higher inactivation efficacy by avibactam in comparison to AmpC_cloacaeN³⁴⁶Y. For FOX-3, the I³⁴⁶Y substitution did not reduce the inactivation efficacy of avibactam and the substitution was highly deleterious for β-lactam hydrolysis, including ceftazidime, preventing CAZ-AVI resistance. Since AmpC_cloacaeand DHA-1 display substantial sequence diversity, our results suggest that loss of hydrogen interaction between Asn³⁴⁶ and avibactam could be a common mechanism of acquisition of CAZ-AVI resistance.

Ceftazidime–avibactam and cefiderocol are two of the latest generation β-lactam agents that possess expanded activity against highly drug-resistant bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. Here we show that structural changes in AmpC β-lactamases can confer reduced susceptibility to both agents. A multidrug-resistant Enterobacter cloacae clinical strain (Ent385) was found to be resistant to ceftazidime–avibactam and cefiderocol without prior exposure to either agent. The AmpC β-lactamase of Ent385 (AmpC^Ent385) contained an alanine–proline deletion at positions 294–295 (A294_P295del) in the R2 loop. AmpC^Ent385 conferred reduced susceptibility to ceftazidime–avibactam and cefiderocol when cloned into Escherichia coli TOP10. Purified AmpC^Ent385 showed increased hydrolysis of ceftazidime and cefiderocol compared with AmpC^Ent385Rev, in which the deletion was reverted. Comparisons of crystal structures of AmpC^Ent385 and AmpC^P99, the canonical AmpC of E. cloacae, revealed that the two-residue deletion in AmpC^Ent385 induced drastic structural changes of the H-9 and H-10 helices and the R2 loop, which accounted for the increased hydrolysis of ceftazidime and cefiderocol. The potential for a single mutation in ampC to confer reduced susceptibility to both ceftazidime–avibactam and cefiderocol requires close monitoring.

Importance Ceftazidime–avibactam and cefiderocol are newly approved β-lactam agents that possess broad spectrum activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. We show here that a two amino-acid deletion in the chromosomal AmpC β-lactamase, identified in a clinical strain of Enterobacter cloacae, confers reduced susceptibility to both agents. By crystallographic studies of free and drug-bound forms of enzyme, we demonstrate that this deletion in AmpC induces slanting of the H-9 helix that is directly connected with the R2 loop, and disappearance of the H-10 helix, is directly responsible for increased hydrolysis of ceftazidime and cefiderocol. These findings provide novel insights into how MDR Gram-negative bacteria may evolve their β-lactamases to survive selective pressure from these newly developed β-lactam agents.

A case of M. leprae rifampicin resistance after irregular anti-leprosy treatments since 1971 is reported. Whole-genome sequencing from four longitudinal samples indicated relapse due to acquired rifampicin resistance and not to reinfection with another strain. A putative compensatory mutation in rpoC was also detected. Clinical improvement was achieved using an alternative therapy.

Florfenicol belongs to a class of phenicol antimicrobials widely used as feed additives and for the treatment of respiratory infections. In recent years, increasing resistance to florfenicol has been reported in Campylobacter spp., the leading foodborne enteric pathogen causing diarrheal diseases worldwide. Here, we reported the identification of fexA, a novel mobile florfenicol resistance gene in Campylobacter. Of the 100 Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from poultry in Zhejiang, China, nine of them were shown to be fexA positive, and their whole genome sequences were further determined by integration of Illumina short-read and MinION long-read sequencing. The fexA gene was found in the plasmid of one strain and chromosomes of eight strains, and its location was verified by S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE) and Southern blotting. Based on comparative analysis, the fexA gene was located within a region with the tet(L)-fexA-catA-tet(O) gene arrangement, demonstrated to be successfully transferrable among C. jejuni strains. Functional cloning indicated that acquisition of the single fexA gene significantly increased resistance to florfenicol, whereas its inactivation resulted in increased susceptibility to florfenicol in Campylobacter. Taken together, these results indicated that the emerging fexA resistance is horizontally transferable, which might greatly facilitate the adaptation of Campylobacter in food producing environments where florfenicols are frequently used.

Campaign Monitor is a satisfactory marketing tool, especially with email marketing features and analytics, but it trails the competition in areas like direct online support.

Who takes the penalties? Who can't you afford to ignore? And who are the bargain signings that could make all the difference?

With the UEFA Champions League resuming next week, UEFA.com looks at which players have been hitting the heights on the domestic front.

Players who provide excellent value for money are a key component of successful Fantasy sides; check out our suggestions.

UEFA.com runs the rule over some of the most expensive players in the game to assess who's worth splashing out for.

UEFA.com studies the statistics to find out which players are predicted for big Matchday 7 totals.

The UEFA Champions League is back and UEFA.com are here to guide #UCLfantasy managers through the first legs of the round of 16.

Ahead of Matchday 7, UEFA.com looks at some obvious selections and some lesser-owned options.

As the knockout stage kicks off this week, The Scout has put together a squad drawing on players from nine teams.

Penn State Health has appointed Don McKenna as president of Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center.

Penn Staters across the Commonwealth are embodying the “We Are” spirit by keeping campus food pantries open and shelves stocked to continue to serve students in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hazleton native Megan Bobish has joined the Penn State Hazleton Athletics Department as the newest member of its team.

Penn State Hazleton’s Student Services and Engagement team is continuing to forge personal connections with students while operating under the restrictions in the virtual environment created by the COVID-19 crisis.

Katie Marshall, Penn State World Campus mental health case manager, connects students learning online to resources in their own communities.

As part of Penn State's 2020 spring commencement activities, Matthew Solovey will represent the College of the Liberal Arts as its World Campus student marshal.

Campus Recreation, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, is hosting the first ever “We Are Penn State Virtual 5K,” with the opportunity to benefit the Penn State Student Care and Advocacy Student Emergency Fund.

Online learners at Penn State have elected 10 leaders to the World Campus Student Government Association to serve in the 2020-21 school year.

Don't take your safety for granted. These apps, services, and gadgets will help you communicate your location to trusted contacts and get help should trouble arise.

Three Berks Thun Library employees received the 2020 Innovation in College Librarianship Award from the College Libraries Section of the Association of College & Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. The award honors librarians who demonstrate a capacity for innovation in working with or serving undergraduates or instructors in the areas of programs, services, and operations, or creating innovations for library colleagues that facilitate their ability to better serve the library’s community.

All Classroom Q&A posts offering advice on Science Instruction (from the past eight years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post.

Fifty students of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus have generated $71,063.48 in donations for the annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON), held Feb. 22 to 23 in the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park.

William J. Doan, the 2019-20 Penn State Laureate, presented “The Anxiety Project: An Artist’s Look at Mental Health and Wellness” at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus on March 3.

The Laurel Highlands boys basketball team will be honored at the USCAA Men’s Division II Basketball National Championship Game on Wednesday, March 11, at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.

Four Penn State World Campus energy and sustainability policy majors spent the year working with Pennsylvania boroughs to inventory greenhouse gas emissions, and coming up with climate action plans for reducing them.

A larger screen and waterproof casing are being offered to encourage sales for 'worry-free summer reading.' Will you be willing to pay $199 for it, though?

Barnes & Noble's Nook GlowLight Plus ebook reader has great hardware for the price, but its software and services are limited and buggy.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has approved a series of new hires that will significantly expand his campaign ahead of the general election fight with President Trump.

Andre Harrell's death was first announced by D-Nice during his "Club Quarantine" sets on Instagram Friday night.

Penn State faculty are going beyond using traditional video in their courses by incorporating virtual-reality immersive experiences. They are discovering how those experiences help enhance active learning and focus students' attention on critical lessons in their courses.

With its latest expansion into parts of Dallas and Omaha, Verizon's 5G network sits in 15 cities nationwide.

The Netgear M5 is the 5G hotspot we've been waiting for, but it isn't coming out until the second half of the year. A separate Netgear CES announcement, meanwhile, showed another weakness of 5G in the US right now.

"This is the moment of truth," says the Spain midfielder ahead of his second U21 EURO final against Germany.

Virtual visits provide opportunities to learn about what Penn State York has to offer. Programming scheduled through May.

Ahead of Matchday 8, UEFA.com looks at some obvious #UCLfantasy selections and those who could cause a surprise.

As the round of 16 comes to a conclusion, UEFA.com presents a captaincy option for each of the four gamedays.

UEFA.com studies the statistics to find out which players are predicted for big Matchday 8 totals.

With the UEFA Champions League second legs starting this week, UEFA.com studies the domestic form book for pointers.

Home advantage could be key with 13 of the 15 players in The Scout's squad playing second legs on their own ground.

At a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C., leaders advocated for states to play a stronger role in championing science-backed instruction and translating research into practice, focusing on levers like teacher training, certification, and system-wide professional learning.