Texas Tech University Research Articles

Biochemical evaluation of drug inhibition of human MDR1 P‐glycoprotein

P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) overexpression is often correlated with multidrug‐resistance (MDR) of cancer. To search for P‐gp inhibitors as co‐therapeutics to combat MDR, we had previously used high‐throughput in silico ligand docking studies to identify drug‐like compounds and their effects on P‐gp ATPase hydrolysis activity, followed by assays of MDR‐reversal of a prostate and ovarian cancer cell lines. More recently, additional computationally identified compounds were shown to reverse MDR in cancer cells. Biochemical assays using purified P‐gp provide important information regarding the mechanism of inhibition and have been used as primary screens in our drug finding process. Some of these newly found compounds were observed to be inhibitors of ATP hydrolysis activity of a cysteine‐less mouse MDR3 homolog of the human MDR1 P‐glycoprotein. Even though human and mouse P‐gp share about 87% identity in amino acid sequence, there may still be sufficient differences between the two proteins that may prevent MDR3 from faithfully reporting on inhibitor action on the human protein. High expression of human P‐gp in Pichia pastoris in a biologically active form was previously reported and the purified P‐gp was used on our recent assays. Lipid activation of ABC transporters, as shown by others, is a requirement to achieve optimal enzyme activity, but in our hands has proven to be more challenging than expected. The best P‐gp activation was achieved using L‐α‐phosphatidyl choline. The resulting lipid‐activated P‐gp showed low basal activity (~8.5 nmol NADH/min/mg P‐gp), but more than 30‐fold activation by the P‐gp transport substrate, verapamil (~306 nmol NADH/min/mg P‐gp). Here we report our optimized strategy to lipid‐activate wild‐type human P‐gp as well as the evaluation of the potential of our previously discovered drug‐like compounds to serve as inhibitors of human P‐gp ATP hydrolysis activity.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by NIH NIGMS [R15GM094771‐02] to PDV and JGW, SMU University Research Council, SMU Hamilton Undergraduate Research Scholars and Undergraduate Research Assistantship Programs, the SMU Center for Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery, the Communities Foundation of Texas, and a private gift from Ms. Suzy Ruff of Dallas, Texas. The authors would like to thank Dr. Ina L. Urbatsch, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, for providing the P. pastoris cells expressing the human wild‐type MDR1 used in this work.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Cytokine‐stimulated iNOS Expression Requires Long Chain Fatty Acyl CoA Synthetase (ACSL)

RationaleACSL catalyzes the ligation of fatty acid to coenzyme A, the first and rate limiting step for fatty acid utilization. Triacsin C is a fungal metabolite which inhibits ACSL1, ACSL3, and ACSL4. Earlier, we showed that Triacsin C reduces the infarct volume and inhibits iNOS expression in the MCAO model of stroke. As iNOS is up‐regulated in stroke, we wished to determine whether the Triacsin C effect was linked to iNOS expression.MethodsbEnd.3 cells were stimulated with cytokine mix, (TNFα, 60 ng/mL; Ilβ,2 ng/mL; IFNγ, 100 units/mL), in the presence or absence of 5μM Triacsin C for 24 hours. RNA was extracted following RNeasy Plus Mini Kit(Qiagaen) instruction. The concentration and purity of RNA was determined by Spectrophometer. 20 μl first strand cDNA was synthesized from 1 μg total RNA for each sample using Superscript III First‐Strand(Invitrogen). One μl cDNA was amplified using SYBR Green PCR Master Mix (applied Biosystems) in CFX96 Touch Real‐Time PCR Detection System (BioRad). β‐actin (cat 330001 PPM02945B) and iNOS (cat 330001PPM02928B) primers were purchased from Qiagen. Expression level in fold change was determined by the comparative threshold cycle method (2−ΔΔCt) with β‐actin as the control gene.ResultsCytomix stimulated iNOS expression in the presence of Triacsin C was 52.8 ± 8.33% of control. (p=0.0005; n=5 independent experiments).ConclusionsOur data confirm that iNOS expression is modulated by ACSL activity, and support our hypothesis that the Triacsin C effect on stroke infarct volume is related to suppression of iNOS expression.Support or Funding InformationDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TXThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Assessing Lipid Activation of Human P‐Glycoprotein for ATP Hydrolysis Analyses in the Presence of Novel Inhibitors

P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) belongs to the ATP‐Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter family of protein. This class of membrane proteins is strongly linked with multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumors where overexpression of these proteins often nullifies the effects of chemotherapeutics by removing the therapeutics from the cells. In hopes of creating co‐therapeutics to re‐sensitize tumors to chemotherapeutics, we previously used high‐throughput in silico ligand docking studies and identified drug‐like compounds that reversed MDR in human cancer cells in culture. The effects on P‐gp ATPase hydrolysis activity were used as an initial biochemical screen for inhibitor effectiveness followed by assessments of MDR‐reversal in various P‐gp overexpressing cancer cell lines. For the initial biochemical analyses, P‐glycoprotein (MDR3) from mouse was used, which is closely related to the human (MDR1) protein. To evaluate the mechanism of inhibition also in the human P‐protein, we have isolated human P‐gp from the yeast Pichia pastoris using mixed detergent micelles. Lipid activation of ABC transporters has been shown previously to be a vital step in ensuring best enzyme activity for the analysis of such proteins. In our pursuit to optimize the P‐gp ATPase activity, we have varied amounts and combinations of different lipids including phosphatidylcholine (PC), E. coli lipids and cholesterol and assessed the resulting ATPase hydrolysis activities in coupled enzyme assays. Preliminary results showed P‐gp activity in the presence of PC was significantly higher than when E. coli lipids were used. Here we report our efforts to achieve the best protein:lipid ratios as well as assess various techniques to achieve the high ATP hydrolysis activity of P‐gp to test our newly found drug‐like molecules in their effectiveness as P‐gp inhibitors.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by NIH NIGMS [R15GM094771‐02] to PDV and JGW, SMU University Research Council, SMU Hamilton Undergraduate Research Scholars and Undergraduate Research Assistantship Programs, the SMU Center for Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery, the Communities Foundation of Texas, and a private gift from Ms. Suzy Ruff of Dallas, Texas. The authors would like to thank Dr. Ina L. Urbatsch, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, for providing the P. pastoris cells expressing the human wild‐type MDR1 used in this work.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Arachidonoyl‐2‐chloroethylamide alleviates inflammatory pain in a sex‐dependent manner using the formalin test

Previous studies have shown that certain cannabinoids have analgesic effects. Specifically, activation of cannabinoid receptor (CB) 1 has been demonstrated to produce analgesia in multiple animal models. Arachidonyl‐2‐chloroethylamide (ACEA) is a synthetic agonist for CB1 receptors. The activation of CB1 with ACEA could enable chronic inflammatory pain patients to manage this discomfort. ACEA has not been extensively studied in animal models; therefore, not much is known about the dose effectiveness, development of tolerance, or sex‐specific effects.To study the analgesic effects of ACEA, we treated male and female C57BL6J mice prior to the formalin pain test. Administration of formalin (2.5% intraplantar) produces a biphasic pain response, modeling both acute and inflammatory pain. We believe that administration of ACEA at a dose of 0.5 mg per kg intraperitoneal will reduce inflammatory pain in this model. Also, we suggest that daily pretreatment with ACEA prior to the formalin test will cause desensitization to this compound; therefore, the initial analgesic effect will not be seen. To examine sex‐specific effects, we also tested and compared male and female mice. Moreover, vaginal lavage was performed daily on female mice to track the estrous cycle.Preliminary data suggests that females experience higher pain sensitivity compared with males when ACEA 0.5 mg per kg was used. Furthermore, our preliminary data shows that chronic administration in females results in estrous cycle changes. We concluded that there is a sex‐dependent difference in analgesic response to ACEA, and that it may be hormonally‐mediated.Support or Funding InformationFunded by NIDA DA044999‐01A1 (JG) and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine #121035 (JG).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Perceptions of High School Cooperating Agricultural Teachers on the Performance of Student Teachers

The profession of agricultural education is experiencing shortages across the nation. Texas is critically impacted due to the renewed emphasis of career and technical education. This leads to questions about the preparedness of recent college graduates to handle the demands placed upon agricultural educators. Starting in 2012, Texas Tech University restructured the courses within the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications to better prepare graduates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the agricultural education program at Texas Tech University by examining the preparedness of student teachers as determined by the cooperating teachers. A survey containing the characteristics of effective agricultural teachers identified by Roberts and Dyer (2004) was administered to cooperating teachers of Texas Tech University student teachers. The cooperating teachers evaluated the importance of the characteristics and the preparedness of Texas Tech University student teachers. The results of this survey were analyzed using a Borich needs assessment model. Texas Tech University cooperating teachers perceived student teachers to be most prepared in the categories of personal qualities and community relations and found the student teachers need further development of skills related to the categories of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and program planning/management.

Conradiana: A Journal of Joseph Conrad Studies

ConradianaA Journal of Joseph Conrad Studies John G. Peters, Editor, Jana M. Giles, Managing Editor, Anna Bounds, Melissa Jackson, Karla Robertson, and Tia Smith, Editorial Interns Conradiana, an international journal devoted to and welcoming essays on all aspects and periods of the life and works of Joseph Conrad, is published three times yearly in the spring, summer, and fall. If possible, essays should cite Conrad’s works within the text. Essays must cite a major authoritative edition of Conrad’s works (such as the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Joseph Conrad; the Uniform edition of the Collected Works of Joseph Conrad [Doubleday or Dent edition]; or the most recent editions of the Modern Library, Broadview, Norton Critical, Oxford, or Penguin editions of Conrad’s works), as approved by the General Editor of Conradiana. Submissions should be double-spaced throughout and follow the MLA Manual of Style. Manuscripts may be submitted electronically (preferred) as a Microsoft Word file (or in a compatible format) to John G. Peters, Editor, at jgpeters@unt.edu. Authors preferring to submit a hard copy may do so by sending their work to the Editor at 1155 Union Circle, #311307, Department of English, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203-5017. Correspondence should be directed to the Editor, except in the case of subscriptions and other business matters, which should be addressed to Texas Tech University Press sales office, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037. Books for review should be sent to Ellen Burton Harrington, Book Review Editor, Department of English, University of South Alabama, 5991 USA Drive, N., Room 240, Mobile, AL 36688 (eharrington@southalabama.edu). Subscriptions are $64.00 for individuals and $120.00 for institutions. Conradiana is indexed in Abstracts in English Studies, American Humanities Index, Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities, MLA International Bibliography, and Twentieth-Century Literature. COVER: Detail from “Joseph Conrad Listening to Music,” etching by Walter Tittle, courtesy of the Rare Book Room, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University. This journal is a member of , the Council of Editors of Learned Journals. Conradiana—ISSN 0010-6356 Spring/Summer 2019, Volume 51, Numbers 1–2 (published three times a year) Texas Tech University Copyright © 2018 Texas Tech University Press Box 41037 Lubbock, Texas [End Page i] Copyright © 2019 Texas Tech University Press

Violence in the healthcare workplace

Mary Annette Gary is an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing in Lubbock, Tex. The author has disclosed no financial relationships related to this article.

<p>Histological changes of the peripheral zone in small and large prostates and possible clinical implications</p>

IntroductionIt is well documented in literature that most prostate carcinomas (PCa) arise in the peripheral zone (PZ). Additionally, an inverse relationship between prostate size and the incidence of PCa has been demonstrated in recent studies. However, little is known about gland distribution in the peripheral zone of larger prostates compared to smaller prostates. In this study, we examined the histo-anatomical gland distribution within the peripheral zone in small and large prostates and discuss possible clinical implications.MethodsA semi-quantitative analysis of gland density and capsule thickness was performed using light microscopy on 10 large (≥80 g) prostate specimens and 10 small (<30 g) prostate specimens from patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center between the years 2010 and 2016. Samples from radical prostatectomies were used to ensure a whole, preserved prostate with an intact surgical capsule. Gland counts were performed on five random fields under 100 × magnification, while capsule thickness was measured on three random fields per case; thus, a total 50 fields and 30 fields were analyzed for each of the two groups for gland counts and capsule thickness measurements, respectively. Microscopy was standardized to the posterior aspect of the prostate, between 4 o’clock and 6 o’clock along the equatorial region between the apex and base.ResultsLarge prostates possessed a significantly lower mean gland count per field compared to small prostates (10.34±4.15, n=50 vs 18.00±5.41, n=50; t=8.16, df=49, P<0.001). Additionally, large prostates showed a significantly higher average capsule thickness in millimeters compared to small prostates (1.80 mm, ±1.12 mm, n=30 vs 0.90 mm, ±0.56, n=30; t=8.16, df=49, P<0.001).ConclusionThe results demonstrate that prostate hypertrophy leads to both decreased gland density in the peripheral zone and increased capsule thickness, suggesting that growth-induced expansion of the prostate against its capsule leads to compression-induced atrophy and fibrosis of glandular tissue within the peripheral zone (PZ). A decrease in gland density within the PZ may have clinical implications shedding light, for instance, on the reduction in PCa incidence in patients with large prostates as compared to smaller prostates, a phenomenon well documented in the literature.

Uncovering the sequential patterns in transformative and non-transformative discourse during collaborative inquiry learning

Many universities are using computer-supported collaborative-inquiry-learning (CSCiL) environments to develop their students' skills in collaboration, problem solving, and critical thinking. Diverse states of discourse during CSCiL occur in sequences, but we do not yet fully understand which patterns are beneficial to learning and when exactly to foster them. This study used transition-rate analysis, entropy-analysis, and sequential pattern mining to analyze the chat message of 144 students of two-year colleges. The participants worked on tasks related to Ohm's Law in a simulation-based collaborative-inquiry-learning environment. The results revealed that students in groups who completed tasks successfully tended to ensure that everyone in their group had a shared understanding of the relationship between the variables before they moved on to the next step. In contrast, students in groups who did not complete tasks successfully were more likely to regulate the process without reaching a shared understanding.Gaoxia Zhu is a PhD candidate and research assistant in the Institute for Knowledge Innovation & Technology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto with background in Educational Technology and Curriculum Studies. Her research interests include Knowledge Building, learning analytics, and CSCL.Wanli Xing is an Assistant Professor in Instructional Technology at Texas Tech University, USA with background in learning sciences, statistics, computer science and mathematical modelling. His research interests are educational data mining, learning analytics, and CSCL.Vitaliy Popov is a research associate in Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at University of San Diego. Dr. Popov areas of interest include: computer supported collaborative learning, mobile learning, learning sciences, learning analytics, and technology-enhanced learning across cultures.

FAAH genotype, CRFR1 genotype, and cortisol interact to predict anxiety in an aging, rural Hispanic population: A Project FRONTIER study

The neurophysiological underpinnings involved in susceptibility to and maintenance of anxiety are not entirely known. However, two stress-responsive systems, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the endocannabinoid system, may interact in anxiety. Here, we examine the relationship between FAAH genotype, CRFR1 genotype, baseline cortisol, and state anxiety in a rural adult population using data from Project FRONTIER. We predicted that FAAH A (AA and AC vs CC; rs324420) and three CRFR1 SNP minor alleles (rs7209436 C→ T [minor allele]; rs110402, G → A [minor]; and rs242924 G→ T [minor]), would interact to predict low baseline cortisol and low state anxiety scores. We found partial support for our prediction. In CRFR1 minor carriers, the FAAH AA or AC (vs. CC) genotype was associated with higher cortisol and with lower anxiety. In CRFR1 non-minors, those with FAAH AA or AC (vs. CC) showed decreased cortisol and higher anxiety. These results suggest that FAAH CC genotype only conveys risk for anxiety in individuals who are also carriers of the CRFR1 minor combination. FAAH genotype was significantly associated with baseline cortisol but was not independently associated with anxiety. Contrary to our predictions, baseline cortisol was negatively associated with anxiety. Lastly, we did not find any independent relationships between any of our SNPs and baseline cortisol or anxiety. These data suggest FAAH and cortisol interact to predict state anxiety, but that the relationship depends on CRFR1 genotype. The Project FRONTIER dataset is supported by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Garrison Institute on Aging.

Improving Access to Liver Transplantation through the ECHO Telehealth Model.

The liver is the second most frequently transplanted organ in the United States. In 2017, 8,082 transplantations were performed, and the number is increasing annually.1 Patient and graft survival rates after liver transplantation have typically been excellent. However, some people with advanced liver disease have no transplant center nearby.2 One metropolitan area lacking this access is El Paso, Texas (population, 833,592); the nearest transplant hospitals are hundreds of miles away in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston.Telemedicine uses electronic information and communication technology to provide and support health care when distance separates the participants. Telehealth encompasses telemedicine plus educational, research, and administrative applications.3 Its main principle is to disseminate these services from a central hub (typically, an academic medical center) to underserved areas within a geographic radius.Although telehealth has been used extensively in various areas of health care, its only specific application to liver transplantation has involved care for transplant recipients as part of a small program at the University of Cincinnati. Two positive outcomes were noteworthy reductions in 30- and 90-day hospital readmission rates (50% and 33%, respectively), and high levels of patient satisfaction.4The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) telehealth model, developed at the University of New Mexico, pairs hub-and-spoke telemedicine with the transmission of specialty knowledge and expertise to underserved locales. This model has been effective in the care of patients with liver disease. In a prospective study,5 investigators compared treatment outcomes in 2 groups: patients treated for hepatitis C by hepatologists at a large academic center, and patients similarly treated by primary care providers in rural areas and prisons participating in the ECHO program. Similar outcomes were reported after both groups underwent therapy with interferon and ribavirin—a complex regimen requiring experience and expertise to administer.5Recent collaboration between Baylor–St. Luke's Medical Center (which has a transplant center) and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso has resulted in a procedural framework for using the ECHO model in pre-liver transplant evaluation (Table I). We applied the ECHO model to liver transplant candidacy in El Paso. Thus far, of 3 patients fully evaluated in accordance with the model, 2 have been formally listed for transplantation. If not for this program, these patients might not have had access to transplantation.Even at this early stage, we have identified several benefits of using the ECHO telehealth model:We foresee great value in continuing to use telehealth and the ECHO model in liver transplant evaluation and the care of transplant candidates. The main benefits are less travel, meaningful communication between transplant centers and local providers, and improvement in the specialty knowledge of local providers who treat patients with advanced liver disease.

Numerical tornado modeling for common interpretation of experimental simulators

Numerical simulation of tornado-like vortices, like those produced in experimental facilities, poses many challenges. This is attributed to the complexity of vortical flow-field and the common practice of directly using the geometric dimensions and configuration of physical elements like guide vane angle, ceiling height, etc. of experimental simulators as a measure of parameters needed to characterize the generated vortices. The inherent differences in geometric dimensions and vortex generation mechanisms of the existing experimental tornado simulators makes such vortex characterization very ad-hoc in nature and hinders direct comparison and validation of results. Therefore, to facilitate a common interpretation of experimental simulators, a simplified numerical tornado model, representing the three types of existing experimental tornado simulators, is developed in this study. The three experimental simulators in consideration are VorTECH at Texas Tech University, Tornado Simulator at Iowa State University and WindEEE Dome at Western University as representatives of “Ward” type, “top-down” type and “3-D wind chamber” type designs, respectively. First, the numerically generated flow-field for each simulator obtained by modelling full experimental system is validated with experimental results. Then the simplification of these full laboratory models into a cylindrical computational domain is carried out by extracting vortex characterizing parameters strictly from the flow-field for various configurations. The dimensions and inlet boundary condition of the cylindrical model vary from one configuration to other and are dictated by vortex characterizing parameters like inflow depth, radius of updraft, swirl ratio etc. The result of this study is a simplified generic numerical tornado model that (i) can reproduce the flow-field of the original experimental systems, (ii) shows a direct dependence of the vortex flow-structure on parameters obtained from flow-field (as opposed to extracting them directly from the physical dimensions of experimental simulators).

The Terror

The Terror William Wenthe (bio) Alas poor things! how well do I remember the pain it gave me, to be thus obliged to pass and execute sentence upon them. John James Audubon A tiny island off Labrador, throngedwith nesting seabirds. The scrapeof boots, hobbed with heavy nails for gripon the slick sea rocks. Gunfire and alarms,a tempest of wings and cries: Audubonand his team are collecting specimens.Out of the riot one Arctic Tern divestoward a stunned young man, William Ingalls,young medic, who normally remainsaboard ship; and the tern lands, cringingin the instep of his boot. Audubon noticesthree things at once: the tern; the involuntarygesture Ingalls makes—bending forward,hands half-reached, as if to help the bird; and—flushed in a burst from his memory—himself, eight years old, his younger sister,father and stepmother in prison in Nantes,1793. Stone walls and floor, iron hinges.He hears outside the barked command,the synchronized report of muskets, and knowsfrom having seen it, what happens next:smoke from the muzzles, and the body slumpsagainst the wall. Now he is lookingfrom the eyes of the tern looking at him,to the eyes of Ingalls, looking at him.Audubon recoils, steels himself, reloads.Later he'll describe the day's shootingin his Ornithological Biography.Later he'll tell Ingalls there was nothingthe young man could do to help. [End Page 135] William Wenthe William Wenthe has published four books of poems, including God's Foolishness (2016) and Words Before Dawn (2012). He has received poetry fellowships from the NEA and the Texas Commission on the Arts. Originally from northern New Jersey, he teaches at Texas Tech University. Copyright © 2019 University of Hawaiʿi Press

Evaluation and Safety Validation of Dehydrating Methods for Goat Meat in Rural Malawi

ObjectivesThis study was conducted to evaluate the dehydration methods of goat meat based in Malawi and the effects on food safety.Materials and MethodsGoat meat was prepared as ground, minced, and whole muscle strips. Samples were treated with 6% lemon juice marinade, 6% vinegar marinade, or salt rub. During phase 1, dehydration of the meat was performed with a solar dehydrator (n = 108), electric oven (n = 108) or drum oven (n = 108). Qualitative data on the three drying methods was collected from a panel of students from Mzuzu University, Malawi, on the practicality of each method in a local rural setting. Additionally, visual observations were conducted 30 d prior to drying for the presence of mold and insects to give an indication of shelf life. Phase 2 was performed at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas where whole muscle strips of lamb were submerged in a five-strain Escherichia coli surrogate cocktail of Escherichia coli for 5 min, allowed 30 min for cell attachment, then dried using an electric and drum oven, replicating the dehydration procedure in Malawi. For each replicate (n = 2), attachment samples (n = 10), samples dried in the electric oven (n = 10) and samples dried in drum oven samples (n = 10) were aseptically plated on MacConkey agar with a TSA overlay and enumerated for E. coli.ResultsIn phase 1, mold growth was observed on 15.7% (34/216) of samples dried in the solar dehydrator and drum oven. Of those positive for mold, 32.4% (n = 11) were minced, and 67.6% (n = 23) were whole muscle strips. No samples dried using the electric oven displayed mold (0/108). No samples displayed insects. Based on qualitative data that was gathered, top reasons to dry goat meat using the drum oven include “not requiring electricity” and “drum ovens are a common piece of equipment in villages”. Top reasons against using a drum oven include “unequal distribution of heat” and “high level of oversight required during drying”. Top reasons to dry goat meat using electric oven include “fast drying time”, “uniform distribution of heat”, and “limited oversight required”. Top reasons against using electric oven to dry goat meat include “requiring electricity” and “low knowledge of electric oven operation in a community setting”. Top reasons to use the solar dehydrator to dry goat meat include “not requiring electricity or firewood” and “limited oversight required”. Top reasons against using the solar dehydrator to dry goat meat include “slow drying time” and “uneven heat distribution due to time of day and shadows”. In phase 2, a 5-log reduction was observed for all electric oven treatment replicates (100%, 2/2) and half drum oven (50%, 1/2) replicates. However, variation in the reduction of E.coli is a direct result of weather and fuel provided to the drum oven.ConclusionElectric drying oven displayed the most consistent results for shelf life and safety. However, in rural Malawi, dehydrating methods should be chosen on a case by case basis.

Californios, Anglos, and the Performance of Oligarchy in the U.S. West

Andrew Gibb, currently assistant professor of theater history, theory, and criticism at Texas Tech University, offers an important revision of modern understandings of the U.S. West, particularly California. “Despite the individualist ideology that valorizes the working-class Anglos frontiersman,” Gibb asserts, “the truth is that ever since he began to arrive in the West, he had led a life dominated by local oligarchs (1). As Anglos arrived in California, they discovered a uniquely californio (Mexican Californian) system of social organization. This book draws heavily on theory, particularly the idea of performance, to demonstrate how public events both celebrate and proclaim the power of the oligarchy. This allows the author to focus on cooperation (theater, after all, is collaborative) and deemphasize a more traditional conflict paradigm. Thus, the book is intimately concerned with the development of accommodation and acculturation in California. However, unlike people in other regions of the Americas, californios did not acculturate to Anglo culture; Anglos accepted californio behaviors. In sum, this is the story of how “californios performatively fashioned a unique regional tradition of oligarchic rule into which they invited successive waves of immigrant and conquering Anglo elites” (23).

The Hidden History of Gaming

The Hidden History of Gaming Stephanie Williams-Turkowski (bio) The Formation of Gaming Culture: UK Gaming Magazines, 1981–1995. Graeme Kirkpatrick. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. 150 pp. $67.50 hardback. Magazines have been at the forefront of many turning points in Western cultural history, influencing industries such as fashion, news, sports, and gaming. Yes, you read that right: gaming. In the world of consoles and computer games, magazines were one of the leading forces that defined what we now know as "gamers." That was especially the case in the UK, which was "the powerhouse of computer gaming" (10) in the early 1980s, according to University of Manchester sociologist Graeme Kirkpatrick's latest book, The Formation of Gaming Culture. The hype of the game industry at the time prompted some UK magazines to create niche publications that served players and developers and, in turn, outlined the industry as we know it several decades later. Listed by Edge Magazine, a current UK gaming publication, as a book that every gamer should read, Kirkpatrick's work fills in an overlooked gap in the history of gaming—between the introduction of US arcade games and home game systems in the 1970s and the market explosion of Japanese consoles, such as Nintendo, in the early 1990s. Bridging these distinct developments across space and time, the book analyzes three prominent gaming magazines published in Britain in the 1980s and the early 1990s: Computer and Video Games, Commodore User, and Zzap! Taking snippets from each of the three magazines, Kirkpatrick pieces together the periodicals' key role in launching particular computer games through reviews, tips, and tricks. He also highlights the importance of gaming language and how it shaped player identity. Although a historical look at gaming magazines from thirty years ago may seem unneeded in a time when gaming is in the vanguard of entertainment, Kirkpatrick's analysis [End Page 117] provides insight into the current gamer's mind and strategic play and lays a base for the unique culture that surrounds this medium. Highlighting the importance of the book, Kirkpatrick compares his exploration to similar media histories of once-new developments in media technology, such as television, film, and music. He expounds on the importance magazines played in shaping the gaming culture, focusing not necessarily on one particular game or console but on how the magazines fostered an interactive audience. In doing so, Kirkpatrick strives to establish the importance of the video game culture by showing that the "gaming's field, then, constrains as it stimulates. It holds games in their place while constantly inciting them to be something more and better than games. Game studies must respond by focusing on this very instability and the social and cultural circumstances that perpetuate it" (130). Like their counterparts in fashion and news, gaming magazines—which pushed along the development of the internet as the foundation of interactive multiplayer gaming—are now, ironically, suffering the consequences in the form of stiff competition from gaming websites and apps. Kirkpatrick's analysis not only demonstrates the cultural impact magazines have had on the gaming industry and culture but also offers a nudge and a stepping-stone for research into current magazines and game-and technology-focused websites. These publications, be they commercial behemoths or fledgling player-community blogs, continue to have an impact on consoles, games, and language. The book would be suitable as an assigned reading in courses on game studies and media studies. For magazine teachers and scholars, it offers an interesting theoretical consideration about the role magazines play in tackling the initial indeterminacy surrounding the introduction of new artefacts and technologies and interpreting their symbolic significance for mass audiences. [End Page 118] Stephanie Williams-Turkowski Texas Tech University Stephanie Williams-Turkowski stephanie williams-turkowski is a doctoral student and journalism instructor at Texas Tech University whose research revolves around pop culture and fan communities. Contact: stephanie.williams@ttu.edu Copyright © 2019 Magazine Media Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

Minml Poems

Minml Poems Mag Gabbert (bio) lcss [End Page 351] mocn [End Page 352] anammal [End Page 353] whail [End Page 354] woolf [End Page 355] Mag Gabbert MAG GABBERT holds a PhD from Texas Tech University and an MFA from UC Riverside. Her work has been published in 32 Poems, Stirring, The Rumpus, Phoebe, and many other journals. Mag teaches creative writing at Southern Methodist University; she edits for Iron Horse Literary Review and Underblong. Website: maggabbert.com. Copyright © 2019 Mag Gabbert

Fewer Grads + More Jobs: A Winning Formula for Job Hunters

The 2019 graduating class of petroleum engineers will mark the last gasp of a boom before a steep drop in the size of future graduating classes coming out of US universities. After a class of nearly 2,000 petroleum engineering graduates next spring, the graduation rate over the next 3 years will fall to less than 1,000 per year, according to an annual survey of US petroleum engineering programs by Lloyd Heinze, a professor at Texas Tech University. The survey includes primarily US universities. The numbers are a direct reflection of the sharp downturn in oil prices that began in 2014 and caused large downsizing among oil and gas operators and service companies. For young engineers looking for jobs after college, it represents a welcome change from the rocky job market faced by graduates after the industry switched into job-cutting mode. For employers used to having their pick of the top students since the bust began in 2015, it could mean being one of several bidders for a shrinking pool of graduates. Professors on campuses are seeing signs of improvement, but they caution that the evidence is more anecdotal than numerical. “A good number of seniors have jobs and a lot do not. One thing is that it is a big senior class,” said Karsten Thompson, department chair for the petroleum engineering program at Louisiana State University (LSU). It is too early for hard numbers but “there are more companies on campus with more students having internships and job offers.” “Internships went quite well this year. It looks like the recovery is under way. Students are much more comfortable,” said Erdal Ozkan, a professor at Colorado School of Mines. The job market is much improved, said John Lee, a professor at Texas A&amp;M who also sees improved internship opportunities. Graduating Boomers The class of 2019 is made up of the last big crop of freshman enrolled back in the fall of 2014 when the bust killed the assumption that $100/bbl oil was a given. The nearly 2,000 seniors in the 2018–2019 class is considerably smaller than the past two, which exceeded 3,200, but it is double the size of three classes that follow. Texas Tech has 77 seniors now, compared with a peak total of 227 in 2014, and only 43 juniors following them. The junior class is 80% lower than the 2015 peak. That drop is an indication of Texas Tech’s decision not to limit petroleum engineering enrollment during the boom—only a few schools including Texas A&amp;M and the University of Texas capped enrollment—and the quick reactions of a “population of students and parents who were faster to realize the downturn” because so many live in West Texas where the industry is all around them. Between the boom in the early 1980s—where schools provided a generation’s worth of exploration and production professionals—and the recent boom that produced many more grads, was a long, deep slump.

Here on Earth

Here on Earth Chad Abushanab (bio) The field behind our house tonightreminds me of an empty bedwith drifts of snow like wrinkled sheetsand shadows where you laid your head. A month and six days since you left,and night is when I feel you most.Sleep won’t come. I sit outsidetrying to ignore your ghost. Instead, the snow piles up. The woodsbeyond the field grow darker still.I shut my eyes against the cold,swallow another sleeping pill, and brace myself to face the numbwhite space, the bed you’re missing from. [End Page 128] Chad Abushanab chad abushanab is the author of The Last Visit, winner of the Donald Justice Poetry Prize, published by Autumn House Press in 2019. His poems have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Southern Poetry Review, Shenandoah, Best New Poets, the Believer, and 32 Poems. He earned his PhD in English and creative writing at Texas Tech University. He lives in Iowa City. Copyright © 2019 University of North Carolina Wilmington

Hidradenitis suppurativa.

Sunny Baker practices emergency medicine at Texas Tech University Medical Center in El Paso, Tex. The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. Dawn Colomb-Lippa, MHS, PA-C, department editor