Sex-specific Personalities in the Purple Marsh Crab

Animals are considered to possess personalities when individuals differ in behavior, and these differences are consistent between situations. Several studies have identified personalities in diverse groups but less is known about personality variation between the sexes. In this study, we examined variation in two key personality traits (boldness, activity) in female and male purple marsh crabs (Sesarma reticulatum) using a semi-field approach. Specifically, we measured boldness and activity on two consecutive days using the same behavioral assays during each time point. Consistency (personality) was determined using Kendall’s coefficient of concordance based on Spearman correlation coefficients for each behavior. The results showed that personalities differed between the sexes. Females exhibited activity personalities but not boldness personalities. Males did not exhibit personalities for either behavior

Using EMR to Implement and Track Compliance of a Unique Colon Bundle That Reduced Surgical Site Infection in Colorectal Surgery: A Single Institution Review

Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) remain a common complication of colorectal surgery and are associated with an increase in cost, hospital LOS and an increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. It is well studied that surgical care bundles reduce infection, there is no established consensus on the optimal amalgamation of variables. Increasing the number of measures within the bundle is associated with a stepwise reduction in SSI. This review presents the efficacy and implementation of a detailed surgical bundle to reduce SSIs in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. We illustrate how the use of EMR aids in implementation and the ability to easily record and track compliance, leading to dramatic reductions in SSIs during colon surgery. Methods: Our 700+ bed tertiary care center performs over 25,000 surgeries per year and approximately 280 colon cases. In 2015 our institution had a rise in the rate of SSI in colorectal surgeries prompting our institution to reevaluate their practices and initiate a Colon Bundle. A multidisciplinary team evaluated the current process and reviewed best practice guidelines and prevention bundles at other high performing institutions. The current Colon Bundle consists of various features including; standardized preoperative bowel prep, hair removal outside of OR, CHG prep, intraop wound protectors and an incision closing protocol . The benefit of this bundle focuses on continued surveillance of compliance with the incorporation directly into the EMR system. Intraop nursing staff are required to document key components of the bundle as part of their intraop paperwork, generating monthly reports that track surgeon specific compliance and fallouts. Results: The rate of SSI prior to implementation of the Colon Bundle, was 7.82% for 243 colon cases with a SIR of 2.431. The bundle was implemented in 2015 and the rate of SSI dropped to 3.52% with a SIR of 1.25 in 2016. The SSI rate continued to drop, in 2017 to 1.96% with a decrease in SIR to 0.68. When compliance was evaluated for specific components, most showed an increase between July 2017 and September 2018. Adherence to the intraop closure went from an average of 93% to 97%, wound protector use went from 85% to 90%. Preop CHG wipes went from 89% to 92%. A few areas had a decrease in compliance, including changing of gown and gloves intraop at the initiation of closing bundle from 99% to 97% and use of new instruments intraop when closing went from 98% to 96%. Conclusions: The implementation of a unique colon bundle at hospital dramatically reduced the incidence of SSI. Ongoing surveillance of compliance is tracked through the EMR allowing for immediate recognition of fall outs, reporting of SSI directly to the surgeons and a way to quickly address issues with compliance. We show that EMR is a helpful tool to track compliance and can be used effectively to improve adherence to aspects of a Colon Bundle in order to effectively reduce SSI

P-67: Dose response antihypertensive efficacy of aliskiren (SPP 100), an orally active renin inhibitor

Aliskiren (SPP 100), an orally active renin inhibitor, has been shown to inhibit the production of angiotensin I and angiotensin II in healthy volunteers. In a pilot study, aliskiren decreased BP in hypertensive patients at daily doses of 75 and 150 mg. In this multi-centre, double-blind, active comparator trial, the dose-dependent effects of aliskiren were evaluated in 226 patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Parallel groups of randomized patients were assessed at the end of a washout period and again after a 4-week treatment period. Treatment consisted of single oral daily doses of aliskiren (37.5, 75, 150 or 300 mg) or of losartan 100 mg once daily. Daytime ambulatory systolic BP was defined as the primary variable of the study. As illustrated in the figure, a clear dose-response curve was observed for the decrease (mean +/- SEM) in daytime ambulatory systolic BP. The mean (SD) change at the end of the 4-week treatment period was -1.3 (9.5) mmHg, -5.5 (10.6) mmHg, -8.5 (10.4) mmHg, -10.5 (10.7) mmHg, and -11.1 (13.4) mmHg for 37.5, 75, 150, and 300 mg aliskiren and 100mg losartan, respectively. Statistically significant lowering occurred with 75, 150 and 300 mg of aliskiren. The daytime ambulatory systolic BP responses to aliskiren doses of 150 and 300 mg were not significantly different from that of 100 mg losartan. Similar results were shown for daytime ambulatory diastolic BP and for night-time ambulatory systolic and diastolic BP. Aliskiren was well tolerated - there was no increase in the number of adverse events with increasing doses of aliskiren, and the safety profile of aliskiren was similar to that of losartan. The results of this dose-ranging study confirm a dose-dependent reduction in BP with aliskiren in mild to moderate hypertension. Additional exploratory studies testing the efficacy and safety of this new renin inhibitor in patients with renal disease and congestive heart failure are currently underwa

Neutrophils promote CXCR3-dependent itch in the development of atopic dermatitis.

Chronic itch remains a highly prevalent disorder with limited treatment options. Most chronic itch diseases are thought to be driven by both the nervous and immune systems, but the fundamental molecular and cellular interactions that trigger the development of itch and the acute-to-chronic itch transition remain unknown. Here, we show that skin-infiltrating neutrophils are key initiators of itch in atopic dermatitis, the most prevalent chronic itch disorder. Neutrophil depletion significantly attenuated itch-evoked scratching in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Neutrophils were also required for several key hallmarks of chronic itch, including skin hyperinnervation, enhanced expression of itch signaling molecules, and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, activity-induced genes, and markers of neuropathic itch. Finally, we demonstrate that neutrophils are required for induction of CXCL10, a ligand of the CXCR3 receptor that promotes itch via activation of sensory neurons, and we find that that CXCR3 antagonism attenuates chronic itch

Assessment & Planning for the Department of Geography, GIS, & Sustainability

The purpose of this project and requested funding was to support participation in the NAGT traveling workshop. The Dean\u27s office in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences approved the use of funds to support the actual workshop, so the requested funding from the Assessment Mini-Grants program was to provide stipends and food for faculty and students in attendance. The overarching objective of the workshop was to facilitate the collaborative development of ENST curriculum, assessment, and planning. The following were workshop specific goals: Evaluate and Revise ENST Student Learning Outcomes, including: Curriculum Mapping Alignment with Institutional Learning Outcomes Create a program Vision, Mission, Goals, and 5-year plan Create an Assessment Plan aligned with program vision and student learning outcome

Climate Change Challenges for Land Conservation: Rethinking Conservation Easements, Strategies, and Tools

Climate change has significant consequences for land conservation. Government agencies and nonprofit land trusts heavily rely on perpetual conservation easements. However, climate change and other dynamic landscape changes raise questions about the effectiveness and adaptability of permanent conservation instruments like conservation easements. Building upon a study of 269 conservation easements and interviews with seventy conservation-easement professionals in six different states, we examine the adaptability of conservation easements to climate change. We outline four potential approaches to enhance conservation outcomes under climate change: (1) shift land-acquisition priorities to account for potential climate-change impacts; (2) consider conservation tools other than perpetual conservation easements; (3) ensure that the terms of conservation easements permit the holder to adapt to climate change successfully; and (4) provide for more active stewardship of conservation lands. There is still a good deal of uncertainty as to the legal fate of a conservation easement that no longer meets its original purposes. Many state laws provide that conservation easements can be modified or terminated in the same manner as traditional easements. Yet, conservation easements are in many ways unlike other easements. The beneficiary is usually the public, not merely a neighboring landowner, and the holder is always a non-profit conservation organization or a government agency. Thus, there is a case to be made for adaptive protection. An overly narrow focus on perpetual property rights could actually thwart efforts to meet adaptation needs over the long term. We call for careful attention to ensuring conservation outcomes in dynamic landscapes over time

Teaching in Focus: The value of implementing a program-specific teaching support project for staff wellbeing and student success

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence. As an open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.This paper reports on a program-level teaching support initiative that was implemented in a Health Sciences undergraduate degree with a large and highly casualised teaching team. It has been argued that to improve student retention and success, universities need to consider implementing comprehensive teaching support models that address institutional, program, and individual level needs. We report on the implementation of our project and reflect on participant feedback, which demonstrated the value of the program for improving staff wellbeing. We argue that introducing support strategies for staff at a local level is essential not only for delivery of high quality learning experiences, but also for staff wellbeing which, in turn, has important implications for student success and retention