Working the Garden: Women and Religion in Apocalyptic Fiction

In this paper, I analyze Margaret Atwood’s trilogy, MaddAddam, focusing primarily on The Year of the Flood and its portrayal of religion, ecofeminism, and survival. In the first section of the paper, I outline the religion, the God’s Gardeners, and the importance of their deep ecological beliefs. Following that, I show how Atwood provides an ecofeminist view of this religion through the perspective of female protagonists. Then, I detail the issue of survival and the way religion is repurposed for society to survive. Finally, in the last section, I compare MaddAddam to Octavia Butler’s novels, Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, as well as, Jean Hegland’s novel, Into the Forest. These texts all portray women’s roles as rebuilders of society in tandem with their rewriting of religion. I highlight how both the authors and characters of these works use writing to revise and restructure religion and their established communities with ecofeminist belief systems. Ultimately I aim to answer the questions: Why do new communities – particularly those led by women – that form in a post-apocalyptic world need religion at all? How do these women manipulate or interpret former religions as their own? How can religion intersect with ecological intentions in a positive way? What would that look like

How well do POLST forms assure that patients get the end-of-life care they requested?

Q: How well do POLST forms assure that patients get the end-of-life care they requested? A: quite well, for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Most patients (91%-100%) who select "do not resuscitate" (DNR) on their physician's orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) forms are allowed a natural death without attempted CPR across a variety of settings (community, skilled nursing facilities, emergency medical services, and hospice). Few patients (6%) who select "comfort measures only" die in the hospital, whereas more (22%) who choose "limited interventions," and still more (34%) without a POLST form, die in the hospital (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, large, consistent cross-sectional and cohort studies). Most patients (84%) who select "attempt resuscitation" receive resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in emergency services settings (SOR: B, small retrospective cohort study). POLST orders declining other services (intravenous fluids, intensive care, intubation, feeding tubes) are carried out in most (84%-100%) cases. POLST orders regarding antibiotic treatments are less effectively implemented (SOR: B, moderate-sized retrospective chart review).Authors: Jordan Collier, DO; Gary Kelsberg, MD Valley Family Medicine Residency, Renton, Wash; Sarah Safranek, MLIS University of Washington Health Sciences Library, Seattl

Will our future selves thank us? An examination of born-digital curation practices at UKL

Cultural heritage resources are increasingly being produced and distributed digitally yet the world of physical materials has not declined. Analog-based archival theory and practice is still relevant, but born-digital formats make acquisition, appraisal, resource allocation, collection management, and external relationships much more challenging. During this session, four archivists and librarians from the University of Kentucky Libraries (UKL) will share their current challenges and successes working with different aspects of born-digital stewardship. They will share practical tips, tools, policies, and mental frameworks to help attendees identify gaps, pitfalls, and opportunities in digital stewardship at their own institutions. Sarah Dorpinghaus will provide an overview of UKL’s shifting digital preservation landscape, highlighting challenges and opportunities in supporting digital preservation systems and activities during major changes in campus-wide infrastructure services. She will discuss how this impacts digital curation and preservation decisions. Megan Mummey will then talk about instituting earlier and more comprehensive appraisal practices for born-digital manuscript collections with an eye towards environmental impact. Ruth Bryan will follow by outlining challenges with acquiring currently-created born-digital university documents and offer some initial solutions. Emily Collier will then share her experiences with the Wildcat Histories project (funded by Project STAND) and the obstacles of dealing with web-based content, particularly the volatile nature of social media sites. Their experiences will examine how one academic research library is grappling with aligning current resources with future collection needs. They hope future UKL librarians and archivists will cheer, “Good job, past colleagues!

Physical Examination Findings Among Children and Adolescents With Obesity: An Evidence-Based Review

Overweight and obesity affects 1 in 3 US children and adolescents. Clinical recommendations have largely focused on screening guidelines and counseling strategies. However, the physical examination of the child or adolescent with obesity can provide the clinician with additional information to guide management decisions. This expert-based review focuses on physical examination findings specific to children and adolescents with obesity. For each physical examination element, the authors define the finding and its prevalence among pediatric patients with obesity, discuss the importance and relevance of the finding, describe known techniques to assess severity, and review evidence regarding the need for additional evaluation. The recommendations presented represent a comprehensive review of current evidence as well as expert opinion. The goal of this review is to highlight the importance of conducting a targeted physical examination during pediatric weight management visits

Will Our Future Selves Thank Us? An Examination of Born-digital Curation Practices at the University of Kentucky Libraries

University of Kentucky archivists share practical tips, tools, and mental frameworks to identify gaps, pitfalls, and opportunities in stewarding born-digital collections. Topics include managing a shifting digital preservation landscape, instituting comprehensive appraisal practices while considering environmental impact, curating born-digital and web-based university records, and aligning resources with future collection needs

Faculty String Trio

Kemp Recital Hall Wednesday Evening March 29, 2006 8:00p.m

The Poststroke Peripheral Immune Response Is Differentially Regulated by Leukemia Inhibitory Factor in Aged Male and Female Rodents

Background. The goal of this study was to determine whether leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) promotes anti-inflammatory activity after stroke in a sex-dependent manner. Methods. Aged (18-month-old) Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes underwent sham surgery or permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals received three doses of intravenous LIF (125 μg/kg) or PBS at 6, 24, and 48 h before euthanization at 72 h. Spleen weights were measured immediately following euthanization. Western blot was used to measure protein levels of CCL8, CD11b, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-12 p40, IL-3, and the LIF receptor (LIFR) in spleen tissue. ELISA was used to measure IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, and IFNγ in spleen tissue. A Griess Assay was used to indirectly quantify NO levels via measurement of nitrite. Levels of cellular markers and inflammatory mediators were normalized to the baseline (sham) group from each sex. Statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA and followed by Fisher’s LSD post hoc test. Results. Aged female rats showed a significantly lower spleen weight after MCAO, but showed a significant increase in spleen size after LIF treatment. This effect was observed in aged male rats, but not to as great of an extent. CD11b levels were significantly higher in the spleens of MCAO+PBS males compared to their female counterparts, but there was no significant difference in CD11b levels between MCAO+LIF males and females. LIF significantly increased CXCL9 after LIF treatment in aged male and female rats. LIFR and IL-3 were upregulated after LIF treatment in aged females. Splenic nitrate increased after MCAO but decreased after LIF treatment in aged females. Splenic nitrate levels did not increase after MCAO but did increase after LIF treatment in aged males. The following cytokines/chemokines were not altered by sex or treatment: TNFα, IL-6, IL-12 p40, CCL8, IFNγ, and CXCL10. Conclusions. LIF treatment after permanent MCAO induces sex-dependent effects on the poststroke splenic response and the production of proinflammatory cytokines among aged rats