Alien Registration- Dunlay, Margaret (Bangor, Penobscot County)

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Review of \u3ci\u3eSlim Buttes, 1876: An Episode of the Great Sioux War\u3c/i\u3e By Jerome A. Greene

Books on the Sioux War of 1876 tend to concentrate on the defeat of George A. Custer at the Little Bighorn and either slight or ignore the months of campaigning that followed that disaster. Both buffs and scholars should therefore welcome Jerome Greene\u27s study of the operations of General George Crook in August and September 1876. Although especially arduous and frustrating, the campaign and its climactic battle at Slim Buttes, South Dakota, were far more typical of the wars on the plains than Custer\u27s spectacular downfall. The campaign became known as the Horsemeat March, because the failure of supplies forced the soldiers to eat their own mounts, who were themselves dying because of the hardships. The engagement at Slim Buttes on 9 September 1876 resulted from an accidental encounter with a body of Indians returning to the reservation, but it gave the army and Crook a modest success to boast of after a frustrating and humiliating summer. The author has made good use of eyewitness accounts, including those of several newspaper correspondents attached to Crook\u27s command. He has resisted the temptation to expand at length on the colorful personalities of many of the participants, and he does not indulge in the indignation so evident in recent writing in this field. He has made use of Indian evidence to the extent that it is available, without claiming to present the Indian side of the story. His style is seldom picturesque and he refrains from dogmatic conclusions. This does not mean that he has no opinions, for the book is sharply critical of Crook, and certainly the general did not enhance his reputation as an Indian-figh ter in this campaign. Greene considers that the attack on the Indian camp at Slim Buttes was part of a policy of total war, or extermination, against the Sioux. In fact, the Indians suffered fewer than a dozen casualties in the action; the significant result lay in the destruction of their property and the blow to their morale, and this was the case with most such attacks. Since Greene is critical of Crook\u27s conduct of the campaign, he should perhaps have noted the general\u27s own analysis of the difficulties he encountered. Crook attributed his problems first to the lack of enough mules for transport, which led to the starvation march, and second to the lack of Indian scouts, which so limited his reconnaissance capability that any results were a matter of luck. This analysis is readily available in Crook\u27s published autobiography. Two maps showing different phases of the battle are quite helpful; the overall campaign map, on the other hand, is almost unusable

Review of \u3ci\u3eSlim Buttes, 1876: An Episode of the Great Sioux War\u3c/i\u3e By Jerome A. Greene

Books on the Sioux War of 1876 tend to concentrate on the defeat of George A. Custer at the Little Bighorn and either slight or ignore the months of campaigning that followed that disaster. Both buffs and scholars should therefore welcome Jerome Greene\u27s study of the operations of General George Crook in August and September 1876. Although especially arduous and frustrating, the campaign and its climactic battle at Slim Buttes, South Dakota, were far more typical of the wars on the plains than Custer\u27s spectacular downfall. The campaign became known as the Horsemeat March, because the failure of supplies forced the soldiers to eat their own mounts, who were themselves dying because of the hardships. The engagement at Slim Buttes on 9 September 1876 resulted from an accidental encounter with a body of Indians returning to the reservation, but it gave the army and Crook a modest success to boast of after a frustrating and humiliating summer. The author has made good use of eyewitness accounts, including those of several newspaper correspondents attached to Crook\u27s command. He has resisted the temptation to expand at length on the colorful personalities of many of the participants, and he does not indulge in the indignation so evident in recent writing in this field. He has made use of Indian evidence to the extent that it is available, without claiming to present the Indian side of the story. His style is seldom picturesque and he refrains from dogmatic conclusions. This does not mean that he has no opinions, for the book is sharply critical of Crook, and certainly the general did not enhance his reputation as an Indian-figh ter in this campaign. Greene considers that the attack on the Indian camp at Slim Buttes was part of a policy of total war, or extermination, against the Sioux. In fact, the Indians suffered fewer than a dozen casualties in the action; the significant result lay in the destruction of their property and the blow to their morale, and this was the case with most such attacks. Since Greene is critical of Crook\u27s conduct of the campaign, he should perhaps have noted the general\u27s own analysis of the difficulties he encountered. Crook attributed his problems first to the lack of enough mules for transport, which led to the starvation march, and second to the lack of Indian scouts, which so limited his reconnaissance capability that any results were a matter of luck. This analysis is readily available in Crook\u27s published autobiography. Two maps showing different phases of the battle are quite helpful; the overall campaign map, on the other hand, is almost unusable

Managed Competition Theory as a Basis for Health Care Reform

[T]his article will seek to explain the fundamental principles of managed competition and the basic features of reform based on managed competition. It will also examine some of the criticisms of managed competition and the practical and legal impediments that will be faced in seeking to reform the health care industry based upon managed competition theory

The Sex Specific Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Circulating Levels of CTRP3

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The goal of this project was to establish the effect of alcohol consumption on the circulating levels of the adipose tissue derived protein C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3). Adipose tissue secretes several adipokines, such as adiponectin and leptin, which exert a multitude of biological effects important for human health. However, adipose tissue is extremely sensitive to alcohol consumption, leading not only to disrupted fat storage, but also to disruptions in adipokine production. Changes to adipokine secretion could have widespread biological effects and potentially contribute to alcohol-induced ailments, such as alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD). CTRP3 has been previously demonstrated to attenuate fatty liver disease, and suppression of CTRP3 with alcohol consumption could contribute to development of and progression to alcoholic fatty liver disease. To examine the effect of ethanol consumption on circulating adipokine levels, male and female mice were fed an ethanol containing diet (Lieber- DeCarli 5% (v/v) ethanol diet) for 10-days followed by a single gavage of 5 g/kg ethanol (the NIAAA model), or for 6-weeks with no binge added (chronic model). In female mice, adiponectin levels increased ~2-fold in both models of ethanol feeding, but in male mice increased adiponectin levels were only observed after chronic ethanol feeding. On the other hand, in female mice, circulating CTRP3 levels decreased by ~75% and ~50% in the NIAAA and chronic model, respectively, with no changes observed in the male mice in either feeding model. Leptin levels were unchanged with ethanol feeding regardless of model or sex of mice. Lastly, chronic ethanol feeding led to a significant increase in mortality (~50%) in female mice, with no difference in relative ethanol consumption. These findings indicate that ethanol consumption can dysregulate adipokine secretion, but that the effects vary by sex of animal, method of ethanol consumption, and adipokine examined. These findings also indicate that female mice are more sensitive to the chronic effects of ethanol than male mice. Notably, this is the first study to document the effects of ethanol consumption on the circulating levels of CTRP3. Understanding the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on adipokine production and secretion could identify novel mechanisms of alcohol-induced human disease. However, the mechanism responsible for the increased sensitivity remains elusive

National Trends in Admission and In-Hospital Mortality of Patients With Heart Failure in the United States (2001–2014)

Background-—To investigate heart failure (HF) hospitalization trends in the United States and change in trends after publication of management guidelines. Methods and Results-—Using data from the National Inpatient Sample and the US Census Bureau, annual national estimates in HF admissions and in-hospital mortality were estimated for years 2001 to 2014, during which an estimated 57.4 million HF-associated admissions occurred. Rates (95% confidence intervals) of admissions and in-hospital mortality among primary HF hospitalizations declined by an average annual rate of 3% (2.5%–3.5%) and 3.5% (2.9%–4.0%), respectively. Compared with 2001 to 2005, the average annual rate of decline in primary HF admissions was more in 2006 to 2009 (ie, 3.4% versus 1.1%; P=0.02). In 2010 to 2014, primary HF admission continued to decline by an average annual rate of 4.3% (95% confidence interval, 3.9%–5.1%), but this was not significantly different from 2006 to 2009 (P=0.14). In contrast, there was no further decline in in-hospital mortality trend after the guideline-release years. For hospitalizations with HF as the secondary diagnosis, there was an upward trend in admissions in 2001 to 2005. However, the trend began to decline in 2006 to 2009, with an average annual rate of 2.4% (95% confidence interval, 0.8%–4%). Meanwhile, there was a consistent decline in in-hospital mortality by an average annual rate of 3.7% (95% confidence interval, 3.3%–4.2%) during the study period, but the decline was more in 2006 to 2009 compared with 2001 to 2005 (ie, 5.4% versus 3.4%; P Conclusions-—From 2001 to 2014, HF admission and in-hospital mortality rates declined significantly in the United States; the greatest improvements coincided with the publication of the 2005 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association HF guidelines. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2017;6:e006955. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006955.

Gender- and age-related differences in clinical presentation and management of outpatients with stable coronary artery disease

<br>Introduction: Contemporary generalizable data on the demographics and management of outpatients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) in routine clinical practice are sparse. Using the data from the CLARIFY registry we describe gender- and age-related differences in baseline characteristics and management of these patients across broad geographic regions.</br> <br>Methods: This international, prospective, observational, longitudinal registry enrolled stable CAD outpatients from 45 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and North, Central, and South America.</br> <br>Results: Baseline data were available for 33 280 patients. Mean (SD) age was 64 (10.5) years and 22.5% of patients were female. The prevalence of CAD risk factors was generally higher in women than in men. Women were older (66.6 vs 63.4 years), more frequently diagnosed with diabetes (33% vs 28%), hypertension (79% vs 69%), and higher resting heart rate (69 vs 67 bpm), and were less physically active. Smoking and a history of myocardial infarction were more common in men. Women were more likely to have angina (28% vs 20%), but less likely to have undergone revascularization procedures. CAD was more likely to be asymptomatic in older patients perhaps because of reduced levels of physical activity. Prescription of evidence-based medication for secondary prevention varied with age, with patients ≥ 75 years treated less often with beta blockers, aspirin and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors than patients < 65 years.</br> <br>Conclusions: Important gender-related differences in clinical characteristics and management continue to exist in all age groups of outpatients with stable CAD.</br&gt

Engineered Fibrillar Fibronectin Networks as Three‐Dimensional Tissue Scaffolds

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, and most prominently, fibronectin (Fn), are routinely used in the form of adsorbed pre‐coatings in an attempt to create a cell‐supporting environment in both two‐ and three‐dimensional cell culture systems. However, these protein coatings are typically deposited in a form which is structurally and functionally distinct from the ECM‐constituting fibrillar protein networks naturally deposited by cells. Here, the cell‐free and scalable synthesis of freely suspended and mechanically robust three‐dimensional (3D) networks of fibrillar fibronectin (fFn) supported by tessellated polymer scaffolds is reported. Hydrodynamically induced Fn fibrillogenesis at the three‐phase contact line between air, an Fn solution, and a tessellated scaffold microstructure yields extended protein networks. Importantly, engineered fFn networks promote cell invasion and proliferation, enable in vitro expansion of primary cancer cells, and induce an epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition in cancer cells. Engineered fFn networks support the formation of multicellular cancer structures cells from plural effusions of cancer patients. With further work, engineered fFn networks can have a transformative impact on fundamental cell studies, precision medicine, pharmaceutical testing, and pre‐clinical diagnostics.Fibrillar fibronectin (fFn) networks are freely suspended across porous polymer structures without the use of cells. Engineered fFn networks enable in vivo implantation or in vitro expansion of various cell types including patient breast cancer cells that otherwise fail to survive on tissue culture polystyrene.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153115/1/adma201904580_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153115/2/adma201904580.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153115/3/adma201904580-sup-0001-S1.pd

Self-Rated Health Predicts Healthcare Utilization in Heart Failure

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) patients experience impaired functional status, diminished quality of life, high utilization of healthcare resources, and poor survival. Yet, the identification of patient-centered factors that influence prognosis is lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS: We determined the association of 2 measures of self-rated health with healthcare utilization and skilled nursing facility (SNF) admission in a community cohort of 417 HF patients prospectively enrolled between October 2007 and December 2010 from Olmsted County, MN. Patients completed a 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Low self-reported physical functioning was defined as a score ≤ 25 on the SF-12 physical component. The first question of the SF-12 was used as a measure of self-rated general health. After 2 years, 1033 hospitalizations, 1407 emergency department (ED) visits, and 19,780 outpatient office visits were observed; 87 patients were admitted to a SNF. After adjustment for confounding factors, an increased risk of hospitalizations (1.52 [1.17 to 1.99]) and ED visits (1.48 [1.04 to 2.11]) was observed for those with low versus moderate-high self-reported physical functioning. Patients with poor and fair self-rated general health also experienced an increased risk of hospitalizations (poor: 1.73 [1.29 to 2.32]; fair: 1.46 [1.14 to 1.87]) and ED visits (poor: 1.73 [1.16 to 2.56]; fair: 1.48 [1.13 to 1.93]) compared with good-excellent self-rated general health. No association between self-reported physical functioning or self-rated general health with outpatient visits and SNF admission was observed. CONCLUSION: In community HF patients, self-reported measures of physical functioning predict hospitalizations and ED visits, indicating that these patient-reported measures may be useful in risk stratification and management in HF

A novel, highly discriminatory risk model predicting acute severe right ventricular failure in patients undergoing continuous‐flow left ventricular assist device implant

Various risk models with differing discriminatory power and predictive accuracy have been used to predict right ventricular failure (RVF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement. There remains an unmet need for a contemporary risk score for continuous flow (CF)‐LVADs. We sought to independently validate and compare existing risk models in a large cohort of patients and develop a simple, yet highly predictive risk score for acute, severe RVF. Data from the Mechanical Circulatory Support Research Network (MCSRN) registry, consisting of patients who underwent CF‐LVAD implantation, were randomly divided into equal‐sized derivation and validation samples. RVF scores were calculated for the entire sample, and the need for a right ventricular assist device (RVAD) was the primary endpoint. Candidate predictors from the derivation sample were subjected to backward stepwise logistic regression until the model with lowest Akaike information criterion value was identified. A risk score was developed based on the identified variables and their respective regression coefficients. Between May 2004 and September 2014, 734 patients underwent implantation of CF‐LVADs [HeartMate II LVAD, 76% (n = 560), HeartWare HVAD, 24% (n = 174)]. A RVAD was required in 4.5% (n = 33) of the patients [Derivation cohort, n = 15 (4.3%); Validation cohort, n = 18 (5.2%); P = 0.68)]. 19.5% of the patients (n = 143) were female, median age at implant was 59 years (IQR, 49.4–65.3), and median INTERMACS profile was 3 (IQR, 2–3). RVAD was required in 4.5% (n = 33) of the patients. Correlates of acute, severe RVF in the final model included heart rate, albumin, BUN, WBC, cardiac index, and TR severity. Areas under the curves (AUC) for most commonly used risk predictors ranged from 0.61 to 0.78. The AUC for the new model was 0.89 in the derivation and 0.92 in the validation cohort. Proposed risk model provides very high discriminatory power predicting acute severe right ventricular failure and can be reliably applied to patients undergoing placement of contemporary continuous flow left ventricular assist devices.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150536/1/aor13413_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150536/2/aor13413.pd