The Fiction of George Meredith (1828-1909) and Its Contemporary Readership: Modes of Address

This work identifies various modes of address in George Meredith's fiction in the light of a knowledge of the contemporary readership addressed. Chapter One discusses the nature of the Victorian reading public, and concludes that it was not homogeneous but fractured, with Meredith's readership being identified with an intellectual elite, rather than with a majority who shared what Meredith called "public taste", But, after a consideration of how Meredith's reputation was established, it becomes clear that this reputation masked the actual address which the novels made to their readers

The Iowa Homemaker vol.39, no.3

Dean LeBaron, Diane Rasmussen, page 5 Your Faculty’s Favorite Home-Work, Jill Gaylord, page 6 Why the Slouch?, Jane Gibson, page 8 My Trip Around the World, Jane Gibson, page 9 Off-Campus Commentary, Elizabeth McDonald, page 10 How Do You Rate As A Roomie?, Gail Devens, page 11 What’s Going On, page 1

Multivalent antimicrobial polymer nanoparticles target mycobacteria and gram-negative bacteria by distinct mechanisms

Due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance to traditional small molecule drugs, cationic antimicrobial polymers are appealing targets. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a particular problem, with multi- and total drug resistance spreading and more than a billion latent infections globally. This study reports nanoparticles bearing variable densities of poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) and the unexpected and distinct mechanisms of action this multivalent presentation imparts against Escherichia coli verses Mycobacterium smegmatis (model of M. tuberculosis), leading to killing or growth inhibition respectively. A convergent ‘grafting to’ synthetic strategy was used to assemble a 50-member nanoparticle library and using a high- throughput screen identified that only the smallest (2 nm) particles were stable in both saline and complex cell media. Compared to the linear polymers, the nanoparticles displayed 2- and 8-fold enhancements in antimicrobial activity against M. smegmatis and E. coli respectively. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the antimicrobial particles were bactericidal against E. coli, due to rapid disruption of the cell membranes. Conversely, against M. smegmatis the particles did not lyse the cell membrane but rather had a bacteriostatic effect. These results demonstrate that to develop new polymeric anti-tuberculars the widely assumed, broad spectrum, membrane-disrupting mechanism of polycations must be re-evaluated. It is clear that synthetic nanomaterials can engage in more complex interactions with mycobacteria, which we hypothesise is due to the unique cell envelope at the surface of these bacteria

Scotland Registry for Ankylosing Spondylitis (SIRAS) – Protocol

Funding SIRAS was funded by unrestricted grants from Pfizer and AbbVie. The project was reviewed by both companies, during the award process, for Scientific merit, to ensure that the design did not compromise patient safety, and to assess the global regulatory implications and any impact on regulatory strategy.Publisher PD

A randomised, feasibility trial of an Exercise and Nutrition-based Rehabilitation programme (ENeRgy) in people with cancer

From Wiley via Jisc Publications RouterErna Haraldsdottir - ORCID: 0000-0003-4891-0743 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4891-0743Background: Despite rehabilitation being increasingly advocated for people living with incurable cancer, there is limited evidence supporting efficacy or component parts. The progressive decline in function and nutritional in this population would support an approach that targets these factors. This trial aimed to assess the feasibility of an exercise and nutrition based rehabilitation programme in people with incurable cancer. Methods: We randomized community dwelling adults with incurable cancer to either a personalized exercise and nutrition based programme (experimental arm) or standard care (control arm) for 8 weeks. Endpoints included feasibility, quality of life, physical activity (step count), and body weight. Qualitative and health economic analyses were also included. Results: Forty‐five patients were recruited (23 experimental arm, 22 control arm). There were 26 men (58%), and the median age was 78 years (IQR 69–84). At baseline, the median BMI was 26 kg/m2 (IQR: 22–29), and median weight loss in the previous 6 months was 5% (IQR: −12% to 0%). Adherence to the experimental arm was >80% in 16/21 (76%) patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the following between trial arms: step count − median % change from baseline to endpoint, per trial arm (experimental −18.5% [IQR: −61 to 65], control 5% [IQR: −32 to 50], P = 0.548); weight − median % change from baseline to endpoint, per trial arm (experimental 1%[IQR: −3 to 3], control −0.5% [IQR: −3 to 1], P = 0.184); overall quality of life − median % change from baseline to endpoint, per trial arm (experimental 0% [IQR: −20 to 19], control 0% [IQR: −23 to 33], P = 0.846). Qualitative findings observed themes of capability, opportunity, and motivation amongst patients in the experimental arm. The mean incremental cost of the experimental arm versus control was £‐319.51 [CI −7593.53 to 6581.91], suggesting the experimental arm was less costly. Conclusions: An exercise and nutritional rehabilitation intervention is feasible and has potential benefits for people with incurable cancer. A larger trial is now warranted to test the efficacy of this approach.12pubpub

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Cationic Polymers against Mycobacteria: Toward Antitubercular Macromolecules.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global healthcare problem with a dwindling arsenal of usable drugs. Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, requires long-term combination therapy and multi- and totally drug resistant strains have emerged. This study reports the antibacterial activity of cationic polymers against mycobacteria, which are distinguished from other Gram-positive bacteria by their unique cell wall comprising a covalently linked mycolic acid-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex (mAGP), interspersed with additional complex lipids which helps them persist in their host. The present study finds that poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) has particularly potent antimycobacterial activity and high selectivity over two Gram-negative strains. Removal of the backbone methyl group (poly(dimethylaminoethyl acrylate)) decreased antimycobacterial activity, and poly(aminoethyl methacrylate) also had no activity against mycobacteria. Hemolysis assays revealed poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) did not disrupt red blood cell membranes. Interestingly, poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) was not found to permeabilize mycobacterial membranes, as judged by dye exclusion assays, suggesting the mode of action is not simple membrane disruption, supported by electron microscopy analysis. These results demonstrate that synthetic polycations, with the correctly tuned structure are useful tools against mycobacterial infections, for which new drugs are urgently required

Integrating aphasia into stroke best practices: A Canadian KTE strategy

This poster reports on the activities to date of the Stroke and Aphasia Canada team including results of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Knowledge Translation (KT) planning grant (grant #290592, 2013)

Evaluating the Impact of the Clean Heat Program on Air Pollution Levels in New York City

Residual heating oil is a class of heavy oil that remains after the lighter components are distilled away from crude oil in the refining process (EIA 2020) and has been linked to adverse health outcomes (Bell et al. 2009). In New York City (NYC), residual heating oil has been identified as a major source of multiple air pollutants, including fine particulate matter [PM less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₂.₅)] (Clougherty et al. 2010; Kheirbek et al. 2014), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) (U.S. EPA 1998), and black carbon (Cornell et al. 2012). Prior to policy implementation, three types of heating oil were used in NYC: heating oil #4, #6, and ultra-low sulfur oil #2. Both #6 and #4 are referred to as residual heating oils, and oil #2, which is the lightest of the three, has been considered a cleaner alternative (Kheirbek et al. 2014). In 2012, NYC established the Clean Heat Program (CHP) to eliminate the use of residual heating oil and move toward cleaner energy forms (Hernández 2016). Here, we have evaluated the CHP outcomes, quantified the CHP-attributable air pollution reductions between 2012 and 2016, and assessed if and how these reductions vary by neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES). We aim to contribute to the knowledge of CHP effects since its implementation, assess relevant equity issues, and inform future policy improvements

The VicGeneration study - a birth cohort to examine the environmental, behavioural and biological predictors of early childhood caries: background, aims and methods

Background Dental caries (decay) during childhood is largely preventable however it remains a significant and costly public health concern, identified as the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood. Caries in children aged less than five years (early childhood caries) is a rapid and progressive disease that can be painful and debilitating, and significantly increases the likelihood of poor child growth, development and social outcomes. Early childhood caries may also result in a substantial social burden on families and significant costs to the public health system. A disproportionate burden of disease is also experienced by disadvantaged populations. Methods/Design This study involves the establishment of a birth cohort in disadvantaged communities in Victoria, Australia. Children will be followed for at least 18 months and the data gathered will explore longitudinal relationships and generate new evidence on the natural history of early childhood caries, the prevalence of the disease and relative contributions of risk and protective biological, environmental and behavioural factors. Specifically, the study aims to: 1. Describe the natural history of early childhood caries (at ages 1, 6, 12 and 18 months), tracking pathways from early bacterial colonisation, through non-cavitated enamel white spot lesions to cavitated lesions extending into dentine. 2. Enumerate oral bacterial species in the saliva of infants and their primary care giver. 3. Identify the strength of concurrent associations between early childhood caries and putative risk and protective factors, including biological (eg microbiota, saliva), environmental (fluoride exposure) and socio-behavioural factors (proximal factors such as: feeding practices and oral hygiene; and distal factors such as parental health behaviours, physical health, coping and broader socio-economic conditions). 4. Quantify the longitudinal relationships between these factors and the development and progression of early childhood caries from age 1-18 months. Discussion There is currently a lack of research describing the natural history of early childhood caries in very young children, or exploring the interactions between risk and protective factors that extend to include contemporary measures of socio-behavioural factors. This study will generate knowledge about pathways, prevalence and preventive opportunities for early childhood caries, the most prevalent child health inequality