Hereditary multiple telangiectasis

(l) The cause of the disease is unknown. (2) It has a hereditary nature, and appears in both sexes. It can be transmitted by both male and female. (3) There is a tendency to increase in severity with advancing years. (4) Recovery is rare. (5) It is rarely a primary cause of death. (6) There is no satisfactory treatment. Treatment at present is purely symptomatic

Emphasizing Co-Curricular Experiences to Address Increasing Honors Enrollment and Diminishing Resources

A program giving equal emphasis to honors coursework and targeted co-curricular experience provides one solution for a public university facing both increases in enrollment and decreases in financial resources. Undergraduate research, study abroad, and campus leadership provide high-impact experiences to students for honors credit. Measurable outcomes are presented

A Seasonality Study of the West Virginia Stream Condition Index

The West Virginia Stream Condition Index (WVSCI) has not been rigorously tested for the effects of seasonal data collection. Scientific literature regarding seasonal impacts on biological indices is surprisingly limited. But most literature does agree that seasonal signals are small in comparison to variation between all possible biological conditions. Recently stream data have been collected from a full range of seasons by both West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and myself. In this study habitat, benthic macroinvertebrate data, and WVSCI values were analyzed for seasonality. For this reason multiple independent data sets were utilized. The analyses covered in this report include the use of box-and-whisker plots, correlation analysis and ANOVAs. Preliminary results indicate that seasonality does impact certain metrics under some seasonal conditions. Among the six metrics that make up the WVSCI, some seasonal signal was detected for EPT Taxa, % Chironomidae, Hilsenhoff Biotic Index, Total Taxa and the WVSCI Index scores. These signals were very inconsistent across multiple, independent data sets. Presently, there are no suggestions for any alterations of the WVSCI that would reduce seasonal signals

Seasonal Predictions of Shoreline Change, Informed by Climate Indices

With sea level rise accelerating and coastal populations increasing, the requirement of coastal managers and scientists to produce accurate predictions of shoreline change is becoming ever more urgent. Waves are the primary driver of coastal evolution, and much of the interannual variability of the wave conditions in the Northeast Atlantic can be explained by broadscale patterns in atmospheric circulation. Two of the dominant climate indices that capture the wave climate in western Europe’s coastal regions are the ‘Western Europe Pressure Anomaly’ (WEPA) and ‘North Atlantic Oscillation’ (NAO). This study utilises a shoreline prediction model (ShoreFor) which is forced by synthetic waves to investigate whether forecasts can be improved when the synthetic wave generation algorithm is informed by relevant climate indices. The climate index-informed predictions were tested against a baseline case where no climate indices were considered over eight winter periods at Perranporth, UK. A simple adaption to the synthetic wave-generating process has allowed for monthly climate index values to be considered before producing the 103 random waves used to force the model. The results show that improved seasonal predictions of shoreline change are possible if climate indices are known a priori. For NAO, modest gains were made over the uninformed ShoreFor model, with a reduction in average root mean square error (RMSE) of 7% but an unchanged skill score. For WEPA, the gains were more significant, with the average RMSE 12% lower and skill score 5% higher. Highlighted is the importance of selecting an appropriate index for the site location. This work suggests that better forecasts of shoreline change could be gained from consideration of a priori knowledge of climatic indices in the generation of synthetic waves

3D printed reactors and Kessil lamp holders for flow photochemistry: design and system standardization

A low-cost 3D printed standardized flow-photochemistry setup has been designed and developed for use with a pressure-driven flow system using photochemistry lamps available in most laboratories. In this research, photochemical reactors were 3D printed from polypropylene which facilitated rapid optimization of both reactor geometry and experimental setup of the lamp housing system. To exemplify the rapidity of this approach to optimization, a Kessil LED lamp was used in the bromination of a range of toluenes in the 3D printed reactors in good yields with residence times as low as 27 s. The reaction compared favorably with the batch photochemical procedure and was able to be scaled up to a productivity of 75 mmol h−1

Triumph of hope over experience: learning from interventions to reduce avoidable hospital admissions identified through an Academic Health and Social Care Network.

BACKGROUND: Internationally health services are facing increasing demands due to new and more expensive health technologies and treatments, coupled with the needs of an ageing population. Reducing avoidable use of expensive secondary care services, especially high cost admissions where no procedure is carried out, has become a focus for the commissioners of healthcare. METHOD: We set out to identify, evaluate and share learning about interventions to reduce avoidable hospital admission across a regional Academic Health and Social Care Network (AHSN). We conducted a service evaluation identifying initiatives that had taken place across the AHSN. This comprised a literature review, case studies, and two workshops. RESULTS: We identified three types of intervention: pre-hospital; within the emergency department (ED); and post-admission evaluation of appropriateness. Pre-hospital interventions included the use of predictive modelling tools (PARR - Patients at risk of readmission and ACG - Adjusted Clinical Groups) sometimes supported by community matrons or virtual wards. GP-advisers and outreach nurses were employed within the ED. The principal post-hoc interventions were the audit of records in primary care or the application of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) within the admission ward. Overall there was a shortage of independent evaluation and limited evidence that each intervention had an impact on rates of admission. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the frequency and cost of emergency admission there has been little independent evaluation of interventions to reduce avoidable admission. Commissioners of healthcare should consider interventions at all stages of the admission pathway, including regular audit, to ensure admission thresholds don't change

A Radical-Mediated Approach to the Total Synthesis of Fluorinated Marinoquinoline A and Related Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Congeners

A radical-mediated approach to the core structure of fluorinated marinoquinoline A, N-methylated marinoquinoline A and related congeners via the use of Togni’s reagent is described