430 research outputs found

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    Loss of Potential Aquatic-Terrestrial Subsidies Along the Missouri River Floodplain

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    The floodplains of large rivers have been heavily modified due to riparian development and channel modifications, both of which can eliminate shallow off-channel habitats. The importance of these habitats for aquatic organisms like fishes is well studied. However, loss of off-channel habitat also eliminates habitats for the production of emerging aquatic insects, which subsidize riparian consumers in terrestrial food webs. We used field collections of insect emergence, historical mapping, and statistical modeling to estimate the loss of insect emergence due to channel modifications along eight segments of the Missouri River (USA), encompassing 1566 river km, between 1890 and 2012. We estimate annual production of emerging aquatic insects declined by a median of 36,000 kgC (95% CrI: 3000 to 450,000) between 1890 and 2012 (a 34% loss), due to the loss of surface area in backwaters and related off-channel habitats. Under a conservative assumption that riparian birds obtain 24% of their annual energy budget from adult aquatic insects, this amount of insect loss would be enough to subsidize approximately 790,000 riparan woodland birds during the breeding and nesting period (May to August; 95% CrI: 57,000 to 10,000,000). Most of the loss is concentrated in the lower reaches of the Missouri River, which historically had a wide floodplain, a meandering channel, and a high density of off-channel habitats, but which were substantially reduced due to channelization and bank stabilization. Our results indicate that the loss of off-channel habitats in large river floodplains has the potential to substantially affect energy availability for riparian insectivores, further demonstrating the importance of maintaining and restoring these habitats for linked aquatic-terrestrial ecosystems

    Implementation of a Cardiogenic Shock Protocol and Data Review Process is Associated With Improved In-Hospital Survival

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    Background: Despite increasing use of mechanical circulatory support devices (MCS), cardiogenic shock (CS) mortality is persistently high, with worsening outcomes in later stages of CS. Delays in diagnosis and practice variation may contribute to in-hospital mortality. Methods: In June 2018, we devised and implemented a CS protocol at two hospitals from one health system in Portland, OR. The CS protocol was designed to promote early CS recognition, rapid notification of a multi-disciplinary specialty team lead by a heart failure cardiologist, invasive hemodynamic evaluation, and institution of MCS as appropriate. CS was defined by widely accepted clinical and hemodynamic criteria. Patient demographics, disease severity, process metrics, and clinical outcomes were prospectively collected and reviewed monthly by a multi-disciplinary CS task force. M&Ms were conducted routinely to identify improvement opportunities. The task force continually refined data collection, implemented protocol improvements, and educated providers and clinical staff in the emergency department, critical care, intermediate care, and cardiac telemetry units. Education centered on early recognition of CS, protocol for activation, and the time-sensitivity of CS outcomes. Results: From June 1, 2018 to October 1, 2019, identification of CS patients grew from five to 55 patients per month, with 311 total patients identified. Education initially emphasized CS identification and team activation, then expanded to definition of CS stages and hospital-specific protocols. Over 10 months, the CS mortality rate decreased by 30%. Ongoing optimization includes stratifying patients by primary discharge diagnosis, consistently documenting shock stages in the electronic medical record, and refining the transfer process from other hospitals. Conclusions: Implementation of a CS protocol with emphasis on early recognition, hemodynamic assessment, and implementation of MCS is associated with improved survival. Multi-disciplinary education and team engagement in data review are integral to continual process improvement. Character count: 1,818 Clinical Implications: A protocolized, multi-disciplinary approach can improve the outcome of CS

    MSU Xtreme: Minnesota State University, Mankato\u27s Entry into the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001

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    Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Automotive Engineering Technology program formed a team to enter the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001. Selections for the organization’s machine included a 2001 Polaris Edge Chassis specially outfitted with a 2000 500 cc two-stroke Polaris engine. Modifications to the snowmobile were made specifically for Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001 events. Acceleration, emissions, cold start, noise, fuel economy/range, handling/drivability, hill climb, and static display made up the list of events featured in the competition. MSU Xtreme has modified the snowmobile in every area with special emphasis on emissions and handling. Testing and analysis of the sled’s systems brought the team to its resulting design. The technical paper describes the results of those tests, explains the team design procedures, and presents all modifications made to the snowmobile

    Intellectual Property and Public Health - A White Paper

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    On October 26, 2012, The University of Akron School of Law\u27s Center for Intellectual Property and Technology hosted its Sixth Annual IP Scholars Forum. In attendance were thirteen legal scholars with expertise and an interest in IP and public health who met to discuss problems and potential solutions at the intersection of these fields. This report summarizes this discussion by describing the problems raised, areas of agreement and disagreement between the participants, suggestions and solutions made by participants, and the subsequent evaluations of these suggestions and solutions. Led by the moderator, participants at the Forum focused generally on three broad questions. First, are there alternatives to the patent system or specific patent doctrines that can provide or help provide sufficient incentives for health-related innovation? Second, is health information being used proprietarily, and if so, is this use appropriate? Third, does IP conflict with other non-IP values that are important in health, and how does or how can IP law help resolve these conflicts? This report addresses each of these questions in turn
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