Perspectives, Questions, and Epistemic Value

Many epistemologists endorse true-belief monism, the thesis that only true beliefs are of fundamental epistemic value. However, this view faces formidable counterexamples. In response to these challenges, we alter the letter, but not the spirit, of true-belief monism. We dub the resulting view “inquisitive truth monism”, which holds that only true answers to relevant questions are of fundamental epistemic value. Which questions are relevant is a function of an inquirer’s perspective, which is characterized by his/her interests, social role, and background assumptions. Using examples of several different scientific practices, we argue that inquisitive truth monism outperforms true-belief monism

Empiric Antibiotic Therapy in the Treatment of Community-acquired Pneumonia in a General Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Background: Guideline-based empiric antimicrobial therapy is recommended for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In this study, we evaluate the pattern of empiric antibiotics of CAP patients. Materials and Methods: Patients with CAP were retrieved from the health information unit using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision. The electronic pharmacy database was used to retrieve prescribed antibiotics and the duration of therapy for each antibiotic. Results: A total of 1672 adult patients were included in the study and 868 (52%) were male. Of all the patients, 47 (2.8%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The most frequently used antibiotics were levofloxacin (68.12%), ceftriaxone (37.7%), imipenem-cilastatin (32.5%), and azithromycin (20.6%). The mean days of therapy of each of these antibiotics were 3.2, 2.8, 4.4, and 2.9, respectively. A combination therapy of levofloxacin and imipenem-cilastatin was prescribed for 355 (21.8%) of non-ICU patients versus 20 (60.6%) of ICU patients (P = 0.0007). Imipenem-cilastatin was prescribed for 518 (31.8%) of non-ICU patients versus 25 (56.8%) of ICU patients (P = 0.0009). Levofloxacin was prescribed for 1106 (68%) of non-ICU patients versus 33 (75%) of ICU patients (P = 0.412). Ceftriaxone use decreased significantly from 40.9% in 2013 to 25.9% in 2016 (P = 0.034). In addition, levofloxacin use increased from 63.7% to 75% (P = 0.63). Conclusion: The most commonly used antibiotics were levofloxacin, ceftriaxone, imipenem-cilastatin, and azithromycin. The data call for further refinement and prospective audit of antibiotic use in CAP, especially in non-ICU settings

The non-coding RNA landscape of plasma cell dyscrasias

Despite substantial advancements have been done in the understanding of the pathogenesis of plasma cell (PC) disorders, these malignancies remain hard-to-treat. The discovery and subsequent characterization of non-coding transcripts, which include several members with diverse length and mode of action, has unraveled novel mechanisms of gene expression regulation often malfunctioning in cancer. Increasing evidence indicates that such non-coding molecules also feature in the pathobiology of PC dyscrasias, where they are endowed with strong therapeutic and/or prognostic potential. In this review, we aim to summarize the most relevant findings on the biological and clinical features of the non-coding RNA landscape of malignant PCs, with major focus on multiple myeloma. The most relevant classes of non-coding RNAs will be examined, along with the mechanisms accounting for their dysregulation and the recent strategies used for their targeting in PC dyscrasias. It is hoped these insights may lead to clinical applications of non-coding RNA molecules as biomarkers or therapeutic targets/agents in the near future

Assessment of Compost on Dryland Wheat Yield and Quality, Soil Fertility and Water Availability in Utah

In 2014-2016 Kareem Adeleke undertook a graduate project under the supervision of Utah State University (USU) Plants, Soils and Climate professors, Drs. Jennifer Reeve, Astrid Jacobson, and Earl Creech. Organic wheat producers face numerous challenges, such as low soil moisture, soil erosion, and low soil fertility. Organic wheat growers generally do not apply fertilizer due to inability to recoup the costs in the short-term. Compost enhances long-term improvement in soil quality, soil fertility and increase yield in low input environments. Understanding of compost carryover effects in dryland wheat systems is necessary for increased yield that will allow adequate supply of nutrients for several years after the initial application. A previous study on a Utah calcareous soil showed evidence of soil benefits twenty-two years after a single application of compost at 50 Mg ha-1 dry weight. A new experiment was started at the Blue Creek farm in 2011 to test the reproducibility of these findings on a less marginal soil type. Compost was applied at 0, 12, 25, and 50 Mg ha-1 plus a conventional fertilizer control. Wheat yield was significantly increased three years after application at the 50 Mg ha-1 compost rate only. Conventional fertilizer increased grain protein. Mineralizable soil carbon, microbial biomass and phosphatase enzyme activity increased significantly at all compost rates, while available soil phosphorus increased at the 25 and 50 Mg ha-1 rates and total soil nitrogen at the 50 Mg ha-1 rate. A lack of yield response to conventional fertilizer suggests improved soil health and or soil moisture was responsible for improved yields at the high compost rate

Influence of Different Growth Media on Growth and Yield Performances of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus Linn.)

Growth and yield performances of cucumber (Cucumis sativus Linn.) as influenced by different growth media were experimented at the field research site of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. Loamy/top soil, mixture of top soil + pulverized poultry droppings, sandy soil, clayey soil and washed river sand (as control) were employed as growth media/treatments (A, B, C, D & E respectively) and their physicochemical analyses (pH, total nitrogen, organic carbon, available phosphorus, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, exchangeable acidity, ECEC, textural class) were carried out prior to the commencement of the study. The experiment was a completely randomized design consisting of 5 treatments and 5 replicates. Seedlings’ emergence percentage, morphological growth characters (tendril collar girth, number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches, tendril length) and yield indices (number of flowers, number of fruits, size of fruits and fruit fresh weight) were assessed. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. 100% seedlings’ emergence was observed in all the treatments except B which had 50% only, ANOVA indicated significant differences (at P<0.01/P<0.05) among the treatments of which treatment B (mixture of top soil + pulverized poultry droppings) emerged as the best treatment that outstandingly and positively influenced the growth and yield of the cucumber plant and was recommended for its commercial cultivation/production. Keywords: Growth, yield, performance, cucumber, growth media