Revival of Metabolism in Rehydrated \u3ci\u3eMarasmius oreades\u3c/i\u3e

Mushrooms from the genus Marasmius have the ability to revive -- viz., dried specimens regain their original shape when moistened. The purpose of this study was to determine if the basidiocarps are metabolically active upon revival or whether they simply absorb moisture like a sponge. The reduction of tetrazolium chloride to a red, water-insoluble formazan pigment was used as a measure of respiratory activity. Basidiocarp samples were incubated in a phosphate buffer containing 1% tetrasolium chloride. After a suitable period, the samples were extracted with MeOH to remove any formazan pigment and the absorbance measured at 530 nm. Fresh M. oreades basidiocarps stained dark red in the tetrazolium solution. Dried/revived mushrooms also stained red demonstrating that they are capable of restoring metabolic activity after drying. Fresh mushrooms turned red more rapidly than those which had been previously dried. The degree of red coloration in revived specimens did not appear to be correlated with length of time in a dry state. The metabolic activity was killed by microwaving for four minutes

Evaluating Reference Consultations in the Academic Library

In 2015, McGill University Library undertook a project to investigate, propose, and pilot test a method for evaluating the quality and outcomes of reference consultations. The goal of the project was to gather evidence to demonstrate the importance of reference consultations as part of librarians’ core contributions to the university. The evaluation tool was developed based on input from librarians, users, and a review of the literature. The evaluation was sent out to 98 users during the pilot test period. There were 53 responses to the evaluation tool for a response rate of 54%. Though preliminary, the results of the pilot test can be helpful in determining the usefulness of evaluating reference consultations, and the outcomes of engaging in assessment of this core library service. The results from this project suggest that implementing a tool to evaluate consultations can be used to inform services and to demonstrate the value of the library for research, teaching, and learning

Review engagements -- new and expanded guidance on analytical procedures, inquiries, and other procedures

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_comm/1200/thumbnail.jp

Social Workers\u27 Perceptions of Family Preservation Programs

The passage of the Adoptions and Safe Families Act of 1997, with its focus on child safety and concurrent planning, has presented family preservation workers with new challenges and new opportunities. Twenty volunteers from a large comprehensive social service agency were interviewed to determine their experiences with two models of family preservation—Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and Traditional Family Preservation Service (TFPS) or practice as usual. Workers from both programs were able to articulate values consistent with family preservation as important strengths of the programs— keeping families together and empowering families for example. Information from referring agencies was described as variable and not especially useful when working with seriously troubled families, especially as it related to risk and child safety. Both groups indicated that the jargon of family preservation had permeated their agencies, and that working with other agencies was at times a challenge, though for different reasons. Finally, despite some reservations about the effectiveness of short-term treatment with families that face serious challenges, both groups of workers were generally satisfied with family preservation as an approach to practice

Comparative analysis of US real-world dosing patterns and direct infusion-related costs for matched cohorts of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with infliximab or intravenous golimumab.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare treatment patterns and infusion-related health care resource expenditures for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients initiating golimumab for intravenous use (GLM-IV) and infliximab (IFX) therapy and to assess cost implications from the commercial perspective. Methods: Adult RA patients with a new episode of GLM-IV or IFX treatment between January 1, 2014 and March 31, 2016 were identified from MarketScan databases and evaluated for maintenance infusion intervals and related costs of treatment. IFX and GLM-IV patients were matched 1:1 on index medication treatment duration, gender, payer type, prior biologic use, and post-index methotrexate use. Paid amounts for drugs and associated administration costs were applied to treatment group dosing patterns. Results: Final matched treatment groups included 547 GLM-IV and 547 IFX patients (mean age = 55-56 years). Mean (SD) follow-up was 609 (161) days for GLM-IV and 613 (163) days for IFX. Treatment duration was 396 (240) days for GLM-IV and 397 (239) days for IFX. Overall, 80% of GLM-IV and 39% of IFX maintenance infusions were given approximately every 8 weeks; and 6% of GLM-IV and 53% of IFX maintenance infusions occurred more frequently than every 8 weeks (P\u3c0.001). When weighting of the maintenance infusion interval was applied, the mean number of induction plus maintenance infusions during the first year of treatment was estimated at 7.03 for GLM-IV and 9.48 for IFX. From the commercial perspective, drug plus administration costs per infusion were $5,846 for GLM-IV and$5,444 for IFX with total annual cost of therapy for GLM-IV patients costing $10,507 less than that for IFX patients in the first year and$6,774 less than that for IFX patients in subsequent years. Conclusion: Annual GLM-IV drug plus administration costs for commercial health plans were significantly less than IFX in RA patients due to differences in real-world dosing and administration. © 2019 Ellis et al

Assessing Perceptions and Attitudes of an Extreme Sports Park

Action sports have been on the rise in the last decade. A new action sports park is considering developing operations on the east coast. The park would include extreme sports such as surfing, wakeboarding, and skating. The park will feature state of the art technologies that produce consistent waves for surfing 12 months a year. With over 10 million surfers worldwide the newest tourist attraction has been deemed appealing to the tourists that flock to the east coast and locals. Other possible amenities at the park include a family waterpark, dining, shopping, and nightlife opportunities. This study examines consumers’ perceptions of the new surf park

Ecological Impacts of Invasive Species

Nearly 6,500 nonnative species are present in the United States and are responsible for the extinction of over 760 native species. The introduction of invasive species is ongoing and the ecological ramifications of these invasions are diverse but could include competition between invasive and native species, disruption of natural ecological processes, and reduced ecosystem services. While invasive species are able to severely damage vital ecosystems, there are methods of predicting and lessening the impacts. Our goal is to educate our campus community about the impact of invasive species on native ecosystems, including the dangers of invasive species, and how we can prevent future invasions. To accomplish this, we conducted an extensive literature review to examine how invasive species are controlled and managed, and how current preventative measures can be improved upon. We hypothesize that a greater focus on successful preventative measurements will reflect a decrease in overall human transportation and the spread of invasive species. The connection between conservation and invasive species plays an important role in understanding and implementing preventative actions in ecosystems that are potentially susceptible to invasive species and is critical to protecting and maintaining biodiversity on our planet

Perniosis (chilblains) masquerading as CA-MRSA: a case report

Perniosis (chilblains) is a vasospastic, inflammatory disease that occurs when the skin is subjected to cold above the freezing point, under damp conditions. Erythematous (violaceous) blisters, ulcerations or pustules that sit on an edematous base, accompanied by pain, burning or itching, are usually evident. To the inexperienced clinician it may resemble community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and could lead to inappropriate treatment. Here we report such a case