Playground for the Imagination

Over the past years, my work has been based on a desire to depict the spiritual and physiological interdependence humans have with the wetland ecosystem. As I examine the shapes of trees and their roots through rubbings, paintings, and sculpture, I sought to express this interaction between humans and nature. My artwork metamorphosed from the traditionally separated forms of painting and sculpture into an environment. The transformation of natural materials into manufactured products led me to cultivate a deeper understanding of ecology, where humans are participants in the natural process of the life cycle. Nature becomes the primary subject and humans are mere participants, the secondary subject. In earlier times, people lived among nature; today, most reside in cities that are isolated from nature. Fear of the unfamiliar prevents most humans from developing a close relationship with the wetlands. Universal interconnectedness requires humans to reflect on nature. Through my art, I aim to cultivate conscious and unconscious awareness of human dependence on nature. It is my ambition to encourage dialogue among all people about nature. I am encouraged by public recognition of the need to protect and sustain the scope of nature necessary for earth\u27s survival. We have the power to save nature through regulation if we only use that power. The planet does not belong to humans; humans depend on and belong to the planet Earth

Resultados laboratoriais nas doenças virais oculares: implicações na correlação clínico-laboratorial

PURPOSE: To document etiology and predictive value of clinical diagnosis in laboratory confirmed viral diseases. METHODS: Reports of culture-positive cases of samples collected from patients presenting from January 1987 - December 2001 were evaluated. RESULTS: One thousand nine hundred and sixty-four (1964) cultures were submitted during 1987-2001. Twenty-six percent were positive (514). Human herpesvirus 1 was the most frequent agent isolated from all positive culture (56%). Adenovirus was the most common virus isolated from conjunctiva (66%), human herpesvirus 1 from lid and cornea (76%, 88%) and cytomegalovirus from vitreous (27%). Some unusual pathogens were recovered from conjunctiva as cytomegalovirus and from cornea as adenovirus, enterovirus and cytomegalovirus. Recognition of common viral syndromes was human herpesvirus 1 (88%), epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (88%), acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (70%) and varicella zoster virus (100%). However, some misdiagnosed cases were observed. Thirteen percent of conjunctivitis thought to be caused by herpes were due to adenovirus, 3.2% to Enterovirus, 3.2% to varicella zoster virus and 3.2% to human cytomegalovirus. Also, 5% of cases with a clinical diagnosis of herpes keratitis were caused by adenovirus and 2.7% by enterovirus. Finally, 4.8% of cases thought to be adenovirus conjunctivitis were herpes conjunctivitis. CONCLUSIONS: Human herpesvirus 1 remains the most frequently isolated virus from ocular sites in general (56%). Nonherpetic corneal isolates were in decreasing order: adenovirus, enterovirus and cytomegalovirus. Clinical and laboratory correlation was less than 90%. The most misdiagnosed cases were herpes conjunctivitis and keratitis, some cases of adenovirus conjunctivitis some cases of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis. It is essential that a rapid and specific diagnosis is offered under atypical viral presentation for the institution of specific antiviral therapy and to avoid complications that can be a result of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Also it is important to do viral testing in order to confirm clinical diagnosis, report emerging infections, resistance and change in the epidemiology.OBJETIVOS: Documentar a etiologia e prever a importância do diagnóstico clínico em doenças virais oculares confirmadas em laboratório. MÉTODOS: Todos os relatórios de pacientes com cultura viral positiva durante o período de janeiro 1987 - dezembro 2001 foram analisados. RESULTADOS: Quinhentos e quatorze (514) casos foram encontrados. Em geral, herpesvírus 1 humano foi o agente mais freqüentemente isolado. Adenovírus foi o vírus mais comumente isolado da conjuntiva (66%), herpesvírus 1 humano das pálpebras e córnea (76%, 88% respectivamente) e citomegalovírus do vítreo (27%). Alguns agentes não usuais foram isolados da conjuntiva como citomegalovírus e da córnea como adenovírus, enterovírus e citomegalovírus. Reconhecimento das síndromes virais comuns foi: herpervírus 1 humano (88%), ceratoconjuntivite epidêmica (88%), conjuntivite aguda hemorrágica (70%). Porém, alguns casos com diagnóstico incorreto foram observados. Treze por cento das conjuntivites com diagnóstico de herpes foram causadas por adenovírus, 3,2% por enterovírus, 3,2% por varicella zoster vírus e 3,2% por citomegalovírus. Também, 5% dos casos com diagnóstico clínico de ceratite herpética eram adenovírus e 2,7% enterovírus. Além disso, 4,8% dos casos em que se pensaram em conjuntivite por adenovírus, eram conjuntivite por herpes. Finalmente, 30% dos casos em que se diagnosticaram conjuntive hemorrágica aguda, o agente etiológico era adenovírus. CONCLUSÃO: Em geral herpesvírus humano 1 continua a ser o vírus mais comum encontrado nas infecções oculares (56%). Agentes não herpéticos isolados da córnea foram em ordem decrescente: adenovírus, enterovírus e citomegalovírus. A correlação entre o diagnóstico clínico e laboratorial foi menor do que 90%. Um diagnóstico rápido e específico é essencial em casos de apresentações virais atípicas para que uma terapia antiviral específica seja estabelecida e para se evitar complicações que podem ser decorrentes de um diagnóstico errado e tratamento inadequado. Teste viral também é importante para se confirmar um diagnóstico clínico, relatar infecções emergentes e mudanças de epidemiologia.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade de Miami Bascom Palmer Eye InstituteUNIFESPSciEL

Management of endophthalmitis while preserving the uninvolved crystalline lens

The purpose of this work is to report on the management of endophthalmitis in phakic eyes in which the crystalline lens was preserved. The current study is a noncomparative consecutive case series of patients who developed culture-proven endophthalmitis and were treated between January 1995 and June 2009. The study included only phakic patients whose infection was managed without removal of the crystalline lens. Using a computerized search of Microbiology Department records, patients were identified with phakic lens status and clinically diagnosed endophthalmitis. A total of 12 phakic eyes from 11 patients met the study criteria. The etiology of infection was endogenous (n = 6), postoperative (n = 5), and post-traumatic (n = 1). Pars plana vitrectomy and injection of intravitreal antimicrobials was performed in seven eyes (58%), and vitreous tap and injection of antimicrobials was performed in five eyes (42%). All eyes showed progression of lens opacification after treatment. Overall, nine (75%) achieved visual acuity outcomes ≥20/80, including five of seven (71%) eyes treated with vitrectomy and four of five eyes (80%) treated with injection of antibiotics alone. One of seven eyes (14%) treated with vitrectomy had a poor visual outcome (defined as <20/400) compared with one of five (20%) eyes treated with intravitreal antimicrobials alone. During follow-up, all 12 eyes had progression of lens opacification and five of 12 (42%) eyes underwent cataract surgery with posterior chamber intraocular lens placement. In phakic patients, successful treatment of endophthalmitis can be achieved while preserving the uninvolved crystalline lens. Future cataract surgery with posterior chamber intraocular lens placement can be accomplished in many of these patients

We hang elephants here: excerpts from a novel

In 1916, the town of Erwin, TN was made infamous for hanging the circus elephant Mary for the murder of her caretaker. Ever since, the town has carried around the moniker, “The Town that Hung the Elephant.” Appearing on storefronts, t-shirts, and book covers, the grainy photo of Mary’s limp body hanging from the railroad derrick has haunted the town for years, earning a profit for those seeking out the macabre and disgusting those in the town that just wish the world would forget its grisly past. But, perhaps the town is cursed. A hundred years after the hanging of Murderess Mary, another mad elephant, Bernice, kills the ringmaster of a local circus, and businessman turned politician Dan Lange is paying for votes with blood. Rallying the people of the region, Lange obtains enough signatures to have the murdering elephant hanged in the same spot where Mary met her maker, the recently closed CSX railyard. The first public hanging on American soil in years draws together an unlikely group of people–Todd Bedford, an Erwin native and green field reporter sent back home to cover the hanging; Danielle Myers, a University of Tennessee student, Florida transplant, and animal rights activist; and Jim Bedford, a recently displaced railroad worker and Lange supporter. Though sharing little in common, the fates of these three people are intertwined through their attempts to save Bernice and bring the attention of the nation to one small town in East Tennessee. This creative thesis will be comprised of three representative chapters of the working novel We Hang Elephants Here. As an Appalachian native and scholar, I have had a keen interest in representing the region with the respect and honesty it deserves. Drawing on inspiration from Appalachian authors such as Ron Rash and Barbara Kingsolver, I first seek to address and dispel harmful Appalachian stereotypes that have been traditionally perpetuated in books, television, and films. I will focus strongly on place writing, which I define as representing equally the positive and negative aspects of a region the author has chosen. This novel will take place in my hometown of Erwin, TN and is based on the hanging of the elephant, a historical event that happened in Erwin in 1916. Furthermore, in the vein of Ann Pancake’s activist novel Strange as This Weather Has Been (2007), I will focus on the effects of the local railroad industry closing on the town and its people. Overall, this novel seeks to comment on the sensationalism of the historical event, address regional problems often overshadowed by stereotypes and absurd history, and understand the faults and virtues of Appalachia through insider and outsider perspectives

Training Extension Professionals from Developing Countries Through Educational Workshops Conducted in the United States

Many opportunities exist for conducting stateside professional improvement workshops to train Extension professionals from developing countries. To conduct a successful workshop it is important to understand the needs of the partner country and identify participants who can use their workshop training to address those needs. An effective workshop will have high-quality field trips, practical classroom instruction, and opportunities for cultural exchange. Pre-workshop planning and close attention to logistical issues are essential to the success of the workshop. Good evaluation of the workshop is important to measure the impacts of the workshop and provide input for improving future workshops

Intravitreal Dexamethasone in the Management of Delayed-Onset Bleb-Associated Endophthalmitis

Purpose. To report the visual acuity (VA) outcomes and culture results of delayed-onset bleb-associated endophthalmitis (BAE) with and without intravitreal dexamethasone (IVD). Methods. Retrospective nonrandomized comparative case series of BAE at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2009. Clinical data were compared using the 2-sided Student's t-test for patients who received IVD and patients who did not receive IVD. Results. 70/83 (84%) received IVD, and 13/83 (16%) did not receive IVD. Mean baseline VA was 20/90 in the IVD group and 20/70 in the group that did not receive IVD (P = 0.57). Mean presenting VA was 0.9/200 in the IVD group and 1.7/200 in the group that did not receive IVD (P = 0.23). Repeat cultures were positive in 2/70 (3%) IVD cases and 1/13 (8%) cases that did not receive IVD (P = 0.57). Mean VA at 1 month was 5/200 in the IVD group and 1.8/200 in the group that did not receive IVD, logMARΔ of 0.85 and 1.56, respectively (P = 0.02). Mean VA at 3 months was 7/200 in the IVD group and 3/200 in the group that did not receive IVD, logMARΔ of 0.74 and 1.33, respectively (P = 0.14). Conclusion. In the current study of BAE, IVD was associated with improved short-term VA outcomes without an increased rate of persistent infection

The Ursinus Weekly, November 1, 1965

Founders\u27 Day ceremony honors four outstanding women • Homecoming weekend: Parties, pageantry, parades • Alumni initiate 1 year fund drive • Young Democrats help with campaign in Collegeville • Curtain Club presents theater-in-the-round • Senate announces senior women get 1:00 permissions • Editorial: Where have all the writers gone • Students join TV production staff • Letters to the editor • Student concert season opens at the Academy • Coed writes dear grandfather • Intramural corner • UC hockey over Wilson • JV\u27s undefeated • Alfred swamps Bears • Soccer team edged 1-0 • Greek machines promote The candidates • A protest! It\u27s purpose?https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1208/thumbnail.jp

Delayed-onset bleb-associated endophthalmitis: presentation and outcome by culture result

To determine how culture results are associated with clinical presentations and outcomes in delayed-onset bleb-associated endophthalmitis (BAE). Retrospective consecutive case series of BAE at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2009. All patients had prior glaucoma filtering surgery. BAE was defined as intraocular infection with vitreous involvement receiving treatment with intravitreal antibiotics. Visual acuity (VA) outcomes and other clinical data were grouped by culture result and compared using the 2-sided Student's t-test. Mean logMAR change at 3 months after treatment (3-month logMARΔ). Eighty-six eyes of 85 patients were identified. Two eyes were primarily eviscerated. Fifty-three (63%) eyes were culture-positive with the following organisms: Streptococcus, 21 (25%); coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, 9 (11%); Enterococcus, 6 (7%); Gram-negative, 15 (18%); Moraxella, 8 (10%); Pseudomonas, 3 (4%); and Serratia, 3 (4%). Presenting logMAR VA: culture-positive worse than culture-negative cases (2.45 vs 2.19, P = 0.05). Presenting intraocular pressure (IOP): culture-positive higher than culture-negative cases (24 mmHg vs 14 mmHg, P = 0.002). Poor presenting view of the fundus: Streptococcus worse than coagulase-negative Staphylococcus cases (90% vs 44%, P = 0.006), Pseudomonas and Serratia worse than Moraxella cases (100% vs 50%, P = 0.04). Three month logMARΔ: culture-positive worse than culture-negative cases (1.03 vs 0.43, P = 0.02), Streptococcus worse than coagulase-negative Staphylococcus cases (1.44 vs 0.31, P = 0.004), Pseudomonas and Serratia worse than coagulase-negative Staphylococcus cases (2.41 vs 0.31, P = 0.001), Pseudomonas and Serratia worse than Moraxella cases (2.41 vs 0.04, P = 0.001). A culture result of Streptococcus or Serratia was present in 6 of 7 eyes that received an additional treatment of enucleation or evisceration (P = 0.01). Culture-positive cases were associated with worse presenting VA, higher presenting IOP, and worse VA outcomes than culture-negative cases. Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, and Serratia cases were associated with poor presenting view of the fundus and worse VA outcomes than coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Moraxella cases