Letter from the Lewiston Public Library

Letter from Jane C. Smith, Program Director of the Lewiston Public Library, to Madeleine Giguère confirming the date of Giguère\u27s presentation for the LPL Plus series Lewiston in Transition at the Lewiston Public Library.https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/giguere-conferences-and-presentations-1968-1997/1011/thumbnail.jp

Distributed solid state programmable thermostat/power controller

A self-contained power controller having a power driver switch, programmable controller, communication port, and environmental parameter measuring device coupled to a controllable device. The self-contained power controller needs only a single voltage source to power discrete devices, analog devices, and the controlled device. The programmable controller has a run mode which, when selected, upon the occurrence of a trigger event changes the state of a power driver switch and wherein the power driver switch is maintained by the programmable controller at the same state until the occurrence of a second event

Amplitude Changes during Ventricular Fibrillation: A Mechanistic Insight

Introduction: Clinically in ventricular fibrillation (VF), ECG amplitude, and frequency decrease as ischemia progresses and predict defibrillation success. In vitro ECG amplitude declines without ischemia, independent of VF frequencies. This study examines the contribution of cellular electrical activity and global organization to ECG amplitude changes during VF. Methods and Results: Rabbit hearts were Langendorff-perfused (40 mL/min, Tyrode’s solution) and loaded with RH237. During VF, ECG, and epicardial optical action potentials were recorded (photodiode array; 256 sites, 15 mm × 15 mm). After 60 s of VF, perfusion was either maintained, global ischemia produced by low-flow (6 mL/min), or solution [K+]o raised to 8 mM. Peak-to-peak amplitude was determined for all signals. During VF, in control, ECG amplitude decreased to a steady-state (∼57% baseline), whereas in low-flow steady-state was not reached with the amplitude continuing to fall to 33% of baseline by 600 s. Optically, LV amplitude declined more than RV, reaching significance in control (LV vs. RV; 33 ± 5 vs. 63 ± 8%, p < 0.01). During VF in 8 mM [K+]o, amplitude changes were more complex; ECG amplitude increased with time (105 ± 13%), whilst LV amplitude decreased (60 ± 15%, p < 0.001). Microelectrode studies showed amplitude reduction in control and 8 mM [K+]o (to ∼79 and ∼93% baseline, respectively). Evaluation of electrical coordination by cross-correlation of optical signals showed as VF progressed coordination reduced in control (baseline 0.36 ± 0.02 to 0.28 ± 0.003, p < 0.01), maintained in low-flow (0.41 ± 0.03 to 0.37 ± 0.005, p = NS) and increased in 8 mM [K+]o (0.36 ± 0.02 to 0.53 ± 0.08, p < 0.05). Conclusion: ECG amplitude decline in VF is due to a combination of decreased systolic activation at the cellular level and increased desynchronization of inter-cellular electrical activity

The Anatomical Society core embryology syllabus for undergraduate medicine

A modified Delphi methodology was used to develop a consensus regarding a series of learning outcome statements to act as the foundation of an undergraduate medical core embryology syllabus. A Delphi panel was formed by recruiting stakeholders with experience in leading undergraduate teaching of medical students. The panel (n = 18), including anatomists, embryologists and practising clinicians, were nominated by members of Council and/or the Education Committee of the Anatomical Society. Following development of an a priori set of learning outcome statements (n = 62) by the authors, panel members were asked in the first of a two‐stage process to ‘accept’, ‘reject’ or ‘modify’ each learning outcome, to propose additional outcomes if desired. In the second stage, the panel was asked to either accept or reject 16 statements which had either been modified, or had failed to reach consensus, during the first Delphi round. Overall, 61 of 62 learning outcome statements, each linked to examples of clinical conditions to provide context, achieved an 80% level of agreement following the modified Delphi process and were therefore deemed accepted for inclusion within the syllabus. The proposed syllabus allows for flexibility within individual curricula, while still prioritising and focusing on the core level of knowledge of embryological processes by presenting the essential elements to all newly qualified doctors, regardless of their subsequent chosen specialty

Psychometric properties of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale (SAQOL-39) in a generic stroke population

Background: We previously developed the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life scale (SAQOL-39) and tested it with people with chronic aphasia. A scale allowing comparisons of quality of life between people with versus without aphasia post-stroke would be of value to clinicians. Objectives: To evaluate the psychometrics of the SAQOL-39 in a generic stroke sample. Should this process result in a generic-stroke version of the scale (SAQOL-39g), a further aim is to compare the latter and the SAQOL-39 as tested in chronic aphasia. Design and subjects: Repeated measures psychometric study, evaluating internal consistency, test—retest reliability, construct validity and responsiveness to change. People admitted to hospital with a first stroke were assessed two weeks, three months and six months post stroke. Measures: SAQOL-39, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Barthel, Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test, General Health Questionnaire-12 and Frenchay Activities Index. Results: Of 126 eligible participants, 96 (76%) participated and 87 (69%) were able to self-report and are presented here. Testing the SAQOL-39 in generic stroke resulted in the SAQOL-39g, which has the same items as the SAQOL-39 but three domains: physical, psychosocial, communication. The SAQOL-39g showed good internal consistency (α = 0.95 overall score, 0.92—0.95 domains), test—retest reliability (interclass correlation (ICC) = 0.96 overall, 0.92—0.98 domains), convergent (r = 0.36—0.70 overall, 0.47—0.78 domains) and discriminant validity (r = 0.26 overall, 0.03—0.40 domains). It differentiated people by stroke severity and visual analogue scale (VAS)-defined quality of life. Moderate changes (d = 0.35—0.49; standardized response mean (SRM) = 0.29—0.53) from two weeks to six months supported responsiveness. Conclusions: The SAQOL-39g demonstrated good reliability, validity and responsiveness to change. It can be used to evaluate quality of life in people with and without aphasia post stroke

Standing dead trees are a conduit for the atmospheric flux of CH4 and CO2 from wetlands

In vegetated wetland ecosystems, plants can be a dominant pathway in the atmospheric flux of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Although the roles of herbaceous vegetation and live woody vegetation in this flux have been established, the role of dead woody vegetation is not yet known. In a restored wetland of North Carolina’s coastal plain, static flux chambers were deployed at two heights on standing dead trees to determine if these structures acted as a conduit for methane emissions. Methane fluxes to the atmosphere were measured in five of the chambers, with a mean flux of 0.4±0.1 mg m-2 h-1. Methane consumption was also measured in three of the chambers, with a mean flux of -0.6±0.3 mg m-2 h-1. Standing dead trees were also a source of the flux of CO2 (114.6±23.8 mg m-2 h-1) to the atmosphere. Results confirm that standing dead trees represent a conduit for the atmospheric flux of carbon gases from wetlands. However, several questions remain regarding the ultimate source of these carbon gases, the controls on the magnitude and direction of this flux, the mechanisms that induce this flux, and the importance of this pathway relative to other sources at the landscape level

"If only had I known":a qualitative study investigating a treatment of patients with a hip fracture with short time stay in hospital

Hip fractures are amongst the leading causes of admission to an orthopaedic ward. Systematized pathways with reduced admission time have become increasingly common as an essential tool for quality development and to improve efficiency in the hospital setting.  The aim of this study was to clarify if the patients feel empowered and able to perform self-care after short time stay in hospital (STSH) due to a hip fracture. The study used descriptive phenomenology to describe experiences of the pathway. Field studies were conducted in hospitals and in the patients' homes.  Interviews were performed with 10 patients recruited from two wards at a Danish University hospital, 4 family members and 15 health professionals from three hospitals.  The open attitude of reflective lifeworld research guided the analysis. The findings revealed that patients felt unprepared and insecure about their future, but also had a strong desire to be in charge of their own lives.  Of all the patients interviewed, none had any recollection of the information given to them by health professionals during their hospital admission. This study demonstrates that empowerment of patients with hip fractures is not adequately achieved in the pathway with STSH

Examining the Role of Environment in a Comprehensive Sample of Compact Groups

(Abridged) Compact groups, with their high number densities, small velocity dispersions, and an interstellar medium that has not been fully processed, provide a local analog to conditions of galaxy interactions in the earlier universe. The frequent and prolonged gravitational encounters that occur in compact groups affect the evolution of the constituent galaxies in a myriad of ways, for example gas processing and star formation. Recently, a statistically significant "gap" has been discovered mid-infrared IRAC colorspace of compact group galaxies. This gap is not seen in field samples and is a new example of how the compact group environment may affect the evolution of member galaxies. In order to investigate the origin and nature of this gap, we have compiled a sample of 49 compact groups. We find that a statistically significant deficit of galaxies in this gap region of IRAC colorspace is persistant in this sample, lending support to the hypothesis that the compact group environment inhibits moderate SSFRs. We note a curvature in the colorspace distribution, which is fully consistent with increasing dust temperature as the activity in a galaxy increases. This full sample of 49 compact groups allows us to subdivide the data according to physical properties of the groups. An analysis of these subsamples indicates that neither projected physical diameter nor density show a trend in colorspace within the values represented by this sample. We hypothesize that the apparent lack of a trend is due to the relatively small range of properties in this sample. Thus, the relative influence of stochastic effects becomes dominant. We analyze spectral energy distributions of member galaxies as a function of their location in colorspace and find that galaxies in different regions of MIR colorspace contain dust with varying temperatures and/or PAH emission.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

Soil Microbial Networks Shift Across a High-Elevation Successional Gradient.

While it is well established that microbial composition and diversity shift along environmental gradients, how interactions among microbes change is poorly understood. Here, we tested how community structure and species interactions among diverse groups of soil microbes (bacteria, fungi, non-fungal eukaryotes) change across a fundamental ecological gradient, succession. Our study system is a high-elevation alpine ecosystem that exhibits variability in successional stage due to topography and harsh environmental conditions. We used hierarchical Bayesian joint distribution modeling to remove the influence of environmental covariates on species distributions and generated interaction networks using the residual species-to-species variance-covariance matrix. We hypothesized that as ecological succession proceeds, diversity will increase, species composition will change, and soil microbial networks will become more complex. As expected, we found that diversity of most taxonomic groups increased over succession, and species composition changed considerably. Interestingly, and contrary to our hypothesis, interaction networks became less complex over succession (fewer interactions per taxon). Interactions between photosynthetic microbes and any other organism became less frequent over the gradient, whereas interactions between plants or soil microfauna and any other organism were more abundant in late succession. Results demonstrate that patterns in diversity and composition do not necessarily relate to patterns in network complexity and suggest that network analyses provide new insight into the ecology of highly diverse, microscopic communities