Overcoming Obstacles in the Control of Water Chestnuts in an Urban Setting

The City of Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States is the site of a major infestation of water chestnuts, Trapa natans. This infestation has provided lessons in the importance of partnering, education, outreach, cooperation, and solving logistical problems in the control of aquatic invasive species in an urban setting

Understanding the production of cultural ecosystem services and benefits

Kim Zoeller explored the production of cultural ecosystem services and benefits using birds as a case study. She found that cultural ecosystem services are produced through complex socio‐ecological interactions. She demonstrated the importance of incorporating linkages between people, society and the environment in cultural service assessments

That’s It? Scrutinizing the Marshal of the Supreme Court’s Role in an Investigation within the Context of 28 U.S.C. § 672

In May 2022, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization majority opinion was leaked to the news outlet POLITICO. Very quickly thereafter, Chief Justice Roberts ordered the Marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court to investigate who was responsible for the leak. In this article, Josh Zoeller scrutinizes the Marshal’s report on the investigation while providing background on the Marshal’s role at the Court and how the position is statutorily defined.https://scholarship.law.slu.edu/lawjournalonline/1112/thumbnail.jp

Pulsatile flow does not improve efficacy in ex vivo lung perfusion.

Introduction Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has the potential to increase the donor pool for lung transplantation by facilitating extended evaluation of marginal organs. Current methodology employs continuous flow pumps for perfusion. In vivo, continuous flow has been shown to increase pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Thus, pulsatile flow EVLP may reduce PVR and improve organ preservation by providing physiologic flow morphology. Methods Lung blocks harvested from male, Yorkshire pigs were allocated into continuous (CF, n=3) and pulsatile flow (PF, n=4) groups. Lungs were ventilated at 4-5 mL/kg, 30% FiO2 and perfused with an acellular, albumin-based solution corrected for osmolarity, acid/base balance, and CO2 concentration (=19 hours at 30°C). Prostaglandin E2 and 30% albumin were infused continuously at 250 ?g/hr and 100 mL/hr, respectively. Hemodynamic, respiratory, and blood gas parameters were recorded hourly. Parenchymal biopsies were used for quantification of wet: dry ratio and IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a using ELISA. Results ?PO2/FoO2 in mmHg was 261±47 and 313±37 at baseline and 174±36 and 152±36 at hour 12 for CF and PF, respectively. Wet: dry ratio was 5.53±0.56 and 6.06±0.09 at baseline and 5.27±0.48 and 5.12±0.40 at hour 12 for CF and PF, respectively. Average PVR in Woods Units was 15.17±1.33 and 13.60±1.91 over the 12 hour test period for CF and PF groups, respectively. Peak airway pressure (PAWP) in cm H2O was 17±1.15 and 16±0.75 at baseline and 21±1.67 and 21±0.41 at hour 12 for CF and PF, respectively. There were no discernable differences in TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-8 concentrations, PVR, ?PO2/FiO2, wet: dry ratio, and PAWP between CF and PF. Conclusion EVLP system successfully maintained lungs up to 19 hours using a modified perfusate. These data suggest PF does not offer benefits over CF for prolonged ex vivo lung preservation