American Guides: The Federal Writers’ Project and the Casting of American Culture

Review of: American Guides: The Federal Writers’ Project and the Casting of American Culture, by Wendy Griswol

The treatment of diabetic foot infections: focus on ertapenem

Clinically, 3 distinct stages of diabetic foot infection may be recognized: localized infection, spreading infection and severe infection. Each of these presentations may be complicated by osteomyelitis. Infection can be caused by Gram-positive aerobic, and Gram-negative aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, singly or in combination. The underlying principles are to diagnose infection, culture the bacteria responsible and treat aggressively with antibiotic therapy. Localized infections with limited cellulitis can generally be treated with oral antibiotics on an outpatient basis. Spreading infection should be treated with systemic antibiotics. Severe deep infections need urgent admission to hospital for wide-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. Clinical and microbiological response rates have been similar in trials of various antibiotics and no single agent or combination has emerged as most effective. Recently, clinical and microbiological outcomes for patients treated with ertapenem were equivalent to those for patients treated with piperacillin/tazobactam. It is also important to judge the need for debridement and surgery, to assess the arterial supply to the foot and consider revascularization either by angioplasty or bypass if the foot is ischemic. It is also important to achieve metabolic control. Thus infection in the diabetic foot needs full multidisciplinary treatment

A Comparison of Conventional Annual and Alternative Perennial Cropping Systems Under Contemporary and Future Precipitation Scenarios in the US Prairie Pothole Region

There are observed trends that show the climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, and precipitation patterns are shifting. In the central US, it is projected that there will be an increase in the frequency of spring precipitation, and a decrease in the summer. This precipitation shift can lead to an adverse affect on crop yield in farmed potholes, as this area is more susceptible to flooding or ponded conditions. A data gap exists on how crops respond to ponding within these farmed potholes, and if planting an alternative crop that is more resilient to drowning is a viable management change for these areas. We combined a range of future precipitation scenarios with an agroecosystem model to simulate the effects of contemporary (2002-2016) and future precipitation on a conventional corn/soybean (Zea mays L and Glycine max) rotation and an alternative perennial miscanthus (Miscanthus ÃÂÃÂ giganteus Greef et Deu) cropping system. The overall goal of this study was to develop a framework to assess the viability of planting the rhizomatous perennial grass miscanthus in farmed potholes under varying precipitation patterns and ponding conditions and improve the understanding of how traditional and alternative crops within farmed potholes react to a changing climate. In the context of this goal we hypothesized that 1) under the current climate, the control land use will have larger and more frequent losses in yield due to ponding relative to miscanthus, 2) under the future climate, depth and frequency of ponding will increase, but the dynamics of the ponding will be dependent on the way precipitation patterns change, and 3) under any future precipitation scenario, losses due to ponding will be greater in the conventional management of corn/soybean rotation relative to the perennials. On average for the contemporary climate, 40.4% of corn/soybean yields were a total loss, and only 2.2% of the miscanthus yields were a total loss, supporting hypothesis 1. The corn/soybean rotation had more frequent total losses than miscanthus. The depth and frequency of ponding increased under most future precipitation scenarios, partially supporting hypothesis 2. Under two precipitation scenarios, the corn/soybean rotation and miscanthus simulations showed an increase in yield. For the two of the more extreme precipitation scenarios, the miscanthus had greater losses than the corn/soybean rotation. The corn/soybean rotation only experienced greater loss in yield than miscanthus for the most extreme scenario. While the relative losses were greater for some miscanthus scenarios, miscanthus did better in overall total production than corn and soybean. Our results show that compared to a conventional corn/soybean rotation, miscanthus performs better within farmed potholes under future precipitation scenarios. More data is required to further understand the economic viability and environmental benefits of transitioning conventionally farmed potholes to a perennial miscanthus alternative

Charcot osteoarthropathy: one disease, two presentations

Charcot osteoarthropathy or Charcot foot is a disabling complication of diabetes and is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality. Its pathogenesis is not fully understood and its treatment is at best symptomatic. Furthermore, it is not known whether there is a specific type of neuropathy which affects osteoclastic activity, and thereby leads to reduction of bone mineral density and the development of Charcot osteoarthropathy. Recently it has been proposed that there is a difference in the presentation of Charcot osteoarthropathy between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This article reviews the link between underlying osteopenia, abnormal biomechanical forces and type of neuropathy, and their varying interaction in the pathogenesis of Charcot osteoarthropathy in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Further attention is drawn to the newly discovered osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (OPG/RANKL) cytokine system, which controls bone resorption. Increased osteoclastic activity in the acute Charcot foot may be associated with altered expression of OPG/RANKL signaling pathway and modulation of the OPG/RANKL equilibrium in Charcot osteoarthropathy may provide additional therapeutical option to manage this difficult condition.Biomedical Reviews 2005; 16: 43-48

Electrostatic Modulation of the Electronic Properties of Dirac Semimetal Na3Bi

Large-area thin films of topological Dirac semimetal Na$_3$Bi are grown on amorphous SiO$_2$:Si substrates to realise a field-effect transistor with the doped Si acting as back gate. As-grown films show charge carrier mobilities exceeding 7,000 cm$^2$/Vs and carrier densities below 3 $\times$10$^{18}$ cm$^{-3}$, comparable to the best thin-film Na$_3$Bi. An ambipolar field effect and minimum conductivity are observed, characteristic of Dirac electronic systems. The results are quantitatively understood within a model of disorder-induced charge inhomogeneity in topological Dirac semimetals. Due to the inverted band structure, the hole mobility is significantly larger than the electron mobility in Na$_3$Bi, and when present, these holes dominate the transport properties.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; minor corrections and revisions for readabilit

Counseling Athletes Who Use Performance-Enhancing Drugs: A New Conceptual Framework Linked to Clinical Practice

Doping, the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes, is a major concern that the media have publicized prominently. Sport governing bodies currently use two primary methods to dissuade athletes from doping: punishment and didactic education. Neither of these approaches has eradicated doping from competitive athletics because the practice appears to be increasing. Including clinical interventions in systemic campaigns that address this problem would be efficacious. The current article provides a conceptual framework that addresses doping from a psychologist’s perspective and then operationalizes this framework, all the while identifying the unique environment in which athletes function. Practical interventions for working with clients who dope are identified, as are possible future research paths that could benefit work with this population

Music of the Spheres: Astronomy and Shamanism in the Music of Urmas Sisask

In 1619, Johannes Kepler published his magnum opus Harmonices mundi in which the astronomer derived distinct pitches and scales for each known planet in the solar system from calculations of various aspects of their orbital motions. This was the first theoretical realization of the ancient tradition of musica universalis (also called musica mundana), or music of the celestial bodies. It was not until the Estonian composer Urmas Sisask (b. 1960) began his compositional career by deriving his own “planetary scale,” however, that the theoretical musica universalis came into audible existence. Sisask’s work represents a distinctive musical voice among today’s choral composers, and although he is steadily gaining attention for his unique compositional style, only limited information exists about the specifics of his background, his interest in astronomy and shamanism, and the subsequent influence these interests have had on his choral music. At once traditional and modern, he bridges the gap between ancient Estonian folk song and the present. Through an application of exotic techniques including extreme repetition, ritualistically driving rhythms and sudden changes in timbre and texture; coupled with his own peculiarly crafted “planetary scale,” Urmas Sisask has created a completely unique body of work which is examined in this study by looking at representative works from his choral oeuvre including Gloria Patri…24 hymns for mixed choir, Magnificat, Ave Sol, and Benedictio