Service Learning with Migrant Equity Southeast

Through the Spanish Department’s pilot program, Spanish for Community Engagement, I have had the opportunity to serve as a Community Apprentice for Savannah’s nonprofit, Migrant Equity Southeast (MESE). This experience has greatly developed my understanding of the Hispanic community while applying the tools and lessons I have learned in the classroom. Each week, I have gained more experience and awareness of the needs for local immigrant families. I have learned about immigrants’ rights relating to education, housing, interactions with law enforcement, and work. I have researched available resources for immigrants including food banks, legal assistance services, rent assistance, and medical aid. With this research, I then developed resources in Spanish and English to serve MESE’s clients. This experience has also allowed me to serve at vaccination events, communicate with families, and advocate for clients. The experience intertwining education, service, and advocacy has been a deeply rewarding and inspiring opportunity

Review Article : Sacubitril/valsartan use for the hospitalist

The mainstays of therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) have traditionally been angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), beta-blockers, aldosterone receptor antagonists, and diuretics for symptomatic relief (1). With few advances made over the past few decades, the principles of treating HFrEF have been revolutionized following the results of the PARADIGM-HF trial (Prospective comparison of ARNI with ACEI to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and morbidity in Heart Failure) in 2014. The trial compared the novel agent sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto(R)) to Enalapril (1). Sacubitril/valsartan is a combination angiotensin II receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) that replaces traditional ACEI and ARB therapy in the treatment of HFrEF. The PARADIGM-HF trial was stopped early due to overwhelming evidence of decreased mortality and decreased HFrEF related hospitalizations with sacubitril/valsartan when compared to Enalapril (2). Since the study was released, the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) released updated guidelines in May 2016. Sacubitril/valsartan now holds a Class I Recommendation for the treatment of HFrEF in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III heart failure (3). These recommendations were further upheld in the recently released 2017 ACC/AHA/HFSA Focused Update for the Management of Heart Failure (4).Includes bibliographical reference

Systematic review of topical treatments for fungal infections of the skin and nails of the feet

OBJECTIVE: To identify and synthesise the evidence for efficacy and cost effectiveness of topical treatments for superficial fungal infections of the skin and nails of the feet. DESIGN: Systematic review. INTERVENTIONS: Topical treatments for superficial fungal infections. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cure confirmed by culture and microscopy for skin and by culture for nails in patients with clinically diagnosed fungal infections. RESULTS: Of 126 trials identified in 121 papers, 72 (57.1%) met the inclusion criteria. Placebo controlled trials yielded pooled relative risks of failure to cure skin infections: allylamines (0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.24 to 0.38); azoles (0.54, 0.42 to 0.68); undecenoic acid (0.28, 0.11 to 0.74); and tolnaftate (0.46, 0.17 to 1.22). Although meta-analysis of 11 trials comparing allylamines and azoles showed a relative risk of failure to cure of 0.88 (0.78 to 0.99) in favour of allylamines, there was evidence of language bias. Seven reports in English favoured allylamines (0.79, 0.69 to 0.91), but four reports in foreign languages showed no difference between the two drugs (1.01, 0.90 to 1.13). Neither trial of nail infections showed significant differences between alternative topical treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Allylamines, azoles, and undecenoic acid were efficacious in placebo controlled trials. There are sufficient comparative trials to judge relative efficacy only between allylamines and azoles. Allylamines cure slightly more infections than azoles but are much more expensive than azoles. The most cost effective strategy is first to treat with azoles or undecenoic acid and to use allylamines only if that fails

Introduction to Professional Development: A Business Communication Approach

This book was created to service the BCOM 210: Introduction to Professional Development course in the Department of Applied Business Studies (ABS) in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship (RCOBE) at Fort Hays State University (FHSU). The course is required for several ABS majors and a popular elective among RCOBE students. BCOM 210 uses concepts from business communication to assist students in understanding their professional desires and forming a plan for their career futures.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/all_oer/1004/thumbnail.jp

Cyanobacterial biocomposites for in situ treatment of domestic wastewater

Ph. D. Thesis.Centralised water treatment infrastructure is increasingly being put under strain due to population growth. In situ treatment (i.e. a distributed treatment network) may minimise or even negate the need for centralised infrastructure. Cyanobacteria grown in open-ponds and photobioreactors are used for wastewater treatment; however these cultivation systems struggle with batch consistency and have a high capital cost. Biocomposites (biomass immobilised on a solid substrate within a semi-porous matrix) theoretically support increased active biomass within a more compact space and prevent cell wash-out, thereby increasing bioremediation efficiency. Wild-type Synechococcus elongatus (strains PCC 7942 and CCAP 1479/1A) and a novel engineered strain (SBG363; designed to overproduce and excrete sucrose) were trialled as potential bioremediation biocomposites. Commercial latex-based binders (AURO 320 and 321) were used for biocoatings formulation, and applied to a selection of natural and synthetic textiles to form textile-based biocomposites. Biomass growth was increased by up to 800%, retaining up to 97% of biomass after 72 hours. Sucrose output from S. elongatus SGB363 was unaffected. Wild-type immobilised biomass supported up to 80% greater CO2 sequestration over a 20-day period than its suspension culture control. However, after three and six days of immobilisation there were no significant differences in total protein content, CO2 removal, or orthophosphate uptake per cell between immobilised and suspension treatments. Whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) was attempted to determine the genetic response of S. elongatus surviving within a biocoating. However, immobilised samples had very low RNA integrity number equivalents that prevented differential gene expression analysis. This research shows that cyanobacteria textile biocomposites are a promising solution for process intensification in the wastewater treatment industry, and addresses concerns regarding environmental safeguarding. Metabolically active biocomposites can be used for de-centralised wastewater treatment applications thereby alleviating problems associated with Victorian era infrastructure without creating an additional environmental burden.Enviresearch Foundatio

What’s in a name? : Scottish settlement and land plot names and settler colonialism in nineteenth century Inverness County, Cape Breton

127 leaves : map ; 29 cmIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-113).The application of place names by Scottish colonizers is a well-studied field. However, those studies focus on the identification and classification of such names, with little emphasis on how these names actually came to exist. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of those that exist in Inverness County, exploring two types of names: those applied to settlements, settlement names; and those applied by individuals to land granted them, land plot names. Through analysis of land petitions, maps, and post office records, this thesis charts the settlement of places that would come to have Scottish names and the emergence of Scottish settlement and land plot names within Inverness County to demonstrate that these names were introduced as a result of large-scale Scottish settlement. This contrasts with the place names that can be found in other parts of the former British Empire such as Australia, New Zealand and even other parts of Canada where Scottish names came to exist as a result of Scottish colonial involvement as administrators, explorers and cartographers. While both can be seen as part of the process of settler colonisation; the replacement of the Indigenous population, in the case of Inverness County, the Mi'kmaq, with an exogenous one, the Scots, the evidence that has been considered demonstrates that the names in Inverness County are distinct in the sense that they were introduced by the Scots settlers themselves

The Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors in Pulmonary Vascular Disease

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors belonging to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that regulate diverse physiological processes ranging from lipogenesis to inflammation. Recent evidence has established potential roles of PPARs in both systemic and pulmonary vascular disease and function. Existing treatment strategies for pulmonary hypertension, the most common manifestation of pulmonary vascular disease, are limited by an incomplete understanding of the underlying disease pathogenesis and lack of efficacy indicating an urgent need for new approaches to treat this disorder. Derangements in pulmonary endothelial-derived mediators and endothelial dysfunction have been shown to play a pivotal role in pulmonary hypertension pathogenesis. Therefore, the following review will focus on selected mediators implicated in pulmonary vascular dysfunction and evidence that PPARs, in particular PPARγ, participate in their regulation and may provide a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension