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This textbook is a systematic and straightforward introduction to the interdisciplinary study of creativity. Each chapter is written by one or more of the world's experts and features the latest research developments, alongside foundational knowledge. Each chapter also includes an introduction, key terms, and critical thought questions to promote active learning. Topics and authors have been selected to represent a comprehensive and balanced overview. Any reader will come away with a deeper understanding of how creativity is studied – and how they can improve their own creativity.
Fundamental knowledge about the processes that control the functioning of the biophysical workings of ecosystems has expanded exponentially since the late 1960s. Scientists, then, had only primitive knowledge about C, N, P, S, and H2O cycles; plant, animal, and soil microbial interactions and dynamics; and land, atmosphere, and water interactions. With the advent of systems ecology paradigm (SEP) and the explosion of technologies supporting field and laboratory research, scientists throughout the world were able to assemble the knowledge base known today as ecosystem science. This chapter describes, through the eyes of scientists associated with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory (NREL) at Colorado State University (CSU), the evolution of the SEP in discovering how biophysical systems at small scales (ecological sites, landscapes) function as systems. The NREL and CSU are epicenters of the development of ecosystem science. Later, that knowledge, including humans as components of ecosystems, has been applied to small regions, regions, and the globe. Many research results that have formed the foundation for ecosystem science and management of natural resources, terrestrial environments, and its waters are described in this chapter. Throughout are direct and implicit references to the vital collaborations with the global network of ecosystem scientists.
The first western Canadian records of the European carabid, Nebria brevicollis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Carabidae), are reported from Vancouver, Coquitlam, and Delta, British Columbia, Canada. A species description is provided to facilitate identification of this new invasive species. In addition, pitfall trap data are presented that demonstrate establishment of populations at four locations in Coquitlam. Trap catches were substantially higher at one anthropogenic meadow site than at three urban forest sites. Potential for further expansion of the range of N. brevicollis in British Columbia and beyond is discussed.
Intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Too often the focus is on acute treatment after a haemorrhage has occurred, instead of primary and secondary prevention. Medical therapies to control hypertension, achieve tobacco abstinence, and avoid excessive alcohol consumption can confer broad reductions in haemorrhage risk across pathophysiological subtypes. Judicious restriction of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies to only those individuals and those intensities for which they are indicated also can substantially reduce haemorrhagic stroke frequency. Specific endovascular and surgical therapies, judiciously employed, will further reduce risk of first or recurrent haemorrhage from structural vascular anomalies, including arteriovenous malformation, cavernous malformations, and saccular aneurysms. For unruptured intracranial aneurysms, features that favour consideration of preventive occlusion include include younger patient age, prior subarachnoid haemorrhage from a different aneurysm, familial intracranial aneurysms, large aneurysm size, irregular shape, basilar or vertebral artery location, and aneurysm growth on serial imaging. Among individuals who are technical candidates for either coiling or clipping, endovascular coiling is associated with a reduction in procedural morbidity and mortality but has a higher risk of recurrence.
In this article I press four different objections on Forst’s theory of the ‘Right to Justification’. These are (i) that the principle of justification is not well-formulated; (ii) that ‘reasonableness and reciprocity’, as these notions are used by Rawls, are not apt to support a Kantian conception of morality; (iii) that the principle of justification, as Forst understands it, gives an inadequate account of what makes actions wrong; and (iv) that, in spite of his protestations to the contrary, Forst’s account veers towards a version of moral realism that is prima facie incompatible with Kantian constructivism. I then evaluate Forst’s theory in the light of a distinction made by Sharon Street between restricted and unrestricted constructivism. I show that Forst has reason to deny that it is either the one or the other, but he is not able to show that it is both or neither. I conclude that the arguments Forst advances in support of his constructivist theory of the right to justification entail that it is a metaphysical and comprehensive conception in the relevant, Rawlsian sense. Forst’s theory of the right to justification therefore fails to fulfil one of the main stated aims.
Background: Antibiotic overuse contributes to antibiotic resistance and unnecessary adverse drug effects. Antibiotic stewardship interventions have primarily focused on acute-care settings. Most antibiotic use, however, occurs in outpatients with acute respiratory tract infections such as pharyngitis. The electronic health record (EHR) might provide an effective and efficient tool for outpatient antibiotic stewardship. We aimed to develop and validate an electronic algorithm to identify inappropriate antibiotic use for pediatric outpatients with pharyngitis. Methods: This study was conducted within the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Care Network, including 31 pediatric primary care practices and 3 urgent care centers with a shared EHR serving >250,000 children. We used International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes to identify encounters for pharyngitis at any CHOP practice from March 15, 2017, to March 14, 2018, excluding those with concurrent infections (eg, otitis media, sinusitis), immunocompromising conditions, or other comorbidities that might influence the need for antibiotics. We randomly selected 450 features for detailed chart abstraction assessing patient demographics as well as practice and prescriber characteristics. Appropriateness of antibiotic use based on chart review served as the gold standard for evaluating the electronic algorithm. Criteria for appropriate use included streptococcal testing, use of penicillin or amoxicillin (absent β-lactam allergy), and a 10-day duration of therapy. Results: In 450 patients, the median age was 8.4 years (IQR, 5.5–9.0) and 54% were women. On chart review, 149 patients (33%) received an antibiotic, of whom 126 had a positive rapid strep result. Thus, based on chart review, 23 subjects (5%) diagnosed with pharyngitis received antibiotics inappropriately. Amoxicillin or penicillin was prescribed for 100 of the 126 children (79%) with a positive rapid strep test. Of the 126 children with a positive test, 114 (90%) received the correct antibiotic: amoxicillin, penicillin, or an appropriate alternative antibiotic due to b-lactam allergy. Duration of treatment was correct for all 126 children. Using the electronic algorithm, the proportion of inappropriate prescribing was 28 of 450 (6%). The test characteristics of the electronic algorithm (compared to gold standard chart review) for identification of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing were sensitivity (99%, 422 of 427); specificity (100%, 23 of 23); positive predictive value (82%, 23 of 28); and negative predictive value (100%, 422 of 422). Conclusions: For children with pharyngitis, an electronic algorithm for identification of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is highly accurate. Future work should validate this approach in other settings and develop and evaluate the impact of an audit and feedback intervention based on this tool.
Background: Shared Healthcare Intervention to Eliminate Life-threatening Dissemination of MDROs in Orange County, California (SHIELD OC) was a CDC-funded regional decolonization intervention from April 2017 through July 2019 involving 38 hospitals, nursing homes (NHs), and long-term acute-care hospitals (LTACHs) to reduce MDROs. Decolonization in NH and LTACHs consisted of universal antiseptic bathing with chlorhexidine (CHG) for routine bathing and showering plus nasal iodophor decolonization (Monday through Friday, twice daily every other week). Hospitals used universal CHG in ICUs and provided daily CHG and nasal iodophor to patients in contact precautions. We sought to evaluate whether decolonization reduced hospitalization and associated healthcare costs due to infections among residents of NHs participating in SHIELD compared to nonparticipating NHs. Methods: Medicaid insurer data covering NH residents in Orange County were used to calculate hospitalization rates due to a primary diagnosis of infection (counts per member quarter), hospital bed days/member-quarter, and expenditures/member quarter from the fourth quarter of 2015 to the second quarter of 2019. We used a time-series design and a segmented regression analysis to evaluate changes attributable to the SHIELD OC intervention among participating and nonparticipating NHs. Results: Across the SHIELD OC intervention period, intervention NHs experienced a 44% decrease in hospitalization rates, a 43% decrease in hospital bed days, and a 53% decrease in Medicaid expenditures when comparing the last quarter of the intervention to the baseline period (Fig. 1). These data translated to a significant downward slope, with a reduction of 4% per quarter in hospital admissions due to infection (P < .001), a reduction of 7% per quarter in hospitalization days due to infection (P < .001), and a reduction of 9% per quarter in Medicaid expenditures (P = .019) per NH resident. Conclusions: The universal CHG bathing and nasal decolonization intervention adopted by NHs in the SHIELD OC collaborative resulted in large, meaningful reductions in hospitalization events, hospitalization days, and healthcare expenditures among Medicaid-insured NH residents. The findings led CalOptima, the Medicaid provider in Orange County, California, to launch an NH incentive program that provides dedicated training and covers the cost of CHG and nasal iodophor for OC NHs that enroll.
Funding: None
Disclosures: Gabrielle M. Gussin, University of California, Irvine, Stryker (Sage Products): Conducting studies in which contributed antiseptic product is provided to participating hospitals and nursing homes. Clorox: Conducting studies in which contributed antiseptic product is provided to participating hospitals and nursing homes. Medline: Conducting studies in which contributed antiseptic product is provided to participating hospitals and nursing homes. Xttrium: Conducting studies in which contributed antiseptic product is provided to participating hospitals and nursing homes.
Background: Antibiotic resistance has increased at alarming rates, driven predominantly by antibiotic overuse. Although most antibiotic use occurs in outpatients, antimicrobial stewardship programs have primarily focused on inpatient settings. A major challenge for outpatient stewardship is the lack of accurate and accessible electronic data to target interventions. We sought to develop and validate an electronic algorithm to identify inappropriate antibiotic use for outpatients with acute bronchitis. Methods: This study was conducted within the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS). We used ICD-10 diagnostic codes to identify encounters for acute bronchitis at any outpatient UPHS practice between March 15, 2017, and March 14, 2018. Exclusion criteria included underlying immunocompromising condition, other comorbidity influencing the need for antibiotics (eg, emphysema), or ICD-10 code at the same visit for a concurrent infection (eg, sinusitis). We randomly selected 300 (150 from academic practices and 150 from nonacademic practices) eligible subjects for detailed chart abstraction that assessed patient demographics and practice and prescriber characteristics. Appropriateness of antibiotic use based on chart review served as the gold standard for assessment of the electronic algorithm. Because antibiotic use is not indicated for this study population, appropriateness was assessed based upon whether an antibiotic was prescribed or not. Results: Of 300 subjects, median age was 61 years (interquartile range, 50–68), 62% were women, 74% were seen in internal medicine (vs family medicine) practices, and 75% were seen by a physician (vs an advanced practice provider). On chart review, 167 (56%) subjects received an antibiotic. Of these subjects, 1 had documented concern for pertussis and 4 had excluding conditions for which there were no ICD-10 codes. One received an antibiotic prescription for a planned dental procedure. Thus, based on chart review, 161 (54%) subjects received antibiotics inappropriately. Using the electronic algorithm based on diagnostic codes, underlying and concurrent conditions, and prescribing data, the number of subjects with inappropriate prescribing was 170 (56%) because 3 subjects had antibiotic prescribing not noted based on chart review. The test characteristics of the electronic algorithm (compared to gold standard chart review) for identification of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing were the following: sensitivity, 100% (161 of 161); specificity, 94% (130 of 139); positive predictive value, 95% (161 of 170); and negative predictive value, 100% (130 of 130). Conclusions: For outpatients with acute bronchitis, an electronic algorithm for identification of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is highly accurate. This algorithm could be used to efficiently assess prescribing among practices and individual clinicians. The impact of interventions based on this algorithm should be tested in future studies.
Background: The Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP) is a pay-for-performance Medicare program that promotes reducing patient harm, particularly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). We examined the association between infection-control–related activities and the number of penalties a hospital received between fiscal years 2015 and 2018. Methods: We used logistic regression with ordered categories to assess infection control resource use and the number of penalties, an ordered categorical dependent variable with 5 categories ranging from 0 to 4, as of 2018. Data sources included National Healthcare Safety Network, American Hospital Association Annual Survey, Medicare Impact and Cost Report files, and Data.Medicare.gov. We excluded hospitals lacking data to calculate any HACRP score or component score for HAI and hospitals missing observations for model variables (301 hospitals). We assessed the following model variables: teaching hospital status, infection preventionists (IP) per 1,000 beds, surveillance hours per week per bed, other infection control activities per week per bed, nurse-to-bed ratio, housekeeping expenditure per 10,000 beds, nursing position vacancies per bed, bed size, electronic health record (EHR) implementation, number of skilled nursing beds, rural or urban location, and Medicare patient case-mix (cmi_quartiles). Results: In our model, negative logit model point estimates indicated that increased values of the variable are associated with a lower odds of having a higher number of penalties. The final data set consisted of 3,004 US hospitals. Lower penalties were significantly associated with higher IP-to-bed ratio. Although the point estimates were <1, an association between lower penalties and higher nurse-to-bed ratios or electronic health records was not demonstrated (Table 1). Conclusions: Our results suggest that after controlling for selected hospital structural factors, incremental resources related to infection control have a protective association with HCARP penalties.
The world presents an array of constantly changing sights and sounds, tactile and vestibular experiences, far too much to be attended and processed at any one time. Perceivers must make sense of this dynamically changing flux of stimulation by selecting events and properties of events that provide information that is meaningful and relevant to their needs, goals, and actions as they change across time. Adults are highly skilled at selectively attending to this multisensory stimulation in a way that optimizes perception and learning and supports their actions and goals. However, this selective attention presents a remarkable challenge for young infants – how to learn to attend to the dimensions of stimulation that optimize meaningful perception and action and to filter out stimulation that is less relevant.
Various treatments are found to be moderately effective in managing Demodex-related diseases except tea tree oil (TTO) and terpinen-4-ol (T4O), which showed superior miticidal and anti-inflammatory effects in numerous clinical studies. Their possible effects include lowering mite counts, relieving Demodex-related symptoms, and modulating the immune system. This review summarizes the current clinical topical and oral treatments in human demodicosis, their possible mechanisms of action, side-effects and resistance in treating this condition. TTO (especially T4O) is found to be the most effective followed by metronidazole, ivermectin and permethrin in managing the disease. This is because TTO has anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects. Furthermore, nanoTTO can even release its contents into fungus and Pseudomonas biofilms. Combinations of different treatments are occasionally needed for refractory cases, especially for individuals with underlying genetic predisposal or are immuno-compromised. Although the current treatments show efficacy in controlling the Demodex mite population and the related symptoms, further research needs to be focused on the efficacy and drug delivery technology in order to develop alternative treatments with better side-effects profiles, less toxicity, lower risk of resistance and are more cost-effective.
How neighbourhood characteristics affect the physical safety of people with mental illness is unclear.
Aims
To examine neighbourhood effects on physical victimisation towards people using mental health services.
Method
We developed and evaluated a machine-learning-derived free-text-based natural language processing (NLP) algorithm to ascertain clinical text referring to physical victimisation. This was applied to records on all patients attending National Health Service mental health services in Southeast London. Sociodemographic and clinical data, and diagnostic information on use of acute hospital care (from Hospital Episode Statistics, linked to Clinical Record Interactive Search), were collected in this group, defined as ‘cases’ and concurrently sampled controls. Multilevel logistic regression models estimated associations (odds ratios, ORs) between neighbourhood-level fragmentation, crime, income deprivation, and population density and physical victimisation.
Results
Based on a human-rated gold standard, the NLP algorithm had a positive predictive value of 0.92 and sensitivity of 0.98 for (clinically recorded) physical victimisation. A 1 s.d. increase in neighbourhood crime was accompanied by a 7% increase in odds of physical victimisation in women and an 13% increase in men (adjusted OR (aOR) for women: 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.14, aOR for men: 1.13, 95% CI 1.06–1.21, P for gender interaction, 0.218). Although small, adjusted associations for neighbourhood fragmentation appeared greater in magnitude for women (aOR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01–1.11) than men, where this association was not statistically significant (aOR = 1.00, 95% CI 0.95–1.04, P for gender interaction, 0.096). Neighbourhood income deprivation was associated with victimisation in men and women with similar magnitudes of association.
Conclusions
Neighbourhood factors influencing safety, as well as individual characteristics including gender, may be relevant to understanding pathways to physical victimisation towards people with mental illness.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: We recently identified a CA-MRSA strain in Brooklyn, New York (USA300-BKV) causing an outbreak of severe skin infections in predominantly healthy children. The evolution of USA300-BKV included acquisition of a novel prophage, and our objective is to identify the prophage-encoded gene(s) and mechanism responsible for increased bacterial virulence. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We deleted candidate genes from a novel mosaic block of phage-encoded genes in USA300-BKV that have been shown to enhance virulence in a murine skin infection model. Deletion mutants and complemented clones will be evaluated in vivo to identify culprit genes and determine the effect of lineage-specific genetic variation on the phenotype. Complementary studies include a comprehensive characterization of phage and bacterial genes expressed during lysogeny in vitro using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), and in vivo using a targeted approach focusing on known bacterial virulence and phage lytic pathways as well as candidate genes identified by in vitro studies. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Comparison of otherwise isogenic lab strains showed that the mosaic block of phage genes present in USA300-BKV enhance skin abscess size in mice, confirming previous results. As this region of the phage, named mΦ11, does not contain known toxin genes, we hypothesize that mΦ11 modulates expression of bacterial host genes to enhance virulence. Thus, transcriptional profiles of CA-MRSA containing mΦ11 and selected deletion mutants are expected to reveal changes in known or novel virulence factors compared to controls. Candidate regulators specific to the mosaic block include an adenine methyltransferase linked to changes in global gene expression of other bacterial species. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Our results will broaden scientific understanding of phage-bacterial interactions and determine the mechanisms by which phage impact virulence independent from toxin gene carriage. Identification of phage-encoded gene(s) enhancing CA-MRSA contagion will inform surveillance efforts and identify novel therapeutic targets.
The aim of this fixed-dose study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dasotraline in the treatment of patients with binge-eating disorder (BED).
Methods.
Patients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria for BED were randomized to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with fixed doses of dasotraline (4 and 6 mg/d), or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in number of binge-eating (BE) days per week at week 12. Secondary efficacy endpoints included week 12 change on the BE CGI-Severity Scale (BE-CGI-S) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale Modified for BE (YBOCS-BE).
Results.
At week 12, treatment with dasotraline was associated with significant improvement in number of BE days per week on the dose of 6 mg/d (N = 162) vs placebo (N = 162; −3.47 vs −2.92; P = .0045), but not 4 mg/d (N = 161; −3.21). Improvement vs placebo was observed for dasotraline 6 and 4 mg/d, respectively, on the BE-CGI-S (effect size [ES]: 0.37 and 0.27) and on the YBOCS-BE total score (ES: 0.43 and 0.29). The most common adverse events on dasotraline were insomnia, dry mouth, headache, decreased appetite, nausea, and anxiety. Changes in blood pressure and pulse were minimal.
Conclusion.
Treatment with dasotraline 6 mg/d (but not 4 mg/d) was associated with significantly greater reduction in BE days per week. Both doses of dasotraline were generally safe and well-tolerated and resulted in global improvement on the BE-CGI-S, as well as improvement in BE related obsessional thoughts and compulsive behaviors on the YBOCS-BE. These results confirm the findings of a previous flexible dose study.
Our objective was to examine the performance characteristics of a bladder stimulation technique for urine collection among infants presenting to the emergency department (ED).
Methods
This prospective cohort study enrolled a convenience sample of infants aged ≤ 90 days requiring urine testing in the ED. Infants were excluded if critically ill, moderately to severely dehydrated, or having significant feeding issues. Bladder stimulation consisted of finger tapping on the lower abdomen with or without lower back massage while holding the child upright. The primary outcome was successful midstream urine collection within 5 minutes of stimulation. Secondary outcomes included sample contamination, bladder stimulation time for successful urine collection, and perceived patient distress on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS).
Results
We enrolled 151 infants and included 147 in the analysis. Median age was 53 days (interquartile range [IQR] 27–68 days). Midstream urine sample collection using bladder stimulation was successful in 78 infants (53.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 45–60.9). Thirty-nine samples (50%) were contaminated. Most contaminated samples (n = 31; 79.5%) were reported as “no significant growth” or “growth of 3 or more organisms”. Median bladder stimulation time required for midstream urine collection was 45 seconds (IQR 20–120 seconds). Mean VAS for infant distress was 22 mm (standard deviation 23 mm).
Conclusions
The success rate of this bladder stimulation technique was lower than previously reported. The contamination rate was high, however most contaminated specimens were easily identified and had no clinical impact.