Limestone College

About: Limestone College is a education organization based out in Gaffney, South Carolina, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Language pedagogy & Physical education. The organization has 26 authors who have published 33 publications receiving 645 citations.

Present Composition of Some Stands of the Former Oak-Chestnut Forest in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains

Abstract: Chestnut blight, caused by the Ascomycete Endothia parasitic, was first discovered in the United States in 1904 in New York City and spread rapidly northeast, west, and southwest. By 1910 it had spread as far south as southeastern Pennsylvania and in 1920 the "80 per cent infection zone" extended along the Blue Ridge mountains to central Virginia. In 1926 local infections had been reported in western North Carolina, northern Georgia, and northwestern South Carolina. In 1930 Gravatt and Gill reported that infection in western North Carolina showed eighty to ninety-nine per cent. Owners of chestnut timber in the newly infected areas of the Carolinas and Georgia quickly cut as much of that lumber as possible. Most of the remaining chestnut (Castanea dentata)lt trees, dead or alive, have been gradually removed, until now, twenty years after the blight reached its peak, there are only a few scattered ghost trees left to indicate the once relatively great importance of the species. The removal of a species which made up more than 40 per cent of the overstory trees in the climax forests of an area would certainly be expected to produce changes in the composition of the vegetation of the region. It is possible that species co-dominant with chestnut would advance in rank and become the most important species in the new climax. It is also possible, as Braun (1950) suggests, that the opening of the canopy, the release of undergrowth trees, and the resulting changes in the humus layer may cause

Research on Improving Behaviorally Disordered Students' Academic Performance: A Review of the Literature:

Abstract: Educational researchers have a responsibility to conduct research that addresses current problems and to share their results in a manner that promotes effective implementation by practitioners. Thu...

The therapeutic efficacy of adjunct therapeutic plasma exchange for septic shock with multiple organ failure: a single-center experience

Abstract: Sepsis remains a common condition with high mortality when multiple organ failure develops. The evidence for therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in this setting is promising but inconclusive. Our study aims to evaluate the efficacy of adjunct TPE for septic shock with multiple organ failure compared to standard therapy alone. A retrospective, observational chart review was performed, evaluating outcomes of patients with catecholamine-resistant septic shock and multiple organ failure in intensive care units at a tertiary care hospital in Winston-Salem, NC, from August 2015 to March 2019. Adult patients with catecholamine-resistant septic shock (≥ 2 vasopressors) and evidence of multiple organ failure were included. Patients who received adjunct TPE were identified and compared to patients who received standard care alone. A propensity score using age, gender, chronic co-morbidities (HTN, DM, CKD, COPD), APACHE II score, SOFA score, lactate level, and number of vasopressors was used to match patients, resulting in 40 patients in each arm. The mean baseline APACHE II and SOFA scores were 32.5 and 14.3 in TPE patients versus 32.7 and 13.8 in control patients, respectively. The 28-day mortality rate was 40% in the TPE group versus 65% in the standard care group (p = 0.043). Improvements in baseline SOFA scores at 48 h were greater in the TPE group compared to standard care alone (p = 0.001), and patients receiving adjunct TPE had a more favorable fluid balance at 48 h (p = 0.01). Patients receiving adjunct TPE had longer ICU and hospital lengths of stay (p = 0.003 and p = 0.006, respectively). Our retrospective, observational study in adult patients with septic shock and multiple organ failure demonstrated improved 28-day survival with adjunct TPE compared to standard care alone. Hemodynamics, organ dysfunction, and fluid balance all improved with adjunct TPE, while lengths of stay were increased in survivors. The study design does not allow for a generalized statement of support for TPE in all cases of sepsis with multiple organ failure but offers valuable information for a prospective, randomized clinical trial.