Older adults have largely been excluded from health research despite bearing a disproportionate disease burden. The Community Engagement Studio (CES) model, initially developed at Vanderbilt University in 2009, allows potential research participants to help shape research to promote greater inclusion. The University of Pittsburgh adapted the CES model for older adults (OA-CES). Tailored specifically to older adults, OA-CES addresses underrepresentation in research by gathering valuable feedback that allows investigators to make research more accessible and relevant to older people. An OA-CES toolkit will help in adapting the model in other research areas to close the gap in research inclusion.

Background: Colorectal surgery is associated with a high risk of surgical site infections (SSIs), with an incidence ranging from 16.9% to 20%, and SSIs are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, prolonged length of hospitalization, and increased health care costs. Staphylococcal decolonization is an attempt to alter the microbiome to prevent staphylococcal and other skin flora from accessing the surgical site, and This practice effectively reduces SSIs in orthopedic, neurologic, and cardiac surgeries. A staphylococcal decolonization protocol was enacted in colorectal surgeries at our institution beginning in October 2016. We compared patient outcomes between patients who did and did not undergo preoperative staphylococcal decolonization. Methods: All patients undergoing nonemergent NHSN-defined colorectal procedures from July 2015 until June 2019 at a tertiary-care medical center were included in this retrospective study. Staphylococcal decolonization was performed using chlorhexidine 2% body wash solution, mupirocin nasal ointment, and chlorhexidine 0.12% oral rinse all twice daily for 5 days prior to surgery. All SSIs were defined by NSHN criteria. The primary outcome was SSI, and secondary outcomes were superficial wound infection (SIP) and organ-space infection (IAB). Predictive variables included decolonization status (yes or no), age, gender, body mass index, procedure duration, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, diabetes, smoking, and surgical oncology service. Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis with cefazolin and metronidazole OR cefoxitin, and chlorhexidine skin preparation were standard throughout the study period. Univariate analysis was performed using a χ2 or t test. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to control for all clinically important variables above. All statistical analyses were done using SAS version 9.4 software (Cary, NC). Results: In total, 1,139 patients underwent nonemergent colorectal surgery from July 2015 to June 2019. There were 74 SSIs: 42 IABs and 32 SIPs. Decolonization was performed in 332 of 1,139 cases (29%). There was no difference in overall SSIs between those decolonized and not decolonized (P = .50). However, SIPs were reduced in the group receiving decolonization: 1.2% (4 of 332) versus 3.5% (28 of 807) (P = .04. When controlling for known SSI risk factors, those not receiving decolonization remained at increased risk of SIPs (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.14–12.61; P = .03. Conclusions: Staphylococcal decolonization may prevent a subset of SSIs in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Funding: None

Disclosures: Michelle Doll reports a research Grant from Molnlycke Healthcare.

We assessed the impact of an embedded electronic medical record decision-support matrix (Cerner software system) for the reduction of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile. A critical review of 3,124 patients highlighted excessive testing frequency in an academic medical center and demonstrated the impact of decision support following a testing fidelity algorithm.

We investigated the impact of discontinuation of contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus infected or colonized patients on central-line associated bloodstream infection rates at an academic children’s hospital. Discontinuation of contact precautions with a bundled horizontal infection prevention platform resulted in no adverse impact on CLABSI rates.

Shallow ice cores were obtained from widely distributed sites across the West Antarctic ice sheet, as part of the United States portion of the International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US ITASE) program. The US ITASE cores have been dated by annual-layer counting, primarily through the identification of summer peaks in non-sea-salt sulfate (nssSO4 2–) concentration. Absolute dating accuracy of better than 2 years and relative dating accuracy better than 1 year is demonstrated by the identification of multiple volcanic marker horizons in each of the cores, Tambora, Indonesia (1815), being the most prominent. Independent validation is provided by the tracing of isochronal layers from site to site using high-frequency ice-penetrating radar observations, and by the timing of mid-winter warming events in stable-isotope ratios, which demonstrate significantly better than 1 year accuracy in the last 20 years. Dating precision to ±1 month is demonstrated by the occurrence of summer nitrate peaks and stable-isotope ratios in phase with nssSO4 2–, and winter-time sea-salt peaks out of phase, with phase variation of <1 month. Dating precision and accuracy are uniform with depth, for at least the last 100 years.

So that the reader can better adjudge possible disagreements, we would like to begin by stating, at the very outset, the thesis argued in our book, Darwinism, Dominance, and Democracy (Somit and Peterson, 1997). As Peter Corning correctly reports in his commentary (2000), we contend that “the most important reason for the rarity of democracy is that evolution has endowed our species, as it has other primates, with a predisposition for hierarchically structured social and political systems” (1997: 1). In short, we argue that Homo sapiens has a “genetic bias” toward authoritarian political societies characterized by hierarchy, dominance, and submission.

IQ and Global Inequality is a sequel to the authors' earlier IQ and the Wealth of Nations wherein they argued that “… national differences in intelligence are an important factor contributing to differences in national wealth and rates of economic growth” (p. 2). Or, later more precisely stated, that “… national IQ is the single most powerful explanatory variable, but because the explained part of the variation does not rise higher than 40–60 percent, this explanation leaves room for other explanatory factors”(p. 13). Not surprisingly, even so qualified, this thesis triggered a “mixed reception.” As the authors relate with refreshing candor, some of the reviewers denounced them for “jumping to conclusions,” took issue with their “relatively weak statistical evidence and dubious presumptions,” found the study “neither methodologically nor theoretically convincing,” and dismissed the evidence as “virtually meaningless” (p. 3).

In accordance with the principle of full disclosure, we believe we should inform the reader about several matters. First, as associate book review editors of the Journal of Social and Evolutionary Systems, we recommended for publication (but did not commission) a review by Frederic Townsend of Born to Rebel (Townsend, 1997). That recommendation was accepted, and the review appeared in the journal's Volume 2, Issue 2 in 1997.

In this bibliographic essay, we continue our annual updating of the biopolitics literature (see Somit et al., 1980; Peterson, Somit, and Slagter, 1982; Peterson, Somit, and Brown, 1983). We have identified 81 items appearing in 1983 (down a bit from last year's total of 93): 2 books (Corning, 1983b; Flohr and Tbnnesmann, 1983a), 22 full articles published in journals, 18 chapters in books (excluding reprints of previously published materials), 25 conference presentations, 4 master's theses and doctoral dissertations, and 10 commentaries, review essays, etc. It seems worth noting that 12 of the 80 works appearing in 1983 were published in the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, Politics and the Life Sciences.

There are several noteworthy aspects to 1985. First, the triennial congress of the International Political Science Association was held (in Paris). Second, full panels on biology and politics were featured at four regularly scheduled political science meetings—the American Political Science Association, the International Political Science Association, the Western Political Science Association, and the New York State Political Science Association—an increase from just two the year before. Third, three dissertations are either completed or in progress: a decided improvement after such little activity in that area in 1984. Fourth, over 10 percent of the works appearing were by non-United States political scientists, reflecting a continuation of their greater visibility over the past few years. Fifth, several works were produced by two different teams of researchers that have received substantial support from federal research grants (Masters and colleagues; J. Schubert, Wiegele, and Hines). Finally, there is a continuing influx of new entrants into the ranks of biopolitical scholars (we tally 25 for the year).

This essay represents our latest annual update of the biopolitical literature and of related developments (see also Somit et al., 1980; Peterson, Somit, and Slagter, 1982; Peterson, Somit, and Brown, 1983; Peterson and Somit, 1984). Our count for 1984 is 78 items: 3 monographs or books (Axelrod, 1984; Blank 1984f; Vanhanen, 1984a), 13 articles, 2 chapters in a book, 44 conference papers, 16 review essays, commentaries, etc., and 0 master's theses or Ph.D. dissertations.

This article updates the Somit et al. (1980) survey of literature in biology and politics. The flow of work continues at a growing rate. In the period from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1981, at least 125 items have appeared: six books; forty-four articles, chapters in books, or monographs; sixty-four conference papers; three unpublished, undelivered manuscripts; eight Ph.D. dissertations or master's theses. Over this twenty-four month span, there have been twenty-nine “new entrants,” persons who have not previously authored a work in biology and politics.

As our title indicates, by almost every measure, 1986 was a good year for biopolitics. First, the total number of items which appeared, 116, set an all-time record (the previous high was 92 in 1985). Second, there continued to be an influx of new entrants, with 22 first-time contributors emerging from our literature search. Third, 15 percent of the items were written by non-American political scientists, up from last year's 10 percent and an indication, we believe, of the healthy growth in international interest. Fourth, and perhaps best of all, five biopolitical dissertations-in-progress, or actually completed, were listed in the annual PS compilation, a nice upturn from 1984's low.

This essay represents a continuing update of the biopolitics bibliography (see Somit et aI., 1980; Peterson et al., 1982). We have recorded 93 items in our enumeration of biopolitical works which appeared in 1982. In this total are 1 book, 3 master's theses or doctoral dissertations, 30 published articles, monographs, or chapters in books, 49 conference papers, and 10 short commentaries (book reviews are not included in our tally).