Is lesbian identity obsolete?

In this special issue we asked the question "Is lesbian identity obsolete?" We posed this provocation in order to think through what has changed about lesbian identities and their articulations in the face of recent developments-from the rise of transphobia in the name of feminism to increased income inequality and gentrification and the accompanying loss of community spaces. The special issue turned into a triple issue receiving a large number of submissions from across the world. A synthesis of the articles suggests several threads.

Introducing BASE: the Biomes of Australian Soil Environments soil microbial diversity database.

Background: Microbial inhabitants of soils are important to ecosystem and planetary functions, yet there are large gaps in our knowledge of their diversity and ecology. The 'Biomes of Australian Soil Environments' (BASE) project has generated a database of microbial diversity with associated metadata across extensive environmental gradients at continental scale. As the characterisation of microbes rapidly expands, the BASE database provides an evolving platform for interrogating and integrating microbial diversity and function.

Evaluation of an initiation protocol of 4 mg of warfarin for atrial fibrillation in the outpatient setting.

Objective: To describe the efficacy and safety of an initiation algorithm for 4 mg of warfarin in ambulatory patients with atrial fibrillation.

Design: Prospectively planned retrospective chart review.

Setting: Centre for Family Medicine Family Health Team in Kitchener, Ont.

Helping pharmacists to reduce fall risk in long-term care: A clinical tool to facilitate the medication review process.

Background: One-third to one-half of adults older than 65 fall at least once per year. Fall prevention through medication management requires little effort and has consistently been shown to reduce risk of falls. The objective of this study was to further develop and perform preliminary pilot testing of an algorithm designed to assist consultant pharmacists in systematically identifying medications that might be modifiable, in order to reduce the risk of falls in older adults.

Mega-dose intravenous octreotide for the treatment of carcinoid crisis: a systematic review.

Purpose: Carcinoid crises are rare life-threatening events involving cardiac instability when carcinoid tumours release vasoactive peptides. Such events can occur in the perioperative setting. Octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, is administered as a bolus dose of 100-500 μg iv or by infusion to treat carcinoid crises.