Beginning Of July Research Articles

Public perceptions of meniscus tears: Evaluating knowledge gaps and the role of education.

Meniscus tears are common, occurring acutely during sports or as degenerative tears with aging. Limited information exists about the public's understanding of these injuries and their management. This study aimed to evaluate the public's baseline understanding of meniscus tear management and assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve their understanding. Level III, Cross-Sectional Study. A 33-question survey on meniscus anatomy, injury risk, diagnosis, treatment, and surgical expectations was distributed online to adults aged 18+ over 5 months from the beginning of July. An educational video and handout were provided to improve baseline knowledge. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, McNemar's test, and a paired t-test to measure pre- and post-intervention changes. Baseline surveys from 245 participants showed 66.9% were women, 69.4% were aged 18-29, and 63.7% were white. 46.1% held a bachelor's degree, and 90.2% had limited knowledge of meniscus tears. 76% believed surgery was necessary, 84% thought degenerative tears were repairable, and 65% didn't understand the link to osteoarthritis. Most expected over 3 months for recovery. Higher scores were associated with male gender, healthcare experience, and prior knowledge (p<0.05). Post-intervention, correct responses rose from 45.3% to 75% (p<0.001) among 118 participants. Significant misconceptions about meniscus tears were identified. An educational intervention notably improved knowledge of meniscus anatomy, its link to osteoarthritis, and treatment options. This underscores the importance of education in aligning patient expectations with current medical practices to enhance care quality.

СОДЕРЖАНИЕ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ ПИТАНИЯ В АГРОЧЕРНОЗЕМАХ ПРИ ВЫРАЩИВАНИИ РАННЕГО КАРТОФЕЛЯ В КРАСНОЯРСКОЙ ЛЕСОСТЕПИ

The purpose of research is to study the dynamics of the content of nutrients in agrochernozems during the cultivation of the ultra-early potato variety Kolomba in the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe. The soil cover of the study area is represented by a complex of agrochernozems of clay-illuvial typical and agrochernozems of cryogenic-micellar, medium- and heavy-loam varieties. Soil preparation for planting included the application of azofoska at a dose of 60 kg AI/ha by a broadcast method, followed by its incorporation with a milling cutter. The predecessor is pure black fallow. The selection of mixed soil samples was carried out from the soil layer of 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm in 6 repetitions according to different variants and phases of potato development. The provision of the arable layer of agrochernozem with nitrate nitrogen during the growing season sharply decreased from very high (30.6–69.7 mg/kg) to medium and low (8.3–6.5 mg/kg), especially in variants with germinated tubers in budding and flowering phase. In the control variants, at the same time, there was a phase of stem growth and budding, and the supply of nitrate nitrogen remained at an increased level (13–14 mg/kg). The content of ammonium nitrogen in agrochernozems by the beginning of July also decreased to an average and low level of availability (7.2–8.3 mg/kg), at this time, the budding and flowering phase was noted on the variants with germinated tubers, and on the variants with unsprouted potato tubers - the phase of stem growth and budding. In all variants of the experiment, the availability of exchangeable potassium during the growing season dropped from a very high (155–162 mg/kg) to a high and elevated level (133–93 mg/kg), the availability of mobile phosphorus in the second half of the growing season also decreased from a high (170, 4 mg/kg) to an increased level (136.3 mg/kg) on variants with germinated tubers. The yield of sprouted potato tubers of the Colomba variety after 50 days of vegetation was 16.3 t/ha, which is two times higher than in the control.

SPECYFIKA DYSKURSU O REWOLUCJI LUTOWEJ NA ŁAMACH „ŚWIATA” W 1917 ROKU

The purpose of the article is to reconstruct the unique discourse related to the February Revolution as presented in the Warsaw weekly magazine “Świat” in 1917. The analysis focuses on the issues published between March (the outbreak of the February Revolution) and the beginning of July (the last reports) of 1917, taking into account both verbal messages and the iconographic layer of the periodical. The research revealed that the editorial team adopted a strategy of contextualizing contemporary developments within the past events. Profiling the coverage in this way offered readers a structured narrative, in which the violence and chaos of the contemporary world were replaced by a problematizing approach that minimized the anxiety associated with the revolution. The verbal content was correlated with the iconographic layer, allowing the editors to portray the February Revolution as part of an evolutionary process.

Development and grain yield of barley genotypes according to sowing date

This study aimed to determine the length of subperiods, development cycle, yield, and grain quality of barley genotypes at different sowing dates. Three experimental lines from a barley breeding program Barley01, Barley02, and Barley03 as well as three commercial cultivars ABI Invicta, ABI Valente, and ABI Rubi were sown in 2001 in the municipality of Passo Fundo. Also, lines Barley04, Barley05, and Barley06, in addition to ABI Invicta and ABI Valente, were sown in 2022 in the municipality of Coxilha. Sowings were carried out on June 1st, June 16th, and July 7th, 2021, in Passo Fundo and May 24th, June 15th, and July 4th, 2022, in Coxilha. The barley development cycle decreased from sowings carried out at the end of May until the beginning of July. Lines Barley02 and Barley06 showed higher precocity. A higher proportion of first-class grains was observed in early sowings in both locations. Barley grain yield depends on the genotype, location, and sowing date.

Impacts of Storm “Zyprian” on Middle and Upper Atmosphere Observed from Central European Stations

Mesoscale convective systems are effective sources of atmospheric disturbances that can reach ionospheric heights and significantly alter atmospheric and ionospheric conditions. Convective systems can affect the Earth’s atmosphere on a continental scale and up to F-layer heights. Extratropical cyclone “Zyprian” occurred at the beginning of July, 2021 and dominated weather over the whole of Europe. An extensive cold front associated with “Zyprian” moved from the western part to the eastern part of Europe, followed by ground-level convergence and the formation of organized convective thunderstorm systems. Torrential rains in the Czech Republic have caused a great deal of damage and casualties. Storm-related signatures were developed in ground microbarograph measurements of infrasound and gravity waves. Within the stratosphere, a shift of the polar jet stream and increase in specific humidity related to the storm system were observed. At the ionospheric heights, irregular stratification and radio wave reflection plane undulation were observed. An increase in wave-like activity was detected based on ionograms and narrowband very-low-frequency (VLF) data. On directograms and SKYmaps (both products of digisonde measurements), strong and rapid changes in the horizontal plasma motion were recorded. However, no prevailing plasma motion direction was identified within the F-layer. Increased variability within the ionosphere is attributed mainly to the “Zyprian” cyclone as it developed during low geomagnetic activity and stable solar forcing.

Entrustable Professional Activities in endocrine surgery: A national pilot study

IntroductionThe American Association of Endocrine Surgeons drafted Entrustable Professional Activities for Comprehensive Endocrine Surgery to assess trainees in core topics. MethodsFourteen Entrustable Professional Activities were defined. There were 10 “core” Entrustable Professional Activities, with 6 having 3 phases (pre-, intra-, and postoperative) and 4 having a single phase. There were also 4 elective Entrustable Professional Activities, all of which had 3 phases. Beginning in July 2022, 10 institutions collected 3-item microassessments of trainee performance in Entrustable Professional Activities using a web-based platform. Entrustment was measured on a 5-point scale. ResultsA total of 698 microassessments were submitted between July 2022 and September 2023, with a wide range between programs (3–449, median: 24). Four-hundred ninety-two microassessments were completed for endocrine surgery fellows, 6 for chief residents, 6 for postgraduate year 4 students, 166 for postgraduate year 3 students, and 28 for postgraduate year 2 students. Entrustment scores for fellows improved in the second half of the academic year, with 38.2% of microassessments with highest (4/5) entrustment scores in the first 6 months of the academic year and 80.1% with highest scores in the second half of the year (P < .001). Intraoperative entrustment scores were lowest in the adrenal category, with only 13 of 117 (11.1%) of microassessments with highest entrustment compared with 85 with 230 (37.0%) in the thyroid category, and 65 of 165 (39.4%) in the parathyroid category (P < .001). Trainees were more likely to achieve highest entrustment in the first 6 months for preoperative (36/70, 28.5%) and postoperative (15/28, 53.5%) phases of care, compared with the intraoperative phase of care (79/334, 23.6%) (P < .001). ConclusionEntrustment scores improved in the second half of the academic year, and trainees were likely to achieve entrustment earlier in nonoperative phases of care.

Penal practices of partisans in the Kaunas Region (1944–1952). Part II

Part 1 of this Article analyses campaigns of the partisans in Kaunas county and Kaunas city that took place in 1944-1945. Kaunas county geographically was a midpoint of Lithuania, it bordered the counties of Šakiai, Raseiniai, Kėdainiai, Ukmergė, Trakai (from April 1946 – Kaišiadorys), Alytus and Marijampolė. In 1944 the county consisted of 16 rural districts: Aukštoji Panemunė (164 km2), Babtai (224 km2), Čekiškė (252 km2), Garliava (152 km2), Jonava (418 km2), Kruonis (230 km2), Lapės (115 km2), Pakuonis (122 km2), Pažaislis (71 km2), Raudondvaris (103 km2), Rumšiškės (128 km2), Seredžius (83 km2), Vandžiogala (269 km2), Veliuona (134 km2), Vilkija (152 km2), Zapyškis (117 km2). The territory of this part of the county – 2734 km2. The city of Kaunas is not included, the territory of which – 130 km2. Thus, the entire territory of the county, including the city of Kaunas, occupied 2864 km2. In June 1945, Kaunas county had 24 thousand households and 107 thousand population. In the summer 1945, 86 064 inhabitants lived in Kaunas city. On June the 23rd 1944, the Soviet Army started the Strategic Offensive Operation “Bagration”. During this operation, the German group “Centro” was destroyed. At the beginning of July, Soviet forces – units of the 1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian Front– invaded the territory of Lithuania. In Kaunas county, the divisions of the 3-rd Belorussian Front were fighting, who reached this county by the end of July. By middle-August, the entire territory of Kaunas county was occupied. The organized partisan warfare against the Soviets in Kaunas county started in November 1944. Already in December it spread throughout the entire county, and Kerinas, who was the head of Kaunas NKVD division, called this phenomenon an uprising against the Soviet authorities. Partisan platoons used to contain up to 100 people, these platoons used to join other groups of partisans. Such platoons used to occupy the centres of rural districts and fight NKVD battalions. In 1944, during campaigns of the partisans, 45 people were killed. NKVD-people, having been intimidated by partisan struggle, organized chekist-military operations, during which they managed to destroy large platoons of partisans, therefore, from the year 1945 on, the partisans changed their tactics and started to use another way of fighting – partisan platoons were divided into groups consisting of 5-10 people and then Soviet repressive bodies encountered difficulties in detecting and destroying platoons of partisans. Mostly, the partisans attacked collaborators with the Soviet authorities, and especially – their military squads. The most famous assault of the partisans in 1945 in Kaunas county, was an attack on Seredžius rural district, during which a military platoon of the collaborators was annihilated totally. In total, during the campaigns of the year 1945, the partisans killed 173 people.

Total Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Activity of Leaves and Fine Roots as Indicators of Drought Resistance in the Native Quercus robur and Alien Quercus rubra

Research Highlights: Environmental abiotic stressors generate secondary stresses in plants, such as osmotic and oxidative stresses, which negatively influence their normal growth, development, and metabolism. Research about other non-enzymatic components with antioxidant capacity has recently focused on polyphenols. However, their role as indicators of drought and shade tolerance in woody species leaves and roots has been poorly explored or was limited to leaves only. Background and Objectives: Under a scenario of increasing drought, understanding the seedling responses in terms of total polyphenols and their antioxidant activity, in particular at the fine root system level, may help to elucidate the native–alien species interaction. Materials and Methods: At the beginning of July, 5-month-old native Quercus robur and alien Quercus rubra seedlings were transferred indoors to the growth chamber and subjected to progressive soil drying for 21 days. Results: The decrease in soil water content was more pronounced for Q. robur (9%) than for Q. rubra (34% of field capacity). Leaf water potential significantly decreased over time in Q. robur but did not differ from the control in Q. rubra. The total polyphenol concentration in Q. robur was markedly lower in the leaves and significantly higher in the fine roots than in Q. rubra. For the leaves, both species showed markedly higher values if well-watered, and the values significantly decreased in response to drought only in Q. rubra. In contrast, the fine root values for both species were markedly higher if droughted and decreased significantly in time only in Q. robur. Differently from the polyphenol concentration, the antioxidant capacity of Q. rubra was always higher in both the leaves and fine roots. Conclusions: The higher antioxidant activity of the alien species Q. rubra revealed by this work, combined with its isohydric behaviour, could further shed some light on our understanding of its competitive performance at the seedling stage against the native Q. robur.

Improving Asthma Control Test completion rates across a multi-site pediatric pulmonary clinic network: a quality improvement initiative

Objective Assessing asthma control is an essential part of the outpatient management of children with asthma and can be performed through validated questionnaires such as the Asthma Control Test (ACT). Systematic approaches to incorporating the ACT in outpatient visits are often lacking, contributing to inconsistent completion rates. We conducted a quality improvement initiative to increase the proportion of visits where the ACT is completed for children with asthma in our multi-site pediatric pulmonary clinic network. Methods We developed an intervention of sending the ACT questionnaire to patients and caregivers through the electronic patient portal to complete prior to their visits. This strategy was first piloted at one clinic beginning in July 2020 and then expanded to 5 other clinics in the network in October 2020. Our outcome measure was average monthly proportion of visits with a completed ACT, tracked using statistical process control charts. The process measure was method of ACT completion tracked using run charts. Results At the pilot clinic, average monthly completion rate rose within 3 months of the intervention from 27% to 72% and was sustained more than 22 months. Completion across all clinics increased from 57% pre-intervention to 76% post-intervention. Importantly, the intervention did not rely on clinic staff to administer the questionnaire and did not interfere with existing clinic flow. Conclusion An intervention of delivering the ACT electronically to patients and caregivers for completion prior to visits led to a rapid and sustained improvement in ACT completion rates across a large, pediatric pulmonary clinic network.

Buckwheat at Slovenians in Hungary

Two types of buckwheat were grown in Porabje: grey buckwheat (törsko dino) for human consumption and feeding honey bees, and the green buckwheat, Tartary buckwheat (»wild buckwheat«) for animal feed. Buckwheat was sown at the beginning of July in a rye stubble and harvested at the end of September. History of growing buckwheat, nutritional habits and dishes of Slovenians in Porabje and other parts of Hungary are presented.

The impact of end-of-life quality metrics on date of death and hospice documentation over time.

e23009 Background: Patient experience and quality of care at the end of life (EOL) have become increasingly important for Oncology providers with the shift to value-based care (VBC). Medicare VBC programs such as the Oncology Care Model (OCM) and Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) encourage care transformation and use quality measurement to drive EOL quality improvements. Timely and accurate documentation allows practices to evaluate their own performance and continuously improve care transformation efforts. We studied documentation trends in the electronic health record (EHR) and compared them with Medicare claims to evaluate the impact quality metrics had on ensuring accurate practice documentation. Methods: Best practices were established, and continuous education was provided to enable capture and recording of key EOL data in the EHR beginning in July 2016. Patient level date of death (DOD) and hospice enrollment (HSP) data were provided by CMS during the OCM (July 2016 - June 2022) for 14 participating practices in The US Oncology Network (The Network). We obtained corresponding DOD and HSP data from the EHR and compared documentation trends between systems. Statistical analysis was performed for increasing/decreasing trends using the Mann Kendall test. Results: There were statistically significant increases in EHR DOD (19.37% increase, p value 0.02) and HSP (18.93% increase, p value 0.002) documentation from 2016 -2022. All practices had an average year over year increase of 16.40% in HSP documentation (range 11.94% - 18.93.%) and 16.24% increase in DOD documentation (range 6.49% - 19.37%). The median increase from 2016 to 2022 in documentation of DOD was 68% (range 37% - 92%) and HSP was 48% (range 12% - 83%) for all practices. Conclusions: As an epitome of the Hawthorne effect, EOL quality metrics drive clinical documentation improvements with DOD and HSP, further accelerated by continuous education and the establishment of best practices. Improved clinical documentation aids care transformation and quality improvement, creating a positive feedback loop. The impact of quality measurement on other structured and unstructured documentation in the EHR is apt for further exploration. CMMI Disclaimer: The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document. [Table: see text]

Variation in Time-to-Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy in the US Active Duty Service Members.

Beginning in July 2016, transgender service members in the US military were allowed to receive gender-affirming medical care, if so desired. This study aimed to evaluate variation in time-to-hormone therapy initiation in active duty Service members after the receipt of a diagnosis indicative of gender dysphoria in the Military Health System. This retrospective cohort study included data from those enrolled in TRICARE Prime between July 2016 and December 2021 and extracted from the Military Health System Data Repository. A population-based sample of US Service members who had an encounter with a relevant International Classification of Diseases 9/10 diagnosis code. Time-to-gender-affirming hormone initiation after diagnosis receipt. A total of 2439 Service members were included (Mage 24y; 62% white, 16% Black; 12% Latine; 65% Junior Enlisted; 37% Army, 29% Navy, 25% Air Force, 7% Marine Corps; 46% first recorded administrative assigned gender marker female). Overall, 41% and 52% initiated gender-affirming hormone therapy within 1 and 3 years of diagnosis, respectively. In the generalized additive model, time-to-gender-affirming hormone initiation was longer for Service members with a first administrative assigned gender marker of male relative to female (P<0.001), and Asian and Pacific Islander (P=0.02) and Black (P=0.047) relative to white Service members. In time-varying interactions, junior enlisted members had longer time-to-initiation, relative to senior enlisted members and junior officers, until about 2-years postinitial diagnosis. The significant variation and documented inequities indicate that institutional data-driven policy modifications are needed to ensure timely access for those desiring care.

Похід Максима Кривоноса у Поділля й Південно-Східну Волинь та його воєнно-політичні наслідки (червень-липень 1648 року).

The purpose of the article is to find out the biography of Maksym Kryvonis at the beginning of the Cossack uprising of 1648, the campaign on the territory of Podillia and South-Eastern Volyn, its course, military actions, the political self-awareness of the participants of the expedition and its consequences for the development of the Ukrainian National Revolution in the summer of 1648. The methodological foundation is based on the concepts of the "Annals" and "New Social History" schools, as well as the principles of historicism, objectivity, reliance on historical sources, systematicity, and comprehensiveness. The main research methods were narrative, reconstructive, chronological, comparative, historical-genetic, and synchronous. The scientific novelty lies in an attempt for the first time in historiography to reconstruct a complete picture of the liberation campaign of M. Kryvonis in Podillia and South-Eastern Volyn, the program requirements of its participants, and the military-political consequences for the development of the revolutionary struggle in the summer of 1648. Conclusions. The study of the discovered complex of sources and scientific literature gives reason to see M. Kryvonis as an outstanding leader of the national liberation, religious and social struggle of the population of Right-bank Ukraine, which began to transform into the National Revolution. The campaign began at the end of the first decade of June with his capture of Pogrebyshchi and ended at the end of July with B. Khmelnytsky’s recall to his camp. It went through two stages in its development: the 1st (approx. June 7-8 - early July) was marked by successful military actions with Polish hostages in the cities of Bratslav Region and the liberation of its territory from Polish rule; The 2nd (beginning of July - end of July) was mainly characterized by the struggle with magnate and government units, which ended with the successful battle of Starokostiantyniv on July 26-28, the retreat of the troops of Prince I. Vyshnevetskyi and the liberation of the territories of Southwestern Zhytomyr region and Southeastern Volyn. Thanks to his military and organizational talents, M. Kryvonis managed to transform the 400-th Cherkasy regiment at the beginning of the campaign into a 28-30-thousand-strong army at the time of its completion. Fully sharing the revolutionary sentiments of the Cossack commoners, who sought liberation from national-religious oppression and social subjugation, to achieve personal freedom, land ownership, and independence of Russia ("on the Vistula") from the Polish Crown, he became the informal leader of a radical group of elders, which transformed into the Ukrainian political proto-elite.

IMPACT OF GREEN CAMPUS TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS ON EMISSION REDUCTION TARGET 2030

The effects of climate change on the environment, human health, and economy are significant. Global warming and climate change are primarily caused by emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. In response, Sebelas Maret University, an Indonesian higher education institution located in Surakarta, Central Java, established the Emission-Free Day, held on the first Friday of every month beginning in July 2020. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of the Emission-Free Day in achieving 2030 emission reduction goals. This study analyzes the effect of the Emission-Free Day on reducing emissions from motorized vehicles on college campuses. The Tier-1 method, applying emission factors from the Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventory published in 2006 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was used to estimate the emission reduction. The findings indicate that while the Zero Emissions Program aligns with the Sebelas Maret University Green Campus Policy, its contribution to the 2030 emission reduction targets specified in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is negligible. Additional measures are required to enhance emission reduction efforts, such as the establishment of a Centralized Parking Facility, the implementation of an RFID card system to restrict vehicle access to the campus, the introduction of a ridesharing program, the provision of employee shuttle services, and the promotion of the use of public transportation. These attempts will support global emission reduction efforts and significantly contribute to achieving NDC targets. The study emphasizes the significance of instituting a variety of complementary programs to effectively combat emissions from motorized vehicles and promote a sustainable and low-carbon campus environment.

Inpatient Rsv-Management 2016-2022: Epidemiology and Adherence to A Bronchiolitis Treatment Standard at a German University Children's Hospital.

This study analyzes the RSV season 2021/2022 in a referral children's hospital, compares the epidemiology and illness severity with RSV-infected inpatients from 2016 to 2020 and audits the adherence to our internal therapy standard for RSV bronchiolitis. Inpatients with rtPCR-confirmed RSV infection (Jan. 2016 to Jan. 2022). The audit comprises 306 RSV inpatients, on average 50 hospitalizations per year; in 03/2020, a rapid RSV Season-Offset was observed. In the winter season 2020/2021, no patient with RSV was hospitalized. Beginning in July, we noticed a rapid increase of RSV-admissions (most cases in Sept./Oct, duration until Dec. 2021; n=53). In 2021-2022, a significant larger share needed PICU admission (9.4% vs 3.2%, p=0.040). Adherence to the internal guidance was low; only 11.8% (n=36) of all patients received supportive treatment without inhalative or systemic medications, 37% of all patients received antibiotics. This audit confirms the strong impact of public preventive measures directed against SARS-CoV-2 transmission on RSV epidemiology. Few weeks after easing public COVID-19 restrictions (summer 2021), RSV inpatient cases rapidly increased, lasting until Dec. 2021. The audit of bronchiolitis management revealed surprisingly low adherence to the internal guidance, despite a face-to-face educational session with the attending pediatricians in Oct. 2021. Low adherence resulted in an unnecessary exposure of RSV patients to systemic medications of questionable benefit including antibiotics.

Risk Assessment for the Spread of Flavescence Dorée-Related Phytoplasmas from Alder to Grapevine by Alternative Insect Vectors in Germany.

"Flavescence dorée" (FD)-related phytoplasmas are widespread in alder in Germany and their transmission to grapevine represents a high risk for FD outbreaks when the primary vector, Scaphoideus titanus, becomes present in the future. Therefore, the potential role of the Deltocephalinae leafhopper species in transmitting FD-related phytoplasmas from alder to grapevine was studied in extensive transmission trials conducted between 2017 and 2020. The transmission capacity of autochthonous Allygus spp. and the invasive Orientus ishidae captured on infected alder trees was tested under controlled conditions using various test designs, including grouped insects and single-insect studies. The latter experiments were analyzed in terms of survival probability, transmission success and phytoplasma load in the insects, measured by quantitative PCR. A minimum inoculation titer (MIT) required for successful transmission to alder was defined for both Allygus spp. and O. ishidae. While Allygus spp. exhibited slightly better survival on Vitis vinifera compared to O. ishidae, the latter displayed higher phytoplasma loads and greater transmission success. Although all species were capable of infecting alder seedlings, O. ishidae was able to transmit 16SrV-phytoplasmas directly to single grapevines. Infective adults of O. ishidae were captured from the beginning of July until the end of August, while Allygus spp. were only considered infective towards the end of the season. Thus, O. ishidae likely poses a higher risk for FD transmission from alder to grapevine, albeit at a very low level, as only five out of 90 transmission trials to V. vinifera were successful.

Using OERs to Close Inequity Gaps in Political Science

Beginning in July 2021, Political Science instructors at Pellissippi State Community College began the process of transitioning from commercially published textbooks to Open Educational Resources (OERs) in its introductory courses. The project is part of a statewide initiative led by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) to increase equity in access to quality, no/low-cost educational materials. The overarching goal is to increase success rates and improve educational outcomes for traditionally underserved students, such as but not limited to students of color, first-generation college students, and economically disadvantaged students. Pellissippi State has traditionally been the largest community college in the state of Tennessee and its enrollment population is made of both traditional and non-traditional students from every race and socio-economic income level. However, data collected prior to this transition has revealed lower completion and retention rates among minorities. A research team at Pellissippi State Community College was awarded two separate grants by TBR to conduct these transitions. This presentation will consist of two parts. The first part summarizes the process of transitioning the Introduction to American Government course to an OER textbook created by OpenStax, along with adopting and creating additional open access materials during the 2021-2022 academic year. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed from a total of 14 sections of the course to determine the impact of the transition. The second part will chronicle ongoing efforts of an inter-departmental team – consisting of faculty from Political Science, Media Technologies and Web Design, and Librarian Services – to create an Open Access Publication for the Introduction to Political Science course. Although this project will be in process during the conference, a summary of the work to date will be provided.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Nowcasting of the 2022 Yangtze River Mega-Flash Drought

Flash droughts challenge early warnings due to their rapid onset, which requires a proper drought index and skillful nowcasting system. A few studies have assessed the nowcast skill for flash droughts using a one-dimensional index, but whether the models can capture their spatiotemporal evolution remains unclear. In this study, a three-dimensional meteorological flash drought index based on the percentile of 15-day moving average precipitation minus evapotranspiration (P-ET) is developed. The index is then used to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of a mega-flash drought that occurred in the Yangtze River basin during the summer of 2022. The results show that the mega-flash drought started at the beginning of July in the upper reaches of the river and expanded to the middle and lower reaches at the beginning of August due to the spread of the high-pressure system. The evolution is well captured by the proposed three-dimensional index. The spatial correlations between the China Meteorological Administration global medium-range ensemble forecast system (CMA-GFS)’s nowcast and reanalysis ranged from 0.58 to 0.85, and the hit rate and equitable threat score are 0.54 and 0.26, respectively. This study shows that the CMA-GFS nowcast of the P-ET index roughly captured the drought’s evolution, which can be used for flash drought early warnings and water resource management.

Daily Climatic Data Better Explain the Radial Growth of Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra L.) in High-Elevation Cliffs in the Carpathians

Information about climate–growth relationships is crucial for predicting the potential climatic impact on tree species, especially those growing on the edges of their distribution range, for instance, in high-elevation forests. This study aimed to determine changes in the relationships between tree-ring widths and daily climatic data in high-elevation forests in the Western Carpathians over time. Climate–growth relationships were calculated to obtain the TRWI (tree-ring-width index) chronology (based on 104 trees) and day-wise aggregated data for temperature (mean, minimum, and maximum) and sums of precipitation. The radial growth of stone pine was mostly determined by the mean temperature in the period between mid-June (21st) and the beginning of July (4th) for the critical 14-day window width (r = 0.44). The negative influence of precipitation on the radial growth occurred in summer (r = −0.35) and overlapped with the period of the positive influence of temperature. Dendroclimatic studies based on daily data may define the exact periods (expressed in calendar days) that influence the radial growth of trees much better than the commonly used monthly means. This is particularly important in analysing the growth of trees at high elevations, where the climatic factor strongly limits radial growth.

Multisystemic Enterococcosis in Brown Anoles (Anolis sagrei) from Florida, USA.

Beginning in July 2019, numerous free-ranging brown anoles (Anolis sagrei), an invasive lizard species in Florida, USA, were reported with large, soft, subcutaneous masses and disfiguring facial swellings. Postmortem evaluations of six affected animals, including cytology, histology, and electron microscopy, identified the presence of myriad chain-forming coccoid bacteria surrounded by a prominent clear capsule and abundant lightly basophilic matrix material with minimal associated granulomatous inflammation and effacement of normal tissue. Standard PCR and sequencing of the lesions revealed 100% nucleotide identity to Enterococcus lacertideformus. This bacterium was first observed in 2014 as the cause of a severe, multisystemic infection in several species of lizards (geckos and skinks) on Christmas Island, an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean. Previously, analysis of E. lacertideformus had been hindered by an inability to grow the bacterium in standard culture conditions. We successfully cultured the organism on primary anole kidney cells. Given the growing recognition of host species diversity and geographic distribution noted for this organism, there is potential concern for spread to native North American lizards, especially the green anole (Anolis carolinensis), whose population numbers have apparently decreased due to introduced brown anoles.