University Park Research Articles

Evaluation of Infectivity, Length of Infection, and Immune Response of Avian Reovirus Variants in Egg-laying Hens.

ABSTRACTWe conducted research studies on avian reovirus (ARV) infectivity in egg-laying hens, focusing on three variants (δC genotypes 2, 3, and 5) detected in layer chickens in Pennsylvania to date. Day-old chicks (Hy-Line North America, LLC, PA), raised at the Poultry Education and Research Center of Penn State University Park campus, showed healthy growth and normal egg production after 20 weeks of age. ARV variants were propagated in LMH cell cultures, with concentrations measured at TCID50/mL. Each group of 10 hens received a 1.0 mL dose containing 103 to 104 TCID50/mL of one ARV variant through oral, nasal, and ocular routes. Infected hens showed normal egg production, with minimal symptoms of watery droppings in the first-week post-inoculation (pi). Cloacal and oral pharyngeal swabs were collected daily in the first week pi and every other day in the second-week pi to monitor virus shedding. Virus shedding began 24 hours pi through feces, peaked at 2 to 4 days pi, decreased by 5 to 7 days pi, and ceased after 12 to 14 days pi. A few birds' oral pharyngeal swabs were weakly positive for 1 to 3 days pi, then all turned negative. Infected hens developed high serum and egg yolk antibody titers at 2 to 3 weeks pi, showing 100% protection against subsequent infections with the same variant strain, demonstrating a 100% protection rate.

K. Dauge-Roth and C. Koslofsky (eds.), Stigma: Marking Skin in the Early Modern World (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2023). Pages xii + 294, and there are illustrations. $29.95 paperback.

K. Dauge-Roth and C. Koslofsky (eds.), Stigma: Marking Skin in the Early Modern World (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2023). Pages xii + 294, and there are illustrations. $29.95 paperback.

Technical Note: Dynamic Duopolistic Competition with Sticky Prices

Steven Heston of the R.H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Bo Hu of the Costello College of Business, George Mason University, resolve a puzzle about industrial competition in “Dynamic Duopolistic Competition with Sticky Prices.” Previous papers analyze the effect of frictions on competition in continuous time, such as sticky prices or transactions costs. Those papers conclude that miniscule frictions have a large impact on market prices and quantities. However, Heston and Hu show that these conclusions are an artifact of the continuous-time math. Heston and Hu use discrete-time models to analyze the effect of frictions that are small per unit of time. These models show the effect of small frictions is small.

Excavating Wartime Sound Heritage of Germany, Italy, and Japan

This article treats the presence of captured sound recordings from the former Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) that were seized by United States military forces as part of a mass collection of enemy archival materials at the end of World War II which are held today at major heritage institutions in the Washington, D.C. area. Focusing on the recorded sound collections at the Library of Congress in Washington, and the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, we first consider the limited clues available as to the provenance of the captured collections, which have become increasingly ‘mixed’ in nature, including other historical radio and sound recordings related to World War II. In addition to offering insights into the contents of the collections, we outline the challenges they have faced since they were first accessioned during the mid-1940s, and later managed, preserved and partly catalogued at each institution. We close with a critical evaluation of the current condition of the collections and the potential for improved documentation, contextualization and accessibility of these materials, many of which seem to be unique recordings not available elsewhere

Rhamphempis, a New Genus of Empidini (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae) of the New World, with Descriptions of Five New Species from French Guiana and the Eastern United States.

The genus Rhamphempisgen. nov. (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae: Empidini) is described and includes the following five new species from French Guiana and the USA: Rhamphempis concavasp. nov. (France: French Guiana, Roura); R. distinctasp. nov. (France: French Guiana, Roura); R. mirificasp. nov. (France: French Guiana, Régina); R. montreuilisp. nov. (Type species, France: French Guiana, Mitaraka, Roura, St-Georges-de-l'Oyapock); and R. septentrionalissp. nov. (USA: Maryland, College Park). The genus differs from other empidine genera by the following combination of characters: scape and postpedicel lengthened, proboscis long, strongly sclerotised with labella as long as prementum bearing annulations, wing with R2+3 somewhat shortened, more or less recurved at pterostigma, R4+5 unforked, base of abdomen yellowish in male, brownish to blackish in female, male pregenital segments strongly modified and postabdomen more or less downcurved, presence of large surstylus, very fine and long phallus. The genus is fully illustrated and keyed along with a discussion of its peculiar disjunct geographic distribution and its phylogenetic relationship within the tribe Empidini.

Sustaining Active Learning in Undergraduate Precalculus: Results and Challenges of a Course Redesign

Addressed toward course coordinators and departmental leaders interested in redesigning undergraduate mathematics courses with a focus on active learning, this report provides an update on progress in redesigning the Precalculus course offered by the Department of Mathematics at the University of Maryland, College Park, following initial indicators of success. We begin by discussing our team’s challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our attempts to navigate these challenges. We then provide results related to student achievement, self-efficacy, and STEM intentions, in addition to addressing the remaining goals of the redesign.

High-Quality Hospital Status on Health Care Costs for Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Care for U.S. Military Beneficiaries.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common and resource demanding birth defect managed in the United States, with approximately 40,000 children undergoing CHD surgery year. Researchers have compared high-volume to low-volume hospitals and found significant hospital-level variation in major complications, health resource utilization, and health care costs after CHD surgery. Using nationwide representative claim data from the United States Military Health System from 2016 to 2020, TRICARE beneficiaries diagnosed with CHD were tabulated based on ICD-10 codes (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision). We examined the relationships between total costs and total hospitalizations costs post 1-year CHD diagnosis and presence or absence of High-Quality Hospital (HQH) designation. We applied both the naive generalized linear model (GLM) to control for the observed patient and hospital characteristics and the 2-stage least squares (2SLS) model to account for the unobserved confounding factors. This study was approved by University of Maryland, College Park Institutional Review Board (IRB) (Approval Number: 1576246-2). A relationship between HQH designation and total CHD related costs was not seen across 2SLS model specifications (marginal effect; -$41,579; 95% CI, -$83,429 to $271). For patients diagnosed with a moderate-complex or single ventricle CHD, the association of HQH status was a statistically significant reduction in total costs (marginal effect; -$84,395; 95% CI, -$140,560 to -$28,229) and hospitalization costs (marginal effect; -$73,958; 95% CI, -$121,878 to -$26,039). It is very imperative for clinicians and patient support advocates to urge policymakers to deliberate the establishment of a quality designation authority for CHD management. These efforts will not only help to identify and standardize quality care metrics but to improve long-term health, effectiveness, and equity in the management of CHD. Furthermore, these efforts can be used to navigate patients to proven HQH, thereby improving care and reducing associated treatment costs for CHD patients.

Black Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of the Library at a Predominately White Institution

abstract: In this study, researchers investigated the library experiences of Black undergraduate students at Penn State in University Park, a predominately white institution. Their goal was to improve services and spaces and to highlight and validate experiences with race, racism, and microaggressions on campus and in the library. Twenty undergraduate students were interviewed and asked to talk about their experiences and how these affected their perception of the University Libraries. Using the lens of critical race theory, which sees race as a socially constructed category used to oppress people of color, this study seeks to present a counternarrative to the prevailing dominant view of the library as a neutral space. Several consistent themes were identified. The themes included, but were not limited to, a low awareness of library services, lack of Black representation in the University Libraries, and a general lack of comfort within the library space.

African American artists and the new deal art programs By Mary AnnCalo, University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press. 2023 pp. 187

African American artists and the new deal art programs By Mary AnnCalo, University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press. 2023 pp. 187

Review of Bēl Lišāni: Current Research in Akkadian Linguistics

Bēl Lišāni: Current Research in Akkadian Linguistics. Edited by Rebecca Hasselbach-Aandee and Na‘ama Pat-El. Explorations in Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations, vol. 8. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns, 2021. Pp. xv + 259. $119.95.

Through Patients' Eyes: Evaluating the Consent Process in Elective Orthopedic Surgery at a Tertiary Referral Center in Ireland.

Informed consent is a critical component of ethical clinical practice, particularly in elective orthopedic procedures. It ensures that patients understand the nature, benefits, and risks of the medical procedures they agree to undergo. This study aims to evaluate the informed consent process at Merlin Park University Hospital from the patient's perspective. This cross-sectional observational study included 140 participants undergoing elective orthopedic procedures. Data were collected via a questionnaire focusing on socio-demographic information and the informed consent process, including details on who provided the information, where and when the consent was signed, and patient understanding and satisfaction. Responses were analyzed using SPSS version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The majority of participants were females, with 80 (57.1%) women and 60 (42.9%) men. The average age of the participants was 60.86 years. Most participants were employed, constituting 75 (53.6%) of the sample, and 55 (39.3%) had attained university or higher education. The most common procedures were total hip replacement, with 30 (21.4%) participants, and total knee replacement, with 20 (14.3%) participants. Information during the consent process was primarily provided by consultants in 80 (57.1%) cases. High satisfaction levels were reported, with 139 (99.3%) participants expressing satisfaction. Significant correlations were found between satisfaction and the type of healthcare provider, type of operation, and educational level. The informed consent process at Merlin Park University Hospital is generally effective, with high patient satisfaction and understanding. However, there is a preference for concise information delivery. Enhancing the process through personalized information delivery could further improve patient satisfaction and comprehension. These findings contribute valuable insights into patient-centered care and informed consent in elective orthopedic surgeries.

Disarranging Narrative

Review of: Louise Green, Fragments from the History of Loss: The Nature Industry and the Postcolony. AnthropoScene: The SLSA Book Series. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2020. 7 b&w illus. x + 193 pp. $29.95 (pb).

Effect of Incorporating 1 Avocado per Day Versus Habitual Diet on Vascular Function in Adults With Abdominal Obesity: An Ancillary Study of HAT, a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abdominal obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction and poorer vascular health. Avocado consumption improves postprandial endothelial function; however, the longer-term effects remain unclear. It was hypothesized that the daily addition of 1 avocado to a habitual diet for 6 months would improve flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in individuals with abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥35 in for women, ≥40 in for men), compared with a habitual diet low in avocados. HAT (Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial) was a multicenter, randomized, controlled, parallel-arm study that investigated the health effects of adding 1 avocado per day to a habitual diet in individuals with abdominal obesity. At the Pennsylvania State University, University Park study center (n=134; age, 50 ± 13 years; women, 78%; body mass index, 32.6 ± 4.8 kg/m2), markers of vascular function were measured, including endothelial function, assessed via brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, and arterial stiffness, assessed via carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Between-group differences in 6-month change in flow-mediated dilation and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were assessed using independent t tests. Prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted using linear regression. No significant between-group differences in flow-mediated dilation (mean difference=-0.62% [95% CI, -1.70 to 0.46]) or carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (0.25 m/s [95% CI, -0.13 to 0.63]) were observed. Results of the subgroup analyses were consistent with the primary analyses. Longer-term consumption of 1 avocado per day as part of a habitual diet did not improve measures of vascular function compared with a habitual diet low in avocados in individuals with abdominal obesity. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03528031.

Digital Twin Model and Its Establishment Method for Steel Structure Construction Processes

At present, the informatization level in the construction process of steel structures is relatively low. Meanwhile, digital twin technology, with better interactive features, provides a new development direction for the intelligent construction of steel structures. Therefore, this paper introduces the concept of a digital twin into the steel structure construction process, analyzes the connotation and characteristics of the digital twin model, and proposes the digital twin model architecture for steel structure construction processes. Furthermore, a method for establishing a digital twin model for steel structure construction processes is presented, which includes three stages: the acquisition and transmission of physical space data, the construction of a digital twin virtual model, and information exchange in the digital twin model. Based on these concepts, this paper describes a digital twin system architecture for the steel structure construction process from the perspective of data flow in the digital twin model. Finally, with the application of information technology in the steel structure construction process of the university park library project in Xiongan New Area and the reconstruction and expansion project of the Nanchong Gaoping airport, the digital twin model and its establishment method methods are analyzed practically and demonstrated effectively in this study.

Mental states via possessive predication: the grammar of possessive experiencer complex predicates in Persian

Persian possesses a number of stative complex predicates with dâshtan ‘to have’ that express certain kinds of mental state. I propose that these possessive experiencer complex predicates be given a formal semantic treatment involving possession of a portion of an abstract quality by an individual, as in the analysis of property concept lexemes due to Francez and Koontz-Garboden (Language 91(3):533–563, 2015; Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 34:93–106, 2016; Semantics and morphosyntactic variation: Qualities and the grammar of property concepts, Oxford University Press, 2017). Augmented with an analysis of prepositional phrases introducing the target of the mental state and an approach to gradability in terms of measure functions (Wellwood in Measuring predicates, PhD dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park, 2014), the analysis explains various properties of possessive experiencer complex predicates, including the behavior of target phrases, the ability of the non-verbal element to be modified by a range of adjectives, the direct participation of the non-verbal element in comparative constructions, and the ability of degree expressions to modify both the non-verbal element and the VP containing the complex predicate. Theoretically, the analysis ties transitive mental state expressions to the grammar and semantics of property concept sentences, which are expressed via possessive morphosyntax cross-linguistically, and connects with syntactic proposals that independently argue for a universal underlyingly possessive morphosyntax for mental state predicates (Noonan in Case and syntactic geometry, PhD dissertation, McGill University, 1992; Hale and Keyser in Prolegomenon to a theory of argument structure, MIT Press, 2002). The work here also motivates modifications to Francez and Koontz-Garboden’s original proposal, and opens new questions in the original empirical domain of the analysis of possessive predicating strategies for the expression of property concept sentences.

History of Science and the History of Catholicism and Colonization - Sacred Habitat: Nature and Catholicism in the Early Modern Spanish Atlantic. By Ran Segev. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2023. Pp. 213. $129.95 cloth.

History of Science and the History of Catholicism and Colonization - Sacred Habitat: Nature and Catholicism in the Early Modern Spanish Atlantic. By Ran Segev. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2023. Pp. 213. $129.95 cloth.

Psychometric Society Meeting of the Members University of Maryland College Park, Maryland July 28, 2023.

Psychometric Society Meeting of the Members University of Maryland College Park, Maryland July 28, 2023.

Hugh Liebert. Gibbon's Christianity: Religion, Reason, and the Fall of Rome University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2022. Pp. 196. $104.95 (cloth).

Hugh Liebert. Gibbon's Christianity: Religion, Reason, and the Fall of Rome University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2022. Pp. 196. $104.95 (cloth).

The Bible in Early Transatlantic Pietism and Evangelicalism. By Ryan P. Hoselton, Jan Stievermann, Douglas A. Sweeney, and Michael A. G. Haykin. Pietist, Moravian, and Anabaptist Studies. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2022. 206 pp. $109.95 hardcover.

The Bible in Early Transatlantic Pietism and Evangelicalism. By Ryan P. Hoselton, Jan Stievermann, Douglas A. Sweeney, and Michael A. G. Haykin. Pietist, Moravian, and Anabaptist Studies. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2022. 206 pp. $109.95 hardcover.

Rita Colwell: Use your voice to bring about positive change.

Rita Colwell is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, senior advisor and chairman emeritus at Canon US Life Sciences, Inc., founder and chairman of CosmosID, Inc., and president of the Rosalind Franklin Society. She has authored or co-authored 20 books and more than 800 scientific publications, and throughout her career has focused on improving health outcomes across the world and highlighting the impacts of infectious diseases in drinking/bathing water. We recently spoke to Rita about her career and her thoughts about the future for women in science.