How looking only at policy diffusion "successes" between states may be misleading

Ideas often have a way of spreading. This is certainly true in the case of American states; innovative policies are often adopted by others in a process known as policy diffusion. But in trying to determine which policies spread, could we be giving too much of a focus on those that are successful? In new research which examines interstate compacts, Andrew Karch, Sean C. Nicholson-Crotty, Neal D. Woods, and Ann O’M. Bowman find that an emphasis on successful policies may be leading scholars to overestimate the importance of some factors, such as neighboring state activity, and underestimate the importance of others, like the number of previous adopters

Denitrification potential of the eastern oyster microbiome using a 16S rRNA gene based metabolic inference approach

The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a foundation species providing significant ecosystem services. However, the roles of oyster microbiomes have not been integrated into any of the services, particularly nitrogen removal through denitrification. We investigated the composition and denitrification potential of oyster microbiomes with an approach that combined 16S rRNA gene analysis, metabolic inference, qPCR of the nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ), and N-2 flux measurements. Microbiomes of the oyster digestive gland, the oyster shell, and sediments adjacent to the oyster reef were examined based on next generation sequencing (NGS) of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Denitrification potentials of the microbiomes were determined by metabolic inferences using a customized denitrification gene and genome database with the paprica (PAthway PRediction by phylogenetIC plAcement) bioinformatics pipeline. Denitrification genes examined included nitrite reductase (nirS and nirK) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ), which was further subdivided by genotype into clade I (nosZI) or clade II (nosZII). Continuous flow through experiments measuring N-2 fluxes were conducted with the oysters, shells, and sediments to compare denitrification activities. Paprica properly classified the composition of microbiomes, showing similar classification results from Silva, Greengenes and RDP databases. Microbiomes of the oyster digestive glands and shells were quite different from each other and from the sediments. The relative abundance of denitrifying bacteria inferred by paprica was higher in oysters and shells than in sediments suggesting that oysters act as hotspots for denitrification in the marine environment. Similarly, the inferred nosZI gene abundances were also higher in the oyster and shell microbiomes than in the sediment microbiome. Gene abundances for nosZI were verified with qPCR of nosZI genes, which showed a significant positive correlation (F-1,F-7 = 14.7, p = 6.0x10(-3), R-2 = 0.68). N-2 flux rates were significantly higher in the oyster (364.4 +/- 23.5 mu mol N-N-2 m(-2) h(-1)) and oyster shell (355.3 +/- 6.4 mu mol N-N-2 m(-2) h(-1)) compared to the sediment (270.5 +/- 20.1 mu mol N-N-2 m(-2) h(-1)). Thus, bacteria carrying nosZI genes were found to be an important denitrifier, facilitating nitrogen removal in oyster reefs. In addition, this is the first study to validate the use of 16S gene based metabolic inference as a method for determining microbiome function, such as denitrification, by comparing inference results with qPCR gene quantification and rate measurements

The Effectiveness of Occupation-based Virtual Reality Intervention on Upper Extremity Functional Improvement in Post-stroke Individuals: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Virtual reality (VR)-based therapy is an emerging practice in the clinical setting and still requires research documenting its efficacy. This review analyzed the effectiveness of VR-based therapy on upper extremity (UE) motor recovery in individuals with chronic stroke by analyzing multiple randomized controlled trials. Methods: Search limits for this review consisted of articles published between January 2010 and January 2020 and available in English. Search keywords were based on language in individual databases (e.g. stroke or cerebrovascular accident, upper extremity, occupational therapy). Articles were limited to include only randomized control trials consisting of adult patients (18+) with UE impairment due to chronic stroke (onset at least 3 months prior) and occupation-based virtual reality intervention. Results: 242 articles were screened; eight met the inclusion criteria. Forms of VR within the reviewed articles included traditional gaming systems, mobile-based game devices, and VR combined with real instrument training. These studies showed improved outcomes following VR training such as improvement of UE function, activity participation, and health-related quality of life. Conclusion: The results of this review suggest that VR-based therapy has efficacy equal to or greater than conventional therapy for improving function in the upper extremity of adult patients with chronic stroke. As supported by research, practitioners may incorporate virtual reality-based therapy into conventional clinical sessions to assist in improving UE function and interactions within different environments and to help enhance overall participation in daily tasks and occupational performance in their clients

Texas Cities in the Era of Government Transparency

We are in the Era of Government Transparency. Recently, politicians from President Barack Obama to Texas Governor Rick Perry have touted a commitment to openness and transparency in their respective administrations. Citizens have also embraced the idea. No longer content with viewing the government as a mysterious black box where taxes go in and services come out, taxpayers today expect, and in some cases demand, to know how decisions are made. As discussions ensue about growing distrust between citizens and government, increased transparency can offer a way to bridge this divide. Clear, organized and useful data posted online is a good indicator of a city’s transparency. It is best for city governments to engage their citizens in a dialogue about what information the public wants and what format will encourage them to best use it

The development of criteria for identifying music preferred by children with behavioral problems

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences which may exist between responses to aural stimuli by children classified as possessing behavioral problems (aggressive behavior, passive conduct, hyperactivity and lack of peer communication) and those in a non-behavioral problem category. It was hypothesized that significant differences existed in the musical preferences of the two groups. Two hundred seventy subjects were drawn from a population representing all fifth grade sections in the Lee County, North Carolina, Public Schools. Subjects were assigned by classes to an experimental group which consisted of 51 children who were identified by the classroom teachers as students exhibiting behavioral difficulties. The remaining members of the classrooms (219 students) made up the comparison group