Election 2016 Satire

In a pair of articles composed in the satiric style of those appearing in The Onion, Matthew Callahan, writing for his WRTC 314: Writing in the Public Sphere class, plays with language to explore the power of rhetoric and its potential to alienate, humiliate and proselytize. His imagining of what could happen at the Thanksgiving dinner table when a child takes on the words of President Trump, and his insightful and humorous examination of Trump’s early cabinet picks entertains and unsettles

James Baldwin\u27s Classroom and What He Can Teach Educators about Queer Representation

This is an extended analysis of James Baldwin\u27s A Talk to Teachers about how to bring representation into the classroom. I use Baldwin\u27s other essays and fiction along with educational research to look into the way Baldwin understands education and the importance of bringing healthy queer representation into the classroom. I provide both theoretical observations along with practical implications of what this means for educators in the classroom and what they can do to help all their students feel seen, represented, and welcome in the classroom

Temporal and size-based patterns in juvenile sablefish energy allocation and diet

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2020A recent marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska caused depressed growth, poor body condition, and low survival in many fish species, but juvenile sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) thrived. These fast-growing piscivores are the target of a valuable commercial fishery in Alaska as adults and have historically shown high variability in recruitment. The first winter is a period of nutritional stress and high mortality for many fish species and first winter survival may dictate year class strength, but the importance of the first winter for juvenile sablefish is understudied. We examined juvenile sablefish energy storage, growth, and diet during their first two years of life, specifically as newly settled juveniles in their first autumn, in late winter, and during their second summer and autumn. Sablefish grew rapidly in autumn and growth slowed but continued through winter. Mean energy density (kJ g⁻¹) declined over the winter but total energy (kJ individual⁻¹) increased significantly between October and March. Slopes of energy density and total energy versus length regressions were atypical for high latitude marine fish in that they were steepest in March. This indicates that large fish grew during winter with minimal energy depletion while small fish grew but depleted their energy stores. Stable isotope results revealed that larger fish were enriched in [delta]¹³C and [delta]⁻¹⁵N in March relative to smaller fish, suggesting diet differences may contribute to size-specific energy storage patterns during winter. Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) dominated diets but consumption of herring and other prey varied seasonally and annually. Relative stomach content weights were highest in autumn 2018, which was a period of rapid growth. Results of this study show advantages for sablefish achieving large size prior to winter and broadly support the hypothesis that first winter is a life history bottleneck for juvenile sablefish. The generalist feeding strategy of sablefish and rapid growth early in life may provide the ability to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions.North Pacific Research Board (project 1703 under primary award NA15NMF4720173), Rasmuson FoundationChapter 1: First winter energy allocation in juvenile sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria, a fast growing marine piscivore -- Chapter 2: Temporal and size-based variation in diet composition and quality for juvenile Sablefish: Inferences from stomach contents and stable isotopes -- General conclusion -- Appendix

Predicting Recovery Following Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Using a Clustering Algorithm.

BACKGROUND: Recovery following total joint arthroplasty is patient-specific, yet groups of patients tend to fall into certain similar patterns of recovery. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize recovery patterns following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using patient-reported outcomes that represent distinct health domains. We hypothesized that recovery patterns could be defined and predicted using preoperative data. METHODS: Adult patients were recruited from a large, urban academic center. To model postoperative responses to THA and TKA across domains such as physical health, mental health, and joint-specific measures, we employed a longitudinal clustering algorithm that incorporates each of these health domains. The clustering algorithm from multiple health domains allows the ability to define distinct recovery trajectories, which could then be predicted from preoperative and perioperative factors using a multinomial regression. RESULTS: Four hundred forty-one of 1134 patients undergoing THA and 346 of 921 undergoing TKA met eligibility criteria and were used to define distinct patterns of recovery. The clustering algorithm was optimized for 3 distinct patterns of recovery that were observed in THA and TKA patients. Patients recovering from THA were divided into 3 groups: standard responders (50.8%), late mental responders (13.2%), and substandard responders (36.1%). Multivariable, multinomial regression suggested that these 3 groups had defined characteristics. Late mental responders tended to be obese (P = .05) and use more opioids (P = .01). Substandard responders had a larger number of comorbidities (P = .02) and used more opioids (P = .001). Patients recovering from TKA were divided among standard responders (55.8%), poor mental responders (24%), and poor physical responders (20.2%). Poor mental responders were more likely to be female (P = .04) and American Society of Anesthesiologists class III/IV (P = .004). Poor physical responders were more likely to be female (P = .03), younger (P = .04), American Society of Anesthesiologists III/IV (P = .04), use more opioids (P = .02), and be discharged to a nursing facility (P = .001). The THA and TKA models demonstrated areas under the curve of 0.67 and 0.72. CONCLUSIONS: This multidomain, longitudinal clustering analysis defines 3 distinct patterns in the recovery of THA and TKA patients, with most patients in both cohorts experiencing robust improvement, while others had equally well defined yet less optimal recovery trajectories that were either delayed in recovery or failed to achieve a desired outcome. Patients in the delayed recovery and poor outcome groups were slightly different between THA and TKA. These groups of patients with similar recovery patterns were defined by patient characteristics that include potentially modifiable comorbid factors. This research suggests that there are multiple defined recovery trajectories after THA and TKA, which provides a new perspective on THA and TKA recovery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

Combining evolutionary inference and metabolomics to identify plants with medicinal potential

Plants have been a source of medicines in human cultures for millennia. The past decade has seen a decline in plant-derived medicines due to the time-consuming nature of screening for biological activity and a narrow focus on individual candidate plant taxa. A phylogenetically informed approach can be both more comprehensive in taxonomic scope and more systematic, because it allows identification of evolutionary lineages with higher incidence of medicinal activity. For these reasons, phylogenetics is being increasingly applied to the identification of novel botanic sources of medicinal compounds. These biologically active compounds are normally derived from plant secondary or specialized metabolites generally produced as induced responses and often playing a crucial role in plant defense against herbivores and pathogens. Since these compounds are typically bioactive they serendipitously offer potential therapeutic properties for humans, resulting in their use by traditional societies and ultimately drug lead development by natural product chemists and pharmacologists. The expression of these metabolites is likely the result of coevolutionary processes between plants and the other species with which they interact and effective metabolites are thus selected upon through evolution. Recent research on plant phylogeny coupled with metabolomics, which is the comprehensive analysis of metabolite profiles, has identified that related taxa produce similar secondary metabolites, although correlations are dependent also on environmental factors. Modern mass spectrometry and bioinformatic chemical networking tools can now assist high throughput screening to discover structurally related and potentially new bioactive compounds. The combination of these metabolomic approaches with phylogenetic comparative analysis of the expression of metabolites across plant taxa could therefore greatly increase our capacity to identify taxa for medicinal potential. This review examines the current status of identification of new plant sources of medicine and the current limitations of identifying plants as drug candidates. It investigates how ethnobotanic knowledge, phylogenetics and novel approaches in metabolomics can be partnered to help in characterizing taxa with medicinal potential

Nanophotonic design principles for ultrahigh efficiency photovoltaics

To date, solar-cell efficiencies have remained well below the thermodynamic limits. However new nanophotonic and microphotonic approaches to light management that systematically minimize thermodynamic losses can enable ultrahigh efficiencies previously considered to be out of reach

DNA Persistence in Predator Saliva from Multiple Species and Methods for Optimal Recovery from Depredated Carcasses

Molecular forensics is an important component of wildlife research and management. Using DNA from noninvasive samples collected at predation sites, we can identify predator species and obtain individual genotypes, improving our understanding of predator–prey dynamics and impacts of predators on livestock and endangered species. To improve sample collection strategies, we tested two sample collection methods and estimated degradation rates of predator DNA on the carcasses of multiple prey species. We fed carcasses of calves (Bos taurus) and lambs (Ovis aires) to three captive predator species: wolves (Canis lupus), coyotes (C. latrans), and mountain lions (Puma concolor). We swabbed the carcass in the field, as well as removed a piece of hide from the carcasses and then swabbed it in the laboratory. We swabbed all tissue samples through time and attempted to identify the predator involved in the depredation using salivary DNA. We found the most successful approach for yielding viable salivary DNA was removing hide from the prey and swabbing it in the laboratory. As expected, genotyping error increased through time and our ability to obtain complete genotypes decreased over time, the latter falling below 50% after 24 h. We provide guidelines for sampling salivary DNA from tissues of depredated carcasses for maximum probability of detection

Pickleball for Inactive Mid-Life and Older Adults in Rural Utah: A Feasibility Study

Many diseases, disabilities, and mental health conditions associated with aging can be delayed or prevented through regular exercise. Several barriers to exercise, many of which are exacerbated in rural communities, prevent mid-life and older adults from accessing its benefits. However, recently, a racquet sport named pickleball has become popular among older adults, and it appears to overcome some of these barriers. We conducted a feasibility study to evaluate the impact of a six-week pickleball intervention on measures of muscle function, cognitive function, perceived pain, and cardio-metabolic risk, as well as several psychosocial factors contributing to adherence in sedentary rural participants. Participants improved their vertical jump, cognitive performance, and reported a decrease in self-reported pain, suggesting improved physical and cognitive health across the sample. Participants also reported high levels of satisfaction and demonstrated good adherence over the duration of the study. Perhaps of greatest value was the overwhelmingly positive response from participants to the intervention and follow-up interviews reporting a desire to continue pickleball play beyond the study period. Overall, pickleball appears to be a promising intervention to, (1) elicit functional- and cognitive-related improvements, and (2) motivate mid-life and older adults to adhere to exercise sufficiently long to benefit their health