\u27Smile when you call me hillbilly\u27 : the modernization of country music and the struggle for respectability, 1939-1954

This study parallels changes occurring within country music and southern society in the years between 1939 and 1954. In doing so, it demonstrates how the period wimessed the modernization of country music, its evolution from a regional folk art form aimed at an audience composed primarily of white rural southerners to a nationwide phenomenon seeking to expand its audience and gain respectability on both a regional and national level. This transformation occurred within the context of changes in audience demographics and listeners\u27 preferences initiated by social and cultural developments. An investigation of changing performance styles demonstrates the process of acculturation into the American mainstream undergone by country music and its audience in the 1940s and early 1950s, while an examination of changes in the genre\u27s lyrical subject matter reveals southerners\u27 ambivalent feelings towards nationalization and the modernization of the South. While many embraced the economic benefits of modernization, others begrudged the social and economic consequences. Dividing country music into six sub-genres (Progressive Country, Western Swing, Post-War Traditional, Honky Tonk, Country-Pop and Country-Blues) provides the means for discussing these varying viewpoints as well as explaining country music\u27s expanding appeal. Analyzing over five thousand sound recordings from the era, this dissertation provides an understanding of the characteristics of the sub-genres and offers insights into reasons for fluctuations in their popularity. Additionally, this study presents the first in-depth examination of changes occurring within country music in the 1940s and early 1950s and explains why the modernization of the genre took place in the decade after World War II

Parental Motivation in Family Farm Intergenerational Transfers

An intergenerational transfer model incorporating both altruism and exchange is presented for family farm transfers. A simulation study is conducted to test parental motivation in intergenerational transfers of family farm businesses. Results indicated that family farm intergenerational transfers are altruistically motivated.Family Farms, Intergenerational Transfer, Family Farm Succession, Consumer/Household Economics, Farm Management, Q10, Q12,

Predicting the response of a submillimeter bolometer to cosmic rays

Bolometers designed to detect. submillimeter radiation also respond to cosmic, gamma, and x rays. Because detectors cannot be fully shielded from such energy sources, it is necessary to understand the effect of a photon or cosmic-ray particle being absorbed. The resulting signal (known as a glitch) can then be removed from raw data. We present measurements using an Americium-241 gamma radiation source to irradiate a prototype bolometer for the High Frequency Instrument in the Planck Surveyor satellite. Our measurements showed no variation in response depending on where the radiation was absorbed, demonstrating that the bolometer absorber and thermistor thermalize quickly. The bolometer has previously been fully characterized both electrically and optically. We find that using optically measured time constants underestimates the time taken for the detector to recover from a radiation absorption event. However, a full thermal model for the bolometer, with parameters taken from electrical and optical measurements, provides accurate time constants. Slight deviations from the model were seen at high energies; these can be accounted for by use of an extended model

Comparison of Radiation Exposure During Thoracolumbar Fusion Using Fluoroscopic Guidance versus Anatomic Placement of Pedicle Screws

Introduction: There are multiple accepted surgical techniques for placing thoracolumbar pedicle screws. Some surgeons use fluoroscopy to aid in placement of instrumentation, while others use fluoroscopy as confirmation of positioning after anatomic placement of screws. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the difference in radiation exposure imparted to the patient using a fluoroscopic-guided technique versus anatomic placement of screws. Methods: A retrospective study evaluated 185 adult patients with non-percutaneous, posterior instrumented fusions over a four-year time period. For each patient, the fluoroscopy report was reviewed and the method of fluoroscopy utilization was ascertained from the patient’s operative report. Average seconds per screw inserted for each method was compared using a student’s t-test. Results: 82 patients underwent thoracolumbar fusion by an anatomic technique, with an average of 5.72 screws (range 2-26) placed. The mean fluoroscopy time was 11.85 seconds (median 6 sec.) and the average time for placement of a single screw was 2.65 seconds. 103 patients underwent fluoroscopic-guided surgery. An average of 5.1 screws (range 2-12) were placed and the mean fluoroscopy time was 83.26 seconds per operation. The average time for placement of a single screw was 17.08 seconds. Conclusion: Patients undergoing thoracolumbar fusion using the fluoroscopic-guided technique have increased radiation exposure, reaching 6.5 times the amount imparted using an anatomic technique, which is statistically significant (p\u3c0.01). Surgeons performing a large number of fluoroscopic-guided operations may have the potential to exceed annual radiation dose limits

The stoichiometry of the outer kinetochore is modulated by microtubule-proximal regulatory factors

The kinetochore is a large molecular machine that attaches chromosomes to microtubules and facilitates chromosome segregation. The kinetochore includes submodules that associate with the centromeric DNA and submodules that attach to microtubules. Additional copies of several submodules of the kinetochore are added during anaphase, including the microtubule binding module Ndc80. While the factors governing plasticity are not known, they could include regulation based on microtubule–kinetochore interactions. We report that Fin1 localizes to the microtubule-proximal edge of the kinetochore cluster during anaphase based on single-particle averaging of super-resolution images. Fin1 is required for the assembly of normal levels of Dam1 and Ndc80 submodules. Levels of Ndc80 further depend on the Dam1 microtubule binding complex. Our results suggest the stoichiometry of outer kinetochore submodules is strongly influenced by factors at the kinetochore–microtubule interface such as Fin1 and Dam1, and phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinase. Outer kinetochore stoichiometry is remarkably plastic and responsive to microtubule-proximal regulation

Does Functional Gain and Pain Relief After TKR and THR Differ by Patient Obese Status?

Introduction: Obesity is an important predictor of functional status and pain after total knee (TKR) and total hip (THR) replacement. However, variations in pre-post TKR and THR changes in function and pain by obesity status remain to be examined. Material & Methods: Pre- and 6 month post surgery data were collected on 2,964 primary TKR and 2,040 primary THR patients between 5/2011 and 3/2013. Data included demographics, comorbidities, operative joint pain severity based on the Knee Injury or Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS/HOOS), WOMAC pain (higher is better), physical function (SF-36 PCS, higher is better), mental health (SF-36 MCS), and musculoskeletal burden of illness. Pre-post changes in PCS and pain were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: TKR patients were average 67 years, 61% women, 93% whites, 13% under or normal weight, 33% overweight, 29% obese, 15% severely obese, 9% morbidly obese. Greater level of obesity was associated with lower PCS at baseline and 6 month, lower pain scores at baseline but larger improvement post-op. Pre to-6 month PCS did not differ by obesity status. At 6 months morbidly obese patients had slightly lower/worse pain score. THR patients were average 65 years, 62% women, 95% whites, 27% under/normal weight, 38% overweight, 23% obese, 9% severely obese, 4% morbidly obese. Greater level of obesity was associated with lower PCS at baseline and 6 month, poorer baseline pain score but larger improvement post-op. Mean changes in pre-to-6 month PCS did not differ by obesity status. Conclusion: At 6 months after TKR, severely obese patients (BMI\u3e35) reported improvements in both pain and function equal to or greater than patients with BMI35 had lower mean functional gain than those with BM

Predictors of Improved Pain, Quality of Life, and Physical Function after Surgical Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Introduction: Degenerative lumbar stenosis is common in adults and is frequently managed by surgical intervention after non-operative measures fail to relieve pain. Limited evidence-based information regarding optimal selection of patients for surgery exists. Current reform in healthcare policy has sparked significant interest in comparative effectiveness research with the goal of optimizing treatment strategies for common conditions such as degenerative lumbar stenosis. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effectiveness of surgical treatment of lumbar stenosis and to identify patient predictors of greatest improvement using patient reported measures of pain, physical function and quality of life. Methods: A retrospective study evaluated 229 adult patients who underwent decompression with or without posterior lumbar fusion for treatment of lumbar stenosis over a two year time period. Patient reported outcomes were measured using the SF36 health survey. 146 patients had 6 month follow-up and 106 patients had one year follow-up. Variations in scores of the SF36 pain, mental component summary (MCS), and physical component summary (PCS) subscales were analyzed by multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: At 6-12 months post-surgery, patients reported an improvement of 8 points in average pain (32.3 to 40.4), physical function (28.6 to 36.9), and PCS (29.0 to 36.9) subscales of the SF36. There was a 6 point average improvement in MCS scores (41.8 to 48.10). Greater post-operative pain was significantly associated with smoking (p In regards to improvements in quality of life, older age (p Conclusion: In general, surgical treatment for lumbar stenosis improves patient pain, quality of life, and physical function as indicated by substantial improvement in all subscales of the SF36 health survey. Predictive factors associated with poor pain relief after surgery include smoking, diabetes, the presence of instrumentation, and re-operation within a 12 month time period. Higher MCS scores are seen in older patients and those with an increase in physical function post-operatively. Predictive factors for poor MCS scores include revision surgery and mental health diagnosis. No specific predictors of PCS score were identified, most likely due to the complicated nature of the patient population with lumbar spinal stenosis. Further work is necessary to determine the ideal surgical candidate

Ubiquitination and degradation of the hominoid- specific oncoprotein TBC1D3 Is mediated by CUL7 E3 ligase

Expression of the hominoid-specific TBC1D3 oncoprotein enhances growth factor receptor signaling and subsequently promotes cellular proliferation and survival. Here we report that TBC1D3 is degraded in response to growth factor signaling, suggesting that TBC1D3 expression is regulated by a growth factor-driven negative feedback loop. To gain a better understanding of how TBC1D3 is regulated, we studied the effects of growth factor receptor signaling on TBC1D3 post-translational processing and turnover. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified CUL7, the scaffolding subunit of the CUL7 E3 ligase complex, as a TBC1D3-interacting protein. We show that CUL7 E3 ligase ubiquitinates TBC1D3 in response to serum stimulation. Moreover, TBC1D3 recruits F-box 8 (Fbw8), the substrate recognition domain of CUL7 E3 ligase, in pull-down experiments and in an in vitro assay. Importantly, alkaline phosphatase treatment of TBC1D3 suppresses its ability to recruit Fbw8, indicating that TBC1D3 phosphorylation is critical for its ubiquitination and degradation. We conclude that serum- and growth factor-stimulated TBC1D3 ubiquitination and degradation are regulated by its interaction with CUL7-Fbw8

The Membrane-Associated Proteins FCHo and SGIP Are Allosteric Activators of the AP2 Clathrin Adaptor Complex

The AP2 clathrin adaptor complex links protein cargo to the endocytic machinery but it is unclear how AP2 is activated on the plasma membrane. Here we demonstrate that the membrane-associated proteins FCHo and SGIP1 convert AP2 into an open, active conformation. We screened for C. elegans mutants that phenocopy the loss of AP2 subunits and found that AP2 remains inactive in fcho-1 mutants. A subsequent screen for bypass suppressors of fcho-1 nulls identified 71 compensatory mutations in all four AP2 subunits. Using a protease-sensitivity assay we show that these mutations restore the open conformation in vivo. The domain of FCHo that induces this rearrangement is not the F-BAR domain or the mu-homology domain, but rather is an uncharacterized 90 amino acid motif, found in both FCHo and SGIP proteins, that directly binds AP2. Thus, these proteins stabilize nascent endocytic pits by exposing membrane and cargo binding sites on AP2

The association between preoperative spinal cord rotation and postoperative C5 nerve palsy

BACKGROUND: C5 nerve palsy is a known complication of cervical spine surgery. The development and etiology of this complication are not completely understood. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether rotation of the cervical spinal cord predicts the development of a C5 palsy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected spine registry data as well as magnetic resonance images. We reviewed the records for 176 patients with degenerative disorders of the cervical spine who underwent anterior cervical decompression or corpectomy within the C4 to C6 levels. Our measurements included area for the spinal cord, space available for the cord, and rotation of the cord with respect to the vertebral body. RESULTS: There was a 6.8% prevalence of postoperative C5 nerve palsy as defined by deltoid motor strength of /= 11 degrees ) and palsy (point-biserial correlation = 0.94; p \u3c 0.001). A diagnostic criterion of 6 degrees of rotation could identify patients who had a C5 palsy (sensitivity = 1.00 [95% confidence interval, 0.70 to 1.00], specificity = 0.97 [95% confidence interval, 0.93 to 0.99], positive predictive value = 0.71 [95% confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.89], negative predictive value = 1.00 [95% confidence interval, 0.97 to 1.00]). CONCLUSIONS: Our evidence suggests that spinal cord rotation is a strong and significant predictor of C5 palsy postoperatively. Patients can be classified into three types, with Type 1 representing mild rotation (0 degrees to 5 degrees ), Type 2 representing moderate rotation (6 degrees to 10 degrees ), and Type 3 representing severe rotation (\u3e/= 11 degrees ). The rate of C5 palsy was zero of 159 in the Type-1 group, eight of thirteen in the Type-2 group, and four of four in the Type-3 group. This information may be valuable for surgeons and patients considering anterior surgery in the C4 to C6 levels