Appalachian Coalfield Delegation Position Paper on Sustainable Energy

Appalachian grassroots groups(with support provided by the DataCenter) release a scathing report on the impact of coal mining to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. The Delegation created an historic moment with its powerful stories and diverse outreach. Alliances were forged and the civil society discourse on energy, particularly what is sustainable energy and who gets to define it, has been challenged. Their answer---"it comes from the people!" As most government officials continue to ignore the atrocities of mountain top removal, coal sludge impoundments, and underground injections of sludge, it is up to the people of the Appalachian coal fields to let the world know the harsh realities of an economy built on seemingly cheap electricity

Adolescent Depression, Sensitivity to Social Feedback, and Social Functioning

Major depression is particularly prevalent in adolescence, especially for girls (Hankin & Abela, 2005). Important in this phase of life is social functioning, as it can determine a variety of factors later in life (Spear, 2011). Thus, elucidating the ways in which depression affects social functioning is of special importance. The present study was conducted with the aims of reinforcing the existing literature linking depression to deficits in social functioning for adolescent females (Aim 1) as well as identifying two important mechanisms that mediate this relation: individual differences in sensitivity to social reward and sensitivity to social punishment (Aim 2). A sample of 112 female adolescents (M = 16.89, SD = 1.47) was used to investigate whether depressive symptoms were associated with decreased approach to social reward and increased avoidance of social punishment, with each in turn related to deficits in social functioning. Moderate support for hypotheses was found using a behaviorally informed multi-method design

Long-Lasting Electromagnetic ion Cyclotron Waves Evident During Low Impact Geomagnetic Storms

Minor geomagnetic storms occur at a Dst (Disturbance Storm Time) rating of &le; |&minus;60| nT.While these low-intensity storms typically do not engender any disruptions to everyday life, anextensive examination of magnetic field data reveals the emergence of a discernible pattern.On multiple occasions, during minor geomagnetic (G1) storms, there have been instances ofprolonged electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves. Normally, EMIC waves endure for a fewminutes to an hour at most; however, recent observations indicate that these waves can persistat least five hours and on consecutive days. These long-duration EMIC events have sparkedconsiderable interest as they exhibit uncharacteristic behavior not previously observed in EMICwaves. In this research endeavor we map the occurrences of these protracted EMIC wavesacross multiple days and events. By employing these maps, we can investigate the underlyingcauses for the unusually long-durations of these waves. Consequently, this analysis establishes anovel approach to mapping waves in the Earth&rsquo;s magnetosphere, while simultaneously providingan elucidation on the mechanisms responsible for enduring EMIC waves during low-intensityG1 storms.</p

Bone density of the femoral neck following Birmingham hip resurfacing: A 2-year prospective study in 27 hips

Background Resurfacing is a popular alternative to a standard hip replacement in young arthritic patients. Despite bone preservation around the femoral component, there is little information regarding the bone quality

Comparison of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and PCR for the diagnosis of infection with Trypanosoma brucei ssp. in equids in The Gambia

Introduction: Infection of equids with Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei) ssp. is of socioeconomic importance across sub-Saharan Africa as the disease often progresses to cause fatal meningoencephalitis. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has been developed as a cost-effective molecular diagnostic test and is potentially applicable for use in field-based laboratories. Part I: Threshold levels for T. brucei ssp. detection by LAMP were determined using whole equine blood specimens spiked with known concentrations of parasites. Results were compared to OIE antemortem gold standard of T. brucei-PCR (TBR-PCR). Results I: Threshold for detection of T. brucei ssp. on extracted DNA from whole blood was 1 parasite/ml blood for LAMP and TBR-PCR, and there was excellent agreement (14/15) between tests at high (1 x 103/ml) concentrations of parasites. Detection threshold was 100 parasites/ml using LAMP on whole blood (LWB). Threshold for LWB improved to 10 parasites/ml with detergent included. Performance was excellent for LAMP at high (1 x 103/ml) concentrations of parasites (15/15, 100%) but was variable at lower concentrations. Agreement between tests was weak to moderate, with the highest for TBR-PCR and LAMP on DNA extracted from whole blood (Cohen’s kappa 0.95, 95% CI 0.64–1.00). Part II: A prospective cross-sectional study of working equids meeting clinical criteria for trypanosomiasis was undertaken in The Gambia. LAMP was evaluated against subsequent TBR-PCR. Results II: Whole blood samples from 321 equids in The Gambia were processed under field conditions. There was weak agreement between LWB and TBR-PCR (Cohen’s kappa 0.34, 95% CI 0.19–0.49) but excellent agreement when testing CSF (100% agreement on 6 samples). Conclusions: Findings support that LAMP is comparable to PCR when used on CSF samples in the field, an important tool for clinical decision making. Results suggest repeatability is low in animals with low parasitaemia. Negative samples should be interpreted in the context of clinical presentation

Mental health among healthcare workers and other vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic and other coronavirus outbreaks: A rapid systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Although most countries and healthcare systems worldwide have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, some groups of the population may be more vulnerable to detrimental effects of the pandemic on mental health than others. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise evidence currently available from systematic reviews on the impact of COVID-19 and other coronavirus outbreaks on mental health for groups of the population thought to be at increased risk of detrimental mental health impacts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of reviews on adults and children residing in a country affected by a coronavirus outbreak and belonging to a group considered to be at risk of experiencing mental health inequalities. Data were collected on symptoms or diagnoses of any mental health condition, quality of life, suicide or attempted suicide. The protocol for this systematic review was registered in the online PROSPERO database prior to commencing the review (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=194264). RESULTS: We included 25 systematic reviews. Most reviews included primary studies of hospital workers from multiple countries. Reviews reported variable estimates for the burden of symptoms of mental health problems among acute healthcare workers, COVID-19 patients with physical comorbidities, and children and adolescents. No evaluations of interventions were identified. Risk- and protective factors, mostly for healthcare workers, showed the importance of personal factors, the work environment, and social networks for mental health. CONCLUSIONS: This review of reviews based on primary studies conducted in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic shows a lack of evidence on mental health interventions and mental health impacts on vulnerable groups in the population

Impact of influenza vaccination on amoxicillin prescriptions in older adults: A retrospective cohort study using primary care data

Background: Bacterial infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract are a frequent complication of influenza and contribute to the widespread use of antibiotics. Influenza vaccination may help reduce both appropriate and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. Electronic health records provide a rich source of information for assessing secondary effects of influenza vaccination. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to estimate effects of influenza vaccine on antibiotic (amoxicillin) prescription in the elderly based on data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. The introduction of UK policy to recommend the influenza vaccine to older adults in 2000 led to a substantial increase in uptake, creating a natural experiment. Of 259,753 eligible patients that were unvaccinated in 1999 and aged≥65y by January 2000, 88,519 patients received influenza vaccination in 2000. These were propensity score matched 1:1 to unvaccinated patients. Time-to-amoxicillin was analysed using the Prior Event Rate Ratio (PERR) Pairwise method to address bias from time-invariant measured and unmeasured confounders. A simulation study and negative control outcome were used to help strengthen the validity of results. Results: Compared to unvaccinated patients, those from the vaccinated group were more likely to be prescribed amoxicillin in the year prior to vaccination: hazard ratio (HR) 1.90 (95% confidence interval 1.83, 1.98). Following vaccination, the vaccinated group were again more likely to be prescribed amoxicillin, HR 1.64 (1.58,1.71). After adjusting for prior differences between the two groups using PERR Pairwise, overall vaccine effectiveness was 0.86 (0.81, 0.92). Additional analyses suggested that provided data meet the PERR assumptions, these estimates were robust. Conclusions: Once differences between groups were taken into account, influenza vaccine had a beneficial effect, lowering the frequency of amoxicillin prescribing in the vaccinated group. Ensuring successful implementation of national programmes of vaccinating older adults against influenza may help contribute to reducing antibiotic resistance

Community members of all ages work together to reveal the dynamic nature of Liberty Bay

At the SEA Discovery Center, we have begun a community citizen science project to monitor Liberty Bay, to gain a deeper sense of understanding and inspire stewardship of the local marine environment. As a public aquarium and marine science center serving the communities of the Kitsap Peninsula region, the SEA Discovery Center has the opportunity to engage the community in environmental science that no one person could do alone. Elementary students, college interns, volunteers, and visitors from the community are mentored by SEA Discovery Center staff to measure abiotic (seawater temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen) and biotic (phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and species richness) features of Liberty Bay’s ecosystem every week, revealing dynamic seasonal changes. Community members work together, having different and complementary roles in the project. Student scientists from grades 3-5 learn scientific concepts, and collect real data for the projects from the exciting learning environment of our Floating Laboratory directly on the waters of Liberty Bay; this allows them to make observations, ask questions, and discover the answers through data collection. College undergraduate interns along with teams of dedicated volunteers collect samples and analyze data to discern patterns and correlations, and present the analysis to the community. Adult volunteers are excited to participate, are able to learn more based on their continuous observations, and are able to share their knowledge with the community as docents in the aquarium. Because of the scale, complexity, and frequency of sampling, the Liberty Bay monitoring project would not be possible without everyone’s contribution. Furthermore, everyone’s perspectives have informed the investigative process, which improves the project and provides a truly unique, collaborative experience. As we continue this project we hope to incorporate more volunteers and student scientists to monitor the dynamic ecosystem of Liberty Bay

The Grizzly, April 26, 2001

Watson Foundation Considers Ursinus for Membership • Dining Committee Addresses Rising Number of Student Complaints • Senior Student Young Named Ursinus Valedictorian • CAB, RHA, USGA, and Class Officer Elections Being Held • Opinions: Berg on Bush: First 100 Days of W a Comedy of Errors; Wismer: Taking a Turn for the Worse?; Awards Assembly Hot, Boring, Uninspired • Annual Student Art Exhibition now in Berman • Track: Men and Women Accelerate Toward Penn Relays • Baseball: Close to the .500 Mark, Third in Conference • Women\u27s LAX #1 Seed in Conference • Softball Squad Holding Steady in Third Place • Men\u27s and Women\u27s Tennis Look to end Season at CCC • Complications Lead to Delay in Field House Openinghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1489/thumbnail.jp