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Resilience Practices in Health Science and Medical Libraries During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThis paper uses the concept of resilience engineering as an organizing principle to discuss best practices that evolved within health science/medical libraries in the United States during COVID-19 crisis, focusing on the period March–August 2020. Protection of library staff, assistance to medical staff, reducing the circulation of misinformation and public health consumerism all required substantial changes to standard processes. These process changes had to arise in the context of both physical isolation and information overload. Some practices became widespread due to their utility, and these are the focus of this report
Applying dynamic dyadic systems to explore features of relationship-centered care among Spanish and non-Spanish speaking patients
Get PDFObjective: Relationship-centered care (RCC) positions the exchange between patient and provider as central to patient care. Due to limitations in analytical approach, how the relational exchange develops throughout the clinical visit remains unclear. Dynamic dyadic systems (DDS) perspectives overcome these limitations to reveal interdependencies and evolving patterns in turn-taking sequences within dyads. We applied DDS analyses to examine how features of RCC manifest during clinical visits with Spanish-speaking Latinx and English-speaking non-Latinx patients. Methods: We analyzed transcripts from 13 primary care visits (5 with Latinx patients, 8 with non-Latinx patients). Interaction turns totaled N = 2394 units of analysis. Dyadic time series plots examined the trajectory of clinical encounters and contributions made by patients and providers. Sequence analysis identified distinct turn patterns—or conversational motifs among dyads. Results: Conversational motifs reflected four patterns. In our example, motif distribution differed such that with Latinx Spanish-speaking patients, the provider largely engaged in patient-focused probing dialogue, while relational features of communication were underrepresented. In contrast, with non-Latinx English-speaking patients, providers engaged in more instructive exchange. Conclusion: Results support DDS to analyze patient-provider communication by illustrating interdependencies in reciprocal exchange and inequities in RCC delivery. Practice implications: Findings demonstrate opportunities for behavioral change to enhance cultural sensitivity in the delivery of care
Paving the Way for Improved Representation of Coupled Physical and Biogeochemical Processes in Arctic River Plumes—A Case Study of the Mackenzie Shelf
Get PDFProcesses affecting the transformation of riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) across the land-to-ocean aquatic continuum are still poorly constrained in Arctic models, leading to large uncertainties in simulated air–sea CO2 fluxes of the coastal periphery. Here we use the ECCO-Darwin regional configuration of the Southeastern Beaufort Sea to analyze the sensitivity of simulated carbon cycling to (1) the model vertical discretization and (2) different parameterizations of Mackenzie River carbon discharge. We show that riverine DOC lifetime rather than its volume largely modulates Mackenzie River plume air–sea CO2 fluxes, leading to the Southeastern Beaufort Sea (SBS) being either a source (0.03 Tg C year−1) or sink (−0.20 Tg C year−1) of atmospheric carbon. We show that estuarine processes, such as flocculation, also play an important role and can dampen CO2 outgassing by up to 0.07 Tg C year−1. In terms of model physics, by increasing the vertical grid resolution, we better fit observed plume structure, without altering the simulated concentrations of DOC. However, the decrease in river forcing cell volume increases local pCO2 and promotes elevated outgassing in the vicinity of the Delta. Our work demonstrates that future Arctic land–ocean models must consider the intricate details of river plume systems to realistically simulate coastal-ocean physics and biogeochemistry
In Vitro Comparison of Two Python-Based Programs for the Automated Analysis of Tight-Junction Phenotype in Brain Endothelium During Bacterial Infection
Get PDFTight junction complexes are crucial features of brain endothelial cells, as they restrict the paracellular route across the blood–brain barrier. Tight junction disruption has been observed in conjunction with numerous diseases of the CNS. In such cases, the organization or integrity of cell–cell junctions may be analyzed with a variety of automated computer programs that quantitatively assess junction images. Here, we directly compare two previously developed python-based programs—JAnaP and IJOQ— for the semi- or fully automated analysis of tight junctions in human stem cell-derived brain-like endothelial cells. Cells were infected with S. pneumoniae and S. agalactiae to initiate junction disruption, and occludin and ZO-1 were analyzed in mock and infected groups via JAnaP and IJOQ. JAnaP and IJOQ both yielded comparable results for the quantification of tight junction disruption in brain endothelial cells. While JAnaP rendered data at the cellular level and gave more information regarding junction phenotype, IJOQ significantly reduced user time and eliminated potential user bias. Our results suggest that JAnaP and IJOQ are both appropriate for quantifying tight junction integrity in brain endothelial cells, and both may offer distinct advantages depending on their context of use
A Close Look at Dissolved Silica Dynamics in Disko Bay, West Greenland
Get PDFDischarge of calved ice, runoff and mixing driven by subglacial discharge plumes likely have consequences for marine biogeochemistry in Disko Bay, which hosts the largest glacier in the northern hemisphere, Sermeq Kujalleq. Glacier retreat and increasing runoff may impact the marine silica cycle because glaciers deliver elevated concentrations of dissolved silica (dSi) compared to other macronutrients. However, the annual flux of dSi delivered to the ocean from the Greenland Ice Sheet is poorly constrained because of difficulties distinguishing the overlapping influence of different dSi sources. Here we constrain silica dynamics around Disko Bay, including the Ilulissat Icefjord and four other regions receiving glacier runoff with contrasting levels of productivity and turbidity. Both dissolved silica and Si* ([dSi]-[NOx−]) concentrations indicated conservative dynamics in two fjords with runoff from land-terminating glaciers, consistent with the results of mixing experiments. In three fjords with marine-terminating glaciers, macronutrient-salinity distributions were strongly affected by entrainment of nutrients in subglacial discharge plumes. Entrainment of dSi from saline waters explained 93 ± 51% of the dSi enrichment in the outflowing plume from Ilulissat Icefjord, whereas the direct contribution of freshwater to dSi in the plume was likely 0%–3%. Whilst not distinguished herein, other minor regional dSi sources include icebergs and dissolution of amorphous silica (aSi) in either pelagic or benthic environments. Our results suggest that runoff around Greenland is supplemented as a dSi source by minor fluxes of 0.25 ± 0.67 Gmol yr−1 dSi from icebergs and ∼1.9 Gmol year−1 from pelagic aSi dissolution
Japanese Incarceration Memorial as Trauma Portfolio Play
No full textIn collaboration with the Japanese American Museum of San José, California, we examined their exhibit of WWII-era incarceration of Japanese Americans to understand how the presentation of different positionalities (e.g., Japanese/American, loyal/disloyal) engage with and contest the terms of incarceration and internal politics within the Japanese American community. In our analysis, we focus on the reproduction and contestation of particular narratives of power and identity and treat the memorial exhibit as a variety of community-based “trauma portfolio” that unsettles state bureaucratic constructions of suffering and (in)justice. We conclude by identifying transformative possibilities for engaging with the different positionalities of incarcerated people
Many-body physics of ultracold alkaline-earth atoms with SU(N)-symmetric interactions
Get PDFSymmetries play a crucial role in understanding phases of matter and the transitions between them. Theoretical investigations of quantum models with SU(N) symmetry have provided important insights into many-body phenomena. However, these models have generally remained a theoretical idealization, since it is very difficult to exactly realize the SU(N) symmetry in conventional quantum materials for large N. Intriguingly however, in recent years, ultracold alkaline-earth-atom (AEA) quantum simulators have paved the path to realize SU(N)-symmetric many-body models, where N is tunable and can be as large as 10. This symmetry emerges due to the closed shell structure of AEAs, thereby leading to a perfect decoupling of the electronic degrees of freedom from the nuclear spin. In this work, we provide a systematic review of recent theoretical and experimental work on the many-body physics of these systems. We first discuss the thermodynamic properties and collective modes of trapped Fermi gases, highlighting the enhanced interaction effects that appear as N increases. We then discuss the properties of the SU(N) Fermi-Hubbard model, focusing on some of the major experimental achievements in this area. We conclude with a compendium highlighting some of the significant theoretical progress on SU(N) lattice models and a discussion of some exciting directions for future research
Euler’s Formula for General Graph Embeddings
No full textConsider an embedding of a graph G(v,e) with v≥1 vertices and e≥0 edges into a closed surface s, with r resulting regions. If G is connected and every region is a 2-cell (a so-called 2-cell embedding), Euler’s formula is the relation v−e+r=χ(s), where χ(s) denotes the Euler characteristic of s. Here we give a generalization of Euler’s formula which applies to any embedding (2-cell or not) of any graph (connected or not) into any surface (orientable or not), with several interesting corollaries. One rather striking corollary is the converse of Euler’s formula itself: If an embedding of a graph G(v,e) into a closed surface s merely has r=e−v+χ(s) regions, the right number for a 2-cell embedding, it is a 2-cell embedding
Readying the CSU\u27s: U.S.–Japan Collaboration on Research Data Management for Public Access Compliance
No full textThis California State University federally funded project explores how transnational collaboration can inform institutional readiness for research data management (RDM) in response to public access mandates. As the largest public university system in the United States, the California State University (CSU) system faces significant challenges in meeting the requirements of the 2022 White House OSTP Memorandum on Public Access to Taxpayer-funded research, particularly around the data-sharing component. Currently, CSU campuses maintain open-access repositories for publications but lack a system-wide infrastructure for research data. In contrast, Japan’s National Institute of Informatics (NII) and its Research Center for Open Science and Data Platform (RCOS) offer a compelling national model through the GakuNin RDM system, which supports interoperable, scalable, and researcher-centered data sharing.
Funded by the NSF the project brought together CSU librarians, research administrators, and infrastructure leaders with RCOS counterparts in Tokyo, Japan to explore socio-technical models of RDM. Through a series of bilateral workshops and meetings held in Tokyo and next year in California, the project supports capacity building, knowledge transfer, and institutional planning efforts. By fostering mutual learning between two regions facing similar mandates for open science, the project aims to lay the groundwork for a more equitable and interoperable future of data sharing. The Principal Investigator will present Early-stage findings that offer insight into collaborative pathways for infrastructure development and policy implementation, which can inform both local (CSU) and international scholarly communications networks
To Be or Not to Be Included in the S&P 500: Cost of Debt Implications
Get PDFPurpose: We examine the changes in a firm’s cost of debt after it is included in or removed from the S&P 500. The extant literature on index composition focuses on the cost of equity and lacks an understanding of the impacts on a firm’s cost of debt capital upon inclusion in or removal from a major stock market index. Therefore, we address the following question: Does a firm’s cost of debt change around its inclusion in or removal from the S&P 500? Design/methodology/approach: We develop two hypotheses based on the research question and use univariate and multivariate fixed-effects analyses to test them. Furthermore, to ensure robustness and address endogeneity concerns, we employ a matched control sample difference-in-difference statistical framework. Findings: Inclusion in the S&P 500 lowers a firm’s cost of debt by 0.145% and 0.200%, on average, in the six- and three-month periods after inclusion. Furthermore, after a firm is removed from the index, a firm’s cost of debt increases on average 0.380% and 0.260% in the six- and three-month periods in the post-inclusion period when compared to the pre-inclusion period. Originality/value: This study contributes novel insights into the cost of debt and index composition literature. It provides insights for academics, investors, creditors, corporate managers and index selection committees