Search

1. On July 4, 1972, Ornette Coleman debuted Skies of America, a composition for jazz quartet and orchestra, at the New York Philharmonic Hall. Those in attendance had reason to [...]

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the ongoing global pandemic, and the continuous emergence of novel variants threatens fragile populations, such as immunocompromised patients. This subgroup of patients seems to be seriously affected by intrahost viral changes, as the pathogens, which are keen to cause replication inefficiency, affect the impaired immune system, preventing efficient clearance of the virus. Therefore, these patients may represent an optimal reservoir for the development of new circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. The following study aimed to investigate genomic changes in SARS-CoV-2-positive immunocompromised patients over time. Methods: SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal swabs were collected at different time points for each patient (patient A and patient B), extracted and then analyzed through next-generation sequencing (NGS). The resulting sequences were examined to determine mutation frequencies, describing viral evolution over time. Case presentation: Patient A was a 53-year-old patient with onco-hematological disease with prolonged infection lasting for 51 days from May 28th to July 18th, 2022. Three confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive samples were collected on May 28th, June 15th and July 4th. Patient B was 75 years old and had onco-hematological disease with prolonged infection lasting for 146 days. Two confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 samples were collected at the following time points: May 21st and August 18th. Conclusion: Heat map construction provided evidence of gain and/or loss of mutations over time for both patients, suggesting within-host genomic evolution of the virus. In addition, mutation polymorphisms and changes in the SARS-CoV-2 lineage were observed in Patient B. Sequence analysis revealed high mutational pattern variability, reflecting the high complexity of viral replication dynamics in fragile patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine and characterize patterns of injury to the upper extremity caused by fireworks in a nationally representative sample of emergency department patients from 2011 to 2020. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried for upper-extremity injuries caused by fireworks between 2011 and 2020. One thousand two hundred fifty-one injuries were identified from the database representing 47,235 national cases that presented to emergency departments in the United States. Case frequency was stable during the period until 2020, which was nearly 70% higher than the previous 9-y average. Patients were generally young and male, with most cases in the 10-29-y age group and males over three times as likely to be injured as females. The most common injury was burn, and the week of July 4th accounted for 53% of cases alone. Diagnosis was also significantly associated with device type. These data can be used to target prevention measures and campaigns to specific patient populations most at risk of injury, specifically young males. They may also be used to highlight the impact of policy changes on availability of fireworks, the need for public health education coinciding with injury incidence peaks, and secondary pandemic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the connection between baseball and World War II, focusing on the sacrifices made by players and the role of the sport in boosting morale and raising funds for the war effort. It highlights a specific baseball found in Australia, signed by players who participated in an exhibition game on July 4, 1942. The article delves into the stories of the players involved, particularly Johnny Lund, a pitcher who became a legend during the game. It also provides background information on Lund's life and career in baseball, showcasing the impact of the war on his promising career and his subsequent decision to retire and pursue a new career after the war. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the transformation of the German region of Konigsberg into the Soviet city of Kaliningrad after its capture by the Red Army in 1945. The book explores the challenges faced by Kaliningrad in constructing its identity without a national heritage. It examines the Soviet attempts to reshape the region's topography and symbolism, the impact of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and the emergence of a regional identity that encompasses the region's exclave status and pre-war German heritage. The article concludes that Kaliningrad is still in a state of flux, struggling with its identity but developing on its own terms. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives. This article presents an issue of the War of Vietnam (1955-1975), an anticommunist war. A crisis of veterans' social misconduct and rise in drug use in and after the War had started and was speculated by Soviets, using the movies about this war. The Vietnam War was not a typical one. It was a war of attrition, in which guerrilla fighting with line fighting and fighting in very difficult conditions (jungle) were combined. Material and methods. The films investigated were "Taxi Driver" (1976), "Homecoming" (1978), "The Deer Hunter" (1979), "Platoon" (1986) "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989), "Casualties of War" (1989), "Dead Presidents" (1995), "We Were Soldiers" (2001). Results. There was a connection between the post-traumatic shock, drugs use, war violence and veterans' social reinsertion after the war. The analyzed movies about veterans had strong psychological charge and they have translated on the screen their psychological and social drama of reinsertion, the tragedy of this war, considered to be one of weariness, even psychological. Conclusions. The Vietnam syndrome was considered a complex of factors that made it difficult for Vietnam fighters to integrate into American society. The wounds were multiple, the danger imminent and the nervous overload of the fighters was permanent. All these issues were present on the American cinema movies. This Vietnam syndrome was also called post-traumatic shock. Drug abuse was used to relieve the pain of dealing with nightmares, insomnia, physical, and mental pain. Also, drugs were used to relieve the stress of unemployment. It was an unsuccessful use that created a lot of drama and loosed destinies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the poetry and pottery of Dave (ca. 1801–1870s), also known as David Drake, an enslaved African American man who lived in the Edgefield District of South Carolina. Dave's verses, written on the pottery he created, provide insight into his experiences and thoughts during a time of industrial slavery. The article highlights the significance of Dave's work as a form of expression and resistance, and mentions a touring exhibition that includes six of his inscribed jars. The article is written by Susan Eisenberg and reported by the author. [Extracted from the article]

This article analyzes how the event reported by the media as the "Day of Fire", as it becomes a media event, in a context of deep mediatization, is discussed by Jair Bolsonaro in his official Twitter account. It is understood that the discussion of this media event is part of a dispute of symbolic and persuasive power, transcending the media vehicles and conflicting with other sources of information, lived experiences, and interests of specific social groups, influencing the construction of a mobilizing narrative, which guides Bolsonaro's discursive practice in the public opinion dispute. To this end, a thematic content analysis was applied to publications gathered from the account @jairbolsonaro between July 4th and September 16th, 2019. Next, two different discourse archetypes were constructed - one using elements of risk communication and the other using elements of populist communication - in order to understand and identify the characteristics and patterns of proximity among the tweets. Based on these two communication models and the political-social context surrounding this media event, we use Critical Discourse Analysis to interpret how Bolsonaro's discourse relates to the Brazilian socioenvironmental crisis here remarked. At last, we arrived at the conclusion that the discourse mediated through Bolsonaro's Twitter focuses on four main aspects: 1) it is reactive to the transformation of the socioenvironmental event "Day of Fire" into a media event; 2) it employs, as a strategy for the resumption of the public debate, a populist construction of two antagonistic political camps; 3) it seeks the silencing of non-capitalist ways of relating to the environment; and 4) it reveals a neoliberal populist discourse, which neglects a communication aimed at the prevention and mitigation of the existing risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an appreciation of James Robert Russell on his 70th birthday. The author, Alan Williams, describes their friendship and the similarities and differences between them. They both studied at the Oriental Institute in Oxford and later at the London School of Oriental and African Studies. James has made significant contributions to Armenian studies, particularly in the field of Armenian poetry. He is also known for his defense of the Armenian Genocide and his opposition to antisemitism. Additionally, James is skilled in languages, calligraphy, and art. The article concludes with congratulations to James on his birthday and his contributions to their friendship. [Extracted from the article]

Confronted by rising powers with autocratic structures such as China and Russia, it is essential for the United States to be less dependent on nations that do not share its values. Rather than a new era of isolationism, this essay proposes a renewed sense of confidence and determination for America to continue to be the leader of the Free World. To be able to support others, the U.S. first needs to look after its own interests as a nation-state. Specifically, this means: (1) Gaining and maintaining energy independence by investing in an energy mix that is both economically and ecologically sustainable; (2) Revitalizing manufacturing in the U.S. by creating an investment-friendly environment and taking advantage of the innovative technologies of the Third and Fourth Industrial Revolutions; and (3) Reevaluating the nation's foreign-policy commitments by rebuilding its military capabilities in order to focus on its own defense and a few key allies, rather than spending resources in engagements that are not directly connected to America's self-interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which discusses the aftermath of a mass shooting during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, detailing the emotional turmoil, community response, and ongoing healing efforts.

The article delves into a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, during a Fourth of July parade, detailing the shooter's background and the events leading up to the tragedy. Topics include the shooter's troubled past, signs of mental health issues, and the urgent need for gun control legislation highlighted by the incident.

Purpose: There has been a limited and inconsistent analysis of assault-related injury patterns associated with holidays. We investigated the temporal variation in assault-related injuries presenting to US emergency departments (ED) around holidays. Methods: We examined data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Database between 2005 and 2017 for six categories of assault-related injuries: altercation, sexual assault, robbery, intimate partner violence (IPV), other specified, and unknown. Differences between holiday and non-holiday periods were analyzed for each assault type. Results: There was a significant difference in overall assault-related injury visits between holiday and non-holiday periods (p < 0.00001). Of over 21 million assault-related injury visits, 14.9% occurred during holiday periods and 85% during non-holiday periods. The difference between the daily number of assault-related ED visits was also significantly higher during the holiday period than baseline non-holiday period (p < 0.00001). Altercations and IPV were significantly higher than baseline for New Year's Eve (highest), St. Patrick's Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. IPV also remained significantly higher than baseline during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sexual assaults were significantly higher than baseline during the New Year's Eve period but lower than baseline during Christmas and Easter. Conclusions: Holidays are associated with increase in several assault-related injuries. The information can help allocate healthcare resources and guide prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) or atopic eczema is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis characterized by intense pruritus and skin xerosis. Its prevalence is increasing in low-income countries and it has a major socio-economic impact. However, very few studies have included all age groups, and knowledge of factors associated with AD remains limited in our context. We, therefore, conducted a study to assess the epidemiological aspects and factors associated with AD in hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study conducted from December 2020 to July 2021 in four health facilities in Yaoundé. All patients consulting at dermatology departments with signs of AD and freely consenting were included. Sociodemographic, environmental, and clinical data was studied and analyzed with SPSS, version 26, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Among the 248 patients enrolled, 84 suffered from AD. These were mainly children (64.3%) and female (sex ratio: 0.4). The mother’s occupation (housewife, retired, private sector employee), the participant’s and father’s level of education, a history of asthma in siblings, and a history of flexural fold lesions were associated with AD. Conclusion: AD is more common in children and is strongly related to socio-demographic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the spatial microdistribution and temporal microdistribution of the North African subspecies of the globally threatened Turtle Doves in Morocco. From the end of February to early September, we monitored the migration dates, counting arrival and departure dates, and breeding chronology, to clarify if the breeding season is divided into sub-breeding phases or not. Equally, the spatial distribution of nests following potential breeding phases was surveyed weekly in Beni Mellal province following a map of a selected orange orchard. Doves arrived in Beni Mellal in the third week of March and left in mid-October, according to the results. The first nests occurred in the second week of April, followed by the first eggs in the third week of April and the first chicks in the first week of May. PCA analysis showed that the nesting and laying stages were achieved principally during the last two weeks of April and the first three weeks of May, the hatching stage between the fourth week of May and the second week of July, and fledging between the fourth week of July and the first week of September. Further, the breeding season was divided into two phases: the first breeding phase, from the first week of April to the first week of June, and the second phase, between the second week of June and the second week of August. The DCA analysis and orchard-created map indicated that the first wave of breeders colonized the marginal trees located on the orchard sides, surrounded by foraging cereals and legumes, and the second breeding-phase nests were constructed in flocks next to the nests of the first breeding phase. According to this strategy, the first breeders prospect the orchard and select nesting trees near foraging resources, while the second breeders' wave colonizes trees near successfully used prospector sites. These findings are of great importance for comparative investigations and habitat-scale conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservationists and scientists throughout the world consider butterflies important indicators of broadscale factors affecting global biodiversity. And like other facets of biodiversity, declines in many butterfly populations appear related to human activities, and the potential of their extinction could jeopardize key ecosystem services. The regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia), a butterfly associated with tall‐ and mixed‐grass prairies in the United States, is a species currently being considered for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. As with many butterflies, a paucity of data makes evidence‐based assessments of their population and distributional status difficult. Citizen science data provide one possible source of broadscale information about this species, but using these data is not simple because of spatial scaling and sampling bias problems. Here, we developed a model to analyze a data set from the citizen science program called the Fourth of July Butterfly Count (4JC) to make inferences about regal fritillary abundance in the Great Plains and Midwest regions of the United States. More specifically, we aimed to determine the extent to which grassland fragmentation, spring weather conditions, or other spatial factors were correlated with the intensity of use within 4JC survey areas. Our findings indicated that regal fritillaries used locations surrounded by grassland and with minimal forest cover. We included smoothing spline terms in our model, which indicated other sources of spatial structuring in these data. It is possible that these additional sources of variation could reflect variation in habitat quality. We also found that local averaged spring weather variables indicated that regal fritillary abundance varied over a wider range of precipitation conditions, but a narrower range of temperature conditions. Further analyses indicated that a systematic increase in temperature from climate change could lead to a pronounced northward shift in the regal fritillary's distribution. These findings have implications for the development of a recovery plan, since such a plan will need to outline a strategy that accounts for a range of patch sizes whose quality appears to vary spatially, as well as address numerous uncertainties about the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is a major public health threat that is associated with asthma, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and all-cause mortality. Among the most important acute air pollution events occurring each year are celebrations involving fireworks, such as the 4th of July holiday in the United States. In this community-engaged study, academic partners and residents collaborated to collect indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentration measurements in the disadvantaged city of Santa Ana, California, using low-cost AtmoTube sensor devices before, during and after the July 4th firework celebration, while also examining July 4th data extracted from the PurpleAir sensor network across over a hundred other cities in southern California. Average outdoor PM2.5 concentrations on July 4th were found to be three-to-five times higher than baseline, with hourly concentrations exceeding 160 μg/m3. Outdoor averages were roughly 30% to 100% higher than indoor levels. The most polluted cities exhibited 15-times higher PM2.5 levels compared with the least contaminated cities and were often those where household-level fireworks were legal for sale and use. Race/ethnicity was found to be the leading predictor of July 4th-related air pollution across three counties in southern California, with greater PM2.5 being associated with higher proportions of Hispanic residents and lower proportions of White residents. The findings from this study underscore the importance of environmental justice as it relates to firework-related air pollution exposure, and the critical role city- and county-level firework policies play in determining exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]