bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultra-broadband emission in Er3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ triply-doped germanate glass and double-clad optical fiber
Authors: Kochanowicz M. , Zmojda J. , Miluski P. , Baranowska A. , Sadowska K. , Kuwik M. , Pisarska J. , Pisarski W. A. , Dorosz D.
Published: May 2022

In this paper 1400 nm–2200 nm broadband emission under 808 nm and 976 nm laser diodes excitation in germanate glasses co-doped with (0.35–0.7) Er2O3/(0.35–0.7) Tm2O3/(0–0.15) Ho2O3 (mol%) are presented. Flattened luminescence profiles were achieved as a result of RE content optimization in glasses co-doped with 0.35Er2O3/0.7Tm2O3/0.15Ho2O3, (λexc = 808 nm) and 0.7Er2O3/0.35Tm2O3/0.07Ho2O3, (λexc= 976 nm). The second, glass characterized by the widest emission range, has been used for the fabrication of double-clad optical fiber with 15 µm/250 µm (core/outer cladding) diameters. The optimization of broadband spectrum in glass and optical fiber was performed as the result of the superposition of 1550 nm (Er3+: 4I13/2 → 4I15/2), 1800 nm (Tm3+: 3F4 → 3H6), and 2000 nm (Ho3+:5I7 → 5I8) emission bands. The influence of optical fiber length and pump wavelength on near-infrared amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) features have been determined. As a result, the broadest bandwidth of ASE (415 nm - 3 dB and 731 nm – 10 dB) was obtained in 5 m length optical fiber under 808 nm pumping. It is significantly broader than in silica and tellurite fibers, which showed the advantage of RE triply-doped germanate optical fiber.
Surface acoustic wave photonic filters with a single narrow radio-frequency passband in standard silicon on insulator
Authors: Katzman Moshe , Priel Maayan , Shafir Inbar , Kumar Bag Saawan , Munk Dvir , Inbar Naor , Feldberg Moshe , Sharabani Tali , Dokhanian Leroy , Slook Matan , Zadok Avi
Published: May 2022

Integrated microwave photonic filters are becoming increasingly important for signal processing within advanced wireless and cellular networks. Filters with narrow transmission passbands mandate long time delays, which are difficult to accommodate within photonic circuits. Long delays may be obtained through slow moving acoustic waves instead. Input radio-frequency information can be converted from one optical carrier to another via surface acoustic waves and filtered in the process. However, the transfer functions of previously reported devices consisted of multiple periodic passbands, and the selection of a single transmission band was not possible. In this work, we demonstrate surface acoustic wave, silicon-photonic filters of microwave frequency with a single transmission passband. The filter response consists of up to 32 tap coefficients, and the transmission bandwidth is only 7 MHz. The results extend the capabilities of integrated microwave photonics in the standard silicon-on-insulator platform.
Podoconiosis: Clinical spectrum and microscopic presentations
Authors: Enbiale Wendemagegn , Böer-Auer Almut , Amare Bereket , Verdonck Kristien , Davey Gail , van Griensven Johan , de Vries Henry J. C.
Published: May 2022

Background

Podoconiosis is a skin Neglected Tropical Disease (skin NTD) that causes lymphoedema, and affects barefooted subsistence farmers in some tropical countries. The clinical presentation and histopathologic correlates of podoconiosis have been understudied. Here, we systematically document the clinical and histopathologic spectrum of podoconiosis.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study in Durbete, Ethiopia from February 2018 to October 2019. Dermatologists performed a patient history, physical examination, filariasis test strip, and skin biopsy for histopathologic examination. The results were summarised and a descriptive statistical analysis and Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction was done.

Results

We recruited 289 patients for the study, 178 (61.6%) had stage 1 or 2 podoconiosis, and 111(38.4%) stage 3 to 5 podoconiosis. 188 (64.1%) had a family history of podoconiosis. In 251 (86.9%) patients, both legs were affected by podoconiosis and in 38 (13.1%) only one leg was affected. 220 (77.5%) patients had warty lesions, 114 (39.4%) had nodules. The median number of episodes of Acute Dermato-Lymphangio-Adenitis (ADLA) reported by the patients in the last three months was 2 (interquartile range (IQR) 1–4). Increased episodes of ADLA were significantly associated with stage 3–5 podoconiosis (P = 0.002), while burning pain in the feet was more common in stage 1 or 2 podoconiosis. Stage 3–5 disease was histopathologically characterised by epidermal and dermal thickening, verrucous acanthosis, inflammatory cell infiltrates (predominantly lymphoplasmacytic), dilated and ectatic and a reduced number of lymphatic vessels, eccrine ductal hyperplasia, and sclerosis such as thickened collagen bundles.

Conclusion

We provide a detailed description of the different clinical patterns, associated clinical findings and the histopathologic spectrum of podoconiosis at different stages of the disease. Our observations should serve as a guide to classifying patients with podoconiosis for prognostic assessment and treatment decision.
Effects of Helicobacter pylori treatment on the incidences of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory bowel disease in patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sheu Nai-Wei , Huang Shu-Heng , Wu Deng-Chyang , Kao John Y. , Lin Kun-Der
Published: May 2022

Background

Helicobacter pylori infection is known to decrease the incidences of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD). Our aim was investigating the effect of H. pylori treatment in diabetes mellitus(DM) patients.

Methods

Adults with newly-diagnosed H. pylori infection or peptic ulcer disease(PUD) within the general population and DM population were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2000–2010. 79,181 patients were assigned to the 3 groups: general population with PUD without H. pylori treatment(PUD-HPRx in general population), DM patients with PUD without H. pylori treatment(PUD-HPRx in DM), and DM patients with PUD who received H. pylori treatment(PUD+HPRx in DM).

Results

Higher incidences of autoimmune diseases and IBD were observed in the PUD+HPRx in DM group than in the PUD-HPRx in general population and PUD-HPRx in DM groups (autoimmune diseases = 5.14% vs 3.47% and 3.65%; IBD = 5.60% vs 3.17% and 3.25%; P<0.0001). A lower all-cause mortality was noted in the PUD+HPRx in DM group (HR: 0.937, P<0.001) than in the PUD-HPRx in DM group. Trends of a higher incidence of IBD and a lower mortality in younger patients in the PUD+HPRx in DM group compared with the PUD-HPRx in DM group were noted.

Conclusions

The results revealed that H. pylori treatment increased the incidences of autoimmune diseases and IBD and decreased the all-cause mortality in the DM group with PUD. The effect was more significant in younger patients. This finding assists in realizing the influence of H. pylori treatment in the DM population.
Medical empathy in medical students in Madrid: A proposal for empathy level cut-off points for Spain
Authors: Blanco Canseco José Manuel , Blanco Alfonso Augusto , Caballero Martínez Fernando , Hawkins Solís María Magdalena , Fernández Agulló Teresa , Lledó García Lourdes , López Román Antonio , Piñas Mesa Antonio , Vara Ameigeiras Elena Maria , Monge Martín Diana
Published: May 2022

This study evaluates the degree of empathy among medical students and its influencing factors at three critical moments of their degree studies (beginning of first year and end of third and sixth years) as well as establishes low-, medium-, and high-empathy cut-off points to obtain valid and reliable results that can be extrapolated to the general population. This cross-sectional study of the eight (public and private) medical schools in the province of Madrid, used an electronic questionnaire with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), Medical Student Well-Being Index, and other independent characteristics as measuring instruments. Of the 2,264 student participants, 1,679 (74.0%) were women, with a 50.7% participation rate. No significant differences were found in empathy levels by academic year. Regarding range, percentile and cut-off point tables were established to identify students with high, medium, and low empathy levels. Women (p<0.001), volunteer workers (p<0.001), and those preferring general specialties (internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, or family medicine) scored higher on the JSE (p<0.02). Moreover, 41.6% presented high level of psychological distress. Women reported a lower well-being level and a higher risk of psychological distress (p = 0.004). In sum, the empathy of medical students in Madrid did not differ among the three critical moments of their university studies. The established cut-off points could be taken into account when accessing the medical degree and identifying students with low levels of empathy to implement curricular interventions to rectify this perceived deficiency. There was a high percentage of medical students with high levels of psychological distress.
Disaccharide-tag for highly sensitive identification of O-GlcNAc-modified proteins in mammalian cells
Authors: Abo Hirohito , Kume Masahiko , Pecori Federico , Miura Taichi , Matsumoto Naoki , Nishihara Shoko , Yamamoto Kazuo
Published: May 2022

O-GlcNAcylation is the only sugar modification for proteins present in the cytoplasm and nucleus and is thought to be involved in the regulation of protein function and localization. Currently, several methods are known for detecting O-GlcNAcylated proteins using monoclonal antibodies or wheat germ agglutinin, but these methods have some limitations in their sensitivity and quantitative comparison. We developed a new disaccharide-tag method to overcome these problems. This is a method in which a soluble GalNAc transferase is expressed intracellularly, extended to a disaccharide of GalNAc-GlcNAc, and detected using aWisteria japonicaagglutinin specific to this disaccharide. We verified the method using human c-Rel protein and also highly sensitively compared the difference in O-GlcNAc modification of intracellular proteins associated with differentiation from embryonic stem cell (ESC) to epiblast-like cells (EpiLC). As one example of such a modification, a novel O-GlcNAc modification was found in the transcription factor Sox2 at residue Ser263, and the modification site could be identified by nano liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Impact of delayed sternal closure on wound infections following neonatal and infant cardiac surgery
Authors: von Stumm Maria , Leps Yola , Jochheim Luca , van Rüth Victoria , Gottschalk Urda , Mueller Goetz , Kozlik-Feldmann Rainer , Hazekamp Mark G. , Sachweh Joerg S. , Biermann Daniel
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Delayed sternal closure is a routine procedure to reduce hemodynamic and respiratory instability in pediatric patients following cardiac surgery, particularly in neonates and infants. In this setting, the possible links between sternal wound infection and delayed sternal closure are still a matter of debate. As a part of our routine, there was a low threshold for delayed sternal closure, so we reviewed our experience with sternal wound infections with a focus on potentially related perioperative risk factors, particularly delayed sternal closure.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 358 operated neonates (37%) and infants (mean age 3.6 months) in our local congenital heart disease database between January 2013 and June 2017. Potential risk factors for sternal wound infections, such as age, gender, complexity (based on Aristotle- and STS-EACTS mortality category), reoperation, use of cardiopulmonary bypass, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, mortality and delayed sternal closure (163/358, 46%), were subjected to uni- and multivariate analysis.

Results

A total of 26/358 patients (7.3%) developed a superficial sternal wound infection. There were no deep sternal wound infections, no mediastinitis or sepsis. Applying univariate analysis, the prevalence of sternal wound infections was related to younger age, more complex surgery and delayed sternal closure. However, in multivariate analysis, sternal wound infection was only associated with delayed sternal closure (p = 0.013, odds ratio 8.6). Logistic regression revealed the prevalence of delayed sternal closure to be related to younger age, complexity, and the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Conclusion

In patients younger than one year, sternal wound infections are clearly related to delayed sternal closure. However, in our cohort, all sternal wound infections were superficial and acceptable, considering the improved postoperative hemodynamic stability.
Implementation of infection prevention and control practices in an upcoming COVID-19 hospital in India: An opportunity not missed
Authors: Das Arghya , Garg Rahul , Kumar E. Sampath , Singh Dharanidhar , Ojha Bisweswar , Kharchandy H. Larikyrpang , Pathak Bhairav Kumar , Srikrishnan Pushkar , Singh Ravindra , Joshua Immanuel , Nandekar Sanket , J. Vinothini , Reghu Reenu , Pedapanga Nikitha , Banerjee Tuhina , Yadav Kamal Kumar
Published: May 2022

Infection prevention and control (IPC) program is obligatory for delivering quality services in any healthcare setup. Lack of administrative support and resource-constraints (under-staffing, inadequate funds) were primary barriers to successful implementation of IPC practices in majority of the hospitals in the developing countries. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought a unique opportunity to improve the IPC program in these hospitals. A PDSA (Plan—Do—Study- Act) model was adopted for this study in a tertiary care hospital which was converted into a dedicated COVID-19 treatment facility in Varanasi, India. The initial focus was to identify the deficiencies in existing IPC practices and perceive the opportunities for improvement. Repeated IPC training (induction and reinforce) was conducted for the healthcare personnel (HCP) and practices were monitored by direct observation and closed-circuit television. Cleaning audits were performed by visual inspection, review of the checklists and qualitative assessment of the viewpoints of the HCP was carried out by the feedbacks received at the end of the training sessions. A total of 2552 HCP and 548 medical students were trained in IPC through multiple offline/onsite sessions over a period of 15 months during the ongoing pandemic. Although the overall compliance to surface disinfection and cleaning increased from 50% to >80% with repeated training, compliance decreased whenever newly recruited HCP were posted. Fear psychosis in the pandemic was the greatest facilitator for adopting the IPC practices. Continuous wearing of personal protective equipment for long duration, dissatisfaction with the duty rosters as well as continuous posting in high-risk areas were the major obstacles to the implementation of IPC norms. Recognising the role of an infection control team, repeated training, monitoring and improvisation of the existing resources are keys for successful implementation of IPC practices in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated factors among Bangladeshi slum and non-slum dwellers in pre-COVID-19 vaccination era: October 2020 to February 2021
Authors: Raqib Rubhana , Sarker Protim , Akhtar Evana , Nurul Huda Tarique Mohammad , Haq Md. Ahsanul , Roy Anjan Kumar , Hosen Md. Biplob , Haque Farjana , Chowdhury Md. Razib , Reidpath Daniel D. , Emdadul Hoque Dewan Md. , Islam Zahirul , Ahmed Shehlina , Ahmed Tahmeed , Tofail Fahmida , Razzaque Abdur
Published: May 2022

Background

Seroprevalence studies have been carried out in many developed and developing countries to evaluate ongoing and past infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Data on this infection in marginalized populations in urban slums are limited, which may offer crucial information to update prevention and mitigation policies and strategies. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and factors associated with seropositivity in slum and non-slum communities in two large cities in Bangladesh.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out among the target population in Dhaka and Chattogram cities between October 2020 and February 2021. Questionnaire-based data, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements and blood were obtained. SARS-CoV-2 serology was assessed by Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay.

Results

Among the 3220 participants (2444 adults, ≥18 years; 776 children, 10–17 years), the overall weighted seroprevalence was 67.3% (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 65.2, 69.3) with 71.0% in slum (95% CI = 68.7, 72.2) and 62.2% in non-slum (95% CI = 58.5, 65.8). The weighted seroprevalence was 72.9% in Dhaka and 54.2% in Chattogram. Seroprevalence was positively associated with limited years of formal education (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.43, 1.82), lower income (aOR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.46), overweight (aOR = 1.2835; 95% CI = 1.26, 1.97), diabetes (aOR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.21, 2.32) and heart disease (aOR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.86). Contrarily, negative associations were found between seropositivity and regular wearing of masks and washing hands, and prior BCG vaccination. About 63% of the population had asymptomatic infection; only 33% slum and 49% non-slum population showed symptomatic infection.

Conclusion

The estimated seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was more prominent in impoverished informal settlements than in the adjacent middle-income non-slum areas. Additional factors associated with seropositivity included limited education, low income, overweight and pre-existing chronic conditions. Behavioral factors such as regular wearing of masks and washing hands were associated with lower probability of seropositivity.
Dynamical analysis and optimal control of the developed information transmission model
Authors: Kang Sida , Hou Xilin , Hu Yuhan , Liu Hongyu
Published: May 2022

Information transmission significantly impacts social stability and technological advancement. This paper compares the phenomenon of “Super transmission” and “Asymptomatic infection” in COVID-19 transmission to information transmission. The former is similar to authoritative information transmission individuals, whereas the latter is similar to individuals with low acceptance in information transmission. It then constructs an S2EIR model with transmitter authority and individual acceptance levels. Then, it analyzes the asymptotic stability of information-free and information-existence equilibrium on a local and global scale, as well as the model’s basic reproduction number, R0. Distinguished with traditional studies, the population density function and Hamiltonian function are constructed by taking proportion of “Super transmitter” and proportion of hesitant group turning into transmitters as optimization control variables. Based on the Pontryagin maximum principle, an optimal control strategy is designed to effectively facilitate information transmission. The numerical simulation corroborates the theoretical analysis results and the system’s sensitivity to control parameter changes. The research results indicate that the authoritative “Super transmitter” has a beneficial effect on information transmission. In contrast, the “Asymptomatic infected individual” with poor individual acceptance level negatively affects information transmission.
Genetically regulated gene expression and proteins revealed discordant effects
Authors: Pott Janne , Garcia Tarcyane , Hauck Stefanie M. , Petrera Agnese , Wirkner Kerstin , Loeffler Markus , Kirsten Holger , Peters Annette , Scholz Markus
Published: May 2022

Background

Although gene-expression (GE) and protein levels are typically strongly genetically regulated, their correlation is known to be low. Here we investigate this phenomenon by focusing on the genetic background of this correlation in order to understand the similarities and differences in the genetic regulation of these omics layers.

Methods and results

We performed locus-wide association studies of 92 protein levels measured in whole blood for 2,014 samples of European ancestry and found that 66 are genetically regulated. Three female- and one male-specific effects were detected. We estimated the genetically regulated GE for all significant genes in 49 GTEx v8 tissues. A total of 7 proteins showed negative correlations with their respective GE across multiple tissues. Finally, we tested for causal links of GE on protein expression via Mendelian Randomization, and confirmed a negative causal effect of GE on protein level for five of these genes in a total of 63 gene-tissue pairs: BLMH, CASP3, CXCL16, IL6R, and SFTPD. For IL6R, we replicated the negative causal effect on coronary-artery disease (CAD), while its GE was positively linked to CAD.

Conclusion

While total GE and protein levels are only weakly correlated, we found high correlations between their genetically regulated components across multiple tissues. Of note, strong negative causal effects of tissue-specific GE on five protein levels were detected. Causal network analyses revealed that GE effects on CAD risks was in general mediated by protein levels.
CD4 T-cell depletion prevents Lassa fever associated hearing loss in the mouse model
Authors: Maruyama Junki , Reyna Rachel A. , Kishimoto-Urata Megumi , Urata Shinji , Manning John T. , Harsell Nantian , Cook Rebecca , Huang Cheng , Nikolich-Zugich Janko , Makishima Tomoko , Paessler Slobodan
Published: May 2022

Lassa virus (LASV) is the causative agent of Lassa fever (LF), which presents as a lethal hemorrhagic disease in severe cases. LASV-induced hearing loss in survivors is a huge socioeconomic burden, however, the mechanism(s) leading to hearing loss is unknown. In this study, we evaluate in a mouse LF model the auditory function using auditory brainstem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) to determine the mechanisms underlying LASV-induced hearing loss. In the process, we pioneered measures of ABR and DPOAE tests in rodents in biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) facilities. Our T cell depletion studies demonstrated that CD4 T-cells play an important role in LASV-induced hearing loss, while CD8 T-cells are critical for the pathogenicity in the acute phase of LASV infection. Results presented in this study may help to develop future countermeasures against acute disease and LASV-induced hearing loss.
Las competencias digitales en el desarrollo profesional: un estudio desde las redes sociales
Authors: Estrada-Molina Odiel , Guerrero-Proenza Rey Segundo , Fuentes-Cancell Dieter Reynaldo
Published: May 2022

La investigación demuestra que el uso de las redes sociales digitales con fines educativos contribuye al desarrollo de competencias digitales. Para ello el objetivo del artículo es determinar el efecto del rediseño del curso virtual “Tecnologías y métodos de formación en Red”, que se oferta en la Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas de Cuba, en el desarrollo de las competencias digitales de sus matriculados. Dada la naturaleza mixta de la investigación, se realizó un diseño cuasi-experimental con un grupo de control (n=21) y uno experimental (n=22). Participaron 43 profesionales, todos matriculados en la Maestría de Educación Virtual que oferta aquella universidad. Se emplearon pruebas y técnicas estadísticas de Kolmogórov-Smirnov, t de Student, el tamaño del efecto (d de Cohen) y la estimación del efecto mediante r; además se aplicaron entrevistas en profundidad. El grupo experimental evidenció un mayor desarrollo de competencias digitales en el curso virtual tras su rediseño, siendo en cada caso su diferencia significativa a un nivel de confianza de 95% (? = ,05). Se concluye que la integración entre espacios de aprendizaje en ambientes formales (cursos virtuales en plataformas de aprendizaje) e informales (actividades en y desde las redes sociales de ResearchGate y LinkedIn) logra mayores niveles de desarrollo de competencias digitales. El empleo fundamentalmente de ResearchGate permitió a los matriculados, localizar información relevante, evaluarla, organizarla e intercambiar con sus autores. La interacción «grupo experimental» con datos e información científica de diferentes formatos presentes en ResearchGate y LinkedIn permitieron diversificar las orientaciones didácticas de las actividades aprendizaje.
In vivo test of Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio harveyi infection in the humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) from East Java Indonesia
Authors: Yanuhar Uun , Nurcahyo Hendra , Widiyanti Luluk , Junirahma Nur Sakinah , Caesar Nico Rahman , Sukoso Sukoso
Published: May 2022

Background and Aim: The need for fish seeds resistant to bacterial and viral infections has encouraged studies on the molecular pathogenesis mechanism of Vibrio bacteria, such as Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio harveyi, regarding the receptor organs, protein adhesion mechanisms, and antibody responses of the humpback grouper. This study aims to confirm the characteristics of the specific proteins expressed in the receptor organ of the humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) using the expression of V. alginolyticus and V. harveyi bacteria.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted by isolating crude protein and whole cells from both the Vibrio bacteria. In addition, serum and organ tissue were also isolated from fish samples. Then, hemagglutination and dot blot tests with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis were performed to determine the highest expression of receptor from the whole bacterial cells and crude protein from both healthy and infected (V. alginolyticus and V. harveyi) fishes. Scanning electron microscope results showed that V. alginolyticus and V. harveyi could express bundle-forming pili, which is involved in bacterial autoaggregation and the mediation of the initial attachment of bacteria to their host cells.

Results: These results indicated that all the specific receptors for protein in fish organs recognized vibriosis antigens. The specificity test showed that the brain, eye, and kidney organs' receptors provided a quality and quantity level of responses at 22.63, 53.95, and 43.15 kDa, respectively. The polyclonal anti-V. alginolyticus immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies were more cross-reactive than the anti-V. harveyi IgM. Hence, this shows that V. alginolyticus bacteria are more pathogenic than V. harveyi.

Conclusion: In the future, the molecular characteristics of V. alginolyticus and V. harveyi antigens and the specific receptor organ proteins in the humpback grouper can be developed as the basis for constructing molecular peptide-based vaccine materials.
“Rise Southerners, Rise! ’Tis the Voice of War!”
Authors: Platt R. Eric , Johnson Donavan L.
Published: May 2022

Spring Hill College, the first college in Alabama and the third oldest Catholic college in the nation, opened in 1830. The college experienced a healthy beginning, but with the start of the Civil War, enrollment plummeted, and several college Jesuits left to serve as chaplains in the Confederate Army. During the war, attempts were made to enlist lay faculty and older students. This ended after the college’s president visited Jefferson Davis and had solicitations suspended. Despite professors’ and parents’ efforts, many students left to enlist. Those who remained did so because they were either too young or ineligible. Still, loyalties to the Confederacy ran high and many pupils struggled when Union soldiers camped on the campus. Though the war affected student numbers, the college remained open. Civil War-era Spring Hill College documents illustrate a string of period campus activities that revolved around Catholicism and Confederate patriotism.
Tuskegee Female College and the Confederacy
Authors: Robinson Courtney L. , Turner Zachary A.
Published: May 2022

Founded by the Methodist Church prior to the Civil War, Tuskegee Female College (now known as Huntington College) was one of the few Southern institutions of higher education to remain open during the war. In 1860, over 200 students enrolled. Following Abraham Lincoln’s election and the inauguration of Jefferson Davis as the president of the Confederate States of American just miles away from the college, the campus was within earshot of rockets and regional bombardment. Student life was enveloped in wartime strife. One student made a flag for the local cavalry while other students sewed clothing for Confederate soldiers. Though the college remained open during the war, enrollment remained precipitously low, causing many to wonder if the young institution would remain in existence.
Mercer University, the Georgia Baptist Convention, and the American Civil War
Authors: Sarah Mangrum , Tiffany Greer , Foster Holly A.
Published: May 2022

Mercer University was founded in 1833 by the Georgia Baptist Convention to train Southern clergy. By the time the institution opened, state Baptist leaders, had broadened the college’s original vision to include any students desiring formal higher education. There were 39 students enrolled in that first class, only seven of whom were ministerial students. During the Civil War, Mercer University managed to stay afloat, unlike so many other institutions.  However, the war took its toll and Mercer emerged impoverished and barely functional. In 1870, the university was relocated from Penfield to Macon. Discussions about the relocation began before the war and were resumed soon afterwards due to the college’s dire financial situation resulting from the war.
Witness to Civil War Student Life and Military Strife
Authors: Foster Holly A. , Platt R. Eric
Published: May 2022

The common narrative about campus life during the Civil War is that all students either left to fight or returned home to care for their families. Moreover, it is often portrayed that colleges and universities closed their doors for the duration of the turmoil. However, many students remained. The University of Virginia continued operating during the Civil War, and while temporarily used as a hospital for wounded soldiers, it quickly returned to its primary function of educating students. The student body was largely made up of those too young for conscription as well as former soldiers who had been wounded in battle. Even though several students pursued a war-time Southern higher education at UVA, little research has been done on the daily life of faculty and those students attempting to complete their studies. As such, this study provides a picture of student life at UVA that is so often overlooked.
Promised Land
Authors: Jackson Alicia K.
Published: May 2022

As a large number of Black Georgians leave the state, white leaders attempt to dissuade them from leaving. Isaac Anderson is forced to leave Georgia under the threat of imprisonment, and not long after leaving, he loses his wife, Edith, and for several years, disappears from the public record as he takes refuge in Arkansas. The promise of a better life in Arkansas is short lived however, and Anderson moves to North Mississippi where he returns to ministry in Sardis in Panola County and in Holly Springs in Marshall County where Blacks are experiencing greater economic opportunity, holding political office, and forming their own churches and educational institutions with Blacks in leadership roles.
Making It Overseas
Authors: McFarlane Brian
Published: May 2022

This chapter traces the growth of Schepisi’s international career. In the US he worked in a range of genres, including western, romantic comedy, and science-fiction. Certain recurring traits emerge, such as his concern for individuals in their communities; his liberal approaches to adaptation; the use of locations, whether US, Canada, or the UK (for Plenty); and his accustoming himself to production circumstances different from those that prevailed in Australia.
Exploring Regional Identity in Arkansas
Authors: Kersen Thomas Michael
Published: May 2022

Following the work of John Shelton Reed and others, southern identity is studied especially as it relates to race. Key words such as Southern, Dixie and Ozark take on certain geographies as they are mapped throughout the south.
Li’l Abner the Trickster
Authors: Kersen Thomas Michael
Published: May 2022

Comics convey social meaning, and Li’l Abner is well known for exploring social issues of the time. This chapter delves into the history of humor with focus on the hillbilly as an archetype of a trickster—a character that personifies contradictions in modernity as shaped in the south by way of the Lost Cause and other lingering issues.
Conclusions
Authors: Kersen Thomas Michael
Published: May 2022

The concluding chapter summarizes the lessons offered from the chapters, such as how the Ozarks will need to acknowledge and adapt to social change and transition. Perennial issues centered on race and gender will need to be addressed before the region realizes progress.
The Gede Rite in Haiti
Authors: Hebblethwaite Benjamin
Published: May 2022

Chapter 4 explores the history and content of the Gede Rite. Research on the social and theological characteristics of the Gede spirits and their representations, rituals, and services are examined. More than 40 spirits from the Gede family are introduced along with key linguistic and cultural features. The Gede spirits, especially Bawon Samdi and Grann Brijit, are analyzed in the context of the cemetery, the dead, magic, morality, and migration. The chapter includes 26 Haitian Creole and English facing-page songs by the contemporary Vodou group “Rasin Bwa Kayiman” that focus on Gede Rite themes and spirits, including Gede Nouvavou, Jan Simon Britis, Bawon Lakwa, children, Bawon Kriminèl, betiz (“vulgarity”), Gwo Wòch, Mazaka Lakwa, Gede Nibo, Kwa Marasa, Kwa Senbo, evangelicals, interreligious strife, sex-workers, AIDS, oral sex, genital secretions, chante pwen (“point song”), Mòpyon Lakwa, and Jipitè Lakwa. Vodou hermeneutics explicates the Gede Rite’s links to sexuality, healing, and death.
Counting Out
Authors: Soileau Jeanne Pitre
Published: May 2022

Counting out, or choosing who’s it, is as much a part of most games as the game itself. This chapter begins by discussing twenty-nine examples of counting-out formulas. A transcript of a recording follows, featuring counting out and other games, illustrating third grade girls’ and boys’ speech patterns and uses. Girls and boys verbally jostle to dominate the recording session. The girls then introduce other games, like handclaps and freeze tag. The bell rings and the session ends.
Toward the end of the chapter, Ruthanna, a nineteen-year-old student from Tulane University, recalls counting-out formulas she and her friends used when playing in Cooperstown, New York. The items she remembered were almost identical to those collected in Lafayette, La., and other south Louisiana cities. This illustrates the range and staying power of these simple choosing formulas.
Ring Games
Authors: Soileau Jeanne Pitre
Published: May 2022

Ring games are played in a circle, standing or sitting. The chapter features twenty-six recorded games played by children aged kindergarten to eighth grade. Small children especially enjoy circle games, as they give the players a sense of security since everyone can hold hands and the words are often easily memorized. Central player games, like “Casserella,”and “Mary Had a Party,” encourage creativity and develop ease with attempts at single performance. “When I Was a Baby” is of particular interest for its historic roots and for its reflection of particular elements reflective of the players’ ethnic community events of life.
Rhymes and Songs
Authors: Soileau Jeanne Pitre
Published: May 2022

This chapter contains sections on all kinds of children’s songs and rhymes. There are nursery rhymes, schoolyard songs, and parodies of well-known tunes like “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and “On Top of Old Smoky.” School is lampooned, teachers are tortured, and worms, diarrhea, and vomit appear as subjects of humor as children make merry fun of the adult world. Kids sing of “playing suffocation” and losing their virginity. This is the chapter adults might want to read most carefully if they want to find out what children talk about on the playground and at sleepovers. Some girls added cheers to the mix, while camp counselors sang songs and parodies of those songs they had learned as young campers.
John Anderson
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

John Anderson (b. 8/26/1955) took up banjo at age nine, starting out in the Scruggs style, but upon hearing local banjo players, became fascinated with the older styles. On Saturdays, from age eleven through fifteen, Anderson accompanied and later drove his father on his rounds as he visited small country stores to collect for newspaper subscriptions. There would be a gas pump and a porch out front, where musicians gathered, seldom more than two at a time. They would be mostly banjo or guitarists in their seventies or older, playing for their own amusement. Invariably they played solo, whether playing an old tune or something they recently learned from the radio. As John was quite young, and the old musicians tended to be close-mouthed, he only knew most of them by the title of “Mr.” The musicians lived in the nearby towns of Brooksville, Gholson, Lauderdale, Louisville, Macon, Noxapater and Shuqualak. The chapter includes a biography, photograph, and transcriptions of John Anderson’s fiddle and banjo tunes.
Mumford Bean and his Itawambians
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

Charles Mumford Bean (1913–92) was born in Fulton, the largest town of Itawamba County in northeastern Mississippi. He learned banjo and fiddle from his father George, and in about 1924 formed a string band with his distant cousins Clarence Relder Priddy (1917–97) on mandolin and Morine Little (1910–2000) on guitar. Bean won the tri-county (Itawamba–Monroe–Lee) fiddlers’ contest in 1925. The trio played over WELO, Tupelo on Saturday-night jamborees, and at dances, political rallies, and other functions. In February 1928 they made their only recordings, for Okeh at a location session in Memphis.
Augustus Eugene Clardy
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

On February 18, 1930, the blue-eyed, 44-year-old Augustus Eugene Clardy (02/1888–7/6/1935) (pronounced Clair-Dee) made his way to Memphis to record his only session for Vocalion. Along with his guitar accompanist, twenty-three-year-old Stan Clements from Alabama, the champion fiddle player from Carroll County, Mississippi, cut the four sides that constitute his recorded legacy. Judging from the recordings, Clardy was a “by the book” player, not inclined to create new music or reshape standard tunes.
The Collier Trio
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

As their name indicates, the Collier Trio were a family band. Otto Collier (1895-1944) and his older brother William Alsey Collier (1890-1940), the founding members, began playing together in their boyhood, before World War I. In wartime they were stationed at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, as fulltime army musicians, and they never got to go abroad. Otto played mandolin, banjo, and violin; Alsey, guitar and later drums. The brothers were born in Meridian but had moved to Leake County by 1920 and spent most of their lives round Carthage. They were never fulltime musicians (after their army days) but made their living as paperhangers or house painters.
Thomas Jefferson Dumas
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David , Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

In the late 1890s,Tom Dumas began performing in a local band. Dumas played the fiddle for his original string band, which played music from about 1898 to 1905. He ended up putting down the band and quit the fiddling business. This was the first time he “stowed away his music.” Dumas moved to Tutwiler in 1924, and he worked on the farm of Roy Flowers for a long time. Here he started to play music again, creating a little string band around 1930, composed of a guitar, fiddle, and Dumas playing the banjo. He believed that black folks in the Delta did not enjoy listening to his country music.
Homer Clyde Grice
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David , Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David , Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David , Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

Homer Grice (1/25/1910-6/28/1994) of Kilmichael, MS, was an accomplished musician on fiddle and guitar, and a fine singer. Beginning around age ten, he learned old-time fiddle by ear from his father, including the use of several fiddle tunings. By age twelve he was playing for dances. During the Depression, he played “with a band of young boys around Meridian nightspots.” He was quite active in the 20s and 30s. In an interview with H. T. Holmes in 1973, he recounted that he had been asked to prepare for a commercial 78-rpm recording, most likely in Memphis in 1930. There was alast-minute change and he and his band did not go. Other than Grice on fiddle, the unnamed band consisted of Leroy Ellis on tenor banjo and Wilson Bingham on guitar. Some of Grice's musical associates were Grover O'Briant, Clayton Tyler, Leroy Ellis, Pete Herring and Lonnie Ellis.
Sidney Hemphill Sr.
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

Sid Hemphill, as an African American and as a musician, reflects the sort of dynamism and versatility that was indicative of so many other African Americans born in the wake of the Civil War, who defied the gendered cultural construct of the “hill country blues” man, and every other construct of a blues man for that matter. According to music critic Amanda Petrusich in her review of The Devil’s Dream, “Hemphill's work incorporates attributes of the Mississippi Hill Country’s better-known traditions … mastered by [Fred] McDowell, R. L. Burnside, and Junior Kimbrough, and the fife-and-drum music practiced by Otha Turner, Napoleon Strickland, and Hemphill himself.” All his recorded fiddle tunes with the string band are transcribed here.
The Leake County Revelers
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

The Leake County Revelers, based in Sebastopol in Scott County, were the most famous string band to come out of Mississippi in the 1920s. Through their broadcasts on WJDX in Jackson, their personal appearances, and their many records, in particular their bestseller “Wednesday Night Waltz,” they became household names in central Mississippi and were known in several adjacent states. This, at a time of poor communications and widespread rural poverty, was real acceptance.
The Leake County String Band
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David , Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David , Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

Although far less well known and influential than the Leake County Revelers, the Leake County String Band has the distinction of being the longest lived of all of the Mississippi string bands. Early versions of this local Leake County string band under the leadership of George Gilmer date from the 1930s, or perhaps the 1920s. Except for concerts during its most visible period in the 1970s and a single recording in 1971, the band played close to home, mostly socially in their homes, nursing homes, and churches.
Milner and Curtis with the Magnolia Ramblers
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

Doc Bailey of Winona recommended this group to Vocalion. They recorded two tunes, “Evening Shade Waltz” and “North East Texas,” in Memphis in February 1930. On the record label, fiddlers Luther Milner and Luther Curtis were both misidentified as “Luke.” Lonnie Ellis remembers Lute Milner and Lute Curtis as Attala County residents, both around 50 years of age at the time they recorded.
The Mississippi Sheiks
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

The Mississippi Sheiks were perhaps, apart from Jimmie Rodgers, the most commercially successful recording artists from Mississippi prior to World War II. Yet they fit none of the stereotypes about country music or the blues. The primary members of the Mississippi Sheiks on recordings were fiddler Alonzo (Lonnie) Chatmonand guitarist Walter Vinson, sometimes augmented by other brothers Armenter (Bo) (who recorded as Bo Carter)and Sam, and by musicians Charlie McCoy and Eugene Powell. Another brother, Harry Chatmon, was also active musically. As the offshoot of a string band that catered to dance audiences and the resort vacation crowd, the Sheiks performed and recorded more country music than any popular country blues recording stars. Their work drew favorable comments from many Mississippi musicians such as Houston Stackhouse and Son House.
Jerry Prescott
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David , Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

Jerry Prescott (6/17/1931–3/25/2017) expertly played mandolin and guitar, and composed a lovely handful of tunes. Although he described himself as a bluegrass musician, his playing harkened back to old time music, in that he favored an elegant melody over improvisation. His repertoire was split between bluegrass and old-time tunes.
The Ray Brothers
Authors: Bolick Harry , Russell Tony , Moore T. DeWayne , Cauthen Joyce A. , Evans David
Published: May 2022

William E. Ray (1896–1971) was a notable fiddler of his day and place. He won the Kosciusko fiddlers’ contest on at least one occasion (believed to be in the early 1930s), and was recalled by Hoyt Ming and Lonnie Ellis, among others. Ellis remembered the reserve of the Ray Brothers at the May 1930 recording session in Memphis that they all attended: unlike the other old-time players present, the Rays would not join casual picking sessions but kept to their room. Dr. A. M. Bailey also spoke about the Rays’ guarded reception of overtures of interest in their music.
Will Ray’s fiddling is of a quality to make one pardon any eccentricities. While his tunes are less surprising than, say, Willie Narmour’s, his playing is uncommonly graceful, the frequent slides beautifully executed, the high parts rendered with sweetness. The fluid bowing occasionally recalls Gene Clardy, who lived for some years in Choctaw County and may have been known to him.
Sandy Vardaman Ray (1903–77), guitarist on the records and singer of the two vocal numbers, taught in local public schools. He could also play banjo. Will Ray farmed, but in 1940 he was enumerated as a public-school teacher of music. In later years, both men lived in Kilmichael.
Introduction
Authors: Kayser Casey
Published: May 2022

Prescript notes by southern women playwrights demonstrate an awareness of their regional identity and the role of the American South in the national imaginary as an exceptional, “backwards” region in opposition to the nation as a whole. Additionally, they are conscious of the genre and context in which they are writing, one that defines ultimate success as the staging of a play in the American city perhaps most geographically and ideologically antithetical to the South, New York City. Finally, they are cognizant of their positionalities as female playwrights, women of color, or lesbian or queer women, identities that have marginalized them within literary studies and often affected their ability to find success in American drama and theatre. The introduction acquaints readers with these challenges and the conscious strategies these playwrights use to negotiate and confront the difficulties they face, in a framework formulated as placing, displacing, and re-placing the South.