The COVID States Project #66: September 2021 update on executive approval

The COVID States Project survey regularly asks people in all 50 states about their approval of their governors and the President. Since our last report on executive approval, which examined trends through March 2021, the pandemic has notably evolved, with huge surges of cases and deaths associated with the Delta variant throughout the summer and early fall. Most states reacted to the dip in coronavirus infections and increase in vaccinations in late spring and early summer by lifting indoor mask mandates, only to struggle to adapt as cases surged again in the late summer and early fall 2021. Some of these states were responding to CDC guidance, which announced in May that fully vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks indoors or outdoors, only to reverse that guidance a few months later and recommend masks indoors for Americans living in areas of high transmission regardless of vaccination status. Other states rebuffed the guidance of public health agencies by, for instance, banning mask mandates in schools, businesses, and other public places. These policy decisions received wide criticism1 particularly as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths surged in those states with the loosest pandemic restrictions.September 2021 has also seen important political developments with respect to national policy around COVID-19. On September 9, President Biden issued an executive order requiring all federal employees and government contractors to be vaccinated. The President also announced that the U.S. Department of Labor would require all businesses with more than 100 employees to require vaccination or weekly testing and provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated. On September 22, the FDA authorized booster shots for those vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for certain populations, including the elderly and those at higher risk of catching the disease due to their professions.In this report, we examine the approval of governors and the President for their handling of the pandemic -- and for the president's overall approval -- over time across the U.S. to assess how the public reacted to the policy decisions and developments surrounding the pandemic as well as state and federal governmental responses.

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A biodiversity hotspot for Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in North America: annotated species checklist for Ottawa, Canada

ZooKeys ◽

10.3897/zookeys.63.10480 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 633 ◽

pp. 1-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jose Fernandez-Triana ◽

Caroline Boudreault ◽

Joel Buffam ◽

Ronald Maclean

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

General Pattern ◽

Late Summer ◽

The United States ◽

Early Summer ◽

Individual Species ◽

Early Fall ◽

Two Peaks ◽

Annotated Checklist ◽

First Time

Microgastrinae wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from the city of Ottawa and its surroundings (a 50-km radius circle, ~7,800 km2) were studied based on 1,928 specimens collected between 1894 and 2010, and housed in the Canadian National Collection of Insects. A total of 158 species from 21 genera were identified, which is by far the highest number of species ever recorded for a locality in North America. An annotated checklist of species is provided.Choerasparasitellae(Bouché, 1834) andPholetesornanus(Reinhard, 1880) are recorded for the first time in the Nearctic (previously only known from the Palearctic region),Cotesiadepressa(Viereck, 1912) is recorded for the first time in Canada (previously only known from the United States), andCotesiahemileucae(Riley, 1881) andProtapantelesphlyctaeniae(Muesebeck, 1929) are recorded for the first time in the province of Ontario. In Ottawa the most diverse genera areCotesia,Apanteles,Microplitis,Pholetesor,Microgaster, andDolichogenidea, altogether comprising 77% of the species found in the area. A total of 73 species (46%) were represented by only one or two specimens, suggesting that the inventory for Ottawa is still relatively incomplete. Seasonal distribution showed several peaks of activity, in spring, summer, and early fall. That general pattern varied for individual species, with some showing a single peak of abundance either in the summer or towards the end of the season, others species attaining two peaks, in late spring and late summer, or in early summer and early fall, and yet others attaining up to three different peaks, in spring, summer and fall. At least 72 of the Microgastrinae species from Ottawa have been previously associated with 554 species of Lepidoptera as hosts – but those historical literature records are not always reliable and in many cases are based on data from areas beyond Ottawa. Thus, our knowledge of the associations between the 158 species of microgastrine parasitoids and the caterpillars of the 2,064 species of Lepidoptera recorded from Ottawa is still very incomplete.

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A retrospective cluster analysis of COVID-19 cases by county

10.1101/2020.11.12.379537 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fadel M. Megahed ◽

L. Allison Jones-Farmer ◽

Steven E. Rigdon

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Geographic Location ◽

Late Summer ◽

Wave Pattern ◽

Early Summer ◽

County Level ◽

Research Questions ◽

Political Association ◽

Political Variables ◽

The U.S

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. has exhibited distinct waves, the first beginning in March 2020, the second beginning in early June, and additional waves currently emerging. Paradoxically, almost no county has exhibited this multi-wave pattern. We aim to answer three research questions: (1) How many distinct clusters of counties exhibit similar COVID-19 patterns in the time-series of daily confirmed cases?; (2) What is the geographic distribution of the counties within each cluster? and (3) Are county-level demographic, socioeconomic and political variables associated with the COVID-19 case patterns? We analyzed data from counties in the U.S. from March 1 to October 24, 2020. Time series clustering identified clusters in the daily confirmed cases of COVID-19. An explanatory model was used to identify demographic, socioeconomic and political variables associated the cluster patterns. Four patterns were identified from the timing of the outbreaks including counties experiencing a spring, an early summer, a late summer, and a fall outbreak. Several county-level demographic, socioeconomic, and political variables showed significant associations with the identified clusters. The timing of the outbreak is related both to the geographic location within the U.S. and several variables including age, poverty distribution, and political association. These results show that the reported pattern of cases in the U.S. is observed through aggregation of the COVID-19 cases, suggesting that local trends may be more informative. The timing of the outbreak varies by county, and is associated with important demographic, socioeconomic and geographic factors.

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Seasonal changes in activity patterns and the adaptive value of haying in pikas (Ochotona princeps)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z83-054 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 61 (2) ◽

pp. 411-416 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Douglas A. Conner

Keyword(s):

Surface Activity ◽

Seasonal Changes ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Winter Season ◽

Late Summer ◽

Early Summer ◽

Cold Temperatures ◽

Vegetation Growth ◽

Ochotona Princeps ◽

Early Fall

Seasonal changes in the performance of four behaviors, perching, haying, feeding, and surface activity were studied in two populations of North American pikas (Ochotona princeps) living in Colorado. During late summer and early fall (July–September), haying, the gathering of meadow vegetation followed by storing it in their talus territories, made up almost 55% of the pikas' surface activity. After haying ceased, pikas continued to feed in the meadows until snowpack, cold temperatures, and the absence of surface vegetation made this impossible. Beginning in February, individuals remained under the snowpack feeding on vegetation from their hay piles and on lichens available below the snow. Surface activity was not seen again until May when spring vegetation began to appear. Haying appears to be an adaptive response to environmental unpredictability. Hay piles most likely become critical for survival when harsh weather prevents surface foraging and(or) delays the emergence of new vegetation growth in the spring or early summer. It is suggested that the evolution of territoriality in pikas is related to the need to gather sufficient vegetation to serve as a potential winter food supply during years when the winter season is unusually harsh or prolonged.

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Environmental Influence on Bentgrass Treated with Silvex

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s0043174500046889 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 193-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lloyd M. Callahan ◽

Ralph E. Engel ◽

Richard D. Ilnicki

Keyword(s):

Environmental Influence ◽

Late Summer ◽

Creeping Bentgrass ◽

Early Summer ◽

Low Ph ◽

Agrostis Palustris ◽

High Moisture ◽

Early Fall ◽

Moisture Conditions ◽

Long Photoperiod

Colonial bentgrass (Agrostis tenuis Sibth) and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds) exhibited the most tolerance to 1/2, 1, 1 1/2, and 3 lb/A of 2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)propionic acid (silvex) when grown under cool temperatures, a long photoperiod, and a low pH medium. Injury from treatments was slight to moderate when applied from early to mid-spring, severe when made from late spring to early summer, and very severe when made from late summer to early fall. Silvex appeared to cause the most injury at the 1 and 1 1/2 lb/A rates. Injury was much less from the lower rate of 1/2 lb/A. Root fructosan concentrations decreased with increasing rates under cool temperatures and increased with increasing rates under high temperatures. Bentgrass appeared to tolerate silvex treatments better under low available moisture conditions than under high moisture levels.

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GENETICS OF FLOWERING HABIT IN STRAWBERRY: A MAP-BASED APPROACH

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.31.6.913c ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 31 (6) ◽

pp. 913C-913

Author(s):

Thomas M. Davis ◽

M. Sean Hill ◽

Rebecca S. Gallien ◽

James E. Pollard

Keyword(s):

Bulked Segregant Analysis ◽

Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna ◽

Dominant Gene ◽

Recessive Gene ◽

Late Summer ◽

Early Summer ◽

Genetic Determinants ◽

Mature Fruit ◽

Short Day ◽

Early Fall

Strawberry flowering habit can be classified as either day-neutral (DN) or short-day (SD), depending on whether plants are insensitive or sensitive to photoperiod, respectively. Short-day (SD) cultivars produce mature fruit for just a few weeks in early summer. New floral initiation does not commence until triggered by the combination of short daylength and low temperature in the fall. Day-neutral (DN) cultivars do not require particular daylength conditions to initiate flowering, and so continue to produce flowers and mature fruit into late summer and early fall. We are using a map-based approach to characterize the genetic determinants of flowering habit in strawberry at both the diploid and octoploid levels. A recessive gene conferring DN flowering habit has been identified, and its position determined with respect to molecular markers on the Fragaria vesca genetic linkage map. We are using the technique of bulked segregant analysis (BSA) in an effort to find random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers linked to a putative dominant gene conferring the DN habit in the octoploid, cultivated strawberry, F. ánanassa.

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An American Language

10.1525/california/9780520297067.001.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Rosina Lozano

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

National Policy ◽

The United States ◽

Spanish Language ◽

Spanish Speakers ◽

Language Recognition ◽

Political Language ◽

Political Issue ◽

History Of ◽

The U.S

An American Language is a political history of the Spanish language in the United States. The nation has always been multilingual and the Spanish language in particular has remained as an important political issue into the present. After the U.S.-Mexican War, the Spanish language became a language of politics as Spanish speakers in the U.S. Southwest used it to build territorial and state governments. In the twentieth century, Spanish became a political language where speakers and those opposed to its use clashed over what Spanish's presence in the United States meant. This book recovers this story by using evidence that includes Spanish language newspapers, letters, state and territorial session laws, and federal archives to profile the struggle and resilience of Spanish speakers who advocated for their language rights as U.S. citizens. Comparing Spanish as a language of politics and as a political language across the Southwest and noncontiguous territories provides an opportunity to measure shifts in allegiance to the nation and exposes differing forms of nationalism. Language concessions and continued use of Spanish is a measure of power. Official language recognition by federal or state officials validates Spanish speakers' claims to US citizenship. The long history of policies relating to language in the United States provides a way to measure how U.S. visions of itself have shifted due to continuous migration from Latin America. Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens are crucial arbiters of Spanish language politics and their successes have broader implications on national policy and our understanding of Americans.

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Parental Leave: The Need for a National Policy to Foster Sexual Equality

American Journal of Law & Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0098858800006109 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 71-104

Author(s):

Scott A. Caplan-Cotenoff

Keyword(s):

Child Care ◽

Parental Leave ◽

National Policy ◽

Working Women ◽

Historical Background ◽

Sexual Equality ◽

Pregnancy Discrimination ◽

Foreign Countries ◽

Leave Policy ◽

The U.S

AbstractWorking women are without substantial protection from the ramifications of pregnancy discrimination, and the opportunities for working men to take leave from work to participate in child care are limited. Recently, private businesses have begun implementing maternity or parental leave policies to address these problems. These policies are inconsistent, however, and a national parental leave program is needed to help women attain equal access to jobs and to provide men with the opportunity to participate in child care.This Note examines the historical background of pregnancy discrimination litigation and legislation, and highlights the gaps in the protection currently afforded women. It suggests that a federal parental leave policy may expand the scope of this protection, and attempts to gain insight and draw conclusions from analogous parental leave programs in foreign countries which may be used as models for a national program in the U.S. Such a program would benefit parents, children, and society by removing some of the obstacles to sexual equality.

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Effects of Dried Distillers’ Grains Cube Supplementation for Steers Grazing Introduced Pastures on Animal Performance and Forage Production

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab096.020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 12-13

Author(s):

Jordan Adams ◽

Rodney Farris ◽

Scott Clawson ◽

Earl Ward ◽

Paul Beck

Keyword(s):

Festuca Arundinacea ◽

Statistical Power ◽

Cynodon Dactylon ◽

Animal Health ◽

Late Summer ◽

Early Summer ◽

Distillers Grains ◽

Forage Production ◽

Trenbolone Acetate ◽

Dried Distillers Grains

Abstract We evaluated the effects of supplementing dried distillers’ grains cubes (DDGS) and re-implantation of steers (n = 149; BW = 238 ± 13.8 kg) grazing tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)/bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) pastures (n = 9 pastures, 7.2 ± 2.90 ha) from 14 April to 17 September 2020 (n = 155 d) in a split-plot design on steer performance and forage production. Main plot supplemental treatments (n = 3 pastures/treatment) included 1) Fertilized Control (FC), no supplementation on fertilized pastures (112 kg N/ha); 2) Fertilized Supplement (FS), supplemental DDGS fed at 2.9 kg 3-d/wk on fertilized pastures; and 3) Supplement (S), supplemented DDGS at 0.75% BW/d on unfertilized pastures prorated for 5-d/wk feeding. Steers were previously implanted during receiving with 40 mg trenbolone acetate and 8 mg estradiol (REV-G; Revalor G, Merck Animal Health). On July 7, steers in each pasture were randomly assigned to one of three re-implant treatments: 1) no re-implant; 2) REV-G; or 3) 200 mg progesterone and 20 mg estradiol (Synovex S, Zoetis Animal Health). Steers in FS and S gained more (P < 0.01) than FC throughout the trial and final BW was greater (P < 0.01) for FS and S compared with FC. Unexpectedly, re-implanting had no effect on ADG (P = 0.57) or BW (P = 0.34), but statistical power may be lacking. Supplemental efficiency was greater in the late summer for FS (P = 0.05) compared to S. Fertilizing pastures in FS and FC did not affect biomass (P = 0.39), however, CP was increased (P = 0.01) and acid and neutral detergent fibers tended to decrease (P = 0.06) relative to S in the early summer (April, May, June, and July), but did not differ in late summer (August and September). Based upon our analysis, DDGS is a suitable supplement and can replace N fertilizer for steers grazing introduced pastures.

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179 Using a 100% Dried Distillers Grains Cube as a Supplement for Steers Grazing Mixed Grass Prairie in Oklahoma

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz397.105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 46-46

Author(s):

Zane N Grigsby ◽

Paul A Beck ◽

Stacey A Gunter

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Late Summer ◽

Estradiol Benzoate ◽

Positive Control ◽

Negative Control ◽

Early Summer ◽

Trenbolone Acetate ◽

Mixed Grass Prairie ◽

Mixed Grass ◽

Main Plot

Abstract This research was conducted to determine effects of supplementation and implanting on BW gain by steers grazing mixed grass prairie (n = 12 pastures, 19.9 ± 0.7 ha) in northwest Oklahoma. Three main plot treatments were: 1) Negative Control (NC), no supplementation, 2) Positive Control (PC), supplemented with DDGS cubes, 1.8 kg/steer on alternate days in late summer, 3) High Supplement (HS), 1/3 increase in stocking rate with 0.75% BW supplemental DDGS cubes all season. Steers (n = 125, BW = 223.1 ± 23.2 kg) were stocked at 2.2 ha/steer for PC and NC, 1.3 ha/steer for HS. Grazing was from May 17 – September 27 (132 d). All steers were implanted with 200 mg progesterone and 20 mg estradiol benzoate (SYN, Synonvex S, Zoetis Animal Health) on May 17. On July 18 three reimplant treatments were applied: 1) no reimplant; 2) SYN; or 3) 40 mg trenbolone acetate and 8 mg estradiol (Revalor G, Merck Animal Health). Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED in SAS as a split-plot experimental design. In early summer HS had 0.26 kg greater (P < 0.01) ADG than NC and PC. Late summer gains of PC were 0.33 kg/d more (P ≤ 0.01) than NC; and HS gained 0.49 and 0.16 kg/day more (P ≤ 0.04) than NC and PC, respectively. Gain per hectare for PC (46 kg/ha) were greater (P < 0.01) than NC (35 kg/ha) and more than doubled (P < 0.01) with HS (89 kg/ha). Reimplanting had no effect on ADG (P ≥ 0.28). Late season supplementation with PC resulted in supplemental efficiency of 2.7 kg supplement/kg added gain compared with NC. Increased stocking rates with season long supplementation in HS resulted in supplemental efficiency of 3.8 kg supplement/kg added gain per hectare. Based on these data, a 100% DDGS cube is an effective supplement option to increase BW gain during the late summer or increase carrying capacity and gain during the summer grazing period in northwestern Oklahoma.

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Decrease in Enteroviral Meningitis - An Unexpected Benefit of COVID-19 Mitigation?

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciaa1881 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kami D Kies ◽

Amber S Thomas ◽

Matthew J Binnicker ◽

Kelli L Bashynski ◽

Robin Patel

Keyword(s):

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Laboratory Testing ◽

Clinical Microbiology ◽

Late Summer ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Clinical Microbiology Laboratory ◽

Microbiology Laboratory ◽

Testing Data ◽

Early Fall ◽

Enteroviral Meningitis

Abstract Enteroviral meningitis is seasonal, typically exhibiting a rise in prevalence in late summer/early fall. Based on clinical microbiology laboratory testing data of cerebrospinal fluid, the expected August/September/October peak in enteroviral meningitis did not occur in 2020, possibly related to COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

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