The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and spotted fever group Rickettsia in the highly urbanized northeastern US

We report the multi-year collection of the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acaridae: Ixodida: Ixodidae) in Staten Island, New York City (NYC) as well as their detection in Brooklyn, NYC, and in Atlantic and Cumberland counties in southern NJ, USA. The first detections on all sites were of adults but in Freshkills Park on Staten Island larvae were collected in a following year. Based on known observations on birds of this tick species, it is likely A. maculatum are expanding north on migratory birds, which are now often seen in Freshkills Park. The presence of larvae indicates that adults are being successful at finding hosts in Staten Island. We describe the landscape features of the area in Staten Island where populations were highest and larvae were detected, which could have facilitated the establishment of A. maculatum. Notably, we also report the presence of human pathogens Rickettsia parkeri in 5/10 (50%) of adults tested and R. felis in 1/24 (4.17%) of larvae tested. In addition to established populations in Staten Island we found evidence of A. maculatum in NJ and other NYC boroughs, suggesting current or future establishment is possible. The failure thus far to detect established populations in these areas may be due to inherent difficulties in detecting low density, spatially heterogeneous incipient populations, which could require targeted surveillance efforts for this species. We discuss the consequences to public health of the establishment of A. maculatum and detection of two additional rickettsial pathogens in the densely populated Northeastern US.

High Thyroid Cancer Incidence Rate in a Community near a Landfill: A Descriptive Epidemiological Assessment

Background: to investigate the high thyroid cancer incidence rate of Staten Island and to disentangle the effects of potential environmental exposure from a landfill from screening. Methods: age-adjusted thyroid cancer incidence rates obtained from the New York State Public Access Cancer Epidemiology Data for New York State (NYS) excluding New York City (NYC) and the five NYC boroughs, including Staten Island, were mapped over time (1995–2018), investigated per age group and by percentage of localized thyroid cancer. Changes in trends were assessed using joinpoint. Contaminants of concern on Staten Island were assessed for carcinogenic and endocrine disruptive properties. Results: a more pronounced thyroid cancer incidence rate increase, without a difference in age distribution and similar percentages of localized thyroid cancer, was found in Staten Island compared to its demographic equivalent (NYS excluding NYC). Multiple contaminants of concern with carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting properties (e.g., cadmium, lead) were identified in air, water and sediment samples. Conclusion: investigations into the effects of increased/sustained environmental exposures are needed in chronically exposed populations to identify potential mechanisms of action of certain pollutants.

Why are we still so WEIRD? Barriers and bridges towards a diversified science of early development

Why are we still so WEIRD? Barriers and bridges towards a diversified science of early development Leher Singh, Alejandrina Cristia, Lana B. Karasik, and Lisa M. Oakes Author NoteLeher Singh, Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Alejandrina Cristia, Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d’Etudes Cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France; Lana B. Karasik, Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island & Graduate Center, CUNY, Staten Island, New York, U.S.; Lisa M. Oakes, Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, Davis, CA, U.S.A.C., L.B.K., and L.M.O contributed equally to the manuscript. Acknowledgments: We are very grateful to Sarah J. Rajendra for assistance with data collection and processing. This manuscript was supported by sabbatical funds from the National University of Singapore to LS and by Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-17-EURE-0017), the J. S. McDonnell Foundation Understanding Human Cognition Scholar Award, European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ExELang, Grant agreement No. 101001095) grant awards to AC, National Science Foundation Grant DLS-1349044 and Grant DLS-1528831to LBK.Address for correspondence: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Leher Singh, Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, 9 Arts Link, Singapore 117570. RUNNING HEAD: Diversifying developmental science AbstractIn developmental psychology, no population has been more relevant to the study of the origins of human behavior than infants. The psychological processes of infants often inform fundamental theories of innateness and/or universality of behavior. However, infant samples are typically small with narrow sociodemographic variation. This review examines changing trends in sociodemographic representation in psychological research with infants. Analyses of 1383 studies, published over the past decade, revealed both consistent underreporting of sociodemographic information and clear skew towards White infants from North America/Western Europe. The impact of these findings on our understanding of and interpretation of research on early human development is discussed. A set of principles and practices are presented to advance towards a more global developmental science.

Integrating tick density and park visitor behaviors to assess the risk of tick exposure in urban parks on Staten Island, New York

Background Public green spaces are important for human health, but they may expose visitors to ticks and tick-borne pathogens. We sought to understand risk and drivers of tick-preventative behavior in three popular parks on Staten Island, NY, USA by integrating tick hazard and park visitors’ behaviors. Methods From 20 May to 19 August 2019, ticks were collected via drag cloth sampling in multiple parks, sites, and habitats to estimate tick density. Human behavior was assessed by observing usage (time spent and activity type) in each site and habitat. To evaluate risk of tick exposure, we compared park usage by demographics across sites and compared individual exposure time per site and habitat. To assess visitors’ tick prevention behaviors, a knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) survey was administered. Results Three tick species (Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum and Haemaphysalis longicornis) were collected. The density of nymphs was heterogenous across parks, with the greatest density in unmaintained herbaceous habitats and trails. The fewest people entered the highest tick risk park and within-park locations. The KAP survey revealed that most respondents (N= 190) could not identify a nymphal stage tick when shown examples of various arthropods. Interviewees identified parks as the main location for tick exposure, but most believed they themselves had minimal risk for tick encounter. Consequently, many visitors did not conduct tick checks. People were most likely to practice tick checks if they knew multiple prevention methods and perceived a high likelihood of tick encounter. Conclusions By integrating acarological indices and park visitor behaviors we found a mismatch between the areas with higher tick densities and areas more frequently used by park visitors. However, this exposure risk varied among demographic groups and the type of activities. Moreover, the use of preventative measures was associated with the perceived probability of tick encounter and knowledge of tick habitat, which would modify the ultimate risk of tick encounter and disease given exposure. Our research is a first step towards identifying visitor risk, attitudes, and practices that could be targeted by optimized messaging strategies for tick bite prevention among park visitors.

Identification of Wasted Blood Products at Staten Island University Hospital in 2020 and Institutional Efforts to Reduce Wastage

Introduction/Objective Blood products are precious resources obtained from donors who donate with the intention to help people. These blood products however do not always go to the patients, instead sometimes ending up in the waste. It is inevitable to have some degree of the wastage due to limited blood product shelf life, the inherent need to have stock on hand at all times, and the often unpredictable demand of these products. However, it is possible to minimize the wastage of blood products with careful management of inventories, proper documentation, and education1. In this study, we aim to identify the amount and cost of wasted blood products at Staten Island University Hospital in 2020, the reasons behind the wastage, and solutions to reduce the wastage. Methods/Case Report A retrospective statistical analysis of blood product waste data in 2020 was performed manually with Microsoft Excel. Wastage rate and average cost was calculated, the reasons behind the wastage were identified, and low cost interventions to reduce wastage were planned. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Total number of the wasted blood product is 425 which represents 3.8% of the total inventory at a total cost of $ 97,309.46 which does not include the hours spend by the lab personnel for the wasted products. The most wasted blood component is fresh frozen plasma (FFP) (Table 1). Thawing the frozen blood products (FFP and cryoprecipitate) significantly shortens the shelf life and triggers a lot of wastage through expiration (Table 2). 32.5 % of the wasted products are wasted due to expiration on the shelf (Diagram 1). Other reasons for the wastage includes patient unreadiness, patient refusal, late return of unused products etc. (Graph 1). Conclusion Educating clinical and laboratory team members about the reasons for wasted blood products and strategies to reduce it might significantly reduce the wastage. Appropriate activation and immediate deactivation of massive transfusion protocol (MTP) would be one of the most important aspect of this education. Expired thawed blood product is the largest contributor to wastage, and MTP is the main reason for thawing. Preventing unnecessary MTP activation minimizes over-thawing and therefore minimizes the expiration and wastage. Documentation of the wasted blood product should be improved to better identify the reasons behind wastage.

Review of Poor Queer Studies: Confronting Elitism in the University by Matthew Brim (Duke University Press)

The review focuses on the practical work of Poor Queer Studies. Rather than retheorize queer studies from the class perspective of "rich" and "poor," Brim makes a case study of his work as a professor of queer studies at the College of Staten Island (CSI). Insisting on the particularity of his and his students’ relationship to queer studies, Brim makes an example of the work they do together in the classroom, and the ways they live their studies on public transit, at home with their families, and in their part-time jobs. This review questions the extent to which poor queer studies differs from the modern university’s reduction of all education to career-training. Brim’s praxis of poor queer studies is always undertaken with individual students in specific socio-economic circumstances—a particularity that makes it different than market-driven job-training. This review also raises questions about the general applicability of this case study. Would poor queer studies work elsewhere as it does at CSI? Berlant’s idea of exemplarity is helpful in answering this question. Unlike examples that confirm a norm, there are examples that change norms. Brim’s example of poor queer studies works to exemplarily change what counts as normal. Practically, this means no longer thinking of queer studies as operating without class distinction—and reclaiming part of the work of the discipline from seemingly classless rich queer studies at places like Yale and New York University.

Economic burden of lives lost due to COVID-19 in New York State

Aim: To examine the economic impact of lives lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic across New York State. Materials & methods: Death counts by age range and period life expectancy were extracted from the NYS Department of Health, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Social Security Administration website. Years of potential life lost and value of statistical life (VSL) were calculated. Results: The average years of potential life lost per person was 12.72 and 15.13, and the VSL was US$119.62 and 90.45 billion, in NYS and NYC, respectively. VSL was greatest in Queens and Brooklyn, followed by the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island. Conclusion: New York City, specifically Queens and Brooklyn, bore the greatest economic burden of lives lost across the state.

“It was a jet. It was a jet. It was a jet.”

This chapter provides a background of the waterborne evacuation that happened after the events of 9/11. New York harbor was, and is, a busy place — the third largest container port in the United States and a vital connection between New York City and the rest of the world. Manhattan is an island, and the realities of island real estate are what ushered the port's industries off Manhattan's shores and over to Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey in the 1960s and 1970s. By late 2001, maritime infrastructure had been replaced with ornamental fencing. On September 11, 2001, as the cascade of catastrophe unfolded, people found their fates altered by the absence of that infrastructure and discovered themselves dependent upon the creative problem solving of New York harbor's maritime community — waterfront workers who had been thrust beyond their usual occupations and into the role of first responders. Long before the U.S. Coast Guard's call for “all available boats” crackled out over marine radios, scores of ferries, tugs, dinner boats, sailing yachts, and other vessels had begun converging along Manhattan's shores. Hundreds of mariners shared their skills and equipment to conduct a massive, unplanned rescue. Within hours, nearly half a million people had been delivered from Manhattan by boat.

Evolving Exhibits: Struggles Over Public Memory in Developing “The Willowbrook Mile”

In 2016, the College of Staten Island held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Willowbrook Mile, a walking path across the campuses of the college and the Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities’ Institute for Basic Research that would document the history of the notorious Willowbrook School. The Willowbrook School was a state institution for the developmentally disabled that was closed in part because of an expose about the School’s horrific conditions. It took more than a decade for the groundbreaking to occur, and 4 years later, the Mile remains unbuilt. This article traces the development process by examining planning documents and recollections of key participants at the groundbreaking and makes two findings about the development and evolution of memory exhibits. First, the Mile’s slow process reflects that public memory is a contest of identity and difference. Memorializing Willowbrook pits vernacular memory of activists and laypeople committed to social justice for the developmentally disabled against an official public memory that deflects attention away from the state’s role in maintaining the Willowbrook School. Second, the competition between official and vernacular memory led to a both-and compromise where official and vernacular memory appear equally. This compromise appears to be untenable for many involved, leading to continued development delays after the Mile’s groundbreaking. This analysis not only traces the conflict between official and vernacular memory of Willowbrook, but how conflict creates new proposals for memory even as their development remains impeded.

Terence Blanchard and the Politics of Breathing

This chapter discusses trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s composition “Breathless” (2015). “Breathless” was Blanchard’s response to the 2014 killing of Eric Garner by members of the police on Staten Island and his musical connection to the Black Lives Matter social movement. Blanchard sonically represents breathlessness harmonically, rhythmically, and melodically within the values of Black musical space. It is argued that Blanchard’s orchestration of reverbed male and female sounds of exhalation with the spoken-word lyrics of JRei Oliver is a social critique of systemic violence. This chapter explains how Blanchard’s music is in conversation not only with the Black Lives Matter movement but with the archives and community repositories of improvised social justice music by past African American musicians who have historically created a Black sense of place through musical practices.