Linear Self-Motion Cues Support the Spatial Distribution and Stability of Hippocampal Place Cells

The vestibular system provides a crucial component of place-cell and head-direction cell activity [1-7]. Otolith signals are necessary for head-direction signal stability and associated behavior [8, 9], and the head-direction signal's contribution to parahippocampal spatial representations [10-14] suggests that place cells may also require otolithic information. Here, we demonstrate that self-movement information from the otolith organs is necessary for the development of stable place fields within and across sessions. Place cells in otoconia-deficient tilted mice showed reduced spatial coherence and formed place fields that were located closer to environmental boundaries, relative to those of control mice. These differences reveal an important otolithic contribution to place-cell functioning and provide insight into the cognitive deficits associated with otolith dysfunction

Student Lifestyle Choices and Perceptions of Stress Based on Majors

College students are often experience many stressors. This study was designed to look at perceived-stress and health habits with relation to academic department of undergraduate students at Cedarville University. The results of this study have implications for the Physical Activity and the Christian Life (PACL) class, offered on the Cedarville campus, in assessing its current curriculum and making potential future adjustments to the course. The objective of this study was to answer the question: “Do perceived stress levels within different academic departments affect health habits in Cedarville University undergraduate students?” The study was conducted with a campus-wide, 27 question survey using Qualtrics software via email. The survey was primarily comprised of close-ended questions using Likert scales and Cohen’s Perceived Stress scale to quantify perceived stress level, exercise habits, and eating habits. Included in the survey was an agreement to Informed Consent which ensured response anonymity. Inclusion criteria specified that the student had to be 18 years or older to participate. 535 students responded to the survey; 206 male participants (38.5%) and 329 female participants (61.5%). Students were asked to identify their academic department, year and gender. The Engineering and Computer Science department had the highest perceived stress at 15.4% of all the participants, the Nursing at 14.1% and Science and mathematics at (11.8%). It was found that juniors had the highest collective stress among most majors on the perceived stress scale. 71% of participants ranked Academic/school work as the main stressor that they dealt with on a daily basis. 10.9% of participants ranked Relationships second. Junior-year females in science-based departments experienced more perceived stress than males within the same departments. It was hypothesized that higher stress levels would increase poor food choices among Cedarville students, however, the results do not confirm that hypothesis. Results of the survey showed that most of the campus consumed a normal amount of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Data relating the amount of exercise in relation to academic department shows that the most stressful majors have the highest incidence of exercise. The Nursing Department had the most participants who exercised 3 to 4 times a week. Engineering and Computer Science Department was second and the Science and Mathematics Department in third. Questions relating to the PACL class were asked regarding the course and how well stress management techniques were integrated into the curriculum. These questions were included in order to evaluate the effects that the PACL course had upon students and their stress management capabilities. Recommendations for further research would be to add a personality questionnaire; questions related to drug and alcohol consumption could also be added to the original survey

Uncanny Objects and the Fear of the Familiar:Hiding from Akan Witches in New York City

This article examines the cosmology and secret practices of West African traditional priests in New York City in preventing the spread of witchcraft, an evil invisible spirit transmitted between female members of the Akan matrilineage. Explored is an uncanny dynamic as everyday habitus becomes increasingly strange in the world of a young Ghanaian woman in the Bronx, who has become petrified of insinuations of witchcraft from close family members. In trying to hide the young woman from infection by her fellow witches, Akan priests attempt to ‘capture’ her habits and everyday routines, calling upon the iconic magic of New York City in order to ‘misplace’ familiarity within the anonymity of Manhattan. In this process, the transmission of the witch’s spirit to the intended victim is disturbed as the victim’s life and things are moved. Nowhere to be found, the witch shifts her attention to other victims

Association Between Symptom Burden and Early Lymphatic Abnormalities After Regional Nodal Irradiation for Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: Dermal backflow visualized on near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRF-LI) signals preclinical lymphedema that precedes the development of volumetrically defined lymphedema. We sought to evaluate whether dermal backflow correlates with patient-reported lymphedema outcomes (PRLO) surveys in breast cancer patients treated with regional nodal irradiation (RNI). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with breast cancer planned for axillary dissection and RNI prospectively underwent perometry, NIRF-LI, and PRLOs (the Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Survey [LSIDS] and QuickDASH) at baseline, after surgery, and at 6, 12, and 18 months after radiation. Clinical lymphedema was defined as an arm volume increase ≥5% over baseline. Trends over time were assessed using analysis of variance testing. The association between survey responses and both dermal backflow and lymphedema was assessed using a linear mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Sixty participants completed at least 2 sets of measurements and surveys and were eligible for analysis. Fifty-four percent of patients had cT3-T4 disease, 53% cN3 disease, and 75% had a body mass index \u3e25. Dermal backflow and clinical lymphedema increased from 10% to 85% and from 0% to 40%, respectively, from baseline to 18 months. In the adjusted model, soft tissue sensation, neurologic sensation, and functional LSIDS subscale scores were associated with presence of dermal backflow (all P \u3c .05). Both dermal backflow and lymphedema were associated with QuickDASH score (P \u3c .05). CONCLUSIONS: In this high-risk cohort, we found highly prevalent early signs of lymphedema, with increased symptom burden from baseline. Presence of dermal backflow correlated with PRLO measures, highlighting a potential NIRF-LI use to identify patients for early intervention trials after RNI

Broadband Squeezed Microwaves and Amplification with a Josephson Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier

Squeezing of the electromagnetic vacuum is an essential metrological technique used to reduce quantum noise in applications spanning gravitational wave detection, biological microscopy, and quantum information science. In superconducting circuits, the resonator-based Josephson-junction parametric amplifiers conventionally used to generate squeezed microwaves are constrained by a narrow bandwidth and low dynamic range. In this work, we develop a dual-pump, broadband Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier that combines a phase-sensitive extinction ratio of 56 dB with single-mode squeezing on par with the best resonator-based squeezers. We also demonstrate two-mode squeezing at microwave frequencies with bandwidth in the gigahertz range that is almost two orders of magnitude wider than that of contemporary resonator-based squeezers. Our amplifier is capable of simultaneously creating entangled microwave photon pairs with large frequency separation, with potential applications including high-fidelity qubit readout, quantum illumination and teleportation

Outcomes and Toxicities in Patients With Diffuse-Large B Cell Lymphoma Involving the Gastrointestinal Tract and Digestive Organs

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) involving the gastrointestinal (GI) organs is rare, and real-world outcomes after combined modality therapy (CMT) with systemic therapy (ST) and radiotherapy (RT) are not well-characterized, particularly in the contemporary era. We characterized outcomes in a large cohort of GI-DLBCL patients treated with ST alone or CMT. METHODS: Patients with GI-DLBCL treated at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models estimated survival. Multivariable analyses were conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Of 204 patients, gastric involvement was most common (63%). Most presented with early-stage disease (61%). All patients received ST and 65 patients (32%) received RT, 88% as part of first-line CMT. Median dose was 36 Gy (IQR 30.6-39.6) in 18 fractions (IQR 17-22). Median follow-up was 46 months. Five-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was 88% and 84%, respectively; complete response (CR) rate was 82%. Improved OS associated with low IPI ( CONCLUSION: GI-DLBCL patients have favorable outcomes after CMT with minimal late toxicity. CMT may be offered with abridged systemic regimens with equivalent outcomes. Stomach directed-RT may mitigate relapse risk associated with incomplete disease response or bulky disease

Socio-economic differences and health seeking behaviour for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria: a case study of four local government areas operating the Bamako initiative programme in south-east Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Malaria is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in Nigeria. It is not known how user fees introduced under the Bamako Initiative (BI) system affect healthcare seeking among different socio-economic groups in Nigeria for diagnosis and treatment of malaria. Reliable information is needed to initiate new policy thrusts to protect the poor from the adverse effect of user fees. METHODS: Structured questionnaires were used to collect information from 1594 female household primary care givers or household head on their socio-economic and demographic status and use of malaria diagnosis and treatment services. Principal components analysis was used to create a socio-economic status index which was decomposed into quartiles and chi-square for trends was used to calculate for any statistical difference. RESULTS: The study showed that self diagnosis was the commonest form of diagnosis by the respondents. This was followed by diagnosis through laboratory tests, community health workers, family members and traditional healers. The initial choice of care for malaria was a visit to the patent medicine dealers for most respondents. This was followed by visit to the government hospitals, the BI health centres, traditional medicine healers, private clinics, community health workers and does nothing at home. Furthermore, the private health facilities were the initial choice of treatment for the majority with a decline among those choosing them as a second source of care and an increase in the utilization of public health facilities as a second choice of care. Self diagnosis was practiced more by the poorer households while the least poor used the patent medicine dealers and community health workers less often for diagnosis of malaria. The least poor groups had a higher probability of seeking treatment at the BI health centres (creating equity problem in BI), hospitals, and private clinics and in using laboratory procedures. The least poor also used the patent medicine dealers and community health workers less often for the treatment of malaria. The richer households complained more about poor staff attitude and lack of drugs as their reasons for not attending the BI health centres. The factors that encourage people to use services in BI health centres were availability of good services, proximity of the centres to the homes and polite health workers. CONCLUSIONS: Factors deterring people from using BI centres should be eliminated. The use of laboratory services for the diagnosis of malaria by the poor should be encouraged through appropriate information, education and communication which at the long run will be more cost effective and cost saving for them while devising means of reducing the equity gap created. This could be done by granting a properly worked out and implemented fee exemptions to the poor or completely abolishing user fees for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria in BI health centres

Outcomes and toxicities in patients with diffuse-large B cell lymphoma involving the gastrointestinal tract and digestive organs

BackgroundDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) involving the gastrointestinal (GI) organs is rare, and real-world outcomes after combined modality therapy (CMT) with systemic therapy (ST) and radiotherapy (RT) are not well-characterized, particularly in the contemporary era. We characterized outcomes in a large cohort of GI-DLBCL patients treated with ST alone or CMT.MethodsPatients with GI-DLBCL treated at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models estimated survival. Multivariable analyses were conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsOf 204 patients, gastric involvement was most common (63%). Most presented with early-stage disease (61%). All patients received ST and 65 patients (32%) received RT, 88% as part of first-line CMT. Median dose was 36 Gy (IQR 30.6–39.6) in 18 fractions (IQR 17–22). Median follow-up was 46 months. Five-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was 88% and 84%, respectively; complete response (CR) rate was 82%. Improved OS associated with low IPI (p=0.001), fewer chemotherapy lines (p<0.001), early stage (p<0.006), and CR (p<0.001). Survival did not differ by RT receipt (p>0.25). Only early stage and CR correlated with improved OS on multivariable analysis. Stomach-directed RT vs. RT to other sites correlated with improved PFS and OS (p<0.04). Patients with early stage DLBCL treated with CMT in the post-rituximab era had equivalent OS vs. ST alone, even with fewer chemotherapy cycles (p<0.02; median of 4 with RT vs. 6 cycles without). Fifty patients had bulky disease (≥7.5 cm), of whom 18 (36%) had early stage disease. Among patients with bulky disease, 5 (10%) developed relapse at the initial site of disease bulk. Four of the 5 patients did not receive consolidative radiation. Among these 4 patients, 3 relapsed only in their initial site of bulky disease. Of 191 patients with luminal GI-DLBCL, n=4 (2.1%) developed perforation; only one received RT. Acute Grade 3 toxicities were reported in 41.2% of patients, and 12 (5.8%) patients had late Grade 3 toxicities, 99% attributed to chemotherapy.ConclusionGI-DLBCL patients have favorable outcomes after CMT with minimal late toxicity. CMT may be offered with abridged systemic regimens with equivalent outcomes. Stomach directed-RT may mitigate relapse risk associated with incomplete disease response or bulky disease

The United States COVID-19 Forecast Hub dataset

Academic researchers, government agencies, industry groups, and individuals have produced forecasts at an unprecedented scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. To leverage these forecasts, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with an academic research lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to create the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub. Launched in April 2020, the Forecast Hub is a dataset with point and probabilistic forecasts of incident cases, incident hospitalizations, incident deaths, and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 at county, state, and national, levels in the United States. Included forecasts represent a variety of modeling approaches, data sources, and assumptions regarding the spread of COVID-19. The goal of this dataset is to establish a standardized and comparable set of short-term forecasts from modeling teams. These data can be used to develop ensemble models, communicate forecasts to the public, create visualizations, compare models, and inform policies regarding COVID-19 mitigation. These open-source data are available via download from GitHub, through an online API, and through R packages

Evaluation of individual and ensemble probabilistic forecasts of COVID-19 mortality in the United States

Short-term probabilistic forecasts of the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States have served as a visible and important communication channel between the scientific modeling community and both the general public and decision-makers. Forecasting models provide specific, quantitative, and evaluable predictions that inform short-term decisions such as healthcare staffing needs, school closures, and allocation of medical supplies. Starting in April 2020, the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub (https://covid19forecasthub.org/) collected, disseminated, and synthesized tens of millions of specific predictions from more than 90 different academic, industry, and independent research groups. A multimodel ensemble forecast that combined predictions from dozens of groups every week provided the most consistently accurate probabilistic forecasts of incident deaths due to COVID-19 at the state and national level from April 2020 through October 2021. The performance of 27 individual models that submitted complete forecasts of COVID-19 deaths consistently throughout this year showed high variability in forecast skill across time, geospatial units, and forecast horizons. Two-thirds of the models evaluated showed better accuracy than a naïve baseline model. Forecast accuracy degraded as models made predictions further into the future, with probabilistic error at a 20-wk horizon three to five times larger than when predicting at a 1-wk horizon. This project underscores the role that collaboration and active coordination between governmental public-health agencies, academic modeling teams, and industry partners can play in developing modern modeling capabilities to support local, state, and federal response to outbreaks