A Need for Change; Critical Issues Facing Kentucky\u27s Correctional System

Abstract Protecting the public, rehabilitating offenders, and reducing recidivism while increasing desistance are essential goals for the Department of Corrections. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the department, several areas need evaluation, and improvement. The focus on reducing recidivism should begin with reconsideration of the methods used to measure an offender\u27s progress and success. The theory that the current measurement of recidivism is unreliable data needs to be investigated and other methods of measurement should be considered. Another aspect that needs inspection is how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can affect the positive progression that evidence-based programming provides, and how PTSD in correctional staff affect both them and the offenders they supervise. PTSD works against the end goal of rehabilitating offenders in order to make them a productive member of society. Lastly, and most importantly, the issues with staff retention and the increasing staff turnover rate in corrections needs to be addressed and rectified. Without ground staff to carry out the current plans that are in place for rehabilitating offenders, corrections will continuously fail to reach its full potential. Drastic steps should be taken to make corrections a sought after and desired profession. Without impressive benefits and above average pay, the payoff is not worth the stress and abuse to the mental, physical, or emotional well-being of the correctional staff. The Department of Corrections is in need of change. We must reevaluate current practices and initiate changes in multiple areas. Identifying the cause and effect impacts throughout the department will determine what changes will be most effective. Specific areas of interest are as follows. How offender progress is measured, PTSD in both offenders and staff, and the staff turnover rate

A cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGC16) in pollen is critical for stress tolerance in pollen reproductive development

Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) have been implicated in diverse aspects of plant growth and development, including responses to biotic and abiotic stress, as well as pollen tube growth and fertility. Here, genetic evidence identifies CNGC16 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) as critical for pollen fertility under conditions of heat stress and drought. Two independent transfer DNA disruptions of cngc16 resulted in a greater than 10-fold stress-dependent reduction in pollen fitness and seed set. This phenotype was fully rescued through pollen expression of a CNGC16 transgene, indicating that cngc16-1 and 16-2 were both loss-of-function null alleles. The most stress-sensitive period for cngc16 pollen was during germination and the initiation of pollen tube tip growth. Pollen viability assays indicate that mutant pollen are also hypersensitive to external calcium chloride, a phenomenon analogous to calcium chloride hypersensitivities observed in other cngc mutants. A heat stress was found to increase concentrations of 3′,5′-cyclic guanyl monophosphate in both pollen and leaves, as detected using an antibody-binding assay. A quantitative PCR analysis indicates that cngc16 mutant pollen have attenuated expression of several heat-stress response genes, including two heat shock transcription factor genes, HsfA2 and HsfB1. Together, these results provide evidence for a heat stress response pathway in pollen that connects a cyclic nucleotide signal, a Ca(2+)-permeable ion channel, and a signaling network that activates a downstream transcriptional heat shock response

State water policy alternatives for T.M.D.L. allocation and reallocation

The question addressed is: How should the TMDL (a resource representing the total allowable pollutant load into a stream) be allocated among the individual pollutant sources, considering both point and nonpoint sources, and present and future users of this resource? What should be the basis for making this decision? How can the Georgia EPD implement the policy? The panelists present their proposals for what the policy should be, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative policies. The panel is intended to provide ideas and information useful as background for the public, EPD and the Georgia Water Council in preparing the state policy component of the Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Plan.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources Facult

Characterization of visual processing in temporomandibular disorders using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract Background and Purpose Many patients with chronic pain report hypersensitivity not only to noxious stimuli, but also to other modalities including innocuous touch, sound, and light, possibly due to differences in the processing of these stimuli. The goal of this study was to characterize functional connectivity (FC) differences between subjects with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and pain‐free controls during a visual functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task that included an unpleasant, strobing visual stimulus. We hypothesized the TMD cohort would exhibit maladaptations in brain networks consistent with multisensory hypersensitivities observed in TMD patients. Methods This pilot study included 16 subjects, 10 with TMD and 6 pain‐free controls. Clinical pain was characterized using self‐reported questionnaires. Visual task‐based fMRI data were collected on a 3T MR scanner and used to determine differences in FC via group independent component analysis. Results Compared to controls, subjects with TMD exhibited abnormally increased FC between the default mode network and lateral prefrontal areas involved in attention and executive function, and impaired FC between the frontoparietal network and higher order visual processing areas. Conclusions The results indicate maladaptation of brain functional networks, likely due to deficits in multisensory integration, default mode network function, and visual attention and engendered by chronic pain mechanisms

Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Channels 7 and 8 Are Essential for Male Reproductive Fertility

<div><p>The <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> genome contains 20 CNGCs, which are proposed to encode <u>c</u>yclic <u>n</u>ucleotide <u>g</u>ated, non-selective, Ca²⁺-permeable ion <u>c</u>hannels. CNGC7 and CNGC8 are the two most similar with 74% protein sequence identity, and both genes are preferentially expressed in pollen. Two independent loss-of-function <em>T-DNA</em> insertions were identified for both genes and used to generate plant lines in which only one of the two alleles was segregating (e.g., <em>cngc7-1+/−/cngc8-2−/−</em> and <em>cngc7-3−/−/cngc8-1</em>+/−). While normal pollen transmission was observed for single gene mutations, pollen harboring mutations in both <em>cngc7</em> and <em>8</em> were found to be male sterile (transmission efficiency reduced by more than 3000-fold). Pollen grains harboring <em>T-DNA</em> disruptions of both <em>cngc7</em> and <em>8</em> displayed a high frequency of bursting when germinated <em>in vitro.</em> The male sterile defect could be rescued through pollen expression of a <em>CNGC7</em> or <em>8</em> transgene including a CNGC7 with an N-terminal GFP-tag. However, rescue efficiencies were reduced ∼10-fold when the CNGC7 or 8 included an F to W substitution (F589W and F624W, respectively) at the junction between the putative cyclic nucleotide binding-site and the calmodulin binding-site, identifying this junction as important for proper functioning of a plant CNGC. Using confocal microscopy, GFP-CNGC7 was found to preferentially localize to the plasma membrane at the flanks of the growing tip. Together these results indicate that CNGC7 and 8 are at least partially redundant and provide an essential function at the initiation of pollen tube tip growth.</p> </div

Confocal microscopy showing PM localization for GFP-CNGC7, and the <i>cngc7/8</i> bursting defect.

<p>Pollen were germinated <i>in vitro</i> and imaged. DIC images are shown to the left, and corresponding confocal fluorescence micrographs to the right. A) A negative control showing a wild type pollen tube without any GFP. B and C), GFP-CNGC7 in <i>cngc7-3−/−, 8-1</i>−/− showing a tip focused PM (plasma membrane) localization at the emerging tube (B) and the tip shank during tube extension (C). D) A non-rescued pollen from <i>cngc7-3−/−, 8-1−/−</i> (segregating a GFP-CNGC7) showing a typical bursting event at germination. Scale bar = 10 µm.</p

Expression profiles showing preferential pollen expression for six <i>CNCG</i>s in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>.

<p>A) Relative expression levels in different tissues are shown for <i>CNGC7</i>, <i>8</i>, <i>9</i>, <i>10</i>, <i>16</i>, and <i>18</i> (AT1G15990, AT1G19780, AT4G30560, AT1G01340, AT3G48010, and AT5G14870, respectively) obtained from the Arabidopsis eFP Browser (<a href="http://bar.utoronto.ca/efp/cgi-bin/efpWeb.cgi" target="_blank">http://bar.utoronto.ca/efp/cgi-bin/efpWeb.cgi</a>) <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0055277#pone.0055277-Khler1" target="_blank">[55]</a> The expression of <i>CNGC7</i> in dry seed was arbitrarily set to 1, and the rest of the data normalized accordingly. B<b>)</b> Relative expression levels of pollen expressed <i>CNGC</i>s at different stages of pollen development obtained from The Pollen Transcriptome Navigator (<a href="http://pollen.umd.edu/" target="_blank">http://pollen.umd.edu/</a>), which uses data from Honys and Twell, 2004 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0055277#pone.0055277-Honys1" target="_blank">[25]</a> (left half) and Qin et al., 2009 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0055277#pone.0055277-Qin2" target="_blank">[26]</a> (right half). Developmental stages are denoted as MS: microspore; BC: bicellular; TC: tricellular; MP: mature pollen; 0.5 h: pollen tube germinated <i>in vitro</i> for 30 minutes. 4 h: pollen tube germinated <i>in vitro</i> for 4 hours, and SIV: pollen tubes after semi-<i>in vivo</i> growth through a stigma. For each data set, the expression of <i>CNGC7</i> in microspore and dry pollen were arbitrarily set to 1 and rest of the data normalized accordingly.</p

Diagram of the genomic structure of <i>CNGC7</i> and <i>8</i> and related <i>T-DNA</i> insertions.

<p>A) Locations of <i>T-DNA</i> insertions are shown for <i>cngc7-1</i>, <i>cngc7-3, cngc8-1</i> and <i>cngc8-2.</i> Arrows indicate the direction of the <i>T-DNA</i> left border. Coding sequences are highlighted with expanded rectangles; lines indicate introns and flanking DNA sequences. <i>CNGC7</i> and <i>CNGC8</i> each have five exons, and encode proteins with six transmembrane spanning domains (S1-6; highlighted in black); a pore between S5 and S6 (shaded), a cyclic nucleotide binding domain (CNBD; shaded), and a calmodulin (CaM) binding site (CaMBS; shaded with gray lines) (after Köhler et al., 1999 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0055277#pone.0055277-Khler1" target="_blank">[55]</a> ). B) A diagram of chromosome 1 showing the arrangement of 2 different combinations of <i>cngc7</i> and <i>8</i> alleles in which one of the two alleles is segregating with either a <i>Basta^r</i> or <i>Sulf^r</i> marker.</p

The <i>cngc7/8</i> pollen transmission defect can be rescued by <i>CNGC7</i> and <i>8</i> transgenes.

<p>Pollen transmission efficiencies for <i>cngc7/8</i> are shown, as scored by the transmission of the <i>Sulf^r</i> marker to F1 progeny. The <i>Sulf ^r</i> marker was associated with the <i>cngc8-1</i> allele that was segregating in the parental line. The <i>cngc7-3</i> allele was homozygous. Pollen outcrosses were made by manually pollinating females that were wild type or <i>cngc7-3</i>(−/−) with equivalent results. All pollen outcrosses were done using male parents that were verified by reciprocal crosses to be hemizygous for the transgene. In these pollen outcross assays, a perfect rescue would result in 33% of the progeny carrying the <i>Sulf^r</i> marker; because only 3 of the 4 meiotic products have the potential to show transmission to F1 progeny (see text). Numbers preceded by ss (seed stock) under each bar represent independent transgenic lines used for outcrossing. Homozygous double knockout seed stocks, created by selfing or out-crossing, are identified in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0055277#pone.0055277.s004" target="_blank">Figure S4</a>. Lines shown displayed typical rescue efficiencies mediated by transgene constructs for <i>GFP-7 (9p-i-GFP-CNGC7</i>), <i>FLAG-7</i> or <i>8</i> (<i>18p-i-FLAG-CNGC7 or 8</i>), <i>FLAG-7</i> or <i>8 F to W</i> (<i>18p-i-FLAG-CNGC7-F589W</i> and <i>18p-i-FLAG-CNGC8-F624W</i>). Three additional homozyogus rescued lines were obtained (not shown) using a transgene construct ps1687 <i>18-i-GFP-CNGC8</i> (ss1402, ss1404, ss1405).</p