Facebook to Mobilize, Twitter to Coordinate Protests, and YouTube to Tell the World : New Media, Cyberactivism, and the Arab Spring

Research on media and contentious politics in the Arab world point to the vital role that social media played in the Arab Spring. For the purposes of this article, the Arab Spring is defined as a series of demonstrations and democratic uprisings—and in the cases of Libya, Syria, and Yemen armed rebel movements—that arose independently and spread across the Arab world from Tunisia and Egypt to Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, and Syria in 2010-2011 and beyond. This article advances the theoretical assumption that while not causing the Arab uprisings, New Media (defined here as all forms of digital communication technology including satellite television, cell phones, social networking, video-blogging, and citizen journalism platforms that allow broader dissemination and participation than traditional print or broadcast media) provided the technical infrastructure for these uprisings to develop, sustain, and intensify over relatively short periods. With this assumption at its focus, this paper digs out the political, economic, social, and cultural roots of the Arab Spring. It explores how Arabs’ hunger for decentralized news and information paved the road for the organic growth of a new breed of Arab “citizen journalists.” It describes how New Media technologies, which Larry Diamond (2012) of Stanford University calls “Liberation Technologies” have combined words and images on iPhones, Blackberries, laptops, and social media platforms and managed to turn previously underground oppositions in several Arab countries into Virtual Public Spheres. It explains how the so-called “Generation-in-Waiting” who could no longer wait and took to the streets in waves of demonstrations against police brutality, economic deprivation, corruption and dictatorship. It then examines how these Liberation Technologies helped to convert Arab subjects into engaged citizens. It assesses how these revolutionaries broke the government monopoly on traditional media and used New Media to mobilize, organize, and take to the streets. Furthermore, it explains how this enabled the Arab revolutionaries to “occupy” in a matter of days, not just the virtual cyber-space, but also the physical space including Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis, Tahrir Square in Cairo, Pearl Square in Manama, and the University Quarter in Sanaa, which ultimately brought the fall of entrenched dictators Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. Finally, the paper addresses the challenges academics have, and will likely continue to face, as we seek to measure, analyze, and assess the role of social media in political dissent and revolution

Mental Health Inequities and Disparities among African American Adults in the United States: The Role of Race

Although the rate of mental illness among African Americans and Whites in the United Sates are similar, African Americans tend to have the worst mental health outcomes in the country. This is due to several inequities, particularly those associated with race such as discrimination, provider bias, stereotyping, weak socio-economic status, limited access to health insurance, poor quality mental health care, treatment gaps, culture, and stigma related to mental health care. Recognizing that the differences in mental health outcomes among minority populations in the United States is also driven by race and not just by brain chemistry, or environmental exposures, and developing strategies that target the issue of race, will not only lead to increased access to mental health services among African Americans, but will generally improve upon their mental health status. This article discusses mental health disparities among African Americans, the inequities that cause them, and strategies for addressing the disparities with a focus on race

Who are these People? Let\u27s Find Out!

Panel Chair: Camin Melton Papers presented: Muted Group Theory: A Struggle for Representation by Niall E. Walsh Abstract: This paper examines the concept of Cheris Kramarae\u27s Muted Group Theory as it applies to a range of texts. The theory asserts that women have historically been at a disadvantage in society due to their inability to properly communicate their experiences. This problem is a direct result of a patriarchal society that has constructed predominantly masculine modes of communication. Cloelia: Breaking Class Ceilings Before it Was Cool (and How it Inspired Me) by Lindsay Kline Abstract: Cloelia lived during the sixth century at a time when women had no rights of which to speak. Men exclusively dominated all roles in government and society. Women seldom dared to step outside the pre-ordained boundaries that had been set for them, and, when they did, they often regretted it because of the backlash they received. Before Rome became a great empire, in its early beginnings, Cloelia broke all the society norms and disregarded the role that her countrymen expected her to play, in favor of the well-being of herself and the women with her. She lived in Rome which had not yet found its footing and struggled to survive in the vicious world of those vying for world domination. Many imperials set their eyes on Rome as a prize to add to their territory, and, as a result, the infant Roman population endured numerous military attacks. Yet, Rome did not fall. One after the other, dictators with large military advantages encountered an intangible force they had not entered into their strategic calculations: heart. Women in Egypt: A Case Study of Influential Hellenistic Royal Women by Anastasia E. Zaluckyj Exploring Coming of Age and Criticism in The Secret Life of Bees by Crystal O. Nwokoro Anne Bradstreet and Counter Culture by BeLynn Hollers Abstract: Through close readings of Anne Bradstreet, the first American poet, questions surfaced about the importance of Bradstreet’s tile and pioneer-ship. Even though many scholar’s divide Bradstreet in order to understand her poetry and in their operation within their lenses; the paper challenges the productive value of those lenses through the creation of a more productive one. The lens of counter-culture defines attitudes displayed within the confines of its dominant culture. In other words, counter-culture doesn’t completely disregard the societal circumstances of the dominant culture therefore, operating within and resisting areas of the culture internally. The examination and reading through this lens opens up Bradstreet’s poems, allowing for discovery into ideas that accept her as a whole rather then divide her spiritual, social, and political views. This type of evaluation in regards to Bradstreet’s work reflects the arguments of many scholars however, this definition births new realities of who and what Bradstreet is. The paper will utilize a modern word to combine Bradstreet in place of division; which many scholar’s favor. Therefore, ideas such as Bradstreet through the lens of counter-culture reveals her identity in conjunction with gender as transgressive, are given opportunity to breathe in an alternative format. Through close readings of her poems the paper will reveal Bradstreet’s actions that resist the “either/or” argument made by many scholars hence, allowing the counter-culture lens to explore Bradstreet as “both/and.” Heart of Darkness: A Journey Through the Unconscious Mind by Paul Z. Armstrong Edgar Allen Poe: From Shame to Fame by Lindsay Caudill Abstract: This is a research paper over the chronologically-ordered tragic events and their distinct impact on Edgar Allan Poe\u27s life with direct emphasis on the adaptation and correlation of his works that were brought into modern literature today. Edgar Allan Poe is widely known as an American writer, editor and literary critic. Poe has had a profound effect on literature as it is endeavored today

Maternal Weight Affects Placental DNA Methylation of Genes Involved in Metabolic Pathways in the Common Marmoset Monkey (Callithrix jacchus)

Accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of placental DNA methylation (DNAm) is a mechanism linking maternal weight during pregnancy to metabolic programming outcomes. The common marmoset, Callithrix jaccus, is a platyrrhine primate species that has provided much insight into studies of the primate placenta, maternal condition, and metabolic programming, yet the relationships between maternal weight and placental DNAm are unknown. Here, we report genome-wide DNAm from term marmoset placentas using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. We identified 74 genes whose DNAm pattern is associated with maternal weight during gestation. These genes are predominantly involved in energy metabolism and homeostasis, including the regulation of glycolytic and lipid metabolic processes pathways

QCD Multipole Expansion and Hadronic Transitions in Heavy Quarkonium Systems

We review the developments of QCD multipole expansion and its applications to hadronic transitions and some radiative decays of heavy quarkonia. Theoretical predictions are compsred with updated experimental results.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures. Some typos corrected, and 3 references adde

TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets (THYME) IX: a 27 Myr extended population of Lower-Centaurus Crux with a transiting two-planet system

We report the discovery and characterization of a nearby (~ 85 pc), older (27 +/- 3 Myr), distributed stellar population near Lower-Centaurus-Crux (LCC), initially identified by searching for stars co-moving with a candidate transiting planet from TESS (HD 109833; TOI 1097). We determine the association membership using Gaia kinematics, color-magnitude information, and rotation periods of candidate members. We measure it's age using isochrones, gyrochronology, and Li depletion. While the association is near known populations of LCC, we find that it is older than any previously found LCC sub-group (10-16 Myr), and distinct in both position and velocity. In addition to the candidate planets around HD 109833 the association contains four directly-imaged planetary-mass companions around 3 stars, YSES-1, YSES-2, and HD 95086, all of which were previously assigned membership in the younger LCC. Using the Notch pipeline, we identify a second candidate transiting planet around HD 109833. We use a suite of ground-based follow-up observations to validate the two transit signals as planetary in nature. HD 109833 b and c join the small but growing population of <100 Myr transiting planets from TESS. HD 109833 has a rotation period and Li abundance indicative of a young age (< 100 Myr), but a position and velocity on the outskirts of the new population, lower Li levels than similar members, and a CMD position below model predictions for 27 Myr. So, we cannot reject the possibility that HD 109833 is a young field star coincidentally nearby the population.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in A

Regional differences in awareness and attitudes regarding genetic testing for disease risk and ancestry

Little is known about the lay public’s awareness and attitudes concerning genetic testing and what factors influence their perspectives. The existing literature focuses mainly on ethnic and socioeconomic differences; however, here we focus on how awareness and attitudes regarding genetic testing differ by geographical regions in the US. We compared awareness and attitudes concerning genetic testing for disease risk and ancestry among 452 adults (41% Black and 67% female) in four major US cities, Norman, OK; Cincinnati, OH; Harlem, NY; and Washington, DC; prior to their participation in genetic ancestry testing. The OK participants reported more detail about their personal ancestries (p = 0.02) and valued ancestry testing over disease testing more than all other sites (p < 0.01). The NY participants were more likely than other sites to seek genetic testing for disease (p = 0.01) and to see benefit in finding out more about one’s ancestry (p = 0.02), while the DC participants reported reading and hearing more about genetic testing for African ancestry than all other sites (p < 0.01). These site differences were not better accounted for by sex, age, education, self-reported ethnicity, religion, or previous experience with genetic testing/counseling. Regional differences in awareness and attitudes transcend traditional demographic predictors, such as ethnicity, age and education. Local sociocultural factors, more than ethnicity and socioeconomic status, may influence the public’s awareness and belief systems, particularly with respect to genetics

Genomic insights into rapid speciation within the world’s largest tree genus Syzygium

Species radiations, despite immense phenotypic variation, can be difficult to resolve phylogenetically when genetic change poorly matches the rapidity of diversification. Genomic potential furnished by palaeopolyploidy, and relative roles for adaptation, random drift and hybridisation in the apportionment of genetic variation, remain poorly understood factors. Here, we study these aspects in a model radiation, Syzygium, the most species-rich tree genus worldwide. Genomes of 182 distinct species and 58 unidentified taxa are compared against a chromosome-level reference genome of the sea apple, Syzygium grande. We show that while Syzygium shares an ancient genome doubling event with other Myrtales, little evidence exists for recent polyploidy events. Phylogenomics confirms that Syzygium originated in Australia-New Guinea and diversified in multiple migrations, eastward to the Pacific and westward to India and Africa, in bursts of speciation visible as poorly resolved branches on phylogenies. Furthermore, some sublineages demonstrate genomic clines that recapitulate cladogenetic events, suggesting that stepwise geographic speciation, a neutral process, has been important in Syzygium diversification

Consensus classification of posterior cortical atrophy

INTRODUCTION: A classification framework for posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is proposed to improve the uniformity of definition of the syndrome in a variety of research settings. METHODS: Consensus statements about PCA were developed through a detailed literature review, the formation of an international multidisciplinary working party which convened on four occasions, and a Web-based quantitative survey regarding symptom frequency and the conceptualization of PCA. RESULTS: A three-level classification framework for PCA is described comprising both syndrome- and disease-level descriptions. Classification level 1 (PCA) defines the core clinical, cognitive, and neuroimaging features and exclusion criteria of the clinico-radiological syndrome. Classification level 2 (PCA-pure, PCA-plus) establishes whether, in addition to the core PCA syndrome, the core features of any other neurodegenerative syndromes are present. Classification level 3 (PCA attributable to AD [PCA-AD], Lewy body disease [PCA-LBD], corticobasal degeneration [PCA-CBD], prion disease [PCA-prion]) provides a more formal determination of the underlying cause of the PCA syndrome, based on available pathophysiological biomarker evidence. The issue of additional syndrome-level descriptors is discussed in relation to the challenges of defining stages of syndrome severity and characterizing phenotypic heterogeneity within the PCA spectrum. DISCUSSION: There was strong agreement regarding the definition of the core clinico-radiological syndrome, meaning that the current consensus statement should be regarded as a refinement, development, and extension of previous single-center PCA criteria rather than any wholesale alteration or redescription of the syndrome. The framework and terminology may facilitate the interpretation of research data across studies, be applicable across a broad range of research scenarios (e.g., behavioral interventions, pharmacological trials), and provide a foundation for future collaborative work

Genomic insights into rapid speciation within the world's largest tree genus Syzygium

The relative importance of the mechanisms underlying species radiation remains unclear. Here, the authors combine reference genome assembly and population genetics analyses to show that neutral forces have contributed to the radiation of the most species-rich tree genus Syzygium. Species radiations, despite immense phenotypic variation, can be difficult to resolve phylogenetically when genetic change poorly matches the rapidity of diversification. Genomic potential furnished by palaeopolyploidy, and relative roles for adaptation, random drift and hybridisation in the apportionment of genetic variation, remain poorly understood factors. Here, we study these aspects in a model radiation, Syzygium, the most species-rich tree genus worldwide. Genomes of 182 distinct species and 58 unidentified taxa are compared against a chromosome-level reference genome of the sea apple, Syzygium grande. We show that while Syzygium shares an ancient genome doubling event with other Myrtales, little evidence exists for recent polyploidy events. Phylogenomics confirms that Syzygium originated in Australia-New Guinea and diversified in multiple migrations, eastward to the Pacific and westward to India and Africa, in bursts of speciation visible as poorly resolved branches on phylogenies. Furthermore, some sublineages demonstrate genomic clines that recapitulate cladogenetic events, suggesting that stepwise geographic speciation, a neutral process, has been important in Syzygium diversification.Peer reviewe