State Dependence of Stimulus-Induced Variability Tuning in Macaque MT

Behavioral states marked by varying levels of arousal and attention modulate some properties of cortical responses (e.g. average firing rates or pairwise correlations), yet it is not fully understood what drives these response changes and how they might affect downstream stimulus decoding. Here we show that changes in state modulate the tuning of response variance-to-mean ratios (Fano factors) in a fashion that is neither predicted by a Poisson spiking model nor changes in the mean firing rate, with a substantial effect on stimulus discriminability. We recorded motion-sensitive neurons in middle temporal cortex (MT) in two states: alert fixation and light, opioid anesthesia. Anesthesia tended to lower average spike counts, without decreasing trial-to-trial variability compared to the alert state. Under anesthesia, within-trial fluctuations in excitability were correlated over longer time scales compared to the alert state, creating supra-Poisson Fano factors. In contrast, alert-state MT neurons have higher mean firing rates and largely sub-Poisson variability that is stimulus-dependent and cannot be explained by firing rate differences alone. The absence of such stimulus-induced variability tuning in the anesthetized state suggests different sources of variability between states. A simple model explains state-dependent shifts in the distribution of observed Fano factors via a suppression in the variance of gain fluctuations in the alert state. A population model with stimulus-induced variability tuning and behaviorally constrained information-limiting correlations explores the potential enhancement in stimulus discriminability by the cortical population in the alert state.Comment: 36 pages, 18 figure

Accountants\u27 working papers

Originally published by: Ronald Press

Influential Article Review - Encouraging the Use of Practical Wisdom Sourced From Religious Traditions

This paper examines spirituality. We present insights from a highly influential paper. Here are the highlights from this paper: Multiple strains of research are currently claiming to bring back normative perspectives into business analysis. In line with a series of publications from different disciplines we refer to the traditional concept of Practical Wisdom for that purpose but link it substantially with narrations from religious and spiritual traditions. Aware of potential resistance against such a project we discuss some basic objections, which might be provoked inside of the business education community. Critics question religious and spiritual traditions as such but also their relevance for modern business practice. Referring to Paul Ricoeur’s concept of metaphorical language we critically sketch a practical wisdom-based approach that employs religious and spiritual traditions as point of reference for responsible management practices but avoids the trap of fundamentalism or normative reductionism. Finally, we will conclude by suggesting the scope of possible applications and the direction of further research. For our overseas readers, we then present the insights from this paper in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German

Lactochrome, the yellow pigment of milk whey : its probable identity with urochrome, the specific yellow pigment of normal urine

Cover title.Digitized 2007 AES.Includes bibliographical references (page 487)

STREAMS THAT RUN INTO THE RIVER OF LIVED EXPERIENCE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF INTERN TEACHERS USING CURRERE TO UNDERSTAND CURRICULUM

ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: STREAMS THAT RUN INTO THE RIVER OF LIVED EXPERIENCE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF INTERN TEACHERS USING CURRERE TO UNDERSTAND CURRICULUM Leslie LuAnn Palmer Doctor of Philosophy, 2018 Dissertation Directed by: Professor Francine Hultgren Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership This dissertation is the culmination of a phenomenological study of intern teachers using the Currere process to gain a broader and deeper understanding of curriculum. The Currere process is a written method developed by William Pinar through which participants recall past memories, imagine future occurrences, analyze the themes that arise in both, and synthesize the meaning to more purposefully shape the present lived experience. The connections that arise from using Currere as part of a phenomenological study of lived experience suggest pedagogical implications for intern teachers’ developing practice in the context of an acknowledged lived classroom curriculum. Grounded in the philosophical contributions of Martin Heidegger, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, along with van Manen’s phenomenological structure and method, this work explores the development of teachers’ pedagogical orientation within the context of the lived experience of curriculum. I first turn to my personal experience using Currere and also to the experiences of beginning intern teachers using Currere to develop individualized foundations prior to their coursework and internship experiences. I use the metaphor of the river to open up the phenomenon of using Currere to understand curriculum through various sources that reveal relationships with language, dwelling, identity, and hermeneutic phenomenology. The initial themes that arise include moments, in-between spaces, abundance, resilience, and the flow of lived experience. This study focuses on the lived experiences of five Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) interns as they make meaning of curriculum using Currere. Through two individual conversations with each intern and a final whole-group conversation, the interns and I discussed internship experiences, curriculum in the fullness of its meaning, and pedagogical revelations from using the Currere process. Renderings of these conversations and the intern teachers’ written Currere processes reveal themes including navigating unexpected experiences; the difficulties of finding authenticity in a mentor’s classroom; the constant state of being watched, observed, and evaluated; exploring the teacher-self; and discovering the curriculum and pedagogy of lived experience. Based on these emergent themes, I explore ways in which the lived experience of using Currere to understand curriculum has pedagogical implications for teacher practice and teacher preparation. My engagement with the texts of Currere and conversation suggest that opportunities for intern teachers to use the Currere process to understand curriculum can help them discover their own meaning of what it is to be a teacher, develop an orientation of stewardship toward their professional practice, deepen their understanding of curriculum in its abundance, and create a lived curriculum of pedagogical care for the children whom they have committed to serve

Aid and donor partnerships in Ghana's education sector, 1987-2007: a critical review of the literature and progress

This literature review provides the reader with some insights into the historic relationships of donor partnerships within Ghana's basic education and skills development sub-sectors. The review looks at the evolution of these partnerships over the years and the various mechanisms and types of development assistance

Prevention of urinary incontinence in adults: population-based strategies

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) affects large numbers of adults, especially older adults, with an estimated 200 million adults worldwide having this life-altering condition. OBJECTIVES: To identify key populations at risk for urinary incontinence and propose population-based strategies to promote continence with a substantive focus on UI prevention. METHODS: Critical review of extant literature and iterative synthesis were undertaken to generate an action plan to guide future UI prevention research. RESULTS: Key populations identified to be at risk for UI are women in selected occupations, childbearing women, older adults with lifestyle risk factors, older adults with comorbid conditions, and nursing home residents. Population-based research activities are proposed. Growing evidence supports the benefit of pelvic floor muscle training to prevent childbirth and prostatectomy-related UI. Bladder training has demonstrated preventive capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Because of its high prevalence and chronic but preventable nature, UI is most appropriately considered a public health problem. Nursing research is needed to test prevention programs for UI using a population-based public health focus

Louisville Coronavirus Surveillance Program

An important feature of COVID-19, the disease produced by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is the high number of health care workers (HCWs) that acquire the disease. In an initial report of 138 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia in China, 40 patients (29%) were HCWs. One reason why HCWs are at higher risk of acquiring COVID-19 is because some patients with COVID-19 are admitted to the hospital without the classical presentation, and are therefore not tested for the disease early during hospitalization. Presently in the US, it is recommended to test for COVID-19 when physicians suspect the disease. This subjective approach may allow hospital transmission of COVID-19 from patients without the classical clinical presentation. The primary objective of this study is to establish a surveillance system for early identification of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 to allow for early implementation of infection control interventions in an attempt to prevent transmission of COVID-19 to HCWs and other hospitalized patients. We are proposing to test all patients who present to the emergency departments and/or are hospitalized with signs and symptoms of respiratory infection or gastrointestinal infection for SARS-CoV-2, regardless of clinical suspicion of COVID-19. Biological samples obtained from all patients having symptoms of respiratory or gastrointestinal infection will be tested using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Using a robotic instrument, the CMP laboratory will be able to test more than 500 samples a day. Data will be reported in real-time to participating hospitals for rapid implementation of infection control measures