Why overlearned sequences are special: distinct neural networks in the right hemisphere for ordinal sequences

Written and spoken words activate left hemisphere areas involved in language processing. However, we here show that overlearned sequences (e.g. letters, numbers, weekdays, months) involve an unexpected right hemispheric activation in both the middle temporal gyrus and temporoparietal junction. Our findings offer a framework for understanding neuropsychological patterns seen in conditions such as synesthesia, in which anomalous perceptual experiences are triggered by overlearned sequences, and also in semantic dementia, in which left hemisphere damage disrupts word knowledge even while sequences can be spared

Predictability engenders more efficient neural responses

The neural response to a stimulus diminishes with repeated presentations, a phenomenon known as repetition suppression. We here use neuroimaging to demonstrate that repetition suppression appears to be a special case of "prediction suppression"--that is, the brain shows diminishing activity when subsequent stimuli in a train are predictable. This demonstration supports the hypothesis that the brain dynamically leverages prediction to minimize energy consumption

Data-intensive research in physics: challenges and perspectives

Raman Research Institute (RRI) in recent years has been engaged in data-intensive research. The paper aims to understand the challenges faced by graduate students and their perspectives in data-intensive research at RRI regarding datatypes; collection methods; storage and access; data processing; legal and ethical issues. Questionnaire survey method and information extraction from ETD repository of RRI were used for data collection. Graduate students have expressed their desire for a better technical infrastructure, and need for training courses on different aspects of data related research and acquisition of data processing software. Observations in this study indicate that researchers are not well informed about some of the social issues associated with data and research such as legal aspects, ethical issues, plagiarism, data citation attributions, etc,. The study recommends steps to empower research students to handle the challenges in data-intensive research

Knowledge, Access, and Resistance: A Conversation on Librarians and Archivists to Palestine

In June 2013, 16 librarians and archivists traveled to Palestine to connect with Palestinian librarians, archivists, activists, and organizers, to learn more about their struggles and their work. We came from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, and U.K./Palestine. We were public, academic, and school librarians; movement archivists; artists; and activists. We spent eight days traveling throughout the West Bank and ’48. In the few days that followed, participants went off on their own to participate in follow-up meetings and to connect with people we hadn’t had time to meet during the first week. We reconvened at the end for a public event in Ramallah. Most of us did not know each other beforehand. Hannah has led many delegations in Palestine over the past decade, but this was the first specifically with librarians and archivists. Vani traveled to Palestine with an LGBTQ delegation in January 2012. Both live in New York and work with Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel. For this article, we sat down in August 2013 to reflect on the Librarians and Archivists to Palestine delegation. We recorded and transcribed our conversation, and edited and rearranged it slightly for the sake of clarity. It should be noted that we often refer to the U.S. in our conversation, because this is the context within which the two of us work. Not everyone from the delegation lives in the U.S

Comparative studies on biomass of Anabaena ambigua grown in an external loop airlift photobioreactor using cross-shaped and circular sparger

126-131An external loop airlift photobioreactor of 5 litre capacity was fabricated with glass as per the design. Blue green algae Anabaena ambigua was cultured in this external loop airlift photobioreactor using cross-shaped and circular sparger. For each type of  sparger different sets of air velocities viz., 1 m/s, 1.5 m/s, 2 m/s, 2.5 m/s and 3 m/s were maintained and, once the culture reached stationary phase, the biomass was estimated by gravimetric method. For cross-shaped sparger maximum biomass was obtained at air velocity of 1.5 m/s and for circular sparger maximum biomass was obtained at air velocity of 2 m/s. Statistical analysis two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using Microsoft Excel 2007. It was observed that there is a significant change in the biomass formed by changing the air velocity as well as changing the type of sparger. A maximum biomass of 0.809 g/L was obtained using cross-shaped sparger at air velocity of 1.5 m/s

Surgical resection for hepatic space occupying lesions: a histopathological analysis

Background: Hepatic resections are done for both neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases of liver with malignancies constituting a major share of cases. The objective of this study was to assess the various neoplatic and non-neoplastic lesions in hepatic resection specimens and to categorize the various histopathological types of primary and secondary liver tumors.Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Academy of Medical sciences, Pariyaram. This was a hospital based study which included 79 patients who underwent hepatic resection for space occupying lesions over a period of 5 years from January 2012 to December 2016. IHC was performed in cases with diagnostic dilemma.Results: Of the 79 cases, there were 45 males and 34 females with the age range of 22-85 years. There were 70 neoplastic lesions out of which 11 were benign with 6 cavernous hemangiomas, 3 hepatic adenomas and one each of intraductal papillary neoplasm and mucinous cystic neoplasm. Among the 59 malignant lesions, hepatocellular carcinomas predominated followed by metastatic malignancies and cholangiocarcinomas. Of the metastatic malignancies, adenocarcinoma from gastrointestinal primary was the commonest followed by metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor.Conclusions: Liver is a frequent site for many neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases with malignant neoplasms forming the major bulk. Non-neoplastic lesions like simple liver cysts and focal nodular hyperplasia showed female predominance while benign neoplasms like cavernous hemangioma and hepatic adenomas were seen exclusively in females. Of the malignant liver tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma was the commonest followed by metastatic malignancy, gastrointestinal tract being the commonest source of primary tumor

FORMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION AND IN VITRO CHARACTERIZATION OF OLANZAPINE LIPOSOME

Objective: Olanzapine (OZ) is a thioeno benzodiazepine class second-generation or atypical antipsychotic that selectively binds to central dopamine D2 and serotonin (5-HT2c) receptors used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The present paper is aimed at developing an optimized liposome-loaded OZ as an approach for brain targeting through the nasal route for effective therapeutic management of schizophrenia. Methods: The OZ liposomes were prepared by the thin-film hydration method. Various independent variable such as phospholipid, cholesterol and sonication time was optimized by using Design-Expert® Software to obtain the dependent variables of entrapment efficiency, vesicle size and zeta potential. The optimized formulation was predicted based on the response obtained by the point prediction method. Results: The entrapment efficiency of the formulation was range between 72.9 and 85.1 %. The average particle size of all the 15 experimental runs lies between the minimum and maximum values of the size 258.33 to 325.32 nm, respectively. The zeta potential ranges from-27.53 to-11.46 mV. The optimized formulation for characterized for its morphology by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). In vitro release studies of OZ-loaded liposomal formulation was carried by dialysis sac method using pH 7.4 phosphate buffer (PBS) as a medium. The maximum release was found to be 98.43±1.2 % up to 24 h. The R2 zero-order kinetics and Korsmeyer-Peppas model was found to be 0.9919 and 0.9664, respectively. The zero-order shows the best-fit model with a highest R2 value exhibiting better correlation and the ‘n’ value was also found to be 0.85; indicating both diffusion-controlled and swelling-controlled drug release that is anomalous transport. Conclusion: The results, clearly states that the prepared formulations justify the parameters and OZ might be a suitable candidate to target the brain through nasal delivery

Perspectives of MBBS Students on The AETCOM Module After the Second Year of The Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum

Knowledge of proper Attitude, Ethics and Communication Skills with the patients plays a vital role in success of medical professionals. So, AETCOM module has been formulated to train the medical students from first MBBS itself as a part of their foundation course. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the change in the students' behaviour towards attitude, ethics and communication at the end of their second professional course. METHODS This cross-sectional observational study was carried out over the course of a month with second-year MBBS students who enrolled in Tagore Medical College in the academic year 2019–20. 100 students were included in this study. The teaching schedule of AETCOM Module had four sessions three hours each. At the end of the module feedback on their perception was obtained by pre validated questionnaire and was analysed. RESULTS: A majority of the students (96.1%) opined that the AETCOM Module will definitely improve their communication skills with the patients. They also felt that such training should be integrated in regular teaching curriculum and done continuously in all the semesters. All the 100 students were given the same questionnaire. Most (30) of the first-year students joined the foundation course late because of the delay in the counselling; whereas, at any given time, 20 students were absent for these teaching sessions. AETCOM Module was satisfactory for 84% of students. For 12% it was just satisfactory, the other extreme, 4% students were highly satisfied. Students’ views on AETCOM were- asset for gaining confidence of the patients (72%), useful for themselves and for future practice (10%), excellent method for improvement of diagnosis (8%), wanted multiple exposures continuously throughout the UG course (6%) and can avoid medicolegal issues (4%). CONCLUSIONS: The AETCOM Module will be good for the second year MBBS students on the whole for communicating better with the patients in their medical course. Strengths of this study include feedback from the students for further improvement in the long-term outcome