Southward expansion: The myth of the West in the promotion of Florida, 1876–1900

This article examines the ways in which promoters and developers of Florida, in the decades after Reconstruction, engaged with a popular myth of the West as a means of recasting and selling their state to prospective settlers in the North and Midwest. The myth envisaged a cherished region to the west where worthy Americans could migrate and achieve social and economic independence away from the crowded confines of the East, or Europe. According to state immigration agents, land-promoters and other booster writers, Florida, although a Southern ex-Confederate state, offered precisely these 'western' opportunities for those hard-working Northerners seeking land and an opening for agrarian prosperity. However, the myth, which posited that, in the west, an individual's labour and thrift were rewarded with social and economic improvement, meshed awkwardly with the contemporary emergence of Florida as a popular winter destination for wealthy tourists and invalids seeking leisure and healthfulness away from the North. Yet it also reflected and reinforced promotional notions of racial improvement which would occur with an influx of enterprising Anglo-Americans, who would effectively displace the state's large African American population. In Florida, the myth of the West supported the linked post-Reconstruction processes of state development and racial subjugation

Chemical and Statistical Analysis of a Sampled Interval in the Camp Nelson Limestone (Upper Ordovician) Madison County, Central Kentucky

The Camp Nelson Limestone of the High Bridge Group (Upper Ordovician) is mined at seven sites in central and north-central Kentucky for industrial, construction, and agricultural uses. As part of a regional investigation of its chemical characteristics, a 67-foot section in the upper Camp Nelson, which is being mined at Boonesborough, Madison County, was sampled for major-element analysis. The upper Camp Nelson in the Boonesborough Mine consists of two zones (23 and 30 feet thick) of low-silica stone (4 percent or less total SiO2) separated by a 14-foot section of slightly argillaceous limestone with an average silica content of 5.19 percent. The lower 23-foot zone has an average silica content of 1.75 percent and an average total carbonate (CaCO3 + MgCO3) content of 96.03 percent. The upper 30-foot zone has an average silica content of 2.48 percent and an average total carbonate content of 93.17 percent. A statistical study showed a relationship between the sampling interval and the reliability of the mean carbonate (or contaminant) value for a limestone ledge. Moderately high reliability (0.80 to 0.85) can be obtained by taking three to four samples per ledge. If only high reliability (0.90) of the mean value is acceptable, samples should be taken at 1-foot intervals. Very high reliability would require sampling at 1/2-foot intervals

The association of HIV-related stigma and psychosocial factors and HIV treatment outcomes among people living with HIV in the Volta region of Ghana:A mixed-methods study

Stigma and discrimination have been identified as significant barriers to HIV treatment among people living with HIV (PLWH). HIV stigma affects decision to seek HIV testing and early treatment. Evidence shows that HIV stigma undermines antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence by affecting the psychological process such as adjusting and coping with social support. In Ghana, stigma toward PLWH occurs in many ways including rejection by their communities and family members, ostracism, and refusal to engage in social interactions such as eating, sharing a bed, or shaking hands. Therefore. we examined PLWH's experiences with different forms of HIV-related stigma and the impact on HIV treatment outcome in the Volta region of Ghana. We employed a convergent mixedmethod approach consisting of a survey with 181 PLWH, four focus group discussions with 24 survey respondents, and in-depth interviews with six providers. We performed independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square test to test associations in bivariate analysis and analyzed qualitative data using thematic analysis. In all, 49% of survey respondents reported experiencing high internalized stigma, which was associated with high social support and depression (p&lt;0.001). In qualitative interviews, anticipated stigma was the most salient concern of PLWH, followed by internalized and enacted stigma, which all negatively impacted HIV treatment and care. Stigma was experienced on multiple levels and affected psychosocial and treatment outcomes. Findings suggest urgent need for HIV-stigma reduction intervention among PLWH and their family, providers, and community members.</p

The association of HIV-related stigma and psychosocial factors and HIV treatment outcomes among people living with HIV in the Volta region of Ghana:A mixed-methods study

Stigma and discrimination have been identified as significant barriers to HIV treatment among people living with HIV (PLWH). HIV stigma affects decision to seek HIV testing and early treatment. Evidence shows that HIV stigma undermines antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence by affecting the psychological process such as adjusting and coping with social support. In Ghana, stigma toward PLWH occurs in many ways including rejection by their communities and family members, ostracism, and refusal to engage in social interactions such as eating, sharing a bed, or shaking hands. Therefore. we examined PLWH's experiences with different forms of HIV-related stigma and the impact on HIV treatment outcome in the Volta region of Ghana. We employed a convergent mixedmethod approach consisting of a survey with 181 PLWH, four focus group discussions with 24 survey respondents, and in-depth interviews with six providers. We performed independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square test to test associations in bivariate analysis and analyzed qualitative data using thematic analysis. In all, 49% of survey respondents reported experiencing high internalized stigma, which was associated with high social support and depression (p&lt;0.001). In qualitative interviews, anticipated stigma was the most salient concern of PLWH, followed by internalized and enacted stigma, which all negatively impacted HIV treatment and care. Stigma was experienced on multiple levels and affected psychosocial and treatment outcomes. Findings suggest urgent need for HIV-stigma reduction intervention among PLWH and their family, providers, and community members.</p

Ketones Prevent Oxidative Impairment of Hippocampal Synaptic Integrity through K\u3csub\u3eATP\u3c/sub\u3e Channels

Dietary and metabolic therapies are increasingly being considered for a variety of neurological disorders, based in part on growing evidence for the neuroprotective properties of the ketogenic diet (KD) and ketones. Earlier, we demonstrated that ketones afford hippocampal synaptic protection against exogenous oxidative stress, but the mechanisms underlying these actions remain unclear. Recent studies have shown that ketones may modulate neuronal firing through interactions with ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels. Here, we used a combination of electrophysiological, pharmacological, and biochemical assays to determine whether hippocampal synaptic protection by ketones is a consequence of KATP channel activation. Ketones dose-dependently reversed oxidative impairment of hippocampal synaptic integrity, neuronal viability, and bioenergetic capacity, and this action was mirrored by the KATP channel activator diazoxide. Inhibition of KATP channels reversed ketone-evoked hippocampal protection, and genetic ablation of the inwardly rectifying K+ channel subunit Kir6.2, a critical component of KATP channels, partially negated the synaptic protection afforded by ketones. This partial protection was completely reversed by co-application of the KATP blocker, 5-hydoxydecanoate (5HD). We conclude that, under conditions of oxidative injury, ketones induce synaptic protection in part through activation of KATP channels

Depression and its associated factors among people living with HIV in the Volta region of Ghana

Depression among people living with HIV/AIDS in higher-income countries is associated with suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy and though counterintuitive. Yet, less is known regarding how depression, social support, and other sociodemographic factors influence outcomes among people living with HIV, particularly in resource-limited settings like Ghana. In view of this gap, this study investigated factors associated with depressive symptoms among people living with HIV in the Volta region of Ghana. A total of 181 people living with HIV from a local antiretroviral clinic was purposively sampled for the study. The questionnaire included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Internalized Stigma of HIV/AIDS Tool, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12. An independent student t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and chi-square test were conducted to ascertain the associations among the variables of interest. The magnitude of association was evaluated with multiple linear regression. The average depression score among the participants was 9.1±8.8 and 20.4% reported signs of depression. Majority (78%) of participants who were depressed were male compared to females (p = 0.031). In the multiple linear regression, every one-year increase in age was significantly associated with an estimated 0.012 standard deviation increase in depression scores (95% CI: 0.002–0.021) after adjusting for all other variables in the model. Every unit standard deviation increase in social support was significantly associated with an estimated 0.659 standard deviation increase in depression scores (95% CI:0.187–1.132), after adjusting for all other variables in the model. We found a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among people living with HIV especially among males. An increase in age and social support was associated with an increase in depressive symptoms among people living with HIV in this study. We recommend further study using longitudinal approach to understand this unexpected association between depression and social support among people living with HIV in Ghana

Depression and its associated factors among people living with HIV in the Volta region of Ghana

Depression among people living with HIV/AIDS in higher-income countries is associated with suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy and though counterintuitive. Yet, less is known regarding how depression, social support, and other sociodemographic factors influence outcomes among people living with HIV, particularly in resource-limited settings like Ghana. In view of this gap, this study investigated factors associated with depressive symptoms among people living with HIV in the Volta region of Ghana. A total of 181 people living with HIV from a local antiretroviral clinic was purposively sampled for the study. The questionnaire included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Internalized Stigma of HIV/AIDS Tool, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12. An independent student t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and chi-square test were conducted to ascertain the associations among the variables of interest. The magnitude of association was evaluated with multiple linear regression. The average depression score among the participants was 9.1±8.8 and 20.4% reported signs of depression. Majority (78%) of participants who were depressed were male compared to females (p = 0.031). In the multiple linear regression, every one-year increase in age was significantly associated with an estimated 0.012 standard deviation increase in depression scores (95% CI: 0.002–0.021) after adjusting for all other variables in the model. Every unit standard deviation increase in social support was significantly associated with an estimated 0.659 standard deviation increase in depression scores (95% CI:0.187–1.132), after adjusting for all other variables in the model. We found a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among people living with HIV especially among males. An increase in age and social support was associated with an increase in depressive symptoms among people living with HIV in this study. We recommend further study using longitudinal approach to understand this unexpected association between depression and social support among people living with HIV in Ghana

Transgenic Rescue of the LARGEmyd Mouse: A LARGE Therapeutic Window?

LARGE is a glycosyltransferase involved in glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Absence of this protein in the LARGEmyd mouse results in α-DG hypoglycosylation, and is associated with central nervous system abnormalities and progressive muscular dystrophy. Up-regulation of LARGE has previously been proposed as a therapy for the secondary dystroglycanopathies: overexpression in cells compensates for defects in multiple dystroglycanopathy genes. Counterintuitively, LARGE overexpression in an FKRP-deficient mouse exacerbates pathology, suggesting that modulation of α-DG glycosylation requires further investigation. Here we demonstrate that transgenic expression of human LARGE (LARGE-LV5) in the LARGEmyd mouse restores α-DG glycosylation (with marked hyperglycosylation in muscle) and that this corrects both the muscle pathology and brain architecture. By quantitative analyses of LARGE transcripts we also here show that levels of transgenic and endogenous LARGE in the brains of transgenic animals are comparable, but that the transgene is markedly overexpressed in heart and particularly skeletal muscle (20–100 fold over endogenous). Our data suggest LARGE overexpression may only be deleterious under a forced regenerative context, such as that resulting from a reduction in FKRP: in the absence of such a defect we show that systemic expression of LARGE can indeed act therapeutically, and that even dramatic LARGE overexpression is well-tolerated in heart and skeletal muscle. Moreover, correction of LARGEmyd brain pathology with only moderate, near-physiological LARGE expression suggests a generous therapeutic window