Utility and lower limits of frequency detection in surface electrode stimulation for somatosensory brain-computer interface in humans

Objective: Stimulation of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) has been successful in evoking artificial somatosensation in both humans and animals, but much is unknown about the optimal stimulation parameters needed to generate robust percepts of somatosensation. In this study, the authors investigated frequency as an adjustable stimulation parameter for artificial somatosensation in a closed-loop brain-computer interface (BCI) system. Methods: Three epilepsy patients with subdural mini-electrocorticography grids over the hand area of S1 were asked to compare the percepts elicited with different stimulation frequencies. Amplitude, pulse width, and duration were held constant across all trials. In each trial, subjects experienced 2 stimuli and reported which they thought was given at a higher stimulation frequency. Two paradigms were used: first, 50 versus 100 Hz to establish the utility of comparing frequencies, and then 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100 Hz were pseudorandomly compared. Results: As the magnitude of the stimulation frequency was increased, subjects described percepts that were “more intense” or “faster.” Cumulatively, the participants achieved 98.0% accuracy when comparing stimulation at 50 and 100 Hz. In the second paradigm, the corresponding overall accuracy was 73.3%. If both tested frequencies were less than or equal to 10 Hz, accuracy was 41.7% and increased to 79.4% when one frequency was greater than 10 Hz (p = 0.01). When both stimulation frequencies were 20 Hz or less, accuracy was 40.7% compared with 91.7% when one frequency was greater than 20 Hz (p < 0.001). Accuracy was 85% in trials in which 50 Hz was the higher stimulation frequency. Therefore, the lower limit of detection occurred at 20 Hz, and accuracy decreased significantly when lower frequencies were tested. In trials testing 10 Hz versus 20 Hz, accuracy was 16.7% compared with 85.7% in trials testing 20 Hz versus 50 Hz (p < 0.05). Accuracy was greater than chance at frequency differences greater than or equal to 30 Hz. Conclusions: Frequencies greater than 20 Hz may be used as an adjustable parameter to elicit distinguishable percepts. These findings may be useful in informing the settings and the degrees of freedom achievable in future BCI systems

A Community Narration Assessment of Master's Level Psychology Students at Antioch University Los Angeles

Applied Community Psychology (ACP) is a specialty field of study in the Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MAP) at Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA).&nbsp; Students participate in classes and workshops that present theory along with opportunities for real life application.&nbsp; In the Spring 2019 quarter, eight students were enrolled in a Community Narration (CN) approach workshop to learn the theory and practice of facilitating the CN.&nbsp; The students used CN to discover commonalities and differences in their experiences as students of AULA.&nbsp; They created a community narrative which expressed the culture of students at AULA.&nbsp; In addition, the students learned how to conduct CN in the community with application in program evaluation and consultation.&nbsp; A discussion of the results of the community narrative that emerged is described, and implications for faculty and administrators are presented

A Community Narration Assessment of Master's Level Psychology Students at Antioch University Los Angeles

Applied Community Psychology (ACP) is a specialty field of study in the Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MAP) at Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA).&nbsp; Students participate in classes and workshops that present theory along with opportunities for real life application.&nbsp; In the Spring 2019 quarter, eight students were enrolled in a Community Narration (CN) approach workshop to learn the theory and practice of facilitating the CN.&nbsp; The students used CN to discover commonalities and differences in their experiences as students of AULA.&nbsp; They created a community narrative which expressed the culture of students at AULA.&nbsp; In addition, the students learned how to conduct CN in the community with application in program evaluation and consultation.&nbsp; A discussion of the results of the community narrative that emerged is described, and implications for faculty and administrators are presented

Teaching advocacy communication to pediatric residents: the efficacy of applied improvisational theater (AIT) as an instructional tool

In today’s communication landscape, the public often turn to the Internet and social media instead of their physician for health information. To remain relevant and respected amidst the wealth of health information available online, physicians need to offer something the Internet cannot fully emulate: empathetic imagination and an ability to instantaneously tailor messages to reach and teach worried and often confused audiences effectively. We developed an instructional communication module for pediatric residents that used applied improvisational theater to help residents develop complex and dynamic communication skills. The module included opportunities to develop empathy, practice audience analysis, distill messages to key points, and apply these skills in media and community contexts. Attendees completed surveys regarding their perceptions of curricular structure, efficacy, and utility. Preliminary results indicate gains in communication confidence and skills. This type of instructional communication and training module encourages healthcare practitioners to position themselves as trusted experts and partners in helping clients make meaning of health information, thus empowering a new generation of pediatricians to bridge communication gaps created by new technologies and increased access to multiple information sources

Stepping Stones: A Leadership Development Program to Inspire and Promote Reflection Among Women Faculty and Staff

Women frequently benefit from focused faculty development opportunities not because they need to be “fixed,” but rather it is a means to demonstrate that success, even in chilly environments, is possible. The Stepping Stones program uses a unique design to provide participants with inspiration, time for reflection, and strategies for how to navigate one's career, through hearing about the journeys of successful women. In this article, we describe the program and evaluation results. Post‐event and longitudinal follow‐up surveys indicate that the program and its unique narrative format help to debunk the superwoman myth and leave participants with a sense of optimism about their future careers

Trends in Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in North Carolina, 1980-2013

Objectives: Abortion incidence has declined nationally during the last decade. In recent years, many states, including North Carolina, have passed legislation related to the provision of abortion services. Despite the changing political environment, there is no comprehensive analysis on past and current trends related to unintended pregnancy and abortion in North Carolina. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of vital registration data made publicly available by the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. Birth and induced abortion records were obtained for the years 1980 to 2013. We describe abortion incidence and demographic characteristics of women obtaining abortions over time. Results: The number of North Carolina abortions declined 36% between 1980 and 2013. The abortion ratio declined from 26/100 pregnancies (live births and abortions) in 1980 to just 14/100 in 2013. These ratios, however, vary across demographic subgroups. In 2013, the abortion ratio was more than 2 times greater for non-Hispanic black women than non-Hispanic white women (22 and 9, respectively). Among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women, the abortion ratio is greater among women with a previous pregnancy as compared with women in their first pregnancy. For non-Hispanic white women, the abortion ratios are similar for first and higher-order pregnancies. Conclusions: Trends in North Carolina are similar to national trends; however, detailed analyses by race/ethnicity, age, and parity demonstrate important distinctions among abortion patients over time in the state. We discuss these trends in relation to policy changes and increased access to effective contraceptive

Nanoparticulate matter exposure results in white matter damage and an inflammatory microglial response in an experimental murine model

Exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with white matter damage and neurocognitive decline. However, the mechanisms of this injury are not well understood and remain largely uncharacterized in experimental models. Prior studies have shown that exposure to particulate matter (PM), a sub-fraction of air pollution, results in neuroinflammation, specifically the upregulation of inflammatory microglia. This study examines white matter and axonal injury, and characterizes microglial reactivity in the corpus callosum of mice exposed to 10 weeks (150 hours) of PM. Nanoscale particulate matter (nPM, aerodynamic diameter ≤200 nm) consisting primarily of traffic-related emissions was collected from an urban area in Los Angeles. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to either re-aerosolized nPM or filtered air for 5 hours/day, 3 days/week, for 10 weeks (150 hours; n = 18/group). Microglia were characterized by immunohistochemical double staining of ionized calcium-binding protein-1 (Iba-1) with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) to identify pro-inflammatory cells, and Iba-1 with arginase-1 (Arg) to identify anti-inflammatory/ homeostatic cells. Myelin injury was assessed by degraded myelin basic protein (dMBP). Oligodendrocyte cell counts were evaluated by oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (Olig2). Axonal injury was assessed by axonal neurofilament marker SMI-312. iNOS-expressing microglia were significantly increased in the corpus callosum of mice exposed to nPM when compared to those exposed to filtered air (2.2 fold increase; p\u3c0.05). This was accompanied by an increase in dMBP (1.4 fold increase; p\u3c0.05) immunofluorescent density, a decrease in oligodendrocyte cell counts (1.16 fold decrease; p\u3c0.05), and a decrease in neurofilament SMI-312 (1.13 fold decrease; p\u3c0.05) immunofluorescent density. Exposure to nPM results in increased inflammatory microglia, white matter injury, and axonal degradation in the corpus callosum of adult male mice. iNOS-expressing microglia release cytokines and reactive oxygen/ nitrogen species which may further contribute to the white matter damage observed in this model

Recent dating of extinct Atlantic gray whale fossils, (Eschrichtius robustus), Georgia Bight and Florida, western Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) presents an interesting case study of climate related dispersal and extinction. While (limited) fossil records confirm its presence in the Atlantic up until the 18th Century, its abundance and distribution within the Eastern and Western basins are still not well understood. The discovery of presumed gray whale fossil remains from the Georgia Bight and the Atlantic coast of Florida, from the mid-1980s to late-2000s, provides a new opportunity to recover additional data regarding their chronology within the Western basin. Here, we apply accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon techniques to six fossil whale finds, identifying dates within marine isotope stage 3 (59–24 ka) and the late Holocene, ∼2,000 yr BP. We additionally confirm the taxonomic identification of two fossil bone samples as E. robustus using collagen peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS). The obtained dates, when combined with a larger corpus of previously published Atlantic gray whale fossil dates, support the hypothesis for the decline of the Atlantic gray whale in the late Pleistocene and the late Holocene. These new data augment the findings of the Eastern Atlantic Basin and better incorporate the Western Atlantic Basin into a pan-ocean understanding for the species