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Anatomy

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Jesse Williams Accused Of Violent Rages By Ex – Daily Beast

Greys Anatomy star Jesse Williams has been labelled a rage-fueled individual with poor parenting skills who maintains a revolving door of women and exposed his children to a terrifying road rage incident in which he threatened to kill a neighbor.

The allegations are contained in explosive court documents obtained by dailymail.com.

The allegations against Williams, 36, come from his ex-wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, 34, who divorced him in April.

The allegations are the latest salvo in a bitter custody battle over their children, aged 3 and 1.

Drake-Lee also claims the actor has cynically started posting photographs of his children on social media to bolster his brand.

Drake-Lee claimed the road rage incident happened on July 18. Drake-Lee claims that following argument with a neighbor, Williams aggressively pursued him in his car with their two children inside and allegedly threatened to kill him.

I was so alarmed that Jesse exposed our children to danger, Drake-Lee says in the filing, in which she is seeking sole custody of the children after their 14-year relationship broke down.

Drake-Lee claims Williams has had a revolving door of intimate partners since the divorce and has made no effort to keep knowledge of his multiple girlfriends from their children.

In previously filed court documents Williams set out to prove he was a doting dad by listing his kids nicknames and favorite foods.

Drake-Lee is also unhappy that Williams now regularly posts photos of their children on social media to promote an image of himself: Jesse, a story teller by profession, appears to be trying to create some sort of fairytale parenting scenario that does not tell the complete story, the real story of parenting, she says in the filing, according to dailymail.com.

Drake-Lee is asking the court for a full-day mediation session to determine a path forward between her and Williams.

When the former couples divorce first hit the headlines, it was reported that Williams cheated on Drake-Lee with multiple women while they were married and hes been linked with his one-time co-worker, actress Minka Kelly.

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Williams has denied the cheating claims saying he always loved Drake-Lee during their marriage.

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'Grey's Anatomy' Star Jesse Williams Accused Of Violent Rages By Ex - Daily Beast

Anatomy

Anatomy of yet another Dodgers comeback – True Blue LA

The Dodgers came through again on Wednesday night, erasing a two-run deficit to deliver their MLB-best 10th walk-off victory of the season, a 5-4 win over the hapless White Sox. Lets take a moment to relive the Dodgers 38th comeback win of 2017.

The White Sox are in full rebuild mode, and have lost 27 of their last 35 games, including 14 of their last 16 road games. Chicago had a chance to leave Los Angeles with a win, up 4-2 entering the ninth, but were left with a unique situation.

None of their relievers have recorded a save this season, the result of midseason deals to continue the rebuild. David Robertson (13 saves this season for Chicago), Tyler Clippard (two saves) and Anthony Swarzak (one save) were all traded in the last month.

Gregory Infante, who was a non-roster invitee in spring training with the Dodgers in 2013, started the ninth for the White Sox, and retired Justin Turner for the first out. At that point, per the FanGraphs game log the Dodgers had a 3.8-percent win expectancy.

The Baseball-Reference game log showed a five-percent win expectancy at the same point. The takeaway: the odds were still long for the Dodgers.

With a Cody Bellinger pinch hitting, manager Rick Renteria turned to left-hander Aaron Bummer, who like Infante has no career saves. Bellinger, who was out of the starting lineup for just the fourth time in his 99-game career, delivered a single up the middle.

The left-handed rookie is hitting .270/.323/.533 against southpaw pitchers this season.

Then came another pitching change. Jake Petricka, who forced home the go-ahead run with a hit by pitch then allowed a pair of two-run singles in the eighth inning on Tuesday night, was called upon to finish things off for the White Sox. Petricka doesnt have a save this season, but did save 16 games in 2014-15 for Chicago.

Logan Forsythe greeted him with a double down the left field line to score Bellinger, pulling the Dodgers within one. Austin Barnes, who hit a two-run single against Petricka on Tuesday, singled again on Wednesday, but his knock to center field was hit too hard to score Forsythe from second base.

Petricka during the two-game series faced nine batters. He allowed six hits and hit a batter, allowing four runs of his own and all four of his inherited runners.

The Dodgers swept their 16th series of the season best in MLB. Even if you remove the sweeps this season (a 46-0 game record), the Dodgers would be 39-34 (.534), a winning percentage good enough to lead the National League Central and behind only Washington, Colorado and Arizona in the entire NL.

Yasiel Puig, who recorded his 50th walk of the season earlier in the game, and who walked twice to load the bases to spark rallies on Tuesday night as well, ran the count to 3-2 against Petricka, but nearly struck out, barely fouling off a ball at the plate.

Then, Puig grabbed the ball and did this:

Mary Hart didnt know what to think. It didnt go unnoticed.

I wonder if they kept that ball, with the bite mark on it, said analyst Nomar Garciaparra on the SportsNet LA broadcast.

Two pitches later on the eighth pitch of the at-bat Puig hit the ball into the gap in left center field. He hit it into no-mans land, and with Barnes flying from first base, it was obvious the winning run would score with ease. Look where Barnes is before any White Sox outfielder was anywhere close to the ball.

Barnes scored from first easily without a throw.

Joe Davis didnt get to call any home games in his first year calling the Dodgers, but now as the full-time announcer he has crammed in two years worth of memorable calls into one. Davis was up to the task in calling the Dodgers 10th walk-off win of the season.

Can Yasiel Puig deliver? You bet he can! Into the gap in left center. Not a question of if. The question is who, and when. Tonight, its Puig in the ninth!

Davis rises to the occasion at the right moments, and last night delivered in his own right, even invoking a much more exciting game of Clue to describe the game-winner.

To Davis point, the question of who is real, of the 10 Dodgers walk-off wins this season, nine different players have delivered the winning RBI.

The Dodgers are 8-27 (.229) when trailing after eight innings in 2017. The rest of MLB in those situations is 141-1,426 (.090).

Even with the excitement of the call, Davis let the moment breathe as well, going silent for 51 seconds afterward, letting the celebration do the talking before adding, How do you like that, folks? Yasiel Puig, the hero.

During the euphoria, Puig found his man, hitting coach Turner Ward. Before the game, they were both wearing new t-shirts.

Then, life imitated art:

What a game.

It was so good, it was worth overlooking this cringe-worthy sponsored celebration pun:

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Anatomy of yet another Dodgers comeback - True Blue LA

Immunology

Biomedical Conference Begins In Burlington – WAMC

A biomedical conference that is held once a decade in Vermont began this afternoon in Burlington.

The Northeast Regional IDeA Conference is bringing more than 300 biomedical researchers to Vermonts largest city to review research, gain collaborative opportunities and meet with National Institutes of Health officials.

The Institutional Development Awards from the NIH target smaller rural states, according to Vermont Genetics Network and UVM Biology professor Judith Van Houten, a conference co-coordinator. This is a coming together of all the funded faculty and students in what NIH calls the Northeast IDeA region. And that means Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Delaware. Not every state is an IDeA state. There are some themes that come out of this. You can always find neuroscience or immunology, bioinformatics but there isnt one grand theme.

While there are sessions on scientific research in areas such as genetics, cancer, and infectious diseases, meetings also touch on careers, writing, patents and grant applications. Van Houten says one of the aims of IDeA is to help scientists in the region become more competitive. Theres a big emphasis on careers and mentoring and getting people into the funding stream. So well have a grant specialist from NIH working with us and well have staff from NIH. So a lot of what we do is mentoring.

The NIH Northeast Regional conference brings together researchers from designated Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence from Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Delaware and Vermont. Conference co-coordinator Dr. Ralph Budd, the director of the Vermont Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, says the agenda reflects the biomedical research occurring in each state. Each of those may have a theme very different from the one we have here in infectious disease and immunology. Theres one with cancer, ones in cardiovascular disease and so on. And so thats why youre seeing a broad array of biomedical research because each of those centers has its own theme. And its a chance to do many things. Its a chance to obviously exchange scientific ideas and to form collaborations. Truth be known you know when you get someone from immunology talking with someone from infectious disease talking with someone from cancer biology over a cup of coffee theyre going to find common ground. And thats what this is about.

The regional conference rotates biennially in each state. During the off years, national meetings are held in Washington, D.C.

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Biomedical Conference Begins In Burlington - WAMC

Biochemistry

Following his gut instincts – Otago Daily Times

University of Otago graduate and US-based human microbiome research pioneer Prof Rob Knight is the joint recipient of the Massry Prize, a prestigious California-based research award.

Dunedin-born, Prof Knight attended Otago Boys High School and gained an Otago University BSc in biochemistry in 1996.

He is the founding director of the Centre for Microbiome Innovation of the University of California, San Diego.

Microbiomes are distinct constellations of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that live within and around us, including in the human gut. Award organisers said Prof Knight and his two fellow researchers led a field that worked to produce a detailed understanding of microbiomes and methods for manipulating them to benefit human and environmental health.

His work has linked microbes to a range of health conditions including obesity and inflammatory bowel disease, has enhanced our understanding of microbes in environments ranging from the oceans to the tundra, and made high-throughput sequencing techniques accessible to thousands of researchers around the world.

"I greatly appreciate this recognition for microbiome research a scientific field that was relatively underappreciated until recent years," Prof Knight said.

He shares the latest $US200,000 Massry Prize with two fellow US researchers, Dr Jeffrey Gordon, of the Washington University School of Medicine, and Dr Norman Pace, of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Dr Knight is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Academy of Microbiology, and is the author of Follow Your Gut: The Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes (2015). In 2009, Prof Knight received an Early Career Scientist award in the United States, amounting to more than $US3 million (then $NZ5 million).

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Following his gut instincts - Otago Daily Times

Biochemistry

Career counselling: Questions and answers – The News International

Q1: I am student of BS Chemistry at University of the Punjab. I have completed six semesters. Now I have to choose major subject for further studies. I am very confused to select my special subject. Please guide me to choose Biochemistry, Inorganic, Physical or Organic Chemistry as major subject. I am interested in Biochemistry and Physical Chemistry but Biochemistry faculty is not good. My future plan is to go abroad for further studies. (Farhat Khan, Lahore)

A: I would suggest that you look at Biochemistry as your main focus and specialisation. This is one area which has several sub specialisations and I would like you to review or explore doing your masters in Clinical Biochemistry.

A more specialise area from Biochemistry would be to consider doing your MSc in Pathology which is now offered under various titles at different universities in Pakistan.

As for your opportunities abroad, there are huge funding available in these areas if you do well. I mean a minimum of no less than 3.5++ CGPA and do an IELTS of no less than 7 band. You may end up getting full scholarship in Germany for your post-graduation.

Q2: My father gave me your email for career consultation as I am facing some challenges. I have done BBA from SZABIST Karachi in 2007 and then I worked in industrial marketing from 2008 to 2013. After that I did double masters in Australia from Macquarie University in Accounting and Business Management.

The professional field is very competitive in Australia and I am confused what career choices to make. I am looking to obtain an MBA from University of Western Sydney as I got admission in their part time programme but I wanted to ask you do you feel an MBA would be beneficial for me at this stage. I am aiming to get part time management work while I do MBA as currently it is hard to get jobs in corporate sector. I am aiming to settle in Dubai or Pakistan in the future so anything that helps me in getting to that point is my goal. Also I am 32-year old so maybe that is also a matter of concern in making a decision. I am currently located in Sydney and planning to move to Perth for MBA or I have also applied for MBA Technology at Sydney AGSM for which I am awaiting admissions. Please guide me on what would be best for me. (Fahad, Australia)

A: I think you achieved a good level of management qualification that is a mix of Pakistani and international flavour. The subject mix that you have chosen are also well in demand and are known to be a good combination. I don't think so doing an extra or an additional MBA from University of Western Sydney will help you in getting any better job. If I was in your place I would find an appropriate and relevant position in strategic and financial management and gain some relevant experience in the international market before returning to Pakistan or Middle East and I am sure you will be able to find ample career opportunities in this part of the world. I wish you all the best.

Q3: I recently completed my Electrical Engineering in power from UET Lahore with CGPA 3.4. What should I prefer? Job, MS or MBA (Eng/ Management), If MS, then which specialisation should I select?

(Ayan Ali)

A: My recommendation to you would be to work for few years in the industry connected to Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing, Power Plants, Operations and Distributions, or Line Management. Once you have completed few years of hands-on experience in your area you can look towards doing and MSc to top up. This could be sustainable power planning and management, it could be an MSc in Technology or Industrial Management but this would be directed by the experience and interest that you will have in any of the above areas.

Q4: I am doing BS in Food Science and Technology from Jinnah University for Women's in Karachi. As this is a public university and I am not satisfied with it, should I continue with this university or should I transfer to private university in Karachi? Or there is any difference of degree if I transfer to private university? And can you please provide me with your contact number? Waiting for your reply as admissions are going on all over Karachi. Thank you (Shahnaha Rizwan from Karachi)

A: I would not recommend leaving a government institution for at least till the completion of your BS. The public sector university degrees are more respected than private universities especially when you are looking to study abroad. I would suggest you to work hard and try to get a first class bachelors' degree and then look towards doing an MSc within the domain of food science which has huge and emerging career opportunities. There are great scholarship opportunities for food scientists across the world and I wish you all the best in your future career.

(Syed Azhar Husnain Abidi is a renowned educationist in Pakistan, with more than 20 years of experience as provider of education counselling services. He has represented Pakistan in over 100 national and international seminars, conferences and fora. He is a recipient of the most coveted civil award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz).

Excerpt from:
Career counselling: Questions and answers - The News International

Cell Biology

UCLA scientists identify a new way to activate stem cells to make hair grow – UCLA Newsroom

UCLA researchers have discovered a new way to activate the stem cells in the hair follicle to make hair grow. The research, led by scientists Heather Christofk and William Lowry, may lead to new drugs that could promote hair growth for people with baldness or alopecia, which is hair loss associated with such factors as hormonal imbalance, stress, aging or chemotherapy treatment.

The research was published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.

Hair follicle stem cells are long-lived cells in the hair follicle; they are present in the skin and produce hair throughout a persons lifetime. They are quiescent, meaning they are normally inactive, but they quickly activate during a new hair cycle, which is when new hair growth occurs. The quiescence of hair follicle stem cells is regulated by many factors. In certain cases they fail to activate, which is what causes hair loss.

In this study, Christofk and Lowry, of Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, found that hair follicle stem cell metabolism is different from other cells of the skin. Cellular metabolism involves the breakdown of the nutrients needed for cells to divide, make energy and respond to their environment. The process of metabolism uses enzymes that alter these nutrients to produce metabolites. As hair follicle stem cells consume the nutrient glucose a form of sugar from the bloodstream, they process the glucose to eventually produce a metabolite called pyruvate. The cells then can either send pyruvate to their mitochondria the part of the cell that creates energy or can convert pyruvate into another metabolite called lactate.

Our observations about hair follicle stem cell metabolism prompted us to examine whether genetically diminishing the entry of pyruvate into the mitochondria would force hair follicle stem cells to make more lactate, and if that would activate the cells and grow hair more quickly, said Christofk, an associate professor of biological chemistry and molecular and medical pharmacology.

The research team first blocked the production of lactate genetically in mice and showed that this prevented hair follicle stem cell activation. Conversely, in collaboration with the Rutter lab at University of Utah, they increased lactate production genetically in the mice and this accelerated hair follicle stem cell activation, increasing the hair cycle.

Before this, no one knew that increasing or decreasing the lactate would have an effect on hair follicle stem cells, said Lowry, a professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology. Once we saw how altering lactate production in the mice influenced hair growth, it led us to look for potential drugs that could be applied to the skin and have the same effect.

The team identified two drugs that, when applied to the skin of mice, influenced hair follicle stem cells in distinct ways to promote lactate production. The first drug, called RCGD423, activates a cellular signaling pathway called JAK-Stat, which transmits information from outside the cell to the nucleus of the cell. The research showed that JAK-Stat activation leads to the increased production of lactate and this in turn drives hair follicle stem cell activation and quicker hair growth. The other drug, called UK5099, blocks pyruvate from entering the mitochondria, which forces the production of lactate in the hair follicle stem cells and accelerates hair growth in mice.

Through this study, we gained a lot of interesting insight into new ways to activate stem cells, said Aimee Flores, a predoctoral trainee in Lowrys lab and first author of the study. The idea of using drugs to stimulate hair growth through hair follicle stem cells is very promising given how many millions of people, both men and women, deal with hair loss. I think weve only just begun to understand the critical role metabolism plays in hair growth and stem cells in general; Im looking forward to the potential application of these new findings for hair loss and beyond.

The use of RCGD423 to promote hair growth is covered by a provisional patent application filed by the UCLA Technology Development Group on behalf of UC Regents. The use of UK5099 to promote hair growth is covered by a separate provisional patent filed by the UCLA Technology Development Group on behalf of UC Regents, with Lowry and Christofk as inventors.

The experimental drugs described above were used in preclinical tests only and have not been tested in humans or approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective for use in humans.

The research was supported by a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine training grant, a New Idea Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the National Cancer Institute (R25T CA098010), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01-GM081686 and R01-GM0866465), the National Institutes of Health (RO1GM094232), an American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant (RSG-16-111-01-MPC), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (5R01AR57409), a Rose Hills Foundation Research Award and the Gaba Fund. The Rose Hills award and the Gaba Fund are administered through the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center.

Further research on the use of UK5099 is being funded by the UCLA Technology Development Group through funds from California State Assembly Bill 2664.

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UCLA scientists identify a new way to activate stem cells to make hair grow - UCLA Newsroom

Cell Biology

New Executive Committee Members at RMS – Labmate Online

The Royal Microscopical Society has announced changes to its governing Executive Committee following a recent AGM.

Dr Peter OToole from the University of York has been appointed as Vice-President of the Society and Professor Maddy Parsons has become the new Honorary Secretary for Biological Science.

As Vice-President, Dr OToole will be supporting the current President Professor Michelle Peckham in forming the strategy for the RMS and managing its ongoing activities. With over 1500 members worldwide and activities including an annual calendar of around 20 conferences and training courses, a scientific journal and an active Primary School scheme reaching thousands of children each year, this is a big responsibility to undertake.

Dr Peter O'Toole heads the Imaging and Cytometry Labs within the Technology Facility at the University of York which includes an array of confocal microscopes, flow cytometers and electron microscopes. His research is currently focused on both technology and method development of novel probes and imaging modalities. He has ongoing collaborations with many leading microscopy and cytometry companies and his group also provides research support to many academics and commercial organisations. Dr OToole is also heavily involved with teaching microscopy and flow cytometry which includes organising and teaching on both the RMS Light Microscopy Summer School and the RMS Practical Flow Cytometry courses.

Professor Michelle Peckham, President of the RMS said Im really pleased that the Society has elected Dr OToole as the new Vice-President. Dr OToole has done an excellent job of co-chairing the mmc-series as well as emc2012 when we hosted the European Congress in Manchester. I believe that his passion for teaching and his work as an advocate for Imaging Facility Managers will make him a really great leader for the Society and I look forward to working with him further over the next 3 years.

As Honorary Secretary for Biological Science, Professor Parsons will be championing life sciences in the activities of the RMS as well as acting as Life Sciences Chair for their successful flagship mmc-series, the next event being mmc2019.

Professor Parsons is Professor of Cell Biology at Kings College London. Maddy was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in 2005 to establish her own group within the Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics at Kings College London. Professor Parsons has established collaborations with developmental biologists and clinical researchers to study adhesion receptor signalling in skin blistering, wound healing, inflammation and cancer. She works closely with physicists, biophysicists and other world-leading cell migration groups in the field to develop and apply new imaging technologies to dissect spatiotemporal cytoskeletal signalling events in live cells, tissues and whole organisms. As a result of her interest and applications of advanced microscopy, Professor Parsons developed a strong working partnership with Nikon, which subsequently led to the establishment of the state-of-the-art, world-class Nikon Imaging Centre at Kings College London of which she is Director. Professor Parsons also currently works alongside other biotech and pharmaceutical companies to develop and apply advanced imaging approaches to basic mechanisms that underpin drug discovery.

Allison Winton, Chief Executive of the RMS said Professor Parsons has been an active member of the RMS Life Sciences committee for many years and has helped to organise both our Frontiers in BioImaging and Abercrombie meetings identifying key emerging topics and developing valuable links between the Society and many eminent scientists working in the field. Professor Parsons proactive and approachable nature as well as her vast knowledge and experience in the field will make her a great representative for biological science in the Society.

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New Executive Committee Members at RMS - Labmate Online

Neuroscience

RIA fall seminars explore neuroscience of addiction, PTSD, addiction treatment and adolescent alcohol use – UB News Center

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Fall Seminar Series at the University atBuffalo Research Institute on Addictions will feature nationalexperts on heavy drinking in young adults, dating violence,financing addiction treatment and tobacco use.

The four-part seminar series is free and open to the public. Allseminars take place on Fridays at 10 a.m. on the first floor of RIAat 1021 Main St. on UBs Downtown Campus.

The Fall Seminar Series kicks off Sept. 8 with a talk by PeterW. Kalivas, PhD, on Using Tetra Partite Synaptic Plasticityto Treat Addiction. Kalivas is professor and chair of theDepartment of Neurosciences at the Medical University of SouthCarolina. His research explores the brain molecules and circuitsthat underlie addiction, with his research lab conducting studieson the neuroplasticity underlying the development of addiction todrugs of abuse, as well as the learning and memory deficitsassociated with poor rearing environments.

On Sept. 22, Meghan McDevitt-Murphy, PhD, will discussBeyond Self-Medication: Exploring Comorbidity between PTSDand Substance Misuse. McDevitt-Murphy is an associateprofessor of psychology at the University of Memphis. Her researchfocuses on the co-occurrence of PTSD and substance misuse. She hasconducted studies to develop interventions for hazardous drinkingamong veterans and has explored PTSD and substance misuse in bothveteran and non-veteran samples. She is a Fellow in the Associationfor Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

The series continues on Oct. 6 with a talk by Richard Saitz, MD,MPH, on Integrating Unhealthy Alcohol and Other Drug Use andGeneral Health Care: When Best Laid Plans Go Awry. Saitz ischair and professor of community health sciences at the BostonUniversity School of Public Health and professor of medicine at BUSchool of Medicine. His primary areas of expertise include chroniccare management and integrated care for unhealthy substance use andother mental health conditions, and integrating substance-relatedand general health care. He is a Fellow in the American College ofPhysicians and a Distinguished Fellow in the American Society ofAddiction Medicine.

The Fall Seminar Series concludes on Nov. 3 with a discussion byKaren Farchaus Stein, PhD, RN, on Who Am I: Current andFuture-Oriented Identities as Determinants of Adolescent and YoungAdult Alcohol Use. Farchaus Stein is the Brody EndowedProfessor at the University of Rochester School of Nursing.Steins research addresses health risk behaviors inadolescent and young adult females and focuses on individualdifferences in identity development as a determinant of thesebehaviors. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

For more information about RIAs Fall Seminar Series,contact Kathleen Parks, PhD, at 716-887-3301 or visit http://www.buffalo.edu/ria/news_events/seminars.html.

RIA is a research center of the University at Buffalo and anational leader in the study of alcohol and substance abuse issues.RIAs research programs, most of which have multiple-yearfunding, are supported by federal, state and private foundationgrants. Located on UBs Downtown Campus, RIA is a member ofthe Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and a key contributor toUBs reputation for research excellence. To learn more, visitbuffalo.edu/ria.

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RIA fall seminars explore neuroscience of addiction, PTSD, addiction treatment and adolescent alcohol use - UB News Center

Neuroscience

What neuroscience can tell us about the Google diversity memo – Medical Xpress

Do women care too much about people to be suitable for certain roles? Credit: Beer5020/Shutterstock

Everybody seems to have an opinion about Google's recent sacking of its malware software engineer James Damore for circulating a memo arguing that women and men are suitable for different roles because they are intrinsically different. The debate so far has centred mainly on the pros and cons of diversity programmes, which partly sparked Damore to construct his document, and whether Google was right to fire Damore.

While there have been some less vocal comments about the biological differences Damore referred to ranging from finding them "spot on" to "wrong" his assertions haven't been challenged much on the actual neuroscience behind his basic assumptions. Is there any truth to the idea that we are all destined by our biology? To understand this, let's take a look at the most recent advances in the field.

The memo, titled "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber", was sent to an internal company network and criticised the company's diversity initiatives. It quoted psychological studies, Wikipedia entries and media reports to argue its case.

It claimed women are underrepresented in the tech industry because of biological differences, arguing that women have a "stronger interest in people rather than things", and that they are prone to neuroticism and anxiety. Men, on the other hand, have a higher drive for status, according to the document. While the memo stopped short of actually spelling it out, it certainly implied that these differences are innate, fixed and unchangeable.

But this kind of thinking is changing at every level. Psychology's go-to list of cognitive differences between males and females has been dismantled, with overwhelming evidence that women and men are more similar than they are different. Many alleged sex differences in skills, aptitudes and personality including science-based interests have been shown not to fall into two neat categories,but rather exist on a spectrum.

At the level of the brain, the concept of a male or a female brain has been challenged supported by evidence indicating that brains are a mosaic of both male and female characteristics.

Our changeable brains

One breakthrough in our 21st-century understanding of the brain is that the brain is "plastic", which means that it can change depending on the experiences it is exposed to. This was clearly demonstrated in the well-known "taxi-driver studies" which showed that acquiring expertise is associated with significant brain changes and many others. If brain characteristics can be altered by experience, then it certainly seems wrong to argue that sex differences are innate.

Take, for instance, the gender gap in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), which is presumably something Google is looking to address. It is often argued that this is associated with men having better spatial cognition it isn't. There is actually clear evidence that spatial cognition training can change the brain, boosting its performance. What's more, the gender gap in spatial skills has been shown to be diminishing over time, even disappearing. In certain cultures, the situation is actually reversed.

The brain is also porous or permeable and will respond to and change as a function of attitudes and expectations, both external and internal. "Stereotype threat" is a well-known process in which people feel anxiety connected with particular skills perceived to be associated with members of another group. This can affect their performance and their brain activity. For example, girls may feel this way about maths thinking it's a "boy thing". Sadly, this mechanism has been shown to be real for example affecting girls' performance on maths tasks.

It also changes brain activity. One study showed that people who perceived themselves as being of lower status than others had different volumes of grey matter in brain regions involved in experiencing emotions and reacting to stress than those who did not. We have also shown this to be true in our lab when it comes to taking a negative, self-critical view of events in your life.

So if you are in an environment where there are stereotypical views that, as a member of a particular group, you're unlikely to succeed, this may indeed make you anxious and self-critical. And that will actually affect the way your brain works, meaning it is not necessarily something you were born with. And of course, this holds true for men's brains as well.

Damore strongly opposed certain "social engineering" activities to make the tech industry more welcoming to women. But actually, research shows that empowerment techniques can alter brain activity and overcome the negative effects on performance of stereotype threat and performance anxiety. Importantly, altering a self-critical mindset will actually make the brain process information differently.

So even if biology could be blamed for the problems Damore identified they could also arise from the very environment he appears to be channelling with stereotypical, deterministic thinking about aptitudes and abilities. I don't know the details of the diversity training he was so clearly uncomfortable with, but if it involves changing this environment and offering forms of training and empowerment to their employees, then they are doing exactly the right thing to alter what Damore wrongly assumed to be fixed and unchangeable.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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What neuroscience can tell us about the Google diversity memo - Medical Xpress

Anatomy

Patrick Dempsey Has Finally Found the TV Role Worthy of His … – E! Online

Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Patrick Dempsey is ready for his TV comeback.

Two years after the actor walked away from Grey's Anatomy, killing off his beloved character Derek Shepherd in the process, Dempsey has signed on for the lead role in the upcoming Epix adaptation of the best-selling novel, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair. Production on the 10-part event series is underway in Montreal.

In the suspenseful drama, produced by MGM Television, Dempsey will take on the title role of Harry Quebert,a literary icon who suddenly finds himself indicted for murder after the body of a young girl is found buried on his property.

The series takes place in coastal Maine and focuses on Marcus Goldman (Ben Schnetzer), a successful young novelist who had been mentored by Harry, as visiting his mentor'shome to find a cure for his writer's block as his publisher's deadline looms. Marcus' plans are suddenly upended when Harry is sensationally implicated in the cold-case murder of Nola Kellergan, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been missing for many years.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair also stars Happy Endings alum Damon Wayans Jr. asSgt. Perry Gahalowood, a Maine State Police investigator who is investigating the death of Kellergan, and Virginia Madsen as Tamara Quinn,the owner of a local diner who learns of a secret about Quebert.

"Jol Dicker's exquisite thriller, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair has captivated a worldwide audience with its complicated tale of love and lies. I am thrilled that this first class ensemble cast led by Patrick Dempsey and the incomparable director Jean-Jacques Annaud, get to bring provocative page-turner to life," said Steve Stark, MGM's President, Television Production & Development.

When Dempsey shocked fans with his sudden departure from the long-running ABC soap that revitalized his career, he noted that he'd likely never sign on for a workload that a broadcast series like Grey's requires from its actors."I would commit to a show that is 10 to 12 episodes.But 24 again, Idon't know if i would do that," he told EW at the time. "It's a very hard life. It's financially rewarding but there comes a point where how much is enough, really?"

Are you looking forward to Dempsey's return to TV? Sound off in the comments below!

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair will likely debut on Epix in 2018.

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