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Proposal suggests using psychotherapy to help break cycle of violent behavior among Baltimore youth – The Hub at Johns Hopkins

BySaralyn Lyons

For young people in Baltimore who are exposed to violence regularly, violent behavior can become a conditioned response to stressful situations. But for many, it's a response that's not fully intentional.

A husband and wife team of researchers, George and Stephanie Zuo, have proposed a way to address these automatic responses in Baltimore youth through cognitive behavioral therapy, a technique already proven effective in schools and juvenile detention centers in Chicago. Their proposal aims to give young people in city schools and detention centers the tools to develop situational awareness and internalize new, healthier patterns of thinking and responding in stressful situations.

The idea has earned Stephanie, who graduated from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in May, and George, who completed his first year as a doctoral student in economics at the University of Maryland, College Park, the 2017 Abell Award for Urban Policy, which recognizes outstanding papers that analyze a major policy issue facing Baltimore and propose feasible solutions.

The honor is accompanied by a $5,000 award. Students with ties to Johns Hopkins University have won the Abell Award 13 times since 2003.

"We wanted to work together, because we thought it would be an amazing way to use both of our skill sets to do something for Baltimore," says Stephanie, who is currently an OB/GYN resident at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

The pair met as undergrads at Harvard University, married in 2014, and moved to Baltimore to attend graduate school.

"We're both very much invested in urban, under-served neighborhoods and finding ways to improve the lives of those who live there," she says.

The crux of their proposal, says George, is correcting a common misconception about human behaviorthat all people, teenagers included, think ahead and consider consequences when they act, and that they will be deterred from violent behaviors by harsh consequences.

"We know from the wealth of literature and research on the matter this isn't actually the case," he says. "Most of the time, your brain is in this autopilot mode that has evolved over time to efficiently handle everyday life. You actually spend very little of your time actively and consciously making decisions. For kids who come from turbulent backgrounds, this autopilot mode can be useful for navigating through a tough environment at home but can also be problematic in certain contexts, like being called out by a teacher or fellow student. The CBT intervention we propose is an immersive way to help youth shift towards more deliberate thinking, especially in the heat of the moment."

To develop their proposal&titled "Juvenile Crime and the Heat of the Moment: A proposal to pilot cognitive behavioral therapy interventions to reduce youth crime and recidivism in Baltimore City"they examined research from two programs in Chicago that implemented the CBT therapy, which applies mindfulness techniques to help people identify and correct automatic responses, thoughts, and behaviors. Among the teens who received the therapy, total arrests decreased by 28 to 35 percent, and violent crime arrests decreased by 45 to 50 percent. Graduation rates increased as well at the end of the academic year.

They also analyzed violent crime in Baltimore, finding that the city has one of the highest rates of violent crime per capita among cities of comparable size. They looked at programs and trends in the amount of money spent on youth in the juvenile justice system and found that Baltimore already far outspends the daily national average on educational and mental health services for each child in a juvenile detention facility.

"Clearly," they state in their paper, "financial resources alone have not been enough to stem this problem."

They interviewed high school students, educators, and correctional workers to learn about the needs of high-risk youth in Baltimore.

"I found it incredibly moving to be able to talk to the local stakeholders in Baltimore," Stephanie says. "I really commend them for their hard workthe teachers in the Baltimore City Public School system, the staff at the Baltimore City Juvenile Detention Center, and those involved with nonprofits serving Baltimore youth. It was inspirational to listen to their stories and to hear their passion for caring for these young people."

Adds George: "We have research interests that we're passionate about, but seeing the human interest in it gave a different dimension to our work."

The duo is currently working to connect with Baltimore City officials, youth organizations, and corrections facilities to help implement and administer a pilot program.

"A project at this scaleit's ambitious," George says. "But if we get the right people at the table, I think it's definitely possible."

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Proposal suggests using psychotherapy to help break cycle of violent behavior among Baltimore youth - The Hub at Johns Hopkins

This is the study that definitely proves men aren’t born more competitive than women – Quartz

A memo circulated by a Google engineer decrying the tech giants diversity efforts as misguided ricocheted around the Internet over the weekend. The manifesto, which accuses the company of pushing its ideological biases on its employees, drew scorn almost everyplace its landed, and triggered a response from Googles vice president of diversity.

The memo is illuminating, in part because it reveals how a segment of the tech industry still feels about the value and importance of diversity. It also demonstrates how biological determinism, the idea that human behavior is innate and rooted in evolution, remains a potent organizing philosophy.

The author, who remains anonymous, argues that the under-representation of women in Silicon Valley can be attributed to biological differences between men and women; that men are more competitive than women; and this is a truth universal across human cultures.

Except its not.

In a fascinating and ambitious 2009 study (pdf), a team of economists from the universities of Chicago and Maryland set out to determine if competition was a function of nature or nurture, using a simple field experiment in two dramatically different cultures. One experiment took place among the Khasi people of Meghalaya, a region of northeastern India, where property and status is inherited through women, and men are expected to work on behalf of their wives and her family. The other was conducted in the Arusha region of Tanzania among the Maasai people, a strict patriarchal society, where women have few rights.

In both countries, about 80 men and women were asked to toss a tennis ball into basket about 10 ft away 10 times, and told they were matched with another, anonymous participant, also playing the same game. They were given a choice of a simple payment for the taskabout 40 US centsor they could earn three times as much if they beat they the other player. Among the Maasai, half the men chose to compete, while only a quarter of the women chose to. Among the Khasi, not only were the results reversed, but Khasi women were even more competitive than the Maasai men: 54% of the women opted to compete, as did 39% of the Khasi men.

Setting aside all the anecdotal evidence that women can be as aggressive as menor more soin a range of domains from sports to politics to business, the study seems to offer hard proof that competition isnt based in biology, but culture. In a society where women control their communitys wealth, theyre more competitive then men.

Authors Uri Gneezy, Kenneth Leonard, and John List are quick to point out the limitations of study that looks at just two societies, and they note there are lots of factors that could lead to the Khasis matrilineal culture, including genetics that favor competition in women. But they do conclude it is not universally true that the average female in every society avoids competition more often than the average male in that society because we have discovered at least one setting in which this is not true.

Explaining away differences as biological is appealingly simple. Its much easier to shrug off disparities in power and status as the fault of genes, than to confront the much more complicated reasons of customs, institutions, laws, and regulations that created them.

Read this next: 12 things employers can do to improve gender equality at their workplaces

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This is the study that definitely proves men aren't born more competitive than women - Quartz

Anatomy of a Goal: Urena’s Back Post Opener – Massive Report

Welcome to the Anatomy of a Goal, where each week we dissect one goal (or near goal) from the previous weeks Columbus Crew SC match.

For match 24 on the 2017 MLS Season, we take a look at Marco Urenas 42nd minute post-aided goal that put the San Jose Earthquakes up 1-0, as part of the 2-1 win over Crew SC on Saturday.

Heres a look at the finish from the San Jose striker.

The Earthquakes goal begins with a Jonathan Mensah turnover at midfield. Jonathan is easily dispossessed by Urena, very far up the field, and then falls victim to the less than ideal field at Avaya Stadium. In this play alone, two Columbus players slip on this turf.

As soon as Urena takes the ball, he slides it over to San Joses creative cog Tommy Thompson. With the ball at midfield and the Black & Gold defense scrambling, Thompson has a number of options. He can play a pass across midfield to fellow midfielder Jackson Yueill, carry the ball through the midfield, slot pass to Shea Salinas on the left flank, play a pass right back to Urena or a drop ball to Darwin Ceren.

Jonathans slip makes Thompsons decision an easy one.

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The above video shows Jonathans ill-timed slip, opening up an easy pass to Salinas and giving Urena an open run down the pitch.

As Jonathan slips, Urena easily runs past him while Artur is forced to give chase. Thompson slid the ball into Salinas on the left, who has a half field of space ahead of him with all of Crew SCs right-sided players in the Earthquakes defensive half.

Salinas continues to carry the ball upfield with Urena running level to him as Artur continues to chase the San Jose winger. Jonathan is highlighted because he has partially caught up to the play, but will very quickly slow up and remove himself from the action. Had Jonathan continued his run toward Urena, he may have been able to force a more difficult pass or even prevent this goal.

Toward the goal, Chris Wondolowski runs in front of Wil Trapp and toward Nicolai Naess, attempting to take both Columbus players out of the play and open the middle of the field. Center back Alex Crognale keeps his attention on Urena and wisely moves to cut off his angle on goal.

Salinas slows up as he feels both Hector Jimenez and Artur close him down, and Jonathan continues to trail the play. Crognale is totally focused on Urena, and continues his angled run at the winger while he cuts just behind Artur.

Trapp hasnt fallen for Wondolowskis clever run, trusting his center back to cover the veteran striker while the Black & Gold captain defends the middle third of the pitch.

Having occupied two Crew SC defenders, Salinas slides the ball into the path of Urena. Jonathan continues to trail this play and will not become involved in the effort to stop this goal. Crognale continues to monitor Urena, and the Columbus defenders objective is to force him away from the goal, either toward the end line or toward the attacking left boundary.

Toward the back post, Naess is effectively monitoring Wondolowski, while Trapp continues to cut off any runs toward the middle of the goal.

As Urena heads to the ball he has two options. He can either continue carry the ball toward the end line or he can try to beat Crognale for a shot on goal. To this point, Crognale has done well to position himself between Urena and the goal. Jonathan continues to trail, marking no one, as the rest of the Black and Gold defense holds down the goal box.

Crognale is still well positioned in the above image. The Crew SC center back is only giving Urena a poor angle right to goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Jonathan continues to run straight ahead. By this point, he should either be paying attention to Salinas right behind him, heading toward Urena in aid of Crognale or running right toward the middle of the goal. Jonathan does none of these things.

Despite all of Crognales good decisions, this one slip up costs his team a goal. As Urena realizes that he has no crossing options, he attempts to cut back on Crognale to get a shot on goal. The defender gets over-ambitious and gets his front foot caught on the poor turf.

Urena is then easily be able to cut around Crognale to get an open, if difficult, shot on goal while Jonathan continues his aimless run.

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The above video shows Crognales singular defensive slip up. Despite all of the center backs hard work on this play, one mistake costs his team a goal.

From the side angle, you can see both how well the rest of the Columbus defense has the goal box defended and Crognales mistake. Rather than backing off Urena to force him to continue toward the end line, Crognale attempts to steal the ball, getting caught on his front foot.

Crognale will get a half deflection on the ball with his trailing leg, but hes lucky that he doesnt trip Urena for a penalty kick. The ball actually deflects into a better angle for Urenas shot on goal.

Just behind the play, Jonathan likely could have cut off Urenas path to goal had he continued a hard run.

With no one between him and the ball, Urena is able to take a shot or slide the ball into the path of Wondolowski. Steffen has cut of Urenas angle to the near post, only giving up a difficult shot to the back post. Naess and Trapp have Wondolowski and the middle of the six-yard box well covered.

With only an angle at the back post, Urena slides the ball just around Zack Steffen. Naess continues to play strong defense against Wondolowski.

Urenas shot just beats Trapp in the middle of the box, and hits the inside of the back post . . .

. . .putting San Jose up 1-0 and setting the pace for their win over the Black & Gold.

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Anatomy of a Goal: Urena's Back Post Opener - Massive Report

Anatomy Of A Rumor: The Quinn Emanuel / Williams & Connolly … – Above the Law

NOT! (Click to enlarge.)

Last Tuesday, Biglaw was rocked by reports of supposed merger talks between Quinn Emanuel and Williams & Connolly. The news spread rapidly, perhaps because it was so surprising.

Other than being two of the nations finest litigation firms with a shared reputation for zealous representation of their clients, QE and W&C share little in common. Quinn Emanuel is obscenely profitable ($5 million in 2016 profits per partner), rather large (700+ lawyers), and rapidly expanding, with offices in eight U.S. cities and more than a dozen cities overseas.

In cultural terms, Quinn reflects its founder, legendary litigator John Quinn. The firm isentrepreneurial and risk-taking, doing a fair amount of contingency work, and its brash and publicity-seeking. How many Am Law 100 firms have ever advertised in airports?

(Not surprisingly for the staid precincts of Biglaw, the Quinn approach has its detractors. QEs critics or player haters question the accuracy of its profitability, the sustainability of its expansion, and the tastefulness of its self-promotion.)

Compared to Quinn Emanuel, Williams & Connolly is less profitable ($1.6 million in PPP) and smaller (under 300 lawyers). And this is intentional. Given the tremendous talent under its roof and its worldwide reputation, W&C could be much larger and more lucrative than it currently is. But the firm has made a deliberate decision to focus on quality and collegiality, refusing to expand beyond its one D.C. office or even hire many laterals. As Jenna Greene noted in an interesting post-mortem, Why Its a Good Thing That Williams & Connolly Isnt Merging With Quinn Emanuel:

As big law firms fell over themselves to jack up their PPPs and lure top laterals, Williams & Connolly has been like the last samurai, refusing to go with the flow. In the firms 50-year history, the partnership has only hired two laterals U.S. Supreme Court advocate Kannon Shanmugam in 2008 and tax expert Gerald Feffer in 1986. The rest are homegrown.

This approach instills lawyers with the Williams & Connolly culture, which is in many ways the opposite of Quinns. Despite its overall political liberalism its zealously pro-criminal-defendant, for example, and its more likely to hire a former criminal defendant than a former federal prosecutor W&C is culturally (and fiscally) conservative. It does most of its work based on hourly rates, eschewing exotic alternative-fee arrangements, and it pays above-market base salariesbut no bonuses to its associates (who have been wondering, ever since last summers Cravath pay hike, about when theyll get a raise). And you definitely wont see W&C advertisements in airports heck, it took years for the firm to even put up a website.

Given the big differences between the two firms, I reacted with surprise and skepticism to last weeks rumored merger talks. After Williams & Connolly issued its unequivocal denial, I tweeted:

So I decided to do a little digging. I reached out to both firms; both declined to comment. But I also spoke to individual lawyers at both places, and here is what I managed to piece together.

The meeting that gave rise to the rumors took place not last week, but a while ago several weeks or even a month ago. It took place over breakfast, at a Marriott in downtown D.C.

Okay, hold on right there a power breakfast to discuss the merger of two leading law firms at a Marriott? I have great respect for Marriott as a business and stay often at its hotels (Gold Elite, baby), but Marriott is a solid rather than glamorous brand. If the firms wanted to support Marriott International maybe its a client? they could atleast have met at the D.C. Ritz-Carlton, Marriotts top-of-the-line property in the nations capital.

UPDATE (6:51 p.m.): In defense of the Marriott pick, a source points out that it was probably the Washington Marriott at Metro Center(775 12th Street NW), conveniently located down the block from Williams & Connolly (725 12th Street NW).

The breakfast involved a small number of Quinn Emanuel and Williams & Connolly lawyers. The W&C representatives were people that John Quinn knows personally at the firm, through personal friendship or prior work together as co-counsel. Some folks you might have expected at a merger-related meeting were not present; for example, W&C chairman Dane Butswinkas did not attend, nor did all members of the Executive Committee.

What was discussed at the breakfast? The two sides disagree. The QE sources say that business matters were discussed, including referrals of work between the two firms. The W&C sources say that most of the discussion centered on families and summer plans and that to characterize it as an official business meeting would be quite erroneous.

Near the end of the breakfast, John Quinn tossed out somewhat spontaneously, and in very general terms the idea of stronger ties, such as a strategic partnership or maybe even a merger. The W&C lawyers were taken by surprise, since nobody went to the breakfast anticipating such a discussion.

How did the Williams & Connolly lawyers respond? Again, theres some divergence.

The QE sources say that the Williams & Connolly folks did not say no, at least not in a way that would satisfy a clear statement rule. And they claim that John Quinn followed up with W&C lawyers after the breakfast as well, which led to talk of a follow-up meeting sometime in September for further discussion.

The W&C sources disagree. Although the Williams & Connolly lawyers at the breakfast might not have been as blunt as they could have been they were taken by surprise, and didnt want to be rude they made quite clear that the firm was not interested.

According to the W&C camp, when John Quinn raised the subject of a merger, he prefaced it by saying something like, Heres a crazy idea. The W&C lawyers responded along these lines: Haha, that sure IS a crazy idea! Merging with a giant international law firm more than twice our size? We havent opened a second office in our half-century of existence! Heck, we dont even hire laterals!

And thats where things were left until Legal Business, a U.K.-based publication, reported on the supposed merger talks last Tuesday. Their article included comment from John Quinn: It is true that we had a meeting on this subject but it was very preliminary and we dont know what, if anything, will come of this.

This news quickly jumped the pond given credibility by Quinns confirmation, and picked up promptly by the American Lawyer, Law360, and Above the Law and it caused a lot of tsuris over at Williams & Connolly. Senior partners and Executive Committee members were besieged by calls and emails from anxious clients, colleagues, and recruits, expressing concern that the firm they know and love was about to get transformed through absorption into the Quinn Emanuel borg. (As a litigation partner at another Biglaw firm told me, the merger rumors created some serious consternation among W&C clients, associates, etc. and gave me an endless source of amusement.)

As noted earlier, Williams & Connolly can be somewhat press-shy, even secretive. This makes sense; in many of their cases, the best result involves their client never being in the newspaper. But given all the drama, here W&C had no choice but to speak. Firm chairman Dane Butswinkas issued a statement: While Quinn Emanuel is an excellent law firm, we are happy just the way we are. We have no plans to merge with them or any other law firm.

What went down here, from the point of view of each firm?

From the perspective of Quinn Emanuel, there was enough there to justify John Quinns confirmation of something when contacted by Legal Business. Remember that Legal Business contacted John Quinn i.e., Quinn Emanuel didnt make an announcement of its own and remember his caveat that the talks were very preliminary. (Side note: the U.K. legal-media outlets tend to be more aggressive in their coverage of the industry than we are in the States, and they will often report out stories that we might hold pending further confirmation.)

From the perspective of Williams & Connolly, this was something spun out of nothing, and there was no way anyone could have thought that even preliminary discussions were underway. This was an informal breakfast meeting, not attended by W&C top brass, focused on personal rather than business matters. Yes, John Quinn randomly tossed out his crazy idea at the end but that idea was not discussed further back at W&C, and certainly not discussed in the Executive Committee that runs the firm. To the contrary, many Executive Committee members and other firm leaders learned of the supposed merger talks the way everyone else did from news reports.

Whose version of events am I inclined to credit? Speaking for myself, I view the W&C account as more credible. Heres why (in addition to the fact that the talks took place over breakfast not dinner, breakfast at a Marriott.)

John Quinns incredible success, as both a lawyer and businessman, rests upon his energy, enthusiasm, and view that almost nothing is truly impossible. When he gets an idea in his head, he runs with it over mountains, through walls, and past any obstacle standing in his way.

In many cases over his long and distinguished career, many of Quinns ideas including the idea for Quinn Emanuel itself, which he launched after leaving Cravath have turned into huge wins. But sometimes Quinns vision can get ahead of reality, which I suspect is what happened in this case. When he raised the idea of a merger with a few Williams & Connolly partners over breakfast, the fact that they didnt explicitly say hell to the N-O even if they gave many other strong indications that anyone else might have viewed as dispositive gave him just enough of an opening to think that preliminary discussions were underway.

(An alternative hypothesis: John Quinn knew full well that this breakfast chat didnt amount to merger discussions, but decided to confirm to Legal Business anyway. Im not sure, however, what his motivation would be for such a move. Did he want to burnish QEs brand by touting talks with another top firm? Did he want to make mischief for W&C? Its all too speculative.)

If law firm consultants were to use this episode as a case study for how to conduct merger talks, what lessons would they draw from it? Here are three that come to my mind:

1. Communicate clearly. This sounds obvious, but its easier said than done. Despite its reputation for ruthlessness, Biglaw can actually be quite genteel and passive-aggressive. Many lawyers like to think of themselves as learned professionals who are above money-grubbing pursuits, so they can turn skittish when talk turns to dollars and cents.

But a merger is a business deal in which money matters, so dont be afraid to be blunt polite, certainly, but honest. And dont defer difficult issues to the post-merger integration, especially issues surrounding compensation and internal leadership, just because its too awkward to talk about them in advance.

2. Get leadership involved early. This is usually not a problem in most law firm mergers, where the deals originate at the top and then get sold to or foisted upon rank-and-file partners later. But in the rare situation where this is not the case, bring the people with actual decision-making authority into the loop as soon as possible. Otherwise youre just wasting everyones time.

3. Prevent leaks. This apparent misunderstanding would never have seen the light of day if someone hadnt leaked the news to Legal Business. Again, plugging leaks is easier than said than done just ask Jeff Sessions but it can be done, especially if the talks take place between firm leaders and are kept inside a small group.

So thats the skinny of how the supposed QE/W&C merger talks came into existence, along with lessons learned. Best of luck to Quinn Emanuel and Williams & Connolly in their very independent respective futures.

Why Its a Good Thing That Williams & Connolly Isnt Merging With Quinn Emanuel [Litigation Daily]

Earlier:

David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. OScannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at dlat@abovethelaw.com.

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Anatomy Of A Rumor: The Quinn Emanuel / Williams & Connolly ... - Above the Law

Anatomical Society of Nigeria seeks amendment of anatomy act – Vanguard

By Dayo Adesulu

The Nigerian Anatomy Act would come under intense scrutiny as over 400 anatomists from 55 private and public universities offering anatomy would converge in Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo this Tuesday.

The chairman of the local organizing committee, Professor Jide Desalu, who disclosed thison Thursday, said there was an urgent need for the society to close ranks and see to the amendment of the anatomy act to meet the needs of the 21st century.

For this reason, according to him, the keynote speaker for the event would be no other person than the majority leader of the House of Representative, Hon. Femi Gbajabimila.

In addition, a retired United Nations Organisations official, Professor Oladapo Walker and an official of the federal ministry of health, Mr. Wole Afolayan would deliver lead papers at the two plenary sessions.

Professor Walker, who is a Babcock University lecturer would dwell on Anatomy as a basic medical science: Re-positing for cutting edge research and innovation with Afolayan speaking on Anatomy in the context of the global sustainable development goals.

Professor Walkers presentation, among other things, would examine anatomy as basic medical science from fundamental perspectives while Afolayans paper would examine the present state of anatomy in Nigeria.

According to Professor Adesalu, the over 80 years old act that has never been amended since its enactment would be a subject both for academic and professional experts in the field to analyse and situate against the modern trends in medical discoveries.

This is the time for specific answers to be provided for what the Nigerian anatomist is to be.

We should have a fundamental philosophy for their training. We cannot pretend that we are far from answering these questions right now.

This, in addition to several other important factors, according to him, underline the uniqueness and significance of this years conference with the theme, Anatomy Act: What Next?

The organisers express the view that Babcock University would remain a landmark in the history of Anatomical Society of Nigeria, especially as a turning point and new beginning for the Nigerian anatomist.

This is the time to make a difference in the life of the many undergraduate students graduating annually but without being mentioned in any public announcement for employment.

This, according to the society, remained the only way to justify the essence of training and the prospective professional destination of the Nigerian anatomist.

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Anatomical Society of Nigeria seeks amendment of anatomy act - Vanguard

Anatomy of a Goal: Chris Wondolowski game winner against the Columbus Crew SC – Center Line Soccer

The game is supposed to be easier when you have the lead, but it doesnt always work out that way, and last night was no exception for the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Quakes were already 1-0 up at the time an exceptional individual effort by Marco Urena in the waning moments of the first half saw to that but the visiting Columbus Crew were making it exceptionally difficult for the hosts to find their way in the attacking third.

It was early in the second half, following a first half that saw the Crew have the run of play, and the adjustments the Quakes were making to get comfortable in the game were only just beginning to take effect. The sold-out Avaya Stadium crowd sensed that the a second goal was coming, especially with the teams growing confidence evident for all to see.

And then, in the 56th minute, the breakthrough happened.

A throw-in deep in Columbus territory was quick taken by Shea Salinas, as he picked out Tommy Thompson making a dash towards the area. Throw-ins are set pieces make not doubt about it and Salinas awareness of the situation allowed him to take full advantage of a Crew defense that was slow to settle into its lines.

Shea did a great job of being alert on the quick throw-in, said Thompson. That can be really dangerous for us, so he put me in a great spot, and I knew that if I got to the endline, Wondo is going to find a pocket in the box, so I took a couple guys on and saw him there, crossed it, and the next thing you know I am on the ground.

The play took just seconds, but it was perfectly executed. Chris Wondolowski tapped in the close range cross from Thompson for his 130th all-time MLS goal and ninth of the season to double the Quakes lead. The Quakes captain immediately dashed towards Thompson in celebration, tackling him to the ground with a flying embrace.

I have a soft spot for Tommy, so especially getting the assist from him, Im a big fan of that, said Wondolowski. He didnt know it was coming. Its an inside joke here that you dont want to be the first one to celebrate with me: it might be a punch or it might be a bear hug. I get a little excited.

To say that Wondolowski gets passionate is an understatement. Since his rise to highest echelon of MLS goalscorers he is currently ranked fourth on the all-time list the 34-year old Designated Player and U.S. international has showed an intensity on the field that few others can match. Wondo is demanding both of himself and his teammates, but none would ever say that he doesnt give his all for the team.

The assist to Wondolowski that sparked the unusual celebration was Thompsons just the third of his career, all notched this season, after not collecting a single point in his first three seasons as the Earthquakes first Homegrown player. And while he hasnt been at the center of any of Wondolowskis fired up goal celebrations, hes seen enough of them through the years to have also expected the flying greeting Saturday night.

"By now I should have known that he'd be doing that, said Thompson. It felt good, it was a great moment for the team and a great moment for Wondo and I."

Thompsons accession as a formidable attacking player has not caught longtime observers by surprise. Rather, it has felt that such performances as the fourth year pro gave against Columbus should have been the norm in seasons past. The 21-year-old midfielder has made incredible strides this season, especially under new head coach Chris Leitch, and his assist to Wondolowski was exactly the kind of incisive play many have been expecting.

With his opportunities to play under former head coach Dominic Kinnear limited, Thompson never really found the rhythm that saw him sign his first professional contract as a teenager. But with Leitch and new general manager Jesse Fioranelli running the show, Thompson has been encouraged, almost directed, to make offense a much bigger part of his game.

Jesse and Chris have given me the license to go forward and be brave and to take guys on, said Thompson. So I approach the game a little bit differently, and I think it has paid off so far."

The freedom to take on the heart of the Crew defense, the confidence to know his teammates have his back, the vision to see Wondo sprinting into space in front of the net: These attributes together were the foundation of the Earthquakes second goal of the evening, and they are the recipe for so many more to come from the creative midfielder.

So what is next for Thompson? In his current run, he finally scored his first MLS goal earlier in July at Atlanta United and he has come ever so close to adding to that tally. Late in Saturdays game, Thompson teed up an effort from just inside the area that looked destined to be his second career goal, but it rocketed off the goal frame and back into the field of play.

I thought it was going to hit the crossbar and go in, so I was disappointed to see it not cross the line, said Thompson. I am looking forward to that first Avaya goal one day.

So are the Earthquakes faithful who give Thompson some of the biggest cheers whenever he steps on the field.

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Anatomy of a Goal: Chris Wondolowski game winner against the Columbus Crew SC - Center Line Soccer

MED Neuroscience Program Gives Undergrads Experience and Insight – BU Today

From their looks of cheerful expectation, you might think the eight undergraduates gathered around a U-shaped table in the BU School of Medicine anatomy lab are waiting to see a movie or a band. Except the next thing they do is don lab aprons, gloves, and safety glasses.

Then neuroanatomy instructor Joseph Goodliffe, a MED postdoctoral researcher, brings out the brains.

Try to identify some of those structures we were discussing in class earlier, says Goodliffe (MED16) as he lifts several white plastic buckets onto the table.

Inside, floating in a preservative solution, are cadaver brains that have been donated to the anatomy lab, most of them already cut in half along the median, providing a nice clear cross section for the students searching out structures such as the corpus callosum, hypothalamus, and caudate. The students speak with a mix of awe and seriousness, but no one seems intimidated. Its not their first time, after all.

That one still has the spinal cord attached, one says, nodding toward a nearby bucket. Thats pretty intense.

Welcome to the new Summer Program in Neuroscience (SPIN), which gives high-achieving undergraduates from colleges and universities around the country a head start in the subject, offering experiences that they wouldnt normally get until grad school.

Theyre a joy to work with. Theyre really, really interested in learning, says James Holsapple, a MED associate professor and chair of neurosurgery and an associate professor of pediatrics, who began the program last year.

Holsapple, who is also Boston Medical Center neurosurgery department chair and neurological surgery program director, aimed SPIN at undergrads who are studying neuroscience or who are on a premed track, and at biology and computer science students. Theres a lot of crossover between neuroscience and computer science now, he says, from computational neuroscience to artificial intelligence.

SPIN, the Summer Program in Neuroscience, is an eight-week course for undergraduates to integrate neuroscience research, hands-on teaching of human neuroanatomy, and clinical neurosurgery. It allows them experiences they otherwise wouldnt have until graduate school.

The program has three components:

The students certainly agree about the exciting part.

Boston native Joy Yang is a rising junior at Emory University, studying neuroscience and behavioral biology. She plans to attend medical school, and says she never worried about her ability to handle the operating room. I was open-mouthed the whole time. Its such a surreal experience. Youre watching someone be cut open and helped and saved. I liked the blood. It was pretty cool. I watch a lot of gruesome TV shows. I was ready.

This has been the first real clinical experience Ive had, says Rachel Feltman, from Long Island, a University of Michigan rising senior studying for a BS in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience. Ive worked in a doctors office, but it was just at the front desk.

Feltman says her first experience following Boston Medical Center residents as they were caring for a postsurgical patient with a serious head trauma was very overwhelming. As she prepared to attend a surgery the next morning, she called her mother, acknowledging that she didnt know if she could handle it. To her relief, the surgery was canceled. However, she says now, the experience of waiting in the operating room for an hour before the cancellation gave her a level of confidence that helped her get through the next surgery.

Your brain controls everything you do, she says. Ive learned about it in lectures and in books and weve been working with the cadaver brains, but just seeing it pulsating and knowing blood was flowing through it was just incredible.

Feltman, who dropped a study-abroad trip to Copenhagen to take the summer course, says SPIN has confirmed her commitment to a career in neurology or psychiatry. She will apply to medical school after a gap year.

Undergraduates from across the country and instructor Joseph Goodliffe (MED16) (center, in blue coat) study the anatomy of the brain in a MED lab.

Goodliffe has taught medical students and grad students, but this is his first time teaching undergraduates. That meant adjusting some of the content, which he says he doesnt mind. Theyre just so enthusiastic and so excited to be here, he says. Its a great energy level that they bring, and theyre learning neuroanatomy at the same level and pace we teach the med students.

Holsapple ran a pilot program last year with two students from Drake University, his undergraduate alma mater. This year there were more than 100 applications for 8 slots, the small number constrained by the need to find a lab mentor for each student and to fit them all into clinical and operating rooms. He hopes to find ways to modestly expand the program next year.

He says SPIN benefits MED as well as the students. As far as we know, this is the only program of its type, he says. It brings attention to BU as being innovative in the educational space, and it brings great students from all over the country to work in BU labs. Its a good recruitment tool.

Some SPIN students have already expressed interest in returning to BU for graduate studies or for medical school. And the programs informal lunch speakers have included faculty offering advice about the medical school application process.

As Holsapple sees it, the neuroscience program could be just a beginning. The SPIN framework could be adapted to other clinical specialties. You could do the summer program in nephrology, the summer program in psychiatry, the summer program in internal medicine.

At the beginning of the eight weeks, he gave each student a blank lab notebook and told them they should write down anything they see or hear that they dont understand. During the Tuesday morning didactic sessions with staff, time is always set aside for them to ask questions about those things.

That inculcates a culture of inquiry and openness about questions, Holsapple says, of not being embarrassed to admit you dont know something, which is the first step to knowing something.

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MED Neuroscience Program Gives Undergrads Experience and Insight - BU Today

Northwestern Professor and Oxford University Employee Wanted for Homicide – NBCNews.com

A nationwide manhunt is underway for a Northwestern University professor and an Oxford University employee who are wanted as suspects after a man was found fatally stabbed inside a luxury Chicago apartment, police said.

On Monday, first-degree murder warrants without bail were issued for Wyndham Lathem, 42, and Andrew Warren, 56, for their alleged involvement in the death of Trenton H. James Cornell-Duranleau, Cook County court records show.

The documents say Cornell-Duranleau, 26, died after being stabbed multiple times. A community alert released by the Chicago Police Department says the body was discovered on July 27.

via Facebook

Officers received a call and arrived at the Grand Plaza Apartments and found the victim with several lacerations on his body. Cornell-Duranleau was pronounced dead on the scene and detectives are investigating the stabbing as a homicide while police actively search for the two suspects, officials said.

Lathem has been an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University since 2007. Alan K. Cubbage, the vice president for university relations, said in an emailed statement that Lathem is now on administrative leave and has been banned from entering Northwestern University campuses.

Wyndham Lathem is an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University. Chicago Police via AP

This is now a criminal matter under investigation by the appropriate authorities, and Northwestern University is cooperating in that investigation, Cubbage said.

Warren is a senior treasury assistant at Oxford University. A spokesperson for the university and Somerville College said in an emailed statement that, We have been in contact with the police in the UK and are ready to help the US investigating authorities in any way they need. The statement added that Warrens colleagues were shocked and want him to turn himself in.

Oxford University employee Andrew Warren Chicago Police via EPA

Chief Communications Officer of the Chicago Police Department Anthony Guglielmi said he strongly encourages the suspects to surrender to authorities. Police have an idea of their whereabouts but our efforts to locate that are intensifying, Guglielmi said.

Guglielmi said local, regional and national authorities are helping find the suspects. Guglielmi said police received a call from the Grand Plaza building manager who had just received a cryptic tip that said something had occurred in apartment 1008. Police described the scene as very gruesome. Guglielmi said it is unclear if the incident also occurred on July 27. Lathem and Warren were confirmed to be at the building by security cameras, he said.

Police said Lathem lived at the apartment that has since been identified as the crime scene.

We believe Professor Latham and the victim had a relationship, Guglielmi said. He added that both suspects' passports and Warren's travel visa have been flagged. Police also confirmed that the two suspects donated $1,000 to a Wisconsin library in the victim's name.

The management team at Grand Plaza said in a statement to residents: Police are currently working on the timeline and background of the victim and are exploring a variety of motives, including a possible domestic incident.

Continued here:
Northwestern Professor and Oxford University Employee Wanted for Homicide - NBCNews.com

Panhandle students among 4400-plus Nebraska students named to Deans’ List – Scottsbluff Star Herald

More than 4,400 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students have been named to the Deans List for the spring semester of the 2016-17 academic year.

The following students from the Panhandle were honored:

Alliance: Alexandra Stich, freshman, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, animal science; Anthony Hare, sophomore, College of Business, accounting; Bailey OConnor, junior, College of Business, economics; Kevin Allen, senior, College of Engineering, computer engineering.

Broadwater: Jaslyn Livingston, senior, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, applied science.

Chappell: Nash Leef, freshman, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, environmental studiesagronomy.

Sidney: Anna Wistrom, senior, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, environmental restoration science; Caitlyn Deal, sophomore, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, veterinary science; Rose Nelson, junior, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, microbiology; LaNaya Gutierrez, senior, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, hospitality, restaurant and tourism management; Megan Neal, sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences, biological sciences; Hayden Lienemann, sophomore, College of Business, accounting; Calder Rosdail, junior, College of Business, accounting; Abigail Nguyen, sophomore, College of Business, marketing; Nicholas Castner, senior, College of Business, marketing; Ryan Birner, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences, pre-social science; Jordan Kennedy, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary education; Morgan Wolff, junior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary education and special education (K-6); Spencer Ellwanger, freshman, College of Engineering, civil engineering.; Logan Uhlir, freshman, College of Engineering, computer engineering; Mia Hernandez, sophomore, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, advertising and public relations.

Scottsbluff: Tiffany Adamson, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology; Andrew Cook, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, biochemistry; Tyler McCarthy, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, classics and religious studies; Daniel Schaub, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, political science; Lawrence SeminarioRomero, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, mathematics.; Jedediah Weis, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, biological sciences; Derrick Goss, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, secondary English grades 7-12; Alyssa Hoxworth, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary education; Lucas Parsley, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, social science; Forrest Selvey, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary education and special education (K-6); Anna Torres, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary education; Matthew DeHaven, senior, College of Engineering, computer engineering.

Gering: Johnathon Boyd, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, history; Shelby Cripps, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, anthropology; Emily Hauck, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, environmental studies; Kali Rimington, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, psychology; Megan Copsey, sophomore, College of Business, management; Jasie Beam, junior, College of Business, management (entrepreneurship & innovation); Kyle Upp, junior, College of Business, finance; Karlie Johnson, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences, pre-elementary education; Katherine Stauffer, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary educationand early childhood education; Kayla Todd, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary education; Jared Powers, junior, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering; Austin Robinson, junior, College of Engineering, construction management.

Chadron: Lane Chasek, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, English; Shoilee Rahman, sophomore, College of Business, business administration; Jayden Garrett, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences, nutrition and health sciences (nutrition, exercise and health science option).

Kimball: Laura Flores, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, ethnic studies.

Mitchell: Aubree Ford, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, biochemistry; Valeria Rodriguez, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, Spanish; Rachel Beeney, freshman, College of Education and Human Sciences, pre-speech-language pathology; Kalesha Hessler, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, elementary education; Olivia Michael, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences, pre-elementary education.

Chadron: Brittany Kouba, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, global studies.

Gurley: Tessa Lukesh, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, English.

Bridgeport: Jeff Post, senior, College of Arts and Sciences, chemistry; Kristen Fellhoelter, junior, College of Business, marketing.

Minatare: Elisabeth Wright, junior, College of Arts and Sciences, anthropology; JaLee Pilkington, senior, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, advertising and public relations.

Gering: McKenna Copsey, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences, hospitality, restaurant and tourism management.

Rushville: Cirsten Hinn, senior, College of Education and Human Sciences, speech-language pathologist.

Potter: Rebekah Hutchinson, sophomore, College of Education and Human Sciences, speech-language pathologist; Luke Johnson, senior, College of Engineering, agricultural engineering; Kenna Smith, senior, Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, theatre.

Gordon: Denie Jacobson, junior, College of Education and Human Sciences, textiles, merchandising and fashion design (merchandising).

Hyannis: Isabel Safarik, junior, College of Education and Human Sciences, mathematics.

Gordon: Nicholas Sasse, senior, College of Engineering, construction management.

Qualification for the Deans List varies among the eight undergraduate colleges. All qualifying grade-point averages are based on a four-point scale and a minimum of 12 or more graded semester hours. Students can be on the Deans List for more than one college.

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Panhandle students among 4400-plus Nebraska students named to Deans' List - Scottsbluff Star Herald

When P.M. Bhargava’s Biochemistry Lesson on Beef Threw … – The Wire

After Bhargava organised a controversial meeting at a research lab in Hyderabad in 1967, he was summoned by a committee set up by the Centre to be quizzed abouthis meat-eating preferences. Golwalkar was part of the committee.

Credit: richichoraria/pixabay

The following is an excerpt from a biography of Pushpa Mittra Bhargava, currently in preparation by Chandana Chakrabarti, and from a biography of Verghese Kurien. Bhargava passed away on August 1, 2017. He was 89years old. The excerpts have been lightly edited for style.

The year 1966 witnessed a mass agitation against cow slaughter organised by the [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)]. The demand was for a complete ban on cow slaughter in the country. It culminated in a huge demonstration lead by sadhus who tried to storm the Parliament house in Delhi. While the Shankaracharya of Puri went on a fast for the cause, the frenzied mob went on a rampage. A 48-hour curfew had to be imposed to control the situation.

It was against this background that the Society for the Promotion of Scientific Temper held a public discussion at the Regional Research Laboratory in Hyderabad in 1967, on the relevance of a ban on cow slaughter, with Dr Pushpa Bhargava (PMB) chairing it. At this meeting, one of the speakers, Dr P. Ramchander, a well-known physician, said, If we dont eat the cows, the cows will eat us. This caught the headlines of newspapers the following day. The statement offended those who were asking for the ban and PMB promptly started receiving verbal threats. Questions were asked as to how could PMB organise such a meeting in a government laboratory.

Subsequently, the Government of India set up a high power committee headed by Justice Sarkar, a former Chief Justice of India, to look into the issue. Guru Golwalkar, the head of RSS, Shankaracharya of Puri, Verghese Kurien (the Milk Man of India), and H.A.B. Parpia, the director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute, were members of the committee. PMB was summoned to Delhi to give evidence before the committee.

When PMB arrived at Krishi Bhavan to appear before the committee, a man sitting in the waiting room immediately started quizzing him about cow slaughter. His questions were unending: was PMB a Brahmin since Bhargavas are supposed to be Brahmins?; did PMB eat meat?; if he does eat meat he surely does not eat cows meat?; how does the body make meat?; and so on. PMB ended up giving the man a crash course in elementary biochemistry, saying that we eat food which has proteins. Those proteins are broken down in our [gastrointestinal]tract into amino acids, which are absorbed into the blood stream, and they go to various organs, where they get reconverted to proteins. But how is milk made, the man asked. Milk is made exactly in the same way as meat, PMB replied. Then why dont you drink milk instead of eating meat, the man asked. Why dont you eat meat like you drink milk, because both are made the same way, PMB replied. To PMBs surprise, this little encounter proved to be a curtain-raiser to what unfolded when he appeared before the committee.

Inside the meeting room, Guru Golwalkar asked PMB exactly the same questions. And when PMB replied to Golwalkars question, as to why he did not drink milk instead of eating meat, with another question that is, why by the same logic did Golwalkar not eat meat instead of drinking milk Golwalkarwent into a fit of rage. It took quite a while for the chairman and Sankaracharya to calm him down. Shankaracharya pleaded with Golwalkarthat he was spoiling their case. After PMB came out, he got a slip from Justice Sarkar asking to meet him before he left. Justice Sarkar cheerfully told PMB that he was fantastic and added that the only person who did better than PMB was a professor of Sanskrit who appeared before the committee and quoted from ancient Indian literature on the advantages of eating beef.

As it turns out several years later, while collecting material for a joint paper on biology in India from ancient times to 1900, PMB and I stumbled across the following statement made in the Charaka Samhita:

The flesh of the cow is beneficial for those suffering from the loss of flesh due to disorders caused by an excess of vayu, rhinitis, irregular fever, dry cough, fatigue, and also in cases of excessive appetite resulting from hard manual work.

Three decades later, PMB went to see Kurien in Anand, Gujarat, along with a friend. When PMB reminded Kurien about the incident, Kurien told him that over the years when he and Golwalkar became close friends, the latter admitted to him that the cow protection agitation was only a political agitation which he started to actually embarrass the government. Kurien would later describe this episode in his biography, which was titled I Too Had a Dream.

One day after one of our meetings when he had argued passionately for banning cow slaughter, he came to me and asked, Kurien, shall I tell you why Im making an issue of this cow slaughter business ?

I said to him, Yes, please explain to me because otherwise you are a very intelligent man. Why are you doing this ?

I started a petition to ban cow slaughter actually to embarrass the government, he began explaining to me in private. I decided to collect a million signatures, for this work I traveled across the country to see how the campaign was progressing. My travels once took me to a village in Uttar Pradesh. There, I saw in one house a woman who, having fed and sent off her husband to work and her two children to school, took this petition and went from house to house to collect signatures in that blazing summer sun. I wondered to myself why this woman should take such pains. She was not crazy to be doing this. This is when I realised that the woman was actually doing it for her cow, which was her bread and butter, and I realised how much potential the cow has.

Look at what our country has become. What is good is foreign;what is bad is Indian. Who is a good Indian? Its the fellow who wears a suit and a tie and puts on a hat. Who is a bad Indian? The fellow who wears a dhoti. If this nation does not take pride in what it is and merely imitates other nations, how can it amount to anything ? Then I saw that the cow has potential to unify the country she symbolises the culture of Bharat. So I tell you what, Kurien, you agree with me to ban cow slaughter on this committee and I promise you, five years from that date, I will have united the country. What Im trying to tell you is that Im not a fool, Im not a fanatic. Im just cold-blooded about this. I want to use the cow to bring out our Indianness. So please cooperate with me on this.

Chandana Chakrabartiis a biologist, consultant and joint secretary of the P.M. Bhargava Foundation, Hyderabad.

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Categories: Featured, History, Politics, Science

Tagged as: beef, biochemistry, Cow slaughter, Guru Golwalkar, Justice Sarkar, nationalism, Pushpa Mittra Bharghava, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Verghese Kurien

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When P.M. Bhargava's Biochemistry Lesson on Beef Threw ... - The Wire