3D quantitative imaging of unprocessed live tissue reveals epithelial defense against bacterial adhesion and subsequent traversal requires MyD88.

While a plethora of in vivo models exist for studying infectious disease and its resolution, few enable factors involved in the maintenance of health to be studied in situ. This is due in part to a paucity of tools for studying subtleties of bacterial-host interactions at a cellular level within live organs or tissues, requiring investigators to rely on overt outcomes (e.g. pathology) in their research. Here, a suite of imaging technologies were combined to enable 3D and temporal subcellular localization and quantification of bacterial distribution within the murine cornea without the need for tissue processing or dissection. These methods were then used to demonstrate the importance of MyD88, a central adaptor protein for Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) mediated signaling, in protecting a multilayered epithelium against both adhesion and traversal by the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa ex vivo and in vivo

Our Journey Into Learning Innovation and Competency-Based Education

Short Abstract: In 2013 a learning innovation incubator began with a question “what might an education addressing next-generation skills look like?” A result was the first competency-based undergraduate program at a main campus of a major university. This talk provides insights into a process involving learning and policy innovation. Full Abstract: In 2013 a learning innovation incubator began to consider the question “what might an education addressing next-generation skills look like?” Faculty from technology, mathematics, science, and various disciplines in the humanities met weekly for six months establishing trust with the help of a learning innovation coach using open dialog in areas such as empathy, belonging, and vulnerability. With the help of experts from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Olin College, two learning experiences (courses) were created and developed in the spring and summer of 2014. The learning experiences intentionally integrated the humanities with STEM fields using self-awareness and open-ended wicked problems as cornerstones to foster and develop individual student learning and metacognition. A competency-based learning model was adopted to assess student agency and learning in a more holistic way. Over the next three years a cohort of students navigated requirements for their declared major while participating in these new and evolving learning experiences, and the process of obtaining necessary degree approvals

Novel Characteristics of Valveless Pumping

This study investigates the occurrence of valveless pumping in a fluidfilled system consisting of two open tanks connected by an elastic tube. We show that directional flow can be achieved by introducing a periodic pinching applied at an asymmetrical location along the tube, and that the flow direction depends on the pumping frequency. We propose a relation between wave propagation velocity, tube length, and resonance frequencies associated with shifts in the pumping direction using numerical simulations. The eigenfrequencies of the system are estimated from the linearized system, and we show that these eigenfrequencies constitute the resonance frequencies and the horizontal slope frequencies of the system; 'horizontal slope frequency' being a new concept. A simple model is suggested, explaining the effect of the gravity driven part of the oscillation observed in response to the tank and tube diameter changes. Results are partly compared with experimental findings.Art. no. 22450

They Saw a Protest : Cognitive Illiberalism and the Speech-Conduct Distinction

“Cultural cognition” refers to the unconscious influence of individuals’ group commitments on their perceptions of legally consequential facts. We conducted an experiment to assess the impact of cultural cognition on perceptions of facts relevant to distinguishing constitutionally protected “speech” from unprotected “conduct.” Study subjects viewed a video of a political demonstration. Half the subjects believed that the demonstrators were protesting abortion outside of an abortion clinic, and the other half that the demonstrators were protesting the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy outside a military recruitment center. Subjects of opposing cultural outlooks who were assigned to the same experimental condition (and thus had the same belief about the nature of the protest) disagreed sharply on key “facts”—including whether the protestors obstructed and threatened pedestrians. Subjects also disagreed sharply with those who shared their cultural outlooks but who were assigned to the opposing experimental condition (and hence had a different belief about the nature of the protest). These results supported the study hypotheses about how cultural cognition would affect perceptions pertinent to the speech-conduct distinction. We discuss the significance of the results for constitutional law and liberal principles of self governanc generally

Characterizing forest succession with lidar data: An evaluation for the Inland Northwest, USA

Quantifying forest structure is important for sustainable forest management, as it relates to a wide variety of ecosystem processes and services. Lidar data have proven particularly useful for measuring or estimating a suite of forest structural attributes such as canopy height, basal area, and LAI. However, the potential of this technology to characterize forest succession remains largely untested. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of lidar data for characterizing forest successional stages across a structurally diverse, mixed-species forest in Northern Idaho. We used a variety of lidar-derived metrics in conjunction with an algorithmic modeling procedure (Random Forests) to classify six stages of three-dimensional forest development and achieved an overall accuracy \u3e95%. The algorithmic model presented herein developed ecologically meaningful classifications based upon lidar metrics quantifying mean vegetation height and canopy cover, among others. This study highlights the utility of lidar data for accurately classifying forest succession in complex, mixed coniferous forests; but further research should be conducted to classify forest successional stages across different forests types. The techniques presented herein can be easily applied to other areas. Furthermore, the final classification map represents a significant advancement for forest succession modeling and wildlife habitat assessment

Characterizing forest succession with lidar data: An evaluation for the Inland Northwest, USA

Quantifying forest structure is important for sustainable forest management, as it relates to a wide variety of ecosystem processes and services. Lidar data have proven particularly useful for measuring or estimating a suite of forest structural attributes such as canopy height, basal area, and LAI. However, the potential of this technology to characterize forest succession remains largely untested. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of lidar data for characterizing forest successional stages across a structurally diverse, mixed-species forest in Northern Idaho. We used a variety of lidar-derived metrics in conjunction with an algorithmic modeling procedure (Random Forests) to classify six stages of three-dimensional forest development and achieved an overall accuracy \u3e95%. The algorithmic model presented herein developed ecologically meaningful classifications based upon lidar metrics quantifying mean vegetation height and canopy cover, among others. This study highlights the utility of lidar data for accurately classifying forest succession in complex, mixed coniferous forests; but further research should be conducted to classify forest successional stages across different forests types. The techniques presented herein can be easily applied to other areas. Furthermore, the final classification map represents a significant advancement for forest succession modeling and wildlife habitat assessment

Strong exchange and magnetic blocking in N 2 32 -radical-bridged lanthanide complexes

Single-molecule magnets approach the ultimate size limit for spin-based devices. These complexes can retain spin information over long periods of time at low temperature, suggesting possible applications in high-density information storage, quantum computing and spintronics. Notably, the success of most such applications hinges upon raising the inherent molecular spin-inversion barrier. Although recent advances have shown the viability of lanthanide-containing complexes in generating large barriers, weak or non-existent magnetic exchange coupling allows fast relaxation pathways that mitigate the full potential of these species. Here, we show that the diffuse spin of an N 2 32 radical bridge can lead to exceptionally strong magnetic exchange in dinuclear Ln(III) (Ln 5 Gd, Dy) complexes. The Gd(III) congener exhibits the strongest magnetic coupling yet observed for that ion, while incorporation of the high-anisotropy Dy(III) ion gives rise to a molecule with a record magnetic blocking temperature of 8.3 K at a sweep rate of 0.08 T s 21

Recognition of C-terminal amino acids in tubulin by pore loops in Spastin is important for microtubule severing

Spastin, an AAA ATPase mutated in the neurodegenerative disease hereditary spastic paraplegia, severs microtubules. Many other AAA proteins form ring-shaped hexamers and contain pore loops, which project into the ring's central cavity and act as ratchets that pull on target proteins, leading, in some cases, to conformational changes. We show that Spastin assembles into a hexamer and that loops within the central pore recognize C-terminal amino acids of tubulin. Key pore loop amino acids are required for severing, including one altered by a disease-associated mutation. We also show that Spastin contains a second microtubule binding domain that makes a distinct interaction with microtubules and is required for severing. Given that Spastin engages the MT in two places and that both interactions are required for severing, we propose that severing occurs by forces exerted on the C-terminal tail of tubulin, which results in a conformational change in tubulin, which releases it from the polymer