Illinois Gets an “F” in Public School Financing, 48 J. Marshall L. Rev. 141 (2014)

Contrary to the Federal Constitution, almost every state constitution, including Illinois’s, specifically guarantees its citizens’ the right to a free and efficient education provided by the state. This article will advocate for a number of reforms, which will minimize spending disparities across the state, enhance equality in per-pupil funding, and lower overall operating cost

Person-specific theory of mind in medial pFC

Although research on theory of mind has strongly implicated the dorsomedial pFC (incuding medial BA 8 and BA 9), the unique contributions of medial pFC (MPFC; corresponding to medial BA 10) to mentalizing remain uncertain. The extant literature has considered the possibility that these regions may be specialized for self-related cognition or for reasoning about close others, but evidence for both accounts has been inconclusive. We propose a novel theoretical framework: MPFC selectively implements "person-specific theories of mind" (ToMp) representing the unique, idiosyncratic traits or attributes of well-known individuals. To test this hypothesis, we used fMRI to assess MPFC responses in Democratic and Republican participants as they evaluated more or less subjectively well-known political figures. Consistent with the ToMp account, MPFC showed greater activity to subjectively well-known targets, irrespective of participants' reported feelings of closeness or similarity. MPFC also demonstrated greater activity on trials in which targets (whether politicians or oneself) were judged to be relatively idiosyncratic, making a generic theory of mind inapplicable. These results suggest that MPFC may supplement the generic theory of mind process, with which dorsomedial pFC has been associated, by contributing mentalizing capacities tuned to individuated representations of specific well-known others

Disconfirmation modulates the neural correlates of the false consensus effect: A parametric modulation approach

The false consensus effect (FCE) - the tendency to (erroneously) project our attitudes and opinions onto others - is an enduring bias in social reasoning with important societal implications. In this fMRI investigation, we examine the neural correlates of within-subject variation in consensus bias on a variety of social and political issues. Bias demonstrated a strong association with activity in brain regions implicated in self-related cognition, mentalizing, and valuation. Importantly, however, recruitment of these regions predicted consensus bias only in the presence of social disconfirmation, in the form of feedback discrepant with participants' own attitudes. These results suggest that the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying the tendency to project attitudes onto others are crucially moderated by motivational factors, including the desire to affirm the normativity of one's own position. This research complements social psychological theorizing about the factors contributing to the FCE, and further emphasizes the role of motivated cognition in social reasoning

Oral mucosal progenitor cell clones resist In Vitro myogenic differentiation

Abstract Progenitor cells derived from the oral mucosa lamina propria (OMLP-PCs) demonstrate an ability to differentiate into tissue lineages removed from their anatomical origin. This clonally derived population of neural-crest cells have demonstrated potential to differentiate along mesenchymal and neuronal cell lineages. Objective Significant efforts are being made to generate functioning muscle constructs for use in research and clinical tissue engineering. In this study we aimed to determine the myogenic properties of clonal populations of expanded OMLP-PCs. Design PCs were subject to several in vitro culture conditions in an attempt to drive myogenic conversion. Methodologies include use of demethylation gene-modifying reagents, mechanical conditioning of tissue culture substrates, tuneable polyacrylamide gels and a 3-dimensional construct as well as published myogenic media compositions. PCR and immunostaining for the muscle cell markers Desmin and MyoD1 were used to assess muscle differentiation

Epithelial regulation by regionally defined populations of oral fibroblasts

The four individual phenotypic cell populations persisted in culture. On recombination into the organotypic system there were marked growth variations that may be attributable to diverse cytokine/receptor levels involved in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Such varying cytokine levels may represent intrinsic differences in sub-sets of the population that are at greater or lesser risk of developing periodontal disease.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Epithelial regulation by regionally defined populations of oral fibroblasts

The four individual phenotypic cell populations persisted in culture. On recombination into the organotypic system there were marked growth variations that may be attributable to diverse cytokine/receptor levels involved in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Such varying cytokine levels may represent intrinsic differences in sub-sets of the population that are at greater or lesser risk of developing periodontal disease.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The Impact of Translactational Delivered Meloxicam Analgesia on Biomarkers of Pain and Distress after Piglet Processing

Oral meloxicam was administered to sows post-farrowing to investigate a novel route of providing analgesia to processed piglets via translactational drug transfer. Physiologic indicators of piglet pain were analyzed to determine the effects on pain control. An effective meloxicam dosage was reached in 4/5 sow litters with no adverse clinical effects. Both piglet cortisol and cranial skin temperature measured by infrared thermography indicated significant differences in pain biomarkers between treatment groups. This study demonstrates the successful transfer of meloxicam in sow’s milk and description of physiologic pain indicators after processing. It provides the foundation for future research into refining a novel, efficacious, and practical method of providing analgesia to piglets during processing

Epithelial regulation by regionally defined populations of oral fibroblasts

The four individual phenotypic cell populations persisted in culture. On recombination into the organotypic system there were marked growth variations that may be attributable to diverse cytokine/receptor levels involved in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Such varying cytokine levels may represent intrinsic differences in sub-sets of the population that are at greater or lesser risk of developing periodontal disease

Evaluation of Corrosion-Resistant Steel Reinforcing Bars

The corrosion performance of a new reinforcing steel is compared with that of conventional steeL The effects of both microalloying and a special heat treatment are evaluated. The microalloying includes small increases in the percentages of copper, phosphorus, and chromium compared to conventional reinforcing steel (less than 1.5 percent total), and the heat treatment involves quenching and tempering after hot rolling. The increase in the phosphorus content exceeds the amount allowed in the ASTM specifications for reinforcing steeL The steels are evaluated using the Southern Exposure and Cracked Beam tests, which are generally accepted in United States practice, plus rapid corrosion potential and macrocell tests developed at the University of Kansas. Corrosion potential, macrocell corrosion rate, and macrocell mat-to-mat resistance are measured. Mechanical properties are compared with the requirements of ASTM A 615 to measure the affects of microalloying and heat treatment on the ductility and strength of the steel. The results indicate that the corrosion resistant steel has a macrocell corrosion rate equal to half that of conventional steel. The corrosion resisting mechanisms exhibited by the microalloying appear to involve the deposition of protective corrosion products at both the anode and the cathode. The epoxy coated corrosion resistant steel had a greater time-tocorrosion than epoxy-coated conventional steel. The microalloyed steel met the mechanical requirements of ASTM A 615 for reinforcement