Ciproxifan, an H~3~ Receptor Antagonist, Improves Learning and Memory in the APP Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Mice that express the mutant form of the human amyloid precursor gene associated with early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease demonstrate memory deficits and amyloid plaques. We show here that ciproxifan, a prototypical antagonist of H~3~-type histamine receptors, alleviates two types of learning and memory impairments in such mice. These data support the idea that modulation of H~3~ receptors represents a viable therapeutic strategy in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Interventional treatment with the Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) procedure may offer a preferable alternative to systemic anticoagulation in patients with cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis

A clinical decision report appraising: Wang Z, Jiang MS, Zhang HL, et al. Is post-tips anticoagulation therapy necessary in patients with cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis? A randomized controlled trial. Radiology. 2016;279(3):943-951. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2015150369 for a patient with cryptogenic cirrhosis, gastroesophageal varices, pancreatic cancer, and portal vein thrombosis

The Difference Between Truth and Truthfulness: Objective Versus Subjective Standards in Applying Rule 5C1.2

The drafters of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 19941 sought to mitigate the effects of harsh mandatory minimum sentences for defendants who play minor roles in nonviolent drug crimes by creating a safety valve provision. This provision offers first-time offenders a way out of mandatory minimum sentences based on their minor participation in drug-related federal crimes. Typically, these first-time offenders are mules, people asked or hired by drug dealers to transport drugs. According to the provision, defendants are eligible for relief if, among other requirements, they truthfully provid[e] to the government all information and evidence the defendant has concerning the offense. As an illustration of how the safety valve provision works, consider a hypothetical case. Bob is approached by Marty, who gives Bob a bag and asks Bob to deliver it to a third party. The police stop Bob and find five kilos of cocaine in the bag. At trial, Bob pleads guilty and is convicted of possession with intent to distribute. This amount of cocaine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. Before the sentencing hearing, Bob meets with the prosecutor, who asks Bob the name of the person who gave him the bag. Bob suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and is unable to provide Marty\u27s name to the prosecution. At the sentencing hearing, Bob can obtain relief from the mandatory minimum sentence if he can show that he meets the five requirements of the safety valve provision. To qualify for relief, Bob must show (1) that he is a first-time offender according to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines ( the Guidelines ), (2) that he did not use violence in the commission of the crime, (3) that no one was hurt by Bob\u27s actions, (4) that Bob was a mere participant in the criminal activity, rather than an organizer, and (5) that Bob has truthfully provided the government with all of the information that he has regarding the offense. To prove the fifth requirement, Bob\u27s attorney pays a psychiatrist to testify at the sentencing hearing regarding Bob\u27s condition. To grant Bob safety valve relief, the judge will have to evaluate the psychiatrist\u27s testimony and decide whether he believes that Bob has met the fifth requirement of truthfulness by providing all the information he has.\u2

An Examination of the Impact of Student Loan Debt on Alumni Giving

This study examined the effect of student loan debt on alumni’s willingness and ability to donate to their alma mater, including other identity-based motivating factors associated with an alumnus’ decision whether or not to donate. Participants of this study were recent (2015-2020) graduates of a doctoral program in the healthcare field in the Midwest, and were purposefully selected to answer questions regarding their income, loan debt, decision to give in monetary or non-monetary ways, and financial literacy education/financial preparedness. Data were gathered from virtual interviews that were transcribed and coded for emergent themes. The findings revealed that the majority of the participants did not donate to their alma mater and the most frequently cited reasons for not donating were high student loan debt, low disposable income, poor experience at their alma mater, and no longer feeling connected to their alma mater. The authors of this study also explored whether lack of financial literacy education at the study institution correlated to alumni’s lack of financial knowledge, financial preparedness, and high amounts of student loan debt

Methods of Nature: Landscapes from the Gettysburg College Collection

Methods of Nature: Landscapes from the Gettysburg College Collection is the third annual exhibition curated by students enrolled in the Art History Methods course. The exhibition is an exciting academic endeavor and incredible opportunity for engaged learning, research, and curatorial experience. The five student curators are Molly Chason ’17, Leah Falk ’18, Shannon Gross ’17, Bailey Harper ’19 and Laura Waters ’19. The selection of artworks in this exhibition includes the depiction of landscape in the nineteenth- and twentieth-century French, American and East Asian cultural traditions in various art forms from traditional media of paintings and prints to utilitarian artifacts of porcelain and a paper folding fan. Landscape paintings in this exhibition are inspired by nature, specific locales and literature. Each object carries a distinctive characteristic, a mood, and an ambience. Collectively, they present a multifaceted view of the landscape in the heart and mind of the artists and intended viewers. [excerpt]https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/artcatalogs/1020/thumbnail.jp

Community Based Global Learning

This panel explores frameworks for effective implementation and assessment of community-based learning. Relationships between universities and community partners must be just and reciprocal—meeting student learning outcomes and improving the capacity of the partner organizations. Case studies of both international and US-based community engaged learning will be presented

Improving Desert Locust Decision Support in Africa and Asia Using SMAP Soil Moisture Estimates

In the desert areas from northern Africa to East Asia, occasional rainfall in hyper-arid environments results in the development of vegetation that harbor destructive swarms of Desert Locusts (DL). The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has developed a Decision Support System (DSS) for monitoring Desert Locust events based on remotely sensed precipitation and vegetation estimates. However, the precipitation data applied by the FAO DSS have been shown to have a low probability of detection in this area leading to high uncertainty in their DL forecasts. We demonstrate the correspondence of AMSR-E soil moisture anomalies with observed Desert Locust events in north Africa and southwest Asia. This relationship enables an improvement to the existing FAO DL Decision Support System through the addition of expected SMAP products which will provide similar soil moisture products to AMSR-E, but at higher spatial resolution. The SMAP rootzone soil moisture product (L4_SM) will be particularly useful in this regard

Inflammatory Markers in Bicuspid Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background Aortic stenosis (AS) has a prevalence of 2%. Valve replacement is the definitive treatment for AS, with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) offering a minimally invasive alternative to surgery. Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiac abnormality. BAV patients are predisposed to AS, and comprise a distinct, younger TAVR patient population. Given limited prior work on inflammatory markers for TAVR risk assessment, this study sought to investigate if white blood cell count (WBC) correlates with BAV TAVR patient severity and post-TAVR outcomes. Methods A single-center retrospective analysis was performed on patients with BAV who underwent TAVR from 2014 to 2018 (N=37). Patient demographics, symptomatic severity (NYHA class) and anatomic severity: aortic valve area (AVA) and indexed aortic valve area (AVAI) were collected. WBC prior to TAVR and post-TAVR complications/readmissions were also collected. Correlations between WBC, patient severity, and adverse outcomes were assessed using the Pearson and Spearman correlation tests, two-sample t-tests, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results A statistically significant correlation (p = .041) was found between elevated pre-procedure WBC and patient NYHA class. No association was found between pre-procedure WBC and AVA (p = .723), AVAI (p = .961), or adverse outcomes/readmission post-procedure (p = .116). Conclusions A statistically significant correlation between pre-procedure WBC and NYHA class demonstrates that WBC is an accurate predictor of BAV patient’s functional symptom severity and could thus serve as a readily-accessible metric to stratify BAV TAVR patients in pre-procedure planning. No correlation existed between WBC and anatomic valve severity