The Path to a Civil Society Goes Through the University

FOR MUCH OF THIS DECADE, public intellectuals in the United States have led a chorus of concern over the stale of our civil society. The phrase is evocative and inclusive, alluding both to the quality of our interpersonal relations and to the vitality of our democratic processes. Signs that our civil society is in trouble can be seen in a demise of courtesy in commonplace transactions (angry gestures on the freeways); in a declining commitment to family (the weakening of marriages and too little time spent with children); in a lack of community spirit (neighborhoods where people keep to themselves); in the absence of honor and virtue among public figures (no examples needed here); and in political disengagement across the land (empty voting booths and public cynicism about current affairs)

Mechanisms of Post-hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus after Germinal Matrix Hemorrhage

The inherently fragile vasculature of the germinal matrix is susceptible to rupture, possibly as a result of hemodynamic and cardiorespiratory instability associated with prematurity. Germinal matrix hemorrhage is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm and/or very low birthweight infants, and post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus is major consequence of severe grade hemorrhages. Chronic post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus treatment involves surgical insertion of shunts, which are costly and prone to complications. Thus, a safe non-invasive therapeutic approach towards post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus clinical management would significantly improve the quality of life for this patient population. Thrombin, cerebroventricular blood clots, and iron have been identified as causative factors of hydrocephalus formation. Thrombin stimulates proteinase-activated receptors, leading to subsequent mTOR activation and extracellular matrix protein proliferation, which possibly obstruct the cerebroventricular system. Blood clots may directly impair cerebrospinal fluid circulation and absorption. PPARγ stimulation enhances micgroglial/macrophage phagocytosis of erythrocytes via CD36 scavenger receptor, augmenting clot resolution and improving outcomes after adult cerebral hemorrhage. Additionally, lysed erythrocytes and metabolized hemoglobin release iron, which is associated with brain injury after adult cerebral hemorrhage and contribute to post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus development. The central aim of this proposal is to determine the role of activated thrombin/PAR-1/mTOR pathway as well as the role of hematoma resolution by PPARγ/CD36 and iron chelation by Deferoxamine in hydrocephalus development after germinal matrix hemorrhage. Direct thrombin inhibition reduced short-term mTOR activation and ameliorated long-term post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus development, neurocogntive deficits, and extracellular matrix protein proliferation, although PAR-1 inhibition alone did not achieve the same therapeutic benefits. PPARγ stimulation improved short-term hematoma resolution, which was reversed by PPARγ antagonism and CD36 knockdown. PPARγ stimulation attenuated long-term neurocognitive deficits and post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, which was reversed by PPARγ antagonism. Acute and delayed iron chelation also reduced long-term post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus development, neurocognitive deficits, and extracellular matrix protein proliferation. Thus, thrombin/PAR/mTOR pathway inhibition, enhanced PPARγ/CD36 mediated hematoma resolution, and iron chelation significantly ameliorated short and long-term brain sequelae after germinal matrix hemorrhage and are clinically viable therapeutic targets warranting further investigation

The use of multibeam and split-beam echo sounders for assessing biomass and distribution of spring-spawning Atlantic cod in the Gulf of Maine

This research focused on advancing the application of split-beam and multibeam echo sounding to remotely locate and describe spatial distribution, and to provide a relative measure of abundance of the spring-spawning Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the western Gulf of Maine. Specifically, the main objectives of this research were 1) to test the feasibility of a multibeam echo sounder to detect changes in volume backscatter proportional to incrementally decreasing quantities of cod held in a submerged cage, and to compare results to a split-beam echo sounder; 2) to describe the spatio-temporal distribution and estimate biomass of spring-spawning cod in the Gulf of Maine cod spawning protection area (GOMCSPA) by repeated acoustic and trawl surveys; and 3) to determine a predictive relation between target strength and length for 38-kHz and 120-kHz split-beam echo sounders and a 300-kHz multibeam echo sounder, and characterize other factors affecting backscattering of sound. The multibeam echo sounder detected a small and large reduction in volume backscatter proportional to reductions in stocking density of caged cod, while the split-beam echo sounder only detected a large reduction in stocking density. The spatial information from the multibeam echo sounder helped interpret and explain results from the split-beam echo sounder. Repeated acoustic and trawl surveys showed cod were relatively widespread in the survey area in May, but congregated at higher densities in areas adjacent to two elevated bathymetric features. Most cod converged to a single location in June, and were at a higher concentration than observations in May. This congregation decreased in size and density in July. Survey estimates of cod biomass ranged 184-494 mt in May, 138-617 mt in June, and 39-135 mt in July, depending on the estimation method. Based on echo classification and extrapolation, cod biomass to the GOMCSPA ranged 260-466 mt in May, 196-513 mt in June, and 91-198 mt in July. The biomass being protected by the closure may have represented 4-5% of the GOM cod spawning stock biomass at the time of the study based on these estimates. The three echo sounders synchronously collected acoustic data of individual free-swimming captive cod, while the movements of most individuals were observed with underwater video. The standard TS-L equations were TS = 20 log10(L) -- 66.4 at 38 kHz, TS = 20 log10(L) -- 67.4 at 120 kHz, and 〈TS〉 = 20 log10(L) -- 71.4 at 300 kHz. The study demonstrated a significant TS-L relation at 300 kHz from aggregated data collected by a multibeam echo sounder with narrow beams over multiple beam-pointing angles and without split-beam target tracking

The GoodWork Project: An Overview

The Good Project is a large scale effort to identify individuals and institutions that exemplify good work -- work that is excellent in quality, socially responsible, and meaningful to its practitioners -- and to determine how best to increase the incidence of good work in our society. This paper is a comprehensive description of the GoodWork Project

Non-Commutative Partial Matrix Convexity

Let $p$ be a polynomial in the non-commuting variables $(a,x)=(a_1,...,a_{g_a},x_1,...,x_{g_x})$. If $p$ is convex in the variables $x$, then $p$ has degree two in $x$ and moreover, $p$ has the form $p = L + \Lambda ^T \Lambda,$ where $L$ has degree at most one in $x$ and $\Lambda$ is a (column) vector which is linear in $x,$ so that $\Lambda^T\Lambda$ is a both sum of squares and homogeneous of degree two. Of course the converse is true also. Further results involving various convexity hypotheses on the $x$ and $a$ variables separately are presented.Comment: 24 page

Koinonia

Spotlight on SpeakersHeeding the Call of the Ministry of the Towel, Siang-Yang Tan Being Honest About Why We Can\u27t All Just Get Along, William H. Willimon Perspectives on PracticesA Christian Philosophy of Student Development: The Ongoing Discussion and Debate, Carolyn Arthur A Life Worth Living, Damon Seacott The State of Our Seniors Address, Melanie Sunukjian ACSD MattersExecutive Committee Elections New Professionals Retreat ACSD 2002 at Lee University Regular FeaturesPresident\u27s Corner Editor\u27s Diskhttps://pillars.taylor.edu/acsd_koinonia/1019/thumbnail.jp

Effects of aerobic training with and without weight loss on insulin sensitivity and lipids

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of exercise training with modest or greater weight loss (≥3%) or not (<3%) on insulin sensitivity, lipoprotein concentrations, and lipoprotein particle size in overweight and obese participants. Methods: Adults (N = 163, body mass index: 25–37 [kg/m2]) participated in 8 months of exercise training. Insulin sensitivity, lipid concentrations, lipid particle size and other cardiometabolic variables were measured at baseline and follow-up. Participants were categorized by whether they achieved at least modest weight loss (≥ 3%) or not (<3%) following the intervention. Results: A greater improvement in insulin sensitivity was observed in adults performing exercise training with at least modest weight loss (2.2 mU·l-1 ·min -1, CI: 1.5 to 2.8) compared to those who did not (0.8 mU·l-1 ·min -1, CI: 0.5 to 1.2). Similar results were observed for acute insulin response, triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol concentration, low density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size and high density lipoprotein (HDL) particle size (p<0.05), when all exercise groups were combined. No significant results across weight loss categories were observed for LDL, HDL, glucose, or insulin levels. Conclusion: The present study suggests that aerobic exercise combined with at least modest weight loss leads to greater improvements in insulin sensitivity, triglycerides as well as other non-traditional lipid risk factors (non-HDL cholesterol, HDL/LDL particle size). Clinicians should advocate patients who are overweight/obese to exercise and obtain modest weight loss for improved cardiovascular benefits

Intensive care outcomes in bone marrow transplant recipients: a population-based cohort analysis

Abstract Introduction Intensive care unit (ICU) admission for bone marrow transplant recipients immediately following transplantation is an ominous event, yet the survival of these patients with subsequent ICU admissions is unknown. Our objective was to determine the long-term outcome of bone marrow transplant recipients admitted to an ICU during subsequent hospitalizations. Methods We conducted a population-based cohort analysis of all adult bone marrow transplant recipients who received subsequent ICU care in Ontario, Canada from 1 January 1992 to 31 March 2002. The primary endpoint was mortality at 1 year. Results A total of 2,653 patients received bone marrow transplantation; 504 of which received ICU care during a subsequent hospitalization. Patients receiving any major procedure during their ICU stay had higher 1-year mortality than those patients who received no ICU procedure (87% versus 44%, P < 0.0001). Death rates at 1 year were highest for those receiving mechanical ventilation (87%), pulmonary artery catheterization (91%), or hemodialysis (94%). In combination, the strongest independent predictors of death at 1 year were mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 7.4; 95% confidence interval, 4.8 to 11.4) and hemodialysis (odds ratio, 8.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 36.7), yet no combination of procedures uniformly predicted 100% mortality. Conclusion The prognosis of bone marrow transplant recipients receiving ICU care during subsequent hospitalizations is very poor but should not be considered futile

What About High-Moisture Corn for Hogs?

High-moisture corn is a satisfactory feedstuff for growing-finishing hogs, according to the results of a series of tests at Iowa State. But high-moisture corn calls for special storage and handling to maintain quality

Fabrication of bipolar transistors by maskless ion implantation

The first focused ion beam (FIB) arsenic ion implants are reported. A shallow junction, vertical npn bipolar transistor fabricated by maskless implantation of B and As is described. For comparison, devices on the same wafer were also processed with conventional, broad‐beam B and/or As implants. Good transistor performance is obtained for each type of implanted transistor. Device characteristics for FIB and conventional implants are generally the same. However, initial results indicate that diode quality and junction leakage appear somewhat degraded (excess generation–recombination) for FIB arsenic implanted devices. Characteristics of FIB boron implanted devices obtained over an extended period have been measured. These data indicate that wafer‐to‐wafer dose uniformity and quality (diode ideality and leakage currents) is equal to that for conventional implants (standard deviation