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Signal transduction mechanisms initiated by VEGF signaling leading to tight junction loss and redistribution of ZO-1 have not been fully elucidated. One potential transducer is vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP). Site specific phosphorylation of VASP via PKG at s239 may be critical for tight junction loss in this pathway. Here we demonstrate the localization of VASP to tight junctions and changes in VASP phosphorylation following hypoxia and VEGF signaling. We also demonstrate that theses changes are dependent on VEGFR2 kinas activity. Further studies may give additional insight into molecular targets for modulating BBB integrity.

The Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Mountains igneous terrane in southeast Missouri, USA, contains eight major and several minor IOA/IOCG-type deposits. This study focuses on the Pilot Knob deposits, i.e., the largely massive Pilot Knob Magnetite (PKM) deposit and the Pilot Knob Hematite (PKH) deposit, which is located 240 m stratigraphically above the PKM and consists of variably mineralized bedded hematite and ore hosted in brecciated volcanic agglomerates. The PKM deposit was previously shown to be of magmatic and magmatic-hydrothermal origin, although its formation has not been precisely dated. The origin of the PKH deposit (i.e., sedimentary vs. hydrothermal) and its genetic relationship to the PKM, remain controversial. We present new U-Pb data on apatite intergrown with massive magnetite in the PKM deposit and provide the first precise age for the formation of the PKM ore at 1437.7 ± 5.8 Ma. Petrographic observations of PKH ore, bulk rock compositions, and the mineral chemistry of hematite, which contains up to 2.7% Ti, suggest that the hematite in the PKH deposit crystallized from acidic and hypersaline hydrothermal fluids at a temperature between 200 and 250 °C. The Fe isotopic composition of 9 bedded (δ56Fe = 0.05–0.30‰, average 0.13‰) and 3 brecciated hematite samples (δ56Fe = −0.19 to 0.01‰, average −0.06‰) from the PKH deposit are slightly lighter than the published δ56Fe results of magnetite from the PKM deposit (δ56Fe = 0.06–0.27‰, average 0.17‰). However, all isotopic signatures fall within the magmatic range, indicating that iron in both deposits was originally sourced from a magma. Because of the hydrothermal origin of the PKH deposit, the iron isotopic compositions of the PKM and PKH ores that imply a shared/similar iron source, and the spatial proximity of both deposits, we argue that the PKM and PKH deposits are genetically related and represent two endmembers of a high-to-low temperature magmatic-hydrothermal continuum. In this scenario, ore fluids exsolved from the magma that facilitated the formation of the PKM deposit migrated upwards, infiltrated existing sedimentary structures near the surface, and precipitated hydrothermal hematite ore while preserving the original bedded and brecciated structures. Geochemical signatures of the rhyolites/rhyodacites that host the PKM deposit imply that these rocks are A2-type felsic rocks that were emplaced in a post-collisional extensional setting. Bulk silicate Earth normalized patterns of the PKM deposit and wall rocks display a negative slope from Cs to Lu with negative Nb and Ta anomalies, indicating a hydrous source for the rhyolites and rhyodacites, possibly a subduction-modified subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). These geochemical signatures support a proposed tectonic setting of the St. Francois Mountains, wherein the igneous terrane developed on a growing continental margin. Episodic mafic-to-intermediate magmatism, and subsequently exsolved hydrothermal fluids, may have formed the cluster of IOA/IOCG-type deposits in the igneous terrane between ~1500 and ~1440 Ma. Within such a context, the PKM and PKH deposits may represent a shallow, small-scale snapshot of processes similar to the ones that form the IOA-IOCG continuum: a deeper magmatic event that exsolved a hydrothermal fluid that forms an overlying ore body.

Introduction: Although studies have examined emergent CTAs of the head and neck in patients seen by neurologists who are suspected of having a large vessel occlusion, the utility and accuracy of CTA for patients called as a ‘code stroke’ by any healthcare provider has not been evaluated. Methods: At our institution, imaging for all Code Stroke patients includes non-contrast CT of the brain as well as CTA of the neck and brain, regardless of severity. This imaging is often performed prior to detailed neurology evaluation. We queried our radiology department report database for all studies labelled ‘CTA ELVO’, an imaging order code which is specific for Code Stroke. We then cross-referenced this list with our prospectively acquired ischemic stroke registry, which consists of all patients discharged with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke. Results: Between January and August 2017, 1265 CTA ELVOs were performed. Average age was 66.3 years, and 52.4% were female. Of all CTA ELVOs, 144 were performed on inpatients (11.3%) and neuroradiologists read 149 studies (11.8%). Critical findings on vessel imaging were present in 165 studies (13%); of these 118 patients were ultimately diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke. Studies with critical findings involved older patients (73.7 years, p Conclusion: The yield of non-invasive vessel imaging in patients called as a code stroke in detecting critical findings is high, revealing abnormalities in approximately one in eight patients. Patients presenting with acute neurologic symptoms should receive vessel imaging as part of the initial workup for suspected stroke.

This project won second place in the 2019 Signature Course Information Literacy Award. The award recognizes exemplary student work that achieves the learning outcomes of the Signature Course information literacy requirement, that students will be able to create and execute a research strategy, critically evaluate information, and navigate the scholarly conversation. The paper was nominated by Arturo De Lozanne from the Department of Molecular Biosciences after it was submitted in his Fall 2019 Signature Course “Originality in the Arts and Sciences.” The project was chosen because of its interesting search strategy in which the author chased down something that struck his interest. This paper also used and synthesized of a varied set of sources. Dr. De Lozanne supported this project by saying "Brandon's paper successfully presents a complex and compelling comparison of two Texas universities' attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ population within their student body. Brandon went the extra mile to not only understand the legal details necessary to make his argument, but he also took care to equally address the emotional impact and social implications of these differing policies”

Walt Whitman. Drum Taps: The Complete Civil War Poems. Introduction by James McPherson. Kennebunkport, ME: Cider Mill Press, 2015. 213 pp.Walt Whitman. Drum-Taps: The Complete 1865 Edition, ed. Lawrence Kramer. New York: New York Review of Books, 2015. xxiv + 170 pp.Two stand-alone editions of Walt Whitman's 1865 Drum-Taps hit bookshelves in 2015 beside a score of books commemorating the sesquicentennial of General Robert E. Lee's surrender and the end of the Civil War-an anniversary coinciding with the birthday of Whitman's war poetry collection. Both editions of Drum-Taps stand apart from the majority of those other books, celebrating one of the few collections of Civil War poetry written by an eye-witness. Cider Mill Press's Drum Taps: The Complete Civil War Poems offers a visceral experience, integrating the poems with full-color and black-and-white historical images of battlefields, hospitals, and veterans. The result is a collage attempting to present Whitman's poetry as documentation-eye-witness testimony to the bravery of soldiers and the savagery of war, with a special emphasis on the "eye." Drum-Taps: The Complete 1865 Edition, published by the press of the New York Review of Books, is a text-only paperback, about one-third smaller in dimensions than Cider Mill's version, with a back cover declaring this edition to be "a revelation, allowing one of Whitman's greatest achievements to appear again in all its troubling glory." The books differ dramatically not only in appearance but, more importantly, in the editorial approaches to the source material.Pulitzer-prize winning and New York Times bestselling author James McPherson, the renowned historian whose books include Battle Cry of Freedom, introduces Cider Mill's Drum Taps (the missing hyphen in the title is the Press's own mistake) as "[making] the war more real to readers of the poems and viewers of the photographs, [offering] a stark portrait of the grim realities of war that confronted Whitman as he made his rounds of hospitals and battlefields" (4). The editors have chosen a fair balance of iconic and lesser known images of the period, including Currier and Ives lithographs, Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner photographs, and daguerreotypes of enlisted soldiers. A majority of the images are black-and-white or sepia, and are remarkably clear for a book of this size. The color images, mostly artistic representations of the war, are equally stunning in their detail, testifying to the quality of Cider Mill's printing.Any book relying so heavily on illustrations runs the risk of encountering problems in formatting, especially when pulling those images from historical archives and collections. While most of the illustrations are full-page, smaller images require internal framing to fit the 6" x 9.2" book format. Some of these frames-mock-Victorian borders against stock-design backgrounds-contain images no bigger than 2" x 3.5", mostly horizontal images presumably reduced in size to fit the vertical dimensions of the book. Among otherwise full-page spreads, these frames are clunky and often interrupt the continuity of the reading experience. Photo information and credits are located at the back of the book, so, with nearly 200 images to contend with, the reader is forced to constantly flip back and forth between the pages. The presence of the frames might suggest the book's role as a curatorial item, a museum on the page, but the absence of localized, focused captions and the inconsistency of formatting detract from the maneuverability of the work as a whole.Cider Mill internally divides their collection of Whitman's Civil War poetry into two books, the first of which is textually and structurally identical with the Drum-Taps cluster found in the final (1881) arrangement of Leaves of Grass, thus relying on Whitman's later ordering and edits. The two "books" are separated by an "interlude"-two prose pieces detailing the inauguration and death of President Lincoln taken directly from Whitman's Specimen Days, an attribution that does not appear anywhere within the book itself. …

The state of Iowa is currently faced with many budget difficulties. Due to the fact that education accounts for nearly half of all state appropriations and property taxes paid in the state, ways of decreasing educational costs may contribute to relieving the current fiscal stress. The aim of this paper is to develop a model from past analyses to test for the presence of economies of scale in Iowa School districts. The results reveal average benefits from a cross section of Iowa school districts that may be realized through administrative consolidation of districts with fewer than 600 students. It is recommended that school officials also consider the average costs associated with school consolidation before recommending its use. This study is the first step in evaluating the possibility of statewide benefits through consolidation efforts.

Background The available information on postictal semiology and behavior in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizure (PNES) is limited. In this study, we explore the differences in postictal semiology and behavior between patients with epileptic seizure (ES) and PNES and focus on clinical features that may be helpful in differentiating these two conditions. Methods In this retrospective study, video-electroencephalograph (video-EEG) of 144 seizures from 64 patients with PNES and 66 seizures from 42 patients with ES were reviewed. Three novel postictal behaviors were compared between the two groups: a) abrupt, brief, and rapid blinking or shaking of the head as if regaining sensorium or “coming out” of the ictal event; b) looking around the room with a scanning and uncertain look; c) posing a question of “what happened?” or a similar question to the others present in the room. In addition, differences in several other postictal characteristics were studied. Results At least one of the three specific postictal behaviors was seen in 20.1% of patients with PNES but none of the patients with ES resulting in 100% specificity and 36% sensitivity. While mean ictal duration was significantly longer in patients with PNES (175.3 ± 168 s) compared to ES (105.4 ± 102.9 s), the interval between the end of ictal episode and first correct verbal response (74.5 ± 126.2 s versus 139.4 ± 185.4 s), or first followed command (84.1 ± 133.8 s versus 141.1 ± 192.1 s) were shorter. In the group with PNES, 59.7% of patients demonstrated a whispering or altered voice during the first correct verbal response versus 21.2% of patients in the group with ES. The first followed command was slow or erroneous in 49.3% of the patients with PNES and in 19.7% of the patients with ES. Conclusion In this study, we found significant differences between postictal semiology and behavior of patients with PNES and ES that can be helpful tools in distinguishing between these two conditions. Specifically, three novel postictal behaviors were studied and were found to have a high specificity, but low sensitivity, in distinguishing PNES from ES.

This paper deals with the contentious juridical history involving Trinity Western University’s proposed law school the resistance of the law societies in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Ontario to accredit graduates from that proposed school. Issues involving the appropriate standard of legal review, in assessing the legality of the resistance by the three law societies, the balancing of section 2(a) and 15 rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Berlinian perspective of balancing positive and negative liberty in resolving the issue of balancing those Charter rights is addressed. The paper concludes that the resolution of past injustices to a particular class of Canadians, including the possible limiting of law school positions in Canada, ought not to ground a claim for provincial statutory bodies to act against Trinity Western University., Journal of Educational Thought / Revue de la Pensée Educative, Vol 49 No 2 (2016)

Children living apart from fathers experience higher rates of maternal maltreatment. Previous research has demonstrated that, through involvement with children and support to coparents, nonresident fathers may serve a protective function against maternal maltreatment. Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 818), the present study considered whether, through their involvement with children and supportiveness to coparents, nonresident fathers who exhibit early identity commitment to fatherhood may be protective against maternal maltreatment. Nonresident fathers who showed high father identity commitment at the birth of their children were more likely to be involved with their children and more supportive of their coparents three years later. Nonresident father involvement was positively associated with their supportiveness to coparents. However, nonresident father involvement was not protective against maternal physical abuse or neglect. Supportiveness of nonresident fathers to coparents was protective against maternal physical abuse – but not neglect – and partially mediated the relationship between nonresident father involvement and maternal physical abuse. Practice and policy implications are discussed.

One of the main challenges of bipedal gait is to avoid falling due to unknown disturbances. Compensating for these disturbances in bipeds is often achieved by leaning or stepping. In this work, the Spherical Foot Placement Estimator (SFPE) is introduced, which uses the biped's current kinematics and dynamics to predict if a step is needed, and if so where to step, to restore balance in 3D. An example of a controller using the SFPE is shown, which augments an existing optimal controller with both leaning and stepping: SFPE-based feedback is used to generate a desired momentum for momentum-based leaning while the SFPE point is used as a control reference for stepping. The new estimator outperforms existing balance criteria by providing both recovery step location prediction and momentum objectives with smooth dynamics.

Background: Early neurological deterioration (END) prompting urgent brain imaging occurs in up to 15% of ischemic stroke patients receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Most of these are not related to symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) but lead to unnecessary interruption of the tPA infusion. We aim to determine predictors of sICH in ischemic stroke patients undergoing emergent brain imaging after tPA. Methods: We queried our prospective stroke database and included all patients who received tPA for ischemic stroke from March 1 st , 2015 until March 1 st , 2017. We then identified patients who underwent emergent brain imaging before the planned 24-hour brain imaging and divided these patients into: sICH+ and sICH- defined by NINDS criteria. We compared baseline clinical factors, pre-admission medications, admission blood pressure, symptoms prompting repeat scan [change in level of consciousness (LOC); worsening or new (W/N) neurological symptoms without change in LOC; headache/nausea/vomiting), thrombectomy, 24-hour NIHSS and 90 day outcome. Results: We identified 511 patients who received tPA (sICH rate 4.1%). Emergent repeat brain CT was performed on 108 (21.1%); 17.5% (19/108) had sICH and 21.3% (23/108) occurred during the tPA infusion with only one being related to sICH. The mean time from tPA infusion to symptoms prompting brain imaging in sICH was 7.3 ± 5.3 hours. In patients who underwent emergent brain imaging, sICH+ patients were older (80.2 ± 15.8 vs. 70.8 ± 15.4, p = 0.026), with higher admission NIHSS (14 vs. 7, p = 0.0016) and 90-day mortality (87.5% vs. 22.4%, p Conclusion: Nearly 95% of patients with ischemic stroke had unnecessary interruption of the tPA infusion for new symptoms shortly after the tPA infusion. A change in LOC was the only predictor of sICH among tPA patients undergoing emergent brain imaging. In this group of patients, the preparation of tPA reversal agents awaiting brain imaging may help reduce tPA reversal times and improve outcomes

The ability of a legged system to balance depends on both the control strategy used and the system's physical design. To quantify a system's inherent balance capabilities, we define momentum gains for general 2D and 3D models. We provide two methods for calculating these gains, and relate both velocity and momentum gains to the centroidal momentum of a system, a commonly used measure of aggregate system behavior. Finally, we compare velocity and momentum gains as criteria for the design of simple balancing systems using a parameterized optimization framework.

There are two main goals for any mobile, bipedal system: locomotion and balance. These behaviors both require the biped to effectively move its center of mass (COM). In this work, we define an optimization framework which can be used to design a biped that maximizes its ability to move its COM, without having to define an associated controller or trajectory. We use angular momentum gain in our objective function, a measure of how efficiently a system can move its COM based on its physical properties. As a comparison, we also optimize the model using a cost of transport-based objective function over a set of trajectories and show that it provides similar results. However, the cost of transport calculation requires slow hybrid dynamics equations and hand-designed trajectories, whereas the angular momentum gain calculation requires only the joint space inertia matrix at each configuration of interest.

ObjectivesEarly neurological deterioration prompting urgent brain imaging occurs in nearly 15% of patients with ischaemic stroke receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We aim to determine risk factors associated with symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) in patients with ischaemic stroke undergoing emergent brain imaging for early neurological deterioration after receiving tPA.MethodsWe abstracted data from our prospective stroke database and included all patients receiving tPA for ischaemic stroke between 1 March 2015 and 1 March 2017. We then identified patients with neurological deterioration who underwent urgent brain imaging prior to their per-protocol surveillance imaging and divided patients into two groups: those with and without sICH. We compared baseline demographics, clinical variables, in-hospital treatments and functional outcomes at 90 days between the two groups.ResultsWe identified 511 patients who received tPA, of whom 108 (21.1%) had an emergent brain CT. Of these patients, 17.5% (19/108) had sICH; 21.3% (23/108) of emergent scans occurred while tPA was infusing, though only 4.3% of these scans (1/23) revealed sICH. On multivariable analyses, the only predictor of sICH was a change in level of consciousness (OR 6.62, 95% CI 1.64 to 26.70, P=0.008).ConclusionChange in level of consciousness is associated with sICH among patients undergoing emergent brain imaging after receiving tPA. In this group of patients, preparation of tPA reversal agents while awaiting brain imaging may reduce reversal times. Future studies are needed to study the cost-effectiveness of this approach.

Rotary shouldered connections (RSCs) for polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bits have been unchanged since PDC bits were introduced in the late 1970s. These specifications were carried over from roller cone (RC) bits, which require significantly less torque to fail rock than a PDC bit. Current drilling processes and technologies highlight the need to re-evaluate connection requirements for PDC bits, specifically bits using the 3 1/2 REG connection. The Bakken shale requires extremely long laterals of up to two miles to remain within production zones, which are most economically drilled with a bent housing motor. These long laterals led to significant motor technology improvements for preventing stalls and allowing more weight on bit (WOB), increasing rate of penetration (ROP), and decreasing the number of bottomhole assemblies (BHAs), which reduced drilling costs. These advantages were achieved using a 5-in. motor that has a peak torque output greater than the makeup torque of the 3 1/2 REG connection. Therefore, it is necessary to re-evaluate PDC bit connections. The connection fatigue index (CFI) is used to compare the fatigue life of connections given a set of parameters. It uses the Morrow strain-life equation to predict fatigue life. A unique feature of the equation is that it takes into account both stress and strain in the plastic region, which is crucial because the last engaged thread enters plastic deformation during makeup. The CFI includes Numbered Connections (NC) 35 and NC38 but does not include the 3 1/2 REG connection; therefore, the starting point for evaluation is to perform the calculations for the 3 1/2 REG connection. Fatigue life was evaluated using the CFI for the 3 1/2 REG, 3 1/2 REG with 1-in. stress-relief groove (SRG), NC35, and NC38 connections for a given bending moment. Results from the Morrow strain-life equation predict that the NC35 with a SRG will have the greatest number of cycles to failure of the four connections evaluated. Based on the CFI calculations, the NC35 is predicted to last approximately 800 times longer than the 3 1/2 REG, 40 times longer than the NC38, and 10 times longer than a 3 1/2 REG with 1-in. SRG. The following thread form characteristics account for the exponential increase in life of the NC connections over the 3 1/2 REG: larger pitch diameter, SRG, larger root radius, and reduced taper angle. The NC35 connection was then field tested in a Bakken shale lateral. As well plans are modified for shale drilling and motor technology advances, connection advances are also required. At a minimum, the makeup torque of the connection should be greater than the torsional output of the motor to prevent downhole makeup, mud seal galling, and reduced fatigue life.

Article demonstrated the advantages and experiences, for students and university, of producing Kabuki plays in English. The program was carried out by the Department of Drama and Theatre at the University of Hawaii. (Author/RK)