Alzheimer's Amyloid-β is an Antimicrobial Peptide: A Review of the Evidence

The final publication is available at IOS Press through http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-171133.The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide has long been considered to be the driving force behind Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, clinical trials that have successfully reduced Aβ burden in the brain have not slowed the cognitive decline, and in some instances, have resulted in adverse outcomes. While these results can be interpreted in different ways, a more nuanced picture of Aβ is emerging that takes into account the facts that the peptide is evolutionarily conserved and is present throughout life in cognitively normal individuals. Recent evidence indicates a role for Aβ as an antimicrobial peptide (AMP), a class of innate immune defense molecule that utilizes fibrillation to protect the host from a wide range of infectious agents. In humans and in animal models, infection of the brain frequently leads to increased amyloidogenic processing of the amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) and resultant fibrillary aggregates of Aβ. Evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrates that Aβ oligomers have potent, broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties by forming fibrils that entrap pathogens and disrupt cell membranes. Importantly, overexpression of Aβ confers increased resistance to infection from both bacteria and viruses. The antimicrobial role of Aβ may explain why increased rates of infection have been observed in some of the AD clinical trials that depleted Aβ. Perhaps progress toward a cure for AD will accelerate once treatment strategies begin to take into account the likely physiological functions of this enigmatic peptide.The Ohio State UniversityManuscript post-prin

Spectroscopy of Nine Cataclysmic Variable Stars

We present optical spectroscopy of nine cataclysmic binary stars, mostly dwarf novae, obtained primarily to determine orbital periods Porb. The stars and their periods are LX And, 0.1509743(5) d; CZ Aql, 0.2005(6) d; LU Cam, 0.1499686(4) d; GZ Cnc, 0.0881(4) d; V632 Cyg, 0.06377(8) d; V1006 Cyg, 0.09903(9) d; BF Eri, 0.2708804(4) d; BI Ori, 0.1915(5) d; and FO Per, for which Porb is either 0.1467(4) or 0.1719(5) d. Several of the stars proved to be especially interesting. In BF Eri, we detect the absorption spectrum of a secondary star of spectral type K3 +- 1 subclass, which leads to a distance estimate of approximately 1 kpc. However, BF Eri has a large proper motion (100 mas/yr), and we have a preliminary parallax measurement that confirms the large proper motion and yields only an upper limit for the parallax. BF Eri's space velocity is evidently large, and it appears to belong to the halo population. In CZ Aql, the emission lines have strong wings that move with large velocity amplitude, suggesting a magnetically-channeled accretion flow. The orbital period of V1006 Cyg places it squarely within the 2- to 3-hour "gap" in the distribution of cataclysmic binary orbital periods.Comment: 31 pages, 5 postscript and one PNG figure. Accepted for PAS

Marketing the Myth: The Racial Commodification and Reclaiming of Aunt Jemima

Through an analysis of print advertisements and of research gathered at the Jim Crow Museum of Racial Memorabilia, this thesis intends to explore how the Aunt Jemima brand from the early 1890’s to the present day has utilized multiple marketing strategies in order to garner consumer attention. Focusing specifically on Karen Cox’s notion of the “southern tableau,” M. M. Manring’s investment in Aunt Jemima as a Slave in A Box, and Patricia Yaeger’s theory of the “throwaway body,” this thesis will look at how elements of print advertising, the Aunt Jemima pancake-box, and racist memorabilia intersect. In order to experiment with the topic, this thesis has adapted Yaeger’s theory of the “throwaway body,” and has applied it to the life cycle of the Aunt Jemima pancake box, with the acknowledgement that if the icon is transformed into an item of racial memorabilia, she may be saved from disposal

HOPE is a 4-Legged Word: How Service Dogs Can Help Veterans Suffering from Combat-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

As the rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) continues to increase among our veterans returning from the War on Terror, the need for alternative treatment options is becoming more critical. One such alternative is the use of psychiatric service dogs specially trained to assist those living with PTSD. However, little empirical research has been conducted to support the legitimacy of this treatment option. This present study sought to explore the benefits that could be gained from the use of a service dog to treat PTSD by exploring relevant literature. The training the dogs receive as well as the possible problems with utilizing this treatment option are discussed. To deepen the implication of the study, a summative content analysis was performed on ten testimonies from veterans who have received a service dog to ameliorate the symptoms of their PTSD. Many subthemes were extracted through this process, but the dominant theme was one of hope and gaining a new leash on life. Although this present study did not provide empirical evidence to support this treatment option, it did allow for implications to be drawn from the analysis of the testimonies and provided possible reasons why service dogs are able to help relieve the symptoms of this disorder

Patient-powered research networks: building capacity for conducting patient-centered clinical outcomes research.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) recently launched PCORnet to establish a single inter-operable multicenter data research network that will support observational research and randomized clinical trials. This paper provides an overview of the patient-powered research networks (PPRNs), networks of patient organizations focused on a particular health condition that are interested in sharing health information and engaging in research. PPRNs will build on their foundation of trust within the patient communities and draw on their expertise, working with participants to identify true patient-centered outcomes and direct a patient-centered research agenda. The PPRNs will overcome common challenges including enrolling a diverse and representative patient population; engaging patients in governance; designing the data infrastructure; sharing data securely while protecting privacy; prioritizing research questions; scaling small networks into a larger network; and identifying pathways to sustainability. PCORnet will be the first distributed research network to bring PCOR to national scale

East Bay Coalition for the Homeless: Branding Study and Marketing Strategy

There are a number of potential positioning strategies. The two which make the most sense for the EBCH are to “position the EBCH away from others in the category” and to “position the EBCH as unique.” These strategies have the advantage of setting the EBCH apart from the other organizations that address homelessness. Occupying its own “position” in the minds of potential and current donors is not only an effective communications/marketing strategy but also a less costly one because it avoids head-to-head competition and comparisons

Anderson vs. Hemingway: 2111 Canon

Paper. 9 pages, black and white.Works considered part of the literary canon are constantly up for debate, and two examples of stories that could be considered assets to it in future years are Sherwood Anderson’s “Death in the Woods” and Ernest Hemingway’s “Indian Camp.” Though the two stories have similar subject matter, they have substantial differences in narration, point-of-view, and attention to detail. Because these characteristics excel in achieving a connection with the reader in Sherwood Anderson’s story, “Death in the Woods” has more potential of being considered memorable in 2111 than Ernest Hemingway’s “Indian Camp.

Sprint speed capacity of two alpine skink species, Eulamprus kosciuskoi and Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii

As global average temperatures continue to rise as a result of climate change, it is increasingly important to understand how some of the most vulnerable environments may be affected. The alpine environment and specialised biota of the Kosciuszko National Park are strongly influenced by abiotic factors such as temperature. Lizard performance in particular is closely related to temperature change. This study looks at the sprint speed capacity of two alpine skink species, Eulamprus kosciuskoi and Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii, as an indicator of fitness. Lizards were collected from two sites at Rainbow Lake and Charlotte Creek. These were raced over a 1 m distance and their sprint speeds were recorded at 25 cm intervals. Trials were conducted at room and elevated temperatures, and sprint times were compared between trials, species and sex and, for females, between gravid and non-gravid individuals. It was found that fitness, as measured through sprint speed, was greater at an elevated temperature for both species, and that E. kosciuskoi were significantly faster than P. entrecasteauxii. No significant differences were found between sexes or gravid and non-gravid individuals. It is possible that the lizard species studied would benefit from increased sprint performance linked to increased average temperatures; however, if temperatures rise above the skinks’ physiological optima, it may have an extremely detrimental effect on all aspects of the lizards’ biology

Differentiating the EdD and the PhD in Higher Education: A Survey of Characteristics and Trends

Purpose: Higher education, as a field of study, is one of the few programmatic areas that offer two doctoral degrees: The Doctor of Education (EdD) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). In the United States, the two degrees are often conflated. Conversations, to this point, have done more to contribute to the theoretical debate than to operationally distinguish between the two degree paths. Method: The current study analyzed data collected from a review of the 188 doctoral programs at 145 institutions listed with the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Results: Results suggest that while there is a shift toward operational differences between the EdD and the PhD in higher education, the similarities in entrance requirements, formats, and research expectations, to list a few, suggest that the EdD and PhD still require further refinement to reach the theoretical clarity common in many conversations about the education doctorate