Histone deacetylase expression patterns in developing murine optic nerve

BACKGROUND: Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play important roles in glial cell development and in disease states within multiple regions of the central nervous system. However, little is known about HDAC expression or function within the optic nerve. As a first step in understanding the role of HDACs in optic nerve, this study examines the spatio-temporal expression patterns of methylated histone 3 (K9), acetylated histone 3 (K18), and HDACs 1–6 and 8–11 in the developing murine optic nerve head. RESULTS: Using RT-qPCR, western blot and immunofluorescence, three stages were analyzed: embryonic day 16 (E16), when astrocyte precursors are found in the optic stalk, postnatal day 5 (P5), when immature astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are found throughout the optic nerve, and P30, when optic nerve astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are mature. Acetylated and methylated histone H3 immunoreactivity was co-localized in the nuclei of most SOX2 positive glia within the optic nerve head and adjacent optic nerve at all developmental stages. HDACs 1–11 were expressed in the optic nerve glial cells at all three stages of optic nerve development in the mouse, but showed temporal differences in overall levels and subcellular localization. HDACs 1 and 2 were predominantly nuclear throughout optic nerve development and glial cell maturation. HDACs 3, 5, 6, 8, and 11 were predominantly cytoplasmic, but showed nuclear localization in at least one stage of optic nerve development. HDACs 4, 9 and10 were predominantly cytoplasmic, with little to no nuclear expression at any time during the developmental stages examined. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showing that HDACs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 11 were each localized to the nuclei of SOX2 positive glia at some stages of optic nerve development and maturation and extend previous reports of HDAC expression in the aging optic nerve. These HDACs are candidates for further research to understand how chromatin remodeling through acetylation, deacetylation and methylation contributes to glial development as well as their injury response

Teaching with Large Language Models in the History of Philosophy: A Recursive Approach

This paper examines and catalogues my experiences assigning students to use large language models (LLMs) to engage with material from the history of philosophy.  Following suggestions to make recursive assignments from Julia Staffel, the LLM centered assignment asked students to elicit two responses from generative AI with the same prompt and then evaluate which response was superior.  Student performance on the assignments generally mirrored what they had done on traditional essay assignments in my classes, suggesting that the LLM assignment was appropriate for college level classes. &nbsp

Culinary School for Healthy Eating: Healthy Choices Without Sacrificing Taste

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Food is a very important aspect that can make a big difference in our lives yet is very often neglected. The main research area of this project will be designing a culinary school that keeps healthy living and a balance life as its primary objective. This will be seen not only in culinary instruction but the environment that they cook in as well. The site location for this project is in Bismarck North Dakota along the Missouri River. This project will be using partial adaptive use as there is already a deserted hotel conference building on the site. History will also play a role in the design of this culinary school. Over the years food preparation has changed dramatically. Researching the history of culinary development and how it has changed, will lead to an understanding of how food will influence architecture

A Matrix Formulation of the Least-Squares Method and its Application to Nuclear Decay Schemes

Many people call physics an \u27\u27exact science . This may be true depending on our definition of exact. Most dictionaries include as a definition of exact the words strictly accurate . The average man thinks of an exact science as one which yields strictly accurate\u27\u27 results. Physics then is exact only to a degree

AI-Driven Strategies for Reducing Student Withdrawal -- A Study of EMU Student Stopout

Not everyone who enrolls in college will leave with a certificate or degree, but the number of people who drop out or take a break is much higher than experts previously believed. In December 2013, there were 29 million people with some college education but no degree. That number jumped to 36 million by December of 2018, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center[1]. It is imperative to understand the underlying factors contributing to student withdrawal and to assist decision-makers to identify effective strategies to prevent it. By analyzing the characteristics and educational pathways of the stopout student population, our aim is to provide actionable insights that can benefit institutions facing similar challenges. Eastern Michigan University (EMU) faces significant challenges in student retention, with approximately 55% of its undergraduate students not completing their degrees within six years. As an institution committed to student success, EMU conducted a comprehensive study of student withdrawals to understand the influencing factors. And the paper revealed a high correlation between certain factors and withdrawals, even in the early stages of university attendance. Based on these findings, we developed a predictive model that employs artificial intelligence techniques to assess the potential risk that students abandon their studies. These models enable universities to implement early intervention strategies, support at-risk students, and improve overall higher education success.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

A Practice in Enrollment Prediction with Markov Chain Models

Enrollment projection is a critical aspect of university management, guiding decisions related to resource allocation and revenue forecasting. However, despite its importance, there remains a lack of transparency regarding the methodologies utilized by many institutions. This paper presents an innovative approach to enrollment projection using Markov Chain modeling, drawing upon a case study conducted at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). Markov Chain modeling emerges as a promising approach for enrollment projection, offering precise predictions based on historical trends. This paper outlines the implementation of Enhanced Markov Chain modeling at EMU, detailing the methodology used to compute transition probabilities and evaluate model performance. Despite challenges posed by external uncertainties such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Markov Chain modeling has demonstrated impressive accuracy, with an average difference of less than 1 percent between predicted and actual enrollments. The paper concludes with a discussion of future directions and opportunities for collaboration among institutions

Cognitive demands of face monitoring: Evidence for visuospatial overload

Young children perform difficult communication tasks better face to face than when they cannot see one another (e.g., Doherty-Sneddon & Kent, 1996). However, in recent studies, it was found that children aged 6 and 10 years, describing abstract shapes, showed evidence of face-to-face interference rather than facilitation. For some communication tasks, access to visual signals (such as facial expression and eye gaze) may hinder rather than help children’s communication. In new research we have pursued this interference effect. Five studies are described with adults and 10- and 6-year-old participants. It was found that looking at a face interfered with children’s abilities to listen to descriptions of abstract shapes. Children also performed visuospatial memory tasks worse when they looked at someone’s face prior to responding than when they looked at a visuospatial pattern or at the floor. It was concluded that performance on certain tasks was hindered by monitoring another person’s face. It is suggested that processing of visual communication signals shares certain processing resources with the processing of other visuospatial information

The Transformative Power of the 2030 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

West Central Initiative, a mostly rural community foundation and regional development organization in Minnesota, integrated the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals into its strategic plan in 2019. This article explores how aligning the U.N. goals with the foundation’s “nested strategy” of local, regional, and global goals has aligned and energized the disparate functions of the organization. This article describes the strategic planning process that led to adoption of the goals, articulates how they have helped evolve the interplay of economic development and philanthropy, and identifies lessons learned from the first two years of working with the goals. Focusing on the strong and undeniable connections between the local and the global has crystalized West Central Initiative’s higher purpose. The new, transformative vision for the foundation centers diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential building blocks of both successful regional development and place-based philanthropy. Any region — anywhere — with a successful regional economy that also is supported by effective community philanthropy would look like the Sustainable Development Goals, realized