Narrative Policy Analysis: Theory and Practice. By Roe Emery. Durham: Duke University Press, 1994. 199p. $39.95 cloth, $15.95 paper.

Microglia are critical for amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta)-mediated neuronal perturbation relevant to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis We demonstrate that overexpression of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in imbroglio exaggerates neuroinflammation, as evidenced by increased proinflammatory mediator production, Abeta accumulation, impaired learning/memory, and neurotoxicity in an Abeta-rich environment Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing human mutant APP (mAPP) in neurons and RAGE in microglia displayed enhanced IL-1beta and TNF-alpha production, increased infiltration of microglia and astrocytes, accumulation of Abeta, reduced acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity, and accelerated deterioration of spatial learning/memory Notably, introduction of a signal transduction-defective mutant RAGE (DN-RAGE) to microglia attenuates deterioration induced by Abeta These findings indicate that RAGE signaling in microglia contributes to the pathogenesis of an inflammatory response that ultimately impairs neuronal function and directly affects amyloid accumulation We conclude that blockade of microglial RAGE may have a beneficial effect on Abeta-mediated neuronal perturbation relevant to AD pathogenesis-Fang, F, Lue, L-F, Yan, S, Xu, H, Luddy, J S, Chen, D, Walker, D G, Stern, D M, Yan, S, Schmidt, A M, Chen, J X, Yan, S S RAGE-dependent signaling in microglia contributes to neuroinflammation, Abeta accumulation, and impaired learning/memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

RAGE-dependent signaling in microglia contributes to neuroinflammation, Aβ accumulation, and impaired learning/memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

The role of neuroimmune signaling in alcoholism.

High-mobility group box-1 impairs memory in mice through both toll-like receptor 4 and Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products.

Background
Engineers are increasingly being asked to empathically engage with a broad range of stakeholders. Current efforts to educate empathic engineers, however, are hindered by the lack of a conceptually cohesive understanding of, and language for, applying empathy to engineering. Prior studies have suggested that research informed by long-standing traditions in other fields may provide the rigor, conceptual clarity, and expertise necessary to theoretically ground the education and practice of empathy in technical disciplines.

Purpose
This study examined three research questions: What are current understandings of empathy in engineering and engineering education? How do these understandings compare with conceptions of empathy in social work, a professional discipline that defines empathy as a core skill and orientation of its practitioners? What can engineering educators learn from social work to inform the education of empathic engineers?

Scope/Method
This article presents the findings from a sustained, four-year, interdisciplinary dialogue between engineering education and social work education researchers. This effort included an examination of productive tensions and similarities between the two fields, a critical synthesis of the literature on empathy in each discipline, and the development of a context-appropriate model for empathy in engineering.

Conclusions
We propose a model of empathy in engineering as a teachable and learnable skill, a practice orientation, and a professional way of being. Expanding conceptions of empathy in social work, this model additionally emphasizes mode switching and a commitment to values pluralism.

A Model of Empathy in Engineering as a Core Skill, Practice Orientation, and Professional Way of Being

GE distributions have shifted toward a more aged pop-ulation ( 1 , 2 ), and planning for resultant changes in health-related needs requires signiﬁ cant attention. The lead-ing causes of death in industrialized nations have changed over the past century from infectious to chronic diseases ( 3 ). Among major age-related diseases, such as athero sclerosis, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the main factor contributing to disease pathology is immune chronic inﬂ ammation ( 4 ). This study assesses the role of the immune system in dementing illness with particular attention to AD. AD is a neurodegenerative disease marked by increasing deterioration of brain tissue, concentrated in the neocortex and hippocampus. Core symptoms include deﬁ cits in mem-ory and cognition. The pathology of AD is complicated, but several abnormalities of structure and function in the brain are hallmarks of the disease. The acetylcholine (ACh) neu-rotransmitter system — involved in cognition and memory — is underproductive in the AD brain. Primary treatments for the disease, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, work to revitalize cholinergic functioning by blocking the activity of AchE, which normally breaks down ACh ( 5 ). Lack of function in this system is probably due to physical degen-eration of neuronal cell tissue, a process resulting in ven-tricular enlargement, development of neuroﬁ brillary tangles, and accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaques. Research supports a central role for amyloid-beta (A b ) proteins in these plaques. A b protein is composed of 40 – 42 amino acid peptides in the amyloid protein family; is known for having a high beta-sheet secondary structure making it resistant to degradation; and is associated with a tendency to aggregate (for review see 6). Although A b formation was once viewed as the major contributor to neuronal death in AD, this theory has been challenged ( 7 ). Recent studies sup-port a complex etiology of AD, with interactions among many types of molecules in the AD brain and periphery ( 8 , 9 , 10 ).

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Anti-RAGE and Aβ Immunoglobulin Levels Are Related to Dementia Level and Cognitive Performance

This study examines how engineering is portrayed in the media. This is set against a continuing discourse in the field around representations and perceptions of engineering as they relate to attracting and retaining diverse groups of students. Data comprises one year of news articles (August 2011–July 2012) selected by the Bulletin Media service for First Bell — an electronic news briefing that is delivered daily to members of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). The research approach is informed by the concept of ‘framing’ from media studies and narrative policy analysis (NPA), which applies contemporary literary theory to complex public policy issues, such as diversity in engineering. In this paper we describe our emergent research design and current focus on more and less dominant stories that are ‘told’ about engineering in the media. We then present a constructed narrative and critical analysis of one of the five dominant stories identified in the study, namely: Students' Lack of Interest and/or Proficiency in Math and Science. Examination of this story points to underlying assumptions about engineering that are implicit to the way engineering is framed in the public discourse. We conclude with a discussion of possible implications of these stories for attracting diverse groups to engineering.

Jennifer S. Wilson

Papers

Anti-RAGE and Aβ Immunoglobulin Levels Are Related to Dementia Level and Cognitive Performance

Stories ‘Told’ about engineering in the Media: Implications for attracting diverse groups to the profession