Papers by Kevin Rodriguez
Education Policy Analysis Archives
State boards of education (SBOEs) are one of many governmental entities that reside within the la... more State boards of education (SBOEs) are one of many governmental entities that reside within the larger educational policymaking sphere. With recent U.S. federal legislation devolving more authority over education to states, state-level governmental entities like SBOEs are in the spotlight perhaps now more than ever. Yet not much has been published about SBOE structures and functions, much less about their members and how they might influence educational policies and education broadly. Using critical policy analysis methods, this descriptive study focused on two areas: (a) the criteria and processes that states use to select SBOE members, and (b) the characteristics of today’s SBOE members (e.g., demographics) and the extent to which SBOEs are representative portraits of the states they serve. Findings report similarities and differences among members within and between the 47 U.S. states with SBOEs. We close by critically assessing our findings, especially whether SBOE member selecti...
Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention, 2021
Sensors, 2021
In this paper, a wideband small cavity-backed magneto-electric (ME) antenna is proposed. This ant... more In this paper, a wideband small cavity-backed magneto-electric (ME) antenna is proposed. This antenna is linearly polarized and designed to cover all the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) bands. It exhibits small external dimensions of 90 × 90 × 40 mm3 (0.34 × 0.34 × 0.15 λ3 at lowest frequency) and achieves a wide impedance bandwidth of 40.5% (from 1.14 to 1.72 GHz) due to the excitation of a third resonance of the ME structure. It also provides a regular broadside gain of 5.2 dBi and stable radiation pattern in both E and H planes of the antenna.
Cureus, 2021
The most frequent type of ligament injury is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The mechanisms ... more The most frequent type of ligament injury is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The mechanisms of an ACL injury are classified as direct contact, indirect contact, and non-contact. Physical examination for the assessment of the ACL is commonly used in routine care in the evaluation of the knee and is part of the diagnostic process. Due to the high degree of variability in their presentation and outcomes, treatment must be tailored according to factors such as patient demographics, the severity of the damage, and long-term improvement profile. When it comes to ACL injuries, low-quality data have been produced that reveals no difference in patient-reported knee function results between surgical ACL restoration and conservative therapy. However, these results must be evaluated in the perspective of the fact that many individuals with an ACL rupture remained symptomatic after rehabilitation and eventually underwent ACL reconstruction surgery. This article has reviewed the risk factors and the mechanisms that commonly lead to ACL injuries. This article has also discussed the clinical significance of conservative and surgical management and has highlighted the implications of both approaches.
2020 IEEE 17th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging Workshops (ISBI Workshops), 2020
While machine learning approaches have shown remarkable performance in biomedical image analysis,... more While machine learning approaches have shown remarkable performance in biomedical image analysis, most of these methods rely on high-quality and accurate imaging data. However, collecting such data requires intensive and careful manual effort. One of the major challenges in imaging the Shoot Apical Meristem (SAM) of Arabidopsis thaliana, is that the deeper slices in the z-stack suffer from different perpetual quality related problems like poor contrast and blurring. These quality related issues often lead to disposal of the painstakingly collected data with little to no control on quality while collecting the data. Therefore, it becomes necessary to employ and design techniques that can enhance the images to make it more suitable for further analysis. In this paper, we propose a data-driven Deep Quantized Latent Representation (DQLR) methodology for high-quality image reconstruction in the Shoot Apical Meristem (SAM) of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our proposed framework utilizes multiple ...
Cureus, 2021
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a large group of rare and diverse clonal stem cell diso... more Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a large group of rare and diverse clonal stem cell disorders. These are classified into several different phenotypes and typically arise following a multistep genetic process, whereby genetic mutations alter the DNA damage and cellular stress responses, impacting transcription, RNA splicing, epigenetics, and cytokine signaling. However, despite the advances made regarding molecular pathophysiology and prognostic criteria and the influx of new treatment modalities, management is primarily based on prognostic scores, such as the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System. This poses a significant challenge to current healthcare professionals due to poor comprehension of the underlying pathophysiology. Hence, this review integrates the latest research and treatment modalities for MDS and discusses the different genetic mutations outlined in the revised World Health Organization 2016 MDS classification system and the associated treatment modalities. Additionally, future directions of research and clinical management of MDS are discussed.
Nature Communications, 2021
Regulation of the homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL concentration is critical for stem cel... more Regulation of the homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL concentration is critical for stem cell homeostasis in Arabidopsis shoot apical meristems. WUSCHEL regulates the transcription of CLAVATA3 through a concentration-dependent activation-repression switch. CLAVATA3, a secreted peptide, activates receptor kinase signaling to repress WUSCHEL transcription. Considering the revised regulation, CLAVATA3 mediated repression of WUSCHEL transcription alone will lead to an unstable system. Here we show that CLAVATA3 signaling regulates nuclear-cytoplasmic partitioning of WUSCHEL to control nuclear levels and its diffusion into adjacent cells. Our work also reveals that WUSCHEL directly interacts with EXPORTINS via EAR-like domain which is also required for destabilizing WUSCHEL in the cytoplasm. We develop a combined experimental and computational modeling approach that integrates CLAVATA3-mediated transcriptional repression of WUSCHEL and post-translational control of nuclear levels wi...
Polymer Engineering & Science, 2020
Deregulation of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) plays a si... more Deregulation of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) plays a significant role in developmental brain defects, early-onset neurodegeneration, neuronal cell loss, and dementia. Herein, we report the discovery of three new classes of N-heterocyclic DYRK1A inhibitors based on the potent, yet toxic kinase inhibitors, harmine and harmol. An initial in vitro evaluation of the small molecule collection assembled revealed that the core heterocyclic motifs benzofuranones, oxindoles, and pyrrolones, showed statistically significant DYRK1A inhibition. Further, the utilization of a low cost, high-throughput functional genomic in vivo model system to identify small molecule inhibitors that normalize DYRK1A overexpression phenotypes is described. This in vivo assay confirmed the in vitro results, and the resulting correspondence validates generated classes as architectural motifs that serve as potential DYRK1A inhibitors. Further expansion and analysis of these co...
Urban Education, 2020
Digital technologies provide new opportunities for increased participation by the general public ... more Digital technologies provide new opportunities for increased participation by the general public in state and federal governance. In this article, we examine opportunities for public engagement in one type of state-level governmental body: the State Board of Education (SBOE). Limited research has focused on SBOEs, particularly the extent to which these powerful policy actors are accessible to the public. Drawing on the Open Government Maturity Model (OGMM), we examine data on the accessibility and opportunities for public engagement offered by 47 SBOEs to interrogate the validity of the assumption that SBOEs are avenues for public voice. We considered each SBOE to be a unique study participant and their websites to be their “electronic public faces.” Data were collected from SBOE websites on 39 different variables related to SBOE accessibility and used to create an SBOE E-Accessibility Index. Findings suggest that while most SBOEs meet lower levels of the OGMM’s criteria, they do no...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020
The shoot apical meristem (SAM) harbors a set of pluripotent stem cells that divide continuously ... more The shoot apical meristem (SAM) harbors a set of pluripotent stem cells that divide continuously to provide cells for the development of all aboveground plant parts (1). A concoction of hormonal and peptide signals and transcription factors, along with mechanical cues, play a role in stem cell maintenance, which requires a delicate balance between cell proliferation rates and rates of differentiation of stem cell daughters (1). The current challenge is to decipher how these signals come together to regulate stem cell maintenance, which requires the functional characterization of regulators in signaling pathways. The same regulators are often utilized for signaling in different contexts, such as development and disease, further complicating the analysis. The study by Wu et al. (2) reveals a role for the G protein β subunit (Gβ) in negatively regulating maize SAM size through the isolation of new alleles that uncouple its function in meristem development and disease resistance. The critical SAM regulators were first characterized in Arabidopsis . A homeodomain transcription factor-WUSCHEL (WUS) is required for stem cell maintenance (3). WUS is expressed in the rib meristem (RM) located beneath the stem cells in the central zone (CZ) (4). WUS protein migrates into the overlying CZ where it regulates the expression of CLAVATA3 ( CLV3 ) through a unique concentration-dependent transcriptional switch (5). CLV3, a secreted … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: venug{at}ucr.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 2019
The present work is the study of the different methods used to determine the toxicity produced by... more The present work is the study of the different methods used to determine the toxicity produced by the presence of a contaminating metal in the blood. Mainly, the presence of lead in the blood was taken as a reference to focus the work, knowing that metals like Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) are also toxic to health and the environment. Although the information is extensive on the methods to be studied and in some cases it is not detailed to define each process, a comparative study of the most relevant and currently used methods can be carried out, taking into account that the choice will be defined according to the main characteristics of each one. Although all agree to be electrochemical processes, there are details to know which method to choose, either by sensitivity, economic or even structural factors, such as having a laboratory for its development. Environmental pollution with toxic elements is very harmful to health, even in small quantities can be very dangerous. These can be present in rivers, soil and even in the air, and these spaces are more than enough to contaminate the human being since these particles adhere in both cases for many years. It is a problem until today and therein lies the importance of the study.
Organic letters, May 28, 2017
A Rh(II)-catalyzed formal [4 + 1]-cycloaddition approach toward spirooxindole cyclopentenones is ... more A Rh(II)-catalyzed formal [4 + 1]-cycloaddition approach toward spirooxindole cyclopentenones is described. The diastereoselective cyclopropanation of vinyl ketenes with diazooxindoles as C1 synthons initiated a relatively mild formal [1,3]-migration of an intermediate cyclopropyl ketene to provide spirooxindoles in good to excellent yields (36-99%).
Scientific reports, Nov 15, 2016
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a severely debilitating chronic autoimmune disease that leads to lon... more Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a severely debilitating chronic autoimmune disease that leads to long-term joint damage. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)-targeted small molecules have shown promise as therapeutic drugs for treating RA. We previously identified (E)-2,4-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butenal (BHPB), a tyrosine-fructose Maillard reaction product, as a small molecule with potent anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties, mediated through the inhibition of STAT3 activation. The aim of this study was to develop a novel BHPH derivative with improved anti-arthritic properties and drug-likeness. We designed and synthesised (E)-2-methoxy-4-(3-(4-methoxyphenyl) prop-1-en-1-yl) phenol (MMPP), a novel synthetic BHPB analogue, and investigated its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities in experimentally-induced RA. We showed that MMPP strongly inhibited pro-inflammatory responses by inhibiting in vitro STAT3 activation and its downstream signalling i...
Organic letters, Sep 16, 2016
A phosphorus(III)-mediated formal [4+1]-cycloaddition of 1,2-dicarbonyls and o-quinone methides t... more A phosphorus(III)-mediated formal [4+1]-cycloaddition of 1,2-dicarbonyls and o-quinone methides to provide 2,3-dihydrobenzofurans is described. By exploiting the carbene-like nature of dioxyphospholenes, dihydrobenzofurans bearing a quaternary center at C2 are obtained in 30-92% yield with diastereoselectivities up to ≥20:1. This study highlights the subtle steric interactions involved in the [4+1]-cycloannulation and the impact they have on yield and stereoselectivity in dihydrobenzofuran formation.
Uploads
Papers by Kevin Rodriguez