Encouraging research on recursive thinking through the lens of a model of the spread of contagious diseases.

Recursive reasoning is a powerful tool used extensively in problem solving. For us, recursive reasoning includes iteration, sequences, difference equations, discrete dynamical systems, pattern identification, and mathematical induction; all of these can represent how things change, but in discrete jumps. Given the school mathematics curriculum's later emphasis on calculus-the mathematics of change in continuous contexts-it is surprising that the curriculum seems to neglect recursive thinking after the early grades.

SMAP Salinity Retrievals near the Sea-Ice Edge Using Multi-Channel AMSR2 Brightness Temperatures.

Sea-ice contamination in the antenna field of view constitutes a large error source in retrieving sea-surface salinity (SSS) with the spaceborne Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) L-band radiometer. This is a major obstacle in the current NASA/Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) SMAP SSS retrieval algorithm in regards to obtaining accurate SSS measurements in the polar oceans. Our analysis finds a strong correlation between 8-day averaged SMAP L-band brightness temperature (TB) bias and TB measurements from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR2) in the C-through Ka-band frequency range for sea-ice contaminated ocean scenes.

Oxidation-Sensitive Dextran-Based Polymer with Improved Processability through Stable Boronic Ester Groups.

Particulate immunotherapy holds promise to vaccinate or treat a broad array of illnesses, including cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders. The rate of antigen release from nano/microparticles (MPs) can impact both the type and quality of the immune response they elicit. The lysosomes of antigen-presenting cells are highly oxidizing.

Evaluation of Cloud Liquid Water Path Trends Using a Multi-Decadal Record of Passive Microwave Observations.

In this study, observed cloud liquid water path (LWP) trends from the Multisensor Advanced Climatology of Liquid Water Path (MAC-LWP) dataset (1988 - 2014) are compared to trends computed from the temporally-coincident records of 16 global climate models (GCMs) participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5). For many regions, observed trend magnitudes are several times larger than the corresponding model mean trend magnitudes. Muted model mean trends are thought to be the result of cancellation effects arising from differing interannual variability characteristics and differences in model physics/dynamics.