The Social Lives of Pots and Potters in the Kathmandu Valley

This paper investigates the changing status of ceramics in Thimi, Nepal. Pottery in the Kathmandu Valley is an ancient tradition, dating as far back as 400 AD. However, the rich craft is currently at a crossroads between extinction and innovation. The author’s project is to trace the lives of pots and the potters from the mid 20th century until present as they are imagined, remembered, and enacted by the human and clay inhabitants of Thimi. Rather than focusing on the aesthetic properties of pots, the author instead emphasizes the social relations that both surround and encounter them. This method aims to shed light on how and by whom clay is transformed into a functional and culturally meaningful object. In conclusion, the author addresses potential futures for the disappearing pots and potters of Thimi

A Qualitative Modeling Approach for Whole Genome Prediction Using High-Throughput Toxicogenomics Data and Pathway-Based Validation

Efficient high-throughput transcriptomics (HTT) tools promise inexpensive, rapid assessment of possible biological consequences of human and environmental exposures to tens of thousands of chemicals in commerce. HTT systems have used relatively small sets of gene expression measurements coupled with mathematical prediction methods to estimate genome-wide gene expression and are often trained and validated using pharmaceutical compounds. It is unclear whether these training sets are suitable for general toxicity testing applications and the more diverse chemical space represented by commercial chemicals and environmental contaminants. In this work, we built predictive computational models that inferred whole genome transcriptional profiles from a smaller sample of surrogate genes. The model was trained and validated using a large scale toxicogenomics database with gene expression data from exposure to heterogeneous chemicals from a wide range of classes (the Open TG-GATEs data base). The method of predictor selection was designed to allow high fidelity gene prediction from any pre-existing gene expression data set, regardless of animal species or data measurement platform. Predictive qualitative models were developed with this TG-GATES data that contained gene expression data of human primary hepatocytes with over 941 samples covering 158 compounds. A sequential forward search-based greedy algorithm, combining different fitting approaches and machine learning techniques, was used to find an optimal set of surrogate genes that predicted differential expression changes of the remaining genome. We then used pathway enrichment of up-regulated and down-regulated genes to assess the ability of a limited gene set to determine relevant patterns of tissue response. In addition, we compared prediction performance using the surrogate genes found from our greedy algorithm (referred to as the SV2000) with the landmark genes provided by existing technologies such as L1000 (Genometry) and S1500 (Tox21), finding better predictive performance for the SV2000. The ability of these predictive algorithms to predict pathway level responses is a positive step toward incorporating mode of action (MOA) analysis into the high throughput prioritization and testing of the large number of chemicals in need of safety evaluation

Performance of horseshoe padding materials

This project integrated biology and engineering to develop a procedure to quantify the functional performance of commercially sold horseshoe pads. Research resulted in a mathematical viscoelastic model describing deformation behavior. A review of equine anatomy was completed to determine the benefits and biological ramifications of viscoelastic materials on equine forelimbs. Finally, a device and experimental protocol were identified to quantify the deformation of horseshoe pads due to the ground reaction forces experienced by horses during future locomotion studies

Evaluating the North St Paul City Redevelopment Process

Report, presentation and handout completed by students enrolled in OLPD 5501: Principles and Methods of Evaluation, taught by Randi Nelson in fall 2013.This project was completed as part of the 2013-2014 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of North St. Paul. North St. Paul had a goal of becoming a “redevelopment ready” community, a designation given by the Urban Land Institute. In 2011, the city also applied for a Metropolitan Council livable cities grant. To reach these goals, project lead Paul Ammerman collaborated with students in OLPD 5501: Principles and Methods of Evaluation, taught by Randi Nelson, to evaluate the City’s redevelopment proposal. The students identified stakeholders, set the context for the evaluation, and offered an evaluation proposal. The final report, presentation, and handout are available.This project was supported by the Resilient Communities Project (RCP), a program at the University of Minnesota whose mission is to connect communities in Minnesota with U of MN faculty and students to advance community resilience through collaborative, course-based projects. RCP is a program of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). More information at http://www.rcp.umn.edu

The Environmental activities of the lithographic printing industry in the state of Hessen

This project will examine the environmental activities of the lithographic printing industry in the state of Hessen for small, medium, and large companies. To accomplish this, we will look at four main areas. These include the environmental impact of each size company, the policies and regulations that are in place and how each size company works to comply with them, which size companies employ an Environmental Management System (EMS), and any new technologies that are available to reduce waste