Impact of Art Educators: Artistic Practices, Political Advocacy and Pedagogy of Frida Kahlo and Faith Ringgold

Throughout the accomplished careers of Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and Faith Ringgold (b. 1930), both women produced intimate autobiographical art that was exhibited in major institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of Modern Art, and The Louvre. Beyond their art, I present an analysis of their commitments to work as political activists and arts educators which reveals their prioritization of the social, political, and economic advancement of their respective communities. I argue that their pedagogy, as a culmination of personal and cultural interrogation and celebration, produced measurable success in impacting future generations of diverse artists and should serve as case studies for institutions that carry the responsibility of educating children

SEE-I Critical Thinking Framework: Expository Writing in Middle Schools

A variety of teaching strategies and process approach methods have been implemented as a means of improving student writing across the country. Despite efforts to improve student writing, specifically in secondary education, it has been reported that 70% of students in grades (4-12) are weak writers and additional studies indicate that one third of high school graduates are not prepared for college-level writing courses (Graham & Perin, 2007; Persky et. al. 2003). SEE-I framework facilitates the premise for problem solving and critical thinking strategies situated in the writing process. Flower and Hayes (1977) stress the importance of treating writing as a thinking problem within the act of composing. The following paper establishes the theoretical background for SEE-I, the premise of its inception, the implementation and modifications, and the challenges encountered

La matematica da scienza delle grandezze a teoria delle forme : l'Ausdehnungslehre di H. Grassmann

This PhD thesis analyzes a change in the definition of mathematics in the 19th century: from science of quantities to science of forms. A comparison of the concepts of quantity, magnitude, number, form, and structure, which have not always been sufficiently distinguished in the literature on the 19th century, shows interesting connections between philosophy, geometry and algebra. The first part is devoted to a historical and philosophical analysis of the notion of magnitude, especially to its geometrical origin in Greek mathematics, to its algebraic development in the 14th century \u2013 which changes the notion of magnitude (quantity) into the notion of a general magnitude (quantity) \u2013, and to the comparison with Descartes's and Leibniz's remarks on operations and relations. The analysis of some works of Wolff, d'Alembert, Euler and Gauss \u2013 texts that appear for the first time in an Italian translation in the Appendix \u2013 shows that magnitudes, when mathematics is defined as Gr\uf6ssenlehre, are extensive quantities defined by an equality relation and by an additive operation that characterizes the relation of the parts to the whole. The second part of the research (chapters 4-6) is entirely devoted to an analysis of the epistemology of Hermann Grassmann, and in particular to the notion of an extensive magnitude that he develops in the Ausdehnungslehre (some passages of the 1844 and 1862 editions are also translated into Italian in the Appendix). The aim of the work is to show the intimate connection between the mathematical research and the philosophical conception of Grassmann, which is considered as an original contribution to the foundation of a theory of extensive magnitudes independently from numbers and from a theory of measurement

ThYme: a database for thioester-active enzymes

The ThYme (Thioester-active enzYme; http://www.enzyme.cbirc.iastate.edu) database has been constructed to bring together amino acid sequences and 3D (tertiary) structures of all the enzymes constituting the fatty acid synthesis and polyketide synthesis cycles. These enzymes are active on thioester-containing substrates, specifically those that are parts of the acyl-CoA synthase, acyl-CoA carboxylase, acyl transferase, ketoacyl synthase, ketoacyl reductase, hydroxyacyl dehydratase, enoyl reductase and thioesterase enzyme groups. These groups have been classified into families, members of which are similar in sequences, tertiary structures and catalytic mechanisms, implying common protein ancestry. ThYme is continually updated as sequences and tertiary structures become available

Polymeric micelles in drug delivery: An insight of the techniques for their characterization and assessment in biorelevant conditions

Polymeric micelles, i.e. aggregation colloids formed in solution by self-assembling of amphiphilic polymers, represent an innovative tool to overcome several issues related to drug administration, from the low water-solubility to the poor drug permeability across biological barriers. With respect to other nanocarriers, polymeric micelles generally display smaller size, easier preparation and sterilization processes, and good solubilization properties, unfortunately associated with a lower stability in biological fluids and a more complicated characterization. Particularly challenging is the study of their interaction with the biological environment, essential to predict the real in vivo behavior after administration. In this review, after a general presentation on micelles features and properties, different characterization techniques are discussed, from the ones used for the determination of micelles basic characteristics (critical micellar concentration, size, surface charge, morphology) to the more complex approaches used to figure out micelles kinetic stability, drug release and behavior in the presence of biological substrates (fluids, cells and tissues). The techniques presented (such as dynamic light scattering, AFM, cryo-TEM, X-ray scattering, FRET, symmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) and density ultracentrifugation), each one with their own advantages and limitations, can be combined to achieve a deeper comprehension of polymeric micelles in vivo behavior. The set-up and validation of adequate methods for micelles description represent the essential starting point for their development and clinical success

Teaching introductory undergraduate Physics using commercial video games

Commercial video games are increasingly using sophisticated physics simulations to create a more immersive experience for players. This also makes them a powerful tool for engaging students in learning physics. We provide some examples to show how commercial off-the-shelf games can be used to teach specific topics in introductory undergraduate physics. The examples are selected from a course taught predominantly through the medium of commercial video games.Comment: Accepted to Physics Education, Fig1 does not render properly in this versio

A Knowledge-Based Entrepreneurial Approach for Business Intelligence in Strategic Technologies: Bio-Mems

We propose a knowledge-based entrepreneurial (KBE) approach for business intelligence in strategic technologies at industrial sectors. The KBE approach is at the convergence of business intelligence and knowledge management and is used for advising users in business decisions and potential risks. Our approach comprises both a technology roadmap model as well as a knowledge-based entrepreneurial portal for various technologies. We use the Biological-Micro-Electrical-and- Mechanical-Systems industry (Bio-MEMS) to illustrate the approach. The technology roadmap model identifies the main actors, defines their roles and specifies the issues to be addressed. It handles information about main products, market trends, companies, research centers, application domains, products, standardization, and intellectual properties issues. The portal provides knowledge about the main actors through automation facilities based on digital libraries, searching and knowledge extraction from databases, data-ware houses and the Web. We explain how the KBE is helping Bio-MEMS users in business analysis

Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Expression in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Modulates Cancer Cell Growth and Migration

Tumor stroma-secreted growth factors, cytokines, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) influence tumor development from early stages to the metastasis phase. Previous studies have demonstrated downregulation of ROS-producing extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) in thyroid cancer cell lines although according to recent data, the expression of SOD3 at physiological levels stimulates normal and cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, to analyze the expression of SOD3 in tumor stroma, we characterized stromal cells from the thyroid. We report mutually exclusive desmoplasia and inflammation in papillary and follicular thyroid cancers and the presence of multipotent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) in non-carcinogenic thyroids and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The phenotypic and differentiation characteristics of Thyroid MSCs and PTC MSCs were comparable with bone marrow MSCs. A molecular level analysis showed increased FIBROBLAST ACTIVATING PROTEIN, COLLAGEN 1 TYPE A1, TENASCIN, and SOD3 expression in PTC MSCs compared to Thyroid MSCs, suggesting the presence of MSCs with a fibrotic fingerprint in papillary thyroid cancer tumors and the autocrine-paracrine conversion of SOD3 expression, which was enhanced by cancer cells. Stromal SOD3 had a stimulatory effect on cancer cell growth and an inhibitory effect on cancer cell migration, thus indicating that SOD3 might be a novel player in thyroid tumor stroma

Generation of reactive oxygen species in 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) treated dopaminergic neurons occurs as an NADPH oxidase-dependent two-wave cascade

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), are necessary for appropriate responses to immune challenges. In the brain, excess superoxide production predicts neuronal cell loss, suggesting that Parkinson's disease (PD) with its wholesale death of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (nigra) may be a case in point. Although microglial NADPH oxidase-produced superoxide contributes to dopaminergic neuron death in an MPTP mouse model of PD, this is secondary to an initial die off of such neurons, suggesting that the initial MPTP-induced death of neurons may be via activation of NADPH oxidase in neurons themselves, thus providing an early therapeutic target.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>NADPH oxidase subunits were visualized in adult mouse nigra neurons and in N27 rat dopaminergic cells by immunofluorescence. NADPH oxidase subunits in N27 cell cultures were detected by immunoblots and RT-PCR. Superoxide was measured by flow cytometric detection of H₂O₂-induced carboxy-H₂-DCFDA fluorescence. Cells were treated with MPP+ (MPTP metabolite) following siRNA silencing of the Nox2-stabilizing subunit p22^phox, or simultaneously with NADPH oxidase pharmacological inhibitors or with losartan to antagonize angiotensin II type 1 receptor-induced NADPH oxidase activation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nigral dopaminergic neurons <it>in situ</it> expressed three subunits necessary for NADPH oxidase activation, and these as well as several other NADPH oxidase subunits and their encoding mRNAs were detected in unstimulated N27 cells. Overnight MPP+ treatment of N27 cells induced Nox2 protein and superoxide generation, which was counteracted by NADPH oxidase inhibitors, by siRNA silencing of p22^phox, or losartan. A two-wave ROS cascade was identified: 1) as a first wave, mitochondrial H₂O₂production was first noted at three hours of MPP+ treatment; and 2) as a second wave, H₂O₂levels were further increased by 24 hours. This second wave was eliminated by pharmacological inhibitors and a blocker of protein synthesis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A two-wave cascade of ROS production is active in nigral dopaminergic neurons in response to neurotoxicity-induced superoxide. Our findings allow us to conclude that superoxide generated by NADPH oxidase present in nigral neurons contributes to the loss of such neurons in PD. Losartan suppression of nigral-cell superoxide production suggests that angiotensin receptor blockers have potential as PD preventatives.</p