Daring to Dream: Sustaining Support for Undocumented Students at The Evergreen State College

With the 1982 Supreme Court decision in the case of Plyler v. Doe, K-12 students, regardless of their immigration status, were able to access a free public school education without the threat of deportation. However, such clarity has not been the case for undocumented students pursuing higher education. As increasing numbers of undocumented students graduate from high school, some with undocumented parents and some who are unaccompanied youth seeking asylum, many dream of the opportunity to attend college (Perry, 2014). And yet, many “Dreamers” are unable to do so because of little access to financial aid, the lack of accurate information, the absence of institutional support, language and cultural barriers, and ultimately, the fear of deportation or the deportation of their loved ones. In response to these overwhelming challenges and increased fear and uncertainty raised since the 2016 elections, The Evergreen State College (TESC) is developing a framework to better support undocumented students as they seek their college degrees. In the following article, we describe the components of this framework and the steps taken thus far to ensure that the College is responsive to the needs of undocumented students. First, we consider the broader political conditions and policies, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the sanctuary movement, which together are impacting the responses of higher education institutions nationwide. From there, we discuss how other state higher education institutions are responding to the needs of undocumented students and how we hope to continue doing so at The Evergreen State College

Proteomic analysis of amaranth under abiotic stress

Tesis (Doctorado en Ciencias en Biología Molecular)"Las especies comerciales de amaranto de grano Amaranthus hypochondriacus, A. cruentus y A. caudatus son nativas de América y están distribuidas en los cinco continentes. El amaranto es un pseudocereal altamente nutritivo y no alergénico con notables propiedades nutracéuticas, capaz de adaptarse a diversas condiciones de cultivo tales como suelos pobres en nutrientes y moderadamente salinos, condiciones de poca agua y altas temperaturas. Estas características lo convierten en un buen modelo para estudiar la tolerancia a condiciones de estrés abiótico como la sequía y el estrés salino. El estrés abiótico es uno de los principales factores que limitan la productividad agrícola mundial y genera la reducción de hasta el 50% en el rendimiento potencial de los cultivos. La exposición de las plantas a condiciones de estrés abiótico, desencadena cambios fisiológicos que se rigen por la expresión de diferentes grupos de genes y proteínas cuya actividad permite a las plantas tolerar condiciones ambientales adversas. El empleo cada vez más frecuente de las tecnologías “omicas” permite la identificación de genes y proteínas asociados con la tolerancia al estrés abiótico. Como parte del proyecto Amaranth-Future-Food, en este trabajo se evaluó mediante un enfoque proteómico la respuesta del amaranto a condiciones de estrés abiótico como la sequía y el estrés salino. Para lo cual se obtuvieron los patrones de proteínas mediante Electroforesis Bidimensional (2-DE) y se identificaron las proteínas diferencialmente acumuladas mediante Espectrometría de Masas en Tándem. Algunas de estas proteínas pueden considerarse como asociadas con la tolerancia al estrés abiótico. Sin embargo, es necesaria una caracterización funcional de estas proteínas a fin de demostrar su importancia en la respuesta de las plantas ante el estrés. Algunas alternativas para demostrar el papel que juegan estas proteínas diferencialmente acumuladas en la respuesta ante el estrés abiótico son: la complementación funcional de levaduras sensibles a componentes del estrés abiótico como el estrés osmótico, el silenciamiento génico, la expresión de dichas proteínas en líneas insercionales así como la evaluación de la acumulación diferencial de estas proteínas candidatas en híbridos que mantengan los rasgos deseados. Estos acercamientos nos darían una idea más clara del papel que desempeñan tales proteínas en los mecanismos de respuesta al estrés abiótico.""Commercial amaranth species such as Amaranthus hypochondriacus, A. cruentus and A. caudatus are native to America and are worldwide distributed. Amaranth is a highly nutritious and non-allergenic pseudo-cereal crop with remarkable nutraceutical properties. Amaranth is also a promising species often grown under semiarid conditions prone to both drought and salinity. For the above described amaranth is a good model to study tolerance to abiotic stress conditions such as drought and salt stress. Abiotic stress is one of the major factors limiting crop productivity worldwide and responsible for the reduction of up to 50% in the potential yield of crops. Plant exposure to abiotic stress triggers physiological changes ruled by the expression of different sets of genes and proteins whose activities enable plants to tolerate stressful environmental conditions. The application of 'omics' technologies has allowed the identification of genes and proteins related to abiotic stress tolerance. As part of the Amaranth-Future-Food project, in the present thesis, 2-DE gel coupled with LC-MS/MS approach was applied in order to analyze the changes in amaranth protein accumulation in response to abiotic stress conditions such as drought and salt stress. Some of the differentially accumulated proteins in response to stress may be considered associated to abiotic stress tolerance. However, functional characterization of these proteins in order to demonstrate its importance in plant response to abiotic stress is needed. Functional complementation by heterologous expression in yeast, gene silencing, heterologous expression in insertional lines and evaluation of differential accumulation of these proteins in hybrids from cultivars with contrasting tolerance to abiotic stress that preserve the desired trait are among the alternatives to demonstrate the role played by such proteins in plant responsive mechanisms to cope with abiotic stresses.

Centro Tecnológico del Bambú y otras especies forestales en el distrito de Perené - Junín

El presente trabajo enfoca su estudio y proyección, en satisfacer la demanda de una infraestructura educativa técnica a nivel nacional; debido a que, en la actualidad la difusión y capacitación en el uso del bambú como material constructivo se realiza aún de forma desacelerada, sin otorgar un grado de instrucción técnica superior y la aplicación del material en proyectos de menor escala. Además de ello, las pocas capacitaciones existentes se realizan de manera segregada a nivel nacional, sin concentrar el conocimiento en un centro de capacitación específica del bambú. La intención de instruir tanto a pobladores locales, artesanos, profesionales y comunidades nativas para que se capaciten en la aplicación de Tecnologías en base al bambú permitirá difundir e innovar en sus distintas aplicaciones (agro sostenibles, cambio climático, estructurales, alimenticios, entre otros) mediante la proyección de un Centro Tecnológico del Bambú y otras especies forestales en el distrito del Perené - Junín, para generar beneficios educativos, constructivos, productivos, económicos y ambientales. El propósito final del trabajo es proyectar y diseñar un Centro Tecnológico del Bambú con una adecuada funcionalidad y; que a su vez, responda a las múltiples necesidades y diversas características de los usuarios; desarrollando una arquitectura más empática y que represente el entorno físico y cultural; con capacidad de expansión y adaptación a la experimentación y realización de eventos culturales y recreativos que promuevan la utilización del bambú

Prevalence and distribution of odontogenic cysts in a Mexican sample. A 753 cases study

Odontogenic cysts (OC) are the most frequent lesions of the jaws and their constant epidemiological update is necessary and indispensable. Therefore the principal objective of this report was To determine prevalence and clinical-demographical characteristics of OC in a Mexican sample. 753 cases of OC coming from the archive of a head and neck histopathological teaching service, from January 2000 to December 2013, were included. OC cases were re-assessed according 2005 WHO classification. Chi square test was used to establish possible associations (p<0.05IC95%). From 753 OC, 369 were female and 384 male; 52.9% of them were in their 2nd- 4th decade of life. The most common location (41%) was the mandibular posterior area. Radicular cysts were more frequent in maxillary anterior zone of females (p 0.0002) at their fourth decade of life. Dentigerous cysts were more frequent in the mandibular posterior zone of males (p 0.0000) in their second decade of life. Six cases of periodontal lateral cyst; 4 cases of paradental cysts; 4 eruption cysts and 4 cases of adult gingival cyst, as well were identified. Radicular cyst and dentigerous cyst are the most prevalent odontogenic cyst in this Mexican sample. Due to their etiology, dental pulpar necrosis and impacted teeth, radicular cyst and dentigerous cyst could be prevenible. Therefore, it is necessary to establish preventive strategies to diminish dental decay and programs of prophylactic extractions of impacted teeth, to in consequence decrease the prevalence of odontogenic cysts

Proteomic analysis of amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) leaves under drought stress

"Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) is a plant that produces seed with high protein content, is rich on nutraceutical compounds, and can grow under environmental conditions where most of the basic crops are not able to develop. But little is know about the amaranth stress-responsive genes/proteins. The aim of this work was to apply the comparative proteomics approach to study the differential expression of amaranth leaf proteins under drought stress. However, the protein extraction from amaranth tissues is difficult as a result of high endogenous concentrations of interfering compounds; we have made some modifications of the classical trichloroacetic acid-acetone precipitation method to improve the quantity and quality of extracted proteins. Satisfactory and reproducible two-dimensional electrophoresis protein profiles were obtained; the method was also tested forAgave tequilana and Opuntia spp., two more examples of plants that are tolerant to drought stress. Drought-responsive proteins in amaranth leaves were identified by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS). The upregulated proteins identified included chloroplast chaperonins involved in refolding and protein complexes protection. Downregulated proteins include Rubisco large subunit, cytochrome b6f, oxygen evolving complexes, and the ascorbate peroxidase mitochondrial. The results have shown that chloroplasts and mitochondria may play a central role in amaranth adaptation to abiotic stress, and further studies should be done at the subcellular level.

Differential Modulation of Excitatory and Inhibitory Striatal Synaptic Transmission by Histamine

Information processing in the striatum is critical for basal ganglia function and strongly influenced by neuromodulators (e.g., dopamine). The striatum also receives modulatory afferents from the histaminergic neurons in the hypothalamus which exhibit a distinct diurnal rhythm with high activity during wakefulness, and little or no activity during sleep. In view of the fact that the striatum also expresses a high density of histamine receptors, we hypothesized that released histamine will affect striatal function. We studied the role of histamine on striatal microcircuit function by performing whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of neurochemically identified striatal neurons combined with electrical and optogenetic stimulation of striatal afferents in mouse brain slices. Bath applied histamine had many effects on striatal microcircuits. Histamine, acting at H(2) receptors, depolarized both the direct and indirect pathway medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs). Excitatory, glutamatergic input to both classes of MSNs from both the cortex and thalamus was negatively modulated by histamine acting at presynaptic H(3) receptors. The dynamics of thalamostriatal, but not corticostriatal, synapses were modulated by histamine leading to a facilitation of thalamic input. Furthermore, local inhibitory input to both classes of MSNs was negatively modulated by histamine. Subsequent dual whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of connected pairs of striatal neurons revealed that only lateral inhibition between MSNs is negatively modulated, whereas feedforward inhibition from fast-spiking GABAergic interneurons onto MSNs is unaffected by histamine. These findings suggest that the diurnal rhythm of histamine release entrains striatal function which, during wakefulness, is dominated by feedforward inhibition and a suppression of excitatory drive

Phenotypic dissection of the mouse Ren-1(d) knockout by complementation with human renin

Normal renin synthesis and secretion is important for the maintenance of juxtaglomerular apparatus architecture. Mice lacking a functional Ren-1d gene are devoid of renal juxtaglomerular cell granules and exhibit an altered macula densa morphology. Due to the species-specificity of renin activity, transgenic mice are ideal models for experimentally investigating and manipulating expression patterns of the human renin gene in a native cellular environment without confounding Renin-angiotensin-system interactions. A 55 kb transgene encompassing the human renin locus was crossed onto the mouse Ren-1d-null background, restoring granulation in juxtaglomerular cells.  Correct processing of human renin in dense core granules was confirmed by immunogold labelling. After stimulation of the renin-angiotensin system, juxtaglomerular cells contained rhomboid protogranules with paracrystalline contents, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum and electron-lucent granular structures. However, complementation of Ren-1d-/- mice with human renin was unable to rescue the abnormality seen in macula densa structure. The juxtaglomerular apparatus was still able to respond to tubuloglomerular feedback in isolated perfused juxtaglomerular apparatus preparations, although minor differences in glomerular tuft contractility and macula densa cell calcium handling were observed. This study reveals that the human renin protein is able to complement the mouse Ren-1d-/- non-granulated defect and suggests that granulopoiesis requires a structural motif that is conserved between the mouse Ren-1d and human renin proteins. It also suggests that the altered macula densa phenotype is related to the activity of the renin-1d enzyme in a local juxtaglomerular renin-angiotensin system

Altered gene expression by sedaxane increases PSII efficiency, photosynthesis and growth and improves tolerance to drought in wheat seedlings

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides have been shown to increase PSII efficiency and photosynthesis under drought stress in the absence of disease to enhance the biomass and yield of winter wheat. However, the molecular mechanism of improved photosynthetic efficiency observed in SDHI-treated wheat has not been previously elucidated. Here we used a combination of chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange and gene expression analysis, to aid our understanding of the basis of the physiological responses of wheat seedlings under drought conditions to sedaxane, a novel SDHI seed treatment. We show that sedaxane increased the efficiency of PSII photochemistry, reduced non-photochemical quenching and improved the photosynthesis and biomass in wheat correlating with systemic changes in the expression of genes involved in defense, chlorophyll synthesis and cell wall modification. We applied a coexpression network-based approach using differentially expressed genes of leaves, roots and pregerminated seeds from our wheat array datasets to identify the most important hub genes, with top ranked correlation (higher gene association value and z-score) involved in cell wall expansion and strengthening, wax and pigment biosynthesis and defense. The results indicate that sedaxane confers tolerant responses of wheat plants grown under drought conditions by redirecting metabolites from defense/stress responses towards growth and adaptive development