(W)E-waste: Creative Making with Wasted Computing Devices

Computing devices become waste for a variety of reasons. They breakdown, become obsolete, or are no longer trendy. These events are so common that currently, e-waste has become the largest consumer waste stream in the world. However, taking apart e-waste devices reveals how they often contain many useful parts and components that could be scrapped and creatively integrated into new forms. These include highly expressive materials like sensors, displays, micro-controllers, etc. This workshop will explore processes in creative making with e-waste, examining the unique materiality of e-waste and how its reuse differs and/or converges with other material reuse processes. To do so, our workshop will combine hands-on activities (tear downs, rapid prototyping, and tutorials) with discussion of the challenges and opportunities in this space. We aim to use these activities to explore how HCI can better support the creative acts of making with e-waste across a wide audience

Distribución espacial del riesgo de sequía en la región andina de Puno, Perú

Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. Escuela de Posgrado. Maestría en Recursos HídricosAl igual que otros riesgos naturales, la sequía depende de la combinación de su naturaleza física y del grado en que una población o actividad es vulnerable a sus efectos. El sur andino es la zona más propensa a los eventos de sequías en el territorio nacional, en especial el Altiplano Puneño donde estos eventos son severos. En los años en que afectan las sequías y heladas en el Altiplano puneño, el ganado ovino disminuye en más del 16.6 % y el ganado vacuno en más del 10 % (Claverías 2016). Por lo tanto, con el fin de mitigar los impactos de la sequía, el presente estudio evalúa la distribución espacial del riesgo de sequía en la región Andina de Puno para un paso de tiempo de tres meses, desarrolladas a nivel de Unidades Hidrográficas (UH) en base al peligro y vulnerabilidad. El peligro de sequía fue cuantificado con el déficit de la precipitación en la región de Puno mediante el Índice Estandarizado de Sequía (SPI); y la vulnerabilidad fue obtenida de acuerdo a las características socioeconómicas y físicas de la región puneña. Como resultado se desarrollaron mapas a escala de Unidades Hidrográficas (UH) de peligro, vulnerabilidad y riesgo de sequía, en donde el 50 % de las cuencas ubicadas geográficamente en la zona norte, centro y suroeste de la región andina de Puno, presentaron riesgo con categoría alto y muy alto, abarcando el 82 % del área de la región. Esto afecta a las provincias más sobresaliente como Puno y San Román, que presentan mayor concentración poblacional, así como las provincias de Azángaro, Melgar, Carabaya y Puno, donde se desarrollan mayor actividad agropecuaria, la cual es la principal fuente de ingreso económico de la región. Las zonas de riesgo coincidieron con las zonas de peligro y vulnerabilidad de sequía.Like other natural risks, drought depends on the combination of its physical nature and the degree to which a population or activity is vulnerable to its effects. The Andean region is the area most prone to droughts in the national territory, especially in the Puno highlands where they are severe. In the years when droughts and frosts affect in the Puno highlands, sheep cattle decreases by more than 16.6% and cow cattle by more than 10% (Claverías 2016). Therefore, in order to mitigate the drought impacts, the present study evaluates the spatial distribution of the risk of drought in the Andean region of Puno was evaluated for a time step of three months, developed at the scale of hydrographic units based on the danger and vulnerability. The drought danger was quantified with the precipitation deficit in the Puno region through the Standardized Drought Index (SPI); and the vulnerability was obtained according to the socioeconomic and physical characteristics of the Puno region. As a result, danger, vulnerability and drought risk maps were developed at the scale of hydrographic units, where 50% of the basins located geographically in the north, central and southwest of the Andean region of Puno presented risk with high and very high category, covering 82% of the region, which affects the most prominent provinces such as Puno and San Román, which have the highest population concentration, as well as the provinces of Azángaro, Melgar, Carabaya and Puno, where greater agricultural activity is carried out, which is the main source of economic income in the region. The risk zones coincided with the zones of danger and vulnerability of drought.Tesi

Chemokine CXCL12 activates dual CXCR4 and CXCR7-mediated signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previously assumed to be a select ligand for chemokine receptor CXCR4, chemokine CXCL12 is now known to activate both CXCR4 and CXCR7. However, very little is known about the co-expression of these receptors in cancer cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used immunohistochemistry to determine the extent of co-expression in pancreatic cancer tissue samples and immunoblotting to verify expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines. In cell culture studies, siRNA was used to knock down expression of CXCR4, CXCR7, K-Ras and β-arrestin -2 prior to stimulating the cells with CXCL12. Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK) was assessed using both a Raf-pull down assay and western blotting. The involvement of the receptors in CXCL12-mediated increases in cell proliferation was examined via an ATP-based proliferation assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>First, we discovered frequent CXCR4/CXCR7 co-expression in human pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. Next, we observed consistent increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation after exposure to CXCL12 or CXCL11, a CXCR7 agonist, in pancreatic cancer cell lines co-expressing CXCR4/CXCR7. To better characterize the receptor-mediated pathway(s), we knocked down CXCR4 or CXCR7, exposed the cells to CXCL12 and examined subsequent effects on ERK1/2. We observed that CXCR7 mediates the CXCL12-driven increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Knockdown of CXCR4 expression however, decreased levels of K-Ras activity. Conversely, KRAS knockdown greatly reduced CXCL12-mediated increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation. We then evaluated the role of β-arrestin-2, a protein directly recruited by chemokine receptors. We observed that β-arrestin-2 knockdown also inhibited increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation mediated by both CXCR4 and CXCR7. Finally, we investigated the mechanism for CXCL12-enhanced cell proliferation and found that either receptor can modulate cell proliferation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In summary, our data demonstrate that CXCR4 and CXCR7 are frequently co-expressed in human pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. We show that β-arrestin-2 and K-Ras dependent pathways coordinate the transduction of CXCL12 signals. Our results suggest that the development of therapies based on inhibiting CXCL12 signaling to halt the growth of pancreatic cancer should be focused at the ligand level in order to account for the contributions of both receptors to this signaling pathway.</p

Genome sequences of nine gram-negative vaginal bacterial isolates

The vagina is home to a wide variety of bacteria that have great potential to impact human health. Here, we announce reference strains (now available through BEI Resources) and draft genome sequences for 9 Gram-negative vaginal isolates from the taxa Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Fusobacterium, Proteus, and Prevotella

“Home Away from Home”? How International Students Handle Difficult and Negative Experiences in American Higher Education

International students attending American universities often receive confusing messages: on one hand, for their contribution to the U.S. economy and fostering of domestic students’ multicultural awareness; on the other, they are often targets of hostility and bias on and off campus. This qualitative phenomenological study examined 12 international students’ perceptions of difficult and negative experiences in the context of American culture and a reputedly friendly Midwestern university. Four major themes emerged: (a) their on-campus experiences; (b) the off-campus experiences; (c) their reasons for unpleasant experiences, and (d) their suggestions for professors and peers to be more inclusive. Besides these students’ struggles with administrators, faculty, and domestic students, their off-campus challenges sometimes dimmed their hopes for truly having a “home away from home.

Consumer's Behavior Analysis of Electric Vehicle using Cloud Computing in the State of New York

Sales of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the United States have grown fast in the past decade. We analyze the Electric Vehicle Drive Clean Rebate data from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to understand consumer behavior in EV purchasing and their potential environmental impact. Based on completed rebate applications since 2017, this dataset features the make and model of the EV that consumers purchased, the geographic location of EV consumers, transaction type to obtain the EV, projected environmental impact, and tax incentive issued. This analysis consists of a mapped and calculated statistical data analysis over an established period. Using the SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), we first import and clean the data to generate statistical snapshots for some primary attributes. Next, different EV options were evaluated based on environmental carbon footprints and rebate amounts. Finally, visualization, geo, and time-series analysis presented further insights and recommendations. This analysis helps the reader to understand consumers' EV buying behavior, such as the change of most popular maker and model over time, acceptance of EVs in different regions in New York State, and funds required to support clean air initiatives. Conclusions from the current study will facilitate the use of renewable energy, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and accelerate economic growth sustainably, in addition to analyzing the trend of rebate funding size over the years and predicting future funding.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Alpha6beta4 integrin crosslinking induces EGFR clustering and promotes EGF-mediated Rho activation in breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The α6β4 integrin is overexpressed in the basal subtype of breast cancer and plays an important role in tumor cell motility and invasion. EGFR is also overexpressed in the basal subtype of breast cancer, and crosstalk between α6β4 integrin and EGFR appears to be important in tumor progression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We evaluated the effects of α6β4 crosslinking on the distribution and function of EGFR in breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231. Receptor distribution was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and multispectral imaging flow cytometry, and ligand-mediated EGFR signaling was evaluated using Western blots and a Rho pull-down assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Antibody-mediated crosslinking of α6β4 integrin was sufficient to induce cell-surface clustering of not only α6β4 but also EGFR in nonadherent cells. The induced clustering of EGFR was observed minimally after 5 min of integrin crosslinking but was more prominent after 15 min. EGFR clustering had minimal effect on the phosphorylation of Akt or Erk1,2 in response to EGF in suspended cells or in response to HB-EGF in adherent cells. However, EGFR clustering induced by crosslinking α6β4 had a marked effect on Rho activation in response to EGF.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Crosslinking α6β4 integrin in breast carcinoma cells induces EGFR clustering and preferentially promotes Rho activation in response to EGF. We hypothesize that this integrin-EGFR crosstalk may facilitate tumor cell cytoskeletal rearrangements important for tumor progression.</p

Comparison of initial cell retention and clearance kinetics after subendocardial or subepicardial injections of endothelial progenitor cells in a canine myocardial infarction model

Neither intravenous nor intracoronary routes provide targeted stem cell delivery to recently infarcted myocardium in sufficient quantities. Direct routes appear preferable. However, most prior studies have used epicardial injections, which are not practical for routine clinical use. The objective of this study was to compare cell retention and clearance kinetics between a subepicardial and a subendocardial technique. Methods: We evaluated 7 dogs with each technique, using 111In-tropolone-labeled endothelial progenitor cells and serial SPECT/CT for 15 d after injection. Results: In vivo indium imaging demonstrated comparable degrees of retention: 57% ± 15% for the subepicardial injections and 54% ± 26% for the subendocardial injections. Clearance half-lives were also similar at 69 ± 26 and 60 ± 21 h, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that subendocardial injections, clinically more practical, show clearance kinetics comparable to those of subepicardial injections and will facilitate the ultimate clinical use of this treatment modality. Copyright © 2010 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc