Absence Leaves a Mark: Illustrating Filipino Migrant Stories

From July to October 2023, I volunteered at Damayan Migrant Workers Association, a New York City-based grassroots organization run by Filipino im/migrant workers dedicated to combatting labor trafficking. Every meeting opened with the same reminder: stories shared in this room do not leave it. Illustration became a tool for respecting the privacy of the members, many of whom were undocumented. Avoiding faces, I copied down objects, places, maps, and handwriting.Absence Leaves a Mark explores the idea of illustration as field note when working with migrant populations. Beyond depicting visual witness, illustrated field notes can contain findings from research and conversation. Illustration allows for creative use of space, cropping, and position, and embraces the subjectivity of experience. My final project is a visual essay about Little Manila, a small area in Queens around which Filipino im/migrants have lived for decades. Created from notes taken during walks, conversations, and data analysis, I narrate my experience as a recent migrant from the Philippines discovering Little Manila, and depict the culture and issues of a community that strives to stay visible in the wake of a pandemic and under the threat of gentrification

Supply and demand of ecosystem services of urban green spaces in deprived areas:Perceptions from Kumasi, Ghana

Urban green spaces (UGS) contribute to human health and wellbeing. However, few studies have focused on cities in the Global South, mainly examining them on a citywide scale without considering deprived areas where residents lack basic facilities and sufficient income. Consequently, there is limited understanding of the relationship between the availability of UGS and associated ecosystem services (ES), and what is actually demanded for by residents in such deprived areas. Therefore, this study aims to assess (i) the perceived supply and (ii) the perceived demand for ES of UGS in selected deprived urban areas; and (iii) to determine the potential gap(s) between these perceived supply and demand aspects. A mixed-method approach was adopted for the study, incorporating GIS methods, household surveys, and key informant interviews. As case studies, the study was conducted in two deprived areas in Kumasi, Ghana – Dakodwom and Ayigya Zongo. The findings reveal that land scarcity and encroachment have led to a limited supply of UGS in these areas. Nevertheless, residents appreciate the few available UGS and ES, demonstrating adaptation to their limited resources. They particularly highlighted the cultural ES provided by these UGS. The high demand for these services, surpassing their supply, shows significant gaps, emphasising the need for comprehensive urban planning and management decisions. Such decisions should involve all stakeholders and be underpinned by effective legislative support.</p

Value of co-benefits from energy saving ventilation systems –Contingent valuations on Swiss home owners

Previous efforts exploring options to increase residential sector’s energy efficiency have overlooked that highlighting co-benefits associated with energy efficiency may represent a promising strategy to draw attention from decision makers. For instance, in addition to savings in energy costs, buildings equipped with energy saving and comfort ventilation (ESV) system provide co-benefits such as improved indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, and noise reduction. These co-benefits are attributes of an experience goods as their value is difficult to appraise unless they have been experienced. This paper estimates the value of these co-benefits by inquiring willingness to accept (WTA) compensation to hold off on using ESV from Swiss owners of Minergie houses, which are equipped with ESV. Average monthly WTA is CHF 181 —value dominated by IAQ. WTA protocols may deliver overestimated values. Thus this paper estimates willingness to pay (WTP) on a sample of owners of conventional houses —i.e. respondents that have not experienced an ESV. Average monthly WTP is CHF 163 —value dominated by presence of allergies at home, an approximation to relevance of IAQ among respondents that have not experienced ESV. A back-of-the-envelope cost-benefit analysis informed with our estimates suggests that monthly benefits from ESV can be as much as twice the costs

Correction: A flow cytometer-based whole cell screening toolbox for directed hydrolase evolution through fluorescent hydrogels

Correction for ‘A flow cytometer-based whole cell screening toolbox for directed hydrolase evolution through fluorescent hydrogels’ by Nina Lülsdorf et al., Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 8679–8682

Evaluación biológica a largo plazo de una nueva hidroxiapatita biogénica

La necesidad de tratamiento de pérdidas óseas de diferentes etiologías, magnitud y localización ha estimulado el desarrollo de materiales capaces de sustituir al hueso. En SAIO 2010 hemos demostrado la biocompatibilidad, osteopromoción, osteoconducción, bioactividad y ausencia de tóxicidad local de la Hidroxiapatita biogénica (HAb) en médula ósea de ratas a los 7 y 21 días postimplante. Objetivo: Estudiar el comportamiento de HAb a largo plazo (12 semanas) utilizando el test de implantación ISO 10993-6 en médula ósea de tibia de ratas y comparar dos modelos animales de biocompatibilidad en médula ósea. Método: en 12 ratas Wistar (200g +/- 20g), se realizó defecto cortical en tibia para acceder a la médula ósea. Las muestras se dividieron en dos grupos: Grupo 1 (G1): se implantó Hab en médula de tibia izquierda y se obturó la cavidad cortical con gutapercha (g). Grupo 2 (G2): se implantó Hab en médula de tibia derecha, y se dejó la cortical sin obturar. Se utilizaron estudios histológicos y semi-cuantitativos a las 12 semanas post implante. Resultados: En G1 se observó zona del defecto obturada con gutapercha, cubierta hacia médula de tejido fibroso y luego neoformación de tejido óseo. Se observó persistencia de Hab, y alrededor de algunas partículas, neoformación ósea. En G2 se observó defecto cortical reparado con hueso neoformado que incorporó partículas de Hab. En médula, se observó persistencia de escasas partículas de Hab. Alrededor de ellas se observó neoformación ósea. En ambos grupos hubo ausencia de inflamación y ausencia de formación ósea cuando las partículas están cercanas. Conclusiones: En el G1 se pudo observar mejor la respuesta de la médula ósea a Hab, al conservarse más el material en su interior. En ambos grupos se observó que a las 12 semanas post implante, la Hab fue no tóxica localmente, fue biocompatible, bioactiva y osteoconductora. Cuando las partículas están muy cercanas entre sí, no se produce neoformación, por lo que estamos desarrollando una nueva presentación del material. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren continuar con el estudio de la Hab a fin de evaluar su empleo como material de relleno o sustituto óseo.Fil: Pastorino, Nina Fiorella. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Facultad de Odontologia. Cat.de Anatomia Patologica/laboratorio de Patologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Winik, Beatriz Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Jammal, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, L.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Missana, Liliana Raquel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaXLIV Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación OdontológicaTucumánArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigación Odontológic

Comparison of automated infarct core volume measures between non-contrast computed tomography and perfusion imaging in acute stroke code patients evaluated for potential endovascular treatment

Introduction: Patients with small core infarction and salvageable penumbra are likely to benefit from endovascular treatment (EVT). As computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTP) is not always available 24/7 for patient selection, many patients are transferred to stroke centers for CTP. We compared automatically measured infarct core volume (NCCTcore) from the non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) with ischemic core volume (CTPcore) from CTP and the outcome of EVT to clarify if NCCTcore measurement alone is sufficient to identify patients that benefit from transfer to stroke centers for EVT. Patients and methods: We included all consecutive stroke-code patients imaged with both NCCT and CTP at Helsinki University Hospital during 9/2016-01/2018. NCCTcore and CTPcore volumes were automatically calculated from the acute NCCT images. Follow-up infarct volume (FIV) was measured from 24 h follow-up NCCT to evaluate efficacy of EVT. To study whether NCCTcore could be used to identify patients eligible to EVT, we subgrouped patients based on NCCTcore volumes (>50 mL and > 70 mL). Results: Out of 1743 patients, baseline NCCTcore, CTPcore and follow-up NCCT was available for 288 patients. Median time from symptom onset to baseline imaging was 74 min (IQR 52-118), and time to follow-up imaging 24.15 h (22.25-26.33). Baseline NCCTcore was 20 mL (10-42), CTPcore 4 mL (0-16), and FIV 5 mL (1-49). Out of 288 patients, 23 had NCCTcore > 70 mL and 26 had CTPcore > 70 mL. NCCTcore and CTPcore performed similarly well in predicting large FIV (>70 ml). Conclusion: NCCTcore is a promising tool to identify patients that are not eligible to EVT due to large ischemic cores at baseline imaging.Peer reviewe