Isolating and Sequencing Genes Coding for Metal-Reducing Enzymes in Shewanella algae, BrY

The Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program focuses on efficiently managing and reducing contamination of soil and groundwater by heavy metals and nuclear materials at Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the United States. In an effort to learn how to use microbes to accomplish this goal, four genes that code for metal-reducing enzymes expressed by the soil bacterium Shewanella algae, strain BrY are being sequenced. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is used to amplify the genes of interest, and the PCR products are purified by cloning and sent to the University of Chicago for sequencing. So far, partial sequences of two genes have been obtained. Once the complete sequences of all four genes have been obtained, the research will focus on the characterization of the metal-reducing enzymes themselves

Urban Dreams and Agrarian Renovations: Examining the Politics and Practices of Peri-urban Land Conversion in Hanoi, Vietnam

In Mễ Trì village on the Western peri-urban edge of Hanoi, Vietnam, landless rice farmers no longer tend to rice paddy fields. Instead, many have converted 40 square meters of their residential space into a small factory for producing an artisanal rice product called cốm (young rice). This small village-based industry has garnered national demand for the product, drawing the attention of central policymakers who want to preserve the craft as a cultural relic of Hanoi. But without land to cultivate the rice inputs, young rice production is largely driven by the outsourcing of grains, the use of inventive new machinery, and most notably, widespread sentiments of pride and passion in the village craft. Based on 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Mễ Trì village between July 2017 and December 2018, this dissertation examines the assemblages of rural-urban spaces that emerge out of the convergence of mega-city master plans, foreign investment, heritage preservation, and the everyday livelihood practices of those living and working in the changing urban fringe. It attends to competing discourses on Vietnam’s rural spaces as well as the dialogic practices between state actors and local cốm producers, which have allowed agrarian traditions to re-emerge amidst urban development. In this dissertation, I argue that Mễ Trì’s practices of adaptation through craft production demonstrate a politics of resilience, which has both material and symbolic implications. Craft production not only provides people with a transitional livelihood in their post-agrarian landscape, but it has also served as an important cultural tool and resource that villagers use in finding and cultivating meaningful identities amidst society’s contemporary urban-oriented shifts. Stories about Mễ Trì’s acts of resilience through cốm production narrate the lived experiences of land use and social transformation of a village that lies, both empirically as well as conceptually, at the tenuous intersection between a capital mega-city’s dual projects of urban civilization (văn minh đô thị) and “heritage” protection. In doing so, it provides an ethnographic insight into the shifting but continually significant place of agrarian-based cultures and livelihoods in shaping the broader processes of urban-oriented economic and land use change in Hanoi, with implications for other Asian contexts

Tips to Ensure Impact: Best Practices in Sharing Data with Funders and Foundations

Best practices in sharing data with funders and foundations Breakout Session

Spatial Variation of Bacterial Communities on the Leaves of a Southern Magnolia Tree

The leaf surface, or phylloplane, is a dynamic environment for its microbial inhabitants, which can be subjected to many environmental factors. Existing phylloplane studies have focused on differences in bacterial community structure between trees of the same species, in different geographical locations, or between trees of different species. Few studies have examined the spatial distribution of bacterial communities on the leaves of a single tree. In this study, leaf samples from different areas of the canopy were obtained from a single Magnolia grandiflora tree. Samples were taken from the high (3.5-4.0 m above the ground), middle (1.5 m), inner middle (1.5 m but close to the trunk), and low (0.5 m) portions of the tree canopy, following cardinal directions (north, south, east, west). Following DNA extraction procedures, dual index barcoding was used to sequence the V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Phylloplane communities were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, which are common inhabitants of plants. Patterns in alpha and beta diversity suggested that the height from which the sample was taken had a strong influence on the shaping of communities, while cardinal direction was not a significant predictor of diversity. Interestingly, the inner leaves of the canopy had higher species abundance than the leaves on the outside of the canopy, which could suggest that the surrounding canopy protects the inner leaves from ultraviolent light, desiccation, or other factors that may limit bacterial growth

Omental Infarction: A Rare Cause of Abdominal pain

Omental infarction is a rare cause of acute abdomen pain first described by Eitel in 1899 and has been described in the literature with total numbers ranging from 250-400 worldwide with many coming from individual case reports. Risk factors for developing omental infarction are thought to be obesity, trauma, intense exercise or secondary to torsion from adhesions. Historically, the diagnosis of omental infarction was made incidentally in the operating room for patients with an acute abdomen with a different suspected diagnosis. Most often being appendicitis with associated right lower quadrant abdominal pain and smaller subset from suspected diverticulitis and cholecystitis in the left lower and right upper quadrants respectively. The increasing availability of high-resolution CT scans of the abdomen/pelvis has led to increased reports of omental infarction as a cause for an acute abdomen in the literature. In this case report we present a case of idiopathic omental infarction found in a 28-year-old male who presented with left lower quadrant abdominal pain who was managed with conservative treatment. I will also discuss the recommended treatment guidelines based on the limited data in the literature many of which are from case reports and a recently published systematic review

Introduction

Introduction to volume 6 of Macalester College\u27s journal Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

An Unusual ED Case: Scrotal Edema from a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm in a 58-Year-Old Male

Scrotal edema is not an uncommon presentation in emergency medicine. We describe the case of a 58-year-old male with no prior medical history who presented to the emergency department (ED) due to progressive scrotal edema. The patient noted increased painless testicular enlargement, dry cough, and dyspnea on exertion over the course of several weeks. Scrotal edema was evaluated by an Ultrasound (US), showing bilateral testicular edema with concern for congestive heart failure (CHF). Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPE) scan showed a large 6.51 cm thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), cardiomegaly with dilated left sided chambers, and a small pericardial effusion. Subsequently, the patient had a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and was found to have left ventricular ejection fraction of 35% with severe aortic regurgitation, causing heart failure. Patient was transferred to the operating room (OR) for an aortic valve, aortic root, and ascending aorta replacement. Patient was deemed medically stable for discharge to home 2 weeks after initial TAA findings. TAA is a silent disease and an important cause of mortality in adults. Early recognition by astute clinicians can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality

exPIERience

The name of this project is called “exPIERience” and the technological field of focus is virtual reality. We will be working on creating a virtual reality experience using the Oculus Rift for the Center of Coastal Marine Sciences (CCMS). The purpose of this system is to enable people to experience diving at the Cal Poly Pier even during nonoptimal diving conditions which occur frequently. CCMS hopes to attract further interest and possible momentum in future outreach such as a “Live Dive” program, where live videos of divers under the pier can be streamed. A 360° video from the diver’s perspective will be recorded during the diver’s journey through the water. These captured images will be recreated into a 3D space that will simulate an experience as if the user of the headset is the actual diver. We will need to build a camera system that will properly record an entire 360° view of the space that the diver experiences first hand. In addition to this system, an easy-to use control system must be built for proper navigation throughout the 3D space. We hope to deliver a design that will enable users of all expertise to operate the device and have the same user experience