A MULTIDISCIPLINARY MASTERS PROGRAM IN GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT

Abstract The College of Technology and Applied Sciences at Arizona State University initiated a new graduate concentration -Global Technology & Development (GTD) -for the M.S. in Technology degree in 2001. This paper presents the details of this truly multidisciplinary, innovative curriculum development in technology, which offers students the opportunity to study applications of technology for global development, how systems of technology interface, and technology's role in global economic, political, and social development and change. While the traditional M.S. in Technology disciplines produce specialized technologists, the GTD concentration integrates social scientific approaches to the study of human development with coursework in systems of technology to train students to become "technology interpreters" for careers in technology-related public policy, administration, government service, and international development and management. Some of the central issues addressed in this concentration include technological change and its effects on societies and their economies, and how, in turn, social change influences technological advance. Thus, engineering students are exposed to graduate level theoretical foundations in the social sciences, and liberal arts students are exposed to courses in information technology software, transportation systems, technology forecasting, and sustainable energy studies. The experience of implementing this multidisciplinary graduate program, bridging technology and the social sciences, provides a model for further multidisciplinary curriculum development

Efficacy of metformin and electrical pulses in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells

Aim: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a very aggressive subset of breast cancer, with limited treatment options, due to the lack of three commonly targeted receptors, which merits the need for novel treatments for TNBC. Towards this need, the use of metformin (Met), the most widely used type-2 diabetes drug worldwide, was explored as a repurposed anticancer agent. Cancer being a metabolic disease, the modulation of two crucial metabolites, glucose, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), is studied in MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells, using Met in the presence of electrical pulses (EP) to enhance the drug efficacy. Methods: MDA-MB-231, human TNBC cells were treated with Met in the presence of EP, with various concentrations Met of 1 mmol/L, 2.5 mmol/L, 5 mmol/L, and 10 mmol/L. EP of 500 V/cm, 800 V/cm, and 1,000 V/cm (with a pulse width of 100 µs at 1 s intervals) were applied to TNBC and the impact of these two treatments was studied. Various assays, including cell viability, microscopic inspection, glucose, ROS, and wound healing assay, were performed to characterize the response of the cells to the combination treatment. Results: Combining 1,000 V/cm with 5 mmol/L Met yielded cell viability as low as 42.6% at 24 h. The glucose level was reduced by 5.60-fold and the ROS levels were increased by 9.56-fold compared to the control, leading to apoptotic cell death. Conclusions: The results indicate the enhanced anticancer effect of Met in the presence of electric pulses. The cell growth is inhibited by suppressing glucose levels and elevated ROS. This shows a synergistic interplay between electroporation, Met, glucose, and ROS metabolic alterations. The results show promises for combinational therapy in TNBC patients

Aging of Polymeric Insulators under Various Conditions and Environments: Another Look

Polymeric insulators have lightweight, excellent hydrophobicity and convenient transportation and installation. They are widely used in the external insulation for distribution and transmission lines. However, due to the long-term effects of pollution, ultraviolet radiation, discharge, temperature, humidity, altitude and other natural and complex environmental and service factors, the silicone rubber and other materials of polymeric insulators gradually age and lose their hydrophobicity and electrical insulation characteristics. The operability is significantly reduced, which seriously affects the safety and reliability of the power system. Hence, there is a need for assessing and evaluating the long-term aging and degradation of polymeric insulators under various operating conditions and environments. In this review, the various aging and characterization techniques of the polymeric insulators and their aging performance under the action of multiple factors are discussed. To enhance the performance of polymeric insulators, nano-coating, surface treatment and other techniques are also indicated. In addition, future potential fields that should be explored from a high-voltage electrical insulation perspective are also presented

Gelidiella acerosa inhibits lung cancer proliferation

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common subtype of Non small cell lung cancer in which the PI3K/Akt cascade is frequently deregulated. The ubiquitous expression of the PI3K and the frequent inactivation of PTEN accounts for the prolonged survival, evasion of apoptosis and metastasis in cancer. This has led to the development of PI3K inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. Synthetic PI3K inhibitors undergoing clinical and preclinical studies are toxic in animals. Hence, there is a critical need to identify PI3K inhibitor(s) of natural origin. The current study aims to explore the efficacy of the red algae Gelidiella acerosaon inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and the expression of cell survival genes in lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. Methods The phytoconstituents of Gelidiella acerosa were extracted sequentially with solvents of different polarity, screened qualitatively and quantitatively for secondary metabolites and characterized by GC-MS. The in-vitro studies were performed to check the efficacy of the extract on cell proliferation (MTT assay), cell invasion (scratch assay and colony formation assay), apoptosis (fluorescent, confocal microscopy and flow cytometry) and expression of apoptosis and cell survival proteins including PI3K, Akt and GSK3β and matrix metalloproteinase MMP2 and MMP9 by Western blot method. The antitumor activity of GAE was analyzed in a tumor model of Zebrafish. Results The outcomes of the in vitro analysis showed an inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cell migration and colonization by the crude extract. The analysis of protein expression showed the activation of caspases 3 and Pro apoptotic protein Bax accompanied by decreased expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. On the other hand, subsequent activation of GSK3β and down regulation of PI3K, Akt were observed. The decreased expression of MMP2 correlated with the antimetastatic activity of the extract. The in vivo studies showed an inhibition of tumor growth by GAE in Zebrafish. Conclusion The phytoconstituents of algal extract contributed to the anticancer properties as evidenced by in vitro and in vivo studies. These phytoconstituents can be considered as a natural source of PI3K/Akt inhibitor for treatment of cancers involving the PI3K cascade