GIScience Driven R&D: Interdisciplinary GIST Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the largest DOE multi-research facility in the US and is located in Oak Ridge, TN. One of the signature strengths of ORNL is Computational Science and Engineering and the Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) group contributes to that strength as part of the Computer Sciences and Engineering Division (CSED) within the Computer Sciences Directorate. The GIST group is at the forefront of High Resolution Population and Social Dynamics research and development resulting in innovative products such as LandScan Global (population distribution at 30 arc seconds) and now LandScan HD (population distribution at 3 arc seconds). Other research capabilities within the group include Critical Infrastructure Modeling, Energy Assurance, High Performance Geocomputation and Visualization, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Earth Science Informatics, and Climate Change Impacts. The GIST group is an interdisciplinary group ranging of approximately 50 researchers (staff and students) and over the summer, the number of students increases anywhere from 15 to 25. As for Purdue graduates within the group, there are three staff and two interns at this time and Purdue students regularly participate in our summer internships programs

Master of Science

thesisAdipokines, including adiponectin and leptin, are secreted by adipose tissue. With an increase in fat mass, concentrations of adiponectin decrease and leptin increase, altering the adiponectin/leptin (A/L) ratio. A/L ratio is associated with metabolic dysfunction, as are multiple diet factors including breastfeeding in infancy and breakfast intake. However, it is not known whether these diet factors are related to A/L ratio, and if they will protect against metabolic dysfunction in a population at an increased risk. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether breastfeeding duration in infancy and current breakfast frequency are associated with A/L ratio and metabolic dysfunction in children and adolescents with obesity. The study cohort consisted of obese (body mass index ≥ 95th percentile) children and adolescents (n = 100, 46M). Fasting blood samples were taken to measure high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, glucose, adiponectin, and leptin levels. Weight, height, and blood pressure were also assessed. Breastfeeding history was obtained through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2003-2004, and breakfast frequency was reported through the Gold Medal School Parent Questionnaire administered to parents. Of the 100 participants, 82% were breastfed as infants. Among the breastfed, 66% (n = 54) were breastfed for ≥ 6 months and 62% (n = 54) were breastfed exclusively for ≥ 6 months (4 parents could not recall duration of exclusive breastfeeding). Of the breakfast responses collected (n = 46), most participants (59%, n = 27) reported consuming breakfast every day. There was no association between these diet factors and A/L ratio or the presence of metabolic dysfunction. Differences in A/L (p = 0.02) and leptin (p = 0.009) were noted between categorical breakfast frequencies when gender was controlled for, and there was a significant difference in BMI between categorical breakfast intakes (p = 0.02). There were no significant relationships in the linear model of breakfast. No association between A/L ratio and metabolic dysfunction was observed. In conclusion, breastfeeding duration and breakfast frequency do not appear to influence A/L ratio or metabolic dysfunction in this population of obese children and adolescents

PROBLEMÁTICAS ÉTICAS E ESTÉTICAS A PARTIR DO EXEMPLO DE UMA PRÁTICA TEATRAL NA PRISÃO

A prática do teatro na prisão levanta a ques- tão da participação de profissionais não profissionais em projetos artísticos. Este artigo é uma oportunidade para observar os vínculos entre questões éticas e estéticas, que estão no centro dos discursos sobre a participação, a partir do exemplo muito singular de produção artística nas prisões do coletivo independente de Berlim aufBruch. Para fazer isso, gostaria de voltar ao processo que experimentei várias vezes com o diretor Adrian Figueroa, durante a realização de projetos de teatro e cinema com prisioneiros nas prisões de Plötzensee e Tegel em Berlin. O trabalho é baseado em oficinas de redação e entrevistas com prisioneiros. Nessa oportunidade, descrevo as estratégias de distanciamento implementadas durante esses projetos, a maneira de desenvolver formas literárias próximas à autoficção, em que surge uma tensão entre a vida e a narrativa imaginária. Ao combinar uma abordagem teórica e prática, trata-se de transpor o obstáculo de evitar “expor” os prisioneiros e questionar, por um lado, a função social da arte que pode se afirmar como um espaço agonístico e, por outro lado, enfatizar os aspectos estéticos desses projetos que oscilam entre o espaço autêntico e simbólico. Nesta ocasião, podemos nos perguntar como os corpos encerrados em um lugar “absolutamente diferente” (Foucault) podem ser projetados em outro espaço

LES PROBLÉMATIQUES ÉTHIQUES ET ESTHÉTIQUES À L'EXEMPLE D'UNE PRATIQUE THÉÂTRALE EN PRISON

La pratique du théâtre en prison pose la question de la participation de personnes non professionnelles dans des projets artistiques. Cet article est l’occasion d’observer les liens entre les problématiques éthiques et esthétiques, qui sont au cœur des discours sur la participation, à partir de l’exemple très singulier de la production artistique en milieu carcéral du collectif indépendant berlinois aufBruch. Je souhaite pour cela revenir sur la démarche que j’ai expérimentée à plusieurs reprises avec le metteur en scène Adrian Figueroa, lors de la réalisation de projets de théâtre et de film avec des détenus dans les prisons de Plötzensee et de Tegel à Berlin. Le travail se base sur des ateliers d’écriture et des interviews réalisées avec les détenus. Je décris à cette occasion les stratégies de distanciation mises en place durant ces projets afin de développer des formes littéraires proches de l’autofiction, dans lesquels émerge une tension entre récit de vie et imaginaire. En mêlant une approche théorique et pratique, il s’agit, de discuter de l'écueil à éviter d’« exposer » les détenus, de questionner d'une part la fonction sociale de l’art pouvant s’affirmer comme un espace agonistique, et, d’autre part, de souligner les aspects esthétiques de ces projets qui oscillent entre espace authentique et symbolique. On pourra à cette occasion se demander comment les corps enfermés dans un lieu « absolument différent » (Foucault, 2009 (1966), p.24) peuvent être projetés dans un autre espace

Freie Republik HORA – Regie und Schauspiel als fortwährender Aushandlungsprozess

Ein Gespräch mit Gianni Blumer (Schauspieler Theater HORA) und Nele Jahnke (Stv. künstlerische Leiterin Theater HORA)Ein Gespräch mit Gianni Blumer (Schauspieler Theater HORA) und Nele Jahnke (Stv. künstlerische Leiterin Theater HORA)Ein Gespräch mit Gianni Blumer (Schauspieler Theater HORA) und Nele Jahnke (Stv. künstlerische Leiterin Theater HORA

Plasmodium falciparum:Rosettes do not protect merozoites from invasion-inhibitory antibodies

Rosetting is a parasite adhesion phenotype associated with severe malaria in African children. Why parasites form rosettes is unknown, although enhanced invasion or immune evasion have been suggested as possible functions. Previous work showed that rosetting does not enhance parasite invasion under standard in vitro conditions. We hypothesised that rosetting might promote invasion in the presence of host invasion-inhibitory antibodies, by allowing merozoites direct entry into the erythrocytes in the rosette and so minimising exposure to plasma antibodies. We therefore investigated whether rosetting influences invasion in the presence of invasion-inhibitory antibodies to MSP-1. We found no difference in invasion rates between isogenic rosetting and non-rosetting lines from two parasite strains, R29 and TM284, in the presence of MSP-1 antibodies (P=0.62 and P=0.63, Student's t test, TM284 and R29, respectively). These results do not support the hypothesis that rosettes protect merozoites from inhibitory antibodies during invasion. The biological function of rosetting remains unknown

Curating Transient Population in Urban Dynamics System

For past several decades, research efforts in population modelling has proven its efficacy in understanding the basic information about residential and commercial areas, as well as for the purposes of planning, development and improvement of the community as an eco-system. More or less, such efforts assume static nature of population distribution, in turn limited by the current ability to capture the dynamics of population change at a finer resolution of space and time. Fast forward today, more and more people are becoming mobile, traveling across borders impacting the nuts and bolts of our urban fabric. Unfortunately, our current efforts are being surpassed by the need to capture such transient population. It is becoming imperative to identify and define them, as well as measure their dynamics and interconnectedness. In this work, we intend to research urban population mobility patterns, gauge their transient nature, and extend our knowledge of their visited locations. We plan to achieve this by designing and developing novel methods and using VGI data that models and characterizes transient population dynamics