SNC Employee / Parent / Townie Dishes on 50 Years of Campus Life

Todd Danen \u2777 tells SNC parents about his life with SNC in Spring 219

Financial Elder Abuse: New York State Prevalence, Interventions, & Future Directions

Millions of older adults living in the United States are victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation is the most common form of abuse. Additionally, the adult population age 65 and older is projected to more than double by 2060 (Colby & Ortman, 2015) which will increase the likelihood of elder abuse. New York State has a substantial older adult population, was the focus of largest and most comprehensive elder abuse prevalence study, and utilizes multiple forms of financial abuse interventions including the widely supported use of multidisciplinary teams. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to describe the prevalence and current interventions pertaining to the issue of financial elder abuse in New York State

Economic potential of human motion for electricity production in gymnasiums

With the continuous rise of energy demand at a global scale and, the significant environmental impacts that the current energy sector causes, political decision-makers feel the need to increasingly invest in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy, and find new ways to produce electricity with minimal environmental impact. The use of human movement to produce energy has already been a study subject, but with very few applications in the current market. This is mainly due to the relation between the investment costs and the electric output that current generators are able to produce. A scarcity of studies about the economic potential of these technologies is noted, which contributes to the weak interest of potential investors in their implementation. In this work an attempt is made to synthesize the results related to the analysis of the economic aspects associated to the technologies that use human motion, which already have real-life applications and have been extensively studied. Simultaneously the concept is developed, and a prototype is constructed of a system capable of using linear human movement, of which the performance is evaluated. As such, it becomes possible to compare the electric output of the rotational system, based on existing literature, with the output of the linear system based on the results acquired during the preliminary tests of a developed prototype. These values are used to calculate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that these systems enable. The experiments with the prototype were developed in a gymnasium, because these establishments concentrate a considerable amount of daily human motion. Currently, that movement is wasted in the machine’s resistance. Meanwhile, the economic analysis and potential GHG savings of these systems are studied in four different gymnasiums with varying characteristics. It was determined that the use of rotational human motion to produce electric energy has a considerable economic potential in the current market, which is supported by the fact that a few establishments have already incorporated equipment that permit their exploitation. However, linear human movement is incapable of reaching an acceptable return period in almost all scenarios. Only large-scale gymnasium, such as Be-Fit Setúbal, possess the capacity to adopt this technology and reach a return period with economic viabilit

Tumor-induced remote ECM network orientation steers angiogenesis

Tumor angiogenesis promotes tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we use automated sequential microprinting of tumor and endothelial cells in extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds to study its mechanical aspects. Quantitative reflection microscopy shows that tumor spheroids induce radial orientation of the surrounding collagen fiber network up to a distance of five times their radius. Across a panel of ~20 different human tumor cell lines, remote collagen orientation is correlated with local tumor cell migration behavior. Tumor induced collagen orientation requires contractility but is remarkably resistant to depletion of collagen-binding integrins. Microvascular endothelial cells undergo directional migration towards tumor spheroids once they are within the tumor-oriented collagen fiber network. Laser ablation experiments indicate that an intact physical connection of the oriented network with the tumor spheroid is required for mechanical sensing by the endothelial cells. Together our findings indicate that, in conjunction with described activities of soluble angiogenic factors, remote physical manipulation of the ECM network by the tumor can help to steer angiogenesis

Ignoring matrix boundaries when the LKB1 master kinase is gone.

Gradients of soluble attractants as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins serve as cues for directional cell movement. Such "chemotaxis" and "haptotaxis" steers migration of cells during embryonic development, wound healing, and immune responses. In this issue, Chan et al. (2014. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201404067) show that the tumor suppressor LKB1 controls haptotaxis through the microtubule affinity-regulating kinase (MARK) family, one of the many substrates of the LKB1 master kinase. In the absence of this pathway, melanoma cells migrate irrespective of ECM gradients, which may explain the increased metastatic spread observed in LKB1-deficient tumors.Toxicolog

The fibronectin-binding integrins α5β1 and αvβ3 differentially modulate RhoA–GTP loading, organization of cell matrix adhesions, and fibronectin fibrillogenesis

We have studied the formation of different types of cell matrix adhesions in cells that bind to fibronectin via either α5β1 or αvβ3. In both cases, cell adhesion to fibronectin leads to a rapid decrease in RhoA activity. However, α5β1 but not αvβ3 supports high levels of RhoA activity at later stages of cell spreading, which are associated with a translocation of focal contacts to peripheral cell protrusions, recruitment of tensin into fibrillar adhesions, and fibronectin fibrillogenesis. Expression of an activated mutant of RhoA stimulates αvβ3-mediated fibrillogenesis. Despite the fact that α5β1-mediated adhesion to the central cell-binding domain of fibronectin supports activation of RhoA, other regions of fibronectin are required for the development of α5β1-mediated but not αvβ3-mediated focal contacts. Using chimeras of β1 and β3 subunits, we find that the extracellular domain of β1 controls RhoA activity. By expressing both β1 and β3 at high levels, we show that β1-mediated control of the levels of β3 is important for the distribution of focal contacts. Our findings demonstrate that the pattern of fibronectin receptors expressed on a cell dictates the ability of fibronectin to stimulate RhoA-mediated organization of cell matrix adhesions

Deteção de bactérias resistentes a antibióticos nas mãos e telemóveis

Mestrado em MicrobiologiaMobile phones are daily used and in a frequent manner. There is no awareness in the general public of their potential to be a reservoir of specific bacteria. The use of touch screen mobile phones is exponentially growing and the hospital outbreaks with touch screens as contamination source is more frequently being registered. Touch screens are not perceived as a method of transmission of potentially pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria, thus posing as a health risk due to being overlooked in terms of disinfection standards in healthcare settings. Bacteria are acquiring resistance to various antibiotics, possibly becoming multiresistant such as HA-MRSA. This poses a public health risk when faced with the possibility that these bacteria can adhere and remain on mobile phones over a great length of time. These devices may serve as vector of transmitting bacteria to their owners and third parties. This is even more preoccupying when individuals are healthcare professionals. This study aimed to identify and quantify the bacteria present on mobile phones and the hands of their users. The bacteria were submitted to antibiotic screening and MRSA were selected and genotypically characterized, and the SCCmec element typified. Bacillus spp. was detected in 7.5% of the individuals and in 28% of the mobile phones, hemolytic bacteria were detected in 82% of the individuals, Staphylococcus spp. in 96.5%, S. aureus in 82%, Enterobacteriaceae in 1% and MRSA in 6%. Erythromycin resistance in staphylococci was verified to be 44.7% in general. Oxacillin and Clindamycin resistance was 12.5% and 9.8%, respectively. 0.8% of the screened bacteria were multiresistant, and 3.3% of the individuals presented multiresistant bacteria on their hands. Four samples were identified as being MRSA, all multiresistant and from those, two samples were presumptively identified as SCCmec type II and SCCmec type III, both HA-MRSA. Male individuals have "dirtier" hands than female students in terms of potential pathogenic bacteria. Various factors such as, keyboard type, hand and mobile phone hygiene, nail length, manicure type and presence, taking device to the bathroom, owning pets and hand washing have influence on the bacterial count of the hands. Mobile phones can serve as reservoirs of specific bacterial that may be pathogenic and multiresistant to antibiotics, and should be publically perceived as a possible contamination source.Atualmente os telemóveis são utilizados diariamente e de modo frequente. Não se observa uma consciencialização por parte da comunidade geral para o seu potencial como reservatório para bactérias específicas. O uso de telemóveis com ecrãs tácteis encontra-se em crescimento exponencial, e os surtos hospitalares em que se verifica que o ecrã táctil é uma fonte de contaminação estão a ser registados com maior frequência. Os ecrãs tácteis não são encarados como um meio de transmissão de bactérias potencialmente patogénicas e bactérias resistentes a antibióticos, podendo ser assim um risco para a saúde pública devido à negligência em termos de desinfeção apropriada em ambientes hospitalares. As bactérias estão a adquirir várias resistências a antibióticos, tornando-se multirresistentes tal como o HÁ-MRSA. Isto representa um risco para a saúde pública quando confrontados com a possibilidade destas bactérias aderirem e permanecerem nos telemóveis durante um longo período de tempo. Estes dispositivos podem servir como vetor na transmissão de bactérias presentes para o seu utilizador e a terceiros. Sendo ainda mais preocupante quando os indivíduos são profissionais de saúde. Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar e quantificar as bactérias presentes nos telemóveis e nas mãos dos seus utilizadores. As bactérias foram analisadas em termos de resistência a antibióticos e MRSA foram selecionados e geneticamente caracterizados, e o elemento SCCmec tipificado. Bacillus spp. foi detetado em 7.5% dos indivíduos e em 28% dos telemóveis, bactérias hemolíticas foram detetadas em 82% dos indivíduos, Staphylococcus spp. em 96.5%, S. aureus em 82%, Enterobacteriaceae em 1% e MRSA em 6%. A resistência à Eritromicina por staphylococci foi 44.7% em geral. A resistência à Oxacilina e Clindamicina foi de 12.5% e 9.8%, respetivamente. 0.8% das bactérias submetidas a antibiograma apresentaram resistência a múltiplas classes de antibióticos, e 3.3% dos participantes apresentaram bactérias multirresistentes nas mãos. Quatro amostras foram identificadas como sendo MRSA, todas multirresistentes, e destas, duas foram presuntivamente identificadas como sendo SCCmec tipo II e SCCmec tipo III, ambas HÁ-MRSA. Indivíduos do sexo masculino têm as mãos mais "sujas" do que as estudantes do sexo feminino, isto em termos de bactérias potencialmente patogénicas. Vários fatores como, tipo de teclado, higiene das mãos e telemóvel, tamanho das unhas, tipo e presença de manicure, levar o telemóvel para a casa de banho, ter animais de estimação e lavar as mãos influenciam o número de CFU nas mãos. Os telemóveis podem servir de reservatório para bactérias específicas que podem ser patogénicas e multirresistentes a antibióticos, por isso devem ser reconhecidos publicamente como uma possível fonte de contaminação

Adhesion signaling - crosstalk between integrins, Src and Rho

Toxicolog