Determining the Effective Entropy of A Visual Hash System

Fractal visual hashes have the potential to replace traditional hexadecimal hashes for SSH applications with the goal of increasing user recognition of identities of remote computers. Rather than rely on human users manually comparing two hexadecimal hashes as part of SSH's public-private key encryption process, users would compare fractal images generated from the original hexadecimal hashes to determine if the keys match. A visual hash comparison and differentiation game was developed that evaluated the ability of users to differentiate between two images visually. Users were presented with pairs of either flag hashes, t-flag hashes, identicon hashes, hexadecimal hashes, or fractal hashes and were asked to decide if the images were the same or different. The hashes generated were created in a way so that hashes being compared were very similar in their visual characteristics to increase the number of images that were hard to distinguish. The data collected was analyzed through Bayesian analysis wherein the user input and the hash details were evaluated to the find the highest probability effective entropy and user error of the system. The fractal visual hash achieved the highest amount of effective entropy among the tested hash types and provided a foundation for further research to be conducted on visual hash systems and the validity of fractal hashes

Sec12 Binds to Sec16 at Transitional ER Sites

COPII vesicles bud from an ER domain known as the transitional ER (tER). Assembly of the COPII coat is initiated by the transmembrane guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sec12. In the budding yeast Pichia pastoris, Sec12 is concentrated at tER sites. Previously, we found that the tER localization of P. pastoris Sec12 requires a saturable binding partner. We now show that this binding partner is Sec16, a peripheral membrane protein that functions in ER export and tER organization. One line of evidence is that overexpression of Sec12 delocalizes Sec12 to the general ER, but simultaneous overexpression of Sec16 retains overexpressed Sec12 at tER sites. Additionally, when P. pastoris Sec12 is expressed in S. cerevisiae, the exogenous Sec12 localizes to the general ER, but when P. pastoris Sec16 is expressed in the same cells, the exogenous Sec12 is recruited to tER sites. In both of these experimental systems, the ability of Sec16 to recruit Sec12 to tER sites is abolished by deleting a C-terminal fragment of Sec16. Biochemical experiments confirm that this C-terminal fragment of Sec16 binds to the cytosolic domain of Sec12. Similarly, we demonstrate that human Sec12 is concentrated at tER sites, likely due to association with a C-terminal fragment of Sec16A. These results suggest that a Sec12–Sec16 interaction has a conserved role in ER export

CK2 Phosphorylates Sec31 and Regulates ER-To-Golgi Trafficking

Protein export from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an initial and rate-limiting step of molecular trafficking and secretion. This is mediated by coat protein II (COPII)-coated vesicles, whose formation requires small GTPase Sar1 and 6 Sec proteins including Sec23 and Sec31. Sec31 is a component of the outer layer of COPII coat and has been identified as a phosphoprotein. The initiation and promotion of COPII vesicle formation is regulated by Sar1; however, the mechanism regulating the completion of COPII vesicle formation followed by vesicle release is largely unknown. Hypothesizing that the Sec31 phosphorylation may be such a mechanism, we identified phosphorylation sites in the middle linker region of Sec31. Sec31 phosphorylation appeared to decrease its association with ER membranes and Sec23. Non-phosphorylatable mutant of Sec31 stayed longer at ER exit sites and bound more strongly to Sec23. We also found that CK2 is one of the kinases responsible for Sec31 phosphorylation because CK2 knockdown decreased Sec31 phosphorylation, whereas CK2 overexpression increased Sec31 phosphorylation. Furthermore, CK2 knockdown increased affinity of Sec31 for Sec23 and inhibited ER-to-Golgi trafficking. These results suggest that Sec31 phosphorylation by CK2 controls the duration of COPII vesicle formation, which regulates ER-to-Golgi trafficking

The Affected: The Nicaraguan Ex-Banana Workers Movement’s Struggle for Indemnification & Government Assistance from DBCP Exposure

Throughout Latin America, economic development has been significantly influenced by multinational corporations’ production of agricultural commodities. The creation of jobs and infrastructure has at times been accompanied by contamination of the environment and labor rights abuses. As a result, we are seeing communities and organizations demanding reparation for past business practices and demanding government support in creating healthier communities. This paper focuses on former banana plantation workers in Nicaragua who seek to receive compensation from the Dole Food Company and other multinational corporations for their role in the distribution and use of Nemagón, a highly toxic pesticide, on the banana plantations in the 1970s. The paper focuses on several factions of the broader ex-banana worker movement, and examines their individual strategies and effectiveness in reaching their goals. It begins with a history of the development of this campaign, and concludes with lessons that similar advocacy campaigns may consider in light of the successes and failures of the Nicaraguan’s movement

Candidate emergence in times of threatening rhetoric: a critical race analysis of the lived experiences of women of immigrant origin

Historical patterns of the intersecting systems of oppression of women have been woven into the U.S. social fabric. For decades, the manifestation of those patterns have also been present in both the feminist and anti-racism movements. Women of Color have often been left without the representation of their intersectional needs and have been denied the recognition of their work in both movements. Women of immigrant origin have also been rendered invisible throughout history, but their involvement in community-based organizations has created increasing opportunities for them to claim their political voice; this has been no easy feat given the obstacles they continue to face due to their immigrant, gendered, and racial/ethnic identities. Nevertheless, women of immigrant origin have taken the reins to find solutions to the troubling political environment their communities have faced following the candidacy and Presidency of President Trump. Past studies have focused on the motivation of specific groups such as women or immigrants in running for political office, but there is a lack of research concentrating directly on women who migrated to the United States or daughters of immigrants to the U.S. In particular, few have examined candidate emergence of women while applying an intersectional analytical lens. Building on prior research which has mostly taken a quantitative analysis through large scale surveys, this study focuses on a qualitative methodology in analyzing women’s narratives to help fill in the gaps of understanding how immigration experiences, race/ethnicity, and gender are at play for women of immigrant origin as they emerge as political candidates. Taking a closer look at women of immigrant origin living in the Northwest U.S. state of Oregon, this thesis will analyze the following research question: In the post-2016 era, what are the narratives of women of immigrant origin as they emerged as political candidates in the United States? Sub-questions include: 1.) What are the discourses of immigrant, racial/ethnic, and gendered experiences of women in the United States that have marked their lives? and 2.) What are the immigrant, racial/ethnic and gendered discourses behind women’s motivation to run for elected political office post-2016? Through in-person qualitative interviews, findings reveal how immigrant history, race/ethnicity, and gender drive motivations to run for political office during times when political rhetoric targets candidates’ identity groups. In the post-2016 political environment, in which racial discrimination, xenophobic rhetoric, and threats to women’s rights were pervasive, women of immigrant origin believed that the cost of not running for office outweighed the race-, immigrant- and gender-based obstacles to attaining office. This dissertation is taking up the call to give voice to a small but growing elected group of leaders who are defying the odds of winning their elected seats. It challenges readers to reexamine the candidate emergence process in the United States by evaluating the immigrant experience within an intersectional framework. Thus, incorporating an intersectional analysis will reveal a broader understanding of the candidate emergence process for women of immigrant origin.Historische patronen van onderdrukking van vrouwen met intersectionele identiteiten zijn verweven in het sociale weefsel van de VS. Decennialang waren die patronen ook aanwezig in de feministische en antiracismebewegingen. Vrouwen van kleur bleven vaak achter zonder de representatie van hun intersectionele noden en hun werk werd in beide bewegingen niet erkend. Vrouwen met een migratieachtergrond werden door de geschiedenis heen ook onzichtbaar gemaakt, maar hun betrokkenheid in lokale organisaties opende de deuren om hun politieke stem op te eisen. Gezien de obstakels waarmee ze geconfronteerd worden, zowel met betrekking tot hun migratieachtergrond en genderidentiteit alsook hun raciale/etnische identiteit, was hun kandidaatstelling geen gemakkelijke opgave. Desalniettemin hebben vrouwen met een migratieachtergrond zelf naar oplossingen gezocht voor het verontrustende politieke klimaat waarmee hun gemeenschap werd geconfronteerd na de kandidatuur en verkiezing van president Trump. Eerdere studies hebben zich gericht op de motivaties van groepen zoals vrouwen of immigranten om zich kandidaat te stellen voor een politiek ambt, maar er is een gebrek aan onderzoek dat zich rechtstreeks concentreert op vrouwen die naar de Verenigde Staten zijn gemigreerd of op dochters van immigranten in de VS. In het bijzonder zijn er weinig studies die het naar voren komen van vrouwelijke kandidaten hebben bestudeerd vanuit een intersectioneel analytisch perspectief. Voortbouwend op eerder onderzoek dat zich voornamelijk baseert op een kwantitatieve analyse van grootschalige enquêtes, richt deze studie zich op een kwalitatieve narratieve analyse om de leemten op te vullen in de manieren waarop gender, ras en nativisme een rol spelen bij vrouwen met een migratieachtergrond, wanneer zij naar voren komen als kandidaten. Door nader in te gaan op vrouwen met een migratieachtergrond die in de noordwestelijke staat Oregon wonen, zal dit proefschrift de volgende onderzoeksvraag analyseren: Wat zijn de narratieven van vrouwen met een migratieachtergrond wanneer zij naar voren komen als kandidaten voor een politiek ambt in het post-2016-tijdperk? Subvragen zijn onder meer: 1.) Wat zijn discoursen van de immigrant-, raciale/etnische en gendergerelateerde ervaringen die het leven van vrouwen in de Verenigde Staten hebben getekend? en 2.) Wat zijn de immigrant-, raciale/etnische en gendergerelateerde discourses van de motivaties van vrouwen om zich kandidaat te stellen voor een verkozen politieke functie na 2016? Door middel van persoonlijke kwalitatieve interviews onthullen de bevindingen hoe de intersectionele identiteiten van immigratiegeschiedenis, ras/etniciteit en gender de motivaties bepalen om zich kandidaat te stellen voor een politieke functie in tijden waarin de politieke retoriek zich richt op hun identiteitsgroepen. In het politieke klimaat van na 2016 waar raciale discriminatie, xenofobe retoriek en bedreigingen voor vrouwenrechten alomtegenwoordig waren, zijn vrouwen met een migratieachtergrond van mening dat de kosten om zich niet verkiesbaar te stellen voor een politieke functie zwaarder wegen dan de belemmeringen op grond van ras, migratieachtergrond en geslacht om die functie te verwerven. Dit proefschrift gaat in op de oproep om een stem te geven aan een kleine maar groeiende gekozen groep leiders die trachten om verkozen zetels te winnen. Het daagt lezers uit om het proces van kandidaatstelling in de Verenigde Staten opnieuw te onderzoeken door de immigrantenervaring te evalueren binnen een intersectioneel kader. Zo zal de invloed van intersectionaliteit een breder begrip onthullen van het proces van kandidaatstelling voor vrouwen met een migratieachtergrond.Los patrones históricos de opresión hace las mujeres que padecen de sistemas interseccionales las mujeres, han estado entretejido en el tejido social de los Estados Unidos. Durante décadas, la manifestación de esos patrones también estuvo presente en los movimientos feministas y antirracistas. Las mujeres de color a menudo se quedaron sin la representación de sus necesidades interseccionales y se les negó el reconocimiento de su trabajo en ambos movimientos. Las mujeres de origen inmigrante también fueron invisibilizadas a lo largo de la historia, pero su participación en organizaciones comunitarias abrió las puertas para reclamar su voz en la política. Emerger como candidatas no ha sido una hazaña fácil debido a los obstáculos que enfrentan por sus identidades de inmigrante, de género y racial/étnica. Sin embargo, las mujeres de origen inmigrante han tomado las riendas para encontrar soluciones del preocupante entorno político que enfrentó su comunidad, tras la candidatura y presidencia del presidente Trump. Los estudios anteriores se han centrado en la motivación de grupos como las mujeres o los inmigrantes a la hora de presentarse a un cargo político, pero faltan investigaciones que se centren directamente en las mujeres que emigraron a Estados Unidos o en las hijas de inmigrantes en Estados Unidos. En particular, son pocos los estudios que han examinado la aparición de las candidaturas de mujeres con un lente analítico interseccional. Sobre la base de revisiones de investigaciones relacionadas, en su mayoría se han realizado análisis cuantitativo a través de encuestas a gran escala, pero este estudio se centra en un enfoque metodológico cualitativo que tiene relación sobre el análisis de los relatos de las mujeres, y comprender cómo son las experiencias de las mujeres de origen inmigrante cuando surgen como candidatas políticas y entran en juego las categorías de inmigración, raza/etnia y género. En esta tesis se analizan las mujeres de origen inmigrante que viven en el estado de Oregón, en el noroeste del país y, se plantea la siguiente pregunta de investigación: ¿Cuáles son las narrativas de las mujeres de origen inmigrante que surgieron como candidatas políticas a partir del año 2016 en Estados Unidos? Las subpreguntas incluyen: 1.) ¿Cuáles son los discursos que marcaron las vidas de las mujeres en relación a las experiencias inmigrante, raciales/étnicas y de género en Estados Unidos? y 2.) ¿Cuáles son los discursos que motivan a las mujeres a presentarse a un cargo político, según las experiencias inmigrante, raciales/étnicas y de género después del año 2016? A través de las entrevistas cualitativas, los resultados apuntan a cómo la historia de las mujeres inmigrantes, intersectadas con las categorías raza/etnia, inmigración y género, impulsan para presentarse a un cargo político en tiempos en que la retórica política se dirige a grupos con estas identidades. En el entorno político posterior a 2016, en que la discriminación racial, la retórica política anti-inmigrante y las amenazas a los derechos de las mujeres eran omnipresentes, las mujeres de origen inmigrante pensaban que al no presentarse a las elecciones tendrian consecuencias mas graves al comparación de los obstáculos que se enfrentarían como candidatas de origen migrante. Esta tesis recoge el llamado para dar voz a un pequeño pero creciente grupo de líderesas electas que desafiaron las probabilidades y ganaron los puestos en las elecciones. Desafía a las y los lectores a reexaminar el proceso de emergencia de las candidatas en Estados Unidos, donde la experiencia de los inmigrantes se evalúa dentro de un marco interseccional. Así, la incorporación de un análisis interseccional revelará una comprensión más amplia de la emergencia de las candidaturas de mujeres de origen inmigrante.Tesis Univ. Granada

The Re-Victimization Of Women: How The Globalization Of Mediation Has Impacted The Victims Of Domestic Violence In Nicaragua

Domestic violence has long been a widespread problem in Nicaragua. The judicial system has so far failed to alleviate the enduring growth of domestic abuse over the years. Faced with diminutive resources, mediation has been adopted by the Nicaraguan judicial system as a viable option for resolving domestic violence cases in order to reduce the high volume of court cases. This paper will examine the historical and cultural role of women in Nicaragua as a way to better understand the factors which have led to the prevalence of domestic violence. It will also examine the application of mediation as a tool for resolving these cases and evaluate the appropriateness of its use, offering suggestions for improving the effectiveness of mediation in this context

Sec12 Binds to Sec16 at Transitional ER Sites

COPII vesicles bud from an ER domain known as the transitional ER (tER). Assembly of the COPII coat is initiated by the transmembrane guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sec12. In the budding yeast Pichia pastoris, Sec12 is concentrated at tER sites. Previously, we found that the tER localization of P. pastoris Sec12 requires a saturable binding partner. We now show that this binding partner is Sec16, a peripheral membrane protein that functions in ER export and tER organization. One line of evidence is that overexpression of Sec12 delocalizes Sec12 to the general ER, but simultaneous overexpression of Sec16 retains overexpressed Sec12 at tER sites. Additionally, when P. pastoris Sec12 is expressed in S. cerevisiae, the exogenous Sec12 localizes to the general ER, but when P. pastoris Sec16 is expressed in the same cells, the exogenous Sec12 is recruited to tER sites. In both of these experimental systems, the ability of Sec16 to recruit Sec12 to tER sites is abolished by deleting a C-terminal fragment of Sec16. Biochemical experiments confirm that this C-terminal fragment of Sec16 binds to the cytosolic domain of Sec12. Similarly, we demonstrate that human Sec12 is concentrated at tER sites, likely due to association with a C-terminal fragment of Sec16A. These results suggest that a Sec12–Sec16 interaction has a conserved role in ER export.</p

A Simple Method to Tune the Gross Antibacterial Activity of Cellulosic Biomaterials

A very preliminary approach for grossly tuning the antibacterial activity of cellulosic fibers has been developed and its preliminary findings are described herein. The approach is universal for cellulosic-based substrates and first involves a physico-chemical adsorption phenomenon between fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and cellulose. The cellulose biomaterials were in the form of disks 2 cm in diameter that were subjected to standard agar growth plates containing a gamut of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Zones of inhibition were measured around the biomaterials which displayed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. This activity could be tuned simply by grossly changing the surface area of the cellulosic surface topology as indicated by the surface fibrillation of the microfibrils and hence the bioactive availability of the fatty acids. Thus, the potential application of these materials in the biomedical field appears promising

Recruitment of PpSec12 to tER sites in <i>S. cerevisiae</i> by simultaneous expression of PpSec16.

<p>(A) <i>S. cerevisiae</i> cells expressed <i>S. cerevisiae</i> Sec13-CFP (ScSec13-CFP) plus either PpSec12-GG (top row) or ScSec12-GG (bottom row). Both versions of Sec12 localized to the general ER. (B) Same as (A), except that the <i>S. cerevisiae</i> cells also expressed PpSec16-YFP under control of the inducible <i>GAL10</i> promoter. PpSec16-YFP colocalized with ScSec13-CFP at tER sites, and now tER localization was observed for PpSec12-GG but not for ScSec12-GG. Scale bar, 2 µm.</p