William S. Kisaalita

A systems approach is applied to a real-life case involving the production and use of a non-carbonized briquette branded YAZINI, made from renewable bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris). YAZINI is promoted as a green fuel alternative to traditional hardwood firewood and charcoal. Currently, approximately 95% of East Africans rely on unsustainable firewood and charcoal derived from hardwoods—a practice that is rapidly degrading forest cover and contributing to adverse climate change impacts. Conventional wisdom holds that bamboo afforestation in the energy value-chain where the end product is used for cooking is eligible for carbon credits. However, the location-dependent net YAZINI value-chain stages’ contribution to the overall carbon footprint is worthy exploring. This case study shows that when each stage of the YAZINI production value chain is analyzed for carbon sequestration and emissions, a net positive sequestration of approximately 1.3 metric tons of carbon per ton of briquettes used annually can be achieved, the bulk of which is due to bamboo left in the field.

Undergraduate science/engineering students are being encouraged to engage in inquiry- or design-based learning with global dimensions. However, outcomes of longer versus short overseas engagements have been predominantly anecdotal. In light of the high cost associated with longer engagements, a comparative assessment for short and long stays is needed. Using Intercultural Communication Apprehension and World Minded Attitudes instruments, we compared three groups of students (seniors with local projects, seniors with short overseas stay, and seniors with long overseas stay projects). Students who conducted projects overseas exhibited lower anxiety associated with intercultural communication and greater world mindedness and these changes were independent of the length of overseas stay. The length of overseas stay similarity between short and long stays was confirmed through analysis of student reflections. These results provide preliminary evidence in support of the notion that both short- and long-term projects equally put students on a trajectory toward developing global competencies, suggesting more study of the effectiveness of short overseas stay projects.

Animal models are frequently used in drug discovery because they represent a mammalian in vivo model system, they are the closest approximation to the human brain, and experimentation in humans is not ethical. Working with postmortem human brain samples is challenging and developing human in vitro systems, which mimic the in vivo human brain, has been challenging. However, the use of animal models in drug discovery for human neurological diseases is currently under scrutiny because data from animal models has come with variations due to genetic differences. Evidence from the literature suggests that techniques to reconstruct multiple neurotransmission projections, which characterize neurological disease circuits in humans, in vitro, have not been demonstrated. This paper presents a multicompartment microdevice for patterning neurospheres and specification of neural stem cell fate toward networks of multiple neuronal phenotypes. We validated our design by specification of human neural stem cells to dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons in different compartments of the device, simultaneously. The neurospheres formed unrestricted robust neuronal circuits between arrays of neurospheres in all compartments of the device. Such a device design may provide a basis for formation of multineurotransmission circuits to model functional connectivity between specific human brain regions, in vitro, using human-derived neural stem cells. This work finds relevance in neurological disease modeling and drug screening using human cell-based assays and may provide the impetus for shifting from animal-based models.

Conveying information for appropriate use of devices is uniquely challenging in low-resource settings. Drug makers have previously developed culturally meaningful informational pictograms to, for example, convey timing of doses, among low-literacy patients. We tested a similarly structured process among Ugandan smallholder farmers. Over 67% of the pictograms scored a passing grade after the second round of testing, meeting our overall success criterion. The process is efficacious in developing instructional/teaching (labeling) pictograms. These findings can help solution/device developers for low-resource settings to provide correctly interpretable pictograms and thus eliminate misuse-driven low uptake.

Thermization and low‐cost evaporative cooling have been seamlessly combined (evakuuling process) to preserve milk freshness for next day market. For proper regulation, a more exact profile of thermized milk in the hands of smallholders is needed. The purpose of this paper was to establish the milk quality‐profile of “evakuuled” milk. Thermization was done using temperatures between 55 and 70°C. Evakuuled milk quality‐profile (total viable and psychotrophic microbial counts, fat, protein, and pH) was compared to chilled and fresh milk. A consumer sensory test was also performed to evaluate consumer preference. The results showed that the quality‐profile of milk thermized at 65°C, followed by evaporative cooling (evakuuled) was indistinguishable from chilled and fresh milk. A consumer preference test scored evakuuled, fresh and chilled milks on average equal in terms of taste, appearance, aroma, and general acceptability.Practical applications: The finding of evakuuled milk having the same quality attributes as fresh or chilled milk and meeting consumer preference in terms of aroma, taste appearance and general acceptability has potential practical significance. These results provide evidence in support of inclusion of evakuuled milk in the East African raw milk standard.

Main Menu Session 2660 Capstone Design Experiences Across National and Cultural Borders: Course Development William S. Kisaalita Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department University of Georgia Driftmier Engineering Center Athens, Georgia 30602 E-mail: williamk@engr.uga.edu Abstract It is well recognized that the world is becoming a global village. Today's undergraduates will occupy workplaces and communities that have been transformed by globalization; they must learn to make connections across disciplinary, national, and cultural borders. To address the challenge of providing exposure to global/international dimensions without sacrificing technical content, we have previously proposed to use case studies in sophomore engineering science classes. In this paper, we extend the concept to capstone engineering design courses by focusing on solutions to global/international problems. Additionally, a Web-based instructional tool (WebCT) is used to enhance global/international awareness as well as intercultural communication skills. WebCT is also used to “take students there,” through movie clips. Introduction Afonso (1994) has described three points that underpin the "internalization" of American higher education. First, the ability of our students to live and perform in an increasingly international context will greatly determine the extent to which the United States will prosper in the future. Second, although no clear-cut definition exists for concepts such as "global competence" and ''international awareness," educators and administrators largely agree that these are the types of characteristics for success in a global economy. Third, colleges and universities have a responsibility to provide workers, scholars and leaders with these characteristics. It is a challenge to provide meaningful experiences to students in technical and professional disciplines like engineering that are highly content-driven (Vas, 2000). Study abroad programs do not seem be attractive to these students. Based on data collected by the Institute of International Education, the so-called average study-abroad Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright ã 2002, American Society of Engineering Education Main Menu

In vitro screening for drugs that affect neural function in vivo is still primitive. It primarily relies on single cellular responses from 2D monolayer cultures that have been shown to be exaggerations of the in vivo response. For the 3D model to be physiologically relevant, it should express characteristics that not only differentiate it from 2D but also closely emulate those seen in vivo. These complex physiologically relevant (CPR) outcomes can serve as a standard for determining how close a 3D culture is to its native tissue or which out of a given number of 3D platforms is better suited for a given application. In this study, Fluo-4 based calcium fluorescence imaging was performed followed by automated image data processing to quantify calcium oscillation frequency of SHSY5Y cells cultured in 2D and 3D formats. It was found that the calcium oscillation frequency is upregulated in traditional 2D cultures while it was comparable to in vivo in spheroid and microporous polymer scaffold based 3D models, suggesting calcium oscillation frequency as a potential functional CPR indicator for neural cultures.

Early biomarkers for indication of the complex physiological relevance (CPR) of a three-dimensional (3D) tissue model are needed. CPR is detected late in culture and requires different analytical techniques. Albumin production, CYP3A4 expression, and formation of bile canaliculi structures are commonly used to compare in vitro hepatic cells to their in vivo counterpart. A universal biomarker independent of cell type would bring this to a common detection platform. We make the case that these hepatic characteristics are not sufficient to differentiate traditional (2D) cell culture from the more complex 3D culture. We explored cytokine secretion profile (secretome) for its potential as a 3D early culture biomarker. PDGF-AB/BB and VEGF were found to be upregulated in 3D compared to 2D cultures at early time points (day 3 and 4). These observations provide a foundation upon which in vivo validation of cytokines can lead to physiologically relevant 3D in vitro cell culture.

The lack of prediction accuracy during drug development and screening risks complications during human trials, such as drug‐induced liver injury (DILI), and has led to a demand for robust, human cell‐based, in vitro assays for drug discovery. Microporous polymer‐based scaffolds offer an alternative to the gold standard flat tissue culture plastic (2D TCPS) and other 3D cell culture platforms as the porous material entraps cells, making it advantageous for automated liquid handlers and high‐throughput screening (HTS). In this study, we optimized the surface treatment, pore size, and choice of scaffold material with respect to cellular adhesion, tissue organization, and expression of complex physiologically relevant (CPR) outcomes such as the presence of bile canaliculi‐like structures. Poly‐ l‐ lysine and fibronectin (FN) coatings have been shown to encourage cell attachment to the underlying substrate. Treatment of the scaffold surface with NaOH followed with a coating of FN improved cell attachment and penetration into pores. Of the two pore sizes we investigated (A: 104 ± 4 μm; B: 175 ± 6 μm), the larger pore size better promoted cell penetration while limiting tissue growth from reaching the hypoxia threshold. Finally, polystyrene (PS) proved to be conducive to cell growth, penetration into the scaffold, and yielded CPR outcomes while being a cost‐effective choice for HTS applications. These observations provide a foundation for optimizing microporous polymer‐based scaffolds suitable for drug discovery. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 34:505–514, 2018