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Investigation of the phenotypic features of a putatively unaffected individual, in a family diagnosed with a multiple congenital contracture disorder called Distal Arthrogryposis Type 2B (DA2B), identified joint hypermobility, a phenotypic trait not commonly associated with DA2B. Review of the family history revealed joint hypermobility in multiple other family members extending back four generations. Analysis of exome data from the family, identified two candidate variants, one in exon 1 of the gene SRL and another in exon 8 of NPR3, which may explain the joint hypermobility observed in this family. Recently, we used Sanger sequencing to genotype five family members with hypermobility and four unaffected family members for the two candidate variants to see if either variant tracks with the hypermobility phenotype.
Briefly, we amplified exons via polymerase chain reaction and verified product sizes using gel electrophoresis. We then sequenced the amplicons using di-deoxy chain termination sequencing and generated electropherograms using an automated DNA sequencer. Using the computer program CodonCode, we aligned and examined the sequences. Analysis of the data is underway. Through pinpointing mutations that cause hypermobility, characterization of Distal Arthrogryposis syndromes will become more accurate which may lead to better patient outcomes for individuals with additional features like severe hypermobility.
Cell-to-cell interactions are necessary for proper cell function. In the peripheral nervous system, interactions between sensory neurons and the epidermis influence neuronal growth, survival and function. However, mediators of these neuron-epidermis interactions are largely unknown. Drosophila melanogaster provides a tractable genetic system to study these cell-cell interactions.
In Drosophila, dendrites of larval sensory neurons are sandwiched between the epithelial cell and the extracellular matrix. Occasionally the epithelial cells form invaginations at the location of dendrites, and eventually the dendrites become embedded inside the epithelial cell. In a screen for markers that label plasma membrane-associated proteins that localize to sites of dendrite embedding, we identified components of gap junctions as candidate regulators of dendrite-epidermis interactions. Gap junctions connect two cells via their cytoplasms and allow signals to be passed from one cell to another. Innexins are a family of gap junction proteins in Drosophilia, one of which is encoded by the gene innexin3 ( inx3).
Our preliminary data showed that, when overexpressed, GFP-tagged Inx3 protein can localize to sites of epithelial dendrite ensheathment, thus we hypothesize that inx3 contributes to formation/stabilization of membrane invaginations that enclose dendrites. However, no tool exists to visualize endogenous Inx3 distribution, nor is there an Inx3 antibody for immunostaining. Using CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing we plan to generate a Drosophila line with endogenous Inx3 tagged with GFP (Inx3-GFP). Using this line, we will determine whether Inx3 indeed localizes to sites of epithelial dendrite ensheathment. If we observe Inx3 enrichment at sites of dendrite ensheathment, we will perform expansion microscopy, a technique that our lab has recently adapted for use in Drosophila, to determine whether Inx3 labels discrete domains in the epithelial membrane invaginations. Finally, using our inx3-GFP fly line, we will conduct genetic mosaic analysis to determine whether inx3 is necessary for epithelial enclosure of dendrites. Due to their luminescent properties, semiconductor nanocrystals are promising tools for optical imaging of biological samples.
This experiment explores how the surface chemistry of CdSe/CdS core-shell semiconductor nanocrystals impacts cell targeting and cytotoxicity. Growing a CdS shell on top of a CdSe core and then altering the surface chemistry allows functional control of how these nanocrystals interact with the surrounding environment. Cytotoxicity was analyzed as a function of surface chemistry, in order to identify biocompatible surface chemistries. Surface chemistries were also altered to allow targeting of different cell types. CdSe core nanocrystals were produced using a hot injection method, and UV-vis spectroscopy was used to relate peak absorbance wavelength to nanocrystal core size. To increase the quantum yield, a uniform CdS shell was grown using a slow-growth process with cadmium and sulfur precursors.
A ligand exchange was performed to transfer the nanocrystals from an organic solvent to an aqueous solvent. A fluorimeter was used to determine the nanocrystal quantum yields after synthesis of cores, shell growth, and surface functionalization with transfer to aqueous solvent. Quantum yields increased after the shell growth, but decreased in general after surface functionalization and transfer to aqueous solvent. Decreased cytotoxicity was observed for surface chemistries with longer ligands, such as functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains. Further research will aim to tune the properties of CdSe/CdS core-shell nanocrystals and target a variety of cell types.
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Researchers are working to determine in-depth information about the substructure of the proton. This includes the proton's fundamental charge and current distributions, described by functions called electric and magnetic form factors. These form factors have traditionally been determined by computing elastic electron-nucleon scattering cross sections, to first-order expansion in the electromagnetic fine structure constant, α e—encompassing a process called one-photon exchange. Experimental discrepancies in the proton's electric-to-magnetic form factor ratio have prompted a need to compute cross sections to second order expansion in α e, involving two-photon exchange (TPE) interactions. Two methods for calculating TPE cross section contributions exist: one based on hadronic degrees of freedom (suitable at low Q 2, where Q is the four-momentum transfer between the electron and nucleon) and the other on partonic (quark-level) degrees of freedom (applicable at high Q 2).
Both methods have been claimed to principally account for the form factor discrepancy. However, ambiguities exist in the separation of the parts of the cross sections independent of the underlying hadronic structure (“soft” parts) and the parts dependent on such structure (“hard” parts). We aim to resolve such ambiguities by first rederiving current quark-level calculations to better understand exactly how the hard and soft parts of the cross section are separated and the underlying physical motivations. Furthermore, we plan to compare these calculations to known behavior of the hard part of the cross section in the limit that the scattering angle goes to zero. Ultimately, our objective is to pave the way toward a unified description of TPE effects at all Q 2 values.
Achieving this goal will further pin down the nature of the proton's interior, and the results in turn can be used to better understand the neutron and other hadrons. Retinol Binding Protein (RBP) is a protein used by the body to transport Vitamin A and is often used to monitor short-term nutritional changes. Traditionally, RBP has been measured via a nephelometric immunoassay with a high sample requirement.
In an attempt to reduce turnaround time and to reduce the volume of sample needed for testing, an in-house assay using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology is being developed.The method being developed is based on the Vitamin D Binding Protein assay which sets a precedent for LC-MS/MS methods targeted toward high-abundance globulins. This method consists of denaturation of RBP using heat and denaturation agents, then digested by trypsin into peptides which are detected by LC-MS/MS. Currently there are three peptides with multiple transitions being monitored for each (FSGTWYAMAK, YWGVASFLQK, and LIVHNGYC+57DGR).The assay is being developed and validated according to the document CLSI C-62A and the assay is currently in its pre-validation phase. Experiments done include standard curve verification and comparison to development data, simple repeatability 5x5, carryover and various troubleshooting experiments.Data analysis has exposed high control and internal standard variability in the assay which are being resolved, but progress looks promising.The RBP assay is still far from completion and further testing and troubleshooting needs to be done to reduce variability before it can enter the validation phase. Once optimized, the LC-MS/MS assay, while less automated than nephelometric platforms, should allow UW Medical Center to have better control over an in-house assay in terms of turnaround time, while also using much smaller volumes of sample.
LC-MS/MS also has improved sensitivity when compared to the nephelometric assay. This increased performance may lead to assay utility with other conditions such as diabetes, liver disease and kidney disease. The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center is a defect in diamond formed by replacing two carbon atoms by a nitrogen atom and a vacant lattice site.
The NV center is a promising qubit candidate for quantum information, and its sensitivity to magnetic fields allows it to measure these fields. Due to the lattice structure of diamond, the NV center can have one of four possible orientations. For quantum information and sensing applications, control over this orientation is desirable, and would enable the production of better quality devices. Ab initio models predict that the NV orientation can be controlled through annealing, however the model depends critically on the barrier heights for defect diffusion which are difficult to calculate quantitatively. Preliminary data from our group demonstrated that heating the diamond up to high temperatures ( 1000 C) can sometimes cause single NV centers to appear, disappear, or change orientations.
However, information on the frequency at which these changes occur, and thus information on barriers for diffusion, were unknown. Here we conduct thousands of single defect studies to determine these relevant rates as a function of the annealing temperature and time. While NV centers fluoresce under green laser light, restricting the polarization of this light only allows NV centers in that direction to fluoresce. By taking multiple confocal images at several polarizations, two families of orientations can be distinguished. These images are taken before and after the annealing process and then are compared using customized computer software to gather statistical data on the dynamics of single NV centers. Preliminary work has revealed genetic heterogeneity among Alzheimer’s disease (AD) subtypes defined by cognitive domain-specific impairments.
There are currently no reports of risk factor associations for these AD subgroups. Windows 8 full theme for windows xp. We used cognitive data from 825 Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) participants at the time they were identified with probable or possible AD to generate scores for memory, executive functioning/attention, language, and visuospatial ability. We determined individual mean scores across all domains, and identified specific impairments as 0.75 SD below each individual’s mean domain score.
Depressive symptom severity was measured with the CES-D, and study staff collected self-reported data on traumatic brain injury (TBI) exposure. We used multinomial logistic regression with the “no prominent domain group” designated as the reference category. We determined risk ratios for depression and TBI for each subgroup vs. The no prominent domain subgroup, and tested significance of any heterogeneity with an omnibus test. We controlled for age, sex, APOE genotype, and years of education.
Education's role as a risk factor varied across the five cognitively-defined AD subgroups (omnibus p=0.04). Education predicted development of memory prominent AD rather than AD with no prominent domain (risk ratio RR = 1.08 per year of education, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 1.16, p=0.05; omnibus p=0.04). Depression also varied across AD subgroups (omnibus p = 0.04). Higher CESD scores were associated with lower risk of developing memory prominent AD compared to no prominent domain AD (RR = 0.93 per point on the CESD, 95% CI 0.88, 0.98, p=0.01). We did not find differences in risk associated with TBI.
Cognitively-defined AD subtypes show heterogeneity in their associations with depressive symptoms and education. It is possible that these risk factors are associated with biological differences across subgroups. From intimate Baroque chamber halls to vast stadiums, architecture has long dictated music's performance and composition. The 20th century rise of acoustic science brought about a quantitative way of perceiving the interaction which was sometimes successful, and other times justified the creation of buildings like Leo Beranek’s Boston Philharmonic Hall, which failed to serve its experiential purpose.
With this becoming the norm, it is increasingly important to analyze the way sounds construct spaces, rather than the reciprocal. Psychoacoustics, or the study of auditory perception, can be applied to create built environments which are sensitively and intimately related to the sounds performed or produced within.
Raymond Murray Schafer and several other theorists proposed the idea of psychoacoustic ecology as a framework for viewing and shaping the large-scale urban environment. Acoustic ecology is the study of the relationship between humans and sounds in a given environment, and the larger societal systems framing the interaction. My research applies Schafer's lens to analyze the extent to which existing urban “sound spaces”, (or built environments as perceived by sound), underserve their occupants. Furthermore, Schafer’s perception of urban acoustic environments through the lens of music composition holds potential to inform new ways of structuring the built environment.
My research critiques existing urban theories on silence through the writing and work of several prominent figures in the urban planning community. I analyze the repercussions of existing urban acoustic environments on the societies which occupy the spaces. Using in particular the theories of midcentury music composer John Cage, including his “emancipation of noise,” I propose an improved framework for viewing and creating urban acoustic ecologies to encourage more egalitarian, cooperative, and inclusive urban spaces. The spike in commercialization of college sports programs raises the issues that student athletes’ are facing more difficulties to achieve academically.
Collegiate athletes playing at the Division 1 level has shifted from mere competiton for students to a massive business enterprise that brings in millions amount of revenue to universities. The recent changes in our climate drive the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the workings of the environment so that we can more accurately simulate the changes taking place around the world. This project aims to do this by studying measurements of the optical depth of tropical clouds at different heights.
The optical depth of a cloud is how opaque it is to visible radiation and determines how effective the cloud is at absorbing or scattering the solar radiation. By sifting through radar and lidar data collected by NASA’s CALIPSO and CloudSat satellites that orbit the earth simultaneously in a group called the A train, I am able to determine cloud optical depths as a function of altitude in different regions.
I expect the optical depth of tropical clouds to decrease as their height increases due to the fact that lower, warmer clouds are able to hold more water and should therefore be thicker. My research adds additional information for climate models so that they may more accurately define the radiative budget. Understanding how genes and regulatory networks evolve to promote innovation is a key question in evolution and development. Flowers represent a classic example of evolutionary innovation, one that propelled angiosperms into one of the most notable adaptive radiations. In angiosperms, the flower meristem identity gene LEAFY ( LFY) is expressed after a shoot meristem is induced by long days, allowing flowers to develop. In the absence of LFY function, additional shoots with leaves develop instead of flowers. Surprisingly, knockouts of LFY homologs of moss, a representative of an early plant lineage, result in an arrested zygote that does not get passed the one-cell stage.
Since ferns lie midway in the evolutionary tree between mosses and angiosperms, and are the sister group to seed plants, a functional study in the emerging model fern Ceratopteris richardii will provide much needed insight as to how this important gene evolved. We predict that in angiosperms LFY may have been recruited from a broader role as a meristem gene in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) and in indeterminate compound leaves, common in ferns.
Expression data backs up this prediction, with CrLFY being found in the embryo SAM and later in the growing areas of compound leaves. We have taken a loss-of-function approach to elucidate the role of LFY homologs in ferns via RNA interference (RNAi). Currently, we are investigating the embryo within knock-down transgenic lines to determine whether it develops normally or if it arrests at any stage, and we are following its development into the compound leaf stage.
By providing insight into the evolution of a master regulator of flowering, this projects has potential applications towards agriculture, where most of the crops for human consumption consist of grains or fruits that derive from flowers. The Bengal Fan is the world’s largest active submarine fan, collecting sediment from the Himalaya in a fan-shaped depositional system. The fan has an active channel formed by turbidity currents.
This active channel behaves much like a river system on land:it meanders, eroding and depositing material, building natural levees along its banks in the same way. In this research, we used samples collected next to the active channel by International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 354 to investigate the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility in terms of the direction of turbidity currents during their deposition. The direction of the currents recorded in the sample gives us a map of where the channel is in relation to the time of deposition. Through successive sampling along the core we can see how the channel has migrated over time. This should tell us how long it takes an active channel to meander or migrate along the bottom of the ocean. Understanding how this fan system works is critical in understanding the changes on the ocean floor. Knowing the timeline for these changes has both economic and societal importance.
It can tell us more about where to find economically important deposits of petroleum as the sediment structures that are made by turbidity currents in active channels are repositories for oil resources, and the sudden turbidity currents that run down active channels can cause damage to underwater structures like important seafloor cables. The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is gas that is constantly being thrown out and being recycled back into galaxies. Learning more about the composition and location of this gas can give information about its origin and fate. However, this gas is exceedingly difficult to observe in emission, as it is very diffuse and ionized, and therefore must be observed in absorption at ultraviolet wavelengths. Fortunately, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) installed in 2009 allows for very sensitive measurements of CGM UV absorption lines.
As light from very bright quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) passes through the universe on its way to Earth, it encounters a galaxy’s gaseous CGM resulting in absorption lines from ionized gas in the QSO spectra. My research involves an analysis of many QSO spectra from HST/COS. I identify ionized elements seen in absorption at distinct redshifts along the QSO line of sight. The goal is to identify everything in the spectrum, and in doing so isolate the systems of gas that contain strong Lyman Series lines from Hydrogen and metals (elements heavier than hydrogen) with a corresponding redshift from the Milky Way. These redshifts can be used to reference various databases to actually look for the host galaxy halo at some projected distance from the QSO absorber system.
With this information, the distance between the galaxy and the sightline of the QSO can be calculated giving a lower limit for the extent of its CGM. Additionally, the composition of the galaxy can be compared to that of the gas in its CGM. Ultimately, these data will further our understanding of the dynamic processes that drive galaxy formation. Necroptosis is a lytic and immunogenic form of programmed cell death (PCD), characterized by pro-inflammatory cytokine production and the release of intracellular molecules, including cell-associated antigens. In the context of tumor immunology, tumor cell death is a necessary step in causing the release of tumor antigens, allowing for antigen-specific tumor recognition by the immune system. However, how distinct forms of PCD within tumor cells could differentially instruct immune recognition of tumor-associated antigens remains poorly understood.
Our research question addresses how the immune system responds to cancer cell death, and will help determine whether necroptosis can promote tumor immunity. We propose that induction of necroptosis within tumor cells could promote anti-tumor immune responses by releasing tumor antigens accompanied by pro-inflammatory signals, resulting in potent immune recognition of cancerous cells. To study the immune responses to cell death in tumors, we have modeled the effects of various cancer cell death programs using flank tumors implanted in B6/J mice. Using flank tumors engineered to express versions of various pro-death signaling proteins that can be activated, we show that induction of necroptosis within the tumor microenvironment leads to robust tumor control. Measuring serum cytokine levels, in addition to analyzing the identity and activation status of immune cells isolated from the tumor tissue following treatment, will yield critical insights towards the immune cell subsets and signaling axes responsible for the observed response to necroptosis. These experiments provide us with a comprehensive understanding of whether cell death in a solid tumor has a therapeutic benefit as well as the underlying mechanism of the immune response to dying cells within a solid tumor.
Considering the pro-inflammatory nature of necroptosis, it represents a promising therapeutic target in the context of cancer immunology. As the usage of electric vehicles (EV) expands around the world, there are numerous challenges to overcome. One of the biggest challenges encountered is the efficiency of EV charging systems. This research explores the trade-offs between maintaining availability of DC fast chargers and other variables including waiting times, station utilization, and cost per vehicle served. To determine the utilization rate of chargers, we created a queueing model by using characteristics of EV models and chargers such as charging rates, battery size, and range.
A queueing system is a generic model that is comprised of three elements: a user source, a queue, and a user facility. For this research, the three elements of the queueing model are linked to a cost model to evaluate the attractiveness of private sector investments in charging infrastructure. Since there are many uncertainties and results are sensitive to assumptions, we developed an interactive R Shiny app that allows users to specify assumptions and visualize the relation between the number of vehicles served and key performance metrics.
This visualization can help decision makers determine the optimal number of chargers required to balance the tradeoffs between availability of chargers and utilization rate in order to provide satisfying services for users and beneficial business for operators. Ultimately, our model shows that it is difficult to maintain high reliability of utilization and low cost per vehicle served, and that improving this trade-off demands significant growth in the total number of EVs on the road. All physical systems are ultimately governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. Over the past decades, it has become clear that these laws enable new generations of quantum information technologies that can profoundly outperform their classical counterparts. However, this depends critically on (i) the ability to efficiently entangle quantum systems (qubits) at rates much faster than the rate of quantum decoherence and (ii) the ability to scale the system with reasonable cost per added qubit.Color centers in diamond, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, have emerged as a promising qubit candidate. Pairs of NV centers can be entangled via the interference and detection of emitted single photons.
Entanglement generation with this method was previously demonstrated in a non-scalable manner; adding additional qubits would require the costly hand-assembly of macroscopic equipment. This project aims to develop integrated circuitry for quantum information, where each macroscopic device is shrunk to an equivalent piece of photonic circuit.Such circuits are easy to devise, but are extremely difficult to realize in the non-ideal circumstances of reality.
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Two main effects contribute to this difficulty: (1) the optical properties of NV centers are damaged by local imperfections in the diamond environment and (2) comparatively low fabrication precision prevents ideal production of photonic circuitry. We are developing both (a) passive and (b) active methods to mitigate these errors. This includes (1a) high temperature annealing of our diamond to reduce local defect concentration, (1b) applying electric fields to dynamically stabilize the local electro-magnetic NV environment, (2a) improving etch quality by reducing sidewall roughness and slant, and (2b) developing a wet etch to deterministically correct circuit dimensions. Further progress depends on traversing large parameter spaces to determine the optimal settings for success. Thus, automated testing procedures are being developed to make this traversal possible. Oxidative stress arises from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and an organism’s ability to avoid or repair the damage caused by these reactive molecules. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, demonstrates varying degrees of resistance to oxidative stress.
To understand the genetic basis of this variation, our lab analyzed a collection of inbred, fully sequenced Drosophila lines, the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), and tested the associations between resistance and each of more than two million single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers throughout the genome. We found a particular SNP at the second chromosome located within the gene u-shaped ( ush), had the strongest statistical relationship with oxidaive stress resistance. We then hypothesized that this gene contributes to the degree of resistance in the flies. For my research, I am evaluating this hypothesis by comparing the peroxide resistance of two sets of genotypes to confirm if the SNP at 2L:531863 bp contributes to the trait. For this comparison, I used two groups of lines, one with the ‘resistant’ and the other with the ‘sensitive’ version of the SNP, and distributed mated females from each line into vials with or without peroxide added into the food. I counted the number of dead flies at regular intervals and used these data to calculate the mean lifespan for each line, where lifespan is a measure of peroxide resistance. If both groups show similar lifespans, it suggests that this particular SNP does not affect peroxide resistance and I may test other SNPs at nearby loci with a similar procedure.
However, if the two groups show significant differences in resistance, this result would support the connection between the SNP and peroxide resistance. I would then go on to manipulate the expression of ush using RNA interference to test whether changing mRNA levels impacts peroxide resistance. Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts the communication between the body and the brain. As a result, people with SCI typically have significant sensorimotor deficits leading to a lower quality of life. Electrical epidural stimulation (EES)—that is, the stimulation of the spinal cord from the surface of the cord—has shown promise for enhancing recovery of the hindlimbs when applied to the thoracic spinal cord.
The goal of this study is to determine whether this same therapy applied to the cervical spinal cord in rats with cervical injuries can improve forelimb function. Prior to injury, the rats perform multiple tasks: Irvine, Beatties and Bresnahan (IBB) task, Limb-use Asymmetry Test (LUAT), Automatic-pellet-reaching task, and a Lever task. Next, rats will receive a unilateral C4 hemicontusion and below the injury the rats will receive an epidural implant for stimulating the spinal cord.
All of the rats will perform the former tasks—IBB and LUAT—once a week to track their recovery. Half of the rats will be stimulated via the epidural implant while performing the automatic-pellet-reaching task and Lever task in the hopes of inducing Hebbian plasticity to enhance functional recovery. We are currently testing different epidural implants to identify a method that provides robust, long-term EES. Post-injury performance will be compared to the rat’s pre-injury performance. Subsequently, the rats are perfused for tissue analysis. We are optimizing the tissue analysis protocols for identifying GAP-43 immunoreactivity to determine if there was an increase in plasticity and axonal growth. Cresyl violet and myelin staining will also be used to measure the magnitude of the injury by staining the spared neurons and myelin.
Single-junction solar cells that employ metal-halide perovskites have generated intense interest due to their rapid increase in demonstrated power conversion efficiency. In contrast with previously explored solar cell active materials, perovskites are solution-processable, tunable band-gap materials with small energetic losses. Because of this they are ideal candidates for use in tandem solar cells, which integrate a large-bandgap and a small-bandgap solar cell into one structure, significantly increasing maximum efficiency. Current tandem solar cells can have marked efficiency loss due to excess window layers and poor layer design leading to absorptive losses. Additionally, the comparatively poor understanding of perovskite processing methodology can result in suboptimal perovskite active layers.
Our goal was to explore the feasibility of using a metal grid-type electrode collection layer in place of a standard transparent window layer, in order to minimize absorptive losses for successful integration into a tandem structure. Principally important to characterizing this structure was exploration of device fabrication and perovskite processing methods that resulted in effective carrier extraction. The mean diffusion length of charge carriers in a material is one of the primary factors that affect carrier extraction. Current literature gives a diffusion length ranging from 0.3 – 10 um for methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) perovskite layers. We fabricated test cells with electrode grid pitches ranging from 0.4 – 10 um using photolithography techniques.
We then explored the effect of variable deposition method, heat treatment and solution composition as well as observed layer morphology on diffusion length and charge extraction using photoluminescence spectroscopy. Diamond magnetometry enables the measurement of small-scale magnetic fields using nitrogen vacancy (NV) defect centers in diamond. Nanoscale magnetic field detection has a range of applications in biology and chemistry, such as imaging of magnetically-tagged molecules for the study of biological processes. Diamond magnetometry uses optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), a technique which combines radio frequency (RF) magnetic fields with optical excitation to control the defect spin.
To detect DC magnetic fields, typically continuous wave RF and optical fields are used. However it is well-understood that continuous optical excitation limits the sensitivity of the technique. This project demonstrates a pulsed ODMR system executed in LabVIEW, in which optical initialization and radio-frequency spin control are staggered in time and compares the performance against the continuous wave execution. This program will enable more sensitive measurements of biological systems where orientation matters. The Amazon tidal river consists of the lowermost 800 km of the Amazon River that is affected by tides. The effect of tides on surface suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Amazon has not yet been characterized, and may impact estimates of surface SSC as monitored through remote sensing.
To assess potential tidal influence on surface SSC, water samples were collected and filtered in field; published remote sensing maps were also collected and compared to field measurements. Thus far, this project has identified discrepancies between in situ and remotely-sensed estimates of surface SSC, and constrained the influence of tides on the observed signals. In situ surface SSCs more accurately matched with remote sensing maps on sites located directly in the Amazon mainstem, while tributaries showed exaggerated differences in surface SSC. Field surface SSCs in the Amazon mainstem also did not vary significantly with tidal seasons, suggesting that ocean tides play a smaller role in surface sediment transport than originally hypothesized.
Further conclusions will look into the roll that tides play on total bedload, especially at sites close to the river mouth where tidal influence is strongest. Explanations for surface SSC discrepancies will also be included in the paper's conclusions; since many of the discrepancies occur in freshwater tribuataries, the seasonality of phytoplankton blooms will be cross-linked to satellite SSCs. Finally, suggestions for future usage of remote sensing in strong tidal areas of the Amazon River will be given and the success rate/percentage of correlation of satellite surface SSC with field SSCs will be assessed. With a better understanding of the effects of tides on surface SSC and how well remote sensing captures variability, we can better monitor sediment discharge into the tropical Atlantic Ocean as well as sediment delivery to the floodplain of the Amazon River during seasonal floods. In this thesis I interrogate the “It Gets Better”(IGB) video project by Dan Savage, using an intersectional analysis to reveal the ways in which it reinforces politics of respectability, neoliberalism, and lacks an intersectional approach to the process of coming out across lines of gender identity, race/ethnicity, class, nationality, religion, and ability.
To help frame the research of this paper, I will address the following questions: 1) who is the intended audience of “It Gets Better”? 2) How and in what ways do hierarchies get created within a single group, rather than between two groups?
3) What are the consequences of delivering a message that it will 'get better'? 4) How does “It Gets Better” apply to individuals living with multiple, marginalized identities? 5) In what ways do racialized LGBTQ bodies feel torn between their racial/ethnic community and the LGBTQ community?
I chose to research this topic because as a genderqueer and queer person there have been instances that my life has not gotten better since coming out. By the same token, I have several friends who have had particularly difficult experiences because of coming out due to their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), contending with gender dysphoria, nationality, religion, and inaccessibility to resources (e.g.- healthcare, education, housing) within the capitalist structures of the United States (U.S.). My goal in this thesis is to interrupt neoliberal notions of “getting better” and instead turn our attention to the structures in society that do not allow life to get better for all LGBTQ people after coming out.
In many parts of the world, the lack of fresh water is the single largest factor limiting sustainable development. Water scarcity contributes to poverty and poor public health outcomes, and it can exacerbate ethnic and international conflicts in arid regions. This study aims to determine whether forward osmosis (FO) is a viable method for desalination of seawater. FO is an emerging technology for desalination, in which osmotic pressure is used as a driving force for separation. By using a concentrated solution of high osmotic pressure, called the draw solution, water is induced to flow from saline water across the membrane, rejecting the salt. To obtain potable water, the diluted draw solution is recovered and then recycled.
Two chemicals – ammonium bicarbonate (NH 4HCO 3) and magnesium chloride (MgCl 2) – were compared in order to determine which one results in a more effective FO process, in terms of flow and chemical composition of the produced water. The results showed that the FO process is viable in terms of water flow and salt rejection.
The effectiveness of the FO process does not depend on the type of draw solution, but instead depends on concentration, volume ratio of feed and draw solutions, and type of mixing. More experiments are required in order to develop the optimal mathematical relationship between the concentration of draw solution, and volume ratio of feed solution to draw solution.
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Potable water that complies with EPA standards, was obtained only from recovery of MgCl 2 diluted draw solution. Methods of NH 4HCO 3 removal described in the FO scientific literature did not result in production of potable water.
Further analysis is required to identify possible techniques for NH 4HCO 3 removal from draw solution. Housing First, also referred to as harm reduction housing, entails the provision of immediate, permanent, low barrier, nonabstinence based housing to chronically homeless individuals.
Beyond the provision of housing, supportive services are essential to the Housing First approach. This includes the provision of opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, such as artistic endeavors, outings, gardening, and talking circles.
Participation in meaningful activity programming has been associated with positive outcomes, such as reductions in alcohol-related problems and overall alcohol use. However, no study to date has examined which characteristics are predictors of participation in meaningful activities. The objective of this study is to understand who is engaged by meaningful activities offered in a Housing First setting. To this end, we explored the association between participant characteristics (e.g., sociodemographic, substance use, community-orientation variables) and level of activity engagement. Participants (n = 66) in this secondary study were residents of a Housing First site.
An enhanced intervention specialist worked with housing staff to track residents' involvement in programmed Life Enhancing Alcohol-management Program (LEAP) activities. Self-report data were collected to document participants’ baseline characteristics. Attendance sheets were used to track participation in meaningful activities. Bivariate correlations indicated that participation in meaningful activities was associated with female gender, greater community orientation, and unemployment. When these variables were tested in a multivariate model, only unemployment remained a statistically significant predictor of greater participation in meaningful activities.
This study indicated that few sociodemographic, substance use and community orientation variables predicted differential participation in meaningful activities in a Housing First setting. Taking all potential factors into account, only one variable significantly predicted involvement—unemployment. In designing programming for Housing First, providers should take into account residents’ competing priorities (e.g., work) to give programming optimal reach.
Background: As per Medical Council of India guidelines, Under-graduate medical students must involve in planning, implementation and evaluation of a health education program. Problem Solving for Better Health (PSBH) is an excellent opportunity provided to fulfill this objective. PSBH participants are encouraged to generate new ideas and methods to more effectively utilize the resources that are currently available to them to help solve specific health problems in their areas. Many of the PSBH projects are Health Education Intervention projects and Behavior change is the core idea of Health Education. We intend to assess the projects documenting behavior change following Health Education Intervention.Methods: Abstract, Objectives, Methodology, Results, Discussion and Questionnaires of the submitted Health Education Intervention projects were reviewed for data on the Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Change in Behavior of participants before and after Health Education Intervention.
Data entered in Epi-Info 6.0 and percentage projects showing Knowledge, Attitude and Behavioral change were assessed.Results: Out of the 243 PSBH projects 177(72.83%) were Health Education Intervention projects. Behavioral assessment before intervention was done in 152(85.87%) studies. 88(49.71%) studies have documented the changes in behavior after intervention and only 38 out of these 88 studies have documented the statistical significance for the change in behavior. 2(0.01%) of the studies have used Health Education Models other than Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP) Model. Convenient sampling is done in all the studies.Conclusion: Nearly half of the PSBH projects on Health Education Intervention have documented the change in behavior.
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