Minimum Energy Path to Membrane Pore Formation and Rupture

We combine dynamic self-consistent field theory with the string method to calculate the minimum energy path to membrane pore formation and rupture. In the regime where nucleation can occur on experimentally relevant time scales, the structure of the critical nucleus is between a solvophilic stalk and a locally thinned membrane. Classical nucleation theory fails to capture these molecular details and significantly overestimates the free energy barrier. Our results suggest that thermally nucleated rupture may be an important factor for the low rupture strains observed in lipid membranes

Coding with Encoding Uncertainty

We study the channel coding problem when errors and uncertainty occur in the encoding process. For simplicity we assume the channel between the encoder and the decoder is perfect. Focusing on linear block codes, we model the encoding uncertainty as erasures on the edges in the factor graph of the encoder generator matrix. We first take a worst-case approach and find the maximum tolerable number of erasures for perfect error correction. Next, we take a probabilistic approach and derive a sufficient condition on the rate of a set of codes, such that decoding error probability vanishes as blocklength tends to infinity. In both scenarios, due to the inherent asymmetry of the problem, we derive the results from first principles, which indicates that robustness to encoding errors requires new properties of codes different from classical properties.Comment: 12 pages; a shorter version of this work will appear in the proceedings of ISIT 201

A Kinetic Model for the Enzymatic Action of Cellulase

We develop a mechanochemical model for the dynamics of cellulase, a two-domain enzyme connected by a peptide linker, as it extracts and hydrolyzes a cellulose polymer from a crystalline substrate. We consider two random walkers, representing the catalytic domain (CD) and the carbohydrate binding module (CBM), whose rates for stepping are biased by the coupling through the linker and the energy required to lift the cellulose polymer from the crystalline surface. Our results show that the linker length and stiffness play a critical role in the cooperative action of the CD and CBM domains and that, for a given linker length, the steady-state hydrolysis shows a maximum at some intermediate linker stiffness. The maximum hydrolysis rate corresponds to a transition of the linker from a compressed to an extended conformation, where the system exhibits maximum fluctuation, as measured by the variance of the separation distance between the two domains and the dispersion around the mean hydrolysis speed. In the range of experimentally known values of the parameters of our model, improving the intrinsic hydrolytic activity of the CD leads to a proportional increase in the overall hydrolysis rate

Trust, jealousy and communication in long-term couples practicing consensual non-monogamy

This cross-sectional exploratory quantitative study examined trust and communication patterns among adults practicing consensual non-monogamy (CNM). Previous relationship research in this area has primarily examined couples in demographically homogenous relationships (heterosexual, white, and married). A review of the literature suggested that adults engaging in consensual non-monogamy are more diverse. Our recruitment strategies and study design was successful in recruiting a more diverse group of participants. Twenty-eight adults in long-term CNM relationships completed a 56-item online questionnaire. Responses were examined to explore the relationship between communication patterns and relationship tenure. The relationship tenure of couples and the gender preference of participants were allowed to vary in an effort to explore the possibility that relationship tenure is associated with positive self reports on trust and communication dimensions. The findings were more thematically relevant than statistically significant; however emotional jealousy was found to have decreased as length of relationship increased. The potential benefits of this research to the field of social work and society at large are engaging in ongoing investigation of and contribution to social science knowledge by gaining more understanding about the nature of trust, jealousy, and communication in intimate interpersonal relationships

The Political Theory of Digital Sex Work

Sex and work are both important concepts in major political theories, such as libertarianism, Marxism, and feminism. Yet few scholars have utilized these theories when analyzing sex work. To fill this gap, this thesis first uses libertarian, Marxist, and feminist theories to analyze in-person, or “classical,” sex work. This reveals how each theory uses the industry to reinforce their core ideologies around freedom, capitalism, and sexism, respectively. I then turn to digital sex work, which is a recent development within the industry. There is limited scholarship on digital sex work, and the literature that does exist usually does not incorporate political theories in its analysis of the industry. Therefore, I extend libertarianism, Marxism, and feminism into digital sex work to see how the online aspect complicates these theories. I argue that libertarians fail to recognize that due to their different identities, sex workers have varying degrees of individual freedom, which affects their experiences within the industry. Secondarily, a Marxist analysis of digital sex work reveals that the Internet plays an active role in the continued commodity fetishization of sex workers. Finally, feminist discourse on digital sex work elucidates the theory’s underlying commitment to provide the best set of circumstances for women. Moreover, this feminist analysis of the industry shows how crucial intersectionality is to the movement, as one set of circumstances may be beneficial for one group of women and detrimental to another. I conclude this thesis by suggesting questions that future research on sex work can address