Failure of the Volume Function in Granular Statistical Mechanics and an Alternative Formulation

We first show that the currently accepted statistical mechanics for granular matter is flawed. The reason is that it is based on the volume function, which depends only on a minute fraction of all the structural degrees of freedom and is unaffected by most of the configurational microstates. Consequently, the commonly used partition function underestimates the entropy severely. We then propose a new formulation, replacing the volume function with a ${\it connectivity}$ function that depends on all the structural degrees of freedom and accounts correctly for the entire entropy. We discuss the advantages of the new formalism and derive explicit results for two- and three-dimensional systems. We test the formalism by calculating the entropy of an experimental two-dimensional system, as a function of system size, and showing that it is an extensive variable.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Fine Scales, Broad Consequences: Drivers and Effects of Microclimatic Variation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Climate is highly variable at scales that are not captured by most weather and climate models due to local effects of topography and living systems. This variation in microclimate has been noted for many decades but has been difficult to incorporate into quantitative understanding of ecological systems and processes due to the large amount of data and complex models required to adequately describe fine-scale patterns across complex landscapes. In recent years, models of thermal microclimate variation have been developed using low-cost temperature sensors, but few of these models have been used to predict the effects of microclimatic variation on ecological processes and patterns such as species distributions. In addition, no similar low-cost tools have been commercialized for soil moisture measurements, limiting the ability of microclimate models to fully describe the conditions experienced by organisms. In Chapter 1, I compare species distribution models for the plants of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) generated using broad-scale climate drivers to those generated using an existing thermal microclimate model. While model fit was similar, microclimate projections of future suitable habitat under climate change were very different from macroclimate projections, highlighting the need to consider local buffering of climate when planning for the future. In Chapter 2, I develop, test, and deploy new low-cost soil moisture sensors across GSMNP and describe the effects of topographic, vegetation, and weather-related drivers on soil moisture. Local variation in moisture was high and was not fully explained by the gradient of precipitation or other proxies for moisture availability across the Park, indicating that better models are needed to describe the moisture available to organisms across the landscape. Together, these results demonstrate the need to consider the effects of microclimate on ecological systems and provide new tools for understanding multiple axes of microclimatic variation

Condoms and Candy : Pro-choice Students on Campus

This thesis seeks to understand the dynamics of a feminist student organization within the context of a college campus in southern Louisiana. Through a methodology of participant observation, interviews, spot observations and archival research I examine how this pro-choice organization navigates campus public space. This project focuses on aspects of collaboration or collective action within a network of organizations, the participation of members, and the discursive processes of storytelling and audience effects. This collaborative ethnography also investigates how cross-sex interactions mediate topics of motherhood, abortion, and sexuality

Flow cytometric phenotyping of diverse human cancer cell lines for immunological biomarkers expression

The tumour microenvironment contains a variety of distinct factors that inhibit the immune system and can cause drug resistance. Some of these factors include the expression of cell surface markers which interact directly with immune cells. Cancer cells express programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and reduce the expression of major-histocompatibility complex class I, death-receptors 4/5 and Fas, limiting immune-mediated cancer cell killing. Targeting these immune markers alone or in combination could potentially increase cancer cell death and improve drug efficacy. Utilising flow cytometric analysis on breast, prostate and colorectal cancer cell lines, we have found differential expression of these markers depending on the cancer type. These findings provide a platform for future work that will entail siRNA knockdown of PD-L1 to determine the tumour-intrinsic role of this ligand, in addition to combination therapies in 2D and 3D cell culture

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION OF HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS VACCINATION AMONG PARENTS OF YOUNG GIRLS (AGED 8 – 12) IN MBARARA CITY. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Introduction: To reduce the cervical cancer burden, many governments have emphasized the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as an important prevention strategy. Despite its effectiveness in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and free HPV immunization programs, vaccine acceptance is not guaranteed as some cultures are still against it due to various reasons. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception of human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) among parents of young girls (aged 8 – 12) in Mbarara City. Methodology: The study was cross-sectional employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches for data collection and analysis. Information was collected from a sample of 288 respondents and 12 key informants using questionnaires and interviews. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and STATA Version 18.0 Results: The study discovered that the level of Knowledge on HPV vaccination among parents of young girls was relatively low (41.3%) despite most respondents revealing to have heard about HPV and its associated infections like cervical cancer and genital warts. The study also found out that a large portion of community members (62.1%) still had negative attitudes towards the vaccine which has negatively affected their perceptions. Negative attitudes and perceptions equally played a big role towards vaccination leading to low vaccine acceptability in the area. The study further discovered a wide knowledge gap about HPV infection and HPV vaccine uptake (42%) and this has to be addressed. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study confirmed that knowledge about human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) was low and attitude and perception of human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) was poor among parents of young girls (aged 8 – 12). Recommendations:Tailored community-based interventions and sensitization programs are a viable means to achieve this for multiple reasons. There is a need for specific training for healthcare workers who are the first contact point for patients

EXPLORING THE SUPPLY OF SAFER FOODS: A CASE STUDY OF OYSTER DEPURATION IN DIXIE AND LEVY COUNTIES, FLORIDA

Shellfish depuration, economic feasibility, restaurant, consumer acceptance, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,