Quantum gravity at a TeV and the renormalization of Newton's constant

We examine whether renormalization effects can cause Newton¿s constant to change dramatically with energy, perhaps even reducing the scale of quantum gravity to the TeV region without the introduction of extra dimensions. We examine a model that realizes this possibility and describe experimental signatures from the production of small black holes

Participatory Community Action Research in Homeless Shelters: Utilization of Service-Learning Pedagogy in Research and Advocacy

Homelessness will be framed as a human rights issue, with reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (e.g., Articles 25 and 27). A participatory action research project (sustained by service-learning pedagogy) in homeless shelters will be described. In the shelters, we implement Behavioral Activation, which is a strategy to (a) transform the shelter environment; (b) empower shelter guests; (c) enhance their coping; and (d) expand their opportunities for overcoming obstacles associated with homelessness. We will present both quantitative outcomes (using validated psychometric measures) and qualitative outcomes (examining written comments of guests using grounded theory methodology) for shelter guests, including evidence that the project contributes to their perceptions of hope, perceived capability/motivation for employment/education, purpose/meaning in life, well-being (managing anxiety and depression), social/emotional support, and shelter social climate. We will describe our plans for examining long-term outcomes for shelter guests, which involves quasi-experimental research to compare outcomes of shelter guests in Behavioral Activation with outcomes of other groups, such as: (a) guests who left shelters prior to Behavioral Activation implementation; (b) guests who declined Behavioral Activation; and/or (c) guests from similar shelters without Behavioral Activation. The project’s expanding collaborative network will also be described, such as our connection with the Montgomery County Ex-Offender Reentry Program, which prepares and empowers ex-offenders as they pursue housing, employment, and other positive endeavors. Further, we will show the relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 27 and 29) to our use of service-learning pedagogy. Outcomes for service-learning students are accessed via quantitative psychometric measures as well as qualitative approaches (examining written reflections using grounded theory methodology). We will review results of quasi-experimental research demonstrating that, relative to non-service-learning students, service-learning students assisting with this project show pre- to post-semester corrective changes in community service self-efficacy, stigmatizing attitudes, and awareness of privilege

Enhancing the Psychology Curriculum Through Service Learning

Educators in psychology should aspire to encourage students’ holistic growth in academic, personal, and civic domains. We propose that service learning is the most potent pedagogy for developing well-rounded, psychologically literate citizens capable of meeting the goals for the undergraduate psychology major. This article defines service learning, delineates the rationales for service learning, and summarizes research demonstrating the efficacy of this pedagogical approach. The article also describes the learning objectives derived from the American Psychological Association Guidelines for the Undergraduate Major (Version 2.0, 2013), with an emphasis on the ways in which service learning contributes to academic learning, civic learning, and personal growth. Finally, the article illustrates the four types of service learning, and it provides a concrete example for structuring reflection in order to connect community experiences with course content in a service learning psychology course

Heat shock-induced phosphorylation of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) by MAPK/ERK kinase regulates TDP-43 function

TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) is a highly conserved and essential DNA- and RNA-binding protein that controls gene expression through RNA processing, in particular, regulation of splicing. Intracellular aggregation of TDP-43 is a hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ubiquitin-positive frontotemporal lobar degeneration. This TDP-43 pathology is also present in other types of neurodegeneration including Alzheimer's disease. We report here that TDP-43 is a substrate of MEK, a central kinase in the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. TDP-43 dual phosphorylation by MEK, at threonine 153 and tyrosine 155 (p-T153/Y155), was dramatically increased by the heat shock response (HSR) in human cells. HSR promotes cell survival under proteotoxic conditions by maintaining protein homeostasis and preventing protein misfolding. MEK is activated by HSR and contributes to the regulation of proteome stability. Phosphorylated TDP-43 was not associated with TDP-43 aggregation, and p-T153/Y155 remained soluble under conditions that promote protein misfolding. We found that active MEK significantly alters TDP-43-regulated splicing and that phosphomimetic substitutions at these two residues reduce binding to GU-rich RNA. Cellular imaging using a phospho-specific p-T153/Y155 antibody showed that phosphorylated TDP-43 was specifically recruited to the nucleoli, suggesting that p-T153/Y155 regulates a previously unappreciated function of TDP-43 in the processing of nucleolar-associated RNA. These findings highlight a new mechanism that regulates TDP-43 function and homeostasis through phosphorylation and, therefore, may contribute to the development of strategies to prevent TDP-43 aggregation and to uncover previously unexplored roles of TDP-43 in cell metabolism

Psycho-Ecological Systems Model: A Systems Approach to Planning and Gauging the Community Impact of Community-Engaged Scholarship

This article presents the Psycho-Ecological Systems Model (PESM) – an integrative conceptual model rooted in General Systems Theory (GST). PESM was developed to inform and guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of transdisciplinary (and multilevel) community-engaged scholarship (e.g., a participatory community action research project undertaken by faculty that involves graduate and/or undergraduate students as service-learning research assistants). To set the stage, the first section critiques past conceptual models. Following a description of GST, the second section provides a comprehensive description of PESM, which represents an integration of three conceptual developments: the ecological systems model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), the biopsychosocial model (Kiesler, 2000), and the principle of reciprocal determinism (Bandura, 1978). In the third section, we discuss implications of PESM for community-based research. A greater emphasis on the development of integrative conceptual frameworks may increase the likelihood that community-based research projects will: (a) address complex questions; (b) develop and implement efficacious (and sustainable) transdisciplinary (and multilevel) projects; (c) assess constructs at multiple levels using a blend of quantitative and qualitative approaches; and (d) utilize multiple research designs and methods to systematically examine hypotheses regarding a project’s influence on outcome variables and process variables

Homeless shelter food production: positive implications for clients and volunteers

Within the context of a longstanding project (Behavioral Activation Project in Homeless Shelters), the Shelter Farm was developed on the grounds of a homeless shelter located in a food desert. The Behavioral Activation Project, which represents a decade-long collaboration between a Professor of Psychology at the University of Dayton (Roger N. Reeb, Ph.D.) and St. Vincent de Paul (Dayton, Ohio), fosters self-sufficiency in shelter residents as they strive to overcome personal challenges and obstacles associated with homelessness. Past research shows that the Behavioral Activation Project enhances the psychological (and adaptive) functioning of shelter residents as well as the civic-related development of service-learning students who assist in implementing the Project. In 2017, Dr. Reeb (University of Dayton) established a collaboration with Ms. Mills-Wasniak (Extension Educator, The Ohio State University Extension Montgomery County) to develop the Shelter Farm at the St. Vincent de Paul Gettysburg Gateway Shelter for Men. A Memorandum of Understanding among the three collaborative entities was developed and approved. Shelter residents volunteered to work alongside service-learning students and community partners on the farm. In the first season, we harvested nearly a ton of produce – all of which was delivered to the shelter kitchen to enhance the nutrition of shelter residents. The Shelter Farm also enhanced St. Vincent de Paul’s budget for food, as we estimated wholesale value of the produce at almost $4,000. This same level of success was replicated in Shelter Farm’s second season. As we faced COVID-19 obstacles in the third season, safety protocols were approved by all three aforementioned collaborative entities, and we sustained the Shelter Farm, harvesting approximately 1500 pounds of produce for the shelters. In the first season, a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of Dayton completed an M.A. Thesis providing preliminary evidence that, as shelter residents volunteer to work alongside students and community partners on the farm, they show decreases in state anxiety and improvements in wellness over time. This manuscript provides the following: (a) a description of the long-standing Project that provided the infrastructure for developing the Shelter Farm, (b) a description of the collaborative process underlying the initiative, the Shelter Farm itself, and the success in sustaining the Shelter Farm, even in the face of COVID-19; (c) an overview of the benefits (nutritional and psychological) of the Shelter Farm for shelter residents; and (d) plans for sustaining and expanding the Shelter Farm (and associated research)

Detection of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) oligomers as initial intermediate species during aggregate formation

Aggregates of the RNA-binding protein TDP-43 (TAR DNAbinding protein) are a hallmark of the overlapping neurodegenerative disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. The process of TDP-43 aggregation remains poorly understood, and whether it includes formation of intermediate complexes is unknown. Here, we analyzed aggregates derived from purified TDP-43 under semidenaturing conditions, identifying distinct oligomeric complexes at the initial time points before the formation of large aggregates. We found that this early oligomerization stage is primarily driven by TDP-43’s RNA-binding region. Specific binding to GU-rich RNA strongly inhibited both TDP-43 oligomerization and aggregation, suggesting that RNA interactions are critical for maintaining TDP-43 solubility. Moreover, we analyzed TDP-43 liquid–liquid phase separation and detected similar detergentresistant oligomers upon maturation of liquid droplets into solid-like fibrils. These results strongly suggest that the oligomers form during the early steps of TDP-43 misfolding. Importantly, the ALS-linked TDP-43 mutations A315T and M337V significantly accelerate aggregation, rapidly decreasing the monomeric population and shortening the oligomeric phase. We also show that aggregates generated from purified TDP-43 seed intracellular aggregation detected by established TDP-43 pathology markers. Remarkably, cytoplasmic aggregate seeding was detected earlier for the A315T and M337V variants and was 50% more widespread than forWTTDP-43 aggregates.We provide evidence for aninitial step of TDP-43 self-assembly into intermediate oligomeric complexes, whereby these complexes may provide a scaffold for aggregation. This process is altered by ALS-linked mutations, underscoring the role of perturbationsin TDP-43 homeostasisin protein aggregation and ALS-FTD pathogenesis

Toward physical realizations of thermodynamic resource theories

Conventional statistical mechanics describes large systems and averages over many particles or over many trials. But work, heat, and entropy impact the small scales that experimentalists can increasingly control, e.g., in single-molecule experiments. The statistical mechanics of small scales has been quantified with two toolkits developed in quantum information theory: resource theories and one-shot information theory. The field has boomed recently, but the theorems amassed have hardly impacted experiments. Can thermodynamic resource theories be realized experimentally? Via what steps can we shift the theory toward physical realizations? Should we care? I present eleven opportunities in physically realizing thermodynamic resource theories.Comment: Publication information added. Cosmetic change