Love thy neighbour: proxemic bias in the voting strategy of contestants in the TV quiz-show "The Weakest Link"

We observed the pattern of voting in the first round of 72 episodes of the UK version of the TV quiz-show „The Weakest Link‟ (WL). The first round culminated as each of the nine contestants carried out an eight-alternative-forced-choice task by voting for one of their peers as the WL. Rudimentary probability theory was used to generate the frequencies of votes that would be expected purely due to chance for all eight relative positions of voter-to-candidate spatial relationships. The observed frequencies from the episodes were then compared to the expected pattern. Consensus, the number of contestants voting for the eventual WL, was also recorded in each of the 72 first rounds. Two main findings emerged:- i.) contestants avoided voting their direct neighbour as the WL, although the propensity to vote for a peer was not a simple function of distance per se; ii.) the „neighbour-avoidance‟ effect increased as the group consensus as to the identity of the WL decreased

Structural Justice: A critical feminist framework exploring the intersection between justice, equity and structural reconciliation.

Violence against women is a human rights violation (UN, 2006). It affects the health of women globally (UN, 2009) and its elimination is at the heart of many international and national goals. Intimate partner violence (IPV), one of the most common forms of gender-based violence, affects one in three women worldwide (WHO, 2013). The consequences of IPV create negative health outcomes for women that diminish their quality of life and their overall well-being. Abused women access community supports such as shelters to seek safe refuge from the abuse and restore their lives. While shelters play an extensive role in helping women to rebuild their lives they often struggle to navigate inflexible and unjust systemic structures that can be re-victimizing to women and undermine their ability to live violence free. This study describes an emergent narrative of structural justice (SJ) that arose while examining the structural challenges of 6 shelters for abused women in urban and rural Virginia. It details the critical exploration of the intersection between structure and justice by integrating existing literature with qualitative participant narratives (N=36); and constructing an operational definition of structural justice (SJ) through an iterative process. Findings reveal SJ oriented patterns that shape five core tenets at the heart of this narrative. This SJ offers a framework out of which we can create a narrative of hope and a call-to-action. to rectify systemic violence. This framework contributes to the discourse concerning the elimination of VAW as it focuses on creating justice, equity and structural reconciliation

Generalised action-angle coordinates defined on island chains

Straight-field-line coordinates are very useful for representing magnetic fields in toroidally confined plasmas, but fundamental problems arise regarding their definition in 3-D geometries because of the formation of islands and chaotic field regions, ie non-integrability. In Hamiltonian dynamical systems terms these coordinates are a form of action-angle variables, which are normally defined only for integrable systems. In order to describe 3-D magnetic field systems, a generalisation of this concept was proposed recently by the present authors that unified the concepts of ghost surfaces and quadratic-flux-minimising (QFMin) surfaces. This was based on a simple canonical transformation generated by a change of variable $\theta = \theta(\Theta,\zeta)$, where $\theta$ and $\zeta$ are poloidal and toroidal angles, respectively, with $\Theta$ a new poloidal angle chosen to give pseudo-orbits that are a) straight when plotted in the $\zeta,\Theta$ plane and b) QFMin pseudo-orbits in the transformed coordinate. These two requirements ensure that the pseudo-orbits are also c) ghost pseudo-orbits. In the present paper, it is demonstrated that these requirements do not \emph{uniquely} specify the transformation owing to a relabelling symmetry. A variational method of solution that removes this lack of uniqueness is proposed.Comment: 10 pages. Accepted by Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion as part of a cluster of refereed papers in a special issue containing papers arising from the Joint International Stellarator & Heliotron Workshop and Asia-Pacific Plasma Theory Conference, held in Canberra and Murramarang Resort, Australia, 30 January - 3 February, 201

Senior Recital: Ashley Hudson, soprano

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Music Education. Ms. Hudson studies voice with Nathan Munson.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2148/thumbnail.jp

B cell development, activation, and autoimmunity in mice with altered B cell receptor signalling

B cell receptor (BCR) signalling plays an important role at multiple stages of B cell development, differentiation, and activation. Naïve B cells co-express BCRs of IgM and IgD isotype, but when activated, B cells often class-switch to another isotype such as IgG1. IgG1 transduces stronger BCR signalling, thought to be largely due to inherent signalling capabilities in the cytoplasmic tail. To investigate the effect of altered BCR signalling on B cell development, B cell activation and development of autoimmunity, we have used a mouse model where B cells express chimeric BCRs that have the IgM extracellular region and the IgG1 cytoplasmic tail (IgMg1 mouse), as well as a second mouse model where B cells express fully IgG1 BCRs (IgG1M mouse). In IgMg1 mice, B cells had evidence of increased negative selection during B cell development, reduced BCR expression and a dampened response to BCR stimulation in vitro, supporting the previous observation that B cells in these mice display an anergic phenotype. Gene expression was analysed in IgMg1 B cells and genes that may play a role in regulating B cell anergy were identified. IgMg1 mice were able to make germinal centre (GC) responses following immunisation with T cell-dependent (TD) antigen. However, there was a higher affinity threshold for B cell participation in the GC, and reduced survival and positive selection. The B cells had greater ability to present antigen and activate T follicular helper cells. Aged IgMg1 mice were more prone to developing spontaneous tissue-specific autoantibodies than aged wildtype mice. In IgG1M mice, IgG1-only expressing B cells also underwent increased negative selection and BCR downregulation. However, unlike the IgMg1 B cells, this did not result in an anergic phenotype; instead, B cells were hyper-responsive to BCR stimulation in vitro. Despite the hyperactive BCR signalling, T cell-independent and TD responses were unexpectedly impaired. This work provides insight into how stronger BCR signalling can inhibit or increase B cell activation in different contexts. It also establishes how different BCRs can affect interactions with Tfh cells within the GC. Additionally, the importance of the BCR extracellular region relative to the cytoplasmic region for signalling at different stages of development was explored. These mouse models should be useful to further investigate how regulation of enhanced BCR signalling can prevent inappropriate activation of B cells and the development of autoimmunity

Race at the Forefront in Social and Economic Inequities

Racial wealth inequity between Whites and people of color, particularly Black and Latino Americans, is one of the most pressing social and economic issues in the United States, historically and at present. The magnitude of the racial wealth gap is immense and deeply entrenched, and the scale of racial inequities in wealth has changed very little in recent times. Without radical changes, at the current rate of growth, the wealth gap between Whites, compared to Black and Latino families will be over one million dollars by 2044. Considering the shifting demographics of the U.S., including projections that indicate that the majority of the U.S. population will be composed of people of color by 2040, it is even more critical to investigate different approaches to address racial wealth inequities. This paper aims to provide a historical transdisciplinary understanding of racial wealth inequality. In addition, we highlight key takeaways provided by panelists in the Race at the Forefront in Social Policy section of the Collaboration on Race, Inequality, and Social Mobility in America (CRISMA)’s inaugural conference to light the path forward

Distinct phosphorylation clusters determines the signalling outcome of the free fatty acid receptor FFA4/GPR120

It is established that long-chain free fatty acids including ω-3 fatty acids mediate an array of biological responses through members of the free fatty acid receptor family, which includes FFA4. However, the signalling mechanisms and modes of regulation of this receptor class remain unclear. Here we employ mass spectrometry to determine that phosphorylation of mouse (m)FFAR4 occurs at five serine and threonine residues clustered in two separable regions of the C terminal tail, designated cluster 1 (Thr347, Thr349 and Ser350) and cluster 2 (Ser357 and Ser361). Mutation of these phospho-acceptor sites to alanine completely prevented phosphorylation of mFFA4 but did not limit receptor coupling to ERK1/2 activation. Rather an inhibitor of Gq/11 proteins completely prevented receptor signalling to ERK1/2. In contrast, the recruitment of arrestin 3, receptor internalization and activation of Akt were regulated by mFFA4 phosphorylation. The analysis of mFFA4 phosphorylation-dependent signalling was extended further by selective mutations of the phospho-acceptor sites. Mutations within cluster 2 did not affect agonist activation of Akt but instead significantly compromised receptor internalization and arrestin 3 recruitment. Distinctly, mutation of the phospho-acceptor sites within cluster 1 had no effect on receptor internalization and a less extensive effect on arrestin 3 recruitment, but significantly uncoupled the receptor from Akt activation. These unique observations define differential effects on signalling mediated by phosphorylation at distinct locations. This hallmark feature supports the possibility that the signalling outcome of mFFA4 activation can be determined by the pattern of phosphorylation (phosphorylation barcode) at the C-terminus of the receptor

Drug use and barriers to and facilitators of drug treatment for homeless youth

In the United States, homeless youth are becoming increasingly entrenched in problem substance use, including high prevalence of alcohol abuse and injection use. A total of 54 substance-using homeless youth (18–25 years) participated in focus groups in order to provide their perspectives on barriers to and facilitators of seeking treatment. Participants were recruited from shelters in Hollywood, CA, and from a street-based, drop-in site in Santa Monica, CA. Participants identified personal barriers to treatment, but reported that facilitators of treatment tended to be more systematic. Homeless youth used and abused substances to dim the psychological effects of living on the streets. They appreciated programs that facilitated treatment and rehabilitation such as mentoring, support groups, and alternative choices to substance use. Implications point to the need for further development and research on culturally-appropriate, age-sensitive programs for homeless youth. The experiences of these youth underscore the need for strategic interventions

ESTRATÉGIAS AO CASAL EM SITUAÇÃO DE SORODISCORDÂNCIA PARA O HIV: UMA REVISÃO DA LITERATURA

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, more commonly known as AIDS, is the most advanced stage of infection with the acquired immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Couples called serodiscordance are partners who have different HIV serologies, only one being seropositive. Couples express the desire for pregnancy, but many do not seek health care, as they feel ashamed or afraid. The objective of this work is to understand, through the review of recent literature, a little more about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the implications for the possibility of serodiscordant couples having children, using appropriate therapy. Scientific articles were searched in databases and virtual libraries, and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria in their entirety, 16 articles were selected for full evaluation, 9 in Scielo, 4 in LILACS and 3 in BDENF. The lack of knowledge of HIV carriers causes several doubts, whether individual or even when they are in relationships, with this, health care has a fundamental role at the time of discovery and health professionals must act as care facilitators, acting in a welcoming and integral way with each individual, identifying the related factors that lead to non-adherence to medication in order to outline new health strategies.  A Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida, conhecida mais comumente como Aids, é o estágio mais avançado da infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida (HIV).  Os casais denominados em situação de sorodiscordância são parceiros que possuem sorologias distintas para o HIV, sendo apenas um soropositivo. Os casais expressam a vontade da gestação, mas muitos não procuram o serviço de saúde, pois se sentem envergonhados ou com medo. O objetivo deste trabalho é compreender, através da revisão da literatura recente, um pouco mais sobre o vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) e as implicações na possibilidade de casais sorodiscordantes terem filhos, fazendo uso de terapia adequada. Foram pesquisados artigos científicos em bases de dados e bibliotecas virtuais, e após a aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, em sua totalidade, foram selecionados 16 artigos para avaliação na íntegra, sendo 9 na Scielo, 4  na LILACS e 3 na BDENF. A falta de conhecimento dos portadores do vírus HIV provocam diversas dúvidas, seja individual ou até mesmo quando estão em relacionamentos, com isso, a assistência de saúde possui um papel fundamental na hora da descoberta e os profissionais de saúde devem atuar como facilitadores do cuidado, agindo de forma acolhedora e integral com cada indivíduo, identificando os fatores relacionados que levam a não adesão medicamentosa com o intuito de traçar novas estratégias de saúde

Progesterone signalling in broiler skeletal muscle is associated with divergent feed efficiency

Background: We contrast the pectoralis muscle transcriptomes of broilers selected from within a single genetic line expressing divergent feed efficiency (FE) in an effort to improve our understanding of the mechanistic basis of FE. Results: Application of a virtual muscle model to gene expression data pointed to a coordinated reduction in slow twitch muscle isoforms of the contractile apparatus (MYH15, TPM3, MYOZ2, TNNI1, MYL2, MYOM3, CSRP3, TNNT2), consistent with diminishment in associated slow machinery (myoglobin and phospholamban) in the high FE animals. These data are in line with the repeated transition from red slow to white fast muscle fibres observed in agricultural species selected on mass and FE. Surprisingly, we found that the expression of 699 genes encoding the broiler mitoproteome is modestly–but significantly–biased towards the high FE group, suggesting a slightly elevated mitochondrial content. This is contrary to expectation based on the slow muscle isoform data and theoretical physiological capacity arguments. Reassuringly, the extreme 40 most DE genes can successfully cluster the 12 individuals into the appropriate FE treatment group. Functional groups contained in this DE gene list include metabolic proteins (including opposing patterns of CA3 and CA4), mitochondrial proteins (CKMT1A), oxidative status (SEPP1, HIG2A) and cholesterol homeostasis (APOA1, INSIG1). We applied a differential network method (Regulatory Impact Factors) whose aim is to use patterns of differential co-expression to detect regulatory molecules transcriptionally rewired between the groups. This analysis clearly points to alterations in progesterone signalling (via the receptor PGR) as the major driver. We show the progesterone receptor localises to the mitochondria in a quail muscle cell line. Conclusions: Progesterone is sometimes used in the cattle industry in exogenous hormone mixes that lead to a ~20% increase in FE. Because the progesterone receptor can localise to avian mitochondria, our data continue to point to muscle mitochondrial metabolism as an important component of the phenotypic expression of variation in broiler FE