We present a three dimensional fluid-structure coupling between SPH and 3D-DDA for modelling rock-fluid interactions. The Navier-Stokes equation is simulated using the SPH method and the motions of the blocks are tracked by a Lagrangian algorithm based on a newly developed, explicit, 3D-DDA formulation. The coupled model is employed to investigate the water entry of a sliding block and the resulting wave(s). The coupled SPH-DDA algorithm provides a promising computational tool to for modelling a variety of solid-fluid interaction problems in many potential applications in hydraulics, rock mass stability, and in coastal and offshore engineering.

This article explores the careers and political activism of Native opera singers in the Southwest of the 1920s. I argue that a number of talented Native artists recognized that engaging their audiences directly in live performances provided opportunities for public education in addition to their economic benefits. Partnering with regional boosters, they built careers performing in multiple pageants and events sponsored by municipalities across the Southwest. Live performance with its direct access to audiences also facilitated their political agendas of publicizing Indigenous histories. Their careers highlight the mobility of Indigenous people, demonstrating how they helped create modern urban spaces across the American Southwest.

The amygdala is a highly interconnected region of the brain that is critically important to emotional processing and affective networks. Previous studies have shown that the response of the amygdala to emotionally arousing stimuli can be modulated by sex hormones. Because oral contraceptive pills dramatically lower circulating sex hormone levels with potent analogs of those hormones, we performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment to measure amygdala reactivity in response to emotional stimuli in women using oral contraceptives, and compared their amygdala reactivity with that of naturally cycling women. Here, we show that women who use oral contraceptive pills have significantly decreased bilateral amygdala reactivity in response to negatively valenced, emotionally arousing stimuli compared with naturally cycling women. We suggest that by modulating amygdala reactivity, oral contraceptive pills may influence behaviors that have previously been shown to be amygdala dependent-in particular, emotional memory.

In the environment, aerosol particles can affect climate directly though scattering and absorbing radiation and indirectly by influencing cloud formation, albedo, and lifetime. Beyond the environment, aerosols are commonly used as a delivery mechanism for a variety of products, such as inhalers and spray paints. Chemically characterizing aerosols is a difficult endeavor, and relatively few instrumental methods are capable of doing so. A unique subset of instrumentation and techniques exist to measure aerosol chemical and physical properties. Among these, the aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) can measure single particle chemistry and size in real time. The ATOFMS was developed for the study atmospheric aerosols, and data acquired by the ATOFMS over the years since its creation has provided significant insight into many atmospheric phenomena; however, the application of this technique into disciplines other than atmospheric chemistry has been relatively unexplored. In this dissertation the ATOFMS is used in a conventional sense, to provide insight into atmospheric particle chemistry through two field studies in California, but also in an unconventional way by using the ATOFMS to answer outstanding questions in other disciplines, including nanomaterials and biochemistry. Often the chemistry of a single unit, rather than of the bulk, is needed in these disciplines, and the ATOFMS is uniquely suited to provide this information. The ATOFMS was used to chemically characterize single particles of a unique class of nanomaterials, called metal organic frameworks (MOFs), comprised of functionalized organic linkers and metal ions or metal ion clusters. ATOFMS data was able to show the presence of MOFs with mixed functionality, and show the exchange of functional groups between materials. Cell processes can be monitored by measuring small molecules that are part of cell metabolism, which can provide insight into cell functions, environment, and disease. Using an ATOFMS with a modified aerodynamic lens inlet, single microalgae cells 4-10 µm in diameter of various types have been be characterized. Compared to other single cell mass spectrometry techniques, the modified ATOFMS has unprecedented throughput, up to 50 Hz. Time-resolved measurements of cells undergoing nitrogen deprivation further highlight the abilities of the technique for single cell analysis

The intracellular trafficking of receptors is a collection of complex and highly controlled processes. Receptor trafficking modulates signaling and overall cell responsiveness to ligands and is, itself, influenced by intra- and extracellular conditions, including ligand-induced signaling. Optimized for use with monolayer-plated cultured cells, but extendable to free-floating tissue slices, this protocol uses immunolabelling and colocalizational analysis to track changes in intracellular receptor trafficking following both chronic/prolonged and acute interventions, including exogenous drug treatment. After drug treatment, cells are double-immunolabelled for the receptor and for markers for the intracellular compartments of interest. Sequential confocal microscopy is then used to capture two-channel photomicrographs of individual cells, which are subjected to computerized colocalizational analysis to yield quantitative colocalization scores. These scores are normalized to permit pooling of independent replicates prior to statistical analysis. Representative photomicrographs may also be processed to generate illustrative figures. Here, we describe a powerful and flexible technique for quantitatively assessing induced receptor trafficking.

Opioid overdoses, many of which are attributed to use of illicit fentanyl, are currently one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Although fentanyl has been used safely for decades in clinical settings, the widespread use of illicit fentanyl is a recent phenomenon. Starting in 2013, illicitly manufactured fentanyl and its analogs began to appear on the streets. These substances were added to or sold as heroin, often unbeknownst to the user. Because fentanyl is so potent, only small amounts are needed to produce pharmacological effects, but the margin between safe and toxic doses is narrow. Surprisingly little is known about the exact signaling mechanisms underlying fentanyl-related respiratory depression or the effectiveness of naloxone in reversing this effect. Similarly, little is known about the ability of treatment medications such as buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone to reduce illicit fentanyl use. The present article reviews the receptor, preclinical and clinical pharmacology of fentanyl, and how its pharmacology may predict the effectiveness of currently approved medications for treating illicit fentanyl use.