Analysis of the barley grain protease spectrum

Malting is the controlled germination of barley grains, under specific conditions and up to the point of grain modification, and is the keystone of the brewing and distilling industries. Protease enzyme activity is an important constituent of this process as not only does this catalyse the degradation of the grains protein stores, but it also has involvement in other aspects of the germination process such as the activation of β – amylase. However, despite their importance, little is known of the identities and specific roles of the protease classes in the malting and germination process. With this in mind a biochemical and proteomic approach was taken in order to attempt to identify protease enzymes from malted and germinating barley grains and also to identify the roles of specific protease classes in barley grain malting and germination. FPLC based protein fractionation, SDS – PAGE analysis and MALDI – ToF mass spectroscopy were used in an attempt to purify metallo and serine class proteases from extracts of four day micro malted malt and germinating barley grains. A combination of class specific protease inhibitors, germination studies, enzyme assays of both barley grain proteases and specific starch degrading enzymes, and western blotting were employed to investigate the roles of the different protease classes in both overall grain physiology during germination and specifically, in the regulation of enzymes involved in starch breakdown. These investigations show that the serine and aspartate class proteases have a role in the positive regulation of the amounts of α – amylase present in barley grains during germination in a process that may involve gibberellic acid signalling. Furthermore, it was also shown that the serine class proteases have a role in the negative regulation of β – amylase activity during germination, thus revealing the complexity of the regulatory roles of barley grain proteases during grain germination. In addition, germination studies carried out in the presence of both the divalent cation chelator 1, 10 phenanthroline and different divalent cations revealed the potential importance of transition metal ions such as zinc, iron and manganese in the onset of grain germination

Teacher Perceptions of the Implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) In a Rural Southwest Georgia School District

This study examined teacher perspectives of SWPBIS and how those perceptions impacted school discipline in a rural, Title I middle school located in southwest Georgia. This paper reviewed the history of school discipline policies and discipline practices. The focus was on teacher perceptions of SWPBIS and how those perceptions impacted school discipline in a rural, Title I middle school in a southwest Georgia county. Results were obtained using a quantitative survey and focus groups. Overall, the findings discovered that all respondents believed that SWPBIS had helpful benefits

Two Heads Are Better Than One: Collaboration Between Classroom Teachers and English Language Learner Specialists

In the age of accountability in education, teachers are expected to meet the needs of all of their students, including English Language Learners (ELLs). In the field of study relating to ELLs, collaboration between classroom teachers and ELL specialists is suggested to support ELLs. What is unknown, however, is the extent to which collaboration is happening, the contextual and interfering conditions of collaboration, and the consequences of collaboration or non-collaboration. In this qualitative grounded theory study, I investigated whether and how elementary classroom teachers and English Language Learner (ELL) specialists collaborated to instruct ELLs. The research questions were: 1. What does classroom teacher and ELL specialist collaboration look like? What are the outcomes of collaboration? 2. If there is a formal systematic approach to collaboration, what is it? How did this collaboration form, and how is it sustained? Can a model be generated to demonstrate collaborative processes? During the 2009-2010 school year, I interviewed, observed, and held brainstorming sessions with three administrators, three ELL specialists, and five classroom teachers in three urban elementary schools in one district in the eastern United States. Findings from the study led to the development of a model demonstrating the relationship among collaborative processes, including causal, contextual, and interfering conditions, actions and interactions, and outcomes of classroom teacher and ELL specialist collaboration. Data support the assertion that classroom teacher and ELL specialist collaboration can be effective, meaning outcomes of collaboration can be desirable, if there is proper support and attention given to the process. There are several recommendations resulting from this study, including: 1. Teachers and administrators need training on how to meet the needs of ELLs, including collaboration training. 2. Administrators must support collaborative processes in order for collaboration to work. 3. Educators and administrators can use the model I developed as a guide to improve collaboration between classroom teachers and ELL specialists. Further research needs to be done on the resistance to change in relation to implementing collaborative practices in schools, the impact of teacher collaboration on student achievement, and the relationship between ELL service models and collaboration

Perception Profiling & Prolonged Solitary Confinement Viewed through the Lens of the Angola 3 Case: When Prison Officials Become Judges, Judges Become Visually Challenged, and Justice Becomes Legally Blind

Solitary confinement is a tool used by the American prison system without a sufficient check on its application. Current practice provides that an inmate\u27s solitary confinement is reviewed at regular intervals by Executive-branch prison administrators. They have employed it to enforce discipline and order in the prison population, but simultaneously have ridden roughshod over inmates\u27 substantive due process rights by failing to provide a meaningful opportunity for a hearing of the facts and justifications for the continued and prolonged solitary confinement of prison inmates. Many, too many inmates have been kept in solitary confinement for extended periods-some for decades-without any meaningful review of their subjugation by the courts. The article makes several recommendations that would alleviate this abdication of justice and deprivation of constitutional rights

Syllabus: How to Recover a Truly Sustainable Food System: A Look at Food Waste and Recovery

This course is an introduction to food waste, and the impact waste has on our food system. We will introduces the current food recovery hierarchy, and examines how consumers, producers and distributors waste food. We will explore the environmental and social impact of food waste in our food system, and introduce social and policy initiatives employed to recover food. Students will read, refect and discuss the actionable steps being taken to shift our local food system\u27s food waste into food recovery

The Incongruous Intersection of the Black Panther Party and the Ku Klux Klan

When, in 2015, a Louisiana prison warden publically likened the Black Panther Party to the Ku Klux Klan, I was stunned. The differences between the two groups seemed so extreme and so obvious I could not imagine ineptness of this magnitude. Not long after this, a Georgia legislator unashamedly express that the Ku Klux Klan was not a racist, terrorist group, but merely a vigilante group trying to keep law and order. After initial dismay, each of these instances evoked thoughts of the far-reaching implications of officials making operational and policy decisions around such a flawed appreciation of history. These lapses prompted me to consider what this type of oblivion might mean when unleashed elsewhere in society, such as in the employment realm, schools, law enforcement encounters with citizens, the judicial system, or within the regulation of professions. At best, continued lapses of this nature have the potential to cause an abysmal pattern of individual injustices. At worst, they could contribute to outright racial unrest in society. Tragically, this is all preventable. All that is needed is unsanitized and factually accurate historical information upon which to rely, an awareness of how important it is to think outside one’s own cultural identity, and a willingness to do so. This Article critically examines two of the most infamous, racially-associated groups in the history of this country: the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the Black Panther Party (BPP). “The Ku Klux Klan, a secret association formed by white vigilantes during Reconstruction, carried out violent attacks primarily against African Americans.” The KKK was a “violent and explosive” “organized terror group[].” In contrast, “[t]he BPP was a multifaceted association of American citizens who . . . did not believe in pleading, begging, praying, or patiently waiting for equal rights to be conferred.” “They felt equality was a birthright, demanding it was a duty, having it delayed was an insult, and compromise was tantamount to social and political suicide.” The BPP “provided a model for people moving from protest to radical ideas to revolutionary action.” This Article proceeds in two parts. In Part I, the KKK will be juxtaposed against the BPP. Specifically, Part I will (1) explain why each group was formed and highlight the geographical presence of each group; (2) probe the mission and objectives of each organization; (3) reveal the respective identities of each group; (4) closely analyze how, by the work and practices of each group, they fulfilled their respective organizational goals; (5) consider ways law and the legal system impacted each group; and (6) evaluate the public’s reaction to each group. Part II will evaluate the larger meaning of the various group nuances discussed in Part I

Predictive habitat modelling as a tool to assess the change in distribution and extent of an OSPAR priority habitat under an increased ocean temperature scenario:consequences for marine protected area networks and management

The aims of this study were to determine the extent and distribution of an OSPAR priority habitat under current baseline ocean temperatures; to illustrate the prospect for habitat loss under a changing ocean temperature scenario; and to demonstrate the potential application of predictive habitat mapping in "future-proofing" conservation and biodiversity management. Maxent modelling and GIS environmental envelope analysis of the biogenic bed forming species, Modiolus modiolus was carried out. The Maxent model was tested and validated using 75%/25% training/test occurrence records and validated against two sampling biases (the whole study area and a 20km buffer). The model was compared to the envelope analysis and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Area Under the curve; AUC) was evaluated. The performance of the Maxent model was rated as 'good' to 'excellent' on all replicated runs and low variation in the runs was recorded from the AUC values. The extent of "most suitable", "less suitable" and "unsuitable" habitat was calculated for the baseline year (2009) and the projected increased ocean temperature scenarios (2030, 2050, 2080 and 2100). A loss of 100% of "most suitable" habitat was reported by 2080. Maintaining a suitable level of protection of marine habitats/species of conservation importance may require management of the decline and migration rather than maintenance of present extent. Methods applied in this study provide the initial application of a plausible "conservation management tool"