ENCHANTED SELVES Transgender Children\u27s Persistent use of Mermaid Imagery in Self-Portraiture

In recent years, there has been a surge of popular interest in the lives and experiences of transgender and gender diverse people. However, this interest has been disproportionately focused on adults and teens, on biomedical framing and persistent binarism, without paying attention to young transgender and gender diverse children\u27s engagement with culture, media and meaning. This article presents data from an ongoing arts-based ethnographic study of young transgender and gender-diverse children (ages 3-10) in the United States. In this study, feminine-identified transgender children repeatedly drew themselves as mermaids in self-portraits and highlighted the importance of other mermaid-related play throughout their drawings and narratives. Even very young transgirls insisted that their drawings of mermaids represented the joy of being able to be their true selves, affirmations of femininity and nascent trans pride. This article begins with a brief discussion of mermaids in Western culture and media, followed by a more in-depth focus on the applicability of the mermaid as metaphor for understanding young transgirl experience, representation and feminine credentialing

Editorial Pictorial

DOI: 10.1353/jeu.2020.000

Does Manipulating Source Gender Predict a Person\u27s Open-Mindedness as a Function of Sexism?

The present research examines whether Communication Source Gender influences a message recipients\u27 level of Open-Minded Cognition, and whether Ambivalent Sexism moderates this effect. Participants were asked to think of themselves as part of a military panel which considers proposals to military spending. Then after reading a proposal from either Cassandra Smith or David Smith, participants were asked to indicate whether they would be open to hearing more from the author. Participants were then instructed to complete the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (Glick & Fiske, 1996). In total there were 395 participants in this study. Results show that there was no main effect of Source Gender on Ambivalent Sexism, Ambivalent Sexism was negatively related to Open-Mindedness. Although not achieving significance, there was a borderline interaction between Ambivalent Sexism and Source Gender that matched the predicted pattern

Induction of triploidy and erythrocyte cell size analysis of triploid African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

In this study, genetic manipulation technique was employed to produce triploid African catfish Clarias  gariepinus. Artificial fertilization was carried out using synthetic hormone (Ovaprim®) at 0.5 ml/kg body  weight. Eggs numbering 100 ± 10 in quadruplicates from C. gariepinus were fertilized by milt from the  male species. The fertilized eggs were subsequently transferred to a thermoregulated refrigerator at 2oC  for 20 minutes to suppress cell division 4 minutes after fertilization. Haploid larvae were produced by fertilizing the eggs with ultraviolet (UV) irradiated milt at 30000 μWcm-2 for 15 minutes. Fertility, hatchability and survival after one week for triploids were 82.5%, 69.8% and 61.3%; for haploid, 100%, 15%, 0% and diploid  (controls), 100%, 93% and 91%, respectively. There was significant (p<0.05) variation among the ploidy  catfish larvae developed across the parameters of fertility, hatchability and survival determined. The ploidy levels of the triploid species were evaluated by karyotyping and erythrocyte measurements. The chromosome numbers obtained were 28 ± 2, 56 ± 2 and 84 ± 2 for haploid, diploid and triploid treatments, respectively. Erythrocyte cell size measurements of the triploid C. gariepinus species revealed bigger and larger cellular volume of about 1.5 times to that of the diploid.Keywords: Genetic manipulation, Triploid, African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, Ultraviolet, Karyotyping, Erythrocyte, Chromosom

Biocatalytic and organocatalytic approaches to ketodiol synthesis

The enzyme transketolase (TK) (EC2.2.1.1) catalyses a reversible asymmetric carboncarbon bond forming reaction, where a two carbon ketose donor is transferred to an aldose acceptor. The use of hydroxypyruvate (HPA), a non-phosphorylated ketol donor with subsequent loss of carbon dioxide renders the reaction irreversible generating the dihydroxyketone product. Several years ago the TK gene from the plasmid of E. coli (BJ502/pKD112A) was incorporated into a high copy plasmid leading to the overexpression of the protein in E. coli, a suitable host for industrial processes. The TK condensation of HPA with glycoladehyde and propanal, in analogous but separate experiments, has been described in the literature. The on-going development of the enzyme TK as a practical biocatalyst performed on a small scale recently led to the discovery of the first biomimetic TK reaction. The aims of the PhD project were principally two-fold; to explore both biomimetic and biocatalytic routes to α,α’-dihydroxyketones. Firstly, investigation of the new one pot synthesis of racemic dihydroxyketones; in terms of substrate scope of the reaction, including aromatic, aliphatic hydrophobic aldehydes as substrates. Donors other than hydroxypyruvate (HPA) were also investigated to assess the general synthetic utility of the reaction. Reaction optimisation studies and preliminary mechanistic studies were performed. In addition, investigations into the development of an asymmetric organocatalytic reaction were pursued. Secondly, libraries of TK mutants were also screened against a range of non-natural substrates. A colorimetric assay for screening active mutants in a 96 well plate format was used to identify sucessfully a number of active mutants with enhanced substrate specificity towards novel cyclic and aromatic acceptor molecules, as well as being used for determining initial rate velocities. A chiral assay as a means to determine the absolute stereochemistry, using chiral derivatising agents (CDAs) was established which was used with HPLC for successful characterisation of the dihydroxyketone motifs. Chapter 1 of this thesis is an introduction to the important role of thiamine dependent enzymes in synthesis, in particular transketolase: the structure, mechanism and its usage in industry is covered. Chemical synthetic routes to ketodiol motifs are also mentioned. Chapter 2 presents the use of a novel chiral assay to determine absolute stereochemistries achieved in biocatalytic or biomimetic reactions. Chapter 3 describes studies of stereoselectivities with active point single TK mutants on cyclic aldehydes. Chapter 4 covers the use of aromatic acceptor substrates with transketolase. Chapter 5 describes investigation into novel asymmetric biomimetic routes to ketodiol synthesis and finally Chapter 6 concludes the studies and encourages further research

Stress–strain characteristics of brick masonry under compressive cyclic loading

This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments carried out on twelve clay brick masonry wallettes of two types under cyclic compressive loading. In the paper, the procedure adapted for testing is described and the results are discussed. The failure models and cracking patterns of the tested specimens are presented. The effects of the repeated load on the behaviour and mechanical properties of the wall are observed and discussed. Based on the results, the analytical formula for the determination of the failure envelope curve is also proposed

Analisis Faktor-Faktor Yang Berpengaruh Terhadap Praktik Perataan Laba (Studi Empiris Pada Perusahaan Manufaktur Yang Terdaftar Di BEI Tahun 2009-2012)

Perataan laba adalah suatu usaha yang dilakukan manajemen untuk menekan variasi dalam laba sejauh yang dimungkinkan oleh prinsip-prinsip akuntansi.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan pengujian terhadap ukuran perusahaan,net profit margin, dan debt to equity ratio terhadap praktik perataan laba yang dilakukan oleh perusahaan manufaktur yang terdapat di Bursa Efek Indonesia. Penelitian ini menggunakan sampel 153 perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia dari tahun 2009-2012. Pengujian hipotesis menggunakan model regresi logistik untuk menguji pengaruh ukuran perusahaan,net profit margin dan debt to equity ratio. Teknik pengambilan sampel pada penelitian ini adalah teknik purposive sampling. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ukuran perusahaan berpengaruh terhadap praktik perataan laba pada perusahaan manufaktur. Sedangkan net profit margn dan debt to equity ratio tidak berpengaruh terhadap praktik perataan laba pada perusahaan manufaktur