Computer simulation of protein systems

Ligand binding to dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is discussed. This is an extremely important enzyme, as it is the target of several drugs (inhibitors) which are used clinically as antibacterials, antiprotozoals and in cancer chemotherapy. DHFR catalyzes the NADPH (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) dependent reduction of dihydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate, which is used in several pathways of purine and pyrimidine iosynthesis, including that of thymidylate. Since DNA synthesis is dependent on a continuing supply of thymidylate, a blockade of DHFR resulting in a depletion of thymidylate can lead to the cessation of growth of a rapidly proliferating cell line. DHFR exhibits a significant species to species variability in its sensitivity to various inhibitors. For example, trimethoprim, an inhibitor of DHFR, binds to bacterial DHFR's 5 orders of magnitude greater than to vertebrate DHFR's. The structural mechanics, dynamics and energetics of a family of dihydrofolate reductases are studied to rationalize the basis for the inhibitor of these enyzmes and to understand the molecular basis of the difference in the binding constants between the species. This involves investigating the conformational changes induced in the protein on binding the ligand, the internal strain imposed by the enzyme on the ligand, the restriction of fluctuations in atom positions due to binding and the consequent change in entropy

Circular 20

Since fanning in Alaska first began and especially since dairy farming became the primary agricultural industry, there has existed a need for hardy legumes which would survive Alaska winters and produce satisfactory yields of high quality forage. To meet this need hundreds of legume species and strains have been introduced during the past 40 or more years. Almost all have lacked the necessary hardiness or have not been satisfactory agronomically. The release of Alaskland red clover in the spring of 1953 is the first time a hardy legume has been made available to growers in Alaska.Cooperating with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Administratio

On the Possible Forms a Relationship Might Take Between the Moral Character of a Teacher and the Moral Development of a Student

Background/Context: The claim of a relationship between a teacher’s moral character and a student’s moral development has its roots in a rich philosophical tradition. It is a tradition that maintains that the young acquire virtue by associating with virtuous people in a virtuous community. In this way, it is assumed virtue is acquired by example and imitation. Recently, this relationship has received increased attention from philosophers of education, who emphasize the importance of the moral character of the teacher in bringing about the proper moral development of the student. Purpose/Objective: This article is an examination of the various forms that a relationship might take between the moral character of a teacher and the moral development of a student. It brings important distinctions to bear on the assumed relationship and sheds new light on the complexities of the relationship and its possible permutations. The purpose of this article is to better understand these complexities and suggest alternative conceptions of the relationship in question. Research Design: The methods employed in this article are primarily philosophical and follow the analytic tradition. Analytic philosophy is primarily concerned with the analysis of meaning, and its primary roots are found in the works of Frege, Wittgenstein, Carnap, Russell, and Moore. The success of this type of philosophical inquiry rests on an ability to better understand the use of language. This article draws on the method of ordinary language and concept analysis, relying on the process of making distinctions and suggesting inconsistencies in the language used to describe the relationship in question. Conclusions/Recommendations: The analysis shows that each of the forms a relationship might take is seemingly quite reasonable and sensible. However, it also concludes that none of these forms provides a definitive claim that a relationship does or does not obtain between the moral character of a teacher and the moral development of a student. The applications for research suggest that scholars pay closer attention to (a) the agency of students in this relationship, (b) the relative influence of a teacher’s unintentional moral expressions, and (c) the role of modeling in moral education. These applications also point to an important possible shift in the conceptualization of moral education: toward morally good teaching (for its own sake) and away from teaching students to be morally good

Analysing the Child Development Project Using the Moral Work of Teaching Framework

This inquiry applies the Moral Work of Teaching (MWT) framework to analyse the psychological, moral and educational assumptions, and the contingent factors, that explain the basic features of the Child Development Project’s (CDP) approach to moral education. The analysis, it is suggested, not only illuminates the CDP’s approach, but the virtues and implications of using an appropriately complex, theoretically descriptive framework, such as the MWT framework, as a tool for understanding, comparing, developing and applying approaches to moral education

Perceptions of Education, Engineering, and Nursing Faculty Members Regarding Their Role in Helping Students Develop Professional Behavior

In conducting this study, we used qualitative and quantitative research techniques to determine faculty members’ perceptions of (a) their role in teaching professional behavior, (b) the professional behaviors that are most important for students to develop, and (c) the methods used to help education, engineering, and nursing students develop professional behavior. Differences were identified between the three groups of faculty members. Overall, results indicated the majority of educators believed they had a role in teaching students professional behavior. However, most faculty members did not acknowledge specific coursework or methods employed to help students develop professional behavior, suggesting instead they tried to help students develop professional behavior by acting as role models. Implications for these and other findings are reported in this article

The Moral Nature of Teacher Candidate Beliefs About the Purposes of Schooling and Their Reasons for Choosing Teaching as a Career

This study reports teacher candidate beliefs about the purposes of schooling and their reasons for choosing a career in teaching. The beliefs are analyzed in relation to the moral work of teaching, and the findings suggest that teacher candidates choose teaching as a career, in part, to engage in moral work, and that they believe that schooling has moral ends. The article concludes by providing implications for teacher education research and practice, suggesting that these implications have particular relevance in the current environment of high-stakes testing and accountability, as well as for constructivist teacher educators who seek to understand and meaningfully respond to their teacher candidates’ beliefs

“Like Produces Like”: John Heyl Vincent and His 19th Century Theory of Character Education

An examination of late 19th century writings about character development by popular educator and revered Methodist bishop John Heyl Vincent (1832–1920) sheds additional insight on early character education theory. Vincent is best known as the cofounder of the Chautauqua movement in 1874. However, his theoretical constructs for character development merit not only acknowledgment in the discipline’s official history but also further investigation and discussion by today’s scholars. The constructs identified from early writings suggest that effective character education occurs in both the home and the school and requires parents and teachers who model good moral character. This article posits the importance of a teacher’s moral character as the central idea of Vincent’s theory of character education, and it provides one example of how theories of character education at home transitioned to theories of character education at school during this important time period

Pedagogical Considerations that May Encourage Character Development in a Distance Education Course

The aims espoused by institutions of higher education often entail the development of students’ character. Rarely, however, are these character development aims connected to the unique design and delivery of distance education programs, and the research literature that explores the moral and character development aspects of distance education is sparse. This case study examines instructor and student perceptions of approaches, instructional methods, and other factors that contributed to perceived character development in a fantasy literature distance education course. The findings indicate that the instructor and students perceived myriad kinds of character development and corresponding approaches and methods for bringing about such development in the context of the course. This article considers possible implications for character development in the context of distance education and directions for future research

The Phenomenon of Character Development in a Distance Education Course

Rarely are character development-related aims espoused by higher education reflected in the design and delivery of distance education programs. Further, literature exploring the character development aspects of distance education is sparse. This study finds that the instructor and students in a fantasy literature distance course perceived myriad kinds of character development related to performance, moral, relational, and spiritual character traits and strengths. This paper considers implications for character development in distance education and directions for future research

Upland soil functions under organic grazing systems

Upland soils provide a wide range of key ecosystem services such as carbon storage, water quality regulation and flood mitigation, and supporting important trophic interactions. UK upland areas are largely used for low intensity livestock grazing due to low grassland productivity. However, it is not fully understood whether organic grazing management has any impact on key soil functions in upland areas, compared to conventional management. This thesis uses a paired case study approach to investigate the key differences in soil organic matter (OM), bulk density (BD), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), effective porosity, pH, moisture content available N, exchangeable cations, and earthworm populations, between the two management systems. Each pair of field sites comprised of one organic and one conventional farm; site pairs were located in the Forest of Bowland, Yorkshire Dales, and North York Moors, and chosen for their similarity in size and proximity. All sites had a long history of sheep grazing, organic sites had all been under organic management for at least 10 years. This was then followed by an avoidance behaviour experiment to investigate the impact of the veterinary medicines used in conventional grazing management (albendazole, ivermectin, levamisole and moxidectin) on the endogeic earthworm A. chlorotica, an earthworm commonly found in upland grasslands. Organically manged sites had less OM than conventional sites, particularly at 0-5 cm depth (means of 14% under organic and 39% under conventional) but differences in OM content were attributed to differences in soil type. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was higher under organic management (medians of 65 mm hr-1 for organic and 33 mm hr-1 for conventional) while conventional sites had a higher proportion of flow through macropores. Abundance of A. chlorotica was significantly higher under organic management (33% of the total earthworm population, 16% under conventional). However, earthworm density was positively correlated with pH across all sites, most likely as a function of soil type. Avoidance behaviour was observed in A. chlorotica under exposure of environmentally realistic concentrations of albendazole and ivermectin. Calculations of carbon balance show both management systems to be carbon sinks, with conventional farming having slightly bigger SOC stocks, especially under manure application. Overall, it was difficult to disentangle the treatment effect from environmental factors due to differences in soil type and topography between field sites, but findings suggest that conventional grazing may be slightly better for carbon storage, and that anthelmintics used in livestock farming may be negatively impacting earthworm behaviour