“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t:” Madness as Duality and Loss of Self in the Plays of William Shakespeare

This essay is an analysis on the way in which William Shakespeare interacts with madness, as it was understood in Elizabethan England, in a select few of his works. In briefly examining the history of Madness in the sixteenth century as it was born from the idea of the four humors and the black bile driven sickness “melancholie,” it becomes evident that the English in Shakespeare’s time would have understood Madness, among other ways, as an internal imbalance and irrationality which lead to dual nature and eventually total loss of self. With this in mind, the essay shifts to an examination of three well known plays, Richard III, King Lear, and Hamlet, and the practice of falsity and play acting that appears in all. In light of the lesser-known sixteenth century understanding of madness as an internally-driven dissolution of character, the essay rereads certain characters in each text who participate in such duality as sufferers of this type of insanity, or (in some cases) mimicks of such sufferers. In this examination it is revealed how Shakespeare used this insanity as a tool for characterization and plot development. Furhter, Shakespeare’s use of this form of madness shows clearly the way in which the typical Elizabethan Englishman would have understood and related to the illness. In all, Shakespeare’s inclusing of the emerging understanding of madness as duality shows not only his skill as a writer, but also the way in which he was in touch with both the society at the time and the human condition

The effect of teaching biology concepts with animations compared to static cartoons on content retention

This study explores the effect of animations versus static cartoons on students’ content retention in a high school biology classroom. Students were pre-tested prior to the introduction of content in three units of study: cellular transport, protein synthesis, and mitosis. After instruction on the topic via PowerPoint presentations, students were randomly assigned to either the test group or experimental group for each unit. The control group was removed from the room and given a series of static cartoons with captions to view. The experimental group viewed an animation on the topic, accompanied by teacher narration, which consisted of the captions from static cartoons read aloud. The two groups were post-tested together immediately following the treatment, and again approximately 21 days later. Analyses were done to compare both raw score means and normalized learning gains of the experimental and control groups. No statistically significant differences due to animations were found in these comparisons, though student engagement and class discussion were increased by the use of animations based on teacher observations. A class survey revealed an overwhelming interest in continued use of the animations as an instructional technique

Hippotherapy as a Modality in Rehabilitation

Hippotherapy is fast becoming a treatment option for today\u27s therapists. Recent efforts in rehabilitation have focused on emphasizing the multidisciplinary team approach, involving occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language pathologists as well as including members of the family in the clinic\u27s treatment process. Hippotherapy is the way in which these disciplines can easily be combined, as well as including the family in an educational as well as exciting treatment program for clients. This study will review a wide source of literature addressing the definition and process of hippotherapy and the physiological components of the program. Indications, contraindications and precautions for this activity with regards to specific diagnosis will be discussed. Following this review of the current literature, the reader will be familiar with the process of hippo therapy, its potential benefits, the standards of practice and the governing body for these practices, and become aware of how to access further information regarding certification as well. More importantly, the reader will gain an understanding of the ways in which hippotherapy, used as a modality, can be incorporated into a multidisciplinary treatment program focusing on a number of activities during the same session. By incorporating a host of treatments using one modality into a rehabilitation program, today\u27s therapists are able to focus on the idea of treating the whole person and provide as complete a service as possible to both the patient and their families

Design practices business organizations employ to deliver virtual classroom training

The purpose of the literature review is to investigate what instructional design practices organizations employ to deliver virtual classroom training to their workforces. The review examines why companies are implementing virtual classrooms, positive and negative elements of implementing, instructional design strategies companies use to deliver effective virtual training and how learners perceive virtual classroom training compared to traditional face-to-face settings. Best practice with research shows that the most critical factors in successful virtual classroom training are engaging learners, using the software technology effectively, applying instruction design practices and accurately evaluating learner perception. By understanding the best practices, instructional designers can enhance the participants\u27 learning experience, demonstrate return on investment and improve efficiency and employee effectiveness

Feline Lentivirus: Molecular Analysis and Epidemiology in Southern African Lions

Feline immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus of domestic cats causing significant lifelong infection. Infection has also been detected in nondomestic species, including African lions. It is endemic in certain populations in east and southern Africa. Infection leads to immunologic dysfunction and immunosuppressive disease in domestic cats; however, little research exists about the pathogenic effects of infection in lions and its epidemiological impact on free-ranging and captive populations. Little is known about the lentivirus in these populations at the molecular and host level. Analysis of the virus from these populations is necessary for development of detection assays that are both sensitive and specific. Whole-blood and serum samples were collected opportunistically from free ranging lions in Kruger National Park, South Africa, and from Hlane Royal National Park, Swaziland. Whole-blood and serum samples were also collected from captive exotic felids in RSA andUS and domestic cats in RSA. A nested polymerase chain reaction assay was performed on all whole-blood samples, and all positive products were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically. Serum samples were tested for cross-reactive antibodies to domestic feline lentivirus antigens and cross-reactive antibodies to puma lentivirus synthetic envelope peptide antigen. Serum samples were tested for feline haptoglobins and feline alpha-one acid glycoproteins by radial immunodiffusion. This research represents the first epidemiological study of the lion lentivirus among free-ranging lions of Kruger National Park and the first epidemiological study comparing genetic material to antibody-based methods of lentivirus detection on lions in RSA. The polymerase chain reaction assay was successful in amplifying the lion lentivirus from African lions. The conservation management of free-ranging lions must consider the infectious agents to which they are susceptible. No conclusions can be drawn from this investigation with respect to the potential virulence or pathogenic distinctions between viral subtypes, as little is known about the definitive consequences of lion lentivirus infection in African lions. Immunologic studies may uncover potential differences in immune expression among lentivirus-positive and -negative individuals with regard to increased resistance or increased susceptibility to infection or pathogenicity. To this end, lion lentivirus infection status could also be compared to the infection status of bovine tuberculosis

Identifying Adaptor Proteins for Selective mRNA Export in S. cerevisiae

The export of mature mRNA from the nucleus of the cell to the cytoplasm is crucial for a cell’s survival, as this process is necessary to produce proteins encoded by these transcripts. In S. cerevisiae (yeast) cells, a protein known as Mex67 must bind to the mRNA while it’s in the nucleus so it can cross through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Mex67 cannot bind to the mRNA directly, instead it needs to be accompanied by adaptor proteins to aid it in getting across the NPC. Stress conditions such as heat shock interferes with the function of these adaptor proteins, causing Mex67 to not be able to cross the NPC. However, during heat shock cells induce the production and export of heat shock transcripts that encode proteins that allow for recovery from the stress. One of these transcripts is SSA4, which encodes a protein chaperone that helps cellular proteins refold after denaturation during heat shock. It is unknown what molecular mechanism enables the selective export of SSA4. We hypothesized that there is an unknown adaptor protein that binds to SSA4 so it can recruit Mex67 for export under stress conditions. To test this hypothesis, we first tested various growth conditions in which wild-type yeast cells could grow but mRNA export mutants could not. Following this, an overexpression plasmid library was prepared and will be transformed into this mutant to search for proteins which could rescue this growth defect. We anticipate that this project will aid in identification of adaptors that permit selective mRNA export during cellular stress

Testing SSA4:ADE3 Reporters for MCS Screening

In eukaryotic cells, after transcription, mRNA is escorted from the nucleus to the cytoplasm to be translated. This process, called mRNA export, is essential for gene expression. However, when the cell exists in stressful conditions, mRNA export becomes regulated, and only select transcripts, including the stress-responsive SSA4 mRNA, can be exported. This project aims to uncover the mechanism of selective SSA4 mRNA export by generating a reporter that enables phenotypically visible expression under stressful conditions. Specifically, the ADE3 ORF was placed under the regulatory sequence of SSA4, which was anticipated to induce a red color for colonies only following stress. Using these reporters, mutant yeast strains were heat shocked to observe if there was a color change from white to red, indicating successful induction and export of the SSA4 mRNA. We have found that different media conditions reduce background expression of the SSA4 reporter, but do not allow stress-induced expression. From this, a CRISPR-based approach was adopted to reduce leaky expression and allow for direct integration of the SSA4 reporter plasmids. This semester, a series of integrated strains were successfully generated, and future studies will be aimed at testing these strains. Once conditions are found using the mutant yeast strains with the integrated reporters, where expression is enabled only when the yeast is under stress, a Multicopy Suppression Screen can be conducted to identify factors involved in selective SSA4 export