Knob-socket Investigation of Stability and Specificity in Alpha-helical Secondary and Quaternary Packing Structure

The novel knob-socket (KS) model provides a construct to interpret and analyze the direct contributions of amino acid residues to the stability in α-helical protein structures. Based on residue preferences derived from a set of protein structures, the KS construct characterizes intra- and inter-helical packing into regular patterns of simple motifs. The KS model was used in the de novo design of an α-helical homodimer, KSα1.1. Using site-directed mutagenesis, KSα1.1 point mutants were designed to selectively increase and decrease stability by relating KS propensities with changes to α-helical structure. This study suggests that the sockets from the KS Model can be used as a measure of α-helical structure and stability. The KS model was also used to investigate coiled-coil specificity in bZIP proteins. Identifying and characterizing the interactions that determine the dimerization specificity between bZIP proteins is a crucial factor in better understanding disease formation and proliferation, as well as developing drugs or therapeutics to combat these diseases. Knob-Socket mapping methods identified Asn residues at a positions within the helices, and were determined to be crucial factors in coiled-coil specificity. Site-directed mutagenesis was conducted to investigate the role of the Asn residues, as well as the role played by the neighboring residues at the g and b positions. The results indicate that the Asn at the a position defines coiled-coil specificity, and that the Knob-Socket model can be used to determine bZIP protein quaternary interactions

The Attitudes Toward Reading And Reading Achievement Of Seventh Grade Students In A Sustained Silent Reading Program

Davis and Neitzel (2010) and Patrick, Ryan, and Kaplan (2007) indicate that many students develop negative attitudes toward reading as they advance through school. Because students report that they enjoy independent reading time, providing this time to students in middle school is thought to be beneficial. Additional research is needed to determine whether providing independent reading time to middle school students using a range of texts will influence attitudes toward reading. The purpose of this study was to determine seventh grade students\u27 attitudes toward reading who participate in sustained silent reading (SSR). A secondary purpose was to determine if their reading attitudes impact their reading achievement. Quantitative data was collected for this study; the study employed a quasi-experimental design. Results shothere was no significant difference in students\u27 attitudes, reading achievement, or home literacy scores before and after treatment. Results also shothere was no significant relationship between students\u27 scores and teachers\u27 positive and negative log comments

Book Club For Communication: Bringing the Four Agreements to a Trauma Recovery Group

This service learning project started a book club within the Idaho Community Outreach Behavior Services (COBS) program; a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, that aims to help victims of sex-trafficking get the trauma care they need and helps them with a safer lifestyle and living situation, if necessary. The book The Four Agreements was provided for each woman to read the assigned weekly section, and come to the group each week prepared to discuss what they read and how it relates to them personally. Participation in an open discussion would allow each person to share while also following the theme of the book for how it relates to emotional intelligence development. To help prepare for the discussions each week, I created worksheets with guided questions for each chapter/section and an additional spot for personal reflections

"We are still Hispanic": Oklahoma Latinas and the meanings of (un)expected college success

M.A.--University of Oklahoma, 2014Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-132)

A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study of Black Canadian Mental Health Service Use

Background: Black Canadians are less likely than White Canadians to willingly use mental health services despite the social and economic challenges we experience that negatively affect our mental health. It has been found that Eurocentric theoretical models of psychological help-seeking do not adequately explain how Black Canadians decide whether or not to use mental health services. Research Question: How do Black Canadians decide whether we want to seek help from a mental health professional?Purpose: Generate a theory of psychological help-seeking that is empirically grounded in data collected from a diverse sample of Black Canadians. Methods: I employed the Corbin and Strauss (2007) version of grounded theory (Straussian grounded theory) to construct a theory that includes causal explanations of Black Canadian mental health service use. The sample consisted of 30 Black males (n=15) and females (n=15) who resided in various regions in Canada (e.g., Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia). The participants completed hour-long online interviews. The data was analyzed using techniques specific to Straussian grounded theory (e.g., theoretical sampling, open coding, selective coding, analyzing for context, analyzing for process, etc.). Results: Broadly speaking, Black Canadians\u27 willingness to use mental health services relied most on the degree to which using mental health services deviated from or aligned with the individual\u27s cultural norms. When the act of accessing mental health services opposed a participant’s cultural norms, then that individual reported less willingness to use mental health services. This divergence between cultural norms and mental health service utilization led to various consequences. These included, but were not limited to, Black Canadians’ anticipation of a) being misunderstood by the mental health practitioner; b) being treated unfairly by the mental health practitioner; c) negative judgment from oneself and others; and d) feelings of discomfort, shame, and pessimism around using mental health services. Whereas when the act of accessing mental health services was in line with a participant’s cultural norms, then that individual reported more willingness to use mental health services. This is because the individual would be more likely to expect understanding, fair treatment, self-acceptance about seeking help, and feelings of comfort, pride, and optimism when engaging in mental health services. It is important to note one additional factor. That is, that the degree to which the divergence between help-seeking and cultural norms impacted an individual Black Canadian’s willingness to use mental health services depended on the extent to which the individual internalized or conformed to their cultural norms. Black Canadians who routinely acted in line with cultural norms tended to be less willing to use mental health services compared to those who did not act in line with cultural norms. Conclusions: The results of this study expand the current knowledge about Black Canadian mental health service use and have implications for making mental health services more accessible to Black Canadians

Nuclear waste cooperative agreement collaborative study for the Nevada System of Higher Education

The purpose of this report is to present to the Harry Reid Center (HRC), the Nevada System of Higher Education and the Department of Energy an evaluation of collaborative effort within the Nuclear Waste Cooperative Agreement of 2003; this “financial assistance” award (as administered by the Harry Reid Center on behalf of the Nevada System of Higher Education) has commissioned this study to analyze its compliance with a stated mission objective of collaboration. The analysis was completed during the months of November 2006 thru April 2007. The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) has a tremendous opportunity to establish the measurement of ‘Collaboration’ with the Department of Energy (DOE). In order to foster and manage collaboration, it must be defined and understood and then analyzed using a variety of methods. The Harry Reid Center enlisted the aid of the Public Administration Department of the University of Nevada Las Vegas to complete the study. The faculty and the Program Director of the Nuclear Waste Cooperative Agreement provided oversight. This study allowed graduate students from UNLV to evaluate “collaboration” as it pertained to NSHE and DOE. This study contains a summary of our methodology, findings and recommendations; information included in the analysis was collected from a limited number of “task managers” representing the Nevada System of Higher Education and the Harry Reid Center. No data was collected from the Department of Energy representatives. In brief, the results of the study pointed out that communication between NSHE and DOE overall needed improvement. Interpretation of the data revealed that some Principal Investigators (PI) worked harder to maintain a relationship with DOE whereas a noticeable number of principal investigators did not show as good results. Also, NSHE researchers continued to work on tasks even though DOE had been sluggish at times in promptly distributing funds to NSHE. However, organizationally, NSHE proved to be very strong in the area of fiscal responsibility. Finally, the coordination between NSHE and DOE showed mixed results and the satisfaction level was lower because of limited data. The study produced viable recommendations to assist NSHE in the recording and reporting of collaboration. NSHE can also expand upon the direction of this study and is encouraged to integrate transparent and natural collaboration measures into their operation. The following report describes this collaboration study in detail

College Debt: An Exploratory Study of Risk Factors Among College Freshmen

The goals of this study are to examine the relationships between loan knowledge, money management skills, debt tolerance attitudes, and student income potential to their willingness to incur educational debt at a mid-western university. The current study showed that freshmen students lacked personal and general loan knowledge and had unrealistic expectations of future income at graduation

ASSESSMENT OF FOOT SCORE TRAITS ON BULL PRODUCTIVITY

The objective of this study was to evaluate foot score guidelines developed by the American Angus Association in correlation to bull fertility. Angus bulls were utilized (n=167) over the course of six years (bulls born in 2014 through 2020) from Angelo State University’s Registered Angus cattle program. Confirmation of the claw set and foot angle were evaluated, receiving a numerical score utilizing the American Angus Association Guidelines. Bull productivity was evaluated as weight measures along with scrotal circumference (measurement of the testes at the largest portion in centimeters) and a numerical scoring method for motility. Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis was used to compare yearling-age foot scores with productivity traits. Detection of significantly correlated variables (P ≤ 0.05) was observed for recorded weaning weight and yearling weight measures with recorded scrotal circumferences (0.47 and 0.52 respectively). The objective of the study is to evaluate the relationship of foot scores in Angus bulls with scrotal circumference and sperm cell motility. Scrotal circumference and sperm cell motility were lowly correlated with ankle scores of 0.14. The standard error values for scrotal measures with regard to the ankle scores of 3 and 7 was 0.63 whereas the standard error values for scores 4 through 6 range from 0.25 to 0.28. With regard to “marginally unsound” cattle with foot scores of 3 or lower, it is not unreasonable to speculate that these bulls were limited, to some degree, in their movement or skeletal organization and therefore physiologically unable to develop, grow, and perform