Investigation of the Link between Media Acidity and pI in Obtaining Optimum Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering for Proteins

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an important tool in the characterization of proteins, which can lead to vital information pertaining to biological functions. Spectra of lysozyme, bovine serum albumin (BSA), catalase, and hemoglobin were obtained using SERS on silver colloids with sodium sulfate as the aggregating agent. Optimization of the SERS was attempted through adjustment of the acidity of sulfate aggregating agent. A link was investigated between the pI (pH at which there is no net charge on the molecule) of the proteins and the pH of the solutions needed for optimum SERS. It was found that any pH higher than the pI of the protein would not result in readable Raman bands. SERS of each protein were obtainable at any pH below the protein’s pI and was enhanced until reaching a pH of approximately two. At any pH lower than two, SERS were not possible because of inability of the aggregating agent to work in extreme pH conditions

Green Labels with Golden Elephants: Western European Printed Cottons for Malaysia and Indonesia

In the second half of the 19th century, several Belgian cotton printing firms were involved in the production of imitations of African and Southeast Asian textiles for markets in West-Africa, the Dutch East Indies, and Malaysia. Extensive records of one firm, the Societe Anonyme Texas, owned by the Voortman family in Ghent, have been preserved in the Ghent public records office and the Vrieselhof Textile Museum (Oelegem, near Antwerp). Frans de Vos and Abraham Voortman started a cotton printing establishment in Ghent in 1790. At that time cotton printing was a relatively new type of enterprise in Flanders. The first large-scale factory, the Compagnie Beerenbroeck, had been set up by Antwerp business men 1753. They hired foreign specialists (mainly Dutch and German) and set up one of the first truly capitalist ventures in Flanders. At it\u27s heyday the firm employed over 600 people. Even before the end of a 25-year monopoly, granted by the government of the Austrian Netherlands, many smaller printing workshops tried to enter the new market. The successful ones emerged mainly in Brussels and Ghent. De Vos and Voortman were among the many who started printing on imported cotton fabrics from India (1790). Unlike many other firms they remained in business for a long time. Even today the Voortman family is still involved in the Ghent textile industry. Towards the end of the 18th century, they started a spinning mill, followed by a mechanical weaving mill in the 1820s. The same development occurred in many other Ghent printing firms. In the second quarter of the 19th century, Ghent became known as the Manchester of Belgium. The textile industry occupied a considerable part of the workforce in Ghent and the surrounding countryside. But whereas in the spinning and weaving mills new technological developments were often followed immediately after they had been introduced in England, cotton printing often lagged behind. By 1850 many firms had stopped printing all together. The few remaining printing workshops had relatively little machinery and all still maintained hand block printing, by now obsolete in many English textile mills. Since most of the Ghent printed cottons catered for the lower end of the local market, competition with cheaper, imported, roller-printed cottons became almost impossible. If a firm wanted to keep its printing operations going it had to either mechanize or explore new markets. A few firms choose the latter option. One solution was to specialize into imitations of Javanese batiks and West African textiles, destined for markets in Africa and Southeast Asia

RNA-Seq analysis of splicing in Plasmodium falciparum uncovers new splice junctions, alternative splicing and splicing of antisense transcripts.

Over 50% of genes in Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest human malaria parasite, contain predicted introns, yet experimental characterization of splicing in this organism remains incomplete. We present here a transcriptome-wide characterization of intraerythrocytic splicing events, as captured by RNA-Seq data from four timepoints of a single highly synchronous culture. Gene model-independent analysis of these data in conjunction with publically available RNA-Seq data with HMMSplicer, an in-house developed splice site detection algorithm, revealed a total of 977 new 5' GU-AG 3' and 5 new 5' GC-AG 3' junctions absent from gene models and ESTs (11% increase to the current annotation). In addition, 310 alternative splicing events were detected in 254 (4.5%) genes, most of which truncate open reading frames. Splicing events antisense to gene models were also detected, revealing complex transcriptional arrangements within the parasite's transcriptome. Interestingly, antisense introns overlap sense introns more than would be expected by chance, perhaps indicating a functional relationship between overlapping transcripts or an inherent organizational property of the transcriptome. Independent experimental validation confirmed over 30 new antisense and alternative junctions. Thus, this largest assemblage of new and alternative splicing events to date in Plasmodium falciparum provides a more precise, dynamic view of the parasite's transcriptome

Green Labels with Golden Elephants: Western European Printed Cottons for Malaysia and Indonesia

In the second half of the 19th century, several Belgian cotton printing firms were involved in the production of imitations of African and Southeast Asian textiles for markets in West-Africa, the Dutch East Indies, and Malaysia. Extensive records of one firm, the Societe Anonyme Texas, owned by the Voortman family in Ghent, have been preserved in the Ghent public records office and the Vrieselhof Textile Museum (Oelegem, near Antwerp). Frans de Vos and Abraham Voortman started a cotton printing establishment in Ghent in 1790. At that time cotton printing was a relatively new type of enterprise in Flanders. The first large-scale factory, the Compagnie Beerenbroeck, had been set up by Antwerp business men 1753. They hired foreign specialists (mainly Dutch and German) and set up one of the first truly capitalist ventures in Flanders. At it\u27s heyday the firm employed over 600 people. Even before the end of a 25-year monopoly, granted by the government of the Austrian Netherlands, many smaller printing workshops tried to enter the new market. The successful ones emerged mainly in Brussels and Ghent. De Vos and Voortman were among the many who started printing on imported cotton fabrics from India (1790). Unlike many other firms they remained in business for a long time. Even today the Voortman family is still involved in the Ghent textile industry. Towards the end of the 18th century, they started a spinning mill, followed by a mechanical weaving mill in the 1820s. The same development occurred in many other Ghent printing firms. In the second quarter of the 19th century, Ghent became known as the Manchester of Belgium. The textile industry occupied a considerable part of the workforce in Ghent and the surrounding countryside. But whereas in the spinning and weaving mills new technological developments were often followed immediately after they had been introduced in England, cotton printing often lagged behind. By 1850 many firms had stopped printing all together. The few remaining printing workshops had relatively little machinery and all still maintained hand block printing, by now obsolete in many English textile mills. Since most of the Ghent printed cottons catered for the lower end of the local market, competition with cheaper, imported, roller-printed cottons became almost impossible. If a firm wanted to keep its printing operations going it had to either mechanize or explore new markets. A few firms choose the latter option. One solution was to specialize into imitations of Javanese batiks and West African textiles, destined for markets in Africa and Southeast Asia

Physiological adaptations and feeding mechanisms of the invasive purple varnish clam, Nuttallia obscurata

The Purple Varnish Clam, Nuttallia obscurata, is an example of a recent successful invader to the Pacific Northwest. Nuttallia obscurata reside in the high intertidal zone where it must adapt to daily and seasonal fluctuations in salinity and food availability. I investigated their physiological and morphological adaptations to these conditions. The acute physiological response of the invasive, N. obscurata and the native, L. staminea\u27s excised gill tissue\u27s respiratory metabolism (measured as oxygen consumption) in 5, 30, and 55 ppt salinities were measured in a closed system, Gilson Differential Respirometer and compared. The excised gill tissue of both species displayed the highest rate of oxygen consumption in the hyposaline (5 ppt) treatment and the lowest rate in the hypersaline (55 ppt) treatment. In addition, the excised gill tissue of N. obscurata maintained a lower overall rate of oxygen consumption in all salinity treatments than L. staminea. GLM modeling supported these results, indicating that both salinity and species were factors describing the rate of oxygen consumption. Nuttallia obscurata also must have adaptations in feeding structures or strategies to survive in the high intertidal zone where there is limited food availability during exposure at low tide. I analyzed sediment characteristics and the relative dry tissue mass of N. obscurata\u27s gills and palps, and therefore, the gill-to-palp mass ratio, from high and mid tide zones from two field sites. Due to N. obscurata\u27s alternate modes of feeding, I also analyzed the relative dry tissue mass of the foot and siphon tissue. Nuttallia obscurata from Birch Bay had 30% larger gill tissue and 14.8% larger siphon tissue at high tide than at mid tide potentially due to increased filter feeding during limited submersion in the expansive high intertidal zone. There was no difference in palp of foot mass from Birch Bay N. obscurata. The log gill-to-palp mass ratio placed Birch Bay N. obscurata, on the continuum of bivalve feeding strategies, closer to other known filter feeders. Nuttallia obscurata from Clayton Beach displayed no difference in the gill, palp, or siphon mass at different tide levels perhaps due to the small exposed tidal flat. There was a 9.5% increase in foot mass at high tide but there was no evidence to support that it indicates increased pedal feeding. The gill-to-palp mass ratio was 79% and 41% smaller than N. obscurata from high tide and mid, respectively, from Birch Bay. This difference is likely due to the coarse sediment grain size (0.380-2.0 mm) found at Clayton Beach, which required larger palps for increased sorting needs. The log gill-to-palp mass ratio placed Clayton Beach N. obscurata on the continuum of bivalve feeding strategies, closer to other known deposit feeders. During the course of this research, I noticed a large number (57 out of 100) of N. obscurata collected from Clayton Beach were infected with the mantle pea crab, Pinnixa faba, while a small number (1 out of 100) of the N. obscurata from Birch Bay were infected. Difference in infection rate between sites may be due to increased mud flat exposure at Birch Bay and course sediment found at Clayton Beach. A one-way ANOVA showed there was no effect of infection by P. faba on the gill-to-palp mass ratio of N. obscurata. The change in respiratory metabolism in different salinities, the varied feeding structures with tide height and sediment grain size as well as the symbiotic relationships with native organisms may well contribute information regarding N. obscurata\u27s success as an invasive species in the high intertidal zone of the Pacific Northwest

Learning to Be Rural: Lessons about Being Rural in Teacher Education Programs

This qualitative study investigated the evolving perceptions of rurality of five Appalachian native, first-year teachers as influenced by their teacher preparation program. Findings suggested tensions between participants’ rural upbringings and programmatic and non-rural peer conceptions of rurality that surfaced during their program of study. Responses to these tensions included participants positioning themselves as “rural representatives” in their courses and, in some cases, the adoption of revised conceptions of rurality. Intra-Appalachian diversity, such as different childhood community types and childhood social class, influenced participants’ conceptualizations of rurality and their perceptions of its representation in their programs. The majority of participants perceived a trend toward generalized notions of rural place that were not necessarily representative of their personal experiences. Transitioning to first-year teachers, participants relied on their community-driven knowledge and teacher preparation to guide their practice in home or new rural, Appalachian communitie

Iniciativas políticas: Examinando as práticas de múltiplos distritos superintendentes

Over the past decade, multiple states have implemented a form of regional school district consolidation referred to as multi-district unions. Their organizational structure enables districts to retain individual school boards within regional local education agencies, all of which are overseen by a superintendent and a central board. However, no empirical research has been conducted to date on the ensuing work of multi-district superintendents. In our exemplary case study, we analyze time records, interviews, and observations to understand the role allocations and work of one multi-district superintendent. We find the division of time and ensuing responsibilities of the multi-district superintendent is predominantly political to the organizational structure of the union, and we conclude with implications for policy and practice. A lo largo de la última década, varios estados han implementado una forma de consolidación regional del distrito escolar referida como sindicatos multi-distritales. Su estructura organizativa permite que los distritos regulen consejos escolares individuales en las agencias regionales de educación local, todos supervisados por un superintendente y un consejo central. Sin embargo, ninguna investigación empírica se ha realizado hasta el momento sobre el trabajo posterior de los superintendentes de múltiples distritos. En nuestro estudio de caso ejemplar, analizamos registros de tiempo, entrevistas y observaciones para entender las asignaciones de funciones y el trabajo de un superintendente de múltiples distritos. Creemos que la división del tiempo y las responsabilidades subsiguientes del superintendente de múltiples distritos es predominantemente política para la estructura organizativa de la unión y concluimos con implicaciones para políticas y prácticas.Ao longo da última década, vários estados implementaram uma forma de consolidação regional do distrito escolar referida como sindicatos multi-distritais. A sua estrutura organizacional permite que os distritos regulem conselhos escolares individuais nas agências regionais de educação local, todos supervisionados por um superintendente e um conselho central. No entanto, nenhuma pesquisa empírica foi realizada até o momento sobre o trabalho subsequente dos superintendentes de múltiplos distritos. Em nosso estudo de caso exemplar, analisamos registros de tempo, entrevistas e observações para entender as alocações de funções e o trabalho de um superintendente de múltiplos distritos. Achamos que a divisão do tempo e as responsabilidades subsequentes do superintendente de múltiplos distritos é predominantemente política para a estrutura organizacional da união e concluímos com implicações para políticas e práticas

Revisiting the Rural Superintendency: Rethinking Guiding Theories for Contemporary Practice

This conceptual article challenges researchers and practitioners to reconsider the utility of current constructs used to understand the rural school superintendency. We evaluate the rural leadership literature through two waves of scholarship: insider/outsider conceptions and place-conscious/critical place-conscious constructs. We assert critical place-conscious leadership as potentially responsive to contemporary rural realities, but we provide a number of revisions for theoretical development to increase applicability to the realities of the rural superintendency in practice in the early part of the twenty-first century

Falta de professores como um fenômeno local: Sensemaking do líder distrital, respostas e implicações para políticas

While the teacher shortage is a national crisis, the manifestations of the shortage are felt most acutely at the local district level. The diversity of these micro-contexts often leads to disparities in the ways local school systems are served by large-scale initiatives. District leaders provide an important lens for understanding the localized manifestation of teacher shortages. This research contributes to the existing macro-level literature on teacher shortages through investigation of the ways in which district leaders in West Virginia make sense of and respond to the teacher shortage. As part of a broader study, we share analyses of interviews with seven district leaders across five county school districts and highlight the ways in which leaders made sense of the phenomenon in paradoxical ways, both in terms of the most salient causes as well as the perceived locus of control in addressing the teacher shortage. Findings also highlight the way district leader sensemaking led to action, with responses differing based on relative affordances of metropolitan versus rural contexts. We conclude with implications for policy and research to further understand the local nature of teacher shortages and to address the problem, particularly in rural contexts underserved by current research and policy. Si bien la escasez de docentes es una crisis nacional, las manifestaciones de escasez se sienten con mayor intensidad a nivel de distrito local. La diversidad de estos microconceptos a menudo conduce a disparidades en la forma en que los sistemas escolares locales son atendidos por iniciativas a gran escala. Los líderes del distrito proporcionan una lente importante para comprender la manifestación localizada de la escasez de maestros. Esta investigación contribuye a la literatura existente sobre la escasez de maestros al investigar las formas en que los líderes del distrito en West Virginia entienden y responden a la escasez de maestros. Como parte de un estudio más amplio, compartimos el análisis de entrevistas con siete líderes de distrito en cinco distritos escolares del condado y destacamos formas en que los líderes entendieron el fenómeno paradójicamente, en términos de las causas más destacadas, así como el lugar percibido. de control para abordar la escasez de docentes. Los hallazgos también resaltan cómo la sensemakingdel líder del distrito condujo a la acción, con respuestas diferentes en función de las posibilidades relativas de los contextos metropolitanos versus rurales. Concluimos con implicaciones de política e investigación para una mejor comprensión de la naturaleza local de la escasez de docentes y para abordar el problema, particularmente en contextos rurales no cubiertos por la investigación y la política actual.Embora a escassez de professores seja uma crise nacional, as manifestações da escassez são sentidas mais intensamente no nível do distrito local. A diversidade desses microconceitos freqüentemente leva a disparidades na forma como os sistemas escolares locais são atendidos por iniciativas de larga escala. Os líderes distritais fornecem uma lente importante para entender a manifestação localizada da falta de professores. Esta pesquisa contribui para a literatura existente sobre a escassez de professores através da investigação das maneiras pelas quais os líderes distritais em West Virginia compreendem e respondem à escassez de professores. Como parte de um estudo mais amplo, compartilhamos análises de entrevistas com sete líderes distritais em cinco distritos escolares do condado e destacamos as maneiras pelas quais os líderes entenderam o fenômeno de maneira paradoxal, em termos das causas mais salientes e do lócus percebido. de controle na abordagem da escassez de professores. Os resultados também destacam a forma como o sensemaking do líder distrital levou à ação, com as respostas diferindo com base nas affordances relativas dos contextos metropolitanos versus rurais. Concluímos com implicações para a política e a pesquisa para entender melhor a natureza local da escassez de professores e para abordar o problema, particularmente em contextos rurais não atendidos pela pesquisa e pela política atuais