Argumentum ad misericordiam - the critical intimacies of victimhood

This article discusses the widespread use of victim tropes in contemporary Anglo-American culture by using cultural theory to analyse key social media memes circulating on Facebook in 2015. Since the growth of social media, victim stories have been proliferating, and each demands a response. Victim narratives are rhetorical, they are designed to elicit pity and shame the perpetrator. They are deployed to stimulate political debate and activism, as well as to appeal to an all-purpose humanitarianism. Victimology has its origins in Law and Criminology, but this paper opens up the field more broadly to think about the cultural politics of victimhood, to consider how the victim-figure can be appropriated by/for different purposes, particularly racial and gender politics, including in the case of Rachel Dolezal, and racial passing. In formulating an ethical response to the lived experience of victims, we need to think about the different kinds of critical intimacies elicited by such media

Loop Interactions during Catalysis by Dihydrofolate Reductase fromMoritella profunda

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is often used as a model system to study the relation between protein dynamics and catalysis. We have studied a number of variants of the cold-adapted DHFR from Moritella profunda (MpDHFR), in which the catalytically important M20 and FG loops have been altered, and present a comparison with the corresponding variants of the wellstudied DHFR from Escherichia coli (EcDHFR). Mutations in the M20 loop do not affect the actual chemical step of transfer of hydride from reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate to the substrate 7,8-dihydrofolate in the catalytic cycle in either enzyme; they affect the steady state turnover rate in EcDHFR but not in MpDHFR. Mutations in the FG loop also have different effects on catalysis by the two DHFRs. Despite the two enzymes most likely sharing a common catalytic cycle at pH 7, motions of these loops, known to be important for progression through the catalytic cycle in EcDHFR, appear not to play a significant role in MpDHFR

Structure and Dynamics of the G121V Dihydrofolate Reductase Mutant: Lessons from a Transition-State Inhibitor Complex

It is well known that enzyme flexibility is critical for function. This is due to the observation that the rates of intramolecular enzyme motions are often matched to the rates of intermolecular events such as substrate binding and product release. Beyond this role in progression through the reaction cycle, it has been suggested that enzyme dynamics may also promote the chemical step itself. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a model enzyme for which dynamics have been proposed to aid in both substrate flux and catalysis. The G121V mutant of DHFR is a well studied form that exhibits a severe reduction in the rate of hydride transfer yet there remains dispute as to whether this defect is caused by altered structure, dynamics, or both. Here we address this by presenting an NMR study of the G121V mutant bound to reduced cofactor and the transition state inhibitor, methotrexate. NMR chemical shift markers demonstrate that this form predominantly adopts the closed conformation thereby allowing us to provide the first glimpse into the dynamics of a catalytically relevant complex. Based on 15N and 2H NMR spin relaxation, we find that the mutant complex has modest changes in ps-ns flexibility with most affected residues residing in the distal adenosine binding domain rather than the active site. Thus, aberrant ps-ns dynamics are likely not the main contributor to the decreased catalytic rate. The most dramatic effect of the mutation involves changes in µs-ms dynamics of the F-G and Met20 loops. Whereas loop motion is quenched in the wild type transition state inhibitor complex, the F-G and Met20 loops undergo excursions from the closed conformation in the mutant complex. These excursions serve to decrease the population of conformers having the correct active site configuration, thus providing an explanation for the G121V catalytic defect

Improved Oil Recovery in Fluvial Dominated Deltaic Reservoirs of Kansas - Near-Term

The objective of this project is to address waterflood problems of the type found in Morrow sandstone reservoirs in southwestern Kansas and in Cherokee Group reservoirs in southeastern Kansas. Two demonstration sites operated by different independent oil operators are involved in this project. The Stewart Field is located in Finney County, Kansas and is operated by North American Resources Company. The Nelson Lease is located in Allen County, Kansas, in the N.E. Savonburg Field and is operated by James E. Russell Petroleum, Inc. General topics to be addressed are 1) reservoir management and performance evaluation, 2) waterflood optimization, and 3) the demonstration of recovery processes involving off-the-shelf technologies which can be used to enhance waterflood recovery, increase reserves, and reduce the abandonment rate of these reservoir types. In the Stewart Project, the reservoir management portion of the project conducted during Budget Period 1 involved performance evaluation. This included 1) reservoir characterization and the development of a reservoir database, 2) volumetric analysis to evaluate production performance, 3) reservoir modeling, 4) laboratory work, 5) identification of operational problems, 6) identification of unrecovered mobile oil and estimation of recovery factors, and 7) identification of the most efficient and economical recovery process. To accomplish these objectives the initial budget period was subdivided into three major tasks. The tasks were 1) geological and engineering analysis, 2) laboratory testing, and 3) unitization. Due to the presence of different operators within the field, it was necessary to unitize the field in order to demonstrate a field-wide improved recovery process. This work was completed and the project moved into Budget Period 2. Budget Period 2 objectives consisted of the design, construction, and operation of a field-wide waterflood utilizing state-of-the-art, off-the-shelf technologies in an attempt to optimize secondary oil recovery. To accomplish these objectives the second budget period was subdivided into five major tasks. The tasks were 1) design and construction of a waterflood plant, 2) design and construction of a water injection system, 3) design and construction of tank battery consolidation and gathering system, 4) initiation of waterflood operations and reservoir management, and 5) technology transfer. Tasks 1-3 have been completed and water injection began in October 1995. In the Savonburg Project, the reservoir management portion involves performance evaluation. This work included 1) reservoir characterization and the development of a reservoir database, 2) identification of operational problems, 3) identification of near wellbore problems such as plugging caused from poor water quality, 4) identification of unrecovered mobile oil and estimation of recovery factors, and 5) preliminary identification of the most efficient and economical recovery process i.e., polymer augmented waterflooding or infill drilling (vertical or horizontal wells). To accomplish this work the initial budget period was subdivided into four major tasks. The tasks included 1) geological and engineering analysis, 2) waterplant optimization, 3) wellbore cleanup and pattern changes, and 4) field operations. This work was completed and the project has moved into Budget Period 2. The Budget Period 2 objectives consisted of continual optimization of this mature waterflood in an attempt to optimize secondary and tertiary oil recovery. To accomplish these objectives the second budget period is subdivided into six major tasks. The tasks were 1) waterplant development, 2) profile modification treatments, 3) pattern changes, new wells and wellbore cleanups, 4) reservoir development (polymer flooding), 5) field operations, and 6) technology transfer