An Investigation on School-Based YPAR Initiatives: Examining the Impacts of Teachers’ Attitudes and Practices.

This dissertation examined how teacher attitudes and practices and the role of a participant observer impacted school-based Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) initiatives. Typically, YPAR initiatives have been conducted after-school or in community settings and recently some researchers have begun collaborating with teachers to integrate YPAR into classroom settings. Previous work has alluded to certain teacher attitudes and practices impacting this issue of power sharing between youth and teachers. As such, the first objective of this dissertation examined how teacher expectations, teacher-student relationships, teachers’ classroom management, and teacher power impact their facilitation during school-based YPAR initiatives. Also in this body of YPAR work, researchers have encouraged taking on the role of a participant observer. Providing technical support to novice adult facilitators, teachers in this case, allows for them to feel more comfortable when facilitating a YPAR initiative with their students. As a first phase for my dissertation, I engaged in pilot work that attempted to integrate YPAR into a school setting. In this pilot study phase, I noticed that the teacher I worked with relied heavily on my assistance when implementing a YPAR initiative with his students to a degree that seemed to jeopardize the integrity of the initiative. Thus, the second objective of this dissertation examined how taking on a participant observer role impacted teachers facilitation during a school-based YPAR initiative. Using ethnographic methods, I conducted case studies in two classrooms with teachers who implemented YPAR initiatives with their students. With the use of observational, formal and informal interviews, my findings revealed that the two teachers attitudes and practices and my role as a participant observer impacted their facilitation of a YPAR initiative on varying levels and to different degrees. Limitations and implications from the current study are also presented to inform future work on school-based YPAR initiatives.PhDEducation and PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110397/1/kwinborn_1.pd

Critical appraisal of two methods for determining aluminum in blood samples

Abstract We report two methods for determining aluminum concentrations in blood. Method 1, proposed for routine monitoring of patients with chronic renal failure, includes a collection procedure that can be adopted by any renal dialysis unit, with a minimum of sample contamination. Plasma samples are diluted fourfold with HNO3/Triton X-100 matrix modifier. Method 2 is proposed for determining aluminum concentrations in patients with normal renal function, e.g., in drug studies and environmental monitoring. Samples are diluted with an equal volume of Mg(NO3)2 matrix modifier and atomized from a L'vov platform. By either method, analytical recovery of aluminum added to serum ranged between 92% and 105% throughout the linear calibration range. The reference interval (mean +/- SD) for aluminum in 22 healthy subjects by method 2 was 0.044 +/- 0.030 mumol/L.</jats:p

Polymorphous crystallization and diffraction of threonine deaminase from <i>Escherichia coli</i>

The biosynthetic threonine deaminase from Escherichia coli, an allosteric tetramer with key regulatory functions, has been crystallized in several crystal forms. Two distinct forms, both belonging to either space group P3121 or P3221, with different sized asymmetric units that both contain a tetramer, grow under identical conditions. Diffraction data sets to 2.8 Å resolution (native) and 2.9 Å resolution (isomorphous uranyl derivative) have been collected from a third crystal form in space group I222.</jats:p