Polar residues in the protein core of Escherichia coli thioredoxin are important for fold specificity

Most globular proteins contain a core of hydrophobic residues that are inaccessible to solvent in the folded state. In general, polar residues in the core are thermodynamically unfavorable except when they are able to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Compared to hydrophobic interactions, polar interactions are more directional in character and may aid in fold specificity. In a survey of 263 globular protein structures, we found a strong positive correlation between the number of polar residues at core positions and protein size. To probe the importance of buried polar residues, we experimentally tested the effects of hydrophobic mutations at the five polar core residues in Escherichia coli thioredoxin. Proteins with single hydrophobic mutations (D26I, C32A, C35A, T66L, and T77V) all have cooperative unfolding transitions like the wild type (wt), as determined by chemical denaturation. Relative to wt, D26I is more stable while the other point mutants are less stable. The combined 5-fold mutant protein (IAALV) is less stable than wt and has an unfolding transition that is substantially less cooperative than that of wt. NMR spectra as well as amide deuterium exchange indicate that IAALV is likely sampling a number of low-energy structures in the folded state, suggesting that polar residues in the core are important for specifying a well-folded native structure

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

The article briefly discusses the development of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and makes mention of the important contributions made by South Africans in this regard. An outline of the CBT approach is provided. There follows an illustration of this as applied to the treatment of depression. The effectiveness of CBT is substantiated by numerous studies. Further research should be done in the local context to in an endeavour to enhance its effectiveness in the previously disadvantaged community. South Africans should once again contribute to the development of this effective therapy, and continue the pioneering work done by their countrymen.SA Psych Rev 2003;8-1

Asserting Boundaries and Conflict Resolution with "A Midsummer Night’s Dream": Consent-based Practices and Shakespeare

This paper explores an applied theatre workshop using William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for educating university students on techniques to assert boundaries, communicate effectively, and resolve conflict. Choosing to focus on the four major relationships within A Midsummer Night’s Dream provides theatrical scenarios for students to learn about unhealthy desire, miscommunicated feelings, unrequited love, and consenting relationships. Using these predetermined scenes, a barrier is created between students’ potential personal experiences and the work they will do in this workshop to reduce the possibility of retraumatizing participants. By the end of the workshop students are expected to have the confidence and techniques to assert physical and emotional boundaries, and have the language to communicate problems and resolve conflict

Identity Awareness in Casting: When Trans Actors Play Roles Outside Their Gender Identity

Autonomy in choosing is a powerful source of human contentment, and performer consent is essential in producing the best experience for the actor and the audience (McCloskey, 1990). This Note from the Field reflects upon practical consent-based tools for performance and communication that supported me, as a transgender (“trans”) masculine student actor, in confidently playing a classic feminine role for my university’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. I offer my experience in order to provide practical recommendations regarding: building a support system; optimizing communication; implementing apologies; using self-care cues; separating the actor and character (entrance and spring-boarding gestures, closure routines); creating individual and group closure practices; undertaking structured pre- and post-rehearsal check-ins; and giving compliments. Consistent application of such consent-based performance practices substantially improved my theatrical experience as a trans actor, and I anticipate that similar practices will benefit the journeys of other trans actors, their cisgender peers, members of production teams, and faculty.&nbsp

The removal of sub-structure from alpha uranium

The possibility of obtaining larger, perfect single crystals of alpha uranium by a modified strain-anneal method has been investigated. A -196°C tensile deformation was performed on pseudo single crystal rods which had been prepared by the phase transformation method. The specimens were subsequently annealed at 650°C. It was found that by utilizing pseudo single crystals with a prescribed crystallographic orientation with respect to the tensile axis that recrystallized crystals of comparable size and perfection to those prepared by the grain coarsening method could be produced. Grain coarsening is the presently accepted process for preparing perfect single crystals of alpha uranium. The higher purity of the perfect crystals prepared by the strain-anneal method described in this paper is definitely an improvement over the purity of the crystals produced by the complex grain coarsening technique, which requires intentional additions of foreign elements --Abstract, page ii

A study of Missouri springs

This thesis is based upon a study of the large springs of the Ozarks and is designed to answer many of the requests that are being received continually by the Missouri and the United States Geological Surveys. The various studies inculcated in this report are made from a rather limited amount of data available regarding the size, character, and sources of these springs and what they are actually worth to the State of Missouri. The main body of the thesis is a revised tabulation of data contained in Chapter 3, Volume 20, Missouri Bureau of Geology and Mines, Water Resources of Missouri 1857-1926 by H. C. Beckman, and includes all records of spring flow collected since September 30, 1926 by the Missouri Geological Survey and Water Resources in cooperation with the Water Resources Branch of the United States Geological Survey and Missouri Game and Fish Department --Introduction, page 1

Assessing Potential Energy Savings in Household Travel: Methodological and Empirical Considerations of Vehicle Capability Constraints and Multi-day Activity Patterns.

The lack of multi-day data for household travel and vehicle capability requirements is an impediment to evaluations of energy savings strategies, since 1) travel requirements vary from day-to-day, and 2) energy-saving transportation options often have reduced capability. This work demonstrates a survey methodology and modeling system for evaluating the energy-savings potential of household travel, considering multi-day travel requirements and capability constraints imposed by the available transportation resources. A stochastic scheduling model is introduced – the multi-day Household Activity Schedule Estimator (mPHASE) – which generates synthetic daily schedules based on “fuzzy” descriptions of activity characteristics using a finite-element representation of activity flexibility, coordination among household members, and scheduling conflict resolution. Results of a thirty-household pilot study are presented in which responses to an interactive computer assisted personal interview were used as inputs to the mPHASE model in order to illustrate the feasibility of generating complex, realistic multi-day household schedules. Study vehicles were equipped with digital cameras and GPS data acquisition equipment to validate the model results. The synthetically generated schedules captured an average of 60 percent of household travel distance, and exhibited many of the characteristics of complex household travel, including day-to-day travel variation, and schedule coordination among household members. Future advances in the methodology may improve the model results, such as encouraging more detailed and accurate responses by providing a selection of generated schedules during the interview. Finally, the Constraints-based Transportation Resource Assignment Model (CTRAM) is introduced. Using an enumerative optimization approach, CTRAM determines the energy-minimizing vehicle-to-trip assignment decisions, considering trip schedules, occupancy, and vehicle capability. Designed to accept either actual or synthetic schedules, results of an application of the optimization model to the 2001 and 2009 National Household Travel Survey data show that U.S. households can reduce energy use by 10 percent, on average, by modifying the assignment of existing vehicles to trips. Households in 2009 show a higher tendency to assign vehicles optimally than in 2001, and multi-vehicle households with diverse fleets have greater savings potential, indicating that fleet modification strategies may be effective, particularly under higher energy price conditions.Ph.D.Natural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91567/1/kevinb_1.pd