Access, Participation, and Empowerment: Exploring Leadership Practices that Promote Social Inclusion

Students with intellectual disabilities have limited options for continuing their education after high school. Inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs provide access for students with intellectual disabilities to the college campus. However, it takes more than an opportunity to have a meaningful college experience. Gidley et al. (2010) outline a framework for promoting Social Inclusion for Quality Higher Education that uses the underlying theories of Neoliberalism, Social Justice, and Human Potential that inform practices. This qualitative research study used a single case study design to explore research questions that ask what specific leadership practices promoting social inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities at the postsecondary level are used at an IPSE program located at Metro University, a pseudonym for a large public university located in the Southeast. Data were collected through six individual interviews with the IPSE program staff, four focus group interviews with IPSE program students, and one focus group with members of the mentorship team, using a total of twenty-one participants. A document review of the parent and student manual and additional information retrieved from the program webpage contributed to the results of this study. The major findings revealed that through relationship building, problem-solving, curriculum development, staff support, and Person-Centered Planning, the IPSE program at Metro University provides an inclusive environment for its students that follows the framework of Social Inclusion for Quality Higher Education

DNA sequencing and site-directed mutagenesis of the drug-metabolizing enzyme, cytochrome P450-2B4

This project focuses on the development of an undergraduate-level laboratory procedure involving EMU\u27s new automated DNA sequencer. The gene used for this procedure is CYP2B4 from the rabbit genome, which codes for Cytochrome P450-2B4 (CVP450). Cytochrome P450s are an important class of proteins found in many species throughout the animal kingdom, including humans. The wild-type CYP2B4 will be sequenced, and then mutated to replace threonine-302 with alanine. Threonine-302 is suspected to playa key role in P450 function. Thus far, procedures have been developed for site-directed mutagenesis to convert threonine-302 to an alanine residue, transformation of bacteria with the target gene, isolation of the plasmid from the transformed bacteria, harvesting the bacteria to express the gene, and preparation of the protein for spectrophotometric analysis. While development of a viable DNA sequencing protocol has met with limited success, the protocol used for the site-directed mutagenesis of CVP2B4 has brought promising results

Incidence and species composition of Heliothis spp. and their parasitoids on selected tobacco breeding lines and cultivars in Eastern Tennessee

Alternative insect pest management tactics, such as host plant resistance and biological control, have recently received more research emphasis due to the current concern over pesticide residue and contamination problems. In addition, several insect species have been shown to be resistant to several commonly used pesticides, which poses a problem in control of these pest species. Little information is available on the influence of breeding lines/cultivars of tobacco on populations of Heliothis species, as well as on their larval parasitoid species. Therefore, a two-year study was initiated to better understand this host plant-pest-natural enemy interaction. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the species composition and seasonal incidence of Heliothis on tobacco, 2) determine the seasonal parasitism levels and species composition of larval parasitoids on tobacco, 3) evaluate the influence of selected tobacco breeding lines/cultivars on populations of Heliothis, and 4) evaluate the influence of selected tobacco breeding lines/cultivars on populations of parasitoids of larvae of Heliothis. As many as three generations of Heliothis larvae may have occurred on tobacco, with Heliothis virescens, the tobacco budworm, comprising ca. 83% of the Heliothis spp. collected. Heliothis zea, the corn earworm, comprised the remaining 17% of the Heliothis larvae collected from tobacco. Campoletis sonorensis, Cardiochiles nigriceps, Microplitis croceipes, Archytas marmoratus and other tachinid species (possibly all Winthemia rufopicta) were found to parasitize ca. 25% of the Heliothis larvae collected from tobacco in eastern Tennessee. , present throughout the entire tobacco-growing season, was the most important parasitoid species, accounting for ca. 90% of all parasitism. In 1987, Archytas marmoratus and several other tachinid species were present late in the season and accounted for ca. 5% of the total parasitism of Heliothis larvae. In 1988, however, tachinid species accounted for ca. 0.3% of the parasitoid complex. Populations of Heliothis larvae were influenced by the duvane diterpenes secreted from the leaf surfaces of selected breeding lines/cultivars of tobacco. Those breeding lines/cultivars that secreted high levels of duvane diterpenes also had high levels of Heliothis larvae. Early (mid-June to late July) in the tobacco-growing season, densities of Heliothis larvae were ca. three times (Knoxville, 1988) to ca. six times (Knoxville, 1987) greater on the tobaccos that secreted high levels of duvane diterpenes ( sticky ) than on those that secreted low levels of duvane diterpenes ( non-sticky ). In general, parasitism levels were lower on the non-sticky (especially TI 1112) lines than on the sticky lines of tobacco

Phylogeography and population genetics of northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) in Southeast Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2000The Prince of Wales flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons), a forest associated species, is endemic to several islands in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska. Mitochondrial and nuclear markers were examined to assess the genetic uniqueness of this subspecies and its geographic extent and to investigate gene flow among island and mainland populations of flying squirrels. Data from both sets of markers are congruent, and agree with the subspecific designation. The data also indicate that the Prince of Wales subspecies is isolated from other populations in Southeast Alaska, but that there may be gene flow among islands on which it occurs. This island lineage is likely the result of a founder event after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice sheets. The fact that this subspecies is isolated and divergent from mainland populations has potential implications for the design and planning of timber harvests on these islands

Cell-wall components and lignin biosynthesis in forages

Lignin is the major cell-wall (CW) component that lowers forage digestibility. Negative relationships between lignin and forage quality are caused by interactions and variability of lignin with other CW components. This study was conducted to better understand how lignin content, concentration, deposition, and change in concentration vary with other CW components in maturing stems and to provide preliminary information about phenylpropanoid metabolism in relation to lignification;Regrowth from basal stem tissue was sampled weekly or biweekly from greenhouse-grown forage grass and legume species. Samples were collected for a period of about 8 weeks and analyzed for fiber concentration and content, protein concentration, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity;On a per pot basis, the sequence of CW component deposition was hemicellulose and cellulose followed by lignin. Graphical representations demonstrated that there was species- and family-specific timing and extent of CW component deposition. In most instances, CW and CW component concentrations increased with regrowth days. Fast increases were followed by a leveling-off of CW concentrations, reflecting rapid CW concentration changes that decreased as tissues matured. Cell wall, cellulose, and lignin concentration changes decreased faster in legumes compared with grasses. Negative changes in hemicellulose concentration implied a dynamic nature of the CW and provided evidence that hemicellulose is diluted by other CW components as tissues mature;In all species, decreasing lignin concentration changes showed a parallel relationship to decreasing PAL activity. Close relationships between PAL activity and changes in lignin concentration were consistent within grass and legume species. On a per pot basis, lignin deposition resembled cumulative PAL total units. These results imply that both the activity and amount of PAL are closely related to change in lignin concentration and lignin deposition in forage tissues

Sustainability Across the Supply Chain: A Case Study in the Automotive Industry

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have been widely adopted and implemented by organizations worldwide. However, with 17 goals and 169 targets, the decision on what to focus on and invest in are not trivial tasks. This research focuses on a major Tier-1 automotive supplier, here identified as CMF. With annual sales of 16 billion euros (2021), one in every three vehicles in the world is equipped with some form of CMF technology. The objective of this research was to evaluate CMF’s value chain and understand the challenges and opportunities related to the United Nations 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). To fulfill this goal considering that sustainability is better understood when evaluated across the supply chain, we investigated 41 companies that were part of CMF’s supply chain, including 14 customers that together represented about 70% of CMF’s revenue, 14 suppliers, 9 competitors, and 4 other OEMs indirectly related to CMF’s supply chain. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. Primary data was collected involving interviews and site visits in the US and Europe. Thousands of pages of companies’ reports were used as secondary data and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Results show that CMF’s customers focus mostly on SDGs #7 (71%), #9 (71%), and #13 (71%). Suppliers’ main focus was on SDGs #12 (77%), #13 (69%), #11 (38%), and #3 (38%). CMF’s competitors’ main focus was on SDGs #13 (88%), #12 (77%), and #6 (66%). Taking all of that into consideration as well as CMF’s strategic position within its value chain, we provided recommendations for CMF going forward to focus on three main SDGs. With respect to aligning specific goals highlighted throughout the supply chain, SDG 13 Climate Action is the area of highest overlap. Considering CMF’s strategy to become a leader in sustainability across the supply chain, SDG 4 Quality Education and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals were also identified as the main focus

Is There Anything New under the Sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:9): A Local Report on the Research Practices of Scholars in Religion and Theology

This study of research support services for scholars in religion and theology was sponsored by Ithaka S&R and three professional associations (the American Theological Library Association, the American Academy of Religion, and the Society of Biblical Literature). The Burke Library (Columbia University Libraries) was one of eighteen participating libraries. The overall goals of the study were (1) to understand the research habits and needs of scholars in the fields of religion and theology, and (2) to develop recommendations and strategies for libraries (the Burke Library in particular and ATLA libraries in general) that address these needs by either improving current services or developing new services

A Novel Gβγ-Subunit Inhibitor Selectively Modulates μ-Opioid- Dependent Antinociception and Attenuates Acute Morphine-Induced Antinociceptive Tolerance and Dependence

The Gβγ subunit has been implicated in many downstream signaling events associated with opioids. We previously demonstrated that a small molecule inhibitor of Gβγ-subunit-dependent phospholipase (PLC) activation potentiated morphine-induced analgesia (Bonacci et al., 2006). Here, we demonstrate that this inhibitor, M119 (cyclohexanecarboxylic acid [2-(4,5,6-trihydroxy-3-oxo-3H-xanthen-9-yl)-(9Cl)]), is selective for μ-opioid receptor-dependent analgesia and has additional efficacy in mouse models of acute tolerance and dependence. When administered by an intracerebroventricular injection in mice, M119 caused 10-fold and sevenfold increases in the potencies of morphine and the μ-selective peptide, DAMGO, respectively. M119 had little or no effect on analgesia induced by the κ agonist U50,488 or δ agonists DPDPE or Deltorphin II. Similar results were obtained in vitro, as only activation of the μ-opioid receptor stimulated PLC activation, whereas no effect was seen with the κ- and δ-opioid receptors. M119 inhibited μ-receptor-dependent PLC activation. In studies to further explore the in vivo efficacy of M119, systemic administration M119 also resulted in a fourfold shift increase in potency of systemically administered morphine. Of particular interest, M119 was also able to attenuate acute, antinociceptive tolerance and dependence in mice treated concomitantly with both M119 and morphine. These studies suggest that small organic molecules, such as M119, that specifically regulate Gβγ subunit signaling may have important therapeutic applications in enhancing opioid analgesia, while attenuating the development of tolerance and dependence

Molecular mechanism by which cyclic amp regulates myocardial contractility

From these experiments, it appears that the phosphorylated 22,000 dalton protein does not regulate the transport properties of the ATPase. Instead phosphorylation of the 22,000 dalton protein causes it to become buried in the membrane, transporting Ca/sup 2 +/ into the sarcoplasmic reticulum and thereby, elevating the Ca/sup 2 +/ concentration in the sarcoplasmic reticulum available for release to the myofibrils