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The Role of Specific Domains within KLP-4 Responsible for Regulating Kinesin-3 Function
No full textKinesins, such as KLP-4, are critical motor proteins that traffic cargo across the neuron and are required for the proper functioning and regulation of neuronal signaling. By using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, the structure, function, and characteristics of KLP- 4 can be better understood. Transgenesis and CRISPR-Cas9 technology were performed by injecting the ovaries of C. elegans with guide RNAs, homology-directed repair templates, and a co-injection marker to create serial truncations within the klp-4 gene and select for eGFP positive progeny. These serial truncations are used to determine how the absence of certain domains impact its function and ability to perform autoinhibition. It is hypothesized that the klp-4 (ok3537) within strain RB2546 is constitutively active as an in-frame deletion within the cargo-binding domain prevents autoinhibition from occurring. Transgenesis, followed by homologous end joining, resulted in frameshift mutations and the creation of klp-4 knockouts. These mutated progenies have significantly higher aldicarb sensitivity compared to EG9615 and a significantly lower aldicarb sensitivity compared to RB2546, determined through an aldicarb-induced paralysis assay. This moderate aldicarb sensitivity indicates that these mutants have a semi-rescued phenotype compared to RB2546, suggesting that the hypothesis is correct. Further experimentation is needed to verify these results, identify additional phenotypes, and determine the function and locomotion of truncated KLP-4 compared to the wild-type within the DA9 motor neuron. Determining how each domain of klp-4 influences the function of this kinesin will help improve the understanding of the homologous human kinesins that are responsible for causing neurodegenerative diseases
Parental Work Arrangements and External Shocks: How a global health crisis challenges infrastructures of care
No full textWomen’s labor force participation is strongly shaped by their disproportionate caregiving burdens, especially parenting responsibilities. Using the Current Population Survey, this project explores how parental work arrangements are uniquely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, how parental status shapes the hours people worked in the aftermath of the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the factors that contributed to unemployment during these crises. Men and fathers experienced the greatest reduction in hours worked during the Great Recession, while the pandemic has shaped mothers work more significantly. Even as children were able to return to in-person school more consistently across the country, mothers’ work has remained altered, and their time spent participating in paid labor is still lower than their pre-pandemic levels. Overall, the Great Recession shaped the demand for labor while the COVID-19 pandemic shaped the context of labor, forcing parents and especially mothers to sacrifice their hours of paid labor to attend to caregiving duties. This research supports the growing call for a more robust social safety net and infrastructure of care that would better shield the most vulnerable from external circumstances like these
Saddling Up for Success: Rope or Wrangle? Comparing Experiential Learning Programs for Developing Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
Get PDFEmotional intelligence is characterized as the ability to jointly use intelligence and emotions to enhance reasoning. Corporate trainers have employed experiential learning methods to strengthen emotional competencies and often utilize experiential learning methods that involve challenge course programs that incorporate ropes and belay systems. A novel training method, equine-assisted learning, has recently gained traction and reportedly leverages the empathic nature of horses to enhance learning. This study had three primary purposes: (a) investigate the impact of a 1-day equine-assisted learning program upon emotional intelligence as compared to a 1-day challenge course program in a workplace population; (b) examine psychological safety as a potential mediator; (c) test a standardized intervention developed by the McCormick Research Institute known as the Camp McCormick manual. Amongst the equine-assisted learning literature, intervention protocols are sparse, theoretical foundations deficient, and research mostly involves case studies, small sample sizes, and a lack of control and comparison groups. This study addressed those gaps by comparing the two experiential learning methods using a pre-post design that also included a control condition. Volunteers were randomly assigned to either the challenge course, equine-assisted learning, or control condition. Within-subjects results associated with both experiential conditions provided support for Camp McCormick’s manual. Between-subjects results indicated that the challenge course condition performed significantly better than the control condition. The equine-assisted learning condition was not significantly different than the challenge course or control condition. Psychological safety did not mediate the relationship between training type (equine or challenge course) on emotional intelligence
Stardust in Cedar Forest: Suicide Prevention Through Interactive Theatre for College Students
Get PDFSuicide can impact people from all walks of life, and for those who are vulnerable to circumstances that amplify suicidal ideation, prevention programs can be effective methods to provide relief and promote awareness to community members. The World Health Organization (2021) highlighted a global need for prevention programs targeted toward young people as suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 15-29. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of interactive theatre as a form of psychoeducation and suicide prevention for college students. This study found that interactive theatre had a positive impact as a form of suicide prevention. Participants demonstrated improved knowledge of key components of suicide prevention and their self-efficacy, in terms of willingness and confidence to intervene, significantly increased following the performance intervention
Communication 4 ALL: A Movement to Gain Communication for Non-Speaking Students with Autism
Get PDFCommunication is a basic human right and the lack of access to communication for non-speaking students is a civil rights issue. Autism affects 1% of the world’s population across all racial and socioeconomic groups. Approximately 40% of autistics, 31 million people, are unable to speak. Without communication, non-speaking children are labeled “low functioning” and not educated. COMMUNICATION 4 ALL is my social innovation to ensure every child has a means to fully communicate in school. Informed by the Civil Rights and Disability Rights Movements, my thesis analyzes the current dynamics in non-speaking autism including the economic cost, communication methods, educational and cultural approaches, obstacles, legislation, litigation, evidence, and arguments. The Action Plan, including a new nonprofit, website, album release, launch event, and social media plan, is a blueprint for my advocacy work to gain communication for all non-speaking students in the United States
