In the United States today, there is a dominant cultural narrative telling us that tallness is desirable and enjoyed by those who experience it. Much of the existing research on height correlates tallness with promotions, higher salaries, and general happiness. However, this research does not take into account the limitations of some of the previous research which tends to accept tall people’s vocabulary of motives at face value as the totality of their experience as a tall person. In particular, tall women tend to have much more to say about their lives as tall women than simply that it has afforded them many advantages. Drawing from interviews with ten women who were of a height 5’11” or taller, I utilize feminist standpoint epistemology to investigate how the experiences of tall women can often differ from the dominant cultural narrative of tallness. My findings indicate that tall women are frequently the subject of unwanted height-related comments that draw attention to their tallness, creating and reproducing a state of self-consciousness related to their height. This self-consciousness is reinforced by social infrastructure, heteronormative gender expectations, and othering in the form of harassment and bullying. The tall women in my study learned to negotiate and avoid their height in situations that caused them discomfort, yet eventually accepted their height as a part of their identity after overcoming adversity in their childhood and youth. My research shows that the experiences of tall women are significantly broader than contemporary research discusses, and that height has a much deeper impact on self-perception than has previously been acknowledged.

Rôle du métabolisme post-transcriptionnel des ARNm dans la régulation de la dormance des semences d’Arabidopsis thaliana.Une étude physiologique nous a permis d'identifier l'influence de la température et de l'humidité relative (HR) lors du stockage des graines dormantes d’Arabidopsis. Après une levée de dormance atteinte en 7 semaines avec des cinétiques variables selon les conditions, on observe une induction de la dormance secondaire à faible HR et une perte progressive de la viabilité à forte HR. La levée et l’induction de la dormance sont associées à la régulation de gènes liés aux voies de l'acide abscissique et des gibbérellines. Nous avons étudié la dynamique d’association des ARNm aux polysomes et comparé la transcription et la traduction des graines dormantes et non dormantes au cours de l’imbibition. Nous montrons qu'il n'y a pas de corrélation entre transcriptome et traductome et que la régulation de la germination est principalement liée à la traduction. Ceci suppose un recrutement sélectif et dynamique des ARNm liés aux polysomes dans les graines dormantes et non dormantes. Certaines caractéristiques de la région 5'UTR des transcrits semble impliquées dans la sélection des ARNm traduits pendant la germination. Les phénotypes de mutants d’éléments du catabolisme des ARN montrent que la dormance est également associée à une dégradation sélective des ARNm. Les P-bodies (localisés dans des lignées YFP-DCP1) sont d’ailleurs en quantité plus importante dans les graines non-dormantes. La comparaison des transcriptomes des mutants vcs-8 et xrn4-5 a permis l'identification de plusieurs transcrits dégradés via VCS ou XRN4, dont le rôle sur la dormance a été confirmé par génétique inverse. Certains motifs spécifiques semblent être impliqués dans la sélection de transcrits pour leur dégradation. / Role of mRNA post-transcriptional metabolism in the regulation of Arabidopsis thaliana dormancy.A physiological study allowed us to reveal the effect of temperature and relative humidity (RH) during Arabidopsis seed storage. Seven weeks of after ripening lead to alleviation of dormancy with different kinetics according to the conditions. Longer storage induced an induction of secondary dormancy at low RH and progressive loss of viability at high RH. Dormancy release and induction of secondary dormancy were associated with induction or repression of key genes related to abscissic acid and gibberellins pathways. We have studied the dynamics of mRNAs association with polysomes and compared transcriptome and translatome of dormant and non-dormant seeds. There was no correlation between transcriptome and translatome and germination regulation is largely translational, implying a selective and dynamic recruitment of mRNAs to polysomes in both dormant and non-dormant seeds. Some identified 5'UTR features could play a role in this selective. Dormancy is also associated with mRNA decay as demonstrated by phenotyping mutants altered in mRNA metabolism. Moreover we have shown that P-bodies were more abundant in non-dormant seeds that in dormant ones. Transcriptome analysis of xrn4-5 and vcs-8 mutants allowed us to identify several transcripts degraded via VCS ou XRN4 proteins, having a role in dormancy. This role was confirmed by reverse genetics for some of them. Some specific motifs were identified as involved in mRNA decay selection.

Magister Educationis - MEd / The study is in response to the recently enacted South African Schools Act No. 84 of 1996 (SASA), which sees the legislated inclusion of parents in school governing bodies. The Act promotes four distinct representative participants or stakeholders. These include parents, who constitute the majority, educators, learners and non-teaching staff. There is an indication that the SASA has tensions, ambiguities and contradictions which could allow either "consumer market" or "citizen equity" visions to prevail in practical terms. However, I argue that the SASA in practice is becoming dominated by the consumer vision that has a danger of creating unfair competition amongst schools and perpetuating the already existing inequalities in our society. In this mini-thesis, I attempt to investigate the nature of parental involvement in school governance in practice. I focus on their responsibilities in relation to policy matters as enshrined in the SASA, their commitment to executing their functions. The aim is to determine their capacity to fulfil their responsibilities with respect to their powers and functions. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA / After 15 years in the democratic dispensation of South Africa, having access, equity and redress in educational provision have not yet been achieved. Instead, the reality speaks of underperformance (schools with a less than 60% national matric pass rate) as well as dysfunctional schools (with a less than 20% pass rate) continue in the Western Cape amidst a 7% increase in the Matric pass rate nationally.The intention of the Western Cape Education Department (hereafter referred to as the WCED) to reduce the number of dysfunctional schools from 85 to 55 resulted in a decrease to 78 schools. The overall increase of the 2010 matric pass rate in the Western Cape from 75.7% to 76.8% does not reflect an increase of quality educational provision to children from less advantaged urban areas. The aim of this study is to determine how and why some formerly identified dysfunctional and underperforming schools in less advantaged urban areas improved their performance while others did not. Also looking at, the role played by the School Governing Body in improving performance as a stakeholder, especially the role of the parental entity. It is clear that there are particular challenges facing parents from disadvantaged communities that directly influence their involvement and contribution to the improvement of performance in dysfunctional and underperforming schools. This research project focuses entirely on education but it is done within the field of development studies, trying to address certain developmental issues that impact educational provision and performance The theory of Structuration is used in the theoretical framework to understand the relationship between the agent (learners, parents, educators) and the structure (education system, society). It is useful to understand and address the challenges that prevent/delay improvement in the performance and function of schools in certain less advantaged urban communities. The Humanistic paradigm is used as a theory to emphasise the importance of a grassroots/ bottom up approach to development and to bring better understanding of parental involvement in educational provision. The mixed method approach (using both qualitative and quantitative research methods) that is widely acceptable in the field of educational research and in the development milieu is applied to address the question at hand. The use of a literature study, semi-structured interviews with focus groups and questionnaires to participating schools provide useful data for the research. The findings from this research will benefit the participating schools, the WCED and the education system.

Les P-bodies sont des granules cytoplasmiques de fonction inconnue. Ils sont néanmoins conservés de la levure à l’homme, suggérant un rôle important chez les eucaryotes. L’analyse de l’influence de l’expression de certaines protéines pouvant se localiser dans ces granules a permis de mettre en évidence le rôle crucial de DDX6 dans l’assemblage des P-bodies. En effet, l’inhibition de l’expression de DDX6 dans les cellules humaines empêche l’assemblage des P-bodies. L’étude de la protéine DDX6 semblait donc être un bon point de départ pour comprendre d’avantage le rôle des P-bodies. Cette hélicase à motif DEAD de 54 kDa interagit avec des protéines du complexe répression de la traduction CPEB chez le Xénope, mais également avec des protéines des complexes de dégradation 5’-3’ et 3’-5 ‘ des ARNm chez les mammifères, les levures et les drosophiles, ou encore avec les protéines Argonautes du complexe miRISC chez les mammifères. Nos travaux se sont donc intéressés à déterminer les principales fonctions de DDX6 dans les cellules humaines. Les complexes protéiques contenant DDX6 ont été purifiés à partir de lysats cytoplasmiques de cellules HEK293 transfectées avec un plasmide codant pour la protéine FLAG-DDX6-HA. Plus de 300 partenaires protéiques ont été identifiés en spectrométrie de masse. Trois complexes majeurs contenant DDX6 ont été mis en évidence : un complexe de répression « CPEB-like », le complexe de décoiffage des ARNm, et un complexe contenant les ataxin-2 et ataxin-2-like. Les protéines du cœur du complexe de jonction d’exons sont également en interaction avec DDX6, suggérant que DDX6 interagit avec des ARNm tout juste sortis du noyau. Enfin, le grand nombre et les hauts scores avec lesquels ont été identifiés les protéines ribosomales nous ont conduit à analyser la présence de DDX6 au niveau des polysomes. L’analyse de lysats cytoplasmiques sur gradient de sucrose nous a permis de mettre en évidence l’association d’une fraction de DDX6 aux polysomes. Toutes ces observations mettent en évidence le rôle multiple de DDX6 entre répression et dégradation des ARNm, dans les cellules humaines. L’hélicase pourrait permettre le recrutement du complexe de répression par des ARNm activement traduits. La fixation multiple de DDX6 à l’ARNm pourrait être un moyen de recruter simultanément les complexes de répression et de dégradation des ARNm sur un même ARNm. / P-bodies are cytoplasmic granules. Their function is unknown, but they are conserved from the yeast to humans, suggesting an important role through eukaryotes. The expression inhibition of several proteins localized in P-bodies leads to their disassembly. In most cases, a cellular stress induced by arsenite treatment causes P-body assembly, except in cells depleted for DDX6. Since this observation showed that DDX6 is necessary for P-body assembly, to study this protein is a good starting point to further understand the role of P-bodies. This 54 kDa DEAD-box helicase interacts with proteins of the CPEB repression complex in xenopus oocytes, but also with protein of the déadénylation and dacapping complex in yeasts, drosophila and mammals, and with proteins of the miRISC complex. Our project was to determine the DDX6 main protein partners in human cells. To do so, DDX6 containing complexes were purified using HEK293 cells transfected with a plasmid encoding for the FLAG-DDX6-HA. Over 300 partners were identified by mass spectrometry. Three main DDX6 containing complexes were highlighted in human cells: A “CPEB-like” repression complex, the decapping complex, and a complex containing ATXN2 and ATXN2L proteins. Exon junction complex core proteins were also identified as DDX6 partners, raising the possibility that DDX6 interacts with mRNA not yet translated. A large number of ribosomal proteins were also identified with high scores, suggesting that DDX6 interacts with actively translated mRNA. Analyze of cytoplasmic lysates on sucrose gradients showed that DDX6 is partially associated with polysomes. To conclude, these observations showed the multiple roles of DDX6 in human cell, between mRNA repression and degradation. The helicase could allow the recruitment of the repression complex on actively translated mRNA. In a nutshell, the multiple binding of DDX6 on one mRNA could be a way to enable the fixation of repression and degradation complexes at the same time, on the same mRNA.

Cette thèse propose une nouvelle esthétique du corps féminin à travers l’analyse des textes de trois auteures contemporaines migrantes : Malika Mokeddem, Gisèle Pineau et Jamaica Kincaid. La lecture postcoloniale et féministe des trois auteures révèle les carences en corps. L’étude de leurs œuvres fait ressortir un corps en crise. Il y a donc urgence à l’historiciser, mais aussi un grand besoin de le réinventer.Cette thèse engage une réflexion épistémologique dans leurs textes, dans le but de re-travailler le corps. Il s’agit de mettre le corps féminin au cœur de l’Histoire, de le replacer dans la mémoire, de refaire les généalogies et renouveler les filiations, de réanimer le réseau féminin et révolutionner l’objet de transmission. L’analyse des mécanismes et outils de domination, aussi bien de genre que de race, nous permet de comprendre les différentes formes de résistance, et d’esquisser plusieurs stratégies de sortie.Ce travail propose finalement de renouveler le corps en détournant le pouvoir discursif et la rhétorique patriarcale et impérialiste, à travers un contre-discours, décolonisé et dépatriarcalisé. Ainsi que réinventer le corps en sortant de la dialectique du pouvoir, en ouvrant un espace/langue postcorps. / This thesis proposes a new aesthetic of the female body through the analysis of texts of three migrant contemporary authors: Malika Mokeddem, Gisèle Pineau and Jamaica Kincaid. Postcolonial and feminist reading of the three authors reveal a body deficiency. The study of their works shows a body in crisis. Therefore, it is urgent to historicize it, but also to reinvent it.This thesis undertakes an epistemological reflection in their texts, in order to re-work the body. It aims at putting the female body into History, replacing it in the memory, remaking the genealogies and renewing the affiliations, reviving the women’s network and revolutionizing the subject of transmission. The analysis of mechanisms and tools of race and gender domination, helps to understand the different forms of resistance, and to identify the different exit strategies. Finally this work proposes to renew the body by diverting the discursive power and the patriarchal and imperialist rhetoric, through a counter-speech, decolonized and depatriarchalized. And also reinvent the body out of the dialectic of power, opening a postbody space/language.

Trust enlarges the scope of action on any playing field (O’ Brien, 2001:1). The trusted leader is a great asset in forging and maintaining relationships, and lending support to other team players, which can be on-going with little effort. According to Covey (1989: 188), an emotional bank account is the amount of trust that has been built up in a relationship. It’s the feeling of safety you have with other human beings. If one makes deposits into an emotional bank account through courtesy, kindness honestly and keeping commitments, the trust increases. The researcher conducted a research project on the influence that relationships among, and skill levels of, school governors on the performance of school governing bodies; the rationale being as a result of various problems she encountered and experienced as an SGB and SMT member. The literature review indicates that ignorance and inability to perform functions turn SGBs into crisis committees, and that most of the SGBs are not fulfilling their role but relying on the principal who plays the dominant role. Four SGBs were identified, two with good performance and positive relationships, and two with poor performance and negative relationships. In both categories a primary and a secondary school were selected. A qualitative research design was used for the study. Data collection strategies used were semi-structured, open-ended interviews and structured observations. The analysis of the data showed the differences in the feelings about the relationships. Non-functioning SGBs with poor relationships experience anger, fear, anxiety, disrespect, and mistrust. The respondents indicated coldness, neglect, isolation and disjointedness, in contrast to functioning SGBs who demonstrated mutual trust, respect love, happiness, cooperation, collaboration, shared decision-making and inclusion. These attributes are confirmed by the literature review on the link between trust relationships and performance. The research study indicated that productive workers are happy. The model of school effectiveness confirmed that functional SGBs are effective, and non-functional ones are ineffective. Happiness is derived from being productive, thus yielding positive contributions and the realisation of aims and objectives. Where there is no productivity, there is a negative influence on the relationships. Members concentrate on their fights and forget about their functions as SGB members. It has emerged that the poor performance and poor relationships are probably the results of attitude and behaviour, and not illiteracy as indicated in the literature review. The data collected indicated that all the SGB members are literate, and can read, write and interpret policies; except one non-teaching staff member who contributes positively by creating a clean environment conducive for teaching and learning. / Dissertation (Magister Educationis (Educational Leadership))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Modification by glycosylation gives proteins a range of diverse functions reflecting their structural variability. N-glycans regulate many biological outcomes in mammalian cells under both normal and pathological conditions. They play a major role in various pathologies such as cancer and lysosomal storage diseases. Interplay between N-glycans and other regulators, such as membrane lipid domains, in the control of signaling pathways remains poorly understood. My thesis therefore focuses on how N-glycans and membrane lipid domains oppose and/or work together at different cellular levels to regulate various processes such as receptor signaling and diffusion, endocytosis and lysosomal organelle biogenesis. Mgat5 encodes for ß1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V that produces N-glycans, the preferred ligand for galectins. In tumor cells, galectins bind glycosylated receptors at the cell surface forming a lattice, that restricts receptor endocytosis and enhances its residency at the plasma membrane. In the first part of my thesis, I report that Galectin/receptor crosslinking opposes receptor sequestration by oligomerized caveolin-1 (Cav1) domains overriding its negative regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, cell surface diffusion and tumor growth. These results identify Cav1 as a conditional tumor suppressor. I also demonstrate that Cav1 is a negative regulator of lipid raft-mediated endocytosis. Cav1 indirectly regulates the internalization of cholera toxin b subunit to the Golgi apparatus independently of caveolae formation. That identifies a new role for caveolin-1 outside caveolae in the regulation of raft-dependent endocytosis Finally, Mgat5 overexpression in pneumocytes is associated with the expression of a lysosomal organelle, the multilamellar body (MLB), via autophagy. MLB expression is also a characteristic of various lysosomal storage diseases. I demonstrate that cholesterol accumulation can override the need for Mgat5 overexpression in MLB formation indicating that they may form via multiple mechanisms. However, I also demonstrate that a contribution of the autophagic pathway is a common determinant of biogenesis of MLB of various lipid compositions. In conclusion, Mgat5-dependent protein glycosylation and Cav1/raft domains therefore both function as regulators of plasma membrane interactions, endocytosis and lysosomal organelle biogenesis. Understanding of this interplay is crucial for the understanding of the mechanisms involve in various pathologies such as cancer and lysosomal storage diseases. / Medicine, Faculty of / Graduate

The molecular mechanisms underlying the association between mutations in GBA1 and risk of developing the ‘synucleinopathy’ disorders Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) remain elusive. To better understand the precise molecular cascade that connects GBA1 mutations with α-synuclein dysregulation, a modified lipid extraction and HPTLC protocol was optimized to detect changes in levels of neutral sphingolipids (SLs) from neural cells and tissue expressing wild-type (WT) GBA1, mutant GBA1, or both. We demonstrate that mutant GBA1 does not confer a dominant-negative effect on WT GBA1-mediated activity; however, bona fide loss-of-enzymatic function mutation events led to the accumulation of lipid substrates in neural cells and tissue, and enhance α- synuclein/ubiquitin reactivity in brain tissue of mutant gba1 mice. Our HPLC-MS/MS data are consistent with other studies demonstrating that heterozygous GBA1 mutations do not lead to lipid accumulation, but may alter α-synuclein degradation through a yet-to-be defined novel gain-of-toxic function event.

The dissertation studies feminist knowledge production through translation in the context of post-communist Eastern Europe. It focuses on one case study, the Serbian translation of the American feminist health classic Our Bodies, Ourselves (OBOS) through the lens of the politics of translation and reproduction. The translation, Naša tela, mi (NTM), was published by a group of feminist activists from the Autonomous Women’s Centre (AWC) in Belgrade, Serbia in 2001. By focusing on this one case study, my dissertation offers an in-depth analysis of the political, social, linguistic, and feminist dimensions implicated in the transfer of a Western feminist project from one geopolitical location to another, to a post-socialist, post-conflict Eastern European country in the 1990s. Against the background of the Yugoslav wars and the influence of ethno-nationalism in the 1990s, I examine the development of domestic and transnational feminist networking, including the Belgrade feminists’ work with victims of domestic and sexual violence and refugees. I assess the extent to which NTM serves as oppositional discourse to the changing politics of reproduction and pronatalist discourses around abortion and fertility in Serbia in this period. Furthermore, I analyze NTM’s contribution to local feminist knowledge on women’s reproductive health, rights, and sexuality. I emphasize the importance of the local context, including the history of abortion access and traditional gender relations. Methodologically, the dissertation is based on interview data, archival documents, and comparative textual analysis. The dissertation draws attention to feminist knowledge production across uneven geopolitical borders, translation flows across the East-West divide, and the role of English in transnational feminist networking. The dissertation brings together the politics of translation and the politics of reproduction and calls for further studies into the role of translation in transnational feminist patterns of knowledge production.