From opportunistic protist Cryptosporidium parvum we identified and functionally assayed a fatty acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) gene. The CpACBP1 gene encodes a protein of 268 aa that is three times larger than typical ~10 KD ACBPs of humans and animals. Sequence analysis indicated that the CpACBP1 protein consists of an N-terminal ACBP domain (approximately 90 aa) and a C-terminal ankyrin repeat sequence (approximately 170 aa). The entire CpACBP1 open reading fragment (ORF) was engineered into a maltose-binding protein fusion system and expressed as a recombinant protein for functional analysis. Acyl-CoA-binding assays clearly revealed that the preferred binding substrate for CpACBP1 is palmitoyl-CoA. RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunolabelling analyses clearly showed that the CpACBP1 gene is mainly expressed during the intracellular developmental stages and that the level increases during parasite development. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that CpACBP1 is associated with the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM), which implies that this protein may be involved in lipid remodelling in the PVM, or in the transport of fatty acids across the membrane. We also identified two distinct oxysterol binding protein (OSBP)-related proteins (ORPs) from this parasite (CpORP1 and CpORP2). The short-type CpOPR1 contains only a ligand binding (LB) domain, while the long-type CpORP2 contains Pleckstrin homology (PH) and LB domains. Lipid-protein overlay assays using recombinant proteins revealed that CpORP1 and CpORP2 could specifically bind to phosphatidic acid (PA), various phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs), and sulfatide, but not to other types of lipids with simple heads. Cholesterol was not a ligand for these two proteins. CpOPR1 was found mainly on the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM), suggesting that CpORP1 is probably involved in the lipid transport across this unique membrane barrier between parasites and host intestinal lumen. Although Cryptosporidium has two ORPs, other apicomplexans, including Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Eimeria, possess only a single long-type ORP, suggesting that this family of proteins may play different roles among apicomplexans.

Abstract This report describes an action research project that was designed to determine the effect of using the moot court of class and relative teaching activities in the elementary school, especially on students¡¦ law-related knowledge and other relevant influences. By founding the moot court of class, the purpose of the research was to give students law-related knowledge and establish classroom rules through the arbitration and public justice of the third-party advisor. In the process of participating public affairs, students learned to know the difference between right and wrong, developed the moral qualities full of respect and forgiveness, and then promoted students¡¦ ability on critical thinking and self-reflection at the same time. The model increased the function of self-governing activities in the class, reduced the amount of time and frequencies for the teacher to deal with students¡¦ arguments, and finally achieved the aim to help students follow rules, promote students¡¦ learning results and the teacher¡¦s teaching effect. Through the strategies used to help students correct their own interpersonal interaction styles, students could be accepted by the whole group and became one important group member. The model fulfilled the three education goals¡Xteaching, integrating into lives, advising and correction. According to data analysis and observation, the major findings of this research were as follows. 1. The events and causes of students¡¦ arguments did not change a lot with time and places. 2. Students liked to participate activities in the moot court of class. The atmosphere was serious but warm. 3. Procrastination changed the way how students faced conflicts and reduced the interruption on the teacher¡¦s teaching process. 4. The function of the moot court of class was to solve conflicts, and then counseling strategies were use to lead the thought and improve behavior. 5. The model had positive effect on students¡¦ self-reflection and critical thinking. 6. Under the suitable model, classroom rules didn¡¦t have to be made right after the school year began. 7. The third-party advisor was helpful to complete communication, and made the arbitration to good effect. 8. The arbitration in a group had positive influence on students¡¦ self- discipline. According to the research results, the suggestions for educators were as follows. 1. Give students opportunities of expressing themselves in writings to balance the function of oral communication. 2. Use Homeroom Teacher¡¦s Time well to put law education into practice in daily life. 3. Make the disciplinary policy in cooperation between the teacher and students. Notice the power of the teacher to avoid indulgence. 4. Keep teaching records, and adjust according to students¡¦ needs. 5. Make reference to law-related websites to combine life with learning. 6. Use counseling strategies properly to help students perceive knowledge and carry it out in daily life. 7. Communicate the ideas of class management with students¡¦ parents to avoid any misunderstandings.

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Open Access Article

This paper discusses the necessity for consolidation and the related problems of the securities industry in Taiwan as it increases its economies of scale. The logistical planning for consolidations in the industry is profiled within the context of the theoretical motivations and legal issues underlying the changes to this industry. The necessity for consolidation and expansion in order to achieve economies of scale is illustrated by drawing upon the past history of the Taiwan securities industry in the last 40 years as well as the present circumstances as the industry is threatened by the multi-industry structure of foreign conglomerates and the internationalized competitive environment. The combination of industry characteristics and market trends is presented to provide some suggestions for further development. In the past ten years (from 1990 to 2000), the securities industry in Taiwan grew at a very fast pace, with the number of firms increasing from 199 to 531, 2.66 times. The market capitalization grew 6.86 times, increasing to NTD 3.7 trillion from NTD 533 billion. The amount of corporate bonds and savings trusts issued in the foreign market increased to USD 9.6 billion in 2000 from USD 74 million in 1990. At the same time, as the Taiwanese economy took off and grew at an amazing pace, the trade surplus and balance-of-payments surplus brought wealth and prosperity to the people of this country. The money supply grew from NTD 5.78 trillion to NTD 19.46 trillion, giving Taiwan new potential as a place to underwrite and issue new securities. The market in Taiwan has expanded tremendously in order to meet the spectacular growth in demand for these services. The market expansion took place at a time when mergers were the dominant trend around the world, and the securities industry increased not only its economies of scale but also its economies of scope in order to face the tougher world competition in the coming years. In November 1999, the securities industry witnessed a dramatic change in the market. Yuanta Securities and Core pacific Securities announced their merger plans and this lit a spark that led to the consolidation of large firms with sizes of a such magnitude that they have not been linked to firms active in the consolidation arena. In the future, Taiwan will ride the international merger wave that originates from the economies of scale and scope and many more mergers in the industry will take place to form companies that will combine the capital and foreign exchange markets in its operations. Through cross industry mergers and the establishment of holding companies, large scale securities and financial conglomerates will be formed. Securities and financial institutions in the domestic market and abroad will develop towards enlarging its size, increasing its lines of businesses, and expanding in the international market. This paper looks at the development trends in the securities industry and discusses the necessity for consolidation and its related problems. Having worked in the industry for over ten years, the author has a keen awareness of the market characteristics and its trends, as well as intuition about what motivates the market. Throughout this research, the author has found that the market forces on a theoretical level that drive the need for consolidation have originated from a need to increase the economies of scale to deal with the increased competition in the international marketplace and have made consolidation a necessity so that the industry can remain competitive as internationalization unfolds. As a whole, this research has found ten conclusions with regard to the consolidation of the securities industry and makes ten recommendations to guide future developments as the industry seeks to increase its economies of scale.

This thesis analyzes aggregated county-level data of fatal alcohol related traffic crashes where a driver was killed in the state of Texas during 1996 to 2005. Alcohol has constantly threatened drivers and passengers alike and continues to be a major cause of fatal crashes in Texas. Specifically, this paper targets those drivers that were killed while driving under the influence (0.01 BAC). With an increase in manageable data and the ease of availability of aggregated crash records, accident analysis can provide a closer look into trends such as spatial-temporal patterns, clustering and correlations to various factors. Furthermore, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have enabled researchers to more efficiently interpret and study a large amount of datasets using techniques that were previously difficult or inaccessible in applications related to traffic safety and transportation. Loose-coupling of GIS with other spatial analysis programs and/or statistical software packages can now provide important results that in turn relate vital information which can be used towards understanding and potentially alleviating problems in the transportation domain. The following sections concluded that aggregated datasets at the county level are currently incomplete and do not provide the level of detail necessary to formulate a solid conclusion regarding relationships between the chosen factors and the crash dataset. Though this research was successful in mapping spatial variations and clusters, linking variables such as age, gender, location and population to the aggregated crash dataset requires more detailed information about the crash than was available. However, the objectives were successful in representing spatial-temporal patterns across the study period for all designated variables. This was an important step and solid contribution towards the representation of large datasets and their impact on policy, traffic safety, and transportation geography.

Ph.D.

Zugl.: Giessen, Univ., Diss., 2009

ABSTRACT The purpose of this portraiture study is to describe four African-American principals' experiences, in the context of their principal's role, with the interventions they championed in meeting the needs of their struggling students. This research attempts to answer questions concerning: What role did the four principals play in the targeted school reform? What interventions did each principal introduce and what evidence of effects do they identify for each one? How did each principal's values and beliefs affect what they chose to do? Framed within Social Justice Theory (SJT), the study provides insight into how these respondents increased student achievement and social behavior through the interventions that they championed. Data collection included school observations, interviews of principal participants, and the collection of principal generated artifacts such as awards, memos, and newspaper articles. Portraiture was the method used in this study. Several themes emerged from the narratives of the two men and two women. First, all four leaders were able to bring students, parents, and school staff members together. Second, there is a clear focus on how dedicated these men and women were to their work. The results and impact of their leadership, however, appear contextually unique, serendipitous, and distinctive.

This study examines the effects of TYSABRI on the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) outcomes, disease status and symptomatology, treatment satisfaction, productivity outcomes and healthcare utilization for patients with Crohn’s Disease (CD). A total of 241 patients consented to participate in the study, out of which 61 patients qualified for the baseline survey. After three-months of TYSABRI therapy, the follow-up survey was completed by 24 patients. Changes in outcome scores from baseline to the three-month follow-up were evaluated. The 24 patients with the three-month follow-up were, on average 41 years old and 62.5% percent were female. For those with follow-up, a significantly lower proportion of patients (41.7 percent) identified their CD severity as moderate to severe compared to 83.3 percent at baseline (p=0.001). The patients also reported experiencing a significantly lower mean number of CD relapses at follow-up (4.0) compared to baseline (6.8) (p=0.004). Improved median well-being scores (2.0 vs. 1.0; p<0.001) and improved median abdominal pain scores (2.0 vs. 1.0; p=0.001) were also reported at follow-up. The patient global assessment of HrQoL over the last 2 weeks was significantly improved at follow-up (2.0 vs. 3.0; p=0.006). Similar improved results were observed regarding their assessment of the impact of CD on HrQoL (7.0 vs. 5.0; p<0.001). A significant change of 32.0 points on the total Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) scale (p<0.001) and significant improvements in each of the four component scales were also seen at follow-up (p≤0.05). Significant improvement was noted on the SF-36 PCS scale (mean change 7.0; p=0.001) and MCS scale (mean change 6.0; p=0.05). Significant improvements were observed in the scores for each of the four scales of the treatment satisfaction questionnaire at follow-up: effectiveness scale (28.6 vs. 63.0; p<0.001); side-effects scale (61.6 vs. 82.2; p=0.01); convenience scale (63.8 vs. 70.8; p=0.05); and global satisfaction scale (41.3 vs. 67.0; p<0.001). A significant decrease in the number of CD-related emergency room (ER) visits was observed between baseline and follow-up (1.3 vs. 0.7; p=0.03). For the productivity outcomes, the percent of planned household work lost due to absenteeism was significantly reduced (73.1 percent vs. 43.9 percent; p=0.02) and the total percent of planned hours lost was also reduced (87.3 percent vs. 64.4 percent; p=0.037). These results indicate that TYSABRI is associated with significant improvement in HrQoL outcomes, CD disease severity, treatment satisfaction, ER visits and productivity outcomes. / text