title: Superoxide Dismutase from the Eukaryotic Thermophile Alvinella pompejana: Structures, Stability, Mechanism, and Insights into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

authors: Shin, David S.

subjects: thermophile

abstract: Prokaryotic thermophiles supply stable human protein homologs for structural biology; yet, eukaryotic thermophiles would provide more similar macromolecules plus those missing in microbes. Alvinella pompejana is a deep-sea hydrothermal-vent worm that has been found in temperatures averaging as high as 68 °C, with spikes up to 84 °C. Here, we used Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) to test if this eukaryotic thermophile can provide insights into macromolecular mechanisms and stability by supplying better stable mammalian homologs for structural biology and other biophysical characterizations than those from prokaryotic thermophiles. Identification, cloning, characterization, X-ray scattering (small-angle X-ray scattering, SAXS), and crystal structure determinations show that A. pompejana SOD (ApSOD) is superstable, homologous, and informative. SAXS solution analyses identify the human-like ApSOD dimer. The crystal structure shows the active site at 0.99 Å resolution plus anchoring interaction motifs in loops and termini accounting for enhanced stability of ApSOD versus human SOD. Such stabilizing features may reduce movements that promote inappropriate intermolecular interactions, such as amyloid-like filaments found in SOD mutants causing the neurodegenerative disease familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease. ApSOD further provides the structure of a long-sought SOD product complex at 1.35 Å resolution, suggesting a unified inner-sphere mechanism for catalysis involving metal ion movement. Notably, this proposed mechanism resolves apparent paradoxes regarding electron transfer. These results extend knowledge of SOD stability and catalysis and suggest that the eukaryote A. pompejana provides macromolecules highly similar to those from humans, but with enhanced stability more suitable for scientific and medical

text: Superoxide Dismutase from the Eukaryotic Thermophile Alvinella pompejana: Structures, Stability, Mechanism, and Insights into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Prokaryotic thermophiles supply stable human protein homologs for structural biology; yet, eukaryotic thermophiles would provide more similar macromolecules plus those missing in microbes. Alvinella pompejana is a deep-sea hydrothermal-vent worm that has been found in temperatures averaging as high as 68 °C, with spikes up to 84 °C. Here, we used Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) to test if this eukaryotic thermophile can provide insights into macromolecular mechanisms and stability by supplying better stable mammalian homologs for structural biology and other biophysical characterizations than those from prokaryotic thermophiles. Identification, cloning, characterization, X-ray scattering (small-angle X-ray scattering, SAXS), and crystal structure determinations show that A. pompejana SOD (ApSOD) is superstable, homologous, and informative. SAXS solution analyses identify the human-like ApSOD dimer. The crystal structure shows the active site at 0.99 Å resolution plus anchoring interaction motifs in loops and termini accounting for enhanced stability of ApSOD versus human SOD. Such stabilizing features may reduce movements that promote inappropriate intermolecular interactions, such as amyloid-like filaments found in SOD mutants causing the neurodegenerative disease familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease. ApSOD further provides the structure of a long-sought SOD product complex at 1.35 Å resolution, suggesting a unified inner-sphere mechanism for catalysis involving metal ion movement. Notably, this proposed mechanism resolves apparent paradoxes regarding electron transfer. These results extend knowledge of SOD stability and catalysis and suggest that the eukaryote A. pompejana provides macromolecules highly similar to those from humans, but with enhanced stability more suitable for scientific and medical

year: 2009

title: A composer-teacher in context: Music for the performing arts faculty in a New Zealand secondary school

authors: Jennings, Janet

subjects: composer-teacher

abstract: This thesis examines the processes and outcomes of a composer-teacher's practice in the context of a New Zealand secondary school.  The research was undertaken by the composer-teacher/researcher as a case study that integrates an investigation of the context with four action research music composition projects developed as a creative response to that context.

Chapters One to Three comprise the background theory.  Chapter One provides an introduction and overview of the research; Chapter Two explains and justifies the research methods.  Chapter Three peels away and examines five layers of the secondary school context identified as significant in shaping the perceptions of the participants: approaching the context in a multi-layered way enabled coherent synthesis and appraisal of the relevant literature.  

Chapters Four to Seven comprise the four action research music composition projects.  Each action research project focuses on a music score composed by the composer-teacher/researcher for a specific group of students at Macleans College, Auckland.  The composition, production, and performance processes are investigated from the perspectives of all the participants.  Each music project comprises a four part progression - plan (composition process), data (music score), data analysis (recordings of performances, surveys, and interviews with all participants) and reflection (feedback, and feedforward into the next project). 

Each phase of the research generated significant outcomes, such as the four original music scores.  Chapter Eight summarizes the themes, issues, and patterns that emerged, and makes recommendations for further research.  

A model of co-constructive practice emerges from this research: teacher and students co-construct artistic worlds through performance.  The model is not new (it is common practice, adopted by generations of musician-teachers) but is rarely acknowledged and currently un-researched.  This research demonstrates the validity of the practice from both musical, and teaching and learning perspectives, and examines the strengths and limitations of the model.  At its best, the creative processes co-constructed by a teacher with her students are shown to provide a crucible within which intense and creative learning experiences occur.  Students of all levels of ability are shown to gain confidence in this context, and subsequently develop skills with apparent ease.  The co-constructive model is limited in that it cannot meet the musical needs of all students: co-construction should be considered as one model of practice, appropriate for use in association with many others.

This research provides 'virtual access' to a particular world of performance practice, revealing the secondary school context as a realm of authentic and valid musical practice.

text: A composer-teacher in context: Music for the performing arts faculty in a New Zealand secondary school This thesis examines the processes and outcomes of a composer-teacher's practice in the context of a New Zealand secondary school.  The research was undertaken by the composer-teacher/researcher as a case study that integrates an investigation of the context with four action research music composition projects developed as a creative response to that context.

Chapters One to Three comprise the background theory.  Chapter One provides an introduction and overview of the research; Chapter Two explains and justifies the research methods.  Chapter Three peels away and examines five layers of the secondary school context identified as significant in shaping the perceptions of the participants: approaching the context in a multi-layered way enabled coherent synthesis and appraisal of the relevant literature.  

Chapters Four to Seven comprise the four action research music composition projects.  Each action research project focuses on a music score composed by the composer-teacher/researcher for a specific group of students at Macleans College, Auckland.  The composition, production, and performance processes are investigated from the perspectives of all the participants.  Each music project comprises a four part progression - plan (composition process), data (music score), data analysis (recordings of performances, surveys, and interviews with all participants) and reflection (feedback, and feedforward into the next project). 

Each phase of the research generated significant outcomes, such as the four original music scores.  Chapter Eight summarizes the themes, issues, and patterns that emerged, and makes recommendations for further research.  

A model of co-constructive practice emerges from this research: teacher and students co-construct artistic worlds through performance.  The model is not new (it is common practice, adopted by generations of musician-teachers) but is rarely acknowledged and currently un-researched.  This research demonstrates the validity of the practice from both musical, and teaching and learning perspectives, and examines the strengths and limitations of the model.  At its best, the creative processes co-constructed by a teacher with her students are shown to provide a crucible within which intense and creative learning experiences occur.  Students of all levels of ability are shown to gain confidence in this context, and subsequently develop skills with apparent ease.  The co-constructive model is limited in that it cannot meet the musical needs of all students: co-construction should be considered as one model of practice, appropriate for use in association with many others.

This research provides 'virtual access' to a particular world of performance practice, revealing the secondary school context as a realm of authentic and valid musical practice.

year: 2008

title: Covering tangata whenua in Aotearoa: a big data exploration of print media and Māori

authors: Phillips, Justin B.

abstract: A large body of academic research documents harmful media coverage of indigenous populations across the globe. New Zealand is no exception. Aotearoa’s indigenous people, Māori, share similar damaging experiences, leading one major NZ media company to publish an apology for their historically poor depiction of tangata whenua. This paper adds to that wealth of evidence using the automated methods of machine learning to examine coverage of Māori in NZ print media. Across roughly 800,000 sentences–spanning over two decades of coverage–this research investigates print media discourses involving Māori at a mass scale while demonstrating the applicability of such tools for further research. The results replicate a collection of existing findings at large-N scale, further documenting problematic discussions of violence, political representation, and culture, among several other concerns. The novel approach also hints at complex, obscure relationships embedded within problematic language in Aotearoa’s print media, identifying notions of division - both implied and otherwise - along with notable instances of resistance.

text: Covering tangata whenua in Aotearoa: a big data exploration of print media and Māori A large body of academic research documents harmful media coverage of indigenous populations across the globe. New Zealand is no exception. Aotearoa’s indigenous people, Māori, share similar damaging experiences, leading one major NZ media company to publish an apology for their historically poor depiction of tangata whenua. This paper adds to that wealth of evidence using the automated methods of machine learning to examine coverage of Māori in NZ print media. Across roughly 800,000 sentences–spanning over two decades of coverage–this research investigates print media discourses involving Māori at a mass scale while demonstrating the applicability of such tools for further research. The results replicate a collection of existing findings at large-N scale, further documenting problematic discussions of violence, political representation, and culture, among several other concerns. The novel approach also hints at complex, obscure relationships embedded within problematic language in Aotearoa’s print media, identifying notions of division - both implied and otherwise - along with notable instances of resistance.

year: 2022