Molecular phylogeny: pitfalls and progress.

Genomic insulin is located on the short arm of chromosome 11 in human genome. It is a well studied polypeptide hormone, consists of 110 amino acids which start with signaling peptide of 1-24 amino acids, B-chain of 25-54 amino acids, C-peptide of 55-89 amino acids and end with A-chain of 90-110 amino acids. Insulin, produced by the beta cell of the pancreas in response to glucose stimuli, binds to its receptor rapidly due to receptor autophosphorylation and primordially regulates nutritional metabolic pathways. In this study we have depicted and explored evolutionary conservation rate, insight into structure and phylogenetic connection of insulin molecule among eight mammalian species; Homo sapiens (Human), Bos taurus (Cattle), Cavia porcellus (Guinea pig), Canis lupus familiaris (Dog), Gorilla gorilla (Western gorilla), Ovis aries (Sheep), Pan troglodytes (Chimpanzee), Pongo pygmaeus (Orangutan) using Computational Biology. The analysis of physico-chemical characteristics, secondary and 3-D structure prediction of insulin in different species identified phylogenetically most related species. The major findings are that genomic insulin from Human and Dog has a lowest genetic distance of 0.13 of the mammalian species studied. Human and Guinea pig has the next lowest genetic distance of 0.39 and 69.1% identical at the amino acid level. Whereas Human and Western gorilla has genetic distances of 0.00 and 100% identical at the amino acid level and share a common node on the phylogenetic tree. Physico-chemical study also shows that these sequences show high leucine content (18.2%) with high instability index (>40) except Sheep and Cattle has low leucine and instability index (<40). The sequence analysis among species has allowed us to know the manner in which the insulin has evolved over million–year period. This study result provides rapid comprehensive information to calculate the amino acid sequences in relations to evolutionary conservation rates as well as molecular phylogenetics.

본 연구의 목적은 의료기관 근로자들의 환자 개인정보 보호에 대한 인식을 평가하는 도구를 개발하고, 개발된 도구의 타당도와 신뢰도를 검증하고자 하였다. 도구의 개발 및 검증과정은 도구의 개념틀 구성, 기초 문항 작성, 내용타당도 검증, 예비조사를 거쳐 최종문항을 추출하였다. 내용타당도는 3명의 보건의료전문가의 검증을 받았고, 구성타당도는 문항분석, 탐 색적 요인분석과 확인적 요인분석을 실시하였다. 도구의 신뢰도는 Cronbach's alpha 로 검증하였다. 간호사, 병원 행정직원, 여러 보건의료 종사자들로 구성된 의료기관 근로자 279명을 대상으로 설문조사를 시행하였다. 확인적 요인분석 결과 4요인 모델의 적합도가 높아 구성타당도가 검증되었으며, 4요인 13문항으로 구성된 본 도구의 신뢰도 Cronbach's alpha는 .83이었 다. 결론적으로, 본 도구는 의료기관 근로자의 개인정보보호 인식을 측정하기에 타당도와 신뢰도가 검증된 도구인 것으로 나타났다.

The aim of this research is to examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of The Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI). The participants of this study consisted of 352 teachers. The validity and reliability of scale was investigated by test re-test, Cronbach alpha, confirmatory factor analysis and criterion related validity methods. The Job Crafting Scale (JCS) was used for the criterion related validity. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that 10 items loaded on three factors (positive meaning, meaning making through work, and greater good motivations): x²/df= 2,15, RMSEA= .087, CFI= .98, IFI= .98, NFI= .94, NNFI= .96, SRMR= .057. In the concurrent validity significant relationship (r= .41) was found between total WAMI and the Job Crafting Scale. The internal consistency coefficients of three subscales were .68, .64, and .73, respectively. The overall internal consistency coefficient of the scale was .86. Test-retest reliability coefficient was .69. The corrected item-total correlations of WAMI ranged from .30 to .62. Overall findings demonstrated that this scale had high validity and reliability scores and that it may be used as a valid and reliable instrument in order to measure diverse ideas of individual about meaningful work. Nevertheless, further studies that will use WAMI are important for its measurement force.

PATH DEPENDENCE IN INTRASTATE CONFLICTS: RESOURCES, REGIMES, AND INTERVENTIONS Ivan Medynskyi Old Dominion University, 2015 Director: Dr. David C. Earnest This dissertation investigates the patterns of path dependence in intrastate conflicts. It is motivated by three research questions: What factors determine a particular outcome of a civil war? How strong is their impact? What are the causal mechanisms in play? To examine these questions, this study introduces a theory of path dependence to the study of intrastate conflicts that bridges the gap between analyses of the phases of contention. First, it examines the broad understanding of path dependence that highlights the impact of initial conditions on civil war outcomes. Then, this dissertation explores the narrower notion which focuses on the role of timing and sequence of internal factors and intervening events in shaping different resolutions to intrastate conflicts. Using multinomial logistic regression and event history models to analyze initial conditions, intrinsic features, and intervening factors in influencing the probability of particular civil war outcomes, this study identifies relevant agencies that can be utilized to shape solutions for current and future instances of armed civil conflicts. Finally, three case studies test the applicability of the path dependence theory through outlining the narratives, incorporating quantitative findings, and identifying causal mechanisms. The empirical findings of the initial conditions models emphasize the relevance of conflict spillover, non-lootable resources, and structure of bipolarity. An investigation into the factors that ‘lock in’ a particular civil war outcome highlights the role of UN and regional intergovernmental organizations in accelerating a compromise outcome; explains the variation in dynamics behind democratic and autocratic regimes; but surprisingly finds no support for the relationship between the size of the armed forces and conflict outcome. Although case study analysis supports the validity of the empirical results, it also points at the potential limitations of the quantitative design. Since this study follows a mixed methods approach, it effectively compensates for the drawbacks of different types of analysis.

Structural insights into the inhibition of bacterial RecA by naphthalene polysulfonated compounds.

Treating color patterns in a geometric morphometrics framework reveals rapid rates of color evolution that are explained by a combination of intrinsic organismal features (color variation among patches) and geography within a cosmopolitan radiation of birds.

This study aims to explore the structure of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Physical Education (PCK-PE), develop a scale, and verify its validity. This study was divided into primary and secondary preliminary surveys and one main survey. First, a scale was developed through the Delphi verification process after data were collected through an open questionnaire administered to 97 physical education teachers in January 2020. Second, a descriptive statistical analysis and an exploratory factor analysis was performed on data collected from 163 physical education teachers in February 2020. Finally, a questionnaire was administered to 265 physical education teachers in March 2020. The reliability of the scale was analyzed. Through confirmatory factor analysis, convergent, nomological, and discriminant validity were verified. A correlation analysis was conducted to verify criterion-related validity. Based upon the analysis, a PCK-PE scale was developed with 21 questions and five factors: knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, educational philosophy, education evaluation, and class environment. The reliability and validity of the developed scale were verified.

Emotional and personality related career decision making difficulties basically result from emotional and personality related factors and include stronger a more intense indecisiveness that an individual experiences in decision making. In this respect, the purpose of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of the short form of Emotional and Personality related Career Decision Making Scale. The scale was applied with a high school student group of 428 for the reliability and validity study. The structural validity of the scale was tested with a confirmatory factor analysis and the goodness of fit coefficients obtained at the end of the analysis was found to be at acceptable levels. The scale was also applied with a high school student group of 145 along with the Personal Indecisiveness Scale for similar scales validity and a positively significant relationship was found between the two scales. The Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient for the whole scale was .88 and test-retest correlation coefficient obtained when the scale was reapplied after three weeks was .70. It was concluded that findings obtained regarding the psychometric characteristics of the scale were at a sufficient level and had useful structure and properties to be used in research related with career decision making difficulties. It is expected that the scale the validity of which was tested would fill a significant gap in research regarding career indecisiveness of high school students

EVALUATING THE INCREMENTAL VALIDITY OF THE MMPI-2-RC SCALES FOR CUSTODY LITIGANTS By Elizabeth M. Archer Wheeler, M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012. Major Director: Bryce D. McLeod, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology The use of psychological testing in child custody assessments has become more common and important as psychologists are increasingly used as expert witnesses in contested child custody and visitation cases. Currently, the MMPI-2 is the most commonly used psychological test in child custody cases, but there is no research indicating which version of the measure (K-corrected, non-K-corrected, or the RC scales) provides the most accurate picture of the custody litigant in terms of substantial correlations with external variables. This study represents the first examination of the convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity of the MMPI-2 K-corrected Basic Clinical Scales, the MMPI-2 non-K-corrected Basic Clinical Scales, and the RC scales in a sample of (n = 196) custody litigants from the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Results indicated that all three sets of scales showed some evidence of convergent validity and discriminant validity with external criteria, with gender differences shown in correlate patterns. Additionally, results indicated that none of the three versions demonstrated incremental validity relative to the other versions. There were several limitations of the study including the use of dichotomous, self-report external correlate variables, the simultaneous collection of both predictor and outcome variables, and potentially limited generalizability of the data. Evaluation of the Incremental Validity of the MMPI-2-RC Scales for Custody Litigants A significant number of children will experience the divorce of their parents. Over half of marriages end in divorce (United States Census Bureau, 2009) and recent estimates suggest that roughly 11.5 million children have experienced the divorce of their parents (United States Census Bureau, 2003). With this large percentage of children in the United States who have or will experience the divorce of their parents, it is crucial to understand the potential mental health outcomes that divorce may have on children. Divorce is associated with a number of negative outcomes for children. The U.S. Census Bureau (2003) states that children of divorced families are more likely to have problematic academic achievement, drop out of school, have children at a young age, and have increased levels of depression, stress, anxiety and aggression. Approximately 20-25% of children who experience the divorce of their parents will have serious mental illness or life adjustment problems (Amato & Keith, 1991; Hetherington, Bridges, & Insabella, 1998) and these children are at an increased risk of mental health problems as adults (Chase-Lansdale, Cherlin, & Kiernan, 1995). It is clear that divorce is associated with significant negative outcomes for children; however, there are factors that appear to be associated with reduced severity of outcomes. Placement decisions regarding custody and visitation appear to play an important role in determining outcomes for children who experience the divorce of their parents (Ackerman, 2006). Placement and visitation schedules that provide the best psychological and developmental fit for the children are important both from a mental health and a public policy standpoint. Wallerstein (1991) noted many children experience the effects of divorce long into adulthood, while others may not experience the full effect of the divorce until they

Invertebrates can acquire functional genes via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from bacteria but fishes are not known to do so. We provide the first reliable evidence of one HGT event from marine bacteria to fishes. The HGT appears to have occurred after emergence of the teleosts. The transferred gene is expressed and regulated developmentally. Its successful integration and expression may change the genetic and metabolic repertoire of fishes. In addition, this gene contains conserved domains and similar tertiary structures in fishes and their putative donor bacteria. Thus, it may function similarly in both groups. Evolutionary analyses indicate that it evolved under purifying selection, further indicating its conserved function. We document the first likely case of HGT of functional gene from prokaryote to fishes. This discovery certifies that HGT can influence vertebrate evolution.

The purpose of this research is to develop a reliable and valid self efficacy scale which intends to measure Turkish Language prospective teachers self efficacy beliefs towards Turkish Language teaching. For this purpose, a 69 items trial form is constructed by using the Turkish Language Teaching specific competencies of MoNE (2008). The items in the trial form were ten point response categories as suggested by Bandura (2006). The trial form was administered to totally 413 participants who were Turkish Language teacher trainees. As a result of exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation, the structure with five factors and 22 items was obtained. While alpha reliability of the scale was obtained as 0.941, the reliability of factors, 0,911; 0,897; 0,857 and 0,761 and 0,761 were obtained respectively. The results of the factor analysis indicated that the scale provided construct validity

The thesis titled antecedents and enablers of green supply chain practices focuses on one of the most contemporary issues in supply chain management. The literature review explores the existing literature and research work on green supply chain practices and develops a framework for the research. The research is qualitative in nature and data was collected from the three automobile component-manufacturing companies in India. Semi structured interviews were conducted over a period of 18 months. There were three objectives for this thesis: 1. Describing the current state of green supply chain practices? 2. What are the antecedents and enablers for green supply chain practices? 3. What are the underlying mechanisms, if any? The research work concludes by answering all the above three questions and also gives the future direction for research. The research work started by finding a gap for the empirical research in the context of green supply chain practices. The objective of the research was to focus on antecedents and enablers of green supply chain practices. Some contextual factors, inhibitors and consequences are also emerged during the pilot case study. The research work is rigor and to ensure the rigor of the research design, five-stage process was used to structure the methodology. As a final check author assessed his research against the four basic tests commonly used in empirical research; construct validity, internal validity, external validity and reliability. The research study has contributed both to the development and testing of theory relating to the antecedents and enablers of green supply chain practices. The review of literature provided a synthesis of the underpinning bodies of literature that has not previously been conducted in this way. This resulted in the identification of ten core green supply chain practices for the development of antecedents and enablers that created the foundation for author’s empirical investigation. It was found that previous studies have been largely theoretical. The empirical studies that do exist have focused on one particular dyadic relationship with in green supply chain practices. A double contribution has been made to testing the theory of green supply chain practices from a process and output perspective. As process perspective, a contribution has been made to methodology by developing a robust approach for conducting supply chain research beyond the dyad. From output perspective, the author has the empirical results from the three individual case studies and their cross-case comparison for dissemination to an academic audience. Specific contribution of this research to theory development include: 1. Development of macro model of green supply chain practices with the inputs from literature. 2. The synthesis of ten core green supply chain practices with antecedents and enablers from existing body of literature enriched through empirical testing 3. Empirical derivation of three contextual factors. Although the research work is new and contribute to the theory and practices, there are still some limitations of this research. Two minor limitations have been identified: 1. Generalizability of result to practice to practice: Due to the limited size of the case study approach, the results can only be generalized to theory and not to practice. 2. Variation in quality of information: The scope of data collection for all three case studies was same still the quality of information gathered was different. As good quality cross-case analysis was still possible but the relative strengths of the three cases varied. Overall the research work is original, rigor, and contributes to the existing theory and also paves the path for future research work in the area of green supply chain practices.

Understanding species adaptation at the molecular level has been a central goal of evolutionary biology and genomics research. This important task becomes increasingly relevant with the constant rise in both genotypic and phenotypic data availabilities. The TraitRateProp web server offers a unique perspective into this task by allowing the detection of associations between sequence evolution rate and whole-organism phenotypes. By analyzing sequences and phenotypes of extant species in the context of their phylogeny, it identifies sequence sites in a gene/protein whose evolutionary rate is associated with shifts in the phenotype. To this end, it considers alternative histories of whole-organism phenotypic changes, which result in the extant phenotypic states. Its joint likelihood framework that combines models of sequence and phenotype evolution allows testing whether an association between these processes exists. In addition to predicting sequence sites most likely to be associated with the phenotypic trait, the server can optionally integrate structural 3D information. This integration allows a visual detection of trait-associated sequence sites that are juxtapose in 3D space, thereby suggesting a common functional role. We used TraitRateProp to study the shifts in sequence evolution rate of the RPS8 protein upon transitions into heterotrophy in Orchidaceae. TraitRateProp is available at http://traitrate.tau.ac.il/prop.

The main objective of this study was identifying the effects of educational, extension and research factors on the development of medicinal plants in Markazi Province of Iran. The statistical population included all managers, extension agents and experts involved in medicinal plants in Markazi Province in 2014 (N = 50), who were selected by the census sampling method (n=50). The research instrument was a questionnaire whose face and content validity were confirmed by a panel of experts and specialists of medicinal plants and also its reliability was estimated by Cronbach's alpha to be 0.78. Results showed that some factors such as informing and training the people about medicinal plants via television and training the physicians about medicinal plants benefits prove more effective in the development of this industry. On the other hand, from among five main factors which explained the variance of medicinal plants development factors, the following three factors have priority: training and extension of medicinal plants (Var. =16.54), educational standards of medicinal plants (Var. =13.18), and technical and vocational education (Var. =11.48). Also, the variables of education level, job experience in agriculture section, current attitude towards development of prescribing medicinal plants by physicians, current amount of using medicinal plants capacity in the province, and assessment of current attitudes toward medicinal plants production, have caused more significant difference in the view of statistical sample about the effect of some educational, extension and research factors on the medicinal plants industry development.

DECREASED SOUND TOLERANCE (DST): PREVALENCE, CLINICAL CORRELATES, AND DEVELOPMENT OF A DST ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT By Therese Verkerke Cash, M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Major Director: Scott R. Vrana Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology Decreased sound tolerance (DST) conditions, including misophonia and hyperacusis, are emerging clinical conditions in behavioral medicine. Misophonia involves an extreme emotional response (often anger, disgust, or annoyance) to specific sounds (such as people chewing, swallowing, tapping their foot on the floor, etc.), while hyperacusis is defined by high sensitivity to sounds below normal sound sensitivity thresholds. Although research on these DST conditions is increasing, clearly defined prevalence rates, associations with other mental health conditions, and development of assessment tools that can identify and differentiate DST symptoms are needed. Research and clinical reports also suggest that DST problems are more likely to occur in individuals affected by tinnitus, and that drawing upon a bio-psychosocial conceptualization of tinnitus and other behavioral medicine conditions may be useful in understanding and treating DST conditions. This cross-sectional survey study was administered to college student (N=451) and community adult (N=375) samples and investigated DST prevalence rates, clinical correlates, and risk factors and mechanisms of action for misophonia and hyperacusis. In addition, the study developed and validated a new scale to identify misophonia and hyperacusis type sound sensitivity. Nearly 35% of individuals surveyed reported some degree of general auditory sensitivity, with 15-63% endorsing misophonia symptoms, and 17-26% endorsing hyperacusis symptoms, with rates depending on assessment method. Moderate to strong correlations were found between DST conditions and other mental and physical health conditions, including obsessive compulsive disorder, autism-spectrum traits, anxiety, depression, social phobia, medical conditions, and somatic and neurobehavioral symptoms. Mediation models revealed that the process by which misophonia symptoms become clinically significant and functionally impairing is partially mediated by amplification of bodily sensations and anxiety sensitivity. Risk factors for functional impairment related to misophonia symptoms were identified in moderation analyses and included neuroticism, synesthesia, and sensory sensitivity. An assessment instrument, the DST-10, and its subscales the Loudness Sensitivity Scale and Human Sounds Scale, was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and initial evidence for construct validity was demonstrated. This study was the first to assess hyperacusis, misophonia, and tinnitus rates in large general population samples and provides initial support for conceptualizing DST problems as behavioral medicine conditions.