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Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Theses/Dissertations

2008

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Factor Va Directs Catalysis By Factor Xa During Prothrombin Activation, Michael Anthony Bukys Jan 2008

Factor Va Directs Catalysis By Factor Xa During Prothrombin Activation, Michael Anthony Bukys

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Hemostasis occurs through the controlled activation and inactivation of clotting factors resulting in the arrest of bleeding without blockage to the vasculature, while thrombosis is the undesired formation of vascular blood clots, which adversely affects millions of people annually. Clotting factors circulate in blood as inactive zymogens, which are proteolytically activated in response to vascular injury, assembled into enzymatic complexes and in turn activate additional coagulation factors culminating in the production of thrombin from the enzymatic complex prothrombinase. The prothrombinase complex is composed of the activated enzymatic component factor Xa (fXa) complexed to the activated cofactor portion factor Va (fVa) …


Phylogeography Of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) And Comparative Myology Of The Black Bass (Micropterus, Centrarchidae), William Calvin Borden Jan 2008

Phylogeography Of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) And Comparative Myology Of The Black Bass (Micropterus, Centrarchidae), William Calvin Borden

ETD Archive

Biogeographic patterns were investigated within a single species and among its congenerics. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) were characterized by portions of the cytochrome b gene and the control region although bass in Lake Erie were also evaluated using eight nDNA microsatellites. Overall, little population structure was observed among sites in Lake Erie which was surprising given that most male smallmouth bass exhibit nest site fidelity. But, these lake bass were divergent from bass residing in nearby tributaries indicating that lacustrine bass are reproductively isolated from riverine bass even though both groups may spawn in the same rivers. Adjacent riverine populations …


Quadrupole Magnetic Field-Flow Fractionation;A Novel Technique For The Characterization Of Magnetic Particles, Francesca Carpino Jan 2008

Quadrupole Magnetic Field-Flow Fractionation;A Novel Technique For The Characterization Of Magnetic Particles, Francesca Carpino

ETD Archive

In the last few decades, the development and use of nanotechnology has become of increasing importance. Magnetic nanoparticles, because of their unique properties, have been employed in many different areas of application. They are generally made of a core of magnetic material coated with some other material to stabilize them and to help disperse them in suspension. The unique feature of magnetic nanoparticles is their response to a magnetic field. They are generally superparamagnetic, in which case they become magnetized only in a magnetic field and lose their magnetization when the field is removed. It is this feature that makes …


A Case In Kinase 2 Inhibitor Is A Potent Anti-Cancer Drug Candidate, Alieta Ciocea Jan 2008

A Case In Kinase 2 Inhibitor Is A Potent Anti-Cancer Drug Candidate, Alieta Ciocea

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Cancer is so widespread and lethal that it can be considered the biggest health problem of our century. Cancer drug development is a real challenge. Efforts outlined in this work were directed towards showing solid evidence that casein kinase 2 inhibitors can be used as a starting point for the development of potential cancer therapy. We first studied the effect of a specific CK2 inhibitor, DMAT, in a malignant megakaryoblastic leukemia cell line (MEG-01). Treated cells grew at a significantly lower rate than non-treated cells. Apoptosis was induced by DMAT in MEG-01 cells, dose and time dependent. When stimulated with …


Inhibition Of The Nf-Kb Signaling Pathway And Its Effects On Apoptosis And Cancer, Joseph A. Lupica Jan 2008

Inhibition Of The Nf-Kb Signaling Pathway And Its Effects On Apoptosis And Cancer, Joseph A. Lupica

ETD Archive

The Rel/NF-kB family of inducible transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved structurally and functionally, from insects to humans. They are ubiquitously expressed in a number of mature cell types, playing a pivotal role regulating cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Under normal circumstances, the proliferation of new cells is tightly regulated, as is the programmed lifespan of most cells, occasionally however cells loose their responsiveness to growth control mechanisms, resulting in a tumor or neoplasm. Sustained or chronic inflammation has been linked to a number of pathological conditions that destroy tissue and facilitate neoplastic growth. NF-kB in part mediates the opposing signals …


Modeling The Human Prothrombinase Complex Components, Tivadar Orban Jan 2008

Modeling The Human Prothrombinase Complex Components, Tivadar Orban

ETD Archive

Thrombin generation is the culminating stage of the blood coagulation process. Thrombin is obtained from prothrombin (the substrate) in a reaction catalyzed by the prothrombinase complex (the enzyme). The prothrombinase complex is composed of factor Xa (the enzyme), factor Va (the cofactor) associated in the presence of calcium ions on a negatively charged cell membrane. Factor Xa, alone, can activate prothrombin to thrombin however, the rate of conversion is not physiologically relevant for survival. Incorporation of factor Va into prothrombinase accelerates the rate of prothrombinase activity by 300,000-fold, and provides the physiological pathway of thrombin generation. The long-term goal of …