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Novel Methods For Establishing The Capacity For Nociception And Cognition In The Zebrafish Danio Rerio, Chris Taylor
Novel Methods For Establishing The Capacity For Nociception And Cognition In The Zebrafish Danio Rerio, Chris Taylor
All ETDs from UAB
Here we demonstrate the utility of a zebrafish-based model of nociception to serve as a novel screening tool for analgesic drugs. Zebrafish swimming behavior was measured following administration of various algogens used in rodent research. All compounds reduce distance traveled, thought to be an expression of nociception. Furthermore, we undertook to investigate the contribution of sex and feeding history on the acetic acid-evoked nociceptive response in zebrafish. Data suggest that male fish were more sensitive to pain than females, and that females recovered from pain faster than males. Dietary restriction increased pain sensitivity in zebrafish. We then tested the viability …
Nutrition Transition And Ses As A Fundamental Cause: An Integrative Approach To Examine Weight Status Among Women In Nepal, Sanjeev Acharya
Nutrition Transition And Ses As A Fundamental Cause: An Integrative Approach To Examine Weight Status Among Women In Nepal, Sanjeev Acharya
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The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in developing countries is a public health problem. Globally and in Nepal, women have higher burden of overweight and obesity. Over the recent years, Nepal has made progress in human development and is also experiencing nutrition transition. In this context, the goal of this study is to investigate the change in association between socioeconomic status (SES) and body weight over time, examine whether SES – body mass index (BMI) varies across region and occupation, and test for the double burden of malnutrition among adult women. Using a novel framework that integrates nutrition transition …
Neural And Neuropsychological Correlates Of Driving In Autism And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Haley Bednarz
Neural And Neuropsychological Correlates Of Driving In Autism And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Haley Bednarz
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Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and with attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) commonly exhibit difficulty with driving. Understanding the neuropsychological factors that contribute to driving difficulty can inform designing effective training programs for these groups. The overarching goal of the current project was to examine how core sociocognitive deficits of ASD and of ADHD (specifically executive functioning (EF) and theory of mind (ToM)) relate to driving behavior among licensed drivers. To comprehensively investigate this question, we employed a multipronged approach involving three modalities of measurement: 1) driving performance in a driving simulator, 2) comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, and 3) neural response …
Genome-Wide Mirna Regulation Of Stress Susceptibility Across The Brain In A Rodent Model Of Early Life Stress, Lauren Alexis Allen Mckibben
Genome-Wide Mirna Regulation Of Stress Susceptibility Across The Brain In A Rodent Model Of Early Life Stress, Lauren Alexis Allen Mckibben
All ETDs from UAB
Early life stress (ELS) affects a significant portion of the US population in the form of various types of abuse and neglect, as well as household dysfunction and loss of a loved one, among others. Although these experiences happen early in life, they increase risk for mental health disorders, especially major depression (MDD), across the lifespan. MDD is a debilitating psychiatric disorder marked by periods of depressed mood and loss of pleasure in once enjoyable activities. Patients with MDD also report trouble sleeping, unintentional weight loss or gain, feelings of worthlessness, and suicidal ideation. MDD is associated with annual $100 …
Self-Awareness Of Functional Deficits In Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kayla Ann Steward
Self-Awareness Of Functional Deficits In Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment, Kayla Ann Steward
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Performance of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) can become compromised in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Poor self-awareness of deficits, also known as anosognosia, occurs in a substantial minority of those with MCI and varies in extent depending on the domain examined. This dissertation attempts to explain the inter- and intra-patient variability in anosognosia by examining (1) differences in objective IADL performance and self-awareness of functional difficulties between those with amnestic single- (-ASD) and multi-domain (-AMD) MCI, and by examining (2) the neuropsychological and (3) neuroanatomical correlates of anosognosia for IADLs in older adults across a broad …
Religious/Spiritual And Secular Coping Among Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis And Their Caregivers, Christina Marie D'Angelo
Religious/Spiritual And Secular Coping Among Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis And Their Caregivers, Christina Marie D'Angelo
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Cystic fibrosis (CF) – a genetic, progressive disease affecting approximately 30,000 individuals in the United States – has been linked with psychological maladjustment and clinical difficulties among both affected individuals and their caregivers, specifically as the disease progresses and becomes more difficult to treat. Religious/spiritual and secular coping strategies, however, can offset many of the detrimental effects. Yet despite the salient effects that coping can have, aspects of coping among individuals with CF and their caregivers are still largely understudied and poorly understood. In general, less is known about religious/spiritual coping specifically including how it changes across the lifespan, how …
Functionalized Aromatic Organic Scintillators As Tools For Non-Invasive Optogenetics, David French
Functionalized Aromatic Organic Scintillators As Tools For Non-Invasive Optogenetics, David French
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Optogenetics is a growing discipline of neuroscience that attempts to control brain circuits using light. Current techniques involving surgically implanted light-emittingdiodes are highly invasive. This limitation could be avoided by the use of a tissuepenetrative light source, such as x-rays, and a locally applied down-converting material. This work describes the design, optimization, and proof-of-concept application of organic aromatic-based scintillators as non-invasive tools for optogenetics. The first chapter describes the synthesis of 2-anthryl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate copolymers and an evaluation of their use as x-ray induced scintillators (radioluminescence). The 2-anthryl methacrylate monomer and the copolymers all exhibited radioluminescence in the solid state. …
Psychosocial And Physiological Correlates Of Chronic Pain In Persons Living With Hiv, Michael Owens
Psychosocial And Physiological Correlates Of Chronic Pain In Persons Living With Hiv, Michael Owens
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Due to recent advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) who respond well and remain adherent to their medication regimens are achieving “near normal” life expectancies. As a result, HIV is no longer considered a death sentence, but rather a chronic health condition to be managed. However, the longer a person lives with the virus, the more prone to HIV-associated chronic diseases he or she becomes. One particularly important health condition with the potential to significantly and negatively impact quality of life is chronic pain. The prevalence rates of chronic pain in PLWH are estimated to be …
Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Particles: Ph-Sensitive Multilayer Capsules And Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Microsponges, Nirzari Gupta
Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Particles: Ph-Sensitive Multilayer Capsules And Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Microsponges, Nirzari Gupta
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The behavior of stimuli-responsive polymers is often inspired by the desire to mimic nature. Over the years, the development of polymeric systems, which respond to the environment by changing their physical and/or chemical properties, has been increased in biomedical and environmental applications. The demand for fresh water is also growing dramatically. This long-term development in the global water situation is closely connected to the growth of the world population and global climate change. In recent years, the use of nanomaterials in water remediation has increased considerably. In addition, shape and stimuli-responsiveness to size and surface chemistry of micro-engineered delivery carriers …
Stimuli Response In Ph And Temperature-Responsive Hydrogels As Probed By Neutron Reflectivity, William Todd Higgins
Stimuli Response In Ph And Temperature-Responsive Hydrogels As Probed By Neutron Reflectivity, William Todd Higgins
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Polymer materials can be used as platforms to incorporate sensing materials, and increasingly the structure and chemistry of polymer chains is exploited in new and novel way and the unique nanoscale properties are studied. Polymers which can be dissolved in water are particularly interesting as primary components or for modifications in biomaterial applications, as many of them can have variable solubility in response to pH, temperature, or other solution conditions. This can allow the formation of microcapsules, for example, which can release drug triggered via specific solution conditions to release chemotherapeutic drug; in comparison to traditional injection or slow-release bulk …
Diagnosis And Screening Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Clinical Populations, Jenna Brooke Lebersfeld
Diagnosis And Screening Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Clinical Populations, Jenna Brooke Lebersfeld
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Screening and diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are crucial for these individuals to receive appropriate ASD-focused intervention as early as possible. Using ASD-specific strategies in early intervention leads to improvement across skill areas. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R) are two gold-standard diagnostic instruments used in comprehensive ASD evaluations. These measures have high accuracy in research settings, but evidence of accuracy in clinical settings is less robust. They also require significant training and expertise to administer, and comprehensive ASD evaluations are in high demand. Therefore, it is important …
Pathogen Manipulation Of Arabidopsis Interaction Networks, Timothy Howton
Pathogen Manipulation Of Arabidopsis Interaction Networks, Timothy Howton
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Under normal conditions, plants devote resources for growth, development, and reproduction. These processes require finely tuned coordination between multiple physio logical pathways. In this dissertation, we explore the connectivity of these pathways as well as what happens when the plant is challenged by biotic stress such as a bacterial pathogen. We are able to use network biology approaches in conjunction with yeast two hybrid and BiFC assays to construct a network of leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases. Furthermore, we elucidated novel effector-host interactions through the aforementioned network. Lastly, we explored the role of the glyoxylate cycle, in particular peroxisomal citrate synthase …
Single Cell Proteins Affect Growth Performance And Body Composition Of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus Vannamei, Yuan Yuan
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The globally growing human population has increased the needs for protein based food. Single cell proteins (SCPs) as unconventional protein source, when coupled to aq-uaculture production, offer a means to ensure future protein needs can be met. To demon-strate a given type of SCP has potential as a protein source for use in aquaculture feed; a number of investigations are needed including demonstrating that the SCP is attractable and accepted by the animals, leads to equivalent survival, growth and nutritional compo-sition. This dissertation represents a series of investigations designed to evaluate the fea-sibility of using a bacterial based (MRD-Pro) and …
The Effect Of Visual Training On The Attention System And Visual Cortex, Mandy Kathleen Biles
The Effect Of Visual Training On The Attention System And Visual Cortex, Mandy Kathleen Biles
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There are many contexts in which experience causes lasting changes in behavior that improve our ability to respond to our environment. Such improvements in performance, sometimes referred to as perceptual learning, are often the result of training and can enhance our ability to effectively respond to our environment. Recently, researchers have sought a more detailed understanding of perceptual learning and worked to apply these principles to improve perceptual learning in applied domains. In addition to training, another way to improve our perception of the environment is to increase the level of attention paid to features that are useful to us. …
The Ecology Of Arribada Nesting And Early Life-History Events In The Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys Kempii), Amy Bonka
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The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) has a regionalized distribution, occur-ring in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It is unique among sea turtles in that it nests during the daytime, at a single, primary nesting beach, and utilizes synchronized, mass nesting events (termed arribadas). This arribada behavior has been hypothesized to enhance nest and hatchling survival through predator satiation and predator avoidance. The aims of this dissertation research are to investigate the ecology and dynamics of arribada nesting and early life-history events in the Kemp’s ridley. Significant, non-random, location-specific aggregations of …
Parents’ Personal Characteristics In Explaining Perceptions Of Infant Temperament, Logan Boe
Parents’ Personal Characteristics In Explaining Perceptions Of Infant Temperament, Logan Boe
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Although a popular topic in developmental psychology research, straightforward ways to interpret measurements of infant temperament (IT) are lacking. Notably, parental personal characteristics, such as psychological distress and regulatory abilities, and resources available to parents may influence parents’ IT reports. The aims of the current project were to: 1) determine if parental characteristics mediate the association between IT and household income; 2) determine if personal resources available to parents (social support, coping, partner satisfaction) moderate the relationships between parental characteristics and IT; and 3) determine which parental characteristics predict differences between mothers’ and fathers’ IT reports. Prenatally, 201 mothers and …
Symbolic Annihilation, The Politics Of (Mis)Representation, And The Stress And Health Of Millennial Black Women, Chenoia Nicole Bryant
Symbolic Annihilation, The Politics Of (Mis)Representation, And The Stress And Health Of Millennial Black Women, Chenoia Nicole Bryant
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The (mis)representation of Black populations in media has been extensively explored and critiqued by several scholars. From their introduction into media through radio to their visi-bility in television and news, the tropes of Black womanhood have carried over from colo-nialist perspectives to present day. Considering race and gender as cultural structures con-straining Black women through the assignment of stereotypical scripts, it is important to consider how, when and where Black women’s agency enters. Negative racialized and gendered stereotypes are informed by culture at large, but Black women’s agency impacts the interpretation of these (mis)representations, offering space for both conformity and …
Photoexcitation Dynamics In Optimally Doped Lsco Thin Films Under Applied Magnetic Field, Ashlyn Damaris Burch
Photoexcitation Dynamics In Optimally Doped Lsco Thin Films Under Applied Magnetic Field, Ashlyn Damaris Burch
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This thesis will study the photoexcitation dynamics observed in optimally doped La2-xSrxCuO2 (LSCO) thin films while under magnetic field. The high temperature superconducting cuprates display strong spin-fluctuations and appearances of mixed phase regimes that are heavily dependent on their doping levels. This thesis focuses on the optimal Sr doping level x = 0.15. The experimental technique uses femtosecond pulses to probe the normal metallic and superconducting phases in this material while applying external electric and magnetic perturbations. The broadband (0.1 - 10 THz) optical pump-terahertz probe spectrometer that is intended for studying this material was designed at the University of …
Cognitive Factors And Treatment Adherence In Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis, Benjamin Edwin Burgess
Cognitive Factors And Treatment Adherence In Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis, Benjamin Edwin Burgess
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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening chronic illness which requires adherence to a many complex and time-consuming treatments. Adherence is suboptimal in this population. Thus, it is important to consider predictors of treatment adherence. Research has evaluated a number of cognitive factors that are related to adherence in groups with chronic illnesses, including those with CF. The present study considers three factors (health locus of control (HLC), perceived social support, and perceived disease severity) in order to address important gaps in the literature evaluating their relationships with treatment adherence. For each of these factors, the current research is limited by …
Investigating The Efficacy And Parental Impact Of A Novel Community Education Workshop For Caregivers Of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christian Clesi
Investigating The Efficacy And Parental Impact Of A Novel Community Education Workshop For Caregivers Of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christian Clesi
All ETDs from UAB
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that is characterized by impairments in social communication and repetitive behavior patterns that currently affects one in fifty-four individuals. Individuals with ASD often experience greater health disparities than the general population related to a lack of services that are available and systemic barriers to accessing care. Alabama’s Regional Autism Network is tasked with serving this population to reduce health disparities and increase health equity. One region within the Network created a psychoeducation program for caregivers and providers of individuals with ASD with the goal of providing evidence-based knowledge, teaching ASD intervention skills, …
Denervation Supersensitivity Of Βeta-Adrenergic Receptors In A Prodromal Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, The Tgf344-Ad Rat, Anthoni Goodman
Denervation Supersensitivity Of Βeta-Adrenergic Receptors In A Prodromal Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, The Tgf344-Ad Rat, Anthoni Goodman
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The central noradrenergic (NA) system is critical for maintenance of attention, behavioral flexibility, spatial navigation, and learning and memory, those cognitive functions lost first in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In fact, the locus coeruleus (LC), the major source of norepinephrine (NE) in brain, is the first site of pathological tau accumulation in human AD associated with axon loss throughout forebrain, including hippocampus. The dentate gyrus (DG) is heavily innervated by LC-NA axons, where released norepinephrine (NE) acts on β adrenergic receptors (ARs) at excitatory synapses from entorhinal cortex (EC) to facilitate long-term synaptic plasticity and memory formation. These synapses show …
Is Ambition Consequential? Exploring The Association Between Depressive Symptomatology And The Educational Expectation Trajectories And Achievements Of Immigrant Youth, Fabrice Stanley Julien
Is Ambition Consequential? Exploring The Association Between Depressive Symptomatology And The Educational Expectation Trajectories And Achievements Of Immigrant Youth, Fabrice Stanley Julien
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Concerning mental health outcomes, immigrant youth are a particularly vulnerable population. The lack of health care access contributes to aggrandized and unmet mental health needs. This research explores how the social positions of immigrant families influence stress exposure and contribute to a worsening of well-being. Past research points to the societal stressors experienced by these young people, as significant predictors of their well-being. But what occurs when the source of stress originates within the home? Specifically, this study examines how stress, educational expectations and academic achievement influence the depressive symptomatology of immigrant youth. Education is a widely recognized predictor of …
Examining The Role Of Neighborhood Quality On The Association Of Mammography Adherence Among Racial/Ethnic Groups, Roman Johnson
Examining The Role Of Neighborhood Quality On The Association Of Mammography Adherence Among Racial/Ethnic Groups, Roman Johnson
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Although several racial/ethnic minority women groups (e.g., Latina, Black, Asian-American, and Native-American women) have lower breast cancer incidence than white women, they are more likely to die from breast cancer. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is racial/ethnic differences in mammography use. Mammography has been shown to contribute to the discovery of tumor proliferation earlier which translates to less breast cancer complications like greater risk of breast cancer-related mortality. Previous studies on racial/ethnic differences in mammography adherence (e.g., annual and biannual mammography adherence) have been inconclusive, and they generally overlook important contextual factors, namely neighborhood quality and geographic location (e.g., …
Neurobiological Signatures Of Treatment Response – A Multi-Modal Study In Schizophrenia, Eric A. Nelson
Neurobiological Signatures Of Treatment Response – A Multi-Modal Study In Schizophrenia, Eric A. Nelson
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Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous mental illness and even though it has been studied for over a century, the neuropathology of the disease is still not fully under-stood. Only 1/3 of patients respond well to antipsychotic drug (APD) treatment while another 1/3 show only a partial response and yet another 1/3 of patients are non-responsive, exhibiting little to no change in positive symptoms and a general reduction in quality of life. In order to develop treatments that better serve non-responding and partial re-sponse patients, a greater understanding of APD neuromechanisms is needed. In order to provide a more comprehensive assessment of …
Investigating Growth-Related Hormones And Their Roles In Metabolism In Fish Skeletal Muscle, Ross Michael Lee Reid
Investigating Growth-Related Hormones And Their Roles In Metabolism In Fish Skeletal Muscle, Ross Michael Lee Reid
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The endocrine system is essential for the maintenance and regulation of skeletal muscle growth and metabolic processes, as secretions of growth-related hormones directly regulate these systems. The roles of these growth-related hormones are well understood in mammals yet are not well defined in teleosts. Thus, the work outlined in these chapters provides novel insight for the actions of two growth-related hormones, Growth Hormone (GH) and Teneurin C-terminal Associated Peptide (TCAP), in fish skeletal muscle. First, Chapter 2 highlights the work expanding the application of resazurin as a novel method of in vivo metabolic assessment across fish life-stages, which was utilized …
A Model For Currency Exchange Rates, Sundar Tamang
A Model For Currency Exchange Rates, Sundar Tamang
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Catastrophic economic events like the oil price shock in 1973, the 9/11 event in 2001, the stock market crash in October, 1987, the financial crash of late 2008 and the Covid-19 epidemic impact the US economy without warning, with varying effect, from sharp downturns to actual market crashes. Current economic theory and the associated statistical models are not able to predict these events. The development of predictive models for the US economy needs at the very least prediction models for its major components: commodities, stocks, bonds and currencies. I am going to model the currency exchange rates using a stochastic …
Creatinine Detection Based On Molecularly Imprinted Technique And Luminescence Of Nano-Diamond As A Signal Transducer, Reim Almotiri
Creatinine Detection Based On Molecularly Imprinted Technique And Luminescence Of Nano-Diamond As A Signal Transducer, Reim Almotiri
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Creatinine measurement is an important diagnostic test for assessing kidney health. This work represents our current progress in creatinine artificial sensor based on a molecularly imprinted polymer of polyacrylamide hydrogel and nanodiamonds fluorescence change. For a 0.3 mM creatinine rebinding solution, an imprinting factor of 2.54 was measured. Also, a molecularly imprinted polymer was obtained by incorporating nanodiamond into a creatinine-imprinted polyacrylamide hydrogel. The quenching of peak nanodiamond fluorescence was significantly higher in the creatinine-imprinted polymer compared to the non-imprinted polymer, indicative of higher creatinine affinity in the imprinted polymer. Nanodiamond fluorescence from nitrogen-vacancy color centers (NV- and NV0) was …
Mid-Fusiform Sulcus Anatomy And Its Relationship To Face Processing And Social Functioning In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Carla Ammons
Mid-Fusiform Sulcus Anatomy And Its Relationship To Face Processing And Social Functioning In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Carla Ammons
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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. One of the most consistent findings in ASD is reduced attention to and atypical processing of faces. However, the brain basis of aberrant face processing in ASD remains opaque. A novel neuroanatomical feature, the mid-fusiform sulcus (MFS), is strongly associated with face-selective regions of the fusiform gyrus (FG) as well as other large-scale functional and structural divisions in the ventral temporal cortex (Weiner et al., 2014). However, this feature is unexplored in ASD. The overarching goal of this dissertation …
Comparative Analysis Of The Translocation Kinetics For Clpa’S Atpase Domains 1 & 2, Nathaniel Scull
Comparative Analysis Of The Translocation Kinetics For Clpa’S Atpase Domains 1 & 2, Nathaniel Scull
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ClpA, a Class I AAA+ (ATPases Associated with various cellular Activities) motor, as-sembles into a tiered hexamer containing two AAA+ nucleotide binding domains (NDBs), D1 and D2. These NBDs couple nucleotide triphosphate binding and hydrolysis to mechanical work that drives polypeptide unfolding and translocation. Here we study the kinetic mechanisms of polypeptide translocation at the two domains to elucidate their contributions to the overall wildtype activity of ClpA. We subjected Walker B variants of ClpA that lack ATPase activity in one of the two domains to single-turnover stopped-flow techniques using a new fluorescence anisotropy and total fluorescence method. We found …
Optical And Electrical Characterization Of Transition Metal And Rare-Earth Metal Doped Ii-Vi Semiconductors For Mid-Ir Laser Applications, Ozarfar Gafarov
Optical And Electrical Characterization Of Transition Metal And Rare-Earth Metal Doped Ii-Vi Semiconductors For Mid-Ir Laser Applications, Ozarfar Gafarov
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The middle-infrared (mid-IR) 2-8 μm and long-wavelength-infrared (LWIR) 8-20 μm spectral range enjoys a lot of attention from the scientific, medical, and industrial communities. A number of applications such as spectroscopy, medical diagnosis, surgical procedures, materials processing, remote detection of organic compounds, free-space-communication, and many others are possible. Transition metal (TM) doped II-VI semiconductors are the materials of choice for accessing the mid-IR. The II-VI host materials feature broad infrared transparency, low phonon frequency, and low optical losses. When doped with TM ions, these media exhibit a four-level energy structure, the absence of excited state absorption, and broad absorption and …