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Stat5b And Stat5 Tetramers Are Essential For Ige-Mediated Mast Cell Function, Kasalina N. Kiwanuka

Theses and Dissertations

Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs) are latent transcription factors that mediate several cellular responses. This protein family consists of seven members, STAT1 – 6 including two closely related molecules, STAT5a and STAT5b, that show 96% amino acid sequence homology and are critical for lymphoid, myeloid and erythroid cell development and function. Activated STAT proteins dimerize and translocate to the nucleus, where they bind to high-affinity DNA motifs to modulate gene expression. We recently identified STAT5b as the critical regulator of IgE-mediated cytokine production in mast cells. STAT5b knockout (KO) cells show decreased sensitivity to IgE-mediated passive systemic anaphylaxis …

Phenotypic Characterization Of Pnpase Mutation And Overexpression In C. Elegans, Brian J. Hur

Theses and Dissertations

PNPase, polynucleotide phosphorylase, is a multifunctional exoribonuclease protein with 3` terminal oligonucleotide polymerase activity. Coded by the PNPT1 gene, the protein is associated with mitochondrial homeostasis and functions as a possible target for cancer therapy. In this study, C. elegans was used to investigate the effect of mutation and overexpression of pnpt-1, the gene that encodes PNPase. It was determined that two specific mutations in pnpt-1 did not affect PNPase expression nor did they produce deleterious phenotypes that affected polycistronic transcript accumulation or ROS production. Creation of a stable overexpression model was achieved through Fusion PCR. However, different transgenic …

Spectral Methods For The Detection And Characterization Of Topologically Associated Domains, Kellen Garrison Cresswell

Theses and Dissertations

The three-dimensional (3D) structure of the genome plays a crucial role in gene expression regulation. Chromatin conformation capture technologies (Hi-C) have revealed that the genome is organized in a hierarchy of topologically associated domains (TADs), sub-TADs, and chromatin loops which is relatively stable across cell-lines and even across species. These TADs dynamically reorganize during development of disease, and exhibit cell- and conditionspecific differences. Identifying such hierarchical structures and how they change between conditions is a critical step in understanding genome regulation and disease development. Despite their importance, there are relatively few tools for identification of TADs and even fewer for …

Electrochemical Separation Of Multivalent Species On A Liquid Bismuth Cathode In Licl-Kcl Eutectic For Used Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing, Michael Woods

Theses and Dissertations

The presence of group I/II fission products (Cs-137, Sr-90, and Ba-137) within molten salt nuclear processes degrades operational efficiencies by contributing to increased radiation levels in the case of material handling processes or to loss of criticality in the case of a reactor. While methods such as zone freezing and ion exchange have been proven for the separation of these fission products in LiCl-KCl salts, they require extra equipment and processing steps. Addition of a liquid metal electrode to molten salt media, such as the electrorefiner of a pyroprocessing scheme or the salt cleaning stage of a molten salt fast …

Testing For Cryptic Diversity And Inference Of Population Structure In The Cosmopolitan Hoplonemertean Emplectonema Gracile (Nemertea), Paul L. Delaney Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Emplectonema gracile (Johnston 1837) is a hoplonemertean of marine intertidal hard-bottom communities and is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Although possessing a planktonic larval stage in its life history, the range of such cosmopolitan marine invertebrate species is often explained by cryptic speciation and anthropogenic transport. The purpose of this study is to test for possible cryptic species using mtDNA markers (COI and 16S rDNA) and to investigate population structure in E. gracile over a portion of its geographic range using mtDNA markers and ddRADseq nuclear SNP data. The results of both phylogenetic- and tree-based species delimitation revealed that E. …

Pharmacological Assessment Of Adjuncts To Enhance Mu-Opioid Receptor Agonist Antinociception In Male Rhesus Monkeys: Does One + One = Three?, Jeremy Cornelissen

Theses and Dissertations

Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists are effective agents for pain management, but are also limited by a number of undesirable effects. One approach to enhance the therapeutic effects and minimize the undesirable effects of MOR agonists may be to combine MOR agonists with an adjunct targeting a different receptor system. This targeted medical approach, known as “combination therapy”, aims to augment the desired effects of the MOR agonist (i.e. antinociception) and/or diminish the undesirable deleterious side effects of the MOR agonist. This dissertation investigated the utility of this approach in an assay of thermal nociception and schedule-controlled responding in male rhesus …

Examining Sleep And Family Functioning In Pediatric Craniopharyngioma Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Nour Al Ghriwati

Theses and Dissertations

Craniopharyngiomas are among the most common brain tumors in children and are associated with greater rates of sleep problems compared to other pediatric cancers. However, research examining sleep among youth with craniopharyngioma has been limited by a reliance on retrospective reports or sleep studies. Families also play a crucial role in children’s adjustment following a pediatric cancer diagnosis, yet remarkably little is known about transactional associations between family functioning and sleep in pediatric cancer. This study examined cross-sectional and daily associations among family functioning, affect, and sleep difficulties for youth with pediatric craniopharyngioma using retrospective reports and ecological momentary assessment …

Molecular Pharmacology Of Non-Phyto-Cannabinoid Approaches For Treatment Of Neuropathic Pain, Nadejda A. Blajkevich

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately twenty million people in United States have some form of peripheral neuropathy. It has been shown that the CB₂ cannabinoid receptor is upregulated when there is peripheral nerve injury and activating the CB₂ receptor produces anti-inflammatory effects that translate to a reduction in signs of “neuropathic pain” in animal models. Elevating endogenous cannabinoids by inhibiting degradative enzymes has also been used to reduce neuropathic pain signs in laboratory animal models of pain. We hypothesize that the molecular pharmacology of these two approaches can be leveraged to optimize CB₁/CB₂ activation to improve non-phyto-cannabinoid treatments for …

The Effect Of Quercetin In Periodontal Inflammation, Sara Holden

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine the effect of Quercetin, a plant based over the counter flavonoid, on periodontal inflammation in a murine model of periodontitis.

Methods: Periodontitis was induced in age and gender matched mice (C57BL/6) using ligatures on the left side of the maxilla and right side was left un-ligated as baseline control. The animals received daily Quercetin gavage or Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) starting 5 days prior to ligation which continued throughout the experimental protocol. Micro-computed tomography (micro CT) imaging was used to determine alveolar bone loss. Real Time quantitative (qRT) PCR was used to determine level of gingival tissue …

Commonwealth Times 2018-10-31

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2018-10-10

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2018-09-05

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2018-08-22

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Influenza Virus Infection In A Host: Consideration Of Semi-Infectious Particles, Alex P. Farrell, Ruian Ke

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Modeling Of Nutrient Signaling And Growth In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Amogh P. Jalihal, Pavel Kraikivski, T.M. Murali, John J. Tyson

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Social Experience Affects Decision Making And Learning: Empirical And Computational Analysis, Sungwoo Ahn

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Spatial Modeling Of In-Vivo Viral Infection With Interferon Response, Gary M. Lavigne Jr

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Nonlinearities In Prey Growth, Size-Dependent Predation Risk, And Functional Responses: Understanding The Effects Of Multiple Predators On A Shared Prey Using Agent-Based Models, Russell Dixon, Jeremy Wojdak

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Generation Of Nonlinear-Differential-Equations System From A Model Of Boolean Relationships In Arabidopsis Salt Stress Network, Renee Dale

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Inference And Control In Regulatory Genomics, Siddharth Sharma

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Biology Education - Resources To Change Your Students From Math-Anxious To Math-Curious, Jeremy Wojdak

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Critical Parameters In A Computational Model Of Tgf-Beta-Induced Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition., Mario J. Mendez, Seth H. Weinberg

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Predicting Critical Transitions In Spatially Distributed Populations With Cubical Homology, Laura Storch, Sarah Day

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Metastasis Suppression By The Primary Tumor: A Natural Law, Leonid Hanin

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Two Phase Model To Study The Correlation Between Brain Tumor Growth Rate And The Formation Of Peritumoral Edema, Inmaculada Sorribes, Helen Byrne, Nicholas Moore, Harsh Jain

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

The Diverse Effects Of Gm-Csf On Granulocyte-Monocyte Progenitor Cell Differentiation: Mechanisms Of Action, Bronson Weston, Liwu Li, John Tyson

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Effects Of Neutrophil Memory On Migration Patterns Using Microfluidic Platforms And Ode Modeling Of The Mechanistic Molecular Pathways, Brittany P. Boribong, Mark J. Lenzi, Mirjam Sarah Kadelka, Stanca Ciupe, Liwu Li, Caroline N. Jonea

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Species Coexistence In The Face Of Uncertainty, Sebastian Schreiber

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Elucidating The Action Of A Regulatory Lipid Ligand Via Molecular Simulation: Cholesterol Swarms And The Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel, Belinda Akpa, Nicolas Barbera, Irena Levitan

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Geometric Analysis Of Synchronization In Neuronal Networks With Global Inhibition And Coupling Delays, Hwayeon Ryu, Sue Ann Campbell

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.