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Functions Of Drosophila Hp1 Proteins In Transcriptional Regulation, John Schoelz Jan 2021

Functions Of Drosophila Hp1 Proteins In Transcriptional Regulation, John Schoelz

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The Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) family are a group of non-histone chromosomal proteins with functions in many essential DNA processes. The HP1 family is highly conserved, and many eukaryotic genomes contain multiple HP1 genes. Individual paralogs specialize in specific functions, although they do have overlapping roles in some processes. In Drosophila, there are three HP1 paralogs expressed in somatic cells: HP1a, HP1B and HP1C. All three of these proteins have previously been implicated in both the positive and negative regulation of transcription. Furthermore, the three proteins share binding sites and colocalize broadly throughout the Drosophila genome. Here, we investigate individual …


Effeccts Of Hiv-1 Tat On Tspo, A Biomarker Of Neuroinflammation, Nguyen Thuy Nhu Nguyen Jan 2021

Effeccts Of Hiv-1 Tat On Tspo, A Biomarker Of Neuroinflammation, Nguyen Thuy Nhu Nguyen

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HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) produces serious neurological dysfunction for > 50% of people living with HIV (PLWH). As antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV into a chronic disease, and since most ART does not effectively cross the blood brain barrier, HAND is predicted to further increase in prevalence in PLWH. The HIV-Trans-Activator of Transcription (Tat) is known to persist in the central nervous system (CNS) of chronically infected HIV+ individuals. In several preclinical studies, HIV-Tat has been shown to be neurotoxic and important for HIV pathogenesis. Translocator protein (TSPO), an 18 kDa mitochondrial protein, has been shown to be increased via …


Characterization Of Cellular And Viral Factors That Define The Stability Of The Latent Hiv-1 Reservoir, Eric Carlin Jan 2021

Characterization Of Cellular And Viral Factors That Define The Stability Of The Latent Hiv-1 Reservoir, Eric Carlin

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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a chronic viral illness that requires lifelong management due to the early formation of a latent viral reservoir within the patient’s CD4+ T cells. These latent infection events lay dormant within infected cells and reactivate stochastically or during periods of T cell activation presenting a major hurdle to the development of an HIV cure. As our understanding of the factors that contribute to HIV latency has evolved, we have started to appreciate latency as more than a chromatin regulation phenotype, due to the vast number of cellular factors that have been described to impact …


Model Invariant Visual Tracking Using Deep Learning Of Trajectories, Pravinkumar G. Kandhare Jan 2021

Model Invariant Visual Tracking Using Deep Learning Of Trajectories, Pravinkumar G. Kandhare

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A target tracking is a well-known computer vision problem due to its wide range of applications in industrial and biomedical domains, such as traffic planning and management, surveillance, robotics, economics, human-computer interaction prediction, and electrode tracking for surgical planning. A significant amount of research has been done to tackle the problem. However, it is still challenging to design a robust tracking system that can provide solutions for many real-world tracking applications and prediction. Most of the proposed tracking solutions are complex due to many model parameters. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to develop predictors and trackers that would …


Understanding The Role Of Biomechanics In Ovarian Cancer Biology, Alba Martinez Diaz Jan 2021

Understanding The Role Of Biomechanics In Ovarian Cancer Biology, Alba Martinez Diaz

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Mechanical forces including compression, tension, and shear stress are increasingly implicated as instigators of tumor progression. Understanding how mechanobiology drives ovarian cancer is critical to identifying potential therapies. The effect of shear stress is beginning to be studied in ovarian cancer due to the presence of ascites in the peritoneal cavity that prompts tumor cells detachment and implantation in secondary sites. Therefore, mechanical cues are present within the peritoneal cavity. A growing ovarian tumor mass also experiences compressive and tensile forces, although their participation in tumor progression still remains unclear. Additionally, there is a specific lack of incorporation of mechanobiology …


Dynamic Biomechanical Characteristics Of The Optic Nerve Head By Oct Imaging, Jihee Kim Jan 2021

Dynamic Biomechanical Characteristics Of The Optic Nerve Head By Oct Imaging, Jihee Kim

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Approximately 80 million people in the world were estimated to suffer from glaucoma in 2020. To date, lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only clinical treatment to delay or prevent the development and progression of glaucomatous vision loss. However, many glaucoma patients have IOP in the normal range, while some people with abnormally high pressure do not develop neuropathy. This indicates that biomechanical responses of the optic nerve head (ONH) to changes in IOP can vary significantly among individuals. This study investigated acute IOP-induced compliance in the ONH via SDOCT imaging, using computer vision, and deep learning networks to improve …


A Novel In Vitro Model To Study Immune Interactions In Glioblastoma, Hasan Alrefai Jan 2021

A Novel In Vitro Model To Study Immune Interactions In Glioblastoma, Hasan Alrefai

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults. Despite decades of research, GBM has a median survival of approximately 14 months, necessitating the development of novel GBM therapeutics. The drug-development process has been hindered due to the lack of high-fidelity pre-clinical models. While in-vitro models of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) present an interesting approach to modeling GBM, they typically fail to incorporate the non-cancerous cells that support tumor growth and progression. Others have attempted to address this problem by using techniques such as 3D bioprinting to incorporate astrocytes and macrophages in an extracellular matrix; however, they …


Cultivating Experiences Of Latina Teachers In The Deep South Through Latinx Young Adult Literature: Cuentos, Consejos, Y Testimonios, Vanessa E. Vega Jan 2021

Cultivating Experiences Of Latina Teachers In The Deep South Through Latinx Young Adult Literature: Cuentos, Consejos, Y Testimonios, Vanessa E. Vega

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This narrative ethnographic research study focused on the personal and schooling stories and counter-stories of three Latina teachers living and teaching in the Deep South. Using three contemporary young adult literature texts written by Latina authors, this three-month short term narrative ethnographic study sought to explore the lived experiences of three Latina teachers in the Deep South by way of testimonios (Espino, Munoz, and Kiyama, 2010) imbued with muxerista portraiture (Flores, 2017). The theoretical frameworks of LatCrit in education (Solorzano & Yosso, 2001) and Chicana/Latina Feminism guided every aspect of this study, which occurred during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Both …


Effects Of Chemical Dispersant (Corexit® Ec9500a) On Gill Structure And Function, And The Associated Crustacean Hyperglycemic Hormone Mediated Stress Response In The Blue Crab (Callinectus Sapidus), Amanda Christine Weiner Jan 2021

Effects Of Chemical Dispersant (Corexit® Ec9500a) On Gill Structure And Function, And The Associated Crustacean Hyperglycemic Hormone Mediated Stress Response In The Blue Crab (Callinectus Sapidus), Amanda Christine Weiner

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Chemical dispersants are fast becoming the most widely used tool in the remediation of spilled oil. The sheer magnitude of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill necessitated the use of multiple forms of remediation at scales never attempted. As a result, there is a critical need to understand how the spill and ensuing cleanup efforts impacted the surrounding ecosystem and its inhabitants. The goal of this research is to better understand the impact of the chemical dispersant (Corexit®EC9500A) on a key ecological and economic species, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), in the Gulf of Mexico. The first part of my dissertation …


Polymeric Vesicles: Design, Synthesis And Characterization, Yiming Yang Jan 2021

Polymeric Vesicles: Design, Synthesis And Characterization, Yiming Yang

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Synthetic nanovesicles, known as liposomes, are assembled from synthetic lipids as encapsulation devices for delivery of small molecules and are now a key component of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Due to their similarity to a cell membrane, liposomes also find use in anticancer treatment to reduce toxic side effects of chemotherapy. However, synthetic liposomes may require a multi-step synthesis, and very often show poor physical and chemical stability. In contrast, polymeric vesicles (polymersomes) assembled from synthetic polymers can boast much better mechanical and chemical stabilities and provide stimuli responsiveness that can enhance targeted drug delivery and provide drug release on-demand. Polymersomes …


Biological Pathways And Processes Underlying The Cardiac Regenerative Response Post-Injury In Small And Large Mammals, Eric Yang Zhang Jan 2021

Biological Pathways And Processes Underlying The Cardiac Regenerative Response Post-Injury In Small And Large Mammals, Eric Yang Zhang

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Mammalian cardiomyocytes exit the cell-cycle shortly after birth. Consequently, the adult heart is unable to properly compensate for cardiac muscle lost to injury. As such, heart failure has remained the leading cause of death in the developed world for more than three decades. In this work, we illustrate our findings in using novel in-vivo animal models to examine two regenerative phenomena observed following myocardial injury:i.) neonate cardiomyocyte proliferation in large mammals ii.) the ‘paracrine effect’ as mediated by mesenchymal stromal cells In i.) we use a large animal model of myocardial injury during the early postnatal develop-mental stage to establish …


Aerodynamic Analysis Of Utility Truck Safety In Severe Environments, Haibo Zhu Jan 2021

Aerodynamic Analysis Of Utility Truck Safety In Severe Environments, Haibo Zhu

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In the present study, the stability of utility trucks under strong wind conditions is analyzed. Since the lateral area of trucks is larger than that of ordinary vehicles, the impact of crosswind on trucks is the most serious. Therefore, the main consideration was to simulate the impact of crosswind conditions on the truck. The research direction of crosswinds affecting the performance of utility trucks can be divided into two major aspects: one is to consider crosswind aerodynamics, and the other is to test crosswind stability. In order to study the crosswind aerodynamics of the truck, the influence of the change …


Midpalatal Suture Maturation Stage Evaluation In Young Adults, Anna Maria Betlej Jan 2021

Midpalatal Suture Maturation Stage Evaluation In Young Adults, Anna Maria Betlej

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Rapid palatal expansion (RPE) is a gold standard treatment for posterior unilateral and bilateral crossbites or limited buccal overjet in patients with constricted maxilla. Midpalatal suture fusion is a limitation for obtaining the skeletal results and avoiding dental side effects. It is generally believed that midpalatal suture interlock increases significantly after the pubertal growth spurt. However, in the literature there are reported cases of successful midpalatal suture split in older adults. Individual cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) assessment of midpalatal suture maturation was proposed by Angelieri et al. Since RPE treatment approach is commonly used it is important to understand the …


Stress And Neuropeptide Y: Hippocampal Crossroads, Mariana Andrea Cortes Jan 2021

Stress And Neuropeptide Y: Hippocampal Crossroads, Mariana Andrea Cortes

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Anxiety disorders are the most common neuropsychiatric disorders diagnosed in adolescence and adulthood. While most animal models of trauma and stress-related disorders are performed in adults, and clinical trials for the treatment of these disorders typically include adult patients, there is a gap in knowledge for understanding how traumatic disorders develop in adolescence. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an endogenous peptide that provides anxiolytic benefits, and promotes feeding, arousal, and reduces inflammation. While being reduced in patients with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), animal models using NPY injections directly in to hippocampus have found it to be sufficient for blocking …


Use-Dependent, Post-Critical Period Structural Plasticity In Primary Visual Cortex Following Central Vision Loss, Matthew Defenderfer Jan 2021

Use-Dependent, Post-Critical Period Structural Plasticity In Primary Visual Cortex Following Central Vision Loss, Matthew Defenderfer

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To facilitate learning throughout life, the adult brain must be capable of change, known as neuroplasticity. While evidence for adult structural plasticity in primary visual cortex (V1) exists, the relationship between plasticity and amount of use of a cortical region is not fully understood. Here, I use macular degeneration (MD) to model adult cortical plasticity. Macular degeneration causes loss of central vision, and patients learn to use a portion of peripheral vision called the preferred retinal locus (PRL) as a replacement for the fovea. The PRL is used more often than other usable areas of peripheral vision for daily tasks. …


The Hocl Response Of Escherichia Coli., Rhea Marie Derke Jan 2021

The Hocl Response Of Escherichia Coli., Rhea Marie Derke

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Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), like Chron’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affect millions of people worldwide. There are limited treatment options available for these diseases because their direct causes are unknown. IBDs are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and changes in the composition of the gut microbiome. Enterobacteria, including Escherichia coli, bloom to high levels in the gut during inflammation and contribute to the pathology of IBDs. E. coli must tolerate high levels of antimicrobial compounds produced by the immune system to survive during persistent inflammation. A large proportion of such compounds are reactive oxygen and reactive chlorine …


Validation Of 2-Methylethcathinone, 3-Methylethcathinone, And 4-Methylethcathinone, Tara Federico Jan 2021

Validation Of 2-Methylethcathinone, 3-Methylethcathinone, And 4-Methylethcathinone, Tara Federico

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Novel psychoactive substances (NPS), also known as designer drugs or legal highs, have been gaining popularity since their emergence in the early 1980s. These manufactured drugs are based on the structure of already popularized drugs, with small structural changes creating new analogues of the drugs. Such is the case for constitutional isomers 2-methylethcathinone (2-MEC), 3-methlyethcathinone (3-MEC), and 4-methlyethcathinone (4-MEC), which differ in only the position of a methyl group on the benzene ring.The ability to separate and differentiate between isomers is an important issue in forensic drug chemistry and toxicology sections, especially if the isomers have different legal statuses. Techniques …


“Her Feeling Had Come Too Late”: Emotion And Time In Virginia Woolf’S Modernism, Madison Frost Jan 2021

“Her Feeling Had Come Too Late”: Emotion And Time In Virginia Woolf’S Modernism, Madison Frost

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Mikhail Bakhtin’s idea of chronotope, or time-space, encompasses the idea that time and space cannot be separated from one another; they are intertwined. This concept of Bahktin’s is seen in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway, and Orlando because of Woolf’s aim to more accurately depict the reality of modern life, something she deems necessary for modern writers in her essay “Modern Fiction.” Woolf makes use of various narrative techniques to experiment with her illustration of everyday life where she focuses heavily on the depiction of time-space through her illustration of consciousness. Woolf is able to add emotion to …


Identifying Novel Therapeutics And Therapeutic Entry Points For The Treatment Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Through Regulation Of Gene Expression, Rylie Maria Hightower Jan 2021

Identifying Novel Therapeutics And Therapeutic Entry Points For The Treatment Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Through Regulation Of Gene Expression, Rylie Maria Hightower

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My graduate research has primarily focused on genetic and epigenetic modifiers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and understanding how those modifiers can be used as novel therapeutic entry points for treatment. A vast array of promising therapeutic strategies is being explored outside the realm of directly targeting dystrophin deficiency. This is primarily due to the lack of successful clinical trials that have demonstrated the ability to benefit a significant number of DMD patients. Here, I have expanded the field’s understanding of using the regulation of gene expression as a way to target dystrophin-deficiency associated pathology through, 1) therapeutic treatment of a …


Local Priming Of Long-Lived Tcf1+ Memory Cd8+ T Cell Responses In The Spleen During Influenza Virus Infection By Lung Derived Migratory Dendritic Cells, Meagan Jenkins Jan 2021

Local Priming Of Long-Lived Tcf1+ Memory Cd8+ T Cell Responses In The Spleen During Influenza Virus Infection By Lung Derived Migratory Dendritic Cells, Meagan Jenkins

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Initiation of CD8+ T cell responses to influenza virus infection requires the trafficking of activated lung-migratory dendritic cells (mDCs) from the lung into the lung-draining mediastinal LN (med-LN). As such, when mDCs are absent from the lungs or are unable to migrate into the med-LN, T cell responses are severely compromised, and the mortality rate increases in mouse models of influenza infection. Importantly, it is generally considered that mDCs die shortly after reaching the med-LN. Thus, the current paradigm suggests that priming of all subsets of influenza-specific CD8+ T cell responses by mDCs takes place solely in the med-LN. Recent …


On The Security And Usability Of New Paradigms Of Web Authentication, Mohammed Jubur Jan 2021

On The Security And Usability Of New Paradigms Of Web Authentication, Mohammed Jubur

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Passwords are widely used by web services to authenticate their users. Unfortunately, passwords suffer from several well-documented security and usability issues. The two of the main techniques to address password problems are password managers and two-factor authentication (2FA), which form the central focus of this dissertation work. In particular, we explore the security and usability of newly proposed and emerging forms of password managers and 2FA systems. We first investigate a “store-less” online password manager that can prevent the leakage of the passwords from the password manager service itself. We also design and evaluate a new 2FA scheme that offers …


Inducible T Cell Costimulator Stabilizes Regulatory T Cell Phenotype And Controls Host-Microbiota Interactions To Reduce Susceptibility To Intestinal Inflammation, Ashley Elizabeth Landuyt Jan 2021

Inducible T Cell Costimulator Stabilizes Regulatory T Cell Phenotype And Controls Host-Microbiota Interactions To Reduce Susceptibility To Intestinal Inflammation, Ashley Elizabeth Landuyt

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Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a loss-of-function mutation in the gene encoding inducible T cell costimulator ligand (ICOSL) as correlating with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The reason for this association was largely unknown. ICOS signals have been implicated in controlling the dynamics of regulatory T (Treg) cells, which are essential to intestinal homeostasis. Compared to WT mice, ICOS-deficient mice possessed fewer Treg cells in the colonic lamina propria (cLP). The deficit in ICOS-deficient Treg cell numbers was attributable to preferential loss of Foxp3 expression. Bisulfite sequencing revealed that ICOS-deficient Treg cells did not demethylate conserved noncoding sequence 2 …


Japonisme And Modernity In Thirty-Six Views Of The Eiffel Tower By Henri Riviere, Yen-Hua Liu Jan 2021

Japonisme And Modernity In Thirty-Six Views Of The Eiffel Tower By Henri Riviere, Yen-Hua Liu

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This thesis examines the intersection of Japonisme and modernity in Henri Rivière’s lithographic album, Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower (1902). While paying homage to Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, Rivière represents thirty-six lithographs of modernized Paris. Rivière’s concept of modernity in the album goes beyond simply depicting the modern cityscape with the recently-built Eiffel Tower. His choice of lithography, usage of photographs, and innovative visual strategies indicate that the album is also a representation of modern life in the last decade of the nineteenth century.Modernity in this album operates on multiple levels. In addition to embodying changing fashions …


Mucus Matters: Mucociliary Physiology In Chronic Lung Diseases, Jacelyn Emily Peabody Lever Jan 2021

Mucus Matters: Mucociliary Physiology In Chronic Lung Diseases, Jacelyn Emily Peabody Lever

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The mucociliary escalator is an innate defense mechanism in the lung comprised of the ciliated, pseudostratified epithelium that lines the conducting airways and the mucus that sits atop the cilia. Mucus traps inhaled particulate matter/pathogens, and the cilia brush works in concert to propel the mucin gel proximally. Therefore, proper mucociliary physiology is critical to maintaining lung health. A metachronal wave propagated across the epithelium can occur when the phase of the ciliary stroke is shifted in time relative to its neighbors. Metachrony has been hypothesized to help overcome the viscoelastic forces required for the propulsion of mucus. Still, its …


Japonisme And Modernity In Thirty-Six Views Of The Eiffel Tower By Henri Riviere, Yen-Hua Liu Jan 2021

Japonisme And Modernity In Thirty-Six Views Of The Eiffel Tower By Henri Riviere, Yen-Hua Liu

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This thesis examines the intersection of Japonisme and modernity in Henri Rivière’s lithographic album, Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower (1902). While paying homage to Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, Rivière represents thirty-six lithographs of modernized Paris. Rivière’s concept of modernity in the album goes beyond simply depicting the modern cityscape with the recently-built Eiffel Tower. His choice of lithography, usage of photographs, and innovative visual strategies indicate that the album is also a representation of modern life in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Modernity in this album operates on multiple levels. In addition to embodying changing …


Omics Discovery For Cardiometabolic Traits In African Americans, Bre Ashanti Minniefield Jan 2021

Omics Discovery For Cardiometabolic Traits In African Americans, Bre Ashanti Minniefield

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Research shows African Americans are more likely to suffer from a chronic disease compared to other American populations. Due to the fact that African Americans are extremely underrepresented within human health research, the potential biological causes of the racial/ethnic differences are not well understood. Some of these health differences may be due to genomic variations within either the mitochondrial genome, nuclear genome, or both. To aid the revolution of inclusive human health research, we examined genomic factors related to cardiometabolic diseases in African Americans.African Americans have the highest prevalence of hypertension compared to all other American populations. With the majority …


Examining The Viability Of Native American Stickball As A Comprehensive Indigenous Peace System, Edison Doyle Pearce Jan 2021

Examining The Viability Of Native American Stickball As A Comprehensive Indigenous Peace System, Edison Doyle Pearce

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This study examines the viability of Native American stickball as a comprehensive peace system developed for the primary purpose of ameliorating hostilities, preventing war, and creating a landscape of peace. Originating as early as the 12th century, Native American stickball is recognized as the oldest field sport in North America. More than a game, stickball is steeped in symbolism and comprised of rich oral histories, elements of fictive kinship alliances, religious connotations, and other prosocial mechanisms designed to create and maintain peace. To determine how the interplay between these various components is adaptive through time, a three-phase research model was …


Sialylation As A Novel Mechanism Of Radiation Resistance In Rectal Cancer, Mary Smithson Jan 2021

Sialylation As A Novel Mechanism Of Radiation Resistance In Rectal Cancer, Mary Smithson

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Locally advanced rectal cancer is treated with chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. Most patients do not have a complete response to chemoradiotherapy, and the resistance mechanisms are poorly understood. We investigated the role of ST6GAL-1 in therapeutic resistance. ST6GAL-1 is a sialytransferase that adds the negatively charged sugar, sialic acid (Sia), to cell surface proteins in the Golgi altering their function. We hypothesized that ST6GAL-1 mediates resistance to chemoradiation in rectal cancer by inhibiting apoptosis. Patient derived xenograft (PDX) and organoid models of rectal cancer as well as rectal cancer cell lines SW837 and SW620 were assessed for ST6GAL-1 protein with …


The Role Of Cd38 In Anti-Tumor Immunity And Tumor Immune Evasion, Panpan Yuan Jan 2021

The Role Of Cd38 In Anti-Tumor Immunity And Tumor Immune Evasion, Panpan Yuan

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CD38 is a multifunctional protein that is expressed in many immune cells, modulating NAD metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress. Recent studies suggest that CD38 is also implicated in tumor immunosuppression. However, the role of CD38 in anti-tumor immunity and tumor immune evasion, and mechanisms involved, are still unclear. We hypothesized that CD38 expression by immune cells constricts T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune responses and promotes tumor cell immune evasion. We investigated whether mice lacking CD38 (CD38-/-) had impaired tumor growth in subcutaneous, intraperitoneal and intravenous syngeneic tumor models. CD38-/- mice showed no difference in subcutaneous B16 melanoma tumor growth and pulmonary …


Experience-Dependent Plasticitiy Of Functional Connectivity In Human Visual Cortex Following Central Vision Loss, Leland Lanelle Fleming Jan 2021

Experience-Dependent Plasticitiy Of Functional Connectivity In Human Visual Cortex Following Central Vision Loss, Leland Lanelle Fleming

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The human brain is shaped by a dynamic interplay between innate factors and life experiences. Neuroscience has long grappled with understanding this relationship, particularly with regard to how changes in experience impact the brain during adulthood. This question is especially important in the context of macular degeneration, a disease that causes significant visual impairment and drastically alters day-to-day visual experiences for individuals afflicted by the disease. Specifically, people with macular degeneration lose the ability to use vision in the center of the visual field, the region of the retina with the highest spatial resolution. Subsequently, these individuals must rely on …