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Plasticity Characteristics Of Cxcr5+ Cd4+ T Memory Cells And Cxcr5- Non-Tfh Memory Cells, Ching-En Lee Jan 2023

Plasticity Characteristics Of Cxcr5+ Cd4+ T Memory Cells And Cxcr5- Non-Tfh Memory Cells, Ching-En Lee

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iv ability to differentiate into CXCR5- and CXCR5+ effector cells between the CCR7- and CCR7+ CXCR5+ CD4+ T memory cells, between WT and μMT CXCR5+ CD4+ T memory cells, as well as between Bcl6- and Bcl6+ CXCR5- non-Tfh memory cells. This finding did not support the hypothesis that the heterogeneous characteristics within CXCR5- non-Tfh memory cells and CXCR5+ CD4+ T memory cells significantly affect their abilities to differentiate into CXCR5- and CXCR5+ effector cells during recall responses.

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Genetic And Epigenetic Risk Scores For Chronic Kidney Disease In African Americans, Alana C. Jones Jan 2023

Genetic And Epigenetic Risk Scores For Chronic Kidney Disease In African Americans, Alana C. Jones

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Kidney disease is the tenth-leading cause of death in the United States (US). There are significant racial disparities within kidney disease: African Americans (AAs) have the highest rates of CKD and carry a four-fold higher risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD). They are also less likely to undergo kidney transplants, and among those who do, are more likely to experience graft rejection. Additionally, until 2021, kidney function equations were shown to underestimate the severity of kidney disease in AA due to the use of race coefficients. Among all populations, genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to kidney disease. However, AAs …

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Optimization Of Progranulin Gene Therapy, A Potential Treatment For Frontotemporal Dementia, Shreya Natesh Kashyap Jan 2023

Optimization Of Progranulin Gene Therapy, A Potential Treatment For Frontotemporal Dementia, Shreya Natesh Kashyap

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Heterozygous loss of function mutations in the progranulin gene cause frontotemporal dementia, characterized by deficits in social behavior, language comprehension and motor function. Almost every frontotemporal dementia-related progranulin mutation is loss of function and results in progranulin haploinsufficiency. For this reason, progranulin replacement is a conceptually straightforward therapeutic strategy for patients with frontotemporal dementia caused by progranulin mutations. Here, we outline progranulin biology, progranulin deficient mouse models of frontotemporal dementia and preclinical interventions centered around increasing brain progranulin levels. We have demonstrated that blocking the progranulin C-terminus, which harbors the sortilin binding site, improves the cross-correctional capacity of neurotropic progranulin …

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Molecular Influences Of Racial Disparities In Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, Brendon Herring Jan 2023

Molecular Influences Of Racial Disparities In Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, Brendon Herring

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Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs) are highly heterogeneous neoplasms arising from the hormone-secreting cells of the endocrine pancreas. PNETs are broadly categorized as functional and non-functional based on the presence of symptoms associated with hormone secretion, which occurs in approximately 30% of cases. While functional tumors are all considered for resection because of these symptoms and their associated sequelae, non-functional tumors > 2cm are currently resected based on increased risk of developing metastatic disease. However, this criterion is based on data from predominantly White patients. Recent studies have shown that Black patients have much higher rates of lymph node metastatic disease at …

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Investigating Scientific Self-Concept In The General Chemistry Laboratory While Performing Course-Based Undergraduate Research Throughout A Pandemic, Josh Forakis Jan 2023

Investigating Scientific Self-Concept In The General Chemistry Laboratory While Performing Course-Based Undergraduate Research Throughout A Pandemic, Josh Forakis

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Climate change, waste management crises, and global pandemics emphasize the need for a thriving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, and one of the jobs of STEM educators is to provide meaningful educational experiences that engage STEM students in scientific practices, broaden their worldview, and prepare them for a future career in the scientific field. Undergraduate research experiences have been shown to benefit STEM students, but few students can participate, especially at early stages in their undergraduate studies. To broaden participation in undergraduate research, an honors general chemistry laboratory course was converted into a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) …

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Inkjet-Printed Reseroir Computing Network For In Situ Sensor Predictions, Steven D. Gardner Jan 2023

Inkjet-Printed Reseroir Computing Network For In Situ Sensor Predictions, Steven D. Gardner

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The technological achievements made with silicon-based transistors have led to nearly all the computing seen today, complete with benefits such as maximized operating speeds, parallel/tensor processing, minimized power overhead, etc. The silicon electronics industry is foundational to scientific progression with its profound impact on modeling, simulations, and fast/reliable computing. However, silicon-based transistors have evolved to meet their physical limitations and have saturated fields of innovation. New fields in computing outside of silicon-based methods have emerged as exotic materials enter the research domain. The suite of super-performing materials like Graphene, Carbon Nanotubes, and Molybdenum Disulfide have chaotic, non-linear behaviors that make …

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Modular Regulation And Function Of The Polypyrimidine Tract Binding Protein 1 (Ptbp1), Christine Carico Jan 2023

Modular Regulation And Function Of The Polypyrimidine Tract Binding Protein 1 (Ptbp1), Christine Carico

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RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are critical regulators of gene expression as they are responsible for the chaperoning and processing of every nascent RNA transcript. Many studies have investigated mechanisms of specificity of RBP function and have identified factors such as cell-specific expression of RBPs and differential preferences for RNA secondary structure. However, RBPs are often multi-domain proteins that contain repeats of various RNA binding domains (e.g., RNA recognition motif) and little work in the genomic era of transcriptomic interrogation has been done to define the contribution of individual domains to the overall protein function. Polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) …

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Aging With Hiv And Comorbid Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Jun Yeong Byun Jan 2023

Aging With Hiv And Comorbid Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Jun Yeong Byun

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Older adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience a high prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Considering having either HIV or COPD is related to worse health outcomes in older adults, aging with both HIV and COPD may synergistically and negatively affect the health outcomes of older people with HIV (PWH) and comorbid COPD. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the aging of PWH with COPD. This purpose was accomplished through three articles: 1) an adaptation of a gerontological model investigating what is known about the aging of PWH and people with COPD and extrapolating that to …

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Impact Of Streptococcus Parasanguinis-Generated Reactive Nitrogen Species On Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence And The Host Response, Joshua J. Baty Jan 2023

Impact Of Streptococcus Parasanguinis-Generated Reactive Nitrogen Species On Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence And The Host Response, Joshua J. Baty

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Streptococcus parasanguinis is an oral commensal bacterium that produces hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide can react with endogenous molecules such as nitrite to form reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI). These S. parasanguinis-mediated RNI have been shown to inhibit oral pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. As such, S. parasanguinis plays a protective role in the oral microbial ecosystem by antagonizing and preventing colonization by oral pathogens. In addition to being an important organism for the health of the oral cavity, S. parasanguinis has also been associated with improved outcomes for people with cystic fibrosis. There are two explanations …

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Exploring The Regulatory Mechanisms Of Ire1 Signaling In Biotic And Abiotic Stress Responses In Arabidopsis, Taiaba Afrin Jan 2023

Exploring The Regulatory Mechanisms Of Ire1 Signaling In Biotic And Abiotic Stress Responses In Arabidopsis, Taiaba Afrin

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Given their immobility, plants have various survival strategies, including the critical ability to recognize and respond to stressors. Exposure to different environmental and intracellular signals triggers significant modifications in stress response regulators' expression. These changes often occur in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where a rise in protein synthesis can overwhelm the system, accumulating misfolded proteins and activating a mechanism known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR is a complex regulatory network with three primary branches in eukaryotic systems. The IRE1-mediated pathway is the most conserved among UPR signaling branches. In Arabidopsis, IRE1 splices bZIP60 mRNA and produces a functional …

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Gain Of Keratinized Muscosa Around Dental Implants Using A Combination Of Strip Gingival Graft And Acellular Dermal Matrix - A Prospective Case Study, Louai Haddad Jan 2023

Gain Of Keratinized Muscosa Around Dental Implants Using A Combination Of Strip Gingival Graft And Acellular Dermal Matrix - A Prospective Case Study, Louai Haddad

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Several surgical techniques have been described to increase keratinized tissue (KT) around implants and teeth. Despite various methods, the bulk of evidence reported that the use of keratinized autogenous graft (i.e., Free Gingival Grafts (FGG)), harvested from the patient’s palate, remained the gold standard in soft tissue augmentation procedures and provided more predictable results. However, soft tissue autograft supply can be limited, and its harvesting is associated by increased patient morbidity. Several clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of using allogenic soft tissue grafts such as Acellular Dermal Matrix Allograft (ADMA) instead of FGG to augment keratinized tissue (KT). This …

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Pharmacologic Proteasome Activators Ameliorate Alzheimer's-Like Pathology In Ad Fly Models, Mehar Bano Jan 2023

Pharmacologic Proteasome Activators Ameliorate Alzheimer's-Like Pathology In Ad Fly Models, Mehar Bano

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The proteasome is a large multi-subunit protease responsible for the degradation and removal of oxidized, misfolded, and polyubiquitinated proteins. The proteasome plays a critical role in nervous system processes. This includes the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in neurons (1). It also includes synaptic efficacy and plasticity as well as protein turnover, presynaptic vesicle transport, and neuronal protesostasis. Proteasome function is impaired as a consequence of aging, which is aggravated by conditions like Alzheimer's Disease and Related-Dementias (AD, ADRD) (2). According to earlier work from our lab the proteasome is critical to how quickly AD progresses. In Drosophila, human cells, and …

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The Role Of Runx2 And Sp7 In Ameloblast Differentiation And Postnasal Enamel Synthesis, Reem Alhefdhi Jan 2023

The Role Of Runx2 And Sp7 In Ameloblast Differentiation And Postnasal Enamel Synthesis, Reem Alhefdhi

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In mammals, the mineralized tissues include bone, dentin, enamel, and cementum. Runx2 and its downstream target Sp7 are essential transcription factors for the osteoblast differentiation and formation of bone tissue. However, transcription factors that regulate ameloblast differentiation and enamel secretion are less understood. To uncover the role of Runx2 and Sp7 in ameloblasts differentiation and enamel synthesis, we established a colony of Runx2 and Sp7 floxed mice. Both genes were deleted specifically in ameloblasts using K14-Cre transgenic mice. The successful deletion of Runx2 and Sp7 genes in the epithelium, including ameloblasts, was confirmed using Td-Tomato and GFP reporter, respectively. Histological …

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Development And Preliminary Validation Of The Team-Based Learning Student Outcomes Measure (Tbl-Som), Christopher Allen Eidson Jan 2023

Development And Preliminary Validation Of The Team-Based Learning Student Outcomes Measure (Tbl-Som), Christopher Allen Eidson

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Team-based learning (TBL) is an active pedagogical approach that emphasizes individual and team accountability through specific structuring of classroom assignments and course content. It is widely used throughout the world and across all disciplines of study, although use has increased significantly in the last 20 years, particularly in medicine and health-related fields. In 2008, the conceptual model of TBL was proposed to aid in TBL-related scholarship. While there have been scales designed for use with TBL that pertain to student learning outcomes, most of these focus on student perception and satisfaction, and none of these have used the conceptual model …

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Machine Learning And Latent Space Representation Of Optical Responses In Nanostructures And Thin Films, David J. Hoxie Jan 2023

Machine Learning And Latent Space Representation Of Optical Responses In Nanostructures And Thin Films, David J. Hoxie

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The ability to tune optical responses in nanophotonics makes this class of materials useful for a broad range of applications, such as drug delivery systems, molecular sensing, green energy, and telecommunications, to name a few. Optical responses that offer strong resonance at small optical mode volume are often sought, requiring manipulation of many material properties i.e., refractive index and nanostructure shape. Machine learning has recently been employed to optimize photonic elements more efficiently. Machine learning optimization of optical responses suffers from reproducibility and accuracy issues due different nanostructures producing similar optical responses. To increase reliability and accuracy in recent neural …

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The Association Of Cognitive And Physical Functioning With Health And Mortality Outcomes Among Puerto Ricans, Cheyanne Celine Barba Jan 2023

The Association Of Cognitive And Physical Functioning With Health And Mortality Outcomes Among Puerto Ricans, Cheyanne Celine Barba

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Puerto Rico has experienced a rapid increase in the older adult population over the last decade. With a growing older adult population, the importance of healthy aging becomes increasingly more important to understand. Understanding the impact that impairments in cognitive and physical functioning have on older adults in Puerto Rico will be important to supporting the rapidly aging population. The current project proposed to (1) examine predictors of transition to frailty, (2) examine whether cognitive function and frailty are associated with healthcare utilization, and (3) examine frailty and cognitive impairment as predictors of mortality and Alzheimer’s disease related cause of …

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Analytical Methods Using Cardiac Mri To Assess Systolic And Diastolic Ventricular Function, Muhammad Rifqi Aufan Jan 2023

Analytical Methods Using Cardiac Mri To Assess Systolic And Diastolic Ventricular Function, Muhammad Rifqi Aufan

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven invaluable for clinical and research investigations due to its minimal invasiveness and excellent measurement precision and reproducibility. In particular, Cardiac MRI (CMR) is a powerful tool for evaluating anatomical and functional properties of the left ventricle (LV). In this study, two aspects of CMR applications of the LV are investigated: 1) assessment of diastolic function by quantifying LV stiffness index and related properties as a representation of intrinsic myocardium properties in patients with diastolic dysfunction and 2) evaluation of systolic function by relating myocardial strain and LV geometrical configuration with ejection fraction (EF). The …

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Indicators Of The Social Environment And Cognition In An Older Population Of Puerto Rican Adults, Erin E. Ballard Jan 2023

Indicators Of The Social Environment And Cognition In An Older Population Of Puerto Rican Adults, Erin E. Ballard

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Isolation and other indicators of poor social environment have been associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline. Overall evidence for this association is mixed, with most studies being conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (aka “WEIRD”) societies. Religiosity may moderate this relationship between less robust social environments and cognition by buffering the negative effects of stress. The primary aim of this study is to assess the relationship between indicators of the social environment and psychological distress (depressive symptoms) and cognitive decline in a population-based sample of older Puerto Rican adults (n=3,557) across two time-points. Social environment included …

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Analyzing Cannabinoid Stability In Different Conditions And Validating Novel Cannabinoids For Oral Fluid Analysis, Cody Paseur Jan 2023

Analyzing Cannabinoid Stability In Different Conditions And Validating Novel Cannabinoids For Oral Fluid Analysis, Cody Paseur

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Oral fluid (OF) drug testing has been expanded to laboratory evidentiary confirmation testing in driving under the influence (DUI) cases. OF samples are collected by officers at the roadside using collection devices such as the Quantisal® device. Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) was the most prevalent drug in Alabama DUI casework in 2022. Δ9-THC remains a Schedule I drug in Alabama and federally. Current validated targets in cannabinoid oral fluid testing include Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC, 9R-Δ10-THC, 9S-Δ10-THC 11-hydroxy-Δ9-THC (THC-OH), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-THC (THC-OOH), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN). Due to the 2018 Farm Bill, cannabinoids derived from hemp with a Δ9-THC concentration less than …

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Development And Validation Of A Multiplex Str Amplification Reaction For Academic And Research Purposes, Ahana Chatterjee Jan 2023

Development And Validation Of A Multiplex Str Amplification Reaction For Academic And Research Purposes, Ahana Chatterjee

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Short Tandem Repeat (STR) typing has been accepted globally as a gold standard for human identity testing. In 1997, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory’s newly developed Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) consisted of 13 core loci to be targeted while DNA typing. In this context, leading biotechnology companies like Promega (Madison WI), Applied Biosystem/Life Technologies (Foster City, CA) etc. offer commercial STR typing kits for crime laboratories. However, these expensive kits are not the most suitable for academic and research laboratories. Students learning the method of STR typing and researchers showing proof of concept do not require identifying …

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Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of A Bionanomatrix And Antibiotic-Releasing Liposomes On Osseointegration, Vascularization, Inflammation, And Antibacterial Efficacy, Benjamin Kade Estep Jan 2023

Synthesis, Characterization, And Evaluation Of A Bionanomatrix And Antibiotic-Releasing Liposomes On Osseointegration, Vascularization, Inflammation, And Antibacterial Efficacy, Benjamin Kade Estep

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Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses (POP) implants combat the multitude of issues and limitations of contemporary prosthetic sockets/limbs, including range of motion, comfort/fit, irritation, gait, and osseoproprioception. However, POP implants lack long-term clinical success; specifically, several risks exist at the bone-implant interface, including superficial/deep infections, inflammation, poor vascularization, and inadequate osseointegration, resulting in implant loosening over time and ultimately removal of the implant. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate a multifunctional, nitric oxide-releasing bionanomatrix incorporated with antibiotic-releasing liposomes on osseointegration, inflammation, vascularization/angiogenesis, and bacterial infection. We successfully synthesized the bionanomatrix, and the antibiotic-releasing liposomes readily encapsulated the antibiotics. The antibiotic-releasing …

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Accuracy Of Ancestry Estimation In Forensic Anthropology: An Examination Of Select Nonmetric Methods, Mackenzie Miller Jan 2023

Accuracy Of Ancestry Estimation In Forensic Anthropology: An Examination Of Select Nonmetric Methods, Mackenzie Miller

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A goal of forensic anthropology is to aid in identifying unidentified human remains, often by creating a biological profile. An important piece of this profile is an ancestry estimate, and methodological accuracy is taken seriously. Traditional typological nonmetric methods of ancestry are heavily critiqued for being subjective and lacking scientific rigor in analysis. In addition, these methods are noted for conflating morphological traits with specific ancestral categories, ignoring the reality of continuous human variation. To combat this, scholars have proposed morphoscopic nonmetric methods as an alternative because they retain the accessibility popularized by typological methods but add a layer of …

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Increasing Naloxone Access For Persons Who Use Opioids: An Online Recruitment And Training Approach To Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution, Michelle L. Sisson Jan 2023

Increasing Naloxone Access For Persons Who Use Opioids: An Online Recruitment And Training Approach To Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution, Michelle L. Sisson

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Drug overdose is the primary cause of accidental death in the United States, with a majority of those fatalities involving opioids. Annual rates of fatal opioid overdoses have exponentially increased over the past two decades, leading to the declaration of the current opioid epidemic. The severity of the epidemic has increased due to an upsurge in the use of heroin, synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl), and the lacing of other substances with synthetic opioids. As such, federal agencies have made recommendations aimed at combating fatal opioid overdose including the enhancement of naloxone distribution. Administration of naloxone has been expanded from emergency …

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Quantitative Analysis Of The Impact Of Automatically Generated Normal Tissue Contours On Knowledge-Based Planning Model Quality, Samuel Christopher Baker Arnold Jan 2023

Quantitative Analysis Of The Impact Of Automatically Generated Normal Tissue Contours On Knowledge-Based Planning Model Quality, Samuel Christopher Baker Arnold

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While radiotherapy has become one of the primary standards of treatment for cancer in areas such as the brain, treatment plans are limited by the time it takes physicians to contour CT images used for dose distribution calculations. Automation of the contouring process can not only improve the rate of plan formation but establish an improved standard of care. With the development and implementation of knowledge-based planning (KBP) in radiation oncology, information derived from treatment plans provide machine learning models with years of experience to assess and create future treatment plans. Since KBP model quality rely on contouring from training …

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Unveiling The Unknown Rna-Binding Landscape Of Srsf1, Naiduwadura Ivon Upekala De Silva Jan 2023

Unveiling The Unknown Rna-Binding Landscape Of Srsf1, Naiduwadura Ivon Upekala De Silva

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SRSF1 is a prototypical SR protein and its interactions with single stranded RNA (ssRNA) are crucial in mRNA splicing. Its RNA-binding specificity is governed by the RNA-binding Domain (RBD), which contains two RNA Recognition Motifs (RRMs) tethered by a flexible linker. Its C-terminal unstructured Serine-Arginine-rich (RS) domain has been believed to bind RNA non-specifically so far. Although SRSF1 is known to bind a variety of RNA containing its RRM-cognate motifs, its interactions with such RNA have been poorly characterized. Therefore, we explore how SRSF1 achieves a broad RNA-binding specificity ranging from ssRNA to G-quadruplex (GQ) RNA. According to our Fluorescence …

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The Er Stress-Pathogen Nexus In Regulation Of Cell Death In Arabidopsis Immunity, Danish Diwan Jan 2023

The Er Stress-Pathogen Nexus In Regulation Of Cell Death In Arabidopsis Immunity, Danish Diwan

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Pathogens and plants are involved in a coevolutionary battle for dominance. As plants lack adaptive immune systems, they rely on their innate immunity to protect themselves from infectious agents. Upon pathogen attack, plant cells activate their pro-survival strategy by recognizing the pathogen and actively transcribing and translating proteins to effectively defend against the pathogen infection. As the intensity of infection increases, the heightened demand for proteins places an excessive burden on the ER machinery resulting in the accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins within the ER. To restore the protein homeostasis, a cellular relief signaling pathway called Unfolded Protein Response …

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Investigation Of Reversibility And Nucleotide Effects In The Kinetic Mechanisms Of Nucleotide Addition In The Eukaryotic Rna Polymerases, Kaila B. Fuller Jan 2023

Investigation Of Reversibility And Nucleotide Effects In The Kinetic Mechanisms Of Nucleotide Addition In The Eukaryotic Rna Polymerases, Kaila B. Fuller

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Eukaryotes utilize at least three multi-subunit DNA dependent RNA polymerases (Pol I, II, and III) to synthesize RNA. The Pols are similar in structure but have distinct kinetic mechanisms that describe nucleotide addition. The product of Pol I synthesis, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) comprises the majority of the ribosome and is necessary for gene expression. Despite the importance of Pol I transcription in the cell, there is still much to understand about the roles of specific subunits in Pol I and the different factors that affect the kinetic mechanism of nucleotide addition catalyzed by Pol I. Our group has previously published …

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Transdiagnostic Symptom Clusters Among Idiopathic Pain And Fatigue Disorders, Chloe Lisette Jones Jan 2023

Transdiagnostic Symptom Clusters Among Idiopathic Pain And Fatigue Disorders, Chloe Lisette Jones

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Background: There are no established etiologies, biomarkers, or approved treatments for myalgicencephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). It is thought that the ME/CFS criteria may be diagnosing individuals within a spectrum of different disease states, or even different diseases. There likely exist shared mechanisms across idiopathic pain and fatigue disorders, and diverse mechanisms underneath each individual diagnosis. The need to compare ME/CFS to similar, overlapping, and distinct disorders is a critical element in progressing our understanding of idiopathic pain and fatigue. Methods: A total of 2,731 comprehensive medical history and symptom reports were collected from respondents across the globe with a variety …

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The Critical Period Of Long-Term Plasticity In Adult-Born Granule Cells Is Mediated By T-Type Calcium Channels, William Michael Kennedy Jan 2023

The Critical Period Of Long-Term Plasticity In Adult-Born Granule Cells Is Mediated By T-Type Calcium Channels, William Michael Kennedy

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Neurogenesis occurs in the dentate gyrus of adult rodents leading to a heterogeneous population of dentate granule cells (GCs) in the granule cell layer. Adult-born granule cells (abGCs) exhibit a transient period of elevated synaptic plasticity that contributes to their role in dentate gyrus function. Various mechanisms have been proposed to underlie the critical period of plasticity, including minimal GABAergic synaptic inhibition, robust NMDAR2B currents, and high intrinsic excitability conferred by T-type Ca2+ channels. In this collection of work, we investigate the critical period for long-term potentiation (LTP) in 4–6-week-old abGCs. We conclude that GABAergic inhibition regulates LTP in 4-week-old …

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Physiology And Energetics Of Resilient Coral-Dinoflagellate Communities, Elise F. Keister Jan 2023

Physiology And Energetics Of Resilient Coral-Dinoflagellate Communities, Elise F. Keister

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Despite coral reefs declining globally, thermally resilient coral-dinoflagellate communities have been identified, providing insight into how corals can inhabit warmer environments. These corals are able to better resist and recover from thermal stress events compared to adjacent, offshore conspecifics that are found in habitats that have cooler temperatures. To better understand the physiological traits that make corals resilient, I measured the initial tissue biomass and energy reserves of eight coral species. These corals were collected from both warm-water nearshore habitats and offshore reefs with milder temperatures in Palau, Micronesia. Despite contrasting environments, coral tissue similarities between these populations were striking, …

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