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Microarray Analysis Identifies Novel Cholesterol Regulated Genes, Including Pcsk9 Which Regulates Ldl Receptor Function And Ldl Cholesterol Levels, Kara Noelle Maxwell

Student Theses and Dissertations

Precise regulation of cholesterol levels is necessary for survival of individual cells and the normal functioning of multicellular organisms. Many of the genes important in these processes are regulated at a transcriptional level by the sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) and liver X receptors (LXRs). This thesis describes the identification by microarray technology of novel genes in cholesterol metabolism and the characterization of two of these genes. Microarray analysis of the livers of mice fed a low versus high cholesterol diet identified 37 down-regulated and 32 up-regulated genes. Confirmation of these genes and analysis in transgenic and pharmacologically treated …

Nkains: A Novel Family Of Membrane Proteins That Interact With The Na, K-Atpase And Affect Membrane Excitability, Svetlana Gorokhova

Student Theses and Dissertations

A novel family of Na,K-ATPase interacting (NKAIN) proteins was cloned and characterized. These proteins are highly conserved across species and do not resemble any known proteins in the genome. Aside from the conserved transmembrane domains, NKAINs contain no known functional domains. Striking amino acid conservation in the first two transmembrane domains suggests that the function of these proteins is concentrated in the membrane bilayer. NKAIN1, 2, 3 and a splice form of NKAIN4 are brain and testis specific; another splice form of NKAIN4 is expressed ubiquitously. In the central nervous system, NKAINs localize to neurons. The C-terminal tail of NKAIN …

Immunologic Memory To Polysaccharide Antigens, Tetyana V. Obukhanych

Student Theses and Dissertations

Immunologic memory is the ability of the immune system to generate an enhanced antibody response against previously encountered antigens. The clonal selection theory of acquired immunity attributes immunologic memory to the formation of an expanded compartment of quiescent antigen-specific memory B cells that are capable of rapid activation upon secondary antigen encounter. Whereas protein antigens are known to elicit memory B cells, it is not known whether polysaccharide antigens do. Here we report that polysaccharide antigens elicit memory B cells that are phenotypically distinct from those elicited by protein antigens. We show that antigen affinity of the B cell receptor …

Telomere Structure And Shortening In Telomerase-Deficient Trypanosoma Brucei: Implications For Anitgenic Variation, Oliver Dreesen

Student Theses and Dissertations

A variety of parasites persist in their host through sequential expression of variant surface antigens. Intriguingly, the genes encoding these antigens are frequently found adjacent to the telomeres. Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes consisting of tandem DNA repeats and proteins that bind to them. Their function is to protect chromosome ends from the DNA repair machinery that would otherwise recognize them as double-stranded breaks. With the help of the ribonucleoprotein telomerase they compensate for the gradual sequence loss that would otherwise arise from the inability of conventional DNA polymerases to replicate chromosome ends. In Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African …

Integration Of Light And Temperature In The Regulation Of Circadian Gene Expression In Drosophila, Catharine E. Boothroyd

Student Theses and Dissertations

Clocks are aligned to the environment via inputs from both daily light and temperature cycles. Previous molecular and behavioral studies in Drosophila have largely focused on light-dependent regulation of circadian clocks and their outputs. Although light is the strongest and best understood Zeitgeber for the circadian clock, temperature is also an important factor. This thesis aims to understand better the role of temperature on gene expression and behavior in the fly, as well as to examine how information from both light and temperature are integrated by the clock to regulate circadian gene expression. Genome-wide expression profiles of transcripts from wild-type, …

Role Of Laminin Gamma 1 In Cortical Development, Veronique Haegeli

Student Theses and Dissertations

Laminins are a major component of basement membranes, including those in the central nervous system (CNS). To explore the role of laminin γ1, a subunit common to all laminins found within the CNS, we developed a murine model in which laminin γ1 is conditionally disrupted in the nervous system. These mice show cortical developmental abnormalities including undulations in the embryonic cortical plate and resultant adult cortical layers and abnormal positioning of pyramidal neurons and interneurons. We have investigated the mechanisms underlying these abnormalities. Neuronal migration via the establishment of the radial glial scaffold and the Cajal-Retzius cell layer was affected …

Self-Renewal Requirements Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells And Their Engraftment Potential In Mouse Blastocysts, Daylon Jefferson James

Student Theses and Dissertations

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a unique population of cells derived from a 6 day old human embryo that can be maintained indefinitely in vitro and have the ability to differentiate to all adult cell types. In addition to their potential for cell based therapies in the treatment of disease and injury, the broad developmental capacity of hESCs offers potential for studying the origins of all human cell types. Embryonic stem cells were first derived from mouse embryos (mESCs), and years of work have demonstrated their utility to developmental research, but relatively little is known about human ESCs. The …

Dendritic Cells Mediate The Dual Effects Of Ifn Alpha/Beta In Hcv Immunity, Randy Longman

Student Theses and Dissertations

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects an estimated 170 million people and is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Successful resolution of infection is achieved naturally in approximately 30% of infected individuals and correlates with a strong T cell response. Furthermore, treatment with interferon (IFN)α achieves sustained virologic response in approximately 50% of chronically infected individuals. Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), as the most potent antigen presenting cells, and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), as the principal IFNα/β producing cells, serve as potential targets for both immune evasion and therapeutic strategies. In order to evaluate the effects of HCV on DC function, we …

Control Of Chromosome Segregation By The Aurora B Complex, Srinath Cidambi Sampath

Student Theses and Dissertations

Chromosome segregation during cell division requires spindle assembly around M-phase chromatin. In cells lacking centrosomes, such as those found in female meiosis, chromosomes themselves nucleate and stabilize microtubules in order to promote accurate spindle formation. Here we present a description of the composition and function of the vertebrate chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), known to include Incenp, Survivin, and the kinase Aurora B. We report the identification of Dasra A and Dasra B as two new components of the vertebrate CPC, and demonstrate that the CPC is required for chromatin-dependent spindle formation in Xenopus egg extracts. The failure of microtubule stabilization …

The Dual Role Of Oca-B In B Cell Development And Signaling, Rachael Siegel

Student Theses and Dissertations

OCA-B (Oct coactivator from B cells) is a B-cell specific coactivator of transcription that acts in conjunction with the ubiquitously expressed activator, OCT-1 or the B cell-restricted OCT-2. OCT-1 or OCT-2 can bind an upstream octamer element with the consensus sequence 5'-ATGCAAAT-3' in target gene promoters and enhancers. At the octamer element, the OCT-1/2-OCA-B complex is able to regulate gene expression via interaction with the basal transcription machinery. OCA-B was originally identified as a nuclear transcriptional coactivator and then shown to be essential for antigen-driven immune responses, including secondary isotype expression, germinal center formation and BCR dependent proliferation. These defects …

Studies On The Histone Methyltransferase G9a, Srihari Cidambi Sampath

Student Theses and Dissertations

The size and complexity of eukaryotic genomes require that specific mechanisms exist for ensuring both the stability as well as the accessibility of DNA. One such mechanism is the association of DNA with histones to form chromatin, the physiological substrate of gene expression. An important means by which histones impact transcriptional activity is through site-specific enzymatic modification of the amino terminal histone "tails", which can alter the spectrum of chromatin-associated proteins and hence transcriptional states. Among the known modifications of histones, lysine methylation has been proposed to represent a relatively stable mark which might mediate stable activation or repression, depending …

Speculative Non-Fundamental Components In Mature Stock Markets: Do They Exist And Are They Related?, A. (Tassos) G. Malliaris, Ramaprasad Bhar

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Economists have long conjectured that movements in stock prices may involve speculative components, called bubbles. A bubble is defined as the difference between the market value of a security and its fundamental value. The topic of asset bubbles remains controversial because the existence of a bubble is inherently an empirical issue and no satisfactory test has yet been devised to estimate the magnitude of a bubble. This paper proposes a new methodology for testing for the existence of rational bubbles. Unlike previous authors, we treat both the dividend that drives the fundamental part and the nonfundamental process as part of …

Medicine@Yale March/April 2006 Volume 2, Issue 2, Yale School Of Medicine Office Of Communications

Medicine@Yale - development newsletter

Medicine@Yale : advancing biomedical science, education and health care was a print and online newsletter which published news about academics, research and philanthropy for alumni, donors, faculty, students and the general public. It was initially published 6 times a year and then changed to a quarterly schedule. The first issue came out June/Jul. 2005. The final issue was published in May/June 2022, vol. 17, issue 1. Published by Yale School of Medicine, Office of Communications.

Assessing Legal Responses To Prenatal Drug Use: Can Therapeutic Responses Produce More Positive Outcomes Than Punitive Responses, Elizabeth E. Coleman, Monica K. Miller

Journal of Law and Health

Expressing a growing concern for fetal well being, the 2006 Idaho Senate passed legislation that permits criminal charges to be brought against women who abuse illegal drugs while pregnant. This bill allows for the potential incarceration of violators for up to five years, as well as a possible $50,000 fine. In some locations, women have the option of choosing to go to drug court instead of serving time in jail or prison. These drug courts provide drug treatment, case management, drug testing, and supervision, while requiring women who abuse illegal drugs to regularly report to scheduled status hearings before a …

Theory In Practice : Archaeology Field School In Sicily, Julie Edmunds

Honors Capstones

Essentially an examination of Archaeological Theory, this study seeks to illuminate four of the various theoretical approaches to archaeology: Processual, Behavioral, Structuralism, and Marxism. These approaches are evaluated for practical application through student participation in the Sicilian Archaeological Research Project in Salemi Sicily. Students were asked to complete questionnaires to determine the faults and merits of each theory. The students’ perspectives and understanding on Archaeological theory change with the incorporation of hands-on research techniques, resulting in a measured transitional period that can be used to aide in theory understanding for students that may not have the opportunity to study abroad. …

I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means: How Kripke And Wittgenstein's Analysis On Rule Following Undermines Justice Scalia's Textualism And Originalism, Daniel S. Goldberg

Cleveland State Law Review

This Article deals with constitutional hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the art or theory of interpretation. Deciding what the constitutionally appropriate rule is in any given case hinges on what methods any particular judge utilizes to interpret the Constitution. Constitutional hermeneutics, then, is the theory of constitutional interpretation. In this paper, I address a specific constitutional hermeneutic: textualism-originalism. This Article is a critique of the constitutional hermeneutic of textualism-originalism. As such, my thesis is that the model of interpretation embodied by textualism-originalism cannot possibly serve to do what its proponents assert it does: constrain judicial interpretation. This is because textualism-originalism depends on …

Unreasonable Conditions Impeding Our Nation's Charities: An Unconstitutional Condition In The Combined Federal Campaign, Amy K. Ryder Wentz

Cleveland State Law Review

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is an annual charity drive in which profit organizations that receive funds through the CFC to compare the names of their employees against the names on terrorist watch lists and then notify the federal government of any matches. If an organization refuses to abide by this mandate, it is prohibited from soliciting and receiving donations through the CFC. This new requirement presents a question of first impression for the courts When the issue makes its way into a courtroom, the courts may be tempted to follow the analysis of Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense and …

Reform Of Medical Liability And Patient Safety: Are Health Courts And Medicare The Keys To Effective Change?, Randall R. Bovbjerg

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

The Increasing Necessity Of The Tort System In Effective Drug Regulation In A Changing Regulatory Landscape, Anne Erikson Haffner

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

A Sage Who Leads Toward Shalom: Visions Of Leadership From The Old Testament, Patrick Allen

Faculty Publications - College of Education

No abstract provided.

Structural And Functional Studies Of The Csk And *Src Family Protein Tyrosine Kinases, Marina Ayrapetov

Open Access Dissertations

Signaling networks are vital to the proper functioning and survival of the cell and the organism. Src family protein tyrosine kinases (SFKs) are involved in a variety of signal transduction events. Activation and over-expression of SFKs lead to development of a variety of human carcinomas. Regulatory mechanisms of Src family members in the cell are not fully understood. One of the known negative regulatory mechanisms for Src is phosphorylation of the C-terminal tyrosine residue by of the Csk family kinases. The Csk family has two members: Csk and Csk homologous kinase (Chk). The presence of two homologous PTKs raises important …

Richness Trends Of Mosasaurs (Diapside, Squamata) During The Late Cretaceous, Marcus R. Ross

Open Access Dissertations

Late Cretaceous marine sedimentary deposits from North America, The Netherlands, and Belgium are correlated on the basis of ammonites, calcareous nannofossils, sequence stratigraphy, and absolute age methods. These correlations provide the rationale for the construction of fifteen stratigraphically correlated assemblages (SCAs), informal sub-stage level subdivisions designed to provide a broad framework for compiling and organizing marine vertebrate fossils from far-ranging localities with high levels of biostratigraphic resolution.

A database of 1,805 globally distributed mosasaur specimens, each assigned to one of the fifteen SCAs and consisting of a minimum number of 354 individuals, is quantitatively analyzed to illuminate trends within the …

Legal Standing For Animals And Advocates, David N. Cassuto

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

For animal advocates, one of the most significant barriers to the courtroom is standing. In order to litigate on behalf of an animal's interests in federal court, the advocate must first establish standing by meeting three requirements: (1) the plaintiff must have suffered an injury in fact, (2) the injury must be causally connected to the act about which the plaintiff is complaining, and (3) the court must be able to redress the injury. When it comes to non-human animals, how does an advocate demonstrate an injury to establish standing? In this panel, experts in animal litigation discuss the concept …

Magnificent Constitutionality, Gregory J. Hobbs

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Nat'l Ass'n Of Home Builders V. U.S. Army Corp Of Eng'rs, 440 F.3d 459 (D.C. Cir. 2006), Matthew Willson

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Goodrich V. United States, 434 F.3d 1329 (Fed. Cir. 2006), Kelly L. Snodgrass

Water Law Review

No abstract provided.

Shifting Science, Considered Costs, And Static Statutes: The Interpretation Of Expansive Environmental Legislation, Jason J. Czarnezki

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Congress often passes expansive legislation, frequently environmental and public health regulatory statutes, where both the definition of those items being regulated and the mandate have significant breadth. How should these provisions be construed? While it is difficult to establish a model which determines whether to broadly or narrowly construe an expansive statutory provision, factors that impact this choice include the existence of express limitations on the mandate, understandings of congressional intent, the need to avoid regulation that might do more harm than good, the nature of the regulated item, and intervening circumstances such as new understandings in law, policy, or …

Revisiting The Tense Relationship Between The U.S. Supreme Court, Administrative Procedure, And The National Environmental Policy Act, Jason J. Czarnezki

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This Article addresses the possibility, under the prevailing understanding of NEPA, that an agency might draft a comprehensive report containing information about potential environmental effects and alternate approaches to a proposed plan--and then wholly disregard all of this information in making its final decision. Although an agency may contend that it has “considered” the environmental consequences of alternative courses of action, what if these factors have no actual impact on its final decision? Hypothetically, an agency could simply “steamroll” toward its preferred decision, hurdling NEPA's procedural obstacles without genuinely considering potential environmental harms or the means to avoid them.

This …

The Devil Made Them Do It, Kirk H. Neely, June Pitts Neely

Furman Magazine

A select compilation of tales of mischief and mayhem on the Furman campus. And you know who you are.

The Nonprofit Sector: Myths And Realities, James J. Fishman

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Transcript from Who Profits from Nonprofits? A Symposium on Nonprofit Organizations. I have followed the development of CUNY Law School from its founding, and I really have to salute you. I do not know exactly where legal education is going, but I think CUNY is going to get there before other law schools, including my own. Today, I am going to explore some of the myths and realities of the nonprofit sector.