Digital Commons Network^™

Semi-Synthesis Of The Transcription Factor Smad2 Containing Caging Groups And Phosphoaminoacid Analogues, Michael Eric Hahn

Student Theses and Dissertations

Post-translational modification (PTM) of a protein refers to any chemical change that occurs to the protein after its ribosomal synthesis. The seemingly endless number of PTMs can endow proteins with new functionalities that are not present in the unmodified proteins. In order to study the functions of PTMs on a given protein, it is often necessary to have access to pure preparations of the modified protein and its analogues. Traditional biological methods frequently do not allow for the isolation of significant amounts of pure modified proteins, therefore chemical methods are often employed in this regard. Protein semi-synthesis is a chemical …

Structural Analysis Of Cycle Inhibiting Factor From Pathogenic Escherichia Coli, Yun-Yuan Hsu

Student Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial pathogens have evolved a sophisticated arsenal of virulence factors to modulate host cell biology. Enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EPEC and EHEC) use a type III protein secretion system (T3SS) to inject microbial proteins into host cells. These translocated proteins possess a diverse array of biochemical activities, reprogramming eukaryotic cell biochemistry to serve the requirements of the pathogen. Examples of translocated effector proteins hijacking essential host functions such as cytoskeleton assembly, vesicular transport, and apoptosis are numerous (Galan and Wolf-Watz, 2006). However, until recently, less progress had been made with bacteria that also possess virulence mechanisms that target the …

A Novel Phosphorylation Site In The Telomeric Protein Trf2 Is Regulated By The Atr Kinase And Plays A Role In Relieving Replication Stress At The Telomere, Kristina Hoke

Student Theses and Dissertations

Phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase-like kinases (PIKKs) have a well documented function at yeast telomeres. Although several lines of evidence suggest that members of the PIKK family also play a role in vertebrate telomere biology, little is known about their specific functions. We report that the human shelterin component, TRF2, overexpressed in 293T cells, is phosphorylated on serine 368 (S368) in a caffeine and wortmannin sensitive manner. Phosphorylation is induced by hydroxyurea (HU) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation but not Ionizing Radiation (IR). Knockdown studies indicate that ATR is the primary kinase responsible for TRF2 S368 phosphorylation, while the mTOR kinase is implicated …

Bioluminescence-Based High Precision Bacterial Growth Rate Measurements And Their Potential Application In Quantifying Deleterious Effects Of High Mutation Rates, Sri Ram

Student Theses and Dissertations

The genomic mutation rate of wild-type Escherichia coli is 3E-3 per generation, a value that is shared by many DNA-based microbes and viruses. A majority of clinical isolates of E. coli also have a mutation rate that is close to the wild-type value. These findings raise the possibility that the observed mutation rate is constrained by some universal evolutionary forces. In many laboratory settings, however, strains with high mutation rate (mutator strains) have been shown to outcompete otherwise isogenic wildtype cells. These results have been explained by positing that mutators offer a short-term benefit in the form of increased probability …

Dendritic Cells In Normal And Inflamed Human Skin, Lisa C. Zaba

Student Theses and Dissertations

Psoriasis is a skin disease originally thought to be a primary keratinocyte differentiation and maturation disease. Several T cell targeted theraputics were found to reverse disease, and thus subsequent research has focussed on the adaptive immune system, particularly effector CD8+ T cells infiltrating the epidermis. Recent studies, however, show that inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are also effective therapeutics. Activated dendritic cells (DCs) produce large ammounts of TNF which acts in an autocrine loop to increase DC maturation. Thus, TNF inhibitors may inhibit DC maturation and downstream T cell activation. This thesis elucidates DC subsets present in normal human …

Histone Modifications In Trypanosoma Brucei, Veena Mandava

Student Theses and Dissertations

Trypanosoma brucei maintains an infection in its mammalian host by switching its surface antigen, thus evading host antibodies, in a process known as antigenic variation. Variant surface glycoproteins (VSG), the surface antigen, are expressed from genes located at as many as 20 Expression Sites (ES), which are present in subtelomeric regions of several chromosomes. How trypanosomes maintain monoallelic expression of VSG is a major question in trypanosome biology. Several theories have been proposed, including the presence of an Expression Site Body (a dedicated 'transcription factory'), regulation of RNA elongation, and some kind of transcriptionally restrictive chromatin structure at inactive ES. …

Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Leptin's Metabolic Effects, Amandeep Singh

Student Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is rapidly increasing in prevalence, and has become one of the leading contributors to poor health in the world. Increased body weight by necessity must be a result of increased nutrient intake relative to total energy expenditure. While many have focused on the importance of caloric consumption in determining weight, it is increasingly clear that differences in energy expenditure, basal metabolic rates and/or adaptive thermogenesis are also important variables that contribute to human obesity. The experiments in this thesis start off by demonstrating that a significant portion of leptin-mediated weight loss is the result of an increase in energy …

Identification Of Loss Of Specific Fmrp-Rna Interactions As A Cause Of Fragile X Syndrome, Julie B. Zang

Student Theses and Dissertations

Fragile X Syndrome presents with a clinical picture of moderate to severe mental retardation and behavioral abnormalities including autistic features resulting from the loss of function of a RNA-binding protein, Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). This work is devoted to the understanding of functional roles of FMRP in normal neuronal development and in the pathogenesis of the Fragile X Syndrome. Particularly it focuses on the study of FMRP RNA binding properties, using both mouse models and biochemical analyses. The disease is usually caused by a triplet repeat expansion in the 5'UTR of the FMR1 gene leading to loss of …

Utah Adaptive Resources Management Greater Sage-Grouse Local Working Groups 2006-2007 Accomplishment Report., Terry A. Messmer, T. Black, Shandra Nicole Frey, S. Lupis, R. Hart

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Measurement Of Concentrations Of Faecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites In Free-Ranging African Elephants Within The Kruger National Park, J. J. Viljoen, A. Ganswindt, R. Palme, H. C. Reynecke, Johan T. Du Toit, W. R. Langbauer

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

During the past several years, non-invasive monitoring of steroid metabolites in faeces of elephants has become an increasingly popular technique to generate more information about the causal relationship between hormones and behaviour in both living elephant species. This is important knowledge which can be used to optimise local conservation and wildlife management by finding new strategies for better elephant population management and control. In this context, however, information about an actual involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during assumable stressful events is still limited, especially for wildlife populations. One difficulty in discovering such information is often the lack of reliable data …

Medicine@Yale November/December 2008 Volume 4, Issue 5, 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.

Plaster Creek Watershed Management Plan, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr, & Huber, Inc.

Watershed Reports

The quality of Plaster Creek is influenced by many factors, such as human activities within the Plaster Creek Watershed (Watershed), physical and biological characteristics of the natural resources, and the management of those resources. This document provides an overview of these diverse aspects of the Watershed, including detailed information about the sources and causes of watershed pollution, recommendations needed to address impairments, and steps to implement the recommendations.

Panel Discussion: Problem-Solving Mechanisms To Achieve Consensus: How Do We Ensure Successful Resolution?, Jacqueline Nolan-Haley, Cathy A. Costantino, Sean F. Nolon, Joseph A. Siegel

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The focus of the panel discussion is problem-solving mechanisms in the public arena to ensure and achieve consensus via the question, "How do we ensure successful resolution?" Each speaker gives a 20-minute speech followed by questions from attendees. After all three speakers conclude their remarks, Professor Nolan-Haley opens the floor to general questions. Speakers include: 1. Cathy A. Constantino, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Georgetown Law School, George Washington Law School 2. Sean F. Nolon, Pace University School of Law 3. Joseph A. Siegel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Anomalies: Ritual And Language In Lethal Injection Regulations, Leigh B. Bienen

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Peer-Reviewed Studies Identifying Problems In The Design And Implementation Of Lethal Injection For Execution, Teresa A. Zimmers, Leonidas G. Koniaris

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Mainstreaming Requirement Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act In The Context Of Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Conor B. Mcdonough, Ph.D.

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Children with autism or one of the related autistic spectrum disorders ("ASD") are eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA"), which provides, in part, that disabled students must be educated with non-disabled peers as often as possible, a practice referred to as mainstreaming or inclusion. The federal circuit courts apply different tests to evaluate compliance with this mainstreaming requirement, but as argued in this Note, the circuit tests are effectively equivalent with respect to children diagnosed with ASDs. One significant issue in applying each of these tests is that tensions exist between the mainstreaming requirement …

Redefining Stewardship Over Body Parts , Elizabeth E. Appel Blue

Journal of Law and Health

This paper proposes one possible avenue for defining a framework to address body parts. I begin with the presumption that given the increasing use of body parts outside of our bodies, either after death or during life, society requires a framework with institutions and rules to govern our body parts. Yet there is no settled framework. Much of the controversy over differing approaches stems from whether people should be able to sell body parts. Thus, each potential framework implicitly addresses the question of monetary value. While multiple possibilities exist, the predominant models are (1) property, most often meaning ownership that …

The Lex Mercatoria As Autonomous Law, Peter Mazzacano

Comparative Research in Law & Political Economy

This paper will consider the medieval lex mercatoria (Law Merchant) as a set of autonomous commercial customs, which initially materialized in the form of trade usages and practices, but were ultimately codified in national laws and international conventions, such as the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). The paper will focus on the historical development of the lex mercatoria, and will attempt to highlight how the conventional academic debates surrounding have become irrelevant. The thrust of this paper will argue that the lex mercatoria is simultaneously both non-state law and state-based law. It is not …

The Transformation Of Chinese Enterprise Income Tax: Internationalization And Chinese Innovations, Jinyan Li, He Huang

Comparative Research in Law & Political Economy

This article reviews the major elements of the enterprise income tax (EIT) system in China and examines the dynamic relationship between international norms and the local Chinese context. After some introductory remarks, the article discusses the fundamental principles, concepts and structural elements of the EIT system and examines its main transformative aspects in terms of form, process and substantive provisions. The article also considers the extent to which international tax norms, China's policy concerns and traditional issues play a role in the new system. The article concludes with some observations on international tax norms.

Descriptive Analyses On The New Biotype Of Weedy Rices In Selangor North-West Project, Malaysia / Muhamad Shakirin Bin Mispan, Muhamad Shakirin Mispan

Student Works (2000-2009)

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa . L) is a big threat in rice industry all over the world an also in Malaysia. The infestation of weedy rice caused a big loss to production and yield to the rice farmers. Study in Selangor North West Project for three consecutive seasons in 2006 to 2008 has found a new variety or biotype of weedy rice which has infested rice granaries here. In general, weedy rice is taller than any cultivated rice and it is very to be identified. However, this new biotype of weedy rice (NBWR) stands as tall as any cultivated rice …

Exploring Interdisciplinary Prayer Research In A Health Context, E. James Baesler

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

Communication, Psychology, and Sociology are three leading academic disciplines engaged in the social scientific study of prayer, the spiritual communication between a believer(s) and God, but rarely do these disciplines collaborate in interdisciplinary prayer scholarship. Possibilities for interdisciplinary prayer research in a health context are explored through a review of the literature and academic interviews. Interdisciplinary linkages in the prayer-health context are organized in an integral "all-quadrant" theoretical model, and an assessment of the viability of interdisciplinary prayer-health research is considered.

Lightweight Objective Quality Of Voice Estimation Through Machine Learning, Daniel Riordan

Theses

Communication systems are undergoing constant and rapid innovation, both at the design stage and in the field. This in turn has led to an inereasing need for fast, efficient, portable and economic methods for the testing of these systems. For voice carrying communication systems the quality of the transmitted voice that the system produces is a large factor in the overall performance rating of the system. This measure is known as the ‘Quality of Voice’ (QoV) and can be evaluated either subjectively or objectively.

Speech quality is a complex subjective phenomenon that can be best quantified by subjective testing. A …

2008 Commencement Program, Morehead State University. Registrar's Office.

Morehead State Commencement Programs

2008 commencement programs of Morehead State University.

"Broadening The Coverage Of Biodiversity Assessments" , Ben Collen, Mala Ram, Nadia Dewhurst, Viola Clausnitzer, Vincent Kalkman, Neil Cumberlidge, Jonathan Em Baillie

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

A Global Assessment Of Freshwater Crab Diversity , Darren Cj Yeo, Pkl Ng, Neil Cumberlidge, Celio Magalhães, Savel Regan Daniels Phd, Martha R. Campos

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Creating A Reinforcement Learning Controller For Functional Electrical Stimulation Of A Human Arm, Philip S. Thomas, Michael Branicky, Antonie Van Den Bogert, Kathleen Jagodnik

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Clinical tests have shown that the dynamics of a human arm, controlled using Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), can vary significantly between and during trials. In this paper, we study the application of Reinforcement Learning to create a controller that can adapt to these
changing dynamics of a human arm. Development and tests were done in simulation using a two-dimensional arm model and Hill-based muscle dynamics. An actor-critic architecture is used with artificial neural networks for both the actor and the critic. We begin by training it using a Proportional Derivative (PD) controller as a supervisor. We then make clinically relevant …

Helical Axes Of Skeletal Knee Joint Motion During Running, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, C. Reinschmidt, A. Lundberg

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in the axis of rotation of the knee that occur during the stance phase of running. Using intracortical pins, the three-dimensional skeletal kinematics of three subjects were measured during the stance phase of five running trials. The stance phase was divided into equal motion increments for which the position and orientation of the finite helical axes (FHA) were calculated relative to a tibial reference frame. Results were consistent within and between subjects. At the beginning of stance, the FHA was located at the midepicondylar point and during the flexion phase …

Motorcycle Helmet Laws: The Facts, What Can Be Done To Jump-Start Helmet Use, And Ways To Cap Damages, Melissa Neiman

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Allies Not Adversaries: Teaching Collaboration To The Next Generation Of Doctors And Lawyers To Address Social Inequality, Elizabeth Tobin Tyler

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Spotlight On Success: What's Working In Oregon High Schools? - Sprague High School, Ginny Birky

Faculty Publications - College of Education

No abstract provided.