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2011

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The Relationship Between Patterns Of Relating And Academic Self-Concept, Ji Woong Yang Jan 2011

The Relationship Between Patterns Of Relating And Academic Self-Concept, Ji Woong Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between patterns of relating to both parents and academic self-concept. Also, this study examined the differences between academically high-achieving college students and academically at-risk college students in patterns of relating and academic self-concept. One hundred sixty one college students participated in this study. Of the 161 participants, 90 were recruited from an academic support program and 71 were recruited from an honors college. Participants completed a research packet including the Adult Scale of Parental Aattachment (Snow et al., 2007), Self Description Questionnaire III (Marsh, 1992), and the Demographic Questionnaire. Results …

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Integration Of Cognitive And Physical Factors To Model Human Performance In Fluid Power Systems, Khaliah K. Hughes Jan 2011

Integration Of Cognitive And Physical Factors To Model Human Performance In Fluid Power Systems, Khaliah K. Hughes

Dissertations

Fluid power technology is constantly evolving as a result of the interaction between the human and the system. Systems such as the hydraulic excavator utilize this technology in order to deliver safe, efficient, and effective performance. However, traditional research has placed much emphasis on technical performance rather than on human components. Imbalances of this nature demonstrate inadequate understanding, lack of knowledge, and limited research on the factors affecting performance. This research aims to address these shortcomings by using an integrated approach to better model human performance in fluid power systems. Through the development of an integrative framework considering cognitive and …

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Branded Versus Generic Competition? A Kind Word For The Branded Drugs, Richard A. Epstein Jan 2011

Branded Versus Generic Competition? A Kind Word For The Branded Drugs, Richard A. Epstein

Faculty Articles

Transitions are times of danger in virtually all areas of human life. More accidents are likely to occur when cars go in and out of parking spaces, or when planes take off or land. More medical mishaps are likely to happen in hospitals when there is a change in shifts between nurses. The same pattern holds in the law of pharmaceutical patents, during the transition from a fully proprietary regime to one that allows for as many firms as possible to market a generic version of a once-protected pharmaceutical patent. To pass judgment on these issues, it is often necessary …

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The Breakdown Of The Social Democratic State: Taking A Fresh Look At Waldron's Dignity, Rights, And Responsibilities, Richard A. Epstein Jan 2011

The Breakdown Of The Social Democratic State: Taking A Fresh Look At Waldron's Dignity, Rights, And Responsibilities, Richard A. Epstein

Faculty Articles

The British are of course not unique in their ability to use government power to create and enforce an unsustainable set of entitlements. The same story has played out in Greece, Spain, and Italy; not to mention the United States, where social democratic institutions have not been able to bring their expenditures and revenues in line. As this paper is being written, the United States funds about forty percent of its current expenditures through borrowing, a figure that is not touched by the recent resolution of the debt crisis. The United States has not retained its triple-A credit rating with …

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Conflicts Of Interest In Clinical Practice Guidelines, Lisa Cosgrove, Allen F. Shaughnessy Jan 2011

Conflicts Of Interest In Clinical Practice Guidelines, Lisa Cosgrove, Allen F. Shaughnessy

Counseling, School Psychology & Sport Faculty Publication Series

Clinical practice guidelines are used increasingly across medical specialties and settings, making evaluation of their utility and validity a critical public health issue. In this paper, we describe some of the challenges that specialty organizations face as they try to ensure that their guidelines are trustworthy and useful. We examine the practice guidelines for Major Depressive Disorder recently published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), identify five sources of potential bias that may affect the guideline development process and offer suggestions based on our review. For example, even for mild depression, this guideline privileges pharmacotherapy over other interventions, despite questions …

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‘The Mystic Drum’: Critical Commentary On Gabriel Okara’S Love Lyrics, Chukwuma Azuonye Jan 2011

‘The Mystic Drum’: Critical Commentary On Gabriel Okara’S Love Lyrics, Chukwuma Azuonye

Africana Studies Faculty Publication Series

Structurally, Okara’s love lyric, “The Mystic Drum,” evinces a tripartite ritual pattern of initiation from innocence through intimacy to experience. By comparison to the way of Zen as manifested in the experience of Zen Master, Ch’ing Yuän Wei-hsin, this pattern resolves itself into an emotional and epistemological journey from conventional knowledge (born of innocence) through more intimate knowledge (born of closer apperception of reality) to substantial knowledge (born of experience). The substantial knowledge born of experience empowers the lover to understand that beneath the surface attractiveness of what we know very well (such as the women we love) may lie …

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Results Of Archaeogeophysical Surveying At The Great Friends Meeting House In Newport, Rhode Island, John M. Steinberg, Brian N. Damiata, John W. Schoenfelder, Kathryn A. Catlin, Christine Campbell Jan 2011

Results Of Archaeogeophysical Surveying At The Great Friends Meeting House In Newport, Rhode Island, John M. Steinberg, Brian N. Damiata, John W. Schoenfelder, Kathryn A. Catlin, Christine Campbell

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

Archaeogeophysical surveys were carried out in October 2010 over a 30 x 50 m grid that was established immediately to the north and west of the north end of the Great Friends Meeting House (GFMH) in Newport, RI. The surveys were conducted using a Geonics EM-38 RT ground conductivity meter and a Malå X3M Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system that was equipped with 500 and 800 MHz antennas. In addition, a resistance survey was performed over a much smaller central area using a Geoscan RM15 resistance meter. From this work three types of geophysical anomalies have been identified: those associated …

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The Implications Of Physical Beauty Norms On Gender Identity Development, Sexual Identity Formation, And Sense Of Self In The Femme Queer Community, Megan Oberdorfer Jan 2011

The Implications Of Physical Beauty Norms On Gender Identity Development, Sexual Identity Formation, And Sense Of Self In The Femme Queer Community, Megan Oberdorfer

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to ascertain what physical beauty norms are present in the femme queer community and how these standards of beauty influence the experience of women who selfidentify as femme and queer. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with 10 participants that selfidentified as female, femme, and queer, this qualitative study examined how standards of beauty in the femme queer community affect one's sense of gender identity, the process of one's sexual identity formation, and one's sense of self. For the purpose of this study, the term queer serves an inclusionary function and is used to define a wide range of sexual …

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Use Of Mushroom Extract To Enhance Quality And Health Benefits Of Dairy Products, Osman A. Hassan Jan 2011

Use Of Mushroom Extract To Enhance Quality And Health Benefits Of Dairy Products, Osman A. Hassan

Dissertations

Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli are purportedly beneficial to human health and are called probiotics which are live microorganisms, when administered in adequate amounts conferring a health benefit on the host. It is believed that the maximum probiotics effect can be achieved if the organisms adhere to intestinal mucosal cells. Probiotics, perhaps in combination with prebiotics, may become an important means of preventing and treating disease. In fact, several types of diarrhea have been successfully treated with probiotics. The mechanisms behind favorable clinical outcome are still largely unknown, however, the potential benefits of probiotic therapy promise to be almost limitless. Organic acids …

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Use Of A Bacteriophage Cocktail In Combination With Modified Atmosphere Packaging To Control Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Contamination On Fresh-Cut Green Leafy Vegetables, Olcay Boyacioglu Jan 2011

Use Of A Bacteriophage Cocktail In Combination With Modified Atmosphere Packaging To Control Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Contamination On Fresh-Cut Green Leafy Vegetables, Olcay Boyacioglu

Dissertations

The 2006 multi-state Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC) outbreak linked to bagged spinach raised concerns about the safety of fresh produce. One novel approach to control foodborne pathogens is lytic bacteriophages, which does not affect the produce microflora. The objectives of this study were; 1) to test and verify the efficacy of a phage cocktail against EHEC in a laboratory medium, 2) to determine the effectiveness of the phage cocktail on fresh-cut leafy greens, and 3) to test and compare the effectiveness of the phage cocktail against EHEC on fresh-cut green leafy vegetables stored under air and modified air (low O2/high …

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Natural Products Chemistry Of Leads Acting On Mrsa, Hcv, Malaria, And Depression Disorders, Mohamed Ali Mohamed Ali Ibrahim Jan 2011

Natural Products Chemistry Of Leads Acting On Mrsa, Hcv, Malaria, And Depression Disorders, Mohamed Ali Mohamed Ali Ibrahim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nature has proven to be an endless source of abundant diversity of chemical entities with varying biological activities. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of the world's population depends on traditional medicine for treating their everyday health problems. According to Gordon Cragg, former director of the natural products branch of the NCI, ″Nature has produced wonderfully complex molecules that no synthetic chemist could ever dream up.″ Moreover, he emphasized that over 60% of cancer therapeutics have been derived from nature whether directly through isolation or indirectly through semi-synthesis. Various examples have been reported such as extracts from Catharanthus …

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Quantification Of An Ultrasound Test Apparatus And Its Potential Use To Control Nuisance Species In Commercial Aquaculture Settings, Bradley T. Goodwiller Jan 2011

Quantification Of An Ultrasound Test Apparatus And Its Potential Use To Control Nuisance Species In Commercial Aquaculture Settings, Bradley T. Goodwiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As one step in the investigation of using acoustics to improve aquaculture production, work was pursued on the possible use of ultrasound to control the Bolbophorus trematode in commercial catfish ponds. The trematode population can be controlled by eliminating the host ram's horn snail via exposure to high amplitude ultrasound. Initial laboratory tests indicated that a commercially available sonicator (operating at 20 kHz) is capable of killing individual snails in fish tanks. More thorough testing indicated efficiency rates of approximately 35% on batches of 10 snails. In addition to the snails killed immediately, there was evidence that the sonication technique …

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Exploring Patterns Of Genetic Diversity Of A Malagasy Ant Species: Anochetus Madagascarensis, Nicole Annette Lewis Jan 2011

Exploring Patterns Of Genetic Diversity Of A Malagasy Ant Species: Anochetus Madagascarensis, Nicole Annette Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Madagascar is extremely diverse and imperiled. Close to 90% of all land dwelling species are endemic to Madagascar (plants, reptiles, mammals and amphibians). Understanding patterns of genetic diversity for species can aid in better conservation efforts. In this study, I focus on the endemic Malagasy ant species, Anochetus madagascarensis. By employing a broad geographic sample of this species from throughout its distribution and a multilocus genetic data set, I explored population structure and historical factors that affected these patterns. I tested hypotheses proposed to be responsible for generating population structure, and by extension the process of speciation in Madagascar, including …

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Comorbid Depression And Anxiety As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Use In A Rural And Ethnically Diverse Community Sample, Michael James Mcdermott Jan 2011

Comorbid Depression And Anxiety As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Use In A Rural And Ethnically Diverse Community Sample, Michael James Mcdermott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Drug use among adolescents is one of the nation's most significant public health concerns, with an estimated 47% to 56% of adolescents engaging in illicit substance use before completing high school. Negative consequences often associated with adolescent substance use frequently result in severe emotional and physical problems and serve to illustrate the growing importance of identifying associated risk factors. It is likely that psychological risk factors play an important role in the initiation and continued use of drugs among adolescents. In particular, mood and anxiety disorders have emerged as two such psychological risk factors. Unfortunately, studies examining this relationship have …

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Market Response To Food And Drug Administration's Safety Warnings: A Case Study Using An Interrupted Time Series Analysis Of The Medicare Database For 2006-2008, Hafiz Oko-Osi Jan 2011

Market Response To Food And Drug Administration's Safety Warnings: A Case Study Using An Interrupted Time Series Analysis Of The Medicare Database For 2006-2008, Hafiz Oko-Osi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of a safety warning on the utilization rates of thiazolidinedione oral anti-diabetes medication using an interrupted time series analysis. Methods: We extracted data from a five percent national sample of Medicare Part D beneficiaries for the periods between January 2006 and December 2008. Beneficiaries with Part D claims for thiazolidinediones were classified into appropriate-use, at risk, and contraindicated groups based on certain comorbid conditions. We assessed the effects of the May 2007 FDA safety warning about an ongoing safety review of rosiglitazone's potential to increase cardiovascular risks on thiazolidinedione utilization rates using an interrupted time …

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Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Succession In A Native Monterey Pine Forest And Its Potential Influence Upon Forest Population Dynamics, Kristopher Jordan Hennig Jan 2011

Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Succession In A Native Monterey Pine Forest And Its Potential Influence Upon Forest Population Dynamics, Kristopher Jordan Hennig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are plant symbionts influential to the growth and survival of many plant species found within forest ecosystems throughout the globe. The succession of ectomycorrhizal communities during forest maturation has been observed in a number of systems; however, though it is generally assumed that this process is important for forest dynamics, we do not fully understand the causes of succession and whether it strongly influences metrics of plant population dynamics such as population growth rates or size class structure. I studied a secondary successional chronosequence to test the hypothesis that ectomycorrhizal fungal succession occurs within a native Monterey pine …

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Two Mechanosensitive Channel Homologs Influence Division Ring Placement In Arabidopsis Chloroplasts, Margaret E. Wilson, Gregory S. Jensen, Elizabeth S. Haswell Jan 2011

Two Mechanosensitive Channel Homologs Influence Division Ring Placement In Arabidopsis Chloroplasts, Margaret E. Wilson, Gregory S. Jensen, Elizabeth S. Haswell

Biology Faculty Research

Chloroplasts must divide repeatedly to maintain their population during plant growth and development. A number of proteins required for chloroplast division have been identified, and the functional relationships between them are beginning to be elucidated. In both chloroplasts and bacteria, the future site of division is specified by placement of the Filamentous temperature sensitive Z (FtsZ) ring, and the Min system serves to restrict FtsZ ring formation to mid-chloroplast or mid-cell. How the Min system is regulated in response to environmental and developmental factors is largely unstudied. Here, we investigated the role in chloroplast division played by two Arabidopsis thaliana …

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Expression And Characterization Of The Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel Mscs In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes., Elizabeth S. Haswell, Grigory Maksaev Jan 2011

Expression And Characterization Of The Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel Mscs In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes., Elizabeth S. Haswell, Grigory Maksaev

Biology Faculty Research

We have successfully expressed and characterized mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) from Escherichia coli in oocytes of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. MscS expressed in oocytes has the same single-channel conductance and voltage dependence as the channel in its native environment. Two hallmarks of MscS activity, the presence of conducting substates at high potentials and reversible adaptation to a sustained stimulus, are also exhibited by oocyte-expressed MscS. In addition to its ease of use, the oocyte system allows the user to work with relatively large patches, which could be an advantage for the visualization of membrane deformation. …

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An Assessment Of Histone-Modification Antibody Quality, Thea Egelhofer, Aki Minoda, Sarit Klugman, Kyungjoon Lee, Paulina Kolasinska-Zwierz, Artyom Alekseyenko, Ming-Sin Cheung, Daniel Day, Sarah Gadel, Andrey Gorchakov, Tingting Gu, Peter Kharchenko, Samantha Kuan, Isabel Latorre, Daniela Linder-Basso, Ying Luu, Queminh Ngo, Marc Perry, Andreas Rechtsteiner, Nicole Riddle, Yuri Schwartz, Gregory Shanower, Anne Vielle, Julie Ahringer, Sarah C.R. Elgin, Mitzi Kuroda, Vincenzo Pirrotta, Bing Ren, Susan Strome, Peter Park, Gary Karpen, R Hawkins, Jason Lieb Jan 2011

An Assessment Of Histone-Modification Antibody Quality, Thea Egelhofer, Aki Minoda, Sarit Klugman, Kyungjoon Lee, Paulina Kolasinska-Zwierz, Artyom Alekseyenko, Ming-Sin Cheung, Daniel Day, Sarah Gadel, Andrey Gorchakov, Tingting Gu, Peter Kharchenko, Samantha Kuan, Isabel Latorre, Daniela Linder-Basso, Ying Luu, Queminh Ngo, Marc Perry, Andreas Rechtsteiner, Nicole Riddle, Yuri Schwartz, Gregory Shanower, Anne Vielle, Julie Ahringer, Sarah C.R. Elgin, Mitzi Kuroda, Vincenzo Pirrotta, Bing Ren, Susan Strome, Peter Park, Gary Karpen, R Hawkins, Jason Lieb

Biology Faculty Research

We have tested the specificity and utility of more than 200 antibodies raised against 57 different histone modifications in Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans and human cells. Although most antibodies performed well, more than 25% failed specificity tests by dot blot or western blot. Among specific antibodies, more than 20% failed in chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments. We advise rigorous testing of histone-modification antibodies before use, and we provide a website for posting new test results (http://compbio.med.harvard.edu/antibodies/).

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Simplifying The Non-Manifold Topology Of Multi-Partitioning Surface Networks, Trung Nguyen Jan 2011

Simplifying The Non-Manifold Topology Of Multi-Partitioning Surface Networks, Trung Nguyen

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

In bio-medical imaging, multi-partitioning surface networks: MPSNs) are very useful to model complex organs with multiple anatomical regions, such as a mouse brain. However, MPSNs are usually constructed from image data and might contain complex geometric and topological features. There has been much research on reducing the geometric complexity of a general surface: non-manifold or not) and the topological complexity of a closed, manifold surface. But there has been no attempt so far to reduce redundant topological features which are unique to non-manifold surfaces, such as curves and points where multiple sheets of surfaces join. In this thesis, we design …

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Mechanisms Of Brain Region-Specific Amyloid-Beta Deposition, Adam Bero Jan 2011

Mechanisms Of Brain Region-Specific Amyloid-Beta Deposition, Adam Bero

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Alzheimer's disease: AD) is the most common cause of dementia. A fundamental feature of AD is brain region-specific deposition of extracellular amyloid plaques principally comprised of the amyloid-β: Aβ) peptide. Using mouse models of cerebral Aβ deposition, we examined molecular, cellular and systems-level mechanisms that regulate brain region-specific Aβ accumulation and aggregation. Parallel studies using in vivo multiphoton microscopy and in vivo microdialysis revealed that modest pharmacological reduction of soluble interstitial fluid: ISF) Aβ levels was associated with a dramatic reduction in amyloid plaque formation and growth. We found that ISF Aβ concentrations in several brain regions of APP transgenic …

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Protein-Dna Recognition Models For The Homeodomain And C2h2 Zinc Finger Transcription Factor Families, Ryan Christensen Jan 2011

Protein-Dna Recognition Models For The Homeodomain And C2h2 Zinc Finger Transcription Factor Families, Ryan Christensen

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Transcription factors: TFs) play a central role in the gene regulatory network of each cell. They can stimulate or inhibit transcription of their target genes by binding to short, degenerate DNA sequence motifs. The goal of this research is to build improved models of TF binding site recognition. This can facilitate the determination of regulatory networks and also allow for the prediction of binding site motifs based only on the TF protein sequence. Recent technological advances have rapidly expanded the amount of quantitative TF binding data available. PBMs: Protein Binding Microarrays) have recently been implemented in a format that allows …

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The Functions Of Human Dna2 In Mitochondrial And Nuclear Dna Maintenance, Julien Duxin Jan 2011

The Functions Of Human Dna2 In Mitochondrial And Nuclear Dna Maintenance, Julien Duxin

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Coordination between DNA replication, DNA repair and cell-cycle progression ensures high fidelity DNA replication thus preventing mutations and DNA rearrangements. Interestingly, in addition to nuclear DNA stability, mitochondrial DNA: mtDNA) integrity is also essential for normal development. The current challenge resides in unraveling the different mechanisms that govern nuclear and mtDNA stability and to understand how these two separated genomes have evolved. This work focuses on delineating the biological functions of human Dna2: hDna2). Dna2 is a highly conserved helicase/nuclease that in yeast participates in DNA replication and Okazaki fragment maturation, DNA repair, and telomere maintenance. Immunofluorescence and biochemical fractionation …

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Homoglutathione Synthetase And The Plant Thiol-Redox Proteome, Ashley Galant Jan 2011

Homoglutathione Synthetase And The Plant Thiol-Redox Proteome, Ashley Galant

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Homoglutathione Synthetase and the Plant Thiol-Redox Proteome by Ashley Galant Doctor of Philosophy in Biology and Biomedical Science: Plant Biology) Washington University in St. Louis, 2011 Professor Joseph M. Jez, Chairperson In the plant cell, redox regulation and redox responsiveness are governed by a series of mechanisms that hinge upon the use of small molecule redox-couples and reversible, thioredoxin- or glutaredoxin-mediated protein disulfides. This work examines first the structural basis for synthesis of these small molecules and second how plants are able to adapt and respond to changes in environmental redox state. Among the major redox-couples, …

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Discovering Conserved Cis-Regulatory Elements That Regulate Expression In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nnamdi Ihuegbu Jan 2011

Discovering Conserved Cis-Regulatory Elements That Regulate Expression In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nnamdi Ihuegbu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The aim of this dissertation is two-fold:: 1) To catalog all cis-regulatory elements within the intergenic and intronic regions surrounding every gene in C.elegans: i.e. the regulome) and: 2) to determine which cis-regulatory elements are associated with expression under specific conditions. We initially use PhyloNet to predict conserved motifs with instances in about half of the protein-coding genes. This initial first step was valuable as it recovered some known elements and cis-regulatory modules. Yet the results had a lot of redundant motifs and sites, and the approach was not efficiently scalable to the entire regulome of C. elegans or other …

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Enzymology Of Dhhc-Mediated Protein S-Acylation, Benjamin Jennings Jan 2011

Enzymology Of Dhhc-Mediated Protein S-Acylation, Benjamin Jennings

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Protein S-acylation is the post-translational modification of proteins with long-chain fatty acids at cysteine residues via a thioester linkage. The most commonly attached lipid is 16-carbon palmitate, thus the process is often called palmitoylation. Unlike other lipid modifications, protein S-acylation is reversible. Consequently, cells use acylation/deacylation cycles to regulate protein localization, stability, and activity. A family of integral membrane enzymes called DHHC proteins because of a conserved Asp-His-His-Cys motif, catalyze protein S-acylation within cells. DHHC proteins have been associated with human diseases including cancers, Huntington's disease, and mental retardation. However little is known about their function or regulation. This work …

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Single Chain Mhc Trimer-Based Dna Vaccines For Pathogen Protection, Sojung Kim Jan 2011

Single Chain Mhc Trimer-Based Dna Vaccines For Pathogen Protection, Sojung Kim

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

CD8+ T cells play a major role in controlling infection and disease progression in many infectious diseases. Upon infection, antigen-specific CD8+ T cells are generated and mainly through their cytotoxic activity remove infected cells, therefore, pathogens. Ongoing research has identified antigenic epitopes in a vast number of pathogens and, using the identified epitopes, the induction of CD8+ T cell immune responses has been an important strategy for successful vaccines. However, most immunization approaches with class I binding peptides have failed to induce CD8+ T cell responses strong enough to prevent disease. This failure has been attributed to the lack of …

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The Evolution And Reproductive Ecology Of Oenothera (Onagraceae), Kyra Krakos Jan 2011

The Evolution And Reproductive Ecology Of Oenothera (Onagraceae), Kyra Krakos

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This dissertation describes the role of pollination in the floral diversification of Oenothera with an integration of both ecological and phylogenetic approaches. Oenothera: Onagraceae) is a model system for studying plant reproductive biology. It provides excellent examples of shifts in reproductive traits such as pollination and breeding system, features that have been important in angiosperm diversification. These systems are evolutionarily labile; they easily shift between different states. These different reproductive traits may shift in a concerted fashion; therefore, a more comprehensive approach to understanding the evolution of these plant systems simultaneously addresses shifts in pollination and breeding system. Using 54 …

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New Methods For Discovering Common And Rare Genetic Variants In Human Disease, Peng Lin Jan 2011

New Methods For Discovering Common And Rare Genetic Variants In Human Disease, Peng Lin

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Since the discovery of Mendel's laws, one of the most challenging problems in genetic research has been to locate and characterize genetic variants that cause human disease. Although thousands of disease-associated genetic variants have been discovered, many remain unknown. New methods are needed to facilitate the discovery process. Here, we present new methodology to improve detection of these genetic variants for genotyping imputation, Copy Number Variations: CNV) and sequencing data. Currently, imputation is widely used to evaluate the evidence for association at genetic markers that are not directly-genotyped. However, imputation can be problematic especially when a genetic variant has low …

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Dipole Moment Effects In Photodetachment From Cluster Anions, Foster Mbaiwa Jan 2011

Dipole Moment Effects In Photodetachment From Cluster Anions, Foster Mbaiwa

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

In this dissertation results from experimental studies on the effect of the dipole moment on photodetachment from solvated iodide anion are presented. The major advantage of using solvated atomic iodide anions: I−·(Y)n: Y = solvent molecule, n=1 to 3)) to study this effect is that in the ground state, the excess electron is mainly localized on the iodine atom for which photodetachment behavior is well understood. The effect of the electric dipole moment of the resultant neutral cluster on the outgoing electron is studied by comparing the photoelectron angular distributions: PADs) for I−·(Y)n and I− photodetachment. The …

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