Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Bacterial Rna-Directed Dna Methylation Via Dcm And Hfq, Dandan Li

Wayne State University Theses

Bacterial small RNAs and the RNA chaperone Hfq play crucial roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation, often as parts of stress-response pathways, but little is known about their roles in regulation of gene transcription. A recent report showed that changes in methylation patterns caused by DNA cytosine methyltransferase (Dcm) were linked to gene regulation occurring during the transition to stationary phase. Here, we show that Dcm involves in the stress responses under nutrient starvation and cold stress. Dcm and Hfq together mediate gene expression under cold stress. Hfq promotes Dcm-catalyzed cytosine methylation at specific sites near the rpoS promoter, which is …

Lc3i And Lc3ii As Autophagy Markers For The Development And Improvement Of Products And Techniques Used In Research, Caitlin Jane Williams

Wayne State University Theses

Abstract

LC3I and LC3II as Autphagy Markers for the Development and Improvement of Products and Techniques used in Research

By

Caitlin J. Williams

May 2013

Advisor: Dr. Robert Akins

Major: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Degree: Master of Science

Autophagy is an intracellular process that functions to maintain homeostasis in the cell by degrading misfolded proteins, old or nonfunctioning organelles, and outside invaders such as bacteria or viruses. This process can be split into three different types, microautophagy, chaperone mediated autophagy and macroautophagy. Macroautophagy is the most commonly studied form and is believed to be regulated by Atg proteins, as well …

Defining The Mechanism Of Enhanced Cellular Invasion Induced By Mechanical Stimulation, Snehal Sunil Ozarkar

Wayne State University Theses

Metastasis is a multistep process driven by various biochemical and mechanical factors, which eventually leads to formation of secondary tumors. The tumor mass is surrounded by basement membrane (BM) and stroma made of various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. During metastasis tumor cells disseminate from the primary tumor, breach the BM, invade the stroma, travel through blood and lymph and colonize tissues distant from the primary tumor. Formation of secondary tumors by metastasis is a leading cause of death in cancer patients. Even though plenty of research has been focused on biochemical factors affecting metastasis, information on role of mechanical factors …

Effect Of Folate Deficiency And Aging On Mtor Signaling Network In The Liver Of Dna Polymerase B Haploinsufficient Mice, Amanda Lynn Arrabi

Wayne State University Theses

EFFECT OF FOLATE DEFICIENCY AND AGING ON mTOR SIGNALING NETWORK IN THE LIVER OF DNA POLYMERASE B HAPLOINSUFFICIENT MICE

by

AMANDA ARRABI

August 2013

Advisor: Dr. Ahmad R. Heydari

Major: Nutrition and Food Science

Degree: Masters of Science

The interaction between the dietary nutrients and the human genome causes some alterations in the molecular pathways that could significantly impact the development of cancer. The main approach to such concerns is to closely observe how the diet modifies the gene expressions that control several cellular processes in the human body. Folate deficiency (FD) has established an important role in modulating the …

Community Violence, Ethnicity, Psychological Distress, And Externalizing Behaviors In Emerging Adulthood: The Moderating Effects Of Social Support, Holly Hannah Reid

Wayne State University Theses

Using hierarchical multiple regression, overall social support was found to moderate the relationship between exposure to community violence and psychological distress for European American and African-American at-risk emerging adults. For both ethnic groups, neither ISEL total nor SNI helping social support moderated the relation between community violence and the outcomes of substance abuse and conduct disorder/deviant behaviors. Ethnicity moderated the relationship between exposure to community violence and substance abuse behaviors within an SNI helping support regression, such that European Americans who reported greater violence exposure reported more substance abuse symptoms. SNI helping support moderated the relationship between exposure to community …

Anti-Cancer Effects Of Oil Palm Phenolics On Pancreatic Cancer - Histological Evidence, Poornima Gowthaman

Wayne State University Theses

Oil palm phenolics, a water soluble portion is obtained from the milling of palm oil. It has been proven to be a remarkable anti-oxidative agent which reduces the overall oxidative stress in the body and cardiovascular disease in mice. The aim of this study was to see whether OPP has any beneficial effects on the development or progression of pancreatic cancer. A total of 30 male LSL.KrasG12D/+; p53R172H/+; PdxCretg/+ were categorized into control (CP, KC=6) and treatment (KP, KG, KPG=6) groups. The control groups received the regular chow dietand the treatment groups revceived 5%OPP chow diet. 5µg of saline was …

Cysteine Desulfurase And Isd11: A Drosophila Model, Rahul Ravindran Nair

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

Cysteine desulfurase and Isd11: A Drosophila model

Iron-sulfur clusters are cofactors with evolutionary origins that date back to the pre-biotic world. Ever since life originated, these cofactors have intermingled with proteins to play vital roles in sustaining life. My research focuses on one such protein, the cysteine desulfurase (Nfs) that has the PLP cofactor incorporated in its active site and avails of the catalytic property of PLP to provide sulphur for Iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis and assembly in a cell. Interestingly, in a eukaryotic cell, despite the versatility of PLP, cysteine desulfurase's role as a "sulphur-extractor" is incomplete without another …

Language Development Among Preschool Age Children Born Prematurely, Brittany Nicole Peters

Wayne State University Theses

Premature birth has been shown to be associated with various deficits in neuropsychological functioning during early childhood; however, few studies have attempted to understand the variables that contribute to variability in performance among children born prematurely. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationships between specific perinatal factors and language and cognitive outcome measures in a group of preschool-aged children born prematurely (N=47). As predicted, there were significant relationships between sex and specific outcome measures, with boys performing more poorly than girls; however, contrary to hypotheses, significant relationships failed to be found between outcome measures and both …

Effect Of Garcinol On Change In Gene Expression In Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Model, Nurul Huda Razalli

Wayne State University Theses

Pancreatic cancer is currently ranked as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in The United States making it so important to develop new approaches in order to improve the prognosis of this lethal disease. Chemotherapy drugs as treatment for pancreatic cancer are known to have adverse toxic reactions. Thus, development of treatments for pancreatic cancer that are relatively nontoxic is warranted. This thesis reports the potential anticancer effect of garcinol, a compound extracted from Garcinia indica fruit rind which may have promise for treating this lethal malignancy. Using KPC mouse-model for pancreatic cancer, this study has evaluated the mRNA …

Extending Lifespan Using Various Prolongevity Interventions And Their Effects On Enhancing Dna Repair Activity, Sonia Ahmad

Wayne State University Theses

Aging is not a disease; it causes a decrease in the physiological functions of cells, tissues, and organs. Aging has been considered as one of the biggest risk factors for the development of various diseases such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. Numerous studies have shown that lifespan can be extended in mice by genetic, dietary, and pharmacological interventions. A few prolongevity interventions currently being studied include: the drug rapamycin, that has been found to inhibit mTOR expression and exhibit anticancer properties; reduced caloric intake, a broadly acting dietary intervention for preventing carcinogenesis, and ultimately extending …

Studies Of Regulated Exocytosis From Neuroendocrine Cells, Madhurima Das

Wayne State University Theses

In this thesis we study cargo release and fusion pore dilation during calcium triggered exocytosis and the co-localization of calcium sensing proteins essential for exocytosis, in neuroendocrine cells.

Pancreatic beta cells secrete several hormones, the most studied one being insulin. C-peptide is a protein which is co-stored with and secreted from the same vesicles as insulin. It is found in the soluble phase unlike insulin, which is found in the dense core. The pancreatic beta cells also secrete the Chromogranin B (CgB) which is mostly found in the dense cores of secretory vesicles. In chapter 1, we found that CgB, …

Optimization Of Labeling Techniques; Determination Of Best Parameter For Olfactory Mucosal Progenitor Cell Delivery And Study Of Effects Of Methylene Blue And Polyethylene Glycol In An Animal Model Of Spinal Cord Injury, Kiran Kumar Rokkappanavar

Wayne State University Theses

In the United States, the incidence of TSCI is about 40 per million persons per year, with approximately 250,000 living survivors of TSCI in the United States in July 2005. A number of human clinical trials (85) are ongoing using stem cells to evaluate the methods to reduce the injury following TBI. Among the stem cells, olfactory mucosal progenitor cells have several advantages with respect to ease of obtaining, fate of cells, etc. Our study was intended to optimize the labeling technique and to determine the best parameter to deliver the stem cells to the site of injury. We found …

Characterizing Cyclin J By Identifying Conserved Protein-Protein Interactions, Phillip Jacob Selman

Wayne State University Theses

Cyclins are proteins that bind to Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, through a conserved domain called the Cyclin Box. Many Cyclins regulate the cell cycle. A few Cyclins impact cellular processes outside of the cell cycle. Also, a few Cyclins have poorly understood functions.

Cyclin J is a member of the Cyclin superfamily of proteins. Cyclin J is conserved among all metazoans, but is presently not well understood. All the research done on Cyclin J has been done in Drosophila.

Its mRNA is present in the early embryo, then disappears, only to reappear in adult females. When probing protein extracts with …

Analyzing Environmental Change And Prehistoric Hunter Behavior Through A 3d Time-Lapsed Model With Level Auto-Generation And Cultural Algorithms, Samuel Dustin Stanley

Wayne State University Theses

This paper describes a system containing two portions whose purpose it is to help further the Alpena-Amberley Land Bridge research project and similar archaeological research. The first portion is a "time engine" which one can utilize to navigate through time in order to see how environmental conditions evolved as time passed, or to run experiments during a desired time period. The second portion is a hunting blind cultural algorithm, which is built on top of the time engine as well as Palazzolo's program. In this portion, the AI hunting blinds react to the goals that they are trying to achieve, …

Neurobiological Correlates Of Personality And Emotional Expression In Traumatic Brain Injury, Christina G. Wong

Wayne State University Theses

Many individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience cognitive, emotional, and functional deficits, all of which can contribute to chronic stress. Unfortunately, individuals with TBI often engage in less effective coping than non-brain-injured individuals, which has negative implications for rehabilitation. Differences in personality traits have been linked to individual differences in coping styles, physiological stress reactivity, and emotional disclosure. Research on personality and coping after TBI has been sparse. Thus, the present study examined the influence of TBI on the pattern of the relationships between personality, emotional expression, and stress reactivity. Eighty-one adults who sustained moderate to severe TBI and …

Nutritional Status In A Cohort Of Hemodialysis Patients Receiving Tocotrienol Supplementation, Rajeev Shahani

Wayne State University Theses

Kidney disease is defined by a loss of kidney function over time [1]. It is expressed in terms of glomerular filtration rate at five stages calculated by the MDRD formula [5]. The fifth stage (<15 mL/min/1.73m2) is designed as end stage renal disease requiring renal replacement therapy in the form of hemodialysis [5]. This requires the use of an artificial kidney (dialyzer) to filter out by-products from the blood for excretion [8]. The issue arises when toxin accumulation due to decreased renal function, dialytic factors such as incompatible dialyzer membranes reacting with blood, and co-morbid conditions such as infection or diabetes mellitus [3]. This increases inflammation within the body, leading to a negative nutrient/energy balance, resulting in a loss of body mass thereby increasing the mortality risk [10]. Tocotrienols (T3), a more potent and underutilized form of Vitamin E, are being administered to attenuate this increase in inflammation via supplementation in addition to food intake. In order to attend to this issue, the nutritional status was assessed utilizing three measures: examining nutrient intake profiles (while supplementation was taken into consideration), obtaining anthropometric findings of body mass index, and analyzing biochemical profiles of serum albumin and pro-inflammatory markers (i.e. IL-6). This data was obtained via a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study of 81 dialysis patients. At two times over the course of 16 weeks, blood collection for serum albumin and inflammatory markers was analyzed and dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour diet recalls and Nutritionist Pro software. Statistical analyses of paired t-tests and correlation studies revealed no significant differences between the two groups later showing no noticeable effect of T3 supplementation. Reasoning may be multifactorial such as underestimation of food intake, transcription of diet recalls may not be truly representative, or T3 supplements may not have had an effect on the nutritional statuses. It may be beneficial for patients to receive more extensive nutritional counseling as opposed to nutritional supplementation to ensure compliancy with recommended intakes.

Oligospermines For Non-Viral Sirna Delivery, Maha Elsayed

Wayne State University Theses

In this thesis, delivery systems for siRNA delivery are introduced with special attention to non-viral vectors. Many successful vectors used in vivo were reviewed. Our work focused on the effect of different architectures of oligospermine polmers on their suitability for siRNA delivery in lung cancer cells. Different archituctures showed different polyplex structures and variable transfection efficiencies. Moreover, we presented a review on nanoimprint lithography techniques with an outlook on possible biological applications in the field of gene and drug delivery.

"Who Taught Us How To Lead?" Parental Influence On Leadership Styles, Asiyat Magomaeva

Wayne State University Theses

There is evidence that parenting styles shape the development of competence and achievement strategies, and that the authoritative parenting style is the most successful style in developing appropriate achievement strategies (Aunola, Stattin & Nurmi, 2000; Glasgow, Dornbusch, Troyer, Steinberg & Ritter, 1997)The present study investigated the link between parenting styles experienced during childhood and leadership styles adopted later in life, as well as which parent children perceive as most effective and whether that influences the leadership style they adopt later in life. Findings suggest that knowing the parenting style one experienced in childhood can help identify an individual's future leadership …

Selenium Supplementation Increases Antioxidant Response In Vitro, Yasmin Fakhereddin

Wayne State University Theses

Reactive oxygen species and free radicals are associated with the negative effects of aging. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms can defend cell structures from free radical damage. Selenium is an essential trace element necessary for cellular functions in the human body. A positive correlation between low serum selenium levels with the morbidity and mortality of a range of cancers has been illustrated in numerous studies. Glutathione Peroxidase catalyzes a reaction in which H2O2 oxidizes the reduced form of GSH and forms H2O. NADPH further reduces GSSG, the oxidized structure of glutathione, in a reaction catalyzed by glutathione reductase. Tissue culture was …

Regulation Of Nuclear Localization Of The Sole Sumo-Conjugating Enzyme, Ubc9, Palak Sekhri

Wayne State University Theses

The covalent and reversible conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins to hundreds of different cellular proteins is catalyzed by a cascade of enzymes including an E1-activating enzyme (SAE1/SAE2), an E2-conjugating enzyme (Ubc9) and multiple E3 ligases. As the only E2 enzyme for SUMO-conjugation, Ubc9 localizes mainly in the nucleus and plays an essential role in regulation of many cellular processes including cell cycle progression through mitosis, cell migration, genome stability, stress response, transcription, and nuclear transport in eukaryotic cells. It is hypothesized that the nuclear localization of Ubc9 is required for efficient sumoylation inside the nucleus because both the …

Bronchial Thermoplasty, Javier Diaz-Mendoza, Chong Bai, Hai-Dong Huang, Michael J. Simoff

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Breeding And Preliminary Characterization Of Novel Lentinula Edodes (Shiitake) Strains, Dietrich J. Blum

Theses

In order to increase productivity and yield of the edible shiitake mushroom, Lentinula edodes (Berkley) Pegler, monokaryons from each of six strains, in the culture collection of the Mushroom Biology and Fungal Biotechnology Lab were inter and intra bred to produce 566 novel strains. The objective of this study was to breed and characterize progeny strains for superior mycelial growth and temperature tolerance. Parental strains, monokaryons and their progeny were evaluated for mycelial growth rate at 10-30oC. The mating type of monokaryons and dikaryotic progeny was determined. Five of six parents were found to have homozygous mating type alleles indicating …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of 3-Nitro-2-Styrenyl Benzoic Acid Amide Derivatives As Potential Cancer Chemopreventives, Brittany Lynn Nichols

Theses

Chemopreventives are natural or synthetic compounds that are used to stop or reverse the processes of carcinogenesis or tumorigenesis. Resveratrol (3, 5, 4’-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a stilbenoid and natural phenol that is found in fruits such as grapes. In addition to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, resveratrol can inhibit D-type cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase CDK4 expression. This can also lead to inducing tumor suppressors p53 and Cdk inhibitor p21. The p53 protein is encoded by the TP53 gene and responds to cellular stresses by regulating target genes that induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and DNA repair among other functions. 3-nitro-2-styryl amide derivatives …

Queering The Mask: Performance And Fantasy In Michelle Cliff’S No Telephone To Heaven And Tahar Ben Jelloun’S Leaving Tangier, Kanika Bryant

Theses

This text juxtaposes Michelle Cliff's No Telephone to Heaven and Tahar Ben Jelloun's Leaving Tangier, examining the texts' cultural parallels to aid in an investigation and analysis of the queer protagonists in each text in order to show that because these protagonists self-consciously suppress part or all of their sexual identities, the act of temporary and permanent performance or passing becomes a central strategy utilized to navigate through their societal positions. The consciousness studies of both W.E.B. Du Bois and Frantz Fanon, as well as examinations of queer social identities as dictated by queer theory, will enhance the theoretical framework …

Effects Of Phase Feeding Different Levels Of Fungus Myceliated Grain On Broiler Performance And Health, Joi N. Jackson

Theses

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of phase feeding a combination of 3 different medicinal mushrooms (Lentinus edodes, Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus) via Fungus Myceliated Grain (FMG) on broiler performance and health after natural and experimental exposure to field strains of Eimeria. A total of 300, day-of-hatch, female broiler chickens were weighed and randomly assigned into the following dietary treatment conditions: 1) 1 % starter, 2) 1 % grower, 3) 1 % starter-grower-finisher, 4) 5% starter, 5) 5% grower, 6) 5% starter grower-finisher, 7) 10% starter, 8) 10% grower and 9) 10% starter-grower-finisher. Each treatment was replicated 3 …

The Collaborative Problem-Solving Approach With Traumatized Children: Its Effectiveness In The Reduction Of Locked Seclusion In An Inpatient Psychiatric Setting, Halana M. Finnie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aggressive or explosive behaviors in children typically occur within the context of a variety of psychiatric diagnoses and pose additional challenges when children present with histories of abuse. These behaviors are often interpreted as deliberate or noncompliant and management of these extreme behaviors often results in locked seclusion in most inpatient psychiatric settings. Locked seclusion remains controversial at best and raises legal and ethical issues regarding its safe and therapeutic use.

This retrospective quantitative study evaluated the effectiveness of the Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) approach as a less restrictive behavioral intervention on an inpatient child psychiatric unit with children ages 5-12 …

Stunted Growth: Institutional Challenges To The Department Of Homeland Security's Maturation, Dana James Fronczak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have proposed numerous explanations as to why the Department of Homeland Security has struggled to mature as an organization and effectively conduct its core mission. We propose an alternative viewpoint that the department lacks key legal authorities and necessitates key organizational transfer in order to rationalize its portfolio. We examine these points through review of legal authorities in select mission areas and through a resource analysis of activities conducted throughout the federal government to execute the homeland security mission. The analysis leads to specific recommendations for transfers and authorities and suggestions as to how the political environment might coalesce …

Characterization Of An Evolving Serotonin Transporter Computational Model, Laura Marie Geffert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A major obstacle for developing new antidepressants has been limited knowledge of the structure and function of a central target, the serotonin transporter (SERT). Established SERT inhibitors (SSRIs) were docked to an in silico SERT model to identify likely binding pocket amino acid residues. When mutated singly, no one of five implicated residues was critical for high affinity in vitro binding of SSRIs or cocaine. The in silico SERT model was used in ligand virtual screening (VS) of a small molecule structural library. Selected VS "hit" compounds were procured and tested in vitro; encouragingly, two compounds with novel structural scaffolds …

Humanlife And The Advent Of Philosophy: A Theory Of Philosophical Autobiography, David Frank Hoinski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a theory of philosophical autobiography. It includes studies of the autobiographical writings of Plato, Augustine, Descartes, Vico, and Nietzsche. I argue that philosophers write autobiographies in order to present and give an account of philosophical first principles. I also argue that Plato invented philosophical autobiography.

Isolation And Characterization Of Bacillus Firmus Strain Swpa-1 From Marcellus Shale Flowback Water, Samir N. Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flowback water generated during unconventional natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale contains elevated levels of total dissolved solids (TDS). Microbial growth is stimulated in these fluids during storage in open impoundments. The current study was conducted to isolate a strain from flowback water enrichment cultures and characterize it. An isolate was obtained by plate streaking and serial dilution methods and maintained on a nutrient broth with high TDS. Phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rRNA sequence revealed that bacterium was most closely related to Bacillus firmus<<<<<