Developing A Tool For Site-Specific Gene Inactivation In Chlamydia, Cayla Marie Johnson

Theses

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that infects both humans and domestically important animals. Research in the field has until more recently been hindered by a lack of genetic tools. We have modified Sigma's TargeTron^TM Gene Knockout System, which utilizes a mobile group II intron for site-specific insertion and gene inactivation, for use in C. trachomatis. As proof of principle, we used the system to inactivate incA, creating mutant strains DFCT3 and DFCT4 (independent clones both carrying incA::GII[bla]). IncA is a chlamydial inclusion membrane protein involved in homotypic fusion of inclusions when cells are infected with more …

Effect Of Different Extrusion Processing Parameters On Physical Properties Of Soy White Flakes And High Protein Distillers Dried Grains-Based Extruded Aquafeeds, Sushil Kumar Singh, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications

Nutritionally balanced ingredient blends for catla (Catla catla), belonging to the family Cyprinidae, were extruded using single screw extruder. The extrusion was carried out at five levels of soy white flakes content (21%, 29%, 40%, 52%, and 59% db), five levels of moisture content (15, 19, 25, 31, and 35% db) and five levels of barrel temperature (100, 110, 125, 140, and 150 ºC) using three different die nozzles (having L/D ratios 3.33, 5.83, and 7.25). Blends with net protein content of 32.5% contains soy white flakes, along with high protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG), corn flour, corn gluten meal, …

Functional Morphology Of The Connective Tissue Of The Clavicular System Of The Domestic Cat, Felis Catus, Amanda N. Cooper

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Cell Cycle Regulation In Arabidopsis Thaliana Trichomes, Ashley Willis

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

A Novel Tablet Based System To Measure The Effect Of Subconcussive Blows On Sensorimotor And Cognitive Functioning, Stuart D. Red

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Concussions have become a major societal concern with studies showing detrimental short and long-term effects on cognitive and sensory functioning. More recently, research has begun to focus on “subconcussive” blows to the head. Subconcussive blows, which are common in many sports (soccer, boxing, football, etc), do not result in the more obvious symptoms of a concussion but have the potential to cause severe brain injury. In our lab and others, eye movements have been used as a sensitive marker of cognitive and sensory changes related to specific diseases and treatments. We have developed a novel measure based on eye movement …

The Role Of Mir-34a In Inhibition Of Prostate Tumor Growth In The Bone And Induction Of Autophagy, Sanchaika Gaur

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States, with most deaths occurring from bone metastasis. Several new therapies have been FDA approved for bone-metastatic PCa, but patient survival has only marginally improved due to therapy resistance, which often arises from constitutive activation of compensatory signaling pathways. This dissertation work focused on a mechanistic understanding of how cross talk between tyrosine kinase receptors contributes to therapy resistance, and how this may be overcome by downregulating expression of these receptors. In PCa cell lines and xenograft models, I demonstrated that activation of IGF-1R …

Hypoxia Mediated Downregulation Of Mirna Biogenesis Leads To Increased Tumor Progression, Rajesha Rupaimoole

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of tumor associated microenvironment in the initiation and progression of tumors. However, a mechanistic understanding of the complicated biological interplay between the stromal framework and malignant regions of the tumor remains incompletely understood. In this study, we address mechanisms by which hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment leads to attenuation of miRNA biogenesis by downregulation of two key enzymes, Drosha and Dicer in cancer cells. Previous data from our laboratory had shown the clinical relevance of downregulated Dicer and Drosha in ovarian and other cancer types, but a clear …

Sustained Adrenergic Signaling Promotes Cervical Cancer Progression, Nouara C. Sadaoui

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Chronic stress and sustained adrenergic signaling are known to promote tumor progression. The underlying mechanisms behind this process are not well understood. We examined the effects of sustained adrenergic signaling on cervical cancer progression through increased expression of HPV oncogenes, E6 and E7.

Materials and Methods: ADRβ expression levels were examined in patient-derived cervical cancer samples. We used an orthotopic model of cervical cancer to investigate the effects of restraint stress on tumor growth and metastasis. We evaluated the in vivo effects of a β-blocker, propranolol, and HPV E6/E7 siRNA. In vitro, ADRβ positive cervical cancer cells were …

Mdm2-Mediated Degradation Of Sirt6 Phosphorylated By Akt1 Promotes Tumorigenesis And Trastuzumab Resistance In Breast Cancer, Umadevi Thirumurthi

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Sirtuin6 (SIRT6) is one of the members of the Sirtuin family and functions as a longevity assurance gene by promoting genomic stability. It also regulates various cancer-associated pathways and was recently established as a bonafide tumor suppressor in colon cancer. This suggests that SIRT6 is an attractive target for pharmacological activation in cancer treatment, and hence, identification of potential regulators of SIRT6 would be an important and critical contribution towards cancer treatment. Here, we show that AKT1 phosphorylates SIRT6 at Ser³³⁸ and induces MDM2-SIRT6 interaction, priming SIRT6 for degradation via the MDM2-dependent ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Blocking SIRT6 Ser³³⁸ phosphorylation …

Effects Of Oxytocin On Human Aggression, Joseph L. Alcorn Iii

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

EFFECTS OF OXYTOCIN ON HUMAN AGGRESSION

Joseph Louis Alcorn III, B.S.

Advisory Professor: Scott D. Lane, Ph.D.

Human interaction is comprised of common, yet complex, behaviors and the outcomes of these social behaviors can beneficially or detrimentally impact individual and public health. One social behavior that can have profound detrimental outcomes is aggression. Aggression is a class of social behavior that is particularly prevalent in individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and comorbid substance use disorder (SUD). Aggression in these individuals can manifest at maladaptive levels that place considerable burdens on public health and communities. Therefore, understanding the neurobehavioral underpinnings …

Differential Pax5 Levels Promote Mcl Dispersal And Progression And Predict A Poor Prognosis In Advanced Mcl Patients, Albert Teo

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Although PAX5 conditional silencing in mice models led to aggressive lymphoma formation, there has been a lack of understanding in the precise functions of PAX5 in human B cell cancers. PAX5 expression is used to diagnose different B cell lymphoma in the clinic including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), which is one of the most aggressive B cell cancers. PAX5 levels in MCL patients were significantly repressed compared to normal B cells. Surprisingly, we found there were quantitative differences in PAX5 expression levels within MCL patient tissues, which prompted us to silence PAX5 in MCL cell lines to characterize PAX5 functions …

The Role Of Dual Specificity Phosphatase -11 In Innate And Adaptive Immune Responses, Kalyan Chakravarthy Nallaparaju

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

THE ROLE OF DUAL SPECIFICITY PHOSPHATASE -11 IN INNATE AND ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES

Kalyan Chakravarthy Nallaparaju, M.S.

Supervisory Professor: Chen Dong, Ph.D.

Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) constitute a subfamily of protein tyrosine phosphatases characterized by their ability to dephosphorylate both phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine/phosphothreonine residues within a substrate, typically among members of the MAP kinase family. DUSPs have been shown to play a critical role in the regulation of various cellular processes including signal transduction, cell cycle regulation and cellular proliferation via modulation of MAP kinase activities. Also, many members of this family have been demonstrated to be potent immune regulators. …

Nprl2/Tusc4 Functions As A Tumor Suppressor By Regulating Brca1’S Stability Via The E3 Ubiquitination Pathway, Yang Peng

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Expression of the tumor suppressor protein BRCA1 is frequently lost in breast cancer patients, and the loss of its expression is associated with disruption of various critical functions in cells and cancer development. In the present study, we demonstrate through microarray analysis that cells with tumor suppressor candidate 4 (NPRL2/TUSC4) knockdown show critical changes to cell cycle, cell death pathways and a global impact on cancer development. More importantly, we observed a clear cluster pattern of NPRL2/TUSC4-knockdown gene profiles with established homologous recombination (HR) repair defect signature. Additionally, NPRL2/TUSC4 protein physically interacts with the E3 ligase HERC2 and prevents ubiquitin …

Change Detection In Rhesus Monkeys And Humans, Deepna T. Devkar, Deepna T. Devkar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Visual working memory (VWM) is the temporary retention of visual information and a key component of cognitive processing. The classical paradigm for studying VWM and its encoding limitations has been change detection. Early work focused on how many items could be stored in VWM, leading to the popular theory that humans could remember no more than 4±1 items. More recently, proposals have suggested that VWM is a noisy, continuous resource distributed across virtually all items in the visual field, resulting in diminished memory quality rather than limited quantity. This debate about the nature of VWM has predominantly been studied with …

Regulation Of Functional Expression Of Mechanosensitive Trpv4 Channel In The Distal Nephron By Dietary Potassium And Sodium Intake, Nabila Boukelmoune

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The Ca²⁺-permeable TRPV4 channel is predominantly expressed in the distal nephron (DN) and its activity is essential for [Ca²⁺]_i elevations in response to increased tubular flow. Here, I probed the physiological mechanisms controlling TRPV4 function and expression in the DN. I found that renal TRPV4 expression and mRNA levels were significantly increased by high K⁺ diet (5%) and decreased by dietary K⁺ restriction (0.003%). In contrast, variations in Na⁺ regimen had no apparent effect on TRPV4 expression and mRNA levels. Regulation of TRPV4 protein expression by K⁺ diet was independent of …

Dual Assembly Nanoparticles Achieve Sustained Silencing Of Znf304: A Novel Transcription Factor For Β1 Integrin, Burcu Aslan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a highly metastatic disease, but no effective strategies to this process currently are known. Here, an integrated computational analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas ovarian cancer dataset coupled with experimental validation identified a novel zinc finger transcriptional factor 304 (ZNF304) as one of the key factors for ovarian cancer metastasis. High tumoral ZNF304 expression was associated with poor overall survival in ovarian cancer patients. Through reverse phase protein array analysis, we demonstrated that ZNF304 promotes multiple proto-oncogenic pathways important for cell survival, migration, and invasion. ZNF304 transcriptionally regulates β1 integrin, which subsequently regulates Src/focal adhesion kinase …

Attachment, Vagal Tone, And Co-Regulation During Infancy, Jessica Chloe Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the development of attachment as it relates to co-regulation and vagal tone over the second half of the first year of life. Links to infants' attachment and developmental status were also examined. Symmetrical and unilateral co-regulated patterns of interactions at 6 months demonstrated significant linkages with attachment. Developmental status did not show direct linkages with attachment. Direct links between vagal tone and attachment were also not identified. Correlations between co-regulation and vagal tone at the 6 month time point were identified. Findings suggest an important role of co-regulation as it relates to attachment development. Future studies may …

Small Mammals Matter? Linking Plant Invasion, Biotic Resistance, And Climate Change In Post-Fire Plant Communities, Rory Charles O'Connor

Theses and Dissertations

The introduction and establishment of exotic species can profoundly alter ecosystems. Two exotic species drastically changing the landscape of deserts in western North America are Bromus tectorum L. and Bromus rubens L. Through the buildup of biomass and slow decomposition rates in deserts these two exotic annual grasses can alter fire regimes that change the plant and animal community dynamics in the ecosystems. To better understand the ecological mechanisms that could restrict or alter the patterns of invasive plant establishment we established a replicated full factorial experiment in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert. The combinations of factors being manipulated …

Invisible Labor And The Preservation Of Dignity, Laken Bridges

All Theses

My art seeks to question the social value of labor. Throughout history, labor hierarchies influenced by social class and economic stigmas have informed how laborers are viewed in the United States. Physical jobs such as menial and domestic work are a common form of invisible labor that experience debasement and stereotyping. In my art, I use labor-based and ordinary objects as a metaphor for the worker, linking the value or disposability of the object to the societal value of labor. This critique of labor is enhanced by the manipulation of text, by the formal tools of scale and perspective, and …

Development Of A Translational, Tissue-Engineered Approach To Replacement Of Myocardial Infarct Scar Tissue, Jason Schulte

All Dissertations

Myocardial infarction (MI) affects nearly 600,000 individuals each year, and the resulting damage initiates a pathophysiological progression towards congestive heart failure (CHF). A shortage of donor organs precludes heart transplantation as a practical solution, and neither surgical intervention nor stem cell therapy have yielded consistent and sufficiently positive results in clinical investigation. To prevent CHF, prospective therapies must target the cause of the maladaptive cardiac remodeling which precedes it--the nonfunctional, dyskinetic infarct scar--and aim to replace it with functional cardiac muscle. Tissue engineering holds promise for the development of novel therapies to either halt or reverse post-MI cardiac remodeling. However, …

Targeted Delivery Of Anti-Inflammatory And Anti-Oxidant Drugs For Treatment Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Yun Xiang

All Dissertations

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was found to be the fourth leading cause of death in 2004, but current treatments can only relieve the symptoms and improve the quality of life for the patients. Glucocorticoids have been broadly applied in other inflammatory conditions with promising therapeutic effects, but performed poorly in COPD. The phenomenon called glucocorticoid resistance is responsible for glucocorticoid insensitivity in COPD. Researchers have proven that elevated oxidative stress in the lung of a COPD patient is one of the main causes of blocking the function of glucocorticoids. We hypothesize that reducing the oxidative stress in the lung …

Design With Emotion: Improving Web Search Experience For Older Adults, Tamirat Abegaz

All Dissertations

Research indicates that older adults search for information all together about 15% less than younger adults prior to making decisions. Prior research findings associated such behavior mainly with age-related cognitive difficulties. However, recent studies indicate that emotion is linked to influence search decision quality. This research approaches questions about why older adults search less and how this search behavior could be improved. The research is motivated by the broader issues of older users' search behavior, while focusing on the emotional usability of search engine user interfaces. Therefore, this research attempts to accomplish the following three objectives: a) to explore the …

Development And Application Of Scalable Two-Dimensional High Performance Liquid Chromatography For Aromatic Selective Separations Of Biologically Active Phytochemicals From Oplopanax Horridus, Gregory Jones

All Dissertations

The high demand for more efficient purification processes with increased automation and throughput pushes the development of more advanced preparative, pilot, and process scale HPLC instrumentation that is capable of achieving higher purities in a shorter amount of time than are currently achieved using one dimensional separations. A preparative scale 2D HPLC system was designed and reduced to practice in order to demonstrate the capacity for scalability of on-line comprehensive 2D HPLC separations of basic compounds from a challenging natural product extract of Oplopanax horridus. The methodology and instrumentation design herein permits direct method transfer from analytical to preparative scale …

Essays In Public And Corporate Finance, Joseph Newhard

All Dissertations

Each of the three chapters of this dissertation makes a unique contribution to the fields of public finance or corporate finance. In chapter one I show that tax-price is increasing in workplace risk due to a positive wage-risk response that is observed in the labor supply price for hazardous industries. This result implies that, holding human capital constant, workers in more dangerous industries will demand a relatively smaller public sector. I test this with county-level data on fatality rates and support for the two major party candidates in the 2004 US Presidential election. Taking Republicans to represent the party of …

The Development And Characterization Of Tannic Acid Cross-Linked Collagen Scaffolds For The Prevention Of Breast Cancer Recurrence In Lumpectomy Patients, Beau Inskeep

All Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer amongst women, second only to lung cancer. In 2014, it was estimated that there were approximately 295,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in women, with approximately 40,000 deaths caused by breast cancer in the United States. It has been reported that a woman has a 12% chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime and a 3% chance of dying from breast cancer. There are several treatment options available for breast cancer, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, as well as two different forms of surgery, mastectomy and lumpectomy. However, none of these …

Determining Dna Damage Prevention Mechanisms For Multifunctional Selenium And Sulfur Antioxidants And The Dna-Damaging Capabilities Of Clotrimadozle And Pseudoephedrine-Derived Metal Complexes, Matthew Todd Zimmerman

All Dissertations

DNA damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a cause of many chronic diseases. This work examines the ability of sulfur and selenium antioxidants to prevent oxidative DNA damage and the mechanisms for this activity. Although iron- and copper-generated hydroxyl radical are primary causes of damage under oxidative stress conditions, studies typically focus on ROS scavenging rather than antioxidant-metal binding as a mechanism for sulfur and selenium antioxidant behavior. Mass spectrometry studies of sulfur and selenoamino acids (Chapter 2) show that most form CuI and FeII complexes, regardless of their metal-mediated DNA damage prevention abilities. Because their electrochemical properties do …

Investigation Of Nuclear And Cytoplasmic Functions Of The Dlipin Protein Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Qiuyu Chen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lipin family proteins are highly conserved proteins present in species ranging from mammals to yeast. Lipin 1, the first Lipin gene identified in fatty liver dystrophy (fld) mutant mice, encodes the bifunctional protein Lipin 1, which can serve as an Mg2+-dependent phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP) and transcriptional co-regulator. dLipin, the single Lipin ortholog of Drosophila melanogaster, is required in triglyceride synthesis and fat body development. To study the transcriptional co-regulator activity of dLipin, nuclear receptors were screened to find receptors that interact with dLipin. The genetic interaction data indicated that Drosophila hepatic nuclear receptor 4 (HNF4) was a promising candidate …

Identification And The Significance Of Selective Proteins In Bile And Plasma Of Normal And Health-Compromised Chickens, Balamurugan Packialakshmi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the last 50 years, animal breeding programs in commercial poultry have made significant progress in the bodyweight gain of broilers but led to several metabolic and skeletal disorders. Lameness associated with proximal femur known as femoral head separation (FHS) or femoral head necrosis (FHN) is one of the major metabolic disorders in poultry industry. In order to select for healthy chickens, markers that can distinguish between healthy and affected birds are required. Biomarkers from blood represent an ideal and rich source of markers which can be obtained using minimally invasive methods. The biomarkers were explored in an experimental model …

Regulation Of Phialide Morphogenesis In Aspergillus Nidulans, Hu Yin

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Filamentous fungi have two distinctive life cycles, vegetative growth and development for sexual or asexual spore formation. The asexual reproduction in development as conidiation in Aspergillus nidulans is the dominant form of producing spores effectively. A complex conidiophore structure is developed during asexual reproduction process. The conidiophore is formed from hyphal cell and consists of stalk, vesicle, metulae, phialide and conidial spores. Phialides are essential sporogenous cells in the conidiophore structure. The growth pattern is switched from acropetal to basipetal between phialide and spores, which makes phialide a unique cell type in A. nidulans and other phialide producing fungi. …

Nexus Of Exchange Rate Deregulation And Agricultural Share Of Gross Domestic Product In Nigeria, Oyakhilomen Oyinbo, Falola Abraham, Grace Z. Rekwot

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

The kernel of this study was to examine the causal relationship between exchange rate deregulation and the agricultural share of gross domestic product in Nigeria from an econometric perspective using time series data spanning a period of 26 years (1986 – 2011). Data on exchange rate and gross domestic product were analysed using augmented dickey fuller unit root test, unrestricted vector autoregression, pairwise granger causality and vector error correction model. The results showed the existence of unidirectional causality from exchange rate to agricultural share of gross domestic production and also, exchange rate deregulation had negative influence on agricultural share of …