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Assembly And Function Of Macromolecular Complexes For Accurate Trna Aminoacylation In Helicobacter Pylori, Gayathri Niroshani Silva

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ASSEMBLY AND FUNCTION OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPLEXES FOR ACCURATE TRNA AMINOACYLATION IN HELICOBACTER PYLORI

by

GAYATHRI SILVA

January 2014

Advisor: Dr. Tamara L. Hendrickson

Major: Chemistry (Biochemistry)

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Abstract

The aminoacylation of tRNA is a critical step in maintaining the accuracy of the genetic code. Many microorganisms are missing one or more aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) and rely on indirect pathways to produce certain aa–tRNAs. In Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the genes encoding both asparaginyl tRNA synthetase (AsnRS) and glutaminyl tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) are missing and the organism consequently relies on the indirect pathway for …

Uracil Accumulation Response To Folate Depletion Is A Function Of Dna Repair Imbalance That May Be A Mechanism Of Aging, Hongzhi Ma

Wayne State University Dissertations

Folate is an essential nutrient for human. They carry and transfer one carbon units. They has important biological functions during many reactions, like DNA synthesis, RNA synthesis, DNA methylation, DNA repair, cell division and growth. Through biochemical techniques to determine the gene expression, enzyme activity, uracil level in DNA, and through microbiological assay to determine the folate level, elucidates mechanism of uracil accumulation response to folate depletion. The findings present folate deficiency status affects the uracil DNA glycosylase activity, and uracil initiated DNA base excising repair. DNA repair ability decide whether there is uracil accumulation under the folate depletion condition …

Evaluation Of Presynaptic Dopamine Dynamics After: Toluene Inhalation Or Trkb Receptor Activation, Aaron Kwaku Apawu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Dopamine (DA) neurons in the striatum mediate several functions of the brain and have been linked to a host of neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease and addiction, both of which occur as a result of dysfunction in the DA system. In the present study, our first objective was to understand how the striatal DA system adapts to acute and repeated administration of inhalant toluene. The use of toluene as inhalant, like other drugs of abuse, is known to perturb DA neurotransmission in the brain reward pathway. However, the exact mechanism underling toluene's influence on striatal DA neurotransmission is unknown. The …

Religiosity-Spirituality And Risky Drinking Over The Transition To College: A Multi-Wave Longitudinal Study, Brian J. Klassen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Although the relationship between religiosity-spirituality and risky alcohol use is one of the most frequently studied topics in mental health, relatively little is known about how these variables relate to each other over time, especially during specific developmental periods such as the transition from high school to college. This study analyzed three waves of self-report data collected from a sample (N=623) of college students over a two-year period. Analyses examined (1) the stability of religiosity-spirituality and risky drinking over the transition to college, (2) the magnitude and direction of relationships between religiosity-spirituality and risky drinking, (3) the degree to which …

Development And Application Of Biomimetic Electrospun Nanofibers In Total Joint Replacement, Wei Song

Wayne State University Dissertations

Failure of osseointegration (direct anchorage of an implant by bone formation at the bone-implant surface) and implant infection (such as that caused by Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus) are the two main causes of implant failure and loosening. There is a critical need for orthopedic implants that promote rapid osseointegration and prevent bacterial colonization, particularly when placed in bone compromised by disease or physiology of the patients. A better understanding of the key factors that influence cell fate decisions at the bone-implant interface is required. Our study is to develop a class of "bone-like" nanofibers (NFs) that promote osseointegration while preventing …

Understanding The Role Of Nutritional Stress In The Adult And Developing Zebra Finch, Jessica Bayley Thompson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Songbirds are particularly susceptible to stress during the sensitive period for song learning. Thus the developmental stress hypothesis (DSH) proposes that adult song reflects a male's early life environment during this period. Nutritional stress (NS) has been shown to cause deficits in song learning and adult song output that are salient to females. Female song birds consistently prefer control males over those raised under NS, yet the effects NS on females are still unclear. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) has been implicated in this process. However, evidence directly linking HPA functioning to the deficits due to NS have inconsistently shown elevations …

Self-Construal Moderates Testosterone Reactivity To Competitive Outcomes, Keith Welker

Wayne State University Dissertations

Previous research shows that testosterone reactivity to competitive outcomes predicts aggressive behavior in men. However, some studies have failed to find these effects, and it has been suggested that individual differences moderate the relationships between competitive outcomes, testosterone fluctuations, and aggressive behavior. The current research examined whether one individual difference--self-construal--would moderate these effects. In Study 1, participants were assigned to win or lose a competitive video game and engaged in a reactive aggression task. Results indicated that increases in testosterone in response to winning and decreases in response to losing occurred in men with independent, not interdependent, self-construals. These changes …

Effects Of Altering The Peroxisomal Redox State In Models Of Degenerative Disease, Courtney Rose Giordano

Wayne State University Dissertations

Peroxisomes are important regulators of cellular redox balance and function as a signaling platform to regulate anti-aging metabolic and communication networks. In addition the organelle has emerged as a major player in maintaining cellular ROS at an optimal level. At such levels, these ROS are involved in initiation of signaling cascades and that produce an array of anti-aging and disease processes. However, as cells age over time, ROS amass within the peroxisome and elsewhere in the cell. This leads to an imbalance in oxidative homeostasis and results in compromised signaling networks. The goal of this dissertation was to treat disease …

Computational Investigation On The Structural Properties Of Neurofilaments And Their Sidearms, Lakshmi Jayanthi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Neurofilaments (NFs) are class IV intermediate filaments, abundantly found in the large myelinated axons. They are the key determinants of axonal diameter and consequently the nerve conduction properties. On the other hand, abnormal NF accumulation has been the hallmark of debilitating neurodegenerative disorders. NF compaction is also one of the pathological manifestations of traumatic axonal Injury. However, the exact relation between the disorganized NFs and the etiology of the neurodegenerative disorders is yet to be fully understood. NFs are assembled from three subunits: Low (NFL), Medium (NFM) and Heavy (NFH). These subunits are characterized by a common alpha helical rod …

Computational Studies Of Enzymatic Reactions And Inorganic Compounds, Dong Fang

Wayne State University Dissertations

Quantum mechanics (QM) calculations have been demonstrated to give very accurate results in studying a variety of chemical reactions. However, the current computing resources limits its use in large-size systems such as enzymes. Compared to QM, Molecular Mechanics (MM) have an advantage in computing time but disadvantage in accuracy, and MM cannot be used in reactions involving bonding forming and breaking. To combine the advantages of these two types of methods, QM/MM has been introduced to study reactions and processes in large-size systems, and it has been proven to give accurate results with moderate computational expense. When studying enzymatic reactions, …

The Role Of Pdgf C And Its Splice Variant In Breast Cancer, Alyssa Bottrell

Wayne State University Dissertations

The PDGF family consists of four members; while PDGF A and B are secreted as active dimers, PDGF C and D are secreted as latent dimers that undergo serine protease-mediated extracellular proteolytic activation. Gene expression analysis of breast cancer cell lines showed that PDGF C expression is associated with Basal B subtype breast cancer cells which have cancer stem cell-like characteristics. Furthermore, PDGF C expression is associated with triple-negative (estrogen receptor-, progesterone receptor- and HER2/neu-negative) breast cancer cells, a challenging type of breast cancer to treat. During the course of our study, we discovered a splice variant of PDGF C …

Dendrimer Based Nanotherapeutics For Ocular Drug Delivery, Siva Pramodh Kambhampati

Wayne State University Dissertations

PAMAM dendrimers are a class of well-defined, hyperbranched polymeric nanocarriers that are being investigated for ocular drug and gene delivery. Their favorable properties such as small size, multivalency and water solubility can provide significant opportunities for many biologically unstable drugs and allows potentially favorable ocular biodistribution. This work exploits hydroxyl terminated dendrimers (G4-OH) as drug/gene delivery vehicles that can target retinal microglia and pigment epithelium via systemic delivery with improved efficacy at much lower concentrations without any side effects.

Two different drugs Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) conjugated to G4-OH dendrimers showed tailorable sustained release in physiological relevant …

The 35th Anniversary, Don P. Diffine Ph.D.

Belden Center Monographs

It is the early 21st Century. One hundred years from now, will economic historians be able to refer to it as another “…American Century?” Private enterprise played a key role in bringing us to a great prosperity. Perhaps it is a good time to reflect on the past, consider the present, and ponder the future.

Swimming In A Sea Of Shame: Incorporating Emotions Into Explanations Of Institutional Reproduction And Change, W. E. Douglas Creed, Bryant Ahsley Hudson, Gerardo A. Okhuysen, Kristin Smith-Crowe

College of Business Faculty Publications

We theorize the role in institutional processes of what we call the shame nexus, a set of shame-related constructs: felt shame, systemic shame, sense of shame, and episodic shaming. As a discrete emotion, felt shame signals to a person that a social bond is at risk and catalyzes a fundamental motivation to preserve valued bonds. We conceptualize systemic shame as a form of disciplinary power, animated by persons’ sense of shame, a mechanism of ongoing intersubjective surveillance and self-regulation. We theorize how the duo of the sense of shame and systemic shame drives the self-regulation that underpins persons’ conformity to …

Online Reading Comprehension: Challenges And Opportunities, Julie Coiro

College of Education Faculty Publications

This paper details a number of challenges and opportunities for today’s learners when reading for information on the Internet. After defining online reading comprehension from a new literacies perspective and how it appears to be different than offline reading comprehension, I highlight details about four of the biggest challenges for today’s learners. These include 1) understanding and becoming proficient with the new literacy skills and practices needed for online research; 2) developing a special kind of digital wisdom that focuses on learning how to learn with the Internet; 3) taking on new roles in a digital culture that expects learners …

Borrowed Fiction And The Rightful Copyright Position, Viva R. Moffat

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Works of “borrowed fiction” — unauthorized sequels or retellings of literary works — have long prompted legal, cultural, and social backlash. With respect to copyright disputes, this is because borrowed fiction entails a range of legitimate but conflicting interests. Copyright law has historically elevated the interests of the “original” author over those of other writers and the reading public. Scholars have offered a range of proposals to counter this tendency, but these reforms have focused on the infringement analysis and the fair use doctrine. Each of those, however, involves a binary decision, one that is not amenable to accommodating the …

The Copyright/Patent Boundary, Viva R. Moffat

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Since the passage of the 1976 Copyright Act, the scope of protection for industrial design has been one of the most troublesome areas of copyright law. Many everyday items, from smart phones and gaming devices to bicycle racks and clothing mannequins, blend form — which is protected by copyright law — and function — protected by patent — and therefore lie at the boundary of the two areas of law. Courts and scholars have persistently struggled with copyright’s useful article doctrine, which seeks to delineate that boundary, but none of the approaches has proved to be either practically or theoretically …

Toward Sustainable Development Through Nurturing Diversity, Leon Jackson, Deon Meiring, Fons Van De Vijver, Erhabor Idemudia, William Gabrenya

IACCP Proceedings of the Biennial International Conferences

A peer-revieved book based on presentations at the XXI Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2012, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

(c) 2014, International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (ebook) ISBN 978-0-620-60283-9

Mart 333.01: 3d Animation Ii, Heejoo Gwen Kim

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Use Of Ultrasound Scanning And Body Condition Score To Evaluate Composition Traits In Mature Beef Cows, J. C. Emenheiser, R. G. Tait, Jr., S. D. Shackelford, L. A. Kuehn, T. L. Wheeler, D. R. Notter, R. M. Lewis

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The experiment was designed to validate the use of ultrasound to evaluate body composition in mature beef cows. Both precision and accuracy of measurement were assessed. Cull cows (n = 87) selected for highly variable fatness were used. Two experienced ultrasound technicians scanned and assigned BCS to each cow on 2 consecutive days. Ultrasound traits were backfat thickness (UBFT), LM area (ULMA), body wall thickness (UBWT), rump fat depth (URFD), rump muscle depth (URMD), and intramuscular fat (UIMF; %). Cows were then harvested. Carcass traits were HCW, backfat thickness (CBFT), LM area (CLMA), body wall thickness (CBWT), and marbling …

Pre- And Post-Harvest Interventions To Reduce Pathogen Contamination In The U.S. Beef Industry, T. L. Wheeler, Norasak Kalchayanand, Joseph M. Bosilevac

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Significant effort has been targeted at reducing the risk of pathogens in U.S. beef products since the mid-1990s. These efforts were focused on Escherichia coli O157:H7 after it was declared an adulterant in ground beef or its components. Post-harvest interventions applied to hides and carcasses by beef processors resulted in significant progress. Effective pre-harvest approaches proved hard to identify and implement. Six additional pathogenic E. coli serogroups were made adulterants in some beef products in 2012 and discussion regarding Salmonella is ongoing. Success to date has resulted from the combination of regulatory, research, and industry efforts to reduce the presence …

Immersion In Antimicrobial Solutions Reduces Salmonella Enterica And Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia Coli On Beef Cheek Meat, John W. Schmidt, Joseph M. Bosilevac, Norasak Kalchayanand, Rong Wang, Tommy L. Wheeler, Mohammad Koohmaraie

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of immersing beef cheek meat in antimicrobial solutions on the reduction of O157:H7 Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC), non-O157:H7 STEC, and Salmonella enterica. Beef cheek meat was inoculated with O157:H7 STEC, non-O157:H7 STEC, and S. enterica on both the adipose and muscle surfaces. The inoculated cheek meat was then immersed in one of seven antimicrobial solutions for 1, 2.5, or 5 min: (i) 1% Aftec 3000 (AFTEC), (ii) 2.5% Beefxide (BX), (iii) 300 ppm of hypobromous acid (HOBR), (iv) 2.5% lactic acid (LA2.5), (v) 5% lactic acid (LA5), (vi) …

Characterization Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Strains From Contaminated Raw Beef Trim During “High Event Periods”, Terrance M. Arthur, James L. Bono, Norasak Kalchayanand

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The development and implementation of effective antimicrobial interventions by the beef processing industry in the United States have dramatically reduced the incidence of beef trim contamination by Escherichia coli O157:H7. However, individual processing plants still experience sporadic peaks in contamination rates where multiple E. coli O157:H7-positive lots are clustered in a short time frame. These peaks have been referred to as “high event periods” (HEP) of contamination. The results reported here detail the characterization of E. coli O157:H7 isolates from 21 HEP across multiple companies and processing plants to gain insight regarding the mechanisms causing these incidents. Strain genotypes were …

Citing ‘Whatever’ Authority: The Ethics Of Quotation In The Work Of Giorgio Agamben, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper seeks to lay out an analysis of Giorgio Agamben’s central claims with regard to the formation of a theory of citationality. By juxtaposing Walter Benjamin’s theory of citations alongside his more recent, critical engagements with the western theological tradition, Agamben sets himself the goal of redefining ethics along Levinasian lines in order to arrive at a respect for the face of ‘whatever’ being before us, the true source toward which all citations point.

Business And Merchants Will Not Enter The Places Of My Father: Early Christianity And Market Mentality, Edmondo Lupieri

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

At the time of the redaction of the New Testament (NT), the relatively newly constituted Roman Empire seems to have brought some sort of political uniformity to the whole Mediterranean world. This phenomenon must have had some kind of financial repercussions due to a more centralized administration and a relatively larger diffusion of a standardized monetary system. Can we understand if this had any impact on the preaching of (the historical) Jesus? Did his early followers have the memory of any teaching of his regarding money, its possession or its use? And, in the times and areas they were living …

The Profanation Of Revelation: On Language And Immanence In The Work Of Giorgio Agamben, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay seeks to articulate the many implications which Giorgio Agamben’s work holds for theology. It aims therefore to examine his (re)conceptualizations of language, in light of particular historical glosses on the ‘name of God’ and the nature of the ‘mystical’, as well as to highlight the political task of profanation, one of his most central concepts, in relation to the logos said to embody humanity’s ‘religious’ quest to find its Voice. As such, we see how he challenges those standard (ontotheological) notions of transcendence which have been consistently aligned with various historical forms of sovereignty. In addition, I intend …

Book Review: René Girard And Secular Modernity: Christ, Culture, And Crisis, Written By Scott Cowdell, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Are The Only True Atheists Actually Theologians?, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Contemporary continental European philosophy circulates around particular apocalyptic themes, offering new insights and suggestive proposals for theology to think through the implications of this often most difficult of religious subjects. As such philosophies manoeuvre to define apocalyptic through its return to questions of antinomian thought, of the 'interruption' of normative religious imagery, and of the negation of our most cherished theological representations (including our representations of God and the Law), we constantly find these philosophers engaged with the most basic foundations of Western religious history. From its inception, apocalyptic has been a genre of literature, and more generally of religious …

Muslim Journeys, Booth Library

Muslim Journeys: Exhibit Booklet

Exhibit Dates

This exhibit was displayed at Booth Library January 29-April 15, 2014

About the Exhibit

Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys brought together scholars, students and community members to gain new perspectives on Muslim culture. The project sought to familiarize public audiences with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the U.S. and around the world.

Programs included panel discussions, film screenings, research presentations and related lectures. In addition, several campus and community members participated in a five-part book discussion moderated by project scholars.

Program sponsors: Eastern Illinois University, Booth Library, American Library Association, National Endowment …

Action Institute: The Birth Of Freedom Film Study Guide, 2010-14, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.