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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Chemistry

Theses/Dissertations

2014

Biochemistry

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: Regulation Of Pyrimidine Enzymes, Ashley N. Broadway May 2014

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: Regulation Of Pyrimidine Enzymes, Ashley N. Broadway

Honors Theses

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome, PUBS, is a unique condition that shows an interesting discoloration of the urine from women who have a chronic catheter. This study focused on the regulation of enzyme activities to determine the effects that may create an environment where PUBS is seen in patients with catheters. In this study, the reductive pyrimidine pathway was used to read out the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15692. This microorganism expresses a pathway that synthesizes indoxyl from tryptophan. The bacteria strains were grown using various carbon and nitrogen sources. Concentrations of acetonitrile at 2 mM and 10 mM, concentrations of …


The Role Of Platelets In Hyaluronan Degradation, Sami Albeiroti Jan 2014

The Role Of Platelets In Hyaluronan Degradation, Sami Albeiroti

ETD Archive

Following tissue injury, platelets rapidly interact with the exposed extracellular matrix (ECM) of blood vessel wall and the surrounding tissues. Hyaluronan (HA) is a major polysaccharide component of the ECM and plays a significant role in regulating inflammation. Human platelets can degrade HA from the surfaces of activated endothelial cells into fragments capable of inducing immune responses by monocytes. In addition, platelets contain the enzyme hyaluronidse-2 (HYAL2), one of two major hyaluronidases that digest HA in somatic tissues. The deposition of HA increases in the inflamed tissues in several inflammatory diseases, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This study provides evidence …


The Role Of Rnase L In Thymic Homeostasis And Humoral Responses, Lin Zhang Jan 2014

The Role Of Rnase L In Thymic Homeostasis And Humoral Responses, Lin Zhang

ETD Archive

RNase L is highly expressed in the spleen, thymus, and multiple immune cells, suggesting that it may play an important role in the immune system against microbes. Previous studies in the lab have shown that deficiency of RNase L results in enlarged thymuses in mice at young age. However, relatively little is known about its influence on the thymic development and adaptive immunogenicity. The present Ph.D. study focuses on investigating the role of RNase L in the thymic homeostasis and humoral immune responses, thereby gaining new insights into the molecular aspects in thymocyte development, maturation and adaptive immunity.By using RNase …