Saliva As A Diagnostic Biological Fluid And The Human Salivary Proteome,
2019
University at Albany, State University of New York
Saliva As A Diagnostic Biological Fluid And The Human Salivary Proteome, Jessica Ghassan Emsies
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Saliva is a unique biologic fluid that contains a varying spectrum of proteins, nucleic acids, electrolytes, and hormones.31 It is an exocrine secretion of the salivary glands which is hypotonic in nature with a pH of 7.2-7.4.31 Saliva plays an important role in the oral cavity.33 It lubricates, hydrates, and bathes the oral cavity, therefore, aiding speech and mastication.33 Saliva forms a barrier on the teeth, protects against demineralization, and aids in remineralization.33 Saliva is required for chewing and food bolus preparation, it contains enzymes necessary for digestion, and mediates the sense of taste.33 It also helps wound healing and …
Mechanisms Of Trinucleotide Repeat Instability During Dna Synthesis,
2019
University of Kentucky
Mechanisms Of Trinucleotide Repeat Instability During Dna Synthesis, Kara Y. Chan
Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology
Genomic instability, in the form of gene mutations, insertions/deletions, and gene amplifications, is one of the hallmarks in many types of cancers and other inheritable genetic disorders. Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) disorders, such as Huntington’s disease (HD) and Myotonic dystrophy (DM) can be inherited and repeats may be extended through subsequent generations. However, it is not clear how the CAG repeats expand through generations in HD. Two possible repeat expansion mechanisms include: 1) polymerase mediated repeat extension; 2) persistent TNR hairpin structure formation persisting in the genome resulting in expansion after subsequent cell division. Recent in vitro studies suggested that a …
Discovery And Characterization Of Novel Substrate Selective Inhibitors Of Human Mrp1 (Abcc1),
2019
South Dakota State University
Discovery And Characterization Of Novel Substrate Selective Inhibitors Of Human Mrp1 (Abcc1), Angelina Sampson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/ABCC1) actively transports a variety of drugs, toxic molecules and important physiological substrates across the plasma membrane. It can confer broad-spectrum drug resistance and can decrease the bioavailability of many important drugs such as anti-cancer agents, antibiotics, antivirals, antidepressants and antiinflammatory drugs. Calcein-AM, a fluorescent reporter commonly used for studying compound interactions with MRP1 was recently used in the development of a high content imaging-based assay by our group. This assay was robust and had better sensitivity than fluorescent plate readouts. The assay identified 12 MRP1 inhibitors after screening an anticancer library of 386 compounds. Due …
Stabilization Of Dna I-Motif Structures By 7-Aminoactinomycin D, An Anti-Tumor Drug,
2019
University of Mississippi
Stabilization Of Dna I-Motif Structures By 7-Aminoactinomycin D, An Anti-Tumor Drug, Justin Lane Parmely
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Alternative DNA structures are likely to form from Watson-Crick B-form DNA when antitumor drug known to bind DNA loops -- can affect the iM structure. Our results demonstrate as an i-motif (iM). While both structures are known to exist in vivo they are energetically uphill can utilize intercalating cytosine-cytosine base pairing to form a four-stranded structure known controlled by alternative DNA structures like G4s and iMs. especially during processes that involve superhelical duress. A guanosine rich strand can form a facilitate their stabilization. In this report we present data on how 7-aminoactinomycin D -- an formation. Earlier it was believed …
Insights Into Nucleic Acid-Platinum(Ii) Compound Interactions And Structural Impacts,
2019
Wayne State University
Insights Into Nucleic Acid-Platinum(Ii) Compound Interactions And Structural Impacts, Supuni Duneeshya Kamal Thalalla Gamage
Wayne State University Dissertations
With the discovery of cisplatin in the 1960s, it has been widely studied as a precursor for anticancer drug development. Despite its effectiveness against certain cancers, clinical usage of cisplatin is restricted by a number of side effects and resistance. In the past decade, scientists have been exploring biologically important ligands such as sugar derivatives in the hope of overcoming such challenges. Attachment of a sugar moiety could facilitate lower accumulation of platinum drugs in the body as well as enhance cellular uptake. In this study, a carbohydrate-linked cisplatin analog, cis-dichlorido[(2-β-D-glucopyranosidyl)propane-1,3-diammine]platinum (5) has been studied. The aim was to evaluate …
The Fallacy Of Defensive Protection For Traditional Knowledge,
2019
Emory University School of Law
The Fallacy Of Defensive Protection For Traditional Knowledge, Margo A. Bagley
Faculty Articles
Proponents of databases as defensive protection posit that having sources of traditional knowledge easily accessible to, and searchable by, examiners during the prosecution process should minimize the grant of patents covering traditional knowledge, and avoid the problems such erroneously granted patents may produce. Some countries, such as India, which support an international sui generis positive protection instrument, also support the use of traditional knowledge databases, as the two approaches are not mutually exclusive. India's CSIR, which created and maintains the TKDL, asserts that the database has thwarted the grant of scores of patents in IP offices across the globe, although …
Structural Investigation Of Bcsc: Insight Into Periplasmic Transport During Cellulose Export,
2019
Wilfrid Laurier University
Structural Investigation Of Bcsc: Insight Into Periplasmic Transport During Cellulose Export, William Scott, Joel T. Weadge
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
A biofilm can be defined by a community of microbes coexisting within a self-produced protective polymeric matrix. Exopolysaccharide (EPS) is a key component in biofilms and a contributor to their virulence and pathogenicity. The cellulose bacterial synthesis complex is one such EPS system that is found in many Enterobacteriaceae,including Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., and is responsible for the production and secretion of the EPS cellulose. BcsC is the periplasmic protein responsible for the export of the exopolysaccharide cellulose and was the focus of this research. Sequence homology comparisons and structural predictions between BcsC, and the previously characterized alginate …
Characterization Of Wssf; A Putative Acetyltransferase From Achromobacter Insuavis And Pseudomonas Fluorescens,
2019
Wilfrid Laurier University
Characterization Of Wssf; A Putative Acetyltransferase From Achromobacter Insuavis And Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Cody Reese
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Biofilms are a survival mechanism commonly employed by communities of bacteria for adherence and protection. Bacteria produce a matrix of polymers (e.g. exopolysaccharides, such as cellulose) that allow them to exert control on their local environment. In the case of cellulose biofilms, acetylation (addition of acetate on carbohydrates) is paramount for polymer integrity and in some cases virulence. For this research, the wrinkly spreader (WS) genotype of the emergent human pathogen Achromobacter insuavis facilitates infections of the eyes of contact lens wearers and the lungs of Cystic Fibrosis patients (CF). Chronic infections have created a growing concern for the protective …
Characterization Of The Microbial Phosphonate-Activating Pntc Enzymes,
2019
Wilfrid Laurier University
Characterization Of The Microbial Phosphonate-Activating Pntc Enzymes, Kyle Rice
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
New strategies are urgently needed to combat infectious diseases in an era of rising antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, an emerging appreciation for the human microbiome’s role in maintaining health motivates discovery of species-specific antibiotics that minimally disrupt our native bacterial communities. Small molecule modifications to bacterial cell surfaces represent a potentially rich source of new targets for next generation antibiotics, as these molecules mediate virulence and evasion of the host immune response. Phosphocholine (PCho) is a rare cell surface modification that contributes to virulence, and modifications with phosphonates like 2-aminoethylphosphonate (AEP) are even more unusual and therefore provide opportunities for species- …
Mutations Of Fus Cause Aggregation Of Rna Binding Proteins, Disruptions In Protein Synthesis, And Dysregulation Of Nonsense Mediated Decay,
2019
University of Kentucky
Mutations Of Fus Cause Aggregation Of Rna Binding Proteins, Disruptions In Protein Synthesis, And Dysregulation Of Nonsense Mediated Decay, Marisa Elizabeth Kamelgarn
Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron death and subsequent muscle atrophy. Approximately 15% of ALS cases are inheritable, and mutations in the Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) gene contribute to approximately 5% of these cases, as well as about 2% of sporadic cases. FUS performs a diverse set of cellular functions, including being a major regulator of RNA metabolism. FUS undergoes liquid- liquid phase transition in vitro, allowing for its participation in stress granules and RNA transport granules. Phase transition also contributes to the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions found in the …
Molecular Level Comparison Of Water Extractives Of Maple And Oak With Negative And Positive Ion Esi Ft-Icr Mass Spectrometry,
2019
Southern Regional Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Molecular Level Comparison Of Water Extractives Of Maple And Oak With Negative And Positive Ion Esi Ft-Icr Mass Spectrometry, Zhongqi He, Rachel L. Sleighter, Patrick G. Hatcher, Shasha Liu, Fengchang Wu, Haixuan Zou, O. Modesto Olanya
Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications
Soluble extractives in wood function to protect living trees from destructive agents and also contribute to wood color and fragrance. Some extractive components have biological activities with medical applications. They also play important roles in wood processing and related applications. To increase the knowledge of wood chemistry, maple and oak were extracted by water. Ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) spectroscopy indicated the presence of a phenolic compound, resorcinol, in maple extractives having higher molecular mass and more aromatic components than oak extractives. Negative and positive electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR-MS) identified thousands of formulas in the two …
Condensation And Polymerization Explain The Humification Of Lignin Into Aliphatic And Aromatic Structures In Soil,
2019
Old Dominion University
Condensation And Polymerization Explain The Humification Of Lignin Into Aliphatic And Aromatic Structures In Soil, Patrick G. Hatcher, Hongmei Chen, Seyyedhadi Khatami, Derek C. Waggoner
Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications
Soil organic matter (SOM) constitutes a global reservoir of carbon that is more than twice that of either atmospheric carbon or aquatic carbon; however, the manner in which it forms from degraded plant biomass is poorly understood. Some have recently questioned whether plant biomass is involved directly in SOM formation and suggest that it is microbial carbon that constitutes the main source of stable SOM. Such a view implies that above and below ground plant biomass is rapidly decomposed and mineralized. This view contrasts significantly with traditional ones that involve the transformation of plant biomass to recalcitrant humic materials fueled …
Treatment Of Plastic Wastes Using Plasma Gasification Technology,
2019
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Treatment Of Plastic Wastes Using Plasma Gasification Technology, Zachary Homolka
Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)
Plasma gasification (PG) complements traditional recycling when applied to contaminated or mixed plastics. Without PG these plastics cost recyclers more to process than they are worth on the market, and sometimes they are landfilled or incinerated instead of being recycled. Plasma gasification can take plastic not suitable for traditional recycling and break it down into high-quality syngas for use in electricity generation, chemical manufacturing, or hydrogen production. The technology can be implemented without changing the behavior of consumers, which is a major advantage over attempting to decrease contamination or reduce use of low-value plastic. Due to high capital requirements and …
Amino Acids Profiling For The Diagnosis Of Metabolic Disorders,
2019
Cleveland State University
Amino Acids Profiling For The Diagnosis Of Metabolic Disorders, Yana Sandlers
Chemistry Faculty Publications
Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) represent a group of inherited diseases in which genetic defect leads to the block on a metabolic pathway, resulting in a single enzyme dysfunction. As a downstream consequence of the residual or full loss of the enzymatic activity, there is an accumulation of toxic metabolites in the proximity of the metabolic block and/or a deficiency of an essential metabolic product which leads to the clinical presentation of the disease. While individually IEMs are rare, a collectively estimated incidence of metabolic inherited disorders is 1:800. The genetic basis of IEMs can involve abnormalities such as point …
Unintended Consequences Of Dna Analysis Delays In North Carolina,
2019
Walden University
Unintended Consequences Of Dna Analysis Delays In North Carolina, Pamela Cook Woodard
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The processing of DNA recovered from felony crime scenes often causes delays in trials of up to 3 years, calling into question defendants' rights to a speedy trial. Using Lewin's force field analysis as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this quantitative, comparative study was to compare the processing and reporting of results related to DNA testing in 4 states. Survey data were collected from state bar members (n=137), members of a professional law organization (n=149), and members of a state DNA laboratory (n=20). The purpose of this quantitative, comparative study was to determine whether these variables (interagency communications, staff …
Toward An Enzyme-Coupled, Bioorthogonal Platform For Methyltransferases: Probing The Specificity Of Methionine Adenosyltransferases,
2019
University of Kentucky
Toward An Enzyme-Coupled, Bioorthogonal Platform For Methyltransferases: Probing The Specificity Of Methionine Adenosyltransferases, Tyler D. Huber
Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy
Methyl group transfer from S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) to various substrates including DNA, proteins, and natural products (NPs), is accomplished by methyltransferases (MTs). Analogs of AdoMet, bearing an alternative S-alkyl group can be exploited, in the context of an array of wild-type MT-catalyzed reactions, to differentially alkylate DNA, proteins, and NPs. This technology provides a means to elucidate MT targets by the MT-mediated installation of chemoselective handles from AdoMet analogs to biologically relevant molecules and affords researchers a fresh route to diversify NP scaffolds by permitting the differential alkylation of chemical sites vulnerable to NP MTs that are unreactive to …
The Involvement Of Progesterone In Glial Cell Viability,
2019
Columbus State University
The Involvement Of Progesterone In Glial Cell Viability, Tracee L. Guthrie
Theses and Dissertations
We studied the effects of ethynodiol diacetate on the viability of hydrogen peroxide stressed glial cells. We wanted to determine the extent in which varying concentration of ethynodiol diacetate affect cell viability of cultured glial cells from hydrogen peroxide toxicity. Based on previous studies, we predicted that the viability of hydrogen peroxide-stressed cells will increase with the presence of the progesterone, ethynodiol diacetate, and that cell viability will increase with increasing concentration of ethynodiol diacetate. Glial cells of 1x10° cells/well were introduced into a 96-well plate and allowed to grow for 24 hours in an incubator at 37°C and 5% …
The Effects Of Ethynodiol Diacetate On Epinephrine-Treated Glial-Derived Cells,
2019
Columbus State University
The Effects Of Ethynodiol Diacetate On Epinephrine-Treated Glial-Derived Cells, Jesse D. Hunt
Theses and Dissertations
Neuroprotective agents, including specific hormones, may play a role in preventing cellular damage following an ischemic event or brain injury. Astrocytes are specialized glial cells within the central nervous system that play roles in synapse development, blood flow regulation, extracellular homeostasis, synapse function, energy and metabolism (Sofroniew and Vinters, 2009). Research using astrocytes in cell viability studies can be beneficial in deepening our understanding of specific neuroprotective effects of various steroid hormones including progesterone. Progesterone has been shown to have neuroprotective capabilities in the central nervous system (Scarpin et ah, 2009). Although progesterone shows great therapeutic potential, effects of the …
Measuring Trace Element Concentrations In Artiodactyl Cannonbones Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence,
2019
Central Washington University
Measuring Trace Element Concentrations In Artiodactyl Cannonbones Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence, Joshua L. Henderson
All Master's Theses
Artiodactyl bones are the most common faunal remains found in Washington prehistoric archaeology sites, but they are often too fragmented to accurately identify a family, genus, or species. Traditional faunal analysis can only organize unidentifiable bone fragments into size class, and chemical methods often require the destruction of bone samples. In this thesis research, I tested a new, nondestructive faunal analysis technique using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) to measure trace element concentrations in comparative collection and archaeological bone samples. Using cannonbones from five different artiodactyl species, I collected trace element data from 50 comparative collection specimens and 18 archaeological specimens …
Investigating Potential Multi-Protein Complexes Involving Emx2,
2019
Central Washington University
Investigating Potential Multi-Protein Complexes Involving Emx2, Nicole Enger
All Master's Theses
The neocortex of the mammalian brain is allocated into specialized areas during embryonic development. In mice, as well as humans, the neocortex develops four primary areas: somatosensory, auditory, visual, and motor. In the adult neocortex, the boundaries between these four areas are marked by differences in cellular architecture and gene expression patterns. However, these physical boundaries are not evident during embryonic development of this structure. Rather, the neocortex initially appears uniform across its expanse, with one exception: a handful of proteins that regulate neocortical arealization are generated in gradients across the expanse of the neocortex and control the size of …
