994 resultados para Ph D


Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

At present, there is practically no research on fisheries economics in Germany. Due to special interest of a research assistant in the field of land economics at the Institute of Botany of the University of Greifswald two projects on fisheries economics are being carried out, and a Ph. D. thesis on this topic has been finished. Basically two levels must be distinguished: business level and economics. Business economics relate mainly to operational and market analysis, but also to consequences of political measures for a single company. Economical considerations relate to long-term measures. It is important to find a compromise between short-term economical success and stable long-term conditions for the fishery.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

DNA recognition is an essential biological process responsible for the regulation of cellular functions including protein synthesis and cell division and is implicated in the mechanism of action of some anticancer drugs. Studies directed towards defining the elements responsible for sequence specific DNA recognition through the study of the interactions of synthetic organic ligands with DNA are described.

DNA recognition by poly-N-methylpyrrolecarboxamides was studied by the synthesis and characterization of a series of molecules where the number of contiguous N-methylpyrrolecarboxamide units was increased from 2 to 9. The effect of this incremental change in structure on DNA recognition has been investigated at base pair resolution using affinity cleaving and MPE•Fe(II) footprinting techniques. These studies led to a quantitative relationship between the number of amides in the molecule and the DNA binding site size. This relationship is called the n + 1 rule and it states that a poly-N methylpyrrolecarboxamide molecule with n amides will bind n + 1 base pairs of DNA. This rule is consistent with a model where the carboxamides of these compounds form three center bridging hydrogen bonds between adjacent base pairs on opposite strands of the helix. The poly-N methylpyrrolecarboxamide recognition element was found to preferentially bind poly dA•poly dT stretches; however, both binding site selection and orientation were found to be affected by flanking sequences. Cleavage of large DNA is also described.

One approach towards the design of molecules that bind large sequences of double helical DNA sequence specifically is to couple DNA binding subunits of similar or diverse base pair specificity. Bis-EDTA-distamycin-fumaramide (BEDF) is an octaamide dimer of two tri-N methylpyrrolecarboxamide subunits linked by fumaramide. DNA recognition by BEDF was compared to P7E, an octaamide molecule containing seven consecutive pyrroles. These two compounds were found to recognize the same sites on pBR322 with approximately the same affinities demonstrating that fumaramide is an effective linking element for Nmethylpyrrolecarboxamide recognition subunits. Further studies involved the synthesis and characterization of a trimer of tetra-N-methylpyrrolecarboxamide subunits linked by β-alanine ((P4)_(3)E). This trimerization produced a molecule which is capable of recognizing 16 base pairs of A•T DNA, more than a turn and a half of the DNA helix.

DNA footprinting is a powerful direct method for determining the binding sites of proteins and small molecules on heterogeneous DNA. It was found that attachment of EDTA•Fe(II) to spermine creates a molecule, SE•Fe(II), which binds and cleaves DNA sequence neutrally. This lack of specificity provides evidence that at the nucleotide level polyamines recognize heterogeneous DNA independent of sequence and allows SE•Fe(II) to be used as a footprinting reagent. SE•Fe(II) was compared with two other small molecule footprinting reagents, EDTA•Fe(II) and MPE•Fe(II).

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

This dissertation is concerned with the problem of determining the dynamic characteristics of complicated engineering systems and structures from the measurements made during dynamic tests or natural excitations. Particular attention is given to the identification and modeling of the behavior of structural dynamic systems in the nonlinear hysteretic response regime. Once a model for the system has been identified, it is intended to use this model to assess the condition of the system and to predict the response to future excitations.

A new identification methodology based upon a generalization of the method of modal identification for multi-degree-of-freedom dynaimcal systems subjected to base motion is developed. The situation considered herein is that in which only the base input and the response of a small number of degrees-of-freedom of the system are measured. In this method, called the generalized modal identification method, the response is separated into "modes" which are analogous to those of a linear system. Both parametric and nonparametric models can be employed to extract the unknown nature, hysteretic or nonhysteretic, of the generalized restoring force for each mode.

In this study, a simple four-term nonparametric model is used first to provide a nonhysteretic estimate of the nonlinear stiffness and energy dissipation behavior. To extract the hysteretic nature of nonlinear systems, a two-parameter distributed element model is then employed. This model exploits the results of the nonparametric identification as an initial estimate for the model parameters. This approach greatly improves the convergence of the subsequent optimization process.

The capability of the new method is verified using simulated response data from a three-degree-of-freedom system. The new method is also applied to the analysis of response data obtained from the U.S.-Japan cooperative pseudo-dynamic test of a full-scale six-story steel-frame structure.

The new system identification method described has been found to be both accurate and computationally efficient. It is believed that it will provide a useful tool for the analysis of structural response data.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

Forced vibration field tests and finite element studies have been conducted on Morrow Point (arch) Dam in order to investigate dynamic dam-water interaction and water compressibility. Design of the data acquisition system incorporates several special features to retrieve both amplitude and phase of the response in a low signal to noise environment. These features contributed to the success of the experimental program which, for the first time, produced field evidence of water compressibility; this effect seems to play a significant role only in the symmetric response of Morrow Point Dam in the frequency range examined. In the accompanying analysis, frequency response curves for measured accelerations and water pressures as well as their resonating shapes are compared to predictions from the current state-of-the-art finite element model for which water compressibility is both included and neglected. Calibration of the numerical model employs the antisymmetric response data since they are only slightly affected by water compressibility, and, after calibration, good agreement to the data is obtained whether or not water compressibility is included. In the effort to reproduce the symmetric response data, on which water compressibility has a significant influence, the calibrated model shows better correlation when water compressibility is included, but the agreement is still inadequate. Similar results occur using data obtained previously by others at a low water level. A successful isolation of the fundamental water resonance from the experimental data shows significantly different features from those of the numerical water model, indicating possible inaccuracy in the assumed geometry and/or boundary conditions for the reservoir. However, the investigation does suggest possible directions in which the numerical model can be improved.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

This thesis presents a technique for obtaining the stochastic response of a nonlinear continuous system. First, the general method of nonstationary continuous equivalent linearization is developed. This technique allows replacement of the original nonlinear system with a time-varying linear continuous system. Next, a numerical implementation is described which allows solution of complex problems on a digital computer. In this procedure, the linear replacement system is discretized by the finite element method. Application of this method to systems satisfying the one-dimensional wave equation with two different types of constitutive nonlinearities is described. Results are discussed for nonlinear stress-strain laws of both hardening and softening types.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

A variety of molecular approaches have been used to investigate the structural and enzymatic properties of rat brain type ll Ca^(2+) and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (type ll CaM kinase). This thesis describes the isolation and biochemical characterization of a brain-region specific isozyme of the kinase and also the regulation the kinase activity by autophosphorylation.

The cerebellar isozyme of the type ll CaM kinase was purified and its biochemical properties were compared to the forebrain isozyme. The cerebellar isozyme is a large (500-kDa) multimeric enzyme composed of multiple copies of 50-kDa α subunits and 60/58-kDa β/β’ subunits. The holoenzyme contains approximately 2 α subunits and 8 β subunits. This contrasts to the forebrain isozyme, which is also composed of and β/β'subunits, but they are assembled into a holoenzyme of approximately 9 α subunits and 3 β/β ' subunits. The biochemical and enzymatic properties of the two isozymes are similar. The two isozymes differ in their association with subcellular structures. Approximately 85% of the cerebellar isozyme, but only 50% of the forebrain isozyme, remains associated with the particulate fraction after homogenization under standard conditions. Postsynaptic densities purified from forebrain contain the forebrain isozyme, and the kinase subunits make up about 16% of their total protein. Postsynaptic densities purified from cerebellum contain the cerebellar isozyme, but the kinase subunits make up only 1-2% of their total protein.

The enzymatic activity of both isozymes of the type II CaM kinase is regulated by autophosphorylation in a complex manner. The kinase is initially completely dependent on Ca^(2+)/calmodulin for phosphorylation of exogenous substrates as well as for autophosphorylation. Kinase activity becomes partially Ca^(2+) independent after autophosphorylation in the presence of Ca^(2+)/calmodulin. Phosphorylation of only a few subunits in the dodecameric holoenzyme is sufficient to cause this change, suggesting an allosteric interaction between subunits. At the same time, autophosphorylation itself becomes independent of Ca^(2+) These observations suggest that the kinase may be able to exist in at least two stable states, which differ in their requirements for Ca^(2+)/calmodulin.

The autophosphorylation sites that are involved in the regulation of kinase activity have been identified within the primary structure of the α and β subunits. We used the method of reverse phase-HPLC tryptic phosphopeptide mapping to isolate individual phosphorylation sites. The phosphopeptides were then sequenced by gas phase microsequencing. Phosphorylation of a single homologous threonine residue in the α and β subunits is correlated with the production of the Ca^(2+) -independent activity state of the kinase. In addition we have identified several sites that are phosphorylated only during autophosphorylation in the absence of Ca^(2+)/ calmodulin.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

Because the Earth’s upper mantle is inaccessible to us, in order to understand the chemical and physical processes that occur in the Earth’s interior we must rely on both experimental work and computational modeling. This thesis addresses both of these geochemical methods. In the first chapter, I develop an internally consistent comprehensive molar volume model for spinels in the oxide system FeO-MgO-Fe2O3-Cr2O3-Al2O3-TiO2. The model is compared to the current MELTS spinel model with a demonstration of the impact of the model difference on the estimated spinel-garnet lherzolite transition pressure. In the second chapter, I calibrate a molar volume model for cubic garnets in the system SiO2-Al2O3-TiO2-Fe2O3-Cr2O3-FeO-MnO-MgO-CaO-Na2O. I use the method of singular value analysis to calibrate excess volume of mixing parameters for the garnet model. The implications the model has for the density of the lithospheric mantle are explored. In the third chapter, I discuss the nuclear inelastic X-ray scattering (NRIXS) method, and present analysis of three orthopyroxene samples with different Fe contents. Longitudinal and shear wave velocities, elastic parameters, and other thermodynamic information are extracted from the raw NRIXS data.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

The photooxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere can lead to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a major component of fine particulate matter. Improvements to air quality require insight into the many reactive intermediates that lead to SOA formation, of which only a small fraction have been measured at the molecular level. This thesis describes the chemistry of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from several atmospherically relevant hydrocarbon precursors. Photooxidation experiments of methoxyphenol and phenolic compounds and C12 alkanes were conducted in the Caltech Environmental Chamber. These experiments include the first photooxidation studies of these precursors run under sufficiently low NOx levels, such that RO2 + HO2 chemistry dominates, an important chemical regime in the atmosphere. Using online Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometery (CIMS), key gas-phase intermediates that lead to SOA formation in these systems were identified. With complementary particle-phase analyses, chemical mechanisms elucidating the SOA formation from these compounds are proposed.

Three methoxyphenol species (phenol, guaiacol, and syringol) were studied to model potential photooxidation schemes of biomass burning intermediates. SOA yields (ratio of mass of SOA formed to mass of primary organic reacted) exceeding 25% are observed. Aerosol growth is rapid and linear with the organic conversion, consistent with the formation of essentially non-volatile products. Gas and aerosol-phase oxidation products from the guaiacol system show that the chemical mechanism consists of highly oxidized aromatic species in the particle phase. Syringol SOA yields are lower than that of phenol and guaiacol, likely due to unique chemistry dependent on methoxy group position.

The photooxidation of several C12 alkanes of varying structure n-dodecane, 2-methylundecane, cyclododecane, and hexylcyclohexane) were run under extended OH exposure to investigate the effect of molecular structure on SOA yields and photochemical aging. Peroxyhemiacetal formation from the reactions of several multifunctional hydroperoxides and aldehyde intermediates was found to be central to organic growth in all systems, and SOA yields increased with cyclic character of the starting hydrocarbon. All of these studies provide direction for future experiments and modeling in order to lessen outstanding discrepancies between predicted and measured SOA.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

The organometallic chemistry of the hexagonally close-packed Ru(001) surface has been studied using electron energy loss spectroscopy and thermal desorption mass spectrometry. The molecules that have been studied are acetylene, formamide and ammonia. The chemistry of acetylene and formamide has also been investigated in the presence of coadsorbed hydrogen and oxygen adatoms.

Acetylene is adsorbed molecularly on Ru(001) below approximately 230 K, with rehybridization of the molecule to nearly sp^3 occurring. The principal decomposition products at higher temperatures are ethylidyne (CCH_3) and acetylide (CCH) between 230 and 350 K, and methylidyne (CH) and surface carbon at higher temperatures. Some methylidyne is stable to approximately 700 K. The preadsorption of hydrogen does not alter the decomposition products of acetylene, but reduces the saturation coverage and also leads to the formation of a small amount of ethylene (via an η^2-CHCH_2 species) which desorbs molecularly near 175 K. Preadsorbed oxygen also reduces the saturation coverage of acetylene but has virtually no effect on the nature of the molecularly chemisorbed acetylene. It does, however, lead to the formation of an sp^2-hybridized vinylidene (CCH_2) species in the decomposition of acetylene, in addition to the decomposition products that are formed on the clean surface. There is no molecular desorption of chemisorbed acetylene from clean Ru(001), hydrogen-presaturated Ru(001), or oxygen-presaturated Ru(001).

The adsorption and decomposition of formamide has been studied on clean Ru(001), hydrogen-presaturated Ru(001), and Ru(001)-p(1x2)-O (oxygen adatom coverage = 0.5). On clean Ru(001), the adsorption of low coverages of formamide at 80 K results in CH bond cleavage and rehybridization of the carbonyl double bond to produce an η^2 (C,O)-NH_2CO species. This species is stable to approximately 250 K at which point it decomposes to yield a mixture of coadsorbed carbon monoxide, ammonia, an NH species and hydrogen adatoms. The decomposition of NH to hydrogen and nitrogen adatoms occurs between 350 and 400 K, and the thermal desorption products are NH_3 (-315 K), H_2 (-420 K), CO (-480 K) and N_2 (-770 K). At higher formamide coverages, some formamide is adsorbed molecularly at 80 K, leading both to molecular desorption and to the formation of a new surface intermediate between 300 and 375 K that is identified tentatively as η^1(N)-NCHO. On Ru(001)- p(1x2)-O and hydrogen-presaturated Ru(001), formamide adsorbs molecularly at 80 K in an η^1(O)- NH_2CHO configuration. On the oxygen-precovered surface, the molecularly adsorbed formamide undergoes competing desorption and decomposition, resulting in the formation of an η^2(N,O)-NHCHO species (analogous to a bidentate formate) at approximately 265 K. This species decomposes near 420 K with the evolution of CO and H_2 into the gas phase. On the hydrogen precovered surface, the Η^1(O)-NH_2CHO converts below 200 K to η^2(C,O)-NH_2CHO and η^2(C,O)-NH^2CO, with some molecular desorption occurring also at high coverage. The η^2(C,O)-bonded species decompose in a manner similar to the decomposition of η^2(C,O)-NH_2CO on the clean surface, although the formation of ammonia is not detected.

Ammonia adsorbs reversibly on Ru(001) at 80 K, with negligible dissociation occurring as the surface is annealed The EEL spectra of ammonia on Ru(001) are very similar to those of ammonia on other metal surfaces. Off-specular EEL spectra of chemisorbed ammonia allow the v(Ru-NH_3) and ρ(NH_3) vibrational loss features to be resolved near 340 and 625 cm^(-1), respectively. The intense δ_g (NH_3) loss feature shifts downward in frequency with increasing ammonia coverage, from approximately 1160 cm^(-1) in the low coverage limit to 1070 cm^(-1) at saturation. In coordination compounds of ammonia, the frequency of this mode shifts downward with decreasing charge on the metal atom, and its downshift on Ru(001) can be correlated with the large work function decrease that the surface has previously been shown to undergo when ammonia is adsorbed. The EELS data are consistent with ammonia adsorption in on-top sites. Second-layer and multilayer ammonia on Ru(001) have also been characterized vibrationally, and the results are similar to those obtained for other metal surfaces.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

The author has constructed a synthetic gene for ∝-lytic protease. Since the DNA sequence of the protein is not known, the gene was designed by using the reverse translation of ∝-lytic protease's amino acid sequence. Unique restriction sites are carefully sought in the degenerate DNA sequence to aid in future mutagenesis studies. The unique restriction sites are designed approximately 50 base pairs apart and their appropriate codons used in the DNA sequence. The codons used to construct the DNA sequence of ∝-lytic protease are preferred codons in E-coli or used in the production of β-lactamase. Codon usage is also distributed evenly to ensure that one particular codon is not heavily used. The gene is essentially constructed from the outside in. The gene is built in a stepwise fashion using plasmids as the vehicles for the ∝-lytic oligomers. The use of plasmids allows the replication and isolation of large quantities of the intermediates during gene synthesis. The ∝-lytic DNA is a double-stranded oligomer that has sufficient overhang and sticky ends to anneal correctly in the vector. After six steps of incorporating ∝-lytic DNA, the gene is completed and sequenced to ensure that the correct DNA sequence is present and that no mutations occurred in the structural gene.

β-lactamase is the other serine hydrolase studied in this thesis. The author used the class A RTEM-1 β- lactamase encoded on the plasmid pBR322 to investigate the roll of the conserved threonine residue at position 71. Cassette mutagenesis was previously used to generate all possible amino acid substitutions at position 71. The work presented here describes the purification and kinetic characterization of a T71H mutant previously constructed by S. Schultz. The mutated gene was transferred into plasmid pJN for expression and induced with IPTG. The enzyme is purified by column chromatography and FPLC to homogeneity. Kinetic studies reveal that the mutant has lower k_(cat) values on benzylpenicillin, cephalothin and 6-aminopenicillanic acid but no changes in k_m except for cephalothin which is approximately 4 times higher. The mutant did not change siginificantly in its pH profile compared to the wild-type enzyme. Also, the mutant is more sensitive to thermal denaturation as compared to the wild-type enzyme. However, experimental evidence indicates that the probable generation of a positive charge at position 71 thermally stabilized the mutant.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

In this thesis I investigate some aspects of the thermal budget of pahoehoe lava flows. This is done with a combination of general field observations, quantitative modeling, and specific field experiments. The results of this work apply to pahoehoe flows in general, even though the vast bulk of the work has been conducted on the lavas formed by the Pu'u 'O'o - Kupaianaha eruption of Kilauea Volcano on Hawai'i. The field observations rely heavily on discussions with the staff of the United States Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), under whom I labored repeatedly in 1991-1993 for a period totaling about 10 months.

The quantitative models I have constructed are based on the physical processes observed by others and myself to be active on pahoehoe lava flows. By building up these models from the basic physical principles involved, this work avoids many of the pitfalls of earlier attempts to fit field observations with "intuitively appropriate" mathematical expressions. Unlike many earlier works, my model results can be analyzed in terms of the interactions between the different physical processes. I constructed models to: (1) describe the initial cooling of small pahoehoe flow lobes and (2) understand the thermal budget of lava tubes.

The field experiments were designed either to validate model results or to constrain key input parameters. In support of the cooling model for pahoehoe flow lobes, attempts were made to measure: (1) the cooling within the flow lobes, (2) the amount of heat transported away from the lava by wind, and (3) the growth of the crust on the lobes. Field data collected by Jones [1992], Hon et al. [1994b], and Denlinger [Keszthelyi and Denlinger, in prep.] were also particularly useful in constraining my cooling model for flow lobes. Most of the field observations I have used to constrain the thermal budget of lava tubes were collected by HVO (geological and geophysical monitoring) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (airborne infrared imagery [Realmuto et al., 1992]). I was able to assist HVO for part of their lava tube monitoring program and also to collect helicopterborne and ground-based IR video in collaboration with JPL [Keszthelyi et al., 1993].

The most significant results of this work are (1) the quantitative demonstration that the emplacement of pahoehoe and 'a'a flows are the fundamentally different, (2) confirmation that even the longest lava flows observed in our Solar System could have formed as low effusion rate, tube-fed pahoehoe flows, and (3) the recognition that the atmosphere plays a very important role throughout the cooling of history of pahoehoe lava flows. In addition to answering specific questions about the thermal budget of tube-fed pahoehoe lava flows, this thesis has led to some additional, more general, insights into the emplacement of these lava flows. This general understanding of the tube-fed pahoehoe lava flow as a system has suggested foci for future research in this part of physical volcanology.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

Many particles proposed by theories, such as GUT monopoles, nuclearites and 1/5 charge superstring particles, can be categorized as Slow-moving, Ionizing, Massive Particles (SIMPs).

Detailed calculations of the signal-to-noise ratios in vanous acoustic and mechanical methods for detecting such SIMPs are presented. It is shown that the previous belief that such methods are intrinsically prohibited by the thermal noise is incorrect, and that ways to solve the thermal noise problem are already within the reach of today's technology. In fact, many running and finished gravitational wave detection ( GWD) experiments are already sensitive to certain SIMPs. As an example, a published GWD result is used to obtain a flux limit for nuclearites.

The result of a search using a scintillator array on Earth's surface is reported. A flux limit of 4.7 x 10^(-12) cm^(-2)sr^(-1)s^(-1) (90% c.l.) is set for any SIMP with 2.7 x 10^(-4) less than β less than 5 x 10^(-3) and ionization greater than 1/3 of minimum ionizing muons. Although this limit is above the limits from underground experiments for typical supermassive particles (10^(16)GeV), it is a new limit in certain β and ionization regions for less massive ones (~10^9 GeV) not able to penetrate deep underground, and implies a stringent limit on the fraction of the dark matter that can be composed of massive electrically and/ or magnetically charged particles.

The prospect of the future SIMP search in the MACRO detector is discussed. The special problem of SIMP trigger is examined and a circuit proposed, which may solve most of the problems of the previous ones proposed or used by others and may even enable MACRO to detect certain SIMP species with β as low as the orbital velocity around the earth.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

In response to infection or tissue dysfunction, immune cells develop into highly heterogeneous repertoires with diverse functions. Capturing the full spectrum of these functions requires analysis of large numbers of effector molecules from single cells. However, currently only 3-5 functional proteins can be measured from single cells. We developed a single cell functional proteomics approach that integrates a microchip platform with multiplex cell purification. This approach can quantitate 20 proteins from >5,000 phenotypically pure single cells simultaneously. With a 1-million fold miniaturization, the system can detect down to ~100 molecules and requires only ~104 cells. Single cell functional proteomic analysis finds broad applications in basic, translational and clinical studies. In the three studies conducted, it yielded critical insights for understanding clinical cancer immunotherapy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mechanism and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) biology.

To study phenotypically defined cell populations, single cell barcode microchips were coupled with upstream multiplex cell purification based on up to 11 parameters. Statistical algorithms were developed to process and model the high dimensional readouts. This analysis evaluates rare cells and is versatile for various cells and proteins. (1) We conducted an immune monitoring study of a phase 2 cancer cellular immunotherapy clinical trial that used T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T cells as major therapeutics to treat metastatic melanoma. We evaluated the functional proteome of 4 antigen-specific, phenotypically defined T cell populations from peripheral blood of 3 patients across 8 time points. (2) Natural killer (NK) cells can play a protective role in chronic inflammation and their surface receptor – killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) – has been identified as a risk factor of IBD. We compared the functional behavior of NK cells that had differential KIR expressions. These NK cells were retrieved from the blood of 12 patients with different genetic backgrounds. (3) HSCs are the progenitors of immune cells and are thought to have no immediate functional capacity against pathogen. However, recent studies identified expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on HSCs. We studied the functional capacity of HSCs upon TLR activation. The comparison of HSCs from wild-type mice against those from genetics knock-out mouse models elucidates the responding signaling pathway.

In all three cases, we observed profound functional heterogeneity within phenotypically defined cells. Polyfunctional cells that conduct multiple functions also produce those proteins in large amounts. They dominate the immune response. In the cancer immunotherapy, the strong cytotoxic and antitumor functions from transgenic TCR T cells contributed to a ~30% tumor reduction immediately after the therapy. However, this infused immune response disappeared within 2-3 weeks. Later on, some patients gained a second antitumor response, consisted of the emergence of endogenous antitumor cytotoxic T cells and their production of multiple antitumor functions. These patients showed more effective long-term tumor control. In the IBD mechanism study, we noticed that, compared with others, NK cells expressing KIR2DL3 receptor secreted a large array of effector proteins, such as TNF-α, CCLs and CXCLs. The functions from these cells regulated disease-contributing cells and protected host tissues. Their existence correlated with IBD disease susceptibility. In the HSC study, the HSCs exhibited functional capacity by producing TNF-α, IL-6 and GM-CSF. TLR stimulation activated the NF-κB signaling in HSCs. Single cell functional proteome contains rich information that is independent from the genome and transcriptome. In all three cases, functional proteomic evaluation uncovered critical biological insights that would not be resolved otherwise. The integrated single cell functional proteomic analysis constructed a detail kinetic picture of the immune response that took place during the clinical cancer immunotherapy. It revealed concrete functional evidence that connected genetics to IBD disease susceptibility. Further, it provided predictors that correlated with clinical responses and pathogenic outcomes.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

Abstract to Part I

The inverse problem of seismic wave attenuation is solved by an iterative back-projection method. The seismic wave quality factor, Q, can be estimated approximately by inverting the S-to-P amplitude ratios. Effects of various uncertain ties in the method are tested and the attenuation tomography is shown to be useful in solving for the spatial variations in attenuation structure and in estimating the effective seismic quality factor of attenuating anomalies.

Back-projection attenuation tomography is applied to two cases in southern California: Imperial Valley and the Coso-Indian Wells region. In the Coso-Indian Wells region, a highly attenuating body (S-wave quality factor (Q_β ≈ 30) coincides with a slow P-wave anomaly mapped by Walck and Clayton (1987). This coincidence suggests the presence of a magmatic or hydrothermal body 3 to 5 km deep in the Indian Wells region. In the Imperial Valley, slow P-wave travel-time anomalies and highly attenuating S-wave anomalies were found in the Brawley seismic zone at a depth of 8 to 12 km. The effective S-wave quality factor is very low (Q_β ≈ 20) and the P-wave velocity is 10% slower than the surrounding areas. These results suggest either magmatic or hydrothermal intrusions, or fractures at depth, possibly related to active shear in the Brawley seismic zone.

No-block inversion is a generalized tomographic method utilizing the continuous form of an inverse problem. The inverse problem of attenuation can be posed in a continuous form , and the no-block inversion technique is applied to the same data set used in the back-projection tomography. A relatively small data set with little redundancy enables us to apply both techniques to a similar degree of resolution. The results obtained by the two methods are very similar. By applying the two methods to the same data set, formal errors and resolution can be directly computed for the final model, and the objectivity of the final result can be enhanced.

Both methods of attenuation tomography are applied to a data set of local earthquakes in Kilauea, Hawaii, to solve for the attenuation structure under Kilauea and the East Rift Zone. The shallow Kilauea magma chamber, East Rift Zone and the Mauna Loa magma chamber are delineated as attenuating anomalies. Detailed inversion reveals shallow secondary magma reservoirs at Mauna Ulu and Puu Oo, the present sites of volcanic eruptions. The Hilina Fault zone is highly attenuating, dominating the attenuating anomalies at shallow depths. The magma conduit system along the summit and the East Rift Zone of Kilauea shows up as a continuous supply channel extending down to a depth of approximately 6 km. The Southwest Rift Zone, on the other hand, is not delineated by attenuating anomalies, except at a depth of 8-12 km, where an attenuating anomaly is imaged west of Puu Kou. The Ylauna Loa chamber is seated at a deeper level (about 6-10 km) than the Kilauea magma chamber. Resolution in the Mauna Loa area is not as good as in the Kilauea area, and there is a trade-off between the depth extent of the magma chamber imaged under Mauna Loa and the error that is due to poor ray coverage. Kilauea magma chamber, on the other hand, is well resolved, according to a resolution test done at the location of the magma chamber.

Abstract to Part II

Long period seismograms recorded at Pasadena of earthquakes occurring along a profile to Imperial Valley are studied in terms of source phenomena (e.g., source mechanisms and depths) versus path effects. Some of the events have known source parameters, determined by teleseismic or near-field studies, and are used as master events in a forward modeling exercise to derive the Green's functions (SH displacements at Pasadena that are due to a pure strike-slip or dip-slip mechanism) that describe the propagation effects along the profile. Both timing and waveforms of records are matched by synthetics calculated from 2-dimensional velocity models. The best 2-dimensional section begins at Imperial Valley with a thin crust containing the basin structure and thickens towards Pasadena. The detailed nature of the transition zone at the base of the crust controls the early arriving shorter periods (strong motions), while the edge of the basin controls the scattered longer period surface waves. From the waveform characteristics alone, shallow events in the basin are easily distinguished from deep events, and the amount of strike-slip versus dip-slip motion is also easily determined. Those events rupturing the sediments, such as the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake, can be recognized easily by a late-arriving scattered Love wave that has been delayed by the very slow path across the shallow valley structure.

Relevância:

60.00% 60.00%

Publicador:

Resumo:

Be it a physical object or a mathematical model, a nonlinear dynamical system can display complicated aperiodic behavior, or "chaos." In many cases, this chaos is associated with motion on a strange attractor in the system's phase space. And the dimension of the strange attractor indicates the effective number of degrees of freedom in the dynamical system.

In this thesis, we investigate numerical issues involved with estimating the dimension of a strange attractor from a finite time series of measurements on the dynamical system.

Of the various definitions of dimension, we argue that the correlation dimension is the most efficiently calculable and we remark further that it is the most commonly calculated. We are concerned with the practical problems that arise in attempting to compute the correlation dimension. We deal with geometrical effects (due to the inexact self-similarity of the attractor), dynamical effects (due to the nonindependence of points generated by the dynamical system that defines the attractor), and statistical effects (due to the finite number of points that sample the attractor). We propose a modification of the standard algorithm, which eliminates a specific effect due to autocorrelation, and a new implementation of the correlation algorithm, which is computationally efficient.

Finally, we apply the algorithm to chaotic data from the Caltech tokamak and the Texas tokamak (TEXT); we conclude that plasma turbulence is not a low- dimensional phenomenon.