300 research outputs found
Understanding Unfolding Change and the Value of Strategic Unification in Recent USU Information Technology Functional Realignment
This is a qualitative case study of the 2005-2008 Utah State University Information Technology reorganization from the perspective of key change advocates. The study identified and documented the unfolding change process involved in the reorganization in terms of dissatisfaction, executive changes, internal executive strategic planning, implementation and initial impacts, and continuous in situ strategic planning. The study also answered a set of supporting concluding questions indicating increased value to the institution in areas of customer service and confidence, organization, financial resources, planning and policy, security, and increased/improved services and service functions
An Investigation of Molecular Pathways to Aid in Therapeutic Development for Neurofibromatosis Type 2
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition
in which loss of heterozygosity at the NF2 gene locus leads to the development of tumors
of neural crest derived origin, most commonly bilateral vestibular schwannomas. There
are currently no FDA approved chemotherapeutic agents for treatment in patients with
NF2. Development of therapeutic agents has been hampered by our incomplete
knowledge of how Merlin, the protein product of the NF2 gene, functions as a tumor
suppressor. In order develop a deeper understanding for how loss of Merlin leads to
oncogenic transformation in Schwann cells we have developed a genetically engineered
mouse model (GEMM) of Neurofibromatosis Type 2 in which functional expression of
Merlin is lost in Schwann cell precursors. In parallel studies utilizing these mice, we have
sought to understand the pathophysiology driving tumor formation in Merlin deficient
Schwann cells.
In Chapter 1, we explore the role of Merlin as a negative regulator of the Group A
p21 activated kinases, PAK1 and PAK2. We demonstrate that PAK1, a previously well
established oncogene in solid tumors and Merlin binding partner, is hyperactivated in
Merlin deficient schwannomas. Through therapeutic interventions and genetic
manipulations we demonstrate that inhibition of PAK1 was capable of reducing tumor
formation and alleviating sensorineural hearing loss in our NF2 GEMM.
In Chapter 2, we investigate the role of NF-kB inducing kinase (NIK) and NF-kB
signaling in the formation and growth of Merlin deficient Schwann cell tumors. Prior work in our lab as well as by others demonstrated elevated NF-kB signaling in Merlin
deficient Schwann cell tumors. We observed accumulation of a catalytically active
fragment of NF-kB inducing kinase and present data that accumulation of a 55Kd
constitutively active fragment of NIK is sufficient trigger wild type Schwann cells to
form tumors. In vivo however, Schwann cell intrinsic expression of NIK is not required
for tumor formation or growth.2 years (2021-05-24
White Light Flare Continuum Observations with ULTRACAM
We present sub-second, continuous-coverage photometry of three flares on the
dM3.5e star, EQ Peg A, using custom continuum filters with WHT/ULTRACAM. These
data provide a new view of flare continuum emission, with each flare exhibiting
a very distinct light curve morphology. The spectral shape of flare emission
for the two large-amplitude flares is compared with synthetic ULTRACAM
measurements taken from the spectra during the large 'megaflare' event on a
similar type flare star. The white light shape during the impulsive phase of
the EQ Peg flares is consistent with the range of colors derived from the
megaflare continuum, which is known to contain a Hydrogen recombination
component and compact, blackbody-like components. Tentative evidence in the
ULTRACAM photometry is found for an anti-correlation between the emission of
these components.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings of the 16th Workshop on Cool Stars,
Stellar Systems, and the Sun (PASP conference series, in press
Non-detection of Contamination by Stellar Activity in the Spitzer Transit Light Curves of TRAPPIST-1
We apply the transit light curve self-contamination technique of Morris et
al. (2018) to search for the effect of stellar activity on the transits of the
ultracool dwarf TRAPPIST-1 with 2018 Spitzer photometry. The self-contamination
method fits the transit light curves of planets orbiting spotted stars,
allowing the host star to be a source of contaminating positive or negative
flux which influences the transit depths but not the ingress/egress durations.
We find that none of the planets show statistically significant evidence for
self-contamination by bright or dark regions of the stellar photosphere.
However, we show that small-scale magnetic activity, analogous in size to the
smallest sunspots, could still be lurking in the transit photometry undetected.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ
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