An analysis of educational philosophies underlying the teaching of contemporary affairs in secondary schools

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Mapping of the Epstein-Barr virus and C3dg binding sites to a common domain on complement receptor type 2.

Complement receptor type 2 (CR2;CD21), a member of the superfamily of proteins containing short consensus repeats (SCRs), is the B cell receptor for both the gp350/220 envelope protein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and for the C3dg protein of complement. By analysis of CR2 deletion mutants and chimeras formed with CR1 (CD35) we determined that of the 15 SCRs in CR2, the NH2-terminal two SCRs are necessary and sufficient to bind both gp350/220 and C3dg with affinities equivalent to those of the wild-type receptor. The epitope for OKB-7, a mAb that blocks binding of both EBV and C3dg and shares with these ligands B cell-activating capabilities, also requires both SCR-1 and SCR-2, whereas mAbs lacking these functions bind to other SCRs. Thus, EBV, a polyclonal activator of B cells, has selected a site that is proximate or identical to the natural ligand binding site in CR2, perhaps reflecting the relative immutability of that site as well as its signal transducing function

Optimal Regulation of Blood Glucose Level in Type I Diabetes using Insulin and Glucagon

The Glucose-Insulin-Glucagon nonlinear model [1-4] accurately describes how the body responds to exogenously supplied insulin and glucagon in patients affected by Type I diabetes. Based on this model, we design infusion rates of either insulin (monotherapy) or insulin and glucagon (dual therapy) that can optimally maintain the blood glucose level within desired limits after consumption of a meal and prevent the onset of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. This problem is formulated as a nonlinear optimal control problem, which we solve using the numerical optimal control package PSOPT. Interestingly, in the case of monotherapy, we find the optimal solution is close to the standard method of insulin based glucose regulation, which is to assume a variable amount of insulin half an hour before each meal. We also find that the optimal dual therapy (that uses both insulin and glucagon) is better able to regulate glucose as compared to using insulin alone. We also propose an ad-hoc rule for both the dosage and the time of delivery of insulin and glucagon.Comment: Accepted for publication in PLOS ON