Residential Landlord-Tenant Law in Montana: A Landlord Perspective

Residential Landlord-Tenant Law In Montana: A Landlord Perspectiv

Identifying Metabolic Pathways Producing Alkamides in Echinacea purpurea

poster abstractEchinacea purpurea is a widely used herbal supplement that is frequently taken to relieve cold symptoms; alkamides are believed to be the bioactive agent. Alkamides are natural products found throughout the Echinacea genus that contain fatty acid chains incorporated into amides. Our goal is to identify and understand the specific metabolic processes by which E. purpurea produces alkamides. In our experiment Echinacea seedlings were grown to the point where the first true leaf started to grow and alkamide production is known to be active. Alkamides were then extracted and taken to the GC/MS for analysis. Extracted alkamides were analyzed by triple-quadrupole chromatography to investigate 13C labeling by glucose. We are currently in the process of examining the spectra in order to determine the structures of the alkamides as well as any metabolic relationships and if these are altered by a lack of light

In Defense of Evil Stories: A Study in the Ethics of Audition

Thesis advisor: Jorge L.A. GarciaWhen Odysseus sets sail from Circe’s island, she advises him to stop up his ears and eyes when he passes the Sirens or he will suffer terrible consequences. He makes his crew do it, but keeps his own senses clear, asking only to be tied to the mast so he cannot act on any bewitchments. This story could almost be an allegory about the moral danger of art. In this dissertation, I defend a small part of what I take to be the Odyssean thesis: that art is worth the danger it represents, and, specifically, that what I call "evil stories" are worth the danger they represent. The phrase "evil stories" is a shorthand, for me, for the longer phrase "stories which require us, in order to understand them, to imaginatively simulate the point of view of characters who commit acts of great harm for sadistic, malicious, or defiant reasons." I argue that auditing “evil stories” is not, for most people, and as part of a balanced imaginative diet, so morally dangerous that they ought to be avoided; moreover, I argue that it can be morally opportune to audit them and, in some special cases, morally obligatory. My strategy to defend this thesis is two part. First, I formulate and respond to what I take to be the most serious reasons to suspect that auditing evil stories is too morally dangerous. Those reasons include: the idea that auditing evil stories is itself an immoral action (chapter 3); the idea that it is a virtue to be unable to perform the mental operations involved in adequately auditing evil stories (chapter 4); the idea that understanding evil actions or characters is tantamount to condoning them (chapter 5); and the idea that being fascinated by evil undercuts one's standing to condemn it (chapter 6). Second, I venture several tentative arguments in support of the idea that evil stories can actually provide opportunities for moral growth and education: the idea that evil stories provoke unique and valuable kinds of moral reflection and that we can sometimes be obligated to audit them (chapter 7); and the idea that auditing evil stories is uniquely revelatory of some kind of moral truth (chapter 8). In the course of all this rebutting and reason giving, I propose a way of thinking about the ethics of audition in general which I call "role-centered response moralism," which develops obliquely across the subsections of various chapters.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018.Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Philosophy

Recent Activities in the Center for Membrane Biosciences

poster abstractThe Center for Membrane Biosciences (CMB) is active in facilitating collaborative research among center members and other IUPUI community members. A number of seed grants have been made and the results from two will be presented. Recent major funding from the NSF supports a CMB-centered program that promotes intensive undergraduate research opportunities. Project 1: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the slow growth of fluid-filled cysts in the kidney tubules and liver bile ducts. We identified LPA (lysophosphatic acid) as a component of cyst fluid that stimulates secretory Cl- and compensatory water flux into cysts through binding of receptors on the basolateral membrane of renal cells. LPA concentrations measured in ADPKD cyst fluid and in normal serum are sufficient to maximally stimulate ion transport. Thus, cyst fluid seepage and/or leakage of vascular LPA into the interstitial space are capable of stimulating secretion from epithelial cells resulting in cyst enlargement. Project 2: Upon the recent acquisition of Center-supported high-resolution mass spectrometers at IUPUI, methods for the analysis of lipid and protein samples to support nascent research endeavors within the CMB are being developed. Identification and quantification of sphingolipids in biological samples as well as other lipidomic experiments will be presented. Project 3: The IUPUI URM Immersion in Interdisciplinary Research in Biological Signaling program targets underrepresented minorities in the biological sciences, and through early and sustained undergraduate research experiences that are intensely mentored at multiple levels, aims to increase the number of underrepresented minorities achieving graduate degrees in the Biological Sciences. The first cohort will begin research in the program during the summer of 2011 and are currently in the selection process

LIQUID AND SEMISOLID LUBRICANT COMPOSITIONS , METHODS OF MAKING , AND USES THEREOF

Various liquid and semisolid lubricant compositions are provided, in particular lubricant compositions containing oil from the seeds of the Brassicaceae Orychophragmus violaceus, preferably those that have been esterified with one or more fatty acids such as palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, or a combination thereof. In various aspects, lubricant compositions are provided that include a petroleum or a synthetic base oil and about 40 % or less by weight of a liquid lubricant composition containing oil from the seeds of the Brassicaceae Orychophragmus violaceus preferably those that have been esterified with one or more fatty acids. In various aspects, semisolid lubricant composition are provided containing an emulsion of ( i ) a thickener and ( ii ) an oil from the seeds of the Brassicaceae Orychophragmus violaceus, preferably those that have been esterified with one or more fatty acid

Formation of the Acyl Chain within the Alkamides

poster abstractEchinacea, a coneflower species that is native to North America, are the most consumed medicinal plants in the United States and Europe. Their medicinal usage focuses on the treatment and prevention of colds, influenza, and other upper respiratory tract infections. In part, the traditional medicinal uses of Echinacea are attributed to their alkamide content. Structurally alkamides consist of an amine moiety acylated with a variety of fatty acids. To better describe the biosynthetic process leading to the formation of acyl chains within alkamides of Echinacea purpurea, stable isotope labeling experiments with analysis via LC/MS and NMR was undertaken. As previously reported from our lab, the acyl chains of alkamides are synthesized from fatty acid synthesis via HSQC NMR analysis of a tetraenoic isobutyl amide alkamide. As part of our continuing efforts to probe the acyl chain biosynthesis within E. purpurea, we herein report the HSQC NMR analysis of a proposed dienoic isobutyl amide alkamide that was labeled with a 70/30 [U-12C6]/[U-13C6]glucose mixture. The magnitude of 13C-13C one-bond coupling observed by NMR will allow for incorporation patterns to be determined and will help to elucidate the structure and biogenesis of this dienoic isobutyl amide alkamide

A conserved amino acid residue critical for product and substrate specificity in plant triterpene synthases

Triterpenes are structurally complex plant natural products with numerous medicinal applications. They are synthesized through an origami-like process that involves cyclization of the linear 30 carbon precursor 2,3-oxidosqualene into different triterpene scaffolds. Here, through a forward genetic screen in planta, we identify a conserved amino acid residue that determines product specificity in triterpene synthases from diverse plant species. Mutation of this residue results in a major change in triterpene cyclization, with production of tetracyclic rather than pentacyclic products. The mutated enzymes also use the more highly oxygenated substrate dioxidosqualene in preference to 2,3-oxidosqualene when expressed in yeast. Our discoveries provide new insights into triterpene cyclization, revealing hidden functional diversity within triterpene synthases. They further open up opportunities to engineer novel oxygenated triterpene scaffolds by manipulating the precursor supply

STECF Multiannual management plans SWW and NWW (STECF-15-08)

The STECF was tasked with an analysis of the likely effects of proposed management plans for the Southwestern (Bay of Biscay and Iberia) and Northwestern (Celtic sea) waters. Quantitative analyses were carried out to compare the likely effect of those management plans and of the direct application of the CFP on both stocks and fleets involved in these fisheries. Based on the results of simulations of the provisions of the proposed management plans, STECF concluded that, setting fishing opportunities in line with single-species FMSY ranges will provide managers with additional flexibility compared to the basic provisions of the 2013 CFP. Such flexibility is likely to help alleviate the problem of mismatches in quota availability in mixed-species fisheries thereby reducing the risk of early closure of some fisheries due to choke species. Adopting FMSY ranges will therefore increase the likelihood that desired exploitation rates will be achieved and will reduce the risk that some fishing fleets will go out of business. STECF considers that it is crucial that managers take note that persistent fishing at the upper limits of the FMSY ranges across all or most stocks simultaneously negates the flexibility introduced by the FMSY ranges and greatly increases the risk of overfishing. Such an approach will also increase the risk that the objectives of the CFP will not be achieved. STECF concludes that single species biomass safeguards for all stocks should be maintained to provide a basic level of protection. STECF notes that for the fleets affected by the SWW MAP, those providing the highest employment are generally not dependent to a great extent on the species that will be regulated through the MAP proposals. STECF notes that in the NWW there are some fleets which provide significant levels of employment and seem to be very dependent on the species that will be regulated through the MAP proposals. Nevertheless, there are a number of fleets in the NWW area that are not included in the employment analysis because of an absence of appropriate data. .Regarding the number and scope of MAPs as currently defined, STECF considers that a MAP covering a wider geographic area has advantages in terms of reducing management overheads and avoiding multiple regulations affecting the sector. A larger MAP area however, may have disadvantages associated with reducing the emphasis on local management measures and this may discourage the involvement of stakeholders, although this effect will depend on how the process of regionalization operates within the MAP. To evaluate the question of whether management of the species that drive the fisheries adequately allows for the management of by-catch species, the EWG carried out an analysis of correlations between catches of driver species identified in the plan and a variety of by-catch species. The analysis suggested only limited correlation. In view of this, the STECF notes that it is unlikely that relying on the TAC of the driver species to manage other species will be effective, in accordance with CFP requirements. STECF however notes that when analysis was performed at the fleet level, there were more obvious correlations, suggesting some scope to use fleet related management measures for the driver species as a way of managing some of the bycatch species. STECF therefore concludes that management of exploitation rates of non-driver (or bycatch) species is unlikely to occur as an automatic consequence of the management of the main (driver) stocks by TAC considered in the MAP.DG MAR