Plastid intramembrane proteolysis

AbstractProgress in the field of regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) in recent years has not surpassed plant biology. Nevertheless, reports on RIP in plants, and especially in chloroplasts, are still scarce. Of the four different families of intramembrane proteases, only two have been linked to chloroplasts so far, rhomboids and site-2 proteases (S2Ps). The lack of chloroplast-located rhomboid proteases was associated with reduced fertility and aberrations in flower morphology, probably due to perturbations in jasmonic acid biosynthesis, which occurs in chloroplasts. Mutations in homologues of S2P resulted in chlorophyll deficiency and impaired chloroplast development, through a yet unknown mechanism. To date, the only known substrate of RIP in chloroplasts is a PHD transcription factor, located in the envelope. Upon proteolytic cleavage by an unknown protease, the soluble N-terminal domain of this protein is released from the membrane and relocates to the nucleus, where it activates the transcription of the ABA response gene ABI4. Continuing studies on these proteases and substrates, as well as identification of the genes responsible for different chloroplast mutant phenotypes, are expected to shed more light on the roles of intramembrane proteases in chloroplast biology

The role of CREBBP mutations in lymphoid malignancies

PhD ThesisRelapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) comprise a group of malignancies with poor prognosis and therapeutic strategies are needed to improve outcomes. Recent studies have shown that heterozygous inactivating mutations in the histone acetyl transferase, CREBBP, are frequent in these malignancies, and are thought to lead to impaired transcription of glucocorticoid (GC) response genes. Given the pivotal role of GC in the treatment of lymphoid malignancies and the finding that CREBBP mutations often arise at relapse, it has been postulated that CREBBP mutations confer chemoresistance to GC therapy. To study the role of CREBBP haploinsufficiency in ALL, DLBCL and FL, small hairpin RNA and small interfering RNA methods were used to knock down CREBBP in a number of cell lines and primary derived samples. Models were functionally relevant, with reduced acetylation of CREBBP target residue, histone 3 lysine 18 and/or histone 3 lysine 27, but knockdown had no significant impact on activation of cAMP-dependent target genes. Impaired induction of glucocorticoid receptor targets was only seen in 1 of 4 CREBBP knockdown models of ALL, and there was no significant difference in GC-induced apoptosis or chemosensitivity to other therapeutic agents frequently used in lymphoid malignancies, including histone deacetylase inhibitors. However, CREBBP knockdown was associated with enhanced signalling of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in RAS pathway mutant ALL cells, and MEK inhibitor sensitivity was retained. This suggests that CREBBP mutation may act to enhance the activity of oncogenes and that CREBBP/RAS pathway mutated relapsed ALL are candidates for MEK inhibitor clinical trials.Cancer Research U

SAVER (Surface Autonomous Vehicle for Emergency Rescue)

This document serves to introduce the design team and their competition challenge, as well as to detail the progress of the project. The design challenge was presented by NASA Micro-g NExT’s SAVER (Surface Autonomous Vehicle for Emergency Rescue) competition; the goal was to design a self-driving water vehicle capable of delivering supplies to Orion astronauts separated from the rest of their crew in the case of a maritime emergency. However, the team was not selected to go forward in this competition and thus decided to scale down the size of the SAVER vehicle in order to shift the focus of the project toward testing and refining the technologies necessary for a successful future team. The team first performed research on the problem, outlining and refining a preliminary design through ideation and initial analysis. Additionally, since the Critical Design Review and the downsizing of the project, the team verified the design and carried through with final manufacturing, assembly, and testing. Post Critical Design Review, teams SAVER 1 and SAVER 2 parted ways to produce individual reports for the Final Design Review. The main body of this report will detail the SAVER 1 team’s overall design processes, effectively justifying the chosen design and providing confidence in the team’s final product. Furthermore, the team’s steps completed for manufacturing, testing, and verification of SAVER are also included in this report. Finally, project management timelines detail the team’s process for effective time management that has ensured that the project is successful and fulfills all of the requirements laid out by the class

Prospectus, July 22, 2015

STATE OF THE ART: NEW MUSIC CLASS BRINGS RECORDING STUDIO TO PARKLAND; Changes ushered in with construction on campus; Parkland a top choice for health professions; Doctors say teen\u27s HIV in check for 12 years without drugs; David Leake, Director of Parkiand\u27s Staerke! Planetarium; Thousands of athietes prepare for Specia! Olympics this week; $10 bill change rankles descendant of Alexander Hamilton; Planned Parenthood says video part of decadelong harassment; Summer no time for vacation for Parkland baseball; First Gig Rock campers live out rock star dreams; Jon Stewart heads into home stretch at \u27Daily Show\u27https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2015/1030/thumbnail.jp

Removal of Carbamazepine from Drinking Water

Due to the increasing prevalence of prescription medication over the past few decades, pharmaceuticals have accumulated in various water sources. This has become a public health concern because many pharmaceuticals have limited research on the effects of chronic low-level exposure. According to the World’s Health Organization (WHO), traces of pharmaceuticals products have been reported in different water sources such as surface waters, wastewater, groundwater, and drinking water.[1] One pharmaceutical of interest that has been detected in water sources is carbamazepine. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a common pharmaceutical prescribed for the treatment of seizure disorders, neuropathic pain, and various psychological disorders. It’s mechanism of action is “sodium channel blocking,” which is the impairment of conduction of sodium ions in sodium channels. This, in effect, reduces nervous-system conductivity in key areas related to the treated disorders mentioned above.[2] Carbamazepine is also not easily biodegradable and current conventional treatment methods in some drinking water and wastewater facilities do not adequately remove carbamazepine and other pharmaceuticals from treated water. While carbamazepine is not federally regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) at this time, it does have the potential for producing adverse health effects in humans. Therefore, being proactive in finding ways to remove carbamazepine and compounds like it should be encouraged. The Carbamaza-Clean team designed a bench scale unit as well as an in-home treatment system using granular activated carbon (GAC) to effectively remove carbamazepine from water. GAC was chosen for this design because it is inexpensive and does not create by-products that are harmful to human health. Several experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency of the removal of carbamazepine using two different GACs: coconut shell GAC (CSGAC) and bituminous coal GAC (BGAC). A packed bed column was constructed to determine if both carbons could reduce the concentration of carbamazepine from 1 ppm to 1 ppb or lower. The CSGAC packed bed was able to lower the concentration below 1 ppb at a packed bed length of 4.4 ft, while the BGAC only required half that (2.2 ft). Both carbons can remove carbamazepine to the desired concentration; however, the costs vary. An economic analysis was performed to determine the costs of the carbons. The CSGAC system would cost $990 for the first year and$589.68 for each following year. The BGAC system would cost $639 for the first two years, and then$200 every two years following the initial capital investment

Plate Pouring III

This project, Plate Pouring III, is an automated device that fills petri dishes with a liquid solution called Agar. This is done in a sterile environment, not needing any human interaction for the mechanism to function. It safely removes the lid individually from petri dishes, injects the solution, reinserts the lid, and stacks the filled petri dishes

Prospectus, June 24, 2015

Parkland campus to go smoke free, AMP reaching past Parkland campus, \u27Triple Play\u27 plan provides free tech services, 6 killed in California balcony collapse during a party(AP), An Interview with Lisa Costello, Giertz Gallery Director, Urbana’s Market at the Square working to increase fresh food access(City of Urbana), Donald Trump says he’s running for president in 2016(AP), Choosing your own: Definition of race becoming fluid(AP), Confidently Humble, or the time I started beating on the ground with a stick, Smashmouth to headline at Champaign Music Festival(Champaign Park District), Kosovo art installation of dresses supports war rape victims(AP), Obama says US racism ‘not cured,’ makes point with epithet(AP)https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2015/1012/thumbnail.jp

AMGEN DRUM HANDLER: LIFTING & TILTING MECHANISM

Team Pick It Up & Put It Down was challenged to design the lifting and tilting portion of a device that will transport chemical-filled plastic barrels from a pallet located on the dirty” side of Amgen’s facilities airlock to another pallet located across a demarcation on the clean” side of the same airlock. This device must also allow for the required 10-minute cleaning process to occur. The device must be reliable, safe, and work in a timely manner to eliminate the current labor-intensive process of manually manipulating these barrels, which can weigh up to 250 pounds. Operation of this device must comply with the particulate standards for an ISO-8 class clean room environment. To meet the design requirements, the team completed thorough market research and review of the 2016-2017 design, assessing the best approach to solving Amgen’s problem. The team used market research and input from Amgen to identify design specifications necessary to develop an effective, quality product. Using brainstorming activities in tandem with patent and literature searches, 120 unique concepts were generated and judged based on their feasibility and effectiveness in solving the given challenge. After careful consideration with the assistance of engineering and concept analysis, it was determined that use of electronics, by means of an electric linear actuator is the most effective concept in eliminating human labor input and abiding by the cleanliness standards. The team worked closely with the University of Rhode Island’s Mechanical Engineering Capstone Team 8, who was challenged to develop the overall device design. Detailed engineering analysis along with side by side development, integrated the lifting and tilting mechanism into a viable concept that functions with the overall design. The team spent the duration of the spring semester building, testing, and redesigning the prototype. At this point in time, the team has effectively developed a product that reduces the physical human manipulation of cleaning the barrels. The clamping and bottom prong system successfully secures barrels during the tilting process when the barrel is correctly placed in contact with the prongs and upper clamp. The team accomplished building an integrated device that improves the safety of day-to-day drum handling and the efficiency of the physical drum positioning for cleaning

Prospectus, April 22, 2015

William M. Staerkel Planetarium, Student work displayed in the Giertz Gallery, Behind the curtain of “The Drowsy Chaperone” in Parkland Theatre, Seattle attempt to help addicts shines in study(AP), Hopes dim for school funding formula overhaul’s passage(AP), School districts and parents at odds over breakfast during class(AP), Golf team wins Illinois College Blueboy Invite(Athletic Director), Parkland Lady Cobras reflect on successhttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2015/1010/thumbnail.jp