Receptor tyrosine kinase expression and phosphorylation in canine nasal carcinoma

Master of Science in Biomedical SciencesDepartment of Clinical SciencesMary Lynn HigginbothamThis study evaluated sixteen canine nasal carcinoma and five normal nasal epithelium samples for expression and phosphorylation of known targets of toceranib [vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGR2), platelet derived growth factor alpha (PDGFR-[alpha]), platelet derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-[beta]), and stem cell factor receptor (c-KIT)] and epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR1) using immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) phosphorylation panel. Protein for VEGFR2 was expressed in neoplastic cells of all carcinomas, PDGFR-[alpha] was noted in 15/16, whereas PDGFR-[beta] was detected in 3/16 samples, but showed primarily stromal staining. Protein expression for c-KIT was present in 4/16 and EGFR1 was noted in 14/16 samples. Normal tissue showed variable protein expression of the RTKs. Messenger RNA for VEGFR2, PDGFR-[beta], and c-KIT were noted in all samples. Messenger RNA for PDGFR-[alpha] and EGFR1 were detected in 15/16 samples. All normal nasal tissue detected messenger RNA for all RTKs of interest. Constitutive phosphorylation of VEGFR2, PDGFR-[alpha], PDGFR-[beta] and c-KIT was not observed in any carcinoma or normal nasal sample, but phosphorylation of EGFR1 was noted in 10/16 carcinoma and 3/5 normal samples. The absence of major phosphorylated RTK targets of toceranib suggests the clinical effect of toceranib may occur through inhibition of alternative and currently unidentified RTK pathways in canine nasal carcinomas. The observed protein and message expression and phosphorylation of EGFR1 in the nasal carcinoma samples merits further inquiry into EGFR1 as a therapeutic target for this cancer

Molecular and Performance Properties of Poly(Amides & Imides) and the Use of Graphene Oxide Nano-Particles for Improvement

Macroscopic properties of polymers, and in general all types of materials, are innately related to their molecular structure and intermolecular properties. This dissertation offers insight into how the molecular structure, chain properties, and inter-molecular chain interactions within PA11 can be used to explain and predict improved macro level performance properties; and how the addition of graphene oxide nanosheets enhances the performance properties of PA11 and polyimide(ODA-BTDA) through those same intermolecular interactions. Chapter 3 describes the unexpected result that weak small organic acids at low concentrations hydrolyze a polyamide at rates approximately twice that of a water HCl solution of the same pH at 100 ˚C and 120 ˚C under anaerobic conditions. Chapter 4 discusses how by varying the rate of Mm degradation with small organic acids the correlated effects of Mm and crystallinity upon the ultimate strain of PA11 were decoupled. The result demonstrates the need for both crystallinity and molecular weight knowledge to monitor and predict the ductile to brittle transition and when embrittlement occurs. Chapter 5 explores the elevated resistance to hydrolytic degradation and molecular properties that a graphene oxide (GO) loaded PA11 has compared with neat PA11 at 100 and 120 ˚C. The decreased rate of degradation and resulting 50 % increased equilibrium molecular weight of PA11 was attributed to the highly asymmetric planar GO nano-sheets that inhibited the molecular mobility of water and the polymer chain. The crystallinity of the polymer matrix was similarly affected by a reduction in chain mobility during annealing due to the GO nanoparticles’ chemistry and highly asymmetric nano-planar sheet structure. Chapter 6 extends the experimental work to effects on polyimides. GO and GO functionalized with 4-4’ oxydianiline (ODAGO) are incorporated at 0.01 to 0.10 wt% into a polyimide (PI) made from 3,3’-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 4-4’ oxydianiline (ODA). The performance properties of these two systems GOPI and ODAGO-PI at extremely low GO concentrations of 1 part per 10,000 are comparable to previous results citing concentrations 10 times higher and displayed significantly greater improvement than unfunctionalized GOPI films. The results suggest that the improved barrier properties are due a toruosity effect of the GO sheets and to a stabilizing effect of the flakes on the polymer matrix, where reduced mobility of the PI chain reduces diffusion through the polymer matrix. ATR-FTIR, WAXS, Raman and Tg results support this view

Enhancing polyimide\u27s water barrier properties through addition of functionalized graphene oxide

Graphene oxide produced by Tour\u27s method (GO) and GO functionalized with 4-4\u27 oxydianiline (ODAGO) are incorporated at 0.01 to 0.10 weight percent (wt%) into a polyimide (PI) made from 3,3\u27-benzophe-nonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 4-4\u27 oxydianiline (ODA). The performance properties of these two systems GO-PI and ODAGO-PI at extremely low GO concentrations are compared. ODAGO-PI nanocomposite\u27s performance properties are comparable to previous results citing concentrations 10 times higher and displayed significantly greater improvement than unfunctionalized GO-PI films. The 0.01 wt% ODAGO-PI film demonstrated a factor of ten decrease in water vapor permeability. The 0.10 wt% ODAGO-PI film displayed the maximum increase of 82% in Young\u27s modulus. The water vapor permeability results were fit to the Nielsen law. We found that the model yielded unphysically large aspect ratios for the 0.01 wt% ODAGO-PI, 100 times larger than the AFM-measured value. For the GO-PI, we observe less enhancement of the barrier properties. The large aspect ratio indicates tortuosity effects alone cannot explain the enhanced barrier properties. We propose that the improved barrier properties are also due to a stabilizing effect of the flakes on the polymer matrix, where reduced mobility of the PI chain reduces diffusion through the polymer matrix. ATR-FTIR, WAXS, Raman and T-g results support this view. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Graphene Oxide Reduces the Hydrolytic Degradation in Polyamide-11

Graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated into polyamide-11 (PA11) via in-situ polymerization. The GO-PA11 nano-composite had elevated resistance to hydrolytic degradation. At a loading of 1 mg/g, GO to PA11, the accelerated aging equilibrium molecular weight of GO-PA11 was higher (33 and 34 kg/mol at 100 and 120 C, respectively) compared to neat PA11 (23 and 24 kg/mol at 100 and 120 C, respectively). Neat PA11 had hydrolysis rate constants (kH) of 2.8 and 12 ( 10(exp -2) day(exp -1)) when aged at 100 and 120 C, respectively, and re-polymerization rate constants (kP) of 5.0 and 23 ( 10(exp -5) day(exp -1)), respectively. The higher equilibrium molecular weight for GO-PA11 loaded at 1 mg/g was the result of a decreased kH, 1.8 and 4.5 ( 10(exp -2) day(exp -1)), and an increased kP, 10 and 17 ( 10(exp -5) day(exp -1)) compared with neat PA11 at 100 and 120 C, respectively. The decreased rate of degradation and resulting 40% increased equilibrium molecular weight of GO-PA11 was attributed to the highly asymmetric planar GO nano-sheets that inhibited the molecular mobility of water and the polymer chain. The crystallinity of the polymer matrix was similarly affected by a reduction in chain mobility during annealing due to the GO nanoparticles' chemistry and highly asymmetric nano-planar sheet structure

Extraction of Boron Nitride Nanotubes and Fabrication of Macroscopic Articles Using Chlorosulfonic Acid

Due to recent advances in high-throughput synthesis, research on boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) is moving towards applications. One future goal is the assembly of macroscopic articles of high aspect ratio, pristine BNNTs. However, these articles are presently unattainable because of insufficient purification and fabrication methods. We introduce a solution process for extracting BNNTs from synthesis impurities without sonication or the use of surfactants and proceed to convert the extracted BNNTs into thin films. The solution process can also be used to convert assynthesized materialwhich contains significant amounts of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) into mats and foams with controllable structure and dimension. The scalable solution extraction method, combined with further advances in synthesis and purification, contributes to the development of all-BNNT macroscopic articles, such as fibers and 3-D structures

Measurement of the branching fraction and CP content for the decay B(0) -> D(*+)D(*-)

This is the pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the links below. Copyright @ 2002 APS.We report a measurement of the branching fraction of the decay B0→D*+D*- and of the CP-odd component of its final state using the BABAR detector. With data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.4  fb-1 collected at the Υ(4S) resonance during 1999–2000, we have reconstructed 38 candidate signal events in the mode B0→D*+D*- with an estimated background of 6.2±0.5 events. From these events, we determine the branching fraction to be B(B0→D*+D*-)=[8.3±1.6(stat)±1.2(syst)]×10-4. The measured CP-odd fraction of the final state is 0.22±0.18(stat)±0.03(syst).This work is supported by DOE and NSF (USA), NSERC (Canada), IHEP (China), CEA and CNRS-IN2P3 (France), BMBF (Germany), INFN (Italy), NFR (Norway), MIST (Russia), and PPARC (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the A.P. Sloan Foundation, Research Corporation, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Measurement of the B0-anti-B0-Oscillation Frequency with Inclusive Dilepton Events

The $B^0$-$\bar B^0$ oscillation frequency has been measured with a sample of 23 million \B\bar B pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B Factory at SLAC. In this sample, we select events in which both B mesons decay semileptonically and use the charge of the leptons to identify the flavor of each B meson. A simultaneous fit to the decay time difference distributions for opposite- and same-sign dilepton events gives $\Delta m_d = 0.493 \pm 0.012{(stat)}\pm 0.009{(syst)}$ ps$^{-1}$.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Measurement of D-s(+) and D-s(*+) production in B meson decays and from continuum e(+)e(-) annihilation at √s=10.6 GeV

This is the pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the links below. Copyright @ 2002 APSNew measurements of Ds+ and Ds*+ meson production rates from B decays and from qq̅ continuum events near the Υ(4S) resonance are presented. Using 20.8 fb-1 of data on the Υ(4S) resonance and 2.6 fb-1 off-resonance, we find the inclusive branching fractions B(B⃗Ds+X)=(10.93±0.19±0.58±2.73)% and B(B⃗Ds*+X)=(7.9±0.8±0.7±2.0)%, where the first error is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the Ds+→φπ+ branching fraction uncertainty. The production cross sections σ(e+e-→Ds+X)×B(Ds+→φπ+)=7.55±0.20±0.34pb and σ(e+e-→Ds*±X)×B(Ds+→φπ+)=5.8±0.7±0.5pb are measured at center-of-mass energies about 40 MeV below the Υ(4S) mass. The branching fractions ΣB(B⃗Ds(*)+D(*))=(5.07±0.14±0.30±1.27)% and ΣB(B⃗Ds*+D(*))=(4.1±0.2±0.4±1.0)% are determined from the Ds(*)+ momentum spectra. The mass difference m(Ds+)-m(D+)=98.4±0.1±0.3MeV/c2 is also measured.This work was supported by DOE and NSF (USA), NSERC (Canada), IHEP (China), CEA and CNRS-IN2P3 (France), BMBF (Germany), INFN (Italy), NFR (Norway), MIST (Russia), and PPARC (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the Swiss NSF, A. P. Sloan Foundation, Research Corporation, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Search for rare quark-annihilation decays, B --> Ds(*) Phi

We report on searches for B- --> Ds- Phi and B- --> Ds*- Phi. In the context of the Standard Model, these decays are expected to be highly suppressed since they proceed through annihilation of the b and u-bar quarks in the B- meson. Our results are based on 234 million Upsilon(4S) --> B Bbar decays collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC. We find no evidence for these decays, and we set Bayesian 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions BF(B- --> Ds- Phi) Ds*- Phi)<1.2x10^(-5). These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.Comment: 8 pages, 3 postscript figues, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications