A Role for Interferon Stimulated Gene-15 (ISG15) During Chikungunya Virus Infection

Abstract of the Dissertation A Role for Interferon Stimulated Gene-15: ISG15) During Chikungunya Virus Infection By Scott William Werneke Doctor of Philosophy in Biology and Biomedical Science (Immunology) Washington University in St. Louis, 2013 Professor Deborah J. Lenschow, Chairperson Chikungunya fever is caused by Chikungunya virus: CHIKV), an infectious disease that is characterized by severe joint and muscle pain in humans. The latest outbreak of CHIKV, which began in 2005, has affected millions of people across India, Singapore, and the Indian Ocean Island region. Type I interferon: IFN), which mediates protection against many different viruses through the upregulation of interferon stimulated genes: ISGs), has been shown to be essential for the control of CHIKV infection. As the role of ISGs during CHIKV infection is largely unknown, we investigated the activity of the interferon stimulated gene ISG15. ISG15 is a ubiquitin like molecule that has the ability to conjugate to intracellular proteins and can also be found as a free form both intra- and extracellularly. ISG15 conjugation has previously been shown to be essential for protection against influenza B and Sindbis virus infections. We demonstrate that neonatal ISG15-/- mice are profoundly more susceptible to CHIKV infection compared to WT mice. Unlike other viral models, mice lacking the ability to form ISG15 conjugates through the deletion of the E1 enzyme UbE1L, do not display an increase in CHIKV induced lethality. In addition, we observed no differences in viral loads between wild type and ISG15-/- mice during the course of the infection. Instead, ISG15-/- mice displayed a dramatic increase in proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Our data suggests that the role of ISG15 during CHIKV infection is conjugation independent and that ISG15 protection is mediated not through its action as an antiviral molecule, but through regulation of the immune response. To identify potential mechanisms of action for unconjugated free ISG15, we characterized both intra- and extracellular forms of ISG15 using mass spectrometry. We identify phosphorylation as a potential post-translational modification for extracellular ISG15 and identify the secreted 30kDa ISG15 conjugate as ISG15 bound to hemoglobin beta. We also identify over 140 potential non-covalent binding partners for intracellular ISG15 that are involved in many different cellular pathways, including innate immunity, vesicular sorting, and cell signaling. Based on our findings, we have generated preliminary data examining a role for ISG15 in autophagy as well as a role for ISG15 in the regulation of cytokine production. Our characterization of both intra- and extracellular ISG15 will hopefully guide future experiments needed to determine the mechanism by which ISG15 regulates the host response to viral infection

Soviet photography in America: An introduction to the New York Public Library’s revolutionary and post-revolutionary Slavic, East European, and Baltic collection

This article is an introduction to the New York Public Library’s revolutionary and post-revolutionary Soviet and East European photography holdings. It outlines the materials available to researchers from both the large and smaller collections, particularly those that are useful for studies of Revolutionary Russia and the History or World War II in Russia and Eastern Europe. Of particular note is the NYPL’s wealth of images documenting Poland during the Second World War and the Bessie Beatty album The Russian Revolution: An Album of Photographs

Building reflection in second-year teachers by reading and responding to literature.

Therefore, this qualitative study was designed to determine the reflection techniques used by second-year and third-year teachers; and to see if formal reflection, promoted through reading and responding to literature, could add to the ways in which beginning teachers analyze their concerns. Six second-year teachers were studied.The results were reported in the following sections: (a) reflection promoted by reading and responding to literature; (b) reflection techniques of second- and third-year teachers; (c) classroom descriptions and concerns of second-year teachers. Reading and responding to literature was found to be useful in stimulating reflection on impact concerns with second-year teachers. While both second- and third-year teachers employed writing and dialogue frequently to reflect on practice, second-year teachers used these techniques in more limited ways. Second-year teachers expressed a range of classroom concerns, including survival issues, task management issues, and issues regarding impact on students.At least one-third of teachers who enter the profession leave during their first five years of service. Many cite professional frustration and perceived failure to make a positive impact on their students as reasons for their departure. Research on reflective processes of beginning teachers is limited. However, studies have demonstrated that reflection upon practice can build professional resiliency

Centralization and directional preference: an updated systematic review with synthesis of previous evidence

Background: Centralization and directional preference are common management and prognostic factors in spinal symptoms. Objective: To update the previous systematic review. Design: Systematic review to synthesis multiple aspects of centralization and directional preference. Method: Contemporary search was made of multiple databases using relevant search terms. Abstracts and titles were filtered by two authors; relevant articles were independently reviewed by two authors for content, data extraction, and quality. Results: Forty-three additional relevant articles were found. The quality of the studies, using PEDro for randomized controlled trials, was moderate or high in six out of ten RCTs; moderate or high in six out of 12 cohort studies. Prevalence of centralization was 40%, the same as the previous review. Directional preference prevalence was only 26%, much lower than the previous review; but neither clinical response was recorded in about a third of patients. Centralization and directional preference were confirmed as key positive prognostic factors, certainly in patients with low back pain, but limited evidence for patients with neck pain. There was no evidence that these might be important treatment effect modifiers. One study evaluated reliability, and found generally poor levels, despite training. Conclusions: Centralization and directional preference are worthwhile indicators of prognosis, and should be routinely examined for even in patients with chronic low back pain. But they do not occur in all patients with spinal problems, and there was no evidence that they were treatment effect modifiers

Spectrophotometric analysis of Lithium Carbonate used for Bipolar Disorder

Lithium therapy is the gold standard of treatment for patients with Bipolar Disorder. However, despite its effectiveness, it is a potentially hazardous drug requiring regular monitoring of blood levels to ensure toxic levels are not reached. This paper describes the spectrophotometric analysis of Lithium carbonate in solution as a first step in developing a portable home monitoring device for blood lithium analysis.. Using a high-end spectrophotometer, solutions of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) have been optically fingerprinted. Preliminary measurements indicate that the ultraviolet region shows a strong distinction between different lithium concentrations. Utilizing second derivative absorption curves, the region of 220 nm to 230 nm demonstrated the ability to differentiate between concentrations representing those found in patients. Furthermore, the method could determine to within a 1–6% accuracy whether an unknown solution of Li2CO3 is either inside or outside the high-end of the therapeutic limit

A survey of art needs in business

Not available.Richard A. WernekeNot ListedNot ListedMaster of ScienceDepartment Not ListedCunningham Memorial Library, Terre Haute, Indiana State University.isua-thesis-1947-wernekeMastersTitle from document title page. Document formatted into pages: contains 61p. : ill. Includes appendix and bibliography

Using Manual Measurements on Event Recorder Video and Image Processing Algorithms to Extract Optical Parameters and Range

Vehicle kinematics and optical parameters such as optical angle, optical expansion rate, and tau are thought to underlie drivers’ ability to avoid and handle critical traffic situations. Analyses of these parameters in naturalistic driving data with video, such as commercial event recordings of near-crashes and crashes, can provide insight into driver behavior in critical traffic situations. This paper describes a pair of methods, one for the range to a lead vehicle and one for its optical angle, that are derived from image processing mathematics and that provide driver behavior researchers with a relatively simple way to extract optical parameters from video-based naturalistic data when automatic image processing is not possible. The methods begin with manual measurements of the size of other road users on a video on a screen. To develop the methods, 20 participants manually measured the width of a lead vehicle on 14 images where the lead vehicle was placed at different distances from the camera. An on-market DriveCam Event Recorder was used to capture these images. A linear model that corrects distortion and modeling optics was developed to transform the on-screen measurements distance (range) to and optical angle of the vehicle. The width of the confidence interval for predicted range is less than 0.1m when the actual distance is less than 10m and the lead-vehicle width estimate is correct. The methods enable driver behavior researchers to easily and accurately estimate useful kinematic and optical parameters from videos (e.g., of crashes and nearcrashes) in event-based naturalistic driving data

Development of Ecogeomorphological (EGM) Stream Design and Assessment Tools for the Piedmont of Alabama, USA

Regional data needed for effective stream restoration include hydraulic geometry relationships (i.e., regional curves) and reference channel morphology parameters. Increasingly ecological conditions are being considered when designing, implementing, and assessing restoration efforts. We provide morphology relationships and associated ecological endpoint curves for reference streams in the Alabama piedmont. Twenty-one reference stream reaches were identified in the Tallapoosa drainage of Alabama, ranging from 0.2 to 242 km2 drainage area. Geomorphic surveys were conducted in each stream to measure riffle cross-sections and longitudinal profiles and related to drainage area to develop regional curves. Fish, crayfish, and benthic macroinvertebrates were collected from each surveyed reach and related to drainage area and geomorphic data to provide associated biological community endpoints. Bankfull channel cross-section area, width, mean depth, and estimated discharge were strongly correlated to watershed drainage area, similar to efforts in other areas of the Piedmont ecoregion. Multiple measures of fish assemblages and crayfish size were strongly predicted by drainage area and geomorphic dimensions. Macroinvertebrates showed no taxonomic and limited functional relationships with drainage area and geomorphic dimension. These tools, which integrate geomorphological and ecological conditions, can result in improved stream evaluations and designs increasing the effectiveness of stream restoration projects

The narratives of Hardship: : The new and the old poor in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis in Europe

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Hulya Dagdeviren, Matthew Donoghue, and Lars Meier, ‘The narratives of hardship: the new and the old poor in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis in Europe’, The Sociological Review, vol. 65 (2): 369-385, May 2017. The final, definitive version of record is available online at doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12403. Published by SAGE.This paper examines poverty and hardship in Europe after the 2008 crisis, using household interviews in nine European countries. A number of findings deserve highlighting. First, making a distinction between ‘the old poor’ (those who lived in poverty before as well as after the crisis) and ‘the new poor’ (thosewho fell into hardship after the crisis), we show that hardship is experienced quite differently by these groups. Second, the household narratives showed that while material deprivations constitute an important aspect of hardship, the themes of insecurity and dependency also emerged as fundamental dimensions. In contrast to popular political discourse in countries such as the UK, dependency on welfare or family was experienced as a source of distress and manifested as a form of hardship by participants in all countries covered in this study.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio