The research study evaluated the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention for sleep maintenance insomnia in older adults. Twenty-two elders who spent 60 minutes or more awake during the night on a minimum of three nights per week for at least six months received treatment. The study utilized an experimental design with repeated measures. The subjects were randomly assigned to either an immediate or delayed (waiting list control) treatment group. Subjects completed daily sleep diaries and several other measures. The behavioral intervention was a treatment package consisting of sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control instructions, sleep education, and an optional daytime nap. A six-week treatment program consisting of four weekly classes and two weekly telephone interventions was implemented. Between and within group differences were identified using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Post-hoc analyses were performed to identify significant differences. The between group analysis of sleep behaviors revealed an improvement in wake after sleep onset and sleep efficiency for the immediate treatment group. After intervention, the delayed treatment group improved on the same sleep behaviors as well as total sleep time. The therapeutic improvement was maintained at the three month follow-up. Sleep-wake impairment, dysfunctional cognitions, and presleep anxiety were reduced for both groups. The mood measures indicated that the subjects were not depressed prior to treatment and remained nondepressed following intervention. State and trait anxiety levels decreased. Favorable ratings for therapy evaluation were received. The majority of subjects felt they were compliant with treatment and had corresponding decreases in wake after sleep onset. In addition to statistical significance, the clinical significance of the study was established. Insomnia in older adults can be effectively treated using nonpharmacological intervention. Replication of the study is warranted as well as analysis to examine moderating factors affecting treatment outcomes. An effort should be made to increase the demographic diversity of subjects in future studies. Alternative treatment implementation modalities and settings other than the community should be considered for further research.

La thèse porte sur les rapports entre réseaux d'autorité et institutions politiques dans la province de Banten en Indonésie. L'auteur examine particulièrement la position qu'occupent les « hommes forts » jawara et les chefs religieux kiai au sein de ces rapports. L'étude a pour axe de comparaison le village de Rancalame, réputé pour son école de penca, lequel se présente comme une initiation rituelle comprenant des techniques de combat et est ancré sous des formes diverses en Insulinde. Les règles ancestrales de l'école de Rancalame stipulent que les initiés doivent œuvrer pour développer l'école tout en maintenant pérennes les valeurs qui leur sont associées et forment un éthos du « jawarisme ». Les activités du village et de l'école, ainsi que les ramifications qui ont été créées à partir des années 1970 sont décrites en première partie. Cette comparaison porte sur les dynamiques internes des écoles, leur organisation en réseau, ainsi que les rapports différenciés qu'elles entretiennent avec les structures politiques. Celles-ci comprennent les institutions politiques d'État ainsi que des « groupes d'influence » situés à l'interface entre ces dernières et les réseaux d'autorité décrits précédemment. Pour comprendre les glissements repérés dans les écoles de penca, la seconde partie de la thèse est centrée sur l'évolution historique des réseaux de jawara au niveau régional. Ceci permet de cadrer leur inclusion dans les dynamiques supra-locales et de spécifier leur rôle depuis l'époque coloniale jusqu'à aujourd'hui, en passant par la période du centralisme d'État suhartoïste. / The thesis concerns the relationship between authority networks and political institutions in the province of Banten in Indonesia. The author examines particularly the position that the "strong men" jawara and the religious leaders kiai occupy within these relationships. The study has for axis of comparison the village of Rancalame, renowned for its school of penca, which appears as a ritual initiation including fighting techniques and is present in diverse forms in the Malay world. The ancestral rules of the school of Rancalame stipulate that the initiated have to work at developing the school while maintaining the values which are associated with them and form a "jawarism" ethos. The activities of the village and the school, as well as the ramifications which were created from the 1970s are described in the first part. This comparison concerns the internal dynamics of the schools, their organization in network, as well as differentiated relationships that they maintain with the political structures. These include the political State institutions as well as “groups of influence” situated in the interface between these last ones and the networks of authority described previously. To understand the transformations spotted in the schools of penca, the second part of the thesis is focused on the historic evolution of the networks of jawara at the regional level. This allows to measure their inclusion in the above local dynamics and to specify their role since the colonial period until today, going through the period of the suhartoïst centralized State.

L’initiation de la traduction est un processus complexe qui fait intervenir une douzaine de facteurs d’initiation. L’élément clef de ce mécanisme est le facteur eIF4E qui grâce à sa liaison avec la coiffe, recrute l’ensemble du complexe d’initiation au niveau de l’ARNm et permet l’assemblage du ribosome au voisinage du codon d’initiation. Chez Arabidopsis thaliana, il existe à coté de la protéine eIF4E, une isoforme : eIF(iso)4E. Ces deux protéines participent à l’initiation de la traduction. L’existence de ces deux protéines évoque un phénomène de redondance fonctionnelle qui est attestée par la létalité du double mutant alors que les simples mutants sont viables. Cependant, l’étude phénotypique de mutants pour les gènes eIF4E et eIF(iso)4E a permis de montrer que cette redondance est partielle et inégale. En effet, les mutants pour le gène eIF4E présentent un retard de croissance, un retard de floraison, une baisse de la fertilité, une sénescence précoce et une activité traductionnelle réduite. Inversement, le phénotype des plantes mutantes pour le gène eIF(iso)4E est comparable à celui du sauvage. Les mutations dans les gènes eIF4E et eIF(iso)4E induisent une hypersensibilité à la lumière Enfin, en présence d’un inhibiteur de TOR la croissance de la racine des plantes de la lignée mutante pour le gène eIF(iso)4E est moins inhibée que celle des plantes de la lignée sauvage. / More than 12 initiation factors are involved in eukaryotic translation initiation. The key step of this mechanism is the binding of eIF4E with the cap of the mRNA. This step allows the recruitment of the initiation complex and the assembly of the ribosome close to the start codon. Arabidopsis thaliana encodes a second eIF4E protein: eIF(iso)4E. Those two proteins perform translation initiation. The existence of those two proteins suggests that they may be functionally redundant. Double mutant lethality testifies for functional redundancy. However, phenotypic studies of mutant lines for gene eIF4E and eIF(iso)4E showed that redundancy is partial and unequal. Indeed, the eIF4E mutant lines exhibit growth delay in rosette and roots, bolting delay, impaired fertility and early senescence in leaves. Translational activity is also largely impaired. On the contrary, a mutant line for the eIF(iso)4E gene has the same phenotype as wild type line. Mutant lines for eIF4E and eIF(iso)4E are more sensitive to light and accumulate anthocyanins even in normal light. On the molecular level, the amounts of mRNA of genes that are involved in high light response and their association to polysomes increase. When plants are grown on media containing a TOR inhibitor, AZD-8055, plants of the eIF(iso)4E mutant line show less root growth inhibition compared to wild type and eIF4E mutant lines. This result suggests that eIF(iso)4E could be targeted by the TOR pathway.

Cette étude se propose d'examiner les rapports entre l'Orient et l'Occident dans La Goutte d'or de Michel Tournier. Dans le cadre d'un voyage initiatique en Occident effectué par un jeune berger nord-africain, l'auteur jette la lumière sur l'image que chacun des deux mondes se forge de l'autre tout en montrant dans quelle mesure cette représentation influence la communication et le dialogue entre eux. Le fond et la forme du roman mettent l'accent sur la possibilité d'un échange culturel bénéfique entre l'Orient et l'Occident, et ce en dépit des différences qui les séparent et des conflits qui les opposent. Notre recherche examinera d'abord l'angle sous lequel se présente la relation entre l'identité et l'altérité dans le roman à travers l'analyse de la crise identitaire du héros et de son influence sur ses rapports avec l'Autre occidental dans le contexte de l'immigration. Nous passerons ensuite à l'examen de ce que l'auteur appelle "civilisation de l'image" et "civilisation du signe". Nous analyserons les différentes formes sous lesquelles se présentent l'image et le signe dans le roman, ainsi que les raisons pour lesquelles les religions monothéistes sacralisent ou prohibent les représentations figurées, analyse qui nous permettra de dégager la conception tourniérienne de chacune de ces deux entités distinctes, l'image et le signe, et de saisir la nature ambivalente de la relation de l'une à l'autre. Nous étudierons finalement l'influence de l'Orient arabe sur Michel Tournier qui marie dans sa Goutte d'or des éléments empruntés à la tradition arabo-islamique à d'autres appartenant à la littérature et la mythologie occidentales dans le cadre d'une structure inspirée des Mille et une Nuits. / This study aims to examine the relationship between Orient and Occident in Michel Tournier's novel The Golden Droplet. Through an initiatory journey to the West carried out by a young North African shepherd, the author sheds light on the image that each of these two worlds has of the other while showing how this representation influences communication and dialogue between them. The content and the form of the novel focus on the possibility of a beneficial cultural exchange between Orient and Occident, in spite of the differences separating them and the conflicts opposing them. Our research will first examine how the relationship between identity and otherness is perceived in the novel through the analysis of the hero's identity crisis and its impact on his relationship with the Western other in the immigration context. Then we will review what the author calls "civilization of the image" and "civilization of the sign". We will analyze the different forms in which are presented the image and the sign in the novel and why monotheistic religions sanctify or prohibit figurative representations, analysis which will allow us to degage Tournier's conception of each of these two separate entities, the image and the sign, and grasp the ambivalent nature of the relationship of one to the other. Finally, we will study the influence of the Arab East on Michel Tournier who married in his Golden Droplet elements from the Arab-Islamic tradition to others belonging to Western literature and mythology through a structure inspired by the Arabian Nights.

Dans Escherichia coli la Dam Methyl Transferase (DamMT) est responsable du transfert d’un groupement méthyle sur les adénosines situés au cœur du tétranucléotide GATC; il s’agit donc d’une activité post réplicative. Ainsi, après le passage de la fourche de réplication, le brin d’ADN nouvellement synthétisé est non méthylé – l’ADN est dit hémimethylé. L’ADN reste hémimethylé pendent une brève période - de l’ordre de la minute - avant d’être reméthylé par la DamMT. L’hypothèse de l’implication de la méthylation de l’ADN dans le contrôle général du programme de maintenance de l’ADN repose essentiellement sur cette observation, puisque l’ADN hemimethyle – exception faite de l’origine de réplication et de la région promotrice du gène dnaA – est diagnostique du passage récent de la fourche de réplication. Cette hypothèse, et le criblage phylogénomique qui en a découlé a conduit a l’identification de plusieurs gènes dont les produits sont supposes être impliqués dans la maintenance de l’ADN. yjaG est l’un de ces gènes. Il a été renomme cycC en raison des dérèglements de la progression du cycle cellulaire associés a un mutant nul de ce gène. L’étude effectuée au cours de ma thèse s’attachera à expliquer l’état actuel de nos connaissances sur la protéine CycC et de son implication dans le processus de réplication de l’ADN. Nos résultats montrent que la protéine CycC est impliquée dans la processivité de la réplication lorsqu’il y a un dommage au niveau de l’ADN. CycC spécifie une activité qui conduit à freiner les fourches de réplication, afin de prévenir des avortements des réplisomes. La surexpression de CycC bloque l’initiation de la réplication entre l’ouverture de la molécule d’ADN et le chargement de l’hélicase réplicative. Nous proposons que CycC interagisse avec le complexe réplicative et ralentit les fourches de réplication. Ce ralentissement prévient de nouvelles collisions lorsque les cellules sont dans des conditions de stress-qui cause des arrêts de la réplication. / In Escherichia coli the Dam Methyl Transferase (DamMT) is responsible for the transfer of a methyl group on the adenosine located in tetranucleotide GATC, so this is a post-replicative activity. Thus, after the passage of the replication fork, the newly synthesized DNA strand is unmethylated - DNA is called hemimethylated. DNA remains hemimethylated in a brief period - about a minute - before being reméthylé by DamMT. The hypothesis of the involvement of DNA methylation in the general control of the maintenance program of the DNA is essentially on this observation, since the hemimethylated DNA - except the origin of replication and the region dnaA gene promoter - is diagnostic of the recent passage of the replication fork. This assumption and phylogenomics screening has led to the identification of several genes whose protein are supposed to be involved in the maintenance of DNA. yjaG is one of these genes. It was renamed cycC, the cell cycle progression is deregulated with a null mutant of this gene. The study in my thesis will focus on explaining the current state of our knowledge of the cycC protein and its involvement in the process of DNA replication. Our results show that the CycC protein is involved in the processivity of replication when there is damage into the DNA. CycC specifies an activity that leads to slow replication forks to prevent abortions of replisomes. CycC overexpression blocks the initiation of replication between the open complex of the DNA at oriC and the loading of the replicative helicase. We propose that CycC interacts with the replicative complex and slows replication forks. This slowdown replication prevents new collisions when cells are under stress, causing replication stops.

Radar target tracking problem has been a popular topic for several decades. Recent works have shown that the performance of tracking algorithms increases as more prior information is used by the system / such as maximum velocity and maximum acceleration of the target, altitude of the target, or the elevation structure of the terrain. In this thesis we will focus on increasing the performance of tracking algorithms making use of benefit from the elevation model of the environment where the target tracker is searching. For a constant target altitude and a certain radar location, we generate a &ldquo / visibility map&rdquo / using the elevation model of the terrain and use this information to estimate the location and the time that the target will reappear. The second aim of this work is to use the visibility map information for improving the performance of track initiation. For that purpose, a special map has been formed, that we call as the &ldquo / track initiation probability map&rdquo / , which shows the target first time appearance density. This information has been used at the initialization part of the track initiation algorithm in order to increase the performance.

Eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF4E) controls the rate of cap-dependent translation initiation and is in turn exquisitely regulated by 4E-BPs. 4E-BP2 binds eIF4E with the highest affinity and is implicated in cancer, and metabolic and neurological disorders. Herein we use NMR, ITC and fluorescence to characterize 4E-BP2 structural and binding properties. Isolated 4E-BP2 is intrinsically disordered, but possesses some transient secondary structural propensities. eIF4E, however, is folded but has a disordered N-terminus. The eIF4E:4E-BP2 interaction is tight (Kd = 10-9 nM) and involves 4E-BP2 C-terminal and canonical binding regions, and the disordered eIF4E N-terminus. 4E-BP2 remains largely disordered upon binding to eIF4E. Noteworthy, high affinity interactions are not necessarily mediated by static structures, and 4E-BP2 binding is not the simple “disorder-to-order” transition observed in many interactions involving disordered proteins. This study offers molecular insights into 4E-BP2 functionality, and lays a foundation for development of novel therapies for cancer and neurological disorders.

Eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF4E) controls the rate of cap-dependent translation initiation and is in turn exquisitely regulated by 4E-BPs. 4E-BP2 binds eIF4E with the highest affinity and is implicated in cancer, and metabolic and neurological disorders. Herein we use NMR, ITC and fluorescence to characterize 4E-BP2 structural and binding properties. Isolated 4E-BP2 is intrinsically disordered, but possesses some transient secondary structural propensities. eIF4E, however, is folded but has a disordered N-terminus. The eIF4E:4E-BP2 interaction is tight (Kd = 10-9 nM) and involves 4E-BP2 C-terminal and canonical binding regions, and the disordered eIF4E N-terminus. 4E-BP2 remains largely disordered upon binding to eIF4E. Noteworthy, high affinity interactions are not necessarily mediated by static structures, and 4E-BP2 binding is not the simple “disorder-to-order” transition observed in many interactions involving disordered proteins. This study offers molecular insights into 4E-BP2 functionality, and lays a foundation for development of novel therapies for cancer and neurological disorders.

Primary wool follicles are initiated in the skin of sheep foetuses at approximately day 50 of gestation as the result of complex reciprocal molecular interactions between the mesenchyme and overlying epithelium. The lifetime wool production potential and fibre diameter of the Merino sheep is dependent on the total number of follicles initiated in utero. Understanding the molecular events that surround primary wool follicle initiation may provide approaches to enhance or manipulate this process in order to maximise the profitability of wool production enterprises. In order to study the morphological and molecular changes occurring during early wool follicle development, a foetal skin series spanning primary follicle initiation was generated. Foetal skin was sampled from the shoulder, midside and rump of four foetuses at 8 time points between day 43 and day 68 of gestation. Histological characterisation of the shoulder skin samples revealed that primary epidermal placodes emerged at around day 53, dermal condensates were visible from day 57 and downgrowth of the follicle began at day 68. An equation relating age of the foetus (day of gestation post AI) and crown-rump length, specific to Merino foetuses, was developed for use in future studies of this nature. Molecular markers of fibroblast migration, epidermal and dermal stem cells and cell proliferation were selected to test the hypothesis that dermal condensates are initiated at discrete sites beneath the epidermis as a result of a combination of migration and arrangement of multipotent pre-papilla cells. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of RAC1 and RHOa (migration markers), β1-integrin and alkaline phosphatase (stem cell markers), proliferative nuclear cell antigen and cyclinB1 (proliferation markers), patched-1, selected tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signalling molecules and eleven reference genes was conducted using midside and rump skin samples from each of four foetuses from the 8 time points. geNorm analysis of the reference and target genes revealed that the migration markers RAC1 and RHOa along with GAPDH were the most stably expressed genes in this sample series. Significant changes in mRNA expression were detected for β1-integrin, alkaline phosphatase, patched-1 and the TNF members EDA, EDAR, TROY and TRAF6. Many of these significant differences in expression coincided with key morphological events. Significant differences in expression were also detected between the midside and rump samples for numerous transcripts. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was implemented for analysis of the target transcripts within particular structures of foetal sheep skin. Frozen tissue sectioning, staining, LCM, RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were optimised for qRT-PCR analysis of endogenous controls and selected TNF transcripts. Several RNA extraction methods and reverse transcription approaches were trialled to ensure optimum extraction and reverse transcription efficiency for this tissue type. Exogenous mRNA transcripts were also incorporated prior to RNA extraction and reverse transcription to track reaction efficiency between samples. A comparison of different slide types revealed that laser pressure catapulting from membrane slides was an absolute requirement for foetal skin tissue studies. Follicle regions (including the epidermal placode and dermal condensate) and the adjacent non-follicle regions were laser captured from foetal skin, and the mRNA expression levels of patched-1 and selected TNF members was compared. Preliminary qRT-PCR analysis using this technique revealed that EDAR, TROY and PTCH1 mRNA levels were higher in the follicle regions than the non-follicle regions. The TNF signalling pathway appears to play an important role in primary wool follicle initiation and patterning at different sites on the body. Spatial differences in expression of some of these regulators may be involved in initiating different types of follicles. The molecular events surrounding primary wool follicle initiation also show a high degree of conservation between sheep, humans, and mice. Considering the high degree of DNA sequence conservation as well as the histological, signalling and cycling similarities between sheep and humans, sheep may represent a better model for the study of human hair follicle initiation and disease than the currently used mice and rat models. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1523639 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2010

Thesis (D.Min.)--Asbury Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 243-249). Also available online.