In order to discover marine bioactive compounds, we investigated the chemical constituents from the organic extracts of soft coral Klyxum molle. Repeated column chromatography on the ethyl acetate extract of soft coral Klyxum molle, resulted in the isolation of nine new eunicellin-type diterpenoids, klymollins V¡ÐZ (1¡Ð5) and klyxumollins A¡ÐD (6¡Ð9), and four known compounds (10¡Ð13). The structures of new compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data (IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR) and by comparison of the spectral data with those of the related known compounds. The cytotoxicity of compounds 1¡Ð13 was evaluated against five tumor cell lines including CCRF-CEM (human T cell lymphoblast-like cell line), K562 (human erythromyeloblastoid leukemia cell line), Molt 4 (human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line), T47D (human ductal breast epithelial tumor cell line) and DLD-1 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line). Compound 2 exhibited weak cytotoxicity toward three cancer cells (CCRF-CEM, Molt 4 and T47D) and compounds 4 and 9 showed weak cytotoxicity against CCRF-CEM cancer cells. Compound 11 was found to exhibit stronger cytotoxicity toward CCRF-CEM cancer cells (ED50 values of 4.2 £gg/mL). On the other hand, compound 3 showed weak activity against the accumulation of the pre-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in LPS-induced macrophages, at a concentration of 25 £gM.

Aichi virus (AiV) is a small, nonenveloped RNA virus categorized to Picornaviridae. AiV infection causes mild gastroenteritis, but in neonates, AiV usually causes the risk of certain enterovirus-related clinical syndromes, such as fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The first case of AiV infection in Taiwan was diagnosed from a young patient with diarrhea in Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, and the AiV was successfully isolated. Antiviral innate immune system of our body plays the major role to defense virus invasion. Because AiV is an emerging picornavirus, the knowledge about its pathogenesis and the interaction with host innate immunity were totally absent. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of AiV regulating innate immune response. We first demonstrated that AiV is a type I IFN sensitive virus. IFN-£\2 treatment potently inhibited AiV replication. Real-time quantitative PCR data indicated that AiV induced only small amout of type I IFN gene expression, and the similar result was observed using IFN-£] luciferase reporter assay. In addition, the AiV triggered IFN-£] luciferase activity was progressively decreased in the late phase of infection. Immunoblotting assay showed that AiV evidently activated IRF-3 and IRF-7, the transcription factors of type I IFN induction. However, the retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) protein was cleavaged and its activity was downregulated by AiV. This data suggested that AiV triggered low level of type I IFN response may due to the negative feedback regulation of RIG-I activity. This immune evasion might be important for AiV replication in cells. Our study first reveals the status of innate immune response of AiV infection, and provides the basic virological theory for the development of anti-AiV drugs and vaccines in the future.

The purposes of this study were to discover patterns in test scores when both the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory are used simultaneously and to offer career counselors practical ways to interpret the scores when counseling their clients. To do this, the researcher conducted one study using canonical correlation to study the relationships and interrelationships between scores on the MBTI dichotomies and the SII GOTs. A second study utilized MANOVA to increase our understanding of age and gender differences in scores on these two instruments. Another study sought to use case examples of clients who had completed both tests to explain practical ways that career counselors can help their clients understand and apply results of both tests in ways that most benefit the clients’ career decision making. From the results of these studies, it would appear that the most common scores to occur simultaneously on both tests at once are MBTI Intuition, and SII Artistic. One could conclude from this that the personality characteristic of enjoying working in settings that allow for creative endeavor is particularly strong relative to other personality characteristics measured by these tests. We could also conclude that as individuals age, they are more likely to prefer working in settings that allow them to pursue creative endeavors. Another conclusion supported by this data indicates that men are more comfortable with career fields that are unstable and entrepreneurial than women throughout the lifespan.

We hypothesized that the interaction between tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF)/nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkB) via activation of IKK may amplify one anotherresulting in the evolution of vascular disease and insulin resistance associated withdiabetes. The interaction between TNFa and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) may contribute to the evolution of vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunctionin coronary arterioles in type 2 diabetes. To test this hypothesis, endothelium-dependent(ACh) and –independent (SNP) vasodilation of isolated, pressurized coronary arterioles(40-100 μm) from mLeprdb (heterozygote, normal), Leprdb (homozygote, diabetic) andLeprdb mice null for TNF (dbTNF-/dbTNF-) were examined. Although dilation of vesselsto SNP was not different between Leprdb and mLeprdb mice, dilation to ACh was reducedin Leprdb mice. The NFkB antagonist, MG-132, IKK inhibitor, sodium salicylate(NaSal), or Anti-MCP-1 partially restored endothelium-dependent coronary arteriolardilation in Leprdb mice. Protein expression of IKK and IKK were higher in Leprdb thanin mLeprdb mice. The expression of IKK, but not the expression of IKK was increasedin dbTNF-/dbTNF- mice. Leprdb mice showed increased insulin resistance, but NaSal improved insulin sensitivity. Protein expression of TNFa, NFkB, phosphorylation ofIKK and JNK were greater in Leprdb mice, but NaSal attenuated protein expression ofthem in Leprdb mice. The ratio of phosphorylated IRS-1 at Ser307 (pIRS-1)/IRS-1protein expression was elevated in Leprdb mice; both NaSal and JNK inhibitor SP600125reduced pIRS-1/IRS-1 in Leprdb mice. MG-132 or neutralization of TNF reducedsuperoxide production in Leprdb mice. Anti-MCP-1 attenuated superoxide productionand protein expression of nitrotyrosine (N-Tyr), which is an indicator of peroxynitriteproduction, in isolated coronary arterioles of Leprdb mice. Immunostaining resultsshowed that expression of MCP-1 and vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM) isco-localized with endothelial cells and macrophages. Anti-TNFa or anti-MCP-1markedly reduced macrophage infiltration and the number of MCP-1 positive cells.Neutralization of TNFa or anti-MCP-1 reduced the expression of adhesion molecules. Inconclusion, our results indicate that the interaction between NFkB and TNFa signalinginduces activation of IKKb. In addition, TNFa and TNFa-related signaling, includingthe expression of MCP-1 and adhesion molecules, further exacerbates oxidative stressleading to endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.

Pseudomonas syringae is a pathogen of numerous plant species, including several economically important crops. P. syringae pv. syringae B728a is a resident on leaves of common bean, where it utilizes several well-studied virulence factors, including secreted effectors and toxins, to develop a pathogenic interaction with its host. The B728a genome was recently sequenced, revealing the presence of 1,297 genes with unknown function. This dissertation demonstrates that a 29.9-kb cluster of genes in the B728a genome encodes a novel secretion pathway, the type VI secretion system (T6SS), that functions to deliver at least one protein outside of the bacterial cell. Western blot analyses show that this secretion is dependent on clpV, a gene that likely encodes an AAA+ ATPase, and is repressed by retS, which apparently encodes a hybrid sensor kinase. RetS and a similar protein called LadS are shown to collectively modulate several virulence-related activities in addition to the T6SS. Plate assays demonstrate that RetS negatively controls mucoidy, while LadS negatively regulates swarming motility. A mutation in retS affects B728a population levels on the surface of bean leaves. A model for the LadS and RetS control of B728a virulence activities is proposed, and possible roles for the B728a T6SS are addressed.

Catalase-peroxidase (KatG) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a bifunctional heme enzyme that has been shown to play an important role in the activation of a first line drug, isoniazid (INH), used in the treatment of tuberculosis infection. Mutations in the katG gene have been found to be associated with INH resistance. The most commonly encountered mutation is the Ser315Thr point mutation. In this dissertation, the x-ray crystallographic structures of MtbKatG and the mutant enzyme KatG[S315T] are presented to explore the molecular basis of the INH activation and resistance. The structure is dimeric and contains a heme cofactor in each subunit of the dimer. The most important change in KatG[S315T] is due to the presence of the methyl group of the threonine 315 side chain, which is located at the narrowest part of the substrate channel. The protruding methyl group effectively constricts the accessibility to the heme by closing down the dimensions of the channel, constraining the substrate entrance. VirB11 of Brucella abortus is a hexameric ATPase that belongs to the type IV secretion system. The crystal structure of BaVirB11 was found to contain six molecules per asymmetric unit. The Walker A (P loop), His box, and Glu box from the C-terminal domain are located at the interface of the N- and C-terminal domain. A large conformational change was found in the linker region when compared with that of HP0525 structure, the VirB11 analogous from H. pylori. To elucidate the functional role of each domain, seven functional mutations were generated and used for biochemical studies. The GER motif and the linker region were found to be crucial for ATP hydrolysis activity of BaVirB11. Mutations in the GER motif (R101Q) and the linker region (R120E) of BaVirB11 completely abolish the ATP hydrolysis activity of the enzyme. The binding affinities of the two mutants to the ATP; however, are similar to that of the wild-type enzyme, indicating that mutation in the GER motif or the linker region has no effect on ATP binding.

Copano Bay is a shallow (< 2-3 m), microtidal estuary in south central Texas. In an effort to both determine the distribution as well as investigate the controls on the distribution of oyster reefs, a geophysical survey of Copano Bay was conducted in June and July 2007. Surficial sediment analysis confirms that the recent sedimentation in Copano Bay is comprised of mostly estuarine mud with little sand or shell, large extents of oyster reefs and smaller areas of sand. Seismic stratigraphy analyses verify that the first oyster reefs in Copano Bay formed atop topographic highs in the Pleistocene surface. About 6 ka, sea level rise slowed to near its present rate and sediment supply decreased tremendously to Copano Bay decreasing the amount of suspended sediment. The first oyster reefs began forming around this time using these fluvial terraces as suitable substrate. Once the initial reefs were established, additional reefs began forming atop these initial reefs, or on the eroded shell hash material from the initial reefs. During this time of slow sea level rise and low sediment input to the bay, oyster reefs thrived and reef and shell hash material covered a majority of the bay surface. Once climate change increased sediment input to the bay, the reefs began to decrease in size due to siltation. The reefs have continued to decrease in size causing a 64 percent reduction in oyster reef and shell hash area from approximately 4.8 ka to today.

With increase of interest in exploiting shale gas/oil reservoirs with multiple stage fractured horizontal wells, complexity of production analysis and reservoir description have also increased. Different methods and models were used throughout the years to analyze these wells, such as using analytical solutions and simulation techniques. The analytical methods are more popular because they are faster and more accurate. The main objective of this paper is to present and demonstrate type curves for production data analysis of shale gas/oil wells using a Dual Porosity model. Production data of horizontally drilled shale gas/oil wells have been matched with developed type curves which vary with effective parameters. Once a good match is obtained, the well dual porosity parameters can be calculated. A computer program was developed for more simplified matching process and more accurate results. As an objective of this thesis, a type curve analytical method was presented with its application to field data. The results show a good match with the synthetic and field cases. The calculated parameters are close to those used on the synthetic models and field cases.

Representing data outside of and between programs is important in software that stores, shares, and manipulates information. Formats for representing information, varying from human-readable verbose (XML) to light-weight, concise (JSON), and non-human-readable formats (TLV) have been developed and used by applications based on their data and communication requirements. Writing correct programs that produce information represented in these formats is a difficult and time-consuming task, as developers must write repetitive, tedious code to map loosely-typed serialized data to strongly-typed program objects. We developed S.IM.PL Serialization, a cross-language multi-format information binding framework to relieve developers from the burdens associated with the serialization of strongly-typed data structures. We developed type system scopes, a means of encapsulating data types and binding semantics as a cross-language abstract semantics graph. In comparison to representing data binding semantics and information structure through external forms such as schemas, configuration files, and interface description languages, type system scopes can be automatically generated from declarations in a data binding annotation language, facilitating software engineering. Validation is based on use in research applications, a study of how computer science graduate students use the software to develop applications, and performance benchmarks. As a case study, we also examine the cross-language development of a Team Coordination (TeC) game.

Environmental factors such as ambient temperature and oxygen availability are variation in different altitude. Individuals within a species, living in variable environments often display phenotypic plasticity by changing morphology, behavior, reproduction, and physiology to meet the individual¡¦s ability to survive demanding conditions. This study was aimed to investigate the expression of angiotensin receptor and nitric oxide synthase genes of individuals resided at differential altitude, in an attempt to find the role of these molecules in cardiovascular adaptation to altitude. Spiny rats (Niviventer coxingi) are widely elevational distributed in Taiwan. They were studied under more natural conditions to provide an ecological context data on physiological plasticity between the different altitudes. I examined the body weight, blood pressure, heart rate and the expression of angiotensin type 1 or type 2 (ATI or ATII) receptor and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) genes in tissues (cortex, hypothalamus, medulla, lung, heart, aorta, adrenal gland and kidney) of spiny rats resided at differential altitude and during the domesticated period. The results of the study showed that spiny rats resided at higher altitudes were lighter than that at lower altitudes (750 m: 178.6¡Ó35.8 g and 1600 m: 122.3¡Ó29.3 g). Spiny rats resided at 1600 m did not change their body weight during the domesticated period, but rats resided at 750 m gradually reduced their body weight. Blood pressure and heart rate were similar between rats resided at different altitudes, and did not change during the domesticated period. ATI receptor, endothelelial NOS (eNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) mRNA expression in these tissues were similar between rats resided at different altitudes. ATII receptor mRNA expressed in these tissues under our detection limit. Rats resided at 750 m declined the level of nNOS in heart, when they were domesticated at 100 m. ATI receptor in kidney reduced at first, but subsequently increase to same level like native. Moreover, rats resided at 1600 m declined the level of iNOS in heart, when they were domesticated at 100 m. Together, these results indicate that heart rate, blood pressure, ATI receptor, eNOS, iNOS and nNOS mRNA expressions in these tissues were similar between rats resided at different altitudes. If there was no other compensatory mechanism, individuals resided at higher altitude were limited in low available oxygen. A reduced body weight could help in adaptation to high-altitude.