Chemical communication in aquatic organisms has been topic of a large number of studies focusing interactions between organisms via info chemicals. Diel Vertical Migration (DVM) is commonly observed among zooplankton and consists of a single daily ascent with minimum depth reached between sunset and sunrise and a descent with maximum depth attained during the day. DVM was absent or reduced when predators were absent and well developed in their presence. Species of the Daphnia are one of the well investigated group in freshwater environments. Variation in DVM of Daphnia in response to fish kairomone is one of the best studied behavioral strategies. Kairomone, as a term, is described interspecific chemical messengers, the adaptive benefit of which falls on the recipient rather than the emitter. As a result, nature and origin of kairomone is still unclear and needs to be investigated. It was decided that FT-IR technique would be favorable tool for this aim. In this frame, it was conceived that the occurrence of migration adaptation relevant to the seasonal changes in the presence of fish kairomone could be proved and characterized by FT-IR technique. Results of the present study indicate that non-aromatic, secondary amine compound has significant contribution to fish cue. Since other sources other than fish can contribute the natural amine compounds level in fresh water environment, origin and concentration of amines are needed further investigation to determine ecological function of amine.

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) were partially purified from human breast tumor tissues with complete separation of the isoforms in DEAE-Cellulose ion-exchange step. NAT with activity towards p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) was isolated and purified from human breast tumor with 77 % yield and a purification factor of 5-fold. NAT with activity towards sulfamethazine (SMZ) was isolated and purified from human breast tumor with 21 % yield and a purification factor of 3-fold. Further purification attempts by Blue Sepharose affinity column chromatography resulted in the complete loss of both enzyme activities. The NAT1 purified from human breast tumor tissues had a molecular weight (Mr) value of about 27600 and an isoelectric point (pI) around 4.8, as confirmed by SDS-PAGE, IEF and Western blotting analysis. With immunohistochemical analysis, level of intensity of NAT1 immunostaining was observed to be going from weak in reduction mammoplasty samples to strongest in malignant breast tissue. The interindividual variation in the conjugation of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and of sulfamethazine (SMZ) by cytosolic arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) were investigated in 30 human breast tumor and matched samples. The average specific activity against PABA was calculated as 13&amp / #61617 / 2 pmole/min/mg protein for breast control NATs, and 20&amp / #61617 / 3 pmole/min/mg protein for breast tumor NATs. The average specific activity against SMZ was calculated as 12&amp / #61617 / 2 pmole/min/mg protein for breast control NATs, and 34&amp / #61617 / 6 pmole/min/mg protein for breast tumor NATs. Wilcoxon test revealed that the difference between the control and tumor groups is statistically significant with respect to the NAT1 activities as well as NAT2 activities. In three (3/30, 10%) patients tumor and tumor-free breast tissue NAT1 activity was not detectable. Among control tissues, the percentage of measurable NAT2 activity was 77% (23/30), while in tumor tissues it increased to 91%. Chemotherapy treatment was observed to have a slight inhibitory effect on mean NAT1 and NAT2 activities. There was an indication of a possible negative association with mean NAT1 activity and estrogen receptor status, while mean tumor NAT2 activity was observed to increase among estrogen receptor positive patients. Grade of malignancy seems to be positively associated with NAT1, but no such association could be suggested for NAT2 enzyme. Menopausal state of the patient was suggested to have a significant effect on NAT2 activity. Genotype determination of NATs revealed that NAT1*4 and NAT2*5A allele being most common among 10 breast cancer patients. NAT1*11 allele was prevalent among postmenopausal women. The putative rapid NAT1 genotypes was found to display lower control and tumor mean NAT1 activities compared to normal NAT1 genotypes. Among slow NAT2 acetylators, mean tumor NAT2 activities was found to be significantly higher than respective controls.

The purpose of the study is to purify human growth hormone from the fermentation broth by affinity chromatography. For this purpose, human growth hormone specific oligonucleotide aptamers are selected among an aptamer library / selected oligonucleotides were synthesized and used as ligands. Effect of pH on ligand-human growth hormone complex formation was investigated and the highest complex formation was obtained at pH= 7.0. Human growth hormone is separated from the fermentation broth with 99.8% purity and 41% overall yield. The equilibrium data obtained was described by Langmuir type isotherm where saturation constant (q0) and affinity constant (K) are calculated as 0.338 mg hGH/&micro / mol aptamer and 0.059 mg hGH/ml, respectively. Further, equilibrium data obtained using aptamer affinity column was described by Langmuir type isotherm where saturation constant (q0) and affinity constant (K) are 0.027 mg hGH/&micro / mol aptamer and 1.543 mg hGH/ml, respectively. It is possible that, selected aptamer can be used for purification of bulk amounts of recombinant human growth hormone by using aptamer affinity chromatography.

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This thesis deals with the synthesis of prodrugs based on analogs of nucleoside phosphonates derived from 6-fluoro-3-hydroxypyrazine-2-carboxamide (T-705) and 3- hydroxypyrazine-2-carboxamide (T-1105). T-705 and T-1105 act as inhibitors of an influenza RNA polymerase. Both compounds mimic naturally occurring nucleobases, so their fluorinated nucleoside phosphonates could also be biologically active. Derivatives of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-ribose (2-FdR) were prepared in this work. Because of complications during the syntthesis of 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-ribose (3-FdR) derivatives, 5- deoxy-5-fluoro-D-xylose (5-FdX) derivatives were prepared instead. Deoxyfluorination was done after incorporation of suitable protecting groups followed by selective deprotection and phosphonate binding. Furthermore nucleosides were synthetised using silyl-Hilbert-Johnson method and their bis-POM derivattives were also prepared. Key words: favipiravir (T-705), T-1105, prodrugs, phosphonates, fluorinated nucleosides

This dissertation represents an investigation into the changing nature of political power during the final 133 years of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, seeking to understand how power functioned within the Assyrian system through studying the careers of its imperial administrators. How was power distributed between the king and his officials? What sort of relationships existed between officials and the king, and with each other? How did Assyrian officials’ careers progress? Finally, to what extent did the above shape the political history of the Neo-Assyrian Empire? To answer these questions, this dissertation utilizes a combination of old and new approaches. Close readings of primary source documents are combined with aggregate analysis and insights from the fields of social network analysis and organizational communication. Rejecting most previous efforts at studying Assyrian imperial organization as too reliant on hierarchical models of organization, this study utilizes tools such as a Communicative Constitution of Organizations framework and Leader-Member Exchange Theory, which emphasize the importance of informal structure and interpersonal relationships in studying human organizations. Through a social network analysis of 3,864 letters which survive from the years 745-612 BC, it identifies especially influential officials during the reign of each king as well as long term changes over time in communications patterns and the types of officials who achieved prominence. This dissertation argues that Sargon II initiated a wide-ranging reform of the imperial administration, seeking to centralize power in the person of the king and the royal family through greatly expanding the number of provincial governors and other officials who reported directly to the king. These reforms increased the importance of informal hierarchy, as a few officials who managed to build close working relationships with the king could wield significant power. Sargon’s reforms structured the empire in such a way as to promote intense competition between officials for status, both between individuals and between the rival sectors of provincial government, palace administration, and the major temples. However, this competition had unintended consequences: the large number of persons writing to the king made it more difficult for the king to acquire accurate information about conditions in the empire. Essentially a prisoner of the information being provided to them, Assyrian monarchs of the seventh century tried a variety of methods to solve this problem, including employing special agents to provide an independent source of information, consulting experts in divination to check the loyalties of their subjects, and implementing public oaths which enjoined the entire population to inform the king of potentially disloyal elements. None of these attempts were successful, and the problem of information likely contributed to a weakening of imperial control over the course of the seventh century, culminating the dramatic collapse of the empire in 612 BC.

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Background: Latina/o/x students who persist to college are likely to enter through community college (Contreras & Contreras, 2018) and until the enactment of California Assembly Bill 705, would have been susceptible to placement in developmental education courses (Rodriguez, Cuellar Mejia, & Johnson, 2018). The implementation of AB 705 shifted the requirements for new student placement in all 115 California Community Colleges. With compliance mandated by Fall 2019, the law required colleges to "maximize the probability" that entering students enroll and complete transfer-level English or mathematics within a one-year timeframe and within a three-year timeframe for students enrolled in English as a Second Language courses (A. B. 705, 2017, para. 2). Purpose: This study examined organizational changes related to developmental education reform, AB 705, at a Hispanic Serving Community College. Methodology: This instrumental case study, at a Hispanic Serving Community College, employed various data collection methods including semi-structured interviews, document collection and analysis, physical artifact collection, and observations. Primarily, the enquiry focused on learning from eleven participants (faculty, staff, and administration) who were strategically involved in reform efforts. Conclusions: The findings identified structural and procedural changes to the placement process as well as existing supplemental supports and curriculum at the research site. Barriers and supports for faculty, staff, and administration influenced the change process and the perceived implications for equitable student outcomes of students. As all community colleges throughout the state are required to comply with AB 705, this study may be of interest to those invested in similar change processes.

Cette thèse se propose d’étudier le discours de la revue grecque d’art Zygos (« Balance ») et son rôle dans la réception et la promotion de mouvements artistiques et dans la diffusion de courants idéologiques en Grèce. L’étude des textes de Zygos révèle l’opposition « grécité – modernisme » comme thème central du discours de la revue. Notre conclusion principale est que Zygos a manifesté un engagement mesuré dans la modernité, en réconciliant le modernisme avec le désir de particularité grecque. Nous constatons la présence d’un discours sur l’art moderne conçu comme une évolution de Cézanne à l’art abstrait, à travers le cubisme. Cependant, cette revue est aussi le lieu d’un discours dont les points saillants sont la mesure, l’humanisme et les affinités entre l’« esprit français » et l’« esprit grec ». Plusieurs auteurs de Zygos défendent la nécessité d’un chemin intermédiaire pour l’art entre imitation fidèle et rupture complète avec la nature. / The object of this thesis is to study the discourse of the Greek art journal Zygos (“Balance”) and its role in the reception and promotion of art mouvements and ideological currents in Greece. The study of Zygos texts reveals the opposition “greekness – modernism” as the main theme of this journal’s discourse. Our main conclusion is that Zygos showed a moderate promotion of modernity, reconciliating modernism with a desire of a Greek particularity. We note the presence of a discourse on modern art conceived as an evolution from Cézanne to abstract art, through cubism. However, this review also expresses a discourse whose main points are measure, humanism and the affinities between the “French spirit” and the “Greek spirit”. Several authors of Zygos defend the necessity of an intermediate way for art between faithful imitation of nature and complete rupture with it.