Abstract Isobaric (200 MPa) experiments have been performed to investigate the effects of H2O alone or in combination with P, S, F or Cl on the phase relations and elemental and oxygen isotopic partitioning between immiscible silicate melts in the systems Fe2SiO4-Fe3O4-KAlSi2O6-SiO2, Fe3O4-KAlSi2O6-SiO2 and Fe3O4-Fe2O3-KAlSi2O6-SiO2 +/- plagioclase (An50). Experiments were heated in a newly-designed rapid-quench internally-heated pressure vessel at 1075, 1150 or 1200 oC for 2 hours. Water alone or in combination with P, S, or F significantly increases the temperature and composition range of two-liquid fields at fO2= NNO and MH buffers. Water-induced suppression of liquidus temperatures, considered with the effects of pressure on two-liquid fields stability in silicate melts, suggests that liquid phase separation may occur in some volatile-rich silicate magmas at pressures up to 2GPa. Two-liquid partition coefficients for Fe, Si, P and S correlate well with the degree of polymerization of the SiO2-rich conjugate melts and the data can be applied to assess the involvement of liquid-phase separation in the genesis of coexisting volatile-rich magmas. The partitioning of trace concentrations of selected HFSE, REE and transition elements between immiscible experimental volatile-rich melts at 1200 oC, 200 MPa has been determined at QFM, NNO and MH oxygen buffers. Water generally increases the partitioning of HFSE, REE and transition elements into the Fe-rich melt. Water alone, or combined with P or S, produces nearly parallel partitioning trends for HFSE and REE. Absolute partitioning values of transition elements are strongly dependent on the network-modifier composition of the melt. 18O in experimental immiscible melts with H2O or H2O and P or S partitions preferentially into the felsic conjugate melt (δ18O felsic melt- δ18O mafic melt values range from 0.4 to 0.8 permil) consistent with observations in anhydrous immiscible silicate melts. The expansion of the P-T-X-fO2 stability ranges of two- or three-liquid fields observed in the experimental melts demonstrates that liquid-immiscibility may be an important process in the evolution of some volatile-rich natural magmas. The results support an immiscible petrogenetic origin for some iron-oxide dominated, Kiruna-type, ore-deposits. / Thesis (Ph.D, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-04-10 15:06:35.797

No description available.

The luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptorfamily. It consists of two distinct domains; the N-terminal extracellular exodomain and themembrane associated endodomain which includes 7 transmembrane domains, 3 exoloops, 3cytoloops and a C-terminal tail. Sequence alignment and computer modeling suggest thepresence of Leu Rich Repeat (LRR) motifs in the exodomain. Although their structuralsimilarity is high, each LRR is not equally important for hormone binding. Ala-scanning andtruncation studies performed in our laboratory suggest that LRR2 and LRR4 appear to be themost crucial. The Ala-scanning data suggest that Leu103 and Ile105 in LRR4 are important forhormone binding. However, it is not clear whether these two residues make direct contact withhuman chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or if they are necessary for the overall structural integrityof LRR4. In this work, the LHR peptide mimics of LRR4 were used for photoaffinity labeling todetermine whether Leu103 and Ile105 directly interact with hormone. Furthermore, LRR4peptides containing the photoactivable benzoylphenylalanine (Bpa) were used to determinewhether the LRR structure really exists in the LHR exodomain, whether LRR 4 interact withhCG, and which residues of LRR4 interact with hCG. Bpa was directly incorporated intodifferent positions of the LRR4 peptide sequence to examine the labeling ability of individualamino acids. The results suggest that LRR4, in particular the sequence of Lys101-Cys106,makes direct contact with hCG. However Leu103 and Ile105 do not interact with hCG but mayform the hydrophobic core of the LRR4 loop, which appears to be crucial for the LRR structure.Existing data suggest that glycoprotein hormones initially bind the exodomain. Thehormone/exodomain complex undergoes conformational adjustments and stimulates theendodomain of the receptor to generate hormone signals. The exoloops modulate hormonebinding and signaling; however, little is known about whether the hormone/exodomain complexcontacts the endodomain. To address this issue, we investigated whether the exoloops interactwith the hormone. First, we examined exoloop 3 that connects transmembrane domains 6 and 7which are important for signal generation. We present the first physical evidence that LHRexoloop 3 interacts with hCG.

Ellipticine (EPT), a natural plant polyphenolic compound, has long been known for its significant anticancer and anti-HIV activities. Recent study on its photophysical properties has revealed that ellipticine has three molecular states: protonated, neutral and crystalline. Further in vitro cytotoxicity tests indicated that protonated ellipticine exhibited much higher anticancer activity than the other two states. To maximize drug therapeutic effect, a small library of ariginine-rich ionic complementary peptides derived from EAK, including EAR8-II, EAR8-a, ELR8-a, and EAR16-II, were investigated as a potential carrier to deliver prescribed protonated ellipticine for treatment of cancer. Fluorescence study demonstrated that all four peptides were able to solubilize and stabilize protonated ellipticine in aqueous solution at 5:1 mass ratio of peptide-to-ellipticine (0.5: 0.1 mg/mL) even upon 4000 times dilution. Physicochemical characteristics of peptides self-assemblies and peptide-ellipticine complexes such as particle size, surface charge, secondary structure and morphology were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, circular dichroism (CD) , atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Then the ellipticine maximum suspension was determined by ellipticine UV-absorption. With the help of the peptides and mechanical stirring overtime, up to 100% ellipticine could be uptaken and stabilized in the solution as protonated ellipticine. In vitro cytotoxicity tests indicated that the peptides were demonstrating significant biocompatibility without affecting the survival of two cancer cell lines, human lung carcinoma cell line A549 and breast cancer cell line MCF-7, whereas the complexes with protonated ellipticine were found to show great anticancer activity to the two cancer cell lines. The IC50 values were obtained for each of four different peptide-ellipticine complexes ranged from 0.36±0.12 to 18.90±0.46 μM. It is worth noting that the IC50 value of EAR16-ellipticine complex to MCF-7 was over 50 times higher than that one to A549, which presented that EAR16-ellipticine complex has a selective targeting activity to A549, with the lowest IC50 value of 0.36±0.12 μM among all four complexes. Such a result indicated that this library of novel arginine-rich ionic complementary peptides had a great potential to encapsulate prescribed protonated ellipticine and exhibited an excellent anticancer activity upon serial dilution in aqueous solution. Overall, the charge distribution and increased hydrophobicity of the short (8 amino acids length) peptides seemed not to affect the complex formation and its therapeutic efficacy in vitro; however, the increase in length of the peptides significantly altered the nanostructure of peptides and its complexation with ellipticine, increased the therapeutic efficacy of EAR16-EPT to A549. This work provides essential information for peptide sequence design in the development of self-assembling peptide-based delivery of hydrophobic anticancer drugs.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Department of Music, August 2001. / For mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra. Text excerpted from Collected Early Poems by Adrienne Rich. Includes performance notes. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [331]-349).

Doct. thesis--Deprtment of English--Uppsala, 1993.

Proefschrift--Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-216).

Zugl. leicht überarb. Fassung von: Münster (Westfalen), Univ., Diss.

Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 215-223).