Phage Mu transposes by two distinct pathways depending on the specific stage of its life cycle. A common θ strand transfer intermediate is resolved differentially in the two pathways. During lytic growth, the θ intermediate is resolved by replication of Mu initiated within the flanking target DNA; during integration of infecting Mu, it is resolved without replication, by removal and repair of DNA from a previous host that is still attached to the ends of the incoming Mu genome. Our studies show that the cryptic endonuclease activity reported for the isolated C-terminal domain of the transposase MuA, which is not observed in the full-length protein or in the assembled transpososome in vitro, is required in vivo for removal of the attached host DNA or “5’flap” after the infecting Mu genome has integrated into the E. coli chromosome. I have identified additional phage and host factors required for flap removal in vivo, which include an early Mu protein called Ner, and the E. coli protein ClpX. Ner regulates bidirectional transcription through the Mu transposition enhancer, while ClpX, a molecular chaperone, is known to interact with the C-terminus of MuA to remodel the transpososome for replication. The transpososome is a multi-subunit MuA complex assembled on the two paired ends of Mu. The enhancer DNA segment serves as an essential scaffold for transpososome assembly, and remains stably associated with θ strand transfer MuA complexes. I hypothesize that Ner-regulated transcription through the enhancer remodels transpososome conformation in the presence of ClpX, promoting activation of the MuA endonuclease, which resects flanking DNA during the repair pathway of Mu transposition. / text

This dissertation examines the intersection of gender and culture in the process of identity formation among Kanaka 'Oiwi Maoli (Indigenous Hawaiian) men in the Hale Mua 0 Maui. Throughout the neocolonial Pacific, indigenous Oceanic men have engaged in gender practices that historically have had widely different consequences for their positions of power or marginality; the cases of Hawai'i and Aotearoa/New Zealand offer important insights into the gendered dynamics of colonialism, decolonization, and reclamation. Focusing in on a deeper history of colonization and revitalization at Pu'ukohola heiau (Kawaihae, Hawai'i), I highlight the ways in which the birth of a newly gendered tradition of bravery and warriorhood in Na Koa (The Courageous Ones) led to a reconsideration of men's roles in different sectors of the Hawaiian community. One outcome was the formation of the Hale Mua, or the "Men's House," on the island of Maui. Against the legacy of American colonialism and its concomitant discourses of death, disappearance, feminization, and domestication, the Hale Mua has endeavored to build strong, culturally grounded men that will take up their kuleana (rights and responsibilities) as members of their 'ohana (families) and the larger lahui (nation). In particular, I examine the role of discursive and embodied practices of ritual, performance, and narrative in the transformation, (re)definition, and enactment of their subjectivities as Hawaiian men. The processes through which the members of the group come to define, know, and perform these kuleana articulate with the larger projects of cultural revitalization, moral regeneration, spiritual/bodily healing, national reclamation, and the uncertain and ambiguous project of mental and political decolonization. Likewise, the very writing of this dissertation has fore-grounded both the possibilities and problematics of conducting indigenous anthropology and research at home.

This study aims to reevaluate Ahmed Midhat&rsquo / s treatises on Ottoman society by revealing his exceptional objectives, which recently have been used in contemporary interdisciplinary studies concerning the 19th century Ottoman social transformation. In view of that, the thesis is formed as a re-reading of Ahmed Midhat&rsquo / s etiquette book, titled Avrupa Adab-i MuaSereti yahud Alafranga, according to some recent debates like that of occidentalism, geographic mapping of culture and civilization, the question of cosmopolitanism and elitism, everyday life practices. The most important aim of this thesis study is to expose the ability and the tool-kit of an Ottoman intellectual, who claims himself belong to the Ottoman Nation, making use of the knowledge of the west for domestic politics and arguments in order to propose and create a genuine, self-governing and permanent Ottoman culture. Besides the knowledge of the west, Ahmed Midhat&rsquo / s Alafranga represents a very significant literary form that demonstrates the modern change in the intellectual production in Europe. In that perspective, exposing his motivations behind writing an etiquette manual, a literary form which is related to the modern idea of creating a mechanism of self-control for the individuals, and at large for the society itself, is significant the ways in which these motivations represent the ideas of a Tanzimat intellectual on the modernization of the Ottoman society, considering his sympathy for the Hamidian worldview and modernization projects.

Under anaesthesia or in deep sleep, different parts of the brain have a distinctive slow oscillatory activity, characterised by states of high membrane potential and intensive spiking activity, the Up-states; followed by hyperpolarisation and quiescence, the Down-states. This activity has been previously described in vitro and in vivo in the cortex and the striatum, across several species. Here, we look into it, during anaesthesia, in the mouse brain. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of cortical cells, it was possible to compare different signal processing methods used to extract the Up-and- Down states in extracellular recordings of the cortex. Our results show that the method based on the Multi-Unit Activity (&gt; 200Hz) have better ac- curacy than High-Gamma Range (20 100Hz) or wavelet decomposition (&lt; 2Hz band). After establishing the most robust method, this was used to compare the intracellular recordings of striatal cells to different parts of the cortex. The results obtained here support a functional connection between the dorsolateral striatal neurons and the ipsilateral barrel field. They also support a functional connection between dorsomedial striatal cells and the primary visual cortex. The analysis of delay between recordings allowed to establish temporal relationships between the contralateral barrel field, the ipsilateral barrel field, and the dorsolateral striatum; and between the ipsilateral barrel field, the ipsilateral primary visual field and the dorsomedial striatum. / <p>External Advisor: Dr. Ramon Reig, from Karolinska Institutet</p>

Les mono-couches auto-assemblées (SAMs) sont des systèmes de choix pour le développement de plateformes moléculaires aux propriétés physico-chimiques contrôlées. Il s’agit de monocouches organisées de molécules bi-fonctionnelles. Ces molécules se composent d’une fonction terminale modulable, séparée d’un groupement d’ancrage par un espaceur adapté. Ainsi, les propriétés des SAMs peuvent être ajustées pour le développement de systèmes électroniques moléculaires ou de capteurs (bio)-chimiques. De plus, des structurations chimiques supplémentaires peuvent être induites par irradiation.Les méthodes d’irradiation les plus courantes impliquent des particules de haute énergie. Les dommages induits résultent de plusieurs mécanismes en compétition (ionisations, excitations, dissociations). Dans cette thèse, les électrons lents (0-20 eV) sont utilisés comme particules primaires, et les processus d’interaction électron-SAM sont étudiés afin d’identifier les résonances d’attachement électronique. Aux énergies concernées, des processus dissociatifs sélectifs et efficaces peuvent être mis à profit pour proposer des stratégies d’irradiation menant à des modifications chimiques contrôlées et optimisées.Des SAMs modèles de thiols sur or sont étudiées par une technique de spectroscopie vibrationnelle de forte sensibilité de surface, la spectroscopie de perte d’énergie d’électrons lents (HREELS). Elle permet à la fois de caractériser les SAMs et de sonder les processus d'interaction électron-molécule. Les résultats obtenus concernent les : 1) SAMs aromatiques modèles de terphénylthiol (HS-(C₆H₄)₂-C₆H₅), stabilisables par réticulation sous irradiation. Une caractérisation vibrationnelle poussée de la SAM avant et après irradiation, en portant une attention particulière au comportement des modes d’élongation ν(CH), a permis d’opposer les processus de réactivité induite à 1, 6 et 50 eV.2) SAMs d’acide mercaptoundécanoïque (HS-(CH₂)₁ ₀ -COOH), les fonctions acides terminales permettant par exemple le greffage de peptides. L’interface SAM / environnement (COO-/COOH, eau résiduelle) a été caractérisée grâce à la forte sensibilité des modes d’élongation ν(OH) aux liaisons hydrogène. La démarche mise en place peut être facilement transposée à d’autres systèmes. / Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs) are good candidates to develop molecular platforms with controlled physico-chemical properties. A SAM is an ordered monolayer of bi-functionnal molecules. These molecules consist of an adjustable terminal function, separated from a headgroup by a chosen spacer chain. Thus, SAMs properties can be adjusted for the development of molecular electronic systems or (bio)-chemical sensors. Furthermore, additional chemical structuration can be induced by irradiation.Most current methods of irradiation involve high energy particles. The induced damages result from several competitive mechanisms (ionisations, excitations, dissociations). In this thesis, low energy electrons (0-20 eV) are used as primary particles, and the interaction processes between electrons and SAMs are studied in order to identify electron attachment resonances. At the associated energies, selective and effective dissociative processes can be induced to propose irradiation strategies leading to controlled and optimized chemical modifications.Model SAMs of thiols on gold are studied by a vibrational spectroscopy technique of strong surface sensibility, high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). It allows at the same time to characterize SAMs and to probe electron-molecule interaction processes. The result obtained deal with : 1) Aromatic model SAMs of Terphenyl-thiol (HS-(C₆H₄)₂-C₆H₅), which can be stabilized by cross-linking under irradiation. Induced reactive processes at 1, 6 and 50 eV were compared and opposed, thanks to an advanced vibrational characterization of the SAM before and after irradiation, and by paying a particular attention to the stretching mode ν(CH) behaviour.2) Mercaptoundecanoic acid SAMs (HS-(CH₂)₁ ₀ -COOH), whose terminal functions allow for example the peptide anchoring. The interface SAM / environment (COO-/COOH, residual water) was characterized thanks to the strong sensitivity of the stretching modes ν(OH) to hydrogen bonding. The approach that was developped can be easily transposed to other systems.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / In this study PbSe quantum dots (QDs) were successfully synthesized via the organometallic and aqueous routes. Optical characterization was carried out using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, structural and morphological characterization were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to determine the composition of the QDs. All the synthesized QDs were found to have emissions within the near-infrared region of the spectrum (≥1000 nm) with most of them being less than 5 nm in size. The aqueous synthesized QDs had a perfect Gaussian emission spectrum with a FWHM of ~23 nm indicating pure band gap emission and narrow size distribution respectively. The QDs were determined to have a cubic rock-salt crystal structure consistent with bulk PbSe. The aqueous synthesized QDs were however not stable in solution with the QDs precipitating after approximately 48 h. The organometallic synthesized QDs were transferred into the aqueous phase by exchanging the surface oleic acid ligands with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid ligands. The ligand exchanged QDs were however stable in solution for over two weeks. The effects of reaction parameters on the optical and structural properties of the organometallic synthesized QDs were investigated by varying the reaction time, temperature, ligand purity, lead and selenium sources. It was observed that larger QDs were formed with longer reaction times, with reactions proceeding faster at higher reaction temperatures than at lower temperatures. Varying the ligand purity was found to have minimal effects on the properties of the synthesized QDs. The lead and selenium sources contributed largely to the properties of the QDs with lead oxide producing spherical QDs which were smaller compared to the cubic QDs produced from lead acetate. TBPSe was seen to produce smaller QDs as compared to TOPSe. The cytotoxity of the synthesized QDs was determined following the WST-1 cell viability assay with the QDs being found to be non-toxic at all the tested concentrations