<p> During the 2016 presidential election season, Senator Ted Cruz&rsquo;s use of social media to promote his campaign and build up a grassroots following was masterful. This case study explores Cruz&rsquo;s digital outreach efforts in the shadow of GOP rival Donald Trump&rsquo;s commanding use of traditional earned media. This case study views the Cruz campaign&rsquo;s digital outreach strategy through the lens of the Agenda Setting theory of communication, which seeks to explain the mass media&rsquo;s ability to influence what the important issues are to the public, and through the reverse agenda setting effect, meaning if the airtime is unavailable through traditional means, the opportunity to create their own media space is open to anyone that needs it, and their own agenda will be established for the digital audience.</p>

Post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins is known to be a method by which protein function can be regulated. The addition of selected chemical groups at specific amino acid residues can act as a switch by which the function of a modified protein can be attenuated. Histones are a group of proteins which are found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and interact with DNA, providing it with a structural foundation upon which the chromosome is built. Histone proteins have numerous sequence variants and are known to be extensively post-translationally modified in a dynamic manner. These modifications have a direct effect on the interacting DNA resulting in increasing or decreasing levels of gene transcription. Advancements in analytical instrumentation, when coupled to high resolution separation techniques permit the analysis of increasingly complex biological mixtures. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) offers unrivalled mass resolving power and mass measurement accuracy, allowing the detailed study of mixtures of intact proteins and their post-translational modifications. These features have been exploited to provide a global view of the PTMs of histone proteins. The work contained within this thesis is a study, by FT-ICR MS, of the modifications of one of the most extensively modified histone proteins; histone H4. Firstly, the modifications of histone H4 were examined after treatment with a potent histone deacetylase inhibitor across several cell lines. The cell lines chosen showed a varying response to treatment with the inhibitor. From the cell lines tested, two which responded differently were further interrogated to elucidate the order in which acetylation occurs in the N-terminal region. Secondly, the modifications of histone H4 were analyzed after exposure to lactic acid over multiple treatment times. Lactic acid is a metabolic by-product, and is of interest when considering the Warburg effect and its role in tumorigenesis. Exposure of cells to levels of lactic acid which can be present under anaerobic conditions (i.e. during intense exercise) showed that lactate is able to inhibit histone de-acetylation. The resulting increase in hyper-acetylated forms of histone H4 could be potentially linked to increased gene expression, a typical observation in tumorigenic cells. Finally, using a mouse model for the neurological condition Rett Syndrome, the posttranslational modifications of histone H4 were investigated. The primary cause of Rett Syndrome is mutation of the DNA binding protein methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2). MeCP2 has been associated with multiple intracellular functions, one of which is chromatin remodelling. The work carried out showed a link between MeCP2 mutation and tri-methylation of histone H4. In addition, the tri-methylation was not solely identified through the presence of tri-methylated fragments in fragmentation mass spectra. Interestingly, the neutral loss of a methylene group was observed extensively during fragmentation of tri-methylated species. This unreported phenomenon made interpretation of spectra difficult; however, ultimately served as a useful marker for this modification.

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Mass media presentation of news stories more closely resembles entertainment than enlightenment. What effect does this have on: 1) the general public’s ability to recall political information; 2) their attitudes towards political actors and issues; and, 3) their ability to think critically about politics? Psychological research on the effect of “seductive details” has indicated that presenting interesting, but ultimately unimportant details in hopes of stimulating attention may serve to reduce individuals’ ability to remember and use information. To test for similar effects in print and television news, an experimental research design is employed to manipulate news presentation. One set of subjects is presented with serious news stories, while another is exposed to serious stories accompanied by frivolous stories. A number of techniques are employed to measure the effects of news as entertainment on recall, critical thinking, and political attitudes. Given that political information is acquired almost exclusively from the mass media, this dissertation raises important empirical and normative issues about the contribution of mass media to the general public’s information level and level of political sophistication. / text

The covalent and non-covalent interactions between DNA and external ligands and between DNA and itself are critical for cellular function. An increased knowledge of these interactions can be used for the development of disease-fighting agents, specifically anti-cancer drugs with improved sensitivity and specificity for tumor cells. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is useful in the screening and characterization of the interactions involving nucleic acids given the speed and small sample sizes that can be analyzed. In this dissertation, ESI-MS is used to characterize covalent and non-covalent interactions involving DNA to assist in determining how these interactions can lead to better therapeutics. The non-covalent binding of ligands to quadruplex oligonucleotides is discussed first. Pyrrole inosine ligands, which bind to guanine bases, were found to interact with both quadruplexes and with guanine rich oligonucleotides without a quadruplex structure. While those interactions were specific with guanine, novel platinum complexes were found to form specific interactions with quadruplex structures themselves as the size of the ligands matched the size of a guanine quartet. This allowed the ligands to end-stack with quadruplexes with large thymine-rich loops between guanine-rich regions. The non-covalent and covalent interactions between ligands and other DNA structures were also studied. The non-covalent binding of anthracycline ligands to mismatched DNA hairpins was probed. The analysis of solutions of approximately equimolar ligand and oligonucleotide indicated preferential binding to the mismatched sequences. Diazirdinyl benzoquinone crosslinkers, including the clinically studied RH1 and an analogue of RH1, were reacted with a variety of duplex oligonucleotides. The complexes were observed by LC-MS and dissociated using both CID and IRMPD to determine the sites of crosslinking. It was determined that both ligands could form interstrand crosslinks in DNA with 5’-GNC or 5’-GNNC sequences. The RH1 analogue, with a bulky phenyl group, formed fewer crosslinks than RH1. In addition to studying DNA/ligand interactions, the interactions between oligonucleotides were also probed. Oligonucleotides containing non-standard isoguanine repeats were annealed in the presence of various cations to determine how those cations would affect the resulting secondary structures. In most cases, isoguanine containing strands formed pentaplexes rather than quadruplexes, which were observed for strands containing guanine bases. / text

<p>Internal communication is very important for the success of an organization. The county council Landstinget i Värmland is a large organization with many managers on different positions. Every one of these managers gets an email every week, with the message that a new manager letter, called Chef, is published on the intranet. With my paper I am examining what the managers think of this letter, how they use it and if managers on different positions differ from each other in opinions about and use of the letter. I want to find out if there is a need of Chef as a part of the internal communication of Landstinget i Värmland.</p><p>To answer these questions, I have chosen a quantitative method in the form of a questionnaire which is send to all the receivers of the manager letter. The result shows that Chef seems to be a largely successful information channel. A majority of the managers look through at least most of the issues, think that most of the contents is important to read and do not think that another channel could replace the manager letter. The majority also find the contents topical and reliable and find it rather useful.</p><p>A clear purpose of Chef is that the managers should read it and then inform their co-workers. The result shows that a majority of the managers inform their co-workers but I think there are too many that do not. The managers’ communicative responsibility should therefore be more clearly described so they understand what is expected from them. Moreover they should be supported to develop their communication skills.</p><p>The differences between managers on different positions are not that big but they do exist. The division managers who are high up in the hierarchy and are included in a managerial body are more content with Chef than what the head of departments and the managers of service works are who are more distant from the management. Those who are responsible of Chef should consider how these differences could be reduced.</p><p>Problems shown should give occasion to improvements but is not reason enough to stop the publication of Chef, which is a well established channel. Obviously, there is nothing like a good Chef.</p> / <p>Internkommunikation är av mycket stor vikt för en organisations framgång. Landstinget i Värmland är en stor organisation med många mellanchefer på olika befattningar. Alla dessa får varje vecka ett mail om att ett nytt chefsbrev, Chef, utkommit på intranätet. Med min uppsats undersöker jag hur cheferna uppfattar och använder sig av detta chefsbrev samt om uppfattning och användning skiljer sig åt bland olika befattningsgrupper. Jag önskar ta reda på om Chef behövs som en del av landstingets interna kommunikation.</p><p>Studiens frågeställningar försöker jag besvara genom att använda mig av en kvantitativ metod i form av en enkät som skickas ut till alla mottagare av chefsbrevet. Resultatet av studien visar att Chef till stor del verkar vara en lyckad informationskanal. En majoritet av cheferna tittar igenom åtminstone de flesta numren, anser att en större del av innehållet känns viktigt att ta del av och anser inte att någon annan kanal skulle kunna ersätta chefsbrevet. Majoriteten upplever också att innehållet är aktuellt och tillförlitligt samt att de har ganska stor nytta av brevet i sitt arbete.</p><p>Ett uttalat syfte med Chef är att cheferna i Landstinget i Värmland ska läsa det och vidareinformera till sina medarbetare. Resultatet visar att en majoritet av cheferna ofta vidareinformerar men jag anser att den andel som inte gör det är alltför stor. Chefernas kommunikativa ansvar bör därför tydligare beskrivas så att de förstår vad som förväntas av dem, samtidigt som de bör få hjälp att utveckla sin kommunikativa förmåga.</p><p>Skillnaderna mellan hur de olika befattningsgrupperna uppfattar och använder sig av Chef är inte så stora men vissa skillnader finns. Divisionscheferna som befinner sig högt upp på organisationsschemat och ingår i en ledningsgrupp är mer nöjda med Chef än vad avdelningschefer och chefer inom serviceverksamheter, som befinner sig längre ifrån ledningen är. Ansvariga bör fundera på hur dessa skillnader skulle kunna minskas.</p><p>De problem som visat sig finnas bör åtgärdas men är givetvis inte anledning nog att avveckla chefsbrevet, som ändå är en väl fungerande, etablerad kanal. Det visar sig alltså att en bra Chef går hem.</p>

Despite the efforts of researchers, mass hysteria is difficult to predict and challenges management. Outbreaks often causes large financial losses, usually represented by the waste of study or work hours, the involvement of emergency personnel, hospitalisation of those involved, and disruption of routine. Very few psychological studies have been produced to date, and some of the issues raised were the methodological difficulties in defining and limiting the phenomena as an object of scientific inquiry. An analysis of psychological variables utilising case study methodology and the historical method indicates that these variables are present in episodes of mass hysteria, and that they are likely to play a key role in triggering the outbreak, in spreading symptoms, maintaining the mass hysteric's behaviour, and ending the episodes. This is an exploratory study, and further research remains to be done on all aspects of the role of psychological variables in these outbreaks. Computer simulation of mass hysteria may help understand these phenomena, which often catch people by surprise, greatly limiting data recording and analysis of its natural occurrence.

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No description available.