Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Chemistry, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 27, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-219). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Analysis)--Naval Postgraduate School, Dec. 2004. / Thesis Advisor(s): Lyman Miller. Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-85). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Idaho, 2005. / Abstract. "August 23, 2005." Includes bibliographical references. Also available online in PDF format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

ASYMMETRIC DIMETHYLARGININE - COMPARSION OF CHROMATOGRAPHY AND IMMUNOMETRIC METHODS Objective:Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is often discussed in connection with hyperhomocysteinemia and its toxic effect on vessel wall. ADMA concentration is usually measured by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) after previous derivatisation. Recently, ELISA (Enzym Linked Immuno Assay) methods for ADMA determination were introduced and ELISA kits are commercially available. Method and Result:The aim of the study was to compare HPLC and ELISA methods for ADMA determination. For HPLC determination we used equipments from Thermo separation product (Florida, USA). After solid-phase extraction on polymer cation-exchange column and the following derivatisation with o-phthaldialdehyde the samples were separated using C18 column (mobile phase 8.7% acetonitril, 50 mmol/l phosphate buffer, pH 6.5) and a fluorescence detector. NG-monomethyl-L-arginine was used as an internal standard. ADMA® ELISA kit, based on a competitive principle, was obtained from DLD Diagnostika, Hamburg, Germany. ADMA was measured in EDTA plasma of 40 healthy blood donors and 40 hemodialysis patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. Conclusion: In spite of different principles both methods showed a very good correlation (r = 0.944, p<0.0001). ELISA...

The Par complex protein, atypical protein kinase C (aPKC), plays an instrumental role in diverse cell polarities. aPKC is able to restrict substrate localization through a phosphorylation-induced cortical exclusion mechanism, allowing for the generation of molecularly distinct cortical domains. Thus, controlling the localization of aPKC is central to Par-mediated polarity but the mechanism by which aPKC is polarized remains poorly understood. In this dissertation I investigated the restriction of aPKC to the apical cortex of Drosophila neural stem cells, neuroblasts, as these cells dynamically polarize aPKC through repeated asymmetric cell divisions. The polarity created through aPKC phosphorylation must be tightly regulated in order to ensure proper balance between self-renewal and differentiation. To begin, I investigated whether or not aPKC’s so called ‘maturation’ by PDK1 phosphorylation is required for aPKC activity and localization. We found that aPKC’s phosphorylation by PDK1 is required for both polarity and full activity. An aPKC containing an unphosphorylatable activation loop mutation localizes symmetrically around the cortex in a manner independent of its binding partner, Par-6, suggesting that aPKC could interact with the cortex by an unknown mechanism. To investigate how aPKC is able to localize to the cortex independent of Par-6, I used an in vivo structure function analysis of domains within aPKC, accompanied by biochemical approaches. I identified a necessity for the aPKC C1 domain for binding to the neuroblast cortex. This interaction is mediated by negatively charged phospholipids. Neither aPKC interaction, with phospholipids or Par-6, is sufficient to restrict aPKC to the apical cortex. Thus, aPKC polarization utilizes a dual interaction mechanism that takes advantage of both protein-lipid and protein-protein interactions, and proper control of each of these signals is required to prevent neuroblast division defects. One interaction, mediated by the C1, is a general cortical targeting mechanism, whereas the other specifies polarization mediated by Par complex interactions. We conclude that a conformational change induced by these interactions activates aPKC’s catalytic activity, thereby coupling localization and activity. This dissertation includes unpublished co-authored material.

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This thesis consists of three essays and empirically studies the behaviour of emerging and frontier stock markets against instability in the commodity and international financial markets. The first essay considers symmetric and asymmetric dynamic conditional correlation multivariate GARCH models to examine the correlations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock markets and the Brent and OPEC crude oil price indices and to gauge the oil shocks effect on the dynamics of the GCC stock markets. The analysis uses weekly data covering the period December 31st, 2003 to December 27th, 2012. The results show that: (i) two of the GCC stock markets are asymmetrically correlated with both the Brent and OPEC crude oil price indices and only two are symmetrically correlated with Brent oil; (ii) all the GCC stock markets exhibit positive and symmetric conditional correlations overtime and these correlations are more pronounced during periods of high oil price fluctuations. The second essay investigates the contagion effect and volatility spillovers from the U.S. financial, the Dubai and the European debt crises to the GCC stock markets, with particular focus on financial and non-financial sectors. It uses weekly data for the period December 31st, 2003 to January 28th, 2015 and applies GARCH models and indicators of crisis. The empirical results show that: i) contagion effects are present on some of the GCC stock markets and are more pronounced during the U.S. financial and Dubai debt crises, with a larger impact on financial sectors; ii) there is significant evidence of volatility spillovers from the financial sectors of the U.S., European and Dubai stock markets to some of the GCC sectors considered, even though spillovers are rather weak in magnitude. The last essay investigates the extent to which the GCC stock markets are correlated and integrated with those of the Asian countries. The analysis is carried out using the Johansen cointegration approach, the dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) GARCH model, and a standard correlation analysis based on a rolling window estimation scheme. The sample period of the analysis spans from December 31st, 2003 to September 30th, 2015. The empirical analysis offers three main results. First, there is a relatively moderate evidence of cointegration among some of the GCC and Asian stock markets particularly with of those of strong economic linkages among them. Second, evidence of time-varying correlation is found in some cases, while not large in magnitude, and shocks to volatility are highly persistence. Third, stock returns show a common trend exists, only during the global financial crisis.

O presente trabalho descreve o uso de carboidratos como materiais de partida para a preparação de catalisadores quirais e também de substratos quirais. Primeiramente estudos envolvendo a aplicação de amino álcoois derivados de carboidratos na arilação assimétrica de aldeídos, usando ácidos arilborônicos como fontes de grupos arila transferíveis, revelaram que um ligante preparado a partir da D-xilose mostrou-se bastante eficiente e conduziu aos produtos em excelentes rendimentos e altos excessos enantioméricos. Posteriormente a arilação de aldeídos derivados de carboidratos é descrita. Em alguns casos diastereosseletividades maiores que 20:1 foram observadas e a metodologia foi aplicada a síntese total da 7-epi-goniofufurona e análogos. / The work described herein is centered on the use of carbohydrates as starting materials for the synthesis of chiral ligands and chiral sugar-derivatives. Initially, chiral amino alcohols were studied as ligands for the asymmetric arylation of aldehydes using aryl boronic acids as the source of transferable aryl groups. We found that a chiral ligand derived from D-xylose was very efficient and the desired products were obtained in excellent yields and enantiomeric excesses. In addition, the arylation of sugar-based aldehydes was also studied. In many cases, excellent diastereoselectivities of >20:1 were achieved and the methodology was employed in the total synthesis of 7-epi-goniofufurone and analogues.