189 research outputs found
Template-assembled synthetic G-quartets (TASQS)
No full textFabrication of functional supramolecular structures requires a certain degree of control
which may not be achieved by relying solely on noncovalent interactions. The current study
aims to investigate the effect of a rigid cavitand template on morphology, function and stability
of lipophilic G-quadruplexes. The first Chapter of this thesis introduces different aspects of G
quadruplex chemistry and explains how these structures are particularly suited for the creation of
supramolecular architectures.
The second Chapter of this thesis presents the synthesis and self-assembly of a new class
of supramolecular architectures composed of four guanosines attached to a rigid cavitand
template. These structures, named template-assembled synthetic G-quartets (TASQs), were
synthesized via the “click” reaction and manifest an ordered topology dictated by the template.
The lipophilic TASQs were found to self-associate spontaneously to form a singular basket-like
structure in chloroform. Moreover, it was found that TASQs form cation-free G-quartets which
exhibit remarkable stability under this condition.
The third Chapter of this thesis describes the preparation, characterization and solution
study of the cation-bound complexes TASQNa⁺, TASQK⁺, TASQCs⁺, and TASQSr²⁺.
Cations play a major role in controlling the morphology and stability of G-quadruplexes. The
analysis of the cation-specific structures of TASQs reveals the formation of a monomeric G
quartet for Na⁺ and Sr²⁺,a dimeric system for Cs⁺ and a mixture of monomers and dimers for K⁺.
The factors governing the formation of these structures were evaluated, the selectivities of
TASQs for cations were determined, and the cation-dependent structural transformations were
studied.
The fourth Chapter describes the efforts towards synthesizing a hydrophilic TASQ via
the “click” reaction. The following steps have been taken: 1) a water-soluble cavitand has been
successfully synthesized and characterized, which can potentially serve as a hydrophilic
template, and 2) two oligonucleotides have been appropriately functionalized and preliminary
coupling reactions were attempted. The next phases of this research along with potential future
directions are discussed in Chapter five.Science, Faculty ofChemistry, Department ofGraduat
Bibliometric Review of Mehran University of Engineering & Technology Research Journal: 2011-2018
No full textAim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the bibliometric indicators of articles published in Mehran University of Engineering & Technology Research Journal (MUETRJ) during the period of 2011-18.
Methodology: The data of publications published in MUETAJ was downloaded from website of e-journal and analyzed various bibliometric attributes during July 2017 to 15th January 2018. The pattern of authorship, gender-wise distribution of first author, page-length of articles and institutional affiliation of the first author of publications were calculated and analyzed. Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet was prepared for data analysis.
Results: Total 582 articles published in 32 issues of 8 volumes during the projected period with average of 18.1% articles per issue and 72.75 articles per year. Total 1777 authors contributed with an average of 3 authors per article in MUETRJ. A gender-wise distribution showed that number of male authors were much higher (n=1551; 87.2%) as compare to females authors (n=226; 12.7%). A majority of articles were written by multi-authored (n=570; 97.3%) as opposite to single author (n=12; 2%). Most the articles (n=140; 24%) have 10 pages length followed by 8 pages length (n=136; 23.7%). It was observed that Mehran University of Engineering & Technology presented itself as major contributor with 258 articles (44.3%).
Conclusion: The participation of 96 national and international institutes related to engineering and technological sciences in publishing research papers shows their confidence in MUETRJ
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Abstract 3180: Suppression of the CPEB3 ribozyme modulates the progression of glioblastoma
No full textAbstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults, with a poor prognosis that highlights a dire clinical need for innovative therapeutic interventions. Despite significant advances in diagnoses and multimodality therapies, the overall prognosis for patients with GBM remains poor, with a median survival time of 15-18 months. Therefore, there is an unmet medical need to develop alternative treatment strategies to improve clinical outcomes. Dysregulation of post-transcriptional control and translational machinery have been implicated in malignant tumor development. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding proteins (CPEB1-CPEB4) are RNA-binding proteins that regulate poly(A) tail elongation of target mRNAs and subsequently contribute to phenotypic changes in cancer cells. Notably, a self-cleaving ribozyme was identified in the CPEB3 gene, but its role in cancer is wholly unexplored. Considering the role of CPEB3 as a tumor suppressor gene and the promotion of cancer progression through the downregulation of CPEB3, our hypothesis is that the CPEB3 ribozyme regulates CPEB3 expression, and its activity contributes to the progression of tumors. Using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) as an approach, we demonstrated that inhibition of CPEB3 ribozyme resulted in an increase of CPEB3 mRNA and protein expression. Blocking the CPEB3 ribozyme led to a significant reduction in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in GBM cell lines. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed the downregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and hypoxia gene sets in GBM cells treated with ASO compared to Ctrl-ASO. We further measured VEGFA mRNA and protein expression and found that ASO-treated GBM cells secreted significantly less VEGF in conditioned media. Inhibition of the CPEB3 ribozyme also mitigated the EMT process in GBM cells. Subsequently, ASO strategies were applied to patient-derived glioma stem cells (GSCs), representing a clinically relevant model for pre-clinical therapeutic intervention. We found that treatment of CPEB3 ribozyme ASO up-regulated CPEB3 mRNA and inhibited cell proliferation in GSCs. Furthermore, the combination of ASO and temozolomide chemotherapy exhibited a more pronounced decrease in GSCs proliferation compared to individual treatment alone. Collectively, this study highlights the significance of the CPEB3 ribozyme in GBM and explores therapeutic approaches focused on targeting CPEB3 in cancer. Citation Format: Claire Chen, Eric Wang, Lily Tong, Mehran Nikan, Daniela A. Bota, Claudia Benavente, Andrej Luptak. Suppression of the CPEB3 ribozyme modulates the progression of glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3180
Pathogen simulation using soil and water tool (SWAT) model and bacteroides source tracking technique
No full textThe Upper Salem River Watershed (USRW), located in southern New Jersey, is listed as impaired for pathogens by The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) (NJDEP 2011). A 2003 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the watershed recommended the use of pathogen source tracking to identify pathogen sources and develop a quantitative model to simulate pathogen pollution in the watershed (NJDEP 2003). This research comprises three parts: a) Fecal coliform and E. coli simulation using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model in the USRW; this is the first study to conduct sensitivity analysis, calibration and validation of the SWAT model for two widely used pathogen indicators for multiple sampling stations in one watershed. The results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that pathogen input is the most sensitive parameter in the simulation of both indicators. Fecal coliform and E. coli simulation at five of six sampling stations generally showed good calibration and validation based on Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values (0.04 to 0.71). b) Investigation of temperature effects on the persistence of bovine-Bacteroides; the primary goal of this part of the research was to identify the decay rate of bovine- Bacteroides in stream water at 4°C, 20°C and 30°C. The decay constant of bovine-Bacteroides was calculated between 0.01 h-1 in the mesocosm incubated at 4°C to 0.05 h-1 in the mesocosm at 30°C. Comparison of this study with other similar studies indicates that as temperature increased, a greater discrepancy in compared constant values was observed. c) Pathogen source tracking was done using a multiple linear regression analysis in the USRW. The primary goals of this research phase were to use a bovine-Bactreroides source tracking technique to investigate if bovine feces are a contributing pathogen source to the river system and to identify the spatial distribution of bovine pathogen discharge to the USRW. The results of the simulated model showed agreement with the potential bovine distribution sources (i.e., animal feeding facilities). A probability of occurrence map of bovine derived pathogens was also developed to spatially identify which sub-watersheds have greater likelihood of pathogen contributions from bovine sources.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Mehran Niaz
ASO Author Reflections: Transdiaphragmatic Approach for Simultaneous Resection of Colorectal Liver and Lung Metastases
No full textSimultaneous resection of colorectal cancer, liver and lung metastase
مسافر : Mosafer (the Traveller)
No full textThis thesis poses questions about the preservation of culture and language amongst generations of Iranian immigrants living in North America. It investigates the socio-cultural implications of hybridity as they relate to interethnic exchange and the globalizing process of travel and translation. Working with notions of “third space” or “the space in-between” (Clifford,1992; Bhabha, 1994) and Farzad Sharifian’s research on the globalization of English (2012), this work explores how the use of the hybrid language Persian-English affects an Iranian sense of identity in a globalized world. Susan Stewart’s discussion on the agency of objects to generate narratives which are central to a cultural experience (1993) is discussed as it applies to the use of objects in the artworks being examined in this paper. An analysis of several contemporary autoethnographic works from recent art history, such as Mona Hatoum’s Measures of Distance (1988), Zineb Sedira’s Mother Tongue (2002), and Ala Ebtekar’s Elemental (2004), is used to form a basis for a discussion of hybrid identity and how inherited language can complicate cultural exchange. The artistic projects that come out of this research are Ma Miaeem va Miravim (We Come and Go), 2016, and Soghat (Souvenir), 2017. Ma Miaeem va Miravim (We Come and Go) is an artist book based on the first-grade English book, We Come and Go (1954), which employs a hybrid translation of Persian-English—in which Persian words are written using the Roman alphabet. Soghat (Souvenir) is a series of sculptures made from everyday objects and string, which investigates how culture travels through objects. These artworks are discussed to explore ways in which meaning can be lost, gained, or altered, through the substitution of signifiers and the co-mingling of cultures
Book Review: Troubled Waters: Insecurity in the Persian Gulf, Mehran Kamrava (Cornell U. Press 2018)
No full textWhile the Persian Gulf region is no stranger to turmoil, recent developments have focused on Qatari citizens and residents who have been living under diplomatic and economic sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. This blockade of Qatar on June 5, 2017, is another example of the persistent instability of the Persian Gulf region, and proves the need for an answer to the central premise of Troubled Waters: Insecurity in the Persian Gulf, which is posed in the first line of the Introduction: “Why is the Persian Gulf so chronically insecure?” (p. 1).
Author Mehran Kamrava’s extensive expertise in Middle Eastern politics proves invaluable in the analysis of the “troubled waters” of the Persian Gulf. The book focuses on factors contributing to ongoing conflict and instability in the region. It was against the backdrop of the blockade of Qatar and the use of—for the first time in the Arab Gulf region—cyber warfare, Twitter bot armies, and a misinformation campaign designed to create a narrative about Qatar’s role in financing terrorism, that I began reading the book
Cation-Complexation Behavior of Template-Assembled Synthetic G-Quartets
No full textWe report the preparation and solution study of a set of template-assembled synthetic G-quartets (TASQs) bound to different cations. These G-quartet baskets effectively extract cations of different sizes and valencies. They form isolated G-quartets with small cations such as Na+ and Sr2+, and dimeric assemblies with larger cations such as Cs+. Their structures were determined by using 1H NMR spectroscopy, and their sizes were evaluated by using a series of pulsed-field gradient NMR experiments. The effect of anion has been studied, and the cation selectivities have been investigated by a series of competition experiments
052 - AJ Joseph Brown
No full textThis poster was presented at the 2017 Annual Graduate Student Showcase and received an honorable mention for the "Greatest Minds In Research" award.Includes bibliographical references.Global salinization of irrigated lands results in a $12 billion (US) reduction in global crop production annually. A joint effort between Utah State University, Colorado State University, and Mehran University in Pakistan aimed to investigate the impacts and movement of salts in agronomic systems, and identify common solutions. This was done through water and soil monitoring in Southeast Colorado in a surface irrigation setting. Results indicated that salts are loaded onto fields because of saline water, and get trapped in root zones by shallow water tables. The added salt decreases osmotic potential in soil, making root water uptake more difficult.Great Minds in Research - Honorable Mention
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