CASK, a synaptic membrane associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) protein, acts as a coactivator for transcription factor Tbr-1. Tbr-1 is an essential T-box transcription factor in cerebral cortex development. Presently, the molecular mechanism of the CASK co-activation effect is unclear. Here, we report that CASK interacts with another nuclear protein, CINAP (CASK-interacting nucleosome assembly p...

Purpose Optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) is the most common cause of childhood congenital blindness in developed nations, yet the fundamental pathobiology of ONH remains unknown. The objective of this study was to employ a 'face validated' murine model to determine the timing of onset and the pathologic characteristics of ONH. Methods Based on the robust linkage between X-linked CASK haploinsuffi...

Neurexins are neuronal cell surface proteins with hundreds of isoforms. In yeast two-hybrid screens for intracellular molecules interacting with different neurexins, we identified a single interacting protein called CASK. CASK is composed of an N-terminal Ca2+, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase sequence and a C-terminal region that is similar to the intercellular junction proteins dlg-A, PSD9...

With the recent cancellation of the Yucca Mountain repository and the limited availability of wet storage utilities for spent nuclear fuel (SNF), more attention has been directed toward dry cask storage systems (DCSSs) for long-term storage of SNF. Consequently, more stringent guidelines have been issued for the aging management of dry storage facilities that necessitate monitoring of the condi...

In this thesis we examine how fuel price variation affects the optimal mix of services in intercity transportation. Towards this end, we make two main contributions. The first is the development of an analytic total logistics cost model of intercity transportation, which is sensitive to fuel price and incorporates multiple classes of vehicles serving passengers with differentiated values of tim...

Elevated temperature, gamma radiation, and geometric constraints inside dry storage casks for spent nuclear fuel represent a harsh environment for nondestructive inspection of the cask and require that the inspection be conducted with a robotic system. Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) using non-contact ultrasonic transduction based on the Lorentz force to excite/receive ultrasonic w...

The use of a Lead Slowing-Down Spectrometer (LSDS) is considered as a possible option for nondestructive assay of fissile material in used (spent) nuclear fuel. The primary objective is to quantify the remaining fissile content of the fuel consisting mainly of Pu and U. The characterization of spent fuel is particularly important for nuclear safeguards and for determining the fuel burn-up level...

There is a need for predictive material “aging” models in the nuclear energy industry, where applications include life extension of existing reactors, the development of high burnup fuels, and dry cask storage of used nuclear fuel. These problems require extrapolating from the validation domain, where there is available experimental data, to the application domain, where there is little or no e...

Ca(2+)/CaM serine/threonine kinase II (CaMKII) is a central molecule in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and memory. A vital feature of CaMKII in plasticity is its ability to switch to a calcium (Ca(2+)) independent constitutively active state after autophosphorylation at threonine 287 (T287). A second pair of sites, T306 T307 in the calmodulin (CaM) binding region once autophosphorylated, pre...