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High Resolution Hybrid Mass Spectrometry For The Determination Of Marine Biotoxins, Azaspiracids, And Their Biotransformation Products., Zuzana Skrabakova

Theses

Azaspiracids (AZAs), polyether marine toxins, are produced by marine microalgae and accumulate in filter-feeding bivalve molluscs, such as mussels, clams, oysters and scallops, while grazing on phytoplankton, from which they derive nutrition. Although being discovered quite recently, AZAs have caused several human intoxication events and thus became a problem for health authorities and shellfish industries. The rapid development of highly sensitive liquid chromatography multiple tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS, LC-MS") methods enabled the identification of numerous AZA analogues and added to the control of shellfish contamination. Tandem mass spectrometry techniques, while being highly selective and sensitive for determination of AZAs in …

Summary Of Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2011 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs): An Innovative Tool For Studying Bacteria, Qassem I. Mohaidat

Wayne State University Dissertations

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has gained a reputation as a flexible and convenient technique for rapidly determining the elemental composition of samples with minimal or no sample preparation. In this dissertation, I will describe the benefits of using LIBS for the rapid discrimination and identification of bacteria (both pathogenic and non-pathogenic) based on the relative concentration of trace inorganic elements such as Mg, P, Ca, and Na. The speed, portability, and robustness of the technique suggest that LIBS may be applicable as a rapid point-of-care medical diagnostic technology.

LIBS spectra of multiple genera of bacteria such as Escherichia, Streptococcus, Mycobacterium, …

Quality Characteristics Of Virgin Coconut Oil:Comparisons With Refined Coconut Oil, Fabian M. Dayrit, Ian Ken D. Dimzon, Melodina F. Valde, Jaclyn Elizabeth R. Santos, Mark Joseph Garrovillas, Blanca J. Villarino

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is a vegetable oil that is extracted from fresh coconut meat and is processed using only physical and other natural means. VCO was compared to refined, bleached, and deodorized coconut oil (RCO) using standard quality parameters, 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and headspace solid-phase micro - extraction/gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME/GCMS). VCO tends to have higher free fatty acids (FFAs), moisture, and volatile matter and lower peroxide value than RCO. However, the range of values overlap and no single standard parameter alone can be 31 used to differentiate VCO from RCO. Using 31P NMR, …

Foliar Nutrient Concentrations Related To Soil Sources Across A Range Of Sites In The Northeastern United States, Melissa S. Lucash, Ruth D. Yanai, Joel D. Blum, B. B. Park

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding the supply of nutrients from various soil sources and the sensitivity of tree species to soil nutrient availability is critical for predicting the effects of declines in base cations due to acid rain and forest harvesting on forest health and productivity. We collected soil samples from 19 sites in the northeastern United States, chemically analyzed them using a sequential extraction procedure, and compared them to the chemical composition of foliage of the dominant tree species. Concentrations of Ca and Mg in foliage were correlated with exchangeable Ca and Mg concentrations in the upper mineral soil; for most tree species …

A Fuzzy Rule-Based System For Predicting The Live Weight Of Holstein Cows Whose Body Dimensions Were Determined By Image Analysis, Şaki̇r Taşdemi̇r, Abdullah Ürkmez, Şeref İnal

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine the body measurement of Holstein cows through image analysis (IA) and to estimate their live weight (LW) by means of a fuzzy rule-based model using the body measurements. For this purpose, a photography environment was established at a dairy cattle farm where a large number of cows were kept. First, digital photographs of each animal were synchronously taken from different directions with Canon EOS 400D cameras. At the same time, body dimensions, namely wither height (WH), hip height (HH), body length (BL), and hip width (HW), of the cows were manually measured …

Winter And Summer Upwelling Modes And Their Biological Importance In The California Current Ecosystem, Bryan A. Black, Isaac D. Schroeder, William J. Sydeman, Steven J. Bograd, Brian K. Wells, Franklin B. Schwing

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Analysis of monthly coastal upwelling intensities revealed two seasonal and biologically relevant upwelling ‘modes’ in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE). The first mode reflected upwelling during the summer months and was characterized by low-frequency (multidecadal) processes, including significant (Po0.01) linear trends at some latitudes. In contrast, the second mode reflected wintertime upwelling and was defined by higher-frequency variability associated with the North Pacific High and El Niño Southern Oscillation events. These modes were compared with multidecadal time series of splitnose rockfish (Sebastes diploproa) otolith growth, yelloweye rockfish (S. ruberrimus) otolith growth, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha …

Quality Assessment Of Filtered Smoked Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus Albacares) Steaks, Lori F. Pivarnik, Cameron Faustman, Santiago Rossi, Surendranath P. Suman, Catherine Palmer, Nicole L. Richard, P. Christopher Ellis, Michael Diliberti

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Filtered smoke (FS) has been used to preserve taste, texture, and/or color in tuna and other fish species. This treatment is particularly important in color preservation during frozen storage. The objective of this study was to compare changes in the quality profiles of FS-treated and untreated (UT) yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) steaks stored in 3 ways: room temperature (21 to 22 °C), refrigerated (4 to 5 °C), and iced (0 °C). FS and UT steaks were processed from the same lot of fish and analyzed for chemical, microbiological, lipid oxidation, color, and sensory profiles. Similar trends were seen …

Design And Synthesis Of Novel Agrofungicides Based On Naturally Occurring Pbdes, Robert Alexander Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacterial symbionts of Indo Pacific marine sponges, e.g. Dysidea sp., produce hydroxylated (OH-) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs) which likely function as chemical deterrents owing to their antifungal and antibacterial properties. Limiting the therapeutic potential and agricultural use of these antimicrobial natural products are the negative connotations associated with non hydroxylated anthropogenic PBDEs. Anthropogenic PBDEs are pervasive global pollutants used as flame retardant additives in many household goods, e.g. furniture, textiles, and electronics. These molecules have a propensity to bioaccumulate in living organisms, they easily traverse the trophic food chains, they are readily passed from mother to offspring, and many of …

Settlement And Growth Of Quagga Mussels (Dreissenia Rostriformis Bugensis Andrusov, 1897) In Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, Usa, Wai Hing Wong, Shawn Gerstenberger, Wen Baldwin, Bryan Moore

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Settlement and growth of quagga mussels Dreissena rostriformis bugensis were monitored in Lake Mead, NV, USA, where the first dreissenid occurrence was confirmed in the western United States. To measure the settlement rate of these invasive mussels, seven acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) pipes were attached to a line in shallow water (7.7 m below the surface) since November 23, 2007; eight ABS pipes were placed on another line in deep water (13.4 m below the surface) since January 3, 2008. Quagga mussels were sampled from these pipes on March 19, May 21, July 9, October 20, and December 19, 2008. …

An Evaluation Of The Usability Of A Computerized Decision Support System For Nursing Homes, M. Fossum, M. Ehnfors, Ann L. Fruhling, A. Ehrenberg

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

Background: Computerized decision support systems (CDSSs) have the potential to significantly improve the quality of nursing care of older people by enhancing the decision making of nursing personnel. Despite this potential, health care organizations have been slow to incorporate CDSSs into nursing home practices.

Objective: This study describes facilitators and barriers that impact the ability of nursing personnel to effectively use a clinical CDSS for planning and treating pressure ulcers (PUs) and malnutrition and for following the suggested risk assessment guidelines for the care of nursing home residents.

Methods: We employed a qualitative descriptive design using varied …

Building Spaces To Grow New Ideas: Research 2011, University Office Of Research, South Dakota State University

State of Discovery South Dakota State University's Research Magazine

CONTENTS:

Feeding the World [Page] 2
A Light on New Possibilities [Page] 4
Designing New Tools [Page] 6
Wellness Science [Page] 8
Renovating a Science Resource [Page] 10
Connect World Possibilities [Page] 12
Transfer Research [Page] 14

2011 Program And Abstracts, University Of Dayton. Department Of Mathematics

Undergraduate Mathematics Day: Programs, Lectures, Promotional Materials

Program and abstracts of papers presented at the 2011 Undergraduate Mathematics Day held at the University of Dayton.

Overcoming The Obstacles To Sustainability In Ghana, Ashley M. Scott

CMC Senior Theses

For several decades following its independence from Great Britain, Ghana’s policies continued to promote over-extraction of natural resources to the detriment of its economy and rural communities.  Agricultural and forestry policy has gradually evolved to foster more sustainable and equitable practices, as in building partnerships with the private sector to fund infrastructure improvements.  Policy has recently recognized the dire need to adopt agricultural practices and means of forest resource extraction that are compatible with ecological stewardship.  However, many shortcomings are still apparent.  Large logging operations completely disregard forestry regulations with impunity, whereas rural sustenance extractors are severely punished in the …

Determining A Patient Recovery From A Total Knee Replacement Using Fuzzy Logic And Active Databases, Robert Azarbod

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of the knowledge-based system is to predict the rehabilitation timeline of a patient in physical therapy for a total knee replacement. All patients have various attributes that contribute to their rehabilitation rate such as: weight, gender, smoking habit, medications, physical ability, or other medical problems. A combination of any one or several of these attributes will affect the recovery process. The proposed FRTP (Fuzzy Rehabilitation Timeline Predictor) is a fuzzy data mining model that can predict the recovery length of a patient in physical therapy for a total knee replacement and provide feedback to experts for revision of …

Glucosamine-Induced Insulin Resistance In Primary Rat Hepatocytes And The Role Of Selenium As An Insulin Mimetic, Sandhya N. Adiyodi Veetil

Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes is mediated by insulin resistance, the inability of insulin to elicit a normal biological response in insulin responsive tissues. Several cellular models have been utilized to determine the mechanism of induction of insulin resistance but questions remain unanswered. One model, implicates the products of the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway (HBP) in the induction of insulin resistance under hyperglycemia. The major end product of HBP, UDP-GlcNAc, is the substrate for O-GlcNAc transferase, an enzyme that catalyzes the O-GlcNAcylation of numerous proteins. This modification may play a role in induction of insulin resistance and thus needs to be evaluated in …

Inoculations With Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Increase Vegetable Yields And Decrease Phoxim Concentrations In Carrot And Green Onion And Their Soils, Fa Yuan Wang, Rui Jian Tong, Zhao Yong Shi, Xiao Feng Xu, Xinhua He

Research outputs 2011

Background As one of the most widely used organophosphate insecticides in vegetable production, phoxim (C12H15N2O3PS) is often found as residues in crops and soils and thus poses a potential threat to public health and environment. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may make a contribution to the decrease of organophosphate residues in crops and/or the degradation in soils, but such effects remain unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings A greenhouse pot experiment studied the influence of AM fungi and phoxim application on the growth of carrot and green onion, and phoxim concentrations in the two vegetables and their soil media. Treatments included three AM fungal …

The Relationship Between Water, Health And Global Environmental Change, As Interpreted Through Five Key Multilateral Environmental Agreements (Meas), Pierre Horwitz, Lucilla Spini, Kathryn Campbell, R J Thomas, Jo Mulongoy

Research outputs 2011

For five Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), we have examined the way the relationship between water, health and global environmental change is expressed and how it has evolved recently. We recognize a distinction between an emphasis on water and reservoirs of water for health (for drinking water supplies, sanitation and hygiene), and a focus on places of water, where wetland ecosystems provide a service for human well-being which encompasses health. We also recognize a trend over time for the MEAs to increasingly address water, health and global change issues as a reaction to emerging infectious diseases and global pandemics. For both …

Spatial Patterns In Herbivory On A Coral Reef Are Influenced By Structural Complexity But Not By Algal Traits, Adriana Verges, Mathew Vanderklift, C Doropoulos, Glenn Hyndes

Research outputs 2011

No abstract provided.

On-Trap Derivatization Of Short-Chain Fatty Acids, Mace Mattieson

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

It has recently been hypothesized that gastrointestinal microbiota modulate immune response by the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). There is a need for rapid, selective analytical methodology capable of trace analysis of SCFAs in complex biological matrices. Previous studies by others using multibed-sorbent traps, solid phase microextraction (SPME), and on-fiber derivatization with SPME showed that it is possible to achieve low limits of detection (LODs) for the gas chromatographic (GC) headspace analysis of SCFAs. The goal of this project was to achieve on-trap derivatization of SCFAs by incorporating a derivatizing agent onto a sorbent trap. Preconcentration and derivatization of …

Clinical And Pathologic Responses Of American Crows (Corvus Brachyrhynchos) And Fish Crows (C Ossifragus) To Experimental West Nile Virus Infection, N. M. Nemeth, B. V. Thomsen, T. R. Spraker, J. M. Benson, A. M. Bosco-Lauth, P. T. Oesterle, J. M. Bright, J. P. Muth, T. W. Campbell, T. L. Gidlewski, R. A. Bowen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

West Nile virus (WNV)-associated disease has a range of clinical manifestations among avian taxa, the reasons for which are not known. Species susceptibility varies within the avian family Corvidae, with estimated mortality rates ranging from 50 to 100%. We examined and compared virologic, immunologic, pathologic, and clinical responses in 2 corvid species, the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the fish crow (C ossifragus), following experimental WNV inoculation. Unlike fish crows, which remained clinically normal throughout the study, American crows succumbed to WNV infection subsequent to dehydration, electrolyte and pH imbalances, and delayed or depressed humoral immune …

Characterization Of Intermolecular Pi-Type Interactions Using Sophisticated Quantum Mechanical, Electronic Structure Computations, Emily Joy Carrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much like the instrumentation in an experimental lab, computational chemists use computers to solve the mathematical equations that describe the physics of electrons to understand the chemistry involved. The combination of the two main components of computational chemistry, the basis set and method, determines the ``cost'' (disk, memory, and CPU time) of a computation. A variety of basis sets and methods have been developed in the past century. The focus of this report is to accurately describe non-covalent interactions with the use of various quantum computational techniques. In Chapter 1 a brief discussion on the theory behind computational chemistry is …

Rodents And Other Vertebrate Invaders In The United States, Michael W. Fall, Michael L. Avery, Tyler A. Campbell, Peter J. Egan, Richard M. Engeman, David Pimentel, William C. Pitt, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents

Introduction

Assessing impacts of rodents and other vertebrate invaders

Accounts of some important vertebrate invaders
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Roof rat (Rattus rattus)
Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans)
House mouse (Mus Musculus)
Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Gambian giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)
Feral swine (Sus scofa)
Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus)
Rock pigeon (Columba livia)
House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis)
Burmese python (Python …

Methylmercury In Mosquitoes: Impact Of A Large Coal-Fired Power Station In Central Ohio, Matthew J. Konkler

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Emissions from coal-fired utilities are the major anthropogenic source of mercury (Hg) to the atmosphere. Because emitted Hg may be deposited near the source, there are concerns on levels of toxic monomethylmercury (MeHg) in local biota. We investigated the potential impact of a large Hg-emitting (> 500 kg Hg y-1) coal-fired power station on MeHg levels in mosquitoes near the Conesville power station in central Ohio. Mosquitoes were sampled with CO2-baited traps at 23 locations within a 60 km radius of the utility and at three reference sites distant from Hg combustion sources. MeHg in mosquitoes within a 30-km radius …

Regulated Commercial Harvest To Manage Overabundant White-Tailed Deer: An Idea To Consider?, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Charles W. Anderson, Timothy R. Van Deelen, David Drake, W. David Walter, Stephen Vantassel, Scott E. Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Declines in hunter recruitment coupled with dramatic growth in numbers of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have challenged our ability to manage deer populations through regulated hunting. We review the efficacy of current regulated hunting methods and explain how they are unable to reduce deer numbers sufficiently in some environments. Regulated commercial harvest would provide an additional tool to help state wildlife agencies manage overabundant populations of white-tailed deer. We outline potential means to govern regulated commercial deer harvest and explain how it is compatible with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. We identified several benefits, including reduced …

Lead In Birds, J. Christian Franson, Deborah J. Pain

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Lead is a highly toxic heavy metal that acts as a nonspecific poison affecting all body systems and has no known biological requirement. Absorption of low concentrations may result in a wide range of sublethal effects in animals, and higher concentrations may result in mortality (Demayo et al. 1982).

Lead has been mined and smelted by humans for centuries, but the use of lead-based products increased greatly following the Industrial Revolution. Consequently, lead today is ubiquitous in air, water, and soil, in both urban and rural environments (Eisler 2000). Vertebrates are exposed to lead mainly via inhalation and ingestion. A …

The Spatial Distribution Of Solar Radiation Under A Melting Arctic Sea Ice Cover, Karen E. Frey, Donald K. Perovich, Bonnie Light

Geography

The sea ice cover of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas is currently undergoing a fundamental shift from multiyear ice to first-year ice. Field observations of sea ice physical and optical properties were collected in this region during June-July 2010, revealing unexpectedly complex spatial distributions of solar radiation under the melt-season ice cover. Based on our optical measurements of first-year ice, we found the under-ice light field in the upper ocean to be spatially heterogeneous and dependent on wavelength, ice thickness, and the areal and geometric distribution of melt ponded and bare ice surfaces. Much of the observed complexity in radiation …

Method Developments To Analyze Caffeine And Acesulfame-K Concentrations In Natural Waters In And Around Charleston, Il, Usa, Laleen Bodhipaksha

Masters Theses

Analytical methods using batch solid phase extraction were developed for two chemical markers, caffeine and acesulfame-K, to assess anthropogenic water contamination of natural water bodies in and around Charleston, Illinois.

Measurements were conducted on 12 different extracted samples using reverse phase HPLC. Two creek samples showed the presence of acesulfame-K (0.45 ± 0.10 and 0.25 ± 0.06 ppb) and two creek samples showed the presence of caffeine (3 .1 ± 1.2 and 1.6 ± 0.6 ppb ). Effluent from the Charleston waste water treatment plant showed an acesulfame-K concentration of 0.67 ± 0.15 ppb.

These results indicate measurement of both …

The Application Of Two-Photon Absorbing Probes In Lysosomal, Zinc Ion Sensing And Folate Receptor-Targeted Bioimaging, Xuhua Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) has become a powerful technique for bioimaging in non-invasive cancer diagnosis and also investigating the mechanization and original of a variety of diseases by tracking various biological processes. Because the fluorescence emission by two photon absorbing (2PA) is directly proportional to the square of the intensity of excitation light, this intrinsic property of 2PA provides 2PFM great advantages over traditional one-photon fluorescence microscopy (1PFM), including high 3D spatial localization, less photodamage and interference from biological tissue because of using longer wavelength excitation (700-1300 nm). However, most 2PA probes are hydrophobic and their photostabilities are questionable, severely …

"The Need Obliged Us" : Culture As Capacity During The Hurricane Stan Emergency Response. A Case Study From Tectitan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala , Jesse Silverman

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

A major deficiency in disaster management plans is the assumption that pre-disaster civil-society does not have the capacity to respond effectively during crises. Following from this assumption a dominant emergency management strategy is to replace weak civil-society organizations with specialized disaster organizations that are often either military or Para-military and seek to centralize decision-making. Many criticisms have been made of this approach, but few specifically addresses disasters in the developing world. Disasters in the developing world present unique problems not seen in the developed world because they often occur in the context of compromised governments, and marginalized populations. In this …