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Hiv-1 Enhancing Effect Of Prostatic Acid Phosphatase Peptides Is Reduced In Human Seminal Plasma, Julie A. Martellini, Amy L. Cole, Pavel Svoboda, Olga Stuchlik, Li-Mei Chen, Karl X. Chai, Bhushan K. Gangrade, Ole E. Sorensne, Jan Pohl, Alexander M. Cole Jan 2011

Hiv-1 Enhancing Effect Of Prostatic Acid Phosphatase Peptides Is Reduced In Human Seminal Plasma, Julie A. Martellini, Amy L. Cole, Pavel Svoboda, Olga Stuchlik, Li-Mei Chen, Karl X. Chai, Bhushan K. Gangrade, Ole E. Sorensne, Jan Pohl, Alexander M. Cole

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

We recently reported that HIV-1 infection can be inhibited by innate antimicrobial components of human seminal plasma (SP). Conversely, naturally occurring peptidic fragments from the SP-derived prostatic acid phosphatase ( PAP) have been reported to form amyloid fibrils called "SEVI'' and enhance HIV-1 infection in vitro. In order to understand the biological consequence of this proviral effect, we extended these studies in the presence of human SP. PAP-derived peptides were agitated to form SEVI and incubated in the presence or absence of SP. While PAP-derived peptides and SEVI alone were proviral, the presence of 1% SP ablated their proviral activity …

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Learning Objects As Tools For Teaching Information Literacy Online: A Survey Of Librarian Usage, Lori S. Mestre, Lisa Baures, Mona Niedbala, Corinne Bishop, Sarah Cantrell, Alice Perez, Kate Silfen Jan 2011

Learning Objects As Tools For Teaching Information Literacy Online: A Survey Of Librarian Usage, Lori S. Mestre, Lisa Baures, Mona Niedbala, Corinne Bishop, Sarah Cantrell, Alice Perez, Kate Silfen

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Based on information gathered from two discussion sessions moderated by members of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section's Online Learning Research Committee a survey was conducted to identify how librarians use course/learning management systems and learning objects to deliver instruction. Objectives of the study were to identify the experiences of librarians who are using course/learning management systems; in what context learning objects are being developed and used; and the pedagogical considerations by librarians when creating online learning materials. In addition to discussing the results of the survey, a description of a "Toolkit for Online Learning" created by the Online Learning …

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Reproductive Regulators In Decapod Crustaceans: An Overview, Ganji Purna Chandra Nagaraju Jan 2011

Reproductive Regulators In Decapod Crustaceans: An Overview, Ganji Purna Chandra Nagaraju

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Control of reproductive development in crustaceans requires neuropeptides, ecdysone and methyl farnesoate (MF). A major source of neuropeptides is the X-organ-sinus gland (XO-SG) complex located in the eyestalk ganglia of crustaceans. The other regulatory factors (either peptides or neuromodulators) are produced in the brain and thoracic ganglia (TG). Two other regulatory non-peptide compounds, the steroid ecdysone and the sesquiterpene MF, are produced by the Y-organs and the mandibular organs, respectively. In the current review, I have tried to recapitulate recent studies on the role of gonadal regulatory factors in regulating crustacean reproduction.

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Cellular Infiltration And Cytokine Expression Correlate With Fistulizing State In Crohn's Disease, Saleh A. Naser, Claudia Romero, Princess Urbina, Najih Naser, John Valentine Jan 2011

Cellular Infiltration And Cytokine Expression Correlate With Fistulizing State In Crohn's Disease, Saleh A. Naser, Claudia Romero, Princess Urbina, Najih Naser, John Valentine

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of infiltration of different cell subpopulations (tissue dendritic macrophages, T-helper cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and B cells) and the expression of the cytokines interleukin-12 (IL-12) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in inflamed and noninflamed resected tissues from Crohn's disease (CD) and non-CD patients. Twenty-one resected full-thickness intestinal tissue specimens representing 13 subjects (8 CD and 5 non-CD patients) were included in this study. Sections of 20 mu m in thickness were cut and then stained using immunohistochemistry. The sections were analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). …

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Seed Bank Changes With Time-Since-Fire In Florida Rosemary Scrub, Jennifer J. Navarra, Nancy Kohfeldt, Eric S. Menges, Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio Jan 2011

Seed Bank Changes With Time-Since-Fire In Florida Rosemary Scrub, Jennifer J. Navarra, Nancy Kohfeldt, Eric S. Menges, Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

The soil seed bank plays a central role in the regeneration of obligate seeding species in fire-prone habitats. We evaluated how seed density and species composition changed with time-since-fire in the Florida, USA, rosemary scrub community. Because fire affects habitat availability and plant demographic variation, we predicted that soil seed density would be low in recently burned and long-unburned stands and high at intermediate time-since-fire. Seed bank soil samples were collected from a chronosequence of time-since-fire composited from two trials conducted in 1992-1993 and 2008-2009: two sites each of 3, 6, 10, and 24 years post-fire, and 3 long-unburned (similar …

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Distinctive Left-Sided Distribution Of Adrenergic-Derived Cells In The Adult Mouse Heart, Kingsley Osuala, Kathleen Telusma, Saad M. Khan, Shandong Wu, Mubarak Shah, Candice Baker, Sabikha Alam, Ibrahim Abukenda, Aura Fuentes, Hani B. Seifein, Steven N. Ebert Jan 2011

Distinctive Left-Sided Distribution Of Adrenergic-Derived Cells In The Adult Mouse Heart, Kingsley Osuala, Kathleen Telusma, Saad M. Khan, Shandong Wu, Mubarak Shah, Candice Baker, Sabikha Alam, Ibrahim Abukenda, Aura Fuentes, Hani B. Seifein, Steven N. Ebert

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Adrenaline and noradrenaline are produced within the heart from neuronal and non-neuronal sources. These adrenergic hormones have profound effects on cardiovascular development and function, yet relatively little information is available about the specific tissue distribution of adrenergic cells within the adult heart. The purpose of the present study was to define the anatomical localization of cells derived from an adrenergic lineage within the adult heart. To accomplish this, we performed genetic fate-mapping experiments where mice with the cre-recombinase (Cre) gene inserted into the phenylethanolamine-n-methyltransferase (Pnmt) locus were cross-mated with homozygous Rosa26 reporter (R26R) mice. Because Pnmt serves as a marker …

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Morphologies From Slippery Ballistic Deposition Model: A Bottom-Up Approach For Nanofabrication, Anthony Robledo, Christopher N. Grabill, Stephen M. Kuebler, Aniruddha Dutta, Helge Heinrich, Aniket Bhattacharya Jan 2011

Morphologies From Slippery Ballistic Deposition Model: A Bottom-Up Approach For Nanofabrication, Anthony Robledo, Christopher N. Grabill, Stephen M. Kuebler, Aniruddha Dutta, Helge Heinrich, Aniket Bhattacharya

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

We report pattern formation using a slippery ballistic deposition (SBD) model where growth germinates from a single site or from sites distributed periodically on a lattice. By changing the sticking probability p(s) and choosing systems with different lattice constants and symmetries, we demonstrate that a variety of patterns can be generated. These patterns can be further used as scaffolds for nanofabrication. We also demonstrate that by choosing a lateral sticking probability p(l) at the base that is different than p(s), one can control both the early and late time morphologies originating from a seed. Furthermore, we indicate a possible generalization …

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Formulation Development Of Retrocyclin 1 Analog Rc-101 As An Anti-Hiv Vaginal Microbicide Product, A. B. Sassi, M. R. Cost, A. L. Cole, A. M. Cole, D. L. Patton, P. Gupta, L. C. Rohan Jan 2011

Formulation Development Of Retrocyclin 1 Analog Rc-101 As An Anti-Hiv Vaginal Microbicide Product, A. B. Sassi, M. R. Cost, A. L. Cole, A. M. Cole, D. L. Patton, P. Gupta, L. C. Rohan

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

RC-101 is a synthetic microbicide analog of retrocyclin, which has shown in vitro activity against X4 and R5 HIV-1. In an effort to develop a safe and effective RC-101 vaginal microbicide product, we assessed safety in ex vivo macaque and human models and efficacy using in vitro and ex vivo models. A polyvinyl-alcohol vaginal film containing RC-101 (100 mu g/film) was developed. Formulation assessment was conducted by evaluating disintegration, drug content, mechanical properties, and stability. Efficacy was evaluated by in vitro peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) assay and ex vivo human ectocervical tissue explant model. Ex vivo safety studies were …

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Transcriptomic Analysis Of The Zebrafish Inner Ear Points To Growth Hormone Mediated Regeneration Following Acoustic Trauma, Julie B. Schuck, Huifang Sun, W. Todd Penberthy, Nigel G. F. Cooper, Xiaohong Li, Michael E. Smith Jan 2011

Transcriptomic Analysis Of The Zebrafish Inner Ear Points To Growth Hormone Mediated Regeneration Following Acoustic Trauma, Julie B. Schuck, Huifang Sun, W. Todd Penberthy, Nigel G. F. Cooper, Xiaohong Li, Michael E. Smith

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Background: Unlike mammals, teleost fishes are capable of regenerating sensory inner ear hair cells that have been lost following acoustic or ototoxic trauma. Previous work indicated that immediately following sound exposure, zebrafish saccules exhibit significant hair cell loss that recovers to pre-treatment levels within 14 days. Following acoustic trauma in the zebrafish inner ear, we used microarray analysis to identify genes involved in inner ear repair following acoustic exposure. Additionally, we investigated the effect of growth hormone (GH) on cell proliferation in control zebrafish utricles and saccules, since GH was significantly up-regulated following acoustic trauma. Results: Microarray analysis, validated with …

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Picbreeder: A Case Study In Collaborative Evolutionary Exploration Of Design Space, Jimmy Secretan, Nicholas Beato, David B. D'Ambrosio, Adelein Rodriguez, Adam Campbell, Jeremiah T. Folsom-Kovarik, Kenneth O. Stanley Jan 2011

Picbreeder: A Case Study In Collaborative Evolutionary Exploration Of Design Space, Jimmy Secretan, Nicholas Beato, David B. D'Ambrosio, Adelein Rodriguez, Adam Campbell, Jeremiah T. Folsom-Kovarik, Kenneth O. Stanley

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

For domains in which fitness is subjective or difficult to express formally, interactive evolutionary computation (IEC) is a natural choice. It is possible that a collaborative process combining feedback from multiple users can improve the quality and quantity of generated artifacts. Picbreeder, a large-scale online experiment in collaborative interactive evolution (CIE), explores this potential. Picbreeder is an online community in which users can evolve and share images, and most importantly, continue evolving others' images. Through this process of branching from other images, and through continually increasing image complexity made possible by the underlying neuroevolution of augmenting topologies (NEAT) algorithm, evolved …

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Inactivation And Reactivation Of The Mitochondrial Alpha-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex, Qingli Shi, Hui Xu, Haiqiang Yu, Nawei Zhang, Yaozu Ye, Alvaro G. Estevez, Haiteng Deng, Gary E. Gibson Jan 2011

Inactivation And Reactivation Of The Mitochondrial Alpha-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex, Qingli Shi, Hui Xu, Haiqiang Yu, Nawei Zhang, Yaozu Ye, Alvaro G. Estevez, Haiteng Deng, Gary E. Gibson

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Reduced brain metabolism is an invariant feature of Alzheimer Disease (AD) that is highly correlated to the decline in brain functions. Decreased activities of key tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle enzymes may underlie this abnormality and are highly correlated to the clinical state of the patient. The activity of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), an arguably rate-limiting enzyme of the TCA cycle, declines with AD, but the mechanism of inactivation and whether it can be reversed remains unknown. KGDHC consists of multiple copies of three subunits. KGDHC is sensitive to oxidative stress, which is pervasive in AD brain. The present …

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A Therapeutic Chemical Chaperone Inhibits Cholera Intoxication And Unfolding/Translocation Of The Cholera Toxin A1 Subunit, Michael Taylor, Tuhina Banerjee, Fernando Navarro-Garcia, Jazmin Huerta, Shane Massey, Mansfield Burlingame, Abhay H. Pande, Suren A. Tatulian, Ken Teter Jan 2011

A Therapeutic Chemical Chaperone Inhibits Cholera Intoxication And Unfolding/Translocation Of The Cholera Toxin A1 Subunit, Michael Taylor, Tuhina Banerjee, Fernando Navarro-Garcia, Jazmin Huerta, Shane Massey, Mansfield Burlingame, Abhay H. Pande, Suren A. Tatulian, Ken Teter

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Cholera toxin (CT) travels as an intact AB(5) protein toxin from the cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of an intoxicated cell. In the ER, the catalytic A1 subunit dissociates from the rest of the toxin. Translocation of CTA1 from the ER to the cytosol is then facilitated by the quality control mechanism of ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Thermal instability in the isolated CTA1 subunit generates an unfolded toxin conformation that acts as the trigger for ERAD-mediated translocation to the cytosol. In this work, we show by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy that exposure to 4-phenylbutyric acid (PBA) inhibited the …

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Interpretations Of Pre-Hispanic Ritual Violence At Tucume, Peru, From Cut Mark Analysis, J. Marla Toyne Jan 2011

Interpretations Of Pre-Hispanic Ritual Violence At Tucume, Peru, From Cut Mark Analysis, J. Marla Toyne

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Archaeological residues of ritual are often ephemeral, and reconstructing the dynamics of performed actions that create deposits can be difficult. Rituals associated with the dead are common across many cultures since all human,groups have specific means of disposing of corpses. Evidence of peri- and postmortem manipulation of human remains,such as cutting. dismemberment, or disarticulation can provide details of the sequence of actions performed related to the circumstances surrounding death and the possible social meaning of those behaviors. Cur marks observed on the upper chest and throat of 93 percent of 117 children and men found interred at the Temple oldie …

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Fibergramme Vol.34 No. 1, Weavers Of Orlando Jan 2011

Fibergramme Vol.34 No. 1, Weavers Of Orlando

Text Materials of Central Florida

FIBERGRAMME is published in September, November, January, March and May.

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The Relationship Between Number Of Toys, Infant Distractibility, And Mothers' Teaching Utterances, Lap Van Nguyen Jan 2011

The Relationship Between Number Of Toys, Infant Distractibility, And Mothers' Teaching Utterances, Lap Van Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among the number of toys in an infant’s play environment, infant’s distractibility, and how often a mother teaches her infant during a play session. This study takes samples from videotapes of 12-month old children playing with their mothers during a 5 minute free-play situation. Twenty-two mother and infant pairs were selected for this study based on their previous participation in a language study. The measures used in this study were: (1) the number of maternal teaching utterances to her infant; (2) the total number of utterances that mother used during …

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Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analyses Of Subfossil Rats From Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia), Kelly C. Anderson Jan 2011

Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotope Analyses Of Subfossil Rats From Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia), Kelly C. Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study investigated the level of bone collagen preservation of rat femora from Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia, as well as conducted carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analyses on well preserved samples. Although Flores is located in a hot intermediate tropical zone and the burial environment of the bone samples within the cave is considered less than optimal for collagen preservation, significant preservation of the bone collagen was found. Collagen yields, C:N ratio and carbon and nitrogen concentrations were investigated. However, this research study argues that carbon and nitrogen concentrations are an appropriate means to …

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Birth Of A Mother, Ashley Rae Curran Jan 2011

Birth Of A Mother, Ashley Rae Curran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Birth of a Mother is a memoir that tells the story of how my unplanned pregnancy helps me to transform from a damaged adolescent into an empowered mother. Using a first person, present tense narrative, I relive the nine months leading up to the unmedicated home birth of my first child, exploring the conflicts I faced over my obesity, over having no job and no place to call home, and over developing a relationship with a man who was not the baby's father. Weaving in past tense vignettes, I attempt to show how I prepared myself for impending motherhood by …

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The Relationship Among Perceptual And Objective Reflux Measures In Singers, Adam Thomas Lloyd Jan 2011

The Relationship Among Perceptual And Objective Reflux Measures In Singers, Adam Thomas Lloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is currently one of the most prevalent conditions associated with voice disorders being treated in voice care centers worldwide. Many singers experience voice related disturbances but are unaware that these disturbances may be the result of LPR. The purpose of this study was to quantify the perceptual symptoms and objective measures of LPR in a population of singers in order to understand the relationship between perceived symptoms, laryngeal findings, and evidence of acid exposure to the larynx. The Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Reflux Finding Score (RFS), and the Dx-pH monitoring system were used to quantify participant symptoms, …

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Modeling Mass Care Resource Provision Post Hurricane, Tammy Marie Muhs Jan 2011

Modeling Mass Care Resource Provision Post Hurricane, Tammy Marie Muhs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Determining the amount of resources needed, specifically food and water, following a hurricane is not a straightforward task. Through this research effort, an estimating tool was developed that takes into account key demographic and evacuation behavioral effects, as well as hurricane storm specifics to estimate the number of meals required for the first fourteen days following a hurricane making landfall in the State of Florida. The Excel based estimating tool was created using data collected from four hurricanes making landfall in Florida during 2004-2005. The underlying model used in the tool is a Regression Decision Tree with predictor variables including …

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The Effectiveness Of Virtual Humans Vs. Pre-Recorded Humans In A Standardized Patient Performance Assessment, Joel Palathinkal Jan 2011

The Effectiveness Of Virtual Humans Vs. Pre-Recorded Humans In A Standardized Patient Performance Assessment, Joel Palathinkal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Standardized Patient (SP) is a trained actor who portrays a particular illness to provide training to medical students and professionals. SPs primarily use written scripts and additional paper-based training for preparation of practical and board exams. Many institutions use various methods for training such as hiring preceptors for reenactment of scenarios, viewing archived videos, and computer based training. Currently, the training that is available can be enhanced to improve the level of quality of standardized patients. The following research is examining current processes in standardized patient training and investigating new methods for clinical skills education in SPs. The modality …

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Biology, Ecology And Control Of The Invasive Channeled Apple Snail, Pomacea Canaliculata, Christina M. Trexler Jan 2011

Biology, Ecology And Control Of The Invasive Channeled Apple Snail, Pomacea Canaliculata, Christina M. Trexler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species are detrimental to native biotas worldwide. Recently, Florida was invaded by a freshwater snail (Pomacea canaliculata) native to Argentina. This snail is a serious pest of rice crops in Asia, but little is known about its interactions within Florida ecosystems. Possible competitive exclusion of the native congener (P. paludosa) is a concern because it is the almost exclusive prey of the federally endangered Everglades snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis). My research consisted of three parts. First, to identify possible methods to control P. canaliculata in the egg stage, I experimentally evaluated the effects of photoperiod, substrate availability, and food …

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The Effects Of Using An Interactive Student Notebook On The Understanding Of The Concepts And Algorithms Of Addition And Subtraction Of Fractions And Mixed Numbers For Fifth Grade Mathematics Students, Brian J. Twar Jan 2011

The Effects Of Using An Interactive Student Notebook On The Understanding Of The Concepts And Algorithms Of Addition And Subtraction Of Fractions And Mixed Numbers For Fifth Grade Mathematics Students, Brian J. Twar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to observe the effectiveness of the utilization of an instructional tool in my three mathematics classes. Using a tool, called an Interactive Student Notebook, or ISN, the goal was to equip my students with a tool that would allow them to take and keep daily notes as well as conduct guided and independent practice in an organized fashion. I believed that my students would therefore utilize their notes and class work as a reference and study tool to assist them with their homework as well as studying for assessments. Weak to moderate …

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Young Thinkers, Jaclyn Ann Elgeness Jan 2011

Young Thinkers, Jaclyn Ann Elgeness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young Thinkers is a collection of short fiction dealing with what it means to earn wisdom in the twenty-first century. When our phones can remember everything for us, and we’re plagued by a sense that everything has already been said and digitally cataloged, insight becomes even more important, particularly to the thoughtful characters explored throughout the collection. The prolonged American adolescence facilitated by the economic crisis, as well as the societal acceptance of marrying and having children much later in life, creates an atmosphere of intense self-doubt. A young man working at a gas station after college witnesses a high …

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Are We Becoming Superhuman Cyborgs? How Technomorphism Influences Our Perceptions Of The World Around Us, Heather Christina Lum Jan 2011

Are We Becoming Superhuman Cyborgs? How Technomorphism Influences Our Perceptions Of The World Around Us, Heather Christina Lum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although traditionally researchers have focused on making robotics more user-friendly from a human perspective, a new theory has begun to take shape in which humans take on the perspective of a robotic entity. The following set of studies examined the concept of technomorphism defined as the attribution of technological characteristics to humans. This concept has been mentioned anecdotally and studied indirectly, but there is nothing currently available to tap in to the various forms that technomorphism may take. Therefore, one goal of this dissertation was to develop a scale to fill that purpose. The results of the Technomorphic Tendencies Scale …

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Monitoring Long-Term Controlled Grave Scenarios Using Ground Penetrating Radar, William T. Hawkins Jan 2011

Monitoring Long-Term Controlled Grave Scenarios Using Ground Penetrating Radar, William T. Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geophysical techniques, such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR), have been successfully used by law enforcement agencies to locate graves and forensic evidence. However, more controlled research is needed to better understand the potential and limitations of this technology in the forensic context. The goal of this study was to determine the potential of GPR using both a 250 MHz and 500 MHz antennae to monitor eight controlled graves with six different burial scenarios using pig carcasses as human proxy cadavers. In addition, a conductivity meter was employed to determine the applicability of using this technology to locate unmarked graves. For the …

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Wires And Light, Ashley Inguanta Jan 2011

Wires And Light, Ashley Inguanta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wires and Light is an experimental story cycle composed of fiction and hybrid pieces, which blend poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction together. The characters in these pieces are propelled by uncertainty and a strong desire to be connected to places, people. If these characters do find the connections they are searching for, most of these ―joining‖ moments are fleeting. A girl, straight out of high school, misses her ―wonder boy,‖ befriends a woman nearly a decade older, fists her in the desert while California‘s on fire. A woman who dives horses off the Atlantic City Steel Pier is forced to …

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Variability Of Carbon Stock In Florida Flatwoods Ecosystems Undergoing Restoration And Management, Kathryn Elizabeth Becker Jan 2011

Variability Of Carbon Stock In Florida Flatwoods Ecosystems Undergoing Restoration And Management, Kathryn Elizabeth Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The global community is struggling with mitigating the effects of widespread habitat loss and degradation; the effects of which are being further magnified in the face of global climate change. Quality natural habitat is becoming increasingly limited and atmospheric carbon levels continue to rise. Therefore, land managers responsible for multiuse management are often faced with the dilemma of managing ecosystems for biodiversity, as well as optimizing ecosystem services such as carbon storage and sequestration. However, some management techniques used to meet these objectives may yield conflicting results, specifically, the management tool of prescribed fire. Fire is crucial in maintaining species …

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Stem Cell Biology And Strategies For Therapeutic Development In Degenerative Diseases And Cancer, Angel A. Alvarez Jan 2011

Stem Cell Biology And Strategies For Therapeutic Development In Degenerative Diseases And Cancer, Angel A. Alvarez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stem cell biology is an exciting field that will lead to significant advancements in science and medicine. We hypothesize that inducing the expression of stem cell genes, using the embryonic stem cell gene nanog, will reprogram cells and dedifferentiate human mesenchymal stem cells into pluripotent stem cells capable of neural differentiation. The aims of initial studies are as follows: Aim 1: Demonstrate that forced expression of the embryonic stem cell gene nanog induces changes in human mesenchymal stem cells to an embryonic stem cell-like phenotype. Aim 2: Demonstrate that induced expression of nanog up-regulates the expression of multiple embryonic stem …

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A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Analysis Of Factors Affecting Technology Adoption By Higher Education Program Faculty, Rolando Jose Marquez Jan 2011

A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Analysis Of Factors Affecting Technology Adoption By Higher Education Program Faculty, Rolando Jose Marquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Researchers have revealed that among the reasons provided as barriers to the adoption of technology are: lack of technology resources, time, professional development and support (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, 1997; Parker, 1996; Sheldon & Jones, 1996; Sheldon & Jones, 1996; NCATE, 1997; Shelly, Gunter & Gunter, 2010, U.S. Congress, 1995). Several models used to explain the usage of technology within education such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) have been somewhat ineffective in explaining or providing a holistic view of the factors that come into play when examining technology infusion and diffusion as they …

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Applications Of Airborne And Portable Lidar In The Structural Determination, Management, And Conservation Of Southeastern U.S. Pine Forests, Claudia De Mendonca Costa Synek Listopad Jan 2011

Applications Of Airborne And Portable Lidar In The Structural Determination, Management, And Conservation Of Southeastern U.S. Pine Forests, Claudia De Mendonca Costa Synek Listopad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Active remote sensing techniques, such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), have transformed the field of forestry and natural resource management in the last decade. Intensive assessments of forest resources and detailed structural assessments can now be accomplished faster and at multiple landscape scales. The ecological applications of having this valuable information at-hand are still only being developed. This work explores the use of two active remote sensing techniques, airborne and portable LiDAR for forestry applications in a rapidly changing landscape, Southeastern Coastal Pine woodlands. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of airborne and portable LiDAR, the tools used to extract …

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