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Transforming The Aquatic Urban Landscape: Nutrient Status And Management Of Stormwater Basins, Lindsay Skovira Jan 2016

Transforming The Aquatic Urban Landscape: Nutrient Status And Management Of Stormwater Basins, Lindsay Skovira

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urbanization is a largely irreversible anthropogenic change that degrades environmental quality, including aquatic ecosystems. Stormwater ponds are a popular best management practice (BMP) to mitigate the effects of urban land use on downstream water bodies and contribute significantly to the total area of aquatic ecosystems in some urban watersheds. My research investigated the distribution of stormwater ponds and examined how different urban land uses influenced biophysicochemical conditions and management of those ponds in a rapidly developing suburban watershed in the Econlockhatchee River basin in Florida, USA. I evaluated limnological and ecological parameters in randomly-selected ponds distributed among three urban land-use …

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Multidimensional Room-Temperature Fluorescence Microscopy For The Nondestructive Analysis Of Forensic Trace Textile Fibers, Nirvani Mujumdar Jan 2016

Multidimensional Room-Temperature Fluorescence Microscopy For The Nondestructive Analysis Of Forensic Trace Textile Fibers, Nirvani Mujumdar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to advance nondestructive methodology for forensic fiber examination. Non-destructive techniques that can either discriminate between similar fibers or match a known to a questioned fiber – and still preserve the physical integrity of the fibers for further court examination - are highly valuable in forensic science. A challenging aspect of forensic fiber examinations involves the comparison of fibers colored with visually indistinguishable dyestuffs. This is not an uncommon situation, as there are numerous indistinguishable fibers pre-dyed with commercial dyes of virtually identical colors. Minimal chemical structural variations are actually encouraged by the dye patent …

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The Estimation Of Germ Line De Novo Mutation Rates Of Extended Sets Of Y-Str Haplotypes To Aid In The Differentiation Of Male Biological Relatives In Criminal Investigations, Nicole Masker Jan 2016

The Estimation Of Germ Line De Novo Mutation Rates Of Extended Sets Of Y-Str Haplotypes To Aid In The Differentiation Of Male Biological Relatives In Criminal Investigations, Nicole Masker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An important forensic application for Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) is the identification of male DNA. Since the Y-chromosome is non-recombining and most Y-STRs have slippage mutation rates on the order of 1x10-3 or lower, Y-STR commercial multiplex systems do not yet allow personal individualization. This is problematic in criminal investigations where the persons of interest include males of the same paternal line. In order to obtain discrimination among paternal male relatives, it would be necessary to use a larger number of Y-STRs or a selection of Y-loci with higher slippage mutations with the hope of encountering a germline meiotic …

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Political, Economic, And Health Determinants Of Tuberculosis Incidence, Ashley Rutherford Jan 2016

Political, Economic, And Health Determinants Of Tuberculosis Incidence, Ashley Rutherford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The epidemiologic transition has shifted major causes of mortality from infectious disease to chronic disease; however, infectious diseases are again re-emerging as a major global concern (Diamond, 1997; Karlen, 1995; McNeil, 1976). This research aimed to identify potential areas of infectious disease influence that are not health-related in order to help governments and policymakers establish new policies, correct current policies, or further address these issues in order to effectively prevent and combat infectious disease. This study employed a retrospective, cross-sectional, non-experimental design via structural equation modeling (SEM) and examined tuberculosis incidence rates at the country-level. Secondary data from open-source, international …

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Navigating Sociotechnical Power Structures: Dynamics Of Conflict In World Of Warcraft's Player Versus Player Events, Rachael Root Jan 2016

Navigating Sociotechnical Power Structures: Dynamics Of Conflict In World Of Warcraft's Player Versus Player Events, Rachael Root

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a result of technological advancement and exponential increases in global access, cross-disciplinary research has recently turned to digital online video games. Most anthropological research within this area has centered around player self-identification, gender construction, and gaming communities. Yet many interactions occur at nodes of dynamic conflict where agentic players navigate intersections of power, which are unaddressed in the scholarly corpus. By utilizing ethnographic methods in World of Warcraft's player versus player events, I examine resources, relationships, and tools that underpin player actions and understandings. My findings reveal layered and dynamic patterns of sociotechnical conflict. Players' geographical location impacts access …

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The Mauc Gene Encodes A Versatile Signal Sequence And Redox Protein That Can Be Utilized In Native And Non-Native Protein Expression And Electron Trnasfer Systems, Brian Dow Jan 2016

The Mauc Gene Encodes A Versatile Signal Sequence And Redox Protein That Can Be Utilized In Native And Non-Native Protein Expression And Electron Trnasfer Systems, Brian Dow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The redox-active type 1 copper site of amicyanin is composed of a single copper ion that is coordinated by two histidines, a methionine, and a cysteine residue. This redox site has a potential of +265 mV at pH7.5. Over ten angstroms away from the copper site resides a tryptophan residue whose fluorescence is quenched by the copper. The effects of the tryptophan on the electron transfer (ET) properties were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. Lessons learned about the hydrogen bonding network of amicyanin from the aforementioned study were attempted to be used as a model to increase the stability of another …

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Pyroglutamylated Amyloid Beta Peptides Enhance Non-Fibrillogenic Aggregation Of The Unmodified Peptide, Gregory Goldblatt Jan 2016

Pyroglutamylated Amyloid Beta Peptides Enhance Non-Fibrillogenic Aggregation Of The Unmodified Peptide, Gregory Goldblatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is accompanied by abnormal extracellular deposition of amyloid b (Ab) peptide. This has led to the amyloid cascade hypothesis, causatively relating Ab with AD. While Ab deposits assume a fibrillar cross-b structure, prefibrillar oligomers of Ab have been identified as the main cytotoxic agents in AD. Pyroglutamylated amyloid beta (AbpE) peptides are N-terminally truncated and pyroglutamylated (at Glu3 or Glu11) Ab molecules that display enhanced cytotoxicity and represent up to 50% of total Ab in AD brains. AbpE significantly enhances the toxicity of unmodified Ab by an unknown mechanism. Although in situ Ab populations are heterogeneous, the …

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Building A Foundation For Goal-Attainment And Problem-Solving In Interdisciplinary Studies: Reimagining Web-Based Core Curriculum Through A Classical Lens, Said Jardaneh Jan 2016

Building A Foundation For Goal-Attainment And Problem-Solving In Interdisciplinary Studies: Reimagining Web-Based Core Curriculum Through A Classical Lens, Said Jardaneh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The core curriculum of interdisciplinary studies undergraduate programs represents interdisciplinarity as a consciously applied process, whether individually or collaboratively, of drawing and integrating insights from various disciplinary perspectives toward complex problem-solving and innovation. At the front-end of these programs students are often introduced to interdisciplinarity through terminology, metaphors, concepts, and context that are intended to familiarize them with the process. This initiation usually precedes what will ultimately entail a limited number of upper-division courses within the several disciplines or areas that will encompass a unique plan of study characterized by its breadth. The philosophy underlying current pedagogy in interdisciplinary studies …

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By Book And School: The Politics Of Educational Reform In France And Algeria During The Early Third Republic, Michael Brooks Jan 2016

By Book And School: The Politics Of Educational Reform In France And Algeria During The Early Third Republic, Michael Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the era of New Imperialism, the newly-formed French Third Republic continued France's civilizing mission both in France and in Algeria. Founded on a series of reforms, republican leaders and educational experts judged primary level education taught in the French language to be the most effective means of uniting a linguistically and culturally diverse population in the metropole. These republican values, based on revolutionary tenet of universality, would help France to sustain a republican regime, would thwart attempts to reestablish monarchical rule, and would teach future French citizens what it meant to be politically active. At the same time, another …

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From The Yellow Peril To The Model Minority: An Experimental Survey Examining Racial Attitudes Towards Asian Americans, Jenny Nguyen Jan 2016

From The Yellow Peril To The Model Minority: An Experimental Survey Examining Racial Attitudes Towards Asian Americans, Jenny Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attitudinal research continues to show a more liberal trend in racial attitudes of Whites towards Blacks across a spectrum of issues (i.e. interracial marriage, residential integration, etc.) leading some to believe that we are moving into a post-racial society. However, a growing body of research has brought into question this utopian post-racial assertion. While Whites express support for racial equality in principle, they vehemently oppose race-targeted policies aimed to address racial inequality. This principle-policy gap has been consistently associated with persistent racial resentment; thus, contradicting the notion that of a post-racial era. Existing attitudinal research is often limited to the …

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Role Of Klf8-Cxcr4 Signaling In Breast Cancer Metastasis, Debarati Mukherjee Jan 2016

Role Of Klf8-Cxcr4 Signaling In Breast Cancer Metastasis, Debarati Mukherjee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) has been strongly implicated in breast cancer metastasis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study we report a novel signaling from KLF8 to C-X-C cytokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in breast cancer. Overexpression of KLF8 in MCF-10A cells induced CXCR4 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. This induction was well correlated with increased Boyden chamber migration, matrigel invasion and transendothelial migration (TEM) of the cells towards the ligand CXCL12. On the other hand, knockdown of KLF8 in MDA-MB-231 cells reduced CXCR4 expression associated with decreased cell migration, invasion and TEM towards CXCL12. …

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What's Your Focus? The Impact Of Regulatory Focus On Resource Acquisition., Regan Stevenson Jan 2016

What's Your Focus? The Impact Of Regulatory Focus On Resource Acquisition., Regan Stevenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entrepreneurs need resources. Previous research has established that entrepreneurs send signals of "quality" to potential resource providers in order to obtain resources. However, a behavioral research approach would contend that resource acquisition depends on much more than venture quality signals. In this dissertation, I extend beyond the signaling paradigm and investigate the resource acquisition process using a framework contingent on entrepreneur signals, resource provider dispositional differences, and their interactive effects. Specifically, I leverage regulatory focus theory and regulatory fit theory to augment and move beyond the signaling theory approach. Methodologically, I undertake two studies. The first study uses archival field …

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An Evaluation Of Anxiety Following Substance Abuse Withdrawal And Assessment Of Somatic Treatments Presently Available With A Focus On Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation, Janet Hutchison Jan 2016

An Evaluation Of Anxiety Following Substance Abuse Withdrawal And Assessment Of Somatic Treatments Presently Available With A Focus On Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation, Janet Hutchison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Addictive disorders/substance use disorders (SUDS) affect almost everyone in the United States, either directly or indirectly. The cost of substance abuse to the social and economic structure in the United States is huge. Anxiety is one of the most frequently mentioned symptoms which lead to relapse during the early weeks of recovery due to neurohormonal changes in the limbic system as well as cortisol production which occur during this time. Present research in the treatment of anxiety in substance abuse and long term recovery is focused on genetics and pharmaceuticals, however most pharmaceuticals produce sedation. Additional therapies in early recovery, …

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Though I Know The River Is Dry, Victoria Campbell Jan 2016

Though I Know The River Is Dry, Victoria Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though I Know the River is Dry is a place-oriented collection of short fiction. The included stories follow female protagonists as they struggle with identity, relationships, and place in the world. The women in these stories frequently grapple with the fear of being loved in the wrong way, often unearthing a deeper examination of what it means to be tethered to a person or a place, along with the ramifications of these ties. All tangentially related to the island of Martha's Vineyard, place serves as a grounding element in this collection, as well as an entity with which the women …

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Evaluating Floating Treatment Wetlands To Improve Nitrogen Removal In A Wet Detention Pond, Zachary Marimon Jan 2016

Evaluating Floating Treatment Wetlands To Improve Nitrogen Removal In A Wet Detention Pond, Zachary Marimon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wet detention ponds are used for stormwater treatment across the United States and reduce most pollutants by at least 60%, but only remove 30% of total nitrogen. Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) are an emerging technology that uses aquatic plants suspended in the pelagic zone to remove nitrogen through vegetative assimilation and microbial denitrification. A before-after field experiment evaluated nitrogen removal in a an existing pond in Orlando, FL, retrofitted with BioHaven® FTWs planted with the aquatic macrophytes Juncus effusus (Soft Rush) and Pontederia cordata (Pickerelweed). Surface water samples were used to compare the nitrogen removal performance of the pond under …

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Playing Back Spirituality: Using Applied Theatre Practice For Spiritual Exploration An Meaningful Community Building In College, Ann Kinnebrew Jan 2016

Playing Back Spirituality: Using Applied Theatre Practice For Spiritual Exploration An Meaningful Community Building In College, Ann Kinnebrew

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher Education in the U.S. today is experiencing a theoretical and practical shift toward educating the "whole person" and to that end, is investigating ways to include spirituality in all facets of the academy. This requires focusing on the concept that "in addition to material knowledge, spiritual, emotional, and ethical knowledge is imparted to students" (Khan 2009). Many colleges and universities are searching for avenues to answer this call and better prepare students as business, political and social leaders in a new millennia that defines religion very differently than it did twenty years ago. Today, students are exposed to a …

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Christ On The Postmodern Stage: Debunking Christian Metanarrative Through Contemporary Passion Plays, Joseph Dambrosi Jan 2016

Christ On The Postmodern Stage: Debunking Christian Metanarrative Through Contemporary Passion Plays, Joseph Dambrosi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a Christian theatre artist with a conservative upbringing, I continually seek to discover the role of postmodernism in faith and how this intersection correlates with theatre in a postmodern society. In a profession that constantly challenges the status quo of Christian living, and a faith that frowns upon most "secular" behavior, I find myself in a position of questioning the connection between these two components of my life. Furthermore, I am troubled by the exclusive nature of the evangelical Christian community for people who do not meet its expectations of absolute truth—namely, the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and …

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Flying Under The Lidar: Relating Forest Structure To Bat Community Diversity, Anna Schneider Swanson Jan 2016

Flying Under The Lidar: Relating Forest Structure To Bat Community Diversity, Anna Schneider Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bats are important to many ecological processes such as pollination, insect (and by proxy, disease) control, and seed dispersal and can be used to monitor ecosystem health. However, they are facing unprecedented extinction risks from habitat degradation as well as pressures from pathogens (e.g., white-nose syndrome) and wind turbines. LiDAR allows ecologists to measure structural variables of forested landscapes with increased precision and accuracy at broader spatial scales than previously possible. This study used airborne LiDAR to classify forest habitat/canopy structure at the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS) in north central Florida. LiDAR data were acquired by the National Ecological Observatory …

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Low Impact Development Analysis And Comparative Assessment Of Wet Detention Ponds With Floating Treatment Wetlands, Nicholas Hartshorn Jan 2016

Low Impact Development Analysis And Comparative Assessment Of Wet Detention Ponds With Floating Treatment Wetlands, Nicholas Hartshorn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to examine, develop, and assess innovative best management practices (BMPs) in stormwater management for pollutant reduction, flood control, and environmental sustainability. Previous research has clearly shown that urban stormwater runoff quickly transports pathogens, metals, sediment, and chemical pollutants to receiving waterbodies, resulting in the degradation of receiving waters and disruption of ecological networks. In response to this growing concern, regulatory agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), have set forth regulations aimed at protecting and restoring waterbodies. These regulations include numeric nutrient criteria (NNC) and …

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Could Dietary Peroxidized Lipids Provoke An Intestinal Inflammatory Response?, Mitsushita Doomra Jan 2016

Could Dietary Peroxidized Lipids Provoke An Intestinal Inflammatory Response?, Mitsushita Doomra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Crohn's disease represent chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases. It is suspected that bacterial infection is one of the causes of gut inflammation. Studies from others as well as from our laboratory have indicated that peroxidized lipids and their decomposition products are pro-inflammatory. As we consume considerable amounts of dietary oxidized lipids (arising from deep frying of vegetable oils), we hypothesize that dietary peroxidized lipids may also lead to intestinal inflammation. To test this hypothesis, intestine from C57BL/6J mice were collected and used in this study. The intestinal epithelial tissue as well as intestinal lymphoid tissues [Peyer's Patches …

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Extracurricular Activities And Substance Use Among Adolescents: A Test Of Social Control And Social Learning Theory, Lynnette Coto Jan 2016

Extracurricular Activities And Substance Use Among Adolescents: A Test Of Social Control And Social Learning Theory, Lynnette Coto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current research examines correlates of adolescent substance use with a focus on extracurricular activities. Given that marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug, and binge drinking can have an early onset the examinations of these two substances were important. Many studies have researched the correlation between substance use and sports, but have not included other extracurricular activities such as academic and fine art clubs. The current research fills this gap in the literature by using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and by testing Hirschi's (1969) Social Control Theory and Aker's (1985) Social Learning Theory. …

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Taxing Working Memory: The Effects On Category Learning, Ashley Ercolino Dec 2015

Taxing Working Memory: The Effects On Category Learning, Ashley Ercolino

HIM 1990-2015

In the past decade, the COVIS model (Ashby, Alfonso-Reese, Turken, & Waldron, 1998) has emerged as the only neuropsychological theory for the existence of multiple brain systems for category learning. COVIS postulates that there are two systems, explicit and implicit, which compete against one another. These two systems reply on two discrete networks: explicit, or rule based categorization relies on executive function and working memory while implicit, or information integration categorization is mediated by dopaminergic pathways. The purpose of this pilot study was to further provide evidence for the existence of multiple systems of category learning. In all three experiments, …

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An Examination Of The Factors That Impact Elementary School Principal's Perceptions Of Their Leadership Role, Kathryn M. Kish Dec 2015

An Examination Of The Factors That Impact Elementary School Principal's Perceptions Of Their Leadership Role, Kathryn M. Kish

HIM 1990-2015

A growing body of research supports the idea that large-scale school reform efforts often fail to create sustained change within the public school sector. When implementing deep organizational change, both novice and veteran educators are challenged to learn new skills, reexamine their instructional practice and content knowledge, and re-shape their underlying beliefs and values about schools. This qualitative study explored principals’ perceptions of their leadership roles in the school system. Data collection was done through a series of three interviews with three elementary school principals in Central Florida. In addition to their perceptions, it also studied factors that may influence …

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Family Struggles And Substance Use Among First Generation College Students, Barbara Vehabovic Dec 2015

Family Struggles And Substance Use Among First Generation College Students, Barbara Vehabovic

HIM 1990-2015

The current study seeks to examine the relationship between family struggles, as measured by social class and parental marital status, and substance use among first-generation college students. 902 students from the University of Central Florida participated in an online questionnaire that assessed their social class, parents’ marital status, drug and alcohol use, as well as demographic variables. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between substance use and social class as well as generational status. Males were also more likely to use drugs and alcohol than females. A regression analysis indicated social class, gender, junior and senior academic years were all …

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Development Of A Set Of Force Response Equations To Represent The Musculature In Infants To Study Development Dysplasia Of The Hip, Brendan Jones Dec 2015

Development Of A Set Of Force Response Equations To Represent The Musculature In Infants To Study Development Dysplasia Of The Hip, Brendan Jones

HIM 1990-2015

This paper describes how a force response equation was created to model muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the hip joint to improve a biomechanical model of an infant hip to study Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH). DDH is the most common abnormality in newborn infants and is defined as any amount of instability in the hip including complete dislocation. Researchers at our institution are attempting to increase the success rate of treatment methods by creating computer models of the biomechanics of infant hip instability and dislocation. The computer model used a scaled adult pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula and foot …

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Fgcuscholars: Using Undergraduate Research As A Tool To Enhance Student Writing, Critical Thinking, And Information Literacy, Mary Crone-Romanovski, Hulya Julie Yazici, Rita Rubin, Charles W. Gunnels Oct 2015

Fgcuscholars: Using Undergraduate Research As A Tool To Enhance Student Writing, Critical Thinking, And Information Literacy, Mary Crone-Romanovski, Hulya Julie Yazici, Rita Rubin, Charles W. Gunnels

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

This presentation will overview FGCUScholars, a university-wide program at Florida Gulf Coast University that integrates undergraduate research across the university as a means of teaching and assessing writing, critical thinking, and information literacy. We will overview the development and learning outcomes of FGCUScholars and the implementation across the campus, highlighting examples of curricular changes in engineering that engage students throughout their career at FGCU, the role of problem/project-based learning (PBL) in business classes, the development of research assignments that use digital media in literature courses, and the creation of disciplinary-specific sections of Composition II.

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Hacking Discovery For Better Ux: Afternoon Workshop, Eric Frierson, Athena Hoeppner, Joe Marquez Oct 2015

Hacking Discovery For Better Ux: Afternoon Workshop, Eric Frierson, Athena Hoeppner, Joe Marquez

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

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User Experience In The Discovery Ecosystem: Morning Wokshop, Rebecca Blackiston, Athena Hoeppner, Eric Frierson Oct 2015

User Experience In The Discovery Ecosystem: Morning Wokshop, Rebecca Blackiston, Athena Hoeppner, Eric Frierson

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

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Methods And Products For Biasing Cellular Development, Kiminobu Sugaya, Angel Alvarez, Amelia Marutle Sep 2015

Methods And Products For Biasing Cellular Development, Kiminobu Sugaya, Angel Alvarez, Amelia Marutle

UCF Patents

Methods are described that bias cells, such as potent and multipotent stem cells, by transfection with a nucleic acid sequence, to differentiate to a desired end-stage cell or a cell having characteristics of a desired end-stage cell. In particular embodiments, human neural stem cells are transfected with vectors comprising genes in the homeobox family of transcription factor developmental control genes, and this results in a greater percentage of resultant transformed cells, or their progeny, differentiating into a desired end-stage cell or a cell having characteristics of a desired end-stage cell.

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Aqueous Method For Making Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Con, J. Manuel Perez Figueroa, Sudip Nath Sep 2015

Aqueous Method For Making Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Con, J. Manuel Perez Figueroa, Sudip Nath

UCF Patents

The invention discloses an aqueous method of making polymer coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The method comprises providing a mixture of iron salts in an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid. A solution of ammonium hydroxide is added to the mixture and stirred. Stirring continues with an aqueous solution of one or more biocompatible polymers so as to promote formation of polymer coated iron nanoparticles in suspension, wherein optionally at least one of the polymers in the coating may be aminated. Centrifuging the suspension leaves a supernatant without large particles. Filtering the supernatant through an ultrafiltration membrane and collecting the filtrate recovers polymer …

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