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A Systematic Analysis To Identify, Mitigate, Quantify, And Measure Risk Factors Contributing To Falls In Nasa Ground Support Ope, Joylene Ware Jan 2009

A Systematic Analysis To Identify, Mitigate, Quantify, And Measure Risk Factors Contributing To Falls In Nasa Ground Support Ope, Joylene Ware

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the research was to develop and validate a multifaceted model such as a fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model that considers both qualitative and quantitative elements with relative significance in assessing the likelihood of falls and aid in the design of NASA Ground Support Operations in aerospace environments. The model represented linguistic variables that quantified significant risk factor levels. Multiple risk factors that contribute to falls in NASA Ground Support Operations are task related, human/personal, environmental, and organizational. Six subject matter experts were asked to participate in a voting system involving a survey where they judge risk …

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Analysis And Design Of Wide-Angle Foveated Optical Systems, George Curatu Jan 2009

Analysis And Design Of Wide-Angle Foveated Optical Systems, George Curatu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of compact imaging systems capable of transmitting high-resolution images in real-time while covering a wide field-of-view (FOV) is critical in a variety of military and civilian applications: surveillance, threat detection, target acquisition, tracking, remote operation of unmanned vehicles, etc. Recently, optical foveated imaging using liquid crystal (LC) spatial light modulators (SLM) has received considerable attention as a potential approach to reducing size and complexity in fast wide-angle lenses. The fundamental concept behind optical foveated imaging is reducing the number of elements in a fast wide-angle lens by placing a phase SLM at the pupil stop to dynamically compensate …

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Noninvasive Physiological Measures And Workload Transitions:An Investigation Of Thresholds Using Multiple Synchronized Sensors, Lee Sciarini Jan 2009

Noninvasive Physiological Measures And Workload Transitions:An Investigation Of Thresholds Using Multiple Synchronized Sensors, Lee Sciarini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine under what conditions multiple minimally intrusive physiological sensors can be used together and validly applied for use in areas which rely on adaptive systems including adaptive automation and augmented cognition. Specifically, this dissertation investigated the physiological transitions of operator state caused by changes in the level of taskload. Three questions were evaluated including (1) Do differences exist between physiological indicators when examined between levels of difficulty? (2) Are differences of physiological indicators (which may exist) between difficulty levels affected by spatial ability? (3) Which physiological indicators (if any) account for variation in …

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Scheduling And Resource Management For Complex Systems: From Large-Scale Distributed Systems To Very Large Sensor Networks, Chen Yu Jan 2009

Scheduling And Resource Management For Complex Systems: From Large-Scale Distributed Systems To Very Large Sensor Networks, Chen Yu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we focus on multiple levels of optimized resource management techniques. We first consider a classic resource management problem, namely the scheduling of data-intensive applications. We define the Divisible Load Scheduling (DLS) problem, outline the system model based on the assumption that data staging and all communication with the sites can be done in parallel, and introduce a set of optimal divisible load scheduling algorithms and the related fault-tolerant coordination algorithm. The DLS algorithms introduced in this dissertation exploit parallel communication, consider realistic scenarios regarding the time when heterogeneous computing systems are available, and generate optimal schedules. Performance …

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The Effects Of Urbanization On The Structure, Quality, And Diversity Of Cypress Plant Communities In Central Florida, Courtney Knickerbocker Jan 2009

The Effects Of Urbanization On The Structure, Quality, And Diversity Of Cypress Plant Communities In Central Florida, Courtney Knickerbocker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The integrity of wetland ecosystems is largely determined by hydrological functionality, degree of connectivity to like ecosystems, and permeability to external influence. Land use changes in upland areas adjacent to wetland ecosystems may influence hydrology and connectivity while introducing novel biotic and abiotic materials. There is an increasing trend toward the use of remote assessment techniques to determine the degree of impact of external influences on adjacent wetlands. Remote assessment and predictive capabilities are provided by indices such as the Landscape Development Intensity Index (LDI) (Brown and Vivas 2005) which may be beneficial in determining site condition, and which have …

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Analysis Of The Physical Forcing Mechanisms Influencing Salinity Transport For The Lower St. Johns River, Derek Giardino Jan 2009

Analysis Of The Physical Forcing Mechanisms Influencing Salinity Transport For The Lower St. Johns River, Derek Giardino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is the forcing mechanisms incorporated with salinity transport for the Lower St. Johns River. There are two primary analyses performed: a historical data analysis of primary forcing mechanisms to determine the importance of each individual influence, and a tidal hydrodynamics analysis for the Lower St. Johns River to determine the required tidal constituents for an accurate resynthesis. This thesis is a preliminary effort in understanding salinity transport for the Lower St. Johns River for engineering projects such as the dredging of navigation canals and freshwater withdrawal from the river. The analysis of the physical forcing …

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Nutrient And Pathogen Removal In A Subsurface Upflow Wetland System Using Green Sorption Media, Zhemin Xuan Jan 2009

Nutrient And Pathogen Removal In A Subsurface Upflow Wetland System Using Green Sorption Media, Zhemin Xuan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to environmental health and nutrient impact concerns, the conventional on-site sewage collection, treatment, and disposal systems are no longer able to meet the nutrient reduction requirements for wastewater effluent and may represent a large fraction of pollutant loads. The loads include not only nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), but also pathogens such as fecal coliform and E. coli which indicate the presence of other disease-causing bacteria flowing into aquatic system that adversely affect public health. A subsurface upflow wetland, which is an effective small-scale wastewater treatment system with low energy and maintenance requirements and operational costs, fits the current …

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The Effects Of Suicide Terrorism In Afghanistan And Iraq On Us Policy And Military Strategy, Michelle Whalen Jan 2009

The Effects Of Suicide Terrorism In Afghanistan And Iraq On Us Policy And Military Strategy, Michelle Whalen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The international political landscape of the 21st century is strewn with terrorist groups that choose to act violently in order for their political messages to be heard. Around the world groups have been formed to defend their ideologies and fulfill their political agendas through acts of terrorism. The Baader-Meinhof Gang [also known as the Red Army Faction], the Weather Underground, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Hezbollah, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, HAMAS, and the Irish Republican Army have existed for many decades. They represent only a small handful of terrorist groups that have kidnapped, targeted public institutions with …

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Mediating Effects Of Parents' Attributions In The Relationship Between Children's Temperament And Parenting Stress, Melissa Middleton Jan 2009

Mediating Effects Of Parents' Attributions In The Relationship Between Children's Temperament And Parenting Stress, Melissa Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To examine the relationships among children's temperament, parents' attributions, parenting stress, and children's behavior problems, the current study investigates the responses of parents who are raising children between the ages of 3- and 6-years. Each parent completed the Dimensions of Temperament Scale-Revised for Children (Windle & Learner, 1986), the Parenting Locus of Control Scale-Short Form (Rayfield, Eyberg, Boggs, & Roberts, 1995a), the Parent Attribution Test (Bugental, 1998), the Child Trait Rating Scale (Sacco, Johnson, & Tenzer, 1993), the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (Abidin, 1995), and the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000, 2001). Using correlational and regression analyses, results …

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Perceived Parental Characteristics And Neighborhood Support: How Do They Relate To Adolescents' Externalizing Behavior Problem, Rachel White Jan 2009

Perceived Parental Characteristics And Neighborhood Support: How Do They Relate To Adolescents' Externalizing Behavior Problem, Rachel White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Externalizing behavior problems are related to many problematic outcomes for children and adolescents in their home, school, and community settings. Given the ramifications of difficulties related to externalizing behavior problems, the present study examines the relationships among adolescents' externalizing behavior problems, characteristics of adolescents' families, and their perceived neighborhood support in a sample of adolescents who are in the Sixth through Eighth Grades. As part of this study, adolescents were assessed one time in their school setting with a set of brief questionnaires. In particular, adolescents completed measures assessing their levels of externalizing behavior problems, characteristics of their families, their …

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The Influence Of Graphic Organizers On Students' Ability To Summarize And Comprehend Science Content Regarding The Earth's Changing Surface, Patricia Goss Jan 2009

The Influence Of Graphic Organizers On Students' Ability To Summarize And Comprehend Science Content Regarding The Earth's Changing Surface, Patricia Goss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research project was to determine how my practice of using graphic organizers during instruction influenced my students' ability to summarize and comprehend significant fifth grade Earth Science content regarding the Earth's changing surface. A secondary purpose was to determine the students' perceptions of how concept mapping assisted in making connections to understand the fifth grade Earth Science content regarding the Earth's changing surface. The three processes used to collect data for this research were concept maps, focus groups and the pre- and post-test results. The themes that emerged were the ability to describe, categorize and …

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Can Guided Inquiry Based Labs Improve Performance In Data Analysis And Conclusion Synthesis In Sixth Grade Life Science?, Melonie Moore Jan 2009

Can Guided Inquiry Based Labs Improve Performance In Data Analysis And Conclusion Synthesis In Sixth Grade Life Science?, Melonie Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Desiring to examine the performance of science process skills such as data analysis and conclusion synthesis in sixth grade Life Science students, I used an inquiry strategy called "guided inquiry" in a series of six laboratory assignments during the normal county-mandated order of instruction for Life Science. I based my analysis upon these laboratory exercises, a survey of student attitudes towards science done before the study began and after the study completed, an assessment of inquiry understanding done before and after the study was finished, routine material tests, and a science final class evaluation done after the study was finished. …

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Retrocyclin, A Potent Hiv-1 Entry Inhibitor, Nitya Venkataraman Jan 2009

Retrocyclin, A Potent Hiv-1 Entry Inhibitor, Nitya Venkataraman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human immununodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the leading cause of death due to viral infections worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine or consistent male condom use, there is a clear need for female-controlled preventatives such as topical vaginal microbicides. Recent attention has been focused on developing natural antimicrobial peptides, as anti-retroviral microbicides. Increasing evidence suggests that cationic antimicrobial peptides such as defensins are effective HIV-1 inhibitors. Human alpha- and beta-defensins contribute substantially to innate immune defenses against microbial and viral infections. Certain nonhuman primates also produce theta-defensins – 18 residue cyclic peptides that are potent HIV-1 entry inhibitors. …

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Gold Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Property Study And Applcications For Biomolecular Detection And Photothermal Therapy, Xiong Liu Jan 2009

Gold Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Property Study And Applcications For Biomolecular Detection And Photothermal Therapy, Xiong Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a systematic study on gold nanoparticles: from their chemical synthesis, modification of surface functionalities, optical properties studies with emphasis on the absorption and scattering properties, to applications of gold nanoparticles in biomolecular detection, imaging and photothermal therapy. In chapter 2, we studied the kinetics of gold nanoparticle growth under Brust-Shiffrin reaction conditions. In chapter 3, we further examined the reaction mechanism and growth kinetics of gold nanoparticles using oleylamine as both a reducing reagent and particle growth passivation ligand. From these two projects, important understanding was revealed on gold nanoparticle formation and growth mechanism. Chapter 4 describes …

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Habitat-Specific Breeder Survival Of Florida Scrub-Jays: Inferences From Multistate Models, David R. Breininger, James D. Nichols, Geoffrey M. Carter, Donna M. Oddy Jan 2009

Habitat-Specific Breeder Survival Of Florida Scrub-Jays: Inferences From Multistate Models, David R. Breininger, James D. Nichols, Geoffrey M. Carter, Donna M. Oddy

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Quantifying habitat-specific survival and changes in habitat quality within disturbance-prone habitats is critical for understanding population dynamics and variation in fitness, and for managing degraded ecosystems. We used 18 years of color-banding data and multistate capture-recapture models to test whether habitat quality within territories influences survival and detection probability of breeding Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) and to estimate bird transition probabilities from one territory quality state to another. Our study sites were along central Florida's Atlantic coast and included two of the four largest metapopulations within the species range. We developed Markov models for habitat transitions and compared these to …

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The Longin Domain Regulates The Steady-State Dynamics Of Sec22 In Plasmodium Falciparum, Lawrence Ayong, Avanthi Raghavan, Timothy G. Schneider, Theodore F. Taraschi, David A. Fidock, Debopam Chakrabarti Jan 2009

The Longin Domain Regulates The Steady-State Dynamics Of Sec22 In Plasmodium Falciparum, Lawrence Ayong, Avanthi Raghavan, Timothy G. Schneider, Theodore F. Taraschi, David A. Fidock, Debopam Chakrabarti

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

The specificity of vesicle-mediated transport is largely regulated by the membrane-specific distribution of SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins. However, the signals and machineries involved in SNARE protein targeting to the respective intracellular locations are not fully understood. We have identified a Sec22 ortholog in Plasmodium falciparum (PfSec22) that contains an atypical insertion of the Plasmodium export element within the N-terminal longin domain. This Sec22 protein partially associates with membrane structures in the parasitized erythrocytes when expressed under the control of the endogenous promoter element. Our studies indicate that the atypical longin domain contains signals that are required …

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Dielectric Liquid Microlens With Well-Shaped Electrode, Su Xu, Yeong-Jyh Lin, Shin-Tson Wu Jan 2009

Dielectric Liquid Microlens With Well-Shaped Electrode, Su Xu, Yeong-Jyh Lin, Shin-Tson Wu

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

A dielectric liquid microlens with a well-shaped electrode is demonstrated. The bottom well-shaped electrode and the top planar electrode induce an inhomogeneous electric field when a voltage is applied, which causes the focal length to change. Adaptive microlenses and microlens arrays with well-shaped electrode are fabricated and their performance is evaluated. The bi-convex structure introduces a larger optical power. Compared with common planar-electrodes liquid lenses, this well-shaped electrode not only inhibits drifting of the liquid but also reduces the operating voltage.

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Adaptive Liquid Lens Actuated By Photo-Polymer, Su Xu, Hongwen Ren, Yeong-Jyh Lin, M. G. Jim Moharam, Shin-Tson Wu, Nelson Tabiryan Jan 2009

Adaptive Liquid Lens Actuated By Photo-Polymer, Su Xu, Hongwen Ren, Yeong-Jyh Lin, M. G. Jim Moharam, Shin-Tson Wu, Nelson Tabiryan

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

An adaptive liquid lens actuated by a photo-polymer is demonstrated. The lens cell consists of a top glass substrate and a bottom plastic slab with two holes: reservoir hole and lens hole, which are sealed with elastic membranes. A photo-sensitive polymer is attached to the membrane of the reservoir hole. Under blue light irradiation, the polymer is bent which exerts a pressure to regulate the curvature of the membrane on the lens hole and then change the focal length of the plano-convex lens. The focal length is tunable from infinity to 21.2 mm in seconds. Non-mechanical driving, easy integration with …

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Mcp-1 (Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1)-Induced Protein, A Recently Identified Zinc Finger Protein, Induces Adipogenesis In 3t3-L1 Pre-Adipocytes Without Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma, Craig W. Younce, Asim Azfer, Pappachan E. Kolattukudy Jan 2009

Mcp-1 (Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1)-Induced Protein, A Recently Identified Zinc Finger Protein, Induces Adipogenesis In 3t3-L1 Pre-Adipocytes Without Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma, Craig W. Younce, Asim Azfer, Pappachan E. Kolattukudy

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Adipogenesis is a key differentiation process relevant to obesity and associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This process involves temporally regulated genes controlled by a set of transcription factors, CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP) beta, C/EBP delta, and C/EBP alpha and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma). Currently, PPAR gamma is universally accepted as the master regulator that is necessary and sufficient to induce adipogenesis as no known factor can induce adipogenesis without PPAR gamma. We present evidence that a novel zinc finger protein, MCP-1-induced protein (MCPIP), can induce adipogenesis without PPAR gamma. Classical adipogenesis-inducing medium induces MCP-1 production and expression …

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A Novel Mode Of Translocation For Cytolethal Distending Toxin, Lina Guerra, Kathleen N. Nemec, Shane Massey, Suren A. Tatulian, Monica Thelestam, Teresa Frisan, Ken Teter Jan 2009

A Novel Mode Of Translocation For Cytolethal Distending Toxin, Lina Guerra, Kathleen N. Nemec, Shane Massey, Suren A. Tatulian, Monica Thelestam, Teresa Frisan, Ken Teter

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Thermal instability in the toxin catalytic subunit may be a common property of toxins that exit the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by exploiting the mechanism of ER-associated degradation (ERAD). The Haemophilus ducreyi cytolethal distending toxin (HdCDT) does not utilize ERAD to exit the ER, so we predicted the structural properties of its catalytic subunit (HdCdtB) would differ from other ER-translocating toxins. Here, we document the heat-stable properties of HdCdtB which distinguish it from other ER-translocating toxins. Cell-based assays further suggested that HdCdtB does not unfold before exiting the ER and that it may move directly from the ER lumen to the …

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Inhibition Of Selenium Metabolism In The Oral Pathogen Treponema Denticola, Sarah Jackson-Rosario, William T. Self Jan 2009

Inhibition Of Selenium Metabolism In The Oral Pathogen Treponema Denticola, Sarah Jackson-Rosario, William T. Self

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

In this report we provide evidence that the antimicrobial action of stannous salts and a gold drug, auranofin, against Treponema denticola is mediated through inhibition of the metabolism of selenium for synthesis of selenoproteins.

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Does Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy Enable To Obtain Adequate Oncological And Functional Outcomes During The Learning Curve? From The Korean Experience, Young Hwii Ko, Jeong Hyeon Ban, Seok Ho Kang, Hong Seok Park, Jeong Gu Lee, Duck Ki Yoon, Je Jong Kim, Jun Cheon, Vipul R. Patel Jan 2009

Does Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy Enable To Obtain Adequate Oncological And Functional Outcomes During The Learning Curve? From The Korean Experience, Young Hwii Ko, Jeong Hyeon Ban, Seok Ho Kang, Hong Seok Park, Jeong Gu Lee, Duck Ki Yoon, Je Jong Kim, Jun Cheon, Vipul R. Patel

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

To estimate the short-term results of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) during the learning curve, in terms of surgical, oncological and functional outcomes, we conducted a prospective survey on RALRP. From July 2007, a single surgeon performed 63 robotic prostatectomies using the same operative technique. Perioperative data, including pathological and early functional results of the patient, were collected prospectively and analyzed. Along with the accumulation of the cases, the total operative time, setup time, console time and blood loss were significantly decreased. No major complication was present in any patient. Transfusion was needed in six patients; all of them were …

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Rna-Destabilizing Factor Tristetraprolin Negatively Regulates Nf-Kappa B Signaling, Jian Liang, Tianhua Lei, Yuting Song, Natalie Yanes, Yongfen Qi, Mingui Fu Jan 2009

Rna-Destabilizing Factor Tristetraprolin Negatively Regulates Nf-Kappa B Signaling, Jian Liang, Tianhua Lei, Yuting Song, Natalie Yanes, Yongfen Qi, Mingui Fu

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a CCCH zinc finger-containing protein that destabilizes mRNA by binding to an AU-rich element. Mice deficient in TTP develop a severe inflammatory syndrome mainly because of overproduction of tumor necrosis factor alpha. We report here that TTP also negatively regulates NF-kappa B signaling at the transcriptional corepressor level, by which it may repress inflammatory gene transcription. TTP expression inhibited NF-kappa B-dependent transcription. However, overexpression of TTP did not affect reporter mRNA stability. Instead, TTP functioned as a corepressor of p65/NF-kappa B. In support of this concept, we found that TTP physically interacted with the p65 subunit of …

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Polyamine Transport As A Target For Treatment Of Pneumocystis Pneumonia, Chung-Ping Liao, Otto Phanstiel Iv, Mark E. Lasbury, Chen Zhang, Shoujin Shao, Pamela J. Durant, Bi-Hua Cheng, Chao-Hung Lee Jan 2009

Polyamine Transport As A Target For Treatment Of Pneumocystis Pneumonia, Chung-Ping Liao, Otto Phanstiel Iv, Mark E. Lasbury, Chen Zhang, Shoujin Shao, Pamela J. Durant, Bi-Hua Cheng, Chao-Hung Lee

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Polyamine levels are greatly increased in alveolar macrophages (AMs) during Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), leading to increased production of H(2)O(2), which causes AMs to undergo apoptosis. One of the mechanisms by which polyamine levels in AMs are elevated is enhanced uptake of exogenous polyamines. In this study, the possibility of targeting polyamine uptake as a treatment for PCP was examined. Four anthracene- and one benzene-polyamine conjugates that are potential polyamine transport inhibitors, including N1-anthracen-9-ylmethylbutane-1,4-diamine; N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-anthracen-9-ylmethylbutane-1,4-diamine; N-[4-(4-aminobutylamino)butyl]-N-anthracen-9-ylmethylbutane-1,4- diamine; N-(4-amino-butyl)-N'-(10-{[4-(4-aminobutylamino)butylamino]-methyl}anthracen-9-ylmethyl)butane-1,4-diamine (44-Ant-44); and benzene-polyamine conjugate N-(4-amino-butyl)-N'-(4-{[4-(4-amino-butylamino)butylamino]-methyl} benzyl)butane-1,4-diamine (44Bn-44), were tested. Compounds 44-Ant-44 and 44-Bn-44 were found to have a very low toxicity to AMs …

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Effects Of The Surrounding Medium On The Optical Properties Of A Subwavelength Aperture, Olena Lopatiuk-Tirpak, Sasan Fathpour Jan 2009

Effects Of The Surrounding Medium On The Optical Properties Of A Subwavelength Aperture, Olena Lopatiuk-Tirpak, Sasan Fathpour

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Influence of the refractive index of the surrounding material on the performance of a C-shaped subwavelength aperture is investigated. The changes in the spectral response (0.6 mu m to 6 mu m wavelength range) and power throughput of the aperture in an optically opaque silver (Ag) film are described for two configurations: one where the film with the aperture is immersed in an infinite dielectric slab and the other where the metallic layer is immediately adjacent to a semi-infinite dielectric substrate. It is shown that, while the resonant wavelengths increase monotonically with refractive index for both cases, the rates of …

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Multiplexed Highly Sensitive Detections Of Cancer Biomarkers In Thermal Space Using Encapsulated Phase Change Nanoparticles, Liyuan Ma, Yan Hong, Zeyu Ma, Charalambos Kaittanis, J. Manuel Perez, Ming Su Jan 2009

Multiplexed Highly Sensitive Detections Of Cancer Biomarkers In Thermal Space Using Encapsulated Phase Change Nanoparticles, Liyuan Ma, Yan Hong, Zeyu Ma, Charalambos Kaittanis, J. Manuel Perez, Ming Su

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

We describe a multiplexed highly sensitive method to detect cancer biomarkers using silica encapsulated phase change nanoparticles as thermal barcodes. During phase changes, nanoparticles absorb heat energy without much temperature rise and show sharp melting peaks (0.6 degrees C). A series of phase change nanoparticles of metals or alloys can be synthesized in such a way that they melt between 100 and 700 degrees C, thus the multiplicity could reach 1000. The method has high sensitivity (8 nM) that can be enhanced using materials with large latent heat, nanoparticles with large diameter, or reducing the grafting density of biomolecules on …

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Changes In Dry State Hemoglobin Over Time Do Not Increase The Potential For Oxidative Dna Damage In Dried Blood, April Marrone, Jack Ballantyne Jan 2009

Changes In Dry State Hemoglobin Over Time Do Not Increase The Potential For Oxidative Dna Damage In Dried Blood, April Marrone, Jack Ballantyne

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Background: Hemoglobin (Hb) is the iron-containing oxygen transport protein present in the red blood cells of vertebrates. Ancient DNA and forensic scientists are particularly interested in Hb reactions in the dry state because both regularly encounter aged, dried bloodstains. The DNA in such stains may be oxidatively damaged and, in theory, may be deteriorated by the presence of Hb. To understand the nature of the oxidative systems potentially available to degrade DNA in the presence of dried Hb, we need to determine what molecular species Hb forms over time. These species will determine what type of iron (i.e. Fe(2+)/Fe(3+)/Fe(4+)) is …

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Development Of Novel Integrated Bio/Chemical Sensor Systems Using Chalcogenide Glass Materials, Laeticia Petit, Nathan Carlie, Bodgan Zdyrko, Igor Luzinov, Kathleen Richardson, Juejun Hu, Anu Agarwal, Lionel Kimerling, Troy Anderson, Martin Richardson Jan 2009

Development Of Novel Integrated Bio/Chemical Sensor Systems Using Chalcogenide Glass Materials, Laeticia Petit, Nathan Carlie, Bodgan Zdyrko, Igor Luzinov, Kathleen Richardson, Juejun Hu, Anu Agarwal, Lionel Kimerling, Troy Anderson, Martin Richardson

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

This paper reviews ongoing progress in the design and fabrication of new, on-chip, low loss planar molecular sensors. We report the details of device design, material selection and manufacturing processes used to realise high-index-contrast (HIC), compact micro-disk resonators. These structures have been fabricated in thermally evaporated As- and Ge-based chalcogenide glass films with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) micro-fluidic channels using standard UV lithography. Discussed are findings that demonstrate that our novel chalcogenide-based micro-fluidic device can be used as highly sensitive refractive index sensors.

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Synthesis, Characterization And Texture Observations Of Calamitic Liquid Crystalline Compounds, Maher A. Qaddoura, Kevin D. Belfield Jan 2009

Synthesis, Characterization And Texture Observations Of Calamitic Liquid Crystalline Compounds, Maher A. Qaddoura, Kevin D. Belfield

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Several divinylic mesogenic monomers were synthesized based on coupling the monomer 4-(4-pentenyloxy)benzoic acid with chlorohydroquinone, 2,5-dihydroxyacetophenone, methylhydroquinone or 2-methoxyhydroquinone. This resulted in novel mesogens of phenylene esters with different lateral substituent groups. The effect of the lateral substituent group on the thermotropic phase behavior for these liquid crystalline compounds was investigated using DSC and optical polarized microscopy. All the mesogens proved to have a wide nematic liquid crystalline range. Only the phenylene ester, which has a methoxy lateral substituent, exhibited both nematic and smectic phases. Structural confirmation of all new derivatives was accomplished by H-1- and C-13-NMR spectroscopic analysis, along …

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Novel Cell-Based Method To Detect Shiga Toxin 2 From Escherichia Coli O157: H7 And Inhibitors Of Toxin Activity, Beatriz Quiñones, Shane Massey, Mendel Friedman, Michelle S. Swimley, Ken Teter Jan 2009

Novel Cell-Based Method To Detect Shiga Toxin 2 From Escherichia Coli O157: H7 And Inhibitors Of Toxin Activity, Beatriz Quiñones, Shane Massey, Mendel Friedman, Michelle S. Swimley, Ken Teter

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Escherichia coli O157: H7 is a leading cause of food-borne illness. This human pathogen produces Shiga toxins (Stx1 and Stx2) which inhibit protein synthesis by inactivating ribosome function. The present study describes a novel cell-based assay to detect Stx2 and inhibitors of toxin activity. A Vero cell line harboring a destabilized variant (half- life, 2 h) of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (d2EGFP) was used to monitor the toxin-induced inhibition of protein synthesis. This Vero-d2EGFP cell line produced a fluorescent signal which could be detected by microscopy or with a plate reader. However, a greatly attenuated fluorescent signal was detected …

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