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The Relationship Of Childhood Stress To Adult Health And Mortality Among Individuals From Two U.S. Documented Skeletal Collections, Late 19Th To Early 20Th Centuries, Rhonda Coolidge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although the association between social inequality and poor adult health is well established, the mechanisms by which inequality is translated into poor adult health are less clear. Increasingly, evidence suggests that many adult health problems and health disparities have their origins in early life; the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis provides an explanatory mechanism linking adverse early life conditions with permanent structural or functional changes that increase the risk for disease. This hypothesis is consistent with bioarchaeological research noting reduced lifespan among individuals exhibiting signs of childhood stress.

The principal aim of this dissertation is to contribute …

Targeting Autopalmitoylation To Modulate Protein S-Palmitoylation, Laura Dawn Hamel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Palmitoylation refers to the covalent attachment of fatty acids, such as palmitate, onto the cysteine residues of proteins. This process may subsequently alter their localization and function. Nearly all of the enzymes that catalyze palmitoylation, zDHHC protein acyl transferases (PATs), are implicated in neurological disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer in humans. Of particular interest to those who study palmitoylation are Ras family GTPas and zDHHC9-GCP16, the zDHHC PAT that palmitoylates Ras proteins. Erf2-Erf4 is the zDHHC PAT that palmitoylates Ras proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Currently, there are no methods to therapeutically target palmitoylation for the treatment of disease. One …

Compositions Including Triciribine And Trastuzumab And Methods Of Use Thereof, Jin Q. Cheng, Said M. Sebti

USF Patents

This application relates to combination therapies including triciribine and related compounds and trastuzumab or a salt thereof and compositions with reduced toxicity for the treatment and prevention of tumors, cancer, and other disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation.

Molecular And Phenotypic Studies Validating The Role Of The Ecdysone Receptor In The Human Parasite Brugia Malayi, Amruta Mhashilkar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Filariasis and onchocerciasis are debilitating diseases affecting 120 million people globally. The massive socio-economic impact of these diseases energized the international community to declare a goal of eliminating filariasis 2020. This resulted in a dramatic increase in the efforts to eliminate filariasis and onchocerciasis, employing a strategy of mass drug administration (MDA). However, these programs rely upon the small arsenal of drugs. This leaves these programs vulnerable to failure in the face of developing resistance and local intolerance to the current drug regimens. Thus, new drugs against these infections are critically needed. A homologue of the ecdysone receptor (EcR), a …

Cave Talk, November 2015, Robert A. Holt

Cave Talk

Contents: 1965 - Celebrating our 50th Year - 2015 -- a Message from our New President Patty Perlaky -- 4th Grader Apologizes to Black Chasm Cavern -- Generations: a Garden Kaleidoscope at Mark Twain Cave -- Speleotherapy Or Natural Cave Therapy -- NCA Buyers Group -- Tennessee Gift Shows -- 2015 Convention Attendee Survey Results -- WNS Report -- Pumpkin Fix at Luray Fudge Company -- Microsoft's Rms P-O-S System -- NCA Insurance Column - NCA Members’ Resource for Insurance Information, News, Education -- a Thank You Note -- Calendar of Events

Killing Them Softly: Forcible Transfers Of Indigenous Children, Ruth Amir

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The forcible transfer of indigenous children in North America and Australia are part of a global phenomenon that consisted of the kidnapping, trafficking, removal, and identity changes of children of particular groups.

Article II(e) of the United Nation Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide prohibits the forcible transfer of children of a group to another group (FTC). The FTC echoes domestic and international legal norms and policies for the protection of children since early twentieth century. Its particular applicability to specific victims within a protected group – children –conveys a unique ethical position compared to the other acts …

Global Climate Change As A Threat To U.S. National Security, Emilio Morales Jr.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Soil As A Risk Indicator For Human Leptospirosis In Coastal, Rural Ecuador, Chad Allen Weddell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochete bacteria (family Leptospiraceae, genus Leptospira), is endemic in developing tropical regions of the world. It occurs in epidemics and is endemic in Ecuador where environmental conditions are ideal for maintenance. The role of soil as a long term reservoir has been previously been documented. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technology was used in our study to further explore the role of soil as an environmental reservoir and its potential use as a static risk indicator for disease. Red, Green, Blue (RGB) spectral band data from known leptospire …

Dead/Live Microbial Culture Technique, Michael Veri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

New methodology has been utilized to provoke or increase targeted metabolic pathways in microbes. The low hanging fruit of natural products has been discovered over the last 50 years. To continue finding new metabolites to be used as possible drug candidates, methodology development such as those proposed herein are necessary. This methodology uses extracts from known pathogenic bacteria to elicit production of latent biosynthetic pathways from environmental bacterial isolates that may be active against the original pathogenic strains. A new compound, MAV-1 (1) of the diketopiperazine family (Figure 1) was isolated and identified utilizing these techniques. The structure of MAV-1 …

A Forward Genetic Screen Identifies Factors Associated With Fever Pathogenesis In Plasmodium Falciparum, Phaedra J. Thomas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Infectious diseases that spread from person-to-person and continent-to-continent are a cause for concern for any health entity. One such disease is malaria, a mosquito-borne infection instigated by the protozoan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Hundreds of millions of people are affected annually and it is responsible for nearly 1 million deaths. It is the most fatal species causing malaria and proliferates in human red blood cells with a life cycle occurring every 48 hours. At this time, the parasite’s late stage form or schizont bursts from the erythrocyte releasing immune-inducing particles and infective forms (merozoites) into the bloodstream. The merozoites go …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Positive Mental Health Indicators In Youth With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Sim Yin Tan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a chronic health condition that is increasingly affecting both children and adolescents (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Although many studies have investigated the impact of HIV on cognitive, physical, academic, and psychosocial functioning, little is known about the self-perception of health-related quality of life, subjective well-being, social-emotional well-being, and psychopathology risks of youth who are infected with HIV. This study is one of first to examine the presence of these positive and negative health indicators and the relationship among these factors in youth with HIV and a community-based sample.

A total of 84 …

Effect Of Timely Treatment On Malaria Gametocytemia In Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Miguel Reina-Ortiz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a disease that causes great burden in public health worldwide. It was estimated that in 2011 there were 3.3 billion people at risk of acquiring malaria. According to data from the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador, malaria incidence has shown a 99.9% steady decrease since year 2000. This study evaluated the effect of timely treatment on circulating gametocyte and malaria incidence rates. All cases reported in the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador from July 2012 to March 2015 and to the national headquarters between February 2012 and December 2014 were studied. The effect of early treatment on: 1) …

Assessment Of Soil Transmitted Helminth Infection (Sthi) In School Children, Risk Factors, Interactions And Environmental Control In El Salvador., Sharad Suryakant Malavade

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background:

Soil transmitted helminth infections (STHI) are important Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD). The three main STHI are infections with Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms. STHI have a significant effect on the growth and development of children. A national survey for STHI in El Salvador by Pan American Health Organization and Ministry of Health in 2012 in school children aged 8years to 10 years. The survey collected data on age, gender, behavioral habits, and source of drinking water, type of toilet facility used and ecological zone of residence.

A) We did an analyses of the data with an aim to …

Detection Plate For Atp-Bioluminescence Immunoassay And Method Of Manufacturing, Daniel V. Lim, Dawn M. Hunter

USF Patents

Disclosed is a method and associated device for the rapid identification of viable bacterial contaminants in food products. The method detects viable microbes by using a combined ATP-bioluminescence immunoassay. Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium were selected as target organisms in various matrices including ground beef homogenate, apple juice, milk, and phosphate-buffered saline. Specific antibodies were immobilized on the surface of well plates in which the sample matrices were incubated. The plates were washed, and the wells were incubated with BacTiter-Glo reagent in Mueller-Hinton II broth. Bioluminescent output was measured with a luminometer and signal-to-noise ratios were calculated. …

Effective Treatment Of Tumors And Cancer With Triciribine And Related Compounds, Jin Q. Cheng, Said M. Sebti

USF Patents

The inventors have determined, contrary to the prior art and experience, how to successfully use triciribine to treat tumors and cancer by one or a combination of (i) administering triciribine only to patients which according to a diagnostic test described below, exhibit enhanced sensitivity to the drug; (ii) use of a described dosage level that minimizes the toxicity of the drug but yet still exhibits efficacy; or (iii) use of a described dosage regimen that minimizes the toxicity of the drug.

Compositions Including Triciribine And Taxanes And Methods Of Use Thereof, Jin Q. Cheng, Said M. Sebti

USF Patents

This application relates to combination therapies including triciribine and related compounds and taxanes and compositions with reduced toxicity for the treatment and prevention of tumors, cancer, and other disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation.

Efficacy Of Visual Surveys For White-Nose Syndrome At Bat Hibernacula, A. F. Janicki, W. F. Frick, A. M. Kilpatrick

KIP Articles

White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is an epizootic disease in hibernating bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Surveillance for P. destructans at bat hibernacula consists primarily of visual surveys of bats, collection of potentially infected bats, and submission of these bats for laboratory testing. Cryptic infections (bats that are infected but display no visual signs of fungus) could lead to the mischaracterization of the infection status of a site and the inadvertent spread of P. destructans. We determined the efficacy of visual detection of P. destructans by examining visual signs and molecular detection of P. destructans on 928 bats of six …

Aspirin Triggered Resolution Phase Interaction Product D1: A Novel Treatment For Hyperoxic Acute Lung Injury, Ruan Rollin Cox, Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acute Lung injury (ALI) and the more severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are respiratory maladies that present immense clinical challenges. ALI affects 200,000 individuals annually and features a 40% mortality rate. ALI can be initiated by both pathogenic and sterile insults originating locally in the lungs or systemically. While immense research has been poured into this disease in an effort to find a therapeutic strategy, the heterogeneously diffuse nature of the disease has not yielded a cure for the disease. Death from this disease is strongly attributed to reduced gas exchange from a severely compromised alveolar-capillary barrier. The only …

Isolating And Testing Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria From Marine And Terrestrial Samples From St. Petersburg, Fl, Arianna M. Reybitz

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Many current antibacterial agents on the market are derived from compounds naturally produced by bacteria. This experiment was conducted to isolate and assess possible antibacterial strains, namely Actinomycetes, from 50 mL of marine and terrestrial samples collected from nine locations around the St. Petersburg area. The agar plates were prepared with Jensen’s AMM agar and inoculated with bacterial samples which had been diluted by factor 1:100 and heated. Three plates were initially assigned to a sample to test against three laboratory bacteria by the overlay method. Then isolates were selected and inoculated onto TSA and BHI agar plates to test …

Method Of Treating Inflammation Using Human Immunosuppressive Protein, Paul R. Sanberg, Robert W. Engelman, William R. Gower

USF Patents

A method of treating inflammation by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a human immunosuppressant protein (HISP) to a subject is presented. The inventors have discovered a novel immunosuppressive protein purified from the supernatant of hNT cell culture. The immunosuppressant protein has a molecular weight of about 40-100 kDa, an isoelectric point of about 4.4, a net ionic charge and is capable of suppressing T-cell activation, T-cell proliferation and the production of IL-2. This protein can be used in treating inflammation, preventing graft rejection after transplantation, treating autoimmune diseases and suppressing allergic responses as well as other uses.

Antibodies To Pseudogymnoascus Destructans Are Not Sufficient For Protection Against White-Nose Syndrome, Joseph S. Johnson, Deeann M. Reeder, Thomas M. Lilley, Gábor Á. Czirják, Christian C. Voigt, James W. Mcmichael Iii, Melissa B. Meierhofer, Christopher W. Seery, Shayne S. Lumadue, Alexander J. Altmann, Michael O. Toro, Kenneth A. Field

KIP Articles

White‐nose syndrome ( WNS ) is a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans ( Pd ) that affects bats during hibernation. Although millions of bats have died from WNS in North America, mass mortality has not been observed among European bats infected by the fungus, leading to the suggestion that bats in Europe are immune. We tested the hypothesis that an antibody‐mediated immune response can provide protection against WNS by quantifying antibodies reactive to Pd in blood samples from seven species of free‐ranging bats in North America and two free‐ranging species in Europe. We also quantified antibodies in blood samples …

Correction: A Novel Approach For Detection And Quantification Of Magnetic Nanomarkers Using A Spin Valve Gmr-Integrated Microfluidic Sensor, J. Devkota, G. Kokkinis, T. Berris, M. Jamalieh, S. Cardoso, F. Cardoso, Hariharan Srikanth, Manh-Huong Phan, I. Giouroudi

Physics Faculty Publications

We demonstrate the application of a spin valve giant magneto-resistance (GMR) integrated microfluidic sensor for the detection and quantification of superparamagnetic nanomarkers. A microfluidic channel containing the magnetic fluid, micro-conductors (MCs) for collection of magnetic markers and a spin valve GMR sensor for detecting the presence of magnetic stray field were integrated into a single chip and employed for detection of various concentrations of Nanomag-D beads of 250 nm diameter. The results show that the sensor is capable of detecting concentrations as low as 500 pg μl⁻¹ of Nanomag-D beads and quantifying them in a linear scale over a …

Antibodies To Pseudogymnoascus Destructans Are Not Sufficient For Protection Against White-Nose Syndrome, Joseph S. Johnson, Deeann M. Reeder, Thomas M. Lilley

KIP Articles

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) that affects bats during hibernation. Although millions of bats have died from WNS in North America, mass mortality has not been observed among European bats infected by the fungus, leading to the suggestion that bats in Europe are immune. We tested the hypothesis that an antibody-mediated immune response can provide protection against WNS by quantifying antibodies reactive to Pd in blood samples from seven species of free-ranging bats in North America and two free-ranging species in Europe. We also quantified antibodies in blood samples from little brown myotis …

Cave Cyanobacteria Showing Antibacterial Activity, Vasiliki Lamprinou, Kyriaki Tryfinopoulou, Emmanuel N. Velonakis, Alkiviadis Vatopoulos, Smaragdi Antonopoulou, Elizabeth Fragopoulou, Adriani Pantazidou, Athena Economou-Amilli

International Journal of Speleology

Cave Cyanobacteria - thriving in an ‘extreme’ environment with interesting species biodiversity - are supposed to be a potential source of bioactive compounds. Lipid extracts from pure cultures of two recently established Cyanobacteria from Greek caves, Toxopsis calypsus and Phormidium melanochroun, were used for antibacterial screening against human pathogenic bacteria (reference and clinical isolates). Antimicrobial Susceptibility testing for both taxa was carried out using the disc-diffusion (Kirby Bauer) method, while preliminary data applying the standard broth microdilution method for the determination of the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) are given only for T. calypsus. Antibacterial activity was demonstrated against the …

Bat Hibernacula Inventory And Microclimate Monitoring Study, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Az, J. Judson Wynne

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

Submitted to:Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, National Park Service 345 E. Riverside Dr. St. George, Utah 84790 Submitted by:J. Judson Wynne, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences Colorado Plateau Biodiversity Center Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011 Submitted under: Task Agreement # H1200-09-0005 Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Northern Arizona University Abstract:Addressing a knowledge gap concerning the winter ecology of bats on Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in preparation for the western advance of white-nose syndrome (WNS), this paper provides a summary of a three-year study to estimate population trends of two known cave-roosting bat hibernacula (PARA-0901 and PARA-1401 Caves). Beginning in …

Full Issue 44(2)

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Characterization And Fluorescence Of Yellow Biofilms In Karst Caves, Southwest Slovenia, Janez Mulec, Andreea Oarga-Mulec, Rok Tomazin, Tadeja Matos

International Journal of Speleology

Biofilms of different colours that colonize surfaces within karst caves represent a source of nutrients. They occur commonly and abundantly at sites with sediments, and close to seepages or underground rivers. Golden-yellow subaerial biofilms are particularly well observed because of their contrast with their surroundings, the characteristics of the pigment and recently, even more, due to the characteristics of light-emitting diode (LED) illumination. Yellow microbial biofilms were sampled from three caves in southwestern Slovenia, Dimnice, Križna jama and Sveta jama. The highest concentration of cultivable microbes (2.33×10⁸ CFU/g) and the biggest number of identified bacteria (66.0%) were retrieved from …

Investigation Of Bioactive Metabolites From The Antarctic Sponge Dendrilla Membranosa And Marine Microorganisms, Chris G. Witowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural products continue to be a valuable source of compounds in research involving chemical ecology and drug discovery. Secondary metabolites are biosynthesized to benefit the host organism in its environment (feeding deterrence from predators, antibiotic properties to avoid infection, etc.) but these compounds also serve as useful scaffolds in drug discovery applications. The research herein describes both aspects of these two branches of natural products chemistry. The Antarctic sponge Dendrilla membranosa produces diterpenes, of which membranolide A, deters feeding of the predatory amphipod Gondogenia antarctica. A metabolomic study of several sponges was undertaken to determine environmental factors that govern …

Bacteria Isolated From Bats Inhibit The Growth Of Pseudogymnoascus Destructans, The Causative Agent Of White-Nose Syndrome, Joseph R. Hoty, Tina L. Cheng, Kate E. Langwing

KIP Articles

Emerging infectious diseases are a key threat to wildlife. Several fungal skin pathogens have recently emerged and caused widespread mortality in several vertebrate groups, including amphibians, bats, rattlesnakes and humans. White-nose syndrome, caused by the fungal skin pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, threatens several hibernating bat species with extinction and there are few effective treatment strategies. The skin microbiome is increasingly understood to play a large role in determining disease outcome. We isolated bacteria from the skin of four bat species, and co-cultured these isolates with P. destructans to identify bacteria that might inhibit or kill P. destructans. We then conducted two …

Sociodemographic And Behavioral Correlates Of Anogenital Warts And Human Papillomavirus-Related Knowledge Among Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transwomen In Lima, Peru, Brandon Brown, Emmi Monsour, Jeffrey D. Klausner, Jerome T. Galea

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) globally, with a high burden of anogenital warts (AGW) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transwomen (TW).

Methods Six-hundred HIV negative MSM and TW (300 with AGW, 300 without) were recruited for a prospective cohort study to examine HPV outcomes and HPV vaccine knowledge. Participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics with HPV vaccine knowledge.

Results The average participant age was 25.5 years. Most (67%) were single and 41.2% self-reported STI symptoms. …