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Billfish Behavior And Habitat Use In The Presence Of Environmental Forcing And Commercial Exploitation, Bruce Gibbs Pohlot Jul 2019

Billfish Behavior And Habitat Use In The Presence Of Environmental Forcing And Commercial Exploitation, Bruce Gibbs Pohlot

Open Access Dissertations

The Pacific Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) are vital resources to Central American economies along the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean through recreational catch-and-release fisheries and as retainable bycatch in commercial fisheries. Because of observed stock declines and a lack of a formal stock assessment research, there exists an immediate need to understand sailfish and blue marlin population dynamic characteristics to design fishery regulations to protect both species and fisheries. Therefore, the goal of this dissertation was to understand the sailfish and blue marlin behavior and dynamic habitat use in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) in support of …


Health Disparities In The Incidence And Survival Of Women With Ovarian Cancer In Florida: A Florida Cancer Database System Analysis, Ashly C. Westrick Jul 2019

Health Disparities In The Incidence And Survival Of Women With Ovarian Cancer In Florida: A Florida Cancer Database System Analysis, Ashly C. Westrick

Open Access Dissertations

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer in the United States. Despite improvements in the incidence and survival of women with ovarian cancer, racial/ethnic disparities still exist. Determining the epidemiology of a disease and the distribution within the population is critical to establish research priority areas and help guide public health programs and policies. Identifying and describing population disparities in health is important to provide evidence for targeted interventions. As the Ecosocial theory of disease distribution explicates, racial/ethnic disparities are multifactorial and often emerge from the embodiment of biological, social and historical exposures both within the individual and high-level factors …


Evaluation Of Recreational Fishing Demand For Billfish Resources In Guatemala, Julie Elizabeth Brown Jul 2019

Evaluation Of Recreational Fishing Demand For Billfish Resources In Guatemala, Julie Elizabeth Brown

Open Access Dissertations

Bycatch mortality from commercial tuna fisheries threatens billfish populations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, which are also used for lucrative recreational tourism industries. The recreational billfish fishery in Guatemala is characterized by seasonally high daily sailfish catch rates, consistently 2-3 times higher than anywhere else on Earth, and is entirely catch-and-release. The anglers are predominantly tourists, bringing financial contributions to Guatemala. Until now, Guatemala’s government and international tuna management organizations could not consider the value of this sustainable use of billfish resources, because previous estimates were poorly defined and estimated. We used an innovative, market-based technique to estimate the value …


Offensive Uses Of Language: Slurring And Synecdochical Utterances, Amanda Mcmullen Jul 2019

Offensive Uses Of Language: Slurring And Synecdochical Utterances, Amanda Mcmullen

Open Access Dissertations

Be advised that some offensive language is mentioned in the following abstract. ‘That woman’s a dyke’. ‘She’s a piece of ass’. The former utterance is an example of a slurring utterance, and the latter is an instance of an utterance that I call a Synecdochical Utterance Targeting Women (SUTW). A synecdochical utterance targeting women is one in which an anatomical part term is predicated of a woman. What these utterances have in common is that, in many contexts in which either is uttered, the speaker does something at least alienating, if not disrespectful or worse. I argue, in this dissertation, …


Genetic Risk For Childhood Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Breanne A. Danzi Jul 2019

Genetic Risk For Childhood Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Breanne A. Danzi

Open Access Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent in children exposed to disasters. Yet, there are several widely discrepant diagnostic models of PTSD (DSM-IV, DSM-5, DSM-5 Preschool, and ICD-11); evidence suggests that these models may diagnose different groups of children (Danzi & La Greca, 2016, 2017; La Greca, Danzi, & Chan, 2017). Genetic biomarkers have been identified as a promising diagnostic tool for identifying risk for PTSD (National Research Action Plan, 2013). A large number of studies have investigated candidate genes in adult samples, but this research has not been extended to children. This project investigated genetic risk for PTSD in …


Mechanisms And Health Impact Of Insomnia As An Hiv Comorbidity, Brooke Genkin Rogers Jul 2019

Mechanisms And Health Impact Of Insomnia As An Hiv Comorbidity, Brooke Genkin Rogers

Open Access Dissertations

Insomnia is a highly prevalent and interfering comorbidity to HIV infection, yet relatively understudied compared to other mental and behavioral health comorbidities. Nearly 80% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) experience significant sleep difficulties characteristic of insomnia. This represents nearly 1 million of Americans with HIV/AIDS. Efforts have been made to identify factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of insomnia in PLWHA. However, no one pathway has been identified that could explain the overabundance of sleep problems in this population. Most limiting is that extant studies have studied sleep problems, but not clinical insomnia; and, often, those data …


Understanding Resistant Organic Carbon In The Ocean: From Microbes To Large-Scale Processes, Mariana Bernardi Bif Jul 2019

Understanding Resistant Organic Carbon In The Ocean: From Microbes To Large-Scale Processes, Mariana Bernardi Bif

Open Access Dissertations

The cycling of bioactive elements on Earth and their allocation into major reservoirs is driven through their biogeochemical transformations. Carbon, for example, is biologically transformed by primary producers that convert CO2 to organic carbon during photosynthesis, which is then respired back to the gaseous form by heterotrophs. The cycling of other elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and iron, considered essential nutrients for living organisms, are directly linked to carbon through the formation of organic matter resulting from primary production. In the ocean, a portion of organic carbon resists immediate degradation in the euphotic layer and can be exported to the …


The Influence Of Intersectionality On Bullying, Teen Dating Violence, And Suicide Risk Among Bisexual Adolescents, Ariel Uniqua Smith Jul 2019

The Influence Of Intersectionality On Bullying, Teen Dating Violence, And Suicide Risk Among Bisexual Adolescents, Ariel Uniqua Smith

Open Access Dissertations

Suicide is a significant health problem for sexual minority youth (SMY) in general, and for bisexual youth, who currently have the highest risk for suicide compared to lesbian/gay and heterosexual adolescents in the U.S. Bisexual youth experience “bisexual-specific” stigma and discrimination due to their sexual orientation, and both stigma and discrimination have been linked to increased suicidality and negative mental health outcomes among bisexual individuals. This cross-sectional, descriptive study is guided by the Intersectional Minority Stress theoretical model and uses a secondary analysis of pooled 2015 and 2017 national YRBSS data to examine three specific aims. All analyses are conducted …


The Role Of Atp-Binding Cassette A1 As A Susceptibility Factor In Diabetic Kidney Disease, Gloria Michelle Ducasa Jun 2019

The Role Of Atp-Binding Cassette A1 As A Susceptibility Factor In Diabetic Kidney Disease, Gloria Michelle Ducasa

Open Access Dissertations

Fibroblasts from patients with Tangier disease carrying ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) loss of function mutations are characterized by cardiolipin accumulation, a mitochondrial specific phospholipid. Suppression of ABCA1 expression occurs in glomeruli from patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and in human podocytes exposed to DKD sera collected prior to the development of DKD. Furthermore, lipid metabolism dyregulation and lipid accumulation are observed in patients with DKD. However, the exact mechanisms as to how ABCA1 reduction contributes to alterations in mitochondrial lipids and function remains to be established. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanistic role reduced …


A Daily Diary Study Of Lifestyle Behaviors, Psychological Distress, And Well-Being, Austen Rex Anderson Jun 2019

A Daily Diary Study Of Lifestyle Behaviors, Psychological Distress, And Well-Being, Austen Rex Anderson

Open Access Dissertations

Many lifestyle behaviors such as diet, exercise, and sleep are related to physical and mental health. However, very little research has been done on the day-to-day influence of these activities on both psychological distress (PD) and more holistic conceptions of overall well-being. This study seeks to investigate the patterns of common lifestyle behaviors and their relationships with daily PD and well-being. The central research questions are 1) what lifestyle behaviors are associated with PD and well-being, and 2) do the seven lifestyle behaviors predict the three outcome variables at different degrees of strength? Seventy-six adult participants were recruited online and …


Extending Objectification Theory: An Exploratory Model Of Body Appreciation Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Emaan Noor Lehardy Jun 2019

Extending Objectification Theory: An Exploratory Model Of Body Appreciation Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Emaan Noor Lehardy

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to develop and empirically test an exploratory model that examines how objectification theory variables (i.e., internalization of sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, objectified self-surveillance) and positive body image variables (i.e., body acceptance by others, self-compassion) work together to predict body appreciation among breast cancer survivors. Data were gathered from 158 breast cancer survivors (stages I-III) who had completed primary treatment. Participants completed the following standardized measures: Body Acceptance by Others Scale, Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire–Internalization, Objectified Body Consciousness Scale–Self-Surveillance, Self-Compassion Scale–Short Form, and the Body Appreciation Scale. Path analysis was conducted on the …


Psychosocial Reserve Capacity As Moderator Of The Relationship Between Chronic Stress And Cardiovascular Health: Results From The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Samantha A. Foti May 2019

Psychosocial Reserve Capacity As Moderator Of The Relationship Between Chronic Stress And Cardiovascular Health: Results From The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Samantha A. Foti

Open Access Dissertations

Chronic stress can result in long-term changes that influence susceptibility to disease, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Perceptions of stressors such as relationship struggles, financial burden, and job strain, differ based on availability of both tangible and intangible resources, such as level of education, emotional support, and health insurance coverage. The availability of these resources, which comprise an individual’s psychosocial reserve capacity, may moderate the relationship between chronic stress burden and cardiovascular health. Since chronic stress has been inconsistently operationalized in literature, the current study examined a latent variable model of chronic stress in relation to components of the metabolic syndrome …


Parent-Child Separations And The Process Of Reunification In Transnational Hispanic Families: A Collective Case Study, Virginia Alfonso May 2019

Parent-Child Separations And The Process Of Reunification In Transnational Hispanic Families: A Collective Case Study, Virginia Alfonso

Open Access Dissertations

This collective case study aimed to gain a better understanding of how families experience prolonged parent-child separations due to migration and the reunification process thereafter. Research thus far shows congruent accounts of child and adolescent distress and ambivalence upon reunification and parental confusion and anger at the difficulties in reconnecting with their child. This study was designed to examine both parent and adolescent experiences with each process, in more depth. Through within and cross-case analysis, I identified factors that make separation and reunification more difficult and that foster family well-being. A total of 3 families (3 mothers, 3 adolescents) participated …


The Role Of Histone Deacetylase 3 (Hdac3) In Alzheimer's Disease (Ad)-Related Pathologies In Vitro And In The Triple Transgenic Ad Mouse Model, Karolina J. Janczura May 2019

The Role Of Histone Deacetylase 3 (Hdac3) In Alzheimer's Disease (Ad)-Related Pathologies In Vitro And In The Triple Transgenic Ad Mouse Model, Karolina J. Janczura

Open Access Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of age-related dementia. Neuropathological hallmarks of AD include brain deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and accumulation of both hyperphosphorylated and acetylated tau. Here, we demonstrate that HDAC3 is a negative regulator of AD pathophysiology. RGFP-966, a brain-penetrant and selective HDAC3 inhibitor, or HDAC3 knockdown increases BDNF expression, increases histone H3 and H4 acetylation, decreases tau phosphorylation and tau acetylation at disease-associated sites, reduces β-secretase cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and decreases Aβ1-42 accumulation in HEK-293 cells over-expressing APP with the double Swedish mutation (HEK/APPsw). In the triple transgenic AD mouse model …


Role Of Transcription Cofactor Lbh In The Etiology And Progression Of Basal Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Kilan C. Ashad-Bishop May 2019

Role Of Transcription Cofactor Lbh In The Etiology And Progression Of Basal Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Kilan C. Ashad-Bishop

Open Access Dissertations

Clinically aggressive basal-like triple negative breast cancers (B-TNBC) disproportionally contribute to cancer deaths, but lack effective treatment options due to absence of expression of key therapeutic targets. New evidence suggests that B-TNBC may originate from luminal breast epithelial cells through luminal-to-basal cell lineage conversion and dedifferentiation. However, the factors that reprogram cell fate and differentiation states during the development of B-TNBC remain poorly understood. Our laboratory has identified a novel WNT/ß-Catenin target and transcriptional regulator, Limb-Bud-and Heart (LBH), which is majorly overexpressed in aggressive B-TNBC harboring WNT hyperactivation. We previously showed in vivo that LBH is a key stem cell …


A Three-Dimensional Organoid Platform For Human Retinogenesis, Zenith Acosta Torres May 2019

A Three-Dimensional Organoid Platform For Human Retinogenesis, Zenith Acosta Torres

Open Access Dissertations

Visual impairment is a major health concern globally resulting in a severe detriment to the quality of life for patients and a global economic burden. Irreversible vision loss or blindness can result from many etiologies including optic neuropathies, developmental malformations, ocular tumors, and drug toxicities. Chief among these causes for incurable vision loss are optic neuropathies such as glaucoma, diabetic neuropathy, and traumatic optic neuropathy. These pathologies are characterized by a slow progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons which have negligible regenerative potential. In recent years, organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells have emerged as …


Design Of Bioluminescent Protein-Conjugates With Bioorthogonal Chemistry For Applications In Biomedicine, Angeliki Moutsiopoulou May 2019

Design Of Bioluminescent Protein-Conjugates With Bioorthogonal Chemistry For Applications In Biomedicine, Angeliki Moutsiopoulou

Open Access Dissertations

Bioconjugation is one of the common ways of modifying biomolecules with reporters and other moieties for applications in the development of various sensing systems. However, achieving specific and efficient bioconjugation is challenging. Bioorthogonal chemistry can overcome these challenges as these reactions are designed to work under physiological conditions and target a specific functionality on the target biomolecule. Different functional groups can be introduced genetically or chemically on biomolecules to have a unique reactive group in order to perform bioorthogonal reactions. Herein, work relating to the development of bioluminescent biosensing systems by applying bioorthogonal chemistry between the bioluminescent proteins and other …


Abiotic Controls On Endosymbiotic Algal Communities And Their Implications For Coral Bleaching Susceptibility And Recovery, Ana Maria Palacio-Castro May 2019

Abiotic Controls On Endosymbiotic Algal Communities And Their Implications For Coral Bleaching Susceptibility And Recovery, Ana Maria Palacio-Castro

Open Access Dissertations

Ocean warming, acidification, and nutrient pollution are threatening the persistence of coral reef ecosystems worldwide. This dissertation assessed the effects of these stressors on the disruption of the coral-algal symbiosis (bleaching) and aimed to identify factors that promote more resistant holobiont partnerships. I used highly sensitive qPCR assays to monitor dynamic changes in Symbiodiniaceae algal communities during heat stress and recovery, and during the exposure to elevated nutrients and CO2. During natural bleaching events in Florida and Panama, I evaluated the potential for multiple coral species to increase their temperature tolerance through the acquisition of thermotolerant symbionts (Chapters 2 and …


Photoswitchable Materials For Catalytic Modulation Of Nanoparticles, Randy L. Lawrence May 2019

Photoswitchable Materials For Catalytic Modulation Of Nanoparticles, Randy L. Lawrence

Open Access Dissertations

The incorporation of photoswitchable molecules, specifically azobenzene, into the passivating ligands along nanoparticle (NP) interfaces can allow for the modulation of catalytic response by means of optical irradiation. These results are apparent in metallic nanoparticles passivated with peptide ligands that have been functionalized with an azobenzene photoswitch. By passivating particles with this peptide-photoswitch hybrid, the catalytic response of such materials changed according to the isomerization state of the photoswitch, i.e. trans or cis, which is easily triggered with specific wavelength of light. Presented in this dissertation are different applications of such reconfigurable ligands with nanomaterials in order to ascertain how …


Deficits In Hindbrain Activity Underlie Sensory-Motor Hyporeactivity In An Autism Spectrum Disorder Zebrafish Model, Robert A. Kozol Apr 2019

Deficits In Hindbrain Activity Underlie Sensory-Motor Hyporeactivity In An Autism Spectrum Disorder Zebrafish Model, Robert A. Kozol

Open Access Dissertations

Sensory deficits have recently been added to the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research suggests that between 65-90% of individuals with ASD have problems with sensory perception, reactivity, or have sensory fixations. These sensory deficits require animal modeling to determine the neuropathology underlying these sensory-motor behaviors. Zebrafish provide a unique animal model for studying neurodevelopmental disorders like ASD. For instance, zebrafish develop stereotyped embryonic behaviors that can be used to identify early critical periods impacted by neurodevelopmental gene mutations. Zebrafish embryos and larvae are also small, allowing for high-throughput behavioral screens, and optically transparent, providing in vivo visualization …


Developing Water Quality Policies: Assessing Natural Environmental Characteristics And Anthropogenic Impact On Microbiological Water Quality At Recreational Beaches, Elizabeth Anne Kelly Apr 2019

Developing Water Quality Policies: Assessing Natural Environmental Characteristics And Anthropogenic Impact On Microbiological Water Quality At Recreational Beaches, Elizabeth Anne Kelly

Open Access Dissertations

Factors that control water quality at recreational beaches are complex and generally poorly understood. This has led to a gap in policies written to address water quality. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate beach management and beach geomorphology, the influence of infrastructure improvements, and the role of unregulated nutrient inputs on recreational beach water quality, in an effort to inform decisions made by policy-makers. To evaluate these objectives three studies were conducted. These included 1) a study of beach management policies and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB)s to evaluate whether beaches characterized by a set of management policies …


Carbon Dots: From Lab Synthesis To Unique Applications, Yiqun Zhou Apr 2019

Carbon Dots: From Lab Synthesis To Unique Applications, Yiqun Zhou

Open Access Dissertations

Carbon dots (CDs) have joined the research of carbon-based nanoparticles since 2004. Upon the discovery of carbon dots, CDs were observed to be photoluminescent and small in size (1-10 m). The subsequent broad studies gradually reveal the potential values of CDs. Firstly, CDs have been synthesized with numerous carbon-based precursors including both classic and novel starting materials by various techniques. In this thesis, I will mainly introduce the development of three types of CDs (black CDs, gel-like CDs and orange CDs). Then, considering the lack of careful discussion of purification procedure in many present literatures, I have systematically studied the …


Design Of Random And Stationary Sources And Media For Structuring Light On Propagation And Scattering, Jia Li Apr 2019

Design Of Random And Stationary Sources And Media For Structuring Light On Propagation And Scattering, Jia Li

Open Access Dissertations

The dissertation incorporates a series of investigations relating to the design of coherence states for stationary, random sources, and correlation functions of spatially random, stationary media, for modulation of far fields radiated or scattered from them to the far zone, and, hence, for structuring of any observable statistical properties. In particular, we reveal how the coherence states of sources affect their far-zone radiated properties, including the spectral density, the scintillation index, and the intensity correlation function. Furthermore, we also present results that address how the spatial structuring of the refractive index correlation function of a three-dimensional (3D) medium influences the …


Novel Nanocomposites For The Treatment Of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria In Water – Antibacterial Effects And Mechanisms, Soyoung Baek Apr 2019

Novel Nanocomposites For The Treatment Of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria In Water – Antibacterial Effects And Mechanisms, Soyoung Baek

Open Access Dissertations

Recently, the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water is a major concern worldwide due to its adverse health effects. Conventional disinfection technologies, such as ultraviolet, ozone, and chlorine disinfection are currently used to inactivate antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water. Conventional disinfection technologies not only produce byproducts but also selectively promote the survival of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Nanoparticles (NPs), even in a small amounts, have potential benefits as novel materials in terms of inactivating pathogenic bacteria due to their strong antibacterial effect. However, because of issues pertaining to leaching, mobility, and the cost of NPs, their applications for water treatment have not been …


Identifying Novel Biomarkers Of Metastatic Potential In Prostate And Breast Cancer, Svetlana R. Speransky Apr 2019

Identifying Novel Biomarkers Of Metastatic Potential In Prostate And Breast Cancer, Svetlana R. Speransky

Open Access Dissertations

Primary breast and prostate cancers can be cured, but the metastatic disease cannot. Identifying cell factors that predict metastatic potential could guide both prognosis and treatment. We used Cell-SELEX to screen an RNA aptamer library for differential binding to prostate cancer cell lines with high vs. low metastatic potential. Mass spectroscopy, immunoblot, and immunohistochemistry were used to identify and validate aptamer targets. Aptamer properties were tested in vitro, in xenograft models, and in clinical biopsies. We identified a novel aptamer (Apt63) that binds to the beta subunit of F1Fo ATP synthase (ATP5B), present on the plasma membrane of cancer cells. …


Extremes In Complex Systems, Minzhang Zheng Apr 2019

Extremes In Complex Systems, Minzhang Zheng

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on extreme behavior in complex systems. Extreme events are an emergent property of many complex, nonlinear systems in which various interdependent components and their interaction lead to a competition between organized (interaction dominated) and irregular (fluctuation dominated) behavior. In this work we investigated several aspects of extreme events in pro-ISIS online social network system and the subsecond financial exchange market. We started by uncovering an ultrafast ecology driving the online support, featuring self-organized aggregates whose evolution exhibits novel adaptive mechanisms in response to external pressure. Then we investigated the anomalous contagion, we provided and analyzed a simple, …


Random Phase Modulation Of Stationary Light Fields With Applications In Biophotonics, Xi Chen Apr 2019

Random Phase Modulation Of Stationary Light Fields With Applications In Biophotonics, Xi Chen

Open Access Dissertations

Light modulation is a vital component in optical communications, imaging and sensing systems. It imparts information on the optical wave carriers and establishes the reliability of the communication links. In imaging systems, a modulated light source has the potential in exceeding the diffraction limit and achieving better contrast in images. Improving the performance of light modulating devices such as Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs), multiplexers, couplers and polarization controllers can substantially benefit optical sensing and signal processing. Phase modulation of light, as an important format of light modulation, has gained appreciably more attention than its amplitude modulation due to its remarkable …


Essays In Financial Economics, William Bazley Apr 2019

Essays In Financial Economics, William Bazley

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation contains three essays in financial economics. The first essay shows that technology-driven innovations in credit markets have real and social implications. Using data from the largest online, peer-to-peer credit market in the United States, I find that borrowing increases when access to traditional credit is restricted, such as after bank mergers and natural disasters. Consequently, online borrowing moderates the diminished growth in business establishments and the heightened crime growth associated with credit scarcity. A percent increase in online lending offsets about 0.25% (0.22%) of the diminished establishment growth and 0.11% (0.18%) of the rise in crime associated with …


The Political Ecology Of Conservation And Development In Galapagos - Sustainability Between The Global And The Local, Johann Besserer Apr 2019

The Political Ecology Of Conservation And Development In Galapagos - Sustainability Between The Global And The Local, Johann Besserer

Open Access Dissertations

Globalization and the demands of human population growth in Galapagos are driving consumption of natural resources, and environmental governance is occurring in an increasingly complex social and cultural setting as global influences meet local perceptions and concepts. This dissertation uses a Political Ecology framework to conduct a multi-method analysis of the shifting and confluent multi-political-level issues that underlie conservation in Galapagos, influenced by global and local conceptualizations. The analysis was conducted through a Globalization-critical lens that posits that structural disadvantages in the Global South result in resentments in local society against real and/or perceived neoliberal exploitation by foreign agents. This …


A Translational Approach To Enzyme-Mediated Retinal Lipofuscin Removal For Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration And Stargardt's Disease, Kelsey James Moody Apr 2019

A Translational Approach To Enzyme-Mediated Retinal Lipofuscin Removal For Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration And Stargardt's Disease, Kelsey James Moody

Open Access Dissertations

Despite significant resource expenditures and decades of focused research, chronic age-associated diseases have not been met with improvements in patient outcomes that reflect the successes against infectious disease over the last century. This observation calls into question contention approaches to drug discovery for diseases of aging, and more importantly, their molecular targets. Herein, the strategies for engineered negligible senescence (SENS) framework for drug discovery -- an approach to treating aging broadly based on damage mitigation -- is presented. A translational program for age-related macular degeneration is detailed as illustration of this approach. Collectively, this work validates the academic and commercial …