Digital Commons Network^™

Nanoantenna Array-Induced Fluorescence Enhancement And Reduced Lifetimes, Reuben M. Bakker, V. P. Drachev, Zhengtong Liu, Hsiao-Kuan Yuan, Rasmus H. Pedersen, Alexandra Boltasseva, Jiji Chen, Joseph Irudayaraj, Alexander V. Kildishev, V. M. Shalaev

Birck and NCN Publications

Enhanced fluorescence is observed from dye molecules interacting with optical nanoantenna arrays. Elliptical gold dimers form individual nanoantennae with tunable plasmon resonances depending upon the geometry of the two particles and the size of the gap between them. A fluorescent dye, Rhodamine 800, is uniformly embedded in a dielectric host that coats the nanoantennae. The nanoantennae act to enhance the dye absorption. In turn, emission from the dye drives the plasmon resonance of the antennae; the nanoantennae act to enhance the fluorescence signal and change the angular distribution of emission. These effects depend upon the overlap of the plasmon resonance …

Incentives For Orphan Drug Research And Development In The United States, Enrique Seoane-Vazquez, Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio, Sheryl L. Szeinbach, Jay Visaria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: The Orphan Drug Act (1983) established several incentives to encourage the development of orphan drugs (ODs) to treat rare diseases and conditions. This study analyzed the characteristics of OD designations, approvals, sponsors, and evaluated the effective patent and market exclusivity life of orphan new molecular entities (NMEs) approved in the US between 1983 and 2007.

Methods: Primary data sources were the FDA Orange Book, the FDA Office of Orphan Drugs Development, and the US Patent and Trademark Office. Data included all orphan designations and approvals listed by the FDA and all NMEs approved by the FDA during …

The Role Of Msa In Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Formation, Karthik Sambanthamoorthy, Antony Schwartz, Vijayaraj Nagarajan, Mohamed O. Elasri

Faculty Publications

Background

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that forms biofilms. The global regulator sarA is essential for biofilm formation. Since the modulator of sarA (msa) is required for full expression of sarA and regulates several virulence factors, we examined the capacity of the msa mutant to form biofilm.

Results

We found that mutation of msa results in reduced expression of sarA in biofilm and that the msa mutant formed a weak and unstable biofilm. The msa mutant is able to adhere to surfaces and begins to form biofilm but fails to mature indicating that the defect of the …

A Modeling And Spatio-Temporal Analysis Framework For Monitoring Environmental Change Using Npp As An Ecosystem Indicator, Robert Crabtree, Christopher Potter, Randall Mullen, Jennifer Sheldon, Shengli Huang, Joshua Harmsen, Ann Rodman, Cathie Jean

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

We present and describe a modeling and analysis framework for monitoring protected area (PA) ecosystems with net primary productivity (NPP) as an indicator of health. It brings together satellite data, an ecosystem simulation model (NASA–CASA), spatial linear models with autoregression, and a GIS to provide practitioners a low-cost, accessible ecosystem monitoring and analysis system (EMAS) at landscape resolutions. The EMAS is evaluated and assessed with an application example in Yellowstone National Park aimed at identifying the causes and consequences of drought. Utilizing five predictor covariates (solar radiation, burn severity, soil productivity, temperature, and precipitation), spatio-temporal analysis revealed how landscape controls …

Small Individual Loans And Mental Health: A Randomized Controlled Trial Among South African Adults, Lia C. H. Fernald, Rita Hamad, Dean Karlan, Emily J. Ozer, Jonathan Zinman

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: In the developing world, access to small, individual loans has been variously hailed as a poverty-alleviation tool – in the context of "microcredit" – but has also been criticized as "usury" and harmful to vulnerable borrowers. Prior studies have assessed effects of access to credit on traditional economic outcomes for poor borrowers, but effects on mental health have been largely ignored.

Methods: Applicants who had previously been rejected (n = 257) for a loan (200% annual percentage rate – APR) from a lender in South Africa were randomly assigned to a "second-look" that encouraged loan officers to approve their …

Confidence Intervals For A Common Mean With Missing Data With Applications In An Aids Study, Hua Liang, Haiyan Su, Guohua Zou

Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In practical data analysis, nonresponse phenomenon frequently occurs. In this paper, we propose an empirical likelihood based confidence interval for a common mean by combining the imputed data, assuming that data are missing completely at random. Simulation studies show that such confidence intervals perform well, even when the missing proportion is high. Our method is applied to an analysis of a real data set from an AIDS clinic trial study.

The Development Of Hyaluronic Acid Biomaterials For Vascular Tissue Engineering, Samir Ibrahim

All Dissertations

Current vascular implant materials poorly interact with medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) allowing the permanent loss of vascular elastin, eliminated by trauma or disease, a crucial element in maintaining the natural biomechanics of the blood vessel and overall vascular homeostasis. In addition, these materials insufficiently recruit vascular endothelial cells (ECs) to form a normally functional, confluent endothelium that acts as the interface between the blood and vascular tissue and regulates numerous vital vascular processes. As a result, the restenosis, or re-occlusion, rate within these devices has remained fairly high stimulating the investigation of numerous new materials capable of providing the …

Winter Storm Batters Um Biological Station, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Use Of A Candidate Gene Array To Delineate Gene Expression Patterns In Cattle Selected For Resistance Or Susceptibility To Intestinal Nematodes, Ricardo N. Araujo, Terezinha Padilha, Dante Zarlenga, Tad Sonstegard, Erin E. Connor, Curt Van Tassel, Walter S. Lima, Evaldo Nascimento, Louis C. Gasbarre

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In the present study, we use microarray technology to investigate the expression patterns of 381 genes with known association to host immune responses. Hybridization targets were derived from previously characterized bovine cDNAs. A total of 576 reporters (473 sequence-validated cDNAs and 77 controls) were spotted onto glass slides in two sets of four replicates. Two color, comparative hybridizations across both mesenteric lymph node (MLN) and small intestine mucosa (SIM) RNA samples were done between animals with previously demonstrated phenotypic differences based on natural exposure to gastro- intestinal (GI) nematodes over a 6-month exposure period. A total of 138 significant hybridization …

Identification Of G1-Regulated Genes In Normally Cycling Human Cells, Maroun J. Beyrouthy, Karen E. Alexander, Amy Baldwin, Michael L. Whitfield, Hank W. Bass, Dan Mcgee, Myra M. Hurt

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Obtaining synchronous cell populations is essential for cell-cycle studies. Methods such as serum withdrawal or use of drugs which block cells at specific points in the cell cycle alter cellular events upon re-entry into the cell cycle. Regulatory events occurring in early G1 phase of a new cell cycle could have been overlooked. Methodology and Findings: We used a robotic mitotic shake-off apparatus to select cells in late mitosis for genome-wide gene expression studies. Two separate microarray experiments were conducted, one which involved isolation of RNA hourly for several hours from synchronous cell populations, and one experiment which examined …

A New Species Of Gobiid Fish,Luciogobius From Ryukyus, Japan(Teleostei: Gobiidae), I-Shiung Chen, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Hiroshi Senou

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A new gobiid fish has been collected from Ryukyu Archipelagos of Japan. This species is described herein as a new species, Luciogobius ryukyuensis sp. nov. It is characterized by the following unique combination of features: (1) second dorsal fin rays: I/11 and anal fin rays I/11; (2) pectoral fin rays 16 and with one upper, very short free soft ray; (3) vertebral count 37; and (4) specific coloration: head and body with many rounded light creamy white spots above creamy yellow to yellowish brown background. A diagnostic key to all nominal species of Luciogobius from West Pacific are provided herein.

Denaturation And Unfolding Of Human Anaphylatoxin C3a: An Unusually Low Covalent Stability Of Its Native Disulfide Bonds, Jui-Yoa Chang, Curtis C-J Lin, Silvia Salamanca, Michael K Pangburn, Rick A Wetsel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The complement C3a anaphylatoxin is a major molecular mediator of innate immunity. It is a potent activator of mast cells, basophils and eosinophils and causes smooth muscle contraction. Structurally, C3a is a relatively small protein (77 amino acids) comprising a N-terminal domain connected by 3 native disulfide bonds and a helical C-terminal segment. The structural stability of C3a has been investigated here using three different methods: Disulfide scrambling; Differential CD spectroscopy; and Reductive unfolding. Two uncommon features regarding the stability of C3a and the structure of denatured C3a have been observed in this study. (a) There is an unusual disconnection …

Incorporating Recreational And Artisanal Fishing Fleets In Atlantic Billfish Management, Ayeisha A. Brinson

Open Access Dissertations

Atlantic billfish include sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin (Kajikia albida, formerly Tetrapturus albidus) and the spearfishes (Tetrapturus); these fishes are found in tropical and subtropical waters. The spearfishes include the longbill spearfish (T. pfluegeri), the Mediterranean spearfish (T. belone) and the roundscale spearfish (T. georgii). The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is the regional fishery management organization that conducts research to determine the condition of tuna and billfish resources and supports international cooperative management. ICCAT has determined that blue marlin and white marlin are overfished; the status of sailfish and spearfish are …

Deafdigest: Blue Edition, December 14, 2008, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Blue 2008

No abstract provided.

Commencement Convocation Program, Sarasota - Manatee Campus, December 14, 2008, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Outstanding Professor Award - Michael Sheldon, James Curran, and Thomas Pencek; USF Sarasota-Manatee Distinguished Citizen Award

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, December 14, 2008, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

USF St. Petersburg Graduations and Commencements

King O'Neal Award: Clarisse Barbier, Jennifer Dion Fox; Outstanding Graduate: Jessica Morgan; Regional Chancellor's Award for Civic Leadership: Andrew H. Hines, Jr.

Fall 2008 Commencement - The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin, The University Of Texas Permian Basin

UTPB Commencement Programs

Fall 2008 Commencement - December 13, 2008

South Dakota State University Graduation Exercises, December 13, 2008, Brookings, South Dakota, South Dakota State University

Commencement Programs

Please be advised that the names listed in the program do not constitute official confirmation of meeting the graduation requirements. The Graduation Exercises ceremony will commence with introductions by University President David L. Chicoine. Honorary marshals for the event will be Mildred Flynn, Professor of English, and Dick Shane, Professor Emeritus of Economics. Delivering the graduation address titled "Change: It's All the Small Stuff" will be Howard Smith, Interim Dean for the College of Education and Counseling. Dr. Carol J. Peterson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, will acknowledge faculty and student honors. Recognizing Army and Air Force commissions …

Ecology Of The Evening Bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) At The Northern Edge Of The Range, Olivia Maya Munzer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Only a single colony of evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) is known to occur in Michigan, and it is the northernmost colony on the North American continent. In mid-May, only female evening bats migrate to Michigan to raise their pups, and in late August, evening bats migrate to southern portions of their range, where they are ubiquitous. I studied the roosting and dietary ecology of the evening bat in southeastern Michigan. Evening bats roosted in cavities, crevices, and under exfoliating bark of older trees located in a bottomland forest, interlaced with waterways and surrounded by agricultural fields. These habitats …

Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, Graduate, December 13, 2008, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

No abstract provided.

Design, Construction, Inverse Kinematics, And Visualization Of Continuum Robots, Srinivas Neppalli

Theses and Dissertations

Continuum robots are the biologically inspired robots that mimic the behaviors of mammalian tongues, elephant trunks, and octopus arms. These robots feature a backboneless structure similar to their biological counterparts, such as termed muscular hydrostats. The drawbacks of two existing designs are examined and a new mechanical design that uses a single latex rubber tube as the central member is proposed, providing a design that is both simple and robust. Next, a novel verification procedure is applied to examine the validity of the proposed model in two different domains of applicability. A two-level electrical control scheme enables rapid prototyping and …

Predictive Ability Of Ordinary Certificate Of Secondary Education Grades To Advanced Certificate Of Secondary Education: Evidence From Tanzania's Necta Results, Ulingeta O.L. Mbamba

Business Management Review

Normally, selection of students for higher education is based on previous performance. Whether or not previous performance is a good predictor varies for different examining bodies. This study evaluates the predictive ability of Tanzania ' s Ordinary Certificate of Secondary Education (OCSE) performance to Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education (ACSE) performance using linear regression and chi-square tests. By linking OCSE of 2003 and 2004 with ACSE of 2006 and 2007, respectively, research results indicate that the OCSE is a good predictor for ACSE. The predictive ability of OCSE improves as data are disaggregated based on whether or not students studied …

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Forty-Ninth Annual Commencement, December 13, 2009, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Normal, Illinois
Illinois State University
One Hundred and Forty-Ninth Annual Commencement
December 13, 2008

A Comparison Of Repeated Uniaxial Tension And Compression On Bone-Like Cells Over Fourteen Days, Nathaniel David Schultz

Theses and Dissertations

Litter is a possible source of Campylobacter colonization for broilers as well as contamination of crops when used as fertilizer. A survey of Arkansas broiler litter indicated that Campylobacter recovery rates were higher in pine shavings and rice hulls than sand. Two experiments utilized three types of litter, which were artificially contaminated with Campylobacter. After 24 hours no Campylobacter could be recovered from any sample. Campylobacter growth was also examined for used pine shaving litter in varying conditions: aerobic atmosphere, micro aerobic atmosphere (6% O2), and moisture content. Campylobacter was recovered for all treatments at the initial sampling, and by …

Commencement Convocation Exercises - December 2008, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

Semantic Construction With Provenance For Model Configurations In Scientific Workflows, Amritanshu Thakur

Theses and Dissertations

In the computationally intensive and diverse scientific environment of geosciences, substantial volumes of data are generated by specialized complex processing systems called ‘models’. These datasets contain little knowledge of their processing. Therefore a high degree of domain expertise is required to interpret, regenerate and tweak their production. Provenance is described as a general ability to record and evolve information related to the creation of data. We extend this idea further by proposing a mechanism by which a model’s setup and its domain semantics are integrated with the data it produces. This creates a scope for controlling model executions using their …

Dissolved Organic Matter In Wetland Soils And Streams Of Southeast Alaska: Source, Concentration, And Chemical Quality, Jason B. Fellman

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) transported from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems is an important source of C, N and energy for the metabolism of aquatic heterotrophic bacteria. I examined the concentration and chemical quality of DOM exported from coastal temperate watersheds in southeast Alaska to determine if wetland soils are an important source of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) to aquatic ecosystems. I addressed this question through a combination of high resolution temporal and spatial field measurements in three watersheds near Juneau, Alaska by using a replicated experimental design that characterized DOM export from three different soil types (bog, forested wetland …

December Graduation Ceremony

Law School Commencement / Hooding Programs, 1942-present

No abstract provided.

Protocols For Preconditioning Of Patellar Tendon For Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Richard Lee Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

The ACL is one of the major ligaments in the knee connecting the femur to the tibia which provides stability by resisting shear in sagittal plane. ACL tears occur in 1 out of 3000, and due to inability to heal, reconstructive surgeries are performed at a rate of 200,000/year. Final graft fixation tension during surgery has been shown to wane due to stress-relaxation which has been correlated with negative clinical outcomes. Therefore, preconditioning, which currently is an isometric load (88N), is performed to remove stress-relaxation after the final tension has been applied in vivo. Three preconditioning protocols, creep, stress relaxation, …