Digital Commons Network^™

Geomorphological Potential Of Coelacanth Habitat Across Mozambique-Tanzania Border, N. Nyandwi

Tanzania Journal of Science

The coelacanth is a new fish in Tanzania. It was first discovered in September 2003 after it was spotted by a tourist in a fish market. It was caught by fishermen in the deep waters off Songo Mnara Island offshore of Kilwa Masoko Town in Southern Tanzania. The find potentially added southern Tanzania to the list of known coelacanth areas of the southern Western Indian Ocean Region. Observed current conditions indicate that the waters are swept by strong (2 m/sec) northward flowing current. This suggests that there must exist hideouts for the fish, such as caves in canyons and overhangs. …

Optimization Of Application Of Delactosed Whey Permeate Treatment To Extend The Shelf-Life Of Fresh Cut Tomato Using Response Surface Methodology., Lubna Ahmed, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Daniel Rico, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Articles

Optimization of delactosed whey permeate (DWP) treatment for fresh-cut tomato was accomplished by evaluating different quality, nutritional and microbial markers. Response surface methodology was applied to obtain polynomial model equations. DWP concentration (0 - 5 %) and storage (0 - 10 days) were used as independent factors in order to optimize the process. The analyses showed that increases in DWP concentration extended the quality of the fresh-cut tomato significantly (p3 % were scored unacceptable by the sensory panel due to perceived off-odours. DWP treatment also improved retention of ascorbic acid and lycopene over storage. The total aerobic counts and yeast …

Due Diligence And Demographic Disparities: Effects Of The Planning Of U.S.- Mexico Border Fence On Marginalized Populations, J. Gaines Wilson, Jude A. Benavides, Karen Engle, Denise Gilman, Anthony Reisinger, Jessica Spangler, Joe Lemen

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In the buildup to the construction the U.S.-Mexico border fence by the United States Department of Homeland Security (USDHS), much attention was drawn to security, drug enforcement, and immigration issues. However, there was little quantitative analysis regarding which populations were most likely to be affected by the proposed fence. Using a geographic information system, we classified census blocks in Cameron County, Texas into one of two categories: either ‘fence’ or ‘gap’. A total of 14 demographic factors were tested for disparities between those living in gap areas and those living in areas exposed to the fence. Twelve of fourteen factors …

Regulating Vessel Traffic Service (Vts) To Mitigate Maritime Accidents At Port Approaches, Abdulhusain Mansoor. Abdulla

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Down, But Not Out: An Ethnographic Study Of Women Who Struggled With And Overcame Methamphetamine Addiction, Jodi Nettleton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women suffer methamphetamine (meth) addiction at a rate much higher than rates for addiction to other drugs. Female meth users are susceptible and predisposed to gender-related risks: high rates of unprotected vaginal and anal sex, sex-work, and sexual coercion. Precursors for addiction (e.g., abuse, body dysphasia) put females in a difficult position for recovery and highlight the need for gender-specific research and treatment.

Methamphetamine (a synthetically derived stimulant) creates psychological and physical dependency that affects every neuron of the brain and damages the body immediately. Women ingest meth for initial effects that allay social pressures: feeling euphoric, connecting with others …

African American Athletes And The Negotiation Of Public Spaces: An Examination Of Athletic Capital And African American Perceptions Of Success, Keona Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the culture of sport among African American male football players as well as African American perspectives on sport and success. A case study of six African American, Division 1 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) collegiate student athletes was conducted along with seventeen supplemental interviews with community members, parents, coaches and former athletes and fans. The participants answered questions that explored education, success, identity construction, ethnicity and sport. Archival data was also reviewed framing the discussion on football in Florida, links between education and sport participation and African American male academic achievement. While many perspectives varied, there were collective …

Evaluation Of Common Inherited Variants In Mitochondrial-Related And Microrna-Related Genes As Novel Risk Factors For Ovarian Cancer, Jennifer Permuth Wey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in the United States, and the etiology is incompletely understood. Common, low penetrant genetic variants such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) likely contribute to a significant proportion of EOC. We examined whether SNPs in two understudied yet biologically important types of genes, mitochondrial-related and miRNA-related genes, may contribute to EOC susceptibility using data from a large, homogeneous study population of 1,815 EOC cases and 1,900 controls (frequency-matched on age-group and race/ethnicity) genotyped through stage 1 of an ongoing genome-wide association study. Inter-individual variation in genes involved …

Design And Synthesis Of Beta-Hairpin Peptidomimetics For Modulating Integrin Mediated Cell Adhesion, Abeta Fibrillogenesis And P53-Mdm2 Protein-Protein Interactions, Priyesh Jain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inhibiting therapeutically important protein-protein interactions has been a tremendous challenge for medicinal chemists. The folded 3D structures of peptides and proteins, mainly comprise secondary structural elements i.e α-helices and β-sheet have created an opportunity to design small molecules and peptidomimetic inhibitors of protein-protein interaction (PPI). Hence, information about the formation and stabilization of these secondary structures is vital for designing future drugs. In this dissertation, several cyclic beta-hairpin peptidomimetics that mimic the recognition surface have been designed and synthesized as inhibitors for different targets such as integrin mediated extracellular matrix -cell adhesion in multiple myeloma, p53-MDM2 PPI, amyloid beta fibrillogenesis …

Epidemiological Study Of Contributing Factors In The Development Of Peptic Ulcer And Gastric Cancer Initiated By Helicobacter Pylori Infection In India, Rahul Suresh Mhaskar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a significant risk factor for peptic ulcer (PU) and gastric cancer (GC). Apart from the virulent CagA genotype of H. pylori environmental and dietary factors influence disease outcomes. There have been no studies addressing these factors in Western India. Hence, we conducted a case control study enrolling PU, GC patients and controls at Pune, India.

Methods: Risk factors for PU and H. pylori infection were assessed in participant interview. H. pylori status was assessed from stool by monoclonal antigen detection. To understand treatment effect, we followed 100 H. pylori positive patients.

Results: We …

Dna Methylation And Its Association With Prenatal Exposures And Pregnancy Outcomes, Jennifer Straughen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Altered DNA methylation may lead to suboptimal fetal programming, increasing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as small for gestational age (SGA); however, few studies have examined the associations between DNA methylation, prenatal exposures, and fetal outcomes. Cross-sectional data from a larger, ongoing study were used to assess the impact of prenatal smoking on gene specific methylation of umbilical cord blood derived DNA and to investigate the association between gene-specific methylation and risk of SGA. The association between gene-specific DNA methylation and birthweight was also assessed. Maternal and infant covariates were abstracted from medical records, cigarette smoke exposure was …

Aspects Of The Life History Of The Snowy Grouper, Epinephelus Niveatus, In The Gulf Of Mexico, Kelley Kowal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge of many life history parameters are essential to properly assess and manage fish species. Although the snowy grouper, Epinephelus niveatus, is a commercially valuable fish, which is harvested throughout the Gulf of Mexico, little is known about its age, growth, and reproduction from this region. In this study, snowy grouper from the northern and eastern regions of the Gulf of Mexico were examined primarily using commercially-derived samples that were collected between 1984 and 2004. A total of 1,200 snowy grouper with fork lengths between 242 and 1,190 mm were collected. Sectioned saggital otoliths were used to determine the age …

Discovery Of Novel Viruses From Animals, Plants, And Insect Vectors Using Viral Metagenomics, Terry Fei Fan Ng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding emerging viruses is critical for disease monitoring and prediction; however, surveys of novel viruses are hindered by the lack of a universal assay for viruses. Viral metagenomics, consisting of viral particle purification and shotgun sequencing, is a powerful technique for discovering viruses in a wide variety of sample types. However, current protocols are not effective on tissue samples (e.g., lungs, livers and tumors), where they are hindered by the high amount of host nucleic acids which limits the percentage of sequences that originate from viruses. In this dissertation, a modified viral metagenomics protocol was developed and utilized to effectively …

Spatial Distribution Of Calcium-Gated Chloride Channels In Olfactory Cilia, Donald A. French, Dorjsuren Badamdorj, Steven J. Kleene

Mathematical Sciences Faculty Research

Background

In vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons, sensory cilia transduce odor stimuli into changes in neuronal membrane potential. The voltage changes are primarily caused by the sequential openings of two types of channel: a cyclic-nucleotide-gated (CNG) cationic channel and a calcium-gated chloride channel. In frog, the cilia are 25 to 200 µm in length, so the spatial distributions of the channels may be an important determinant of odor sensitivity.

Principal Findings

To determine the spatial distribution of the chloride channels, we recorded from single cilia as calcium was allowed to diffuse down the length of the cilium and activate the channels. …

Analisis Asam Valproat Dalam Plasma Secara Kromatografi Gas, Ani Susanti, Yahdiana Harahap, Harmita Harmita

Majalah Ilmu Kefarmasian

Valproic acid is an anticonvulsant drug that works by increasing the levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Determination of valproic acid is quite difficult because it has no chromophore groups in its structure. Aa analytical method using gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detector for the determination of valproic acid in human plasma has been developed and optimized. Valproic acid was extracted from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction method using diethyl ether. The optimum analysis conditions for valproic acid in plasma were achieved by regulated gas chromatography injector and detector at a temperature of 250oC and temperature programming with an initial temperature …

A Study To Minimize Or Eliminate Hardbottom And Reef Impacts From Anchoring Activities In Designated Anchorages At The Ports Of Miami And Palm Beach, Brian K. Walker

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

No abstract provided.

Global Patterns And Predictions Of Seafloor Biomass Using Random Forests, Chih-Lin Wei, Gilbert T. Rowe, Elva Escobar-Briones, Antje Boetius, Thomas Soltwedel, M. Julian Caley, Yousria Soliman, Falk Huettmann, Fangyuan Qu, Zishan Yu, C. Roland Pitcher, Richard L. Haedrich, Mary K. Wicksten, Michael A. Rex, Jeffrey G. Baguley, Jyotsna Sharma, Roberto Danovaro, Ian R. Macdonald, Clifton C. Nunnally, Jody W. Deming, Paul Montagna, Mélanie Lévesque, Jan Marcin Weslawski, Maria Wlodarska-Kowalczuk, Baban S. Ingole, Brian J. Bett, David S. M. Billett, Andrew Yool, Bodil A. Bluhm, Katrin Iken, Bhavani E. Narayanaswamy

Biology Faculty Publication Series

A comprehensive seafloor biomass and abundance database has been constructed from 24 oceanographic institutions worldwide within the Census of Marine Life (CoML) field projects. The machine-learning algorithm, Random Forests, was employed to model and predict seafloor standing stocks from surface primary production, water-column integrated and export particulate organic matter (POM), seafloor relief, and bottom water properties. The predictive models explain 63% to 88% of stock variance among the major size groups. Individual and composite maps of predicted global seafloor biomass and abundance are generated for bacteria, meiofauna, macrofauna, and megafauna (invertebrates and fishes). Patterns of benthic standing stocks were positive …

Using Phytotechnologies To Remediate Brownfields, Landfills, And Other Urban Areas, Ronald S. Zalesny Jr, Jill A. Zalesny

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Urban areas requiring remedial work has prompted the use of phytotechnologies to improve water quality, soil health, and biodiversity, as well as to achieve sustainable social and economic goals. Phytotechnologies directly use plants to clean up contaminated groundwater, soil, and sediment. While woody and herbaceous crops are candidates for such remediation systems, trees within the genera Populus (poplars, cottonwoods, aspens) and Salix (willows) are ideal given their fast growth, extensive root systems, and elevated rates of photosynthesis and transpiration. The genetic diversity within these genera substantially increases the establishment and growth potential across heterogeneous sites. We have tested these trees …

Human Health & Well-Being: Evidence For An Expanded Framework Of Ecosystem Services In Cities, Kathleen L. Wolf

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Scientific research across recent decades has provided evidence of the broad array of benefits provided by urban greening. "Ecosystem services" is a concept that provides a framework for understanding and strategically generating nature based functions and benefits. Several classifications of ecosystem services have been proposed (including the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Within the urban context, environmental benefits and services are becoming better understood and more recognized. Unfortunately, human health and well being (HHWB) benefits are often reduced to a simple matter of aesthetics in public dialog. A comprehensive research literature review and summary is being prepared to serve as a …

Restoring Native Plant And Pollinator Communities On New York City Green Roofs, Melanie C. Smith, Matthew I. Palmer

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Urban development has dramatically decreased habitat for native plants and other wildlife. One of the native insect groups affected by this change are the bees and wasps (Order: Hymenoptera), which provide valuable ecosystem services like pollination of crops and ornamental plants. These insects are experiencing rapid population declines in urbanizing areas. A major obstacle to restoring pollinator populations in cities is the scarcity of space available that can be managed as habitat. A potential solution to this is to create patches of native vegetation on green roofs. Green roofs consist of live plants, growing media, and a drainage layer on …

Assessing Survival On Milliontreesnyc Reforestation Sites, Brady L. Simmons

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

The City of New York Parks & Recreation’s (Parks) Natural Resources Group (NRG) is leading a large scale, citywide reforestation effort as part of the MillionTreesNYC goal to plant 450,000 trees in parks across the city. The reforestation monitoring study was developed as one tool to test the success of the reforestation efforts. This study addresses the basic survivability and health of the trees since planting began in the fall of 2007. This study captured the container trees planted by In house staff, volunteer groups, and contractors.

What Is Urban Environmental Stewardship? Working Toward A Practitioner-Derived Definition In Seattle, Michele Romolini, Weston Brinkley, Kathleen Wolf

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

While “stewardship” is often used to describe environmental improvement efforts, it is difficult to find an agreed upon definition of the term. Current research examines stewardship programs, activities, networks, and outcomes. A comprehensive definition should take into account the perspectives of all stakeholders. Practitioners and project managers have particularly direct experiences of stewardship, however little has been done to determine how they define the term and its implementation. Establishing a shared concept of stewardship is essential to further research, and the intent of this preliminary study is to begin to develop a definition. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with representatives of …

Community Gardens: An Exploration Of Urban Agriculture In The Bronx, New York City, Michelle Ma Ottmann, Juliana A. Maantay, Kristen Grady, Nerio A. Cardoso, Nilce N. Fonte

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Urban agriculture/community gardening in the Bronx has multiple roles, including health-promoting, economic, environmental, and cultural. These roles are particularly important in light of urban sustainability issues and environmental justice concerns, such as differential access to open space, recreation, and fresh produce in poorer communities and communities of color, as well as differential environmental and health impacts of unsustainable practices on these communities. The gardens generally help promote a sense of place - a focus for communities - which often have little access to safe parks or recreational space within their neighborhoods, and create a center for community cultural and educational …

Diversity And Conservation Of Butterflies In The New York City Metropolitan Area, Kevin C. Matteson, Nell Roberts

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Butterflies are charismatic microfauna that provide opportunities for humans living in urbanized landscapes to directly experience biodiversity. However, very little has been published on which butterfly species currently persist in densely populated urban landscapes, such as the New York City metropolitan area. As a first step towards conservation of butterflies in this heavily populated landscape, we analyzed data on butterfly sightings in the five boroughs of New York City and adjacent counties from January 2001 to November 2009. In total, we compiled 12,732 reported sightings (5822 from within NYC limits) representing 106 butterfly species (87 from within NYC limits) that …

Design In Urban In Ecology, Victoria J. Marshall

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Social ecologists, economists and epidemiologists note that systems are ‘leaky’ particularly at the stage of reorganization, therefore for long term research, the challenge is not to gather information over time but rather, to measure in time, particularly with relation to collective memory and lagged effects. Similarly art and design research with an ecosystem approach has seen a shift in attention from a subject’s location in space toward an understanding of the subject being duration in time. These drawings explore various experiments into this approach at Parsons the New School for Design in 2009 and 2010. Consciously seeking alternatives to geographical …

Sustainable Urban Forest Management Planning Using Criteria And Indicators, W Andrew Kenny, Philip J. Van Wassenaer, Alexander Satel

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

This poster discusses how Criteria and Indicators (C&I) for success in sustainable urban forest management, first outlined by Clark et al. (1997), can be successfully applied as tools to improve Strategic Urban Forest Management planning. It presents updates and modifications to the original tables, developed by van Wassenaer, Kenney and Satel (in press) to improve their application in strategic planning. A case study demonstrates how C&I were used to evaluate current management practices in the Town of Oakville, Ontario. This poster also outlines the strategic planning framework used in the preparation of the Oakville Plan, and presents it as a …

Evaluation Of The Stormwater Capture Potential Of New York City Soils: Implications Of Infiltration Rate Variability On Urban Runoff Predictions, Kimberly A. Digiovanni, Franco Montalto, Alisha Goldstein

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

The properties used to characterize soils and, more specifically, those that are used to describe the rate at which water infiltrates into them, are key parameters in most rainfall-runoff models. Because these parameters are known to be highly variable, they are a known source of uncertainty in our ability to predict runoff from pervious surfaces. The goals of this study were to a) characterize the heterogeneity in soil and infiltration characteristics in specific types of pervious surfaces found in New York City, and b) to study the potential effect of this heterogeneity on prediction of the total volume and peak …

The Urbis Partnership Proposal For Global Designation, Christine Alfsen, Laura C. Dickinson, Keith G. Tidball

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

The URBIS Partnership is proposing a designation process to recognize urban regions’ efforts to engage in participatory, inclusive, and comprehensive approaches in urban planning for sustainability. Through this process, sustainable management practices would be developed and then cataloged for sharing and dissemination as part of a site-based global knowledge network. The URBIS Partnership is inviting expertise in fields including urban ecology, environmental education, policy, and urban planning to develop this process. Currently, urban regions involved include Stockholm, Montreal, Shanghai, Cape Town, Chicago, Istanbul, New Orleans, and New York. This effort will culminate in the establishment of the URBIS Partnership with …

Oregon Aspen Project, Forest Restoration Partnership

Aspen Bibliography

The Oregon Aspen Project was initiated in response to the decline of aspen groves in Oregon and throughout the Western United States, and the lack of information to guide managers interested in stewardship to enhance this resource. There were three central goals and accompanying objectives for this project which are listed below. The project accomplishments are provided below each bulleted objective

A Quantitative, Non-Destructive Methodology For Habitat Characterisation And Benthic Monitoring At Offshore Renewable Energy Developments, Emma V. Sheehan, Timothy F. Stevens, Martin J. Attrill

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Hepatitis C Virus Infection Assessment Among Chronic Hemodialysis Patients In Al-Kadhmiya Teaching Hospital, Jawad K. Mnuti, Fadhil A. Al- Abbudi

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been recognized as an emerging problem in dialysis patients, and viral hepatitis remains a major hazard for both patients and medical staff of hemodialysis (HD) units. The reported yearly incidence of anti-HCV antibody worldwide between HD patients ranges from 10.5% to 24%, while the prevalence of anti-HCV antibody among dialysis patients varies in different countries (5-85%) worldwide, and may exceed 95% in the Middle East OBJECTIVE: To asses the prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) among the hemodialysis unit in ALKadhmiya Teaching Hospital and to identify the risk factors of infection in relation …