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Antibodies And Unnatural Substrates Of Prenylation Enzymes For Use In Detecting And Isolating Prenylated Proteins, H. Peter Spielmann, Douglas A. Andres

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Patents

Unnatural substrates of prenylation enzymens and antibodies that recognize unique moieties of prenylated proteins, which unique moieties are transferred from the unnatural substrates are used for detecting and isolating prenylated proteins, and for screening for inhibitors of prenylation enzymes.

Upper Thermal Tolerances Of Early Life Stages Of Freshwater Mussels, Tamara J. Pandolfo, W. Gregory Cope, Consuelo Arellano, Robert B. Bringolf, M. Christopher Barnhart

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Freshwater mussels (order Unioniformes) fulfill an essential role in benthic aquatic communities, but also are among the most sensitive and rapidly declining faunal groups in North America. Rising water temperatures, caused by global climate change, industrial discharges, drought, or land development, could further challenge imperiled unionid communities. The aim of our study was to determine the upper thermal tolerances of the larval (glochidia) and juvenile life stages of freshwater mussels. Glochidia of 8 species of mussels were tested: Lampsilis siliquoidea, Potamilus alatus, Ligumia recta, Ellipsaria lineolata, Lasmigona complanata, Megalonaias nervosa, Alasmidonta varicosa, and Villosa delumbis. Seven of these species also …

Following Tetraploidy In Maize, A Short Deletion Mechanism Removed Genes Preferentially From One Of The Two Homeologs, Margaret R. Woodhouse, James C. Schnable, Brent S. Pedersen, Eric Lyons, Damon Lisch, Shabarinath Subramaniam, Michael Freeling

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Previous work in Arabidopsis showed that after an ancient tetraploidy event, genes were preferentially removed from one of the two homeologs, a process known as fractionation. The mechanism of fractionation is unknown. We sought to determine whether such preferential, or biased, fractionation exists in maize and, if so, whether a specific mechanism could be implicated in this process. We studied the process of fractionation using two recently sequenced grass species: sorghum and maize. The maize lineage has experienced a tetraploidy since its divergence from sorghum approximately 12 million years ago, and fragments of many knocked-out genes retain enough sequence similarity …

Interview No. 1484, Sylvia Martinez

Paso del Norte Entrepreneurship Oral History Project

Sylvia Martinez, her then husband and his brother decided to start inhome healthcare support business to assist families in El Paso. The business is called Altomar and is located in El Paso, Texas. Their business provided help for families dealing with special needs children. Altomar is a woman-owned certified as well as minority certified business. Sylvia also owns Altomar New Mexico and just started Altomar Medical Equipment Company that provides medical equipment. Sylvia is a member of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Altomar is able to help the El Paso community was …

Anti-Hiv Activity In Cervical-Vaginal Secretions From Hiv-Positive And -Negative Women Correlate With Innate Antimicrobial Levels And Igg Antibodies, Mimi Ghosh, John V. Fahey, Zheng Shen, Timothy Lahey, Susan Cu-Uvin, Zhijin Wu, Kenneth Mayer, Peter F. Wright, John C. Kappes, Christina Ochsenbauer, Charles R. Wira

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: We investigated the impact of antimicrobials in cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) from HIV(+) and HIV(2) women on target cell infection with HIV. Since female reproductive tract (FRT) secretions contain a spectrum of antimicrobials, we hypothesized that CVL from healthy HIV(+) and (2) women inhibit HIV infection.

Methodology/Principal Findings: CVL from 32 HIV(+) healthy women with high CD4 counts and 15 healthy HIV(2) women were collected by gently washing the cervicovaginal area with 10 ml of sterile normal saline. Following centrifugation, anti- HIV activity in CVL was determined by incubating CVL with HIV prior to addition to TZM-bl cells. Antimicrobials and …

The Structure And Stability Of Alpha-Helical, Orthogonal-Bundle Proteins On Surfaces, Shuai Wei

Theses and Dissertations

The interaction of proteins with surfaces is a major problem involved in protein microarrays. Understanding protein/surface interactions is key to improving the performance of protein microarrays, but current understanding of the behavior of proteins on surfaces is lacking. Prevailing theories on the subject, which suggest that proteins should be stabilized when tethered to surfaces, do not explain the experimentally observed fact that proteins are often denatured on surfaces. In an attempt to develop some predictive capabilities with respect to protein/surface interactions, it was asked in previous works if the stabilization/destabilization of proteins on surfaces could be correlated to secondary structure …

Electrospinning Protein Nanofibers To Control Cell Adhesion, Cynthia Chinwe Nwachukwu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The structural and mechanical properties of a surface often play an integral part in the determination of the cell adhesion strength and design parameters for creating a biodegradable electrospun scaffold. Nanofibers composed of the globular proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fibronectin were produced by electrospinning with the electrospun protein scaffold serving as an extracellular matrix to which adhesion interaction will exist with cells via cell surface integrin. This interaction is vital in regulation cell differentiation, growth and migration and cell adhesion.

We will demonstrate the ability to manipulate ligand-receptor interaction, the properties of the electrospun fibers, control and the …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Self-Assembly Of Gold Nanorods And Nanoprisms, Kristina L. Tran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The unique properties of gold nanoparticles make them excellent candidates for applications in electronics, sensing, imaging, and photothermal therapy. Though abundant literature exists for isotropic gold nanoparticles, work on nanoparticles of different shapes has been gaining interest recently. Anisotropic gold nanoparticles, such as nanorods and nanoprisms, have tunable optical properties in the visible and near-infrared regions. Through synthesis and surface modification, the production of various shapes of these gold nanoparticles can be controlled to meet different applications.

Two different types of gold nanorods were used in this thesis. The first type was stabilized with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and had aspect …

Women's Perception Of Science: Theory And Practice, Rashida A. Khanum

XIV IAPh Symposium 2010

This presentation is part of the Science and Values: Global Perspectives track.

Science is very much recognized as giving new life to mankind and this new life means advancement or progress. Science is utilitarian because its discoveries and inventions satisfy human needs. Feminists perceive these impacts of science and technology though there exists a negative side of science and technology about which feminists are critical. Sal Restivo blames science as responsible for generating new social problems, which Sandra Harding accounted positively. Harding evaluates science and technology as both progressive and regressive.1 I shall analyze Harding’s feminist views of science and …

Identifying Comedy: The Linguistic Properties Of Humor, Aaron Frale

Theatre & Dance ETDs

This dissertation is a method to label comedy with a linguistic model. Comedy is defined via an audience's laughter. The first part presents anecdotal evidence and certain factors of comedy. Time and Cultural awareness play into the understanding of comedy. Time can situate the humor in a piece of writing. Cultural understanding can unlock the laughter in a joke. The second section breaks down comedy into a linguistic model. Expression, meaning, and context are the different parts of comedy. Each part has impact on humor. An audience understanding these three parts is critical to the concept of "comedy equals a …

Parks, People And Pixels: Evaluating Landscape Effects Of An East African National Park On Its Surroundings, Jane Southworth, Joel N. Hartter, Michael W. Binford, Abraham Goldman, Colin A. Chapman, Lauren J. Chapman, Patrick Omeja, Elizabeth Binford

Geography

Landscapes surrounding protected areas, while still containing considerable biodiversity, have rapidly growing human populations and associated agricultural development in most of the developing world that tend to isolate them, potentially reducing their conservation value. Using field studies and multi-temporal Landsat imagery, we examine a forest park, Kibale National Park in western Uganda, its changes over time, and related land cover change in the surrounding landscape. We find Kibale has successfully defended its borders and prevents within-park deforestation and other land incursions, and has maintained tree cover throughout the time period of the study. Outside the park there was a significant …

Microarray Analysis Of A Salamander Hopeful Monster Reveals Transcriptional Signatures Of Paedomorphic Brain Development, Robert B. Page, Meredith A. Boley, Jeramiah J. Smith, Srikrishna Putta, Stephen R. Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

Background

The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is considered a hopeful monster because it exhibits an adaptive and derived mode of development - paedomorphosis - that has evolved rapidly and independently among tiger salamanders. Unlike related tiger salamanders that undergo metamorphosis, axolotls retain larval morphological traits into adulthood and thus present an adult body plan that differs dramatically from the ancestral (metamorphic) form. The basis of paedomorphic development was investigated by comparing temporal patterns of gene transcription between axolotl and tiger salamander larvae (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) that typically undergo a metamorphosis.

Results

Transcript abundances from whole brain …

Coco Chanel: A Transformational Leader, Tyann Severine Rolph

Theses and Graduate Projects

The focus of this case study is to examine Coco Chanel in the context of the transformational leadership model developed by James McGregor Burns. Other transformational leadership theorists' perspectives will be integrated into this analysis in order to delineate the characteristics that profile the unique leadership style of fashion designer Coco Chanel.

More specifically, this study will demonstrate how Chanel used fashion as a tool of communication to convince women worldwide of their imprisonment in physically constricting clothing designed to conform to the ideals of a male-dominated society. Chanel, as an international designer and third-wave feminist, went further through her …

Mother And Madonna: Photography Of Madonna And Child, University Of Dayton. Marian Library

Marian Library Exhibit Summaries

Archived website and summary of exhibit in the Marian Library

Artist: Nancy L. Campbell

Exhibit dates: June 28 - August 27, 2010

Microarray Analysis Of A Salamander Hopeful Monster Reveals Transcriptional Signatures Of Paedomorphic Brain Development, Robert B. Page, Meredith A. Boley, Jeramiah J. Smith, Srikrishna Putta, Stephen R. Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is considered a hopeful monster because it exhibits an adaptive and derived mode of development - paedomorphosis - that has evolved rapidly and independently among tiger salamanders. Unlike related tiger salamanders that undergo metamorphosis, axolotls retain larval morphological traits into adulthood and thus present an adult body plan that differs dramatically from the ancestral (metamorphic) form. The basis of paedomorphic development was investigated by comparing temporal patterns of gene transcription between axolotl and tiger salamander larvae (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) that typically undergo a metamorphosis.

RESULTS: Transcript abundances from whole brain and pituitary were estimated …

Incorporating The History Of Mathematics Into Secondary Curriculum, Lacy Gaines

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Oregon State Ranking Assessment For Clustered Lady Slipper (Cypripedium Fasciculatum), Sue Vrilakas

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for clustered lady slipper (Cypripedium fasciculatum) using NatureServe methodology, 2010.

Quantitative Structure-Property Relationships For Predicting Group Iib Metal Binding By Organic Ligands, Aliyar Mousavi

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn) in the environment are all of toxicological and environmental concern, and the pollution of natural waters by any of these three elements is most serious. Mercury is the most environmentally concerning of the three because of the neurotoxin species monomethylmercury produced in aquatic systems through the methylation of Hg²⁺ by aquatic microorganisms. An important chemical process in natural waters that limits the availability of mercury for methylation is the binding of Hg(II) by natural organic matter (NOM). These associations are exceptionally strong, and as NOM is ubiquitous in aquatic environments, estimating equilibrium …

Conceptions Of First-Year Secondary Mathematics Intern Teachers, Alan Tennison

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Beginning mathematics teachers enter their classrooms with a network of conceptions about mathematics and how they will go about teaching it. These conceptions are based on a set of beliefs and body of mathematical knowledge. They are robust and deeply ingrained, and they influence how teachers approach the teaching and learning of mathematics. When teacher educators examine the relationship between teachers conceptions and their practices, they are able to better understand how teachers define their practice. This understanding, then, can inform their work in preservice and inservice teacher education. This study focused on the conceptions of three first-year secondary mathematics …

Early Adolescents' Forgiveness Of Parents: An Analysis Of Determinants, Katherine Janet Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined forgiveness within the parent-adolescent relationship. Theoretical foundations and definitions of forgiveness were examined, after which a relational approach to forgiveness was explored. The direct influences of the quality of mother- and father-child relationships (parent and observed reports) and modeled marital forgiveness on early adolescents' forgiveness toward both mothers and fathers (child report) were examined; the mediating roles of parent forgiveness of child and adolescent social-cognitive skills (empathy and emotional regulation) were also analyzed. Mother, father, and child self-reported questionnaires and in-home observational data were taken from Time 1 and Time 3 (two years later) of the …

Like A Moth To The Flame: Modernity And Mary Wigman 1886-1973, Mary Anne Santos Newhall

History ETDs

From her birth in 1886 to her death in 1973, the life of German dancer Mary Wigman spanned the Wilhelmine Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and the post-war years. She stands as a seminal figure in what has come to be known as the modern dance. Her Ausdruckstanz or dance of expression was fundamental to the development of dance and theater in Germany and beyond. Her aesthetic ideas were disseminated across the European continent and traveled to the United States through her own touring from 1929-1932 and continued after the establishment of the Mary Wigman School in New …

Influence Of Primary Hypothyroidism On Serum Leptin Level, Aras A. Abdullah, Abdul Hussein A. Farage, Maryam S. Mohammad

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Leptin is the protein product of the ob gene, secreted by adipocytes. It has been suggested that it may plays an important role in regulating appetite and energy expenditure, but beside that, little is known about the physiological actions of leptin in humans. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a possible influence of primary hypothyroidism on serum leptin levels. METHODS: Fifty-six newly diagnosed patients with primary hypothyroidism (40 females and 16 males) and 32 normal controls matched for age, ethnic status and body mass index (BMI) were studied. Body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), thyroid function(using enzyme-linked immunoflourescent assay) and serum levels …

Treatment Of Acne Vulgaris With Nigella Sativa Oil Lotion, Nasir Abdul-Ameer Hadi Al-Harchan

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the skin. Despite the vast array of treatment modalities available for acne, there is considerable dissatisfaction in acne treatment among patients and doctors. Cost limitation, adverse effect or lack of efficacy limit the use of current therapy. Herbs and their extracts have been used for treatment of skin disease for centuries. One of the most popular herbs in our society is Nigella sativa; this plant had diverse clinically useful activity. OBJECTIVE: To use nigella sativa oil as natural plant remedy in the treatment of acne vulgaris. METHODS: This …

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Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Medical non-compliance has been identified as a major public health problem in the treatment of Hypertension. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors related to non-Compliance with the treatment of patients with Hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total number of (400) hypertensive patient was enrolled to assess compliance rate at Shorsh General Hospital from July 21/2006 to July 21/2007, using a structured questionnaire. RESULT: The study revealed a low compliance rate among hypertensive patients, Males were less compliant (65.6%) than females (46%). Smokers (61.7%) more than non-smokers (50.6%),non-regular follow-up (76.7%) more than regular, primary and secondary education (68.5%) more than illiterate …

Commonness Happens In Differentiating: A Small Topology Of Being And Appearance – Or: Vive La Difference, Beatrice Nunold

XIV IAPh Symposium 2010

This presentation is part of the Unity and Difference track.

Our brain is an informational closed system. What we perceive is not a more or less exact image of a reality independent of us. Our brain actively produces it. Reality constitutes itself as being-in-picture. We have already been in the picture, immersed in a virtual reality of the 1st order (VR 1), which we call reality, world. According to Merleau-Ponty, this is the “primordial presentation of the non-presentable, “original presentation of the non-presentable” (Merleau-Ponty, 1986: 277, 261). Reality is a relational structure with individual topologies.

There is no emergency exit …

A Surface Femtosecond Two-Photon Photoemission Spectrometer For Excited Electron Dynamics And Time-Dependent Photochemical Kinetics, Zefeng Ren, Chuanyao Zhou, Zhibo Ma, Chun-Lei Xhao, Xinchun Mao, Dongxu Dai, Jerry L. Larue, Russell Cooper, Alec M. Wodtke, Xueming Yang

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

A surface femtosecond two-photon photoemission (2PPE) spectrometer devoted to the study of ultrafast excited electron dynamics and photochemical kinetics on metal and metal oxide surfaces has been constructed. Low energy photoelectrons are measured using a hemispheri- cal electron energy analyzer with an imaging detector that allows us to detect the energy and the angular distributions of the photoelectrons simultaneously. A Mach-Zehnder interferom- eter was built for the time-resolved 2PPE (TR-2PPE) measurement to study ultrafast surface excited electron dynamics, which was demonstrated on the Cu(111) surface. A scheme for measuring time-dependent 2PPE (TD-2PPE) spectra has also been developed for studies of …

Who Is Exposed To Smoke At Home? A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey In Central Vietnam, Motoi Suzuki, Vu Dinh Thiem, Lay-Myint Yoshida, Dang Duc Anh, Paul E. Kilgore, Koya Ariyoshi

Department of Pharmacy Practice

No abstract provided.

Foraging Decisions Of Nocturnal Mice Under Direct And Indirect Cues Of Predation Risk, Robbin G. Capers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The perception of increased predation risk by nocturnal mice and other small mammals has been shown to reduce activity levels, particularly in foraging effort. Various cues of predation risk have been used in previous studies, but few have assessed the potential interactions between different types of cues. I conducted field, laboratory, and enclosure experiments using predator scents, artificial light, and microhabitat variables to determine the effects of direct and indirect cues of predation risk on foraging behavior in wild nocturnal mice. Experimental foraging trays served as artificial resource patches, and giving-up densities were measured in order to test for foraging …

Gender Ideology In The Physical Sciences: Philosophical Arguments, ÁGnes KováCs, LáSzló Ropolyi

XIV IAPh Symposium 2010

This presentation is part of the Feminist Perspectives in the Sciences: Physics, Chemistry and Climate Science track.

Feminist science criticism has overwhelmingly concerned itself with biological theories on sex and gender difference. Feminist critics (Bleier, Hubbard, Fausto-Sterling, Haraway) have discredited these theories by arguing that gender bias resulted in cognitive distortions and misrepresentation of the subject of inquiry. Feminist philosophers of science (Harding, Longino, and Nelson, among others), elaborated epistemological frameworks to account for these gender biases in science. There is nothing specific in their theories which would limit their validity to the social and life sciences, and yet no …

Substance-Related Health Disorders In Women: A Retrospective Study Of Women In A Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, Elaine D. Kauschinger

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the health profiles of women seeking residential treatment for substance abuse with women in the community. These 2 data sets consisted of a total of 621 participants. An additional aim of the present study was to examine whether these health profiles differ between the monosubstance abusing and polysubstance abusing women within the treatment group. There were a total of 257 participants in this group. All analyses controlled for the effects of age, insurance, marital status, employment and race/ethnicity. Binary logistic regressions were used to compare between and within the specified groups on …