Digital Commons Network^™

Alterations In The Transciptome And Antibiotic Susceptibility Of Staphylococcus Aureus Grown In The Presence Of Diclofenac, James T. Riordan, Joanne M. Dupre, Stephanie A. Cantore-Matyi, Atul Kumar-Singh, Yang Song, Shahrear Zaman, Sonia Horan, Nada S. Helal, Vijayaraj Nagarajan, Mohamed O. Elasri, Brian J. Wilkinson, John E. Gustafson

Faculty Publications

Background

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which has been shown to increase the susceptibility of various bacteria to antimicrobials and demonstrated to have broad antimicrobial activity. This study describes transcriptome alterations in S. aureus strain COL grown with diclofenac and characterizes the effects of this NSAID on antibiotic susceptibility in laboratory, clinical and diclofenac reduced-susceptibility (Dc^RS) S. aureus strains.

Methods

Transcriptional alterations in response to growth with diclofenac were measured using S. aureus gene expression microarrays and quantitative real-time PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by agar diffusion MICs and gradient plate analysis. Ciprofloxacin accumulation was measured …

Zein Nanospheres For Gene Delivery, Mary C. Regier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Particulates incorporating DNA provide for protection and sustained release of DNA, and thus are promising candidates for DNA delivery systems. Among the routes of administration for gene delivery, the oral route is perhaps the most appealing as it is associated with patient comfort and compliance and allows for targeting to intestinal targets for therapeutic and vaccination applications. With the goal of realizing the potential of an oral DNA delivery system, zein, a hydrophobic protein from corn that is biocompatible and degraded enzymatically, was investigated. This thesis describes the formulation of zein nanospheres encapsulating DNA by a coacervation technique and their …

Intracellular Signaling Contributions To Behaviors Relevant To Nicotine Addiction, Lauren Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Nicotine is the primary addictive substance in tobacco, and most smokers who quit will relapse within a year. Evidence shows that cigarette craving increases over time, termed “incubation.” The purpose of these studies was to see if protracted abstinence from chronic nicotine increases rat self-administration, an animal model with good face validity for human tobacco use, and if nicotine self-administration during daily exposure/after 8+ days of abstinence is regulated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell or anterior cingulate cortex (PFC). ERK kinase inhibitor U0126 was infused in the NAc shell or PFC of Long …

Developing A Hybrid Model To Predict Student First Year Retention And Academic Success In Stem Disciplines Using Neural Networks, Ruba Alkhasawneh

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the reasoning behind the low enrollment and retention rates of Underrepresented Minority (URM) students (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has concerned many researchers for decades. Numerous studies have used traditional statistical methods to identify factors that affect and predict student retention. Recently, researchers have relied on using data mining techniques for modeling student retention in higher education [1]. This research has used neural networks for performance modeling in order to obtain an adequate understanding of factors related to first year academic success and retention of URM at …

Novel Methodology For Assessing Phytoplankton Response To Pco2 Enrichment In Fresh And Saltwater, Susan B. Gifford

Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric CO2 emissions are on the rise and are expected to reach 780 parts per million by the year 2100. Research investigating the impacts of increasing CO2 is a relatively new field and the response of phytoplankton communities is largely unknown, especially in coastal and freshwater ecosystems where no CO2 manipulation studies have completed. The present study attempts to encourage uniformity in methods utilized in CO2 perturbation studies and identifies changes in phytoplankton abundance in freshwater (James River) and coastal ocean (Atlantic, Cape Hatteras) sites. A novel bubbling method to manipulate pCO2 was compared with the classic method of acid …

Factors Influencing Arthropod Diversity On Green Roofs, Bracha Y. Schindler, Alden B. Griffith, Kristina N. Jones

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Green roofs have potential for providing substantial habitat to plants, birds, and arthropod species that are not well supported by other urban habitats. Whereas the plants on a typical green roof are chosen and planted by people, the arthropods that colonize it can serve as an indicator of the ability of this novel habitat to support a diverse community of organisms. The goal of this observational study was to determine which physical characteristics of a roof or characteristics of its vegetation correlate with arthropod diversity on the roof. We intensively sampled the number of insect families on one roof with …

Water Quality Characteristics Of Three Rain Gardens Located Within The Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, Sarah Elliott, Mary H. Meyer, Gary R. Sands, Brian Horgan

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

A study was conducted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) at three locations in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area in Minnesota to assess the effect that bioretention areas, or rain gardens, have on water quality. The rain gardens are located at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (MLA), City of Hugo, and City of Woodbury. These sites were chosen because of their similar ages, differences in design, surrounding land use, precipitation patterns, and geology. This article reports the statistical analysis of six years of data obtained from these three sites. The data characterizes the water quality of the inflow, …

Is The Urban Coyote A Misanthropic Synanthrope? The Case From Chicago, Stanley D. Gehrt, Justin L. Brown, Chris Anchor

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Coyotes appear to be one of the few mammalian carnivores that occur in urban areas, although their true relationship with urbanization remains poorly understood. We summarize results from a long-term study of the urban ecology of coyotes in the Chicago metropolitan area to determine the degree of synanthropy for this species and discuss the subsequent management implications for human-coyote conflicts. Local population densities were slightly higher, and survival rates for pups were five times higher compared to rural populations. In contrast to demographic patterns, behavioral responses to urbanization, including home range size, avoidance of developed land cover, activity budget, and …

Eastern Coyote/Coywolf (Canis Latrans X Lycaon) Movement Patterns: Lessons Learned In Urbanized Ecosystems, Jonathan G. Way

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Activity and movement patterns represent a fundamental aspect of a species natural history. Twenty four-hour movements of eastern coyotes or coywolves (Canis latrans x lycaon; hereafter eastern coyote for consistency purposes) ranged up to 31.9 linear km and averaged 23.5 + 7.3 (SD) km from 5-14 radio-fixes during each 24 hr monitoring period. Coyotes moved mostly at night and through altered open areas (e.g., powerlines, dumps) more than expected when compared to residential and natural areas. Coyotes inhabiting urbanized areas generally use residential areas for traveling and/or foraging. With large daily (or more aptly, nightly) movement patterns, resident …

We Are...Marshall, July 20, 2011, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

A Health Empowerment Theory Approach To Pregnant Adolescents 18 And 19 Years Of Age In The Bahamas, Shirley E. Curtis

Open Access Dissertations

In The Bahamas between the years 2,000 to 2007, the percentage of single mothers under the age of 20 years accounted for 11.3 – 12.7% of all births in the country. Mothers between the ages of 10 -14 years accounted for 0.1 – 0.4 % of all births and mothers age 15 -19 years accounted for 11.2 – 12.6% of all births during the same time period. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of empowerment among pregnant adolescents living in The Bahamas aged 18-19 years by testing the levels of autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, …

Relating Climatic Attributes And Water Resources Allocation: A Study Using Surface Water Supply And Soil Moisture Indices In The Snake River Basin, Idaho, David J. Hoekema, Venkataramana Sridhar

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change forced by anthropogenic activities has been ongoing since at least the beginning of the industrial revolution. Part of the recent warming in the western United States has been attributed to anthropogenic climate change. This research seeks to answer the basic question of how declining streamflow, increasing temperatures, and fluctuation in precipitation have impacted water resource allocation in the Snake River Plain over the past 35 years (1971-2005). Understanding how changes in climatic attributes have historically impacted water allocation should help water managers better understand how projected climate change may influence allocation. Annual and monthly diversion trends from 62 …

The Spinnaker [Vol. 33 No. 64], University Of North Florida

Spinnaker

Student newspaper for the UNF community. Date: July 20, 2011

Staff Council Meeting Minutes, Georgia Southern University, Staff Council

Staff Council Meeting Minutes & Agendas

No abstract provided.

The Alestle - Vol. 63 No. 39 - 07/20/2011, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

The Alestle

Vol. 63 No. 39

Scale-Up Of Algae Growth System To Cleanse Wastewater And Produce Oils For Biodiesel Production, Eric Lannan

Theses

Biofuels are a currently a very hot topic with significant interest in both ethanol and biodiesel production. These fuels can be used in current internal combustion engines with little or no modification. Biodiesel can be produced from a variety of sources. One of the most promising sources is microalgae. In some species of algae, oil or lipids can account for as much as 70% of their total biomass. Unfortunately, the cost to produce biodiesel from algae is much too high to compete with petroleum-based fuels. To reduce the production cost of algae, wastewater has been discovered to be an excellent …

Analysis And Fingerprinting Of Glycosaminoglycans, Joseph King

Theses and Dissertations

Heparin is a complex mixture of sulfated polysaccharides derived from animals and one of the oldest drugs in use. While an efficacious anticoagulant, heparin is beset by side effects and pharmacokinetic difficulties. Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) are made by depolymerizing unfractionated heparin (UFH) and present improvements in these areas. However, they still retain a phenomenally high level of complexity due to their polydispersity and the introduction of non-native structural features. This makes the structural characterization LMWHs a daunting task. This work details the development of a novel capillary electrophoretic (CE) method for fingerprinting LMWHs. Since their complexity normally results …

Exercise-Induced Lymphocyte Apoptosis And Relationship With Level Of Lactate In Smokers And Non-Smokers, Kyung-Shin Park, Yang Lee

International Journal of Exercise Science

Purposes of this study were 1) to examine the exercise intensity where lymphocyte apoptosis index (AI) is significantly increased in smokers and non-smokers, 2) to find out whether AI is associated with level of lactate (L). METHODS: Fourteen healthy untrained smokers (≥ 1 pack year, n=7) and non-smokers (n=7) aged 18 to 26 were recruited. Each subject conducted three treadmill runs at different intensities randomly. Running distance for all three runs was equivalent to 30 minute run at 70% VO2max. AI and L were analyzed at rest (Pre), immediately after (Post), and 1 h following (1 h post) each run. …

Olfaction And Sexuality, Michael Buxbaum, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

A patient who describes himself as "sanitary" told me of his concern with odors. Whenever he thinks about establishing a sexual relationship , he develops a fear that his partner may smell offensive, especially around her genital area. He describes signs and symptoms of sympathetic overactivity when he engages in foreplay, and is afraid that he might be impotent if he smells anything offensive. In fact, he has to insert a finger into his partner's vagina during foreplay, to test the nature of the odor. He feels relieved when the smell is neutral or perfumed, and demonstrates enhanced sexual performance. …

Genetic, Behavioral, And Physiological Predictors Of Phenotypic Variability In Typically Developing And High Functioning Children With Autism, Kim E. Ono

Open Access Theses

There is extensive research focused on identifying predictors of autism, including biomarkers such as genes and neurophysiology. Because of inconsistent data, I explored these biomarkers as predictors of variability in behavioral outcomes (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms), rather than indicators of the disorder per se. In a sample of children (ages 8-16) diagnosed with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and an age- and IQ- matched typically developing comparison group, individual differences in behavioral outcomes were assessed in relation to common genetic polymorphisms, 5-HTTLPR and DRD4, and neurophysiological (ERN) and behavioral (rate of self-correction) measures of response monitoring. Although the diagnostic groups …

Associations Of The Oxytocin Receptor Gene (Oxtr) And Emotional Reactions To Betrayal In An Iterated Prisoner’S Dilemma, Benjamin A. Tabak

Open Access Dissertations

Recent research has shown that variation in the gene encoding for the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) contributes to individual differences in social-cognitive and emotional functioning in both clinical and non-clinical populations. OXTR has been associated with prosocial behavior, positive and negative emotionality, empathy, maternal sensitivity, and stress reactivity. To date, no study has investigated OXTR in the context of behavioral and emotional reactions to betrayals in trust. The present study examined how variation in 10 SNPs on OXTR may contribute to individual differences in behavior, emotional reactions, and perceptions following a betrayal in trust in an iterated prisoner’s dilemma game. Following …

Community College Students Spending Summer As Paid Scientists At Cal Poly, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Connecting With What Is Out There!: Using Twitter In The Large Lecture, Adam W. Tyma

Communication Faculty Publications

Objectives: Students and teachers will develop both practical skills and theoretical/cultural understanding with regards to how Twitter can be used to present ideas and create dialogue between individuals and communities within and outside the classroom.

Course(s): Primarily, this student engagement method can be used in any large lecture class (e.g., Introduction to Mass Communication, Introduction to Communication Studies). However, such methods can be used for any course where frequent and short communications are required and/or encouraged between members of the class.

Comparison Of Adenoviruses As Oncolytics And Cancer Vaccines In An Immunocompetent B Cell Lymphoma Model, Eric A. Weaver, Christopher Y. Chen, Shannon M. May, Mary E. Barry, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

We have screened human adenoviruses (Ads) for oncolytic activity against a variety of mouse and hamster cell lines and have found a number that are susceptible to a variety of Ad serotypes. A20 lymphoma is derived from BALB/c mice and is susceptible to infection and killing by a variety of human Ads. A20 is also a suitable cancer vaccine model, because these cells express a unique immunoglobulin variable region that can be targeted by vaccination. To compare Ads as cancer vaccines versus Ads as oncolytics, A20 tumors were initiated in immunocompetent BALB/c mice. Mice immunized with first-generation Ad5 expressing the …

Tomorrow's Researchers

News Releases

No abstract provided.

Role Of Dopamine In Impulse Control, Paul Rafael Sabandal ^, Young-Cho Kim, Kyung-An Han *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2011

No abstract provided.

Computerized Analysis Of Biomarkers In Diagnosis Of Breast Cancer, Jie Li ^, Wei Qian, Jianying Zhang *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2011

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products On Survival Of Rotifers From The Rio Grande, Francisco Arredondo ^, Diana Martinez, Elizabeth J. Walsh *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2011

No abstract provided.

Trajectory Guide With Angled Or Patterned Guide Lumens Or Height Adjustment, Rudy A. Mazzocchi, Matthew S. Solar, Thomas B. Freeman

USF Patents

This document discusses trajectory guides that include an instrument guide with at least one lumen angled with respect to an orthogonal or other through-axis. In one example, patterned lumens on the instrument guide provide a mirror image pattern of trajectory axes intersecting a target plane. In another example, height adjustment of the instrument guide extends these or other targeting techniques to a three-dimensional volume. This document also describes a method of manufacturing such an instrument guide, which is also applicable to manufacturing an instrument guide providing parallel lumens.

Ultrasound Enhancement Of Drug Release Across Non-Ionic Surfactant Membranes, Elizabeth Hood, Joel A. Strom, Michael Vanauker

USF Patents

A method of targeted drug delivery and imaging using nonionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) in combination with ultrasound. Niosomes have potential applications in targeted drug delivery and imaging because of their ability to encapsulate therapeutic agents and their enhanced uptake by physiological membranes. Ultrasound may be used to mediate delivery non-invasively by altering the niosome membrane structure. Niosomes composed of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (Tween 61), cholesterol, and dicetyl phosphate were synthesized via a thin film hydration technique and used for encapsulation studies. Carboxyfluorescein dye (CF) was used as a drug model to demonstrate delivery. The amount of dye in the niosomes, …