Digital Commons Network^™

The First Generation Community: What Does It Mean To Be A Youth Member?, Elissa M. Gallup

Capstone Collection

This paper examines the impact of being part of the First Generation community on the youth members. The context of Springfield, Massachusetts and the culture of First Generation are explained. The role of The Performance Project, the nonprofit through which First Generation operates, is also described, as it pertains to the context. A literature review, with other youth programs’ methodologies and findings of analyzing impacts in their programs, has been included.

Following months of work with First Generation and the literature research, qualitative interviews were crafted and conducted with members of the group. These anonymous interviews allow some insight into …

Isolation And Analysis Of Ceratopteris Richardii Antheridiogen C, Adham Alifarag

Student Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Active Learning And Practice On The Students' Mastery Of Pharmacokinetic Calculations For The Intermittent Intravenous Infusion Dosing Of Antibiotics, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Estimation of pharmacokinetic parameters after intermittent intravenous infusion (III) of antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides or vancomycin, has traditionally been a difficult subject for students in clinical pharmacology or pharmacokinetic courses. Additionally, samples taken at different intervals during repeated dose therapy require manipulation of sampling times before accurate calculation of the patient-specific pharmacokinetic parameters. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of active learning tools and practice opportunities on the ability of students to estimate pharmacokinetic parameters from the plasma samples obtained at different intervals following intermittent intravenous infusion.

Choreographing The Adenylyl Cyclase Signalosome: Sorting Out The Partners And The Steps, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Amy S. Bogard, Robert Gros

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Adenylyl cyclases are a ubiquitous family of enzymes and are critical regulators of metabolic and cardiovascular function. Multiple isoforms of the enzyme are expressed in a range of tissues. However, for many processes, the adenylyl cyclase isoforms have been thought of as essentially interchangeable, with their impact more dependent on their common actions to increase intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate content regardless of the isoform involved. It has long been appreciated that each subfamily of isoforms demonstrate a specific pattern of “upstream” regulation, i.e., specific patterns of ion dependence (e.g., calcium-dependence) and specific patterns of regulation by kinases (protein kinase A …

Kshv Infection Of Endothelial Cells Manipulates Cxcr7-Mediated Signaling: Implications For Kaposi’S Sarcoma Progression And Intervention, Jennifer Totonchy, Lisa Clepper, Janet Douglas, Liron Pantanowitz, Klaus Fruh, Ashlee V. Moses

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"CXCR7 was recently characterized as an alternative receptor for the chemokine CXCL12/SDF-1, previously thought to bind and signal exclusively through CXCR4.We recently identified CXCR7 as a key cellular factor in the endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction associated with KSHV infection. CXCL12 signaling is critically associated with tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis in several diverse tumors and is one of the most studied chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions in cancer systems. The tumorigenic activity of the CXCL12 signaling axis offers an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in multiple cancers including Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS). However, most of the research to date was based on the …

Cytoplasmic Sequestration Of The Tumor Suppressor P53 By A Heat Shock Protein 70 Family Member, Mortalin, In Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines, Erin E. Gestl, S. Anne Boettger

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Barnacle Bonding: Morphology Of Attachment Of Xenobalanus Globicipitis To Its Host Tursiops Truncatus, Mark C. Pugliese, Stefanie Anne Boettger, Frank E. Fish

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bioahdhesion In Caulerpa Mexicana (Chlorophyta); Rhizoid-Substrate Adhesion, Wayne R. Fagerburg, Jennifer Towle, Clinton J. Dawes, Anne Boettger

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Acetylcholine Esterase Activity And Muscle Contraction In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus (Lamarck) Following Chronic Phosphate Exposure, S. Anne Boettger, James B. Mcclintock

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Neutralizing Consent: The Maternal Look And The Returned Gaze In El Infarto Del Alma, Megan Corbin

Languages & Cultures Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Invasive And Native Plant Response To Fire In A Pennsylvania Piedmont Woodland, Joan M. Welch

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

“Help And Harvest!” Recruiting And Managing Campus Garden Volunteers, Joy Fritschle, Joan Welch, Heather Sowers

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Old-Growth Forest Reference Ecosystems Using Historic Land Surveys, Redwood National Park, California, Joy Fritschle

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Spatial Patterns Of Road Mortality: Assessing Turtle Barrier Conservation Strategies, Dorothy Ives-Dewey, James P. Lewandowski

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Land Abandonment And Wild Ungulates: Maintaining Open Spaces In Catalan Pre-Pyrenees, Joan M. Welch, Josep Vila Subiros, Diego Varga Linde

Geography & Planning Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Protection Of The Female Reproductive Tract In The Prevention Of Hiv, Camila Diaz

HIM 1990-2015

Worldwide, more than half of all HIV-infected individuals are women. Since mucosal surfaces are the primary gateway for HIV entry, maintaining the integrity of the female reproductive tract (FRT) is essential for preventing infection. The FRT employs many immune mechanisms that serve as the first line of defense against HIV transmission. Among these are vaginal fluid secretions rich in antimicrobial peptides, and commensal bacteria that colonize the vagina and prevent infections. We sought to study vaginal fluid as an innate immune component of the FRT in the prevention of HIV infection. Additionally, we investigated the anti-HIV microbicide candidate RC-101 as …

Physiological Relevance Of A Trna-Dependent Mechanism For Membrane Modification In Enterococcus Faecium, Jesse Harrison

HIM 1990-2015

Enterococci were once thought to be harmless, commensal organisms that colonize the gastrointestinal tract of humans and other mammals. In the last 30 years, however, concern has grown in the clinical setting over two particular species, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, which are frequently found to be the etiologic agents of nosocomial infections. Aminoacyl-phosphatidylglycerol synthases (aaPGSs) are integral membrane proteins that add amino acids to phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in the cellular envelope of bacteria. Addition of amino acids to PG confers resistance to various therapeutic antimicrobial agents, and contributes to evasion of the host immune response in a number of clinically …

A Case Of Double Conciousness Americo-Liberians And Indigenous Liberian Relations 1840-1930, Genesys Santana

HIM 1990-2015

This study argues that the formation of Americo-Liberian identity overwhelmingly relied on White American middle class cultural values despite the founders' criticisms and rejection of racial oppression and slavery. Americo-Liberians' previous participation in a culture that downgrades African heritage fostered the internalization of Western notions of civilization and African inferiority that led them to establish an oppressive regime similar to the one they had escaped from, and even enslaved the indigenous population, which they considered "uncivilized." The study thus investigates how formerly oppressed and enslaved blacks became oppressors and enslavers of other black people in the name of a "civilizing …

Social Experience, Depression, And Alcohol Abuse In College Age Females, Ann Cooper

HIM 1990-2015

Past research has explored social experience in relation to depression among college females. Other studies have investigated the relationship between social experience and alcohol use among college students. However, there is a lack of research on the relationship among all the three variables, social experience, depression, and alcohol use, in female college students. In the present study, 132 traditional age female college students completed a Brief Social Experience Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). The results did not show a relationship between AUDIT scores and social experience ratings, but individuals who …

University Of Central Florida Factbook 2011-2012, University Of Central Florida

Historical Fact Book and Enrollment

Historical fact book and enrollment data for the University of Central Florida.

Deoxycytidine Kinase Regulates The G2/M Checkpoint Through Interaction With Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 1 In Response To Dna Damage, Chunying Yang, Michael Lee, Jianwei Hao, Xiaoli Cui, Xiaojing Guo, Caroline Smal, Francoise Bontemps, Shumei Ma, Xiaodong Liu, David Engler, William B. Parker, Bo Xu

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) is a rate limiting enzyme critical for phosphorylation of endogenous deoxynucleosides for DNA synthesis and exogenous nucleoside analogues for anticancer and antiviral drug actions. dCK is activated in response to DNA damage; however, how it functions in the DNA damage response is largely unknown. Here, we report that dCK is required for the G2/M checkpoint in response to DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation (IR). We demonstrate that the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase phosphorylates dCK on Serine 74 to activate it in response to DNA damage. We further demonstrate that Serine 74 phosphorylation is required for initiation of …

Mcp-1 Induced Protein Promotes Adipogenesis Via Oxidative Stress, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress And Autophagy, Craig Younce, Pappachan Kolattukudy

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Obesity involves inflammation. MCP-1, an inflammatory chemokine, and MCP-1-induced protein (MCPIP) are known to induce adipogenesis that causes increase in the number of adipocytes. Here we elucidate the intermediate processes through which MCPIP induces adipogenesis. Forced expression of MCPIP in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes caused increased reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) production and inducible-nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, endoplasnnic reticulum stress (ER), as indicated by expression of ER chaperones and protein disulfide isomerase, and autophagy as indicated by expression of beclin-1 and cleavage of LC3. Treatment of ROS inhibitor, apocynin attenuated MCPIP induction of adipogenesis as measured by the induction of transcription factors …

Multifractal Analysis Of Solar Flare Indices And Their Horizontal Visibility Graphs, Z. G. Yu, V. Anh, R. Eastes, D. L. Wang

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

The multifractal properties of the daily solar X-ray brightness, X-l and X-s, during the period from 1 January 1986 to 31 December 2007 which includes two solar cycles are examined using the universal multifractal approach and multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis. Then we convert these time series into networks using the horizontal visibility graph technique. Multifractal analysis of the resulting networks is performed using an algorithm proposed by us. The results from the multifractal analysis show that multifractality exists in both raw daily time series of X-ray brightness and their horizontal visibility graphs. It is also found that the empirical K(q) …

Trapping And Rotating Microparticles And Bacteria With Moire-Based Optical Propelling Beams, Peng Zhang, Daniel Hernandez, Drake Cannan, Yi Hu, Shima Fardad, Simon Huang, Joseph C. Chen, Demetrios N. Christodoulides, Zhigang Chen

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

We propose and demonstrate trapping and rotation of microparticles and biological samples with a moire-based rotating optical tweezers. We show that polystyrene beads, as well as Escherichia coli cells, can be rotated with ease, while the speed and direction of rotation are fully controllable by a computer, obviating mechanical movement or phase-sensitive interference. Furthermore, we demonstrate experimentally the generation of white-light propelling beams and arrays, and discuss the possibility of optical tweezing and particle micro-manipulation based on incoherent white-light rotating patterns.

Orally Bioavailable Small-Molecule Inhibitor Of Transcription Factor Stat3 Regresses Human Breast And Lung Cancer Xenografts, Xiaolei Zhang, Peibin Yue, Brent D. G. Page, Tianshu Li, Wei Zhao, Andrew T. Namanja, David Paladino, Jihe Zhao, Yuan Chen, Patrick T. Gunning, James Turkson

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Computer-aided lead optimization derives a unique, orally bioavailable inhibitor of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat)3 Src homology 2 domain. BP-1-102 binds Stat3 with an affinity (K-D) of 504 nM, blocks Stat3-phospho-tyrosine (pTyr) peptide interactions and Stat3 activation at 4-6.8 mu M, and selectively inhibits growth, survival, migration, and invasion of Stat3-dependent tumor cells. BP-1-102-mediated inhibition of aberrantly active Stat3 in tumor cells suppresses the expression of c-Myc, Cyclin D1, Bcl- xL, Survivin, VEGF, and Kruppel-like factor 8, which is identified as a Stat3 target gene that promotes Stat3-mediated breast tumor cell migration and invasion. Treatment of breast …

Observation Of Trapping And Transporting Air-Borne Absorbing Particles With A Single Optical Beam, Ze Zhang, Drake Cannan, Jingjiao Liu, Peng Zhang, Demetrios N. Christodoulides, Zhigang Chen

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

We demonstrate optical trapping and manipulation of micron-sized absorbing air-borne particles with a single focused Gaussian beam. Transportation of trapped nonspherical particles from one beam to another is realized, and the underlying mechanism for the trapping is discussed by considering the combined action of several forces. By employing a specially-designed optical bottle beam, we observe stable trapping and optical transportation of light-absorbing particles from one container to another that is less susceptible to ambient perturbation.

Clustering Rna Structural Motifs In Ribosomal Rnas Using Secondary Structural Alignment, Cuncong Zhong, Shaojie Zhang

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

RNA structural motifs are the building blocks of the complex RNA architecture. Identification of non-coding RNA structural motifs is a critical step towards understanding of their structures and functionalities. In this article, we present a clustering approach for de novo RNA structural motif identification. We applied our approach on a data set containing 5S, 16S and 23S rRNAs and rediscovered many known motifs including GNRA tetraloop, kink-turn, C-loop, sarcin-ricin, reverse kink-turn, hook-turn, E-loop and tandem-sheared motifs, with higher accuracy than the state-of-the-art clustering method. We also identified a number of potential novel instances of GNRA tetraloop, kink-turn, sarcin-ricin and tandem-sheared …

Matrix Metalloproteinases, New Insights Into The Understanding Of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Yoon-Seong Kim, Tong J. Joh

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a subfamily of zinc-dependent proteases that are re-sponsible for degradation and remodeling of extracellular matrix proteins. The activity of MMPs is tightly regulated at several levels including cleavage of prodomain, allosteric activation, com-partmentalization and complex formation with tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). In the central nervous system (CNS), MMPs play a wide variety of roles ranging from brain devel-opment, synaptic plasticity and repair after injury to the pathogenesis of various brain disorders. Following general discussion on the domain structure and the regulation of activity of MMPs, we emphasize their implication in various brain disorder conditions such …

Purification, Crystallization And X-Ray Diffraction Analysis Of Human Dynamin-Related Protein 1 Gtpase-Ged Fusion Protein, Eva Klinglmayr, Julia Wenger, Sandra Mayr, Ella Bossy-Wetzel, Sandra Puehringer

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

The mechano-enzyme dynamin-related protein 1 plays an important role in mitochondrial fission and is implicated in cell physiology. Dysregulation of Drp1 is associated with abnormal mitochondrial dynamics and neuronal damage. Drp1 shares structural and functional similarities with dynamin 1 with respect to domain organization, ability to self-assemble into spiral-like oligomers and GTP-cycle-dependent membrane scission. Structural studies of human dynamin-1 have greatly improved the understanding of this prototypical member of the dynamin superfamily. However, high-resolution structural information for full-length human Drp1 covering the GTPase domain, the middle domain and the GTPase effector domain (GED) is still lacking. In order to obtain …

Exposure To Exogenous Enkephalins Disrupts Reproductive Development In The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea Microptera (Insecta: Orthoptera), Sandeep Kumar, Purnachandra Nagaraju Ganji, Hojun Song, Laurence Von Kalm, David W. Borst

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Enkephalins play a major role in reproductive physiology in crustaceans; however their role in reproductive development in insects is largely unknown. We investigated the effect of exposure to exogenous leucine-enkephalin (Leu-Enk), methionine-enkephalin (Met-Enk), and the opioid antagonist naloxone on gonad development in the Eastern lubber grasshopper, Romalea microptera. Injection of either Leu-Enk or naloxone alone significantly increased the testicular index and testicular follicular diameter in males, and the ovarian index, oocyte length, and oocyte diameter in females. In contrast, injection of Met-Enk inhibited all measures of reproductive development in both sexes. Surprisingly, co-injection of naloxone with either enkephalin enhanced the …