Digital Commons Network^™

Predation, Competition, And Nutrient Levels Affect The Survival Of Escherichia Coli, Enterococci And Enteric Pathogens In Aquatic Habitats, Pauline Wanjugi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli and enterococci are used to assess microbiological water quality in recreational waters worldwide. FIB are used with the assumption that their presence correlates with that of fecal-associated pathogens in recreational waters. In aquatic habitats, several factors can interfere with the predictive relationship between FIB and pathogens including extended survival of FIB in secondary habitats such as sediment, vegetation and sand. Furthermore, many biotic (e.g. predation from bacterivorous protozoa and competition from indigenous bacteria) and abiotic factors (e.g. temperature, salinity, ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, and nutrient availability) can influence the fate of FIB …

Stable Isotopes And Trace Elements In Tooth Enamel Bioapatite: Effects Of Diagenesis And Pretreatment On Primary Paleoecological Information, Jessica Norman Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The geochemical analysis of bioapatite in vertebrate skeletal tissues is an important tool used to obtain ecological information from fossil animals. An important consideration when conducting stable isotope and trace element analyses is obtaining biogenic information that has been unaffected by diagenetic processes.

A two-step pretreatment procedure is commonly used remove diagenetically altered material by removing organic material, via an oxidation reaction with H2O2 or NaOCl, and secondary carbonate, via dissolution in dilute acetic acid, from bioapatite. While much work has been done to determine the efficacy of the pretreatment process, little research has been conducted to determine the potential …

Effects Of Virtual Reality On The Cognitive Memory And Handgun Accuracy Development Of Law Enforcement Neophytes, Richard A. Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of virtual reality training on the development of cognitive memory and handgun accuracy by law enforcement neophytes. One hundred and six academy students from 6 different academy classes were divided into two groups, experimental and control. The experimental group was exposed to virtual reality training for a period of 8 hours. The control group was exposed to the traditional, non-interactive training that occurred on a gun range, also for a period of 8 hours. After exposing the groups to their respective training, a counter-balance technique was utilized to expose …

Improving Implementation Of A Regional In-Line Chlorinator In Rural Panama Through Development Of A Regionally Appropriate Field Guide, Benjamin A. Yoakum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to safe drinking water has a direct effect on improving human health and their quality of life. One country still struggling with providing access to safe drinking water to all of its population is Panama. Panama's largest indigenous group, the Ngöbe people, is disproportionately affected by lack of access to safe drinking water. One way Panama's Ministry of Health (MINSA) is attempting to increase access to safe drinking water to the Ngöbe people is by disinfecting the water already captured by rural gravity fed water systems constructed within in the Ngöbe-Bugle reservation. This is accomplished using an in-line chlorinator …

High-Frequency Stimulation Of Nucleus Accumbens Changes In Dopaminergic Reward Circuit, Na Yan, Ning Chen, Honghua Zhu, Jianguo Zhang, Moira Sim, Yu Ma, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2013

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a potential remedial therapy for drug craving and relapse, but the mechanism is poorly understood. We investigated changes in neurotransmitter levels during high frequency stimulation (HFS) of the unilateral NAc on morphine-induced rats. Sixty adult Wistar rats were randomized into five groups: the control group (administration of saline), the morphine-only group (systematic administration of morphine without electrode implantation), the morphine-sham-stimulation group (systematic administration of morphine with electrode implantation but not given stimulation), the morphine-stimulation group (systematic administration of morphine with electrode implantation and stimulation) and the saline-stimulation group (administration of …

University Student Volunteering Alignment With Sustainability Principles, Rowena H. Scott, Eddie J. Van Etten

Research outputs 2013

This research paper reviews the concept and practice of tertiary sciences students doing environmental volunteering, otherwise known as conservation volunteering, as a core part of their course to check its alignment with sustainability principles. First year Natural Sciences students at Edith Cowan University do five days environmental volunteer work with community groups as practicum. Initial research data displays the number of volunteer hours done by students in various types of activities, locations and organisations. Preliminary quantitative evaluations and qualitative comments demonstrate students’ positive attitudes and outcomes from their volunteering experiences. Definitions and classifications of sustainability from current literature are discussed …

"Your Neighbours Are Your Friends": An Investigation Into Microgeographical Exchanges In The Remote Northwest Of Australia Between 1987-2012, Donell J. Holloway, Lelia R. Green, David Holloway

Research outputs 2013

This paper addresses intersections of communication, technology and geography in remote areas of Western Australia. It uses verbatim accounts from fieldwork bracketing decades of communication development to explore changes and constants in the micro-geographical exchange strategies of people living in the remote northwest of Australia. It articulates the continuing irony that the Australians who most need reliable and effective communications are those who experience the greatest difficulty in accessing them. We contend that geographical isolation and continuing problems with the reliability and reach of communication technologies in remote Western Australia have cultivated a robust community in which flexibility, resilience and …

Nutritional Narratives: Cultural And Communications Perspectives On Plant-Based Diets, Julie S. Dare, Leesa N. Costello, Lelia R. Green

Research outputs 2013

This paper responds to a range of popular materials circulating in the public sphere asserting a plant-based (PB) diet is of benefit to humans and a protection against many chronic diseases. Although directed at a lay audience, books such as The China Study (Campbell & Campbell) are based upon extensive academic research, and highlight multiple health, environmental and social advantages of PB diets over traditional western diets. Arguments advocating PB nutrition, however, generally struggle to achieve traction in the public sphere. Narratives around PB food choices, and difficulties in shifting mainstream eating patterns, reflect the cultural symbolism attached to food, …

Multicenter Study Evaluating The Vitek Ms System For Identification Of Medically Important Yeasts, Lars F. Westblade, Rebecca Jennemann, John A. Branda, Maureen Bythrow, Mary Jane Ferraro, Omai B. Garner, Christine C. Ginocchio, Michael A. Lewinski, Ryhana Manji, A. Brian Mochon, Gary W. Procop, Sandra S. Richter, Jenna A. Rychert, Linda Sercia, Carey-Ann D. Burnham

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Discovery Of Antivirulence Agents Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Varandt Khodaverdian, Michelle Pesho, Barbara Truitt, Lucy Bollinger, Parita Patel, Stanley Nithianantham, Guanping Yu, Elizabeth Delaney, Eckhard Jankowsky, Menachem Shoham

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Drug-Induced Apoptosis: Mechanism By Which Alcohol And Many Other Drugs Can Disrupt Brain Development, Catherine E. Creeley, John W. Olney

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Oncogenic Csf3r Mutations In Chronic Neutrophilic Leukemia And Atypical Cml, Stephen T. Oh, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Unique Pulmonary Antigen Presentation May Call For An Alternative Approach Toward Lung Cancer Immunotherapy, Stephanie Chang, Xue Lin, Ryuji Higashikubo, Kelsey Toth, Andrew E. Gelman, Daniel Kreisel, Alexander S. Krupnick

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of A Single Primary Cilium, Moe R. Mahjoub

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Rab5 Function During Phagocytosis Of Live Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In Macrophages, Sushmita Mustafi, Nathalie Rivero, Joan C. Olson, Philip D. Stahl, M Alejandro Barbieri

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Mapk-Activated Protein Kinase 2 Contributes To Clostridium Difficile-Associated Inflammation, Linda D. Bobo, Rana E. El Feghaly, Yee-Shiuan Chen, Erik R. Dubberke, Zhoulin Han, Alexandra H. Baker, Jinmei Li, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, David B. Haslam

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Ahrc And Eep Are Biofilm Infection-Associated Virulence Factors In Enterococcus Faecalis, Kristi L. Frank, Pascale S. Guiton, Aaron M T Barnes, Dawn A. Manlas, Olivia N. Chuang-Smith, Petra L. Kohler, Adam R. Spaulding, Scott J. Hultgren, Patrick M. Schievert, Gary M. Dunny

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Enterococcus Faecalis Overcomes Foreign Body-Mediated Inflammation To Establish Urinary Tract Infections, Pascale S. Guiton, Thomas J. Hannan, Bradley Ford, Michael G. Caparon, Scott J. Hultgren

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Trem2 Variants In Alzheimer's Disease, Carlos Cruchaga, Bruno Benitez, Breanna Cooper, David Carrell, Yefei Cai, John C. Morris, Alison Goate, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Dendritic Cell-Specific Delivery Of Flt3l By Coronavirus Vectors Secures Induction Of Therapeutic Antitumor Immunity, Christian Perez-Shibayama, Cristina Gil-Cruz, Monika Nussbacher, Eva Allgauer, Luisa Cervantes-Barragan, Roland Zust, Burkhard Ludewig

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Echidna Venom Gland Transcriptome Provides Insights Into The Evolution Of Monotreme Venom, Emily S. W. Wong, Stewart Nicol, Wesley C. Warren, Katherine Belov

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Serum Inflammatory Mediators Identifies Unique Dynamic Networks Associated With Death And Spontaneous Survival In Pediatric Acute Liver Failure, Nabil Azhar, Cordelia Ziraldo, Derek Barclay, David A. Rudnick, Robert H. Squires, Yoram Vodovotz, Pediatric Acute Liver Failure Study Group

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Cytokine Levels And T Cell Apoptosis Associated With Cerebral Malaria Immunopathology During Plasmodium Berghei Anka Infection In A Mouse Model, Julius Ndirangu Mugweru

All Master’s Theses

During the course of malaria infection, a range of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are produced by the host immune system. Successful recovery from malaria involves striking a balance between these counteracting cytokines. The cytokine imbalance contributes to pathological features but their exact levels have not been elucidated. The present study aimed at investigating the role played by circulating cytokines in pathophysiology of cerebral malaria. Using an experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) model, the profile of five serum cytokines was determined by employing Cytometric Bead Assay. Seventy-two BALB/c mice (7-9 week/old) were intraperitoneally inoculated with approximately 1 x 105 parasitisized red blood …

Analysis Of Farmers' Adoption Of Zero Grazing And Knowledge Of Cattle Reproductive Parameters In Western Kenya, Justine Nalunkuuma

All Master’s Theses

Besides soil replenishment through manure application , the zero grazing production system also contributes towards smallholders' standards of living and poverty reduction. Its benefits are many and substantial; in western Kenya, the livestock farmers have adopted it. However, factors influencing its adoption are not known. It is also not certain whether the livestock farmers who practice zero grazing are knowledgeable of the cattle reproductive parameters or not which is key to zero grazing. Inadequate knowledge of the cattle reproductive parameters limits the productivity and profitability of the zero grazing dairy production system. This study determined factors influencing the adoption of …

Multinomial Regression In Insect Choice Studies: A Case Of Leaf Miner Parasitoids' Choices, Kelvin K. Gikonyo

All Master’s Theses

Researchers are often confronted with multinomial data in insect choice studies. Common choice models available to researchers for analysis of multinomial data include multinomial logit (MNL) and multinomial probit model (MNP). MNL relies on the Independence from Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) assumption which is violated when choices are correlated resulting in overestimating the probability of selecting correlated alternatives. The more flexible MNP model relaxes IIA assumption and allows modelling correlated errors. Little evidence exists on the performance of multinomial logit and multinomial probit models on insect choice data. This study investigated the performance of the two models in terms of predictive …

Survival Analysis And Generalized Estimating Equations For Repeated Measures In Mosquito Dose-Response, Gabriel Otieno Okello

All Master’s Theses

Dose-response studies in arthropod research usually involve observing and collecting successive information at different times on the same group of organisms (insects) exposed to different concentrations of stimulus such as botanical extracts. When successive observations are made on the same group of organisms at several concentrations over time the data becomes correlated. Correlated insect mortality data cannot be analyzed using Probit Analysis technique which is the usual way of analyzing data from bioassay experiments. In addition, when the speed of kill is of interest since mortality varies over time, estimating lethal time is the best. The objective of the study …

Dsm-Iv Defined Conduct Disorder And Oppositional Defiant Disorder: An Investigation Of Shared Liability In Female Twins, V. S. Knopik, L. C. Bidwell, C. Flessner, N. Nugent, L. Swenson, K. K. Bucholz, P. A F Madden, A. C. Heath

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Rna Helicase Signaling Is Critical For Type I Interferon Production And Protection Against Rift Valley Fever Virus During Mucosal Challenge, Megan E. Ermler, Ekaterina Yerukhim, Jill Schriewer, Stefan Schattgen, Zachary Traylor, Adam R. Wespiser, Daniel R. Caffrey, Zhijian J. Chen, Charles H. King, Michael Gale Jr., Marco Colonna, Katherine A. Fitzgerald, R. Mark L. Buller, Amy G. Hise

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

A Single-Amino-Acid Change In Murine Norovirus Ns1/2 Is Sufficient For Colonic Tropism And Persistence, Timothy J. Nice, David W. Strong, Broc T. Mccune, Calvin S. Pohl, Herbert W. Virgin

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Advancing The Translation Of Optical Imaging Agents For Clinical Imaging, Eva M. Sevick-Muraca, Walter J. Akers, Bishnu P. Joshi, Gary D. Lurker, Cathy S. Cutler, Lawrence J. Marnett, Christopher H. Contag, Thomas D. Wang, Ali Azhdarinia

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.