Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Nutrient Supplement Improves Hormone Ratio Associated With Cancer Risk., Anthony J. Bazzan, Md, George P Zabrecky, Andrew B. Newberg, Md

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Gynecological cancers are among the most common in women and are directly related to a variety of hormonal factors. One potential risk factor associated with developing a gynecological malignancy is the ratio of two hormone metabolites, 2-Hydroxyestrone (2-HE) and 16alpha-Hydroxyestrone (16alpha-HE). A number of botanical constituents such as indoles, flavonoids, and resveratrol have been shown to have a favorable effect on the metabolic pathways that affect this ratio. The present study was designed to evaluate if a multi-nutrient supplement containing targeted botanical constituents would affect the 2-HE/16 alpha-HE ratio in middle-aged women.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on …

Commentary: Urine Chemical Content May Be A False Measure Of Environmental Exposure, Robert L. Brent Dr.

The Selected Works of Robert Brent

No abstract

Inferring Phylogenetic Relationships In The Conifer Family Cupressaceae, Erik Garcia

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cupressaceae are a diverse and important family of conifers, found in temperate regions worldwide. My goal was to improve the understanding of phylogenetic relationships among Cupressaceae genera, while testing a new marker, the low copy nuclear gene XDH. To gather XDH sequence data, I PCR-amplified the gene from DNA samples of 13 representative genera, sequenced the PCR products, aligned the sequences, and then performed phylogenetic analyses using Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Maximum Likelihood (ML). The results showed the XDH contains useful phylogenetic information. With the exception of the placement of Callitris, the trees estimated by the two methods (MP …

Populations Of Daphnia Melanica Vary In Their Behavioral Response To Visible And Uv Light, Amanda Tompkins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Daphnia are a genus of freshwater zooplankton that inhabit ponds and lakes. They are commonly used as a model organism for ecological genomics because they are easy to manipulate in the lab, can reproduce clonally, and are considered a keystone species in pond ecosystems. Daphnia melanica in high alpine ponds of the Olympic National Park are exposed to high levels of UVB. UVB rays cause DNA damage that can be detrimental to the organism if not fixed. Daily migration up and down the water column, known as diel vertical migration, is a key aspect of Daphnia ecology and behavior. In …

Dynamic Recruitment Of Micrornas To Their Mrna Targets In The Regenerating Liver., Jonathan Schug, Lindsay B Mckenna, Gabriel Walton, Nicholas Hand, Sarmistha Mukherjee, Kow Essuman, Zhongjie Shi, Yan Gao, Karen Markley, Momo Nakagawa, Vasumathi Kameswaran, Anastassios Vourekas, Joshua R Friedman, Klaus H Kaestner, Linda E Greenbaum

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Validation of physiologic miRNA targets has been met with significant challenges. We employed HITS-CLIP to identify which miRNAs participate in liver regeneration, and to identify their target mRNAs.

RESULTS: miRNA recruitment to the RISC is highly dynamic, changing more than five-fold for several miRNAs. miRNA recruitment to the RISC did not correlate with changes in overall miRNA expression for these dynamically recruited miRNAs, emphasizing the necessity to determine miRNA recruitment to the RISC in order to fully assess the impact of miRNA regulation. We incorporated RNA-seq quantification of total mRNA to identify expression-weighted Ago footprints, and developed a microRNA …

Dual Fluorescent Molecular Substrates Selectively Report The Activation, Sustainability And Reversibility Of Cellular Pkb/Akt Activity., Duanwen Shen, Mingfeng Bai, Rui Tang, Baogang Xu, Xiaoming Ju, Richard Pestell, Samuel Achilefu

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Using a newly developed near-infrared (NIR) dye that fluoresces at two different wavelengths (dichromic fluorescence, DCF), we discovered a new fluorescent substrate for Akt, also known as protein kinase B, and a method to quantitatively report this enzyme's activity in real time. Upon insulin activation of cellular Akt, the enzyme multi-phosphorylated a single serine residue of a diserine DCF substrate in a time-dependent manner, culminating in monophospho- to triphospho-serine products. The NIR DCF probe was highly selective for the Akt1 isoform, which was demonstrated using Akt1 knockout cells derived from MMTV-ErbB2 transgenic mice. The DCF mechanism provides unparalleled potential to …

Nitric Oxide As A Mediator Of Hookworm Infection Ancylostoma Ceylanicum, Amanda Berndt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hookworm infection is a major cause of anemia, malnutrition, growth delay and cognitive defects in resource poor countries. Human and animal studies suggest that infection with these intestinal nematodes is associated with impaired cellular immunity, characterized by reduced lymphocyte proliferation in response to both parasite and heterologous antigens. In vitro studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) is one of the leading agents causing impaired cellular responses, Spleenocytes from infected hamsters secreted more NO in culture than did those from naive animals. In order to further identify the role of NO in hookworm pathogenesis and pathology, we conducted an experiment …

Increased Levels Of Plasma Soluble Sema4d In Patients With Heart Failure., Qiongyu Lu, Ningzheng Dong, Qi Wang, Wenxiu Yi, Yuxin Wang, Shengjie Zhang, Haibo Gu, Xin Zhao, Xiaorong Tang, Boquan Jin, Qingyu Wu, Lawrence F Brass, Li Zhu

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Semaphorin 4D (Sema4D/CD100) is a 150-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein expressed by platelets and T-cells. When these cells are activated, Sema4D is cleaved proteolytically, generating a biologically active 120-kDa fragment (soluble Sema4D) capable of targeting receptors on platelets, B-cells, endothelial cells and tumor cells. However, its plasma levels and significance in heart failure (HF) have not been reported. In this study, we established an ELISA and detected soluble Sema4D in human plasma. In healthy controls, plasma Sema4D levels were higher in men than women (5.15±3.30 ng/mL, n = 63, vs. 4.19±2.39 ng/mL, n = 63, P

Professional Journals As A Source Of Information About Teaching Nature Of Science: An Examination Of Articles Published In The Journal Of College Science Teaching, 1996-2012, Deepika Menon, Somnath Sinha

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Recent efforts to reform science education have strongly emphasized the understanding of the nature of science (NOS) as important to achieving broader scientific literacy. Despite the realization that students‘ understanding of NOS is important, there is a gap between research and practice. In order to teach NOS effectively in pre-college or college classrooms, teachers need appropriate activities, examples, and models of instruction that can contribute towards the development of their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching NOS. One widespread and readily-available source teachers may consult to find appropriate models of teaching practice and example activities is professional journals. The present …

Gender And The African Burial Ground, Ashley Parks

Theses & ETDs

This thesis is an examination of the African Burial Ground in New York. In the analysis I consider burials that were associated with items of adornment and shells, coins, and other items in the time periods from the 1760s to 1794. Through the application of queer theory within a Black feminist archaeological framework, I hope to open up new understandings of gender during this time period. The analysis focuses on the gendered aspects of burial good associations as well as how two burials, Burials 259 and 332, challenge the conflation of sex and gender in archaeology, as well as the …

Gender Segregation And Non-Conformity In Public Restrooms, Jake Paiva

Theses & ETDs

This thesis explores public opinions of sex-segregated restrooms and reactions to gender non-conforming individuals in these gendered spaces via open-ended surveys distributed in downtown Sarasota, FL. The emerging arguments for sex-segregated restrooms bring up seemingly practical concerns: safety, privacy, and cleanliness. However, these concerns are raised in the context of necessitating gender separation by individuals who exist in a gendered society, and are thus indicative of a larger set of underlying societal attitudes and beliefs about sex and gender. These attitudes convey a conceptualization of women as more vulnerable and needy than men, in terms of protection, quality of facilities, …

Body, Mind, And Belly: Comparing Body Image And Perceived Stress Between Belly Dancers And Dancers Of Other Styles, Rebecca Porzig

Theses & ETDs

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare body image and perceived stress between belly dancers and dancers of other styles. Participants were 177 dancers (9 male, 168 female; 113 belly dancers, 64 dancers of other styles) between the ages of 18 and 75 years. Participants responded to a survey measuring body image satisfaction/dissatisfaction and levels of perceived stress. Belly dancers were older and weighed more than other dancers, but had similar levels of body image satisfaction and perceived stress. It was suggested that, because other dance forms are already considered to be physically and psychologically beneficial (Rudolph …

Hear Me Sign: An Ethnography Of The Deaf Culture Of Sarasota, Florida, Jessica Ploss

Theses & ETDs

My thesis focuses on understanding why people who identify as either hearing or deaf become members of Deaf culture. This cultural group includes those who were born deaf, were late-deafened, and those who still have the ability to hear; people with all levels of hearing or deafness are able to join the Deaf community if they learn to use American Sign Language (ASL). In Sarasota, Florida, I found that the Deaf community will welcome anyone who is able to use ASL. Through participant observation and interviews with members of the Sarasota Deaf community, my research examines the self-identifying factors among …

Acknowledging The Religious Beliefs Students Bring Into The Science Classroom: Using The Bounded Nature Of Science, Sherry A. Southerland, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Scientific knowledge often appears to contradict many students’ religious beliefs. Indeed, the assumptions of science appear contradictory to the metaphysical claims of many religions. This conflict is most evident in discussions of biological evolution. Teachers, in attempts to limit the controversy, often avoid this topic or teach it superficially. Recently, there has been a political effort to teach to the controversy—which some see as a way of introducing religious explanations for biological diversity into science classrooms. Many science educators reject this approach, insisting that teachers limit classroom discussions to science alone. This science only approach leaves the negotiation of alternative …

Where Is Earth Science? Mining For Opportunities In Chemistry, Physics, And Biology, Julie Thomas, Toni Ivey, Jim Puckette

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The Earth sciences are newly marginalized in K–12 classrooms. With few high schools offering Earth science courses, students’ exposure to the Earth sciences relies on the teacher’s ability to incorporate Earth science material into a biology, chemistry, or physics course. “G.E.T. (Geoscience Experiences for Teachers) in the Field” is an exploratory program funded by the National Science Foundation aimed to increase teachers’ geoscience interest and content knowledge. Participant teachers (n = 7) included non–Earth science teachers from underrepresented groups and/or high schools with a high percentage of students from underrepresented groups. A variety of quantitative and qualitative measures assessed …

Race, Difference, Meritocracy, And English: Majoritarian Stories In The Education Of Secondary Multilingual Learners, Kara Viesca

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Urban Community Teacher Education, University of Colorado, Denver, USA In this study, empirical and conceptual scholarship (approximately 100 studies) regarding the education of secondary multilingual learners and their teachers are analyzed through the lens of critical race theory (CRT). Specifically, four common majoritarian stories are identified that are both challenged and endorsed in the research literature: there is no story about race, difference is deficit, meritocracy is appropriate, and English-is-all-that-matters. This article discusses the literature, the four identified majoritarian stories and the specific ways they are both promoted and countered throughout the literature. The implications of these four majoritarian stories …

Bo41-2-Web.Pdf, Bird Observer

Bird Observer

No abstract provided.

The Meaning Of Science In The Copyright Clause, Ned Snow

Faculty Publications

The Constitution premises Congress’s copyright power on promoting “the Progress of Science.” The word Science therefore seems to define the scope of copyrightable subject matter. Modern courts and commentators have subscribed to an originalist view of Science, teaching that Science meant general knowledge at the time of the Framing. Under this interpretation, all subject matter may be copyrighted because expression about any subject increases society’s store of general knowledge. Science, however, did not originally mean general knowledge. In this Article, I examine evidence surrounding the Copyright Clause and conclude that at the Framing of the Constitution, Science meant a system …

Blackops: Increasing Confidence In Variant Detection Through Mappability Filtering, Christopher R. Cabanski, Matthew D. Wilkerson, Matthew Soloway, Joel S. Parker, Jinze Liu, Jan F. Prins, J. S. Marron, Charles M. Perou, D. Neil Hayes

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Identifying variants using high-throughput sequencing data is currently a challenge because true biological variants can be indistinguishable from technical artifacts. One source of technical artifact results from incorrectly aligning experimentally observed sequences to their true genomic origin (‘mismapping’) and inferring differences in mismapped sequences to be true variants. We developed BlackOPs, an open-source tool that simulates experimental RNA-seq and DNA whole exome sequences derived from the reference genome, aligns these sequences by custom parameters, detects variants and outputs a blacklist of positions and alleles caused by mismapping. Blacklists contain thousands of artifact variants that are indistinguishable from true variants and, …

Diffsplice: The Genome-Wide Detection Of Differential Splicing Events With Rna-Seq, Yin Hu, Yan Huang, Ying Du, Christian F. Orellana, Darshan Singh, Amy R. Johnson, Anaïs Monroy, Pei-Fen Kuan, Scott M. Hammond, Liza M. Hammond, Scott H. Randell, Derek Y. Chiang, D. Neil Hayes, Corbin Jones, Yufeng Liu, Jan F. Prins, Jinze Liu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The RNA transcriptome varies in response to cellular differentiation as well as environmental factors, and can be characterized by the diversity and abundance of transcript isoforms. Differential transcription analysis, the detection of differences between the transcriptomes of different cells, may improve understanding of cell differentiation and development and enable the identification of biomarkers that classify disease types. The availability of high-throughput short-read RNA sequencing technologies provides in-depth sampling of the transcriptome, making it possible to accurately detect the differences between transcriptomes. In this article, we present a new method for the detection and visualization of differential transcription. Our approach does …

Getting To The Other Side: An Exploration Of The Head And Neck Cancer Treatment Experience, Heather M. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a multifarious problem. Late stage diagnosis, uncertainty regarding appropriate clinical treatment, as well as the high potential for disfigurement and functional loss resulting in diminished quality of life, contributes to anxiety, stress, fear, and uncertainty throughout the cancer treatment experience. This qualitative study sought to explore the cancer treatment experience of adults with newly diagnosed HNSCC, including laryngeal, esophageal, and oral cancers. Study participants were recruited from the University of Kentucky Ear Nose and Throat Clinic in Lexington KY. Participants agreed to be interviewed after receipt of their cancer diagnosis …

Bacterial Colonization And Extinction On Marine Aggregates: Stochastic Model Of Species Presence And Abundance, Andrew M. Kramer, M. Maille Lyons, Fred C. Dobbs, John M. Drake

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Organic aggregates provide a favorable habitat for aquatic microbes, are efficiently filtered by shellfish, and may play a major role in the dynamics of aquatic pathogens. Quantifying this role requires understanding how pathogen abundance in the water and aggregate size interact to determine the presence and abundance of pathogen cells on individual aggregates. We build upon current understanding of the dynamics of bacteria and bacterial grazers on aggregates to develop a model for the dynamics of a bacterial pathogen species. The model accounts for the importance of stochasticity and the balance between colonization and extinction. Simulation results suggest that while …

Fan Forensics: The Science Behind Ceiling Fan Blade Slump And Sustained Humidity, Don Nehrig, Ralph Moon, Edward M. Haller

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Relevance Of Martin Luther King, Jr.’S Nonviolence Philosophy To Diversity And Inclusion Efforts, Dorneshia L. Thomas

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Th1 Cytokines And T Cell Markers Gene Expressions Between Virulent And An Attenuated Eiav Vaccine Strain, Talia R. Henkle

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

The equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is closely related to HIV and has been used as a model to identify protective mechanisms against lentivirus infection. In horses, EIA infection progresses for about a year before infected horses manage to control virus replication. This naturally-gained protection is absolutely dependent on active immune responses as evidenced by the fact that immunosuppressive drugs can induce the recurrence of disease. As the resolution of initial viremia correlates with the appearance of virus specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), we believe that cellular immune responses play a key role in controlling EIAV in the horse. In …

Mimosa 2012/2013, Jacksonville State University

JSU Yearbooks

The JSU Yearbook Collection spans the years from 1926 to the present. The publication began in 1926 as the Teacola (some volumes spelled "Teacoala") and continued under this title through 1933. The yearbook appears to have ceased printing after that year; the student newspaper took the name Teacola (later changed to the Collegian and finally the Chanticleer) and began publication in 1934. The yearbook started up again in 1947 under the name Mimosa. The Library holds all volume years that were printed: 1926-1933, 1947-1950, 1952-present.

The Conceptualization And Measurement Of Comorbidity: A Review Of The Interprofessional Discourse, Salimah H. Meghani, Harleah G. Buck, Victoria Vaughan Dickson, Marilyn J. Hammer, Eneida Rejane Rabelo-Silva, Robyn Clark, Mary D. Naylor

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background. Chronic medical conditions often occur in combination. Understanding underlying mechanisms causing diseases and their interactions may make it possible to address multiple complex conditions with single or consolidated treatment approaches and improve patients’ health outcomes while reducing costs.

Objectives. We present a synthesis of the current interprofessional discourse on the issues surrounding comorbidities.

Methods. A targeted review of the literature was conducted using published editorials, commentaries, and review articles.

Results. Errors in conceptualization and measurement plague our current understanding of comorbidities. Two potential paths to generating knowledge involve the use of etiological or epidemiological approach. An etiological approach investigates …

Schools In Society, Sherman Dorn

Educational and Psychological Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigating Key Post-Pks Enzymes From Gilvocarcin Biosynthetic Pathway, Nidhi Tibrewal

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Gilvocarcin V (GV) belongs to the angucycline class of antibiotics that possesses remarkable anticancer and antibacterial activities with low toxicity. Gilvocarcin exhibits its light induced anticancer activity by mediating crosslinking between DNA and histone H3. When photo-activated by near-UV light, the C8 vinyl group forms a [2+2] cycloadduct with thymine residues of double stranded DNA. _D-fucofuranose is considered essential for histone H3 interactions. However, the poor water solubility has rendered it difficult to develop gilvocarcin as a drug. We aim to design novel gilvocarcin analogues with improved pharmaceutical properties through chemo-enzymatic synthesis and mutasynthesis. Previous studies have characterized many …

Astrue V. Capato: Relegating Posthumously Conceived Children To Second-Class Citizens, Nicole M. Barnard

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.