Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Graphene As Protection Film In Biological Environments, Weixia Zhang, Sudarat Lee, Kelly L. Mcnear, Ting Fung Chung, Seunghyun Lee, Kyunghoon Lee, Scott A. Crist, Timothy L. Ratliff, Zhaohui Zhong, Yong P. Chen, Chen Yang

Birck and NCN Publications

Corrosion of metal in biomedical devices could cause serious health problems to patients. Currently ceramics coating materials used in metal implants can reduce corrosion to some extent with limitations. Here we proposed graphene as a biocompatible protective film for metal potentially for biomedical application. We confirmed graphene effectively inhibits Cu surface from corrosion in different biological aqueous environments. Results from cell viability tests suggested that graphene greatly eliminates the toxicity of Cu by inhibiting corrosion and reducing the concentration of Cu2+ ions produced. We demonstrated that additional thiol derivatives assembled on graphene coated Cu surface can prominently enhance durability of …

Functional Relevance Of Acrb Trimerization In Pump Assembly And Substrate Binding, Wei Lu, Meng Zhong, Qian Chai, Zhaoshuai Wang, Linliang Yu, Yinan Wei

Chemistry Faculty Publications

AcrB is a multidrug transporter in the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. It is an obligate homotrimer and forms a tripartite efflux complex with AcrA and TolC. AcrB is the engine of the efflux machinery and determines substrate specificity. Active efflux depends on several functional features including proton translocation across the inner membrane through a proton relay pathway in the transmembrane domain of AcrB; substrate binding and migration through the substrate translocation pathway; the interaction of AcrB with AcrA and TolC; and the formation of AcrB homotrimer. Here we investigated two aspects of the inter-correlation between these functional features, …

Ontology Driven Model For An Engineered Agile Healthcare System, Balaji Ramadoss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare is in urgent need of an effective way to manage the complexity it of its systems and to prepare quickly for immense changes in the economics of healthcare delivery and reimbursement. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) releases policies affecting inpatient and long-term care hospitals policies that directly affect reimbursement and payment rates. One of these policy changes, a quality-reporting program called Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR), will effect approximately 3,400 acute-care and 440 long-term care hospitals. IQR sets guidelines and measures that will contain financial incentives and penalties based on the quality of care provided. CMS, the …

Subditine, A New Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloid From Bark Of Nauclea Subdita (Korth.) Steud. Induces Apoptosis In Human Prostate Cancer Cells., K.H. Leong

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

In this study, a new apoptotic monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, subditine (1), and four known compounds were isolated from the bark of Nauclea subdita. Complete 1H- and 13C- NMR data of the new compound were reported. The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated with various spectroscopic methods such as 1D- and 2D- NMR, IR, UV and LCMS. All five compounds were screened for cytotoxic activities on LNCaP and PC-3 human prostate cancer cell-lines. Among the five compounds, the new alkaloid, subditine (1), demonstrated the most potent cell growth inhibition activity and selective against LNCaP with an IC50 of 12.24±0.19 µM and …

A Comparative Study Of The Efficacy Of A New Immunoassay Of Deoxythymidine Kinase, David K. Walburger

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The ability to follow a cancer’s aggressiveness and response to treatment throughout the disease’s course is critical in treatment programs. The tumor markers used as indicators have not been able to consistently do this. Thymidine Kinase, an enzyme linked with cellular proliferation, has been shown to be persistently elevated in almost all cancer serums, and corresponds well with disease stage in breast cancer patients. It has also been shown that TK levels in serum, as well as in tumors, decrease drastically after treatment; subsequent rises are indicative of disease recurrence. Currently, TK levels are measured by radionucleoside phosphorylation assays. There …

Redox Control Of Human Mitochondrial Outer Membrane Protein Mitoneet [2fe-2s] Clusters By Biological Thiols And Hydrogen Peroxide, Aaron P. Landry, Huangen Ding

Faculty Publications

Background: MitoNEET is a target of the type II diabetes drug pioglitazone and contains a [2Fe-2S] cluster. Results: The mitoNEET [2Fe-2S] cluster can be reduced by biological thiols and reversibly oxidized by hydrogen peroxide. Conclusion: The redox state of mitoNEET [2Fe-2S] clusters can be regulated by thiols and oxidative signals. Significance: MitoNEET may act as a redox sensor to modulate mitochondrial functions. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc..

Susceptibility Of S49 Lymphoma Cell Membranes To Hydrolysis By Secretory Phospholipase A2 During Early Phase Of Apoptosis, Darin V. Allred, Kim L. O'Neill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Apoptosis is a term used to describe a programmed method of cellular suicide. This programmed cell death is a normal and very important feature of the maturation of an organism. The body uses it to tightly control the number of divisions of all types of cells in order to eliminate excess cells and develop properly. For example, our fingers are separated because embryonic cells that once joined them died during development.

Ultrastructural Analysis Of Cartilage Matrix Fibrils, Niloufar Tabatabaei

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Pulmonary Hypoplasia is a lethal neonatal disorder associated with the reduction of thoracic volume due to skeletal dysplasia.’ The homozygous recessive chondrodysplasia (cho/ cho) in mice serves as our model enabling us to demonstrate how the cartilage matrix is tied together on a molecular level. Atypically wide type II collagen fibrils have been observed in the cartilage of cho/ cho fetuses. This suggests that the mutation has altered the process by which collagen is assembled into fibrils in the extracellular matrix. Recently the cho mutation was mapped to chromosome 3 which is linked to a! (XI) collagen. Based upon this …

Emu Today, February 14, 2014, Eastern Michigan University

EMU Today

No abstract provided.

High Temperature Polymer Dielectrics For Electric Vehicle Capacitor Applications, Kylen Johns

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Currently there is a push for low cost, high energy materials with high operating temperatures that can simultaneously reduce cost, weight, and volume in the automotive industry. Economically feasible high performance capacitors are critical to the Department of Energys goal to advance technologies that will ensure energy security and reduce the use of petroleum while reducing cost and environmental impacts. [1] Recent studies have been done to improve the inverter systems in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). HEVs require inverters to convert direct current to alternating current which prevents damage to the battery and powers the electric motor. Current thin film …

Irf8 Suppresses Pathological Cardiac Remodelling By Inhibiting Calcineurin Signalling., Ding-Sheng Jiang, Xiang Wei, Xiao-Fei Zhang, Yu Liu, Yan Zhang, Ke Chen, Lu Gao, Heng Zhou, Xue-Hai Zhu, Peter P. Liu, Wayne Bond Lau, Xin-Liang Ma, Yunzeng Zou, Xiao-Dong Zhang, Guo-Chang Fan, Hongliang Li

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) is known to affect the innate immune response, for example, by regulating the differentiation and function of immune cells. However, whether IRF8 can influence cardiac hypertrophy is unknown. Here we show that IRF8 levels are decreased in human dilated/hypertrophic cardiomyopathic hearts and in murine hypertrophic hearts. Mice overexpressing Irf8 specifically in the heart are resistant to aortic banding (AB)-induced cardiac hypertrophy, whereas mice lacking IRF8 either globally or specifically in cardiomyocytes develop an aggravated phenotype induced by pressure overload. Mechanistically, we show that IRF8 directly interacts with NFATc1 to prevent NFATc1 translocation and thus inhibits …

Assessment Of Antistripping Agents On Adhesion Of Damaged Asphalt By Neural Network, Sanjida Ahsan

Civil Engineering ETDs

In this study, Neural Network (NN) model is developed to quantify nano-level adhesion force of moisture damaged asphalt binder using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) test data. AFM data contains five point force-distance values determined for some specific asphalt chemical functional groups. Asphalt binder samples contain different types and percentages of polymer modifiers and antistripping agents (ASA). Due to complex and nonlinear interaction between the asphalt properties and adhesion force of asphalt, it is difficult to assess the effects of asphalt binder properties on the adhesion forces using laboratory AFM testing. NN has the ability to recognize and trace the complex …

The Human Platelet: Strong Transcriptome Correlations Among Individuals Associate Weakly With The Platelet Proteome., Eric R Londin, Eleftheria Hatzimichael, Phillipe Loher, Leonard Edelstein, Chad Shaw, Kathleen Delgrosso, Paolo Fortina, Paul Bray, Steven E. Mckenzie, Isidore Rigoutsos

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: For the anucleate platelet it has been unclear how well platelet transcriptomes correlate among different donors or across different RNA profiling platforms, and what the transcriptomes' relationship is with the platelet proteome. We profiled the platelet transcriptome of 10 healthy young males (5 white and 5 black) with no notable clinical history using RNA sequencing and by Affymetrix microarray.

RESULTS: We found that the abundance of platelet mRNA transcripts was highly correlated across the 10 individuals, independently of race and of the employed technology. Our RNA-seq data showed that these high inter-individual correlations extend beyond mRNAs to several categories …

Genetics And History Surrounding Chachapoyas, Peru, Joel E. Myres

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Anthropologists studying human diversity and distribution have long recognized that humans are the recipients of two major informational systems; one cultural and the other biological. Both these components of human diversity are inherited by organisms, be they individuals or populations, across spatial and temporal realms, and retain the ability to influence the behavior or continuance of the organism in terms of fitness. Similarly, the biological record can reflect cultural processes or transitions, such as migrations or disease, much as ethnographic studies can identify elements of cultural adoption, such as ideas or practices. In as much as these elements of culture …

February 4, 2014 Aasu Graduate Affairs Committee Minutes, Armstrong Atlantic State University

Armstrong Office of the Registrar: Graduate Affairs Committee Minutes (Archived)

February 4, 2014 AASU Graduate Affairs Committee Minutes

Ecology And Diversity Of Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattaria) From The Virgin Islands, Wenhua Lu, Barry D. Valentine, Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, Esteban Gutiérrez

Insecta Mundi

The Virgin Islands (except St. Croix) are geologically part of the Puerto Rico Bank and biologically related to Puerto Rico, but their cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattaria) were not yet as well studied as those on Puerto Rico. To elucidate the number of species, life history, range distribution, and seasonal abundance of these cockroaches, we have conducted a quantitative study since June 2000 using a Malaise trap on Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, in addition to other conventional collecting methods. We found 21 species: Blattella germanica (Linnaeus), Cariblatta antiguensis (Saussure and Zehntner), Cariblatta sp. 2, Cariblatta sp. 3, Colapteroblatta sp. 1, Eurycotis …

Unsettling Accounts: Life, Debt, And Development In The Middle Rio Grande, Samuel Karrigan Robison Markwell

American Studies ETDs

This thesis reexamines the history of the formation of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) during the first half of the twentieth century. Previous histories have either uncritically celebrated the MRGCD, or have been critical of its formation because of the way it negatively affected Mexicano/Hispano farming communities. This thesis extends the critical literature by situating the MRGCD as a formation of settler colonialism and attending to the ways it affected Pueblo Indian Nations. I argue that the MRGCD, ostensibly designed to "protect life and property" in the valley, was actually concerned with securing forms of life and property …

Model Systems For The Study Of Active Phase Evolution In Complex Bimetallic Catalysts (Pdzn), Jonathan Paiz

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

This study used PdZn as a model system to investigate phase transformations and its influence on reactivity. Aerosol synthesis was used to study the oxide precursors of the PdZn system, spin coating was used to synthesize model PdZn nanoparticles for phase transformations studies and preliminary work with CO oxidation coupled with methanol steam reforming (MSR) was used to gain insight into in-situ surface reactivity of PdZn for MSR. Multiple characterization techniques including XRD, Raman Spectroscopy, XPS, EDX along with TEM and STEM were used to gain valuable insight into the nature of the samples used in these studies. Investigations into …

Exploration Of Tm-Nx Orr Electrocatalysts From First Principle Calculations, Sadia Afrin Kabir

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Fuel Cells are promising candidates for the energy conversion technologies in particular for non-stationary applications. However, current fuel cells rely on rare and expensive Platinum catalysts and the power generation is limited by the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode. An interesting alternative material set which continues to attract significant attention are TM-Nx (TM = Fe, Co, x = 2 - 4) based non-PGM electrocatalysts where the defect motifs are embedded in a carbon matrix during pyrolysis. By studying the material properties of individual defects we can determine how the chemistry and morphology of these TM-Nx motifs are …

Counselor Educators' Teaching Practices In A Multicultural Society: A Multicase Study, Don Trahan Jr

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Counselor education programs aim to provide students with curricula that will enable them as clinicians to effectively engage culturally diverse populations. In contemporary society, it is almost certain that counselors will encounter clients whose cultural background differs from that of their own (Remley & Herlihy, 2010). According to the ACA Code of Ethics (2005) section F.11, counselor educators are expected to actively infuse multicultural and/or diversity competencies into their training and supervision practices. While the ACA Code of Ethics (2005) provides counselor educators with ethical guidelines that are expected to assist its members in constructing a professional course of action, …

(Re)Making Mestizaje: The Role Of Race And Gender Norms In Latina College Students Discourse, Sarah Leah Santillanes

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This ideological critique project focused on the race and gender discourse of 20 self-identified Latina community college students between the ages of 18-30. Participants were purposively sampled and recruited from a large community college within the state of New Mexico. Over a period of eight months, two or more semi-structured interviews were conducted with each research participant. These interviews highlighted the participants race and gender experiences and their perceived expectations about these norms inside and outside of school. A critical hermeneutic methodological framework was employed in the interpretation of the participants' interviews. Discourse transcriptions were coded first for general themes …

Simulations Of Chemical Catalysis, Gregory K. Smith

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

This dissertation contains simulations of chemical catalysis in both biological and heterogeneous contexts. A mixture of classical, quantum, and hybrid techniques are applied to explore the energy profiles and compare possible chemical mechanisms both within the context of human and bacterial enzymes, as well as exploring surface reactions on a metal catalyst. A brief summary of each project follows.

Project 1 — Bacterial Enzyme SpvC

The newly discovered SpvC effector protein from Salmonella typhimurium interferes with the host immune response by dephosphorylating mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) with a β-elimination mechanism. The dynamics of the enzyme substrate complex of the SpvC …

Determining The Function Of Hotdog-Fold Thioesterases, Yajun Wu

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

The enzymes that hydrolyze thioesters to the free acids and free thiols are called thioesterases. Based on the different folding strategy, most thioesterases are classified into two superfamiles: the hotdog-fold enzyme superfamily or alpha/beta-fold hydrolase enzyme superfamily. Hotdog-fold thioesterases share high degree similarity in structure which resembles a hotdog'. YigI is one of the last two uncharacterized hotdog-fold thioesterases from E.coli. To study the function of YigI, substrate specificity profile was determined by thioesterase activity assay. YigI possesses a preference for long chain acyl-CoA over shorter chain acyl-CoA. The highest activity was found in catalysis of myristoyl-CoA. By alignment with …

Imaging Interferometric Microscopy To The Limits Of Available Frequency Space, Alexander Neumann

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Imaging interferometric microscopy (IIM) is a synthetic aperture approach offering the potential of optical resolution to the linear systems limit of optics (~lambda/4n). IIM allows one to resolve structures not accessible in a conventional illumination setup, while using a low NA microscope objective and thus keeping the large working distance, depth of focus and field of view associated with the lower NA. The goal of this dissertation is to reach ultimate resolution limits of non-fluorescent microscopy by using IIM in new optical configurations realizing a solid immersion technique with immersion materials employed in advanced regimes unsuitable in other systems. The …

The Study Of Photo-Thermal Lensing System And Its Applications, Xuerong Zhang

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

The high quality optical films in coatings with low absorption and good environmental stability are required for the development of high power lasers, because even slightest absorbing defects could lead to material's breakdown. Thus, a non-destructive absorption measurement is required to measure the absorption of defects. Reflection-transmission method is the simplest measurement to measure the absorption of optical films. This indirect method is good for absorption values down to ~0.1%. However, typical high quality optical coatings have absorption values measured in parts per million (ppm). In this thesis, the photo-thermal lens setup provides another way to measure the change in …

Spectroscopic Studies Of Conformation And Packing In Polythiophenes, Edwards T. Niles

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

This thesis employs variants of spectroscopic techniques to evaluate intermolecular interactions between P3HT chains in solution and in the solid state. Emphasis was put on understanding not only how intermolecular interactions within P3HT chains affect electronic properties, but also to assess changes due to the addition of weak and strong electron acceptors. To this end, optical and magnetic spectroscopies were focused on to correlate observed changes in electronic properties to physical changes in the polymer structure. To assess changes in intermolecular interactions, self-assembly was used to form P3HT nanofibers and were studied using resonance Raman, and transient absorption, and temperature- …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Electrochemical Evaluation Of Novel, Highly Active Catalysts For The Oxygen Reduction Reaction In Alkaline Media, Danae Jacquelyne Davis

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are needed for fuel cells and next generation metal-air batteries, as the overall efficiency of these systems is currently limited by cathode kinetics. While Pt and Pt-based alloys demonstrate excellent electrocatalytic activities, their prohibitive cost and rarity ultimately prevents their widespread utilization. Catalyst materials that are highly active, stable, and cost effective are needed. Manganese oxide (α-MnO₂) catalysts doped with varying amounts of Cu or Ni were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their performance as catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline electrolyte. Cu-α-MnO₂ nanowire catalysts consistently attained …

Facile Synthesis Of High Surface Area Molybdenum Carbide And Nitride: An Application In Support Materials For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Aaron Roy

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

A method to synthesize high surface area α-MoC(1-x) without the temperature programmed reduction (TPR) of MoO3 is described. This method was then used, in conjunction with a novel in situ method to obtain highly dispersed PtMoz supported on α- MoC(1-x), to explore the suitability of such materials as catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Mg2(Mo3O8) and Zn2(Mo3O8), alternative tetravalent Mo intermediates to MoO2, were obtained through the thermal decomposition of Mg(MoO4) and Zn(MoO4) in mixtures of CO and H2. A novel sacrificial support method was developed where MgO and ZnO were investigated …

Can High School Assessments Predict Developmental Education Enrollment In New Mexico?, Tyler Weldon

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Thousands of Americans enter postsecondary institutions every year and many are under-prepared for college-level work. Subsequently, students enroll in or are placed in developmental courses in preparation for the rigor of college-level classes. Numerous studies have looked at the impact of developmental course work on student outcomes, but few focus on predictors that could identify students who are likely to need developmental education. The potential for early prediction (and therefore possible intervention) is less understood. This study addresses this gap by examining the connection between high school assessments and subsequent developmental courses enrollment in college. Using longitudinal data from New …

Effect Of An External Visual Cue On Delivery Of Enteral Nutrition In A University Trauma/Surgical/Burn Intensive Care Unit, Paula West

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Background: Enteral nutrition in the critically ill patient is interrupted for myriad reasons some of which include withholding for operations, diagnostic tests, high residuals, feeding tube displacements and routine care. We sought to determine if use of an external visual cue by nursing increases delivery of goal enteral nutrition (EN) from baseline during the first 7 days of ICU admission. Methods: After achieving IRB approval we retrospectively evaluated all trauma/surgical/burn intensive care unit (TSBICU) records from May 2012 through March 2013 for patients with more than 7 days in the TSBICU who received EN as their primary means of nutrition …