Digital Commons Network^™

Fabrication Of Tissue Precursors Induced By Shape-Changing Hydrogels, Olukemi O. Akintewe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scaffold based tissue reconstruction inherently limits regenerative capacity due to inflammatory response and limited cell migration. In contrast, scaffold-free methods promise formation of functional tissues with both reduced adverse host reactions and enhanced integration. Cell-sheet engineering is a well-known bottom-up tissue engineering approach that allows the release of intact cell sheet from a temperature responsive polymer such as poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAAm). pNIPAAm is an ideal template for culturing cell sheets because it undergoes a sharp volume-phase transition owing to the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interaction around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32°C, a temperature close to physiological temperature. Compared to …

Assessment Of Public Health Risks Associated With Petrochemical Emissions Surrounding An Oil Refinery, Erin L. Pulster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Refinery operations have been associated with a wide variety of atmospheric emissions consisting of criteria air pollutants, volatile organic components, hazardous air pollutants as well as other pollutants. With approximately 100 oil refineries in the Wider Caribbean region (WCR), hydrocarbons in this region pose significant environmental and human health risks. One of the oldest and largest refineries in the WCR is the Isla Refineriá, which is located on the island of Curaçao, and has been the basis of historical debates and conflict between the public and the local government over the environmental and human health risks. This research aims to …

Ground-Coupled Air Waves: A Seismological Case Study Of The Explosion Quakes Of The 2007 Eruption Of Pavlof Volcano, Alaska, Cassandra Marie Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An abnormally high number of explosion quakes were noted during the monitoring effort for the 2007 eruption of Pavlof Volcano on the Alaskan Peninsula. In this study we manually counted the explosion quakes from their characteristic ground-coupled air waves. This study makes an effort at better quantifying the number of explosion quakes and how the characteristic ground-coupled air waves are affected by wind direction and wind speed. Additionally this study investigates how the ground coupled air waves might be used in a monitoring or analysis effort by calculating energy release and gas mass release. Over 3.2x10⁴ quakes were recorded. …

Population Dynamics Of The Little Gulper Shark (Centrophorus Uyato) And Community Analyses Of Elasmobranch Species In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jacquelin Joye Hipes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In chapter 1 I describe the population dynamics of an understudied species of gulper shark, Centrophorus uyato (common name, the Little Gulper), found in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Sharks in the family Centrophoridae are mid-sized, demersal fish, with seven species identified in North American waters. These deepwater species can be difficult to study due to the extreme depths at which they occur. During four longlining cruises from 2012-2014, 593 sharks were landed, predominantly in the Mississippi Canyon off the Louisiana coast. Mean depth of capture was 290 m. Supplementing these data are catch records for C. uyato from a …

Southern Chivalry: Perception Of Health & Environmental Justice In A Small Southern Neighborhood, Brian S. Brijbag

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper analyzes heath risk and how it is communicated to, and understood within, a predominantly African American neighborhood in central Florida. Residents accuse the county department of public works of purposeful contamination and discrimination over a period of 30 years. I raise the questions of how risk is perceived and what roles race or class may play. I also developed a model for risk communication that includes all stakeholders. Finally, I expand the conversation of health disparities to include issues of widening gaps in perceptions of health.

This was examined by looking at the following:

1. The lack of …

Understanding The Role Of Colloidal Particles In Electroporation Mediated Delivery, Alisha Peterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electroporation (EP) is a physical non-viral technique used to deliver therapeutic molecules across the cell membrane. During electroporation an external electric field is applied across a cell membrane and it causes pores to form. These pores then allow the surrounding media containing the therapeutics to diffuse across the membrane. This technique has been specifically studied as a promising gene and drug delivery system. Colloidal particles have also proven to be promising for a variety of biological applications including molecular delivery, imaging, and tumor ablation, due to their large surface area and tunable properties. In more recent years researchers have explored …

Targeting T-Bet For Prevention Of Graft-Versus-Host Disease And Leukemia Relapse After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Jianing Fu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an effective therapeutic option for many malignant diseases. However, the efficacy of allo-HSCT is limited by the occurrence of destructive graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Since allogeneic T cells are the driving force in the development of GVHD, their activation, proliferation, and differentiation are key factors to understanding GVHD pathogenesis. On the other hand, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are essential for allogeneic T-cell priming and the development of GVHD. The T-box transcription factor T-bet is a master regulator for IFN-γ production and Th1 differentiation. T-bet also regulates the functions of APCs including dendritic cells (DCs) and …

Efficacy And Resistance Potential Of Jpc-3210 In Plasmodium Falciparum, Siobhan Marie Flaherty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Combating drug resistant malaria has been historically challenging, and remains so today. Recent reports from Southeast Asia show that Plasmodium falciparum is developing resistance to even our best defenses; artemisinin-based therapies. This development threatens to become a significant challenge in controlling malaria infections worldwide, making research into developing and characterizing new antimalarial drugs increasingly important. The purpose of this study was to characterize the resistance potential of novel antimalarial compound JPC-3210 in vitro using P. falciparum clones. JPC-3210 is a new long acting drug with potential to be used in combination with fast-acting drugs like artemisinins to cure drug resistant …

The Characterization Of The Neuropathological Consequences Of Plac1 Ablation In A Mutant Mouse Model, Jacob Robert Bourgeois

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Placenta-specific 1 (Plac1) is an X-linked gene that is essential for normal placental development. Previous studies have shown that Plac1 is also expressed in the fetal brain and paternally imprinted. Its expression in the fetal brain is markedly downregulated immediately after birth. Plac1 ablation predisposes Plac1-null males and X^m-X Hets (inactive maternal allele) to an increased risk of developing lethal postnatal hydrocephalus suggesting a functional role for Plac1 during embryonic development. The objective of this study was to characterize the effect of Plac1 on brain development and postnatal function. In order to address this, a …

Impedance Measurements As A Means To Improve The Biological Response Of Gene Electrotransfer, Lina Fajardo Gomez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When an electric field is locally applied to tissues in vivo the uptake of exogenous DNA can be greatly increased. This approach to gene transfer, called electroporation (EP) or gene electro transfer (GET), has potential applications in the treatment of skin disorders, vaccinations, some types of cancer and metabolic diseases. The eect of electric elds on cells and tissues has been studied and related to the uptake of DNA. Tissue impedance changes have been measured as a result of electroporation. The aim of this study is to explore the predictive accuracy of impedance spectroscopy for the success of GET. Mice …

2,4-Disubstituted Quinazolines With Antileishmanial Or Antibacterial Activity, Megan Marie Barber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Herein 47 2,4-disubstituted quinazolines were synthesized and tested against Leishmania donovani intracellular amastigotes. A structure-activity relationship was conducted and lead to the identification of quinazolines with EC50s in the single digit and high nanomolar range with favorable antileishmanial selectivity indexes. Quinazoline 2.6 and 2.31 underwent in vivo efficacy studies in murine models of visceral leishmaniasis, reducing liver parasitemia by 12 % and 24 %, respectively, when given by the intraperitoneal route at 15 mg/kg/day x 5 days. The antileishmanial efficacy and easy of synthesis make the 2,4-disubstituted quinazoline compound series a suitable platform for the future development of antileishmanial agents. …

Weakness Of Will: An Inquiry On Value, Michael Funke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One dominant scientific view holds that willpower is a type of muscle which can be weakened through use in the short term and strengthened through use over time. However, evidence from neuroscience, social psychology and behavioral economics suggest that willpower is regional, subverted through desire and strengthened by strategy--these are features a muscular account would not predict. It is better to think about willpower as a skill with a physiological component. Willpower strategies extend the brute effort of self-control through the use of reason and have the practical effect of increasing self-regulation. Willpower is "worth wanting" because there is a …

Silicone Elastomer-Based Combinatorial Biomaterial Gradients For High Throughput Screening Of Cell-Substrate Interactions, Greeshma Mohan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biomaterials have evolved over the years from the passive role of mere biocompatibility to an increasingly active role of presenting instructive cues to elicit precise responses at the molecular and cellular levels. Various characteristics common to synthetic biomaterials in vitro and extracellular matrices in vivo, such as immobilized functional or peptide groups, mechanical stiffness, bulk physical properties and topographical features, are key players that regulate cell response. The dynamics in the cell microenvironment and at the cell adhesive interface trigger a web of cell-material and cell-cell information exchanges that have a profound impact in directing the ultimate cell fate …

Exploring The Role Of Intracellular Aminopeptidases In Staphylococcus Aureus Pathogenesis, Devon Nicole Marking

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a remarkably pathogenic bacterium that is widely prevalent among the human population. It is the leading agent of skin and soft tissue infections, and is also responsible for causing an array of severe and life threatening diseases. The invasiveness of the pathogen, coupled with increasing antibiotic resistance seen for S. aureus infections, makes this bacterium a prominent public health concern. The extended pathogenicity of S. aureus is largely due to its repertoire of virulence factors, which are typically characterized by being bound to the cell wall, or secreted into the extracellular environment. Previously, our lab identified a …

Patterns Of Consumption: Ceramic Residue Analysis At Liangchengzhen, Shandong, China, Rheta E. Lanehart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to identify the different patterns of food consumption across space and time at Liangchengzhen, a Longshan (ca. 2600-1900 B.C.) site located in Shandong Province, China. The primary hypothesis of the research contended that evidence of increasing social inequality with respect to food consumption would be found from early to late phases at Liangchengzhen. In addition, rice and meat from mammals, especially pigs, were hypothesized as the most likely types of prestigious foods for daily and ritual activities. Fish and marine foods in general were hypothesized to be foods that average households could obtain since …

Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds: Measurement In Tampa Bay, Removal From Sewage And Development Of An Estrogen Receptor Model, Monica Mion Cook

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The significance of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the environment has only recently come to the forefront of scientific research, policy debates, water utilities management and public awareness. EDCs have the ability to interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system of humans and other animals. Numerous chemicals are included in the class of compounds known as EDCs, and exposure is widespread. These compounds are found in a variety of environmental matrices (e.g., marine and freshwater systems, sediment, soil), transported there primarily through sewage effluent discharge and recycling of sewage sludge for topical fertilizer use. This transport to the environment …

A Composite Spatial Model Incorporating Groundwater Vulnerability And Environmental Disturbance To Guide Land Management, Johanna L. Kovarik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has long recognized and studied the dynamics of groundwater processes. More recently, groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are being recognized for their diversity and vulnerability to anthropogenic impact. Groundwater in karst landscapes presents a distinctive situation where flow through the subsurface often moves rapidly on the scale of days and weeks as opposed to years or millennia in other systems. This distinctive situation of karst systems and their vulnerability to human impacts necessitate an integrated and multifaceted approach for the management of these important resources. However, development of such an approach is complicated by the difficulty of obtaining detailed data …

A Mixed Method Study Examining Synchronous-Enhanced Learning In Distance Education, Kimberly M. Wheeler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed method study examined how integration of synchronous Web-based desktop conferencing affects undergraduate distance learning students' educational experience. Specifically, it compared students in one distance learning section of an introductory technology course delivered through a synchronous-enhanced mode (employing both synchronous and asynchronous tools) with students in a second section of the same distance learning course provided in the asynchronous only mode to examine variations in cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence through the lens of the Community of Inquiry model (Garrison, Anderson, and Archer, 2000). Additionally, this study measured perceived learning, learner-instructor interaction, and learner-learner interaction to determine …

Quantifying The Interaction Of Wildlife And Roads: A Habitat And Movement Approach, Rebecca Whitehead Loraamm

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing need to address the effects of roadway presence on wildlife. Not only do roads directly impact gene dispersal from a movement perspective, but they limit movement of the individual animal from a habitat perspective by presenting an artificial barrier between one area of viable habitat and another. For this reason it is becoming increasingly important to quantify contact between humans and wildlife and to develop better methods for mitigating these types of conflicts. Studying habitat connectivity and animal mobility in the context of roads can provide actionable information on how, where, and when these encounters might …

Development Of Orally Bioavailable 4(1H)-Quinolones And 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroacridin-9(10H)-Ones With Potent Anti-Malarial Activity, Jordany Richarlson Maignan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although Malaria rates are on the decline due to the efforts of the World Health Organization and other organizations dedicated to the eradication of this disease, a relaxed attitude towards the development of new antimalarial entities would be flawed. Due to the emergence of resistance in the parasite, the almost 50% world-wide reduction in malarial death rates that have been produced over the past 15 years are threatening to be lost

New drugs are urgently needed and our approach focuses on the re-evaluation and optimization of the historic antimalarial ICI 56,780. Due to its causal prophylactic activity, along with its …

Screening And Isolation Of γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane Degrading Bacteria From Contaminated Soil In Kenya, Irene N. Githinji

All Master’s Theses

The organochlorine insecticide Lindane is the γ-isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). It is among the most distributed and frequently detected organochlorine pollutants in the environment. Consequently it has been flagged down for regulatory intervention and efforts are being made to eliminate it from the environment. Among the approaches proposed, bioremediation has been put forward as a promising environmental friendly approach. In line with this mission, the aim of this work was to isolate and identify bacteria able to utilize Gamma-1, 2,3,4,5,6hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) as a sole carbon source, and thus potential bioremediation agents. Using soil sample collected from a site contaminated with …

A Surveillance Study On Tick And Tick-Borne Pathogen Diversity In Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya, Micky Mwamuye Mwananje

All Master’s Theses

Outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging tick-borne pathogens are becoming more frequent worldwide. Surveillance is critical to improve our understanding of pathogen diversity and their tick vectors. This will elucidate disease transmission dynamics that can inform the development of better disease prevention and control strategies. A total of 4,324 questing ticks (209 adult ticks, 586 nymphs and 3,502 larvae) were collected from six sites in Kenya‟s Shimba Hills National Reserve (SHNR). Morphologically, adults were identified to species level while nymphs and larvae were identified to the genus level. Three species from two genera of the Ixodidae family were identified; Amblyomma eburneum, …

Hunger, Poverty, And The Criminalization Of Food Sharing In The New Gilded Age, Marc-Tizoc González

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

No abstract provided.

Cognitive And Action-Based Aspects Of Developing Decisions In Parietal Cortex, Jan Kubanek, Eric Mooshagian

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Role Of Membrane Biophysics In Alzheimer's–Related Cell Pathways, Donghui Zhu, Brittani L. Bungart, Xiaoguang Yang, Zhaxybay Zhumadilov, James C-M. Lee

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

An Excitatory Amacrine Cell Detects Object Motion And Provides Feature-Selective Input To Ganglion Cells In The Mouse Retina, Tahnbee Kim, Florentina Soto, Daniel Kerschensteiner

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Α,Β-Unsaturated Ketones As Antileishmanial Agents, Miguel A. Vasquez, Eva Iniguez, Umashankar Das, Stephen M. Beverley, Linda J. Herrera, Jonathan R. Dimmock, Rosa A. Maldonado

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Whole Genome Sequence Of Multiple Myeloma-Prone C57bl/Kalwrij Mouse Strain Suggests The Origin Of Disease Involves Multiple Cell Types, Sarah R. Amend, William C. Wilson, Liang Chu, Lan Lu, Xinming Su, Yalin Xu, Julie O'Neal, Michelle Hurchla, Graham Colditz, Ravi Vij, Katherine N. Weilbaecher, Michael H. Tomasson, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Novel Mode Of Isg15-Mediated Protection Against Influenza A Virus And Sendai Virus In Mice, David J. Morales, Kristen Monte, Lulu Sun, Jessica J. Struckhoff, Eugene Agapov, Michael J. Holtzman, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, Deborah J. Lenschow

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Adenovirus Vector Expressing Stx1/Stx2-Neutralizing Agent Protects Piglets Infected With Escherichia Coli O157: H7 Against Fatal Systemic Intoxication, Abhineet S. Sheoran, Igor P. Dmitriev, Elena A. Kashentseva, Ocean Cohen, Jean Mukherjee, Michelle Debatis, Jonathan Schearer, Jacqueline M. Tremblay, Gillian Beamer, David T. Curiel, Charles B. Shoemaker, Saul Tzipori

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.