Digital Commons Network^™

Seven-Year Manatee Survey Looking At Seasonal Patterns Of Frequently Observed Individuals In The Harbor Branch Channel Using Photo-Identification Techniques, Lauren Goldsworthy Gomez

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

The manatee project at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute was established in 2009. Land-based observations and photo-identification techniques have been used over the past seven years, allowing observers to recognize specific resident manatees that visit this location season after season. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Resources Division maintains a photo-identification database of manatees known as the Manatee Individual Photo-identification System, or MIPS. The photographs from the Manatee Project have been shared with the MIPS database and several manatees from the Manatee Project were matches, indicating some of the manatees are migrants. This project focuses on the seasonal visitation patterns of frequently …

Six-Year Study Of Mortality Rates, And Causes Of Injury And Illness Of Seaturtles In South Florida, Gabriela Lamanna

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida is devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured or sick sea turtles along the east coast of South Florida. In this study, data on illnesses, injuries, and patient mortality of sea turtles brought into the Loggerhead Marinelife Center were analyzed based on patient records from 2011 to 2016. The goal of this thesis is to make an assessment of the different anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors that have affected sea turtles in South Florida for the past six years. In addition, this thesis aims to understand the correlation between the different types …

Using C. Elegans As A Model System To Discover Antiepileptic Drugs, Mckenzie D. Merritt

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Novel antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are commonly tested using rats and mice as model systems. These animals, however, require a great deal of time, money, and lab space to maintain. In contrast, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) potentially can provide a faster, and less expensive model system for testing AEDs. C. elegans are simple to maintain and have a very short generation time, allowing high throughput assays to screen for new AEDs. For my thesis research, I used C. elegans to test FDA approved AEDs. My tests support the contention that C. elegans can be a useful model system for …

Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma Coerulescens) Population Changes At Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Emily M.N. Morton

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Each June, surveys are conducted at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in order to monitor the population status of the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), the only avian species endemic to the state of Florida. These birds are limited to the rare oak scrub community, a habitat that is under constant threat due to human development. Florida Scrub-Jays are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and all of Florida’s populations are in decline. Jonathan Dickinson State Park organizes surveys that collect vital information about the species to better understand how to conserve the fire-dependent oak scrub that they …

Modeling Burrow Choice In Gopherus Polyphemus, Christopher Olbrych

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Gopher tortoise populations, declining due to habitat fragmentation and degradation, are in need of revised management practices that take into account the individual site’s needs and limitations. The site of concern in this research is the Greenway in Jupiter, FL, which is suffering habitat degradation due to overgrowth driven by a lack of controlled burns or alternative management methods on site. A simple econometric model is developed characterizing the effects of environmental factors that influence the occupancy of burrows by gopher tortoises. A greater understanding of environmental factors affecting gopher tortoise habitat will allow land management practices to best meet …

L1cam: A Potential Role In Alzheimer Pathology, Aater Qureshi

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

L1-type cell adhesion molecule (L1-CAM) is a synaptic membrane protein that is associated with L1 syndrome, which exhibits spasticity, intellectual disability and hydrocephalus Neuroglian (Nrg) is the invertebrate homologue of L1-CAM in Drosophila melanogaster. In vitro studies have shown L1-CAM is proteolytically cleaved and the intracellular domain (ICD) translocates to the nucleus. There it is involved in the upregulation of genes that are involved in DNA damage response, cell cycle progression, apoptosis and cellular differentiation. In some forms of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) proteolytic cleavage of L1-CAM are enhanced. We studied the effects of expression of NrgICD in vivo. Our results …

Evaluation Of The Pro2-021 Oxygen Delivery System In A Side-By-Side Comparison Of Recirculating Aquaponics Systems, David Roth

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

A priority of the aquaponics industry is increasing sustainable production yields on a large scale. In partnership with Morning Star Fishermen and Greener Planet Solutions, I conducted a side-by-side experimental comparison of two backyard-sized aquaponics systems with an equal biomass composed of tilapia, lettuce, and kale. One system received supplemental dissolved oxygen using Greener Planet Solutions’ PrO2-021 Oxygen Delivery System while the control system received no supplemental oxygen treatment. The systems were monitored for a period of three months. At the conclusion of the experiment, I found the biomass of all the observed plants species to be significantly higher in …

A Regression Analysis Of Past Hurricane Patterns And A Projection For The 2016 Hurricane Season, Colleen Sanders

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

I have been discussing the ways in which mathematics is used in the process of hurricane prediction. My thesis analyzes some of the methods of calculation as well as the recent changes in meteorology in order to find more effective methods of predicting the number and intensity of hurricanes. The methods discussed include the use of statistics in the generation of trends and in the calculation of Accumulated Cyclonic Energy (ACE). These methods help meteorologists predict storm frequency, strength, and projected damages. This paper provides methods of calculation, a discussion of current projects and papers in this area of study, …

Intellectual Property Law Hybridization, Clark D. Asay

University of Colorado Law Review

Traditionally, patent and copyright laws have been viewed as separate bodies of law with distinct utilitarian goals. Conventional wisdom holds that patent law aims to incentivize the production of inventive ideas, while copyright focuses on protecting the original expression of ideas, but not the underlying ideas themselves. This customary divide between copyright and patent laws finds some support in the distinction between "authors" and "inventors," as well as that between "writings" and "discoveries," in the U.S. Constitution's Intellectual Property Clause. And Congress, courts, and scholars have largely perpetuated the divide in separately enacting, interpreting, and analyzing copyright and patent laws …

The “Spirit” That Returns To God In Ecclesiastes 12:7, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

Influenced by the Restoration doctrine of premortality, some Latter-day Saints have employed the KJV translation “the spirit” in Ecclesiastes 12:7 to support the doctrine that spirit personages leave their mortal bodies at death. Furthermore, Latter-day Saints have sometimes asserted, again citing Ecclesiastes 12:7, that a premortal spirit being can only “return” to God because it previously came from him. This verse has thus become one of several in the Old Testament that some Latter-day Saints have employed as support for premortal existence, a doctrine that is so important in the broader plan of salvation.

Early Christianity, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

As Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives at the end of his forty-day resurrected ministry, he directed his apostles to be witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8; see also Matthew 28:19–20). In giving this direction, he rescinded the command he gave when he first called them to “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans” (Matthew 10:5). The shift in emphasis and direction brought significant challenges for the fledgling church. It is in the church’s response to meet those challenges that we see many …

Examination Of The Pharmacodynamics And Pharmacokinetics Of A Diclofenac Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoparticle Formulation In The Rat, Sam Harirforoosh, Kelsi O. West, Derek E. Murrell, James W. Denham, Peter C. Panus, Greg A. Hanley

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are assembled into two categories; cyclooxygenase (COX-1) sparing inhibitors of COX-2 and non-selective NSAIDs. Diclofenac (DICLO) is a non-selective NSAID that has been linked to serious side effects including gastric ulcers and renal injury. In this study, we examine the effect of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoformulation on DICLO-associated adverse events and pharmacokinetics using a nanoparticle (NP) formulation previously developed in our laboratory.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were administered a single dose of methylcellulose (VEH), blank NP, DICLO (10 mg/kg), or a DICLO-NP suspension equivalent to the DICLO dose. Urinary and blood parameters were measured …

Assessment Of Celecoxib Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Nanoformulation On Drug Pharmacodynamics And Pharmacokinetics In Rats, Sam Harirforoosh, Kelsi O. West, Derek E. Murrell, James W. Denham, Peter C. Panus, Greg A. Hanley

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

OBJECTIVE: Celecoxib (CEL) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) showing selective cycloxygenase-2 inhibition. While effective as a pain reducer, CEL exerts some negative influence on renal and gastrointestinal parameters. This study examined CEL pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics following drug reformulation as a poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticle (NP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were administered either vehicle (VEH) (methylcellulose solution), blank NP, 40 mg/kg CEL in methylcellulose, or an equivalent NP dose (CEL-NP). Plasma and urine (over 12 hrs) samples were collected prior to and post-treatment. The mean percent change from baseline of urine flow rate along with electrolyte concentrations in plasma …

Characterization Of The Protective Role Of Regulatory T Cells In Experimental Periapical Lesions Development And Its Chemoattraction Manipulation As A Therapeutic Tool, Carolina Favaro Francisconi, Andreia Espindola Vieira, Cláudia Cristina Biguetti, Andrew J. Glowacki, Ana Paula Favaro Trombone, Ariadne Letra, Renato Menezes Silva, Charles S. Sfeir, Steven R. Little, Gustavo P. Garlet

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Introduction

The pathogenesis of periapical lesions is determined by the balance between host pro-inflammatory immune response and counteracting anti-inflammatory and reparative responses, which include regulatory T cells (Tregs) as potential immunoregulatory agents. In this study, we investigated (in a cause-and-effect manner) the involvement of CCL22-CCR4 axis in Tregs migration to the periapical area and the role of Tregs in the determination of outcomes in periapical lesions.

Methods

Periapical lesions were induced in C57Bl/6 (WT) and CCR4KO mice (pulp exposure and bacterial inoculation), and treated with anti-GITR to inhibit Tregs function or alternatively with CCL22-releasing, PLGA particles to induce site-specific migration …

Development Of A Novel In Vivo Corneal Fibrosis Model In The Dog, K. M. Gronkiewicz, Elizabeth A. Giuliano, K. Kuroki, F. Bunyak, Ajay Sharma, L. B. C. Teixeira, C. W. Hamm, R. R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The aim of this study was to develop a novel in vivo corneal model of fibrosis in dogs utilizing alkali burn and determine the ability of suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA) to inhibit corneal fibrosis using this large animal model. To accomplish this, we used seven research Beagle dogs. An axial corneal alkali burn in dogs was created using 1 N NaOH topically. Six dogs were randomly and equally assigned into 2 groups: A) vehicle (DMSO, 2 μL/mL); B) anti-fibrotic treatment (50 μM SAHA). The degree of corneal opacity, ocular health, and anti-fibrotic effects of SAHA were determined utilizing the Fantes grading …

Epigenetic Modification Prevents Excessive Wound Healing And Scar Formation After Glaucoma Filtration Surgery, Ajay Sharma, Govindaraj Anumanthan, Marcos Reyes, Huiyi Chen, Jason W. Brubaker, Saad Siddiqui, Suneel Gupta, Frank G. Rieger, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), in prevention of excessive wound healing and scar formation in a rabbit model of glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS).

METHODS. A rabbit model of GFS was used. Rabbits that underwent GFS received balanced salt solution, or SAHA (50 lM), or mitomycin C (0.02%). Clinical scores of IOP, bleb vascularity, and slit-lamp examination were performed. On postoperative day 14, rabbits were killed and the bleb tissues were collected for evaluation of tissue fibrosis with hematoxylin and eosin, Masson trichrome, a-smooth muscle …