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Centimeter-Deep Tissue Fluorescence Microscopic Imaging, Bingbing Cheng

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Fluorescence microscopic imaging in centimeter-deep tissue has been highly sought-after for many years because much interesting in vivo micro-information—such as microcirculation, tumor angiogenesis, and cancer metastasis—may deeply locate in tissue. However, it is very challenging because of strong tissue light scattering. This includes: how to confine the fluorescence emission into a small volume to achieve high spatial resolution; how to increase fluorescence emission efficiency to compensate the signal attenuation caused by small emission volume and tissue scattering/absorption; and how to reduce background fluorescence noise and exclusively differentiate signal photons from background photons to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and sensitivity. Ultrasonic …

Vision & Change: Why It Matters, Anneke M. Metz, Jacqueline Mclaughlin

Publications

The 2011 AAAS "Vision and Change" report has been inspiring undergraduate biology educators nationwide to rethink their educational approach, favoring active learning strategies to better prepare today's students for a complex, data-rich future. Here, we consider the history of the movement, its place in the greater arena of STEM education. and the reasons why this new approach has never been more critical. We encourage all biology educators to consider becoming agents of change, and focus on helpful resources and practical suggestions to help ABT readers take the plunge (or at least get their feet wet) into the welcoming waters of …

Biosimilar Naming Conventions: Pharmacist Perceptions And Impact On Confidence In Dispensing Biologics, Daniel M. Tomaszewski

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND: The approval of the first biosimilar in the United States has placed increased pressure on the FDA to provide guidance on the naming convention that will be assigned to current and future biosimilars. The release of the FDA draft guidance on nonproprietary naming of biosimilars in August 2015 established a naming convention for all biologic products, including biosimilars. However, the draft guidance is nonbinding while the FDA continues to receive input from stakeholders, and it does not address the naming convention that will be used for products designated as interchangeable biologics.

OBJECTIVES: To (a) determine pharmacist perceptions …

Early Parental Loss, Socioeconomic Stressors, And Health In Later Life: Evidence For Gender Disparity, Rong Fu

Open Access Dissertations

Drawing from the stress process model and the cumulative disadvantage theory, this dissertation examined how childhood and later life stressors affected cognitive and subjective health in older adults. Using three main articles, this dissertation investigated (1) the effect of early parental loss on cognitive well-being in Chinese oldest old; (2) the effect of intergenerational socioeconomic mobility on cognitive and subjective health in advanced age; and (3) the effect of different dimensions of socioeconomic status and perceived financial strain on subjective health in later life. Data were derived from the 2002 and 2005 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. …

Ecological And Phenotypic Factors Influencing The Movement Dynamics Of The Blackspotted Topminnow, Fundulus Olivaceus, Scott Richard Clark

Dissertations

Movement of individuals throughout a landscape is a complex behavior that has important consequences on numerous ecological and evolutionary processes. Perhaps most notably is the relationship between movement and reproduction, as this has implicit ramifications on individual fitness and consequently, population level processes. Although this relationship has been theoretically and empirically demonstrated across a number of animal taxa, its role in fishes remains understudied and largely unknown. Using a series of outdoor mesocosms, in combination with a field study, I employed passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to experimentally assess the sex-specific movement dynamics of a small-bodied, sexually-dimorphic stream fish, the …

Development And Implementation Of An Anthropomorphic Head & Neck Phantom For The Assessment Of Proton Therapy Treatment Procedures, Daniela Branco

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Proton therapy has been used to treat cancer for more than 50 years, and over the past decade, its use has grown rapidly. One of the main goals of modern radiation therapy is to deliver a high dose to the planning target volume (PTV) with minimal exposure and damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Protons offer a unique advantage over photon radiotherapy in that they deposit dose over a finite range, in contrast to the more gradual energy deposition of photon and electron beams. At present, 23 proton centers are in operation in the United States and another 13 centers …

25th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: Cns-2016, Various Authors

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Abstracts of the 25th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS-2016 Seogwipo City, Jeju-do, South Korea. 2–7 July 2016

Morphological Systematics Of The Nightshade Flea Beetles Epitrix Foudras And Acallepitrix Bechyné (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) In America North Of Mexico, Anthony Martin Deczynski

All Theses

The flea beetle genera Epitrix and Acallepitrix are revised for America North of Mexico, building on a prior preliminary revision of the genus Epitrix by the author (Deczynski 2014). Four new species are described: Epitrix cuprea sp. nov., E. rileyi sp. nov., E. latifrons sp. nov., and E. vasinoda sp. nov., bringing the North American Epitrixfauna to a total of 26 species. A key is provided to adults of all species. A phylogenetic analysis is performed based on 44 external morphological characters and 30 genitalic characters. Acallepitrix nitens arose within the North American Epitrix, suggesting generic revision is required. The …

Reproductive Ecology Of Dragonfishes (Family: Stomiidae) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Alex D. Marks

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The most speciose group of fishes in the Gulf of Mexico is the dragonfishes (Family: Stomiidae). These fishes are dominant mesopelagic predators occurring throughout the world’s oceans, including the Antarctic seas. Little is known regarding their reproductive ecology, a consequence attributed to insufficient sample sizes of mature adults due to inadequacies of sampling gear; larger, sexually mature stomiid adults are more adept at net avoidance, thereby obfuscating synoptic reproductive biology studies. Between 2010-2011, the Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program was initiated in the northern Gulf of Mexico over all four seasons using a discrete-depth sampling system (MOCNESS) and a …

Full Issue 7(4)

International Journal of Speleology

No abstract provided.

Microbubble Generation By Piezoelectric Transducers For Biomedical Studies, Mohammed Alkhazal

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Bubbles induced by blast waves or shocks are speculated as the major cause of damage in biological cells in mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Microbubble collapse was found to induce noticeable cell detachment from the cell substrate, changes in focal adhesion, and biomechanics. To better understand the bubble mechanism, a system needs to be constructed which allows clear differentiation on the impact of bubbles from that of shocks. Such a generator needs to be low profile in order to place under a microscope. A piezoelectric transducer system was designed to meet the need. The system uses either a flat or …

An Indirect Defence Trait Mediated Through Egg-Induced Maize Volatiles From Neighbouring Plants, Daniel M. Mutyambai, Toby J.A. Bruce, Johnnie Van Den Berg, Charles A.O. Midega, John A. Pickett, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Attack of plants by herbivorous arthropods may result in considerable changes to the plant's chemical phenotype with respect to emission of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs). These HIPVs have been shown to act as repellents to the attacking insects as well as attractants for the insects antagonistic to these herbivores. Plants can also respond to HIPV signals from other plants that warn them of impending attack. Recent investigations have shown that certain maize varieties are able to emit volatiles following stemborer egg deposition. These volatiles attract the herbivore's parasitoids and directly deter further oviposition. However, it was not known whether these …

Biology, Saint Mary's College Of California

Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

The Explorations Program: Benefits Of Single-Session, Research- Focused Classes For Students And Postdoctoral Instructors, Jeremy L. Hsu, Anna M. Wrona, Sarah E. Brownell, Waheeda Khalfan

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We present an update to Explorations, a program at Stanford University that allows undergraduates in an introductory biology course to explore specialized topics in the biological sciences while providing graduate students and postdoctoral scholars the unique opportunity to develop and teach single-session, research-focused classes. We provide an assessment of eight iterations of the program, using program attendance, student and instructor evaluations, senior exit surveys, course grades, and completion of undergraduate honors theses to assess the impact of our program on students and instructors. Students rated their experiences highly, and most reported that the program had a positive impact on their …

Gene Set Enrichment And Projection: A Computational Tool For Knowledge Discovery In Transcriptomes, Karl Douglas Stamm

Dissertations (1934 -)

Explaining the mechanism behind a genetic disease involves two phases, collecting and analyzing data associated to the disease, then interpreting those data in the context of biological systems. The objective of this dissertation was to develop a method of integrating complementary datasets surrounding any single biological process, with the goal of presenting the response to a signal in terms of a set of downstream biological effects. This dissertation specifically tests the hypothesis that computational projection methods overlaid with domain expertise can direct research towards relevant systems-level signals underlying complex genetic disease. To this end, I developed a software algorithm named …

Determination Of Glut1 Oligomerization Parameters Using Bioluminescent Förster Resonance Energy Transfer, Brendan D. Looyenga, Calvin Vanopstall, Zion Lee, Jed Bell

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The facilitated glucose transporter GLUT1 (SLC2A1) is an important mediator of glucose homeostasis in humans. Though it is found in most cell types to some extent, the level of GLUT1 expression across different cell types can vary dramatically. Prior studies in erythrocytes - which express particularly high levels of GLUT1 - have suggested that GLUT1 is able to form tetrameric complexes with enhanced transport activity. Whether dynamic aggregation of GLUT1 also occurs in cell types with more modest expression of GLUT1, however, is unclear. To address this question, we developed a genetically encoded bioluminescent Förster resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay …

Lebanon's Shouf Biosphere Reserve: A Protected Area And Sport Hunting, Robert Watkins Bowdoin Greeley

Theses and Dissertations

Fortress conservation, the act of setting aside for conservation goals and protecting them through sanction, coercion, and violence, towards local users has became the paradigmatic understanding of how protected areas are created and maintained. The fortress conservation critique is marked by a preoccupation with the negative livelihood impacts of these areas, portrays animosity and social conflict between local users and the protected areas, is primarily concerned with national parks and clearly defined protected areas, and places state power at the center of the creation and maintenance of protected areas. This dissertation takes the tenants of fortress conservation to task by …

Do River Otters Conform To Habitat Suitability Assessments?, Angela Holland, Jorista Van Der Merwe

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

River otters ( Lontra canadensis ) were reintroduced from 1994-1996 into parts of Illinois where the species was extirpated due to over harvest and habitat loss. At the time of reintroduction, managing for the persistence of the population through habitat was very important and research was conducted to determine which watersheds had quality habitat and which needed increased management and protection. In a study conducted in the mid-1990s, biologists used pattern recognition (PATREC) modeling to identify high and low quality habitat for river otters at the subunit level (i.e., divided watershed), based on specific habitat attributes including wooded area, sinuosity, …

Proceedings Of The 1st Annual Higher Education Flipped Learning Conference, Jerry Overmyer - Editor, Nissa Yestness - Editor

Higher Education Flipped Learning Conference

Click the title or the Download button to view/download the proceedings as a PDF.

Design And Validate A Synthetic Circuit For Detecting Pathway Signaling In Mammalian Cells, Darisha Jhutty, Nicholas Parker

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Synthetic circuits provide novel ways for scientists to program and probe mammalian cell behavior. This allows for enhanced research tools and chemical sensors. Our project works with an engineered synthetic circuit and monitors the output of the circuit using green fluorescent protein( GFP) and luciferase. Expression of GFP is both quantifiable and observable over a time period in living cells. Luciferase can be detected by an assay in lysed cells to give data on overall expression of the circuit. By measuring and comparing output of this circuit over time, we can create a model to demonstrate the lack of expression, …

Preparation, Characterization And Biological Evaluation Of Some Lanthanide (Ιιι) Ions Complexes With 3-(1-Methyl-2-Benzimidazolylazo)-Tyrosine, Alya Khider Abbas

Baghdad Science Journal

A series of lanthanide metal (III) complexes have been prepared from the new azo ligand, 3-(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolylazo)-Tyrosine (MBT). The structural features were confirmed on the basis of their elemental analysis, metal content, molar conductance, magnetic measurement, FTIR, 1H NMR, and UV-Vis spectra studies. The isolated complexes were found to have a mole ratio (1:2) (metal:ligand) stoichiometry with the general formula [Ln(MBT)2]Cl (Ln(III) = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd). The chelates were found to have octahedral structures. The FTIR spectra show that the ligand (MBT) is coordinated to lanthanide ions as a N, N, O-tridentate anion via benzimidazole nitrogen, …

Synthesis And Characterization Studies Of Metal Complexes With Schiff Base Derived From 4-[5-(2-Hydoxy-Phenyl)-[1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2-Ylimino Methyl]-1,5-Dimethyl-2-Phenyl-1,2-Dihydro-Pyrazol-3-One, Naser Shaalan, Zaynab Hussein Fadel, Wasn Abdulrazzar Mahmood, Abbas Ali Salih Al-Hamdani

Baghdad Science Journal

New metal complexes of the ligand 4-[5-(2-hydoxy-phenyl)-[1,3,4- oxadiazol -2-ylimino methyl]-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-pyrazol-3-one (L) with the metal ions Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) were prepared in alcoholic medium. The Schiff base was synthesized through condensate of [4-antipyrincarboxaldehyde] with[2-amino-5-(2-hydroxy-phenyl-1,3,4- oxadiazol] in alcoholic medium . Two tetradentate Schiff base ligand were used for complexation upon two metal ions of Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ as dineucler formula M2L2.4H2O. The metal complexes were characterized by FTIR Spectroscopy, electronic Spectroscopy, elemental analysis, magnetic susceptidbility measurements, and also the ligand was characterized by 1H-NMR spectra, and mass spectra. The Structures of complexes were proposed from the measurements.

Crime Comics; Zoning And The Exclusion Of Churches; Recognition Of Red Chin In Order To Deport Alien; Anti-Miscegenation Statute; Right To Vote

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Utah State Magazine, Summer 2016, Utah State University

Utah State Magazine

The quarterly magazine for friends and alumni of Utah State University.

Addressing Emerging Risks: Scientific And Regulatory Challenges Associated With Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals, Tammy R. Dugas, Slawomir Lomnicki, Stephania A. Cormier, Barry Dellinger, Margaret Reams

Faculty Publications

© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Airborne fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PM) are often generated through widely-used thermal processes such as the combustion of fuels or the thermal decomposition of waste. Residents near Superfund sites are exposed to PM through the inhalation of windblown dust, ingestion of soil and sediments, and inhalation of emissions from the on-site thermal treatment of contaminated soils. Epidemiological evidence supports a link between exposure to airborne PM and an increased risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. It is well-known that during combustion processes, incomplete combustion can lead to the production of …

The Contribution Of Homeogenomic And Homeogenetic Studies In The Support Of The Practice Of Homoeopathy, Peter Kay, Anisur Khuda-Bukhsh

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Almost two decades ago, it was postulated that homoeopathic remedies could deliver their benefits by interacting with the genetic blueprint. Over the years, the results of many homeogenomic gene expression studies have confirmed this postulate. The results of homeogenomic studies have begun to recognize which of the estimated 25,000 human genes are targeted by different homoeopathic remedies and how the expression profiles of these targeted genes are rearranged. From a mechanistic standpoint, seminal homeogenomic studies have shown that homoeopathic remedies can also facilitate epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation. This is an important discovery because DNA methylation plays an important …

Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys For Orthopaedic Applications: A Review On Corrosion, Biocompatibility And Surface Modifications., Sankalp Agarwal, James Curtin, Brendan Duffy, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have been extensively explored as potential biodegradable implant materials for orthopaedic applications (e.g. Fracture fixation). However, the rapid corrosion of Mg based alloys in physiological conditions has delayed their introduction for therapeutic applications to date. The present review focuses on corrosion, biocompatibility and surface modifications of biodegradable Mg alloys for orthopaedic applications. Initially, the corrosion behaviour of Mg alloys and the effect of alloying elements on corrosion and biocompatibility is discussed. Furthermore, the influence of polymeric deposit coatings, namely sol-gel, synthetic aliphatic polyesters and natural polymers on corrosion and biological performance of Mg and its …

Studies On Purification And Functionalization Of Carbon Nanotubes And Their Aqueous Phase Behavior, Zheqiong Wu

Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are known to have unique mechanical, thermal and electrical properties which make them attractive for a wide range of applications ranging from batteries to sensors. CNTs are rolled up graphene sheets where the single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) and multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) are classified according to the number of concentric rings. In this dissertation, the focus is on several different aspects of MWCNTs. These include purification, functionalization and colloidal behavior.

MWCNTs are insoluble in solvents and therefore some degree of functionalization is required prior to their real-world applications. Oxidation debris is generated during carboxylation which is usually the first …

The Influences Of Different Socioeconomic Scenarios In Bioinformatics And Biotechnology Research: The Ethical Issues Arising From Technological Advances, Marcia Miki Sato

Theses

In the last couple decades, we could see the combination of technology and biology taking large steps in science. As new fields, bioinformatics and biotechnology also led to important discussions between excited scientists and social thinkers. The divergent opinions argue about the amazing possibilities of human advances and the social issues that follow the progress. This paper discusses ethical matters of new developments and compares policy choices with respect to research and use of biotechnology and bioinformatics in different countries. Even though the world is increasingly globalized, the comparisons suggest that different cultures have different ethical responses and public policies …

Nano-Photonic Waveguides For Chemical And Biomedical Sensing, Surya Venkatasekhar Cheemalapati

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, advances in the fields of Photonics, and Plasmonics, and specifically, single cell analysis and waveguide sensing will be addressed. The first part of the dissertation is on Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) optimization and experimental demonstration of a nano-scale instrument that allows sensing at the cellular and subcellular levels. A new design of plasmonic coupler into a nanoscale waveguide is proposed and optimized using FDTD simulations. Following this, a subcellular nanoendoscope that can locally excite fluorescence in labelled cell organelles and collect the emitted fluorescent light for detailed spectrum analysis is fabricated and tested. The nanoendoscope has …