Digital Commons Network^™

Wake Me When It's Over- Bacterial Toxin-Antitoxin Proteins And Induced Dormancy, Nathan P. Coussens, Dayle A. Daines

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Toxin-antitoxin systems are encoded by bacteria and archaea to enable an immediate response to environmental stresses, including antibiotics and the host immune response. During normal conditions, the antitoxin components prevent toxins from interfering with metabolism and arresting growth; however, toxin activation enables microbes to remain dormant through unfavorable conditions that might continue over millions of years. Intense investigations have revealed a multitude of mechanisms for both regulation and activation of toxin-antitoxin systems, which are abundant in pathogenic microorganisms. This minireview provides an overview of the current knowledge regarding type II toxin-antitoxin systems along with their clinical and environmental implications.

Population Genetic Structure Of Asclepias Tuberosa In Northwest Iowa: A Comparison Within And Between Remnant Prairies And Commercially Available Seed, Jeff Ploegstra, Brittany De Ruyter, Tony N. Jelsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Isolated in scattered remnants, less than 0.1% of Iowa's original tallgrass prairie remains. The small populations remaining are at risk for reduced genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, and outbreeding depression. In light of these concerns, we used microsatellite analysis to assess the genetic structure of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) populations on prairie remnants in northwest Iowa. We compared remnant populations with a restoration population at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, and with an Oklahoma seed source. Microsatellites identified for use in common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) had sufficient polymorphism information content (PIC) across the butterfly milkweed ( …

Local Avian Density Influences Risk Of Mortality From Window Strikes, Ann M. Sabo, Natasha D.G. Hagemeyer, Ally S. Lahey, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Up to a billion birds die per year in North America as a result of striking windows. Both transparent and reflective glass panes are a cause for concern, misleading birds by either acting as invisible, impenetrable barriers to desired resources, or reflecting those resources over a large surface area. A high number of window strikes occur during migration, but little is known about the factors of susceptibility, or whether particular avian taxa are more vulnerable than others. We report on a study of window strikes and mist-netting data at the Virginia Zoological Park (Norfolk, Virginia, USA), conducted in the autumn …

Rnd3 As A Novel Target To Ameliorate Microvascular Leakage, Jerome W. Breslin, Dayle A. Daines, Travis M. Doggett, Kristine H. Kurtz, Flavia M. Souza-Smith, Xun E. Zhang, Mack H. Wu, Sarah Y. Yuan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background -Microvascular leakage of plasma proteins is a hallmark of inflammation that leads to tissue dysfunction. There are no current therapeutic strategies to reduce microvascular permeability. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of Rnd3, an atypical Rho family GTPase, in the control of endothelial barrier integrity. The potential therapeutic benefit of Rnd3 protein delivery to ameliorate microvascular leakage was also investigated.

Methods and Results-Using immunofluorescence microscopy, Rnd3 was observed primarily in cytoplasmic areas around the nuclei of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-albumin and transendothelial electrical resistance of human umbilical vein …

Studying Within-Host Viral Evolution Using Pooled Next-Generation Sequencing Data, Chase W. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Pooled next-generation sequencing allows multiple genomes to be sequenced at once in a single sample, with the resultant single nucleotide polymorphism data giving reliable estimates of allele frequencies and population genetic parameters in a cost-effective manner. This approach has potentiated new opportunities for understanding the evolution of virus populations within individual hosts over the course of infection, where the sequencing of individual genomes is exceedingly difficult and impractical. However, evolutionary tools for analyzing the latest forms of pooled-sequencing data have been lacking. In this thesis, I first review next-generation sequencing and relevant molecular evolution topics, including the unique features of …

Improving Cooling Tower Chemistry Control And Cost Savings Through Automation, Ryan Matthew Maxwell

Theses and Dissertations

Proper chemistry control of cooling towers reduces corrosion, biological growth, and precipitation of solids. Therefore, improving control can lead to increased equipment life, operating efficiency, and safety. Chemistry of cooling towers is highly dependent on loading, weather, and time. As such, cooling tower chemistry varies day to day and even hour to hour, requiring either continuous controls or large operating bands. Through automation, 24/7 monitoring and control can be achieved, allowing for deliberate operation within tight operating bands. As a direct result of automation water consumption has been reduced by 9.1 million gallons per year, CL-49 use has been reduced …

Interview Of Christine Sleeter On Multicultural Education: Past, Present, And Key Future Directions, James C. Jupp, Christine E. Sleeter

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Journal

This is an interview of Christine Sleeter on her work in multicultural education over four decades. Links to videos of this interview are available in the Appendix after the references. Transcriptions and videos of Dr. Sleeter’s interview provide plain-spoken content for teacher educators, school administrators, and teachers interested in advancing multicultural education and its critical and practical translation into public school classrooms. The main topics covered in this interview are: (a) the “origins” of multicultural education, (b) the basics of multicultural teaching in student and community relationships, (c) advice for new teachers coming into the profession, (d) discussions of White …

Understanding Forced Sex During Adolescence: An Exploratory Study Of Risk And Protective Factors, Moya L. Alfonso, Robert L. Vogel, Akrati Gupta, Karmen S. Williams

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Journal

The overall purpose of this study was to explore predictors of forced sex among a sample of middle school students. Youth Risk Behavior Surveys were distributed to middle school youth in southeast Florida. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID), and logistic regression. In the final CHAID model, the segment most at risk was comprised of youth who had been harassed for being gay, lesbian, or bisexual and youth who had experienced dating violence. Past exposure with violence yielded the highest association with forced sex. Moreover, having multiple sexual partners, use of prescription drugs, and experiencing …

The Current Summer 2016 Orientation, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Wilderness In Public Theology: A Dialogical Approach, Mary Doak, Thomas Hughson

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Student Engagement In Undergraduate Research At The University Of Kentucky, Tricia Coakley

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Aesthetics And Autobiography: Emotion And Style In The Book Of Disquiet By Fernando Pessoa / Bernardo Soars, Mikel Iriondo Aranguren

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

At the beginning of The Book of Disquiet, Bernardo Soares writes: “In these random impressions, and with no desire to be other than random, I indifferently narrate my factless autobiography, my lifeless history. These are my Confessions, and if in them I say nothing, it’s because I have nothing to say.”

Written a century ago, these words illustrate a great distance from the traditional way of writing an autobiography. They confront, however, the same paradox, which is how can any of our lives, constituted by different and unrelated events, be structured as a linear story looking for a meaning, …

Humor And Enlightenment, Part I: The Theory, Peter H. Karlen

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

Part I of this article advances a new theory of humor, the Enlightenment Theory, while contrasting it with other main theories, including the Incongruity, Repression/Relief/Release, and Superiority Theories. The Enlightenment Theory does not contradict these other theories but rather subsumes them. As argued, each of the other theories cannot account for all the aspects of humor explained by the Enlightenment Theory. The discussion is illustrated with examples of humor and explores the acts and circumstances of humor, its literary and artistic expressions, and its physical reactions. Part II shows how the Enlightenment Theory meets challenging issues in humor theory where …

Radio-Frequency Plasma Polymerized Biodegradable Carrier For In Vivo Release Of Cis-Platinum, Sudhir Bhatt, Fatemeh Valamanesh, Jerome Pulpytel, Rea Lo Dico, Aliby Baiyukha, Iman Al-Dybiat, Marc Pocard, Farzaneh Arefi-Khonsari, Massoud Mirshahi

Bioelectrics Publications

A low pressure plasma process based on plasma deposition has been used to develop a drug delivery strategy. In this study, a drug delivery system based on different layers of plasma co-polymerized Poly ε-caprolactone-Polyethylene glycol (PCL-PEG) co-polymers was deposited on biocompatible substrates. Cis-platinum (118 μgm/cm²) was used as an anti-cancer drug and incorporated for local delivery of the chemotherapeutic agent. The co-polymer layers and their interaction with cancer cells were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Our study showed that the plasma-PCL-PEG coated cellophane membranes, in which the drug, was included did not modify the flexibility and appearance of …

Introduction To Model Laws On Lighting, Lakshman Guruswamy

Publications

No abstract provided.

Technological Opacity, Predictability, And Self-Driving Cars, Harry Surden, Mary-Anne Williams

Publications

Autonomous or “self-driving” cars are vehicles that drive themselves without human supervision or input. Because of safety benefits that they are expected to bring, autonomous vehicles are likely to become more common. Notably, for the first time, people will share a physical environment with computer-controlled machines that can both direct their own activities and that have considerable range of movement. This represents a distinct change from our current context. Today people share physical spaces either with machines that have free range of movement, but are controlled by people (e.g. automobiles) or with machines that are controlled by computers, but highly …

Postcolonial Ecocriticism And The Comparison Of Southeast Asian And Caribbean Literatures / Christopher Lloyd De Shield, Lloyd De Shield Christopher

Student Works (2010-2019)

This thesis consists of two parts. In part one, I argue that diverse works – hailing from the otherwise disparate archipelagic regions of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia – can be placed into productive relation. To perform this work, I use a methodological lens developed and derived from two very different sources of inspiration. First, I draw upon seminal and contemporary work in the burgeoning discipline of ―postcolonial ecocriticism.‖ The second source of inspiration is classical work in comparative anatomy and developmental vertebrate biology, more specifically, the model of differentiation presented by the concept of ―analogous structures.‖ I spend considerable …

Phytochemical And Biological Studies Of The Extracts Of Pseuduvaria Monticola And Pseuduvaria Macrophylla / Hairin Taha, Taha Hairin

Student Works (2010-2019)

The chemical constituents of two Pseuduvaria species from the Annonaceae family; Pseuduvaria monticola and Pseuduvaria macrophylla have been investigated. The extraction of the compounds from the bark and leaves was carried out using n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol followed by chromatographic techniques such as column chromatography (CC), preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Structural elucidations of the compounds were established through spectroscopic methods; 1D-NMR (1H,13C, DEPT 135 ), 2D-NMR (COSY, HMQC, HMBC), UV, IR and MS (LC-MS, GC-MS) and comparison from the published data. The leaf essential oils were extracted by Clavenger-type apparatus and analyzed by …

Antioxidant And Antiproliferative Activities Of Several Marine Organisms From The West Coast Of Peninsular Malaysia / Chia Yin Yin, Yin Yin Chia

Student Works (2010-2019)

Three species of seaweeds (Padina tetrastromatica, Caulerpa racemosa and Turbinaria ornata) and a sponge (Spheciospongia vagabunda) were evaluated for their antioxidant and antiproliferative activities in the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7. The crude extracts of the seaweeds and sponge were sequentially extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. The extracts showed potent 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, nitric oxide, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. The crude extracts were also evaluated for their antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 cells using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. None of the extracts showed any toxicity in the normal breast cell line, 184B5. …

Biological Activities Of Curcuma Purpurascens Bi. Rhizome Extract Using In Vitro And In Vivo Models / Elham Rouhollahi, Rouhollahi Elham

Student Works (2010-2019)

Curcuma purpurascens BI. is a medicinal plant from the Zingiberaceae family, which is widely used as a spice and in folk medicine for the treatment of wounds, scabies, itching, fever, cough and boil. In this study, chemopreventive properties of dichloromethane and hexane extracts of C. purpurascens BI rhizome (DECPR and HECPR) on azoxymethane-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF), gastroprotective and wound healing potential in rats were been evaluated. The acute toxicity test of DECPR and HECPR in rats, carried out in two doses, i.e. 2 and 5 g/kg, showed that these two plant extracts were safe even at a high …

Unmet Health Care Service Needs And Caregiver Needs Of Children With Disabilities In Penang, Malaysia / Tan Seok Hong, Seok Hong Tan

Student Works (2010-2019)

Unmet need for health services captures the degree to which needed health services are not received and is an indication of the difficulties experienced in the process of obtaining care. It is used to assess equity of access to health care across population subgroups. This study investigates whether current services are meeting the needs of children with disabilities and their caregivers in Penang, a state in Northern Malaysia. The objectives are to determine the magnitude of unmet service needs, as well as the child and family characteristics associated with these unmet needs. Problems faced by caregivers in getting access to …

In Vitro Culture And Biological Studies On Dientamoeba Fragilis / Anitamalar Devi Ragavan, Ragavan Anitamalar Devi

Student Works (2010-2019)

Dientamoeba fragilis, since its discovery 87 years ago, very little is known about the parasite’s prevalence, biology, life cycle and mode of transmission. The present targeted two vulnerable groups which are the orang asli and school children from the state of Selangor. Out of a total of 409 and 380 stool samples collected from Orang Asli and school children population the prevalence of those infected with D.fragilis were 3.9 % and 0.7% respectively. There is a challenge in identifying the parasites in stools and this could be the main contributory reason why information on this parasite is still lacking. The …

Effects Of Monoterpenes On Glucose Uptake And Lipid Metabolism In 3t3-L1 Adipocytes / Tan Xien Cherh, Xien Cherh Tan

Student Works (2010-2019)

Various strategies have been adopted to combat complications caused by Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diet control is one of them. Monoterpenes, the major constituents of essential oils, are synthesized and widely used as artificial food flavours. The aims of the present study were to assess the effects of twelve monoterpenes on antioxidant capacity, glucose uptake and lipid metabolism. Antioxidant capacity of monoterpenes were assessed using to 2, 2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2, 2�- azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. In vitro alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory assays were used to assess the potential anti-hyperglycaemic property of monoterpenes. The 3T3-L1 cellular …

Epidemiological And Evolutionary Dynamics On Influenza B Viruses In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Between 2012 To 2014 / Oong Xiang Yong, Xiang Yong Oong

Student Works (2010-2019)

Epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of influenza B Victoria and Yamagata lineages remain poorly understood in the tropical Southeast Asia region, despite causing seasonal outbreaks worldwide. The aim of this study was to understand the epidemiological, evolutionary and transmission dynamics, as well as the clinical profiles of influenza B lineages circulating in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2012 to 2014 in a predominantly adult population. Furthermore, meteorological factors that may play a role in influenza seasonality in this country were also investigated. During the study period, nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from adult outpatients experiencing acute upper respiratory tract infection symptoms were screened …

Development Of An Online Ecological Data Warehouse / Cham Hui, Hui Cham

Student Works (2010-2019)

Effective and efficient maintenance and monitoring of tropical water bodies such as lakes, reservoirs and river requires well-documented, validated, and coherent data archives. Data are collected and stored individually and this makes data integration difficult even among close collaborators. Ecological data warehouses for data mining require individual databases that are precisely explained with validated metadata. A data warehouse system for tropical water bodies should have a standard interface and identical ways of representing biological data for data exchange. These can solve the problems of incomplete data, data standardization and data sharing. The data warehouse prototype developed in this study comprises …

Synthesis Of New 1,2,4-Triazole And 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Derivatives Derived From 2-Ethylsulfanyl Benzohydrazide And Evaluation Of Their Biological Activities / Nafal Nazar Bahjat, Bahjat Nafal Nazar

Student Works (2010-2019)

The new 1-acylthiosemicarbazides derivatives 3.3-3.7 were synthesised by the reaction of active intermediate 2-(ethylsulfanyl)benzohydrazide 3.2 with various aryl isothiocyanates. The cyclisation of thiosemicarbazide derivatives in a basic medium (aqueous NaOH, 4 N) yielded compounds 3.8-3.12, while another method was used to prepare 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole-5-thione 3.13. All of the thiosemicarbazide derivatives showed better antioxidant activity than 1,2,4-triazole derivatives in both assays DPPH and FRAP. Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) mechanism was proposed and the Density Functional Theory (DFT) method was used to rationalise the experimental results. 5-[2-(Ethylsulphanyl)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2(3H)-thione 3.14 was prepared by the reaction of 2-(ethylsulphanyl)benzohydrazide with CS2 in KOH. On alkylation of compound …

In Vitro, In Sacco And In Vivo Digestibility Of Ruminant Feeds Supplemented With Herbs / Nik Fatihah Nik Abdullah, Nik Abdullah Nik Fatihah

Student Works (2010-2019)

Animal feeds with added herb tested in in vitro, in sacco and in vivo techniques are the potential use combined with commercial pellets or PKE pellets to enhance the nutritive value of the feeds. Two types of herb mixture were tested. The mixture of local herbs (named as DD herbs): formulated in the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory University of Malaya (UM) and imported herb. The objective of the research was to compare DD herb potential in improving ruminant digestibility against imported herb. The experimental diets were formulated into 3 combination doses: 25 gm of herbs added to 975 gm of pallets …

Characteristics And Properties Of Natural Hydroxyapatite Derived From Bovine Bone For Biomedical Applications / Aliasghar Niakan, Niakan Aliasghar

Student Works (2010-2019)

Bovine bone is a hierarchically structured natural composite material, consisting of collagen as an organic phase, hydroxyapatite as a mineral phase, and hydroxyl. The aim of this research is to study the properties of natural hydroxyapatite (HA) developed from bovine bone. Sintering process was used to transform the bovine bone constituents into pure HA mineral phase which makes bovine bone such a unique biological material. Femur cortical bone was harvested from local slaughterhouse, cleaned and subsequently sintered in air atmosphere at different temperatures ranging from 200ºC to 1300ºC with heating ramp rate of 10ºC for 2 hours. The samples were …

An Experimental Test Of Response By Common Ravens To Nest Exclosures, Teresa R. King

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Common ravens (Corvus corax) are intelligent generalists and a principal predator affecting population recovery of several threatened and endangered species, including the threatened western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus). In Humboldt County, raven predation is a primary cause of low nest survival. Nest exclosures, cages around eggs that preclude entry by predators but allow plovers access to incubate, are known to increase nest success. However, speculation exists that exclosures may attract predators. The aims of this study were to summarize corvid distribution on Clam Beach County Park and Little River State Beach, evaluate habitat features associated …

Genetic Structure And Connectivity Of The Endangered Giant Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys Ingens) In A Heterogeneous Environment, Nathan Alexander

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Movement ecology and dispersal are important aspects of species’ life histories that can inform conservation and management. Dispersal is often cryptic and difficult to detect, but recent advances genetic technology and applications have provided new approaches to identifying and describing dispersal patterns. Giant kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ingens) are an endangered heteromyid that appear to persist in small subpopulations in a heterogeneous environment of their northern range, the Ciervo-Panoche Natural Area, California. Previous work suggested high levels of genetic diversity between populations with genetic distances not being correlated to geographic distances. Here, I identified landscape population structure through clustering …