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Managing The Economy Of Public Mosquito Control Thresholds, Peter T. Taylor

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Seventy-four mosquito surveillance data sets involving over 35 species, from January 2013 to December of 2014 have been obtained with permission from Dr. Carl Boohene and Polk County Mosquito Control District in Central Florida and used as data for this project. These data are utilized to propose a practical, economically-based decision rule model that uniquely integrates human populations with mosquito species populations and budgetary constraints. Two different decision rule conventions are proposed and the choice to go with one of them reflects differing economic expenditure inroads on budgeted chemical and equipment resources. In general, if the threshold is higher, then …

Influence Of The Estrous Cycle And Female Sex Hormones On Ghb Toxicokinetics, Hao Wei

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is an endogenous short-chain fatty acid formed from Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Clinically, GHB is marketed in the United States as Xyrem to treat narcolepsy with cataplexy and in Europe for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and narcolepsy. However, the illicit use and abuse of GHB occurs due to its sedative/hypnotic and euphoric effects. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs and SMCTs) are integral membrane proteins that control the bidirectional transport of endogenous substrates including lactate, acetate and pyruvate. They have also been found to transport and mediate the clearance and distribution of GHB. MCTs demonstrate a wide tissue distribution, including brain, …

Tumor Multicomponent Targeting Polymer-Lipid Hybrid Nanoparticles To Overcome Drug Resistance In Renal Cell Carcinoma, Hashem Obaid Alsaab

Wayne State University Dissertations

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) contributes to more than 90% of the most common form of kidney tumor and remains one of the ten leading causes of cancer death in the United States. Although surgery remains an option for operable tumors, high metastatic index and resistance to radiation and chemotherapies prompted recent development of therapeutics that target the RCC angiogenesis and cell proliferation pathways. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors or TKIs (Cabozantinib, Axitinib, Sorafenib, and Sunitinib) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors (Temsirolimus and Everolimus) have increased the therapeutic options for treating RCC. Although the impact towards decreasing disease progression is encouraging, …

Appropriate Preconditioning Of The Uterine Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response Inhibits Preterm Labor, Judith Ann Ingles

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction: In this study, we are testing the overarching hypothesis that preconditioning the myometrial UPR allows for the maintenance of non-apoptotic CASP3 activity and thus sustains uterine quiescence. We have previously demonstrated that the pregnant uterus facilitates uterine quiescence through UPR mediated activation of non-apoptotic CASP3, yet the mechanism in which CASP3 utilizes to avoid its apoptotic cell fate is unresolved. There is a growing body of evidence including our own that demonstrates remote and direct preconditioning with minor stresses propagates cytoprotective mechanisms that allow for the avoidance of apoptotic cell death upon exposure to a subsequent more damaging stress, …

Front Cover, North American Bird Bander

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Cover, North American Bird Bander

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Sibling Rivalry: A Comparison Of Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca) Twin Behavior, Taryn Chudo

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Expanded knowledge on an animal’s individual behavior would be useful in reintroduction programs for endangered species around the globe. Currently, reintroduction program criteria focus primarily on physical characteristics such as age, sex, and overall health for the selection of candidates. However, behavioral deficiencies have been found in captive populations, producing adverse effects on reintroduction program success. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a species that would benefit from understanding the impact of behavior on reintroduction success. This study focused on the relationship of behavior with kinship, birth weight and age. No significant correlation was found between birth weight …

Cost Analysis Of The Ctlb Study, A Multitherapy Antenatal Education Programme To Reduce Routine Interventions In Labour, Kate M. Levett, Hannah G. Dahlen, Caroline A. Smith, Kenneth William Finlayson, Soo Downe, Federico Girosi

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: To assess whether the multitherapy antenatal education ‘CTLB’ (Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth) Study programme leads to net cost savings.

Design: Cost analysis of the CTLB Study, using analysis of outcomes and hospital funding data.

Methods: We take a payer perspective and use Australian Refined Diagnosis-Related Group (AR-DRG) cost data to estimate the potential savings per woman to the payer (government or private insurer). We consider scenarios in which the intervention cost is either borne by the woman or by the payer. Savings are computed as the difference in total cost between the control group and the study …

Relaxation Techniques For Pain Management In Labour, C. Smith, K. Levett, C. Collins, H. Dahlen, M. Suganuma

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour and this may contribute to the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence on the use of relaxation therapies for pain management in labour. This is an update of a review first published in 2011.

Objectives: To examine the effects of mind-body relaxation techniques for pain management in labour on maternal and neonatal well-being during and after labour.

Search methods: We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth’s Trials Register (9 May 2017), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials …

Massage, Reflexology And Other Manual Methods For Pain Management In Labour, C. Smith, K. Levett, C. Collins, H. Dahlen, C. Ee, M. Suganuma

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background

Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour, and thismay contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined the evidence currently available on manual methods, including massage and reflexology, for pain management in labour. This review is an update of the review first published in 2012.

Objectives

To assess the effect, safety and acceptability of massage, reflexology and other manual methods to manage pain in labour.

Search methods

For this update, we searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth’s Trials Register (30 June 2017), the Cochrane Central Register of …

Impact Of Aging On The Auditory System And Related Cognitive Functions: A Narrative Review, Dona M.P Jayakody, Peter L. Friedland, Ralph N. Martins, Hamid R. Sohrabi

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), presbycusis, is a chronic health condition that affects approximately one-third of the world’s population. The peripheral and central hearing alterations associated with age-related hearing loss have a profound impact on perception of verbal and non-verbal auditory stimuli. The high prevalence of hearing loss in the older adults corresponds to the increased frequency of dementia in this population. Therefore, researchers have focused their attention on age-related central effects that occur independent of the peripheral hearing loss as well as central effects of peripheral hearing loss and its association with cognitive decline and dementia. Here we review the …

Perceptions Of Shared Care Among Survivors Of Colorectal Cancer From Non-English-Speaking And English-Speaking Backgrounds: A Qualitative Study, Lawrence Tan, Gisselle Gallego, Thi T.C Nguyen, Les Bokey, Jennifer Reath

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors experience difficulty navigating complex care pathways. Sharing care between GPs and specialist services has been proposed to improve health outcomes in cancer survivors following hospital discharge. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) groups are known to have poorer outcomes following cancer treatment but little is known about their perceptions of shared care following surgery for CRC. This study aimed to explore how non-English-speaking and English-speaking patients perceive care to be coordinated amongst various health practitioners.

Methods: This was a qualitative study using data from face to face semi-structured interviews and one focus group in a culturally …

Systematic Review Of Pain Medicine Content, Teaching, And Assessment In Medical School Curricula Internationally, Elspeth E. Shipton, Frank Bate, Raymond Garrick, Carole Steketee, Edward A. Shipton, Eric J. Visser

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Pain management is a major health care challenge in terms of the significant prevalence of pain and the negative consequences of poor management. Consequently, there have been international calls to improve pain medicine education for medical students. This systematic review examines the literature on pain medicine education at medical schools internationally, with a particular interest in studies that make reference to: a defined pain medicine curriculum, specific pain medicine learning objectives, dedicated pain education modules, core pain topics, medical specialties that teach pain medicine, elective study opportunities, hours allocated to teaching pain medicine during the curriculum, the status of …

Who Enrols And Graduates From Web-Based Pharmacy Education - Experiences From Northern Sweden, Sofia Mattsson, Maria Gustafsson, Sofia Svahn, Helena Norberg, Gisselle Gallego

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: As a response to the shortage of prescriptionists in Northern Sweden, a web-based Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program was introduced at Umeå University in 2003. This study explored who is likely to enrol and graduate from the web-based bachelor program and whether the program has addressed the shortage of prescriptionists in rural Northern Sweden.

Methods: Data from three different sources were included in this study; the initial cohort including students admitted to the program in 2003 (survey), the entire cohort including all people admitted to the program between 2003 and 2014 (university's admissions data) and the alumni cohort …

Cortical Aav-Cntf Gene Therapy Combined With Intraspinal Mesenchymal Precursor Cell Transplantation Promotes Functional And Morphological Outcomes After Spinal Cord Injury In Adult Rats, Stuart I. Hodgetts, Jun Han Yoon, Alysia Fogliani, Emmanuel A. Akinpelu, Danii Baron-Heeris, Imke G.J Houwers, Lachlan P.G Wheeler, Bernadette T. Majda, Sreya Santhakumar, Sarah J. Lovett, Emma Duce, Margaret A. Pollett, Tylie M. Wiseman, Brooke Fehily, Alan R. Harvey

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) promotes survival and enhances long-distance regeneration of injured axons in parts of the adult CNS. Here we tested whether CNTF gene therapy targeting corticospinal neurons (CSN) in motor-related regions of the cerebral cortex promotes plasticity and regrowth of axons projecting into the female adult F344 rat spinal cord after moderate thoracic (T10) contusion injury (SCI). Cortical neurons were transduced with a bicistronic adeno-associated viral vector (AAV1) expressing a secretory form of CNTF coupled to mCHERRY (AAV-CNTF^mCherry) or with control AAV only (AAV-GFP) two weeks prior to SCI. In some animals, viable or …

Buprenorphine Versus Morphine In Paediatric Acute Pain: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Nathan Murray, Utsav Malla, Ruan Vlok, Alice Scott, Olivia Chua, Thomas Melhuish, Leigh White

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: In lab-based studies, buprenorphine appears to have a ceiling effect on respiratory depression but not on analgesia. There is increasing evidence in adult patients that buprenorphine has no ceiling effect on analgesia or side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of buprenorphine versus morphine in paediatric acute pain.

Methods: A systematic review of five databases was performed until May 2018. Only randomised controlled trials were eligible for inclusion. The outcomes of interest included pain, respiratory depression, nausea, sedation, dizziness, and pruritus.

Results: Four randomized controlled trials (n = 195) were …

5-Year Survival Of Pediatric Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Living Donor Hamstring Tendon Grafts, Emma L. Heath, Lucy J. Salmon, Robert Cooper, Evangelos Pappas, Justin P. Roe, Leo Pinczewski

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: It is well accepted that there is a higher incidence of repeat anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the pediatric population after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) with autograft tissue compared with adults. Hamstring autograft harvest may contribute to the risk for repeat ACL injuries in this high functional demand group. A novel method is the use of a living donor hamstring tendon (LDHT) graft from a parent; however, there is currently limited research on the outcomes of this technique, particularly beyond the short term.

Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose was to determine the medium-term survival of the ACL graft and the contralateral …

Scarcity In The Twenty-First Century: How The Resource Nexus Affects Management, Simon J. D. Schillebeeckx, Mark Workman, Charles Dean

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Since theadvent of the 21st century and especially since the food andfinancial crisis in 2008, concerns about natural resource availability haveresurfaced. While scarcity concerns date back hundreds of years and arefoundational to economics, how scarcity is interpreted or framed has evolved significantlyin the last two centuries. In this chapter, we recount the evolving scarcity discourseand specifically address the most recent iteration that centres on the idea ofa resource nexus. While significant attention to the nexus has been paid bypolicy-makers and scholars interested in especially water, management scholarshave so far remained absent from these debates. Given recent calls to address grand …

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2016/17. State Of The Fisheries, Daniel J. Gaughan, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.

Is There A Link Between Vitamin B And Multiple Sclerosis?, Natalie Nemazannikova, Kathleen Mikkelsen, Lily Stojanovska, Gregory L. Blatch, Vasso Apostolopoulos

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Damage to the myelin sheath (demyelination) is one of the main manifestations of multiple sclerosis (MS). Interestingly, both MS and vitamin B deficiencies result in severe myelin degeneration, leading to loss in neuronal signal transmission.

Objective: Deficiency in vitamin B complex vary, although common symptoms include fatigue, increased oxidative stress, inflammation and demyelination. In particular, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) has had increased attention for its role in the methylation process, involvement in myelination and remyelination, and reversal of MS symptoms.

Method: Here, we discuss the role of vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12) in …

Mitochondria And Neuroprotection In Stroke: Cationic Arginine-Rich Peptides (Carps) As A Novel Class Of Mitochondria-Targeted Neuroprotective Therapeutics, Gabriella Macdougall, Ryan S. Anderton, Frank L. Mastaglia, Neville W. Knuckey, Bruno P. Meloni

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally and represents a major cause of devastating long-term disability. Despite sustained efforts to develop clinically effective neuroprotective therapies, presently there is no clinically available neuroprotective agent for stroke. As a central mediator of neurodamaging events in stroke, mitochondria are recognised as a critical neuroprotective target, and as such, provide a focus for developing mitochondrial-targeted therapeutics. In recent years, cationic arginine-rich peptides (CARPs) have been identified as a novel class of neuroprotective agent with several demonstrated mechanisms of action, including their ability to target mitochondria and exert positive effects on the organelle. …

Intraoperative Detection Of Blood Vessels With An Imaging Needle During Neurosurgery In Humans, Hari Ramakonar, Bryden C. Quirk, Rodney W. Kirk, Jiawen Li, Angela Jacques, Christopher R.P Lind, Robert A. Mclaughlin

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Intracranial hemorrhage can be a devastating complication associated with needle biopsies of the brain. Hemorrhage can occur to vessels located adjacent to the biopsy needle as tissue is aspirated into the needle and removed. No intraoperative technology exists to reliably identify blood vessels that are at risk of damage. To address this problem, we developed an “imaging needle” that can visualize nearby blood vessels in real time. The imaging needle contains a miniaturized optical coherence tomography probe that allows differentiation of blood flow and tissue. In 11 patients, we were able to intraoperatively detect blood vessels (diameter, >500 μm) with …

Poly-Arginine R18 And R18d (D-Enantiomer) Peptides Reduce Infarct Volume And Improves Behavioural Outcomes Following Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy In The P7 Rat, Adam B. Edwards, Jane L. Cross, Ryan S. Anderton, Neville W. Knuckey, Bruno P. Meloni

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

We examined the neuroprotective efficacy of the poly-arginine peptide R18 and its D-enantiomer R18D in a perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) model in P7 Sprague-Dawley rats. R18 and R18D peptides were administered intraperitoneally at doses of 30, 100, 300 or 1000 nmol/kg immediately after HI (8% O2/92%N2 for 2.5 h). The previously characterised neuroprotective JNKI-1-TATD peptide at a dose of 1000 nmol/kg was used as a control. Infarct volume and behavioural outcomes were measured 48 h after HI. For the R18 and R18D doses examined, total infarct volume was reduced by 25.93% to 43.80% (P = 0.038 to < 0.001). By comparison, the JNKI-1-TATD reduced lesion volume by 25.27% (P = 0.073). Moreover, R18 and R18D treatment resulted in significant improvements in behavioural outcomes, while with JNKI-1-TATD there was a trend towards improvement. As an insight into the likely mechanism underlying the effects of R18, R18D and JNKI-1-TATD, the peptides were added to cortical neuronal cultures exposed to glutamic acid excitotoxicity, resulting in up to 89, 100 and 71% neuroprotection, respectively, and a dose dependent inhibition of neuronal calcium influx. The study further confirms the neuroprotective properties of polyarginine peptides, and suggests a potential therapeutic role for R18 and R18D in the treatment of HIE.

Netrin-1-Like-Immunoreactivity Co-Expresses With Dcc And Has A Differential Level In The Myenteric Cholinergic And Nitrergic Neurons Of The Adult Mouse Colon, Suh Youn Ko, John T. Price, Gregory L. Blatch, Kulmira Nurgali

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Netrin-1 is a potent axonal and neuronal guidance cue in the developing nervous system. Netrin-1 functions are mediated by its receptors, such as deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) present on axons and neurons. Localization of DCC and Netrin-1 on various types of enteric neurons and their role in the mature enteric nervous system is unknown. The results of our study revealed that almost all enteric neurons and processes express DCC and Netrin-1 in the adult mice. Netrin-1-like-immunoreactivity (IR) was detected in the cytoplasm of neurons with some showing strong or weak staining. The majority of Netrin-1-like-immunoreactive enteric neurons were choline …

Proximate Composition And In Vitro Protein Digestibility Of Extruded Aquafeeds Containing Acheta Domesticus And Hermetia Illucens Fractions, F. G. Irungu, C. M. Mutungi, A. K. Faraj, H. Affognon, S. Ekesi, D. Nakimbugwe, K. K.M. Fiaboe

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Major protein sources for feed manufacture have become costly, and this has led to increased cost of products such as aquafeeds. This has dampening effect on fish production especially in developing countries, and has necessitated a search for alternative protein sources in processed feeds. The effects of extrusion on aquafeed blends containing fractions of adult cricket (Acheta domesticus) meal (ACM) or black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) pre-pupae meal (BSFM) on proximate composition and in vitro protein digestibility were investigated. Extrusion resulted in higher contents of protein and nitrogen free extract, and lower contents of ether extract and crude fibre as …

Essential Oils Of Indigenous Plants Protect Livestock From Infestations Of Rhipicephalus Appendiculatus And Other Tick Species In Herds Grazing In Natural Pastures In Western Kenya, Wycliffe Wanzala, Ahmed Hassanali, Wolfgang Richard Mukabana, Willem Takken

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The effects of formulated essential oils of Tagetes minuta and Tithonia diversifolia on Rhipicephalus appendiculatus infesting livestock were evaluated in semi-field experiments. Forty-five zebu cattle naturally infested with ticks were randomly selected from 15 herds, three animals from each. Of the three animals within each herd, one was treated with 1 g of petroleum jelly (control), one with 1 g of essential oil of T. minuta and one with 1 g of essential oil of T. diversifolia on the inner side of ear pinna, the preferred feeding site of R. appendiculatus. Tick infestation on each treated host animal was monitored …

Morphological Re-Description And Molecular Identification Of Tabanidae (Diptera) In East Africa, Claire M. Mugasa, Jandouwe Villinger, Joseph Gitau, Nelly Ndungu, Marc Ciosi, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Biting flies of the family Tabanidae are important vectors of human and animal diseases across continents. However, records of Africa tabanids are fragmentary and mostly cursory. To improve identification, documentation and description of Tabanidae in East Africa, a baseline survey for the identification and description of Tabanidae in three eastern African countries was conducted. Tabanids from various locations in Uganda (Wakiso District), Tanzania (Tarangire National Park) and Kenya (Shimba Hills National Reserve, Muhaka, Nguruman) were collected. In Uganda, octenol baited F-traps were used to target tabanids, while NG2G traps baited with cow urine and acetone were employed in Kenya and …

Characterizing Curiosity-Related Behavior In Bottlenose (Tursiops Truncatus) And Roughtoothed (Steno Bredanensis) Dolphins, Malin Lilley, Amber J. De Vere, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii

Psychology Faculty Publications

Dolphins are frequently described as curious animals; however, there have been few systematic investigations of how dolphins behave when they are curious and the extent to which individual differences in curiosity exist in dolphins. Previous research has described individual differences in dolphins’ frequency of interactions with environmental enrichment as well as quantifying curiosity-related traits of dolphins via personality assessments, though behavioral observation and trait rating components have not been part of the same study. The present study describes two different experiments designed to elicit curiosity in 15 bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and 6 rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis) dolphins. …

Activation Of Trpv1 By Capsaicin Regulates Enac, Alexander Saffran

Theses and Dissertations

ENaC is a constitutively open heterotrimeric channel which regulates Na⁺ transport in tight epithelia of the kidney, lungs, colon and anterior tongue containing fungiform taste buds. The amiloride-sensitive ENaC is comprised of aβg subunits. Humans express an additional subunit, the d subunit. Therefore, humans contain both aβg-ENaC and dβg-ENaC functional channels. Relative to aβg-ENaC, the dβg-ENaC is 10-fold less sensitive to amiloride. In the mammalian anterior tongue, ENaC is expressed in fungiform salt sensing taste receptor cells and is the Na⁺-specific salt taste receptor. In mammals, salt elicits an inverted U shaped behavioral response. Lower concentrations of …

Motion-Induced Artifact Mitigation And Image Enhancement Strategies For Four-Dimensional Fan-Beam And Cone-Beam Computed Tomography, Matthew J. Riblett

Theses and Dissertations

Four dimensional imaging has become part of the standard of care for diagnosing and treating non-small cell lung cancer. In radiotherapy applications 4D fan-beam computed tomography (4D-CT) and 4D cone-beam computed tomography (4D-CBCT) are two advanced imaging modalities that afford clinical practitioners knowledge of the underlying kinematics and structural dynamics of diseased tissues and provide insight into the effects of regular organ motion and the nature of tissue deformation over time. While these imaging techniques can facilitate the use of more targeted radiotherapies, issues surrounding image quality and accuracy currently limit the utility of these images clinically.

The purpose of …