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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Antimicrobial Activity Screening Of Recombinant And Synthetic Varasin A Defensin From The Hard Tick Dermacentor Variabilis Against Various Bacteria, Julia A. Sharp Oct 2007

Antimicrobial Activity Screening Of Recombinant And Synthetic Varasin A Defensin From The Hard Tick Dermacentor Variabilis Against Various Bacteria, Julia A. Sharp

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Hematophagous arthropods, such as ticks and mosquitoes, rely on their innate immune system for defense against pathogens ingested in a blood meal as well as those acquired through injury. In response to pathogen recognition, the production of antimicrobial peptides, such as defensin, is typically upregulated. Varisin, a defensin, is thought to be a key component in the immunocompetence of the hard tick D. variabilis against Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. To study the antimicrobial effects of varisin, recombinant varisin was expressed by both insect cells and E coli. Purification of the protein followed by enterokinase treatment yielded …


The Effect Of Intensity Of Aerobic Vo2max Resting Heart Rate And Blood Pressure, Shannan Elizabeth Gormley Jul 2007

The Effect Of Intensity Of Aerobic Vo2max Resting Heart Rate And Blood Pressure, Shannan Elizabeth Gormley

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The AGSM recommends 20 to 60 minutes of continuous or intermittent activity 3 to 5 times per week to maintain cardio respiratory fitness (Pollock et al., 1998). The 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health indicates that Americans are not meeting these physical activity recommendations (DHHS). Several clear consequences of physical inactivity are the appearance of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity. Two recent review articles suggested that higher intensity exercise will elicit a greater reduction in cardiovascular disease risk factors (Swain and Franklin, 2002; Swain and Franklin, 2006). In order to determine whether …


Evidence For Disease Mediated Extinction: Correlation Between An Introduced Pathogen And Extinction Of Rattus Macleari On Christmas Island, Kelly B. Wyatt Jul 2007

Evidence For Disease Mediated Extinction: Correlation Between An Introduced Pathogen And Extinction Of Rattus Macleari On Christmas Island, Kelly B. Wyatt

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Durham Collection and the Cambridge and Oxford University Museums provided the materials to investigate the possibility that the extinction of indigenous rats of Christmas Island was a result of disease introduced by infected ship rats (R. rattus) in 1899. The collections of H.E. Durham in 1901-1902 reveal that R. macleari was present on Christmas Island up to then and includes specimens of R. rattus together with specimens that exhibit characteristics of both R. rattus and R. macleari. Durham's notes indicate both R. rattus and R. macleari specimens were heavily infected with trypanosomes at the time of collection. In …


Down-Regulation Of Natural Killer Cell Activation In Response To Influenza Virus In Older Adults, Yu Jing Apr 2007

Down-Regulation Of Natural Killer Cell Activation In Response To Influenza Virus In Older Adults, Yu Jing

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Immune senescence contributes to influenza-associated high mortality and morbidity and reduced vaccine efficacy in elderly people. Type I T cell (Thl)-mediated immunity plays a significant role in Immune responses to influenza infection and vaccination. Natural killer (NK) cells secrete significant amount of IFN-7 , a hallmark Thl cytokine, in response to influenza infection. How aging influences human NK cell IFN-7 production in response to influenza virus has not been well documented. In this study we employed human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and performed intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry primarily to investigate how aging influences NK cell activation with …


The Effect Of Instruction Of Jump-Landing Motion Patterns And Impact Forces, Mary Elizabeth Joos Apr 2007

The Effect Of Instruction Of Jump-Landing Motion Patterns And Impact Forces, Mary Elizabeth Joos

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The use of visual instruction could be a valuable tool in prevention strategies for anterior cruciate ligament injuries, especially in large group settings, through the alterations of jump-landing motion patterns and impact forces. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two visual modeling cues in altering jump-landing motion patterns, as measured by the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS), and impact forces, vertical ground reaction force (PVGRF) and peak posterior ground reaction force (PPGRF). Seventy-three physically active individuals (age= 20.89 ± 1.72 years; height = 172 ± 9.87 cm; mass= 68.43 ± 15.97 kg) were baseline tested …


The Effect Of Three Foot Orthoses On Plantar Pressure Under The First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Of Pes Planus Foot Type During Standing And Slow Running, Lacey Ann Nordsiden Apr 2007

The Effect Of Three Foot Orthoses On Plantar Pressure Under The First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Of Pes Planus Foot Type During Standing And Slow Running, Lacey Ann Nordsiden

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of three different foot orthoses on plantar pressure under the first metatarsophalangeal joint during standing and slow running. Twenty physically active participants, 12 males (19.7±1.3 years, 181.5±6.3cm, 83.6±12.3kg) and 8 females (20.8±1.5 years, 172.7±11.2cm, 69.9±14.2kg) with navicular drop greater than 10mm, no history of surgery to the lower extremity, and no history of pain or injury to the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint in the past six months volunteered for the study. Each subject performed standing and slow running tasks with four different orthosis conditions: no orthosis, metatarsal dome, U-shaped orthosis, and …


An Assessment Of High School Coaches Knowledge Of Sport-Related Concussion, Erin M. O'Donoghue Apr 2007

An Assessment Of High School Coaches Knowledge Of Sport-Related Concussion, Erin M. O'Donoghue

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Sport-related concussion is a common occurrence in high-risk sports and can occur during participation in all sports. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge base high school athletic coaches possess about concussion signs and symptoms in regards to recognition, management, and prevention of this condition. A 25 question demographic questionnaire was used to gather background information and a 24 question multiple-choice assessment was used to determine knowledge of recognition, management, and prevention of sport-related concussion. A panel of eight experts in the fields of sport-related concussion and/or survey research reviewed and modified the survey instrument, which were …


Bactericidal Effects Of Cold Plasma Technology On Geobacillus Stearothermophilus And Bacillus Cereus Microorganisms, Angela Dawn Morris Apr 2007

Bactericidal Effects Of Cold Plasma Technology On Geobacillus Stearothermophilus And Bacillus Cereus Microorganisms, Angela Dawn Morris

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma, also known as cold plasma, is a state of matter that consists of a mix of neutral and charged particles. Plasma generates chemically reactive species and ultraviolet radiation making them useful in decontamination applications (Kong & Laroussi, 2003). Research regarding the inactivation of gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus atrophaeus, by cold plasma has been studied by Laroussi et al. (2003); however, there is limited research regarding the germicidal effectiveness of cold plasma on the microorganisms Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus cereus. The purpose of this study was to determine if cold plasma technology inactivates heat …