Organisms Commons^™

Stachybotrys: Is Nevada At Risk?, Terrylynn C. Foley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Stachybotrys chartarum (atra) is a toxigenic fungus that is known to adversely impact the health of animals. Until recently, there have only been a few documented clinical reports linking Stachybotrys chartarum to human health effects. Scientists are increasingly convinced that Stachybotrys and its metabolites are responsible for several adverse health effects experienced by people all over the world, although conclusive proof has yet to be established. All the physical requirements needed for indoor Stachybotrys sporulation and growth is provided through water leaks (plumbing, roof or ceiling), flood events, nutrient sources (cellulose and nitrogen), pH, and temperature(23° - 28°C). Stachybotrys has …

Characterization Of Metal-Regulated Genes In Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Melanie Pearson

Honors Theses

One side effect of today's industrialized world is increased levels of heavy metals in the environment. Many of these metals are necessary for biological function as trace elements, but at higher concentrations are toxic. Other metals, such as cadmium, are not beneficial at any level, and have only deleterious effects on living organisms. Cadmium is primarily thought to interfere with normal biological function of proteins. Human exposure to cadmium appears to primarily damage the kidneys, but may also affect the liver, lungs, immune system, and central nervous system. Bacteria, however, have developed several methods for handling toxic heavy metals: cation …

A Pilot Study Testing A Proprietary Sealant For Plaque Reduction, Jennifer Rowland

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Enamel demineralization due to increased plaque accumulation is a well-recognized problem associated with fixed orthodontic appliances. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a proprietary product to be marketed by 3M Unitek for the reduction of plaque accumulation and thereby reduce enamel demineralization.

Sixty four bovine teeth were divided equally into an untreated control group and a group treated with the proprietary sealant product. Both groups were subsequently immersed in a Streptococcus mutans culture. Plaque deposits from each group were removed, suspended in trypticase soy broth, serially diluted, and plated on trypticase soy agar at 1, …

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa): Molecular Detection And Dna Fingerprinting, Leslie Cotter

Theses

Throughout the 1990s, the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has increased in many health care areas including acute and chronic care facilities, outpatient clinics and in the community. Once introduced into a health care environment, this nosocomial pathogen can spread rapidly and as MRSA are resistant to multiple antibiotics, treatment is often difficult. Therefore effective infection control measures are required to prevent cross-infection and further spread of endemic strains.

In this study, a sensitive and specific triplex-PCR assay was designed for MRSA detection, wherein three genes, the methicillin resistance gene (mecA). femA and the extracellular thermonuclease gene (rmc) were simultaneously …