Current Search: Prevention (x)
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- Title
- Approaches for raising the level of FOXO3a in animal cells.
- Creator
- Navarro, Diana., Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
- Abstract/Description
-
The turtle is a unique model of anoxic survival. The turtle's brain can tolerate total oxygen deprivation for hours to days as well as prevent high levels of mitochondrial-derived free radicals upon re-oxygenation. Because of its ability to prevent elevated free radical generation, the turtle has also become recognized as a model of exceptional longevity. We are employing the turtle model for an investigation into the regulation of a key antioxidant enzyme system - methionine sulfoxide...
Show moreThe turtle is a unique model of anoxic survival. The turtle's brain can tolerate total oxygen deprivation for hours to days as well as prevent high levels of mitochondrial-derived free radicals upon re-oxygenation. Because of its ability to prevent elevated free radical generation, the turtle has also become recognized as a model of exceptional longevity. We are employing the turtle model for an investigation into the regulation of a key antioxidant enzyme system - methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs), primarily MsrA and MsrB. The Msr system is capable of reversing oxidation of methionines in proteins and Msr subtypes have been implicated in protecting tissues against oxidative stress, as well as, enhancing the longevity of organisms from yeast to mammals. Preliminary data, unpublished results, indicate that MsrA protein and transcripts are elevated by anoxia. A recent study on Caenorhabditis elegans demonstrated that FOXO is involved in activation of the MsrA promoter. Using the turtle MsrA promoter sequence we worked to determine which regions in the promoter are necessary for activation by anoxia. The results of the present study were 1) to prepare a TAT-FOXO3a fusion protein which could penetrate animal cells and 2) to construct a FOXO3a expression vector for transcription studies on MsrA expression.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342243
- Subject Headings
- Cellular signal transduction, Cell proliferation, Oxidative stress, Prevention, Adaptation (Physiology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Bullying in schools: the role of empathy, temperament, and emotion regulation.
- Creator
- Gagnon, Chantal M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Peer aggression and bullying are significant problems for children in American schools. While a large body of research has been conducted in this area, none to date has examined the combined roles of temperament (behavioral activation system, or BAS, and behavioral inhibition system, or BIS), and empathy in predicting participation in bullying interactions. Previous research has found that low empathy facilitates aggressive behavior, while high empathy inhibits it, and has linked poor emotion...
Show morePeer aggression and bullying are significant problems for children in American schools. While a large body of research has been conducted in this area, none to date has examined the combined roles of temperament (behavioral activation system, or BAS, and behavioral inhibition system, or BIS), and empathy in predicting participation in bullying interactions. Previous research has found that low empathy facilitates aggressive behavior, while high empathy inhibits it, and has linked poor emotion regulation to conduct disorders. Thus, if these factors can predict behaviors towards peers, they may also predict (independently and in combination) involvement in bullying, specifically the roles assumed in those interactions - that is: bully, victim, bully-victim (a child who is both bully and victim), or defender/protector. The present study tested 226 middle school students on a measure of empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), and a measure of temperament (BIS/BAS Scales). The students also completed a Peer Nomination Inventory to identify children who were aggressive toward others, victimized by peers, and/or protected peers from bullies. Although not all predictions were supported, results showed that certain sub-components of empathy, such as empathic concern (affective empathy) and personal distress (a measure of emotion regulation) predicted the behavior of "pure bullies" (bullies who are not themselves victimized), but not of other aggressive children such as bully-victims. High BAS drive and low BIS were significant predictors of aggressive behavior, and BAS reward responsiveness predicted protective behavior. Victimized children had higher fantasy (ability to identify with fictional characters) and lower perspective-taking (cognitive empathy) skills, and tended not to have overlapping characteristics and behaviors with protective children., These characteristics did not interact significantly with each other or with age, gender, ethnicity, or SES of students. It was concluded that pure bullies lack affective empathy, and victims lack cognitive empathy. That is, empathy is multidimensional and empathy deficits vary in type, but all lead to some form of socioemotional impairment. Furthermore, aggressive victims are a unique sub-group of children with unique characteristics.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342106
- Subject Headings
- Bullying in schools, Prevention, Bullying, Prevention, School violence, Prevention, Aggressiveness in children, Violence, Psychological aspects, Violence, Social aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Cardiac patterns during another infant's cry sound in neonates of depressed mothers.
- Creator
- Cotler, Joseph, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Past research indicates there is a link between physiological responses and adaptive social responses to another individual's distress. Scholars have theorized that humans may be predisposed, both physiologically and behaviorally to responding to others, especially those who are in distress. Maternal depression has been associated with dysregulated emotional development and may possibly affect the physiological and behavioral responses of a neonate. The present research examined the...
Show morePast research indicates there is a link between physiological responses and adaptive social responses to another individual's distress. Scholars have theorized that humans may be predisposed, both physiologically and behaviorally to responding to others, especially those who are in distress. Maternal depression has been associated with dysregulated emotional development and may possibly affect the physiological and behavioral responses of a neonate. The present research examined the relationship between neonates' physiological and behavioral responses to naturally generated (compared to artificial) stimuli of other neonates, as well as the role of maternal depression in the responses. Specifically, heart rate, heart period, and heart period variability were measured to assess the newborns' reaction to cries generated by both other newborns and digitally modulated sources. This study found that newborns of depressed mothers had higher heart period variability and showed less behavioral distress when hearing the cry of another infant.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3360769
- Subject Headings
- Heart sounds, Auscultation, Human physiology, Depression in children, Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- aB- crystallin/sHSP is required for mitochondrial function in human ocular tissue.
- Creator
- McGreal, Rebecca., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
The central premise of this dissertation is that the small heat shock protein (sHSP), (Sa(BB-crystallin is essential for lens and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cell function and oxidative stress defense. To date, the mechanism by which it confers protection is not known. We hypothesize that these functions could occur through its ability to protect mitochondrial function in lens and RPE cells. To test this hypothesis, we examined the expression of (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP in lens and RPE...
Show moreThe central premise of this dissertation is that the small heat shock protein (sHSP), (Sa(BB-crystallin is essential for lens and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cell function and oxidative stress defense. To date, the mechanism by which it confers protection is not known. We hypothesize that these functions could occur through its ability to protect mitochondrial function in lens and RPE cells. To test this hypothesis, we examined the expression of (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP in lens and RPE cells, we observed its localization in the cells, we examined translocation to the mitochondria in these cells upon oxidative stress treatment, we determined its ability to form complexes with and protect cytochrome c (cyt c) against damage, and we observed its ability to preserve mitochondrial function under oxidative stress conditions in lens and RPE cells. In addition to these studies, we examined the effect of mutations of (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP on its cellular localization and translocation patterns under oxidative stress, its in vivo and in vitro chaperone activity, and its ability to protect cyt c against oxidation. Our data demonstrated that (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP is expressed at high levels in the mitochondria of lens and RPE cells and specifically translocates to the mitochondria under oxidative stress conditions. We demonstrate that (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP complexes with cyt c and protects it against oxidative inactivation. Finally, we demonstrate that (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP directly protects mitochondria against oxidative inactivation in lens and RPE cells. Since oxidative stress is a key component of lens cataract formation and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), these data provide a new paradigm for understanding the etiology of these diseases.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342242
- Subject Headings
- Mitochondrial pathology, Chemical mutagenesis, Oxidative stress, Prevention, Cellular signal transduction, Eye, Diseases, Etiology, Molecular chaperones
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Design of cathodic protection using BEM for components of the piilot ocean energy system.
- Creator
- Gantiva, Nicolas., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
- Abstract/Description
-
The Center for Ocean Energy Technology at Florida Atlantic University is developing an ocean energy turbine system to investigate the feasibility of harnessing Florida's Gulf Stream current kinetic energy and transforming it into a usable form. The turbine system has components which are prone to marine corrosion given the materials they are made of and to the harsh environment they will be exposed to. This study assumes a two-part system composed of a coating system acting as a barrier and...
Show moreThe Center for Ocean Energy Technology at Florida Atlantic University is developing an ocean energy turbine system to investigate the feasibility of harnessing Florida's Gulf Stream current kinetic energy and transforming it into a usable form. The turbine system has components which are prone to marine corrosion given the materials they are made of and to the harsh environment they will be exposed to. This study assumes a two-part system composed of a coating system acting as a barrier and sacrificial anode cathodic protection which polarizes the metal structures to a potential value where corrosion is significantly reduced. Several configurations (varying in anode quantity, size and location) were considered in order to cathodically protect the structures with various coating qualities (poor, good and excellent). These cases were modeled and simulated via Boundary Element Method software and analyzed so as to assess the most appropriate design.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2684309
- Subject Headings
- Cathodic protection, Corrosion and anti-corrosives, Finite element method, Seawater corrosion, Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Driving a hard bargain: U.S. sanctions strategies.
- Creator
- Levitt, Jason., Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Political Science
- Abstract/Description
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Policymakers and scholars are deeply divided on the purpose and effectiveness of sanctions, but recent work has given attention to the strategy of using positive sanctions or incentives. This study investigates the conditions under which the U.S. uses a punitive sanctions policy (indicated by all negative sanctions) or an engagement policy (indicated by a mix of positive and negative sanctions). Applying materialist (Schelling, 1960, 1966; Snyder and Diesing, 1977; Axelrod, 1984; Fearon, 1994...
Show morePolicymakers and scholars are deeply divided on the purpose and effectiveness of sanctions, but recent work has given attention to the strategy of using positive sanctions or incentives. This study investigates the conditions under which the U.S. uses a punitive sanctions policy (indicated by all negative sanctions) or an engagement policy (indicated by a mix of positive and negative sanctions). Applying materialist (Schelling, 1960, 1966; Snyder and Diesing, 1977; Axelrod, 1984; Fearon, 1994) and sociological (Schoppa, 1999; Wendt, 2000; Lebow, 2007) bargaining perspectives, this study will consider factors such as the level of target threat, the target's nuclear weapons capability, the extent of international support for sanctions, and the relationship between the U.S. and target. This study analyzes the case studies of the U.S-led sanctions against Iraq (1990-2003), North Korea (1993-present), and Libya (1972-2006).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2976441
- Subject Headings
- Terrorism, Prevention, Government policy, Economic sanctions, American, Sanctions (International law), International economic relations, Foreign relations, Foreign relations
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Dropout prevention: a study of prevention programs used by high schools to reverse graduation rate.
- Creator
- Simmons, Christopher L., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
-
This mixed methods study focused on the relationship between dropout prevention programs and graduation rates in one school district in Florida during the 2010-2011 school year. The dropout prevention program data analyzed included high school principals' perceptions in regard to perceived effectiveness, fidelity of implementation, cost efficacy, structure, and student-staff relationships within dropout prevention programs and their relationship to graduation rate. The data analysis...
Show moreThis mixed methods study focused on the relationship between dropout prevention programs and graduation rates in one school district in Florida during the 2010-2011 school year. The dropout prevention program data analyzed included high school principals' perceptions in regard to perceived effectiveness, fidelity of implementation, cost efficacy, structure, and student-staff relationships within dropout prevention programs and their relationship to graduation rate. The data analysis investigated the relationship between the principals' perceptions of each dropout prevention program and graduation rate. Findings from this study showed principals' perceived that the level of fidelity for on-the-job training has a relationship to increased graduation rate. In other words, when a principal believed the dropout prevention program was implemented with fidelity in their school, it likely increased graduation rate. Another important finding from this study was the varying perceptions which it existed among school leaders in this study and their varying perceptions on the relationship between dropout prevention programs and graduation rate.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362565
- Subject Headings
- High school students, School improvement programs, Dropout behavior, Prediction of, Dropouts, Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An educational tobacco intervention: impact of the Health Belief Model on college students.
- Creator
- Rhoads, Kelley E., College of Education, Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion
- Abstract/Description
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The purpose of this study was to determine whether an educational tobacco intervention impacted college students' perceptions relative to tobacco, self-efficacy, and perceived stress levels. The Health Belief Model (HBM) provided a theoretical framework to distinguish differences relative to tobacco between groups. Both the control (N=155) and intervention (N=184) group consisted of a convenience sample of students from a 2000-level health course. A pre- and post-test questionnaire was...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine whether an educational tobacco intervention impacted college students' perceptions relative to tobacco, self-efficacy, and perceived stress levels. The Health Belief Model (HBM) provided a theoretical framework to distinguish differences relative to tobacco between groups. Both the control (N=155) and intervention (N=184) group consisted of a convenience sample of students from a 2000-level health course. A pre- and post-test questionnaire was administered to both groups which included questions regarding demographics, tobacco use, HBM, self-efficacy, and perceived stress. Data analysis included frequency counts, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and two-way ANOVA. Two-way ANOVA results indicated statistically significant differences for the Health Belief Model questions (p=0.002) and self-efficacy items (p=0.03). No statistical significance was found regarding perceived stress. These findings provide evidence an educational tobacco intervention administered at the college level can have a significant impact on students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3352824
- Subject Headings
- Nicotine addiction, Smoking cessation, Tobacco use, Prevention, Health promotion, CIgarette smokers, Health risk assessment
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The effects of compression socks on perception of post exercise muscle soreness.
- Creator
- Feil, Friederike., College of Education, Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion
- Abstract/Description
-
Purpose: To evaluate the influence of compression socks worn post exercise on the perceived rating of muscle soreness. Methods: In a randomly cross over design, 16 subjects performed a soreness inducing protocol. Below knee CG (Compression garments) were worn for the next 6 hours post exercise. HR (Heart Rate), RPE (rate of perceived exhaustion) and time to complete one cycle was measured throughout the intervention. PS (Perceived Soreness) was assessed prior, immediate post, 6h, and 24h post...
Show morePurpose: To evaluate the influence of compression socks worn post exercise on the perceived rating of muscle soreness. Methods: In a randomly cross over design, 16 subjects performed a soreness inducing protocol. Below knee CG (Compression garments) were worn for the next 6 hours post exercise. HR (Heart Rate), RPE (rate of perceived exhaustion) and time to complete one cycle was measured throughout the intervention. PS (Perceived Soreness) was assessed prior, immediate post, 6h, and 24h post exercise. Results: There was no significant difference in perception of soreness between compression and no compression at 6h post exercise (p=.136) and at 24h post exercise (p=286). Conclusion: Compression socks worn post exercise did not significantly alter ratings of perceived soreness after a soreness inducing protocol.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3332181
- Subject Headings
- Exercise, Physiological aspects, Physical fitness, Physiological aspects, Musculoskeletal system, Wounds and injuries, Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Factors affecting retention in a community college's welfare-to-work programs: a heuristic study of participants' perceptions.
- Creator
- Pino, Veronica Woodward., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
- Abstract/Description
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This study examined the perceptions held by former and current welfare-to-work participants of factors that contributed to the retention, persistence, attrition and/or completion of welfare-to-work training programs at a community college. Using the lived experiences and voices of former or current welfare-to-work participants and a qualitative research design, the researcher examined the following research questions: (a) What factors during the training impacted the movement of participants...
Show moreThis study examined the perceptions held by former and current welfare-to-work participants of factors that contributed to the retention, persistence, attrition and/or completion of welfare-to-work training programs at a community college. Using the lived experiences and voices of former or current welfare-to-work participants and a qualitative research design, the researcher examined the following research questions: (a) What factors during the training impacted the movement of participants from welfare-to-work? (b) How did these factors enhance or serve as barriers to the movement of participants from welfare-to-work? This study was presented as a heuristic study of 12 former welfare participants who have transitioned or are currently transitioning from welfare to work. Using purposeful sampling, the researcher selected the participants for this study through self-identification or through nomination by program leaders and other program participants. Each of the 12 former welfare participants was interviewed about the situational, institutional, and dispositional aspects of their training. Demographic data were collected on each of the 12 participants for the purpose of a comparative analysis. Interviews of family members or friends of each of the participants validated the stories provided by the participant. Interviews with two administrators with direct responsibilities for some of the training programs for participants transitioning from welfare-to-work were also done to substantiate the stories of the participants. The findings of this study indicated three conclusions about the participants' perceptions of factors affecting their retention in welfare-to-work programs in a community college., First, the participants' desires to break the cycles of generational welfare were evident in every aspect of the training from having a better life for their children to dealing with the embarrassment of receiving government assistance.Second, welfare-to-work training experiences were influenced by institutional factors such as instructional and institutional support or lack of support for education and career development, including mentoring. Third, personal factors such as family motivation and role models, religion, drive and determination, and the desire to make a difference shaped the participants' career training experiences and contributed to persistence and completion.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186300
- Subject Headings
- College dropouts, Prevention, Academic achievement, Welfare recipients, Education, Community colleges, Attitude (Psychology), Motivation in education
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Finite safety models for high-assurance systems.
- Creator
- Sloan, John C., College of Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Abstract/Description
-
Preventing bad things from happening to engineered systems, demands improvements to how we model their operation with regard to safety. Safety-critical and fiscally-critical systems both demand automated and exhaustive verification, which is only possible if the models of these systems, along with the number of scenarios spawned from these models, are tractably finite. To this end, this dissertation ad dresses problems of a model's tractability and usefulness. It addresses the state space...
Show morePreventing bad things from happening to engineered systems, demands improvements to how we model their operation with regard to safety. Safety-critical and fiscally-critical systems both demand automated and exhaustive verification, which is only possible if the models of these systems, along with the number of scenarios spawned from these models, are tractably finite. To this end, this dissertation ad dresses problems of a model's tractability and usefulness. It addresses the state space minimization problem by initially considering tradeoffs between state space size and level of detail or fidelity. It then considers the problem of human interpretation in model capture from system artifacts, by seeking to automate model capture. It introduces human control over level of detail and hence state space size during model capture. Rendering that model in a manner that can guide human decision making is also addressed, as is an automated assessment of system timeliness. Finally, it addresses state compression and abstraction using logical fault models like fault trees, which enable exhaustive verification of larger systems by subsequent use of transition fault models like Petri nets, timed automata, and process algebraic expressions. To illustrate these ideas, this dissertation considers two very different applications - web service compositions and submerged ocean machinery.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2683206
- Subject Headings
- System failures (Engineering), Prevention, Sustainable engineering, Finite element method, Expert systems (Computer science)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- FSTL-1 secreted by mesenchymal stem cells increases cell viability of human aortic endothelial cells under hypoxic stress.
- Creator
- Eid, Nibal., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being evaluated for the treatment of a broad array of diseases due to their ability to secrete a variety of therapeutically beneficial paracrine-acting factors. For example, MSC conditioned media (MSC-CM) has been shown to inhibit hypoxia-induced apoptosis in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) via activation of the P13-AKT pathway. However, the factors secreted by MSCs responsible for this effect have yet to be identified. Recent studies have shown...
Show moreHuman mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being evaluated for the treatment of a broad array of diseases due to their ability to secrete a variety of therapeutically beneficial paracrine-acting factors. For example, MSC conditioned media (MSC-CM) has been shown to inhibit hypoxia-induced apoptosis in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) via activation of the P13-AKT pathway. However, the factors secreted by MSCs responsible for this effect have yet to be identified. Recent studies have shown that the glycoprotein Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) activates the P13-AKT pathway by binding to the receptor disco-interacting protein (DIP2A) expressed on the surface of cells. Based on our data indicating that MSCs constitutively secrete high quantities of FSTL1, we hypothesize that this protein principally mediates the anti-apoptopic effect of MSC-CM on HAECs. Loss-of-function studies employing siRNA-mediated knockdown of the protein and neutralizing antibodies will be used to assess the role of FSTL1 in growth and survival of HAECs following exposure to hypoxic stress.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359296
- Subject Headings
- Stem cells, Transplantation, Molecular biology, Gene therapy, Coronary heart disease, Prevention, Stress (Physiology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Gun control in Florida: an analysis of the Right to Carry Law of 1987.
- Creator
- Mathews, Sunil., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
In 1987, Florida passed a Right to Carry Law, allowing citizens to purchase a concealed weapons license. Bill proponents believe that an armed citizenry will deter crime. This study examines the relationship between gun control legislation and violent crime in Florida. By using multiple regression analysis, I conclude that gun control legislation has a significant effect on homicide rates, and the presence of national economic conditions is associated with violent crime in Florida.
- Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325083
- Subject Headings
- Firearms ownership, Law and legislation, Violence, Prevention, Firearms, Law and legislation, Gun control
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Investigating child sexual abuse: a feminist's perspective.
- Creator
- Herman-Davis, Lisa., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The issue of sexual exploitation of children occurs in various forms and across socio-economic, racial, and cultural classes. Children experience abuse at the hands of authority figures who are family members, friends, and sometimes strangers. The discussions on this social issue tell the stories of children who have experienced abuse along with the processes and outcomes that arise in providing assistance to help them cope with these unwanted experiences. Discourses in the fields of...
Show moreThe issue of sexual exploitation of children occurs in various forms and across socio-economic, racial, and cultural classes. Children experience abuse at the hands of authority figures who are family members, friends, and sometimes strangers. The discussions on this social issue tell the stories of children who have experienced abuse along with the processes and outcomes that arise in providing assistance to help them cope with these unwanted experiences. Discourses in the fields of psychology, social work, medical sciences, and law have in their own unique style, taken different measures to highlight and address this social problem. However,there is remarkably little discussion held on the institutional changes that are required to stop this practice of child sexual abuse and public discourse and response is not reflective of the urgency required to address the issue. I argue that to address the issue of child sexual abuse requires addressing all the elements entrenched in the institutions of patriarchy and compulsory heterosexuality that fosters and promotes the subjugation of women and children, which is a topic best addressed through feminist theory.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359297
- Subject Headings
- Child sexual abuse, Prevention, Sexually abused children, Feminist theory, Internet and children
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Just grin and bear it?: proactive coping and PTSD in nursing students.
- Creator
- Borges-Garcia, Raquel., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Past research has found that among traumatized undergraduate women, proactive coping style was independently negatively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. It also shows that nurses experience many work-related traumas. The present study tests the PTSD symptom level in nursing students and measured whether proactive coping and other personality variables could successfully buffer the effects of trauma. This study found a surprisingly low PTSD symptom level among...
Show morePast research has found that among traumatized undergraduate women, proactive coping style was independently negatively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. It also shows that nurses experience many work-related traumas. The present study tests the PTSD symptom level in nursing students and measured whether proactive coping and other personality variables could successfully buffer the effects of trauma. This study found a surprisingly low PTSD symptom level among the nursing students though they reported several distressing traumas. Also surprising, participants reported more distress from traumas relating to verbal abuse than to traumas relating to death and/or severe injury. Proactive coping, optimism, and self-esteem were negatively related to PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Further research will be needed to support these findings.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334254
- Subject Headings
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, Nursing students, Mental health, Nurses, Job stress, Nurses, Conduct of life, Resilience (Personality trait), Stress management, Burn out (Psychology), Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Lanthanide metals as potential shark deterrents.
- Creator
- McCutcheon, Sara M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Sharks comprise a large portion of bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries worldwide. Lanthanide metals have been proposed as shark repellents. This study quantified the normalized voltage of lanthanide metals in seawater and found that there was no difference in normalized voltage among the six tested metals. Temperature and salinity had a significant effect on lanthanide normalized voltage. The output at 18ºC was significantly greater than at both 12 and 24ºC. The normalized voltage was...
Show moreSharks comprise a large portion of bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries worldwide. Lanthanide metals have been proposed as shark repellents. This study quantified the normalized voltage of lanthanide metals in seawater and found that there was no difference in normalized voltage among the six tested metals. Temperature and salinity had a significant effect on lanthanide normalized voltage. The output at 18ºC was significantly greater than at both 12 and 24ºC. The normalized voltage was significantly greater in freshwater than brackish or seawater. The dissolution rate for the lanthanides varied from -1.6 to -0.2g/h. As the metals dissolved the voltage remained constant. In a behavioral assay, neodymium was ineffective at repelling bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) tested individually and in groups, and lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) in groups. Due to high cost, fast dissolution rates, and lack of deterrent effects, lanthanide metals are not recommended for use in mitigating shark bycatch.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342198
- Subject Headings
- Metals, Speciation, Lanthanide shift reagents, Shark attacks, Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Mechanism of neuroprotection in stroke-related models.
- Creator
- Pan, Chunliu., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Abstract/Description
-
Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States, and so far, no clinical interventions have been proved truly effective in stroke treatment. Stroke my result in hypoxia, glutamate release and oxidative stress, etc. The purpose of this dissertation study is to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of four drugs (taurine, G-CSF sulindac and DETC-MeSO) on PC12 cell line or primary cortical neuronal cell culture, and to understand the protective mechanisms underlying in three...
Show moreStroke is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States, and so far, no clinical interventions have been proved truly effective in stroke treatment. Stroke my result in hypoxia, glutamate release and oxidative stress, etc. The purpose of this dissertation study is to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of four drugs (taurine, G-CSF sulindac and DETC-MeSO) on PC12 cell line or primary cortical neuronal cell culture, and to understand the protective mechanisms underlying in three stroke-related models : hypoxia, excessive glutamtate and oxidative stress. In the first part of this dissertation, we studied the neuroprotection of taurine against oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in PC12 cells. Our results show that extracellular taurine exerts a neuroprotective function by restoring the expression of Bcl-2 and downregulation of the three Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress markers : GRP78, Bim and CHOP/GADD153, suggesting that ER stress can be provoked by oxidative stress and can be suppressed by taurine. In the second part, glutamate excitotoxicity-induced ER stress was studied with dose and time as variables in primary cortical neurons. The results demonstrate that glutamate excitotoxicity leads to the activation of three ER stress pathways (PERK, ATF6 and IRE1) by initiating PERK first, ATF6 second and IRE1 pathway last. The third part of this dissertation studied the robust and beneficial protection of taurine in cortical neurons under hypoxia/reoxygenation or glutamate toxicity condition. We found that taurine suppresses the up-regulation of GRP778, Bim, caspase-12 and GADD153/CHOP induced by excessive glutamate or hypoxia/reoxygenation, suggesting that taurine may exert a protective function against hypoxia/regeneration by reducing the ER stress., Moreover, taurine can down-regulate the ratio of cleaved ATF6 and full length ATF6, and p-IRE1 expresssion, indicating that taurine inhibits the ER stress induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation or glutamate through suppressing ATF6 and IRE1 pathways. In the fourth part, the synergistic benefits of the combination of taurine and G-CSF, and the neuroprotective effects of G-CSF, sulindac or DETC-MeSO are studied in cortical neurons. Our results show that G-CSF, sulindac or DETC-MeSO can highly increase the neuron visibility by inhibiting ER stress induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation or glutamate toxicity. Furthermore, we proved that G-CSF or sulindac can significantly inhibit the activation of ATF6 or IRE1 pathway stimulated by hypoxia/reoxygenation, and DETC-MeSO can suppress the activation of both PERK and IRE1 pathways in primary neuron cultures. These findings provide promising and rational strategies for stroke therapy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3352284
- Subject Headings
- Sulindac, Physiological effect, Taurine, Physiological effect, Cerebral ischemia, Prevention, Biochemical markers, Diagnostic use, Apoptosis, Oxidation reduction reaction
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Mechanisms of protection against ischemic damage in the heart.
- Creator
- Moench, Ian, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Heart disease including ischemic heart disease is the highest contributor to death and morbidity in the western world. The studies presented were conducted to determine possible pathways of protection of the heart against ischemia/reperfusion. We employed adenovirus mediated over-expression of Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) in primary neonatal rat cardiac myocytes to determine the effect of this enzyme in protecting against hypoxia/reoxygenation. Cells transfected with MsrA encoding...
Show moreHeart disease including ischemic heart disease is the highest contributor to death and morbidity in the western world. The studies presented were conducted to determine possible pathways of protection of the heart against ischemia/reperfusion. We employed adenovirus mediated over-expression of Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) in primary neonatal rat cardiac myocytes to determine the effect of this enzyme in protecting against hypoxia/reoxygenation. Cells transfected with MsrA encoding adenovirus and subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation exhibited a 45% decrease in apoptosis as compared to controls. Likewise total cell death as determined by levels of Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) release was dramatically decreased by MsrA overexpression. The initial hypothesis that led to our testing sulindac was based on the fact that the S epimer of sulindac was a substrate for MsrA and that this compound might function as a catalytic anti-oxidant based on a reaction cycle that involved reductio n to sulindac sulfide followed by oxidation back to sulindac. To test this we examined the protective effect of sulindac in hypoxia re-oxygenation in both cardiac myocytes in culture and using a Langendorff model of myocardial ischemia. Using this model of myocardial ischemia we showed that pre-incubation of hearts with sulindac, or the S and R epimers of sulindac resulted in protection against cell death. We present several lines of evidence that the protective effect of sulindac is not dependent on the Msr enzyme system nor does it involve the well established role of sulindac as a Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor. Numerous signaling pathways have been implicated in myocardial protective mechanisms, many of which require fluctuations in ROS levels as initiators or mediators., Sulindac shows very good potential as a preconditioning agent that could induce tissue protection against oxidative damage.Blocking of preconditioning pathways by administration of the PKC blocker chelerythine abrogated the ischemic protection afforded by sulindac. Secondly, an end-effector of preconditioning, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS),was found to be induced by greater than 5 fold after 48 h prior feeding sulindac.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186291
- Subject Headings
- Biochemical markers, Diagnostic use, Cardiovascular system, Diseases, Diagnosis, Heart, Diseases, Molecular aspects, Medical care, Quality control, Coronary heart disease, Prevention, Apoptosis, Myocardial infarction, Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Neuroprotection during anoxic-stress in Drosophila melanogaster: the role of PKG pathway on protection of function and survival.
- Creator
- Benasayag Meszaros, Raquel, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences
- Abstract/Description
-
Anoxia is characterized by an absence of oxygen supply to a tissue (Dawson- Scully et al., 2010). Unlike humans, Drosophila melanogaster is an organism that can survive low oxygen levels for hours without showing any pathology (Lutz et al., 2003) Under anoxia, the fruit fly loses locomotive activity, resulting in an anoxic coma (Haddad et al., 1997). In this study we investigate the influence of five variables for anoxic tolerance in adult Drosophila: 1) anoxic environment (gas vs. drowning),...
Show moreAnoxia is characterized by an absence of oxygen supply to a tissue (Dawson- Scully et al., 2010). Unlike humans, Drosophila melanogaster is an organism that can survive low oxygen levels for hours without showing any pathology (Lutz et al., 2003) Under anoxia, the fruit fly loses locomotive activity, resulting in an anoxic coma (Haddad et al., 1997). In this study we investigate the influence of five variables for anoxic tolerance in adult Drosophila: 1) anoxic environment (gas vs. drowning), 2) anoxia duration, 3) temperature (cold [3ÀC] or room temperature [21ÀC]), 4) age (young 2-9 days and old 35-39 days), and 5) PKG variation. Tolerance to anoxia is measured by the time of recovery and survival of the fruit fly from the anoxic coma. The results from this study show that short stress, low temperature, young age, and low PKG activity increased anoxic tolerance. Our findings will lay the foundation to investigate different variables, genes or pharmacological compounds that can modulate neuronal anoxic tolerance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3360743
- Subject Headings
- Protein kinases, Oxidativie stress, Prevention, Oxidativie stress, Ecophysiology, Drosophila melanogaster, Life cycles
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Preventing the next Abu Gharib: understanding institutional cruelty from the perspective of object relations theory.
- Creator
- Hofacker, Paul., College for Design and Social Inquiry, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Abstract/Description
-
The cruelty of Military Police guards at Abu Ghraib prison contributed to American shame and questions regarding how such cruelty emerges. The accepted approach of "situational attribution theory" - based upon Zimbardo's (1973, 2007) social psychological perceptions and results of the Stanford Prison Experiment - proposed that personality or "disposition" has little role in the emergence of such cruelty. Termed "institutional cruelty," this manuscript presents the possibility that...
Show moreThe cruelty of Military Police guards at Abu Ghraib prison contributed to American shame and questions regarding how such cruelty emerges. The accepted approach of "situational attribution theory" - based upon Zimbardo's (1973, 2007) social psychological perceptions and results of the Stanford Prison Experiment - proposed that personality or "disposition" has little role in the emergence of such cruelty. Termed "institutional cruelty," this manuscript presents the possibility that understandings and preventive measures afforded by situational attribution theory can be extended via acknowledgement of a greater role played by disposition. Psychoanalytic and object relations approaches are presented to this end. The manuscript addresses the most puzzling characteristics of institutional cruelty: 1) rapidity of onset, taking days or, at most, weeks for initial expression, 2) emergence in ordinary, normal individuals, and 3) emergence in the "mock" situation of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Criminological, organizational culture, and social psychological theories are explored for their application to institutional cruelty.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2100581
- Subject Headings
- Prisoners of war, Abuse of, Prevention, Iraq War, 2003-, Prisoners and prisons, American, War on Terrorism, 2001-, Moral and ethical aspects, Object relations (Psychoanalysis), Good and evil, Psychological aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)