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DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID DIAGNOSTIC ASSAY FOR THE COLORIMETRIC DETECTION OF LEGIONELLA BACTERIA USING LOOP MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION
Get PDFLegionella are aquatic bacteria capable of inhabiting man-made water systems. Inhaling water droplets carrying Legionella can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a rapidly progressing pneumonia. From 2000-2016 the number of Legionnaires’ cases increased 5-fold. Detecting Legionella in water systems can be challenging. Legionella have complex growth requirements, requiring expensive specialized media to grow. It can take 10 days to grow Legionella colonies on agar plates. There are few rapid assays available that can identify multiple Legionella species. This project aims to develop a Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay that can detect multiple species of Legionella in less than one hour. LAMP utilizes four primers, a strand displacing DNA polymerase, and a single incubation temperature to amplify DNA from a target specimen. Four primers were designed that amplify a unique Legionella 16S rDNA sequence.
We have demonstrated that a Legionella specific LAMP assay amplified only DNA from Legionella. When DNA from Legionella was amplified the pH in the reaction decreased. The pH drop triggered a color change of a pH indicator present in the reaction. Some LAMP assays have been shown to detect as few as 10-12 copies of DNA in food or water samples. Colorimetric Legionella LAMP can detect as few as two copies of DNA in under 90 minutes. The colorimetric LAMP assay can be used as a fast and accurate method for detecting Legionella in water samples and for monitoring purposes, as well as for tracing sources of outbreaks
MYCOBIOME ANALYSIS OF TREES SELECTED BY BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES (Poecile atricapillus) AS NEST SITES
Get PDFDecay fungi may aid primary cavity excavators, such as woodpeckers, in nest excavation by softening wood, and in turn the excavators disperse fungi. Recent molecular techniques have allowed researchers to examine communities of fungi present in environmental samples more comprehensively than ever before. However, this association has not been examined for primary excavating songbirds (Passeriformes). In this study, I examine the communities of fungi in trees selected by black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and compare them to communities in non-selected control trees to determine whether chickadee nest trees are associated with specific fungal taxa and communities. Overall, I identified 201 fungal OTUs to species level. Among the fungal OTUs identified to phylum level, 706 (63%) belonged to Ascomycota, 284 (25%) Basidiomycota, four (0.35%) Mortierellomycota, two (0.2%) Glomeromycota, two (0.2%) Mucoromycota, while 122 (11%) fungal OTUs could not be identified to the phylum level or lower. The fungal community composition and multivariate dispersion between different tree species was not significantly different. The fungal community composition and multivariate dispersion between nest and control trees was not significantly different. Nest trees had significantly lower wood hardness than controls. An indicator species analysis showed that nest trees were significantly associated with five fungal OTUs. While community composition of fungi in nest and controls are not significantly different, the indicator species analysis results indicate that chickadees may select nest trees that contain specific taxa of fungi, or, inoculate trees with fungi
THE EFFECTS OF ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT TRAINING ON RECALL IN OLDER ADULTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND DEMENTIA
No full textThe overall world population is aging. One of the most prevalent age-related diseases is dementia. Dementia is a disease that affects remembering behaviors which in turn affects every aspect of an individual’s quality of life. Currently there is no cure for dementia, however treatment success encompasses increasing the time that an individual can function independently as well as slowing the rate of the decline. Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) has been used effectively with older adults to regulate emotions and to formulate new values. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how an ACT intervention would improve both immediate and delayed tacts. Results indicated that all three participants had improved scores on immediate and delayed tacts. Two of the three participants improved on the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination, while one participant had a one-point decline. All individuals either remained stable or improved on the mindfulness awareness scores. This study expands upon the limited research available on the utility of ACT on adults with dementia. Implications of this study suggest that ACT may be a beneficial intervention to prolong remembering behaviors in individuals who have been diagnosed with dementia
IMPROVING THE RIGOR OF ONLINE EDUCATION: EXPLORING CHARACTERISTICS OF FACULTY AND SYLLABI WITHIN AN ONLINE PROGRAM ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Get PDFAs online course enrollments grow, overall perception of rigor still lags compared to that of traditional face-to-face education. The purpose of this research was to tie faculty and syllabi characteristics to the rigor of online courses. This study explored the relationship between faculty and syllabi characteristics and performance on an online entry-level course design quality assurance assessment (pass, pass with concern, or fail). A decision tree analysis was used to predict the relationship of the independent (faculty and syllabi characteristics) and the dependent (entry-level course design assessment) variables. Findings suggest that faculty rank and writing intensive are key characteristics predictive of the rigor of design for online courses. Knowing what characteristics are likely to fail the course design assessments, extra resources and support can be shifted to elevate the rigor of online courses
Parts Tethered Elsewhere
No full textHow do we define home? And how does that definition change when we are carried away form the place we once designated as such? This thesis seeks to explore the formative pressures exerted on a people or person, by a place (and on a place by a people). In addition, through a collection of cross-genre creative work inspired by family history, this thesis looks to redefine home by the intangible parts of it that we carry with us, and by parameters that encompass movement and rootlessness rather than simply permanent settlement
Reassessment of the extinction risk of the Neotropical freshwater crabs of the family Pseudothelphusidae
Get PDFThe Neotropical region is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and its freshwater crabs are notably diverse, and are represented by two families, Pseudothelphusidae and Trichodactylidae. This study focuses on this region’s highly diverse Pseudothelphusidae which includes 48 genera and 289 species. The 2008 IUCN global conservation assessment found 15.5% of the Pseudothelphusidae to be threatened with extinction and projected that in the worst-case scenario (if all of the Data Deficient species turned out to be threatened), the number of threatened species would be significantly higher. In the last decade several new species of pseudothelphusids have been described, and more data on the ecology, distribution, and threats of other species has been collected, which together form the main basis of the reassessment presented here. In the present study, 21.5% of pseudothelphusid species were found to be threatened with extinction due to the effects of deforestation, water pollution, and dam construction. Additionally, this study shows the necessity for further work on the freshwater crabs of the Neotropical region, with a special focus on ecology, as well as the urgent need for the implementation of conservation actions
THE EFFECT OF A NOVEL REHABILITATION PROGRAM ON WALKING PERFORMANCE IN PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to compare if the addition of the NewGait™ device to traditional therapy in comparison to traditional therapy alone would be more effective at improving walking technique and walking performance in persons with multiple sclerosis. Eighteen patients with multiple sclerosis participated in this study. Pre- and post-testing assessed kinematic gait variables (speed, step length, step width, double limb support time), toe clearance height, ankle range of motion, balance confidence, rating of perceived exertion, and hip-ankle coordination. Participants completed an 8-week physical therapy protocol aimed to improve gait and balance with the experimental group wearing the NewGait™ device. Repeated measures mixed ANOVA revealed significant improvements over time for both groups, with increased walking speed, improved balance confidence, increase in bilateral step length, and a decrease in the percent of time spent in anti-phase and an ankle-driven coordination phase during swing for the unaffected limb (p \u3c 0.05). The experimental group experienced larger improvements in balance confidence (p \u3c 0.05), and coordination (p \u3c 0.05) when compared to the control group. The results of the current study indicate that the use of the NewGait™ during rehabilitation is effective at improving balance confidence lower limb coordination
POSTURAL RESPONSE TO VARIED VELOCITY AND DURATION VISUAL PERTURBATIONS IN VIRTUAL REALITY
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the center of pressure response to visual perturbations presented in virtual reality (VR). The visual perturbations were an anterior or posterior displacement that varied in velocity (1m/s, 3m/s & 5m/s) and duration (0.6s, 1s and 2 s). The center of pressure distance travelled was measured in the anterior-posterior direction while subjects balance on one foot. Four subjects were evaluated in the pilot. A t-test was used to examine the pooled effect of the perturbations. The visual perturbation significantly increased the distance the center of pressure travelled (p = 0.041). A 2-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess the specific affects velocity and duration. The main effect for duration was significant (p =0.014). Duration of the visual perturbation appears to be the most important component to challenge postural control
THE STANDARD MOTION MODEL OF A BASKETBALL SET SHOT FOR TEACHING
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to create a standard motion model of a basketball set shot. Twenty-one male collegiate basketball players participated in three-dimensional data collection session (Vicon MX+, 250Hz), and the method proposed by Ae, et al. (2007) was used to create a standard motion model. The set shot motion in the standard motion model started with the shoulder flexion and hip extension in the downward phase, followed by the sequential motions of the knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow and wrist joints in the upward phase. Immediately before the ball release, the elbow and wrist joints were abruptly extended. The motion variation in the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints just before the ball release were small, implying there must be some commonality in these joint motions
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF THE START PHASE OF SKELETON ATHLETES AT INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of the skeleton start motion from the viewpoint of step frequency and step length. Twenty-six male and twenty female skeleton athletes at international competitions were videotaped and analysed their start motion with the three-dimensional DLT method. There were high significant correlations between the start time and the goal time in both men (r = 0.947, p \u3c 0.001) and women (r = 0.741, p \u3c 0.001). As for the start time, men showed a significant correlation with the step length at the 1st step (r = -0.606, p \u3c 0.01) while women showed significant correlations with the step frequency at the 1st (r = -0.475, p \u3c 0.05), 3rd (r = -0.497, p \u3c 0.05) and 5th (r = -0.471, p \u3c 0.05) step. These result indicated that men emphasized step length at the 1st step, while women relied more on step frequency