5,656 research outputs found

    Undergraduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Graduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    An indigenous perspective on institutions for sustainable business in China

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    UMSL Bulletin 2023-2024

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    The 2023-2024 Bulletin and Course Catalog for the University of Missouri St. Louis.https://irl.umsl.edu/bulletin/1088/thumbnail.jp

    Graduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Context-Dependent Acquisition of Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms

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    Natural transformation is a process whereby bacteria actively take up free DNA from the environment while in a physiological state termed competence. Uptaken DNA is then recombined into the recipient’s genome or reconverted into extra-chromosomal genetic elements. The inducing stimuli for competence vary widely between transformable species and competence induction is affected by a host of abiotic factors found in bacterial environments. Natural transformation is recognised to be responsible for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes both within and between species, contributing to the global antimicrobial resistance crisis threatening modern medicine. Despite being the first mechanism of horizontal gene transfer discovered, the evolutionary benefits of natural transformation are still under debate. This thesis is comprised of four standalone research chapters which aimed 1) to determine if chemotherapeutic compounds affect the transformation frequencies of transformable bacteria. This provides important information which can have implications on the contraction of a life-threatening infection in cancer patients. 2) to determine if other environmentally relevant bacteria affect the transformation frequencies of transformable bacteria. Understanding the contexts under which bacteria transform in their natural environments can help us to predict the spread of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms via natural transformation. 3) to produce a resource of genomic information for the scientific community, allowing researchers to improve our understanding of the Acinetobacter genus. And 4) to determine if environmentally relevant bacteria affect the transformation frequencies of transformable bacteria to find evidence for the sex hypothesis for natural transformation. This was performed by using biotic interactions as a selection pressure and DNA from a range of related species as a substrate for transformation. Together, these chapters provide information about the contexts under which transformation is both regulated and selected for in realistic environmental contexts. Enhancing our understanding of how and when bacteria naturally transform, in both natural and clinical environments, can help us to monitor and establish preventative measures to limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria

    Redefining Disproportionate Arrest Rates: An Exploratory Quasi-Experiment that Reassesses the Role of Skin Tone

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    The New York Times reported that Black Lives Matter was the third most-read subject of 2020. These articles brought to the forefront the question of disparity in arrest rates for darker-skinned people. Questioning arrest disparity is understandable because virtually everything known about disproportionate arrest rates has been a guess, and virtually all prior research on disproportionate arrest rates is questionable because of improper benchmarking (the denominator effect). Current research has highlighted the need to switch from demographic data to skin tone data and start over on disproportionate arrest rate research; therefore, this study explored the relationship between skin tone and disproportionate arrest rates. This study also sought to determine which of the three theories surrounding disproportionate arrests is most predictive of disproportionate rates. The current theories are that disproportionate arrests increase as skin tone gets darker (stereotype threat theory), disproportionate rates are different for Black and Brown people (self-categorization theory), or disproportionate rates apply equally across all darker skin colors (social dominance theory). This study used a quantitative exploratory quasi-experimental design using linear spline regression to analyze arrest rates in Alachua County, Florida, before and after the county’s mandate to reduce arrests as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the prison population. The study was exploratory as no previous study has used skin tone analysis to examine arrest disparity. The findings of this study redefines the understanding of the existence and nature of disparities in arrest rates and offer a solid foundation for additional studies about the relationship between disproportionate arrest rates and skin color

    Metabolites in fish and humans as a response to different food ingredients : a metabolomics approach

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    The main objective of this thesis was to evaluate metabolomics changes in humans and fish as a response to food/feed consumption. To alleviate the environmental impact of animal production and maximize the use of resources, the valorization of meat by-products might be an attractive alternative. A meat product containing heart and aorta tissue from pork was designed and analyzed for fatty acid and metabolite composition. In comparison with a control of similar qualities, the designed meat product (or test product) showed higher monounsaturated fatty acid and tyramine levels and lower levels of sugars. The test meat product was used in a randomized controlled clinical trial to test for potential health effects in patients showing atherosclerosis symptoms. Patients receiving the test product showed a decrease in blood levels of low-density lipoproteins, total cholesterol, atherogenic index and triacylglycerols. To reduce the impact of animal production on ecosystems, the replacement of feed ingredients by a microbial alternative was realized. In this study, vegetable oils included in the feed of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) were replaced by biomass of the oleaginous yeast (Rhodotorula toruloides). The analysis of the yeast biomass showed safe levels of pollutants and heavy metals. Fish growth and muscle fatty acid profile were similar to the control. A higher liver weight and hepatosomatic index were observed in fish fed including the yeast biomass, albeit no significant difference in liver fat content or in hepatic enzyme activity was observed. Quantification of plasma metabolites revealed higher levels of metabolites involved in energy pathways such as one-carbon metabolism and gluconeogenesis.In conclusion, this thesis showed that metabolomics can be applied to evaluate effects of food/feed at the molecular level in complex systems. It adds knowledge on the effects of meat by-product consumption in the particular case of atherosclerosis symptoms. The fish feed trial showed the possibility of feed modification with a specific yeast

    Air Quality Research Using Remote Sensing

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    Air pollution is a worldwide environmental hazard that poses serious consequences not only for human health and the climate but also for agriculture, ecosystems, and cultural heritage, among other factors. According to the WHO, there are 8 million premature deaths every year as a result of exposure to ambient air pollution. In addition, more than 90% of the world’s population live in areas where the air quality is poor, exceeding the recommended limits. On the other hand, air pollution and the climate co-influence one another through complex physicochemical interactions in the atmosphere that alter the Earth’s energy balance and have implications for climate change and the air quality. It is important to measure specific atmospheric parameters and pollutant compound concentrations, monitor their variations, and analyze different scenarios with the aim of assessing the air pollution levels and developing early warning and forecast systems as a means of improving the air quality and safeguarding public health. Such measures can also form part of efforts to achieve a reduction in the number of air pollution casualties and mitigate climate change phenomena. This book contains contributions focusing on remote sensing techniques for evaluating air quality, including the use of in situ data, modeling approaches, and the synthesis of different instrumentations and techniques. The papers published in this book highlight the importance and relevance of air quality studies and the potential of remote sensing, particularly that conducted from Earth observation platforms, to shed light on this topic

    UMSL Bulletin 2022-2023

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    The 2022-2023 Bulletin and Course Catalog for the University of Missouri St. Louis.https://irl.umsl.edu/bulletin/1087/thumbnail.jp
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