Another Chance

This is a true story based on Jay’s journey through substance use disorder and recovery. To cope with the complex trauma he experienced growing up, Jay began using marijuana, alcohol, and methamphetamine in early adolescence. He first used opioids at age 14 when he injured his eye at school. As a minor, Jay became involved in the criminal justice system and was eventually placed in foster care. During this time, he participated in mandated treatment programs that helped to plant seeds for his later recovery. As an adult, Jay experienced many years of incarceration, unstable housing, and substance use dependency of various kinds. Jay’s path to recovery was shaped by support from his loved ones as well as opportunities to regain independence and dignity through employment and stable housing. For many years, Jay volunteered and worked to support others in recovery. He is now the CEO of a recovery center in Cache Valley and a dedicated community advocate in Utah. Jay hopes his story will give hope and love to anyone who needs it, no matter where they are on the journey.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/harmreductioncomics/1001/thumbnail.jp

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThere has been a continuing need for a better quantitative understanding of the gastrointestinal absorption of highly lipophilic drugs. With this aim in mind, the present study describes a physical model approach applicable to understanding the transport of lipophilic, ionizable drugs across a lipophilic membrane. In Chapter 3, model predictions were compared to experimental results of capric acid (HA) transport across a silicone polymer membrane in the presence and in the absence of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPB). Model predictions and experimental results were generally in agreement over the entire studied ranges of pH and HPB concentrations. In Chapter 4, the physical model approach was then applied to the in situ single pass perfusion system involving the rat ileum to obtain a more detailed understanding about cyclodextrin as an intestinal drug absorption enhancer through its role as a carrier. Model predictions were found to be generally in good agreement with experimental results. We also extended this model to account for the villus structure of the small intestine, resulting in equally good agreement. Both models demonstrated that HPB was able to reduce the capric acid concentration gradient across the aqueous boundary layer and increase the effective intestinal membrane surface area utilized for permeant absorption due to deeper penetration of the permeant into the villus crypts, accounting for the HPB-enhanced permeant flux. In an exploratory investigation (Chapter 5), the in situ single pass perfusion technique was then used to examine the ability of two well known chemical permeation enhancers of hydrophilic drug molecules, sodium caprate (HA) and sodium chenodeoxycholate (CDC), to enhance mannitol transport in the rat ileum in the presence and absence of different cyclodextrin carriers. Analysis of the experimental results with the villus model (VM) support the interpretation that an appropriate enhancer/carrier combination may (1) be able to increase the fraction of ileum surface area that is enhanced and, because of this, that (2) local toxicity effects of the enhancer might be avoided or reduced for any given mannitol permeability enhancement, while (3) at the same time provide increased enhancer duration of action

Perception of Real and Perceived Anger in Various Races

Research of emotional expressions has suggested that facial expressions of emotions are universal between cultures (Ekman, 1989). However, because of in-group biases, misidentification of emotions in other races can predictably occur. The misidentification of facial expressions of emotions can lead to predictable and specific racial biases. One important instance of this is that groups of White individuals often make the error of perceiving anger in an African American who is actually experiencing fear. This has important implications of accidental discrimination. The current study aimed to determine whether a brief training in accurate identification of various facial expressions would improve accuracy in identifying expressions between races and decreasing the anger-race bias in African Americans. A total of X students from two upper-division social work classes participated in both baseline and post surveys at the beginning and end of a single class period. The experimental group received a seven-minute training on accurately identifying traits of both fear and anger. Results indicate that the training was generally effective in increasing accuracy of identifying facial expression of fear and anger. Results also indicate that training resulted in a lower rate of misidentified anger or fear, including across races. Based on the results, it can be concluded that a training in the accurate identification of emotions may be beneficial to decreasing the anger-race bias against African American individuals

Novel one step real time RT-PCR assay for the detection of Enterovirus, A

PosterThis poster describes the development of a novel real time assay that utilizes primers and an Eclipse probe in an overlapping format upstream of the Rotbart amplicon

A Study to Determine what Utah Secondary Business Teachers Should Understand About Vocational Funding from the State Level to the School Level

The Vocational Education Act of 1963 was designed to eliminate the unresolved problems of the Smith-Hughes Act and the George-Barden Act. The main purpose of the Vocational Education Act of 196) was to assist the States in strengthening and improving their existing vocational programs . The Vocational Education Act of 196) has within its structure a plan whereby it is constantly updated . All groups and occupations were included in the Vocational Education Act of 196) , except those who were professionals or working toward bachelor \u27s or higher degrees. The act requires each State and each community to plan its vocational education programs with an eye always on the changes taking place in the economy and the world of work. The major thrusts of the 196) act were incorporated in the Vocational Education Amendments of 1968. However, additional money was appropriated for other purposes, Certain portions of the additional funding were for the following : 1. Special interest groups. 2 . States which were developing long -range State Plans with advisory councils . Definite changes in vocational education were made possible through the Vocational Education Act of 1963 and the Amendments of 1968. These acts motivated the States and the communities to improve their quality of education, specifically in the area of vocational training. With the vocational education legislation of the sixties, provisions were extended to meet the needs of a nation experiencing scientific and technological expansion. With the implementation of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1976, some structure changes did take place in the original Vocational Education Act of 196). However, the administrating of the funds remained basically the same after the Vocational Education Amendments of 1976

Real time PCR assay for the detection of CMV using eclipse hybridization probes

PosterWe developed a qualitative real time PCR assay to detect CMV in patient samples, using a novel hybridization probe termed the Eclipse probe (Epoch Biosciences). These are single probes with a fluorescent molecule attached to the 3' end and a dark quencher on the 5' end. Also conjugated to the 5' end of the probe is a minor groove binding moiety that stabilizes probe binding and allows much shorter probe sequences to be used. The assay is run on the HT7900 Sequence Detection System (Applied Biosystems) in a 96-well plate. We incorporated a heterologous internal control in the assay to monitor the extraction process and detect PCR inhibition. The internal control target is a plasmid, containing a fusion of GFP and C. elegans DNA. We validated ten sample types (spinal fluid, plasma, serum, amniotic fluid, ocular fluid, buffy coat, tissue, urine, bone marrow and bronchioalveolar lavage), and demonstrated the dependence that the limit of detection has on sample type. Since this assay went on-line last year, we have identified a number of patient samples that generated discrepant results between our qualitative test and the Roche CMV Amplicor Quantitative assay. Here we present the validation data for our real time assay, and results of the discrepant analysis

Description and validation of a novel real-time RT-PCR enterovirus assay

Journal ArticleEnteroviruses are a leading cause of aseptic meningitis in adult and pediatric populations. We describe the development of a real-time RT-PCR assay that amplifies a small target in the 5' nontranslated region upstream of the classical Rotbart enterovirus amplicon. The assay includes an RNA internal control and incorporates modified nucleotide chemistry

Ultrasonic enhancement of antibiotic action on several species of bacteria

Journal ArticleThe effect of the antibiotics gentamicin, streptomycin, kanamycin, tetracycline, and ampicillin on planktonic cultures of Enterobacter aerogenes, Serratia marcescens, Salmonella derby, Streptococcus mitis, and Staphylococcus epidermidis with and without an application of 70 kHz ultrasound was studied. The ultrasound was applied at levels that had no inhibitory effect on planktonic cultures of bacteria. Measurements of viability at, above, and below the minimum inhibitory concentration of the above antibiotics on the planktonic cultures of these bacteria showed that a simultaneous application of 70 kHz ultrasound and antibiotic significantly increased the effectiveness of selected antibiotics. Bacterial viability was reduced several orders of magnitude when harmless levels of ultrasound were combined with some antibiotics, especially the aminoglycosides. Similar synergistic effects of combined ultrasound and antibiotic treatment were seen in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with several classes of antibiotics. These results may have application in the treatment of bacterial infections normally resistant to some antibiotics