Percent Recovery of Various Analytes Using a Wick Method

Finding alternate methods to measure and isolate interstitial fluid in vivo has become a consequence of the limited recovery of analytes when using a probe.1 These probes consist of an inlet constantly bringing perfusate into a semi-permeable membrane where the perfusate is replace with dialysate containing numerous analytes. The dialysate leaves the semi-permeable membrane via an outlet. A wick technique has been shown to be useful in analytical chemistry because it can be used to effectively isolate interstitial fluid and accurately measure the concentrations of various analytes. For long-term applications, wicks can be used to measure the concentrations of cytokines and other small proteins in vivo. This research focuses on obtaining the percent recovery of methyl orange and FITC-4000 using a wick technique in vitro. The wick technique used in these experiments consisted of extracting the fluid from the wick using a centrifuge method and then analyzing the fluid using UV-Vis Spectrophotometry. It was determined that the percent recovery for methyl orange using the wick technique was 88.3% ± 1.4% (n=9). Within methyl orange, it was experimentally found that the percent recovery of methyl orange for 1 cm unwound wicks, 3 cm unwound wicks and 3 cm wound wicks was 90.1% ± 1.7% (n=3), 90.4% ± 3.0% (n=3), and 79.8% ± 1.7% (n=3) respectively. The percent recovery for the FITC-4000 using the wick technique was determined to be 84.5% ± 1.5% (n=9). The results of this work suggest that the wick technique used in these experiments can be used to efficiently recover various small analytes

Temporal, Perspectives, Dispositional Styles, and Subjective Well-Being

This study investigated the relationship between time perspective (TP) and the personality dispositions of optimism, pessimism, and realism with regard to their proposed influence on three measures that collectively assessed subjective well-being (SWB). The Depression-Happiness Scale (McGreal & Joseph, 1993) assessed happiness or the presence of positive affect and the absence of negative affect, the cognitiveaffective components of SWB. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985) provided the measurement of subjective life satisfaction, the essential final cognitive-judgmental component of SWB. The Life Orientation Scale-Revised (LOT-R) (Scheier, Carver, and Bridges, 1994) and a Reality Scale, composed by the author, assessed the dispositional styles. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZPTI) (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999) assessed TP. Five temporal perspectives were found. Results indicated that the TPs emerged as strong and unique predictors of SWB in regression analysis. An optimal temporal profile was found that consisted of a combination of Present-Hedonistic, Future, and Past-Positive TP characteristics

Engineering Treatment of Hazardous Wastewaters Utilizing Dye-sensitized Photooxidation

Studies were conducted to determine the applicability of photooxidation for the degradation of selected hazardous and refractory organic compounds. These photochemical oxidation reactions occur through the transfer of energy from electronically excited sensitizer molecules which attain excited states by absorbing visible light energy. Optimum conditions for photooxidation were established based on sensitizer concentration and reaction pH for four polynuclear aromatic pollutants. The rate of photooxidation was found to be independent of the initial substrate concentration for methylene blue-sensitized reactions, and dependent on substrate concentration for solutions without a sensitizing dye. Photolysis of substrate mixtures established acridine and anthracene as photochemically active substrates. Photochemical reaction data suggest predictable trends in substrate reactivity based on pKa values of both sensitizer and substrate, initial substrate concentration and light absorbance characteristics. The photoproducts formed during the photolysis of acridine were found to be more toxic than the parent compound. These reaction products appear to be atable and warrant further study

A bottom-up definition of self-sufficiency: Voices from low-income jobseekers.

Self-sufficiency (SS) is the epitome of America’s ‘reluctant’welfare state. It is generally accepted in social welfare policycircles as a concept related to independence and financialstability. Nevertheless, SS is not a term agreed upon inpractice by policymakers, researchers, or service providersand is frequently used without a clear common definition.In this sense, the purpose of this study is to explore the extentto which the top-down definition of ‘economic’ SS as thesocial policy goal is consistent with how the clients of job training programs perceive the term. Using a groundedtheory approach, a bottom-up definition of SS was derivedfrom a focus group of low-income jobseekers. The focusgroup was transcribed for a content analysis from which a client-centered definition of SS was drawn. Findings suggestthat SS is a process of developing psychological strength properties and a goal-oriented progression toward realistic financial outcomes.Implications for evidence-based community interventions for client empowerment and workforce development are suggested

Associations between Community Violence and Academic Competency in Urban Elementary School Children

The overall goal of this dissertation is to assess the associations between exposure to community violence and academic achievement using a community-based sample of urban school children. Aim One of this dissertation assessed the joint effects of community violence exposure and the school context on academic achievement Propensity score weights were used to examine three pairwise comparisons. There were not significant differences in math proficiency between the high exposure to violence/low performing school group or the low exposure to violence/low performing school group. There were significant differences in math proficiency levels in the high exposure to violence/low performing school vs. high exposure to violence/high performing school and high exposure to violence/low performing school vs. low exposure to violence/high performing school comparisons. The mean differences from comparisons were comparable suggesting that most of the gains came from attending a high performing school. Aim Two examined the associations between academic, behavioral, and social competences on standardized test performance using a latent class framework. A three-class model was the best fitting solution for boys; the classes included a High Performing class, a Disruptive Behavior/Low Performing class, and a Low Social Skills/Low Performing class. Boys in the High Performing class performed better on their concurrent Reading and Math MSA standardized tests.. A three-class solution was also the best fitting model for the sample of girls; the classes included a High Performing class, a Poor Social Skill/Average Performing class, and an Internalizing/Average performing class. Boys in the High Performing class performed marginally better on the Reading and Math test than boys in the other two classes. Aim Three used latent class regression to examine significant predictors of the latent classes developed in Aim 2. For boys, community violence victimization was significantly associated with membership in the Disruptive Behavior/Low Performing class. For girls witnessing neighborhood violence and feelings of neighborhood safety were significantly associated with membership in the Poor Social Skills/Average Performing class. Witnessing community violence increased the risk of belonging to the Poor Social Skills/Average Performing class, but feeling safe in their neighborhood reduced the risk of belong to the Poor Social Skills/Average Performing class