University of Central Florida

About: University of Central Florida is a education organization based out in Orlando, Florida, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Laser & Population. The organization has 18822 authors who have published 48679 publications receiving 1234422 citations. The organization is also known as: UCF.

Dynamic light scattering as a powerful tool for gold nanoparticle bioconjugation and biomolecular binding studies.

Abstract: Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is an analytical tool used routinely for measuring the hydrodynamic size of nanoparticles and colloids in a liquid environment. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are extraordinary light scatterers at or near their surface plasmon resonance wavelength. In this study, we demonstrate that DLS can be used as a very convenient and powerful tool for gold nanoparticle bioconjugation and biomolecular binding studies. The conjugation process between protein A and gold nanoparticles under different experimental conditions and the quality as well as the stability of the prepared conjugates were monitored and characterized systematically by DLS. Furthermore, the specific interactions between protein A-conjugated gold nanoparticles and a target protein, human IgG, can be detected and monitored in situ by measuring the average particle size change of the assay solution. For the first time, we demonstrate that DLS is able to directly and quantitatively measure the binding stoichiometry between a protein-conjugated GNP probe and a target analyte protein in solution.

Salvage logging, ecosystem processes, and biodiversity conservation.

Abstract: We summarize the documented and potential impacts of salvage logging—a form of logging that removes trees and other biological material from sites after natural disturbance. Such operations may reduce or eliminate biological legacies, modify rare postdisturbance habitats, influence populations, alter community composition, impair natural vegetation recovery, facilitate the colonization of invasive species, alter soil prop- erties and nutrient levels, increase erosion, modify hydrological regimes and aquatic ecosystems, and alter patterns of landscape heterogeneity. These impacts can be assigned to three broad and interrelated effects: (1) altered stand structural complexity; (2) altered ecosystem processes and functions; and (3) altered populations of species and community composition. Some impacts may be different from or additional to the effects of traditional logging that is not preceded by a large natural disturbance because the conditions before, during, and after salvage logging may differ from those that characterize traditional timber harvesting. The potential impacts of salvage logging often have been overlooked, partly because the processes of ecosystem recovery after natural disturbance are still poorly understood and partly because potential cumulative effects of natural and human disturbance have not been well documented. Ecologically informed policies regarding salvage logging are needed prior to major natural disturbances so that when they occur ad hoc and crisis-mode decision making can be avoided. These policies should lead to salvage-exemption zones and limits on the amounts of disturbance-derived biological legacies (e.g., burned trees, logs) that are removed where salvage logging takes place. Finally, we believe new terminology is needed. The word salvage implies that something is being saved or recovered, whereas from an ecological perspective this is rarely the case.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Events Scale

Abstract: Literature describing the phenomenology of the stress of combat suggests that war-zone experiences may lead to adverse psychological outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder not only because they expose persons to life threat and loss but also because they may contradict deeply held moral and ethical beliefs and expectations. We sought to develop and validate a measure of potentially morally injurious events as a necessary step toward studying moral injury as a possible adverse consequence of combat. We administered an 11-item, self-report Moral Injury Events Scale to active duty Marines 1 week and 3 months following war-zone deployment. Two items were eliminated because of low item-total correlations. The remaining 9 items were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis, which revealed two latent factors that we labeled perceived transgressions and perceived betrayals; these were confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis on an independent sample. The overall Moral Injury Events Scale and...

Drug/dye-loaded, multifunctional iron oxide nanoparticles for combined targeted cancer therapy and dual optical/magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract: A biocompatible, multimodal, and theranostic functional iron oxide nanoparticle is synthesized using a novel water-based method and exerts excellent properties for targeted cancer therapy, and optical and magnetic resonance imaging. For the first time, a facile, modified solvent diffusion method is used for the co-encapsulation of both an anticancer drug and near-infrared dyes. The resulting folate-derivatized theranostics nanoparticles could allow for targeted optical/magnetic resonance imaging and targeted killing of folate-expressing cancer cells.