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Articles 1 - 23 of 23
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The Development And Analysis Of A Closed System Of Vitrification For Mammalian Embryos, Jennifer Graves-Herring
The Development And Analysis Of A Closed System Of Vitrification For Mammalian Embryos, Jennifer Graves-Herring
All Dissertations
Embryo cryopreservation is an integral part of assisted reproduction because it allows for future use of these embryos. Cryopreservation occurs when there are supernumerary embryos or when an embryo transfer cannot be performed.
There are two main methods to cryopreserve embryos. The most recent is vitrification, which uses high concentrations of cryoprotectants, a short time to cool and avoids ice crystals. The 'gold standard' is the slow-cool method, which uses low concentrations of cryoprotectants, a long time to cool embryos and produces extracellular ice crystals.
Prior to introducing vitrification as part of the human cryopreservation regime, it is important that …
Novel Xanthine And Oxanine Dna Glycosylase Activities In Yeast And Mammalian Systems, Liang Dong
Novel Xanthine And Oxanine Dna Glycosylase Activities In Yeast And Mammalian Systems, Liang Dong
All Dissertations
DNA that stores genetic information is frequently damaged in cells. The DNA bases carrying an exocyclic amino group [adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C)] encounter deamination even under physiological conditions. Xanthine (X) and the newly discovered oxanine (O) are derived from deamination of guanine; they are potentially cytotoxic and mutagenic lesions. However, in yeast and eukaryotes, studies on the enzymatic repair of these lesions are limited.
In the yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe thymine-DNA glycosylase (Spo TDG) is homologous to human thymine-DNA glycosylase (hTDG), an enzyme that removes thymine from T/G pair. It was reported that Spo TDG contains uracil DNA glycosylase …
Biology And Ecology Of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri), Prashant Jha
Biology And Ecology Of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri), Prashant Jha
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Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) is a troublesome weed of crops in southeastern United States. This research highlights studies on the biology and ecology of Palmer amaranth. Following dispersal in fall, Palmer amaranth seeds require high mean temperatures of 25 to 40 C for germination, which is not likely to occur in South Carolina until the following spring. With dormancy reduction over winter, seeds can germinate at high temperatures (≥25 C) and thermal amplitudes of 15 C during late spring (May) in the presence of light. A majority (>90%) of the non-dormant population in the soil seedbank emerge …
Characterization Of Bioactive Phytochemicals From The Stem Bark Of African Mahogany Khaya Senegalensis (Meliaceae), Huaping Zhang
Characterization Of Bioactive Phytochemicals From The Stem Bark Of African Mahogany Khaya Senegalensis (Meliaceae), Huaping Zhang
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ABSTRACT
African mahogany Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss (Meliaceae) is a large tree growing mainly in the sub-Saharan savannah forests from Senegal to Uganda. This plant is one of the most popular medicinal meliaceous plants in traditional African remedies, used as a bitter tonic, folk and popular medicine against malaria, fever, mucous diarrhea, and venereal diseases as well as an anthelmintic and a taeniacide remedy. Its extracts and chemical constituents have been the subject of extensive phytochemical and pharmacological investigations since 1960s. Anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anthelmintic, and antiplasmodial activities of plant extracts have been reported. Limonoids with anti-feeding, feeding deterrent and …
Infestation Of Tsuga Canadensis And Tsuga Caroliniana To Hemlock Woolly Adelgid And Possible Insecticidal Management Strategies, Mark Faulkenberry
Infestation Of Tsuga Canadensis And Tsuga Caroliniana To Hemlock Woolly Adelgid And Possible Insecticidal Management Strategies, Mark Faulkenberry
All Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the development rates of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) infestations on sites containing primarily eastern hemlock, sites that contained predominantly Carolina hemlock, and sites where the two species occurred together, and to quantify the relationship between HWA density and canopy thinning in hemlocks. The study was conducted at 11 sites in DuPont State Forest near Brevard, NC, one site in nearby Caesar's Head State Park, Cleveland, SC, and one site near Whiteside Mountain, near Highlands, NC. In the second year of the study, one of the three Carolina hemlock sites was treated with …
Dna Deamination Repair Enzymes In Bacterial And Human Systems, Rongjuan Mi
Dna Deamination Repair Enzymes In Bacterial And Human Systems, Rongjuan Mi
All Dissertations
DNA repair enzymes and pathways are diverse and critical for living cells to maintain correct genetic information. Single-strand-selective monofunctional uracil DNA glycosylase (SMUG1) belongs to Family 3 of the uracil DNA glycosylase superfamily. We report that a bacterial SMUG1 ortholog in Geobacter metallireducens (Gme) and the human SMUG1 enzyme are not only uracil DNA glycosylases (UDG), but also xanthine DNA glycosylases (XDG). Mutations at M57 (M57L) and H210 (H210G, H210M, H210N) can cause substantial reductions in XDG and UDG activities. Increased selectivity is achieved in the A214R mutant of Gme SMUG1 and G60Y completely abolishes XDG and UDG activity. Most …
Functional Characterization Of Hexokinase-Like 1 (Hkl1) From Arabidopsis Thaliana, Abhijit Karve
Functional Characterization Of Hexokinase-Like 1 (Hkl1) From Arabidopsis Thaliana, Abhijit Karve
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Arabidopsis hexokinase1 (AtHXK1) is a moonlighting protein with roles in both glucose signaling and catalysis. In this study, we first cloned and characterized the six HXK related genes from Arabidopsis. Three of the six encoded proteins were shown not to phosphorylate hexoses and thus, are designated as hexokinase-like (HKL) proteins. Though they are only 50% identical to HXK1, the amino acid sequences of HKL1 and HKL2 both have well conserved glucose binding domains and other recognized structural elements. The possible basis for their lack of catalytic activity was further probed by site-directed mutagenesis and ultimately was attributed to a suite …
Dwarfing Mechanisms Of Prunus Species As Interstems And Rootstocks On Peach [Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch] Tree Vegetative Growth And Physiology, Antonio Weibel
Dwarfing Mechanisms Of Prunus Species As Interstems And Rootstocks On Peach [Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch] Tree Vegetative Growth And Physiology, Antonio Weibel
All Dissertations
The use of small trees in orchard systems reduces manual labor (pruning, thinning and harvesting), and induces precocity, thus making high-density plantations economically advantageous, which has elicited an interest in size-controlling rootstocks. However, the mechanisms involved in the reduction of scion growth by the rootstock are not well understood. The main objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the dwarfing mechanism induced by size-controlling peach rootstocks. The relationship among different rootstocks (dwarfing to invigorating range) as to stored carbohydrates, tree water status, and interstem and grafting height was evaluated on young and mature `Redhaven' and `Redtop' …
Wild Pig Habitat Use, Substrate Disturbance, And Understory Vegetation At Congaree National Park, Scott Zengel
Wild Pig Habitat Use, Substrate Disturbance, And Understory Vegetation At Congaree National Park, Scott Zengel
All Dissertations
Substrate disturbance by wild pigs ( Sus scrofa L.), mainly wild pig rooting, was evaluated bi&ndashmonthly over three years in fixed 1,000 m2 plots at Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA. The study compared hog substrate disturbance among four habitats: three mature wetland floodplain forest types (mixed bottomland hardwoods, cypress&ndashtupelo swamp, seepage floodplain forest), and successional upland pine flatwoods adjacent to the floodplain (including former pine plantation). New disturbance included fresh signs of hog substrate disturbance. Total disturbance included both new and older hog disturbance still visible on the landscape (equivalent to all disturbance that would be recorded under less …
Utilizing Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification To Detect Novel X-Linked Microduplications Which Cause Intellectual Disability, Dianne Cohn
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ABSTRACT
A number of conditions related to X-linked intellectual disabilities (XLID) are in part due to microduplications that are not visible cytogenetically. With the focus on Rho, Ras and Rab genes, a family of genes known to be associated with intellectual disabilities, were screened for dosage aberrations (Leeuwen, F. N. 1997), (Ng, E. L. 2008), (Gissen, P. 2007), (Gurkan, C. 2005). Cohorts of intellectually disabled ID individuals were explored with new technologies. These new technologies include comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) (Madrigal, I. 2007), (Hermsen, M. A. 2005), (Morey, J. S. …
Optimization Of Biodiesel Production From Crude Cottonseed Oil And Waste Vegetable Oil:Conventional And Ultrasonic Irradiation Methods, Xiaohu Fan
All Dissertations
Biodiesel, derived from the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats with simple alcohols, has attracted more and more attention recently. As a cleaner burning diesel alternative, biodiesel has many attractive features including: biodegradability, nontoxicity, renewability and low emission profiles.
Although cottonseed oil was the first commercial cooking oil in the U.S, it has progressively lost its market share to some vegetable oils that have larger production and less cost. However, regarding the active researches on biodiesel production from vegetable oils, there is a promising prospective for the cottonseed oil as a feedstock for biodiesel production, which may enhance the …
Topographic Analysis And Predictive Modeling Using Geographic Information Systems, Steven Hall
Topographic Analysis And Predictive Modeling Using Geographic Information Systems, Steven Hall
All Dissertations
This dissertation describes three GIS models developed to better model topographic features and the occurrence of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The first study presented 'A LiDAR based GIS model to calculate Terrain Shape Index on a landscape scale', attempts to develop a GIS based model to calculate the Terrain Shape Index (TSI). TSI is typically collected in the field using a series of elevation measurements to determine the average elevation change within the study plot. In this study, a GIS model is developed and TSI values compared to those collected using conventional methods. The second …
Recombinant G3 Domain Protein Of The Rat Laminin-5 Α3 Chain Binds To Integrins On Tumorogenic Breast Cancer Cells To Induce Apoptosis, Brittany Turner
Recombinant G3 Domain Protein Of The Rat Laminin-5 Α3 Chain Binds To Integrins On Tumorogenic Breast Cancer Cells To Induce Apoptosis, Brittany Turner
All Dissertations
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of proteins for holding tissues and cells together. Among the constituents of the ECM is the large molecular weight glycoprotein laminin. Laminin is predominately found in the basement membrane of tissues. Laminins are composed of α, β, and γ chains with 5 globular (G) subdomains at the carboxyl (C) terminal end of the α chain. Of the 12 different laminin isoforms, laminin-5 has been targeted for cancer research. Specifically, the G3 domain has been studied as the specific binding domain. Cells are able to migrate through cell surface adhesion receptors known as integrins. …
Impacts Of Root Invigoration And Its Individual Components On The Performance Of Red Maple (Acer Rubrum), Kelby Fite
Impacts Of Root Invigoration And Its Individual Components On The Performance Of Red Maple (Acer Rubrum), Kelby Fite
All Dissertations
The Root Invigoration process involves soil decompaction with an air tool, amendment with organic matter and prescription fertilizer, and mulching. In the current study, we measured soil chemical and physical properties, tree characteristics, and root system responses to this process and its individual components. Treatments included Root Invigoration (AFM), mulch only (M), fertilization only (F), Airspade® tillage only (A), and an untreated control (C). The experiment was conducted from 2005-2007 at four urban sites: Anderson, SC; Boston, MA; Myrtle Beach, SC and Pittsburgh, PA. Soil strength was initially reduced by Airspade®, mulch and AFM; however only AFM-treated soils sustained this …
The Effects Of Circular And Linear Exercise On Articular Cartilage In Sheep, Kristine Vernon
The Effects Of Circular And Linear Exercise On Articular Cartilage In Sheep, Kristine Vernon
All Dissertations
Excessive exercise may induce osteoarthritis (OA), or degeneration, of articular cartilage, which is a leading cause of lameness and decreased use in horses. The purposes of this study were to utilize a sheep model to determine the effects of circular and linear exercise on the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of articular cartilage in the metacarpal-phalangeal (MCP) joint and to evaluate biochemical changes in serum and synovial fluid compared to non-exercised control lambs.
Twenty lambs were randomly assigned to three groups: circular exercise (C, 8.5m diameter; n = 8), straight-line exercise (S, treadmill; n = 8) and non-exercised control (CON, n …
The Effects Of Indirubin Derivitives On Gene Expression And Cellular Functions In The Murine Macrophage, Abigail Babcock
The Effects Of Indirubin Derivitives On Gene Expression And Cellular Functions In The Murine Macrophage, Abigail Babcock
All Dissertations
Indirubin is the active ingredient in the ancient herbal remedy, Danggui Longhui Wan, which is used as an anti-leukemic, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification treatment. Indirubin-3'-monoxime (IO) is the most widely studied of the indirubin derivatives. Most have been shown to inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases and glycogen synthase kinases, triggering cell cycle arrest and apoptosis with different levels of activity depending on the particular structure. These kinases inhibited by indirubin(s) play key roles in cellular proliferation and immune functions, therefore synthetic indirubins may have significant applications as therapeutic agents for cancer, inflammation, and neurological diseases.
Indirubin is also a potent aryl hydrocarbon receptor …
Changes In Brain Biochemistry And Feeding Behavior In Hybrid Striped Bass Exposed To Environmental Contaminants, Kristen Gaworecki
Changes In Brain Biochemistry And Feeding Behavior In Hybrid Striped Bass Exposed To Environmental Contaminants, Kristen Gaworecki
All Dissertations
Biochemical endpoints are useful when determining contaminant exposure in aquatic organisms. However, behaviors can also be impaired by environmental contaminants. Links between changes in brain biochemistry and behavior have been made, and understanding these relationships could increase the utility of these endpoints in ecological risk assessments. The overall goal of this research was to determine relationships between an ecologically relevant fish behavior and brain biochemistry. To accomplish this goal, I developed a behavioral bioassay that quantified the time it took exposed hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis x M. chrysops) to capture unexposed prey, fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Chemically targeted brain …
Characterization Of Soluble Matrix From Molluscan Shell With An Emphasis On Two Major Phosphoproteins From The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, Mary Johnstone
All Dissertations
The soluble organic matrix (SM) extracted from the shell of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica was analyzed to identify the constituent proteins and their structures. Two acidic proteins with estimated molecular weights of 48 and 55 kD were isolated and determined to have highly related structures. Both proteins are comprised primarily of aspartate, serine, and glycine which represent nearly 90% of the total amino acids. Studies indicate that both proteins are phosphorylated and have estimated isoelectric points in the range of 3 to 5. Evidence suggests that poly-aspartate and poly-serine domains are present in the 48 kD protein. Amino terminal …
Population Dynamics Of The Cotton Aphid, Aphis Gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae), And Its Fungal Pathogen, Neozygites Fresenii (Nowakoski) Batko (Entomopthorales: Neozygitaceae) In South Carolina, Ruly Anwar
All Dissertations
The broad spectrum insecticide, acephate, neonicotinoid insecticides, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid, and other insecticides, λ-cyhalothrin, emamectin benzoate, indoxacarb, and spinosad were evaluated for their effects on the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, its entmopathogenic fungus, Neozygites fresenii, aphid parasitoids, lacewings, and coccinellids. Numbers of cotton aphids were significantly higher in plots treated with broad-spectrum insecticide than in untreated plots. Also, levels of both fungus-infected aphids and parasitized aphids were significantly higher in plots treated with broad-spectrum insecticide than in untreated plots. Numbers of lacewings and coccinellids were not significantly different between insecticide treated and untreated plots. Levels of fungus-infected aphids were …
Development Of A Novel Fouling Deterrence Strategy By Understanding The Efect Of Noradrenaline On The Cells Of Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica And Cypris Larve Of The Striped Barnacle Balanus Amphitrite, Neeraj Gohad
All Dissertations
ABSTRACT
The focus of this study was to understand and evaluate the effect of noradrenaline (NA) on two prominent fouling marine invertebrates, the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica and the Striped Barnacle, Balanus amphitrite for the purpose of developing a novel fouling deterrence strategy.
To understand the effect of NA at a cellular level the immune cells (hemocytes) of C. virginica were chosen as representative molluscan cells. Upon stimulation with 10 micro-molar of noradrenaline ~4% hemocytes of C. virginica labeled positive for the beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR). Upon NA stimulation the beta-AR positive cells formed cell-cell synapses and apoptosis was detected in …
From Mypyramid To The Plate: A Multifaceted Nutrition Intervention For African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes, Robin Stegall
From Mypyramid To The Plate: A Multifaceted Nutrition Intervention For African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes, Robin Stegall
All Dissertations
ABSTRACT The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of a paraprofessional-led multifaceted six-week nutrition education program and to explore the diabetes-related health and behavioral outcomes in adult African Americans of lower income and lower educational levels who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The Quasi-experimental design consisted of a control group and an experimental group with pre and post-test administration. The groups were pre-assigned by their participation in the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 program of Charleston County, South Carolina. The nutrition education intervention consisted of a total of six lessons …
Variable Approaches Investigating Light Quality And Quantity Impacts On Warm- And Cool-Season Turfgrasses, Christian Baldwin
Variable Approaches Investigating Light Quality And Quantity Impacts On Warm- And Cool-Season Turfgrasses, Christian Baldwin
All Dissertations
Bermudagrass (Cynodon ssp.) is the most popular warm-season turfgrass used in warm climatic regions of the world due its recuperative ability, high traffic tolerance, heat tolerance, and relative drought and salt tolerance. However, shade is a microenvironment in which bermudagrass performs poorly. Morphological limitations, such as reduced lateral stem growth and overall reduction of carbohydrate synthesis contribute to bermudagrass, a C4 plant, decline under shade. Therefore, primary objectives of this dissertation were to determine the genetic diversity of bermudagrasses grown in full-sunlight and shade, impacts of shade and cultural practices on bermudagrass spring transition, management recommendations to enhance bermudagrass …
Insight Into The Origins Of The Rumex Acetosa Sex Chromosomes And Mechanisms Causing Dimorphism, Samuel Forrest
Insight Into The Origins Of The Rumex Acetosa Sex Chromosomes And Mechanisms Causing Dimorphism, Samuel Forrest
All Dissertations
Sex conferring chromosomes are subject to rapid change throughout evolution. Y-chromosomes (male determining) are subject to extensive chromatin remodeling and higher mutation rates than the autosomes being that recombination with the X chromosome is inhibited in many regions. The non-recombining regions comprise varying proportions of Y chromosomes from species to species and they are subject to mutation acquisition including both deletions and insertions. Recently it has been shown that these insertion mutations include repetitive DNA such as satellite DNA sequences (satDNA) and transposable elements. It is thought that Y chromosomes go through many rounds of expansion and contraction throughout evolution …