Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Identification Of Inhibitors Of The Glutaminyl And Prolyl Trna Synthetases From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Yaritza Escamilla
Identification Of Inhibitors Of The Glutaminyl And Prolyl Trna Synthetases From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Yaritza Escamilla
Theses and Dissertations
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat and bacterial infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria have become increasingly difficult and expensive to treat with most current antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of nosocomial infections and is the leading cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis patients. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are a class of enzymes that catalyze the covalent attachment of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs during protein biosynthesis. The glutaminyl- tRNA synthetase from P. aeruginosa was over-expressed, enzymatically characterized and developed into a screening platform for the discovery of chemical compounds that inhibit …
Applications Of Side Scan And Parametric Echosounders For Mapping Shallow Seagrass Habitats And Their Associated Organic Carbon, Austin L. Greene
Applications Of Side Scan And Parametric Echosounders For Mapping Shallow Seagrass Habitats And Their Associated Organic Carbon, Austin L. Greene
Theses and Dissertations
Despite a global valuation of $1.9 trillion seagrass habitats world-wide are in decline—directly impacting the large soil carbon stocks associated with seagrasses. Many methods exist to measure the health of seagrass habitats, yet few apply to shallow coastal ecosystems. Those that do lack spatial resolution (satellite surveys) or do not provide continuous data across large areas (point-based surveys). Furthermore, carbon content of these ecosystems is largely limited to destructive and time-consuming soil core sampling. Side scan and parametric acoustics represent a unique technological opportunity to study habitat coverage and carbon content of vegetated coastal habitats (< 3 m depth). This study presents proof of concept for applications of recreational side scan and parametric sub-bottom profiling sonars in mapping both habitat coverage and organic carbon distribution in shallow seagrass habitats, and explores how these methods might be improved in future applications.
The Effect Of Manganese (Mn) On Cell Proliferation And Migration In The Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (Mcf-7) Human Breast Cancer Cell Line In Vitro, Justin Lloyd Wendel
The Effect Of Manganese (Mn) On Cell Proliferation And Migration In The Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (Mcf-7) Human Breast Cancer Cell Line In Vitro, Justin Lloyd Wendel
Theses and Dissertations
Manganese (Mn) is a common environmental element necessary for mammalian physiological processes. However, dietary excess or deficiency can lead to detrimental health effects. Therefore, I investigated the effect Mn has on breast cancer progression in vitro. Utilizing MCF-7 breast cancer cells an MTT assay was performed to identify proliferative potential. After 5 days, results showed 100 nM manganese chloride (MnCl2) had a significant (p<0.01) increase in cell number over control. Using a scratch wound-healing assay, 100 nM MnCl2 was found to increase cellular motility as well as induce a possible change in morphology and cytoskeletal organization. Given Mn was shown to localize in the mitochondrial, we investigated Mn-induced ROS expression. 500 nM Mn significantly decreased (p<0.05) ROS levels. Collectively, I provide evidence that Mn may potentially drive less aggressive cancer cells towards a more invasive phenotype.
Validating Side Scan Sonar As A Fish Survey Tool, Michael A. Bollinger
Validating Side Scan Sonar As A Fish Survey Tool, Michael A. Bollinger
Theses and Dissertations
Hydroacoustic methods can be used to answer a variety of questions regarding fish populations and behavior. In this study, side scan sonar methodology was developed to quantify abundance and biomass and compared to established visual observation methods on SCUBA over artificial reef structures in the western Gulf of Mexico. Side scan sonar methods were equivalent to SCUBA surveys for measuring fish abundance over the same reef areas, however, abundances were significantly higher when the larger area sampled by side scan was utilized. Side scan sonar methods were also more time efficient than SCUBA, ROV and long line fishing methods (66.7%, …
Ethnobotanical History And Seed Oil Chemistry Of The Physic Nut, Jatropha Curcas, Nathan M. Leclear
Ethnobotanical History And Seed Oil Chemistry Of The Physic Nut, Jatropha Curcas, Nathan M. Leclear
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Jatropha curcas L., Euphorbiaceae, is a small tree native to the neotropics. Despite renewed economic interests in Physic Nut, mainly for biodiesel production, a comprehensive analysis of the ethnobotanical history of J. curcas is lacking. An account of the pre-Columbian neotropical distribution of this species and its historical uses are presented. Using capillary gas chromatography, studies were conducted to quantify the natural variation in seed oil content and fatty acid composition of the seed oil from several species of Jatropha, including assessment of how these parameters change during seed maturation. Natural variation in seed oil content was detected (F7,93 = …
Effect Of Myristicin, A Constituent Of Parsley, On Levels Of Glutathione And Glutathione S-Transferase In Mice Tissues, Maria Theresa Tijerina
Effect Of Myristicin, A Constituent Of Parsley, On Levels Of Glutathione And Glutathione S-Transferase In Mice Tissues, Maria Theresa Tijerina
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Glutathione (GSH) and related enzymes interact as a ubiquitous and efficient detoxification system in biological organisms. Several naturally occurring, as well as synthetic compounds, are known to increase the levels of glutathione/glutathione S-transferases (GST). One of the natural compounds includes myristicin, which is a constituent of parsley leaf oil as well as other natural foods. The extent to which the levels of the GSH/GST system can be induced appears to be dependent on the specific tissue type and the amount of myristicin administered. Our results show that increased amounts of myristicin exhibited beneficial effects within a certain range for each …