Life Sciences Commons^™

Clock Control Of Circadian Changes Of Ommatidial Structure In The Cockroach, Leucophaea Maderae (L.), Zhuming Zhang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

All eukaryotic organisms display rhythms which persist under constant environmental conditions with periods of approximately, but very seldom exactly, 24 hours. Such rhythms are "circadian" and are driven by an internal "biological clock." Circadian rhythms of locomotor activity, retinal sensitivity to light and ommatidial morphology have been characterized in the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae (L.). It is not known whether the same clock(s) controls both circadian rhythms of electroretinogram (ERG) amplitude and morphological changes of the compound eye. In order to determine whether the location of the clock that controls morphological changes is in the same location as the one that …

In Vivo & In Vitro Effects Of Light On Ommatidial Morphology In The Cockroach, Leucophaea Maderae, Channon Yule

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Clock-driven endogenous circadian rhythms in ommatidial morphology have been reported in Leucophaea maderae. The parameters used to measure changes in ommatidial morphology over time were palisade layer and rhabdom areas and the organization of lightscreening pigment granules about the rhabdom. The fact that the palisade layer area only partially returned to the light-adapted state in vivo during subjective midday was indicative of a passive mechanism, not involving the clock output. Complete return of the palisade layer area to the light-adapted state during the daytime in animals held under LD 12:12 indicated light might play an active role. Temporal changes …

Purification & Characterization Of A Deoxyribonuclease From Etiolated Soybean, Cunyong Xu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A deoxyribonuclease (DNase) has been isolated from a purified preparation of soybean nuclei. The procedure, involving solubilization of proteins using ammonium sulfate, Sephadex G-75, DEAE-Cellulose and CMSephadex chromatography and non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, resulted in a 554-fold purification with a yield of 6% of the enzyme. The purified enzyme had a molecular weight of 60 KDa as monitored by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In addition, high-molecular-weight (HMW) soybean DNA, essentially free from protein, RNA and other contaminates, has been isolated from soybean to be used as a substrate for the enzyme. Enzyme activity was directly proportional to the concentration of …

Cryptococcus Neoformans Serotype Groups Found In Clinical And Environmental Isolates, John Clauson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast responsible for severe meningoencephalitis. The importance of epidemiological studies on cryptococcosis has increased since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. C. neoformans exists in two varieties containing four serotypes, C. neoformans var. neoformans (serotypes A and D) and C. neoformans var. gattii (serotypes B and C). Locally C. neoformans var. neoformans has been associated with pigeon feces during those months having an average temperature of 64.2°F j(17.8°C) and above. Clinical and environmental isolates of C. neoformans obtained from regional hospitals and environmental samplings, respectively, have been grouped into their variety status utilizing canavanine-glycine-bromthymol blue …

A Comparison Of Hemoglobin Zurich Erythrocytic Membrane Proteins & Identification Of The Mutation At The Dna Level, Yijuan Liu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hemoglobin Zurich is a rare blood condition which causes severe rupturing of erythrocytes upon the administration of sulfonamides. Hemoglobin Zurich is caused by a specific genetic mutation in which there is a single amino acid (histidine) substituted for arginine at position 63 in the beta chain of hemoglobin molecules [β 63 Histidine --> Arginine].

In this study, the membrane proteins of Hemoglobin Zurich erythrocytes were compared to membrane proteins from normal human erythrocytes employing sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and visualized by periodic-acid Schiff (PAS) and DZANDU staining. No differences were detected employing these techniques.

DNA was isolated from …

Bioremediation: A New Technology Using Inhabitants Of The Soil, Matthew Fields

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms to clean the environment contaminated with various pollutants such as chemical wastes and petroleum -based products. The microbes use the pollutants as their carbon source and by doing so the contaminants are broken down. This paper examined the numbers of indigenous microorganisms in soil contaminated with diesel fuel and oil. Contaminant-degrading microbes were isolated and enumerated using phenanthrene in mineral media. The breakdown of phenanthrene was used as an indicator for contaminant degradation. The effects of aeration and the addition of nutrients on bioremediation processes was also studied. Soil samples used in the performed …