Life Sciences Commons^™

Literature Review Of Human Hdr Syndrome With Gata3 Haplo Insufficiency, Olivia Ambursley-Gries

Honors Theses

This literature mining project is regarding mutations that cause hearing loss in patients with human hypo parathyroid, deafness, and renal dysplasia (HDR) syndrome caused by a mutation in the GATA3 gene. The disease is unique; not all diagnosed individuals present with all symptoms of the triad. Van Esh et al. found that the haploinsufficiency of the GATA3 is found on chromosome 10p14-p15 (ref.1). The focus of this work is to condense the literature on GATA3 haploinsufficiency correlating to human HDR syndrome. Due to the lack of global healthcare access, it can be assumed that many cases remain undiagnosed; 180 have …

Regenerative Rehabilitation And Genomics: Implications For Occupational Therapy, John V. Rider

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The completion of the human genome project has paved the way for health care practitioners to use genetic and environmental information to tailor medical treatment. This innovative approach to health care is rapidly evolving, and occupational therapists need to be aware of the impact it will have on future practice. Regenerative rehabilitation is a product of knowledge and techniques from the fields of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine with the common goal to restore function. Occupational therapists have the potential to play a significant role in regenerative rehabilitation research and implementation. The purpose of this article is to (a) increase understanding …

A Deep Learníng-Based Data Minimization Algorithm For Big Genomics Data In Support Of Lot And Secure Smart Health Services, Mohammed Aledhari

Dissertations

In the age of Big Genomics Data, institutes such as the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI),1000-Genomes project, and the international cancer sequencing consortium are faced with the challenge of sharing large volumes of data between internationallydispersed sample collectors, data analyzers, and researchers, a process that up until now has been plagued by unreliable transfers and slow connection speeds. These occur due to the inherent throughput bottlenecks of traditional transfer technologies. One suggested solution is using the cloud as an infrastructure to solve the store and analysis challenges. However, the transfer and share of the genomics datasets between biological laboratories …

Human-Nonhuman Chimeras, Ontology, And Dignity: A Constructivist Approach To The Ethics Of Conducting Research On Cross-Species Hybrids, Jonathan M. Vajda

The Hilltop Review

Developments in biological technology in the last few decades highlight the surprising and ever-expanding practical benefits of stem cells. With this progress, the possibility of combining human and nonhuman organisms is a reality, with ethical boundaries that are not readily obvious. These inter-species hybrids are of a larger class of biological entities called “chimeras.” As the concept of a human-nonhuman creature is conjured in our minds, either incredulous wonder or grotesque horror is likely to follow. This paper seeks to mitigate those worries and demotivate reasonable concerns raised against chimera research, all the while pressing current ethical positions toward their …

An Out-Of-Core Gpu Based Dimensionality Reduction Algorithm For Big Mass Spectrometry Data And Its Application In Bottom-Up Proteomics, Muaaz Awan, Fahad Saeed

Parallel Computing and Data Science Lab Technical Reports

Modern high resolution Mass Spectrometry instruments can generate millions of spectra in a single systems biology experiment. Each spectrum consists of thousands of peaks but only a small number of peaks actively contribute to deduction of peptides. Therefore, pre-processing of MS data to detect noisy and non-useful peaks are an active area of research. Most of the sequential noise reducing algorithms are impractical to use as a pre-processing step due to high time-complexity. In this paper, we present a GPU based dimensionality-reduction algorithm, called G-MSR, for MS2 spectra. Our proposed algorithm uses novel data structures which optimize the memory and …

Expression Of Insulin Responsive Genes In Insulin Resistant Conditions, And The Effect Of Selenium On Gene Expression, David L. Ruff

Masters Theses

Chronically high blood glucose levels lead to many problems, such as insulin resistance, the hallmark of Type II diabetes. Increased flux through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway is one mechanism by which high glucose as well as glucosamine has been shown to induce insulin resistance. This study tests the effects of glucosamine induced insulin resistance on insulin regulation of the metabolic genes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) as well as insulin responsive proteins tribbles homolog (TRIB3) and sterol regulatory element binding protein (SERBP-1c) 1c.

Selenium, a micronutrient has been shown to be an effective insulin mimetic in Type …

A Parallel Algorithm For Compression Of Big Next-Generation Sequencing Datasets, Sandino N. Vargas Perez, Fahad Saeed

Parallel Computing and Data Science Lab Technical Reports

With the advent of high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, the amount of data being generated represents challenges including storage, analysis and transport of huge datasets. One solution to storage and transmission of data is compression using specialized compression algorithms. However, these specialized algorithms suffer from poor scalability with increasing size of the datasets and best available solutions can take hours to compress gigabytes of data. In this paper we introduce paraDSRC, a parallel implementation of DSRC algorithm using a message passing model that presents reduction of the compression time complexity by a factor of O(1/p ). Our experimental results show …

Studies On Enzyme Functional Evolution In The Sabath Multigene Family Using Phylogenetic And Biochemical Approaches, Ruiqi Huang

Masters Theses

Gene duplication is believed to be the major source for providing genetic materials for the innovation and diversification of protein functions; natural selection and/or neutral drift then works on these genetic materials to guide their evolutionary directions. Here, I used the salicylic acid/benzoic acid/theobromine (SABATH) multigene family to study how natural selection acted on duplicated genes to prompt functional diversification. Members in this family methylate plant secondary metabolites by transferring the methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to the carboxyl group or ring nitrogen of the substrates. In the Apocynaceae and Solanaceae lineage of this family, I documented three putative gene …

Inbreeding, Male Diploidy, And Complementary Sex Determination In The Solitary Wasp Euodynerus Foraminatus, Julie Kozaczka Stahlhut

Dissertations

In the insect order Hymenoptera, which includes wasps, bees, and ants, females normally develop from fertilized eggs and are diploid, while males develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid. Underlying mechanisms of sex determination are more complex and vary among different hymenopteran taxa. One such method is single-locus complementary sex determination, or sl-CSD, in which sex is determined by a single gene locus with many alleles. In species with sl-CSD, diploid individuals that are heterozygous at the sex locus develop as normal females and hemizygous (haploid) individuals as normal males, but diploids homozygous at the sex locus will also develop …

Molecular Evolution Of Insecticidal Spore-Forming Bacteria, John Pool

Honors Theses

Molecular methods are increasingly being used to determine the phylogeny of microorganisms. This research was intended to determine phylogenetic relationships for bacteria of the species Bacillus thuringiensis and other members of the Bacillus cereus group. Each strain was analyzed by its sasp-B gene sequence to determine its species classification and relation to other strains studied. Results of this study indicated that according to the sasp-B gene tree, the species Bacillus thuringiensis is a paraphyletic with respect to both Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. Some unexpected results and implications for species designations are also discussed.

Characterization Of Metal-Regulated Genes In Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Melanie Pearson

Honors Theses

One side effect of today's industrialized world is increased levels of heavy metals in the environment. Many of these metals are necessary for biological function as trace elements, but at higher concentrations are toxic. Other metals, such as cadmium, are not beneficial at any level, and have only deleterious effects on living organisms. Cadmium is primarily thought to interfere with normal biological function of proteins. Human exposure to cadmium appears to primarily damage the kidneys, but may also affect the liver, lungs, immune system, and central nervous system. Bacteria, however, have developed several methods for handling toxic heavy metals: cation …

Oral Cancer Screening, Damon Omar Watson

Honors Theses

Cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx have increased throughout the decades. Since oral cancer represents a small percentage of the total cancers in the United States, it is often overlooked. Though this is the case, the results of this cancer can be devastating. To address this issue, an Oral Cancer Screening was organized on August 14, 1996 at the West Michigan Cancer Center in Kalamazoo. This was a joint collaboration between the author, the West Michigan Cancer Center, and the Kalamazoo Valley Dental Society. This event allowed research to take place concerning the data obtained. Confidential results and information …

An Account Of Expert Phylogenetic Tree Construction From The Problem-Solving Research Tradition In Science Education, Steven D. Brewer

Dissertations

Content knowledge, strategic knowledge, and forms of knowledge organization used in phylogenetic tree construction are described to account for expert performance. A literature review is used to situate this research with respect to studies of: (a) the teaching of evolution, (b) problem-solving expertise, (c) physics and biology problem solving, and (d) the practice of phylogenetic systematics. Rationales are provided for the development of a computer-based problem-solving environment, model problems, and research problems and methodology.

Each problem consisted of a matrix of coded and polarized phylogenetic data organized by taxa and characters. Four series of research problems were constructed that varied …

Cloning And Sequencing Of The Eco Rii Monomer Fragment Of Satellite Dna From The Mouse Mus Musculus, Timothy Patrick Boyle

Masters Theses

Total mouse satellite DNA was isolated in cesium chloride gradients in the presence of the dye Hoechst 33258. This satellite fraction was digested with Bst Nl, an isoschizomer of the restriction enzyme Eco RII, and the 234 base pair monomer fragment was cloned into the plasmid vector pBS. Dideoxynucleotide sequencing of the cloned DNA yielded significant homology with the published consensus sequence of mouse satellite DNA (92%).

Comparison Of Electron And Light Microscopy Of Chromosome Aberration Induced In Human Lymphocytes By Adriamycin And Mitomycin C, Abbas Parsian

Dissertations

The present study was designed to develop a technique to prepare human chromosomes for sequential light and electron microscopic observation and to compare detectability of chromosome aberrations induced by adriamycin and mitomycin C by the two procedures. The technique developed preserved the morphological and structural organization of chromosome while allowing observation of the cell's entire chromosome complement. It was rapid and reproducible and chromosomes could be treated and stained for banding.

Light microscopic data showed that in cultures of human lymphocytes both drugs induce chromosome aberrations. In comparison with controls both drugs produced significantly more chromosome and chromatid fragments. Electron …

The Effects Of Strain Differences On The Binding Of Concavalian A To Mouse Sperm, Lisa A. Mckay

Honors Theses

The current study, lectins were used as genetic probes to determine the phenotype of the sperm from different strains of mice. Lectins are proteins of non-immune origin, which bind to specific carbohydrates (McCoy, 1986). Being that virtually all cell membranes contain carbohydrate components, lectins have been used to identify all types of cells. In this study, a biotinylated lectin Concavalian A (Con A) derived from Canavalia ensiformis, was used and binding was detected using an avidin-biotin peroxidase (ABP) complex technique. The object of the current research was to 1) determine if mouse strain differences have an effect on lectin binding, …

Strain Differences And Mutagen Treatment Influence Lectin Binding To Mouse Germ Cells, Marilyn Schmalz Holm

Masters Theses

Carbohydrate moieties on mouse germ cell surfaces were characterized by investigating the binding of FITC-labeled lectins to sperm and testis cells. Differences in lectin binding between different mouse strains, including T/t mice, were found. However, there was no evidence for the involvement of sialic acid or L-fucose in the T/t locus antigens. Antiserum to the t⁰, t⁶ haplotype was equally reactive to both ICR and T/t mouse testis cells in both immunofluorescence and cytotoxicity assays. Trypsinization of testis cells increased binding of soybean agglutinin and decreased binding of wheat germ agglutinin.

A method was developed for flow …

The Use Of Motor Coordination Endpoints In The F1 Generation To Evaluate For Effects Of Ethylmethanesulfonate On Pre- And Post-Meiotic Sperm Cells Of Male Mice, Lee Goldner

Masters Theses

Groups of 5 male HA(ICR) mice were injected intraperitoneally with 60, 150, 300, or 600 mg/kg body weight of ethylmethanesulfonate or with a saline control. Each male was mated to two untreated females at two weeks after treatment and then again at five weeks after treatment. The treatment groups were labelled post-meiotic and pre-meiotic relative to the stage of spermatogenesis at time of treatment. Progeny were evaluated by observations of litter size, body weight, negative geotactic response, swimming patterns, limb use, water escape time and open field motor coordination activity. Body weight, geotactic response, limb use and open field motor …

Standardization Of The Sister Chromatid Exchange Technique In Human Lumphocytes For Mutagen And Carcinogen Testing, Kamlesh Sharma

Dissertations

The differential staining of chromosomes with the use of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BUdR) was discovered in 1972. Since then, the BUdR technique has been modified and improved. It is used to study cellular kinetics; yet its most extensive use today is focused on studying sister chromatid exchange (SCE). Studies show that the frequency of SCEs increases significantly in the presence of mutagenic and carcinogenic agents. Hence, the BUdR technique (commonly referred to as the SCE technique) has been useful as a diagnostic tool to test for mutagenic anc carcinogenic agents.

Investigators have used differential staining to obtain a baseline incidence of SCEs …

Analysis Of Single Sperm Acrosomal Enzymes In Genetic Toxicology, Steven Craig Johnson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Cytogenetic Test Of Captan And Triethylenemelamine In Mouse Bone Marrow, Stephen M. Fry

Honors Theses

Following a single non-toxic i.p. injection with 0.5 or 1.0 mg triethylenemelamine/kig a significant increase in chromosome aberrations in mouse bone marrow was observed 6, 12, 30, but not 54 h after treatment. A single i.p. injection with 250 mg captan/kig caused up to 68% lethality above controls, but no significant increase in chromosome aberrations after the same time intervals. One metacentric chromosome was observed 6, 30, and 54 h after captan treatment among 300, 300, and 101 metaphase spreads respectively, whereas none appeared in 1495 control spreads.

The Prevalence Of 47, Xyy Males Among Collegiate Basketball Players, Joy Ann Price

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Chemical Structure And Mutagenic Activity Of Streptozotocin And Its Analogs, Riaz-Ul Islam Zuberi

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Experimentation To Develop Procedures To Be Used In The Investigation Of The Effects Of Restriction On The Unmodified Dna Of The Bacteriophage Lamda, John Haynes

Honors Theses

The results of experimentation approximately twenty years ago with variuos bacteriophages by Ralston and Krueger¹⁶, Anderson and Felix¹, Luria and Human¹², and by Bertani and Weigle² have shown that the host range of a given phage depends directly on the bacterial strain on which the phage has last propagated. This event came to be known as host-induced modification or host-controlled variation. As this phage host range is controlled by the host environment and can be altered from one generation to another it has, according to Luria, made microbiology "the last stronghold of Lamarckism" …

N-Methyl-N’-Nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine Induced Dominant And Recessive Mutations In Zea Mays, Frank Charles Janca

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Review Of The Status Of The Teaching Of Genetics And Evolution In High School Biology Courses With Suggestions For Improving The Teaching Of These Subjects, Carl Jay Bajema

Masters Theses

Introduction

It is the purpose of this thesis to: (1) discuss the place of genetics and evolution in high school biology courses; (2) specify the objectives that should be attained in teaching genetics and evolution; (3) discuss the current status of the teaching of genetics and evolution in high school biology courses; (4) suggest means of overcoming the three problems which have resulted in the poor teaching of genetics and evolution on the high school level -- first, the problem of religious opposition to the teaching of evolution; second, the problem of a lack of knowledge on the part of …