Life Sciences Commons^™

Optimization Of Bacterial Luciferase For Expression In Mammalian Cells, Stacey Swiger Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study describes the optimization of expression of the bacterial luciferase enzyme in mammalian cells. Previous attempts to express this heterodimeric enzyme complex in mammalian cells have been met with only modest success. In this research effort, several vector formats were evaluated to fully determine the optimal format for the expression of these genes. It was determined that the bacterial luciferase enzyme produced optimal bioluminescence in mammalian cells when the genes were cloned and expressed as a bicistronic transcript fused with an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). To optimize the enzyme expression further, a novel approach to codon optimize the …

The Development And Utilization Of A Survey Instrument To Determine The Acceptance Of National Standards For Technological Literacy, Robert Malcolm Donan

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past six years, practitioners in the field of technology education within the State of Tennessee have been mandated with nearly constant curricular change with the latest being the implementation of a revised set of content standards for technology education, a major change in programs within the curriculum framework, and most recently a new name for the state-wide program. These programmatic changes, other than the name change, although they addressed the majority of the national content standards for technological literacy, were not correlated with either the programs or grade level content explicit in the national standards developed and published …

Transgenic Approaches To Study Nodulation In The Model Legume, Lotus Japonicus, Crystal Bickley Mcalvin

Doctoral Dissertations

The soybean apyrase, GS52, characterized as an early nodulin, was further investigated for its possible role in nodulation. GS52 is expressed in roots and localized to the plasma membrane. In addition, it is rapidly induced upon rhizobial inoculation. Treatment of soybean roots with anti-GS52 antibodies blocked nodulation by Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Transgenic Lotus japonicus plants were generated expressing gs52 and showed enhanced nodulation and infection thread formation upon inoculation with Mesorhizobium loti that correlated with expression of the transgene. Surprisingly, expression of GS52 allowed L. japonicus plants to be infected but not nodulated by B. japonicum, the natural symbiont of soybean. …

Number 46 (December 2003), Southern Fishes Council

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

(December 2003) - Fish survey and bioassessment of Station Camp Creek in the Upper Kentucky River Drainage. By Jeffery M. Ray and Patrick A. Ceas

Minutes, Business Meeting, 29th Annual Meeting, Southeastern Fishes Council

Front Matter, Southeastern Fishes Council

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Minutes, Business Meeting, Southeastern Fishes Council

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Fish Survey And Bioassessment Of Station Camp Creek And Sturgeon Creek In The Upper Kentucky River Drainage, Jeffery M. Ray, Patrick A. Ceas

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Sp341-V-Sampling Stored Grain For Insects, Molds And Related Problems, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Field & Commercial Crops

The periodic and timely sampling of stored grains can detect existing or potential problems before considerable damage has occurred. Proper sampling of stored grain can reveal increases in moisture or temperature and insect or mold problems in the grain.

It is important to be aware of the potential hazards of sampling inside a grain bin. Suffocation can occur in grain bins, and sampling should be done with caution.

Sp290-F Maple Leaf Pouch Galls, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Eriophyid mite species cause a variety of pouch galls on red, sugar and silver maples. Pouch gall formation, a localized growth reaction of the infested plant, occurs as a result of mite feeding activity. The species of mite can be identified by the specific characteristics of the gall on the host plant.

Cd43 Modulates Severity And Onset Of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis., Thandi M. Onami, M. L. Ford, A. Sperling, R. Ahmed, B. D. Evavold

Microbiology Publications and Other Works

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a mouse model of multiple sclerosis characterized by infiltration of activated CD4(+) T lymphocytes into tissues of the CNS. This study investigated the role of CD43 in the induction and progression of EAE. Results demonstrate that CD43-deficient mice have reduced and delayed clinical and histological disease severity relative to CD43(+/+) mice. This reduction was characterized by decreased CD4(+) T cell infiltration of the CNS of CD43(-/-) mice but similar numbers of Ag-specific T cells in the periphery, suggesting a defect in T cell trafficking to the CNS. The absence of CD43 also affected cytokine production, …

Pb1770-A Guide For Considering And Developing A Farmers Market In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Marketing, Finances and Value-Added Agriculture

Soybean farmers face a variety of marketing alternatives each year. Selling to a grain buyer at harvest is one way to sell soybeans. Another alternative is to store soybeans (either commercially or on-farm) and sell them later. Farmers may also set a price for their soybeans before harvest by signing a cash-forward contract with a grain buyer. The contract specifi es the quantity, price, grade, quality and date of delivery. Because prices have been historically lowest during harvest, storing and cash-forward contracting are ways to price soybeans before or after the harvest season, in hopes of achieving higher prices.

Elucidation Of The Players And Events Regulating The First Meiotic Division In Mouse Spermatocytes, Amy Lynn Inselman

Doctoral Dissertations

Meiosis is the process that ensures the continued propagation of new organisms and is a source of genetic variability within a population. During meiotic prophase many dynamic rearrangements occur in the nucleus of the cell. These rearrangements include homologous chromosome pairing, recombination, synaptonemal complex breakdown, chromosome condensation and spindle assembly. The regulatory mechanisms behind these complex processes at the G2/MI transition have not been completely elucidated, preventing our complete understanding of the processes. The purpose of this work is to provide new insight to the events and players involved in the regulation of the G2/MI transition in mouse spermatocytes.

Part …

Fine-Scale Habitat Use Related To Crop Depredation By Female White-Tailed Deer In An Agricultural Landscape, Kent Allen Adams

Masters Theses

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is the most popular game animal in the United States but is also responsible for a large amount of damage to agricultural crops. Understanding how deer use agricultural landscapes on a small scale will facilitate management. Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry collars were attached to 16 female white-tailed deer at Chesapeake Farms, Kent County, Maryland, during 2 summer growing seasons (10 in 2001 and 6 in 2002). Twelve collars collected usable data and collar success averaged 90 and 86 percent in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Mean adaptive kernel home-range sizes (25.22 ha in …

Forest Certification: From The Perspectives Of Fsc Certified Land Managers In North America, Angela Hartsfield

Masters Theses

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification emerged nearly a decade ago from the realms of environmental non-governmental organizations, which sought greater environmental and social accountability from the forestry sector. Since its birth, FSC forest certification has had significant impacts on land managers who have adopted FSC forest management certification for their organizations. Given limited information on impacts of certification, and in order to better understand and assess the implications of FSC forest certification on land managers and on land management; I employ a mail survey, sent to all FSC certified land managers in North America. The results of this survey are …

The Effects Of Retinol During In Vivo And In Vitro Oocyte Maturation And Embryonic Development., Tracy Elizabeth Livingston

Doctoral Dissertations

Previous studies demonstrated that retinol administration to ewes, followed by natural service, resulted in embryos with improved competence to develop in vitro. In vivo studies with sheep and in vitro experiments with bovine embryos, were designed to evaluate the effects of retinol and to understand its mechanism(s) of action.

The primary objective of the first experiment was to analyze ovine oocyte metabolism, and to assess the effects of retinol on this process. Sheep oocytes were matured in vitro over a 24 hour period in the presence of different radiolabeled substrates. Results revealed that oxidative metabolism measured by glutamine showed …

The Effects Of Dietary Additives On The Growth Performance And Occurrance Of Resistant Bacteria In Weanling Pigs, January Beth Pulliam

Doctoral Dissertations

Three replicate trials, with a total of 36 ileal cannulated pigs, were conducted to determine the effects of including carbadox or mannanoligosaccharides in weanling pig diets. Individual crossbred (Yorkshire X Landrace X Duroc) pigs were used as the experimental units and were weaned at approximately 21 days of age, balanced by gender, genetics and weight, and allotted to pens in groups of three. Pens were randomly assigned to one of four treatments including: AB) 55 mg carbadox/kg, BM) 0.2% phosphorylated mannanoligosaccharide, RT) a rotation of the above two treatments, or CT) NRC based control treatment with no additives. Pigs were …

Role Of Ionic Interactions In The Catalytic Mechanism Of R67 Dihydrofolate Reductase, Stephanie Nicole Hicks

Masters Theses

The goal of this research is to investigate the role of K32 and K33 in the catalytic mechanism of R67 dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). K32 is located in the active site pore and is the only charged residue in the active site while K33 is located on the surface of R67 DHFR. Both of the ligands for R67 DHFR, NADPH and dihydrofolate (DHF), have negative charges capable of forming ionic interactions with symmetry related K32 residues. NMR, DELPHI, and docking studies predict that K32 is involved in ionic interactions with the 2’phosphate of NADPH. Docking studies also predict that K32 participates …

Involvement Of Transit Peptide Aromatic Residues In Precursor Interaction(S) With The Chloroplast Import Apparatus, Huixia Zhang

Masters Theses

The import of nuclear-encoded preproteins into chloroplast is mediated by the transit peptide located in the N-terminus of the preproteins. A semi-conserved FGLK motif is identified in most of the transit peptides bioinformatically, despite the lack of homology in the primary sequence. To investigate the role of phenylalanines in the FGLK motifs of SStp in the interaction with outer envelope import apparatus, mutations were made on the two motifs found in prSSU from tobacco: F26TGLK and F35PVSRK. These mutations include F→W, F→S, and F→A in both of the motifs. The WT precursor (prSSU), 6 single prSSU mutants, 9 double prSSU …

The Effects Of Stocking Density, Amount Of Substrate, Frequency Of Feeding, And Waste Removal On Nursery Production And The Effects Of Substrate Height On Pond Production Of Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium Rosenbergii, Alison Aria Ashby

Masters Theses

Production of freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in temperate regions has gradually increased over the past decade due to advances in research. However, production is limited to one seasonal crop in these regions, increasing the need to intensify production. A nursery phase has been implemented to produce larger juveniles to stock into production ponds.

Three nursery experiments (A, B, C) were performed to evaluate the effects of stocking density, amount of added substrate, feeding frequency, and waste removal on the survival and growth of juvenile prawn. Experiment A involved two concurrent studies. Prawn averaging 0.01 g were stocked at …

Initial Effects Of Silvicultural Treatments On Food Availability And Vegetation Structure For Wild Turkeys, Ryan G. Basinger

Masters Theses

The eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is an important game species in the mid-South region. Many non-industrial private landowners along with state and federal agencies actively manage property to enhance habitat for wild turkeys. In the past, diameter-limit cutting has been commonly used to harvest hardwood timber on public and private land in this region. Unfortunately, diameter-limit harvests typically “high-grade” stands, leaving low quality stems and altering forest composition in favor of less desirable species, such as red maple (Acer rubrum), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), winged elm (Ulmus alata), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). While the most biologically sound method …

Utilization Of Organic Co-Solvents To Enhance Bacterial Conversion Of Poorly Water-Soluble Compounds, Miguel Rodríguez Jr.

Masters Theses

Mass transfer of a poorly water-soluble gas in fermentations can reduce the performance of bioreactors. In aerobic fermentations, oxygen often becomes a limiting factor. In the biodegradation of volatile organic contaminants, their poor water solubilities often regulate the process. In fermentations of synthesis gas to fuels and chemicals, the issue of mass transfer is apparent. Since the mass transfer rate of the gaseous substrate to the aqueous phase is often the rate-limiting step in the bacterial conversion, many different reactor configurations have been suggested. An alternative approach could be to incorporate a co-solvent, which has properties that will increase the …

Broiler Performance And Mineral Utilization Of Enzyme-Supplemented Defatted Rice Bran Diet During Heat Stress, Ornprapun Puminn

Doctoral Dissertations

Defatted rice bran is a by-product from the solvent-extraction of rice bran. It contains high amounts of phytate and non-starch polysaccharides, which are considered to be two major antinutritional factors that limit the use of rice bran in poultry diets. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate broiler performance and mineral utilization of defatted rice bran diets supplemented with commercial enzyme phytase alone or a combination of phytase and xylanase under two different environmental temperatures. In the first experiment, six replicate groups of day-old chicks were assigned to five dietary treatments comprised of a control corn-soybean meal diet with 25% corn …

Current Assessment And Future Prediction Of Forest Cover Change In Cumberland And Morgan Counties, Tennessee: A Modeling Technique, Jeffery David Strickland

Masters Theses

Determining the relationship between human disturbance of the environment and natural forest change is critical for sound natural resource planning. Improved land cover modeling techniques that incorporate geographic information systems and statistical models are needed to assist in this analysis. Continued forest fragmentation due to increasing population and urbanization has created a growing interest in forest protection for the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. Specifically, Cumberland and Morgan Counties have seen unprecedented population growth over the last two decades, resulting in fragmentation of forestland. This study developed a model to determine the probability of exurbia development and its resulting forest fragmentation. …

A Management Plan For The Imported Fire Ant (Ifa) Migration Into Gateway Communities In East Tennessee, Elizabeth Ann Long

Masters Theses

This thesis outlines a management plan for Gateway communities to use as a preparedness guide dealing with the establishment of the hybrid species of the Imported Fire Ant (IFA). The red species of IFA, Solenopsis invicta Buren, and the black species of IFA, Solenopsis richteri Forel, are located in southern Tennessee, but it appears that it is the hybrid species of their crossbreeding that is migrating into east Tennessee. The two species of IFA and their hybrid are moving north, both by natural migration and by being brought into the east Tennessee area on landscape plant materials and by the …

F814-White-Tailed Deer Observation Form, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Wildlife and Fisheries

No abstract provided.

Sp290-R-Whiteflies In Ornamentals, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Home Garden, Lawn, and Landscape

Whiteflies are economically important insects on ornamentals grown in the greenhouse. Although these pests are most serious in the greenhouse, whiteflies may also attack ornamental plants grown outdoors. Some of the preferred woody ornamental hosts include barberry, redbud, Fucshia, honeylocust, black locust, Hibiscus, Lantana, coffeeberry, rose and Jerusalem cherry.

Sp290-T-Holly Leafminers, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Home Garden, Lawn, and Landscape

Holly leafminers are the most injurious pests of holly in the eastern United States. The holly leafminer was introduced from Europe. This insect is a primary pest of American or Christmas holly. Injury results from the larval mining activity just under the upper leaf surface. Additional damage is caused when females repeatedly puncture the leaves with their ovipositor (egg-laying structure). Punctured leaves become deformed.

Publish In Reproductive Biology And Endocrinology – Article Processing Charges Are Only Paid By Those Who Can Afford It, Antonin Bukovsky, Fuller W. Bazer

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- General Biology

Editorial

Electronic journals are the basis of a world of purely electronic scientific communication. Just imagine, no more bookshelves and mountains of disorganized paperwork, no more late nights organizing and searching for articles of interest. For most active research-oriented students and scientists this is already a reality, or will be in the near future.

Although most 'top ranked' traditional journals now offer web access to recent publications, and to less or more of their archives, not everyone has the luxury of access through their university, or has his/her subscription paid for, or can afford to pay US $30–35 for an …

Population Genetics And Effective Population Size Of The Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat, Tadarida Brasiliensis (Chiroptera: Molossidae), Amy Louise Russell

Doctoral Dissertations

The Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana, exhibits variation in migratory behavior over its range. Some populations undergo seasonal long-distance migrations to warmer climates in winter, whereas others are resident through the winter in more northern regions and hibernate. Variation is also exhibited among populations in their migratory routes, and long-term banding studies document that populations are largely faithful to a single migratory route. These observations have led to the prediction that behaviorally defined migratory groups make up structured gene pools. Tests of this prediction using allozyme markers have documented high levels of gene flow among migratory groups, with …

Characterization Of Root Stimulating Bacterium And Its Root Stimulating Abilities, Anjana Rajen Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, the characterization of a novel root stimulating bacterium (RSB) is reported and the root stimulating ability of RSB is compared to Sphingomonas and other related bacteria. A morphological examination of RSB was conducted. Nutritional and biochemical characterization was performed in order to obtain a profile of RSB. Pigment analysis indicated the presence of nostoxanthin, a pigment commonly found in Sphingomonas bacteria. Lipid analysis of RSB revealed the presence of sphingolipids in addition to other fatty acids suggesting similarity with other Sphingomonas bacteria. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis of RSB and Sphingomonas echinoides showed a high level of difference in …