Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Protein Kinases In The Regulation Of The Na+/H+ Antiporter In Xenopus Oocytes, Andre P. J. Kulisz

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Microglial Reactivity To N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (Nmda) Induced Excitotoxicity In The Immature Rat Brain, Laia Acarin

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Development Of A New Hydroseeding Process For Soil Stabilisation And Vegetation, Eileen T. Keane

Theses

A variety of mechanical and chemical extraction procedures were used to produce crude alginate gels from 3 seaweed species. These viscous hydrocolloidal substances had excellent adhesive properties but did however prove phytotoxic to germinating seeds. Experimental gels were subsequently refined and germination trials were carried out to determine optimum gel types. Pilot field trials were set up to compare the 2 most favourable gels with existing commercial hydroseeding products imported from Norway and Sweden. These tests involved the use of experimental plots on loam and sand substrates with slopes of 0^, 22^ and 45^. A number of biodegradable organic substances …

Intraspecific Life History Variation In Sceloporus Undulatus: A Factor Analysis, Geoffrey R. Smith, John W. Rowe, R. E. Ballinger

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reproductive Ecology Of Pinckneya Bracteata (Bartram) Raflnesque (Rubiaceae), George H. Rountree

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

Pinckneya bracteata is a small tree or large shrub that is indigenous to the coastal plain of extreme southern South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida. It in occurs in sunny, wet habitats and in small populations that are usually separated by distances of kilometers. This study examined the mating, dispersal, and germination systems of the species. Pinckneya bracteata was found to be protandrous and self incompatible. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and bumblebees ( Bombus spp. appear to be the primary pollinators. Seed fall velocity is important to the wind dispersal of seeds and decreases as seed size increases. Fall velocity is also …

Recognition And Phagocytosis Of Apoptotic Cells, Luciana Dini, Maria Teresa Ruzittu, Laura Falasca

Scanning Microscopy

Physiological elimination of unwanted cells within the organism occurs via cell death by apoptosis and phagocytosis of these cells represents a key event in the apoptotic process. Macrophages, which are the dedicated phagocytes, and other occasionally phagocytic cells ingest the apoptotic cells while they are still intact, thus preventing the leakage of potentially harmful materials from the dying cells. Although evidence has been presented that the elimination of apoptotic bodies from the tissue operates by means of specific recognition systems, the molecular mechanisms by which an apoptotic cell is recognized are poorly understood. Recent data indicate that phagocyte recognition of …

Scanning Electron Microscopic Study Of The Postnatal Development Of The Rabbit Cochlea, With An Emphasis On Innervation, Hirofumi Morita, Tomoyuki Hoshino, Kunihiro Mizuta, Satoshi Iwasaki

Scanning Microscopy

The development of nerve fiber arrangements of the organ of Corti was studied in rabbits 1, 3, 5, 7 and 12-days-old using thick sections from celloidin-embedded cochleas which were examined under a scanning electron microscope. The arrangements of nerve fibers varied with developmental age. The tunnel spiral bundle was thick and loosely collected in the immature cochlea. The outer spiral fibers were recognized even in the narrow space of Nuel in the one-day-old cochlea. As Nuel's space is extending, the fibers course along the medial side of Deiters' cells. The arrangement of the outer spiral fibers was irregular and sparse …

Channel Catfish, Ictalurus Punctatus, T-Lymphocyte Mitogenic Responses To Outer Membrane Proteins And Lps Of The Gram Negative Rod Bacterium, Edwardsiella Ictaluri, Barry Revis Hamilton

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Barry Revis Hamilton on December 8, 1995.

Biological Determinism And The Human Genome Project: Is The Past Prologue?, Alexandra Dawn Breen

Theses & Honors Papers

In 1989, The National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy, launched a three billion dollar project that could potentially change the way we view human life. The purpose of the project is to map every gene on every chromosome of the human DNA. The Human Genome Project, as it is referred to, is scheduled for completion by the year 2005. The frank reality of the Human Genome Project is that it will indeed offer some real and measurable benefit to different types of people, including some of those inflicted with fatal diseases and disorders; …

A Review Of Ministerial Policy Guidelines For Rock Lobster Processing In Western Australia From The Working Group Appointed By The Minister For Fisheries And Chaired By Peter Rich, Peter Rich

Fisheries Management Papers

The rock lobster processing industry in Western Australia has a long history of management. Whilst management of the industry through the Fisheries Department has obviously been successful in helping to build the rock lobster industry into one of the State's major export industries, this approach is not without problems. With the introduction of the Fisheries Management Act 1994, the Minister for Fisheries deemed it appropriate to appoint an expert group to review the existing regulation of the rock lobster processing sector, draft the necessary guidelines to assist the Executive Director of the Fisheries Department make decisions on rock lobster processing …

Regulation Of Leukotriene C4 Biosynthesis In Calcium Ionophore A23187-Challeneged August Rat Peritoneal Leukocytes, James M. Huebner

Masters Theses

Leukotriene (LT) C₄ is a potent myotropic product of arachidonic acid 5-lipoxygenation that is thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of immediate hypersensitivity reactions and inflammation. We designed the present study to evaluate the capacity of August (AUG) rat mixed peritoneal leukocytes to generate LTC₄ when challenged with different concentrations of the Ca²⁺ ionophore A23187 and to test the hypothesis that LTC₄ biosynthesis is regulated via a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent mechanism. The AUG rat, which has a spontaneously high number of peritoneal eosinophils that can be harvested by a simple lavage procedure, is …

Morphometric, Isozyme And Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna (Rapd) : Analysis Of Sarotherodon Mossambicus Populations In Java, Indonesia, Yoedono Sovyanhadi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The tilapia fish Sarotherodon mossambicus (Teleostei, Cichlidae) is an important protein source for Indonesians, is a strong competitor with some endemic species and .readily hybridizes with other tilapias. A base line assessment of the present genetic diversity of these populations in Indonesia was conducted to facilitate the management of this species. This study compared the effectiveness of the 3 techniques (morphometric, isozyme and RAPD) in revealing differences within and among 9 Javanese populations. The data were also used to estimate the rate of divergence among the populations.

Morphometric analysis showed significant size and shape differences among the populations. Isozyme and …

The Aerobic Metabolism And Behavior Of The Burrow-Dwelling Mantis Shrimp, Hemisquilla Ensigera Californiensis, Jason Jospeh Cassista

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The predatory stomatopod Hemisquilla ensigera californiensiswas captured at 10-20 m depths off California and transferred to an observation tank with artificial burrows similar to those observed in the field. The animals were maintained under a 1OL:140 light-dark cycle and monitored on a 24-hour basis using a time-lapse video recorder. Infrared lamps were used for observations within the burrow and at night. Metabolic rates, as a function of oxygen tension, were measured in respirometry chambers using polarographic oxygen electrodes.

This species is a near complete oxyconformer, so aerobic metabolism is strongly depressed at low oxygen levels, yet the animals remained …

Identification Of An Insulin-Responsive Element In The Rat Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Gene, Sheri Lynn Holmen

Masters Theses

The expression of several genes has been shown to be either positively or negatively regulated by insulin at the transcriptional level, however no single insulin responsive DNA element has yet been identified. The transcription factors responsible for stimulation or inhibition of gene expression by insulin also remain to be identified. In recent years, expression of the gene for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) in primary rat hepatocytes has been found to be influenced by hormones such as insulin, dexamethosone, and glucagon. The molecular mechanism(s) however, underlying hormonal regulation of G6PDH gene transcription remains to be elucidated. The focus of this study was …

Chlorophyll Biosynthesis In Kleptoplastid Symbioses, Robert Joseph Swatski

Theses and Dissertations

The retention by ascoglossan sea slugs of photosynthetically functional algal chloroplasts (kleptoplastids) has been the subject of intense study over the past three decades. The question of whether kleptoplastids are capable of de novo chlorophyll biosynthesis was seemingly answered by Trench and Smith (1970) and Trench et al. (1973), who found no 14C uptake into chlorophylls in the ascoglossans, Elvsia viridis and E. crispata, after brief radioisotope incubations. However, Clark and Waugh (unpub.) demonstrated some 14C uptake into chlorophyll in CQStasiqlla ocellifera, a long-term kleptoplasad retainer, which promoted a re-analysis of these experiments. In order to prove the occurrence of …

Feeding And Nesting Ecology Of The Great Kiskadee, Pitangus Sulphuratus Texanus (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Robert Luis Gorena

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The foraging and nesting ecology of the Great Kiskadee was studied in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas during 1994 and 1995. Adult kiskadees were found to be omnivorous, feeding mainly on fleshy fruits, fish, and dragonflies, and capturing animal prey mainly by surface gleaning into water or hawking prey out of midair. Nests are constructed mainly during March and April and are built at heights between 6 and 10 meters apparently without preference to tree species. Of 29 nests observed, 66% (19) were active during at least part of the breeding season. Nestlings are fed a diet very similar …

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 …

In Vivo Metal Substitutions In Metal Sequestering Subcellular Compartments: X-Ray Mapping In Cryosections, A. J. Morgan, C. Winters, A. Yarwood, N. Wilkinson

Scanning Microscopy

Qualitative digital X-ray mapping techniques were employed to determine the distributions of essential and non-essential elements in three invertebrate "models": (1) Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Fe in thin cryosections of the hepatopancreas of the terrestrial isopod, Oniscus asellus; (2) Pb, Zn, Cd, Ca in thin cryosections of the chloragogenous tissue of the earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus; and (3) As in air-dried smears and thin cryosections of chloragogen in L. rubellus. Four general conclusions were drawn from the results of these studies: (a) non-essential elements can accumulate, distribute and be compartmentalized because they, or the organo-complexes that they form, …

Zinc Deficiency Produces Time-Related Ultrastructural Changes In Rat Cheek Epithelium, Shahid H. Ashrafi, Nasser A. H. Said-Al-Naief

Scanning Microscopy

The subject of this study was whether the ultrastructural changes in cheek epithelium of zinc-deficient rats are time related. Weanling male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a zinc-deficient diet containing 0.4 ppm zinc (ZD) ad libitum and controls were pair-fed zinc adequate diet containing 40 ppm zinc. After 9, 18, and 27 days of zinc deficiency, specimens from cheek epithelium of both groups were processed for transmission electron microscopy. Partial conversion of the orthokeratinized cheek epithelium to parakeratinized was seen as early 9 days. An electron-lucent band surrounding the nucleus was observed in ZD cells. Mitochondria, tonofilaments, keratohyalin granules and …

Alterations In Intestinal Transport Of Oxalate In Disease States, Marguerite Hatch, Robert W. Freel

Scanning Microscopy

Normally, absorption of oxalate from dietary sources can occur in all segments of the intestinal tract. However, alterations in both the magnitude and direction of oxalate fluxes across the intestine can occur in disease states. In enteric hyperoxaluria, enhanced absorption of oxalate by the large intestine is caused by increased permeability of a shunt conductance induced by malabsorbed bile salts and fatty acids. In this condition, the contribution of a paracellular passive flux of oxalate moving along its electrochemical gradient will predominate when intraluminal concentrations of free oxalate are high. In contrast, in chronic renal failure, secretion of oxalate can …

Incorporating Depredation Permits Into Integrated Damage Management Plans For Aquaculture Facilities, Philip Mastrangelo, Charles Sloan, Kevin Bruce

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Increasing bird depredation at aquaculture facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi creates economic hardships for many fish farmers. Solutions to bird depredation at these facilities require the development of integrated damage management plans that will reduce damage levels while insuring minimal impacts to bird populations. Damage management plans developed for fish farmers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Health Plant Inspection Service, Animal Damage Control (ADC) program always include non-lethal control recommendations. If nonlethal control is ineffective or only marginally effective in reducing damage, the management plans may also recommend the issuance of depredation permits by the …

Comparison Of Predation Rates On Wild Turkey Hens Between Two Forest Ecosystems In Mississippi, Michael J. Chamberlain, Darren A. Miller, Bruce D. Leopold, George A. Hurst

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Because of increases in predator populations, concern has arisen about effects on wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations. We examined differences in predation of adult hens between 2 forested areas in Mississippi. Twin Oaks Wildlife Management Area (OAKS), located in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, is a 2,302 ha tract of mature bottomland hardwood forest surrounded on 3 sides by soybean fields. Tallahala Wildlife Management Area (TWMA) is a 14,410 ha mixed forest in central Mississippi and is part of a large, forested ecosystem. Hens were captured, fitted with transmitters, and monitored by telemetry, 1990-1994 on TWMA (n = …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Effect Of Hindlimb Unloading On Rat Soleus Fiber Force, Stiffness, And Calcium Sensitivity, Kerry S Mcdonald, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the time course of change in soleus muscle fiber peak force (N), tension (P_o, kN/m²), elastic modulus (E_o), and force-pCa and stiffness-pCa relationships. After 1, 2, or 3 wk of hindlimb unloading (HU), single fibers were isolated and placed between a motor arm and a transducer, and fiber diameter, peak absolute force, P_o, E_o, and force-pCa and stiffness-pCa relationships were characterized. One week of HU resulted in a significant reduction in fiber diameter (68 +/- 2 vs 57 +/- 1 microns), force …

Examination Of Injected Specimens By Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy And Scanning Electron Microscopy, A. Castenholz

Scanning Microscopy

Although corrosion casts commonly examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) offer good insights into the general arrangement of the microvasculature of certain organs, no information can be obtained from such specimens on special morphological data or dynamic events. Thus, most investigators are obliged to make their interpretations of cast structures only on the basis of indirect criteria. A synopsis, which considers the most important data in that respect, is given for the blood and lymphatic microvessels. Moreover, a methodological approach is introduced, based on the application of fluorescent resin, which allows the examination of cast structures in uncorroded specimens together …

Dietary Oxalate And Its Intestinal Absorption, Ross P. Holmes, Harold O. Goodman, Dean G. Assimos

Scanning Microscopy

Dietary oxalate is currently believed to make only a minor contribution (< 20%) to urinary oxalate excretion. A recent prospective study of stone disease suggested that dietary oxalate may be a significant risk factor. This observation led us to re-evaluate the contribution of dietary oxalate to urinary oxalate excretion. Previous studies have been hampered by inaccurate food composition tables for oxalate and inadequate methods for studying intestinal oxalate absorption. This evidence as well as factors that modify oxalate absorption are reviewed. New approaches to measure food oxalate and intestinal oxalate absorption have been examined. Capillary electrophoresis appears to be well suited for the analysis of the oxalate content of food. Two individuals consumed an oxalate-free formula diet for 7 days. This diet decreased urinary oxalate excretion by an average of 67% (18.6 mg per 24 hours) compared to oxalate excretion on self-selected diets. The absence of detectable oxalate in feces by day 6 of the diet suggested that the intestinal absorption was minimal. However, an effect of the formula diet on endogenous oxalate synthesis cannot be excluded. Restoring oxalate to the formula diet increased urinary oxalate excretion and illustrates that this experimental protocol may be well-suited for studying oxalate absorption and factors that modify it. Our results suggest that the intestinal absorption of dietary oxalate makes a substantial contribution to urinary oxalate excretion and that this absorption can be modified by decreasing oxalate intake or increasing the intakes of calcium, magnesium, and fiber.

Elliptical-P Cells In The Avian Perilymphatic Interface Of The Tegmentum Vasculosum, C. D. Fermin, D. H. Lee, D. S. Martin

Scanning Microscopy

Elliptical cells (E-P) are present at the perilymphatic interface lumen (PIL) of the lagena. The E-P cells often separate from the tegmentum vasculosum (TV) and have touching processes that form a monolayer between the K⁺ rich perilymph and the Na⁺ rich endolymph, similar to the mammalian Reissner's membrane. We examined the TV of chicks (Gallus domesticus) and quantitated the expression of anti-S100ααββ and S100β. There was a 30% increase of S100β saturation in the light cells facing the PIL when compared to other TV light cells. We show that: (1) the dimer anti-S100ααββ and …

Vascular Architecture Of The Lactating And Non-Lactating Teat Of The Bitch: A Scanning Electron- And Light Microscope Study, F. J. Pérez-Aparicio, V. Dantzer, M. Navarro, A. Carretero, J. Ruberte

Scanning Microscopy

Tissues from fourteen mammary glands of eight bitches were prepared for scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts and for histology to study the vasculature of the lactating and non-lactating teats. The densely-meshed mammary dermal capillary network formed ridges and troughs. The teat ducts were vascularized by a relatively densely-meshed capillary network which drained into veins longitudinally oriented to the ducts. Between eight and fifteen teat duct openings were seen on the tip of the teat, that were sometimes divided by a septum. The inner vascularization of the teat showed that the main papillary arteries divided into undulating secondary papillary …

Oxalate-Induced Damage To Renal Tubular Cells, C. R. Scheid, H. K. Koul, L. Kennington, W. A. Hill, J. Luber-Narod, J. Jonassen, T. Honeyman, M. Menon

Scanning Microscopy

Our own studies and those of others have shown that the incidence of calcium oxalate stones and plaques is markedly increased by nephrotoxins. The possible role of oxalate as a nephrotoxin has not been fully appreciated. However, recent studies in experimental animals and in cultured cells support this possibility. The results of these studies led us to hypothesize that hyperoxaluria promotes stone formation in several ways: by providing a substrate for the formation of the most common form of renal stones, calcium oxalate stones, and by inducing damage to renal epithelial cells. Damaged cells in turn would produce an environment …

In Situ Hybridization And Monoclonal Antibody Analysis Of Plasma Membrane Ca-Pump Mrna And Protein In Submandibular Glands Of Rabbit, Rat And Man, J. L. Borke, A. E. Zaki, D. R. Eisenmann, S. H. Ashrafi, M. M. Sharawy, S. S. Rahman

Scanning Microscopy

The degree of supersaturation of saliva with calcium (Ca) is related to the mineral phase of enamel in erupted teeth, the incidence of caries, and the formation of calculus. The mechanisms for regulating salivary Ca concentration are therefore of relevance to dentistry. Sections of rabbit, rat and human submandibular gland (SMG) were processed for immuno-histochemistry with a specific anti-plasma membrane Ca-pump antibody, 5F10. Western blots confirm that the molecular weight of the proteins identified by our antibody (135 kDa) is consistent with an appropriate molecular weight for PMCA antigen (135-150 kDa). Tissue sections were also processed for in situ hybridization …