Digital Commons Network^™

Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed-Pcr: Thermalcycling Modifications And Comparison Studies, Denise N. Rodier

Theses and Dissertations

Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed-PCR (DOP-PCR) can potentially enhance analysis of low copy number DNA samples. Theoretically, this procedure replicates fragments of the genome that can then be used for downstream multiplex STR analysis. The objective of this study is to optimize DOP-PCR by examining ramplelongation times and cycle numbers in the non-specific amplification portion of DOP-PCR, and by modifying the degenerate primer. Additionally, other methods such as Multiple Displacement Amplification (MDA) and Low Copy Number PCR (LCN PCR) were examined for their ability to create accurate DNA profiles from low DNA input amounts. Increasing the ramplelongation times showed no effect on …

Genetic Assessment Of Rare Blackbanded Sunfish (Enneacanthus Chaetodon) Populations In Virginia, Diana Marie Kercher

Theses and Dissertations

Enneacanthus chaetodon, the blackbanded sunfish, has become increasingly rare throughout its distribution in the Eastern United States. In Virginia, E. chaetodon maintains an endangered status and individuals persist in six populations. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite data were assessed to determine the genetic characters and gene diversity of the Virginia populations. The results of these analyses were then compared to five additional populations; four from New Jersey and one from North Carolina that were known to have relatively good fitness and were not impacted severely by habitat alteration. The results of this study are relevant to selection of proper management …

Invasion Genetics Of The Blue Catfish (Ictalurus Furcatus) Range Expansion Into Large River Ecosystems Of The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Colleen Beth Higgins

Theses and Dissertations

The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus (Ictaluridae), is ranked among the most invasive, nonnative species of concern in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This species, intentionally introduced to three major tributaries and a number of impoundments between 1974 and 1989 for sport fishing, has spread into three additional tributaries. Using samples from the introduced tributary populations as a baseline, we evaluated microsatellite genetic variation in light of demographic and ecological data to elucidate the potential sources of the invasive I. furcatus populations. In general, the populations surveyed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed were considerably more inbred (F ranged from 0.03 - 0.27) …

Transforming Growth Factor-Β1 (Tgf-Β1) Induces Mast Cell Apoptosis, Farnaz Norozian

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells are potent effectors of the inflammatory response, playing an important role in atopy, bacterial immunity, and animal models of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease. Hence controlling mast cell numbers and responsiveness is essential for preventing inflammatory disease. This work demonstrated that the cytokine TGF-β1 is a potent inducer of mast cell apoptosis, a finding that was consistent for cultured mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells, peritoneal mast cells, and human mast cells. Cell death appeared to be the result of TGF-mediated repression of IL-3 receptor expression and function, leading to mitochondria1 damage and activation of an apoptotic cascade …

Delayed Persistent Corticosterone Response To An Intracerebroventricular Crf/Norepinephrine Injection In Sprague Dawley Rats, Alexis Donneys

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Gp120 Up-Regulation Of The Mu Opioid Receptor In Tpa Differentiated Hl-60 Cells, Anitha Pallur

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Identification Of Proteins Interacting With The Poly C Binding Protein 1 In The Central Nervous System Using Yeast Two Hybrid Screening System, Joanne Eghenayahiore Odiase

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Chironomid Hemoglobin Genetic Diversity As An Indicator Of The New Jersey Hackensack Meadowlands Wetland Health, Lene Marie De Coursin Jacobs

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

The Dot Chromosome Of Drosophila: Insights Into Chromatin States And Their Change Over Evolutionary Time, Nicole Riddle, Sarah C.R. Elgin

Biology Faculty Research

Historically, chromatin has been subdivided into heterochromatin, transcriptionally inactive regions that remain densely packaged throughout the cell cycle, and euchromatin, transcriptionally active regions that take on a diffuse appearance as the cell enters interphase. The banded portion of the small fourth chromosome (dot chromosome) of Drosophila melanogaster is unusual in exhibiting many characteristics of heterochromatic domains, and at the same time maintaining a gene density typical of euchromatin. Similar to genes embedded in pericentric heterochromatin, many of the dot chromosome genes have adapted to a heterochromatic environment. Little is known about the regulation of these genes and less about their …

Disinfection Of Swine Wastewater Using Chlorine, Ultraviolet Light And Ozone, John J. Macauley, Zhimin Qiang, Rao Y. Surampalli, Melanie R. Mormile, Craig D. Adams

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Veterinary antibiotics are widely used at concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to prevent disease and promote growth of livestock. However, the majority of antibiotics are excreted from animals in urine, feces, and manure. Consequently, the lagoons used to store these wastes can act as reservoirs of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. There is currently no regulation or control of these systems to prevent the spread of these bacteria and their genes for antibiotic resistance into other environments. This study was conducted to determine the disinfection potential of chlorine, ultraviolet light and ozone against swine lagoon bacteria. Results indicate that a chlorine …

Molecular Population Genetics Of The Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab, Uca Pugilator, Along The Atlantic Coast, David A. Weese

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: The Atlantic sand fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, is an extremely abundant fiddler crab found along the eastern and Gulf coast of the United States. Fiddler crabs have a life cycle with an obligatory planktonic larval phase of 30-90 days, which might be expected to lead to widespread larval dispersal and consequent genetic homogeneity over considerable distances. However a large amount of morphological and behavioral variation is found between northern and southern populations along the eastern coast. This study was undertaken to determine the population genetic structure of U. pugilator and to determine whether these differences may have a …

Adding Species Diversity To A Reconstructed Prairie Using An Incremental Approach, Amy L. Carolan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Plant species diversity in reconstructed prairies is extremely low when compared to that of prairie remnants. In this experiment I am testing the feasibility of increasing the abundance of native forbs in a reconstructed prairie using an incremental approach. The site chosen for this experiment is one that consists of five species of thirty-year old prairie grasses along with 23 species of native prairie forbs that were overseeded in 1999.

I hypothesized that forb diversity could be increased in an established grassland using an incremental approach, and that mowing would amplify the success of the planting. To test these ideas …

Design And Implementation Of A Storage Management Method For Content Distribution, Chang-Soo Kim, Yu-Hyeon Bak, Sang-Min Woo, Won-Jae Lee, Nunm-Ok Gee, Hag-Young Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The SMART system is a special purpose server developed by ETRI and designed for efficient streaming services over high speed networks. The SMART server has one or more special purpose NS (Network-Storage) card. The NS card has several disks that store multimedia contents. However all of the multimedia contents to be serviced cannot be stored at the server. In this paper, we will describe the storage management mechanism in design and implementation aspects. With this storage management mechanism, the SMART server can provide effectiveness in managing storage and distributing some contents from a source station to streaming service servers.

Biomonitoring Organochlorine And Cholinesterase Inhibiting Insecticide In Eastern Iowa Streams, Matthew Thomas Fisher

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The four chapters in this thesis provide results from five separate investigations. Chapter One describes Isonychia bicolor acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in Northeast Iowa rivers. During 2002 and 2003 insects were collected from 10 sites during May, July and September, three sites on the Volga River were sampled weekly during May and June and one Cedar River site was sampled monthly. Also, in 2003, three sites on the Upper Iowa were sampled weekly in May and June. Sampling often sites yielded few discernable trends, however decreasing AChE activity from upstream to downstream sites was apparent on several occasions on the Volga …

Isolation And Characterization Of Toxin A-Negative, Toxin B-Positive Clostridium Difficile In Dublin, Ireland, Denise Drudy, N. Harnedy, S. Fanning, R. O’Mahony, L. Kyne

Articles

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of infectious diarrhoea in hospitalised patients. Most pathogenic C. difficile strains produce two toxins, A and B; however, clinically relevant toxin A-negative, toxin Bpositive (A– B+ ) strains of C. difficile that cause diarrhoea and colitis in humans have been isolated worldwide. The aims of this study were to isolate and characterise A– B+ strains from two university hospitals in Dublin, Ireland. Samples positive for C. difficile were identified daily by review of ELISA results and were cultured on selective media. Following culture, toxin-specific immunoassays, IMR-90 cytotoxicity assays and PCR were used to analyse …

Comparative Phylogenomics Of Clostridium Difficile Reveals Clade Specificity And Microevolution Of Hypervirulent Strains., Denise Drudy

Articles

No abstract provided.

High-Level Resistance To Moxifloxacin And Gatifloxacin Associated With A Novel Mutation In Gyrb In Toxin-A-Negative, Toxin-B-Positive Clostridium Difficile, Denise Drudy, T. Quinn, R. O'Mahony, L. Kyne, P. O'Gaora, S. Fanning

Articles

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the mechanism of high-level resistance to fluoroquinolone antimicrobials in toxin-A-negative, toxin-B-positive (A- B+) Clostridium difficile isolates.

METHODS:

Following culture 16-23S PCR ribotyping was used to determine genomic relationships between A- B+ C. difficile isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined using Etests in the presence and absence of the efflux pump inhibitors reserpine (20 microg/mL), L-phenylalanine-L-arginine-beta-naphthylamide (PAbetaN; 20 microg/mL) and verapamil (100 microg/mL). Genomic regions including the quinolone-resistance-determining-region (QRDR) of gyrA and gyrB were amplified and characterized.

RESULTS:

PCR ribotyping profiles identified one major cluster of A- B+ C. difficile, universally resistant to the fluoroquinolones tested (ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, …

Characterisation Of Cell Types In Abalone (Haliotis Spp.) Tissues Using Immunohistochemical Techniques, Leanne Harris, Nuala O'Byrne-Ring, Helen Lambkin

Articles

The increasing popularity of abalone as a seafood delicacy has led to the rapid development of abalone aquaculture worldwide. The commercial and economic importance of this industry has resulted in an increasing interest in the biology of this particular shellfish genus. In this study we focus on the identification of structural, functional and proliferative proteins in two species of abalone shellfish, Haliotis discus hannai and Haliotis tuberculata. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that react with proteins in vertebrate and invertebrate tissues were selected and applied to abalone tissues. Cross sections of whole animals were analysed using avidin–biotin immunoperoxidase staining protocols. In …

Analysis Of Enzyme, Carbohydrate And Mineral Distribution In The Foot Of Abalone Shellfish., Leanne F. Harris, Nuala O'Byrne-Ring, Helen Lambkin

Articles

No abstract provided.

Generality Of Vertebrate Developmental Patterns: Evidence For A Dermomyotome In Fish, S. H. Devoto, W. Stoiber, C. L. Hammond, P. Steinbacher, J. R. Haslett, M. J.F. Barresi, S. E. Patterson, E. G. Adiarte, S. M. Hughes

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The somitic compartment that gives rise to trunk muscle and dermis in amniotes is an epithelial sheet on the external surface of the somite, and is known as the dermomyotome. However, despite its central role in the development of the trunk and limbs, the evolutionary history of the dermomyotome and its role in nonamniotes is poorly understood. We have tested whether a tissue with the morphological and molecular characteristics of a dermomyotome exists in nonamniotes. We show that representatives of the agnathans and of all major clades of gnathostomes each have a layer of cells on the surface of the …

Angiotensin Ii And Aldosterone Increase With Fasting In Breeding Adult Male Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga Angustirostris), Rudy M. Ortiz, Daniel E. E. Crocker, Dorian S. Houser, Paul M. Webb

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) appears to contribute significantly to osmoregulation of fasting northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) pups; however, RAAS has not been characterized in fasting adult seals. Therefore, this study examined the contribution of RAAS to water turnover rates in fasting adult male northern elephant seals. Blood samples were obtained twice during their breeding fast at an interval of 6.5 wk, and water efflux rate was estimated by isotopic dilution during the same period. Serum electrolytes (Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻) and osmolality were unaltered between the two sampling periods, indicating ionic and …

Use Of Hot Air Engine To Generate Electricity From Biogas: A Critique For Rural Development In Tanzania, L. L. N. Mkiramweni, P. Msaki, I. B. Mshoro

Tanzania Journal of Science

Rural electrification has high national priority because of several reasons. First, more than 90 per cent of the populations in Tanzania have no access to grid electricity and about 80% of this population lives in rural areas. Second, the poverty alleviation projects demand the incorporation of use of electricity in different economic projects. Third, a combination of high prices of fuel and environmental degradation and deforestation demand use of alternative renewable energy sources. The aim of this paper is to give a critical review and selected a suitable renewable energy by considering its ability to provide affordable, reliable and adequate …

Chemical Constitutents And Cytotoxicity Of Some Tanzanian Wild Mushrooms, V. Nyigo, L. D. Baraza, M. H. H. Nkunya, S. J. M. Mdachi, C. C. Joseph, A. Waziri

Tanzania Journal of Science

The sterol ergosterol and ergosta-4,22-diene-3β,7α-diol, together with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde were isolated from the mushroom species Polyporus molluscensis, Cantharellus isabelinus, C. symoensii and a Podaxis species. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data. The ethanol extracts of mushroom samples of Agaricus sp. and Termitomyces letestui also showed cytotoxicity against the brine shrimp larvae.

Influence Of Fructose On The Mechanisms For Ethanol-Induced Hypertriglyceridaemia, I. Onyesom

Tanzania Journal of Science

Twelve adult albino rabbits with an average weight of 1.42 kg were purchased and divided equally into the normal saline, ethanol and ethanol+fructose-treated groups. The ethanol-treated group orally received 1.5 g (40%) ethanol/kg body weight as single daily dose, while the ethanol +fructose-treated animals also received the same ethanol dose, but were given in addition, 0.25 gfructose/kg body weight after about 10 min of the ethanol administration. The normal saline-treated rabbits were given the equivalent amount of normal saline in lieu of ethanol. The animals were exposed to these various treatments along with their usual feeding pattern for a regular …

Tracking Changes In Bioavailable Fe Within High-Nitrate Low-Chlorophyll Oceanic Waters: A First Estimate Using A Heterotrophic Bacterial Bioreporter, Robert Michael Mckay, C. E. Mioni, S. M. Handy, M. J. Ellwood, M. R. Twiss, P. W. Boyd, S. W. Wilhelm

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

It is conventional knowledge that heterotrophic bacteria play a key role in the biogeochemical cycling of oceanic carbon. However, only recently has their role in marine iron ( Fe) biogeochemical cycles been examined. Research during this past decade has demonstrated an inextricable link between Fe chemistry and the biota, as >99% of Fe in marine systems is complexed to organic chelates of unknown but obviously biotic origin. Here we present a novel approach to assess and compare Fe bioavailability in low Fe HNLC waters using a bioluminescent bacterial reporter that quantitatively responds to the concentration of bioavailable Fe by producing …

Impact Of Phytoplankton On The Biogeochemical Cycling Of Iron In Subantarctic Waters Southeast Of New Zealand During Fecycle, Robert Michael Mckay, S. W. Wilhelm, J. Hall, D. A. Hutchins, M. M. D. Al-R Shaidat, C. E. Mioni, S. Pickmere, D. Porta, P. W. Boyd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

During austral summer 2003, we tracked a patch of surface water infused with the tracer sulfur hexafluoride, but without addition of Fe, through subantarctic waters over 10 days in order to characterize and quantify algal Fe pools and fluxes to construct a detailed biogeochemical budget. Nutrient profiles characterized this patch as a high-nitrate, low-silicic acid, low-chlorophyll (HNLSiLC) water mass deficient in dissolved Fe. The low Fe condition was confirmed by several approaches: shipboard iron enrichment experiments and physiological indices of Fe deficiency (F(v)/F(m) < 0.25, Ferredoxin Index < 0.2). During FeCycle, picophytoplankton (0.2-2 mu m) and nanophytoplankton (2-20 mu m) each contributed >40% of total chlorophyll. Whereas the picophytoplankton accounted for similar to 50% of total primary production, they …

Ranging Patterns And Habitat Utilization Of Northern River Otters, Lontra Canadensis, In Missouri: Implications For The Conservation Of A Reintroduced Species, Deborah Dorothy Boege-Tobin

Dissertations

I studied the spacing patterns and habitat utilization by reintroduced northern river otters, Lontra canadensis, at two sites in Missouri because previous studies of otters indicate, plasticity of a species social structure will likely be due to the tactics employed in acquiring resources in any given area. Seven hypotheses were tested by employing radio-tracking, habitat assessment and geographic information system approaches: (1) home range (HR) and core area (CA) size differ by sex; (2) HR and CA size differ in breeding vs. non-breeding seasons; (3) percent range overlap differs by sex; (4) habitat utilization, as indicated by latrine use, …

The Use Of Antibiotic Resistance Profiles To Access The Source Of Fecal Contamination In The Rowan County, Kentucky Watershed, Logan Harrison Burns

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Logan Harrison Burns on December 15, 2005.

The Relationship Between Frq-Protein Stability And Temperature Compensation In The Neurospora Circadian Clock, Peter Ruoff, Jennifer J. Loros, Jay C. Dunlap

Dartmouth Scholarship

Temperature compensation is an important property of all biological clocks. In Neurospora crassa, negative-feedback regulation on the frequency (frq) gene's transcription by the FRQ protein plays a central role in the organism's circadian pacemaker. Earlier model calculations predicted that the stability of FRQ should determine the period length of Neurospora's circadian rhythm as well as the rhythm's temperature compensation. Here, we report experimental FRQ protein stabilities in frq mutants at 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C, and estimates of overall activation energies for mutant FRQ protein degradation. The results are consistent with earlier model predictions, i.e., temperature compensation of …

Response Of Stress Levels In Domestic Canines To Calming Pheromone, Kathleen Barrett

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.