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Clonal Propagation Of Dorystoechas Hastata Via Axillary Shoot Proliferation, Bengi̇ Erdağ, Yelda Emek, Serap Aydoğan

Turkish Journal of Botany

A protocol for the in vitro seed germination, seedling development, and axillary shoot propagation of Dorystoechas hastata Boiss. & Heldr. ex Bentham is described. By employing sterilised seeds that were transferred onto in vitro media, the effects of various in vitro media, photoperiods, and temperatures on germination were investigated. At the end of these experiments, a final protocol was determined for the in vitro germination of D. hastata seeds. With this protocol, the highest germination rate was obtained with distilled water supplemented with vitamins and 1 mg L^{-1} of gibberellic acid (GA_{3}), with a 16:8 photoperiod at 24 ± 2 …

Formation Of The Neural Tube Epithelium Basement Membrane During Secondary Neurulation In The Chick Embryo, Leslie Ann Mataya

Honors Program Theses

Neurulation, the formation of the neural tube, is an important process in the development of vertebrates. Because this organ ultimately becomes the central nervous system of the organism, the proper development of a fully-functioning neural tube is paramount to its survival. Neural tube defects, like spina bifida and anencephaly, are among the most common congenital malformations present in live human births. The prevalence of these defects is a definite concern to medicine and human health.

Immune Response To Type-2 Porcine Circovirus In Weaned Pigs, Hong Chen, Ke-Ying Zhang, Xue-Mei Ding, Zhi-Wen Xu, Dai-Wen Chen, Gang Tian

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Sixteen crossbred barrows (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) weaned at 28 days with an initial body weight of 5.12-8.64 kg and no antibodies to PCV2 were used in a 5-week trial to evaluate the immune response after intranasal inoculation with type-2 porcine circovirus. The percentage of peripheral blood ANAE+ T cells, PCV2 antibody titer, immunoglobulins, and serum IFN-\gamma, IL-2, and sIL-2R levels were determined. The results show that the percentage of peripheral blood ANAE+ T cells was notably higher in inoculated pigs 5 days post-inoculation (dpi) and significantly lower 21 dpi than in the control group. The anti-PCV2 titer in …

Effects Of Serum Addition To Culture Medium On Gene Expression In Day-7 And Day-14 Bovine Embryos, Jaime Manuel Angulo Campos

LSU Master's Theses

The addition of serum to embryo culture media may alter gene expression and trigger development of Large Offspring Syndrome. The objectives of this study were to determine gene expression levels in embryos cultured in the absence or presence of 5% calf serum and compare these expression patterns to in vivo derived embryos (IVD), and to determine the effects of serum on the length of day-14 embryos. Abattoir derived oocytes were fertilized and cultured in mSOFaa. At 72 hours post-insemination (hpi), embryos were randomly allocated into two treatments: mSOFaa without and with 5% calf serum. Embryos were then cultured to 168 …

The Impact Of Mitochondria On Preimplantation Development In The Rhesus Macaque, Tiffini Charieace Gibson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART) have been used to treat infertility since 1790. In the centuries following, dramatic advances have been made in the field of infertility research through the employment of a variety of species. Despite these advances, determination of oocyte and embryo quality remains largely subjective. Ascertainment of methods to measure oocyte and embryo quality to improve selection in ART clinics and increase pregnancy success rates is imperative. These methods are only possible with a more comprehensive understanding of the cellular and molecular properties of oocytes and preimplantation embryos. A key component of all cells, including oocytes and embryos, …

A Seasonal Study Of Dissolved Cobalt In The Ross Sea, Antarctica: Micronutrient Behavior, Absence Of Scavenging, And Relationships With Zd, Cd, And P., M. A. Saito, T. J. Goepfert, A. E. Noble, E. M. Bertrand, Peter N. Sedwick, Giacomo R. Ditullio

OES Faculty Publications

We report the distribution of cobalt (Co) in the Ross Sea polynya during austral summer 2005-2006 and the following austral spring 2006. The vertical distribution of total dissolved Co (dCo) was similar to soluble reactive phosphate (PO(4)(3-)), with dCo and PO(4)(3-) showing a significant correlation throughout the water column (r(2) = 0.87, 164 samples). A strong seasonal signal for dCo was observed, with most spring samples having concentrations ranging from similar to ~ 45-85 pM, whereas summer dCo values were depleted below these levels by biological activity. Surface transect data from the summer cruise revealed concentrations at the low range …

In Vivo Analysis Of The Notch Receptor S1 Cleavage, Robert J. Lake, Lisa M. Grimm, Alexey Veraksa, Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas

Biology Faculty Publication Series

A ligand-independent cleavage (S1) in the extracellular domain of the mammalian Notch receptor results in what is considered to be the canonical heterodimeric form of Notch on the cell surface. The in vivo consequences and significance of this cleavage on Drosophila Notch signaling remain unclear and contradictory. We determined the cleavage site in Drosophila and examined its in vivo function by a transgenic analysis of receptors that cannot be cleaved. Our results demonstrate a correlation between loss of cleavage and loss of in vivo function of the Notch receptor, supporting the notion that S1 cleavage is an in vivo mechanism …

Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (Tnf-Α) Enhances Functional Thermal And Chemical Responses Of Trp Cation Channels In Human Synoviocytes, Mikhail Y. Kochukov, Terry A. Mcnearney, Huaizhi Yin, Liping Zhang, Fei Ma, Larissa Ponomareva, Sarah Abshire, Karin N. Westlund

Physiology Faculty Publications

Background: We have shown functional expression of several TRP channels on human synovial cells, proposing significance in known calcium dependent proliferative and secretory responses in joint inflammation. The present study further characterizes synoviocyte TRP expression and activation responses to thermal and osmotic stimuli after pre-treatment with proinflammatory mediator tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, EC50 1.3221 x 10^-10 g/L).

Results: Fluorescent imaging of Fura-2 loaded human SW982 synoviocytes reveals immediate and delayed cytosolic calcium oscillations elicited by (1) TRPV1 agonists capsaicin and resiniferatoxin (20-40% of cells), (2) moderate and noxious temperature change, and (3) osmotic stress TRPV4 activation (11.5% of …

Adaptation At A Shortened Length In Rabbit Femoral Artery, Melissa Bednarek

Theses and Dissertations

It is well known that the overlap between the thick and thin filaments in striated muscle is responsible for the single active length-tension (L-T) curve. With the lack of visible striations, a sarcomeric unit has not been identified in smooth muscle. Though once thought to function like striated muscle via a sliding filament mechanism of contraction, recent studies on length-adaptation (L-adaptation) in airway smooth muscle (ASM), in which increased tension is generated with repeated contraction, have led to the hypothesis of a dynamic L-T curve in smooth muscle. Although more established in ASM, two studies have shown L-adaptation in vascular …

18th Biennial Cheese Industry Conference, Various Authors

Cheese Industry Conference

No abstract provided.

Hispanic Youth Physical Activity Participation: A Study Of Psychological And Social Influence, Maria L. Trinidad

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study seeks to identity barriers that influenced middle school students from engaging in daily physical activity at least 60 minutes outside of their physical education classes in the Rio Grande Valley. Statistical significance of the study will be determined at the 95% level of confidence. The researcher offers the null hypothesis of no difference between the doers and non-doers The participants of this study were 79 middle school students ages 12-15. The participants were given an open-ended questionnaire. Cross tabulation analyses was conducted to determine difference using the Mann-Whitney U Test. Data from the research questions was analyzed by …

Construction And Characterization Of A Novel Fusion Protein From The Extracellular Domain Of Mult1 And Transmembrane And Intracellular Domains Of Fas And Its Therapeutic Evaluation For Cancer Treatment Using An Adenoviral Delivery System, Hari Shankar Kotturi Rajeshwar

All Dissertations

One of the strategies that tumor cells adopt to evade immunosurveillance mounted by elements of the innate immune system, such as NK cells, is to down-regulate certain cell surface molecules through a process also called shedding. Mouse UL16-binding protein-like transcript 1 (MULT1), which can activate NK cells through NK cell receptor NKG2D, is one of such molecules. Tumor cells can also avoid Fas mediated apoptosis by down-regulating its expression, secreting antagonistic `decoy' receptors, or expressing anti-apoptotic molecules. In this study, we report the design and evaluation of the antitumor activity of a novel fusion protein MULT1E/FasTI, consisting of the extracellular …

Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression In Models Of Parkinson's Disease, Justin Mcclain

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra. Accumulating evidence indicates that microglia-driven neuroinflammation contributes significantly to chronic neurodegeneration in PD. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in several neuroinflammatory paradigms; however, their relationship to dopaminergic neurodegeneration in PD remains relatively unexplored. To address this, the temporal relationship between MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-13 expression and dopaminergic neurodegeneration was compared in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) models of PD. In dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells, 6-OHDA treatment significantly increased MMP-13 mRNA expression; however, examination of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats …

The Use Of Spider Webs As Passive Bioaerosol Collectors, Daniel I. Mattei

Theses and Dissertations

In this experiment, spider webs demonstrated their suitability as passive bioaerosol collectors. For spider webs to be considered suitable passive collectors webs had to satisfy three basic conditions; (1) collection of microorganisms without discrimination based on species or size, (2) collection under variable environmental conditions, and (3) saturation avoidance in the presence of strong microbial launching sources. Four field sampling locations were used, a waste water treatment facility, a commercial garden center, a secluded state park area, and a parking garage. Microscopy cover glass slides were used as the collection instrument. The methodology assured sterility during collection and promoted in …

Method Of Inhibiting Binding Activity Of Immunoglobulins, Clair D. Hicks, Zeynep Ustunol

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Patents

A method for inhibiting culture agglutination in a fermentation medium including immunoglobulins includes the step of treating a source of immunoglobulins with an enzyme, such as papain, ficin, bromelain and mixtures thereof to hydrolyze the immunoglobulins into immunoreactive peptides having a molecular weight of less than 10,000 Daltons. This is accomplished utilizing ultrafiltration and/or diafiltration techniques. Next, is the collecting of peptides so produced and the adding of the peptides to a growth media for microorganisms useful in fermenting the fermentation medium. This is followed by growing the microorganisms in the inoculated growth media and adding the microorganisms grown in …

Biology And Conservation Of Horseshoe Crabs, John T. Tanacredi, Mark L. Bottom, David R. Smith

School of Marine and Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

We dedicate this book to Drs. Carl N. Shuster, Jr. and Koichi Sekiguchi for their life-long contributions to the biology and conservation of the magnificent horseshoe crab.

An In Vivo Characterization Of The Functional Role Of Two Novel Genes: Stard5 And Adam11, Marc Paul Waase

Student Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of cholesterol levels within cells and organisms is crucial for their survival. Maintenance of cellular cholesterol homeostasis occurs mainly at the transcriptional level, via the Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins (SREBP), the Liver X Receptors (LXR), and the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR)/ER Stress Response. This thesis attempts to characterize the in vivo physiological role of novel downstream target genes of these transcription factors: StARD5 and ADAM11. This thesis outlines the development and characterization of a floxed mouse allele of the UPR-upregulated, reticuloendothelial gene StARD5, as well as two different transgenic mouse lines, one which expresses the human StARD5 gene …

Effects Of Increased Pco2 And Temperature On The North Atlantic Spring Bloom. Iii. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate, Peter A. Lee, Jamie R. Rudisill, Aimee R. Neeley, Jennifer M. Maucher, David A. Hutchins, Yuanyuan Feng, Clinton E. Hare, Karine Leblanc, Julie M. Rose, Steven W. Wilhelm, Janet M. Rowe, Giacomo R. Ditullio

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The CLAW hypothesis argues that a negative feedback mechanism involving phytoplankton- derived dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) could mitigate increasing sea surface temperatures that result from global warming. DMSP is converted to the climatically active dimethylsulfide (DMS), which is transferred to the atmosphere and photochemically oxidized to sulfate aerosols, leading to increases in planetary albedo and cooling of the Earth’s atmosphere. A shipboard incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of increased temperature and pCO₂ on the algal community structure of the North Atlantic spring bloom and their subsequent impact on particulate and dissolved DMSP concentrations (DMSP_p and DMSP_{d …}

In Vitro And In Vivo Germination Of Cyclamen Alpinum Seeds, Betül Bürün, Oral Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Botany

Cyclamen trochopteranthum O.Schwarz has a confusing history, having been identified in the last part of the 19^{th} century and described as Cyclamen alpinum Sprenger. It remained known as C. alpinum until 1975, when it was described as C. trochopteranthum by Otto Schwarz. Cyclamen trochopteranthum is a species distributed in the south-western part of Turkey, but the C. trochopteranthum described in 1975 is today describe again as Cyclamen alpinum. The seeds of this species were collected from red pine forests in the Gökbel-Dalyan area on May 3-7 and stored with and without capsules in incubators at 20 °C. Among the seeds …

Generation Of A Retroviral Vector That Expresses An Anti-Hiv-1 Tat Hammerhead Ribozyme, Lindsey E. Padgett, William H. Jackson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Inflammatory Cytokines In Jet Propulsion Fuel-8 Induced Irritant Contact Dermatitis In Male Fischer Rats, Thomas Joseph Kannanayakal

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Contact dermatitis is one of the most common occupational diseases. Absenteeism of the affected workers and associated health care costs makes this disease an economically important issue. Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) is a common contact dermatitis observed among workers. As each category of irritants triggers the inflammatory process by different method, studying the mechanism of ICD is difficult. Information on the mechanism of action of an irritant is indispensable for the development of effective prophylactic and therapeutic measures. In this study, we have investigated the early changes in rat skin induced by jet fuel-8 (JP-8). Although previous studies have described …

Adventitious Shoot Regeneration And In Vitro Flowering Of Anthemis Xylopoda O. Schwarz, A Critically Endangered Turkish Endemic, Bengi̇ Baba Erdağ, Yelda Çalmaz Emek

Turkish Journal of Biology

A protocol has been developed for the direct induction of adventitious shoots from leaf explants of in vitro raised Anthemis xylopoda O.Schwarz, a critically endangered Turkish endemic. The Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with N^6-benzyladenine (BA), kinetin (KIN), and thidiazuron (TDZ) were used in regeneration experiments. BA at 0.5 mg L^{-1} concentration was chosen as the optimal treatment because it yielded the maximal number of adventitious shoots with the best quality (6.70 ± 1.05 shoots/explant). The highest mean of maximum shoot length was observed in MS media containing 0.2 mg L^{-1} BA (4.30 ± 0.48 cm). Regenerated shoots rooted …

Interaction Of Apoe With Estrogen In The Olfactory System During Nerve Maintenance And Recovery, Michael M. Tonsor Ii

Masters Theses

Estrogen replacement profoundly aids in nerve regeneration after injury in adult mammalian models. Estrogen replacement also protects against olfactory dysfunction in mammals. The mechanism underly1ng estrogen's neuroprotective effects remains ambiguous. My goal is to investigate and better clarify if apolipoprotein E (apoE ), a lipid transporting protein, is a critical intermediary to estrogen's effects on nerve maintenance and regeneration.

My hypothesis is that apoE is a mediator of estrogen's beneficial effects. This hypothesis is based on the following observations from previous studies. First, olfactory nerve regeneration was delayed in apoE-gene knockout (KO) mice as compared to wild type (WT) mice. …

Insights Into Expression, Cellular Localization, And Regulation Of Supernatant Protein Factor, A Putative Regulator Of Cholesterol Biosynthesis, Elzbieta Ilona Stolarczyk

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

SPF (Supernatant Protein Factor) is a cytosolic protein that stimulates at least two enzymes in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway: squalene monooxygenase and HMGCoA reductase. The mechanism of action has not been established but may be related to lipid transfer between intracellular membranes.

There are three human genes for SPF: SEC14L2 (SPF1), SEC14L3 (SPF2) and SEC14L4 (SPF3). The present study differentiates these closely related genes by evaluating their tissue-specific and relative expression levels. SPF1 mRNA was found to be most abundant in liver, mammary gland and stomach. SPF2 showed negligible expression in all tissues tested; SPF3 expression pattern was similar to …

Downregulation Of Hiv-1 Vif By A Hammerhead Ribozyme Expressed From A Retroviral Vector, Audrey M. Hendley, William Jackson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Aerobic Respiration In Great Basin Hot Springs, Caitlin N. Murphy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite a wide diversity of possible electron donors available to fuel chemolithotrophy, it has been proposed that hydrogen is the single most important electron donor in geothermal ecosystems. To directly test this hypothesis, a simple system was devised to determine whether microorganisms in hot spring water and sediment are capable of using hydrogen and other electron donors for aerobic respiration using microrespirometry. The protocol for these experiments was developed using pure cultures of Thermocrinis ruber to determine the effect of growth conditions on the rate of oxygen consumption following the addition of electron donors. For field experiments, samples were collected …

Peptide Hydrolysis And The Uptake Of Dipeptides By Phytoplankton, Margaret R. Mulholland, Cindy Lee

OES Faculty Publications

Rates of peptide hydrolysis (using the fluorescent substrate, lucifer yellow anhydride-labeled tetra-alanine) and dipeptide uptake (using dually labeled, ¹⁵N and ¹³C, dialanine) were measured in phytoplankton cultures and in natural populations during algal blooms dominated by one or two taxa. During most sampling events, both peptide hydrolysis and dipeptide uptake were greatest in the size fraction containing the dominant phytoplankter, suggesting that phytoplankton contribute substantially to or may even dominate observed extracellular peptide hydrolysis and dipeptide uptake in the environment. These are the first data suggesting that dipeptides may be taken up directly by phytoplankton and this may …

Si Cycle In The Cariaco Basin, Venezuela: Seasonal Variability In Silicate Availability And The Si:C:N Composition Of Sinking Particles, Robert C. Thunell, Claudia Benitez-Nelson, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Laura Lorenzoni, Mary Scranton, Ramon Varela, Yrene Astor, Kent A. Fanning

Marine Science Faculty Publications

A 9‐year time series of water column and sediment trap measurements was used to examine silicon cycling within the anoxic Cariaco Basin. The dynamic hydrographic regime within Cariaco Basin results in strong seasonal changes in nutrient availability and the Si:C:N of sinking particles. Upwelling in early winter injects silicic acid (Si(OH)₄⁼ ) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) rich waters into the photic zone which stimulates primary production and results in opal fluxes in excess of 4 mmol Si m⁻² d⁻¹. However, even during upwelling, surface waters tend to be depleted (<1 μM) in …

On Measuring Progress In Animal Welfare, James A. Serpell

Assessment of Animal Welfare Collection

Improvements in the welfare of animals arise from two primary sources: Changes in public attitudes and beliefs regarding what constitutes acceptable treatment of animals, and mandatory changes in behavior toward animals imposed by governments and regulatory authorities. During the last 30-40 years, public and political support for improvements in animal welfare has increased dramatically in many countries. Funding from both governmental and non-governmental sources continues to grow, and the relatively new field of animal welfare science has emerged and expanded to support and inform these efforts. Many experts in the field recognize, however, that there is still a distinct gap …

Tissue And Stage-Specific Juvenile Hormone Esterase (Jhe) And Epoxide Hydrolase (Jheh) Enzyme Activities And Jhe Transcript Abundance In Lines Of The Cricket Gryllus Assimilis Artificially Selected For Plasma Jhe Activity: Implications For Jhe Microevolution, Anurag Anand, Erica Crone, Anthony J. Zera

Anthony Zera Publications

Fat body and midgut juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) and juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) specific activities, and plasma JHE activity, were measured throughout the last stadium in two pairs (blocks) of lines of the cricket Gryllus assimilis, each pair of which had been artificially selected for high- or low-plasma JHE activity. Highly significant differences were observed between high- and low-activity lines of each block on most days for fat body JHE, and on one day for midgut JHE activity. In each block, line differences in developmental profiles for fat body JHE activity paralleled line differences in plasma JHE activity …