Digital Commons Network^™

Specimen Preparation And Chamber For Confocal Microscopy Of The Ex Vivo Eye, Barry R. Masters

Scanning Microscopy

A chamber is described for maintaining the mechanical and physiological stability of the ex vivo eye during observation with confocal microscopy. The mechanical stability is provided by a plastic ring situated on the limbal region of the eye. The ring and supporting chamber are designed to reduce mechanical motion of the specimen. The ring and chamber size vary with the species and size of the eye under examination. The physiological stability over a period of approximately one hour is provided by immersing the eye in a bicarbonate Ringer's solution that is exchanged every five minutes. This fluid exchange is made …

Scanning Electron Microscopy Of 2,8-Dihydroxyadenine Crystals And Stones, P. Winter, A. Hesse, K. Klocke, R. M. Schaefer

Scanning Microscopy

The lack of purine salvage enzyme, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT), leads to 2,8-dihydroxyadenine stone formation and/or crystalluria because it is insoluble in urine. Urolithiasis composed of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine is not only formed in a complete defect of APRT, but also in a partial deficiency of this enzyme. The defect is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, the homozygous state is associated with high urinary levels of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine and with crystalluria, calculus formation, and potential nephrotoxicity. Determination of the APRT activity will facilitate quantification of the enzyme deficiency and elucidation of the hereditary history. 2,8-dihydroxyadenine excretion in the 24-hour urine and its circadian …

Proceedings Of The Fourth Western Black Bear Workshop, United States Department Of The Interior, National Park Service

Wildlife Conservation and Management

The status of black bears in North America ranges from pest to threatened. The species appears relatively secure throughout most parts of its range except the southeastern coastal plain; in this region a number of disjunct populations exist on primarily publicly owned lands. Concern over the status of Ursus americanus luteolus led to a petition to list this subspecies under the Endangered Species Act. The Endangered Species Act is arguably the most important wildlife legislation in recent years. However, applying this valuable, but young, untested, and evolving legislation to the black bear subspecies is judged unwarranted and premature because of …

Protein Inhibitors Of Calcium Salt Crystal Growth In Saliva, Bile And Pancreatic Juice, J. M. Verdier, B. Dussol, Y. Berland, J. C. Dagorn

Scanning Microscopy

The control of the formation of crystals in biological fluids is one of the most exciting field of research involving both organic and biochemical areas. Many organisms have evolved mechanisms which minimize or avoid the effects of nucleation and crystal growth formation. One of the most important mechanism is the interaction of specific proteins, called inhibitors, with crystals which alters their habits and leads to their elimination. This article, focused on saliva, pancreatic juice and bile, reviews our present knowledge on the structure-function relationships existing between these proteins and their ability to inhibit the growth of different calcium salt crystals.

Energy-Filtering Transmission Electron Microscopy Of Biological Specimens, W. C. De Bruijn, C. W. J. Sorber, E. S. Gelsema, A. L. D. Beckers, J. F. Jongkind

Scanning Microscopy

By energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) electrons can be separated by their energy losses. An electron-energy filter, added to the microscope column allows the measurement of the energy distribution of transmitted electrons that have lost energy (< 2,000 eV, with an energy resolution of ~ 1 eV). These filtered electrons, recorded either as a spectrum or as an image, are composed of two parts superimposed on top of each other: (a) the unspecific energy-loss population (= the continuum) and (b) the specific element-related energy-loss population (= the edges). At the edges, electron data in spectra and images are mathematically processed, to obtain the desired element-related net-intensity values or images. These data are related to the total transmitted electron intensity, from the zero-and low-loss spectral region giving the relative spectral-or image intensity ratios (^SR*_x, ^IR*_x), which can be related to the element concentration. The acquisition of the zero-loss and low-loss data is hampered by the restricted dynamic range of the TV camera. By improvements through the introduction of calibrated attenuation filters in the optical path to the TV-camera, more reliable values for ^SR*_x and ^IR*_x can …

A Cationic Protein From A Urate-Calcium Oxalate Stone: Isolation And Purification Of A Shared Protein, J. P. Binette, M. B. Binette

Scanning Microscopy

A protein extracted from a urate - calcium oxalate stone by electrodialysis is also excreted in the urine which served as the source material for its purification by FPLC after separation on an ACA44 column. It has an amino acid composition appropriate for a cationic protein. One peptide obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage has significant (approximately 60%) homology with CD59 protein (protectin). Both proteins have wide distribution, the unknown having been found in bile, cholesterol gallstones, and the wall of the aorta. However, the two proteins appear to be immunologically different.

Bcg Cell Imaging Using Scanning Probe Microscopy, Antonio A. Garcia, William C. Pettigrew, John Graham

Scanning Microscopy

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to obtain images of the surface of whole, intact BCG (bacille Calmette Guerin, a mycobacterium) cells in air and under solution by immobilizing the cells onto glass slides (AFM only) or highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. The technique used for AFM imaging involved depositing a submonolayer of cells under a centrifugal force followed by fixation/dehydration using polar organic solvents. AFM images agree well with images from light and electron microscopy and showed large numbers of BCG cells in their distinctive cord arrangement. The AFM also proved useful for identifying extracellular …

Absence Of A Transcellular Oxalate Transport Mechanism In Llc-Pk1 And Mdck Cells Cultured On Porous Supports, C. F. Verkoelen, J. C. Romijn, W. C. De Bruijn, E. R. Boevé, L. C. Cao, F. H. Schröder

Scanning Microscopy

Transepithelial oxalate transport across polarized monolayers of LLC-PK₁ cells, grown on collagen-coated microporous membranes in Transwell culture chambers, was studied in double-label experiments using [¹⁴C]-oxalate together with [³H]-D-mannitol as an extracellular marker. The [¹⁴C]-labeled glucose analog α-methyl-glucoside (α-MG) was used as functional marker for active proximal tubular sugar transport. Cellular uptake of oxalate and α-MG at both the apical and basolateral plasma membrane was determined. When added to the upper compartment, α-MG was actively taken up at the apical membrane, directed through the cells to the basolateral membrane and transported to the lower …

Comparative Aspects Of Splenic Microcirculatory Pathways In Mammals: The Region Bordering The White Pulp, E. E. Schmidt, I. C. Macdonald, A. C. Groom

Scanning Microscopy

Splenic microcorrosion casts prepared using minimal volumes of material show that most of the flow passes through the region bordering the white pulp. However, the nature of these microcirculatory pathways has received little attention. We have studied these in dog, cat, rat, mouse, and normal versus diseased human spleens. In all 5 species, a marginal sinus (MS) of anastomosing vascular spaces 5-10 μm thick lies between the white pulp and marginal zone (MZ). The morphology differs between species and the MS is absent in immune thrombocytopenia. The MS fills by circumferential flow before blood passes outward to the MZ. Many …

Studies On Structure Of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Renal Papillary Calculi. Mechanism Of Formation, F. Grases, A. Costa-Bauzá, A. Conte

Scanning Microscopy

A scanning electron microscopy study of the ultrastructure of 18 calcium oxalate monohydrate papillary calculi was performed with the purpose of establishing the main steps in calculus formation. It is concluded that these calculi originate in a "core" located near the central part of the calculus. Significant quantities of organic matter as well as calcium phosphates can be found in the "core" and at the surface of adhesion to the papilla and, in some cases, fibers and calcified tubules can also be found in the contact zone. In no case did this material affect the crystalline structure of the calculi, …

Casting With Mercox-Methylmethacrylic Acid Mixtures Causes Plastic Sheets On Elastic Arteries. A Scanning And Transmission Electron Microscopic Study, Seyedhossein Aharinejad, Peter Böck

Scanning Microscopy

Lungs and systemic vessels of rats were cast with Mercox, both undiluted and diluted with monomeric methylmethycrylate (MMA; v:v/4:1), and studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A sheet, less than 5 μm thick, surrounded the surface of cast pulmonary arteries and the aorta, when using diluted Mercox. This envelope was absent when casts were prepared with undiluted Mercox. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of unmacerated cast arteries showed all constituents of the vascular wall. Sections of thoroughly macerated vascular casts, however, still showed elastic lamellae in the vascular wall region, whereas muscular components and endothelial lining were completely digested. It is …

The Syringomycins: Finding Their Role In Nature, Jon Takemoto

Faculty Honor Lectures

About ten years ago, I began looking for a research problem in the field of plant-microbe interactions. As the name implies, this is the study of how plants and microorganisms associate-either for their mutual benefit or at the expense of one partner. An example is symbiotic nitrogen fixation between leguminous plants and root-colonizing bacteria. Both benefit-the plant gains nitrogen in a useful form and the bacteria gain nutrients and protection. A better understanding of a plant-microbe interaction system could be used to benefit agriculture. For example, boosting nitrogen fixation would mean less petroleum-derived nitrogen fertilizers. These interactive biological systems and …

Insights, Spring, 1993, Utah State University

Discovery Magazine

Bi-annual alumni newsletter for the College of Science of Utah State University in Logan.

Characterization And Transcription Analysis Of Dictyostelium Discoideum Plasmid Ddp5, William Kurt Rieben Jr.

Biology

While nuclear-associated, eukaryotic plasmids are rare, cellular slime molds in the Dictyostelium genus harbor many of them. The Ddp5 plasmid is one carried by Dictyostelium discoideum strain WS2162. I have produced a restriction site map of Ddp5; Kpn I, Sal I, and Bgl II have unique sites. Subcloned Ddp5 sequences were stable in E. coli except that deletion derivatives missing about 2.5 or 3 kilobase pairs were observed with p34d5, a recombinant plasmid containing a region of Ddp5 and the cloning vector pGEM3Z, and with full length lambda clones. By cotransforming two of the subcloned DNA plasmids into the plasmid-free …

The Lethal And Sublethal Effects Of Carbaryl Bran Bait On A Representative Pollinator Of Rare Plants, The Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee (Hegachile Rotundata F.), And Potential Effects On The Reproduction Of The Endangered Plant, Pediocactus Sileri Benson, Matthew Peach

Biology

Reproduction by entomophilous, endangered plant species may be threatened by insecticide applications if these applications are shown to have detrimental effects on pollinators. Pediocactus sileri Benson is one endangered plant that may be affected by carbaryl bran bait (2% A.I.) applications currently being considered for use on the rangelands of the Arizona Strip. This study was conducted to determine the potential effects of carbaryl bran bait applications on the pollination of P. sileri. In an experiment designed to reduce pollinator visits by 2/3 to 4/5, P. sileri was not shown to be pollinator limited. Therefore, reductions in P. sileri …

Transformation And Gene Isolation By Functional Complementation In Cryphonectria Parasitica, The Chestnut Blight Fungus, Alice C. L. Churchill

Biology

An efficient DNA-mediated transformation system has been developed for the chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica. Twelve vectors, each containing one of three dominant selectable antibiotic genes, were tested for their ability to confer resistance to either hygromycin B, benomyl, or G418 sulfate. Transformants were obtained with each vector screened, and in each case, transformation occurred by integration of the transforming DNA into the host genome. The cosmid vector pMOcosX conferred hygromycin B resistance to transformants at an efficiency of greater than 10⁴ transformants/µg DNA and was utilized for the construction of a wild-type genomic DNA library. This library …

Molecular Cloning And Developmental Expression Of Sq1, A Camp Inducible Gene Of Dictyostelium Discoideum, Parvin Boulurani

Biology

This thesis reports the molecular cloning, sequence analysis, and developmental expression of a novel Dictyostelium discoideum gene, SQ1. The SQ1 gene was isolated as a set of overlapping cDNA and genomic clones. The longest of these is a 1.5 kb genomic DNA that contains the entire 3, portion of the coding region, and a cDNA that extends the available sequence 0.7 kb 5' of the genomic DNA. The SQ1 mRNA is 2.7 kb and the available cloned sequence is 2239 nucleotides. By assuming a 3, untranslated region of 100 nucleotides, approximately 400 nucleotides of transcribed sequence remain uncloned. The complete …

Molecular Phylogeny And Conformational And Serotypic Neutralization Epitopes Of United States Bluetongue Viruses, Guang-Yuh Hwang

Biology

Despite antigenically distinct serotype-specific neutralization, sequence analyses indicated that four of the five United States bluetongue viruses (serotypes 10, 11, 13, and 17) originated from a single, common gene pool. Bluetongue virus 2 belongs to a second distinct gene pool. These genetic distinctions are reflections of the geographic distribution of bluetongue viruses in North America. This study also focused on the neutralization epitopes of serotype 13, the strain endemic in the western United States. Oligoclonal antibodies against MAP-constructed synthetic peptides and polyclonal antibodies against denatured viral proteins failed to exhibit neutralizing activities. However, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against inactivated purified …

The Reproductive Biologies Of Two Rare Species Of Astragalus (Fabaceae), A. Montii Welsh And A. Humillimus Gray Ex Brandegee, Susan M. Geer

Biology

Astragalus montii and A. humillimus are rare species that are isolated geographically as the result of growing on mountain tops or mesa tops. The breeding systems and pollinators of these two species were examined, as well as the effects of seasonality and water additions on fruit set of A. humillimus. The breeding system of A. montii was described and compared to that of two widespread sympatric congeners, A. miser and A. kentrophyta. Percent open-pollinated fruit set for A. montii was about as high as one congener and twice as high as the other. Only A. montii was autogamous. …

The Use Of Exclosures To Assess Granivore Impacts: Harvester Ants And Rodents In The Sagebrush-Steppe, Craig J. Anderson

Biology

Herbivory has been shown to be an important component in influencing vegetation composition and structure. Granivory, a particular form of herbivory, has long been of interest to ecologists. Granivore impact may depend on community type. Comparisons of granivore taxa are few in perennial shrub communities. Several experiments were conducted to assess the influences of rodents and western harvester ants on the soil seed bank in sagebrush-steppe. Rodent and/or ant exclosures were established during July 1990, at 1.3 m (at the edge of the cleared disks maintained by harvester ants) and at 6 m (in the region beyond which obvious vegetation …

The Effects Of Protocalliphora (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Parasites On Nestling Growth, Immune Status, Mortality, And Post-Fledging Success In Marsh Wrens, Yvonne Warren

Biology

I investigated the effects of ectoparasitism by hematophagous larvae of the blow flies Protocalliphora interrupta Whitworth and Protocalliphora (Trypocalliphora) braueri (Hendel) on nestling marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris) over two years in northern Utah, USA. Despite random nest fumigations with synthetic pyrethrin, approximately 91 percent of wren nests contained P. interrupta and 1.2 percent contained P. braueri. Nestling mass, tarsus length, and hematocrit measured prior to fledging did not differ significantly with P. interrupta parasite load: No relationship was seen between parasite load and percent of young starved or percent of young with bacterial infections. In …

Incidence Of Antibodies To Cytomegalovirus In Autistic Patients, David M. Schubert

Biology

Research into the etiology of autism continues without any definitive answers. Recent studies suggest that immune abnormalities may be associated with this disorder and that autism may result from a prenatal viral infection. Past research has associated cytomegalovirus (CMV) and rubella in autism. This research indirectly studied, via the screening of blood samples for IgG and IgM anti-antibodies to CMV, the possibility that CMV may be an etiological agent in autism. The autistic subjects as compared to age matched controls exhibited no significant differences in either the percentage of those testing positive for IgG antibodies to CMV or in the …

Immunomodulatory Role Of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor, Sy-Jye Christine Leu

Biology

Relationships between neuroendocrine and immune systems prompted this study of the immunomodulatory role of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a peptide hormone of the neuroendocrine system. This research investigated the effect of CRF on the in vitro synthesis of interleukins (interleukin-1[IL-1], interleukin-2 [IL-2] and interleukin-6 [IL-6)), natural killer (NK) cell activity, antibody production, and cAMP accumulation in immunocytes. CRF (l0^-9 M) induced bioactive cytokines like IL-1, IL-2, and IL-6 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from healthy subjects. Two structurally related peptides (TyrCRF and α-helical-CRF_9-41) also elicited 16- to 21-fold stimulation of IL-6. CRF stimulated purified monocytes, but not …

Fat Content Of American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius) And Sharp-Shinned Hawks (Accipiter Striatus) Estimated By Total Body Electrical Conductivity, Shari M. Harden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) is a noninvasive method for the estimation of lean mass in live subjects. Lipid content can be calculated from the body mass measured and the lean mass estimated from TOBEC. I used live American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) to study the accuracy of this method. TOBEC measurements were compared to actual body content determined by Soxhlet fat extraction using petroleum ether as the solvent. TOBEC estimated 73.7% of the variation in lean mass in a sample of 21 kestrels. The use of restraining devices (Vetrap and cardboard cylinders) altered the TOBEC measurement but only …

Marital Satisfaction Over The Family Life Cycle Among Taiwanese Couples, Sheng-Te Chang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there were different subjective reports of marital satisfaction or dissatisfaction across the life cycle for Taiwanese couples. In examining this question two of the three selected instruments demonstrated sufficient reliability so as to be included in the overall study, namely, the Marital Adjustment Scale (MAS) and the Spanier Dyadic Adjust Scale (SDAS). These instruments were translated from English to Chinese, then administered to 259 couples volunteering to participate in the study. Couples were grouped according to their placement along the life cycle.

The results of the study indicate that …

Conceptualizing The Youthful Male Sex Offender: A Meta-Analytic Examination Of Offender Characteristics By Offense Type, Roger B. Graves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A review of the literature demonstrates that, to date, no concerted effort has been made to conceptualize and develop typologies for youthful male sex offenders on the basis of offense type. Such typologies are deemed important to the understanding of possible developmental antecedents for sexual offending, as well as to the development of theory-driven, empirically based interventions and preventions. This study attempts to begin the conceptualization process through a meta-analytic examination of 140 research samples that provide data on over 16,000 individuals who have committed sexual offenses as youth. Three subtypes of offenders are identified on the basis of offense …

Preschool Children's Perceptions Of Their Parents: A Comparison Of Children From Married And Divorced Homes, Sondra Moe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young children's perceptions of their parents have been shown to affect responses to parents, and to be relevant in personality development and self-esteem. Typically, research examining children's perceptions of their parents focused on children from intact families. Yet, with the frequent occurrence of divorce in our society, and the trauma and lifestyle changes often associated with marital dissolution, it is possible that children's perceptions of their parents may also change.

This study compared two groups of preschool children's perceptions of their parents. Forty - two children (23 males, 19 females) came from two parent, first marriage families. Thirty-two children (16 …

Influence Of Microphytic Crusts On Selected Soil Physical And Hydrologic Properties In The Hartnet Draw, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah., John Dana Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microphytic crust influences on selected physical and hydrologic soil properties were examined at one location in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Designed experiments were conducted in a sandy loam soil where microphytic crusts were present without the concomitant development of confounding physical or chemical soil conditions. Three treatments were used for all experiments: control, chemically killed (microphytes killed but left in place), and scalped (microphytic crusts mechanically removed).

A portable wind tunnel was used to deter-nine if microphytic crusts contribute to soil stability and reduce the erosive effect of wind. Significantly lower threshold friction velocity and greater wind-entrained material were …

The Role Of Gender Differences In The Relationship Between Guilt- And Shame-Proneness And Depressive Symptomatology, Julie Bingham Shiffler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by gender in the relationship between the degree of depressive symptomatology and levels of adaptive guilt-, maladaptive guilt-, and shame-proneness in a college population. A measure of depressive symptomatology (the Beck Depression Inventory) and a measure of guilt- and shame-proneness (the Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory - Revised) were administered to 299 college students (113 males and 186 females). Females reported higher total levels of depressive symptomatology than males. Statistically significant gender differences were found for nine BDI items. Females also had higher levels of adaptive guilt-, maladaptive guilt-, …

The Impact Of Adolescent Pregnancy And Childbearing Experiences On Adolescent Psychosocial Development, Kwisun Huh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the number of teen pregnancy studies in the past, there is a dearth of empirical data relevant to the issue of psychosocial and/or developmental changes in adolescent mothers. Most previous studies have addressed the negative and devastating impact of teen pregnancy on adolescent development. The premise of these early studies was that adolescents have pathological reasons for becoming pregnant. Contrary to these studies, an underlying assumption of this study was that teen pregnancy as a life crisis could entail the same facilitating and inhibiting factors that emerge with other adolescent life crises. Based on Erikson's theoretical framework, this study …