Digital Commons Network^™

Development, Production, Purification, And Activity Of Recombinant Lamprey Gonadotropin In S2 Drosophila And Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Lines, Geoffrey Bushold

Master's Theses and Capstones

The objective of this research was to develop methods for the production and purification of recombinant lamprey GTH beta. The overall goal was to produce an active purified recombinant lamprey GTH that could be used for immunological, physiological, and histological studies to further understand the role of the gonadotropin in the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. Constructs with different combinations of tethered lamprey gonadotropin beta to human CG alpha and channel catfish gonadotropin alpha were transfected and expressed in stable cell lines of Drosophila (S2) cells and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Cell lines were grown at a large scale and …

Factors Affecting Insulin-Stimulated In Vitro Glucose Oxidation In Rat Epididymal Adipocytes, Lisa C. Merrill

Master's Theses and Capstones

Since Martin Rodbell published his collagenase method for isolating rat adipocytes from their stromal-vascular matrix in 1964, researchers have modified the procedure in an attempt to maximize results. These modifications are also purported to decrease the interlaboratory variability observed by researchers who utilize this procedure. Strict adherence to these modifications does not, however, necessarily result in robust, repeatable in vitro insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation. The purpose of this study was to optimize Rodbell's procedure for measuring in vitro glucose oxidation in rat adipocytes, and to measure the effect of meal feeding on this process.

Adipocytes from rats in 26 optimization experiments …

The Role Of Ompd In Adherence Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium To Macrophages And The Effects Of Mannan-Binding Lectin In Initial Attachment, Donna Louise Terrio

Master's Theses and Capstones

The binding of macrophages to the outer membrane porin proteins, OmpC and OmpD, and the effects of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) were investigated. MBL was isolated from pig serum in a multi-step affinity chromatography process and the purity of the samples was determined via sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under reducing conditions. An Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to detect MBL. Porcine MBL was present in serum in approximately 30, 32 and 34 kDa monomeric forms. Bacterial binding assays were performed using Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium wild-type, ompC-deficient and ompD-deficient bacterial strains. These experiments were …

The Biology, Nymphal Stages, And Life Habits Of The Endemic Sand Dune Cricket Schizodactylus Inexpectatus (Werner, 1901) (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae), Gökhan Aydin, Andrey Khomutov

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The biology, nymphal stages, and life habits of the endemic dune cricket Schizodactylus inexpectatus (Werner, 1901) (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae) were investigated in this study carried out between 2000 and 2007 in the Çukurova delta (Adana province) and in Alata (Mersin province), Turkey. The study showed that S. inexpectatus, which is a nocturnal insect, passes through 9 nymphal stages, each characterised by its own body size. The present study showed that certain properties of burrows, such as their depths, do not depend on either adult or immature stages of the insect. Food preferences of cannibalistic species of S. inexpectatus were also investigated …

The Experimental Evolution Of Host Adaptation Of The Emerging Pathogen Burkholderia Cenocepacia, Crystal Nicole Ellis

Master's Theses and Capstones

I investigated the ability of Burkholderia cenocepacia, an opportunistic bacterial pathogen, to adapt to a host. Studies have identified trade-offs associated with environmental adaptation, but few have investigated host adaptation. Consequently, I studied effects of adaptation by B. cenocepacia to onions (Allium cepa) on the ability to kill Caenorhabditis elegans. I hypothesized that adaptation to onions would reduce virulence in C. elegans. I evolved twelve populations of bacteria in onion tissue medium for 500 generations. Then, I quantified fitness differences between evolved and ancestral populations by direct competition, having developed molecular marking techniques to discriminate among competitors. Competitions revealed fitness …

Investigation Of The Sex Determination Mechanisms In Summer Flounder (Paralichthys Dentatus) And Black Sea Bass (Centropristis Striata), Heidi R. Colburn

Master's Theses and Capstones

In many cultured finfish species, sexually dimorphic growth is observed, therefore, understanding the mechanisms of differentiation in fishes is necessary for successful aquaculture. Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus ) and black sea bass (Centropristis striata) are good candidate species for aquaculture because they easily adapt to culture conditions and have high market value. The production of monosex populations is advantageous in species exhibiting sexually dimorphic growth rates. The purpose of this research was to gain an understanding of the mechanisms involved in sex differentiation of summer flounder and black sea bass. In summer flounder, monosex female culture is beneficial because females …

Acute Cellular Uptake Of Abnormal Prion Protein Is Cell Type And Scrapie Strain Independent, Christopher Scott Greil

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and sheep scrapie. TSE disease pathology and mechanisms within the central nervous system (CNS) of an infected host largely remains unclear. At the cellular level, the uptake of protease resistant prion protein (PrP-res), which strongly correlates with infectivity and is a valid marker for TSE infection, is one of the earliest events that must occur during TSE infection. Given the difficulty of clearly distinguishing input PrP-res from either PrP-res or protease-sensitive PrP (PrP-sen) made by the cell, the uptake of PrP-res from an infectious inoculum …

A Transcriptome Comparison Of Caenorhabditis Elegans Cultured In Laboratory And Soil-Like Environments, Richard A. Roy

Master's Theses and Capstones

Caenorhabditis elegans has been the subject of numerous microarray experiments designed to help understand gene expression and function. Many such experiments have assessed the animal's transcriptional response to simple perturbations of the traditional laboratory environment.

Numerous intergenic regions showed expression. The majority were environment specific but most that were mutually expressed were structurally similar to protein-coding genes. They may well be un-annotated exons or genes. The environment specific regions were significantly shorter, overall, than coding sequences, and may represent polypeptides or non-coding RNA with regulatory or other functions.

Small Mammal Habitat Associations In A Fragmented Agricultural Landscape, William Wall Hamrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine how small mammals select habitats in a fragmented agricultural landscape in southeast Georgia. I captured small mammals at 71 trap sites within 33 locations in Bulloch and Candler Counties, Georgia. Prior to trapping, each site was classified based on predominant habitat type. Within each trap site, habitat variables were quantified for capture and non-capture trap stations. Using GPS and ArcMap GIS, I quantified surrounding land cover associated with each trap site. A total of 398 individuals of 10 different species of small mammals were captured. Peromyscus gossypinus and Sigmodon hispidus were captured …

Extracellular Stimuli Specifically Regulate Localized Levels Of Individual Neuronal Mrnas, Dianna E. Willis, Erna A. Van Niekerk, Yukio Sasaki, Mariano Mesngon, Tanuja T. Merianda, Gervan G. Williams, Marvin Kendall, Deanna S. Smith, Gary J. Bassell, Jeffery L. Twiss

Faculty Publications

Subcellular regulation of protein synthesis requires the correct localization of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) within the cell. In this study, we investigate whether the axonal localization of neuronal mRNAs is regulated by extracellular stimuli. By profiling axonal levels of 50 mRNAs detected in regenerating adult sensory axons, we show that neurotrophins can increase and decrease levels of axonal mRNAs. Neurotrophins (nerve growth factor, brainderived neurotrophic factor, and neurotrophin-3) regulate axonal mRNA levels and use distinct downstream signals to localize individual mRNAs. However, myelin-associated glycoprotein and semaphorin 3A regulate axonal levels of different mRNAs and elicit the opposite effect on axonal mRNA …

Interview With Jan Serie, Professor Biology And Director Of The Center For Scholarship And Teaching, Jan Serie

Biology Department Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

In Vitro Plant Regeneration From Petiole-Derived Callus And Characterization Of Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (Issr) Markers Of Amorphophallus Hewittii Alderw. (Araceae)., Douglas Charles Bertelsen

Student Work

The genus Amorphophallus contains many species that are sought after by collectors. A large proportion of these species do not reproduce quickly enough to satisfy the demand. Consequently, the establishment of micropropagation methods to increase the supply is desirable. Though several protocols for tissue culture do exist, these focus on species of agricultural importance that naturally reproduce vegetatively. This research demonstrated the successful in vitro reproduction of Amorphophallus hewittii Alderw., a species that is not known to reproduce vegetatively. The protocol avoided destroying the parent plant through use of petiole material. It concluded with direct transfer of shoots to soil, …

A Hybrid First Year Science Course For Engineering Students – Integrating Biology With Chemistry, David Harding, Pauline Schwartz, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Agamemnon Koutsospyros

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Biology is playing an increasingly important role in many engineering fields. With the typical engineering program already having a high credit hour requirement, the question becomes, how to best integrate biology concepts into a packed engineering curriculum. A typical biology course is not likely to introduce the important concepts of biology to engineering students. The solution here is to develop a hybrid course that integrates chemistry and biology. In the course, Chemistry with Applications to Biosystems, the concept is to develop a course that integrally links important concepts of chemistry and biology. The course focuses on the areas of biology …

Interview With Eddie Hill, O.T. Walter Professor Of Biology, Eddie Hill

Biology Department Oral Histories

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Pyronin Y-Methyl Green Stain And Methylene Blue Stain For Somatic Cell Count In Sheep Milk, Emily Mirek, Stacey O’Donnell

Senior Honors Projects

Somatic cell count is a key method used to evaluate the quality of milk in today’s growing dairy sheep industry. Somatic cells are body cells, primarily the white blood cells, found in a milk sample. If an infection such as mastitis is present, the number of somatic cells in the milk increases (Gonzalo, et al. 1992). Producers routinely perform somatic cell counts on cow and goat milk. For dairy cattle in the United States, the somatic cell count can not exceed 750,000 cells per milliliter, for commercial milk. For dairy goats the accepted limit is 1,000,000 cells per mL of …

Identification And Control Of Pest Slugs And Snails For Broadacre Crops In Western Australia, Svetlana Micic, Ken Henry, Paul Horne

Bulletins 4000 -

The numbers of slugs and snails have increased in broadacre cropping in Western Australia with the use of minimum tillage and stubble-retention practices. The organic content of paddocks increases under such systems, providing an increased food source especially to young slugs and snails. Soil moisture content is greater over summer leading to higher survival levels of slugs and snails.

Slug and snail pests in Australia have come from other countries, mainly the Mediterranean region. They damage plant seeds (mainly legumes), recently germinated seeds, seedlings and leaves and can be a contaminant of grain at harvest.

G07-1769 Dealing With Skunks, Stephen Vantassel, Scott Hygnstrom, Dennis M. Ferraro

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This 2007 NebGuide describes the most common skunks found in Nebraska, how to remove them, and prevent or manage the damage they can cause.

G07-1434 Controlling Beaver Damage, Stephen M. Vantassel, Scott Hygnstrom, Dennis M. Ferraro, Sam Wilson, Ron Fryda

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This 2007 NebGuide describes beaver biology and behavior and characterizes the types of damage caused by them. It suggests control methods and equipment and describes legal restrictions.

Status Of Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea Tonkawae) On Travis County Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Tracts, Laura Zebehazy

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

On May 2, 1996, the City of Austin and Travis County were jointly issued an U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regional permit referred to as the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP). This permit allows "incidental take" of eight locally occurring endangered species in compliance with Section 10(a) 1(b) of the Endangered Species Act (U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, 1996ab). The thirty-year permit covers approximately 561,000 acres in western Travis County, Texas identified in the Habitat Conservation Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (HCP) (U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, 1996c). …

Resolving The 150 Year Debate Over The Ecological History Of The Common Periwinkle Snail, Littorina Littorea, In Northeast North America, April M H Blakeslee

Doctoral Dissertations

Littorina littorea (common periwinkle snail) is highly abundant in both Europe and North America. A known native of Europe, its presence in North America has been the subject of a one-hundred year debate. Prior published work attempting to resolve its cryptogenic (=uncertain origin) status with historical, archaeological, ecological and/or genetic data were not successful. I therefore included novel parasite and molecular evidence to definitively resolve L. littorea's North American cryptogenic status.

First, I explored trematode species richness patterns in European versus North American L. littorea and two co-occurring native congeners, L. saxatilis and L. obtusata. Through extensive field and literature …

Interactions Between Two Invasive Crab Predators, Carcinus Maenas And Hemigrapsus Sanguineus, And Consequences For The Native Community, Blaine David Griffen

Doctoral Dissertations

With continued globalization, species are being transported and introduced into novel habitats at an accelerating rate. As invasive species become more common, interactions between invasive species will also increase and may alter the way that these species impact invaded communities. The European green crab Carcinus maenas is an aggressive predator that was introduced to the east coast of North America in the mid 1800s and often has detrimental impacts on prey communities. A newer invasive predator, the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, was first discovered on the Atlantic coast in the 1980s, and now inhabits many of the same regions …

Role Of The Biofilm In Metals Accumulation By Fucoid Algae And Their Surrounding Rock Surfaces, Joan Lydia Beskenis

Doctoral Dissertations

Both inanimate and animate intertidal surfaces including Fucus and Ascophyllum develop a biofilm that can bind metals contributed by non-point and point sources of pollution. The biofilm also functions as a habitat for the many organisms, i.e. bacteria, diatoms and other algal cells that are part of the biofilm and contribute to the polysaccharide matrix. Examinations of the biofilm were quantified by polysaccharide analysis using a spectrophotometer. Biofilm samples were recovered from both intertidal rock surfaces and the surface of the surrounding fucoid algae to determine if they bind Cu and Zn. Locations in Kittery, Maine differed by the amount …

Glycoprotein Hormone Receptors In Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus): Identification, Characterization And Implications For The Evolution Of The Vertebrate Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal/Thyroid Axes, Mihael Freamat

Doctoral Dissertations

The vertebrate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) endocrine axes involve specific interaction between pituitary glycoprotein hormones GpH (lutropin LH, follitropin FSH, thyrotropin TSH) and glycoprotein hormone receptors GpH-R (LH-R, FSH-R and TSH-R respectively).

GpHs and GpH-Rs originate in a common ancestral ligand/receptor pair. Their duplications were followed by divergent evolution resulting in the emergence of a novel, pituitary/peripheral gland control level. It is estimated that this occurred more than 500 million years ago (mya), before or concomitant with the divergence of the jawed vertebrates (Gnathostomes) lineage from their jawless (Agnathan) ancestors. This coincides with the estimated time of divergence of …

Risks Of Diazinon Use To The Federally Listed Endangered Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea Sosorum), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

The purpose of this assessment is to make an "effects determination" for the Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) by evaluating the potential direct and indirect effects of currently registered uses of the insecticide diazinon within the Barton Springs area (action area) on the survival, growth, and reproduction of this federally listed endangered species. This assessment was completed in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Endangered Species Consultation Handbook (USFWS/NMFS, 1998 and procedures outlined in the Agency's Overview Document (U.S. EPA, 2004). Open Access - Permission by Publisher See Extended description for …

Risks Of Carbaryl Use To The Federally Listed Endangered Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea Sosorum), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

KIP Data Sets and Technical Reports

The purpose of this assessment is to make an "effects determination" for the Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) by evaluating the potential direct and indirect effects of currently registered uses of the insecticide carbaryl within the Barton Springs area (action area) on the survival, growth, and reproduction of this federally-listed endangered species. This assessment was completed in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Endangered Species Consultation Handbook (USFWS/NMFS, 1998 and procedures outlined in the Agency's Overview Document (U.S. EPA, 2004). Open Access - Permission by Publisher See Extended description for more …

Cryptic Speciation In Two Widespread Subterranean Amphipod Genera Reflects Historical Drainage Patterns In An Ancient Landscape, Stefan Eberhard, Stuart A. Halse, William F. Humphreys

KIP Abstracts

The landscape of the Pilbara region of Western Australia has been relatively unchanged for 100 million years. The ancient river systems of this region might be expected to be sources of isolation and divergence for aquatic species. Hence, the occurrence of widespread groundwater taxa in this landscape offers the opportunity to examine associations between genetic diversity and drainage patterns. Pilbarus and Chydaekata are two widespread genera of subterranean amphipods endemic to the Pilbara, each occupying multiple tributaries. We used molecular data to examine the roles of drainage patterns in structuring genetic diversity. Gene flow within a tributary may be facilitated …

An Analysis Of Accelerated Atherosclerosis In The Hyperglycemic Hyperlipidemic Syrian F(1)B Hamster, Adele Jeanne Marone

Master's Theses and Capstones

Humans with diabetes mellitus are two to five times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and do so at a much younger age than non-diabetics. This study utilized the Syrian F1B hamster, a model of human atherosclerosis, to: (1) determine whether one intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) could induce a diabetic-like hyperglycemic state, (2) compare the development of atherosclerotic lesions between non-treated (N), hyperglycemic (G), hyperlipidemic (L) and combined hyperlipidemic/hyperglycemic (L+G) hamsters, and (3) determine whether lesion development was accelerated due to plasma levels of glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, non-HDL-C, HDL-C, or lipid hydroperoxides, or by the TC/HDL-C or TG/HDL-C …

Reproductive Ecology Variation And Molecular Phylogeography In The Garter Snakes Of Northern New England: (Thamnophis Sirtalis Sirtalis L 1758 And Thamnophis Sirtalis Pallidulus Allen 1899), William Stephen Kean

Master's Theses and Capstones

Thamnophis sirtalis, the Common garter snake, is a wide-ranging North American snake exhibiting great variation in morphology and life-history attributes across its range. This thesis studied reproductive variation and molecular phylogeography of T. s. sirtalis, the Eastern garter snake, and T. s. pallidulus, the Maritime garter snake, in populations from New England in 2005 and 2006. Pregnant female snakes were captured and held in captivity until parturition, and measurements were taken on parent and offspring for comparisons across years and locations. Tissue samples were taken from adult snakes for mtDNA sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic comparisons. No substantial trends were observed …

Impacts Of Changing Water Temperatures On The Life Histories Of Two Invasive Ascidians In The Gulf Of Maine: Botryllus Schlosseri And Botrylloides Violaceus, Erica Westerman

Master's Theses and Capstones

The impact of temperature on organism life cycles has received great attention due to heightened awareness of global warming. Relative growth and reproductive development were monitored in two dominant ascidians from the Gulf of Maine to compare effects of rising temperatures on established ( Botryllus schlosseri) versus recently arrived (Botrylloides violaceus) species. Settlement panels were deployed at three sites with different temperature regimes (Damariscotta, ME, Newcastle, NH, and Salem, MA) during two growing seasons June 2005 to December 2006, and a recruitment study conducted May to December 2006. Both species had elongated breeding seasons in Salem, MA relative to the …

Transient Changes In Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity, Thermotolerance, And Heat Shock Protein Expression Following Brief, Hyperthermia In An In Vitro Model, Courtney Klein

Master's Theses and Capstones

Hyperthermia is being studied as a means of disrupting blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. An in vitro BBB model was exposed to 10 s of 45, 48, or 51°C, or 5 s of 54°C, and TEER was used to assess integrity. Loss of BBB integrity increased as temperature increased (r = 0.88, P<0.0001). Thermotolerance was examined by applying a second hyperthermia to models 24 h afterward. Models demonstrated thermotolerance, indicated by less loss (P<0.001) of integrity compared to controls. The degree of thermotolerance increased as pre-conditioning temperature increased (r = 0.42, P<0.0001). Hsp27 and Hsp70 were analyzed by Western blot to examine their contribution to this thermotolerance. Hsp27 was not changed (P>0.10) by the pre-conditioning heat treatments. Hsp70 expression increased (P<0.05) in response to pre-conditioning for 5 s at 54°C. This thermotolerance cannot be explained by changes in Hsp27 (r = 0.17, P>0.10) and Hsp70 (r = -0.17, P>0.10).