Life Sciences Commons^™

Ultrastructure Of Cimex Lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Salivary Glands After A Blood Meal Infected With Bartonella Henselae (Hyphomicrobiales: Bartonellaceae), Afsoon Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Bed bugs (Hemiptera:Cimicidae) are a common, hematophagous ectoparasite of humans and other animals, and are experiencing an international resurgence. Cimicids have been implicated in the transmission many disease agents, including various Bartonella species, however disease transmission has not yet been confirmed. Bartonella spp. are transmitted by a variety of arthropods, including fleas, lice and sand flies, and it is speculated that bed bugs may also serve as a potential vector. In this study, we used an artificial membrane to feed two groups of adult Cimex lectularius rabbit blood, either infected or uninfected with Bartonella henselae. After two weeks, the …

The Microbiome Of The Equine Roundworm, Parascaris Spp., Jennifer Lynn Cain

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Parasitic nematodes, including the large roundworms colloquially known as ascarids, affect the health and well-being of livestock animals worldwide. The equine ascarid, Parascaris spp., was the first ascarid parasite to develop wide-spread anthelmintic drug resistance, with other species slowly following suit. There are no new classes of anthelmintics currently in development, and a solution to the ever-increasing prevalence of resistance is desperately needed. The microbiome has been shown to be an important factor in the fitness and health of many organisms and changes to microbiome composition have been associated with a plethora of diseases. The microbiome is also important to …

In Vitro Cytotoxic Effect Of Aspergillus Clavatus Generated Silver Nanoparticles On Raw 264.7 Cells, Shahnaz Majeed, Mohammed Danish Dr., M. N Mohamad Ibrahim Prof., Siti Hajar Binti Sekeri, Shah Aarif Ul Islam Dr., Mohammed Tahir Ansari

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Aspergillus clavatus (A. clavatus ) was utilized for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) isolated from the soil. . About one (1) mM silver nitrate (AgNO₃) was gradually added to the aqueous extract of A. clavatus, the colour of the extract becomes dark brown indicates the AgNPs formation. The UV -Vis spectrophotometry showed the lambda max (-λ_max) at 430 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed the peaks at 3221.40 cm N-H symmetric amide, 1645.78 NH bend amine, 1557.02 N-H bend amide groups are associated with AgNPs. The powder form of AgNPs was recorded …

Localization Of Synapses On Adipocytes And Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells In Adipose Tissue Using Electron And Immunofluorescent Microscopy, Emma Garner

Honors College

Obesity, weight gain and the many metabolic disorders that can arise from being overweight are predominant health issues in America and in the State of Maine. The body’s ability to balance energy intake and energy expenditure is what determines whether a person gains or loses body fat. Although there are many different factors that influence energy storage and expenditure, neural innervation of white and brown fat (or adipose) tissues is an important aspect of energy balance that is not well understood. The Townsend Lab focuses on brain-adipose communication and the role of adipose peripheral nerves in maintaining proper body weight …

A Journey Towards Understanding Biology Holistically At The Nanoscale, Trevor Moser

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Characterizing biological processes with microscopy techniques that allow one to directly visualize the complexity of life is an important component of understanding both physiological function and structure. The wide spectrum of biological structures from individual proteins to whole ecosystems necessitates that multiple techniques are used to characterize all levels of organization. While existing techniques cover portions of this spectrum, continued improvement of established methods and development of new techniques is needed. This dissertation outlines my journey in enabling new approaches for imaging biosystems at various scales. Chapters 1 and 2 provide motivation for bioimaging and background for the use of …

Things Are Getting Hairy: Enterobacteria Bacteriophage Vb_Pcam_Cbb, Colin Buttimer, Hanne Hendrix, Hugo Oliveira, Aidan Casey, Horst Neve, Olivia Mcauliffe, R. Paul Ross, Colin Hill, Jean Paul Noben, Jim O'Mahony, Rob Lavigne, Aidan Coffey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

© 2017 Buttimer, Hendrix, Oliveira, Casey, Neve, McAuliffe, Ross, Hill, Noben, O'Mahony, Lavigne and Coffey. Enterobacteria phage vB_PcaM_CBB is a "jumbo" phage belonging to the family Myoviridae. It possesses highly atypical whisker-like structures along the length of its contractile tail. It has a broad host range with the capability of infecting species of the genera Erwinia, Pectobacterium, and Cronobacter. With a genome of 355,922 bp, excluding a predicted terminal repeat of 22,456 bp, phage CBB is the third largest phage sequenced to date. Its genome was predicted to encode 554 ORFs with 33 tRNAs. Based on prediction and proteome analysis …

Exploring The Antibacterial, Antioxidant, And Anticancerproperties Of Lichen Metabolites, Gajendra Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

Natural products have been a significant source of new drugs, especially in treating cancer, infectious diseases, hypertension, and neurological disorders. Although many natural metabolites have been screened and yielded pharmaceutically important drugs, many potential sources of natural product drug therapies still need to be investigated, including lichens. Lichens are symbiotic systems consisting of a filamentous fungus and a photosynthetic partner (an eukaryotic alga and/or cyanobacterium). Lichens produce an impressive variety of unique secondary compounds and have been used as ingredients in folk medicines for centuries. Demonstrated biological roles based on lichen chemistry include: antibiotics, anti-proliferative, antioxidants, anti-HIV, anti-cancer, immunomodulation, and …

Sapocribrum Chincoteaguense N. Gen. N. Sp.: A Small, Scale-Bearing Amoebozoan With Flabellinid Affinities, Daniel J.G. Lahr, Jessica Grant, Robert Molestina, Laura A. Katz, O. Roger Anderson

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The isolate American Type Culture Collection (ATCC)^® 50979^™ is a small amoebozoan whose actin gene was previously characterized, but did not allow a stable phylogenetic placement. This isolate was originally mis-identified upon deposition, and subsequently mis-illustrated in a recent publication. Here, we provide both a detailed morphological description as well as additional molecular analyses in order to clarify the isolate's phylogenetic relationships. The amoeba is minute (less than 5 μm), and presents the behavior of staying in a fixed location, while emitting one or two thin pseudopods. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the cell is covered in a …

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Of Marine Clay Nano- And Microstructure By Transmission Electron Microscopy: Analysis Of Fabric And Pore Network, Jessica Rae Gardner Douglas

Master's Theses

Three-dimensional reconstructions of marine fine-grained sediment open a new dimension for studying nano- and microscale organo-clay fabric important to improving and advancing organic matter (OM) sequestration and fluid flow dynamics modeling. I created 3-D reconstructions of clay fabric and pore pathways from serial sections and photographic mosaics obtained using transmission electron microscopy. These reconstructions show aggregations of clay domains, surrounding OM, and pore networks. I examined a Model sample (laboratory consolidated) with 1% OM and a Natural sample (polychaete fecal pellet) with high levels of OM. Three-dimensional reconstructions were segmented into 300 nm cube subsamples to make highly localized qualitative …

Dmsp Biosynthesis By An Animal And Its Role In Coral Thermal Stress Response, Jean Baptiste Raina, Dianne M. Tapiolas, Sylvain Forêt, Adrian Lutz, David Abrego, Janja Ceh, Francois O. Seneca, Peta L. Clode, David G. Bourne, Bette L. Willis, Cherie A. Motti

All Works

Globally, reef-building corals are the most prolific producers of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP), a central molecule in the marine sulphur cycle and precursor of the climate-active gas dimethylsulphide. At present, DMSP production by corals is attributed entirely to their algal endosymbiont, Symbiodinium. Combining chemical, genomic and molecular approaches, we show that coral juveniles produce DMSP in the absence of algal symbionts. DMSP levels increased up to 54% over time in newly settled coral juveniles lacking algal endosymbionts, and further increases, up to 76%, were recorded when juveniles were subjected to thermal stress. We uncovered coral orthologues of two algal genes recently identified …

The Geometry And Sensitivity Of Ion-Beam Sculpted Nanopores For Single Molecule Dna Analysis, Ryan Connor Rollings

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the relationship between the geometry of ion-beam sculpted solid-state nanopores and their ability to analyze single DNA molecules using resistive pulse sensing is investigated. To accomplish this, the three dimensional shape of the nanopore is determined using energy filtered and tomographic transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that this information enables the prediction of the ionic current passing through a voltage biased nanopore and improves the prediction of the magnitude of current drop signals when the nanopore interacts with single DNA molecules. The dimensional stability of nanopores in solution is monitored using this information and is improved …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Pre-Incubation Formaldehyde Fumigation On The Tracheal Epithelium Of Chicken Embryos And Chicks, Si̇bel Hayretdağ, Dürdane Kolankaya

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre-incubation formaldehyde fumigation on the tracheal epithelium of chicken embryos and chicks. Throughout the study pre-incubation formaldehyde fumigation was applied to 18-day-old embryos and 1-day-old chicks only once, at 1 of 2 different concentrations (3x, 42 ml of formalin and 21 g of potassium permanganate per m^3 and 4x, 56 ml of formalin and 28 g of potassium permanganate per m^3) for 1 of 2 different durations (20 min and 40 min). Tracheal samples were taken from 18-day-old embryos and 1-day-old chicks, and the tracheal epithelial cells were examined with transmission electron …

Ultrastructure Of Teliospores And Promycelium And Basidiospore Formation In The Four-Spored Form Of Gymnoconia Nitens, One Of The Causes Of Orange Rust Of Rubus, C. W. Mims, E. A. Richardson, Josephine Taylor

Faculty Publications

Orange rust of Rubus is an interesting disease because of the fact that it can be caused by three different rust fungi that produce virtually identical symptoms. One is Gymnoconia peckiana (Howe in Peck) Trotter, which is a demicyclic species, while the other two are endocyclic forms historically referred to as Gymnoconia nitens (Schwein.) Kern & H.W. Thurston. Although the spores produced on infected Rubus leaves by these latter two forms are morphologically identical to the aeciospores of G. peckiana, they actually function as teliospores. However, the teliospores of one of the forms gives rise to two-celled promycelia that …

Activated Epha4 Receptor In Xenopus Laevis Acts Rhrough Src- Like Tyrosine Kinase P59fyn To Inhibit Rhoa Gtpase, Svetlana Grabauskiene

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Eph receptors and their ligands, ephrins, have been implicated in many important developmental processes and in tumorigenesis. The activation of EphA4 receptors in the frog, Xenopus laevis, causes loss of cell adhesion, tight junctions, and stress fibers. Previous studies revealed that these receptors achieve their cellular effects at least in part by inhibiting RhoA GTPase. However, what links these GTPases with the EphA4 receptor remained unknown.

In an attempt to investigate involvement of the Src-like tyrosine kinase p59fyn in EphA4 signaling, a series of experiments was planned using the chimeric receptor EPP. The findings presented in this thesis indicate …

Light And Electron Microscopic Examination Of The Single Kidney Of Unilateral Nephrectomized Rats During Pregnancy, H. Hamdi̇ Çeli̇k, Mustafa F. Sargon

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The light microscopic and ultrastructural changes observed in the single kidney of pregnant rats were detected during mid-term pregnancy and after parturition and the results were compared with those of the pure nephrectomized group. The experimental studies were performed on 24 female virgin rats and all of them were subjected to unilateral nephrectomy. No pathology was observed in the light microscopic examination of the kidneys of the groups. In the transmission electron microscopic examination, in the pure nephrectomized group, cell swellings were present in the endothelial cells of the interlobular arteries and arterioles. Additionally, a mild cell swelling was seen …

Microscopic Analysis Of Dna And Dna-Protein Assembly By Transmission Electron Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy And Scanning Force Microscopy, T. Müller-Reichhert, H. Gross

Scanning Microscopy

To investigate DNA and DNA-protein assembly, nucleic acids were adsorbed to freshly cleaved mica in the presence of magnesium ions. The efficiency of DNA adhesion and the distribution of the molecules on the mica surface were checked by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, various kinds of DNA-protein interactions including DNA wrapping and DNA super-coiling were analyzed using electron microscopy. In parallel, this Mg²⁺/mica method can be applied (1) to analyze embedded DNA by scanning tunneling microscopy, (2) to visualize freeze-dried, metal coated DNA-protein complexes by tunneling microscopy, and (3) to image DNA or DNA-protein interaction in air or …

The Appearance Of Endothelium In Small Arteries After Treatment With 5-Fluorouracil. An Electron Microscopic Study Of Late Effects In Rabbits, M. Cwikiel, J. Eskilsson, J. B. Wieslander, U. Stjernquist, M. Albertsson

Scanning Microscopy

Cardiotoxicity is an unexplained toxic manifestation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Its possible mechanism could be a direct cytotoxic effect on the vascular endothelium. We have tested this hypothesis in an experimental study in rabbits, using scanning and transmission electron microscopic evaluation of endothelium in small arteries (the central artery of the ear). The perfusion fixation method at physiological pressure and temperature was used. Both local and systemic effects of 5-FU on endothelium were studied 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days after in vivo treatment with 5-FU. Fifteen rabbits were used and five additional animals served as controls. The following parameters …

Angiogenesis In The Gonadal Capillary Network Of The Chick Embryo, F. J. Pérez-Aparicio, A. Carretero, M. Navarro, J. Ruberte

Scanning Microscopy

Seventy-one chick embryos of both sexes at the 35 Hamburger and Hamilton (H-H) developmental stage were processed for scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts and of critical point dried specimens, as well as transmission electron- and light microscopy, in order to study the angiogenic structures. The gonadal subepithelial capillary network was located at the level of the tunica albuginea under the covering epithelium. The casts showed a densely-meshed capillary network and numerous sprouting (nodular protrusions or capillary sprouts) and non-sprouting (enlarged vessels and angiogenic holes) angiogenic structures that were randomly distributed and mixed. Four types of angio-genic holes were …

Immunogold Labeling For The Diagnosis Of Leukemia By Transmission And Scanning Electron Microscopy, Etienne De Harven, Davide Soligo, Hilary Christensen

Scanning Microscopy

For the cell type diagnosis of leukemia in adult patients, particularly when the sampling of bone marrow is difficult, the study of peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) by immuno-electron microscopy provides significant information, as illustrated here in two cases of hairy cell leukemia and seven cases tentatively identified as megakaryoblastic leukemia (M7). Indirect immunogold labeling with the B-ly7 monoclonal antibody (CD103) proved valuable in confirming the diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia. Immunogold labeling for the GplIIa platelet glycoprotein (CD61) was used in cases where the light microscopy of blood films revealed possible megakaryoblastic leukemia. Under the electron microscope, however, the CD61 …

The Effect Of Ionizing Irradiation On Type I Collagen Of The Tail In Growing Mice: A Histology And Electron Microscopy Study, M. Q. Yang, E. Kjellén, C. H. Håkansson, M. Palmegren

Scanning Microscopy

In order to examine the effect of radiation on growing tissue, especially the fibroblasts and their end-product, the collagen fibres, tails from 24 mice were irradiated at an age of 8 days with 20 Gy and 30 Gy (>°Co). Tails from 18 animals served as controls. Six mice from each group were sacrificed on day 8, 20 and 30. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the fibroblasts and the collagen fibrils. Non-irradiated fibroblasts had a nucleus rich in chromatin and an abundant endoplasmic reticulum with cistemae and condensing vacuoles.

On day 20, approximately 50 % , and on …

The Influence Of 5-Fluorouracil On The Endothelium In Small Arteries. An Electron Microscopic Study In Rabbits, M. Cwikiel, B. Zhang, J. Eskilsson, J. B. Wieslander, M. Albertsson

Scanning Microscopy

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a widely used antineoplastic agent. 5-FU induced cardiotoxicity is a still relatively unknown side-effect of this drug. This phenomenon could be due to a direct cytotoxic effect on the endothelial cells. We tested this hypothesis in an experimental study in rabbits, by scanning or transmission electron microscopic evaluation of endothelium in small arteries (the central artery of the ear) after in vivo treatment with 5-FU. Both local and systemic effects of 5-FU on endothelium were studied 15, 30, 60 and 120 minutes after intra-arterial or intraperitoneal treatment. Perfusion fixation at physiological pressure and temperature was used in …

Etiology Of Calcium Oxalate Nephrolithiasis In Rats. Ii. The Role Of The Papilla In Stone Formation, W. C. De Bruijn, E. R. Boevé, P. R. W. A. Van Run, P. P. M. C. Van Miert, R. De Water, J. C. Romijn, C. F. Verkoelen, L. C. Cao, J. M. Van 'T Noordende, F. H. Schröder

Scanning Microscopy

In kidneys of healthy rats submitted to a crystal-inducing diet (CID) with ethylene glycol (EG) and NH₄Cl, the fate of retained crystals in the papillar region is studied during a recovery period of one, five or ten days, as model system for human nephrolithiasis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows, at papillary tips bulging into the calycine space, crystal masses covered either by the epithelium or a thin fibrous veil, or by unidentified mobile cuboidal cells. After CID plus one or five days recovery, small sub-epithelial swellings are seen of large sub-epithelial crystals at or around the papillary tip. …

Etiology Of Calcium Oxalate Nephrolithiasis In Rats. I. Can This Be A Model For Human Stone Formation?, W. C. De Bruijn, E. R. Boevé, P. R. W. A. Van Run, P. P. M. C. Van Miert, R. De Water, J. C. Romijn, C. F. Verkoelen, L. C. Cao, F. H. Schröder

Scanning Microscopy

Crystal retention is studied in a rat-model system as a possible mechanism for the etiology of human nephrolithiasis. A crystal-inducing diet (CID) of ethylene glycol plus NH₄Cl in their drinking-water is offered to healthy rats to generate intratubular crystals. Subsequently, the fate of retained crystals is investigated by allowing the rats a tissue recovery/crystalluria phase for three, five and ten days, respectively, on normal drinking water.

The process of exotubulosis is observed in cortex and medulla of aldehyde-fixed kidneys after three days recovery. After five days, crystals are predominantly seen there in the interstitium. After ten days, cortex …

Notes On The Microstructure Of The Nautilus Shell, P. R. Mitchell, P. P. Phakey

Scanning Microscopy

The shell of the Nautilus was examined using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and polarized light microscopy. The structure consisted of two major layers: a porcellaneous outer layer and a nacreous inner layer. Most of the porcellaneous layer was composed of granular crystals randomly distributed with a substructure suggestive of bundles of acicular crystallites. A separate prismatic sublayer of the porcellaneous material was composed of a more regular arrangement of crystals. The nacre was composed of alternating crystalline lamellae and films of organic material. The lamellae were formed of many polygonal crystal platelets. The growth surface of the nacre …

Strain Relaxation In Graded Ingaas And Inp Buffer Layers On Gaas (001), K. Eberl, K. Häusler, T. Shitara, Y. Kershaw, W. Sigle

Scanning Microscopy

We investigate compositionally graded In_xo≤x≤0.5Ga_1-xAs and InP buffer layers which are prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on (001) GaAs substrate. The initial In content x_o is equal to 0, 0.12, 0.18, 0.24, and 0.5 for the different samples. The In composition of the graded buffer increases linearly between x_o and 0.5 with a fixed slope of 50% In-content per μm. The idea was to combine the advantage of surface flatness in homogeneous buffer layers and the reduced density of threading dislocations on the surface for graded buffer layers. The best compromise in terms of …

Dislocation Nucleation And Propagation In Semiconductor Heterostructures, D. Cherns, S. Mylonas, C. T. Chou, J. Wu, D. E. Ashenford, B. Lunn

Scanning Microscopy

This paper considers misfit dislocation nucleation and propagation in dilute magnetic semiconductor heterostructures in the CdTe-ZnTe-MnTe system. It is shown that, where the deposit is in tension, 1/2 < 110 > dislocations with inclined Burgers vectors propagate by glide along interfacial < 110 > directions and may dissociate giving intrinsic stacking faults. In cases where the deposit is in compression, 1/2 < 110 > dislocations show no evidence of dissociation and propagate by extensive cross-slip to give networks of dislocations close to interfacial < 100 > directions.

Evidence for dislocation sources in ZnTe/GaSb films is presented. ZnTe films contained stacking fault pyramids, single Frank faults and a new type of "diamond defect" …

The Morphology And Misfit Dislocation Formation Characteristics Of Strained Heteroepitaxial Layers: Ex Situ And In Situ Growth Studies, A. G. Cullis

Scanning Microscopy

Under certain regimes of heteroepitaxial layer growth, misfit stresses can lead to very significant distortions in interface morphology, which can influence strain relief and subsequent misfit dislocation introduction. These phenomena have been clearly demonstrated in the case of SiGe/Si heteroepitaxy and the way in which surface SiGe growth ripples are accompanied by strain waves has been established. The ripples provide partial elastic relief of the layer misfit stress in a manner which has been correlated with theoretical expectations. The local stress variations ultimately may influence the formation and disposition of misfit dislocations in the strained layer structures. The present paper …

Ultrastructure Of Dentin Matrix In Heritable Dentin Defects, J. Waltimo, H. Ranta, P. -L. Lukinmaa

Scanning Microscopy

Heritable dentin defects form a group of diseases which exclusively affect dentin among the various dental tissues. While one type is associated with the generalized connective tissue disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta, other types occur as single traits. The clinical manifestations of the dentin defects vary from insignificant to severe enough to cause aesthetical and functional failure of the teeth. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic studies, reviewed in this paper, have markedly clarified the ultrastructure of the aberrant dentin matrix. Both similar and different changes seem to occur in the various forms of heritable dentin defects. Abnormalities in the appearance and organization …

Balancing Surface Energy Terms For Stable Growth Of Planar Surfaces, M. Albrecht, P. O. Hansson, S. Christiansen, W. Dorsch, H. P. Strunk, E. Bauser

Scanning Microscopy

We investigate the driving forces that determine the growth mode of heteroepitaxial Ge layers grown from solution on Si substrates with orientations (001), (011) and (111) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Using liquid phase epitaxy, we can study the influences of strain and surface energy terms independently on effects due to limited surface diffusion. In (001) and (011) orientated layers, {111} faceted islands form (Stranski-Krastanov growth). In contrast, (111) orientated layers grow in a two-dimensional step flow growth mode (Frank-van der Merwe growth).

We model these investigations in terms of energy minimisation considering surface energy …

Effects Of Modulated Microwave And X-Ray Irradiation On The Activity And Distribution Of Ca2+-Atpase In Small Intestine Epithelial Cells, Z. Somosy, G. Thuróczy, G. J. Köteles, J. Kovács

Scanning Microscopy

The distribution and activity of Ca²⁺-ATPase were investigated by histochemical methods in small intestine epithelial cells of mice following total body 2450 MHz low frequency (16 Hz) microwave and X-ray irradiation. In the control animals, enzyme activities were found in the brush border and on lateral membranes, including junctional areas of the cells. The enzyme activity of lateral membranes was inhibited by quercetin, a specific inhibitor of Ca²⁺-ATPase.

Immediately after square modulated (16 Hz) 2450 MHz microwave irradiation at 1 mW/cm² power densities, we observed a decreased activity of Ca²⁺-ATPase on the lateral …