Life Sciences Commons^™

Radiological Monitoring Of Select Faunal Species Indigenous To Environs Of The Maxey Flats Shallow Land Burial Facility, Robert Bruce Burns

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A Thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Sciences and Mathematics at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Robert Bruce Burns on December 14, 1983.

A Study Of The Environmental Aspects Of Schistosomiasis In Libya, Abubaker I. Swehli

Dissertations

Schistosomiasis is a serious disease in humans. Two species of schistosome, Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium, organisms that cause the disease, parasitize humans in Libya. Schistosomes require aquatic snails in their life cycle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental and the host relationships of the disease in the three regions of Libya where the disease is found. These relationships include:

1) Analyses of the physical-chemical characteristics of the aquatic habitat.

2) Collection of snails to determine: a) the kind of snail species and th e ir abundance; and b) the cercarial infestation rates.

3) Infection rates …

Histopathology In Rat Temporal Bones Resulting From Excess Dietary Fluoride In Conjunction With Suspected Water Born Toxins, Donna Lee Healy

Masters Theses

The occurrence of perinatal deaths, bony extoses, and deafness in dog kennels in certain areas of Michigan led The Upjohn Company and Western Michigan University to suspect fluoride toxicity and/or water born toxins. The present project was designed to examine the ability of excess fluoride ingestion and/or the ability of suspected water born toxins to induce histopathology in Sprague-Dawley rats. An otopathological assessment of the rat temporal bones showed no otopathology nor any changes in cochlear dimensions, however, a quantitative assessment of osteoclastic density showed a large increase in the numbers of osteoclasts of spongy bone in the high fluoride …

Rearrangement Of The Keratin Cytoskeleton After Combined Treatment With Microtubule And Microfilament Inhibitors, Loren W. Knapp, W. Michael O'Guin, Roger H. Sawyer

Faculty Publications

In addition to containing microtubule and microfilament systems, vertebrate epithelial cells contain an elaborate keratin intermediate-filament cytoskeleton. Little is known about its structural organization or function. Using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with an antikeratin antiserum probe, we found that destabilization of microtubules and microfilaments with cytostatic drugs induces significant alterations in the cytoskeletal organizationof keratin filaments in HeLa and fetal mouse epidermal cells. Keratin filament organizationwas observed to undergo a rapid (1-2 h) transition from a uniform distribution to an open lattice of keratin fibers stabilized by membrane-associated focal centers . Since addition of any one drug alone did not elicit …

The Effects Of Photoperiod On The Prolactin Cells Of Notropis Cornutus (Mitchell), Matthew Kevin Hettinger

Masters Theses

Three groups of the common shiner (Notropis cornutus, Mitchell) were adapted to three different photoperiods. These photoperiods were 16L:8D (summer), 12L:12D (controls), and 8L:16D (winter). The prolactin cells were studied histologically and morphologically with respect to staining characteristics, cell and nuclear morphology, nuclear size, and cellular density. The prolactin cells of those fish under the long photoperiod exhibited greater cellular activity than the controls as evidenced by an increase in nuclear size, cellular density, and by becoming more circular. The prolactin cells of those fish under the short photoperiod exhibited the same characteristics as those in the long photoperiod. The …

The Effect Of Orally Administered Butylated Hydroxytoluene On Herpes Simplex Keratitis, Donald Carson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Some studies have reported in vitro inactivation of membrane enveloped viruses by Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). This study investigates the effect of orally administered BHT on primary infections of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) using rabbit corneas as the assay system.

Assigned levels of BHT were incorporated into the diet of New Zealand White rabbits with HSV-1 McKrae strain on the corneal surface of the eyes. The degree of infection was measured by a subjective assay. Rabbits receiving BHT in their diet consistently experienced lower levels of infection. The interpretation of this data is that orally administered BHT can be an effective …

Germ Line-Specific Dna Sequences Are Present On All Five Micronuclear Chromosomes In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Kathleen M. Karrer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The development of the macronucleus from the zygotic micronucleus in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena spp. involves the elimination of specific DNA sequences (M. C. Yao and M. Gorovsky, Chromosoma 48:1-18 1974). The present study demonstrates that micronucleus-specific DNA is present on all five of the micronuclear chromosomes. Fragments of micronuclear DNA from Tetrahymena thermophila were cloned in the plasmid vector pBR322. A procedure was developed to examine the organization of the cloned sequences in micro- and macronuclear DNA without nick translating each individual probe. Twenty-three percent of randomly selected DNA sequences examined by this method were micronucleus (germ line) specific. …

Observations On The Life Cycles Of Hydropsyche Bifida Banks And Hydropsyche Morosa Hagen (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae), Neal J. Voelz

Culminating Projects in Biology

Two different laboratory streams were.used to examine the life cycles of Hydropsyche bifida and H. morosa (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae). Effectiveness of the artificial streams was determined. Hydropsyche bifida and H. morosa were shown to be useful bioassay organisms. Variations of the species-specific larval head patterns were drawn for both H. oifida and H. morosa.

Field studies were used to determine niche·separations for H. bifida and H. morosa in riffle areas of the Sauk River, St. Cloud, Minnesota. Physical-spatial factors such as retreat material, substrate preference, area of riffle and location on substrate were used to evaluate thi's separation. Eggs found in the …

Analysis Of Estrogen And Progesterone Binding Sites In Cytosol And Nuclei Of 7,12-Dimethybenz (A) Anthracene-Induced Rat Mammary Carcinoma: Hormone-Dependent Vs. Hormone Independent Tumor Populations, Danny Michael Burns

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Sciences and Mathematics at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Danny Michael Burns on September 6, 1983.

Modification Of A Rapidly Transported Protein In Regenerating Nerve, Bruce Tedeschi, David L. Wilson

Biology Articles and Papers

From 1 to 28 days after frog sciatic nerve damage, dorsal root ganglia were incubated with [35S] methionine, and the labeled, rapidly transported proteins at various points along the nerve were analyzed on two-dimensional gels. The results show a dramatic increase in the labeling of a protein, which we have designated as A25, only after the arrival of the rapidly transported proteins at regenerating nerve tips. This effect is first seen 3 to 5 days after injury. On gels from regenerating nerves, A25 appears as a series of intense spots with an apparent molecular weight of 70,000. A25 is retrogradely …

Review Of "The Nature And Origin Of The Biological World" By E. J. Ambrose, John B. Jenkins

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Adrenal Cortex In Fat Metabolism Of Meriones Unguiculatus, The Mongolian Gerbil, Saffia Baggia

Master's Theses

The effects of adrenalectomy and corticoid replacement therapies on survival, weight loss, depot fat and blood free fatty acid were studied in Meriones unguiculatus, the Mongolian gerbil. Adrenalectomized gerbils that received cortisol and aldosterone lived significantly longer and lost significantly more weight than the controls (adrenalectomized gerbils not receiving any treatment) and the sham-operated groups. Cortisol and aldosterone treatment were also effective in mobilizing significantly greater amounts of depot fat into free fatty acid. Cortisol and aldosterone treated groups had significantly less blood free fatty acid than the control and the sham-operated groups.

The Role Of Adrenomedullary Hormones In Survival Of The Adrenalectomized Mongolian Gerbil, Meriones Unguiculatus, Carol B. Ussery

Master's Theses

Thee effects of adrenalectomy and catecholamine replacement therapy on survival were studied in Meriones unguiculatus, the Mongolian gerbil. Adrenalectomized gerbils that received epinephrine lived significantly longer than the controls untreated adrenalectomized gerbils) and animals that received either norepinephrine or a combination of epinephrine and norepinephrine. Results also indicated that these epinephrine-treated animals lost more depot fat that either controls or other groups receiving treatment. In spite of the short survival benefit given by epinephrine, the mechanisms governing the critical adrenal dependency in this species remain unknown.

Behavior, Habitat Use, Food, And Foraging Efficiency Of Three Species Of Sympatric Merons (Egretta), Donald M. Kent

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The foraging ecology and behavior of Little Bule Herons (Egretta caerulea), Snowy Egrets (E. thula), and Tricolored Herons (E. tricolor) was studied from October 1981 to August 1982 in Old Tampa Bay and Safety Harbor, Hills borough and Pinellas Counties, Florida. Little Blue Herons foraged exclusively by walk-slow and employed head sways or tilted during 75% of the observations. Snowy Egrets used stand, walk-slow, disturb-and-chase, and foot-stirring. Tricolored Herons used stand, walk-slow, disturb-and-chase, ana stand-and-chase. Tricolored Herons using stand-and-chase stood near shore facing open water and when prey was spotted they ran or hopped in the direction of the prey …

Binding Activity Of The Tubulin-3h-Colchicine Complex, Menjor Tino Unlap

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Microtubules, isolated from bovine brain, were used to study the effect of ultraviolet radiation on the tubulin-³H-colchicine complex and the polymerizing ability of this complex to intact and disrupted microtubules. Dissociation of this complex was observed upon ultraviolet irradiation and continued to progress as exposure time increased. The binding of this complex to intact microtubules prior to irradiation did not seem to enhance its stability to ultraviolet radiation. There was a significant difference observed at the 0.05 level between the binding of the tubulin-³H-colchicine complex to microtubules in mechanically disrupted and control samples. Statistically, there was …

The Suprapopulation Dynamics Of Acanthocephalus Dirus In A Definitive Host, Etheostoma Squamiceps, & Two Intermediate Hosts, Lirceus Fontinalis & Gammarus Minus, Mary Weimorts

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The suprapopulation dynamics of Acanthocephalus dirus were studied in the definitive host, Etheostoma squamiceps, and two intermediate hosts, Lirceus fontinalis and Gammarus minus, from Lick Creek, Warren County, Kentucky. The study was conducted from December 1981 through January 1983. A total of 448 isopods, L. fontinalis, was examined for larval A. dirus and 9 (2.01%) were infected. Infected isopods were observed from September through December 1982. There was no correlation between the presence of larvae and lack of pigmentation. A total of 441 amphipods, G. minus, was examined. Of these, 21 (4.76%) were infected. Infected amphipods …

A Black Marlin, Makaira Indica, From The Early Pleistocene Of The Philippines And The Zoogeography Of Istiophorid Billfishes, Harry L. Fierstine, Bruce J. Welton

Biological Sciences

A nearly complete articulated head (including pectoral and pelvic girdles and fins) was collected from an Early Pleistocene, upper bathyal, volcanic ash deposit on Tambac Island, Northwest Central Luzon, Philippines. The specimen was positively identified because of its general resemblance to other large marlins and by its rigid pectoral fin, a characteristic feature of the black marlin. This is the first fossil billfish described from Asia and the first living species of billfish positively identified in the fossil record. The geographic distribution of the two living species of Makaira is discussed, Except for fossil localities bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the …

Food Supplementation Of Small Rodents In The Sand Pine Scrub, Brenda L. Young

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Determination Of The Relative Response Of Mammalian Cells To Simulated Sunlight & 254 Nm Radiation, Randall Gill

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A comparison between germicidal (254 nm) UV and simulated sunlight (above 300 nm) radiation emitted from a solar simulator has been made using five mammalian cell lines. The cell lines used included normal and photosensitive human skin fibroblasts and one African green monkey kidney cell line. The ratio of 10% survival by exposure to 254 nm radiation divided by 10% survival by simulated sunlight exposure derived from the above comparison was used as a criterion for showing that the above cell lines are statistically significantly different in their relative response to simulated sunlight.

Interaction Of Nutrition And Infection: Effect Of Zinc Deficiency On Immunoglobulin Levels In Trypanosoma Musculi Infection, Clarence Lee, Patricia Humphrey, Georgiana Aboko-Cole

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Accumulative evidence in the scientific literature relating malnutrition and susceptibility to infection in human beings and animals has contributed significantly to the understanding of the maladies among the malnourished of the world. In the dispensation of health care systems around the world, little or no emphasis has been placed on trace-element nutrition. This paper adds to the available evidence by using a metabolic imbalance technique to investigate the effects zinc deficiency exert on the course of a parasitic infection. A model composed of zinc-deficient mice and Trypanosoma musculi was used to study changes in serum immunoglobulins.

Effects Of Temperature On Testicular Photosensitivity In The White-Throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia Albicollis), Laurel Matthews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

It has been shown in studies involving many temperatezone avian species that annual variation in day length is a major environmental factor influencing the timing of seasonal events such as gonadal development, molt, fat deposition, and migration. The mechanism whereby these birds measure day length involves a circadian rhythm of photosensitivity which is entrained by the daily photoperiod. If light occurs such that it coincides with the photosensitive phase of this rhythm, an event such as gonadal recrudescence is induced. This study was carried out in photosensitive White-throated Sparrows in winter and spring of 1982 to explore the possibility that …

Interaction Of Nutrition And Infection: Effect Of Zinc Deficiency On Immunoglobulin Levels In Trypanosoma Musculi Infection, Clarence Lee, Patricia A. Humphrey, Georgiana Aboko-Cole

Clarence Lee

Baseline Study For Monitoring Variations In Nitrate Concentration In Surface Waters Of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park In Relation To Watershed Types, Lester E. Harris Iii

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare the variations in nitrate concentration in the surface waters of five different watershed community types at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Monthly water samples were collected at selected sites below each watershed and analyzed by use of a specific ion electrode for nitrate concentration. Results indicate that variations in nitrate concentration are influenced by seasonal variation in rainfall. The yellow pine forest/chaparral watershed showed the highest mean nitrate concentration, three to four times higher than the other watershed types analyzed. Peak nitrate concentrations did not approach the maximum safe limit for human or …

Macrophages Contain At Least Two Myosins, John A. Trotter, Stylianos P. Scordilis, Sarkis S. Margossian

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

A number of motile functions of macrophages are thought to be mediated by myosin. We have observed that myosin from rabbit alveolar macrophages is heterogeneous with respect to its 20 kDa light chain: two species of 20 kDa light chain are identified by one-dimensional and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in a ratio of 2:1. Native myosin, analyzed on non-denaturing gels, is also composed of two species, in a ratio of 2:1. These results indicate that macrophages contain at least two different myosins, which might have different physiological functions.

The Combined Effect Of Cu And Zn On Selenastrum Capricornutum, Helmer Colonia-Roque

Dissertations and Theses

It has been demonstrated that the toxicity of heavy metals depends on their chemical speciation and can be related to their free ion activities, rather than the total metal concentrations. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of combined free ions of zinc and copper on the toxicity to the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum. This alga was grown in a defined medium, under controlled laboratory conditions, with a varying range of zinc and copper concentrations. The growth rate of the alga was inhibited at pZn = 5.93 or at pCu = 7.24. The results suggest that …

Rhizosphere N2 Fixation In A Forest Ecosystem In Situ Assays And Evaluation Of The Acetylene Reduction Technique, Inger Börjesson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In situ assays of N₂ fixation activity, using the acetylene reduction technique, were performed in four successional stages of a Northern Wasatch Mountain subalpine forest ecosystem, elevation 2,800 m. Emphasis was made on rhizosphere fixation in association with Antennaria microphylla and Achillea millefolium. The vegetation period was approximately 100 days.

Assays were performed in Saran bags. A defined amount of propane was injected at initiation of the assay and acetylene was generated from CaC₂. Samples were analyzed for ethylene and propane. Data were evaluated assuming that the ethylene production was directly proportional to the increase in …

Alteration In Serum Enzyme Levels, Activity Of Hepatic Monooxygenases, And Hepatocyte Morphology Due To Liver Enzyme Inducers In Microtus Montanus, Jeffrey Robert Hincks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microtus sp. have been used in microcosm simulations of polluted environments. In this study, female Microtus montanus (mountain vole), 8 - 12 weeks of age, were pretreated with phenobarbital (PB), ß-naphthoflavone (BNF), or Aroclor 1254 (PCB) for 3 consecutive days. Doses ranged from 5 to 80 mg/kg for each pretreatment, while control animals received saline or corn oil only. The voles were sacrificed 1 day after the last dose of PB and 2 days after BNF and PCB. Hepatic microsomal enzyme activity of aniline hydroxylase (AH), p-nitroanisole-O-demethylase (PNA) and cytochrome C reductase (CCR) were measured in relation …

Food Habits & The Utilization Of Drift Organisms By Larval Fishes In The Middle Fork Of Drake's Creek, Kentucky, Shirley Timbrook

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Food habits of larvae of the northern hog sucker, common shiner, rosyface shiner, and Micropterus sp. from the Middle Fork of Drake's Creek, Kentucky were identified from 18 March to 12 August 1982. Eighteen taxa of animals were observed in the stream drift and a total of seventeen taxa, including larval fish, were identified in the stomach analysis. Eggs, rotifers, hydracarina, and diptera represented the greatest component of the drift comprising 34%, 32%, 8%, and 6%, respectively. The major organisms observed in the gut analysis included eggs (fish, rotifer, and copepod species), rotifers (Euchlanis sp.), diptera (Chironomidae), annelida (Naididae), …

Effects Of Physical And Emotional Stress, Catecholamines And Naloxone On Hdl And Ldl Cholesterol Levels In Rats And Man, Andrew G. Goliszek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of investigations were undertaken to determine whether physical or emotional stress, catecholamines or naloxone (B-endorphon blocker) would increase serum total cholesterol and LDL and HDL levels. Physical stress given daily over a period of time caused a steady increase in serum total cholesterol and LDL without a significantly altering high density lipoproteins (HDL) or serum triglycerides. Daily injections of epinerphrine in oil caused an increase in both serum total cholesterol and LDL levels while daily injections of norepinephrine did not. Reversal of the treatments caused a reversed response in both groups of rats. Similar increases in both total …

Natural Killer Activity In Gardner's Syndrome, Ann Marie Stembridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gardner's syndrome is an autosomal dominant disease presenting multiple colonic polyps with a predisposition for malignant change. In addition to colonic polyp formation by early adolescence, extracolonic lesions appear often prior to polyp formation. One theoretical mechanism for the origin of polyps and malignancies in Gardner's syndrome is a genetic defect in the natural killer cell activity of patients with this disease. Natural killer cells are a subpopulation of lymphocytes that spontaneously lyse tumor cells and virally transformed cells. A study was undertaken to determine the natural killer activity of patients with Gardner's syndrome.

A technique termed chromium release was …