Life Sciences Commons^™

Adding Upstream Sequence And A Downstream Reporter To The Bile Acid Inducible Promoter Of Clostridium Scindens Vpi 12708, Bryan Patrick Mason

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Bile acids in the small intestines of animals serve to breakdown fats and fatsoluble vitamins. Most of the bile acids are reabsorbed into the enterohepatic circulation, but approximately five percent of these bile acids pass into the large intestine. These bile acids are swiftly deconjugated by the bacterial population, and then subjected to further intestinal bacterial chemical modifications. The most significant of these modifications are 7α-dehydroxylations which form secondary bile acids (deoxycholate and lithocholate). Much research has illuminated the 7α-dehydroxylation pathway: of particular interest is the bile acid inducible operon, for which Clostridium scindens VPI 12708 serves as the model …

Ecological Impact Of Epigeal Termitaria On Vertebrates In The Tsavo Region Of Southeast Kenya, Margaret M. Mahan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Termites ecologically engineer their environment by producing termitaria (mounds) used by many other species as dens, lookouts or food sources. The role of termite mounds in biological communities is relatively unknown, despite their ubiquitous nature. I investigated their impact on vertebrates in the Tsavo region of Kenya. Through the characterization of mounds, trapping, direct observation, and collecting microclimate data, I was able to determine the importance of mounds to vertebrates. I found uniform dispersion of mounds, that soil type is correlated with the size of mounds, and that vertebrate activity increases with mound size. I also found no significant differences …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Bis-Phosphine Complexes With Transition Metals, Alicia L. Mcdaniel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Extractants and extraction methodologies play a vital role in many industrial processes, from the concentration of precious metals from ores to the separation of longlived nuclei from radioactive waste as well as the removal of heavy metals from soils and water for remediation. The vast majority of extractants rely on the use of nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur or selenium as Lewis base donor atoms to form coordination complexes with the metal ions of interest. These extractants often make use of the chelate effect and/or the macrocyclic effect in order to form stable complexes. Some of the best known types of chelate …

Role Of Cd4+Cd25+ Regulatory T Lymphocytes In Experimental Toxoplasmosis, Sanjay Varikuti

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Toxoplasmosis is an important cause of congenital disease, and it is one of the most common opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The need for a reliable experimental model of this infection is crucial not only for achieving a better understanding of the patho-physiology of the disease, but also for developing better methods for evaluating new therapeutic regimens. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory lymphocytes in mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii. T regulatory (Treg) cells have been shown to play an important role in our immune system in …

Pestilence, Persistence And Pathogenicity: Infection Strategies Of Bartonella, Michael F. Minnick, James M. Battisti

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

It has been nearly two decades since the discovery of Bartonella as an agent of bacillary angiomatosis in AIDS patients and persistent bacteremia and 'nonculturable' endocarditis in homeless people. Since that time, the number of Bartonella species identified has increased from one to 24, and 10 of these bacteria are associated with human disease. Although Bartonella is the only genus that infects human erythrocytes and triggers pathological angiogenesis in the vascular bed, the group remains understudied compared with most other bacterial pathogens. Numerous questions regarding Bartonella's molecular pathogenesis and epidemiology remain unanswered. Virtually every mammal harbors one or more Bartonella …

Tri-Trophic Linkages In Disease: Pathogen Transmission To Rainbow Trout Through Stonefly Prey, Sandra M. Adams, Aaron S. Adams, William E. Holben

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT Relationships between macroinvertebrates and microorganisms in aquatic environments are only poorly understood despite the fact that many aquatic macroinvertebrates feed on microbial biofilms during some life stage. Better understanding of trophic interactions between microbial biofims, macroinvertebrates, and fish may also help control fish diseases and loss of natural resources. It has also been suggested that pollution, habitat fragmentation, and poor water quality may contribute to increased pathogenesis and mortality in fish. Increased disease incidence is difficult to assess, however, in part because of the complexity of pathogen transmission dynamics. Several environmental pathogens exist whose reservoir(s) and means of transmission …

High Aldehyde Dehydrogenase And Expression Of Cancer Stem Cell Markers Selects For Breast Cancer Cells With Enhanced Malignant And Metastatic Ability, Alysha K. Croker, David Goodale, Jenny Chu, Carl Postenka, Benjamin D. Hedley, David A. Hess, Alison L. Allan

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently been identified in leukaemia and solid tumours; however, the role of CSCs in metastasis remains poorly understood. This dearth of knowledge about CSCs and metastasis is due largely to technical challenges associated with the use of primary human cancer cells in pre-clinical models of metastasis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop suitable pre-clinical model systems for studying stem-like cells in breast cancer metastasis, and to test the hypothesis that stem-like cells play a key role in metastatic behaviour. We assessed four different human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-435, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MCF-7) …

Regional Study Of No-Till Impacts On Near-Surface Aggregate Properties That Influence Soil Erodibility, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Maysoon M. Mikha, J. G. Benjamin, L. R. Stone, A. J. Schlegel, Drew J. Lyon, M. F. Vigil, P. W. Stahlman

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

The extent to which tillage systems modify the near-surface soil aggregate properties aff ecting soil’s susceptibility to erosion by water and wind is not well understood. We hypothesized that an increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) content with conservation tillage systems, particularly no-till (NT), may improve near-surface soil aggregate properties that infl uence soil erodibility. This regional study assessed changes in aggregate resistance to raindrops, dry aggregate wettability, and dry aggregate stability as well as their relationships with changes in SOC content. Four long-term (>19 yr) tillage systems including moldboard plow (MP), conventional till (CT), reduced till (RT), and …

Nebline, August 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Landscape Water Saving Methods
Natural Sources of Nitrogen for Plant Growth
Commercial Nitrogen Fertilizer Sources
Pumping Water For Ponds
Canning Fruits and Vegetables
Heating With Wood
Fall Prairie Seeding Site Preparation
Handling Food Safely on the Road $tretch Your Food Dollar by Packing Your Lunch Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints
Financial Security: Consumer Credit
Running Out of Time for Bagworm Control
Harvesting and Preserving Herbs
Summertime Bug Bites
Taking Insect Photos at Spring Creek Prairie
4-H’ers Test Animal Science Skills at PASE
4-H’ers Test Family and Consumer Sciences Skills at …

Summer/Fall 2009, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Ice Storm Effects On The Canopy Structure Of A Northern Hardwood Forest After 8 Years, Brian C. Weeks, Steven P. Hamburg, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur

All Materials

Ice storms can cause severe damage to forest canopies, resulting in differential mortality among tree species and size classes and leading to long-lasting changes in the vertical structure and composition of the forest. An intense ice storm in 1998 damaged large areas of the northern hardwood forest, including much of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire (USA). Following up on detailed poststorm assessments, we measured changes in the vertical structure of the forest canopy 8 years poststorm. We focused on how the presence of disease-induced advance regeneration of American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) has affected canopy structure in the …

Segregation Of Palaemonid Shrimp Along The Shark River Estuary: Implications For Trophic Function, Lauren C. Mccarthy

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the abundance, distribution, and spatiotemporal variation of palaemonid shrimp species in relation to season and salinity in the Shark River Estuary, Everglades National Park (ENP), Florida, USA. Five palaemonid species occurred in the samples: Palaemonetes paludosus, P. pugio, P. intermedius, Palaemon floridanus, and Leander paulensis; L. paulensis was collected only during the wet season. Overall, shrimp catches in traps doubled in the dry season. Catches in the upper estuary were dominated by P. paludosus, particularly in the wet season, while catch per unit effort (CPUE) at the most downstream, …

A Nebraska Bird-Finding Guide, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

Persons living in Nebraska often feel that they are living in a cultural wasteland; its citizenry preoccupied with violent sports such as hunting and football. Yet many are unaware that they are actually residing in one of the prime locations in the entire world for observing and enjoying some of the most aesthetically appealing of all the world's biological attractions. The area around Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy, for example, is known to have attracted more than 330 bird species, including 104 breeders (plus 17 probable breeders) making it the third-most species-rich bird location in the interior U.S.A. (after Laguna …

Animal Science Alumni Newsletter, Summer/Fall 2009

Department of Animal Science: Departmental News

From the Interim Department Head’s Desk-- Dr. Sheila E. Scheideler
2009 Block & Bridle Honoree: Homer Buell
Other Block and Bridle Activities
Companion Animal Club: SEECA: Students for the Education of Exotic and Companion Animals
Student Teams: Meats Judging Team, Horse Judging Team, 2008-2009 Livestock Judging Teams, Equestrian Team, Beef Merchandising Class, Ambassadors
New Faculty: Dr. Karla (Hollingsworth) Jenkins, Panhandle Research & Extension Center in Scottsbluff; Dr. Deb Hamernik, Agricultural Research Division (ARD)
Emeriti Faculty: Catching Up with Abe Aberle; Award for Engagement of Emeriti Faculty
Awards and Recognitions
Deaths: Dr. Ann Hollingsworth, Thad Ita, Vance Uden
Updates: Joseph Baumert, …

10th International Mammalogical Congress Abstracts: Mendoza, Argentina, 9-14 August 2009, Eviatar Nevo, Michael Mares, Christopher Johnson, Gabriel Marroig, Pablo A. Marquet

International Theriological Congress Abstracts of Papers

Abstracts of the 10th International Mammalogical Congress held in Mendoza, Argentina, August 9-14, 2009.

Red Raspberries Possess Anticarcinogenic And Immunostimulatory Potential, Jason God

All Dissertations

Despite the great strides made in the treatment of cancer, considerably little progress has been made towards prevention of the disease. In light of this reality, it has become apparent that a greater focus needs to be devoted to research into means of cancer prevention. Due to the significant role that nutrition plays in the development of cancer, the diet presents an attractive and logical target for such research.
Epidemiology has consistently shown an inverse relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk for developing cancer. Additionally, countless in vitro studies on natural products isolated from fruits and vegetables have …

Predicting Leptodactylus (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae) Distributions: Broad-Ranging Versus Patchily Distributed Species Using A Presence-Only Environmental Niche Modeling Technique, Miguel Fernández, Daniel Cole, W. R. Heyer, Stephen Reichle, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Locality data available for many, if not most, species of Neotropical frogs are based on written descriptions of the collecting sites, not on GPS device determined coordinate data. The pre-GPS device data are imprecise relative to GPS data. Niche modeling is a powerful technique for predicting geographic distributions that provides the best results when the locality data are precise. The purpose of this study is to determine whether imprecise historical locality data are sufficient such that niche modeling techniques can yield realistic new insights to species-level distributions. Two sets of frogs of the genus Leptodactylus that have known different kinds …

Population Dynamics And Parasitism Of Brassica Insect Pests In Zimbabwe With Emphasis On The Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), Walter Manyangarirwa

All Dissertations

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a major insect pest of brassicas in Zimbabwe. Field surveys were conducted to assess brassica pest management practices at large scale farms (≈2.0-10.0 ha) and smallholder farms (<2.0 ha). Insecticides used on large scale farms include λ-cyhalothrin, fenvalerate, dimethoate, malathion, diazinon, dichlorvos, kelthane and lufenuron. Smallholder farmers predominantly used dimethoate, malathion, diazinon, methamidophos, dichlorvos, fenvalerate, carbaryl and methomyl. Six out of seven smallholder farmer clusters were ranked into an Intermediate Category between Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and Conventional Insecticide use. Smallholder farmers in the Chinamhora area were ranked into a Conventional Insecticide use category. Five out of seven large scale farms were ranked into a Conventional Insecticide use category while two of the seven farms were ranked into an Intermediate Category.
Diamondback moth larval incidence was high in the hot-dry season in October and November of both 2007 and 2008 and reached a density of 15.58 larvae per plant at Nyanga in November 2008. The major larval endoparasitoid was Cotesia plutellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and parasitism reached 95.51% at a host density of 2.83 larvae per plant at Harem in early summer (October and November) …

Assessment Of Invasive Plants Along The Upper Passaic River, Susan Marie Jankovic

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The distribution of invasive plants was determined along the floodplain of the Passaic River in three protected park regions. Specifically, Lord Stirling Park, Hatfield Swamp, and Great Piece Meadows were assessed to determine whether or not the top 29 invasive plants as identified by Snyder and Kaufman (2004) were present. Two of the three areas are strongly affected by urbanization which may be a contributing factor to the increase of invasive plants within them. Eleven out of the top twenty nine invasive plants in New Jersey were recorded: Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), …

Polyethylenimine-Based Sirna Nanocomplexes Reprogram Tumor-Associated Dendritic Cells Via Tlr5 To Elicit Therapeutic Antitumor Immunity, Juan R. Cubillos-Ruiz, Xavier Engle, Uciane K. Scarlett, Diana Martinez, Amorette Barber, Raul Elgueta, Li Wang, Yolanda Nesbeth, Yvon Durant, Andrew T. Gewirtz, Charles L. Sentman, Ross Kedl, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia

Biology & Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The success of clinically relevant immunotherapies requires reversing tumor-induced immunosuppression. Here we demonstrated that linear polyethylenimine-based (PEI-based) nanoparticles encapsulating siRNA were preferentially and avidly engulfed by regulatory DCs expressing CD11c and programmed cell death 1–ligand 1 (PD-L1) at ovarian cancer locations in mice. PEI-siRNA uptake transformed these DCs from immunosuppressive cells to efficient antigen-presenting cells that activated tumor-reactive lymphocytes and exerted direct tumoricidal activity, both in vivo and in situ. PEI triggered robust and selective TLR5 activation in vitro and elicited the production of hallmark TLR5-inducible cytokines in WT mice, but not in Tlr5–/– littermates. Thus, PEI is a TLR5 …

Purification And Thermodynamic Analysis Of The Stability Of Hiv-1 Reverse Transcriptase In The Presence Of Efavirenz, Chantal A. Sanmiguel

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Bring On The Barley, Winston J. Craig

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Cd19 Signaling Is Impaired In Murine Peritoneal And Splenic B-1 B Lymphocytes, Trivikram Dasu, Vishal Sindhava, Stephen H. Clarke, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

B-1 cells reside predominantly within the coelomic cavities, tonsils, Peyer's patches, spleen (a minor fraction – ∼5%) and are absent in the lymph nodes. They are the primary sources of natural IgM in the body. B-1 cells express polyreactive B cell receptors (BCRs) that cross react with self-antigens and are thus implicated in auto-immune disorders. Previously, we reported that peritoneal B-1 cells are deficient in CD19-mediated intracellular signals leading to Ca²⁺ mobilization. Here, we find that splenic B-1 cells, like peritoneal B-1 cells, are defective in Ca²⁺ release upon B cell activation by co-cross-linking BCR and CD19. In …

Morphological Deformities As Biomarkers In Fish From Contaminated Rivers In Taiwan, Peter Lin Sun, William E. Hawkins, Robin M. Overstreet, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Faculty Publications

Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) were collected seasonally from four contaminated rivers in southwestern Taiwan for studies of morphological deformities that could be used as biomarkers of contamination. Morphological deformities found in tilapia were separated into 15 categories. Overall, the prevalence of deformities such as split fins, lower lip extension and gill deformities were significantly related to various water quality parameters, including low DO and high ammonium, lead and zinc concentrations. The persistence of tilapia in polluted waters and the development of a suite of morphological deformities suggest that tilapia can be used as sentinels of non-point source pollution in rivers.

Odontometric Patterns In The Radiation Of Extant Ground-Dwelling Squirrels Within Marmotini (Sciuridae: Xjrini), H. Thomas Goodwin

Faculty Publications

I document odontometry variation across ground-dwelling squirrels of the Holarctic tribe Marmotini. Dental size, which correlates well with published average body mass values across species, accounts for most odontometric variation across the clade. Dental shape variation primarily reflects relative size of P3 (upper cheek teeth) and relative width of p4-ml + length of m3 (lower cheek teeth). Shape variables and relative tooth crown height covary significantly across species, suggesting a common functional complex or shared genetic control. When dental morphology is mapped on published DNA-based phytogenies, Sciurotamias (Chinese rock squirrels), Ammospermophilus (antelope squirrels), and basal subgenera within Spermophilus (ground squirrels …

Triticum Mosaic Virus: A Distinct Member Of The Family Potyviridae With An Unusually Long Leader Sequence, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Amy D. Ziems, Stephen N. Wegulo, Roy French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The complete genome sequence of Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), a member in the family Potyviridae, has been determined to be 10,266 nucleotides (nt) excluding the 3′ polyadenylated tail. The genome encodes a large polyprotein of 3,112 amino acids with the “hall-mark proteins” of potyviruses, including a small overlapping gene, PIPO, in the P3 cistron. The genome of TriMV has an unusually long 5′ nontranslated region of 739 nt with 12 translation initiation codons and three small open reading frames, which resemble those of the internal ribosome entry site containing 5′ leader sequences of the members of Picornaviridae. Pairwise …

Use Of Information Entropy Measures Of Sitting Postural Sway To Quantify Developmental Delay In Infants, Joan E. Deffeyes, Regina T. Harbourne, Stacey L. Dejong, Anastasia Kyvelidou, Wayne A. Stuberg, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Background: By quantifying the information entropy of postural sway data, the complexity of the postural movement of different populations can be assessed, giving insight into pathologic motor control functioning.

Methods: In this study, developmental delay of motor control function in infants was assessed by analysis of sitting postural sway data acquired from force plate center of pressure measurements. Two types of entropy measures were used: symbolic entropy, including a new asymmetric symbolic entropy measure, and approximate entropy, a more widely used entropy measure. For each method of analysis, parameters were adjusted to optimize the separation of the results from the …

High Intensity Running Results In An Impaired Neuromuscular Response In Acl Reconstructed Individuals, Kostas Patras, Giorgos Ziogas, Stavros Ristanis, Elias Tsepis, Nikolaos Stergiou, Anastasios D. Georgoulis

Journal Articles

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction reestablishes electromyographic activity during moderate activities such as walking but is unclear if this is also the case in sports activities such as high intensity running that results in accumulation of metabolic fatigue. Nine bone-patella tendon-bone ACL reconstructed athletes were evaluated 19.2 (5.7) months post-operatively using a telemetric electromyographic system. The neuromuscular response of vastus lateralis and biceps femoris muscles was tested bilaterally on separate occasions during 10 min running at moderate intensity (20% below the lactate threshold) and 10 min running at high intensity (40% above the lactate threshold). During moderate intensity running, electromyographic …

Nonlinear Analysis Of Sitting Postural Sway Indicates Developmental Delay In Infants, Joan E. Deffeyes, Regina T. Harbourne, Anastasia Kyvelidou, Wayne A. Stuberg, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Background

Upright sitting is one of the first developmental motor milestones achieved by infants, and sitting postural sway provides a window into the developing motor control system. A variety of posture sway measures can be used, but the optimal measures for infant development have not been identified.

Methods

We have collected sitting postural sway data from two groups of infants, one with typical development (n = 33), and one with delayed development and either diagnosed with or at risk for cerebral palsy (n = 26), when the infants had developed to the point where they could just maintain …

Effects Of Vegetation Structure On Fire Behavior And Wiregrass Seedling Establishment In Xeric Sandhills, Evelyn Wenk

All Theses

The xeric sandhills on Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge have a monospecific overstory of longleaf pine and an understory dominated by turkey oak and wiregrass. The understory vegetation is spatially heterogeneous within stands, with small patches dominated by either turkey oak or wiregrass, or lacking understory vegetation. I described the fuel complexes created by the variable vegetation structure, in terms of their chemical and physical properties, and used prescribed fire to test for differences in fire behavior among the vegetation types. In addition, I compared the effects of the vegetation structure and below-ground competition on the establishment of wiregrass.
Turkey …