Life Sciences Commons^™

Synergistic Roles Of Eukaryotic Translation Elongation Factors 1bγ And 1a In Stimulation Of Tombusvirus Minus-Strand Synthesis, Zsuzsanna Sasvari, Lara Izotova, Terri Goss Kinzy, Peter D. Nagy

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Host factors are recruited into viral replicase complexes to aid replication of plus-strand RNA viruses. In this paper, we show that deletion of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1Bgamma (eEF1Bγ) reduces Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) replication in yeast host. Also, knock down of eEF1Bγ level in plant host decreases TBSV accumulation. eEF1Bγ binds to the viral RNA and is one of the resident host proteins in the tombusvirus replicase complex. Additional in vitro assays with whole cell extracts prepared from yeast strains lacking eEF1Bγ demonstrated its role in minus-strand synthesis by opening of the structured 3' end of the viral …

A New Locality Of Mesobuthus Eupeus Thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) In East Kazakhstan, Alexander A. Fomichev

Euscorpius

A new locality of Mesobuthus eupeus thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839) is reported, found during the fieldtrip to East Kazakhstan, one of the most northern areas where scorpions are found in Asia. Notes on the habitats, map and photographs of specimens are given.

Co-Crystallization And Polymorphism Of Naturally Occurring Peptide Derivatives, Kevin Crowley

Honors Theses

Carnosine is a dipeptide compound that is found in many dietary supplements and food products. Carnosine has many functions in the body, such as alleviating oxidative stress on tissues by acting as an antioxidant compound. Carnosine, therefore, has important anti-aging properties. Carnosine is also capable of forming protective sequestration structures around heavy metal ions; this process of chelating metals ions in solutions is very beneficial for maintaining the well-being of cells in the body. Thus, carnosine could be useful in pharmaceutical products for creating anti-aging drugs that would reduce tissue stress and promote a healthy cellular environment. I attempted to …

Selectivity Of Prey Capture Based On Prey Size In The Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea Muscipula Ellis), Jessica Humenik

Honors Theses

Venus fly traps (Dionaea muscipula Ellis) are carnivorous plants that live in nutrient poor soils and must digest insects to supplement their diets. When a Venus fly trap captures an insect, the plant's traps do not fully close for several minutes, which may allow small prey to escape. It would be beneficial for the plant to consume a large, nutrient-rich prey item as opposed to a small prey item. We tested the hypothesis that Venus fly traps select larger prey by offering plants small and large crickets. A Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to test significance …

Lesson Not Learned: Deepwater Horizon Research And Media Coverage Exposes Gaps In Knowledge And Risky Protocol Within The Oil Industry, Lauren Haller

Honors Theses

An insatiable thirst for oil has led poorly coordinated, risk-prone megasystems deeper into the ocean in search of new oil reserves. Profit-driven agendas at the corporate level have a top-down effect within these megasystems. Cost-cutting and risk-downplaying leaves the field employees unprepared to handle emergencies. A series of costly mistakes led to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which caused extensive damage to an already fragile ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico. The wealth and political influence of the oil industry overpowers lax regulatory agencies and legislation-even though media and research has exposed frustrating parallels between the Deepwater Horizon …

The Involvement Of 26s Proteasome Complex In Selenium Toxicity, Melissa Sabbagh

Honors Theses

Plants that hyperaccumulate elements like selenium to potentially toxic levels may use proteasome complexes to reduce toxicity. The 26S proteasome complex may be a pathway that these plants take to rid themselves of selenium toxicity by destroying damaged proteins caused by selenium. A method to test this hypothesis is to use a hyperaccumulator of selenium Stanleya pinnata and nonhyperaccumulators Populous tremula and Arabdopsis thaliana to evaluate their proteasome abundance without and with selenium. To compare these species western blots were made to show the differences in proteasome abundance. Also to compare the amount of oxidized and an ubiquinated protein in …

Aging Of Florida Blue Crabs, Callinectes Sapidus, Through The Biochemical Extraction Of Lipofuscin, Claire Elizabeth Crowley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, represents an ecologically and economically important component of marine and estuarine ecosystems. In Florida, blue crab landings accounted for $9.6 million dollars during the 2010 fishing season. Accurate stock assessments for this valuable fishery are essential. Age is a critical biological component of accurate stock assessments; however, blue crabs and other crustaceans are especially difficult to age because of the complex nature of discrete growth. Biochemical extraction of an aging pigment, lipofuscin, was developed using blue crab eyestalks. The current study investigated the effects of freezing preservation on lipofuscin extracts and examined whether the …

Next Generation Dna Sequencing Technology Delivers Valuable Genetic Markers For The Genomic Orphan Legume Species, Bituminaria Bituminosa, M Pazos-Navarro, Mercedes Dabauza, Enrique Correal, Kelly Hanson, Natasha L. Teakle, Daniel Real, Matthew Nelson

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Background
Bituminaria bituminosa is a perennial legume species from the Canary Islands and Mediterranean region that has potential as a drought-tolerant pasture species and as a source of pharmaceutical compounds. Three botanical varieties have previously been identified in this species: albomarginata, bituminosa and crassiuscula. B. bituminosa can be considered a genomic 'orphan' species with very few genomic resources available. New DNA sequencing technologies provide an opportunity to develop high quality molecular markers for such orphan species.

Results
432,306 mRNA molecules were sampled from a leaf transcriptome of a single B. bituminosa plant using Roche 454 pyrosequencing, resulting in an …

Elucidating Matrix Protein Import And Beta-Oxidation Pathways In Plant Peroxisomes, Bibi Rafeiza Khan

Dissertations

Plant peroxisomes function in fatty acid β-oxidation, jasmonic acid (JA) synthesis, and conversion of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Peroxisomes lack genetic material; proteins required for peroxisomal processes are imported posttranslationally. The PEX5 and PEX7 receptors import proteins containing one of two peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS1 or PTS2). I took a genetic approach to better understand protein import and to elucidate the role of Acyl-CoA Oxidase (ACX) enzymes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. ACX enzymes catalyze the first step in β-oxidation. There are six ACX genes in Arabidopsis and each ACX enzyme acts on specific chain-length targets, …

Map Kinases Couple Hindbrain-Derived Catecholamine Signals To Hypothalamic Adrenocortical Control Mechanisms During Glycemia-Related Challenges, Arshad Khan, Kimberly Kaminski, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, Todd Ponzio, J. Kuzmiski, Jaideep Bains, Alan Watts

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

Map Kinases Couple Hindbrain-Derived Catecholamine Signals To Hypothalamic Adrenocortical Control Mechanisms During Glycemia-Related Challenges, Khan, Kimberly Kaminski, Graciela Sanchez-Watts, Todd Ponzio, J. Kuzmiski, Jaideep Bains, Alan Watts

Departmental Papers (Biology)

No abstract provided.

Fine Roots Of Aspen Clones In High Salt And Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollution, Kim Yrjälä, Ivika Ostonen, Shinjini Mukherjee, Timo Sipila, Lu-Min Vaario, Pertti Pulkkinen

Aspen Bibliography

The quality of polluted soil can much be improved and the environmental risks reduced by use of phytoremediation. Harmful hydrocarbon compounds can be degraded through the activity of plant and its associated microbes. We previously showed that PAHs increase aromatic ring-cleavage gene diversity in rhizosphere of birch (Sipilä et al. 2008, Yrjälä et al. 2010a) and the rhizosphere of aspen harbors Burkholderia bacteria able to degrade aromatics (Yrjälä et al. 2010b). The results are promising for successful remediation of polluted soils with woody plants. The aim of our studies is to elucidate the response of the plant and the associated …

C-Met Initiates Epithelial Scattering Through Transient Calcium Influxes And Nfat-Dependent Gene Transcription, Peter R. Langford

Theses and Dissertations

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling drives epithelial cells to scatter by breaking cell-cell adhesions and migrating as solitary cells, a process that parallels epithelial-mesenchymal transition. HGF binds and activates the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase, but downstream signaling required for scattering remains poorly defined. This study addresses this shortcoming in a number of ways.A high-throughput in vitro drug screen was employed to identify proteins necessary in this HGF-induced signaling. Cells were tested for reactivity to HGF stimulation in a Boyden chamber assay. This tactic yielded several small molecules that block HGF-induced scattering, including a calcium channel blocker. Patch clamping was used …

Species Level Differences In The Ecology Of Two Neotropical Tadpole Species: Responses To Nonlethal Predators And The Roles Of Competition And Resource Use, Zacharia Costa

Theses and Dissertations

Closely related species at the same trophic level are often considered to be ecologically equivalent. However, it is clear that individuals species can have unique functional roles that drive community and ecosystem processes. In this study we examine the growth responses of two Neotropical hylid tadpole species, Agalychnis callidryas and Dendropsophus ebraccatus, to intraspecific and interspecific competition. We also look at density-dependent effects of each on phytoplankton, periphyton and zooplankton, as well as their responses to a caged dragonfly predator through ontogeny. Intraspecific competition affected both species similarly, and their effects on resources were qualitatively similar but quantitatively different. Predators …

The Direct Role Of Enzyme Hydrolysis On Ammonium Regeneration Rates In Estuarine Sediments, Afonso C. Souza, Tamara K. Pease, Wayne S. Gardner

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Benthic ammonium (NH4 +) regeneration in coastal marine sediments has a fundamental role in nitrogen (N) cycling and N supply to primary producers. Nitrogen regeneration involves benthic microbial mineralization of organic-N, which, in turn, depends on protein hydrolysis. These processes were examined in Aransas Bay (Texas, USA) sediments by monitoring NH4 + evolution as a function of enzyme activity in controlled sediment slurries. Casein and tannic acid were added to evaluate the direct role of aminopeptidase on NH4 + production and the effects of a polyphenolic enzyme inhibitor, respectively. Casein additions increased the NH4 + concentration from 19 ± 0.3 …

Distinct Peripheral Blood Rna Responses To Salmonella In Pigs Differing In Salmonella Shedding Levels: Intersection Of Ifng, Tlr And Mirna Pathways, Ting-Hua Huang, Jolita J. Uthe, Shawn M. D. Bearson, Cumhur Yusuf Demirkale, Dan Nettleton, Susan Knetter, Curtis Christian, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Michael J. Wannemuehler, Christopher K. Tuggle

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Transcriptomic analysis of the response to bacterial pathogens has been reported for several species, yet few studies have investigated the transcriptional differences in whole blood in subjects that differ in their disease response phenotypes. Salmonella species infect many vertebrate species, and pigs colonized with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) are usually asymptomatic, making detection of these Salmonella-carrier pigs difficult. The variable fecal shedding of Salmonella is an important cause of foodborne illness and zoonotic disease. To investigate gene pathways and biomarkers associated with the variance in Salmonella shedding following experimental inoculation, we initiated the first analysis of the whole …

Modeling Protein Expression And Protein Signaling Pathways, Donatello Telesca, Peter Muller, Steven Kornblau, Marc Suchard, Yuan Ji

COBRA Preprint Series

High-throughput functional proteomic technologies provide a way to quantify the expression of proteins of interest. Statistical inference centers on identifying the activation state of proteins and their patterns of molecular interaction formalized as dependence structure. Inference on dependence structure is particularly important when proteins are selected because they are part of a common molecular pathway. In that case inference on dependence structure reveals properties of the underlying pathway. We propose a probability model that represents molecular interactions at the level of hidden binary latent variables that can be interpreted as indicators for active versus inactive states of the proteins. The …

Seasonal Habitat Selection By Greater Sage Grouse In Strawberry Valley Utah, Riley D. Peck

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined winter habitat use and nesting ecology of greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Strawberry Valley (SV), Utah located in the north-central part of the state. We monitored sage grouse with the aid of radio telemetry throughout the year, but specifically used information from the winter and nesting periods for this study. Our study provided evidence that sage grouse show fidelity to nesting areas in subsequent years regardless of nest success. We found only 57% of our nests located within the 3 km distance from an active lek typically used to delineate critical nesting habitat. We …

Stable Isotope Diet Reconstruction Of Feral Horses (Equus Caballas) On The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, Usa, Megan Kathleen Nordquist

Theses and Dissertations

Feral horse management has become a subject of significant controversy in the United States. This is because of differing opinions and minimal recent empirical data on feral horses. In recent years, numbers of feral horses have increased due to governmental horse removal restrictions (specifically the Wild Horse and Burro act of 1971). With increasing numbers of feral horses on rangelands, land managers are challenged with identifying the appropriate course of action for satisfying groups with differing opinions. The purpose of this study is to characterize diet consumption through the use of stable isotope dietary analysis (δ15N and δ13C). We did …

Geochemical Analysis Of Ancient Activities At Two Plazas In Cobá, Mexico, Eric G. Coronel

Theses and Dissertations

Two plazas at Cobá, Mexico, may have been the place of market activity during the classic Maya period. The intense decomposition in the warm, moist soils of the Yucatan Peninsula precludes the identification of organic artifacts in archaeological contexts, but phosphorus and trace elements accumulation in soils may provide evidence of marketing activities. The spatial patterns of P and trace element concentrations were used to elucidate the types of ancient Maya activities that took place in those plazas. Phosphorus concentrations are highly correlated (p-value <0.01) with Fe, Mn, and Zn levels in both Plaza B and D. Although the soil geochemistry of Plaza B does not show a marketplace pattern in comparison with previous studies, the elemental concentrations and distributions within Plaza D join other lines of evidence to support the premise that marketplace activities took place at that location. Soil samples were analyzed using DTPA extraction, Mehlich II, Olsen, and Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (PXRF). Experiments were performed to study the suitability of PXRF for field studies. Aspects that were studied include granule size, soil moisture content, protective plastic films that could interfere with the X-Ray signal when placing the samples on top of the analyzer, and a comparison of certified soil standards to the PXRF elemental concentration readings. The results suggest that a field laboratory could be set up to air-dry and sieve soil samples to a minimum mesh size of #10 (> 2 mm).

Neuromechanical Alterations Due To Induced Knee Pain And Effusion During Functional Movements, Jihong Park

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Examine neuromechanical alterations due to isolated and/or combined knee pain and effusion in functional movements. Methods: A 4X3 randomised controlled laboratory study with repeated measures was used. Nineteen, healthy volunteers (age: 22.4 ± 2.4 years) underwent four different treatments (control, effusion, pain, and pain/effusion) with a week wash out period. Ten near-infrared cameras with 43 reflective markers, 12 surface EMG electrodes, and two ground-embedded force platforms were used to record neuromechanical changes during functional movements (walking and drop landing). To induce pain, 5% sodium chloride (1 ml) was injected into the infrapatellar fat pad. To induce effusion, 0.9% sodium …

The Effects Of Whole Body Vibration On Dorsiflexion In Chronic Ankle Instability, Lesley Abigail Thalman

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Whole body vibration (WBV) platforms are currently used as adjunctive training devices for exercise programs, and have been shown to facilitate flexibility. One of the biggest contributing factors to chronic ankle instability (CAI) is the lack of dorsiflexion after lateral ankle sprains and WBV may be an effective way to increase range of motion in this population. PURPOSE: Determine if WBV done concurrently with static stretching (SS) is more effective then SS alone in improving dorsiflexion ROM in subjects with CAI. METHODS: Subjects were divided into 3 groups (control, static stretch, and static stretch and vibrate). Subjects stretched 4 …

Juvenile Hormone Regulates Vitellogenin Gene Expression Through Insulin-Like Peptide Signaling Pathway In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Zhentao Sheng, Jingjing Xu, Hua Bai, Fang Zhu, Subba R. Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Our recent studies identified juvenile hormone (JH) and nutrition as the two key signals that regulate vitellogenin (Vg) gene expression in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Juvenile hormone regulation of Vg synthesis has been known for a long time in several insects, but the mechanism of JH action is not known. Experiments were conducted to determine the mechanism of action of these two signals in regulation of Vg gene expression. Injection of bovine insulin or FOXO double-stranded RNA into the previtellogenic, starved, or JH-deficient female adults increased Vg mRNA and protein levels, thereby implicating the pivotal role for …

Multisensory Integration In Shark Feeding Behavior, Jayne M. Gardiner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multimodal sensory input directs simple and complex behaviors in animals. Most research to date has been limited to studies of individual senses rather than multiple senses working together, leading to important advances in our comprehension of the sensory systems in isolation, but not their complementary and alternative roles in difficult behavioral tasks, such as feeding. In the marine environment, a prey item might emit an odor, create a hydrodynamic disturbance, such as from gill movements or swimming, be visible to the predator, produce a sound, and/or produce a weak electrical field. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate …

Regulation Of High Light Responses In Synechocystis Sp. Pcc6803, Waqar Majeed

Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria have evolved various acclimation mechanisms to enable them to thrive under harsh environmental conditions. There are a total of more than 80 sensory kinases and response regulators on the genome of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, which coordinate the molecular responses to changes in environmental conditions. However, it is not clearly understood how these regulators control the stress-responsive genes. This dissertation focuses on analysis of the functions of two regulators, RpaA and DspA, by targeted mutagenesis. Upon deletion of RpaA, a significant reduction in chlorophyll fluorescence from photosystem I at 77K was observed in whole cells and the …

Evaluation Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Introductions And Re-Introductions Into Four Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain Streams, Michael Isel Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 100 brook trout were transplanted into each of four Virginia streams in September 2008. Garth Run and Kinsey Run were re-introductions, and Wildcat Hollow and Sweet Run were new introductions. Single pass electrofishing (EF) surveys were conducted with a backpack electrofisher five times during the study. Selected trout > 70 mm but < 100 mm and all trout > 100 mm received a Biomark® 134.2 kHz passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag to identify individual fish upon recapture. Trout were present in all streams almost three years post introductions. Catches decreased across the first four surveys. Young of year catch rates severely decreased from June 2009 (n = …

Expertos Analizan Impacto Del Cambio Climático En Granos Básicos Y Sorgos Forrajeros En El Salvador, Kimberly Christiansen

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

En el evento participan profesionales de El Salvador, así como de las universidades de Kansas State y Purdue, de Estados Unidos.

Exponer y analizar los principales efectos derivados del cambio climático en los cultivos de El Salvador, así como el impacto que ha tenido la adopción de variedades forrajeras de sorgo en el país, son los objetivos principales de los foros realizados este miércoles por el Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal “Enrique Álvarez Córdova” (CENTA) con apoyo del Instituto Internacional de Sorgo, Mijo y otros granos (INTSORMIL).

Rentabilidad De La Introduccion De Nuevos Cultivares De Sorgo En La Industria Lactea De El Salvador: Estudio De Impacto Economico, Alexis H. Villacís, John H. Sanders

INTSORMIL Presentations

La introducción de nuevas tecnologías:

Propulsor del desarrollo agrícola.

Sorgos sensitivos:

Reserva o póliza de seguro

Introducidos recientemente desde los años 70 para la siembra en los valles en la segunda temporada.

Últimos 30 años introducción acelerada: Alimentación de aves y en el sector del ganado lechero.

Inversiones de CENTA y MAG.

Aumento de ingresos:

Mayor demanda de alimentos de alta calidad (carne, leche, queso, frutas y verduras).

Investigación agrícola dirigida por René Clara del CENTA: Desarrollo de nuevos cultivares.

Investigación agrícola y extensionismo es costoso:

Rentabilidad de las inversiones públicas?

Quiénes fueron los beneficiarios?

Returns To The Introduction Of New Sorghum Cultivars Into The Dairy Industry Of El Salvador, Alexis H. Villacís, John H. Sanders

INTSORMIL Presentations

The driver of agricultural development is the introduction of new technology. Sensitive sorghums have long been a critical component of hillside Central American agriculture providing a reserve or insurance policy when the principal staple of maize falters. The insensitive sorghums have been more recently introduced since the ‘70s for planting in the valleys in the second season. In the last thirty years the introduction of new insensitive cultivars has accelerated initially for poultry and in the previous two decades for dairy production. This growth has been facilitated by strategic investments in research by CENTA and the Ministry of Agriculture.

As …

Smokejumper Obituary: Andersen, Ted (Missoula 1963), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.