Life Sciences Commons^™

Identification Of Oxygen Optima For Mouse Trophoblast Stem Cells And Human Embryos And The Stress Responses Upon Departing Optima, Yu Yang

Wayne State University Dissertations

Low level of oxygen (O2) occurs physiologically during in vivo embryo development. As developing embryos moving from fallopian tube to uterus, oxygen level gradually decreases to ≤ 5% at the time of blastocyst implantation. Blastocysts are made of two major cell populations, trophoblast cells and inner cell mass, from which trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived respectively. TSCs serve as placental stem cells that later on proliferate and differentiate into placenta. Previous study has shown that 2% O2 is the optimal O2 level for mTSC in vitro growth and potency maintenance, which agrees with their …

Estimating The Variables Of The Nonlinear Dynamical Theory Of Acute Cell Injury, Fika Tri Anggraini

Wayne State University Dissertations

This Dissertation is the first to estimate the variables D and S of the nonlinear theory of acute cell injury in hippocampal regions CA1 and CA3 using a rat model of global brain ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). D was estimated by quantifying protein aggregates using ubiquitin Western blotting. S was estimated by quantifying changes in polysomal mRNAs as measured by microarray chips. D and S time courses were sampled at 0.5, 8, 16, 24, 48, and 72 hrs of reperfusion after 10 min brain ischemia. CA1 dies and CA3 survives. The theory predicts D will be larger in CA1 and …

Effect Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress On Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells And Its Regulation Of Sm22Α, Neeraja Priyanka Annam

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: The vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMC) possess the ability to differentiate into a synthetic phenotype in response to stress. This phenotypic modulation may be accompanied by inflammatory or osteogenic response in chronic stress. The synthetic state is characterized by low levels of contractile markers unlike the differentiated state.

Hypothesis: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress causes phenotypic modulation in VSMCs leading to apoptosis. Many transcription factors induced by ER stress contribute to the downregulation of Sm22α. Perturbation in cytoskeletal dynamics exacerbates the ER stress response.

Methods: Ex-vivo culture was used to establish importance of Sm22 in ER stress. In vitro analysis was …

Network-Based Approaches To Identify The Impacted Genes And Active Interactions, Sahar Ansari

Wayne State University Dissertations

A very important step in system biology is the identification of the networks that are most impacted in the given phenotype.

Such networks explain where the target genes are affected by some other genes, and therefore describe the mechanisms involved in a biological process.

The identified networks are used to: 1) predict the disease or the responses of the system to a specific impact, 2) find the subset of genes that interact with each other and play an important role in the condition of interest, and 3) understand the mechanisms involved in that condition.

In this thesis, we propose an …

Pet Imaging Of Early Therapeutic Response In Solid Tumors, Stephanie J. Blocker

Wayne State University Dissertations

An important pillar of precision medicine for oncology is the ability to identify patients who respond to treatment early into their therapy. Positron emission tomography (PET) allows physicians and researchers to measure changes in tumor behavior prior to noticeable differences in morphology.

Objective: Determine the utility of multiple tracers for PET in assessing early changes in tumor activity that result from treatment.

Methods: Two tracers for PET were studied. 64Cu-labeled liposomes were used to assess changes in liposome delivery two solid colon tumors early into treatment with bevacizumab (Bev). 18F-FMAU thymidine analog (1-(2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)thymine), was utilized to detect early response to …

Analyzing The Regulation, Stability And Functional Differences Between Sin3 Isoforms In Drosophila, Ashlesha Chaubal

Wayne State University Dissertations

SIN3 is a master transcriptional regulator, conserved from yeast to mammals, that acts as a scaffold protein for a histone modifying complex. In Drosophila, a single Sin3A gene is alternatively spliced to produce distinct SIN3 isoforms; SIN3 220, SIN3 190 and SIN3 187, that differ only at their C-terminus. These isoforms are differentially expressed during development. We have shown that there is an interplay between the predominant isoforms of SIN3, SIN3 220 and SIN3 187, that possibly regulates the overall level of SIN3 in the cell. Exogenous expression of SIN3 187 reduces the level of transcript and accelerates the proteasomal …

Protein Phosphatase 2a Interactions In Islet And Human Skeletal Muscle In Diabetes, Divyasri Damacharla

Wayne State University Dissertations

Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic disorder associated with insulin resistance and consequent high blood glucose levels. Under normal conditions, in response to high blood glucose levels, pancreatic beta cells produce insulin. The secreted insulin is dis-tributed to tissues thereby stimulating insulin stimulated glucose uptake. However, maximum glucose disposal takes place in skeletal muscle. Thus, studying beta cells and skeletal muscle in respect to diabetes is crucial. Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is one of the major serine/threonine phosphatases belonging to PhosphoProteinPhospha-tase (PPP) family. It constitutes about 80% of all serine/threonine phosphatases. It is regulated by numerous regulatory subunits as well …

Restoring And Sustaining Smallholder Kappaphycus Alvarezii Farming Post-Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda In Molocaboc, Central Philippines, David C. Fenlon

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The farming of marine seaweed has the potential to provide both nutritional and financial resources to developing communities such as the Molocaboc Islands in the Philippines. To foster this mariculture development approximately $1,000 USD in grant funds received from the US-Philippines Society was used to purchase materials needed to replace seaweed production infrastructure lost to Typhoon Haiyan (known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines). The goal was to restore and expand smallholder farming of the seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (locally known as ‘guso’ in the Visayan dialect) in the Molocaboc Islands, thereby increasing harvest yields as compared to those …

The Effect Of Myosync™ Supplementation On Physical Performance In Division Ii College Football Players, Matthew Gage

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effect of Myosync™ on physical performance in Division II football players. Methods: Fourteen male Division II football players (20.4 ± 1.0 years) participated in a randomized double blind crossover experiment. Subjects were either given Myosync™ or a placebo control 60 minutes prior to any physical testing measures. Testing consisted of, maximum vertical jumps, maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC), maximal voluntary concentric contractions (MVCC), and fatiguing contractions for the knee extensor muscles. Recovery measures consisted of one MVIC and MVCCs 10 minutes after fatiguing task. Results: There was no …

A Computational Study Of Vegf Production By Patterned Retinal Epithelial Cell Colonies As A Model For Neovascular Macular Degeneration, Qanita Bani Baker, Gregory J. Podgorski, Elizabeth Vargis, Nicholas Flann

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The configuration of necrotic areas within the retinal pigmented epithelium is an important element in the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the exudative (wet) and non-exudative (dry) forms of the disease, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells respond to adjacent atrophied regions by secreting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that in turn recruits new blood vessels which lead to a further reduction in retinal function and vision. In vitro models exist for studying VEGF expression in wet AMD (Vargis et al., Biomaterials 35(13):3999–4004, 2014), but are limited in the patterns of necrotic and intact RPE epithelium they can …

A New Bryophyte Community And Three New Records For The Epiphytic Bryophyte Vegetation Of Turkey, Mevlüt Alataş, Güray Uyar

Turkish Journal of Botany

Based on 38 relevés, the Lewinskyetum affinis ass. nov. (Ulotion crispae alliance) was described and characterized as a new epiphytic association from the Abant Mountains (Northwest Turkey). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about three epiphytic bryophyte associations, namely Dicranetum taurici, Pterigynandretum filiformis, and Orthotricho straminei-Pterigynandretum filiformis, in Turkey. In addition, multivariate analysis techniques such as two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and detrended correspondence analysis (DECORANA) were used to examine epiphytic bryophyte communities for cluster analysis and ordination analysis, respectively.

A New Species Of Micromeria (Lamiaceae) From Köyceğiz (Muğla, Southwest Of Turkey), Hayri̇ Duman, Tuncay Di̇rmenci̇

Turkish Journal of Botany

A new species, Micromeria aybalae H.Duman & Dirmenci (Lamiaceae), Micromeria Benth. sect. Micromeria, is described from Muğla Province in southwestern Turkey. A description, taxonomic note, distribution map, habitat, and nrDNA ITS and cpDNA trnL-F based phylogeny are presented. The differences between the new species and its allies, Micromeria cremnophila Boiss. & Heldr. s.l. and M. hispida Benth., are discussed, and an identification key is provided for the Turkish Micromeria.

Syntaxonomical Analysis Of The Riparian Vegetation Of The Porsuk River (Eskişehir-Kütahya/Turkey), Ebru Özdeni̇z, Lati̇f Kurt, Erwin Bergmeier

Turkish Journal of Botany

This study is about the classification and syntaxonomic allocation of the riparian vegetation of the Porsuk River (Eskişehir-Kütahya, western part of Central Anatolia). The Porsuk is part of the Sakarya River basin and is the longest tributary of the Sakarya River. The data were collected using the phytosociological method of Braun-Blanquet and analyzed using TWINSPAN classification and NMDS ordination. Ten syntaxa were identified, all of which are more or less widespread in the nemoral and meridional zone. The woody alluvial vegetation of the study area comprises the associations Salicetum albae, Populetum albae, and Elymo-Rubetum caesii. The riparian reed bed vegetation …

Ontogenetic Changes In Nucleic Acid, Protein Contents, And Growthof Larval And Juvenile Japanese Flounder, Xue Hong Tong, Chengman Bao, Xinhui Tang, Xiaolan Yang, Huanli Wang

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In order to estimate relationships among growth potential and biochemical indicators of Japanese flounder, RNA and DNA as well as protein indices were measured from 5 days after hatching (DAH) to 45 DAH. Results showed that the RNA/DNA ratio and protein/DNA ratio had obvious relations with instantaneous growth rate (GM) and length-based instantaneous growth rate (GL) during the premetamorphic period. Significant negative correlations among protein/DNA ratio and GM and GL were then observed during metamorphosis. During the postmetamorphic phase, the RNA/DNA ratio was positively correlated with GM and GL. Data indicated that body growth of Japanese flounder is mostly hyperplastic …

New Records Of Springtail Fauna (Hexapoda: Collembola: Entomobryomorpha)From Ordu Province In Turkey, Muhammet Ali̇ Özata, Hasan Sevgi̇li̇, Igor J. Kaprus

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study aims to elucidate the Collembola fauna of the province of Ordu, which is situated between the Middle and Eastern Black Sea regions of Turkey. Although a large number of Collembolan specimens had been collected, only Entomobryomorpha species were given emphasis. From 44 different sampled localities of the province of Ordu, we recorded 6 families, 14 genera, and 28 species. Six of these species were previously recorded and 20 of them are new records for Turkey. The results were not surprising, considering that the sampled region had not been studied previously, quite like many habitats in Turkey. With our …

Anatrachyntis Badia (Hodges, 1962) (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae): The First Report From Turkey And A Case Of Importation To Poland, Lukasz Dawidowicz, Robert Rozwa?Ka

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Anatrachyntis badia (Hodges, 1962) (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae) is an opportunistic species native to the southern part of North America. This species was given from several dozens of plants therein from many cultivable plants, such as limes, grapefruits, bananas, peaches, cabbage, blossoms of coconut, Cycas spp., and even pine cones. Thus, it was accidentally introduced to many other countries with appropriate climate with some plants. It can be considered as a plant pest in some cases (e.g., sorghum). The species quite often occurs conjointly with other pest insects, such as mealybug or honeydew moth Cryptoblabes gnidiella (Milliere, 1867) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). This paper …

Dna Sequencing Of Digenea Nuclear Lsrdna Of The Whiskered Brown Bat,Myotis Aurescens (Vespertilionidae: Chiroptera), From Turkey, Nurhan Sümer, Hi̇kmet Sami̇ Yildirimhan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Six species of Trematoda (Prosthodendrium ascidia, Prosthodendrium longiforme, Lecithodendrium linstowi, Plagiorchis muelleri, Plagiorchis vespertilionis, and Plagiorchis koreanus) of Myotis aurescens from Bursa Province, Turkey, were examined for DNA sequencing of the 28S ribosomal gene region. A partial sequence of the 28S ribosomal gene from digenean species was studied using BLAST and found to be a useful region for helminth species diagnosis.

A Taxonomic Study On The Families Lecanidae And Lepadellidae (Rotifera: Monogononta) Of Turkey And Three New Records For Turkish Inland Waters, Ahmet Bozkurt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, 39 rotifer species from the families Lecanidae and Lepadellidae were identified after examination of samples collected from 47 different localities in Turkey. Lecane acanthinula, L. thalera, and L. unguitata are new records for the Turkish rotifer fauna.

Two New Records For Turkish Geometridae (Lepidoptera) Fauna From Ordu Province, Mustafa Özdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, a group of specimens from the family Geometridae preserved in the Nazife Tuatay Plant Protection Museum is examined. The specimens were originally collected from Ordu, Turkey. As a result of this work, two new records for the Geometridae fauna of Turkey, namely Asthena anseraria (Herrich-Schaffer, [1855]) and Eupithecia selinata Herrich-Schaeffer, 1861 are given. Adult and genitalia figures of the species are presented.

Morphological And Molecular Characterization And Phylogenetic Position Of A Newrecord, Tylenchorhynchus Zeae, And Some Known Species Of Telotylenchidae Siddiqi,1960 And Merliniidae Siddiqi, 1971 From Iran, Somaye Alvani, Esmat Mahdikhani Moghaddam, Hamid Rouhani, Abbas Mohammadi

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In order to identify the plant-parasitic nematodes associated with Berberis vulgaris, Crocus sativus, and Ziziphus zizyphus, 360 soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of these plants in the South Khorasan Province of Iran during 2012-2014. Among the identified species, Tylenchorhynchus zeae Sethi and Swarup, 1968 of Telotylenchidae Siddiqi, 1960 is a new record from Iran and the isolate is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric, and molecular characteristics. The phylogenetic tree inferred from partial sequences of the 28S rRNA (D2D3 segments) grouped the Iranian isolate with other T. zeae sequences, forming a strongly supported clade (Bayesian posterior probability: …

Comparison Of Trophic Structure Of The Benthic Macroinvertebratesin Three Bulgarian Riverine Water Bodies, Maria Kerakova, Yordan Uzunov, Emilia Varadinova

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The trophic structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in three different types of running water bodies subjected to varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure was analyzed. A seasonal survey was conducted at three Bulgarian rivers in 2011. An adapted version of the multihabitat sampling method was applied along with measuring physical and chemical variables. The ecological status was defined by means of biotic and trophic indexes. Distribution of the functional feeding groups shows that the most sensitive groups, shredders and scrapers, dominate the trophic structure of the mountain river types. In contrast, groups of deposit feeders and filterers prevail at the foothill and …

Current Status Of Coral Reefs In Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia, Saad Shahbudin, Khodzori Fikri Akmal, Salleh Faris, Mohammad-Noor Normawaty, Yukinori Mukai

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The present study aimed to determine the current status of corals using the coral video transect (CVT) method in the east coast, west coast, and isolated areas of Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 65 genera from 21 families of corals were identified, from which the scleractinian corals of Acropora, Montipora, and Porites were dominant in the coral assemblages. Nine reef sites were categorised as having 'good' (51.4%-60.3%) coral condition and four reef sites as having 'fair' (37.6%-49.2%) coral condition. This study concluded that the reefs around Tioman Island were in 'good' average coral condition and have high generic …

New Data On Hahnia C.L. Koch, 1841 From Crimea (Aranei: Hahniidae), Mykola Kovblyuk, Zoya Kastrygina, Yuri Marusik

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Four species of Hahnia are recorded from Crimea: H. helveola Simon, 1875; H. nava (Blackwall, 1841); H. ononidum Simon, 1875; and H. pusilla C.L. Koch, 1841. Two species, namely H. ononidum and H. pusilla, are recorded from Crimea for the first time. Crimea is the easternmost point of the known range for H. helveola. Illustrations, diagnoses, distribution data, habitats, and seasonal dynamics of activity are presented.

The Blood Sucking Lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) Of Croatia: Review And New Data, Stjepan Krcmar, Tomi Trilar

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The present faunistic study of blood sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) has resulted in the recording of the 4 species: Hoplopleura acanthopus (Burmeister, 1839); Ho. affinis (Burmeister, 1839); Polyplax serrata (Burmeister, 1839), and Haematopinus apri Goureau, 1866 newly reported for the fauna of Croatia. Thirteen species and 2 subspecies are currently known from Croatia, belonging to 6 families. Linognathidae and Haematopinidae are the best represented families, with four species each, followed by Hoplopleuridae and Polyplacidae with two species each, Pediculidae with two subspecies, and Pthiridae with one species. Blood sucking lice were collected from 18 different host species. Three taxa, one …

The Chironomidae (Diptera) Fauna Of Kırklareli Province, Gazel Burcu Aydin, Hüseyi̇n Güher

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Larval and adult material collected from July 2012 to July 2013 and previously collected larval material were evaluated taxonomically to determine the Chironomidae (Diptera) fauna of Kırklareli Province. Accordingly, a total of 64 species belonging to the subfamilies Tanypodinae, Prodiamesinae, Orthocladinae, and Chironominae of the family Chironomidae were determined, of which Camptocladius stercorarius (De Geer, 1776), Corynoneura sp., Paratanytarsus sp., Ablabesmyia (Ablabesmyia) phatta (Eggert, 1863), Chironomus semireductus (Lenz, 1924), Einfeldia carbonaria (Meigen, 1804), Metriocnemus (Metriocnemus) fuscipes (Meigen, 1818), Rheocricotopus (Rheocricotopus) fuscipes (Kieffer, 1909), and Stictochironomus sp. were determined as new records for Kırklareli Province, Acricotopus lucens (Zetterstedt, 1850), Brillia flavifrons …

List Of Encyrtids (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) From Subalpine And Alpine Zones Oflagodekhi Protected Areas With New Records From Georgia And Transcaucasia, George Japoshvili, Meri Salakaia, Giorgi Kirkitadze, Marine Batsankalashvili

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Two genera, Coelopencyrtus Timberlake, 1919 and Mayrencyrtus Hincks, 1944, are reported here for the first time from Transcaucasia. Fourteen new records of encyrtid species from Georgia are reported. Except for 4 species (Bothriothorax aralius (Walker, 1837); B. clavicornis (Dalman, 1820); B. trichops Thomson, 1876; and Cheiloneurus submuticus Thomson, 1876), all species are recorded for the first time from Transcaucasia.

The Influence Of Temperature On The Hibernation Patterns And Activity Ofvertigo Moulinsiana (Dupuy, 1849) (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Vertiginidae), Zofia Ksiazkiewicz Parulska, Katarzyna Pawlak

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different temperatures, i.e. 11 °C and 21 °C, in conditions of medium relative humidity on the rate of awakening of Vertigo moulinsiana after hibernation and its activity during the following 7 days. Oneway ANOVA did not show statistically significant differences in timings of awakening and activity between individuals kept at 11 °C and 21 °C during the first day of the study. The 1-week observations of the activity of V. moulinsiana showed significant differences in relation to temperature. Snails were more active at the lower temperature, which may be …

Macroinvertebrate-Based Biotic Indices For Evaluating Thewater Quality Of Kargı Stream (Antalya, Turkey), Melek Zeybek

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The aim of this study was to determine the water quality of Kargı Stream, Antalya, Turkey, in terms of physical and chemical parameters and biotic indices. For this purpose, macrozoobenthic invertebrates and water samples were taken from each of the selected seven stations seasonally. The Belgian Biotic Index, BMWP and ASPT indices, and species diversity indices were applied for determining the water quality by using the ASTERICS software program. With the identification of the collected organisms, a total of 126 taxa including 4 taxa from Gastropoda, 5 taxa from Oligochaeta, 1 taxon from Malacostraca, 84 taxa from Insecta, and 32 …

Description Of A New Species Of Hersiliola And The Male Ofduninia Rheimsae Marusik & Fet, 2009 From Iran (Araneae: Hersiliidae), Alireza Zamani, Omid Mirshamsi, Yuri Marusik

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Hersiliola artemisiae sp. nov. is described from central and south-central regions of Iran. In addition, the male of Duninia rheimsae Marusik & Fet, 2009 is described for the first time and compared with two other congeners, D. darvishi Mirshamsi & Marusik, 2013 and D. baehrae Marusik & Fet, 2009.

A New Species Of Oxyoppia (Oxyoppiella) (Acari: Oribatida: Oppiidae) From Iran, Elizabeth Hugo Coetzee, Parisa Lotfollahi, Ayda Abbasi Kalo, Elnaz Movahedzade

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A new oppiid species (Acari: Oribatida: Oppiidae), Oxyoppia (Oxyoppiella) minuscula sp. nov. from the Marand region in northwestern East Azerbaijan Province in Iran, is described and illustrated. A new generic (subgeneric) diagnosis of Oxyoppia (Oxyoppiella) Subías and Rodríguez, 1986 is given, and a key to all known species is provided.