Life Sciences Commons^™

Metabolomic Analysis Of Lungs From Breast Cancer Metastatic Mice Models Treated With Thai Traditional Medical Formulary, Kotchanipa Rukruam

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly invasive subtype, leading to lung metastasis in 40% of patients with TNBC metastasis. Lung metastases significantly reduce median survival compared to other breast cancer types. Hence, there are efforts to investigate TNBC treatments, including modern and alternative therapies. The Thai traditional medical formulary (TTMF) is broadly used as an alternative treatment for Thai cancer patients. However, there are no studies on metabolic changes after treatment in advanced TNBC. Additionally, obtaining metabolites from biological samples is challenging due to the lack of a universal protocol for metabolite extraction. Consequently, this thesis aimed to first …

Genome Characterization And Significant Gene Annotation Of Mycobacteria Based On Data From High-Throughput Dna Sequencing Technology, Ajala Prommi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Mycobacteria encompass a variety of species, including pathogenic strains such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). These organisms are responsible for significant health challenges globally and in Thailand, particularly due to tuberculosis (TB) and its drug-resistant forms. This dissertation aims to characterize the whole genome of various Mycobacterium species and annotate significant genes utilizing high-throughput DNA sequencing technology. Key objectives include investigating the mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis responsible for resistance to primary anti-TB drugs, specifically isoniazid, and analyzing the resistome of Mycobacterium abscessus, a rapidly growing NTM, isolated from patients in Thailand. The study also seeks to …

Identification And Characterization Of Genes Involved In Antioxidant Traits In Local Thai Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Putut Rakhmad Purnama

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Developing rice (Oryza sativa L) cultivars with high antioxidant activities have become increasingly important since they have nutritional advantages for human health. Hence, the researchers must precisely elucidate the genetic bases controlling antioxidant-related traits in rice grains. In this study, we aimed to identify the genes involved in antioxidant traits in local Thai rice. The first strategy was conducting a genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) using 233 accessions of local Thai rice. A total of 119,541 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers was used as genotype data. In contrast, the five antioxidant assays, ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, TFC, and TFC, were used as …

Examining Foot And Lower Leg Muscular Activation During Slip Recovery, Keara Sutherland

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Slips during gait are the leading cause of falls and subsequent serious injury in young and older adults. Reactive balance responses generated by the lower limb muscles can restore balance and minimize the chance of experiencing a fall. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the deep muscles in the lower leg and muscles within the foot during recovery from an unexpected slip perturbation. We hypothesized that lower leg musculature and intrinsic foot muscles would exhibit an earlier onset, longer duration, and increased magnitude during slips compared to level walking and that muscle activity would have …

The Influence Of Decorin, A Potential Pro-Inflammatory Stimulant, On The Mechanical Properties Of The Annulus Fibrosus, Sabrina Sinopoli

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Previous literature has investigated the biomechanical properties of various animal models, but few have studied an isolated and intact rat tail annulus fibrosus. Decorin, a class 1 small leucine-rich protein (SLRP) has the potential to trigger an inflammatory environment as previous research has shown that it may stimulate inflammation via the toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway. An increased inflammatory environment can have biomechanical implications for the disc, and so the ability of decorin to stimulate an environment that alters the mechanical properties of the disc was investigated.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of decorin, a proteoglycan …

Psychological Readiness In Injured Student-Athletes When Returning To Sport, Samantha J. Burelle

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The physical component of recovery is pertinent to success in sport performance, yet there has been an increase in awareness of psychological symptoms and psychological distress experienced by injured athletes. Thus, the psychological aspect of injuries and return to sport (RTS) process cannot be ignored. Psychological readiness (PR) is described by Podlog et al. (2015), Donald (2019), and Podlog et al. (2022) as a dynamic psychological process including factors of realistic expectation, confidence, motivation, and focus. PR addresses the psychological component necessary for a successful RTS. Measurement tools have been developed to assess PR, yet not all factors of PR …

Action Strategies Of Young Adults During An Attentionally Demanding Collision Avoidance Task In Virtual Reality, Brooke J. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Walking and navigating through cluttered environments is a task that people do almost automatically while completing multiple cognitive and motor tasks simultaneously. Vision plays an essential role in adaptive locomotion as it allows individuals to make anticipatory actions (i.e., alter trajectory and/or gait speed) to successfully avoid oncoming collisions (Cinelli et al., 2008; Patla, 1997). To initiate a behaviour change at the appropriate time, humans rely on optical variables such as time-to-contact (TTC) (Cinelli & Patla, 2007). After determining when to initiate an avoidance behaviour, it is thought that humans maintain a protective zone (i.e., safety margin) by controlling the …

Repeated Social Defeat Stress Induces An Inflammatory Gut Milieu By Altering The Mucosal Barrier Integrity And Gut Microbiota Homeostasis, Santosh K. Yadav, Rizwan Ahmad, Cassandra M. Moshfegh, Jagadesan Sankarasubramanian, Vineet A. Joshi, Safwan K. Elkhatib, Yashpal S. Chhonker, Goeffrey A. Talmon, Chittibabu Guda, Adam Case, Amar B. Singh

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by exposure to traumatic events in an individual’s life. Patients with PTSD are also at a higher risk for comorbidities. However, it is not well understood how PTSD affects human health and/or promotes the risk for comorbidities. Nevertheless, patients with PTSD harbor a proinflammatory milieu and dysbiotic gut microbiota. Gut barrier integrity helps to maintain normal gut homeostasis and its dysregulation promotes gut dysbiosis and inflammation.

Methods

We used a mouse model of repeated social defeat stress (RSDS), a preclinical model of PTSD. Behavioral studies, metagenomics analysis of the …

Elevated Crp And Tnf-Α Levels Are Associated With Blunted Neural Oscillations Serving Fluid Intelligence, Sarah M. Dietz, Mikki Schantell, Rachel K. Spooner, Megan E. Sandal, Amirsalar Mansouri, Yasra Arif, Hannah J. Okelberry, Jason A. John, Ryan Glesinger, Pamela E. May, Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham, Adam J. Case, Matthew C. Zimmerman, Tony W. Wilson

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory processes help protect the body from potential threats such as bacterial or viral invasions. However, when such inflammatory processes become chronically engaged, synaptic impairments and neuronal cell death may occur. In particular, persistently high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) have been linked to deficits in cognition and several psychiatric disorders. Higher-order cognitive processes such as fluid intelligence (Gf) are thought to be particularly vulnerable to persistent inflammation. Herein, we investigated the relationship between elevated CRP and TNF-α and the neural oscillatory dynamics serving Gf.

METHODS: Seventy adults between the ages of 20-66 years …

Commonalities And Differences In Carotid Body Dysfunction In Hypertension And Heart Failure, Igor S. A. Felippe, Rodrigo Del Río, Harold D. Schultz, Benedito H. Machado, Julian F R Paton

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Carotid body pathophysiology is associated with many cardiovascular-respiratory-metabolic diseases. This pathophysiology reflects both hyper-sensitivity and hyper-tonicity. From both animal models and human patients, evidence indicates that amelioration of this pathophysiological signalling improves disease states such as a lowering of blood pressure in hypertension, a reduction of breathing disturbances with improved cardiac function in heart failure (HF) and a re-balancing of autonomic activity with lowered sympathetic discharge. Given this, we have reviewed the mechanisms of carotid body hyper-sensitivity and hyper-tonicity across disease models asking whether there is uniqueness related to specific disease states. Our analysis indicates some commonalities and some potential …

Repeated Social Defeat Stress Leads To Immunometabolic Shifts In Innate Immune Cells Of The Spleen, Mandakh Bekhbat, John Drake, Emily C. Reed, Tatlock H. Lauten, Tamara Natour, Vladimir I. Vladimirov, Adam J. Case

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

Psychosocial stress has been shown to prime peripheral innate immune cells, which take on hyper-inflammatory phenotypes and are implicated in depressive-like behavior in mouse models. However, the impact of stress on cellular metabolic states that are thought to fuel inflammatory phenotypes in immune cells are unknown. Using single cell RNA-sequencing, we investigated mRNA enrichment of immunometabolic pathways in innate immune cells of the spleen in mice subjected to repeated social defeat stress (RSDS) or no stress (NS). RSDS mice displayed a significant increase in the number of splenic macrophages and granulocytes (p < 0.05) compared to NS littermates. RSDS-upregulated genes in macrophages, monocytes, and granulocytes significantly enriched immunometabolic pathways thought to play a role in myeloid-driven inflammation (glycolysis, HIF-1 signaling, MTORC1 signaling) as well as pathways related to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and oxidative stress (p < 0.05 and FDR<0.1). These results suggest that the metabolic enhancement reflected by upregulation of glycolytic and OXPHOS pathways may be important for cellular proliferation of splenic macrophages and granulocytes following repeated stress exposure. A better understanding of these intracellular metabolic mechanisms may ultimately help develop novel strategies to reverse the impact of stress and associated peripheral immune changes on the brain and behavior.

Effects Of Salinity Changes On Osmotic Properties And Oxidative Stresses In Razor Clam Solen Sp. In Don Hoi Lot Tidal Flat, Sappasith Dechkittithum

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Estuaries are important coastal ecosystems that serve as transition zones between freshwater and seawater. The Don Hoi Lot tidal flat, located in the upper Gulf of Thailand, is a crucial estuarine ecosystem in the country. However, this area faces increasing environmental challenges from both human activities and natural changes. The razor clam, Solen regularis, is a notable species in this region. This study examined how salinity variations impact the osmotic properties and antioxidant enzyme activities in five tissues (foot, mantle, adductor muscle, gill, and digestive gland) of the razor clam S. regularis collected from Don Hoi Lot. Razor clams were …

ผลของสารสกัดสมุนไพรที่มีเห็ดกระถินพิมาน Phellinus Linteus เป็นองค์ประกอบร่วมกับซิสพลาตินต่อการมีชีวิตของเซลล์ วัฏจักรของเซลล์ อะพอพโทซิส และการแสดงออกของยีนในเซลล์มะเร็งปากมดลูก, พิลาสลักษณ์ ปานสุข

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

มะเร็งปากมดลูกสามารถรักษาได้ด้วยเคมีบำบัดโดยใช้สารซิสพลาติน ซึ่งให้ผลข้างเคียงหลายประการ ในการรักษาทางการแพทย์แผนโบราณมีการใช้เห็ดกระถินพิมาน (Phellinus linteus) รักษาโรคมะเร็ง ซึ่งเห็ดชนิดนี้มีประสิทธิภาพในการยับยั้งเซลล์มะเร็งและส่งเสริมการตอบสนองของระบบภูมิคุ้มกัน การศึกษานี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาผลของสารสกัดสมุนไพรที่มีเห็ดกระถินพิมานเป็นองค์ประกอบร่วมกับซิสพลาตินต่อการมีชีวิตของเซลล์วัฏจักรของเซลล์ และอะพอพโทซิสและการแสดงออกของยีน MKI67 และ CDK7 ของเซลล์มะเร็งปากมดลูก C33a และ SiHa เพื่อลดผลข้างเคียงของเคมีบำบัดของสารซิสพลาติน การทดสอบการรอดชีวิตของเซลล์ในเซลล์มะเร็งปากมดลูกด้วยวิธี MTT assay ทำให้ได้ค่าความเข้มข้นของสารสกัดสมุนไพรและซิสพลาตินที่ความเข้มข้น IC50 จากนั้นนำค่าความเข้มข้น IC50 ของสารสกัดสมุนไพรในแต่ละเซลล์ที่ได้มาใช้ร่วมกับซิสพลาติน โดยทำการลดค่าความเข้มข้นให้ต่ำลงจากค่าความเข้มข้น IC50 ผลพบว่าการใช้สารสกัดสมุนไพรและสารซิสพลาตินร่วมกันในเซลล์ C33a และ SiHa ช่วยลดปริมาณการใช้สารซิสพลาตินลง 6 – 12 เท่า และ 8 – 26 เท่า จากความเข้มข้นที่ IC50 ของสารซิสพลาติน ตามลำดับ สำหรับการทดสอบพอพโทซิสของเซลล์มะเร็ง ผลพบว่าสารสกัดสมุนไพร สารซิส-พลาติน และสารสกัดสมุนไพรร่วมกับซิสพลาตินมีการเหนี่ยวนำให้เซลล์ C33a และ SiHa เกิดการตายผ่านกลไกอะพอพโทซิส จึงทำให้เซลล์มีการสะสมอยู่ในระยะ early apoptosis และ late apoptosis ในการศึกษาวัฏจักรของเซลล์มะเร็งพบว่าสารสกัดสมุนไพรร่วมกับซิสพลาตินที่มีการเหนี่ยวนำให้เกิดการหยุดของวัฏจักรของเซลล์ที่ระยะ G2 ของเซลล์ C33a และ SiHa แต่ผลการแสดงออกของยีน MKI67 และ CDK7 ไม่ได้เป็นไปในทางเดียวกันกับผลการศึกษาข้างต้น จึงคาดว่าอาจมีการควบคุมผ่านเส้นทางอื่น อย่างไรก็ตามยังคงต้องทำการศึกษาเพิ่มเติมเพื่อค้นหากลไกการออกฤทธิ์ของสารสกัดสมุนไพรเมื่อใช้ร่วมกับซิสพลาตินต่อไป

ไมโครพลาสติกปนเปื้อนในสิ่งแวดล้อมชายฝั่งทะเล ตำบลแสมสาร อำเภอสัตหีบ จังหวัดชลบุรี, ศิวนาถ แพ่งพันธ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ไมโครพลาสติกสะสมในสิ่งแวดล้อมทางทะเล เกิดจากการเสื่อมสภาพของขยะพลาสติกที่ถูกทิ้ง ซึ่งมีแนวโน้มเพิ่มขึ้นตามปริมาณการใช้งาน อีกทั้งยังกำจัดออกได้ยาก จึงเป็นปัญหาที่สำคัญที่ส่งผลกระทบต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมทางทะเล การศึกษานี้จึงศึกษาปริมาณ ขนาด รูปร่าง สี และชนิดพอลิเมอร์ของไมโครพลาสติกที่สะสมในพื้นที่ชายฝั่งทะเล ตำบลแสมสาร อำเภอสัตหีบ จังหวัดชลบุรี โดยเก็บตัวอย่าง ผิวดินในบริเวณสถานที่รองรับขยะ (DSS) ดินจากผิวถนน (RDS) และตะกอนพื้นทะเล (SED) เมื่อวันที่ 11 กุมภาพันธ์ และตัวอย่างตะกอนชายหาด (SAND) เมื่อวันที่ 25 มีนาคม 2566 นำมาสกัดหาปริมาณและระบุชนิดไมโครพลาสติกด้วยเครื่องฟูเรียร์ทรานฟอร์มอินฟราเรดสเปกโตรมิเตอร์ (FTIR) พบการสะสมในตัวอย่าง DSS > RDS > SAND > SED และมีปริมาณเฉลี่ยเท่ากับ 14,375 ± 49,245, 625 ± 593, 99.8 ± 75.3 และ 83.1 ± 50.4 ชิ้นต่อกิโลกรัมน้ำหนักแห้งตามลำดับ ส่วนใหญ่ (>70%) มีขนาดเล็กกว่า 1000 ไมโครเมตร และมีชนิดรูปร่างเป็นเส้นใย (63%) และชิ้นส่วนแตกหัก (26%) มีสีใส (30%) สีดำ (21%) และสีน้ำเงินเท่ากับสีเหลือง (16%) ส่วนพอลิเมอร์หลักที่พบได้แก่ PE PP และ PET ซึ่งเป็นพอลิเมอร์ที่พบได้ทั่วไปในผลิตภัณฑ์พลาสติกที่นิยมใช้ในชีวิตประจำวัน สอดคล้องกับลักษณะพื้นที่ที่เป็นชุมชนขนาดเล็กและมีกิจกรรมท่องเที่ยวเป็นสำคัญในพื้นที่ที่มีการทำประมงพบไมโครพลาสติกชนิดเส้นใย PA เป็นพอลิเมอร์ชนิดเด่น ซึ่งอาจเกิดจากการแตกหักจากตาข่ายดักปลาผลการศึกษาครั้งนี้บ่งชี้ได้ว่าไมโครพลาสติกที่สะสม ได้รับอิทธิพลมาจากกิจกรรมในพื้นที่ การเสื่อมสภาพของพลาสติกไม่เพียงแต่จะเพิ่มการแตกหักเป็นไมโครพลาสติกที่สามารถสะสมเข้าสู่ร่างกายและส่งผ่านในห่วงโซ่อาหารได้ แต่ยังสามารถปลดปล่อยสารเติมแต่งสู่สิ่งแวดล้อมได้ ดังนั้นตัวอย่างสิ่งแวดล้อมที่พบปริมาณไมโครพลาสติกมากที่สุด นำมาสกัดหาปริมาณสารเติมแต่ง ได้แก่ DMP, DEP, DAP, DiBP, DBP, BBP, DOA, DEHP, BHT, TPhP และ EPhP ด้วยเครื่องแก๊สโครมาโทกราฟฟีแมสสเปกโทรมิเตอร์ (GC-MS) พบสารกลุ่ม plasticizer ชนิด …

Assessing The Bioavailability Of Infused Lysine And Rumen-Protected Lysine Supplements Using The Area Under The Curve Technique And The Plasma Free Amino Acid Dose-Response Method, Megan Vetter

Honors Theses and Capstones

The milk production of lactating dairy cows is dependent on factors such as housing conditions, lineage, climate, and health, but the quality of their diets is generally the most influential. Maintaining a proper balance of nutrients is necessary to achieve the greatest milk production at the lowest cost. Maximum feed efficiency is not only critical for increasing the economic profits of an individual farm, but also for increasing food supply without increasing environmental demand. Supplementing cows’ diets with lysine (Lys), an essential amino acid (AA), can aid in maximizing protein synthesis. Providing this nutrient in a rumen-protected (RP) coating can …

Nutritive Comparison Of Ruminant Feed, Integrating Crab And Lobster Meal, Kelsi L. Devolve

Honors Theses and Capstones

In attempts to increase livestock production and decrease waste products from the seafood industry, crab meal and lobster meal were tested as a potential cattle feed ingredient. Jonah crab waste, Atlantic Red crab waste, soybean meal, and blood meal were collected from various vendors and utilized in an in vitro study, an in situ study, and a nitrogen analyzer to determine crude protein in each feed. After allowing the samples to sit in a DAISY incubator for 48 h, mimicking a rumen environment, degradability for the soybean meal, blood meal, lobster meal, and crab meal were 100.13%, 76.36%, 43.77%, and …

Eeg-Based Spanish Language Proficiency Classification: An Eeg Power Spectrum And Cross-Spectrum Analysis, Blaise Xavier O'Mara, Skyler Baumer

Honors Theses and Capstones

Second language proficiency may be predicted with electrophysiological techniques. In a machine learning application, this electrophysiological data may be used for language instructors and language students to assess their language learning. This study identifies how electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum and cross spectrum data of the brain cortex relates to Spanish second language (L2) proficiency of 20 Spanish language students of varying proficiency levels at the University of New Hampshire. The two metrics for assessing cortical power and processing were event-related desynchronization (ERD)—a measure of relative change in power—of the alpha (8-12 Hz) brain frequency band, and alpha and beta (13-30Hz) …

Taxonomic Classification Of Viral And Bacterial Dna Following 2021 Avian Mass Mortality Event, Tessa Baillargeon

Honors Theses and Capstones

From May through July 2021, an unusual mortality event occurred along the eastern coast and Midwest of the United States. Thousands of birds, mostly from the order Passeriformes, were part of the die-off including blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata), common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula), European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), American robins (Turdus migratorius). Clinical signs included crusted eyes, swollen conjunctiva, otitis, seizures, and ataxia.

The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (NHVDL) received over 100 affected birds from various collaborators throughout the United States including Washington DC, NJ, CT, MD, and OH. Given the timing and geologic …

The Impact Of Nutrient Depletion On The Effect Of Hhq On Emiliania Huxleyi, Marley Gonsalves

Honors Theses and Capstones

Emiliania huxleyi is a ecologically important, bloom-forming coccolithophore. HHQ is a bacteria compound that causes cell stasis in E. huxleyi that can lead to bloom termination. This study analyzed the role that nutrient depletion plays in this relationship. Results show that nitrogen depletion protects cells from the effects of HHQ, affecting bloom dynamics.

Individual Behavioral And Neurobiological Markers Associated With A Vulnerable To Ethanol Use Phenotype, Kelsey M. Alimandi

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain condition that is characterized by excessive alcohol consumption, continued use when faced with negative consequences, and a negative emotional state associated with withdrawals (anxiety, irritability, depression). The main challenge to treating AUD is preventing relapse. The purpose of this study was to use a prolonged-exposure model to allow rats to self-administer ethanol to determine the brain regions active during relapse events. The rats performed multiple behavioral tests such as economic demand, negative consequences, and an elevated plus maze. These tests determined how hard rats were willing to work for an ethanol …

Targeting Stat3 In Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Gsk3Ꞵ And Integrin Inhibitors, Emily A. Pratt

Honors Theses and Capstones

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer and is known for its chemoresistance and high rate of recurrence. TNBC lacks the hormone receptors that are found in other types of breast cancer, and therefore cannot be treated with hormonal therapies. Although the initial response to chemotherapy is favorable, many TNBC patients experience a recurrence of this cancer at a secondary location and this recurrence is often more lethal than the original tumor. The Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway is a major contributor to cancer growth and metastasis, and STAT3 is constitutively …

Investigation Of Mechanical Regulation On Stat3 Activity And Mmp Production, Jaxson R. Libby

Honors Theses and Capstones

Transcription factor, STAT3, is inappropriately expressed in cancer cells, and has contrasting activation in 2D versus 3D microenvironments. 2D plates are often used for drug screening and do not always recapitulate in vivo responses. To combat inaccurate 2D drug studies, a 3D hydrogel was created to support the growth of cancer cells into a tumor-like environment. The hydrogel consists of a biocompatible dextran homopolysaccharide, cell adhesion RGD sequences, and crosslinker MMP labile peptides. A pH dependent reaction couples the RGD sequences to dextran then the polymers are crosslinked into a gel. Crosslinking is accomplished using terminal cysteine peptide sequences, allowing …

Investigation Of The Function Of Protein Acyl Transferases Using Crispr-Cas9 To Create Null Mutants, Claire E. Christopher

Honors Theses and Capstones

24 Protein Acyl Transferases (PATs) have been identified in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Despite knowing the enzymatic function of these genes (palmitoylation), the specific subcellular pathways, protein targets, and cellular activities of these proteins remain unknown. To investigate the pathways that PAT genes are involved in, deletion mutations were created in several genes and the phenotype of the organisms carrying homozygous mutations was observed. To introduce mutations, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was inserted into the plant’s genome using Agrobacterium tumefaciens to cause deletions in PAT genes of interest. To date, no CRISPR-induced pat mutants have a noticeable phenotype. These …

Investigating The Role Of Bromodomain Proteins On Histone Post-Translational Modifications In Toxoplasma Gondii, Joshua Steven Berthiaume

Honors Theses and Capstones

Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent pathogenic parasite that infects approximately 25 percent of the US population. For the parasite to successfully establish and maintain infection in its host, properly controlled regulation of gene expression is critical. One way Toxoplasma regulates gene expression is through modification of histone proteins that bind to DNA and can control gene accessibility. Acetylation is a modification that is added to histones that changes chromatin structure to enhance gene activation. Histone acetylation can also regulate gene expression by recruitment of important regulators such as bromodomain proteins (BDP). A previous study showed that loss of the bromodomain …

The Prevalence And Impact Of Dairy/Beef Crosses On Cattle Producers In New Hampshire, Eleanor J. Braun

Honors Theses and Capstones

Recent years had seen a significant rise in the use of beef semen on dairy cows in the United States. This trend was not widely understood, especially as it related to dairy farmers in New Hampshire. A survey was sent out by mail to the ninety-seven dairy farms in New Hampshire. There were thirty-seven responses to the survey. Thirty-two out of thirty-seven respondents bred beef semen to their dairy cows. Twenty-one of these respondents raised dairy x beef on their farms and twenty-six planned to continue breeding dairy x beef. The most common breeds used in dairy x beef crosses …

The Effects Of Bacillus Velezensis Ncimb 30322 On Growth Of Chenopodium Ficifolium In Nutrient-Depleted Conditions, Ciana B. Lazu

Honors Theses and Capstones

Abiotic stressors, such as nutrient and drought stress, are a leading cause of crop yield reduction. Some bacteria and fungi are able to promote plant growth and increase stress tolerance by increasing nutrient availability through nitrogen fixation or phosphate solubilization, outcompeting pathogens, productions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), reducing plant stress, and inducing induced systemic resistance (ISR), and thus serve as a valuable component of agricultural ecosystems to reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers. Chenopodium quinoa is a crop native to South America that has been gaining popularity in the United States because of its nutritive properties and resistance to drought …

Dog Weight, Age, And Sex Relationship With Shelter Length-Of-Availability At Pope Memorial Humane Society, Logan Lajoie

Honors Theses and Capstones

Many factors can influence length-of-availability for dogs in shelters, ranging from factors of the dogs themselves to outside factors. The external factors could be the geographical location of the shelter and its clientele, the socioeconomic status of the area, how the individual shelter uses its resources, the region's policies, and more (Scarlett, 2021, p. 18). This study evaluated length-of-availability in dogs at the Pope Memorial Humane Society, a nonprofit animal shelter that serves Strafford County, New Hampshire. This allowed for dog-specific factors to be investigated more closely. The specific factors investigated were dog weight, age, and sex compared to their …

Predictors Of Summer Chloride Concentrations In Urban Aquatic Ecosystems, Georgianna S. Fischer

Honors Theses and Capstones

Urban aquatic ecosystems are highly threatened by excess concentrations of chloride (Cl^-), which can negatively impact the biodiversity and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. High Cl^- concentrations in most northern cities come primarily from road salt use for de-icing, in the form of NaCl. Specific pathways of runoff and hydrology of waterbodies will regulate Cl^-concentrations in the months after the snowmelt season. This study attempted to understand the hydrologic controls on Cl^- concentrations and identify how the hydrology of urban ecosystems may impact exposure to chloride in streams. To accomplish this, stream sites around the …

Pasture Condition Guides For The Southern Rangelands, Including The Gascoyne, Murchison And Goldfields-Nullarbor, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Philip We Thomas, Wayne J. Fletcher, Kath Ryan, Joshua E. Foster, John K. Stretch, Jim S. Addison

Bulletins 4000 -

These guides address a recognised gap in readily applicable and easily accessible information on southern rangelands pasture condition and management.

These guides provide descriptions and images for southern rangelands pastures with similar management requirements for the grazing of native pastures by livestock. Therefore, the focus is on palatability of vegetation to livestock, and the effects of livestock management and external factors on the condition of the vegetation and soils.

The first section provides an overview and map, introduces concepts and terms important to understanding arid shrubland management in general, these guides in particular, and includes an economic analysis of the …

Building The Soil And The Community At Hollands Track Farm, Newdegate, Western Australia, Jamie Bowyer, Nick Kelly

Natural resources published reports

The Kelly family have been farming at Hollands Track Farm, about 18 km south-west of Newdegate, since 1965. They currently produce grains, beef, eggs and sheep. Long-term annual average rainfall is 350 mm. The Kellys were early adopters – in the 1990s – of the no-till farming system, which is now widely used in Western Australia. Around 2002 they sold the last of their sheep and moved to a continuous cropping program with increased fertiliser and chemical use. They were very good at this system, and it served them well. They really enjoy the challenge of growing good crops. Over …