Biology Commons^™

Solution Chemical Synthesis Of Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials, Xiaohua Ji, Terry M. Tritt, Xinbing Zhao, Joe W. Kolis

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Phonon Scattering Effects On Thermal Conductivity Of Tinisn-Based Half-Heusler Alloys, S. Bhattacharya, T. M. Tritt, M. J. Skove, M. Russell, S. J. Poon, V. Ponnambalam, Y. Xia, N. Thadhani

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Out Of South America: Multiple Origins Of Non-Native Apple Snails In Asia, Kenneth Hayes

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Apple snails (Ampullariidae: Pomacea) native to the New World have become agricultural and environmental pests widely in southern and eastern Asia since their introduction in about 1980. Although their impacts have been extensively documented, considerable confusion persists regarding their identities and geographical origins. Efforts to resolve the confusion have suffered from inadequate taxonomic and geographical sampling from both native and introduced ranges. Using phylogenetic and genealogical methods, we analysed 610–655 bp of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I DNA sequences from 783 apple snails from 164 Asian locations and 57 native South American locations. In Asia, we found four species of …

Dendritic Cell Maturation Versus Polarization In Tumor Escape, Michael Lipscomb, Walter Storkus, Amy Wesa

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Dendritic cells serve as key immunosurveillance agents throughout the body and orchestrate the coordinate innate and adaptive immune responses to antigenically complex cells and organisms that challenge the host. The ability of dendritic cells to promote beneficial versus irrelevant or even, counterproductive, immunity in the cancer setting depends to a large degree on the operational parameters displayed by the heterogeneous population of dendritic cells found in the tumor microenvironment. This chapter will discuss how tumors manipulate the state of maturation and type of functional polarization displayed by dendritic cells in order to affect immune escape.

Degradation Of Hypomodified TrnaIMet In Vivo Involves Rna-Dependent Atpase Activity Of The Dexh Helicase Mtr4p, Xuying Wang, Huijue Jia, Eckhard Jankowsky, James T. Anderson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Effective turnover of many incorrectly processed RNAs in yeast, including hypomodified tRNA_i ^Met, requires the TRAMP complex, which appends a short poly(A) tail to RNA designated for decay. The poly(A) tail stimulates degradation by the exosome. The TRAMP complex contains the poly(A) polymerase Trf4p, the RNA-binding protein Air2p, and the DExH RNA helicase Mtr4p. The role of Mtr4p in RNA degradation processes involving the TRAMP complex has been unclear. Here we show through a genetic analysis that MTR4 is required for degradation but not for polyadenylation of hypomodified tRNA_i ^Met. A suppressor of the trm6-504 mutation …

Dimeric Heat Shock Protein 40 Binds Radial Spokes For Generating Coupled Power Strokes And Recovery Strokes Of 9 + 2 Flagella, Chun Yang, Heather A. Owen, Pinfen Yang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

T-shape radial spokes regulate flagellar beating. However, the precise function and molecular mechanism of these spokes remain unclear. Interestingly, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella lacking a dimeric heat shock protein (HSP) 40 at the spokehead–spokestalk juncture appear normal in length and composition but twitch actively while cells jiggle without procession, resembling a central pair (CP) mutant. HSP40⁻ cells begin swimming upon electroporation with recombinant HSP40. Surprisingly, the rescue doesn't require the signature DnaJ domain. Furthermore, the His-Pro-Asp tripeptide that is essential for stimulating HSP70 adenosine triphosphatase diverges in candidate orthologues, including human DnaJB13. Video microscopy reveals hesitance in bend initiation and …

Assessment Of Four Years Of Marsh Restoration At The Jones Farm Experimental Restoration Facility In Northeast Ohio: Water Quality, Plant Community Development, And Adaptive Management, Jake J. Grossman

Honors Papers

In order to characterize water quality, plant community diversity, and invasive species management at a restored wetland, I have analyzed data collected from June 2004 to August 2007 at the George Jones Memorial Farm in New Russia Township, Ohio. The Jones wetlands site is comprised of six emergent, herbaceous marshes that were restored on an old-field site in 2003. The six cells were constructed using a uniform physical restoration treatment, managed uniformly for invasive species, and replanted using three planting treatments. Each planting treatment was applied to two wetlands; treatments included two designer plantings of native taxa and one self-designing …

The Effects Of Moisture On The Ectomycorrhizal Communities On Pinus Ponderosa, Helen Lau

All Master's Theses

The effects of moisture on the community of beneficial fungi called ectomycorrhizae were compared in two adjacent ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests. Stands selected for this study were of populations of ponderosa pine along a natural moisture cline at the extreme limit of their distribution in eastern Washington State. Diversity and community structure was assessed for the ectomycorrhizal fungi living as mutualists on the root tips of this tree species. Identification of fungi recovered from this study was performed with the use of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) molecular markers and molecular techniques which discriminated taxa to phylotypes, which approximates …

Proper Cellular Reorganization During Drosophila Spermatid Individualization Depends On Actin Structures Composed Of Two Domains, Bundles And Meshwork, That Are Differentially Regulated And Have Different Functions, Tatsuhiko Noguchi, Marta Lenartowska, Aaron D. Rogat, Deborah J. Frank, Kathryn G. Miller

Biology Faculty Research

During spermatid individualization in Drosophila, actin structures (cones) mediate cellular remodeling that separates the syncytial spermatids into individual cells. These actin cones are composed of two structural domains, a front meshwork and a rear region of parallel bundles. We show here that the two domains form separately in time, are regulated by different sets of actin-associated proteins, can be formed independently, and have different roles. Newly forming cones were composed only of bundles, whereas the meshwork formed later, coincident with the onset of cone movement. Polarized distributions of myosin VI, Arp2/3 complex, and the actin-bundling proteins, singed (fascin) and quail …

A History Of The Biology Department, Omer R. Larson

UND Departmental Histories

This departmental history was written on the occasion of the UND Quasquicentennial in 2008.

Evolutionary Relationship And Divergence Based On Sds-Page Of Elaeagnus Umbellata (Thunb.) Populations, A Multipurpose Plant From The Himalayas, Syed Dilnawaz Ahmad, Syed Mubashar Sabir, Halimi Mohammed Saud, Yousaf Salihuddin

Turkish Journal of Biology

Elaeagnus umbellata (Thunb.), commonly known as autumn olive, belongs to the family Elaeagnaceae and is native to the Himalayan regions of Pakistan, China, and India and is also found in Korea and Japan. The seeds of 8 ecotypes from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, were analyzed at UPM Malaysia for comparisons of their relationship and evolution based on SDS-PAGE of total seed proteins. The results indicated that each autumn olive population can be distinguished by their own specific protein bands with reference to a molecular weight marker included in the gel. The dendrogram based on computer package analysis indicated that …

Impact Of Long-Term Application Of Treated Tannery Effluents On The Emergence Of Resistance Traits In Rhizobium Sp. Isolated From Trifolium Alexandrinum, Mohd. Musheer Altaf, Farhana Masood, Abdul Malik

Turkish Journal of Biology

A total of 35 Rhizobium sp. were isolated from the root nodules of Trifolium alexandrinum (Egyptian clover) irrigated with treated tannery effluents and characterised on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics. Rhizospheric soils and plant parts were also analysed for metal concentrations by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The test soil samples were contaminated with a high level of chromium and also with other heavy metals, i.e. Ni, Zn, Cu, and Cd. The heavy metal analysis of Trifolium alexandrinum plant parts revealed different accumulation of these metals in different plant parts, such as root, stem, and leaf. Trifolium alexandrinum roots …

Effect Of Modes Of Application Of 28-Homobrassinolide On Mung Bean, Qazi Fariduddin, Syed Aiman Hasan, Barket Ali, Shamsul Hayat, Aqil Ahmad

Turkish Journal of Biology

An experiment was conducted to assess the response of mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) to 28-homobrassinolide (HBL) supplied to the seeds (1.0 µM) and/or to the foliage (0.01 µM) of the plants. Samples of the treated plant materials were assessed 30 and 50 days after sowing (DAS). It was observed that the activities of carbonic anhydrase (CA) and nitrate reductase (NR), leaf chlorophyll content (Chl), net photosynthetic rate (P_N), stomatal conductance (gs), carboxylation efficiency (CE), dry mass (DM), pod number, and seed yield at harvest increased significantly over the control, irrespective of the mode of application. However, the plants …

Effects Of Drought Stress On Soluble Proteins In Two Maize Varieties, Nayer Mohammadkhani, Reza Heidari

Turkish Journal of Biology

Drought stress was generated by PEG 6000. Water potentials were: zero as the control, and -0.15, -0.49, -1.03, and -1.76 MPa as treatments. After 24-h treatment the total soluble protein content of 2 maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars (704 and 301) was determined and SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis in the first dimension was performed. By decreasing water potentials, total soluble protein content first increased, and then decreased in the roots and leaves of both varieties. The decrease in total soluble protein content in the roots of both varieties was equal, but in the leaves of cv. 301 it was greater than …

Antioxidant Activities Of Iranian Corn Silk, Mohammad Ali Ebrahimzadeh, Fereshteh Pourmorad, Samira Hafezi

Turkish Journal of Biology

Traditionally corn silk (CS) has been used as diuretic, antilithiasic, uricosuric, and antiseptic. It is used for the treatment of edema as well as for cystitis, gout, kidney stones, nephritis, and prostatitis. In the present study, the antioxidant properties of ethanol-water extract from CS were estimated by different methods. Also phenol and flavonoid content of the extract were measured by Folin Ciocalteu and AlCl_3 assays. CS extract contained a significant amount of phenol and flavonoids. The percentage of DPPH radical scavenged by CS extract was 92.6 at a concentration of 1.6 mg ml^{-1}. IC_{50} of the extract and the standard …

Antioxidant Activity Of Some Common Plants, Nooman A. Khalaf, Ashok K. Shakya, Atif Al-Othman, Zaha El-Agbar, Husni Farah

Turkish Journal of Biology

The methanolic crude extracts of some commonly used medicinal plants were screened for their free radical scavenging properties using ascorbic acid as standard antioxidant. Free radical scavenging activity was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The overall antioxidant activity of green tea (Camellia sinensis Linn.) was the strongest, followed in descending order by black tea (Camellia sinensis Linn.), Eugenia caryophyllus (Spreng.) Bullock and Harrison, Piper cubeba Linn., Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Piper nigrum Linn. Trigonella foenum graecum Linn. and Elettaria cardamomum (Linn.) Maton showed weak free radical scavenging activity with the DPPH method. All the methanolic extracts exhibited antioxidant activity …

Antibacterial Activities Of Aqueous And Alcoholic Extracts Of 34 Indian Medicinal Plants Against Some Staphylococcus Species, Jigna Parekh, Sumitra Chanda

Turkish Journal of Biology

Thirty-four Indian medicinal plants belonging to 28 different families were screened for potential antibacterial activity against 3 Staphylococcus species, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus subflava. Antibacterial activity of aqueous and alcoholic extracts was performed by agar disc diffusion method and agar well diffusion method. The alcoholic extracts were more active than aqueous extracts for all the plants studied. The most susceptible bacterium was S. aureus. The methanol extract of Woodfordia fruticosa showed the best antibacterial activity. The in vitro susceptibility testing of the studied staphylococcus strains was done against standard antibiotics.

Lead-Induced Cytotoxicity And Mutagenicity In Grass Pea, Girjesh Kumar, Ritambhara Tripathi

Turkish Journal of Biology

Chromosomal variation is an important tool in genetic analysis. The objectives of the present study were to determine the mutagenic potential of lead (Pb) on the meiotic cells of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) and to determine the maximum concentration of lead nitrate that induces maximum genetic variability in grass pea. The different concentrations of lead nitrate used were 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300 ppm. The percentage of abnormalities increased with the lead nitrate concentration. Different types of chromosomal abnormalities were observed, such as condensed bivalents, secondary association, laggards, bridges, cytomixis, stickiness, etc.

Soil Salinity Alters Growth, Chlorophyll Content, And Secondary Metabolite Accumulation In Catharanthus Roseus, Cheruth Abdul Jaleel, Beemarao Sankar, Ramalingam Sridharan, Rajaram Panneerselvam

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effect of salinity on growth, photosynthetic pigment content, and alkaloid secondary metabolite accumulation were studied in an economically important medicinal plant, Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don., under pot culture conditions. Plants were treated with different concentrations of NaCl, (e.g. 50 and 100 mM) 30, 45, 60, and 75 days after sowing (DAS). The plants were uprooted randomly 90 DAS to analyse growth, and chlorophyll and alkaloid content. Salinity affected all the morphological parameters and decreased growth performance. At low salinity regimes, a slight decrease was noted in chlorophyll a and b, and total chlorophyll content, but under high salinity …

Cropping Effects On Microbial Population And Nitrogenase Activity In Saline Arid Soil, Dilfuza Egamberdieva, Zulfiya Kucharova

Turkish Journal of Biology

Soil salinization is a major problem in irrigated agriculture. A field study was conducted in the Sariosiyo district in the Surkhandarya region of southeast Uzbekistan to evaluate soil nitrogenase activity and nitrogen-fixing bacteria populations in saline serozem soils under wheat, maize, and alfalfa, as well as from adjacent fallow land. Composite soil samples were randomly collected from depths of 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm in autumn, winter, spring, and summer, which were then 2-mm sieved and subjected to selected microbial population analysis and enzymatic studies. The results showed that alfalfa contributed both to high nitrogenase activity and to a large …

Improvement Of The Nutritional Value Of Soybean [Glycine Max (L) Merr.] Seed With Alteration In Protein Subunits Of Glycinin (11s Globulin) And \Beta-Conglycinin (7s Globulin), Behzad Kaviani, Ardashir Kharabian

Turkish Journal of Biology

Protein quality in soybean seeds is strongly influenced by nutritional conditions. Glycinin (11S globulin) and \beta-conglycinin (7S globulin) are the 2 main proteins in soybean seeds. Protein quality of glycinin (11S) is higher than that of \beta-conglycinin (7S), due to the presence of higher amounts of s-containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine) in glycinin than \beta-conglycinin. Of the amino acids in glycinin, 3%-4.5% are methionine and cysteine but these important amino acids are not found in \beta-conglycinin (especially \beta-subunit). Pot studies were conducted with soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] grown under various levels of KCl and CaHPO4 and the effects …

Evaluation Of Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Activity Of Seaweed (Sargassum Sp.) Extract: A Study On Inhibition Of Glutathione-S-Transferase Activity, Jayanta Kumar Patra, Sakti Kanta Rath, Karmabeer Jena, Vijaya Kumar Rathod, Hrudayanath Thatoi

Turkish Journal of Biology

In the present study, the free radical scavenging potentials (DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical), inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and glutathione-S-transferase and antimicrobial properties of Sargassum sp. extract were investigated. The tested extract exhibited a dose-dependent free radical scavenging action against DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical and antimicrobial activity. In addition, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and glutathione-S-transferase activities were also observed. The overall results have established that this seaweed could be used against several diseases and, in the food processing industry, to preserve foods.

Sensitivity Of Kinetoplastids To Aminoglycoside: Correlation With The 3’ Region Of The Small Subunit Rrna Gene, A. S. Hamad Elgazwy, Masoom M. Yasinzai

Turkish Journal of Biology

In vitro culture systems were used to assess the growth inhibition of kinetoplastids by a variety of aminoglycosides. The parasites were allowed to grow to the stationary phase in the presence of varying concentrations of the drugs. The IC-50 for every drug was calculated by comparison with the control. The sensitivity of various leishmanial strains to these drugs was in the order of: G418 > hygromycin > paromomycin > neomycin; however, under our assay conditions gentamycin and kanamycin were non-leishmanicidal. The effects of the drugs on the intracellular form of the parasite in the macrophage cell line were also tested. Other kinetoplastids, such …

The Effect Of Hyperosmotic Stress And Nitrogen Starvation On Growth And \Beta-Galactosidase Synthesis In Kluyveromyces Lactis And Kluyveromyces Marxianus, Sezai̇ Türkel, Eli̇f Arik, Si̇nem Güzelvardar

Turkish Journal of Biology

Kluyveromyces lactis and Kluyveromyces marxianus are industrial yeasts widely used in the production of the \beta-galactosidase enzyme. Biosynthesis of \beta-galactosidase is controlled by glucose repression. In this study it was demonstrated that the derepression of \beta-galactosidase biosynthesis in these yeast strains is inhibited by high osmotic stress. It was found that the \beta-galactosidase activity of K. lactis and K. marxianus remained approximately at the repressed level when these yeast cells were subjected to NaCl-, KCl-, or sucrose-induced high osmotic stress. Derepression of \beta-galactosidase biosynthesis seems to be more sensitive to high osmotic stress in K. marxianus than in K. lactis. …

Comparative Antioxidant Activity Of Some Edible Plants, Zaha A. El-Agbar, Ashok K. Shakya, Nooman A. Khalaf, Makbula Al-Haroon

Turkish Journal of Biology

Terminalia chebula, Salvia officinalis L., Calamintha incana, Thymus vulgaris L., Matricaria chamomilla, and Nigella sativa are commonly used spices. In the present study the methanolic extracts of these spices were evaluated for their antioxidant activity by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. All the methanolic extracts showed significant antioxidant activity. The IC_{50} of the methanolic extracts ranged between 3.8 ± 0.1 and 168.8 ± 2.1 \mug/ml, and that of ascorbic acid was 8.6 ± 0.1 \mug/ml. The study revealed that the consumption of these spices could exert several beneficial effects by virtue of their antioxidant activity.

The Antioxidant Activity Of Some Medicinal Plants, Prateek Kumar Jain, Veerasamy Ravichandran, Simant Sharma, Ram. K. Agrawal

Turkish Journal of Biology

The antioxidant properties of the methanol extracts of 10 medicinal plants were evaluated with the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) test, hydroxyl scavenging test, and lipid peroxidation assay. The methanol extract of Emblica officinalis was the most active according to the DPPH test, with an IC_{50} value of 7.92 ± 0.1 \mug/ml, followed by Asparagus racemosus, with an IC_{50} value of 9.28 ± 0.2 \mug/ml. The minimum free radical scavenging activity was shown by Zingiber officinale, with an IC_{50} value of 44.48 ± 1.8 \mug/ml. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of the methanolic extracts of various plants was as follows: Asparagus racemosus …

Antioxidant And Vasorelaxant Activities Of Flavonoids From Amygdalus Lycioides Var. Horrida, Hossein Babaei, Omid Sadeghpour, Lutfun Nahar, Abbas Delazar, Hossein Nazemiyeh, Mohammad Reza Mansouri, Naser Poursaeid, Solmaz Asnaashari, Sedigheh Bamdad Moghadam, Satyajit Dey Sarker

Turkish Journal of Biology

Amygdalus lycioides var. horrida (Spach) Browicz (Rosaceae), also known as Prunus lycioides (Spach.) Schneid., is an endemic Iranian species of the genus Amygdalus. In Iranian traditional medicine, the aerial parts and roots of A. lycioides are used in the treatment of diabetes. Six flavonoids, i.e. quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside (1), luteolin 7-O-rhamnoside (2), isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside (3), kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside (4), apigenin (5), and naringenin (6), have been isolated from the aerial parts of this plant. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by UV, MS, and NMR spectroscopic data analyses. While the antioxidant activity of these compounds was assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) …

Specific Individuals Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Are Able To Show Time-Place Learning, M. Saeed Heydarnejad, G. J. Purser

Turkish Journal of Biology

Using demand-feeders, time-place learning association of food was investigated in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in 2 small raceways (TR1 and TR2). In order for the fish to be visually identified, they were tagged individually and their behaviour and distribution were monitored by cameras. Equipping with a demand-feeder, TR1 was assigned to test 2 times/1 place (2T/1P) while 2 demand-feeders were used in TR2 assigned to test 2 times/2 places (2T/2P). After 26 days of restricted feeding (RF) the fish were deprived of food for 3 days. The results of the present study indicate that, at the group level, rainbow trout …

An Embarrassment Of Riches: The Enzymology Of Rna Modification, Dirk Iwata-Reuyl

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The maturation of transfer RNA (tRNA) involves extensive chemical modification of the constituent nucleosides and results in the introduction of significant chemical diversity to tRNA. Many of the pathways to these modified nucleosides are characterized by chemically complex transformations, some of which are unprecedented in other areas of biology. To illustrate the scope of the field, recent progress in understanding the enzymology leading to the formation of two distinct classes of modified nucleosides, the thiouridines and queuosine, a 7-deazaguanosine, is reviewed. In particular, recent data validating the involvement of several proposed intermediates in the formation of thiouridines are discussed, including …

Stressor- And Corticotropin Releasing Factor-Induced Reinstatement And Active Stress-Related Behavioral Responses Are Augmented Following Long-Access Cocaine Self-Administration By Rats, John R. Mantsch, David A. Baker, David M. Francis, Eric S. Katz, Michael A. Hoks, Joseph P. Serge

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Rationale Stressful events during periods of drug abstinence likely contribute to relapse in cocaine-dependent individuals. Excessive cocaine use may increase susceptibility to stressor-induced relapse through alterations in brain corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) responsiveness.

Objectives This study examined stressor- and CRF-induced cocaine seeking and other stress-related behaviors in rats with different histories of cocaine self-administration (SA).

Materials and methods Rats self-administered cocaine under short-access (ShA; 2 h daily) or long-access (LgA; 6 h daily) conditions for 14 days or were provided access to saline and were tested for reinstatement by a stressor (electric footshock), cocaine or an icv injection of CRF and …