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2024

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Articles 1201 - 1230 of 1632

Full-Text Articles in Biology

How The Ribosome Shapes Cotranslational Protein Folding, Ekaterina Samatova, Anton A. Komar, Marina Rodnina Feb 2024

How The Ribosome Shapes Cotranslational Protein Folding, Ekaterina Samatova, Anton A. Komar, Marina Rodnina

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

During protein synthesis, the growing nascent peptide chain moves inside the polypeptide exit tunnel of the ribosome from the peptidyl transferase center towards the exit port where it emerges into the cytoplasm. The ribosome defines the unique energy landscape of the pioneering round of protein folding. The spatial confinement and the interactions of the nascent peptide with the tunnel walls facilitate formation of secondary structures, such as a-helices. The vectorial nature of protein folding inside the tunnel favors local intra- and inter-molecular interactions, thereby inducing cotranslational folding intermediates that do not form upon protein refolding in solution. Tertiary structures start …


Heavily Modified Freshwater: Potential Ecological Indicators, Amit Kumar, Yuhan Huang, Junjie Lin, Dafeng Hui, Nicola Fohrer Feb 2024

Heavily Modified Freshwater: Potential Ecological Indicators, Amit Kumar, Yuhan Huang, Junjie Lin, Dafeng Hui, Nicola Fohrer

Biology Faculty Research

No abstract provided.


Impacts Of Climate Change And Agricultural Practices On Nitrogen Processes, Genes, And Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions: A Quantitative Review Of Meta-Analyses, Dafeng Hui, Avedananda Ray, Lovish Kasrija, Jaekedah Christian Feb 2024

Impacts Of Climate Change And Agricultural Practices On Nitrogen Processes, Genes, And Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions: A Quantitative Review Of Meta-Analyses, Dafeng Hui, Avedananda Ray, Lovish Kasrija, Jaekedah Christian

Biology Faculty Research

Microbial-driven processes, including nitrification and denitrification closely related to soil nitrous oxide (N2O) production, are orchestrated by a network of enzymes and genes such as amoA genes from ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), narG (nitrate reductase), nirS and nirK (nitrite reductase), and nosZ (N2O reductase). However, how climatic factors and agricultural practices could influence these genes and processes and, consequently, soil N2O emissions remain unclear. In this comprehensive review, we quantitatively assessed the effects of these factors on nitrogen processes and soil N2O emissions using mega-analysis (i.e., meta-meta-analysis). The results showed that global warming increased soil nitrification and denitrification …


The Effect Of Urbanization And Temperature On Thermal Tolerance, Foraging Performance, And Competition In Cavity-Dwelling Ants, Brooke A. Harris, Dale Stevens, Kaitlyn A. Mathis Feb 2024

The Effect Of Urbanization And Temperature On Thermal Tolerance, Foraging Performance, And Competition In Cavity-Dwelling Ants, Brooke A. Harris, Dale Stevens, Kaitlyn A. Mathis

Biology

Human disturbance including rapid urbanization and increased temperatures can have profound effects on the ecology of local populations. Eusocial insects, such as ants, have adapted to stressors of increasing temperature and urbanization; however, these evolutionary responses are not consistent among populations across geographic space. Here we asked how urbanization and incubation temperature influence critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and various ecologically relevant behaviors in three ant species in urban and rural locations in Worcester, MA, USA. We did this by incubating colonies of three species of cavity dwelling ant (Aphaenogaster picea, Tapinoma sessile, and Temnothorax longispinosus) from 2 habitat …


Sulfur Assimilation Using Gaseous Carbonyl Sulfideby The Soil Fungus Trichoderma Harzianum, Ryuka Iizuka, Shohei Hattori, Yusuke Kosaka, Yoshihito Masaki, Yusuke Kawano, Iwao Ohtsu, David Hibbett, Yoko Katayama, Makoto Yoshida Feb 2024

Sulfur Assimilation Using Gaseous Carbonyl Sulfideby The Soil Fungus Trichoderma Harzianum, Ryuka Iizuka, Shohei Hattori, Yusuke Kosaka, Yoshihito Masaki, Yusuke Kawano, Iwao Ohtsu, David Hibbett, Yoko Katayama, Makoto Yoshida

Biology

Fungi have the capacity to assimilate a diverse range of both inorganic and organic sulfur compounds. It has been recognized that all sulfur sources taken up by fungi are in soluble forms. In this study, we present evidence that fungi can utilize gaseous carbonyl sulfide(COS) for the assimilation of a sulfur compound. We found that the filamentousfungus Trichoderma harzianum strain THIF08, which has constitutively high COS-degrading activity, was able to grow with COS as the sole sulfur source. Cultivation with 34S-labeled COS revealed that sulfur atom from COS was incorporated into intracellular metabolites such as glutathione and ergothioneine. COS degradation …


Fauna Associated With American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) Nests In Coastal South Carolina, Usa, Thomas R. Rainwater, Randeep Singh, Clarissa A. Tuten, Aaron M. Given, Parker W. Gibbons, Bo Song, Steven G. Platt, Philip M. Wilkinson, Catherine M. Bodinof Jachowski Feb 2024

Fauna Associated With American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) Nests In Coastal South Carolina, Usa, Thomas R. Rainwater, Randeep Singh, Clarissa A. Tuten, Aaron M. Given, Parker W. Gibbons, Bo Song, Steven G. Platt, Philip M. Wilkinson, Catherine M. Bodinof Jachowski

Biology

Crocodilians are considered to be “ecosystem engineers” because their modification of habitats provides opportunities for feeding, drinking, breeding, and other vital life activities to a wide variety of other animals. One such habitat modification is the construction of nest mounds during the breeding season by most crocodilian species, including American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). While many reports exist describing wildlife associated with alligator nests, no studies have quantified faunal associates and their corresponding behaviors while visiting nests. To address this data gap, we used automated game cameras to monitor wildlife and their behaviors at alligator nests during the egg incubation period …


The Role Of Nad+ And Nad+-Boosting Therapies In Inflammatory Response By Il-13, Anton D. Pugel, Alyssa M. Schoenfeld, Sara Z. Alsaifi, Jocelyn R. Holmes, Brad E. Morrison Feb 2024

The Role Of Nad+ And Nad+-Boosting Therapies In Inflammatory Response By Il-13, Anton D. Pugel, Alyssa M. Schoenfeld, Sara Z. Alsaifi, Jocelyn R. Holmes, Brad E. Morrison

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The essential role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide+ (NAD+) in redox reactions during oxidative respiration is well known, yet the coenzyme and regulator functions of NAD+ in diverse and important processes are still being discovered. Maintaining NAD+ levels through diet is essential for health. In fact, the United States requires supplementation of the NAD+ precursor niacin into the food chain for these reasons. A large body of research also indicates that elevating NAD+ levels is beneficial for numerous conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular health, inflammatory response, and longevity. Consequently, strategies have been created to elevate …


Overlapping Extractive Land Use Rights Increases Deforestation And Forest Degradation In Managed Natural Production Forests, Bingcai Liu, Anand Roopsind, Brent Sohngen Feb 2024

Overlapping Extractive Land Use Rights Increases Deforestation And Forest Degradation In Managed Natural Production Forests, Bingcai Liu, Anand Roopsind, Brent Sohngen

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Guyana manages an estimated 5.3 million hectares of old-growth tropical forests, 29% of its total forest area, for timber extraction. Individuals and companies can apply for time-limited leases that allocate access, management, and extraction rights for timber through a concession system. In many tropical regions, including Guyana, a lack of integrated land use planning often leads to overlapping extractive and forest use rights for logging and mining. Overlapping land rights in turn create uncertainty and limit investments toward sustainable forest management, affecting deforestation and forest degradation rates. In this study, we use matched fixed-effect and difference-in-differences panel data models to …


Testate Amoebae (Arcellinida, Amoebozoa) Community Diversity In New England Bogs And Fens Assessed Through Lineage-Specific Amplicon Sequencing, Olivia K. Dufour, Evie Hoffman, Robin S. Sleith, Laura A. Katz, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Taylor R. Sehein Feb 2024

Testate Amoebae (Arcellinida, Amoebozoa) Community Diversity In New England Bogs And Fens Assessed Through Lineage-Specific Amplicon Sequencing, Olivia K. Dufour, Evie Hoffman, Robin S. Sleith, Laura A. Katz, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Taylor R. Sehein

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Testate amoebae (order Arcellinida) are abundant in freshwater ecosystems, including low pH bogs and fens. Within these environments, Arcellinida are considered top predators in microbial food webs and their tests are useful bioindicators of paleoclimatic changes and anthropogenic pollutants. Accurate species identifications and characterizations of diversity are important for studies of paleoclimate, microbial ecology, and environmental change; however, morphological species definitions mask cryptic diversity, which is a common phenomenon among microbial eukaryotes. Lineage-specific primers recently designed to target Arcellinida for amplicon sequencing successfully captured a poorly-described yet diverse fraction of the microbial eukaryotic community. Here, we leveraged the application of …


The Buzz Within: The Role Of The Gut Microbiome In Honeybee Social Behavior, J. B. Nguyen, Christopher Marshall, Chelsea N. Cook Feb 2024

The Buzz Within: The Role Of The Gut Microbiome In Honeybee Social Behavior, J. B. Nguyen, Christopher Marshall, Chelsea N. Cook

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Gut symbionts influence the physiology and behavior of their host, but the extent to which these effects scale to social behaviors is an emerging area of research. The use of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) as a model enables researchers to investigate the gut microbiome and behavior at several levels of social organization. Insight into gut microbial effects at the societal level is critical for our understanding of how involved microbial symbionts are in host biology. In this Commentary, we discuss recent findings in honeybee gut microbiome research and synthesize these with knowledge of the physiology and behavior …


College Of Natural Sciences 2023 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences Feb 2024

College Of Natural Sciences 2023 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 3 Department Highlights
Page 4 One Day for State
Page 5 Noble Prize Winner Speaks on Campus
Page 6-7 Faculty Excellence
Page 8-9 Student Excellence
Page 10 Outreach Program
Page 10 Events and Traditions
Page 11 Connections Abroad
Page 12 Student Spotlight
Page 13 Alumni Spotlight
Page 14 First Ever Drone Day
Page 15 Grand Opening of POET Bioproducts Center
Page 16 Work Anniversaries


Ubiquitous Filter Feeders Shape Open Ocean Microbial Community Structure And Function, Anne W. Thompson, Györgyi Nyerges, Kylee M. Brevick, Kelly Sutherland Feb 2024

Ubiquitous Filter Feeders Shape Open Ocean Microbial Community Structure And Function, Anne W. Thompson, Györgyi Nyerges, Kylee M. Brevick, Kelly Sutherland

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The mechanism of mortality plays a large role in how microorganisms in the open ocean contribute to global energy and nutrient cycling. Salps are ubiquitous pelagic tunicates that are a well-known mortality source for large phototrophic microorganisms in coastal and high-latitude systems, but their impact on the immense populations of smaller prokaryotes in the tropical and subtropical open ocean gyres is not well quantified. We used robustly quantitative techniques to measure salp clearance and enrichment of specific microbial functional groups in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, one of the largest ecosystems on Earth. We discovered that salps are a previously …


Draft Genome Sequences Of Lactobacillus Mulieris Strains Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Natalie Stegman, Maria Steiling, Cerena Sedano, Briana Jackson, Catherine Putonti Feb 2024

Draft Genome Sequences Of Lactobacillus Mulieris Strains Isolated From The Female Urinary Tract, Natalie Stegman, Maria Steiling, Cerena Sedano, Briana Jackson, Catherine Putonti

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Lactobacillus mulieris is a frequent member of the healthy female urogenital tract. Here, we present the draft genomes of two L. mulieris strains isolated from urine samples: UMB0446 and UMB3420. The draft genomes presented here further expand our understanding of the female urinary microbiome.


Seasonal Soil Moisture Thresholds Inhibit Bacterial Activity And Decomposition During Drought In A Tallgrass Prairie, Nathan P. Lemoine, Michelle L. Budny, Ethan Rose, Jane Lucas, Christopher Marshall Feb 2024

Seasonal Soil Moisture Thresholds Inhibit Bacterial Activity And Decomposition During Drought In A Tallgrass Prairie, Nathan P. Lemoine, Michelle L. Budny, Ethan Rose, Jane Lucas, Christopher Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Soil moisture reductions during drought often inhibit soil microbial activity and inhibit decomposition rates by reducing microbial biomass or by altering microbial communities. Evidence suggests that soil water must drop below a critical threshold to inhibit microbial activity. Thus, it is likely that the seasonal timing of drought will determine the extent to which belowground processes are adversely impacted by drought. Specifically, the effects of drought might be minimal during cool, wet periods typical of late spring but dramatic during hot summer months with high evapotranspiration rates that lower soil moisture levels below the critical threshold. Here, we present results …


Schizachyrium Scoparium (C4) Better Tolerates Drought Than Andropogon Gerardii (C4) Via Constant Co2 Supply For Photosynthesis During Water Stress, Alina Dekirmenjian, Diego Montano, Michelle L. Budny, Nathan P. Lemoine Feb 2024

Schizachyrium Scoparium (C4) Better Tolerates Drought Than Andropogon Gerardii (C4) Via Constant Co2 Supply For Photosynthesis During Water Stress, Alina Dekirmenjian, Diego Montano, Michelle L. Budny, Nathan P. Lemoine

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Climate change is dramatically altering global precipitation patterns across terrestrial ecosystems, making it critically important that we understand both how and why plant species vary in their drought sensitivities. Andropogon gerardii and Schizachyrium scoparium, both C4 grasses, provide a model system for understanding the physiological mechanisms that determine how species of a single functional type can differ in drought responses, an issue remains a critical gap in our ability to model and predict the impacts of drought on grassland ecosystems. Despite its greater lability of foliar water content, previous experiments have demonstrated that S. scoparium maintains higher photosynthetic …


Targeting Strategies To Optimize The Therapeutic Potential Of Gold Compounds Against Her2-Positive Breast Cancers, Afruja Ahad Feb 2024

Targeting Strategies To Optimize The Therapeutic Potential Of Gold Compounds Against Her2-Positive Breast Cancers, Afruja Ahad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The overexpression of HER2 accounts for 20-30% of breast cancer tumors and not only serves as a marker for poor predictive clinical outcomes but also as a target for treatment. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the selectivity of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs to provide targeted treatment without toxicity to normal tissue. Most of the ADCs currently in the clinic for cancer chemotherapy are based on complex organic molecules. In contrast, the conjugation of metallodrugs to mAbs has been overlooked when there is enormous potential in this area with the resurgence of metal-based drugs as prospective cancer …


Mechanistic And Engineering Studies Of Lov Photoreceptors In Yeast, Matthew M. Cleere Feb 2024

Mechanistic And Engineering Studies Of Lov Photoreceptors In Yeast, Matthew M. Cleere

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A variety of cellular biosensors have evolved which can translate electromagnetic radiation from the environment into biological functions. Light-Oxygen-Voltage (LOV) domains in particular, are a group of photoreceptors that respond to blue wavelengths of light and can become a cellular photoswitch by converting this stimulus through their attached effector domains. For instance, the Helix-Turn-Helix (HTH) DNA-binding activity of the bacterial transcription factor EL222 and the Regulator of G-protein Signaling (RGS) in the fungal membrane associating protein BcLOV4 are both induced by blue-light sensing LOV domains. While previous work has provided the field with a structural characterization of LOV proteins in …


Methamphetamine-Induced Dna Double-Stranded Breaks: The Impact Of The Dopamine Transporter And Insights Into The Mechanisms Of Dna Damage In Mouse Neuro 2a Cells, Lizette Couto Feb 2024

Methamphetamine-Induced Dna Double-Stranded Breaks: The Impact Of The Dopamine Transporter And Insights Into The Mechanisms Of Dna Damage In Mouse Neuro 2a Cells, Lizette Couto

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Methamphetamine (METH) abuse remains a global health concern, with emerging evidence highlighting its genotoxic potential. In the central nervous system METH enters dopaminergic cells primarily through the dopamine transporter (DAT), which controls the dynamics of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission by driving the reuptake of extracellular DA into the presynaptic neuronal cell. Additional effects of METH on the storage of DA in synaptic vesicles lead to the dysregulated cytosolic accumulation of DA. Previous studies have shown that after METH disrupts intracellular vesicular stores of DA, the excess DA in the cytosol is rapidly oxidized. This generates an abundance of reactive oxygen species …


Regulation Of The Intracellular Trafficking Of Ajuba By Cell Density And Cell Cycle-Dependent Mechanisms, Huanhuan Sun Feb 2024

Regulation Of The Intracellular Trafficking Of Ajuba By Cell Density And Cell Cycle-Dependent Mechanisms, Huanhuan Sun

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The intracellular localization of Ajuba, a LIM domain-containing protein, holds essential value for various cellular activities. Previous studies from the laboratory have implicated Ajuba as a repressor of ATR in human cells. This study focused on unveiling the intricate mechanisms governing Ajuba's localization dynamics through studies of its intracellular trafficking under cell cycle-dependent changes, and responses to cell density. Through targeted deletion experiments, it was found that Ajuba's LIM domain plays an essential role in its nuclear localization, while a nuclear export signal (NES) in its preLIM domain guides its exit from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The essential role …


Investigating The Mass Mortality Induced Factors Of Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Radiata) At Abu Dhabi Pearls Farm, Uae, Hamad Ahmed Almansoori Feb 2024

Investigating The Mass Mortality Induced Factors Of Pearl Oyster (Pinctada Radiata) At Abu Dhabi Pearls Farm, Uae, Hamad Ahmed Almansoori

Theses

The aquaculture of shellfish plays a crucial role in enhancing maritime environments by mitigating algal blooms and improving water quality through the filtration of organic matter, nutrients, and bacteria. This study investigated the environmental factors influencing oyster (Pinctada radiata) mortalities through a comprehensive analysis of water quality in Al Mirfa and Al Mughirah farming sites of Abu Dhabi (UAE), from February 2021 to February 2022. To reach such understanding of the main factors led to mass mortalities of cultivated oysters, different monthly sampling and both chemical and biological analyses of the farm water, sediments as well as for both living …


Studying The Genes And Conditions That Influence Root Development, Tessa Holtkamp, Hannah Ordonez Webb Jan 2024

Studying The Genes And Conditions That Influence Root Development, Tessa Holtkamp, Hannah Ordonez Webb

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Root development in plants is essential for their survival and understanding how hormones influence their development can explain how plants grow under different circumstances. Researching how Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), a hormone that induces root production, affects the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana helps explain the hormone's effect in agricultural crop systems. To understand root pathways, we performed assays on mutant lines of Arabidopsis by growing plants on varying concentrations of IBA. For wild-type and mutant lines, phenotyping experiments like branching of roots, lengths of stems, and root length were conducted along with PCR and restriction digest genotyping experiments to compare their …


Effects Of Beauveria Bassiana On The Mortality And Thorax Width Of Bombus Impatiens Colonies, Bri Petty Jan 2024

Effects Of Beauveria Bassiana On The Mortality And Thorax Width Of Bombus Impatiens Colonies, Bri Petty

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Pesticides are widely used to protect against unwanted insects, but risk assessments of the effects on pollinators have traditionally only been applied on an individual level, not a population level. This has allowed many pesticides to be approved without the knowledge of sub-lethal effects, such as life history characteristics and population structure to name a few. The biopesticide BotaniGard, containing the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, has previously been thought to be safe for non-targeted insects, but recent studies have found it to have significant negative effects on pollinators. Such negative effects can include decrease in longevity and odorant responsiveness with …


Recovering Ancient Dna Using The Polymerase Chain Reaction, Rose Jennings Jan 2024

Recovering Ancient Dna Using The Polymerase Chain Reaction, Rose Jennings

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Investigations into aDNA offer a window into the past that modern DNA and paleontological studies alone cannot provide and help address the evolution and connections between hominids, domestication timelines, the analysis of populations over time, and general diversity. Progress in aDNA research has been inherently technology-driven, with modern molecular biology methods, such as the inventions of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), substantially increasing the analysis possibilities of aDNA. My research this semester has taken me along two parallel paths of investigation: literary research into aDNA and practical exposure to the laboratory techniques used in its analysis. …


Food Waste From Campus Dining Hall As A Potential Feedstock For 2,3-Butanediol Production Via Non-Sterilized Fermentation, Alicia Caldwell, Xueqian Su, Qing Jin, Phyllicia Hemphill, Doaa Jaha, Sonecia Nard, Venkataswarup Tiriveedhi, Haibo Huang, Joshua Ohair Jan 2024

Food Waste From Campus Dining Hall As A Potential Feedstock For 2,3-Butanediol Production Via Non-Sterilized Fermentation, Alicia Caldwell, Xueqian Su, Qing Jin, Phyllicia Hemphill, Doaa Jaha, Sonecia Nard, Venkataswarup Tiriveedhi, Haibo Huang, Joshua Ohair

Biology Faculty Research

Food waste is a major issue that is increasingly affecting our environment. More than one-third of food is wasted, resulting in over $400 billion in losses to the U.S. economy. While composting and other small recycling practices are encouraged from person-to-person, it is not enough to balance the net loss of 80 million tons per year. Currently, one of the most promising routes for reducing food waste is through microbial fermentation, which can convert the waste into valuable bioproducts. Among the compounds produced from fermentation, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) has gained interest recently due to its molecular structure as a building block …


Dissecting Mechanisms Underlying The Cap1 Functions In The Matrix Adhesion And Proliferation Of Cancer Cells, Auburn Ramsey Jan 2024

Dissecting Mechanisms Underlying The Cap1 Functions In The Matrix Adhesion And Proliferation Of Cancer Cells, Auburn Ramsey

Student Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is a significant health burden as the second leading cause of death worldwide. Metastasis-driven fatality accentuates the need for novel strategies to impede cancer dissemination. The cytoskeletal protein CAP1 plays a pivotal role in linking cell signals to control the actin cytoskeleton, cell adhesion, and proliferation – critical aspects of both metastasis and proliferative transformation. While the role of CAP1 in the actin cytoskeleton is well elucidated, the CAP1 functions in adhesion and proliferation are cell type-specific with poorly understood molecular mechanisms. This study seeks to unravel how CAP1 executes functions in these processes, aiming to contribute to our …


Molecular Characterisation Of Traditional Cashew (Anacardium Occidentale L.) Populations From Nachingwea And Newala Districts In Tanzania, Hussein R. Chiumbi, Hashim M. Mangosongo Jan 2024

Molecular Characterisation Of Traditional Cashew (Anacardium Occidentale L.) Populations From Nachingwea And Newala Districts In Tanzania, Hussein R. Chiumbi, Hashim M. Mangosongo

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study assessed the genetic diversity of 120 selected cashew plants from Nachingwea and Newala traditional cashew populations, comprising of 60 cashew plants from each population. Eight Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) makers were used to ascertain the extent of genetic variation within and between the two traditional cashew populations. Genomic DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) were performed using standard protocols. The results showed that all SSR markers were polymorphic. Average Polymorphic Information Content (PIC), heterozygosity, number of alleles per locus, allelic frequency and Shannon’s Index were 0.540, 0.721, 3.391, 0.666 and 0.649, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance results …


Microbial Quality Of Fresh Juices Sold By Street Vendors And Associated Human Health Risks: The Case Of Ilala Ward, Dar Es Salaam City, Tanzania, Juliana I. Rubaratuka, Godwill D. Mrema, Thomas J. Lyimo Jan 2024

Microbial Quality Of Fresh Juices Sold By Street Vendors And Associated Human Health Risks: The Case Of Ilala Ward, Dar Es Salaam City, Tanzania, Juliana I. Rubaratuka, Godwill D. Mrema, Thomas J. Lyimo

Tanzania Journal of Science

Microbial food quality serves to indicate health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated foods. This study aimed to determine the microbial quality of fresh juices and the level of awareness and perception of the consumers and juice vendors at Ilala Ward, Dar es Salaam. Fresh samples of sugarcane, mango and mixed fruit juices were collected from four different sampling stations and analysed using standard methods for Total Coliform (TC), Faecal Coliform (FC) and Total Viable Count (TVC). The level of awareness and perception of 60 juice vendors and 60 consumers were also assessed by using questionnaires. The results showed …


Population Genetic Structure And Demographic History Of Opsaridium Microcephulum Along Lake Nyasa, Alex Nehemia, Alinanuswe J. Mwakalesi Jan 2024

Population Genetic Structure And Demographic History Of Opsaridium Microcephulum Along Lake Nyasa, Alex Nehemia, Alinanuswe J. Mwakalesi

Tanzania Journal of Science

The Sanjika, Opsaridium microcephalum is among the fish species that serve as a major source of proteins and income to people along Lake Nyasa. However, the information on its genetic diversity and structure particularly in the Tanzania part of the Lake is limited. Therefore, the assessment of the genetic diversity and structure of O.microcephalum along the Lake Nyasa part of Tanzania was conducted in the current study using a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene from 92 individuals of O. microcephalum. The findings showed that an average haplotype diversity and average nucleotide diversity were 0.8065 ± 0.0314 and 0.002380 ± …


Evaluation Of The Modulatory Effects Of Capsicum Chinensis Methanol Extract In Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Neuropathic Pain In Mice, Babatunde A. Alabi, Adeyinka Aderonmu, Sodiq K. Lawal, Okot-Asi T. Nku-Ekpang, Mayowa Ajayi, Olugbenga E. Iwalewa Jan 2024

Evaluation Of The Modulatory Effects Of Capsicum Chinensis Methanol Extract In Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Neuropathic Pain In Mice, Babatunde A. Alabi, Adeyinka Aderonmu, Sodiq K. Lawal, Okot-Asi T. Nku-Ekpang, Mayowa Ajayi, Olugbenga E. Iwalewa

Tanzania Journal of Science

Diabetes is one of the common causes of neuropathic pain. The first-line treatment drugs used in alleviating neuropathic pain can cause adverse effects. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the analgesic property of Capsicum chinensis, since the plant was reported to be used against chronic pain in traditional medicine. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes was adopted to model neuropathy in mice and the antihyperalgesic effect of the extract was evaluated using a hot plate test, cold allodynia test, and Randall- Selitto paw pressure test. The plasma level of pain-associated inflammatory biomarkers like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tissue necrotic factor-α (TNF-α) was …


Woody Plant Assemblages Of Recently Declared Village Land Forest Reserve In The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, Samora Macrice Andrew Jan 2024

Woody Plant Assemblages Of Recently Declared Village Land Forest Reserve In The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, Samora Macrice Andrew

Tanzania Journal of Science

Understanding of species composition of village land forest reserves and their driving factors informs adequate development of effective restoration strategies and sustainable forest management of miombo woodlands. This study assessed the effects of human disturbance as well as environmental variables on woody plant species composition using 24 square plots of 10 x 10 m in a recently declared village land forest reserve in the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot of Tanzania. Ordination analysis technique canonical correspondence analysis was used to identify important vegetation gradients and significant factors that explain the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. Results showed that, …