Biology Commons^™

Cloning And Expression Of Aquaporin In The Antennal Gland Of Crayfish, Procambarus Clarkii, Yang Gao

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Aquaporins (AQPs) are responsible for transferring water and other small molecules across the cell membrane. Relatively little research has been conducted on AQPs in crustaceans. To study the AQPs in crayfish, I hypothesis that 1) AQP is expressed in the antennal gland (kidney analogue) of crayfish; 2) crayfish AQP will show greater expression in tissues (gill and antennal gland) associated with volume regulation; 3) AQP mRNA expression in antennal gland and gill will increase in premolt and decrease in postmolt compared with intermolt level. RT-PCR and Real-time PCR assay were applied to test the hypothesis. A partial AQP gene was …

Distribution And Host Specificity Of Erysiphe Cruciferarum (Powdery Mildew) Attacking Alliaria Petiolata (Garlic Mustard), In Southwestern Ohio, Victoria Lyn Ciola

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Garlic mustard is an invasive Eurasian biennial that has rapidly spread throughout the United States. In Southwestern Ohio, many garlic mustard populations are infected with the powdery mildew Erysiphe cruciferarum that can reduce the growth and fitness of garlic mustard. E. cruciferarum was assessed using a Decision Tree in regards to its potential use as a biological control agent. I determined the distribution of E. cruciferarum on garlic mustard and I determined the potential risk of E. cruciferarum to native Brassicaceous species and selected crops. I surveyed 19 parks in Southwestern Ohio and recorded the number of diseased garlic mustard …

The Development Of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge For Scientific Modeling, Michelle Elizabeth Cotterman

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For teachers to effectively engage students in scientific modeling, they require pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for this practice. This study examines how preservice elementary teachers develop PCK for scientific modeling when given modeling centered instruction in a science methods course. Our findings indicate preservice teachers made significant pedagogical gains in this practice, shifting from using models as static products to using them as thinking tools for students to develop science content knowledge. However, few viewed learning the practice of scientific modeling as an important learning goal. Preservice teachers also had difficulty translating the depth of their understandings into lesson designs, …

The Effects Of Coaching Strategies For Primary Prevention Of Coronary Heart Disease Involving Asymptomatic Hospital Employees, Gabriel Mario Moreno

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Introduction: An effective coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention program is needed. Currently, prevention of CHD is being sought through pre-CHD risk stratification of patients using office-based screening tools such as the Framingham risk model (Greenland, Smith, and Grundy, 2001). However, patients who are given recommendations for lifestyle behavior modification find difficulty employing and sustaining the changes. The recent popularity of coaching for health behavior change has prompted the question of whether coaching is an effective method to produce a higher success rate for lowering cardiovascular disease following risk stratification.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness …

Risk-Sensitive Foraging Facilitates Species-Level Trophic Cascades Among Terrestrial Mammals: A Meta-Analysis, Bryan David Murray

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The widespread removal of large carnivores from terrestrial ecosystems may be contributing to plant species loss and biotic homogenization through trophic cascades. A few plants not preferred by ungulates are increasing in abundance while the majority of preferred plants are in decline. A meta-analysis of recruitment gaps in browse-sensitive tree species demonstrated that failed recruitment coincided in time with carnivore loss. In all studies recruitment continued in nearby browsing refugia. A second meta-analysis revealed that the mechanism of mammalian herbivore-mediated trophic cascades contains a behavioral component. Foraging mammals exhibited higher giving-up densities (GUDs) when under higher predation risk. GUDs were …

A Potential Strategy To Maintain Hsv-1 In A Latent State: Use Of Immunoregulatory Peptide Mimetics, Nasrin Majidi

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This study reviews the role of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in HSV-1 latency. CD8+ T cells inhibit the reactivation of HSV-1 in trigeminal ganglia (TG) by production of IFN-gamma. Although CD8+ T cells include all the cytotoxic apparatus for cytotoxicity, latently infected neuronal cells are not killed by CD8+ T cells. The CD94-NKG2a molecule on CD8+ T cells, binds to Qa-1b (a MHC class I like molecule) present on neuronal cell to inhibit CD8+ T cells cytotoxicity. Other studies have also determined that the IFN-gamma peptide mimetic 95-132 inhibits HSV-1 replication in the same way as IFN-gamma in infected cells. IFN-gamma mimetic …

Finding The Trophic Trickle: Using Herbaceous Indicator Species To Investigate Plant Recovery From Intense Browsing By White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) After The Re-Colonization Of A Top Predator (Canis Lupus), Krystle A. Bouchard

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High densities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been implicated in changing forest community structure and composition. Top predators, including gray wolf (Canis lupus), were extirpated from much of their range by the mid 1900s, but have since returned to Northern Wisconsin. To determine whether the re-colonization of wolves could initiate a trophic cascade resulting in the recovery of understory plants from deer browsing, I surveyed four herbaceous species in areas without wolves and areas with 4-6 year old wolf packs and 12-13 year old wolf packs. Plant size and reproduction were greater in areas where wolves had been for …

Influence Of Diet On Population Growth And Allergen Production In Cultured House Dust Mites - Dermatophagoides Farinae And Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus, Swetha Avula Poola

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Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus culture extracts are used for skin testing, immunotherapy and research studies. There is a need to develop an effective culture method so that standardized extracts and allergens can be produced. The purpose of this study was to examine if different diets effect mite population growth and the amount of allergen produced in cultures. Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were cultured on diets A and B. The density of mites, life stage composition and allergen concentration was determined at two week intervals. Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assays (ELISA) were used to assess group 1 and group 2 …

Characterization Of Microtubule Depolymerization By The Hiv Protein Rev, Shimpi Bedi

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The HIV-1 Rev protein enables the nucleocytoplasmic export of unspliced or partially spliced mRNAs that is required for the synthesis of structural proteins. By doing so, it regulates the switch to the late phase of the viral replication cycle (Cullen, 1992). This regulatory control over viral replication makes Rev an attractive target for anti-viral intervention. The development of anti-viral remedies is hindered because the three-dimensional structure of Rev has not yet been solved by X-ray crystallography and NMR. Rev, which polymerizes into regular hollow filaments at high concentrations, forms side-to-side and end-to-side interactions making it prone to aggregation and precipitation …

Immunolocalization And Changes In Expression Levels Of Glyceroporin Hc-3 In Several Tissues Of Gray Tree Frogs, Hyla Chrysoscelis Under Different Physiological Conditions, Sushmita Yaganti

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Previous studies show that aquaporin HC-3 in gray tree frogs, Hyla chrysoscelis, a homolog of mammalian AQP3 is an aqua glyceroporin also responsible for freeze tolerance. Our study tried to localize and compare the protein expression levels of aquaporin HC-3 in seven different organs of gray tree frogs under five different physiological conditions using immuno histofluorescence and western blot. HC-3 was immunolocalized in the epidermis and dermis of the skin, basolateral portion of the collecting ducts in the kidney, red blood cells in the liver and other tissues, muscle Schwann cells and the basolateral portion of the large intestine epithelial …

Probing A Role For Trap150 In Gene Regulation, Divya Potabathula

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The mammalian cell nucleus is a highly organized cellular compartment. The nucleus is surrounded by the nuclear envelope and contains distinct domains such as nucleoli, nuclear speckles and Cajal bodies that may reflect nuclear functions such as transcription and RNA processing. Nuclear speckles are regions in the nucleus that are enriched in splicing factors and other RNA processing factors, as well as some transcription factors and the large subunit of RNA polymerase II. Mass spectrometry analysis of purified nuclear speckles revealed 146 nuclear speckle proteins of which 33 are novel nuclear speckle components. One such novel nuclear speckle protein is …

Inflammatory Cytokines In Jet Propulsion Fuel-8 Induced Irritant Contact Dermatitis In Male Fischer Rats, Thomas Joseph Kannanayakal

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Contact dermatitis is one of the most common occupational diseases. Absenteeism of the affected workers and associated health care costs makes this disease an economically important issue. Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) is a common contact dermatitis observed among workers. As each category of irritants triggers the inflammatory process by different method, studying the mechanism of ICD is difficult. Information on the mechanism of action of an irritant is indispensable for the development of effective prophylactic and therapeutic measures. In this study, we have investigated the early changes in rat skin induced by jet fuel-8 (JP-8). Although previous studies have described …

Physiological Effects On The Expression Of Aquaporin 1-Like Hc-1 In Cope's Gray Tree Frog, Hyla Chrysoscelis, Ram Naresh Pandey

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Aquaporin 1 is a cell membrane integral protein, which functions for water transport through the hydrophobic cell membrane to the cytoplasm. HC-1 is an aquaporin 1-like protein expressed in Hyla chrysoscelis and amphibian that survives at sub-freezing temperatures in its natural habitat. The goal of the current study was to investigate the expression of HC-1 during changing physiological conditions. The expression level of HC-1 was determined in skin, muscle, liver, kidney, and intestines of warm, cold, frozen, and dehydrated frogs using Western blot and immunohistofluorescence. Although HC-1 was widely distributed, the expression level varied among tissues and physiological conditions. In …

The Influence Of Temperature On Population Growth And Allergen Production In Cultured House Dust Mites - Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus And Dermatophagoides Farinae, Lakshmi Yella

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Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae are commercially cultured to produce materials to make extracts for diagnostic tests and immunotherapy. There is some speculation as to how the culture conditions such as time of culture, temperature, relative humidity and food might influence the mite populations and subsequent production of allergens. The purpose of our investigation was to see how temperature influenced the population growth and allergen production of cultured house dust mites. D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae were cultured at 20°C and 25°C. Samples were collected at two week intervals for live mite count, life stage composition and to determine Group …

Qtl Analysis Of Ray Pattern In Caenorhabditis Elegans Recombinant Inbred Lines, Adam Joseph Guess

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Ray pattern is the most divergent morphological character among rhabditid nematodes. The ancestral ray pattern of Elegans group nematodes is commonly referred to as a 2(1)3+3 pattern, with rays 1 and 2 located anterior of the cloaca, ray 3 positioned at the cloaca, and rays 4-6 and 7-9 grouped in two clusters posterior of the cloaca. C. elegans males primarily exhibit the 2(1)3+3 pattern; however some isolates display variant patterns at a low frequency. The Hawaiian strain CB4856 exhibits a 3/3+3 pattern at a frequency of 0.09. In this pattern, ray 3 is located anterior of the cloaca in a …

Using Geographic Information Systems To Select Sites For Wetland Restoration In West Central Ohio's Agricultural Areas, Janice M. Hartkorn

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The Mississippi River Basin, includes a major part of Ohio has encountered increasing phosphorus and nitrogen loads from agricultural fields since the 1800's when intensive agriculture moved into the Midwest. Agriculture has drained ninety percent of Ohio's native wetlands. A portion of those drained wetlands can be restored to functional wetlands to intercept excess nutrients from non-productive or low yield agricultural fields to improve overall water quality. Little is known about finding potential restoration sites, partly because of the difficulty in locating sites capable of supporting successful restoration.

This study investigated the utility of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a …

Immunomodulation Of Human Skin Cells By Extracts Of The Scabies Mite, Sarcoptes Scabiei, Jeremi Stevan Mullins

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Sarcoptes scabiei infests its host through burrowing into the stratum corneum layer of skin. Keratinocytes and fibroblasts responding to the burrowing mite(s) and/or mite products produce inflammatory and immune activating cytokines and chemokines. The purpose of this study was to determine if an extract of S. scabiei can modulate cytokine and chemokine expression from keratinocytes and fibroblasts in vitro. Normal human keratinocytes and fibroblasts were exposed to an extract of S. scabiei var. canis with or without various pro-inflammatory stimuli. Cytokine and chemokine expression were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Scabies extract increased expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), growth-related oncogene-α …

The Effects Of Nutritional Supplement, Mass Fx™, On Muscular Strength, Body Composition, And Blood Chemistries In Resistance Trained Adult Males, Patrick S. Dib

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The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a nutritional supplement, Mass FX, on muscular strength, body composition, and blood chemistries in resistance-trained adult males. Eight subjects, mean age 25 +/- 3.02 years, were randomly assigned to two groups (n=4). Each group was given either Mass FX or a Placebo in a double-blind manner to be taken orally for six weeks (4caps/day regardless of bodyweight). For the duration of the study, both groups were following the same training program and a diet customized to each subject's bodyweight in conjunction to the supplementation. Data were analyzed using Analysis …

Effects Of Forest Fragmentation And Honeysuckle Invasion On Forest Lepidoptera In Southwest Ohio, Annie Lynn Doyle

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Habitat loss and exotic species invasion is a rapidly growing threat facing forest animal communities worldwide. The goal of the current study is to assess the impact of forest fragmentation and the associated invasion of honeysuckle on immature tree-feeding Lepidoptera communities in southwestern Ohio. Caterpillar abundance, richness, and honeysuckle density were sampled along 100 meter transects conducted in ten forest fragments. Generalized linear models were developed to determine the effects of fragment area, landscape forest cover, and honeysuckle density on caterpillar abundance and richness. Caterpillar abundance and richness was positively related to landscape forest cover and fragment area. However, these …

The Community Structure Of Methanogenic, Methanotrophic, And Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria In Vertical Flow Greenhouse Wetland Mesocosms Exposed To Pce, William Evan Gruner

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Chlorinated ethenes are among the top contaminants on the EPA National Priorities List due to their abundance in contaminated sites and their recalcitrant nature. These compounds, which are used in large scale degreasing and textile processes, are known liver and kidney toxins, and suspected carcinogens. Wetland ecosystems are capable of degrading PCE and its breakdown products TCE, DCE, and VC by providing anaerobic and aerobic growth conditions for microbes that express enzymes such as dehalogenases and monooxygenases with dual affinity for chlorinated solvents. Greenhouse mesocosms at Wright State University are used to mimic field conditions at a treatment wetland at …

Molecular Identification Of Chironomid Species Based On Its-1 And Its-2 Regions Of Rdna, Monita Sharma

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Of all major aquatic invertebrate groups, members of family Chironomidae are most abundant and show a wide range of habitat preferences. The importance of correct identification of Chironomids has been realized in many bioassessment studies mainly because of their worldwide distribution, substrate specificities and predictable responses to various pollutants in the water sources. This study establishes that the sequence data from the Intergenic Spacer Regions (ITS) of ribosomal DNA could be used as molecular markers to distinguish between different Chironomidae species and also to identify them. The need to use molecular approaches, to identify various Chironomidae species, comes from the …

Tree Seedling Establishment Under The Native Shrub, Asimina Triloba, Marilyn Cabrini Baumer

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Species that form forest understory layers affect canopy tree seedling establishment worldwide. In the Eastern United States, shrub understories like Rhododendrom maximum, a native evergreen species, and Lonicera maackii, an exotic, invasive species, diminish tree seedling survival. I compared the density and survival of canopy tree seedlings under and outside patches of the native shrub, Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal (Annonaceae) (pawpaw). I also conducted a manipulative experiment to determine whether above ground or below ground competition was more important in seedling growth and survival. Above ground competition was manipulated by tying back the leaves of the pawpaw and below ground …

Acute Toxicity And Immunotoxicity Testing Of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Aquatic And Terrestrial Organisms, Andrea Renee Handy

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The acute toxicity and immunotoxicity of JP-8 jet fuel on Chironomus tentans, Hyallela azteca, Lactuca sativa, Eisenia foetida, and Lumbricus terrestris was assessed using standard USEPA acute toxicity and static renewal toxicity tests. Three methods of spiking test soil with jet fuel were evaluated. In one method acetone was utilized as a carrier and the soil was dried in the fume hood; in another the soil was spiked directly with jet fuel and also was dried; and in the last the soil was spiked directly without drying. There was low survival in C. tentans in all treatments, including controls. There …

Distribution Of Ground-Layer Plant Species In A Fragmented Landscape In The Corozal District, Belize, Central America, Divan Catzim

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In this study, I specifically looked at three major issues regarding 36 target plant species in a fragmented landscape in the Corozal district, Belize: 1) Determine woodlot characteristics that tend to favor the target species. 2) Determine plant characteristics that tend to favor the target species. 3) Determine whether age and size of a woodlot favors the presence of the target species. The study area was divided into three areas and each area had woodlots varying in sizes and ages. 36 plant species were sampled in all woodlots upon which woodlot characteristics and species characteristics were associated with the number …

Investigation Of Interactions Between Rev And Microtubules: Purification Of Wild-Type And Mutant Rev Protein And Optimization Of Microtubule Depolymerization Assays, Miller, Kelly Robbins

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As a logical pharmaceutical target for antiviral drugs, HIV-1 Rev is a regulatory protein essential for viral infection (Hope, 1999). The development of antiviral drugs that target Rev has been hindered by the lack of high-resolution structural information due to the protein's tendency to aggregate in solution. While searching for solution conditions rendering Rev amenable to crystallographic analyses, Watts et al., (2000) discovered a novel in vitro interaction between Rev and microtubules (MTs) whereby addition of equimolar Rev and tubulin forms bilayered rings called Rev-tubulin toroidal complexes (RTTs). RTTs are similar to those seen when MTs are mixed with certain …

Analysis Of Sex Reversal And Tra-2 Nucleotide Variation In Tropical And Temperate Clades Of Caenorhabditis Briggsae, Irene Zelepuhin

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Reproductive isolation results when members of the same species cannot reproduce due to either prezygotic or postzygotic mechanisms, therefore restricting gene flow between populations. A leading model describing reproductive isolation developed by J.B. Haldane (1922) states, "When offspring from two different animal species have one sex that is rare, absent, or sterile, that sex is the heterozygous (XO) or heterogametic (XY) sex". Haldane's rule is illustrated among various animal taxa regardless of which sex is heterogametic. To date, Caenorhabditis mating tests are the only example of Haldane's rule that is caused by sexual transformation and not gender specific lethality or …

Immunological And Developmental Effects Of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (Pbdes) And 2,3,7,8-Tetrachloro-P-Dioxin (Tcdd) In Birds, Randy T. Stetzer

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This thesis contains two separate and distinct research projects with a common overall theme - the study of immunotoxicity associated with the developmental exposure of young birds to halogenated chemicals posing environmental concern. These chemicals share many chemical characteristics, including environmental ubiquity and longevity, one has been studied extensively since the 1970s, and one is a relatively new environmental contaminant with few studies pertaining to toxicological affects on humans or wildlife. Specific summaries of each study begin each project chapter. The first study was entitled Developmental and Immunological Effects of a Commercial Mixture of PBDE Flame Retardants in Chicken Embryos. …

Modulation Of The 3'Igh Regulatory Region (3'Igh Rr), A Prospective In Vitro Screening Tool For Identifying Potential Immunotoxicants, Rebecca Anne Henseler

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The immune system is critical to human survival. However, assessing alterations of immune function by potential immunotoxicants is complicated by the diffuse nature of the immune system, which is composed of various effector cells each with differing effector functions. Current immunotoxicity testing is limited to animal studies. We have developed a model, which may provide an in vitro alternative to animal studies in identifying immunotoxicants that specifically target B cell function (i.e., alteration of immunoglobulin (Ig) or expression and antibody secretion). This model consists of a well-characterized B cell line, CH12.LX, which appears to appropriately model primary B cell function. …

Coronary Heart Disease Risk Stratification In Full-Time Miami Valley Hospital Employees, Vicki K. Streng

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Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States (American Heart Association, 2005). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the results of a twelve-week exercise program on coronary heart disease risk factors in full-time hospital employees. Methods: The participants were given cardiovascular, weight training, and flexibility recommendations to follow during a twelve-week period. The main heart disease risk factors measured before and after the completion of the exercise program were blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and body mass index. The information was put into the Framingham Heart Score to estimate the participants’ 10-year risk of developing …

Determining The Effect Of Substitutions At Alanine 47 In Synechococcus Pcc6301 Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (Rubisco), Christopher R. Salyer

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Mutant screening and genetic selection in various organisms have shown that residues far from the active site of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) can influence catalytic efficiency and CO2/O2 specificity. Because RubisCO catalyzes the rate-limiting step of photosynthesis, further study of these sites distant from the primary reaction center may provide the necessary information for engineering an increase in primary productivity of crop plants. In a previously described system of random mutagenesis and bioselection (Smith, 2002), the RubisCO genes from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC6301, were randomly mutated and introduced into the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. An A47T substitution resulted in a very …