Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Genetically Engineered Switchgrass,
2017
University of Kentucky
Fractionation And Characterization Of Lignin Streams From Genetically Engineered Switchgrass, Enshi Liu
Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Development of biomass feedstocks with desirable traits for cost-effective conversion is one of the main focus areas in biofuels research. As suggested by techno-economic analyses, the success of a lignocellulose-based biorefinery largely relies on the utilization of lignin to generate value-added products, i.e. fuels and chemicals. The fate of lignin and its structural/compositional changes during pretreatment have received increasing attention; however, the effect of genetic modification on the fractionation, depolymerization and catalytic upgrading of lignin from genetically engineered plants is not well understood. This study aims to fractionate and characterize the lignin streams from a wild-type and two genetically engineered …
Assessment Of Tattoo And Silicone Wounds In Terms Of Time Of Treatment And Perceived Treatment Quality,
2017
University of Central Florida
Assessment Of Tattoo And Silicone Wounds In Terms Of Time Of Treatment And Perceived Treatment Quality, M Pettitt
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
At the point of injury, critical medical tasks include locating and identifying an injury as well as applying the appropriate initial care. Over the past decade, to increase the fidelity of wound representation and ultimately the quality of medical care, a considerable amount of research and development has occurred to improve simulated wounds during training, primarily at the point of injury. As material and techniques mature and as more relevant data is collected on tissue properties, examining what fidelity is required for training at the point of injury is crucial. The main objective of this effort was to assess a …
Structure-Function Investigation Of Proteins Involved In Cellulose Biosynthesis By Escherichia Coli,
2017
Wilfrid Laurier University
Structure-Function Investigation Of Proteins Involved In Cellulose Biosynthesis By Escherichia Coli, Thomas Brenner
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Bacteria thrive within multicellular communities called biofilms consisting of a self-produced matrix. Biofilm matrices improve bacterial adherence to surfaces while creating a barrier from host immune responses, disinfectants, antibiotics and other environmental factors. Persistent colonization by the widely distributed pathogens, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., has been linked to production of biofilms composed of the exopolysaccharide cellulose. Cellulose-containing biofilms are also important to Acetobacter, Sarcina, Rhizobium and Agrobacterium species to form symbiotic and pathogenic interactions. In Enterobacteriaceae, two operons (bcsABZC and bcsEFG) are proposed to encode for proteins that form a cellulose biosynthetic complex that spans the …
An Undergraduate Cell Biology Lab: Western Blotting To Detect Proteins From Drosophila Eye,
2017
University of Dayton
An Undergraduate Cell Biology Lab: Western Blotting To Detect Proteins From Drosophila Eye, Neha Gogia, Ankita Sarkar, Amit Singh
Biology Faculty Publications
We have developed an undergraduate laboratory to allow detection and localization of proteins in the compound eye of Drosophila melanogaster, a.k.a fruit fly. This lab was a part of the undergraduate curriculum of the cell biology laboratory course aimed to demonstrate the use of Western Blotting technique to study protein localization in the adult eye of Drosophila. Western blotting, a two-day laboratory exercise, can be used to detect the presence of proteins of interests from total protein isolated from a tissue. The first day involves isolation of proteins from the tissue and SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide) gel …
Real-Time Quantitative Pcr To Demonstrate Gene Expression In An Undergraduate Lab,
2017
University of Dayton
Real-Time Quantitative Pcr To Demonstrate Gene Expression In An Undergraduate Lab, Abijeet Singh Mehta, Amit Singh
Biology Faculty Publications
The objective of this teaching note is to develop a laboratory exercise, which allows students to get a hands-on experience of a molecular biology technique to analyze gene expression. The short duration of the biology laboratory for an undergraduate curriculum is the biggest challenge with the development of new labs. An important part of cell biology or molecular biology undergraduate curriculum is to study gene expression. There are many labs to study gene expression in qualitative manner. The commonly used reporter gene expression studies are primarily qualitative. However, there is no hands-on experience exercise to quantitatively determine gene expression. Therefore, …
Fabrication Of Flexible, Biofunctional Architectures From Silk Proteins,
2017
Virginia Commonwealth University
Fabrication Of Flexible, Biofunctional Architectures From Silk Proteins, Ramendra K. Pal
Theses and Dissertations
Advances in the biomedical field require functional materials and processes that can lead to devices that are biocompatible, and biodegradable while maintaining high performance and mechanical conformability. In this context, a current shift in focus is towards natural polymers as not only the structural but also functional components of such devices. This poses material-specific functionalization and fabrication related questions in the design and fabrication of such systems. Silk protein biopolymers from the silkworm show tremendous promise in this regard due to intrinsic properties: mechanical performance, optical transparency, biocompatibility, biodegradability, processability, and the ability to entrap and stabilize biomolecules. The unique …
Modeling Beta-Traces For Beta-Barrels From Cryo-Em Density Maps,
2017
Old Dominion University
Modeling Beta-Traces For Beta-Barrels From Cryo-Em Density Maps, Dong Si, Jing He
Computer Science Faculty Publications
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has produced density maps of various resolutions. Although ά-helices can be detected from density maps at 5-8 angstrom resolutions, β-strands are challenging to detect at such density maps due to close-spacing of β-strands. The variety of shapes of β-sheets adds the complexity of β-strands detection from density maps. We propose a new approach to model traces of β-strands for β-barrel density regions that are extracted from cryo-EM density maps. In the test containing eight β-barrels extracted from experimental cryo-EM density maps at 5.5 angstrom-8.25 angstrom resolution, StrandRoller detected about 74.26% of the amino acids in the β-strands …
End-To-End Molecular Communication Channels In Cell
Metabolism: An Information Theoretic Study,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
End-To-End Molecular Communication Channels In Cell Metabolism: An Information Theoretic Study, Zahmeeth Sayed Sakkaff, Jennie L. Catlett, Mikaela Cashman, Massimiliano Pierobon, Nicole R. Buan, Myra B. Cohen, Christine A. Kelley
Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications
The opportunity to control and fine-tune the behavior of biological cells is a fascinating possibility for many diverse disciplines, ranging from medicine and ecology, to chemical industry and space exploration. While synthetic biology is providing novel tools to reprogram cell behavior from their genetic code, many challenges need to be solved before it can become a true engineering discipline, such as reliability, safety assurance, reproducibility and stability. This paper aims to understand the limits in the controllability of the behavior of a natural (non-engineered) biological cell. In particular, the focus is on cell metabolism, and its natural regulation mechanisms, and …
Portulaca Oleracea Extract Can Inhibit Nodule Formation Of Colon Cancer Stem Cells By Regulating Gene Expression Of Notch Signal Transduction Pathway,
2017
Michigan Technological University
Portulaca Oleracea Extract Can Inhibit Nodule Formation Of Colon Cancer Stem Cells By Regulating Gene Expression Of Notch Signal Transduction Pathway, Li Chen
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Portulaca oleracea extract on tumor formation in colon cancer stem cells and chemotherapy sensitivity. In addition, this study analyzed the genetic changes within the Notch signal transduction pathway associated with the effects of the extracts. Serum-free cultures of colon cancer cells (HT-29) and HT-29 stem cells were treated with the chemotherapeutic drug 5-FU to assess sensitivity. Injections of the stem cells were also given to BALB/c mice to confirm tumor growth and characteristics. In addition, the effect of different concentrations of P. oleracea extract was tested on the …
Uv-A And -B Blocking Agents For Psoriasis Phototherapy,
2017
Faculty of Science
Uv-A And -B Blocking Agents For Psoriasis Phototherapy, Sruangsuda Mawaha
Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)
UV-A and -B blocking agents are essential components for the formulation of topical cream for psoriasis phototherapy. In this research, many natural compounds were discovered as potent UV-A and UV-B blocking agents, but small number could absorb narrowband UV-B. Quercetin hydrate, oxyresveratrol and curcumin were good UV-A blocking agents, while catechin, hesperetin, lutein and naringenin were proper for UV-B blocking agents. Berberine chloride hydrate, demethoxycurcumin and mansonone G were UV-A and -B blocking agents. From random combination, the mixture of mansonone G 0.010 % w/v and quercetin hydrate 0.0025 % w/v was disclosed to be a right choice for this …
Bioactive Compounds With An Inhibitory Activity Against Osteoclast Differentiation And Mechanisms,
2017
Faculty of Science
Bioactive Compounds With An Inhibitory Activity Against Osteoclast Differentiation And Mechanisms, Supatta Chawalitpong
Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)
โรคกระดูกพรุนเป็นปัญหาสุขภาพที่สำคัญอย่างหนึ่งของสังคมผู้สูงอายุ สาเหตุหลักของภาวะดังกล่าวเกิดจากความไม่สมดุลของเซลล์ที่ทำหน้าทีสร้างกระดูก (osteoblast) และเซลล์ที่ทำหน้าที่สลายกระดูก (osteoclast) การลดลงของมวลกระดูกในผู้สูงอายุนำมาซึ่งความเสี่ยงในการแตกหักของกระดูก จุดประสงค์ของการศึกษาครั้งนี้ คือ การคัดกรองสารออกฤทธิ์ทางชีวภาพที่มีฤทธิ์ในการต้านการเปลี่ยนสภาพของเซลล์สลายกระดูกและกลไกการออกฤทธิ์ของสารนั้นๆ ในกลุ่มสารทดสอบอนุพันธ์สาร (3S)-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-7-phenyl-(6E)-6-heptene (DHPH) และ กรดไซเปอเรโนอิก (Cyperenoic acid) ซึ่งสกัดได้จากส่วนเหง้า Curcuma comosa Rox. และราก Croton crassifolius Geiseler. ตามลำดับ มีฤทธิ์แรงในการต้านการเกิดเซลล์สลายกระดูก ในระดับ in vitro ใช้เซลล์จากไขกระดูกที่ถูกกระตุ้นด้วย receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) DHPH มีฤทธิ์ในการยับยั้งการเปลี่ยนสภาพไปเป็นเซลล์สลายกระดูก โดยยับยั้งการเกิด TRAP-positive multinucleated cells (TRAP+ MNCs) ที่ระดับความเข้มข้นยับยั้งกึ่งหนึ่ง (IC50) 325±1.37 นาโนโมลาร์ การยับยั้งดังกล่าวสอดคล้องกับการลดต่ำลงของสัญญาณภายใต้การกระตุ้นของ RANKL โดยรวมถึงวิถี Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) เช่น ERK (p44/42) และ p38 แต่ไม่มีผลต่อวิถี NF-κB โดยผลของสารดังกล่าวยังส่งผลกระทบต่อระดับของ transcription factor เช่น nuclear factor of activation T cells (NFATc1) และ c-Fos ซึ่งมีความสำคัญมากในการเปลี่ยนสภาพเป็นเซลล์สลายกระดูก DHPH ลดการกัดกร่อนกระดูก (bone resorption) บนแผ่นกระดูก (bone slices) นอกจากนั้นสาร DHPH ยังสามารถเพิ่มกิจกรรมของเอนไซม์ alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการเปลี่ยนสภาพของเซลล์สร้างกระดูกในเซลล์ชนิด MC3T3-E1 ในกรณีของกรดไซเปอเรโนอิกนั้น พบว่าสามารถลดการเกิด TRAP+ MNCs ที่ระดับความเข้มข้น IC50 ที่ 36.69±1.02 …
Hyper-Activation Of Pp60(Src) Limits Nitric Oxide Signaling By Increasing Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels During Acute Lung Injury,
2017
Old Dominion University
Hyper-Activation Of Pp60(Src) Limits Nitric Oxide Signaling By Increasing Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels During Acute Lung Injury, Sanjiv Kumar, Xutong Sun, Satish Kumar Noonepalle, Qing Lu, Evgeny Zemskov, Ting Wang, Saurabh Aggarwal, Christine Gross, Shruti Sharma, Ankit A. Sesai, John D. Catravas
Bioelectrics Publications
The molecular mechanisms by which the endothelial barrier becomes compromised during lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mediated acute lung injury (ALI) are still unresolved. We have previously reported that the disruption of the endothelial barrier is due, at least in part, to the uncoupling of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and increased peroxynitrite-mediated nitration of RhoA. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which LPS induces eNOS uncoupling during ALI. Exposure of pulmonary endothelial cells (PAEC) to LPS increased pp60Src activity and this correlated with an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production, but also an increase in …
Comparing An Atomic Model Or Structure To A Corresponding Cryo-Electron Microscopy Image At The Central Axis Of A Helix,
2017
Old Dominion University
Comparing An Atomic Model Or Structure To A Corresponding Cryo-Electron Microscopy Image At The Central Axis Of A Helix, Stephanie Zeil, Julio Kovacs, Willy Wriggers, Jing He
Computer Science Faculty Publications
Three-dimensional density maps of biological specimens from cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can be interpreted in the form of atomic models that are modeled into the density, or they can be compared to known atomic structures. When the central axis of a helix is detectable in a cryo-EM density map, it is possible to quantify the agreement between this central axis and a central axis calculated from the atomic model or structure. We propose a novel arc-length association method to compare the two axes reliably. This method was applied to 79 helices in simulated density maps and six case studies using cryo-EM …
The Role Of Alternative Polyadenylation Mediated By Cpsf30 In Arabidopsis Thaliana,
2017
University of Kentucky
The Role Of Alternative Polyadenylation Mediated By Cpsf30 In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Guijie Hao
Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences
Drought stress is considered one of the most devastating abiotic stress factors that limit crop productivity for modern agriculture worldwide. There is a large range of physiological and biochemical responses induced by drought stress. The responses range from physiological and biochemical to regulation at transcription and posttranscriptional levels. Post-transcription, the products encoded by eukaryotic genes must undergo a series of modifications to become a mature mRNA. Polyadenylation is an important one in terms of regulation. Polyadenylation impacts gene expression through determining the coding and regulation potential of the mRNA, especially when different mRNAs from the same gene may be polyadenylated …
Transcriptional And Post-Translational Regulation Of Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid Biosynthesis In Catharanthus Roseus,
2017
University of Kentucky
Transcriptional And Post-Translational Regulation Of Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid Biosynthesis In Catharanthus Roseus, Priyanka Paul
Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences
Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) is the exclusive source of an array of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) that are used in the treatments of hypertension and certain types of cancer. TIA biosynthesis is under stringent spatiotemporal control and is induced by jasmonate (JA) and fungal elicitors. Tryptamine, derived from the indole branch, and secologanin from the iridoid branch are condensed to form the first TIA, strictosidine. Biosynthesis of TIA is regulated at the transcriptional level and several transcription factors (TFs) regulating the expression of genes encoding key enzymes in the pathway have been isolated and characterized. The JA-responsive APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR …
Analysis Of Microbial Diversity In Disturbed Soil,
2017
University of Akron
Analysis Of Microbial Diversity In Disturbed Soil, Tyler G. Sanda
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
This paper uses the composition and abundance of microbial species to analyze soil recovery in disturbed land. Surface mining disturbs ecological communities throughout the world. As organizations seek to reclaim these disturbed lands, a proper analysis of recovery is needed. In previous studies, recovery of disturbed land was limited to surface examinations, which do not characterize the possible unseen devastating effects of the subsoil. Soil microorganisms are extremely sensitive to environmental changes such as strip mining. It is proposed that these microorganisms may serve as better indicators of recovery post disturbance. Our analysis indicates microbial recovery, however it may not …
A Method For Measuring The Attachment Strength Of The Cestode Hymenolepis Diminuta To The Rat Intestine,
2017
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
A Method For Measuring The Attachment Strength Of The Cestode Hymenolepis Diminuta To The Rat Intestine, Wanchuan Xie, Gábor R. Rácz, Benjamin S. Terry, Scott Lyell Gardner
Scott L. Gardner Publications
A unique adaptation of many internal parasites of mammals is their ability to stay in the intestine for extended periods of time and resist the normal peristaltic movements and forces that push and expel material. To better understand parasite adhesion behavior and replicate their attachment method in medical devices, an experiment was designed and performed using the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta. The experiment employed a tensile test machine and a digital scale and was designed to calculate the attachment strength of the scolex to the mucosa through the change of the value of the digital scale during the tensile …
Transcriptomic Analyses Of Cathatranthus Roseus Hairy Roots Overexpressing Crmyc2 And Orca3 And Roles Of Cross-Family Transcription Factor Interaction In Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid Biosynthesis,
2017
University of Kentucky
Transcriptomic Analyses Of Cathatranthus Roseus Hairy Roots Overexpressing Crmyc2 And Orca3 And Roles Of Cross-Family Transcription Factor Interaction In Terpenoid Indole Alkaloid Biosynthesis, Xueyi Sui
Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences
Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle), is a well-known medicinal plant that produces a vast array of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs), including two anticancer compounds vinblastine and vincristine. Industrial scale production of TIAs is hampered by the difficulties of total chemical synthesis of these compounds and the fragmented knowledge on TIA pathway. Transcriptional regulation of the TIA biosynthetic pathway has not been thoroughly investigated in Catharanthus and only a few structural genes have been identified as the targets of two master regulators: the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor (TF) CrMYC2 and APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (AP2/ERF), ORCA3. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has been …
Ammonium Removal And Biomass Production By Unicellular Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Sp.,
2017
Faculty of Science
Ammonium Removal And Biomass Production By Unicellular Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Sp., Piroonporn Srimongkol
Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)
Using microalgae as a biofuel feedstock has played more attention over a decade. The cultivation of microalgae requires high water use and high initial investment that can make the process still not economically appealing. This study attempted to examine the potential for using brackish shrimp aquaculture effluents as culture medium for algal biomass production. To investigate whether algae could be used to remove ammonium from brackish shrimp aquaculture wastewater, marine cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. was cultured in BG-11 medium supplemented with Turks Island salt solution and different concentrations of NH4Cl (10-40 mg N L-1) for 18 days. The results showed that, …
การผลิตบีตากลูแคนจากยีสต์ดำ Aureobasidium Thailandense และการประยุกต์เป็นส่วนผสมของเยลลีพรีไบโอติก,
2017
คณะวิทยาศาสตร์
การผลิตบีตากลูแคนจากยีสต์ดำ Aureobasidium Thailandense และการประยุกต์เป็นส่วนผสมของเยลลีพรีไบโอติก, นันทัชพร ก่าหยั่นนะ
Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)
วัตถุประสงค์ของงานวิจัยนี้คือเพื่อหาภาวะที่เหมาะสมในการผลิตบีตากลูแคนจาก Aureobasidium thailandense NRRL 58543 และศึกษาผลกระทบของน้ำหนักโมเลกุลบีตากลูแคนต่อคุณสมบัติพรีไบโอติก และประยุกต์ใช้ในการผลิตเยลลี ปริมาณการผลิตบีตากลูแคนสูงสุด (37.73±0.15 กรัมต่อลิตร) กับความขาวที่ยอมรับได้ (ดัชนีความขาว ≥ 48) ได้รับหลังจากที่เลี้ยง A. thailandense NRRL 58543 ในอาหารสูตร production medium โดยมีโซเดียมไนเตรท ร้อยละ 0.06 (โดยน้ำหนักต่อปริมาตร) เป็นแหล่งไนโตรเจน เสริมด้วยน้ำมันดอกทานตะวันร้อยละ 8.17 (โดยปริมาตรต่อปริมาตร) มีค่า pH เริ่มต้น 6.5 ภายใต้สภาวะการเขย่าที่ 150 รอบต่อนาที อุณหภูมิ 25 องศาเซลเซียส เป็นเวลา 4 วัน บีตากลูแคนที่ได้ถูกนำมาย่อยด้วยเอนไซม์บีตากลูแคนเนสทางการค้า ได้เป็นบีตากลูแคนไฮโดรไลเซทซึ่งประกอบด้วยน้ำตาลกลูโคสและโอลิโกแซ็กคาไรด์ มีน้ำหนักโมเลกุลเฉลี่ย 77,720 ดาลตัน ผลได้ของการย่อยบีตากลูแคนไฮโดรไลเซทด้วยน้ำย่อยเทียมเป็นเวลา 4 ชั่วโมง คือร้อยละ 26.51 ขณะที่บีตากลูแคนดั้งเดิมทนต่อการย่อยได้ นอกจากนั้นยังพบว่าบีตากลูแคนดั้งเดิมที่ 2 มิลลิกรัม คาร์บอน/มิลลิลิตร สามารถกระตุ้นการเติบโตของ Lactobacillus casei และ L. brevis ได้มากกว่า 1.8 เท่า เมื่อเทียบกับบีตากลูแคนไฮโดรไลเซท ภายหลังจากที่บ่มเป็นเวลา 48 ชั่วโมง บีตากลูแคนดั้งเดิมถูกนำมาใช้เป็นส่วนผสมสำหรับการผลิตเยลลี เมื่อนำบีตากลูแคนดั้งเดิมที่ความเข้มข้นสูงสุดร้อยละ 0.5 (โดยน้ำหนักต่อปริมาตร) ผสมร่วมกับเยลลี พบว่าเป็นที่ยอมรับทางประสาทสัมผัสที่ประกอบด้วย สี ความยืดหยุ่น ความเหนียว และความชอบโดยรวม จากผู้บริโภคจำนวน 30 คน เยลลีพรีไบโอติกที่ผลิตได้นี้สามารถเก็บรักษาที่อุณหภูมิห้องได้นาน 7 วัน
