Biotechnology Commons^™

Assessment Of The Treatment Of Textile Mill Effluent Using Uasb Reactor, Arshad A, Hashim N.H, Kashif A.K, Bashir A

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of the treatment of actual textile mill effluent using a upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. The main objective of this study was to generate design aids; in terms of organic loading rate (OLR), hydraulic retention time (HRT) versus chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal in the textile effluent using a UASB reactor at neutral pH and constant mesophilic temperature. The COD, colour and total suspended solids concentration of the textile wastes used in the study were analyzed as 5440 mg/l, 3280 mg/l, 2320 units and 955 mg/l, respectively. The UASB …

Programmers And Forensic Analyses: Accusers Under The Confrontation Clause, Karen Neville

Duke Law & Technology Review

Recent Supreme Court cases involving the Confrontation Clause have strengthened defendants’ right to face their accusers. Bullcoming v. New Mexico explored the question of whether the testimony of the technician who performs a forensic analysis may be substituted by that of another analyst, and the Court held that producing a surrogate witness who was not sufficiently involved in the analysis violates the confrontation right.

The presumption of infallible technology is fading, and courts may soon realize programmers have greater influence over the ultimate outcome of forensic tests than do the technicians who rely on such analytical tools. The confrontation right, …

Boron Stress Activates The General Amino Acid Control Mechanism And Inhibits Protein Synthesis, Irem Uluisik, Alaattin Kaya, Dmitri E. Fomenko, Huseyin C. Karakaya, Bradley A. Carlson, Vadim N. Gladyshev, Ahmet Koc

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants, and it is beneficial for animals. However, at high concentrations boron is toxic to cells although the mechanism of this toxicity is not known. Atr1 has recently been identified as a boron efflux pump whose expression is upregulated in response to boron treatment. Here, we found that the expression of ATR1 is associated with expression of genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis. These mechanisms are strictly controlled by the transcription factor Gcn4 in response to boron treatment. Further analyses have shown that boron impaired protein synthesis by promoting phosphorylation of eIF2α in a …

Laboratory Diagnosis Of Clostridium Difficile Infection: Can Molecular Amplification Methods Move Us Out Of Uncertainty?, Fred C. Tenover, Ellen Jo Baron, Lance R. Peterson, David Persing

Biology Faculty Publications

The laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) continues to be challenging. Recent guidelines from professional societies in the United States note that enzyme immunoassays for toxins A and B do not have adequate sensitivity to be used alone for detecting CDI, yet the optimal method for diagnosing this infection remains unclear. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) that target chromosomal toxin genes (usually the toxin B gene, tcdB) show high sensitivity and specificity, provide rapid results, and are amenable to both batch and on-demand testing, but these tests were not universally recommended for routine use in the recent guidelines. …

Iron Insufficiency Compromises Motor Neurons And Their Mitochondrial Function In Irp2-Null Mice, Suh Young Jeong, Daniel R. Crooks, Hayden Wilson-Ollivierre, Manik C. Ghosh, Rachid Sougrat, Jaekwon Lee, Sharon Cooperman, James B. Mitchell, Carole Beaumont, Tracey A. Rouault

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Genetic ablation of Iron Regulatory Protein 2 (Irp2, Ireb2), which post-transcriptionally regulates iron metabolism genes, causes a gait disorder in mice that progresses to hind-limb paralysis. Here we have demonstrated that misregulation of iron metabolism from loss of Irp2 causes lower motor neuronal degeneration with significant spinal cord axonopathy. Mitochondria in the lumbar spinal cord showed significantly decreased Complex I and II activities, and abnormal morphology. Lower motor neurons appeared to be the most adversely affected neurons, and we show that functional iron starvation due to misregulation of iron import and storage proteins, including transferrin receptor 1 …

Identification And Characterization Of A Novel Thermohalophilic Esterase From The Red Sea: Atlantis Ii Brine Pool, Yasmine Mustafa Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial (white) biotechnology poses an increasing demand for novel biocatalysts that are robust under a wide range of conditions. Traditionally, biocatalysts were isolated from cultured isolates, however, less than 1% of microorganisms are culturable. Therefore, it became evident that the unculturable majority holds a great potential for the discovery of novel biocatalysts. Metagenomics is an invaluable tool for accessing the genomes of the uncultured majority and has led to the isolation of a large number of biocatalysts from various environments. Extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents, brine pools and glaciers, are an attractive source for biocatalysts. Biocatalysts from these environments …

Library Impact Statement For Mls 496 Global Health, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement in response to new course proposal for MLS 496 Global Health. New course was supported with no need for additional resources.

Library Impact Statement For Mls 575 Business Of Biotechnology, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement in response to new course proposal for MLS 575 Business of Biotechnology. New course was supported with no need for additional resources.

Library Impact Statement For Mls 572 Vaccines And Biologics, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement in response to new course proposal for MLS 572 Vaccines and Biologics. New course was supported with no need for additional resources.

Library Impact Statement For Mls 573 Molecular Biology Methods, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

Library Impact Statement in response to new course proposal for MLS 573 Molecular Biology Methods. New course was supported with no need for additional resources.

Activation Of Jnk Signaling Mediates Amyloid-Ss- Dependent Cell Death, Meghana Tare, Rohan Modi, Jaison Nainaparampil, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Shimpi Bedi, Pedro Fernandez-Funez, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age related progressive neurodegenerative disorder. One of the reasons for Alzheimer's neuropathology is the generation of large aggregates of Aß42 that are toxic in nature and induce oxidative stress, aberrant signaling and many other cellular alterations that trigger neuronal cell death. However, the exact mechanisms leading to cell death are not clearly understood.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We employed a Drosophila eye model of AD to study how Aß42 causes cell death. Misexpression of higher levels of Aß42 in the differentiating photoreceptors of fly retina rapidly induced aberrant cellular phenotypes and cell death. We found that …

Propagation System Manual, Margaret Kane

Hydroponic Center

Contained in this manual you will find the required materials, assembly instructions, operation procedures and safety protocols to construct, run and maintain a hydroponic propagation system.

The Propagation System is designed to provide an environment for seeds to germinate with optimal conditions for seedling growth. The purpose of the Propagator is to create an environment that is suitable for seedlings to develop a strong root system and uprooted stem so they can be transplanted into a new system where they are able to fully develop and be harvested. This procedure introduces plants, vegetables, and fruits to a new system of …

Studies Of Food Thickeners In Nigeria For Contamination By Aflatoxigenic Forms Of Aspergillus And Their Detection By Pcr, G. I. Okwu, Premila Achar, Michael J. Ikenebomeh, S. Y. Sreenivasa

Faculty Articles

This paper reports the contamination of ready-to-use food thickeners, collected from the South-East geo-political zone in Nigeria, by aflatoxigenic form of Aspergillus species. A total of 150 samples from different open markets were observed for fungal contamination by using serial dilution-spread plate method. Although, Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium were the most frequently isolated fungi, Aspergillus species were found to be the most prevalent in all the samples. Furthermore, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus produced aflatoxin on yeast extract sucrose (YES) media incubated for 10 to 15 days at 27°C in a CO₂ incubator. Aspergillus niger showed no sign of …

Forward Osmosis Bag: Ground Testing The Prospect Of Using Alternative Water Sources For Drinking Water, Michaela Marie Brant, Ariella Yendler, Mona Hammoudeh, Michael T. Flynn

STAR Program Research Presentations

On the STS-135 Space Shuttle mission, to be launched July 8, 2011, a forward osmosis bag (FOB) study will be conducted. At NASA Ames this summer, the ground truth testing is being conducted for results comparisons. The FOB technology is derived from a commercial product, the X-Pack water filter. Forward osmosis operates by utilizing an established concentration gradient across a semi-permeable membrane to move water molecules from one side of the membrane to the other. This concept is exploited to harvest drinking water from grey water sources such as urine, sea water, or vehicle water. In this experiment, potassium chloride …

The Proteomic Response Of Ciona Intestinalis To Ocean Acidification And Acute Heat Stress: Impacts Of Global Climate Change In Coastal Marine Systems, Michael Dennis Dwyer Jr.

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Applied And Mechanistic Studies Of Microbial 17beta-Estradiol Degradation, Zhongtian Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The presence of natural estrogens, a class of endocrine disrupting compounds, in water has caused increasing concerns over their adverse impacts on the health of aquatic eco-systems and human beings. In this study, adsorption characteristics of two natural estrogens, 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1), on granular activated carbon (GAC) were investigated in isotherm tests and in a GAC column. The GAC column was then converted to a biologically active carbon (BAC) column and the removal efficiency of E2 and its primary biodegradation intermediate E1 were monitored. During BAC operation, the impacts of various reactor operation parameters, such as the carbon …

Emerging Dynamics Of Human Campylobacteriosis In Southern Ireland, Susan Bullman, Daniel Corcoran, James O'Leary, Derry O'Hare, Brigid Lucey, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Infections with Campylobacter spp. pose a significant health burden worldwide. The significance of Campylobacter jejuni/Campylobacter coli infection is well appreciated but the contribution of non-C. jejuni/C. coli spp. to human gastroenteritis is largely unknown. In this study, we employed a two-tiered molecular study on 7194 patient faecal samples received by the Microbiology Department in Cork University Hospital during 2009. The first step, using EntericBio® (Serosep), a multiplex PCR system, detected Campylobacter to the genus level. The second step, utilizing Campylobacter species-specific PCR identified to the species level. A total of 340 samples were confirmed as Campylobacter genus positive, 329 of …

Mechanical Test Methods For Assessing Porcine Carotid And Uterine Artery Burst Pressure Following Ex Vivo Ultrasonic Ligature Seal And Transection, Carissa M. Krane, Margaret Pinnell, Courtney Gardner, Mercedes Thompson, James Coleman, Robert Wilkens

Biology Faculty Publications

A test method was developed to identify those variables important for assessing the performance of ultrasonic surgical devices in ex vivo ligature sealing of porcine carotid and uterine arteries. Ruggedness testing using a small sample size in pilot experiments was conducted using a newly developed test method in an effort to assess the usefulness of this methodology and to identify test variables that might warrant further testing. The development of this test method included the use of a custom-designed prototypic tension device for load-controlled ex vivo vessel stretching during saline perfusion and subsequent seal and transection of porcine arteries with …

Evaluation Of Delivery Conditions For Cutaneous Plasmid Electrotransfer Using A Multielectrode Array, Bernadette Ferraro, Loree C. Heller, Yolmari L. Cruz, Siqi Guo, Amy Donate, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Electroporation (EP) is a simple in vivo method to deliver normally impermeable molecules, such as plasmid DNA, to a variety of tissues. Delivery of plasmid DNA by EP to a large surface area is not practical because the distance between the electrode pairs, and therefore the applied voltage, must be increased to effectively permeabilize the cell membrane. The design of the multielectrode array (MEA) incorporates multiple electrode pairs at a fixed distance to allow for delivery of plasmid DNA to the skin, potentially reducing the sensation associated with in vivo EP. In this report, we evaluate the effects of field …

Analysis Of The Threat Of Genetically Modified Organisms For Biological Warfare, Jerry B. Warner, Alan J. Ramsbotham Jr., Ewelina Tunia, James J. Valdes

Defense and Technology Papers

This study seeks to better understand the evaluation of the potential threats posed by advances in biotechnology, especially genetically modified organisms and synthetic biology. It narrows the scope of consideration into two parts: defining a catastrophic biological attack focused on bioterrorism and that this attack would be restricted to the United States.