Search Results

open access

Landscape forest modeling of the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico.

Description: This thesis contributes to modeling the dynamics of forest community response to environmental gradients and disturbances over a mountain landscape. A gap model (FACET) was parameterized for species of various forest types (Tabonuco, Colorado, Dwarf and Palm), for many terrain conditions and was modified and extended to include species response to excess soil moisture and hurricanes. Landscape cover types were defined by dominance of species of each forest type and canopy height. Parameters of … more
Date: December 2002
Creator: Abbott-Wood, Chris
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

DNA-DNA Hybridization of Methane Oxidizing Bacteria

Description: Bacteria classified in the family Methylomonadaceae must derive their carbon from one-carbon compounds. They are characterized by the possession of internal membranes of two types. Type I membranes are layered and fill the middle of the cells while type II membranes form concentric layers around the periphery of the cells. Also, there are two metabolic pathways by which the methylobacteria assimilate one-carbon compounds. Further evidence of this dichotomy was sought by DNA-DNA saturation hybri… more
Date: December 1976
Creator: Ackerson, Jill W.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Integrating Selective Herbicide and Native Plant Restoration to Control Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligator Weed)

Description: Exotic invasive aquatic weeds such as alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) threaten native ecosystems by interfering with native plant communities, disrupting hydrology, and diminishing water quality. Development of new tools to combat invaders is important for the well being of these sensitive areas. Integrated pest management offers managers an approach that combines multiple control methods for better control than any one method used exclusively. In a greenhouse and field study, we t… more
Date: December 2011
Creator: Adams, Justin
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Solvent Effects and Bioconcentration Patterns of Antimicrobial Compounds in Wetland Plants

Description: This study looked at effects of organic solvents dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide and acetone at 0.01%, 0.05% and 0.1% concentration on germination and seedling development wetland plants. Even at 0.01% level, all solvents affected some aspect of seed germination or seedling growth. Acetone at 0.01% was least toxic. Root morphological characteristics were most sensitive compared to shoot morphological characteristics. This study also looked at bioconcentration patterns of antimicrobial comp… more
Date: May 2011
Creator: Adhikari, Sajag
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Presence of Wolbachia, A Potential Biocontrol Agent: Screening for Vertebrate Blood Meal Source and West Nile Virus in Mosquitoes in the North Texas Region

Description: West Nile virus (WNV) is a geographically endemic mosquito-borne flavivirus that has spread across the United States infecting birds, mosquitos, humans, horses and other mammals. The wide spread nature of this virus is due to the ability of the mosquito vector to persist in broad, ecological diverse environments across the United States. In this study, mosquito populations in North Texas region were sampled for detection of Wolbachia, blood meal source, and WNV. The ultimate goal of this study … more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Adiji, Olubu Adeoye
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Determination of Habitat Preferences of Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) on the Rolling Plains of Texas Using GIS and Remote Sensing

Description: The Rocker b Ranch on the southern Rolling Plains has one of the last sizeable populations of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) in Texas. To investigate habitat utilization on the ranch, pronghorn were fitted with GPS/VHF collars and were released into pastures surrounded by a variety of fences to determine how fence types affected habitat selection. Habitat parameters chosen for analysis were vegetation, elevation, slope, aspect, and distances to water, roads, and oil wells. Results showed … more
Date: May 2005
Creator: Aiken, Robin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Photoactivatable Quantum Dots in Super-Resolution Microscopy of Muscle

Description: Super-resolution 3D imaging was achieved using newly synthesized photoactivatable quantum dot (PAQ dot) probes. Quantum dots were modified with a novel quencher system to make them photoactivatable. The unique properties of these PAQ dots enable single-fluorophore localization in three dimensions using a confocal microscopy optical sectioning method. Myosin and tropomyosin of rabbit myofibrilar bundles were specifically labeled with the newly synthesized PAQ dot. A sufficient number of single q… more
Date: December 2010
Creator: Akel, Amal
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Degradation of Phenolic Acids by Azotobacter Species Isolated from Sorghum Fields

Description: Sorghum plants excrete phenolic acids which reduce subsequent crop yields. These acids accumulate in field soil by combining with soil and clay particles to form stable complexes which remain until degraded by bacterial metabolism. The amount of phenolic acids in soil samples were obtained by gas chromatography measurements, while Azotobacter populations were obtained by plate counts in 40 sorghum field samples from Denton County, Texas. One can conclude that increasing the Azotobacter populati… more
Date: August 1989
Creator: Al-Hadhrami, Mohamed N. (Mohamed Nasser)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Site Directed Mutagenesis of Dienelactone Hydrolase

Description: The clcD gene encoding dienelactone hydrolase (DLH) is part of the clc gene cluster for the utilization of the B-ketoadipate pathway intermediate chlorocatechol. The roles that individual amino acids residues play in catalysis and binding of the enzyme were investigated. Using PCR a 1.9 kbp clcD fragment was amplified and subcloned yielding a 821 bp BamHi to ZscoRI subclone in the plasmid pUC19.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Al-Khatib, Haifa Yousef
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Transient Expression of BABY BOOM, WUSCHEL, and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS from Virus-Based Vectors in Cotton Explants: Can We Accelerate Somatic Embryogenesis to Improve Transformation Efficiency?

Description: Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the world's most prominent fiber crop. Cotton transformation is labor intensive and time consuming, taking 12 to 18 months for rooted T0 plants. One rate limiting step is the necessary production of somatic embryos. In other recalcitrant species, ectopic expression of three genes were shown to promote somatic embryogenesis: WUSCHEL (WUS), SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM), and BABY BOOM (BBM). WUS is responsible for maintaining stem-cell fate in shoot and floral … more
Date: December 2019
Creator: Alejos, Marcos
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Role of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Asymmetric Cell Division in Maize

Description: Stomata are specialized plant structures required for gaseous exchange with the outer environment. During stomata formation, the cytoskeleton plays an important role in controlling the division of the individual cells leading to the generation of the stomata complex. Two mutants that affect microfilament and microtubule organization in subsidiary mother cells include brk1 and dcd1. While only 20% of the subsidiary cells in the brk1 and dcd1 single mutants are abnormally shaped, it was reported… more
Date: August 2014
Creator: Alhassan, Hassan Hamdan
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Behavioral Model for Detection of Acute Stress in Bivalves

Description: A behavioral model for acute responses in bivalves, was developed using time series analysis for use in a real-time biomonitoring unit. Stressed bivalves closed their shell and waited for the stressful conditions to pass. Baseline data showed that group behavior of fifteen bivalves was periodic, however, individuals behaved independently. Group behavior did not change over a period of 20 minutes more than 30 percent, however, following toxic exposures the group behavior changed by more than 30 … more
Date: May 1998
Creator: Allen, H. Joel
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Evaluation of Diet, Water, and Culture Size for Ceriodaphnia Dubia Laboratory Culturing

Description: Six reagent waters, eleven diets, and two culture sizes were evaluated for culturing C. dubia. Different filtration techniques were used to prepare the reagent waters. The eleven diets were comprised of two algae augmented with eight supplements. Reproduction and growth were assessed to discern differences among C. dubia raised in mass cultures and cultured in individual cups, during which, bacterial population densities, lipid, protein, and carbohydrate concentrations of the diets were measure… more
Date: December 1992
Creator: Allen, Jerry D. (Jerry Dee)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Effects of Suspended Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Daphnid Growth and Reproduction

Description: Multi-walled carbon nanotube aggregates can be suspended in the aqueous phase by natural organic matter. These aggregates are ingested by filter feeding zooplankton. Ingested aggregates result in decreased growth and decreased reproduction. These effects may be caused by reduction in energy input from normal feeding behavior. pH alters natural organic matter structure through changes in electrostatic repulsion. Altered natural organic matter structure changes multi-walled carbon nanotube aggreg… more
Date: May 2010
Creator: Alloy, Matthew Michael
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Generation of Recombinant Zea mays Spastin and Katanin Proteins for In Vitro Analysis

Description: Plant microtubules play essential roles in cell processes such as cell division, cell elongation, and organelle organization. Microtubules are arranged in highly dynamic and ordered arrays, but unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes. Therefore, microtubule nucleation and organization are governed by microtubule-associated proteins, including a microtubule-severing protein, katanin. Mutant analysis and in vitro characterization has shown that the highly conserved katanin is needed fo… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Alodailah, Sattam Sonitan
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Novel Role of Trypsin in Zebrafish

Description: It has been shown previously in our laboratory that zebrafish produce trypsin from their gills when they are under stress, and this trypsin is involved in thrombocyte activation via PAR2 during gill bleeding. In this study, I investigated another role of the trypsin that is secreted from zebrafish. This investigation has demonstrated a novel role of trypsin in zebrafish. Not only did this investigation demonstrate the role of trypsin in zebrafish behavior, but also it showed that PAR2 might be … more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Alsrhani, Abdullah Falleh
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Hooking Mortality of Largemouth Bass Caught on Controversial Artificial Lures and Live Bait : Lake Ray Roberts, Texas

Description: A total of 192 largemouth bass were caught at Lake Ray Roberts, Texas (1995) to investigate five controversial bass angling techniques relative to hooking mortality. The bait types were Texas-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, Carolina-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, and live golden shiners. Overall hooking mortality was 21.87% and mortality was dependent upon bait type. Highest mortality resulted from the Texas-rigged scented lures, while the lowest mortality was gener… more
Date: May 1996
Creator: Alumbaugh, Andrew E. (Andrew Edward)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Retinoic acid Treatment Affects Kidney Development and Osmoregulatory System in the Developing Chicken (Gallus Gallus)

Description: Development is a dynamic process characterized by critical periods in which organ systems are sensitive to changes in the surrounding environment. In the current study, critical windows of embryonic growth and kidney development were assessed in the embryonic chicken. All‐trans retinoic acid (tRA) influences not only organogenesis and cell proliferation, but also targets metanephric kidney nephrogenesis. Embryonic chickens were given a single injection of tRA on embryonic day 8. tRA decre… more
Date: May 2011
Creator: Alvine, Travis Douglas
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Isolation and Bioinformatic Characterization of Four Novel Bacteriophages from Streptomyces toxytricini

Description: Six initial phage isolates with high titer lysates were obtained using Streptomyces toxytricini B-5426 as the host bacterium. These isolates were named Goby, Toma, Yosif, Yara, Deema, and Hsoos. However, upon completion of the sequencing, it was found that the Yara and Hsoos isolates were identical, as were Goby and Deema. As a result, final analysis was completed on only the four unique isolates. All of the phages mentioned above were isolated from soil samples from different locations. Al… more
Date: May 2019
Creator: Alzaid, Hessah
Partner: UNT Libraries

Quantifying the Effects of Single Nucleotide Changes in the TATA Box of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S Promoter on Gene Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

Description: Synthetic biology is a rapidly growing field that aims to treat cellular biological networks in an analogous way to electrical circuits. However, the field of plant synthetic biology has not grown at the same pace as bacterial and yeast synthetic biology, leaving a dearth of characterized tools for the community. Due to the need for tools for the synthetic plant biologist, I have endeavored to create a library of well-characterized TATA box variants in the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S pr… more
Date: December 2021
Creator: Amack, Stephanie Carolina
Partner: UNT Libraries

Developing a Generalizable Two-Input Genetic AND Logic Gate in Arabidopsis thaliana for Multi-Signal Processing

Description: With effective engineering using synthetic biology approaches, plant-based platforms could conceivably be designed to minimize the production costs and wastes of high-value products such as medicines, biofuels, and chemical feedstocks that would otherwise be uneconomical. Additionally, modern agricultural crops could be engineered to be more productive, resilient, or restorative in different or rapidly changing environments and climates. To achieve these complex goals, information-processing ge… more
Date: December 2022
Creator: Anderson, Charles Edgar
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Effects of Probiotics on Growth, and Metabolism in Juvenile Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique Tilapia)

Description: Improving growth, lowering mortality rates, and having a faster turnaround to harvest is essential for the future of commercial aquaculture. The primary goal of this study was to determine if introducing a single strain probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501 into the feed regimen of a commercially important aquaculture freshwater fish, Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), would decrease mortality; change metabolic rates; and increase tissue wet mass (MW), standard length, growth rat… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Anderson, Michael Earl
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Effector Response of the Aspartate Transcarbamoylase From Wild Type Pseudomonas Putida and a Mutant with 11 Amino Acids Deleted at the N-terminus of PyrB.

Description: Like its enteric counterpart, aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) from Pseudomonas putida is a dodecamer of two different polypeptides. Unlike the enterics, the Pseudomonas ATCase lacks regulatory polypeptides but employs instead inactive dihydroorotases for an active dodecamer. Previous work showed that PyrB contains not only the active site but also the effector binding sites for ATP, UTP and CTP at its N-terminus. In this work, 11 amino acids were deleted from the N-terminus of PyrB and t… more
Date: May 2002
Creator: Asfour, Hani
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Spatial Variations and Cultural Explanations to Obesity in Ghana

Description: While obesity is now recognized as a major health concern in Ghana, the major drivers, causal factors, and their spatial variation remain unclear. Nutritional changes and lack of physical activity are frequently blamed but the underlying factors, particularly cultural values and practices, remain understudied. Using hot spot analysis and spatial autocorrelation, this research investigates the spatial patterns of obesity in Ghana and the explanatory factors. We also use focus group discussions t… more
Date: August 2019
Creator: Asubonteng, Agnes
Partner: UNT Libraries
Back to Top of Screen