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open access

GABAᴀ Receptors in Rat Whisker Barrel Cortex: Effects of Sensory Deprivation

Description: The GABAergic system in adult sensory cortex is affected by sensory deprivation, but little is known about how this predominant inhibitory system is affected during ontogeny. The present study investigates developmental effects of whisker trimming on GABAa receptors in rat barrel cortex. Rats trimmed for 6 wk beginning at birth and adulthood showed similar decreases in [3H]muscimol binding in deprived relative to non-deprived barrels, suggesting absence of a critical period.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Salazar, Eduardo, 1962-
open access

Effects of Copper on Immune Responses of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides

Description: Copper exposures of 400 μg/L for 5,10 and 15 days resulted in no significant differences in antibody titers of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides injected with Aeromonas hydrophila compared to control-injected bass. Twenty days of exposure did significantly increase titers. The control group had significantly lower antibody titers than either control-injected or copper-exposed.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Connell, Patrice M. (Patrice Michelle)
open access

Construction of a Physical Map of Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis Strain ATCC25238

Description: In order to gain a better understanding of this microorganismand its role in human pathogenesis, a physical map of Moraxella catarrhalis type strain ATCC25238 was constructed using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in combination with Southern hybridization techniques. Restriction endonucleases Not I, Rsr II, and Sma I were used to digest the chromosomal DNA. An overlapping circular map was generated by cross-hybridization of isolated radiolabeled fragments of Moraxella catarrhalis genomi… more
Date: May 1999
Creator: Nguyen, Kim Thuy
open access

Upper and Lower Temperature Tolerances of Three Freshwater Game-Fish Species Exposed to Cycling Temperatures

Description: A total of 670 critical thermal maxima (CTMax) and minima (CTMin) were determined for three freshwater fishes acclimated to three constant temperatures and a diel regimen cycling between the lowest and highest acclimation temperatures. In all species temperature tolerance was directly related to acclimation temperature and slopes relating these variables indicate that acclimation temperature has a greater influence on tolerance of low rather than high temperatures. CTMax and CTMin values genera… more
Date: August 1995
Creator: Currie, Rebecca J. (Rebecca Jean)
open access

Attenuation of Escherichia Coli Aspartate Transcarbamoylase Expressed in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Mutant and Wild Type Strains

Description: No apparent repression of pyr gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is observed upon addition of exogenous pyrimidines to the growth medium. Upon introduction of the subcloned Escherichia coli pyrBI genes for aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) into a P. aeruginosa pyrB mutant strain, repression was observed in response to exogenously fed pyrimidine compounds. The results proved that it is possible to bring about changes in pyrimidine nucleotide pool levels and changes in transcriptional r… more
Date: December 1994
Creator: Liu, Haiyan, 1966-
open access

Evaluation of a Constructed Wetland to Reduce Toxicity from Diazinon at the Pecan Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Denton, TX

Description: The City of Denton Pecan Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility has periodically failed effluent toxicity testing. A Toxicity Identification Evaluation has determined that Diazinon in the effluent is contributing to the observed toxicity. Chlorpyrifos is also implicated as a factor. The City of Denton constructed a half acre experimental wetland to remove Diazinon related toxicity. Results from spiking and microcosm experiments indicate that the wetland can reduce the Diazinon.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Baerenklau, Amy L. (Amy Lyn)
open access

Heat Shock Proteins in Ascaris suum

Description: Ascaris suum were exposed to a number of stressors, including heavy metals and both high (40°C) and low (18°C) temperatures. The 70kD and 90kD heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the different A. suum tissues were analyzed by Western blot and quantitated by Macintosh Image Program.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Chao, Sheng-Hao
open access

A Comparison of Predicted and Actual Trophic Status of Lake Ray Roberts, Texas Based on Chlorophyll A

Description: Two years before impoundment, the trophic status of Lake Ray Roberts was predicted by applying the total phosphorus input into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) eutrophication model. Predicted mean summer epilimnetic (MSE) chlorophyll a of Elm Fork arm, Isle duBois arm and Main Body were in the eutrophic category of the OECD model. Observed MSE chlorophyll a two years after impoundment of Elm Fork arm, Isle duBois and Main Body had not reached their predicted mean… more
Date: May 1999
Creator: Lytle, Lili Lisa
open access

Site Directed Mutagenesis of β-Ketoadipate Succinyl-Coenzyme A Transferase II from Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus

Description: The role of specific amino acid residues in β-ketoadipate succinyl-coenzyme A transferase II from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was investigated. A 1412 base pair BamiHI-EcoRI fragment carrying the catIJ genes was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and inserted into pUCl9 to generate the plasmid pCATEl9. Escherichia coli DH5α (pCATEl9) carrying only the catlJ genes expressed 3-fold higher enzyme activity than the parent strain. Two mutants were constructed by site directed mutagenesis so that… more
Date: August 1993
Creator: Sheng, Mei
open access

A Two Semester Life Science Syllabus for Use in Texas Public Schools with Seventh Grade Students

Description: The problem of using a state adopted textbook written to apply to a large body of students with varying interests and needs was overcome by using a detailed syllabus that arranged course content in a meaningful sequence that appealed to student interest. The outlined syllabus prepared a two semester life science curriculum to be used by the teacher to guide lesson planning. Both semesters were divided into three units each. Materials included in the syllabus were given to actual student groups … more
Date: May 1995
Creator: Edwards, Gail G. (Gail Graham)
open access

Development and Application of an Assessment Protocol for Watershed Based Biomonitoring

Description: With numerous bioassessment methodologies available, a regional protocol needs to be developed to ensure that results are comparable. A regional assessment protocol was developed that includes collecting five benthic macroinvertebrate samples, identifying organisms to genus, and calculating the following metrics: Number of Taxa, Total Number of Individuals, Simpson's Diversity Index, Shannon's Diversity Index, Percent Contribution of Dominant Taxa, Hilsenhoffs Biotic Index, and Percent Contribu… more
Date: May 1998
Creator: Schwartz, Joseph Howard
open access

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor α3 mRNA in Rat Visual System After Monocular Deprivation

Description: In situ hybridization was used to examine effects of monocular enucleation on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit cc3 mRNA in the rat dLGNand visual cortex. After 28 days postoperative, there were no significant differences in α3 mRNA density between the contralateral (deprived) and ipsilateral (non-deprived) sides. The lack of obvious effects of visual deprivation on α3 mRNA density suggests that other factors, possibly intrinsic to dLGNand visual cortex, govern the postnatal expression o… more
Date: August 1997
Creator: Taylor, James H. (James Harvey), 1970-
open access

Ecological Association Between the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and Southern Pine Beetle in the Homochitto National Forest: a Geographic Information System Approach

Description: Since the introduction of management practices by the Forest Service to stabilize red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) populations, the number of cavity trees killed by southern pine beetles (SPB) has increased. A model of the landscape ecology of RCW and SPB in the Homochitto National Forest was created using data collected from the Forest Service and Global Atmospherics. The conclusions of the study were that the RCW and SPB utilize the same type of habitat and the stand hazard maps are an accurate … more
Date: December 1998
Creator: Skordinski, Karen R. (Karen Renee)
open access

Responses of Cultured Neuronal Networks to the Cannabinoid Mimetic Anandamide

Description: The effects of cannabinoid agonists on spontaneous neuronal network activity were characterized in murine spinal cord and auditory cortical cultures with multichannel extracellular recording using photoetched electrode arrays. Different cultures responded reproducibly with global decreases of spiking and bursting to anandamide and methanandamide, but each agonist showed unique minor effects on network activity. The two tissues responded in a tissue-specific manner. Spontaneous activity in spina… more
Date: May 1998
Creator: Morefield, Samantha I. (Samantha Irene)
open access

Short Term Effects of External Electric Fields on Electrical Activity of the Pineal Gland in Rats

Description: The effects of short term exposure (5 minutes) to EEFs at relatively high dosages (10, 25, 39, kV/m) on the electrical activity in rat pineal glands was studied. Daytime and nighttime recordings were taken from an implanted microelectrode in the gland. The data show that (1) both the activity and frequency were enhanced when the animals were exposed to EEFs at 39 kV/m continuously and discontinuously; (2) the later condition yielded a sustained increase (36%) whereas the former a brief (10 sec)… more
Date: May 1996
Creator: Vu, Hung Quoc
open access

Comparison of Heteranthera Dubia (Jacq.) MacM.-associated Macroinvertebrates Between Georgraphical Regions in the United States

Description: Macroinvertebrates associated with the aquatic plant, water stargrass (Heteranthera dubia), were sampled from 12 waterbodies in four regions of the United States from June to August 2005. Taxa richness, evenness, and diversity were lowest in the Lower Midwest (LMW) region, and higher in Northern sites, especially the Upper Midwest (UMW), and Northeast (NE). While relative abundance varied from site to site and region to region, utilization of the plant by functional groups remained fairly const… more
Date: May 2010
Creator: Harms, Nathan Earl
open access

Modulation of the Coelomic Fluid Protein Profile in the Earthworm, Lumbricus Terrestris, After Exposure to Copper as Copper Sulfate

Description: Proteomic techniques were used to analyze the protein profile of earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, coelomic fluid collected by either whole body dissection method or the coelomic cavity puncture method. Data demonstrated that collection of coelomic fluid using the coelomic cavity puncture method protocol resulted in a 32% reduction, 377 +/- 4.5 vs 253+/- 19.9 (p=0.0007), in the number of individual proteins. It was determined that the coelomic cavity puncture method yielded a "cleaner" preparati… more
Date: May 2010
Creator: Herring, Reese
open access

Underwater Optical Properties of Lake Texoma (Oklahoma-Texas) Using Secchi Disk, Submarine Photometer, and High-Resolution Spectroscopy

Description: The underwater optical climate of Lake Texoma was measured at eleven fixed stations from August 1996 to August 1997. Secchi transparency and submarine photometry characterized seasonal and spatial values of secchi depth (SD), vertical attenuation coefficient (η''), and depth of euphotic zone (Zeu). Indices of Zeu:SD and η'' × SD were compared with universally applied values derived from inland and coastal waters. Turbidity explained 76% of the variation (p = 0.0001) of η'' among water quality p… more
Date: August 1998
Creator: Rolbiecki, David A. (David Alan)
open access

Effects of External Electric Fields on Light Transmittance in Isolated Crayfish Nerves

Description: Acute effects of a pulsed external electric field (PEEF) at 20 V/cm and a d.c. EEF at 90 V/cm on light transmittance in an isolated compound crayfish nerve was measured. In a third series, the nerve was pre-treated with the Na+ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX). A PEEF produced an irreversible increase in the variation of light transmittance in normal nerves but a reversible increase in TTX treated nerves. This data was statistically insignificant. The d.c. EEFs produced a reversible and stati… more
Date: December 1995
Creator: Northcutt, Brian S. W.
open access

The Role of Gabergic Inhibition in Modulating Receptive Field Size of Cuneate Neurons

Description: A blockade of GABAergic inhibition increases the receptive field(RF) size of most somatosensory cortex (SI) and some ventrobasal thalamus (VB) neurons. The results suggest RF size of cuneate neurons may be modulated through GABAa and GABAb receptors, independent of firing frequency.
Date: August 1997
Creator: Tennison, Cullen F.
open access

Characterization of Arthrobacter Globiformis Aspartate Transcarbamylase Concentrations of Substrates

Description: This thesis consists of one major section with two subsections. The first subsection investigates the activity of Arthrobacter globiformis aspartate transcarbamylase's specific activity with increasing concentrations of the enzyme's substrate. Dihydroorotase (DHOase) activity was also measured with increasing concentrations of the substrate dihydroorotate. The second subsection collected data in order to classify the enzyme, resulting in a classification into the category of class A ATCases … more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Wright, Jackie
open access

Bioconcentration and Morphological Effects of Triclosan on Three Species of Wetland Plants

Description: Triclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial compound found in several types of common household products. After being washed down the drain, TCS will then end up in the local watershed. Although numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the fate and effects of TCS in aquatic environments, there have been no studies evaluating the role arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM) play in a plants response to TCS exposure. Three species of wetland plants native North Texas were inoculated with AM spores and … more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Smith, Caleb M.
open access

Exploring the Evolutionary History of North American Prairie Grouse (Genus: Tympanuchus) Using Multi-locus Coalescent Analyses

Description: Conservation biologists are increasingly using phylogenetics as a tool to understand evolutionary relationships and taxonomic classification. The taxonomy of North American prairie grouse (sharp-tailed grouse, T. phasianellus; lesser prairie-chicken, T. pallidicinctus; greater prairie-chicken, T. cupido; including multiple subspecies) has been designated based on physical characteristics, geography, and behavior. However, previous studies have been inconclusive in determining the evolutionary h… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Galla, Stephanie J.
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