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open access

Biodiversity of Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the Interior Highlands of North America

Description: Caddisflies (Trichoptera) were collected from over 500 different locations throughout the Interior Highlands (Ozark, Ouachita, Arbuckle, and Wichita Mountains) between March 1990 and March 1994. I systematically sampled representative lotic and lentic habitats in 131 natural watersheds that comprise the 17 different physiographic subregions of this area. From my examination of approximately 60,000 specimens, surveys of regional museum collections, and review of literature records, I document 22… more
Date: August 1994
Creator: Moulton, Stephen R. (Stephen Richard)
open access

Isolation, Characterization and Physiological Studies of Cyanide-Utilizing Bacteria

Description: Ten bacteria capable of growth on the metal-cyano complex, tetracyanonickelate (II) {K2 [Ni(CN)J } (TCN), supplied as the sole nitrogen source, were isolated. Seven isolates were identified as pseudomonads while the remaining three were classified as Klebsiella species. In addition to TCN, all isolates were able to utilize KCN although it was significantly more toxic. The degradation of TCN was most complete when supplied at growth-limiting concentrations, did not occur when ammonia was present… more
Date: December 1991
Creator: Silva Avalos, Juan G. (Juan Guillermo)
open access

An Evaluation of Fish and Macroinvertebrate Response to Effluent Dechlorination in Pecan Creek

Description: This study evaluated the effects of chlorinated effluent discharged from the City of Denton, Texas' wastewater treatment plant on Pecan Creek's fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages, and their recovery upon dechlorination. A baseline of ecological conditions was established while chlorine was present in the effluent (June 1993- October 1993), and was evaluated again after dechlorination with sulfur dioxide (October 1993-August 1994). In situ Asiatic clam and fathead minnow ambient toxicity tes… more
Date: May 1995
Creator: Wise, Patricia D. (Patricia Diane)
open access

Oral Microbiology

Description: Recent studies regarding research on oral microorganisms and the oral diseases are presented. The normal flora of the mouth and the oral environment are first described. Dental plaque and dental caries are primary causes of oral disease. Streptococcus mutans is the major contributor in the initiation and progression of dental caries. Lactobacillus, Actinomyces, and Veillonella are other genera of bacteria linked to dental caries. Periodontitis and gingivitis are periodontal diseases that are ca… more
Date: August 1998
Creator: Osman, Shaiesta
open access

Interspecific Competition Between Hygrophila polysperma and Ludwigia repens, Two Species of Importance in the Comal River, Texas

Description: Hygrophila polysperma is a plant native to Asia that has been introduced into the Comal River, TX and is thriving while Ludwigia repens, a species native to the river appears to be declining. Both plants have similar morphologies and occupy similar habitats in the river. Two plant competition experiments were conducted to examine the competitive interactions between the two species. First, an experimental design was developed in which established Ludwigia plants were 'invaded' by sprigs of Hygr… more
Date: May 1999
Creator: Francis, Matthew D.
open access

Discovery and Characterization of Two Tn5 Generated pyrA Mutants in Pseudomonas putida and the Generation of Hfr Strains

Description: A pyrA mutation in Pseudomonas putida was isolated using transposon mutagenesis for the first time. Transposon Tn5 was used to inactivate the pyrA gene for carbamoylphosphate synthetase in these mutants. Accordingly, these mutants were defective in pyrimidine and arginine biosynthesis. The suicide vector, pM075, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was used to introduce the transposon into the cells. Tn5 was subsequently used to supply homology so that the plasmid pM075 could be introduced in its entir… more
Date: August 1994
Creator: Liljestrand, Laura Gail
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
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
open access

Documentation of Biodiversity Impacts (Including Cumulative Biodiversity Impacts) in Environmental Impact Statements

Description: In the United States, biodiversity impact assessment has historically received little attention. Responding in 1993, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released guidelines on incorporating biodiversity into environmental impact assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The objectives of the study here were to identify the level of documentation of biodiversity impact assessment in sample Environmental Impact Statements (EISs); identify whether in the years followin… more
Date: August 1998
Creator: Bhatia, Sarika
open access

Cardiorespiratory Responses to Graded Levels of Lower-body Positive Pressure During Dynamic Exercise in Man

Description: Cardiorespiratory responses to incremental dynamic exercise were assessed across four different levels of lower-body positive pressure (LBPP) and, as a separate study, during constant load (i.e constant work rate) exercise below and above each subject's ventilatory threshold (VT), both with and without 45 torr of LBPP.
Date: December 1992
Creator: Williamson, Jon W. (Jon Whitney)
open access

Regulation of Escherichia coli pyrBI Gene Expression in Pseudomonas fluorescens

Description: Pseudomonas fluorescens does not appear to regulate the enzymes of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis at the level of gene expression. Little or no apparent repression of pyr gene expression is observed upon addition of exogenous pyrimidines to the growth medium. The Escherichia coli pyrBI genes for aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) were sized down and cloned into the broad host range plasmid, pKT230. Upon introduction into a P.fluorescenspyrB mutant strain, ATCase showed repression in response… more
Date: May 1995
Creator: Shen, Weiping
open access

Construction of a Cloning Vector Based upon a Rhizobium Plasmid Origin of Replication and its Application to Genetic Engineering of Rhizobium Strains

Description: Rhizobia are Gram-negative, rod-shaped, soil bacteria with the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia as symbiont bacteroids within nodules of leguminous plant roots. Here, resident Rhizobium plasmids were studied as possible sources of components for the construction of a cloning vector for Rhizobium species.
Date: May 1992
Creator: Jeong, Pyengsoo
open access

Functional Properties and Organization of Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Description: The physiological characteristics and organization of cat primary somatosensory cortex (SI) were studied in electrophysiological and anatomical experiments. In single cell recording experiments, quantitatively controlled mechanical stimuli were used to examine the responses of SI cortical neurons to the velocity component of skin or hair displacement. The firing frequency of most rapidly adapting neurons increased as stimulus velocity was increased. Rapidly adapting neurons were classified base… more
Date: December 1993
Creator: Esteky, Hossein
open access

Pyrimidine Salvage Enzymes in Microorganisms: Labyrinths of Enzymatic Diversity

Description: Pyrimidine salvage pathways are essential to all cells. They provide a balance of RNA synthesis with the biosynthetic pathway in pyrimidine prototrophs and supply all the pyrimidine requirements in auxotrophs. While the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway is found in almost all organisms and is nearly identical throughout nature, the salvage pathway often differs from species to species, with aspects of salvage seen in every organism. Thus significant taxonomic value may be ascribed to the salvage … more
Date: December 1995
Creator: Beck, Debrah A. (Debrah Ann)
open access

Characterization of a Human 28S Ribosomal RNA Retropseudogene and Other Repetitive DNA Sequence Elements Isolated from a Human X Chromosome-Specific Library

Description: Three genomic clones encompassing human DNA segments (designated LhX-3, LhX-4, and LhX5) were isolated from an X chromosome-specific library and subjected to analysis by physical mapping and DNA sequencing. It was found that these three clones are very rich in repetitive DNA sequence elements and retropseudogenes.
Date: May 1994
Creator: Wang, Suyue
open access

The Eosinophil Response in Mice Infected with Trichinella spiralis or Trichinella pseudospiralis as Indicated by Phospholipase B Activity

Description: The host eosinophil response was compared in mice infected with either T. spiralis or T. pseudospiralis by determination of levels of splenic and intestinal phospholipase B, a marker enzyme for eosinophils. Primary infection of naive mice and challenge infection of homologously sensitized mice with T. pseudospiralis resulted in significantly lower tissue phospholipase B activities than infection with T. spiralis. Mice homologously challenged with T. pseudospiralis did exhibit an anamnestic eosi… more
Date: December 1992
Creator: Hsu, Shing-Chien
open access

Evaluating Fish Impingement and Entrainment at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station

Description: This study was designed to determine if impingement and entrainment by cooling water intake at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station have an adverse impact upon the Squaw Creek Reservoir fish population. The yearly impingement of fish was estimated to be 262,994 of 14 species. The threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) accounted for 96% of this total. Entrainment of eggs and larvae for a five month period was estimated to be 15,989,987 and 42,448,794 respectively. Two fish population studies we… more
Date: May 1996
Creator: Bauml, George A. (George Arthur)
open access

Analysis of the Trypanosoma brucei Genome and Identification and Characterization of a Gene Family Encoding Putative EF-Hand Calcium-Binding Proteins

Description: The flagellum of Trypanosoma brucei contains a family of antigenically related EF-hand calcium-binding proteins which are called the calflagins. Genomic Southern blots indicated that multiple copies of calflagin genes occur in T brucei. All of the copies were contained in a single 23 kb Xhol-Xhol fragment. Genomic fragments of 2.5 and 1.7 kb were cloned that encoded calflagin sequences. Two new members of the calflagin family were found from genomic clone sequences. The deduced amino acid seque… more
Date: May 1998
Creator: DeFord, James H. (James Henry), 1956-
open access

Subcloning and Nucleotide Sequence of Two Positive Acting Regulatory Genes, xy1R and xy1S, from the Pseudomonas putida HS1 TOL Plasmid PDK1

Description: TOL plasmids of Pseudomonas putida encode enzymes for the degradation of toluene and related aromatics. These genes are organized into two operons regulated by the Xy1R and Xy1S transcriptional activators. Previous analysis of the TOL pDK1 catechol-2,3-dioxygenase gene (xy1E) and a comparison of this gene to xy1E from the related TOL plasmid pWW0, revealed the existance of a substantial level of sequence homology (82%).
Date: May 1992
Creator: Chang, Teh-Tsai
open access

Biochemical Identification of Molecular Components Required for Cyanide Assimilation in Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 11764

Description: Utilization of cyanide as a nutritional nitrogen source in P. fluorescens NCIMB 11764 was shown to involve a novel metabolic mechanism involving nonenzymatic neutralization outside of cells prior to further enzymatic oxidation within. Several cyanide degrading enzymes were produced by NCIMB 11764 in response to growth or exposure to cyanide, but only one of these cyanide, oxygenase (CNO), was shown to be physiologically required for assimilation of cyanide as a growth substrate.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Chen, Jui-Lin
open access

Assembly of Pseudomonas putida Aspartate Transcarbamoylase and Possible Roles of the PyrC' Polypeptide in the Folding of the Dodecameric Enzyme

Description: Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) of Pseudomonas putida consists of two different polypeptides, PyrB and PyrC' (Schurr et al, 1995). The role of the PyrC' and the assembly of PyrB and PyrC' have been studied. The ATCase made in vitro of P.putida PyrB with P.putida PyrC', and of E.coli PyrB with P.putida PyrC ' were generated under two different conditions, denaturation and renaturation, and untreated. It was found that PyrC' plays a role in the enzymatic regulation by ATP, CTP and UTP. In … more
Date: May 1999
Creator: Hongsthong, Apiradee, 1970-
open access

Conception and Design of Constructed Wetland Systems to Treat Wastewater at the Biosphere 2 Center with Use of Reaction Rate Models and the Habitat Evaluation Procedure to Determine the Effects of Designing for Wildlife Habitat on Treatment Efficiency

Description: A study was undertaken to explore relationships between wetland characteristics which make them efficient water purifiers versus their ability to serve as wildlife habitat. The effects of designing constructed wetlands for improved habitat on water treatment efficiencies were quantified. Results indicate that some sacrifice in treatment efficiency is required and that the degree of efficiency reduction is dependant upon pollutant loading rates. However, sacrifice in efficiency is much smaller t… more
Date: May 1998
Creator: Clingenpeel, Glenn C. (Glenn Christopher)
open access

Nucleotide Sequence Determination, Subcloning, Expression and Characterization of the xy1LT Region of the Pseudomonas putida TOL Plasmid pDK1

Description: The complete nucleotide sequence of the region encoding the DHCDH function of the pDK1 lower operon was determined. DNA analysis has shown the presence of two open reading frames, one gene consisting of 777 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 27.85 kDa and another gene of 303 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 11.13 kDa. The results of enzymatic expression studies suggest that DHCDH activity is associated only with xy1L. However although the addition of xy1T cell-free extracts to xy1L cell… more
Date: December 1992
Creator: Baker, Ronald F. (Ronald Fredrick)
open access

Phagocytosis by Earthworm Coelomocytes : A Biomarker for Immunotoxicity of Hazardous Waste Site Soils

Description: Several biomarkers (cell viability and phagocytosis) based on earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) immune cells (coelomocytes), together with whole-worm mortality (LC/LD50's), were used to assess a bioremediation attempt to reduce pentachlorophenol (PCP) toxicity in a former wood processing hazardous waste site (HWS).
Date: December 1997
Creator: Giggleman, Marina A.
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