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Biodiversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of the South-Central Nearctic and Adjacent Neotropical Biotic Provinces (open access)

Biodiversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of the South-Central Nearctic and Adjacent Neotropical Biotic Provinces

The south-central United States serves as an important biogeographical link and dispersal corridor between Nearctic and Neotropical elements of western hemisphere odonate faunas. Its species are reasonably well known because of substantial collections, but there has been no concerted effort to document the extent of biodiversity and possible geographic affinities of dragonflies and damselflies of this region. The recent discoveries of Argia leonorae Garrison, Gomphus gonzalezi Dunkle and Erpetogomphus heterodon Garrison from southern and western Texas and northern Mexico suggest that Odonata species remain to be discovered in this area, particularly from far south Texas and northern Mexico. I have documented a total of 12,515 records of Odonata found in 408 counties within the south-central U.S. A total of 73 species of damselflies and 160 species of dragonflies was revealed in the region. The 233 (197 in Texas) Odonata species are distributed among 10 families and 66 genera. Illustrated family, generic, and species-level keys are provided. Since the beginning of this work in the Fall of 1993, one species has been added each to the Louisiana and Oklahoma faunas, and 12 species have been added, previously unreported from Texas, including four new to the U.S. The area of highest Odonata …
Date: May 1999
Creator: Abbott, John C.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparative Ultrastructural Study between Young and Adult forms of Trypanosoma Lewisi (open access)

Comparative Ultrastructural Study between Young and Adult forms of Trypanosoma Lewisi

The purpose of this study was to examine the ultrastructure of both young (dividing form) and adult (stationary form) of Trypanosoma lewisi. Changes observed between the two forms of the organism were related directly to data obtained from previous comparative biochemical studies conducted on these forms of Trypanosoma lewisi.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Abdul-Salam, Jasem M.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ultrastructural Changes of Tumor Implants in Mice (open access)

Ultrastructural Changes of Tumor Implants in Mice

The purpose of this investigation was to observe the sequential ultrastructural changes in tumor implants of a well established tumor line in isologous mice.
Date: January 1970
Creator: Abrams, Joe A.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Diphenyloxazole Metabolism by Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylase (open access)

Diphenyloxazole Metabolism by Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylase

2,5-Diphenyloxazole (PPO) was tested as a potential alternate inducer for the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) system. Its apparent lack. of carcinogenicity and toxicity provide a possible system for investigation of enzyme systems related to chemical carcinogenesis without exposure of the researcher to potent carcinogenic compounds. These studies found PPO to be an inducer of AHH in cultured human lymphocytes. When PPO was utilized as a substrate for the AHH assay system, the major metabolites produced were strongly fluorescent. A simple fluorometric assay was developed which employed PPO as the substrate and which measured constitutive activity more efficiently than similar assays using benzo(a)pyrene as the substrate. Quantitation of both basal and induced lymphocyte AHH metabolism of PPO may be applicable to human population studies and may provide a tool to determine possible genetic variables with respect to carcinogen metabolism related to cancer risk.
Date: December 1976
Creator: Abreu, Mary E.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Immunofluorescence as a Method for the Rapid Identification of Streptococcus Faecalis in Water (open access)

Immunofluorescence as a Method for the Rapid Identification of Streptococcus Faecalis in Water

The development and refinement of FA has been adequately investigated with major emphasis on pathogenic microorganisms. The development of this technique has reduced both the time and number of biochemical tests necessary to identify a diversity of organisms. The organisms included are the protozoans, as described by Goldman (1953 and 1957) and by Ingram (1961), viruses, as reported by Liu (1955a) and Burgdorfer and Lackman (1960a), pathogenic bacteria which have been investigated by Moody, Goldman, and Thomason (1956), Moody and Winter (1959), Deason, Falcone, and Harris (1957) and Thomason, Cherry, and Moody (1957). Various fungi have been studied with FA by Kaufman and Brandt (1964), Kaufman and Kaplan (1961 and 1963) and Gordon (1958). Therefore, due to the success of the fluorescent antibody technique in many areas of microbiology in previous investigations, the logical assumption was that immunofluorescence might be incorporated into an efficient system in which a specific organism associated with fecal pollution, such as S. faecalis, could be rapidly identified. Based on this assumption, the feasibility of fluorescent antibody techniques, using S. faecalis was investigated as a means of rapid determination of bacterial pollution in water. Although much progress has been achieved in the study of cytochemical reactions …
Date: August 1970
Creator: Abshire, Robert Louis
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
DNA-DNA Hybridization of Methane Oxidizing Bacteria (open access)

DNA-DNA Hybridization of Methane Oxidizing Bacteria

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 hybridization of DNAs from both types of methylobacteria. Very low DNA-DNA homology was seen between types I and II or within the types. It was not possible, therefore, to correlate the degree of genetic relatedness with either the nature of the internal membranes or the pathway of carbon assimilation.
Date: December 1976
Creator: Ackerson, Jill W.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Vegetation and Habitat Factors of Red River County, Texas (open access)

The Vegetation and Habitat Factors of Red River County, Texas

The aim of this study has been to measure some of the ecological factors in a series of plant habitats and their relation to the existing vegetation in selected twenty soil types of Red River County, Texas.
Date: August 1938
Creator: Adams, Exa T.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Bacterial Flora of Food Utensils in Hardin College Cafeteria and Twenty-Five Eating Establishments in Wichita Falls, Texas (open access)

A Study of the Bacterial Flora of Food Utensils in Hardin College Cafeteria and Twenty-Five Eating Establishments in Wichita Falls, Texas

The problem of this thesis consists primarily of a bacteriological survey of the eating utensils of Hardin College Cafeteria and twenty-five other eating establishments in the city of Wichita Falls, Texas. This investigation was made primarily with reference to a determination of the possible presence of typhoid and related organisms, and secondarily to an investigation of the actual presence of those bacterial organisms associated with the more common outbreaks of food poisoning.
Date: 1949
Creator: Adams, Isaac Newton
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Solvent Effects and Bioconcentration Patterns of Antimicrobial Compounds in Wetland Plants (open access)

Solvent Effects and Bioconcentration Patterns of Antimicrobial Compounds in Wetland Plants

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 compounds triclosan, triclocarban and methyl-triclosan in wetland plants exposed to Denton Municipal Waste Water Treatment Plant effluent. Bioconcentration patterns of antimicrobial compounds varied among species within groups as well as within organs of species. The highest triclocarban, triclosan and methyltriclosan concentration were in shoot of N. guadalupensis, root of N. lutea and in shoots of P. nodous respectively.
Date: May 2011
Creator: Adhikari, Sajag
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Traffic-Generated Air Pollution-Exposure Mediated Expression of Factors Associated with Progression of Multiple Sclerosis in a Female Polipoprotein E Knockout Mouse Model

Environmental air pollution is one risk factor associated with the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this project, we investigated the effects of ubiquitous traffic-generated pollutants, namely a mixture of gasoline and diesel vehicle exhaust (MVE), on signaling pathways associated with the pathophysiology of MS in the central nervous system (CNS) of either ovary intact (ov+) or ovariectomized (ov-) female Apolipoprotein (Apo) E-/-. Specifically, we investigated whether a subchronic inhalation exposure to MVE (200 PM μg/m3; 6 hr/d, 7d/wk, 30d) vs. filtered air (FA) controls altered myelination, T cell infiltration, blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, or production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of neuroinflammation markers in the CNS ov+ and ov- Apo E-/- mice. Our results revealed that inhalation exposure to MVE resulted in increased demyelination and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration, associated with alterations in BBB integrity. Disruption of the BBB was evidenced by decreased tight junction (TJ) protein expression, increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) activity, and increased permeability of immunoglobin (Ig) G, which were more pronounced in the MVE ov- group. Moreover, MVE-exposure also promoted ROS and neuroinflammatory signaling in the CNS of ov+ and ov- mice, compared to FA groups. To analyze mechanisms that …
Date: December 2020
Creator: Adivi, Anna
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Some Effects of X-Irradiaion on the Adrenal Response to Hypothalamic Stimulation in Rats (open access)

Some Effects of X-Irradiaion on the Adrenal Response to Hypothalamic Stimulation in Rats

Exactly where in the hypothalamus is the adrenal-pituitary response to X-irradiation "triggered" or initiated? Moreover, does ionizing radiation act directly on specific centers in the brain or does it act indirectly via the production of some humoral agents? Finally, what role does the hypothalamus play in the radiation-syndrome? The purpose of the present study was to attempt to answer these questions by determining the effects of two stressor agents, X-irradiation and electrical stimulation applied either singly or together, on the activity of the adrenal-pituitary axis. The parameters measured were changes in plasma corticosterone, in circulating eosinopihils, and in adrenal gland weight.
Date: January 1967
Creator: Agnew, Robert Laing
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Degradation of Phenolic Acids by Azotobacter Species Isolated from Sorghum Fields (open access)

Degradation of Phenolic Acids by Azotobacter Species Isolated from Sorghum Fields

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 population in the soil increased the degradation rate of phenolic acids proportionally. It is proposed that seed inoculation will introduce selected strains of Azotobacter into the soil. The presence of Azotobacter should increase crop size in subsequent plantings.
Date: August 1989
Creator: Al-Hadhrami, Mohamed N. (Mohamed Nasser)
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Physiology of Azotobacter Vinelandii Cysts (open access)

The Physiology of Azotobacter Vinelandii Cysts

The value of the adenylate energy charge [(ATP)+1/2(ADP)/(ATP)+(ADP)+(AMP)] in Azotobacter vinelandii cells was monitored during growth and germination in flask cultures. The miximal value of 0.88 was attained during mid-log phase; this declined gradually to 0.50 by late stationary phase. When these cultures were transferred to encystment media, the adenylate energy charge decreased to an average value of 0.40 as the vegetative cells encysted and remained unchanged during the next 20 days. Encystment cultures wre composed of vegetative cells, encysting cells and mature cysts but the proportionate value of the energy charge could be assigned. Viability of the total population remained 95% or higher during the entire period studied. Azotobacter vinelandii cysts cultivated on phosphate-sufficient media. Although cell protein and nucleic acids were unaffected by phosphate deficiency, cell wall structures, oxygen uptake and sncystment were significantly affected. Phosphate-limited cysts contained much larger amounts of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid but had a lower adenylate energy charge than did control cysts. The ATP/ADP ratio was much lower in phosophate-deficient cysts than in the control cysts. The data indicate a "substrate saving" choice of three metabolic pathways available to cells of Azotobacter under different growth conditions.
Date: December 1980
Creator: Aladegbami, Solomon L.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effects of Phytohormones on Scenedesmus quadricauda (open access)

Effects of Phytohormones on Scenedesmus quadricauda

The literature on the effects of phytohormone on algae is clouded with contradictory reports. Reports have been published which substantiate and deny the effects of phytohormones in enhancing the growth and developmental processes in algae. The overall aim of this study was to investigate the response, if any, of the phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid A3 (GA) and kinetin on the physiology of the green alga, Scenedesmus quadricauda. Results obtained for the uptake of 14^C-IAA an(j l4C-kinetin by Scenedesmus strongly support the presumption that the alga does not absorb the hormones. The retention of the phytohormones by the alga is due to adsorption, and is independent of hormone concentration. Most of the label was adsorbed by the outer pectic layers of the cell wall.
Date: August 1977
Creator: Alam, Mohammad Ihtisham
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effects of X-irradiation on Ion Flux in Desheathed Toad Sciatic Nerves (open access)

Effects of X-irradiation on Ion Flux in Desheathed Toad Sciatic Nerves

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the effects of x-irradiation on the efflux of potassium, sodium and calcium ions from stimulated and unstimulated desheathed sciatic nerves.
Date: January 1969
Creator: Albin, Leslie O.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Habits and Dietary Overlap of Four Species of Rodents from the Mesquite Plains of Texas (open access)

Food Habits and Dietary Overlap of Four Species of Rodents from the Mesquite Plains of Texas

The coexistence of Dipodomys ordii and Perognathus hispidus with Peromyscus maniculatus and Reithrodontomys montanus was studied in a grassland association of central Texas. The food habits of these species were compared with information from habitat vegetation analysis in an effort to determine food selectivity and the amount and importance of niche overlap and competition among these rodents.
Date: May 1972
Creator: Alcoze, Thomas M.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Systematics of the Stonefly Tribe Suwalliini Surdick and Behavioral Studies of Selected Species in the Stonefly Families Chloroperlidae and Perlidae (open access)

Systematics of the Stonefly Tribe Suwalliini Surdick and Behavioral Studies of Selected Species in the Stonefly Families Chloroperlidae and Perlidae

The purpose of this study is to revise the genus Suwallia and to evaluate the potential taxonomic importance of adeagal and other genitalic characters, adult pigment patterns and egg characters. The revision concentrates on western North American species while providing coverage of all species, except Suwallia asiatica Zhiltzova and Lavanidova where only presumed females have been available for study. Communication and mate locating behaviors in adult stoneflies are critical for life cycle completion and species perpetuation. Drumming signals are known for numerous species of Plecoptera, but mate searching patterns and specifically, if or how vibrational communication is utilized for locating mates are virtually unknown for all stonefly species. I conducted field or laboratory studies of three species to elucidate mate searching patterns and how vibrational communication is used for locating mates. The species studied included a bushtopper, Suwallia pallidula (Banks); a ground scrambler, Claassenia sabulosa (Banks); and treetopper, Perlinella drymo (Newman). The "fly-tremulate-search". "rock to rock" and "fly-drum-search" search patterns exhibited by these species are described, as well as how vibrational communication is used for mate finding. Vibrational signal production by tremulation is reported for the first time in Suwallia, and for only the second time Plecoptera.
Date: August 1997
Creator: Alexander, Kevin D. (Kevin Dewayne)
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pressure-Flow Relationships in the Isolated Cerebral Circulation of the Dog (open access)

Pressure-Flow Relationships in the Isolated Cerebral Circulation of the Dog

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the pressure-flow relationships in the isolated canine cerebral vascular bed. These relationships in vessels which supply an organ surrounded by bone are theoretically influenced by limiting factors which are not present in those vessels surrounded by soft tissue. An evaluation of the extent of these limitations is essential to thorough understanding of the dynamics of the cerebral vascular bed.
Date: June 1962
Creator: Alexander, William Carter
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effectiveness of Hybrid Problem-Based Learning versus Manual-Based Learning in the Microbiology Laboratory (open access)

The Effectiveness of Hybrid Problem-Based Learning versus Manual-Based Learning in the Microbiology Laboratory

Promising results from the use of problem-based learning (PBL) as a teaching method in medical programs have encouraged many institutions to incorporate PBL into their curricula. This study investigates how applying hybrid-PBL (H-PBL) in a microbiology laboratory impacts students' higher-order thinking as compared to applying a lecture-based pedagogy. The experimental design compared the learning outcomes of two groups of students: the control group and the H-PBL group, for whom PBL cases comprised 30% of the curriculum. Both groups were taught basic skills for the microbiology lab by the same instructor. Using the traditional teaching style for the control group, the instructor offered each student what they needed for their experiments. The H-PBL group practiced experimental design, data analysis, theory proposal, and created research questions by using six study cases that were closely linked to the area of study. The outcome was measured using a pre- and post- assessment consisting of 24 questions that was designed by following Bloom's taxonomy of learning levels. A one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data. The results showed that for the first three levels of Bloom's taxonomy— knowledge, comprehension, and application—there were no statistically significant differences between the H-PBL and control group gain scores …
Date: May 2017
Creator: Alharbi, Najwa
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Isolation, Purification, and Characterization of Aldolase from Human Heart (open access)

Isolation, Purification, and Characterization of Aldolase from Human Heart

Aldolase from human heart has been purified 128-fold to a final specific activity of 11.52 units per mg. The purification procedure employed column chromatography on phosphocellulose.
Date: August 1972
Creator: Allen, Benja L.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluation of Diet, Water, and Culture Size for Ceriodaphnia Dubia Laboratory Culturing (open access)

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

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 measured. Results showed that a glass-distilled, carbon filtered, deionized reagent water and a Selenastrum capricornutum- Cerophyl® diet were optimum for culturing. Mass culturing supported the highest reproduction and growth, while no correlation was found between nutritional measurements and production.
Date: December 1992
Creator: Allen, Jerry D. (Jerry Dee)
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Microbiotic Cycles in Lake Hefner (open access)

Microbiotic Cycles in Lake Hefner

The purposes of this paper are 1) to determine the microbiotic cycles which occur in Lake Hefner in order to form a basis for ascertaining the effects of future additions of evaporation control chemicals on the biological life of this reservoir, and 2) to make a generalization as to the microbiotic cycles which might occur in Southwestern reservoirs.
Date: January 1966
Creator: Allison, Richard C.
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Analysis of Multipartite Bacterial Genomes Using Alignment-Free and Alignment-Based Pipelines

In this work, we have performed comparative evolutionary analysis, functional genomics analysis, and machine learning analysis to identify the molecular factors that discriminate between multipartite and unipartite bacteria, with the goal to decipher taxon-specific factors and those that are prevalent across the taxa underlying the these traits. We assessed the roles of evolutionary mechanisms, namely, horizontal gene transfer and gene gain, in driving the divergence of bacteria with single and multiple chromosomes. In addition, we performed functional genomic analysis to garner support for our findings from comparative evolutionary analysis. We found genes such as those encoding conserved hypothetical protein DR_A0179 and hypothetical protein DR_A0109 in Deinococcus radiodurans R1, and Putative phage phi-C31 gp36 major capsid-like protein and hypothetical protein RSP_3729 in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1, which are located on accessory chromosomes in both bacteria and were not found in the inferred ancestral sequences, and on the primary chromosomes, as well as were not found in their closest relatives with single chromosome within the same clade. These genes emphasize the important potential roles of the secondary chromosomes in helping multipartite bacteria to adapt to specialized environments or conditions. In addition, we applied machine learning algorithms to predict multipartite genomes based on gene …
Date: August 2021
Creator: Almalki, Fatemah
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Retinoic acid Treatment Affects Kidney Development and Osmoregulatory System in the Developing Chicken (Gallus Gallus) (open access)

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

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 decreased embryo, kidney, and heart mass from day 16 to day 18. However, mass specific kidney and heart masses showed no differences. Whole blood, plasma, and allantoic fluid osmolality were altered in tRA treated embryos from day 16 to day 18. In addition, hematocrit, red blood cell count, and hemoglobin concentration were altered in tRA treated embryos. The results suggest that although nephrogenesis was not affected by tRA, the developing osmoregulatory system was altered in tRA treated embryos.
Date: May 2011
Creator: Alvine, Travis Douglas
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library