This study: a) describes a method employing microfluorometry to measure the fluorescence intensity of cell surface areas labeled with a fluorescent lectin (fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated concanavalin A), b) determines some parameters of binding . . .

Approximately 80% of all antibiotics in the U.S. are used in food production (FDA, 2010), which has the potential to generate large reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in the food supply. Our study aims to establish overall ARB loads tha . . .

Interactions between organisms involve highly specific modes of communication. The nematode Pristionchus pacificus displays a nematode-invertebrate interaction with its host beetle Exomala Orientalis known as necromeny. In order to determine molecular . . .

A temporal and spatial marine upwelling system model was developed for analysis of prominent biological and physical system interactions which result in observed nutrient distribution patterns in the northwest African coastal upwelling system near 21° . . .

The purpose of this study was to examine the vocal communication system of the California ground squirrel, Spermophilus beecheyi. Tape recordings of the sounds of marked squirrels were made in the field, while concurrent notes were taken on the behavi . . .

Nostoc punctiforme is a member of the cyanobacteria that forms filaments of cells and is capable of forming lipid droplets in the cytoplasm. References to lipid droplets in cyanobacteria are scattered throughout the cyanobacterial literature, and are . . .

Freeze-fracture electron microscopy was used to analyze the hydrophobic interior of the plasma membranes of micromeres, mesomeres, and macromeres of the 16-cell sea urchin embryo. A quantitative assessment was made of membrane fracture faces in terms . . .

Promoter Characterization of the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Associated Gene, NAP1L1 By Loni Hands Master of Science in Biology The precise regulation of gene expression within a cell determines the structure and function of a given cell type. Dysregulation . . .

The vulnerability of coral reefs has substantially increased in the past few decades due to accelerating human-driven global change. The effects of ocean acidification (OA) and global warming individually and interactively have resulted in varying deg . . .

Ascites fluid from mice-bearing ascites tumors contains aggregation promoting factors. Ascites grown teratoma cells, when placed in short-term tissue culture (5-8 days), release factors into the culture medium that promote aggregation of ascites grown . . .

Hyalin is a major glycoprotein of the hyaline layer, the extracellular matrix surrounding sea urchin embryos and is required for normal morphogenesis. It is an extremely large molecule consisting of three species ranging from 2.1x10^5-6.3x10^4. The ai . . .

The processes that generate variation in nature have captured the attention of evolutionary biologists since the time of Darwin. Many studies examine the evolution of diversification in closely related or hybridizing species to understand the process . . .

The Brushtail tang (Zebrasoma scopas) is an important herbivorous fish species that plays a vital role in the maintenance of coral reef health though algal grazing. Algal grazing prevents algal overgrowth and thus a shift in reef ecology from dominant . . .

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and in recent studies have been shown to play a key role in governing lineage in hematopoietic progenitors. Although much is known about the molecul . . .

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating and fatal muscle wasting disease with no known cure, caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Stem cell based regenerative treatments hold promise to potentially restore healthy muscle to DMD patie . . .

In the United States, an estimated 6 million individuals live with paralysis, 23% of these incidents being due to spinal cord injury. Following an injury to the central nervous system there are events that occur to segregate inflammation from the surr . . .

Caulobacter crescentus FabH is a cell cycle regulated -ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase that initiates fatty acid elongation and is essential in rich PYE media. Depletion of FabH induces fatty acid starvation and a bacteriostatic condition in ce . . .

This is a retrospective study approved by the Graduate Studies program at California State University, Northridge and the Committee on Reproductive Fertility, Pasadena. It was performed at the Huntington Reproductive Fertility Center in Pasadena under . . .

In the oceans, changes in seawater carbonate chemistry associated with increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (a process referred to as ocean acidification, or OA) is predicted to have significant effects on many marine species, parti . . .

Specific subpopulations of 129/J mouse teratocarcinoma cells were separated in a large capacity reorienting gradient zonal rotor. The teratoma cells consistently separated into two major populations, small and large cells. Both cell populations were t . . .

Nostoc punctiforme is a filamentous cyanobacterium with the ability to differentiate into three different cell types: nitrogen fixing heterocysts, motile hormogonia and spoke-like akinetes. Akinetes are able to survive a variety of harsh conditions su . . .

GcrA is responsible for the regulation of bacterial genes involved in motility, polar development, cell wall biogenesis, amino acid metabolism and transport, chromosome replication, repair, and recombination. Moreover, regulated proteolysis of protein . . .

A serine auxotroph of Neurospora crassa, ser (JBM 4-13), exhibits genetic instability, reverting to prototrophy at high frequency. This study examines reversion in a mutant stock and the genetic behavior of serine-independent cultures derived from tha . . .

Permafrost— perennially frozen soil— hosts a diversity of microorganisms. Permafrost microbial communities survive and reproduce for millennia despite extreme conditions such as water stress, subzero temperatures, high salinity, and low nutrient avail . . .

One approach to investigating the potential role of surface carbohydrates in mediating intercellular adhesion is to study cell reaggregation in the presence of defined concentrations of specific saccharides. Fifteen different exogenously added sacchar . . .

Tropical reef structure and topographical complexity is a product of coral morphology, which greatly enhances biodiversity, ecological function, and ecosystem services. However, reef-building corals have declined in cover by 50-80% in response to the . . .

The reproductive cycle of Nuttallina californica was studied from September 1985 until August 1986 and its movements from December 1982 until January 1985 at Marina del Rey, California. A method of analyzing histological sections of ovaries for mature . . .

The sea urchin embryo is a National Institutes of Health model system that has provided major developments later found of importance in human health and disease. To obtain initial clues to identify glycans that mediate cellular interactions, Lytechinu . . .

The osteology of the skull of the fossorial snake, Chionactis occipiitalis, is described and illustrated for the first time. It is generally true that fossorial animals show structural adaptations to burrowing, and in order to test whether this is so . . .

The effect of pH on the hydrolysis of phosphoserine by enzymes extracted from Neurospora crassa was found to be different for wild type than for the serine requiring mutant ser(JBM-5). The pH profile of activity in ser(JBM-5) extracts lacks a shoulder . . .

Humans and guinea pigs require vitamin C in the diet. As yet, the exact function of the vitamin in the body and the optimum concentrations remain unknown. The guinea pig serves as a model for nutritional and immunological studies to elucidate the role . . .

The beetle Trirhabda eriodictyonis lives on two shrubs with different plant defenses: Eriodictyon crassifolium has hairy leaves; E. trichocalyx has sticky leaves. The relationship between these plants and the leaf-eating beetles that depend on them ha . . .

The federally endangered species, Astragalus brauntonii (Braunton's milkvetch), is a rare short-lived perennial plant found in isolated populations in coastal sage scrub of Southern California's Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange Counties. Populations a . . .

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women and is responsible for ~14% of cancer mortality in women. Critically the tumor microenvironment and specifically the stromal portion is increasingly being recognized as a critical factor in c . . .

Interactions between corals and algae have been implicated in influencing the potential fate of coral reef ecosystems. Recently, studies have concentrated on the mechanisms underlying coral-algal interactions as indicators of the effects algae can hav . . .

Traditional modeling procedures in biology have largely been confined to the development of descriptive models and single degree of freedom mathematical models. The emergence of the computer has enabled the user to model systems with several degrees o . . .

A superior mechanism of detecting cancerous cells and delivering anti-cancer drugs to highly localized targets is currently lacking in the field of oncology. Unfortunately, chemotherapy is not a specialized method of delivering therapeutic reagents to . . .

The rock reef/kelp forest habitat of southern California is among the most productive and well-studied marine habitats. The importance of the cryptic fish fauna, however, has not been studied. This study was undertaken to assess this particular elemen . . .

A temperature sensitive sporulation mutant of Bacillus subtilis was isolated and and shown to be defective in aconitase activity at the restrictive temperature (37°C). Sporulation specific production of antibiotic and protease a.ppea.r to be unaffecte . . .

Invasive plants threaten native biodiversity and ecosystem function. Non-native plants can out-compete native plants for resources, reducing population sizes. For rare species, this can increase the chances of extinction. Pentachaeta lyonii is an enda . . .

S-180 ascites tumor cells were treated with various reagents which induce polymerization of intracellular actin in other cell types. S-180 cells were used because they have short actin microfilaments, no long actin bundles and weakly-structured surfac . . .

The anatomy of six species of ferns belonging to the family Grammitidaceae was examined using standard paraffin and staining techniques. Adenophorus tamariscinus, Adenophorus haalilioanus and Adenophorus hymenophylloides are endemic Hawaiian species, . . .

The initial event in cyclic AMP action is thought to be binding to the regulatory subunit and subsequent activation of protein kinases. As a measure of hormone action distal to cyclic AMP generation, cyclic AMP binding to postmicrosomal supernatant fr . . .

The anatomy and morphology of Chenopodium murale L. was examined by using standard paraffin and clearing techniques. The inflorescence was studied by marking it and making periodic observations of living plants and. also by examining serial paraffin s . . .

This project focuses on a novel progenitor cell therapy for type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness that is categorized by pancreatic beta cell death. The current advancements in diabetes research has brought attention to innovative cellular applications t . . .

Premise-Dudleya is a genus of succulent perennials containing about 50 species/subspecies. Many are restricted to narrow geographic ranges, and closely related forms live in differing climates. Dorsey and Wilson (2011) found an intriguing set of corre . . .

The spastic Han Wistar (sHW) rat serves as a model for human ataxia presenting symptoms of motor deterioration, decreased weight and a shortened lifespan. Correspondingly, sHW rats show progressive loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells starting at 30 days . . .

Anthropogenic climate change is predicted to increase temperatures and reduce precipitation throughout most Mediterranean-climate regions. Projections indicate that species with narrow, limited distributions are at the greatest risk of climate-induced . . .

Cell-based approaches utilizing hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and T cells with naturally occurring, or experimentally introduced, genetic modifications that confer either HIV resistance or enhanced anti-HIV properties have emerged recently as viable . . .

The inner surface of the uterus is lined by a specialized layer called the endometrium, composed primarily of epithelial glands surrounded by supportive stroma. The human endometrium undergoes approximately 500 cycles of regeneration and breakdown ove . . .

In a clinical hematology laboratory, the counting of platelets is increasingly being performed by electronic counting machines. The accuracy and precision of these machines is reported to be excellent for a normal platelet count in the range of 140,00 . . .

The morphogenesis study of Salvia mellifera leaf galls was approached on two levels: histological examinations in the lab and growth studies in the field. Histological results revealed the galls to be neoplasms of the prosoplasmic type exhibiting dete . . .

The binding of specific polyclonal antitreponemal rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) to Treponema pallidum, Nichols strain, was demonstrated by whole mount indirect immunoelectron microscopy. T. pallidum from 7- and 10-day old rabbit orchitides was process . . .

Three pathways of serine biosynthesis are postulated to exist in Neurospora crassa. The three pathways are the phosphorylated, the nonphosphorylated, and the glyoxylate-serine pathway. Evidence now exists that the phosphorylated pathway may be the maj . . .

Seedlings of six varieties of plants were grown for 8-13 days in blue, red, far-red, white light, or in darkness. Shoots were then measured in length, extracted and phenolics determined. The total phenolic content was measured spectrophotometrically a . . .

Proteins and glycoproteins associated with cell surfaces are thought to be important in mediating selective cellular adhesion (9,21,26,29), while the lipid elements may also be involved (4). In isolating cell surface adhesion proteins for study, biolo . . .

Membranes from immature and mature 1-methyladenine induced P.miniata oocytes were isolated, their lipid extracted, and the fatty acids of the lipid fractions (phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phospatidyl choline, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inosiltol, . . .

The cyanobacterium, Nostoc punctiforme is capable of differentiating into various cell types that allow adaptation and survival under various environmental threats. It has proven to be a unique model system for investigating genetic regulation leading . . .

Genetic variation and diversity provide the fuel for natural selection and evolution, but also play roles in ecological processes. The ability of organisms to respond to global change will depend on their genetic identity-they can migrate, acclimatize . . .

Forty six strains of Simonsiella and two strains of Alysiella, large filamentous, gliding bacteria from the oral cavities of warm-blooded animals, were grown under various environmental conditions in order to study aspects of the taxonomy of these org . . .

Activity patterns in the foraging activity of two species of acmaeid limpet, Collisella limatula (Carpenter, 1864) and Collisella scabra (Gould, 1846) were documented over the entire tidal cycle. Collisella limatula was found to be active only while a . . .

How organisms survive starvation is poorly understood at the cellular level. This study uses the model organism Caulobacter crescentus, which evolved to survive long periods of starvation, to address this important question. To determine how the cell . . .

A dissociation supernatant (DS), has been previously shown to promote re-aggregation of Strongylocentotus purpuratus blastula cells. The factor(s) was isolated from S. purpuratus blastula cells as they disaggregated from each other in calcium-magnesiu . . .

As a result of anthropogenic increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, mean global temperature has increased 0.5 °C since the 1970s, with a further expected increase of 2.6 - 4.8 °C by 2100. If realized, rising temperatures will negatively impact m . . .

The pollination ecology of Dipteryx panamensis (Pitt) Record and Mell, a leguminous lowland tropical wet forest emergent tree, was studied at Finca La Selva, Costa Rica, on the Caribbean slope. This was done with the aid of a new tree-climbing techniq . . .

Five species from two families of Collembola (Insecta: Entomobryidae: Entomobrya (Entomobryoides) guthriei Mills, 1931, Pseudosinella sexoculata Schott, 1902, Sinella (Sinella) curviseta Brook, 1882; Isotomidae: Cryptopygus thermophiles (Axelson), Pro . . .

This autoradiographic study was performed to determine the localization of the tritiated amino acids, tyrosine and proline, in the structures of cysticercoids and adults of the rat tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta. Localization by the cysticercoids was p . . .

The behavioral ecology of feral horses Equus caballus) was studied in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, between March, l974, and August, 197 4. Horses became established in the study area about 60 to 200 years ago and currently number about 78 indi . . .

Defects in stem cell proliferation and/or differentiation can lead to disease. While many master regulatory genes that promote stem cell self-renewal or differentiation have been identified, we have a relatively poorer understanding of the downstream . . .

The hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) activity increases at ta fertilization. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the enzyme that catalyzes the first reaction of the HMS and is considered to be the site of regulation for the pathway. Previous w . . .

Four vegetative characters of leaves (length, width, petiole length and a number of teeth) and two reproductive characters (acorn length and acorn width) were measured in 58 individual plants located in Wildwood Park, a natural area in Thousand Oaks, . . .

Ocean acidification (OA), the decrease in the seawater pH and carbonate ion concentration due to the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) with no change in total alkalinity, threatens coral reefs worldwide as studies predict the decline of cal . . .

The sites of activity of Na+,K+-ATPase in the sea urchin egg and embryo were determined using a cytochemical localization technique. Fertilized and unfertilized eggs, and embryos at stages of development from 2 to 16-cells were lightly fixed with 2% p . . .

Fertilized and unfertilized Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Lytechinus pictus egg membrane preparations including plasmamembranes and egg envelopes, were obtained via gentle homogenization and centrifugation in Tris- MgCl2 solutions. Membrane prepar . . .

Cardiomyocytes (CM) are the major cardiac cell type. Even so, not much is known regarding the changes that occur during embryonic development as cardiac stem cells differentiate and proliferate to form an adult heart. In order to better understand the . . .

Herbivory is a rare diet specialization in lizards that requires numerous specializations including hindgut microsymbionts to aid in the digestion of plant meals. Researchers first attempted to identify the sources of the gut microbes hosted by herbiv . . .

The growth in length and weight of immature fruit and seed of carob (Caratonia siliqua L.) was studied over a period of seven months. During the early periods of development, seed and fruit growth follow a parallel course; however, the seed continue t . . .

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematopoietic malignancy characterized by an overproduction of immature T-cell lymphocytes (blasts) and infiltration into bone marrow and peripheral blood. Deletion and mutation of the tumor suppressor . . .

Autonomic control of heart rate during generalized heating and cooling in water was studied in the red-eared turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans. Sympathetic blockade with propranolol hydrochloride and parasympathetic blockade with atropine sulfate were . . .

An electron microscopic analysis of cells isolated from 16-cell sea urchin embryos indicates that several morphological differences in the cell types exist. The micromeres, which become migratory and give rise to the primary mesenchyme cells, possess . . .

The peach-fluffy-cot mutant of Neurospora is unable to produce macroconidia but is able to differentiate great numbers of microconidia after a predictable length of time of vegetative growth. The relationship of lipid metabolism to the differentiation . . .

The morphology and development of the pineal complex are similar in Hyla cadaverina and Hyla regilla . The larvae of both species develop all three structures of the complex , end organ , nerve and body before stage 26. Mature adults of both species l . . .

Most aspects of the lives of ectotherms (e.g. distribution, locomotion, digestion, and reproduction) are dependent on body temperature (Tb). For ectotherms living in cool environments, the ability to cope with extreme temperatures and even achieve the . . .

This study included 12 families (157 specimens); 122 specimens represented fourteen species of Emballonuridae (Chiroptera). Four morphologically different sterna have evolved within the family Emballonuridae: 1) a three segment sternum: manubrium, mes . . .

Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy (HIBM) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by adult onset muscle-wasting, affecting both proximal and distal muscles. HIBM is caused by different mutations in the GNE gene including the common Middle Eas . . .

Reproductive biology of the solitary hermaphroditic ascidian Styela plicata, was studied at Marina del Rey, California from October, 1971 through January, 1973. Gonadal structure, breeding season, and spawning behavior were examined utilizing histolog . . .

Two studies were undertaken that investigate the implications of small biochemical alterations in living systems. First, epigenetic mechanisms have been shown to control gene expression and can permanently silence a gene. We investigate the role of th . . .

Indirect immunofluorescence was used to localize specific extracellular components in embryos of the sea urchin Lytechinus pictus. Hyalin and S2 (a group of components found in the disaggregation supernatant from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus blastula . . .

Aspects of the reproductive behavior of giant sea bass, Stereolepis gigas, were observed and monitored at Goat Harbor, Santa Catalina Island, CA from June 2014 to August 2015. The site was visited daily during the summer months, which is the assumed s . . .

Demand for non-timber plant products has increased and with the stress of pressures, such as invasive species and habitat fragmentation, the sustainability of some culturally important plant populations may be at risk. Salvia apiana (white sage) is a . . .

Heterologous, or interspecies, transformation is the phenomenon in which bacteria of a given species acquire DNA from another species. This transfer can be exploited to test the functional interchangeability of one or more genes from organisms in one . . .

The benthic invertebrate macrofauna and larger meiofauna in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta was sampled from December 2010 to June of 2011 along a salinity gradient from the brackish waters of Mobile Bay up into the fresh waters of the Tensaw River. Community . . .

A density dependent stimulation of glutamine synthetase activity (GS) has been observed in cultures of mouse teratoma cells. GS specific activity increases as cultures approach confluency to a level greater than twofold over the basal level found in s . . .

A study was made of EMS and X--ray--induced mutations occurring in the immediate vicinity of the vermilion (v, 1-33, 0) locus. This region of the X chromosome was covered by a special Y chromosome containing a duplication extending from salivary chrom . . .

Actin was isolated and purified from sarcoma-180 ascites tumor cells by a method employing DEAE-cellulose anion exchange chromatography, polymerization-depolymerization and exclusion chromatography. The actin was demonstrated to polymerize in an in vi . . .

Smad4 is the central intracellular mediator of transforming growth factor-β (TGF- β) and BMP signaling pathways. To study the role of Smad4 in skeletal development, we introduced a conditional mutation of the gene in chondrocytes using Cre-loxP system . . .

Investigation of the breeding biology of Xantus’ Murrelet (Endomychura hypoleuca) on Santa Barbara Island revealed that 46% of all eggs laid in one area were eaten by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), while in another only 4% were eaten. Population . . .

Potential Allee effects were investigated in Pentachaeta lyonii, an annual Asteraceae that is listed as federally endangered. Since P. lyonii is self-incompatible and has no evident seed dormancy, pollination service is essential for persistence. Obse . . .

The calcium-magnesium-free sea water (CMFSW) dissociation supernatant (DS), isolated by disaggregating Strongylocentrotus purpuratus blastulae, specifically promotes reaggregation of S. purpuratus blastula cells. The approach used to investigate cellu . . .

The agonistic behavior patterns of adult males of Peromyscus boylii and Dipodomys agilis were studied in the laboratory to determine if the degree of aggression was influenced by the type of habitat. After being moved from an artificial densely vegeta . . .