http://hdl.handle.net/1957/456 2013-05-20T04:00:14Z http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35817 Grapevine Leafroll associated Virus – 3 (GLRaV-3) Seasonal Titer Changes and Effects on Pinot Noir Fruit in Oregon; Grapevine Leafroll Associated Virus -3 Seasonal Titer and Effects on Pinot Noir Fruit in Oregon Wright, Sarah K. The Willamette Valley, west of the Cascade mountain range in the state of Oregon, is home to a growing number of vineyards. This rather recent, booming industry of the region has become an important component of the economy of the state’s agriculture since the late 1960’s, contributing more than $1.56 billion in 2010 (USDA NASS). Disease control is an important element of maintaining the quality of grapes for use in wine and keeping the industry healthy. This can be costly and frustrating for growers and viticulturists. Of the many viruses that affect grapes, Grapevine leafroll associated virus-3 (GLRaV-3) is the most common (Tsai et al., 2008)and could become an issue in the Willamette Valley. It has been reported that the titer of GLRaV-3 increases during the growing season and that the most reliable detection is in the late summer and autumn. This is based on work using serological assays such as ELISA. Proposed research project was (1) to quantify the increases of GLRaV-3 RNA weekly during the growing season for two consecutive years and (2) compare differences in sugar level, elasticity, and color index properties between healthy and GLRaV-3 infected fruit during the ripening phase. In the trial involving young leaf tissue, GLRaV-3 titer quantified for 2010 illustrated a 210-, or 1,000-fold total increase over the duration of the growing season (Fig. 3a), and 212-, or 4,000-fold increase for the year 2011 (Fig. 3b). GLRaV-3 titer in young leaf tissues displayed the greatest increase throughout the growing season in all plants relative to initial titer at week one (Fig. 3a,b). This is most likely due to a reduced rate of plant growth as the season progressed in the young leaves, allowing for virus titer increase on a tissue weight basis. . Middle-aged and mature leaves develop a leathery feel because of a more developed cuticle, which offers more protection to the plant from biotic and abiotic elements, but is harder to wash and separate from RNA in the extraction process. As seen in Figure 4e, mature leaf tissue from the 114/Gloire grafted clone displayed little amplification. Leaf protecting cuticles could be the cause of this from inhibition of RNA extraction, or inhibition of enzymatic activity during the RT or PCR steps; however, the same trend was not observed in 2011 (Figure 4f). 2012-12-19T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35816 Combinational Effects of Retinoid-X-Receptor α (RXRα) Ablation with Oncogenic Mutations Cdk4R24C/R24C or N-RasQ61K/Q61K after Ultraviolet Radiation Induced Melanoma Development; Combinational Effects of Retinoid-X-Receptor α (RXRα) Ablation with Oncogenic Mutations Cdk4[Superscript R24C/R24C] or N-Ras[Superscript Q61K/Q61K] after Ultraviolet Radiation Induced Melanoma Development Sherman, Anna Summary Recent research has identified Retinoid-X-Receptorα (RXRα), a nuclear receptor involved in ligand mediated transcription, as having a protective function against the malignant transformation of melanocytes after treatment with chemical carcinogens. This study used mice selectively lacking keratinocytic RXRα in combination with an oncogenic mutation, either Cdk4[Superscript R24C/R24C] or N-Ras[Superscript Q61K/Q61K], to investigate how two different cellular proliferation mechanisms react to chronic UV exposure. RXRα[Superscript ep-/-]/ Cdk4[Superscript R24C/R24C] bigenic mice showed increased melanoma development, amplified compaction and penetration of melanin in the dermal and epidermal layers, a greater number of tumors, and a larger population of proliferating melanocytes in the epidermis compared to control mice. Similarly, RXRα[Superscript ep-/-]/N-Ras[Superscript Q61K/Q61K] bigenic mice also showed a greater susceptibility to UV induced melanoma formation, although the concentrated pigmentation of the skin made quantitative analysis difficult. Overall, the degree of melanocytic compaction and infiltration in mice lacking RXRα was much greater than those wild-type for RXRα. 2012-12-19T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35815 The Release of Nickel from Stainless Steel into Cooked Foods Kamerud, Kristin L. Toxicological studies show that oral doses of nickel can cause allergic contact dermatitis, and routes of exposure, such as nickel leached from stainless steel cookware are not well characterized. In this study, four variables: grade of stainless steel, cook time, stainless steel seasoning or cooking cycles, and commercial tomato sauces, were tested to for their effect on nickel leaching and their possible effects on human health. Two grades of stainless steel, two, six, and 20 hour cooking times, ten cooking cycles, and four commercially obtained tomato sauces were tested. The stainless steel grades tested were equivalent to those typically found in cookware (grade 316 and 304). We found after a single cooking cycle of six hours, depending on grade of stainless steel, nickel concentrations increased 30 to 60 fold. Increased cook times of 20 hours resulted in additional nickel leaching, about 70 fold higher than tomato sauce cooked in the absence of stainless steel. The first cooking cycle resulted in the largest increase in nickel concentration at 5.8mg/kg. However, with sequential cooking cycles, the total amount of nickel leached was less than in the first cycle. There was no change in the amount of nickel leached between the sixth and tenth cooking cycle. Nickel was still leaching into tomato sauce after 10 cooking cycles about 10 fold higher than the original tomato sauce. After 10 cooking cycles, each six hours in duration, an average of 88μg of nickel was leached per 126g serving of tomato sauce. In addition to dietary intakes, stainless steel can be an overlooked source of nickel, and the amount of additional exposure is dependent on stainless steel grade, cooking time, and repeated usage. 2012-12-19T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35814 United States Turtle Mapping Project with a Focus on the Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) and the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta); United States Turtle Mapping Project with a Focus on Western Pond Turtle and Painted Turtle Barela, Kimberly L. We compiled Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) and Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) locations in northwestern North America, consolidating data from multiple sources including nine U.S. State and Canadian Provincial jurisdictions. We assessed numbers of discrete locations, and analyzed distribution patterns temporally and spatially. Western Pond Turtle observation records ranged from years 1850 to 2011 and for the Painted Turtle, from 1805 to 2011. For the Western Pond Turtle, 2,935 locations were compiled range-wide; using a 500-m buffer criterion to aggregate adjacent coordinates, we consolidated these to 2,111 discrete sites. We compiled 2,953 locations for the Painted Turtle, which consolidated to 1,219 discrete sites in the United States using the same 500-m criterion. Our occurrence maps and spatiotemporal patterns can be used to advance new efforts toward northwestern North America turtle management. 2012-12-19T00:00:00Z