Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) is the causal agent of the disease tan spot of wheat,
which can be responsible for the destruction of up to 50% of a wheat crop harvest.
Tan spot disease results in chlorotic and/or necrotic lesions triggered by the
pathogen’s production of one or several host-selective toxins...
The freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata serves as the intermediate host of the
blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Previous studies using the 13-16-R1 strain of B.
glabrata demonstrated an association between the gene encoding Cu/Zn superoxide
dismutase (SOD1) and susceptibility/resistance to the parasite. This association is
assumed to involve a polymorphism that...
Circadian clocks are internal mechanisms regulating many physiological processes.
Research suggests that the circadian clock may regulate repair of cellular damage caused
by reactive oxygen species (ROS), but molecular pathways from the clock to ROS repair
are not known. The gene cncC, known in mammals as Nrf2, and its repressor...
CantonS wild-type flies were used to determine sex-specific differences in the daily
locomotor activity patterns in males and females. Under light entrainment, when flies are
kept in a 12:12 light-dark condition, both males and females showed bimodal activity
with a morning peak around lights-on and an evening peak around lights...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic chemical compounds found in the
environment, largely as a result of partial combustion of organic compounds. PAHs are
present in the atmosphere in populated cities worldwide. Because of the health risks they
create, PAHs are a global health concern. PAHs are introduced into the...
According to The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS report of regional
statistics for HIV/AIDS from 2001-2008, Latin America has the third highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS
among children and adults in the world with about 2 million infected in 2008. Among all of these
countries, Mexico has the...
Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most of the people live in villages below the poverty line, and do not have access to basic health care and a primary education. Living standards are very low, and surviving day to day is a lifetime struggle. Most villages...
During the first surgery I witnessed, I was struck by an immense sense of wonder at the human body. This research effort determines if this awe is shared by physicians currently practicing medicine, if this wonder will fade as part of an everyday landscape, and delves into the different forms...
Tomato is considered to be one of the most important vegetables for its value as a source
of nutrients and antioxidants, and as a model crop for biological research, including seed
biology. In this thesis, tissue-specific gene expression and its regulation in tomato seeds
were analyzed to understand the mechanisms...
Sea turtles are endangered species that can be censused with aerial surveys, but the number of turtles in an area must be extrapolated to include animals that are submerged. Twenty-one satellite tags were attached to juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in North Carolina. I analyzed surfacing and dive behavior...