Effects of various temperatures on the survival of the wheat curl mite Aceria tulipae (Kiefer)

LD2668 .T4 1967 B849Master of Scienc

Dysregulation in myelination mediated by persistent neuroinflammation: Possible mechanisms in chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment

AbstractCognitive impairment is commonly reported as a consequence of chemotherapy and can have considerable impact on everyday life on cancer patients. Thus, it is imperative to have a clear understanding of this phenomenon and the underlying mechanism involved. In the present study we examined the role of neuroinflammation and myelination in chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. Female Sprague–Dawley rats (12-months old) were used in the study (total n=52, 13rats/group). Rats were randomly assigned to either the chemotherapy or saline control group. The drug combination of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) was given i.p. once a week for 4weeks. Rats in the control group received normal saline of equal volume. Animals from each group were further randomized to receive either: cyclooxygenase (COX-2) inhibitor, NS-393, to block the inflammatory response or vehicle. NS-398 was given at 10mg/kg i.p. and equal volume of saline (vehicle) was injected i.p. as vehicle. Both NS-398 and vehicle were injected 1h after the first CMF dose and then given daily for 28days then rats were tested in the Y maze. Our data showed that: (1) CMF led to the increase in the levels of inflammatory mediators IL-1β, TNF-α, and COX-2 while levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 decreased; (2) cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation resulting from CMF persisted 4weeks after the treatment ended; and (3) administration of NS-398 attenuated CMF-induced neuroinflammation and effects on myelin and cognitive impairment. These findings suggest the involvement of neuroinflammation in CMF-induced changes in myelin and myelination, and cognitive impairment

Vitamin D mitigates age-related cognitive decline through the modulation of pro-inflammatory state and decrease in amyloid burden

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence shows an association between the use of vitamin D and improvement in age-related cognitive decline. In this study, we investigated the possible mechanisms involved in the neuroprotective effects of vitamin D on age-related brain changes and cognitive function. METHODS: Male F344 rats aged 20 months (old) and 6 months (young) were used and randomly assigned to either vitamin D supplementation or no supplementation (control). A total of n = 39 rats were used in the study. Rats were individually housed and the supplementation group received a subcutaneous injection of vitamin D (1, α25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) 42 I.U./Kg for 21 days. Control animals received equal volume of normal saline. Behavioral testing in water maze and spontaneous object recognition tasks started on day 14. Levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-10 were quantified to assess inflammatory state. Also, beta amyloid (Aβ) clearance and Aβ load were measured. RESULTS: Our results show that: (1) aged rats demonstrated significant learning and memory impairment overall compared to younger animals. However, the age-related decline in learning and memory was ameliorated by the supplementation of vitamin D. No vitamin D effect on learning and memory was seen in the young animals; 2) the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β is significantly increased while the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 is significantly decreased in the aged rats compared to the young animals; but this age-related change in inflammatory state was mitigated by vitamin D supplementation. No effects of vitamin D were seen on the IL-1β and IL-10 expression in the young rats; (3) vitamin D increased Aβ clearance and decreased amyloid burden in the aged rats while no significant difference was seen between the young animal groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that vitamin D supplementation modulated age-related increase in pro-inflammatory state and amyloid burden. It is possible that these effects of vitamin D mediated the decrease memory impairment seen in the aged rats making it a useful therapeutic option to alleviate the effects of aging on cognitive function

The Eriophyid Plant Mites of South Dakota

Mites of the superfamily Eriophyoidea have been long known as pests of deciduous trees in the United States. Parrott et al. (1906) reported damage to many varieties of apples and pears by eriophyids. In California, damage to commercial varieties of citrus was recognized more than 30 years ago (Keifer 1939); in Florida damage to citrus was reported earlier (Yothers and Mason 1930). The role of the eriophyid mites as vecotrs of plant viruses has become the subject of intensive attention in the past two decades in North America. Slykhuis (1953) and Wilson et al. (1955) are largely credited for bringing this renewed interest in eriophyid mites. Slykhuis and Wilson\u27s discoveries of the wheat curl mite, Eriophyes tulipae Keifer, as vector of wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and Phytoptus insidiosus (Wilson and Keifer) as vector of peach mosaic virus prompted many plant pathologists and entomologists to study the bionomics and control

In-Vitro study of the Anticoagulant Property of Terminalia Catappa (Talisay) Leaf Extract Using Gallus Gallus (Chicken) Blood

Prothrombin time is a test used to help detect and diagnose a bleeding disorder or excessive clotting disorder. It is important to know the prothrombin time because it checks to see if five different blood clotting factors are present. Lack of Vitamin K and having Liver problems are one of the factors that can decrease the prothrombin time of the blood. This research aims to investigate the potential ability of the Terminalia catappa  (Talisay) leaf extract to increases prothrombin time of chicken’s blood. The research methods used by the researchers is experimental. A research design where the results are being observed and determined when the independent variable took effect on the dependent variable. . The materials used are ethanol, calcium chloride, leaves and chicken blood. The method that was used in the study is in-vitro, a process that is performed in a test tube, or elsewhere outside a living organism.  The 0.5 ml plasma sample was separated into four tubes and the first group of plasma was tested first to determine the initial prothrombin time while the other three groups with the different volumes of plant extract (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mg/ml)  was added separately. The tubes were tilted at about 45° until the permanent clots was obtained. These are recorded as the prothrombin time. The research showed that the Terminalia Catappa leaf extract is effective on increasing the normal prothrombin time of the blood

Resurfacing on Venus

The resurfacing evolution of Venus has beene valuated through Monte Carlo simulations. Forthefirst time, the size sof volcanic flows in the models were generated using the frequency–size distribution of volcanic units measured on Venus. Anon-homogeneous spatial generation of volcanic units was included in the models reproducing the Beta–Alta–Themis volcanic anomaly. Crater modification is simulated using a 3 Dapproach. The final number of modified craters and randomnes sof the crater population were used to evaluate the successof the models, comparing the results from our simulations with Venus observations. The randomness of the crater population is evaluated using pair-correlation statistics. On the one hand, a catastrophic resurfacing event followed by moderate volcanic activity covering ≈40% of the planetary surface can reproduce the number of modified crater sand the pair-correlation statistics do not reject randomness. On the other hand, the pair-correlation test for equilibriums teady-state resurfacing models rejects ther and omness of the crater population when reproducing the observed frequency–size distribution of the volcanic units with a non-homogeneous spatial generation of volcanic units

Genome-wide profiling of human cap-independent translation-enhancing elements.

We report an in vitro selection strategy to identify RNA sequences that mediate cap-independent initiation of translation. This method entails mRNA display of trillions of genomic fragments, selection for initiation of translation and high-throughput deep sequencing. We identified >12,000 translation-enhancing elements (TEEs) in the human genome, generated a high-resolution map of human TEE-bearing regions (TBRs), and validated the function of a subset of sequences in vitro and in cultured cells