The body and central nervous system of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is known to grow continuously, even past sexual maturity. Previous studies on crocodilians show a gradual decrease in the rate of growth of the brain as individuals mature; however, the data on brain growth are limited and there are no data on growth rates of the spinal cord and retina. The current thesis provides a description of the growth rates of the brain, spinal cord and eye (ocular volume) of 70 juvenile and sub-adult Nile crocodiles ranging between 92 g and 90 kg in mass. Body growth in the crocodiles is accompanied by growth of all central nervous system structures (brain, spinal cord and eye), although growth occurs at different rates, with the spinal cord being the fastest growing structure, followed by the eye and the brain. The neurogenic regions (areas to which new neurons are continuously added) of the brain were revealed using doublecortin immunohistochemistry. Labelled cells were observed in all the regions of the telencephalon (including the cortical mantle, dorsal ventricular ridge, striatum, septal nuclei and the olfactory bulbs) as well as the molecular and granular layers of the cerebellar cortex, but not in the diencephalon or brainstem.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Florida, 2004. / Typescript. Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 233 pages. Includes Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Ling, Ka Ho. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-157). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iv / 摘要 --- p.vii / Table of content --- p.ix / List of figures --- p.xiii / List of tables --- p.xv / Abbreviations --- p.xvi / Chapter 1 --- Food authentication --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction and definition --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Importance of species identification in food authentication --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Methods for species identification in food authentication --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4 --- Legislation --- p.17 / Chapter 1.5 --- Objectives --- p.19 / Chapter 2 --- Molecular authentication and antitussive bioassay of Stemona root (Baibu) and root of Asparagus filicinus (Xiao-baibu) --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.34 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.40 / Chapter 2.5 --- Conclusions --- p.44 / Chapter 3 --- Rapid detection of oilfish and escolar in fish steaks: a tool to prevent keriorrhea episodes --- p.45 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.45 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.49 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.59 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.69 / Chapter 3.5 --- Conclusions --- p.75 / Chapter 4 --- Widespread adulteration of crocodile meat with python and water monitor meats --- p.76 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2 --- Materials and methods --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.89 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.96 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusions --- p.100 / Chapter 5 --- Authentication of dried and ready-to-eat hashima products --- p.101 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.101 / Chapter 5.2 --- Source species of hashima --- p.103 / Chapter 5.3 --- Materials and methods --- p.106 / Chapter 5.4 --- Results --- p.116 / Chapter 5.5 --- Discussion --- p.119 / Chapter 5.6 --- Conclusions --- p.121 / Chapter 6 --- General conclusions --- p.122 / Chapter 6.1 --- Key findings --- p.122 / Chapter 6.2 --- Applications and implications --- p.123 / Chapter 7 --- References --- p.124

Cheung, Chun Wai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-128). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iv / 摘要 --- p.vii / Table of content --- p.ix / List of Figures --- p.xvii / List of Tables --- p.xix / Abbreviations --- p.xxi / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- The development of Traditional Chinese Medicine --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Quality control of Traditional Chinese Medicine --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Problems of adulteration --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Confusion by common names --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Erroneous and intentional adulteration --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5 --- Authentication of Traditional Chinese Medicine using DNA techniques --- p.7 / Chapter 1.6 --- Crocodile meat --- p.10 / Chapter 1.6.1 --- Crocodile meat as Traditional Chinese Medicine --- p.10 / Chapter 1.6.2 --- Crocodile meat as exotic meat --- p.10 / Chapter 1.6.3 --- Effects of crocodile meat on mice --- p.12 / Chapter 1.6.4 --- Adulteration of crocodile meat in Hong Kong --- p.13 / Chapter 1.6.5 --- Authentication of crocodile meat --- p.14 / Chapter 1.6.5.1 --- SCAR analysis --- p.14 / Chapter 1.6.5.2 --- 12S and 16S ribosomal DNA --- p.14 / Chapter 1.7 --- Fish air-bladder --- p.15 / Chapter 1.7.1 --- Fish air-bladder as Traditional Chinese Medicine --- p.15 / Chapter 1.7.2 --- A case study --- p.16 / Chapter 1.7.3 --- Authentication of fish air-bladder --- p.17 / Chapter 1.8 --- Radix Stellariae --- p.18 / Chapter 1.8.1 --- Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge --- p.18 / Chapter 1.8.2 --- Radix Stellariae as Traditional Chinese Medicine --- p.19 / Chapter 1.8.3 --- Chemicals in Radix Stellariae and their uses --- p.19 / Chapter 1.8.4 --- Adulteration of Radix Stellariae --- p.20 / Chapter 1.8.5 --- Authentication of Radix Stellariae --- p.21 / Chapter 1.8.5.1 --- Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) --- p.21 / Chapter 1.8.5.2 --- trnH-psbA intergenic spacer --- p.23 / Chapter 1.9 --- Objectives --- p.25 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Materials and Methods --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1 --- Samples used in the study --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Crocodile and monitor lizard samples --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Sequence from NCBI database --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Fish air-bladder samples --- p.30 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Radix Stellariae samples and samples of related species --- p.33 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Sequences from NCBI database --- p.33 / Chapter 2.2 --- Reagents and equipments --- p.36 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Sample preparation and DNA extraction --- p.36 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Polymerase Chain Reaction --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Agarose gel electrophoresis and Gene Clean --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Cloning --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Cycle sequencing --- p.41 / Chapter 2.3 --- Experimental procedures --- p.42 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Sample preparation --- p.42 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- DNA extraction --- p.42 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Polymerase Chain Reaction --- p.44 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Agarose gel electrophoresis --- p.47 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Gene Clean --- p.47 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Cloning --- p.48 / Chapter 2.3.7 --- Cycle sequencing and sequence analyses --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Crocodile meat - Results and Discussion --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1 --- Results --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- SCAR analysis --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Sequence analyses --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- The dendrograms --- p.56 / Chapter 3.2 --- Discussion --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- SCAR as a quick and inexpensive method for the authentication of crocodile meat --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- DNA sequencing - A useful tool to identify the source species of the crocodile meat --- p.61 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Adulteration of crocodile meat in Hong Kong --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Source species of the genuine crocodile meats and the adulterants --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Regulation of labeling of food in Hong Kong --- p.69 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- Source species of the lizard head and tail from AFCD --- p.69 / Chapter 3.3 --- Summary --- p.70 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Fish air-bladders - Results and Discussion --- p.72 / Chapter 4.1 --- Results --- p.72 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Identities of sample BH and F1 --- p.73 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Identity of sample BS --- p.74 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Identities of samples GD and ZG --- p.74 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Identity of sample GG --- p.74 / Chapter 4.1.5 --- "Identities of samples HB, HT and SH" --- p.75 / Chapter 4.1.6 --- Identity of sample JL --- p.75 / Chapter 4.1.7 --- Identity of sample MS --- p.76 / Chapter 4.1.8 --- Identity of sample RE --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2 --- Discussion --- p.77 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Sample RE was confirmed to have originated from rabbit ears --- p.77 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Identities of the dry fish air-bladders sold in Hong Kong --- p.79 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Identities of the fresh fish air-bladders sold in Hong Kong --- p.82 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Limitations of the use of DNA sequences for source species identification --- p.83 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Variation in prices of fish air-bladders --- p.87 / Chapter 4.3 --- Summary --- p.88 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Radix Stellariae - Results and Discussion --- p.89 / Chapter 5.1 --- Results --- p.89 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Sequence analyses --- p.90 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- The dendrograms --- p.90 / Chapter 5.2 --- Discussion --- p.97 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Identities of the samples obtained from the market --- p.97 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Identity of sample Sdl4 --- p.97 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Identities of samples Sd02R and Sd04 --- p.100 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Myosoton aquaticum in the Stellaria-Myosoton clade --- p.104 / Chapter 5.2.5 --- Medicinal uses of the substitutes of Radix Stellariae --- p.105 / Chapter 5.3 --- Summary --- p.106 / Chapter Chapter 6. --- Conclusion --- p.107 / Reference --- p.111 / Appendix 1. 12S rDNA sequences of crocodilian and Varanus species obtained from NCBI database for sequence analyses --- p.129 / Appendix 2. 16S rDNA sequences of crocodilian and Varanus species obtained from NCBI database for sequence analyses --- p.130 / "Appendix 3. ITS sequences of the species in the genera Arenaria, Myosoton, Silene, and Stellaria obtained from NCBI database for sequence analyses" --- p.131 / Appendix 4. 7rnH-psbA intergenic spacer sequences of Silene species obtained from NCBI database for sequence analyses --- p.132 / Appendix 5. Sequence alignment of 12S rRNA gene sequences of crocodile and monitor lizard samples --- p.133 / Appendix 6. Sequence alignment of 16S rRNA gene sequences of crocodile and lizard samples --- p.141 / Appendix 7. Sequence alignment of coxl sequences of fish air-bladder samples --- p.149 / Appendix 8. Sequence alignment of 12S rRNA gene sequences of fish air-bladder samples --- p.151 / Appendix 9. Sequence alignment of 16S rRNA gene sequences of fish air-bladder samples --- p.153 / Appendix 10. Sequence alignment of coxl region of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the coxl primers --- p.155 / Appendix 11. Sequence alignment of ITS sequences of Radix Stellariae and related samples --- p.156 / Appendix 12. Sequence alignment of trnH-psbA of Radix Stellariae and related samples --- p.163 / Appendix 13. Search results of coxl sequences of the fish air-bladder samples in BOLD-IDS --- p.167 / Appendix 14. Search results of coxl sequences of the fish air-bladder samples in NCBI nucleotide BLAST --- p.168 / Appendix 15. Search results of 12S rDNA sequences of the fish air-bladder samples in NCBI nucleotide BLAST --- p.169 / Appendix 16. Search results of 16S rDNA sequences of the fish air-bladder samples in NCBI nucleotide BLAST --- p.170 / Appendix 17. Sequence similarities (%) of coxl sequences of the fish air-bladder samples --- p.171 / Appendix 18. Sequence similarities (%) of 12S rDNA sequences of the fish air-bladder samples --- p.172 / Appendix 19. Sequence similarities (%) of 16S rDNA sequences of the fish air-bladder samples --- p.173