Although the Neophocaena is currently thought to be monotypic (¡§Neophocaena phocaenoides¡¨) with three ¡§subspecies¡¨, the taxonomy of this genus still remains uncertainty. The finless porpoise (¡§Neophocaena phocaenoides¡¨) is one of the small cetacean species under threats from human activities. At present, finless porpoise is listed in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). For conservation issue, it is important to define appropriate and unambiguous ¡§units¡¨. In this study, I intended to settle the taxonomic status of the specimens of finless porpoise from the southern part of the East China Sea (including the Taiwan Strait) in which the status has been under debate. Results from this study, indicated that they should belong to ¡§N. p. sunameri¡¨. Comparing the genotypes of the microsatellite of additional individuals of the ¡§N. p. asiaeorientalis¡¨ belonging to the VN-type group given in Xia and coworkers report with our data, three distinguished genetic groups were revealed: (1) the group occurring in the Taiwan Strait (i.e., the W-type group, currently recognized as ¡§N. p. phocaenoides¡¨); (2) the group occurred in the Yangtze Rive (i.e., the VN-type group, currently recognized as ¡§N. p. asiaeorientalis¡¨); (3) the group occurred in the Yellow Sea and the Taiwan strait (i.e., the IN-type + UN-type group, currently recognized as ¡§N. p. sunameri¡¨). Population differentiation was absent not only within the W-type group but also within the IN-type +UN-type group. I tried to detect the taxonomy of the two parapatric groups in where the W-type and IN-type +UN-type groups are co-exit sympatrically. No specimens with intermediate character state of the width of the dorsal denticles (i. e., hybrids) were presented in Matsu Islands on the Chinese coast where the W-type and UN-type groups were sympatric. Hybrid individual exhibiting the hybrid states of the 11 microsatellite loci between these two groups was also not found. According to E.O. Wiley¡¦s criteria for recognizing species, these two groups are eligible to be considered separate species. Based on Crandall and his coworkers¡¦ criteria of evolutionarily significant unit (ESU), the three groups, the W-type, IN-type +UN-type and VN-type groups, should be treated as three distinct ESUs.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, especially in Asia and Africa countries. The distribution pattern shows geographical variation and pathogesis in multifactors as environment, infection, nutrition, metabolism, and endocrine contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis. Alpha fetal protein (AFP), the major tumor marker used at present accounts only 50% HCC diagnostic efficiency. This study aims to identify potential tumor markers or suppressor genes for further application in early HCC diagnoses and treatments. Therefore we utilized available cDNA microarray databases in conjunction with other bioinformatic resources to identify our candidate genes related to HCCs. cDNA microarray technology and bioinformatic resources which enable investigators to obtain comprehensive data with respect to gene-expression profiles, is progressing rapidly. The Okabe¡¦s and Stanford¡¦s HCC database were our major data-mining material. A total of 85 potential tumor markers and 106 potential tumor suppressors were found via preliminary in silico datamining. We furthermore narrowed down to 14 candidate tumor markers and 7 candidate tumor suppressor genes by the way of quantitative RT-PCR technologies were applied in various HCC cancer cell lines and 21 patient¡¦s in pair, tumor/non-tumor tissues to confirm gene expression profile. The results revealed that 6 genes (PRO2000, PYGB, STMN1, AFM, C8FW, NNMT) conformed to our data-mining studies.

An experienced dermatopathologist can reliably diagnose most cutaneous malignant melanomas based on well-established morphologic characteristics. However, in a minority of cases, traditional histopathologic evaluation and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are inadequate to confidently distinguish melanoma from benign melanocytic lesions such as Spitz nevi and dysplastic nevi. The advent of high-throughput gene expression array technology has resulted in the identification of hundreds of potential molecular diagnostic biomarkers, but no single chromosomal, DNA, RNA or protein marker has yet been shown to differentiate melanoma from nevus with sensitivity and specificity approaching 100%. We selected the protein products of 11 genesATP1B1, CYCLIN D1, DLX-1, HOXB13, LIF, MEIS2, MITF, MYC, PHACTR1, PTPRF and TWISTup-regulated in melanoma cell-culture and tissue-based expression arrays as candidate diagnostic biomarkers for preliminary investigation. Based on the results of our pilot studies, we proposed that increased expression of Phactr1 protein, as measured by IHC, could be used to differentiate malignant melanomas from nevi. We applied Phactr1 monoclonal antibody to a 480-core tissue microarray that included samples from 28 nevi and 62 primary melanomas. A simple scoring algorithm derived from this data distinguished primary melanoma from nevus in the training set with 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity. These data suggest that Phactr1 immunohistochemical staining is a potentially useful aid in the clinical diagnosis of primary cutaneous melanoma.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on Dec. 29, 2009). "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Animal Science, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2001. / "August 2001." Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-103). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-103). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, August, 2009. / Release of full electronic text on OhioLINK has been delayed until September 1, 2012. Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-288)