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Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, neurological disease characterized by targeted destruction on central nervous system (CNS) myelin. The autoimmune theory is the most widely accepted explanation of disease pathology. Circulating Th-1 cells become activated by exposure to CNS-specific antigens such as myelin basic protein. The activated Th-1 cells secrete inflammatory cytokines, which are pivotal for inflammatory responses. We hypothesize that enhanced production of inflammatory cytokines triggers cellular events within the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and/or spinal cord, facilitating the development of neuropathic pain (NPP) in MS. NPP, the second worst disease-induced symptom suffered by patients with MS, is normally regulated by DRG and/or spinal cord. Objective: To determine gene and protein expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF ) within DRG and/or spinal cord in an animal model of MS. Methods: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in adolescent female Lewis rats. Animals were sacrificed every 3 days post-disease induction. DRG and spinal cords were harvested for protein and gene expression analysis. Results: We show significant increases in TNF expression in the DRG and of EAE animals at peak disease stage, as assessed by clinical symptoms. Conclusion: Antigen-induced production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF within the DRG identifies a potential noel mechanism for MS-induced NPP.

Fritillaria camschatcensis L. Ker Gawl (Liliaceae), is a herbaceous flowering plant that grows in estuarine and subalpine habitats within its range from the northern limit in Alaska to its southern limit in western Oregon. This plant holds cultural significance in the Pacific Northwest as an important root vegetable that was cultivated in estuarine root gardens by many Indigenous Peoples. The bulbs of F. camschatcensis offered an important source of carbohydrates to a traditional diet that was high in protein, fats, oils and fibre. Lhásem is the Squamish name for F. camschatcensis, commonly known as northern riceroot, or chocolate lily. The Squamish Nation is very interested in restoring traditional plant foods into the community along with the traditional knowledge linked to them. Lhásem is a plant that many Squamish people were interested in learning about, thus it was an excellent candidate for ethnoecological restoration. Ethnoecological restoration brings cultural context, practices and technologies together with contemporary ecological restoration approaches and offers culturally relevant ways to restore a plant to the landscape. The east side of the Squamish Estuary, which borders the town of Squamish, has been impacted by a range of human-disturbances over the past century including: draining for agriculture, redirection of the Squamish River, dredging and the presence of industrial sites in close proximity to the estuary. All of these impacts have likely contributed to the decline of lhásem populations on the east side of the estuary. Through an ecological survey of the east and west sides of the Squamish Estuary I determined that the populations of F. camchatcensis are present and thriving on the west bank of the Squamish River. I collected vegetation and abiotic data and found that salinity is the most important abiotic factor affecting lhásem habitat. A logistic regression showed that salinity and the presence of lhásem are negatively correlated. Results of the vegetation data analysis indicated that Maianthemum dilatatum was an indicator for where lhásem is found growing on the west side of the Squamish Estuary and Aster subspicatus was the indicator for lhásem on the east. Lhásem restoration gardens were planted to explore the growth within one growing season across two restoration treatments, terrestrial sites and estuarine sites. The results indicate that terrestrial garden sites were more successful than estuarine garden sites and that whole bulbs were more successful than bulblets in the first year of growth. Through community interviews with elders, adults and youth, I documented the contemporary interests in the restoration of lhásem and found that the major interest of the community was focused on health, traditional food revitalization and knowledge renewal. I facilitated educational events in which Squamish Nation youth and community members learned about the plant and how to manage it in the Squamish Estuary gardens. Overall this research provides information for the future restoration of lhásem in the Squamish Estuary as well as a template to restore other culturally important plants. / Graduate

Gossypium hirsutum, upland cotton, is one of the major crops grown in the United States and the world. Upland cotton is cultivated in areas that are ideal breeding grounds for the difficult to manage, southern root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita. Host plant resistance is the most effective way to control RKN populations. However, resistance used in most breeding programs stems from a few related sources. Novel sources of resistance have been identified but have yet to be introduced into elite breeding lines or genetically studied. The objectives of this study are two-fold. The first is to develop elite germplasm by introgressing RKN resistance from primitive accessions into modern cotton genotypes via backcrossing. The second is to use simple sequence repeats (SSRs) to identify loci associated with RKN resistance in the primitive accessions. The genotypes used will be: 1) inoculated with M. incognita, 2) phenotypically analyzed by measuring the nematode reproduction as eggs per gram of fresh root and host response using a root gall index, 3) genetically evaluated by using SSR markers to detect polymorphisms between the RKN resistant TX accessions and DP90 (susceptible genotype), and 4) analyzed using linkage and mapping software. Elite germplasm that contains: 1) high yield potential and a high level of RKN- resistance or 2) high fiber quality and RKN-resistance was developed by performing two backcrosses based on phenotypic analyses. A third screen is currently underway to ensure the introgression of the RKN resistance genes. Agronomic tests will need to be done before the germplasm is released. Genetic analyses using SSR-based primer sets of the TX accessions did not yield expected results. Of the 508 primers sets tested, only 31 were polymorphic between the TX accessions and DP90. A bulked segregant analysis approach was used to test the 31 primer sets on the resistant and susceptible bulks of the F2 population but no polymorphisms were seen. However, analyses found that the TX accessions were more genetically similar to Mexico Wild Jack Jones than to Clevewilt 6-3-5. More work needs to be done to understand the mechanism of RKN resistance in the TX accessions.

Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) and Bradyrhizobium japonicum can form a nitrogen fixing symbiosis. This symbiosis is important for most sustainable agriculture systems. This thesis examines two ways to enhance nodulation and nitrogen fixation by this symbiosis: coinoculation of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) with B. japonicum, and addition of RNA to a bradyrhizobial culture medium. The optimal coinoculation dose of Serratia proteamaculans 1--102 and S. liquefaciens 2--68 was determined as 108 cells per plant under both optimal and suboptimal root zone temperatures (RZTs). Nodulation dynamics studies indicated that coinoculation of these two PGPB caused earlier nodule initiation and a higher nodulation rate, contributing to the higher nodule number and nodule weight. The coinoculation also increased nitrogen fixation efficiency under both optimal and suboptimal RZTs. A novel inducible activator only produced by the bacteria after addition of flavonoids to the culture system was prepared and evaluated in greenhouse and field experiments. Fourteen non-bradyrhizobial endophytic bacteria (NEB) were isolated from the surface sterilized root nodules, and three of these, designated NEB4, NEW and NEB17, showed soybean plant growth promotion under both greenhouse (with controlled RZTs) and field conditions. Alone, they were neither nodule inducers nor nitrogen fixers. Biolog tests and partial 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses placed the three strains in genus Bacillus: NEB4 and NEB5 are B. subtilis and NEB17 B. thuringiensis. Bradyrhizobium species grow slowly, making the culture process long and the cost of inoculant production higher. Addition of commercial yeast RNA to the bacterial culture medium accelerated the bacterial growth rate, shortened the culture time and increased the lipo-chitooligosaccharide (LCO) yield in flask cultures. Inoculation experiments in the greenhouse also showed that bradyrhizobial inoculant produced in the presence of RNA had better symb

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The purpose of this study was to determine duration time, breakage and apical displacement, whilst using six different endodontic filing systems to prepare molar teeth. A total of 96 molar teeth were used in the study, divided equally, ie 16 teeth per system selected randomly, totalling 48 canals per system. A standardised access cavity was prepared for all the teeth before selection. The canals were filed according to the manufacturers&rsquo / guidelines. The result showed that PROTAPER&reg / , K3&trade / and the combination of: HERO Shaper&reg / , HERO Apical&reg / and Endoflare&reg / (Referred from hereon as HERO System for convenience) were statistically faster than PROFILE&reg / and FlexMaster&reg / , which were in turn faster than AETTM. Although breakage did occur in K3&trade / and HERO System this was not deemed statistically significant. Apical displacement occurred in the form of Type 1 in the AETTM, PROFILE&reg / and HERO System, but once again this was not statistically significant. It was concluded that more aggressive cutting features such as a positive rake<br /> angle, pyramidal shaped tip, progressive taper and absence of radial lands, if present, could have enabled K3&trade / , HERO System and PROTAPER&reg / to have faster times, and in addition these features did not compromise these systems with regard to apical foramina transportation and breakage.

<p>The objective of this study was to assess coronal discoloration due to four commonly used endodontic sealers with gutta-percha, using spectrophotometric analysis. Extracted human teeth were obturated with the experimental sealers and GP. The sealers that were tested included AH Plus, EndoRez, and Kerr Pulp Canal Sealer. The teeth were maintained in a moist environment at 37 C. Immediate pretreatment readings of the crowns of the extracted teeth with a spectrometer were used as baseline data. Subsequent readings were taken every two weeks for two months. Results were analysed using Wilcoxson Signed Rank sum test and Kruskal Wallis test.</p>

<p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">The aim of this study was to compare the sealing ability of AH Plus sealer to the canal wall in the presence and absence of the smear layer.</font></p>