ALMAS A GHEYAS PhD THESIS, INSTITUTE OF AQUACULTURE ii ABSTRACT Carp aquaculture in South Asia suffers severely from a lack of genetic management, which has eroded the genetic quality of both captive and wild populations. Use of molecular markers, especially microsatellites, has revolutionized genetic management of hatchery stocks through its ability to detect kinship between individuals and he...

To identify the molecular pathways that guide cardiac ventricular chamber specification, maturation and morphogenesis, we have sought to characterize factors that regulate the expression of the ventricular myosin light chain-2 gene, one of the earliest markers of ventricular regionalization during mammalian cardiogenesis. Previously, our laboratory identified a 28 bp HF-la/MEF-2 element in the ...

Products of the Doublecortin Like Kinase (DCLK) gene are implicated in cortical migration and hippocampal maturation during embryogenesis. However, one of its splice variants, called CaMK Related Peptide (CARP), is expressed during adulthood in response to neurological stimuli, such as kainic acid-induced seizures and BDNF-LTP. The function of this transcript of the DCLK gene is poorly understo...

Reverse phase-solid phase extraction from Cassia alata leaves (CaRP) was used to obtain a refined extract. Higher than wild-type sensitivity to CaRP was exhibited by 16 haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with defects in DNA repair and membrane transport. CaRP had a strong DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC(50) value of 2.27 μg mL(-1) and showed no pro-oxidant activity in yea...

The silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is among the most intensively pond-cultured fish species and is used in the wild to counteract water bloom in China. However, little genomic information is available for this species, especially regarding its ability to grow rapidly in water, even water contaminated with high concentrations of poisonous microcystin. In this study, we performed de no...

In this study, a comparative analysis of certain qualitative parameters common carp (Cyprinus carpio L. 1758) was performed, i.e. from aquaculture (warm-water fishpond) and open waters (Prespa Lake), during the autumn. The properties were established by determination chemical composition fish meat, energy value microbiological for total number microorganisms on skin presence Salmonella sp. List...

Relative contributions of aquaculture-origin and naturally-reproduced grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been unknown. We assessed occurrence distribution wild using ploidy otolith stable oxygen isotope (?18O) data. inferred natal river dispersal from location for microchemistry estimated ages fish to infer years which natural reproduction introductions occu...

We quantified nutritional and stress parameters (alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, protein, triglycerides, cortisol, and glucose) in invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) inhabiting four large rivers throughout three distinct time periods in the Midwestern USA. Examining the basic biology and ecology of an invasive species is crucial to gain an understanding of the interaction bet...

Background Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have revolutionized and improved the care of the sickest heart failure (HF) patients, and it is imperative that they receive appropriate ventricular unloading. Assessing this critical parameter with current methodologies (labs, imaging) is usually suboptimal in this patient population. Hence it is imperative to elucidate the molecular underpinn...

BACKGROUND The caspase-associated recruitment domain-containing protein (CARP) is expressed in almost all tissues. Recently, the tumor-suppressive function of CARP was discovered and attracted increasing attention. This study aimed to investigate the role of CARP in the carcinogenesis of human gastric carcinoma. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Compared with normal gastric tissue, the downregul...