Doctoral Theses (Life Sciences)
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Item A-adrenoceptor subtypes in rat cerebral cortex and vas deferens(Heriot-Watt University, 1985) Michel, Anton D.Item Absorption of NH4+ by yeast(Heriot-Watt University, 1983) Saita, MasaruItem Abundance and distribution of Ichthyoplankton in the Firth of Forth, Scotland(Heriot-Watt University, 1988) Omar, Othman Abdu HashimItem The actions of alkyl benzotriaziniums on various muscle preparations(Heriot-Watt University, 1977) Muir, Colin KerrItem Adult attachment, social comparison, romantic relationship experience, and well-being(Heriot-Watt University, 2012-07) Johnson, Kimberly Robyn; Holmes, Doctor Bjarne; North, Professor AdrianA review of the adult attachment literature revealed previous research findings to demonstrate attachment-based baseline differences in the well-being factor of life satisfaction but not to consider moderating factors nor fluctuations in life satisfaction experience. Furthermore, social cognitive processes highlighted within the subjective well-being literature, namely those captured within social comparison theory, have rarely been examined within an adult attachment perspective. The current thesis sought to address these gaps through investigating the predictive influences of moderating and mediating factors in associations between adult attachment and well-being. Across 5 studies, individuals’ relationship experiences (namely relationship status, satisfaction, and status-changing events), social comparison tendencies (both within general and relationship- and partner-specific contexts), and social-comparison ranking perceptions were each examined. Findings revealed that relationship experiences indeed appeared to moderate individuals’ attachment-based feelings of subjective well-being, with greater anxiety in particular suggestive of more maladaptive cognitive and affective experience (Study 1). Social comparison tendencies, both general and interpersonally-oriented, were also identified to differ on the basis of anxiety and avoidance, with adverse comparison habits found to partially mediate associations between anxiety and both life satisfaction and self-esteem (Studies 2 and 4). Lastly, attachment-based differences in social-ranking perceptions were identified (Study 5), with anxiety found to interact with relationship status while an interaction between anxiety, ranking perceptions and relationship length as predictor of life satisfaction was found to be approaching significance.Item Affinity precipitation of proteases(Heriot-Watt University, 1996) Campbell, Alyson AnnItem Ageing of Saccharomyces cerevisiae(Heriot-Watt University, 1997) Deans, KarenItem Algal nutrient uptake in recruiting aquaculture systems(Heriot-Watt University, 1985) Tollervey, AlanItem Alpha glucan metabolism in Thermoactinomyces thalpophilus(Heriot-Watt University, 1989) Smith, Michael JohnItem An analysis of 14-3-3 binding proteins from developing barley grains(Heriot-Watt University, 2006) Alexander, RossItem Analysis of the barley grain protease spectrum(Heriot-Watt University, 2012-05) Bell, Angela; Morris, Doctor Peter; Bryce, Doctor JamesMalting is the controlled germination of barley grains, under specific conditions and up to the point of grain modification, and is the keystone of the brewing and distilling industries. Protease enzyme activity is an important constituent of this process as not only does this catalyse the degradation of the grains protein stores, but it also has involvement in other aspects of the germination process such as the activation of β – amylase. However, despite their importance, little is known of the identities and specific roles of the protease classes in the malting and germination process. With this in mind a biochemical and proteomic approach was taken in order to attempt to identify protease enzymes from malted and germinating barley grains and also to identify the roles of specific protease classes in barley grain malting and germination. FPLC based protein fractionation, SDS – PAGE analysis and MALDI – ToF mass spectroscopy were used in an attempt to purify metallo and serine class proteases from extracts of four day micro malted malt and germinating barley grains. A combination of class specific protease inhibitors, germination studies, enzyme assays of both barley grain proteases and specific starch degrading enzymes, and western blotting were employed to investigate the roles of the different protease classes in both overall grain physiology during germination and specifically, in the regulation of enzymes involved in starch breakdown. These investigations show that the serine and aspartate class proteases have a role in the positive regulation of the amounts of α – amylase present in barley grains during germination in a process that may involve gibberellic acid signalling. Furthermore, it was also shown that the serine class proteases have a role in the negative regulation of β – amylase activity during germination, thus revealing the complexity of the regulatory roles of barley grain proteases during grain germination. In addition, germination studies carried out in the presence of both the divalent cation chelator 1, 10 phenanthroline and different divalent cations revealed the potential importance of transition metal ions such as zinc, iron and manganese in the onset of grain germination.Item Analysis of the role of the HvMaPK4 gene in the barley biotic stress response(Heriot-Watt University, 2011-03) Abass, Mohammed; Morris, Doctor Peter C.Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play a crucial role in several developmental and physiological processes in plant life, including responses to different biotic and abiotic stresses. Expression of the barley HvMAPK4 gene is known to be up-regulated after the infection by the blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, thus in order to investigate the role of this gene in barley pathogen defence mechanism, different transgenic barley lines have been generated that have either a constitutive expression of HvMAPK4 or down regulation of HvMAPK4 by means of an antisense strategy. Both HvMAPK4 overexpression and antisense lines were challenged with the blast pathogen, as well as barley wildtype and transgenic line with the empty binary vector (pWBVec.8) as controls. The results showed enhanced disease resistance in antisense lines compared to overexpression lines and controls. The level of resistance in antisense lines was accompanied by an elevated level of endogenous salicylic acid and hydrogen peroxide after infection. Enhanced expression of pathogenesis-related protein (PR1) post-inoculation was seen in these lines along with a significant reduction in catalase activity. The opposite was found in HvMAPK4 overexpression plants which produced lower amounts of salicylic acid and hydrogen peroxide and showed elevated production of ethylene and an increase in catalase activity in response to the pathogen. The level of jasmonic acid was found to be elevated in these lines, even in the absence of biotic stress. These results suggest that the barley MAPK (HvMAPK4) acts as a negative regulator in barley resistance to the hemibiotrophic pathogen M. oryzae, and may act by regulating salicylic acid levels in the plant. HvMAPK4 is also a positive regulator of jasmonic acid and ethylene production, important compounds in the plant response to wounding and necrotrophic pathogen.Item Analytical and degradative studies on diacetylmorphine solutions(Heriot-Watt University, 1970) Davey, Elizabeth AnnItem The application of biomarkers for identifying spills of North Sea crude oils(Heriot-Watt University, 2004) Grigson, Stephen John WentworthItem Application of molecular biology techniques to the study Aeromonas salmonicida(Heriot-Watt University, 1997) Adams, Claire A.Item Aquaculture site selection: A GIS-based approach to marine spatial planning in Scotland(Heriot-Watt University, 2015-05) McWhinnie, Lauren Helen; Fernandes, Professor T.; Briers, Doctor R.; Gubbins, Doctor M.; Davies, Doctor IThis thesis explores, tests and develops various methods and tools for implementing Marine Spatial Planning and aquaculture site selection within Scottish waters. Utilising geographically referenced data sets from numerous sources, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to map the spatial distribution of activities; their associated pressures, locations of marine environments and biological communities within Scotland’s sea area. Marine Zoning Schemes such as legislation based Multiple-Use Zoning Scheme and environmentally derived Marine Planning Frameworks have been applied and tested to support and inform the development of a new Prototype Zoning Scheme. The influence of inclusion of different data sets on zone coverage and extent has been explored with specific reference to the amount of protection the resultant zones provide to species and habitats that have significant conservation importance. Building on these zoning schemes, the application of GIS-based Multi-Criteria Analysis models has been appraised and their application investigated for both finfish cage and shellfish long-line aquaculture. This study has explored the suitability of alternative criteria and weighting configurations along with the feasibility of large sea-scale site selection models. In developing and investigating the viability of integrating these models within marine management frameworks such as zoning schemes, this study aims to inform planners, and both aid and inform decision making and management of future aquaculture developments. Together these studies contribute both practical recommendations for sustainable aquaculture development in the future and novel applications within the wider discipline of Marine Spatial Planning. They aim to contribute information to ensure both the sustainability and success of the Scottish aquaculture industry as well as the continued improvement and development of ecosystem-based marine planning and management.Item Aspects of nitrofurantoin resistance in Escherichia coli(Heriot-Watt University, 1980) Obaseiki-Ebor, Emmanuel E.Item Aspects of the biology and ecology of deep-sea scaphopoda (mollusca)(Heriot-Watt University, 1987) Davies, Gareth JohnItem Aspects of the ecology of the intertidal fish fauna of the Forth Estuary, Scotland(Heriot-Watt University, 1997) Bryson, J. GlenItem Assimilation of NH+4 by Kluyveromyces fragilis(Heriot-Watt University, 1979) Nisbet, Brian Alexander