Life Sciences Commons^™

Minerva 2004, The Honors College

Minerva

This issue of Minerva includes an article on HON 350: An Introduction to Functional Genomics; an article on the creation and inaugural year of HON 180: A Cultural Odyssey; a profile on Honors alumnus, Charles Stanhope and his 2004 Distinguished Honors Graduate Lecture; and interviews with Allison Kelly, Jessica Hudec, and Jennifer Merchant on their experiences as Honors student-athletes.

Biotechnology And The Law: A Consideration Of Intellectual Property Rights And Related Social Issues, Michael D. Mehta

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Recent advances in biotechnology are expected by many to improve crop yield, reduce reliance on agricultural inputs like pesticides and herbicides, alleviate world hunger, improve the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, assist in the discovery of genes that trigger diseases like cancer, and make more efficient our legal institutions through DNA testing. Clearly, innovations in biotechnology are a powerful force for social change, and they pose unique challenges and opportunities for legal scholars and institutions. This section of the Pierce Law Review focuses on the interface between law and technology by examining how innovations in biotechnology accelerate debates about …

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 02

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 2.

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Pig Weaning Age And Commingling After The Nursery Phase On Humoral And Behavioral Indicators Of Well-Being And On Growth Performance, Sarah C. Authur, Mari E. Davis, Jason K. Apple, Charles V. Maxwell

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Two hundred and sixteen pigs were weaned at 14 or 21 d of age to determine the effect of weaning age and commingling after the nursery phase on growth and behavior of pigs in a wean-tofinish facility. Pigs were divided into older and younger age groups and allotted 12 pigs/pen with nine replications of each group. At the end of the nursery phase (d 34 after weaning), one-half of the pigs in each group were removed and commingled for the grower/finisher phase and the other half remained in their original pens. Beginning at weaning (d 0), pigs were monitored via …

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 5 2004, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Acaricidal Efficacy Of Various Agents In The Treatment Of Naturally Occurring Ornithonyssus Sylviarum (Acari: Macronyssidae) Infestations Of Chickens, Maggie Phillips, T. A. Yazwinski, C. A. Tucker, Jennifer Robins, Jeremy Powell, Linda Stamps

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The northern fowl mite (NFM), Ornithonyssus sylviarum, is a commonly occurring external parasite of chickens. Primarily, caged layers have the greatest incidence of this mite, with bird unrest, unthriftiness and lowered production as some of the adverse effects of the infestation. In the current study, birds with natural NFM infestations were randomized into five treatment groups, placed in individual cages in treatment-specific batteries (all in one room), and evaluated for 28 d for infestation quantification by way of index scoring and feather digest. No treatments were 100% effective in eliminating all life stages of the mite. Tetrachlorvinphos in combination with …

Cover - Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Plant Parasitic Fungi Of Ten Tallgrass Prairies Of Iowa: Distribution And Prevalence, Lois H. Tiffany, George Knaphus

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

During the 1980s and 1990s, collections of fungal parasites on above ground parts of prairie plants in Iowa were made throughout the growing seasons. This report presents the fungi recorded from three groups of Iowa tallgrass prairies. The western group was composed of Dinesen, Steele and Stinson Prairie State Preserves, a Loess Hills group of collecting sites in Five Ridge and Runkel Prairie State Preserves and prairies at Waubonsie State Park. 180 species of fungi were collected on 116 hosts from these prairies. A central Iowa group of prairies associated with the Des Moines Lobe landform, Anderson, Doolittle, Kalsow and …

The Freshwater Mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) Of The Boone River, North Central Iowa, Ellet Hoke

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A survey of the freshwater mussels of the Boone River conducted in September 1982 documented a fauna consisting of seventeen then extant or relict species. Analysis of museum records yielded one additional species unrecovered since 1937. Subsequent to the 1982 study, additional surveys were conducted in the region in 1984-1985 and 1998-1999 as a part of two statewide surveys. A comparison of the results of the three studies suggests a significant decline in the unionid fauna in the Boone River since 1982. While it is almost certain that a real decline in the fauna has occurred, the extent of this …

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Biomass Yield Stability In Alfalfa, Joseph G. Robins, Heathcliffe Riday, Sara J. Helland, E. Charles Brummer

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

In addition to biomass production, alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars also need to express yield stability across diverse environments. The objective of this experiment was to analyze the nature of biomass yield stability in ten commercial alfalfa cultivars by evaluating performance of individual genotypes. Biomass yield was measured in each of five environments across two years, and the yield stability computed for the overall cultivar mean performance and the mean performance of each of the genotypes comprising the cultivars using the genotype x environment variance statistic of Shukla and the superiority statistic of Lin and Binns'. The GxE variance of the …

Assessment Of Thermal Infrared Detection Rates Using White-Tailed Deer Surrogates, Robert E. Kissell Jr., Philip A. Tappe

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

As thermal infrared imaging technology has improved, it has increasingly been used for estimating sizes of wildlife populations. The greatest bias of thermal infrared surveys is the lack of known detection rates to adjust for visibility bias. As with visual surveys, a measure of detection rate is needed to provide unbiased estimates. We assessed the detection rate of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) using a thermal infrared sensor (1.2 - 5.9 /an) from an aerial platform. Similar characteristics between thermal signatures of people and deer allowed us to use people in a reclined or horizontal position as surrogates for deer. We …

Letter From The Dean, Gregory J. Weidemann

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Laboratory-Scale Evaluation Of Incandescent And Compact Florescent Lamps For Poultry House Lighting, Leanne Gabriel, Donald M. Johnson

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

This laboratory-scale study compared 1000- and 2000-h rated 60W incandescent lamps and 6000-h rated 60W-equivalent compact florescent lamps over 6000 h of simulated broiler-house operation. The four original 1000-h incandescent lamps were replaced 22 times and the four 2000-h incandescent lamps were replaced 14 times. None of the four compact florescent lamps failed during the 6000-h experiment, although one was broken due to human error. Both types of incandescent lamps had significantly higher (p < .0001) mean illuminance (lx) than did the compact florescent lamps. The compact florescent lamps used significantly less (p < .0001) power (W) and had significantly higher (p < .0001) efficiency (lx/W) than the incandescent lamps. Despite a higher initial purchase price, the total cost (purchase + replacement + electrical) of operating compact florescent lamps was approximately 36% lower than the total cost of operating either type of incandescent lamp over the 6000 h period. The results of this study indicate that even at a least-cost price for electricity ($0.04/kW/h), growers can reduce total broilerhouse lighting costs by replacing incandescent lamps with compact florescent lamps.

Impact Of Dietary Changes On Hepatic Homocysteine Metabolism In Young Broilers, Fauna M. Ganson, Padmakumar Pillai, Jason L. Emmert

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Information regarding the impact of sulfur amino acids (SAA) on hepatic homocysteine (Hcy) flux through the various metabolic pathways competing for Hcy in young broilers is lacking. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of varying levels of dietary methionine (Met), choline, and betaine on hepatic Hcy flux in young broiler chickens. A standard starter basal diet was fed to chicks until 8 d of age; 12 experimental diets were given from 8-22 d. The experimental basal diet contained deficient levels of Met and cysteine (Cys); supplemental Met (0, 0.08, 0.16, and 0.24%) was added to the basal diet …

A Survey Into The Prevalence Of Parasitic Helminths In Broiler Breeders, Anita Sarathi, Tom Yazwinski, Chris Tucker, Jennifer Robins

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of helminth infections in spent broiler breeders. Intestinal tracts from 10 birds from each of five farms were obtained and examined for parasite identification and quantification. Heterakis gallinarum infections were the most common, followed in order of decreasing incidence by Capillaria obsignata, Ascaridia galli, and Raillietina cesticillus. Peak worm burdens for individual birds were 121 (A. galli), 535 (H. gallinarum), 215 (C. obsignata) and 125 (R. cesticillus). Significant farm-to-farm variation in worm burdens was observed.

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Drinking Water Contamination In Buried Slab Wells, Other Large-Diameter Wells, And Drilled Wells, Rita M. Gergely

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

This study presents the results of a statewide water well survey conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Health from 1993 to 1995 to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between well water contamination in buried slab wells, other large-diameter wells, and drilled wells. Wells were sampled for total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, nitrate, and atrazine. Staff collected water samples and completed a site survey at each well, which included an interview with the occupant or owner and actual observations of the wellhead and surrounding area.

The study included 293 buried slab wells, 287 other large-diameter wells, and …

The Impact Of White Pine (Pinus Strobus) On A Mollisol After Seven Decades Of Soil Development, Irina Kovda, Eric C. Brevik, Thomas E. Fenton, Maria Gerasimova

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Selected chemical, physical, and macro and micromorphological properties in two pedons of a Clarion soil (Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludolls) formed in till parent material, one planted to white pines (Pinus strobus) for the past 75 years and the other to grass, were compared. The most obvious difference between the two was the increased biological activity under pines; the variety and quantity of excrements suggested the activity of soil microfauna and variability of species resulted in finer and better aggregation of biological origin (crumbs and granules), numerous excrements in voids, and higher total porosity under pines. The matrix was …

Flow Cytometry Used To Assess Genetic Damage In Frogs From Farm Ponds, Bartholomew L. Bly, Melinda G. Knutson, Mark B. Sandheinrich, Brian R. Gray, Dean A. Jobe

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Flow cytometry (FC) is a laboratory method used to detect genetic damage induced by environmental contaminants and other stressors in animals, including amphibians. We tested FC methods on three species of ranid frogs collected from farm ponds and natural wetlands in southeastern Minnesota. We compared FC metrics for Rana clamitans between ponds with direct exposure to agricultural contaminants and reference (unexposed) ponds. Concentrations of atrazine in water from our farm ponds ranged from 0.04 to 0.55 ppb. We found that R. clamitans from exposed ponds had DNA content similar to frogs from unexposed ponds. Pond-averaged C-values (a measure of DNA …

Cover - Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Index For The Journal Of The Iowa Academy Of Science Volume 111

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.