Life Sciences Commons^™

Information Sources, Willingness To Volunteer, And Attitudes Towards Invasive Plants In The Southwestern United States, Leith Seeley Tidwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis examines results of a survey conducted in the Southwestern United States focusing on attitudes towards invasive plants, public preferences for information sources and willingness to volunteer in invasive plant management. This research demonstrates that the public is interested in the problem and control of invasive plants. In a broad context there is agreement among respondents that invasive plants pose a threat to the environment and control efforts, including the use of herbicides, should be allowed to occur. Given the differences between general and specific attitudes towards invasive plants, it is suggested education and awareness programs be designed to …

Learning And Application Of Range Management Innovations Among Ranchers In West-Central Colorado, Caroline A. Kennedy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Like many ranchers in the West, ranchers in West-Central Colorado are reevaluating their management strategies in the face of forces like drought, rising land prices, and encroaching development. While ranchers seek answers on alternative management strategies, research and Extension personnel search for adequate means of diffusing needed information. Relative to many rural western communities, ranchers in West-Central Colorado show high interest in alternative range management ideas, and many implement changes to their ranch management based on these ideas. This can partially be attributed to a unique support system of Extension and agency personnel with effective, untraditional outreach and land-management approaches. …

In Vitro Regeneration Of Cladrastis Kentukea (American Yellowwood) And Cornus Kousa (Kousa Dogwood), Denita Hadziabdic

Masters Theses

Selection of superior individuals followed by clonal vegetative propagation is a very important strategy for plant improvement. Cloning via tissue culture can produce a population of an identical genotype without limits. A single specimen tree of Cladrastis kentukea and five different Cornus kousa cultivars were selected for tissue culture studies. These trees exhibited superior performance in horticultural trials, including disease resistance and drought tolerance, which are highly important to the green industry.

Axillary buds from a single C. kentukea tree were initially cultured on either Woody Plant Medium (WPM) or Murashige and Skoog (MS) containing 0, 1, 2, or 4 …

Effects Of Fire Disturbance On Terrestrial Salamanders In Mixed-Coniferous Forests Of The Klamath/Siskiyou Region Of The Pacific Northwest, Donald J. Major

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An effective examination of fire disturbance on floral and faunal components requires research that integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines to understand the pattern and process controls affecting organisms in a complex system. However, current fire effects research typically focuses on the pattern response of organisms or their habitats with little integration of the dynamic fire process that created the pattern. This dissertation integrates an analysis of the processes of fire disturbance with terrestrial salamander ecology in a fire-dependent forest ecosystem, Klamath Province, California, USA.

In Chapter 1, I begin with a comprehensive review of disturbance ecology, focusing primarily on fire …

Bioactive Natural Products From Monarda For Control Of Tomato Disease, Sharon Elizabeth Greene

Masters Theses

Environmentally-friendly methods to control plant disease are needed in order to reach the goal of sustainability in agriculture. Because diseases caused by soil-borne organisms significantly reduce crop yields, identifying environmentally friendly methods for control of these diseases is imperative. The purpose of the research described in this thesis was to determine the impact of bioactive natural products on disease control in tomato production. The specific objectives were: 1) to determine the effect of adding herbage (dried and ground leaves and flowers) of three Monarda cultivars to greenhouse growth media on seedling losses caused by Rhizoctonia solani, and 2) to …

Developing A Valid Screening Tool For Assessing Nutritional Adequacy And Osteoporosis Risk Among Vegans In The United States, Patricia Adelle Dyett

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The vegetarian lifestyle in the United States has increased significantly over recent decades. With this growth trend, it has become necessary to assess the pros and cons of vegetarian diet patterns, particularly with respect to nutrition adequacy and chronic disease concerns.

The vegan diet engenders more concern than other common vegetarian lifestyles because it seeks to replace all nutrient-rich animal food products with only plant foods. Consequently, there are concerns of compromised protein, calcium. vitamin D, vitamin B₁₂, n-3 fatty acid, zinc, and iron status. Moreover, because of typical vegan diet phenomena such as low BMI, low protein …

K-Means Clustering With Multiresolution Peak Detection, Guanshan Yu, Leen-Kiat Soh, Alan B. Bond

Avian Cognition Papers

Clustering is a practical data mining approach of pattern detection. Because of the sensitivity of initial conditions, k-means clustering often suffers from low clustering performance. We present a procedure to refine initial conditions of k-means clustering by analyzing density distributions of a data set before estimating the number of clusters k necessary for the data set, as well as the positions of the initial centroids of the clusters. We demonstrate that this approach indeed improves the accuracy and performance of k-means clustering measured by average intra to interclustering error ratio. This method is applied to the virtual ecology project to …

Backcross Breeding For Improved Resistance To Common Bacterial Blight In Pinto Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L. ), Nedim Mutlu, P. Miklas, J. Reiser, D. Coyne

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Common bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli reduces common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ) yield and quality worldwide. Genetic resistance provides effective disease control; however, a high level of resistance is difficult to attain and does not exist in pinto bean, the most important dry bean market class in North America. Our objective was to determine if a backcross breeding approach with the aid of molecular markers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to CBB in a donor parent could be used to attain higher levels of resistance to CBB in pinto bean. QTL …

Stopover Ecology Of Autumn Landbird Migrants In The Boise Foothills Of Southwestern Idaho, Jay D. Carlisle, Gregory S. Kaltenecker, David L. Swanson

Intermountain Bird Observatory Publications and Presentations

The topography of western North America provides a complex landscape for landbird migrants, and stopover patterns in this region are poorly understood. We examined seven years of stopover data (1997–2003) from a montane area in southwestern Idaho to determine whether this area provides suitable stopover habitat. We compared the proportion of birds recaptured, stopover duration, and changes in energetic condition within and among species and between two mist-netting sites located in different habitats. The proportion of birds recaptured ranged from zero to over 20%, and fewer than 5% of individuals were recaptured in most species. Mean minimum stopover durations from …

New Technologies To Determine Solid Fat Content On-Line, Silvana Martini, Maria Lidia Herrera, Alejandro Marangoni

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The determination of solid fat content (SFC) is an important analytical procedure in the food industry. The most common way to determine SFC is by low-resolution pulsed NMR (p-NMR). Although this technique is very sensitive and easy to use, it has the disadvantage that it cannot be used for on-line measurements. The present work compares new technologies to determine SFC on-line. On-line ultrasonic spectroscopy and NMR-MOUSE (NMR mobile universal surface explorer) techniques were compared with off-line p-NMR measurements and there was a good correlation between the values obtained. Ultrasonic measurements accurately described the SFC variation, whereas NMR-MOUSE determinations need to …

In-Situ Monitoring Of Solid Fat Content By Means Of P-Nmr And Ultrasonics, Silvana Martini, Constantin Bertoli, Maria Lidia Herrera, Ian Neeson, Alejandro Marangoni

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

An ultrasonic technique was developed to study the crystallization process of edible fats on-line. A chirp wave was used instead of the conventional pulser signal, thus achieving a higher signal-to-noise ratio. This enabled measurements to be made in concentrated systems [≈20% solid fat content (SFC)] through a 8.11-cm thick sample without significant signal loss. Fat samples were crystallized at 20, 25, and 30°C at a constant agitation rate of 400 rpm for 90 min. The crystallization process was followed by ultrasonic spectroscopy and a low-resolution pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. Specific relationships were found between ultrasonic parameters [integrated response, time …

Attenuation Of Ultrasonic Waves: Influence Of Microstructure And Solid Fat Content, Silvana Martini, Constantin Bertoli, Maria Lidia Herrera, Ian Neeson, Alejandro Marangoni

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Ultrasonic technology can be used to monitor the crystallization of fats and determine solid fat content (SFC) online. Ultrasonic waves are attenuated as crystals form and grow, and this attenuation occurs first at higher frequencies. The attenuation of the ultrasonic signal does not depend on the induction times of crystallization of the systems, or on their thermal behavior; but it does depend on SFC and on microstructure, particularly on the crystal size. At low SFC values (≈5%), bigger crystals generate more attenuation. At intermediate SFC values (≈10%), crystal size does not affect signal attenuation and SFC is the key factor …

Geography Of Spring Landbird Migration Through Riparian Habitats In Southwestern North America, Susan K. Skagen, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Charles Van Riper Iii, Richard L. Hutto, Deborah M. Finch, David J. Krueper, Cynthia P. Melcher

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Migration stopover resources, particularly riparian habitats, are critically important to landbirds migrating across the arid southwestern region of North America. To explore the effects of species biogeography and habitat affinity on spring migration patterns, we synthesized existing bird abundance and capture data collected in riparian habitats of the borderlands region of the U.S. and Mexico. We determined the importance of geographic factors (longitude and latitude) in explaining variation in abundances and capture rates of 32 long-distance and three short-distance migrant species. Abundances and capture rates of 13 and 11 species, respectively, increased with increasing longitude, and four species' abundance and …

An East-West Comparison Of Migration In North American Wood Warblers, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Richard L. Hutto

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

That western and eastern songbird migration routes are distinct ecological systems has been proposed for over 100 years. Nonetheless, this distinction has not been widely recognized nor have there been any comparative studies that quantitatively evaluate the differences and similarities between western and eastern songbird migration systems. We drew from previously published research on wood warblers to highlight patterns in stopover ecology that suggest fundamental differences between western and eastern migrants. In particular, we compared biogeography, evolutionary relationships, and stopover ecology of wood warblers from western and eastern North America and found: (1) multiple lines of evidence that indicate western …

Pastoral Stock Water Workbook, T M. Sincliar, F A. Bright

Agriculture reports

The Pastoral Stock Water Workbook has been developed to assist you to estimate the costs of maintaining stock water and make informed decisions about managing existing and proposed water points. The first half of the Workbook provides background information on stock water points, their usage, advantages and disadvantages. Whilst the second part contains a series of stepby- step exercises that should be completed as you progress through the Workbook. The latter part of the Workbook aims to: • Show a worked example of the annual costs of maintaining water; • Provide tools to calculate water costs for your business; • …

English Garden Design, Larry A. Sagers

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

The Nebline, May 2005

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Contents:Successful Shade Gardening: Key is Proper Plant Choice, Care
Why So Many Weeds?
2005 All-America Roses
Flowers That Tower
Be Good to Your Worms
Winged Termites or Ants?
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels
What is Mange?
Soybean Rust is on the Horizon
Effect of Increasing Energy Prices on Farming Costs
Pioneer Farm Award Nominations Due May 1
Buying High-Quality Trees
Conserving Water in the Landscape
NEP Partners with LPS to Teach Nutrition in Teen Parenting Classes
Cocoa-Berry Yogurt Tarts Recipe
Enjoy Beef Nutrition during May, National Beef Month
Mexican Beef Salad Recipe
Fruit Slush Recipe
Spicy Ranch Dressing Recipe
President’s Notes …

Green Fluorescent Protein Is Lighting Up Fungal Biology, J.M. Lorang, R.P. Tuori, J.P. Martinez, T.L. Sawyer, R.S. Redman, J.A. Rollins, T. J. Wolpert, K.B. Johnson, R. J. Rodriguez, M. B. Dickman, L. M. Ciuffetti

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Prasher (42) cloned a cDNA for the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria in 1992. Shortly thereafter, to the amazement of many investigators, this gene or derivatives thereof were successfully expressed and conferred fluorescence to bacteria and Caenorhabditis elegans cells in culture (10, 31), followed by yeast (24, 39), mammals (40), Drosophila (66), Dictyostelium (23, 30), plants (28, 49), and filamentous fungi (54). The tremendous success of GFP as a reporter can be attributed to unique qualities of this 238- amino-acid, 27-kDa protein which absorbs light at maxima of 395 and 475 nm and emits light …

A Dimensionless Invariant For Relative Size At Sex Change In Animals: Explanation And Implications, Andy Gardner, David Allsop, Eric Charnov, Stuart West

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Recent comparative studies across sex-changing animals have found that the relative size and age at sex change are strikingly invariant. In particular, 91%-97% of the variation in size at sex change across species can be explained by the simple rule that individuals change sex when they reach 72% of their maximum body size. However, this degree of invariance is surprising and has proved controversial. In particular, it is not clear why this result should hold, given that there is considerable biological variation across species in factors that can influence the evolutionarily stable timing of sex change. Our overall aim here …

Glucose Oxidase (God)-Coupled Amperometric Microsensor With Integrated Electrochemical Actuation System, Jongwon Park, Chang-Soo Kim, Minsu Choi, Shanrui Zhang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent developments for biosensors have been mainly focused on miniaturization and exploratory use of new materials. It should be emphasized that the absence of a novel "in-situ self-calibration/diagnosis technique" that is not connected to an external apparatus is a key obstacle to the realization of a biosensor for continuous use with minimum attendance. In order to address this issue, a novel solid-state glucose oxidase-coupled amperometric biosensor with integrated electrochemical actuation system has been designed and validated. There are two key components of the proposed glucose biosensor: solid-state GOD-coupled thin-lm amperometric sensing element and O₂ depleting/saturating built-in electrochemical actuator. The …

Coral Recruitment Patterns In The Florida Keys, Alison L. Moulding

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

This study examines scleractinian zooxanthellate coral recruitment patterns in the Florida Keys to determine if differences in density or community composition exist between regions. From July to September 2002, nine patch reefs, three in each of the upper, middle and lower Keys, were surveyed for coral recruits (colonies <5 cm in diameter) using randomly placed quadrats and transects. Coral recruits were enumerated, measured, and identified to genus. Fourteen genera of corals were observed across all sites and ranged from five to 13 per site. Densities ranged from 6.29 ± 1.92 (mean ± SE) to 39.08 ± 4.53 recruits m-2, and there were significant site and regional differences in recruit densities. The density of recruits in the upper Keys was significantly lower than in the middle and lower Keys. In addition, the upper Keys were less diverse and had a different recruit size-frequency distribution. The majority of recruits were non-massive scleractinian species that contribute relatively little to overall reef-building processes, a finding that is similar to previous studies. Fewer recruits of massive species were found in the upper Keys compared to the middle and lower Keys. The recruitment patterns of the reefs in the upper Keys could potentially hinder their ability to recover from stress and disturbances.

Seasonal Changes In Composition Of Lipid Stores In Migratory Birds: Causes And Consequences, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams

Biology Faculty Publications

It is well established that birds use fat stores to primarily fuel migration; however, few studies have focused on the causes and consequences of observed seasonal changes in fatty acid composition of fat stores in birds. We propose and test two hypotheses that address the causes of these seasonal changes in composition of fat stores: (1) diet composition determines fatty acid composition of fat stores, and (2) birds selectively metabolize and store certain fatty acids during migration in lieu of changing their diet. When we offered Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceous) choices between diets that differed only in fatty acid composition, …

Epidemiology Of Bitter Crab Disease (Hematodinium Sp.) In Snow Crabs Chionoecetes Opilio From Newfoundland, Canada, Jeffrey D. Shields, Dm Taylor, Et Al

VIMS Articles

The parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium sp. causes a condition known as bitter crab disease (BCD) in snow crabs Chionoecetes opilio and Tanner crabs C. bairdi. As the name of the condition implies, crabs infected with BCD are unmarketable due to their bitter flavor. We surveyed the distribution of BCD in 3 regions within the snow crab fishery of Newfoundland from 1997 to 2003. Over time, the disease has become firmly established in Conception and Bonavista Bays and persists at low levels on the Avalon fishing grounds. An epizootic occurred within Bonavista and Conception Bays in 1999 and persisted in Conception Bay …

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (Dcis) In Karachi, Naila Kayani, Yasmin Bhurgri

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective:
To study the frequency of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in a large pathology series. DCIS is a proliferation of non-invasive, malignant epithelial cells within the ductolobular system of the breast. It is a heterogeneous entity with several morphologic variants that differ in gross appearance, growth pattern, cytologic features, mammography, and malignant potential.
Methods:
The data of The Aga Khan University' Pathology Department, diagnosed on the basis of histopathology, during a 6-year period (1st January 1998 to 31st December 2003) was reviewed, all cases of DCIS studied, and data was analyzed with the help of analytical software SPSS.
Results: …

Cancer Promoted By The Oncoprotein V-Erba May Be Due To Subcellular Mislocalization Of Nuclear Receptors, Ghislain M.C. Bonamy, Anne Guiochon-Mantel, Lizabeth A. Allison

Arts & Sciences Articles

The retroviral v-ErbA oncoprotein is a highly mutated variant of the thyroid hormone receptor α (TRα), which is unable to bind T₃ and interferes with the action of TRα in mammalian and avian cancer cells. v-ErbA dominant-negative activity is attributed to competition with TRα for T₃-responsive DNA elements and/or auxiliary factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of T₃-responsive genes. However, competition models do not address the altered subcellular localization of v-ErbA and its possible implications in oncogenesis. Here, we report that v-ErbA dimerizes with TRα and the retinoid X receptor and sequesters a significant fraction …

Vitis Aestivalis F.Michx., Gordon C. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Vitis Vulpina L., Gordon C. Tucker

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Number Comprehension By A Grey Parrot (Psittacus Erithacus), Including A Zero-Like Concept, Irene M. Pepperberg, Jesse D. Gordon

Sentience Collection

A Grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) that was able to quantify 6 item sets (including subsets of heterogeneous groups, e.g., blue blocks within groupings of blue and green blocks and balls) using English labels (I. M. Pepperberg, 1994a) was tested on comprehension of these labels, which is crucial for numerical competence (K. C. Fuson, 1988). He was, without training, asked “What color/object [number]?” for collections of various simultaneously presented quantities (e.g., subsets of 4, 5, and 6 blocks of 3 different colors; subsets of 2, 4, and 6 keys, corks, and sticks). Accuracy was greater than 80% and was unaffected by …

Interspecific Divergence In Foliar Nutrient Dynamics And Stem Growth In A Temperate Forest In Response To Chronic Nitrogen Inputs, Jeffrey D. May, Sarah Beth Burdette, Frank S. Gilliam, Mary Beth Adams

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

We studied the effects of excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization on foliar nutrient dynamics and stem growth in three important tree species in a mixed-deciduous forest. Stem diameter growth, foliar N concentrations, nitrogen–phosphorus (N/P) ratios, and nutrient resorption were determined for Acer rubrum L. (ACRU), Liriodendron tulipifera L. (LITU), and Prunus serotina Ehrh. (PRSE) on two 30-year-old watersheds at the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia, USA: WS3, fertilized annually with 35 kg ammonium sulfate ha–1 since 1989, and WS7, an untreated control watershed. In an earlier (1992) study, foliar N concentrations of all three species averaged 11% higher in WS3 than …

Agricultural Research Division News --June 2005

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

Comments from the Dean- Darrell W. Nelson; ARD Internship Richard Ferguson; Strategic Planning in IANR; Sampson Range and Pasture Management Endowments; IANR Priority Goals 2005-2008; Anna Elliott Proposals; ARD Interdisciplinary Research Grants Program; Recognition of Junior Faculty for Excellence in Research; Layman Awards; ARD Advisory Council Election Results; Undergraduate Honors Research Program; William G. Whitmore Student Travel Endowment; David H. & Annie E. Larrick Fund 2005; ARD Web site has a “New Look” ; Revised UNL Commodity Board Guidelines; New or Revised Projects — March and April 2005; Proposals Submitted for Federal Grants —March and April 2005; Grants and Contracts …