Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Research: South Dakota State University, Winter 2014, Christie Delfanian, Eric Landwehr

Research: South Dakota State University

CONTENTS:

Weeds influence gene expression, growth in corn [Page] 2
Graduate research targets childhood obesity [Page] 3
Transmammary drug delivery system for early-stage breast cancer may reduce side effects [Page] 5
Biochemical pathways may be key to scab resistance [Page] 7
New filtration system saves water, money for City of Sioux Falls [Page] 8
Doulas ease stress, increase satisfaction with the birthing experience [Page] 9
Structure lab evaluates strength, durability of structural components [Page] 10
Device gives sunflower producers reprieve from combine fires [Page] 12
Graduate scholarship winner works on renewable energy storage [Page] 12

A Cross Comparison Of Spatiotemporally Enhanced Springtime Phenological Measurements From Satellites And Ground In A Northern U.S. Mixed Forest, Liang Liang, Mark D. Schwartz, Zhuosen Wang, Feng Gao, Crystal B. Schaaf, Bin Tan, Jeffrey T. Morisette, Xiaoyang Zhang

GSCE Faculty Publications

Cross comparison of satellite-derived land surface phenology (LSP) and ground measurements is useful to ensure the relevance of detected seasonal vegetation change to the underlying biophysical processes. While standard 16-day and 250-m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation index (VI)-based springtime LSP has been evaluated in previous studies, it remains unclear whether LSP with enhanced temporal and spatial resolutions can capture additional details of ground phenology. In this paper, we compared LSP derived from 500-m daily MODIS and 30-m MODIS-Landsat fused VI data with landscape phenology (LP) in a northern U.S. mixed forest. LP was previously developed from intensively observed …

Research: South Dakota State University, Fall 2014, Christie Delfanian, Dave Graves, Emily Weber

Research: South Dakota State University

CONTENTS:

Dietician seeks to reduce obesity among college-age students [Page] 2
Wind: Support for wind energy based in economic development [Page] 3
Berg leaves legacy of accomplishments [Page] 3
Soil: Improved soil condition increases moisture for crops [Page] 4
Microbial process increases soybean meal's protein power [Page] 5
Medgene develops vaccines using university technologies [Page] 6
BioSNTR funding boosts biotechnology in South Dakota [Page] 8
Scientists collaborate to combat avian influenza [Page] 8
Pharmacy students role-play as part of a health-care team [Page]10
Nursing research seeks to improve health care, reduce costs [Page 10]
Improving organic solar cell efficiency essential …

Earlier Vegetation Green-Up Has Reduced Spring Dust Storms, Bihang Fan, Li Guo, Ning Li, Jin Chen, Henry Lin, Xiaoyang Zhang, Miaogen Shen, Yuhan Rao, Cong Wang, Lei Ma

GSCE Faculty Publications

The observed decline of spring dust storms in Northeast Asia since the 1950s has been attributed to surface wind stilling. However, spring vegetation growth could also restrain dust storms through accumulating above ground biomass and increasing surface roughness. To investigate the impacts of vegetation spring growth on dust storms, we examine the relationships between recorded spring dust storm outbreaks and satellite-derived vegetation green-up date in Inner Mongolia, Northern China from 1982 to 2008. We find a significant dampening effect of advanced vegetation growth on spring dust storms (r = 0.49, p = 0.01), with a one-day earlier green-up date …

Data-Driven Diagnostics Of Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics Over North America, Jingfeng Xiao, Scott V. Ollinger, Steve Frolking, George C. Hurtt, David Y. Hollinger, Kenneth J. Davis, Yude Pan, Xiaoyang Zhang, Feng Deng, Jiquan Chen, Dennis D. Baldocchi, Bevery E. Law, M. Altaf Arain, Ankur R. Desai, Andrew D. Richardson, Ge Sun, Brian Amiro, Hank Margolis, Lianhong Gu, Russell L. Scott, Peter D. Blanken, Andrew E. Suyker

GSCE Faculty Publications

The exchange of carbon dioxide is a key measure of ecosystem metabolism and a critical intersection between the terrestrial biosphere and the Earth's climate. Despite the general agreement that the terrestrial ecosystems in North America provide a sizeable carbon sink, the size and distribution of the sink remain uncertain. We use a data-driven approach to upscale eddy covariance flux observations from towers to the continental scale by integrating flux observations, meteorology, stand age, aboveground biomass, and a proxy for canopy nitrogen concentrations from AmeriFlux and Fluxnet-Canada Research Network as well as a variety of satellite data streams from the MODIS …

Chemistry & Biochemistry Newsletter, Department Of Chemistry & Biochemistry, South Dakota State University

Chemistry & Biochemistry Newsletter: 2002-2015

Inside:

Page 2-3 BioSNTR Funding Boosts Biotechnology in South Dakota

Page 3 New Student Club Decorates Tree

Page 4-5 New Graduate Students

Page 5 Arts & Sciences contributes 2,875 items to food pantry

Page 6-7 New Faculty and Staff

Page 7 Recent Faculty Publications

Page 8 Student Engineers (and a biochemist) Without Borders

Sensitivity Of Mesoscale Modeling Of Smoke Direct Radiative Effect To The Emission Inventory: A Case Study In Northern Sub-Saharan African Region, Feng Zhang, Jun Wang, Charles Ichoku, Edward J. Hyer, Zhifeng Yang, Cui Ge, Shenjian Su, Xiaoyang Zhang, Shobha Kondragunta, Christine Wiedinmyer, Johannes W. Kaiser, Arlindo Da Silva

GSCE Faculty Publications

An ensemble approach is used to examine the sensitivity of smoke loading and smoke direct radiative effect in the atmosphere to uncertainties in smoke emission estimates. Seven different fire emission inventories are applied independently to WRF-Chem model (v3.5) with the same model configuration (excluding dust and other emission sources) over the northern sub-Saharan African (NSSA) biomass-burning region. Results for November and February 2010 are analyzed, respectively representing the start and end of the biomass burning season in the study region. For February 2010, estimates of total smoke emission vary by a factor of 12, but only differences by factors of …

Interannual Variation In Biomass Burning And Fire Seasonality Derived From Geostationary Satellite Data Across The Contiguous United States From 1995 To 2011, Xiaoyang Zhang, Shobha Kondragunta, David Roy

GSCE Faculty Publications

Wildfires exhibit a strong seasonality that is driven by climatic factors and human activities. Although the fire seasonality is commonly determined using burned area and fire frequency, it could also be quantified using biomass consumption estimates that directly represent biomass loss (a combination of the area burned and the fuel loading). Therefore, in this study a data set of long-term biomass consumed was derived from geostationary satellite data to explore the interannual variation in the fire seasonality and the possible impacts of climate change and land management practices across the Contiguous United States (CONUS). Specifically, daily biomass consumed data were …

Cyanide Toxicokinetics: The Behavior Of Cyanide, Thiocyanate And 2-Amino-2-Thiazoline-4-Carboxylic Acid In Multiple Animal Models, Raj K. Bhandari, Robert P. Oda, Ilona Petrikovics, David E. Thompson, Matthew Brenner, Sari B. Mahon, Vikhyat S. Bebarta, Gary A. Rockwood, Brian A. Logue

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Cyanide causes toxic effects by inhibiting cytochrome c oxidase, resulting in cellular hypoxia and cytotoxic anoxia, and can eventually lead to death. Cyanide exposure can be verified by direct analysis of cyanide concentrations or analyzing its metabolites, including thiocyanate (SCN⁻) and 2-amino-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA) in blood. To determine the behavior of these markers following cyanide exposure, a toxicokinetics study was performed in three animal models: (i) rats (250–300 g), (ii) rabbits (3.5–4.2 kg) and (iii) swine (47–54 kg). Cyanide reached a maximum in blood and declined rapidly in each animal model as it was absorbed, distributed, metabolized and …

Interannual Variations And Trends In Global Land Surface Phenology Derived From Enhanced Vegetation Index During 1982–2010, Xiaoyang Zhang, Bin Tan, Yunyue Yu

GSCE Faculty Publications

Land surface phenology is widely retrieved from satellite observations at regional and global scales, and its long-term record has been demonstrated to be a valuable tool for reconstructing past climate variations, monitoring the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems in response to climate impacts, and predicting biological responses to future climate scenarios. This study detected global land surface phenology from the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from 1982 to 2010. Based on daily enhanced vegetation index at a spatial resolution of 0.05 degrees, we simulated the seasonal vegetative trajectory for each individual pixel …

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 12

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 12.

The Development And Application Of A Larval Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus Albus) Bioenergetics Model, Laura B. Heironimus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are native fish of the Missouri and lower Mississippi River basins and currently listed as an endangered species under the Federal Endangered Species Act. As a result of anthropogenic alterations within the Missouri River, including dredging, channelization, and construction of large reservoirs, Pallid Sturgeon reproduction is reduced or eliminated throughout the species range. Due to a lack of wild progeny, little is known of the larval Pallid Sturgeon and their habitat or environmental requirements. To increase knowledge on the larval Pallid Sturgeon’s physiological requirements for growth and survival, the objective of this study was to develop …

Simultaneous High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Hplc-Ms-Ms) Analysis Of Cyanide And Thiocyanate From Swine Plasma, Raj K. Bhandari, Erica Manandhar, Robert P. Oda, Gary A. Rockwood, Brian A. Logue

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

An analytical procedure for the simultaneous determination of cyanide and thiocyanate in swine plasma was developed and validated. Cyanide and thiocyanate were simultaneously analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in negative ionization mode after rapid and simple sample preparation. Isotopically labeled internal standards, Na¹³C¹⁵N and NaS¹³C¹⁵N, were mixed with swine plasma (spiked and nonspiked), proteins were precipitated with acetone, the samples were centrifuged, and the supernatant was removed and dried. The dried samples were reconstituted in 10 mM ammonium formate. Cyanide was reacted with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde and taurine to form N-substituted …

Wetland Issues Affecting Waterfowl Conservation In North America, Heath M. Hagy, Scott C. Yaich, John W. Simpson, Eduardo Carrera, David A. Haukos, W.Carter Johnson, Charles R. Loesch, Fritz A. Reid, Scott E. Stephens, Ralph W. Tiner, Brett A. Werner, Greg S. Yarris

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

This paper summarises discussions by invited speakers during a special session at the 6th North American Duck Symposium on wetland issues that affect waterfowl, highlighting current ecosystem challenges and opportunities for the conservation of waterfowl in North America. Climate change, invasive species, U.S. agricultural policy (which can encourage wetland drainage and the expansion of row-crop agriculture into grasslands), cost and competition for water rights, and wetland management for non-waterfowl species were all considered to pose significant threats to waterfowl populations in the near future. Waterfowl populations were found to be faced with significant threats in several regions, including: the Central …

Detecting The Influence Of Best Management Practices On Vegetation Near Ephemeral Streams With Landsat Data, Matthew Rigge, Alexander Smart, Bruce Wylie, Kendall De Van Kamp

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Various best management practices (BMPs) have been implemented on rangelands with the goals of controlling nonpoint sourcepollution, reducing the impact of livestock in ecologically important riparian areas, and improving grazing distribution.Providing off-stream water sources to livestock in pastures, cross-fencing, and rotational grazing are common rangeland BMPsthat have demonstrated success in drawing livestock grazing pressure away from streams. We evaluated the effects of rangelandBMP implementation with six commercial-scale pastures in the northern mixed-grass prairie. Four pastures received a BMPsuite consisting of off-stream water, cross-fencing, and deferred-rotation grazing, and two pastures did not receive BMPs. Wehypothesized that the BMPs increased the quantity …

Determining Impacts Of Mountain Lions On Bighorn Sheep And Other Prey Sources In The Black Hills, Joshua B. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From 2009 to 2013, we assessed cougar (Puma concolor) feeding habits and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) population dynamics in the Black Hills, South Dakota. We used Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry to locate 1,506 cougar feeding events and found deer (Odocoileus spp.; 83%), primarily white-tailed deer (O. virginianus), dominated cougar diets. Overall ungulate kill rate averaged 0.79 ungulates/week (range = 0.13–1.75 ungulates/week), and was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in summer (xˉ = 0.92; SE = 0.06) than in winter (xˉ = 0.62; SE = 0.06). In contrast, biomass consumed was significantly higher (P = 0.033) in winter (xˉ = 8.23 kg/day; SE = 0.96) than in summer (xˉ = 5.45 kg/day; SE = 0.43), primarily as a result of increased scavenging (winter = 0.21 events/week; summer = 0.08 events/week), which represents the highest documented rate for cougar populations studied. We also documented a relatively high rate of chronic wasting disease- (CWD) infected elk in 2 cougar (1 male; 1 female) diets (64%; 95% CI = 50.3–78.3%) and speculate that CWD infection likely increased elk predation risk. Annual lamb survival was 0.02 (SE = 0.01) with pneumonia (36%) and predation (30%) the leading causes of mortality. We found pneumonia and predation were temporally heterogeneous with lambs most susceptible to predation during the first 2–3 weeks of life, while the greatest risk from pneumonia occurred from weeks 4–8. Annual ewe survival was 0.81 (SE = 0.04) with pneumonia (19%) and predation (19%) the leading causes of documented mortality; 48% were unknown. Additionally, we used vaginal implant transmitters (VITs) to assess capture efficiency and document parturition and neonate lamb bed site selection for bighorn sheep. We found successful VITs increased capture efficiency (95%) over unsuccessfully-vitted ewes (81%) and ewes not equipped with VITs (70%). Bighorn ewes selected for rugged terrain at both macro- and microhabitat scales, while at the macrohabitat scale ewes selected for areas that were close to perennial streams on south and west facing slopes and against anthropogenic disturbance. At the microhabitat scale, neonate lambs tended to select for greater cover and against north facing slopes.

The Mathematics Of Spot It, Marcus Heemstra

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Spot It™ is a fun, fast paced game for people of all ages. The game appears to have a rich mathematical structure, which we investigated, using combinatorial analysis. We constructed some similar Spot It type games with a different number of cards, and displayed that some games are impossible to complete. In particular, the original Spot It game has eight objects on each card; however, it is impossible to construct a complete game (a game in which every object appears with every other object) in which every card has seven objects. We have investigated the mathematics behind the game.