Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Mastication On Soils And Fuels In Moist And Dry Forests Of The Northern Rocky Mountains, Theresa Jain, Russel T. Graham

North American Forest Ecology Workshop

We evaluated the applicability of mastication as a fuel treatment alternative within Northern Rocky Mountain moist and dry forests to treat post-harvest activity slash (moist forest) and standing trees (dry forest). On the moist forest site, we compared four different slash treatments, mastication, machine grapple piling, lop and scatter, and a control within a wildland urban interface setting to determine the effects of these treatments on soil nutrition, forest floor depth, and woody debris distributions. We randomly assigned the slash treatments and controls to 12 one-acre plots. Nitrogen, soil carbon, and magnesium concentrations within the soil components were not significantly …

Comparing Bootstrap And Jackknife Variance Estimation Methods For Area Under The Roc Curve Using One-Stage Cluster Survey Data, Allison Dunning

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine the bootstrap and jackknife as methods for estimating the variance of the AUC from a study using a complex sampling design and to determine which characteristics of the sampling design effects this estimation. Data from a one-stage cluster sampling design of 10 clusters was examined. Factors included three true AUCs (.60, .75, and .90), three prevalence levels (50/50, 70/30, 90/10) (non-disease/disease), and finally three number of clusters sampled (2, 5, or 7). A simulated sample was constructed for each of the 27 combinations of AUC, prevalence and number of clusters. Estimates of …

Tree Canopy Effect On Grass And Grass/Legume Mixtures In Eastern Nebraska, Michael El. L. Perry, Walter H. Schacht, Gregory A. Ruark, James R. Brandle

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A study to determine the feasibility of producing forage for grazing livestock under trees was conducted as a step toward evaluating the potential for silvopasture systems in the northern and central Great Plains. The effects of overstory leaf area index (LAI), percentage understory light transmittance (LT), and soil moisture (SM) on yield and crude protein (CP) of big bluestem [Andropogon gerardii Vitman; (BB)], smooth bromegrass [ Bromus inermis Leyss.; (SB)], and mixtures with birdsfoot trefoil [ Lotus corniculatus L.; (BFT)] were examined. The study was conducted in both Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and green ash (Fraxinus …

The Burden Of Fetching Water: Using Caloric Expenditure As An Indicator Of Access To Safe Drinking Water—A Case Study From Xieng Khouang Province, Lao Pdr, Jeff La Frenierre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Millennium Development Goals measure ‘access to improved drinking water’ using an indicator that defines access as the presence of an improved water source within 1 kilometer of a person’s dwelling. This purely linear measurement has significant shortcomings, including a lack of consideration for the difficulty of the terrain being traversed and the weight of the loads being carried. This paper examines in detail the human energy costs associated with fetching water, first using two Lao villages as case studies, then applying a predictive energy expenditure model to measure the potential caloric effect of variations in the age and gender …

Web Based Classes For Enhancement Of Prelaboratory Lectures, Tiffany Hesser, Michael Collura

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

The use of web classes, such as Tegrity Campus1, as a supplement to pre laboratory reading or a replacement for pre laboratory lectures could become a standard tool in laboratory education protocol. In classes with multiple lab sections and instructors, pre laboratory lectures can lack consistency and it can be difficult to gauge the students’ level of preparation. With the ever increasing exposure to technology, students generally prefer information in a digital and multimedia form, rather than textbook readings. Therefore, this method can prove to better prepare students prior to laboratory experiments, increasing the overall understanding of the chemical reactions …

Birth-Intervals And Sex Composition Of Western Gray Whales Summering Off Sakhalin Island, Russia, David W. Weller, Amanda L. Bradford, Aimée R. Lang, Robert L. Brownell Jr., Alexander M. Burdin

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Determining the birth-interval at which reproductive females produce calves is an indispensable component of studies on the population biology of large whales. In theory, shorter birth-intervals will result in a faster rate of population increase. Therefore, estimating this reproductive parameter is particularly important for modeling exercises designed to project the potential growth of a given population and, in the case of endangered populations, their ability to recover from a depleted state (e.g. Cooke et al., 2008). While a number of inherent biases exist with respect to determination of birth-intervals for baleen whales (Barlow and Clapham, 1997), dedicated sampling efforts and …

Effect Of Glycocalyx On Red Blood Cell Motion In Capillary Surrounded By Tissue, Rekha Bali, Swati Mishra, P. N. Tandon

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The aim of the paper is to develop a simple model for capillary tissue fluid exchange system to study the effect of glycocalyx layer on the single file flow of red cells. We have considered the channel version of an idealized Krogh capillary-tissue exchange system. The glycocalyx and the tissue are represented as porous layers with different property parametric values. Hydrodynamic Lubrication theory is used to compute the squeezing flow of plasma within the small gap between the cell and the glycocalyx layer symmetrically surrounded by the tissue. The system of non linear partial differential equations has been solved using …

Anthropometric Parameters Of Under-Five Years Old Children With Different Dietary Habits In Ukambani Region : A Study In Eastern Rural Kenya, Hellen M. Ndiku

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The objective of this descriptive cross sectional study was to assess dietary intake and nutritional status of children under-five years in two rural sites of Eastern Kenya where the staple cereals may differ. A modified rapid, knowledge, practice and coverage (KPC) questionnaire and a 24-hr dietary recall form were used to collect the data. A total of 403 households were surveyed from four randomly selected divisions. This yielded 629 surrogate 24-hr dietary recalls of children < 5 years with 314 from Mwingi district and 315 from Makueni district (49 % boys and 51 % girls).

Statistical analysis was done using SPSS and SAS. Comparison of means was done using t- test and chi square was used for proportions. The 24-hr …

Industrialization In Animal Agriculture: A Kalman Filter Analysis, Oya S. Erdogdu, Levent Ozbek

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Studies discussing the effects of technological developments on (animal) agricultural production argue that the effective usage of chemicals and genetic engineering increase control over production processes, which in turn decreases seasonality (one significant factor defining agricultural production) significantly and brings standardization to production. Studies on broilery also show that production is not limited by nature determined seasons. Supply side changes accompanied by changes in demand have led to more healthier, standardized products. Using tools of economics and statistics, this study documents this transformation in animal agricultural production of beef, pork and milk. Results indicate decreasing seasonality, thus the industralization of …

Full Issue: Vol. 63, Issue 2

Sci-Tech News

No abstract provided.

Science-Technology Division

Sci-Tech News

The objectives of the Science-Technology Division shall be to draw together those members of the Special Libraries Association having an interest in the role of library and information science as applied to the recording, retrieval and dissemination of knowledge and information in all areas of science and technology, and to promote and improve the communication, dissemination and use of such knowledge for the benefit of libraries and their users.

Whole Foods: Renewable Energy Credits, Green Business, And Capitalist Approaches To Climate Change, Samantha Kanofsky

Pomona Senior Theses

Dedication. Acknowledgements. Preface. Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: Green Business and Carbon Offsetting. Chapter 3A: Case Study. Chapter 3B: Interview. Chapter 4: Case Study. Chapter 5: Conclusion. Bibliography.

Substrate Monitoring, Contaminant Monitoring, And Educational Outreach On Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) In Lake Mead, Nevada, Sara Ann Mueting

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The invasive species, the quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis, was found in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA on January 6, 2007. Since then, researchers have been attempting to quantify the amount of damage these mussels will cause to the lower Colorado River basin. Three projects were implemented in this thesis to research the quagga mussel in Lake Mead. First, a study to determine which types of substrates quagga mussels will grow on preferentially was conducted. Six different substrates, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, Concrete Underlayment Board (CUB), aluminum, stainless steel and fiberglass, were placed in the Boulder …

Engineering Division

Sci-Tech News

The objectives of the Engineering Division are to provide an association for those having an interest in library and information science as they apply to engineering and the physical sciences and to promote the use of materials and knowledge for the benefit of libraries and other educational organizations.

Improving Success Of Translocating Southern Idaho Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus Endemicus), Katie Lea Busscher

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Populations of the southern Idaho ground squirrel (Spermophilus endemicus; SIDGS), a federally listed candidate species, have declined in the last 30 years mainly because of habitat degredation, loss, and fragmentation. As a management tool, translocation is commonly used to augment, establish, or re-establish wildlife populations, although translocation has historically not been the most successful conservation strategy for species that are threatened or endangered animals as a result of habitat loss. I employed various techniques to improve translocation success of southern Idaho ground squirrels. To establish new populations, I relocated SIDGS to areas within their native range not already occupied by …

Nitrogen Transport, Transformation And Cycling Through A Mountain Lake, Bull Trout Lake, Idaho, Usa, Ryan Settle Lockwood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of a mountain lake on nitrogen dynamics in a sub-alpine watershed were examined via watershed monitoring, mesocosm experiments, microcosm experiments, and enzymatic assays during spring and summer of a single year. Our study addressed the questions: (1) How does hydrologic transport through the lake affect the net fluxes of dissolved nitrogen (N) species? (2) What are the net effects of the littoral zone biota on dissolved N fluxes? (3) What are the seston and benthic uptake rates of nitrate? (4) What is the magnitude of N retention in littoral zone sediments? (5) What role does microbial hydrolysis of …

A Mathematical Model For Anti-Malarial Drug Resistance, Amanda Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the array of medical advances of our modern day society, infectious diseases still plague millions of people worldwide. Malaria, in particular, causes substantial suffering and death throughout both developed and developing countries. Aside from the socioeconomic challenges presented by the disease's prevalence in impoverished nations, one of the major difficulties scientists have encountered while attempting to eradicate the disease is the parasite's ability to become resistant to new drugs and methods of treatment. In an effort to better understand the dynamics of malaria, we analyze a mathematical model that accounts for both the treatment aspect as well as the …

An Analysis Of The Environmental And Hormonal Effects On The Growth And Development Of The Moss Ceratodon Purpureus, Megan Knight

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Ceratodon has not been documented in scientific literature as thoroughly as other species of moss such as Funaria or Tortula. Commonly known as fire moss or purple horned moss, Ceratodon is often reddish or yellow-brown and the spore capsules are usually purple (Crum, 1983). A picture of the species growing in its natural habitat is shown in Figure 4. Ceratodon often grows in tufts and is considered a weed, often thriving in polluted or disturbed areas and frequently invading after a fire (Crum 1983). Ceratodon belongs to the class Bryopsida, which also contains the previously mentioned Funaria and Tortula species. …

Language Modeling Approaches To Information Retrieval, Protima Banerjee, Hyoil Han

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Faculty Research

This article surveys recent research in the area of language modeling (sometimes called statistical language modeling) approaches to information retrieval. Language modeling is a formal probabilistic retrieval framework with roots in speech recognition and natural language processing. The underlying assumption of language modeling is that human language generation is a random process; the goal is to model that process via a generative statistical model.

In this article, we discuss current research in the application of language modeling to information retrieval, the role of semantics in the language modeling framework, cluster-based language models, use of language modeling for XML retrieval and …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 84, No. 43, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles:

• Howerton, Christina. Board of Regents to Vote on Additional Costs for Course Hours Exceeding 15
• Moore, Josh. Western to Submit 6-Year Capital Plan to the State – Construction
• Simpson, Mandy. Taking On Water – Concrete Canoe, Engineering
• Barczak, Mary. Student Government Association Senate Has Yet to Spend Its Full Budget
• Ulber, Emily. Scholarship Honors Former Psychology Student – Jesse Keeling
• Moore, Josh. Student Housing Renewals Rise – Housing & Resident Life
• Erskine, Anne. Editorial Cartoon re: Vending Machine
• Don’ Approve Price Gouging – Tuition
• Harten, David. I Want …

Nutrient Enrichment Drives Gulf Of Mexico Hypoxia, Donald F. Boesch, Walter R. Boyton, Larry B. Crowder, Robert J. Diaz, Robert W. Howarth, Laurence D. Mee, Scott W. Nixon, Nancy N. Rabalais, Rutger Rosenberg, James G. Sanders, Donald Scavia, R. Eugene Turner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Pat Proteins, An Ancient Family Of Lipid Droplet Proteins That Regulate Cellular Lipid Stores. Biochim Biophys Acta, John Tansey

Chemistry Faculty Scholarship

The PAT family of lipid droplet proteins includes 5 members in mammals: perilipin, adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP), tail-interacting protein of 47 kiloDaltons (TIP47), S3-12, and OXPAT. Members of this family are also present in evolutionarily distant organisms, including insects, slime molds and fungi. All PAT proteins share sequence similarity and the ability to bind intracellular lipid droplets, either constitutively or in response to metabolic stimuli, such as increased lipid flux into or out of lipid droplets. Positioned at the lipid droplet surface, PAT proteins manage access of other proteins (lipases) to the lipid esters within the lipid droplet core and …

The Efficacy Of Climate Change Projects In Samoa: Evaluating Community-Based Adaptation Initiatives, Marisa Chock

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the efficacy of community-based climate change adaptation projects in Samoa, comparing evaluations conducted by agencies responsible for the projects to the opinions of the community involved. Specific projects with community-centered missions and methods are compared across different environmental agencies in Samoa, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The research examines how closely the implementation of each project matches its initial goals, how the success of implementation and community involvement is measured by the agency and whether evaluative tools were used …

Guardians Of The Grassland: A Qualitative Assessment Of The Success Of Community-Based Wildlife Conservation In Mongolia’S Eastern Steppe, Alexandra Sprague

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community-based conservation is a newer type of conservation that includes people in the ecosystem and attempts to simultaneously promote development and conservation. One organization in Mongolia that is facilitating the implementation of community-based conservation is the Wildlife Conservation Society. Their goal is:

My research questions concerning this NGO’s project are: what are the perceived benefits and problems with CBC? What makes it successful and how can it be improved? My location of study was the easternmost aimags of Mongolia, Dornod and Sukhbaatar. I spent 1 week travelling to 9 of the WCS’s 13 active herder communities asking their opinions about …

Alaska Marine Mammal Stock Assessments, 2008, R. P. Angliss, B. M. Allen

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

This report provides information on the marine mammal stocks of Alaska under the jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Each stock assessment includes, when available, a description of the stock’s geographic range, a minimum population estimate, current population trends, current and maximum net productivity rates, optimum sustainable population levels and allowable removal levels, and estimates of annual human-caused mortality and serious injury through interactions with commercial fisheries and subsistence hunters. These data will be used to evaluate the progress of each fishery towards achieving the MMPA’s goal of zero fishery-related mortality and serious injury of marine mammals. The Stock …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 25, Number 1 (April 2009), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

USDA Seeks Comments on New CWD Rule

Some of the Intricacies of CWD

3rd International CWD Symposium

White Nose Syndrome Update

Wildlife Poisoning in Kansas

Salmonellosis in Your Backyard

Trichomonosis in Songbirds

Dr. Al Franzmann

Staff & Student Recognition

House Cats As Predators In The Australian Environment: Impacts And Management, Christopher R. Dickman

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This paper provides an overview of the predatory activities of the house cat (Felis catus) in Australia, focusing principally on the interactions of domestic and stray cats with native species of prey. Like their free-living, or feral, counterparts, domestic cats take a broad range of prey, with small mammals, birds, and human-derived foods forming the bulk of the diet. Domestic and stray cats have contributed to declines of suburban populations of eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) and superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) in Victoria, Australia. The effects of cats on prey communities remain speculative. In …

Droughtscape, Spring 2009, Kelly Smith

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

U.S. Drought Monitor Publishes Map 500!

Weakening La Niña May Mean Relief for Texas

Upcoming Workshops

Drought Impacts Worst in California, Texas

CoCoRaHS to Request Drought Impact Data, Too

NDMC Adds Researcher

K-12 Students Learn About Drought

Gently Modified Operations: How Environmental Concerns Addressed Through Customs Procedures Can Successfully Resolve The Us-Eu Gmo Dispute, David E. Sella-Villa

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

N- And C-Terminal Domains In Human Holocarboxylase Synthetase Participate In Substrate Recognition, Yousef I. Hassan, Hideaki Moriyama, Lars J. Olsen, Xin Bi, Janos Zempleni

Hideaki Moriyama Publications

Holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS) catalyzes the binding of the vitamin biotin to carboxylases and histones. Carboxylases mediate essential steps in macronutrient metabolism. For example, propionyl- CoA carboxylase (PCC) catalyzes the carboxylation of propionyl-CoA in the metabolism of oddchain fatty acids. HCS comprises four putative domains, i.e., the N-terminus, the biotin transfer/ATP binding domain, a putative linker domain, and the C-terminus. Both N- and C-termini are essential for biotinylation of carboxylases by HCS, but the exact functions of these two domains in enzyme catalysis are unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that N- and C-termini play roles in substrate recognition by HCS. …