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Effect Of Three Cryoconservation Diluents On Sperm Motility And Vitality In The Ejaculate Of Bulbourethal-Ectomized Llamas (Lama Glama), Department Of La Paz, Edwin Eddy Maceda Tintaya Jan 2008

Effect Of Three Cryoconservation Diluents On Sperm Motility And Vitality In The Ejaculate Of Bulbourethal-Ectomized Llamas (Lama Glama), Department Of La Paz, Edwin Eddy Maceda Tintaya

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of three different diluents used during the cryopreservation process on the motility and vitality of sperm cells. The three diluters used in this study were: A) trice-serum-egg yolk-glycerin, B) serum-egg yolk-glycerin, and C) Dulbecco’s serum-egg-yolk- glycerin. Diluters were tested in proportions of 64-15-15-6% (N1), 54-20-20-6% (N2), and 44-35-15-6% (N3). Llama semen was collected at the Mejoramiento Genético y Diagnóstico Clínico Del Servicio Agropecuario (SEDAG) in the Los Andes Province of the Department of La Paz. The procedure took place at the Unidad Académica Campesina de Tiahuanaco by a direct optimized …

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Quantification Of Pollinating Insects Of The Superfamily Apoidea In Three Ecological Niches Of Three Communities In The Municipality Of Coroico-Nor Yungas, Department Of La Paz, Óscar Jaime Claros Sossa Jan 2008

Quantification Of Pollinating Insects Of The Superfamily Apoidea In Three Ecological Niches Of Three Communities In The Municipality Of Coroico-Nor Yungas, Department Of La Paz, Óscar Jaime Claros Sossa

Theses and Dissertations

The superfamily Apoidea (commonly referred to as bees), are insects whose diet consists of the nectar and pollen from flowering plants. Therefore, they are essential pollinators of many species, both wild and cultivated.
Bees are similar to other Hymenoptera in appearance, size, and color variety. The superfamily Apoidea contains 17,000 known species and could possibly contain up to 30,000. Bees perform many tasks that benefit humanity such as pollinating the flowers of both wild and cultivated plants. Without this work, fruits and seeds necessary for the survival of different species, for our own food supply, and for industry would not …

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On The Satirical Counter-Discourse Of Processed Cheese, Lara Ryazanova-Clarke Jan 2008

On The Satirical Counter-Discourse Of Processed Cheese, Lara Ryazanova-Clarke

Russian Language Journal

The post-Soviet period presents an illuminating picture of competition taking place between different public discourses for meaning construction and articulation. It has been observed that after an initial period when the public narrative of the nation experienced fragmentation, and, using Pierre Bourdieu’s term, went through a period of heterodoxy during the last decade―roughly corresponding with the presidency of Vladimir Putin―it has displayed the growing characteristics of orthodoxy, with its centrally produced “common sense” meanings and assumptions.

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A Brief Survey Of Ancient Near Eastern Beekeeping, Ronan James Head Jan 2008

A Brief Survey Of Ancient Near Eastern Beekeeping, Ronan James Head

Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011

No abstract provided.

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Peter Severinus: From Humours To Chemistry In The Sixteenth Century, Michael T. Walton, Robert M. Fineman Jan 2008

Peter Severinus: From Humours To Chemistry In The Sixteenth Century, Michael T. Walton, Robert M. Fineman

Quidditas

The re-discovery of the works of Mendel and others has added greatly to our understanding of genetics. Such is now the case of Peter Severinus, with the recent recovery (or re-discovery) of his seminal work, Idea Medicinae Philosophicae (1571). Severinus concurred with Paracelsus’s (1493-1541) concept of seeds (little chemical factories) that worked on matter to form living things; but he was also aware of transplantation (grafting and cross-pollination) that changed phenotypes and genotypes in plants. Severinus applied this understanding to hereditary diseases in humans and extended Paracelsian theory. He believed that certain diseases in one’s offspring were caused by a …

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James L. Kugel. How To Read The Bible: A Guide To Scripture Then And Now, Eric A. Eliason Jan 2008

James L. Kugel. How To Read The Bible: A Guide To Scripture Then And Now, Eric A. Eliason

BYU Studies

James L. Kugel. How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture Then and Now. New York: The Free Press, 2007

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Full Issue, Byu Studies Jan 2008

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

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One Continuous Flow: Revelations Surrounding The New Translation, Kerry M. Muhlestein Jan 2008

One Continuous Flow: Revelations Surrounding The New Translation, Kerry M. Muhlestein

Faculty Publications

We often underestimate both the complexity and continuity of Joseph Smith's revelatory life. His visions rolled, he said, "like an overflowing surge before [his] mind." Now that they have been compartmentalized into different sections, chapters, and books, we tend to compartmentalize them in our minds. Such a practice, however, limits our ability to see how powerful and continuous this "overflowing surge" really was.

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Royal Executions: Evidence Bearing On The Subject Of Sanctioned Killing In The Middle Kingdom, Kerry M. Muhlestein Jan 2008

Royal Executions: Evidence Bearing On The Subject Of Sanctioned Killing In The Middle Kingdom, Kerry M. Muhlestein

Faculty Publications

The pages of this journal, and other publications, have seen disagreement in the past regarding the methods of and reasons for sanctioned killing in Ancient Egypt. Some of this disagreement stems from having looked at large expanses of time without regard to change, and to arbitrarily imposed limitations. By looking at a larger corpus of evidence and restricting the examination to a specific period of time, this paper establishes that the Middle Kingdom engaged in a number of methods of sanctioned killing for more reasons than has often been supposed.

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Time Reversal, Brian E. Anderson, Michele Griffa, Paul A. Johnson, Carene Larmat, Timothy J. Ulrich Jan 2008

Time Reversal, Brian E. Anderson, Michele Griffa, Paul A. Johnson, Carene Larmat, Timothy J. Ulrich

Faculty Publications

This article provides an historical overview of Time Reversal (TR), introduces its basic physics, addresses advantages and limitations, and describes some applications of this very active research area of acoustics. In the Geophysics Group at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, we conduct studies of TR of elastic waves in solids. Our work includes application of TR to nondestructive evaluation of materials, as well as to earthquake source characterization, and ground-based nuclear explosion monitoring. We emphasize the term elastic waves here to underscore that we include both compression and shear waves, in contrast to purely acoustic waves that are only compressional.

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Learning Policies For Embodied Virtual Agents Through Demonstration, Jonathan Dinerstein, Parris K. Egbert, Dan A. Ventura Jan 2008

Learning Policies For Embodied Virtual Agents Through Demonstration, Jonathan Dinerstein, Parris K. Egbert, Dan A. Ventura

Faculty Publications

Although many powerful AI and machine learning techniques exist, it remains difficult to quickly create AI for embodied virtual agents that produces visually lifelike behavior. This is important for applications (e.g., games, simulators, interactive displays) where an agent must behave in a manner that appears human-like. We present a novel technique for learning reactive policies that mimic demonstrated human behavior. The user demonstrates the desired behavior by dictating the agent’s actions during an interactive animation. Later, when the agent is to behave autonomously, the recorded data is generalized to form a continuous state-to-action mapping. Combined with an appropriate animation algorithm …

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Clinical Application Of Standardized Cognitive Assessment Using Fmri. Ii. Verbal Fluency, Mark D. Allen, Alina K. Fong Jan 2008

Clinical Application Of Standardized Cognitive Assessment Using Fmri. Ii. Verbal Fluency, Mark D. Allen, Alina K. Fong

Faculty Publications

In this study, we describe an fMRI version of the verbal fluency test. This is the second in a series of fMRI adaptations of classical neuropsychological tests, for which normative samples of functional activation have been collected from unimpaired control subjects and structured in a manner that makes individual patient evaluation possible in terms of familiar z-score distributions. This fMRI protocol is shown to have strong convergent validity with the FAS phonemic fluency test and to elicit activation patterns highly consistent with a large body of previous neuroimaging studies of verbal fluency. We also present a case study, in which …

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User Fees In Local Finance: Performance And Potential In Czech And Slovak Republics, Phillip J. Bryson Jan 2008

User Fees In Local Finance: Performance And Potential In Czech And Slovak Republics, Phillip J. Bryson

Faculty Publications

The Czech Republic and Slovakia, like other transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe, have given significant lip service to fiscal decentralization and engaged in public administration reforms. But the subnational governments of their public finance systems still lack relative autonomy, which could be addressed partly through developing independent revenue sources for their municipalities and regions. Currently, such independent revenue sources include the proceeds of a strictly nominal property tax as well as those of a small set of local user fees and taxes designed and approved by the central governments. Together they represent only about 5 percent of total …

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Model-Centered Instruction, The Design, And The Designer, Andrew S. Gibbons Iii Jan 2008

Model-Centered Instruction, The Design, And The Designer, Andrew S. Gibbons Iii

Faculty Publications

A model of instruction described by Wenger (1987) identifies three elements that are active during instruction: the mental model the instructor wishes to share with the learner, the external experience used to communicate the mental model, and the evolving mental model of the learner. Gibbons (2003a), writing in response to Seel (2003), noted this three-part description as a bridge concept relating learning and instruction. This view has important practical implications for designers of instruction. For example, Gibbons and Rogers (in press) propose that there exists a natural layered architecture within instructional designs that corresponds with instructional functions. Among these layers …

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"I Will Contend With Them That Contendeth With Thee": The Divine Warrior In Jacob's Speech Of 2 Nephi 6-10, Daniel Belnap Jan 2008

"I Will Contend With Them That Contendeth With Thee": The Divine Warrior In Jacob's Speech Of 2 Nephi 6-10, Daniel Belnap

Faculty Publications

It is unclear from the text exactly where or when Jacob offered his magnificent discourse recorded in 2 Nephi 6–10, but while such details are missing, the discourse itself stands as one of the most powerful passages of scripture in the Book of Mormon. The purpose of the speech was to answer an ongoing concern of the Nephites. Since their departure from Jerusalem it appears that the Nephites had felt cut off and isolated from God’s promises because they lacked a permanent land of inheritance. By the time of Jacob’s speech, the Nephites had been driven from two lands of …

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Child–Adult Differences In Second-Language Phonological Learning: The Role Of Cross-Language Similarity, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, Pavel Trofimovich, James E. Flege, Molly Mack, Randall Halter Jan 2008

Child–Adult Differences In Second-Language Phonological Learning: The Role Of Cross-Language Similarity, Wendy Baker-Smemoe, Pavel Trofimovich, James E. Flege, Molly Mack, Randall Halter

Faculty Publications

This study evaluated whether age effects on second language (L2) speech learning derive from changes in how the native language (L1) and L2 sound systems interact. According to the “interaction hypothesis” (IH), the older the L2 learner, the less likely the learner is able to establish new vowel categories needed for accurate L2 vowel production and perception because, with age, L1 vowel categories become more likely to perceptually encompass neighboring L2 vowels. These IH predictions were evaluated in two experiments involving 64 native Korean- and English-speaking children and adults. Experiment 1 determined, as predicted, that the Korean children were less …

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Effects Of Friendship In Transactions In An Emerging Market: Empirical Evidence From Brazil, Wesley Mendes-Da-Silva, Thaís Fernanda Salves De Brito, Rubens Famá, Jonathan T. Liljegren Jan 2008

Effects Of Friendship In Transactions In An Emerging Market: Empirical Evidence From Brazil, Wesley Mendes-Da-Silva, Thaís Fernanda Salves De Brito, Rubens Famá, Jonathan T. Liljegren

Faculty Publications

This paper considers the inclusion of human behavioral aspects and implications of cognitive psychology and anthropology in decisions relating to the emerging field of behavioral finance. The formulated hypotheses were tested using 400 questionnaires, answered by students enrolled in MBA programs. The principal results suggest that individuals involved in transactions among friends or among strangers assume different behaviors—friends agree about the price attributed to an asset, while strangers show the propensity to bargain.

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Increased Willow Heights Along Northern Yellowstone's Blacktail Deer Creek Following Wolf Reintroduction, Robert L. Beschta, William J. Ripple Dec 2007

Increased Willow Heights Along Northern Yellowstone's Blacktail Deer Creek Following Wolf Reintroduction, Robert L. Beschta, William J. Ripple

Western North American Naturalist

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995–1996. In August 2004 we measured plant architecture of Geyer willow (Salix geyeriana) stems along three 100-m reaches of Blacktail Deer Creek in Yellowstone's northern elk (Cervus elaphus) winter range to evaluate changes in patterns of browsing and height growth following wolf reintroduction. Average browsing intensities (n = 3 stream reaches) of 100% in 1997 decreased to 0%–55% by 2003, whereas average stem heights of 25–74 cm in 1997 increased to 149–268 cm by 2003, indicating that willow height growth was inversely …

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Variation In Ant Populations With Elevation, Tree Cover, And Fire In A Pinyon-Juniper–Dominated Watershed, Eugénie M. Montblanc, Jeanne C. Chambers, Peter F. Brussard Dec 2007

Variation In Ant Populations With Elevation, Tree Cover, And Fire In A Pinyon-Juniper–Dominated Watershed, Eugénie M. Montblanc, Jeanne C. Chambers, Peter F. Brussard

Western North American Naturalist

Climate change and fire suppression have facilitated expansion of pinyon-juniper woodlands into sagebrush-steppe ecosystems of the Great Basin, USA, resulting in a loss of biological diversity. To assess the effects of using prescribed fire in restoration efforts, ant abundance, species richness, and composition were examined pre- and post-burn along the elevation and tree cover gradients encompassed by a pinyon-juniper woodland in a central Nevada watershed. Ants were sampled using pitfall traps in 6 sites for the elevation study and in 2 sites for the tree cover study, representing paired burn and control sites in a randomized block design. Vegetation and …

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Growth And Demography Of One Population Of The Lizard Sceloporus Mucronatus Mucronatus, Angela M. Ortega-León, Emily R. Smith, J. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega, Fausto R. Méndez–De La Cruz Dec 2007

Growth And Demography Of One Population Of The Lizard Sceloporus Mucronatus Mucronatus, Angela M. Ortega-León, Emily R. Smith, J. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega, Fausto R. Méndez–De La Cruz

Western North American Naturalist

We report on growth and demography of Sceloporus mucronatus mucronatus, a lizard subspecies endemic to central Mexico. We characterize the life history of this subspecies, provide quantitative information relevant to conservation, and add to the growing literature on the diversity of life histories in the genus Sceloporus. We calculated body growth rates and fitted them to the Von Bertalanffy, the logistic-by-length, and the logistic-by-weight growth models. The Von Bertalanffy model provided the best fit, and we used it to analyze the growth pattern. Growth rates were similar during the 1st year of life in both sexes, but after …

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Moistened Seeds Increase Rodent Trap Success, John C. Tull, Michael W. Sears Dec 2007

Moistened Seeds Increase Rodent Trap Success, John C. Tull, Michael W. Sears

Western North American Naturalist

Seed moisture has been shown to influence the rates of seed cache removal by rodents. Although the precise mechanism is not known, this knowledge might prove useful in field applications. We examined whether moistened bait would increase trap success in desert rodent populations. We placed traps 15 m apart in grids within a 500-ha study area and randomly baited traps with either dry or moistened seeds. We found that traps baited with moistened seeds had 34.9% higher success than traps baited with dry seeds (n = 190, χ2 = 5.389, df = 1, P = 0.020). Our results …

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The Scotopic Visual Sensitivity Of Four Species Of Trout: A Comparative Study, Russell B. Rader, Timberley Belish, Michael K. Young, John Rothlisberger Dec 2007

The Scotopic Visual Sensitivity Of Four Species Of Trout: A Comparative Study, Russell B. Rader, Timberley Belish, Michael K. Young, John Rothlisberger

Western North American Naturalist

We compared the maximum scotopic visual sensitivity of 4 species of trout from twilight (mesotopic) to fully dark-adapted vision. Scotopic vision is the minimum number of photons to which a fully dark-adapted animal will show a behavioral response. A comparison of visual sensitivity under controlled laboratory conditions showed that brown trout (Salmo trutta) and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) had maximum scotopic thresholds (1.1 × 10−4 µmol · m−2s−1, ~0.005 lux) 2 times lower than rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) and Snake River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri), which …

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Censusing Bobcats Using Remote Cameras, Eveline S. Larrucea, Gianluca Serra, Michael M. Jaeger, Reginald H. Barrett Dec 2007

Censusing Bobcats Using Remote Cameras, Eveline S. Larrucea, Gianluca Serra, Michael M. Jaeger, Reginald H. Barrett

Western North American Naturalist

We estimated bobcat (Lynx rufus) density for 3 different locations in northern California using active infrared-triggered cameras. Using differences in pelage pattern as well as other physical characteristics, we identified individual bobcats from photographs, and used mark-recapture techniques to estimate population density. Camera density affected the precision of population estimates. The same population was estimated using camera densities of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 cameras · km−2. Higher camera densities resulted in more captures and recaptures of bobcats and, consequently, in more precise density estimates. Similarly, the number of photo-captures and recaptures increased with …

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Population Density, Biomass, And Age-Class Structure Of An Invasive Clam Corbicula Fluminea In Rivers Of The Lower San Joaquin River Watershed, California, Larry R. Brown, Janet K. Thompson, Karen Higgins, Lisa V. Lucas Dec 2007

Population Density, Biomass, And Age-Class Structure Of An Invasive Clam Corbicula Fluminea In Rivers Of The Lower San Joaquin River Watershed, California, Larry R. Brown, Janet K. Thompson, Karen Higgins, Lisa V. Lucas

Western North American Naturalist

Corbicula fluminea is well known as an invasive filter-feeding freshwater bivalve with a variety of effects on ecosystem processes. However, C. fluminea has been relatively unstudied in the rivers of the western United States. In June 2003, we sampled C. fluminea at 16 sites in the San Joaquin River watershed of California, which was invaded by C. fluminea in the 1940s. Corbicula fluminea was common in 2 tributaries to the San Joaquin River, reaching densities of 200 clams · m−2, but was rare in the San Joaquin River. Biomass followed a similar pattern. Clams of the same age …

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Large Mixed-Species Dispersal Flights For Predatory And Scavenging Aquatic Heteroptera And Coleoptera, Northern Arizona, Usa, Lawrence E. Stevens, John T. Polhemus, Richard S. Durfee, Carl A. Olson Dec 2007

Large Mixed-Species Dispersal Flights For Predatory And Scavenging Aquatic Heteroptera And Coleoptera, Northern Arizona, Usa, Lawrence E. Stevens, John T. Polhemus, Richard S. Durfee, Carl A. Olson

Western North American Naturalist

We report 4 incidents of large (hundreds to hundreds of thousands of individuals) mixed-species flights of predatory and scavenging aquatic Heteroptera and Coleoptera. The events occurred on normal (mostly clear, calm) autumn 2005 and spring 2006 late afternoons near Flagstaff, Arizona. Flight days were either near the full moon or in advanced waning lunar periods. At least 18 species were involved in the flights, with as many as 16 species (7 species of Heteroptera in 3 families, 9 species of Coleoptera in 2 families) in a single flight. Heteroptera (especially from the family Corixidae) were 2–4 orders of magnitude more …

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Home Range Size Of Black-Backed Woodpeckers In Burned Forests Of Southwestern Idaho, Jonathan G. Dudley, Victoria A. Saab Dec 2007

Home Range Size Of Black-Backed Woodpeckers In Burned Forests Of Southwestern Idaho, Jonathan G. Dudley, Victoria A. Saab

Western North American Naturalist

We examined home range size of Black-backed Woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) in burned ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) / Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests of southwestern Idaho during 2000 and 2002 (6 and 8 years following fire). Home range size for 4 adult males during the post-fledging period was 115.6–420.9 ha using the 95% fixed-kernel method, and 150.4–766.1 ha using the 100% minimum convex polygon method. Smoothed bootstrap estimates (95%) were 130.0–521.9 ha. Home range sizes were significantly smaller 6 years after fire than 8 years after fire. Each male had from 2 to 8 areas of …

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New Distribution Records For The Querétero Dusky Rattlesnake Crotalus Aquilus (Viperidae), With Comments On Morphology And Habitat Use, Jesse M. Meik, Estrella Mociño Deloya, Kirk Setser Dec 2007

New Distribution Records For The Querétero Dusky Rattlesnake Crotalus Aquilus (Viperidae), With Comments On Morphology And Habitat Use, Jesse M. Meik, Estrella Mociño Deloya, Kirk Setser

Western North American Naturalist

We provide the 1st documented accounts of the Mexican endemic rattlesnake Crotalus aquilus from the state of México. The new records extend the known distribution of the species into a region where it may be sympatric with the superficially similar C. triseriatus. Because these taxa have previously been subject to some taxonomic confusion, we performed a preliminary morphological comparison using individuals of both species obtained from proximal localities. Our analyses support the supposition that these taxa are morphologically distinct. The new localities for C. aquilus are situated in high valleys that have been extensively modified by human settlement and …

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Hay Piles Of The Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia Rufa) Delay Plant Decomposition, Richard Karban, Claire Karban, Jesse Karban Dec 2007

Hay Piles Of The Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia Rufa) Delay Plant Decomposition, Richard Karban, Claire Karban, Jesse Karban

Western North American Naturalist

Mountain beavers cache plants in neat piles above the ground near the entrances to their underground burrows, although the purpose of these hay piles remains controversial. We tested the hypothesis that drying plants in piles above ground may slow decay when the plants are stored underground. Predried plants and undried controls were placed in abandoned burrows. Plants that had been predried retained more green and decayed more slowly than undried controls. This experimental test supports the hypothesis that haying may extend the time during which plants are useful to mountain beavers.

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Observations On An Association Between The Weevil Scaphomorphus Trivittatus (Say) And Two Astragalus Species On Selenium-Rich Soils In Carbon County, Utah, Gary R. Hooper, Boyd F. Holdaway Dec 2007

Observations On An Association Between The Weevil Scaphomorphus Trivittatus (Say) And Two Astragalus Species On Selenium-Rich Soils In Carbon County, Utah, Gary R. Hooper, Boyd F. Holdaway

Western North American Naturalist

The weevil Scaphomorphus trivittatus (Say) was found in close association with Astragalus praelongus var. elliseae (Rydb.) and Astragalus asclepiadoides (Jones) in selenium-containing soils in Carbon County, Utah. The weevils fed on roots of the Astragalus species and formed soil cocoons, which were attached to the tap roots. The weevils pupated and developed into adults in these cocoons over the fall and winter and then emerged in the spring. The plants and soil cocoons contained highly elevated levels of selenium compared to the soils. The weevils, in contrast, differed little from the soils in selenium content.

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Study Of The Reproducibility Of Proteomics Methods And Variability Of Fruit Fly Proteomes., Thomas Franklin Culwell Dec 2007

Study Of The Reproducibility Of Proteomics Methods And Variability Of Fruit Fly Proteomes., Thomas Franklin Culwell

Theses and Dissertations

The reliability of biomarker discovery by means of proteomics has been called into question. It was speculated that "background noise" variation resulting from differences in preparation and handling of samples and proteome dynamics may mask subtle, yet important, differences due to the biological condition. Little is understood about complex proteomes and their variability. A critical aspect of proteomic biomarker research that is largely unexplored is the comparative reproducibility of certain methods such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. In particular, with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, it is not known whether variability in peptide quantitation is dependent on any of …

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