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Reproduction And Pollination Of The Endangered Dwarf Bear-Poppy Arctomecon Humilis (Papaveraceae) Across A Quarter Century: Unraveling Of A Pollination Web?, Vincent J. Tepedino, John Mull, Terry L. Griswold, Gerald Bryant

Western North American Naturalist

Arctomecon humilis, a rare gypsophile of the extreme northeastern Mojave Desert, is restricted to a few isolated populations (occurrences) in Washington Co, Utah (USA). At several points in the past quarter century, we have studied the breeding system and reproductive success of this endangered species, recorded its pollinators and tested the feasibility of human-assisted gene flow by conducting reciprocal crosses between two isolated occurrences approximately 4 km apart. We found A. humilis to possess a mixed breeding system in the occurrence studied (Beehive Dome in 1988); some plants exhibited self-compatibility but fruit/flowers and seeds/fruit were significantly lower in pollinator-effected …

Plant Community Changes Following Closure Of Artesian Wells In Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, Sarah J. Garza, Gillian Bowser, Kenneth R. Wilson

Western North American Naturalist

Artificial artesian wells have existed in the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado for over 100 years and are an important source of water for livestock and wildlife. When Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (GRSA) expanded its boundaries in 2000, 10 of these wells were within the new park boundary. In 2010, the National Park Service capped these wells to restore the surrounding habitat to a more natural state, which was severely disturbed from cattle and wildlife trampling. To study changes after well capping, we compared the plant communities in 2011 and 2012 and measured plant cover, …

Population Genetic Structure Of The Baird's Pocket Gopher, Geomys Breviceps, In Eastern Texas, Sarah R. Welborn, Jessica E. Light

Western North American Naturalist

The Baird’s pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps) is a solitary, fossorial rodent found throughout areas of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. These rodents are highly modified morphologically for an underground lifestyle, often resulting in limited vagility and isolated populations. Despite these unique characteristics, little is known about the population genetics of pocket gophers. We used mitochondrial and microsatellite data and performed a series of population genetic analyses to better understand the population structure and gene flow among a series of G. brevicepslocalities. Population genetic analyses supported high levels of gene flow among nearby localities (within 2 km of …

New Flea (Siphonaptera) Record For Heermann's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys Heermanni), San Luis Obispo County, California, Howard O. Clark Jr., Helen K. Pigage

Western North American Naturalist

Three Heermann’s kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermanni), from San Luis Obispo County, California, were examined for ectoparasites. Two species of flea were found,Meringis californicus and Hoplopsyllus anomalus. Occurrence of these two species onDipodomys heermanni has not been reported before and represents new host records.

Investigating The Release Mechanism Of Calcein From Eliposomes At Higher Temperatures, Ghaleb A. Husseini, William G. Pitt, Jacob B. Williams, Marjan Javadi

Faculty Publications

Numerous nanocarriers are currently being investigated as drug delivery vehicles for transporting chemotherapeutics to cancer cells. Our research group has recently synthesized a new generation of echogenic liposomes based on the concept of encapsulating one or more nanoemulsion droplets inside a liposome (called an “eLiposome”). The concept is to use a nanoemulsion droplet with a low boiling point near body temperature, thus requiring only a small acoustic nudge to vaporize the droplet from liquid to gas and break open the eLiposome, thus releasing its contents. The purpose of this note is twofold. First, we wanted to show experimentally that eLiposomes …

Viability Costs Of Reproduction And Behavioral Compensation In Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis), Clinton T. Laidlaw, Jacob M. Condon, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

The cost of reproduction hypothesis suggests that current reproduction has inherent tradeoffs with future reproduction. These tradeoffs can be both in the form of energy allocated to current offspring as opposed to somatic maintenance and future reproduction (allocation costs), or as an increase in mortality as a result of morphological or physiological changes related to reproduction (viability costs). Individuals may be able to decrease viability costs by altering behavior. Female western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis experience a reduction in swimming ability as a consequence of pregnancy. We test for a viability cost of reproduction, and for behavioral compensation in pregnant female …

Gasification Of Biomass, Coal, And Petroleum Coke At High Heating Rates And Elevated Pressure, Aaron D. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Gasification is a process used to convert any carbonaceous species through heterogeneous reaction to obtain the desired gaseous products of H2 and CO which are used to make chemicals, liquid transportation fuels, and power. Both pyrolysis and heterogeneous gasification occur in commercial entrained-flow gasifiers at pressures from 4 to 65 atm with local gas temperatures as high as 2000 °C. Many gasification studies have been performed at moderate temperatures, heating rates, and pressures. In this work, both pyrolysis and char gasification experiments were performed on coal, petroleum coke, and biomass at conditions pertinent to commercial entrained-flow gasifiers. Rapid biomass pyrolysis …

Voice Features Of Sjogren's Syndrome: Examination Of Relative Fundamental Frequency (Rff) During Connected Speech, Victoria Anne Lovett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of relative fundamental frequency (RFF) in quantifying voice disorder severity and possible change with treatment in individuals with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (SS). Participants completed twice-daily audio recordings during an ABAB within-subjects experimental study investigating the effects of nebulized saline on voice production in this population. Voice samples of the Rainbow Passage from seven of the eight individuals with Primary SS involved in a larger investigation met inclusion criteria for analysis, for a total of 555 tokens. The results indicated that RFF values for this sample were similar to previously reported …

Civilization And Self-Determination: Interpreting R.G. Collingwood For The Twenty-First Century - Part I, Gautam Ghosh

Comparative Civilizations Review

This article – the first of two – elaborates and endorses the understanding of civilization as advanced by R. G. Collingwood. Particular attention is given to two of his most neglected works, The New Leviathan and "What 'Civilization' Means." The New Leviathan in particular was written in the context of the rise of fascism and the prosecution of World War II. To support the war effort, Collingwood reconceptualized notions of civilization and linked it to a rationality of self-determination. Central to his argument are the distinctions he draws between civilization and barbarism, on the one hand, and between social, economic …

Residency Time As An Indicator Of Reproductive Restraint In Male Burying Beetles, Ashlee N. Smith, Mark C. Belk, J. Curtis Creighton

Faculty Publications

The cost of reproduction theory posits that there are trade-offs between current and future reproduction because resources that are allocated to current offspring cannot be used for future reproductive opportunities. Two adaptive reproductive strategies have been hypothesized to offset the costs of reproduction and maximize lifetime fitness. The terminal investment hypothesis predicts that as individuals age they will allocate more resources to current reproduction as a response to decreasing residual reproductive value. The reproductive restraint hypotheses predicts that as individuals age they will allocate fewer resources to current reproduction to increase the chance of surviving for an additional reproductive opportunity. …

Health Literacy And Obesity Among Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islanders In The U.S., Jane Lassetter

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Our purpose was to describe relationships between demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), and health literacy among Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs).

Design and Sample: In this cross-sectional survey, we interviewed 364 NHPI adults.

Measures: We used Newest Vital Sign (NVS), a health literacy tool; measured heights and weights; and demographic questions.

Results: According to participants’ NVS scores, 45.3% had at least a possibility of low health literacy. Lower NVS scores were associated with increased BMI (r = -0.12, p = 0.027) and increased age (r = -0.26, p < 0.001). Higher NVS scores were associated …

Pharmacologic Immunomodulation Of Macrophage Activation By Caffeine, Ryan Perry Steck

Theses and Dissertations

Caffeine is one of the most widely used neurostimulants in the world and there is considerable debate on its effect in immune cells. One of its main targets is proposed to be adenosine receptors which mediate an anti-inflammatory switch in activated immune cells while another target is phosphodiesterase where it acts as an inhibitor. In macrophages, caffeine has been shown to cause both pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes. If the primary effect of caffeine on macrophages were to antagonize adenosine receptors we would expect cells exposed to caffeine to have a prolonged M1 response. However, we show that caffeine …

Essay: The Great Literary Utopias Have A Nightmarish History, Laina Farhat-Holzman

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Criminal Justice Models And Their Influence On Civilization: A Comparison Of East And West, Zhou Ling Ph.D, Harry D. Rhodes

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

A Great Question Is Just The Beginning, Scott H. Knecht

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Postural Tremor In Essential Tremor Using A Seven-Degree-Of-Freedom Model, Daniel William Geiger

Theses and Dissertations

Essential Tremor (ET), a condition characterized by postural and kinetic tremor in the upper limbs, is one of the most prevalent movement disorders. While pharmaceutical and surgical treatment options exist, they are not ideal. Assistive devices have the potential to provide relief to patients but are largely unexplored for ET. Furthermore, prior characterizations of essential tremor have focused on endpoint tremor and provide insufficient detail for designing such a device. We propose and demonstrate a novel method for characterizing essential tremor in the 7 proximal degrees of freedom (DOF) of the upper limb in various postures. In addition, we provide …

Development Of Ultrasound Sensitive Eliposomes Containing Doxorubicin For Drug Delivery, Chung-Yin Lin, William G. Pitt, Kuo-Chen Wei

Faculty Publications

Aims: A novel nanocarrier was formulated by remote loading of doxorubicin (Dox) into a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposome that also contains various perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplets within its aqueous interior. It was shown that Dox can be loaded to a level of up to 67% into these large unilamellar vesicles composed of DPPC and cholesterol by employing a transmembrane pH gradient technique.

Methods: The different encapsulation efficiencies for these eLipoDox constructs of differing PFC composition are 45.5% (PFC5), 31.5% (PFC6) and 66.7% (PFC5/PFC6 mixture, PFCm). At 30 seconds of insonation, the eLipoDox formulation with PFCm droplets appeared to release more Dox than …

Investigating The Stability Of Eliposomes At Elevated Temperatures, Ghaleb A. Husseini, William G. Pitt, Marjan Javadi

Faculty Publications

eLiposomes encapsulate a perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion droplet inside a liposome. Ultrasound is then used as a trigger mechanism to vaporize the perfluorocarbon, break the liposome, and release the desired drug to the tumor tissue. The purpose of this research is to show that eLiposomes synthesized using perfluoropentane are stable above the normal boiling point of the perfluoropentane and at body temperature and thus has potential for use in vivo. Experiments involving the release of fluorescent calcein molecules were performed on eLiposomes to measure the release of calcein at various temperatures in the absence of ultrasound. Results showed that eLiposomes are stable …

Investigating The Stability Of Eliposomes At Elevated Temperatures, Ghaleb A. Husseini, William G. Pitt, Marjan Javadi

Faculty Publications

eLiposomes encapsulate a perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion droplet inside a liposome. Ultrasound is then used as a trigger mechanism to vaporize the perfluorocarbon, break the liposome, and release the desired drug to the tumor tissue. The purpose of this research is to show that eLiposomes synthesized using perfluoropentane are stable above the normal boiling point of the perfluoropentane and at body temperature and thus has potential for use in vivo. Experiments involving the release of fluorescent calcein molecules were performed on eLiposomes to measure the release of calcein at various temperatures in the absence of ultrasound. Results showed that eLiposomes are stable …

Island Specialists: Shared Flora Of The Alta And Baja California Pacific Islands, Sarah E. Ratay, Sula E. Vanderplank, Benjamin T. Wilder

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

The floristic connection between the mediterranean region of Baja California and the Pacific islands of Alta and Baja California provides insight into the history and origin of the California Floristic Province. We present updated species lists for all California Floristic Province islands and demonstrate the disjunct distributions of 26 taxa between the Baja California and the California Channel Islands. These 26 plant taxa are found among the 16 Pacific islands without occurring on the intervening mainland of Alta California. Separate species lists for each island group (8 California Channel Islands and 8 Baja California Islands) were compiled. These lists were …

Landscapes Of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, R. Randall Schumann, Scott A. Minor, Daniel R. Muhs, Jeffrey S. Pigati

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Santa Rosa Island (SRI) is the second-largest of the California Channel Islands. It is one of 4 east–west aligned islands forming the northern Channel Islands chain, and one of the 5 islands in Channel Islands National Park. The landforms, and collections of landforms called landscapes, of Santa Rosa Island have been created by tectonic uplift and faulting, rising and falling sea level, landslides, erosion and deposition, floods, and droughts. Landscape features, and areas delineating groups of related features on Santa Rosa Island, are mapped, classified, and described in this paper. Notable landscapes on the island include beaches, coastal plains formed …

The Contributions Of Donald Lee Johnson To Understanding The Quaternary Geologic And Biogeographic History Of The California Channel Islands, Daniel R. Muhs

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Over a span of 50 years, native Californian Donald Lee Johnson made a number of memorable contributions to our understanding of the California Channel Islands. Among these are (1) recognizing that carbonate dunes, often cemented into eolianite and derived from offshore shelf sediments during lowered sea level, are markers of glacial periods on the Channel Islands; (2) identifying beach rock on the Channel Islands as the northernmost occurrence of this feature on the Pacific Coast of North America; (3) recognizing of the role of human activities in historic landscape modification; (4) identifying both the biogenic and pedogenic origins of caliche …

Ion Structure And Energetics In The Gas Phase Characterized Using Fourier Transfom Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Chad A. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I use Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) to study the structure and energetics of gas phase ions. Infrared multiphoton dissociation spectroscopy (IRMPD) is a technique for measuring the IR spectrum of gas phase ions in a Penning trap. I use this technique to investigate the conformation of cucurbituril complexes, terminal diamines, and protonated amino acids. Cross sectional areas by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (CRAFTI) is a technique developed by the Dearden lab to measure the cross section of gas phase ions. In this work, I further develop a fundamental understanding of …

Foregoing Intellectual Powers: Exploring Social Instincts In "The Old Gentleman", Brittany Strobelt

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Criterion: A Journal For Literary Criticism (2014), Criterion: A Journal For Literary Criticism

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Snf1 Mediated Phosphorylation And Activation Of Pas Kinase, Bryan D. Badal

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient sensing kinases sense available nutrients and regulate cell activity accordingly. Three of these enzymes are AMP regulated kinase (AMPK, or Snf1 in yeast), PAS kinase, and target of rapamycin (TOR), are conserved from yeast to man and have overlapping function. AMPK and Snf1 are important in sensing when nutrient status in the cell is low and down regulating energy consuming pathways. PAS kinase is required for glucose homeostasis in the cell, and responds to glucose levels. TOR senses nutrients such as amino acids and upregulates cell growth pathways primarily through protein synthesis. Due to the varying nature of these …

Extended Formation Flight At Transonic Speeds, Andrew Ning, Ilan Kroo, Michael Aftosmis, Marian Nemec, James Kless

Faculty Publications

Aircraft flown in formation can realize significant reductions in induced drag by flying in regions of wake upwash. However, most transports fly at transonic speeds where the impact of compressibility on formation flight is not well understood. This study utilizes an Euler solver to analyze the inviscid aerodynamic forces and moments of transonic wing/body configurations flying in a two-aircraft formation. Formations with large streamwise separation distances (10-50 wingspans) are considered.

This work indicates that compressibility-related drag penalties in formation flight may be eliminated by slowing 2-3% below the nominal out-of-formation cruise Mach number (either at fixed lift coefficient or fixed …

Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus Idahoensis) Habitat Selection: Does Sagebrush (Artemisia Sp.) Age Influence Selection?, Robert J. Edgel, Janet L. Pierce, Randy T. Larsen

Western North American Naturalist

The pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) is a sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) obligate that depends on sagebrush habitats for food and cover throughout its life cycle. Invasive species, frequent fires, overgrazing, conversion of land to agriculture, energy development, and many other factors have contributed to recent declines in both quantity and quality of sagebrush habitats required by pygmy rabbits. Given declining availability of sagebrush, there is a need to identify characteristics of suitable pygmy rabbit habitat. Although habitat selection information exists from several western states, data is limited for pygmy rabbits in Utah at the extent of …

Survey Of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) From The Kuskokwim River Watershed In Western Alaska, Barbara L. Hayford, Robert L. Newell, Zach J. Crete

Western North American Naturalist

Rapidly declining diversity of freshwater species necessitates surveys to document and describe patterns in biodiversity. To this end, a survey of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) was conducted in a remote watershed of western Alaska. Larval chironomids were collected from 16 stream sites in the Kuskokwim River watershed in 2009 and 2010. Twenty-seven chironomid taxa were identified. Orthocladiinae was the most diverse subfamily and was numerically dominant at all sites except a glacial runoff stream where Diamesinae was numerically dominant. Two rare chironomids were collected in the study: an undescribed species of Stilocladius and a species ofOrthocladius (Mesorthocladius). The …

Gastrointestinal Helminths From Eight Species Of Aspidoscelis (Squamata: Teiidae) From Mexico, Stephen R. Goldberg, Charles R. Bursey, Jeanette Arreola

Western North American Naturalist

Seventy-four representatives of 8 species of whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis ssp.), from Mexico were examined for helminths: Aspidoscelis calidipes (n = 8), A. communis (n = 10), A. cozumelae (n = 9), A. gularis (n = 10), A. lineattissima (n = 9), A. motaguae (n = 11), A. parvisocia (n = 9), and A. sackii (n = 8). We found one species of Cestoda,Oochoristica scelopori, and 7 species of Nematoda, including Abbreviata terrapenis, Parapharyngodon alvarengai, Pharyngodon warneri, Spauligodon garciaprietoi, Spinicauda spinicauda, Thubunaea cnemidophorus, and Physaloptera sp. Mean helminth diversity per lizard …