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The Impact Of Depression And Health On Sexual Satisfaction For Older Couples, Victoria Celeste Scott Jun 2011

The Impact Of Depression And Health On Sexual Satisfaction For Older Couples, Victoria Celeste Scott

Theses and Dissertations

This study of 535 older married couples examined the relationship between depression and health and sexual satisfaction directly and when mediated by communication. The sample included 535 older couples who completed a survey questionnaire known as Project Couple Retire. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of depression, health, perception of sexual intimacy, communication and other demographic information. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that for women, health was a significant predictor of sexual satisfaction. For both genders, the results suggest that depression, when mediated by communication, is a predictor of sexual satisfaction among older couples.

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Progress Toward Theonellamide F, Jennifer Dawn Bettale Jun 2011

Progress Toward Theonellamide F, Jennifer Dawn Bettale

Theses and Dissertations

Theonellamide is a bicyclic peptide isolated from a marine sponge, which shows interesting biological activity. It contains several unnatural amino acids, among which are (2S,3R)-3-hydroxyasparagine (L-erythro-β-hydroxyasparagine) (β-OHAsn) and τ-L-histindino-D-alanine (τ-HAL). Although there were previous synthetic efforts toward each of these unnatural amino acids, the efforts were not ideal due to expensive starting material, time-consuming steps, and poor regioselectivity. The presented work demonstrates an inexpensive, enantioselective synthesis of β-OHAsn, which can be completed in a matter of weeks, as well as several attempts at a novel regiospecific approach toward τ-HAL, including work on a model study.

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Compressibility Effects Of Extended Formation Flight, Andrew Ning, Ilan Kroo Jun 2011

Compressibility Effects Of Extended Formation Flight, Andrew Ning, Ilan Kroo

Faculty Publications

Aircraft flown in formations may realize significant reductions in induced drag by flying in regions of wake upwash. However, most transports fly at transonic speeds and compressibility effects in formation flight are not well understood. This study uses an Euler solver to analyze the inviscid aerodynamic forces and moments of transonic wing/body configurations flying in a 2-aircraft formation. We consider formations with large streamwise separation distances (10-50 wingspans) in an arrangement we term extended formation flight. Compressibility-related drag penalties in formation flight may be eliminated by slowing 2-3% below the nominal out-of-formation drag divergence Mach number, at fixed lift coefficient …

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Things Are In People, People Are In Things: A Phenomenological Approach To H.D.'S Hermione And The Modernist Prosthetic Body, Alison Stone Roberg Jun 2011

Things Are In People, People Are In Things: A Phenomenological Approach To H.D.'S Hermione And The Modernist Prosthetic Body, Alison Stone Roberg

Theses and Dissertations

H.D.'s autobiographical novel HERmione is phenomenological in texture. It portrays both sides of a dynamic process: the individual "creates" the world by adjusting a "psychic lens," projecting a mental space in which objects can appear; yet at the same time, the world imposes itself on the sensing subject. The framework within which this dynamic process occurs is the body; as the novel portrays, the body is the site of juxtapositions and transformations as it comes into contact with the world. In this article, I discuss the ways in which H.D. explores the boundaries and intersections between the human body and …

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Thermodynamics Of Dna Hybridization On Surfaces, Terry J. Schmitt, Thomas A. Knotts Iv May 2011

Thermodynamics Of Dna Hybridization On Surfaces, Terry J. Schmitt, Thomas A. Knotts Iv

Faculty Publications

Hybridization of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) targets to surface-tethered ssDNA probes was simulated using an advanced coarse-grain model to identify key factors that influence the accuracy of DNA microarrays. Comparing behavior in the bulk and on the surface showed, contrary to previous assumptions, that hybridization on surfaces is more thermodynamically favorable than in the bulk. In addition, the effects of stretching or compressing the probe strand were investigated as a model system to test the hypothesis that improving surface hybridization will improve microarray performance. The results in this regard indicate that selectivity can be increased by reducing overall sensitivity by a …

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Accelerated Large-Scale Multiple Sequence Alignment With Reconfigurable Computing, G Scott Lloyd May 2011

Accelerated Large-Scale Multiple Sequence Alignment With Reconfigurable Computing, G Scott Lloyd

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple Sequence Alignment (MSA) is a fundamental analysis method used in bioinformatics and many comparative genomic applications. The time to compute an optimal MSA grows exponentially with respect to the number of sequences. Consequently, producing timely results on large problems requires more efficient algorithms and the use of parallel computing resources. Reconfigurable computing hardware provides one approach to the acceleration of biological sequence alignment. Other acceleration methods typically encounter scaling problems that arise from the overhead of inter-process communication and from the lack of parallelism. Reconfigurable computing allows a greater scale of parallelism with many custom processing elements that have …

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The Influence Of Profession And Therapy Type For The Cost Effective Treatment Of Sexual Dysfunction, David Fawcett May 2011

The Influence Of Profession And Therapy Type For The Cost Effective Treatment Of Sexual Dysfunction, David Fawcett

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual dysfunctions are serious mental health issues that impact an estimated one in three Americans. Due to the complex, relational nature of most sexual dysfunctions, mental health professionals trained to work with couples and their relationship interactions are likely to have better outcomes when treating clients with sexual dysfunction. Data from CIGNA Health Solutions was analyzed to explore differences in therapy outcome for various types of mental health professions when treating clients with sexual dysfunctions. The current research is a retrospective analysis of administrative data that explores whether or not type of profession (i.e. psychologists, Masters of social work, marriage …

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Adaptive Threat Detector Testing Using Bayesian Gaussian Process Models, Bradley Thomas Ferguson May 2011

Adaptive Threat Detector Testing Using Bayesian Gaussian Process Models, Bradley Thomas Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

Detection of biological and chemical threats is an important consideration in the modern national defense policy. Much of the testing and evaluation of threat detection technologies is performed without appropriate uncertainty quantification. This paper proposes an approach to analyzing the effect of threat concentration on the probability of detecting chemical and biological threats. The approach uses a probit semi-parametric formulation between threat concentration level and the probability of instrument detection. It also utilizes a bayesian adaptive design to determine at which threat concentrations the tests should be performed. The approach offers unique advantages, namely, the flexibility to model non-monotone curves …

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Mining The Meanings And Pulling Out The Processes From Psychology Of Religion’S Correlation Mountain, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite May 2011

Mining The Meanings And Pulling Out The Processes From Psychology Of Religion’S Correlation Mountain, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

The article illustrates how rigorous quantitative studies in three distinct and promising areas opened the door to additional related qualitative work. Using qualitative narratives from a landmark sample of 184 diverse religious families, the authors discuss and illustrate two research methods and that have been useful to them: triangulating data in the context of family, and seeking truth through progressive questioning. Next, consistent with the paper's primary purpose, the authors highlight three areas where the strong, correlation-based research foundation provided by quantitative social scientists of religion has created some prime, complementary opportunities for follow-up work by qualitative researchers. …

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Possible Molecular Mechanism To Account For Wavelength Dependence Of Equilibration Rates Of Patman And Laurdan In Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers, Hannabeth A. Franchino May 2011

Possible Molecular Mechanism To Account For Wavelength Dependence Of Equilibration Rates Of Patman And Laurdan In Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers, Hannabeth A. Franchino

Theses and Dissertations

Patman is a fluorescent membrane probe related to Laurdan. The structural distinctions between the two probes are the lengths of the aliphatic tails (eleven carbons in Laurdan and fifteen in Patman) and the presence of a trimethylammonium group on Patman that produces a positively-charged head. Preliminary studies exploring Patman as a probe to detect membrane properties during apoptosis revealed that the fluorescence intensity of two edges of the emission spectrum (435 and 500 nm) stabilizes at different rates as the probe binds to the cell membrane. To test whether these differences represent dissimilarities in probe binding to ordered and disordered …

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Effects Of Tethering A Multistate Folding Protein To A Surface, Shuai Wei, Thomas A. Knotts Iv May 2011

Effects Of Tethering A Multistate Folding Protein To A Surface, Shuai Wei, Thomas A. Knotts Iv

Faculty Publications

Protein/surface interactions are important in a variety of fields and devices, yet fundamental understanding of the relevant phenomena remains fragmented due to resolution limitations of experimental techniques. Molecular simulation has provided useful answers, but such studies have focused on proteins that fold through a two-state process. This study uses simulation to show how surfaces can affect proteins which fold through a multistate process by investigating the folding mechanism of lysozyme (PDB ID: 7LZM). The results demonstrate that in the bulk 7LZM folds through a process with four stable states: the folded state, the unfolded state, and two stable intermediates. The …

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Aerodynamic Performance Of Extended Formation Flight, Andrew Ning, Tristan Flanzer, Ilan Kroo May 2011

Aerodynamic Performance Of Extended Formation Flight, Andrew Ning, Tristan Flanzer, Ilan Kroo

Faculty Publications

Close formation flight is of limited practicality for commercial aviation. Our concept of extended formation flight takes advantage of the persistence of cruise wakes by extending the streamwise spacing between aircraft in a formation. This allows the aircraft to fly at safe separation distances from each other, while still benefiting from the upwash of the upstream wake(s). In this paper we are interested in estimating the performance of these extended formations, and estimating some of the effects that limit the longitudinal extent of the formation. We consider the effects of wake rollup, vortex decay, vortex instabilities, vortex motion, and atmospheric …

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Experimental Study Of Liquid Squeeze-Flow As It Relates To Human Voice Production, Daniel Victor Lo Forte Apr 2011

Experimental Study Of Liquid Squeeze-Flow As It Relates To Human Voice Production, Daniel Victor Lo Forte

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 7.5 million people suffer from voice disorders in the United States. Previous studies indicate that the quality of the fluid layer that coats the vocal folds appears to be different for people with voice disorders than for people whose voice is considered normal. These studies suggest that the composition and/or physical properties of the fluid layer may contribute to voice disorders. Despite these findings, little research has been undertaken to investigate the role of the fluid layer on voice, and in almost all cases, the fluid layer is considered to be insignificant. The purpose of this research was to …

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Listeners' Ability To Identify The Gender Of Preadolescent Children Across Multiple Linguistic Contexts, Sharalee Ann Blunck Apr 2011

Listeners' Ability To Identify The Gender Of Preadolescent Children Across Multiple Linguistic Contexts, Sharalee Ann Blunck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether 20 listeners could identify the gender of 10 preadolescent children from speech samples. An additional aim was to evaluate whether listeners identified children more accurately when listening to speech samples when more linguistic context was available. The listeners were presented with a total of 190 speech samples in four different categories of linguistic context: segments, words, sentences, and discourse. The listeners were instructed to listen to each speech sample and decide whether the speaker was a male or female. In addition, the listeners were instructed to rate their level of confidence …

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The Effect Of A Treatment Program Utilizing A Humanoid Robot On Social Engagement Of Two Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Margaret Michele Maxfield Apr 2011

The Effect Of A Treatment Program Utilizing A Humanoid Robot On Social Engagement Of Two Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Margaret Michele Maxfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a robot (Troy) in a low-dose treatment protocol for two children with Autism Spectrum disorder. The efficacy of intervention was measured by comparing social engagement in two contexts: interactions with two adults and interaction with an unfamiliar adult. During the treatment, a robot was included in pseudo-triadic interactions with the clinician and the child. The robot was programmed to perform simple actions that imitated the actions of the clinician in an effort to engage the child. These pseudo-triadic interactions were incorporated into intervention over the course of a 16-session …

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Differentiation Of Bacillus Endospores From Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Of Biomarkers Produced By Thermochemolysis Methylation, Tai Van Truong Apr 2011

Differentiation Of Bacillus Endospores From Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Of Biomarkers Produced By Thermochemolysis Methylation, Tai Van Truong

Theses and Dissertations

Methods for fast, simple detection of biomarkers to detect and differentiate closely related Bacillus endospores including Bacillus anthracis (BA), Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), Bacillus atrophaeus (BG), and Bacillus cereus (BC) using thermochemolysis and methylation (TCM), coiled wire filament (CWF), solid phase micro extraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were developed. The main biomarkers detected and used for differentiation include dipicolinic acid methyl ester (DPAME), fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), 3-methyl-2-butenoic acid methyl ester (3M2BAME), 2-butenoic acid methyl ester (2BAME), and several methylated sugars. TCM of endospores was performed based on hydrolysis and methylation at elevated temperature after the endospores were …

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Front Matter, Vol. 71 No. 1 Apr 2011

Front Matter, Vol. 71 No. 1

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

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Composition Of Forest Stands Used By White-Headed Woodpeckers For Nesting In Washington, Jeffrey M. Kozma Apr 2011

Composition Of Forest Stands Used By White-Headed Woodpeckers For Nesting In Washington, Jeffrey M. Kozma

Western North American Naturalist

In this study, I examined the composition of managed ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests used by nesting White-headed Woodpeckers (Picoides albolarvatus) along the eastern slope of the Cascade Range in Washington. I sampled trees and snags using the point-centered quarter method to assess species composition, tree and snag density, and stand basal area in 16 forest stands containing White-headed Woodpecker nests. All stands had a history of timber management and 2 had been burned and salvage-logged. Mean live-tree density (≥10.16 cm dbh) was 182.3 trees · ha–1 (SE = 13.52), mean snag density (≥10.16 cm …

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Conservation Status Of The Threatened, Insular San Jose Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus Mansuetus), Consuelo Lorenzo, Sergio Ticul Álvarez-Castañeda, Jorge Vázquez Apr 2011

Conservation Status Of The Threatened, Insular San Jose Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus Mansuetus), Consuelo Lorenzo, Sergio Ticul Álvarez-Castañeda, Jorge Vázquez

Western North American Naturalist

The conservation status and distribution of the insular endemic San Jose brush rabbit (Sylvilagus mansuetus), as well as threats to its population viability, were determined through surveys undertaken since 1995 on San José Island in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Sylvilagus mansuetus is restricted to a specific desert habitat found in the southwestern coastal plains of the island. Vegetation in this habitat is composed primarily of 7 plant species. The extent of rabbit occurrence is only 20 km2, and the population density estimate in the most optimal habitat is 25–35 individuals · km–2. To …

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Minibiotus Acadianus (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae), A New Species Of Tardigrada From Southern Louisiana, U.S.A., Harry A. Meyer, Megan N. Domingue Apr 2011

Minibiotus Acadianus (Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae), A New Species Of Tardigrada From Southern Louisiana, U.S.A., Harry A. Meyer, Megan N. Domingue

Western North American Naturalist

Over 200 species of freshwater and terrestrial water bears (phylum Tardigrada) are known to occur in North America. Of these, 16 species have been collected in Louisiana. Foliose and fruticose lichens collected on 18 April 2010 in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, were stored in paper envelopes and later soaked in tap water overnight. Tardigrade specimens and eggs were extracted and mounted in polyvinyl lactophenol. The samples contained a new species of tardigrade. Minibiotus acadianus sp. n. has a buccal tube with single anterior curvature, 2 macroplacoids and 1 microplacoid. Small gibbosities are present on the fourth pair of legs, in 3 …

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Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Population Dynamics At Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska: A 28-Year Record, Lloyd W. Morrison, David G. Peitz Apr 2011

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Population Dynamics At Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska: A 28-Year Record, Lloyd W. Morrison, David G. Peitz

Western North American Naturalist

Black-tailed prairie dogs, Cynomys ludovicianus, now inhabit a small fraction of their original range in the Great Plains. We monitored a population of black-tailed prairie dogs at Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska, from colonization in 1981 until 2009 (28 years). Colony boundaries were mapped by delineating clip lines and active burrows; population densities were estimated via visual counts. Estimates of total population size revealed 4 distinct periods of changing dynamics: (1) a linear increase, (2) a decline and prolonged depression, (3) an exponential increase, and (4) a period of high variability. Area occupied revealed similar, although less-defined trends, whereas densities …

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Exercise Conditioning Decreases Downstream Movement Of Pond-Reared Razorback Suckers Released Into A Stream Environment, Luke A. Avery, David L. Ward, Jane C. Marks Apr 2011

Exercise Conditioning Decreases Downstream Movement Of Pond-Reared Razorback Suckers Released Into A Stream Environment, Luke A. Avery, David L. Ward, Jane C. Marks

Western North American Naturalist

Despite augmentation stocking efforts, wild populations of razorback suckers (Xyrauchen texanus) continue to decline. Endangered razorback suckers are commonly raised in off-channel ponds until maturity (approximately 300 mm TL) and then stocked into the Colorado River or its tributaries. After fish are stocked, they commonly move large distances downstream. We conducted an experiment to determine if downstream dispersal could be reduced through exercise conditioning. Two groups of razorback suckers, exercised and nonexercised, were released into Fossil Creek, Arizona. Prior to release, a subsample from each treatment group was tested in a laboratory flow chamber. Razorback suckers that had …

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Survival, Reproductive Output, And Transplant Potential Of Penstemon Tubiflorus (Tube Penstemon), Cathy Mabry Apr 2011

Survival, Reproductive Output, And Transplant Potential Of Penstemon Tubiflorus (Tube Penstemon), Cathy Mabry

Western North American Naturalist

Survival, reproductive output, and transplant success were studied for an Iowa population of Penstemon tubiflorus (tube penstemon), a species that is rare to uncommon through much of its range. The population was discovered in 2003 and is one of only 6 populations that have been documented in Iowa. I began monitoring the new population when 2 cohorts were permanently marked, the first in 2005 and the second in 2007. I estimated survival, flowering, and reproductive output. Then, I introduced greenhouse-grown transplants to 2 new sites and the original site. Survival data showed that P. tubiflorus is a short-lived perennial (approximately …

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Use Of Nonalpine Anthropogenic Habitats By American Pikas (Ochotona Princeps) In Western Oregon, Tom Manning, Joan C. Hagar Apr 2011

Use Of Nonalpine Anthropogenic Habitats By American Pikas (Ochotona Princeps) In Western Oregon, Tom Manning, Joan C. Hagar

Western North American Naturalist

The American pika (Ochotona princeps Richardson) has long been characterized in field guides and popular literature as an obligate inhabitant of alpine talus and as having relatively low dispersal capability. However, recent work reveals pikas to have broader habitat associations than previously reported. Over a large portion of the western slope of the Cascade Range in Oregon, pikas inhabit relatively low-elevation sites far from alpine areas and frequently occur in rocky man-made habitats such as roadcuts or rock quarries. We present observations of pikas in these previously overlooked habitats and discuss implications for (1) the proposed listing of the …

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Canyon Grassland Vegetation Changes Following Fire In Northern Idaho, Corey L. Gucker, Stephen C. Bunting Apr 2011

Canyon Grassland Vegetation Changes Following Fire In Northern Idaho, Corey L. Gucker, Stephen C. Bunting

Western North American Naturalist

Native and nonnative vegetation mosaics are common in western rangelands. If land managers could better predict changes in the abundance of native and nonnative species following disturbances, maintenance of native plant cover and diversity may be improved. In August 2000, during suppression of a wildfire near Lewiston, Idaho, a backing fire burned canyon grassland plots. A previous study had recorded species composition and cover prior to the fire, so we were able to evaluate changes in species composition and abundance on established plots before and after the fire. Overall, summer burning had little effect on the grassland communities. Pseudoroegneria spicata …

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Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana Virginiana) From Yavapai County, Arizona, R. Nathan Gwinn, Geoffrey H. Palmer, John L. Koprowski Apr 2011

Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana Virginiana) From Yavapai County, Arizona, R. Nathan Gwinn, Geoffrey H. Palmer, John L. Koprowski

Western North American Naturalist

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only marsupial native to the United States. In recent times, D. virginiana has expanded its range through natural movements and anthropogenic introductions. Didelphis virginiana has been present in southern Arizona owing to range expansion by the Mexican subspecies (D. v. californica) and anthropogenic introductions of the eastern subspecies (D. v. virginiana). Here, we document the recent collection of an opossum in central Arizona. We also discuss how it possibly moved there and report on its stomach contents at the time of collection.


El tlacuache norteño (Didelphis …

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Extension Of Southern Range And New Specimens Of The Western Gray Squirrel, Sciurus Griseus Anthonyi (Mammalia: Sciuridae), In Baja California, México, Jonathan Gabriel Escobar-Flores, Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos, Aldo Antonio Guevara-Carrizales, Roberto Martínez-Gallardo Apr 2011

Extension Of Southern Range And New Specimens Of The Western Gray Squirrel, Sciurus Griseus Anthonyi (Mammalia: Sciuridae), In Baja California, México, Jonathan Gabriel Escobar-Flores, Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos, Aldo Antonio Guevara-Carrizales, Roberto Martínez-Gallardo

Western North American Naturalist

We documented a southern range extension and new specimens of western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus anthonyi) for the state of Baja California, México. The most recent specimen was collected in the town Cataviña and represents the southernmost record for the species and subspecies. Repeated observations of individuals in this new location suggest the presence of a marginal population in Mediterranean chaparral–desert scrub transition vegetation.


Documentamos la extension de ámbito más sureño y nuevos especímenes de a ardilla gris occidental (Sciurus griseus anthonyi) para el Estado de Baja California, México. El espécimen más reciente fue recolectado en …

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Ecological Intelligence: Rediscovering Ourselves In Nature By Ian Mccallum, Howard O. Clark Jr. Apr 2011

Ecological Intelligence: Rediscovering Ourselves In Nature By Ian Mccallum, Howard O. Clark Jr.

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

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End Matter, Vol. 71 No. 1 Apr 2011

End Matter, Vol. 71 No. 1

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

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Occurrence Of Ord's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys Ordii) Along Its Eastern Distributional Limit In Nebraska, Greg D. Wright, Keith Geluso Apr 2011

Occurrence Of Ord's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys Ordii) Along Its Eastern Distributional Limit In Nebraska, Greg D. Wright, Keith Geluso

Western North American Naturalist

Changes in land use continue to alter habitats throughout Nebraska, and few studies have examined how such changes affect distributional limits of mammals. The distribution of Ord’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii) was last examined in eastern Nebraska about 4 decades ago. We examined the current eastern distributional limits ofD. ordii to see whether its range had expanded, contracted, or remained constant in the state since the 1960s. Based on our study, kangaroo rats have experienced little change in distribution during recent decades. Herein, we report on data for 8 counties without prior records and a marginal range …

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