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Evaluation Of Nicarbazin As A Potential Waterfowl Contraceptive Using Mallards As A Model, C. A. Yoder, J. K. Graham, L. A. Miller, K. S. Bynum, J. J. Johnston, M. J. Goodall

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contraception may provide a useful nonlethal management tool to reduce wild bird populations. We tested the efficacy of nicarbazin (NCZ) as a contraceptive for waterfowl and assessed health effects of NCZ, using domestic mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) as a model for Canada geese (Branta canadensis). Mallards were given gelatin capsules containing 0, 8.5, 17.0, or 33.75 mg of NCZ/kg of BW perorally once daily for 14 d. Fecal 4,4′- dinitrocarbanilide (DNC) and fluorescein were evaluated as potential markers of plasma and egg DNC levels. Plasma, egg, and fecal DNC levels differed among treatment groups in a dose …

Molecular Effects Of Nicarbazin On Avian Reproduction, C. A. Yoder, J. K. Graham, L. A. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Nicarbazin (NCZ) is an anticoccidial drug routinely used in the poultry industry that can negatively affect reproduction by reducing egg production, egg weight, and egg hatchability. The molecular mechanisms by which NCZ affects reproduction are unknown. Lipoprotein lipase, vitellogenin, transglutaminase, and calcium are all involved in egg formation and embryogenesis. Therefore, in vitro assays were used to evaluate 4 potential mechanisms of action of NCZ on egg formation and embryogenesis. First, a lipoprotein lipase assay was conducted to determine if NCZ increases lipoprotein lipase activity. Second, vitellogenin phosphorylation was evaluated to determine if NCZ acts as a vitellogenin phosphatase. Third, …

A Method For Testing The Host Specificity Of Ectoparasites: Give Them The Opportunity To Choose, Carlos El Esbérard, Fernanda Martins-Hatano, Emerson B. Bittencourt, David Ep Bossi, Angélica Fontes, Marcela Lareschi, Vanderlaine Menezes, Helena G. Bergallo, Donald Gettinger

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Host-choice experiments were carried out with rodent and bat ectoparasites on Ilha Grande, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We constructed experimental chambers that enclosed three different rodent or bat host species, and then introduced a selected set of ectoparasitic arthropods. When given the opportunity to choose among host species, the ectoparasites showed a strong tendency to select their primary hosts, and reject novel host species. These kinds of simple experiments can be valuable tools for assessing the ability of ectoparasites to locate and discern differences between host species, and make choices about which hosts to infest, and which hosts …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, V. 27, No. 2, Summer 2005, Scott Lyell Gardner

American Society of Parasitologists: Newsletter

An issue of the American Society of Parasitologists' quarterly newsletter, also called the Journal of Parasitology Newsletter.

Development Of Nicarbazin As A Reproductive Inhibitor For Resident Canada Geese, Kimberly Bynum, Christi Yoder, John D. Eisemann, John Johnston, Lowell Miller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference Proceedings

Expanding populations of resident Canada geese that remain in suburban and urban areas year-round often result in increased conflicts with humans. Non-lethal and humane means are needed for managing the size of Canada goose flocks residing near or on airports, golf courses, industrial parks, government sites, and city parks. A side effect of nicarbazin, a veterinary drug used to control coccidiosis in chickens, is decreased egg production and hatching. Exploiting this side effect, studies of nicarbazin for reducing the hatchability of eggs from Canada geese were conducted. An initial study in Coturnix quail verified reduction in hatchability in a species …

Organelle Dna Diversity Among Buffalograsses From The Great Plains Of North America Determined By Cpdna And Mtdna Rflps, O. Gulsen, Bob Shearman, Kenneth P. Vogel, D. J. Lee, Tiffany Heng-Moss

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] is a perennial, warm-season turfgrass that is native to the shortgrass prairie of North America. It offers potential benefits as a turfgrass because of its drought resistance, low incidence of pest problems, and relatively low nutrient requirements. This study was initiated to evaluate the level of organelle DNA diversity among buffalograss genotypes and to determine the mode of inheritance of the chloroplast organelle by cpDNA and mtDNA PCR-RFLPs. The 56 genotypes studied included diploids, triploid, tetraploids, pentaploids, and hexaploids. These genotypes represented 273 buffalograsses collected during 1994 and 1995 from diverse locations in the …

Comparison Of Nicarbazin Absorption In Chickens, Mallards, And Canada Geese, C. A. Yoder, L. A. Miller, K. S. Bynum

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Nicarbazin (NCZ), a coccidiostat commonly used in the poultry industry, causes reduced hatchability and egg quality in layer hens at a concentration of 125 ppm (8.4 mg/kg) in the feed. Although this effect is undesirable in the poultry industry, NCZ could provide a useful wildlife contraception tool for waterfowl, particularly urban geese. We tested the absorption of NCZ in chickens (Gallus gallus), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and Canada geese (Branta canadensis) gavaged with 8.4 mg of NCZ/kg per bird each day for 8 d. Plasma levels of 4,4′-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC) differed significantly among species. Peak plasma …

Evaluation Of Toxic Agent Effects On Lung Cells By Fiber Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy, Pierre Lucas, David Lee Coq, Christophe Juncker, Jayne Collier, Dianne E. Boesewetter, Catherine Boussard-Pledel, Bruno Bureau, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Biochemical changes in living cells are detected using a fiber probe system composed of a single chalcogenide fiber acting as both the sensor and transmission line for infrared optical signals. The signal is collected via evanescent wave absorption along the tapered sensing zone of the fiber. We spectroscopically monitored the effects of the surfactant Triton X-lOO, which serves as a toxic agent simulant on a transformed human lung carcinoma type II epithelial cell line (A549). We observe spectral changes between 2800-3000 cm-1 in four absorptions bands, which are assigned to hydrocarbon vibrations of methylene and methyl groups in membrane lipids. …

Cooperative Brains: Psychological Constraints On The Evolution Of Altruism, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Marc D. Hauser

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Imagine an individual called "hunter" that expends a good deal of energy to capture a gazelle. As the hunter is consuming his small prey, a second individual called "recipient" approaches and begins feeding peacefully alongside the hunter. A few weeks later the roles reverse, such that the previous recipient has now captured a gazelle, and the previous hunter is taking advantage of the recipient's hard work. Could the hunter and recipient be Maasai warriors? Is it equally likely that they are common chimpanzees, African lions, or Nile crocodiles? All of these species hunt gazelle and live in groups, so why …

A Novel Role For Gadd45Β As A Mediator Of Mmp-13 Gene Expression During Chondrocyte Terminal Differentiation, Kosei Ijiri, Luiz F. Zerbini, Haibing Peng, Ricardo G. Correa, Binfeng Lu, Nicole Walsh, Yani Zhao, Noboru Taniguchi, Xu-Ling Huang, Hasan H. Otu, Hong Wang, Jian Fei Wang, Setsuro Komiya, Patricia Ducy, Mahboob U. Rahman, Richard A. Flavell, Ellen M. Gravallese, Peter Oettgen, Towia A. Libermann, Mary B. Goldring

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

The growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45β (GADD45β) gene product has been implicated in the stress response, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Here we demonstrated the unexpected expression of GADD45β in the embryonic growth plate and uncovered its novel role as an essential mediator of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) expression during terminal chondrocyte differentiation. We identified GADD45β as a prominent early response gene induced by bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) through a Smad1/Runx2-dependent pathway. Because this pathway is involved in skeletal development, we examined mouse embryonic growth plates, and we observed expression of Gadd45β mRNA coincident with Runx2 protein …

West Nile Virus Infection In Farmed American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) In Florida, Elliott R. Jacobson, Pamela E. Ginn, J. Mitchell Troutman, Lisa Farina, Lillian Stark, Kaci Klenk, Kristen L. Burkhalter, Nicholas Komar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Wetland Continuum: A Conceptual Framework For Interpreting Biological Studies, Ned H. Euliss Jr., James W. Labaugh, Leigh H. Fredrickson, David M. Mushet, Murray K. Laubhan, George A. Swanson, Thomas C. Winter, Donald O. Rosenberry, Richard D. Nelson

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We describe a conceptual model, the wetland continuum, which allows wetland managers, scientists, and ecologists to consider simultaneously the influence of climate and hydrologic setting on wetland biological communities. Although multidimensional, the wetland continuum is most easily represented as a two-dimensional gradient, with ground water and atmospheric water constituting the horizontal and vertical axes, respectively. By locating the position of a wetland on both axes of the continuum, the potential biological expression of the wetland can be predicted at any point in time. The model provides a framework useful in the organization and interpretation of biological data from wetlands by …

Rice-Feeding Insects And Selected Natural Enemies In West Africa: Biology, Ecology, Identification, E. A. Heinrichs, Alberto T. Barrion

Entomology Papers from Other Sources

FOREWORD • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • INTRODUCTION • RICE IN AFRICA • RICE-FEEDING INSECTS • CLIMATIC ZONES AND RICE ECOSYSTEMS AS HABITATS • CONSTRAINTS TO RICE PRODUCTION • SPECIES IN WEST AFRICA • DIRECT DAMAGE • ROLE IN DISEASE TRANSMISSION

BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF RICE-FEEDING INSECTS

ROOT FEEDERS : Mole crickets, Gryllotalpa africana Palisot de Beauvois; Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae • Root aphids, Tetraneura nigriabdominalis (Sasaki); Hemiptera (suborder Homoptera): Aphididae • Termites, Macrotermes, Microtermes, and Trinervitermes spp.; Isoptera: Termitidae • Black beetles, Heteronychus mosambicus Peringuey (= H. oryzae Britton); Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae • Rice water weevils, Afroryzophilus djibai Lyal; Coleoptera: Curculionidae • …

Identification Of Methionine-Rich Clusters That Regulate Copper-Stimulated Endocytosis Of The Human Ctr1 Copper Transporter, Yan Guo

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Copper uptake and subsequent delivery to copper-dependent

enzymes are essential for many cellular processes.

However, the intracellular levels of this nutrient

must be controlled because of its potential toxicity. The

hCtr1 protein functions in high affinity copper uptake

at the plasma membrane of human cells. Recent studies

have shown that elevated copper stimulates the endocytosis

and degradation of the hCtr1 protein, and this

response is likely an important homeostatic mechanism

that prevents the overaccumulation of copper. The domains

of hCtr1 involved in copper-stimulated endocytosis

and degradation are unknown. In this study we examined

the importance of potential copper-binding

sequences in …

Supercooling Differences In The Eastern Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Brian J. Cabrera, Shripat T. Kamble

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Supercooling points were determined for untreated field-collected and untreated laboratory-maintained Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) workers and soldiers. Workers treated with antibiotics or had their hindgut-protozoa removed by exposing them to oxygen under pressure to determine the effects of absence of the hindgut fauna on supercooling. Supercooling points were compared be-tween live and freshly killed workers to determine whether supercooling in this species might be simply due to the biochemical properties of body fluids. Laboratory-maintained workers were also subjected to desiccation, starvation, or atmospheric pressure to determine their effects on supercool-ing. Supercooling points were lowest for laboratory workers treated with antibiotics and …

Lessons From A Quiet Classic, Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Parasitology has a rich tradition of studies linking taxonomy, ecology, and life cycles and development. This tradition has produced an enormous amount of empirical evidence demonstrating that parasites form highly integrated reproductive-developmental-ecological systems that are highly persistent through space and time. As well, phylogenetic studies of parasites, especially of parasitic platyhelminths, represent 1 of the most progressive areas of systematic biology. Consequently, parasitologists should be at the forefront of research in evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) and integrative biology, and parasite systems should be model systems of choice for those research programs. Species of the digenean, Alloglossidium, provide a superb …

Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia Coli In Montana: Bacterial Genotypes And Clinical Profiles, Jill K. Jelacic, Todd Damrow, Gilbert S. Chen, Srdjan Jelacic, Martina Bielaszewska, Marcia Ciol, Humberto M. Carvalho, Angela R. Melton-Celsa, Alison D. O'Brien, Phillip I. Tarr

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The diseases and virulence genes associated with Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are characterized incompletely. We analyzed, by polymerase chain reaction, 82 STEC isolates collected prospectively in Montana and profiled associated illnesses by patient chart review. All E. coli O157:H7 contained stx₂-group genes, as well as eae, iha, espA, and ehxA; 84% contained stx₁. Non-O157:H7 STEC less frequently contained stx₁( P = .046 ), stx₂ (P < .001), iha (P < .001), eae, and espA (P = .039 for both), were isolated less often from patients treated in emergency departments (P = .022), and …

Developments In Relativistic Nonlinear Optics, Donald P. Umstadter, Sudeep Banerjee, Shouyuan Chen, E. Dodd, K. Flippo, Anatoly Maksimchuk, N. Saleh, A. Valenzuela, P. Zhang

Donald Umstadter Publications

We report recent results of experiments and simulations in the regime of peak laser intensities above 10¹⁹ W/cm², including the following topics: (1) electron and proton acceleration to energies in excess of 10 MeV in well collimated beams; (2) use of laser chirp to control the growth of plasma waves and acceleration of electrons by the Raman instability; (3) all optical injection and acceleration of electrons; (4) relativistic self-focusing by means of the mutual index of refraction of two overlapping laser pulses; (5) creation of a radioisotope by the reaction ¹⁰B(d,n)¹¹C; (6) …

Diets Of Baird’S Beaked Whales, Berardius Bairdii, In The Southern Sea Of Okhotsk And Off The Pacific Coast Of Honshu, Japan, William A. Walker, James G. Mead, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Stomach contents were analyzed from 127 Baird’s beaked whales, Berardizls bairdii, taken in coastal waters of Japan. During late July-August of 1985- 1987, 1989, and 1991, 107 samples were collected from off the Pacific coast of Honshu. An additional 20 samples were collected from whales taken in the southern Sea of Okhotsk during late August-September of 1988 and 1989. Prey identification using fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks revealed the whales fed primarily on deep-water gadiform fishes and cephalopods in both regions. Prey species diversity and the percentage of cephalopods and fish differed between the two regions. Off the Pacific …

The Mount Feather Diamicton Of The Sirius Group: An Accumulation Of Indicators Of Neogene Antarctic Glacial And Climatic History, G. A. Wilson, J. A. Barron, A. C. Ashworth, R. A. Askin, J. A. Carter, M. G. Curren, D. H. Dalhuisen, E. I. Friedmann, D. G. Fyodorov-Davidov, D. A. Gilichinsky, M. A. Harper, David M. Harwood, J. F. Hiemstra, T. R. Janecek, K. J. Licht, V. E. Ostroumov, R. D. Powell, E. M. Rivkina, S. A. Rose, A. P. Stroeven, P. Stroeven, J. J. M. Van Der Meer, M. C. Wizevich

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

A paucity of data from the Antarctic continent has resulted in conflicting interpretations of Neogene Antarctic glacial history. Much of the debate centres on interpretations of the glacigene Sirius Group strata that crop out as discrete deposits along the length of the Transantarctic Mountains and in particular on its age and the origin of the siliceous microfossils it encloses. Pliocene marine diatoms enclosed within Sirius Group strata are inferred to indicate a dynamic East Antarctic ice sheet that was much reduced, compared with today, in the early-middle Pliocene and then expanded again in the late Pliocene. However, the geomorphology of …

Uncertainties In Sediment Quality Weight-Of-Evidence (Woe) Assessments, Graeme E. Batley, G. Allen Burton, Peter M. Chapman, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Uncertainties in sediment quality assessments are discussed in five categories: (1) sediment sampling, transport and storage; (2) sediment chemistry; (3) ecotoxicology; (4) benthic community structure; and (5) data uncertainties and QA/QC. Three major exposure routes are considered: whole sediments, and waters in sediment pores and at the sediment-water interface. If these uncertainties are not recognized and addressed in the assessment process, then erroneous conclusions may result. Recommendations are provided for addressing the identified uncertainties in each of the key areas. The purpose of this paper is to improve the reporting of sediment quality assessments.

Hibal: A Hydrologic-Isotopic-Balance Model For Application To Paleolake Systems, Larry Benson, Fred Paillet

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A simple hydrologic-isotopic-balance (HIBAL) model for application to paleolake δ¹⁸O records is presented. Inputs to the model include discharge, on-lake precipitation, evaporation, and the δ¹⁸O values of these fluid fluxes. Monthly values of climatic parameters that govern the fractionation of ¹⁸O and ¹⁶O during evaporation have been extracted from historical data sets and held constant in the model. The ability of the model to simulate changes in the hydrologic balance and the δ¹⁸O evolution of the mixed layer has been demonstrated using measured data from Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Simulations of the response …

Assessment Of Elemental Concentrations In Streams Of The New Lead Belt In Southeastern Missouri, 2002–05, William G. Brumbaugh, Thomas W. May, John M. Besser, Ann L. Allert, Christopher J. Schmitt

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Concerns about possible effects of lead-mining activities on the water quality of federally protected streams located in southeastern Missouri prompted a suite of multidisciplinary studies to be conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. As part of this investigation, a series of biological studies were initiated in 2001 for streams in the current mining region and the prospecting area. In this report, results are examined for trace elements and other selected chemical measurements in sediment, surface water, and sediment interstitial (pore) water sampled between 2002 and 2005 in association with these biological studies. Compared to reference sites, fine sediments collected downstream …

Swallow-Worts, L. Tewksbury, R. Casagrande, A. Gassmann

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

There are three European species of swallow-worts found in North America: Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench (black swallow-wort), Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleo.) Barb. (pale swallow-wort or dog strangling-vine), and Vincetoxicum hirundinaria Medik. (white swallow-wort) (Sheeley and Raynal, 1996). Swallow-worts are in the family Asclepiadaceae. Vincetoxicum nigrum and V. rossicum now are naturalized in northeastern North America, and both are invasive in natural areas and abandoned pastures (Lawlor, 2000). Swallow-worts are found in gardens and fields, along fencerows, roadways, grassy slopes, wooded edges, and streambanks. Tangled masses of swallow-wort vines shade and suppress native plants (Sheeley and Raynal, 1996). In Rhode Island, heavy …

Ecology And Host Specificity Of Laelapine Mites (Acari: Laelapidae) Of Small Mammals In An Atlantic Forest Area Of Brazil, Fernanda Martins-Hatano, Donald Gettinger, Helena G. Bergallo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Mesostigmaticm ites of the Laelapinae Berlese, 1892 (Acari:Laelapidae) are nidicolous arthropods that commonly occur in the fur of Neotropical small mammmals. In this 2-yr study, the laelapine acarofauna associated with the small mammal community in an area of Atlantic forest on Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro State, was examined, including observations on patterns of host specificity, mite dispersal, ecology, and food habits. A total of 1,347 laelapines was sampled from the pelage of 6 species of small mammals( Marmosops incanus, Nectomyss quamipes, Oryzomys russatus, Rhipidomys n. sp., Oxymycterus dasytrichus, and Trinomys dimidiatus), all of which occurred exclusively in …

Musk Thistle (Nodding Thistle), A. Gassman, L.-T. Kok

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Musk thistle, Carduus nutans L., is an invasive weed that has become widespread in the contiguous states of the United States. It is a highly competitive weed of Eurasian origin that has replaced much of the native vegetation in pastures and disturbed areas.

Structural And Functional Imaging With Carbon Nanotube Afm Probes, J. H. Hafner, Chin Li Cheung, A. T. Woolley, C. M. Lieber

Barry Chin Li Cheung Publications

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has great potential as a tool for structural biology, a field in which there is increasing demand to characterize larger and more complex biomolecular systems. However, the poorly characterized silicon and silicon nitride probe tips currently employed in AFM limit its biological applications. Carbon nanotubes represent ideal AFM tip materials due to their small diameter, high aspect ratio, large Young’s modulus, mechanical robustness, well-defined structure, and unique chemical properties. Nanotube probes were first fabricated by manual assembly, but more recent methods based on chemical vapor deposition provide higher resolution probes and are geared towards mass production, …

Human Papillomavirus Virus-Like Particles Are Efficient Oral Immunogens When Coadministered With Escherichia Coli Heat-Labile Enterotoxin Mutant R192g Or Cpg Dna, S. Gerber, C. Lane, Deborah M. Brown, E. Lord, M. Dilorenzo, J. D. Clements, E. Rybicki, A.-L. Williamson, R. C. Rose

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Certain human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause most cervical cancer, which remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. HPV recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising vaccine candidates for controlling anogenital HPV disease and are now being evaluated as a parenteral vaccine modality in human subjects. Vaccines formulated for injection generally are more costly, more difficult to administer, and less acceptable to recipients than are mucosally administered vaccines. Since oral delivery represents an attractive alternative to parenteral injection for large-scale human vaccination, the oral immunogenicity of HPV type 11 (HPV-11) VLPs in mice was previously investigated; it was found …

Management Plan

National Invasive Species Council

Farmers, ranchers, scientists, State officials, and many others have urged the Federal Government to consider invasive species issues a priority and to develop a coordinated national effort to address the problem. In response, the President issued Executive Order 13112 on Invasive Species (Order) in February 1999. The Order established the National Invasive Species Council (Council), co-chaired by the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior; and includes the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense, and Transportation, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Order directs the Council to form a non-Federal Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) to advise the …

Effects Of Decreasing Thermophotoperiod On The Eastern Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Brian J. Cabrera, Shripat T. Kamble

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), workers were exposed to decreasing temperatures and a shift in photoperiod to simulate conditions that are encountered during the fall in eastern Nebraska. Mean water and fat content in termites exposed to a decreasing thermophotoperiod did not differ significantly from controls or laboratory colony termites. Survival was higher for termites subjected to a decreasing thermophotoperiod than for controls. This could be attributed to acclimation to low temperatures or a delayed mortality due to lowered metabolic activity at low temperature. Previously reported data on soil temperatures taken in Lincoln, NE, at a depth of 91.4 …