Digital Commons Network^™

New Technologies, Human-Microbe Interactions, And The Search For Previously Unrecognized Pathogens, David A. Relman

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

Evidence suggests that a significant number of clinically important microbial pathogens remain unrecognized. Observations from the natural world, from patterns of disease in human populations, from the bedside, and from the clinical laboratory all contribute to this body of evidence. A variety of acute and chronic neurologic syndromes illustrate this point; despite features of infection, most cases of aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, and cerebral vasculitis cannot be assigned a microbiologic diagnosis. The development and clinical application of molecular methods have led to the discovery of novel members of the endogenous normal flora as well as putative disease agents. Current challenges include …

Research At Nebraska, 2001-2002 Report, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

This publication is a snapshot of the fiscal year’s activities. To read more stories about research and creativity at Nebraska, visit the online edition at http://research.unl.edu/news/annualreport01-02.pdf. Additional multimedia are available for many stories.

Contaminant Assessment Process Report For Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, Joel Chirhart, Laura Coppock, Andrew Archuleta

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program identifies and evaluates the effects of environmental contaminants on lands and biological resources managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI). The primary goals of the BEST program are: 1) determine the status and trends of environmental contaminants and their effects on biological resources, 2) identify, assess, and predict the effects of contaminants on ecosystems and biological populations, and 3) provide summary information to managers and the public for guiding conservation efforts. One tool used to reach these goals is the Contaminant Assessment Process (CAP). CAP is a two-part process involving …

Determination Of Impacts On The Endangered Wyoming Toad (Bufo Baxteri) At Mortenson National Wildlife Refuge From Ammonium Nitrate Concentrations, Edward E. Little, Robin D. Calfee, Kimberly Dickerson

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The endangered Wyoming toad (Bufo baxteri) is found only as a reintroduced population at Mortenson National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the Laramie Plains of southeast Wyoming. Reasons for the decline of this amphibian are unknown. Data on predation, habitat modification, soil and water conditions (Stone 1991), and water quality (Ramirez 1992; Ramirez and Armstrong 1992), are available; but, none of these parameters are documented as posing serious threats to the toad.

One threat that has not been investigated is the potential for agricultural fertilizers containing nitrates to enter surface water at Mortenson NWR. Nitrates are transported by irrigation …

American Woodcock Population Status, 2002, James R. Kelley Jr.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Singing-ground and Wing-collection surveys were conducted to assess the population status of the American woodcock (Scolopax minor). Singing-ground Survey data indicated that the number of displaying woodcock in the Eastern Region was 1.3% lower than in 2001, but this decrease was non-significant (P>0.1). In the Central Region, there was a 7.9% decrease in the number of woodcock heard displaying compared to 2001 levels, but this decrease also was nonsignificant (P>0.1). Trends from the Singing-ground Survey during 1992-02 were –2.1 and –1.5% per year for the Eastern and Central regions, respectively (P<0.01). There were long-term (1968-02) declines (P<0.01) of 2.3% per year in the Eastern Region and 1.6% per year in the Central Region. The 2001 recruitment index for the Eastern Region (1.4 immatures per adult female) was the same as the 2000 index, but was 18% below the long-term regional average. The 2001 recruitment index for the Central Region (1.3 immatures per adult female) was slightly higher than the 2000 index (1.2 immatures per adult female), but was 23% below the long-term regional average of 1.7. The index of daily hunting success in the Eastern Region was 2.0 woodcock per successful hunt in both 2000 and 2001, and seasonal hunting success was 8.7 woodcock per successful hunter in both years. In the Central Region, the daily success index increased slightly from 2.0 woodcock per successful hunt in 2000 to 2.1 in 2001; but seasonal hunting success decreased from 10.7 to 10.5 woodcock per successful hunter.

Adaptive Harvest Management: 2002 Duck Hunting Season

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The process of setting waterfowl hunting regulations is conducted annually in the United States. This process involves a number of meetings where the status of waterfowl is reviewed by the agencies responsible for setting hunting regulations. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) publishes proposed regulations in the Federal Register to allow public comment. This document is part of a series of reports intended to support development of harvest regulations for the 2002 hunting season. Specifically, this report is intended to provide waterfowl managers and the public with information about the use of adaptive harvest management (AHM) for …

Mourning Dove: Population Status, 2002, David D. Dolton, Rebecca D. Rau

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

This report includes Mourning Dove Call-count Survey information gathered over the last 37years within the conterminous United States. Trends were calculated for the most recent 2- and 10-year intervals and for the entire 37-year period. Between 2001 and 2002, the average number of doves heard per route increased significantly in the Western Management Unit. No change was detected for the Eastern and Central Units. Over the most recent 10 and 37-year periods, significant declines were indicated for doves heard in the Central and Western Units. Additionally, in the Eastern Management Unit, a significant decline was detected over 37 years while …

Effects Of Management Practices On Grassland Birds: Clay-Colored Sparrow, Jill A. Dechant, Marriah L. Sondreal, Douglas H. Johnson, Lawrence D. Igl, Christopher M. Goldade, Melvin P. Nenneman, Betty R. Euliss

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

Clay-Colored Sparrow ( Spizella pallida ):
Breeding range
Suitable habitat
Area requirements
Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism
Breeding-season phenology and site fidelity
Species’ response to management
Management Recommendations
Habitat Characteristics

Effects Of Management Practices On Grassland Birds: Le Conte’S Sparrow, Jill A. Dechant, Marriah L. Sondreal, Douglas H. Johnson, Lawrence D. Igl, Christopher M. Goldade, Amy L. Zimmerman, Betty R. Euliss

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

Le Conte’s Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii):
Breeding range
Suitable habitat
Area requirements
Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism
Breeding-season phenology and site fidelity
Species’ response to management
Management Recommendations
Habitat Characteristics

Effects Of Management Practices On Grassland Birds: Field Sparrow, Jill A. Dechant, Marriah L. Sondreal, Douglas H. Johnson, Lawrence D. Igl, Christopher M. Goldade, Barry D. Parkin, Betty R. Euliss

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

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla):
Breeding range
Suitable habitat
Area requirements
Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism
Breeding-season phenology and site fidelity
Species’ response to management
Management Recommendations
Habitat Characteristics

Ec02-176 Musk Thistle, Fred Roeth, Steven R. Melvin, Irvin L. Schleufer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Musk thistle (Carduus nutans L.) is an introduced invasive broadleaf weed native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. In these areas it is a minor weed because natural enemies keep its population low. When the plant was introduced into North America, its natural enemies were left behind. Without these natural checks, the thistle is able to thrive and compete with native vegetation.

Musk thistles aggressively invade all lands in Nebraska. Typical cropland weed control methods are very effective against them; however, land with permanent cover (pasture, range, roadway ditches and wasteland) that is not tilled or treated with a …

Workshop On The Management Of Hawaiian Monk Seals On Beaches In The Main Hawaiian Islands

United States Marine Mammal Commission

Workshop on the Management of Hawaiian Monk Seals on Beaches in the Main Hawaiian Islands

Adaptive Harvest Management Working Group Annual Meeting

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

This report provides a summary of presentations and discussions that occurred at the 14^th meeting of the Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) Working Group. The primary purposes of this meeting were to consider proposed revisions to the AHM protocols for midcontinent and eastern mallards and to develop procedures for accommodating framework-date extensions.

Predicting The Spatial Dynamics Of Rabies Epidemics On Heterogeneous Landscapes, David L. Smith, Brendan Lucey, Lance A. Waller, James E. Childs, Leslie A. Real

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Often as an epidemic spreads, the leading front is irregular, reflecting spatial variation in local transmission rates. We developed a methodology for quantifying spatial variation in rates of disease spread across heterogeneous landscapes. Based on data for epidemic raccoon rabies in Connecticut, we developed a stochastic spatial model of rabies spread through the state’s 169 townships. We quantified spatial variation in transmission rates associated with human demography and key habitat features. We found that large rivers act as semipermeable barriers, leading to a 7-fold reduction in the local rates of propagation. By combining the spatial distribution of major rivers with …

Preclinical Diagnosis Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Captive Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) And White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Using Tonsillar Biopsy, Margaret A. Wild, Terry R. Spraker, Christina J. Sigurdson, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Michael W. Miller

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

The usefulness of tonsillar biopsy on live deer for preclinical diagnosis of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy chronic wasting disease (CWD) was evaluated. Disease was tracked in a CWD-endemic herd using serial tonsillar biopsies collected at 6 to 9 month intervals from 34 captive mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and five white-tailed deer (O. virginianus). Tonsillar biopsies were examined for accumulation of PrP^CWD, the protein marker for infection, using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. 26/34 (76%) mule deer and 4/5 (80%) white-tailed deer had PrP^CWD accumulation in tonsillar biopsies; CWD was subsequently confirmed by post-mortem examination in …

Pregnancy Status And Fetal Prion Genetics Determine PrpSc Accumulation In Placentomes Of Scrapieinfected Sheep, Wenbin Tuo, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Dongyue Zhuang, William P. Cheevers, Terry R. Spraker, Donald P. Knowles

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Ovine scrapie is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that may be transmitted through exposure to infected uterine and placental tissues. Susceptibility to scrapie is primarily controlled by polymorphisms in the prion protein (PrP) gene. Scrapie in the U.S. Suffolk breed and in many breeds in Europe occurs in sheep homozygous for glutamine (171QQ), but rarely in sheep heterozygous for glutamine and arginine (171QR) or homozygous for arginine (171RR) at codon 171 of the PrP gene. This study demonstrated that accumulation of PrP^Sc in uterine-placental epithelial cells in the placentome was determined by fetal PrP genotype and the pregnancy status of …

The Rna Binding Domain Of The Hantaan Virus N Protein Maps To A Central, Conserved Region, Colleen Jonsson, Xiaolin Xu, William Severson, Noah Villegas, Connie Schmaljohn

United States Army: Publications

The nucleocapsid (N) protein of hantaviruses encapsidates both viral genomic and antigenomic RNAs, although only the genomic viral RNA (vRNA) is packaged into virions. To define the domain within the Hantaan virus (HTNV) N protein that mediates these interactions, 14 N- and C-terminal deletion constructs were cloned into a bacterial expression vector, expressed, and purified to homogeneity. Each protein was examined for its ability to bind the HTNV S segment vRNA with filter binding and gel electrophoretic mobility shift assays. These studies mapped a minimal region within the HTNV N protein (amino acids 175 to 217) that bound vRNA. Sequence …

11 Purple Loosestrife, B. Blossey

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

Purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L., (Fig. 1) is a weed of natural areas and its spread across North America has degraded many prime wetlands resulting in large, monotypic stands that lack native plant species (Thompson et al., 1987; Malecki et al., 1993). Established L. salicaria populations persist for decades, are difficult to control using conventional techniques (chemical, physical, and mechanical), and continue to spread into adjacent areas (Thompson et al., 1987). Purple loosestrife has been declared a noxious weed in at least 19 states.

Folate Synthesis In Plants: The First Step Of The Pterin Branch Is Mediated By A Unique Bimodular Gtp Cyclohydrolase I, Gilles J. C. Basset, Eoin P. Quinlivan, Michael J. Ziemak, Rocío Díaz De La Garza, Markus Fischer, Susi Schiffmann, Adelbert Bacher, Jesse F. Gergory Iii, Andrew D. Hanson

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCHI) mediates the first and committing step of the pterin branch of the folate-synthesis pathway. In microorganisms and mammals, GCHI is a homodecamer of ≈26-kDa subunits. Genomic approaches identified tomato and Arabidopsis cDNAs specifying ≈50-kDa proteins containing two GCHI-like domains in tandem and indicated that such bimodular proteins occur in other plants. Neither domain of these proteins has a full set of the residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis in other GCHIs. The tomato and Arabidopsis cDNAs nevertheless encode functional enzymes, as shown by complementation of a yeast fol2 mutant and by assaying GCHI activity …

Assessing Vulnerability To Agricultural Drought: A Nebraska Case Study, Olga V. Wilhelmi, Donald A. Wilhite

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Recent drought events in the United States and the magnitude of drought losses indicate the continuing vulnerability of the country to drought. Until recently, drought management in many states, including Nebraska, has been largely response oriented with little or no attention to mitigation and preparedness. In 1998, Nebraska began to revise its drought plan in order to place more emphasis on mitigation. One of the main aspects of drought mitigation and planning is the assessment of who and what is vulnerable and why. This paper presents a method for spatial, Geographic Information Systems-based assessment of agricultural drought vulnerability in Nebraska. …

Spatial Representation Of Agroclimatology In A Study Of Agricultural Drought, Olga V. Wilhelmi, Kenneth Hubbard, Donald A. Wilhite

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Agricultural drought is the leading cause for crop failure throughout the world. In the USA, significant impacts of recent droughts on agricultural production indicate the continuing vulnerability of the country to drought. This paper presents a methodology for spatial representation of the agroclimatic component of agricultural drought vulnerability. This methodology was developed as a part of an integrated assessment of drought vulnerability. For the spatial analysis, the state of Nebraska was selected as a study area because of the considerable variation in climatology, soil characteristics, land use, and cropping patterns. The underlying approach assumes that the best spatial characterization of …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Virus That Infects Emiliania Huxleyi (Haptophyta), Tonje Castberg, Runar Thyrhaug, Aud Larsen, Ruth-Anne Sandaa, Mikal Heldal, James L. Van Etten, Gunnar Bratbak

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The isolation and characterization of a virus (designated EhV) that infects the marine coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) Hay & Mohler are described. Three independent clones of EhV were isolated from Norwegian coastal waters in years 1999 and 2000. EhV is a double-stranded DNA-containing virus with a genome size of ~415 kilo-base pairs. The viral particle is an icosahedron with a diameter of 160–180 nm. The virus particle contains at least nine proteins ranging from 10 to 140 kDa; the major capsid protein weighs ~54 kDa. EhV has a latent period of 12–14 h and a burst size of 400–1,000 (mean, …

Characterization Of Cd4-Induced Epitopes On The Hiv Type 1 Gp120 Envelope Glycoprotein Recognized By Neutralizing Human Monoclonal Antibodies, Shi-Hua Xiang, Najah Doka, Rabeéa K. Choudhary, Joseph Sodroski, James E. Robinson

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The entry of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) into target cells typically requires the sequential binding of the viral exterior envelope glycoprotein, gp120, to CD4 and a chemokine receptor. CD4 binding exposes gp120 epitopes recognized by CD4-induced (CD4i) antibodies, which can block virus binding to the chemokine receptor. We identified three new CD4i antibodies from an HIV-1-infected individual and localized their epitopes. These epitopes include a highly conserved gp120 β-strand encompassing residues 419–424, which is also important for binding to the CCR5 chemokine receptor. All of the CD4i antibodies inhibited the binding of gp120–CD4 complexes to CCR5. CD4i antibodies and …

Ec02-172 Plumeless Thistle, Kara L. Hilgenfeld, Alex Martin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides L.) is one of seven noxious weeds in Nebraska. An introduced invasive broadleaf weed native to Europe and Asia, plumeless thistle currently infests about 65,000 acres in Nebraska. Infestations of plumeless thistle may reduce productivity of pastures and rangeland, where infestations tend to be the largest. Plumeless thistle competes with and suppresses growth of desirable species. Heavy infestations prevent livestock from grazing the area and lighter infestations prevent livestock from eating plants growing near the thistle. Estimates place the annual loss in Nebraska agricultural production due to plumeless thistle at $162,000. Although plumeless thistle is …

First Report Of Phylloxere Notebilis (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae), In The Neotropical Region, Carlos Roberto Sousa-Silva, Manya B. Stoetzel, Edson Ortiz

USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Phylloxere notabilis Pergande, 1903, commonly known as the pecan leaf phylloxera, is a pest in the pecan-growing areas of the Southern and Eastern United States and Eastern Europe. Of the four species of Phylloxera known to occur on pecan, P. notebilis is the only species which has more than one generation of galls per year.

Fish & Wildlife News: January/February 2002

Fish and Wildlife News

Contents:

Service Welcomes Director Steven Williams 2
Canada Lynx Survey Controversy 3
Service Starts Management Reform Studies 4
Hautman Wins Duck Stamp Contest 8
Renowned Panel Presents Ethics Broadcast 9
Newly Opened Great Plains Nature Center 10
New Hampshire Dam Removal Partnership 11
Exploring Our Past 12
Fish & Wildlife...In Brief 15

Fish & Wildlife News: Winter 2002–2003

Fish and Wildlife News

Contents:
Manson Receives Legion of Merit 2
IAFWA Names New V.P. 4
Red River NWR Created 6
Patuxent NWR Turkey Hunt 7
From Argali to Bighorn 11
Region Hosts Tribal NEPA Workshop 12
Rare White Mountains Plant Recovers 15
Pacific Lamprey 16
Midway Atoll NWR 18
Northern Ute Tribe Honors Elders 20
Honors 25
Director’s Corner 28

Effects Of Management Practices On Grassland Birds: Horned Lark, Meghan F. Dinkins, Amy L. Zimmerman, Jill A. Dechant, Barry D. Parkin, Douglas H. Johnson, Lawrence D. Igl, Christopher M. Goldade, Betty R. Euliss

United States Geological Survey: Effects of Management Practices on Grassland Birds

Information on the habitat requirements and effects of habitat management on grassland birds were summarized from information in more than 4,000 published and unpublished papers. A range map is provided to indicate the relative densities of the species in North America, based on Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Although birds frequently are observed outside the breeding range indicated, the maps are intended to show areas where managers might concentrate their attention. It may be ineffectual to manage habitat at a site for a species that rarely occurs in an area. The species account begins with a brief capsule statement, which …

Mammals Of The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument: A Literature And Museum Survey, Jerran T. Flinders, Duke S. Rogers, Jackee L. Webber-Alston, Harry A. Barber

United States Bureau of Land Management: Staff Publications

This is the first treatment of the mammals of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). GSENM was established in 1996 as a 1.7-million-acre (680,000-ha) federal land reserve under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). To successfully manage this new monument, the BLM is presently developing a management action plan. To provide information for the proper management of mammal species of the area, we have reviewed background literature for each mammal potentially found within the Monument boundaries. We propose that a core area, surrounded by a buffer matrix, be used in GSENM and surrounding public lands to preserve …

Giving Baculoviruses A Better Edge, Arthur H. Mcintosh, Cynthia L. Goodman, James J. Grasela, Ben Hardin

Agricultural Research Magazine

Scientific advancements built on an understanding of what nature already provides are leading to environmentally friendly crop-pest control by either biological agents or specifically designed synthetic antiinsect compounds. A case in point: research on baculoviruses.

Baculoviruses are rod-shaped DNA viruses, many of which begin their life cycle reproducing inside cells. In the nuclei of caterpillar cells infected with baculoviruses, viral progeny multiply and are incorporated into protective polyhedronshaped protein structures called occlusion bodies. Infected caterpillars die and contaminate the leaf surfaces with the occlusion bodies. Then, healthy caterpillars ingest the occlusion bodies and release the virus when feeding on contaminated …