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Notes And News- Summer 2001

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

Notes And News

Frederick C. Luebke Award 2001

Great Plains Migrations (7-9 March 2002)

75th Anniversary Of Prairie Schooner

New Director For Emporia State University's Center For Great Plains Studies

Great Plains Restoration Council

National Cowgirl Museum And Hall Of Fame

Telling Tales Out Of School: Academic Novels And Memoirs By Women, Betty Krasne

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

The following article has some of the attributes of a relic. It was originally written for the old Forum for Honors, shortly before its demise. Therefore, the books and issues it discusses take on a different perspective now that the reborn Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council has offered to publish those articles stranded by the former publication's termination.

Review Of Voices In The Wind: A Waterton-Glacier Anthology Edited By Barbara Grinder, Valerie Haigbrown, And Kevin Van Tighem, Pamela Banting

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

Voices in the Wind is a diverse collection of personal essays, anecdotes, profiles, and journalism contributed by some of the participants in the three Waterton-Glacier International Writers' Conferences held in 1995, 1997, and 1999. Offering three days of writing, editing, and publishing workshops, the conference also includes field trips with local experts and encourages participants to write and publish articles about issues relating to the ecology of the region. Voices in the Wind collects some of these articles by both Canadian and American conferees. Several are full-time journalists, editors, or photographers, but the majority work as biologists, wildlife technicians, range …

Announcements: Summer/Fall 2001

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

Contents:

Allocating and Managing Water for a Sustainable Future: Lessons from Around the World

Defending the Integrity of Ground Water: Understanding the Impacts of Natural and Manmade Disasters

Conference on Energy Climate, Environment and Water—Issues and Opportunities for Irrigation and Drainage

Reversible Phosphorylation Of Photosynthetic Pep Carboxylase: Studies On C4-Leaf Pp2a And Recombinant Pepc-Kinase From Cam-Induced Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum, L. Dong, N. V. Ermolova, M. A. Cushman, T. Taybi, J. C. Cushman, Raymond Chollet

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The activity and allosteric properties of plant PEPC are controlled posttranslationally by specific reversible phosphorylation of a strictly conserved Ser residue near the N-terminus. This up/down-modulation is catalyzed by a transcriptionally regulated, seemingly dedicated Ser/Thr kinase (PpcK) and an opposing Ser/Thr phosphatase (PP2A). We have now partially purified and characterized the native form of this largely “neglected” PP2A from maize leaves using various chromatographic and affinity matrices, and C₄ [³²P]PEPC as substrate (Dong et al., 2001, Planta [in press]). The results indicate that the C₄-leaf holoenzyme is analogous to yeast and mammalian PP2As in regards …

Unexpected Post-Translational Modifications And Novel Sequence-Structure Relationships Revealed By The Crystal Structure Of Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Rubisco, T. C. Taylor, A. Backlund, R. J. Spreitzer, I. Andersson

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The crystal structure of Rubisco from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been solved to 1.4 Å resolution. In addition to clear electron density for the carbamate on lys-201, the active site magnesium ion and the inhibitor 2-CABP, there was unexpected but unambiguous electron density for further specific post-translational modification. The N-terminus of the mature small subunit is methylated. The large subunit contains two methylcysteine residues (256 & 369) and two hydroxyproline residues (104 & 151). The small subunit from Chlamydomonas shows a structure more similar to that of the higher green plants than that from other algae of known structure. An extensive …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, V. 23, No. 2, August 2001, 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.

Scwds Briefs: Volume 17, Number 2 (July 2001)

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

• West Nile virus (WNV) recently was detected in wild birds found dead in Florida and Georgia.
• The cause of avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) remains undetermined despite extensive diagnostic and research investigations conducted since the disease was first recognized as a significant cause of eagle mortality in 1994.
• The spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that began in the United Kingdom in February 2001 has slowed dramatically.
• A test of the animal disease emergency management system was conducted July 9-12, 2001, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the states of …

Restoring Tallgrass Prairie Species Mixtures On Leafy Spurge-Infested Rangeland, Robert A. Masters, Daniel Beran, Roch E. Gaussoin

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

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) reduces northern Great Plains rangeland carrying capacity. Treatment strategies were evaluated that suppressed leafy spurge and facilitated establishment of mixtures of native grasses and legumes on range sites near Mason City and Tilden, Nebr. Glyphosate at 1,600 g a.i. (active ingredient) ha^-1 was applied with or without imazapic at 140 or 210 g a.i. ha^-1 in October 1995. In April 1996, standing crop was burned or mowed. Mixtures of native grasses [big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), little bluestem (Schizachyrium …

Modeling Vegetative Buffer Performance Considering Topographic Data Accuracy, Jason M. Brothers, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Matthew J. Helmers, Michael G. Dosskey, Thomas G. Franti

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

Riparian buffers are a promising tool in efforts to reduce sediment contribution to streams. Models that predict the capacity of buffers to trap sediment have recently been developed. A number of parameters that are required to conduct such modeling efforts are derived from the topography of the site. In this study, three topographic data sources were used to generate the model input for an agricultural field with a riparian buffer. The runoff and sediment transport in the system was then simulated for three years. As a result, the area that contributed runoff and sediment to the buffer was substantially different …

Effect Of Primary And Secondary Repellents On European Starlings: An Initial Assessment, Roger W. Sayre, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife managers need chemical repellents that are effective at deterring damage by birds, but these repellents must be environmentally and toxicologically safe. The number of commercially available bird repellents has been reduced because of concerns about environmental safety. Currently, there are 2 categories of avian repellents. Chemicals that are reflexively avoided by birds because they irritate the peripheral chemical senses are referred to as primary repellents. Chemicals that cause gastrointestinal illness and learned avoidance of ancillary sensory cues that are paired with the illness are known as secondary repellents. Secondary repellents most often identified as the most effective avian repellents …

Controlling Nitrate Leaching In Irrigated Agriculture, Roy F. Spalding, Darrell G. Watts, James S. Schepers, Mark E. Burbach, Mary E. Exner, Robert J. Poreda, Glen E. Martin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The impact of improved irrigation and nutrient practices on ground water quality was assessed at the Nebraska Management System Evaluation Area using ground water quality data collected from 16 depths at 31 strategically located multilevel samplers three times annually from 1991 to 1996. The site was sectioned into four 13.4-ha management fields: (i) a conventional furrow-irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) field; (ii) a surge-irrigated corn field, which received 60% less water and 31% less N fertilizer than the conventional field; (iii) a center pivot-irrigated corn field, which received 66% less water and 37% less N fertilizer than the conventional field; …

Can Negligible Levels Of Rubisco Activase, Be The Reason For Decreased Rubisco Activity Levels In Guard Cells?, S. Madhavan, P. Echtenkamp

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Rubisco in guard cell chloroplasts has been a subject of controversy for decades. Several studies have unequivocally confirmed not only the presence of Rubisco in guard cells but also found it to be catalytically active. Based on a cell basis, the amount of Rubisco in guard cells is suggested to be in the range of 0.6 to 1.4 % whereas its activity is reported to be in the range of 0.35 to 0.5%, of a mesophyll cell. This low activity may be due a) to a low Rubisco content, and/or, b) to either the absence or an inactive functional activation …

Variation In Response To Artificial Selection For Light Sensitivity In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulate), John A. Endler, Alexandra Basolo, Stan Glowacki, Julianne Zerr

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We performed artificial selection on the visual system in guppies (Poecilia reticulate), using the optomotor reaction threshold as the selection criterion. Two lines were selected for increased sensitivity to blue light, two were selected for increased sensitivity to red light, and two were unselected controls. There was significant response to selection in all four selected lines and significant heritability for sensitivity. An examination of the spectral sensitivity function showed that the form of the response differed between the red and blue lines and among the red lines. Such divergence is likely because there are many different mechanisms allowing …

Quorum Sensing In The Dimorphic Fungus Candida Albicans Is Mediated By Farnesol, Jacob M. Hornby, Ellen C. Jensen, Amber C. Lisec, Joseph J. Tasto, Brandon Jahnke, Richard Shoemaker, Patrick Dussault, Kenneth W. Nickerson

Patrick Dussault Publications

The inoculum size effect in the dimorphic fungus Candida albicans results from production of an extracellular quorum-sensing molecule (QSM). This molecule prevents mycelial development in both a growth morphology assay and a differentiation assay using three chemically distinct triggers for germ tube formation (GTF): L-proline, N-acetylglucosamine, and serum (either pig or fetal bovine). In all cases, the presence of QSM prevents the yeast-to-mycelium conversion, resulting in actively budding yeasts without influencing cellular growth rates. QSM exhibits general cross-reactivity within C. albicans in that supernatants from strain A72 are active on five other strains of C. albicans and vice versa. …

Managing Wolf Conflict With Livestock In The Northwestern United States, Ed Bangs, John A. Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wolves (Canis lupus) were once common throughout North America but were deliberately exterminated in the lower 48 United States, except in northeastern Minnesota, primarily because of depredations on livestock. Wolves remained abundant in areas with few livestock such as most of Canada and Alaska. Sixty years after being nearly exterminated, the gray wolf was listed under the United States Endangered Species Act (Act) in 1974. The combination of natural recovery in NW Montana, and reintroduction in central Idaho and the Greater Yellowstone area (NW Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and SW Montana) has resulted in an expanding wolf population (Bangs …

A New Approach To Understanding Canid Populations Using An Individual-Based Computer Model: Preliminary Results, William C. Pitt, Frederick F. Knowlton, Paul W. Box

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ensuring the welfare of wild canid populations depends upon the ability to integrate species biology, the environmental aspects upon which those populations depend, and the factors controlling species abundance. Toward this end, we developed an individual-based computer model using Swarm to mimic natural coyote populations. Swarm is a software platform that allows the user to describe individual behaviors for all individuals, link those behaviors in each concurrent time step, and assemble behaviors and objects in a hierarchical framework. Our model stands apart from previous modeling efforts because it relies on field data and explicitly incorporates behavioral features, such as dominance …

The Physiology Of Life History Trade-Offs In Animals, Anthony J. Zera, Lawrence G. Harshman

Anthony Zera Publications

The functional causes of life history trade-offs have been a topic of interest to evolutionary biologists for over six decades. Our review of life history trade-offs discusses conceptual issues associated with physiological aspects of trade-offs, and it describes recent advances on this topic. We focus on studies of four model systems: wing polymorphic insects, Drosophila, lizards, and birds. The most significant recent advances have been: (a) incorporation of genetics in physiological studies of trade-offs, (b) integration of investigations of nutrient input with nutrient allocation, (c) development of more sophisticated models of resource acquisition and allocation, (d) a shift to more …

Endangered And Threatened Wildlife And Plants: Establishment Of A Nonessential Experimental Population Of Whooping Cranes In The Eastern United States

Endangered Species Bulletin

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will reintroduce whooping cranes (Grus aericana) into historic habitat in the eastern United States with the intent to establish a migratory flock that would summer and breed in Wisconsin, and winter in west-central Florida. We are designating this reintroduced population as a nonessential experimental population (NEP) according to section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. The geographic boundary of the NEP includes the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West …

Increased Plasma Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Concentrations In Prepubertal Gilts From Lines Selected For Increased Number Of Corpora Lutea, J. J. Ford, D. R. Zimmerman, T. H. Wise, K. A. Leymaster, R. K. Christenson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was evaluated in gilts from two studies in which ovulation rate was increased through direct selection for number of corpora lutea (CL) to determine whether selection for ovulation rate affected FSH secretion during prepubertal development. In the first study, 76 control and 110 selected gilts of University of Nebraska gene pool lines were bled twice during prepubertal development. Plasma FSH concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) at 53 (13.5%) and 75 (21.3%) d of age in selected than in control gilts. In the second study, 254 control gilts, 261 gilts from a line selected for ovulation rate, and 256 gilts from a line selected for uterine capacity were bled at three prepubertal ages. Plasma FSH was greater (P < 0.05), relative to controls, on d 34 (> 24%), 55 (> 13%), and 85 (> 10%) in White Composite gilts selected for either increased ovulation rate or for greater uterine capacity. Unilateral ovariectomy and hysterectomy were performed at …

A Rapid Twofold Dilution Method For Microbial Enumeration And Resuscitation Of Uninjured And Sublethally Injured Bacteria, D H. Kang, G R. Siragusa

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Aims: A rapid and simple method for enumerating uninjured and sublethally injured bacterial cells, the twofold dilution method (2FD), was developed and evaluated. Methods and Results: Following twofold serial dilution of samples in a 96 well microtiter plate, double strength selective broth or nonselective broth was added to each well. For resuscitation of heat-injured (55°C for 10 min) coliforms, the selective broth was added to the wells after 3 h preresuscitation time in buffered peptone water. The results of the 2FD were compared to plating methods for total and coliform plate counts from mixed cultures and beef carcass surface tissue …

The Great Lakes Charter Annex: A Supplementary Agreement To The Great Lakes Charter, Council Of Great Lakes Governors, Tom Ridge, John Engler, Scott Mccallum, Frank O'Bannon, George E. Pataki, George H. Ryan, Bob Taft, Jesse Ventura, Mike Harris, Bernard Landry

Water Law Documents

In agreeing to this Annex, the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers reaffirm their commitment to the five broad principles set forth in the Great Lakes Charter, and further reaffirm that the provisions of the Charter will continue in full force and effect. The Governors and Premiers commit to further implementing the principles of the Charter by developing an enhanced water management system that is simple, durable, efficient, retains and respects authority within the Basin, and, most importantly, protects, conserves, restores, and improves the Waters and Water-Dependent Natural Resources of the Great Lakes Basin. State and Provincial authorities should be permanent, …

Infrequent Cowbird Parasitism On Common Grackles Revisited: New Records From The Northern Great Plains, Brian D. Peer, H. Jeffrey Homan, Spencer G. Sealy

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We report nine new records of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism on the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula): six from Benson County, North Dakota, and three from Delta Marsh, Manitoba. These observations represent 30% of the total number of records of parasitism on this host. Parasitism frequencies were 0.8% of 727 nests in North Dakota, and 4.0% of 75 nests in Manitoba. The data from Manitoba, combined with previous data from this location (Neudorf and Sealy 1994), yields a parasitism frequency of 3.4% of 119 nests examined. These parasitism frequencies are the highest recorded for the Common …

Ecosystems And Immune Systems: Hierarchical Response Provides Resilience Against Invasions, Craig R. Allen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Janssen (2001) provides the stimulus for thoughtful comparison and consideration of the ranges of responses exhibited by immune systems and ecological systems in the face of perturbations such as biological invasions. It may indeed be informative to consider the similarities of the responses to invasions exhibited by immune systems and ecological systems. Clearly, both types of systems share a general organizational structure with all other complex hierarchical systems. Their organization provides these systems with resilience. However, when describing the response of ecological-economic systems to invasions, Janssen emphasizes the human-economic response. I would like to expand on his comparison by focusing …

Evolution Of A Scientific Meeting: Eighty Annual Meetings Of The American Society Of Mammalogists, 1919-2000, Hugh H. Genoways, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The American Society of Mammalogists has held 80 annual meetings between 1919 and 2000. These meetings have been held in 32 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Mexico. At least 86 people have served as the chair or co-chair of the Local Committee planning the meetings. The number of technical presentations has grown from a low of 17 in 1921 to 340 in 1994. Symposia were an early feature of annual meetings but did not become a regular feature until 1971. Poster presentations were introduced in 1979 and reached a high of 195 posters at the 1994 annual …

Importance Of Bacterial Decomposition And Carrion Substrate To Foraging Brown Treesnakes, S.M. Jojola-Elverum, J.A. Shivik, L. Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Brown treesnakes are an invasive species to the island of Guam that have caused extensive ecological and economic damage. Efforts to control the snake population have included trapping using live mouse lures, but for logistical and economic reasons a synthetic lure is needed. When searching for live food, brown treesnakes use both visual and odor cues. However, when searching for carrion, odor cues are sufficient. Attempts to develop synthetic lures based on chemical reconstruction of the complex carrion odor have not succeeded. We provide evidence that a microbial–substrate interaction is important for bait take by brown treesnakes. Microbial cultures taken …

An Examination Of Southeastern U.S. Satyrium (Lycaenidae: Theclinae), Part One: An Obscure New Subspecies Of Satyrium Edwardsii, Ronald R. Gatrelle

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Satyrium edwardsii meridionale is described as a new subspecies from Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. This scarce colony is the southeasternmost known population of this butterfly in the United States. It was discovered by the author (Ronald R. Gatrelle) in 1990 near Aiken State Park in Aiken County, South Carolina. This site is in South Carolina’s upper Coastal Plain in the southern part of the state adjacent to Georgia. It is known from only one male and one female at the type locality. Because it was known from only one pair, the author thought it best to wait until …

Reflectance Spectral Features And Detection Of Superficial Scald–Induced Browning In Storing Apple Fruit, Olga B. Chivkunova, Alexei E. Solovchenko, S. G. Sokolova, Mark N. Merzlyak, I. V. Reshetnikova, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Reflectance (R) spectra of Antonovka apples in the visible and near infrared ranges of the spectrum were studied during fruit storage. Specific spectral features of reflectance of healthy ripening fruits and those arising as a result of superficial scald development and browning induced artificially by n–hexane treatment were revealed and compared. Both superficial scald and n–hexane treatment brought about a strong decrease of reflectance, especially, in the green near 550 nm. During natural fruit ripening in the absence of superficial scald development, a high correlation was found between reflectances at 550 and 700 nm. In contrast, as a …

The Protection Of Cultural Resources On Public Lands: Federal Statutes And Regulations, Sandra Zellmer

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

The federal public lands—national forests, parks, and rangelands—are widely known for their vast natural resources: timber; range; minerals; watersheds; wildlife; and sweeping vistas of incredible beauty and diversity. No less notable are the cultural resources found on the public lands. Some of the earliest withdrawals of public lands from homesteading or other disposition occurred because of their cultural and historic importance.1 Preserving and allowing access to resources with cultural significance are critical to sustaining diverse, viable communities as well as our national, collective heritage. For American Indian people in particular, certain places, physical features, and objects on the public lands …

Water Current, Volume 33, No. 3. June 2001

Water Current Newsletter

• Physical Model Could Change Flows, Future of Nebraska’s Lake Ogallala by Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• The WRRI Yesterday, WRC Tomorrow by Warren “Bud” Viessman, Jr.

• UNL To Host One of Eight Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units

• Water News Briefs

• Three Free Natural Resources Fact Sheets Available From UNL’s CSD