Digital Commons Network^™

Using Upper Boundary Constraints To Quantify Competitive Response Of Desert Annuals, Laura M. Lessin, Andrew R. Dyer, Deborah E. Goldberg

Faculty Publications

Using a target-neighborhood approach with six annual dicot species in the Negev Desert of Israel, we tested whether neighborhood biomass constrained the upper limit of plant performance and if the slope of the upper boundary was correlated to species trait means, such as relative growth rate (RGR) and seed mass. Target individuals were measured in early spring and then collected at the onset of the dry season along with all naturally occurring neighbors within a 5-cm radius of the target. Using a minimum of 50 samples for each of the six target species, we found no significant relationships between target …

State Constitutional Restrictions On Legislative Procedure: Rethinking Analysis Of Original Purpose, Single Subject, And Clear Title Challenges, Martha Dragich

Faculty Publications

Recognizing that state courts are beginning to review procedural challenges more rigorously, this Article attempts to provide guidance for the resolution of such cases. Part I examines the history, purposes, and standards of original purpose, single subject, and clear title restrictions, using Missouri's provisions as examples. Part I also identifies paradigmatic cases of each of the procedural violations with the hope of more sharply differentiating the three claims. Parts II through V present a case study of ten Missouri cases decided since 1994, supplemented with notable cases from other states. Part II begins with a brief description of the Missouri …

Trends And Disparities In Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, And Other Cardiovascular Diseases In The United States: Findings Of The National Conference On Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Richard Cooper, Jeffrey Cutler, Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, Stephen P. Fortmann, Lawrence Friedman, Richard Havlik, Gary Hogelin, John Marler, Paul Mcgovern, Gregory Morosco, Lori Mosca, Thomas Pearson, Jeremiah Stamler, Daniel Stryer, Thomas Thom

Faculty Publications

A workshop was held September 27 through 29, 1999, to address issues relating to national trends in mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular diseases; the apparent slowing of declines in mortality from cardiovascular diseases; levels and trends in risk factors for cardiovascular diseases; disparities in cardiovascular diseases by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography; trends in cardiovascular disease preventive and treatment services; and strategies for efforts to reduce cardiovascular diseases overall and to reduce disparities among subpopulations. The conference concluded that coronary heart disease mortality is still declining in the United States as a whole, although perhaps at a slower rate than …

Proteolytic Enzymes In The Marine Bacterium Pseudoalteromonas Atlantica: Post-Secretional Activation And Effects Of Environmental Conditions, Monica Hoffman, Alan W. Decho

Faculty Publications

Production and activities of cellular and extracellular proteolytic enzymes associated with the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas atlantica were examined in response to physiological state and changing environmental variables under laboratory conditions. Enzymes evidenced by zymography were metalloproteases, as defined by substrate preference and susceptibility to inhibitors (EDTA and 1, 10-phenanthroline). Distinct bands (i.e. molecular-weight [MW] size classes) of enzymes were isolated from within cellular and extracellular compartments. Susceptibility of extracellular enzymes to environmental stressors was related, in part, to the MW size classes of the enzymes. While all bands of enzymes showed some degree of inhibition when pH was decreased, the …

Risk Factors And Gender Differentials For Death Among Children Hospitalized With Diarrhoea In Bangladesh, Amal K. Mitra, Mohammad M. Rahman, George J. Fuchs

Faculty Publications

To identify risk factors for death among children with diarrhoea, a cohort of 496 children, aged less than 5 years, admitted to the intensive care unit of a diarrhoeal disease hospital in Bangladesh, was studied during November 1992-June 1994, Clinical and laboratory records of children who died and of those who recovered in the hospital were compared, Deaths were significantly higher among those who had altered consciousness, hypoglycaemia, septicaemia, paralytic ileus, toxic colitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, haemolytic-uraemic syndrome, invasive or persistent diarrhoea, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and malnutrition, Females experienced a 2-fold higher risk of death than males (p=0.003). Several indices of …

Re: 'Differences In Socioeconomic Status And Survival Among White And Black Men With Prostate Cancer' [1] (Multiple Letters), Jay S. Kaufman, Robert Millikan, Charles Poole, Paul Godley, Richard S. Cooper, Vincent Freeman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Practicality Of Large Mylar Bags To Store Corn And Beans In Kenya, Byu Food Quality Assurance Laboratory

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to determine the practicality of using extra large zip-lock mylar bags with oxygen absorber packets to store corn and beans in Chyulu, Kenya. Weevil usually gets in the food after about 5 months, so if the oxygen can be maintained at a low level, the corn and beans could be stored for longer than that. The goal is to be able to store the food for 18 months. In order to determine the practicality of using the mylar bags to store corn and beans, the following questions will need to be answered: · Are …

Long-Term Pyrene Exposure Of Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes Pugio, Affects Molting And Reproduction Of Exposed Males And Offspring Of Exposed Females, Eva Oberdörster, Marius Brouwer, Thea Hoexum-Brouwer, Steve Manning, John A. Mclachlan

Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of long-term pyrene exposure on molting and reproduction in the model estuarine invertebrate, the grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio). Grass shrimp were exposed to measured concentrations of 5.1, 15.0, and 63.4 ppb (mu g/L) pyrene for 6 weeks, during which time we determined molting and survivorship. At the end of the exposure, we immediately sacrificed some of the shrimp for biomarker (CYP1A and vitellin) analyses. The remaining shrimp were used to analyze fecundity and embryo survivorship during an additional 6 weeks after termination of pyrene exposure. Male shrimp at the highest …

Comparison Of A Dietary Record Using Reported Portion Size Versus Standard Portion Size For Assessing Nutrient Intake, Desiree C. Welten, Ruth A. Carpenter, R. Sue Mcpherson, Suzanne Brodney, Deirdre Douglass, James B. Kampert, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Objective: Because the percentage of missing portion sizes was large in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS), careful consideration of the accuracy of standard portion sizes was necessary. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the consequences of using standard portion size instead of reported portion sizes on subjects' nutrient intake.

Methods: In 2307 men and 411 women, nutrient intake calculated from a 3-day dietary record using reported portion sizes was compared with nutrient intake calculated from the same record in which standard portion sizes were substituted for reported portion sizes.

Results: The standard portion sizes provided significantly …

Low Fasting Plasma Glucose Level As A Predictor Of Cardiovascular Disease And All-Cause Mortality, Ming Wei, Larry W. Gibbons, Tedd L. Mitchell, James B. Kampert, Michael P. Stern, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background - Although medical textbooks usually classify fasting plasma glucose <70 or 80 mg/dL (<3.89 or 4.44 mmol/L) as abnormal, the prognosis for patients with low fasting plasma glucose is unclear.

Methods and Results - We conducted prospective cohort studies among 40,069 men and women to investigate the association between fasting plasma glucose levels and cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. We documented a U-shaped relation between fasting plasma glucose and mortality. In addition to diabetes and impaired fasting glucose levels, low fasting plasma glucose levels were also associated with high morality. After multivariate adjustment for age, sex, study population, ethnicity, current smoking status, high blood pressure, total cholesterol, body mass index, triglycerides, history of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and a family …

Alcohol Intake And Mortality: Findings From The National Health Interview Surveys (1988 And 1990), Youlian Liao, Daniel L. Mcgee, Guichan Cao, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

The authors used prospective data from two supplemental studies of the National Health Interview Survey, the 1988 Alcohol Supplement and the 1990 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Supplement, to examine the relation between alcohol intake and mortality. Their study included 17,821 men and 25,874 women aged 40 years or older at baseline; during an average of 6 years of follow-up, 5,540 deaths occurred. The alcohol-mortality relation was U-shaped for men and J-shaped for women. On the basis of categorical analyses adjusted for age, race, smoking, and baseline diseases, men who drank 2 drinks per day had a significantly lower risk …

Effects Of Prolonged Soil Drought On Ch4 Oxidation In A Temperate Spruce Forest, W. Borken, R. Brumme, Y. J. Xu

Faculty Publications

Our objective was to determine potential impacts of changes in rainfall amount and distribution on soil CH4 oxidation in a temperate forest ecosystem. We constructed a roof below the canopy of a 65-year-old Norway spruce forest (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and simulated two climate change scenarios: (1) an extensively prolonged summer drought of 172 days followed by a rewetting period of 19 days in 1993 and (2) a less intensive summer drought of 108 days followed by a rewetting period of 33 days in 1994. CH4 oxidation, soil matric potential, and soil temperature were measured hourly to daily over a …

Responses Of Phytoplankton And Pfiesteria-Like Dinoflagellate Zoospores To Nutrient Enrichment In The Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, Usa, James L. Pinckney, Hans W. Paerl, Elin Haugen, Patricia A. Tester

Faculty Publications

The recently described toxic dinoflagellate Pfiestena piscicida and morphologically similar Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates have become a major water quality issue with possible fish mortality and reported human health implications. The linkages between accelerated nutrient loading, eutrophication, and the proliferation of this group of dinoflagellates, however, are not well established for natural Systems. Phytoplankton pnmary production may provide a key link between nutrient inputs and potential outbreaks of Pfiesteria-like biflagellated zoospores in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina. The impacts of nutrient (NO₃^- -nitrogen and PO₄^3- -phosphorus) supply rates, sediment-water column exchange, water column mixing, and phytoplankton prey …

Editorial Views: Choosing And Death, Alison Mcchrystal Barnes

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Cartagena Protocol And Biological Diversity; Biosafe Or Bio-Sorry, Jonathan H. Adler

Faculty Publications

In January 2000, delegates from over 100 nations completed negotiations on an international treaty for the regulation of biotechnology, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The stated purpose of this protocol is to enhance the protection of biological diversity. Despite its good intentions, there is a mismatch between the protocol's substantive provisions and present threats to biological diversity. The protocol endorses "precautionary" regulation of transboundary shipments of genetically engineered organisms, including crops, so as to reduce the environmental risks that such organisms may pose. The greatest threat to biological diversity is habitat loss, largely driven by the conversion of land for …

Global Change And Biodiversity Linkages Across The Sediment-Water Interface, C. R. Smith, M. C. Austen, G. Boucher, C. Heip, P. A. Hutchings, G. M. King, I. Koike, P. J.D. Lambshead, P. Snelgrove

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Mechanical Processing On Utilization Of Corn Silage By Lactating Dairy Cows, T. R. Dhiman, M. A. Bal, Z. Wu, V. R. Moreira, R. D. Shaver, L. D. Satter, K. J. Shinners, R. P. Walgenbach

Faculty Publications

We conducted three experiments to determine the influence of mechanical processing on corn silage utilization by lactating dairy cows. Total mixed rations contained either unprocessed or processed corn silage harvested between 1/4 and 3/4 milk line. In trial 1, 12 multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated double switchback design with 21-d periods. Intake of dry matter (DM) was increased 1.2 kg/d by processing, but milk yield was unaffected. Processing did not affect apparent total-tract DM digestibility, but processing tended to lower starch and corn excretion in feces and reduced concentration of sieved corn kernel particles in feces. In …

A Multiplex Approach To Molecular Detection Of Brucella Abortus And/Or Mycobacterium Boris Infection In Cattle, Srinand Sreevatsan, Jack B. Bookout, Fidel Ringpis, Veera S. Perumaalla, Thomas A. Ficht, L. Garry Adams, Sue D. Hagius, Philip H. Elzer, Betsy J. Bricker, Girish K. Kumar, M. Rajasekhar, Srikrishna Isloor, Raj R. Barathur

Faculty Publications

A multiplex amplification and detection platform for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis and Brucella abortus infection simultaneously in bovine milk and nasal secretions was developed. This system (designated the bovine pathogen detection assay [BPDA]-PCR) consists of duplex amplification of species-specific targets (a region of the BCSP31K gene of B. abortus and a repeat-sequence region in the hsp65 gene of M. bovis, respectively). This is followed by a solid-phase probe capture hybridization of amplicons for detection. On the basis of spiking experiments with normal milk, the analytical sensitivity of the assay was 800 CFU equivalents/ml of milk for B. abortus and …

Comparability Of Resting Energy Expenditure In Nigerians And U.S. Blacks, Amy Luke, Charles N. Rotimi, Adebowale A. Adeyemo, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, T. Elaine Prewitt, Lisa Moragne-Kayser, Regina Marders, Richard S. Cooper

Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine the influence of environmental factors on resting energy expenditure (REE) and its relationship to adiposity in two populations of West African origin, Nigerians and U.S. blacks. Research Methods and Procedures: REE and body composition were measured in a cross-sectional sample of 89 Nigerian adults (39 women and 50 men), and 181 U.S. black adults (117 women and 65 men). Both groups represent randomly selected population samples. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry after an overnight fast in both sites using the same instrument. Body composition was estimated using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in 72 Nigerians and 156 …

Effect Of Silicon Rate And Host Resistance On Blast, Scald, And Yield Of Upland Price, K. W. Seebold, L. E. Datnoff, F. J. Correa-Victoria, T. A. Kucharek, G. H. Snyder

Faculty Publications

Blast-resistant, partially resistant, and susceptible cultivars of rice were planted in soil amended with Si at 0, 500, or 1,000 kg/ha at two locations in eastern Colombia to assess differential responses to leaf blast, neck blast, and leaf scald, and to examine the quantity and quality of grains harvested. Leaf and neck blast on partially resistant and susceptible cultivars were reduced by Si as the rate of Si was increased. Depending on the location, the level of severity of leaf and neck blast on partially resistant cultivars, when fertilized with Si at 500 or 1,000 kg/ha, was lowered to that …

Calla History And Culture, Jeff S. Kuehny

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Carbohydrate-Related Changes In Sweetpotato Storage Roots During Development, Don R. La Bonte, David H. Picha, Hester A. Johnson

Faculty Publications

The quantity and pattern of carbohydrate-related changes during storage root development differed among six sweetpotato cultivars [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Poir. 'Beauregard', 'Heart-o-Gold', 'Jewel', 'Rojo Blanco', 'Travis', and 'White Star']. Measurements were taken for individual sugars, total sugars, alcohol-insoluble solids (AIS, crude starch), and dry weight (DW) at 2-week intervals from 7 to 19 weeks after transplanting (WAT) in two separate years. Sucrose was the major sugar during all stages of development, representing at least 68% of total sugars across all cultivars and dates. Pairwise comparisons showed 'Heart-o-Gold' had the highest sucrose content among the cultivars. Sucrose content increased by 56% …

Freezing Tolerance And Nonstructural Carbohydrate Composition Of Carpetgrass (Axonopus Affinis Chase), Edward Bush, Paul Wilson, Dennis Shepard, James Mccrimmon

Faculty Publications

An experiment to determine the nonstructural carbohydrate composition and nodal survival (LT50) of common carpetgrass was conducted between 1993 and 1994 at Baton Rouge, La. Nonstructural carbohydrates in stolons were primarily sucrose [70-130 mg · g-1 dry weight (DW)] and starch (8-33 mg · g-1 DW). Total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) composition of stolons ranged between 30 to 165 mg · g-1 DW. Node survival following exposure to 2 °C ranged from 0% in August-sampled grass to 48% in December. The LT50 following acclimation under field conditions was -2 to -4 °C. Environmental factors influenced nonstructural carbohydrate composition, partitioning, and node …

Is Malnutrition Declining? An Analysis Of Changes In Levels Of Childhood Malnutrition Since 1980, Mercedes De Onis, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Monika Blo¨ Ssner

Faculty Publications

Nutritional status is the best global indicator of well-being in children. Although many surveys of children have been conducted since the 1970s, lack of comparability between them has made it difficult to monitor trends in child malnutrition.

Cross-sectional data from 241 nationally representative surveys were analysed in a standard way to produce comparable results of low height-for-age (stunting). Multilevel modelling was applied to estimate regional and global trends from 1980 to 2005.

The prevalence of stunting has fallen in developing countries from 47% in 1980 to 33% in 2000 (i.e. by 40 million), although progress has been uneven according to …

International Institutions, Michael P. Scharf, John Knox, Michelle Mulvena, Chris Potter, Tracy Sund

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Food Resources Of Stream Macroinvertebrates Determined By Natural-Abundance Stable C And N Isotopes And A 15n Tracer Addition, Patrick J. Mulholland, Jennifer L. Tank, Diane M. Sanzone, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Bruce J. Peterson, Jackson R. Webster, Judy L. Meyer

Faculty Publications

Trophic relationships were examined using natural-abundance 13C and 15N analyses and a 15N-tracer addition experiment in Walker Branch, a 1st-order forested stream in eastern Tennessee. In the 15N-tracer addition experiment, we added 15NH4, to stream water over a 6-wk period In early spring, and measured 15N:14N ratios in different taxa and biomass compartments over distance and time. Samples collected from a station upstream from the 15N addition provided data on natural-abundance 13C:12C and 15N:14N ratios. The natural-abundance 15N analysis proved to be of limited value in identifying food resources of macroinvertebrates because 15N values were not greatly different among food …

More Sorry Than Safe: Assessing The Precautionary Principle And The Proposed International Biosafety Protocol, Jonathan H. Adler

Faculty Publications

Part I of this paper provides a brief overview of the development of biotechnology, its regulation and its use, with a particular emphasis on agricultural biotechnology. Part II outlines the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which provides an international legal framework for a biosafety protocol and summarizes the results of recent protocol negotiations, such as those conducted in Cartagena, Colombia in February 1999, which continued in Montreal in January 2000. Part III explains why the proposed protocol embodies a variant of the precautionary principle and why such policies may do more harm than good. This paper concludes with some …

The Constitutional Implications Of Human Cloning, Elizabeth Price Foley

Faculty Publications

Given the theoretical inevitability of human cloning, this Article attempts to fill a current intellectual void by providing an analysis of the most significant legal implications of cloning human beings. Part II sets forth the basic science behind cloning and how cloning differs from other, non-traditional forms of procreation such as in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination. Part III discusses the most commonly feared “science fiction” abuses associated with human cloning and current laws that may prevent such abuses from occurring. Part IV discusses the possible constitutional impediments to banning human cloning, including the First Amendment, the procreational liberty interest …

Effect Of Smoking On The Body Mass Index-Mortality Relation: Empirical Evidence From 15 Studies, V. Hawthorne, V. Hawthorne, D. Kozarevic, N. Vojvodic, C. R. Gillis, D. Hole, C. Hart, T. Jorgensen, T. Thomsen, M. Davidson, U. Goldbourt, S. Yaari, G. Cao, R. Cooper, R. Durazo-Arvizu, Z. Li, Y. Liao, D. Mcgee, T. E. Prewitt, C. Sempos

Faculty Publications

The authors examined the impact of smoking status on the relation between body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2) and mortality across a group of 15 diverse observational studies. The studies included a heterogeneous sample of national samples, cohort studies with mortality follow-up, and clinical trials. Consideration of the data according to natural strata resulted in the formation of 42 analytic cohorts. The authors examined survival through the end of follow-up for each study, as influenced by body mass index, age, and current smoking status at baseline, using a proportional hazards model to describe the relation between body mass index and …

Tracking Of Physical Activity, Physical Inactivity, And Health-Related Physical Fitness In Rural Youth, Russell R. Pate, Stewart G. Trost, Marsha Dowda, Alise E. Ott, Dianne S. Ward, Ruth P. Saunders, Gwen A. Felton

Faculty Publications

This study examined the tracking of selected measures of physical activity, inactivity, and fitness in a cohort of rural youth. Students (N=181, 54.7% female, 63.5% African American) completed test batteries during their fifth- (age=10.7±0.7 years), sixth-, and seventh-grade years. The Previous Day Physical Activity Recall (PDPAR) was used to assess 30-min blocks of vigorous physical activity (VPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), TV watching and other sedentary activities, and estimated energy expenditure (EE). Fitness measures included the PWC 170 cycle ergometer test, strength tests, triceps skinfold thickness, and BMI. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for VPA, MVPA, and after-school EE …