Digital Commons Network^™

Monetary Valuation Methods For Economic Analysis Of The Benefit-Costs Of Protecting Rare Wildlife Species From Predators, Richard M. Engeman, Stephanie A. Schwiff, Henry T. Smith, Bernice Constantin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many threatened and endangered species are negatively impacted by predation. Management of the predators that are geographically and telnporally in position to threaten species of concern can greatly aid in their conservation. However, decisions on managenlent strategies are based within economic constraints, while the success of management actions is measured by wildlife resource improvement. Here, we review methods for applying monetary valuations for threatened and endangered species so that cconoinic analyses of management actions can be used to help guide and evaluate managcmcnt decisions. A variety of applied exa~nplesa re provided to demonstrate the principles.

Coyotes; Coyotes In Yellowstone National Park: The Influence, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Testudines, John Woolard, Richard M. Engeman, Henry T. Smith, John Griner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Use Of A Seed Scarifier For Detection And Enumeration Of Galls Of Anguina And Rathayibacter Species In Orchard Grass Seed, Steven C. Alderman, Douglas M. Bilsland, John A. Griesbach, Gene M. Milbrath, Norman W. Schaad, Elena Postnikova

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Seed galls, caused by Anguina spp., are normally detected visually in cereals such as wheat and barley. However, in grasses such as orchard grass, the presence of galls induced by Anguina or Rathayibacter spp. are difficult to detect visually due to their infrequent occurrence and masking by lemmas and paleas. To develop improved seed assays for the presence of the nematode and bacterial galls, a small scarifier was used to remove lemmas and paleas without causing major damage to seeds or galls. Following scarification, the galls were visually identified and manually counted under a dissecting microscope. Using the scarifier, several …

Mucosal Priming Of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Responses In Rhesus Macaques By The Salmonella Type Iii Secretion Antigen Delivery System, David T. Evans, Li-Mei Chen, Jacqueline Gillis, Kuei-Chin Lin, Brian Harty, Gail P. Mazzara, Ruben O. Donis, Keith G. Mansfield, Jeffrey D. Lifson, Ronald C. Desrosiers, Jorge E. Galán, R. Paul Johnson

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Nearly all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are acquired mucosally, and the gut-associated lymphoid tissues are important sites for early virus replication. Thus, vaccine strategies designed to prime virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses that home to mucosal compartments may be particularly effective at preventing or containing HIV infection. The Salmonella type III secretion system has been shown to be an effective approach for stimulating mucosal CTL responses in mice. We therefore tested ∆phoP-phoQ attenuated strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and S. enterica serovar Typhi expressing fragments of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag protein fused to the …

Method To Detect The Presence Of A Microorganism Or Agent In An Animal, David R. Smith, Laura L. Hungerford, Rodney A. Moxley, Susanne Hinkley, Terry Klopfenstein, Jeff Gray

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The present invention provides a method to detect the presence of a microorganism or agent in an animal. The method encompasses placement of devices at various locations where the animal resides so as to induce the animal to initiate contact with the device. As a result of this contact, the animal deposits various microorganisms and agents on the device. The device is then tested for the presence of the particular microorganism or agent of interest.

Duration Of Infection And Proportion Of Pigs Persistently Infected With Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Robert W. Wills, Alan R. Doster, Judith A. Galeota, Jung-Hyang Sur, Fernando A. Osorio

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Understanding the dynamics of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) persistence in individual pigs is essential to the development of successful control programs. The objectives of this study were to investigate the proportion of inoculated pigs that become persistently infected with PRRSV and the duration of their infection. Additionally, different diagnostic techniques that detect persistent infections were compared. Twenty-eight 35-day-old pigs were inoculated with PRRSV. Serum and tonsil biopsy samples were collected on days 0, 7, 14, and 28 and then approximately monthly thereafter until day 251 post-inoculation (p.i.). Tonsil, lymph node, and lung samples were collected following euthanasia …

The Coat Protein Of Turnip Crinkle Virus Suppresses Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing At An Early Initiation Step, Feng Qu, Tao Ren, Thomas Jack Morris

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS), or RNA silencing, is a sequence-specific RNA degradation process that targets foreign RNA, including viral and transposon RNA for destruction. Several RNA plant viruses have been shown to encode suppressors of PTGS in order to survive this host defense. We report here that the coat protein (CP) of Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) strongly suppresses PTGS. The Agrobacterium infiltration system was used to demonstrate that TCV CP suppressed the local PTGS as strongly as several previously reported virus-coded suppressors and that the action of TCV CP eliminated the small interfering RNAs associated with PTGS. We have also …

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 And Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Latency, Clinton J. Jones

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

A high percentage of the world’s population are infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), and infection can cause a variety of disorders (35, 187). Recurrent ocular HSV-1 is the leading cause of infectious corneal blindness in industrialized nations (190). In a murine model, ocular infection induces autoimmune disorders, leading to corneal antigen destruction and stromal keratitis (275). HSV-1 infections also cause gastrointestinal disorders, esophageal disorders, and approximately 25% of the genital herpes infections (67, 158). HSV-1 infections can cause sporadic encephalitis, but this is relatively rare compared to other diseases resulting from infection. Further evidence for its involvement …

Monitoring Trends In Bat Populations Of The United States And Territories: Status Of The Science And Recommendations For The Future, Thomas J. O'Shea, Michael A. Bogan, Laura E. Ellison

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Populations of bats (Order Chiroptera) are difficult to monitor. However, current recognition of the importance of bats to biodiversity, their ecological and economic value as ecosystem components, and their vulnerability to declines makes monitoring trends in their populations a much-needed cornerstone for their future management. We report findings and recommendations of a recent expert workshop on monitoring trends in bat populations in the United States and territories. We summarize selected case reports presented by others at the workshop, including reviews of methods and ongoing efforts to monitor a wide range of species of bats in a diverse array of situations. …

Public Knowledge And Perceptions Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Berton Lee Lamb, Kurt Cline

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) historically occupied an 11-state region of the United States. We surveyed 1,900 residents (response rate 56%) of this region to understand citizen knowledge and perceptions about prairie dogs and their management. Those who have direct experience— e.g., those who live very close to prairie dog colonies or know the location of the nearest colony—have higher levels of knowledge. A significantly higher level of knowledge was documented among those who were politically active when compared with the general public. Those who found environmental issues difficult to understand were associated with lower knowledge. People with …

Variability And Relationships Among 12-Hour Ivdmd, Starch, Oil, Protein, And Physical Characteristics Of 16 Sorghum Conversion Lines, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, Kenneth D. Kofoid

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A factor frequently identified as a key to understanding sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] feed value to ruminant animals is rate of starch digestion. Recent research in corn (Zea mays L.) has established a strong ability to predict rumen starch degradation from grain physical and chemical parameters. It was therefore important to determine whether similar relationships could be established in sorghum. The objectives of this study were to determine: 1) range of variation for 12-hour in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD), chemical, and physical grain quality parameters among 16 sorghum conversion lines; and 2) to establish the strength …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Soil Indicators Four Years After Manure And Compost Applications, Daniel Ginting, Anabayan Kessavalou, Bahman Eghball, John W. Doran

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Understanding how carbon, nitrogen, and key soil attributes affect gas emissions from soil is crucial for alleviating their undesirable residual effects that can linger for years after termination of manure and compost applications. This study was conducted to evaluate the emission of soil CO₂, N₂O, and CH₄ and soil C and N indicators four years after manure and compost application had stopped. Experimental plots were treated with annual synthetic N fertilizer (FRT), annual and biennial manure (MN1 and MN2, respectively), and compost (CP1 and CP2, respectively) from 1992 to 1995 based on removal of 151 …

Application And Performance Of Constructed Wetlands For Runoff From Small Open Lots, C. G. Henry, J. P. Harner Iii, T. D. Strahm, M. A. Reynolds

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Vegetative systems have long been studied and evaluated as alternatives to conventional storage, treatment, and land application systems. This paper discusses the application of vegetative systems, primarily constructed wetlands, as a runoff treatment technology for small livestock operations. The approach used for two small dairies and one beef cattle feedlot is discussed. Cost data for these operations is included as well as nutrient reduction performance results from a three year sampling period for the KS Dairy.

A Comparative Analysis Of Social Play In Birds, Judy Diamond, Alan B. Bond

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Although social play is broadly distributed among mammals, it is infrequently encountered in other vertebrate taxa. It is, however, displayed in a fully realized and complex form in several groups of birds. Unambiguous accounts of social play have been recorded from thirteen species of parrots, seven species of corvids, and several hornbills and Eurasian babblers. We conducted an analysis of the avian play literature, testing for differences between avian taxa, as well as for correlations between play complexity, brain size, and age of first reproduction. Corvids were far more likely to show social object play than parrots. Corvids, parrots, and …

Social Complexity And Transitive Inference In Corvids, Alan B. Bond, Alan Kamil, Russell P. Balda

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

The social complexity hypothesis asserts that animals living in large social groups should display enhanced cognitive abilities along predictable dimensions. To test this concept, we compared highly social pinyon jays, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus, with relatively nonsocial western scrub-jays, Aphelocoma californica, on two complex cognitive tasks relevant to the ability to track and assess social relationships. Pinyon jays learned to track multiple dyadic relationships more rapidly and more accurately than scrub-jays and appeared to display a more robust and accurate mechanism of transitive inference. These results provide a clear demonstration of the association between social complexity and cognition in animals.

A Phylogenetic Study Of Cytochrome B561 Proteins, Wim Verelst, Han H. Asard

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: As an antioxidant and cofactor to numerous metabolic enzymes, ascorbate has an essential role in plants and animals. Cytochromes b561 constitute a class of intrinsic membrane proteins involved in ascorbate regeneration. Despite their importance in ascorbate metabolism, no evolutionary analysis has been presented so far on this newly described protein family. Results: Cytochromes b561 have been identified in a large number of phylogenetically distant species, but are absent in fungi and prokaryotes. Most species contain three or four cytochrome b561 paralogous proteins, and the encoding genes usually have four or five exons. At the protein level, sequence similarities are …

Transmembrane Movement Of Exogenous Long-Chain Fatty Acids: Proteins, Enzymes, And Vectorial Esterification, Paul N. Black, Concetta C. Dirusso

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................454

FATTY ACIDS AND BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANES.............................................................................................455

Fatty Acid Transport Defined ...............................................................................................................................456

MODEL SYSTEMS TO INVESTIGATE FATTY ACID TRANSPORT ..............................................................456

Genetic Foundations of Fatty Acid Transport....................................................................................................456

PROTEINS IMPLICATED IN FATTY ACID TRANSPORT ...............................................................................456

Fatty Acid Translocase..........................................................................................................................................457

Fatty Acid Binding Protein—Membrane Bound ................................................................................................457

Fatty Acid Transport Protein...............................................................................................................................458

The Long-Chain Fatty Acid Transport Protein FadL .......................................................................................458

Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase ...................................................................................................................................459

VECTORIAL ACYLATION: ONE MECHANISM OPERATIONAL IN FATTY ACID TRANSPORT...........460

THE BACTERIAL PARADIGM ...............................................................................................................................460

Energetics of Fatty Acid Transport in Gram-Negative Bacteria......................................................................460

The Fatty Acid Transporter FadL........................................................................................................................461

The Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase FadD..................................................................................................................461

Structural Considerations of FACS .....................................................................................................................462

FATTY ACID TRANSPORT AND ACTIVATION IN YEAST: …

Impact Of Fire Management On The Ecology Of Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus Collaris) Populations Living On The Ozark Plateau, Jennifer A. Brisson, Jared L. Strasburg, Alan R. Templeton

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Eastern collared lizards (Crotaphytus collaris collaris) on the Ozark Plateau of southern Missouri are restricted to islands of rocky glade habitat located throughout the oak–hickory forests of the region. Human mediated suppression of fire negatively impacts collared lizard populations by permitting the overgrowth and consequent disappearance of this glade habitat and also leads to a dense forest understorey that impedes movement of lizards between glades. We present data examining the effects of a fire management regime on collared lizard populations we monitored via mark/recapture from 1998 to 2001. We demonstrate increased glade-to-glade dispersal, colonization of previously unoccupied glades, …

Native Thistles: Expendable Or Integral To Ecosystem Resistance To Invasion?, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

One way of addressing the question of whether some species are expendable is to ask what role, if any, a minor species, even one that seems obnoxious, plays in the functioning of its community. Thistles (Cirsium spp.) are prickly plants native to North America that are numerically minor and are often considered unattractive or undesirable. So, thistles might be considered expendable. Yet, can we assume that such minor, seemingly undesirable species can be elirninated without disrupting important interdependencies or losing key ecological services? Our long-term studies of thistle-insect interactions are beginning to provide evidence that even such species may …

Improving Precision And Reducing Bias In Biological Surveys: Estimating False-Negative Error Rates, Andrew J. Tyre, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Scott A. Field, Darren Niejalke, Kirsten Parris, Hugh P. Possingham

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The use of presence/absence data in wildlife management and biological surveys is widespread. There is a growing interest in quantifying the sources of error associated with these data. We show that false-negative errors (failure to record a species when in fact it is present) can have a significant impact on statistical estimation of habitat models using simulated data. Then we introduce an extension of logistic modeling, the zero-inflated binomial (ZIB) model that permits the estimation of the rate of false-negative errors and the correction of estimates of the probability of occurrence for false-negative errors by using repeated visits to the …

An Analysis Of The Secondary Structure Of The Mitochondrial Large Subunit Rrna Gene (16s) In Spiders And Its Implications For Phylogenetic Reconstruction, Stacey Dewitt Smith, Jason E. Bond

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We investigated the pattern of molecular variation with respect to secondary structure in the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and its phylogenetic implications for arachnids with a focus on spiders. Based on a model by Gutell et al. (1996), secondary structures were proposed for the 3' half of 16S in the mygalomorph spider Aptostichus atomarius. Models were also constructed for a hypervariable length of the 16S in three other arachnids, which revealed a trend of stem and loop reduction in more advanced arachnids. Using a simple statistical approach to compare functional regions, we found that internal and external loops are …

The Turn Of The Sword: Length Increases Male Swimming Costs In Swordtails, Alexandra Basolo, Giollermina Alcaraz

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sexual selection via female mate choice can result in the evolution of elaborate male traits that incur substantial costs for males. Despite increased interest in how female mating preferences contribute to the evolution of male traits, few studies have directly quantified the locomotor costs of such traits. A sexually selected trait that could affect movement costs is the sword exhibited by male swordtail fishes: while longer swords may increase male mating success, they could negatively affect the hydrodynamic aspects of swimming activities. Here, we examine the energetic costs of the sword in Xiphophorus montezumae by experimentally manipulating sword length and …

Food Supplements Modulate Changes In Leucocyte Numbers In Breeding Male Ground Squirrels, Gwendolyn C. Bachman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Immunosuppression may be an important cost of reproduction in breeding males. It can result from elevated levels of testosterone or stress hormones and may serve to lower the energetic cost of maintaining immune function at a time of high demand. This suggests that greater access to energy resources could reduce immunosuppression as a cost of reproduction, minimizing the trade-off between energetic investment in current reproductive effort and survival. I examined the impact of food availability on immune function by provisioning male Belding’s ground squirrels in the field from the time they emerged from hibernation to the start of breeding. Temporal …

Ontogenetic Shift In Buoyancy And Habitat In The Antarctic Toothfish, Dissostichus Mawsoni (Perciformes: Nototheniidae), Thomas J. Near, Sabrina E. Russo, Christopher D. Jones, Arthur L. Devries

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Buoyancy measurements and depth of capture were taken on 70 individuals of Dissostichus mawsoni collected from the Southern Scotia Arc and McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, to examine the effect of age on buoyancy and habitat use. Standard lengths (SL) ranged from 10.4 to 138.0 cm. Juveniles were not buoyant (heavy in water), whereas adults were neutrally buoyant. The slope of the relationship between buoyancy and SL was significantly negative for juveniles (individuals less than 81 cm SL), but there was no significant relationship for adults (individuals greater than 81 cm SL). These results demonstrate an ontogenetic shift in buoyancy. For juveniles, …

Putative Subunits Of The Maize Origin Of Replication Recognition Complex Zmorc1±Zmorc5, Xiaohong Witmer, Raul Alvarez-Venegas, Phillip San-Miguel, Olga Danilevskaya, Zoya Avramova

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The finding in animal species of complexes homologous

to the products of six Saccharomyces cerevisiae

genes, origin of replication recognition

complex (ORC), has suggested that ORC-related

mechanisms have been conserved in all eukaryotes.

In plants, however, the only cloned putative homologs

of ORC subunits are the Arabidopsis ORC2 and

the rice ORC1. Homologs of other subunits of plant

origin have not been cloned and characterized. A

striking observation was the absence from the

Arabidopsis genome of an obvious candidate genehomolog

of ORC4. This fact raised compelling

questions of whether plants, in general, and

Arabidopsis, in particular, may have lost the …

Life Span Extension Of Drosophila Melanogaster: Genetic And Population Studies, Lawrence G. Harshman

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

During the past two decades, genetic studies of model organisms have been the most important tool underlying advances in understanding the biological basis of aging and longevity. Drosophila melanogaster, the geneticist's "fruit fly," is a model organism because it has been the focus of genetic studies for more than 90 years. This review argues that studies on D. melanogaster will make an especially important contribution to the field of aging and longevity at the intersection of research on genetics, complex traits, and fly populations.

Five approaches have been used to study the genetics of longevity of D. melanogaster: …

Searching By Rules: Pigeons’ (Columba Livia) Landmark-Based Search According To Constant Bearing Or Constant Distance, Marcia C. Spetch, Tiana B. Rust, Alan Kamil, Juli E. Jones

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Pigeons (Columba livia) searched for a goal location defined by a constant relative spatial relationship to 2 landmarks. For one group, landmark-to-goal bearings remained constant while distance varied. For another group, landmark-to-goal distances remained constant while direction varied. Birds were trained with 4 interlandmark distances and then tested with 5 novel interlandmark distances. Overall error magnitude was similar across groups and was larger than previously reported for Clark’s nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana). During training, error magnitude increased with interlandmark distance for constant-bearing but not constant-distance birds. Both groups searched less accurately along the axis parallel to landmarks …

A New Species Of Laelapine Mite (Acari: Parasitiformes: Laelapidae) Associated With Proechimys Dimidiatus In The Atlantic Forests Of Brazil, Donald Gettinger, Helena Godoy Bergallo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Tur megistoproctus, a new species of Laelapinae, is described from the pelage of the echimyid rodent Proechimys dimidiatus from the Atlantic forests of Ilha Grande, south of Rio de Janeiro. Measurements and illustrations are included for females and males. Another laelapine mite species, Tur turki Fonseca, co-occurred with T.megistoproctus in our studies and was recorded from the same host individuals and localities. These 2 laelapine mite species appear to be exclusively associated with a complex of echimyid rodent species (subgenus Trinomys) in the Atlantic forests of southeastern Brazil.

Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Metastrongyloidea (Nematoda: Strongylida) Inferred From Ribosomal Rna Gene Sequences, Ramon A. Carreno, Steven A. Nadler

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Phylogenetic relationships among nematodes of the strongylid superfamily Metastrongyloidea were analyzed using partial sequences from the large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA) and small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes. Regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, directly sequenced, aligned, and phylogenies inferred using maximum parsimony. Phylogenetic hypotheses inferred from the SSU rRNA gene supported the monophyly of representative taxa from each of the 7 currently accepted metastrongyloid families. Metastrongyloid taxa formed the sister group to representative trichostrongyloid sequences based on SSU data. Sequences from either the SSU or LSU RNA regions alone provided poor resolution for …