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Effects Of Gramicidin-A On The Adsorption Of Phospholipids To The Air–Water Interface, Samares C. Biswas, Shankar B. Rananavare, Stephen B. Hall

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Prior studies suggest that the hydrophobic surfactant proteins, SP-B and SP-C, promote adsorption of the lipids in pulmonary surfactant to an air–water interface by stabilizing a negatively curved rate-limiting structure that is intermediate between bilayer vesicles and the surface film. This model predicts that other peptides capable of stabilizing negative curvature should also promote lipid adsorption. Previous reports have shown that under appropriate conditions, gramicidin-A (GrA) induces dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), but not dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), to form the negatively curved hexagonal-II (HII) phase. The studies reported here determined if GrA would produce the same effects on adsorption of DMPC and …

Annual Report To The Pastoral Lands Board Of Western Australia: 2004 / 2005 Financial Year, Rod Williams, Philip Thomas

Natural resources published reports

The Department of Agriculture Western Australia has prepared this Annual Report for the financial year 2004 – 2005. The format is consistent with the previous two years, and now encapsulates enhanced detail and a broader range of headings within the report.

The Department of Agriculture’s services to the Board are outlined and environmental indicators are presented at the regional and property scales. New information being presented to the Board in this report includes Pastoral Lease property transfers, an explanation of the emerging Natural Resource Management program in the rangelands, the Australian Collaborative Rangeland Information System (ACRIS), an introduction to Carnarvon …

Uncertainty And Informed Choice: Unmasking Daubert, Margaret A. Berger, Aaron D. Twerski

Michigan Law Review

This Article will first examine why it is that plaintiffs have been unable to prove causation under the Daubert guidelines in toxic tort litigation. Second, it will look at the two existing models for informed choice litigation medical malpractice and products liability-and demonstrate why neither of these models gives toxic tort plaintiffs a fair opportunity to recover for the deprivation of patient autonomy against drug manufacturers who have breached their duty to warn of known or knowable risks. Finally, this Article will explore the elements of a causation-free informed choice cause of action. It will suggest the appropriate standard for …

Information Asymmetries And The Rights To Exclude, Lior Strahilevitz

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Justice Breyer's Democratic Pragmatism, Cass R. Sunstein

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

There have been many efforts to reconcile judicial review with democratic self-government. Some such efforts attempt to justify judicial review if and to the extent that it promotes self-rule. Active Liberty, by Justice Stephen Breyer, is in this tradition; but it is also marked by a heavy pragmatic orientation, emphasizing as it does the need for close attention to purposes and to the importance of consequences to legal interpretation. Its distinctiveness lies in its effort to forge close connections among three seemingly disparate ideas: a democratic account of judicial review; a purposive understanding of legal texts; and a neo-pragmatic emphasis …

The Availability Heuristic, Intuitive Cost-Benefit Analysis, And Climate Change, Cass R. Sunstein

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

Because risks are on all sides of social situations, it is not possible to be "precautionary" in general. The availability heuristic ensures that some risks stand out as particularly salient, whatever their actual magnitude. Taken together with intuitive cost-benefit balancing, the availability heuristic helps to explain differences across groups, cultures, and even nations in the assessment of precautions to reduce the risks associated with climate change. There are complex links among availability, social processes for the spreading of information, and predispositions. If the United States is to take a stronger stand against climate change, it is likely to be a …

Attention Felons: Evaluating Project Safe Neighborhood In Chicago, Andrew V. Papachristos, Tracey L. Meares, Jeffrey Fagan

Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series

This research uses a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impact of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) initiatives on neighborhood level crime rates in Chicago. Four interventions are analyzed: (1) increased federal prosecutions for convicted felons carrying or using guns, (2) the length of sentences associated with federal prosecutions, (3) supply-side firearm policing activities, and (4) social marketing of deterrence and social norms messages through justice-style offender notification meetings. Using an individual growth curve models and propensity scores to adjust for non-random group assignment, our findings suggest that several PSN interventions are associated with greater declines of homicide in the treatment neighborhoods …

Detection Of Landmines By Dogs: Environmental And Behavioural Determinants, Ian Mclean, Rebecca Sargisson, Ian Mansfield

Global CWD Repository

The overall aim of the study was to explore the effects of environmental variables on mine detection by dogs. Operational mine detection dogs were used to search for mines in a test mine field, near Kabul, Afghanistan. The key variable used in the analysis was whether a mine was found or missed by the dog. Measured during the study were: o Weather patterns through the year of the study. Weather variables (temperature, wind, humidity) at the time the dog crossed the mine. Dog behaviour. Vegetation over the mine. A soil sample was taken from over the mine and from a …

The Bug Stops Here: Force Protection And Emerging Infectious Diseases, Donald F. Thompson, Joel L. Swerdlow, Cheryl Loeb

Defense and Technology Papers

The purpose of this paper is to review important lessons that have been learned in the past, and to revisit the older but proven principles of force protection that are in danger of being forgotten in today’s technology-focused military environment. It provides a series of case studies that analyze health threats to each regional combatant command and presents both tactical and strategic recommendations that will better prepare the entire DoD for future outbreaks.

The Genre Of Traditional Literature Influences Student Writing, Timothy G. Weih

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article describes a research study exploring the question: What influence will reading and discussing traditional literature have upon students' narrative writing? The setting for the study was a fifth grade classroom that was part of a university laboratory school. Students listened to and discussed Native American folktales and then wrote their own, self-created narrative. Results indicated that students blended elements from the folktales with elements from their own cultures.

The Role Of Size And Defensive Compounds In Mate Choice By Nyssodesmus Python (Polydesmida: Platyrhacidae), November 2005, Mercedes Burns

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Large mates are preferred in a variety of species, presumably because larger size typically confers greater fitness. In chemically protected species, mates may prefer more toxic partners for the same reason. The common forest millipede Nyssodesmus python displays sexual dimorphism in body size and also produces a defensive compound containing hydrogen cyanide, making it an organism well suited to an experiment on mate preferences highlighting both size and presence of defense compounds. Here, 32 mate choice experiments showed a statistically significant preference between both sexes for larger mates; however, preference for mates with differing hydrogen cyanide ranks (based on a …

Extra Extrafloral Nectaries And Anti-Herbivory Protection In Inga Sierrae (Fabaceae: Mimosaceae), November 2005, Camryn Pennington

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) in plants are known to attract insects such as ants and wasps that drink nectar and in turn protect the plant from herbivores (Bentley 1977). In this study, ten year old Inga sierrae (Fabaceae: Mimosaceae) trees planted on a fallow pasture at 1535 m in Monteverde, Costa Rica have been observed to have extra EFNs on their leaflets in addition to the normal three located on the rachis between the leaflet pairs. The leaves of 20 trees were sampled to determine the local distribution of EFN number. Percent herbivory was determined for leaves with a varying number …

Terrestrial Macroinvertebrate Fauna Under Logs In Primary And Secondary Forest, November 2005, Erica Hoaglund

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Terrestrial macroinvertebrates are an important yet understudied group. They are present in all types of tropical forests and, due to their services as decomposers, are essential for the maintenance of a productive system. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in diversity and community composition between macroinvertebrate communities in the primary versus secondary lower montane wet forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. Macroinvertebrates were collected from under 20 logs in primary and 20 logs in secondary forest. Primary forest had a higher diversity of macroinvertebrates (H’ = 2.5) than secondary forest (H’ = 2.05). Primary …

Database Of The Macrofungi Of The Monteverde Reserve, November 2005, Corey Rogers

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Fungi serve important roles in natural systems and have strong economic and social consequences for human populations. A database of the macrofungi of the Monteverde Reserve was created to ease identification and facilitate research on local macrofungi. The database includes 30 species, with 18 families and 22 genera represented. The database was organized in a system of nested folders, providing both morphological and taxonomic keys. Information files were created for each species, including digital photographs of specimens and spore prints (when applicable), and taxonomic, microhabitat, growth, and morphological data. This database provides a structure for future cataloguing and identification, with …

Effects Of Weather Conditions On Pollinator Behavior At Stachytarpheta Jamaicensis (Verbenaceae), November 2005, Michelle Murguia Tamez

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Competition between pollinators, such as nectar-eating birds, bats, and small insects, plays an important role in understanding resource distribution among feeding guilds (Murray et al. 2000). This study suggested that territorial behaviors exhibited by hummingbirds are not hardwired, but rather, they may be affected by abiotic factors such as weather conditions. An individual may increase its energy budget through selective defense of a plant. Hummingbird and butterfly visits to and agonistic interactions (i.e. chases) at a Stachytarpheta jamaicensis plant were observed for a total of 40 hours and weather conditions were quantified. As the activity of butterflies (a competing species) …

Community Composition And Diversity Of Lichens Along A Disturbance Gradient In San Luis, Costa Rica, November 2005, Sarah Hosford

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

This research was conducted to better understand lichen morphology and diversity in different habitats in San Luis, Costa Rica. Lichens on trees in adjacent pasture, forest edge, and mature forest areas were identified to morphospecies and the species richness, diversity and total coverage per tree was compared across habitats. Eighteen different morphospecies were found across all three habitats. The forest trees had the lowest species richness and diversity, while the forest edge and the pasture had the highest.

Community Composition Coleopteran’S At Two Different Elevational Ranges, November 2005, Carrington Dahmer

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

The order Coleoptera is the most diverse among animals, composing 70-80% of all described animals in the world. (White 1983) Even though this order is the most described in the world, there is still very little known about their composition in the canopy. Diversity and abundance of the canopy was investigated along elevational ranges attempting to find whether the increase in elevation played a factor in the Coleopteran composition within the canopy. Beetles were sampled at two different elevations in the Monteverde cloud forest at La Estación Biológica, Monteverde, Costa Rica. Diversity was found to be highest at the low …

Inherency, Dan L. Burk, Mark A. Lemley

William & Mary Law Review

No abstract provided.

Endangered Species--Examining South Africa's National Rape Crisis And Its Legislative Attempt To Protect Its Most Vulnerable Citizens, Ashley J. Moore

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

With the demise of apartheid, South Africans eagerly anticipated the freedom from bondage that liberation brings. More than ten years later, however, remnants of the inhumane system still remain throughout South Africa, with the epidemic rape crisis that currently grips the African nation providing dramatic evidence of the continued hold of apartheid. Scores of South Africa's women and young children must contend with the pervasive sexual violence that permeates the country. These would-be victims live in constant fear of physical attack, while advocates await the South African government's response to this national crisis. Unfortunately, legislation that would dramatically change South …

Picture This, Gary Bentrup, Gary Wells

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

Despite the use of planting plans and engineering drawings. Many landowners find it difficult to conceptualize what a future conservation practice or system will actually look like on their landscape. This lack of understanding can create challenging barriers in the planning process and is exacerbated by the long-term commitment that many conservation systems require from landowners. Landowners often lament if they could only see a picture of the proposed action on their property, then they could make a decision. Fortunately, natural resource professionals have a tool called visual simulations to help address this dilemma.

Interspecies Transmission Of Chronic Wasting Disease Prions To Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri Sciureus), Richard F. Marsh, Anthony E. Kincaid, Richard A. Bessen, Jason C. Bartz

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging prion disease of deer and elk. The risk of CWD transmission to humans following exposure to CWD-infected tissues is unknown. To assess the susceptibility of nonhuman primates to CWD, two squirrel monkeys were inoculated with brain tissue from a CWD-infected mule deer. The CWD-inoculated squirrel monkeys developed a progressive neurodegenerative disease and were euthanized at 31 and 34 months postinfection. Brain tissue from the CWD-infected squirrel monkeys contained the abnormal isoform of the prion protein, PrP-res, and displayed spongiform degeneration. This is the first reported transmission of CWD to primates.

Cattle Grazing And Tracked Vehicle Training On Central And Southwest U.S. Army Lands, John A. Guretzky, Jeffrey Fehmi, Alan Anderson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Sustainability of training lands continues to be a primary concern for natural resource managers on Army installations. Tracked vehicle training, the main disturbance of grasslands, does not occur in isolation from other land uses including cattle grazing. Yet, no documented studies exist examining the interactive effects of these activities on soils and vegetation. The objective of this research was to begin filling this knowledge gap. This report reviews the lit-erature documenting the impacts of tracked vehicle training and cattle grazing on soils and grassland plant communities and discusses potential interactive effects. Responses to tracked vehicle training generally included increased soil …

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

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

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

Apoptosis And Diseases. Regulation And Clinical Relevance, Faris Q. Alenzi

Saudi Medical Journal

It is increasingly clear that apoptosis plays a central role in the pathogenesis of several human diseases. For instance, an increase in apoptosis leads to cell loss accompanied by neurodegenerative diseases, whereas we know that genetically determined defects of apoptosis result in deregulated cell proliferation, typical of cancer. Hence, apoptosis may be relevant as therapeutic targets for many human diseases. This article reviews briefly the regulation and the clinical relevance of apoptotic mechanisms in several different human diseases.

Effect Of Ovariectomy And Of Estrogen Treatment On The Adrenal Gland And Body Weight In Rats, Berna G. Saruhan, Nurullah Ozdemir

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of estrogen on adrenal gland histology, and to ascertain whether or not estrogen regulates body and adrenal gland wet weight gain in the ovariectomized rat model. Two experiments investigated the effects of ovariectomy and estrogen replacement on the body and adrenal gland weight. METHODS: We used 36 female Wistar Albino rats in this study. The study took placed in the Department of Medical Science Application and Research Center of Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey, in 2002. Group 1 (control group) received no ovariectomy; all animals in the other groups were bilaterally ovariectomized and kept for 60 …

Reconstruction Techniques In Renal Injury, Ali F. Akay, Hayrettin Sahin, Yusuf Nergiz, Ugur Aflay, Mehmet K. Bircan

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: Kidney repair reconstruction techniques are controversial. The conventional technique is suturing, but this is usually with further loss of viable tissue as it promotes scaring. In this animal model, we investigated the parenchymal effect of different sutures and methods. METHODS: We carried out this study in the year 2000 in the Animal Laboratory of Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. We used 40 New Zealand white rabbits in this study, randomized into 5 groups. We separated the left kidney from Gerota9s fascia, and performed standard lacerations with incisions 5 mm deep and 10 mm in length. We performed no reconstruction procedure …

How To Keep Beavers From Plugging Culverts, Dale L. Nolte, Dale H. Arner, John Paulson, Jeanne C. Jones, Andy Trent

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Beaver populations increased dramatically during the last half century. Beavers and beaver dams now are found on rivers, streams, and creeks across the country. Although beavers dam streams for their own benefit, the ponds create habitats for birds, fish, and other wildlife. Unfortunately, as road engineers and maintenance crews know, beavers also plug culverts. When culverts are plugged (figure 1), roads can be washed away by flooding. Removing the beavers’ dams usually requires heavy equipment, which is costly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) was asked to investigate methods to solve the …

Insect Trap: United States Patent, Hogsette Et Al.- November 2005, Jerome Hogsette, David Carlson

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

A safe, indoor trapping device for trapping and killing flying insects can be used in areas containing food, containing animals, for food preparation, etc. The device includes at least one removable trap body, a toxicant panel, and an insect collector.

Inside Unlv, Suzan Dibella, Gian Galassi, Carol C. Harter, Mamie Peers, Holly Ivy De Vore, Regina Bacolas, Cate Weeks

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Updates: November 2005, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2005

LSUHSC Daily Facilities Updates from November 1 to November 30, 2005. These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall August 29, 2005.