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Laelapine Mites (Acari: Laelapidae) Associated With Small Mammals From Amazonas, Brazil, Including A New Species From Marsupials, Donald Gettinger, Fernanda Martins-Hetano, Marcela Lareschi, Jay R. Malcolm

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

An intensive survey of ectoparasitic arthropods associated with small mammals in upland forests near Manaus, Brazil, provides information on the taxonomy and host distribution of laelapine mites in the Amazonian Region. We identified 5 genera and 21 species of these mites by comparisonw ith representativem useum specimens, the taxonomic literature, and, when possible, the original type specimens. These mites are host specific, with associations ranging from strict monoxeny (18 species) to oligoxeny (1 species) and pleioxeny (2 species). Marsupials were infested with species of Androlaelaps, echimyid rodents with Tur, and sigmodontine rodents with Gigantolaelaps, Laelaps, and Mysolaelaps. Androlaelaps bergalloi …

Phylogenetic Relationships Of Palaeacanthocephala (Acanthocephala) Inferred From Ssu And Lsu Rdna Gene Sequences, Martín García-Varela, Steven A. Nadler

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

The Palaeacanthocephala is traditionally represented by 2 orders, Echinorhynchida and Polymorphida, with 10 and 3 families, respectively. To test the monophyly of the class, these 2 orders, and certain families, phylogenies were inferred using nuclear small-subunit (SSU) and large-subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA sequences obtained for 29 species representing 10 families, 2 other classes of acanthocephalans, and 3 rotifer outgroups. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred by analyzing combined SSU and LSU sequences using maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods. Parsimony and ML trees inferred from combined analysis of these rDNA data strongly supported monophyly of Palaeacanthocephala and provided good resolution …

Coevolution And Biogeography Among Nematodirinae (Nematoda: Trichostrongylina) Lagomorpha And Artiodactyla (Mammalia): Exploring Determinants Of History And Structure For The Northern Fauna Across The Holarctic, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Nematodes of the subfamily Nematodirinae are characteristic components of a Holarctic fauna. the topology of a generic-level phylogenetic hypothesis, patterns of diversity, and geographic distributions for respective nematode taxa in conjunction with data for host occurrence are consistent with primary distributions determined across Beringia for species of Murielus, Rauschia, Nematodirus, and Nematodirella. Ancestral ghosts are represented by Lagomorpha, with evidence for a minimum of 1 host-switching-event and subsequent radiation in the Artiodactyla. Diversification may reflect vicariance of respective faunas along with episodic or cyclical range expansion and isolation across Beringia during the late Tertiary and Quaternary. Secondarily, species …

Possible Recent Range Expansion Of Alcataenia Longicervica (Eucestoda: Dilepididae) Parasitic In Murres Uria Spp. (Alcidae) Into The North Atlantic [Short Communications], Sabir B. Muzaffar, Eric P. Hoberg, Ian L. Jones

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

A wide range of helminths has been recorded from murres Uria spp. (Threlfall 1971, reviewed by Hoberg 1984a, Muzaffar & Jones 2004). Of the cyclophyllidean cestodes that parasitize murres, the genus Alcataenia Spasskaya 1971 (Dilepididae) is represented by ten species, eight of which are restricted and specific to the auks; the other two species occur in gulls (Laridae). The intermediate hosts of Alcataenia are euphausiid crustaceans such as species of Thysanoessa (Shimazu 1975), which also form an important dietary component of breeding and wintering murres, particularly Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia (Gaston & Noble 1985, Birkhead & Nettleship 1987, Elliot et …

Development And Pathogenesis Of Parelaphostrongylus Odocoilei (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae) In Experimentally Infected Thinhorn Sheep (Ovis Dalli), Emily J. Jenkins, Eric P. Hoberg, L. Polley

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Recently, the protostrongylid nematode Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei has been reported in a new host species, thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli). For the first time, we completed the life cycle of P. odocoilei in three Stone’s sheep (O. dalli stonei) and two thinhorn hybrids (O. dalli stonei × O. dalli dalli), each infected with 200 third-stage larvae from slugs (Deroceras laeve). The prepatent period ranged from 68 days to 74 days, and shedding of first-stage larvae (L1) peaked at >10,000 L1 per gram of feces between 90 and 110 days postinfection. A total of 75, …

Recent Records Of Formerly Extirpated Carnivores In Nebraska, Justin D. Hoffman, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

By the early 1900's, several large carnivores had been extirpated from Nebraska as a result of unrestricted hunting and trapping by early European settlers. Recently, there have been several confirmed records of carnivores that were once extirpated from Nebraska. In our study, we present new data for five species that recently were documented in Nebraska: Lynx canadensis, Ursus americanus, Canis lupus, Puma concolor, and Lontra canadensis. Restoration programs and legal protection afforded to these species in Nebraska and in adjacent states have allowed population numbers to increase. Because of the increase in populations of these …

Questions Regarding The Role Of Protein Phosphorylation In Hiv Replication And Anti-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Therapy., Haitham T. Idriss

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Carcinoma Of Unknown Primary Site., Ali R. Hashim, Ahmed M. Al-Quryni

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To verify the spectrum of manifestations of carcinoma of unknown primary site, histopathological type and outcome, as well as to identify the prognostic factors for patient9s outcome and their survival rate. METHODS: From January 2001 to July 2002, in Basrah Teaching Hospital, Basrah, Iraq, 60 patients (27 males and 33 females), (mean age 58.8 ± 11.1 years) who had fulfilled the criteria for carcinoma of unknown primary site were studied. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were with one site of metastasis and 19 patients were with multiple site of metastasis. Liver was the most common site of metastasis (in single site …

In-Vitro Antimicrobial Activity Of Lawsonia Inermis Linn (Henna). A Pilot Study On The Omani Henna., Omar A. Habbal, Ali A. Al-Jabri, Abdulghaffar H. El-Hag, Zahra H. Al-Mahrooqi, Nasser A. Al-Hashmi

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the antimicrobial activity of henna9s fresh and dry leaves and seeds obtained from Oman. METHODS: This study was carried out at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman during the period January-June, 2004. Crude extracts of fresh and dry leaves and seeds were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against 3 standard bacterial strains namely: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eleven different bacterial strains were obtained from patients attending the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. In addition, one Candida albicans (C. albicans) species was used for …

Biomarkers For Placental Abnormality, Cathal Mccarthy

Doctoral

Obstetrical complications including recurrent miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) affect 1%-5% of pregnant women (Younis and Samueloff 2003). Dysfunctional trophoblasts, impaired development of spiral arteries, imbalance in systems controlling the dilation and contraction of spiral arteries, placental fibrin clots and intervillous thrombosis are all possible factors that can result in an insufficient placental circulation. The combination of the hypercoagulable state of pregnancy and presence of genetic thrombophilic markets has the potential to induce placental thrombosis and cause placental insufficiency with subsequent obstetrical complications. The initial part of the research work involved examining the relationship between four common genetic …

Effects Of Endogenous Steroid Hormone Levels On Annual Survival In Cliff Swallows, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown, Samrrah A. Raouf, Linda C. Smith, John C. Wingfield

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The hormone corticosterone is an important part of animals’ response to environmental stress, modulating short-term adaptive changes in behavior and physiology. The hormone testosterone is also critical, especially for males, in regulating the expression of sexual behavior and parental care. These hormones can have costly consequences, however, and within populations individuals show variation in endogenous levels of both corticosterone and testosterone. We studied how annual survival varied as a function of natural levels of these hormones in colonially breeding Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska, USA, in 2000–2003. We sampled hormone levels of birds caught at colonies …

Testosterone And Group Size In Cliff Swallows: Testing The “Challenge Hypothesis” In A Colonial Bird, Linda C. Smith, Samrrah A. Raouf, Mary Bomberger Brown, John C. Wingfield, Charles R. Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The “challenge hypothesis” states that increases in testosterone levels of male animals during the breeding season are directly related to the extent of intrasexual competition for resources or mates that they experience. Although often tested in territorial species, the challenge hypothesis has not been evaluated for colonial animals that live in groups of different sizes and that thus experience different intensities of intrasexual competition. We measured circulating testosterone levels of male and female cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska, where these birds nest in colonies of widely different sizes. Males had significantly higher testosterone levels than females, …

Global Warming Is Changing The Dynamics Of Arctic Host-Parasite Systems, S. J. Kutz, Eric P. Hoberg, L. Polley, E. J. Jenkins

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Global climate change is altering the ecology of infectious agents and driving the emergence of disease in people, domestic animals, and wildlife. We present a novel, empirically based, predictive model for the impact of climate warming on development rates and availability of an important parasitic nematode of muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic, a region that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Using this model, we show that warming in the Arctic may have already radically altered the transmission dynamics of this parasite, escalating infection pressure for muskoxen, and that this trend is expected to continue. This work establishes a foundation …

Trichinella Pseudospiralis From A Wild Pig In Texas, H. Ray Gamble, E. Pozio, J. Ralph Lichtenfels, D. S. Zarlenga, D. E. Hill

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

In December 2001, the routine inspection of a wild boar intended for human consumption revealed the presence of Trichinella ssp. larvae. Biological, morphological and genetic analyses demonstrated the parasite to be Trichinella pseudospiralis. This is the second report of T. pseudospiralis in the United States and the first report of the parasite in a food animal species in the U.S.

Caudal Polymorphism And Cephalic Morphology Among First-Stage Larvae Of Parelaphostrongylus Odocoilei (Protostrongylidae: Elaphostrongylinae) In Dall’S Sheep From The Mackenzie Mountains, Canada, Eric P. Hoberg, Emily J. Jenkins, Benjamin Rosenthal, Mayee Wong, Eric F. Erbe, Susan J. Kutz, Lydden Polley

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We demonstrate polymorphism in the structure of the tail among first-stage larvae of Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei (Protostrongylidae). Two distinct larvae, both with a characteristic dorsal spine, include (1) a morphotype with a kinked conical tail marked by three distinct transverse folds or joints and a symmetrical terminal tail spike and (2) a morphotype with a digitate terminal region lacking folds or joints and with an asymmetrical, subterminal tail spike. These divergent larval forms had been postulated as perhaps representing distinct species of elaphostrongyline nematodes. Application of a multilocus approach using ITS-2 sequences from the nuclear genome and COX-II sequences from the …

Beringia: Intercontinental Exchange And Diversification Of High Latitude Mammals And Their Parasites During The Pliocene And Quarternary, Joseph A. Cook, Eric P. Hoberg, Anson Koehler, Heikki Henttonen, Lotta Wickström, Voitto Haukisalmi, Kurt Galbreath, Felix Chernyavski, Nikolai Dokuchaev, Anatoli Lahzuhtkin, Stephen O. Macdonald, Andrew Hope, Eric Waltari, Amy Runck, Alasdair Veitch, Richard Popko, Emily Jenkins, Susan Kutz, Ralph Eckerlin

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Beringia is the region spanning eastern Asia and northwestern North America that remained ice-free during the full glacial events of the Pleistocene. Numerous questions persist regarding the importance of this region in the evolution of northern faunas. Beringia has been implicated as both a high latitude refugium and as the crossroads (Bering Land Bridge) of the northern continents for boreal mammals. The Beringian Coevolution Project (BCP) is an international collaboration that has provided material to assess the pattern and timing of faunal exchange across the crossroads of the northern continents and the potential impact of past climatic events on differentiation. …

Broadening Middle-School Students’ Images Of Science And Scientists, Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, Gayle A. Buck, Angela Zabawa

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky Publications

The ‘mad scientist’ stereotype is alive and well – and not an image most K-12 students can (or want to) embrace. Project Fulcrum, a National Science Foundation-funded GK-12 program, partners math, science and engineering graduate students with elementary and middle-level teachers. One project goal – broadening student images of science and scientists –is addressed by projects developed by the teacher/scientist teams that are focused on the specific needs of their students. The projects developed focus on scientists, the use of science in different types of jobs, and developing scientific skills. Pre-project research, in which teachers probe the motivation behind their …

The Stability And Oxidation Resistance Of Iron- And Cobalt-Based Magnetic Nanoparticle Fluids Fabricated By Inert-Gas Condensation, Nguyen H. Hai, Raymond Lemoine, Shaina Remboldt, Michelle A. Strand, Steve Wignall, Jeffrey E. Shield, Diandra Leslie-Pelecky

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky Publications

Magnetic nanoparticle fluids have numerous biomedical applications, including magnetic imaging, drug delivery, and hyperthemia treatment for cancer. Ideal magnetic nanoparticle fluids have well-separated, biocompatible nanoparticles with a small size distribution that form a stable colloid. We have combined inert-gas condensation, which produces nanoparticles with low polydispersity, with deposition directly into a surfactant-laden fluid to prevent agglomeration. Iron, cobalt, and iron-nitride nanoparticle fluids fabricated using inert-gas condensation have with mean particle sizes from 5-50 nm and remain stable over long periods of time. Iron and cobalt nanoparticles oxidize on exposure to air, with oxidation rates dependent on surfactant type and concentration. …

Fundamental Contribution Of Β-Oxidation To Polyketide Mycotoxin Production In Planta, Lori A. Maggio-Hall, Richard A. Wilson, Nancy P. Keller

Fungal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

Seed contamination with polyketide mycotoxins, including aflatoxin (AF) and sterigmatocystin (ST) produced by Aspergillus spp., is an agricultural, economic, and medical issue worldwide. Acetyl-CoA, the fundamental building block of all known fungal polyketides, is generated by a large number of biochemical pathways, including β-oxidation of fatty acids and glycolysis of sugars. We present several lines of evidence to support a major role for seed fatty acids in formation of AF and ST in A. flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. nidulans. Aspergillus strains exhibiting canonical signs of oleic acid–induced peroxisome proliferation, including increased catalase activity, β-oxidation gene expression, and …

Genome Sequences Of Agropyron Mosaic Virus And Hordeum Mosaic Virus Support Reciprocal Monophyly Of The Genera Potyvirus And Rymovirus In The Family Potyviridae, Roy C. French, D.C. Stenger

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Assignment of mite-transmitted species to the genus Rymovirus (family Potyviridae) has changed several times, and the status of the genus has been questioned. To address this issue, complete genome sequences of the rymoviruses Agropyron mosaic virus (AgMV) and Hordeum mosaic virus (HoMV) were determined. AgMV (9540 nucleotides) and HoMV (9463 nucleotides) each encode a single polyprotein with proteinase cleavage sites demarcating protein products characteristic of monopartite species of the family Potyviridae. Of the described species of Potyviridae, AgMV and HoMV are most closely related to each other (68.5% nucleotide and 71.6% amino acid sequence identity) and equidistant …

Natural History And Karyology Of The Yucatán Vesper Mouse, Otonyctomys Hatti, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm, Mark D. Engstrom

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Seventeen specimens of the rare Yucatán vesper mouse, Otonyctomys hatti, are now known from Belize, Guatemala, and the Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán. We herein report a second specimen of O. hatti, from Belize, extending the known geographic range of the species 95 km to the southeast in the country. This is the first location at which O. hatti has been taken sympatrically with the Central American vesper mouse, Nyctomys sumichrasti. We also report data on three additional specimens of O. hatti from Campeche. Nyctomys and Otonyctomys share similar habits and habitat requirements, and …

Soil Feedback And Pathogen Activity In Prunus Serotina Throughout Its Native Range, Kurt O. Reinhart, Alejandro A. Royo, Wim H. Van Der Putten, Keith Clay

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

1. Oomycete soil pathogens are known to have a negative effect on Prunus serotina seedling establishment and to promote tree diversity in a deciduous forest in Indiana, USA. Here, we investigate whether negative feedbacks operate widely in its native range in eastern USA.

2. In laboratory experiments, soil sterilization was used to test the net effect of soil biota (pathogens and mutualists) and fungicide treatments to test the effects of soil pathogens (oomycetes) on survival of P. serotina seedlings in soils from 22 P. serotina populations throughout the eastern USA.

3. In soil associated with P. serotina trees, there was …

Field Assessment Of The Risk Posed By Diorhabda Elongata, A Biocontrol Agent For Control Of Saltcedar (Tamarix Spp.), To A Nontarget Plant, Frankenia Salina, Tom L. Dudley, David J. Kazmer

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

The biological control program for saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) has led to open releases of a specialist beetle (Chrysomelidae: Diorhabda elongata) in several research locations, but the controversy over potential impacts to native, nontarget plants of the genus Frankenia remains unresolved. To assess the potential for nontarget impacts under Weld conditions, we installed cultivated Frankenia spp. (primarily two forms of Frankenia salina but also including Frankenia jamesii) at locations in Nevada and Wyoming where D. elongata densities and saltcedar defoliation were expected to be very high, so insects would be near starvation with high probability of attacking nontargets …

Weed Suppression By Deleterious Rhizobacteria Is Affected By Formulation And Soil Properties, Robert E. Zdor, Carlene M. Alexander, Robert J. Kremer

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

Deleterious rhizobacteria (DRB) suppress weed growth in field tests and are considered potential weed biological control agents. This study compared the relative inhibitory action of the DRB Pseudomonas fluorescens strain G2-11 in different formulations, corn gluten meal (CGM), and semolina flour, toward wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), green foxtail (Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.), and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik) seeds and seedlings in soil assays. Strain G2-11 successfully established in semolina flour as an inoculum formulation but was incompatible with CGM presumably because of antibacterial factors present. The effect of DRB and plant products on seed germination and plant …

Relationship Between Parent Satisfaction Regarding Partnerships With Professionals And Age Of Child, Jean Ann Summers, Lesa Hoffman, Janet Marquis, Ann Turnbull, Denise Poston

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In the past, the assessment of families’ satisfaction with the quality of their partnerships with the professionals who serve their children has been restricted to specific programs or age groups, precluding investigation of the relationship between parents’ perspectives on satisfaction and the importance of partnership components for children at different ages. Differences in policies, service models, and family needs at different life-cycle stages suggest a need to understand how satisfaction might differ among parents of children of different ages. In this study, 147 parents completed the Beach Center Family-Professional Partnership Scale to describe the perceived importance of and satisfaction with …

First Documentation Of Combinatorial Song Syntax In A Suboscine Passerine Species, Daniel Leger

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Birds with songs having two or more acoustically distinct elements can arrange them either rigidly (i.e., in the same sequence) or flexibly. Flexible song syntax can be achieved either by varying the number of repetitions of elements or by combining elements in different ways. Combinatorial syntax has been documented only in the songs of oscine passerines and in one nonpasserine, but not in the suboscine passerines. Dawn and day songs of a tyrant flycatcher, the Flammulated Attila (Attila flammulatus), were recorded in Costa Rica. Flexible syntax was noted in both dawn and day song. Attilas not only varied …

Cooperative Brains: Psychological Constraints On The Evolution Of Altruism, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Marc D. Hauser

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Imagine an individual called "hunter" that expends a good deal of energy to capture a gazelle. As the hunter is consuming his small prey, a second individual called "recipient" approaches and begins feeding peacefully alongside the hunter. A few weeks later the roles reverse, such that the previous recipient has now captured a gazelle, and the previous hunter is taking advantage of the recipient's hard work. Could the hunter and recipient be Maasai warriors? Is it equally likely that they are common chimpanzees, African lions, or Nile crocodiles? All of these species hunt gazelle and live in groups, so why …

Evolving The Psychological Mechanisms For Cooperation, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Fiery A. Cushman, Marc D. Hauser

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Cooperation is common across nonhuman animal taxa, from the hunting of large game in lions to the harvesting of building materials in ants. Theorists have proposed a number of models to explain the evolution of cooperative behavior. These ultimate explanations, however, rarely consider the proximate constraints on the implementation of cooperative behavior. Here we review several types of cooperation and propose a suite of cognitive abilities required for each type to evolve. We propose that several types of cooperation, though theoretically possible and functionally adaptive, have not evolved in some animal species because of cognitive constraints. We argue, therefore, that …

Participant Observations On Environmental And Social Eff Ect S Of The Conservation Reserve Program: Results Of A National Survey, Arthur W. Alen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

A national survey of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contractees was completed to obtain information about environmental and social effects of the program on participants, farms, and communities. Over 75% of respondents believed CRP benefits to wildlife were important. Seventy-three percent of respondents observed increased numbers of wildlife associated with CRP lands. A majority of respondents (82%) believed the amount of assistance furnished by the U.S. Department of Agriculture related to planning and maintaining wildlife habitat associated with CRP lands was appropriate. The majority of respondents reported CRP benefits, including increased quality of surface and ground waters, improved air quality, control …

Geochemistry Of Sulfate Minerals In High- And Low-Temperature Environments: A Tribute To Robert O. Rye, Robert R. Seal Ii, John L. Jambor, Charles N. Alpers

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

This special issue is a tribute to Robert O. Rye, known as "Bob" to most, in light of his highly productive and ongoing career. Almost all of the papers in this issue are derived from topical sessions on sulfate minerals in hydrothermal and low-temperature environments. The sessions, held at the 2000 Geological Society of America meeting in Reno, NV, and sponsored jointly by the Mineralogical Society of America, the Society of Economic Geologists and the Geochemical Society, included 29 oral and 9 poster presentations. The sessions complemented a short course on the crystallography, geochemistry and environmental significance of sulfate minerals, …