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Population And Habitat Analyses For Dall's Sheep (Ovis Dalli) In Wrangell-St. Elias National Park And Preserve, Miranda Lilian Terwilliger

Biological Sciences

We summarized and statistically analyzed historical fixed-wing aerial surveys (1949-2002) and harvest records (1983-2002) of Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalIi) from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST). Among survey units there were significant differences in observed densities, hunter-reported harvest, horn lengths of harvested rams, and horn length residuals from the regression of length on age. There was no consistent evidence of net change in WRST-wide sheep density, even though some survey units showed trends in density. Reported harvest in WRST declined linearly during 1973-2003 from 376 to 139 rams per year. We estimated the relationships among population and habitat …

Estimating Seasonal And Diurnal Variations In Influent Wastewater Characteristics For Optimization Of Activated Sludge System In A Northern Community, Ameet John Pinto

Engineering

Influent characterization experiments were carried out at the wastewater treatment facility in Fairbanks, Alaska. These experiments were carried out to trace the diurnal and seasonal variations in the influent flow and organic loading rates. A considerable difference in the wastewater flow and organic loading rates was -seen on a seasonal as well as a diurnal basis. The project hypothesized that better understanding of broad influent diurnal and seasonal variations in a wastewater-treatment facility can help optimize control strategies. Based on the observed variations, oxygen production and supply was analyzed as an avenue for optimization in the high purity oxygen activated …

The Genome Of A Saxitoxin-Producing Cyanobacterium, Andrew Lee Krohn

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Saxitoxin, the causative agent of paralytic shellfish poisoning, is produced by dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria, the latter being a far simpler organism at the genomic level. In order to establish a baseline for future research into saxitoxin biosynthesis, we sought to determine the genomic complexity of the saxitoxin-producing cyanobacterium, Anabaena circinalis strain ACBU02, relative to the published genome of its non-toxic analogue, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Total conservation of genomic organization was represented in less than 10 percent of end-sequenced DNA clones from restriction digestion libraries. Ninety percent of sequences contained highly homologous regions indicating a high degree of conservation among …

Heavy Metal Tissue Distributions In Southwestern Alaskan Waterfowl: Total Mercury Assays From Muscle, Brain, And Bone, Roger F. Rothschild

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Food containing mercury has been identified as a possible health risk. Total mercury (THg), which is inorganic (Hg²), and methylmercury (MeHg) species, has been found in the arctic food web. In Alaska, birds are an important seasonal component of the diet, but have not been studied extensively and characterized for the presence of mercury. Birds are good subjects for examination because they feed at different trophic levels, can be long-lived, and are both abundant and widely distributed. Not only can birds monitor local Alaskan food webs, but, if they are migratory, can be used to compare exposure in different regions. …

Modis Satellite Vegetation Indices Over Partially Vegetated Pixels On The Arctic Coastal Plain Of Alaska, Matt Macander

Forest Sciences

The performance and response of the MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) were evaluated over the Arctic coastal plain of Alaska. At the 250-l000-m resolution of moderate resolution sensors, a substantial portion of this landscape is a mixture of vegetated and non-vegetated cover types. Single-date MODIS swath scenes were used because of the higher geolocation accuracy, lack of radiometric artifacts, and temporal specificity. A higher resolution earth cover classification was used to sample pixels with a mixture of vegetation, water, and barren ground. The MODIS NDVI and EVI were compared to aggregated Landsat ETM+ NDVI. …

Grace: A Contrastive Analysis Of A Biblical Semantic Field, Mary K. Bolin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Master's Thesis, University of Idaho, 1999. This thesis is a contrastive analysis of a semantic field, a group of words with related but not identical meanings that all describe or pertain to one domain or semantic area. The semantic field grace is compared in English, German, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The source of the data is selected books from the Bible, both the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). The English words include grace, mercy, kindness, favor, compassion, and pity, as well as lovingkindness, goodness, and thanks. Data was compiled by beginning with the words grace and mercy …

Environmental And Evolutionary Processes Affecting Population Dynamics And Life-History Of Arctic Grayling In Western And Interior Alaska, Jenny Lou Neyme

Fisheries

I compared the life-history and population dynamics of arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus in western and Interior Alaska. Fish in western Alaska grew rapidly to a large maximum size, adult mortality rates were low and juvenile mortality rates were high. As a result, western populations consisted mainly of larger, older fish. Fish in Interior streams grew more slowly to a smaller maximum size, adult mortality rates were higher and juvenile mortality rates lower than in western streams. As a result, Interior populations consisted mainly of smaller, younger fish. The relationship between body size and ovary mass was similar between regions, but …

Changes In Embryonic Development, Hatching, And Zoeae Of Snow Crab With Variation In Incubation Temperature, Joel Benjamin Webb

Fisheries

The effect of incubation temperature on duration of embryonic development and morphology, weight and energetic content of post-hatch zoeae was described for snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, from the eastern Bering Sea held at -1, 0, 1, 3, and 6° C in the laboratory from collection to hatch. The mean incubation time increased with decreasing temperature by 32% (113 d) between 6 and -1° C. Extrusion success of females at 6° C was lower versus 0 or 3° C, but the duration of hatching did not vary significantly with incubation temperature. A one-year cycle of embryo incubation was observed, indicating that …

Kelp Beds As Fish And Invertebrate Habitat In Southeastern Alaska, Elizabeth L. Calvert

Fisheries

Throughout the temperate marine regime, the shallow subtidal is dominated by rocky reefs and algal assemblages. The ecological significance of high-latitude, cold-water kelp systems is poorly understood particularly for Alaska. Two large-scale experiments conducted near Juneau, Alaska were designed to study fish and invertebrate assemblages in regard to (1) canopy forming Nereocystis luetkeana (1500 m² manipulations) and (2) sub-canopy forming Laminaria bongardiana (600 m²). Fish and invertebrates were quantified using Standard Monitoring Units for the Recruitment of Fish (SMURFs), light traps, and visual surveys. The canopy kelp experiment revealed significantly greater abundance (X=0.57 fish/SMURF; X=0.28 fish/SMURF) and biomass (X=0.95 g/SMURF; …

Natural Resource News, Vol. 05, No. 2 (August 2005), N/A N/A

Natural Resource News

No abstract provided.

Monitoring Stress Hormones In Rehabilitated And Captive Otariids, Lisa Petrauskas

Marine Biology

Cortisol and corticosterone are the primary mammalian stress hormones released in response to a perceived stressor. Cortisol is rapidly metabolized in the blood, while corticosterone is the dominant product in fecal material. Radioimmunoassay procedures to measure fecal corticosterone and serum cortisol in California sea lions were validated, and adrenal response to surgical and non-surgical procedures was assessed. Other objectives included seasonal and behavioral variability in fecal corticosterone concentrations in captive Steller sea lions, as well as adrenal response to various stressors of a rehabilitated Steller sea lion. There was a significant (P ... 0.05) adrenal response for rehabilitated California sea …

Changes In The Spring Sea Ice Concentration In The Bering Sea From 1972-2000 In Relation To Spotted Seal (Phoca Largha) Pregnancy Rates, Candace M. Picco

Marine Biology

Spotted seals are most dependent on the seasonal sea ice in the Bering Sea during the spring pupping and mating season. Changes in sea ice characteristics, as related to recent documented changes in climate, may have an effect on spotted seal reproduction. This study investigates the relation between changes in the spatial and temporal patterns of the spring sea ice concentration in the Bering Sea from 1972-2000 to changes in the pregnancy rates of the spotted seal (Phoca largha). Multinomial time-series regressions were used to determine the influence of different climatic variables on the sea ice concentration. Different statistical methods …

Metabolic Hormone Levels And Immunocompetence Of Neonatal Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) In Rehabilitation Settings Compared To Wild Harbor Seal Pups, Danielle Renee O'Neil

Marine Biology

Health of harbor seal pups in rehabilitation and in the wild were compared using two metabolic hormones (cortisol and total thyroxine, TT4), two cellular immunity components (lymphocytes and eosinophils) and morphometric measurements. Neonatal harbor seals in two rehabilitation facilities were compared to wild harbor seal pups. Permanently captive harbor seals housed at the Alaska SeaLife Center were also studied. High levels of cortisol at weaning suggest changes in the stress response may be due to diet adjustments in pups during rehabilitation. The lower cortisol concentrations post-weaning suggest that pups in rehabilitation had overcome the challenge of pre-weaning diet, handling or …

Fatigue Resistance Of Rat Extraocular Muscles Does Not Depend On Creatine Kinase Activity, Colleen A. Mcmullen, Katrin Hayeß, Francisco H. Andrade

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Creatine kinase (CK) links phosphocreatine, an energy storage system, to cellular ATPases. CK activity serves as a temporal and spatial buffer for ATP content, particularly in fast-twitch skeletal muscles. The extraocular muscles are notoriously fast and active, suggesting the need for efficient ATP buffering. This study tested the hypotheses that (1) CK isoform expression and activity in rat extraocular muscles would be higher, and (2) the resistance of these muscles to fatigue would depend on CK activity.

RESULTS: We found that mRNA and protein levels for cytosolic and mitochondrial CK isoforms were lower in the extraocular muscles than in …

The Effective Management Of A Recycling Program At A Large Manufacturing Facility, Michael D. Nersinger

Theses

Some companies have realized the benefits associated with an effective recycling program. Xerox Corporation is one of those companies. Effective recycling can bring revenue to a company, while reducing costs associated with waste disposal. Additionally, they may be seen as good corporate citizens to their stakeholders, which can be used as an important marketing tool for the sales force.

This project examined the effective management of a recycling program at a large facility. Xerox Corporation's facilities located in Monroe County, New York have had recycling programs in place for over a decade. Because the program was mature and continued to …

Purification And Scale-Up Of A Recombinant Heavy Chain Fragment C Of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype E In Pichia Pastoris Gs115, Michael P. Dux, Rick Barent, Jayanta Sinha, Mark Gouthro, Todd Swanson, Ardis Barthuli, Mehmet İnan, John T. Ross, Leonard A. Smith, Theresa J. Smith, Robert Webb, Bonnie Loveless, Ian Henderson, Michael M. Meagher

Papers in Biochemical Engineering

A recombinant C-terminus heavy chain fragment from Botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (BoNT/E) is proposed as a vaccine against the serotype E neurotoxin. This fragment, rBoNTE(Hc), was produced intracellular in Pichia pastoris GS115 by a three-step fermentation process, i.e., glycerol batch phase and a glycerol fed-batch phase to achieve high cell densities, followed by a methanol fed-batch induction phase. The rBoNTE(Hc) protein was purified from the soluble fraction of cell lysates using three ion-exchange chromatography steps (SP Sepharose Fast Flow, Q Sepharose Fast Flow, Sp Sepharose High Performance) and polished with a hydrophobic charge induction chromatography step (MEP HyperCel). Method development …

Congressional Staff Update August 17, 2005, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

The Public Lands Institute is dedicated to strengthening the national fabric that is essential for the protection, conservation, and management of public lands.

In collaboration with federal, state, and non-profit partners, the institute is creating new knowledge, advancing technology, improving education, and engaging the public to enhance public lands stewardship.

The Inkwell, Armstrong Atlantic State University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.

A Case/Control Analysis And Comparison Of Indoor Air Quality In Alaskan Homes, Satish Dinakaran

Engineering

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) parameters such as CO, CO₂, relative humidity, temperature, radon, particulate matter, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, hexane, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) and microbial matter were monitored before and after remediation in 36 low-income homes in Alaska (Hooper Bay and Fairbanks). The objective was to see if there was any improvement in IAQ with remediation. Hooper Bay homes had significantly higher levels of CO₂ and relative humidity compared to Fairbanks homes both before and after remediation. There was a general reduction in CO₂ with remediation, although it was not statistically significant. When IAQ in two moderate-income homes in …

Factors Affecting Body Mass Of Prefledging Emperor Geese, Bryce Cameron Lake

Biological Sciences

Body mass of pre fledging geese has important implications for fitness and population dynamics. To address whether interspecific competition for forage was broadly relevant to prefledging emperor geese, I investigated the factors affecting body mass at three locations across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. From 1990 - 2004, densities of cackling geese more than doubled and were 2-5x higher than densities of emperor geese, which were relatively constant over time. During 2003 - 2004, body mass of emperor geese increased with net above-ground primary productivity (NAPP) and grazing lawn extent and declined with interspecific densities of geese (combined density of emperor …

Daily Heterogeneity In Habitat Selection By The Porcupine Caribou Herd During Calving, Rachel Rands Jones

Biological Sciences

Caribou exhibit scale-dependent habitat selection, but variance in daily habitat selection by the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH) has not been examined. Investigating temporal variance in habitat selection may clarify the time period when managers may accurately estimate calving-related habitat selection. Annually, 1992-1994, approximately 70 calves were radio-collared within 2 days of birth and relocated daily until departing the calving grounds. We used daily 99% fixed kernel utilization distributions (UD's) to estimate caribou distributions, then estimated daily habitat selection using logistic regression. Habitat variables included relative vegetation greenness, greening rate, landcover class, and elevation. Spatial scales of investigation included concentrated vs. …

Trophic Relationships In An Arctic Marine Foodweb And Implications For Trace Element Dynamics, Larissa-A Dehn

Biological Sciences

Tissues of subsistence-harvested Arctic marine and terrestrial mammals and potential prey species were analyzed for isotopes of carbon and nitrogen and selected trace elements describing contaminant pathways in the food web. Feeding habits of ice seals were characterized using stable isotopes and gastric contents analysis. Bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) relied on the benthic food chain. Zooplankton and fishes were significant prey for ringed seals (Phoca hispida), while fishes were the principal prey in spotted seals (Phoca largha). Gastric prey composition and isotope ratios varied with age and sex. Effects of age, trophic level, and prey prevalence on trace element concentrations …

Composition And Methods Of Using The Mirabilis Mosaic Caulimovirus Sub-Genomic Transcript (Sgt) Promoter For Plant Genetic Engineering, Indu B. Maiti, Nrisingha Dey

Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center Faculty Patents

The isolation of and methods of using a sub-genomic transcript (Sgt) promoter from Mirabilis mosaic virus (MMV) are described. A 333 bp MMV Sgt promoter fragment (sequence−306 to +27 from the transcription start site, TSS) was found to be sufficient for strongest promoter activity. This MMV Sgt promoter fragment shows comparable promoter activity to the MMV FLt promoter both in transgenic plants and in protoplasts. The MMV Sgt promoter also demonstrates much greater activity compared to Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 19S promoter and 35S promoter. The MMV Sgt promoter fragment and any chimeric gene to which it may be linked …

Sandspur, Vol 112, No 01, August 16, 2005, Rollins College

The Rollins Sandspur

Rollins College student newspaper, written by the students and published at Rollins College. The Sandspur started as a literary journal.

Extensions Of The Cayley-Hamilton Theorem With Applications To Elliptic Operators And Frames., Alberto Mokak Teguia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Cayley-Hamilton Theorem is an important result in the study of linear transformations over finite dimensional vector spaces. In this thesis, we show that the Cayley-Hamilton Theorem can be extended to self-adjoint trace-class operators and to closed self-adjoint operators with trace-class resolvent over a separable Hilbert space. Applications of these results include calculating operators resolvents and finding the inverse of a frame operator.

A Study Of Persistence In The Walters State Community College Associate-Degree Nursing Program., Jeffrey Tom Horner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The WSCC ADN program had 66.57% persistence rate between the years 2000-2004. This retrospective study analyzed 28 demographic, pre-clinical, and clinical variables to identify correlates for persistence within the WSCC ADN program. The population size was 730 first-time candidates or the entire population of five consecutive clinical classes graduating between the years of 2000-2004. The candidates were identified and the variables tabulated using the WSCC student information system. SPSS 13.0 software was employed to conduct descriptive, frequency, multiple regression, multivariate analysis of variance, and univariate analysis of variance tests. The criterion variables included persistence within the entire population, gender-specific persistence …

Role Of Zmpste24 In Prelamin A Maturation., Douglas Paul Corrigan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nuclear lamins form a karyoskeleton providing structural rigidity to the nucleus. One member of the lamin family, lamin A, is first synthesized as a 74 kDa precursor, prelamin A. Following the endopeptidase and methylation reactions which occur after farnesylation of the CAAX-box cysteine, there is a second endoproteolysis that occurs 15 amino acids upstream from the C-terminal farnesylated cysteine residue. Studies with knockout mice have implicated the enzyme Zmpste24 as a candidate to carry out one or both of these proteolytic reactions. In this body of work, the CAAX endopeptidase activity of recombinant, membrane reconstituted, Zmpste24 is demonstrated using …

Gender Differences In Working Memory In Humans Tested On A Virtual Morris Water Maze., Ivy A. Click

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A computerized virtual version of the Morris water maze (vMWM) was used to assess human gender differences in spatial working memory. In Experiment 1, the release point and platform location was changed on every other trial for 20 trials. Men had significantly reduced acquisition latencies and more accurate heading errors on the first daily trial compared to women. In Experiment 2, the release point and platform location was changed every fourth trial for 20 trials. Men had significantly shorter acquisition latencies and path lengths than women. Experiment 3 was identical to Experiment 2, except that environmental cues were changed throughout …

Angiogenesis And Myogenesis In A Chronic Ischemic Heart., Esha Ibrahim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Miniswine underwent procedures to evaluate treating chronic ischemia with the implantation of autologous satellite cells and laser transmyocardial revascularization (TMR). The objective was to combine two therapies to restore cardiac function. This experiment involved three surgical procedures: (1) placing a constrictor on the coronary artery; (2) producing channels and implanting cells; (3) obtaining samples. The swine were divided into groups: Group 1, Ischemia; Group 2, Ischemia + Laser TMR; Group 3, Ischemia + Laser TMR+ Cells; Group 4, Ischemia + Cells. Sonomicrometry and Millar pressure transducers were used to determine contractility, left ventricular pressure, and pressure-volume loops. There were no …

Aug. 16, 2005, Ifc, Progress Rep. To Code, And Aug. 11 Draft Of Policy And Pss, Ifc

IFC E&S Performance Standards

No abstract provided.