Digital Commons Network^™

Focus Emu, March 8, 2005, Office Of Public Information

Focus EMU

No abstract provided.

Focus Emu, June 14, 2005, Office Of Public Information

Focus EMU

No abstract provided.

Board Of Regents Meeting Materials, August 2, 2005, Eastern Michigan University

Board of Regents Meeting Materials

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Earth Systems Education Network – Winter 2004/05

Nebraska Earth Systems Education Network

Content:

Sand Hills Biocomplexity Project 2005 by Monica Sanford

The Sand Hills Biocomplexity Project: An Interview with Dr. Dave Wedin by Monica Sanford

Science: Think Outside the Box by Monica Sanford

New UNL Web Site Sells Everything from Maps to Rocks

Geographic Educators of Nebraska Sponsors Summer Workshops

Population Histories Of Right Whales (Cetacea: Eubalaena) Inferred From Mitochondrial Sequence Diversities And Divergences Of Their Whale Lice (Amphipoda: Cyamus), Zofia A. Kaliszewska, Jon Seger, Victoria J. Rowntree, Amy R. Knowlton, Kim Marshalltilas, Nathalie J. Patenaude, Mariana Rivarola, Catherine M. Schaeff, Mariano Sironi, Wendy A. Smith, Tadasu K. Yamada, Susan G. Barco, Rafael Benegas, Peter B. Best, Moira W. Brown, Robert L. Brownell Jr., Robert Harcourt, Alejandro Carribero

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Right whales carry large populations of three ‘whale lice’ (Cyamus ovalis, Cyamus gracilis, Cyamus erraticus) that have no other hosts. We used sequence variation in the mitochondrial COI gene to ask (i) whether cyamid population structures might reveal associations among right whale individuals and subpopulations, (ii) whether the divergences of the three nominally conspecific cyamid species on North Atlantic, North Pacific, and southern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis, Eubalaena japonica, Eubalaena australis) might indicate their times of separation, and (iii) whether the shapes of cyamid gene trees might contain information about changes in the population …

Ringed And Bearded Seal Densities In The Eastern Chukchi Sea, 1999–2000, John L. Bengtson, Lisa M. Hiruki-Raring, Michael A. Simpkins, Peter L. Boveng

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Aerial surveys were conducted in 1999 and 2000 to estimate the densities of ringed (Phoca hispida) and bearded (Erignathus barbatus) seals in the eastern Chukchi Sea. Survey lines were focused mainly on the coastal zone within 37 km of the shoreline, with additional lines flown 148–185 km offshore to assess how densities of seals changed as a function of distance from shore. Satellite-linked time-depth recorders were attached to ringed seals in both years to evaluate the time spent basking on the ice surface. Haulout patterns indicated that ringed seals transitioned to basking behavior in late May …

Geologic Studies Of The Platte River, South-Central Nebraska And Adjacent Areas—Geologic Maps, Subsurface Study, And Geologic History, Steven M. Condon

United States Geological Survey: Publications

The Platte River of south-central Nebraska was studied at three scales to place the river in its geological context and to trace its evolution through geologic time. At the largest scale the Elm Creek West and the Newark 7.5 minute quadrangles were mapped. These quadrangles are located just west and just east of Kearney and serve to illustrate the main geomorphic elements of the present Platte River Valley. The central elements of the quadrangles are the Platte River channels, islands, and bottomlands, which are flanked by terraces that step up away from the river to the north and south. Significant …

Amphibian Research And Monitoring Initiative: Concepts And Implementation, Paul Stephen Corn, Michael J. Adams, William A. Battaglin, Alisa L. Gallant, Daniel L. James, Melinda Knutson, Catherine A. Langtimm, John R. Sauer

United States Geological Survey: Publications

This report provides the basis for discussion and subsequent articulation of a national plan for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). The authors were members of a task force formed from within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that included scientists with expertise in biology, cartography, hydrology, and statistics. The assignment of the task force was to extend work begun by the National Amphibian Leadership Group. This group, composed of senior USGS scientists, managers, and external authorities, met in Gainesville, Florida, in February 20001. The product of this meeting was a document outlining the framework for a national program to …

Mercury Contamination From Historical Gold Mining In California, Charles N. Alpers, Michael P. Hunerlach, Jason T. May, Roger L. Hothem

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Mercury contamination from historical gold mines represents a potential risk to human health and the environment. This fact sheet provides background information on the use of mercury in historical gold mining and processing operations in California, with emphasis on historical hydraulic mining areas. It also describes results of recent USGS projects that address the potential risks associated with mercury contamination.

Miners used mercury (quicksilver) to recover gold throughout the western United States. Gold deposits were either hardrock (lode, gold-quartz veins) or placer (alluvial, unconsolidated gravels). Underground methods (adits and shafts) were used to mine hardrock gold deposits. Hydraulic, drift, or …

Implications Of Invasion By Juniperus Virginiana On Small Mammals In The Southern Great Plains, Valerie J. Horncastle, Eric C. Hellgren, Paul M. Mayer, Amy C. Ganguli, David M. Engle, David M. Leslie, Jr.

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Changes in landscape cover in the Great Plains are resulting from the range expansion and invasion of eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). By altering the landscape and local vegetation, red cedar is changing the structure and function of habitat for small mammals. We examined effects of invasion by eastern red cedar on small mammals in 3 plant communities (tallgrass prairie, old field, and cross-timbers forest) in the cross-timbers ecoregion in Oklahoma. We sampled small mammals seasonally from May 2001 to August 2002 by using Sherman live traps and mark–recapture techniques on 3.24-ha, 450-trap grids in each plant community. …

Radius Of Gyration Of Polystyrene Combs And Centipedes In A Θ Solvent, Ken Terao, Brandon S. Farmer, Yo Nakamura, Hermis Iatrou, Kunlun Hong, Jimmy W. Mays

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The molecular weight dependence of the radii of gyration R_g in a Θ solvent (trans-decalin) of one regular branched comb and three regular centipede polystyrenes was studied using a gel permeation chromatography system equipped with a two-angle light scattering detector and a refractive index detector. R_g in trans-decalin for each sample of particular molecular weight was about 25% smaller than that in a good solvent (tetrahydrofuran, THF). On the other hand, they are 20-40% larger than the theoretical values from the Gaussian chain model. This difference can be explained with the worm-like comb model developed by Nakamura et …

Kinetic Desorption And Sorption Of U(Vi) During Reactive Transport In A Contaminated Hanford Sediment, Nikolla P. Qafoku, John M. Zachara, Chongxuan Liu, Paul Gassman, Odeta Qafoku, Steve Smith

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Column experiments were conducted to investigate U(VI) desorption and sorption kinetics in a sand-textured, U(VI)- contaminated (22.7 µmol kg^-1) capillary fringe sediment from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford site. Saturated column experiments were performed under mildly alkaline conditions representative of the Hanford site where uranyl-carbonate and calcium-uranyl-carbonate complexes dominate aqueous speciation. A U(VI)-free solution was used to study contaminant U(VI) desorption in columns where different flow rates were applied. Sorbed, contaminant U(VI) was partially labile (11.8%), and extended leaching times and water volumes were required for complete desorption of the labile fraction. Uranium- (VI) sorption was …

Cryogenic Laser Induced U(Vi) Fluorescence Studies Of A U(Vi) Substituted Natural Calcite: Implications To U(Vi) Speciation In Contaminated Hanford Sediments, Zheming Wang, John M. Zachara, James Mckinley, Steven Smith

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and imaging spectromicroscopy (TRLFISM) were used to examine the chemical speciation of uranyl in contaminated subsurface sediments from the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Hanford Site, Washington. Spectroscopic measurements for contaminant U(VI) were compared to those from a natural, uranyl-bearing calcite (NUC) that had been found via X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to include uranyl in the same coordination environment as calcium. Spectral deconvolution of TRLFS measurements on the NUC revealed the unexpected presence of two distinct chemical environments consistent with published spectra of U(VI)-substituted synthetic calcite and aragonite. Apparently, some U(VI) substitution sites in …

Adaptive Harvest Management: 2005 Hunting Season

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The process of setting waterfowl hunting regulations is conducted annually in the United States (Blohm 1989). This process involves a number of meetings where the status of waterfowl is reviewed by the agencies responsible for setting hunting regulations. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) publishes proposed regulations in the Federal Register to allow public comment. This document is part of a series of reports intended to support development of harvest regulations for the 2005 hunting season. Specifically, this report is intended to provide waterfowl managers and the public with information about the use of adaptive harvest management …

Supporting Information: Influence Of Carbon And Lipid Sources On Variation Of Mercury And Other Trace Elements In Polar Bears (Ursus Maritimus), Heli Routti, Robert J. Letcher, Erik W. Born, Marsha Branigan, Rune Dietz, Thomas J. Evans, Melissa A. Mckinney, Elizabeth Peacock, Christian Sonne

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis and Quality Control

Fatty Acids Analysis and Quality Control

Mercury and Other Trace Metal and Element Analysis and Quality Control

REFERENCE SECTION

Draft Environmental Assessment For Umbrella Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances For Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus Minimus) In Colorado, Connie Young-Dubovsky, Terry Ireland

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act requirements for a proposed action to implement an umbrella Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW). The purpose of the CCAA is to promote conservation of Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), a declining endemic of the sage-steppe community in Colorado and Utah. Two other alternatives are compared to the proposed action to assess whether the action can be implemented without significant effects to environmental resources in the area. About one-half of the Gunnison sage-grouse range occurs on non-Federal …

A Fresh Look At The Taxonomy Of Midcontinental Sandhill Cranes, Douglas Johnson, Jane Austin, Jill Shaffer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The midcontinental population of sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) includes about 500,000 birds and provides valuable recreational crane-watching and hunting opportunities in Canada and the United States. It comprises three subspecies, one of which (G. c. rowani) was of uncertain taxonomic status and another of which (G. c. tabida) merited protection from excessive harvest due to its small population size. We obtained measurements of cranes used by Johnson and Stewart (1973) and additional crane specimens to 1) evaluate the subspecies designation of midcontinental sandhill cranes and 2) to seek improved methods for classifying cranes from …

Auditory Brainstem Responses In The Eastern Screech Owl: An Estimate Of Auditory Thresholds, Elizabeth F. Brittan-Powell, Bernard Lohr, D. Caldwell Hahn, Robert J. Dooling

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The auditory brainstem response (ABR), a measure of neural synchrony, was used to estimate auditory sensitivity in the eastern screech owl (Megascops asio). The typical screech owl ABR waveform showed two to three prominent peaks occurring within 5 ms of stimulus onset. As sound pressure levels increased, the ABR peak amplitude increased and latency decreased. With an increasing stimulus presentation rate, ABR peak amplitude decreased and latency increased. Generally, changes in the ABR waveform to stimulus intensity and repetition rate are consistent with the pattern found in several avian families. The ABR audiogram shows that screech owls hear best between …

Perchlorate: Sources, Uses, And Occurrences In The Environment, Clayton W. Trumpolt, Michael Crain, Geoffrey D. Cullison, Susan J. P. Flanagan, Lenny Siegel, Stephen Lathrop

United States Navy: Publications

Perchlorate contamination of groundwater and soil continues to be a hot topic in many sectors, including industry, the federal Departments of Defense and Energy, regulators, and the general public. This article presents information on what is currently known regarding perchlorate uses, known and suspected naturally occurring versus anthropogenic perchlorate sources, and past and present manufacturing locations. It provides the reader with a baseline as well as background information to facilitate an understanding of perchlorate in the environment for the ultimate purpose of remediation. The article is based on research conducted by the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council for a forthcoming, more …

Basal Tissue Structure In The Earliest Euconodonts: Testing Hypotheses Of Developmental Plasticity In Euconodont Phylogeny, Xi-Ping Dong, Philip C. J. Donoghue, John E. Repetski

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The hypothesis that conodonts are vertebrates rests solely on evidence of soft tissue anatomy. This has been corroborated by microstructural, topological and developmental evidence of homology between conodont and vertebrate hard tissues. However, these conclusions have been reached on the basis of evidence from highly derived euconodont taxa and the degree to which they are representative of plesiomorphic euconodonts remains an open question. Furthermore, the range of variation in tissue types comprising the euconodont basal body has been used to establish a hypothesis of developmental plasticity early in the phylogeny of the clade, and a model of diminishing potentiality in …

Yellow Fever Vaccine: An Updated Assessment Of Advanced Age As A Risk Factor For Serious Adverse Events, Alena Y. Khromava, Rachel Barwick Eidex, Leisa H. Weld, Katrin S. Kohl, Robert D. Bradshaw, Robert T. Chen, Martin S. Cetron

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Since 1996, the scientific community has become aware of 14 reports of yellow fever vaccine (YEL)-associated viscerotropic disease (YEL-AVD) cases and four reports of YEL-associated neurotropic disease (YEL-AND) worldwide, changing our understanding of the risks of the vaccine. Based on 722 adverse event reports after YEL submitted to the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System in 1990–2002, we updated the estimates of the age-adjusted reporting rates of serious adverse events, YEL-AVD and YEL-AND.We found that the reporting rates of serious adverse events were significantly higher among vaccinees aged ≥60 years than among those 19–29 years of age (reporting rate ratio …

Targeting Of Tsc13p To Nucleus–Vacuole Junctions: A Role For Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acids In The Biogenesis Of Microautophagic Vesicles, Erik Kvam, Kenneth Gable, Teresa M. Dunn, David S. Goldfarb

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

TSC13 is required for the biosynthesis of very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) in yeast. Tsc13p is a polytopic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein that accumulates at nucleus–vacuole (NV) junctions, which are formed through Velcro-like interactions between Nvj1p in the perinuclear ER and Vac8p on the vacuole membrane. NV junctions mediate piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus (PMN), during which bleb-like portions of the nucleus are extruded into invaginations of the vacuole membrane and degraded in the vacuole lumen. We report that Tsc13p is sequestered into NV junctions from the peripheral ER through Vac8p-independent interactions with Nvj1p. During nutrient limitation, Tsc13p is incorporated …

Effects Of 12 Months Of Vagus Nerve Stimulation In Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Naturalistic Study, A. John Rush, Harold A. Sackeim, Lauren B. Marangell, Mark S. George, Stephen K. Brannan, Sonia M. Davis, Phil Lavori, Robert Howland, Mitchel A. Kling, Barry Rittberg, Linda Carpenter, Philip Ninan, Francisco Moreno, Thomas Schwartz, Charles Conway, Michael Burke, John J. Barry

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

Background: The need for effective, long-term treatment for recurrent or chronic, treatment-resistant depression is well established.

Methods: This naturalistic follow-up describes outpatients with nonpsychotic major depressive (n = 185) or bipolar (I or II) disorder, depressed phase (n = 20) who initially received 10 weeks of active (n = 110) or sham vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) (n = 95). The initial active group received another 9 months, while the initial sham group received 12 months of VNS. Participants received antidepressant treatments and VNS, both of which could be adjusted.

Results: The primary analysis …

Towards An Rts,S-Based, Multi-Stage, Multi-Antigen Vaccine Against Falciparum Malaria: Progress At The Walter Reed Army Institute Of Research, D. Gray Heppner Jr., Kent E. Kester, Christian F. Ockenhouse, Nadia Tornieporth, Opokua Ofori, Jeffrey A. Lyon, V. Ann Stewart, Patrice Dubois, David E. Lanar, Urszula Krzych, Philippe Moris, Evelina Angov, James F. Cummings, Amanda Leach, B. Ted Hall, Sheetij Dutta, Robert Schwenk, Collette Hillier, Arnoldo Barbosa, Lisa A. Ware, Lalitha Nair, Christian A. Darko, Mark R. Withers, Bernhards Ogutu, Mark E. Polhemus, Mark Fukuda, Sathit Pichyangkul, Montip Gettyacamin, Carter Diggs, Lorraine Soisson, Jessica Milman, Marie-Claude Dubois, Nathalie Garcon, Kathryn Tucker, Janet Wittes, Christopher V. Plowe, Mahamadou A. Thera, Ogobara K. Duombo, Maria G. Pau, Jaap Goudsmit, W. Ripley Ballou, Joe Cohen

United States Army: Publications

The goal of the Malaria Vaccine Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is to develop a licensed multi-antigen, multi-stage vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum able to prevent all symptomatic manifestations of malaria by preventing parasitemia. A secondary goal is to limit disease in vaccinees that do develop malaria. Malaria prevention will be achieved by inducing humoral and cellular immunity against the pre-erythrocytic circumsporozoite protein (CSP) and the liver stage antigen-1 (LSA-1). The strategy to limit disease will target immune responses against one or more blood stage antigens, merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) and apical merozoite antigen-1 (AMA-1). The …

University Of Nebraska- Lincoln: Fact Book 2004-2005

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Administration: Reports, Papers, Publications, and Presentations

Fact Book 2004-2005 Table of Contents

General Information

Role and Mission Statement....................................................................4

Institutional & Professional Accreditations......................................................7

UNL Organizational Chart..................................................................9

Student Credit Hours

Student Credit Hours UNL Student Credit Hours Total Fall, by College 2000 to 2004................................................................10

UNL Student Credit Hours Total Spring, By College 2000 to 2004....................................................11

UNL Student Credit Hours Total Fall & Spring Semester, by College 1999—2003..........................12

Summer Sessions 2004 Student Credit Hours..........................................13

Retention, Degrees and Majors

Retention, Degrees and Majors UNL Student Retention & Graduation Rate Analysis..................................................................................14

Total Degrees conferred by UNL Fiscal Year 1994-95 to 2003-2004............................................................15

Degrees Conferred July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004...............................................................................16

Types …

Heating Systems For Wean-To-Finish Facilities, Mike Brumm, Sheryl Colgan, Richard R. Stowell

Nebraska Swine Reports

Research was conducted to assess the effects of the type of zone heater and floor mat used in a wean-to-finish facility on pig performance and operating cost. Gas-fired brooder heaters were compared to 250W heat lamps and farm-cut wood sheathing was compared to commercial (unheated) rubber floor mats for a 21-day post-weaning period. There was no effect of heating system or mat type on pig performance, either during the 21- day period immediately post-weaning or to slaughter. Black globe temperatures near the pig zone were slightly higher for the propane-fired heaters compared to the heat lamps, most likely due to …

Faculty Council Minutes, November 2, 2005, Faculty Council

Faculty Senate Minutes and Reports

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Molecular Identification Of Meloidogyne Spp. Into A Large-Scale Regional Nematode Survey, Thomas O. Powers, P. G. Mullin, T. S. Harris, L. A. Sutton, R. S. Higgins

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

A regional nematode survey of potato fields was conducted in the central United States during 2002 and 2003. The survey encompassed seven states and included a morphological and molecular examination of nematodes of regulatory concern from 1,929 soil samples. No regulated pest species were recovered during this survey. Meloidogyne juveniles extracted from soil were identified by mitochondrial and 18S ribosomal molecular markers. Eighty-two DNA sequences representing the two marker regions for Meloidogyne species were submitted to GenBank to facilitate evaluation of marker variability. Sufficient 18S variation was observed among some Meloidogyne species to aid in identification; however, nucleotide sequence from …

Inter-Species Variation In Yolk Steroid Levels And A Cowbird-Host Comparison, D. Caldwell Hahn, Jeff S. Hatfield, Mahmoud A. Abdelnabi, Julie M. Wu, Lawrence D. Igl, Mary A. Ottinger

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We examined variability in yolk hormone levels among songbird species and the role of yolk steroids as a mechanism for enhanced exploitation of hosts by the parasitic brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater. Within-clutch variation in yolk steroids has been found in several avian species in single species studies, but few comparisons have been made among species. We found a large range of differences in yolk testosterone among the seven passerine species examined, with significant differences between those at the high end (song sparrow Melospiza melodia, red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus, and house sparrow, Passer domesticus) and those at the …

The Edge, Spring 2005, Eastern Michigan University

Alumni News: Eastern Magazine

No abstract provided.