Digital Commons Network^™

Isolation And Characterization Of Porcine Visceral Endoderm Cell Lines Derived From In Vivo 11-Day Blastocysts, Neil C. Talbot, Le Ann Blomberg, Ayesha Mahmood, Thomas J. Caperna, Wesley M. Garrett

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

Two porcine cell lines of yolk-sac visceral endoderm, designated as PE-1 and PE-2, were derived from in vivo 11-d porcine blastocysts that were either ovoid (PE-1) or at the early tubular stage of elongation (PE-2). Primary and secondary culture of the cell lines was done on STO feeder cells. The PE-1 and PE-2 cells morphologically resembled visceral endoderm previously cultured from in vivo-derived ovine and equine blastocysts and from in vitro-derived bovine blastocysts. Analysis of the PE-1- and PE-2-conditioned medium by 2D-gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flightmass spectrometry demonstrated that they produced serum proteins. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain …

Characterization Of Biological Types Of Cattle (Cycle Vii): Influence Of Postpartum Interval And Estrous Cycle Length On Fertility, R. A. Cushman, M. F. Allan, R. M. Thallman, L. V. Cundiff

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

Genetic improvement in reproductive efficiency through selection is difficult because many reproductive traits are binomial and have low heritabilities. Before genetic markers can be generated for fertility in cows, greater characterization of reproductive phenotypes is needed to understand the components of the trait. The current study tested the hypotheses that: 1) breeds vary in postpartum interval to estrus (PPIE) and estrous cycle length, 2) a longer estrous cycle immediately before breeding increased pregnancy rates, and 3) a greater number of cycles before breeding increased conception rates. The postpartum interval to estrus, estrous cycle length, and number of cycles before breeding …

Effects Of Graded Levels Of Sorghum Wet Distiller’S Grains And Degraded Intake Protein Supply On Performance And Carcass Characteristics Of Feedlot Cattle Fed Steam-Flaked Corn-Based Diets, J. T. Vasconcelos, L. M. Shaw, K. A. Lemon, N. A. Cole, M. L. Galyean

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

Two experiments evaluated different levels of sorghum wet distiller’s grains plus solubles (SWDG) and effects of increasing the degraded intake protein (DIP) concentration in diets containing SWDG on performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle. In Exp. 1, 200 beef steers (average BW = 404 kg) were fed increasing levels of SWDG (0, 5, 10, and 15% of DM) and one level of corn wet distiller’s grains plus solubles (10% of DM), which replaced steamflaked corn in a high-concentrate diet. Final BW (P = 0.04) and overall ADG (P = 0.01) decreased linearly with increasing levels of SWDG. Increasing SWDG …

Visiting Hour, Richard Morris

English Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of An Education Intervention For The Staff On The Head Of The Bed Elevation In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Randall Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elevating the head of bed (HOB) reduces risks for aspiration and ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in the adult population. Educational interventions have resulted in improvements in achieving a target HOB elevation of 30° in adults. Limited research has addressed this intervention in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The aim of this study was to determine if an educational intervention for the PICU staff would result in improvement in the HOB elevation in the PICU. Four research questions were studied: 1) What is the common practice related to the elevation of the HOB in the PICU? 2) Is there a …

Quality Of Life In Older Breast Cancer Survivors, Victoria Loerzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quality of life (QoL) in cancer survivors is an important area of research. While data are available about QoL and breast cancer, there is a paucity of research regarding older breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this research was to examine QoL in older women with early stage breast cancer, within the first year of post-treatment survivorship. The specific aims of this study were to: 1) Describe the changes in overall QoL and the four QoL domains of Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual well-being; 2) Examine the effects of a psychoeducational support intervention on QoL outcomes in older women; and …

Enrollment, Hiring Trends, And College Recruiting For Industrial Education Courses In Northeastern Wisconsin And Michigan's Upper Peninsula Secondary Schools, Kyle L. Bell

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploratory Research Reguarding Gambling On Northern Michigan University’S Campus, Stephanie Laura Depetro

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Seed Mixture Composition And Cover Crop Usage On Productivity And Growth Of Native Prairie Forbs And Grasses, Kimberly S. Larson

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Walking Wounded, Robin J. Kennedy

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Two Perch Deterrents For Starlings, Blackbirds, And Pigeons, Thomas W. Seamans, Scott C. Barras, Glen E. Bernhardt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird-aircraft collisions are costly and potentially deadly to people and wildlife. From 1990 through 2004, 57,702 bird collisions with aircraft were reported within the USA to the US Federal Aviation Administration. Approximately 82% of the strikes occur below 305 m height about ground level; therefore bird deterrents on airfields that reduce the quality of the birds’ habitat are critical to safe airport operation. One management approach is to reduce perching sites within the airport premises. We tested two anti-perching devices (Birdwire^TM and Birdblox^TM) in an aviary setting. As an ancillary test, we determined which wire in a …

Research Strategies Of The National Wildlife Research Center To Control Bovine Tuberculosis In Wildlife In Michigan, Usa, A. R. Berentsen, M. R. Dunbar, R. G. Mclean

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic disease caused by Mycobaferium bovis and is transmissible to humans, wildlife, and domestic livestock. In the United Kingdom, the suspected wildlife reservoir of bTB is the badger (Meles meles) (HUTCHINGS and HARRIS, 1997), and in New Zealand, the culprit is the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) (MORRIS et al., 1994). In northern Michigan, USA, bovine tuberculosis is endemic in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) . In 1975 a hunter-killed white-tailed deer in Alpena County, Michigan, USA, was tested positive for bTB. Subsequent surveillance by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) …

Research Strategies To Reduce Bovine Tuberculosis Transmission From Wildlife To Cattle, Are R. Brentensen, Mike R. Dunbar, Robert G. Mclean

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic disease caused by Mycobaterium bovis, and is transmissible to humans, wildlife and domestic livestock. In the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) serve as a reservoir for the disease and pose a significant threat to domestic cattle and captive cervids. Scientists at USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center have designed a variety of laboratory and field studies aimed at reducing or eliminating bTB infection in cattle by interrupting the transmission of the disease from wildlife reservoirs. These strategies include reducing bTB in deer by delivery of …

Overview Of The First Use Of Gps 1991/Gis 1992 During A Wyoming Skunk Rabies Epizootic, Craig A. Ramey, Kenneth H. Mills, Marshall Robin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are one of the most important reservoirs of wildlife rabies on the Great Plains of North America. During a skunk rabies epizootic in a previously rabies-free area of northwestern Wyoming, we studied the spread of rabies from the index case occurring in 1988 until the Shoshone River epizootic ended in 1993. All specimens were sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory for Fluorescent Antibody Testing for rabies. The goal of federal, state, county, and local agencies was to address the public's fear about the health and safety of humans and animals. Following several rabid …

Blackbird Use Of Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots, George M. Linz, Jonathan M. Raetzman, Heath M. Hagy, H. Jeffrey Homan, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbird (Icteridae) damage to ripening sunflower fields in North Dakota ranges from $5-10 million and has probably forced many growers to abandon this crop. From 2004 to 2006, USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services cost-shared Wildlife Conservation Sunflower Plots (WCSP) with sunflower growers. The objective of the WCSP was to provide blackbirds an attractive nearby alternative food source to reduce damage in commercial fields. From 2004 through 2006, sunflower damage in the WCSP’s was 39%, 32%, and 60%, respectively. In comparison, damage in nearby commercial fields was 5%, 4%, and 18%, over those years. In 2006, drought in the region …

Modeling Costs Of Using Ovocontrol G For Managing Nuisance Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis) Populations, Joe N. Caudell, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

OvoControl G is a relatively new product that reduces the hatchability of Canada goose (Branta canadensis) eggs. However, little data is available on the cost of application. We present a model for estimating the cost of application of OvoControl G for managing nuisance Canada goose populations. We found that at low goose densities, fixed labor costs are responsible for a significant portion of the cost. As goose densities increase, these fixed costs become equivalent to, and eventually less than, the costs associated with the purchase of the product. We present several scenarios that managers may employ to further …

Beyond Organic: Defining Alternatives To Usda Certified Organic, Jennifer Ann Von Sehlen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Since the inception of the National Organic Program (NOP) housed within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the substantial growth of the organic food market has garnered both enthusiasm and criticism. While large farm operations and food companies boast a significant reduction in the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers as a result of more crop land being converted to organic production, small-scale organic farmers are feeling the financial pinch as industry takes over the once niche market. The USDA has received much criticism for defining organic in a way that appears to favor special interests, including industrial-size organic …

Blm Land Use Planning In Western Oregon: A Case Study For Integrating Public Participation In Natural Resources Planning, Emily Ruth West

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Public participation can fundamentally improve natural resources planning and decision-making. On an ad hoc basis, it has been shown that public participation improves the durability and sustainability of plans and decisions; it increases the technical, consensus-building, and decision-making capacity of the public; it increases levels of trust; and it improves relationships between agency personnel and members of the public. Despite the proliferation of these new tools and strategies and their successful implementation, innovative and inclusive public participation methods have still not become widely integrated into the natural resources planning and administrative decision-making processes of federal agencies. Utilizing the Bureau of …

Cause Specific Mortality Of Desert Bighorn Sheep Lambs In The Fra Cristobal Mountains, New Mexico, Usa, Zachary David Parsons

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) are an endangered species in New Mexico. Many of the small, isolated populations of desert bighorn are declining, and factors affecting their growth rates include low lamb recruitment and high mortality of adults due to cougar predation. No one has previously reported cause-specific mortality rates for desert bighorn lambs. My objectives were to determine the causes, extent, and timing of lamb mortality in the Fra Cristobal Mountains, New Mexico, USA. I tested 3 capture techniques during 2001 and 2002: approaching lambs on foot and restraining them by hand; jumping from a helicopter and restraining …

Change, Principal Trust And Enabling School Structures: An Analysis Of Relationships In Southern Alberta Schools, Cheryl Anne Gilmore

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Improved student learning continues to be a pressing issue compelling schools and districts to undergo change. Schools are complex organizations and there are a number of interrelated factors that contribute to the success or failure of change into a new model. In Alberta, organizational change was mandated in 2003 through government acceptance of a Commission’s recommendation that all schools operate as a professional learning community. The context of mandated change provided a unique opportunity to examine large scale change with factors that may have a relationship to successful change. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship …

A Comprehensive Case Report Of University Of Montana Forensic Collection Case #141, Yasuko Takebe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

UMFC case #141 was acqired in spring 2006, as a commercially prepared anatomical specimen, reportedly from the Peoples Republic of China. It is a nealy complete skeleton that exhibits severe trauma of hte lower limbs. I reviewed the literature on methods of estimating age from the skeleton, because age is difficult to estimate for this case nad presents an interesting challenge. I then proceeded to estimate sex, ancestry, age, stature, and weight. I conclude that UMFC #141 is a White male, 39 to 45 years old, 5'0" to 5'4" in height, 110 to 161 pounds in weight. Healed fractures of …

Neuropsychological Correlates Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Christopher S. Miller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the current study, participants with borderline personality disorder (BPD) displayed deficits in neuropsychological functioning when compared with healthy controls. Participants with BPD performed worse on all measures of cognitive functioning: attention, verbal memory, processing speed and a measure of general neuropsychological functioning. The study found that depression was significantly more prevalent in the BPD sample compared with the control sample and that there was a significant inverse correlation between level of depression and scores on a general index of neuropsychological functioning. Results from ANCOVA analyses revealed significant differences existed in neuropsychological performance on all four measures of cognitive functioning …

Pharmacological Modeling And Regulation Of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters (Eaats), Shailesh Ramjilal Agarwal

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

L-Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS that can mechanistically contribute to either neuronal signaling or neuronal pathology. Consequently, its concentration in the CNS must be carefully regulated, a critical need that is met by the excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs). The presence of at least five isoforms of EAATs raises interesting questions as to potential structural and functional differences among the subtypes. We have investigated possible differences in the ligand binding domains of the EAATs through the development of computationally based pharmacophore models. An EAAT2-specific model was created with four potent and selective ligands that act …

Pilot Study On The Prediction Of Heart Rot In Apparently Sound Western Larch, Angela Daenzer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Since many cavity-excavating birds require trees with heart rot, managers routinely emphasize decayed trees in their snag retention prescriptions. Where too few trees are present with obvious indicators of decay, apparently sound trees are left to meet retention objectives. These trees may also contain decay, and may offer advantages in longevity and protection over more extensively decayed trees. Better information regarding conditions and heartwood decay-causing fungi important to heart rot in apparently sound trees would aid in retention decisions. We combined data from the 2003 Westside Reservoir and Roberts Fire burns with data from the USFS Forest Health Protection’s 10-year …

Resolving Employment Retention Barriers To Enhance Self-Sufficiency For Missoula County Tanf Recipients, Deborah Evelyn Holland

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study examined the issues of barriers and employment retention in a rural county welfare-to-work setting, the Missoula, Montana WoRC Program. Qualitative research (study one) was conducted, to interview clients regarding reasons why they had lost jobs in the past, and, to elicit their suggestions regarding new services the WoRC Program could offer to help with employment retention at future jobs. Study one results indicated that the primary barriers resulting in job loss were: family issues; medical problems; mental health disorders; work site difficulties; and other (i.e. boredom, attitude problems). Work adjustment proved to be an underlying barrier to employment …

Wealth And Achievement Gaps: An Examination Of Virginia Middle Schools, Paulette Natasha Richmond

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

Achievement gaps, the focus of this research, result from unequal achievement and the variance in achievement existing between different segments of the student population, for example, the difference in achievement between minority students and non-minority students. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) focus on achievement gaps despite contradictory expressions about the efficacy of the act. The No Child Left Behind Act has created discussion and awareness of race, SES (economically advantaged and disadvantaged) and academic achievement.

There are conflicting beliefs about the impact of resources, funding and wealth on student achievement. This study …

The Effectiveness Of Strategic Planning And Self Study Programs In Leading To Improvements In Institutional Performance And Organisational Learning In An Irish Higher Education Institute, Deirdre M. Lillis

Theses

Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) worldwide are investing increasing resources in strategic planning and self-study activities, in order to meet accountability and quality assurance requirements and to improve their performance. Despite this, little empirical research exists which can definitely answer the question as to whether these activities are effective in leading to improvements in institutional performance and organisational learning, let alone shed light on the reasons why.

This study investigated three strategic planning and three self study programs which were undertaken in one HEI in Ireland over an 8 year period from 1997 to 2006. The first research question determined whether …

Is There A Mass Market For Ethical Fashion In Ireland?, Shirley Quinn

Theses

The following research dissertation was carried out with the intention of solving the question of whether there is a mass market for ethical fashion in Ireland. To answer this question, awareness of ethics in fashion among Irish consumers was investigated, along with general attitudes to ethical fashion, and whether ethics affects fashion purchase behaviour. The research was carried out over the space of six months and comprised a triangulated multi-method approach, consisting of primary and secondary research. Quantitative descriptive research was conducted through a questionnaire and the primary qualitative method used was a focus group. Secondary research took the form …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Fear Appeals Used In Road Safety Campaigns, Darren O'Sullivan

Theses

This research project looks at Fear appeals as a method of communication. It is an evaluation of the use of this method based on a number of criteria. These criteria look at differing aspects of fear appeals which form the basis of the evaluation. Issues such as ethics, involvement of the audience, credibility and the level of fear used are all examined in a bid to determine the overall perceived effectiveness of this form of communication.

The first section of the project examines the research question and the objectives which the research hopes to achieve in order to arrive at …

Sonic Boom Focusing Prediction And Delta Wing Shape Optimization For Boom Mitigation Studies, Nitin Khasdeo

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Supersonic travel over land would be a reality if new aircraft are designed such that they produce quieter ground sonic booms, no louder than 0.3 psf according to the FAA requirement. An attempt is made to address the challenging goal of predicting the sonic boom focusing effects and mitigate the sonic boom ground over pressure for delta wing geometry.

Sonic boom focusing is fundamentally a nonlinear phenomenon and can be predicted by numerically solving the nonlinear Tricomi equation. The conservative time domain scheme is developed to carry out the sonic boom focusing or super boom studies. The computational scheme is …