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Effects Of Calcium Availability On The Reproductive Output Of Insectivorous Bats, Christina M. Booher

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reproduction is a period of high calcium demand in vertebrates, and calcium deficiency can limit reproductive output in mammals. Insects are a poor calcium source, suggesting that insectivorous species are more likely to be calcium deficient. Pregnant big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) consume 10 times less calcium than they are estimated to require. To accommodate calcium demand during pregnancy, many mammals mobilize more calcium from the skeleton, and extensive bone loss has been observed in some bats during pregnancy. A conflict may arise between the female and developing embryo over allocation of limited calcium supplies, which could limit reproductive output …

The Importance Of Data Partitioning And The Utility Of Bayes Factors In Bayesian Phylogenetics, Jeremy M. Brown, Alan R. Lemmon

Faculty Publications

As larger, more complex data sets are being used to infer phylogenies, accuracy of these phylogenies increasingly requires models of evolution that accommodate heterogeneity in the processes of molecular evolution. We investigated the effect of improper data partitioning on phylogenetic accuracy, as well as the type I error rate and sensitivity of Bayes factors, a commonly used method for choosing among different partitioning strategies in Bayesian analyses. We also used Bayes factors to test empirical data for the need to divide data in a manner that has no expected biological meaning. Posterior probability estimates are misleading when an incorrect partitioning …

Using Reconstructability Analysis For Input Variable Reduction: A Business Example, Stephen Shervais, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

We demonstrate the use of reconstructability analysis (RA) on the UCI Australian Credit dataset to reduce the number of input variables for two different analysis tools. Using 14 variables, an artificial neural net (NN) is able to predict whether or not credit was granted, with a 79.1% success rate. RA preprocessing allows us to reduce the number of independent variables from 14 to two different sets of three, which have success rates of 77.2% and 76.9% respectively. The difference between these rates and that of the 14-variable NN is not statistically significant. The three-variable rulesets given by RA achieve success …

Phylogeography Of The Pharaoh Cuttle Sepia Pharaonis Based On Partial Mitochondrial 16s Sequence Data, Frank E. Anderson, Tooraj Valinassab, Chuan-Wen Ho, Kolliyil S. Mohamed, Pillaru K. Asokan, Gonuguntla S. Rao, Praulai Nootmorn, Cherdchinda Chotiyaputta, Malcolm Dunning, Chung-Cheng Lu

Publications

The pharaoh cuttle Sepia pharaonis Ehrenberg, 1831 (Mollusca: Cephalopoda: Sepiida) is a broadly distributed species of substantial fisheries importance found from east Africa to southern Japan. Little is known about S. pharaonis phylogeography, but evidence from morphology and reproductive biology suggests that Sepia pharaonis is actually a complex of at least three species. To evaluate this possibility, we collected tissue samples from Sepia pharaonis from throughout its range. Phylogenetic analyses of partial mitochondrial 16S sequences from these samples reveal five distinct clades: a Gulf of Aden/Red Sea clade, a northern Australia clade, a Persian Gulf/Arabian Sea clade, a western Pacific …

Population Genetics Of The Carinate Pillsnail, Euchemotrema Hubrichti: Genetic Structure On A Small Spatial Scale, Frank E. Anderson

Publications

Euchemotrema hubrichti (Pilsbry HA (1940) Volume 1, Part 2. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 3, I-VI, 2, 575–994, I-IX) is a polygyrid land snail known only from the Larue Pine Hills region of southwestern Illinois, USA. Despite the restricted range of the species, observations in the field suggested that patterns of genetic variation within E. hubrichti might show geographic structure. To assess the dispersal potential of E. hubrichti, a mark-recapture experiment was performed at two sites <100 meters apart. To evaluate the geographic distribution of genetic>variation, a region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene was sequenced from 53 snails collected from sites …

Proposed Carbon Dioxide Concentrating Mechanism In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, James V. Moroney, Ruby A. Ynalvez

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Katanin Microtubule Severing Protein In Plants, David H. Burk, Ruiqin Zhong, Zheng Hua Ye

Faculty Publications

Katanin is a heterodimeric microtubule (MT) severing protein that uses energy from ATP hydrolysis to generate internal breaks along MTs. Katanin p60, one of the two subunits, possesses ATPase and MT-binding/ severing activities, and the p 80 subunit is responsible for targeting of katanin to certain subcellular locations. In animals, katanin plays an important role in the release of MTs from their nucleation sites in the centrosome. It is also involved in severing MTs into smaller fragments which can serve as templates for further polymerization to increase MT number during meiotic and mitotic spindle assembly. Katanin homologs are present in …

Evaluation Of Treatment Success And Patterns Of Reinfestation Of The Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Claudia Husseneder, Dawn M. Simms, Claudia Riegel

Faculty Publications

Spread of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), is connected with the transport of infested wood, in particular, railroad ties. Therefore, efficient treatment of infestations, especially along railroads, is imperative to prevent further termite damage and spread. Evaluation of treatment success hinges on the ability to assign infestation sites to colonies and compare colony identity before and after treatment. Because colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite can be headed by a pair of reproductives (simple families) or by multiple reproductives (extended families), the question arises whether the breeding system of a colony influences treatment success and whether …

Layered Basal Defenses Underlie Non-Host Resistance Of Arabidopsis To Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Phaseolicola, Jong Hyun Ham, Min Gab Kim, Sang Yeol Lee, David Mackey

Faculty Publications

Arabidopsis is a non-host for Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola NPS3121 (Pph), a bacterial pathogen of bean. Pph does not induce a hypersensitive response in Arabidopsis. Here we show that Arabidopsis instead resists Pph with multi-layered basal defense. Our approach was: (i) to identify defense readouts induced by Pph; (ii) to determine whether mutations in known Arabidopsis defense genes disrupt Pph-induced defense signaling; (iii) to determine whether heterologous type III effectors from pathogens of Arabidopsis suppress Pph-induced defense signaling, and (iv) to ascertain how basal defenses contribute to resistance against Pph by individually or multiply disrupting defense signaling pathways with mutations …

Seed Preferences Of Wintering Henslow's Sparrows, Jennifer K. Dimiceli, Philip C. Stouffer, Erik I. Johnson, Claudia Leonardi, Edgar B. Moser

Faculty Publications

The Henslow's Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), a species of conservation concern, winters primarily in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest ecosystems in the southeastern U.S. These pine savannas have been reduced to 5% of their former range, with remaining patches requiring active management with fire to maintain characteristic structure and plant diversity. Wintering Henslow's Sparrow abundance tracks growing-season fires; bird abundance peaks in the winter following burning, then declines in subsequent winters. Fire also determines dominant plant species, suggesting that Henslow's Sparrows may respond to abundance of preferred seeds. To determine diet preferences of Henslow's Sparrows, we tested seeds from eight species …

Volume 44, Number 84: August 01, 2007, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Doped Core/Shell Quantum Dots, Elizabeth J. Sodt

Masters Theses

The central theme of the research performed is the systematic modification of the optical properties of quantum dots by the formation of a shell of another quantum dot of a different band gap energy. Core/shell quantum dots such as CdS:Mn/CdS, CdS:Mn/ZnS, and ZnS:Mn/CdS with various concentrations of dopant Mn²⁺ in the core and shell concentrations have been synthesized under mild conditions in the aqueous phase using stoichiometric amounts of the surfactant stabilizer dodecyl sulfate. These quantum dots exhibit UV-vis, emission, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral behavior that is dependent on the concentration of the shell and the dopant …

City Of Winona Comprehensive Plan 2007: Winona, Minnesota, City Of Winona-Minnesota

City of Winona Planning Documents

This is the 2007 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Winona, Minnesota.

"This Comprehensive Plan contains the essential planning policies and recommendations intended to guide Winona’s growth through the next ten to 20 years – the plan uses the year 2030 as a target date for many of its projections for housing, land use and economic growth, but should be updated at approximately 10-year intervals to remain relevant. Background information regarding conditions and resources that affect development and describing the planning process is included in a Background Report.

The Comprehensive Plan includes general goals, objectives and policies that will …

The Impact Of Business Students' Diversity Experiences Within The Business Curriculum And Co-Curriculum On Their Openness To Diversity, Marcia R. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization along with demographic changes in American society has made diversity a crucial theme of discussion in higher education. The programs, curriculum, and learning that students encounter in their higher education experiences must prepare them for a world that is comprised of diverse individuals with different perspectives and point of views. However, a review of literature suggested the extent to which the diversity experiences within the business curriculum and co-curriculum impact students' racial, cultural, and diversity understanding remains uncertain. Therefore, the purpose of this survey study was to determine the relationship between business students' diversity experiences within business curriculum and …

Anwendung Von Interferenz- Und Ir-Mikroskopie Zur Charakterisierung Und Untersuchung Des Stofftransportes In Nanoporösen Materialien, Lars Heinke, Christian Chmelik, Pavel Kortunov, Sergey Vasenkov, Douglas M. Ruthven, Dhananjai B. Shah, Jörg Kärger

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Die Anwendung der Interferenz-Mikroskopie bedeutet einen entscheidenden Durchbruch in der Untersuchung des Stofftransports von Gastmolekülen in nanoporösen Wirtsmaterialien. Diese Technik ermöglicht die Beobachtung der zeitaufgelösten intrakristallinen Konzentrationsprofile, die durch eine Änderung des umgebenden Gasdruckes entstehen. Dieser Ansatz wurde zur Untersuchung von Adsorptions- und Desorptionsprozessen in verschiedenen Zeolithsystemen verwendet. Die Vorteile dieser Technik, vor allem wenn sie mit Infrarotabsorptionsmessungen kombiniert wird, werden an Hand der experimentellen Resultate des Methanol-in-Ferrierit-Systems illustriert.

Risk And Protective Factors Related To Female/Male Use Of Alcohol In Grades 7-12, Christie L. B. Rood

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate risk and protective factors related to the use of alcohol during a 30-day time frame for 7th-12 th grade females/males. The comparisons were male non-users to male users, female non-users to female users, and male users to female users. Data were collected from the spring 2003 Grand Forks (North Dakota) Public Schools Youth Risk and Protective Factor Survey (YRPFS). The study was conducted with 666 students: 375 were in grades 7-9 and 291 were in grades 10-12. There were 340 females and 326 males. MANOVA was used to investigate the differences between …

Predicting Career Success In Classically Trained Musicians, Vanessa R. Rempel

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined several factors (performance anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, vocational decidedness, and amount of time in the profession) that are believed to contribute to success in music performance professions. Existing literature highlights the unique role that some of these variables play in career success, however no research has examined the combined impact of these four factors or has attempted to identify the relative weight each predictor holds.

The present study recruited participants through various professional music organizations that require a minimum and standardized level of music training. Participants were invited to complete an on-line survey that consisted of measures …

Consequences Of Normative Body Image Dissatisfaction: The Development Of Two Scales, Grace Y. Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Body image dissatisfaction is often seen as a predictor variable for the development of eating disorders; however, this study contends that the consequences of body dissatisfaction itself are problematic. Body image dissatisfaction of both men and women can have negative effects on psychological health and well being. This study examined the literature on body image and body image dissatisfaction, specifically emphasizing various mental health consequences as well as the influence of sex and sexual orientation. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate the consequences of normative body image dissatisfaction among non-clinical adult populations, and to offer initial validation …

Therapists' Experience Of Secondary Trauma: Influence Of Trauma Type And Social Support, Rachel E. Darrow

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals who have been traumatized need to gain comfort from others, and they often seek this from mental health care providers. As providers are exposed to traumatic material, they are at risk for becoming victimized themselves. This phenomenon is explained as secondary trauma, and includes Figley’s model of compassion fatigue (CF), and McCann, Pearlman, and Saakvitne’s model of vicarious trauma (VT). The first purpose of this study was to explore factors related to the development of CF and VT in mental health professionals. While many factors have been implicated as moderators of CF and VT, two factors were chosen for …

Mutability And Evolvability: Indirect Selection For Mutability, David G. King, Yechezkel Kashi

Publications

No abstract provided.

Alice: A High Yielding Hard White Winter Wheat, A. Ibrahim, T. Nleys, J. Rickertsen

Research Bulletins of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (1887-2011)

This bulletin provides information regarding Alice, a new high yielding hard white winter wheat. The origin, breeding history, characteristics, agronomic performance, and disease resistance are provided.

Darrell: A High Yielding Hard Red Winter Wheat, A. Ibrahim, T. Nleys, J. Rickertsen

Research Bulletins of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (1887-2011)

This bulletin provides information regarding Darrell, a new high yielding hard red winter wheat. The origin, breeding history, characteristics, agronomic performance, and disease resistance are provided.

Polymorphisms In Nucleotide Excision Repair Genes, Arsenic Exposure, And Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer In New Hampshire, Katie M. Applebaum, Margaret R. Karagas, David J. Hunter, Paul J. Catalano, Steven H. Byler, Steve Morris, Heather H. Nelson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Arsenic exposure may alter the efficiency of DNA repair. UV damage is specifically repaired by nucleotide excision repair (NER), and common genetic variants in NER may increase risk for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Objective:

We tested whether polymorphisms in the NER genes XPA (A23G) and XPD (Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln) modify the association between arsenic and NMSC.

Methods:

Incident cases of basal and squamous cell carcinoma (BCC and SCC, respectively) were identified through a network of dermatologists and pathology laboratories across New Hampshire. Population-based controls were frequency matched to cases on age and sex. Arsenic exposure was assessed in toenail …

Ghostly Writing : Nineteenth-Century American Women Writers And Issues Of Visibility, Erin Barclay Nemiroff

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This thesis examines three nineteenth-century female authors’ use of the ghost story to articulate and illustrate the anxiety and restriction they suffered under the ideals of True Womanhood. It discusses how Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Edith Wharton, and Mary Wilkins Freeman were compelled to use this unorthodox method of expression because its innate characteristics granted them the creative liberty necessary for authentic female expression and an evolution into New Womanhood and tum-of-the-century feminism. It reveals how the ghost story allowed them to be taken seriously by their male counterparts, yet still provided them with the degree of camouflage necessary to prevent …

Fluorescent Photoinduced Electron Transfer (Pet) Proton Sensors, Risper Nyabeta

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Two new fluorescent photoinduced electron transfer (PET) proton sensors based on anthracene and pyrazoline chromophores have been prepared. The anthracene sensor was prepared through alkylation of 2-pyridylcarbinol with 9-chloromethylanthracene and the pyrazoline sensor was prepared through an aldol condensation of 4- carboxybenzaldehyde and acetylpyridine followed by reaction with phenylhydrazine. The fluorescence of these sensors is modulated by the initiation or quenching of a PET process between the chromophore and a receptor due to protonation. The synthesis, characterization and proton binding studies of the new sensors are reported in this thesis.

Teaching Environmental Law In The Era Of Climate Change: A Few Whats, Whys, And Hows, Michael Robinson-Dorn

Washington Law Review

One of our key objectives at this celebration has been to explore the future of environmental law. To continue the exploration, I've chosen to address not an area of environmental law or environmental practice, but rather the teaching of environmental law. I hope to provoke the dialogue toward answering fundamental questions about what we should teach, why we should teach it, and how we should go about that task. It is an effort that I hope will engage not only the usual suspects for such pieces, a few fellow teachers and the watchful eye of a student law review editor, …

William H. Rodgers, Jr., And Environmental Law: Never Give Up, Keep On Going, John E. Bonine

Washington Law Review

Despite his best efforts to give the riches of the symposium to others, Professor Rodgers could not completely deflect the attention and recognition that was being paid to his own work and example. He was required to sit and listen as words of praise fell everywhere around him. While experts were speaking, comments were also coming in by e-mail and on pieces of paper circulated during the lectures. Who was the subject of this talking circle? This essay attempts to paint a picture of Professor Rodgers's contributions to environmental law and the impact he has had on the lives of …

On Their Own Ground: Strategies Of Resistance For Sunni Muslim Women, Theresa W. Tobin

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

Drawing from work in feminist moral philosophy, Tobin argues that the most common methodology used in practical ethics is a questionable methodology for addressing practical problems across diverse cultural contexts because the kind of impartiality it requires is neither feasible nor desirable. She then defends an alternative methodology for practical ethics in a global context and uses her proposed methodology to evaluate a problem that confronts many Sunni Muslim women around the world.

The Leading Object: August 2007

Leading Object

Content:
Perspectives: John C. Owens
NCTA-Frontier Partnership Brings Education, Industry Together
Extension Entomologist Calls it a Career
Agronomy Department’s Reputation attracted Lemme to UNL
IANR Software Tool Aims to Help Biofuel Industry
Beermann Receives New Appointment
Haskell Agricultural Lab Marks 50th Anniversary

Alaska’S Rat Spill Response Program, Steven M. Ebbert, Arthur Sowls, G. Vernon Byrd

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

The introduction of rodents on an island as a new predator usually interferes with natural island biodiversity, particularly on islands without any native mammalian predators. Many Alaskan islands, and most islands in the Aleutian Island region of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), are free of mammalian predators and are vulnerable to invasion by rodents. Rat introduction to islands can put ground-nesting birds, such as seabirds and endemic landbirds, at risk of extirpation. The refuge is also concerned about additional introductions of house mice. As far as we know, the introduction, or “spilling,” of rats onto refuge islands from …