Digital Commons Network^™

Phragmites Australis: It's Not All Bad, Laura A. Meyerson

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Habitat Characteristics Associated With The Distribution And Abundance Of Histrionicus Histrionicus (Harlequin Ducks) Wintering In Southern New England, Richard A. Mckinney, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Michael A. Charpentier

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Histrionicus histrionicus (Harlequin Ducks) that winter along the east coast of North America are listed as a population of special concern in Canada, and they use several coastal wintering sites in southern New England that are subject to varying degrees of urbanization. We studied patterns of habitat use by Harlequin Ducks at 12 known wintering sites in southern New England. An average of 327 ± 114 Harlequin Ducks were found at the sites during the winters of 2001–2003. More Harlequin Ducks wintered at sites south of Cape Cod, MA that had greater mollusk (709,133 ± 504,568 versus 97,154 ± 72,427 …

Migration And Environment In The Context Of Globalization, Frederick A.B. Meyerson, Leticia Merino, Jorge Durand

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Human migration and population growth, in concert with globalization trends, greatly affect the environment and conservation efforts. In the Americas, the movement of people, capital, goods, and services has caused different types of ecosystem change, including deforestation. Urbanization, a dominant trend in the Americas, is a two‐edged sword for conservation, moving human populations away from rural and protected areas, but also increasing per capita demand for energy, goods, and services. Migration to the forest frontier and the abandonment of marginal rural land present opposite but equally difficult ecological challenges. Projected climate change will also complicate both conservation and migration flows, …

Annual Report Of External Funded Grants And Contracts From July 1, 2006 To June 30, 2007, Office Of Research And Sponsored Programs. Morehead State University.

Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Reports and Publications

Annual Report of Externally Funded Grants and Contracts from July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007.

Gender (In)Visibility At Abu Ghraib, Marita Gronnvoll

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

This essay explores the gender discourse surrounding the women soldiers implicated in the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal, and the gender silence surrounding their male counterparts. The analysis suggests that the women soldiers in the abuse case, particularly Lynndie England, are held to gendered standards, while the male soldiers are discussed in terms that are nongendered. Further, analysis of the widely disseminated photographs suggests that where the Iraqi male prisoners are excessively gendered and homosexualized, the male soldiers have their presumed heterosexuality preserved. Examination of the Abu Ghraib case suggests implications for rhetorical scholars interested in gender, as well as larger …

Physical Contests For Females In The Japanese Beetle, Popillia Japonica, Paul Switzer, Kipp Kruse

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

We conducted field observations of physical competition for mates, in which a single male attempts to usurp a female from another male, in male Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae). Physical contests for mates were relatively rare, but when they occurred the challenger male was able to successfully takeover females by dislodging the previously paired resident male in only 18% of contests, suggesting that a substantial prior residency advantage exists in this species. Challenger males that were successful in takeover attempts were significantly larger than the resident male. In contrast, no size pattern was found between intruding males and …

Selective Cysteine Protease Inhibition Contributes To Blood-Feeding Success Of The Tick Ixodes Scapularis, Michalis Kotsyfakis, Shahid Karim, John F. Andersen, Thomas N. Mather, José M. C. Ribeiro

Past Departments Faculty Publications (CELS)

Ixodes scapularis is the main vector of Lyme disease in the eastern and central United States. Tick salivary secretion has been shown as important for both blood-meal completion and pathogen transmission. Here we report a duplication event of cystatin genes in its genome that results in a transcription-regulated boost of saliva inhibitory activity against a conserved and relatively limited number of vertebrate papain-like cysteine proteases during blood feeding. We further show that the polypeptide products of the two genes differ in their binding affinity for some enzyme targets, and they display different antigenicity. Moreover, our reverse genetic approach employing RNA …

Clinical Validation Of The "In Silico" Prediction Of Immunogenicity Of A Human Recombinant Therapeutic Protein, E. Koren, Anne S. De Groot, V. Jawa, K. D. Beck, T. Boone, D. Rivera, L. Li, D. Mytych, M. Koscec, D. Weeraratne, S. Swanson, W. Martin

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Antibodies elicited by protein therapeutics can cause serious side effects in humans. We studied immunogenicity of a recombinant fusion protein (FPX) consisting of two identical, biologically active, peptides attached to human Fc fragment. EpiMatrix, an in silico epitope-mapping tool, predicted promiscuous T-cell epitope(s) within the 14-amino-acid carboxy-terminal region of the peptide portion of FPX. On administration of FPX in 76 healthy human subjects, 37% developed antibodies after a single injection. A memory T-cell response against the above carboxy-terminus of the peptide was observed in antibody-positive but not in antibody-negative subjects. Promiscuity of the predicted T-cell epitope(s) was confirmed by representation …

Annual Report, 2007, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. J. William Fulbright College Of Arts And Sciences. King Fahd Center For Middle East Studies

King Fahd Center for Middle East & Islamic Studies Annual Report

Program Director: Tom Paradise, 2005-2009; Joel Gordon, 2009-

Annual Report, 2007, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences. Dept. Of Biological And Agricultural Engineering

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Go! Green Outreach, 2007, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Division Of University Advancement

Go! Green Outreach

"Sharing sustainability news, efforts, and ideas with the people of campus" --cover image

Optimization Of Optical Tweezers, Matthew Knecht

Capstone Research Projects

Recently our group demonstrated the ability to trap bacteria using optical tweezers, but low laser power limited trapping ability. I will report on improvements made to both laser power and beam quality, which lead to improved trapping ability. Initial results were seen to increase laser intensity at the sample, but the beam quality was severely degraded. The solution to this problem was to better shape the laser beam using an anamorphic prism pair. This process was repeated for a higher power laser diode. We were able to maintain a high quality beam while more than doubling laser power at the …

Purification And Study Of Phosphoglucose Isomerase In Cauliflower, Shanti Shrestha

Capstone Research Projects

Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), an important enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, catalyzes the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate to fructose-6-phosphate and vice versa. The purpose of this research was to isolate PGI from cauliflower using a shortened procedure through column chromatography and characterize it through absorbance readings, enzyme activity measurements, and SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). PGI was successfully isolated from cauliflower using ion-exchange chromatography. Absorbance and enzyme activity were determined at 280nm and 340nm respectively. There appeared to be one main absorbance peak for the protein at fraction 31, as well as a maximum peak for enzyme activity. SDS-PAGE was conducted …

Seasonal Variation In Nymphal Blacklegged Tick Abundance In Southern New England Forests, Sarah E. Rodgers, Nathan J. Miller, Thomas N. Mather

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

In the northeastern United States, risk of human exposure to tick transmitted disease is primarily a function of the abundance of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say. We assessed seasonal variability in the abundance of nymphal stage I. scapularis over 13 yr, collected from several forested areas throughout Rhode Island. Specifically, we examined intraseasonal differences by using two temporally distinct tick collections made during the peak nymphal tick season. Intraseasonal factors significantly impacted tick abundance, with the June tick rate (mean = 40.42, SD = 14.79) significantly more abundant than the July tick rate (mean = 27.64, SD = …

Duration Of Exposure To Suboptimal Atmospheric Moisture Affects Nymphal Blacklegged Tick Survival, Sarah E. Rodgers, Christine P. Zolnik, Thomas N. Mather

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

The biological processes affecting Ixodes scapularis Say survival are complex. Understanding these processes will be beneficial for predicting tick distribution and population dynamics. This research shows that the duration for which nymphal ticks are exposed to drying air is an important factor for their survival. Experimental analysis of variance results show that duration of exposure to dry air (duration) is as important as vapor pressure deficit (relative humidity) (duration, relative humidity, P < 0.0001). Ticks do not survive when exposed to dry air for long periods; however, the return of humid air within 4–8 h has as large a positive impact on tick survival, as does constant humid air. This experiment exposes nymphal ticks to conditions of suboptimal humidity for different durations and then returns them to saturated conditions that are more typical of daily relative humidity fluctuations experienced during summer in southern New England forests.

The Venom Gland Transcriptome Of The Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus Catenatus Edwardsii): Towards An Understanding Of Venom Composition Among Advanced Snakes (Superfamily Colubroidea), Susanta Pahari, Stephen P. Mackessy, R. Manjunatha Kini

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Snake venoms are complex mixtures of pharmacologically active proteins and peptides which belong to a small number of superfamilies. Global cataloguing of the venom transcriptome facilitates the identification of new families of toxins as well as helps in understanding the evolution of venom proteomes.

RESULTS: We have constructed a cDNA library of the venom gland of a threatened rattlesnake (a pitviper), Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii (Desert Massasauga), and sequenced 576 ESTs. Our results demonstrate a high abundance of serine proteinase and metalloproteinase transcripts, indicating that the disruption of hemostasis is a principle mechanism of action of the venom. In addition …

Oxytocin Increases Generosity In Humans, Paul J. Zak, Angela Stanton, Sheila Ahmadi

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Human beings routinely help strangers at costs to themselves. Sometimes the help offered is generous-offering more than the other expects. The proximate mechanisms supporting generosity are not well-understood, but several lines of research suggest a role for empathy. In this study, participants were infused with 40 IU oxytocin (OT) or placebo and engaged in a blinded, one-shot decision on how to split a sum of money with a stranger that could be rejected. Those on OT were 80% more generous than those given a placebo. OT had no effect on a unilateral monetary transfer task dissociating generosity from altruism. OT …

Eiu Graduate Catalog 2005-2007, Eastern Illinois University

EIU Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

University Of Southern Maine Graduate Catalog 2007-2008, University Of Southern Maine

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

2007 Keystonia, Kutztown University Of Pennsylvania

Yearbooks 2000-2008

The yearbook of the class of 2007 from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Nebraska Summary: S628 John Deere 6230, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Ec07-1895 Pesticide Selection Guide For Plant Diseases Affecting Woody Ornamentals And Herbaceous Perennials In Nebraska, Amy D. Ziems, Loren J. Giesler, Stephen N. Wegulo, Jennifer L. Chaky

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Extension Circular 07-1895 discusses pesticide selection guide for plant diseases affecting woody ornamentals and herbaceous perennials in nebraska.

Coyotes As Sentinels For Monitoring Bovine Tuberculosis Prevalence In White-Tailed Deer, Todd Atwood, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Thomas Deliberto, Holly Smith, Justin Stevenson

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), is endemic in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 5 counties (Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle) in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA. The presence of a wildlife reservoir of tuberculosis in Michigan and the incidence of bTB in cattle (Bos taurus) resulted in Michigan losing its bTB accredited-free status. Subsequent wildlife surveillance programs identified relatively high disease prevalence in coyotes (Canis latrans), generating interest in their potential to serve as a sentinel species to detect bTB prevalence in white-tailed deer. …

Adoption Law In Minnesota: A Historical Perspective, Wright S. Walling

William Mitchell Law Review

No abstract provided.

Waters Of The United States: Theory, Practice, And Integrity At The Supreme Court, James E. Colburn

Florida State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Confusion: The Case For The Minnesota Marriage Amendment, Teresa Stanton Collett

William Mitchell Law Review

No abstract provided.

Anaerobic Oxalate Consumption By Microorganisms In Forest Soils, Steven L. Daniel, Christine Pilsl, Harold L. Drake

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The microbial consumption of oxalate was examined under anaerobic conditions in soil suspensions at 15-20 degree C. With soil (horizon Ah, pH 6.4) from a beech forest, microbial consumption of added oxalate (15 mM) began after 10 days, and oxalate was totally consumed by day 20. The presence of supplemental electron donors (acetate, glucose, vanillate, or hydrogen) or electron acceptors (nitrate or sulfate) did not significantly influence anaerobic oxalate consumption, whereas supplementation of soil suspensions with CO2/bicarbonate totally repressed oxalate consumption. Thus, CO2-, nitrate- or sulfate-respiring bacteria were apparently not active in the anaerobic consumption of oxalate in these soil …

Production Of Methanethiol And Volatile Sulfur Compounds By The Archaeon ‘‘Ferroplasma Acidarmanus’’, David J. Baumler, Kai F. Hung, Kwang Cheol Jeong, Charles W. Kaspar

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Acidophiles are typically isolated from sulfaterich ecological niches yet the role of sulfur metabolism in their growth and survival is poorly defined. Studies of heterotrophically grown ‘‘Ferroplasma acidarmanus’’ showed that its growth requires a minimum of 100 mM of a sulfate-containing salt. Headspace gas analyses by GC/ MS determined that the volatile sulfur compound emitted by active ‘‘F. acidarmanus’’ cultures is methanethiol. In ‘‘F. acidarmanus’’ cultures grown either heterotrophically or chemolithotrophically, methanethiol was produced constitutively. Radiotracer studies with 35S-labeled methionine, cysteine, and sulfate showed that all three were used in methanethiol production. Additionally, 3H-labeled methionine was incorporated into methanethiol and …

The Cynipoid Genus Paramblynotus: Revision, Phylogeny, And Historical Biogeography (Hymenoptera, Liopteridae), Zhiwei Liu, Fredrik Ronquist, Goeran Nordlander

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The genus Paramblynotus is the most species-rich genus of the so-called macrocynipoids, the large cynipoid parasitoids of wood-boring and cone-boring insect larvae. The species range in size from some of the largest to the smallest macrocynipoids, comparable in size to microcynipoids. Paramblynotus members occur on all continents except Europe and Australia, with most species being tropical or subtropical. The biology is poorly known but a few observations indicate that the species are parasitoids of beetle larvae. In this monographic revision of the genus, we present a species-level cladistic analysis based on qualitative and quantitative features of the external morphology. For …

Apoptosis Of Dedifferentiated Hepatoma Cells Is Independent Of Nf-Jb Activation In Response To Lps, M. Reidy, Janette Ellis, Erin Schmitz, David Kraus, Gary Bulla

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Dedifferentiated hepatoma cells, in contrast to most other cell types including hepatoma cells, undergo apoptosis when treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHx). We recently reported that the dedifferentiated hepatoma cells also exhibit a strong and prolonged NF-jB induction phenotype upon exposure to LPS, suggesting that NF-jB signaling may play a pro-survival role, as reported in several other cell systems. To test the role of NF-jB in preventing LPS-mediated apoptosis, we examined the dedifferentiated cell line M38. Results show that antioxidants strongly inhibited LPS + CHx-mediated cell death in the M38 cells, yet only modestly inhibited …