Digital Commons Network^™

First Confirmed Nesting Of The Red-Shouldered Hawk In Starr County, Texas, Michael Patrikeev

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Blue Jay Attacks And Consumes Cedar Waxwing, Daniel Saenz, Joshua B. Pierce

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Recent Literature About Texas Birds (2005–2007), Ray Telfair, Jack Eitniear

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Transitions To And From The Cd4-Bound Conformation Are Modulated By A Single-Residue Change In The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gp120 Inner Domain, Aemro Kassa, Navid Madani, Arne Schön, Hillel Haim, Andrés Finzi, Shi-Hua Xiang, Liping Wang, Amy Princiotto, Marie Pancera, Joel Courter, Amos B. Smith Iii, Ernesto Freire, Peter D. Kwong, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Binding to the primary receptor CD4 induces conformational changes in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 envelope glycoprotein that allow binding to the coreceptor (CCR5 or CXCR4) and ultimately trigger viral membrane-cell membrane fusion mediated by the gp41 transmembrane envelope glycoprotein. Here we report the derivation of an HIV-1 gp120 variant, H66N, that confers envelope glycoprotein resistance to temperature extremes. The H66N change decreases the spontaneous sampling of the CD4-bound conformation by the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, thus diminishing CD4-independent infection. The H66N change also stabilizes the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein complex once the CD4-bound state is achieved, decreasing the …

Booty Calls: Is It Just About Sex?, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

It may seem that booty calls serve men more so than women. After all, men desire sex more than women – a notion often rationalised by the lower biological cost of sex to men, compared to women. However, if booty calls favour men more than women, why might women be inclined to entertain calls for casual sex? Psychology professor Norman Li believes that booty calls should be looked upon as more than just sex; that it is, in fact, a strategy employed by both sexes in negotiating between their needs.

Bobber1 Is A Noncanonical Arabidopsis Small Heat Shock Protein Required For Both Development And Thermotolerance, Dahlia Erin Perez , '08, J. S. Hoyer, Ayanna Iman Johnson , '09, Zachary Ray Moody , '07, J. Lopez, Nicholas J. Kaplinsky

Biology Faculty Works

Plants have evolved a range of cellular responses to maintain developmental homeostasis and to survive over a range of temperatures. Here, we describe the in vivo and in vitro functions of BOBBER1 (BOB1), a NudC domain containing Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) small heat shock protein. BOB1 is an essential gene required for the normal partitioning and patterning of the apical domain of the Arabidopsis embryo. Because BOB1 loss-of-function mutants are embryo lethal, we used a partial loss-of-function allele (bob1-3) to demonstrate that BOB1 is required for organismal thermotolerance and postembryonic development. Recombinant BOB1 protein functions as a molecular chaperone and prevents …

Denitrification Of Surface And Ground Water Applying Autohydrogenotrophic Bacteria In A Novel Upflow Bio-Electrochemical Reactor(Uber), S. Ghafari, M. Hasan, M.K. Aroua

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

Nitrates in different surface and groundwater resources became a worldwide problem which raised concerns due to severe impacts on human and animal health. Although diverse abiotic methods were reported to remove nitrate from water, they fail to entirely treat nitrate. Biological denitrification is the only treatment method capable to reduce inorganic nitrate compounds to harmless nitrogen gas. Autohydrogenotrophic denitrifiers were applied in this study to prevent any problematic outcomes of heterotrophs’ metabolisms raised from organic carbon source. A novel upflow bio–electrochemical reactor (UBER) was designed and employed to generate in-situ hydrogen and fulfill denitrifying process at cathode zone. Granular activated …

Multiproxy Lake Sediment Records At The Northern And Southern Boundaries Of The Aspen Parkland Region Of Manitoba, Canada, Rebecca Teed, Charles Umbanhower, Philip Camill

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Aspen parkland in central Canada may change substantially with increased warming and aridity as prairies replace forests, fire return intervals decrease and lake levels decline. We examined the relationships among vegetation, climate, fire and lake-ecosystem properties using lake sediment cores from the current northern and southern boundaries of the aspen parkland in southwestern Manitoba. We analyzed pollen, charcoal, sediment magnetics, biogenic silica, phosphorus, grain size and LOI, and dated the cores using ²¹⁰Pb and ¹⁴C (AMS, calibrated). The Jones Lake record, from the southern edge of the parkland, began considerably earlier (~11 000 cal. BP) than the Mallard …

Establishment Of Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Process By Using Seed Sludge From A Conventional Activated Sludge Process, Y.H. Ong, B.P. Lee, A.S.M. Chua, G.C. Ngoh

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

A lab scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was set up and operated to establish an Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) process. The SBR was seeded with biomass collected from a conventional activated sludge process. Development of EBPR characteristics in the SBR were monitored periodically throughout the 54-days of reactor operation. After 13 days of reactor operation, EBPR characteristics were observed. Effluent concentration of PO43--P were in the range of 5.4-9.5 mg/L from Day 13 to Day 54, except on Day 33 PO43--P was not detected. Although phosphorus removal performance was rather consistent in the period between Day 13 and Day …

Global Warming, Vulnerability And Policy Implications For Malaysia, K.O. Salleh

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) report on the “Science of Climate Change” in 2007 states that the Southeast Asia Region experienced a small increase in temperature (~ 0.3 oC ) and rainfall (~ 3%) for the last decade or so, however, there is general agreement amongst scientists that the changing behavioural patterns of the el-Nino ENSO , Monsoons and to a certain extent the Indian Dipole Oscillation circulation systems are triggering weather extremes and variability to influence changing behavioural patterns of hydro-meteorological and geomorphological events within the major river basins (for example, floods, droughts,haze pollution, slope failures and …

Life Cycle Assessment And Eco-Efficiency: Case In Latex Concentrate Processing, S.M Harahap, N.M. Nik Sulaiman, N.Z. Mahmood

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

Demand to natural rubber increased in the last 5 years, this is shown by level of high relative price for rubber market, and still go on up to year 2025. This condition will have potential impact to the environment starting from cultivation process up to the generation industry. Some chemicals must be added to maintain the grade of latex concentrate from natural rubber, energy using and water using which all these will give impact to environment. The impact such as decreased the quality of water body, air emission. Life cycle assessment is a decision making tool to identify environmental burdens …

Pre-Treatment Of Rice Husks For Fungal Fermentation, T.N. Ang, G.C. Ngoh, A.S.M. Chua

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

Agro by-products can be sustainable feedstock for the production of various versatile bio-products. The pre- treatment of which is needed for optimal utilization of recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass. This study investigated the effect of various acids and alkalis on the pre-treatment of rice husks to make it suitable for use in fermentation. Dry rice husks with the weight of 10 g were pre-treated with 1 % (w/v) of five acids and two alkalis with water loading of 10 ml/g of rice husks. The rice husks that was pre-treated with 1 % (w/v) nitric acid produced the highest total reducing sugars in …

The Malaysian Agricultural Industry In The New Millennium: Issues And Challenges, B.B. Bakar

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

Malaysian agriculture is characterized by dualism, viz. smallholder’s sector with an average farm size of 1 - 2 ha, and the plantation-based estate sector with farm sizes in excess of 500 ha. This dichotomy in agricultural industry placed great economic emphasis on cash crops, namely oil palm, rubber, and cocoa although sizeable acreages of the arable lands are planted with food crops like rice, pepper, fruit orchards, vegetables, and herbs. The industry has evolved from a stereotypic Third World peasantry economic entity to the vibrant third engine of economic growth contributing no less than US$5.63, 6.34, 7.75, and 8.48 billion …

The Modernized And Higher Technology Agriculture Of Malaysia: Development Of Livestock Industry, N. Ismail, M.K. Mohamed Yusuff

Research Publications (2006 to 2010)

The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the modernization of the food subsector and most of the programs focused on training, marketing, credit, skills development and dissemination of knowledge on modern agriculture to farmers, as well as programs to develop entrepreneur farmers in the agro-based industries. Agriculture can be schematically identified into the modernized and traditional agriculture whereby the former is characterized by agricultural techniques of production pervaded by industrial or modernized elements and values. Types of farms, both modernized and traditional, are extremely diversified and they are characterized from several local styles of farming. Technology for agricultural development is …

Some Determinants Of Classroom Psychosocial Environment In Australian Catholic High Schools: A Multilevel Analysis, Jeffrey P. Dorman

Journal of Catholic Education

This research investigated some determinants of classroom environment in Australian Catholic high schools. The Catholic School Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CSCEQ) was used to assess seven dimensions of the classroom pyschosocial environment: student affiliation, interactions, cooperation, task orientation, order and organization, individualization, and teacher control. The sample consisted of 1,719 students from 80 classes in 20 Catholic coeducational and single-sex schools. Validation data attested to the sound structural properties of the CSCEQ. Because the data were nested (i.e., students within classes within schools), multilevel analyses were used to investigate the influence of student gender, grade, subject, and school type on students' …

Methanol Electro-Oxidation On Pt-Ru Alloy Nanoparticles Supported On Carbon Nanotubes, Ang Li, Yangchuan Xing

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been investigated in recent years as a catalyst support for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Improved catalyst activities were observed and attributed to metal-support interactions. We report a study on the kinetics of methanol electro-oxidation on CNT supported Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticles. Alloy catalysts with different compositions, Pt 53Ru 47/CNT, Pt 69Ru 31/CNT and Pt 77Ru 23/CNT, were prepared and investigated in detail. Experiments were conducted at various temperatures, electrode potentials, and methanol concentrations. It was found that the reaction order of methanol electro-oxidation on the PtRu/CNT catalysts was consistent with what has been reported for PtRu …

Evaluation Of Swine-Specific Pcr Assays Used For Fecal Source Tracking And Analysis Of Molecular Diversity Of Swine-Specific "Bacteroidales" Populations, Regina Lamendella, Jorge W. Santo Domingo, Anthony C. Yannarell, Shreya Ghosh, Giovanni George Di, Roderick Ian Mackie, Daniel B. Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study, we evaluated the specificity, distribution, and sensitivity of Prevotella strain-based (PF163 and PigBac1) and methanogen-based (P23-2) PCR assays proposed to detect swine fecal pollution in environmental waters. The assays were tested against 222 fecal DNA extracts derived from target and nontarget animal hosts and against 34 groundwater and 15 surface water samples from five different sites. We also investigated the phylogenetic diversity of 1,340 "Bacteroidales" 16S rRNA gene sequences derived from swine feces, swine waste lagoons, swine manure pits, and waters adjacent to swine operations. Most swine fecal samples were positive for the host-specific Prevotella-based PCR assays …

Calvinist Foibles On Massachusetts Bay: Review Essay, James C. Schaap

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Texas Bald Eagles, Brent Ortego, Chris Gregory, David Mabie, Mark Mitchell

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

Bald Eagles (Haliaetus leucocephalus) were studied in Texas from 1970 to 2009 by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Active nests increased from 5 in 1970 to 156 in 2005 when the last aerial survey was conducted. A total of 547 nest sites in 313 territories in 76 counties were identified thru May 2009. Longevity of 261 nests tracked averaged 4.2 years with a standard deviation of 3.4. Six hundred and sixty-one food items were examined at nest sites. They were comprised of 33.7% birds, 30.7% reptiles and 30% fish. Hurricanes did not appear to have any impacts on nest …

Frank B. Armstrong’S Trade In Live Birds, Stanley D. Casto

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Two Records Of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds From The Trans-Pecos Region Of Texas, Steven G. Platt, Kendall B. Craig, Stanlee M. Miller

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Frank B. Armstrong’S Trade In Live Birds, Stanley D. Casto

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

Frank B. Armstrong and his agents collected live birds, mammals and reptiles in southern Texas and adjacent Mexico from 1900 through 1907. Organizations purchasing birds from Armstrong included the National Zoological Park, New York Zoological Park, New England Forestry, Fish and Game Association of Boston and the Philadelphia Zoo. A large collection of birds for exhibit in the Smithsonian flight cage at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, represents Armstrong’s most ambitious undertaking.

Long-Distance Dispersal Records For The Black-Capped Vireo, David A. Cimprich, Charles W. Sexton, P. Kelly Mcdowell, Greg Lasley

Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society

Information on dispersal of the endangered Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla) is limited due to the inherent difficulty of relocating marked individuals in subsequent breeding seasons. We report on three relatively long-distance dispersals for this species. All three birds (two males and one female) were banded as nestlings on Fort Hood Military Reservation in Coryell County, Texas, and recaptured on Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in Williamson and Burnet Counties where they appeared to be attempting to breed. Upon recapture, these birds were 75.2, 78.1, and 49.6 km, respectively, from their natal sites. To our knowledge, these are the longest known …

Sex And Microhabitat Influence The Allocation Of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids To Tissues In The Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, Sarah A. Gravem

Master's Theses

Field surveys of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus demonstrated that concentrations of natural sunscreens, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), were higher in females than males for both gonadal and epidermal tissues, increased in ovaries as spawning season approached, and were influenced by the sea urchins’ microhabitat. Sea urchins occupying burrows, or “pits”, had lower concentrations of MAAs than those outside pits, suggesting a trade-off between physical and UV protection. Overall, UV irradiance did not influence MAA accumulation in gonadal tissues. However, males increased their allocation of MAAs to epidermal tissues in the microhabitat with the highest irradiance. Relative concentrations of individual MAAs were similar …

Impact Of Weed Management Practices On Grapevine Growth, Yield Components, Plant And Arthropod Abundance, And Carabid Seed Predation In Paso Robles Vineyard, Paolo Sanguankeo

Master's Theses

In the Central Coast of California, USA, wine grape growers are making efforts to identify weed control practices that promote biodiversity in their vineyards while maintaining yields. A field study was conducted in Paso Robles, CA in 2006 and 2007 evaluating the effect on Zinfandel grape-vine growth and production, groundcover plant, and ground dwelling arthropod communities of five weed control practices: 1) flumioxazin, 2) simazine, 3) cultivation, 4) cover crop, and 5) untreated control.

The herbicide treatments had the lowest weed biomass followed by the cultivation, being approximately 10 and 2 times lower than the weed biomass of either the …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 71 - Western Rock Lobster Low Puerulus Settlement Risk Assessment - Draft Report For Public Comment 2009, Rhys Brown

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The Western Rock Lobster Low Puerulus Risk Assessment report is designed to inform the fishing community, stakeholders and general public about the two day workshop that was held on the 1st and 2nd of April 2009 to assess the risks associated with the recent low puerulus settlements that have occurred in the western rock lobster fishery.

A draft report was released for public comment on 1 July 2009 and submissions closed on 30 July 2009. No submissions were received.

The Binding Of Analogs Of Porphyrins And Chlorins With Elongated Side Chains To Albumin, Shimshon Ben Dror, Irena Bronshtein, Hana Weitman, Kevin M. Smith, William G. O'Neal, Peter A. Jacobi, Benjamin Ehrenberg

Faculty Publications

In previous studies, we demonstrated that elongation of side chains of several sensitizers endowed them with higher affinity for artificial and natural membranes and caused their deeper localization in membranes. In the present study, we employed eight hematoporphyrin and protoporphyrin analogs and four groups containing three chlorin analogs each, all synthesized with variable numbers of methylenes in their alkyl carboxylic chains. We show that these tetrapyrroles' affinity for bovine serum albumin (BSA) and their localization in the binding site are also modulated by chain lengths. The binding constants of the hematoporphyrins and protoporphyrins to BSA increased as the number of …

Releases, Distribution And Abundance Of Gratiana Boliviana (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), A Biological Control Agent Of Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum Viarum, Solanaceae) In Florida, W. A. Overholt, R. Diaz, K. L. Hibbard, A. L. Roda, D. Amalin, A. J. Fox, S. D. Hight, J. C. Medal, P. A. Stansly, B. Carlisle, J. H. Walter, P. J. Hogue, L. A. Gary, L. F. Wiggins, C. L. Kirby, S. C. Crawford

Faculty Publications

From 2003 to 2008, 176,643 Gratiana boliviana Spaeth (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) were released in Florida as part of a biological control program targeting tropical soda apple (TSA) Solanum viarum Dunal (Solanaceae). The spatial distribution of releases was clustered with more beetles released in south/central Florida than further north. A survey conducted in the fall of 2008 found G. bolviana present at >70% of randomly selected locations between 26° and 29° latitude, but no beetles were found at sites further north. The presence of beetles and beetle damage were associated with smaller TSA plants and fewer fruits per plant. The absence of …

Evaluation Of Rhodamine B As An Orally Delivered Biomarker For Rodents And A Feed-Through Transtadial Biomarker For Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), T. M. Mascari, L. D. Foil

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of rhodamine B as an orally delivered biomarker for rodents and a feed-through transtadial biomarker for phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae ). Rhodamine B-treated hamsters were visibly marked for up to 8 wk, and their feces were fluorescent when examined under a fluorescence microscope. The development and survival of sand fly larvae fed feces of rhodamine B-treated hamsters were not significantly different from control sand flies. Adult male and female sand flies, that had been fed as larvae the feces of rhodamine B-treated hamsters, were fluorescent when examined using fluorescent …

Fatty Acid Oxidation And Meiotic Resumption In Mouse Oocytes, Stephen M. Downs, Jessica Odette, John Klinger

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

We have examined the potential role of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-induced meiotic maturation. Etomoxir and malonyl CoA, two inhibitors of carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT1), and thus FAO, blocked meiotic induction in dbcAMP-arrested cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes (CEO) and denuded oocytes (DO) by the AMPK activator, AICAR. C75, an activator of CPT1 and FAO, stimulated meiotic resumption in CEO and DO. This effect was insensitive to the AMPK inhibitor, compound C, indicating an action downstream of AMPK. Palmitic acid or carnitine also promoted meiotic resumption in DO in the presence of AICAR. Since C75 also suppresses the …