Digital Commons Network^™

Managing The National Wildlife Refuge System With Climate Change: The Interaction Of Policy, Perceptions, And Ecological Knowledge, Dawn Robin Magness

Biological Sciences

The National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) is committed to conserving fish, wildlife, and plants for current and future generations of Americans. Given a rapidly changing climate, managers may employ various adaptation strategies to meet legislated mandates. I explore how ecological context, policy, perceptions and available ecological knowledge inform adaptation strategies. In Chapter 2, I develop an ecosystem vulnerability framework to better understand how climate change risk and ecosystem resilience interact to impact the NWRS. With GIS, I rank refuges based on historic temperature change, historic precipitation change, and sea-level rise risk. To index resilience, I rank refuges based on refuge …

Competition And Recruitment In Southeast Alaskan Subtidal Kelp Communities, Daniel Kenji Okamoto

Fisheries

Shallow subtidal rocky reefs in the Northeast Pacific host frequent physical and biological disturbances as well as multiple competing algal species, including kelps and algal crusts. Kelps serve a critical role in local ecosystems by generating primary productivity and essential fish habitat. While kelp forests rank among the best understood ecosystems in the marine environment, protected and subarctic systems remain largely ignored. Because of the importance of kelp habitat in Southeast Alaska, and the susceptibility of kelps to both disturbance and competition, I estimated the variability in kelp community structure of subtidal, kelp dominated reefs in the Lynn Canal and …

Walleye Pollock (Theragra Chalcogramma) Distribution In The Eastern Bering Sea Related To Fishery And Environmental Factors, Haixue Shen

Fisheries

Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) support the largest single-species fishery in the world. Pollock also play an important role in the EBS ecosystem as an important prey species. The decline of the western population of Steller sea lions during the 1980s and 1990s raised concerns about the potential competition between the pollock fishery and the sea lion population. My research focused on pollock distribution related to the fishery and physical environment at different temporal and spatial scales using fisheries acoustic data and observer data in the winter fishing season during 2002-2006. Temperature and wind played …

Organochlorines In Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias Jubatus), Matthew John Myers

Marine Biology

Existing populations of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus ) have declined precipitously over the last half-century. Investigations into the cause of this downward trend have focused on many different possible factors. Toxicity caused by the accumulation of organochlorines (OCs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), has been demonstrated in marine mammals and was considered here as one possible factor that may have contributed to the decline of Steller sea lions or their failure to recover. The focus of this project was to investigate the relationship of contaminant loads to hormone levels, specifically thyroid hormones and cortisol …

Heat And Freshwater Controlling Processes On The Northern Gulf Of Alaska Shelf, Markus A. Janout

Marine Biology

We examined conditions and processes that control the distribution of heat and freshwater on the northern Gulf of Alaska (GOA) shelf. Cross-shelf heat gradients are weak throughout the year, while salinity gradients are substantial due to the impact of coastal freshwater runoff. Outer shelf water properties are influenced by large anticyclonic eddies, while the inner and middle shelves may be regulated by wind and freshwater runoff dynamics around the Alaska Coastal Current (ACC). On the outer shelf, anticyclonic eddies propagate from the eastern GOA southwestward along the continental slope, where they favor on-shelf (off-shelf) transport of saline and nutrient-rich (fresh …

Evaluation Of Alternatives To Warfarin As Probes For Sudlow Site I Of Human Serum Albumin Characterization By High-Performance Affinity Chromatography, K.S. Joseph, Annette C Moser, John E. Schiel, David S. Hage

David Hage Publications

Warfarin is often used as a site-specific probe for examining the binding of drugs and other solutes to Sudlow site I of human serum albumin (HSA). However, warfarin has strong binding to HSA and the two chiral forms of warfarin have slightly different binding affinities for this protein. Warfarin also undergoes a slow change in structure when present in common buffers used for binding studies. This report examined the use of four related, achiral compounds (i.e., coumarin, 7-hydroxycoumarin, 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin, and 4-hydroxycoumarin) as possible alternative probes for Sudlow site I in drug binding studies. High-performance affinity chromatography and immobilized HSA columns …

The Effects Of Invasive Rats And Burrowing Seabirds On Seed And Seedling Communities With Focus On New Zealand Islands, Madeline N. Grant-Hoffman

Biological Sciences

Invasive rats (Rattus exulans, R. rattus, and R. norvegicus) affect vegetation directly through herbivory and indirectly through predation on burrowing seabirds (Procellariiformes: petrels, prions, shearwaters). These seabirds affect vegetation through allochthonous inputs and physical disturbance. I studied the direct impacts of rats on seedling communities on New Zealand islands with three different conditions regarding rats: islands where rats never invaded, islands where rats were present, and islands where rats were eradicated or where populations were low as a result of repeated eradications and reinvasions. I studied a subset of these islands to examine the indirect effects, through predation of burrowing …

Serotonergic And Hypocretinergic Systems Modulate Ventilation And Hypercapnic Ventilatory Responses, Andrea E. Corcoran

Biological Sciences

Serotonergic (5-HT) cells of the medullary raphe are putative central chemoreceptors, one of multiple chemoreceptive sites in the brainstem that interact to produce the respiratory chemoreflex. This role is debated, and the importance of 5-HT neurons as chemoreceptors in relatively intact systems is unclear. The main focus of this dissertation is to provide further physiological evidence for the involvement and modulation of 5-HT neurons in CO2 chemosensitivity. This is of interest as a large number of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases report dysfunction in the 5-HT system, and CO2 may be an exogenous stressor leading to SIDS when in …

A Concept To Assess The Performance Of A Permafrost Model Run Fully Coupled With A Climate Model, Debasish Paimazumder

Atmospheric Sciences

Soil-temperatures simulated by the fully coupled Community Climate System Model LCM version 3.0 (CCSM3) are evaluated using three gridded Russian soil-temperature climatologies (1951-1980, 1961-1990, and 1971-2000) to assess the performance of permafrost and/or soil simulations. CCSM3 captures the annual phase of the soil-temperature cycle well, but not the amplitude. It provides slightly too high (low) soil-temperatures in winter (summer) with a better performance in summer than winter. In winter, soil-temperature biases reach up to 6 K. Simulated near-surface air temperatures agree well with the near-surface air temperatures from reanalysis data. Discrepancies in CCSM3-simulated near-surface air temperatures significantly correlate with discrepancies …

Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression In Models Of Parkinson's Disease, Justin Mcclain

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons located in the substantia nigra. Accumulating evidence indicates that microglia-driven neuroinflammation contributes significantly to chronic neurodegeneration in PD. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in several neuroinflammatory paradigms; however, their relationship to dopaminergic neurodegeneration in PD remains relatively unexplored. To address this, the temporal relationship between MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-13 expression and dopaminergic neurodegeneration was compared in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) models of PD. In dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells, 6-OHDA treatment significantly increased MMP-13 mRNA expression; however, examination of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats …

Patterns Of Abundance Across An Urban-Rural Gradient For Commonly Found Indigenous Arthropods, David Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Proof of concept for a continuous environmental sampling methodology that employs common terrestrial arthropods as environmental samplers was tested by analyzing pitfall, malaise and black light captures over a six month period over a replicated urban-suburban-rural gradient in Central Virginia. All arthropods captured at the nine sites were identified and assigned to aquatic, vegetation, or soil groups based on their association with these microhabitats. To offset variability in arthropod life history patterns and species abundance within habitat types, arthropod categories based on presence/absence data over the six month period were constructed to provide for sampling reliability within each microhabitat …

Effects Of Adult Salmon Carcasses On The Energy Allocation Strategies Of Juvenile Salmonids, Ron A. Heintz

Fisheries

When adult salmon return to their natal streams to spawn they deliver energy in the form of carcass tissues and eggs. Currently, the effect of this marine-derived energy on the growth and energy allocation strategies of juvenile salmonids is unknown. This thesis examined the effects of marine-derived energy on the growth and energy allocation strategies of juvenile coho salmon and resident Dolly Varden. Fatty acid analysis was developed as a tool for monitoring the flow of marine-derived lipids and hence energy from carcass tissues to consumers in laboratory and field settings. Fish in these settings were examined before and after …

Early Life History Dynamics Of Lake Sturgeon, David C. Caroffino

Fisheries

Populations of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in the Laurentian Great Lakes have not recovered after dramatic declines in the late 1800s despite the implementation of numerous recovery plans. Although extensive lake sturgeon research has and continues to occur, critical knowledge gaps remain. Recruitment of lake sturgeon is variable, but the extent of that variation, its limiting factors, and mortality rates experienced by early life stages are unclear. The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of lake sturgeon early life stages by examining characteristics of a remnant population in the Peshtigo River, Wisconsin. Specifically, this research sought to …

Abundance, Recruitment, And Environmental Forcing Of Kodiak Red King Crab, William R. Bechtol

Fisheries

Commercial harvests of red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus around Kodiak Island, Alaska increased rapidly in the 1960s to a peak of 42,800 mt in 1965. Stock abundance declined sharply in the late 1960s, moderated in the 1970s, and crashed in the early 1980s. The stock has not recovered despite a commercial fishery closure since 1983. To better understand the rise, collapse, and continued depleted status of the red king crab stock around Kodiak Island, I conducted a retrospective analysis with three primary objectives: (1) reconstruct spawning stock abundance and recruitment during 1960-2004; (2) explore stock-recruit relationships; and (3) examine ecological …

Attenuation And Effectiveness Of Triclopyr And 2,4-D Along Alaska Highway Rights-Of-Way In A Continental And A Coastal Subarctic Environment, David L. Barnes, Steve Seefeldt

AIDC Project Reports

No abstract provided.

Mustang Daily, April 16, 2009

Cal Poly Student Newspaper

Student newspaper of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA.

Council On Academic Affairs Minutes, Apr 16, 2009, Eastern Kentucky University

Council on Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Washington University Record, April 16, 2009

Washington University Record

No abstract provided.

Minutes, Arts & Sciences Academic Affairs Committee Meeting, Thursday, April 16, 2009, Arts & Sciences Academic Affairs Committee

Academic Affairs Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Statesman, V. 52, I. 46, Stony Brook University

Stony Brook Statesman-Sucolian

v. 52, i. 46

American-Chinese Connections Via Mathematics: International Conference On Representation Theory (Icrt) V, Terrel Hodge

Academic Leadership Academy

Representation theory is a mathematical means for capturing and studying symmetries within all sorts of systems. Starting a decade ago, a triennial conference surrounding representation theory was initiated by a small group of Chinese and American mathematicians. This conference is conducted to introduce Chinese and American mathematicians to cutting-edge research in various subfields of representation theory.

Kenyon Collegian - April 16, 2009

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

04-16-2009 Senior Biology Students Presenting Posters This Monday At Swosu, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

THE BARK ARCHIVE 2009

Ten senior biology students at Southwestern Oklahoma State University will present poster presentations this Monday, April 20, on the Weatherford campus.

The Pan American (2009-04-16), J. R. Ortega

UTPA Archives - The Pan American Newspaper

Vol. 65, No. 27

April 16, 2009, Council On Academic Affairs

Minutes

No abstract provided.

Validation Of The Reading Level Achievement Test Of The English Language Center, Marina Vasilyevina Mikhaylova

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the validity of the Reading Level Achievement Test of the English Language Center (ELC) of Brigham Young University. Test validation is a complicated process that involves evaluation of various types of validity. It was beyond the scope of this study to investigate different types of validity of the Reading LAT. The present study was only focused on the exam's construct validity. In an effort to validate the LAT, various models of reading comprehension were examined with the purpose of defining the construct of academic reading comprehension. The TOEFL academic reading framework was chosen to be the construct …

The Alestle - Vol. 61 No. 58 - 04/16/2009, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

The Alestle

Vol. 61 No. 58

Lrp1 Shedding In Human Brain: Roles Of Adam10 And Adam17, Qiang Liu, Juan Zhang, Hien Tran, Marcel M. Verbeek, Karina Reiss, Steven Estus, Guojun Bu

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) plays critical roles in lipid metabolism, cell survival, and the clearance of amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide. Functional soluble LRP1 (sLRP1) has been detected in circulating human placenta; however, whether sLRP1 is also present in the central nervous system is unclear.

RESULTS: Here we show that abundant sLRP1 capable of binding its ligands is present in human brain tissue and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Interestingly, the levels of sLRP1 in CSF are significantly increased in older individuals, suggesting that either LRP1 shedding is increased or sLRP1 clearance is decreased during aging. To examine potential …

The Daily Gamecock, Thursday, April 16, 2009, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

April

No abstract provided.

The Grizzly, April 16, 2009, Kristi Blust, Gabrielle Poretta, Caitlin Dalik, Liz Kilmer, Lisa Jobe, Salia Zouande, Katie Callahan, Roger Lee, Danielle Chmelewski, Zach Shamberg, Chris Capone, Christopher Schaeffer, Kristen Gallagher

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Obesity Among America's Youth • A Little Dark Comedy and Some Unconventional Character • Economic Crisis Creates Problems for Private and State Colleges • Students Rise to Top at Annual Model UN • "Breakaway" From Work This Weekend • Shows, Concerts and Events Swing in with the Spring • SIFE Brings More Advice from Alumni • Opinions: Seafood Po'boy: The Sandwich-Snack That Will Blow Your Mind; We Have Months Dedicated to Human Rights, Why Not Poetry? • Coach Jamie Steele Changes the Look of UC Men's Lacrosse • Softball Looking to Repeat Last Year's Great Success