Digital Commons Network^™

Conservation Cuantitativa De Los Vertebrados, Michael J. Conroy, John P. Carroll, Juan Carlos Senar, Jeffrey J. Thompson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Este libro es destinado para el uso por biólogos del campo y otras personas, incluso biólogos de campo en el futuro que podrían estar en un curso de la universidad y trabajando en estudios y conservación de animales. Nuestro objetivo es que los biólogos usen este libro como (haciendo apología a nuestro colega Evan Cooch) una ´´introducción suave´´ al campo de la ecología cuantitativa. Esperamos convencer a los lectores que los métodos y aproximaciones del libro no son solo para los matemáticos, estadísticos y programadores de computadoras, sino que de hecho son herramientas esenciales para practicar la conservación en el …

Spectral Data-Based Estimation Of Soil Heat Flux, Ramesh K. Singh, Ayse Kilic, Elizabeth Walter-Shea, Shashi B. Verma, Andrew E. Suyker

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Numerous existing spectral‐based soil heat flux (G) models have shown wide variation in performance for maize and soybean cropping systems in Nebraska, indicating the need for localized calibration and model development. The objectives of this article are to develop a semi‐empirical model to estimate G from a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and net radiation (R_n) for maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) fields in the Great Plains, and present the suitability of the developed model to estimate G under similar and different soil and management conditions. Soil heat fluxes measured in both …

2011 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen, Lauren R. Dinan

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2011). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results.

The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and outreach in Nebraska. While the focus of our work is the …

Modeling Gross Primary Production Of Irrigated And Rain-Fed Maize Using Modis Imagery And Co2 Flux Tower Data, Joshua L. Kalfas, Xiangming Xiao, Diana X. Vanegas, Shashi B. Verma, Andrew E. Suyker

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Information on gross primary production (GPP) of maize croplands is needed for assessing and monitoring maize crop conditions and the carbon cycle. A number of studies have used the eddy covariance technique to measure net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO₂ between maize cropland fields and the atmosphere and partitioned NEE data to estimate seasonal dynamics and interannual variation of GPP in maize fields having various crop rotation systems and different water management practices. How to scale up in situ observations from flux tower sites to regional and global scales is a challenging task. In this study, the Vegetation …

Profiles Of Public Engagement: Findings From The Ernest A. Lynton Award For The Scholarship Of Engagement For Early Career Faculty, John Saltmarsh, Elaine Ward, Patti H. Clayton

Reports

No abstract provided.

2010-2011 President's Report, Mardi Mileham, Laura Davis

Presidential Reports

The Linfield College President's Annual Report is a collection of information about the year in review, including academics, student life and athletics, enrollment, finances, philanthropy, and leadership.

Tennessee's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2011, Tennessee. Department Of Health

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveys

No abstract provided.

Lincoln University Cooperative Extension And Research Annual Report 2010, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension And Research

LUCER Reports

This is LUCER-MC Report #03-11

Published by Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and Research (LUCER) Media Center; 900 Chestnut Street, 301 Allen Hall; Jefferson City, MO 65101.

What's In A Name: Journal Rebranding And Its Consequences On Citations, Sarah Huggett

Research Trends

Academic journals need to move with changing times and audiences, and sometimes this means renaming themselves. Research Trends examines the effects this has on the citation of papers in rebranded journals.

Mid-Atlantic Ethics Committee Newsletter, Winter 2011

Mid-Atlantic Ethics Committee Newsletter

No abstract provided.

From Higher Education To Work In West Virginia 2010, George Hammond

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

From Higher Education To Work In West Virginia 2009, George Hammond, Adam Hoffer

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

No abstract provided.

Regional Science Reconsidered, Peter V. Schaeffer, Randall Jackson, James O. Bukenya

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Because disciplines and their cores and boundaries are subject to change, a periodic introspective assessment can be useful in evaluating the relevance of a changing discipline to the equally dynamic and pressing needs of society. Similar examinations of other disciplines, notably economics, have been conducted in part as a means of minimizing the risks of declining credibility, policy relevance, and societal benefit. With the Southern Regional Science Association celebrating recently its 50th meeting, and as regional science itself approaches its 60th year, this paper provides a reexamination of the core of regional science. We consider the theoretical and methodological underpinnings …

"Trophy Husbands" & "Opt-Out" Moms, Beth Burkstrand-Reid

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

Before women were "opting out" of the workforce (as depicted by the New York Times)' to stay at home with their children, a subset of fathers had already done so. The 2002 Fortune cover story titled Trophy Husbands documented the "dramatic shift afoot" of well-off, educated men leaving paid work in order to tend to the home and kids in support of their powerful wives' careers:3 "Trophy Husbands? Arm candy? Are you kidding? While their fast-track wives go to work, stay-at-home husbands mind the kids. They deserve a trophy for trading places. The article portrayed these men as taking …

Mudslinging On The Missouri: Can Endangered Species Survive The Clean Water Act?, Sandra Zellmer

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

This Article analyzes the perceived conflict between the CWA's demand for clean water, which in some, but not all, cases means clear water, and the "no jeopardy" requirement of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and determines that the two statutes are not in conflict at all. Under the CWA, water quality managers are tasked with creating standards that promote a river's uses. Native species habitat is one use that must be protected under the CWA, just as it must be protected under the ESA. Water quality standards should promote that use by recognizing that the Missouri River, and others like …

Throwing Precaution To The Wind: Nepa And The Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Sandra Zellmer, Joel A. Mintz, Robert Glicksman

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

On April 20, 2010, British Petroleum's ("BP") Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded, killing eleven workers. When the platform sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico two days later, oil erupted out of the riser-a 5000-foot pipe connecting the platform to the well on the ocean floor. Efforts to stem the flow failed when a safety device, the "blowout preventer," could not be activated. Finally, after a number of attempts to stop the leak, BP capped the well on July 15. Nearly five million barrels of oil were released over the course of eighty-six days, making the Deepwater Horizon …

Baby Boomers At Work: Growing Older And Working More, Eve M. Brank

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

In the current chapter, I will first detail the legal framework for workplace age discrimination and court case examples that have largely mirrored race and gender discrimination law. Next, I will discuss the psychological research that details the consequences of age discrimination with a particular focus on the combined effects of stereotype assimilation and notions of deservingness of respect. Last, I will suggest that until we know the causes of age discrimination, we cannot legitimately address its consequences the same way we have addressed other forms of discrimination. Specifically, I will argue that legislating against age discrimination is inherently different …

Chapter Nine: What Is Next? Futuristic Thinking For Community Colleges, Thomas R. Ramage

Dr. Thomas R. Ramage Scholarship

The times in which we live are marked by massive transformations; politically, socially, and scientifically, and on what feels like a daily basis. Our efforts to plan and forecast, even for periods as little as five years distant, have been predicated on the assumption that the current rate of progress will continue into impending periods. Author and inventor, Ray Kurzweil calls this the “Law of Accelerating Returns”. If we were to study a wide variety of technologies ranging from the electronic to the biological, via a multitude of gradations and measures, according to Kurzweil, we would find that our commonly …

Latest Developments On Application Of Heterogenous Basic Catalysts For An Efficient And Eco Friendly Synthesis Of Biodiesel: A Review, Yogesh C. Sharma, Bhaskar Singh, John Korstad

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

Heterogeneous catalysts are now being tried extensively for biodiesel synthesis. These catalysts are poised to play an important role and are perspective catalysts in future for biodiesel production at industrial level. The review deals with a comprehensive list of these heterogeneous catalysts which has been reported recently. The mechanisms of these catalysts in the transesterification reaction have been discussed. The conditions for the reaction and optimized parameters along with preparation of the catalyst, and their leaching aspects are discussed. The heterogeneous basic catalyst discussed in the review includes oxides of magnesium and calcium; hydrotalcite/layered double hydroxide; alumina; and zeolites. Yield …

Convergent And Parallel Evolution In Life Habit Of The Scallops (Bivalvia: Pectinidae), Alvin Alejandrino, Louise Puslednik, Jeanne M. Serb

Biology

We employed a phylogenetic framework to identify patterns of life habit evolution in the marine bivalve family Pectinidae. Specifically, we examined the number of independent origins of each life habit and distinguished between convergent and parallel trajectories of life habit evolution using ancestral state estimation. We also investigated whether ancestral character states influence the frequency or type of evolutionary trajectories.

Morphological Convergence Of Shell Shape In Distantly Related Scallop Species (Mollusca: Pectinidae), Alvin Alejandrino, Jeanne M. Serb, Erik Otárola-Castillo, Dean C. Adams

Biology

Morphological convergence is a central concept in evolutionary biology, but convergent patterns remain under-studied in nonvertebrate organisms. Some scallop species exhibit long-distance swimming, a behaviour whose biomechanical requirements probably generate similar selective regimes. We tested the hypothesis that shell shape similarity in long-distance swimming species is a result of convergent evolution. Using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we quantified shell shape in seven species representing major behavioural habits. All species displayed distinct shell shapes, with the exception of the two long-distance swimmers, whose shells were indistinguishable. These species also displayed reduced morphological variance relative to other taxa. Finally, a phylogenetic simulation revealed …

Lawrence University Report To The Community 2010-2011, Lawrence University

Reports to the Community

No abstract provided.

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2011-2012, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2011-2012.

Ten Year Trends (1992 To 2002) In Sociodemographic Predictors And Indicators Of Alcohol Abuse And Dependence Among Whites, Blacks, And Hispanics In The U.S, Raul Caetano, Jonali Baruah, Karen G. Chartier

Social Work Publications

Background

The objective of this paper is to examine 10-year trends (1992–2002) in the number and type of indicators of DSM-IV abuse and dependence among Whites, Blacks and Hispanics in the U.S.

Methods

Data are from the 1991–1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES; n = 42,862) and the 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; n = 43,093). Both surveys used multistage cluster sample procedures to select respondents 18 years of age and older from the U.S. household population.

Results

Increases in the prevalence of alcohol abuse between 1992 and 2002seem associated to a rise in …

Genetic Analysis Of The Neurosteroid Deoxycorticosterone And Its Relation To Alcohol Phenotypes: Identification Of Qtls And Downstream Gene Regulation, Patrizia Porcu, Todd K. O'Buckley, Soomin C. Song, Jo Lynne Harenza, Lu Lu, Xusheng Wang, Michael F. Miles, A. Leslie Morrow

Neurology Publications

Background

Deoxycorticosterone (DOC) is an endogenous neurosteroid found in brain and serum, precursor of the GABAergic neuroactive steroid (3α,5α)-3,21-dihydroxypregnan-20-one (tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, THDOC) and the glucocorticoid corticosterone. These steroids are elevated following stress or ethanol administration, contribute to ethanol sensitivity, and their elevation is blunted in ethanol dependence.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To systematically define the genetic basis, regulation, and behavioral significance of DOC levels in plasma and cerebral cortex we examined such levels across 47 young adult males from C57BL/6J (B6)×DBA/2J (D2) (BXD) mouse strains for quantitative trait loci (QTL) and bioinformatics analyses of behavior and gene regulation. Mice were injected with saline …

Non-Lethal Effects Of Dragonfly Predators On The Interactions Between The Tadpoles Of Two Neotropical Hylid Frogs [Poster], Zacharia Costa, James R. Vonesh

Biology Presentations

Background/Question/Methods

Prey frequently alter their phenotype in response to perceived predation risk in order to reduce vulnerability. Differences in the costs and benefits of such plastic responses to predators can lead to differences in non-consumptive predator effects. Such differences can occur between taxa or through ontogeny for a given species, and may alter interactions between prey and other species in the food web. Less vulnerable prey may respond less to predator cues compared to vulnerable prey and thus may have higher performance in risky environments. Here we build upon previous research on the tadpoles of two hylid treefrogs, Agalychnis callidryas …

Water Chreodes And The Mechanisms Of Ligand Diffusion, General Anesthesia, And Sleep, Lemont B. Kier

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

The concept of the presence of passageways, chreodes, created by the influence of the hydropathic states of amino acid side chains on the surface water of proteins, has been proposed. These chreodes facilitate and direct the diffusion of neurotransmitters through surface water, to the receptor or active site on a protein. This system of chreodes is vulnerable to the presence of some other molecules that may encounter the chreode system. This encounter and disruption has been proposed to explain the mechanism of general anesthesia. Based on much recent evidence of the similarities between anesthesia from volatile anesthetic agents and sleep, …

Marine Reptiles, Arne R. Rasmessen, John D. Murphy, Medy Ompi, J. Whitfield Gibbons, Peter Uetz

Study of Biological Complexity Publications

Of the more than 12,000 species and subspecies of extant reptiles, about 100 have re-entered the ocean. Among them are seven species of sea turtles and about 80 species and subspecies of sea snakes, as well as a few other species that are occasionally or regularly found in brackish waters, including various other snakes, the saltwater crocodile, and the marine iguana of the Galapagos Islands. The largest group of marine reptiles, the sea snakes, occur in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans from the east coast of Africa to the Gulf of Panama. They inhabit …

The Streptococcus Sanguinis Competence Regulon Is Not Required For Infective Endocarditis Virulence In A Rabbit Model, Jill E. Callahan, Cindy L. Munro, Todd Kitten

Philips Institute for Oral Health Research Publications

Streptococcus sanguinis is an important component of dental plaque and a leading cause of infective endocarditis. Genetic competence in S. sanguinis requires a quorum sensing system encoded by the early comCDE genes, as well as late genes controlled by the alternative sigma factor, ComX. Previous studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans have identified functions for the >100-gene com regulon in addition to DNA uptake, including virulence. We investigated this possibility in S. sanguinis. Strains deleted for the comCDE orcomX master regulatory genes were created. Using a rabbit endocarditis model in conjunction with a variety of virulence assays, …

Virginia Commonwealth University Commencement Program [2011], Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.