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Upper Salinas Headwaters Conservation Plan, Justin T. Saydell

Master's Theses

The Upper Salinas Headwaters Conservation Plan is an effort to understand the cultural and ecosystem resources in the region, develop tools for conservation planning, and suggest a strategy and plan of action for implementation of those strategies. The plan covers a 218 square mile area between the Santa Lucia and the La Panza mountain ranges, south of Atascadero and east of the City of San Luis Obispo. The Conservation Area consists of rugged terrain made up of vast-relatively untouched open space. The area consists of several different vegetative communities including oak savannah grasslands, mixed hardwood and oak stands, shrubland, wetland …

Field Programmable Gate Array Based Reconfigurable Scanning Probe/Optical Microscope, Derek Brant Nowak, Andrew James Lawrence, Zechariah K. Dzegede, Justin C. Hiester, Cliff Kim, Erik J. Sánchez

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The increasing popularity of nanometrology and nanospectroscopy has pushed researchers to develop complex new analytical systems. This paper describes the development of a platform on which to build a microscopy tool that will allow for flexibility of customization to suit research needs. The novelty of the described system lies in its versatility of capabilities. So far, one version of this microscope has allowed for successful near-field and far-field fluorescence imaging with single molecule detection sensitivity. This system is easily adapted for reflection, polarization (Kerr magneto-optical (MO)), Raman, super-resolution techniques, and other novel scanning probe imaging and spectroscopic designs. While collecting …

The Inhibitory Effects Of The Montelukast-I (Innovator) And Montelukast-L (Local) On The Cysteinyl Leukotriene Production From Rat Mast Cells (Rbl-2h3), Paopanga Monthanapisut, Napaporn Pattanacharoenchai, Sittichai Koontongkaew, Orapan Poachanukoon

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Introduction: Montelukast has been used for asthma treatment. Recently, montelukast-L is produced locally in Thailand. Therefore, it is important to determine the effi cacy of the local drug in terms of mediator inhibition.

Objective: Effects of montelukast-I and montelukast-L  on cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT) production were investigated.

Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of montelukast-I and montelukast-L on RBL-2H3 cells was determined using MTT assay. To compare the pharmacological properties between montelukast-I and montelukast-L, effects of two drugs on rat mast cells (RBL-2H3) cells was monitored by measuring the CysLT released. RBL-2H3 cells were sensitized with anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-specifi c IgE for 30 …

Accuracy Of The Ndi Wave Speech Research System, Jeffrey J. Berry

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: This work provides a quantitative assessment of the positional tracking accuracy of the NDI Wave Speech Research System.

Method: Three experiments were completed: (a) static rigid-body tracking across different locations in the electromagnetic field volume, (b) dynamic rigid-body tracking across different locations within the electromagnetic field volume, and (c) human jaw-movement tracking during speech. Rigid-body experiments were completed for 4 different instrumentation settings, permuting 2 electromagnetic field volume sizes with and without automated reference sensor processing.

Results: Within the anthropometrically pertinent "near field" (< 200 mm) of the NDI Wave field generator, at the 300-mm³ volume setting, 88% of dynamic positional errors were < 0.5 mm and 98% were < 1.0 mm. Extreme tracking errors (> 2 mm) occurred …

Tertiary-Treated Municipal Wastewater Is A Significant Point Source Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Into Duluth-Superior Harbor, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Tucker R. Burch, Timothy M. Lapara, David T. Tan, Mi Yan, Jessica J. Eichmiller

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In this study, the impact of tertiary-treated municipal wastewater on the quantity of several antibiotic resistance determinants in Duluth-Superior Harbor was investigated by collecting surface water and sediment samples from 13 locations in Duluth-Superior Harbor, the St. Louis River, and Lake Superior. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to target three different genes encoding resistance to tetracycline (tet(A), tet(X), and tet(W)), the gene encoding the integrase of class 1 integrons (intI1), and total bacterial abundance (16S rRNA genes) as well as total and human fecal contamination levels (16S rRNA genes specific to the genus Bacteroides …

Foreword, James L. Olmsted

Law and Contemporary Problems

The land trust community and governments at all levels have become married to conservation easements as their land conservation tool of choice. The numbers speak for themselves: as of the date of this writing, there were reportedly 1,700 land trusts that have protected twelve million acres of land by use of conservation easements. The bulk of this growth both in conservation easements and the land trusts that deploy them has occurred since the 1980s when federal income tax incentives became more fully utilized by conservation easement donors. But the parties to this marriage have become complacent and inattentive in the …

The Invisible Forest: Conservation Easement Databases And The End Of The Clandestine Conservation Of Natural Lands , James L. Olmsted

Law and Contemporary Problems

Olmsted talks about "invisible forest" refers to forest lands -- and, for that matter, any other land types -- protected by a perpetual conservation easement, the existence and location of which are concealed from the public, whether deliberately or because of the opaque nature of the easement process. Because easements, like other forms of deeds, must be recorded at the local land registry or recorder's office, they can never be made undiscoverable. But, despite the efforts of some states and conservation organizations to compile conservation easement data for public consumption, there are few functional systems that comprehensively track and provide …

Exploring Net Benefit Maximization: Conservation Easements And The Public-Private Interface, Julie Ann Gustanski, John B. Wright

Law and Contemporary Problems

Gustanski and Wright talk about conservation easements and the public-private interface. The ease of application across varied lands coupled with the financial and tax-associated benefits of conservation easements have driven the popularity of their use in conserving private lands across the US. Conservation easements typically require sizeable public funding resources, which are provided through either direct public expenditures via diverse public programs established to promote the conservation of land or through tax benefits.

Evaluating Conservation Effectiveness And Adaptation In Dynamic Landscapes, Adena R. Rissman

Law and Contemporary Problems

Rissman talks about evaluating conservation easement effectiveness requires interdisciplinary research that reaches beyond legal analysis to examine how easements influence human behaviors, which subsequently influence environmental conditions. Conservation easement effectiveness is not a fixed target, but is influenced over time by social and ecological landscape change. The promise of perpetuity is central to the appeal of conservation easements within the conservation movement.

Conservation Easements At The Climate Change Crossroads, Jessica Owley

Law and Contemporary Problems

Owley discusses the conundrum that occurs when climate change leads to a landscape that conflicts with conservation easement terms. A conservation easement that is too changeable endangers the perpetual protection that is the cornerstone of conservation easements. But, forcing the landscape to fit a conservation easement requires active management, something more often associated with fee-simple ownership.

Conservation Easements And Perpetuity: Till Legislation Do Us Part, Richard Brewer

Law and Contemporary Problems

Brewer talks about conservation easements and perpetuity. Although conservation easements have many appealing features, their drawbacks have caused some observers to see the heavy reliance on them by land trusts as a weakness with possibly serious consequences. The protection provided may be fragile or, at least, of unproven dependability.

The Limits Of Liability In Promoting Safe Geologic Sequestration Of Co2, David E. Adelman, Ian J. Duncan

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

Innovations In Governance: A Functional Typology Of Private Governance Institutions, Tracey M. Roberts

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

An Ecosystem-Based Approach To Slowing The Synergistic Effects Of Invasive Species And Climate Change, David A. Strifling

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

With All My Worldly Goods I Thee Endow, Or Maybe Not: A Reevaluation Of The Uniform Premarital Agreement Act After Three Decades, J. Thomas Oldham

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Social Science In Judicial Decision Making: How Gay Rights Advocates Can Learn From Integration And Capital Punishment Case Law , Amy Rublin

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

This Article explores the intersection of social science and judicial decision making. It examines to what extent, and in what contexts, judges utilize social science in reaching and bolstering their rulings. The Article delves into three areas of law that are typically not grouped together—integration, gay rights, and capital punishment—to see the similarities and differences in the use of empirical findings. Analyzing the language in judicial opinions from family courts, district courts, circuit courts, and the United States Supreme Court enabled the emergence of trends. The opinions revealed that inconsistency in the use of social science may stem from how …

Utep Magazine: The University Of Texas At El Paso, Utep University Communications

UTEP Magazine

The Homecoming Issue

Mapping Of Tapioca (Sago) Research In India: A Scientometric Analysis, R. Balasubramani, C. Murugan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study has been carried out to analyze the research field of Sago in terms of publication output as per science citation index database between 1978 and 2010. A quantitative analysis on the countries and organizations that contribute in the field of Sago is presented. The data shows increase in the basic research activity in this research field. During 1973- 2010, a total of 447 papers were published by the scientists in the field of sago. The average number of citation per year is 11.76%.The highest number of papers was published in 2008. There were 26 countries involved in research …

Iron Insufficiency Compromises Motor Neurons And Their Mitochondrial Function In Irp2-Null Mice, Suh Young Jeong, Daniel R. Crooks, Hayden Wilson-Ollivierre, Manik C. Ghosh, Rachid Sougrat, Jaekwon Lee, Sharon Cooperman, James B. Mitchell, Carole Beaumont, Tracey A. Rouault

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Genetic ablation of Iron Regulatory Protein 2 (Irp2, Ireb2), which post-transcriptionally regulates iron metabolism genes, causes a gait disorder in mice that progresses to hind-limb paralysis. Here we have demonstrated that misregulation of iron metabolism from loss of Irp2 causes lower motor neuronal degeneration with significant spinal cord axonopathy. Mitochondria in the lumbar spinal cord showed significantly decreased Complex I and II activities, and abnormal morphology. Lower motor neurons appeared to be the most adversely affected neurons, and we show that functional iron starvation due to misregulation of iron import and storage proteins, including transferrin receptor 1 …

The Impact Of Obesity On Reproduction In Women., Lulu A. Al-Nuaim

Saudi Medical Journal

Obesity can impact on reproductive functions by causing hormonal imbalance and ovulatory dysfunction. Furthermore, obesity is associated with a range of adverse health consequences. There is a tight coupling between the reproductive system and energy balance. Obesity results from chronic imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, and therefore changes in energy expenditure impact on the reproductive system. Physical activity, through its effect on energy expenditure, plays an imperative role in maintaining energy balance and thus improving health. It is therefore recommended that weight loss is the best and the cheapest therapy for infertile obese women.

Increased Peripheral Cd4+Cd25high Patients Is Correlated With Psa, Yigit Akin, Sadi Koksoy, Selcuk Yucel, Tibet Erdogru, Mehmet Baykara

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To determine peripheral frequencies of CD4+CD25highFoxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients, and to investigate if there is a correlation between peripheral Treg and total serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in PCa patients. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 56 subjects undergoing diagnostic prostate biopsies (PSA≥2.5ng/ml) were analyzed for Treg numbers. Association between the peripheral Treg and serum PSA values was first determined in the entire population, including people with no prostate pathology, PCa, and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) patients, and second, in 9 PCa patients before and after curative prostatectomy. In this study, the …

Variation In Time Of Emergence Of Permanent Teeth Among Urban And Rural Jordanian School Children., Ashraf I. Shaweesh, Mahmoud K. Al-Omiri, Firas D. Alsoleihat

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the variation in time of permanent tooth emergence between urban and rural Jordanian school children. METHODS: In this observational cross-sectional study, 1900 pupils at urban schools, and 772 at rural schools aged 5-16 years in both genders were examined for emergence of permanent teeth at different urban and rural primary schools and kindergartens in Jordan between March and June 2010. Probit analysis was used to estimate the median age of emergence per permanent tooth. RESULTS: The emergence ages for most of the permanent teeth were generally advanced in urban schoolboys in contrast to their fellows at rural …

Climate Change Policy Could Make Keystone Xl Obsolete, Adam Liska

Adam Liska Papers

Clearly the Keystone XL pipeline threatens both surface and ground water that sustains the agricultural economy of Nebraska, but the projected profitability of tar sands oil and the pipeline operation are dependent on the future economics of climate change. Three recent scientific studies estimate the total carbon intensity of tar sands-based gasoline from Alberta (from both production and burning of the fuel) at an average of roughly 22 percent higher than U.S. gasoline in 2005, with the range of average carbon intensities for tar sands-gasoline at 16 to 27 percent higher than most other sources.

School Racial Composition And Race/Ethnic Differences In Early Adulthood Health, Bridget J. Goosby, Katrina M. Walsemann

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We investigate whether school racial composition is associated with racial and ethnic differences in early adult health. We then examine whether perceived discrimination, social connectedness, and parent support attenuates this relationship. Using U.S. data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, we found that black adolescents attending predominantly white schools reported poorer adult health while Asians reported better health. Further research is warranted to understand whether there are qualitative differences in the treatment of racial and ethnic minorities within certain school contexts and how that differential treatment is related to adult health outcomes.

Bird Strikes And Aircraft Fuselage Color: A Correlational Study, Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Jimmy Gaffney, Bradley F. Blackwelll, Patrice Baumhardt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Collisions between birds and aircraft (bird strikes) pose safety risks to the public, cost airports and airlines money, and result in liability issues. Recent research suggests that aircraft visibility could be enhanced to increase detection and avoidance by birds. We questioned whether aircraft color scheme might play a role in bird-strike frequency. We used public records of bird strikes along with information on flights that were gathered by federal agencies in the United States. We estimated the bird-strike rates and compared them among airline companies using different fuselage color schemes, while controlling for aircraft type. Using an avian vision modeling …

Wildlife Risk To Aviation: A Multi-Scale Issue Requires A Multi-Scale Solution, James A. Martin, Jerrold L. Belant, Travis L. Devault, Bradley F. Blackwelll, Loren W. Berger, Samuel K. Riffell, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Aircraft collisions with birds and other wildlife (wildlife strikes) pose increasing safety and financial concerns to the aviation industry worldwide. Recent events such as the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River have renewed public interest in risks to aircraft posed by wildlife (Marra et al. 2009). However, wildlife biologists and aviation personnel have been aware of these issues for decades (Solman 1973, Blokpoel 1976). Since the inception of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) National Wildlife Strike Database in 1990, 99,411 reported wildlife strikes to airplanes have resulted in at least $1.2 billion annually in losses (direct …

Tools For Managing Invasions: Acceptance Of Non-Toxic Baits By Juvenile Nile Monitor Lizards And Burmese Pythons Under Laboratory Conditions, Peter J. Savarie, Richard M. Engeman, Richard E. Mauldin, Tom Mathies, Kenneth L. Tope

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Nile monitor lizards (Varanus niloticus) and Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are large, invasive, predatory reptiles, which are now well established in south Florida. Acetaminophen was recently shown to be lethal to both animals and therefore has potential for inclusion in an integrated pest management effort to control these species. However, acceptable bait matrices for both species are still needed to deliver the toxicant. We tested nine candidate bait matrices on juvenile Nile monitor lizards and Burmese pythons in the laboratory. Baits were tested fresh and also after aging at 30°C and 50% relative humidity for …

Using Dietary Analyses To Reduce The Risk Of Wildlife–Aircraft Collisions, Brian E. Washburn, Glen E. Bernhardt, Lisa A. Kutschbach-Brohl

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife-Aircraft collisions (wildlife strikes) pose a serious safety risk to aircraft and cost civil aviation >$614 million annually in the United States (Dale 2009, Dolbeer et al. 2009). Over 89,700 wildlife strikes with civil aircraft were reported to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during 1990 to 2008 (Dolbeer et al. 2009). Aircraft collisions with birds accounted for 97% of the reported strikes (Dolbeer et al. 2009). Gulls (Larus spp.), waterfowl, such as Canada geese (Branta canadensis), raptors (hawks and owls), blackbirds, and European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are the species of most concern at airports …

Rodent Population Management At Kansas City International Airport, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Birds pose serious hazards at United States airports because of the potential for collisions with aircraft. Raptors, in particular, are hazardous to aircraft safety due to their size, hunting behavior, and hovering and soaring habits. Reduction of rodent populations at an airport may decrease raptor populations in the area and, therefore, reduce risk that raptors pose to aircraft. Rodent populations can be reduced by population management (i.e., use of rodenticides) or by habitat management (i.e., vegetation and land-use management) that reduces the area’s carrying capacity for rodents. I found that zinc phosphide-treated oats reduced rodent populations by >94% at the …

A Tale Of Two Cases: Baehr V. Miike, Perry V. Schwarzenegger, And The Future Of Same-Sex Marriage Litigation, Samuel Yaggy

Cardozo Public Law, Policy & Ethics Journal

The article examines the strategic approaches used in same-sex marriage litigation, contrasting the methods employed in Perry v. Schwarzenegger with those in Baehr v. Miike. It argues that Perry's focus on challenging the factual underpinnings of government rationales for same-sex marriage restrictions provides a stronger legal foundation compared to Baehr's emphasis on the relationship between statutes and their purposes. By grounding its case in extensive factual analysis, Perry sets a strategic precedent for future litigation, making it more difficult for appellate courts to overturn the ruling.