Digital Commons Network^™

Notes On Behaviors Of Free-Ranging Black-Footed Ferrets: Conata Basin, South Dakota, 2007–2009, David A. Eads

Western North American Naturalist

During 2007–2009 in the Conata Basin, South Dakota, field studies provided opportunities to accumulate incidental observations of wild-born black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) and their interactions with other species. Here, I describe maternal behaviors by female ferrets; interactions between a female ferret and a rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis); and attacks by ferrets on a horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), a deer mouse (Peromyscus sp.), and a cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus sp.). Additionally, I present hypotheses for future testing and discuss conservation implications.


Durante 2007 a 2009 en la Cuenca Conata, Dakota del Sur, estudios de …

Breeding System And Interaccessional Hybridization Of Purshia Tridentata Plants Grown In A Common Garden, Rosemary L. Pendleton, E. Durant Mcarthur, Stewart C. Sanderson

Western North American Naturalist

Purshia spp. (Rosaceae) comprise a widespread western North American species complex that is important as landscape dominants, wildlife habitat, browse for wild and domestic ungulates, and seed reserves for small mammals. This study examined aspects of the phenology, compatibility, pollination biology, and progeny fruit characteristics of multiple accessions of bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), as well as a putative hybrid between bitterbrush and Purshia stansburiana. Except for open- and wind-pollination treatments, mass pollination was accomplished at anthesis within white paper sacks, which were used to isolate treatment branches. Bitterbrush appears to be largely self-incompatible and requires some agent, either wind …

Black-Footed Ferrets And Recreational Shooting Influence The Attributes Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Burrows, Dean E. Biggins, Shantini Ramakrishnan, Amanda R. Goldberg, David A. Eads

Western North American Naturalist

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) plug burrows occupied by black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), and they also plug burrows to entomb dead prairie dogs. We further evaluated these phenomena by sampling connectivity and plugging of burrow openings on prairie dog colonies occupied by ferrets, colonies where recreational shooting was allowed, and colonies with neither shooting nor ferrets. We counted burrow openings on line surveys and within plots, classified surface plugging, and used an air blower to examine subsurface connectivity. Colonies with ferrets had lower densities of openings, fewer connected openings (suggesting increased subsurface plugging), and more surface …

Black-Footed Ferret Home Ranges In Conata Basin, South Dakota, Travis M. Livieri, Eric M. Anderson

Western North American Naturalist

We estimated annual home ranges and core areas of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) in Conata Basin, South Dakota, by collecting 834 locations of 28 ferrets (20 females, 8 males) through spotlighting from October 1997 to September 2000. Area-per-observation curves showed that a minimum of 23 locations were needed to estimate fixed-kernel home-range size. Mean 95% and 50% fixed-kernel annual home-range sizes of females (95%: 64.7 ha, SE = 11.6; 50%: 12.7 ha, SE = 3.0) were significantly smaller and less variable than those of males (95%: 131.8 ha, SE = 40.3; 50%: 35.6 ha, SE = 16.5). Minimum …

Observation Of Dystocia In Wild Elk, Chad P. Lehman, Lowell E. Schmitz, Mark A. Rumble, Jackie J. Kragel, Joshua J. Millspaugh

Western North American Naturalist

On the basis of reports in the literature, incidence of dystocia in wild elk (Cervus elaphus) across the west is rare. In 2011, one of 34 (3%) pregnant cow elk in our study experienced dystocia during birth. Our visual observations indicated that it took approximately 4 days for a radio-collared cow elk to succumb to dystocia in our study. Little is known about dystocia in wild elk populations, and our observation provides some insight about fetal malpresentations.


Con base en los reportes en la literatura, en el occidente no es muy frecuente la incidencia de distocia en el …

Notes On The Distribution Of Bailey's Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma Floridana Baileyi) In Nebraska, Zebadiah R. Graham, Keith Geluso, Russell A. Benedict

Western North American Naturalist

The eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana) occurs in eastern and central parts of the United States, with 3 subspecies inhabiting Nebraska. Herein, we report on distributional records of N. f. baileyi—an isolated, disjunct subspecies in north-central Nebraska. We searched for diagnostic sign of woodrats in 4 counties in Nebraska and 1 county in South Dakota. We obtained distributional records for N. f. baileyi east, west, and north of known distribution limits in Nebraska, but none in South Dakota. Most distributional records represent range extensions because of lack of prior mammalian surveys in those areas. Observations of woodrats in …

The Severity Of Stages Estimation During Hemorrhage Using Error Correcting Output Codes Method, Yurong Luo

Theses and Dissertations

As a beneficial component with critical impact, computer-aided decision making systems have infiltrated many fields, such as economics, medicine, architecture and agriculture. The latent capabilities for facilitating human work propel high-speed development of such systems. Effective decisions provided by such systems greatly reduce the expense of labor, energy, budget, etc. The computer-aided decision making system for traumatic injuries is one type of such systems that supplies suggestive opinions when dealing with the injuries resulted from accidents, battle, or illness. The functions may involve judging the type of illness, allocating the wounded according to battle injuries, deciding the severity of symptoms …

I Am Error, Nathan Altice

Theses and Dissertations

I Am Error is a platform study of the Nintendo Family Computer (or Famicom), a videogame console first released in Japan in July 1983 and later exported to the rest of the world as the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES). The book investigates the underlying computational architecture of the console and its effects on the creative works (e.g. videogames) produced for the platform. I Am Error advances the concept of platform as a shifting configuration of hardware and software that extends even beyond its ‘native’ material construction. The book provides a deep technical understanding of how the platform was programmed …

California Stem Cell Agency Approves $19 Million Clinical Trial Project As Huntington's Disease Families 'Change The Course Of Science', Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Managing Information: Lessons For The 21st Century, Robert Hallis

SIDLIT Conference

Managing Information has become a buzz-word in objectives and courses, but how does this differ from "Library Instruction?" In an age where students are expected to demonstrate their familiarity with a topic through assessments other than a term paper, Information Literacy becomes more than learning traditional library skills. Library instruction typically involves showing students how to find peer reviewed articles for an academic paper. However, students are writing fewer papers and demonstrating their competence through their use of a growing array of social media; including discussion boards, mashups, and Skype. Acceptable sources have moved from merely published peer-reviewed scholarly documents …

Storytelling: A Tool For Student Engagement, Jonathan P. Bacon, Larry Carver, Tracy Newman, Julie Rorabaugh

SIDLIT Conference

What do you remember easiest? Data, information or stories? No matter what discipline or course you teach, storytelling can be a useful tool in enabling students to research, grasp, synthesize and retain information. “Stories bring data to life.” This session will begin with a discussion of the art of storytelling and proceed to explore several useful tools that can be used by you and your students to tell a story. The presenters will cover online and desktop apps from Comic Life to Storyline to Xtranormal to ZooBurst and more.

Book Reviews, Criticism Editors

Criticism

Beautiful Theories: The Spectacle of Discourse in Contemporary Criticism (Elizabeth Bruss) (Reviewed by Susan Rubin Suleiman, Harvard University)

Reception Theory: A Critical Introduction (Robert C. Holub) (Reviewed by Michael Eckert, University of Florida)

Chaucer and the Imagery of Narrative: The First Five Canterbury Tales (V. A. Kolve) (Reviewed by Elizabeth S. Sklar, Wayne State University)

The Character of Swift's Satire: A Revised Focus (Claude Rawson) (Reviewed by Michael Seidel, Columbia University)

Swift's Narrative Satires: Author and Authority (Everett Zimmerman) (Reviewed by Michael Seidel, Columbia University)

William Godwin (Peter H. Marshall) (Reviewed by John P. Clark, Loyola University - New Orleans) …

A Case Of Depraved Mind Murder, Bernard E. Gegan

St. John's Law Review

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, Criticism Editors

Criticism

Find You the Virtue: Ethics, Image, and Desire in Literature (Irving Massey) (Reviewed by William A. Kumbier, Missouri Southern State College)

Romantic Vision in the Novel (Jay Clayton) (Reviewed by Karen Shabetai, University of Washington)

Surrealism and the Book (Renée Riese) (Reviewed by Suzanne Ferguson, Case Western Reserve University)

Shakespeare on the American Stage, Vol. 2 (Charles H. Shattuck) (Reviewed by Lorraine Helms, Simmons College)

Criticism and Compliment: The Politics of Literature in the England of Charles I (Kevin Sharpe) (Reviewed by David Lindley, University of Leeds)

Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization. Volume I: The Fabrication of …

Murray Ledger And Times, August 2, 2012, Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

Climate And Weather Impact Timing Of Emergence Of Bats, Winifred F. Frick, Phillip M. Stepanian, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Kenneth W. Howard, Charles M. Kuster, Thomas H. Kunz, Phillip B. Chilson

KIP Articles

No abstract provided.

The Parthenon, August 2, 2012, Shane Arrington

The Parthenon

The Parthenon, Marshall University’s student newspaper, is published by students Monday through Friday during the regular semester and weekly Thursday during the summer. The editorial staff is responsible for the news and the editorial content.

Come As You Are, As I Want You To Be: Grunge/Riot Grrrl Pedagogy And Identity Construction In The Second Year Writing Program, Rory J. Callais

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A look at how artists in the grunge and Riot Grrrl movements constructed public identities that typically appealed to the economic, cultural, and social conditions of the early 1990s. These public personas -- perceived as “honest” -- were defined by negotiation with mainstream culture, the notion of the “confessional,” and gender construction. By examining how these identities were constructed, composition students can see how cultural influences mediate their own identity construction. A “grunge/Riot Grrrl” pedagogy is proposed that encourages students to look at how identities are constructed across a multimedia landscape, reflecting the way grunge and Riot Grrrl artists built …

Comparative Phylogeography Of Central African Duikers Using Non-Invasive Sampling Methods, Stephan Ntie

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The present study sets out to assess patterns of evolutionary diversification in central African duikers (subfamily Cephalophinae). The sampling strategy consisted of collecting geo-referenced duiker feces across 43 sites and seven countries. However, several challenges related to the use of non-invasive samples needed to be addressed prior to large scale DNA amplification. First, the best storage method for obtaining DNA from fecal samples needed to be established. Our study revealed that while silica is best for nuclear microsatellite analyses, RNAlater is the best storage medium for maximal mitochondrial amplification. Moreover, extracting DNA as early as possible always provided the …

Artifacts, Lacar E. Musgrove

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of Nuclear Integrations Of The Mitochondrial Genome In Great Apes And Their Potential As Molecular Markers, Ivan D. Soto-Calderon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The mitochondrial control region (MCR) has played an important role as a population genetic marker in many taxa but sequencing of complete eukaryotic genomes has revealed that nuclear integrations of mitochondrial DNA (numts) are abundant and widespread across many taxa. If left undetected, numts can inflate mitochondrial diversity and mislead interpretation of phylogenetic relationships. Comparative analyses of complete genomes in humans, orangutans and chimpanzees, and preliminary studies in gorillas have revealed high numt prevalence in great apes, but rigorous comparative analyses across taxa have been lacking.

The present study aimed to systematically compare the evolutionary dynamics of MCR numts in …

Design, Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Novel Cannabinoid Antagonist, Abha Verma

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study was aimed at the development of novel CB1 cannabinoid receptor antago­nists that may have clinical applications for the treatment of cannabinoid and psychostimulant addiction. The rationale for the design for our target was to incorporate a bioisosteric 1,2,3-triazole ring into the vicinal diaryl group revealed in the prototypical antagonist/inverse agonist SR141716 (Rimonabant) that was pre­sumed to interact with a unique region in the CB1 receptors. Based on our prelimi­nary results we identified a novel series of 1,2,3-triazole ester and keto deriva­tives as lead compounds for biological evaluation. Here in the design rationale, syn­thesis and CB1 receptor affinity for …

As Things Should Be But Never Are, Justin Burnell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Winter Drawdown Effects On Swim-Up Date And Growth Rate Of Age-0 Fishes In Connecticut, Christopher P. Mcdowell

Master's Theses

Winter drawdown is a common lake management tool, which alters lake ecosystems. This study was undertaken to determine if winter drawdown history and varying winter drawdown intensities influenced swim-up dates and mean daily growth rates (MDGR) of age-0 yellow perch , largemouth bass and bluegill in five small eastern Connecticut impoundments, two of which had extensive drawdown histories, two sporadic drawdowns, and the final having never been drawdown. Three different winter drawdown treatments (none, shallow, deep) were implemented. Daily ring counts on otoliths were used to determine relative swim-up dates and MDGR from a subsample of fish each year. Covariates …

Widespread Disruptive Selection In The Wild Is Associated With Intense Resource Competition, Ryan A. Martin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Disruptive selection has been documented in a growing number of natural populations. Yet, its prevalence within individual systems remains unclear. Furthermore, few studies have sought to identify the ecological factors that promote disruptive selection in the wild. To address these issues, we surveyed 15 populations of Mexican spadefoot toad tadpoles, Spea multiplicata, and measured the prevalence of disruptive selection acting on resource-use phenotypes. We also evaluated the relationship between the strength of disruptive selection and the intensity of intraspecific competitionan ecological agent hypothesized to be an important driver of disruptive selection. Results: Disruptive selection was the predominant mode of …

Teacher Definitions Of Integration In Primary Grades, Jeanne Sperry Prestwich

Theses and Dissertations

One obstacle that challenges the implementation of effective curriculum integration practices is the confusion caused by the existence of numerous definitions of this construct in the literature. This concern is further compounded by the potential disconnect between the varied definitions proposed by scholars and classroom teachers' acceptance and use of curriculum integration. The purpose of this study was to analyze K-3 grade teachers' self-reported definitions of curriculum integration. Teachers responded to an Internet survey in which they provided their personal definition of curriculum integration, described integrated teaching examples from their own classroom, and rated six teaching scenarios for quality of …

The Effect Of Urbanization On Ant Abundance And Diversity: A Temporal Examination Of Factors Affecting Biodiversity., Grzegorz A. Buczkowski, Douglas S. Richmond

Department of Entomology Faculty Publications

Numerous studies have examined the effect of urbanization on species richness and most studies implicate urbanization as the major cause of biodiversity loss. However, no study has identified an explicit connection between urbanization and biodiversity loss as the impact of urbanization is typically inferred indirectly by comparing species diversity along urban-rural gradients at a single time point. A different approach is to focus on the temporal rather than the spatial aspect and perform “before and after” studies where species diversity is cataloged over time in the same sites. The current study examined changes in ant abundance and diversity associated with …

Brazilian Melodies, Jenni Cook

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Liberty Mutl Ins Co V. James Sweeney

2012 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Trouble Every Day, Nina E. Schwanse

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

My interests lie in the intersection of the public and private, the corporate and personal, especially with regard to self-representation within cultural power structures. Utilizing video and web technologies, performance, and painting, I create imagined realms of fantasy, desire, obsession, and anxiety. Operating within, but not bound by, feminist discourse, my work explores the vehicles and effects by which both analog and digital technologies influence the relationship between the self and the object of desire (whether physical or virtual, interior or exterior to the body) and have produced both progressive and regressive offspring. By performing the role of both producer …