Digital Commons Network^™

Bioharness Multivariable Monitoring Device. Part Ii: Reliability, James A. Johnstone, Paul A. Ford, Gerwyn Hughes, Tim Watson, Andrew T. Garrett

Kinesiology (Formerly Exercise and Sport Science)

The BioharnessTM monitoring system may provide physiological information on human performance but the reliability of this data is fundamental for confidence in the equipment being used. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of each of the 5 BioharnessTM variables using a treadmill based protocol. 10 healthy males participated. A between and within subject design to assess the reliability of Heart rate (HR), Breathing Frequency (BF), Accelerometry (ACC) and Infra-red skin temperature (ST) was completed via a repeated, discontinuous, incremental treadmill protocol. Posture (P) was assessed by a tilt table, moved through 160o. Between subject data reported …

Field Based Reliability And Validity Of The Bioharness Multivariable Monitoring Device, James A. Johnstone, Paul A. Ford, Gerwyn Hughes, Tim Watson, Andrew C.S. Mitchell, Andrew T. Garrett

Kinesiology (Formerly Exercise and Sport Science)

The BioharnessTM device is designed for monitoring physiological variables in free-living situations but has only been proven to be reliable and valid in a laboratory environment. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the BioharnessTM using a field based protocol. Twenty healthy males participated. Heart rate (HR), breathing frequency (BF) and accelerometry (ACC) were assessed by simultaneous measurement of two BioharnessTM devices and a test-retest of a discontinuous incremental walk-jog-run protocol (4 – 11 km·h-1) completed in a sports hall. Adopted precision of measurement devices were; HR: Polar T31 (Polar Electro), BF: Spirometer (Cortex Metalyser), ACC: …

Got Milk: The New Health Insurance Law And Its Requirements Securing A Mother's Right To Express Breast Milk In The Workplace, Jamie Siebrase

Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition

No abstract provided.

Feminism And The (Trans)Gender Entrapment Of Gender Nonconforming Prisoners, Julia Oparah

Sociology

No abstract provided.

Ensembles Of Human Mtl Neurons "Jump Back In Time" In Response To A Repeated Stimulus, M. W. Howard, Indre Viskontas, K. H. Shankar, I. Fried

Psychology

Episodic memory, which depends critically on the integrity of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), has been described as ‘‘mental time travel’’ in which the rememberer ‘‘jumps back in time.’’ The neural mechanism underlying this ability remains elusive. Mathematical and computational models of performance in episodic memory tasks provide a specific hypothesis regarding the computation that supports such a jump back in time. The models suggest that a representation of temporal context, a representation that changes gradually over macroscopic periods of time, is the cue for episodic recall. According to these models, a jump back in time corresponds to a stimulus …

Parenting As Phenotype: A Behavioral Genetic Approach To Understanding Parenting, Shirley Mcguire, Nancy Segal, S. Hershberger

Psychology

This article discusses the behavioral genetic (BG) approach to parenting. Parenting is considered a phenotype that can be influenced by nature and nurture. Genetic contributions to parenting are conceptualized as evidence of genotype–environment correlation (rGE). Early BG studies focused on demonstrating that some parenting dimensions were heritable due to passive and evocative rGE processes. Current studies are investigating moderators and mediators of genetic and environmental contributions to parenting. The paper uses parent and child report data on parental warmth from the Twins, Adoptees, Peers, and Siblings study to illustrate the BG approach. Results show that heritability is …

A Prospective Study Of Religiousness And Psychological Distress Among Female Survivors Of Hurricanes Katrina And Rita, C. S. Chan, J. E. Rhodes, John E. Perez

Psychology

This prospective study examined the pathways by which religious involvement affected the postdisaster psychological functioning of women who survived Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The participants were 386 low-income, predominantly Black, single mothers. The women were enrolled in the study before the hurricane, providing a rare opportunity to document changes in mental health from before to after the storm, and to assess the protective role of religious involvement over time. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that, controlling for level of exposure to the hurricanes, pre-disaster physical health, age, and number of children, predisaster religiousness predicted higher levels of post-disaster (1) …

Identification Of New Inhibitors Of Human Low Molecular Weight Protein Tyrosine: Phosphatase Isoform B Via Virtual Screening, Christopher Seiler

Chemistry Student Work

The human low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) has been identified as a target for inhibition as its overexpression leads to metastatic transformation and invasivity in several human cancers such as breast, colon, bladder, and kidney. Extra precision docking with Glide on LMW-PTP isoform B was used to virtually screen 1356 compounds from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) diversity set II for new potential inhibitors. Twenty-one compounds identified as potential inhibitors by in silico screening methods were acquired from NCI. The compounds were kinetically analyzed on LMW-PTP isoform B to validate their selection as potential inhibitors. The best fit …

The General Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (Gems) And Its Applications To Agricultural Systems In The United States, Shuguang Liu, Zhengxi Tan, Mingshi Chen, Jinxun Liu, Anne Wein, Zhengpeng Li, Shengli Huang, Jennifer Oeding, Claudia Young, Shashi Verma, Andrew Suyker, Stephen Faulkner, Gregory W. Mccarty

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The General Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS) (Liu, 2009; Liu et al., 2004c) was developed to integrate well-established ecosystem biogeochemical models with various spatial databases for the simulations of biogeochemical cycles over large areas. Figure 18.1 shows the overall structure of the GEMS. Some of the key components are described below.

General Ensemble Biogeochemical

Modeling System (GEMS) 310

Multiple Underlying Biogeochemical Models 310

Monte Carlo Simulations 311

Model Inputs: Management Practices and Others 311

Model Outputs 311

Data Assimilation 311

Simulation of Agricultural Practices: EDCM as an Example 312

Net Primary Production (NPP) and Improvements in Crop Genetics and Agronomics …

Interior Least Tern Powerline Collision On The Lower Platte River, Lauren R. Dinan, Joel G. Jorgensen, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Collisions with electrical powerlines are a well-known documented cause of avian mortality (Avian Power Line Interaction Committee [APLIC] 1994, Savereno et al. 1996). Mortality caused by collisions with powerlines can be an important concern for many bird species, but is a serious conservation problem for threatened and endangered species because any mortality can have biological and legal ramifications (Janss 2000). Loss of individuals, particularly breeding adults, from an already small population may impede a species’ recovery by reducing reproduction and recruitment into the breeding population. The death of an individual from a threatened or endangered species as a result of …

Fish Assemblage Shifts And Population Dynamics Of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) In The Beaver Archipelago, Northern Lake Michigan: A Comparison Between Historical And Recent Time Periods Amidst Ecosystem Changes., Mark A. Kaemingk, Tracy L. Galarowicz, John A. Clevenger, David F. Clapp, Herbert L. Lenon

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The ecological and economic importance of Great Lakes nearshore areas and the paucity of information on nearshore Lake Michigan fish assemblages prompted us to document changes that occurred from a historical time period (1969–1972, 1975, 1977, and 1984) to a recent period (2005–2008) in a nearshore northern Lake Michigan (Beaver Archipelago) fish assemblage, with an emphasis on smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu. From historical to recent periods, the Beaver Archipelago fish assemblage shifted from predominantly brown bullheads Ameiurus nebulosus to predominantly smallmouth bass. Relative abundance of brown bullheads and white suckers Catostomus commersonii declined from historical to recent time periods, as …

Priority Effects Among Young-Of-The-Year Fish: Reduced Growth Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus) Caused By Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens)?, Mark A. Kaemingk, Jeffrey C. Jolley, David W. Willis, Steven R. Chipps

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

1. When available, Daphnia spp. are often preferred by age-0 yellow perch and bluegill sunfish because of energetic profitability. We hypothesised that predation by age-0 yellow perch could lead to a midsummer decline (MSD) of Daphnia spp. and that priority effects may favour yellow perch because they hatch before bluegill, allowing them to capitalise on Daphnia spp. prior to bluegill emergence.

2. Data were collected from 2004 to 2010 in Pelican Lake, Nebraska, U.S.A. The lake experienced a prolonged MSD in all but 1 year (2005), generally occurring within the first 2 weeks of June except in 2008 and 2010 …

The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program: A History And Overview Of The First Projects, Courtney A. Schultz, Theresa Jedd

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Predation, Herbivory, And Parasitism, Alison N.P. Stevens

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Planet Protectors, A.P. Stevens

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Factors Affecting Global Climate, Alison N.P. Stevens

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Chlorophyll-A Concentration In Turbid Productive Waters Using Airborne Hyperspectral Data, Wesley J. Moses, Anatoly Gitelson, Richard L. Perk, Daniela Gurlin, Donald C. Rundquist, Bryan C. Leavitt, Tadd M. Barrow, Paul Brakhage

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Algorithms based on red and near infra-red (NIR) reflectances measured using field spectrometers have been previously shown to yield accurate estimates of chlorophylla concentration in turbid productive waters, irrespective of variations in the bio-optical characteristics of water. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of NIR-red models when applied to multi-temporal airborne reflectance data acquired by the hyperspectral sensor, Airborne Imaging Spectrometer for Applications (AISA), with non-uniform atmospheric effects across the dates of data acquisition. The results demonstrated the capability of the NIR-red models to capture the spatial distribution of chlorophyll-a in surface waters without the need …

Application Of Day And Night Digital Photographs For Estimating Maize Biophysical Characteristics, Toshihiro Sakamoto, Anatoly Gitelson, Brian D. Wardlow, Timothy J. Arkebauer, Shashi Verma, Andrew E. Suyker, Michio Shibayama

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

In this study, an inexpensive camera-observation system called the Crop Phenology Recording System (CPRS), which consists of a standard digital color camera (RGB cam) and a modified near-infrared (NIR) digital camera (NIR cam), was applied to estimate green leaf area index (LAI), total LAI, green leaf biomass and total dry biomass of stalks and leaves of maize. The CPRS was installed for the 2009 growing season over a rainfed maize field at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, NE, USA. The vegetation indices called Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI) and two green–red–blue (2g–r–b) were calculated …

Population Size Of Hatchery-Reared And Wild Pallid Sturgeon In The Lower Missouri River, Kirk D. Steffensen, Larkin A. Powell, Mark A. Pegg

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The population size of pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus is currently unknown throughout much of the Missouri River. Listed as federally endangered in 1990, the pallid sturgeon remains one of the rarest fishes in the Missouri and Mississippi River basins, and little to no natural recruitment occurs. Artificial population supplementation via a hatchery propagation program was initiated, necessitating the collection of sexually mature pallid sturgeon. Therefore, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission maintained an intensive broodstock collection and mark– recapture effort from 2008 to 2010 to capture reproductively ready adults for the propagation program. Coordinated crews fished baited trotlines from the …

Operational Meris-Based Nir-Red Algorithms For Estimating Chlorophyll-A Concentrations In Coastal Waters — The Azov Sea Case Study, Wesley J. Moses, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Sergey Berdnikov, Vladislav Saprygin, Vasily Povazhnyi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We present here results that strongly support the use of MERIS-based NIR-red algorithms as standard tools for estimating chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration in turbid productive waters. The study was carried out as one of the steps in testing the potential of the universal applicability of previously developed NIR-red algorithms, which were earlier calibrated using a limited set of MERIS imagery and in situ data from the Azov Sea and the Taganrog Bay, Russia, and data that were synthetically generated using a radiative transfer model. We used an extensive set of MERIS imagery and in situ data collected over …

Attendance Patterns And Survival Of Western Meadowlark Nests, Larkin A. Powell, Matthew D. Giovanni, Scott R. Groepper, Mitchell Reineke, Walter H. Schacht

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Biologists have linked nest attendance and nestling feeding rates to nest predation risk. Patterns of nest attendance also influence the success of methods designed to find nests for research use, such as rope drags. Very little has been published with regard to variation of attendance during the nesting period, but advances in video nest monitoring allow continuous data collection to provide this information. Our objectives were to (1) document attendance patterns at Western Meadowlark (Stumella neglecta) nests, (2) identify predator species of meadowlark nests, and (3) assess the effects of our camera system on nest survival. We used a solar-powered, …

Using Slow-Release Permanganate Candles To Remediate Pah-Contaminated Water, Lindy Rauscher, Chainarong Sakulthaew, Steve D. Comfort

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Surface waters impacted by urban runoff in metropolitan areas are becoming increasingly contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Slow-release oxidant candles (paraffin–KMnO₄) are a relatively new technology being used to treat contaminated groundwater and could potentially be used to treat urban runoff. Given that these candles only release permanganate when submerged, the ephemeral nature of runoff events would influence when the permanganate is released for treating PAHs. Our objective was to determine if slow-release permanganate candles could be used to degrade and mineralize PAHs. Batch experiments quantified PAH degradation rates in the presence of the oxidant candles. Results …

Estimating The Abundance Of Long-Billed Curlews In Nebraska, Cory J. Gregory, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Larkin A. Powell, Joel G. Jorgensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) are shorebirds of high conservation concern in North America. Populations have de­clined in the last 150 yr primarily due to habitat loss and conversion. We conducted a 2-yr study to estimate the density and state­wide abundance of breeding Long-billed Curlews in Nebraska during 2008 and 2009. Surveys were conducted during the prenest­ing period in April when Long-billed Curlews were likely to be detected. We used a simple random sample of roadside survey routes (N = 39), each consisting of 40 5-min point-counts at 800-m intervals. We modeled detection probability and found that wind …

2012 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 (2012). 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 Lower Platte River and its major tributaries provide important nesting habitat for two state and federally protected bird species, the Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum athalassos) and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska-School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird …

Utility Of Improvised Video-Camera Collars For Collecting Contact Data From White-Tailed Deer: Possibilities In Disease Transmission Studies, Michael J. Lavelle, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Aaron M. Hildreth, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long, David G. Hewitt, Jeff Beringer, K. C. Vercauteren

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Rapidly evolving electronic technology enables wildlife researchers to collect previously unobtainable data. To explore possibilities of using deer-borne cameras (DBCs) to collect behavioral data from an animal’s point of view, we constructed DBCs and deployed them on 26 adult male whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) within a closed population (405-ha fenced area) in southern Texas just prior to the breeding season during autumn 2010. Our DBCs consisted of global positioning system collars with attached motion-activated trail cameras. We obtained 21,474 video clips from 17 functional DBCs over a period of 14 days. Individual-based data are invaluable in disease and …

Environmental And Organismal Predictors Of Intraspecific Variation In The Stoichiometry Of A Neotropical Freshwater Fish, Rana W. El-Sabaawi, Tyler J. Kohler, Eugenia Zandona, Joseph Travis, Michael C. Marshall, Steven A. Thomas, David N. Reznick, Matthew Walsh, James F. Gilliam, Catherine Pringle, Alexander S. Flecker

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The elemental composition of animals, or their organismal stoichiometry, is thought to constrain their contribution to nutrient recycling, their interactions with other animals, and their demographic rates. Factors that affect organismal stoichiometry are generally poorly understood, but likely reflect elemental investments in morphological features and life history traits, acting in concert with the environmental availability of elements. We assessed the relative contribution of organismal traits and environmental variability to the stoichiometry of an insectivorous Neotropical stream fish, Rivulus hartii. We characterized the influence of body size, life history phenotype, stage of maturity, and environmental variability on organismal stoichiometry in …

Common–Interest Community Agreements On Private Lands Provide Opportunity And Scale For Wildlife Management, Larkin A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Common–interest community agreements on private lands provide opportunity and scale for wildlife management.— Private lands are critical to conservation planning for wildlife, worldwide. Agriculture subsidies, tax incentives, and conservation easements have been successfully used as tools to convert cropland to native vegetation. However, uncertain economies threaten the sustainability of these incentives. The wildlife management profession is in need of innovative models that support effective management of populations. I argue that biologists should consider the option of facilitating the development of private reserves to reduce the dependence of conservation on public investment. Private reserves can be enhanced by creating common– interest …

Mid-Contract Management Of Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands Provides Benefits For Ring-Necked Pheasant Nest And Brood Survival, Ty W. Matthews, J. Scott Taylor, Larkin A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields may provide good habitat for nesting and brood-rearing ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) during early stages of succession. But, the success of hens in early successional CRP, relative to late successional CRP and other grassland habitats, has yet to be evaluated. The reproductive period is especially critical for populations of pheasants, and CRP’s benefits to hens and chicks may decrease as fields age because of loss of vegetative diversity, decrease in vegetation density, and accumulation of residual litter. During 2005– 2006, we evaluated spatial and temporal variation in nest and brood survival for radio-marked hen pheasants …

Sharing A Vision For Biodiversity Conservation And Agriculture, John E. Quinn

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Conservation biology and agriculture share a common landscape and a future that demands novel research and practice. Inevitably, limited resources create conflict in the absence of a shared vision forward. Therefore, given the similarities in proximate and even ultimate goals, we must envision a joint path toward renewable and resilient agroecosystems. In this commentary, I highlight the root of past conflicts and share a vision of progress forward that encompasses mutually beneficial outcomes. I include six areas of anticipatory research and inquiry at the intersection of conservation biology and agriculture to better identify shared goals and facilitate more frequent communication …

Rural Inhabitant Perceptions Of Sandhill Cranes In Wintering Areas Of Northern Mexico, Ingrid Barcelo, Juan Carlos Guzmán-Aranda, Felipe Chávez-Ramírez, Larkin A. Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Trends in the mid-continent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) indicate that the species is increasing. A large proportion of this population winters in northern Mexico where possible conflicts between local inhabitants and cranes can occur. We conducted interviews of 40 rural inhabitants living near wetlands used by cranes in three Mexican states. All interviewees had knowledge of cranes and were capable of describing them. The arrival of cranes affected 43% of interviewees. The negative effects were mainly destroyed crops with a subsequent diminished production. Seventy percent of those affected implemented scare tactics to deter the birds, while others (15%) …