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Satellite Evidence For Significant Biophysical Consequences Of The “Grain For Green” Program On The Loess Plateau In China, Jingfeng Xiao

All Materials

Afforestation has been implemented worldwide as regional and national policies to address environmental problems and to improve ecosystem services. China's central government launched the “Grain for Green” Program (GGP) in 1999 to increase forest cover and to control soil erosion by converting agricultural lands on steep slopes to forests and grasslands. Here a variety of satellite data products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer were used to assess the biophysical consequences of the GGP for the Loess Plateau, the pilot region of the program. The average tree cover of the plateau substantially increased because of the GGP, with a relative …

A Central Support System Can Facilitate Implementation And Sustainability Of A Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure) In Genomics, David Lopatto, Charles Hauser, Christopher J. Jones, Don Paetkau, Randall J. Dejong

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In their 2012 report, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated “replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses”—a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the …

Fall Commencement [Program], December 20, 2014, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

High Intralocus Variability And Interlocus Recombination Promote Immunological Diversity In A Minimal Major Histocompatibility System, Anthony B. Wilson, Camilla M. Whittington, Angela Bahr

Publications and Research

Background: The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC/MH) have attracted considerable scientific interest due to their exceptional levels of variability and important function as part of the adaptive immune system. Despite a large number of studies on MH class II diversity of both model and non-model organisms, most research has focused on patterns of genetic variability at individual loci, failing to capture the functional diversity of the biologically active dimeric molecule. Here, we take a systematic approach to the study of MH variation, analyzing patterns of genetic variation at MH class IIα and IIβ loci of the seahorse, which …

165th Commencement, Fall

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

In The Social Amoeba, Dictyostelium Discoideum , Density, Not Farming Status, Determines Predatory Success On Unpalatable Escherichia Coli, Susanne Disalvo, Debra A. Brock, Jeff Smith, David C. Queller, Joan E. Strassmann

Biology Faculty Research

Background
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum interacts with bacteria in a variety of ways. It is a predator of bacteria, can be infected or harmed by bacteria, and can form symbiotic associations with bacteria. Some clones of D. discoideum function as primitive farmers because they carry bacteria through the normally sterile D. discoideum social stage, then release them after dispersal so the bacteria can proliferate and be harvested. Some farmer-associated bacteria produce small molecules that promote host farmer growth but inhibit the growth of non-farmer competitors. To test whether the farmers’ tolerance is specific or extends to other growth inhibitory …

Biodiesel Production From Castor Oil And Its Application In Diesel Engine, Ismail S, Abu S. A, Rezaur R, Sinin H

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

In this study, the optimum biodiesel conversion from crude castor oil to castor biodiesel (CB) through transesterification method was investigated. The base catalyzed transesterification under different reactant proportion such as the molar ratio of alcohol to oil and mass ratio of catalyst to oil was studied for optimum production of castor biodiesel. The optimum condition for base catalyzed transesterification of castor oil was determined to be 1:4.5 of oil to methanol ratio and 0.005:1 of potassium hydroxide to oil ratio. The fuel properties of the produced CB such as the calorific value, flash point and density were analyzed and compared …

Digital Vs. Print: Reading Comprehension And The Future Of The Book, M. Julee Tanner

School of Information Student Research Journal

The future of books and libraries is put into question by the increasing popularity of e-books and the use of computers as text platforms. In an effort to anticipate which reading platform—print, e-readers, or computers displays—will dominate in the coming years, recent research and experimental data on the suitability of each reading platform for reading comprehension will be considered, from the perspectives of optical issues, cognition, and metacognition. It will be shown that, while printed books are most conducive to learning from longer, more difficult texts, e-readers and computer displays offer convenience and some distinct advantages to readers in particular …

Deep Reef Bioerosion And Deposition: Sedimentology Of Mesophotic Coral Reefs In The U.S. Virgin Islands, David Kurt Weinstein

Open Access Dissertations

The structural complexity and geomorphic diversity of coral reefs are vital foundational characteristics responsible for the many ecological and economic benefits these ecosystems provide. Shallow-water coral reef geomorphology and structural sustainability is mostly determined by varying reef sedimentary components including: (1) sediment production (matrix) and deposition, (2) framework production and secondary carbonate accretion; (3) bioerosion; and (4) cementation. However, little is known regarding the variability and influence of these sedimentary processes in mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), deep reef communities 30-150 m below sea-level. Despite recent increases in biological and ecological MCE studies, many crucial sedimentological research questions remain unaddressed. These …

Interleukin-17 Inhibits Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis, Qiang Liu, Wei Xin, Ping He, Dharshaun Turner, Junxiang Yin, Yan Gan, Fu Dong Shi, Jie Wu

Translational Neuroscience

Interleukin 17(A) (IL-17) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine that acts as a central regulator of inflammatory response within the brain, but its physiological roles under non-inflammatory conditions remain elusive. Here we report that endogenous IL-17 ablates neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampus. Genetic deletion of IL-17 increased the number of adult-born neurons in the DG. Further, we found that IL-17 deletion altered cytokine network, facilitated basal excitatory synaptic transmission, enhanced intrinsic neuronal excitability, and increased expression of proneuronal genes in neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs). Our findings suggest a profound role of IL-17 in the negative regulation of …

2014 Winter Boise State University Commencement Program, Boise State University Commencement Committee

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Registration Of ‘Newell’ Smooth Bromegrass, K P. Vogel, R B. Mitchell, B L. Waldron, M R. Haferkamp, J D. Berdahl, D D. Baltensperger, Galen Erickson, T J. Klopfenstein

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

No abstract provided.

Uab Looks To Build On Many 2014 Successes In The New Year, Jim Bakken

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

De Novo Design Of A Transmembrane Zn2+-Transporting Four-Helix Bundle, Nathan H. Joh, Tuo Wang, Manasi P. Bhate, Rudresh Acharya, Yibing Wu, Michael Grabe, Mei Hong, Gevorg Grigoryan, William F. Degrado

Faculty Publications

The design of functional membrane proteins from first principles represents a grand challenge in chemistry and structural biology. Here, we report the design of a membranespanning, four-helical bundle that transports first-row transition metal ions Zn 2+ and Co2+, but not Ca2+, across membranes. The conduction path was designed to contain two di-metal binding sites that bind with negative cooperativity. X-ray crystallography and solid-state and solution nuclear magnetic resonance indicate that the overall helical bundle is formed from two tightly interacting pairs of helices, which form individual domains that interact weakly along a more dynamic interface. Vesicle flux experiments show that …

The Coveted Souls Of Oppressed Persons, Connie L. Gibb

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Marcus Aurelius (167 A.C.E. III. 16) stated that: “[b]ody, soul, intelligence: to the body belong sensations, to the soul appetites, to the intelligence principles.” In my philosophical inquiry (my play) I argue it isn’t that simple and that the concept of soul is much like what Aristotle (1994, II, 1, 412 a 28) wrote, "The soul, therefore, is the primary act of a physical body potentially possessing life." Or, like Fincher (2007, p. 32) who wrote, “My soul is me, and I own all of my soul’s abilities and experiences…” I also discuss that the intelligence of human beings could …

Color Updating On The Apparent Motion Path, Edmund Chong, Sang Wook Hong, Won Mok Shim

Dartmouth Scholarship

When a static stimulus appears successively at two distant locations, we perceive illusory motion of the stimulus across them–long-range apparent motion (AM). Previous studies have shown that when the apparent motion stimuli differ in shape, interpolation between the two shapes is perceived across the AM path. In contrast, the perceived color during AM has been shown to abruptly change from the color of the first stimulus into that of the second, suggesting interpolation does not occur for color during AM. Here, we report the first evidence to our knowledge, that an interpolated color, distinct from the colors of either apparent …

Winter Commencement: December 19, 2014, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Winter Commencement program from December 19, 2014.

Managing Threats To The Urban Forest: From Dutch Elm Disease To Emerald Ash Borer - Learning From Experience, Christopher J. Borman

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

The urban forest provides important essential services to all municipalities; however, its value is often overlooked. The urban forest contributes to energy savings, environmental benefits, psychological well-being, and social benefits. Managing the urban forest in a sustainable manner is important if we wish to benefit from these services well into the future. Reliable management techniques have been created through previous experiences with pests, and these should be utilized and improved for use on urban forests.

American elm (Ulmus americana L.) was once a major component of the urban forests of North America. In 1927, Dutch elm disease (DED) was …

Sustainable Packaging Design Visually Explained Guidebook Prototype, Sara Almudhaf

Theses

As the fields of graphic and packaging design continue to evolve, it is important to keep their applications sustainable and green. Unaware graphic and packaging designers need to have an easy-to-comprehend source of information about sustainability. Developing an educational information graphics guidebook prototype has potential to serve as a unique tool for understanding the need for sustainable packaging design. The purpose of it is to eases the understanding of a complex system and enables users to discover relationships and connections among design, economy, environment, and society.

This prototype project involved designing a comprehensive sustainability symbol set where no satisfactory symbol …

State V. Coulston Appellant's Brief Dckt. 41396

Not Reported

No abstract provided.

Functional Imaging In Living Plants—Cell Biology Meets Physiology, George R. Littlejohn, Tobias Meckel, M Schwarzlã¤Nder, Alex Costa

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The last quarter of a century has brought major developments in the acquisition of images from plants through improvements in microscopy equipment, software and technique. Likewise, step changes in image analysis tools and the utilization and iterative redesign of fluorescent protein based markers and probes has revolutionized the ability of researchers to ask fundamental questions in cell biology and physiology. This research topic gives a snapshot of the current shape of the field in the plant sciences.

A First Survey Of The Centipedes Of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Joseph Desisto

Holster Scholar Projects

No abstract provided.

The Bittersweet Taste Of Rice. Sloping Land Conversion And The Shifting Livelihoods Of The Drung In Northwest Yunnan (China), Stéphane Gros

HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies

Economic development and environmental protection have often proved to be conflicting driving forces behind change in northwest Yunnan province, China. In 2003, the Sloping Land Conversion Program brought an end to traditional shifting cultivation in the Dulong valley—part of the Gaoligong Mountain Nature Reserve, Gongshan County— and is now threatening Drung people’s livelihood and culture while further increasing villagers’ dependence on state subsidies. This paper addresses the implementation of this program and the difficulties encountered by locals in relation to environmental protection and economic development issues. It describes the specificities of swidden cultivation and explores aspects of human-environment relatedness in …

The Role Of The Security Council In World Affairs, Crispin Tickell

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

A Submerged Cultural Resources Site Report: Hms Fowey, Cornelia Louisa Keane Lowerre

Open Access Theses

His Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Fowey (BISC-UW-20,8DA11948) was an 18th century British fifth-rate Man-of-War built in 1744, which sank in the Legare Anchorage, in Biscayne National Park, in 1748. Almost two and a half centuries following her sinking, HMS Fowey would gain public attention as the subject of a precedent-setting legal battle and would be caught in the path of destruction of several hurricanes. This submerged site is archaeologically significant, as it is one of a few remaining warships that could provide opportunities to understand the Royal Navy of the pre-Revolutionary war era. Like all submerged sites, HMS Fowey is a …

California Community Colleges Child Development Laboratory Schools, Shari Yates

Dissertations

Community colleges in California are the primary source for preparing the early childhood care and education (ECE) workforce. The California child development lab school mission is to prepare ECE practitioners, provide a laboratory where college students can study and research child development/education, and offer a service to children and families. There are many benefits that are derived from laboratory schools but many community college lab schools have been reduced and/or closed over the past three years. The purposes of this Delphi study were (a) to examine the most pressing issues, problems and barriers facing California community colleges child development labs …

South Carolina Epscor Division Awards Faculty Competitive Research Grants, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2014

• The grants will be implemented in spring of 2015.
• This is Evans-Anderson's third EPSCoR grant.

Dominican's Commitment At White House Event, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

The White House College Opportunity Day of Action helped to support President Obama’s commitment to partner with colleges and universities, business leaders, and nonprofits to support students across the country to help our nation reach its goal of leading the world in college attainment. Marcy announced plans to double the number of students who graduate with degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields and triple the number of students who graduate with a STEM minor by 2020.

Support System Helps Student-Athlete Become Doctor, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Marcus was able to formulate a game plan. He originally was recruited to play basketball at UC Davis until the roster became full. It was then suggested he enroll at Dominican where he continued his athletic career (leading the Penguins to a stunning upset of UC Davis in 2002) and changed his academic plans. He was encouraged by faculty to join a biology class in the School of Health and Natural Sciences that took him down a pre-med road where he met another premed student, Amanda Shepherd.

Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Mineralization And Crop Parameters In Typical Maize-Bean Intercropping In Western Kenya, Judith A. Odhiambo, Urszula Norton, Emmanuel C. Omondi, Dennis Ashilenje, Jay B. Norton

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Smallholder farmers in western Kenya who plant maize (Zea mays L.) intercropped with beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) face many challenges associated with nutrient-poor soils and weather-related crop failures. In regions where temperatures are favorable, crops are grown twice per year during long and short rainy seasons and in other regions, once per year during one long growing season. Growing crops two times per year necessitates frequent land preparation using inversion-type tillage. Little is known about the impact of current tillage-intensive crop management on annual soil organic matter (SOM) recovery. The aim of this study was to assess changes to soil …