Digital Commons Network^™

Phenology Largely Explains Taller Grass At Successful Nests In Greater Sage-Grouse, Joseph T. Smith, Jason D. Tack, Kevin Doherty, Brady W. Allred, Jeremy D. Maestas, Lorelle I. Berkeley, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Terry A. Messmer, David E. Naugle

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Much interest lies in the identification of manageable habitat variables that affect key vital rates for species of concern. For ground-nesting birds, vegetation surrounding the nest may play an important role in mediating nest success by providing concealment from predators. Height of grasses surrounding the nest is thought to be a driver of nest survival in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse), a species that has experienced widespread population declines throughout their range. However, a growing body of the literature has found that widely used field methods can produce misleading inference on the relationship between grass height and nest success. Specifically, …

The Family History Of Shawna L. Jacobs, Shawna Jacobs

Your Family in History: HIST 550/700

Shawna Jacobs Family history Murphy, this tells the story of my mothers family as I have no information for my father and his family.

Relative Contribution Of Neutral And Deterministic Processes In Shaping Fruit-Feeding Butterfly Assemblages In Afrotropical Forests, Kwaku Aduse-Poku, Freerk Molleman, William Oduro, Samuel K. Oppong, David J. Lohman, Rampal S. Etienne

Publications and Research

The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography has gained the status of a quantitative null model for explaining patterns in ecological (meta)communities. The theory assumes that individuals of trophically similar species are functionally equivalent. We empirically evaluate the relative contribution of neutral and deterministic processes in shaping fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages in three tropical forests in Africa, using both direct (confronting the neutral model with species abundance data) and indirect approaches (testing the predictions of neutral theory using data other than species abundance distributions). Abundance data were obtained by sampling butterflies using banana baited traps set at the forest canopy …

Robust Expression Of Tumor Suppressor Mirna's Let-7 And Mir-195 Detected In Plasma Of Saudi Female Breast Cancer Patients., Amal Qattan, Haya Intabli, Wafa Alkhayal, Chafica Eltabache, Taher Tweigieri, Suad Bin Amer

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Female breast cancer is frequently diagnosed at a later stage and the leading cause of cancer deaths world-wide. Levels of cell-free circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) can potentially be used as biomarkers to measure disease progression in breast cancer patients in a non-invasive way and are therefore of high clinical value.

Methods

Using quantitative RT-PCR, circulating miRNAs were measured in blood samples collected from disease-free individuals (n = 34), triple-negative breast tumours (TNBC) (n = 36) and luminal tumours (n = 57). In addition to intergroup comparisons, plasma miRNA expression levels of all groups were analyzed against RNASeq …

The Utah Statesman, November 28, 2017, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Cancer Treatment And Monitoring Methods Using Ox40 Agonists, Brendan Curti, Magdalena Kovacsovics-Bankowski, Ed Walker, Josh Walker, Andy Weinberg

Technology Transfer - Patents

OX40 is a potent immune stimulating target . Provided herein are methods for the treatment of cancer patients using ( 3X40 agonists methods to predict clinical outcome of the treatment by correlation of the treatment and an increase in OX40 - induced T cell proliferation .

Determination Of Five Arsenic Species In Aquatic Animals And Their Products By High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, Wang Linpei, Zheng Yazhe, Peng Xinran

Food and Machinery

A method was developed for the simultaneous determination of arsenic acid \[As(Ⅴ)\], arsenious acid \[As(Ⅲ)\], arsenobetaine (AsB), monomethyl arsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) in aquatic animals and their products by high performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). The extraction reagent was 0.15 mol/L nitric acid with heat-assistant condition for 30 min at 80 ℃. Then, the five arsenic species were separated by a anion exchange column (Hanmilton PRX-X100 250 mm×4.1 mm, 10 μm) and detected by ICP-MS. The effects of different elution methods on the separation of five arsenic forms were compared, and the …

Federal Railroad Power Versus Local Land-Use Regulation: Can Localities Stop Crude-By-Rail In Its Tracks?, Matthew C. Donahue

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

No abstract provided.

Early Neolithic Wine Of Georgia In The South Caucasus, Michael P. Callahan, Karen E. Smith

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Chemical analyses of ancient organic compounds absorbed into the pottery fabrics from sites in Georgia in the South Caucasus region, dating to the early Neolithic period (ca. 6,000–5,000 BC), provide the earliest biomolecular archaeological evidence for grape wine and viniculture from the Near East, at ca. 6,000–5,800 BC. The chemical findings are corroborated by climatic and environmental reconstruction, together with archaeobotanical evidence, including grape pollen, starch, and epidermal remains associated with a jar of similar type and date. The very large-capacity jars, some of the earliest pottery made in the Near East, probably served as combination fermentation, aging, and serving …

Phyllotactic Regularity Requires The Paf1 Complex In Arabidopsis, Kateryna Fal, Mengying Liu, Assem Duisembekova, Yassin Refahi, Elizabeth S. Haswell, Olivier Hamant

Biology Faculty Research

In plants, aerial organs are initiated at stereotyped intervals, both spatially (every 137° in a pattern called phyllotaxis) and temporally (at prescribed time intervals called plastochrons). To investigate the molecular basis of such regularity, mutants with altered architecture have been isolated. However, most of them only exhibit plastochron defects and/or produce a new, albeit equally reproducible, phyllotactic pattern. This leaves open the question of a molecular control of phyllotaxis regularity. Here, we show that phyllotaxis regularity depends on the function of VIP proteins, components of the RNA polymerase II-associated factor 1 complex (Paf1c). Divergence angles between successive organs along the …

Challenges In Characterizing The Environmental Fate And Effects Of Carbon Nanotubes And Inorganic Nanomaterials In Aquatic Systems, Peter Laux, Christian Riebeling, Andy M. Booth, Joseph D. Brain, Josephine Brunner, Cristina Cerrillo, Otto Creutzenberg, Irina Estrela-Lopis, Thomas Gebel, Gunnar Johanson, Harald Jungnickel, Heiko Kock, Jutta Tentschert, Ahmed Tlili, Andreas Schäffer, Adriënne J. A. M. Sips, Robert A. Yokel, Andreas Luch

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

The current lack of commonly used protocols for dispersion, characterization, and aquatic toxicity testing of nanomaterials (NMs) has resulted in inconsistent results, which make meaningful comparisons difficult. The need for standardized sample preparation procedures that allow the reproducible generation of relevant test conditions remains a key challenge for studies of the environmental fate and aquatic toxicity of NMs. Together with the further development of optimized and cost-effective analytical techniques for physicochemical characterization that depend on reproducible sample preparation, such methods have the potential to overcome the current uncertainties with regard to NM dispersion properties, effective dose, and particle dissolution. In …

The Houseboat Story, Kelsey Lund

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Jeff: Fourscore and forty years ago..

Me: [laughing]

J: No, we went down to Lake Powell, and we were all done with our Lake Powell trip but we had to take the boat in and when you take the boat in you have to gas it up. So, we go in and the boat was probably a, 48-foot boat. Maybe. Maybe 45-foot boat. So then Uncle Dougy, he’s giving it gas and we go past a wakeless thing, Uncle Dougy’s still going fast, and I was sitting in the back, standing in the back, with my hand against a fiber, …

Proctor And Gamble Is Owned By Satanists, Thomas Lee

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

While I was working at Proctor and Gamble, there was the story that the founder of the company worshipped Satan. They said that the P&G logo with the sun, moon, and stars was satanic. Apparently, he talked about it on Phil Donahue’s talk show, but I think that was just part of the story too. One day I was talking to my mom on the phone and she had heard the story and asked me about it. She was worried, but told me that I should try to make some money then get a better job [laughs]. I though it …

"Suck" Legend, Elise Teichert

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Text: We, Mom [paused to start over] I was in Junior High, and Uncle Larry’s house was being built in West Jordan. And as we were pulling up, um, Mom had for a long time hated the word suck. But we were driving up to see Dad who was working at the house (yeah, I’m watching her) and as we were pulling up into the driveway I had said ”somethin sucks”. And Mom stopped the car, and it was kinda, it was cloudy out, it was like getting really stormy, but Mom started yelling at me as she pulls into …

Methane- And Dissolved Organic Carbon-Fueled Microbial Loop Supports A Tropical Subterranean Estuary Ecosystem, D. Brankovits, J. W. Pohlman, H. Niemann

KIP Articles

Subterranean estuaries extend inland into density-stratified coastal carbonate aquifers containing a surprising diversity of endemic animals (mostly crustaceans) within a highly oligotrophic habitat. How complex ecosystems (termed anchialine) thrive in this globally distributed, cryptic environment is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that a microbial loop shuttles methane and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to higher trophic levels of the anchialine food web in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). Methane and DOC production and consumption within the coastal groundwater correspond with a microbial community capable of methanotrophy, heterotrophy, and chemoautotrophy, based on characterization by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and respiratory quinone composition. …

Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping Of Populus Bark Features And Stem Diameter, Roba Bdeir, Wellington Muchero, Yordan Yordanov, Gerald Tuskan, Victor B. Busov, Oliver Gailing

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Background

Bark plays important roles in photosynthate transport and storage, along with physical and chemical protection. Bark texture varies extensively among species, from smooth to fissured to deeply furrowed, but its genetic control is unknown. This study sought to determine the main genomic regions associated with natural variation in bark features and stem diameter. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) were mapped using an interspecific pseudo-backcross pedigree (Populus trichocarpa x P. deltoides and P. deltoides) for bark texture, bark thickness and diameter collected across three years, two sites and three biological replicates per site.

Results

QTL specific to bark texture …

Tracking A Population In Peril, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

The Prospector, November 28, 2017, Utep Student Publications

The Prospector

Headline: #Me Too: UTEP Speaks Out on Sexual Assault

Spatially Explicit Model Of Areas Between Suitable Black Bear Habitat In East Texas And Black Bear Populations In Louisiana, Arkansas, And Oklahoma, Caitlin M. Glymph, Christopher Comer, Daniel Scognamillo, Daniel Unger, Yanli Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although black bears (Ursus americanus, Ursus americanus luteolus) were once found throughout the south-central United States, unregulated harvest and habitat loss resulted in severe range retractions and by the beginning of the twentieth century populations in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas were nearing extirpation. In response to these losses, translocation programs were initiated in Arkansas (1958-1968 & 2000-2006) and Louisiana (1964-1967 & 2001-2009). These programs successfully restored bears to portions of Louisiana and Arkansas, and, as populations in Arkansas began dispersing, to Oklahoma. In contrast, east Texas remains unoccupied despite the existence of suitable habitat in the region.

To facilitate …

Estimating Wildlife Biodiversity Of Pine Plantation Edges Of Contrasting Rotational Stages: A Case Study, Joshua Perry Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ESTIMATING WILDLIFE BIODIVERSITY OF PINE PLANTATION EDGES OF CONTRASTING ROTATIONAL STAGES: A CASE STUDY

By: Joshua Harris, Dr. Daniel Scognamillo, Dr. Gary Kronrad, and Dr. Jeremy Stovall

Abstract

Wildlife biodiversity was estimated amongst three loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) intra-plantation edge types of contrasting rotational phases in a two-year case study. Three structurally varied rotational phases that occur throughout plantation rotations combine to make three different edges: A= pre-thinned - post-thinned, B= pre-thinned - pre-clearcut, and C= post-thinned - pre-clearcut. For two summer seasons (May-August 2015-2016), invertebrates, birds, medium mammals, and small mammals were sampled in each edge type. …

New And Additional Distribution Records For Several Rare Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) In Wisconsin, Richard A. Lillie

The Great Lakes Entomologist

One nymph and one exuviae of Acanthametropus pecatonica were collected in June 1991 from the Black River and Chippewa River, respectively. These specimens extend the known range of this rare species in Wisconsin to three large Mississippi River tributaries. Homoeoneuria ammophila was recorded in Wisconsin for the first time; nymphs were collected from the Black River and Sugar River. Nymphs of Macdunnoa persimplex, Metretopus borealis, Pentagenia vittigera, Pseudiron centralis, and Cercobrachys sp. were also encountered.

Diagnostic Alleles From Electrophoresis Distinguish Two Noctuid Pest Species, Hydraecia Immanis And H. Micacea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)., J. Mark Scriber, Janice L. Bossart, Doozie Snider

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Native hop vine borer (Hydraecia immanis) and introduced potato stem borer (H. micacea) populations in Midwest corn have reached noticeable levels near the Great Lakes plant community ecotone between boreal forests and temperate deciduous forests. The hop vine borer is more specialized in its diet and occurs in corn generally south of the plant community ecotone, whereas the potato stem borer is polyphagous and occurs in corn mostly north of the Great Lakes plant transition zone. We analyzed the genetic composition of each species using cellulose acetate electrophoresis and resolved 19 loci of which 6 exhibited …

Seasonal Drift Of Lethocerus Americanus (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) In A Lake Superior Tributary, Robert B. Dubois, Michael L. Rackouski

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Drifting adult Lethocerus americanus were captured and retained by an inclined-screen smolt trap during two field seasons in the Bois Brule River, Wisconsin. Seasonal peaks of drift occurred in spring for 4 weeks following ice out and in autumn for 7 -8 weeks from mid-September through ice formation, and may have continued under ice cover when our gear was not operated. These findings are consistent with the known movement pattern of these insects to fly from lentic habitats to streams to overwinter but also suggest longitudinal movement via drift, perhaps to reach specific overwintering sites. Drift was significantly correlated with …

The Return Of Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) To The Lower Fox River, Wisconsin, Phillip A. Cochran

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia bilineata) were collected in 1991 in the vicinity of the DePere dam on the Fox River, Brown County, Wisconsin. Because Hexagenia mayflies are indicators of good water quality, their emergence from the Fox River is evidence of improvement in conditions at the sediment-water interface.

Hoplistoscelis Sordidus (Heteroptera: Nabidae) In Canada, M. C. Lariviere

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Hoplistoscelis sordidus is recorded for the first time from Canada. The distribution of the species, its establishment in Canada, and its bionomics are discussed. Characters are given that distinguish Hoplistoscelis from all other eastern Canadian genera of Nabinae. The potential role of the genus as a biological control agent is also briefly outlined.

Observations On The Nesting Of Crabro Tenuis (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Richard C. Miller

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Three nests of Crabro tenuis were studied during June 1971-1972 in Oswego County, New York. Females constructed shallow but lengthy, multicelled nests in sand with the cells being built in clusters, sometimes in series. Females plugged the entrances with damp sand and occupied the burrows during midday. Paralyzed prey were stored head inward at the end of the burrow. The deeper cells in a cluster were excavated and provisioned first and the shallower cells built and stored later, as determined by the developmental stages of the wasps within the cells. From four to seven paralyzed, adult male flies were placed …

Aphidophagous Coccinellids In Alfalfa, Small Grains, And Maize In Eastern South Dakota, R. W. Kieckhefer, N. C. Elliott, D. A. Beck

The Great Lakes Entomologist

In a 13-year study of aphidophagous coccinellids associated with alfalfa (Medicago sativa), maize (Zea mays), and small grain crops in eastern South Dakota, the following species were consistently associated with the crops: Hippodamia convergens, H. tredecimpunctata tibialis, H. parenthesis, Coleomegilla maculata lengi, Coccinella transversoguttata richardsoni, Cycloneda munda, and Adalia bipunctata. All species except A. bipunctata were associated with each of the three crops, while A. bipunctata occurred only in maize. Relative abundances of each species varied among crops and among years. Although only seven species were associated with the crops, additional species were captured on …

Differential Suitability Of 12 Great Lakes Tree Species For Papilio Canadensis (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) Larval Survival And Growth, J. Mark Scriber

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Differential nutritional suitabilities of the 12 potential host plants of Papilio canadensis in the Great Lakes region of North America were determined with gravimetric techniques for penultimate and final larval instars. While leaf water content and leaf nitrogen content explain some of the variation, allelochemicals in different plants are likely to be involved in differential larval growth performances as well as mortal- ity of neonate larvae on tuliptree and spicebush. Oviposition tests using 3-choice arenas with quaking aspen, paper birch, and balsam poplar showed no strong host preferences. Factors affecting patterns of Papilio host use in the Great Lakes region …

Host Plants And Habitats Of The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, Euphydryas Phaeton (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), In The Great Lakes Region, Brian G. Scholtens

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The habitats and host plants of Euphydryas phaeton in the Great Lakes region are examined using data from several different populations spread over much of the region. The range of habitats and host plants used by this species is wider than commonly believed. While many populations are found in seasonal or permanent wetlands, others are located in dry, old fields or woodland areas. The host plants used vary with habitat, but they include all major primary hosts and many secondary hosts previously reported plus several new records. The biology of E. phaeton is shown to be similar to western Euphydryas …

Toxic Phenolic Glycosides From Populus: Physiological Adaptations Of The Western North American Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio Rutulus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), J. Mark Scriber, Richard L. Lindroth, James K. Nitao

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The phenolic glycosides tremulacin and salicortin found in quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides, and other members of the Salicaceae, are known to be toxic to larvae of the Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus, but not to the Canadian tiger swallowtail, P. canadensis. Larvae of the western tiger swallowtail, P. rutulus, were not killed nor were their growth rates suppressed when fed a mixture of tremulacin and salicortin on black cherry leaves. When the Salicaceae adapted P. rutulus penultimate instar larvae were fed a combination of the two phenolic glycosides and the esterase inhibitor (DEF S,S,S-tributylphosphorotrithioate), growth …