Life Sciences Commons^™

Ewe Fertility In The Star Accelerated Lambing System, R. M. Lewis, D. R. Notter, D. E. Hogue, B. H. Magee

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Effects of environmental factors such as ewe age, season of exposure, and time from lambing to exposure on fertility were evaluated using records on 1,084 Dorset ewes in the STAR accelerated lambing system. The STAR program consisted of five 30-d concurrent breeding and lambing periods per year beginning on January 1, March 15, May 27, August 8, and October 20. Fertility in the flock changed in a cyclic and predictable fashion during the year. Changes in prolificacy were less consistent but also tended to show cyclic variation. Matings that occurred within the typical breeding season (August, October, and January) were …

Bulletin No 4315 - Western Australian Agricultural & Fishery Exports At A Glance...1995/96, Graeme Robertson Dr, P. P. Rogers

Bulletins 4000 -

Second edition (revised and updated) January 1997.

Western Australia's economic growth and high productivity is based on a well established export-oriented economy that relies heavily on primary production.

Our abundant and diverse range of agricultural and fish products is supported by highly innovative and dynamic primary industries. These are backed by modern financial and physical infrastructure.

Western Australia's agricultural industries and fisheries have an international reputation for a professional approach to business and a proven track record in producing and supplying food and fibre products of consistently high quality. Clean air, unpolluted oceans and waterways, and abundant quality farmland are …

Destabilizing Effect Of Proline Substitutions In Two Helical Regions Of T4 Lysozyme: Leucine 66 To Proline And Leucine 91 To Proline, Terry M. Gray, Eric Arnoys, Stephen Blankespoor, Tim Born

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

A class of temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of T4 lysozyme with reduced activity at 30 °C and no activity at 43 °C has been selected. These mutants, designated 'tight' ts mutants, differ from most other T4 lysozyme mutants that are active at 43 °C, but only manifest their ts lesion by a reduced halo size around phage plaques after exposure of the growth plates to chloroform vapors. For example, in the series of T4 lysozyme mutants at position 157, the original randomly selected mutant, T1571, is the least stable of the series, yet, apart from the halo assay and subsequent in …

The Effect Of The Mammalian Hormone Estrogen On The Yeast C̲A̲N̲D̲I̲D̲A̲ A̲L̲B̲I̲C̲A̲N̲S̲, Marcia Clifton Finucane

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Changes in the balance between commensal microbes and mammalian hosts can cause disease if the scales tip in favor of the microbe. Although usually caused by a defective host immune response, overgrowth of or changes in the microbe may also be responsible for opportunistic infections. Clinical and laboratory investigations have indicated that mammalian hormones, including estrogen, can influence the production of symptomatic disease and the virulence attributes of Candida albicans.

This study demonstrated enhanced growth of some strains of C. albicans when 17β-estradiol was added to the growth medium. Measurement of extracellular protein under the influence of estradiol did …

Studying Elephants: Awf Technical Handbook Series #7, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Book review for the following title:

Studying Elephants: AWF Technical Handbook Series #7. Edited by Kadzo Kangwana, Nairobi, Kenya: African Wildlife Foundation, 1996, 186 pages. $15 S&H.

Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward County, Fl 1996 Report, Curtis M. Burney, William E. Margolis

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Since 1978, the Broward County Environmental Protection Department (BCEPD) has provided for the conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtle species within its area of responsibility. Broward County is within the normal nesting areas of three species of sea turtles: the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The loggerhead is listed as a threatened species, while the green and leatherback are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, 1973, and Chapter 370, F.S.

Since these statutes strictly forbid any disturbance …

Diet And Seasonal Feeding Habits Of The Yellow Stingray, Urolophus Jamaicensis, T. Patrick Quinn

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Urolophus jamaicensis, the yellow stingray, is a common elasmobranch found on and around the coral reefs off Florida's southeastern coast. Its diet consists of polychaetes, crustaceans, nemerteans, sipunculids, nematodes, and chaetognaths with polychaetes and crustaceans comprising almost 67% of the stomach contents by volume. There does not appear to be any diet preference between the male and females stingrays. The seasonal changes in diet preference are limited to an increase in the proportion of polychaetes found in the stomach during spring when compared to fall.

Simulated Growth And Production Of Endangered Snake River Sockeye Salmon: Assessing Management Strategies For The Nursery Lakes, Chris Luecke, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Phaedra E. Budy, H. P. Gross

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

We examined the potential of employing a series of lake management strategies to enhance production of endangered Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in its historical nursery lakes in central Idaho. We used a combination of limnological sampling, experimentation, and simulation modeling to assess effects of lake fertilization and kokanee reduction on growth and survival of juvenile sockeye salmon. Juvenile sockeye salmon from a broodstock of this endangered species are being introduced into the lakes from 1995 to 1998. Results of our analyses indicated that several lakes were suitable for receiving broodstock progeny. Field experimentation and simulation modeling indicated that …

Growth Implants For Steers, Terry L. Mader, James Dahlquist, Robert Botts

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Trenbolone acetate (TBA), an implant (Finaplix®) with androgenic activity, stimulates growth and enhances feed efficiency much like implants with estrogenic activity (Ralgro®, Synovex®, Implus® and Compudose®). Because androgenic and estrogenic products tend to have different mechanisms of action, the combination of TBA and an estrogenic implant have been shown to be most beneficial. Revalor® S, a combination product containing 24 mg estradiol (E2) and 120 mg TBA. is an effective implant. particularly when used in feedlot steers 100 to 120 days before slaughter. Other products and combinations of TBA and estradiol may be just as effective. The objective of this …

Macmarcks And The Protein Kinase C Signal Transduction Pathway: Role In Neural Secretion And Neural Development, Sandy Chang

Student Theses and Dissertations

MacMARCKS is a second member of the MARCKS family of PKC substrates which integrate signal transduction events with changes to the actin cytoskeleton. Work presented here demonstrates diverse roles for MacMARCKS ranging from neural secretion to neural development. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the role of MacMARCKS in neural secretion. MacMARCKS is phosphorylated in a stimulus-dependent manner in rat brain synaptosomes and PC12 cells. It is localized to cell bodies and neurite tips of PC12 cells as well as being present on synaptic vesicles. A dominant-negative mutation in the MacMARCKS effector domain which abolishes PKC-dependent phosphorylation is associated with changes …

Protein Characterization By Mass Spectrometry, Steven Louis Cohen

Student Theses and Dissertations

Powerful new techniques in mass spectrometry (MS) provide an unprecedented opportunity to develop methods that facilitate protein characterization. This thesis utilizes matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and electrospray ionization MS to explore protein structure. Starting at the 'primary' level of protein structure, an approach is developed to aid in the characterization of posttranslational modifications and processing of mature gene products. The approach involves the elution of picomole amounts of whole proteins from SDS-PAGE gels in a form suitable for MS analysis. Application of the elution method to the obesity factor leptin led to the characterization of the endogenous form of leptin in …

Molecular Genetic Analysis Of Cyclic Gmp Signaling In Higher Plants, Robert B. Mcgrath

Student Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the mechanisms by which light signals are transmitted within a plant to elicit changes in physiology and gene expression is a primary goal of current research. Recently, significant insights have been gained regarding the signal transduction pathway that is regulated by the red/far-red light receptor phytochrome. Moreover, it has become clear that the phytochrome signaling pathway functions within the context of a global regulatory network that exists in plants and permits fine control of a multitude of responses to various environmental conditions. In this study, an investigation of the basic mechanisms of phytochrome signal transduction, and the way this …

The Paraneoplastic Antigen Nova-1 Is A Neuron Specific And Sequence Specific Rna Binding Protein, Ronald J. Buckanovich

Student Theses and Dissertations

We have identified a cDNA encoding a protein that is recognized by sera from (7/7) patients with paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia (POMA). The gene, Nova-1, encodes a novel nuclear RNA binding protein (RBP) that is extremely highly conserved (99% amino acid identity) between human and mouse. Nova-1 is normally expressed only within neurons of the central nervous system (CNS). Both Nova-1 protein and RNA are restricted to a subset of CNS neurons which correlate with the specific neurologic symptoms seen in POMA. Nova-1 contains three KH type RNA binding motifs, and binds RNA in vitro via these KH motifs. Mutations within …

The Cftr (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) Channel: Anion Permeation, And Regulation By Adenylyl Cyclase And Atp Hydrolysis, Athanasios G. Dousmanis

Student Theses and Dissertations

CFTR Cl^- channel function and regulation were studied in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes, using either the whole-cell or excised inside-out patch configurations of the patch clamp technique. A typical myocyte cell membrane contained a total of ~1400 CFTR channels; channel density was ~0.11 μm^-2. Using whole-cell CFTR Cl^- conductance as an on-line assay of cAMP levels, we examined the interaction of the adenylyl cyclase (AC) modulators forskolin (Fsk), and the GTP-binding proteins G_s and G_i. In the presence of GTP, maximal activation of G_i using the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist carbachol (CCh) reduced …

Molecular Genetic Analysis Of Rodent Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Wendy Chung

Student Theses and Dissertations

Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is perhaps the most common metabolic disorder in humans. In its essence, NIDDM is a disorder of glucose homeostasis which results from a relative deficiency of circulating insulin. Approximately 15% of all Americans over the age of 60 and 100 million individuals worldwide are affected by this disease whose micro- and macrovascular complications include blindness, nephropathy, neuropathy, and atherosclerosis. There is a close association between obesity and NIDDM, due in part to the increased insulin resistance imposed by increased body fat. The large genetic contribution to susceptibility to NIDDM is evidenced by the nearly 100% …

The Effects Of Conditioning And Gender On Ratings Of Perceived Exertion During Physical Exercise, Dr. Roberta A. Pellant

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if gender played a factor in perception during physical exertion, and whether those perceptions were influenced by conditioning level. Sixteen male and sixteen female volunteer subjects, ranging in age from 21 to 35, constituted the sample for this study. The Bruce protocol for a Symptom­-Limited Graded Exercise test was the instrument utilized to evaluate heart rate during the maximal physical exercise program. A ventilatory analyzer measured each subject's maximal oxygen consumption. Borg's Rated Perceived Exertion Scale was employed for subjective evaluation of an individual's perception of effort. The t-test compared mean scores …

Characterization Of A Basolateral Electroneutral Na+/H+ Antiporter In Atlantic Lobster (Homarus Americanus) Hepatopancreatic Epithelial Vesicles, Jeff Duerr, Gregory A. Ahearn

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Purified basolateral membrane vesicles (BLMVs) were prepared from Atlantic lobster (Homarus americanus) hepatopancreas using a Percoll density gradient technique. Enrichments of the Na+/K+-ATPase and alkaline phosphatase activities of these vesicles were 15.4- and 1.2- fold, respectively. The presence of amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange was demonstrated. Contrary to electrogenic 2Na+/1H+ exchange on apical membranes from the same tissue, kinetic studies of Na+ transport by these basolateral membranes indicate an electroneutral antiport with a Km of 28±1.7 mmol l21 and a Jmax of 1.74±0.13 mmol mg21 min21. Amiloride interacted at a single binding site (Ki=39mmol l21) and external Li+ was shown to be …

Katanning Interdisciplinary Research Forum, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Research Reports

The First Kalanning Interdisciplinary Research Forum convened on Wednesday, 18 September 1996 at the Kobeelya Conference Centre, Katanning, Western Australia. The Forum was organised by the Katanning District Office of Agriculture WA and had the following objectives:

• To improve understanding of the interdisciplinary implications of research

• To raise awareness of research projects • To help focus future research and interdisciplinary collaboration

• To gain and offer constructive criticism

This publication contains the abstracts of the Forum. The topics of research covered, range from soil mapping and management, weed control, water use efficiency, crop and pasture management, through to …

Western Flower Thrips, David F. Cook, Ian Dadour, Ernie Steiner, Brett Scourse

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western flower thrips (Franklinislla occidentalis Pergands) is a serious pest of floral and vegetable crops. From its original habitat in western USA it has now spread throughout North America, Mexico, New Zealand and Europe. David Cook, Ian Dadour, Ernis Steiner and Brett Scourse outline its biology and the control options available.

Sheep Blowflies Strike Out!, David F. Cook, Ian Dadour, Ernie Steiner

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Woolgrowers are constantly concerned that the sheep blowfly may be able to breed in sheep or other animal carcasses. David Cook, Ian Dadour and Ernis Steiner report on an experiment that answers that question once and for all.

Promising Pasture Plants From Overseas, John Lawson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Farmers from Northampton to Albany were among the 00 visitors to a spring field day at Agriculture Western Austrslis's Medina Research Station, where they saw a collection of promising new and different pasture legumes. These were the products of a highly succesful selection and breeding program based mainly on material collected overseas.

John Lawson highlights the overseas collection aspects of an exciting and rewarding program.

Today's Woolgrowers : A Profile, Ian Mcfarland

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Woolgrowers have been faced with fluctuating prices, a mix of seasons and rising production costs since the demise of the Floor Price Scheme in 1991. despite these difficult times, there are still very large differences in productivity and profitability between wool growing properties in Western Australia. Ian McFarland looksat production levels on wool growing properties in Western Australia and outlines some actions to lift productivity.

Drench Resistence : A Large Economic Cost, Brown Besier, Jill Lyon, Norm Mcquade

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Drench restistant worms can cost sheep farmers a lot of money - more than most probably think. Brown Besier, Jill Lyon and Norm McQade discuss some new research that shows the value of conducting routine drench tests to ensure effective worm control.

No-Till Sowing : Helping To Keep Cropland Soils In Place, Kevin Bligh, Paul Findlater

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Repeated erosion of tilled land can ;ower crop and pasture yields because of reduced available moisture and nutrient storage. Kevin Bligh and Paul Findlater look at the causes of water and wind erosion and the role of no-till sowing in minimising erosion.

Skeleton Weed : The Current Situation, Peter Scott, Jon Dodd

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Skeleton weed is a major threat to western Australia's grain industry. This weed established itself throughout the entire eastern States wheatbelt in just over 50 years and is now found from south-east Queensland to South Australia. It was first founs in Western Australia at Ballidu in 1963, and since that time has been the subject of an ongoing and intensive eradication campaign. Peter Scott and Jon Dodd report on the present status of skeleton weed in Western Australia and outline the progress to date and future directions of the eradication campaign.

Rex ' 96 : An Expert Guide To Revegetation, David Bicknell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Agriculture Western Australia has provided coordination and technical input to a powerful source of information on plants for Australian conditions. David Bicknell outlines some of its features and uses.

Farmers, local government, advisers and even gardeners often have trouble finding the right plant for the right place for a given purpose. Rather than spend a lot of time, money and effort looking through scattered sources of information, many people stick with a limited number of species year after year. This neglects plants that may be much better suited to the purpose, and also fails to develop Australia's huge range of …

Beef : Meating The Market, Greg Sawyer, Richard Morris, Geoff Tudor

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Nearly half of Western Australia's beef production is consumed on the domestic market, but the scene is changing rapidly.

In this article Greg Sawyer, Richard Morris and Geoff Tudor review information on production systems performance, and carcase and quality measurements that may well serve wider market opportunities in the future.

Cotton Rising From The Ashes, Georgina Wilson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Two hundred thousand dollars worth of quality cotton was deliberately destroyed by burning in the Kimberley last December. The same thing will probably happen again this year, but there will ne no cries of arson and police will not be seeking the perpetrators. Georgina Wilson reports on the emerging cotton industry on the Ord.

Farming For The Future : The Agwest Library Network, Jane Serventy

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Jane Serventy reports on the changes in information delivery at the library of Agriculture Western Australia

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus And Its Management, Lindrea Latham, Roger Jones

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In 1993, western flower thrips, an important pest of horticultural crops, was found in Western Australia. Since then there has been an upsurge in damsging virus disease epidemics caused by tomato spotter wilt virus in horticultural crops. This has occurred because western flower thrips is a more effective vector of tomato spotted wilt virus than other thrips species. Lindrea Latham and Roger Jones outline the symptoms, spread and management of this serious virus disease in vegetables and ornamentals.