Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Facial Pits In The Thermoregulatory Behavior Of Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) Behavioral, Ecological And Phylogenetic Perspectives, Aaron R. Krochmal

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) possess unique sensory organs, the facial pits, capable of sensing subtle fluctuations in thermal radiation. Prey acquisition has long been regarded as the sole function of the facial pits. However, the ability to sense thermal radiation could also direct thermoregulatory behavior by remotely sensing nearby surface temperatures. Using a series ofbehavioral arenas of varying spatial complexity and ecological relevance, I surveyed the ability of western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) to direct successful thermoregulatory movements with either functional or disabled facial pits. I found that western diamondback rattlesnakes could base thermoregulatory decisions on thermal radiation cues when their …

The Effects Of Hypnosis And Guided Imagery On The Performance Of Track Athletes, Johnathan C. Mossey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although sport psychologists may utilize numerous hypnotic interventions and techniques intended to enhance the performance of athletes, many of these interventions have not been examined by systematic research. This exploratory study examined the effects of interventions using imagery and imagery plus hypnosis on the performance of track athletes. Twenty-nine students from a Midwestern high school track team were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups: a) imagery and hypnosis or b) an imagery only group. Track team members at another high school served as the control group. The athletes in each group had their performance examined at track meets …

The Role Of Monocytes In Pristane-Induced Plasmacytoma Escape, Tina L. Sumpter

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multiples myelomas are untreatable neoplasias in humans, arising from terminally differentiated B cells (plasma cells). The murine pristane-induced plasmacytoma model offers a system for studying the cellular interactions involved in sustaining the growth of plasma cell tumors. In accord with this model, syngenic plasma cell tumors transplanted into the peritoneal cavity of a genetically susceptible mouse are normally cleared by the mouse's immune system. If the mouse is pretreated with pristane (2,6,10,14- tetramethylpentadecane) intraperitoneally, prior to the transplantation of the plasma cell tumor, the tumor thrives, culminating in the death of the mouse. Intraperitoneal administration of pristane results in an …

Attitudes And Motivational Factors For Participation In The Becoming An Outdoors-Woman (Bow) Program, Katherine Crippens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women participating in Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program workshops were surveyed as to their attitudes, interests, and participation in outdoor recreation activities. The survey, administered to 265 women between October 2002 and June 2003, examined demographic characteristics, motivational factors for participation, similarities and differences between firsttime and returning participants, and their change in recreational behavior after the workshops. The study identified most BOW participants as urban, white, 45 - 50 years of age, highly educated and with a high household income. Most have maintained a long-term relationship, but have no children in the household. The participants had a wide range …

The Potential For Carbon Sequestration In Soils On Lignite Coal Minelands In East Texas, Cynthia Blake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Global warming is becoming an ever-important topic in the world today. In 1998, it was estimated that 40.5 % of U.S. anthropogenic CO2 emissions was attributed to the combustion of fossil fuels during the generation of electricity (U.S. Department of Energy 2000a). In an attempt to mitigate emissions, electric utility companies have become interested in the potential of forests to sequester large amounts of carbon in their above- and below-ground biomass as well as in the soils. It has been estimated that if the world's deforested lands were reforested and properly managed, they could have the potential to sequester five …

Another Sandhill Crane Breeding Record In The Eastern Rainwater Basin, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

Jorgensen (2002) recently summarized breeding-season occurrences of the Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) in the Eastern Rainwater Basin (eRWB). Summering birds were first detected in 1992 (The Nebraska Bird Review 60: 145). Breeding first occurred in 1994 with four additional nesting or breeding records in subsequent years. The most recent breeding records were in 1999 when breeding activity was detected at both Kissinger Basin Wildlife Management Area (WMA) (Hoffman 1999) and Harvard Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) (Silcock and Jorgensen 1999), both in Clay County. Since late 1999 the eRWB has experienced persistent drought. This has affected wetland conditions …

Breeding Black-Necked Stilts At Funk Waterfowl Production Area, Jeff Drahota

Nebraska Bird Review

On 21 July 2003, I was mapping wetland vegetation on Funk Waterfowl Production Area (WPA), Phelps County, when I encountered two adult Black-necked Stilts and two young on the Teal Unit, NE 1/4 of Section 16, T-6-N, R-17-W. I was using an airboat to map pockets of open water throughout the WPA. When I launched the airboat on the Teal Unit, I immediately noticed an adult Black-necked Stilt flying above the small pool. While driving the perimeter of this pool, I noticed two adult Black-necked Stilts continually flying over a small point of cattails surrounded by shallow water. As I …

Halsey Fall Field Days, Alice Kenitz

Nebraska Bird Review

Forty-one NOU members and friends gathered at the 4-H Camp at Halsey in the Nebraska National Forest on September 26–28, 2003, for the annual Fall Field Days. Fall colors were beautiful and the weather was generally good except for a brisk wind on Friday and Saturday. The ongoing drought was evident in the low level of lakes and ponds, with some of the smaller bodies of water being completely dry.

Molecular Phylogeny Of Haematoloechus Looss, 1899 (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae), With Emphasis On North American Species, Daniel R. Brooks, Virginia León-Règagnon

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Phylogenetic hypothesis of 23 populations corresponding to 18 species of the digenean Haematoloechus from America, Europe, and Africa, based on ribosomal DNA 28S partial sequences (~890 bp), is presented. Genetic divergence between the in-group and the out-groups ranged from 9.7 to 14.5% and within the in-group, from 0.9 to 12.2%. Eight most parsimonious trees 569 steps long were obtained, with a consistency index of 72%. Groups in the tree are not congruent with those in previous classification schemes of species in the genus, based on a small number of morphological characters. For this subset of Haematoloechus,/i> species, plesiomorphic hosts are …

Presidential Address: Flavor Buds And Other Delights, Robin M. Overstreet

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Presidential address at the 78th Annual Meeting, American Society of Parasitologists, August 2, 2003, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, by Robin M. Overtsreet.

From Biology To Consciousness To Morality, Ursula Goodenough, Terrence W. Deacon

Biology Faculty Research

Social animals are provisioned with prosocial orientations that operate to transcend self-interest. Morality, as used here, describes human versions of such orientations. We explore the evolutionary antecedents of morality in the context of emergentism, giving considerable attention to the biological traits that undergird awareness and our emergent human forms of mind. We suggest that our moral frames of mind emerge from our primate prosocial capacities, transfigured and valenced by our symbolic languages, cultures, and religions.

Portions of this article were given by Deacon in a paper at the forty-ninth annual conference of IRAS, “Is Nature Enough? The Thirst for …

Dynein’S Binding Ability To Microtubules In Budding Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Gregory Lyle Waltz

Masters Theses

Cytoplasmic dynein is a minus-end directed microtubule motor that recently has been described as a member of the AAA⁺ ATPase family. Dyn1p contains four ATP-binding consensus sequences. To understand the role of each ATP-binding site we have begun to systematically mutate the consensus sequence at each ATP-binding site. Thirty-two mutant alleles have been constructed and integrated into the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have examined each mutant for ability to grow in rich media, to produce binucleate cells at 12°C, ability to grow in the absence of CIN8, and ability of Dyn1p to bind microtubules. Attempts to localize …

Development Of A Method For Determining Antioxidant Efficacy Against Hydroxyl Radicals, Cherie Hacker

Masters Theses

Hydroxyl free radicals are biologically important molecules in that they attack proteins, lipids and DNA to obtain an electron to fill their outer valence shell. The consequences of such attacks include protein degradation, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, which leads to many diseases and cancer. While there are many antioxidant assays available to predict anti-radical properties of compounds against different free radicals, the assessment of hydroxyl radical damage has been challenging. This is due to the extremely high reaction rate of hydroxyl radicals. The present study defines an in vitro assay that quantitatively detects antioxidant efficacy against hydroxyl free radicals, …

Response Cost In The Treatment Of Lunging In Dogs, Jennifer L. Sobie

Masters Theses

Contemporary professional applied animal behavior management employs a diagnostic and treatment approach for unwanted pet behavior that incorporates ethology-based causal factors. As in behavior therapy for humans, behavioral assessment includes descriptive functional analysis when possible to determine relevant contingency variables. But this information is then considered in the context of an appropriate motivational classification, such as social or prey-directed motivation or fear-motivated, and treatments are designed accordingly. A different view is that behavior can be treated effectively without a presumption of the motivation through analysis of the manifestation of the behavior itself. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of …

Interannual Volume Variability In The Tropical Pacific, Christina L. Holland, Gary T. Mitchum

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The question of whether or not the volume of the tropical Pacific changes over the course of an El Niño event has potentially important consequences for our understanding of the dynamical mechanisms responsible for El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. In this study, we examine the volume variability of the tropical Pacific, defined as the areal integral of the sea surface height variability, using TOPEX/Poseidon altimetric sea surface heights and the output of a numerical model. We find that volume gradually builds up in the tropical Pacific prior to a typical ENSO event and rapidly decreases during the event due to …

Efficient Grazing Systems: Putting Pieces Together, Charles T. Dougherty

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Pros and cons of grazing systems are well-known to this audience. Efficient grazing systems, however, are a different story. What is an efficient grazing system? I think we could argue that topic until the cows come home and I do not believe we could come to any agreement. I am going to approach the subject of efficiency from several angles but you will probably see them differently. Economic efficiencies will not be covered.

Kentucky Goat Friendly Pasture Concepts, Terry Hutchens

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Goats are accomplished grazers of grass and browse plants. In addition, they can be managed within a grazing system both intensively or extensively as long as quality forage is made available. Goats are facultative browsers, they prefer to feed at eye level and upward and then feed on forage from the top of the plant down. Goats prefer to move freely from plant to plant-removing foliage from select portions of plants. Foliage meals are dictated by quality factors that insure adequate protein and energy levels. Each stem or leaf is clipped with precision leaving the forage residue standing equal in …

Effective Use Of Pastures For Horses, Robert Coleman

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Pastures can serve two very necessary functions for the care and maintenance of horses. Not only do these areas of grasses and legumes provide a place for the horse to exercise, they can provide a significant portion of the horse’s nutrient requirement. Horses evolved as a grazing animal, so it is reasonable that many classes of horse can be adequately maintained on well-managed pastures.

The Economics Of Integrating Crop Land To Mig Grazing, Edward N. Ballard

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Illinois soils vary in their properties and producing capacities. Large areas of the state have soils that are among the most productive in the world. Other areas have soils that, because they are too steep or droughty or have some other undesirable features, are not the most productive for corn and soybeans.

However, over the past 30 years there has been a trend to place more acres in Illinois in corn and soybeans and less acres in small grains, legumes and pasture crops. Government incentive programs have encouraged more acres to be place into corn and soybean production.

Environmental Benefits With Improved Grazing, David Stipes

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The public is becoming better educated about the environment and will continually question activities that are perceived as being harmful to soil, water, air, plants, people, animals and other concerns. Livestock producers who implement well-planned grazing management systems have an excellent opportunity to compliment both production and natural resource conservation considerations. All segments of the population involved in production agriculture will be held accountable for environmental impacts that result from their operation. A proactive approach is needed by livestock and other agricultural producers to sustain the protection of the environment that is in harmony with a healthy ecosystem. All those …

Grazing Systems For Beef Cattle, John Johns

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Beef cattle represent the most important grazing livestock enterprise to Kentucky producers. As of January 1, 2003 there were 1,120,000 producing beef brood cows on 39,000 farms in the state. In addition, more than 600,000 yearling cattle are also produced. The number of total beef animals is increasing as producers put more economic reliance on beef and forage programs. In many cases, beef cattle represent the only practical method of converting high quality forage to income for producers.

Grazing Systems For Dairy, Donna M. Amaral-Phillips

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Forages which are grazed can provide anywhere from 25 to 100% of the forage consumed by growing dairy heifers, dry cows or the milking herd. In this paper, I would like to specifically deal with devising a grazing program for a dairy lactating or milking herd. Lactating dairy cows are a “high performance animal” and, as such, any decreases in the availability or quality of forage can quickly decrease milk production. Thus, the goal when designing a grazing system is to provide adequate quantities of high-quality, vegetative forage to prevent decreases in performance. These decreases in performance occur in all …

Opportunities For Warm Season Grasses, Ken Johnson

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Today I would like to do two things, first talk a little about warm season grasses, where they come from, and where they might fit in your grazing program; and second, talk about the four major native grass species and two introduced species.

Native warm season perennial grasses were an important part of the native forage species of Kentucky, supplying food and cover for deer, buffalo, and other wildlife when settlers arrived into Kentucky. With settlers plowing, overgrazing, and the introduction of other forages, Native Warm Season Grasses (NWSGs) were on the brink of extinction. These grasses included switchgrass, eastern …

Optimize Grazing--Minimize Stored Feed, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The title “Optimize Grazing – Minimize Stored Feed” appears to be a bit redundant at first glance. Indeed if we optimize grazing, we will certainly minimize the amount of stored feed required to winter our animals. Putting both concepts together can serve as a reminder of the tremendous benefit of both.

Grazing represents the cheapest source of nutrients for our beef industry. Several studies have shown that the best predictor of profitability in the beef industry is cost of stored feed. In Kentucky, specifically, that means cost/amount of hay required to winter on beef animals.

Foreword And Kfgc Award Winners [2003], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

Disulfide Bond Formation Involves A Quinhydrone-Type Charge–Transfer Complex, James Regeimbal, Stefan Gleiter, Bernard L. Trumpower, Chang-Ang Yu

Dartmouth Scholarship

The chemistry of disulfide exchange in biological systems is well studied. However, the detailed mechanism of how oxidizing equivalents are derived to form disulfide bonds in proteins is not clear. In prokaryotic organisms, it is known that DsbB delivers oxidizing equivalents through DsbA to secreted proteins. DsbB becomes reoxidized by reducing quinones that are part of the membrane-bound electron-transfer chains. It is this quinone reductase activity that links disulfide bond formation to the electron transport system. We show here that purified DsbB contains the spectral signal of a quinhydrone, a charge-transfer complex consisting of a hydroquinone and a quinone in …

The Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1alpha/Cxcr4 Ligand-Receptor Axis Is Critical For Progenitor Survival And Migration In The Pancreas., Ayse G. Kayali, Kurt Van Gunst, Iain L. Campbell, Aleksandr Stotland, Marcie Kritzik, Guoxun Liu, Malin Flodström-Tullberg, You-Qing Zhang, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

The SDF-1alpha/CXCR4 ligand/chemokine receptor pair is required for appropriate patterning during ontogeny and stimulates the growth and differentiation of critical cell types. Here, we demonstrate SDF-1alpha and CXCR4 expression in fetal pancreas. We have found that SDF-1alpha and its receptor CXCR4 are expressed in islets, also CXCR4 is expressed in and around the proliferating duct epithelium of the regenerating pancreas of the interferon (IFN) gamma-nonobese diabetic mouse. We show that SDF-1alpha stimulates the phosphorylation of Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Src in pancreatic duct cells. Furthermore, migration assays indicate a stimulatory effect of SDF-1alpha on ductal cell migration. Importantly, blocking …

Ecology Of Sceloporus Undulatus Speari (Sauria: Phrynosomatidae) From North-Central Chihuahua, Mexico, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Geoffrey R. Smith, Royce E. Ballinger, Hobart M. Smith

Papers in Herpetology

We studied the ecology of a population of Sceloporus undulatus speari from the Transmontane Sand Dune region of northern Chihuahua, México. Most of the individuals in our population used fence posts or yucca plants as perches and were only rarely seen on the ground. The majority of individuals in our population were seen in full sun, although a substantial number were in shade. Mean body temperature in our population was 35.2°C. Individuals first seen in full sun had lower T_bs than individuals first seen in shade. Lizards using different microhabitats (e.g., yucca vs. fence post) had different body …

Understanding Why Adult Participants At The World Senior Games Choose A Healthy Diet, Ray M. Merrill, Eric C. Shields

Faculty Publications

Identifying those seniors most likely to adopt a healthy diet, the relative importance they place on certain perceived benefits associated with a healthy diet, and whether these perceived benefits are associated with selected demographic, lifestyle, and health history variables is important for directing effective dietary health promotion programs. Methods: Analyses are based on a cross-sectional convenience sample of 670 seniors aged 50 years and older at the 2002 World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. Data are assessed using frequencies, bivariate analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly higher in individuals …

A Comparison Of Clearcut And Shelterwood Harvesting Effects On Understory Vegetation In Central Virginia Piedmont Forests, Lorelei J. Hartman

Theses & Honors Papers

I compared clearcutting and shelterwood harvesting effects on all understory vegetation (woody and nonwoody) in Piedmont hardwood forests. Clearcutting and shelterwood harvesting are both even.-aged management practices, put in contrast to clearcutting, the shelterwood method retains selected trees as partial canopy. The retained canopy is reported to be beneficial to desired tree species and restrict competition of undesired tree species, grasses and shrubs.·Research comparing the shelterwood method to clearcutting has been limited , particularly in hardwood forests. We collected data on understory plant communities in clearcut, low-leave shelterwood, and mature forest sites (not harvested in

at least 100 years). Percent …