Life Sciences Commons^™

Dark Wilderness A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Idea Of Cave Wilderness, Patricia E. Seiser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It has been almost forty years since the passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act and the establishment of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Forty years later, we still have not seen a wilderness that is not a surface environment. There exist neither subterranean nor marine wilderness areas. Efforts on behalf of cave wilderness have focused on the 1964 Wilderness Act legal definition of wilderness. Perhaps what is required is a different concept for the establishment of cave wilderness. This study explored the idea of cave wilderness from a human dimension perspective, via focus groups, using stakeholders from two cave regions …

Protocols For Disease Classification From Mass Spectrometry Data, Michael Wagner, Dayanand Naik, Alex Pothen

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

We report our results in classifying protein matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionizationtime of flight mass spectra obtained from serum samples into diseased and healthy groups. We discuss in detail five of the steps in preprocessing the mass spectral data for biomarker discovery, as well as our criterion for choosing a small set of peaks for classifying the samples. Cross-validation studies with four selected proteins yielded misclassification rates in the 10-15% range for all the classification methods. Three of these proteins or protein fragments are down-regulated and one up-regulated in lung cancer, the disease under consideration in this data set. When cross-validation studies …

Web Orientation Of The Banded Garden Spider Argiope Trifasciata (Araneae, Araneidae) In A California Coastal Population, Martina G. Ramirez

Biology Faculty Works

Magnetic heading (direction the spider’s ventrum faced) and web inclination (degree of slant from the vertical) in Argiope trifasciata Forska°l, a diurnal orb-weaving spider, were studied at a coastal site in southern California for nine weeks in fall 1999. Throughout the study, A. trifasciata largely occupied east-west oriented webs with their venters facing south and southwest. Mean magnetic heading was unaffected by ambient temperature extremes. Inclination levels varied from week to week over an approximately 58 range. However, these changes followed no discernible pattern and were independent both of the sun’s decrease in maximum altitude during the course of the …

Proteasome Inhibition Stabilizes Tau Inclusions In Oligodendroglial Cells That Occur After Treatment With Okadaic Acid, Deepa V. Dabir

Biology Faculty Works

Tau-positive inclusions in oligodendrocytes are consistent neuropathological features of corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, and frontotemporal dementias with Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. Here we show by immunohistochemistry that tau-positive oligodendroglial inclusion bodies also contain the small heat-shock protein (HSP) αB-crystallin but not H HSP70. To study the molecular mechanisms underlying inclusion body formation, we engineered an oligodendroglia cell line (OLN-t40) to overexpress the longest human tau isoform. Treatment of OLN-t40 cells with okadaic acid (OA), an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A, caused tau hyperphosphorylation and a decrease in the binding of tau to microtubules. Simultaneously, tau-positive aggregates that also …

Impact Of Egg Storage On Carbonic Anhydrase Activity During Early Embryogenesis In The Turkey, M. R. Bakst, L. Holm

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme that plays important roles in the conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate, acid-base balance, and in subembryonic fluid formation in the early Japanese quail embryo. While turkey egg storage longer than 10 d is known to increase the rate of embryo mortality, little is known of the biological mechanisms that contribute to this phenomenon. In this study, we examined the impact of turkey egg storage on carbonic anhydrase activity in the freshly laid egg through 72 h of incubation. Carbonic anhydrase activity, which was not affected by egg storage for 21 d at 18°C, was …

Understanding The Effect Of Rye Chromatin In Bread Wheat, A. M. Kumlay, P. Stephen Baenziger, K. S. Gill, D. R. Shelton, Robert A. Graybosch, A. J. Lukaszewski, D. M. Wesenberg

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Most experiments on 1RS translocations in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cannot separate the effects of introgressions of rye (Secale cereale L.) chromosome armfromthe absence of corresponding wheat chromosome arms. The objective of this research was to determine the contribution of individual wheat and rye group 1 chromosome arms. Five group 1 ditelosomics, six substitutions, and 16 translocations of 1R in wheat were compared with appropriate controls. All ditelosomics were significantly different from controls for 100-kernel weight (100-KW), flour protein content (FP), Mixograph peak time (MT) and tolerance (MTO), and sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation (SDSS) volume. Among the long …

Detection Of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli O157:H7 By Using A Multiplex Real-Time Pcr Assay For Genes Encoding Intimin And Shiga Toxins, Vijay K. Sharma, Evelyn A. Dean-Nystrom

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

A multiplex real-time PCR (R-PCR) assay was designed and evaluated on the ABI 7700 sequence detection system (TaqMan) to detect enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 in pure cultures, feces, and tissues. Three sets of primers and fluorogenic probes were used for amplification and real-time detection of a 106-bp region of the eae gene encoding EHEC O157:H7-specific intimin, and 150-bp and 200-bp segments of genes stx1 and stx2 encoding Shiga toxins 1 and 2, respectively. Analysis of 67 bacterial strains demonstrated that the R-PCR assay successfully distinguished EHEC O157:H7 serotype from non-O157 serotypes and provided accurate profiling of genes encoding intimin …

Quality Of Wheat Starch As A Function Of Waxy Protein Alleles, W. Kim, J. W. Johnson, Robert A. Graybosch, C. S. Gaines

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) quality tests (milling and baking quality) and starch characteristics (amylose concentration, X-ray diffractograms, thermal properties and pasting properties) were determined for eight granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS: waxy protein) genotypes in a soft wheat background. Lines carrying two null alleles showed reduced amylose concentrations relative to those of single null and wild-type lines. Milling and baking quality traits were clearly different between waxy (triple null) and the other genotypes. Waxy lines showed the highest alkaline water retention (AWRC) capacity; even though, the protein concentration was not significantly different from some double null and single null …

Watershed Vulnerability To Herbicide Transport In Northern Missouri And Southern Iowa Streams, R. N. Lerch, P. E. Blanchard

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Herbicide contamination of streams has been well documented, but little is currently known about the specific factors affecting watershed vulnerability to herbicide transport. The primary objectives of this study were (1) to document herbicide occurrence and transport from watersheds in the northern Missouri/ southern Iowa region; (2) to quantify watershed vulnerability to herbicide transport and relate vulnerability to soil properties; and (3) to compute the contribution of this region to the herbicide load of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Grab samples were collected under baseflow and runoff conditions at 21 hydrologic monitoring stations between April 15 and July 15 from …

Exploratory Surveys In Australia And Asia For Natural Enemies Of Old World Climbing Fern, Lygodium Microphyllum: Lygodiaceae, John A. Goolsby, Anthony D. Wright, Robert W. Pemberton

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Lygodium microphyllum, Old World climbing fern, is native to the wet tropics and subtropics of the Old World and an invasive weed in southern Florida. Exploration for natural enemies of this weed was conducted between 1997 and 2002 in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Two species of mites and 20 insect species were collected. The eriophyid mite, Floracarus perrepae Knihinicki and Boczek, was the most widely distributed and appeared to cause significant damage to the plant over time. Several unique geographical genotypes of F. perrepae were identified. Other promising candidates for …

Enhanced Bioremediation Of Soil Containing 2,4-Dinitrotoluene By A Genetically Modified Sinorhizobium Meliloti, Sisir K. Dutta, Gail P. Hollowell, Fawzy M. Hashem, L. David Kuykendall

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti, is well known for its ability to interact with the leguminous plant Medicago sativa L. It has, however, not been reported that this species possesses the capability to degrade toxic nitroaromatic compounds, such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) which is commonly associated with the degradation of the explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT). In this study, the pJS1 DNT-biodegradative plasmid was genetically transferred to S. meliloti strain USDA 1936, which was confirmed by plasmid profile analysis. Several standard analytical and chemical tests including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nitrite (NO2) release assays, rhizosphere population and plant greenhouse …

A Simple Character For Sex Differentiation Of Pupae And Pupil Exuviae Of The Dogwood Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), Tracy C. Leskey, J. Christopher Bergh

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The sex of dogwood borer pupae and pupal exuviae can be easily differentiated based on characteristics of the fused terminal abdominal segment. In males, it is composed of segments 8- 10 and has three distinct rows of posteriorly projecting spines. By contrast, in females, the fused terminal abdominal segment is composed of segments 7-10 and has four distinct rows of posteriorly projecting spines.

Upland Rice And Allelopathy, N. K. Fageria, V. C. Baligar

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) is mainly grown in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Yield potential of upland rice is quite low and invariably this crop is subjected to many environmental stresses. Further, when upland rice is grown in monoculture for more than two to three years on the same land, allelopathy or autotoxicity is frequently reported. Allelopathy involves complex plant and plant chemical interactions. The level of phytotoxicity of allelochemicals is influenced by abiotic and biotic soil factors. Adopting suitable management strategies in crop rotation can reduce or eliminate allelochemicals phytotoxicity. Rice yields can be improved by growing …

Leaching Of Phosphorus Fractions Following Manure Or Compost Application, Bahman Eghball

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) leaching in manure-amended soil can be influenced by the P fractions added when manure or composted manure is applied. This study was conducted to determine leaching of different P fractions following beef cattle feedlot manure or compost application. Manure and composted manure were applied to meet the nitrogen (N) or P needs of corn (Zea mays L.) for either a one or two-yr period. Fertilized plots and unfertilized control plots were also used. The P-based treatments also received additional N fertilizer. Soil P fractions were determined for various soil depth increments. After 4 years of manure and …

Analysis Of Phycotoxin And Mycotoxin, Contaminants In Foods, Using Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry Techniques, Ana Brana Magdalena

Theses

The impact of phycotoxins and mycotoxins on human and animal health are of important concern for worldwide authorities and the scientific community. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques have been developed, optimised and validated for the analysis of these toxins.

Phycotoxins are potentially toxic substances, which are produced by marine phytoplankton and which may accumulate in shellfish or finfish. Azaspiracid poisoning (AZP) is a recently discovered syndrome that has been implicated in several incidents of human intoxications. A study was undertaken to examine the distribution of azaspiracids (AZA) in scallops {Pecten maximiis) and mussels {Mytiliis edulis). Domoic acid (DA) is an …

Development Of An Automated Thiopurine Methyltransferase (Tpmt) Genotyping Assay, Mary Corcoran

Theses

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyses the S- methylation of aromatic and sulphydryl compounds known as the thiopurines. These therapeutic agents are used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory bowel disease and organ transplant recipients.

Erythrocyte TPMT activity is polymorphic and patients with intermediate or deficient TPMT are at significant risk for excessive toxicity after receiving ‘standard’ doses of thiopurine medications. The activity of TPMT is inherited as an autosomal co-dominant trait. Several mutations in the TPMT gene have been described that correlate with a low activity phenotype. Three mutations G238C, G460A and …

Integrated Arthropod Pest Management Systems For Human Health Improvement In Africa, Johann Baumgärtner, Fritz Schulthess, Yunlong Xia

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In a sub-Saharan African context, limited natural resources, infectious diseases, including those transmitted by arthropod vectors, and chronic exposure to food contaminated with mycotoxin-producing fungi which, among others, are vectored by insects, are among the major constraints to human health. Thus, pest control should be an important component in human health improvement projects. It appears that the advantages of preventive over curative methods are rarely recognised in Africa, with more emphasis being given to the search for the 'silver bullet' than to integrated control approaches. Integrated pest management (IPM) systems can be assigned to different decision-making levels as well as …

Isoflavanones From The Allelopathic Aqueous Root Exudate Of Desmodium Uncinatum, Muniru K. Tsanuo, Ahmed Hassanali, Antony M. Hooper, Zeyaur Khan, Festus Kaberia, John A. Pickett, Lester J. Wadhams

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Three isoflavanones, 5,7,2′,4′ -tetrahydroxy-6-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)isoflavanone (1), 4″,5″ -dihydro-5,2′,4′-trihydroxy-5″-isopropenylfurano-(2″, 3″;7,6)-isoflavanone (2) and 4″,5″-dihydro-2′ -methoxy-5,4′-dihydroxy-5″-isopropenylfurano-(2″,3″;7,6) -isoflavanone (3) and a previously known isoflavone 5,7,4′ -trihydroxyisoflavone [genistein (4)] were isolated and characterised spectroscopically from the root exudate of the legume Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC. We propose the names uncinanone A, B, and C for compounds 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Isolated fractions containing uncinanone B (2) induced germination of seeds from the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. and fractions containing uncinanone C (3) moderately inhibited radical growth, the first example of a newly identified potential allelopathic mechanism to prevent S. hermonthica parasitism. © 2003 …

The Characteristics Of Consumers And Producers Using Farmers’ Markets, Walter Hugo Anez, Michael R. Thomsen

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

This study examines the perceptions of both consumers and producers towards farmers’ markets. Consumer perceptions are generalized from several previous studies conducted throughout the United States. Producer information was gathered through a survey of members of one farmers’ market in Arkansas. Previous studies, conducted in both rural and urban areas, indicate that the typical famers’ market customer is well educated and is of higher than average income. These consumers place great importance on quality of produce, knowledge that produce is grown locally, and the social interaction obtained through the farmers’ market experience. For producers, the farmers’ market is an important …

Effects Of Virus Infection On Release Of Volatile Organic Compounds From Insect-Damaged Bean, Phaseolus Vulgaris, Sarah E. Sossamon, Britney K. Jackson, B. Alison Drumwright, Kenneth L. Korth, Gisela F. Erf

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Insects can serve as important vectors of plant pathogens, especially viruses. Insect feeding on plants causes the systemic release of a wide range of plant volatile compounds that can serve as an indirect plant defense by attracting natural enemies of the herbivorous insect. Previous work suggests that the Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) prefers to feed on plants infected by either of two viruses that it is known to transmit: Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV) or Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV). A possible explanation for the preferred feeding on virus-infected tissues is that the beetles are attracted by volatile signals …

Evaluation Of Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd) At Different Spacings Between Furrows And Plants In The Mamani Community, José Ferrufino Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed spacing between furrows and plants in the cultivation of the quinoa variety Patacamaya. This study took place from 1999 to 2000 in the Mamani community, Ingavi, La Paz, Bolivia. The Patacamaya variety is a cross between Samaranti (sweet) and Kaslala (bitter), with a vegetative cycle of 145 days (semi-early). It has large grains, is sweet, and has a high grain yield. The spaces between furrows were 40, 60, and 80 cm in an experimental design of randomly divided plots with four repetitions. The spaces between furrows were implemented in large plots and the plant spaces as sub-treatments …

Design And Application Of A Nutrition Education Program Based On A Test Of Improved Practices For Pregnant Women And Women Of Childbearing Age In La Rinconada And Cuambo, Odila Nicaragua

Theses and Dissertations

This study was done with the objective of designing and applying a nutrition education program based on a test of improved practices for pregnant women and women of childbearing age in the rural communities of Ibarra canton: La Riconada and Cuambo. For this, information was collected on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding the eating habits of pregnant women. These results were used to identify content and recommendations to reinforce and/or instruct about eating during pregnancy. Nutrition education was based on the methodology of the improved practices test, which consisted of testing the recommendations in families' homes before recommending them …

Antibodies Against Affinity-Purified, Surface-Exposed Outer Membrane Proteins Of Edwardsiella Ictaluri Block Invasion Into Fathead Minnow Epithelial Cells, Ramona T. Skirpstunas, Thomas J. Baldwin

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Surface-exposed outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Edwardsiella ictaluri were isolated by selective solubilization of inner membrane proteins from total membrane preparations. Purification of biotin-labeled, insoluble, surface-exposed proteins using streptavidin columns was performed, and single-dimension sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) showed four major OMPs, with apparent molecular weights of 22, 31, 59, and 72 kilodaltons (kDa). Purified surface-exposed proteins corresponded to proteins isolated from total outer membrane preparations resolved by SDS–PAGE, showing that surface-exposed proteins are within the outer membrane fraction and can be successfully isolated using affinity purification. Polyclonal antiserum against these surface-exposed OMPs was produced in New Zealand …

Physical Properties Of Down Fiber Obtained From Hair X Angora (B_1) Crossbred Goats, Zeynep Erdoğan, Gürsel Dellal, Feryal Söylemezoğlu, Ali̇ Murat Tatar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this research some physical characteristics of down fibers obtained from hair x Angora (B_1) crossbred goat were examined. The diameter of fiber, natural length, real length and number of crimps of the down fibers were 20.08±0.50 µ, 3.77±0.17 cm, 6.22±0.23 cm and 9.79±0.34, respectively. In addition the strongest color determined in this research were white (63.93%) and light brown (18.03%). According to the diameter of fiber, the down fibers of hair goats induded cashmere (55.33%) cashgora (24.03%) and mohair (20.64%).

The Effect Of Thyroidectomy On Sexual Cycle And Pregnancy Rates In Rats, Ali̇ Ri̇şvanli, Muhterem Aydin, Erdal Kaygusuzoğlu, Hüseyi̇n Ti̇murkan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

We investigated the effect of hypothyroidism caused by thyroidectomy on the sexual cycle and pregnancy rates in rats. Twenty female rats were divided into two groups. The thyroid glands were totally extirpated in the first group (n = 10). An operation was performed but the thyroid glands were not extirpated in the second group (n = 10). In both groups, the differences in vaginal cytology were examined daily with vaginal irrigation, for 1 month starting 3 days after the operation. Preparations from the vaginal irrigation were stained with Giemsa. A male rat was placed in the cage containing the female …

The Flora Of Hatila Valley National Park And Its Close Environs (Artvin), Özgür Emi̇nağaoğlu, Rahi̇m Anşi̇n

Turkish Journal of Botany

This investigation was carried out between 1994 and 1997 in order to contribute to knowledge on Artvin's flora. The Artvin area reflects the eastern part of the Black Sea region's rich floristic composition. The research area under review is in the Colchic province of the Euro-Siberian floristic area in the Holarctic region and is found in the A8 square according to grid system of Davis. In the studied area, 769 taxa belonging to 374 genera and 95 families were determined. Of the 769 taxa, 26 Pteridophytes and 743 Spermatophytes were detected. Spermatophytes also contained 10 Gymnospermae and 733 Angiospermae taxa. …

Macrofungi Flora Of Bozkır District (Konya), Si̇nan Aktaş, Celaleddi̇n Öztürk, Giyasetti̇n Kaşik, Şükrü Sabahlar, Hasan Hüseyi̇n Doğan

Turkish Journal of Botany

The macrofungi specimens were collected from different localities of the Bozkır (Konya) district in 2000-2001, particularly during autumn and spring. As a result of these field and laboratory studies, 74 species belonging to 23 families were identified. Of these, seven belong to Ascomycetes and 67 belong to Basidiomycetes.

An Examination Of Relationships Between Vegetation And Rainfall Using Maximum Value Composite Avhrr-Ndvi Data, Murat Karabulut

Turkish Journal of Botany

Global vegetation monitoring with remotely sensed data has the potential of improving our knowledge about the characteristics and spatial distribution of the earth's land cover. The purpose of this study was to assess vegetation response to different rainfall regimes using bi-weekly MVC (Maximum Value Composite) AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) data. The results from this research showed that the NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) has the potential for evaluating vegetation state, which is related to seasonal variations in climatic conditions. Extreme climatic events such as droughts and abundant moisture conditions can have a strong impact on vegetation development and …

The Flora Of Agricultural Areas And Their Environs In Çanakkale (Lapseki-Ezine), İsmet Uysal, Ersi̇n Karabacak, Özcan Seçmen, Sevi̇l Oldacay

Turkish Journal of Botany

This work was carried out in the agricultural areas of Çanakkale (Lapseki-Ezine) and environs between 1999 and 2001. The study area is suitable for plant species richness because of its microclimate, soil and intensive agricultural activities. A total taxa of 267 were identified belonging to Pteridophyta (one taxon), Gymnospermae (four taxa) and Angiospermae (262 taxa). Of these, 205 taxa of Angiospermae are in Magnoliopsida and 57 taxa of Liliopsida. The phytogeographical spectrums of taxa are as follows: Mediterranean elements, 61 taxa (22.8%); East-Mediterranean elements, 20 taxa (7.5%); Euro-Siberian elements, 15 taxa (5.6%); and Irano-Turanian elements, five taxa (1.9%). The results …

On The Presence Of Heterocapsa Pygmaea A.R.Loebl. (Peridiniales, Dinophyceae) In The Northern Levantine Basin (Eastern Mediterranean), Zahi̇t Uysal, Mitsunori Iwataki, Tufan Koray

Turkish Journal of Botany

The presence of the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa pygmaea A.R.Loebl. in bloom quantity is reported for the first time from Mersin Bay (northern Levantine basin, eastern Mediterranean). Further, it is the only species of the family Heterocapsaceae reported from Turkish seas (southern Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea, and north-eastern Mediterranean). Our observations on the fine structure of the body scale of the specimen suggested that the scale morphology is identical to that of H. pygmaea.