Life Sciences Commons^™

Does An Exotic Invasive Grass Facilitate The Invasion Of A Woody Species Into Remnant Prairies?: A Study Of The Native, Prosopis Glandulosa And The Alien, Sorghum Halapense, Amie E. Treuer

Biology Theses - Archive

The native tree, Prosopis glandulosa, and the exotic grass, Sorghum halepense, have been invading native prairies in the Southwest U.S. since the 1800s. My objectives were to determine if S. halepense was driving shifts in the abiotic and biotic structure of a native prairie and in doing so facilitating the invasion of P. glandulosa. Both field and greenhouse experiments were established to address these objectives. The presence of S. halepense lowered light and increased soil N in the field relative to the native prairie. Plant species diversity and the number of woody species were higher in an invaded zone than …

Extended Visions, November/December 2006

Extended Visions Newsletter (ARDC)

Contents:
ARDC Director's Comments
ARDC Feature Unit – ARDC Administration
About the People
ASSIST Business Center Focuses on Service
Technology Capabilities at the ARDC
Calendar of Events
Embracing Holiday Nutrition
How We Spent Our Summer at the ARDC
Mead Magnet School Update
FFA “Families”
Nebraska Soybean Day and Machinery Expo Friday, Dec. 8
Upcoming Workshops for Acreage Owners Nebraska Friendly Landscapes
Wanted: Master Gardeners

Implicit Online Learning With Kernels, Li Cheng, S. V. N. Vishwanathan, Dale Schuurmans, Shaojun Wang, Terry Caelli

Kno.e.sis Publications

We present two new algorithms for online learning in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. Our first algorithm, ILK (implicit online learning with kernels), employs a new, implicit update technique that can be applied to a wide variety of convex loss functions. We then introduce a bounded memory version, SILK (sparse ILK), that maintains a compact representation of the predictor without compromising solution quality, even in non-stationary environments. We prove loss bounds and analyze the convergence rate of both. Experimental evidence shows that our proposed algorithms outperform current methods on synthetic and real data.

Responses To Salinity Of Color Polymorphs In Two Populations Of The Sea Star, Pisaster Achraceus, Viren Johann Perumal

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Pisaster ochraceus was analyzed to determine if varying salinities, animal color, or location affect the physiology of these sea stars. The three responses analyzed were aerobic respiration, ammonia excretion, and self-righting. The tested variables included two different color morphs (orange and purple) of P. ochraceus, two different locations (open coast and inland straits) in Washington State, and three salinities (22, 30, and 40 psu).

Wet mass-specific oxygen consumption rates were not significantly affected by color, location, or salinity, and Dry mass-specific oxygen consumption rates showed no significant differences for main effects, but a three-way interaction was identified. Similarly, ammonia …

Conservation Taxonomy Of The Cuban Parrot: Morphological, Plumage And Flight Call Variation, M. Bryant J. Reynolds

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Conservation taxonomy, the study of organismal classification to clarify conservation priorities, seeks to define species and subspecies limits. Allopatric populations, such as those present on islands, pose special challenges to identifying taxonomic boundaries that can be be addressed using diagnostic criteria. Because some of the island populations of Cuban Parrot (Amazona leucocephala) are highly endangered, the five recognized subspecies need careful reevaluation. I measured 18 morphological and plumage characters from 188 museum specimens representing the six extant and one extirpated island populations. I also examined 11 spectrographic characters from the flight calls of 23 parrots representing all six …

Karyotypes Of Eight Species Of Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) With A Description Of A New Karyotype For The Genus, Renata Cecília Amaro-Ghilardi, Gabriel Skuk, Rafael O. De Sá, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues, Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda

Biology Faculty Publications

Karyotypes of eight species of Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) with a description of a new karyotype for the genus. Eight species of the Neotropical genus Leptodactylus were karyologically studied: seven of them (L. gracilis, L. mystacinus, L. petersii, L. pustulatus, L. macrosternum, L. ocellatus, L. labyrinthicus) presented 2n=22 and L. silvanimbus showed a distinctive karyotype with 2n=24. Nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) were detected in two different pairs of chromosomes: pair 4 at the proximal region of the long arm of one individual of L. mystacinus from São Paulo state and of L. petersii; and …

An In Vitro Model Of Ovarian Cancer: Studying The Effects Of Talc And Pycnogenol®, Amber Renée Buz'zard

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer and accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. The American Cancer Society has suggested that poor diet, talc and industrial pollutants may increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Talc is ubiquitous and concern is raised about its safety, role as a possible carcinogen and known ability to cause irritation and inflammation. Due to the silent nature of ovarian cancer, chemoprevention is a high priority. The most useful chemopreventive compounds will inhibit, delay or reverse carcinogenesis, and can be taken for long periods of time with …

Characterization Of Microbial Populations In The Subsurface, Mark P. Buttner, Patricia Cruz, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This task is part of a cooperative agreement between the UNLV Research Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy (#DE-FC28-04RW12237) titled “Yucca Mountain Groundwater Characterization”. The work was conducted in the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, Microbiology Division of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2006. The overall goal of this research was to investigate the phenomena that affect the fate and transport of radionuclides in the environment. The purpose of this task (ORD-RF-01), “Characterization of Microbial Activity”, was to develop a molecular biological method for the characterization of the microbial population …

Validation Of A 5k Age And Weight Run Handicap Model, Paul M. Vanderburgh, Lloyd L. Laubach

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Though increasing age and body weight (BW) have been widely known to be associated with slower distance run times, the common convention in 5K road races is to categorize competitors by age and, sometimes, BW. This has the disadvantage of assigning only small numbers of competitors to age categories and giving advantage to runners close to the minimum age or BW values allowable. Using recent advances in the modeling of distance run performance by BW combined with empirical evidence quantifying the independent effect of age on cardiovascular endurance, we previously published the derivation of the 5K Handicap (5KH), an age …

Green Is Better, Winston J. Craig

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Annual Progress Report, 2006, Agricultural Experiment Station

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This document highlights 24 crop and livestock research and demonstration reports from projects conducted at Southeast Research Farm in 2006. It is published by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service at South Dakota State University in cooperation with the Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Corporation. Reports in this document include information on: temperatures and precipitation data, corn production and performance, soybean research and planting, soil testing, alfalfa yield test, fertilizer testing, herbicide research, crop rotation, sorghum, small grains, livestock research, and pest and weed control.

Genomeblast: A Web Tool For Small Genome Comparison, Guoqing Lu, Liying Jiang, Resa M. K. Helikar, Thaine W. Rowley, Luwen Zhang, Xianfeng Chen, Etsuko N. Moriyama

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Comparative genomics has become an essential approach for identifying homologous gene candidates and their functions, and for studying genome evolution. There are many tools available for genome comparisons. Unfortunately, most of them are not applicable for the identification of unique genes and the inference of phylogenetic relationships in a given set of genomes.

Results: GenomeBlast is a Web tool developed for comparative analysis of multiple small genomes. A new parameter called "coverage" was introduced and used along with sequence identity to evaluate global similarity between genes. With GenomeBlast, the following results can be obtained: (1) unique genes in each …

A New Genus Of Moss-Inhabiting Flea Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) From The Dominican Republic, Alexander S. Konstantinov, Maria Lourdes Chamorro-Lacayo

USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Kiskeya new genus and two new species (K. baorucae and K. neibae), from the Dominican Republic are described and illustrated. Kiskeya is compared to Monotalla Bechyne, Normaltica Konstantinov, and Clavicornaltica Scherer. Geographic ranges in which Greater Antillean endemics have closest relatives in the Old World are discussed.

Presentation Of The 2006 Asp Distinguished Service Award To Lillian Mayberry, Robin M. Overstreet

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Presentation of the 2006 American Society of Parasitologists Distinguished Service Award to Lillian Mayberry, of the University of Texas at El Paso, at the 11th International Congress of Parasitology in Glasgow, Scotland.

Original Investigation Correlated Joint Fluctuations Can Influence The Selection Of Steady State Gait Patterns In The Elderly, Max J. Kurz, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

This investigation utilized a Markov model to investigate the relationship of correlated lower extremity joint fluctuations and the selection of a steady state gait pattern in the young and elderly. Our model simulated the neuromuscular system by predicting the behavior of the joints for the next gait cycle based on the behavior exhibited in the preceding gait cycles. Such dependencies in the joint fluctuations have been noted previously in the literature. We speculated that compared to the young model, the characteristics of the correlated fluctuations in the elderly model would result in the selection of a different steady state gait …

Comparative Perspectives On The Functions Of Sleep, John A. Lesku

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous comparative studies of sleep identified relationships between sleep and constitutive and ecological variables. Results from these studies helped shape early hypotheses for the function of sleep; however, all were conducted without an explicit phylogenetic or theoretic framework and focused exclusively on mammals. Hence, the validity of their results and applicability to other taxa is unclear. We ( 1) reviewed the literature on sleep in animals, (2) updated and reanalyzed the mammalian dataset using independent contrasts and (3) multivariate path analysis, and ( 4) presented the first quantitative analysis of sleep in a non-mammalian taxon: birds. Following previous mammalian analyses, …

Ammonium And Ergosterol Production And Chitinolytic Enzyme Activities Of Urban And Rural Isolates Of Two Common Decomposer Fungi, Hai Li

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased temperature in urban areas compared to rural areas is known as the urban heat island (UHi) effect. The effects of UHI on ecosystem processes can indicate the potential effects of global warming on processes such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, etc. It was reported that the urban isolates of two fungal species ( Chrysosporium pannorum and Trichoderma koningii) appeared to have adapted to higher temperatures in urban oak forest compared to rural isolates. Since these fungi decompose chitin, releasing ammonium, the apparent adaptation of these fungi to higher temperatures is probably due to increased chitinolytic enzyme activity …

Winter Behavior Of Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus) In A Building Roost: Intermittent Feeding, Passive Rewarming, And Energy Conservation, Amy L. Fairbairn

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated the use of torpor and arousals during winter of 2005 - 2006 by freeliving big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) by measuring skin temperature (remotely using data loggers) and used those measurements to estimate winter energy expenditure. Torpor bouts lasted for a mean of 3 .3 days ( d) with a mean of 3 .6 d and 2.2 d for males and females, respectively. There was no correlation between ambient temperature (Ta) during torpor and torpor bout length, but there was a significant correlation between Ta and length of the active period. Arousals lasted on average 5.0 hours (h). …

A Kinematic Analysis Of Sprint Starts With Varied Starting Block Foot Placement Widths, Jesse Lee Rhoades

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of relative lateral foot placement in the starting blocks on the sprint start. The sprinting kinematics during the first four steps out of the blocks were examined. Eight females from the a Midwest University Track and Field team performed sprint starts using a pair of modified Fusion I starting blocks. These starting blocks were made in double wide configuration to accommodate a variety of foot placements. Foot placements were determined using relative hip to ankle angle. Experimental hip-ankle angles were± five degrees (Narrow/Wide), and zero degrees (neutral). The sprinters were recorded with four cameras at …

Watch The Drinking Water Quality Of Calves Reared In Individual Hutches, R. D. Wiedmeier

All Current Publications

Those involved in livestock production have often observed the relationship between drinking water intake, dry matter intake and performance.

Habitat Selection Responses Of Parents To Offspring Predation Risk: An Experimental Test, Joseph J. Fontaine, Thomas E. Martin

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

The ability of nest predation to influence habitat settlement decisions in birds is widely debated, despite its importance in limiting fitness. Here, we experimentally manipulated nest predation risk across a landscape and asked the question, do migratory birds assess and respond to variation in nest predation risk when choosing breeding habitats? We examined habitat preference by quantifying the density and settlement date of eight species of migratory passerines breeding in areas with and without intact nest predator communities. We found consistently more individuals nesting in areas with reduced nest predation than in areas with intact predator assemblages, although predation risk …

Integration Without Unification: An Argument For Pluralism In The Biological Sciences, Sandra D. Mitchell, Michael R. Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

In this article, we consider the tension between unification and pluralism in biological theory. We begin with a consideration of historical efforts to establish a unified understanding of evolution in the neo‐Darwinian synthesis. The fragmentation of the evolutionary synthesis by molecular evolution suggests the limitations of the general unificationist ideal for biology but not necessarily for integrating explanations. In the second half of this article, we defend a specific variety of pluralism that allows for the integration required for explanations of complex phenomena without unification on a large scale.

Evidence Of Influenza A Virus Rna In Siberian Lake Ice, Scott O. Rogers, Gang Zhang, Dany Shoham, David Gilchinsky, Sergei Davydov, John D. Castello

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Influenza A virus infects a large proportion of the human population annually, sometimes leading to the deaths of millions. The biotic cycles of infection are well characterized in the literature, including in studies of populations of humans, poultry, swine, and migratory waterfowl. However, there are few studies of abiotic reservoirs for this virus. Here, we report the preservation of influenza A virus genes in ice and water from high-latitude lakes that are visited by large numbers of migratory birds. The lakes are along the migratory flight paths of birds flying into Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. The data suggest …

Caustic Treatment Of The Pulp: Caustic Recovery By Reverse Osmosis, Miroslav Suchy

Masters Theses

The benefit of caustic treatment on changing cellulose properties has long been known. When the treated pulp is later intended for use in personal or in health care product industries, it is important that all residual chemicals are removed and that the pure cellulose or carbohydrate portion of the pulp remains. The removal is usually facilitated by washing. Due to the low caustic concentration in the washing filtrates the removal of the excess water by standard techniques such as evaporation would not be economical.

The main objective of this investigation was to evaluate the concept of using reverse osmosis for …

A Review Of Polylekithum Arnold, 1934 And Its Familial Affinities Using Morphological And Molecular Data, With Description Of Polylekithum Catahoulensis Sp Nov., Stephen S. Curran, Vasyl V. Tkach, Robin M. Overstreet

Faculty Publications

The type material of Polylekithum ictaluri, P. halli, and Maculifer chandleri was examined from the United States National Parasite Museum, and we determined that the material was conspecific, making P. halli and M. chandleri junior subjective synonyms of P. ictaluri. Polylekithum catahoulensis sp. nov. was described from material collected from catfishes at the Catahoula Wildlife Refuge, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana, USA, and compared with P. ictaluri collected from catfishes in Reelfoot Lake, Obion County, Tennessee, USA, and the Pearl River, Hancock County, Mississippi, USA. Polylekithum catahoulensis had smaller eggs (77–88 μm long by 51–63 μm wide vs. 94–108 μm by …

Perennial Pastures For Western Australia, Geoff Allan Moore, Paul Sanford, Tim Wiley

Bulletins 4000 -

The aim of this project was to identify potential new perennial legumes and grasses to complement lucerne in phase farming and to identify the role and potential for perennial grasses in Western Australia.

Feeding And Managing Sheep In Dry Times, Ian Mcfarland, Mandy Curnow, Mike Hyder, Brian Ashton, Danny Roberts

Bulletins 4000 -

Feeding sheep is a significant cost to any sheep or mixed farm enterprise in southern Australia. The cost is usually managed by annually sourcing feed on-farm. However, this feed source can become scarce when we experience unusual dry spells within seasons (termed a 'dry season', such as a dry winter or spring), a late break to the season, a drought year, or even worse, successive drought years.

Climate change research suggests that southern Australia will experience higher annual temperatures and a decline in mean growing season rainfall (particularly winter and spring) over the coming decades. This will affect the productivity …

Functional Ankle Instability Does Not Effect The Average Center Of Pressure Position In The Coronal Plane, Jessica A. Presnell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: It is not known if functionally unstable ankles have a different medial to lateral center of pressure placement compared to the contralateral uninjured limb. Objective: To compare the average medial/lateral position of the center of pressure, from the midline of the foot, in functionally unstable ankles to the contralateral uninjured ankle. Design: A 1 X 2 within subject design guided this study. The independent variable was ankle health (functional ankle instability or uninjured). Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-six, physically-active, volunteers who suffer from unilateral functional ankle instability (F AI) [M: 10 F: 16 age: 21±2.1 y ht: …

Three Perspectives On Neutrality And Drift In Molecular Evolution, Michael Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

This article offers three contrasting cases of the use of neutrality and drift in molecular evolution. In the first, neutrality is assumed as a simplest case for modeling. In the second and third, concepts of drift and neutrality are developed within the context of population genetics testing and the development and application of the molecular clock.

Outsiders As Innovators In The Life Sciences, Michael Dietrich

Dartmouth Scholarship

An introduction to the book Outsider Scientists: Routes to Innovation in Biology edited by Oren Harman and Michael Dietrich