Life Sciences Commons^™

Intsormil: International Expertise Benefits U.S. Sorghum And Pearl Millet Producers, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

While USAID is focused on international assistance and outreach, the Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSPs) also benefit farmers in the United States. By establishing strong relationships with national agricultural research systems in other nations, U.S. research collaborators gain access to knowledge and expertise in crops native to these countries. Thus, the CRSPs effectively operate as a two way street, extending U.S. scientific and research expertise to collaborating nations while receiving valuable insight and access to germplasm from other production environments for U.S. agricultural deployment.

INTSORMIL CRSP principal investigators, located at leading U.S. universities (Kansas State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Purdue, Texas …

Some Preservation Techniques For (Deep Water) Coral Samples For Subsequent Molecular Studies: A Special Supplement From Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Reports

Around the time that the thirteen original Atlantic colonies were fighting for independence from Britain, there existed little agreement among naturalists as to the nature of corals. Were they inanimate (stones), plants, animals, or intermediate between the latter two (zoophytes)? This diversity of definition and opinions undoubtedly produced considerable confusion and disagreement among naturalists interested in such things. The symbiotic nature of algal cells in the tissues of some corals was also not well understood. It was not until the Darwinian period in the nineteenth century that little doubt remained, and therefore it was generally agreed, that corals were actually …

Anti-Viral Activity Of Quillaja Saponaria Molina Extracts Against Hiv-1 And Hiv-2, Jennifer Lee Sprayberry

Biology Theses - Archive

It has been well established that extracts from the bark of the South American tree Quillaja saponaria Molina have the capacity to stimulate strong immune responses against exogenous antigen when used as an adjuvant. However, the anti-viral capacity of Q. saponins has not been well established. We document the anti-viral capacity of Quillaja saponaria extracts against HIV-1 and HIV-2. The extract appeared to interact with the gp120 subunit of HIV-1 and HIV-2 to produce a low anti-viral effect by blocking viral attachment. The extract was also observed to coat cells in a time dependent manner and block attachment to CD4 …

Forage News [2006-08], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• KFGC Awards Nominations
• Forage Spokesman Nominations
• UK Robinson Station to Host College of Ag Field Day
• Kentucky Department of Agriculture Forage Testing Program
• More Hay…..
• Guidelines for Successful Forage Establishment
• Upcoming Events

Population Genetics Of Phanaeus Vindex And P. Difformis And Congruence With Morphology Across A Geographic Zone Of Species Overlap, Aaron Michael Dickey

Biology Theses - Archive

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) reveal that the rainbow scarabs Phanaeus vindex (MacLeay) and Phanaeus difformis (LeConte) are distinct evolutionary units which occur in sympatry at the Fort Worth Nature Center. The genetic structure at this location is distinctly bimodal with strong segregation of taxa based on soil type. In addition, certain allele frequencies within P. vindex locations exhibited a significant correlation with a precipitation gradient and other allele frequencies within P. vindex locations were significantly different on loam soil than on both sand and clay soils. Phanaeus vindex and P. difformis exhibit continuous morphological character states between two extremes, …

Extended Visions, July/August 2006

Extended Visions Newsletter (ARDC)

Contents:
ARDC Director's Comments
ARDC FEATURE UNIT - Nebraska Forestry Service Fire Shop
About the People
NFS Rural Fire Protection Program Provides Rural Fire Districts with Tools, Training and Equipment
Providing Equipment Through Federal Excess Property Program
2005 Program Impacts
Best Wishes to Connie Reimers-Hild
Calendar of Events
Late Season Crop Management Diagnostic Clinic at the ARDC
Mead Magnet School Update
Landscaping with Bulbs
Preventing the Meal Time Blues: Dealing with a Picky Eater
Saunders County Fair Schedule
Solution Days Moves to New Location
Soybean Management Field Days Comes to Wahoo Area Aug. 18

The Land Conservation Plan For New Hampshire's Coastal Watershed, M. Zankel, C. Copeland, P. Ingraham, J. Robinson, C. Sinnott, D. Sundquist, T. Walker, J. Alford

PREP Reports & Publications

Spanning 990 square miles and 46 towns, New Hampshire’s coastal watersheds harbor exceptional and irreplaceable natural, cultural, recreational and scenic resources (Figure 1). To advance the long-term protection of these resources, the State of New Hampshire, acting through the NH Coastal Program and the NH Estuaries Project, sought to develop a comprehensive, science-based land conservation plan for our coastal watersheds. The State engaged a partnership of The Nature Conservancy, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Rockingham Planning Commission, and Strafford Regional Planning Commission to develop the plan. The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Piscataqua Region supported this effort as …

National Pork Producers Council Maternal Line National Genetic Evaluation Program: A Comparison Of Sow Longevity And Trait Associations With Sow Longevity, T. Serenius, K. J. Stalder, T. J. Baas, J. W. Mabry, R. N. Goodwin, R. K. Johnson, O. W. Robison, M. Tokach, R. K. Miller

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Data from the National Pork Producers Council Maternal Line National Genetic Evaluation Program were used to compare longevity of sows from 6 commercial genetic lines and to estimate the phenotypic associations of sow longevity with gilt backfat thickness, ADG, age at first farrowing, litter size at first farrowing, litter weight at first farrowing, average feed intake during lactation, and average backfat loss during lactation. The lines evaluated were American Diamond Genetics, Danbred North America, Dekalb-Monsanto DK44, Dekalb-Monsanto GPK347, Newsham Hybrids, and National Swine Registry. The data set contained information from 3,251 gilts, of which 17% had censored longevity records (sows …

Frozen Beetle Treats Are Environmentally Friendly, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

At my rural household, the most vexatious insect pest has got to be the ubiquitous Japanese beetle. Native to Japan, these pests have infested most of eastern North America, with isolated infestations appearing in some western states. One reason that Japanese beetles are so bad is that they deliver a double-whammy: the larvae (grubs) consume roots and are particularly destructive of turf and pasture grasses while the adults consume leaves and flowers of a wide variety of plants, leaving behind skeletonized versions of the plant parts consumed.

Changes In Microbial Community Structure Of Petroleum Contaminated Sediments Are Reflected In Subsurface Geophysical Signatures, Jonathan P. Allen

Masters Theses

Petroleum contamination of sediments leads to dynamic changes in the subsurface. These include changes in the microbiota as well as in the subsurface geophysical and geochemical properties. Anomalously high conductivity values observed in subsurface zones contaminated with light non aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) have been suggested to be the result of microbial activity. Therefore, we investigated the interdependence between geoelectrical signatures and microbial community structure in petroleum contaminated field sediments and laboratory column experiments. Spatial and temporal changes in electrical conductivity of the subsurface paralleled changes in microbial community composition, with the highest conductivity values concomitant with specific anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading …

Identification And Characterization Of Cellular Targets Of The Bacterial Cytotoxin Yopt In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Paul David Caccamo

Masters Theses

Human pathogenic Yersinia spp. utilize Type III Secretion to deliver six effector proteins into host cells. The injected proteins resemble eukaryotic signal transduction molecules and are capable of disrupting signaling pathways in order to subvert the functions of the targeted cell or disrupt communication with surrounding cells. As a result, bacterial invaders are not only able to survive the threat of a host immune response, but can thrive despite it. YopT is a cysteine protease that cleaves RhoGTPases, releasing them from the membrane and thus from their role as initiators of signaling pathways, including the nucleation of actin and …

Nhep Data Management Plan, Phil Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

A goal of the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) and its monitoring program is to promote a cooperative effort by all agencies and organizations who participate in monitoring activities, in order to maximize the usefulness of current monitoring efforts and available data. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to effectively manage the large volume of existing information as well as new information that will be developed through the NHEP monitoring program. Data and information about NH’s estuaries now exists in multiple formats within a variety of organizations. Existing monitoring programs are designed to meet the missions of the various …

Changes In Ventilatory Threshold At High Altitude: Effect Of Antioxidants, Andrew W. Subudi, Kevin A. Jacobs, Todd A. Hagobian, Jill A. Fattor, Stephen R. Muza, Charles S. Fulco, Allen Cymerman, Anne L. Friedlander

Kinesiology and Public Health

Purpose: To investigate the effects of prolonged hypoxia and antioxidant supplementation on ventilatory threshold (VT) during high-altitude (HA) exposure (4300 m).
Methods: Sixteen physically fit males (25 ± 5 yr; 77.8 ± 8.5 kg) performed an incremental test to maximal exertion on a cycle ergometer at sea level (SL). Subjects were then matched on VO2peak, ventilatory chemosensitivity, and body mass and assigned to either a placebo (PL) or antioxidant (AO) supplement group in a randomized, double-blind manner. PL or AO (12 mg of β-carotene, 180 mg of α-tocopherol acetate, 500 mg of ascorbic acid, 100 μg of selenium, and 30 …

Soy Solutions, Winston J. Craig

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Summer 2006, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Salicylic Acid Activates Sigma Factor B By Rsbu-Dependent And -Independent Mechanisms, Marco Palma, Arnold Bayer, Leon I. Kupferwasser, Tammy Joska, Michael R. Yeaman, Ambrose Cheung

Dartmouth Scholarship

Salicylic acid (SAL) may impact Staphylococcus aureus virulence by activating the sigB operon (rsbU-V-W-sigB), thus leading to reductions in alpha-toxin production and decreased fibronectin binding (L. I. Kupferwasser et al., J. Clin. Investig. 112:222-233, 2003). As these prior studies were performed in strain RN6390 (an rsbU mutant) and its rsbU-repaired variant, SH1000, the current investigation was designed to determine if the SAL effect occurs via rsbU- and/or rsbV-dependent pathways in an rsbU-intact S. aureus strain (FDA486). We thus quantified the transcription from two sigB-dependent promoters (asp23 and sarA P3) in FDA486 in response to SAL exposure in vitro, using isogenic …

Benthic Biological Monitoring Program Of The Elizabeth River Watershed (2005), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

Macrobenthic communities of the Elizabeth River watershed have been quantitatively sampled since summer 1999. This report presents the data from the seventh year of sampling in 2005. The three objectives of the Benthic Biological Monitoring Program of the Elizabeth River watershed are: (1) To characterize the health of the tidal waters of the Elizabeth River watershed as indicated by the structure of the benthic communities. (2) To conduct trend analyses on long-term data at 14 fixed-point stations to relate temporal trends in the benthic communities to changes in water and/or sediment quality. Trend analyses will be updated annually …

Lpe Center News, August 2006

Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center: Newsletters

In this issue:

• Sept 15 Web Cast Seminar

• Issue Work Groups

• NAL Water Quality Information Center

• Upcoming Web Cast Seminar Presentations

Nebline, August 2006

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Kids Ag Discovery Zone at County Fair is Interactive Experience
Fun Facts About Farm Animals
Predicting the Last Irrigation for Corn, Milo and Soybeans
Effect of Increasing Energy Prices on Irrigation Costs
Fall is the Best Time to Stop Henbit
Pesticide Container Recycling Program
Add Mulches to Landscapes to Protect Plants from Temperature Changes
Water Trees During Drought
Woody Plants Under Stress
Penstemon, a Great Acreage Flower
Don’t Use Black Walnut Shavings for Animal Bedding
Are You Winning the “Fruit & Vegetable Bowl Game?”
Summertime Steak Salad Recipe
Top Ten Reasons to Eat At Home
President’s Notes — Alice’s Analysis …

Biological Impact Of The Exotic Parasitoid, Diadegma Semiclausum (Hellen), Of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella L., In Kenya, Caleb Momanyi, Bernhard Löhr, Linus Gitonga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Diadegma semiclausum (Hellen) was introduced to Kenya from Taiwan for the control of diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L., and released for the first time in July 2002. Seven and twelve months after release, field mortality studies using the cage exclusion method were conducted at two release sites (Werugha/Taita Hills and Tharuni/Central Kenya). Four treatments were applied: fully closed and partially open cages, both with and without glue applied to the base of the plants for the exclusion of crawling predators. During this time interval, parasitism of exposed larvae rose from 15 to 60% at Werugha and from 8 to …

Morgan-Summit Greater Sage-Grouse Local Conservation Plan, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Strawberry Valley Greater Sage-Grouse Local Conservation Plan, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Disturbance Facilitates Invasion: The Effects Are Stronger Abroad Than At Home, José L. Hierro, Diego Villarreal, Özkan Eren, Jon M. Graham, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Disturbance is one of the most important factors promoting exotic invasion. However, if disturbance per se is sufficient to explain exotic success, then "invasion" abroad should not differ from "colonization" at home. Comparisons of the effects of disturbance on organisms in their native and introduced ranges are crucial to elucidate whether this is the case; however, such comparisons have not been conducted. We investigated the effects of disturbance on the success of Eurasian native Centaurea solstitialis in two invaded regions, California and Argentina, and one native region, Turkey, by conducting field experiments consisting of simulating different disturbances and adding locally …

Monitoring Low Density Avian Populations: An Example Using Mountain Plovers, Victoria J. Dreitz, Paul M. Lukacs, Fritz L. Knopf

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Declines in avian populations highlight a need for rigorous, broad-scale monitoring pro-grams to document trends in avian populations that occur in low densities across expansive landscapes. Accounting for the spatial variation and variation in detection probability inherent to monitoring programs is thought to be effort-intensive and time-consuming. We determined the feasibility of the analytical method developed by Royle and Nichols (2003), which uses presence-absence (detection-non-detection) field data, to estimate abundance of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) per sampling unit in agricultural fields, grassland, and prairie dog habitat in eastern Colorado. Field methods were easy to implement and results suggest that the …

How Transient Patches Affect Population Dynamics: The Case Of Hypoxia And Blue Crabs, Craig A. Aumann, Lisa A. Eby, William F. Fagan

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Transient low-oxygen patches may have important consequences for the population dynamics of estuarine species. We investigated whether these transient hypoxic patches altered population dynamics of the commercially important blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and assessed two alternative hypotheses for the causal mechanism. One hypothesis is that temporary reductions in habitat due to hypoxia increase cannibalism. The second hypothesis is that crab population dynamics result from food limitation caused by hypoxia-induced mortality of the benthos. We developed a spatially explicit individual-based model of blue crabs in a hierarchical framework to connect the autoecology of crabs with the spatial and temporal dynamics of …

Use Of Temperature Sensitive Mutants To Map Reovirus Induced Oncolysis, Ka Ian Tam

Biology Theses - Archive

Reovirus is known to establish persistent infections in normal cells while selectively destroying transformed cells. Individual viruses from each of the ten groups of Reovirus is known to establish persistent infections in normal cells while selectively destroying transformed cells. Individual viruses from each of the ten groups of Reovirus temperature sensitive mutants were used to examine the gene or genes involved in the differential lysis activity. Temperature sensitive mutants were generated by chemical mutagenesis and have one of the ten genes impaired when growing at the non-permissive temperature, while they behave like wild type when growing at the permissive temperature. …

Chironomid Hemoglobin Genetic Diversity As An Indicator Of The New Jersey Hackensack Meadowlands Wetland Health, Lene Marie De Coursin Jacobs

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Kearny Marsh located within the Hackensack Meadowlands is a freshwater wetland impacted by multiple environmental stressors from human activity. The marsh is located in the northeastern New Jersey metropolitan area. Chironomid larvae, aquatic larvae of midge fly, were analyzed from two Kearny Marsh sample sites, W9 and W22. A previous sediment analysis and toxicity study characterized heavy metal contaminants the marsh. The data results were applied in this thesis study to determine the correlation between environmental stressors and chironomid genetic diversity. Site W9 sediment was impacted by severe levels of total heavy metal contamination, whereas site W22 had just below …

Oxidase-Coupled Amperometric Glucose And Lactate Sensors With Integrated Electrochemical Actuation System, Jongwon Park, Chang-Soo Kim, Minsu Choi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Unpredictable baseline drift and sensitivity degradation during continuous use are two of the most significant problems of biosensors including the amperometric glucose and lactate sensors. Therefore, the capability of on-demand in situ calibration/diagnosis of biochemical sensors is indispensable for reliable long-term monitoring with minimum attendance. Another limitation of oxidase enzyme-based biosensors is the dependence of enzyme activity on the background oxygen concentration in sample solution. In order to address these issues, the electrolytic generation of oxygen and hydrogen bubbles were utilized 1) to overcome the background oxygen dependence of glucose and lactate sensors and 2) to demonstrate the feasibility of …

Measuring The Effects Of Salinity Stress In The Red Mangrove, Rhizophora Mangle L., Patrick D. Biber

Faculty Publications

The mangrove habitat exhibits many unique physical features, one of the most important of which is a salinity gradient. Photosynthetic rates, as measured by leaf stomatal conductance and leaf chlorophyll fluorescence induction, were tested as indicators of salinity stress in seedlings of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, grown under five different salinity levels: 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 parts per thousand. Photosynthetic gas exchange (measured by stomatal conductance), as well as the light reaction of photosynthesis (measured by chlorophyll fluorescence) were found to decrease as salinity increased. The use of leaf stomatal conductance and chlorophyll fluorescence as a …

Myod Synergizes With The E-Protein Heb Beta To Induce Myogenic Differentiation, Maura H. Parker, Robert L.S. Perry, Melanie C. Fauteux, Charlotte A. Berkes, Michael A. Rudnicki

Biology Faculty Publications

The MyoD family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors function as heterodimers with members of the E-protein family to induce myogenic gene activation. The E-protein HEB is alternatively spliced to generate alpha and beta isoforms. While the function of these molecules has been studied in other cell types, questions persist regarding the molecular functions of HEB proteins in skeletal muscle. Our data demonstrate that HEB alpha expression remains unchanged in both myoblasts and myotubes, whereas HEB beta is upregulated during the early phases of terminal differentiation. Upon induction of differentiation, a MyoD-HEB beta complex bound the E1 E-box of the myogenin …