Life Sciences Commons^™

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Quarterly Report, Period Ending September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1: Two advisory team meetings were attended this year; technical input was provided as appropriate; and summaries were prepared and delivered to Kent Turner. The SCOP Selenium Management Plan has been reviewed with two reports provided.

Project 2: Whitepapers on the carp die-off due to Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) and on lead-base paint use on launch ramps were finalized and delivered to Mr. Turner.

Project 3: The Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels has been approved for implementation.

Project 5: Seven articles based on presentations at the Lake Mead Science Symposium have been approved by the technical …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Monitoring And Evaluation Of Sensitive Wildlife: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Wildlife Monitoring

Project 1. Relict Leopard Frog Monitoring, Management, and Research

• All milestones and deliverables associated with this MSHCP project are on schedule
• Mark-recapture surveys scheduled for fall have been initiated
• Two potential sites for translocations were visited to assess water availability
• Coordination continues on an upcoming translocation

Project 2. Bald Eagle Winter Monitoring and Evaluation

• All MSHCP milestones and deliverables are on schedule
• An annual project review presentation was given to Clark County

Project 3. Peregrine Falcon Monitoring and Evaluation

• This MSHCP project is on schedule for all milestones and deliverables
• Monitoring of Peregrine falcon 2009 breeding activities has been completed …

Indicadores Funcionales Y Estructurales Para Evaluar El Estado De Conservación De Humedales Costeros En El Sur De Tamaulipas, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

El manejo adecuado de las zonas costeras requiere de herramientas que permitan detectar procesos degradantes en los ecosistemas estratégicos prestadores de servicios ambientales. Los indicadores ecológicos responden adecuadamente a esta necesidad en humedales costeros. Se estudiaron ocho humedales de origen y características distintas, con afectaciones contrastantes conocidas. Se seleccionaron los indicadores que mejor discriminaron los sitios y se utilizaron para evaluar la evolución del estado de conservación de los mismos. La correspondencia ecológica entre indicadores funcionales y estructurales no se confirmó en todos los casos, por lo que es necesario utilizar ambos tipos para obtener un mejor diagnóstico. En dicha …

Maternally Derived Antibodies In Avian Eggs And Offspring: Ecology, Life History, And Development, Brianne Ashley Addison

Dissertations

Mothers can alter offspring phenotypes through a variety of indirect effects, including the deposition of nutrients, hormones, and defense proteins in to the egg. Defense proteins, and antibodies in particular, may be tremendously important for neonatal defense against pathogens and the direction of resources into growth rather than immune responsiveness. Moreover, maternally derived immunoglobulins have been proposed to have an imprinting effect on the development of humoral immunity. In my dissertation, I explored a variety of ecological, life history, and developmental factors that could contribute to the evolution of yolk antibody allocation in a variety of avian species. In the …

Easymifs And Sitehound: A Toolkit For The Identification Of Ligand-Binding Sites In Protein Structures, Dario Ghersi, Roberto Sanchez

Interdisciplinary Informatics Faculty Publications

Summary: SITEHOUND uses Molecular Interaction Fields (MIFs) produced by EASYMIFS to identify protein structure regions that show a high propensity for interaction with ligands. The type of binding site identified depends on the probe atom used in the MIF calculation. The input to EASYMIFS is a PDB file of a protein structure; the output MIF serves as input to SITEHOUND, which in turn produces a list of putative binding sites. Extensive testing of SITEHOUND for the detection of binding sites for drug-like molecules and phosphorylated ligands has been carried out.

Availability: EASYMIFS and SITEHOUND executables for Linux, Mac …

A Method Of Successive Corrections Of The Control Subspace In The Reduced-Order Variational Data Assimilation, Max Yaremchuk, Dmitri A. Nechaev, Gleb Panteleev

Faculty Publications

A version of the reduced control space four-dimensional variational method (R4DVAR) of data assimilation into numerical models is proposed. In contrast to the conventional 4DVAR schemes, the method does not require development of the tangent linear and adjoint codes for implementation. The proposed R4DVAR technique is based on minimization of the cost function in a sequence of low-dimensional subspaces of the control space. Performance of the method is demonstrated in a series of twin-data assimilation experiments into a nonlinear quasigeostrophic model utilized as a strong constraint. When the adjoint code is stable, R4DVAR's convergence rate is comparable to that of …

The Relationship Between Student Teacher Heart And Career Intent, Benjamin G. Swan, Jamie Cano

Agricultural Education and Communication

Students enter an agricultural teacher preparation program planning to teach agriculture. However, career intent appears to change during the preservice program for many students. The teacher’s “heart” is the combination of a teacher’s: mission, faith in teaching, caring for their students, and enthusiasm displayed in the classroom. There is no published research that examines the development of the teacher’s “heart” and how it relates to career intent. Further, Palmer (1998) stated that teacher “heart” cannot be developed; only diminished. However, Peterson and Seligman (2004) stated that the virtues of care, enthusiasm, hope, faith, and mission can be developed. No published …

Reply (Letter To The Editor): “Gait Variability Is Altered In Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease”, Iraklis Pipinos, Sara A. Myers, Jason Johanning, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Platycorypha Nigrivirga Burckhardt (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea), Tipu Psyllid, New To North America, Alessandra Rung, Gevork Arakelian, Ray Gill, Nick Nisson

Insecta Mundi

The tipu psyllid, Platycorypha nigrivirga Burckhardt (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea), is reported for the first time in North America (USA: California). Diagnostic characters for identification of adults and nymphs, host and damage data, and known distribution are given.

First Record For The Recently Discovered Hangingfly Bittacus Monastyrskiyi Bicha, 2007 (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) From Há Tay Province, Vietnam, Louis A. Somma

Insecta Mundi

I provide the first record for the recently described hangingfly, Bittacus monastyrskiyi Bicha, 2007, from Há Tay Province (Ba Vi National Park), Vietnam, along with new seasonal, altitudinal, and habitat data. This is the only described species of bittacid from Vietnam, and this new record extends its range100 km north-northwest from its type locality in Cuc Phuong National Park, Thanh Hoa Province.

An Annotated Checklist Of The Lady Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Of Iowa, U.S.A., Louis S. Hesler

Insecta Mundi

An annotated list is presented for 81 species of lady beetles (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) that occur in the state of Iowa, U.S.A., based on literature searches and a review of over 3500 specimens in institutional and private collections. The list includes new state records for Scymnus tenebrosus Mulsant, Diomus debilis (LeConte), Hyperaspis lateralis Mulsant, Hyperaspis deludens Gordon, Epilachna borealis (F.), and Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (L.), as well as county records for the non-native species, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). Collection records are discussed for Nephaspis oculatus (Blatchley), Hyperaspidius militaris (LeConte), Coccinella californica Mannerheim, and S. vigintiquatuorpunctata, which have Iowa records that are disjunct from …

Geographic Variability In Calligrapha Verrucosa (Suffrian 1858), A Willow-Feeding Leaf Beetle From Western North America (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Mark H. Goodman, Shawn M. Clark

Insecta Mundi

A diagnosis is provided to separate Calligrapha verrucosa (Suffrian) from similar species. Geographic variability is described and illustrated for various populations of C. verrucosa. A map is provided to indicate the distribution of this species.

Seed Beetles (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) Associated With Acacia Cornigera (L.) Willd., With Description Of A New Species Of Acanthoscelides Schilsky, Jesus Romero Napoles, Aracely De La Cruz Perez, John M. Kingsolver

Insecta Mundi

Presented herein is a key to identify species of Bruchidae associated with Acacia cornigera (L.). For each species, host records, distributions and bionomics are given. A new species of Acanthoscelides Schilsky is described and figured; Acanthoscelides sauli Romero, Cruz, and Kingsolver.

A New Fossil Species Of Stag Beetle From Dominican Republic Amber, With Australasian Connections (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), Robert E. Woodruff

Insecta Mundi

The first New World amber member of the family Lucanidae is described from the Dominican Republic. Its age is presumed to be Miocene (20-30 million YBP). It is also the fourth known amber species, the second Miocene fossil species, the second fossil species in the subfamily Syndesinae, and the first species (fossil or extant) of Lucanidae from the entire Caribbean. It is especially interesting because it is a member of the Australasian genus Syndesus MacLeay. Other such disjunct Dominican amber insect fossils are also discussed.

Pore Size Characterization Of Monolithic Capillary Columns Using Capillary Flow Porometry, Yan Fang

Theses and Dissertations

A simple capillary flow porometer (CFP) was assembled for pore structure characterization of monolithic capillary liquid chromatography columns based on ASTM standard F316-86. Determination of differential pressures and flow rates through dry and wet samples provided the necessary information to determine the through-pore throat diameter, bubble point pore diameter, mean flow pore diameter, and pore distribution. Unlike measurements in bulk using traditional techniques to provide indirect information about the pore properties of monolithic columns, monoliths can be characterized in their original chromatographic forms with this system. The performance of the new CFP was first evaluated by characterizing the pore size …

Inflammasome-Dependent Caspase-1 Activation In Cervical Epithelial Cells Stimulates Growth Of The Intracellular Pathogen Chlamydia Trachomatis, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, Evonne Koo, Georg Hacker, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Inflammasomes have been extensively characterized in monocytes and macrophages, but not in epithelial cells, which are the preferred host cells for many pathogens. Here we show that cervical epithelial cells express a functional inflammasome. Infection of the cells by Chlamydia trachomatis leads to activation of caspase-1, through a process requiring the NOD-like receptor family member NLRP3 and the inflammasome adaptor protein ASC. Secretion of newly synthesized virulence proteins from the chlamydial vacuole through a type III secretion apparatus results in efflux of K+ through glibenclamide-sensitive K+ channels, which in turn stimulates production of reactive oxygen species. Elevated levels of reactive …

The Regulation Of Alternative Splicing By Oncogenic Signaling Pathways., Jacqueline Shultz

Theses and Dissertations

In the presented study, we demonstrate that the alternative splicing of caspase 9 was dysregulated in a large percentage of NSCLC tumors and cell lines. These findings led to the hypothesis that survival pathways activated by oncogenic mutation regulated this mechanism. Indeed, the oncogenic PI3-Kinase/Akt pathway was demonstrated to regulate the alternative splicing of caspase 9. Further mechanistic studies demonstrate that multiple Akt isoforms can regulate the alternative splicing of caspase 9 in NSCLC. Akt was additionally shown to mediate the exclusion of the exon 3,4,5,6 cassette of caspase 9 via the phospho-state of the RNA trans-factor, SRp30a. Mutagenesis studies …

Taxonomic Overview Of The Greater Fritillary Genus Speyeria Scudder And The Atlantis - Hesperis Species Complexes, With Species Accounts, Type Images, And Relevant Literature (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), James C. Dunford

Insecta Mundi

A taxonomic overview for the fritillary genus Speyeria Scudder (= Argynnis Fabricius) and its placement within the Heliconiinae (Nymphalidae) is presented. Taxonomic accounts, type images, and relevant literature for the 25 subspecies within the Speyeria atlantis (Edwards) and Speyeria hesperis (Edwards) complexes and the 16 nominate Speyeria species are included. Errors in nomenclature are identified, taxonomic, life history, and distributional information are updated, and type locality information is discussed. Images of primary type specimens for all 16 Speyeria species and the 25 subspecies in the atlantis - hesperis complexes appear together in color here for the first time. One new …

Geographic Variation In U. S. Populations Of The Tiger Beetle Cicindela Obsoleta Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Jonathan R. Mawdsley

Insecta Mundi

Geographic variation and subspecific taxonomy of United States populations of the tiger beetle Cicindela obsoleta Say are reviewed. Study of primary types and 1,424 museum specimens indicates that four subspecific entities are present in the U.S., for which the valid names are C. o. obsoleta Say, C. o. santaclarae Bates, C. o. vulturina LeConte, and C. o. neojuvenilis Vogt. All four subspecies are illustrated, including many color variants. ArcView Geographic Information System (GIS) computer software is used to study the distribution of these subspecies in the United States. Cicindela o. obsoleta and C. o. santaclarae are only partially allopatric, with …

Novel Host Records Of Some Cassidine Leaf Beetles From Ecuador (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Wills Flowers, Caroline S. Chaboo

Insecta Mundi

Novel host records and feeding behaviors are reported for five species in three genera of two cassidine beetle tribes, Hemisphaerotini and Imatidiini, from Ecuador. Carludovica Ruiz and Pav. (Cyclanthaceae) is reported as a new plant family and genus host for two species of Spaethiella Barber and Bridwell. Calathea G. Mey (Marantaceae) is reported as the first host record for Aslamidium capense (Herbst) and Calathea lutea Schult. and Calathea majestica (Linden) H. Kenn. are reported as the first host records for Aslamidium semicirculare (Olivier). Immature stages of Demotispa elaeicola (Aslam) are reported for the first time; larvae are external folivores and …

Curated Exhibit: Histological Colorations: Explorations Into The Human Form, Laura J. Hall

Posters and Presentations

This exhibit showcased mixed-media prints by artist Kathamann, inspired by her experience as a histology technician. The 26 prints, featured in the exhibit, offer colorful and whimsical interpretations of human histological slides, exploring the intricate beauty of the human body at a microscopic level. Curated by Laura J. Hall, MFA, the exhibit was displayed at the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education. Kathamann’s work reflects both her scientific background and artistic vision, bringing a new perspective to the study of the human form. September 25, 2009 - August 31, 2010

Smokejumper Obituary: Chapman, Donald L. (Cave Junction 1953), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Spiranthes Magnicamporum Sheviak, John E. Ebinger

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Smokejumper Obituary: Berg, Clayton Victor (Missoula 1952), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Spatially Uniform Relieff (Surf) For Computationally-Efficient Filtering Of Gene-Gene Interactions, Casey S. Greene, Nadia M. Penrod, Jeff Kiralis, Jason H. Moore

Dartmouth Scholarship

Genome-wide association studies are becoming the de facto standard in the genetic analysis of common human diseases. Given the complexity and robustness of biological networks such diseases are unlikely to be the result of single points of failure but instead likely arise from the joint failure of two or more interacting components. The hope in genome-wide screens is that these points of failure can be linked to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which confer disease susceptibility. Detecting interacting variants that lead to disease in the absence of single-gene effects is difficult however, and methods to exhaustively analyze sets of these variants …

Smokejumper Obituary: Thach, John O. (Cave Junction 1946), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Pet Milk Company, 1949-1957 (Mss 263), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Two annual field reports, 1951 and 1954, profiling dairy farmers and their operations in Warren and Simpson Counties in Kentucky as well as Robertson County, Tennessee; also includes miscellaneous copies of the newsletter "Pet Dairy Chats", 1949 to 1957.

Gas Phase Chiral Recognition, Characterization Of Porous Polymer Monolith Nanospray Ionization, And The Negative Mode Crafti Method Using Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Nannan Fang

Theses and Dissertations

Our group has been studying chiral recognition in gas phase using mass spectrometry for more than 10 years. We are interested in gas phase studies of fundamental interactions because the gas phase avoids complications and masking effects that may arise upon solvation. Therefore, the results of gas phase experiments can be directly compared with those of high-level computational studies. In chapter 2, I studied the roles of hydrogen bonding and pi stacking in gas phase chiral recognition between aromatic crown molecules and aromatic amines. High affinity between host and guest doesn't necessarily result in better recognition. If the affinity is …

Context Is Highly Contextual!, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

Foraging Preference By Wild Deer On Toyon Populations From Santa Catalina Island Versus The Santa Monica Mountains, Amelia I. Clark, Rodney Honeycutt, Anjel Helms, Stephen Davis

Biology

Post-fire regeneration of Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), a chaparral shrub on Santa Catalina Island is impeded by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), a non-native species introduced during the 1930’s. Mainland and island populations of Toyon were examined for potential differences in defense mechanisms that act as natural deterrents to over-browsing by ungulate herbivores, with the hypothesis that island populations, void of natural ungulate herbivores, may lack such defense mechanisms. Several characteristics of leaf morphology, including number and length of spines, leaf area and depth, and tensile strength of leaves, were compared between island and mainland populations. Leaves of Toyon from Santa Catalina …