Life Sciences Commons^™

Silviculture Certification Revalidation Case Studey : An Assessment Of Aspen Regeneration By Fire Intensity Following Prescribed Burning On Low Productivity Sites In Southwest Idaho And/Or A Simplistic Model Showing Aspen Sprouting Response By Varying Degrees Of Fire Intensity As Defined By Degree Of Aspen Crown-Kill Within The Lime Creek Aspen Restoration Project Area, Steven L. Williams

Aspen Bibliography

This Case Study is prepared for revalidation as a certified silviculturist in the Intermountain Region. When I first began working on this study, I anticipated that prescribed fire would produce variable degrees of aspen crown-kill and that differences in aspen sprouting would exist across the project area. What I observed was that although variable degrees of aspen crown-kill do exist, their distribution and relative amounts is more a function of prescribed fire ignition than of vegetation conditions. Very nearly full aspen crown-kill occurs with any fire that sustains itself enough to carry through the vegetation. Where prescribed fire is employed, …

Restoration Of A. Fasciculatum At Rocky Canyon Granite Quarry, San Luis Obispo, Ca, Catherine L. Roy

Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to assess the above-ground factors affecting the establishment and recovery of the dominant chaparral shrub Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise) on the Rocky Canyon granite mine.

Attempts to restore the California chaparral have been challenging and few successful efforts have been documented. However, the California chaparral can fully recover from fire in as little as 10-15 years. Factors affecting chamise seedling establishment were tested by planting chamise seed in forty eight 1square meter plots managed to test the effects of interspecific competition with native postfire vegetation, post-mining volunteer vegetation, and intraspecific only competition. Plots were managed …

Relationship Between Virulence And Repellency Of Entomopathogenic Isolates Of Metarhizium Anisopliae And Beauveria Bassiana To The Termite Macrotermes Michaelseni, D. M. Mburu, L. Ochola, N. K. Maniania, P. G.N. Njagi, L. M. Gitonga, M. W. Ndung'u, A. K. Wanjoya, A. Hassanali

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Termites encounter a diverse array of potentially useful and harmful fungi in their subterranean habitats. These vary from symbiotic to harmful species with varying levels of virulence. How these hemiedaphic insects survive in habitats with infective fungi is not well understood. Possible mediation of olfactory signals in avoiding contact with entomopathogenic fungi has been explored by a number of workers. In the present study, we initially found that Macrotermes michaelseni detected a virulent isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae from some distance and avoided direct physical contact. We hypothesized that there may be a relationship between virulence and repellency of different isolates …

Sex And Microhabitat Influence The Allocation Of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids To Tissues In The Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, Sarah A. Gravem

Master's Theses

Field surveys of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus demonstrated that concentrations of natural sunscreens, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), were higher in females than males for both gonadal and epidermal tissues, increased in ovaries as spawning season approached, and were influenced by the sea urchins’ microhabitat. Sea urchins occupying burrows, or “pits”, had lower concentrations of MAAs than those outside pits, suggesting a trade-off between physical and UV protection. Overall, UV irradiance did not influence MAA accumulation in gonadal tissues. However, males increased their allocation of MAAs to epidermal tissues in the microhabitat with the highest irradiance. Relative concentrations of individual MAAs were similar …

Impact Of Weed Management Practices On Grapevine Growth, Yield Components, Plant And Arthropod Abundance, And Carabid Seed Predation In Paso Robles Vineyard, Paolo Sanguankeo

Master's Theses

In the Central Coast of California, USA, wine grape growers are making efforts to identify weed control practices that promote biodiversity in their vineyards while maintaining yields. A field study was conducted in Paso Robles, CA in 2006 and 2007 evaluating the effect on Zinfandel grape-vine growth and production, groundcover plant, and ground dwelling arthropod communities of five weed control practices: 1) flumioxazin, 2) simazine, 3) cultivation, 4) cover crop, and 5) untreated control.

The herbicide treatments had the lowest weed biomass followed by the cultivation, being approximately 10 and 2 times lower than the weed biomass of either the …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 71 - Western Rock Lobster Low Puerulus Settlement Risk Assessment - Draft Report For Public Comment 2009, Rhys Brown

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The Western Rock Lobster Low Puerulus Risk Assessment report is designed to inform the fishing community, stakeholders and general public about the two day workshop that was held on the 1st and 2nd of April 2009 to assess the risks associated with the recent low puerulus settlements that have occurred in the western rock lobster fishery.

A draft report was released for public comment on 1 July 2009 and submissions closed on 30 July 2009. No submissions were received.

Time's Arrow Flies Like A Bird: Two Paradoxes For Avian Circadian Biology, Vincent M. Cassone, Jiffin K. Paulose, Melissa G. Whitfield-Rucker, Jennifer L. Peters

Biology Faculty Publications

Biological timekeeping in birds is a fundamental feature of avian physiology, behavior and ecology. The physiological basis for avian circadian rhythmicity has pointed to a multi-oscillator system of mutually coupled pacemakers in the pineal gland, eyes and hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). In passerines, the role of the pineal gland and its hormone melatonin is particularly important. More recent molecular biological studies have pointed to a highly conserved mechanism involving rhythmic transcription and translation of "clock genes". However, studies attempting to reconcile the physiological role of pineal melatonin with molecular studies have largely failed. Recent work in our laboratory has suggested …

Flowering Plants: Smartweeds To Hazelnuts, Robert H. Mohlenbrock

Illustrated Flora of Illinois

Since the publication of the first edition of Smartweeds to Hazelnuts in 1987, thirteen additional species and one hybrid have been discovered in Illinois. In addition, numerous nomenclatural changes have occurred for plants already known.

This second edition updates the status of the Polygonaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Platanaceae, Fagaceae, Betulaceae, and Corylaceae in Illinois. Each of the newly discovered species has been added and is fully illustrated. Updated nomenclature as well as Illinois distributional data are included for each species. In addition to the fourteen new plant illustrations, the appendix contains new information on the descriptions and the geographical locations of plants …

Transcriptome Analysis Of Frog Virus 3, The Type Species Of The Genus Ranavirus, Family Iridoviridae, Sai Majji, V. Thodima, R. Sample, D. Whitley, Y. Deng, J. Mao, V. Gregory Chinchar

Faculty Publications

Frog virus 3 is the best characterized species within the genus Ranavirus, family Iridoviridae. FV3's large (similar to 105 kbp) dsDNA genome encodes 98 putative open reading frames (ORFs) that are expressed in a coordinated fashion leading to the sequential appearance of immediate early (IE), delayed early (DE) and late (L) viral transcripts. As a step toward elucidating molecular events in FV3 replication, we sought to identify the temporal Class Of Viral messages. To accomplish this objective an oligonucleotide microarray containing 70-mer probes corresponding to each of the 98 FV3 ORFs was designed and used to examine viral gene expression. …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.70 - Stakeholder Survey 2008, Tara Baharthah

Fisheries Occasional Publications

A telephone survey of Department of Fisheries’ stakeholders was conducted in August 2008 in order to evaluate their perception of the Department’s management of commercial and recreational fishing, pearling and aquaculture, and fish and fish habitat protection. The survey also assessed satisfaction with the level of service provided to stakeholders and their involvement in decision making processes. The results of this survey were compared to similar surveys conducted during 2002, 2004, 2006 and a survey of the general public conducted during 2008. The sample comprised of 149 interviews – 39 representing the commercial fishing sector, 41 representing the recreational fishing …

Lowering The Pressure, Winston J. Craig

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

The Use And Perceptions Of Concept Mapping As A Learning Tool By Dietetic Internship Students And Preceptors, Elaine Fontenot Molaison, Kimberly Taylor, Dawn Erickson, Carol Connell

Faculty Publications

Critical thinking and problem solving skills are currently emphasis areas in the education of allied health professionals. Use of concept maps to teach these skills have been utilized primarily in nursing and medical education, but little has been published about their use in dietetics education. Therefore the purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential efficacy of concept mapping as a learning tool for nutrition assessment among dietetic interns and its acceptability by internship preceptors. Nineteen dietetic interns and 31 preceptors participated in a quasi-experimental pre-/post-design in which the concept mapping strategy was taught as a replacement for the …

Evaluation Of Cay-1, An Experimental, Natural Fungicide, For Control Of Strawberry Pathogens, Kenneth J. Curry, Maritza Abril, Anthony J. Delucca, Stephen M. Boue, Barbara J. Smith, David E. Wedge

Faculty Publications

CAY-1 is an experimental, natural product being tested as a potential fungicide. This saponin isolated from Capsicum frutescens interacts with membrane sterols causing leakage of cell components and ultimately cell death in a variety of fungi. CAY-1 and the commercial fungicide captan were tested in an in vitro doseresponse dilution-broth assay. They caused at least 85% growth inhibition of the fungal pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum, C fragariae and C. gloeosporioides when tested at 3.0 μM. Even though CAY-1 strongly reduced the growth of these fungal pathogens in laboratory assays and prevented anthracnose development in detached leaf assays, it did not …

Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Lacking P38Α And P38Δ Can Differentiate To Endothelial Cells, Smooth Muscle Cells, And Epithelial Cells, Samujjwal Chakraborty, Baobin Kang, Faqing Huang, Yan-Lin Guo

Faculty Publications

The p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases (p38) are important signaling molecules that regulate various cellular processes. Four isoforms of p38 family, p38α, p38β, p38γ, and p38δ, have been identified in mammalian cells. Previous studies have shown that p38α knockout is embryonic lethal in mice. At the cellular level, p38α is abundantly expressed in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), but p38α knockout (p38α-/-) ESCs can differentiate to endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and neurons. We speculate that the lost function of p38α in p38α-/- ESCs may be compensated for by the redundant function of other isoforms. To test this …

The Effects Of Shoe Traction And Obstacle Height On Lower Extremity Coordination Dynamics During Walking, Leslie M. Decker, Jeremy J. Houser, John M. Noble, Gregory M. Karst, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

This study aims to investigate the effects of shoe traction and obstacle height on lower extremity relative phase dynamics (analysis of intralimb coordination) during walking to better understand the mechanisms employed to avoid slippage following obstacle clearance. Ten participants walked at a self-selected pace during eight conditions: four obstacle heights (0%, 10%, 20%, and 40% of limb length) while wearing two pairs of shoes (low and high traction). A coordination analysis was used and phasing relationships between lower extremity segments were examined. The results demonstrated that significant behavioral changes were elicited under varied obstacle heights and frictional conditions. Both decreasing …

Effect Of Femoral Tunnel Placement For Reconstruction Of The Anterior Cruciate Ligament On Tibial Rotation, Stavros Ristanis, Nikolaos Stergiou, Eleftheria Siarava, Aikaterini Ntoulia, Grigoris Mitsionis, Anastasios D. Georgoulis

Journal Articles

Background: Rotational knee movement after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament has been difficult to quantify. The purpose of this study was to identify in vivo whether a more horizontal placement of the femoral tunnel (in the ten o'clock position rather than in the eleven o'clock position) can restore rotational kinematics, during highly demanding dynamic activities, in a knee in which a bone-patellar tendon-bone graft had been used to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament.

Methods: We evaluated ten patients in whom a bone-patellar tendon-bone graft had been used to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament with the femoral tunnel in the …

Defective Gut Function In Drop-Dead Mutant Drosophila, Cassandra R. Peller, Elizabeth M. Bacon, Julie A. Bucheger, Edward M. Blumenthal

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Mutation of the gene drop-dead (drd ) causes adult Drosophila to die within 2 weeks of eclosion and is associated with reduced rates of defecation and increased volumes of crop contents. In the current study, we demonstrate that flies carrying the strong allele drd^lwf display a reduction in the transfer of ingested food from the crop to the midgut, as measured both as a change in the steady-state distribution of food within the gut and also in the rates of crop emptying and midgut filling following a single meal. Mutant flies have abnormal triglyceride (TG) and glycogen stores …

Plasma Testosterone Correlates With Morph Type Across Breeding Substages In Male White-Throated Sparrows, M. B. Swett, Creagh W. Breuner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) exhibit a genetic polymorphism that affects plumage and behavior in both sexes. White-striped morphs are more territorially aggressive, whereas tan-striped morphs provision nestlings at a higher rate. We investigated testosterone physiology in this species in an effort to understand hormonal mechanisms for the observed differences in aggression and parental care between the morphs. We found a small but significant difference in plasma testosterone between free-living white-striped and tan-striped males over the course of the breeding season. This difference correlates with previously observed differences in aggressive behavior and suggests that testosterone may mediate these differences. Testosterone remained …

Theoretical Studies Of 2,3 -Sigmatropic Rearrangements Of Allylic Selenoxides And Selenimides, Craig A. Bayse, Sonia Antony

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Density-functional theory is used to model the endo and exo transition states for [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of allylic aryl-selenoxides and -selenimides. The endo transition state is generally preferred for selenoxides if there is no substitution at the 2 position of the allyl group. Based upon the relative energies of the endo and exo transition states, enantioselectivity of rearrangements is expected to be greatest for molecules with substitutions at the 1- or (E)-3- position of the allyl group. Ortho substitution of a nitro group on the ancillary selenoxide phenyl ring reduces the activation barriers, increases the difference between the endo and exo …

Remote Sensing And Mapping Of Tamarisk Along The Colorado River, Usa: A Comparative Use Of Summer-Acquired Hyperion, Thematic Mapper And Quickbird Data, Gregory A. Carter, Kelly L. Lucas, Gabriel A. Blossom, Cheryl L. Lassitter, Dan M. Holiday, David S. Mooneyhan, Danielle R. Fastring, Tracy R. Holcombe, Jerry A. Griffith

Faculty Publications

Tamarisk (Tamarix spp., saltcedar) is a well-known invasive phreatophyte introduced from Asia to North America in the 1800s. This report compares the efficacy of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM5), QuickBird (QB) and EO-1 Hyperion data in discriminating tamarisk populations near De Beque, Colorado, USA. As a result of highly correlated reflectance among the spectral bands provided by each sensor, relatively standard image analysis methods were employed. Multispectral data at high spatial resolution (QB, 2.5 m Ground Spatial Distance or GSD) proved more effective in tamarisk delineation than either multispectral (TM5) or hyperspectral (Hyperion) data at moderate spatial resolution (30 m …

Detecting Proteins In Highly Autofluorescent Cells Using Quantum Dot Antibody Conjugates, Karen M. Orcutt, Shanshan Ren, Kjell Gundersen

Faculty Publications

We have applied quantum dot (Qdot) antibody conjugates as a biomolecular probe for cellular proteins important in biogeochemical cycling in the sea. Conventional immunological methods have been hampered by the strong autofluorescence found in cyanobacteria cells. Qdot conjugates provide an ideal alternative for studies that require long-term imaging of cells such as detection of low abundance cellular antigens by fluorescence microscopy. The advantage of Qdot labeled probes over conventional immunological methods is the photostability of the probe. Phycoerythrin bleaches in cyanobacterial cells under prolonged UV or blue light excitation, which means that the semiconducting nanocrystal probe, the Qdot, can yield …

Energy Budgets Of Eared Grebes On The Great Salt Lake And Implications For Harvest Of Brine Shrimp, Michael R. Conover, Joe N. Caudell

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

About 1.5-million eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), representing half of the North American population, stage on Utah's Great Salt Lake, USA (GSL) during autumn migration to forage on brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana). Indirectly competing with birds for brine shrimp are commercial harvesters who annually collect >1 million kg (dry wt) of shrimp cysts (i.e., hardened eggs), an amount that during some years equals up to half of all brine shrimp cysts produced annually on the GSL. No information was available regarding what impact this commercial harvest was having on eared grebes. We determined daily energy requirements of eared grebes so that …

Impact Of Ambient Air Pollution On Survival Of Renal Transplant Recipients, Rhonda Kristine Hwang

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There is increasing evidence that ambient air pollution is associated with coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. This research has focused on the general public and less so on possible sensitive subgroups even though these may have even greater susceptibility to adverse effects of ambient air pollution. With highly prevalent traditional as well as nontraditional risk factors, renal transplant recipients may potentially be a sensitive subgroup. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of between long-term exposure to air pollution on the risk of CHD mortality among renal transplant recipients. This cohort study includes 32,239 adult, …

Genetics And Pathogenesis Of Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus, Meredith Brown, Jennifer L. Troyer, Jill Pecon-Slattery, M. Roelke-Parker, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is endemic in feral cat populations and cat colonies, frequently preceding outbreaks of fatal feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). FCoV exhibits 2 biotypes: the pathogenic disease and a benign infection with feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). Uncertainty remains regarding whether genetically distinctive avirulent and virulent forms coexist or whether an avirulent form mutates in vivo, causing FIP. To resolve these alternative hypotheses, we isolated viral sequences from FCoV-infected clinically healthy and sick cats (8 FIP cases and 48 FECV-asymptomatic animals); 735 sequences from 4 gene segments were generated and subjected to phylogenetic analyses. Viral sequences from healthy cats were …

Apoptotic And Chemotherapeutic Properties Of Iron (Iii)-Salophene In An Ovarian Cancer Animal Model, Thilo S. Lange, Carolyn Mccourt, Rakesh K. Singh, Kyu Kwang Kim, Ajay P. Singh, Brian S. Luisi, Onur Alptürk, Robert M. Strongin, Laurent Brard

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The cytotoxicity of organometallic compounds iron(III)-, cobalt(III)-, manganese(II)-, and copper(II)-salophene (-SP) on platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines was compared. Fe-SP displayed selective cytotoxicity (IC(50) at ~1 muM) against SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 cell lines while Co-SP caused cytotoxic effects only at higher concentrations (IC(50) at 60 muM) and Cu-SP effects were negligible. High cytotoxicity of Mn-SP (30-60 muM) appeared to be nonspecific because the Mn-chloride salt reduced cell viability similarly. The effect of Fe-SP at 1 muM proved to be ovarian cancer cell selective when compared to a panel of cell lines derived from different tumors. The first irreversible step in …

Mtorc1 Hyperactivity Inhibits Serum Deprivation-Induced Apoptosis Via Increased Hexokinase Ii And Glut1 Expression, Sustained Mcl-1 Expression, And Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3Β Inhibition, Prashanth T. Bhaskar, Veronique Nogueira, Krushna C. Patra, Sang-Min Jeon, Youngkyu Park, R. Brooks Robey, Nissim Hay

Dartmouth Scholarship

The current concept is that Tsc-deficient cells are sensitized to apoptosis due to the inhibition of Akt activity by the negative feedback mechanism induced by the hyperactive mTORC1. Unexpectedly, however, we found that Tsc1/2-deficient cells exhibit increased resistance to serum deprivation-induced apoptosis. mTORC1 hyperactivity contributes to the apoptotic resistance of serum-deprived Tsc1/2-deficient cells in part by increasing the growth factor-independent expression of hexokinase II (HKII) and GLUT1. mTORC1-mediated increase in hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) abundance, which occurs in the absence of serum in normoxic Tsc2-deficient cells, contributes to these changes. Increased HIF1α abundance in these cells is attributed to both …

Microbial Nad Metabolism: Lessons From Comparative Genomics, Francesca Gazzaniga, Rebecca Stebbins, Sheila Z. Chang, Mark A. Mcpeek, Charles Brenner

Dartmouth Scholarship

NAD is a coenzyme for redox reactions and a substrate of NAD-consuming enzymes, including ADP-ribose transferases, Sir2-related protein lysine deacetylases, and bacterial DNA ligases. Microorganisms that synthesize NAD from as few as one to as many as five of the six identified biosynthetic precursors have been identified. De novo NAD synthesis from aspartate or tryptophan is neither universal nor strictly aerobic. Salvage NAD synthesis from nicotinamide, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide riboside, and nicotinic acid riboside occurs via modules of different genes. Nicotinamide salvage genes nadV and pncA, found in distinct bacteria, appear to have spread throughout the tree of life …

Mimicking Fire For Post-Mining Restoration Success, Katherine M. Wilkin

Master's Theses

This study is based at Rocky Canyon Quarry (RCQ), a 200-acre granite aggregate open-pit quarry with chaparral-dominated plant communities located in San Luis Obispo County, CA. At RCQ, the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) of 1975 was interpreted as restoring the landscape to native plant communities. Native plant community restoration projects have occurred there since 1993 through cooperation with California Polytechnic State University Biology Department in San Luis Obispo, CA. I evaluated past restoration at RCQ and researched new techniques to improve chaparral restoration based on the natural processes of fire.

Chaparral is an important fire-dominated plant community within …

Effect Of Water On Micronutrient Content And Yield In Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Sheila Lorraine Baker

Master's Theses

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important crop in many countries. According to the IRRI, more than 2 billion people globally depend on rice as a staple food (Dawe, et al. 2003). Studies on micronutrient content in rice and the effect of water in availability of the nutrients may aid in decreasing global nutrient deficiencies. Rice is grown under different water regimes such as AWD and intermittent flooding, sprinkler and furrow irrigation. A greenhouse pot experiment of rice utilizing a split plot design under different water regimes was conducted to assess the affect of water on (1) DTPA extractable soil …

The Prairie Naturalist. Volume 41, No. 3/4, September/December 2009, The Great Plains Natural Science Society

The Prairie Naturalist

THE PRAIRIE NATURALIST MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES. C. N. Jacques, T. W. Grovenburg, and J. A. Jenks

A PARTIAL INVENTORY OF ISLANDS IN NORTH DAKOTA: POTENTIAL FOR BREEDING WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT. M. L. Szymanski

BED SITE SELECTION OF FAWN PRONGHORN IN CUSTER STATE PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA. C. P. Lehman, J. D. Hartland, B. J. Keller, J. J. Millspaugh, and G. C. Brundige

PATTERNS OF BISON HAIR USE IN NESTS OF TALL GRASS PRAIRIE BIRDS B. R. Coppedge

MORTALITY OF CRANES (GRUIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH POWERLINES OVER A MAJOR ROOST ON THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER, NEBRASKA. G. D. Wright, T. J. Smith, R. K. …