Life Sciences Commons^™

Predator Mediated Selection And The Impact Of Developmental Stage On Viability In Wood Frog Tadpoles (Rana Sylvatica), Ryan Calsbeek, Shawn Kuchta

Dartmouth Scholarship

Complex life histories require adaptation of a single organism for multiple ecological niches. Transitions between life stages, however, may expose individuals to an increased risk of mortality, as the process of metamorphosis typically includes developmental stages that function relatively poorly in both the pre- and post-metamorphic habitat. We studied predator-mediated selection on tadpoles of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica, to identify this hypothesized period of differential predation risk and estimate its ontogenetic onset. We reared tadpoles in replicated mesocosms in the presence of the larval odonate Anax junius, a known tadpole predator.

Characterization Of A Novel Gef Kiaa1362, Emily Roach

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Chronic Hindlimb Ischemia Impairs Functional Vasodilation And Vascular Reactivity In Mouse Feed Arteries, Trevor R. Cardinal, Kyle R. Struthers, Thomas J. Kesler, Matthew D. Yocum, David T. Kurjiaka, James B. Hoying

Peer Reviewed Articles

Vasodilation of lower leg arterioles is impaired in animal models of chronic peripheral ischemia. In addition to arterioles, feed arteries are a critical component of the vascular resistance network, accounting for as much as 50% of the pressure drop across the arterial circulation. Despite the critical importance of feed arteries in blood flow control, the impact of ischemia on feed artery vascular reactivity is unknown. At 14 days following unilateral resection of the femoral–saphenous artery–vein pair, functional vasodilation of the profunda femoris artery was severely impaired, 11 ± 9 versus 152 ± 22%. Although endothelial and smooth muscle-dependent vasodilation were …

Cooper, Thomas Poe, 1881-1958 (Sc 2488), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2488. Letter from Thomas Cooper, Dean and Director, Agricultural Extension Division, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Kentucky, to Emma L. Barnes, Carlisle, Kentucky. He confirms her appointment to the University’s Agricultural Extension Division as an Assistant Home Demonstration Agent in Nicholas County at an annual salary of $2,700.

Statistical Optimization Of Blanching Time And Temperature Of Irish York Cabbage Using Desirability Function, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam, Shilpi Gupta

Articles

The effect of different heat treatments, as a means of preprocessing, on the phytochemicals present in Irish York cabbage was studied. A comparison of blanching (by immersing in water) and microwaving (using water as a medium) indicated that microwaving is detrimental to the phytochemicals present in cabbage. To achieve a blanching time and temperature combination that would result in minimal loss of phytochemicals, central composite design that integrates a desirability approach was used. A second-order polynomial equation was developed, indicating the effect of the blanching time and temperature on the total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl …

Woody Encroachment Mechanisms Of A Symbiotic N-Fixing Shrub: Ecophysiology, Facilitation, And Resource Use Efficiency, Jaclyn Vick

Theses and Dissertations

Causes and consequences of woody encroachment into grass dominated systems have been widely studied, however functional mechanisms which promote encroachment are largely unknown. Many expansive woody species are shrubs with rhizobial or actinorhizal N-fixing symbiotic associations. Morella cerifera L. (Myricaceae) is an actinorhizal N-fixing shrub which rapidly expands into grasslands on the barrier islands off the coast of Virginia, USA. The objective of this research was to determine physiological drivers of woody encroachment resulting in increased woody cover of M. cerifera on Southeastern, US barrier islands. Variations in physiology and resource use efficiencies (RUE) of M. cerifera and co-occurring shrubs …

Factors Controlling Dissolved Organic Carbon Lability And Ecological Fate In The East Branch Swift River, Massachusettes, Hall Eric

Theses and Dissertations

Fluvial systems have been estimated to transform, transport, or store 2.75 petagrams (Pg) of Organic Carbon (OC) per year. Although approximately 1Pg per year of terrestrial carbon is fluxed to the atmosphere through inland waters, little is known about the factors regulating its eventual ecological fate. 28 day lability incubations were conducted concurrent with the measurement of several environmental parameters including discharge, nutrient concentration, DO13C, and DOC:DON at several sites along Bigelow Brook and the East Branch of the Swift River, Massachusetts. Temporal and spatial variation of DOC, DOC:DON and DO13C were explored. Two distinct DOC consumption rates, short and …

Global Change, Global Trade, And The Next Wave Of Plant Invasions, Bethany A. Bradley, Dana M. Blumenthal, Regan Early, Edwin D. Grosholz, Joshua J. Lawler, Luke P. Miller, Cascade J.B. Sorte, Carla M. D'Antonio, Jeffrey M. Diez, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Ines Ibanez, Julian D. Olden

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Many non-native plants in the US have become problematic invaders of native and managed ecosystems, but a new generation of invasive species may be at our doorstep. Here, we review trends in the horticultural trade and invasion patterns of previously introduced species and show that novel species introductions from emerging horticultural trade partners are likely to rapidly increase invasion risk. At the same time, climate change and water restrictions are increasing demand for new types of species adapted to warm and dry environments. This confluence of forces could expose the US to a range of new invasive species, including many …

Influence Of Spring Nitrogen Rates On Wheat Yield And Quality In Northeast Texas, Carlee Archer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Characterizing The Phosphorylation State Of Tie2 Using Sh2 Domain Fusion Proteins, Kenneth Yuth

Theses and Dissertations

The cardiovascular system develops through two distinct processes in embryogenesis: vasculogenesis, whereby the primary plexus in the heart is formed along with embryonic and extraembryonic vasculature, and angiogenesis, which begins after vasculogenesis and results in the refinement and maturation of the branched vessel system. In pathological angiogenesis, tumors expand by releasing pro-angiogenic factors in response to hypoxic conditions. The Tie receptors, Tie1 and Tie2, are receptor tyrosine kinases that are integral to angiogenic pathways. A family of Angiopoietins, Ang1-4, have been shown to act as ligands for Tie2, of which Ang1 and Ang2 are best characterized. Activation of the receptor …

A Study Of Correlations Between The Definition And Application Of The Gene Ontology, Yuji Mo

Department of Computer Electronics and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

When using the Gene Ontology (GO), nucleotide and amino acid sequences are annotated by terms in a structured and controlled vocabulary organized into relational graphs. The usage of the vocabulary (GO terms) in the annotation of these sequences may diverge from the relations defined in the ontology. We measure the consistency of the use of GO terms by comparing GO's defined structure to the terms' application. To do this, we first use synthetic data with different characteristics to understand how these characteristics influence the correlation values determined by various similarity measures. Using these results as a baseline, we found that …

Pulmonary Diffusional Screening And The Scaling Laws Of Mammalian Metabolic Rates, Chen Hou, Michael Mayo

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Theoretical considerations suggest that the mammalian metabolic rate is linearly proportional to the surface areas of mitochondria, capillary, and alveolar membranes. However, the scaling exponents of these surface areas to the mammals' body mass (approximately 0.9-1) are higher than exponents of the resting metabolic rate (RMR) to body mass (approximately 0.75), although similar to the one of exercise metabolic rate (EMR); the underlying physiological cause of this mismatch remains unclear. The analysis presented here shows that discrepancies between the scaling exponents of RMR and the relevant surface areas may originate from, at least for the system of alveolar membranes in …

Climate Change And Climate Variability: El Salvador – Impacts On Productivity Of Grain Crops And Opportunities For Management And Improvement, P. V. Vara Prasad

INTSORMIL Presentations

1. Climate change and climate variability (past and future).

2. Climate change and variability in El Salvador (climate models).

3. Impact of temperature on grain yield of dry bean, maize and sorghum in El Salvador (crop simulation models).

4. Effects of temperature, drought and/or carbon dioxide: experimental evidence (response of grain sorghum, maize and dry bean).

5. Opportunities for crop management and genetic improvement.

Model Comparisons For Estimating Carbon Emissions From North American Wildland Fire, Nancy H. F. French, Willam J. De Groot, Liza K. Jenkins, Brendan M. Rogers, Ernesto Alvarado, Brian Amiro, Bernardus De Jong, Scott Goetz, Elizabeth Hoy, Edward Hyer, Robert Keane, B. E. Law, Donald Mckenzie, Steven G. Mcnulty, Roger Ottmar, Diego R. Perez-Salicrup, James Randerson, Kevin M. Robertson, Merritt Turetsky

Michigan Tech Research Institute Publications

Research activities focused on estimating the direct emissions of carbon from wildland fires across North America are reviewed as part of the North American Carbon Program disturbance synthesis. A comparison of methods to estimate the loss of carbon from the terrestrial biosphere to the atmosphere from wildland fires is presented. Published studies on emissions from recent and historic time periods and five specific cases are summarized, and new emissions estimates are made using contemporary methods for a set of specific fire events. Results from as many as six terrestrial models are compared. We find that methods generally produce similar results …

Cal Poly Dairy: Safety And Procedures, Christine Woodman

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create a safety program that was designed specifically for the milkers at the Cal Poly Dairy. It was designed as an orientation program for all new employees at the Dairy. By creating an orientation program that delivers a consistent message time after time, it is hoped that all student employees will be able to maintain a high level of safety while employed at the Dairy. It includes an instructional video as well as a written safety test.

What Are The Effects Of Raw Vs. Pasteurized Milk Consumption On Growth Rate And Fertility In A Colony Of Mice?, Kari Sholing, Lindsay Ganong, Amy Olson

Nutrition Student Work

Interest in consuming unprocessed foods has led to assumptions that raw milk has health benefits over pasteurized milk. This study was designed to evaluate the belief that raw milk is nutritionally superior. Eighteen mice were randomly assigned to one of two groups: raw milk or pasteurized milk. Mice were grouped into breeding trios and given a fresh supply of milk every four hours between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. for 55 days. Milk consumption was tracked at each feeding by measuring the amount of milk that was provided and the amount of milk that was left from the previous feeding. …

Heritable Choice Of Colony Size In Cliff Swallows: Does Experience Trump Genetics In Older Birds?, Erin A. Roche, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The variation in breeding colony size seen in populations of most colonial birds may reflect heritable choices made by individuals that are phenotypically specialized for particular social environments. Although a few studies have reported evidence for genetically based choice of group sizes in birds, we know relatively little about the extent to which animals potentially rely on experience versus innate preferences in deciding how many conspecifics to settle with at different times of their lives. We conducted a cross-fostering experiment in 1997–1998 on cliff swallows, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, in southwestern Nebraska, USA, in which some individuals were reared in colonies …

Characterization Of An S-Layer-Like Protein And Select Antimicrobial Factors Of The Novel Species Lactobacillus Coleohominis, Nicole Ann Marie Ayala

Theses & Dissertations

Lactobacilli in the vaginal tract have been reported be protective against infections with vaginal pathogenic microorganisms through the production of antimicrobial factors, competition for adherence to vaginal epithelium, and coaggregation with pathogens to aid in their clearing. In addition, the antimicrobial factors produced by certain species of lactobacilli have even been shown to interrupt the replication or alter the function of select viruses. Vaginal lactobacilli have been investigated for their antimicrobial characteristics, but little is known about the novel species L coleohominis. recently described in vaginal isolates (Nikolaitchouk et al. 2001). It was hypothesized that L coleohominis, found …

Rentibilidad De La Introducción De Nuevas Variedades De Sorgo Del Centa En La Industria Lechera De El Salvador: Ponencia Presentada En La Conferencia Del Centa: "Cambio Climático E Impacto De Los Sorgos Forrajeros" Diciembre 7, 2011, San Salvador, El Salvador, Alexis H. Villacís, John H. Sanders

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

El propulsor del desarrollo agrlcola es la introducción de nuevas tecnologlas. Sorgos fotosensitivos' han sido un componente crítico en la agricultura de las laderas centroamericanas, ofreciendo una reserva o póliza de seguro cuando el alimento básico principal de maiz tambalea. Los sorgos foto-insensitivos han sido introducidos recientemente desde los anos 70 para la siembra en postrera en los valles. En los últimos treinta anos, la introducción de nuevas variedades insensitivas se ha acelerado, en un inicio para las aves de corral y en las dos décadas anteriores para la producción lechera. Este crecimiento ha sido posible gracias a las inversiones …

Sorgo Centa S-2 Bmr: Nueva Variedad Forrajera, René Clará Valencia, Salvador Zeledón, Máximo Hernández, Ricardo Estebez Jeorge, Marcos Mejía, Berta Nely Menjivar, Marlon Sorto

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

El uso tradicional del grano de sorgo en nuestro país ha sido principalmente en la alimentación de especies menores, mientras que los rastrojos de este cultivo se han utilizado para alimentar al ganado bovino especialmente durante la época seca. En ganaderías de subsistencia yen otras explotaciones lecheras más tecnificadas emplean los forrajes conservados como silo o heno para suplir las necesidades alimenticias durante la época seca que es la más crítica para la alimentación.

Algunas ganaderlas tecnificadas prefieren el maíz para ensilarlo debido a su mayor valor nutritivo; sin embargo la incorporación de los genes "bmr' en las nuevas variedades …

Communicator, Dec. 2011, San Jose State University, Department Of Kinesiology

Communicator (Kinesiology)

Volume 24, Issue 2

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2009, Katherine Mcgraw, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the sixth in a series of reports examining agriculture’s economic contribution on the Arkansas economy. Utilizing data from the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc. (MIG), the economic contribution of agriculture on the Arkansas economy was estimated for the most recent year available, 2009. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State information for Arkansas in 2009 was compared with those of other states in the southeast U.S. to give a measure of the relative importance of agriculture in Arkansas.2 The total …

Chhs December 2011 E-Newsletter, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health And Human Services, Western Kentucky University

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

A Deep Insight Into The Sialotranscriptome Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, Shahid Karim, Parul Singh, José M.C. Ribeiro

Faculty Publications

Background

Saliva of blood sucking arthropods contains compounds that antagonize their hosts' hemostasis, which include platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction and blood clotting; saliva of these organisms also has anti-inflammatory and immunomodullatory properties. Perhaps because hosts mount an active immune response against these compounds, the diversity of these compounds is large even among related blood sucking species. Because of these properties, saliva helps blood feeding as well as help the establishment of pathogens that can be transmitted during blood feeding.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We have obtained 1,626,969 reads by pyrosequencing a salivary gland cDNA library from adult females Amblyomma maculatum ticks at different …

Comparison Of Disturbance Impacts To And Spatial Distribution Of Biological Soil Crusts In The Little San Bernardino Mountains Of Joshua Tree National Park, California, Nicole Pietrasiak, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Tasha Ladoux, Robert C. Graham

Biology

Biological soil crust ecology in the hot Mojave Desert is poorly understood with regard to crust distribution and abundance, as well as the impacts of trampling disturbance on crust development. Our objective was to study biological soil crusts in 2 areas of differing disturbance pressures in the high desert region of Joshua Tree National Park, California, with respect to visible crust cover and frequency, chlorophyll a, and soil stability. Impacts on biological soil crusts from 2 disturbance regimes, historic grazing and recent high knot traffic, were compared using a disturbance indicator. In addition, we measured a suite of abiotic and …

Invasive Species Management And Buffer Outreach On Goss Farm, Rye, Nh, Rockingham County Conservation District

PREP Reports & Publications

The Goss Farm was permanently protected in November of 2010 with assistance from the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) and is located directly adjacent to the Awcomin Salt Marsh, in Rye, New Hampshire. The Town of Rye Conservation Commission owns the land, and the RCCD holds the conservation easement on the property. The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) provided $9,930 in funding assistance to support the Rockingham County Conservation District in its partnership capacity with the Rye Conservation Commission and other natural resource agencies to complete outreach, to plan and complete integrated pest …

A Survey Of The Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Of Arkansas And The Ozark Mountains, Joseph O'Neill

Horticulture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ants are among the most abundant animals in most terrestrial ecosystems, yet local fauna are often poorly understood due to a lack of surveys. This study separated and identified ant species from arthropod samples obtained during ongoing projects by the lab of Dr. A.P.G. Dowling, Professor of Entomology at the University of Arkansas. More than 600 ants were prepared, 284 of which were identified to genus and 263 to species. From this collection, 33 species and one morphospecies were identified, comprising 18 genera in total. Additionally, 28 new distributional records were recorded for Benton, Madison, Newton, and Washington Counties in …

Factors Influencing Travel Order As Proxy For Leadership And Trade-Offs In Activity Budgets In Lactating And Nonlactating African Savanna Elephants, Malgorzata Wisniewska

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Nutritional and energetic needs of female mammals depend upon size or reproductive investment and shape individual activity budgets and behavioral patterns. To maximize nutritional and energetic intake females may increase time allocated to foraging or access resources through risk-prone behaviors, represented as aggression or leadership. Conversely, to minimize nutritional and energetic spending females may engage in risk-averse activities such as resting or nonaggressive social interactions. Females with the highest needs should exhibit activities and behaviors that facilitate the greatest nutritional and energetic returns or highest metabolic savings. The propensity for risk-prone behaviors may be greater among older as well as …

Surface Water Characteristics Of The Weaber Plain And Lower Keep River Catchments: Data Review And Preliminary Results, D L. Bennett, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

In 2008, the Ord Irrigation Expansion Project was approved by the Western Australian Government to develop irrigated agriculture on the Weaber Plain.

An important concern is the effect the Weaber Plain agricultural development may have on the water quality of the downstream Border Creek and Keep River

This report assembles and reviews all available physico-chemical water quality data for the lower Keep River and Border Creek systems and presents data from the initial year of a targeted baseline monitoring program (June 2010 – June 2013).

Overview Of Contrast Data Mining As A Field And Preview Of An Upcoming Book, Guozhu Dong, James Bailey

Kno.e.sis Publications

This report provides an overview of the field of contrast data mining and its applications, and offers a preview of an upcoming book on the topic. The importance of contrasting is discussed and a brief survey is given covering the following topics: general definitions and terminology for contrast patterns, representative contrast pattern mining algorithms, applications of contrast mining for fundamental data mining tasks such as classification and clustering, applications of contrast mining in bioinformatics, medicine, blog analysis, image analysis and subgroup mining, results on contrast based dataset similarity measure, and on analyzing item interaction in contrast patterns, and open research …