Life Sciences Commons^™

Stability And Stabilization Of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Sattayatham P., Saelim R., Sujitjorn S.

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Exponential and asymptotic stability for a class of nonlinear dynamical systems with uncertainties is investigated. Based on the stability of the nominal system, a class of bounded continuous feedback controllers is constructed. By such a class of controllers, the results guarantee exponential and asymptotic stability of uncertain nonlinear dynamical system. A numerical example is also given to demonstrate the use of the main result.

Atomistic Simulations And Network-Based Modeling Of The Hsp90-Cdc37 Chaperone Binding With Cdk4 Client Protein: A Mechanism Of Chaperoning Kinase Clients By Exploiting Weak Spots Of Intrinsically Dynamic Kinase Domains, John Czemeres, Kurt Buse, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

A fundamental role of the Hsp90 and Cdc37 chaperones in mediating conformational development and activation of diverse protein kinase clients is essential in signal transduction. There has been increasing evidence that the Hsp90-Cdc37 system executes its chaperoning duties by recognizing conformational instability of kinase clients and modulating their folding landscapes. The recent cryo-electron microscopy structure of the Hsp90-Cdc37- Cdk4 kinase complex has provided a framework for dissecting regulatory principles underlying differentiation and recruitment of protein kinase clients to the chaperone machinery. In this work, we have combined atomistic simulations with protein stability and network-based rigidity decomposition analyses to characterize dynamic …

Integrating Abc And Eva To Evaluate Investment Decisions, Chiadamrong N.

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

The significance of investment is transparent in the world of competitive business. Traditional costing systems in which their emphasizes are for short term savings rather than long term benefits have shown some lacking in providing accurate and reliable cost data for the investment decisions. Activity-based Costing (ABC), which is developed to satisfy some of the weaknesses of the traditional costing systems, can provide valuable insights into the operating processes and come up with more accurate cost data. In this paper, ABC is used to provide significant information for investment decisions. Although, the ABC method provides accurate operating product costs, it …

Large Birds Of Prey, Policies That Alter Food Availability And Air Traffic: A Risky Mix For Human Safety, Rubén Moreno-Opo, Antoni Margalida

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Raptors are considered to pose one of the greatest aviation bird strike risk. We investigated raptor bird strikes reported at the largest Spanish airport (Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas; AS-MB) from 2009 to 2016 to determine the factors contributing to the increased incidences and develop recommendations to mitigate the risks. We hypothesized that increased raptor bird strikes resulted from changes in foraging and dispersal patterns of Iberian Peninsula vultures (Aegypius spp. and Gyps spp.) after 2004-2005. We used information on raptor bird strikes obtained from official databases and published studies, reported incidences of raptor bird strikes and their characteristics (i.e., …

Learning To Live With Wolves: Community-Based Conservation In The Blackfoot Valley Of Montana, Seth M. Wilson, Elizabeth H. Bradley, Gregory A. Neudecker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We built on the existing capacity of a nongovernmental organization called the Blackfoot Challenge to proactively address wolf (Canis lupus)-livestock conflicts in the Blackfoot Valley of Montana. Beginning in 2007, wolves started rapidly recolonizing the valley, raising concerns among livestock producers. We built on an existing program to mitigate conflicts associated with an expanding grizzly bear population and worked within the community to build a similar program to reduce wolf conflicts using an integrative, multi-method approach. Efforts to engage the community included one-on-one meetings, workshops, field tours, and regular group meetings as well as opportunities to participate in …

Is Community-Based Conservation The Future Of Wildlife Management?, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the editors commentary

Zoo Animal Management Avs 327x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Potential Anticancer Effect Of Prostratin Through Sik3 Inhibition, Dalal Alotaibi, Suneetha Amara, Terrance L. Johnson, Venkataswarup Tiriveedhi

Biology Faculty Research

Prostratin, a phorbol ester natural plant compound, has been demonstrated to exert an anti‑retroviral effect through activation of latent cluster of differentiation (CD)4+T lymphocytes and inhibition of viral entry into the cell through downregulation of chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) expression. However, the potential effect of prostratin on cancer is yet to be defined. As CXCR4 is well known to induce cancer migration, it was hypothesized that prostratin induces an anti‑cancer effect through inhibition of CXCR4 expression. The authors previously demonstrated that high stimulating conditions (sub‑minimal IL‑17, 0.1 ng/ml, synergized with high salt, Δ0.05 M NaCl) promote breast cancer cell …

Managing Cattle Market Risk With Lrp Insurance, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

Price and market uncertainties pose a significant risk to cattle producers with a substantial amount of money invested in breeding livestock, land, and other infrastructure. Price protection through the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) futures contracts and options can be used to help mitigate this risk but, in the case of futures contracts, they can also introduce financial burdens in the form of margin calls. Furthermore, many medium to small-scale producers prefer not to get involved with trading futures and options contracts.

Remote Sensing Of Forests Using Discrete Return Airborne Lidar, Hamid Hamraz, Marco A. Contreras

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Airborne discrete return light detection and ranging (LiDAR) point clouds covering forested areas can be processed to segment individual trees and retrieve their morphological attributes. Segmenting individual trees in natural deciduous forests, however, remained a challenge because of the complex and multi-layered canopy. In this chapter, we present (i) a robust segmentation method that avoids a priori assumptions about the canopy structure, (ii) a vertical canopy stratification procedure that improves segmentation of understory trees, (iii) an occlusion model for estimating the point density of each canopy stratum, and (iv) a distributed computing approach for efficient processing at the forest level. …

Conflict, Constraint, And The Evolution Of The Multivariate Performance Phenotype, Ann M. Cespedes Phd

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Performance is key to survival. From day-to-day foraging events, to reproductive activities, to life-or-death crises, how well an organism performs these tasks can determine success or failure. Selection, therefore, both natural and sexual, act upon performance, and performance demands on individuals shape a population’s morphological and physiological trait distributions. While studies of morphological adaptations to ecological pressures implicitly center on the idea that responses to selection improve performance via changes in morphology, the relationships between morphology, performance, and fitness are not always well understood. In this dissertation, I investigate these relationships explicitly, as well as determine the effects that different …

Exploring Science Identity: The Lived Experiences Of Underserved Students In A University Supplemental Science Program, Lynette D. Perrault

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Underserved students attending under-resourced schools experience limited opportunities to engage in advanced science. An exploration into the influence a supplemental science program has on underserved students’ acquisition of science knowledge and skills to increase their pursuit of science was conducted to help explain science identity formation in students. The proliferation of supplemental science programs have emerged as a result of limited exposure and resources in science for underserved students, thus prompting further investigation into the influence supplemental science programs have on underserved students interest and motivation in science, attainment of science knowledge and skills, and confidence in science to promote …

Feather Mite Abundance Varies But Symbiotic Nature Of Mite-Host Relationship Does Not Differ Between Two Ecologically Dissimilar Warblers, Alix E. Matthews, Jeffery L. Larkin, Douglas W. Raybuck, Morgan C. Slevin, Scott H. Stoleson, Than J. Boves

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Feather mites are obligatory ectosymbionts of birds that primarily feed on the oily secretions from the uropygial gland. Feather mite abundance varies within and among host species and has various effects on host condition and fitness, but there is little consensus on factors that drive variation of this symbiotic system. We tested hypotheses regarding how within-species and among-species traits explain variation in both (1) mite abundance and (2) relationships between mite abundance and host body condition and components of host fitness (reproductive performance and apparent annual survival). We focused on two closely related (Parulidae), but ecologically distinct, species: Setophaga cerulea …

Illegal Wildlife Hunting And Trade In Southern Belize: An Assessment Of Impacts And Drivers, Blakely Rice

Capstone Collection

The use of wildlife as a resource is a common practice in all countries around the world, however, illegal activities are contributing to various environmental and social altercations amongst the involved communities and individuals, both directly and indirectly. This has led to the generalized global narrative on illegal wildlife hunting and trade as a “good vs. bad” convention. Although legal frameworks are in place to manage hunting and trade sustainably, governments and organizations often find themselves struggling to protect wildlife from illegal hunters, often facing dangerous situations thus the establishment of militarized conservation units. To date, most of the focus …

Midbrain Circuit Regulation Of Individual Alcohol Drinking Behaviors In Mice, Barbara Juarez, Carole Morel, Stacy M. Ku, Yutong Liu, Hongxing Zhang, Sarah Montgomery, Hilledna Gregoire, Efrain Ribeiro, Marshall Crumiller, Ciorana Roman-Ortiz, Jessica J. Walsh, Kelcy Jackson, Denise E. Croote, Yingbo Zhu, Song Zhang, Leandro F. Vendruscolo, Scott Edward, Amanda Roberts, Georgia E. Hodes, Yongke Lu, Erin S. Calipari, Dipesh Chaudhury, Allyson K. Friedman, Ming-Hu Han

Publications and Research

Alcohol-use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance-use disorder worldwide. There is substantial individual variability in alcohol drinking behaviors in the population, the neural circuit mechanisms of which remain elusive. Utilizing in vivo electrophysiological techniques, we find that low alcohol drinking (LAD) mice have dramatically higher ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron firing and burst activity. Unexpectedly, VTA dopamine neuron activity in high alcohol drinking (HAD) mice does not differ from alcohol naive mice. Optogenetically enhancing VTA dopamine neuron burst activity in HAD mice decreases alcohol drinking behaviors. Circuit-specific recordings reveal that spontaneous activity of nucleus accumbens-projecting VTA (VTA-NAc) neurons …

Complete Mitogenome Sequences Of Smooth Hammerhead Sharks, Sphyrna Zygaena, From The Eastern And Western Atlantic, Derek S. Guy, Cassandra L. Ruck, Jose V. Lopez, Mahmood S. Shivji

Biology Faculty Articles

We report the first mitogenome sequences of the circumglobally distributed, highly mobile, smooth hammerhead shark, Sphyrna zygaena, from the eastern and western Atlantic. Both genomes were 16,729 bp long with 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNAs, 22 tRNAs and a non-coding control region. The two Atlantic shark sequences differ from each other by 13 SNPs, and by 43 and 44 SNPs from the published mitogenome of an S. zygaena specimen from the eastern Pacific Ocean. The cross-Atlantic mitogenome sequences reported here provide a resource to assist with population genetics studies of this widely exploited species of conservation concern.

Infanticide In Chimpanzees: Taphonomic Case Studies From Gombe, Claire A. Kirchhoff, Michael L. Wison, Deus C. Mjungu, Jane Raphael, Shadrack Kamenya, D. Anthony Collins

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives

We present a study of skeletal damage to four chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) infanticide victims from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Skeletal analysis may provide insight into the adaptive significance of infanticide by examining whether nutritional benefits sufficiently explain infanticidal behavior. The nutritional hypothesis would be supported if bone survivorship rates and skeletal damage patterns are comparable to those of monkey prey. If not, other explanations, such as the resource competition hypothesis, should be considered.

Methods

Taphonomic assessment of two chimpanzee infants included description of breakage and surface modification, data on MNE, %MNE, and bone survivorship. Two additional infants …

Wing Shape Variation In The Mimetic Butterfly Papilio Dardanus (Papilionidae) And Its Unpalatable Nymphalid Models, Miles Hegedus

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Papilio dardanus displays female-limited polymorphic mimicry of multiple model species. Butterfly wing shape is species-specific and can influence mimetic signaling, but has not been characterized in this species. We used elliptical fourier analysis to investigate whether mimetic P. dardanus female forms have converged on the wing shape of their respective models. Although both models and mimics varied in forewing and hind wing shape, we found no evidence of forewing shape convergence between them. Overall, forewings did not differ in shape between sexes in P. dardanus, nor in four non-mimetic Papilio used for comparison. Similarly, there were no hind wing …

Possible Breakdown Of Dopamine Receptor Synergism In A Mouse Model Of Huntington's Disease, Samantha F. Kennedy

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The model of basal ganglia function proposed by Albin, Young and Penney (1989) describes two anatomically independent motor pathways, the direct and indirect. However, under normal conditions striatal dopamine (DA) is required for the expression of motor behavior, and DAergic control of the two pathways (via D1 and D2 receptors, respectively) is dependent on co-activation. We tested for a possible breakdown of D1/D2 synergism using transgenic R6/1 mice bearing the human huntingtin allele (Htt). Motor stereotypy, observed prior to the onset of HD-related symptoms, was rated on a 5-point scale following activation of: A) D1 receptors alone, B) D2 receptors …

Pde8 Is Expressed In Human Airway Smooth Muscle And Selectively Regulates Camp Signaling By Β 2 Ar-Ac6, Timothy B. Johnstone, Kaitlyn H. Smith, Cynthia J. Koziol-White, Fengying Li, Austin G. Kazarian, Maia L. Corpuz, Maya Shumyachter, Frederick J. Ehlert, Bianca E. Himes, Reynold A. Pannettieri Jr., Rennolds S. Ostrom

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Two cAMP signaling compartments centering around adenylyl cyclase (AC) exist in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells, one containing ß2AR-AC6 and another containing E prostanoid receptors (EPR)-AC2. We hypothesized that different phosphodiesterase (PDE) isozymes selectively regulate cAMP signaling in each compartment. According to RNA-seq data, 18 of 24 PDE genes were expressed in primary HASM cells derived from age- and gender-matched donors with and without asthma. PDE8A was the third most abundant of the cAMP-degrading PDE genes, after PDE4A and PDE1A. Knockdown of PDE8A using shRNA evoked 2-fold greater cAMP responses to 1 DM forskolin in the presence of IBMX. …

Virtual Reality As A Training Tool To Treat Physical Inactivity In Children, Adam W. Kiefer, David Pincus, Michael J. Richardson, Gregory D. Myer

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Lack of adequate physical activity in children is an epidemic that can result in obesity and other poor health outcomes across the lifespan. Physical activity interventions focused on motor skill competence continue to be developed, but some interventions, such as neuromuscular training (NMT), may be limited in how early they can be implemented due to dependence on the child’s level of cognitive and perceptual-motor development. Early implementation of motor-rich activities that support motor skill development in children is critical for the development of healthy levels of physical activity that carry through into adulthood. Virtual reality (VR) training may be beneficial …

Polistes Dominulus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Found In Michigan, Timothy M. Judd, James M. Carpenter

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

On 25 May 1995, a single foundress colony of Polistes dominulus (Christ) was discovered on a study site at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan (Oakland County). This is the first record of Polistes dominulus in the state of Michigan.

New Records Of Five Ground Beetles From Ohio (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Foster F. Purrington, R. Chris Stanton

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Five ground beetles (Carabidae), Carabus sylvosus, Elaphrus americanus, Cyclotrachelus incisus, Piesmus submarginatus and Amara crassispina are reported from Ohio for the first time.

A New Larval Record Of Perlinella Drymo (Plecoptera: Perlidae) For Michigan, Ethan Bright

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The presence of larvae of Perlinella drymo in Michigan is documented for the first time. A total of 7 individuals were collected from Iron Creek, a tributary of the River Raisin watershed located in southeastern Michigan. Gut analysis of one specimen provided evidence for a carnivorous diet. The location from which larvae were collected indicate a preference during winter for stabilized undercut banks with little or no flow and accumulated organic debris upon sand and gravel substrate.

Callibaetis Pretiosus (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) From Pennsylvania: New Distribution Record, R. D. Waltz, James B. Munro

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Larvae of Callibaetis pretiosus were collected from a wet-weather pool in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. This record represents a significant northward increase in the known distribution of this species which had previously been reported only from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North CarolIna, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

A Migration Study Of Stelidota Geminata (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Roger N. Williams, M. Sean Ellis, Dan S. Fickle, Scott T. Bloom

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The strawberry sap beetle, Stelidota geminata (Say), is a major pest of strawberries in the northeastern United States. Further knowledge of the migratory habits of this insect pest can enhance the effectiveness of pest management strategies. This nitidulid was shown to migrate from its overwintering sites to one of its primary reproductive sites, strawberry fields, in late May. The beetle population peaked in the third week in July, 1993 in the strawberry field and then gradually declined. In 1994, the peak, as well as the total population, was much greater than in 1993. Furthermore, S. geminata was concentrated in the …

Evidence Of Pre-Imaginal Overwintering Of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) In Michigan, A. B. Idris, Edward J. Grafius

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We investigated the possibility of overwintering of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., in central Michigan. In the spring of 1993, counts of immature stages on brassicaceous weeds in a field previously planted to broccoli revealed a small but significant number of late instars that could not be attributed to oviposition of immigrant moths from the southern United States. We suggest that crop debris and snow cover played an important role in sheltering the larvae, which are known to tolerate sub·freezing temperatures. There was no indication of adult survival.

Spread Of Acentria Ephemerella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) In Central North America, B. G. Scholtens, G. J. Balogh

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The aquatic moth, Acentria ephemerella, was first reported from North America in 1927. Recent records from widespread localities in central North America indicate that the range of this European introduction continues to expand. The moth is well established in the western Great Lakes region and is recorded west to the Missouri River valley in Iowa.

Terrestrial Isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) Of Wisconsin, Joan Jass, Barbara Klausmeier

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Eleven species of terrestrial isopods are recorded from Wisconsin. Species treatments include morphological, habitat and life history data. Wisconsin county distribution records are presented.

Occurrence Of Libellulid Dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae) In Southeastern Michigan And Adjacent Essex County, Ontario, Michael A. Kielb

The Great Lakes Entomologist

During 1994-1995 extensive field work was conducted in southeastern Michigan in an attempt to assess the species population and composition of libellulid dragonflies. Additional field work was conducted on dragonflies from southwestern Ontario migrating into southeastern Michigan. Comparisons were made with the species listed for this area 37 years earlier in Kormondy (1958) anticipating changes due to wetland reductions and the effects of pesticides. With one exception, all species listed in Kormondy were observed. Ad- ditionally, one species, unknown from this area as of 1958, was encountered.