Life Sciences Commons^™

Chiral Separation And Quantitation Of Khat Designer Drug- Synthetic Cathinones- In Urine And Plasma, Rashed Humaid Khalfan Bin Huzaim

Accounting Dissertations

This dissertation is concerned with the latest class of the new designer drugs (NDDs) which overruns the world in the last few years as “legal high” drugs, under the name of bath salts or synthetic cathinones. Bath salts are a group of central nervous system stimulants that consists mainly of synthetic cathinone derivatives. In nature, cathinone (β-keto amphetamine) exists in the leaves of the Catha edulis plant which can be found easily in the region of northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. All synthetic cathinone derivatives contain a chiral center and most probably sold out as a racemic mixture. Commonly, …

Productivity And Resistance To Weed Invasion In Four Prairie Biomass Feedstocks With Different Diversity, Jessica E. Abernathy, Dustin R. J. Graham, Mark E. Sherrard, Daryl D. Smith

Tallgrass Prairie Publications and Reports

High-diversity mixtures of native tallgrass prairie vegetation should be effective biomass feedstocks because of their high productivity and low input requirements. These diverse mixtures should also enhance several of the ecosystem services provided by the traditional monoculture feedstocks used for bioenergy. In this study, we compared biomass production, year-to-year variation in biomass production, and resistance to weed invasion in four prairie biomass feedstocks with different diversity: one species – a switchgrass monoculture; five species – a mix of C4 grasses; 16 species – a mix of grasses, forbs, and legumes; and 32 species – a mix of grasses, forbs, legumes, …

Koalas (Phascolarctos Cinereus) From Queensland Are Genetically Distinct From 2 Populations In Victoria, Christina T. Ruiz-Rodriguez, Yasuko Ishida, Neil D. Murray, Stephen J. O'Brien, Jennifer A.M. Graves, Alex D. Greenwood, Alfred L. Roca

Biology Faculty Articles

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) suffered population declines and local extirpation due to hunting in the early 20th century, especially in southern Australia. Koalas were subsequently reintroduced to the Brisbane Ranges (BR) and Stony Rises (SR) by translocating individuals from a population on French Island descended from a small number of founders. To examine genetic diversity and north-south differentiation, we genotyped 13 microsatellite markers in 46 wild koalas from the BR and SR, and 27 Queensland koalas kept at the US zoos. The Queensland koalas displayed much higher heterozygosity (H O = 0.73) than the 2 southern Australian koala populations examined: …

Fluctuating Asymmetry In Two Common Freshwater Fishes As A Biological Indicator Of Urbanization And Environmental Stress Within The Middle Chattahoochee Watershed, William I. Lutterschmidt, Samantha L. Martin, Jacob F. Schaefer

Faculty Publications

Deviations in bilateral symmetry or fluctuating asymmetry of an organism may result under environmental stressors that reduce developmental homeostasis and stability. Anthropogenic stressors such as increased urbanization can negatively impact environmental quality of aquatic ecosystems. Researchers have stressed the value in finding easy, accurate and inexpensive methods for assessing potential stress within ecosystems. Here we use fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as a useful quantitative tool in assessing the environmental quality and potential urban-based stressors within eight creeks of the Bull and Upatoi Creeks Watershed within the larger watershed of the Middle Chattahoochee. Using Geographic Information System (GIS), we characterize land-use patterns …

Nebline, November/December 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Look Who’s Hatching — Preschoolers Explore Egg-Laying Animals

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

59 | Gamla Iii: The Shmarya Gutmann Excavations 1976–1989: Finds And Studies: Part 2, Danny Syon

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

This volume is Part 2 of the publication of the many finds assemblages from Gamla, including the glass, stone, metal, jewelry finds and many others, as well as a number of analytical studies. Finds related to the Jewish War and the coins were published in IAA Reports 56.

Psychological Stress Among Risks For Alzheimer's Disease, Maria C. Norton, Elizabeth B. Fauth

All Current Publications

This fact sheet defines stress, stressors and reaction to them, what stress does to our brain and body, and how stress effects can accumulate over time. It also includes tips on reducing the effects of stress on the brain.

Considerations For Sage-Grouse Management Objectives, David K. Dahlgren, Terry A. Messmer, Eric T. Thacker

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes ways to conserve and manage sage-grouse and includes information on population dynamics; movements, habitat, and climatic interactions; and management objectives.

Mapping Landscape Values Using Social Media, Lael Gilbert, Jordan W. Smith, Boris Van Zanten, Derek Van Berkel

All Current Publications

Social media data are providing scientists with a variety of new ways to examine how and why individuals value particular natural landscapes. In this fact sheet, we review cutting edge research that used millions of photos posted to Instagram, Flickr and Panaramio to examine which European landscapes individuals value most. The research is the first of its kind to use social media data to identify the public’s most valued landscapes across an entire continent. The research is also the first to compare the spatial agreement between geotagged imagery uploaded to different platforms.

Is Alzheimer's Disease And Dementia The Same Thing? Clarifying Types And Symptoms Of Dementia, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Maria C. Norton, Jessica J. Weyerman

All Current Publications

This fact sheet defines dementia, its causes and types, and how it relates to Alzheimer's.

Nonmotorized Recreation And Motorized Recreation In Shrub-Steppe Habitats Affects Behavior And Reproduction Of Golden Eagles (Aquila Chrysaetos), Robert J. Spaul, Julie A. Heath

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Different forms of outdoor recreation have different spatiotemporal activity patterns that may have interactive or cumulative effects on wildlife through human disturbance, physical habitat change, or both. In western North America, shrub-steppe habitats near urban areas are popular sites for motorized recreation and nonmotorized recreation and can provide important habitat for protected species, including golden eagles. Our objective was to determine whether recreation use (i.e., number of recreationists) or recreation features (e.g., trails or campsites) predicted golden eagle territory occupancy, egg-laying, or the probability a breeding attempt resulted in ≥1 offspring (nest survival). We monitored egg-laying, hatching and fledging success, …

A Pipette-Based Calibration System For Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry With Fast Response Times, Eric S. Ramsson

Peer Reviewed Articles

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is an electrochemical technique that utilizes the oxidation and/or reduction of an analyte of interest to infer rapid changes in concentrations. In order to calibrate the resulting oxidative or reductive current, known concentrations of an analyte must be introduced under controlled settings. Here, I describe a simple and cost-effective method, using a Petri dish and pipettes, for the calibration of carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMs) using FSCV.

Assessing The Risk Of Resistance Evolution, Adult And Larval Susceptibility, And Sublethal Effects After Exposure Of Corn Rootworms To Vacuolar Atpase-A And Snf7 Dsrnas, Adriano Elias Pereira

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Corn rootworms are Diabroticite beetles from the genus Diabrotica and include the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, and the northern corn rootworm, D. barberi Smith & Lawrence, as the most important pests in the U.S. Corn Belt. The southern corn rootworm (SCR), D. undecimpunctata howardi Barber, is considered a polyphagous plant pest and feeds in a wide variety of plants including peanuts, cucurbits, soybeans, and especially corn. Resistance to control methods including behavioral resistance to crop rotation and to corn hybrids expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner toxins in WCR has frequently been reported. SCR has been considered a …

Hydrodynamic Properties Of Fin Whale Flippers Predict Maximum Rolling Performance, Paolo S. Segre, David E. Cade, Frank E. Fish, Jean Potvin, Ann N. Allen, John Calambokidis, Ari S. Friedlaender, Jeremy A. Goldbogen

Biology Faculty Publications

Maneuverability is one of the most important and least understood aspects of animal locomotion. The hydrofoil-like flippers of cetaceans are thought to function as control surfaces that effect maneuvers, but quantitative tests of this hypothesis have been lacking. Here, we constructed a simple hydrodynamic model to predict the longitudinal-axis roll performance of fin whales, and we tested its predictions against kinematic data recorded by on-board movement sensors from 27 free-swimming fin whales. We found that for a given swimming speed and roll excursion, the roll velocity of fin whales calculated from our field data agrees well with that predicted by …

Supportive Structures For Successful Science Teachers’ Professional Development, C. Schaben, C. Cutucache, N. Grandgenett, E. Mulkerrin, R. J. Hougham

Biology Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The Omaha Public Schools (OPS) Science Office collaborates closely with community partners to facilitate a private foundation grant that seeks to improve science education by focusing on in-service, science teachers’ professional learning in the context of professional development (PD) experiences and targeted graduate coursework. The three goals of the K-12 Comprehensive Science Teaching and Learning Grant are to 1) increase student achievement in science, 2) increase teacher effectiveness, and to 3) align and enhance science curriculum. At the end of year one, 83 teacher participants have taken graduate courses, attended professional conferences, completed action research projects, and/or have participated in …

Resiliency And Collapse: Lake Trout, Sea Lamprey, And Fisheries Management In Lake Superior, Nancy Langston

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

No abstract provided.

A Polyaniline-Based Sensor Of Nucleic Acids, Partha Sengupta, Jared Gloria, Marcus K. Parker, Alex S. Flynt

Faculty Publications

Detection of nucleic acids is at the center of diagnostic technologies used in research and the clinic. Standard approaches used in these technologies rely on enzymatic modification that can introduce bias and artifacts. A critical element of next generation detection platforms will be direct molecular sensing, thereby avoiding a need for amplification or labels. Advanced nanomaterials may provide the suitable chemical modalities to realize label-free sensors. Conjugated polymers are ideal for biological sensing, possessing properties compatible with biomolecules and exhibit high sensitivity to localized environmental changes. In this article, a method is presented for detecting nucleic acids using the electroconductive …

Modeling Long-Term Corn Yield Response To Nitrogen Rate And Crop Rotation, Laila A. Puntel, John E. Sawyer, Daniel W. Barker, Ranae Dietzel, Hanna Poffenbarger, Michael J. Castellano, Kenneth J. Moore, Peter J. Thorburn, Sotirios V. Archontoulis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Improved prediction of optimal N fertilizer rates for corn (Zea mays L.) can reduce N losses and increase profits. We tested the ability of the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to simulate corn and soybean (Glycine max L.) yields, the economic optimum N rate (EONR) using a 16-year field-experiment dataset from central Iowa, USA that included two crop sequences (continuous corn and soybean-corn) and five N fertilizer rates (0, 67, 134, 201, and 268 kg N ha^-1) applied to corn. Our objectives were to: (a) quantify model prediction accuracy before and after calibration, and report calibration steps; (b) …

Effects Of Target-Controlled Infusion Of High-Dose Naloxone On Pain And Hyperalgesia In A Human Thermal Injury Model: A Study Protocol, Anders D. Springborg, Elisabeth K. Jensen, Bradley K. Taylor, Mads U. Werner

Physiology Faculty Publications

Mu-opioid-receptor antagonists have been extensively studied in experimental research as pharmacological tools uncovering mechanisms of pain modulation by the endogenous opioid system. In rodents, administration of high doses of mu-opioid-receptor antagonists after the resolution of an inflammatory injury has demonstrated reinstatement of nociceptive hypersensitivity indicating unmasking of latent sensitization. In a recent human study, pain hypersensitivity assessed as secondary hyperalgesia area (SHA), was reinstated 7 days after a mild thermal injury, in 4 out of 12 subjects after a naloxone infusion.

The aims of the present study are first, to replicate our previous findings in a larger-sized study; second, to …

Monk Parakeets, Michael L. Avery, James R. Lindsay

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Since their introduction to the United States in the 1960s, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) have thrived (Figure 1). Until recently, annual Christmas Bird Count data have shown the population to be increasing exponentially. In the U.S., monk parakeets are an urban and suburban species with few natural predators, diseases or other factors limiting their population growth. They exploit backyard bird feeders and non-native ornamental plants for food. Monk parakeets often construct nests on man-made structures, such as electric utility facilities and cell phone towers. Because the birds build and maintain nests throughout the year, management of parakeet populations …

The Update, November-December 2016, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside This Issue:
--CHAS Briefs
--Spotlight--Alumni Derek Miller
--Spotlight--Faculty Sade Barfield
--Women's and Gender Studies Clothesline Project
--Computer Science Sara Diesburg
--Featured Story--Heather Hamilton
--Spotlight--Alumni Amanda Chan
--Spotlight--Alumni Kelly Bahl
--Calendar of Events

The Life Cycle Stages Of Pneumocystis Murina Have Opposing Effects On The Immune Response To This Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen, Heather M. Evans, Grady L. Bryant Iii, Beth A. Garvy

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

The cell wall β-glucans of Pneumocystis cysts have been shown to stimulate immune responses in lung epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and alveolar macrophages. Little is known about how the trophic life forms, which do not have a fungal cell wall, interact with these innate immune cells. Here we report differences in the responses of both neonatal and adult mice to the trophic and cystic life cycle stages of Pneumocystis murina. The adult and neonatal immune responses to infection with Pneumocystis murina trophic forms were less robust than the responses to infection with a physiologically normal mixture of cysts and …

Diagnosis Of Strongyloides Stercoralis: Detection Of Parasite-Derived Dna In Urine, Nilanjan Lodh, Reynaldo Caro, Shterna Sofer, Alan Scott, Alejandro Krolewiecki, Clive J. Shiff

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Detecting infections of Strongyloides stercoralis is arduous and has low sensitivity. Clinically this is a major problem because chronic infections may disseminate in the host and lead to a life threatening condition. Epidemiologically, S. stercoralis is often missed in surveys as it is difficult to identify by standard stool examination procedures. We present, for the first time, evidence that the infection can be detected in filtered urine samples collected and processed in the field and subsequently assayed for the presence of parasite DNA. Urine specimens (∼40 mL) were collected from 125 test and control individuals living in rural and peri-urban …

Citations Increase With Manuscript Length, Author Number, And References Cited In Ecology Journals, Charles W. Fox, C. E. Timothy Paine, Boris Sauterey

Entomology Faculty Publications

Most top impact factor ecology journals indicate a preference or requirement for short manuscripts; some state clearly defined word limits, whereas others indicate a preference for more concise papers. Yet evidence from a variety of academic fields indicates that within journals longer papers are both more positively reviewed by referees and more highly cited. We examine the relationship between citations received and manuscript length, number of authors, and number of references cited for papers published in 32 ecology journals between 2009 and 2012. We find that longer papers, those with more authors, and those that cite more references are cited …

Whole-Genome Identification, Phylogeny, And Evolution Of The Cytochrome P450 Family 2 (Cyp2) Subfamilies In Birds, Daniela Almeida, Emanuel Maldonado, Imran Khan, Liliana Silva, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Guojie Zhang, Erich D. Jarvis, Stephen J. O'Brien, Warren E. Johnson, Agostinho Antunes

Biology Faculty Articles

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily defends organisms from endogenous and noxious environmental compounds, and thus is crucial for survival. However, beyond mammals the molecular evolution of CYP2 subfamilies is poorly understood. Here, we characterized the CYP2 family across 48 avian whole genomes representing all major extant bird clades. Overall,12 CYP2 subfamilies were identified, including the first description of the CYP2F, CYP2G, and several CYP2AF genes in avian genomes. Some of the CYP2 genes previously described as being lineage-specific, such as CYP2K and CYP2W, are ubiquitous to all avian groups. Furthermore, we identified a large number of CYP2J copies, which have …

Classification Of Historical Vegetation In Oregon And Washington, As Recorded By General Land Office Sureyors, John Christy, Edward R. Alverson, Molly P. Dougherty, Susan C. Kolar, Clifford W. Alton, Susan M. Hawes, Gene Hickman, Jennifer A. Hiebler, Eric M. Nielsen

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

This classification of historical vegetation map units is based on General Land Office (GLO) surveyors' descriptions of vegetation, independent of modern vegetation classification. Vegetation data in the survey notes include species encountered along the survey lines, distances from section or quarter corners to "witness" or bearing trees, diameters of witness trees, and general descriptions of vegetation along each line. The surveyors were usually consistent in differentiating stands with dissimilar structure or composition, and they routinely segregated forest (“timber”), savanna ("openings"), and woodland ("scattering timber") from prairie. Today, these structural classes are often segregated by percent canopy cover or stand density, …

Agricultural Trade Publications And The 2012 Midwestern U.S. Drought: A Missed Opportunity For Climate Risk Communication, Sarah P. Church, Tonya Haigh, Melissa Widhalm, Silvestre Garcia De Jalon, Nicholas Babin, Stuart Carlton, Michael Dunn, Katie Fagan, Cody L. Knutson, Linda Stalker Prokopy

Department of Forestry & Natural Resources Faculty Publications

The Midwestern United States experienced a devastating drought in 2012, leading to reduced corn and soybean yields and increased instances of pests and disease. Climate change induced weather variability and extremes are expected to increase in the future, and have and will continue to impact the agricultural sector. This study investigated how agricultural trade publications portrayed the 2012 U.S. Midwestern drought, whether climate change was associated with drought, and whether these publications laid out transformative adaptation measures farmers could undertake in order to increase their adaptive capacity for future climate uncertainty. We performed a content analysis of 1000 media reports …

Does The Presence Of Oil And Gas Infrastructure Potentially Increase Risk Of Harvest In Northern Bobwhite?, Evan P. Tanner, R. Dwayne Elmore, Craig A. Davis, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, David K. Dahlgren, Eric T. Thacker, Jeremy P. Orange

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Beyond organisms experiencing direct impacts (mortality) from the presence of anthropogenic features, interactive relationships may exacerbate the effects of anthropogenic disturbance within the context of these features. For example, mortality risk may be affected by the road infrastructure associated with energy development by influencing space use of predators including human hunters. To assess these relationships, we conducted research on northern bobwhite Colinus virginianusacross a hunted and non-hunted area of Beaver River Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, using radiotelemetry from 2012–2015. We found that bobwhite mortality risk decreased as the distance from primary roads (m) increased across weeks (hazard ratio [HR] …

Microbiology, Openstax, Nina Parker, Mark Schneegurt, Anh-Hue Thi Tu, Brian M. Forster, Philip Lister

Open Educational Resources Collection

Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology’s art program enhances students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.

Microbiology is produced through a collaborative publishing agreement between OpenStax and the American Society for Microbiology Press. The book aligns with the curriculum guidelines of the …

An Open Data Format For Visualization And Analysis Of Cross-Linked Mass Spectrometry Results., Michael R Hoopmann, Luis Mendoza, Eric W Deutsch, David Shteynberg, Robert L Moritz

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Protein-protein interactions are an important element in the understanding of protein function, and chemical cross-linking shotgun mass spectrometry is rapidly becoming a routine approach to identify these specific interfaces and topographical interactions. Protein cross-link data analysis is aided by dozens of algorithm choices, but hindered by a lack of a common format for representing results. Consequently, interoperability between algorithms and pipelines utilizing chemical cross-linking remains a challenge. pepXML is an open, widely-used format for representing spectral search algorithm results that has facilitated information exchange and pipeline development for typical shotgun mass spectrometry analyses. We describe an extension of this format …