Life Sciences Commons^™

Thirty Years Of Compositional Change In An Old-Growth Temperate Forest: The Role Of Topographic Gradients In Oak-Maple Dynamics, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Ecological communities are structured in response to spatial and temporal variation of numerous factors, including edaphic conditions, biotic interactions, climatic patterns and disturbance regimes. Widespread anthropogenic factors such as timber harvesting can create long-lasting impacts, obscuring the relationship between community structure and environmental conditions. Minimally impacted systems such as old-growth forests can serve as a useful ecological baseline for predicting long-term compositional shifts. We utilized decadal tree species sampling data (1979–2010) divided into three strata (understory, midstory, overstory) to examine temporal changes in relative abundances and spatial distributions of dominant taxa, as well as overall shifts in community composition, in …

Comparable Analysis Of Nutrition And Functional Active Ingredients In Different Varieties Of Tartary Buckwheat, Wang Shixia, Li Xiaorui, Yun Tingting, Yao Yang, Ren Guixing, Qi Wentao

Food and Machinery

The components of nutritional and functional ingredients in 7 kinds of tartary buckwheat were detected and comparable analysis in this paper. The mean contents of basic components (moisture and ash)，nutritional compositions (amino acid, fatty acid, starch and protein) and functional active ingredient (flavonoids, polyphenols and rutin) in 7 kinds of tartary buckwheat were determined. The starch contents varied from 60.23% to 65.44%, and there were no significant difference between different varieties, while the differences of slowly digestible and resistant starch (RS) starch (SDS) were large. The protein contents varied from 11.80% and 15.83% and no difference were found among different …

Research On Optimization Method Of Sensor Array Based On Electronic Tongue Identification, Wang Yanfen

Food and Machinery

This paper introduces the development status of the technology of electronic tongue in food detection, expounds the structure and working principle of electronic tongue; investigates the sensor types and characteristics, discusses the electronic tongue in food and beverage identify sensor array optimization process and the method of analysis, and then makes comprehensive comparison of various methods, aiming at electronic tongue identify provide the reference for its application in food detection.

Study On The Preparation And Antibacterial Activity Of Clove Oil Microemulsions, Liang Rong, Zhong Fang, Wang Hao, Zhang Meiling

Food and Machinery

In order to improve the stability and water solubility of clove oil, fully dilutable microemulsions incorporating clove oil were prepared in this study. By comparing the areas of microemulsion region in pseudo-ternary phase diagram（S_ME）and the minimum dilution ratio (DR), Cremophor EL 30 and anhydrous ethanol were chosen to prepare clove oil microemulsion at 2:1 (w:w), and the aqueous phase was neutral. Further, the type of microemulsion were identified using electric conductivity and rheometer, and the antibacterial activity of microemulsion in O/W central zone was also determined, with mixed surfactant / clove oil / water at 16/4/80 (w/w/w), Km …

Designing And Developing Of Automatic Separation Emery Roasting Machine, Yang Zhicheng, Zhang Lixia, Gu Chunxiu, Zhang Jingsheng

Food and Machinery

An automatic roasting machine including feed, heating, stir fry, separation and shipping was designed. Our designs covered the overall roasting machine, the automatic temperature control system and the key components of stir fry spiral pages as well. Moreover, the prototype tests showed that the automatic roasting machine designed by us could work with stable quality, high degree of automation, and precise temperature control. The timely cook and sell functions have been achieved. As a result of the barrel automatic separation technology, making full use of preheat and the shortening of the heating time, our designed products are suitable for continuous …

Effect Of Coverage Percentage Of Vacuum Insulation Panels On Inner Temperature Distribution Of Refrigerated Container, Li Jun, Li Dong, Wang Hailin, Liu Jiekun, Lu Huazhong

Food and Machinery

The thermal insulation panels of refrigerated container using embedded vacuum insulation panels are high performance thermal insulations with low heat conductivity and promising energy savings. Considering the effect of coverage percentage of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) on inner temperature distribution of refrigerated container, a model based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to numerically simulate the inner temperature distribution of a test refrigerated container. The effect of coverage percentage of VIPs on the insulation performance and temperature distribution uniformity was analyzed numerically and experimentally. The results illustrated that the insulation panels using VIPs can improve the insulation performance of …

The Application Of Seaweed Polysaccharides In Plant Hard Capsule, He Huanghuang, Xiao Meitian, Zhang Xueqin, Ye Jing, Huang Yayan

Food and Machinery

The application of sodium alginate in enteric hard capsule and carrageenan in gastric hard capsule was clarified in this study. Moreover, the structure and physicochemical properties of the gel and rheology of seaweed polysaccharides compound with other polysaccharides, the film-forming of blended polysaccharides and preparation process of plant hard capsule were also summarized. It was reviewed that the researches and applications of film-forming mechanism in plant hard capsule productions in the present paper. The expectation of the future research direction may provide some strategies to the applications of seaweed polysaccharides plant hard capsules.

Cephalopods Are Best Candidates For Invertebrate Consciousness, Jennifer A. Mather, Claudio Carere

Animal Sentience

Insects might have been the first invertebrates to evolve sentience, but cephalopods were the first invertebrates to gain scientific recognition for it.

Land Cover Data For The Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands, 2010-2011 Arcgis V10.3 Geodatabase, Gregory A. Carter, Carlton P. Anderson, Kelly L. Lucas, Nathan L. Hopper

Land Cover Data for the Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands, 2010-2011

Land cover on the Mississippi-Alabama barrier islands was surveyed in 2010-2011 as part of continuing research on island geomorphic and vegetation dynamics following the 2005 impact of Hurricane Katrina. Results of the survey include sub-meter GPS location, a listing of dominant vegetation species and field photographs recorded at 375 sampling locations distributed among Cat, West Ship, East Ship, Horn, Sand, Petit Bois and West Dauphin Islands. The survey was conducted in a period of intensive remote sensing data acquisition over the northern Gulf of Mexico by federal, state and commercial organizations in response to the 2010 Macondo Well (Deepwater Horizon) …

Transgenerational Effects Of Thermal Stress: Impacts On And Beyond Coral Reproduction, Alyson Kuba

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Ocean warming causes stress to corals and records reveal that periods of thermal stress are increasing in frequency and severity. Previous studies show that thermal stress negatively impacts the reproductive output of corals. However, the transgenerational impacts of coral bleaching have never been quantified. As a consequence, it is unclear how ocean warming may alter population dynamics due to effects on reproduction and recruitment. This study quantified the transgenerational impacts of thermal stress in Montastraea cavernosa. To assess transgenerational effects of temperature stress during gametogenesis, colonies were exposed to elevated temperature for two weeks four months prior to spawning, …

Broadband Availability Increased Significantly 2010 - 2015, Charlotte Narjes

Cornhusker Economics

Nebraska’s broadband vision is that residents, businesses, government entities, community partners, and visitors have access to affordable broadband service and have the necessary skills to effectively utilize broadband technologies. Nebraska Statewide Broadband Plan adopted 2014.

Odorant Receptors Can Mediate Axonal Identity And Gene Choice Via Campindependent Mechanisms, Kiavash Movahedi, Xavier Grosmaitre, Paul Feinstein

Publications and Research

Odorant receptors (ORs) control several aspects of cell fate in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), including singular gene choice and axonal identity. The mechanisms of OR-induced axon guidance have been suggested to principally rely on G-protein signalling. Here, we report that for a subset of OSNs, deleting G proteins or altering their levels of signalling does not affect axonal identity. Signalling-deficient ORs or surrogate receptors that are unable to couple to Gs/Golf still provide axons with distinct identities and the anterior–posterior targeting of axons does not correlate with the levels of cAMP produced by genetic modifications. In addition, we refine the …

The Effects Of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) On Development And Hyperekplexia In Embryonic Zebrafish Model, Olivia Christine Mistretta

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs around the world. It has gained attention as an alternative medicine to many different disorders. Though initially investigated in modern medicine for its analgesic and antiemetic properties, cannabis has been recently found to benefit numerous neurological disorders. Though there are over 100 different cannabinoids produced by the cannabis plant, Δ⁹ – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been shown to the most efficacious phytocannabinoid in neurological disorders. THC has been shown in numerous previous studies to be effective at treating spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, as well as …

Variation In Leaf Wettability Traits Along A Tropical Montane Elevation Gradient, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Lisa Patrick Bentley, Alexander Shenkin, Norma Salinas, Benjamin Blonder, Roberta E. Martin, Rosa Castro-Ccossco, Percy Chambi-Porroa, Sandra Diaz, Brian J. Enquist, Gregory P. Asner, Yadvinder Malhi

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

• Leaf wetting is often considered to have negative effects on plant function, such that wet environments may select for leaves with certain leaf surface, morphological, and architectural traits that reduce leaf wettability. However, there is growing recognition that leaf wetting can have positive effects.
• We measured variation in two traits, leaf drip tips and leaf water repellency, in a series of nine tropical forest communities occurring along a 3300-m elevation gradient in southern Peru. To extend this climatic gradient, we also assembled published leaf water repellency values from 17 additional sites. We then tested hypotheses for how these traits should …

Roles Of Information And Communications Technologies In Improving Fish Farming And Production In Rivers State, Nigeria., Ejiogu-Okereke, Ngozi Eucharia Dr, Chikaire, Jonadab Ubochioma Dr, Ogueri, Emmanuel Ifeanyi Dr, Chikezie, Ngozi Patience Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

The study examined the roles of ICTs for improved fish farming and production in Rivers State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to ­- describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the responding fish farmers in the area; identify ICT devices used by respondents in the area; examine fish farming/production information needs of respondents; ascertain ICT roles in promoting fish farming and production in the study area; and identify problems of ICTs use by fish farmers in the study area. Multi stage sampling technique was adopted in sample selection. Data were collected with use of questionnaire and interview schedule. The sample size …

Caterpillars, Consciousness And The Origins Of Mind, Arthur S. Reber

Animal Sentience

A novel framework for the origins of consciousness and mind, the Cellular Basis of Consciousness (CBC), is presented. The model is based on a simple, perhaps radical axiom: subjectivity is an inherent feature of particular kinds of organic form. Experiential states, including those denoted as "mind" and "consciousness," are present in the most primitive species. The model has several conceptual and empirical virtues, among them: (a) it (re)solves the problem of how minds are created by brains ─ also known as the "Hard Problem" (Chalmers 1995) ─ by revealing that the apparent difficulty results from a category error, (b) it …

Why Animals Are Persons, Tony Cheng

Animal Sentience

Rowlands’s case for attributing personhood to lower animals is ultimately convincing, but along the way he fails to highlight several distinctions that are crucial for his argument: Personhood vs. personal identity; the first person vs. its mental episodes; and pre-reflective awareness in general vs. one specific case of it.

Graemeloweus, A New Scorpion Genus From Northern California, Usa (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet, Matthew R. Graham, Richard F. Ayrey

Euscorpius

Genus Graemeloweus, gen. nov. (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) is described from northern California, USA. The genus is composed of three species formerly placed in Pseudouroctonus: Graemeloweus iviei (Gertsch et Soleglad, 1972), comb. nov. (type species), G. glimmei (Hjelle, 1972), comb. nov., and G. maidu (Savary et Bryson, 2016), comb. nov. Major diagnostic characters of Graemeloweus include a non-bifurcated primary lamellar hook, the presence of a secondary lamellar hook, a complex mating plug with a two part base and an asymmetric crescent-shape barb, and the presence of a well-developed ventromedian (V2) carina on the pedipalp chela. Evidence is presented suggesting that …

Chemical Similarity And Local Community Assembly In The Species Rich Tropical Genus Piper, Robert Marquis, Diego Salazar, M. Jaramillo

Biology Department Faculty Works

Community ecologists have strived to find mechanisms that mediate the assembly of natural communities. Recent evidence suggests that natural enemies could play an important role in the assembly of hyper‐diverse tropical plant systems. Classic ecological theory predicts that in order for coexistence to occur, species differences must be maximized across biologically important niche dimensions. For plant–herbivore interactions, it has been recently suggested that, within a particular community, plant species that maximize the difference in chemical defense profiles compared to neighboring taxa will have a relative competitive advantage. Here we tested the hypothesis that plant chemical diversity can affect local community …

U.S. Drought Monitor, July 26, 2016, Brad Rippey

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for July 26, 2016 (7/26/16) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle, Winter wheat.

Can Skeletal Morphology Support New Molecular Phylogenies Of Antedonidae (Crinoidea: Comatulida)?, Brenna Hays

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Antedonidae (Crinoidea: Comatulida) is the largest of extant crinoid families; it currently includes ~155 accepted species in 50 genera and accounts for ~23% of extant crinoid species (~29% of feather stars) and 27% of genera. Molecular phylogenies have returned the family as polyphyletic, with several clades scattered among non-antedonid sister groups (Hemery 2011, Hemery et al. 2013, Rouse et al. in prep.). Traditional morphological characteristics are thus inadequate for reconstructing relationships among taxa. SEM imaging was used in an effort to discover new diagnostic features that will support the molecular data, focusing on skeletal ossicles within the calyx, specifically the …

Leaf Protein And Mineral Concentrations Across The “Miracle Tree” Genus Moringa, Mark E. Olson, Renuka P. Sankaran, Jed W. Fahey, Michael A. Grusak, David Odee, Wasif Nouman

Publications and Research

The moringa tree Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree cultivated across the lowland dry tropics worldwide for its nutritious leaves. Despite its nutritious reputation, there has been no systematic survey of the variation in leaf nutritional quality across M. oleifera grown worldwide, or of the other species of the genus. To guide informed use of moringa, we surveyed protein, macro-, and micro- nutrients across 67 common garden samples of 12 Moringa taxa, including 23 samples of M. oleifera. Moringa oleifera, M. concanensis, M. stenopetala, an M. concanensis X oleifera hybrid, and M. longituba were highest in protein, with M. …

Do Forest Commons Contribute To International Environmental Initiatives? A Socio-Ecological Analysis Of Nepalese Forest Commons In View Of Redd+, Harisharan Luintel

Dissertations and Theses

Forests in developing countries have the potential to contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change, promote biodiversity and support the livelihoods of rural, local people. Approximately one-fourth of such forests are under the control of local communities, which primarily manage forests for subsistence and to meet their livelihood needs. The trend of bottom-up community control is increasing through the adoption of decentralization reforms over the last 40 years. In contrast, the United Nations has introduced the top-down program, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) for the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon and the sustainable management of …

Competent Overall Water-Splitting Electrocatalysts Derived From Zif-67 Grown On Carbon Cloth, Xin Liu, Jinmei Dong, Bo You, Yujie Sun

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The design of nonprecious, bifunctional, and highly competent electrocatalysts for both H₂ and O₂evolution reactions (HER and OER) has attracted increasing interest recently. Herein, we report a cobalt-based electrocatalyst derived from ZIF-67 grown on carbon cloth (Co–P/NC/CC) for overall water splitting electrocatalysis. The as-prepared Co–P/NC/CC catalyst exhibited remarkable catalytic performance in 1 M KOH with Tafel slopes of 52 and 61 mV dec⁻¹ for HER and OER, respectively. When serving as catalysts for both the cathode and anode, our Co–P/NC/CC demonstrated high efficiency and strong robustness. A thorough comparison with other control samples and detailed characterization …

Development And Assessment Of A Groundwater Sustainability Index In Climatically Diverse Groundwater Irrigated Regions In Nebraska, Maria A. Mulet Jalil

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of regional change in ET on groundwater level changes and the assessment and development of a groundwater sustainability index for climatically diverse regions across Nebraska during 2000-2014. Irrigation in the selected regions is predominantly supplied by groundwater. The hypothesis is that groundwater use can become sustainable if the regional evapotranspiration (ET) is managed so that it equals the ET of vegetation that is native to the region. Site locations were Box Butte, Chase, Dundy, Holt LNNRD and York Counties and 3 ecosystems were evaluated: native vegetation, dryland and irrigated cropping …

Mousensor: A Versatile Genetic Platform To Create Super Sniffer Mice For Studying Human Odor Coding, Charlotte D'Hulst, Raena B. Mina, Zachary Gershon, Sophie Jamet, Antonio Cerullo, Delia Tomoiaga, Li Bai, Leonardo Belluscio, Matthew E. Rogers, Yevgeniy Sirotin, Paul Feinstein

Publications and Research

Typically, 0.1% of the total number of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the main olfactory epithelium express the same odorant receptor (OR) in a singular fashion and their axons coalesce into homotypic glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. Here, we have dramatically increased the total number of OSNs expressing specific cloned OR coding sequences by multimerizing a 21-bp sequence encompassing the predicted homeodomain binding site sequence, TAATGA, known to be essential in OR gene choice. Singular gene choice is maintained in these ‘‘MouSensors.’’ In vivo synaptopHluorin imaging of odor-induced responses by known M71 ligands shows functional glomerular activation in an M71 …

Smokejumper Obituary: Lewton, Terry D. (Mccall 1956), National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Obituaries

No abstract provided.

Comparative Evolutionary Analysis Of Organellar Genomic Diversity In Green Plants, Weishu Fan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) and plastid genome (plastome) of plants vary immensely in genome size and gene content. They have also developed several eccentric features, such as the preference for horizontal gene transfer of mitochondrial genes, the reduction of the plastome in non-photosynthetic plants, and variable amounts of RNA editing affecting both genomes. Different organismal lifestyles can partially account for the highly diverse organellar genomes across the tree of green plants. For example, endosymbiotic and parasitic lifestyles can dramatically affect the genomic architectures of plant mitochondria and plastids. In this study, the organellar genomes of several green plants with atypical …

The Farm Newsletter, Usu Student Organic Farm

USU Student Organic Farm Newsletter

Coriander Beet Chips. Recipe by NakedBeet.

Opn-A Induces Muscle Inflammation By Increasing Recruitment And Activation Of Pro-Inflammatory Macrophages., Gina M Many, Yasuyuki Yokosaki, Kitipong Uaesoontrachoon, Peter P Nghiem, Luca Bello, Sherry Dadgar, Ying Yin, Jesse M Damsker, Heather B Cohen, Joe N Kornegay, Marcas M Bamman, David M Mosser, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, Eric P Hoffman

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

New Findings

• What is the central question of this study? What is the functional relevance of OPN isoform expression in muscle pathology?
• What is the main finding and its importance? The full‐length human OPN‐a isoform is the most pro‐inflammatory isoform in the muscle microenvironment, acting on macrophages and myoblasts in an RGD‐integrin‐dependent manner. OPN‐a upregulates expression of tenascin‐C (TNC), a known Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist. Blocking TLR4 signalling inhibits the pro‐inflammatory effects of OPN‐a, suggesting that a potential mechanism of OPN action is by promoting TNC–TLR4 signalling.

Although osteopontin (OPN) is an important mediator of muscle remodelling in health …