Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science articles from June 2005

Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science archives from June 2005

Soil hydrocarbon concentrations in the South First Street Storm water runoff basin, Pocatello, Idaho.
June 1, 2005... ABSTRACT The First Street Stormwater Retention Basin (FSSRB) was designed to collect urban storm water runoff from a portion of the City of Pocatello, ID. Soil Total Extractable Hydrocarbon (TEH) concentrations in the FSSRB were...

Student awards at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Idaho Academy of Science.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 1, 2005... POSTER SESSION (UNDERGRADUATE) Chemistry First Place Jessica Burleson Boise State University Second Place Christopher Liby Boise State University Third Place Kendall Yoder/ Northwest Nazarene ...

What is Idaho doing about Chronic Wasting Disease?(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Chronic Wasting Disease is a high profile disease of wild and domestic cervidae. Some scientists in Europe consider it our own form of Mad Cow Disease. What are state and federal wildlife agencies doing across the US to manage CWD given the...

Genetics of virulence in bacteria.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)
June 1, 2005... Bacteria utilize a variety of mechanisms to obstruct host resistance to infection. The genes that control these mechanisms, or virulence factors, are highly variable and have been studied in numerous situations and host-pathogen models. We...

Past and future milestones in the genetic improvement of alfalfa, "The Queen of Forages".(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)
June 1, 2005... Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) was the first introduced to the New World by immigrants as a quality food source for their livestock. Since its introduction alfalfa has become the number one forage legume in North America and worthy of its title of...

Virulent Streptococcus infections: the role of genetics in host-parasite relationships.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)
June 1, 2005... Since 1985, severe invasive group A streptococcal (GAS)infections have afflicted humans from all corners of the world. Since pathogenesis involves intimate interaction between defense mechanisms of the human host and virulence factors of GAS,...

Chronic Wasting Disease: what Idaho is doing for its elk and deer.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)
June 1, 2005... Chronic Wasting Disease is a high profile disease of wild and domestic cervidae. Some scientists in Europe consider it our own form of Mad Cow Disease. What are state and federal wildlife agencies doing across the US to manage CWD given the...

A new species of frog for Idaho: phylogeography within the genus Ascaphus and its implications for the biogeography and conservation in the Pacific Northwest.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The tailed frog is a unique headwater stream amphibian endemic to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Our work finds congruence across allozyme and mitochondrial DNA data sets that supports division of the genus Ascaphus into two species,...

The 24th Chromosome.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... DNA analysis in private and public laboratories has had an impact far beyond its capacity to identify and eliminate suspects. Since the first practical use of DNA in a criminal investigation in 1987 the legal system has had to contend with a...

Black bear hair snares, DNA and population management in unit 39.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... I reviewed records of 34,759 bears harvested in the state since 1983. This information was used to determine informational needs for management of black bear populations in the Boise River drainage, Department of Fish and Game unit 39. This led...

Regulatory science: safety studies on commercial GM (genetically modified) crops.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The estimated global area of commercially approved biotech/GM crops grown in 2004 was over 200 million acres. One of the most widely adopted GM crops in the US is insect resistant corn, often referred to as "Bt corn", since it was developed by...

First equine clone: connection to human health.(INVITED PAPERS: ABSTRACTS)
June 1, 2005... We observed a disparity between extracellular and intracellular calcium concentrations in equine (horse) erythrocytes: the intracellular concentration (811 ng/g, n=55) was 2.3-fold lower than that in human erythrocytes (1940 ng/g n=55) even...

Characterizing the shrub component of great basin collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores) habitat within fixed kernel home ranges generated using a GIS.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Current Crotaphytus bicinctores distribution models rely in part on the type of shrubs present, yet little quantitative shrub data exists. In order to better characterize the shrub component of C. bicinctores habitat, we used GIS and transects...

A computational model of thrombospondin-like domains in collagens.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Thrombospondin-like (TL) domains, present in many forms of collagen, are binding regions for other elements of the extra-cellular matrix, e.g. heparan sulfate. Collagen XI is known to be an essential factor in mediating development in collagen...

The heparan sulfate zone of monolayer chondrocytes.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans are abundantly expressed in a surface zone (HSZ) of chondrocytes of both developing and mature cartilage. Components of the extracellular matrix (matrix metalloproteinases, collagens, growth factors,...

Evaluation of methods for the localization of cytoskeletal and nuclear proteins in plant cells.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... We compared two methods of preparation of plant tissues for immunolocalization. One method involved the use of the hydrophilic plastic resin LR White and the other involved the use of the plastic resin ButyI-MethyI-Methacrylate (BMA), which can...

Cardiovascular aging and anthracycline metabolism.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Anthracyclines are antitumor chemotherapy drugs that have limited use due to cardiotoxicity. The anthracycline daunorubicin (D1) is converted to daunorubicinol (D2) in older rats. In this study, age-related differences of this enzyme activity...

Rock selection of the Great Basin collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores): assessing resource competition between miners and lizards.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Crotaphytus bicinctores is a sensitive, saxicolous species in southwestern Idaho, and extensive rock removal has occurred in some parts of its range. We assessed resource competition by measuring the rock selection of lizards and of miners....

Increased bronchoconstriction occurs with bronchial artery infusion of methacholine.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Methacholine was given via various methods to ventilated adult sheep to determine the most effective pathway. Small doses in the bronchial arteries stimulated contraction of smooth bronchial muscle and thus an increase in airway pressure. To...

Manganese induced toxic effects in human U87 & SK-N-SH neurotumor cells: accentuation by buthionine sulfoximine.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Manganese (Mn) toxicity is associated with Parkinsonian symptoms, but the underlying cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. To investigate the toxic mechanisms of manganese, a known neurotoxicant, we treated human astroglial U-87 and...

Sarcoplasmic reticulum and caveolae proteins in the aged rat myocardium.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Changes in calcium handling in aging myocardium are thought to underly a decrease in cardiac performance. Such changes may be modulated by calcium release channels (RYR2) and calcium transporting ATPases (SERCA2) on the sarcoplasmic reticulum...

Sex differences in anxiety following chronic mild stress.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... We are increasingly aware that being female affects many aspects of one's health and risk for diseases. We use animal models to study the neurobiological basis for sex differences. We applied repeated, mild chronic stress to male and female...

Sex differences in anxiety during ethanol withdrawal.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Our lab has been studying the effects of chronic alcohol (ethanol) consumption and withdrawal for a number of years. We study ethanol withdrawal (EW) in a rat model and found significant sex differences in withdrawal recovery. I studied the...

Neuroprogesterone regulation of female reproductive behavior.(SECTION: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH SCIENCE)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... In the absence of peripheral sources of progesterone (P4), exogenous estrogen is sufficient to induce the LH surge and female reproductive behavior. In an ovariectomized and adrenalectomized (OVX/ADX) rat, exogenous estrogen is sufficient to...

Chemical analysis of natural waters of the Yellowstone caldera.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Yellowstone National Park, our nation's first and best national park, is home to geothermal activity which is unique in its scope and variety. The hydrothermal features fueled by mantle heat have created a chemical environment which is equally...

Groundwater arsenic levels in Idaho: preparation for new maximal concentration limit.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)
June 1, 2005... In Idaho, 95% of the population relies on ground water for drinking. It is estimated that of the 3190 ground water sources considered public water systems, 1665 test for arsenic. In 2001 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a new...

New catalyst precursors for carbon nanotube growth.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... This project seeks to produce and characterize new molecular precursors that will be used as the catalyst to prepare high-purity carbon nanotubes by injection chemical vapor deposition. The compounds were prepared by refluxing metal powders...

Ethanolamine derived cadmium chelating agents.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... We have prepared and characterized two prototype cadmium chelating agents, potassium bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dithiocarbamate, K[bhedtc], and potassium bis(2-hydroxyethyl) aminoethylxanthate, K[bhexan]. These compounds were prepared from the relevant...

Efforts toward electrocyclization of vinyl azomethine ylides generated via electrocyclic ring-opening of 4-oxazolines.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)
June 1, 2005... Five-membered nitrogen-containing rings, pyrrolidines, are found in a plethora of medicinally useful compounds. The traditional cycloaddition reactions utilized in the formation of pyrrolidines have the disadvantage of either requiring...

Aziridinomitosene synthesis and analyzing this compounds effect on DNA alkylation interactions.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A synthetic route yielding aziridinomitosene B will aid in understanding its alkylation interactions with DNA. We hypothesize that aziridinomitosene B forms DNA interstrand cross-links. A comparison of the compound's propensity to form DNA...

Enzymatic synthesis of daunorubicinol.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Daunorubicin (D1) is an effective broad-spectrum chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of many types of cancer, including leukemia. However, due to cardiotoxic side effects the maximum lifetime dosage of the drug limits its usefulness. The...

Alcohol Dehydrogenase IV: ethanols effects on the kinetics and control of retinol oxidation.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is caused by alcohol consumption by an expectant mother. Some studies have suggested that FAS is the result of a lower production of retinoic acid (RAA) from retinol (ROH, vitamin A) through retinaldehyde because...

Comparisons of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channel in male and female rabbits.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Anthracyclines, common antineoplastic agents used to fight leukemia and tumor cancers, have been found to cause serious cardiotoxicity. Because of this, anthracycline cumulative doses are limited to 500mg/m2, displacing the chemotherapeutic...

Synthesis and characterization of a rotaxane-based molecular switch.(SECTION: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The field of synthetic molecular devices not only continues to excite the imagination with increasing complexity and intricate designs, but has also emerged rapidly as an important adjunct for the construction of addressable molecular devices....

Protein purification and ELISA evaluation of a blastomyces dermatitidis isolate from the Eagle River, WI outbreak.(SECTION: MICROBIOLOGY/TECHNOLOGY)(enzyme linked immunosorbent assays)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungal organism and the causative agent of blastomycosis. This organism is endemic east of the Mississippi river as is the fungal organism Histoplasma capsulatum. Infections of B. dermatitidis are...

Blastomyces dermatitidis lysate antigens: stability studies on different preparations.(SECTION: MICROBIOLOGY/TECHNOLOGY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Eleven lots of Blastomyces dermatitidis (strain T-58, dog isolate) yeast phase lysate antigen were assayed to determine their stability following storage. The antigens were produced during the period from 1989 to 2004 and stored at 4 C. The...

Characterization of the BAD1 gene in ten different strains of blastomyces dermatitidis.(SECTION: MICROBIOLOGY/TECHNOLOGY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A great deal concerning factors that contribute to the pathogenicity of the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis remains unknown, although the cell surface adhesin BAD1 has been implicated as an essential virulence factor. The objective of...

The application of GIS in determining the spatial distribution of the resistance of the Lycopersicon peruvianum to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in Peru and Northern Chile.(SECTION: MICROBIOLOGY/TECHNOLOGY)(geographic information systems)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) infects tomato plants, causing fruit deformity and death. While cultivated tomatoes are susceptible to TSWV, Lycopersicon peruvianum has demonstrated resistance in several studies (Gordillo and Stevens, 2004)....

Carbon sequestration in the Big Sky Partnership.(SECTION: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Department of Energy. Idaho National Laboratory's research)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The INL (Idaho National Laboratory) is a member of the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership (BSCP), which is part of the Department of Energy's Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnership Program that is the centerpiece of national efforts to...

CCD observations and analysis of variable star SZ Lyn.(SECTION: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(charge coupled devices)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Preliminary background research into bright, short-period variable stars indicated a discrepancy in the period of the visual magnitude of the delta-Scuti star SZ Lyn. CCD visual photometry of SZ Lyn was obtained over 3 week period as a means to...

Digital astrophotography using ART: preliminary results.(SECTION: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Albertson Robotic Telescope)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The Albertson Robotic Telescope (ART) was configured primarily for use in determining stellar magnitudes; however, the equipment may also be used for color astrophotography. Although ART has a fairly narrow field, larger objects may be targeted...

The design and construction of the Autonomously-Driven Roving-Adaptive Hazardous Material Sampler (A-DRAHMS).(SECTION: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... There are many instances where samples of potentially hazardous soils need to be acquired in such a way as to minimize the risk of injury to personnel. For example, sampling the soil around a deadly chemical spill, sampling the ground around a...

Near space exploration using high-altitude balloons.(SECTION: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The purpose of the project was to streamline a system of near space exploration for an on-campus club and promote interest in near space balloon research. The project opens up a new area of research available to NNU and encourages students of...

Construction and use of mechanical lips to determine the acoustical properties of trumpets.(SECTION: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Should one purchase an expensive professional trumpet or will an inexpensive student horn have the same sound quality? To answer this question, we have built a system to determine the acoustical characteristics of trumpets, including a...

Self-navigating robot for industrial applications.(SECTION: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Northwest Nazarene University's Department of Physics and Engineering's research)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... There are many situations where dangerous or tedious tasks could more safely be accomplished by a robot. For example, the handling of radioactive materials, the taking of hazardous waste samples, or the continuous reconnoitering of a secure...

Academic service-learning: building bridges from chemists to the Native American community.(SECTION: SCIENCE EDUCATION)(American Chemical Society's educational program)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Native Americans are underrepresented in science, and especially in chemistry. With foreign enrollments down in state-side graduate schools, it is only good sense to make a little extra effort to interest and recruit students to chemistry who...

Hydration behavior of Uranium trioxide.(TOPIC: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The project has been carried out as an integral part of my Masters thesis. There are basically three different hydrates of Uranium trioxide, namely monohydrates, Di-hydrates and Tri-hydrates. These hydrates behave in a peculiar manner as water...

Induced deexictation of Hafnium 178m2 with low energy x-rays: real or imaginary?(TOPIC: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... In recent years there has been great interest and controversy in the nuclear physics community due to certain claims of induced decay of Hafnium 178m2 with low energy x-rays (<20keV). Such a process is said to be described by K-mixing and...

Response of the near-field Aquifer to changes in the level of Lake Coeur d'Alene.(TOPIC: GEOSCIENCE/PHYSICS/ENGINEERING)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Currently measurements are being made to provide a data set that will allow development of a computer model that characterizes the Rathdrum Prairie/ Spokane Valley Aquifer. The principle agencies conducting the research are the United States...

The effects of cadmium on apoptosis in cultured human osteosarcoma cells.(TOPIC: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Cadmium is a known environmental toxin that accumulates in the body where it gives rise to adverse affects in humans. Research links human exposure to cadmium with bone diseases such as osteoporosis. The mechanisms by which cadmium exerts a...

Validation of the use of endoscopy for field determination of sexual maturity of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).(TOPIC: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH)
June 1, 2005... To conserve threatened salmonids, an understanding of life history mechanisms that contribute to the resilience or vulnerability of populations to disturbance is vital. In studies examining life history parameters such as maturity and age/size...

The evaluation of an In Vitro model for the study of cadmium toxicity in rainbow trout.(TOPIC: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Rainbow trout are routinely exposed to environmental contaminants such as cadmium. We have identified a rainbow trout gill cell line (RT gill-W1) that exhibits resistance to cadmium toxicity when compared to other cultured cells. The purpose of...

Mid-Snake River listed snails: results from summer 2004 sampling.(TOPIC: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH)(Idaho Power Co., Fish and Wildlife Service and Federal Energy Regulatory's research)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... This is a cooperative study between Idaho Power Company (IPC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resulting from a February 12, 2004, settlement agreement with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pertaining to five Mid-Snake River hydroelectric...

Biodiversity of desert ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas, a preliminary assessment.(TOPIC: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The desert ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas, are not well known. Van Pelt published a list of 81 ant species collected in the Chisos Mountains in 1983 but there is not a similar list for the...

Gender differences in cardiac energy metabolism apply to the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).(TOPIC: BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY/HEALTH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... There are sex-related differences in mammalian cardiac energetics and function. Our recent data show gender differences in both stored glycogen levels and in vitro performance of cardiac tissue from hatchery-reared rainbow trout. In this study,...

Inhibitors of human carbonyl reductase.(TOPIC: CHEMISTRY)(Boise State University's research)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Anthracyclines are effective antineoplastic agents, but are known to cause a chronic cardiomyopathy, which severely limits their use. Anthracycline cardiotoxicity has been linked to an alcohol metabolite, the formation of which is catalyzed by...

What's that in my microwave pizza, I think I smell a VOC?(TOPIC: CHEMISTRY)(volatile organic compounds' contamination)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Contamination of microwaved food products is both, an important health concern, and a challenging analytical chemistry problem. Microwave ovens are designed to quickly heat food, but they lack the ability to brown or crisp foods because...

Monitoring drinking water for protection against terrorist cyanide contamination.(TOPIC: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... We are currently a society in fear. Due to the actions of a few, every time a person reaches for a glass of water, they must consider the possibility of product tampering. History has shown that cyanide is the poison of choice by modern...

Anthraquinone substrates of carbonyl reductase.(TOPIC: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Carbonyl reductase (CR) is known to catalyze the reduction of the carbonyl moieties of many compounds. The C13 carbonyl of the anthracyclines daunorubicin and doxorubicin, both of which are potent chemotherapeutic agents, has been shown to be a...

Structural basis for glutamate recognition: can small molecules which bind selectively be developed?(TOPIC: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Glutamate is a major neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. In a key event during nerve impulse transmission glutamate is released from vesicles in the presynaptic neuron, and travels across the synapse to glutamate receptors...

Chemical analysis of the constituents of Qaws-Qaws.(TOPIC: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The root of the Qaws-Qaws plant has been used in traditional medicine by the Nez Perce. Qaws-Qaws, also known as Ligusticum canbyi, is found in riparian habitat, and its chemical composition had not been previously studied, although there is...

Photopharmacology: toward a controllable physiological nitrosyl delivery system.(TOPIC: CHEMISTRY)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Nitric oxide (NO) is a naturally occurring vasodilator in biological systems. It is stored as a nitrosyl ligand in an iron(II) complex to be released as necessary. Nitric oxide is also a reactive radical species. If the release of nitric oxide...

2001 distinguished Science communicator: Dr. Richard J. McCloskey.
June 1, 2005... Dr. Richard J. McCloskey, Professor of Biology at Boise State University was the distinguished Science communicatory for the year 2001. Dr. McCloskey was born in Mount Vernon, New York, grew up in the Bronx and graduated from high school...

2001 distinguished scientist: Dr. Jeanne M. Shreeve.
June 1, 2005... Dr. Jeanne M. Shreeve is a professor of chemistry at the University of Idaho and a past vice president for research. She directs an internationally recognized research program in the synthesis, characterization, and application of fluoride...

IAS award program: nominations now being accepted for the 2006 awards.
June 1, 2005... The Idaho Academy of Science seeks nominations for two prestigious annual awards: DISTINGUISHED SCIENTIST/ENGINEER Individual with outstanding achievements in science or engineering. DISTINGUISHED SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR ...