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• 4251. [Article] Theorizing age and gender in the pursuit of love in late life

  In this dissertation, I explore how women and men in later life experience the world of dating and the pursuit of new intimate relationships. Although the mortality gap between women and men at older ages ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Theorizing age and gender in the pursuit of love in late life Author: Levaro, Elizabeth Bayler In this dissertation, I explore how women and men in later life experience the world of dating and the pursuit of new intimate relationships. Although the mortality gap between women and men at older ages is narrowing, as they enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s, there are still at least two unmarried women for every unmarried man. This gender imbalance is due to women's greater longevity and cultural norms based in gender relations that underlie men's preference for younger partners at all ages--and, throughout most of their lives, women's preference for older partners. Viewing the pursuit of new intimate relationships as embedded within intersecting systems of age and gender inequality, my goal was to explore how unmarried heterosexual women and men negotiate the world of dating in late life and how they view themselves and each other as aging men and women. This research focuses on White heterosexual women and men 70 years of age and older who were actively pursuing new dating relationships through personal newspaper ads and Internet dating and matching sites. Positioning the search for new intimate partners within the intersection of age relations and gender relations, I addressed two research questions. First, I sought to understand how unmarried—widowed, divorced, or always single—heterosexual women and men age 70 and older who are actively pursuing new intimate relationships view and describe their experience of the world of late-life dating, their place in it as aging men and women, and the dating partners they encounter. Second, I examined how, as men and women in aging bodies in a culture that devalues both old age and old people, they maintain, negotiate, or construct their sense of manhood and masculinity or womanhood and femininity in the context of dating, romance, and sexual intimacy. This dissertation consists of two studies, both grounded in a constructivist/interpretive paradigm and the thematic analysis of in-depth, semistructured interviews with 24 informants (11 women and 13 men) between the ages of 70 and 92. In the first study, using an intersectional framework of age relations and gender relations, I examined how internalized negative stereotypes of aging in general and one's own aging, in particular, shape the ways in which old men and women position themselves for finding romantic partners and how they manage identity to make themselves attractive romantic partners in an ageist society. Through their personal ads, Internet profiles, posted pictures, and within the interviews themselves, I found that informants both maintained and subverted age and gender expectations. They consistently resisted a self-identity as old by invoking claims and affirmations of neither looking nor acting their chronological age. Simultaneously, they communicated admonitions to potential dating partners that they should not look or act old. Both the men and the women were seeking new romantic partners younger than themselves, with the men's mean lower age 21 years younger and the women's, 10 years younger. In the second study, also grounded in considerations of age relations and gender relations, I examined informants' orientations to sexual activity and the importance of sex in their dating lives. Findings showed that, contrary to ageist stereotypes depicting old people as asexual and earlier research findings that older adults might settle for alternate intimate activities, the majority of the women and men in this study expressed interest in an intimate relationship that includes sex, and most interpreted this to mean penetrative intercourse. Nearly all of the men were sexually active with younger partners, with over half either using or holding samples of drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). A far smaller percentage of the women were currently dating or sexually active, and none had experience with partners who required the functional assistance of ED drugs. In conclusion, the informants present a picture of late-life dating in which individuals both consciously and unconsciously submit to, resist, and sometimes defy the structural constraints presented by societal ageism, age relations, and gender relations. The intersecting systems of inequality and oppression that impact these women and men as they pursue new love may seem only to privilege old men, offering them, for instance, advantage in terms of more lenience in showing their age and a broader age range in which to pursue dating partners. As a group, however, the women expressed more satisfaction with their lives and were less driven by the desire for an intimate partner, relishing the independence and autonomy their unattached status allowed them. Title: Theorizing age and gender in the pursuit of love in late life Author: Levaro, Elizabeth Bayler In this dissertation, I explore how women and men in later life experience the world of dating and the pursuit of new intimate relationships. Although the mortality gap between women and men at older ages is narrowing, as they enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s, there are still at least two unmarried women for every unmarried man. This gender imbalance is due to women's greater longevity and cultural norms based in gender relations that underlie men's preference for younger partners at all ages--and, throughout most of their lives, women's preference for older partners. Viewing the pursuit of new intimate relationships as embedded within intersecting systems of age and gender inequality, my goal was to explore how unmarried heterosexual women and men negotiate the world of dating in late life and how they view themselves and each other as aging men and women. This research focuses on White heterosexual women and men 70 years of age and older who were actively pursuing new dating relationships through personal newspaper ads and Internet dating and matching sites. Positioning the search for new intimate partners within the intersection of age relations and gender relations, I addressed two research questions. First, I sought to understand how unmarried—widowed, divorced, or always single—heterosexual women and men age 70 and older who are actively pursuing new intimate relationships view and describe their experience of the world of late-life dating, their place in it as aging men and women, and the dating partners they encounter. Second, I examined how, as men and women in aging bodies in a culture that devalues both old age and old people, they maintain, negotiate, or construct their sense of manhood and masculinity or womanhood and femininity in the context of dating, romance, and sexual intimacy. This dissertation consists of two studies, both grounded in a constructivist/interpretive paradigm and the thematic analysis of in-depth, semistructured interviews with 24 informants (11 women and 13 men) between the ages of 70 and 92. In the first study, using an intersectional framework of age relations and gender relations, I examined how internalized negative stereotypes of aging in general and one's own aging, in particular, shape the ways in which old men and women position themselves for finding romantic partners and how they manage identity to make themselves attractive romantic partners in an ageist society. Through their personal ads, Internet profiles, posted pictures, and within the interviews themselves, I found that informants both maintained and subverted age and gender expectations. They consistently resisted a self-identity as old by invoking claims and affirmations of neither looking nor acting their chronological age. Simultaneously, they communicated admonitions to potential dating partners that they should not look or act old. Both the men and the women were seeking new romantic partners younger than themselves, with the men's mean lower age 21 years younger and the women's, 10 years younger. In the second study, also grounded in considerations of age relations and gender relations, I examined informants' orientations to sexual activity and the importance of sex in their dating lives. Findings showed that, contrary to ageist stereotypes depicting old people as asexual and earlier research findings that older adults might settle for alternate intimate activities, the majority of the women and men in this study expressed interest in an intimate relationship that includes sex, and most interpreted this to mean penetrative intercourse. Nearly all of the men were sexually active with younger partners, with over half either using or holding samples of drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). A far smaller percentage of the women were currently dating or sexually active, and none had experience with partners who required the functional assistance of ED drugs. In conclusion, the informants present a picture of late-life dating in which individuals both consciously and unconsciously submit to, resist, and sometimes defy the structural constraints presented by societal ageism, age relations, and gender relations. The intersecting systems of inequality and oppression that impact these women and men as they pursue new love may seem only to privilege old men, offering them, for instance, advantage in terms of more lenience in showing their age and a broader age range in which to pursue dating partners. As a group, however, the women expressed more satisfaction with their lives and were less driven by the desire for an intimate partner, relishing the independence and autonomy their unattached status allowed them. Close

• 4252. [Article] Plastome phylogenomics in the genus Pinus using massively parallel sequencing technology

  This thesis summarizes work completed over the previous four years primarily focusing on chloroplast phylogenomic inquiry into the genus Pinus and related Pinaceae outgroups using next-generation sequencing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Plastome phylogenomics in the genus Pinus using massively parallel sequencing technology Author: Parks, Matthew Benjamin This thesis summarizes work completed over the previous four years primarily focusing on chloroplast phylogenomic inquiry into the genus Pinus and related Pinaceae outgroups using next-generation sequencing on Illumina platforms. During the time of our work, Illumina sequence read lengths have essentially been limited to 25 to 100 base pairs, presenting challenges when trying to assemble genomic space featuring repetitive regions or regions divergent from established reference genomes. Our assemblies initially relied on previously constructed high quality plastome sequences for each of the two Pinus subgenera, yet we were able to show clear negative trends in assembly success as divergence from reference sequences. This was most evident in assemblies of Pinaceae outgroups, but the trend was also apparent within Pinus subgenera. To counter this problem, we used a combination of de novo and reference-guided assembly approaches, which allowed us to more effectively assemble highly divergent regions. From a biological standpoint, our initial focus was on increasing phylogenetic resolution by using nearly complete plastome sequences from select Pinus and Pinaceae outgroup species. This effort indeed resulted in greatly increased phylogenetic resolution as evidenced by a nearly 60-fold increase in parsimony informative positions in our dataset as compared to previous datasets comprised of only several chloroplast loci. In addition, bootstrap support levels across the resulting phylogenetic tree were consistently high, with ≥95% bootstrap support at 30/33 ingroup nodes in maximum likelihood analysis. A positive correlation between the length/amount of sequence data applied to our phylogeny and overall bootstrap support values was also supported, although trends indicated some nodes would likely remain recalcitrant even with the application of complete plastomes. This correlation was important to demonstrate, as it was reflective of trends seen in a meta-analysis of contemporary, infrageneric chloroplast-based phylogenies. In addition, our meta-analysis indicated that most researchers rely on relatively small regions of the chloroplast genome in these studies and obtain relatively little in resolution and support in resulting phylogenies. Clearly, the application of plastome sequences to these types of analyses has great potential for increasing our understanding of evolutionary relationships at low taxonomic levels. An unexpected finding of this work involved two putative protein-coding regions in the chloroplast, ycf1 and ycf2, which featured strongly elevated rates of mutation, and together accounted for over half of exon parsimony informative sites although making up only 22% of exon sequence length. Of these two loci, clearly ycf1 was more problematic to assemble from short read data, as it featured numerous indels as well as several repetitive regions. We designed primers based on conserved regions allowing essentially complete amplification of this locus and sequenced the ycf1 locus (with Sanger technology) for a representative of each of the 11 Pinus subsections, using accessions from the previous study. Importantly, these primers were also effective across Pinaceae and should facilitate future work throughout the family. Accessions with full ycf1 sequences were in turn utilized as subsectional references as we sequenced and assembled plastomes for most of the remaining Pinus species. To efficiently produce these sequences, we relied on a solution-based hybridization strategy developed by Richard Cronn to enrich preparations of total genomic DNA for chloroplast-specific DNA. While the phylogenetic results of a full-plastome, full-genus analysis were certainly of interest, our final focus was on the investigation of ‘noise’ in our dataset, and whether it affected phylogenetic conclusions drawn from the plastome. To determine this, we explored the removal of variable sites from our alignment and the resultant effect on topology and resolution. This allowed us to identify a window of alignment partitions in which nodal bootstrap support remained high across the genus, yet sufficient noise was removed to identify important patterns in the positioning of three clades with historically problematic phylogenetic positioning. Title: Plastome phylogenomics in the genus Pinus using massively parallel sequencing technology Author: Parks, Matthew Benjamin This thesis summarizes work completed over the previous four years primarily focusing on chloroplast phylogenomic inquiry into the genus Pinus and related Pinaceae outgroups using next-generation sequencing on Illumina platforms. During the time of our work, Illumina sequence read lengths have essentially been limited to 25 to 100 base pairs, presenting challenges when trying to assemble genomic space featuring repetitive regions or regions divergent from established reference genomes. Our assemblies initially relied on previously constructed high quality plastome sequences for each of the two Pinus subgenera, yet we were able to show clear negative trends in assembly success as divergence from reference sequences. This was most evident in assemblies of Pinaceae outgroups, but the trend was also apparent within Pinus subgenera. To counter this problem, we used a combination of de novo and reference-guided assembly approaches, which allowed us to more effectively assemble highly divergent regions. From a biological standpoint, our initial focus was on increasing phylogenetic resolution by using nearly complete plastome sequences from select Pinus and Pinaceae outgroup species. This effort indeed resulted in greatly increased phylogenetic resolution as evidenced by a nearly 60-fold increase in parsimony informative positions in our dataset as compared to previous datasets comprised of only several chloroplast loci. In addition, bootstrap support levels across the resulting phylogenetic tree were consistently high, with ≥95% bootstrap support at 30/33 ingroup nodes in maximum likelihood analysis. A positive correlation between the length/amount of sequence data applied to our phylogeny and overall bootstrap support values was also supported, although trends indicated some nodes would likely remain recalcitrant even with the application of complete plastomes. This correlation was important to demonstrate, as it was reflective of trends seen in a meta-analysis of contemporary, infrageneric chloroplast-based phylogenies. In addition, our meta-analysis indicated that most researchers rely on relatively small regions of the chloroplast genome in these studies and obtain relatively little in resolution and support in resulting phylogenies. Clearly, the application of plastome sequences to these types of analyses has great potential for increasing our understanding of evolutionary relationships at low taxonomic levels. An unexpected finding of this work involved two putative protein-coding regions in the chloroplast, ycf1 and ycf2, which featured strongly elevated rates of mutation, and together accounted for over half of exon parsimony informative sites although making up only 22% of exon sequence length. Of these two loci, clearly ycf1 was more problematic to assemble from short read data, as it featured numerous indels as well as several repetitive regions. We designed primers based on conserved regions allowing essentially complete amplification of this locus and sequenced the ycf1 locus (with Sanger technology) for a representative of each of the 11 Pinus subsections, using accessions from the previous study. Importantly, these primers were also effective across Pinaceae and should facilitate future work throughout the family. Accessions with full ycf1 sequences were in turn utilized as subsectional references as we sequenced and assembled plastomes for most of the remaining Pinus species. To efficiently produce these sequences, we relied on a solution-based hybridization strategy developed by Richard Cronn to enrich preparations of total genomic DNA for chloroplast-specific DNA. While the phylogenetic results of a full-plastome, full-genus analysis were certainly of interest, our final focus was on the investigation of ‘noise’ in our dataset, and whether it affected phylogenetic conclusions drawn from the plastome. To determine this, we explored the removal of variable sites from our alignment and the resultant effect on topology and resolution. This allowed us to identify a window of alignment partitions in which nodal bootstrap support remained high across the genus, yet sufficient noise was removed to identify important patterns in the positioning of three clades with historically problematic phylogenetic positioning. Close

• 4253. [Article] Dine right with MENu insight : a nutrition education program for men

  The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a nutrition education program for men on healthy eating when dining out. The Health Belief Model provided the basic framework to identify factors that would ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Dine right with MENu insight : a nutrition education program for men Author: Freeh, Colleen B. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a nutrition education program for men on healthy eating when dining out. The Health Belief Model provided the basic framework to identify factors that would potentially motivate men over 40 to change their dietary behavior to reduce heart disease risk. Roundtable discussions were held to identify nutrition needs. A 10 minute "Dine Right with MENu Insight" slide program on low-fat eating away from home was developed. Three educational messages were the key concepts of the program: 1) relationship between diet and health, 2) proportionality, variety and moderation as themes of the Food Guide Pyramid and 3) low-fat food choices at home and away. A four page handout was developed to supplement the slide show presentation. Four programs were presented to a total of 148 people (136 males, 12 females) at Rotary and Kiwanis groups in Corvallis and Albany, Oregon in January and February, 1994. Each program included a pretest, the "Dine Right with MENu Insight" slide presentation and a group discussion. Of the 136 males, forty-eight volunteered (aged 40-60 years) and completed the 10-15 minute follow-up phone post-test 3-4 weeks after attending the program. Pre-test responses showed limited knowledge of the Food Guide Pyramid, with 65% of the men incorrectly selecting the vegetable group as the base of the Pyramid. Knowledge of low-fat menu choices was high with an average score of 4.7+1.1 (out of a possible 5 points) and a range of 0-5 prior to the education program. An attitude score measuring awareness of healthy dietary practices underlying the Pyramid (eg, variety, proportionality and moderation) had a mean of 5.3+1.7 (out of a possible 15) with a range of 3-8. These pre-test data suggested that participants were aware of the relationship between diet and health. In the post-test, 98% of the men correctly selected the bread group as the Food Guide Pyramid food group that should be eaten in the largest amount. This was a significant increase (p<.001) from pre-test scores. Half of the men had heard of the Pyramid prior to the program. A reassessment of healthy dietary practices awareness showed a significant increase in positive attitudes (p [less than or equal to] .001) with a mean of 3.6+.93 (out of a possible 15 points) and a range of 5-7. Seventy-three percent of the men reported that their diet could be "somewhat healthier". In the past year, 69% reported increasing their consumption of foods (eg, vegetables, grains) to reduce heart disease; 79% reported decreased consumption (eg, red meat). Seventy-five percent reported that they "sometimes" try to select lower fat foods when eating out. Personal preference (65%), menu selection (80%) and the restaurant (27%) influenced lower fat food selection decisions. Many participants indicated awareness of the relationship between proper food selection and optimal health before the program. However, awareness did increase as a result of the program. There was a significant positive (p [less than or equal to] .005) change in attitudes toward the importance of watching fat in the diet in order to stay healthy between pre and posttests. In addition, a positive (r=.36, p [less than or equal to] .05) correlation was reported between knowing that the amount of dietary fat affects the chance of heart disease and watching fat in the diet in order to stay healthy. These data suggest that the Dine Right program conveyed a tie between diet and optimum health. Significant changes in participants' knowledge about the Food Guide Pyramid and underlying concepts also suggest that the program had an impact on participants. These data suggest that knowledge of nutritious food choices at home and away from home increased or was reinforced by the program. The majority (79%) of men learned "some new things" from the program. As a result of the program, 65% planned on making changes in their diets when eating out (eg, by increasing grains, fruits, vegetables). Thirty-five percent planned to make changes at home. Eighty-three percent reported showing the Dine Right handout to someone else and 85% talked about the program with their spouse, family member, coworker or friend. The results of this research indicate that men respond to nutrition education programs. Therefore nutrition and health campaigns to reach the American male are merited. Men's health and nutrition programs such as "Dine Right with MENu Insight" could be followed by additional education programs utilizing a theoretical framework. Future research should test each of the components of the Health Belief Model on men's dietary behavior. Also extensions to other samples of men (such as those with lower educational levels) is warranted in order to better understand how to target nutrition education programs to this important audience. Title: Dine right with MENu insight : a nutrition education program for men Author: Freeh, Colleen B. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a nutrition education program for men on healthy eating when dining out. The Health Belief Model provided the basic framework to identify factors that would potentially motivate men over 40 to change their dietary behavior to reduce heart disease risk. Roundtable discussions were held to identify nutrition needs. A 10 minute "Dine Right with MENu Insight" slide program on low-fat eating away from home was developed. Three educational messages were the key concepts of the program: 1) relationship between diet and health, 2) proportionality, variety and moderation as themes of the Food Guide Pyramid and 3) low-fat food choices at home and away. A four page handout was developed to supplement the slide show presentation. Four programs were presented to a total of 148 people (136 males, 12 females) at Rotary and Kiwanis groups in Corvallis and Albany, Oregon in January and February, 1994. Each program included a pretest, the "Dine Right with MENu Insight" slide presentation and a group discussion. Of the 136 males, forty-eight volunteered (aged 40-60 years) and completed the 10-15 minute follow-up phone post-test 3-4 weeks after attending the program. Pre-test responses showed limited knowledge of the Food Guide Pyramid, with 65% of the men incorrectly selecting the vegetable group as the base of the Pyramid. Knowledge of low-fat menu choices was high with an average score of 4.7+1.1 (out of a possible 5 points) and a range of 0-5 prior to the education program. An attitude score measuring awareness of healthy dietary practices underlying the Pyramid (eg, variety, proportionality and moderation) had a mean of 5.3+1.7 (out of a possible 15) with a range of 3-8. These pre-test data suggested that participants were aware of the relationship between diet and health. In the post-test, 98% of the men correctly selected the bread group as the Food Guide Pyramid food group that should be eaten in the largest amount. This was a significant increase (p<.001) from pre-test scores. Half of the men had heard of the Pyramid prior to the program. A reassessment of healthy dietary practices awareness showed a significant increase in positive attitudes (p [less than or equal to] .001) with a mean of 3.6+.93 (out of a possible 15 points) and a range of 5-7. Seventy-three percent of the men reported that their diet could be "somewhat healthier". In the past year, 69% reported increasing their consumption of foods (eg, vegetables, grains) to reduce heart disease; 79% reported decreased consumption (eg, red meat). Seventy-five percent reported that they "sometimes" try to select lower fat foods when eating out. Personal preference (65%), menu selection (80%) and the restaurant (27%) influenced lower fat food selection decisions. Many participants indicated awareness of the relationship between proper food selection and optimal health before the program. However, awareness did increase as a result of the program. There was a significant positive (p [less than or equal to] .005) change in attitudes toward the importance of watching fat in the diet in order to stay healthy between pre and posttests. In addition, a positive (r=.36, p [less than or equal to] .05) correlation was reported between knowing that the amount of dietary fat affects the chance of heart disease and watching fat in the diet in order to stay healthy. These data suggest that the Dine Right program conveyed a tie between diet and optimum health. Significant changes in participants' knowledge about the Food Guide Pyramid and underlying concepts also suggest that the program had an impact on participants. These data suggest that knowledge of nutritious food choices at home and away from home increased or was reinforced by the program. The majority (79%) of men learned "some new things" from the program. As a result of the program, 65% planned on making changes in their diets when eating out (eg, by increasing grains, fruits, vegetables). Thirty-five percent planned to make changes at home. Eighty-three percent reported showing the Dine Right handout to someone else and 85% talked about the program with their spouse, family member, coworker or friend. The results of this research indicate that men respond to nutrition education programs. Therefore nutrition and health campaigns to reach the American male are merited. Men's health and nutrition programs such as "Dine Right with MENu Insight" could be followed by additional education programs utilizing a theoretical framework. Future research should test each of the components of the Health Belief Model on men's dietary behavior. Also extensions to other samples of men (such as those with lower educational levels) is warranted in order to better understand how to target nutrition education programs to this important audience. Close

• 4254. [Article] Molecular and genetic assessment of selected antiporters and methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins in Vibrio cholerae

  The pathogen Vibrio cholerae uses cations as a primary currency of virulence and environmental persistence, using gradients of those cations to move, acquire nutrients, and control virulence gene expression. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Molecular and genetic assessment of selected antiporters and methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins in Vibrio cholerae Author: Quinn, Matthew J. The pathogen Vibrio cholerae uses cations as a primary currency of virulence and environmental persistence, using gradients of those cations to move, acquire nutrients, and control virulence gene expression. An understanding of the overlapping roles of bioenergetics and chemotaxis in the virulence and environmental survival of V. cholerae issues from a large body of prior work, but the interplay of each component is not yet clearly understood. To this end, the activity of the antiporters Vc-NhaP1, Vc-NhaA, and Vc-NhaB was assayed, as was the sodium transporting respiratory pump NQR, and environmental stimuli were paired with potential motilitylinked sensors. The Vc-NhaP1 antiporter was found to be a K⁺(Na⁺)/H⁺ antiporter essential for V. cholerae growth at low environmental pH. Deletion of the V. cholerae nhaP1 gene caused growth inhibition when external potassium was either limited (100 mM and below) or in excess (400 mM and above). This growth defect was most apparent at mid-logarithmic phase, after 4-6 hours of culturing. Using a pH-sensitive GFP protein, cytosolic pH was shown to be dependent on K⁺ in acidic external conditions in a Vc-NhaP1-dependent manner. When functionally expressed in an antiporterless E. coli strain and assayed in everted membrane vesicles, Vc-NhaP1 operated as an electroneutral alkali cation/proton antiporter, exchanging K⁺ or Na⁺ ions for protons within a broad pH range (7.25 to 9.0). These data establish the putative V. cholerae NhaP1 protein as a functional K⁺(Na⁺)/H⁺ antiporter of the CPA- 1 family that is required for bacterial pH homeostasis and growth in an acidic environment. Further, a model system comprised of a V. cholerae strain lacking both the nqr operon and the ORFs of Vc-nhaA or Vc-nhaB was generated and tested with and without lactate. These strains, along with the single mutants of nqr, Vc-nhaA, and Vc-nhaB, were assessed for aerobic growth as a function of media pH and cation concentration (Na⁺, Li⁺, or K⁺). Loss of Vc-NhaA and, to a lesser extent, Vc-NhaB, was better observed when NQR was absent but lactate was added to facilitate replenishment of the quinone pool. Loss of Vc-NhaA in this background inhibited growth most at basic pH under increasing Na⁺ and Li⁺ conditions, and loss of Vc- NhaB in this background inhibited was most severe in acidic conditions in the presence of 0-100 mM Na⁺ or Li⁺. We also observed the growth inhibition of Vc- NhaA in the absence of NQR and in the presence of lactate and 100-450 mM Li⁺, which has not been previously reported. These growth defects were restored upon expression of the cognate antiporter gene on an inducible expression vector. Lastly, potential chemotaxis stimuli were correlated with cognate methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (MCP) receptors. The homology of MCP sensory domains among Vibrionaceae demonstrated a subset were unique to V. cholerae. Of these unique MCPs, transposon insertion in VC0098 significantly reduced chemotaxis swarm diameter towards Na⁺ and K⁺. Additionally, the MCP VCA0663 was shown, by transposon mutagenesis and complementation, to direct chemotaxis towards N-acetylglucosamine. Additional observations are described concerning the chemotaxis defects incurred by transposon mutagenesis of MCPs in vitro towards mucin, bile, or L-serine. MCP strains were also tested in vivo for 4 and 24 hours in the infant mouse model of infection. None of the observed chemotaxis defects showed complete loss of chemotaxis by transposon mutagenesis, in line with the hypothesis that the large number of MCPs encoded by V. cholerae result in redundant chemotaxis sensory functions. These findings add to the understanding of how bioenergetics and chemotaxis interact within V. cholerae, a foundation from which the bacterium can be understood and, eventually, controlled. Title: Molecular and genetic assessment of selected antiporters and methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins in Vibrio cholerae Author: Quinn, Matthew J. The pathogen Vibrio cholerae uses cations as a primary currency of virulence and environmental persistence, using gradients of those cations to move, acquire nutrients, and control virulence gene expression. An understanding of the overlapping roles of bioenergetics and chemotaxis in the virulence and environmental survival of V. cholerae issues from a large body of prior work, but the interplay of each component is not yet clearly understood. To this end, the activity of the antiporters Vc-NhaP1, Vc-NhaA, and Vc-NhaB was assayed, as was the sodium transporting respiratory pump NQR, and environmental stimuli were paired with potential motilitylinked sensors. The Vc-NhaP1 antiporter was found to be a K⁺(Na⁺)/H⁺ antiporter essential for V. cholerae growth at low environmental pH. Deletion of the V. cholerae nhaP1 gene caused growth inhibition when external potassium was either limited (100 mM and below) or in excess (400 mM and above). This growth defect was most apparent at mid-logarithmic phase, after 4-6 hours of culturing. Using a pH-sensitive GFP protein, cytosolic pH was shown to be dependent on K⁺ in acidic external conditions in a Vc-NhaP1-dependent manner. When functionally expressed in an antiporterless E. coli strain and assayed in everted membrane vesicles, Vc-NhaP1 operated as an electroneutral alkali cation/proton antiporter, exchanging K⁺ or Na⁺ ions for protons within a broad pH range (7.25 to 9.0). These data establish the putative V. cholerae NhaP1 protein as a functional K⁺(Na⁺)/H⁺ antiporter of the CPA- 1 family that is required for bacterial pH homeostasis and growth in an acidic environment. Further, a model system comprised of a V. cholerae strain lacking both the nqr operon and the ORFs of Vc-nhaA or Vc-nhaB was generated and tested with and without lactate. These strains, along with the single mutants of nqr, Vc-nhaA, and Vc-nhaB, were assessed for aerobic growth as a function of media pH and cation concentration (Na⁺, Li⁺, or K⁺). Loss of Vc-NhaA and, to a lesser extent, Vc-NhaB, was better observed when NQR was absent but lactate was added to facilitate replenishment of the quinone pool. Loss of Vc-NhaA in this background inhibited growth most at basic pH under increasing Na⁺ and Li⁺ conditions, and loss of Vc- NhaB in this background inhibited was most severe in acidic conditions in the presence of 0-100 mM Na⁺ or Li⁺. We also observed the growth inhibition of Vc- NhaA in the absence of NQR and in the presence of lactate and 100-450 mM Li⁺, which has not been previously reported. These growth defects were restored upon expression of the cognate antiporter gene on an inducible expression vector. Lastly, potential chemotaxis stimuli were correlated with cognate methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (MCP) receptors. The homology of MCP sensory domains among Vibrionaceae demonstrated a subset were unique to V. cholerae. Of these unique MCPs, transposon insertion in VC0098 significantly reduced chemotaxis swarm diameter towards Na⁺ and K⁺. Additionally, the MCP VCA0663 was shown, by transposon mutagenesis and complementation, to direct chemotaxis towards N-acetylglucosamine. Additional observations are described concerning the chemotaxis defects incurred by transposon mutagenesis of MCPs in vitro towards mucin, bile, or L-serine. MCP strains were also tested in vivo for 4 and 24 hours in the infant mouse model of infection. None of the observed chemotaxis defects showed complete loss of chemotaxis by transposon mutagenesis, in line with the hypothesis that the large number of MCPs encoded by V. cholerae result in redundant chemotaxis sensory functions. These findings add to the understanding of how bioenergetics and chemotaxis interact within V. cholerae, a foundation from which the bacterium can be understood and, eventually, controlled. Close

• 4255. [Article] Identification of optimal broodstock for Pacific Northwest oysters

  The United States Pacific Northwest is well known for its shellfish farming. Historically, commercial harvests were dominated by the native Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida, but over-exploitation, habitat ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Identification of optimal broodstock for Pacific Northwest oysters Author: Stick, David A. The United States Pacific Northwest is well known for its shellfish farming. Historically, commercial harvests were dominated by the native Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida, but over-exploitation, habitat degradation, and competition and predation by non-native species has drastically depleted their densities and extirpated many local populations. As a result, shellfish aquaculture production has shifted to the introduced Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. An underlying objective of this dissertation is the use of molecular genetics to improve our ability to accurately identifying optimal oyster broodstock for either restoration of Olympia oysters or farming of Pacific oysters. The ecological benefits provided by oysters as well as the Olympia oyster's historical significance, has motivated numerous restoration/supplementation efforts but these efforts are proceeding without a clear understanding of the genetic structure among extant populations, which could be substantial as a consequence of limited dispersal, local adaptation and/or anthropogenic impacts. To facilitate this understanding, we isolated and characterized 19 polymorphic microsatellites and used 8 of these to study the genetic structure of 2,712 individuals collected from 25 remnant Olympia oyster populations between the northern tip of Vancouver Island BC and Elkhorn Slough CA. Gene flow among geographically separated extant Olympia oyster populations is surprisingly limited for a marine invertebrate species whose free-swimming larvae are capable of planktonic dispersal as long as favorable water conditions exist. We found a significant correlation between geographic and genetic distances supporting the premise that coastal populations are isolated by distance. Genetic structure among remnant populations was not limited to broad geographic regions but was also present at sub-regional scales in both Puget Sound WA and San Francisco Bay CA. Until it can be determined whether genetically differentiated O. lurida populations are locally adapted, restoration projects and resource managers should be cautious of random mixing or transplantation of stocks where gene flow is restricted. As we transition from our Olympia oyster population analysis to our Pacific oyster quantitative analysis, we recognize that traditional quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping strategies use crosses among inbred lines to create segregating populations. Unfortunately, even low levels of inbreeding in the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) can substantially depress economically important quantitative traits such as yield and survival, potentially complicating subsequent QTL analyses. To circumvent this problem, we constructed an integrated linkage map for Pacific oysters, consisting of 65 microsatellite (18 of which were previously unmapped) and 212 AFLP markers using a full-sib cross between phenotypically differentiated outbred families. We identified 10 linkage groups (LG1-LG10) spanning 710.48 cM, with an average genomic coverage of 91.39% and an average distance between markers of 2.62 cM. Average marker saturation was 27.7 per linkage group, ranging between 19 (LG9) and 36 markers (LG3). Using this map we identified 12 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and 5 potential QTLs in the F1 outcross population of 236 full-sib Pacific oysters for four growth-related morphometric measures, including individual wet live weight, shell length, shell width and shell depth measured at four post-fertilization time points: plant-out (average age of 140 days), first year interim (average age of 358 days), second year interim (average age of 644 days) and harvest (average age of 950 days). Mapped QTLs and potential QTLs accounted for an average of 11.2% of the total phenotypic variation and ranged between 2.1 and 33.1%. Although QTL or potential QTL were mapped to all Pacific oyster linkage groups with the exception of LG2, LG8 and LG9, three groups (LG4, LG10 and LG5) were associated with three or more QTL or potential QTL. We conclude that alleles accounting for a significant proportion of the total phenotypic variation for morphometric measures that influence harvest yield remain segregating within the broodstock of West Coast Pacific oyster selective breeding programs. Title: Identification of optimal broodstock for Pacific Northwest oysters Author: Stick, David A. The United States Pacific Northwest is well known for its shellfish farming. Historically, commercial harvests were dominated by the native Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida, but over-exploitation, habitat degradation, and competition and predation by non-native species has drastically depleted their densities and extirpated many local populations. As a result, shellfish aquaculture production has shifted to the introduced Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. An underlying objective of this dissertation is the use of molecular genetics to improve our ability to accurately identifying optimal oyster broodstock for either restoration of Olympia oysters or farming of Pacific oysters. The ecological benefits provided by oysters as well as the Olympia oyster's historical significance, has motivated numerous restoration/supplementation efforts but these efforts are proceeding without a clear understanding of the genetic structure among extant populations, which could be substantial as a consequence of limited dispersal, local adaptation and/or anthropogenic impacts. To facilitate this understanding, we isolated and characterized 19 polymorphic microsatellites and used 8 of these to study the genetic structure of 2,712 individuals collected from 25 remnant Olympia oyster populations between the northern tip of Vancouver Island BC and Elkhorn Slough CA. Gene flow among geographically separated extant Olympia oyster populations is surprisingly limited for a marine invertebrate species whose free-swimming larvae are capable of planktonic dispersal as long as favorable water conditions exist. We found a significant correlation between geographic and genetic distances supporting the premise that coastal populations are isolated by distance. Genetic structure among remnant populations was not limited to broad geographic regions but was also present at sub-regional scales in both Puget Sound WA and San Francisco Bay CA. Until it can be determined whether genetically differentiated O. lurida populations are locally adapted, restoration projects and resource managers should be cautious of random mixing or transplantation of stocks where gene flow is restricted. As we transition from our Olympia oyster population analysis to our Pacific oyster quantitative analysis, we recognize that traditional quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping strategies use crosses among inbred lines to create segregating populations. Unfortunately, even low levels of inbreeding in the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) can substantially depress economically important quantitative traits such as yield and survival, potentially complicating subsequent QTL analyses. To circumvent this problem, we constructed an integrated linkage map for Pacific oysters, consisting of 65 microsatellite (18 of which were previously unmapped) and 212 AFLP markers using a full-sib cross between phenotypically differentiated outbred families. We identified 10 linkage groups (LG1-LG10) spanning 710.48 cM, with an average genomic coverage of 91.39% and an average distance between markers of 2.62 cM. Average marker saturation was 27.7 per linkage group, ranging between 19 (LG9) and 36 markers (LG3). Using this map we identified 12 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and 5 potential QTLs in the F1 outcross population of 236 full-sib Pacific oysters for four growth-related morphometric measures, including individual wet live weight, shell length, shell width and shell depth measured at four post-fertilization time points: plant-out (average age of 140 days), first year interim (average age of 358 days), second year interim (average age of 644 days) and harvest (average age of 950 days). Mapped QTLs and potential QTLs accounted for an average of 11.2% of the total phenotypic variation and ranged between 2.1 and 33.1%. Although QTL or potential QTL were mapped to all Pacific oyster linkage groups with the exception of LG2, LG8 and LG9, three groups (LG4, LG10 and LG5) were associated with three or more QTL or potential QTL. We conclude that alleles accounting for a significant proportion of the total phenotypic variation for morphometric measures that influence harvest yield remain segregating within the broodstock of West Coast Pacific oyster selective breeding programs. Close

• 4256. [Article] First impressions of the interiors of hotel lobbies as influences on perceptions of hotels

  The purpose of this study was to examine whether participants can form impressions and make inferences about a hotel based only on the physical environment or design of the hotel lobby. The study investigated ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: First impressions of the interiors of hotel lobbies as influences on perceptions of hotels Author: Fidzani, Lily Clara The purpose of this study was to examine whether participants can form impressions and make inferences about a hotel based only on the physical environment or design of the hotel lobby. The study investigated how the interior arrangement, furnishings and other aspects of hotel lobbies influenced participants' first impressions and their inferences about the hotel as a whole. The lobby was selected because this is the first area inside the hotel that consumers see and therefore it is important for creating impressions. The specific objectives of this study were: to determine if the physical environment of the hotel lobbies could influence participants' overall perception of the hotels, to investigate what holistic perception participants reported about the hotels based on the design of their lobbies, and to investigate whether the physical environment of hotel lobbies is important in impression formation and in communicating the image of the hotels. In the present study, impression formation theory provided a theoretical framework for understanding how impressions were formed and how extended inferences were made. The theory provided the basis of understanding how people use physical environment cues to form impressions and make inferences about their environment. The participants of the study consisted of eight (8) males and 43 female undergraduate students enrolled during Spring Term, 2002, at Oregon State University. Instead of experiencing the real situation, participants were shown four (4) pictures of actual hotel lobbies and asked to form their impressions and make their extended inferences about the whole hotels based on the lobbies. The pictures selected showed variation in the interior space and components of the hotel lobbies, such as lighting, ceiling, floor, walls, architectural style, and furniture arrangement. The participants were shown one picture at a time projected on a screen in the front of the room. The order in which the participants saw the pictures was varied with each group to account for order effect. The pictures were shown in the following order; ABCD, DCBA, CADB and BDAC, one group at a time. Each picture was shown for approximately three minutes. After explaining the procedure to the participants, the researcher asked them to record their first impressions and make extended inferences about the hotel by responding to open-ended questions. They wrote statements about the first things that came to their minds when seeing the pictures of the hotel lobbies. Data collection took about 10-15 minutes for each session. The responses from the open-ended questionnaire were content analyzed according to themes that emerged from the responses for each slide. The emergent themes were reported and discussed based on the objectives of the study. Most of the impressions formed were shared by the participants regardless of their class standing, number of times they had stayed in a hotel recently, and their current major. Even though gender comparison was not made due to few male participants, the researcher observed that the males' impressions were more physical, whereas female's impressions were more emotional. That is, the males looked more at the design, available amenities and facilities, whereas females also commented on the friendliness, warmth and coziness of the hotel. When asked to, participants were able to form impressions about the entire hotels based on ambient factors in the lobbies such as lighting and cleanliness, and on design factors such as style and layout, space, color, architecture and other factors. Impressions were also made with regard to social factors, such as clientele and service personnel. Responses about the characteristics of the clientele ranged from families to business people, rich people and others. Participants were able to make inferences about the general atmosphere, cleanliness, type of customer service, available amenities and facilities, price of hotel rooms, possible location of the hotel, clientele, the size and decor of the guest rooms, and comfort and spaciousness, based only on their impressions of the hotel lobbies when prompted. They were also able to attach emotional, economic and physical feelings to their impressions. The findings of the study indicated that the environment of the hotel lobby might be rich in cues that are important in communicating image and suggesting impressions of the hotel. The study concluded that the design of the lobby might very well determine the approach or avoidance behavior of guests and potential guests. The quality of the environmental cues may also be important in communicating the quality and nature of service the hotel offers and the image it intends to portray. Therefore, in order to increase business, the environments of hotel lobbies should be designed to elicit approach behavior from guests or potential guests. Title: First impressions of the interiors of hotel lobbies as influences on perceptions of hotels Author: Fidzani, Lily Clara The purpose of this study was to examine whether participants can form impressions and make inferences about a hotel based only on the physical environment or design of the hotel lobby. The study investigated how the interior arrangement, furnishings and other aspects of hotel lobbies influenced participants' first impressions and their inferences about the hotel as a whole. The lobby was selected because this is the first area inside the hotel that consumers see and therefore it is important for creating impressions. The specific objectives of this study were: to determine if the physical environment of the hotel lobbies could influence participants' overall perception of the hotels, to investigate what holistic perception participants reported about the hotels based on the design of their lobbies, and to investigate whether the physical environment of hotel lobbies is important in impression formation and in communicating the image of the hotels. In the present study, impression formation theory provided a theoretical framework for understanding how impressions were formed and how extended inferences were made. The theory provided the basis of understanding how people use physical environment cues to form impressions and make inferences about their environment. The participants of the study consisted of eight (8) males and 43 female undergraduate students enrolled during Spring Term, 2002, at Oregon State University. Instead of experiencing the real situation, participants were shown four (4) pictures of actual hotel lobbies and asked to form their impressions and make their extended inferences about the whole hotels based on the lobbies. The pictures selected showed variation in the interior space and components of the hotel lobbies, such as lighting, ceiling, floor, walls, architectural style, and furniture arrangement. The participants were shown one picture at a time projected on a screen in the front of the room. The order in which the participants saw the pictures was varied with each group to account for order effect. The pictures were shown in the following order; ABCD, DCBA, CADB and BDAC, one group at a time. Each picture was shown for approximately three minutes. After explaining the procedure to the participants, the researcher asked them to record their first impressions and make extended inferences about the hotel by responding to open-ended questions. They wrote statements about the first things that came to their minds when seeing the pictures of the hotel lobbies. Data collection took about 10-15 minutes for each session. The responses from the open-ended questionnaire were content analyzed according to themes that emerged from the responses for each slide. The emergent themes were reported and discussed based on the objectives of the study. Most of the impressions formed were shared by the participants regardless of their class standing, number of times they had stayed in a hotel recently, and their current major. Even though gender comparison was not made due to few male participants, the researcher observed that the males' impressions were more physical, whereas female's impressions were more emotional. That is, the males looked more at the design, available amenities and facilities, whereas females also commented on the friendliness, warmth and coziness of the hotel. When asked to, participants were able to form impressions about the entire hotels based on ambient factors in the lobbies such as lighting and cleanliness, and on design factors such as style and layout, space, color, architecture and other factors. Impressions were also made with regard to social factors, such as clientele and service personnel. Responses about the characteristics of the clientele ranged from families to business people, rich people and others. Participants were able to make inferences about the general atmosphere, cleanliness, type of customer service, available amenities and facilities, price of hotel rooms, possible location of the hotel, clientele, the size and decor of the guest rooms, and comfort and spaciousness, based only on their impressions of the hotel lobbies when prompted. They were also able to attach emotional, economic and physical feelings to their impressions. The findings of the study indicated that the environment of the hotel lobby might be rich in cues that are important in communicating image and suggesting impressions of the hotel. The study concluded that the design of the lobby might very well determine the approach or avoidance behavior of guests and potential guests. The quality of the environmental cues may also be important in communicating the quality and nature of service the hotel offers and the image it intends to portray. Therefore, in order to increase business, the environments of hotel lobbies should be designed to elicit approach behavior from guests or potential guests. Close

• 4257. [Article] Iron absorption and transport mechanisms as related to genetic susceptibility to cotton fur in mink

  The "cotton fur" (CF) condition in mink has been shown through investigations at Oregon State University to have three basic causes, viz.: 1) Feeding diets of fish comprising certain species of the cod family, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Iron absorption and transport mechanisms as related to genetic susceptibility to cotton fur in mink Author: McCulloch, William John The "cotton fur" (CF) condition in mink has been shown through investigations at Oregon State University to have three basic causes, viz.: 1) Feeding diets of fish comprising certain species of the cod family, including: Pacific hake, Atlantic whiting and Alaskan pollock; 2) Inclusion of rancid fats in the diet; and 3) Genetic susceptibility of particular strains. This thesis investigates further the cause of CF as it relates to the third factor. Experiments were conducted in two areas and involved, first, a study of iron absorption using ⁵⁹Fe as a tracer in an attempt to determine if genetically susceptible, CF mink are able to absorb adequate dietary iron in a normal manner, and secondly, a study of the iron transport system by electrophoretic separation of the iron carrying proteins (transferring) to determine whether the CF mink differs from normal animals. Iron balance trials conducted at the Oregon State University Radiation Center were designed to investigate possible differences in gastro-intestinal absorption of ferrous iron between mink with an inherent proclivity to CF and normal animals. General methods for these trials followed those used by Bailey (1967). After a single dose of ⁵⁹ferrous sulfate was administered via stomach tube, total urine and fecal samples were collected for a period of seven days. Each sample was weighed, subsampled when necessary and counted to a standard error of one percent with an auto-gamma, deep-well, solid scintillation counter. Three milliliter blood samples were withdrawn from the unanesthetized mink by cardiac puncture periodically after isotope administration and mixed with an anticoagulant. Radioactivity of the whole blood was measured by counting a weighed one milliliter sample. From the remaining whole blood the hematocrit level was determined and the plasma thus separated, was weighed and radioactivity measured. Radioactivity of erythrocytes was calculated from these data. Technical problems encountered in the first two iron absorption trials indicated that presence of food in the gastro-intestinal tract prior to stomach tubing increased absorption possibly by acting to slow passage of the administered isotope. The presence of thiaminase in the fish component of the diet complicated the second trial and injections of thiamine were administered for the final trial. Although absorption was minimal it was concluded that under the conditions of these experiments the anemic CF mink absorbs iron equally as well as its normal counterparts. ⁵⁹Fe absorption followed the pattern expected of normal animals. To establish more definite conclusions about the absorption and metabolism of iron by the CF as compared to the normal mink would require subsequent trials. It was theorized that polymorphism of blood serum transferrins could conceivably account for the iron deficiency anemia observed in CF animals; therefore, the second phase of investigation of this abnormality involved electrophoretic study of these proteins. The disc electrophoresis apparatus and procedures used were patterned from those suggested by Davis (1964) for determining serum types in humans. A polyacrylamide-gel column, formed in a glass tube was composed of three layers: i.e. (1) a large-pore gel containing the serum sample in which electrophoretic concentration of the sample proteins was initiated; (2) a large-pore (spacer) gel in which electrophoretic concentration of the sample proteins was completed; and (3) a small-pore gel in which electrophoretic separation took place. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture as before and centrifuged to separate the serum. Three micro-liters of serum were placed in each column of the disc electrophoresis apparatus. A complete serum sample and a sample containing only the transferrin protein fraction prepared by following a precipitation technique described by Sutton and Karp (1965) were analyzed for anemic animals of the CF strain; normal mink of the Cr strain; and normal individuals from an unrelated strain. Proteins of the complete serum were stained with amido schwarz dye and compared visually with the corresponding precipitated serum sample from the same animal. Visual examination of complete, mink serum proteins revealed as many as 10 to 14 dark staining bands of varying thickness and intensities. The transferrins of the precipitated, serum, gel sample appeared as two, closely aligned bands usually corresponding to a single, heavy, dark band in the complete serum sample. Heavy concentration of protein in some cases apparently obscured the two bands. Polymorphism of serum transferrins in mink was not revealed in this study. Visual examination of gel samples indicated that the iron-transport proteins of CF mink were like those of the normal animal under the conditions imposed. Results did not conclusively indicate that such variants of protein do not exist, but it was concluded that any effect would be slight and would probably not be responsible for the CF condition in mink. Title: Iron absorption and transport mechanisms as related to genetic susceptibility to cotton fur in mink Author: McCulloch, William John The "cotton fur" (CF) condition in mink has been shown through investigations at Oregon State University to have three basic causes, viz.: 1) Feeding diets of fish comprising certain species of the cod family, including: Pacific hake, Atlantic whiting and Alaskan pollock; 2) Inclusion of rancid fats in the diet; and 3) Genetic susceptibility of particular strains. This thesis investigates further the cause of CF as it relates to the third factor. Experiments were conducted in two areas and involved, first, a study of iron absorption using ⁵⁹Fe as a tracer in an attempt to determine if genetically susceptible, CF mink are able to absorb adequate dietary iron in a normal manner, and secondly, a study of the iron transport system by electrophoretic separation of the iron carrying proteins (transferring) to determine whether the CF mink differs from normal animals. Iron balance trials conducted at the Oregon State University Radiation Center were designed to investigate possible differences in gastro-intestinal absorption of ferrous iron between mink with an inherent proclivity to CF and normal animals. General methods for these trials followed those used by Bailey (1967). After a single dose of ⁵⁹ferrous sulfate was administered via stomach tube, total urine and fecal samples were collected for a period of seven days. Each sample was weighed, subsampled when necessary and counted to a standard error of one percent with an auto-gamma, deep-well, solid scintillation counter. Three milliliter blood samples were withdrawn from the unanesthetized mink by cardiac puncture periodically after isotope administration and mixed with an anticoagulant. Radioactivity of the whole blood was measured by counting a weighed one milliliter sample. From the remaining whole blood the hematocrit level was determined and the plasma thus separated, was weighed and radioactivity measured. Radioactivity of erythrocytes was calculated from these data. Technical problems encountered in the first two iron absorption trials indicated that presence of food in the gastro-intestinal tract prior to stomach tubing increased absorption possibly by acting to slow passage of the administered isotope. The presence of thiaminase in the fish component of the diet complicated the second trial and injections of thiamine were administered for the final trial. Although absorption was minimal it was concluded that under the conditions of these experiments the anemic CF mink absorbs iron equally as well as its normal counterparts. ⁵⁹Fe absorption followed the pattern expected of normal animals. To establish more definite conclusions about the absorption and metabolism of iron by the CF as compared to the normal mink would require subsequent trials. It was theorized that polymorphism of blood serum transferrins could conceivably account for the iron deficiency anemia observed in CF animals; therefore, the second phase of investigation of this abnormality involved electrophoretic study of these proteins. The disc electrophoresis apparatus and procedures used were patterned from those suggested by Davis (1964) for determining serum types in humans. A polyacrylamide-gel column, formed in a glass tube was composed of three layers: i.e. (1) a large-pore gel containing the serum sample in which electrophoretic concentration of the sample proteins was initiated; (2) a large-pore (spacer) gel in which electrophoretic concentration of the sample proteins was completed; and (3) a small-pore gel in which electrophoretic separation took place. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture as before and centrifuged to separate the serum. Three micro-liters of serum were placed in each column of the disc electrophoresis apparatus. A complete serum sample and a sample containing only the transferrin protein fraction prepared by following a precipitation technique described by Sutton and Karp (1965) were analyzed for anemic animals of the CF strain; normal mink of the Cr strain; and normal individuals from an unrelated strain. Proteins of the complete serum were stained with amido schwarz dye and compared visually with the corresponding precipitated serum sample from the same animal. Visual examination of complete, mink serum proteins revealed as many as 10 to 14 dark staining bands of varying thickness and intensities. The transferrins of the precipitated, serum, gel sample appeared as two, closely aligned bands usually corresponding to a single, heavy, dark band in the complete serum sample. Heavy concentration of protein in some cases apparently obscured the two bands. Polymorphism of serum transferrins in mink was not revealed in this study. Visual examination of gel samples indicated that the iron-transport proteins of CF mink were like those of the normal animal under the conditions imposed. Results did not conclusively indicate that such variants of protein do not exist, but it was concluded that any effect would be slight and would probably not be responsible for the CF condition in mink. Close

• 4258. [Article] An investigation of credit usage among young married couples in western Oregon

  This study was designed (1) to examine credit usages as they relate to financial problems of young married couples, (2) to investigate the similarities of financial practices of two populations, (3) to ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: An investigation of credit usage among young married couples in western Oregon Author: Preisz, Lois Heesacker This study was designed (1) to examine credit usages as they relate to financial problems of young married couples, (2) to investigate the similarities of financial practices of two populations, (3) to determine the sources of educational financial assistance and guidance used by young couples, and (4) to compare demographic characteristics of one sample known to have had financial difficulties and one group whose financial position was unknown at the time of the interview. The sample consisted of 30 young married couples who were being professionally counseled because of financial problems (group one) and 30 couples selected from a mailing list supplied by the Marion County Extension Service (group two). The total sample was drawn from the Salem, Oregon area. The couples were married at least one year and not more than five years, 11 months and the husbands were no more than 30 years of age. Data for the study were obtained through personal interviews. Hollingshead's Two Factor Index of Social Position, based on education and occupation of the head of household was used to classify the subjects into five social positions, by groups. The distributions for both groups were skewed heavily toward the lower social levels on the scale. The four null hypotheses that were set forth to assist in the organization of data were rejected. H₁ Young married couples in group one wit; show no differences in financial practices from those in group two. H₂ Married couples in group one will possess records with detail no greater than that in records possessed by group two. H₃ Formal educational training will not vary between group one and group two. H₄ Financial counseling sought by young couples will not differ between group one and group two. Analysis of the data indicated that couples in the uncounseled group kept records in a more readily accessable manner; they kept them in ledger or check stub form; and a larger percentage of group two kept track of how they spent their money. A higher number of husbands in group one took complete charge of financial management than the husbands in group two. There were inconsistencies in the responses of the wives in group one. Eighty-seven per cent of the respondents stated that they and their husbands combined their money. However, responses by 40 per cent of the wives in group one indicated that their husbands paid the bills and handled the finances. Couples in both groups used a variety of credit sources. Couples in group one held more credit cards, had a larger number of open charge accounts, more loans from banks and consumer finance companies, as well as a larger number of hospital, doctor and dentists bills than did the couples in group two. Department store and oil company credit cards were the two categories most frequently listed when respondents were asked about credit cards held. Both banks and consumer finance companies loaned to couples in group one, however, the consumer finance company had a higher incidence of repeat loans issued to these young couples than did banks. Ninety per cent of the young couples in the counseled group responded that they were being counseled and looked to the professional counselor for guidance in personal finance. The uncounseled group turned to parents most frequently as sources of information and guidance. Wives in group one perceived themselves as poorer users of credit or just equal when comparing themselves to their peers. It was apparent from this study that young couples feel inadquately prepared for the responsibilities faced in money management during the early years of marriage. With an affluent credit society predicted by many for the future, young people will need to use their total resources of time, energy and income in order to maintain financial solvency. Educators, both adult and secondary along with parents and all others interested in the welfare of families will need to be innovative in communicating sound personal finance principles. Title: An investigation of credit usage among young married couples in western Oregon Author: Preisz, Lois Heesacker This study was designed (1) to examine credit usages as they relate to financial problems of young married couples, (2) to investigate the similarities of financial practices of two populations, (3) to determine the sources of educational financial assistance and guidance used by young couples, and (4) to compare demographic characteristics of one sample known to have had financial difficulties and one group whose financial position was unknown at the time of the interview. The sample consisted of 30 young married couples who were being professionally counseled because of financial problems (group one) and 30 couples selected from a mailing list supplied by the Marion County Extension Service (group two). The total sample was drawn from the Salem, Oregon area. The couples were married at least one year and not more than five years, 11 months and the husbands were no more than 30 years of age. Data for the study were obtained through personal interviews. Hollingshead's Two Factor Index of Social Position, based on education and occupation of the head of household was used to classify the subjects into five social positions, by groups. The distributions for both groups were skewed heavily toward the lower social levels on the scale. The four null hypotheses that were set forth to assist in the organization of data were rejected. H₁ Young married couples in group one wit; show no differences in financial practices from those in group two. H₂ Married couples in group one will possess records with detail no greater than that in records possessed by group two. H₃ Formal educational training will not vary between group one and group two. H₄ Financial counseling sought by young couples will not differ between group one and group two. Analysis of the data indicated that couples in the uncounseled group kept records in a more readily accessable manner; they kept them in ledger or check stub form; and a larger percentage of group two kept track of how they spent their money. A higher number of husbands in group one took complete charge of financial management than the husbands in group two. There were inconsistencies in the responses of the wives in group one. Eighty-seven per cent of the respondents stated that they and their husbands combined their money. However, responses by 40 per cent of the wives in group one indicated that their husbands paid the bills and handled the finances. Couples in both groups used a variety of credit sources. Couples in group one held more credit cards, had a larger number of open charge accounts, more loans from banks and consumer finance companies, as well as a larger number of hospital, doctor and dentists bills than did the couples in group two. Department store and oil company credit cards were the two categories most frequently listed when respondents were asked about credit cards held. Both banks and consumer finance companies loaned to couples in group one, however, the consumer finance company had a higher incidence of repeat loans issued to these young couples than did banks. Ninety per cent of the young couples in the counseled group responded that they were being counseled and looked to the professional counselor for guidance in personal finance. The uncounseled group turned to parents most frequently as sources of information and guidance. Wives in group one perceived themselves as poorer users of credit or just equal when comparing themselves to their peers. It was apparent from this study that young couples feel inadquately prepared for the responsibilities faced in money management during the early years of marriage. With an affluent credit society predicted by many for the future, young people will need to use their total resources of time, energy and income in order to maintain financial solvency. Educators, both adult and secondary along with parents and all others interested in the welfare of families will need to be innovative in communicating sound personal finance principles. Close

• 4259. [Article] Selection for hybrid female reproductive performance in the mouse

  The design of this study was suggested by the following observations: (1) the successful application of recurrent selection techniques in obtaining improvement of hybrid performance in corn and Drosophila, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Selection for hybrid female reproductive performance in the mouse Author: Chapman, Verne Merrill The design of this study was suggested by the following observations: (1) the successful application of recurrent selection techniques in obtaining improvement of hybrid performance in corn and Drosophila, (2) the increased production realized by rotational crossbreeding, and (3) the expression of a relatively large degree of hybrid vigor in traits of reproductive performance. On the basis of these observations, a rotational recurrent selection scheme was proposed as a means of improving the reproductive performance of females in a rotational crossbreeding program. In this study recurrent selection was conducted in three strains of mice for hybrid female reproductive performance (10-day litter weight). Selection in each strain was based upon the average litter weight at 10 days of a sire's interstrain hybrid daughters. Hybrid daughters were obtained from a rotational pattern of interstrain top-cross matings in which males of strain #20 were mated to strain BCX females, BCX males were mated to females of strain BCL and BCL males were mated to #20 females. The traits of litter size at one and 10 days were also examined. A comparison of the hybrid and purebred reproductive performance indicated hybrid females were superior in performance to purebred sibs and dams in generation I. A change from harems to the colony groups method of mating caused a decline in the litter size at one-day of generation II hybrids, but the 10-day weight of their litters was still comparable to the 10-day litter weights of their purebred dams. Because the change in environment was correlated with generations the evaluation of selection was based upon a comparison of selected and realized divergence between high and low classes of two-way selection. The response to selection was positive in strains #20 and BCL but slightly negative in BCX. The pooled response was positive. On the basis of the positive response in two strains and in the pooled data it was concluded that selection had been effective. Predictions of response, based upon the assumption that differences between sire families were additive, were made from components of variance derived from sib analyses. The ratio of expected response and realized response for litter weight at 10 days in the pooled data was 0.835. When the comparisons were made by strains, only strain #20 showed a positive correspondence between predicted and realized divergence between high and low classes. An examination of the data by strains suggested that the following factors should be considered in evaluating the response to selection: (1) the genetic foundation of each sire strain, (2) the genetic foundation of the dam's strain, (3) the presence and influence of maternal effects by the dams of hybrid daughters, and (4) the relative degree of sampling error which influenced selections and predictions of response in generation I. In strain BCL the realized response was positive but the expected response was zero. The lack of sire variability and consequently the estimated response of zero was attributed to sampling error and the inbred foundation of BCL. The realized divergence between high and low classes in generation II of BCL hybrid daughters was ascribed to the effectiveness of high and low grouping of the dams from strain #20. Two possible reasons for the negative response in BCX were discussed. First, a higher degree of inbreeding occurred in the intrastrain matings of generation I than in either #20 or BCL. Second, a misclassification of the BCL dams of generation II BCX hybrids may have occurred. The second factor was suggested by the negative relationship between generation I hybrid and purebred performance in the high and low classification. On the basis of the correspondence between hybrid and purebred selection differences in strains #20 and BCX, the response to selection in strain #20 and the agreement between the expected and realized divergence in the pooled data it was concluded that selection for 10-day litter weight had acted primarily upon additive genetic variation. As a consequence of repeated interstrain matings, an additional component of variation between litters in dams was included in the sib analyses of generation II. In strain #20 hybrids, the relative size of the component of variance due to litters indicated that the influence of inbred BCX dams was more variable between successive litters than the influence of less inbred dams of #20 and BCL. Repeatability estimates of litter size performance further indicated that BCX dams were more variable in performance than were purebred dams of #20 and BCL. The implication that selection had acted largely on additive genetic variation suggested that females within a rotational crossbreeding program could be utilized as dams to obtain hybrid progeny for sire evaluation. The greater variability of dam influence of inbred BCX dams indicated that the use of crossbred dams would lead to a more uniform dam influence in a sires progeny. Title: Selection for hybrid female reproductive performance in the mouse Author: Chapman, Verne Merrill The design of this study was suggested by the following observations: (1) the successful application of recurrent selection techniques in obtaining improvement of hybrid performance in corn and Drosophila, (2) the increased production realized by rotational crossbreeding, and (3) the expression of a relatively large degree of hybrid vigor in traits of reproductive performance. On the basis of these observations, a rotational recurrent selection scheme was proposed as a means of improving the reproductive performance of females in a rotational crossbreeding program. In this study recurrent selection was conducted in three strains of mice for hybrid female reproductive performance (10-day litter weight). Selection in each strain was based upon the average litter weight at 10 days of a sire's interstrain hybrid daughters. Hybrid daughters were obtained from a rotational pattern of interstrain top-cross matings in which males of strain #20 were mated to strain BCX females, BCX males were mated to females of strain BCL and BCL males were mated to #20 females. The traits of litter size at one and 10 days were also examined. A comparison of the hybrid and purebred reproductive performance indicated hybrid females were superior in performance to purebred sibs and dams in generation I. A change from harems to the colony groups method of mating caused a decline in the litter size at one-day of generation II hybrids, but the 10-day weight of their litters was still comparable to the 10-day litter weights of their purebred dams. Because the change in environment was correlated with generations the evaluation of selection was based upon a comparison of selected and realized divergence between high and low classes of two-way selection. The response to selection was positive in strains #20 and BCL but slightly negative in BCX. The pooled response was positive. On the basis of the positive response in two strains and in the pooled data it was concluded that selection had been effective. Predictions of response, based upon the assumption that differences between sire families were additive, were made from components of variance derived from sib analyses. The ratio of expected response and realized response for litter weight at 10 days in the pooled data was 0.835. When the comparisons were made by strains, only strain #20 showed a positive correspondence between predicted and realized divergence between high and low classes. An examination of the data by strains suggested that the following factors should be considered in evaluating the response to selection: (1) the genetic foundation of each sire strain, (2) the genetic foundation of the dam's strain, (3) the presence and influence of maternal effects by the dams of hybrid daughters, and (4) the relative degree of sampling error which influenced selections and predictions of response in generation I. In strain BCL the realized response was positive but the expected response was zero. The lack of sire variability and consequently the estimated response of zero was attributed to sampling error and the inbred foundation of BCL. The realized divergence between high and low classes in generation II of BCL hybrid daughters was ascribed to the effectiveness of high and low grouping of the dams from strain #20. Two possible reasons for the negative response in BCX were discussed. First, a higher degree of inbreeding occurred in the intrastrain matings of generation I than in either #20 or BCL. Second, a misclassification of the BCL dams of generation II BCX hybrids may have occurred. The second factor was suggested by the negative relationship between generation I hybrid and purebred performance in the high and low classification. On the basis of the correspondence between hybrid and purebred selection differences in strains #20 and BCX, the response to selection in strain #20 and the agreement between the expected and realized divergence in the pooled data it was concluded that selection for 10-day litter weight had acted primarily upon additive genetic variation. As a consequence of repeated interstrain matings, an additional component of variation between litters in dams was included in the sib analyses of generation II. In strain #20 hybrids, the relative size of the component of variance due to litters indicated that the influence of inbred BCX dams was more variable between successive litters than the influence of less inbred dams of #20 and BCL. Repeatability estimates of litter size performance further indicated that BCX dams were more variable in performance than were purebred dams of #20 and BCL. The implication that selection had acted largely on additive genetic variation suggested that females within a rotational crossbreeding program could be utilized as dams to obtain hybrid progeny for sire evaluation. The greater variability of dam influence of inbred BCX dams indicated that the use of crossbred dams would lead to a more uniform dam influence in a sires progeny. Close

• 4260. [Article] Residents’ drivers and barriers to participation in the Backyard Habitat Certification Program: Study of socio-ecological factors in Madison South neighborhood in NE Portland

  As urban development fractures and reduces available habitat for birds and other wildlife, conservationists are increasing pursuing strategies to improve the habitat value of privately owned yards in and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Residents’ drivers and barriers to participation in the Backyard Habitat Certification Program: Study of socio-ecological factors in Madison South neighborhood in NE Portland Author: Powel, Jinnet As urban development fractures and reduces available habitat for birds and other wildlife, conservationists are increasing pursuing strategies to improve the habitat value of privately owned yards in and around cities. The Backyard Habitat Certification Program is a collaborative effort between the Portland Audubon Society and the Columbia Land Trust that has a two pronged mission: to increase the amount of available habitat for wildlife in the Portland Metro region by encouraging homeowners of lots one acre or less to naturescape their yards; and to increase stewardship and conservation awareness by broadening their participant base. Backyard Habitat’s agency in achieving both goals is linked to 1) their effectiveness at engaging and enrolling residents, 2) residents’ access to greenspace, and 3) their interest and agency in naturescaping their yards. Based on circumstantial evidence, Backyard Habitat is concerned they are not capturing the racial and ethnic diversity of the communities that they serve. This suggests that cultural and/or structural factors are limiting thier access to private yards and scope in providing conservation education. This study begins to explore the drivers and barriers to participation in the Northeast Portland neighborhood of Madison South with the objective of providing community specific and generalizable recommendations on how Backyard Habitat could broaden and deepen participation. Madison South was chosen as the study site because Backyard Habitat would like to increase participation there in order to enhance the impact of a large-scale habitat restoration project: the Dharma Rain Zen Center’s development at Siskiyou Square. The study used a social-ecological framework to explore both ecological and sociological factors that could serve as drivers or barriers to residents in choosing 1) to naturescape and 2) to participate in the Backyard Habitat Certification Program. The study consisted of three phases and looked at two scales of analysis: structural and cultural factors at the societal level and at the individual scale. Phase 1 assessed societal structural and cultural factors within the neighborhood (n= 5,314) including racial and ethnic diversity, language fluency, tenure status, and the value and distribution of greenspace using a combination of US Census data and publicly available on-line mapping tools (Metro Maps, Portland Maps, and Intertwine Alliance’s Regional Conservation Strategy overlays, Google Maps). Phase 2 and 3 consisted of smaller group of participants(n=28) that lived within 200m Siskiyou Square, and used mixed methods door-to-door surveys and guided interviews to explore individual interests, beliefs, and constraints shaping both desired and actual yard use. Phase 2 included the use of a yard-type instrument that allowed participants to indicate their interest in naturescaped, highly manicured, and predominantly permaculture yards by selecting among photographs. The study found that Madison South would be a good neighborhood for Backyard Habitat to engage with the purpose of diversifying their base since it was a relatively diverse racial and ethnic neighborhood within the Portland Metro region. However, since homeownership was disproportionately limited to White and Asian residents, the author recommends that Backyard Habitat should consider strategies for including renters in order to engage a representative demographic. Considering the percentage of rented, single-family homes with yards around the Siskiyou Square neighborhood, such strategies could serve Backyard Habitat’s ecological goals. The study identified limited English as a likely barrier for engaging some homeowners, particularly elderly Vietnamese. However the participant pool was too small to identify preferences, such desired as yard-type, along racial or ethnic lines. With 19% of homes owned by racial and ethnic minorities, Backyard Habitat should consider strategies for further identifying, and overcoming cultural barriers. The survey, interview questionnaire and yard-type instrument appeared useful at identifying receptivity to naturescaping and strategies for broadening participation. Based on the study’s findings and input from participants, the study makes recommendations for how Backyard Habitat can increase participation by being better known, being appealing, and being feasible to a variety of residents. Title: Residents’ drivers and barriers to participation in the Backyard Habitat Certification Program: Study of socio-ecological factors in Madison South neighborhood in NE Portland Author: Powel, Jinnet As urban development fractures and reduces available habitat for birds and other wildlife, conservationists are increasing pursuing strategies to improve the habitat value of privately owned yards in and around cities. The Backyard Habitat Certification Program is a collaborative effort between the Portland Audubon Society and the Columbia Land Trust that has a two pronged mission: to increase the amount of available habitat for wildlife in the Portland Metro region by encouraging homeowners of lots one acre or less to naturescape their yards; and to increase stewardship and conservation awareness by broadening their participant base. Backyard Habitat’s agency in achieving both goals is linked to 1) their effectiveness at engaging and enrolling residents, 2) residents’ access to greenspace, and 3) their interest and agency in naturescaping their yards. Based on circumstantial evidence, Backyard Habitat is concerned they are not capturing the racial and ethnic diversity of the communities that they serve. This suggests that cultural and/or structural factors are limiting thier access to private yards and scope in providing conservation education. This study begins to explore the drivers and barriers to participation in the Northeast Portland neighborhood of Madison South with the objective of providing community specific and generalizable recommendations on how Backyard Habitat could broaden and deepen participation. Madison South was chosen as the study site because Backyard Habitat would like to increase participation there in order to enhance the impact of a large-scale habitat restoration project: the Dharma Rain Zen Center’s development at Siskiyou Square. The study used a social-ecological framework to explore both ecological and sociological factors that could serve as drivers or barriers to residents in choosing 1) to naturescape and 2) to participate in the Backyard Habitat Certification Program. The study consisted of three phases and looked at two scales of analysis: structural and cultural factors at the societal level and at the individual scale. Phase 1 assessed societal structural and cultural factors within the neighborhood (n= 5,314) including racial and ethnic diversity, language fluency, tenure status, and the value and distribution of greenspace using a combination of US Census data and publicly available on-line mapping tools (Metro Maps, Portland Maps, and Intertwine Alliance’s Regional Conservation Strategy overlays, Google Maps). Phase 2 and 3 consisted of smaller group of participants(n=28) that lived within 200m Siskiyou Square, and used mixed methods door-to-door surveys and guided interviews to explore individual interests, beliefs, and constraints shaping both desired and actual yard use. Phase 2 included the use of a yard-type instrument that allowed participants to indicate their interest in naturescaped, highly manicured, and predominantly permaculture yards by selecting among photographs. The study found that Madison South would be a good neighborhood for Backyard Habitat to engage with the purpose of diversifying their base since it was a relatively diverse racial and ethnic neighborhood within the Portland Metro region. However, since homeownership was disproportionately limited to White and Asian residents, the author recommends that Backyard Habitat should consider strategies for including renters in order to engage a representative demographic. Considering the percentage of rented, single-family homes with yards around the Siskiyou Square neighborhood, such strategies could serve Backyard Habitat’s ecological goals. The study identified limited English as a likely barrier for engaging some homeowners, particularly elderly Vietnamese. However the participant pool was too small to identify preferences, such desired as yard-type, along racial or ethnic lines. With 19% of homes owned by racial and ethnic minorities, Backyard Habitat should consider strategies for further identifying, and overcoming cultural barriers. The survey, interview questionnaire and yard-type instrument appeared useful at identifying receptivity to naturescaping and strategies for broadening participation. Based on the study’s findings and input from participants, the study makes recommendations for how Backyard Habitat can increase participation by being better known, being appealing, and being feasible to a variety of residents. Close