RESEARCH INSTITUTE
FUNDED PROPOSALS
2004-05
Table of Contents
Dr. Mathew Bateman, Assistant Professor of Biology
Abby Hielscher and Avery Shaw, Assistant Researchers
“Inducible Model of Schizophrenia by Gene Knockdown of Dysbinding-1 in the Developing Zebrafish (Danio reri) Brain”
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier and Susan J. Rolfsmeier, Assistant Researchers
“Nebraska Statewide Plant Database Project”
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier and Susan J. Rolfsmeier, Assistant Researchers
“Continued Studies of the Pine Ridge Flora: Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed and Gilbert-Baker WMA”
Dr. Charles Butterfield, Associate Professor of Agriculture
Angela M. Meiergerd, Assistant Researcher
“Validation of Habitat Association of Birds as Predicted by the HABCAP Model”
Ms. Karen Enos, Assistant Professor of Education
“An Analysis of Blackboard Student Teacher Supervision”
Dr. Mathew Bateman, Assistant Professor of Biology
Abby Hielscher and Avery Shaw, Assistant Researchers
“Inducible Model of Schizophrenia by Gene Knockdown of Dysbinding-1 in the Developing Zebrafish (Danio reri) Brain”
$4,200 Funded
Project No. 222637
Schizophrenia is a complex metal illness affecting 1.1% of the world population over the age of 18, first beginning to manifest itself in early adulthood and occurring between the ages of 15-25. The schizophrenic brain shows some developmental abnormalities in that the size of the ventricles are increased and that the cytoarchitecture has diffuse neuronal loss and is in disorganization. The underlying cause of schizophrenia is yet poorly understood, however recent advance4s in schizophrenia research have pointed to a strong genetic contribution influencing the disease state. The dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1) has been implicated in the adult brain as one of candidate genes mutated in many of the schizophrenic populations. The functions of DTNBP1 in the adult are not being studied in both the normal and schizophrenic brain; in spite of this, the role that DTNBP1 plays n the development of the brain remains unexamined. It is proposed that the early expression pattern of the DTNBP1 gene be examined and that the functional role be determined for it during the development of the vertebrate brain.
Status: Progress Report Received 2 June 2005
Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier and Susan J. Rolfsmeier, Assistant Researchers
“Nebraska Statewide Plant Database Project”
$4,691.90 Funded
Grant No. 222638
In order to be of greater service to the conservation, land management and botanical and ecological research community, we propose to continue databasing the 50,000+ vascular plant specimens in the High Plains Herbarium, with the goal of making these data available online. In 2004, we submitted a proposal to the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund to team with the herbaria of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha as part of a statewide databasing effort, prioritizing entry of data from Nebraska specimens of species of conservation concern and of known and potential problematic weeds. In order to improve our changes of receiving outside funding, we are requesting institutional support for a portion of the salaries of two of the principal researchers, as well as funding for travel to the other two institutions to download, customize, and provide training for data entry using the Specify Museum Database software package. Completion of this phase of the project will improve our changes of receiving outside funding to complete the databasing of the High Plains Herbarium. We propose two publications as a result of this work: a comprehensive listing of Nebraska vascular plant species, to be published as an occasional paper of the High Plains Herbarium, and an annotated list of alien species in Nebraska, with data on origin status, residence status, and invasion status. We plan to present results of the latter paper at the 2005 Nebraska Academy of Sciences meeting.
Status: Progress Report Received 24 May 2005Dr. Ron Weedon, Professor of Biology
Steven B. Rolfsmeier and Susan J. Rolfsmeier, Assistant Researchers
“Nebraska Statewide Plant Database Project”
$2,606.40 Funded
Grant No. 222639
Although the Pine Ridge escarpment of northwestern Nebraska has attracted the attention of botanists for over 100 years, no comprehensive survey of the plant species of this unique region has ever been compiled. Efforts to compile of flora of the Pine Ridge were begun by Dr. Ron Weedon and his students in 1973, and the longest ongoing floristic project of an area within this region is an incomplete flora of Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed, which lies on the boundary of the High Plains and Missouri Plateau in Sioux County. We propose to complete this survey in 2005, providing an expanded annotated list of the plant species occurring at the site, along with updated quantitative and qualitative descriptions of the plan communities, a revised vegetation map, and updat4ed information on the geology and past vegetation of the site. Concurrently we propose to begin a two-year survey of the 2,457 acre Gilbert-Baker Wildlife Management Area in Sioux County, one of the best preserved examples of Pine Ridge vegetation in the State. We propose publishing a floristic survey of the Hudson-Meng site, as well as produce and improve interpretive materials for visitors interested in the vegetation of this region. We also plan to assemble a preliminary species for Gilbert-Baker, with further descriptive and quantitative work scheduled for 2006.
Status: No report has been submitted Dr. Charles Butterfield, Professor of Agriculture
Angela M. Meiergerd, Assistant Researcher
“Validation of Habitat Association of Birds as Predicted by the HABCAP Model”
$7,391 Funded
Grant No. 222640
The Pine Ridge Escarpment is approximately 2,500 square kilometers of primarily ponderosa pine forest. If supports a wide array of unique flora and fauna. This area has been altered in the past by multiple factors, threatening wildlife populations. Forest and wildlife managers are not attempting to correct this habitat alteration. As the area undergoes various changes, there is a need to monitor these changes and the subsequent effects on the wildlife and other resources. A Habitat Capability model (HABCAP) was developed to monitor and study areas in the Black Hills. We plan to validate and revise this model to be more specific to the Pine Ridge Escarpment. We can then develop a comprehensive data base of soils, vegetation, land uses, roads, habitat capabilities, habitat alterations, and habitat utilizations to make more informed management decisions. The result of this project will lead to a better understanding of the resources of the Pine Ridge Escarpment, better management recommendations, and establish a data base available to future researchers of the Escarpment.
Status: No Reports Received
Ms. Karen Enos, Assistant Professor of Education
“An Analysis of Blackboard Student Teacher Supervision”
$550 Funded
Grant No. 222641
Currently, Chadron State College Education Department professors are required by State DOW policy to travel to supervise pre-service teachers a minimum of five visits at schools where pre-service teachers are performing their student teaching experience. Many of these schools are in rural areas of Nebraska; hence, pre-service teachers may have feelings of isolation. Additionally, during the winter months, the CSC advisors are traveling long distances often during inclement weather to do the required supervision. As a result, sometimes these supervision visits must be cancelled.
I am proposing that a blackboard discussion supervision format be utilized as an alternative to one of the six required supervisor visitations. I also propose that this is an equivalent form of teacher supervision for the student teachers. In conjunction, the blackboard discussion format would be a tool to help alleviate feelings of isolation that pre-service teachers may feel in their rural communities. During the professional year, before the student teaching experience, the pre-service teachers build strong bonds of friendship with each other. By giving the pre-service teachers a venue in which to communicate with each other about what they are experiencing and feeling, this sense of isolation may be alleviated and the mentoring would be enhanced. This would be a facilitated blackboard discussion between the pre-service teachers and their assigned CSC advisor.
Status: No Reports Received