State\u27s Business Climate Remains Healthy

Nearly 43 percent of all the businesses that participated in the latest Nebraska Quarterly Business Conditions Survey (NQBCS) indicated an increase in 1st quarter 1998 revenues over year-ago levels (Table 1). Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate (FIRE) led all industry groups, with 57 percent reporting an increase in 1st quarter revenues over year-ago levels. The lowest proportion of firms in an industry group reporting an increase was other at 32 percent. The other category includes construction, mining, and agricultural services, fisheries, and forestry. Of these three industries, mining had the lowest incidence of firms with increases, with 20 percent reporting 1st quarter 1998 revenues ahead of year -ago levels. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents for construction reported revenue gains for 1st quarter 1998 over year-ago levels. Table1 also compares 1st quarter 1998 revenues with 4th quarter 1997 revenues. Much of the variation shown in Table 1 between 1st quarter 1998 revenues and 4th quarter 1997 revenues is due to seasonal factors

Strong Metro Economy Prevents a Statewide Slowdown

So far, strength, especially in the metro nonfarm business sector, has prevented the state\u27s economy from slipping into a general slowdown due to the current farm problem. The farm problem is in its second year, but its impact still is mostly limited to a few industries, such as wholesale trade and agriculture services in nonmetro counties. Other nonmetro industries, such as manufacturing and construction, are dOing reasonably well. All nonfarm industries in the state\u27s metro counties are doing very well. In short, metro business activity is brisk

Fourth Quarter 1996 Business Survey Provides More Evidence of Good Economic Times in Nebraska

The 4th quarter 1996 business conditions survey results confirm BBR\u27s latest state economic forecast that good economic times are here with no immediate end in sight, as reported in the November/December issue of Business in Nebraska. Good economic times are occurring in both the urban and rural areas of the state. The quarterly business survey, a joint venture between the Nebraska Departments of Economic Development and Labor and BBR, has the following major objectives: 1. to continuously monitor business conditions throughout the Nebraska economy and detect early indications of emerging trends; 2. to assess job creation and turnover by occupation and industry; 3. to track wage levels by occupation and industry; and 4. to identify unfilled demand for labor by occupation and industry. Job Creation and Replacement Hires Unfilled Position

Fantasy Football: The Relationship Between A Participants Financial Investment and Time On Task For Team Management

Within the past decade since the use of the Internet came bout about, the sports gambling industry, specifically fantasy football, has become a multi-million dollar industry. In particular, the increase of all factors in fantasy sports such as the amount of money, number of hours and amount of leagues are increasing at a rapid rate. Due to this intriguing circumstance, this study investigates the relationship between a participant’s financial investment and time on task for team management. This study was given to participants via email and Facebook, which consisted of an online survey. In addition, this study looked at factors such as age to help determine if there was a correspondence to the younger generations putting in more or less time and money into fantasy football. The results suggested that there was no significant difference in the ratings of the independent variables with respect to age; except that the younger generations are putting in more time on team management due to more leisure time. Also, the results showed there no significant relationship between the amount of money put into fantasy football leagues this season and how many hours that was put into team management per week. The repercussions behind this study and the implications for both scholars and practitioners are discussed more throughout the research

Nebraska and its Neighbors- Past, Present and Future

The January 1996 issue of Business in Nebraska reported Nebraska\u27s economic outlook through 1997. This issue reports past economic and demographic performance and near-term projections for a region consisting of Nebraska and its six neighboring stales-Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Population Employment Personel Incom

Nebraska and its Neighbors- Past, Present and Future

The January 1996 issue of Business in Nebraska reported Nebraska\u27s economic outlook through 1997. This issue reports past economic and demographic performance and near-term projections for a region consisting of Nebraska and its six neighboring stales-Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Population Employment Personel Incom

Molecular Recognition of Substrates by Protein Farnesyltransferase and Geranylgeranyltransferase-I.

Prenylation is an important post-translational modification that targets proteins to the cellular membrane. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) catalyzes the attachment of the 15-carbon farnesyl moiety from farnesyldiphosphate to a cysteine near the C-terminus of a protein, while geranylgeranyltransferase-I (GGTase-I) catalyzes the analogous attachment of the 20-carbon geranylgeranyl group from geranylgeranyldiphosphate. Substrates of the prenyltransferases are involved in a myriad of signaling pathways and processes within the cell, therefore inhibitors targeting FTase and GGTase-I are being developed as therapeutics for treatment of diseases such as cancer, parasitic infection, and progeria. FTase and GGTase-I were proposed to recognize a Ca1a2X motif, where C is the cysteine where the prenyl group is attached, a1 and a2 are aliphatic amino acids, and X confers specificity between FTase and GGTase-I with X being methionine, serine, glutamine, and alanine for FTase and leucine or phenylalanine for GGTase-I. Recent work indicates that the Ca1a2X paradigm should be expanded; therefore, further studies are needed to define the prenylated proteome, to understand normal cellular processes, and to determine the targets of prenyltransferase inhibitors. In this study, we probed the molecular recognition of GGTase-I by testing a 400 peptide library for activity with GGTase-I. The enzyme modifies two classes of substrates: multiple turnover substrates (MTO) and single turnover-only (STO) which undergo chemistry but not product release. Statistical analysis was used to determine that MTO substrates typically follow the Ca1a2X definition, but the STO sequences are more diverse, further indicating GGTase-I recognizes a broader range of substrates. Additionally, with collaborators at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a computational program that predicts FTase substrates was developed, FlexPepBind. This novel method successfully predicted new peptide substrates with FTase and identified a new class of substrates containing a positively charged X residue. Lastly, to examine prenylation in vivo, we created a library of GFP-Ca1a2X fusion proteins and measured protein localization using fluorescence microscopy. The identity of the C-terminal sequence caused the proteins to localize to different cellular compartments presumably due to modification status. Together, these studies provide insight into the in vivo specificity of prenyltransferases and the involvement of prenylation in various cellular processes.Ph.D.Biological ChemistryUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91519/1/lamphear_1.pd

Upper-plate deformation of Late Pleistocene marine terraces in the Trinidad, California, coastal area, southern Cascadia subduction zone

Forming at sea level, uplifted shore platforms serve as long-term geodetic markers. The spatial distribution and elevation of marine terrace sequences offer insight into regional tectonics. In the Trinidad coastal area (California, USA), active tectonic processes reflect upper-plate deformation above the southern extent of the Cascadia subduction megathrust. A set of five uplifted and deformed Late Pleistocene marine terraces is preserved in the Trinidad region and provides an opportunity to analyze regional uplift, folding, and faulting. Using lidar imagery embedded within a GIS, we employ a surface classification model (SCM) that identifies uplifted marine terraces on the basis of their micro-topographical characteristics, i.e., low slope and low roughness. The SCM-based identification of marine terraces both supplements and verifies existing field mapping. We demonstrate the utility of the SCM, which can be applied to a variety of surface terrain analysis investigations that seek to identify smooth and/or rough terrain features, e.g., terraces and fault scarps. Age assignments for the five marine terraces, which range from 80 ka to \u3c500 ka, are based on paleo–sea cliff geomorphology and soil development trends. Specifically, the steepest, highest, and most prominent paleo–sea cliff, which is associated with terrace number 3, is correlated to the long-duration sea-level highstand centered at 125 ka (marine isotope stage 5e), exemplifying a novel method in relative age assignment for Pleistocene geomorphic features. Based on these age assignments, the average maximum uplift rates in the Trinidad coastal area are ∼1.0 m/k.y., and the average long-term uplift rate diminishes westward to ∼0.4 – 0.5 m/k.y. on the downthrown side of the Trinidad fault. Based on analysis of deformation using the high-resolution lidar imagery of the marine terraces, the Trinidad hanging-wall anticline represents a fault propagation fold that ceased to be active when the associated reverse fault, the Trinidad fault, daylighted to the surface ca. 80–100 ka. Based on deformation tilts of a marine terrace with an assigned age of 200 ka, the Trinidad anticline has accommodated at least 1 km of shortening in the last 200 k.y., which represents at least 2% of the convergence of the Juan de Fuca plate relative to North America over the same time period. Overall, both the hanging wall and the footwall of the Trinidad fault show long-term positive rock uplift, which implies that the Trinidad anticline and fault are contained within the hanging wall of a deeper structure. Therefore, the Trinidad fault likely splays off of the Cascadia subduction zone megathrust or off of a deeper thrust fault that splays off of the megathrust