Life Sciences Commons^™

A One-Hour Sleep Restriction Impacts Brain Processing In Young Children Across Tasks: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials, Dennis Molfese, Anna Ivanenko, Alexandra P.F. Key, Adrienne Roman, Victoria J. Molfese, Louise M. O'Brien, David Gozal, Srinivas Kota, Caitlin M. Hudac

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

The effect of mild sleep restriction on cognitive functioning in young children is unclear, yet sleep loss may impact children's abilities to attend to tasks with high processing demands. In a preliminary investigation, six children (6.6 - 8.3 years of age) with normal sleep patterns performed three tasks: attention (“Oddball”), speech perception (conconant-vowel syllables) and executive function (Directional Stroop). Event-related potentials (ERP) responses were recorded before (Control) and following one-week of 1-hour per day of sleep restriction. Brain activity across all tasks following Sleep Restriction differed from activity during Control Sleep, indicating that minor sleep restriction impacts children's neurocognitive functioning.

Normative Topographic Erp Analyses Of Speed Of Speech Processing And Grammar Before And After Grammatical Treatment, Paul J. Yoder, Dennis Molfese, Micah M. Murray, Alexandra P.F. Key

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Typically developing (TD) preschoolers and age-matched preschoolers with specific language impairment (SLI) received event-related potentials (ERPs) to four monosyllabic speech sounds prior to treatment and, in the SLI group, after 6 months of grammatical treatment. Before treatment, the TD group processed speech sounds faster than the SLI group. The SLI group increased the speed of their speech processing after treatment. Post-treatment speed of speech processing predicted later impairment in comprehending phrase elaboration in the SLI group. During the treatment phase, change in speed of speech processing predicted growth rate of grammar in the SLI group.

Heifers With Low Antral Follicle Counts Have Low Birth Weights And Produce Progeny With Low Birth Weights, Adam F. Summers, Robert A. Cushman, Karl Moline Moline, Jeff Bergman, Andrea S. Cupp

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

To determine the relationship of antral follicle count and heifer BW, reproductive tract characteristics, and first-calf performance, Red Angus-composite heifers were used over three years. High antral follicle count heifers had greater BW from birth through pre-breeding. Progeny birth BW was greater for calves born to high antral follicle count heifers compared to low antral follicle count heifers. Taken together these data indicate a relationship between antral follicle counts and BW through the first breeding season and corresponding progeny, and continues to support a possible link between genes that influence growth and development and establishment of ovarian reserve.

Effect Of Two Estrus Synchronization Protocols On Reproductive Performance Of May Calving Cows, John D. Harms, Adam F. Summers, Jacqueline Musgrave Musgrave, Rick Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effectiveness of fixed-time AI utilizing one of two estrus synchronization protocols, CO-Synch or CO-Synch + CIDR, in May-calving cows. Cows synchronized with the CO-Synch + CIDR protocol had increased AI and overall pregnancy rates compared to cows synchronized utilizing the CO-Synch protocol. Due to increased AI pregnancy rates, CO-Synch + CIDR cows calved earlier, resulting in a greater proportion of cows calving within the first 21 days of the calving season compared to CO-Synch cows.

Efficacy Of Newborn Bovine Dna Samples Taken Via Different Mediums In Assigning Paternity, Jeremy T. Howard, Lynsey K. Whitacre, Matthew L. Spangler Spangler

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

DNA samples from 25 newborn calves taken via hair, ear notch, and nasal swabs were used to determine the efficacy of sampling method in assigning parentage. Nasal swab samples were collected at six time points from birth to 120 hours post-birth. Calf samples and all candidate sires were genotyped with a 99 SNP parentage panel. Nasal swab collection time did not result in significant differences in the ability to assign the correct sire, although differences were seen in apparent cleanliness of the sample. Clean nasal swab samples are comparable in efficacy to hair and ear notch samples in assigning parentage.

Effect Of Winter Supplementation Level On Yearling System Profitability, Kari L. Gillespie, Brandon L. Nuttelman, Cody J. Schneider Schneider, Terry J. Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Calves backgrounded in a forage-based system at a high winter supple- mentation level maintained a performance advantage through finishing. High level supplemented cattle gained an additional 0.2 lb. daily during finishing, consumed less total feed in the feedlot, required fewer days on feed to reach a common finish point and produced an additional 85 lb. of saleable live weight compared to cattle backgrounded at a low supplementation level. High level supplemented cattle returned $56.01 more than cattle fed a low level of supplementation during the winter backgrounding phase.

Nitrogen Fertilization And Ddgs Supplementation Reduces Annual Weeds In Pastures, John A. Guretzky, Laura K. Snell, John C. Soper Soper, Walter H. Schacht, Terry Klopfenstein, Stephanie K. Pruitt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Ongoing research has found body weight (BW) gains of steers supplemented with corn dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) on unfertilized smooth bromegrass pasture (SUPP) to be greater than unsupplemented steers on N fertilized (FERT) and unfertilized, control (CONT) smooth bromegrass pasture. In the seventh year of the study, annual weeds increased to 20%, 9%, and 2% of relative cover within CONT, SUPP, and FERT pastures, respectively. Supplementation of DDGS on unfertilized pastures improves steer BW gains and reduces N inputs while providing intermediate resistance to annual weed invasion. AnnualN fertilization maximizes forage yield and minimizes annual weeds in pasture.

Effects Of Feeding Microbial Feed Additives On Growth Performance And Carcass Traits Of Steers Fed Steam-Flaked Corn-Based Diets With Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles, Matt K. Luebbe, Karla H. Jenkins, Stephanie A. Furman Furman, Kelly K. Kreikemeier

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding two commercially available direct-fed microbials (DFM) on finishing steer performance fed steam-flaked corn based diets. Dietary treatments included a control diet without DFM, and two commercially available products (10-G and Bovamine). No significant differences were observed among treatments for animal performance or carcass characteristics. However, numeric advantages were observed for ADG and feed efficiency when cattle were fed a DFM.

The Effect Of Lameness On Average Daily Gain In Feedlot Steers, Giselle T. Kruse, Richard R. Randle, Douglas E. Hostetler Hostetler, Gary K. Tibbetts, Dicky D. Griffin, Kathryn J. Hanford, Terry Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson, Brandon L. Nuttelman, David R. Smith

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The objective of this study was to test the effects of lameness on average daily gain (ADG) of feedlot steers. We evaluated two feedlot health data sets: 1) 14,798 steers from a 14-year period (1993 to 2006) at the Meat Animal Research Center (USDA MARC) near Clay Center, Neb.; and 2) 16,766 steers from an 8-year period (2002 to 2009) at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center (ARDC) near Mead, Neb. The ADG for USDA MARC steers with lameness late in the feeding period (≥ 60 days) was 0.04 lb./day less than steers without lameness. The ADG …

A New Species Of Metathelazia (Nematoda: Pneumospiruridae) From The Lungs Of A Nine-Banded Armadillo In Central Mexico = Especie Nueva De Metathelazia (Nematoda: Pneumospiruridae) De Los Pulmones De Un Armadillo Del Centro De México, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Rogelio Rosas-Valdez, Scott Lyell Gardner

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Twenty-four worms were collected from the bronchioles in both lungs of a male nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 captured in Teacalco, Morelos, Mexico. The worms, herein named Metathelazia mexicana n. sp., show a constriction in the esophagus at the level of the nerve ring; males of the species have 7 pairs of papillae, fewer than the other species in the genus. Metathelazia capsulata is the most similar species to Metathelazia mexicana; however, the latter has much shorter spicules. This is the fourth species in the genus known to occur in the New World.

Se recolectó un total de …

Seroprevalence Of Brucellosis In Livestock Within Three Endemic Regions Of The Country Of Georgia, Eliso Mamisashvili, Ian T. Kracalik, Tinatin Onashvili, Lela Kerdzevadze, Ketevan Goginashvili, Tamar Tigilauri, Marina Donduashvili, Marina Nikolaishvili, Irma Beradze, Marina Zakareishvili, Maka Kokhreidze, Makvala Gelashvili, Nino Vepkhvadze, S. Elizabeth Rácz, Philip H. Elzer, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Jason K. Blackburn

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Brucellosis is the one of most common livestock zoonoses in Georgia, resulting in significant economic losses. Livestock were sampled in three regions of Georgia (Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti). Districts that historically reported high numbers of brucellosis related morbidity were selected for serological, bacteriological and molecular surveys. Surveying efforts yielded samples from 10,819 large and small ruminants. In total, 735 serological tests were positive on Rose Bengal and 33 bacterial isolates were recovered and identified as Brucella melitensis or Brucella abortus by microbiology and AMOS-PCR. A Bayesian framework was implemented to estimate the true prevalence of the disease given an imperfect …

A Description Of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) Veropesoi N. Sp. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) From The Intestine Of The Silver Croaker Fish Plagioscion Squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae) Off The East Coast Of Brazil, Francisco Tiago De Vasconcelos Melo, P. A.F.B. Costa, E. G. Giese, Scott Lyell Gardner, J. N. Santos

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae) is considered piscivorous and is a generalist species endemic to the Amazon region. This fish is an important part of the natural ecosystems in which it occurs and provides basic functional components in the food web. The genus Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905 is distributed worldwide and parasitizes fish and turtles, but there are few reports of parasites of this genus in South America, due to the high diversity of fish that can be found in this region. A new species of thorny-headed worm (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) is described from P. squamosissimus from Guajará Bay, …

On The Morphology And Taxonomy Of Griphobilharzia Amoena Platt And Blair, 1991 (Schistosomatoidea), A Dioecious Digenetic Trematode Parasite Of The Freshwater Crocodile, Crocodylus Johnstoni, In Australia [Critical Comment], Thomas R. Platt, Eric P. Hoberg, Leslie A. Chisholm

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Griphobilharzia amoena Platt and Blair, 1991 was originally described was originally described as a dioecious trematode, parasitic in the circulatory system of the Australian freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus johnstoni, with the female completely enclosed in a gynecophoric chamber of the male and the two worms orientated anti-parallel to each other. A recent publication questions the original description, arguing that G. amoena is monoecious and, as a consequence, the species was transferred to Vasotrema Stunkard, 1928 (Spirorchiidae) as Vasotrema amoena n. comb. We provide photomicrographic evidence that the original description of G. amoena is correct and that Griphobilharzia Platt and Blair, …

Reductive Evolution And The Loss Of Pdc/Pas Domains From The Genus Staphylococcus, Neethu Shah, Rosmarie Gaupp, Hideaki Moriyama, Kent M. Eskridge, Etsuko N. Moriyama, Greg A. Somerville

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: The Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain represents a ubiquitous structural fold that is involved in bacterial sensing and adaptation systems, including several virulence related functions. Although PAS domains and the subclass of PhoQ-DcuS-CitA (PDC) domains have a common structure, there is limited amino acid sequence similarity. To gain greater insight into the evolution of PDC/PAS domains present in the bacterial kingdom and staphylococci in specific, the PDC/PAS domains from the genomic sequences of 48 bacteria, representing 5 phyla, were identified using the sensitive search method based on HMM-to-HMM comparisons (HHblits).

Results: A total of 1,007 PAS domains and 686 …

Heritability And Inter-Population Differences In Lipid Profiles Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Cornelia J. F. Scheitz, Yu Guo, Angela M. Early, Lawrence G. Harshman, Andrew G. Clark

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Characterizing and understanding the complex spectrum of lipids in higher organisms lags far behind our analysis of genome and transcriptome sequences. Here we generate and evaluate comprehensive lipid profiles (>200 lipids) of 92 inbred lines from five different Drosophila melanogaster populations. We find that the majority of lipid species are highly heritable, and even lipids with odd-chain fatty acids, which cannot be generated by the fly itself, also have high heritabilities. Abundance of the endosymbiont Wolbachia, a potential provider of odd-chained lipids, was positively correlated with this group of lipids. Additionally, we show that despite years of laboratory …

Conformational B-Cell Epitope Prediction On Antigen Protein Structures: A Review Of Current Algorithms And Comparison With Common Binding Site Prediction Methods, Bo Yao, Dandan Zheng, Shide Liang, Chi Zhang

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Accurate prediction of B-cell antigenic epitopes is important for immunologic research and medical applications, but compared with other bioinformatic problems, antigenic epitope prediction is more challenging because of the extreme variability of antigenic epitopes, where the paratope on the antibody binds specifically to a given epitope with high precision. In spite of the continuing efforts in the past decade, the problem remains unsolved and therefore still attracts a lot of attention from bioinformaticists. Recently, several discontinuous epitope prediction servers became available, and it is intriguing to review all existing methods and evaluate their performances on the same benchmark. In addition, …

Creating An Interdisciplinary Research Course In Mathematical Ecology, Glenn Ledder, Brigitte Tenhumberg

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

An integrated interdisciplinary research course in biology and mathematics is useful for recruiting students to interdisciplinary research careers, but there are difficulties involved in creating and implementing it. We describe the genesis, objectives, design policies, and structure of the Research Skills in Theoretical Ecology course at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and discuss the difficulties that can arise in designing and implementing interdisciplinary courses.

An Interdisciplinary Research Course In Theoretical Ecology For Young Undergraduates, Glenn Ledder, Brigitte Tenhumberg, G. Travis Adams

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

As part of an interdepartmental effort to attract promising young students to research at the interface between mathematics and biology, we created a course in which groups of recent high school graduates and first-year college students conducted a research project in insect population dynamics. The students set up experiments, collected data, used the data to develop mathematical models, tested their models against further experiments, and prepared their results for dissemination. The course was self-contained in that the lecture portion developed the mathematical, statistical, and biological background needed for the research. A special writing component helped students learn the principles of …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Infection In A Sample Of Men Who Have Sex With Men In Eastern China, T. Zhang, H. Lin, V. Minhas, W. Zhu, Charles Wood, N. He

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. A total of 208 subjects were recruited from eastern China from 2008 to 2009. Plasma samples were collected and screened for KSHV, HIV and syphilis. Overall, KSHV seroprevalence was 32.7% in the subjects. About 92.7% of subjects reported having ever had anal sex with a man, of whom 67.8% had receptive anal sex and 77.9% had insertive anal sex. About 93.1% of the study participants reported having had oral sex with a man, of whom …

Geographic Distribution: Anolis Sagrei (Brown Anole). Usa: Florida: Escambia Co., Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

Pensacola: Agriculture Interdiction Station 1-10, Station 19: 1-10 eastbound (30.54519°N, 87.35201°W, WGS84). 15 November 2012. Katrina Simmons and Randal St. Louis. Verified by Kenneth L. Krysko, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida (UF 169126). First county interdiction and westernmost vouchered specimen for the Florida Panhandle (Krysko et al. 2011. Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Florida. Final report, Project Agreement 080l3, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee. 524 pp.). Currently, A. sagrei is not known to be established in Escambia Co., but is present in adjacent Santa Rosa Co. and at least 54 other Florida counties (Krysko …

Be A Part Of The Plan - Engaging People - Linking The World, Charlotte Narjes

Cornhusker Economics

The Nebraska Broadband Planning Initiative, in its fourth year, is designed to increase adoption and utilization of broadband in communities and regions. Goals of this initiative include:

Increase adoption and utilization of Broadband in communities and regions with an emphasis on unserved and underserved regions.

Work as a region in developing regional Broadband plans that increase adoption and utilization of broadband.

Increase understanding of importance of Broadband as a foundation of economic growth.

The Initiative is focused around the following project areas:

Mapping

Planning (capacity building, technical assistance and regional planning).

Bile-Acid-Mediated Decrease In Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress: A Potential Contributor To The Metabolic Benefits Of Ileal Interposition Surgery In Ucd-T2dm Rats, Bethany P. Cummings, Ahmed Bettaieb, James L. Graham, Jaehyoung Kim, Fangrui Ma, Noreene Shibata, Kimber L. Stanhope, Cecilia Giulivi, Frederik Hansen, Jacob Jelsing, Niels Vrang, Mark Kowala, Michael L. Chouinard, Fawaz G. Haj, Peter J. Havel

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Post-operative increases in circulating bile acids have been suggested to contribute to the metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery; however, their mechanistic contributions remain undefined. We have previously reported that ileal interposition (IT) surgery delays the onset of type 2 diabetes in UCD-T2DM rats and increases circulating bile acids, independently of effects on energy intake or body weight. Therefore, we investigated potential mechanisms by which post-operative increases in circulating bile acids improve glucose homeostasis after IT surgery. IT, sham or no surgery was performed on 2-month-old weight-matched male UCD-T2DM rats. Animals underwent an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) and serial oral …

Ecology Of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases In Bats: Current Knowledge And Future Directions, D. T. S. Hayman, R. A. Bowen, P. M. Cryan, G. M. Mccracken, T. J. O'Shea, A. J. Peel, A. T. Gilbert, C. T. Webb, J. L. N. Wood

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bats are hosts to a range of zoonotic and potentially zoonotic pathogens. Human activities that increase exposure to bats will likely increase the opportunity for infections to spill over in the future. Ecological drivers of pathogen spillover and emergence in novel hosts, including humans, involve a complex mixture of processes, and understanding these complexities may aid in predicting spillover. In particular, only once the pathogen and host ecologies are known can the impacts of anthropogenic changes be fully appreciated. Cross-disciplinary approaches are required to understand how host and pathogen ecology interact. Bats differ from other sylvatic disease reservoirs because of …

Dirofilariosis In The Americas: A More Virulent Dirofilaria Immitis?, Filipe Dantas-Torres, Domenico Otranto

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Dirofilarioses are widespread diseases caused by filarioid nematodes (superfamily Filarioidea) of the genus Dirofilaria, which are transmitted by a plethora of mosquito species. The principal agent of canine dirofilariosis in the Americas is Dirofilaria immitis, which may also occasionally infest humans, resulting in pulmonary nodules that may be confounded with malignant lung tumours. Because human cases of dirofilariosis by D. immitis are relatively frequent in the Americas and rare in Europe and other eastern countries, where Dirofilaria repens is the main causative agent, the existence of a more virulent strain of D. immitis in the Americas …

First Descriptions Of Dicyemid Mesozoans (Dicyemida: Dicyemidae) From Australian Octopus (Octopodidae) And Cuttlefish (Sepiidae), Including A New Record Of Dicyemennea In Australian Waters, Sarah R. Catalano

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Three new species of dicyemid mesozoans are described for the first time from Australian octopus and cuttlefish species. Dicyemennea floscephalum sp. n. is described from Octopus berrima Stranks et Norman (southern keeled octopus) collected from Spencer Gulf and Gulf St. Vincent, South Australia, Australia and represents the first description of a species of Dicyemennea Whitman, 1883 from Australian waters. Dicyema papuceum sp. n. and D. furuyi sp. n. are described from Sepia papuensis Hoyle (Papuan cuttlefish) collected from Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia. Dicyemennea floscephalum sp. n. is a medium to large species that reaches approximately 4.9 mm in …

Paleoparasitology: The Origin Of Human Parasites; Paleoparasitologia: A Origem Dos Parasitas Humanos, Adauto Araújo, Karl Reinhard, Luis Fernando Ferreira, Elisa Pucu, Pedro Paulo Chieffi

Karl Reinhard Publications

Parasitism is composed by three subsystems: the parasite, the host, and the environment. There are no organisms that cannot be parasitized. The relationship between a parasite and its host species most of the time do not result in damage or disease to the host. However, in a parasitic disease the presence of a given parasite is always necessary, at least in a given moment of the infection. Some parasite species that infect humans were inherited from pre-hominids, and were shared with other phylogenetically close host species, but other parasite species were acquired from the environment as humans evolved. Human migration …

Worms, Nematoda, Scott Lyell Gardner

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Nematodes are the most speciose phylum of metazoa on earth. Not only do they occur in huge numbers as parasites of all known animal groups, but also they are found in the soils, as parasites of plants, and in large numbers in the most extreme environments, from the Antarctic dry valleys to the benthos of the ocean. They are extremely variable in their morphological characteristics, with each group showing morphological adapta­tions to the environment that they inhabit. Soil-dwelling forms are extremely small; many marine species have long and complex setae; and parasitic species man­ifest amazingly great reproductive potential and large …

Affordable Care Act And Your Ag Business, Marilyn Schlake, Carroll S. Welte, Charlotte Narjes, Jim Crandall

Cornhusker Economics

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is steadily moving forward. Whether you agree or disagree with the ACA, the fact is that it is currently the national law. Already we are seeing changes affecting how hospitals, doctors and insurance carriers operate. Regulations impacting individuals and businesses in the areas of benefits covered, maximum out-of-pocket costs, taxes and penalties began on October 1st. Spend time now to evaluate how these changes will affect you, your family and your business operations.

Nebline, January 2013

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H School Enrichment Programs Bring Hands-On Learning to Local Classrooms

Farm Views

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Food & Fitness

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Environmental Focus

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Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

2012 Annual Report Special Pullout Section