Digital Commons Network^™

Seasonal Changes In The Dry Matter Digestibility Of Individual Tillers Of Napiergrass At Two Sites Of At Different Altitudes, Y Ishii, K Ito, H Numaguchi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An investigation was made into the seasonal changes in the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of leaf blade (LB) and stem (ST) of individual tillers of napiergrass (Pennisetum purpuretum) grown at the high-altitude site (HA) and low-altitude site (LA) in Miyazaki prefecture, south-western Japan. Within a single sampling date, the variation in the IVDMD with tillers was small both for LB and ST. Negative logarithmic relationships held between the LB percentage and tiller dry weight and between the IVDMD and dry weight of LB and ST. The HA plants produced less dry matter as well as digestible …

Tropical Pastures For Dairy Heifers In The South-Eastern Region Of Brazil, S Aronovich, S R. De Carvalho, Mm Aronovich

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A number of experiments using improved tropical pastures (mostly Digltaria decumbems cv. Transvala) for heifers were made in the south-eastern region of Brazil from 1970. The results are presented as: (A) experiments with heifers during· the nursing period, (B) experiments with heifers after. weaning and (C) experiments with heifers older than 6 months. The results and the economical analyses lead to the following conclusions: ( 1) the use of well managed, improved tropical pastures enables adequate growth and development of dairy heifers, (2) the heifers reach sexual maturity before 20 months of age, and (3) the cost of replacement heifers …

Mineral Supplementation And Phosphorus Fertilizer Application On Native Pastures In North-East Argentina, R M. Pizzio, O Royo Pallares

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Extensive cattle production systems in north-east Argentina are based on the use of native pastures. One of the most important limiting factors to improve production is the acute phosphorus deficiency of soils and pastures. A large experiment was set up to study the effect of phosphorus fertiliser and mineral supplementation on the live­weight gain of steers of 2 ages grazing native pastures. Supplementation with a mixture of bone meal and salt, residual effect of P fertilisation, and both treatments applied together increased the annual animal live-weight gain by 60, 66 and 106%, respectively. The response of younger steers to fertiliser …

Under The Bay: Analysis Of Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Dive Behavior In The Urban San Diego Bay, Emily Carter

Theses

Sea turtles are air-breathing marine reptiles that spend their lives performing dives to travel, forage, and rest. Several dive types have been previously recorded for sea turtles, each type being associated with a different set of behaviors. U-dives, or Type 1 dives are widely characterized by extensive benthic periods preceded by and concluding with abrupt descent and ascent phases respectively (Minamikawa et al. 1997; Houghton et al. 2002; Seminoff et al. 2006). These dives are widely affiliated with turtle resting behavior though can be indicative of additional activities including benthic travel and foraging. Previous research of green turtle dive behavior …

Determining The Physiological And Behavioral Tolerance To Hypoxia In Two Species Of Rockfish (Sebastes Spp.), Makenna Chan

Theses

In the eastern North Pacific, the oxygen minimum zone naturally shoals seasonally and impacts demersal fish habitat along the continental margins and on offshore seamounts. This hypoxic layer has been shoaling in recent decades, likely affecting the habitat and distribution of commercially-important fish species such as rockfishes (genus Sebastes). Respirometry and shuttle box behavioral experiments were used to determine the hypoxia sensitivities of two rockfish species with contrasting movement patterns and habitat use: cowcod (Sebastes levis) and bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis). Although both species inhabit similar deep-water, rocky-reef habitat, they have different lifestyles, in which cowcod …

Climate Change Aggravates Bird Mortality In Pristine Tropical Forests, Jared Wolfe, David A. Luther, Vitek Jirinec, Jeremy Collings, Erik I. Johnson, Robert O. Bierregaard, Philip C. Stouffer

Michigan Tech Publications

Stable understory microclimates within undisturbed rainforests are often considered refugia against climate change. However, this assumption contrasts with emerging evidence of Neotropical bird population declines in intact rainforests. We assessed the vulnerability of resident rainforest birds to climatic variability, focusing on dry season severity characterized by hotter temperatures and reduced rainfall. Analyzing 4264 individual bird captures over 27 years, we found that harsher Amazonian dry seasons significantly reduced apparent survival for 24 of 29 species, with longer-lived species being more strongly affected. Our model predicted that a 1°C increase in average dry season temperature would reduce the mean apparent survival …

Crosstalk Between Nnos/No And Cox-2 Enhances Interferon-Gamma-Stimulated Melanoma Progression, Anika Patel, Shirley Tong, Moom R. Roosan, Basir Syed, Amardeep Awasthi, Richard B. Silverman, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background/Objectives: Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in the melanoma tumor microenvironment plays opposing roles, orchestrating both pro-tumorigenic activity and anticancer immune responses. Our previous studies demonstrated the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in IFN-γ-stimulated melanoma progression. However, the underlying mechanism has not been well defined. This study determined whether the nNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathways crosstalk and augment the pro-tumorigenic effects of IFN-γ in melanoma. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis of patient and cellular proteomic data was conducted to identify proteins of interest associated with IFN-γ treatment in melanoma. Changes in protein expression were determined using various analytical techniques including …

Evaluating The Performance Of Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea Var. Italica) In The Sandponics System Using Brackish Water With Biochar And Compost, Gabriel Oyebode

Theses and Dissertations

Some of the most pronounced effects of climate change on agricultural output include the depletion of freshwater resources and heightened salinization of arable land, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, adversely affecting crop yields. Many economic vegetable crops including members of the brassica family are sensitive to salt-stress. The use of organic soil amendments such as biochar and compost as complimentary nutrient sources in the sandponics system can improve the performance of crops. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of organic amendment on the growth performance and yield of broccoli and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under brackish …

Prevalence Of Exercise Dependence Among High-Intensity Functional Training Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Beatriz E O M R P Da Silva, Marcio Boniatti

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(4): 206-214, 2025. The objective was to explore the prevalence of exercise dependence (ED) risk among regular HIFT exercisers. Secondary objectives include exploring the prevalence of injuries within this population and examining the potential association between ED risk and injury prevalence. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a city in southern Brazil and included HIFT practitioners. ED was evaluated using the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised (EDS-R). The primary outcome was the prevalence of ED risk. The final analysis included 64 HIFT practitioners, of whom the majority were female (n = 35; 54.7%). The mean EDS-R …

Faunal Remains From The Magen Avraham Compound, Yafo (Jaffa) (Pp. 379–383), Nimrod Marom

'Atiqot

A small faunal assemblage dating to the Byzantine–Early Islamic and Ottoman periods was uncovered in the Magen Avraham Compound. The animal bones were deposited in an area that used to be part of the agricultural periphery of the town and consist mainly of caprine, cattle and equids. The presence of a relatively high number of equid remains suggests that the assemblage represents the disposal of whole animal carcasses outside the city.

Molluscs From The Magen Avraham Compound, Yafo (Jaffa) (Pp. 385–388), Inbar Ktalav

'Atiqot

A total of 209 malacological remains were retrieved from the Magen Avraham Compound. The assemblage includes mostly local Mediterranean shells, as well as Indo-Pacific bivalves. Some imported specimens were brought from Europe as raw material for local crafts manufacture; one worked gastropod shell may have been used as an ornament.

Faunal Remains From Nazareth (Pp. 93–102), Nimrod Marom

'Atiqot

The salvage excavations at Nazareth uncovered a faunal assemblage dating from Iron Age II (Stratum III), the late Hellenistic–Early Roman (Stratum II) and Crusader–Mamluk (Stratum I) periods. The assemblage is dominated by sheep and goats, with lower frequencies of cattle. The faunal remains demonstrate tentative evidence for a simple village economy throughout its stratigraphic sequence.

The Faunal Remains From Kefar Gabirol, El-Qubeibe (Pp. 209–223), Nimrod Marom

'Atiqot

The salvage excavation in Kefar Gvirol, el-Qubeibe, yielded a small faunal assemblage from late Ottoman-period domestic contexts. The faunal remains from the site were studied in terms of taxonomic composition, livestock demography and butchery practices, with reference to assemblage formation processes. The bones from the site provide a rare glimpse into livestock economy and consumption practices at a rural site of the period.

The Fauna From Ḥorbat ‘Ofrat (Pp. 93–104), Nimrod Marom

'Atiqot

The small faunal assemblage from Ḥorbat ‘Ofrat contains a diverse assortment of bones that were affected by subaerial weathering. A high frequency of cattle was noticed for the Roman strata, suggesting that the economy of the settlement focused on agricultural production. During the transition to the early Byzantine period, a shift was observed, whence sheep and goats became more dominant than cattle, possibly due to an economic shift from agricultural production to a consumption economy that relied on sheep and goats for meat. In the latest occupation at the site, three camel mandibles were found, exhibiting burning patterns that could …

Fauna Remains From The Marketplace At Khan Et-Tujjar (Hebrew, Pp. 57*–62*; English Summary, P. 276), Nimrod Marom

'Atiqot

The salvage excavation near Khan et-Tujjar yielded a small assemblage of animal bones originating in the marketplace that operated at the site from the late Mamluk to the late Ottoman periods. The assemblage is too small to draw conclusions regarding meat consumption at the Khan et-Tujjar marketplace; however, it seems that most of the meat came from cattle and sheep. Several vertebrae exhibit a split along their length, indicating carving by an expert butcher.

Faunal Remains From The Late Chalcolithic, Late Roman, Byzantine And Ottoman Periods At Yehud, Ashkenazi Market (Pp. 1–22), Nuha Agha

'Atiqot

The faunal remains from Yehud were retrieved from several contexts: Late Chalcolithic-period shafts, Roman-period kilns, Byzantine-period houses and pits, and Ottoman-period houses, refuse pits and cesspits. The faunal assemblages from all the periods comprised mainly sheep, goats and cattle. Scant remains of equids and a camel were found in the assemblages from the Roman period onward. Pig remains are absent from both the Roman- and Byzantine-period assemblages, possibly attesting that the inhabitants of the site at that time were Jewish.

Faunal Remains From Khirbat El-’Umdan, Bet Shemesh (Hebrew, Pp. 27*–32*; English Summary, P. 240), Nuha Agha

'Atiqot

Excavations at the Chalcolithic site at Khirbat el-’Umdan yielded an assemblage of bones, teeth and horns belonging mostly to mammals: sheep, cattle and pigs. These finding are consistent with the picture that emerged from the analysis of other faunal assemblages from Ghassulian sites in the northern Negev, the coastal plain and Galilee.

The Archaeozoology Of Bronze Age Offerings From Burial Cave 900 In Naḥal Refa’Im, Jerusalem (Pp. 75–100), Liora Kolska Horwitz

'Atiqot

The animal remains recovered during the salvage excavations in Cave 900 were interspersed among human skeletal remains, ceramics, weapons and ornaments. It is apparent that the faunal remains represent exclusively domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra hircus) that were slaughtered as part of Bronze Age mortuary rituals. This assemblage provides additional evidence for the widespread nature of the funeral feast in both the Intermediate Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age IIB.

The Role Of Biofilm Matrix On The Growth, Survival, And Diagnosis In Enterobacteriaceae, Kavi Bharathi R

Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria in nature live together encased in a matrix creating community ecosystems called biofilms, this structured space protects them from hostile environments. This study aimed to understand the role of the biofilm matrix in the growth and survival of Enterobacteriaceae. Our hypothesis proposes that subgroups of individuals within a biofilm can specialize in the production of different matrix components.

Matrix expression is metabolically costly, despite its unicellular simplicity, microbes can coordinate complex behaviour like sharing of matrix between producers and non-producers as an adept evolutionary strategy. Their resilience to stress during biofilm formation was studied to assess their abilities to …

A New Species Of Parrot Snake, Leptophis (Serpentes: Colubridae) From The Brazilian Cerrado, Nelson R. Albuquerque, Roullien H. Martins, Priscila Carvalho, Donald B. Shepard, Diego J. Santana

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We describe a new species of Leptophis (parrot snake) from the Cerrado ecoregion of Brazil. The new species, L. mystacinus sp. nov., differs from all other congeners in the following unique character combination: two Spectrum Green (129) to Light Parrot Green (133) dorsolateral stripes separated by a Buff (5) vertebral stripe, usually continuous onto the tail; loreal scale absent; postocular stripe Jet Black (300), wide and long (up 11 scales long onto nuchal region); maxillary teeth 21-25; ventrals 158-173; subcaudals 141-164; black spots on head absent; supracephalic plates of head not edged with black pigment; adult color pattern lacking dark …

Identification Of Diverse Bacteriophages Associated With Bees And Hoverflies, Rohan A. Bandoo, Simona Kraberger, Cahit Ozturk, Michael C. Lund, Qiyun Zhu, Chelsea N. Cook, Brian Smith, Arvind Varsani

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Bacteriophages are the most numerous, ubiquitous, and diverse biological entities on the planet. Prior studies have identified bacteriophages associated with pathogenic and commensal microbiota of honeybees. In this study we expand on what is known about bacteriophages from the lineages Caudoviricetes, Inoviridae, and Microviridae, which are associated with honeybees (Apidae, Apis mellifera), solitary bees of the genus Nomia (Halictidae, Nomia), and hoverflies (Syrphidae). The complete genomes of seven caudoviruses, seven inoviruses, and 288 microviruses were assembled from honeybees (n = 286) and hoverflies in Arizona (n = 2). We used bacterial host predictive …

Online Media Sentiment Analysis Of Shrimp And Salmon In The United States, Jingjing Tao, Kwamena K. Quagrainie

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

There is a growing interest in the U.S. seafood and aquaculture market; however, studies utilizing online information to understand this market are limited. This study employs online media analytics to obtain insights into consumer perceptions and potential demand signals for shrimp and salmon in the U.S. Our results show that platform X is the preferred medium for shrimp and salmon discussions, with shrimp's physical quality and salmon's environmental impact being the two major perception drivers. Additionally, autoregressive modeling is conducted to explore the dynamics of net sentiments. Farmed shrimp and salmon consistently exhibit lower net sentiments compared to their wild …

Pulsating Drought And Insect Herbivory Cause Differential Effects On Soybean (Glycine Max) Genotypes That Vary In Canopy Wilting Speed, Jessica Ayala, Manish Gautam, Adrianna Peissel, George Justin, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

As a result of climate change, global temperatures are increasing, and water scarcity is on the rise. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] is one of the most important crops in the world due to its importance as food and feed. One of the major limiting factors for soybean production is drought, which can cause up to 80% reduction in yield. Therefore, growers and plant breeders are turning to soybean accessions that demonstrate better water use efficiency (WUE). However, in addition to drought, insect herbivory by soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens, SBL) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, FAW) can also reduce soybean …

Molecular Modification Of Queen Bee Acid And 10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid With Specific Tripeptides: Rational Design, Organic Synthesis, And Assessment For Prohealing And Antimicrobial Hydrogel Properties, Song Hong, Sachin B. Baravkar, Yan Lu, Abdul Razak Masoud, Qi Zhao, Weilie Zhou

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Royal jelly and medical grade honey are traditionally used in treating wounds and infections, although their effectiveness is often variable and insufficient. To overcome their limitations, we created novel amphiphiles by modifying the main reparative and antimicrobial components, queen bee acid (hda) and 10-hydroxyl-decanoic acid (hdaa), through peptide bonding with specific tripeptides. Our molecular design incorporated amphiphile targets as being biocompatible in wound healing, biodegradable, non-toxic, hydrogelable, prohealing, and antimicrobial. The amphiphilic molecules were designed in a hda(hdaa)-aa1-aa2-aa3 structural model with rational selection criteria for each moiety, prepared via Rink/Fmoc-tBu-based solid-phase peptide synthesis, and structurally verified by NMR and LC–MS/MS. …

Distinguishing Classes Of Neuroactive Drugs Based On Computational Physicochemical Properties And Experimental Phenotypic Profiling In Planarians, Danielle Ireland, Christina Rabeler, Sagar Rao , '22, R. J. Richardson, Eva-Maria S. Collins

Biology Faculty Works

Mental illnesses put a tremendous burden on afflicted individuals and society. Identification of novel drugs to treat such conditions is intrinsically challenging due to the complexity of neuropsychiatric diseases and the need for a systems-level understanding that goes beyond single molecule-target interactions. Thus far, drug discovery approaches focused on target-based in silico or in vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) have had limited success because they cannot capture pathway interactions or predict how a compound will affect the whole organism. Organismal behavioral testing is needed to fill the gap, but mammalian studies are too time-consuming and cost-prohibitive for the early stages of …

Microbiome Metabolic Capacity Is Buffered Against Phylotype Losses By Functional Redundancy, Kayla Cross, Noelle Beckman, Benjamin Jahnes, Zakee L. Sabree

Biology Faculty Publications

Many animals contain a species-rich and diverse gut microbiota that likely contributes to several host-supportive services that include diet processing and nutrient provisioning. Loss of microbiome taxa and their associated metabolic functions as result of perturbations may result in loss of microbiome-level services and reduction of metabolic capacity. If metabolic functions are shared by multiple taxa (i.e., functional redundancy), including deeply divergent lineages, then the impact of taxon/function losses may be dampened. We examined to what degree alterations in phylotype diversity impact microbiome-level metabolic capacity. Feeding two nutritionally imbalanced diets to omnivorous Periplaneta americana over 8 weeks reduced the diversity …

Plasmids Encode And Can Mobilize Onion Pathogenicity In Pantoea Agglomerans, Gi Yoon Shin, Jo Ann Asselin, Amy Smith, Brenna Aegerter, Teresa Coutinho, Mei Zhao, Bhabesh Dutta, Jennie Mazzone, Ram Neupane, Beth Gugino, Christy Hoepting, Manzeal Khanal, Subas Malla, Claudia Nischwitz, Jaspreet Sidhu, Antoinette Machado Burke, Jane Davey, Mark Uchanski, Michael L. Derie, Lindsey J. Du Toit, Stephen Stresow-Cortez, Jean M. Bonasera, Paul Stodghill, Brian Kvitko

Biology Faculty Publications

Pantoea agglomerans is one of four Pantoea species reported in the USA to cause bacterial rot of onion bulbs. However, not all P. agglomerans strains are pathogenic to onion. We characterized onion-associated strains of P. agglomerans to elucidate the genetic and genomic signatures of onion-pathogenic P. agglomerans. We collected > 300 P. agglomerans strains associated with symptomatic onion plants and bulbs from public culture collections, research laboratories, and a multi-year survey in 11 states in the USA. Combining the 87 genome assemblies with 100 high-quality, public P. agglomerans genome assemblies we identified two well-supported P. agglomerans phylogroups. Strains causing severe …

Comparing 17Β-Estradiol And Progesterone Concentrations In Young, Physically Active Females: Insights From Plasma Versus Serum Analysis, Samantha N. Rowland, Mariasole Da Boit, Rachel Tan, Liam M. Heaney, Stephen J. Bailey

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Serum measurements of 17β-estradiol and progesterone are widely used to verify menstrual cycle status and confirm contraceptive use, often through commercially available immunoassay kits. However, no studies have investigated whether blood collection tube chemistries influence hormone concentrations in young females, despite assays permitting the use of different biofluids with similar reference ranges. In this study, venous blood was sampled from physically active females (n = 25) using Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and serum vacutainers, and 17β-estradiol and progesterone concentrations were measured using competitive immunoenzymatic assays. Median plasma concentrations of 17β-estradiol and progesterone were 44.2% (plasma 40.75 vs. serum 28.25 pg/ml) and …

An Effective Secure Multi-Objective Task Scheduling Algorithm In Multi-Cloud Environment, V K S K Sai Vadapalli, Ramesh Babu Gurujukota, Phaneendra Varma Chintalapati, Satyanarayana Murty, G. Sai Chaitanya Kumar, Satish Kumar Kode

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In cloud environments, task scheduling is essential for improving performance. Nevertheless, the existence of several heterogeneous clouds makes scheduling extremely difficult, requiring increasingly advanced algorithms to manage these environments' diversity and dynamic nature. To solve this, numerous authors have created a variety of task schedulers utilizing heuristic and metaheuristic techniques. Nevertheless, it remains dynamic and challenging because task scheduling is an NP-hard issue. Furthermore, in many complicated situations, it is still problematic to guarantee security throughout the task’s execution. Therefore, this paper introduces a multi-objective security-aware task scheduler using the Crayfish Mud Ring Optimization Algorithm for a multi-cloud environment. This …

Nebraska Crop Budgets Updated For 2025, Glennis Mcclure

Cornhusker Economics

For the 2025 production season, 83 crop budgets were developed for Nebraska. These budgets show slightly lower per-unit costs compared to 2023 and 2024. The primary factor behind the reduction in input costs is the lower estimated costs of fuel and fertilizer. In most cases, machinery depreciation and opportunity costs remained relatively stable, while land values and rental rates increased slightly. Additionally, seed and interest costs also rose in the 2025 budgets. Budget scenarios for individual producers may vary depending on the timing of their input purchases and fluctuations in prices.

The Nebraska crop budgets are updated annually to serve …