Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators In Reducing Neuroinflammation In Neurodegenerative Disorders, Jana Ponce, Arzu Ulu, Corrine Hanson, Erin Cameron-Smith, Jenna Wuebker, John Bertoni, Alfred Fisher, Ka-Chun Siu, Vivien Marmelat, Jiri Adamec, Danish Bhatti

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are neurodegenerative disorders that affect millions of individuals worldwide. As incidence of these conditions increases with age, there will undoubtedly be an increased prevalence of cases in the near future. Neuroinflammation is a hallmark in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases and prevention or resolution of chronic neuroinflammation may represent a novel approach to treatment. The present review highlights the potential of the anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)- derived mediators (Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators—SPM) in neurodegenerative disorders. PUFA-derived SPM are biosynthesized in response to chemicals produced from acute inflammatory …

Improving Taxonomic Delimitation Of Fungal Species In The Age Of Genomics And Phenomics, Asjley Stengel, Kimberly M. Stanke, Amanda C. Quattrone, Joshua Herr

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Species concepts have long provided a source of debate among biologists. These lively debates have been important for reaching consensus on how to communicate across scientific disciplines and for advancing innovative strategies to study evolution, population biology, ecology, natural history, and disease epidemiology. Species concepts are also important for evaluating variability and diversity among communities, understanding biogeographical distributions, and identifying causal agents of disease across animal and plant hosts. While there have been many attempts to address the concept of species in the fungi, there are several concepts that have made taxonomic delimitation especially challenging. In this review we discuss …

Use Of A Direct, Rapid Immunohistochemical Test For Diagnosis Of Rabies Virus In Bats, Charles E. Rupprecht, Lolita Van Pelt, April D. Davis, Richard B. Chipman, David L. Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies, a zoonotic encephalitis due to transmission of a lyssavirus, such as rabies virus (RABV), has the highest case fatality of any infectious disease. A global program for the elimination of human rabies caused by dogs is proposed for realization by 2030. Sensitive, specific, and inexpensive diagnostic tests are necessary for enhanced surveillance to detect infection, inform public health and veterinary professionals during risk assessments of exposure, and support overall programmatic goals. Multiple laboratory techniques are used to confirm a suspect case of rabies. One method for the detection of lyssavirus antigens within the brain is the direct rapid immunohistochemical …

Biogeosciences Perspectives On Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (Icon) Science, D. Dwivedi, A. L. D. Santos, M. A. Barnard, T. M. Crimmins, A. Malhotra, K. A. Rod, K. S. Aho, S. M. Bell, B. Bomfim, F. Q. Brearley, H. Cadillo-Quiroz, J. Chen, C. M. Gough, E. B. Graham, C. R. Hakkenberg, L. Haygood, G. Koren, E. A. Lilleskov, L. K. Meredith, S. Naeher, Z. L. Nickerson, O. Pourret, H.-S. Song, M. Stahl, N. Taş, R. Vargas, S. Weintraub-Leff

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

This article is composed of three independent commentaries about the state of Integrated, Coordinated, Open, Networked (ICON) principles in the American Geophysical Union Biogeosciences section, and discussion on the opportunities and challenges of adopting them. Each commentary focuses on a different topic: (a) Global collaboration, technology transfer, and application (Section 2), (b) Community engagement, community science, education, and stakeholder involvement (Section 3), and (c) Field, experimental, remote sensing, and real-time data research and application (Section 4). We discuss needs and strategies for implementing ICON and outline short- and long-term goals. The inclusion of global data and international …

Negotiating Incomplete Autonomy: Portraits From Three School Principals, Taeyeon Kim, Jennie Weiner

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study builds on research scrutinizing school autonomy in policy and school governance by shifting the focus from a formal structural view of autonomy to examining how principals negotiate autonomy in their daily work. Drawing on multiple dimensions of autonomy and street-level bureaucracy, this study examined how principals, as both professionals and bureaucrats, work to expand and strategize their autonomy in practice.

Research Methods/Approach: We used portraiture to document and interpret the experience and perspectives of three principals at urban, suburban, and rural PK-12 traditional public schools in the Midwest of US during the 2018–2019 school year.

Findings: Principals …

The Astounding World Of Glycans From Giant Viruses, Anna Notaro, Chantal Abergel, Rosa Lanzetta, Todd L. Lowary, Antonio Molinaro, Michela Tonetti, James L. Van Etten, Cristina De Castro

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Viruses are a heterogeneous ensemble of entities, all sharing the need for a suitable host to replicate. They are extremely diverse, varying in morphology, size, nature, and complexity of their genomic content. Typically, viruses use host-encoded glycosyltransferases and glycosidases to add and remove sugar residues from their glycoproteins. Thus, the structure of the glycans on the viral proteins have, to date, typically been considered to mimick those of the host. However, the more recently discovered large and giant viruses differ from this paradigm. At least some of these viruses code for an (almost) autonomous glycosylation pathway. These viral genes include …

What Kigali’S Open‑Air Markets Reveal About Achieving Food And Nutrition Security: The Role Of African Indigenous Crops, Eugene Baraka, Mary S. Willis, Brice A. Ishimwe

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Household dietary diversity in Rwanda remains low and significantly contributes to the double burden of malnutrition. Rwanda has one of the highest under five stunting rates globally, and malnutrition remains one of the most pressing public health issues; therefore, factors that shape food and nutrition security are of utmost concern. Globally, the variety of foods available in open-air markets has been shown to affect dietary diversity. Furthermore, the consumption of indigenous foods can contribute to a diverse diet and improve nutrition status. At present, there are limited data on foods available for purchase in open-air markets in Africa. …

Ten Nights' Dreams And Our Cat's Grave, Natsume Soseki

Zea E-Books Collection

Ten Nights’ Dreams (夢十夜, Yume Jūya) is a classic written work from the Japanese master Natsume Soseki. Originally published in 1908, it announced the emergence in Japanese literature of a modernist and impressionistic mode. Short ­vignettes with fantastic, tragic, or magical events convey an exquisite sensibility compounded with stark realism. Love, honor, duty, artistry, desire, despair, and regret all shape events in the dream-world. The stories themselves suggest echoes of meanings beyond the failures of rational sense-making. Ten dreams—each unique and arresting—form a panorama of life and feeling, at once universal and intensely present.

“Our Cat’s Grave” is a brief …

Inflation: Just How Bad Is It?, Timothy Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

Amidst the chaotic news cycle of politics, the pandemic, and global affairs, a new topic is making headlines – inflation. To some, rising inflation causes greater fear than the other headlines combined; to others, it is nothing more than a minor nuisance. This article will explain why people’s divisive attitudes toward inflation are likely justified.

Regional Minimums In The U.S. Beef Complex, Elliott James Dennis, Bradley Lubben

Center for Agricultural Profitability

This report shows how the currently proposed policies differ; shows how these policies have aligned with historical market behavior; provides alternative specifications to regional minimums; and suggests policy alternatives to regional minimums.

The main purpose of this report is to show how current and potential alternative specifications of regional minimums would have historically aligned with observed market behavior. However, the fundamental question in the debate of the validity and effectiveness of regional minimums first rests on whether robust price discovery has historically occurred over time and within each USDA-AMS region. If there has been a lack of price discovery during …

Nest Records Of Nebraska Birds, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Zea E-Books Collection

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Occasional Paper Number 9

This publication is an attempt to provide a synopsis of the breeding information accumulated in the past two centuries. As with any compilation like this, other workers would likely come to different conclusions in choosing which records to accept and which to reject. I have tried to state the reasons for my decisions as clearly as possible. Most difficult to categorize are species which are not well documented. Hopefully by laying out the evidence I could find, others will be prompted to do more research, uncover definitive proof, and put more of our …

Optimizing Management Of Invasions In An Uncertain World Using Dynamic Spatial Models, Kim M. Pepin, Amy J. Davis, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Andrew M. Gormley, Joslin L. Moore, Timothy J. Smyser, H. Bradley Shaffer, William L. Kendall, Katriona Shea, Michael C. Runge, Sophie Mckee

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Dispersal drives invasion dynamics of nonnative species and pathogens. Applying knowledge of dispersal to optimize the management of invasions can mean the difference between a failed and a successful control program and dramatically improve the return on investment of control efforts. A common approach to identifying optimal management solutions for invasions is to optimize dynamic spatial models that incorporate dispersal. Optimizing these spatial models can be very challenging because the interaction of time, space, and uncertainty rapidly amplifies the number of dimensions being considered. Addressing such problems requires advances in and the integration of techniques from multiple fields, including ecology, …

An Appeal In Favor Of That Class Of Americans Called Africans, Lydia Maria Child, Paul Royster (Editor)

Zea E-Books in American Studies

The roots of white supremacy lie in the institution of negro slavery. From the 15th through the 19th century, white Europeans trafficked in abducted and enslaved Africans and justified the practice with excuses that seemed somehow to reconcile the injustice with their professed Christianity. The United States was neither the first nor the last nation to abolish slavery, but its proclaimed principles of freedom and equality were made ironic by the nation’s reluctance to extend recognition to all Americans.

“Americans” is what Mrs. Child calls those fellow countrymen of African ancestry in 1833; citizenship and equality were what she advocated …

A Precise Dispenser Design For Canine Cognition Research, Walker Arce, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Some forms of canine cognition research require a dispenser that can accurately dispense precise quantities of treats. When using off-the-shelf or retrofitted dispensers, there is no guarantee that a precise number of treats will be dispensed. Often, they will over-dispense treats, which may not be acceptable for some tasks. Here we describe a 3D-printed precise treat dispenser with a 59-treat capacity driven by a stepper motor drive and controlled by an integrated Raspberry Pi. The dispenser can be built for less than 200 USD and is fully 3D printable. While off-the-shelf dispensers can result in an error rate of 20–30%, …

An Efficient Method Of Evaluating Multiple Concurrent Management Actions On Invasive Populations, Amy J. Davis, Randy Farrar, Brad Jump, Parker Hall, Travis Guerrant, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Evaluating the efficacy of management actions to control invasive species is crucial for maintaining funding and to provide feedback for the continual improvement of management efforts. However, it is often difficult to assess the efficacy of control methods due to limited resources for monitoring. Managers may view effort on monitoring as effort taken away from performing management actions. We developed a method to estimate invasive species abundance, evaluate management effectiveness, and evaluate population growth over time from a combination of removal activities (e.g., trapping, ground shooting) using only data collected during removal efforts (method of removal, date, location, number of …

2022 Gray Wolf Questions And Answers, United States Fish And Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

2022 Gray Wolf Questions and Answers

What does the February 10, 2022, ruling mean?

How does this ruling affect wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains?

When does the court decision to vacate the delisting rule go into effect?

What is the legal status of gray wolves as of this ruling?

Is the Service continuing its status review of wolves in the western United States?

Is emergency listing an option for the Northern Rocky Mountain population?

Are wolf hunts going to stop as a result of the court decision?

How does this ruling affect wolves in Yellowstone National Park?

Where can …

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Edition 2, February 2022, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

The purpose of this L.I.N.K.S. newsletter is to provide a monthly update of opportunities and resources for K-12 schools to connect with the University of Nebraska's CASNR Food, Energy, Water, and Societal Systems (FEWS²) programs and partners.

Included in this edition:

Classroom resources for all levels

Eye on new curriculum

Teacher opportunities

List of new partnerships

Ask an expert

Eye on CASR research: Travis Mulliniks

Student experiences

Send your students to campus

Success stories

Global And Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios For The United States: Updated Mean Projections And Extreme Weather Level Probabilities Along U.S. Coastlines, William V. Sweet, Benjamin D. Hamlington, Robert E. Kopp, Christopher P. Weaver, Patrick L. Barnard, David Bekaert, William Brooks, Michael Craghan, Gregory Dusek, Thomas Frederikse, Gregory Garner, Ayesha S. Genz, John P. Krasting, Eric Larour, Doug Marcy, John J. Marra, Jayantha Obeysekera, Mark Osler, Matthew Pendleton, Daniel Roman, Lauren Schmied, Will Veatch, Kathleen D. White, Casey Zuzak

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

This report and accompanying datasets from the U.S. Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard Scenarios and Tools Interagency Task Force provide 1) sea level rise scenarios to 2150 by decade that include estimates of vertical land motion and 2) a set of extreme water level probabilities for various heights along the U.S. coastline. These data are available at 1-degree grids along the U.S. coastline and downscaled specifically at NOAA tide-gauge locations. Estimates of flood exposure are assessed using contemporary U.S. coastal flood-severity thresholds for current conditions (e.g., sea levels and infrastructure footprint) and for the next 30 years (out …

Economics Of Cormorant Predation On Catfish Farms, Carole Engle, Ganesh Kumar, Terrel Christie, Brian S. Dorr, Brian Davis, Luke Roy, Anita Kelly

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Double-crested Cormorant is the primary avian predator on catfish farms causing significant economic losses primarily due to 1) on-farm expenditures related to bird-management activities and 2) value of the catfish lost to cormorants. This comprehensive economic study quantified these two economic effects by surveying catfish farms in the delta regions of Mississippi and Arkansas. On-farm expenditures for bird scaring were used to quantify bird-management costs. Economic losses from fish consumed by cormorants were quantified by evaluating data from field studies of the abundance, distribution, and diet of cormorants in the Mississippi delta. This study found that catfish farmers …

Two Heads Are Better Than One: Current Landscape Of Integrating Qsp And Machine Learning, Tongli Zhang, Ioannis P. Androulakis, Peter Bonate, Limei Cheng, Tomáš Helikar, Jaimit Parikh, Christopher Rackauckas, Kalyanasundaram Subramanian, Carolyn R. Cho

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) modeling is applied to address essential questions in drug development, such as the mechanism of action of a therapeutic agent and the progression of disease. Meanwhile, machine learning (ML) approaches also contribute to answering these questions via the analysis of multi-layer ‘omics’ data such as gene expression, proteomics, metabolomics, and high-throughput imaging. Furthermore, ML approaches can also be applied to aspects of QSP modeling. Both approaches are powerful tools and there is considerable interest in integrating QSP modeling and ML. So far, a few successful implementations have been carried out from which we have learned about …

Evaluation Of Hermetic Storage Bags For The Preservation Of Yellow Maize In Poultry Farms In Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana, Bismark Opoku, Enoch Adjei Osekre, George Opit, Augustine Bosomtwe, Georgina Bingham

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Using low-quality maize, resulting from insect pests and fungal attack, for formulating feed reduces chicken performance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of hermetic storage bags to keep insect pest and mycotoxin levels in check in yellow maize. The study was conducted in storehouses at three poultry farms in Dormaa Ahenkro, Bono Region, Ghana. The experiment was set up in a Randomized Complete Block Design with ZeroFly®Hermetic (ZFH), Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS), and Polypropylene (PP) bags as treatments. In each treatment, twelve 50 kg samples of untreated maize were each put in 100 kg capacity bags. Two bags in each …

Water Insecurity, Water Borrowing, And Psychosocial Stress Among Daasanach Pastoralists In Northern Kenya, Leslie Ford, Hilary J. Bethancourt, Zane Swanson, Rosemary Nzunza, Amber Wutich, Alexandra Brewis, Sera Young, David Almeida, Matthew J. Douglass, Emmanuel K. Ndiema, David R. Braun, Herman Pontzer, Asher Y. Rosinger

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This article quantifies Daasanach water insecurity experiences in Northern Kenya, examines how water insecurity is associated with water borrowing and psychosocial stress, and evaluates if water borrowing mitigates the stress from water insecurity. Of 133 households interviewed in 7 communities, 95% were water insecure and 74.4% borrowed water three or more times in the prior month. Regression analyses demonstrate water borrowing frequency moderates the relationship between water insecurity and psychosocial stress. Only those who rarely or never borrowed water reported greater stress with higher water insecurity. The coping mechanism of water borrowing may help blunt water insecurity-related stress.

Culicoides Latreille And Leptoconops Skuse Biting Midges Of The Southwestern United States With Emphasis On The Canyonlands Of Southeastern Utah (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Robert A. Phillips

Insecta Mundi

Leptoconops Skuse and Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges are serious pests of mammals, birds, and reptiles and important vectors of viruses, protozoans, and filarial nematodes. Their collection became an important adjunct to mosquito surveillance using light-baited and CO2-baited suction traps in Grand County, Utah, United States, during 1999–2016. During 2017–2020, collecting was expanded to California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and other parts of Utah using an ultraviolet light suction trap. As a result, five species of Leptoconops and 59 species of Culicoides, representing Leptoconops subgenera Holoconops Kieffer and Leptoconops Skuse, Culicoides subgenera Amoss­ovia Glukhova, Beltranmyia …

Implementation Of Epigenetic Variation In Sorghum Selection And Implications For Crop Resilience Breeding, Dikungwa Ketumile, Xiaodong Yang, Robersy Sanchez, Hardik Kundariya, John F. Rajewski, Ismail M. Dweikat, Sally A. Mackenzie

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Crop resilience and yield stability are complex traits essential for food security. Sorghum bicolor is an important grain crop that shows promise for its natural resilience to drought and potential for marginal land production. We have developed sorghum lines in the Tx430 genetic background suppressed for MSH1 expression as a means of inducing de novo epigenetic variation, and have used these materials to evaluate changes in plant growth vigor. Plant crossing and selection in two distinct environments revealed features of phenotypic plasticity derived from MSH1 manipulation. Introduction of an epigenetic variation to an isogenic sorghum population, in the absence of …

Effects Of Antimicrobial Addition On Lipid Oxidation Of Rendered Chicken Fat, Janak Dhakal, Dalton Holt, Charles G. Aldrich, Carl Knueven

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the effects of antimicrobial acidulant addition on lipid oxidation of rendered chicken fat. Chicken fat was untreated (control) or treated with either sodium bisulfate (SBS) or lactic acid (LA) at 0.5% w/w and incubated for 6 wk at 40 °C. Peroxide value (PV), p-anisidine value (AV), and free fatty acid (FFA) levels were measured at days 0 (D0), 1(D1), 3 (D3), 5 (D5), and 7 (D7), and weeks 2 (W2), 3 (W3), 4 (W4), 5 (W5), and 6 (W6). The FFA level of untreated-control fat was ~7% and remained consistent throughout the incubation until W6 (~8.5%; P …

Effects Of Long-Term Fluoride Exposure Are Associated With Oxidative Biochemistry Impairment And Global Proteomic Modulation, But Not Genotoxicity, In Parotid Glands Of Mice, Giza Hellen Nonato Mirandai, Leidiane Alencar De Oliveira Lima, Leonardo Oliveira Bittencourt, Sa´Vio Monteiro Dos Santos, Michel Platini Caldas De Souza, Lygia Sega Nogueira, Edivaldo Herculano Corrêa De Oliveira, Marta Chagas Monteir, Aline Dionizio, Aline Lima Leite, Juliano Pelim Pessan, Juliano Pelim Pessan, Marı´Lia Afonso Rabelo Buzalaf, Rafael Rodrigues Limai

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Fluoride has become widely used in dentistry because of its effectiveness in caries control. However, evidence indicates that excessive intake interferes with the metabolic processes of different tissues. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term exposure to F on the parotid salivary gland of mice, from the analysis of oxidative, proteomic and genotoxic parameters.

The animals received deionized water containing 0, 10 or 50 mg/L of F, as sodium fluoride, for 60 days. After, parotid glands were collected for analysis of oxidative biochemistry, global proteomic profile, genotoxicity assessment and histopathological analyses.

The results revealed that exposure to …

The Social Networks Of Manureshed Management, Gwendwr Rhiannon Meredith, Sheri Spiegal, Peter J. A. Kleinman, Daren Harmel

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Manureshed management—the strategic use of manure nutrients that prioritizes recycling between livestock systems and cropping systems—provides a comprehensive framework for sustainable nutrient management that necessitates the collaboration of many actors. Understanding the social dimensions of collaboration is critical to implement the strategic and technological requirements of functional manuresheds. To improve this understanding, we identified aspirational networks of actors involved in manureshed management across local, regional, and national scales, principally in the United States, elucidating key relationships and highlighting the breadth of interactions essential to successful manureshed management. We concluded that, although the social networks vary with scale, the involvement of …

Preliminary Evidence That Lectins In Infant Soy Formula Apparently Bind Bovine Milk Exosomes And Prevent Their Absorption In Healthy Adults, Ezra Mutai, Alice Kah Hui Ngu, Janos Zempleni

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Milk exosomes and their microRNA (miR) cargos are bioavailable. The content of exosomes and miRs is negligible in infant formulas compared to human milk, and dietary depletion of exosomes led to changes in bacterial communities and impaired gut health in juvenile mice. Adverse effects of formula feeding may be compounded by using soy formulas due to exosome binding by abundant lectins in that matrix. The purpose of this study was to assess the bioavailability of milk exosomes and their miR cargos added to soy formula in adults, as well as the potential role of soy lectins in exosome …

Maps Of Ticks (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae) For Austria And South Tyrol, Italy, Franz Rubel, Katharina Brugger

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

A first compilation of georeferenced tick locations in Austria and South Tyrol, Italy, is presented here. This allows the tick fauna to be examined in the various climatic regions of the European Alps. The dataset comprises 424 tick locations of Austria and 48 tick locations of South Tyrol, which were digitized from literature and visualized in the form of geographical maps. The tick fauna of Austria includes two species of Argasidae in the genera Argas and Carios and 15 species of Ixodidae in the genera Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes, altogether 17 tick species. In addition, two species …

Genetic Parameters, Heterosis, And Breed Effects For Body Condition Score And Mature Cow Weight In Beef Cattle, André Mauric F. Ribeiro, Leticia P. Sanglard, Warren M. Snelling, R. Mark Thallman, Larry A. Kuehn, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Understanding the genetic relationship between mature cow weight (MWT) and body condition score (BCS) is useful to implement selection programs focused on cow efficiency. The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters, heterosis, and breed effects for MWT and BCS. In total, 25,035 and 24,522 overlapping records were available for MWT and BCS on 6,138 and 6,131 cows, respectively, from the Germplasm Evaluation program, a crossbred beef population at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. Pedigree was available for 48,013 individuals. Univariate animal models were used to estimate heritabilities for each trait by parity. …