Digital Commons Network^™

Roost Use And Movements Of Northern Long-Eared Bats In A Southeast Nebraska Agricultural Landscape, Christopher Fill, Craig R. Allen, John F. Benson, Dirac Twidwell

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Bats are important bio-indicators of ecosystem health and provide a number of ecosystem services. White-nose Syndrome and habitat loss have led to the decline of many bat species in eastern North America, including the federally threatened northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis. White-nose Syndrome was only recently found in Nebraska, which lies on the western extent of this species geographic range. To better understand how this forest-dependent species persists in an agriculturally dominated landscape amid a growing number of pressures, we investigated the roosting habits of this bat at the Homestead National Monument of America, located in southeast Nebraska. We …

Phylogenomics Reveals Ancient And Contemporary Gene Flow Contributing To The Evolutionary History Of Sea Ducks (Tribe Mergini), Philip Lavretsky, Robert E. Wilson, Sandra L. Talbot, Sarah A. Sonsthagen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Insight into complex evolutionary histories continues to build through broad comparative phylogenomic and population genomic studies. In particular, there is a need to understand the extent and scale that gene flow contributes to standing genomic diversity and the role introgression has played in evolutionary processes such as hybrid speciation. Here, we investigate the evolutionary history of the Mergini tribe (sea ducks) by coupling multi-species comparisons with phylogenomic analyses of thousands of nuclear ddRAD-seq loci, including Z-sex chromosome and autosomal linked loci, and the mitogenome assayed across all extant sea duck species in North America. All sea duck species are strongly …

Jaguars And Pumas Exhibit Distinct Spatiotemporal Responses To Human Disturbances In Colombia’S Most Imperiled Ecoregion, Joe J. Figel, Sebastián Botero-Cañola, Juan David Sánchez-Londoño, Javier Racero-Casarrubia

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Abstract

Coexistence of sympatric felids is facilitated by mutual avoidance and the partitioning of habitats, prey, and time. Anthropogenic disturbances disrupt this coexistence in fragmented landscapes, potentially triggering cascading influences in ecological communities. We used photographic data from 8,717 trap nights (November 2014–June 2016) at 87 camera trap sites in Colombia’s middle Magdalena River basin to compare spatiotemporal overlap among jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), their prey, and humans, at sites of high and low disturbance, as determined by the human influence index. Human disturbance events (e.g. domestic dogs, livestock, and humans, including armed hunters) …

Biodiversity Of Small Mammals And Paleoenvironment Of Transbaikalia And North Mongolia In The Late Pliocene, N. V. Alexeeva, M. A. Erbajeva

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This paper reports the results of analysis on small mammal faunas dwelling during the Late Pliocene the Transbaikal and Northern Mongolia regions. They were found to share many common species, even though some differences linked with local and regional specifics of the environment are the case. High diversity of small mammal taxa, species richness and their prominent quantity specify the localities of Udunga, Beregovaya and Tologoi in Transbaikal region and in Shamar of Northern Mongolia. The compositions of all faunas point to the existence of the savanna-like landscapes and warm semiarid climate in that period.

Hypsugo Stubbei Sp. Nov., A Novel Cryptic Bat Species Of The Genus Hypsugo (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera, Mammalia) From Mongolia, Dietrich Dolch, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Annegret Stubbe, Dirk Steinhauser

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The occurrence of two members of the genus Hypsugo, namely H. alaschanicus and H. savii caucasicus, have been reported for Mongolia in the literature. Due to various taxonomic reassignments within and between genera, the number of records for the genus Hypsugo in Mongolia is quite scarce and sometimes not resolved at species or subspecies level. Despite recognition of the two above-mentioned species, recent reports based on genetic analyses describe only new and further records of H. alaschanicus. Thus, it exists a large uncertainty regarding the occurrence and distribution of H. savii caucasicus in Mongolia. Here, our efforts …

Zur Molekularen Klassifizierung Der Mongolischen Kormorane Phalacrocorax Carbo (Linnaeus, 1758), Lucie Marie Baltz, Michael Stubbe, Davaa Lchagvasuren, Lara-Sophie Dey

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) is a common breeding species at lake areas of Mongolia. Although molecular research has been conducted on many colonies worldwide, no studies of the genetic diversity of Mongolian colonies are known to date. In this study, we sequence for the first time a fragment of cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) from ten individuals of the 2017 resident population at Telmen-nuur. Here we perform molecular identification and analyze it in the context of existing data from populations studied worldwide. A clear assignment to the species P. carbo could be shown, but no identification on subspecies level …

Selten In Der Mongolei Nachgewiesene Fledermausarten, Dietrich Dolch, Dirk Steinhauser, Bernd Gärtner, Klaus Thiele, Ariunbold Jargalsaikhan, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Davaa Lchagvasuren, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In der Mongolei sind gegenwärtig 20 verschiedene Fledermausarten aus sieben Gattungen nachgewiesen worden. Hierbei handelt es sich um sieben Arten Myotis, vier Arten Plecotus, drei Arten Eptesicus, zwei Arten Vespertilio, zwei Arten Hypsugo und je eine Art der Gattungen Nyctalus und Murina. Von den bisher bekannten Species konnten 11 nur selten und zwei von ihnen nur einmal gefunden worden. Bis auf die Arten der Gattung Plecotus und Hypsugo, die in getrennten Publikationen in diesem Heft behandelt werden (DOLCH et al. 2021a, 2021b), sind nachfolgend diese seltenen Funde zusammengestellt. Die Grundlage für die Häufigkeitseinschätzung bilden …

Pesticide Usage Is Compromising People’S Health In The United States: Ideas For Reducing Damages, Terence J. Centner

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

The development of synthetic pesticides has provided new tools for addressing troublesome pests. A review of parts of the registration process for pesticides in the United States identifies an outdated evaluation system that undervalues health damages. Registration fails to adequately consider co-formulants and effects of exposure to multiple chemicals. Frustration with failures to protect people and property from damages accompanying pesticide usage has led injured plaintiffs to resort to tort lawsuits to secure relief. However, litigation involves compensating injured persons after they are injured rather than preventing injury. A more proactive approach would be to prevent situations that injure people. …

Co2 Biocapture By Scenedesmus Sp. Grown In Industrial Wastewater, Itzel Y. López-Pacheco, Eduardo Israel Castillo-Vacas, Lizbeth Castañeda-Hernández, Angie Gradiz-Menjivar, Laura Isabel Rodas-Zuluaga, Carlos Castillo-Zacarías, Juan Eduardo Sosa-Hernández, Damià Barceló, Hafiz M.N. Iqbal, Roberto Parra-Saldívar

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions are widely related to climate change, triggering several environmental problems of global concern and producing environmental, social, and economic negative impacts. Therefore, global research seeks to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the use of wastes under a circular economy scheme generates subproducts from the range of high to medium-value, representing away to help sustainable development. Therefore, the use of wastewater as a culture medium to grow microalgae strains that biocapture environmental CO₂, is a proposal with high potential to reduce the GHG presence in the environment. In this work, Scenedesmus sp. …

Phylogenie, Morphologie Und Ökologie Mongolischer Langohrfledermäuse Der Gattung Plecotus (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), Dietrich Dolch, Bernd Gärtner, Klaus Thiele, Dirk Steinhauser, Ariunbold Jargalsaikhan, Annegret Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsajchan, Davaa Lchagvasuren

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The Palaearctic is a zoogeographical region where knowledge of the distribution, taxonomy and ecology of bats (Chiroptera) is generally quite extensive. However, for many Palaearctic subregions, including Mongolia, detailed knowledge is still quite scarce. Also for some groups of species there are only few studies available to date. This holds also true for the long-eared bats of the genus Plecotus. For the long-eared bats, which live in close family groups and do not migrate over long distances, the development of different life form types can be expected. Studies tackling this are so far lacking.

The fundamental revision of the …

Electrostatic Flocking Of Salt-Treated Microfibers And Nanofiber Yarns For Regenerative Engineering, Alec Mccarthy, Kossi Loic M. Avegnon, Phil A. Holubeck, Demi Brown, Anik Karan, Navatha Shree Sharma, Johnson V. John, Shelbie Weihs, Jazmin Ley, Jingwei Xie

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Electrostatic flocking is a textile technology that employs a Coulombic driving force to launch short fibers from a charging source towards an adhesive-covered substrate, resulting in a dense array of aligned fibers perpendicular to the substrate. However, electrostatic flocking of insulative polymeric fibers remains a challenge due to their insufficient charge accumulation. We report a facile method to flock electrostatically insulative poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microfibers (MFs) and electrospun PCL nanofiber yarns (NFYs) by incorporating NaCl during preflock processing. Both MF and NFY were evaluated for flock functionality, mechanical properties, and biological responses. To demonstrate this platform's diverse applications, standalone flocked NFY …

A Method Of Identifying Allographs In Undeciphered Scripts And Its Application To The Indus Valley Script, Shruti Daggumati, Peter Revesz

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

This work describes a general method of testing for redundancies in the sign lists of ancient scripts by data mining the positions of the signs within the inscriptions. The redundant signs are allographs of the same grapheme. The method is applied to the undeciphered Indus Valley Script, which stands out from other ancient scripts by having a large proposed sign list that contains dozens of asymmetric signs that have mirrored pairs. By a statistical analysis of mirrored asymmetric signs, this paper shows that the Indus Valley Script was multi-directional and the mirroring of signs often denotes only the direction of …

Lipid Droplet Membrane Proteome Remodeling Parallels Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Steatosis And Its Resolution, Carol A. Casey, Terrence M. Donohue Jr., Jacy L. Kubik, Vikas Kumar, Michael J. Naldrett, Nicholas T. Woods, Cole P. Frisbie, Mark A. Mcniven, Paul G. Thomes

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract Lipid droplets (LDs) are composed of neutral lipids enclosed in a phospholipid monolayer, which harbors membrane-associated proteins that regulate LD functions. Despite the crucial role of LDs in lipid metabolism, remodeling of LD protein composition in disease contexts, such as steatosis, remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that chronic ethanol consumption, subsequent abstinence from ethanol, or fasting differentially affects the LD membrane proteome content and that these changes influence how LDs interact with other intracellular organelles. Here, male Wistar rats were pair-fed liquid control or ethanol diets for 6 weeks, and then, randomly chosen animals from both groups were either …

Nebraska Water Center Annual Report 2019-2020

Nebraska Water Center: Administrative Materials

Contents

Introduction: Foreword • Director’s Letter • Nebraska Water Center (NWC) Overview and Timeline • In Memoriam: Kyle Hoagland

Research • Water Sciences Laboratory • Nebraska Vadose Zone Program • Ogallala Water Coordinated Agriculture Project • Water for Agriculture Project • Greeley Award • U.S. Geological Survey 104b Projects

Extension & Outreach: NWC Events • Nebraska Nitrate Initiative • Bazile Groundwater Management Area • Water and Integrated Crops Hub • Water Faculty Directory • State Legislative Funding • Water Resources Advisory Panel

Teaching: Know Your Well • Sorab Panday Spotlight • NWC Postdoc Profiles • NWC Student Intern Profiles • …

The Effect Of Drought On The Bird Species Spiza Americana, Emily Nelson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Climate change is becoming an integral part of our environment. Recognizing its effects on ecosystems and species’ health is important for the future of the natural world. There is an influx of changes that are happening to species, specifically birds due to climate change, and these changes are largely negative. A variation that is happening from the changing climate is an increase in drought conditions, which may have effect on the avifauna community. Drought causes a significant difficulty for species survival in all parts of the globe that includes hardships finding food and unsuccessful nesting. The implications of this problem …

Learn The Beetle And Discover The Blue, Nicole Luhr

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Objectives: For children to: Learn basic body parts of a beetle and put their own together./ Observe and relate body parts of a beetle to a live beetle./ Determine how humidity levels affect the color of beetles.

Contents: 1 Lesson Overview 3 Lesson Instruction 2 Insect Background 4 - 5 Activity #1 6 - 7 Blue Death Feigning Beetle Info and Care 1 1 - 1 9 Activity #3 8 - 1 0 Activity #2 2 0 Glossary and References

Butterfly Life Cycle: Curriculum, Lesson Plans And Resources, Matthew D. Trujillo

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

This curriculum and guide contains lessons, each with exercises and activities, a science-based word bank and glossary, and Missouri content standards and descriptions. This is a centers-based curriculum intended to be used in conjunction with a science center such as the Butterfly Palace or Butterfly House. There are three major themes in this curriculum: The Life Cycle of Butterflies, Butterfly Habitats, and Adaptations for the Units. This curriculum is unique in that each lesson can serve as a stand alone which can be taught in a classroom whether home based, or school based and does not require sequencing with the …

Mosquitoes Of Wisconsin: The Biology, Life History, Identification And Control, Timothy Wucherer

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

In the past 60 years, weather in Wisconsin has generally been getting warmer, and in many areas of the state, wetter (Moran et al., 2015). Long-term analysis of Wisconsin’s climate has indicated an increase in average annual precipitation, longer growing seasons, and an increase in average temperatures (Moran et al., 2015). Increases in temperatures and rain have been directly correlated with increases in vector-borne diseases such as pathogens carried by mosquitoes (Moran et al., 2015). With this, Wisconsin communities should prepare for possible increases in mosquito activity and the health and veterinary concerns that come with direct exposure to certain …

Range Beef Cow Symposium Xxvii, 2021, Rapid City, South Dakota

Range Beef Cow Symposium

2021 Range Beef Cow Symposium, presented by the Cooperative Extension Services and Animal Science Departments of University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, South Dakota State University, and University of Nebraska—Lincoln.

2021 Local Food Guide, Skylar Falter

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Since the beginning of the pandemic, small and medium scale Nebraska farmers have gone above and beyond to increase production, change delivery methods, and meet the shifting needs of their communities. Farmers from Stratton to Columbus began working together to aggregate local foods. Farmers with livestock planned ahead as butcher dates at processing facilities were booked far into the future. Farmers’ market managers worked overtime to ensure a safe shopping experience as an essential food access point. The pandemic reminded us that how our food gets from field to table is in many cases long, complex, and rigid. It opened …

Consumer Valuation Of And Attitudes Towards Novel Foods Produced With New Plant Engineering Techniques: A Review, John C. Beghin, Christopher Gustafson

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

We follow the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews to review the emerging international body of empirical evidence on consumers’ attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for novel foods produced with New Plant Engineering Techniques (NPETs). NPETs include genome/gene editing, cisgenesis, intragenesis, and RNA interference. These novel foods are often beneficial for the environment and human health and more sustainable under increasingly prevalent climate extremes. These techniques can also improve animal welfare and disease resistance when applied to animals. Despite these abilities of NPETs, evidence suggests that many, but not all, consumers discount these novel foods relative to conventional ones. Our …

What Determines The Success And Failure Of Environmental Crowdfunding?, Takahiro Kubo, Diogo Veríssimo, Shinya Uryu, Taro Mieno, Douglas Macmillan

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Online crowdfunding can help address the perennial financial shortfalls in environmental conservation and management. Although many online crowdfunding campaigns fail to collect any funds due to not achieving their targets, little is known about what drives success. To address this knowledge gap, we applied a mixed-methods approach to data from 473 successful and failed campaigns hosted on the online crowdfunding platform Readyfor. We found that fundraising performance varied by topic, with campaigns on pet animal management outperforming those focussed on landscape management and sustainable use. We also found that marketing strategies associated with online findability and increased reach through social …

Ifnγ Is A Key Link Between Obesity And Th1-Mediated Autoimmune Diseases, Heekyong R. Bae, Myung-Sook Choi, Suntae Kim, Howard A. Young, M E. Gershwin, Seon Min Jeon, Eun Young Kwon

United States Public Health Resources

Obesity, a characteristic of metabolic syndrome, is also associated with chronic inflammation and the development of autoimmune diseases. However, the relationship between obesity and autoimmune diseases remains to be investigated in depth. Here, we compared hepatic gene expression profiles among high-fat diet (HFD) mice using the primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) mouse model based on the chronic expression of interferon gamma (IFNγ) (ARE-Del-/- mice). The top differentially expressed genes affected by upstream transcriptional regulators IFNγ, LPS, and TNFα displayed an overlap in HFD and ARE-Del-/- mice, indicating that obesity-induced liver inflammation may be dependent on signaling via IFNγ. The top pathways …

Natural Killer Cell Transcript 4 Promotes The Development Of Sjӧgren's Syndrome Via Activation Of Rap1 On B Cells, Peng Qu, Todd Wuest, Yongfen Min, Ilias Alevizos, Howard A. Young, P. Charles Lin

United States Public Health Resources

Autoimmune disorders are the third most common diseases in the United States, and affect the daily lives of millions of people. In this study, we analyzed patient samples, utilized a transgenic mouse model and human B cells to reveal Natural Killer Cell Transcript 4 (NK4) as a novel regulator that promotes the development of autoimmune disorders. NK4 was significantly elevated in samples from patients with Sjӧgren's Syndrome (SS). SS patients show elevated NK4 levels. There is a strong and positive correlation between the increased levels of NK4 and the duration of SS. Interestingly, transgenic expression of NK4 in a mouse …

2021 National Institutes Of Health Sleep Research Plan

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

The 2021 National Institutes of Health Sleep Research Plan is a comprehensive approach to address the critical knowledge gaps and research opportunities.

Your Guide To Anemia

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

This booklet provides an overview of anemia for health consumers, covering causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.

On The Move To Better Heart Health For African Americans

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

This booklet created specifically for African Americans explains what heart disease is and provides helpful tips to improve heart health.

Reducing Allergens In Your Home Fact Sheet

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

If your asthma is triggered by allergies, using multiple strategies to remove or minimize indoor allergens (such as dust mites or pet dander) may be to blame.

Concerning A Manuscript From A Moravian Immigrant’S Trunk: Postil By Johann Spangenberg (1557), Hana Waisserova

Department of Modern Languages and Literatures: Faculty Publications

In Nebraska, a family of Czech ancestry possesses a precious and unusual family artifact—an antique early-modern book, which was passed down in the family from generation to generation as their most precious treasure, a book that is much older than most carefully investigated family genealogies. The book has neat calligraphy and prints, leather binding, and comprises more than a thousand pages, though the first batch of pages is missing. The inside of the cover bears a pencil-written date: 1542. There are no title pages, no forewords, and no introductory chapter(s). The family lore tells that they kept it hidden in …

Antibiotic Resistance In Manure- Amended Agricultural Soils, Maranatha Zelt, Zachary Staley, Xu Li, Bing Wang, Daniel N. Miller, Amy Schmidt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Manure application to agricultural land benefits soil health and agronomic yields. However, as antibiotic resistance becomes a more serious threat to public health, there is concern that antibiotic resistance originating from livestock manure could impact human health through contamination of the environment or food. This study sought to quantify this risk by monitoring concentrations of antibiotic resistance bacteria and genes in fallow soil during the period of October through April, representing fall manure application through spring planting. Resistance to three common antibiotics— tylosin, azithromycin and tetracycline— was monitored following application of fresh, stockpiled, or composted beef feedlot manure, or inorganic …