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The Relationship Between Time And Plant Diversity In Prairie Restorations Within The Prairie Corridor On Haines Branch, Elizabeth Park

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This study focuses on better understanding the relationship between the age of prairie restorations and their plant diversity. The study looks specifically at the prairie restorations within the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch, located west of Lincoln, Nebraska. The data gathered from these restorations show a positive correlation between age and native plant diversity. This diversity indicates that the restorations are fulfilling their purpose by bringing native prairie plants back to the area. From the data I came to these four conclusions, 1) Because the study only included two restorations greater than 10 years old, it is unclear if the …

A Tiling Algorithm-Based String Similarity Measure, Peter Revesz

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

This paper describes a similarity measure for strings based on a tiling algorithm. The algorithm is applied to a pair of proteins that are described by their respective amino acid sequences. The paper also describes how the algorithm can be used to find highly conserved amino acid sequences and examples of horizontal gene transfer between different species.

Statistics Used In The Nebraska Beef Cattle Report And Their Purpose

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The purpose of beef cattle and beef product research at UNL is to provide reference information that represents the various populations (cows, calves, heifers, feeders, carcasses, retail products, etc) of beef production. Obviously, the researcher cannot apply treatments to every member of a population; therefore he/she must sample the population. The use of statistics allows the researcher and readers of the Nebraska Beef Cattle Report the opportunity to evaluate separation of random (chance) occurrences and real biological effects of a treatment. Following is a brief description of the major statistics used in the beef report. For a more detailed description …

Dietary Impact On Antibiotic Resistance In Feedlot Manure, Maranatha Zelt, Amy Schmidt, Noelle Mware, Xu Li, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

There is a growing public concern regarding antibiotic resistance and the use of antibiotics, including in livestock management. Understanding the ecology of antibiotic resistance among microbes, identifying resistance gene reservoirs, and implementing antibiotic resistance mitigation practices in livestock production are critical to protecting animal and human health while meeting increasing food demands. This research is one of several studies seeking to assess risk for livestock- to- human transfer of antibiotic resistance and to identify mechanisms for reducing that risk where possible. This study evaluated the impact of forage concentration and supplemental essential oil in beef cattle finishing diets on antibiotic …

Pseudomonas Survive Thermal Processing And Grow During Vacuum Packaged Storage In An Emulsified Beef System, Samuel C. Watson, Rebecca A. Furbeck, Byron D. Chaves, Gary A. Sullivan

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

New research has suggested the ability of Pseudomonas, a common spoilage microorganism, to grow in cooked beef products stored under vacuum which challenges the traditional understanding of the role of Pseudomonas during cooked beef spoilage. Understanding the mechanisms of survival and growth of Pseudomonas in these products is crucial for improving shelf life. The objective of this experiment was to determine Pseudomonas survival in a thermally processed, emulsified cooked beef model system. After eight weeks of refrigerated storage, Pseudomonas was recovered from cooked emulsified beef, indicating the potential for Pseudomonas to survive thermal processing and cause spoilage in cooked vacuum …

Accelerated Dry Aging Under Anaerobic Conditions, Joseph A. Sonderman, Soon K. Lau, Felipe A. Ribeiro, David M. Velasco, Nicolas A. Bland, Nicolas J. Herrera, Morgan L. Henriott, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Chris Calkins

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The purpose of dry aging is to develop novel favors and other sensory characteristics different from wet aged meat. However, leaving meat exposed to air for an extended period of time can have negative effects on meat quality. As the meat is exposed to oxygen for an extended period of time, lipids are oxidized resulting in compounds that negatively affect favor. In this study, oxygen concentration was regulated along with time, temperature, humidity, and air flow. The purpose of oxygen regulation was to determine the effect of oxidation on the quality, specifically flavor preference, of dry aged meats. Sensory analysis …

Economic Analysis Of Increased Corn Silage Inclusion In Beef Finishing Cattle, Hannah C. Wilson, J. C. Macdonald, Andrea K. Watson, Terry Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

An economic analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of feeding greater inclusions of corn silage in finishing diets. Cattle were fed two inclusions of corn silage (15 and 45% of diet dry matter) with or without tylosin. Cattle fed 15% corn silage with tylosin had the best feed conversion, 15 % corn silage without tylosin was intermediate, and both 45% corn silage with and without tylosin had the poorest feed conversion. Feeding corn silage at greater inclusions decreased ADG but increased final body weight when fed to an equal fatness (28 days longer). However, feeding corn silage at 45% …

Impact Of Days Fed On Holstein Bull And Steer Performance And Cutability Of Cattle Pen- Fed Organic Diets, Elizabeth A. Schumacher, Braden C. Troyer, Bradley M. Boyd, Levi Mcphillips, J. C. Macdonald, Andrea K. Watson, Terry Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Performance, carcass characteristics, and total meat yield of Holstein bulls and steers were compared in a simulated organic production system with the goal of producing ground beef. Holstein bulls (n = 120, initial BW = 487 lb) and steers (n = 120, initial BW = 471 lb) of the same age were blocked by BW and assigned randomly to be harvested at 308, 343, 378, and 413 days on feed. After harvest, all meat o" the carcass was considered trim and was collected and weighed to calculate total trim yield. Bulls gained faster and had greater live body weight, carcass …

Training Improves The Reliability Of Temperament Assessment In Cattle, Jamie T. Parham, Jessica J. Schmidt, Ronald M. Lewis

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Accurate and precise measurement of docility in cattle is paramount when including temperament as a criterion for selection. The value of training individuals in assigning a docility score was evaluated by comparing the reliability of individual assessments of temperament in beef cattle before and after various instructional methods. Preceding training, participants’ assessment of cattle behavior, videoed while each heifer was restrained in a chute, was not impacted by age, gender, or pre- existing cattle handling experience. Groups of participants that received additional training were more accurate and precise in evaluating temperament, regardless of training method, compared to those without. No …

Mineral Concentrations Of Forages For Livestock In Nebraska And South Dakota, Rebecca J. Kern, John W. Kern, Hannah M.G. Dorn, Carrie E. Putnam, Janna J. Block, Adele A. Harty, M. E. Drewnoski

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Forage samples from Nebraska and South Dakota submitted to Ward Laboratories, Inc. from 2012– 2019 were analyzed for mineral concentrations. Samples were categorized by forage species, quality based on protein content, and mineral concentration based on requirements for lactating beef cows. ! e data indicate that copper and zinc are frequently deficient across all species and levels of forage quality, emphasizing the need for supplementation. Except for magnesium, macro- mineral deficiencies are less likely to occur when feeding high quality forages in Nebraska and South Dakota. Corn feedstuffs are particularly likely to result in mineral deficiencies if fed without mineral …

Evaluation Of Models Used To Predict Dry Matter Intake In Forage- Based Diets, Aksel Wiseman, Andrea K. Watson, Rick Stock, Terry Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Accurately predicting intake is critical to model performance of cattle in order to formulate diets to meet nutritional requirements. Modeling systems must be accurate in order to provide correct information to producers. Multiple studies with growing cattle consuming forage- based diets were summarized. Actual gain and weights of the cattle were used to determine predicted dry matter intake using the Beef Cattle Nutrient Requirements Model (2016). ! e predicted dry matter intakes were compared to observed dry matter intakes to determine accuracy of the prediction model. ! e model over predicted intakes at low TDN and under predicted intakes at …

Winter Growth Rate And Timing Of Marketing On Economics Of Yearling Systems, Michael Merical, M. E. Drewnoski, Jay Parsons

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Economic analyses were conducted examining 18 years of Nebraska monthly- average auction data to ! nd the e" ects of certain management decisions on the pro! tability of yearling production systems. A 2×2 experimental design was used to examine four possible scenarios. $ e variables were either fast winter growth (daily gain, 2.0 lb/ day) or slow winter growth (daily gain, 0.8 lb/day), and either a September or a July marketing date. In addition to pro! tability, risk management was also examined in this study. Average pro! tability of all scenarios was good, ranging from $112 to $143 per calf. …

Impact Of Masters Choice Corn Silage On Nutrient Digestion In Growing Cattle, Jiehua Xiong, Mitch M. Norman, Hannah C. Wilson, Caleb Crabtree, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A digestion study was conducted to evaluate Masters Choice corn silage hybrids on nutrient digestibility in growing beef steers. ! e three hybrids evaluated were a conventional hybrid (CON) commonly grown in Eastern Nebraska which served as the control, Masters Choice hybrid MCT6365 RIB (MC1) that has been selected to improve " ber and starch digestion and Masters Choice hybrid MCT6733 GT3000 (MC2) selected to improve " ber digestion. Treatment diets consisted of 80% of the diet dry matter (DM) of each corn silage hybrid. Steers fed MC1 corn silage had the greatest organic matter (OM), energy digestibility, and digestible …

Does Biochar Improve All Soil Ecosystem Services?, Humberto Blanco-Canqui

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Biochar is considered to sequester C and deliver other soil ecosystem services, but an overview that synthesizes the current knowledge of biochar implications on all essential soil ecosystem services is difficult to find in the ample biochar literature. Most previous research and review articles on this topic focused on a single ecosystem service and did not integrate all essential soil ecosystem services. This overview paper (1) synthesizes the impacts of biochar on water and wind erosion, C sequestration, soil water, nutrient leaching, soil fertility, crop yields, and other soil ecosystem services based on published literature and (2) highlights remaining research …

Representativeness Of Eddy-Covariance Flux Footprints For Areas Surrounding Ameriflux Sites, Housen Chu, Timothy Arkebauer, Dave P. Billesbach, Hideki Kobayashi, Thomas J. Kolbe, Gregory Starr, Andrew Suyker, 63 Other Coauthors

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Large datasets of greenhouse gas and energy surface-atmosphere fluxes measured with the eddy-covariance technique (e.g., FLUXNET2015, AmeriFlux BASE) are widely used to benchmark models and remote-sensing products. This study addresses one of the major challenges facing model-data integration: To what spatial extent do flux measurements taken at individual eddy-covariance sites reflect model- or satellite-based grid cells? We evaluate flux footprints—the temporally dynamic source areas that contribute to measured fluxes—and the representativeness of these footprints for target areas (e.g., within 250–3000 m radii around flux towers) that are often used in flux-data synthesis and modeling studies. We examine the land-cover composition …

Spring Break Or Heart Break? Extending Valence Bias To Emotional Words, Nicholas R. Harp, Catherine C. Brown, Maital Neta

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Ambiguous stimuli are useful for assessing emotional bias. For example, surprised faces could convey a positive or negative meaning, and the degree to which an individual interprets these expressions as positive or negative represents their “valence bias.” Currently, the most well- wellvalidated ambiguous stimuli for assessing valence bias include nonverbal signals (faces and scenes), overlooking an inherent ambiguity in verbal signals. This study identified 32 words with dual-valence ambiguity (i.e., relatively high intersubject variability in valence ratings and relatively slow response times) and length-matched clearly valenced words (16 positive, 16 negative). Preregistered analyses demonstrated that the words-based valence bias correlated …

Nontarget Emotional Stimuli Must Be Highly Conspicuous To Modulate The Attentional Blink, Lindsay A. Santacroce, Brandon J. Carlos, Nathan Petro, Benjamin J. Tamber-Rosenau

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The attentional blink (AB) is often considered a top-down phenomenon because it is triggered by matching an initial target (T1) in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) stream to a search template. However, the AB is modulated when targets are emotional, and is evoked when a task-irrelevant, emotional critical distractor (CDI) replaces T1. Neither manipulation fully captures the interplay between bottom-up and top-down attention in the AB: Valenced targets intrinsically conflate top-down and bottom-up attention. The CDI approach cannotmanipulate second target (T2) valence, which is critical because valenced T2s can “break through” the AB (in the target-manipulation approach). The present …

Essential Role Of Systemic Iron Mobilization And Redistribution For Adaptive Thermogenesis Through Hif2-Α/Hepcidin Axis, Jin-Seon Yook, Mikyoung You, Jiyoung Kim, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Rong Fan, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Tomáš Helikar, Sophie Vaulont, Jean-Christophe Deschemin, Meshail Oklar, Liwei Xie, Manik C. Ghosh, Tracey A. Rouault, Jaekwon Lee, Soonkyu Chung

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Iron is an essential biometal, but is toxic if it exists in excess. Therefore, iron content is tightly regulated at cellular and systemic levels to meet metabolic demands but to avoid toxicity. We have recently reported that adaptive thermogenesis, a critical metabolic pathway to maintain whole-body energy homeostasis, is an irondemanding process for rapid biogenesis of mitochondria. However, little information is available on iron mobilization from storage sites to thermogenic fat. This study aimed to determine the iron-regulatory network that underlies beige adipogenesis. We hypothesized that thermogenic stimulus initiates the signaling interplay between adipocyte iron demands and systemic iron liberation, …

Embracing Dynamic Models For Gene Drive Management, Andrew J. Golnar, Emily W. Ruell, Alun L. Lloyd, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Robust methods of predicting how gene drive systems will interact with ecosystems is essential for safe deployment of gene drive technology. We describe how quantitative tools can reduce risk uncertainty, streamline empirical research, guide risk management, and promote cross-sector collaboration throughout the process of gene drive technology development and implementation.

Gene drive technologies, although diverse in design and mode of action, are molecular architectures that promote the transmission of genetic information between generations. In theory, the release of one gene-drive-modified organism (GDMO) has the potential to irreversibly alter species, ecosystems, and environmental processes at a global scale (although in practice …

Economic Effects Of Predation By Scaup On Baitfish And Sportfish Farms, Carole R. Engle, Stephen Clements, Brian S. Dorr, J. Brian Davis, Luke A. Roy, Anita M. Kelly

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fish-eating birds have been found to consume baitfish and sportfish raised on farms in the United States. Understanding the on-farm economic effects of such wildlife conflicts is essential for wildlife management agencies to make informed decisions. Lesser scaup, while not widely considered a fisheating bird, will consume farmed fish. Baitfish and sportfish farms in Arkansas (the major baitfish and sportfish producingstate in the U.S.) were surveyed to gather data on the cost of protecting farm crops from scaup. The values of lost sales revenue from the various species of baitfish and sportfish consumed by scaup were estimated based on a …

Evidence On The Effectiveness Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Suas) As A Survey Tool For North American Terrestrial, Vertebrate Animals: A Systematic Map Protocol, Jared A. Elmore, Michael F. Curran, Kristine O. Evans, Sathishkumar Samiappan, Meilun Zhou, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Raymond B. Iglay

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are replacing or supplementing manned aircraft and groundbased surveys in many animal monitoring situations due to better coverage at finer spatial and temporal resolutions, access, cost, bias, impacts, safety, efficiency, and logistical benefits. Various sUAS models and sensors are available with varying features and usefulness depending on survey goals. However, justification for selection of sUAS and sensors are not typically offered in published literature and existing reviews do not adequately cover past and current sUAS applications for animal monitoring nor their associated sUAS model and sensor technologies, taxonomic and geographic scope, flight conditions and …

Rabies Post-Exposure Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors And Perceptions: Results From A Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Survey, Uganda, 2013, Sarah C. Bonaparte, Laura Adams, Barnabas Bakamutumaho, Galileu Barbosa Costa, Julie M. Cleaton, Amy Gilbert, Modupe Osinubi, Emily G. Pieracci, Sergio Recuenco, Victor Tugumizemu, Joseph Wamala, Ryan M. Wallace

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background Rabies is a viral disease of animals and people causing fatal encephalomyelitis if left untreated. Although effective pre- and post-exposure vaccines exist, they are not widely available in many endemic countries within Africa. Since many individuals in these countries remain at risk of infection, post-exposure healthcare-seeking behaviors are crucial in preventing infection and warrant examination.

Methodology A rabies knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey was conducted at 24 geographically diverse sites in Uganda during 2013 to capture information on knowledge concerning the disease, response to potential exposure events, and vaccination practices. Characteristics of the surveyed population and of the canine-bite …

Differing Alterations Of Odor Volatiles Among Pathogenic Stimuli, Patrick Millet, Talia Martin, Maryanne Opiekun, Gary K. Beauchamp, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Alterations of the volatile metabolome (the collection of volatiles present in secretions and other emanations) that occur in response to inflammation can be detected by conspecifics and chemometric analyses. Using a model system where mouse urinary metabolites are altered by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (found in the outer cell membrane of gram-negative bacteria), we hypothesized that alteration of body odor volatiles will vary according to the pathogen responsible for inducing the inflammation. We tested this hypothesis by treating mice with different immunogens that engage different immune signaling pathways. Results suggest that alterations of body odor volatiles resulting from inflammation do contain …

Using Object-Based Image Analysis To Detect Laughing Gull Nests, Benjamin F. Martini, Douglas A. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Remote sensing has long been used to study wildlife; however, manual methods of detecting wildlife in aerial imagery are often time-consuming and prone to human error, and newer computer vision techniques have not yet been extensively applied to wildlife surveys. We used the object-based image analysis (OBIA) software eCognition to detect laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) nests in Jamaica Bay as part of an ongoing monitoring effort at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. Our technique uses a combination of high resolution 4-band aerial imagery captured via manned aircraft with a multispectral UltraCam Falcon M2 camera, LiDAR point cloud data, and …

Impact Of The Histidine‐Containing Phosphocarrier Protein Hpr On Carbon Metabolism And Virulence In Staphylococcus Aureus, Linda Pätzold, Anne-Christine Brausch, Evelyn-Laura Bielefeld, Lisa Zimmer, Greg A. Somerville, Markus Bischoff, Rosmarie Gaupp

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) is a common mechanism pathogenic bacteria use to link central metabolism with virulence factor synthesis. In gram‐positive bacteria, catabolite control protein A (CcpA) and the histidine‐containing phosphocarrier protein HPr (encoded by ptsH) are the predominant mediators of CCR. In addition to modulating CcpA activity, HPr is essential for glucose import via the phosphotransferase system. While the regulatory functions of CcpA in Staphylococcus aureus are largely known, little is known about the function of HPr in CCR and infectivity. To address this knowledge gap, ptsH mutants were created in S. aureus that either lack the open reading …

Experiential Learning In Soil Science: Evaluating Soil Quality In South Wollo, Ethiopia, Melissa Allen, Martha Mamo, Shimelis Beyene, Teshome Regassa, Gandura O. Abagandura, Solomon Abreha, Anthony James Mucia, Tsegaye Tadesse

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

This study abroad program provided an opportunity to enhance the international experience and research skills of University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) students within a multidisciplinary team’s research-education goal on improving food security in Ethiopia. The experiential study component of the project included preparatory sessions during the Fall 2015 Semester at the UNL followed by a four- to five-week fieldwork experience in Ethiopia. Teams from the UNL and an Ethiopian university participated in survey data collection and field soil evaluations from farms in the Gerado area of South Wollo, Ethiopia. Having students interact with farmers increased student self-confidence and enhanced their leadership …

The Rise And Fall Of Wiñaymarka: Rethinking Cultural And Environmental Interactions In The Southern Basin Of Lake Titicaca, Maria C. Bruno, José M. Capriles, Christine A. Hastorf, Sherilyn C. Fritz, D. Marie Weide, Alejandra I. Domic, Paul A. Baker

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Investigations of how past human societies managed during times of major climate change can inform our understanding of potential human responses to ongoing environmental change. In this study, we evaluate the impact of environmental variation on human communities over the last four millennia in the southern Lake Titicaca basin of the Andes, known as Lake Wiñaymarka. Refined paleoenvironmental reconstructions from new diatom-based reconstructions of lake level together with archaeological evidence of animal and plant resource use from sites on the Taraco Peninsula, Bolivia, reveal frequent climate and lake-level changes within major cultural phases. We posit that climate fluctuations alone do …

Horn Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) - Biology, Management, And Future Research Directions, Gary Brewer, Dave J. Boxler, Luisa D. Domingues, Rebecca T. Trout Fryxell, Chris Holderman, Kelly M. Loftin, Erika Machtinger, Brandon Smythe, Justin L. Talley, Wes Watson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.), is one of the most important external parasites of cattle in North America and elsewhere. Horn fly adults have an intimate association with cattle, their primary host. With their often-high numbers and by feeding up to 38 times per day per fly, horn flies stress cattle. The resulting productivity loss is valued at more than 2.3 billion USD in the United States. Insecticides are commonly used to mitigate direct injury from feeding and indirect injury from disease transmission. This paper discusses horn fly biology, distribution, and management. Emphasis is on promising new approaches …

Transference Of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded In Public Participation In Scientific Research, Louise I. Lynch-O’Brien

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Citizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists continues to grow. This study proposes an added benefit of these collaborations: the transference of program impacts to individuals outside of the program. The experiences of fifteen citizen scientists in entomology citizen science programs were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. We propose the substantive-level theory of transference to describe the social process by which the educational and …

Technological Advances To Address Current Issues In Entomology: 2020 Student Debates, Lina Bernaola, Molly Darlington, Kadie Britt, Patricia Prade, Morgan Roth, Adrian Pekarcik, Michelle Boone, Dylan Ricke, Anh Tran, Joanie King, Kelly Carruthers, Morgan Thompson, John J. Ternest, Sarah E. Anderson, Scott W. Gula, Kayleigh C. Hauri, Jacob R. Pecenka, Sajjan Grover, Heena Puri, Surabhi Gupta Vakil

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The 2020 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were live-streamed during the Virtual Annual Meeting to debate current, prominent entomological issues of interest to members. The Student Debates Subcommittee of the National ESA Student Affairs Committee coordinated the student efforts throughout the year and hosted the live event. This year, four unbiased introductory speakers provided background for each debate topic while four multi-university teams were each assigned a debate topic under the theme ‘Technological Advances to Address Current Issues in Entomology’. The two debate topics selected were as follows: 1) What is the best taxonomic approach to …