Digital Commons Network^™

Altered Ratio Of T Follicular Helper Cells To T Follicular Regulatory Cells Correlates With Autoreactive Antibody Response In Simian Immunodeficiency Virus–Infected Rhesus Macaques, Wenjin Fan, Andrew James Demers, Yanmin Wan, Qingsheng Li

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Individuals with chronic HIV-1 infection have an increased prevalence of autoreactive Abs. Many of the isolated HIV broadly neutralizing Abs from these individuals are also autoreactive. However, the underlying mechanism(s) that produce these autoreactive broadly neutralizing Abs remains largely unknown. The highly regulated coordination among B cells, T follicular helper (T_FH) cells, and T follicular regulatory (T_FR) cells in germinal centers (GCs) of peripheral lymphatic tissues (LTs) is essential for defense against pathogens while also restricting autoreactive responses. We hypothesized that an altered ratio of T_FH/T_FR cells in the GC contributes to the …

On-Road Emissions Of Ammonia: An Underappreciated Source Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition, Mark E. Fenn, Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Susan L. Schilling, Dena M. Vallano, Erika S. Zavaleta, Stuart B. Weiss, Connor Morozumi, Linda H. Geiser, Kenneth Hanks

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

We provide updated spatial distribution and inventory data for on-road NH₃ emissions for the continental United States (U.S.) On-road NH₃ emissions were determined from on-road CO₂ emissions data and empirical NH₃:CO₂ vehicle emissions ratios. Emissions of NH₃ from on-road sources in urbanized regions are typically 0.1– 1.3 t km⁻² yr⁻¹ while NH₃ emissions in agricultural regions generally range from 0.4–5.5 t km⁻² yr⁻¹, with a few hot spots as high as 5.5–11.2 t km⁻² yr⁻¹. Counties with higher vehicle NH3 emissions than from agriculture …

Mixing Of Two Greater Sandhill Crane Populations In Northeast Oregon, M. Cathy Nowak, Krista J. Mougey, Daniel P. Collins, Blake A. Grisham

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area in northeast Oregon hosts a small group of nesting greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida). There were no data on where these birds wintered, and we had no understanding of how these birds fit into the larger picture of western sandhill crane population delineation. ODFW began color-banding pre-fledging colts in 2007 and added satellite tracking with platform transmitter terminals (PTTs) in 2015. To date, we have captured 15 colts and 13 adults and marked them with color bands. We also fitted 1 colt and 8 adult …

An Updated Distribution Map For The Lower Colorado River Valley Population Of Greater Sandhill Cranes, Blake A. Grisham, Daniel P. Collins, Kammie L. Kruse, Courtenay M. Conring, Jeffrey M. Knetter, Warren C. Conway

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recognizes 6 migratory populations of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) in the United States, 4 of which occur in or west of the Rocky Mountains. Traditionally the Lower Colorado River Valley Population (LCRVP; greater sandhill crane [G. c. tabida]) was thought to be distributed across the Imperial (California) and Lower Colorado River (Arizona) Valleys, southward into Mexico via the Colorado River delta in winter and northeastern Nevada (Elko and White Pine Counties) during summer. Conservation and management concern exists over known distribution based on winter and summer surveys because discrepancies …

Freshwater Pond Use By Whooping Cranes During A Wet Winter In Coastal Texas, Raymond D. Kirkwood, Elizabeth H. Smith

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Wintering whooping cranes (Grus americana) in the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population have a restricted range along coastal Texas, and they rely on coastal salt marshes and tidal ponds for feeding and roosting habitat as well as upland freshwater ponds for dietary drinking water during drought periods. These upland ponds were used extensively by wintering whooping cranes during a multi-year drought (2011-2014), and use terminated when frequent localized rainfall events occurred across the wintering range. Despite optimum bay salinities that occurred during this study (February-March 2016) in a 6-week winter period, whooping cranes continued to use at least 1 of …

Sandhill Crane Foraging Behavior And Damage Estimates In Cornfields During Spring, Jeb A. Barzen, Andrew P. Gossens, Anne E. Lacy

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Damage to corn in the spring caused by greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) has increased concurrent with growth of the Eastern Population of cranes. Our study was designed to: 1) describe foraging rates and food acquisition behavior where damage was likely and 2) estimate damage in cornfields treated and untreated with a taste deterrent: 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ; Avipel®). Our 6,251.6-ha study area was located near Briggsville, Wisconsin, and we sampled 415 ± 13.2 individuals/ survey (x ± SE), of which 36 ± 1.7% used cornfields. During 10-30 May 2009, 121 observation bouts of 33 marked cranes that foraged …

Effective And Sustainable Prevention Of Avian Damage To Planted Seeds Through Seed Treatment, Jeb A. Barzen, Kenneth E. Ballinger Jr.

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Several species of cranes and other wildlife have recovered from low populations because, in part, they have adapted to resources found in agricultural environments. If future conservation strategies are to succeed in areas dominated by agricultural use, we must develop sustainable models that solve crop damage problems that are caused by expanding wildlife populations. Using crane damage to planted seed as an example, we propose 1 such model of sustainable crop damage prevention. The deterrent, 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ), is a natural product produced by plants, in part to control bird frugivory, and induces gastro-intestinal distress (temporarily sickens an individual) in sandhill …

Whooping Crane And Sandhill Crane Monitoring At Five Wind Energy Facilities, Clayton E. Derby, Melissa M. Welsch, Terri D. Thorn

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Biologists have expressed concern that individuals of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population of the federally endangered whooping crane (Grus americana), numbering about 300, may be injured or killed by wind turbines during migration. To help address this concern and curtail (stop) turbine operations when whooping cranes approached turbines, we monitored the area around 5 wind energy facilities in North and South Dakota during spring and fall migration for whooping cranes and sandhill cranes (G. canadensis). Observers monitored cranes for 3 years at each facility from 2009 to 2013 (1,305 total days of monitoring), recording 14 unique observations …

Abstracts From Proceedings Of The 14th North American Crane Workshop

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

CRANES AND AGRICULTURE: A DELICATE BALANCE. Jane E. Austin and Kerryn M. Morrison 149

NOCTURNAL ROOSTING BEHAVIOR OF SANDHILL CRANES ON THE PLATTE RIVER, NEBRASKA. David A.Brandt, Pamela J. Pietz, Deborah A. Buhl, Wesley E. Newton, Gary L. Krapu, and Aaron T. Pearse 149

USING HOME RANGES AND SITE FIDELITY TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF IMPORTANCE FOR OVERWINTERING SANDHILL CRANES ON THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS Kathryn Brautigam, Blake A. Grisham, William Johnson, Nicole Athearn, David L. Boren, Dan P. Collins, Shaun Oldenburger, Jude Smith, and Warren Conway 150

IN VITRO METHODS FOR EXAMINING MALE FERTILITY IN CRANE SPECIES Megan E. Brown, …

Effects Of Rearing Environment On Behavior Of Captive-Reared Whooping Cranes, Christy L. Sadowski, Glenn H. Olsen, M. Elsbeth Mcphee

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Whooping cranes (Grus americana) are 1 of the most endangered bird species in North America. In 1999 the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership was formed to establish a migratory population of whooping cranes in eastern North America. These efforts have been extremely successful in terms of adult survival but reproductive success post-release has been low. One hypothesis developed to explain such low reproductive success is that captive-rearing techniques fail to prepare the birds to be effective parents. Captive-reared whooping cranes at the U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, are either reared by humans in crane costumes …

Winter Distribution Of Sandhill Cranes From Upper Michigan And Adjacent Ontario: A Thirty-Year Perspective, Richard P. Urbanek

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The relationship between areas used for breeding and wintering by the expanding Eastern Population of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) has been little studied. During 1985-1988, 32/33 (97%) of sandhill cranes VHFradiotagged on Seney National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were subsequently located on wintering areas in wet prairies, muck farms, and improved pastures in Florida and southern Georgia. Four additional radiotagged cranes from other areas of Upper Michigan and 7 from the North Channel of Lake Huron, Ontario, were also located in similar areas and habitats. Winter area was not dependent on …

Mississippi Sandhill Crane Conservation Update 2014–2016, Scott G. Hereford, Angela J. Dedrickson

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

To manage crane habitat during 2014-2016, 5,826 ha were treated with prescribed burns, 298 ha of woody vegetation were removed, 94 ha of invasive plants were chemically treated, and 8 ha of crops were planted. There were 247 predators removed. We acclimated and released 29 captive-reared juveniles. We began testing drones (unmanned aerial systems [UAS]), to locate nests. We detected an average of 34 nests per year with 6 fledglings each year. The December 2016 population was 129 cranes, up 9% from the previous 3 years.

Drought And Land-Cover Conditions In The Great Plains, Heather Tollerud, Jesslyn Brown, Thomas Loveland, Rezaul Mahmood, Norman Bliss

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Land–atmosphere interactions play a critical role in the Earth system, and a better understanding of these interactions could improve weather and climate models. The interaction among drought, vegetation productivity, and land cover is of particular significance. In a semiarid environment, such as the U.S. Great Plains, droughts can have a large influence on the productivity of agriculture and grasslands, with serious environmental and economic impacts. Here, we used the vegetation drought response index (VegDRI) drought indicator to investigate the response of vegetation to weather and climate for landcover types in the Great Plains in the United States from 1989 to …

Landscape Transformation During Ceramic Age And Colonial Occupations Of Barbuda, West Indies, Allison Bain, Anne-Marie Faucher, Lisa M. Kennedy, Allison R. Leblanc, Michael J. Burn, Rebecca Boger, Sophia Perdikaris

School of Global Integrative Studies: Faculty Publications

This research documented the history of landscape transformation on the island of Barbuda in the Lesser Antilles, Caribbean through cross-disciplinary research approaches. Excavations confirmed a human presence for the seasonal exploitation of conch meat and other mollusks during the Archaic Age (c.3000–500 BC), but more substantial impacts to terrestrial ecosystems likely began during the Ceramic Age (c.500 BC–AD 1500). Our combined sedimentary and charcoal records revealed that human-induced environmental transformations began with Ceramic Age peoples as they cleared vegetation for settlements and gardens with intentional burning. Sedimentary charcoal indicated a dramatic decline in fire during post-Ceramic Age abandonment, continuing through …

Nutech Ventures Annual Report 2017-2018

NUtech Ventures: Publications

NUTech Ventures annual report 2017-2018.

Constructing Rock Cairns: Modifying And Signifying The Alpine Landscape Of Southeast Alaska, Ralph J. Hartley, Amanda Renner, William J. Hunt Jr.

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

The existence and variability of human-made rock cairns in subalpine and alpine settings of Southeast Alaska is increasingly well documented. Whete these features were constructed prehistorically and prorohistorically is a fundamental component to assessing the socioecological role of these modifications to a landscape that is, for the most patt, devoid of other physical manifestations of past human activities. Based on information compiled from investigations in the northern portion of Baranof Island and vicinity, we explore the physical and social environmental conditions that may underlie decisions to create the cairns, some of which are estimated to have been built approximately 500 …

Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase (Sod3) Regulates Oxidative Stress At The Vitreoretinal Interface, Katherine J. Wert, Gabriel Velez, Madeline R. Cross, Brett A. Wagner, Melissa L. Teoh-Fitzgerald, Garry R. Buettner, J. Jason Mcanany, Alicia Olivier, Stephen H. Tsang, Matthew M. Harper, Frederick E. Domann, Alexander G. Bassuk, Vinit B. Mahajan

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

Oxidative stress is a pathogenic feature in vitreoretinal disease. However, the ability of the inner retina to manage metabolic waste and oxidative stress is unknown. Proteomic analysis of antioxidants in the human vitreous, the extracellular matrix opposing the inner retina, identified superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD3) that localized to a unique matrix structure in the vitreous base and cortex. To determine the role of SOD3, Sod3^-/- mice underwent histological and clinical phenotyping. Although the eyes were structurally normal, at the vitreoretinal interface Sod3^-/- mice demonstrated higher levels of 3-nitrotyrosine, a key marker of oxidative stress. Pattern electroretinography also showed physiological …

Social Contact Patterns Can Buffer Costs Of Forgetting In The Evolution Of Cooperation, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Jan K. Woike, Lael J. Schooler, Stefan Lindner, Thorsten Pachur

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Analyses of the evolution of cooperation often rely on two simplifying assumptions: (i) individuals interact equally frequently with all social network members and (ii) they accurately remember each partner's past cooperation or defection. Here, we examine how more realistic, skewed patterns of contact—in which individuals interact primarily with only a subset of their network's members—influence cooperation. In addition, we test whether skewed contact patterns can counteract the decrease in cooperation caused by memory errors (i.e. forgetting). Finally, we compare two types of memory error that vary in whether forgotten interactions are replaced with random actions or with actions from previous …

Mesotocin Influences Pinyon Jay Prosociality, Juan Duque, Whitney Leichner, Holly Ahmann, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Many species exhibit prosocial behavior, in which one individual’s actions benefit another individual, often without an immediate benefit to itself. The neuropeptide oxytocin is an important hormonal mechanism influencing prosociality in mammals, but it is unclear whether the avian homologue mesotocin plays a similar functional role in birds. Here, we experimentally tested prosociality in pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), a highly social corvid species that spontaneously shares food with others. First, we measured prosocial preferences in a prosocial choice task with two different payoff distributions: Prosocial trials delivered food to both the subject and either an empty cage or a partner …

Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption Of Best Management Practices: A Review And Synthesis, Tingting Liu, Randall J.F. Bruins, Matthew T. Heberling

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Grazing Conference Proceedings, 2018, Center For Grassland Studies, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska Grazing Conference Proceedings

Pasture Monitoring Sesion

Overview of Choquette Ranch by Jim Choquette

Field Applications of Pasture and Ecological Monitoring by Christine Su

Keeping Human Knowledge at the Center of Technology by Christine Su

Field Monitoring Exercise with Christine Su, Jim O’Rourke, Bethany Johnston, Brad Schick, Brent Plugge, Ben Beckman, and Jace Stott

Prescribed Fire, Bird Monitoring, and Butterfly Date by Andrew Pierson

Strategies for Rangeland Monitoring by Jim O’Rourke

Pasture Monitoring: Field Experience by Jeff Nichols, Beau Mathewson, and Mitch Stephenson

Ranch Succession Planning Session

Keeping Your Ranching Operation in the Family for Future Generations by Ron Hanson

Sharing Our Ranch Succession …

Thermal Tolerance Limits Of The Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis): Implications For Management, Jessica L. Burnett, Kevin L. Pope, Alec Wong, Craig R. Allen, Danielle Haak, Bruce J. Stephen, Daniel R. Uden

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The Chinese mystery snail, Bellamya chinensis (Gray, 1834) is a gastropod native to East Asia and is considered an invasive species in North America where its impacts on native species and ecosystems are not well understood. Scientific literature describing its biology and life history are sparse. Thermal tolerance limits, or the maximum and minimum temperature under which a species can survive, are key to identifying the potential geographical range of a species. The ability of managers to control invasive species is directly impacted by the thermal tolerance limits of a species. We attempted to identify the thermal tolerance limits of …

The Effect Of Size On Juvenile Green Sturgeon (Acipenser Medirostris) Behavior Near Water-Diversion Fish Screens, Jamilynn B. Poletto, Dennis E. Cocherell, Natalie Ho, Joseph J. Cech Jr., A. Peter Klimley, Nann A. Fangue

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Anthropogenic water management projects and facilities that alter the local and regional hydrology of riverine environments greatly influence the behavior, physiology, and survival of native fishes. To mitigate for losses of native fishes at these structures, many are outfitted with fish-exclusion screens to reduce entrainment. The effect of fish size and age on behavior near fish screens, however, is largely unknown. Therefore, we tested two size classes of juvenile green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris; small, early juveniles: 9.2 ± 0.2 cm fork length [FL], 6.9 ± 0.3 g; intermediate juveniles: 18.8 ± 0.2 cm FL, 36.9 ± 0.8 g) …

Resilience In Environmental Risk And Impact Assessment: Concepts And Measurement, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Kevin L. Pope, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr, Micro Bunschuh

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Different resilience concepts have different assumptions about system dynamics, which has implications for resilience-based environmental risk and impact assessment. Engineering resilience (recovery) dominates in the risk assessment literature but this definition does not account for the possibility of ecosystems to exist in multiple regimes. In this paper we discuss resilience concepts and quantification methods. Specifically, we discuss when a system fails to show engineering resilience after disturbances, indicating a shift to a potentially undesired regime. We show quantification methods that can assess the stability of this new regime to inform managers about possibilities to transform the system to a more …

Agroecology For The Shrinking City, Dustin L. Herrmann, Wen-Ching Chuang, Kristen Schawrz, Timothy M. Bowles, Ahjond S. Garmestani, William D. Shuster, Tarsha Eason, Matthew E. Hopton, Craig R. Allen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Many cities are experiencing long-term declines in population and economic activity. As a result, frameworks for urban sustainability need to address the unique challenges and opportunities of such shrinking cities. Shrinking, particularly in the U.S., has led to extensive vacant land. The abundance of vacant land reflects a loss of traditional urban amenities, economic opportunity, neighbors, businesses, and even basic city services and often occurs in neighborhoods with socially and economically vulnerable or underserved populations. However, vacant land also provides opportunities, including the space to invest in green infrastructure that can provide ecosystem services and support urban sustainability. Achieving desirable …

Distribution Of Glyphosate-Resistant Amaranthus Spp. In Nebraska, Bruno C. Vieira, Spencer L. Samuelson, Guilherme S. Alves, Todd A. Gaines, Rodrigo Werle, Greg Kruger

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Background: Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.), common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus var. rudis), and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) are major weeds occurring in fields throughout Nebraska with recurrent grower complaints regarding control with glyphosate. The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency and distribution of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, common waterhemp, and redroot pigweed populations in Nebraska. The study also aimed to investigate how agronomic practices influence the occurrence of glyphosate resistance in the three Amaranthus species.

Results: Glyphosate resistance was widespread in common waterhemp (81% of the screened populations), few Palmer amaranth …

Profitability Of Developing Beef Heifers On Stockpiled Winter Forages, Zachary David Mcfarlane, Chris Boyer, J. Travis Mulliniks

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

We estimate the profitability of developing heifers on one stockpiled cool-season grass and two stockpiled warm-season grasses during the winter months by comparing distributions of net present value (NPV) over an 11-year useful life. Furthermore, distributions of payback period and the break-even price for each calf over the heifer’s production life were generated for each forage species. These results are compared across forages as well as to a simulated drylot system for heifer development. Data comes from a grazing experiment in Tennessee, where heifers grazed big bluestem and Indian grass combination (BBIG), switchgrass (SW), or endophyte-infected tall fescue (TF) pastures. …

2018 Extension Highlights

Lancaster County, Nebraska Extension: Reports

Nebraska Extension is your local connection to university research-based information. Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County is a partnership between Lancaster County, University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We extend knowledge, provide solutions and change lives in these educational program areas: • Community Environment • Food, Nutrition & Health • Cropping & Water Systems • 4-H Youth Development • Learning Child • Beef Systems • Community Vitality

Here’s a look at some of Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County’s 2018 impacts.

Nebline, January 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Extension 2017 Highlights

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Early Childhood

and other extension news and events

Astrocyte Ev-Induced Lincrna-Cox2 Regulates Microglial Phagocytosis: Implications For Morphine-Mediated Neurodegeneration, Guoku Hu, Ke Liao, Fang Niu, Lu Yang, Blake W. Dallon, Shannon E. Callen, Changhai Tian, Jiang Shu, Juan Cui, Zhiqiang Sun, Yuri L. Lyubchenko, Minhan Ka, Xian-Ming Chen, Shilpa Buch

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Impairment of microglial functions, such as phagocytosis and/ or dysregulation of immune responses, has been implicated as an underlying factor involved in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative disorders. Our previous studies have demonstrated that long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA)-Cox2 expression is influenced by nuclear factor kB (NF-kB) signaling and serves as a coactivator of transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a vast array of immune- related genes in microglia. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been recognized as primary facilitators of cell-to-cell communication and cellular regulation. Herein, we show that EVs derived from astrocytes exposed to morphine can be taken up …