Digital Commons Network^™

Vulnerability Of Grazing And Confined Livestock In The Northern Great Plains To Projected Mid- And Late-Twenty-First Century Climate, Justin D. Derner, David Briske, Matt Reeves, T. M. Brown-Brandl, Miranda Meehan, Dana M. Blumenthal, William E. Riebsame

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The Northern Great Plains (NGP) region of the USA—which comprises Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska—is a largely rural area that provides numerous ecosystem services, including livestock products, cultural services, and conservation of biological diversity. The region contains 25% of the Nation’s beef cattle and approximately one-third of the confined beef cattle, as well as the largest remaining native prairie in the US—the Northern Mixedgrass Prairie. With rising atmospheric CO2, the NGP is projected to experience warmer and longer growing seasons, greater climatic variability, and more extreme events (e.g., increased occurrence of large precipitation events). These climatic …

A Behavioral Mechanistic Investigation Of The Role Of 5-Ht1a Receptors In The Mediation Of Rat Maternal Behavior, Xiaonan Li, Xiaojing Ding, Ruiyong Wu, Leilei Chen, Jun Gao, Gang Hu, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous work suggests that 5-HT_1A receptors play a special role in rodent maternal aggression, but not in other aspects of maternal care (e.g. pup retrieval and nest building). The present study re-assessed the basic effects of 5-HT_1A activation or blockade on various maternal responses in postpartum female rats. We also examined the possible behavioral mechanisms underlying the maternal effects of 5-HT_1A. Sprague–Dawley mother rats were injected with a 5-HT_1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT (0.1, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg, sc), a 5-HT_1A antagonist WAY-101405 (0.1, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg, sc) or 0.9% saline solution on postpartum days …

Synbiotics For Improved Human Health: Recent Developments, Challenges, And Opportunities, Janina A. Krumbeck, Jens Walter, Robert W. Hutkins

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Research on combining pro- and prebiotics as synbiotics to enhance human and animal health has accelerated in the past 10 years, including many clinical trials that have assessed a diverse range of synbiotic formulations. In this review, we summarize these studies as well as the commercial applications of synbiotics that are available. In particular, we critically assess the claimed health benefits of synbiotic applications and the ecological and therapeutic factors to consider when designing synbiotics and discuss the implications of these concepts for future research in this field.

Molecular Basis Of Hemoglobin Adaptation In The High-Flying Bar-Headed Goose, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Agnieszka Jendroszek, Amit Kumar, Roy E. Weber, Jeremy R. H. Tame, Angela Fago, Jay F. Storz

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

During the adaptive evolution of a particular trait, some selectively fixed mutations may be directly causative and others may be purely compensatory. The relative contribution of these two classes of mutation to adaptive phenotypic evolution depends on the form and prevalence of mutational pleiotropy. To investigate the nature of adaptive substitutions and their pleiotropic effects, we used a protein engineering approach to characterize the molecular basis of hemoglobin (Hb) adaptation in the high-flying bar-headed goose (Anser indicus), a hypoxia-tolerant species renowned for its trans-Himalayan migratory flights. To test the effects of observed substitutions on evolutionarily relevant genetic backgrounds, …

Change In Dominance Determines Herbivore Effects On Plant Biodiversity, Sally E. Koerner, Johannes Knops, Dustin J. Strong, 80 More Co-Authors

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Herbivores alter plant biodiversity (species richness) in many of the world's ecosystems, but the magnitude and the direction of herbivore effects on biodiversity vary widely within and among ecosystems. One current theory predicts that herbivores enhance plant biodiversity at high productivity but have the opposite effect at low productivity. Yet, empirical support for the importance of site productivity as a mediator of these herbivore impacts is equivocal. Here, we synthesize data from 252 large-herbivore exclusion studies, spanning a 20-fold range in site productivity, to test an alternative hypothesis—that herbivore-induced changes in the competitive environment determine the response of plant biodiversity …

Modeling Craniofacial Development Reveals Spatiotemporal Constraints On Robust Patterning Of The Mandibular Arch, Lina Meinecke, Praveer P. Sharma, Huijing Du, Lei Zhang, Qing Nie, Thomas F. Schilling

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

How does pattern formation occur accurately when confronted with tissue growth and stochastic fluctuations (noise) in gene expression? Dorso-ventral (D-V) patterning of the mandibular arch specifies upper versus lower jaw skeletal elements through a combination of Bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp), Endothelin-1 (Edn1), and Notch signaling, and this system is highly robust. We combine NanoString experiments of early D-V gene expression with live imaging of arch development in zebrafish to construct a computational model of the D-V mandibular patterning network. The model recapitulates published genetic perturbations in arch development. Patterning is most sensitive to changes in Bmp signaling, and the temporal …

Paleoparasitology And Pathoecology In Russia: Investigations And Perspectives, Sergey Slepchenko, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Russia, both as the USSR and the Russian federation, provided a source of parasitological theory for decades. A key figure in Russian parasitology was Yevgeny Pavlovsky. He developed the nidus concept, the conceptual basis for the field of pathoecology. He also coined the term “paleoparasitology.” Pathoecology is a foundation concept in archaeological parasitology. Paleoparasitology, as defined by Pavlovsky, is an avenue for understanding of host parasite evolution over very long time periods. These contributions are not fully recognized internationally. Similarly, the long history of Russian paleontological and archaeological investigations are not fully known. Most recently, discoveries from archaeological sites show …

The Paleoepidemiology Of Enterobius Vermicularis (Nemata: Oxyuridae) Among The Loma San Gabriel At La Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos (600–800 Ce), Rio Zape Valley, Durango, Mexico, Johnica J. Morrow, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

One hundred coprolites excavated from La Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos (600–800 CE) in the Rio Zape Valley of present-day Durango, Mexico, were examined for the presence of helminth eggs utilizing standard archaeoparasitological techniques. Eggs of the human pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) were recovered from 34 of the 100 coprolites examined. Eggs of parasites were photographed and measured before egg concentration values were calculated for each positive sample. Egg concentration values demonstrated an overdispersed pattern of distribution among the samples (66% uninfected, 25% less than 100 eggs/g, 8% between 100 and 500 eggs/g, and 1% more than 500 eggs/g). …

Autologous Bone Flap Resorption Years After Subtemporal Craniotomy, John Oladapo Obafunwa, Emily E. Hammerl, David Jaskierny, Livia A. Taylor, Lynette Russell, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

In Spring of 2012, the partially undressed and skeletonized remains of a homeless adult Hispanic male was found in a fairly open wooded area in Nebraska. The remains showed evidence of extensive pathologies, which included healed traumas and surgeries. Examination of the decedent's medical records revealed that he had a history of kidney and liver problems, alcohol abuse, several traumas including a major head injury that necessitated a craniotomy, and radiological features of neurocysticercosis. The autologous bone flap, which was replaced after the craniotomy, had resorbed significantly away from the edges of the injury. Death was variously attributed to craniocerebral …

Gene Silencing In Tribolium Castaneum As A Tool For The Targeted Identification Of Candidate Rnai Targets In Crop Pests, Eileen Knorr, Elane Fishilevich, Linda Tenbusch, Meghan L. F. Frey, Murugesan Rangasamy, Andre Billion, Sarah E. Worden, Premchand Gandra, Kanika Arora, Wendy Lo, Greg Schulenberg, Pablo Valverde-Garcia, Andreas Vilcinskas, Kenneth E. Narva

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNAi shows potential as an agricultural technology for insect control, yet, a relatively low number of robust lethal RNAi targets have been demonstrated to control insects of agricultural interest. In the current study, a selection of lethal RNAi target genes from the iBeetle (Tribolium castaneum) screen were used to demonstrate efficacy of orthologous targets in the economically important coleopteran pests Diabrotica virgifera virgifera and Meligethes aeneus. Transcript orthologs of 50 selected genes were analyzed in D. v. virgifera diet-based RNAi bioassays; 21 of these RNAi targets showed mortality and 36 showed growth inhibition. Low dose injection- and …

The Mysteries Of Insect Rnai: A Focus On Dsrna Uptake And Transport, Ana Maria Vélez, Elane Fishilevich

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) is becoming a practical tool to control insect pests. Many mysteries of how double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is transported into, within, and between cells to generate an efficient RNAi response in insects are still to be unraveled. This review provides an overview of the evidence that supports a key role of endocytosis in the uptake of dsRNA on both cellular and tissue levels. Additionally, other components of cellular membrane transport and their impact on the efficiency of RNAi in insects are explored. It is now evident that the membrane transport and potentially dsRNA release from the endosome may …

Rapid And Persistent Rnai Response In Western Corn Rootworm Adults, Ke Wu, Caitlin E. Taylor, Elane Fishilevich, Kenneth E. Narva, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) has proven effective for controlling pest insects such as western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Previous studies have shown that WCR adults display a robust RNAi response to orally-administered double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). However, it is unclear how quickly the response occurs after ingestion or how long RNAi effect lasts after WCR stop ingesting diet containing dsRNA. In the current study, WCR adult females were provided with diet treated with dsRNAs of Laccase 2 and Argonaute 2, two nonessential genes, for 8 days. RNAi response in WCR females commenced as early as 10 h …

Ganganomala Saltini Ratcliffe, Jameson, And Zorn, A Newgenus And Species Ofanomalini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) From Bangladesh And Nepal, With A Revised Circumscription Of The Tribe, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Mary Liz Jameson, Carsten Zorn

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Ganganomala saltini Ratcliffe, Jameson, and Zorn, a new genus and new species of Anomalini (subtribe Anomalina), is described fromBangladesh and Nepal. To place the new genus within the context of the tribe and subtribe, we provide a key to the four subtribes of world Anomalini, a list of comparative characters and character states for diagnosis and classification of Old World Anomalina, and comparative diagnostic characters for genera of Old World Anomalina. Circumscription, description, diagnosis, and illustrations for the new genus and species are provided. As a result of this research, the Anomalina includes 50 genera and subgenera, and advances our …

Parental Rnai Suppression Of Kruppel Gene To Control Hemipteran Pests, Blair D. Siegfried, Kenneth E. Narva, Kanika Arora, Sarah E. Worden, Chitvan Khajuria, Elane Fishilevich, Nicholas P. Storer, Meghan Frey, Ronda L. Hamm, Ana Velez

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This disclosure concerns nucleic acid molecules and methods of use thereof for control of hemipteran pests through RNA interference - mediated inhibition of target coding and transcribed non - coding sequences in hemipteran pests. The disclosure also concerns methods for making transgenic plants that express nucleic acid molecules useful for the control of hemipteran pests, and the plant cells and plants obtained thereby.

Health Disparities Score Composite Of Youth And Parent Dyads From An Obesity Prevention Intervention: Icook 4-H, Melissa D. Olfert, Makenzie L. Barr, Rebecca L. Hagedorn, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Sarah E. Colby, Kendra K. Kattelmann, Adrienne A. White

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

iCook 4-H is a lifestyle intervention to improve diet, physical activity and mealtime behavior. Control and treatment dyads (adult primary meal preparer and a 9–10-year-old youth) completed surveys at baseline and 4, 12, and 24 months. A Health Disparity (HD) score composite was developed utilizing a series of 12 questions (maximum score = 12 with a higher score indicating a more severe health disparity). Questions came from the USDA short form U.S. Household Food Security Survey (5), participation in food assistance programs (1), food behavior (2), level of adult education completed (1), marital status (1), and race (1 adult and …

Milk Exosomes Are Bioavailable And Distinct Microrna Cargos Have Unique Tissue Distribution Patterns, Sonia Manca, Bijaya Upadhyaya, Ezra Mutai, Amy T. Desaulniers, Rebecca A. Cederberg, Brett R. White, Janos Zempleni

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Exosomes participate in cell-to-cell communication, facilitated by the transfer of RNAs, proteins and lipids from donor to recipient cells. Exosomes and their RNA cargos do not exclusively originate from endogenous synthesis but may also be obtained from dietary sources such as the inter-species transfer of exosomes and RNAs in bovine milk to humans. Here, we assessed the bioavailability and distribution of exosomes and their microRNA cargos from bovine, porcine and murine milk within and across species boundaries. Milk exosomes labeled with fluorophores or fluorescent fusion proteins accumulated in liver, spleen and brain following suckling, oral gavage and intravenous administration in …

Evaluating Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetlands, Andrew H. Baldwin, Richard S. Hammerschlag, Donald R. Cahoon

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Tidal freshwater wetlands are recognized as highly productive coastal wetlands that support diverse assemblages of plants and animals and complex biogeochemical cycles (in this book, see Chapter 18 by Whigham et al. and Chapter 19 by Megonigal and Neubauer). Many tidal freshwater wetlands and their associated ecosystem services have been damaged or destroyed by urbanization, agriculture, and other human activities (Baldwin, 2004; Barendregt et al., 2006). Increasing recognition of the value of remaining wetlands and environmental regulations requiring wetland mitigation (i.e., enhancement, creation, or restoration of wetlands to compensate for wetland losses; Kentula, 2000) has driven the restoration of all …

Evaluating The Waterfowl Breeding Population And Habitat Survey For Scaup, Michael L. Schummer, Alan D. Afton, Shannon S. Badzinski, Scott A. Petrie, Glenn H. Olsen, Mark A. Mitchell

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Potential bias in breeding population estimates of certain duck species from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) has been a concern for decades. The WBPHS does not differentiate between lesser (Aythya affinis) and greater (A. marila) scaup, but lesser scaup comprise 89% of the combined scaup population and their population estimates are suspected to be biased. We marked female lesser scaup (i.e., marked scaup) in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways, Canada and United States, with implantable satellite transmitters to track their spring migration through the traditional and eastern survey areas of the WBPHS, 2005–2010. Our goal was to …

Prophage Induction Reduces Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia Coli (Stec) And Salmonella Enterica On Tomatoes And Spinach: A Model Study, Brigitte Cadieux, Anna Colavecchio, Julie Jeukens, Luca Freschi, Jean-Guillaume Emond-Rheault, Irena Kukavica-Ibrulj, Roger C. Levesque, Sakjia Bekal, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Shannon M. Coleman, Bledar Bisha, Lawrence D. Goodridge

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fresh produce is increasingly implicated in foodborne outbreaks and most fresh produce is consumed raw, emphasizing the need to develop non-thermal methods to control foodborne pathogens. This study investigates bacterial cell lysis through induction of prophages as a novel approach to control foodborne bacterial pathogens on fresh produce. Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella enterica isolates were exposed to different prophage inducers (i.e. mitomycin C or streptonigrin) and growth of the cells was monitored by measuring the optical density (OD₆₀₀) during incubation at 37C. Beginning at three hours after addition of the inducer, all concentrations (0.5, …

Intercanine Width Measurements To Aid Predation Investigations: A Comparison Between Sympatric Native And Non-Native Carnivores In The Mexican Wolf Recovery Area, Tana Verzuh, David L. Bergman, Scott C. Bender, Maggie Dwire, Stewart W. Breck

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) share their range with a number of sympatric carnivores, many of which are a concern to livestock producers because they can prey on livestock. Determining which predator species is responsible for killing livestock is important for determining appropriate management actions and for the conservation of Mexican wolves. A variety of information can be used to decipher which carnivore species was responsible for making a kill, and mandibular (upper) and maxillary (lower) intercanine width measurements (i.e., bite mark analysis) can aid this process. No research has been conducted to validate the usefulness of bite …

Can Bangladesh Produce Enough Cereals To Meet Future Demand?, J. Timsina, J. Wolf, N. Guilpart, L G. J. Van Bussel, P. Grassini, J. Van Wart, A. Hossain, H. Rashid, S. Islam, M. K. Van Ittersum

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Bangladesh faces huge challenges in achieving food security due to its high population, diet changes, and limited room for expanding cropland and cropping intensity. The objective of this study is to assess the degree to which Bangladesh can be self-sufficient in terms of domestic maize, rice and wheat production by the years 2030 and 2050 by closing the existing gap (Yg) between yield potential (Yp) and actual farm yield (Ya), accounting for possible changes in cropland area. Yield potential and yield gaps were calculated for the three crops using well-validated crop models and site-specific weather,management and soil data, and upscaled …

Experimental Measurement Of Dolphin Thrust Generated During A Tail Stand Using Dpiv, Frank E. Fish, Terrie M. Williams, Erica Sherman, Yae Eun Moon, Vicki Wu, Timothy Wei

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Estimation of force generated by dolphins has long been debated. The problem was that indirect estimates of force production for dolphins resulted in low values that could not be validated. Bubble digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) measured hydrodynamic force production for swimming dolphins and demonstrated high force production. To validate the bubble DPIV and reconcile force production measurements, two bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) performing tail stands were measured with bubble DPIV. Microbubbles were generated from a finely porous hose and compressed air source. Displacement of the bubbles by the propulsive motions of the dolphin was tracked with a …

Crop Production Costs, Profits, And Ecosystem Stewardship With Precision Agriculture, David Schimmelpfennig

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Ecosystem stewardship is an important goal of crop production management. The developing question has been the feasibility and profitability of best management practices (BMPs) associated with stewardship goals. Treatment-effects empirical estimates show that soybean crop ecosystem stewardship is likely to benefit from precision agriculture’s (PA) information technologies to varying degrees. After accounting for the effect of overhead expenditures on technology adoption, and input costs on operating costs and profits, we show PA technologies also affect at least six BMPs. In one comprehensive framework, PA technologies affect profits, and improve crop production management through BMPs, with benefits for ecosystem stewardship.

Genomic Analysis And Prediction Within A Us Public Collaborative Winter Wheat Regional Testing Nursery, Trevor W. Rife, Robert A. Graybosch, Jesse A. Poland

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The development of inexpensive, whole-genome profiling enables a transition to allele-based breeding using genomic prediction models. These models consider alleles shared between lines to predict phenotypes and select new lines based on estimated breeding values. This approach can leverage highly unbalanced datasets that are common to breeding programs. The Southern Regional Performance Nursery (SRPN) is a public nursery established by the USDA–ARS in 1931 to characterize performance and quality of near-release wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties from breeding programs in the US Central Plains. New entries are submitted annually and can be re-entered only once. The trial is grown …

A Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Rela Deletion Mutant And A 35 Kda Major Membrane Protein Elicit Development Of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes With Ability To Kill Intracellular Bacteria, Gaber S. Abdellrazeq, Mahmoud M. Elnaggar, J. P. Bannantine, Kun Park, Cleverson D. Souza, Brian Backer, Victoria Hulubei, Lindsay M. Fry, Samy A. Khaliel, Helmy A. Torky, David A. Schneider, William C. Davis

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Efforts to develop live attenuated vaccines against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), using indirect methods to screen Map deletion mutants for potential efficacy, have not been successful. A reduction in the capacity to survive in macrophages has not predicted the ability of mutants to survive in vivo. Previous studies for screening of three deletion mutants in cattle and goats revealed one mutant, with a deletion in relA (ΔMap/relA), could not establish a persistent infection. Further studies, using antigen presenting cells (APC), blood dendritic cells and monocyte derived DC, pulsed with ΔMap/relA or a 35 kDa Map membrane protein (MMP) revealed …

Galliformes Taxon Advisory Group: Aza Regional Collection Plan, Third Edition, 2018-2023, Association Of Zoos And Aquariums

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Reports and Other Materials

Galliformes Taxon Advisory Group: AZA Regional Collection Plan, Third Edition, 2018-2023 / Association of Zoos and Aquariums

TAG mission statement

TAG vision statement

Leadership and TAG structure

TAG History and Introduction

TAG goals, 2018-2023

Rearing-lifelong welfare

Private sector-TAG relations

TAG definition

Taxonomy

Conservation

Conservation status table of all Galliformes

Species selection criteria

Species selection decision tree

Recommended species summary

Space assessment

Animal program summary table

Replacement tables

Family: Megapodiidae (brush-turkey, megapode, scrubfowl)

Maleo Macrocephalon maleo

Non-recommended species justification and suggested replacement species

Family: Cracidae (chachalacas, guans, and curassows)

Horned guan Oreophasis derbianus

Blue-billed curassow Crax alberti

Wattled curassow Crax globulosa …

Reproductive Promiscuity In The Variegated Fairy-Wren: An Alternative Reproductive Strategy In The Absence Of Helpers?, Allison E. Johnson, Stephen Pruett-Jones

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Cooperative breeding, in which auxiliary group members help rear related, but nondescendent young, is often explained by kin selection. Reproductive monogamy is predicted in cooperatively breeding systems, as monogamy increases intragroup relatedness and maximizes auxiliary inclusive fitness. While monogamy is observed across many systems, including eusocial insects and cooperatively breeding mammals, some cooperatively breeding birds exhibit high rates of extrapair paternity. Here we quantify paternity and examine the role of auxiliaries on extrapair paternity in the highly cooperative variegated fairy-wren, Malurus lamberti, a species with both male and female auxiliaries. Extrapair paternity occurred in 55.4% of nests, and 39.8% …

Agri 115: Biotechnology – Food, Health And Environment, A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Leah Sandall

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Adpr 333-001: Design And Layout--A Peer Review Of Teaching Portfolio, Octavio Kano-Galvan

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

No abstract provided.

Stat 380: Statistics And Applications, Yumou Qiu

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio prepares for the introduction level undergraduate statistic course (Stat 380) for the students with calculus background, which includes the course goals, contents as well as teaching methods for large session classes. Analysis and evaluation of student learning are also included. In-class activities and discussion helping students’ engagement are introduced. The homework is assigned by Canvas, which summaries the students’ solution and provides analysis for each student.