Digital Commons Network^™

Stem Afterschool Club - Lava Lamps, Dylan Hiser

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

Afterschool Club that builds upon what students already know about science with fun and interactive experiments.

Nebraska Wildlife Club, Jacob Spooner

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

The goal of this club was for students to expand their knowledge on wildlife that exists both in and outside of Nebraska and for them to get a better idea the types of wildlife they might be able to find within the state. In addition, an objective of this club was to spark curiosity so that the kids might try to further explore aspects of wildlife on their own.

Afterschool Sustainability Club, Ethan Halman Gonzalez

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

In-depth lesson plans used at Riley Elementary to educate students about the environment around them and how to preserve it.

Nebline, July 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Smart Techniques Conserve Water in Your Yard

Building a Healthy Community: What Lincolnites Say

Recipe of the Month

Saving and Sing and Storing Garden Seeds

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Naturally Occurring Elements in Groundwater: Last in a Series - Uranium

UNL East Campus Discovery Days

Nebraska 4rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day

Ants in the Home & Landscape

Lawn Care and Young Children: Creating a Safe and Fun Place to Play

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Marti Thomson

Summer Programming 4-H Interns

4-H Announcements for 4H'ers and Volunteers

Extension News

Extension Calendar

Understanding The Roles Of Nutrient-Niche Dynamics In Clostridioides Difficile Colonization In Human Microbiome Colonized Minibioreactors, Xiaoyun Huang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive pathogen that is one of the most common causes of health care-associated infections in the U.S. Because of its importance to human health, researchers are trying to understand risk factors for infection and identify new therapies to treat disease. A “healthy” gut microbiome has the ability to protect the host against colonization of C. difficile or other pathogens by providing colonization resistance. One proposed mechanism for colonization resistance is through competition for nutrients with pathogens by the members of the healthy microbiome. We tested whether competition for nutrients was important for colonization resistance in human …

Investigating The Prevalence And Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Food Facilities, Cyril Nsom Ayuk Etaka

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Small and very small food facilities in the ready-to-eat food industry face difficulties complying with the Food Safety Modernization Act-Preventive Controls for Human Food rule (FSMA-PCHF). This regulation highlights the need for sanitation to control environmental pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes. The main goal of this project was to investigate the prevalence and control of Listeria monocytogenes in food facilities. This study provides technical assistance to facilities to comply with the PCHF rule and addresses sanitation alternatives for food contact surfaces like aqueous ozone.

First, the prevalence of Listeria spp and L. monocytogenes in small and very small food manufacturing …

Protective Role Of Palmitoleate Against Zika Virus-Induced Apoptosis In Placental Trophoblasts, Philma Glora Muthuraj

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in pregnant women causes congenital Zika syndrome which involves birth defects such as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), retinal defects and microcephaly in the fetus. ZIKV infection results in placental pathology which plays a crucial role in disease transmission from mother to fetus. Currently, there is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine or therapeutic drug against ZIKV. In this thesis, we have elucidated the cell signaling pathways connected to ZIKV-induced apoptosis in trophoblasts and also the protective effect of palmitoleate against ZIKV-induced apoptosis. First, we demonstrated the molecular mechanism behind ZIKV-induced apoptosis using an in …

Economically Optimal Nitrogen Side-Dressing Based On Vegetation Indices From Satellite Images Through On-Farm Experiments, Qianqian Du

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Optimal N fertilizer rates for corn (Zea mays L.) vary substantially within and among fields, and by corn growth stages. Improving N side-dressing management can improve fertilizer use efficiency, farmers’ profitability, and the sustainability of crop production. The objective of this study is to introduce a framework along with a methodology that can find the site-specific economically optimal N rates (EONRs) within one field for a particular growing season. An on-farm experiment was conducted in the 2019 corn growing season. A base N rate was applied uniformly on the field. NDRE images from the Sentinel-2 satellite were observed during …

Development And First Evaluation Of An Attractant Impregnated Adhesive Tape Against Blood-Sucking Flies, Junwei J. Zhu, Gwang-Hyun Roh, Yosuke Asamoto, Jen-Chieh Liu, Alexander Lehmann, Kyle Harrison, David B. Taylor, Hironao Otake

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Stable flies are one of the most important arthropod pests of livestock that reduce cattle weight gain and milk production leading to annual economic losses in excess of $2 billion to the US cattle industry. The host-seeking behavior is primarily mediated by associated odors from stable fly larval development environments and host animals. The present paper reports the development and evaluation of attractant-impregnated adhesive tapes to reduce stable fly attacks on cattle. Laboratory bioassays showed that only m-cresol impregnated adhesive tapes caught significantly more stable flies (16 ± 1) than the control tape without attractant added (7 ± 1), with …

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genetic Mechanisms Of Sugarcane Aphid Resistance In Grain Sorghum, Desalegn D. Serba, Xiaoxi Meng, James Schnable, Elfadil Bashir, J P. Michaud, P V. Vara Prasad, Ramasamy Perumal

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) (SCA), has become a major pest of grain sorghum since its appearance in the USA. Several grain sorghum parental lines are moderately resistant to the SCA. However, the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying this resistance are poorly understood, which has constrained breeding for improved resistance. RNA-Seq was used to conduct transcriptomics analysis on a moderately resistant genotype (TAM428) and a susceptible genotype (Tx2737) to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying resistance. Differential expression analysis revealed differences in transcriptomic profile between the two genotypes at multiple time points after infestation by SCA. Six gene …

Fostering A Climate-Smart Intensification For Oil Palm, Juan Pablo Monzon, Maja A. Slingerland, Suroso Rahutomo, Fahmuddin Agus, Thomas Oberthür, José F. Andrade, Antoine Couëdel, Juan I. Rattalino Edreira, Willem Hekman, Rob Van Den Beuken, Fandi Hidayat, Iput Pradiko, Dwi K.G. Purwantomo, Christopher R. Donough, Hendra Sugianto, Ya Li Lim, Thomas Farrell, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Oil palm production in Indonesia illustrates the intense pressure that exists worldwide to convert natural ecosystems to agricultural production. Oil palm production has increased because of expansion of cultivated area rather than due to average-yield increases. We used a data-rich modelling approach to investigate how intensification on existing plantations could help Indonesia meet palm oil demand while preserving fragile ecosystems. We found that average current yield represents 62% and 53% of the attainable yield in large and smallholder plantations, respectively. Narrowing yield gaps via improved agronomic management, together with a limited expansion that excludes fragile ecosystems, would save 2.6 million …

Risks Of Introduction And Economic Consequences Associated With African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever And Foot-And-Mouth Disease: A Review Of The Literature, Vienna Brown, Ryan S. Miller, Sophie C. Mckee, Karina H. Ernst, Nicole M. Didero, Rachel M. Maison, Meredith J. Grady, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) are considered to be three of the most detrimental animal diseases and are currently foreign to the U.S. Emerging and re-emerging pathogens can have tremendous impacts in terms of livestock morbidity and mortality events, production losses, forced trade restrictions, and costs associated with treatment and control. The United States is the world's top producer of beef for domestic and export use and the world's third-largest producer and consumer of pork and pork products; it has also recently been either the world's largest or second largest exporter of pork …

Economic Losses Of Catfish To Avian Predation: A Case Report, Ganesh Kumar, Shraddha Hegde, David Wise, Charles Mischke, Brian Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Avian predation in catfish aquaculture has been a persistent issue throughout the history of the industry, and as production has expanded predation from piscivorous birds has intensified. Catfish ponds in the Mississippi River delta (in the Mississippi migratory flyway) provide a constant and readily accessible supply of forage for birds. Intensive foraging by fish-eating birds has led to a specific regulatory policy and numerous on-farm and regional management efforts. However, in 2016, legal challenges lead to recision of some federal policies and uncertainty as to allowable management, resulting in limitations on bird depredation. Estimating the extent of fish losses to …

Enhancement Of Dry-Aged Beef Quality By Dietary Supplementation Of High Levels Of Vitamin E, David Manuel Velazco Marroquin

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Crossbred cattle (n = 150; 10/pen) were grain-finished with the dietary addition of 2,200 international units of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) per head per day for 100 days. One low-Choice carcass (n = 12) was selected, and strip loins were collected. Low Choice control carcasses (n = 12) were randomly selected from commercial, fed-cattle production to serve as controls. Strip loins were randomly assigned to wet or dry aging for 42 days. On day 42, control dry-aged and control wet-aged loins had the highest TBARS values and vitamin E wet and dry-aged loins had lower TBARS values ( …

Quantification And Repeated Measurements Of Conformation Traits In Replacement Females To Optimize Sow Longevity, Melanie D. Trenhaile Grannemann

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objectives were to 1) assess the reliability of objective conformation trait measurements between evaluators, 2) evaluate effects of dietary energy and lysine during development and housing system during first gestation on longevity, reproductive performance, and conformation, 3) characterize conformation changes throughout life, 4) identify phenotypic associations between conformation and longevity, 5) estimate heritability of conformation traits, and 6) assess genetic relationships between conformation traits measured throughout life in sows. Sows (n = 622) were fed a standard, energy restricted, or standard energy with increased lysine diet during gilt development and housed in either a group pen or stall …

The Effect Of Heat Stress And Beta-Adrenergic Agonists On Fatty Acid Mobilization And Their Individual And Interacting Impact On The Adipose Transcriptome Of Ruminant Livestock, Rachel R. Reith

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Heat stress reduces livestock efficiency, induces inflammation, and alters adipose tissue metabolism through stress-induced epinephrine acting on beta-adrenoreceptors (β-AR). Supplementation of beta-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) improve livestock growth and carcass traits, also by acting on β-AR located in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. The binding of β-AR in adipose tissue results in changes in adipose tissue metabolism including increased lipolysis and decreased fatty acid synthesis. Due to their similar effects on stress response pathways, the possible interaction of heat stress and β-AA could negatively impact animal well-being. The purpose of the first study was to understand how ractopamine (RAC), a beta-one …

Biocomposites Of Low-Density Polyethylene Plus Wood Flour Or Flax Straw: Biodegradation Kinetics Across Three Environments, Anna K. Zykova, Petr V. Pantyukhov, Elena E. Mastalygina, Christian Chaverri-Ramos, Svetlana G. Nikolaeva, Jose J. Saavedra-Arias, Anatoly A. Popov, Sam E. Wortman, Matheus Poletto

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess the potential for biocomposite films to biodegrade in diverse climatic environments. Biocomposite films based on polyethylene and 30 wt.% of two lignocellulosic fillers (wood flour or flax straw) of different size fractions were prepared and studied. The developed composite films were characterized by satisfactory mechanical properties that allows the use of these materials for various applications. The biodegradability was evaluated in soil across three environments: laboratory conditions, an open field in Russia, and an open field in Costa Rica. All the samples lost weight and tensile strength during biodegradation tests, which was …

Handling Of Spurious Sequences Affects The Outcome Of High-Throughput 16s Rrna Gene Amplicon Profiling, Sandra Reitmeier, Thomas C. A. Hitch, Nicole Treichel, Nikolaos Fikas, Bela Hausmann, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Klaus Neuhaus, David Berry, Dirk Haller, Ilias Lagkouvardos, Thomas Clavel

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing is a popular approach for studying microbiomes. However, some basic concepts have still not been investigated comprehensively. We studied the occurrence of spurious sequences using defined microbial communities based on data either from the literature or generated in three sequencing facilities and analyzed via both operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) approaches. OTU clustering and singleton removal, a commonly used approach, delivered approximately 50% (mock communities) to 80% (gnotobiotic mice) spurious taxa. The fraction of spurious taxa was generally lower based on ASV analysis, but varied depending on the gene region targeted …

Toward Sustainable Production Of Value-Added Bioenergy And Industrial Oils In Oilseed And Biomass Feedstocks, Kiyoul Park, Sanju A. Sanjaya, Truyen Quach, Edgar B. Cahoon

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Plant fatty acids are used forfood, feed, fuel, and industrial materials. Structurally and chemically diverse fatty acids, referred to as unusual or specialized fatty acids, are found in the seed oils of diverse plant species. Many unusual fatty acids have potential use as alternative and renewable sources of biofuels and biobased industrial feedstocks due to their variant structures' physical or functional properties. Oils enriched in these fatty acids can increase the value of oilseed crops and provide co-products that can be readily extracted from lignocellulosic materials in biomass crops. Here, we describe recent progress in strategies for enhancement of oil …

Creation And Application Of Various Tools For The Reconstruction, Curation, And Analysis Of Genome-Scale Models Of Metabolism, Wheaton L. Schroeder

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Systems biology uses mathematics tools, modeling, and analysis for holistic understanding and design of biological systems, allowing the investigation of metabolism and the generation of actionable hypotheses based on model analyses. Detailed here are several systems biology tools for model reconstruction, curation, analysis, and application through synthetic biology. The first, OptFill, is a holistic (whole model) and conservative (minimizing change) tool to aid in genome-scale model (GSM) reconstructions by filling metabolic gaps caused by lack of system knowledge. This is accomplished through Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP), one step of which may also be independently used as an additional curation …

Carotenoid-Rich Brain Nutrient Pattern Is Positively Correlated With Higher Cognition And Lower Depression In The Oldest Old With No Dementia, Jirayu Tanprasertsuk, Tammy M. Scott, Aron K. Barbey, Kathryn Barger, Xiang-Dong Wang, Mary Ann Johnson, Leonard W. Poon, Rohini Vishwanathan, Nirupa R. Matthan, Alice H. Lichtenstein, Guylaine Ferland, Elizabeth R. Johnson

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Healthy dietary patterns are related to better cognitive health in aging populations. While levels of individual nutrients in neural tissues are individually associated with cognitive function, the investigation of nutrient patterns in human brain tissue has not been conducted.

Methods: Brain tissues were acquired from frontal and temporal cortices of 47 centenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Fat-soluble nutrients (carotenoids, vitamins A, E, K, and fatty acids [FA]) were measured and averaged from the two brain regions. Nutrient patterns were constructed using principal component analysis. Cognitive composite scores were constructed from cognitive assessment from the time point closest to …

Soil Quality Assessment Of An Agroforestry System Following Long-Term Management In The Ozark Highlands, Shane Ylagan, Helen C.S. Amorim, Amanda J. Ashworth, Tom Sauer, Brian J. Wienhold, Phillip R. Owens, Yuri L. Zinn, Kristofor R. Brye

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

The Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) is a quantitative soil quality (SQ) evaluation tool that is widely applied to assess soil response to specific agricultural management practices over time. Considering the reported SQ benefits of agroforestry (AF) systems and the potential usefulness of SMAF, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of tree species (pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] and northern red oak [Quercus rubra L.]), soil fertility source (poultry litter [PL] and inorganic N fertilizer [control]), and soil depth (0–15 and 15–30 cm) on SMAF-derived SQ indices after 17 yr of management at an AF …

Sweet Sorghum Genotypes Tolerant And Sensitive To Nitrogen Stress Select Distinct Root Endosphere And Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities, Lucas Dantas Lopes, Yen Ning Chai, Ellen L. Marsh, John F. Rajewski, Ismail Dweikat, Daniel P. Schachtman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The belowground microbiomes have many beneficial functions that assist plant growth, including nutrient cycling, acquisition and transport, as well as alleviation of stresses caused by nutrient limitations such as nitrogen (N). Here we analyzed the root endosphere, rhizosphere and soil bacterial communities of seven sweet sorghum genotypes differing in sensitivity to N-stress. Sorghum genotypes were grown in fields with no (low-N) or sufficient (high-N) N. The dry shoot weight ratio (low-N/high-N) was used to determine N-stress sensitivity. Our hypothesis was that genotypes tolerant and sensitive to N-stress select distinct bacterial communities. The endosphere and rhizosphere bacterial community structure were significantly …

Associations Between Community Built Environments With Early Care And Education Classroom Physical Activity Practices And Barriers, Bethany D. Williams, Susan B. Sisson, Dipti Dev, Bryce Lowery, Diane Horm, Janis Campbell, Denise Finneran, Jennifer Graef-Downard, Linda Whaley

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The influence of community-built environments on physical activity (PA) support in Early Childhood Education settings (ECEs) is unknown. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine associations between community PA environments and ECE classroom PA practices. We included licensed Oklahoma ECE directors serving 3-to-5-year-old children. Parks and playground locations were exported from Google Earth. National Walkability Index was derived from 2010 US Census data. ArcMap 10.6 was used to geocode ECE locations, which were within an Activity Desert if no parks/playgrounds were located within a 1-mile radius or if Walkability Index was 10.5 or below. Classroom PA practices were …

Mountain Lions Reduce Movement, Increase Efficiency During The Covid-19 Shutdown, John F. Benson, Heather N. Abernathy, Jeff A. Sikich, Seth P.D. Riley

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

1. Wildlife strongly alter behaviour in response to human disturbance; however, fundamental questions remain regarding the influence of human infrastructure and activity on animal movement. The Covid-19 pandemic created a natural experiment providing an opportunity to evaluate wildlife movement during a period of greatly reduced human activity. Speculation in scientific reviews and the media suggested that wildlife might be increasing movement and colonizing urban landscapes during pandemic slowdowns. However, theory predicts that animals should move and use space as efficiently as possible, suggesting that movement might actually be reduced relative to decreased human activity.

2. We quantified space use, movement, …

An Integrated Food, Energy, And Water Nexus, Human Well-Being, And Resilience (Few-Wise) Framework: New Mexico, Kamini Yadav, Hatim M. Geli, Andres F. Cibils, Michael Hayes, Alexander Fernald, James Peach, Mohammed N. Sawalhah, Vincent C. Tidwell, Lindsay E. Johnson, Ashraf J. Zaied, Melakeneh G. Gedefaw

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Interconnected food, energy, and water (FEW) nexus systems face many challenges to support human well-being (HWB) and maintain resilience, especially in arid and semiarid regions like New Mexico (NM), United States (US). Insufficient FEW resources, unstable economic growth due to fluctuations in prices of crude oil and natural gas, inequitable education and employment, and climate change are some of these challenges. Enhancing the resilience of such coupled socio-environmental systems depends on the efficient use of resources, improved understanding of the interlinkages across FEW system components, and adopting adaptable alternative management strategies. The goal of this study was to develop a …

Palmitoleate Protects Against Zika Virus-Induced Placental Trophoblast Apoptosis, Philma Glora Muthuraj, Aryamav Pattnaik, Prakash K. Sahoo, Md Torikul Islam, Asit K. Pattnaik, Siddappa N. Byrareddy, Corrine K. Hanson, Ann Anderson Berry, Stephen D. Kachman, Sathish Kumar Natarajan

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in pregnancy is associated with the development of microcephaly, intrauterine growth restriction, and ocular damage in the fetus. ZIKV infection of the placenta plays a crucial role in the vertical transmission from the maternal circulation to the fetus. Our previous study suggested that ZIKV induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis of placental trophoblasts. Here, we showed that palmitoleate, an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid, prevents ZIKV-induced ER stress and apoptosis in placental trophoblasts. Human trophoblast cell lines (JEG-3 and JAR) and normal immortalized trophoblasts (HTR-8) were used. We observed that ZIKV infection of the trophoblasts resulted …

Determining Crop Available Nutrients From Manure, Charles Shapiro, Leslie J. Johnson, Amy Schmidt, Richard Koelsch

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the availability and use of manure nutrients for field crop production. When managed correctly, nutrients in livestock manure can be a valuable resource. When managed improperly, however, these same nutrients represent a potential environmental pollutant. Accurate crediting of manure nutrients within a total crop nutrient program is fundamental to utilizing manure as a resource. This NebGuide illustrates how to estimate the crop available manure nutrients (part c, Figure 1) and calculate an agronomically based manure application rate. There are other tools available that do the calculations for you. This NebGuide will explain each step of the process. …

Corrigendum To: Psxii-19 Urine Metabolomics Analysis Associated With Feed Efficiency On Crossbred Steers During The Growing And Finishing Period On Forage- And Concentrate-Based Diets, Virginia Artegoitia, John Newman, Ron Lewis, Andrew P. Foote, Harvey C. Freetly

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

No abstract provided.

Invited Review: Mineral Nutrition Considerations For Extensive Sheep Production Systems, W. C. Stewart, J. D. Scasta, J. B. Taylor, T. W. Murphy, A. A.M. Julian

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Purpose: Our purpose is to discuss contemporary and pertinent considerations related to mineral-supplementation strategies for sheep grazing marginal rangelands in extensively managed production systems. Sources: Grey literature, peer-reviewed literature, and data (published and unpublished) from co-authors were used. Synthesis: Precision trace-mineral nutrition of sheep that are grazing extensive production systems requires a comprehensive understanding of the sheep and the grazing environment. Generally, extensive sheep production systems are found in remote geographical regions composed of marginal rangelands not suitable for cultivated crop farming or improved forages. Sheep production is subject to the accessibility and availability of grazable forage, which may vary …