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Registration Of Ne Trailblazer C-1, Ne Trailblazer C0, Ne Trailblazer C2, Ne Trailblazer C3, Ne Trailblazer C4, And Ne Trailblazer C5 Switchgrass Germplasms, Kenneth P. Vogel, Robert B. Mitchell, Gautam Sarath

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

NE Trailblazer C-1 (GP-101, PI 672015), NE Trailblazer C0 (GP-100, PI 672014), NE Trailblazer C2 (GP-102, PI 672016), NE Trailblazer C3 (GP-103, PI 672017), NE Trailblazer C4 (GP-104, PI 672018), and NE Trailblazer C5 (GP-105, PI 672019) switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) germplasms were released by the USDA-ARS and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on 10 Sept. 2014. These germplasms were developed by six generations of divergent breeding for in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). As a result of the multigenerations of recurrent breeding, the resulting populations differ significantly for IVDMD and for 25 other forage quality or biomass composition traits, …

Enhanced Approaches For Identifying Amadori Products: Application To Peanut Allergens, Katina L. Johnson, Jason G. Williams, Soheila J. Maleki, Barry K. Hurlburt, Robert E. London, Geoffrey A. Mueller

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

The dry roasting of peanuts is suggested to influence allergic sensitization as a result of the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on peanut proteins. Identifying AGEs is technically challenging. The AGEs of a peanut allergen were probed with nano-scale liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization−mass spectrometry (nanoLC−ESI−MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analyses. Amadori product ions matched to expected peptides and yielded fragments that included a loss of three waters and HCHO. As a result of the paucity of b and y ions in the MS/MS spectrum, standard search algorithms do not perform well. Reactions with isotopically labeled sugars confirmed that …

Standardization Of Rp-Hplc Methods For The Detection Of The Major Peanut Allergens Ara H 1, Ara H 2 And Ara H 3, Harmit Singh, Mary Jo Cantoria, Poonam Malave, Denny Saputra, Soheila Maleki

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

Crude peanut extract (CPE) was analyzed for three major allergens (Ara h 1, h 2, and h 3) using a C₁₂ and a C₁₈ column at two wavelengths (280 and 220 nm) and under different solvent conditions. HPLC profiles were compared for retention time, resolution, and peak heights. CPE samples were spiked with pure allergens to identify the peaks corresponding to allergens. The HPLC fractions of corresponding allergens were collected and freeze-dried in order to perform SDS–PAGE and immunoblotting tests. The best method was identified the one with a shorter retention time, better resolution, and greater peak height …

Rising Atmospheric Co2 Is Reducing The Protein Concentration Of A Floral Pollen Source Essential For North American Bees, Lewis H. Ziska, Jeffery S. Pettis, Joan Edwards, Jillian E. Hancock, Martha B. Tomecek, Andrew Clark, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Irakli Loladze, H. Wayne Polley

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

At present, there is substantive evidence that the nutritional content of agriculturally important food crops will decrease in response to rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, C_a. However, whether C_a-induced declines in nutritional quality are also occurring for pollinator food sources is unknown. Flowering late in the season, goldenrod (Solidago spp.) pollen is a widely available autumnal food source commonly acknowledged by apiarists to be essential to native bee (e.g. Bombus spp.) and honeybee (Apis mellifera) health and winter survival. Using floral collections obtained from the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, we quantified C_{a …}

Cyaf 382: Parenting—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Natalie A. Williams

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio summarizes the process and results of a reflective inquiry into the teaching of CYAF 382 Parenting. The primary goals of this portfolio were to: (1) refine the course to enhance participants’ experience by connecting course goals/objectives and course activities, (2) document the impact of the course of student learning outcomes, and (3) identify specific changes that can be made to enhance the learning of future students.

Edps 870: Introduction To Educational And Psychological Measurement—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Anthony D. Albano

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio was compiled at the completion of the Peer Review of Teaching Project, professional development available to faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The purpose of the project is to support faculty in evaluating and documenting the effectiveness of their teaching. The main objective of this portfolio is to summarize the results of my participation in the project during the 2015/2016 academic year. The portfolio summarizes key features of the course and my teaching methods, along with examples of student work.

The Animal Welfare Act At Fifty: Problems And Possibilities In Animal Testing Regulation, Courtney G. Lee

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. Background of the Animal Welfare Act ... A. Enactment and Evolution ... B. Early Amendments ... C. Improved Standards for Laboratory Animals Act of 1985 ... D. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees ... E. IACUC Effectiveness

III. Coverage of the AWA ... A. What Is an “Animal” under the AWA? ... B. Legislative Background of the Definition ... C. Sentience of Unprotected Species

IV. The Effectiveness and Necessity of Animal Testing ... A. Is Animal Experimentation Effective? ... B. Alternatives to Animal Testing ... 1. In Vitro Testing ... 2. In Silico Testing ... 3. Alternative …

Birth Weight, Early Life Course Bmi, And Body Size Change: Chains Of Risk To Adult Inflammation?, Bridget J. Goosby, Jacob Cheadle, Thomas Mcdade

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper examines how body size changes over the early life course predict high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in a U.S. based sample. Using three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we test the chronic disease epidemiological models of fetal origins, sensitive periods, and chains of risk from birth into adulthood. Few studies link birth weight and changes in obesity status over adolescence and early adulthood to adult obesity and inflammation. Consistent with fetal origins and sensitive periods hypotheses, body size and obesity status at each developmental period, along with increasing body size between periods, are highly …

Nutritional Effects On Reproductive Performance Of Captiveadult Female Coyotes (Canis Latrans), Eric M. Gese, Beth M. Roberts, Frederick F. Knowlton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Interactions between animals and their environment are fundamental to ecological research. Field studies of coyote (Canis latrans) reproductive performance suggest mean litter size changes in response to prey abundance. However, this relationship has been assessed primarily by using carcasses collected from trappers. The objective of this study was to assess whether nutritional manipulation prior to mating affected reproduction in adult female coyotes. We examined the effects of caloric restriction during the 7 months prior to estrus on the reproductive rates of 11 captive female coyotes and the subsequent initial survival of pups through two reproductive cycles. This was …

Supplementary Feeding And Endangered Avian Scavengers: Benefits, Caveats, And Controversies, Ainara Cortés- Avizanda, Guillermo Blanco, Travis L. Devault, Anil Markandya, Munir Z Virani, Joseph Brandt, José A Donázar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Large avian scavengers are among the most vulnerable vertebrates, and many of their populations have declined severely in recent decades. To help mitigate this marked reduction in abundance, supplementary feeding stations (SFS; colloquially termed “vulture restaurants”) have been created worldwide, often without consideration of the scientific evidence supporting the suitability of the practice. SFS have been effective and important tools for conservation and reintroduction of avian scavengers. However, negative consequences can result from large aggregations of individual birds, disrupting intraguild processes and promoting density-dependent decreases in productivity. At the community level, SFS favor the congregation of predators (ie facultative scavengers), …

American Robins (Turdus Migratorius) And Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla Cedrorum) Vary In Use Of Cultivated Cherry Orchards, Rachael A. Eaton, Catherine A. Lindell, Jeffrey Homan, George M. Linz, Brian A. Maurer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Some fruit-eating bird species commonly consume cultivated fruit. Species-specific variation in diet preferences could result in varying use of orchards and impacts on the fruit-producing industry. However, species specific studies of avian orchard use are lacking, particularly throughout the fruit-growing season. Our objectives were to quantify the frequency of daily bird visits to orchards and the amount of time birds spent visiting orchards each day over the fruit-ripening season. Birds are well-documented consumers of cultivated sweet cherries (Prunus avium), which are relatively high in sugar and low in proteins and lipids. American Robins (Turdus migratorius) and …

Ecosystem Services Provided By Avian Scavengers, Travis L. Devault, James C. Beasley, Zachary H. Olson, Marcos Moleón, Martina Carrete, Antoni Margalida, José Antonio Sánchez-Zapata

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Food webs developed under classical theoretical models often depict simplistic interactions among trophic levels linked by predation (Hairston et al. 1960). As a result, extensive research efforts have been devoted to studying predator-prey interactions, often ignoring the contribution of scavenging in food-web dynamics. However, recent advancements in food-web theory have recognized the widespread and critical role that scavenging plays in stabilizing food webs in ecosystems throughout the world, thus suggesting that previous models may have greatly underestimated the importance of scavenging in food web research ( Wilson and Wolkovich 2011; Barton et al. 2013). Such disregard for the importance of …

Feral Swine Damage To Globally Imperiled Wetland Plant Communities In A Significant Biodiversity Hotspot In Florida, Richard M. Engeman, Steve L. Orzell, Rodney K. Felix, Eric A. Tillman, Gary Killian, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We studied rooting damage during five-years of feral swine control at Avon Park Air Force Range, a significant botanical biodiversity hotspot in peninsular Florida with many globally imperiled plant species and communities. While control reduced swine abundance, remaining animals consistently rooted the 49 studied sites in both middle-dry season (MDS) and late-dry season (LDS) each year. At each study site, we measured rooting with sub-meter accuracy. Neither total nor proportional area rooted differed in either season, across study years, or among plant community types: herbaceous seepage slopes, wet pine savannas, wet grasslands. The proportion of sites with damage during MDS …

Olfactory Attractants And Parity Affect Prenatal Androgens And Territoriality Of Coyote Breeding Pairs, Christopher J. Schell, Julie K. Young, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Jill M. Mateo, Rachel M. Santymire

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Hormones are fundamental mediators of personality traits intimately linked with reproductive success. Hence, alterations to endocrine factors may dramatically affect individual behavior that has subsequent fitness consequences. Yet it is unclear how hormonal or behavioral traits change with environmental stressors or over multiple reproductive opportunities, particularly for biparental fauna. To simulate an environmental stressor, we exposed captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs to novel coyote odor attractants (i.e. commercial scent lures) midgestation to influence territorial behaviors, fecal glucocorticoid (FGMs) and fecal androgen metabolites (FAMs). In addition, we observed coyote pairs as first-time and experienced breeders to assess the influence …

Evaluation Of Boldness Assays And Associated Behavioral Measures In A Social Parrot, Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta Monachus), Kaan Kerman, Kathryn E. Sieving, Colette S. Mary, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Boldness reflects consistent individual differences in risk-taking behavior across various contexts. However, evaluating this basic assumption has largely been neglected in birds. In a captive monk parakeet population (Myiopsitta monachus; N = 33), we undertook an analysis of 7 measures across 3 commonly used boldness assays (i.e., novel object, emergence, and predator-exposure tests). Using principal component analysis, we derived 3 components (PCs). PC-2 loaded strongly with measures from emergence and predator-exposure tests; we interpreted it as the closest approximation of boldness. PC-1 and PC-3 described different aspects of feeding such as foraging activity and rate, respectively. Finally, we …

Winter And Summer Home Ranges Of American White Pelicans (Pelecanus Erythrorhynchos) Captured At Loafing Sites In The Southeastern United States, D. Tommy King, Justin W. Fischer, Bronson Strickland, W. David Walter, Fred L. Cunningham, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Satellite telemetry was used to investigate summer and winter home ranges for resident and migrant American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) captured in the southeastern United States between 2002 and 2007. Home range utilization distributions were calculated using 50% and 95% kernel density estimators with the plug-in bandwidth selector. Mean summer home ranges (95%) varied from 177 to 4,710 km2 and mean winter home ranges (95%) ranged from 185 to 916 km2. Mean 50% and 95% home ranges of adult American White Pelicans during summer tended to be larger than those during winter, whereas mean 50% and 95% home …

Role For Migratory Wild Birds In The Global Spread Of Avian Influenza H5n8

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Avian influenza viruses affect both poultry production and public health. A subtype H5N8 (clade 2.3.4.4) virus, following an outbreak in poultry in South Korea in January 2014, rapidly spread worldwide in 2014–2015. Our analysis of H5N8 viral sequences, epidemiological investigations, waterfowl migration, and poultry trade showed that long-distance migratory birds can play a major role in the global spread of avian influenza viruses. Further, we found that the hemagglutinin of clade 2.3.4.4 virus was remarkably promiscuous, creating reassortants with multiple neuraminidase subtypes. Improving our understanding of the circumpolar circulation of avian influenza viruses in migratory waterfowl will help to provide …

Cognitive Phenotypes And The Evolution Of Animal Decisions, Tamra C. Mendelson, Courtney L. Fitzpatrick, Mark E. Hauber, Charles H. Pence, Rafael L. Rodriguez, Rebecca J. Safran, Caitlin A. Stern, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Despite the clear fitness consequences of animal decisions, the science of animal decision making in evolutionary biology is underdeveloped compared with decision science in human psychology. Specifically, the field lacks a conceptual framework that defines and describes the relevant components of a decision, leading to imprecise language and concepts. The ‘judgment and decision-making’ (JDM) framework in human psychology is a powerful tool for framing and understanding human decisions, and we apply it here to components of animal decisions, which we refer to as ‘cognitive phenotypes’. We distinguish multiple cognitive phenotypes in the context of a JDM framework and highlight empirical …

Dysphagia Management And Research In An Acute-Care Military Treatment Facility: The Role Of Applied Informatics, Nancy Pearl Solomon, Angela M. Dietsch, Katie E. Dietrich-Burns, Edda L. Styrmisdottir, Christopher S. Armao

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This report describes the development and preliminary analysis of a database for traumatically injured military service members with dysphagia.

Methods: A multidimensional database was developed to capture clinical variables related to swallowing. Data were derived from clinical records and instrumental swallow studies, and ranged from demographics, injury characteristics, swallowing biomechanics, medications, and standardized tools (e.g.. Glasgow Coma Scale, Penetration-Aspiration Scale). Bayesian Belief Network modeling was used to analyze the data at intermediate points, guide data collection, and predict outcomes. Predictive models were validated with independent data via receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results: The first iteration of …

Why Not Honors? Understanding Students’ Decisions Not To Enroll And Persist In Honors Programs, Timothy J. Nichols, Jacob Ailts, Kuo-Liang Chang

Honors in Practice Online Archive

In recent years, retention and graduation of honors students have received increasing attention in scholarly literature. In the spring of 2013, as a part of the strategic planning process, the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College invited current honors students to complete an online survey aimed at collecting information about the key factors that affected students’ initial decision to enroll in the honors college, the main reasons affecting their decision to continue their enrollment, and the challenges and levels of satisfaction they experienced. Study results indicated that most students were highly satisfied with …

Detecting Microbial Dysbiosis Associated With Pediatric Crohn Disease Despite The High Variability Of The Gut Microbiota, Feng Wang, Jess L. Kaplan, Benjamin D. Gold, Manoj K. Bhasin, Naomi L. Ward, Richard Kellermayer, Barbara S. Kirschner, Melvin B. Heyman, Scot E. Dowd, Stephen B. Cox, Haluk Dogan, Blaire Steven, George Ferry, Stanley A. Cohen, Robert N. Baldassano, Christopher J. Moran, Elizabeth A. Garnett, Lauren Drake, Hasan H. Otu, Leonid A. Mirny, Towia A. Libermann, Harland S. Winter, Kirill S. Korolev

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

The relationship between the host and its microbiota is challenging to understand because both microbial communities and their environments are highly variable. We have developed a set of techniques based on population dynamics and information theory to address this challenge. These methods identify additional bacterial taxa associated with pediatric Crohn disease and can detect significant changes in microbial communities with fewer samples than previous statistical approaches required. We have also substantially improved the accuracy of the diagnosis based on the microbiota from stool samples, and we found that the ecological niche of a microbe predicts its role in Crohn disease. …

Pronghorn Habitat Suitability In The Texas Panhandle, Nathan P. Duncan, Samantha S. Kahl, Shawn S. Gray, Christopher J. Salice, Richard D. Stevens

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

Habitat quality is an important factor that can greatly affect wildlife populations. Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) habitat in the Texas Panhandle, USA has been lost through growth of human settlements and agricultural lands. We determined the most pertinent environmental variables affecting habitat selection using multiple methods, including a search of peer-reviewed literature, expert opinion ranking, and habitat suitability modeling. We determined quality and extent of pronghorn habitat in the Texas Panhandle using the MAXENT modeling environment to build a presence-only habitat suitability model based on global positioning system (GPS) locations collected via aerial surveys. Our habitat suitability model indicated …

Differential Wolf-Pack-Size Persistence And The Role Of Risk When Hunting Dangerous Prey, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech, Wesley E. Newton, Bridget L. Borg

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Risk to predators hunting dangerous prey is an emerging area of research and could account for possible persistent differences in gray wolf (Canis lupus) pack sizes. We documented significant differences in long-term wolf-pack-size averages and variation in the Superior National Forest (SNF), Denali National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone National Park, and Yukon, Canada (p < 0.01). The SNF differences could be related to the wolves’ risk when hunting primary prey, for those packs (N = 3) hunting moose (Alces americanus) were significantly larger than those (N = 10) hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (F_1,8 = 16.50, p = 0.004). Our data support the hypothesis that differential pack-size persistence may be …

A Faculty Wellness Workshop Series: Leveraging On Campus Expertise, Thomas M. Brinthaupt, Arielle Neal, Sheila Otto

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTL) that suffer from funding and staffing issues must rely on outside resources to enhance their effectiveness. Even if funds and staff are adequate, most CTL can improve their reach and effectiveness by the partnerships they establish across their campuses. In this article, we describe a faculty wellness workshop series that illustrates the strategic leveraging we have been able to accomplish on our campus. The series included free standing faculty workshops devoted to stress management (partnering with Counseling Services), work life balance and workplace civility (with members of our faculty learning communities), voice coaching (with …

Beginning Beekeeping Handbook, Paul Timm, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Why Honey Bees?

Where Do I Begin?

Honey Bee Biology and Behavior

Key Seasonal Hive Activities and Responsibilities

Developing and Adding Value to a Product

Marketing Your Product

Writing a Business Plan

Additional Resources

WHY HONEY BEES? It is a question that many people ask me. I ponder this question from time to time, reflecting back upon my own decision to enroll in a beekeeping course during my last undergraduate semester of college. I had no previous experience with honey bees nor did I know anyone that kept bees. Other than divine providence and a desire to learn about an …

Patuxent’S Long-Term Research On Wolves, David L. Mech

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was one of the first species placed on the Endangered Species List in 1967. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 legally protected the wolf along with other listed species. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Patuxent) in Laurel, MD, began its Endangered Wildlife Program in 1966, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologist Ray Erickson was assigned to lead it. In 1973, I was transferred to the program from Region 3 of the USFWS, having been employed there since 1969 to study wolves in Minnesota. Endangered Species Act protection of the wolf fostered its …

Amino Acid Specific Stable Nitrogen Isotope Values In Avian Tissues: Insights From Captive American Kestrels And Wild Herring Gulls, C.E. Hebert, B.N. Popp, K.J. Fernie, C. Ka’Apu-Lyons, B.A. Rattner, N. Wallsgrove

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Through laboratory and field studies, the utility of amino acid compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis (AA-CSIA) in avian studies is investigated. Captive American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were fed an isotopically characterized diet and patterns in δ15N values of amino acids (AAs) were compared to those in their tissues (muscle and red blood cells) and food. Based upon nitrogen isotope discrimination between diet and kestrel tissues, AAs could mostly be categorized as source AAs (retaining baseline δ15N values) and trophic AAs (showing 15N enrichment). Trophic discrimination factors based upon the source (phenylalanine, Phe) and trophic (glutamic acid, Glu) AAs were 4.1 (muscle) …

Expression And Distribution Of Thiol-Regulating Enzyme Glutaredoxin 2 (Grx2) In Porcine Ocular Tissues, Bijaya Upadhyaya, Xiaoli Tian, Hongli Wu, Marjorie F. Lou

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Glutaredoxin2 (Grx2) is a mitochondrial isozyme of the cytosolic glutaredoxin1 (thioltransferase or TTase). Both belong to the large oxidoreductase family and play an important role in maintaining thiol/disulfide redox homeostasis in the cells. Grx2 is recently found in the lens where its activities of disulfide reductase and peroxidase, similar to TTase, can protect the lens against oxidative stress. Since other eye tissues are also highly sensitive to oxidative stress, and TTase’s distribution in the eye is known, we focused on this study by investigating the Grx2 distribution in the ocular tissues in comparison to the lens. Fresh porcine eyes were …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptomatology And Pediatric Obesity: Psychopathology Or Sleep Deprivation?, Alyssa Lundahl, Timothy D. Nelson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity in children has received considerable attention in recent years. However, the literature currently overlooks the potential causal and maintaining role that sleep problems may play in this relationship. Using a biopsychosocial framework, this article highlights how sleep problems impact the biological, psychological, and social aspects of both ADHD symptomatology and obesity. An in-depth examination of this model illustrates the imperative need for future research and clinical practice to recognize and explore the role sleep has in the link between obesity and ADHD symptomatology.

Guidelines For The Use And Interpretation Of Assays For Monitoring Autophagy (3rd Edition), Daniel J. Klionsky, Rodrigo Franco, More Than 2,000 Co-Authors

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes.

For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that …