Digital Commons Network^™

Nebline, June 2015

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: After-Harvest Care Of Asparagus

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Activity Of The Porcine Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene Promoter Is Partially Conferred By A Distal Gonadotrope Specific Element (Gse) Within An Upstream Enhancing Region, Two Proximal Gses And A Retinoid X Receptor Binding Site, Rebecca Cederberg, Jacqueline Smith, Emily A. Mcdonald, Chanho Lee, Amy R. Perkins, Brett R. White

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor (GnRHR) numbers on gonadotropes within the anterior pituitary gland represents a critical point for control of reproductive function. Binding of GnRH to its receptor regulates follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) release and levels of this G-protein coupled receptor on the surface of gonadotropes determines their sensitivity to GnRH pulses. While transcriptional regulation of this gene has been studied in mice, rats, humans and sheep, little is known about its regulation in the pig, an important agricultural species and human research model.

Methods: We isolated 5118 bp of 5′ flanking …

Genetic Engineering Online Lessons Improve Teaching And Increase Knowledge And Accepting Attitudes Among Students, Grace Troupe

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Genetic engineering has been used in the production of food in the U.S. for nearly three decades, however, science literacy in genetic engineering among consumers is still low. To address this problem, an online resource called The Journey of a Gene (passel.unl.edu/ge) was created to help incorporate genetic engineering education in high school and college curriculums. Here we report two studies conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of The Journey of a Gene in 1) improving student knowledge and attitudes about genetic engineering and 2) helping teachers increase their knowledge as well as quantity and quality of genetic engineering instruction. In …

The Emotional Experience Of American Indians Receiving Hemodialysis And How It Relates To Treatment Adherence, Anitra M. Warrior

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

This study used a phenomenological approach as an attempt to capture the essence of the experience of American Indians with diabetes who are receiving dialysis. The purpose of this study and this approach was to develop an understanding of factors that influence treatment adherence, specifically with mental health concerns. As an additional component of this study, this research also followed an advocacy/participatory approach (Creswell, 2007) in which steps to reform services are provided to the Indian Health Service in support of this marginalized group through a written Agenda for Change.

Participants for this study were recruited from multiple states serving …

Who’S To Blame? Blame Attributions And Obesity-Related Law And Policy, Lindsey E. Wylie

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Obesity is a foremost public health concern that has received considerable attention. Because of this so-named “epidemic,” law-makers are challenged with implementing effective policies that the public supports. Little is known, however, about the antecedents and consequences of these policies—especially attributions of blameworthiness. Study 1 developed the Obesity Blame Attribution Scale (OBAS). Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that controllability, responsibility and dispositional blame were separate constructs and were part of a higher-order dispositional blame factor. Situational blame was a separate higher-order factor, not correlated with dispositional blame, consisting of blame toward the food industry and towards government policy. Using the OBAS, …

Human Disturbance And The Physiological Response Of Elk In Eastern Washington, D. S. Jachowski, S. Mccorquodale, Brian E. Washburn, Joshua J. Millspaugh

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Stress hormone measures have proven useful for assessing effects of human disturbance on wildlife populations. However, most studies are of short duration or limited geographic scope (i.e., without spatial replication), leading to concerns about confounding effects of biotic conditions. Previous research correlated fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) of elk (Cervus elaphus) with human disturbance, but this factor also co-varied with seasonal climatic conditions, making it difficult to make broader inference regarding the role of human disturbance. In this study we attempted to simultaneously evaluate the effects of climatic conditions and human disturbance by comparing the year-round physiological stress response …

Secretion Of Heat-Labile Enterotoxin By Porcine-Origin Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli And Relation To Virulence, Prageeth Rukshan Wijemanne

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) is an important virulence factor secreted by some strains of porcine-origin enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (pETEC). The prototypic human-origin strain H10407 secretes LT via a type II secretion system (T2SS), but its presence or importance in pETEC has not been established. Exposure of pETEC to glucose has been shown to result in different secretion levels of LT. Furthermore, the relationship between the level of LT secreted and the virulence potential of the respective pETEC strain has not been established. To determine the relationship between the capacity to secrete LT and virulence in wild-type (WT) pETEC, 16 strains isolated …

Dietary Microrna Database (Dmd): An Archive Database And Analytic Tool For Food-Borne Micrornas, Kevin Chiang, Jiang Shu, Janos Zempleni, Juan Cui

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

With the advent of high throughput technology, a huge amount of microRNA information has been added to the growing body of knowledge for non-coding RNAs. Here we present the Dietary MicroRNA Databases (DMD), the first repository for archiving and analyzing the published and novel microRNAs discovered in dietary resources. Currently there are fifteen types of dietary species, such as apple, grape, cow milk, and cow fat, included in the database originating from 9 plant and 5 animal species. Annotation for each entry, a mature microRNA indexed as DM0000*, covers information of the mature sequences, genome locations, hairpin structures of parental …

Gender Differences In The Relationship Between Impulsivity And Disordered Eating Behaviors And Attitudes, Alyssa Lundahl, Laura C. Wahlstrom, Christa C. Christ, Scott F. Stoltenberg

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: We investigated relationships among gender, impulsivity and disordered eating in healthy college students.

Method: Participants (N = 1223) were healthy, undergraduate men (28.5%) and women (71.5%), who completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale — Version 11 (BIS-11) and a four-factor version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-16).

Results: As predicted, mean scores on all four EAT-16 factors were significantly higher for women than for men. Attentional impulsivity was related to poorer self-perception of body shape, more dieting, and a greater preoccupation with food for the sample as a whole. Moreover, motor impulsivity was related to poorer self-perceptions of body shape …

Transport Of Bovine Milk Exosomes In Human Endothelial Cell, Rio Jati Kusuma

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can be synthesized endogenously and cause gene repression. Encapsulation of miRNAs in exosomes confers protection against degradation and a vehicle for shuttling between cells and tissues, and cellular uptake by endocytosis. Exosomes can be found in biological fluids and foods including milk. Evidence suggests that humans absorb cow’s milk exosomes and deliver the microRNA cargo to peripheral tissues, consistent with gene regulation by nucleic acids across species boundaries. There is strong evidence that milk exosomes may cross the mucosa without re-packaging in mice. Here, we tested the hypothesis that human vascular endothelial cells transport milk exosomes by endocytosis, …

4-H 315 4-H Camp : Counselor Handbook, Tom D. Leisy, Vickie L. Genoff, Virginia Gobeli

Nebraska 4-H Clubs: Historical Materials and Publications

4-H 315: Counselor Handbook. This handbook contains information about various aspects of 4-H camping including how to become a camp counselor, leadership skills, how to understand campers, and safety procedures. Missing section 7: Resources and Teaching aids.

4-H 316 The Green Food Factory : A 4-H School Enrichment Project

Nebraska 4-H Clubs: Historical Materials and Publications

4-H 316: The Green Food Factory. This extension contains information about plant anatomy and physiology, production and processing of soy and dry beans, and marketing strategies for dry and soybeans.

Effect Of A Trace Mineral Injection On Beef Cattle Performance, Carmen J. Brasche

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

Adequate trace mineral status is important in beef cow/calf and replacement heifer systems because trace minerals play vital roles in reproduction, immunity and growth. Many experiments have investigated the use of a trace mineral injection containing Cu, Mn, Se and Zn (TMI) on growth and immunity of beef cattle. However, very few have investigated TMI use on reproductive performance. Therefore, five experiments, a two year cow/calf experiment, and four replacement heifer experiments were designed to investigate the use of a TMI on reproductive performance of cows and heifers, calf growth and trace mineral status of cows, heifers, and calves. The …

Corn Plant Maturity Effect On Yield And Nutritional Quality: Corn Silage Inoculation On Performance Of Cattle Fed Silage With Or Without Live Yeast Added, Cassandra A. Row

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

Corn plots were serially harvested over two years to evaluate nutrient, digestibility, and yield change as plants matured from half-milk line through black layer. In yr 1 (2013), two corn plots were used, one short season (102 d), and one normal season (111 d). Year two used two Pioneer hybrids (111 d; 112 d). Silage yield and silage DM increased quadratically as maturity increased (P ≤ 0.01). Percent NDF increased quadratically (P = 0.01), and NDF-digestibility decreased linearly (P < 0.01) as maturity increased. This study suggests there is a delicate balance between plant maturity, nutrient content, and silage yield. A finishing study using 320 yearling steers (initial BW = 417 ± 22.7 kg) evaluated the effect of using a silage inoculant or not on performance and carcass characteristics. Treatments were designed as a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement with factors being no inoculant (CON) or use of inoculant (Buchnerii spp.; B500) at silage harvest, silage fed at 15 or 40% of diet DM, and presence (LEV) or absence (noLEV) of Levucell SC yeast product fed at 14.2 g/hd/d. Performance data were analyzed with pen as the experimental unit, with 5 pens/treatment. There was a three-way interaction for final live BW, HCW, ADG, and G:F (P < 0.05). Feeding corn silage at 40% inclusion instead of 15% inclusion increased DMI and decreased G:F. At 15% silage inclusion, the B500 LEV treatment had the lowest ADG. At 40% silage inclusion all treatments were similar for ADG (P ≥ 0.06). When including silage at 15%, using B500 inoculant, the addition of LEV did not …

Exploring The Evolutionary Origins Of Obesity Through The Endocrine-Physical Activity-Bone Axis, Maria G. Lapera

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

As the global obesity epidemic spreads, scientists struggle to understand the biological, cultural, and evolutionary bases for modern fatness. Understanding the contributions of the interaction between physical activity and the endocrine system to regulating metabolism could potentially help people who are overweight or obese in losing weight and illustrate one of the evolutionary pathways that encourages modern obesity. This study used an innovative approach that integrated a lifestyle physical activity and diet questionnaire coupled with endocrine analysis (leptin, osteocalcin) and anthropometric measures in order to create baseline measurements of fit individuals. The mean osteocalcin level was 4201.46 pg/mL and the …

A Study Of Life Skills From Traditional And Afterschool 4-H Participants, Julia M. Kreikemeier

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

Cooperative Extension has been serving youth and their families for over one hundred years. The total impact of this service has been measured on several occasions by many researchers, most notably in the research of youth development by Richard Learner; however, his research only took into account those who participated in traditional 4-H clubs. The purpose of this quantitative study was designed to examine which life skills youth participants in traditional and afterschool 4-H programs reported. Quantitative methodology was used to collect post-program survey data of youth participants. Qualitative informal interviews were conducted of Extension Educators and afterschool 4-H program …

Corn Characterization And Development Of A Convenient Laboratory Scale Alkaline Cooking Process, Shreya N.O. Sahasrabudhe

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

Nixtamalized (alkaline cooked) corn (Zea mays L.) products are increasing in popularity due to their affordable cost, ease of production, and the diversity of products that can be made using similar unit operations. The nixtamal produced after alkaline cooking depends on the processing parameters used during cooking and steeping, as well as the physicochemical properties of the corn hybrids used. Processors incur high costs in narrowing down hybrids suitable for a given process, or they must be able to adjust cooking conditions to obtain the desired end-product characteristics. Improper processing generates large quantities of waste. Researchers have developed small …

Viability Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus Dds 1-10 Encapsulated With An Alginate-Starch Matrix, Liya Mo

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

L. acidophilus DDS1-10 was encapsulated using an alginate, potato starch and type 4 resistant starch (RS4) matrix. The wall material was optimized by varying levels of alginate (1.6 to 4.4%), while maintaining potato starch and RS4 ratio fixed at 2, and the total solid content at 5%. Particles were prepared using an emulsion and an extrusion method. Particles obtained from the emulsion method were smaller with a non-uniform distribution in size while those obtained by the extrusion method were bigger and uniform in size. The emulsion method did not seem to offer protection to the probiotic cells against pH, bile …

Acute Toxicity Of Β-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine (Bmaa) To Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas) And Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Jiayi Wang

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxic amino acid produced by most species of cyanobacteria. Exposure to BMAA has been hypothesized as a cause of ALS and possibly Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases for several decades. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that exposure to elevated concentrations of BMAA can damage motor neurons and cause motor dysfunctions. However, the exact mechanism of BMAA-induced neurotoxicity has not been well understood.

Based on the available literature and in spite of its water-soluble and non-protein nature, BMAA appears to be able to bioaccumulate in organisms. The ubiquity of cyanobacteria and the potential for bioaccumulation …

Soil Preferences Of Nicrophorus Beetles And The Effects Of Compaction On Burying Behavior, Kelly A. Willemssens

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier was declared federally endangered in 1989 and many efforts to prevent this species from going extinct are ongoing. The Nicrophorus beetles bury small carcasses for reproductive purposes. They also reside in the soil during times of daily and seasonal inactivity. To better understand why N. americanus is in decline, the importance of soil texture, moisture, vegetation, gravel, the burial depth, and the effect of compaction on their burying behavior was examined.

All tested species preferred moist soils with N. orbicollis having a significant preference for wet (pN. marginatus had a significant preference for …

Investigations Into The Molecular Mechanisms Of Bacterial Pathogen–Host Interactions: Construction Of A Dual Plasmid System For Incorporation Of Unnatural Amino Acids Into Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Scotty D. Raber

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A dual plasmid system for the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into plant pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, has been designed. This invention is expected to allow (a) mutations of proteins synthesized by the bacterium, P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000, that can capture molecular targets, especially for such modified proteins secreted by the phytopathogen into the host plant cells of A. thaliana and S. lycopersicum, (b) expression of biological probes in the bacterial species to monitor changes in redox, nutritional, and other small molecule states over pre-, post- and in situ disease stages, and secretion of such biological …

Molecular Mechanism For The Biosynthesis Of Antifungal Hsaf And Antibacterial Wap-8294a2, Haotong Chen

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bioactive natural products are a major source of anti-infectives. Many ubiquitous inhabitants of soil and water, such as the Gram-negative, prolific producers of natural products, Lysobacter, remain largely unexplored. This PhD thesis reports our studies of the biosynthetic mechanism for a novel antifungal natural product HSAF and a potent anti-MRSA natural product WAP-8294A2.

In the first chapter, we give a short review of the biosynthesis of polyketides, focusing on those which exhibit new biosynthetic features. In subsequent chapters, we present original research on the biosynthetic mechanisms of dihydromaltophilin, a heat stable antifungal factor (HSAF). HSAF is the main antifungal …

Characterizing The Effects Of Both Synthetic And Natural Inhibitors On The Function Of Holocarboxylase Synthetase And Lipid Metabolism, Elizabeth Cordonier

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The central theme of this dissertation explores enzyme inhibition, through the use of both synthetic and natural occurring inhibitors of three biotin-associated enzymes; the mammalian biotin ligase, holocarboxylase synthetase(HLCS), and acetyl-CoA carboxylases 1 and 2 (ACC1 and 2), whose activity is dependent on biotinylation by HLCS, and are involved in fatty acid synthesis and regulation of beta-oxidation, respectively. No null HLCS individual has ever been reported and individuals with inherited mutations in the HLCS gene, which render it incapable of biotinylating carboxylases, exhibit varying degrees of symptoms associated with multiple carboxylase deficiency. Little is known with regard to the reaction …

Effects Of Feeding Distillers Grains Throughout Different Phases Of Production On Shelf Life Of Ground Beef, Brandy D. Cleveland

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

These studies analyzed the effects of feeding distillers grains on the shelf life of cooked and raw ground beef, and how the addition of postmortem or dietary antioxidants impact shelf life.

For study one, cattle were assigned to backgrounding diets containing low or high concentrations of wet distillers grains (WDGS) and either corn gluten feed or modified wet distillers grains (MDGS) during finishing. For study two, cattle were fed one of five finishing diets; corn, wet distillers grains (WDGS), WDGS + vitamin E, WDGS + Ethoxyquin/TBHQ, or WDGS + vitamin E + Ethoxyquin/TBHQ.

Shoulder clods from each dietary treatment were …

Development Of A Large Set Of Microsatellite Markers In Zapote Mamey (Pouteria Sapota (Jacq.) H.E. Moore & Stearn) And Their Potential Use In The Study Of The Species, Renee S. Arias, Jaime Martínez-Castillo, V. S. Sobolev, Nasib H. Blancarte-Jaso, S. A. Simpson, Linda L. Ballard, Mary V. Duke, Xiaofen F. Liu, Brian M. Irish, Brian E. Scheffler

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

Pouteria sapota is known for its edible fruits that contain unique carotenoids, as well as for its fungitoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity. However, its genetics is mostly unknown, including aspects about its genetic diversity and domestication process. We did high-throughput sequencing of microsatellite-enriched libraries of P. sapota, generated 5223 contig DNA sequences, 1.8 Mbp, developed 368 microsatellites markers and tested them on 29 individuals from 10 populations (seven wild, three cultivated) from Mexico, its putative domestication center. Gene ontology BLAST analysis of the DNA sequences containing microsatellites showed potential association to physiological functions. Genetic diversity was slightly higher in cultivated …

Exploring The Academic And Social Experiences Of Homeless College Students, Quinton D. Geis

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis focuses on the experiences of college students who are facing homelessness, specifically from an academic and social lens. A hidden group within institutions of higher education, these students face many challenges that include economic instability, social isolation, or difficulty navigating the collegial environment. These challenges provide the opportunity for resilience but lack of support creates obstacles that may make degree attainment seem impossible.

Using a phenomenological approach, students were asked to participate in two interviews. Data gathered suggests that participants hide their homelessness from others. Lack of social support experiences, diverse living situations, and unique circumstances illuminated the …

Characterization And Investigation Of Fungi Inhabiting The Gastrointestinal Tract Of Healthy And Diseased Humans, Mallory J. Suhr

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

Gastrointestinal microbiome studies have failed to include fungi in total community analyses. As a result, their diversity and function in the gut is poorly understood. Recent work has begun to uncover the role intestinal fungi play in diet, immune system development, interactions with other microorganisms in the gut, and pathogenesis of diseases. Advances in sequencing technologies allow for the ability to profile the fungal gut microbiome (“mycobiome”) in healthy and diseased states. This thesis explores the mycobiome in 1) healthy humans with a vegetarian diet and 2) pediatric small bowel transplant recipients that develop fungal bloodstream infections.

The gut mycobiome …

Transport Of Bovine Milk Exosomes By Human Colon Carcinoma Caco-2 Cells And Rat Small Intestinal Iec-6 Cells, Tovah Wolf

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We have reported that microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) in bovine milk regulate human genes. In milk, many miRNAs are encapsulated in exosomes, thereby conferring protection against degradation and a pathway for intestinal transport of miRNAs. We hypothesized that the uptake of bovine exosomes in human intestinal colon carcinoma Caco-2 cells and rat primary small intestinal IEC-6 cells is mediated by endocytosis. Transport studies were carried out using fluorophore-labeled exosomes purified from bovine milk. The transport of bovine exosomes exhibited saturation kinetics at 37°C (K_m= 55.5±48.6 µg/200 µL, V_max= 0.083±0.057 ng exosomal protein x 81,750 cells⁻¹ x …

Effects Of Blanching On Color, Texture And Sodium Chloride Content During Storage Time Of Frozen Vegetable Soybean Modeling For Commercial Scale, Pimsiree Suwan

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

Vegetable soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] are a green stage of soybeans, which have become increasingly popular among health-conscious Americans as an alternative low-fat and heart-healthy food. Vegetable soybeans (VSB) are also an excellent source of protein and fiber. However, the vast majority of the VSB consumed are imported, as they are not extensively grown and processed in the United States. The situation results in short supply and limited processing information.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of water blanching (at 86, 92, 98 °C for 1m30s, 2m, 2m30s) and steam blanching (at 86, 92, …

Impact Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi On The Physiology Of Maize Genotypes Under Variable Nitrogen And Phosphorus Levels, Roberto Crespo

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It is important to increase our understanding of AM fungal and maize genotype interactions, the impact of N and P fertilization and water condition on the symbiosis, and on the physiology and nutritional status of maize plants. In two greenhouse experiments AM inoculated plants exhibited root colonization values around 70% which was confirmed by the presence of the AM lipid biomarker (C16:1cis11). Nitrogen fertilization increased AM root colonization, but only compared to unfertilized plants. Root colonization and biomarker concentration in root and soil were similar among inoculated maize genotypes across conventional and drought tolerant hybrids. Mycorrhizal inoculation had a positive …