Digital Commons Network^™

Genome-Wide Rnai Ionomics Screen Reveals New Genes And Regulation Of Human Trace Element Metabolism, Mikalai I. Malinouski, Nesrin M. Hasan, Yan Zhang, Javier Seravalli, Jie Lin, Andrei Avanesov, Svetlana Lutsenko, Vadim N. Gladyshev

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Trace elements are essential for human metabolism and dysregulation of their homoeostasis is associated with numerous disorders. Here we characterize mechanisms that regulate trace elements in human cells by designing and performing a genome-wide high-throughput siRNA/ionomics screen, and examining top hits in cellular and biochemical assays. The screen reveals high stability of the ionomes, especially the zinc ionome, and yields known regulators and novel candidates. We further uncover fundamental differences in the regulation of different trace elements. Specifically, selenium levels are controlled through the selenocysteine machinery and expression of abundant selenoproteins; copper balance is affected by lipid metabolism and requires …

Variable Facial Plumage In Juvenile Cliff Swallows: A Potential Offspring Recognition Cue?, Allison E. Johnson, Steven Freedberg

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Although the ability to recognize related offspring is essential in the evolution of social behavior, the cues that birds use to identify their own offspring are not fully understood. The Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) is a highly social species that nests in large colonies and exhibits a high incidence of both conspecific brood parasitism and extrapair fertilization, behaviors that can potentially lead to parents investing energy and resources in unrelated offspring, which reduces the parents’ genetic fitness. Because parents continue to feed offspring after they leave the nest, parents also risk investing in unrelated offspring by misidentifying their …

Fuel Reduction Practices And Their Effects On Soil Quality, Matt D. Busse, Ken R. Hubbert, Emily E. Y. Moghaddas

Joint Fire Science Program Synthesis Reports

Soils sustain our terrestrial ecosystems, help fuel plant growth, and govern key ecosystem services such as the storage and provision of clean water, degradation of toxic compounds, and regulation of atmospheric gases. Preserving the integrity of soil thus is an earnest responsibility of land stewardship in the United States. This report provides a synthesis of soil chemical, biological, and physical responses to various prescribed fire and mechanical thinning practices and offers practical considerations for use in fuel reduction planning. A wide range of current topics, identified in a nationwide survey of natural resource managers, is discussed in detail: (1) ecological …

A Bibliography Of University Of Nebraska College Of Law Faculty Scholarship 1892–2013, Marcia L. Dority Baker, Stefanie S. Pearlman

Marvin and Virginia Schmid Law Library: Faculty Publications

This bibliography attempts to include all faculty members at the College of Law beginning in 1892 through the faculty members of the 2012–2013 academic year. We included publications from tenure-track law, law library, and law clinical faculty members and visiting faculty members who were at the College of Law for three or more years. Although we did not include the scholarship of faculty members who visited for less than three years or adjunct faculty, we did include a list of those faculty members for historical purposes. We used the Official Bulletin of Nebraska Law and the Nebraska Law Review to …

Childcare And Youth Training And Technical Assistance (Cyttap) 2014 Evaluation Report, Kit Alviz, Tonia Durden

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project (CYTTAP) works to improve the quality and quantity of child care in states with high densities of off-installation military families. From November 2011 through January 2014, childcare providers and early childhood education professionals attended face-to-face trainings, train-the-trainer events, and low- or no-cost online trainings. The trainings included Better Kid Care on Demand (online modules on math, art, behavior, and more); Getting Started in Family Child Care (to learn about starting a family child care business); I Am Moving, I Am Learning (preventing childhood obesity); and Rock Solid Foundations (strategies for supporting …

Direct And Relational Representation During Transitive List Linking In Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus Cyanocephalus), Cynthia Wei, Alan Kamil, Alan B. Bond

Alan Bond Publications

The authors used the list-linking procedure (Treichler & Van Tilburg, 1996) to explore the processes by which animals assemble cognitive structures from fragmentary and often contradictory data. Pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) were trained to a high level of accuracy on two implicit transitive lists. They were then given linkage training on the single pair that linked the two lists into a composite, 10-item hierarchy. Following linkage training, the birds were tested on nonadjacent probe pairs drawn both from within (B-D and 2–4) and between (D-1, E-2, B-2, C-3) each original list. Linkage training resulted in a significant transitory disruption in …

Nebline, February 2014

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Garbology Uses Science to Teach Environmental Responsibility

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Metabolic Reprogramming Induced By Ketone Bodies Diminishes Pancreatic Cancer Cachexia, Surendra K. Shukla, Teklab Gebregiworgis, Vinee Purohit, Nina V. Chaika, Venugopal Gunda, Prakash Radhakrishnan, Kamiya Mehla, Iraklis I. Pipinos, Robert Powers, Fang Yu, Pankaj K. Singh

Robert Powers Publications

Background: Aberrant energy metabolism is a hallmark of cancer. To fulfill the increased energy requirements, tumor cells secrete cytokines/factors inducing muscle and fat degradation in cancer patients, a condition known as cancer cachexia. It accounts for nearly 20% of all cancer-related deaths. However, the mechanistic basis of cancer cachexia and therapies targeting cancer cachexia thus far remain elusive. A ketogenic diet, a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet that elevates circulating levels of ketone bodies (i.e., acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone), serves as an alternative energy source. It has also been proposed that a ketogenic diet leads to systemic metabolic changes. Keeping in …

Extended Viral Shedding Of A Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus By Striped Skunks (Mephitis Mephitis), J. Jeffrey Root, Susan A. Shriner, Kevin T. Bentler, Thomas Gidlewski, Nicole L. Mooers, Jeremy W. Ellis, Terry R. Spraker, Kaci K. Vandalen, Heather J. Sullivan, Alan B. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are susceptible to infection with some influenza A viruses. However, the viral shedding capability of this peri-domestic mammal and its potential role in influenza A virus ecology are largely undetermined.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Striped skunks were experimentally infected with a low pathogenic (LP) H4N6 avian influenza virus (AIV) and monitored for 20 days post infection (DPI). All of the skunks exposed to H4N6 AIV shed large quantities of viral RNA, as detected by real-time RT-PCR and confirmed for live virus with virus isolation, from nasal washes and oral swabs (maximum #106.02 PCR EID50 equivalent/mL and #105.19 …

A Life History Perspective On Skin Cancer And The Evolution Of Skin Pigmentation, Daniel L. Osborne, Raymond B. Hames

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

The ancestral state of human skin pigmentation evolved in response to high ultraviolet radiation (UVR) stress. Some argue that pigmentation evolved to limit folate photolysis, therein limiting neural tube defects. Pigmentation also protects against sunburn which decreases the efficiency of sweating and potentiates skin infection. Pigmentation increases the efficacy of skin as a barrier to infection. Skin cancer has been rejected or minimized as a selective pressure because it is believed to have little or no effect on mortality during reproductive years. This argument ignores evidence of human longevity as a derived life history trait and the adaptive value of …

Effects Of Maternal Nutrient Restriction Followed By Realimentation During Midgestation On Uterine Blood Flow In Beef Cows, L. E. Camacho, C. O. Lemley, L. D. Prezotto, M. L. Bauer, H. C. Freetly, K. C. Swanson, K. A. Vonnahme

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

The objective was to examine the effect of maternal nutrient restriction followed by realimentation during midgestation on uterine blood flow (BF). On Day 30 of pregnancy, lactating, multiparous Simmental beef cows were assigned randomly to treatments: control (CON; 100% National Research Council; n = 6) and nutrient restriction (RES; 60% of CON; n = 4) from Day 30 to 140 (period 1), and thereafter, realimented to CON until Day 198 of gestation (period 2). Uterine BF, pulsatility index (PI), and resistance index (RI) were obtained from both the ipsilateral and contralateral uterine arteries via Doppler ultrasonography. Generalized least square analysis …

Use Of Robust Multivariate Linear Mixed Models For Estimation Of Genetic Parameters For Carcass Traits In Beef Cattle, S. O. Peters, Iowa State University, Adnan Menderes University, D. J. Garrick, R. L. Fernando, E. J. Pollak, R. Mark Enns, M. De Donato, O. O. Ajayi, I. G. Imumorin

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

Assumptions of normality of residuals for carcass evaluation may make inferences vulnerable to the presence of outliers, but heavy-tail densities are viable alternatives to normal distributions and provide robustness against unusual or outlying observations when used to model the densities of residual effects. We compare estimates of genetic parameters by fitting multivariate Normal (MN) or heavy-tail distributions (multivariate Student’s t and multivariate Slash, MSt and MS) for residuals in data of hot carcass weight (HCW), longissimus muscle area (REA) and 12th to 13th rib fat (FAT) traits in beef cattle using 2475 records from 2007 to 2008 from a large …

Local Awareness Of And Attitudes Toward Pygmy Hippopotamus Conservation In The Moa River Island Complex, Sierra Leone., April L. Conway, Sonia M. Hernandez, John P. Carroll, Gary T. Green, Lincoln Larson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Abstract The pygmy hippopotamus Choeropsis liberiensis is an Endangered species found only in the Upper Guinea rainforests of West Africa. Using a two-phase approach, with initial semi-structured interviews followed by more extensive questionnaires, we examined local residents’ awareness of and attitudes towards the pygmy hippopotamus along the Moa River near Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Sierra Leone. The interviews and questionnaires addressed human–hippopotamus interactions, local knowledge and awareness of pygmy hippopotamus ecology and behaviour, and public attitudes towards hippopotamus conservation. Overall, 22% of questionnaire respondents acknowledged benefits related to hippopotamus conservation; factors affecting the perception of benefits included age, livestock …

You Are Not Always What We Think You Eat: Selective Assimilation Across Multiple Whole-Stream Isotopic Tracer Studies, W. K. Dodds, S. M. Collins, S. K. Hamilton, J. L. Tank, S. Johnson, J. R. Webster, K. S. Simon, M. R. Whiles, H. M. Rantala, W. H. Mcdowell, S. D. Peterson, T. Riis, C. L. Crenshaw, S. A. Thomas, P. B. Kristensen, B. M. Cheever, A. S. Flecker, N. A. Griffiths, T. Crowl, E. J. Rosi-Marshall, R. El-Sabaawi, E. Marti

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Analyses of 21 ¹⁵N stable isotope tracer experiments, designed to examine food web dynamics in streams around the world, indicated that the isotopic composition of food resources assimilated by primary consumers (mostly invertebrates) poorly reflected the presumed food sources. Modeling indicated that consumers assimilated only 33–50% of the N available in sampled food sources such as decomposing leaves, epilithon, and fine particulate detritus over feeding periods of weeks or more. Thus, common methods of sampling food sources consumed by animals in streams do not sufficiently reflect the pool of N they assimilate. Isotope tracer studies, combined with modeling and …

2014 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen, Lauren R. Dinan

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2013–2014). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results.

The lower Platte River and its major tributaries provide important nesting and migratory stopover habitat for two bird species of special conservation concern: the state and federally endangered Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum athalassos) and threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of …

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance: Focused On The Safety, Wholesomeness And Quality Of Beef

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

Across the nation, beef producers face the challenge of making a living from the land, while producing safe, wholesome beef. Beef that will provide a great eating experience each and every time for American and International consumers.

Water Metrics, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Jean-Marc Faurès, Poolad Karimi, Wim Bastiaanssen, Meredith Giordano, Vladimir Smakhtin, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Society has a universal need for water that crosses all sectors of activity. We need to be able to measure progress towards sustainable water for all by working towards targets that consider the different dimensions of water resources and use, including water quantity and quality. A suite of indicators that reflect water use by different sectors is needed to measure progress towards the forthcoming SDGs’ [sustainable development goals] water-related targets. Such indicators will need to rely on national data, must consider the variation in data availability, and can be complemented with new cost-effective ways for data collection.

Remote sensing measurements, …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which groundwater concentrations of F⁻ cover a wide range. A subset of 156 children was selected for urinary F⁻ measurements. Our results showed that the mean F⁻ concentrations in groundwater were 8.5 ± 4.1 mg/L (range: 1.1–18 mg/L), while those in urine …

The Effect Of Non-Fluoride Factors On Risk Of Dental Fluorosis: Evidence From Rural Populations Of The Main Ethiopian Rift, Julia Kravchenko, Tewodros Rango, Igor Akushevich, Behailu Atlaw, Peter G. Mccornick, R. Brittany Merola, Christopher Paul, Erika Weinthal, Courtney Harrison, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Elevated level of fluoride (F⁻) in drinking water is a well-recognized risk factor of dental fluorosis (DF). While considering optimization of region-specific standards for F⁻, it is reasonable, however, to consider how local diet, water sourcing practices, and non-F⁻ elements in water may be related to health outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that non-F⁻ elements in groundwater and lifestyle and demographic characteristics may be independent predictors or modifiers of the effects of F⁻ on teeth. Dental examinations were conducted among 1094 inhabitants from 399 randomly selected households of 20 rural communities of …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Paul Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which …

Center For Grassland Studies, Winter-Spring 2014, Volume 20, No. 1

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Bringing Back Grazing Lands in the Rainwater Basin

From the Director

Turfgrass Phosphorus Requirements Are Lower than Previously Thought

Landscape Changes to Grassland Ecosystems

Worldwide Study Finds that Fertilizer Destabilizes Grasslands

On the Land Is Now Online

2014 Nebraska Grazing Conference Features New Venues

CGS Associates

Opportunities for Livestock Expansion in Nebraska

PGA Golf Management Alumni Earn Awards

Social Capital, Ideology, And Health In The United States, Mitchel N. Herian, Louis Tay, Joseph A. Hamm, Ed Diener

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Research from across disciplines has demonstrated that social and political contextual factors at the national and subnational levels can impact the health and health behavior risks of individuals. This paper examines the impact of state-level social capital and ideology on individual-level health out-comes in the United States. Leveraging the variation that exists across states in the United States, the results reveal that individuals report better health in states with higher levels of governmental liberalism and in states with higher levels of social capital. Critically, however, the effect of social capital was moderated by liberalism such that social capital was a …

Empowered And Engaged: Exploring Social Media Best Practices For Nonprofits, Tessa Warner, Alexis Abel, Frauke Hachtmann

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Although nonprofits see value and potential in social media, many have not yet mastered social media and harnessed their full potential. This phenomenological study sought to identify the best social media strategies and tactics for effectively engaging existing and potential donors, volunteers and stakeholders, according to social media nonprofit professionals. Six themes emerged: listening to the audience; engaging instead of fundraising; sharing relevant, valuable and actionable content; being honest, accessible and responsive; using social media as part of a multi-channel strategy; and that measuring is mandatory.

Research At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln: 2013-2014 Report

Office of Research and Economic Development: Publications

The 2013-2014 UNL Research Report, published by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Research and Economic Development, highlights some of the diverse research, scholarship and creative activity at the heart of UNL’s research enterprise during the fiscal year July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014. A companion website includes more photos, videos and additional resources.

Development Of Cyclobutene- And Cyclobutane-Functionalized Fatty Acids With Inhibitory Activity Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Wantanee Sittiwong, Denise Zinniel, Robert J. Fenton, Darrel Marshall, Courtney B. Story, Bohkyung Kim, Ji-Young Lee, Robert Powers, Raul G. Barletta, Patrick Dussault

Robert Powers Publications

Eleven fatty acid analogs incorporating four-membered carbocycles (cyclobutenes, cyclobutanes, cyclobutanones, and cyclobutanols) were investigated for the ability to inhibit growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). A number of the analogs displayed inhibitory activity against both mycobacterial species in minimal media. Several of the molecules displayed potent levels of inhibition against Mtb with MIC values equal to or below those obtained with the anti-tuberculosis drugs D-cycloserine and isoniazid. In contrast, two of the analogs displaying the greatest activity against Mtb failed to inhibit E. coli growth under either set of conditions. Thus, the active molecules identified here …

Family Policy In China: A Snapshot Of 1950–2010, Yan Ruth Xia, Haiping Wang, Anh Do, Shen Qin

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

The Chinese family policies are shaped by the country’s political, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts and have evolved over the years. China has passed its most significant family policies and laws in marriage; child rearing; child, women, and elderly protection; family planning; and health care in the past 60 years. This chapter will cover the most important laws and policies that affect Chinese families from 1950 to 2010. The discussion focuses on policy development, implementation and analysis, and the challenges China faces in relation to these policy issues.

Head Start And Child Care Providers’ Motivators, Barriers And Facilitators To Practicing Family-Style Meal Service, Dipti A. Dev, Katherine E. Speirs, Brent A. Mcbride, Sharon M. Donovan, Karen Chapman-Novakofski

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

This paper presents a qualitative investigation of the motivators, barriers, and facilitators for practicing family-style meal service (FSMS) from the perspective of 18 child care providers serving preschool children in Head Start (HS), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) funded, and non-CACFP child-care centers. Providers were selected based on maximum variation purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted until saturation was reached. Provider responses were systematically coded using thematic analysis. HS and CACFP providers reported being motivated to practice FSMS because it created pleasant mealtimes, opportunities to role model healthy eating, and healthful child development. CACFP and non-CACFP providers …

Structural Brain Differences In Alcohol-Dependent Individuals Withand Without Comorbid Substance Dependence, Anderson Mon, Timothy C. Durazzo, Christoph Abe, Stefan Gazdzinski, David Pennington, Thomas Schmidt, Dieter J. Meyerhoff

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

Background: Over 50% of individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUD) also use other substances; brain structural abnormalities observed in alcohol dependent individuals may not be entirely related to alcohol consumption. This MRI study assessed differences in brain regional tissue volumes between short-term abstinent alcohol dependent individuals without (ALC) and with current substance use dependence (polysubstance users, PSU).

Methods: Nineteen, one-month-abstinent PSU and 40 ALC as well as 27 light-drinkers (LD) were studied on a 1.5 T MR system. Whole brain T1-weighted images were segmented automatically into regional gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes. MANOVA assessed …

Behavioral Health Guidelines For Shelter-In-Place And Evacuation Of Assisted Living And Long-Term Care Facilities, Denise Bulling, Stacey Hoffman, Robin Zagurski

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

This document is intended to assist Nebraska facilities to meet behavioral health needs of residents in assisted living or long-term care in the event of a disaster or other emergency requiring sheltering in place or evacuation. Disasters are typically chaotic and noisy. This can be overwhelming for residents, caregivers and responders. Facility administrators probably have plans already in place for most emergencies including evacuation and sheltering in place. Practicing the procedures related to implementing these plans will help residents and staff members deal with the chaos of an actual disaster better and could lessen everyone’s anxiety. Having a specific plan …

Ec872 Crop Budgets: Nebraska - 2014, Robert N. Klein, Roger Wilson, Jessica Johnson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication contains 66 crop production budgets for 13 crops, as well as tables of power, machinery, labor, and input costs used to develop these budgets. Each budget consists of five sections: • Heading • List of representative field operations • List of materials and services used • Operations and interest tabulations • Overhead costs including real estate taxes and opportunitycharges The budgets are presented in a worksheet format with a “Your Estimate” column for recording cost modifications.

Budget Divisions The heading consists of the crop name, system description, and method of water application. The list of representative field operations …