Digital Commons Network^™

Book Review: Keeping The Nation’S House, Elizabeth Lacouture

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

In 1940, China’s Nationalist Ministry of Education issued a decree from its wartime capital of Chongqing. At a time when Japan occupied China’s eastern seaboard and the Communists controlled the north, the Ministry called on educators and homemakers to “cultivate children’s happiness.” Doing more with less, teachers and mothers were supposed to make children believe that “even if the food is unsatisfactory, the clothes are inadequate, or the habitation is insufficient… it is still very good” (p. 1). In Keeping the Nation’s House, Helen Schneider explores how Chinese educators and the Chinese state transformed the seemingly frivolous and individualistic bourgeois …

High-Efficiency Talen-Based Gene Editing Produces Disease-Resistant Rice, Ting Li, Martin H. Spalding, Donald P. Weeks, Bing Yang

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Transcription activator–like (TAL) effectors of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) contribute to pathogen virulence by transcriptionally activating specific rice disease-susceptibility (S) genes. TAL effector nucleases (TALENs)—fusion proteins derived from the DNA recognition repeats of native or customized TAL effectors and the DNA cleavage domains of FokI—have been used to create site-specific gene modifications in plant cells, yeast, animals, and even human pluripotent cells. Here, we exploit TALEN technology to edit a specific S gene in rice to thwart the virulence strategy of X. oryzae and thereby engineer heritable genome modifications for resistance to bacterial blight, a devastating disease …

Ergodic Sets As Cell Phenotype Of Budding Yeast Cell Cycle, Robert G. Todd, Tomáš Helikar

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

It has been suggested that irreducible sets of states in Probabilistic Boolean Networks correspond to cellular phenotype. In this study, we identify such sets of states for each phase of the budding yeast cell cycle. We find that these ‘‘ergodic sets’’ underly the cyclin activity levels during each phase of the cell cycle. Our results compare to the observations made in several laboratory experiments as well as the results of differential equation models. Dynamical studies of this model: (i) indicate that under stochastic external signals the continuous oscillating waves of cyclin activity and the opposing waves of CKIs …

Quorum Sensing Activity In Ophiostoma Ulmi: Effects Of Fusel Oils And Branched Chain Amino Acids On Yeast-Mycelial Dimorphism, A. Berrocal, J. Navarrete, C. Oviedo, K. W. Nickerson

Kenneth Nickerson Papers

Aims: For Ophiostoma (Ceratocystis) ulmi, the ability to undergo morphological change is a crucial factor for its virulence. To gain an understanding of quorum- sensing activity in O. ulmi as it relates to yeast-mycelium dimorphism control, this study examines the effects of branched-chain amino acids as well as their fusel alcohols and fusel acids as quorum sensing molecules.

Methods and Results: In a defined medium containing glucose, proline and salts, O. ulmi grew as yeasts when the culture was inoculated with a high density of spores (2-10⁷ CFU ml^-1) and as mycelia when inoculated …

Toxicokinetics And Pathology Of Plant-Associated Acute Selenium Toxicosis In Steers, T Zane Davis, Bryan L. Stegelmeier, Kip E. Panter, Daniel Cook, Dale R. Gardner

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

Sixteen of approximately 500 yearling steers died of acute selenium (Se) toxicosis after grazing on a Secontaminated range for only a few days. Field studies and chemical analyses identified the predominant toxic plant as western aster (Symphyotrichum ascendens, previously Aster ascendens), which contained over 4,000 ppm Se (dry weight). Several dead animals that were necropsied had acute severe myocardial necrosis characterized by edema and myocyte swelling, with hypereosinophilia, clumping, and coagulation of myocardial proteins. Whole blood from 36 surviving steers was collected and analyzed, and 10 steers with elevated Se concentrations were selected for close monitoring and clinical evaluations. Each …

Effect Of Planting Date, Nitrogen Rate, And Hybrid On Sunflower, Valtcho D. Zheljazkov, Brady A. Vick, Brian S. Baldwin, Normie Buehring, Tess Astatkie, Billy Johnson

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

Sunflower is a potential crop for the southeastern United States for production of cooking oil or biodiesel. In 2007, we evaluated the effect of planting date (PD, 20 April, 20 May, and 20 June), nitrogen (N) application rate (0, 67, 134, and 202 kg ha⁻¹), and hybrid (‘DKF3875’, ‘DKF2990’, ‘DKF3510’, and ‘DKF3901’) on sunflower productivity and oil profile in four Mississippi locations, Newton, Starkville, and two sites in Verona. There was a trend of increased oleic acid concentration with earlier planting dates, especially in hybrids with lower oleic acid concentration. Earlier planting dates of ‘DKF3901’ and ‘DKF2990’ (the …

Cover Crop And Conidia Delivery System Impacts On Soil Persistence Of Metarhizium Anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) In Sugarbeet, Mark A. Boetel, Ayanava Majumdar, Stefan T. Jaronski, Richard D. Horsley

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

The sugarbeet root maggot, Tetanops myopaeformis (Röder), is a major North American pest of sugarbeet, Beta vulgaris L. Previous research suggests that moderate T. myopaeformis control is possible with the entomopathogen Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sorok. We conducted a three-year (2002‒2004) experiment to assess impacts of oat, Avena sativa L. and rye, Secale cereale L., cover crops on persistence of corn grit-based granular or spray formulations of M. anisopliae isolate ATCC 62176 (i.e. MA 1200) applied at 8 x 10¹² viable conidia/ha in sugarbeet. More colony forming units (CFUs) were detected immediately after application [0 days after treatment (DAT)] in …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2012, 132nd Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Second Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Applied Science and Technology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Nebraska Wesleyan University Health and Sciences Graduate School Fair

Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session

Maiben Memorial Lecture: "The Status of Nebraska's Native Aspen," "Buffalo" Bruce McIntosh, Western Nebraska Resources Council

Aeronautics

Anthropology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Chemistry and Physics

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Earth Science

History/Philosophy of Science

Junior Academy, Senior High Competition

Teaching of Science and Math

Junior Academy, Junior High Competition

Characterization Of Sorghum Grain And Evaluation Of Sorghum Flour In A Chinese Egg Noodle System, Liman Liu, Thomas J. Herald, Donghai Wang, Jeff D. Wilson, Scott R. Bean, Fadi M. Aramouni

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

Sorghum is a gluten free grain that has potential to be used as an alternative to wheat flour for the Celiac Sprue market. There are thousands of sorghum lines that have not been characterized for grain, flour or end product quality. The objective of the research was to gain an understanding among grain sorghum quality factors and Chinese egg noodles quality. Four sorghum hybrids were characterized and evaluated for kernel characteristics, proximate analysis, flour composition and end product in a Chinese egg noodle system. Kernel size and weight affected the flour particle size and the amount of starch damage. Flour …

2012 Beef Cattle Report: Table Of Contents

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow/Calf

Supplementing Gestating Beef Cows Grazing Cornstalk Residues................ 5

Effect of Corn Stalk Grazing and Baling on Cattle Performance and Irrigation Needs............... 8

Nutritive Value and Amount of Corn Plant Parts................... 11

Wheat Straw, Distillers Grains, and Beet Pulp for Late Gestation Beef Cows......... 13

Influence of Weaning Date and Pre-partum Nutrition on Cow-Calf Productivity........ 15

Effect of Calving Period on Heifer Progeny..................... 18

Evaluating Conventional and Sexed Semen in a Commercial Beef Heifer Program.................... 20

Late Gestation Supplementation Impacts Primiparous Beef Heifers and Progeny..................... 22

Nutritional Regime and Antral Follicle Count Impact Reproductive Characteristics in Heifers................ 24

Vascular Endothelial …

Supplementing Gestating Beef Cows Grazing Cornstalk Residue, Jason M. Warner, Jeremy L. Martin, Zachary C. Hall Hall, Luke M. Kovarik, Kathryn J. Hanford, Richard J. Rasby, Mark Dragastin

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 5-year study evaluated the effects of protein supplementation to beef cows grazing cornstalks in late gestation on both cow and calf weight, and the reproductive performance of heifer progeny. Supplementation improved cow BCS at the end of cornstalk grazing. Calf weight, cow pregnancy rates, and reproductive traits of subsequent heifer progeny were not impacted by supplementation. Supplementing mid- to late-gestation beef cows grazing cornstalks has minimal impact on cow performance or fetal programming of heifer progeny.

Nutritive Value And Amount Of Corn Plant Parts, Adam L. Mcgee, Mackenzie Johnson, Kelsey M. Rolfe Rolfe, Jana L. Harding, Terry J. Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Corn plants were separated into seven different plant parts and analyzed for digestibility. Digestibility of the different parts of the plant ranged from 33.85% to 59.03%. The amount of highly digestible residue averaged 13.4 lb/ bu of grain. Digestibility and amount of residue has considerable impact on the stocking rate and performance of cattle on cornstalks. Subsequent crop yields were not affected by grazing.

Effect Of Calving Period On Heifer Progeny, Richard N. Funston, Jacqueline A. Musgrave, Tonya L. Meyer, Dan M. Larson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Records from 1997 through 2009 were used to determine the effect of calving date on ADG, reproduction, and first-calf characteristics in spring born heifer calves at University of Nebraska– Lincoln Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory. Heifers were classified as born in the first, second, or third 21- day period of the calving season. Heifer calves born during the first 21 days had greater weaning, pre-breeding, and pre-calving BW; greater percent cycling before breeding, and pregnancy rates compared to heifers born in the third period. First-calf progeny had earlier birth date and greater weaning BW. Calving period of heifer progeny impacts development and …

Nutritional Regime And Antral Follicle Count Impact Reproductive Characteristics In Heifers, Adam F. Summers, Robert A. Cushman, Stetson P. Weber Weber, Karl V. Moline, Jeffrey W. Bergman, Matthew L. Spangler, Andrea S. Cupp

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Developing heifers were offered either a modified distillers (MOD), distillers based (DDG), or corn gluten feed based (CGF) supplement while grazing pastures during development. Prior to breeding, antral follicle count (AFC), uterine horn diameter (UHD), ovarian area, and reproductive tract score (RTS) were determined via rectal ultrasonography to examine the effect of protein supplement on heifer reproductive characteristics. Heifers developed on MOD diets had greater RTS, ovarian area, and total AFC compared to DDG and CGF heifers. Small and medium follicle counts had a positive correlation with total AFC. Heifers developed on DDG and CGF had greater overall pregnancy rates …

Effect Of Storage Method On Nutrient Composition And Dry Matter Loss Of Wet Distillers Grains, Jana L. Harding, Jessica E. Cornelius, Kelsey M. Rolfe Rolfe, Adam L. Shreck, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Storage of distillers grains plus solubles was studied using 55-gallon barrels to mimic bunker storage. Six different cover treatments were evaluated when wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) and straw were stored, or modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS) alone was stored for 60 days in 55-gallon barrels. Covering with plastic minimized spoilage (8%), and plastic or solubles as cover decreased DM loss (3-5%). Barrels filled with WDGS alone and uncovered were evaluated over 140 days of storage. With time, DM loss increased from 5 to 22%, while spoilage increased from 6 to 12%.

2012 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report (Complete)

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow/Calf

Supplementing Gestating Beef Cows Grazing Cornstalk Residues

Effect of Corn Stalk Grazing and Baling on Cattle Performance and Irrigation Needs

Nutritive Value and Amount of Corn Plant Parts

Wheat Straw, Distillers Grains, and Beet Pulp for Late Gestation Beef Cows

Influence of Weaning Date and Pre-partum Nutrition on Cow-Calf Productivity

Effect of Calving Period on Heifer Progeny

Evaluating Conventional and Sexed Semen in a Commercial Beef Heifer Program

Late Gestation Supplementation Impacts Primiparous Beef Heifers and Progeny

Nutritional Regime and Antral Follicle Count Impact Reproductive Characteristics in Heifers

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A(VEGFA) in Ovulatory Follicles

Oocyte mRNA and …

Effects Of Feeding Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles On Marbling Attributes, Proximate Composition And Fatty Acid Profile Of Beef, A.S. Mello Jr., B.E. Jenschke, Lasika S. Senaratne, Timothy P. Carr, Galen E. Erickson, Chris R. Calkins

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Wet distillers grains contain approximately 65% moisture. A partially dried product (modified distillers grains plus solubles; MDGS) contains about 50% moisture. However, both have similar nutrient composition on a dry matter basis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of finishing diets varying in concentration of MDGS on marbling attributes, proximate composition, and fatty acid profile of beef. Yearling steers (n = 268) were randomly allotted to 36 pens which were assigned randomly to 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% MDGS (DM basis) and fed for 176 d prior harvest. Forty-eight h postmortem marbling score, …

On-Plant Movement And Feeding Of Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Early Instars On Corn, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Thomas E. Hunt, Robert J. Wright, Gary L. Hein, Erin E. Blankenship

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith), has undergone a recent eastward expansion from the western United States Corn Belt to Pennsylvania and parts of Canada. Little is known about its ecology and behavior, particularly during the early instars, on corn (Zea mays L.). There is a narrow treatment window for larvae, and early detection of the pest in the field is essential. An understanding of western bean cutworm larval feeding and early-instar dispersal is essential to understand larval survival and establishment in corn. Studies were conducted in 2009 through 2011 in Nebraska to determine the feeding and dispersal of …

Women Shaping Their World: An Honors Colloquium, Julie M. Barst, Julie D. Lane, Christine Stewart-Nuñez

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Because gender maintains a significant influence on our education, careers, decision-making, families, and everyday lives, honors programs that wish to explore issues of social justice and equality should include coursework that illuminates historical and contemporary issues from a gendered perspective. In spring 2011, the South Dakota State University Honors Program offered an innovative three-credit honors colloquium entitled “Women Shaping Their World.” This multidisciplinary course focused on examining the ways that women’s lives are structured in cultural, social, religious, economic, historical, political, and scientific contexts; it also explored the potential of women to transcend these barriers and shape their own lives. …

Morphology And Variation Of The Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus Hemionus Hemionus), Kati Schöpke, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Renate Schafberg

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

A collection of recent skeletal remains from the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus hemionus PALLAS) was prepared and stored in the Museum of Domesticated Animals “JULIUS KÜHN” in Halle, Germany.

The collection is based on carcass remains sampled between 2001 and 2006 under the leadership of Michael Stubbe during joint Mongolian-German Biological Expeditions

Skeletal remains of 43 individual specimens were studied (18 mares, 15 stallions, and 10 juvenile asses). The determination of sex and age was initially based on carcass information from observations made in situ in the field. Subsequently, skull traits, including dentition and development of canine teeth …

New Data On The Fish Coregonus Peled (Gmelin, 1788) In Some Water Bodies Of Mongolia, Ayuriin Dulmaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In connection with the planned establishment of a coregonid fishery and the construction of a specialized hatchery in the area of Western Mongolia a study was undertaken with the aim of studying some parts of the reproductive biology of population of Coregonus peled inhabiting the lake Ulaagchnii Khar (Zavhan aimag). This species was introduced into this Mongolian lake, originally lacking any fish stock, in the period from 1980–1982. 11,230 fish were collected and examined during the periods from 1993–1999 and 2005–2011 and consisted partly of the fish originating from imported and introduced larvae and partly of the individuals belonging about …

First Stable Isotope Analysis Of Asiatic Wild Ass Tail Hair From The Mongolian Gobi, Micha Horacek, Petra Kaczensky, Merina Burnik Sturm

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Stable isotope analysis has become a powerful tool to study feeding ecology, water use or movement pattern in contemporary, historic and ancient species. Certain hair and teeth grow continuously, and when sampled longitudinally can provide temporally explicit information on dietary regime and movement pattern. In an initial trial, we analysed a tail sample of an Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) from the Mongolian Gobi. We found seasonal variations in H, C, and N isotope patterns, likely being the result of temporal variations in available feeds, water supply and possibly physiological status. Thus stable isotope analysis shows promise to …

Establishing A Latin American University Honors Program: The Case Of Campus Monterrey, Tecnológico De Monterrey, Mexico, Mohammad Ayub Khan, Ruben Morales-Menendez

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

The university honors program of Campus Monterrey, Tecnológico de Monterrey, evolved from the international degree program that was first offered in the spring semester of 2002. Originally six programs were offered in the School of Business and School of Engineering: • BA Business Administration • BA Financial Management • BA Finance and Accounting • BA Marketing • BA International Business • BS Industrial and Systems Engineering Once introduced, the international degree program received such a good response from the student community that, in the following semesters, the number of programs available in an international version increased from six to eleven …

Expected Economic Potential Of Substituting Legumes For Nitrogen In Bermudagrass Pastures, Jon T. Biermacher, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. Reuter, M.K. Kering, J.K. Rogers, J. Blanton Jr, John A. Guretzky, T.J. Butler

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Grazing warm-season grass pastures with stocker cattle (Bos taurus) is an important economic activity in the southern Great Plains, and substantial increases in the price of N fertilizer have negatively affected profi tability of forage producers. The goal of the study was to determine if bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] pastures interseeded with either annual or perennial legumes are more profitable than the conventional method of fertilizing with 112 kg N ha^–1 commercial fertilizer. A completely randomized design grazing study was conducted in south-central Oklahoma during the spring and summer months of 2008, 2009, and 2010. …

Natural Variation In Iron Use Efficiency And Mineral Remobilization In Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus), Brian M. Waters, Grace Troupe

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Aims: Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient, and plant-available Fe is often limited in alkaline soils. Fe deficiency chlorosis decreases plant growth and yield. Identification of germplasm with high and low Fe use efficiency will allow studies to better understand the genetic components for breeding Fe efficient varieties.

Methods: A screen using cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings identified varieties that maintained contrasting levels of chlorophyll under Fe deficiency or limitation. A time course of mineral dynamics in cotyledons was conducted.

Results: The variety Ashley had the highest chlorophyll under Fe deficiency and per unit Fe in the leaf, while …

Case Study: In Situ Determination Of Protein Digestibility Of Dried Distillers Grains Containing 3 Lipid Concentrations Using A Mobile Bag Method, B. E. Meyer, C. L. Bouma, James C. Macdonald

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Ethanol producers remove lipid from distillers grains (DG) for applications such as biodiesel production. The effects of the lipid removal on ruminal protein degradability and total-tract CP digestibility of DG are not known. Five ruminally and duodenally cannulated Angus-cross steers (BW = 434 ± 15 kg) were used to incubate in situ bags for determination of protein digestibility of low-lipid (5.54%) DG, medium-lipid (8.40%) DG, high-lipid (12.46%) DG, and cottonseed meal. Ingredients were weighed into individual in situ bags and incubated in the ventral sac of the rumen for 16 h. After ruminal incubation and simulated abomasal digestion, bags were …

Technical Note: Estimating Beef-Cattle Forage Demand: Evaluating The Animal Unit Concept, T. L. Meyer, L. A. Stalker, J. D. Volesky, D. C. Adams, R. N. Funston, T. J. Klopfenstein, Walter H. Schacht

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of BW and physiological status of a beef animal on forage intake. The experiment was repeated over 2 yr with 6 replications of 3 treatments per year: cow-calf pair (CCP, BW = 629 kg), nonlactating cow (NLC, BW = 503 kg), and yearling steer (YS, BW = 305 kg). The CCP was treated as one unit, with the sum of cow BW and calf BW comprising CCP BW. Calves averaged 42 d of age and 73 kg at the start of the experiment each year. Animals were housed in individual …

Calving Date And Wintering System Effects On Cow And Calf Performance I: A Systems Approach To Beef Production In The Nebraska Sandhills, W. A. Griffin, L. A. Stalker, D. C. Adams, R. N. Funston, T. J. Klopfenstein

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A 4-yr study using 217 cows/yr (3/4 Red Angus, 1/4 Simmental) evaluated effects of calving date and wintering system on cow and calf performance from birth to harvest. Cows were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments: 1) March (Mar) calving cows wintered on native range, 2) Mar calving cows wintered on corn residue, 3) June (Jun) calving cows wintered on native range, 4) Jun calving cows wintered on corn residue, and 5) August (Aug) calving cows wintered on corn residue. Steers born in Mar entered the feedlot at weaning (calf-fed). Steers and heifers born in Jun and Aug were divided …

Smooth Bromegrass Pasture Beef Growing Systems: Fertilization Strategies And Economic Analysis, A. K. Watson, T. J. Klopfenstein, Walter H. Schacht, G. E. Erickson, D. R. Mark, Matt K. Luebbe, K. R. Brink, Matthew A. Greenquist

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

In recent years, prices for N fertilizer have increased dramatically, reducing net returns of fertilized pasture systems. A 5-yr study from 2005 to 2009 was conducted to evaluate management strategies and relative differences in profitability for 3 methods of backgrounding calves on smooth bromegrass pastures. Forty-five steers were used each year for a total of 225 animals in a randomized complete block design. Treatments included pastures fertilized in the spring with 90 kg N/ha (FERT), nonfertilized pastures with calves supplemented daily with dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) at 0.6% of BW (SUPP), and control (CONT) pastures that had no …

Nebraska Green Scene: Annual Publication By Agronomy And Horticulture 2012

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Annual Newsletters

Letters from the Head and Associate Head . 3

Meet the Staff

Natalya Nersesian, Brenda Gibson. 4

Jeff Witkowski, Ben Lennander. 5

Student news

Undergraduate Research in Iron by Grace Troupe. 6

Undergraduate Recruitment Update by Anne Streich. 7

Student Club Updates . 12

Faculty news

Introducing Humberto Blanco. 9

Introducing Amit Jhala, Haishun Yang. 10–11

Developing Stress Tolerant Cropping Systems by Richard Ferguson. 14

Alternative Crops Breeding Program by Dipak Santra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Visiting Scholars Make Most of Time in Nebraska. 16

Lyon …