Digital Commons Network^™

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid– Containing Toxic Plants (Senecio, Crotalaria, Cynoglossum, Amsinckia, Heliotropium, And Echium Spp.), Bryan L. Stegelmeier

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

Many problematic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA)-containing plants are foreign invasive weeds that invade pastures, fields, and ranges, and contaminate feeds and food. Others are native plants that may increase or expand on field edges or in disturbed areas. Most are unpalatable, only becoming a problem for livestock when alternative forages are unavailable, or when they are included in hay and other harvested feeds. Human poisoning is most often a result of contaminated grain or flour, although several poisonings have resulted from the use of PA-containing herbal preparations. Major PA plants and their specific health-related characteristics are discussed individually.

Nebline, July 2011

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Urban Agriculture is a Growing Trend

Farm Views

Horticulture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Environmental Focus

Urban Agriculture

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

A Pilot Study To Assess The Readiness And Barriers As Correlates To Participation In Rural Worksite Health Promotion Programming, Kayte L. Tranel

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

An increased risk of lifestyle-related conditions (hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer) is associated with overweight and obesity, which affect approximately two in three American adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2009). Worksite health promotion programming (WHPP) may be effective for reducing disease risk. Reaching adults in the worksite seems logical considering most spend approximately 40 hours each week in that setting. WHPP is linked to improved effectiveness for promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, but often struggles with low participation and high attrition rates. Research regarding barriers to WHPP and physical activity is available, …

Intervention To Increase Knowledge And Consumption Of Folate-Rich Foods Based On The Health Belief Model, Lindsay M. Labrosse

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

Folate is important in the prevention of birth defects and in the maintenance of general health. Even after mandatory fortification, many people are still not consuming the RDA of 400 mcg/day. Consuming a diet rich in naturally high-folate foods, as opposed to supplementation, may offer additional health benefits and promote an overall healthy diet.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the hypothesis that a learner-centered educational intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) will successfully increase knowledge and consumption of folate-rich foods, while increasing positive beliefs about folate and health. A two group parallel control trial …

Evaluation Of Algorithm Thresholds For Crop Canopy Sensor-Based In-Season Nitrogen Application In Corn, Brian Theodore Krienke

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

Nitrogen fertilizer is frequently the most limiting nutrient in corn production. Typically most nitrogen is applied before planting. Since nitrogen can leave the soil system fairly easily, the result can be an inefficient use of nitrogen fertilizer. Previous research has shown increased efficiency with no reduction in yield by applying nitrogen later in the season when the crop is actively growing, with rates regulated spatially through the use of active crop canopy sensors. This study evaluated the potential for N cutoff thresholds using a sufficiency index as the threshold value for areas with poor stand or an unrecoverable N deficiency. …

Effects Of Xenobiotics And Phytotoxins On Reproduction In Food Animals, Kip E. Panter, Bryan L. Stegelmeier

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

The influence of natural toxicants and anthropogenic compounds on reproduction in food animals is significant in its economic impact, and the subject requires more research and further experimental substantiation. Confounding factors such as stress, nutritional status, season of the year, animal species involved, genetic variability, disease conditions, management factors, and so forth exacerbate the difficulty of making an accurate diagnosis and thereby may impede progress to improve reproductive performance on an individual operation. The interaction between the reproductive system and xenobiotics (reproductive toxicology) is a relatively new area of study and a subject of increasing interest, especially in the area …

The Complexities Of Wolf Spider Communication: Exploring Courtship Signal Function In Rabidosa Rabida, Dustin J. Wilgers

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Evidence of signal complexity is seemingly pervasive across animal communication systems. Exploring signal function may provide insight into how these displays evolved and are maintained. This dissertation examines the courtship signal function in a grassland wolf spider. Rabidosa rabida lives in an extremely complex environment, and males use complex displays incorporating both visual and seismic modalities. Using several approaches I provide insight into the content and efficacy of the various signal components, as well as how variation in these displays influence female mating decisions in isolation and combined.

First, I manipulated male and female body condition using diet quantity manipulations …

Phytosterol Stearate Esters Elicit Similar Responses On Plasma Lipids And Cholesterol Absorption But Different Responses On Fecal Neutral Sterol Excretion And Hepatic Free Cholesterol In Male Syrian Hamsters, Mark M. Ash, Jiliang Hang, Patrick Dussault, Timothy P. Carr

Patrick Dussault Publications

The dietary impact of specific phytosterols incorporated into phytosterol fatty acid esters has not been elucidated. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that phytosterol esters containing different sterol moieties (sitosterol, sitostanol, or stigmasterol) but the same fatty acid moiety (stearic acid) produce different effects on cholesterol metabolism. Male Syrian hamsters were fed sitosterol, sitostanol, and stigmasterol stearate esters (25 g/kg diet) in an atherogenic diet containing cholesterol (1.2 g/kg) and coconut oil (80 g/kg). The phytosterol stearates produced no decrease in cholesterol absorption or plasma non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol despite a reduction in liver free cholesterol in hamsters fed both sitosterol and …

Farm To School: A Case Study Of Four Rural Nebraska Schools Before Initiating Locally Grown Foods In School Food Service, Morgan Swisher

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

More than 25% of children in the U.S. are overweight. Farm to School is a program that encourages schools to procure local produce and nutrition education in an effort to improve childhood nutrition. A case study involving four schools has examined the attitudes of food service managers, food service staff members, and educators who are about to incorporate this program into their schools. Food service managers were interviewed about the foods they intend to purchase, food safety, menu planning, expected costs and receiving, additional training, and staff interest. From the qualitative study, the following themes were found: “More work for …

Examining The Efficacy Of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation For Health Behaviors Of Children With Obesity, Carrie Alisha Semke

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

An estimated 17.1% of children and adolescents ages 2-19 are obese (Ogden et al., 2006). Obesity is linked to adverse physical, psychosocial, and academic consequences for children. Treatments that collaboratively involve individuals in the child’s microsystems (e.g., home, school) result in improved health outcomes. Few studies have mutually involved both parents and school personnel in treatments. Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC; Sheridan & Kratochwill, 2008) is an indirect service-delivery model that joins microsystems to address child concerns, and provides a model for delivering comprehensive treatments to improve the health behaviors of children with obesity. No previous studies have investigated CBC for …

The Effect Of Calving Season And Wintering System On Cow And Calf Performance And Economics From Conception Through Finishing And The Effect Of Supplementing Dried Distillers Grains To Calves In Forage Based Systems, William Griffin

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

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of calving season and cow wintering systems on cow and calf performance and economics from conception to slaughter, the effect of supplementing steers dried distillers grains while grazing cool season dominated meadow, and a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect supplementing dried distillers grains to cattle in forage based growing systems.  In the first experiment, cows were bred to calve in spring, summer or fall.  Calves from each system were managed as calf-feds or yearlings and followed through finishing.  Altering calving season impacted cow BW and BCS but did not affect …

Simply Brilliant Science: Creating Healthier Eggs For A Healthier You, Kiyomi D. Deards

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Guest post on June 7, 2011, on the Scientific American Guest Blog, on eggs rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Transfer Of Sorghum, Millet Production, Processing And Marketing Technologies In Mali Quarterly Report April 1, 2011 – June 30, 2011, Intsormil

USAID Mali Mission Awards

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ........................4

2. Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................4

3. Executive Summary of Achievements ........................5

4. Progress ........................7

Production-Marketing ........................7

Food Processing ........................7

Décrue Sorghum ........................9

Training ........................10

5. Gender Related Achievements ........................11

6. Synergistic Activities Achieved with Partners ........................12

Production-Marketing ........................12

Food Processing ........................12

Décrue Sorghum ........................13

7. Indicator Data........................ 14

8. Problems and Challenges ........................16

9. Success Stories........................ 17

10. Activities Planned for Next Reporting Period ........................17

High-Density Lipoprotein Metabolism In Human Apolipoprotein B100 Transgenic/Brown Adipose Tissue Deficient Mice: A Model Of Obesity-Induced Hyperinsulinemia, Sarah J. Ehlers, Stephanie M. Larson, Heather E. Rasmussen, Young-Ki Park, Ji-Young Lee

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Obese and diabetic humans display decreased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations and an increased risk for coronary heart disease. However, investigation on HDL metabolism in obesity with a particular emphasis on hepatic ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), the primary factor for HDL formation, has not been well studied. Human apolipoprotein B₁₀₀ transgenic (hApoB^tg) and brown adipose tissue deficient (BATless) mice were crossed to generate hApoB^tg/BATless mice. Male and female hApoB^tg and hApoB^tg/BATless mice were maintained on either a regular rodent chow diet or a diet high …

Nebline, June 2011

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Trails in Lancaster County Offer Recreation & Education

Farm Views

Horticulture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Environmental Focus

Urban Agriculture

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Effects Of Early Feed Restriction During Delayed Placement On The Performance And Gut Health Of Broilers, Rashed Abdullah Alhotan

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

Newly hatched chicks may experience long periods of fasting prior to placement in commercial hatcheries.  Three trials were conducted to investigate the effects of early feed restriction and various supplements on the performance and gut health of broiler chicks brooded either in battery cages or floor pens.  The trials lasted for 14, 21, and, 22 days respectively.  In trial 1, chicks were subjected to 3 periods of fasting after hatch (36, 24, or 12 h).  A short period of fasting (12 h) was associated with a lower feed:gain ratio compared to the longer periods (36 and 24 h).  In trial …

Meatpacking And Immigration: Industrial Innovation And Community Change In Dakota County, Nebraska, 1960–2000, Dustin Kipp

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Latino immigration to the Midwest during the twentieth century has received significant attention from historians, but most have focused on the early and middle decades of the century. The later decades of the twentieth century, when a significant new wave of Latino immigration brought many new arrivals to small rural communities have received less attention. This study examines the intersection of the restructuring of the meatpacking industry and Latino immigration to rural Midwestern communities from 1960 to 2000. Dakota County, Nebraska--home to the flagship operation of Iowa Beef Packers, Inc. (IBP) from 1964 until the company was sold to Tyson, …

The Human Gut Microbiome: Ecology And Recent Evolutionary Changes, Jens Walter, Ruth Ley

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The human gastrointestinal tract is divided into sections, allowing digestion and nutrient absorption in the proximal region to be separate from the vast microbial populations in the large intestine, thereby reducing conflict between host and microbes. In the distinct habitats of the gut, environmental filtering and competitive exclusion between microbes are the driving factors shaping microbial diversity, and stochastic factors during colonization history and in situ evolution are likely to introduce intersubject variability. Adaptive strategies of microbes with different niches are genomically encoded: Specialists have smaller genomes than generalists, and microbes with environmental reservoirs have large accessory genomes. A shift …

Agronomy & Horticulture Newsletter, May 13, 2011, Kathy Schindler

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Monthly Newsletters

A Word from Your Office Professionals………..1

Please Welcome A New Member to Our Faculty………..2

Congratulations! ………..2

Tree Planted In Honor of Dr. Dan Walters………..2

Mark Your Calendars………..3

2011 Walking Tours of the Maxwell Arboretum………..3

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Spring Plant Sales………..3

For Your Information………..3

Funding Announcements………..4

Altruistic Infrastructure, Derik Eckhardt

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

The evolution and expansion of cities necessitates a concurrent proliferation of the modern tools of growth. These tools, or infrastructure, are currently programmed to perform one functional operation, when in reality their presence alone brings forth consequences in our urban fabric. That is, they mark, divide, and obstruct movements in the city while simultaneously creating peripheral spaces of marginality. Furthermore, in developing countries cities struggle to expand while providing adequate infrastructure. The provision of infrastructure has the opportunity to be an architectural contribution beyond the current model of idiosyncratic structures.

How do pieces of infrastructure adapt to provide more than …

Women's Specific Soccer Training Facility, Tockook Sabrina

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

My original intentions were to focus on healthy eating and designing a building that corresponds to the concept of cooking. Diving deeper into the concept I had come to discover the correspondence was not reaching the level that I desired. I knew that I enjoyed the concept of healthy nutrition, and exercise has been a constant theme in my life as well. This lead me to deal more stickily with nutrition and exercise.

Personally I have played soccer for 16 years of my life, and soccer was the first idea that came to my mind when thesis projects were first …

Grinders Convert Sorghum Into Flour, Intsormil

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

To help contend rising wheat costs Central American bakers are looking for alternative ways to produce their baked products at a low cost without sacrificing nutritional value or taste. Sorghum flour is the answer to their problems. Sorghum flour is about half the cost of wheat flour so using sorghum flour helps bakers save money and make more of a profit. Particle size of sorghum flour must be sufficiently fine in order to substitute for wheat flour in baking recipes. However, small grinders adequate for family level bakers have not been available in Central America. That is until a collaborative …

A Watershed-Scale Assessment Of A Process Soil Co2 Production And Efflux Model, Diego Andrés Riveros-Iregui, Brian L. Mcglynn, Lucy A. Marshall, Daniel L. Welsch, Ryan E. Emmanuel, Howard E. Epstein

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Growing season soil CO₂ efflux is known to vary laterally by as much as seven fold within small subalpine watersheds (<5 >km²), and such degree of variability has been strongly related to the landscape-imposed redistribution of soil water. Current empirical or process models offer low potential to simulate this variability or to simulate watershed-scale dynamics of soil CO₂ efflux. We modified an existing process soil CO₂ production and efflux model to include spatially variable soil moisture, and applied it to a well-studied and moderately complex watershed of the northern Rocky Mountains. We started at the …

The Disability Screening Process And The Labor Market Behavior Of Accepted And Rejected Applicants: Evidence From The Health And Retirement Study, Seth H. Giertz, Jeffrey D. Kubik

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

This paper uses Social Security earnings records linked to data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the labor market behavior of rejected and accepted disability applicants prior to their application. We find that rejected applicants have substantially lower earnings and labor force participation rates during the decade prior to application than beneficiaries. Also, we find some evidence of a divergence between these groups, with rejected applicants leaving the labor force at a faster rate than beneficiaries as their application date approaches.  One interpretation of these results is that the disability screening process on average separates those who are …

Nebline, May 2011

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Nature, Gardening & Science Come Together in the Butterfly Garden

Farm Views

Horticulture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Environmental Focus

Urban Agriculture

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

21rst Century Educational Farmstead, Trevis Carmichael

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

When Europeans began settling in the United States, farmsteads were built across the Great Plains. Out of necessity, these had to function in a self-sufficient manner; meaning the people had to produce their own food, use local materials, and be energy efficient for their transportation. Parents had to teach their children how to do all of the practical work it took to maintain their lives. This was the foundation that America was built upon. Having completed the first decade of the 21st century, the time seems right for a mental re-settlement that follows some of those same principles. Teaching our …

An Assessment Of Stable Hydrogen-Isotope Analysis Methods To Assign Geographic Origin To Migratory Red-Tailed Hawks (Buteo Jamaicensis), Carla Marie Ahlschwede

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Stable-hydrogen isotopes are becoming an increasingly popular method of studying migratory birds, though sample preparation methods may affect results.  In this study I examined feathers from red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) to determine the relationship between measure of δD due to inter-feather variation or drying methods, assessed the accuracy of results by using two birds of known-origin and estimated possible natal origins of migratory red-tailed hawks.  Two feathers per individual were taken from 81 wild hawks caught at Hitchcock Nature Center near Crescent IA and from 2 rescued red-tailed hawks, Raptor Recovery Nebraska near Eagle, NE. 119 of the …

Protein Structure-Based Method For Identification Of Horizontal Gene Transfer In Bacteria, Swetha Billa

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Horizontal Gene Transfer is defined as the movement of genetic material from one strain of species to another. Bacteria, being an asexual organism were always believed to transfer genes vertically. But recent studies provide evidence that shows bacteria can also transfer genes horizontally.

HGT plays a major role in evolution and medicine. It is the major contributor in bacterial evolution, enabling species to acquire genes to adapt to the new environments. Bacteria are also believed to develop drug resistance to antibiotics through the phenomenon of HGT. Therefore further study of HGT and its implications is necessary to understand the effects …

Regulation Of Immediate Early And Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Genes Expression By Adipocytokines In The Female Reproductive Tract, Zhufeng Yang

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

Individuals who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for cancer.  However, the mechanistic link between obesity and cancer is poorly defined.  Adipose tissue produces hormones and pro-inflammatory cytokines with mitogenic properties.  Many of these hormones and cytokines are altered in obese individuals and may lead to disruption of the normal balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how adipocyte-derived factors regulate the expression of genes that contribute to cell proliferation and migration.  To compare immediate early gene (cell proliferation) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (cell migration) gene expression between untreated and …

Analysis Of Long-Term Selection (28 Generations) For Reproduction, Growth, And Carcass Traits In Swine, Wan-Ling Hsu

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

The objectives were 1) to estimate responses from 28 generations of selection for increased pigs born alive (BA) with additional selection for increased 180 d weight (WT) and longissimus muscle area (LMA) and decreased backfat (BF) in the last eight generations, 2) to estimate genetic parameters for an array of traits, and 3) to investigate whether a plateau in response for BA has occurred. All lines were derived from the same Large White/Landrace composite population. Index selection for ovulation rate and embryo survival (G0-11) was initiated in L2 in 1981; L1 was selected randomly control line for L2 (G0-23). L2 …