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Book Review Of James Lovelock: In Search Of Gaia, By John Gribbin And Mary Gribbin, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

My book review editor asked me what might be relevant to the Great Plains in a biography of James Lovelock, a book I’d suggested as worth reviewing in Great Plains Research. I assured him that much in it either is or should be relevant to the Great Plains and to science researchers working on studies of aspects of the Great Plains.

James Ephraim Lovelock, born on July 26, 1919, of fairly humble origins, did not do well in school, partly because he was dyslexic. In spite of this and other health problems over the years, he went on to …

Mcnair News, Volume 4, Number 2, Spring 2010

McNair News: Newsletter of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln McNair Scholars Program

Recognition Reception: A Time to Celebrate and Reflect
Scholars prepare for the Summer Research Experience
Kudos to McNair Scholars: Khoa Chu & Brittany Sznajder-Murray
Honors Theses: Tara Cossel & Michael Harpster
Published Scholars: Sherri Sklenar & Tyler Scherr
Conference Presentations: Khoa Chu, Morgan Conley, Tara Cossel, Melissa Garfield, Zach Garfield, Brittany Sznajder-Murray
Undergraduate Research Fair
Preparing a Successful Graduate School Application by Maegan Stevens-Liska
Introducing the UNL McNair Research Journal
Honors, Awards and Leadership Activities 2009-10
Alumni News: Publications & Fellowships: Sahar Hasim, Masoud Mahjouri-Samani, Todd Whitehill
McNair Scholars Headed for Graduate School

Scwds Briefs: Volume 27, Number 1 (April 2010), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

White Nose Syndrome Update

Respiratory Disease in Gopher Tortoises

Feral Hog Information

Frogs and Salmonella

Feral Cats and Wildlife

The Early Worm Gets the Bird

TB in Elephants

Accolades

The Effects Of Ornamentation On Wolf Spider Foraging, Mari Pesek

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

ABSTRACT: As a secondary sexual trait that can increase reproductive success, ornamentation is believed to be costly for organisms to acquire and possess. This study investigates possible costs of ornamentation on wolf spider foraging by comparing foraging abilities of two male forms that differ in ornamentation upon maturation. The two male forms, found syntopically in a mixed population in Mississippi, USA, resemble two sibling species: Schizocosa ocreata, in which males develop large black brushes on their forelegs upon maturation, and Schizocosa rovneri, in which males lack ornamentation following maturation. Individuals of both forms participated in foraging trials as penultimates (juveniles) …

Cellulosic Ethanol: The Benefits, Obstacles, And Implications For Nebraska, Cassidee Lin Thompson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Ethanol is a biofuel that has unique capabilities to mitigate global climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously supporting rural economies and decreasing the United States’ dependence on foreign oil. Currently, the state of Nebraska depends on corn ethanol, which may be unsustainable. Cellulosic ethanol is a promising alternative but it is not without its problems, including high production costs and potential environmental damage. This thesis is an attempt to understand the benefits, downfalls, and processes of corn-based and cellulosic ethanol and the potential implications to Nebraska. This research should shed some light on the current obstacles …

Visitation To Cottonseed Storage Sites By Feral Swine And Evidence Of Gossypol Exposure, Tyler A. Campbell, Sarah Bullock, David B. Long, David G. Hewitt, Michael Dowd

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Texas ranks first in U.S. cotton production, and southern Texas is a major region of production within the state. Within Kleberg County, for example, approximately 16,147 ha are planted in cotton annually, yielding approximately 68,200 bales, or 15,467 metric tons, of cotton (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 2009). Cotton producers have discovered new uses for cotton ginned by-products, such as hydro-mulch (Holt et al. 2005) used as a protein supplement for range livestock (DelCurto et al. 2000) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; Cooper 2006). Because of this, much of the materials are temporarily stored for later use.

Female Mate Choice Based Upon Male Motor Performance, John Byers, Eileen Hebets, Jeffrey Podos

Eileen Hebets Publications

Our goal in this essay is to review the hypothesis that females choose mates by the evaluation of male motor performance. We define motor performance as vigor, the ability to perform energetically expensive acts repeatedly, or as skill, the ability to perform difficult motor tasks well. Motor performance reflects most aspects of whole-organism performance that relate to survival, and thus should indicate, more reliably than ornaments do, individual male genetic quality and/or developmental history. Male sexual displays in many animal taxa contain elements of vigor and/or skill, and accumulating evidence suggests that females choose mates in nature based upon their …

Book Review: Skeletal Biology And Bioarchaeology Of The Northwestern Plains Edited By George W. Gill And Rick L. Weathermon, W. Raymond Wood

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

This volume is a capstone of George W. Gill’s long and productive (and continuing) career at the University of Wyoming, where he has spent the last three and a half decades teaching and in pursuit of the data encapsulated here. Contributions from 21 scholars, most of them his students, present studies of bioarchaeology and skeletal biology, especially in the fields of demography, pathology, and morphology. The 19 chapters (and the introductory comments by William M. Bass, Douglas H. Ubelaker, and the senior editor) cover 10,000 years on the Northwestern Plains, from the Archaic period to historic times, encompassing studies of …

European Starling Preferences For Bait Substrates Used In Drc-1339 Applications, H. Jeffrey Usda-Aphis-Wildlife Services, George M. Linz, Scott F. Beckerman, Anthony Duffiney, Thomas Halstead

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Additional bait substrates for the avicide, DRC-1339 Concentrate (3-chloro-4- methylaniline hydrochloride), could provide USDA/Wildlife Services with more flexibility when managing nuisance populations of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at livestock facilities. From January 11 to 21, 2008, we conducted 11 2-choice preference tests with 6 bait types at a feedlot in central Kansas. The baits included cracked corn mixed with lard (2 concentrations), 2 forms of distiller’s grain (wet powder and pellets), 2 types of livestock feed (calf-starter pellet and sweet-feed mix), and a custom-produced poultry pellet (carrier pellet) made by USDA specifically for baiting starlings. We evaluated bait …

March 12, 2010 - Staff Meeting Minutes

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Energy Restriction During Breeding Gilt Development: An Economic Analysis, Justin Cech, Darrell R. Mark, Roger K. Wilson

Cornhusker Economics

Swine production has increasingly become a lowmargin business. As costs of production have increased, producers are continuing to increase efficiency in both market pig production and gilt development. Restricting energy during gilt development reduces feeding costs and can enhance some productivity measures, but can also negatively impact other areas of production. Thus, the net economic returns from a restricted energy gilt development program are unclear. This study utilized gilt development and market pig production data for two genetic lines of hogs, LWxLR (a cross between industry Large White and Landrace) and L45X (a Nebraska line selected 23 generations for increased …

Intsormil Helps Improve Varieties Of Grains In Developing Countries, Lori Mcginnis

INTSORMIL Impacts and Bulletins

International efforts to aid food production in developing countries are based within the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL CRSP) was established at UNL’s East Campus in 1979. Its goal is to improve the devel- opment of sorghum, millet, and other grains in Central America and Africa, said John Yohe, director since 1988.

Nebline, March 2010

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Biosolids Improve Soil, Increase Yields

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

Weed Awareness Special Pullout Section

2010 Nebraska Swine Report

Nebraska Swine Reports

Contents:

Nutrition

Production Through Four Parities of Prolific Females Developed With and Without Energy Restriction

An Economic Analysis of Energy Restriction during Pre-Pubescence in Gilts

Effects of Distillers Grain with Solubles (DDGS) and Paylean® Supplementation on Carcass Quality, Color Stability, and Sensory Characteristics of Pork

The Effect of Corn Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles (DDGS) on Carcass Quality, Color Stability, and Sensory Characteristics of Pork

Utilizing Dried Distillers Grains With Solubles and Phytase to Alleviate Phosphorus Costs in Finishing Swine

Effects of Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles and Lactose on Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs

Lysine Requirement for Barrows Fed …

An Integrated Approach To Prevention Of Obesity In High Risk Families, Hillary Warren

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

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PREVENTION OF OBESITY IN HIGH RISK FAMILIES
Hillary Anne Warren, M.S.
University of Nebraska, 2010
Advisor: Kaye Stanek-Krogstrand
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries. In the past 30 years, overweight in children has doubled and it is now estimated that one in five children in the US is overweight (1). Identifying connections between caregiver-child interactions and key behaviors associated with resilience to overweight is viewed as an approach which can lead to interventions which may result in a reduction in overweight and obese children. While children learn eating behaviors from adults and peers …

Positive Carotenoid Balance Correlates With Greater Reproductive Performance In A Wild Bird, Rebecca Safran, Kevin J. Mcgraw, Matt Wilkins, Joanna K. Hubbard, Julie Marling

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Carotenoids can confer somatic and reproductive benefits, but most evidence is from captive animal experimentation or single time-point sampling. Another perhaps more informative means by which to assess physiological contributions to animal performance is by tracking an individual’s ability to increase or sustain carotenoids or other health-related molecules over time, as these are likely to be temporally variable.

Methodology/Principal Findings: In a field study of North American barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster), we analyzed within-individual changes in carotenoid concentrations by repeatedly sampling the carotenoid profiles of individuals over the course of the breeding season. Our results demonstrate …

Nutrition And Health Sciences Collection Development Policy, Mary Cassner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The nutrition and health sciences collection supports the teaching, research and service activities of the entire university community. Its primary audience is the faculty, staff, and students of the Nutrition and Health Sciences Department in the College of Education and Human Sciences. The collections primary focus is support for the undergraduate and graduate curricula for nutrition and health sciences.

February 12, 2010 - Staff Meeting Minutes

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Nebline, February 2010

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: NEP Helps Educate Families About WIC's New Food Package

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

Annual Report To The Nation On The Status Of Cancer, 1975-2006, Featuring Colorectal Cancer Trends And Impact Of Interventions (Risk Factors, Screening, And Treatment) To Reduce Future Rates, Brenda K. Edwards, Elizabeth Ward, Betsy A. Kohler, Christie Eheman, Ann G. Zauber, Robert N. Anderson, Ahmedin Jemal, Maria J. Schymura, Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Laura C. Seeff, Marjolein Van Ballegooijen, S. Luuk Goede, Lynn A. G. Ries

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. The American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) collaborate annually to provide updated information regarding cancer occurrence and trends in the United States. This year’s report includes trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and death rates and highlights the use of microsimulation modeling as a tool for interpreting past trends and projecting future trends to assist in cancer control planning and policy decisions.

METHODS. Information regarding invasive cancers was obtained from the NCI, CDC, and NAACCR; and information …

Tips On Collecting And Rearing Immatures Of 375 Butterfly And Skipper Taxa, Jacque Wolfe, Jack Harry, Todd Stout

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Rearing techniques are discussed for 375 different butterfly and skipper taxa from Utah and beyond.

Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acids Are Involved In Polar Auxin Transport And Developmental Patterning In Arabidopsis, Françoise Roudier, Lionel Gissot, Frédéric Beaudoin, Richard Haslam, Louise V. Michaelson, Jessica Marion, Diana Molino, Amparo Lima, Liên Bach, Halima Morin, Frédérique Tellier, Jean-Christophe Palauqui, Yannick Bellec, Charlotte Renne, Martine Miquel, Marco Dacosta, Julien Vignard, Christine Rochat, Jennifer E. Markham, Patrick Moreau, Jonathan Napier, Jean-Denis Faure

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are essential for many aspects of plant development and necessary for the synthesis of seed storage triacylglycerols, epicuticular waxes, and sphingolipids. Identification of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase PASTICCINO3 and the 3-hydroxy acyl-CoA dehydratase PASTICCINO2 revealed that VLCFAs are important for cell proliferation and tissue patterning. Here, we show that the immunophilin PASTICCINO1 (PAS1) is also required for VLCFA synthesis. Impairment of PAS1 function results in reduction of VLCFA levels that particularly affects the composition of sphingolipids, known to be important for cell polarity in animals. Moreover, PAS1 associates with several enzymes of …

Genome Sequencing And Analysis Of The Model Grass Brachypodium Distachyon, John Vogel, David Garvin, Todd C. Mockler, Jeremy Schmutz, Dan Rokhsar, Michael Bevan

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

Three subfamilies of grasses, the Ehrhartoideae, Panicoideae and Pooideae, provide the bulk of human nutrition and are poised to become major sources of renewable energy. Here we describe the genome sequence of the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium), which is, to our knowledge, the first member of the Pooideae subfamily to be sequenced. Comparison of the Brachypodium, rice and sorghum genomes shows a precise history of genome evolution across a broad diversity of the grasses, and establishes a template for analysis of the large genomes of economically important pooid grasses such as wheat. The high-quality genome sequence, coupled …

Genome Sequence Of The Pea Aphid Acyrthosiphon Pisum, Jennifer A. Brisson, Stephen Richards, International Aphid Genomics Consortium

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Aphids are important agricultural pests and also biological models for studies of insect-plant interactions, symbiosis, virus vectoring, and the developmental causes of extreme phenotypic plasticity. Here we present the 464 Mb draft genome assembly of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. This first published whole genome sequence of a basal hemimetabolous insect provides an outgroup to the multiple published genomes of holometabolous insects. Pea aphids are host-plant specialists, they can reproduce both sexually and asexually, and they have coevolved with an obligate bacterial symbiont. Here we highlight findings from whole genome analysis that may be related to these unusual biological …

Veterinary Medicine And Biomedical Sciences, Dana W. R. Boden

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Collection Development Policies

The Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences collection supports the teaching, research and service activities of the entire university community. Its primary audience is the faculty, staff, and students of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources within the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The collection’s primary focus is support for the undergraduate and graduate curricula for Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine. Specific and transient research needs of Veterinary Medical and Biomedical Research faculty and graduate students are supplemented through Interlibrary Loan.

Materials …

Prnp Haplotype Associated With Classical Bse Incidence In European Holstein Cattle, Brenda M. Murdoch, Michael L. Clawson, Samuel Yue, Urmila Basu, Stephanie Mckay, Matthew Settles, Rossana Capoferri, William W. Laegreid, John L. Williams, Stephen S. Moore

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

Background: Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is an acquired prion disease of cattle. The bovine prion gene (PRNP) contains regions of both high and low linkage disequilibrium (LD) that appear to be conserved across Bos taurus populations. The region of high LD, which spans the promoter and part of intron 2, contains polymorphic loci that have been associated with classical BSE status. However, the complex genetic architecture of PRNP has not been systematically tested for an association with classical BSE.

Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) within PRNP were used to test for association between …

Non-Destructive Estimation Pigment Content Ripening Quality And Damage In Apple Fruit With Spectral Reflectance In The Visible Range, Alexei E. Solovchenko, Olga B. Chivkunova, Anatoly A. Gitelson, Mark N. Merzlyak

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Modern non-destructive optical-reflectance-based techniques for estimation of pigment (chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, and flavonol) contents, the rate of on- and off-tree ripening as well as for detection of common physiological disorders, such as sunscald, superficial scald, and water core, and other damages to apple fruit are an emphasis on the methods developed by the authors. The basic spectral features of fruit reflectance in the visible and near infra-red are briefly considered together with their implications for the development of algorithms for non-destructive pigment content assessment. The use of reflectance spectroscopy for estimating chlorophyll and carotenoid content as well as carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio …

2010 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2010). 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 Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska–School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities. While the focus of our work is the Lower Platte, …

Dairy Animal Care: Quality Assurance

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

Dairy producers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Dairy Animal Care and Quality Assurance (DACQA) Certification program. The purpose of this program is to enhance and demonstrate quality animal care practices, which assure food safety, quality and value as well as enhance consumer confidence in the milk and beef products that are harvested from cattle on America’s dairy farms.

Sorghum: An Ancient, Healthy And Nutritious Old World Cereal, United Sorghum Checkoff Program, John Lindsay

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

Sorghum is Africa’s contribution to the small number of elite grains that supply about 85% of the world’s food energy. Only four other foods rice, wheat, maize, and potatoes are consumed in greater amounts by the human race. Sorghum is the dietary staple of more than 500 million people in more than 30 countries of the semi arid tropics, thus being one of the most familiar foods in the world (Board on Science and Technology for International Development, 1996). Sorghum is a truly ancient grain. Dahlberg and Wasylikowa (1996) reported on sorghum remains found in the Nabta Playa archaeological site …