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Chapter 2: Long-Term Research On Wolves In The Superior National Forest, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

The seeds for the blossoming of the wolf (Canis lupus) population throughout the upper Midwest were embodied in a long line of wolves that had persisted in the central part of the Superior National Forest (SNF) of northeastern Minnesota, probably since the retreat of the last glaciers. This line of wolves had withstood not only the various natural environmental factors that had shaped them through their evolution but also the logging, fires, market hunting of prey animals, and even the bounties, aerial hunting, and poisoning that had exterminated their ancestors and their dispersed offspring only a few wolf …

Rational Decisions: The Adaptive Nature Of Context-Dependent Choice, Alexandra G. Rosati, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although classical economic theory hinges on the assumption that rational actors should seek to maximize gains, psychologists and behavioral economists have recently collected a wealth of evidence challenging this premise. In violation of the principles of rational choice, context appears to dramatically influence human decision making. Like humans, numerous nonhuman animals, ranging from honeybees to primates, are sensitive to context, suggesting deep evolutionary roots for seemingly irrational decision-making. Many psychologists have suggested that such choices may stem from cognitive biases that result in errors. We contend, however, that labeling context-dependent choices as errors obscures the real issue. Natural selection does …

Dieting, Restraint, And Disinhibition Predict Women's Weight Change Over 6 Y, Jennifer S. Savage, Lesa R. Hoffman, Leann L. Birch

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Although disinhibited eating is positively associated with higher weight in women, it is not known whether restrained eating and dieting moderate the influence of disinhibited eating on weight change.

Objective: The objective was to investigate over 6 y the interactive effects of restrained and disinhibited eating and self-reported dieting to lose weight as predictors of weight gain in women.

Design: Data were collected from non-Hispanic white women (n = 163) every 2 y. Height and weight were measured in triplicate. Dietary restraint and disinhibition were assessed by using the Eating Inventory. Participants were also asked if they were …

Central Pattern Generation Involved In Oral And Respiratory Control For Feeding In The Term Infant, Steven M. Barlow

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose of review—Drinking and eating are essential skills for survival and benefit from the coordination of several pattern generating networks and their musculoskeletal effectors to achieve safe swallows. Oral-pharyngo-esophageal motility develops during infancy and early childhood, and is influenced by various factors, including neuromuscular maturation, dietary and postural habits, arousal state, ongoing illnesses, congenital anomalies, and the effects of medical or surgical interventions. Gastroesophageal reflux is frequent in neonates and infants, and its role in neonatal morbidity including dysphagia, chronic lung disease, or apparent life-threatening events is not well understood. This review highlights recent studies aimed at understanding the development …

Oral And Respiratory Control For Preterm Feeding, Steven M. Barlow

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose of review—Feeding competency is a frequent and serious challenge to the neonatal intensive care unit survivors and to the physician–provider–parent teams. The urgency of effective assessment and intervention techniques is obviated to promote safe swallow, as attainment of oral feeding for the preterm infant/newborn is one of the prerequisites for hospital discharge. If left unresolved, feeding problems may persist into early childhood and may require management by pediatric gastroenterologists and feeding therapists. This review highlights studies aimed at understanding the motor control and development of nonnutritive and nutritive suck, swallow, and coordination with respiration in preterm populations.

Recent findings—Functional …

Book Review: The Ordinary Genius: A Life Of Arnold Platt By Ken Hoeppner, Sterling Evans

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

Arnold Platt, the Canadian plant breeder, farmer, and farmers’ union president in the mid-twentieth century, was probably not a very likable person due to his abrasive and pushy personality. But Ken Hoeppner’s book about his life and works shows clearly that Platt should be recognized as one of the most important figures in the agricultural history of western Canada and perhaps the entire Great Plains region. I am sometimes skeptical of anyone taking on biography, but Hoeppner’s is a model in resurrecting someone not well known outside the world of Canadian horticulture and agricultural politics. This well-conceived, carefully researched, and …

Book Review: Crisis & Opportunity: Sustainability In American Agriculture By John E. Ikerd, Paul B. Thompson

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

Although Ikerd’s philosophy is quite perceptive in its instincts, one could enumerate many internal contradictions in execution. In fact, the primary value of Crisis & Opportunity may be that it is a collection of speeches that encouraged and emboldened small farmers and advocates of alternative agriculture throughout the Midwest. As such, it documents the perceptions, values, and myths, inconsistent as they might be, that animated and motivated a group of rural Midwesterners not unjustly laboring under the self-image of an oppressed and victimized minority during a critical period in the formation of the sustainable agriculture movement.

Book Review: Breeding Major Food Staples Edited By Manjit S. Kang And P.M. Priyadarshan, Paul Scott

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

This book will be primarily of interest to plant breeders and people interested in global food security. As Virmani and Ilyas-Ahmed point out in their chapter on rice breeding, in order to meet the global demand, we will need to produce as much food in the next 50 years as we have produced in the 10,000 years since agriculture began. Plant breeding is clearly part of the solution to this problem. Breeding Major Food Staples is a guide to the improvement of the crops humanity depends on most to meet its nutritional needs. Its strength is its global perspective, which …

Genes Differentially Expressed By Cumulus Cells And Assays Using Same To Identify Pregnancy Competent Oocytes, Jose B. Cibelli, Amy E. Iager, Hasan H. Otu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

A genetic means of identifying "pregnancy competent" oocytes is provided. The means comprises detecting the level of expression of one or more genes that are expressed at characteristic levels (upregulated or downregulated) in cumulus cells derived from pregnancy competent oocytes. This characteristic gene expression level, or pattern referred to herein as the "pregnancy signature", also can be used to identify subjects with underlying conditions that impair or prevent the development of a viable pregnancy, e.g., pre-menopausal condition, other hormonal dysfunction, ovarian dysfunction, ovarian cyst, cancer or other cell proliferation disorder, autoimmune disease and the like. In preferred embodiments the …

Diet Ph, And Viscosity Affect Development And Survival Of Screwworm Larvae (Diptera: Calliphoridae), M. F. Chaudhury, Steven R. Skoda

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

The effects of dietary pH and viscosity on larval development of the New World screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), were studied in the laboratory using a gel-based and a cellulose fiber-based media. The mean initial pH of the standard gelled diet was lower (6.5 ± 0.3) than that of the standard cellulose fiber-based diet (6.8 ± 0.6). As larval development progressed, these values decreased to below 6.0 possibly due to the accumulation of acidic metabolic waste. Diets formulated with higher initial pH (7.5) produced a slightly larger and greater number of pupae compared with those for untreated standard diets. …

Impairment Of D-Alanine Biosynthesis In Mycobacterium Smegmatis Determines Decreased Intracellular Survival In Human Macrophages, Ofelia Barletta-Chacon, Luiz E. Bermudez, Denise K. Zinniel, Harpreet K. Chahal, Robert J. Fenton, Zhengyu Feng, Kathryn J. Hanford, L. Garry Adams, Raúl G. Barletta

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

D-alanine is a structural component of mycobacterial peptidoglycan. The primary route of d-alanine biosynthesis in eubacteria is the enantiomeric conversion from l-alanine, a reaction catalyzed by d-alanine racemase (Alr). Mycobacterium smegmatis alr insertion mutants are not dependent on d-alanine for growth and display a metabolic pattern consistent with an alternative pathway for d-alanine biosynthesis. In this study, we demonstrate that the M. smegmatis alr insertion mutant TAM23 can synthesize d-alanine at lower levels than the parental strain. The insertional inactivation of the alr gene also decreases the intracellular survival of mutant strains within primary human monocyte-derived macrophages. By complementation studies, …

Fluid Fertilizer’S Role In Sustaining Soils Used For Bio-Fuels Production, John L. Kovar, Douglas Karlen

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

The short- and long-term effects on soil nutrient cycling, physical properties, and biological activity of striving for higher grain yields and removing crop residues for bio-fuels production must be understood to provide more quantitative crop and soil management guidelines. This study focuses on potassium (K) and sulfur (S) requirements of corn (Zea mays L.) grown for bioenergy feedstock production. Our objectives for 2008 were to: i) evaluate the performance of several S fertilizers, including liquid ammonium thiosulfate (12-0-0-26S), as S sources for corn grown in Iowa, and ii) establish a comprehensive tillage, nutrient management, crop residue removal, and cover …

Predatory Senescence In Ageing Wolves, Daniel R. Macnulty, Douglas W. Smith, John A. Vucetich, L. David Mech, Craig Packer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to demonstrate that adult predatory performance declines with age and that an increasing ratio of senescent individuals in the wolf population depresses the rate of prey offtake. Because this ratio fluctuates independently of …

Problems With The Claim Of Ecotype And Taxon Status Of The Wolf In The Great Lakes Region, Matthew A. Cronin, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Koblmuller et al. (2009) analyzed molecular genetic data of the wolf in the Great Lakes (GL) region of the USA and concluded that the animal was a unique ecotype of grey wolf and that genetic data supported the population as a discrete wolf taxon. However, some of the literature that the researchers used to support their position actually did not, and additional confusion arises from indefinite use of terminology. Herein, we discuss the problems with designation of a wolf population as a taxon or ecotype without proper definition and assessment of criteria.

Koblmuller et al. (2009) wrote ‘The GL …

Effects Of Β-Alanine Supplementation And High-Intensity Interval Training On Endurance Performance And Body Composition In Men; A Double-Blind Trial, Abbie E. Smith, Ashley A. Walter, Jennifer L. Graef, Kristina L. Kendall, Jordan R. Moon, Christopher M. Lockwood, David H. Fukuda, Travis W. Beck, Joel T. Cramer, Jeffrey R. Stout

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Intermittent bouts of high-intensity exercise result in diminished stores of energy substrates, followed by an accumulation of metabolites, promoting chronic physiological adaptations. In addition, β-alanine has been accepted has an effective physiological hydrogen ion (H⁺) buffer. Concurrent high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and β-alanine supplementation may result in greater adaptations than HIIT alone. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of combining β-alanine supplementation with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on endurance performance and aerobic metabolism in recreationally active college-aged men.

Methods: Forty-six men (Age: 22.2 ± 2.7 yrs; Ht: 178.1 ± 7.4 cm; Wt: …

Effects Of Β-Alanine Supplementation And High-Intensity Interval Training On Endurance Performance And Body Composition In Men; A Double-Blind Trial, Abbie E. Smith, Ashley A. Walter, Jennifer L. Graef, Kristina L. Kendall, Jordan R. Moon, Christopher M. Lockwood, David H. Fukuda, Travis W. Beck, Joel T. Cramer, Jeffrey R. Stout

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Intermittent bouts of high-intensity exercise result in diminished stores of energy substrates, followed by an accumulation of metabolites, promoting chronic physiological adaptations. In addition, β-alanine has been accepted has an effective physiological hydrogen ion (H⁺) buffer. Concurrent high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and β-alanine supplementation may result in greater adaptations than HIIT alone. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of combining β-alanine supplementation with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on endurance performance and aerobic metabolism in recreationally active college-aged men.

Methods: Forty-six men (Age: 22.2 ± 2.7 yrs; Ht: 178.1 ± 7.4 cm; Wt: …

Deer Responses To Repellent Stimuli, Bruce A. Kimball, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Kelly R. Perry, Christina Capelli

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Four repellents representing different modes of action (neophobia, irritation, conditioned aversion, and flavor modification) were tested with captive white-tailed deer in a series of two-choice tests. Two diets differing significantly in energy content were employed in choice tests so that incentive to consume repellent-treated diets varied according to which diet was treated. When the high energy diet was treated with repellents, only blood (flavor modification) and capsaicin (irritation) proved highly effective. Rapid habituation to the odor of meat and bone meal (neophobia) presented in a sachet limited its effectiveness as a repellent under conditions with a high feeding motivation. Thiram, …

Enhancing The Perceived Threat Of Vehicle Approach To Deer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In North America and Europe, deer (Cervidae)–vehicle collisions (DVCs) are common and result not only in injury and death to the animals involved, but also human injury and property damage. Given that most DVCs occur during crepuscular periods, we questioned whether the perceived threat to deer posed by vehicle approach could be enhanced. We hypothesized that a vehicle-based lighting system that better complements peak visual capabilities of deer at night relative to standard tungsten-halogen (TH) lighting alone would elicit a greater flight-initiation distance (FID) by free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Our lighting system comprised 2 TH lamps and …

Content Validity Of Nutrition Diagnostic Term Involuntary Weight Loss, Paula K. Ritter-Gooder, Nancy M. Lewis

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objective The purpose of this study was to validate content of the Nutrition Diagnostic Term NC- 3.2 Involuntary Weight Loss using expert raters.

Design/Subjects This descriptive survey invited all Board Certified Specialists in Gerontological Nutrition (CSG) to participate by mail. An instrument was developed that included the definition, etiologies, and signs and symptoms (s/s) of the diagnosis with items added from literature review. CSG rated how common or characteristic each item is to the diagnosis using a 5 point Likert scale. A weighted response for each item was used to calculate a Diagnostic Content Validity (DCV) score. DCV scores of …

Biology And Impacts Of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 5. Eleutherodactylus Coqui, The Coqui Frog (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Karen H. Beard, William C. Pitt, Emily A. Price

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The nocturnal, terrestrial frog Eleutherodactylus coqui, known as the Coqui, is endemic to Puerto Rico and was accidentally introduced to Hawai‘i via nursery plants in the late 1980s. Over the past two decades E. coqui has spread to the four main Hawaiian Islands, and a major campaign was launched to eliminate and control it. One of the primary reasons this frog has received attention is its loud mating call (85–90 dB at 0.5 m). Many homeowners do not want the frogs on their property, and their presence has influenced housing prices. In addition, E. coqui has indirectly impacted the …

Feral Swine Damage And Damage Management In Forested Ecosystems, Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive feral swine (Sus scrofa) cause deleterious impacts to ecosystem processes and functioning throughout their worldwide distribution, including forested ecosystems in the United States. Unfortunately, many feral swine damage management programs are conducted in a piecemeal fashion, are not adequately funded, and lack clearly stated or realistic objectives. This review paper identifies damage caused by feral swine to forest resources and presents techniques used to prevent and control feral swine damage. Concluding points related to planning a feral swine damage management program are: (1) the value of using a variety of techniques in an integrated fashion cannot be …

Field Test Of A Single-Injection Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Immunocontraceptive Vaccine In Female White-Tailed Deer, James P. Gionfriddo, John D. Eisemann, Kevin J. Sullivan, Ronald S. Healey, Lowell A. Miller, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Richard M. Engeman, Christi A. Yoder

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The development and use of safe, effective and practical wildlife contraceptive agents could reduce reproduction in locally overabundant deer populations in situations where traditional management tools such as regulated hunting cannot be employed. GonaCon Immunocontraceptive Vaccine (the commercial name for a particular gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-based emulsion) was tested in adult female white-tailed deer in a fenced herd near Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. Observations of udder condition were used to identify does that had become pregnant. Necropsy observations, histopathology and serum concentrations of anti-GnRH antibodies, luteinising hormone and progesterone were used to compare health and reproductive status of treated (n = …

Video-Tracking And On-Plant Tests Show Cry1ab Resistance Influences Behavior And Survival Of Neonate Ostrinia Nubilalis Following Exposure To Bt Maize, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Richard L. Hellmich, Andre L. B. Crespo, Blair Siegfried, David W. Onstad

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

To examine how resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins influences movement and survival of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis [Hübner]) neonates, the responses of Cry1Ab-resistant , -susceptible, and hybrid (F1) larvae were examined using two different techniques. First, using an automated videotracking system, aspects of O. nubilalis movement were quantified in the presence of artificial diet incorporating 50% non-Bt or insect-resistant Cry1Ab maize tissue. Second, O. nubilalis dispersal and survival were measured 48–72 h after hatching on a Cry1Ab maize plant surrounded by two non-Bt maize plants. Video tracking indicated the presence of Cry1Ab tissue increased the total distance …

Alternative Methods For Wetland Restoration In The Rainwater Basin, Nebraska, Usa, Nancy Nicolai, James L. Stubbendieck

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

South-central Nebraska is recognized as a focal point of the mid-continent migratory waterfowl flyway. Substantial wetland alterations led to a critical need for restoration. Managers have restored wetlands by scraping with heavy earthmoving equipment to remove excess organic material and near-monocultures of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) but managers report high costs and topsoil perturbation. Moderate livestock grazing was tested to compare results with those achieved with mechanical techniques. Advantages of grazing could include low costs and less soil perturbation. During the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons, we compared cover of bare ground and open water and plant species …

Research Emphasis – Forage And Bioenergy Crop Management, John A. Guretzky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Guretzky specializes in research on forage and bioenergy crop management that will assist agricultural producers and landowners in meeting their goals. The first area of research involves Drs. Jon Biermacher and Billy Cook for the evaluation of management practices of switchgrass in forage and bioenergy systems. Objectives include: 1.) assessing potential on-farm biomass yields and production economics of switchgrass; 2.) documenting effects of location, harvest system and nitrogen fertilizer rates on biomass yields, forage quality, stand persistence and nutrient removal rates; 3.) evaluating establishment and biomass production responses to phosphorus and potassium fertilization; 4.) determining how stocker cattle gains on …

Antibiotic Use In Animal Production: Environmental Concerns, Teshome H. Regassa, Richard K. Koelsch, Charles S. Wortmann, Richard F. Randle, Akwasi A. Abunyewa

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Introduction

Antibiotic1 use in animal production has led to improved feed use efficiency and increased growth rates. In turn, these resulted in reduced food production costs and reduced excrement of manure nutrients which may cause pollution problems.

On the other hand, antibiotic use leads to antibiotic resistance and a possible reduction in effectiveness of treatment options for both animals and humans. This publication addresses these issues.

Disease-causing microorganisms2, including bacteria,are the most diverse and numerous organisms on earth. Diverse in their habitat, environmental adaptation, and mechanisms of reproduction, they have short generations with high multiplication rates. Such characteristics help develop …

Influence Of Vitamin K-Rich Plant Foods On Anticoagulant Baiting Efficacy In Wild House Mice, Wild Norway Rats, And Wild Black Rats, G. W. Witmer, P. W. Burke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodents introduced to islands have caused the extinction of many species of animals. Anticoagulant rodenticides are relied on to eradicate rodents from these islands, but if the rodents are eating plant materials that contain high amounts of vitamin K (the antidote to anticoagulants) anticoagulant rodenticides may not be effective. In a laboratory trial, individually caged Noway Rats Rattus norvegicus, Black Rats R. raffus and House Mice Mus musculus were fed fresh plant material high in vitamin K (Collards [0.62 mg vitamin K per 100 g] and Brussels Sprouts [0.19 mg vitamin K per 100 g]) for a period of …

Selective Foraging For Anthropogenic Resources By Black Bears: Minivans In Yosemite National Park, Stewart W. Breck, Nathan Lance, Victoria Seher

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black bears (Ursus americanus) forage selectively in natural environments. To determine if bears also forage selectively for anthropogenic resources we analyzed data on vehicles broken into by bears from Yosemite National Park, California. We classified vehicles into 9 categories based on their make and model and collected data on use (2001–2007) and availability (2004–2005). From 2001 to 2007 bears broke into 908 vehicles at the following rates: minivan (26.0%), sport–utility vehicle (22.5%), small car (17.1%), sedan (13.7%), truck (11.9%), van (4.2%), sports car (1.7%), coupe (1.7%), and station wagon (1.4%). Only use of minivans (29%) during 2004–2005 was …

Protein Hydrolysates Are Avoided By Herbivores But Not By Omnivores In Two-Choice Preference Tests, Kristin L. Field, Alexander Bachmanov, Julie A. Mennella, Gary K. Beauchamp, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: The negative sensory properties of casein hydrolysates (HC) often limit their usage in products intended for human consumption, despite HC being nutritious and having many functional benefits. Recent, but taxonomically limited, evidence suggests that other animals also avoid consuming HC when alternatives exist.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We evaluated ingestive responses of five herbivorous species (guinea pig, mountain beaver, gopher, vole, and rabbit) and five omnivorous species (rat, coyote, house mouse, white-footed mouse, and deer mouse; N = 16–18/species) using solid foods containing 20% HC in a series of two-choice preference tests that used a nonprotein, cellulose-based alternative. Individuals …

“Species Pollution” In Florida: A Cross-Section Of Invasive Vertebrate Issues And Management Responses, Richard M. Engeman, Bernice Constantin, Scott Hardin, Henry Smith, Walter Meshaka Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The state of Florida as among the two worst invasive species problems in the USA. Besides the sheer numbers of established exotic species in Florida, many present novel difficulties for management, or have other characteristics making effective management extremely challenging. Moreover, initiation of management action requires more than recognition by experts that a potentially harmful species has become established. It also requires the political will along with concomitant resources and appropriate personnel to develop effective methods and apply them. We illustrate various aspects of the situation in Florida with examples of invasive vertebrates, the problems they pose(d), and management approaches …