Digital Commons Network^™

Grassland Composition Affects Season Shifts In Seed Preference By Pogonomyrmex Barbatus (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae) In The Edwards Plateau, Texas, Nancy Nicolai, Jerry L. Cook, Fred E. Smeins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The effects of season and community composition as generated by livestock herbivory of differing intensity on seed species preference by Pogonomyrmex barbatus (F. Smith) were studied in a semiarid savanna on the Edward’s Plateau, TX. Seasonal differences in nutrient requirements of the colony could lead to differential preferences for seeds harvested in spring and fall. Field cafeteria studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that late successional species, with their high nutrient content, would be chosen regardless of grazing intensity or season. Commercial seeds of known nutrient content were used to test the hypothesis that high protein levels would be …

The Ripple Effect: Biofuels, Food Security, And The Environment, Rosamond L. Naylor, Adam Liska, Marshall B. Burke, Walter P. Falcon, Joanne C. Gaskell, Scott D. Rozelle, Kenneth G. Cassman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The integration of the agricultural and energy sectors caused by rapid growth in the biofuels market signals a new era in food policy and sustainable development. For the first time in decades, agricultural commodity markets could experience a sustained increase in prices, breaking the long-term price decline that has benefited food consumers worldwide. Whether this transition occurs—and how it will affect global hunger and poverty—remain to be seen. Will food markets begin to track the volatile energy market in terms of price and availability? Will changes in agricultural commodity markets benefit net food producers and raise farm incomes in poor …

Ethylene Involvement In The Regulation Of The H+-Atpase Csha1 Gene And Of The New Isolated Ferric Reductase Csfro1 And Iron Transporter Csirt1 Genes In Cucumber Plants, Brian M. Waters, Carlos Lucena, Francisco J. Romera, Gena G. Jester, April N. Wynn, Carmen L. Rojas, Esteban Alcántara, Rafael Pérez-Vicente

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In previous works using ethylene inhibitors and precursors, it has been shown that ethylene participates in the regulation of several Fe-deficiency stress responses by Strategy I plants, such as enhanced ferric reductase activity, rhizosphere acidification, and subapical root hair development. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that ethylene could regulate the expression of both the ferric reductase and the iron transporter genes of Strategy I plants by affecting the FER (or FER-like) transcription factor. Recently, two H⁺-ATPase genes have been isolated from cucumber roots, CsHA1 and CsHA2. CsHA1 is up-regulated under Fe deficiency while CsHA2 is constitutively expressed. In …

Flagellar Motility And Structure In The Hyperthermoacidophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus Solfataricus, Zalán Szabó, Musa Sani, Maarten Groeneveld, Benham Zolghadr, James Schelert, Sonja-Verena Albers, Paul H. Blum, Egbert J. Boekema, Arnold J.M. Driessen

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Flagellation in archaea is widespread and is involved in swimming motility. Here, we demonstrate that the

structural flagellin gene from the crenarchaeaon Sulfolobus solfataricus is highly expressed in stationary-phasegrown

cells and under unfavorable nutritional conditions. A mutant in a flagellar auxiliary gene, flaJ, was

found to be nonmotile. Electron microscopic imaging of the flagellum indicates that the filaments are composed

of right-handed helices.

Lupine Allergy: Not Simply Cross-Reactivity With Peanut Or Soy, Kim A. B. M. Peeters, Julie A. Nordlee, André H. Penninks, Lingyun Chen, Richard E. Goodman, Carla A. F. M. Bruijnzeel-Koomen, Sue L. Hefle, Steve L. Taylor, André C. Knulst

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Reports of lupine allergy are increasing as its use in food products increases. Lupine allergy might be the consequence of cross-reactivity after sensitization to peanut or other legumes or de novo sensitization. Lupine allergens have not been completely characterized.

Objectives: We sought to identify allergens associated with lupine allergy, evaluate potential cross-reactivity with peanut, and determine eliciting doses (EDs) for lupine allergy by using double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges.

Methods: Six patients with a history of allergic reactions to lupine flour were evaluated by using skin prick tests, CAP tests, and double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges. Three of …

Structure And Biosynthesis Of Heat-Stable Antifungal Factor (Hsaf), A Broad-Spectrum Antimycotic With A Novel Mode Of Action, Fengan Yu, Kathia Zaleta-River, Xiangcheng Zhu, Justin Huffman, Jeffrey C. Millet, Steven D. Harris, Gary Y. Yuen, Xing-Cong Li, Liangcheng Du

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

A screen for antifungal compounds from Lysobacter enzymogenes strain C3, a bacterial biological control agent of fungal diseases, has previously led to the isolation of heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF). HSAF exhibits inhibitory activities against a wide range of fungal species and shows a novel mode of antifungal action by disrupting the biosynthesis of a distinct group of sphingolipids. We have now determined the chemical structure of HSAF, which is identical to that of dihydromaltophilin, an antifungal metabolite with a unique macrocyclic lactam system containing a tetramic acid moiety and a 5,5,6-tricyclic skeleton. We have also identified the genetic locus responsible …

Parasites, Proteomics And Performance: Effects Of Gregarine Gut Parasites On Dragonfly Flight Muscle Composition And Function, Rudolf J. Schilder, James H. Marden

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In previous work, we found that dragonflies infected with gregarine gut parasites have reduced muscle power output, loss of lipid oxidation in their flight muscles, and a suite of symptoms similar to mammalian metabolic syndrome. Here, we test the hypothesis that changes in muscle protein composition underlie the observed changes in contractile performance. We found that gregarine infection was associated with a 10-fold average reduction in abundance of a ~155·kDa fragment of muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC; ~206·kDa intact size). Insect MHC gene sequences contain evolutionarily conserved amino acid motifs predicted for calpain cleavage, and we found that calpain digestion …

Grânulos De Amido E Fitólitos Em Cálculos Dentários Humanos: Contribuição Ao Estudo Do Modo De Vida E Subsistência De Grupos Sambaquianos Do Litoral Sul Do Brasil, Verônica Wesolowski, Sheila Maria Ferraz Mendonça De Souza, Karl Reinhard, Gregório Ceccantini

Karl Reinhard Publications

Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar os resultados da recuperação e análise de micro-vestígios vegetais retidos em cálculos dentários de grupos de pescadores-coletores do litoral sul do Brasil. Apresenta também os resultados das relações mantidas entre grânulos de amido e cárie, e entre fitólitos e desgaste dentário.

Através da dissolução química de cálculos dentários foram recuperados microvestígios vegetais em todos os indivíduos estudados. Foi evidenciado o consumo de alimentos amiláceos em todas as séries esqueléticas estudadas, demonstrando independência entre dieta com aporte de produtos vegetais e utilização de cerâmica. Foram encontrados resultados sugestivos de padrões de escolha de alimentos diferenciados …

Lagomorph And Rodent Responses To Two Protein Hydrolysates, Julia A. Figueroa, Bruce A. Kimball, Kelly R. Perry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Various species of rodents and lagomorphs were used in bioassays to determine the effectiveness of protein hydrolysates (specifically hydrolyzed casein and gelatin) as herbivore repellents. Mixed sex groups of captive rabbits, pocket gophers, voles, and mountain beavers were offered hydrolyzed casein or gelatin test diets in single-choice tests following a training period with a hydrolysate-free diet. The effectiveness of either hydrolyzed casein or gelatin was dependent on the species. Hydrolyzed casein was identified as an effective repellent for mountain beavers and pocket gophers as these species showed a strong avoidance of hydrolyzed casein diets. Rabbits demonstrated slightly higher avoidance of …

Soil-Applied Nitrogen And Composted Manure Effects On Soybean Hay Quality And Grain Yield, James J. Heitholt, David Kee, John J. Sloan, C. T. Mackown, Sue Metz, Ava L. Kee, Russell L. Sutton

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

Grain yield in many soybean experiments fails to respond to fertilizer nitrogen (N). A few positive responses have been reported when soybean were grown in the southern U.S., when N was applied near flowering and when biosolids were added. In a previous study, low N concentrations of soybean forage in north Texas on a high pH calcareous soil were reported and thus, we suspected a N nutrition problem. Consequently, we initiated this study to determine whether selected preplant N sources broadcast and incorporated into a Houston Black clay (fine, smectitic, thermic Udic Haplusterts) might increase forage N concentration, forage yield, …

Development And Pilot Testing Of An Omega-3 Fatty Acid Food Frequency Questionnaire, Paula K. Ritter-Gooder, Nancy M. Lewis, Kimberly Barber-Heidal, Megan Waltz-Hill

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to health and provide cardio-protective benefits. To estimate omega-3 fatty acid dietary intake, we developed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and pilot tested its reliability and validity in a convenience sample of cardiac patients in the Midwest. The FFQ was developed using the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and the ESHA Food Processor, ESHA Research, Salem, Oregon. Three 24-h recalls and two administrations of the FFQ two weeks apart were obtained by a dietitian by phone and home visit from 28 volunteers. Pearson correlation was used to assess the association between food recalls …

Feeding Drosophila A Biotin-Deficient Diet For Multiple Generations Increases Stress Resistance And Lifespan And Alters Gene Expression And Histone Biotinylation Patterns, Erin M. Smith, Jia Tse Hoi, Joel C. Eissenberg, James D. Shoemaker, Wendi S. Neckameyer, Anne M. Ilvarsonn, Lawrence G. Harshman, Vicki L. Schlegel, Janos Zempleni

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Caloric restriction increases stress resistance and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster and other species. The roles of individual nutrients in stress resistance and longevity are largely unknown. The vitamin biotin is a potential candidate for mediating these effects, given its known roles in stress signaling and gene regulation by epigenetic mechanisms, i.e., biotinylation of histones. Here, we tested the hypothesis that prolonged culture of Drosophila on biotin-deficient medium increases stress resistance and lifespan. Flies were fed a biotin-deficient diet for multiple generations; controls were fed a biotin-normal diet. In some experiments, a third group of flies was fed a biotin-deficient diet …

Powerpoint On Water, Food, Energy, And Youth, Families And Communities, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today. It's always my pleasure to talk about the exciting work occurring in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Master Coqservationists Presentations - 2007, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Before announcing our honorees this evening, I would like to call your attention to results of an independent study done for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the past year. The "At Work for Nebraska" study was done by Battelle, of Columbus, Ohio, which is a nonprofit research and development organization specializing in global science and technology. The independent study found that our Institute provides a 15-to-one return on every tax dollar invested with us. That's 15-to-one conservatively. We all wish we could get that return on all our own investments. I encourage …

Haskell Agricultural Laboratory 50th Anniversary Celebration, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Today we celebrate 50 years of work done here at the Haskell Agricultural Laboratory for Nebraska. Work that addresses issues of great importance here. Work that matters. As your land-grant university, it is a point of pride for us to celebrate work done for our state. We are at work for Nebraska. That's our heritage. It's why we're here.

Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory Open House, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Please let me also extend a welcome to everyone attending today's Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory open house. It is wonderful to see you here, and it is great to be back. I know this is going to be a good, informative day, and I thank each and every member of our Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources' community who has worked to make this open house a success. I have a special thank you for today's co-sponsors and exhibitors who are providing such useful information. And a sincere thank you to each of you attending today's open house. You’re the reason …

Panhandle Research And Extension Center Feedlot Dedication Ceremony, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

It is my very great privilege and pleasure to have this opportunity to welcome you to today's dedication. We look forward with great anticipation to the exciting, important research to enhance cattle feeding profitability this feedlot will provide. Approximately 34 percent of Panhandle agriculture's economic impact - about $350 million yearly - comes from cattle finishing.

Abn Noon Speech (Short Version), John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Folks, because we find ourselves in a time crunch, I'm going to forego the terrific speech I planned to give today and quickly make five key points. Please know I will be happy to provide additional information on any of them at any time.

Nutrient Use Efficiency: Measurement And Management, Achim Dobermann

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Mineral fertilizers have sustained world agriculture and thus global population and wealth growth for more than 100 years (Smil, 2001; Stewart et al., 2005). Their contribution to increasing crop yields has spared millions of hectares of natural ecosystems that otherwise would have been converted to agriculture (Balmford et al., 2005). However, lacking, imbalanced, inappropriate or excessive use of nutrients in agricultural systems remains a concern. Nutrient mining is a major cause for low crop yields in parts of the developing world, particularly Africa. In other situations, nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) often move beyond the bounds of …

Serum Testing Of Genetically Modified Soybeans With Special Emphasis On Potential Allergenicity Of The Heterologous Protein Cp4 Epsps, Michael Hoff, Dae-Yeul Son, Michaela Gubesch, Kangmo Ahn, Sang-Il Lee, Stefan Vieths, Richard E. Goodman, Barbara K. Ballmer-Weber, Gary A. Bannon

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Roundup Ready soy contains the CP4-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (CP4 EPSPS) protein. Serum IgE from two distinct populations of soy-allergic patients were recruited to determine their IgE-binding specificity. One population consisted of 10 adult patients from Europe, whose primary diagnosis was soy food allergy with some also having mite allergy. In addition, 6 primarily mite-allergic, 6 food-allergic (celery, carrot, milk, shrimp, walnut, and apple), and 5 non-allergic patients were tested. Another population consisted of 13 children from Korea, whose primary diagnosis was atopic dermatitis and secondarily soy and egg sensitization. In addition, 11 non-allergic patients were tested. Each patient population was extensively …

Construction And Testing Of A Simple And Economical Soil Greenhouse Gas Automatic Sampler, Daniel Ginting, Spemcer L. Arnold, Nicholas S. Arnold, Ronald S. Tubbs

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

Quantification of soil greenhouse gas emissions requires considerable sampling to account for spatial and/or temporal variation.With manual sampling, additional personnel are often not available to sample multiple sites within a narrow time interval. The objectives were to construct an automatic gas sampler and to compare the accuracy and precision of automatic versus manual sampling. The automatic sampler was tested with carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes that mimicked the range of CO₂ fluxes during a typical corn-growing season in eastern Nebraska. Gas samples were drawn from the chamber at 0, 5, and 10 min manually and with the automatic …

Long-Term Application Of Biosolids On Apricot Production, Gary S. Ban˜Uelos, Sajeemas Pasakdee, Sharon E. Benes, Craig R. Ledbetter

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

The use and disposal of biosolids, or wastewater treatment sludge, as a fertilizer and soil amendment is becoming increasingly widespread. We evaluated the multiyear use of biosolids in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) production, grown on productive agricultural soils. Class A biosolids were initially applied annually at rates of 0, 1.9, 5.8, and 11.7 Mg · ha^-1 (dry basis) to a 2-year-old apricot orchard on the USDAARS research site on the eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley, CA. These application rates provided estimated rates of 0 (control), 57, 170, and 340 kg total N · ha^-1 yr …

Compost And Manure Effects On Fertilized Corn Silage Yield And Nitrogen Uptake Under Irrigation, Gary A. Lehrsch, D. C. Kincaid

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

Dairy manure increases the yields of dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from eroded, furrow-irrigated soils and may increase corn (Zea mays L.) silage yield from steeper eroded areas under sprinkler irrigation. In a 2-year field study in southern Idaho on Portneuf silt loam (coarse silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid), the effects of a one-time, fall application of 29 or 72 Mg ha^-1 of dry manure or 22 or 47 Mg ha^-1 of dry compost on subsequent silage yield and nitrogen (N) uptake from previously eroded, sprinkler-irrigated hill …

Parasitic Nematodes—From Genomes To Control, Makedonka Mitreva, Dante S. Zarlenga, James P. Mccarter, Douglas P. Jasmer

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

The diseases caused by parasitic nematodes in domestic and companion animals are major factors that decrease production and quality of the agricultural products. Methods available for the control of the parasitic nematode infections are mainly based on chemical treatment, non-chemical management practices, immune modulation and biological control. However, even with integrated pest management that frequently combines these approaches, the effective and long-lasting control strategies are hampered by the persistent exposure of host animals to environmental stages of parasites, the incomplete protective response of the host and acquisition of anthelmintic resistance by an increasing number of parasitic nematodes. Therefore, the challenges …

A Cellulose Fiber-Based Diet For Screwworm (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Larvae, M. F. Chaudhury, Steven R. Skoda

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

A highly absorbent cellulose fiber from recycled paper was tested and compared with a polyacrylate gelling agent, Aquatain, normally used for bulking and solidifying larval rearing medium of screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The absorbent fiber, when mixed with water and dietary ingredients, produced a diet medium of homogeneous texture that supported larval growth and development comparable with the standard gelled diet. Larval and pupal weights from two concentrations of cellulose fiber-based diet were significantly higher than those obtained using gelled diet. The number of pupae per tray, percentage of adult emergence, oviposition, percentage of egg hatch, and adult …

Ard News December 2006

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:

Comments from the Dean
William G. Whitmore Student Travel Endowment
David H. and Annie E. Larrick Fund, 2007
UNDERGRADUATE HONORS RESEARCH PROGRAM
ARD Foundation/Grant Processes
New or Revised Projects September and October 2006
Proposals Submitted for Federal Grants September and October 2006
Grants and Contracts Received for September and October 2006

Evaluating Diet Composition Of Pronghorn In Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, Christopher N. Jacques, Jaret D. Sievers, Jonathan A. Jenks, Chad L. Sexton, Daniel E. Roddy

The Prairie Naturalist

The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) was reintroduced into Wind Cave National Park (WCNP), South Dakota, in 1914, and thus, has inhabited the Park for nearly a century. During the 1990's, a decline in the population raised concern for the continued existence of pronghorn inside WCNP; an investigation into the observed decline was initiated. Primary objectives of our study were to evaluate diet composition and forage selection by pronghorn in WCNP. Microhistological analysis was conducted on 58 fecal samples collected opportunistically from pronghorn during 2002. Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), common juniper (Juniperus communis), and northern bedstraw …

Extended Visions, November/December 2006

Extended Visions Newsletter (ARDC)

Contents:
ARDC Director's Comments
ARDC Feature Unit – ARDC Administration
About the People
ASSIST Business Center Focuses on Service
Technology Capabilities at the ARDC
Calendar of Events
Embracing Holiday Nutrition
How We Spent Our Summer at the ARDC
Mead Magnet School Update
FFA “Families”
Nebraska Soybean Day and Machinery Expo Friday, Dec. 8
Upcoming Workshops for Acreage Owners Nebraska Friendly Landscapes
Wanted: Master Gardeners

Nesting Success Of Grassland And Savanna Birds On Reclaimed Surface Coal Mines Of The Midwestern United States, Edward W. Galligan, Travis L. Devault, Steven L. Lima

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reclaimed surface coal mines in southwestern Indiana support many grassland and shrub/ savanna bird species of conservation concern. We examined the nesting success of birds on these reclaimed mines to assess whether such ‘‘unnatural’’ places represent productive breeding habitats for such species. We established eight study sites on two large, grassland-dominated mines in southwestern Indiana and classified them into three categories (open grassland, shrub/savanna, and a mixture of grassland and shrub/savanna) based on broad vegetation and landscape characteristics. During the 1999 and 2000 breeding seasons, we found and monitored 911 nests of 31 species. Daily nest survival for the most …

Identification Of A Putative Operon Involved In Fructooligosaccharide Utilization By Lactobacillus Paracasei, Yong Jun Goh, Andrew K. Benson, Vicki Schlegel, Jong-Hwa Lee, Robert W. Hutkins

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The growth and activity of some Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains are stimulated by the presence of nondigestible fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are selectively fermented by specific intestinal bacteria. Consumption of FOS, therefore, enriches for those bacteria that possess metabolic pathways necessary for FOS metabolism. In this study, a DNA microarray consisting of 7,680 random genomic library fragments of Lactobacillus paracasei 1195 was used to examine genes involved in the utilization of FOS in this organism. Differential expression profiles between cells grown on FOS and those grown on glucose provided a basis for identifying genes specifically induced by FOS. Several of the …