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Extraction Of Lipids From Grain Sorghum Ddg, L. Wang, Curtis L. Weller, K. T. Hwang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Soxhlet and recirculated solvent extraction methods were used to extract lipid materials from grain sorghum DDG. The lipid content in DDG with a moisture content of 6.7% (dry basis) was as high as 9.32% of the dried DDG as determined by Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane. There was a slight increase in the lipid yield from 9.21% to 9.68% when the moisture contents increased from 2.1% to 17.4% (d.b.). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis showed that the sorghum lipids were composed of triacylglycerols, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty aldehydes, free sterols, wax esters, and steryl esters. A bench-scale recirculated extraction system was …

Policosanol Contents And Compositions In Wax-Like Materials Extracted From Selected Cereals Of Korean Origin, Keum Taek Hwang, Ji Eun Kim, Curtis L. Weller

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Policosanols. long-chained alcohols. have been reported to have beneficial physiological activities. Content and composition of policosanols in wax-like materials extracted from selected cereals of Korean origin were determined. Wax-like materials were extracted using hot hexane. Yields of wax-like materials from unpolished grain sorghum, polished grain sorghum. brown rice. purple rice, wheat, and maize were 223, 37, 33, 61, 10, and 10 mg/100 g of dry kernels, respectively. Policosanol contents, as determined using HPLC, in the wax-like materials from the cereals were 33, 29, 6.0, and 2% (w/w, db), respectively. Major alcohols in the policosanols from grain sorghum were octacosanol and …

Regulation Of Enteric Endophytic Bacterial Colonization By Plant Defenses, A. Leonardo Iniguez, Yuemei Dong, Heather D. Carter, Brian M. M. Ahmer, Julie M. Stone, Eric W. Triplett

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Bacterial endophytes reside within the interior of plants without causing disease or forming symbiotic structures. Some endophytes, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae 342 (Kp342), enhance plant growth and nutrition. Others, such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium), are human pathogens that contaminate raw produce. Several lines of evidence are presented here to support the hypothesis that plant defense response pathways regulate colonization by endophytic bacteria. An ethyleneinsensitive mutant of Medicago truncatula is hypercolonized by Kp342 compared to the parent genotype. Addition of ethylene, a signal molecule for induced systemic resistance in plants, decreased endophytic colonization in Medicago spp. …

Roles For Nutrients In Epigenetic Events, Anna M. Oommen, Jacob B. Griffin, Gautam Sarath, Janos Zempleni

Gautam Sarath Publications

The field of epigenetics is the study of modifications of DNA and DNA-binding proteins that alter the structure of chromatin without altering the nucleotide sequence of DNA; some of these modifications may be associated with heritable changes in gene function. Nutrients play essential roles in the following epigenetic events. First, folate participates in the generation of S-adenosylmethionine, which acts as a methyl donor in the methylation of cytosines in DNA; methylation of cytosines is associated with gene silencing. Second, covalent attachment of biotin to histones (DNA-binding proteins) plays a role in gene silencing and in the cellular response to DNA …

Terrestrial Behavior Of Ateles Spp., Christina J. Campbell, Filippo Aureli, Colin A. Chapman, Gabriel Ramos-Fernández, Kim Matthews, Sabrina E. Russo, Scott Suarez, Laura Vick

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Spider monkeys (Ateles spp.) are well known for their highly arboreal lifestyle, spending much of their time in the highest levels of the canopy and rarely venturing to the ground. To investigate terrestriality by Ateles and to illuminate the conditions under which spider monkeys venture to the ground, we analyzed ad libitum data from 5 study sites, covering 2 species and 5 subspecies. Three of the sites are in Central/North America: Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama (Ateles geoffroyi panamensis), Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica (A. g. frontatus), and Punta Laguna, Mexico (A. g. yucatanensis). The 2 remaining sites are …

Soil-Related Performance Variation And Distributions Of Tree Species In A Bornean Rain Forest, Sabrina E. Russo, Stuart J. Davies, David A. King, Sylvester Tan

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

1. Spatial distributions of tropical trees often correlate with environmental variation, suggesting that ecological sorting caused by niche differentiation may be important for maintaining species diversity.

2. Four soil types have been identified in a 52-ha forest dynamics plot in Bornean mixed dipterocarp forest (ranked by increasing fertility and moisture: sandy loam, loam, fine loam, and clay). The distributions of 73% of tree species in the plot are significantly aggregated on one of these soil types. We tested the hypothesis that variation in performance (growth and mortality) underlies these edaphically biased species distributions.

3. Annual growth and mortality rates over …

Insulin Signaling Is Necessary For Vitellogenesis In Drosophila Melanogaster Independent Of The Roles Of Juvenile Hormone And Ecdysteroids: Female Sterility Of The Chico1 Insulin Signaling Mutation Is Autonomous To The Ovary, David S. Richard, Robert Rybczynski, Thomas G. Wilson, Yue Wang, Marta L. Wayne, You Zhou, Linda Partridge, Lawrence G. Harshman

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

It has been suggested that insulin signaling mutations of Drosophila melanogaster are sterile and long-lived because of juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroid deficiency. However, female sterility of an insulin/IGF-like signaling mutant (chico¹) of D. melanogaster is not mediated by downstream systemic signaling in terms of major alterations in JH or ecdysteroid levels. chico¹ is a null mutation in the insulin substrate protein (CHICO) gene of D. melanogaster. Homozygous chico1 females are sterile and their oocytes do not mature beyond the last previtellogenic stage. Homozygous chico1 females exhibit approximately wild-type rates of JH biosynthesis, ovarian release …

Complex Signal Function: Developing A Framework Of Testable Hypotheses, Eileen Hebets, Daniel R. Papaj

Eileen Hebets Publications

The basic building blocks of communication are signals, assembled in various sequences and combinations, and used in virtually all inter- and intra-specific interactions. While signal evolution has long been a focus of study, there has been a recent resurgence of interest and research in the complexity of animal displays. Much past research on signal evolution has focused on sensory specialists, or on single signals in isolation, but many animal displays involve complex signaling, or the combination of more than one signal or related component, often serially and overlapping, frequently across multiple sensory modalities. Here, we build a framework of functional …

Effects Of Endogenous Steroid Hormone Levels On Annual Survival In Cliff Swallows, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown, Samrrah A. Raouf, Linda C. Smith, John C. Wingfield

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The hormone corticosterone is an important part of animals’ response to environmental stress, modulating short-term adaptive changes in behavior and physiology. The hormone testosterone is also critical, especially for males, in regulating the expression of sexual behavior and parental care. These hormones can have costly consequences, however, and within populations individuals show variation in endogenous levels of both corticosterone and testosterone. We studied how annual survival varied as a function of natural levels of these hormones in colonially breeding Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska, USA, in 2000–2003. We sampled hormone levels of birds caught at colonies …

Global Warming Is Changing The Dynamics Of Arctic Host-Parasite Systems, S. J. Kutz, Eric P. Hoberg, L. Polley, E. J. Jenkins

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Global climate change is altering the ecology of infectious agents and driving the emergence of disease in people, domestic animals, and wildlife. We present a novel, empirically based, predictive model for the impact of climate warming on development rates and availability of an important parasitic nematode of muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic, a region that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Using this model, we show that warming in the Arctic may have already radically altered the transmission dynamics of this parasite, escalating infection pressure for muskoxen, and that this trend is expected to continue. This work establishes a foundation …

Microclimate And Nest-Site Selection In Micronesian Kingfishers, Dylan C. Kesler, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We studied the relationship between microclimate and nest-site selection in the Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus reichenbachii ) which excavates nest cavities from the mudlike nest structures of arboreal termites (Nasutitermes sp.) or termitaria. Mean daily high temperatures at termitaria were cooler and daily low temperatures were warmer than at random sites in the forest. Results also indicate that termitaria provided insulation from temperature extremes, and that temperatures inside termitaria were within the thermoneutral zone of Micronesian Kingfishers more often than those outside. No differences were identified in temperatures at sites where nest termitaria and nonnest termitaria occurred …

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Consumption And Food Sources Differ Among Elderly Men Living In Coastal And Internal Regions Of Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Numair, Nancy M. Lewis, Sharon Evans

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) play an important role in reducing the risk of heart diseases. The objectives of the current study were to investigate the consumption and the food sources of n-3 FAs in two samples of elderly men living in different geographic locations (coastal and internal regions) of Saudi Arabia. Sixty men from each of the coastal and the internal regions provided a 24-hour recall and 2-day food record and a food frequency questionnaire. Food Processor Plus computer program software (ESHA Version 0.7; Salem, Oregon, 2002) was used to analyze the dietary intake. The intake …

Arkansas Symposium: Opportunities And Challenges Of Colleges Of Agriculture At Land-Grant Universities, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Friends, we've got trouble.
Yes, "... we got trouble,
Right here in River City!
With a capital ‘T’
That rhymes with ‘P’
And that stands for –"

Well, in the musical "The Music Man," where these lines originate, the "P" stood for "Pool."

"Pool" as in "Pool Hall," and all the less than edifying experiences the word conjured up for worried River City parents.

In Vitro Gas Production As A Surrogate Measure Of The Fermentability Of Cellulosic Biomass To Ethanol, P. J. Weimer, B. S. Dien, T. L. Springer, Kenneth P. Vogel

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

Current methods for measuring ethanol yields from lignocellulosic biomass are relatively slow and are not well geared for analyzing large numbers of samples generated by feedstock management and breeding research. The objective of this study was to determine if an in vitro ruminal fermentation assay used in forage quality research was predictive of results obtained using a conventional biomass-to-ethanol conversion assay. In the conventional assay, herbaceous biomass samples were converted to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures in the presence of cellulase enzymes. Cultures were grown in sealed serum bottles and gas production monitored by measuring increasing head space pressure. Gas …

Stable Isotopes In Obesity Research, Gregory G. Dolnikowski, Julian B. Marsh, Sai Krupa Das, Francine K. Welty

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

Obesity is recognized as a major public health problem. Obesity is a multifactorial disease and is often associated with a wide range of comorbidities including hypertension, non-insulin dependent (Type II) diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease, all of which contribute to morbidity and mortality. This review deals with stable isotope mass spectrometric methods and the application of stable isotopes to metabolic studies of obesity. Body composition and total energy expenditure (TEE) can be measured by mass spectrometry using stable isotope labeled water, and the metabolism of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate can be measured using appropriate labeled tracer molecules.

Colonization Of Wounded Peanut Seeds By Soil Fungi: Selectivity For Species From Aspergillus Section Flavi, Bruce W. Horn

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

Soil is a source of primary inoculum for Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, fungi that produce highly carcinogenic aflatoxins in peanuts. Aflatoxigenic fungi commonly invade peanut seeds during maturation, and the highest concentrations of aflatoxins are found in damaged seeds. A laboratory procedure was developed in which viable peanut seeds were wounded and inoculated with field soil containing natural populations of fungi, then incubated under different conditions of seed water activity and temperature. Densities of Aspergillus section Flavi in soil used for inoculating seeds were low relative to the total numbers of filamentous fungi (,1%). Aspergillus species from section Flavi …

Pervasiveness Of Phytoliths In Prehistoric Southwestern Diet And Implications For Regional And Temporal Trends For Dental Microwear, Karl J. Reinhard, Dennis R. Danielson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Our previous analysis of phytolith content of coprolites showed that calcium oxalate phytoliths from desert food plants caused dental microwear among prehistoric Texas hunter-gatherers. We demonstrated that phytoliths from desert succulents were ubiquitous and abundant in hunter-gatherer coprolites. We found that calcium oxalate phytoliths were harder than human dental enamel. We concluded that phytoliths from desert succulent plants caused dental microwear and hypothesized that such dental microwear would be common in other desert hunter-gatherer and horticultural peoples. Presented here are further analyses of phytoliths from coprolites. Two additional hunter-gatherer sites and three Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) horticultural sites are included in …

Center For Grassland Studies Newsletter, Winter 2004, Volume 10, No. 1

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Matching Beef Cattle Genetics to Feed Resources by Jim Gosey, Department of Animal Science, UNL

Ecological Monitoring to Assist Producers with Grassland Production Forecasts by George Green, School of Natural Resources, UNL

Nebraska Ranch Practicum Enters Sixth Year by Jerry Volesky, Don Adams, Richard Clark, Dillon Feuz, Patrick Reece, Brent Plugge, Bud Stolzenburg and Troy Walz, UNL

Bull Riders for Biodiversity? – And Other Heresies for the Northern Great Plains by Tyler Sutton, for The Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains

2004 Nebraska Grazing Conference to be Aug. 10-11

The Nebraska Turfgrass Conference: 42 Years of Educating Nebraska Turfgrass Managers …

Agricultural Research Division News - December 2004

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

Comments from the Dean and ARD Office Staff; Strategic Planning in IANR; Final FY 2005 Appropriation for USDA-CSREES; Undergraduate Honors Research Program; David H. and Annie E. Larrick Fund, 2005; IANR Policy for Conducting Field Trials of Regulated Transgenic Material; William G. Whitmore Student Travel Endowment; New or Revised Projects October/November 2004; Proposals Submitted for Federal Grants — October-November 2004; Grants and Contracts Received October-November, 2004

Causes Of Proteolytic Degradation Of Secreted Recombinant Proteins Produced In Methylotrophic Yeast Pichia Pastoris: Case Study With Recombinant Ovine Interferon-T, Jayanta Sinha, Bradley A. Plantz, Mehmet Inan, Michael Meagher

Papers in Biotechnology

It was observed that during fermentative production of recombinant ovine interferon-H (r-oIFN-H ) in Pichia pastoris, a secreted recombinant protein, the protein was degraded increasingly after 48 h of induction and the rate of degradation increased towards the end of fermentation at 72 h, when the fermentation was stopped. Proteases, whose primary source was the vacuoles, was found in in-creasing levels in the cytoplasm and in the fermentation broth after 48 h of induction and reached maximal values when the batch was completed at 72 h. Protease levels at various cell fractions as well as in the culture supernatant …

Agronomic Responses Of Corn Hybrids From Different Eras To Deficit And Adequate Levels Of Water And Nitrogen, Patrick M. O'Neill, J.F. Shanahan, James S. Schepers, Bob Caldwell

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Maintaining current high yields of corn (Zea mays L.) grown in the USA poses an environmental threat due to continued overuse of water and N inputs. To reduce overreliance on inputs, future corn breeding efforts should focus on improving tolerance of corn to water and N stresses, utilizing appropriate tolerance mechanisms. The objective of this study was to identify appropriate mechanisms by characterizing agronomic responses of 12 hybrids from three different eras (‘B73 x Mo17’ from 1970s and three early 1990s and eight late 1990s Pioneer brand hybrids) to varying water and N supply. This was done by growing …

Fish & Wildlife News: Fall 2004

Fish and Wildlife News

Contents:

2004 Federal Duck Stamp Contest: And the Winner Is...
Ducks Unlimited Signs on to License Duck Stamp
United States Reauthorizes North American Waterfowl Management Plan
Fish Passage Program Booms
Prescribed Fire Cuts Insurance Premiums
A Raven’s Story Echoes in Cyberspace
Reining In the “Horsemen”
Hurricanes Slash the Southeast
Congress to Help Cover Storm Damage
Partnerships x 7: Federal Land Management Agency Head Roundtable
Piper Honored At Bozeman Fish Technology Center Dedication
First Habitat Conservation Plan Gets Checkup
Refuge Hunting and Fishing Poised For Increase
Keeping Historic Waterways Invasive-Free
Partner’s Ranch Becomes Torstenson Family Wildlife Center
Environmental Justice for All …

Nebline, November/December 2004

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Local Efforts to Promote Good Health
What Parents Can Do
Tax Planning Update for 2004
Don’t Forget to Winterize Your Underground Sprinkler System
Management Pays Better Than Labor
Management = Planning for the Future
Helping Trees Through Winter
Sources of Man-Made Chemicals in Drinking Water
How to Hire an Arborist
Tips on Storing Firewood
Tips on Turkey Preparation
WINTER FRUIT GLAZE Recipe
How to Cook a Turkey the Day Before Serving It
GREEN ONION AND CORN BREAD STUFFING Recipe
Simple Tip to Avoid Scratches When Storing Nonstick Skillets
Cooking Tools Class Oct. 26
President’s Notes — Janet’s Jargon
Household Hints: …

Central And North America (Nearctic), E. M. Gese, M. Bekoff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyotes appear slender with “a long, narrow, pointed nose; small rounded nose pads; large pointed ears; slender legs; small feet; and a bushy tail...” (Young and Jackson 1951). Size varies geographically (Young and Jackson 1951) (Table 4.1.1), although adult males are heavier and larger than adult females. They range in color from pure grey to rufous; melanistic coyotes are rare (Young and Jackson 1951). Fur texture and color varies geographically: northern subspecies have long coarse hair, coyotes in the desert tend to be fulvous in color, while coyotes at higher latitudes are darker and more grey (Young and Jackson 1951). …

Indirect Effects Of Carnivores On Livestock Foraging Behavior And Production, Larry D. Howery, Thomas J. Deliberto

Sheep and Goat Research Journal

Direct effects of predation (i.e., killing of animals) can result in significant economic losses to livestock producers. A recent publication by the USDA, Wildlife Services (2002) identified the following losses: (1) livestock losses attributed to predators, predominantly coyotes (Canis latrans), reach about $71 million annually; (2) cattle and calf losses to predators in the United States totaled 147,000 head during 2000. A National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) study valued these losses at $51.6 million; (3) sheep and lamb losses to predators in the United States totaled 273,000 in 1999. A NASS study valued these losses at $16.5 million; (4) In …

Feral Swine Impacts On Agriculture And The Environment, Nathan W. Seward, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Gary W. Witmer, Richard M. Engeman

Sheep and Goat Research Journal

More than 30 species of exotic freeranging mammals have become established in the United States since European colonization (De Vos et al., 1956; McKnight, 1964; Roots, 1976). These species often become serious economic pests and can have grave consequences on their host environments (Cottam, 1956; De Vos et al., 1956; Mayer and Brisbin, 1991). True wild pigs (Suidae) are not native to the United States. Only the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu; Tayassuidae) that inhabits the southwestern and south-central parts of the United States is native (Mayer and Brandt, 1982; Mayer and Wetzel, 1986). Feral swine (Sus scrofa …

Selective Targeting Of Alpha Coyotes To Stop Sheep Depredation, M. M. Jaeger

Sheep and Goat Research Journal

Research to find more effective and socially acceptable solutions of managing coyote (Canis latrans) depredation has been ongoing for many years. The primary objective is to develop strategies that effectively reduce losses, not simply reduce coyote numbers. An important step in solving such conflicts is to clearly define the problem. In this case, it is important to know which coyotes are most likely to kill sheep and when and where their depredation is greatest. For a control strategy to be effective, it must be appropriate to these three defining characteristics. The hardest of these questions to resolve has been determining …

Review Of Canid Management In Australia For The Protection Of Livestock And Wildlife — Potential Application To Coyote Management, L. R. Allen, P. J. S. Fleming

Sheep and Goat Research Journal

Australia has two introduced canid species — European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and wild dogs (which include dingoes, Canis lupus dingo, feral domestic dogs C. l. familiaris and their hybrids). Foxes were introduced into mainland Australia in the 1860s and quickly spread (Rolls, 1984; Jarman 1986). This dispersal and establishment is believed linked with the introduction and spread of European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cunniculus) (Saunders et al., 1995). Except in Tasmania, where previous introductions appear to have been unsuccessful, and in northern Australia, where the climate is unsuitable and rabbits are essentially absent, foxes have become …

Herbivore Experience With Plant Defense Compounds Influences Acquisition Of New Flavor Aversions, Bruce A. Kimball, Dale L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Multiple experiments were conducted with a mammalian herbivore to determine how experience

with plant secondary metabolites (terpenes and tannins) influenced acquisition of new aversions to

diets containing these same plant metabolites. Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) were employed as

behavioral models for this study. Twenty-four subjects were assigned to three treatment groups that

received 20 days of experience with test diets: (A) terpene diet only; (B) tannin diet only; and (C)

terpene and tannin diets offered singly on alternate days. In experiment 1, all subjects were offered

both diets in a two-choice test to determine if experience affected diet preference. Both …

Avian Use Of Harvested Crop Fields During Spring Migration Trrough North Dakota, Alegra M. Galle, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Over the past century, the amount of mixed-grass prairie in North Dakota has diminished with a concomitant increase in land used for crop production. Consequently, the diversity of habitat available for migrant birds has decreased, and birds are now limited to choosing habitats that are uncharacteristic of those used during other times of the year. Because of the extensive agricultural production in this region, the value of harvested crop fields to spring-migrating birds was studied by examining avian habitat use in harvested fields to determine differences in bird use among these habitats. In the spring of 2003, 60 harvested fields …