Digital Commons Network^™

Jumble Judging: Cognitive And Affective Outcomes Of Intercollegiate Collaboration At A Soil Judging Competition, Rebecca A. Young, Judith Turk, Nicolas A. Jelinski, Amber D. Anderson, Kerry M. Clark, Ashlee L.D. Dere, Colby J. Moorberg, Kristopher Osterloh, Deann Presley

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Student–student interactions are influential parts of field experiences. While competitive judging events are a fun way to engage students in field-based learning, the focus on competition leads to an atmosphere that discourages collaboration between students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cognitive and affective learning outcomes resulting from intercollegiate collaboration at a soil judging competition. Teams with students from two to three different universities were assigned and referred to as jumble judging teams. Jumble judging was held for the first time in the 2021 Region 5 Collegiate Soil Judging Contest. Learning outcomeswere assessed using a pre- and …

Depletion Of Hiv Reservoir By Activation Of Isr Signaling In Resting Cd4+T Cells, Dajiang Li, Lilly M. Wong, Yuyang Tang, Brigitte Allard, Katherine S. James, George R. Thompson, Satya Dandekar, Edward P. Browne, Qingsheng Li, Jeremy M. Simon, Nancie M. Archin, David M. Margolis, Guochun Jiang

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

HIV reservoirs are extremely stable and pose a tremendous challenge to clear HIV infection. Here, we demonstrate that activation of ISR/ATF4 signaling reverses HIV latency, which also selectively eliminates HIV+ cells in primary CD4⁺T cell model of latency without effect on HIV-negative CD⁴⁺T cells. The reduction of HIV+ cells is associated with apoptosis enhancement, but surprisingly is largely seen in HIV-infected cells in which gag-pol RNA transcripts are detected in HIV RNA-induced ATF4/IFIT signaling. In resting CD4⁺ (rCD4⁺) T cells isolated from people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, induction of ISR/ATF4 signaling …

Personalized Matched Targeted Therapy In Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Pilot Cohort Analysis, Justin Shaya, Shumei Kato, Jacob J. Adashek, Hitendra Patel, Paul T. Fanta, Gregory P. Botta, Jason K. Sicklick, Razelle Kurzrock

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Despite progress, 2-year pancreatic cancer survival remains dismal. We evaluated a biomarker-driven, combination/N-of-one strategy in 18 patients (advanced/metastatic pancreatic cancer) (from Molecular Tumor Board). Targeted agents administered/ patient = 2.5 (median) (range, 1–4); first-line therapy (N = 5); second line, (N = 13). Comparing patients (high versus low degrees of matching) (matching score ≥50% versus <50%; reflecting number of alterations matched to targeted agents divided by number of pathogenic alterations), survival was significantly longer (hazard ratio [HR] 0.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.078–0.76, P = 0.016); clinical benefit rates (CBR) (stable disease ≥6 months/partial/complete response) trended higher (45.5 vs 0.0%, P = 0.10); progression-free survival, HR, 95% CI, 0.36 (0.12–1.10) (p = 0.075). First versus ≥2nd-line therapy had higher CBRs (80.0 vs 7.7%, P = …

Co-Culture Models Of Endothelial Cells, Macrophages, And Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells For The Study Of The Natural History Of Atherosclerosis, Martin Liu, Saurabhi Samant, Charu Hasini Vasa, Ryan M. Pedrigi, Usama Oguz, Sangjin Ryu, Timothy Wei, Daniel R. Anderson, Devandra K. Agrawal, Yiannis Chatzizisis

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background

This work aims to present a fast, affordable, and reproducible three-cell co-culture system that could represent the different cellular mechanisms of atherosclerosis, extending from atherogenesis to pathological intimal thickening.

Methods and results

We built four culture models: (i) Culture model #1 (representing normal arterial intima), where human coronary artery endothelial cells were added on top of Matrigel-coated collagen type I matrix, (ii) Culture model #2 (representing atherogenesis), which demonstrated the subendothelial accumulation and oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), (iii) Culture model #3 (representing intimal xanthomas), which demonstrated the monocyte adhesion to the endothelial cell monolayer, transmigration into the …

Screening Spring Wheat Genotypes For Tadreb-B1 And Fehw3 Genes Under Severe Drought Stress At The Germination Stage Using Kasp Technology, Elsayed A. Elsayed, Asmaa A. M. Ahmed, Matías Schierenbeck, Schierenbeck Y. Hussein, P. Stephen Baenziger, Andreas Börner, Ahmed Sallam

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Drought stress is a major yield-limiting factor throughout the world in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), causing losses of up to 80% of the total yield. The identification of factors affecting drought stress tolerance in the seedling stage is especially important to increase adaptation and accelerate the grain yield potential. In the current study, 41 spring wheat genotypes were tested for their tolerance to drought at the germination stage under two different polyethylene glycol concentrations (PEG) of 25% and 30%. For this purpose, twenty seedlings from each genotype were evaluated in triplicate with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in …

Genome‑Wide Investigation Of Snrk2 Gene Family In Two Jute Species: Corchorus Olitorius And Corchorus Capsularis, Borhan Ahmed, Fakhrul Hasan, Anika Tabassum, Rasel Ahmed, Rajnee Hassan, Ruhul Amin, Mobashwer Alam

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background Sucrose non-fermenting-1 (SNF1)-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2), a plant-specific serine/threonine kinase family, is associated with metabolic responses, including abscisic acid signaling under biotic and abiotic stresses. So far, no information on a genome-wide investigation and stress-mediated expression profiling of jute SnRK2 is available. Recent whole-genome sequencing of two Corchorus species prompted to identify and characterize this SnRK2 gene family.

Result We identified seven SnRK2 genes of each of Corchorus olitorius (Co) and C. capsularis (Cc) genomes, with similar physico-molecular properties and sub-group patterns of other models and related crops. In both species, the SnRK2 …

Seasonal Plasticity In Morphology And Metabolism Differs Between Migratory North American And Resident Costa Rican Monarch Butterflies, Ayşe Tenger-Trolander, Cole R. Julick, Wei Lu, Delbert André Green, Kristi L. Montooth, Marcus R. Kronforst

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Environmental heterogeneity in temperate latitudes is expected to maintain seasonally plastic life-history strategies that include the tuning of morphologies and metabolism that support overwintering. For species that have expanded their ranges into tropical latitudes, it is unclear the extent to which the capacity for plasticity will be maintained or will erode with disuse. The migratory generations of the North American (NA) monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus lead distinctly different lives from their summer generation NA parents and their tropical descendants living in Costa Rica (CR). NA migratory monarchs postpone reproduction, travel thousands of kilometers south to overwinter in Mexico, and subsist …

Seasonal Plasticity In Morphology And Metabolism Differs Between Migratory North American And Resident Costa Rican Monarch Butterflies, Ayşe Tenger-Trolander, Cole R. Julick, Wei Lu, Delbert André Green, Kristi L. Montooth, Marcus R. Kronforst

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Environmental heterogeneity in temperate latitudes is expected to maintain seasonally plastic life-history strategies that include the tuning of morphologies and metabolism that support overwintering. For species that have expanded their ranges into tropical latitudes, it is unclear the extent to which the capacity for plasticity will be maintained or will erode with disuse. The migratory generations of the North American (NA) monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus lead distinctly different lives from their summer generation NA parents and their tropical descendants living in Costa Rica (CR). NA migratory monarchs postpone reproduction, travel thousands of kilometers south to overwinter in Mexico, and subsist …

Application Of Neural Networks For Hydrologic Process Understanding At A Midwestern Watershed, Annushka Aliev, Sinan Rasiya Koya, Incheol Kim, Jongwan Eun, Elbert Traylor, Tirthankar Roy

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Shell Creek Watershed (SCW) is a rural watershed in Nebraska with a history of chronic flooding. Beginning in 2005, a variety of conservation practices have been employed in the watershed. Those practices have since been credited with attenuating flood severity and improving water quality in SCW. This study investigated the impacts of 13 different controlling factors on flooding at SCW by using an artificial neural network (ANN)-based rainfall-runoff model. Additionally, flood frequency analysis and drought severity analysis were conducted. Special emphasis was placed on understanding how flood trends change in light of conservation practices to determine whether any relation …

Does Preschool Executive Control Mediate The Impact Of Early Environmental Unpredictability And Deprivation On The General Factor Of Psychopathology A Decade Later?, Eric Phillips, Rebecca L. Brock, Tiffany D. James, Jennifer Nelson, W. Alex Mason, Kimberly Andrews Espy, Timothy D. Nelson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Although deprivation has been consistently shown to increase risk for psychopathology through impaired executive control, the unique effects of other dimensions of early adversity, such as unpredictability, on executive control development are poorly understood. The current study evaluated whether deprivation and/or unpredictability early in life have unique effects on the general factor of psychopathology through impaired preschool executive control. Methods: Participants included 312 children (51% female) oversampled for greater sociodemographic risk. Preschool executive control was measured using a battery of nine developmentally appropriate executive control tasks. Dimensions of adversity were measured with observational and caregiver assessments, and …

Long-Term Manure Application Improves Soil Health And Stabilizes Carbon In Continuous Maize Production System, Saurav Das, Daniel Liptzin, Bijesh Maharjan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soil health lies at the core of a sustainable food production system. A comprehensive evaluation of different agronomic practices and their effect on soil health is essential to determine the best practices that support soil ecosystem services. However, it may take years or decades to observe measurable changes in soil health under varying management practices. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of long-term (>77 years) manure and inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on soil health and determine the interrelationship among the measured soil bio-physicochemical indicators. The study also aims to understand the sustainability of the monocropping …

A Draft Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Genome: Insights Into Control And Host Plant Adaption By A Major Maize Pest Insect, Brad S. Coates, Kimberly K. O. Walden, Dimpal Lata, Neetha Nanoth Vellichirammal, Robert F. Mitchell, Martin N. Andersson, Rachel Mckay, Marcé D. Lorenzen, Nathaniel Grubbs, Yu‑Hui Wang, Jinlong Han, Jing Li Xuan, Peter Willadsen, Huichun Wang, B. Wade French, Raman Bansal, Sammy Sedky, Dariane Souza, Dakota Bunn, Lance J. Meinke, Nicholas J. Miller, Blair D. Siegfried11,, Thomas W. Sappington, Hugh M. Robertson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background Adaptations by arthropod pests to host plant defenses of crops determine their impacts on agricultural production. The larval host range of western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is restricted to maize and a few grasses. Resistance of D. v. virgifera to crop rotation practices and multiple insecticides contributes to its status as the most damaging pest of cultivated maize in North America and Europe. The extent to which adaptations by this pest contributes to host plant specialization remains unknown.

Results A 2.42 Gb draft D. v. virgifera genome, Dvir_v2.0, was assembled from short shotgun reads and scaffolded …

Simulated Impacts Of Winter Rye Cover Crop On Continuous Corn Yield And Soil Parameters, Girma Birr, Andualem S. Shiferaw, Tsegaye Tadesse, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Brian D. Wardlow, Katja Koehler-Cole, Tala Awada, Sarah Beebout, Teferi Tsegaye, Tulsi Kahrel

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cover crops (CC) provide numerous ecosystem services such as improving soil health, reducing nutrient loss, increasing productivity, and mitigating greenhouse gas emission. However, adoption of CC has been hindered by perceived negative impacts on main crop productivity and additional production costs. This is partly attributed to the gap in current state of knowledge in CC and its interaction with main crop production under different biophysical conditions. In this study, Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer model was used to evaluate the long-term impact of cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) on corn (Zea mays L.) yield, soil organic carbon …

Extending The Breadth Of Saliva Metabolome Fngerprinting By Smart Template Strategies And Efective Pattern Realignment On Comprehensive Two‑Dimensional Gas Chromatographic Data, Simone Squara, Friederike Manig, Thomas Henle, Michael Hellwig, Andrea Caratti, Carlo Bicchi, Stephen E. Reichenbach, Qingping Tao, Massimo Collino, Chiara Cordero

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-fight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) is one the most powerful analytical platforms for chemical investigations of complex biological samples. It produces large datasets that are rich in information, but highly complex, and its consistency may be affected by random systemic fluctuations and/ or changes in the experimental parameters. This study details the optimization of a data processing strategy that compensates for severe 2D pattern misalignments and detector response fluctuations for saliva samples analyzed across 2 years. The strategy was trained on two batches: one with samples from healthy subjects who had undergone dietary intervention with high/low-Maillard …

Comparison Of Rural And Urban High School Science And Engineering Integration In Two School Districts, Elizabeth Hasseler, Elizabeth B. Lewis

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

A comparative case study was conducted in an urban and rural district, focusing on how science and engineering were integrated into the high school programs. This led to the recommendation for districts to provide collaboration and mentorship opportunities that support teachers integrating engineering into their classrooms.

Session presider: Omah Williams-Duncan

Advisor: Beth Lewis

Committee members: Gwen Nugent, Justin Olmanson, Heidi Diefes-Dux

Type Ii Taste Cells Participate In Mucosal Immune Surveillance, Yumei Qin, Salin Raj Palayyan, Xin Zheng, Shiyi Tian, Robert F. Margolskee, Sunil Kumar Sukumaran

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The oral microbiome is second only to its intestinal counterpart in diversity and abundance but its effects on taste cells remains largely unexplored. Using single-cell RNASeq, we found that mouse taste cells, in particular, sweet and umami receptor cells that express taste 1 receptor member 3 (Tas1r3), have a gene expression signature reminiscent of Microfold (M) cells, a central player in immune surveillance in the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) such as those in the Peyer’s patch and tonsils. Administration of tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 11 (TNFSF11; also known as RANKL), a growth factor required for differentiation …

Habitat Fragmentation Reduces Survival And Drives Source–Sink Dynamics For A Large Carnivore, Anna C. Nisi, John F. Benson, Richard King, Christopher C. Wilmers

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Rigorous understanding of how environmental conditions impact population dynamics is essential for species conservation, especially in mixed-use landscapes where source–sink dynamics may be at play. Conservation of large carnivore populations in fragmented, human-dominated landscapes is critical for their long-term persistence. However, living in human-dominated landscapes comes with myriad costs, including direct anthropogenic mortality and sublethal energetic costs. How these costs impact individual fitness and population dynamics are not fully understood, partly due to the difficulty in collecting long-term demographic data for these species. Here, we analyzed an 11-year dataset on puma (Puma concolor) space use, mortality, and reproduction …

Evaluation Of Precision Livestock Technology And Human Scoring Of Nursery Pigs In A Controlled Immune Challenge Experiment, Eduarda M. Bortoluzzi, Mikayla J. Goering, Sara J. Ochoa, Aaron J. Holliday, Jared M. Mumm, Catherine E. Nelson, Hui Wu, Benny E. Mote, Eric T. Psota, Ty B. Schmidt, Majid Jaberi-Douraki, Lindsey E. Hulbert

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objectives were to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and cutoff values of a visual-based precision livestock technology (NUtrack), and determine the sensitivity and specificity of sickness score data collected with the live observation by trained human observers. At weaning, pigs (n = 192; gilts and barrows) were randomly assigned to one of twelve pens (16/pen) and treatments were randomly assigned to pens. Sham-pen pigs all received subcutaneous saline (3 mL). For LPS-pen pigs, all pigs received subcutaneous lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 300 µg/kg BW; E. coli O111:B4; in 3 mL of saline). For the last treatment, eight pigs were randomly …

Evaluation Of Precision Livestock Technology And Human Scoring Of Nursery Pigs In A Controlled Immune Challenge Experiment, Eduarda M. Bortoluzzi, Mikayla J. Goering, Sara J. Ochoa, Aaron J. Holliday, Jared M. Mumm, Catherine E. Nelson, Hui Wu, Benny Mote, Eric T. Psota, Ty B. Schmidt, Majid Jaberi-Douraki, Lindsey E. Hulbert

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objectives were to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and cutoff values of a visual-based precision livestock technology (NUtrack), and determine the sensitivity and specificity of sickness score data collected with the live observation by trained human observers. At weaning, pigs (n = 192; gilts and barrows) were randomly assigned to one of twelve pens (16/pen) and treatments were randomly assigned to pens. Sham-pen pigs all received subcutaneous saline (3 mL). For LPS-pen pigs, all pigs received subcutaneous lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 300 μg/kg BW; E. coli O111:B4; in 3 mL of saline). For the last treatment, eight pigs were randomly …

Modeling And Analyzing Homogeneous Tumor Growth Under Virotherapy, Chayu Yang, Jin Wang

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

We present a mathematical model based on ordinary differential equations to investigate the spatially homogeneous state of tumor growth under virotherapy. The model emphasizes the interaction among the tumor cells, the oncolytic viruses, and the host immune system that generates both innate and adaptive immune responses. We conduct a rigorous equilibrium analysis and derive threshold conditions that determine the growth or decay of the tumor under various scenarios. Numerical simulation results verify our analytical predictions and provide additional insight into the tumor growth dynamics.

Functional Impact Of A Cancer-Related Variant In Human Δ1‑Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate Reductase 1, Oseeyi I. Daudu, Kaylen R. Meeks, Lu Zhang, Javier Seravalli, John J. Tanner, Donald F. Becker

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (PYCR) is a proline biosynthetic enzyme that catalyzes the NAD(P)H-dependent reduction of Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) to proline. Humans have three PYCR isoforms, with PYCR1 often upregulated in different types of cancers. Here, we studied the biochemical and structural properties of the Thr171Met variant of PYCR1, which is found in patients with malignant melanoma and lung adenocarcinoma. Although PYCR1 is strongly associated with cancer progression, characterization of a PYCR1 variant in cancer patients has not yet been reported. Thr171 is conserved in all three PYCR isozymes and is located near the P5C substrate binding site. We found that …

Something Smells Fishy: How Lipid Mediators Impact The Maternal–Fetal Interface And Neonatal Development, Maranda Thompson, Arzu Ulu, Maheswari Mukherjee, Ana G. Yuil-Valdes, Melissa Thoene, Matthew Van Ormer, Rebecca Slotkowski, Teri Mauch, Ann Anderson-Berry, Corrine K. Hanson, Tara M. Nordgren, Sathish Kumar Natarajan

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Normal pregnancy relies on inflammation for implantation, placentation, and parturition, but uncontrolled inflammation can lead to poor maternal and infant outcomes. Maternal diet is one modifiable factor that can impact inflammation. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids obtained through the diet are metabolized into bioactive compounds that effect inflammation. Recent evidence has shown that the downstream products of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids may influence physiology during pregnancy. In this review, the current knowledge relating to omega-3 and omega-6 metabolites during pregnancy will be summarized.

Something Smells Fishy: How Lipid Mediators Impact The Maternal–Fetal Interface And Neonatal Development, Maranda Thompson, Arzu Ulu, Maheswari Mukherjee, Ana G. Yuil-Valdes, Melissa K. Thoene, Matthew Van Ormer, Rebecca Slotkowski, Teri Mauch, Ann Anderson-Berry, Corrine K. Hanson, Tara M. Nordgren, Sathish Kumar Natarajan

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Normal pregnancy relies on inflammation for implantation, placentation, and parturition, but uncontrolled inflammation can lead to poor maternal and infant outcomes. Maternal diet is one modifiable factor that can impact inflammation. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids obtained through the diet are metabolized into bioactive compounds that effect inflammation. Recent evidence has shown that the downstream products of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids may influence physiology during pregnancy. In this review, the current knowledge relating to omega-3 and omega-6 metabolites during pregnancy will be summarized.

Soil Water Sensors For Irrigation Scheduling In The United States: A Systematic Review Of Literature, Sumon Datta, Saleh Taghvaeian

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Soil water sensors (SWS) have been widely researched and practiced for irrigation scheduling. Due to popularity of this approach, there is a need for frequent reviews of the SWS literature to keep the researchers, extension professionals, and end-users updated and to help with defining and modifying future directions. In addition, existing literature reviews do not systematically report and summarize the results of previous studies. To address this gap, a systematic review was carried out to identify and analyze related literature published in the United States in the past two decades. Two focus areas were SWS accuracy assessment and SWS application …

Evolution And Molecular Basis Of A Novel Allosteric Property Of Crocodilian Hemoglobin, Chandrasekhar Natarajan, Anthony V. Signore, Naim M. Bautista, Federico G. Hoffmann, Jeremy R.H. Tame, Angela Fago, Jay F. Storz

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The extraordinary breath-hold diving capacity of crocodilians has been ascribed to a unique mode of allosterically regulating hemoglobin (Hb)-oxygenation in circulating red blood cells. We investigated the origin and mechanistic basis of this novel biochemical phenomenon by performing directed mutagenesis experiments on resurrected ancestral Hbs. Comparisons of Hb function between the common ancestor of archosaurs (the group that includes crocodilians and birds) and the last common ancestor of modern crocodilians revealed that regulation of Hb-O₂ affinity via allosteric binding of bicarbonate ions represents a croc-specific innovation that evolved in combination with the loss of allosteric regulation by ATP binding. …

Using Innovative Copper‑Loaded Activated Alumina (Cu/Aa) As The Catalyst For Catalytic Wet Peroxidation (Cwpo) Of Catechol, Vijayalakshmi Gosu, Archana Dhakar, Tian C. Zhang, Rao Y. Surampalli, Verraboina Ubbaramaiah

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this study, copper-loaded activated alumina (Cu/AA) was synthesized and used for the CWPO of catechol (a representative refractory organic pollutant). Various characterization techniques were deployed to characterize the catalysts, e.g., activated alumina (AA), as well as pristine and spent 1% Cu/AA. The innovative 1% Cu/AA catalyst exhibited good thermal stability up to 1173 K with a marginal weight loss of 13%. The Cu species were well dispersed on the activated alumina framework with no significant cluster formation. Typically, the average copper particle size of 5 nm was dispersed on the AA framework. Catechol removal was observed to be 92% …

On Correlation Between Canopy Vegetation And Growth Indexes Of Maize Varieties With Different Nitrogen Efficiencies, Xia Zhao, Shuaili Wang, Tao Wen, Jiamin Xu, Bao Huang, Shufeng Yan, Gangqiang Gao, Yali Zhao, Hongping Li, Jiangfang Qiao, Jinliang Yang, Lianhai Wu, Hongwei Wang, Tianxue Liu, Xinyuan Mu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Studying the canopy spectral reflection characteristics of different N-efficient maize varieties and analyzing the relationship between their growth indicators and spectral vegetation indices can help the breeding and application of N-efficient maize varieties. To achieve the optimal management of N fertilizer resources, developing N-efficient maize varieties is necessary. In this research, maize varieties, i.e., the low-N-efficient (Zhengdan 958, ZD958), the high-N efficient (Xianyu 335, XY335), the double-high varieties (Qiule 368, QL368), and the double inefficient-type varieties (Yudan 606 YD606), were used as materials. Results indicate that nitrogen fertilization significantly increased the vegetation indices NDVI, GNDVI, GOSAVI, and RVI of maize …

Evaluation Of Artificial Intelligence Algorithms With Sensor Data Assimilation In Estimating Crop Evapotranspiration And Crop Water Stress Index For Irrigation Water Management, Abia Katimbo, Daran Rudnick, Jingwen Zhang, Yufeng Ge, Kendall C. Dejonge, Trenton E. Franz, Yeyin Shi, Wei‑Zhen Liang, Xin Qiao, Derek M. Heeren, Isa Kabenge, Hope Njuki Nakabuye, Jiaming Duan

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Irrigation water management using automated irrigation decision support system (IDSS) as a smart irrigation scheduling tool can improve water use efficiency and crop production, especially under circumstances of limited water supply. The current study evaluated the performance of different artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and their ensembles in forecasting Crop Evapotranspiration (ET_c) and Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) against calculated single crop coefficient FAO56 ET_c and Jackson’s theoretical CWSI, respectively. Soil moisture, canopy temperatures (T_c) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were all measured from irrigated and non-irrigated maize plots in West Central Nebraska during 2020 …

Survival Rates Of Band‐Tailed Pigeons Estimated Using Passive Integrated Transponder Tags, Daniel P. Collins, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Scott A. Carleton, William L. Kendall, Christopher L. Coxen

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Obtaining survival estimates on the Interior population of band-tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) is challenging because they are trap shy, but the joint use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and bands is a potential solution. We investigated the use of PIT tags to passively recapture band‐tailed pigeon at 3 locations in New Mexico, USA, to estimate survival. From 2013–2015, we captured, banded, and marked >600 individual band‐tailed pigeons with PIT tags. To estimate annual survival rates, we used a Barker multi‐state joint live and dead encounters and resighting model. Survival models excluding transience had survival estimates across site, …

Thirteen New Species Of Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) From Texas, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Nick V. Grishin

Insecta Mundi

Analyses of whole genomic shotgun datasets, COI barcodes, morphology, and historical literature suggest that the following 13 butterfly species from the family Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) in Texas, USA are distinct from their closest named relatives and therefore are described as new (type localities are given in parenthesis): Spicauda atelis Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., Mission), Urbanus (Urbanus) rickardi Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., nr. Madero), Urbanus (Urbanus) oplerorum Grishin, new spe­cies (Hidalgo Co., Mission/Madero), Telegonus tsongae Grishin, new species (Starr Co., Roma), Autochton caballo Grishin, new species (Hidalgo Co., 6 mi W of Hidalgo), Epargyreus fractigutta …