Digital Commons Network^™

Anisotropic Scaffolds For Peripheral Nerve And Spinal Cord Regeneration, Wen Xue, Wen Shi, Yunfan Kong, Mitchell Kuss, Bin Duan

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The treatment of long-gap (>10 mm) peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a continuous challenge due to limited native tissue regeneration capabilities. The current clinical strategy of using autografts for PNI suffers from a source shortage, while the pharmacological treatment for SCI presents dissatisfactory results. Tissue engineering, as an alternative, is a promising approach for regenerating peripheral nerves and spinal cords. Through providing a beneficial environment, a scaffold is the primary element in tissue engineering. In particular, scaffolds with anisotropic structures resembling the native extracellular matrix (ECM) can effectively guide neural outgrowth and reconnection. In …

Seed Rain–Successional Feedbacks In Wet Tropical Forests, Nohemi Huanca Nuñez, Robin L. Chazdon, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Abstract

Tropical forest regeneration after abandonment of former agricultural land depends critically on the input of tree seeds, yet seed dispersal is increasingly disrupted in contemporary human-modified landscapes. Here, we introduce the concept of seed rain–successional feedbacks as a deterministic process in which seed rain is shaped by successional dynamics internal to a forest site and that acts to reinforce priority effects. We used a combination of time series and chronosequence approaches to investigate how the quantity and taxonomic and functional composition of seed rain change during succession and to evaluate the strength of seed rain–successional feedbacks, relative to other …

Unprecedented Migratory Bird Die-Off: A Citizen-Based Analysis On The Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Mass Mortality Events In The Western United States, Di Yang, Anni Yang, Jue Yang, Rongting Xu, Han Qiu

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Extensive, severe wildfires, and wildfire-induced smoke occurred across the western and central United States since August 2020. Wildfires resulting in the loss of habitats and emission of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds pose serious threatens to wildlife and human populations, especially for avian species, the respiratory system of which are sensitive to air pollutions. At the same time, the extreme weather (e.g., snowstorms) in late summer may also impact bird migration by cutting off their food supply and promoting their migration before they were physiologically ready. In this study, we investigated the environmental drivers of massive bird die-offs by …

Characterization Of Novel Chlorovirus Glycosyltransferases That Synthesize Atypical Glycans, Eric A. Noel

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Giant dsDNA chloroviruses encode a diverse repertoire of glycosyltransferases (GTases) and methyltransferases (MTases) that biosynthesize unusual, methylated sugars independent of their host chlorella-like green algae prompting a reexamination of glycobiology systems. Unlike most other viruses, the prototype chlorovirus PBCV-1 encodes most, if not all, of the machinery required to glycosylate its major capsid protein (MCP). The structures of the four N-linked glycans do not resemble any other glycans in the three domains of life. Here, we investigated the potential involvement of chlorovirus- encoded putative GTases and MTases in glycosylation of the viral MCP. First, we aimed to generate site-directed …

Changes In Whole Blood Parameters In Beef Heifers May Contribute To Delayed Pubertal Attainment, Jessica A. Keane

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pubertal development in beef heifers is a transient period that has many contributing factors. Previously in our lab, progesterone (P4) concentrations collected from heifers at weaning (Oct) to breeding (May) were used to identify four distinct pubertal groups: Typical, Early, Start-Stop, and Non-Cycling. There is limited research on heifers and the impacts of whole blood cell populations, particularly WBCs, during pubertal development; however, girls with differing puberty onset displayed altered concentrations of hematocrit, white blood cells (WBC), and hemoglobin concentrations. Thus, our hypothesis was that heifer pubertal groups with delayed or precocious puberty may have increased white blood cells or …

Variation In The Genome And Transcriptome Associated With Beef Cattle Production And Investigation Of The Metabolic Consequences Of Beta-Adrenergic Agonist Supplementation, Renae L. Sieck

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Beta-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) are widely used supplements in livestock production to improve feed efficiency and increase lean muscle mass. Heat stress is one of the largest economic burdens to the livestock industry due to production efficiency losses and morbidity and mortality of animals. Both β-AA and catecholamines released in response to heat stress bind to β-adrenoceptors on the skeletal muscle cell surface to activate downstream signaling pathways. The purpose of this study was to determine if β-AA supplementation and heat stress have an additive effect on the skeletal muscle transcriptome. 3’ RNA sequencing of samples of the longissimus dorsi was …

The Effects Of Different Feed Supplements On Performance Parameters, Egg Measurements, And Eggshell Integrity In Older White Leghorn Laying Hens, Josephine N. Foley

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of multiple feed additives on the performance of older White Leghorn hens. Study 1 examined the effects of 2 vitamin/mineral supplements and 1 medium chain fatty acid. Study 2 examined the effects of a novel butyric acid product, a tributyrin ester. Both studies followed a completely randomized design with repeated measures and data were analyzed using the Glimmix procedure in SAS version 9.4 for Windows.

The first study took place November 2015 to April 2016. Trt 1 was a control diet, Trt 2 was supplemented with a Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn …

Evaluation Of Condensed Algal Residue Solubles As An Ingredient In Cattle Finishing Diets And Its Effects On Digestibility And Fatty Acid Flow And A Comparison Of Single And Dual Implant Strategies In Finishing Heifers, John Calvin Gibbons

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two experiments, a performance study (Exp. 1) and digestion study (Exp. 2) were conducted to evaluate a novel liquid feed, condensed algal residue solubles (CARS), in feedlot diets. In Exp. 1 and Exp. 2, steers were fed three inclusions of CARS at 0%, 2.5%, 5%. There were quadratic responses for greater carcass adjusted final BW, ADG, G:F, HCW, 12^th rib fat, and yield grade. There was a linear increase in marbling score and a linear decrease in DMI and LM area as CARS increased. In Exp. 2, CARS did not affect intake or digestibility. Fatty acid flow at the …

Eyes On The Future, Brooke Schmidt

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For my community-based thesis project, I will host a glasses drive at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in August 2020. I will reach out to different registered student organizations and colleges/education departments at the university to invite them to participate. If they choose to partake, I will set up a box for donations in a prominent location for the respective group. I will also provide a brochure or pamphlet next to the donation box to give interested and potential donors more information about the importance of donating glasses and where their donation will go. Glasses donations will be given to the …

Impact Of Particle Surface Charge Heterogeneity On Deposition Onto Flat Surfaces And Transport In Porous Media, Thompson Delon

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Biological and non-biological natural colloids are anisotropic and ubiquitously exist in groundwater. Previously in colloid transport modelling, colloids are assumed to be homogenous for simplification, whether in shape or surface charge. More research has been done to incorporate surface heterogeneity in the transport experiment, i.e., surface charge heterogeneity on collector in column experiment. However, few studies have been done on surface heterogeneity on colloids themselves.

In this dissertation, Janus particles with different surface charge was developed to model surface heterogeneity on colloids. The interaction energy between Janus particle and flat surfaces was analyzed through DLVO simulation. It was discovered that …

Comparing A Mixed Model Approach To Traditional Stability Estimators For Mapping Genotype By Environment Interactions And Yield Stability In Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.], Mary M. Happ, George L. Graef, Haichuan Wang, Reka Howard, Luis Posadas, David L. Hyten

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Identifying genetic loci associated with yield stability has helped plant breeders and geneticists begin to understand the role and influence of genotype by environment (GxE) interactions in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] productivity, as well as other crops. Quantifying a genotype’s range of performance across testing locations has been developed over decades with dozens of methodologies available. This includes directly modeling GxE interactions as part of an overall model for yield, as well as methods which generate overall yield “stability” values from multi-environment trial data. Correspondence between these methods as it pertains to the outcomes of genome wide association studies …

Soil Erosion Modelling: A Bibliometric Analysis, Nejc Bezak, Matjǎz Mikǒs, Pasquale Borrelli, Christine Alewell, Dinesh Panday, Panos Panagos, 59 Co-Authors

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soil erosion can present a major threat to agriculture due to loss of soil, nutrients, and organic carbon. Therefore, soil erosion modelling is one of the steps used to plan suitable soil protection measures and detect erosion hotspots. A bibliometric analysis of this topic can reveal research patterns and soil erosion modelling characteristics that can help identify steps needed to enhance the research conducted in this field. Therefore, a detailed bibliometric analysis, including investigation of collaboration networks and citation patterns, should be conducted. The updated version of the Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT) database contains information about …

Small Mammals Killed In Discarded Bottles Along Roadsides In Central Nebraska, Owen J. Johnson, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Littered debris along roadways traps and kills small vertebrates. In Nebraska, at least 20 species of small mammals are small enough to enter openings of discarded bottles and cans. We surveyed roadsides for littered bottles and cans containing vertebrate remains in central parts of the state. We observed 459 bottles and 278 aluminum cans along 17.6 km of roadsides in Nebraska. Littered bottles contained 41 vertebrate remains representing nine taxa of small mammals. Glass bottles contained the majority of individuals, plastic bottles had a few individuals, and no vertebrate remains were detected in aluminum cans. Harvest mice (Reithrodontomys spp.) …

Synopsis Of The Tribe Platynini In New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), André Larochelle, Marie-Claude Larivière

Insecta Mundi

The tribe Platynini (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Harpalinae) is revised for New Zealand. Eight genera and forty-three species are recognized.

Four genera and sixteen species are described as new: Ctenognathus davidsoni Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus earlyi Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus garnerae Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus hoarei Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus kaikoura Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus marieclaudiae Larochelle new species, Ctenog­nathus perumalae Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus takahe Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus tawanui Larochelle and Larivière new species, Ctenognathus tepaki Larochelle …

Development Of A Preventive Influenza D Virus Vaccine, Qingsheng Li, Yanmin Wan, Feng Li

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The present disclosure provides a DNA vaccine or immunogenic composition expressing consensus hemagglutinin esterase - fusion ( HEF ) protein ( FluD - Vax ) and a protein based vaccine utilizing the HEF consensus protein . Methods of making and using the compositions are also provided herein.

Affiliation Information In Datacite Dataset Metadata: A Flemish Case Study, Niek Van Wettere

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

This article aims to evaluate how and to what extent metadata of datasets indexed in DataCite offer clear human- or machine-readable information that enables the research data to be linked to a particular research institution. Two main pathways are explored. First, researchers can encode their affiliation information at the moment of data submission. This can be done by means of free-text metadata fields or via the inclusion of identifiers such as GRID/ROR and ORCID. Second, affiliation information can be traced indirectly through linking between a dataset and associated publications, given that the metadata of publications is often more explicit about …

Compounds Derived From Bacteria Enhance Marine Diatom Growth, Ananya Mukherjee

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Subsequent Spelling Ritchiei For Mnematium Ritchii Macleay, 1821 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeini) To Be Maintained For Prevailing Usage, Stefano Ziani

Insecta Mundi

The specific name in Mnematium ritchiei Macleay, 1821 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeini) is an incorrect subsequent spelling—the original spelling is ritchii—but, because of its prevailing usage here documented, is to be preserved.

A Catalogue Of The Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) Of The World, Trevor Randall Smith

Insecta Mundi

A world catalogue and bibliography of the family Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) is presented. The catalogue contains 207 species within 16 genera. Each taxon is accompanied by a complete taxonomic his­tory, including a full annotated synonymy with original references cited. The reversal of the recent synonymy of Cybocephalus brevis Grouvelle over Cybocephalus minimus Grouvelle is proposed. Cybocephalus aeneus Reiche is removed from synonymy with Cybocephalus micans Reitter and considered incertae sedis.

The Cybocephalidae are a family of small predatory beetles found throughout the world (Smith 2020). While cybocephalids are typically extremely convex, shiny and dark in coloration, the defining characteristic of …

The Strange Case Of Colophotia Miranda Olivier, 1886 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Luciolinae), Lesley Ballantyne, Wan F.A. Jusoh

Insecta Mundi

A single male specimen identified as Colophotia miranda Olivier (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Lucio­linae) by Blair and housed in the Natural History Museum, London, is redescribed, and its identification and affinities explored.

Ernest Olivier, who first described Colophotia miranda in 1886, was then curator of insects at the Muséum natio­nale d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (MNHN). Effectively for lampyridologists he was the first in a narrow line of firefly taxonomists. Thanks to Olivier we have our first subfamily classifications, keys, catalogues and species descrip­tions; work that has undergone much revision and expansion in the last 100 years.

One of Olivier’s strengths, for those of …

Two New Species Of Palm-Leaf Skeletonizers (Lepidoptera: Pterolonchidae: Homaledra Busck), James E. Hayden

Insecta Mundi

Two species of palm-leaf skeletonizers (Lepidoptera: Pterolonchidae: Homaledra Busck) that are invasive in Florida, USA are newly described. Homaledra howardi new species is described from Florida and the Dominican Republic. Homaledra knudsoni new species is described from Florida, southern Texas, and Mexico. A lectotype is designated for Homaledra sabalella (Chambers). The three are diagnosed and com­pared with other congeners, and Homaledra is compared with other Pterolonchidae. The larvae of the three common species feed on epidermis of palm foliage, causing significant damage.

Se describen dos especies de palomillas de hojas de palma (Lepidoptera: Pterolonchidae: Homale­dra Busck) que son invasivas en …

Modulation Of Mechanical Stress Mitigates Anti-Dsg3 Antibody-Induced Dissociation Of Cell–Cell Adhesion, Xiaowei Jin, Jordan Rosenbohm, Eunju Kim, Amir Monemian Monemianesfahani, Kristina Seiffert-Sinha, James K. Wahl Iii, Jung Yul Lim, Animesh A. Sinha, Ruiguo Yang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

It is becoming increasingly clear that mechanical stress in adhesive junctions plays a significant role in dictating the fate of cell–cell attachment under physiological conditions. Targeted disruption of cell–cell junctions leads to multiple pathological conditions, among them the life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The dissociation of cell–cell junctions by autoantibodies is the hallmark of PV, however, the detailed mechanisms that result in tissue destruction remain unclear. Thus far, research and therapy in PV have focused primarily on immune mechanisms upstream of autoantibody binding, while the biophysical aspects of the cell– cell dissociation process leading to acantholysis are less …

Modulation Of Mechanical Stress Mitigates Anti-Dsg3 Antibody-Induced Dissociation Of Cell–Cell Adhesion, Xiaowei Jin, Jordan Rosenbohm, Eunju Kim, Amir Monemian Esfahani, Kristina Seiffert-Sinha, James K. Wahl Iii, Jung Yul Lim, Animesh A. Sinha, Ruiguo Yang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

It is becoming increasingly clear that mechanical stress in adhesive junctions plays a significant role in dictating the fate of cell–cell attachment under physiological conditions. Targeted disruption of cell–cell junctions leads to multiple pathological conditions, among them the life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The dissociation of cell–cell junctions by autoantibodies is the hallmark of PV, however, the detailed mechanisms that result in tissue destruction remain unclear. Thus far, research and therapy in PV have focused primarily on immune mechanisms upstream of autoantibody binding, while the biophysical aspects of the cell– cell dissociation process leading to acantholysis are less …

Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion Lineatum) Prescribed Fire Mortality, Carson Schultz, Andrew J. Caven

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Functioning prairie ecosystems are characterized by periodic and cyclical disturbances (e.g., grazing, drought, fire, etc.). Grazing and fire were historically widespread drivers of habitat structure. Many native species are adapted to fire and rely on the diverse habitats it maintains in a range of successional states. Wildlife mortality is an inevitable result of many prescribed fires and various species of small terrestrial vertebrates with limited dispersal abilities are most commonly affected. Herein, we report on the detected mortality of an individual Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum) after a prescribed burn along a lowland tallgrass prairie - wet meadow ecotone in South …

Dataset Search In Biodiversity Research: Do Metadata In Data Repositories Reflect Scholarly Information Needs?, Felicitas Löffler, Valentin Wesp, Brigitta König-Ries, Friederike Klan

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Abstract

The increasing amount of publicly available research data provides the opportunity to link and integrate data in order to create and prove novel hypotheses, to repeat experiments or to compare recent data to data collected at a different time or place. However, recent studies have shown that retrieving relevant data for data reuse is a time-consuming task in daily research practice. In this study, we explore what hampers dataset retrieval in biodiversity research, a field that produces a large amount of heterogeneous data. In particular, we focus on scholarly search interests and metadata, the primary source of data in …

Evaluation Of The Taxonomic Status Of Eurytides Marcellus Form “Floridensis” (W. Holland, 1898) (Papilionoidea, Papilioninae, Leptocircini), Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The purpose of this paper is to firmly identify subspecific authorship of the name floridensis for the Floridian population of Eurytides marcellus (Cramer, 1779), which I recognize as a distinct, though slightly differentiated, subspecies ranging north and west along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal regions. Though the name has been in historical use by multiple authors since description by William J. Holland (1898), it has not been readily evident which, if any, published work to date clearly and validly elevated the name to subspecific rank. The name “floridensis” is not preoccupied by any other members of …

Pupal Polymorphism Of The Bog Copper Butterfly Lycaena (Epidemia) Epixanthe (Bsd. & Le C. [1835]) (Lycaenidae: Lycaeninae) In New Jersey, David M. Wright

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The immature stages of the Bog Copper butterfly, Lycaena epixanthe, were described in detail by the author nearly forty years ago. Two different pupal colors were interpreted to represent distinct separate morphs with genetically-fixed incidences. Reassessment of the data discloses a pattern of progressive color change of each individual pupa throughout the pupal period. This transforming strategy is adaptive and may reduce predator recognition.

Evolution Of Genome Structure In The Drosophila Simulans Species Complex, Mahul Chakraborty, Ching-Ho Chang, Danielle E. Khost, Jeffrey Vedanayagam, Jeffrey R. Adrion, Yi Liao, Kristi L. Montooth, Colin D. Meiklejohn, Amanda M. Larracuente, J J. Emerson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The rapid evolution of repetitive DNA sequences, including satellite DNA, tandem duplications, and transposable elements, underlies phenotypic evolution and contributes to hybrid incompatibilities between species. However, repetitive genomic regions are fragmented and misassembled in most contemporary genome assemblies. We generated highly contiguous de novo reference genomes for the Drosophila simulans species complex (D. simulans, D. mauritiana, and D. sechellia), which speciated ∼250,000 yr ago. Our assemblies are comparable in contiguity and accuracy to the current D. melanogaster genome, allowing us to directly compare repetitive sequences between these four species. We find that at least 15% of the D. simulans complex …

Characteristics Related To Parent-Child Literacy And Numeracy Practices In Preschool, Amy R. Napoli, Irem Korucu, Joyce Lin, Sara A. Schmitt, David J. Purpura

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Despite evidence suggesting that home literacy and numeracy environments are related to children’s school readiness skills, little research has examined the child and family characteristics that relate to the home literacy and numeracy environments within the same sample. These factors are important to investigate in order to determine what may foster or prevent parent-child engagement. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the shared and unique parent-reported child and parent variables that are related to the frequency of parent-child literacy and numeracy practices. The 199 preschoolers included in the study ranged in age from 3.00 to 5.17° years …

Mental Model-Based Repeated Multifaceted (Mrm) Intervention Design: A Conceptual Framework For Improving Preventive Health Behaviors And Outcomes, Mazbahul G. Ahamad, Fahian Tanin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Objective: Field interventions employed to improve preventive health behaviors and outcomes generally use well established approaches; however, recent studies have reported that health education and promotional interventions have little to no impact on health behaviors, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to develop a conceptual framework to improve intervention designs that would internalize these concerns and limitations.

Results: We identified three major experimental design- and implementation-related concerns associated with mental models, including the balance between the treatment and control groups, the treatment group’s willingness to adopt suggested behaviors, and the type, length, frequency, intensity, and sequence of treatments. …