Digital Commons Network^™

Using Genetic Panels To Predict Tenderness In Beef Cattle, Tanya M. Weber, Michael J. Colle, Gordon K. Murdoch, B J. Buseman, Jessica M. Lancaster, Jessie B. Van Buren, James A. Nasados, Phillip D. Bass

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Genetic panel use as a selection tool has grown in popularity in the beef industry. The objective of the study was to determine whether beef cattle genetically selected for tenderness generated a tender product. Igenity® (IT) panel results were provided by a cattle producer for 52 steers, which were harvested at a commercial harvest facility. Boneless strip loins (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications #180; United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] Choice, n = 32; USDA Prime n = 20) were collected from the left side of each carcass and transported to the University of Idaho Meat Science Laboratory. Four steaks were …

Fire Monitoring Handbook

United States National Park Service: Publications

Fire is a powerful and enduring force that has had, and will continue to have, a profound influence on National Park Service (NPS) lands. Fire management decisions within the National Park Service require information on fire behavior and on the effects of fire on park resources. With good reason, the public is holding park management increasingly accountable, especially in the area of fire management. Federal and state agencies are instituting progressively more stringent guidelines for burning, monitoring, and evaluation. The impetus behind these guidelines and the purpose of this handbook are to ensure that management objectives are being met, to …

A New Method To Reconstruct Quantitative Food Webs And Nutrient Flows From Isotope Tracer Addition Experiments, Andrés López-Sepulcre, Matthieu Bruneaux, Sarah M. Chinn, Rana W. El-Sabaawi, Alexander S. Flecker, Steven A. Thomas

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Understanding how nutrients flow through food webs is central in ecosystem ecology. Tracer addition experiments are powerful tools to reconstruct nutrient flows by adding an isotopically enriched element into an ecosystem and tracking its fate through time. Historically, the design and analysis of tracer studies have varied widely, ranging from descriptive studies to modeling approaches of varying complexity. Increasingly, isotope tracer data are being used to compare ecosystems and analyze experimental manipulations. Currently, a formal statistical framework for analyzing such experiments is lacking, making it impossible to calculate the estimation errors associated with the model fit, the interdependence of compartments, …

Language, Motor, And Cognitive Outcomes Of Toddlers Who Were Born Preterm, Diane Frome Loeb, Caitlin M. Imgrund, Jaehoon Lee, Steven Barlow

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the language, motor, and cognitive abilities of children born preterm in four categories: (a) healthy preterm infants, (b) infants of diabetic mothers, (c) infants with respiratory distress syndrome, and (d) infants with chronic lung disease when the children were 30 months, uncorrected age. Comorbidity of language, motor, and cognitive skills was examined, along with predictor variables.

Method: A total of 148 children who were born preterm participated and were assessed using bivariate tests and logistic regression on standardized assessment scores.

Results: Controlling for the children’s gestational age (GA), overall language ability …

A Social–Ecological Odyssey In Fisheries And Wildlife Management, Andrew K. Carlson, William W. Taylor, Melissa R. Cronin, Mitchell J. Eaton, Mark A. Kaemingk, Andrea J. Reid, Ashley Trudeau

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Aldo Leopold, famous ecologist and “father” of North American wildlife management, once said, “These are two things that interest me: the relation of people to each other, and the relation of people to land” (Leopold 1947). Ever prescient, Leopold recognized that natural resource management is fundamentally about humans and their relationship with nature well before conservation became an established way of thinking, much less the bedrock of entire professions. Similarly, amid the Green Revolution to increase agricultural production, in part, through widespread use of pesticides, renowned environmentalist and journalist Rachel Carson noted that we are all “a part of nature, …

Applying Agriculture Curriculum As A Vehicle For Science Learning, Nicole Sorensen

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Agricultural educators in Nebraska are confronting increasing need to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education into agricultural curriculum. Though there are more than 80 agricultural education programs in Nebraska, the state does not provide many state-based curricula options within agricultural education pathways. The purpose of this exploratory survey research is to learn about the viability of an integrated, agriculture and science-based curriculum that is publicly available to agricultural education instructors. The study posed the questions: (1) What is the feasibility of a publicly available, science-integrated agriculture curriculum within Nebraska agricultural education programs? and (2) What are the benefits …

Critical Edition And Interpretative Analysis Of Música Para Orquesta De Vientos Y Percusión Op. 152 By Blas Emilio Atehortúa, Rubén Darío Gómez

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This document presents a critical edition of the band piece called Música para Orquesta de Vientos y Percusión Op. 152 by Colombian composer Blas Emilio Atehortúa, as well as an interpretative analysis of it. Until today, the only original written material of the piece is a set of instrumental parts in manuscript form. The full score and any form of a reduced or condensed score are missing. Throughout the process of making the present critical edition, the author clarified and reconciled the original manuscript parts, create a complete full score, and produced an engraved set (parts and score).

This document …

Extracellular Matrix Disparities In An Nkx2-5 Mutant Mouse Model Of Congenital Heart Disease, Deanna Bousalis, Christopher S. Lacko, Nora Hlavac, Fariz Alkassis, Rebecca A. Wachs, Sahba Mobini, Christine E. Schmidt, Hideko Kasahara

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects almost one percent of all live births. Despite diagnostic and surgical reparative advances, the causes and mechanisms of CHD are still primarily unknown. The extracellular matrix plays a large role in cell communication, function, and differentiation, and therefore likely plays a role in disease development and pathophysiology. Cell adhesion and gap junction proteins, such as integrins and connexins, are also essential to cellular communication and behavior, and could interact directly (integrins) or indirectly (connexins) with the extracellular matrix. In this work, we explore disparities in the expression and spatial patterning of extracellular matrix, adhesion, and …

Smrt Sequencing Of Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus-1 Reveals Diverse Methylation Stability In Adenines Targeted By Restriction Modification Systems, Samantha R. Coy, Eric R. Gann, Spiridon E. Papoulis, Michael E. Holder, Nadim J. Ajami, Joseph F. Petrosino, Erik R. Zinser, James L. Van Etten, Steven W. Wilhelm

James Van Etten Publications

Chloroviruses (family Phycodnaviridae) infect eukaryotic, freshwater, unicellular green algae. A unique feature of these viruses is an abundance of DNA methyltransferases, with isolates dedicating up to 4.5% of their protein coding potential to these genes. This diversity highlights just one of the long-standing values of the chlorovirus model system; where group-wide epigenomic characterization might begin to elucidate the function(s) of DNA methylation in large dsDNA viruses. We characterized DNA modifications in the prototype chlorovirus, PBCV-1, using single-molecule real time (SMRT) sequencing (aka PacBio). Results were compared to total available sites predicted in silico based on DNA sequence alone. SMRT-software detected …

Defying The Odds, Stories Of Success: A Case Study Of Foster Care Alumni In The Community College Environment, Julia Philyaw

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the lived experiences of foster care alumni and how these experiences influenced the individual’s decision to enroll in a community college, persist, and complete a degree. The dissertation drew from two conceptual frameworks, Bandwidth (Verschelden, 2017) and Capitals – cultural, social, and academic (Bourdieu, 1986; St. John, Hu, & Fisher, 2010). Foster care alumni were selected as the population due to their underrepresentation in college enrollment and poor completion rates. Moving beyond a deficit model that focuses on identifying obstacles, this dissertation focused on success stories of the foster care alumni in …

Nebline, May 2020

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

"Sewing for Hospitals" Community Service Project

Extension Postponements, Cancellations & Changes

Making a Meal With What's on Hand

Recipe of the Month

2020 Cash Rent Survey

Pesticide Applicators: Deferment of License Recertification

When Thunder Roars or Lightening Flashes, Go Indoors!

Sleep Impacts Mental and Physical Health

2020 Perennial Plant of the Year

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Composting How-To Videos

Spending Time in Nature is Beneficial to Children and Adults

4-H Announcements for enrolled 4-H'ers or 4-H volunteers

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Mary Burroughs

Clover College Workshop Descriptions

Extension Calendar

Support Local 4-H …

Record Fledging Count From A Seven-Egg Clutch In The Cooper’S Hawk (Accipiter Cooperii), Robert N. Rosenfield, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Ann Riddle-Berntsen, Evan Kuhel

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Cooper’s Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) typically lay 3–5 eggs per clutch, rarely 6 eggs, and there are 2 accounts of 7-egg clutches and 1 record of a maximum 8-egg clutch for the species. Brood sizes of 3–5 young are common and the previous maximum brood count is 6 young. However, in 2019, we found an urban nest in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, with 7 eggs that resulted in a record high of 7 fledglings. We genetically confirmed that the attending male sired all the offspring and the attending female laid all 7 eggs. Larger body size of the tending adults …

5-Ht2a Receptors Modulate Dopamine D2-Mediated Maternal Effects, Jun Gao

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Serotonin 5-HT2A receptors are expressed throughout the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine pathways, and manipulation of this receptor system has a profound impact on dopamine functions and dopamine-mediated behaviors. It is highly likely that 5-HT2A receptors may also modulate the D2-mediated maternal effects. The present study investigated this issue and also explored the possible behavioral mechanisms. We tested the effects of two D2 drugs (an agonist quinpirole: 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg, and a potent D2 antagonist haloperidol: 0.05, 0.10 mg/kg, sc) and their combinations with two 5-HT2A drugs (a selective 5-HT2A agonist TCB-2: 2.5 mg/kg, and 5-HT2A antagonist MDL100907, 1.0 mg/kg, sc) …

Control Of Volunteer Corn In Enlist Corn And Economics Of Herbicide Programs For Weed Control In Conventional And Multiple Herbicide-Resistant Soybean Across Nebraska, Adam Michael Striegel

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With commercialization of multiple herbicide-resistant corn and soybean cultivars, producers have new management options for controlling herbicide-resistant weeds and volunteer corn. Corn-on-corn production systems are common in irrigated fields in southcentral Nebraska which can create issues with volunteer corn management in corn fields. Enlist corn contains a new multiple herbicide-resistant trait providing resistance to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate, and the aryloxyphenoxypropionate (FOPs). Field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 at South Central Agricultural Laboratory near Clay Center, Nebraska with the objective to evaluate ACCase-inhibiting herbicides and herbicide application timing on volunteer corn control, Enlist corn injury, and yield. Glyphosate/glufosinate-resistant corn …

Buffalograss Diversity Assessment, Jesse Collin Marshall

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Buffalograss [Buchloë dactylodes (Nutt.) Engelm. syn. Bouteloua dactyloides (Nutt.) Columbus] is a low input alternative turfgrass for the Great Plains region. Buffalograss is a dioecious stoloniferous warm season grass with wide variation of valuable traits and is well adapted for use in minimal maintenance landscapes. The obligate outcrossing nature of the species and wide variation of potentially valuable traits make buffalograss a prime candidate for cultivar improvement and genetic study. Limited information is available regarding buffalograss genetics. In effort to expand genetic resources around buffalograss, we developed buffalograss derived simple sequence repeat markers from previously available transcriptomes of buffalograss …

The Meaning Of Peace: William Faulkner, Modernism, And Perpetual Civil War, Jason Luke Folk

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Much of scholarship regarding the presence of war in literary modernism has foregrounded psychic trauma endured by veterans of World War I. The returning soldier is often figured as representative of the war’s infiltration of the homefront. The common argument claims that the erosion of the distinction between war and peace (as well as private and public) is a mirror image of the veteran’s wounded psyche. This thesis, however, argues that peace and war in the West have always been indistinct. The body politic is, in actuality, constituted by a perpetual civil war. Furthermore, the novels of William Faulkner, because …

Using Bioinformatics Tools To Evaluate Potential Risks Of Food Allergy And To Predict Microbiome Functionality, Mohamed Abdelmoteleb

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Novel foods and Genetically Engineered (GE) organisms are being developed for nutritional, industrial, and environmental applications. Dietary interventions have been used recently to mitigate methane emissions in ruminants. In this project, bioinformatics tools have been used to answer two main questions. The first question is the potential allergy risks for consumption of novel foods and GE organisms. The second question is the effects of dietary interventions on microbiome functionality related to methane production in ruminants.

To answer the first question, regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe now expect an evaluation of new proteins in novel foods or genetically …

Application Of An Ultrasonic Sensor To Monitor Soil Erosion And Deposition, Jessica E. Johnson

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While erosion and deposition are naturally occurring processes, these processes can be accelerated by human influences. The acceleration of erosion causes damage to human assets and costs billions of dollars to mitigate. Monitoring erosion at high resolutions can provide researchers and managers the data necessary to help manage erosion. Current erosion monitoring methods tend to be invasive to the area, record low frequency measurements, have a narrow spatial range of measurement, or are very expensive. There is a need for an affordable monitoring system capable of monitoring erosion and deposition non-invasively at a high resolution. The objectives of this research …

Charismatic Predators In Modern Africa: Spotted Hyena (Crocuta Crocuta) And Human Coexistence In The Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana, Jazmin Castillo

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Increasing human populations has led researchers to investigate the impacts of high human population density and its impact on carnivore populations. Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) hold a unique place in African ecosystems due to being a very successful top predator with an adaptable diet whereas other top predators, like the African lion, are rapidly decreasing in abundance. We investigated past and current spotted hyena abundance within the Northern Tuli Game Reserve to better aid in wildlife management. Spotted hyenas showed no significant difference in the change in population abundance throughout the different years of the study (2008-2016). Spotted …

Recreational Activity Dynamics At Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Olivia A. Darugna

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Many parks and protected areas are managed for a dual purpose to conserve ecological systems and to provide wildlife-compatible recreational opportunities for visitors. Managing parks and protected areas to meet this dual goal entails progressive management approaches that incorporate information about social and ecological components of these systems. Current management regimes focus heavily on the ecological component with little or no information concerning the social component of parks and protected areas. Incorporating social information is essential for understanding and accounting for social conflicts and ecological impacts that result from a diversity of recreational activities. We examined recreational activities at Valentine …

Diatom Morphology In Light Of A Changing Climate: A Focus On Aulacoseira Crenulata, Brighid Welchans

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Fossilized diatoms are arguably the most vital proxy record utilized in paleolimnology. Diatoms are unicellular microalgae that are the basis of countless food webs, are invaluable bioindicators, and generate nearly a quarter of global net primary productivity. Diatoms are affected by a variety of environmental factors but there is relatively little research on how environmental conditions impact diatom valve morphology, and in particular whether there is a correlation between incoming light and diatom pore morphology. This report focuses on the Amazon lowland lake Garzacocha, and analyzes the relationship between light levels and the corresponding size of Aulacoseira crenulata pores. We …

Resilience To Large, “Catastrophic” Wildfires In North America's Grassland Biome, Victoria M. Donovan, Dirac Twidwell, Daniel R. Uden, Tsegaye Tadesse, Brian D. Wardlow, Christine H. Bielski, Matthew O. Jones, Brady W. Allred, David E. Naugle, Craig R. Allen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Wildfires are ecosystem‐level drivers of structure and function in many vegetated biomes. While numerous studies have emphasized the benefits of fire to ecosystems, large wildfires have also been associated with the loss of ecosystem services and shifts in vegetation abundance. The size and number of wildfires are increasing across a number of regions, and yet the outcomes of large wildfire on vegetation at large‐scales are still largely unknown. We introduce an exhaustive analysis of wildfire‐scale vegetation response to large wildfires across North America's grassland biome. We use 18 years of a newly released vegetation data set combined with 1,390 geospatial …

Development Of An In Vitro Intervertebral Disc Innervation Model To Screen Neuroinhibitory Biomaterials, Sarah M. Romereim, Caleb A. Johnston, Adan L. Redwine,, Rebecca A. Wachs

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pain originating from an intervertebral disc (discogenic pain) is a major source of chronic low back pain. Pathological innervation of the disc by pain‐sensing nerve fibers is thought to be a key component of discogenic pain, so treatment with biomaterials that have the ability to inhibit neurite growth will greatly benefit novel disc therapeutics. Currently, disc therapeutic biomaterials are rarely screened for their ability to modulate nerve growth, mainly due to a lack of models to screen neuromodulation. To address this deficit, our lab has engineered a three dimensional in vitro disc innervation model that mimics the interface between primary …

Evaluation Of Novel Additives And Corn Silage As Natural Alternatives To Antibiotics For The Prevention Of Ruminal Acidosis And Liver Abscesses In Beef Finishing Cattle, Hannah C. Wilson

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

Receiving and finishing experiments were conducted to evaluate a non-antibiotic alternative for control of liver abscesses. There was no impact of Ramaekers Immune Primer (RAM; a proprietary blend of vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics) treatment on overall performance. Compared to tylosin, RAM was not efficacious in reducing total liver abscesses.

A feedlot study was conducted comparing a natural feed additive (essential oils blend) at varying corn silage inclusion levels on receiving and finishing cattle performance. Inclusion of EO had no effect on performance. Feeding corn silage at greater inclusions decreased daily gain and feed efficiency but increased final body weight …

Water-Energy-Food Linkages In Shared Smallholder Irrigation Schemes, Ankit Chandra

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Irrigation is a policy focus in Sub-Saharan Africa and is viewed as an important mechanism to improve farmers’ income and livelihoods while reducing the impacts of climate change. Water, energy, and food are linked in intricate ways in irrigated agriculture, and understanding the interplay of these components is crucial for sustainable and profitable crop production. Although studies have been conducted in different parts of the world to understand water and energy use at a field scale under large irrigation systems, little is known about linkages under farmer-managed mechanized irrigated schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluates water-energy-food linkages, engineering and …

Ten Questions Concerning Well-Being In The Built Environment, Sergio Altomonte, Joseph Allen, Philomena M. Bluyssen, Gail Brager, Lisa Heschong, Angela Loder, Stefano Schiavon, Jennifer A. Veitch, Lily M. Wang, Pawel Wargocki

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Well-being in the built environment is a topic that features frequently in building standards and certification schemes, in scholarly articles and in the general press. However, despite this surge in attention, there are still many questions on how to effectively design, measure, and nurture well-being in the built environment. Bringing together experts from academia and the building industry, this paper aims to demonstrate that the promotion of well-being requires a departure from conventional agendas. The ten questions and answers have been arranged to offer a range of perspectives on the principles and strategies that can better sustain the consideration of …

Genetic Associations In Four Decades Of Multienvironment Trials Reveal Agronomic Trait Evolution In Common Bean, Alice H. Macqueen, Jeffrey W. White, Rian Lee, Juan M. Osorno, Jeremy Schmutz, Phillip N. Miklas, Jim Myers, Phillip E. Mcclean, Thomas E. Juenger

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

Multienvironment trials (METs) are widely used to assess the performance of promising crop germplasm. Though seldom designed to elucidate genetic mechanisms, MET data sets are often much larger than could be duplicated for genetic research and, given proper interpretation, may offer valuable insights into the genetics of adaptation across time and space. The Cooperative Dry Bean Nursery (CDBN) is a MET for common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown for . 70 years in the United States and Canada, consisting of 20–50 entries each year at 10–20 locations. The CDBN provides a rich source of phenotypic data across entries, years, and locations …

Adjusting The Lens Of Invasion Biology To Focus On The Impacts Of Climate-Driven Range Shifts, Piper D. Wallingford, Toni Lyn Morelli, Jenica M. Allen, Evelyn M. Beaury, Dana M. Blumenthal, Bethany A. Bradley, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Regan Early, Emily J. Fusco, Deborah E. Goldberg, Inés Ibáñez, Brittany B. Laginhas, Montserrat Vilà, Cascade J.B. Sorte

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

As Earth’s climate rapidly changes, species range shifts are considered key to species persistence. However, some range-shifting species will alter community structure and ecosystem processes. By adapting existing invasion risk assessment frameworks, we can identify characteristics shared with high-impact introductions and thus predict potential impacts. There are fundamental differences between introduced and range-shifting species, primarily shared evolutionary histories between range shifters and their new community. Nevertheless, impacts can occur via analogous mechanisms, such as wide dispersal, community disturbance and low biotic resistance. As ranges shift in response to climate change, we have an opportunity to develop plans to facilitate advantageous …

Translational Genomics For Improving Sow Fertility, Hiruni R. Wijesena

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

Sow fertility traits, such as litter size and number of lifetime parities produced (reproductive longevity), are economically important. Selection for these traits is difficult because they are lowly heritable, polygenic, sex-limited, and express late in life. Age at puberty is an early indicator of reproductive longevity. Gilts that achieve puberty at an early age have a greater probability to produce more parities over their lifetime. However, measuring age at puberty is time consuming and tedious. Identifying pleiotropic polymorphisms that affect age at puberty and other fertility traits, including reproductive longevity, could help to improve the accuracy of genomic prediction for …

Impact Of Cow Size And Validation Of An Electronic Feeder To Optimize Resources In Beef Production Systems, Robert L. Ziegler

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

Optimizing beef production systems is critical in the longevity of an enterprise. In a time of rapid change and innovation, there are increasingly more opportunities to improve efficiency of livestock production by taking advantage of new technologies. Furthermore, production environments vary drastically in all segments of the beef industry, which influence feed resource availability. Therefore, it is critical to realize the cow type that excels in a given production environment according to management objectives. To gain a better understanding of the optimal cow type in the Nebraska Sandhills, a retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate increasing cow body weight (BW) …