Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 6631 - 6660 of 40091

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Using Bioenergetics And Radar-Derived Bird Abundance To Assess The Impact Of A Blackbird Roost On Seasonal Sunflower Damage, Bonnie A. Clark, Page E. Klug, Phillip M. Stepanian, Jeffrey F. Kelly Jan 2020

Using Bioenergetics And Radar-Derived Bird Abundance To Assess The Impact Of A Blackbird Roost On Seasonal Sunflower Damage, Bonnie A. Clark, Page E. Klug, Phillip M. Stepanian, Jeffrey F. Kelly

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Methods aimed at reducing avian damage to agricultural crops are routinely implemented in situations where efficacy can be assessed by quantifying blackbird (Icteridae) abundance relative to environmental variables and extrapolating to ensuing crop damage. Concomitantly, Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR) data may have potential to enhance crop damage mitigation through improved monitoring of nuisance wildlife populations. We used WSR to derive daily abundance estimates of blackbirds at a fall roost in North Dakota, USA from 2012 to 2019. We integrated these estimates with previously developed bioenergeticseconomic models to estimate local sunflower (Helianthus annuus) damage. The greatest losses usually occurred during …


Historic And Contemporary Use Of Catfish Aquaculture By Piscivorous Birds In The Mississippi Delta, Paul C. Burr, Jimmy L. Avery, Garrett M. Street, Bronson K. Strickland, Brian S. Dorr Jan 2020

Historic And Contemporary Use Of Catfish Aquaculture By Piscivorous Birds In The Mississippi Delta, Paul C. Burr, Jimmy L. Avery, Garrett M. Street, Bronson K. Strickland, Brian S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Piscivorous birds are the primary source of catfish (Ictalurus spp.) depredation at aquaculture facilities in northwestern Mississippi. Of particular concern is the Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), which can cost aquaculture producers millions of dollars annually through the depredation of cultured fish. Historical research conducted in the early 2000s estimated cormorant use of aquaculture ponds in the region, but aquaculture area has decreased by more than 70% since those estimates were made. With less aquaculture available, we predicted cormorant densities on aquaculture would be greater today than historically. Applying a similar methodology as in historical studies, we used …


Invasive Species Control And Resolution Of Wildlife Damage Conflicts: A Framework For Chemical And Genetically Based Management Methods, Larry Clark, John Eisemann, John Godwin, Katherine Horak, Kevin Oh, Jeanette R. O'Hare, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Kim M. Pepin, Emily W. Ruell Jan 2020

Invasive Species Control And Resolution Of Wildlife Damage Conflicts: A Framework For Chemical And Genetically Based Management Methods, Larry Clark, John Eisemann, John Godwin, Katherine Horak, Kevin Oh, Jeanette R. O'Hare, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Kim M. Pepin, Emily W. Ruell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Vertebrate wildlife damage management relates to developing and employing methods to mitigate against damage caused by wildlife in the areas of food production, property damage, and animal or human health and safety. Of the many management tools available, chemical methods (e.g., toxicants) draw the most attention owing to issues related to environmental burden, species specificity, and humaneness. Research and development focusing on RNA interference and gene drives may be able to address the technical aspects of performance goals. However, there remain many questions about regulation, environmental risk, and societal acceptance for these emerging biological technologies. Here we focus on the …


Repellent Surface Applications For Pest Birds, Shelagh T. Deliberto, James C. Carlson, Hailey E. Mclean, Caroline S. Olson, Scott J. Werner Jan 2020

Repellent Surface Applications For Pest Birds, Shelagh T. Deliberto, James C. Carlson, Hailey E. Mclean, Caroline S. Olson, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Common pest birds in the United States include the non-native European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), and the pigeon (Columba livia domestica), as well as native birds including Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and gull species (Laridae). Large concentrations of pest birds can create human health hazards and monetary losses due to consumption of crops, depredation, and fecal contamination and accumulation. Fecal contamination hazards include the potential spread of zoonotic diseases including antimicrobial-resistant zoonoses and human injury due to the accumulation of fecal material on walking surfaces. Additionally, fecal accumulation causes …


Black Vulture Conflict And Management In The United States: Damage Trends, Management Overview, And Research Needs, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan Pfeiffer, Scott C. Barras, Brett Dunlap, Lee A. Humberg Jan 2020

Black Vulture Conflict And Management In The United States: Damage Trends, Management Overview, And Research Needs, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan Pfeiffer, Scott C. Barras, Brett Dunlap, Lee A. Humberg

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contrary to rapid declines of many vulture (Accipitridae, Cathartidea) species worldwide, black vulture (Coragyps atratus) populations are increasing and expanding their range in North America. Vultures exhibit complex behaviors and can adapt to any human-dominated landscape or land use. These traits, combined with population growth and range expansion, have contributed to increased human–vulture conflicts. Our goal was to summarize the current status and trends in human–black vulture conflicts (hereafter human– vulture conflicts), review available management strategies, identify knowledge gaps, and provide recommendations to enhance management and understanding of this species and the associated conflicts. We found human–vulture conflicts …


Review Of Ospreys: The Revival Of A Global Raptor, By Alan F. Poole. 2019., Lisa Fields, Brian E. Washburn Jan 2020

Review Of Ospreys: The Revival Of A Global Raptor, By Alan F. Poole. 2019., Lisa Fields, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

For the past three decades, Alan Poole’s (1989) Ospreys: A Natural and Unnatural History has provided a solid foundation for those seeking a primer on the basic biology and ecology of Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus). Poole’s summary of knowledge about Ospreys was written at a time when these amazing birds were recovering from their DDTinduced population crash, but this important book has long been out of print. In the intervening decades, much has been learned regarding Ospreys. In his new book, Ospreys: The Revival of a Global Raptor, Poole guides the reader through a tour of Ospreys’ worldwide distribution and population …


Population Increases Of Large Birds In North America Pose Challenges For Aviation Safety, Richard A. Dolbeer Jan 2020

Population Increases Of Large Birds In North America Pose Challenges For Aviation Safety, Richard A. Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There is a strong correlation between bird mass and the likelihood of aircraft damage during a bird–aircraft collision. Thus, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established airworthiness standards related to bird mass for engines, airframes, and windshields. Most standards use large (1.8 kg) and medium (1.1 kg) birds as benchmarks (the empennage and certain large turbofan engines use a 3.6-kg bird). There are 20 large (≥1.8 kg) and 16 medium (1.1–1.7 kg) bird species in North America with ≥20 strikes reported for civil aircraft (FAA National Wildlife Strike Database), 1990 to 2018. I analyzed the population changes of these …


Draft Genome Assembly Of Passalora Sequoiae A Needle Blight Pathogen On Leyland Cypress, Warren E. Copes, Jorge Ibarra Caballero, Ebrahiem Babiker, Jane E. Stewart, Valerie A. Orner, Alan S. Windham, Renee Arias Jan 2020

Draft Genome Assembly Of Passalora Sequoiae A Needle Blight Pathogen On Leyland Cypress, Warren E. Copes, Jorge Ibarra Caballero, Ebrahiem Babiker, Jane E. Stewart, Valerie A. Orner, Alan S. Windham, Renee Arias

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

Objective: Passalora sequoiae (family Mycosphaerellaceae) causes a twig blight on Leyland cypress that requires numerous fungicide applications annually to minimize economic losses for ornamental plant nursery and Christmas tree producers. The objective was to generate a high-quality draft assembly of the genome of P. sequoiae as a resource for primer development to investigate genotype diversity. Data description: We report here the genome sequence of P. sequoiae 9LC2 that was isolated from Leyland cypress ‘Leighton Green’ in 2017 in southern Mississippi, USA. The draft genome was obtained using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) SMRT and Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencing. Illumina reads were mapped …


The Stress Mechanisms Of Adolescent Physical, Mental, And Behavioral Health, Lisa Kort-Butler Jan 2020

The Stress Mechanisms Of Adolescent Physical, Mental, And Behavioral Health, Lisa Kort-Butler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although the mechanisms are complex, stress is a risk factor for compromised physical, mental, and behavioral health in adolescence. The stress paradigm posits a system of relationships among social structures, stressors, personal and social resources, and health outcomes, offering a framework for understanding how adolescents’ life problems and the means to cope with them affect well-being. This chapter reviews the theoretical underpinnings of the stress paradigm, drawing on the stress process model and general strain theory. The chapter briefly reviews the biological underpinnings of stress and the role of brain development. Then, the chapter focuses on the social aspects of …


Carbon Oxidation State In Microbial Polar Lipids Suggests Adaptation To Hot Spring Temperature And Redox Gradients, Grayson M. Boyer, Florence Schubotz, Roger E. Summons, Jade Woods, Everett L. Shock Jan 2020

Carbon Oxidation State In Microbial Polar Lipids Suggests Adaptation To Hot Spring Temperature And Redox Gradients, Grayson M. Boyer, Florence Schubotz, Roger E. Summons, Jade Woods, Everett L. Shock

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

The influence of oxidation-reduction (redox) potential on the expression of biomolecules is a topic of ongoing exploration in geobiology. In this study, we investigate the novel possibility that structures and compositions of lipids produced by microbial communities are sensitive to environmental redox conditions. We extracted lipids from microbial biomass collected along the thermal and redox gradients of four alkaline hot springs in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and investigated patterns in the average oxidation state of carbon (ZC), a metric calculated from the chemical formulae of lipid structures. Carbon in intact polar lipids (IPLs) and their alkyl chains becomes …


Surface Modification Of Silicon Nanowire Based Field Effect Transistors With Stimuli Responsive Polymer Brushes For Biosensing Applications, Stephanie Klinghammer, Sebastian Rauch, Sebastian Pregl, Petra Uhlmann, Larysa Baraban, Gianaurelio Cuniberti Jan 2020

Surface Modification Of Silicon Nanowire Based Field Effect Transistors With Stimuli Responsive Polymer Brushes For Biosensing Applications, Stephanie Klinghammer, Sebastian Rauch, Sebastian Pregl, Petra Uhlmann, Larysa Baraban, Gianaurelio Cuniberti

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

We demonstrate the functionalization of silicon nanowire based field effect transistors (SiNW FETs) FETs with stimuli-responsive polymer brushes of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Surface functionalization was confirmed by atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, and verified electrically using a silicon nanowire based field effect transistor sensor device. For thermo-responsive PNIPAAM, the physicochemical properties (i.e., a reversible phase transition, wettability) were induced by crossing the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of about 32 ◦C. Taking advantage of this property, osteosarcomic SaoS-2 cells were cultured on PNIPAAM-modified sensors at temperatures above the LCST, and completely detached by simply cooling. Next, …


Rapid And Accurate Determination Of Atomistic Rna Dynamic Ensemble Models Using Nmr And Structure Prediction, Honglue Shi, Atul Rangadurai, Hala Abou Assi, Rohit Roy, David A. Case, Daniel Herschlag, Joseph D. Yesselman, Hashim M. Al-Hashimi Jan 2020

Rapid And Accurate Determination Of Atomistic Rna Dynamic Ensemble Models Using Nmr And Structure Prediction, Honglue Shi, Atul Rangadurai, Hala Abou Assi, Rohit Roy, David A. Case, Daniel Herschlag, Joseph D. Yesselman, Hashim M. Al-Hashimi

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Biomolecules form dynamic ensembles of many inter-converting conformations which are key for understanding how they fold and function. However, determining ensembles is challenging because the information required to specify atomic structures for thousands of conformations far exceeds that of experimental measurements. We addressed this data gap and dramatically simplified and accelerated RNA ensemble determination by using structure prediction tools that leverage the growing database of RNA structures to generate a con- formation library. Refinement of this library with NMR residual dipolar couplings provided an atomistic ensemble model for HIV-1 TAR, and the model accuracy was independently sup- ported by comparisons …


A Luminescence-Based System For Identification Of Genetically Encodable Inhibitors Of Protein Aggregation, Travis J. Nelson, Shuo Liang, Cliff I. Stains Jan 2020

A Luminescence-Based System For Identification Of Genetically Encodable Inhibitors Of Protein Aggregation, Travis J. Nelson, Shuo Liang, Cliff I. Stains

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Molecules that disrupt protein aggregation represent potential tool compounds for the investigation of numerous human disease states. However, the identification of small molecules capable of disrupting protein aggregation has proven challenging. Larger biomolecules such as antibodies and proteins are promising alternatives due to their increased size. Despite the promise of protein-based inhibitors, generalizable assays are needed to more readily identify proteins capable of inhibiting aggregation. Herein, we utilize our previously reported self- assembling NanoLuc luciferase fragments to engineer a platform in which both detection reagents are expressed from the same plasmid, enabling facile co-transformation with a genetically encodable inhibitor. This …


Mitochondrial Dna Repair In An Arabidopsis Thaliana Uracil N-Glycosylase Mutant, Emily L. Wynn, Emma Purfeerst, Alan Christensen Jan 2020

Mitochondrial Dna Repair In An Arabidopsis Thaliana Uracil N-Glycosylase Mutant, Emily L. Wynn, Emma Purfeerst, Alan Christensen

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Substitution rates in plant mitochondrial genes are extremely low, indicating strong selective pressure as well as efficient repair. Plant mitochondria possess base excision repair pathways; however, many repair pathways such as nucleotide excision repair and mismatch repair appear to be absent. In the absence of these pathways, many DNA lesions must be repaired by a different mechanism. To test the hypothesis that double-strand break repair (DSBR) is that mechanism, we maintained independent self-crossing lineages of plants deficient in uracil-N-glycosylase (UNG) for 11 generations to determine the repair outcomes when that pathway is missing. Surprisingly, no single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were …


A Role For Triglyceride Lipase Brummer In The Regulation Of Sex Differences In Drosophila Fat Storage And Breakdown, Lianna W. Wat, Chien Chao, Rachael Bartlett, Justin L. Buchanan, Jason W. Millington, Hui Ju Chih, Zahid S. Chowdhury, Puja Biswas, Vivian Huang, Leah J. Shin, Lin Chuan Wang, Marie-Pierre L. Gauthier, Maria C. Barone, Kristi L. Montooth, Michael A. Welte, Elizabeth J. Rideout Jan 2020

A Role For Triglyceride Lipase Brummer In The Regulation Of Sex Differences In Drosophila Fat Storage And Breakdown, Lianna W. Wat, Chien Chao, Rachael Bartlett, Justin L. Buchanan, Jason W. Millington, Hui Ju Chih, Zahid S. Chowdhury, Puja Biswas, Vivian Huang, Leah J. Shin, Lin Chuan Wang, Marie-Pierre L. Gauthier, Maria C. Barone, Kristi L. Montooth, Michael A. Welte, Elizabeth J. Rideout

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Triglycerides are the major form of stored fat in all animals. One important determinant of whole-body fat storage is whether an animal is male or female. Here, we use Drosophila, an established model for studies on triglyceride metabolism, to gain insight into the genes and physiological mechanisms that contribute to sex differences in fat storage. Our analysis of triglyceride storage and breakdown in both sexes identified a role for triglyceride lipase brummer (bmm) in the regulation of sex differences in triglyceride homeostasis. Normally, male flies have higher levels of bmm mRNA both under normal culture conditions and …


Trade-Offs Between Morphology And Thermal Niches Mediate Adaptation In Response To Competing Selective Pressures, Stella F. Uiterwaal, Ian T. Lagerstrom, Thomas M. Luhring, Miranda E. Salsbery, John P. Delong Jan 2020

Trade-Offs Between Morphology And Thermal Niches Mediate Adaptation In Response To Competing Selective Pressures, Stella F. Uiterwaal, Ian T. Lagerstrom, Thomas M. Luhring, Miranda E. Salsbery, John P. Delong

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The effects of climate change—such as increased temperature variability and novel predators—rarely happen in isolation, but it is unclear how organisms cope with mul- tiple stressors simultaneously. To explore this, we grew replicate Paramecium caudatum populations in either constant or variable temperatures and exposed half to predation. We then fit thermal performance curves (TPCs) of intrinsic growth rate (rmax) for each replicate population (N = 12) across seven temperatures (10°C–38°C). TPCs of P. caudatum exposed to both temperature variability and predation re- sponded only to one or the other (but not both), resulting in unpredictable outcomes. …


Radiomics-Based Outcome Prediction For Pancreatic Cancer Following Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, Elsa Parr, Qian Du, Chi Zhang, Chi Lin, Ahsan Kamal, Josiah Mcalister, Xiaoying Liang, Kyle Bavitz, Gerard Rux, Michael Hollingsworth, Michael Baine, Dandan Zheng Jan 2020

Radiomics-Based Outcome Prediction For Pancreatic Cancer Following Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, Elsa Parr, Qian Du, Chi Zhang, Chi Lin, Ahsan Kamal, Josiah Mcalister, Xiaoying Liang, Kyle Bavitz, Gerard Rux, Michael Hollingsworth, Michael Baine, Dandan Zheng

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

(1) Background: Radiomics use high-throughput mining of medical imaging data to extract unique information and predict tumor behavior. Currently available clinical prediction models poorly predict treatment outcomes in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Therefore, we used radiomic features of primary pancreatic tumors to develop outcome prediction models and compared them to traditional clinical models. (2) Methods: We extracted and analyzed radiomic data from pre-radiation contrast-enhanced CTs of 74 pancreatic cancer patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy. A panel of over 800 radiomic features was screened to create overall survival and local-regional recurrence prediction models, which were compared to clinical prediction models and models combining …


Letetr Positively Regulates 3-Hydroxylation Of The Antifungal Hsaf And Its Analogs In Lysobacter Enzymogenes Oh11, Lingjun Yu, Vimmy Khetrapal, Fengquan Liu, Liangcheng Du Jan 2020

Letetr Positively Regulates 3-Hydroxylation Of The Antifungal Hsaf And Its Analogs In Lysobacter Enzymogenes Oh11, Lingjun Yu, Vimmy Khetrapal, Fengquan Liu, Liangcheng Du

Liangcheng Du Publications

The biocontrol agent Lysobacter enzymogenes OH11 produces several structurally distinct antibiotic compounds, including the antifungal HSAF (Heat Stable Antifungal Factor) and alteramides, along with their 3-dehydroxyl precursors (3-deOH). We previously showed that the 3-hydroxylation is the final step of the biosynthesis and is also a key structural moiety for the antifungal activity. However, the procedure through which OH11 regulates the 3-hydroxylation is still not clear. In OH11, the gene orf3232 was predicted to encode a TetR regulator (LeTetR) with unknown function. Here, we deleted orf3232 and found that the LeTetR mutant produced very little HSAF and alteramides, while the 3-deOH …


Development Of An On-Line Immunoextraction/Entrapment System For Protein Capture And Use In Drug Binding Studies By High-Performance Affinity Chromatography, Elliott L. Rodriguez, Saumen Poddar, Meera Choksi, David S. Hage Jan 2020

Development Of An On-Line Immunoextraction/Entrapment System For Protein Capture And Use In Drug Binding Studies By High-Performance Affinity Chromatography, Elliott L. Rodriguez, Saumen Poddar, Meera Choksi, David S. Hage

David Hage Publications

An on-line purification and entrapment system was developed that could extract a protein from a sample such as serum and entrap this protein within a small column for use in high-performance affinity chromatography. Human serum albumin (HSA) was employed as a model protein for this work. Immunoextraction columns containing polyclonal anti-HSA antibodies were developed to capture and isolate HSA from applied samples. This was followed by the use of a strong cation-exchange column to recapture and focus HSA as it eluted from the immunoextraction columns. The recaptured HSA was entrapped within 1.0 cm × 2.1 mm I.D. columns containing hydrazide-activated …


Brassinosteroids Inhibit Autotropic Root Straightening By Modifying Filamentous-Actin Organization And Dynamics, Louise De Bang, Ana Paez-Garcia, Ashley E. Cannon, Sabrina Chin, Jaydeep Kolape, Fuqi Liao, J. Alan Sparks, Qingzhen Jiang, Elison B. Blancaflor Jan 2020

Brassinosteroids Inhibit Autotropic Root Straightening By Modifying Filamentous-Actin Organization And Dynamics, Louise De Bang, Ana Paez-Garcia, Ashley E. Cannon, Sabrina Chin, Jaydeep Kolape, Fuqi Liao, J. Alan Sparks, Qingzhen Jiang, Elison B. Blancaflor

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

When positioned horizontally, roots grow down toward the direction of gravity. This phenomenon, called gravitropism, is influenced by most of the major plant hormones including brassinosteroids. Epi-brassinolide (eBL) was previously shown to enhance root gravitropism, a phenomenon similar to the response of roots exposed to the actin inhibitor, latrunculin B (LatB). This led us to hypothesize that eBL might enhance root gravitropism through its effects on filamentous-actin (F-actin). This hypothesis was tested by comparing gravitropic responses of maize (Zea mays) roots treated with eBL or LatB. LatB- and eBL-treated roots displayed similar enhanced downward growth compared with controls …


Functional Characterization Of Petiolule-Like Pulvinus (Plp) Gene In Abscission Zone Development In Medicago Truncatula And Its Application To Genetic Improvement Of Alfalfa, Juan Du, Shaoyun Lu, Maofeng Chai, Chuanen Zhou, Liang Sun, Yuhong Tang, Jin Nakashima, Jaydeep Kolape, Zhaozhu Wen, Marjan Behzadirad, Tianxiu Zhong, Juan Sun, Yunwei Zhang, Zeng-Yu Wang Jan 2020

Functional Characterization Of Petiolule-Like Pulvinus (Plp) Gene In Abscission Zone Development In Medicago Truncatula And Its Application To Genetic Improvement Of Alfalfa, Juan Du, Shaoyun Lu, Maofeng Chai, Chuanen Zhou, Liang Sun, Yuhong Tang, Jin Nakashima, Jaydeep Kolape, Zhaozhu Wen, Marjan Behzadirad, Tianxiu Zhong, Juan Sun, Yunwei Zhang, Zeng-Yu Wang

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops throughout the world. Maximizing leaf retention during the haymaking process is critical for achieving superior hay quality and maintaining biomass yield. Leaf abscission process affects leaf retention. Previous studies have largely focused on the molecular mechanisms of floral organ, pedicel and seed abscission but scarcely touched on leaf and petiole abscission. This study focuses on leaf and petiole abscission in the model legume Medicago truncatula and its closely related commercial species alfalfa. By analysing the petiolule-like pulvinus (plp) mutant in M. truncatula at phenotypic level (breakstrength and …


Extreme Offspring Ornamentation In American Coots Is Favored By Selection Within Families, Not Benefits To Conspecific Brood Parasites, Bruce E. Lyon, Daizaburo Shizuka Jan 2020

Extreme Offspring Ornamentation In American Coots Is Favored By Selection Within Families, Not Benefits To Conspecific Brood Parasites, Bruce E. Lyon, Daizaburo Shizuka

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Offspring ornamentation typically occurs in taxa with parental care, suggesting that selection arising from social interactions between parents and offspring may underlie signal evolution. American coot babies are among the most ornamented offspring found in nature, sporting vividly orange-red natal plumage, a bright red beak, and other red parts around the face and pate. Previous plumage manipulation experiments showed that ornamented plumage is favored by strong parental choice for chicks with more extreme ornamentation but left unresolved the question as to why parents show the preference. Here we explore natural patterns of variation in coot chick plumage color, both within …


Mitochondrial Localization Of Dictyostelium Discoideum Dutpase Mediated By Its N‑Terminus, Catherine P. Chia, Noriko Inoguchi, Kyle C. Varon, Bradley M. Barholomai, Hideaki Moriyama Jan 2020

Mitochondrial Localization Of Dictyostelium Discoideum Dutpase Mediated By Its N‑Terminus, Catherine P. Chia, Noriko Inoguchi, Kyle C. Varon, Bradley M. Barholomai, Hideaki Moriyama

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objective: The nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of Dictyostelium discoideum, a unicellular eukaryote, have relatively high A+T-contents of 77.5% and 72.65%, respectively. To begin to investigate how the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway fulfills the demand for dTTP, we determined the catalytic properties and structure of the key enzyme deoxyuridine triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) that hydrolyzes dUTP to dUMP, the precursor of dTTP. Results: The annotated genome of D. discoideum identifies a gene encoding a polypeptide containing the five conserved motifs of homotrimeric dUTPases. Recombinant proteins, comprised of either full-length or core polypeptides with all conserved motifs but lacking residues 1-37 of the …


An Ortholog Of The Vasa Intronic Gene Is Required For Small Rna-Mediated Translation Repression In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Xinrong Ma, Fadia Ibrahim, Eun-Jeong Kim, Scott Shaver, James Becker, Fareha Razvi, Ronald L. Cerny, Heriberto D. Cerutti Jan 2020

An Ortholog Of The Vasa Intronic Gene Is Required For Small Rna-Mediated Translation Repression In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, Xinrong Ma, Fadia Ibrahim, Eun-Jeong Kim, Scott Shaver, James Becker, Fareha Razvi, Ronald L. Cerny, Heriberto D. Cerutti

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Small RNAs (sRNAs) associate with Argonaute (AGO) proteins in effector complexes, termed RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs), which regulate complementary transcripts by translation inhibition and/or RNA degradation. In the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas, several metazoans, and land plants, emerging evidence indicates that polyribosome-associated transcripts can be translationally repressed by RISCs without substantial messenger RNA (mRNA) destabilization. However, the mechanism of translation inhibition in a polyribosomal context is not understood. Here we show that Chlamydomonas VIG1, an ortholog of the Drosophila melanogaster Vasa intronic gene (VIG), is required for this process. VIG1 localizes predominantly in the cytosol and comigrates with monoribosomes and …


Coproid Predicts The Source Of Coprolites And Paleofeces Using Microbiome Composition And Host Dna Content, Maxime Borry, Bryan Cordova, Angela Perri, Marsha Wibowo, Tanvi Prasad Honap, Jada Ko, Kate Britton, Linus Girdland-Flink, Robert C. Power, Ingelise Stuijts, Domingo C. Salazar-García, Courtney Hofman, Richard Hagan, Thérèse Samdapawindé Kagoné, Nicolas Meda, Helene Carabin, David Jacobson, Karl Reinhard, Cecil Lewis, Aleksandar Kostic, Choongwon Jeong, Alexander Herbig, Alexander Hübner, Christina Warinner Jan 2020

Coproid Predicts The Source Of Coprolites And Paleofeces Using Microbiome Composition And Host Dna Content, Maxime Borry, Bryan Cordova, Angela Perri, Marsha Wibowo, Tanvi Prasad Honap, Jada Ko, Kate Britton, Linus Girdland-Flink, Robert C. Power, Ingelise Stuijts, Domingo C. Salazar-García, Courtney Hofman, Richard Hagan, Thérèse Samdapawindé Kagoné, Nicolas Meda, Helene Carabin, David Jacobson, Karl Reinhard, Cecil Lewis, Aleksandar Kostic, Choongwon Jeong, Alexander Herbig, Alexander Hübner, Christina Warinner

Karl Reinhard Publications

Shotgun metagenomics applied to archaeological feces (paleofeces) can bring new insights into the composition and functions of human and animal gut microbiota from the past. However, paleofeces often undergo physical distortions in archaeological sediments, making their source species difficult to identify on the basis of fecal morphology or microscopic features alone. Here we present a reproducible and scalable pipeline using both host and microbial DNA to infer the host source of fecal material. We apply this pipeline to newly sequenced archaeological specimens and show that we are able to distinguish morphologically similar human and canine paleofeces, as well as non-fecal …


Diet Analysis Reveals Pre-Historic Meals Among The Loma San Gabriel At La Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos, Rio Zape, Mexico (600–800 Ce), Elisa Pucu, Julia Russ, Karl Reinhard Jan 2020

Diet Analysis Reveals Pre-Historic Meals Among The Loma San Gabriel At La Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos, Rio Zape, Mexico (600–800 Ce), Elisa Pucu, Julia Russ, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Coprolites have been a source of study for archeologists due to several reasons: they not only provide information on the life and nutritional habits of ancient individuals but also on their health. In this paper, we processed 10 coprolites collected at La Cueva de Los Muertos Chiquitos (600–800 CE), Rio Zape, Mexico, with acetolysis solution for pollen analysis. The number of pollen grains/gram of each coprolite sample was quantified along with the macroscopic remains of these samples. The main food item ingested by the population was maize, followed by Agave. Squash blossoms were also part of their food source …


Pinworm Research In The Southwest Usa: Five Decades Of Methodological And Theoretical Development And The Epidemiological Approach, Morgana Camacho, Karl Reinhard Jan 2020

Pinworm Research In The Southwest Usa: Five Decades Of Methodological And Theoretical Development And The Epidemiological Approach, Morgana Camacho, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Pinworms infected Ancestral Pueblo populations since early periods of occupation on the Colorado Plateau. The high prevalence of pinworm found in these populations was correlated with the habitation style developments through time. However, in previous studies, Turkey Pen Cave, an early occupation site, and Salmon Ruins, a late occupation site, exhibited prevalences that were anomalously low, suggesting that these sites were outliers. Alternatively, it is possible that the previous quantification method was not successful in detecting the real prevalence and eggs per gram, which led to inexact interpretations. The aims of this study were to verify if previous pinworm prevalences …


Correspondence Between Cytomegalovirus Immunoglobulin-G Levels Measured In Saliva And Serum, Jenna L. Riis, Hedyeh Ahmadi, Olivia Silke, Steve W. Granger, Crystal I. Bryce, Douglas A. Granger Jan 2020

Correspondence Between Cytomegalovirus Immunoglobulin-G Levels Measured In Saliva And Serum, Jenna L. Riis, Hedyeh Ahmadi, Olivia Silke, Steve W. Granger, Crystal I. Bryce, Douglas A. Granger

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects more than 80% of the global population. While mostly asymptomatic, HCMV infection can be serious among the immunocompromised, and it is implicated in chronic disease pathophysiology in adulthood. Large-scale minimally invasive HCMV screening could advance research and public health efforts to monitor infection prevalence and prevent or mitigate downstream risks associated with infection. We examine the utility of measuring HCMV immunoglobulin-G (IgG) levels in saliva as an index of serum levels. Matched serum and saliva samples from healthy adults (N = 98; 44% female; 51% white) were assayed for HCMV IgG, total salivary protein, and salivary …


Reproducibility And Registration In Sexuality Research, Tierney K. Lorenz Jan 2020

Reproducibility And Registration In Sexuality Research, Tierney K. Lorenz

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Most readers of the Archives of Sexual Behavior will, by now, be familiar with an upsurge of interest in best practices for reproducibility and replicability across modern scientific disciplines (Ioannidis, 2005; National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2019; Simmons, Nelson, & Simonsohn, 2011). Concerns about the basic validity of findings that cannot be replicated—and the widespread practices and incentive systems that lead to unverifiable results—are particularly important for social and behavioral scientists, whose fields of study are relatively younger and whose work is often interpreted as more subjective than other sciences (Lilienfeld, 2012).

As sexuality research continues to mature …


Ipsilateral And Contralateral Torque Responses To Bilateral And Unilateral Maximal, Fatiguing, Isokinetic Leg Extensions, Tyler J. Neltner, John Paul V. Anders, Joshua L. Keller, Robert W. Smith, Terry J. Housh, Richard J. Schmidt, Glen O. Johnson Jan 2020

Ipsilateral And Contralateral Torque Responses To Bilateral And Unilateral Maximal, Fatiguing, Isokinetic Leg Extensions, Tyler J. Neltner, John Paul V. Anders, Joshua L. Keller, Robert W. Smith, Terry J. Housh, Richard J. Schmidt, Glen O. Johnson

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Few studies have compared performance fatigability (PF) for bilateral versus unilateral isokinetic tasks. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine: Mode- specific testing responses to isokinetic fatigue, differences in PF between bilateral and unilateral leg extensions, and the effects of fatiguing, unilateral, dynamic leg extensions on contralateral isokinetic peak torque (PT) and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Methods: Eight men (mean ± SD: age= 22.5 ± 2.5 yr.) completed pre- and post-testing for PT and MVIC following 50 bilateral, unilateral right or left leg maximal, isokinetic leg extensions at 180°·s-1, on three separate days. Fatigue-induced decreases in …