Digital Commons Network^™

Disease Incidence Of Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina Phaseolina) On Soybean In North-Western Argentina And Genetic Characteristics Of The Pathogen, Sebastian Reznikov, Gabriel Ricardo Vellicce, Alemu Mengistu, Renee Silvia Arias, Victoria Gonzalez, Vicente De Lisi, Garcia Maria Gabriela, Rocha Carla Maria Lourdes, Esteban Mariano Pardo, Atilio Pedro Castagnaro, Leonardo Daniel Ploper

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

Charcoal rot of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid., is an economically important disease worldwide. In recent years, charcoal rot has become a concern for farmers in north-western Argentina. The present work aimed to (1) evaluate disease incidence of charcoal rot; (2) assess morphological and genetic characteristics of M. phaseolina isolates from soybean and other hosts collected in north-western Argentina; and (3) compare genetic diversity between soybean isolates of M. phaseolina from Argentina and the USA. Incidence of charcoal rot evaluated in 11 locations during five growing seasons (2008–2012) was 1%, 1%, 1%, 5–10% …

New Tools To Screen Wild Peanut Species For Aflatoxin Accumulation And Genetic Fingerprinting, Renee S. Arias, Victor S. Sobolev, Alicia N. Massa, Valerie A. Omer, Travis E. Walk, Linda L. Ballard, Sheron A. Simpson, Naveen Puppala, Brian E. Scheffler, Francisco De Blas, Guillermo J. Seijo

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

Background: Aflatoxin contamination in peanut seeds is still a serious problem for the industry and human health. No stable aflatoxin resistant cultivars have yet been produced, and given the narrow genetic background of cultivated peanuts, wild species became an important source of genetic diversity. Wild peanut seeds, however, are not abundant, thus, an effective method of screening for aflatoxin accumulation using minimal seeds is highly desirable. In addition, keeping record of genetic fingerprinting of each accession would be very useful for breeding programs and for the identification of accessions within germplasm collections.

Results: In this study, we report a method …

Bioconversion Of Pelletized Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, And Low-Diversity Grass Mixtures Into Sugars And Bioethanol, Bruce S. Dien, Robert B. Mitchell, Michael J. Bowman, Virginia L. Jin, Joshua Quarterman, Marty R. Schmer, Vijay Singh, Patricia J. Slininger

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

Three crops of warm-season grasses are being developed for biomass production on northern rain-fed marginal farmland: big bluestem (BBS), switchgrass (SG), and a low diversity mixture of grasses (LDM). In this study, biomass harvested from established fields were compared for pelletization and subsequent conversion to sugars and ethanol. Each biomass was successfully pelletized to similar bulk densities without adding a binder at a commercial feed operation. Pelletizing increased the bulk density by 407% on average and was equally effective on all three biomass samples (528–554 kg/m³). Chemical analysis of the samples indicated that glucan and xylan contents were …

Genome‑Wide Association Of Changes In Swine Feeding Behaviour Due To Heat Stress, Amanda J. Cross, Brittney N. Keel, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Joseph P. Cassidy, Gary A. Rohrer

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

Background: Heat stress has a negative impact on pork production, particularly during the grow-finish phase. As temperature increases, feeding behaviour changes in order for pigs to decrease heat production. The objective of this study was to identify genetic markers associated with changes in feeding behaviour due to heat stress. Feeding data were collected on 1154 grow-finish pigs using an electronic feeding system from July 2011 to March 2016. In this study, days were classified based on the maximum temperature humidity index (THI) during the day as “Normal” (< 23.33 °C), “Alert” (23.33 °C ≤ × < 26.11 °C), “Danger” (26.11 °C ≤ × < 28.88 °C), and “Emergency” (≥ 28.88 °C). Six hundred and eighty-one pigs that experienced more than one THI category were genotyped using a variety of SNP platforms, with final genotypes imputed to approximately 60,000 markers.

Results: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) for change in feeding behaviour between …

Understanding Heat Stress In Beef Cattle, Tami M. Brown-Brandl

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

Thermal stress is the result of a misbalance between heat produced or gained from the environment and the amount of heat lost to the environment. The level of thermal stress can range from minor or no effect to death of vulnerable animals. Under summertime conditions, thermal stress results in hyperthermia or heat stress. Heat stress in feedlot cattle is a common summertime occurrence in cattle-producing parts of the world (USA, Australia, Brazil, etc.). Effects on animals experiencing heat stress include decreases in feed intake, animal growth, and production efficiency. During these extreme events, animal losses can exceed 5% of all …

Detection Of Exogenous Double-Stranded Rna Movement In In Vitro Peanut Plants, P. C. Faustinelli, I. L. Power, R. S. Arias

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

• New technologies are needed to eliminate mycotoxins and/or fungal pathogens from agricultural products. RNA interference (RNAi) has shown potential to control fungi associated with crops. In RNAi, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targets homologous mRNA for cleavage, and can reach the mRNA of pathogens in contact with the plant. The key element in this process is the movement of RNA signals cell-to-cell and over long distances within the plant, and between host plants and parasites.

• In this study, we selected a regulatory gene in the aflatoxin biosynthesis pathway, aflS/aflR, necessary for the production of aflatoxins in Aspergillus spp. We …

Structural Equation Modeling Of Food Craving Across The Menstrual Cycle Using Behavioral, Neuroendocrine, And Metabolic Factors, Sridevi Krishnan, Karan Agrawal, Rebecca R. Tryon, Lucas C. Welch, William F. Horn, John W. Newman, Nancy L. Keim

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

Objective
To identify associations between circulating endocannabinoids and craving during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. This report is a secondary analysis of a trial registered in clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01407692.

Methods
Seventeen premenopausal women were studied during the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. Previously we had reported fasting plasma estradiol, progesterone, leptin associations with luteal phase cravings for carbohydrate, fat, sweet-rich foods, and eating behavior. Here, we measured fasting plasma endocannabinoids (ECs) endocannabinoid-like substances (ECLs), and postprandial metabolic responses to a mixed meal challenge. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate relationships between measured variables and …

Evaluating Penetration Ability Of Plodia Interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Larvae Into Multilayer Polypropylene Packages, Deanna S. Scheff, Blossom Sehgal, Bhadriraju Subramanyam

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

The larvae of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), can invade or penetrate packaging materials and infest food products. Energy bars with three polypropylene packaging types were challenged with eggs (first instars), third instars, and fifth instars of P. interpunctella to determine package resistance at 28 °C and 65% r.h. The packing types were also challenged with two male and two female pupae of P. interpunctella under similar conditions in order to determine which package provided the greatest protection against larval penetration. Samples infested with eggs, third instars, and pupae were evaluated after 21 days and 42 days to …

Suppression Of Aflatoxin Production In Aspergillus Species By Selected Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea) Stilbenoids, Victor S. Sobolev, R. S. Arias, Kerestin Goodman, Travis Walk, Valerie Orner, Paola C. Faustinelli, Alicia Massa

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

Aspergillus flavus is a soil fungus that commonly invades peanut seeds and often produces carcinogenic aflatoxins. Under favorable conditions, the fungus-challenged peanut plant produces and accumulates resveratrol and its prenylated derivatives in response to such an invasion. These prenylated stilbenoids are considered peanut antifungal phytoalexins. However, the mechanism of peanut−fungus interaction has not been sufficiently studied. We used pure peanut stilbenoids arachidin-1, arachidin-3, and chiricanine A to study their effects on the viability of and metabolite production by several important toxigenic Aspergillus species. Significant reduction or virtually complete suppression of aflatoxin production was revealed in feeding experiments in A. flavus, …

Test 2196: John Deere 5115r Pfc, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Test 2192: John Deere 5090r Pfc, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Neuroprotective And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Rhus Coriaria Extract In A Mouse Model Of Ischemic Optic Neuropathy, Saba Khalilpour, Ghazaleh Behnammanesh, Fouad Suede, Mohammed O. Ezzat, Jayadhisan Muniandy, Yasser Tabana, Mohamed B. K. Ahamed, Ali Tamayol, Amin Malik Shah Majid, Enrico Sangiovanni, Mario Dell'agli, Aman Shah Majid

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Modulating oxidative stresses and inflammation can potentially prevent or alleviate the pathological conditions of diseases associated with the nervous system, including ischemic optic neuropathy. In this study we evaluated the anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activities of Rhus coriaria (R. coriaria) extract in vivo. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) for DPPH, ABTS and B-carotene were 6.79 ± 0.009 µg/mL, 10.94 ± 0.09 µg/mL, and 6.25 ± 0.06 µg/mL, respectively. Retinal ischemia was induced by optic nerve crush injury in albino Balb/c mice. The anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of R. coriaria (ERC) and linoleic acid (LA) on …

Application Of Machine Learning Methodologies For Predicting Corn Economic Optimal Nitrogen Rate, Zhisheng Qin, D. Brenton Myers, Curtis J. Ransom, Newell R. Kitchen, Sang-Zi Liang, James J. Camberato, Paul R. Carter, Richard B. Ferguson, Fabian G. Fernandez, David W. Franzen, Carrie A. M. Laboski, Brad D. Malone, Emerson D. Nafziger, John E. Sawyer, John F. Shanahan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Determination of in-season N requirement for corn (Zea mays L.) is challenging due to interactions of genotype, environment, and management. Machine learning (ML), with its predictive power to tackle complex systems, may solve this barrier in the development of locally based N recommendations. The objective of this study was to explore application of ML methodologies to predict economic optimum nitrogen rate (EONR) for corn using data from 47 experiments across the US Corn Belt. Two features, a water table adjusted available water capacity (AWC_wt) and a ratio of in-season rainfall to AWC_wt (RAWC_wt), were …

Improved Insect-Proofing: Expressing Double-Stranded Rna In Chloroplasts, Julia Bally, Elane Fishilevich, Andrew J. Bowling, Heather E. Pence, Kenneth E. Narva, Peter M. Waterhouse

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) was discovered almost 20 years ago and has been exploited worldwide to silence genes in plants and animals. A decade later, it was found that transforming plants with an RNAi construct targeting an insect gene could protect the plant against feeding by that insect. Production of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in a plant to affect the viability of a herbivorous animal is termed trans-kingdom RNAi (TK-RNAi). Since this pioneering work, there have been many further examples of successful TK-RNAi, but also reports of failed attempts and unrepeatable experiments. Recently, three laboratories have shown that producing dsRNA in a …

Genetics And Mechanisms Underlying Transmission Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus By The Wheat Curl Mite, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Gary L. Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV, genus Tritimovirus; family Potyviridae) is the most economically important virus of wheat in the Great Plains region of the USA. WSMV is transmitted by the eriophyid wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer. In contrast to Hemipteran-borne plant viruses, the mode and mechanism of eriophyid mite transmission of viruses have remained poorly understood, mostly due to difficulty of working with these ~200 μm long microscopic creatures. Among eriophyid-transmitted plant viruses, relatively extensive work has been performed on population genetics of WCMs, WSMV determinants involved in WCM transmission, and localization of WSMV virions and …

Magnetic Assembly Of Soft Robots With Hard Components, Sen Wai Kwok, Stephen A. Morin, Bobak Mosadegh, Ju-Hee So, Robert F. Shepherd, George M. Whitesides

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Reconfigurable soft robotic actuators with hard components are described. Magnetic attraction is used to couple flexible molded bodies capable of actuation upon pressurization with other flexible molded bodies and/or with hard components (e.g., frames and connectors) to form a seal for fluidic communication and cooperative actuation. Pneumatic decoupling chambers built into the hard components to decouple the hard components from the magnetically-coupled soft molded bodies are described. The use of magnetic self- alignment coupling and pneumatic de-coupling allows for the remote assembly and disassembly of complex structures involving hard and soft components. The magnetic coupling allows for rapid, reversible reconfiguration …

Insurance Risk Classification In An Era Of Genomics: Is A Rational Discrimination Policy Rational?, Anya E.R. Prince

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. Theoretical Underpinnings and Foundation of Insurance Regulation

III. Policy Approaches ... A. Prohibitive Approach ... B. Status Quo Approach ... C. Rational Discrimination Approach ... 1. United Kingdom Moratorium and Concordat ... 2. Australian Guidance ... 3. U.S. Uniform Law Commission Proposal

IV. Risk Classification and Economic Efficiency ... A. Classifying Risk ... B. Why Insurers Classify Risks ... C. Choosing a Risk Characteristic ... 1. Statistical Considerations ... 2. Operational Considerations ... 3. Social Considerations

V. Genetic Test Results and Insurance ... A. Genetic Test Results as Risk Characteristics ... B. Current Use of Genetic Test …

The New Negative Rights: Abortion Funding And Constitutional Law After Whole Woman’S Health, Mary Ziegler

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. The Hyde Amendment and the Redefinition of Conscience ... A. Pro-Lifers Develop an Argument for Public-Funding Bans ... B. More Complex Conscience Arguments Emerge ... C. Conscience Arguments Multiply

III. The Hyde Amendment and the Revival of the Right-Privilege Distinction ... A. Pro-Lifers Look for a New Litigation Strategy ... B. The Court Considers the Constitutionality of the Hyde Amendment

IV. The Hyde Amendment After Whole Woman’s Health ... A. Whole Woman’s Health Redefines the Undue Burden Test ... B. Reexamining the Hyde Amendment

V. Conclusion

“Essentially Black”: Legal Theory And The Morality Of Conscious Racial Identity, Kenneth B. Nunn

Nebraska Law Review

In philosophy, essentialism involves the claim that everything that exists has a fundamental character or core set of features that makes it what it is. Although this idea developed out of Platonic notions of ideal forms, it has spread beyond philosophy into the social sciences and hard scientific disciplines like mathematics and biology. Since the advent of postmodernism, discussions around essentialism have become controversial. Adherents of postmodern theory argue that social categories, such as gender, race, and sexuality are socially constructed and that essentialist notions of identity, which suggest that identity is static, natural, and unchanging, are theoretically wrong. This …

Endorsing Pedophiles For Elected Office?, David R. Katner

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. Defining and Attempting to Understand Pedophilia

III. Delays in Reporting Childhood Sexual Abuse by Victim

IV. Institutional Protection for Sexual Abusers of Children

V. Politicians and Sexual Scandals

VI. Differentiating Accusations from Convictions

VII. Statutes on Child Molestation

VIII. Presidential Support for Electing an Accused Pedophile

IX. Conclusion

Grxcr2 Is Required For Stereocilia Morphogenesis In The Cochlea, Matthew R. Avenarius, Jae-Yun Jung, Charles Askew, Sherri M. Jones, Kristina L. Hunker, Hela Azaiez, Atteeq U. Rehman, Margit Schraders, Hossein Najmabadi, Hannie Kremer, Richard J. H. Smith, Gwenaelle S. G. Geleoc, David F. Dolan, Yehoash Raphael, David C. Kohrman

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Hearing and balance depend upon the precise morphogenesis and mechanosensory function of stereocilia, the specialized structures on the apical surface of sensory hair cells in the inner ear. Previous studies of Grxcr1 mutant mice indicated a critical role for this gene in control of stereocilia dimensions during development. In this study, we analyzed expression of the paralog Grxcr2 in the mouse and evaluated auditory and vestibular function of strains carrying targeted mutations of the gene. Peak expression of Grxcr2 occurs during early postnatal development of the inner ear and GRXCR2 is localized to stereocilia in both the cochlea and in …

Gateways-Nd: Advancing Learner-Focused Instruction To Catalyze Stem Student Success, J.M.D. Motschenbacher, R. Reichenbach, M. Hanson, E. A. Berg, J. Ladbury, P. Kelter, L. Montplaisir, J. Nachwaya

School of Natural Resources: Documents and Reviews

No abstract provided.

Isolation And Revenge: Where Victor Frankenstein Went Wrong, Gabby Escalante Manzano

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley describes the dangers of revenge and isolation caused by abandonment, following the mistakes made by Victor Frankenstein with the creation of a monster. All the events of the novel support one main theme: revenge caused by isolation. Throughout the novel, the reader witnesses the life of isolation that the creature is forced to live. As the story progresses, the question of why revenge becomes an outcome of isolation is asked. Living a life where you are ostracized by everyone, including your own creator, would drive anyone mad, especially a creature that was brought back to life …

Ncuwm Poster Abstract 2018

Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics

No abstract provided.

An Inverse Problem: Trappers Drove Hares To Eat Lynx, Bo Deng

Department of Mathematics: Faculty Publications

The Canadian lynx and snowshoe hare pelt data by the Hudson’s Bay Company do not fit the classical predator-prey theory. Rather than following the peak density of the hares, the peak density of the lynx leads it, creating the hares-eat-lynx (HEL) paradox. Although trappers were suspected to be a cause, no mathematical models in the literature have demonstrated the HEL effect. In this paper we consider various multitrophic models with interactions in vegetation-hare-lynx, hare-lynx-coyote, hare-lynx-trapper, and hare-lynx-coyote-trapper, and use Newton’s gradient search method to best fit each model to the data and then select the one with the least error …

Echinococcus Spp. Tapeworms In North America, Jacey Roche Cerda, Danielle Elise Buttke, Lora Rickard Ballweber

United States National Park Service: Publications

Alveolar and cystic echinococcosis are emerging and re-emerging in Europe, Africa, and Asia. The expansion of Echinococcus spp. tapeworms in wildlife host reservoirs appears to be driving this emergence in some areas. Recent studies suggest a similar phenomenon may be occurring in North America. We describe the context of Echinococcus spp. research in North America, with a specific focus on the contiguous United States. Although studies were conducted in the United States throughout the 1900s on various sylvatic and domestic Echinococcus spp. tapeworm cycles, data are lacking for the past ≈30 years. We review previous research, provide analysis of more …

Evaluating Long-Term Trends In Vegetation And Management Intensity, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve 1995–2014, Sherry A. Leis, Lloyd W. Morrison

United States National Park Service: Publications

Abstract

Inventory and Monitoring Networks of the National Park Service are charged with collecting and reporting data related to the status and trends of key natural resources. We have analyzed a suite of grazing data from 1995- 2016, fire history data from 1998-2015, and vegetation community data from 2002-2014 to better understand trends as they relate to management strategies at the preserve over time. We found that cattle stocking rates declined and fires became less frequent over the latter half of the record. Similarly, bare ground declined, woody species increased slightly, and the floristic quality index was relatively stable with …

Opportunities And Challenges For Big Data Ornithology, Frank A. La Sorte, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Jessica L. Burnett, Allen H. Hurlbert, Morgan W. Tingley, Benjamin Zuckerberg

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Recent advancements in information technology and data acquisition have created both new research opportunities and new challenges for using big data in ornithology. We provide an overview of the past, present, and future of big data in ornithology, and explore the rewards and risks associated with their application. Structured data resources (e.g., North American Breeding Bird Survey) continue to play an important role in advancing our understanding of bird population ecology, and the recent advent of semistructured (e.g., eBird) and unstructured (e.g., weather surveillance radar) big data resources has promoted the development of new empirical perspectives that are generating novel …

A Framework For Tracing Social–Ecological Trajectories And Traps In Intensive Agricultural Landscapes, Daniel R. Uden, Craig R. Allen, Francisco Munoz-Arriola, Gengxin Ou, Nancy Shank

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Charting trajectories toward sustainable agricultural development is an important goal at the food–energy–water–ecosystem services (FEWES) nexus of agricultural landscapes. Social–ecological adaptation and transformation are two broad strategies for adjusting and resetting the trajectories of productive FEWES nexuses toward sustainable futures. In some cases, financial incentives, technological innovations, and/or subsidies associated with the short-term optimization of a small number of resources create and strengthen unsustainable feedbacks between social and ecological entities at the FEWES nexus. These feedbacks form the basis of rigidity traps, which impede adaptation and transformation by locking FEWES nexuses into unsustainable trajectories characterized by control, stability, and efficiency, …

Quantifying Uncertainty And Trade-Offs In Resilience Assessments, Craig R. Allen, Hannah E. Birgé, David G. Angeler, Craig A. Arnold, Brian C. Chaffin, Daniel A. Decaro, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance Gunderson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Several frameworks have been developed to assess the resilience of social-ecological systems, but most require substantial data inputs, time, and technical expertise. Stakeholders and practitioners often lack the resources for such intensive efforts. Furthermore, most end with problem framing and fail to explicitly address trade-offs and uncertainty. To remedy this gap, we developed a rapid survey assessment that compares the relative resilience of social-ecological systems with respect to a number of resilience properties. This approach generates large amounts of information relative to stakeholder inputs. We targeted four stakeholder categories: government (policy, regulation, management), end users (farmers, ranchers, landowners, industry), agency/public …