Digital Commons Network^™

Global Warming Is Changing The Dynamics Of Arctic Host-Parasite Systems, S. J. Kutz, Eric P. Hoberg, L. Polley, E. J. Jenkins

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Global climate change is altering the ecology of infectious agents and driving the emergence of disease in people, domestic animals, and wildlife. We present a novel, empirically based, predictive model for the impact of climate warming on development rates and availability of an important parasitic nematode of muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic, a region that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Using this model, we show that warming in the Arctic may have already radically altered the transmission dynamics of this parasite, escalating infection pressure for muskoxen, and that this trend is expected to continue. This work establishes a foundation …

Trichinella Pseudospiralis From A Wild Pig In Texas, H. Ray Gamble, E. Pozio, J. Ralph Lichtenfels, D. S. Zarlenga, D. E. Hill

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

In December 2001, the routine inspection of a wild boar intended for human consumption revealed the presence of Trichinella ssp. larvae. Biological, morphological and genetic analyses demonstrated the parasite to be Trichinella pseudospiralis. This is the second report of T. pseudospiralis in the United States and the first report of the parasite in a food animal species in the U.S.

Caudal Polymorphism And Cephalic Morphology Among First-Stage Larvae Of Parelaphostrongylus Odocoilei (Protostrongylidae: Elaphostrongylinae) In Dall’S Sheep From The Mackenzie Mountains, Canada, Eric P. Hoberg, Emily J. Jenkins, Benjamin Rosenthal, Mayee Wong, Eric F. Erbe, Susan J. Kutz, Lydden Polley

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We demonstrate polymorphism in the structure of the tail among first-stage larvae of Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei (Protostrongylidae). Two distinct larvae, both with a characteristic dorsal spine, include (1) a morphotype with a kinked conical tail marked by three distinct transverse folds or joints and a symmetrical terminal tail spike and (2) a morphotype with a digitate terminal region lacking folds or joints and with an asymmetrical, subterminal tail spike. These divergent larval forms had been postulated as perhaps representing distinct species of elaphostrongyline nematodes. Application of a multilocus approach using ITS-2 sequences from the nuclear genome and COX-II sequences from the …

Phylogeny For Genera Of Nematodirinae (Nematoda: Trichostrongylina), Eric P. Hoberg, J. Ralph Lichtenfels, Lora G. Rickard

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Monophyly for the Nematodirinae, with five genera, Murielus, Rauschia, Nematodiroides, Nematodirus, and Nematodirella was confirmed based on comparative morphology and phylogenetic analysis of structural characters. This concept for the nematodirines excludes the monotypic Lamanema chavezi, but otherwise corroborates generic-level diversity as defined in prior studies. Exhaustive analysis resulted in one most parsimonious tree (36 steps; consistency index [CI] = 0.94; retention index [RI] = 0.93; excluding phylogenetically uninformative characters, CI = 0.92). As an inclusive or monophyletic group, Nematodirinae was diagnosed by eight synapomorphies (seven are unequivocal): (1) large eggs, (2) long filiform spicules, (3) basal division of …

Beringia: Intercontinental Exchange And Diversification Of High Latitude Mammals And Their Parasites During The Pliocene And Quarternary, Joseph A. Cook, Eric P. Hoberg, Anson Koehler, Heikki Henttonen, Lotta Wickström, Voitto Haukisalmi, Kurt Galbreath, Felix Chernyavski, Nikolai Dokuchaev, Anatoli Lahzuhtkin, Stephen O. Macdonald, Andrew Hope, Eric Waltari, Amy Runck, Alasdair Veitch, Richard Popko, Emily Jenkins, Susan Kutz, Ralph Eckerlin

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Beringia is the region spanning eastern Asia and northwestern North America that remained ice-free during the full glacial events of the Pleistocene. Numerous questions persist regarding the importance of this region in the evolution of northern faunas. Beringia has been implicated as both a high latitude refugium and as the crossroads (Bering Land Bridge) of the northern continents for boreal mammals. The Beringian Coevolution Project (BCP) is an international collaboration that has provided material to assess the pattern and timing of faunal exchange across the crossroads of the northern continents and the potential impact of past climatic events on differentiation. …

Fundamental Contribution Of Β-Oxidation To Polyketide Mycotoxin Production In Planta, Lori A. Maggio-Hall, Richard A. Wilson, Nancy P. Keller

Fungal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

Seed contamination with polyketide mycotoxins, including aflatoxin (AF) and sterigmatocystin (ST) produced by Aspergillus spp., is an agricultural, economic, and medical issue worldwide. Acetyl-CoA, the fundamental building block of all known fungal polyketides, is generated by a large number of biochemical pathways, including β-oxidation of fatty acids and glycolysis of sugars. We present several lines of evidence to support a major role for seed fatty acids in formation of AF and ST in A. flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. nidulans. Aspergillus strains exhibiting canonical signs of oleic acid–induced peroxisome proliferation, including increased catalase activity, β-oxidation gene expression, and …

Natural History And Karyology Of The Yucatán Vesper Mouse, Otonyctomys Hatti, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm, Mark D. Engstrom

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Seventeen specimens of the rare Yucatán vesper mouse, Otonyctomys hatti, are now known from Belize, Guatemala, and the Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán. We herein report a second specimen of O. hatti, from Belize, extending the known geographic range of the species 95 km to the southeast in the country. This is the first location at which O. hatti has been taken sympatrically with the Central American vesper mouse, Nyctomys sumichrasti. We also report data on three additional specimens of O. hatti from Campeche. Nyctomys and Otonyctomys share similar habits and habitat requirements, and …

Functional Consequences Of Genome Evolution In Listeria Monocytogenes: The Lmo0423 And Lmo0422 Genes Encode ΣC And Lstr, A Lineage Ii-Specific Heat Shock System, Chaomei Zhang, Joseph Nietfeldt, Min Zhang, Andrew K. Benson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Listeria monocytogenes strains belonging to phylogenetic lineage II (serotypes 1/2a, 1/2c, and 3a) carry a lineage-specific genome segment encoding a putative sigma subunit of RNA polymerase (lmo0423, herein referred to as sigC), a gene of unknown function (lmo0422) similar to the padR family of regulators, and a gene that is similar to the rodA-ftsW family of cell wall morphology genes (lmo0421). To understand the function of this set of genes, their expression patterns and the effects of null mutations in the lineage II L. monocytogenes strain 10403S were examined. The data are consistent with the three genes comprising an …

Soil Feedback And Pathogen Activity In Prunus Serotina Throughout Its Native Range, Kurt O. Reinhart, Alejandro A. Royo, Wim H. Van Der Putten, Keith Clay

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

1. Oomycete soil pathogens are known to have a negative effect on Prunus serotina seedling establishment and to promote tree diversity in a deciduous forest in Indiana, USA. Here, we investigate whether negative feedbacks operate widely in its native range in eastern USA.

2. In laboratory experiments, soil sterilization was used to test the net effect of soil biota (pathogens and mutualists) and fungicide treatments to test the effects of soil pathogens (oomycetes) on survival of P. serotina seedlings in soils from 22 P. serotina populations throughout the eastern USA.

3. In soil associated with P. serotina trees, there was …

Winter Feeding Sites Of Hay In Round Bales As Major Developmental Sites Of Stomoxys Calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) In Pastures In Spring And Summer, Alberto B. Broce, Jerome Hogsette, Steven Paisley

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

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), historically has been a pest of livestock in confined operations but seldom of animals on pastures or rangelands. In the past two decades, however, S. calcitrans has become a major pest of cattle and horses on pastures in the midwestern United States. Although there usually is an overabundance of diverse stable fly and house fly, Musca domestica L., larval habitats in confined livestock operations, no larval habitat for stable flies has been clearly identified in the pasture-range environment. Because the winter feeding of hay in round bales results in significant amounts of hay wastage …

Selenium Impactson Razorback Sucker, Colorado River, Colorado I. Adults, Steven J. Hamilton, Kathy M. Holley, Kevin J. Buhl, Fern A. Bullard, L. Ken Weston, Susan F. Mcdonald

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Adult razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) were exposed to various selenium concentrations in ponds and isolated river channels of the Colorado River near Grand Junction, CO, to determine effectson their growth and residue accumulation over an 11-month period. Adults at Horsethief ponds were fed a commercial diet, whereas fish at Adobe Creek channel and North Pond foraged on natural food items. Selenium concentrations at Horsethief were 2.2 μg/L in water, 0.1–1.4 μg/g in sediment, and 2.3–3.1 μg/g in food organisms (1.1 μg/g in commercial fish food), at Adobe Creek were 3.8 μg/L in water, 0.5–2.1 μg/g in sediment, and …

Survival And Selection Of Migrating Salmon From Capture-Recapture Models With Individual Traits, Richard W. Zabel, Tyler Wagner, James L. Congleton, Steven G. Smith, John G. Williams

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Capture–recapture studies are powerful tools for studying animal population dynamics, providing information on population abundance, survival rates, population growth rates, and selection for phenotypic traits. In these studies, the probability of observing a tagged individual reflects both the probability of the individual surviving to the time of recapture and the probability of recapturing an animal, given that it is alive. If both of these probabilities are related to the same phenotypic trait, it can be difficult to distinguish effects on survival probabilities from effects on recapture probabilities. However, when animals are individually tagged and have multiple opportunities for recapture, we …

High Dispersal In A Frog Species Suggest That It Is Vulnerable To Habitat Fragmentation, W. Chris Funk, Allison E. Greene, Paul Stephen Corn, Fred W. Allendorf

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Global losses of amphibian populations are a major conservation concern and have generated substantial debate over their causes. Habitat fragmentation is considered one important cause of amphibian decline. However, if fragmentation is to be invoked as a mechanism of amphibian decline, it must first be established that dispersal is prevalent among contiguous amphibian populations using formal movement estimators. In contrast, if dispersal is naturally low in amphibians, fragmentation can be disregarded as a cause of amphibian declines and conservation efforts can be focused elsewhere. We examined dispersal rates in Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) using capture– recapture analysis …

Population Structure Of Columbia Spotted Frogs (Rana Luteiventris) Is Strongly Affected By The Landscape, W. Chris Funk, Michael S. Blouin, Paul Stephen Corn, Bryce A. Maxell, David S. Pilliod, Stephen Amish, Fred W. Allendorf

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Landscape features such as mountains, rivers, and ecological gradients may strongly affect patterns of dispersal and gene flow among populations and thereby shape population dynamics and evolutionary trajectories. The landscape may have a particularly strong effect on patterns of dispersal and gene flow in amphibians because amphibians are thought to have poor dispersal abilities. We examined genetic variation at six microsatellite loci in Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) from 28 breeding ponds in western Montana and Idaho, USA, in order to investigate the effects of landscape structure on patterns of gene flow. We were particularly interested in addressing …

Conflicting Patterns Of Genetic Structure Produced By Nuclear And Mitochondrial Markers In The Oregon Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps Wrighti): Implications For Conservation Efforts And Species Management, Mark P. Miller, Susan M. Haig, Steven Wagner

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Endemic to Oregon in the northwestern US, the Oregon slender salamander (Batrachoseps wrighti = B. wrightorum) is a terrestrial plethodontid found associated with late successional mesic forests. Consequently, forest management practices such as timber harvesting may impact their persistence. Therefore, to infer possible future effects of these practices on population structure and differentiation, we used mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b) and RAPD markers to analyze 22 populations across their range. Phylogenetic analyses of sequence data (774 bp) revealed two historical lineages corresponding to northern and southern-distributed populations. Relationships among haplotypes and haplotype diversity within lineages suggested that the …

Geographic Variation, Genetic Structure, And Conservation Unit Designation In The Larch Mountain Salamander (Plethodon Larselli), R. Steven Wagner, Mark P. Miller, Charles M. Crisafulli, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Larch Mountain salamander (Plethodon larselli Burns, 1954) is an endemic species in the Pacific northwestern United States facing threats related to habitat destruction. To facilitate development of conservation strategies, we used DNA sequences and RAPDs (random amplified polymorphic DNA) to examine differences among populations of this species. Phylogenetic analyses of cytochrome b revealed a clade of haplotypes from populations north of the Columbia River derived from a clade containing haplotypes from the river’s southwestern region. Haplotypes from southeastern populations formed a separate clade. Nucleotide diversity was reduced in northern populations relative to southern populations. These results were corroborated …

Selection Of Arboreal Termitaria For Nesting By Cooperatively Breeding Micronesian Kingfishers Todiramphus Cinnamominus Reichenbachii, Dylan C. Kesler, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Limited nest-site availability appears to be an important factor in the evolution of delayed dispersal and cooperative breeding in some cavity-nesting species. The cooperatively breeding Pohnpei subspecies of Micronesian Kingfisher Todiramphus cinnamominus reichenbachii excavates nest cavities from the nests of arboreal termites Nasutitermes spp., or termitaria. In this first published description of nest-sites for this subspecies, we used surveys, remote sensing and radiotelemetry to evaluate the relationship between nest-site availability and co-operation. Results illustrate that nest termitaria are higher in the forest canopy, larger in volume and occur in areas with more contiguous canopy cover than unused termitaria. Nest termitaria …

A Complete Species Census And Evidence For Regional Declines In Piping Plovers, Susan M. Haig, Cheron L. Ferland, Francesca J. Cuthbert, Jack Dingledine, J. Paul Goossen, Anne Hecht, Nell Mcphillips

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Complete population estimates for widely distributed species are rarely possible. However, for the third time in 10 years, an International Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) Breeding and Winter Census was conducted throughout the species range in 2001. Nearly 1,400 participants from 32 U.S. states and Puerto Rico; 9 Canadian provinces; St. Pierre and Miquelon, France; Cuba; and the Bahamas visited 2,244 sites covering 11,836 km of shoreline habitat. During the winter census, 2,389 piping plovers were observed at 33.5% of potentially occupied sites (n = 352). Of these, 56.8% had ≤10 birds present. The breeding census recorded 5,945 adults …

Microclimate And Nest-Site Selection In Micronesian Kingfishers, Dylan C. Kesler, Susan M. Haig

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We studied the relationship between microclimate and nest-site selection in the Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus reichenbachii ) which excavates nest cavities from the mudlike nest structures of arboreal termites (Nasutitermes sp.) or termitaria. Mean daily high temperatures at termitaria were cooler and daily low temperatures were warmer than at random sites in the forest. Results also indicate that termitaria provided insulation from temperature extremes, and that temperatures inside termitaria were within the thermoneutral zone of Micronesian Kingfishers more often than those outside. No differences were identified in temperatures at sites where nest termitaria and nonnest termitaria occurred …

Conservation Genomics: Disequilibrium Mapping Of Domestic Cattle Chromosomal Segments In North American Bison Populations, Natalie D. Halbert, Todd J. Ward, Robert D. Schnabel, Jeremy F. Taylor, James N. Derr

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

Introgressive hybridization is one of the major threats to species conservation, and is often induced by human influence on the natural habitat of wildlife species. The ability to accurately identify introgression is critical to understanding its importance in evolution and effective conservation management of species. Hybridization between North American bison ( Bison bison ) and domestic cattle ( Bos taurus ) as a result of human activities has been recorded for over 100 years, and domestic cattle mitochondrial DNA was previously detected in bison populations. In this study, linked microsatellite markers were used to identify domestic cattle chromosomal segments in …

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Consumption And Food Sources Differ Among Elderly Men Living In Coastal And Internal Regions Of Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Numair, Nancy M. Lewis, Sharon Evans

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) play an important role in reducing the risk of heart diseases. The objectives of the current study were to investigate the consumption and the food sources of n-3 FAs in two samples of elderly men living in different geographic locations (coastal and internal regions) of Saudi Arabia. Sixty men from each of the coastal and the internal regions provided a 24-hour recall and 2-day food record and a food frequency questionnaire. Food Processor Plus computer program software (ESHA Version 0.7; Salem, Oregon, 2002) was used to analyze the dietary intake. The intake …

Lead Presentation, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Thank you for inviting us to share with you some information about the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and what we are doing for Nebraska. As a stakeholder in Nebraska's land-grant university, you and every other Nebraskan have every right at any time to ask us what we've done for you and your neighbors lately. We welcome the question. There is so much excellent work being accomplished on this campus and throughout Nebraska that I am delighted each time I have the opportunity to talk about it. The biggest problem I find is stopping - there's always so much …

Arkansas Symposium: Opportunities And Challenges Of Colleges Of Agriculture At Land-Grant Universities, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Friends, we've got trouble.
Yes, "... we got trouble,
Right here in River City!
With a capital ‘T’
That rhymes with ‘P’
And that stands for –"

Well, in the musical "The Music Man," where these lines originate, the "P" stood for "Pool."

"Pool" as in "Pool Hall," and all the less than edifying experiences the word conjured up for worried River City parents.

Agriculture Builders Of Nebraska, Inc. Annual Meeting, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Let me start today by saying thank you. Thank you, each of you, for your strong support of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the University of Nebraska.

Abn Summer Meeting, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

We in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources are so pleased you're here with us today at our Agricultural Research and Development Center. We hope you enjoy the day as much as we enjoy having you here. Thank you for coming. Thanks, also, to everyone who has been involved in putting this day together. Your work is very much appreciated.

Pathogenic New Species Of Eimeria From The Pygmy Rabbit, Brachylagus Idahoensis, In Washington And Oregon, With Description Of The Sporulated Oocyst And Intestinal Endogenous Stages, Donald W. Duszynski, Lisa Harrenstien, Lee Couch, Michael M. Garner

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

In January 2003, fecal samples from 13 live pygmy rabbits, Brachylagus idahoensis (Merriam, 1891), were collected at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, and sent to the University of New Mexico (UNM), Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be examined for coccidia. In July 2004, 14 more fecal samples were collected and sent to UNM, 6 from some of the same rabbits and 8 from 16 other rabbits (4 were pooled samples from siblings). In addition, tissue sections from 3 dead rabbits (2 from the Oregon Zoo, 1 from Washington State University) also were examined. Two of 4 (50%) pooled fecal samples …

Eimeria Species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Arctic Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus Parryii ) And Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus) In Alaska And In Siberia, Russia, Robert S. Seville, Clint E. Oliver, Andrew J. Lynch, Michelle C. Bryant, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Fecal samples from arctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii) collected in Alaska (n = 90) and Russia (n = 46) and from red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in Alaska (n = 35) were examined for the presence of Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Four species were recovered from arctic ground squirrels, including Eimeria callospermophili (prevalence = 18%), Eimeria cynomysis (23.5%), Eimeria lateralis (19%), and Eimeria morainensis (77%). A single species, Eimeria tamiasciuri (91%), was recovered from red squirrels. Eimerians recovered from arctic ground squirrels represent new host records, and the single species from red squirrels is …

Parasites Of The American White Pelican, Robin M. Overstreet, Stephen S. Curran

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Metazoan symbionts, including parasites, infecting the American white pelican (AWP) Pelecanus erythrorhynchos comprise a list of 75 species, 7 of which are new host records. Several new geographic records are also presented, but generally these have a low value because of the migratory nature of the bird. Evidence suggests that some parasites, mostly flies and other arthropods but also nematodes and digeneans, produce detrimental behavioral or pathologic changes in the AWP. Some of the arthropods transmit microbial agents to the pelican. Two digeneans that have the AWP as a definitive host harm and even kill their catfish intermediate host, especially …

Presentation Of The 2005 Asp Distinguished Service Award To Ralph Lichtenfels, Robin M. Overstreet

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Presentation of the 2005 American Society of Parasitologists Distinguished Service Award to parasitologist J. Ralph Lichtenfels.

Status Of Oral Rabies Vaccination In Wild Carnivores In The United States, Dennis Slate, Charles E. Rupprecht, Jane A. Rooney, Dennis Donovan, Donald H. Lein, Richard B. Chipman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Persistence of multiple variants of rabies virus in wild Chiroptera and Carnivora presents a continuing challenge to medical, veterinary and wildlife management professionals. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) targeting specific Carnivora species has emerged as an integral adjunct to conventional rabies control strategies to protect humans and domestic animals. ORV has been applied with progress toward eliminating rabies in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in western Europe and southern Ontario, Canada. More recently since 1995, coordinated ORV was implemented among eastern states in the U.S.A. to prevent spread of raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies and to contain and eliminate …