Digital Commons Network^™

Does Fair Trade Deliver On Its Core Value Proposition? Effects On Income, Educational Attainment, And Health In Three Countries, Eric J. Arnould, Alejandro Plastina, Dwanye Ball

Department of Marketing: Faculty Publications

Alternative trade organizations (ATOs) based on philosophies of social justice and/or environmental well-being are establishing new channels of trade and marketing. Partisans promote ATOs as systems to transfer benefits from consumers in the wealthy northern hemisphere to producers in the poor southern hemisphere. The central public policy question is whether the well-being of poor agricultural producers in the southern hemisphere is actually being improved by fair-trade practices, or are consumers who buy products on this premise deceived? The research reported here partially answers the question whether participation in a fair-trade coffee marketing channel delivers benefits to smallscale producers in Latin …

Inquiry Unplugged: Building On Hackman’S Potential Perils Of Pob, Fred Luthans, Bruce Avolio

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

In this rejoinder to Hackman’s counterpoint piece on positive organizational behavior (POB), we again take a positive, inquiry approach. We address and build out each of his identified potential perils with the aim of accelerating the journey of POB understanding, research, and application.

Team Level Positivity: Investigating Positive Psychological Capacities And Team Level Outcomes, Bradley J. West, Jaime L. Patera, Melissa K. Carsten

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

The movement toward positive psychology has uncovered the important role that positivity plays in both individual and organizational success. Given that work teams are becoming increasingly embedded in organizational structures, it is surprising that few researchers have investigated positivity at the team level. The present study examines the emergence of team level positive psychological capacities and their relationship with team outcomes (e.g., cohesion, cooperation, coordination, and conflict and team satisfaction) during two team sessions. Results from 101 teams suggest that team optimism is an important predictor of team outcomes when teams are newly formed, whereas team resilience and team efficacy …

Religious Discrimination And Racial Harassment: What Ever Happened To Marshawn Demur? -- Instructor’S Manual, Gwendolyn Combs

Department of Management: Faculty Publications

Case Learning Objectives:
Establish the basis for and recognition of potential d nn isparate treatment and disparate impact situations in the workplace.
Analyze the legal requirements for employers in considering and/or accommodating employee religious beliefs and preferences in the workplace.
Examine the interface of judicial precedent, legislative intent, Title VII and organizational policy/managerial decision-making.
Recognize the roles and responsibilities of human resource (HR) professionals in addressing these issues.

Target Audience: Undergraduate and graduate level students who have a basic background in HR management and equal employment/diversity issues.

This case works best in conjunction with the study of equal employment opportunity, …

Ancient Leishmaniasis In A Highland Desert Of Northern Chile, Maria Antonietta Costa, Carney Matheson, Lucia Iachetta, Otto Appenzeller

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Background

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease endemic today in many areas of South America.

Methodology

We discovered morphologic and molecular evidence of ancient infections in four female skulls in the archaeological cemetery of Coyo Oriente, in the desert of San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile. The boney facial lesions visible in the skulls could have been caused by a number of chronic infections including chronic Leishmaniasis. This diagnosis was confirmed using PCR-sequenced analyses of bone fragments from the skulls of the affected individuals. Leishmaniasis is not normally found in the high-altitude desert of northern Chile; where the harsh climate does …

Lyophilization Of Spodoptera Frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae Yields High-Quality Dna For Use In Aflp Genetic Studies, Pete L. Clark, David J. Isenhour, Steven R. Skoda, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Claudia Gianni, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Agricultural research in the 21st century has become a collaborative effort. Research on crop pests like Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), commonly known as the fall armyworm (FAW), can involve international collaboration because it is a pest not only in the southern United States, but also in Latin and South America. Our interest to study the genetic variation of 24 subpopulations of FAW from the southern United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Argentina required insect collection procedures that preserve the integrity of DNA for molecular genetic analysis. The samples were collected primarily from maize (Zea mays L.), but also …

Degree-Day Requirements For Eight Economically Important Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) In Nebraska Using Field Data, Mathew L. Brust, William Wyatt Hoback, Robert J. Wright

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The timing of application for the management of rangeland grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is critical, especially as insecticides become more specialized and the use of Insect Growth Regulators becomes more widespread. The general seasonal occurrence of adults of many grasshopper species has been well documented; however, their appearance varies widely between years. We analyzed sweep samples collected over the western two thirds of Nebraska from a 3-yr period and noted the occurrence of adults by region for eight species of rangeland grasshoppers. We analyzed occurrence based on degree-day accumulations for the region and developed estimates of degree-day requirements for these species. …

Using The World Wide Web To Educate And Inform The Public About Risk And Agricultural Biotechnology, Douglas A. Golick, Robert D. Peterson, Leon G. Higley

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The University of Nebraska and AgBios, Inc. launched the AgBiosafety website (http://agbiosaftzy.unl.edu) with the purpose of educating the public about agricultural biotechnology risk and safezy issues through science-based content. This article discusses the creation ofthe website, its components, and data gathered from usage statistics and a web-delivered survey. Also included is a discussion of the results ofdata gathered and recommendations for future web-based educational efforts in biotechnology safety and risk assessment.

Pilot Study: The Nature And Thickness Of The Unsaturated Zone And Delineation Of Confined Aquifers, Sue Olafsen Lackey, Les Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Smart Templates For Peak Pattern Matching With Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography, Stephen E. Reichenbach, Peter W. Carr, Dwight R. Stoll, Qingping Tao

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × LC) generates information-rich but complex peak patterns that require automated processing for rapid chemical identification and classification. This paper describes a powerful approach and specific methods for peak pattern matching to identify and classify constituent peaks in data from LC × LC and other multidimensional chemical separations. The approach records a prototypical pattern of peaks with retention times and associated metadata, such as chemical identities and classes, in a template. Then, the template pattern is matched to the detected peaks in subsequent data and the metadata are copied from the template to identify and …

Holocene Carbon Burial By Lakes In Sw Greenland, N. J. Anderson, W. D'Andrea, Sherilyn C. Fritz

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

The role of the Arctic in future global change processes is predicted to be important because of the large carbon (C) stocks contained in frozen soils and peatlands. Lakes are an important component of arctic landscapes although their role in storing C is not well prescribed. The area around Kangerlussuaq, SW Greenland (66–68°N, 49–54°W) has ex¬tremely high lake density, with ~20 000 lakes that cover about 14% of the land area. C accumulation rates and standing stock (kg C m⁻²), representing late- to mid-Holocene C burial, were calculated from AMS ¹⁴C-dated sediment cores from 11 lakes. Lake …

Towards The Standardization Of Sequence Stratigraphy, Octavian Catuneanu, V. Abreu, J. P. Bhattacharya, M. D. Blum, R. W. Dalrymple, P. G. Eriksson, Christopher R. Fielding, W. L. Fisher, W. E. Galloway, M. R. Gibling, K. A. Giles, J. M. Holbrook, R. Jordan, C. G. St.C. Kendall, B. Macurda, O. J. Martinsen, A. D. Miall, J. E. Neal, D. Nummedal, L. Pomar, H. W. Posamentier, B. R. Pratt, J. F. Sarg, K. W. Shanley, R. J. Steel, A. Strasser, M. E. Tucker, C. Winker

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sequence stratigraphy emphasizes facies relationships and stratal architecture within a chronological framework. Despite its wide use, sequence stratigraphy has yet to be included in any stratigraphic code or guide. This lack of standardization reflects the existence of competing approaches (or models) and confusing or even conflicting terminology. Standardization of sequence stratigraphy requires the definition of the fundamental model-independent concepts, units, bounding surfaces and workflow that outline the foundation of the method. A standardized scheme needs to be sufficiently broad to encompass all possible choices of approach, rather than being limited to a single approach or model.

A sequence stratigraphic framework …

Sequencing, Analysis, And Annotation Of Expressed Sequence Tags For Camelus Dromedarius, Abdulaziz M. Al-Swailem, Maher M. Shehata, Faisel M. Abu-Duhier, Essam J. Al-Yamani, Khalid A. Al-Busadah, Mohammed S. Al-Arawi, Ali Y. Al-Khider, Abdullah N. Al-Muhaimeed, Fahad H. Al-Qahtani, Manee M. Manee, Badr M. Al-Shomrani, Saad M. Al-Qhtani, Amer S. Al-Harthi, Kadir C. Akdemir, Mehmet S. Inan, Hasan H. Otu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Despite its economical, cultural, and biological importance, there has not been a large scale sequencing project to date for Camelus dromedarius. With the goal of sequencing complete DNA of the organism, we first established and sequenced camel EST libraries, generating 70,272 reads. Following trimming, chimera check, repeat masking, cluster and assembly, we obtained 23,602 putative gene sequences, out of which over 4,500 potentially novel or fast evolving gene sequences do not carry any homology to other available genomes. Functional annotation of sequences with similarities in nucleotide and protein databases has been obtained using Gene Ontology classification. Comparison to available …

Genes Differentially Expressed By Cumulus Cells And Assays Using Same To Identify Pregnancy Competent Oocytes, Jose B. Cibelli, Amy E. Iager, Hasan H. Otu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

A genetic means of identifying "pregnancy competent" oocytes is provided. The means comprises detecting the level of expression of one or more genes that are expressed at characteristic levels (upregulated or downregulated) in cumulus cells derived from pregnancy competent oocytes. This characteristic gene expression level, or pattern referred to herein as the "pregnancy signature", also can be used to identify subjects with underlying conditions that impair or prevent the development of a viable pregnancy, e.g., pre-menopausal condition, other hormonal dysfunction, ovarian dysfunction, ovarian cyst, cancer or other cell proliferation disorder, autoimmune disease and the like. In preferred embodiments the …

Genomic Regions Conserved In Lineage Ii Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Strains, Marina Steele, Kim Ziebell, Yongxiang Zhang, Andrew K. Benson, Roger Johnson, Chad Laing, Eduardo Taboada, Victor Gannon

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Populations of the food- and waterborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 are comprised of two major lineages. Recent studies have shown that specific genotypes within these lineages differ substantially in the frequencies with which they are associated with human clinical disease. While the nucleotide sequences of the genomes of lineage I strains E. coli O157 Sakai and EDL9333 have been determined, much less is known about the genomes of lineage II strains. In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to identify genomic features that define lineage II populations. Three SSH experiments were performed, yielding 1,085 genomic fragments consisting of …

Genomic Instability In Regions Adjacent To A Highly Conserved Pch Prophage In Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Generates Diversity In Expression Patterns Of The Lee Pathogenicity Island, Zhijie Yang, Jaehyoung Kim, Chaomei Zhang, Min Zhang, Joeseph Nietfeldt, Carolyn M. Southward, Michael G. Surette, Stephen D. Kachman, Andrew K. Benson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The LEE pathogenicity island has been acquired on multiple occasions within the different lineages of

enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. In each lineage, LEE expression is regulated by complex networks of pathways, including core pathways shared by all lineages and lineage-specific pathways. Within the O157:H7 lineage of enterohemorrhagic E. coli, strain-to-strain variation in LEE expression has been observed, implying that expression patterns can diversify even within highly related subpopulations. Using comparative genomics of E. coli O157:H7 subpopulations, we have identified one source of strain-level variation affecting LEE expression. The variation occurs in prophage-dense regions of the genome that …

Pyramidobacter Piscolens Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov., A Member Of The Phylum ‘Synergistetes’ Isolated From The Human Oral Cavity, Julia Downes, Sonia R. Vartoukian, Floyd E. Dewhirst, Jacques Izard, Tsute Chen, Wen-Han Yu, Iain C. Sutcliffe, William G. Wade

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Four strains of anaerobic, gram-negative bacilli isolated from the human oral cavity were subjected to a comprehensive range of phenotypic and genotypic tests and were found to comprise a homogeneous group distinct from any species with validly published names. 16S rRNA and 23S rRNA gene sequence analyses and DNA–DNA reassociation data revealed that the strains constituted a novel group within the phylum ‘Synergistetes’ and were most closely related to Jonquetella anthropi. Two libraries of randomly cloned DNA were prepared from strain W5455T and were sequenced to provide a genome survey as a resource for metagenomic studies. A new genus …

Cryo-Electron Tomography Elucidates The Molecular Architecture Of Treponema Pallidum, The Syphilis Spirochete, Jacques Izard, Christian Renken, Chyong-Ere Hsieh, Daniel C. Desrosiers, Star Dunham-Ems, Carson La Vake, Linda L. Gebhardt, Ronald J. Limberger, David L. Cox, Michael Marko, Justin D. Radolf

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Cryo-electron tomography (CET) was used to examine the native cellular organization of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete. T. pallidum cells appeared to form flat waves, did not contain an outer coat and, except for bulges over the basal bodies and widening in the vicinity of flagellar filaments, displayed a uniform periplasmic space. Although the outer membrane (OM) generally was smooth in contour, OM extrusions and blebs frequently were observed, highlighting the structure’s fluidity and lack of attachment to underlying periplasmic constituents. Cytoplasmic filaments converged from their attachment points opposite the basal bodies to form arrays that ran roughly …

Unauthorized Immigration, Örn  B. Bodvarsson, Hendrik F. Van Den Berg

Department of Economics: Faculty Publications

One of the results of the clash between immigration policies and economic incentives is unauthorized immigration. There is no accurate data on unauthorized immigration, but estimates permit some empirical work. The motives for immigrants to enter the destination country without formal authorization are the same as those that lead immigrants to seek legal entry, and the static labor market model of immigration can be used to explain the flows of unauthorized immigrants. There are additional factors to consider, however. Unauthorized immigrants do not normally enjoy the same civil rights as legal immigrants, so the potential rewards from immigrating are …

Xenophobia: Understanding The Roots And Consequences Of Negative Attitudes Toward Immigrants, Oksana Yakushko

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current xenophobic cultural environment in the United States makes it imperative that psychologists understand the nature of xenophobia and recognize its consequences. This article explores sociological, social psychological, and multicultural research to examine the causes of negative attitudes toward immigrants. Xenophobia is presented as a concept descriptive of a socially observable phenomenon. Historical and contemporary expressions of xenophobia in the United States are examined and compared with cross-cultural scholarship on negative attitudes toward immigrants. Last, suggestions are provided for how counseling psychologists can integrate an understanding of xenophobia into their clinical practice, training, research, and public policy advocacy.

Alcohol Expectancies Among High School Students In Inner Mongolia, China, Duane F. Shell, Ian Newman, Ming Qu

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective — This study examines differences in Chinese high school students’ alcohol expectancies by drinking status (nondrinker, occasional drinker, regular drinker) and gender (male, female).
Method — The authors administered the Chinese Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (CAEQ) to a convenience sample of 1244 high school students (M = 627; F = 617) from schools in Hohhot City and Tongliao City in Inner Mongolia, China.
Results — Differences were found in the 8 CAEQ factors (3 negative and 5 positive factors). Regular drinkers had lower negative consequences and higher positive perception expectancies than nondrinkers or occasional drinkers. Nondrinkers had higher harm …

Teacher–Child Relationship Quality: The Roles Of Child Temperament And Teacher–Child Interactions, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Sara E. Rimm-Kaufman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Young children’s relationships with teachers predict social and academic success. This study examines contributions of child temperament (shyness, effortful control) and gender to teacher–child relationship quality both directly and indirectly through the frequency of teacher–child interactions in the classroom. Using an NICHD SECCYD sample of 819 first grade children, four findings emerged: (a) children’s shyness, effortful control, and gender contributed directly to teacher–child conflict and closeness; (b) children’s shyness contributed to the frequency of child-initiated teacher–child interactions, and children’s effortful control contributed to the frequency of teacher-initiated teacher–child interactions; (c) shyness related to teacher–child closeness indirectly through the frequency of …

Parent Involvement As A Predictor Of Teacher–Child Relationship Quality In Third Grade, Amanda J. Wyrick, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research Findings: Research on teacher–child relationships is important, as the quality of this relationship is linked to numerous child outcomes in the areas of academic and social functioning. In addition, parent involvement has been identified as a significant factor in the successful development of a child. This study attempted to join these two lines of research by assessing the extent to which teacher–child relationship quality varies as a function of parent involvement. We used a sample of 894 third-grade children, mothers, and teachers from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care. Regression …

Predatory Senescence In Ageing Wolves, Daniel R. Macnulty, Douglas W. Smith, John A. Vucetich, L. David Mech, Craig Packer

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to demonstrate that adult predatory performance declines with age and that an increasing ratio of senescent individuals in the wolf population depresses the rate of prey offtake. Because this ratio fluctuates independently of …

A Serological Survey Of Infectious Disease In Yellowstone National Park’S Canid Community, Emily S. Almberg, L. David Mech, Douglas W. Smith, Jennifer W. Sheldon, Robert L. Crabtree

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Background: Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) after a .70 year absence, and as part of recovery efforts, the population has been closely monitored. In 1999 and 2005, pup survival was significantly reduced, suggestive of disease outbreaks.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed sympatric wolf, coyote (Canis latrans), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) serologic data from YNP, spanning 1991–2007, to identify long-term patterns of pathogen exposure, identify associated risk factors, and examine evidence for disease-induced mortality among wolves for which there were survival data. We found high, constant exposure to canine …

Lidar Utility For Natural Resource Managers, Andrew T. Hudak, Jeffrey S. Evans, Alistair M.S. Smith

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

Applications of LiDAR remote sensing are exploding, while moving from the research to the operational realm. Increasingly, natural resource managers are recognizing the tremendous utility of LiDAR-derived information to make improved decisions. This review provides a cross-section of studies, many recent, that demonstrate the relevance of LiDAR across a suite of terrestrial natural resource disciplines including forestry, fire and fuels, ecology, wildlife, geology, geomorphology, and surface hydrology. We anticipate that interest in and reliance upon LiDAR for natural resource management, both alone and in concert with other remote sensing data, will continue to rapidly expand for the foreseeable future.

Characterization Of A Monothiol Glutaredoxin Encoded By Chlorella Virus Pbcv-1, Lisa A. Fitzgerald, Yuanzheng Zhang, Gentry L. Lewis, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Annotation of the 330-kb Chlorella virus PBCV-1 genome identified a 237 nucleotide gene (a438l) that codes for a protein with ~35% amino acid identity to glutaredoxins (Grx) found in other organisms. The PBCV-1 protein resembles classical Grxs in both size (9 kDa) and location of the active site (N-terminus). However, the PBCV-1 Grx is unusual because it contains a monothiol active site (CPYS) rather than the typical dithiol active site (CPYC). To examine this unique active site, four sitespecific mutants (CPYC, CPYA, SPYC, and SPYS) were constructed to determine if the N-terminal cysteine is necessary for enzyme activity. …

Type I Interferons And Interferon Regulatory Factors Regulate Tnf-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (Trail) In Hiv-1-Infected Macrophages, Yunlong Huang, Angelique Walstrom, Luwen Zhang, Yong Zhao, Min Cui, Ling Ye, Jialin C. Zheng

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the TNF family that participates in HIV-1 pathogenesis through the depletion of CD4+ T cells. TRAIL is expressed on the cell membrane of peripheral immune cells and can be cleaved into a soluble, secreted form. The regulation of TRAIL in macrophages during HIV-1 infection is not completely understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanism(s) of TRAIL expression in HIV-1-infected macrophages, an important cell type in HIV-1 pathogenesis. A human monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) culture system was infected with macrophage-tropic HIV-1ADA, HIV-1JR-FL, or HIV-1BAL strains. TRAIL, predominantly the …

Human Ubc9 Contributes To Production Of Fully Infectious Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Virions, Tareq Jaber, Christopher R. Bohl, Gentry L. Lewis, Charles Wood, John T. West Jr., Robert A. Weldon Jr.

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Ubc9 was identified as a cellular protein that interacts with the Gag protein of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus. We show here that Ubc9 also interacts with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protein and that their interaction is important for virus replication. Gag was found to colocalize with Ubc9 predominantly at perinuclear puncta. While cells in which Ubc9 expression was suppressed with RNA interference produced normal numbers of virions, these particles were 8- to 10-fold less infectious than those produced in the presence of Ubc9. The nature of this defect was assayed for dependence on Ubc9 during viral assembly, …

Expression Of Hpv16 E5 Produces Enlarged Nuclei And Polyploidy Through Endoreplication, Lulin Hu, Tamara A. Potapova, Shibo Li, Susannah Rankin, Gary J. Gorbsky, Peter C. Angeletti, Brian P. Ceresa

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Anogenital cancers and head and neck cancers are causally-associated with infection by high-risk

human papillomavirus (HPV). The mechanism by which high-risk HPVs contribute to

oncogenesis is poorly understood. HPV16 encodes three genes (HPV16 E5, E6, and E7) that can

transform cells when expressed independently. HPV16 E6 and E7 have well-described roles

causing genomic instability and unregulated cell cycle progression. The role of HPV16 E5 in cell

transformation remains to be elucidated. Expression of HPV16 E5 results in enlarged, polyploid

nuclei that are dependent on the level and duration of HPV16 E5 expression. Live-cell imaging

data indicate these changes do not …