Digital Commons Network^™

Adaptive Resource Management And The Value Of Information, Byron K. Williams, Mitchell J. Eaton, David R. Breininger

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The value of information is a general and broadly applicable concept that has been used for several decades to aid in making decisions in the face of uncertainty. Yet there are relatively few examples of its use in ecology and natural resources management, and almost none that are framed in terms of the future impacts of management decisions. In this paper we discuss the value of information in a context of adaptive management, in which actions are taken sequentially over a time frame and both future resource conditions and residual uncertainties about resource responses are taken into account. Our objective …

Risk Mapping For Sensitive Species To Underwater Anthropogenic Sound Emissions: Model Development And Validation In Two Mediterranean Areas, Arianna Azzellino, C. Lanfredi, A. D’Amico, G. Pavan, M. Podestà, J. Haun

United States Navy: Publications

Recent observations of cetacean mass strandings, coincident with anthropogenic sounds emissions, have raised concerns on the potential environmental impact of underwater noise. Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) was reported in all the cited stranding events. Within the NATO Marine Mammal Risk Mitigation project (MMRM), multiple interdisciplinary sea trials have been conducted in the Mediterranean Sea with the objective of developing tools and procedures to mitigate the impact of underwater sound emissions. During these cruises, visual observations, passive acoustic detections and environmental data were collected. The aim of this study was to evaluate ‘‘a priori’’ predictions of …

Virus Isolations And High Population Density Implicate Culex Antennatus (Becker) (Diptera: Culicidae) As A Vector Of Rift Valley Fever Virus During An Outbreak In The Nile Delta Of Egypt, Hanafi A. Hanafi, David J. Fryauff, Magdi D. Saad, Atef K. Soliman, Emad W. Mohareb, Iman Medhat, Abdel Basset Zayed, Daniel E. Szumlas, Kenneth C. Earhart

United States Navy: Publications

In June, 2003, Egypt’s hospital-based electronic disease surveillance system began to record increased cases of acute febrile illness from governorates in the Nile Delta. In response to a request for assistance from the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3) provided assistance in identifying the cause and extent of this outbreak. Testing of human clinical samples (n = 375) from nine governorates in Egypt identified 29 cases of RVF viremia that spanned the period of June to October, and a particular focus of disease in Kafr el …

Delineation Of Two Clinically And Molecularly Distinct Subgroups Of Posterior Fossa Ependymoma, Hendrik Witt, Stephen C. Mack, Marina Ryzhova, Sebastian Bender, Martin Sill, Ruth Isserlin, Axel Benner, Thomas Hielscher, Till Milde, Marc Remke, David T. W. Jones, Paul A. Northcott, Livia Garzia, Kelsey C. Bertrand, Andrea Wittmann, Yuan Yao, Stephen S. Roberts, Luca Massimi, Tim Van Meter, William A. Weiss, Nalin Gupta, Wiesia Grajkowska, Boleslaw Lach, Yoon-Jae Cho, Andreas Von Deimling, Andreas E. Kulozik, Olaf Witt, Gary D. Bader, Cynthia E. Hawkins, Uri Tabori, Abhijit Guha, James T. Rutka, Peter Lichter, Andrey Korshunov, Michael D. Taylor, Stefan M. Pfister

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Despite the histological similarity of ependymomas from throughout the neuroaxis, the disease likely comprises multiple independent entities, each with a distinct molecular pathogenesis. Transcriptional profiling of two large independent cohorts of ependymoma reveals the existence of two demographically, transcriptionally, genetically, and clinically distinct groups of posterior fossa (PF) ependymomas. Group A patients are younger, have laterally located tumors with a balanced genome, and are much more likely to exhibit recurrence, metastasis at recurrence, and death compared with Group B patients. Identification and optimization of immunohistochemical (IHC) markers for PF ependymoma subgroups allowed validation of our findings on a third independent …

Protein Kinase C Mediates Peroxynitrite Toxicity To Oligodendrocytes, Shihe Li, Wen Lin, Flaubert Tchantchou, Ruby Lai, Jie Wen, Yumin Zhang

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Peroxynitrite has been suggested to be the potent oxidant causing toxicity to neurons and oligodendrocytes (OLs). Our previous studies have illustrated that intracellular zinc liberation contributes to peroxynitrite toxicity to mature OLs. In this study, we further investigated the signaling pathways involved in this event and identified protein kinase C (PKC) as an important early signaling molecule. We found that a non-selective PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide-1 blocked OL toxicity induced by a peroxynitrite generator SIN-1 and exogenous zinc. The protective effects were due to its inhibition on ERK1/2 phosphorylation and ROS generation. The same phenomenon was also observed in OLs following …

Anxiety Phenotype In Mice That Overexpress Protein Kinase A, Margaret F. Keil, George Briassoulis, Nirmal Gokarn, Maria Nesterova, T. John Wu, Constantine A. Stratakis

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) signaling in the molecular pathways involved in fear and memory is well established. Prior studies in our lab reported that transgenic mice with an inactivating mutation in Prkar1a gene (codes for the 1-alpha regulatory subunit (R1α) of PKA) exhibited behavioral abnormalities including anxiety and depression. In the present study, we examined the role of altered PKA signaling on anxiety-like behaviors in Prkar1a^+/- mice compared to wild-type (WT) littermates. The elevated plus maze (EPM) and marble bury (MB) tests were used to assess anxiety-like behavior. The hotplate test was performed to …

Endovascular Balloon Occlusion Of The Aorta Is Superior To Resuscitative Thoracotomy With Aortic Clamping In A Porcine Model Of Hemorrhagic Shock, Joseph M. White, Jeremy W. Cannon, Adam Stannard, Nickolay P. Markov, Jerry R. Spencer, Todd E. Rasmussen

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Background. Noncompressible torso hemorrhage is the leading cause of potentially preventable death on the modern battlefield. The objective of this study is to characterize resuscitative aortic balloon occlusion (BO) compared to thoracotomy with aortic clamping in a model of hemorrhagic shock.

Methods. A total of 18 swine (3 groups; 6 animals/group) were used in this study. Swine in class IV shock underwent no aortic occlusion (NO), thoracotomy and clamp occlusion (CO), or endovascular BO. Animals in the NO group underwent direct placement of a temporary vascular shunt (TVS) at the injury site, whereas animals in the CO and BO groups …

Schistosoma Comparative Genomics: Integrating Genome Structure, Parasite Biology And Anthelmintic Discovery, Martin T. Swain, Denis M. Larkin, Conor R. Caffrey, Stephen J. Davies, Alex Loukas, Patrick J. Skelly, Karl F. Hoffmann

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Schistosoma genomes provide a comprehensive resource for identifying the molecular processes that shape parasite evolution and for discovering novel chemotherapeutic or immunoprophylactic targets. Here, we demonstrate how intragenus and intergenus comparative genomics can be used to drive these investigations forward, illustrate the advantages and limitations of these approaches and review how post-genomic technologies offer complementary strategies for genome characterisation. Although sequencing and functional characterisation of other schistosome/platyhelminth genomes continues to expedite anthelmintic discovery, we contend that future priorities should equally focus on improving assembly quality, and chromosomal assignment, of existing schistosome/platyhelminth genomes.

Giant Viruses, James L. Van Etten

James Van Etten Publications

The common view of viruses, mostly true, is of tiny burglars that sneak into cells, grab the biosynthetic controls and compel the cell to make huge numbers of progeny that break out of the cell and keep the replication cycle going. Viruses are supposed to be diminutive even compared to cells that are just a micrometer (1,000 nanometers) in diameter. They are supposed to travel light, making do with just a few well-adapted genes.

In 1992, a new microorganism was isolated from a power-plant cooling tower in Bradford, England, where Timothy Robotham, a microbiologist at Leeds Public Health Laboratory, was …

Tca Cycle Inactivation In Staphylococcus Aureus Alters Nitric Oxide Production In Raw 264.7 Cells, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Donald J. Gardner, James M. Musser, David J. Steffen, Greg A. Somerville, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Inactivation of the Staphylococcus aureus tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle delays the resolution of cutaneous ulcers in a mouse soft tissue infection model. In this study, it was observed that cutaneous lesions in mice infected with wild-type or isogenic aconitase mutant S. aureus strains contained comparable inflammatory infiltrates, suggesting the delayed resolution was independent of the recruitment of immune cells. These observations led us to hypothesize that staphylococcal metabolism can modulate the host immune response. Using an in vitro model system involving RAW 264.7 cells, the authors observed that cells cultured with S. aureus aconitase mutant strains produced significantly lower amounts …

Mir-27b*, An Oxidative Stress-Responsive Microrna Modulates Nuclear Factor-Kb Pathway In Raw 264.7 Cells, Sivasubramani Thulasingam, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Arunakumar Gangaplara, Hongjiu Dai, Shahlo Yarbaeva, Sakthivel Subramaniam, Jean-Jack Riethoven, James Eudy, Marjorie F. Lou, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in macrophages is critical for microbial killing, but they also take part in inflammation and antigen presentation functions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous regulators of gene expression, and they can control immune responses. To dissect the complex nature of ROS-mediated effects in macrophages, we sought to characterize miRNAs that are responsive to oxidative stress-induced with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the mouse macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7. We have identified a set of unique miRNAs that are differentially expressed in response to H₂O₂. These include miR-27a*, miR-27b*, miR-29b*, miR-24-2*, …

Now & Then (Volume 26, Issue 02, 2011), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 26, Issue 02, published in 2010. The theme of this issue is Getting Around Appalachia. This issue examines the many ways people navigate Appalachian terrain, history, and daily life, highlighting the ingenuity required to move through a mountainous landscape. Articles explore transportation ranging from historic inclines, trucks, and family vehicles to footbridges, rivers, and modern zip lines, alongside personal journeys and the cultural meanings attached to travel and mobility. Through essays, poetry, photography, and reviews, the issue portrays "getting around" as both a practical necessity and a defining aspect of Appalachian experience, …

Investigations Of Transcript Expression In Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas) Brain Tissue Reveal Toxicological Impacts Of Rdx Exposure, Kurt A. Gust, Mitchell S. Wilbanks, Xin Guan, Mehdi Pirooznia, Tanwir Habib, Leslie Yoo, Henri Wintz, Chris D. Vulpe, Edward J. Perkins

United States Army: Publications

Production, usage and disposal of the munitions constituent (MC) cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) has led to environmental releases on  military facilities. The chemical attributes of RDX are conducive for leaching to surface water which may put aquatic organisms at risk of exposure. Because RDX has been observed to cause aberrant neuromuscular effects across a wide range of animal phyla, we assessed the effects of RDX on central nervous system (CNS) functions in the representative aquatic ecotoxicological model species, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). We developed a fathead minnow brain-tissue cDNA library enriched for transcripts differentially expressed in response to RDX and …

Antimicrobial Decapeptide Ksl-W Attenuates Candida Albicans Virulence By Modulating Its Effects On Toll-Like Receptor, Human Β-Defensin, And Cytokine Expression By Engineered Human Oral Mucosa, A. Semlali, K. P. Leung, S. Curt, M. Rouabhia

United States Army: Publications

We investigated the toxicity of synthetic antimicrobial decapeptide KSL-W on normal human gingival epithelial cell cultures, its effect on Candida albicans adhesion and growth, and the activation of epithelial cell innate immunity. Our results indicate that KSL-W had no toxic effect on cell adhesion or growth, suggesting its safe use with human cells. Pre-treating C. albicans with KSL-W attenuated the yeast’s virulence as demonstrated by its reduced adhesion and growth on engineered human oral mucosa epithelium and the subsequent decreased expression of some innate defense molecules by targeted epithelial cells. Indeed, the expression of Toll-like receptors and human β-defensins was …

Protective Efficacy Of Catalytic Bioscavenger, Paraoxonase 1 Against Sarin And Soman Exposure In Guinea Pigs, Manojkumar Valiyaveettil, Yonas Alamneh, Peter Rezk, Lionel Biggemann, Michael W. Perkins, Alfred M. Sciuto, Bhupendra P. Doctor, Madhusoodana P. Nambiar

United States Army: Publications

Human paraoxonase 1 (PON1) has been portrayed as a catalytic bioscavenger which can hydrolyze large amounts of chemical warfare nerve agents (CWNAs) and organophosphate (OP) pesticides compared to the stoichiometric bioscavengers such as butyrylcholinesterase. We evaluated the protective efficacy of purified human and rabbit serum PON1 against nerve agents sarin and soman in guinea pigs. Catalytically active PON1 purified from human and rabbit serum was intravenously injected to guinea pigs, which were 30 min later exposed to 1.2 × LCt₅₀ sarin or soman using a microinstillation inhalation exposure technology. Pre-treatment with 5 units of purified human and rabbit serum …

University Of Nebraska- Lincoln: Fact Book 2010-2011

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Administration: Reports, Papers, Publications, and Presentations

Fact Book Table of Contents

General Information

UNL Core Values ....................................................................... 4

The Role of UNL ................................................................................ 5

The Missions of UNL .................................................................................... 5

Institutional & Professional Accreditations ....................................................... 8

UNL Administrative Organization Chart ........................................................... 11

Student Credit Hours (SCH)

Total SCH: Fall Semester Since 1979 ............................................................. 12

SSH by College and Student Level, Fall & Spring Semester - 5 Year Trend ........ 13

SCH by College and Student Level, Fall Semester - 5 Year Trend.................... 14

SCH by College and Student Level, Spring Semester - 5 Year Trend ................. 15

Summer Sessions and Summer Sessions Student Credit Hours ....................... …

Now & Then (Volume 27, Issue 01, 2011), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 27, Issue 01, published in 2011. The theme of this issue is Greening of Appalachia. This issue explores environmental awareness, sustainability, and renewal in Appalachia, emphasizing both contemporary initiatives and longstanding regional traditions of living close to the land. Articles examine conservation efforts, ecological restoration, green building, herbal knowledge, local agriculture, and the environmental health challenges facing mountain communities, alongside personal reflections on nature and memory. Through essays, poetry, and reviews, the issue presents "greening" as both a modern movement and a continuation of practices deeply rooted in Appalachian culture, highlighting the …

Complex Engineering System Learning Through Study Of Engineering Failure Cases Using 3d Animations, Zhigang Shen, Yimin Zhu

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Faculty Publications

Complex engineering systems often require dynamic coordination of multidisciplinary teams with conflicting objectives. Failing to understand the complex relationships among the conflicting objectives may result in serious engineering failures. In engineering education, one of the challenges in teaching complex systems is the lack of effective tools to demonstrate system dynamics, especially spatial-temporal relationships in the system. The described project in this paper is supported by grants from Engineering Education program of the National Science Foundation. In the project civil/construction engineering cases are used as the context to test the proposed new teaching/learning tool on the subject and to demonstrate the …

Lysine Requirement For Barrows Fed Ractopamine, Justin W. Bundy, Philip S. Miller, Roman Moreno, Thomas E. Burkey, Erin Hinkle, Huyen Tran

Nebraska Swine Reports

A total of 36 individually penned barrows (initial weight = 176 lb) were used in an experiment conducted to determine the lysine requirement for barrows fed ractopamine during the last 85 lb of the fi nishing phase. There were six dietary treatments that were corn-soybean meal-based with additional crystalline amino acid supplementation. Pigs were assigned to one of six dietary treatments for the duration of the experiment. Treatments included lysine concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1.3% total lysine. Dietary treatment significantly affected average daily gain and feed efficiency. The total lysine requirement was estimated to be 0.76%. These results indicate …

An Economic Analysis Of Energy Restriction During Pre-Pubescence In Gilts, Justin Cech, Darrell Mark, Rodger Johnson, Philip S. Miller

Nebraska Swine Reports

This report evaluates the economic costs of production and profits for energy-restricted and conventional gilt development programs. Production and performance data and input and output prices were used to construct enterprise budgets for both groups. Results indicate that restricting feed intake during gilt development lowered breakeven selling prices for market pigs by an average of $0.17/cwt for two prolific maternal lines through their first four parities.

Effect Of Dam Parity On Progeny Gastrointestinal Microbiota, Erin E. Hinkle, Huyen Tran, Justin W. Bundy, Roman Moreno, Matthew Anderson, Jeffrey Perkins, Duane Reese, Phillip Miller, Jens Walter, Thomas E. Burkey

Nebraska Swine Reports

Litter performance, progeny growth performance, and progeny health status may be affected by dam parity. The objective of the current experiment was to evaluate gastrointestinal microflora, as a measure of gut health, in progeny derived from first parity (P1) compared to fourth parity (P4) dams. Fecal samples were collected from the progeny (n = 6 pigs/litter) of P1 and P4 dams (n = 4 from each parity, P1 and P4) on days 1, 7, and 14 following parturition. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was utilized to characterize gastrointestinal microbial populations and to calculate similarity and diversity indices. The similarity index represents …

Effect Of Dna Markers In Nebraska Selection Lines, Rodger Johnson

Nebraska Swine Reports

DNA from 57 generation-28 boars that had sired progeny in the NE selection and control lines was submitted to GeneSeek Inc., where genotypes for eight Single Nucleotide Polymorphic Markers (SNPs) affecting economic traits in pigs were determined. Three markers are reported to be associated with growth and composition of growth, three with meat quality, and two with number of live pigs per litter. Frequencies of marker alleles were estimated in two selection lines and in their respective controls to determine whether selection had increased the frequencies of alleles associated with increased performance. Relationships of boar marker genotype with growth, backfat, …

Production Through Four Parities Of Prolific Females Developed With And Without Energy Restriction, Rodger Johnson, Philip S. Miller, Roman Moreno, Matthew Anderson, Jeffrey Perkins, Donald Mcclure, Thomas Mcgargill, Arlan A. Kettelhake, James E. Spath

Nebraska Swine Reports

This experiment evaluated the effects of developing gilts with ad libitum access to feed to breeding age (226 days) or feed intake restriction from 123 to 226 days of age. Gilts were managed in groups of 10 per pen. Those in the restricted group were fed two meals per day so that energy intake was 75% of that of the ad libitum group. Protein, vitamins , and minerals in their diet were increased so that daily intake of these nutrients was not restricted. A total of 661 gilts of two genetic lines that differed in reproductive rate and in lean …

The Effect Of Corn Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles (Ddgs) On Carcass Quality, Color Stability, And Sensory Characteristics Of Pork, Roman Moreno, Phillip Miller, Thomas E. Burkey, Steven J. Jones, Susan Cuppett, Timothy Carr, Tommi Jones, Ruth Diedrichsen

Nebraska Swine Reports

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding 0, 5, 10, or 15% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on carcass quality, color stability, and sensory characteristics of the longissimus muscle (LM) of finishing pigs. Two hundred forty pigs (61.7 lb) were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with varying concentrations of DDGS (0, 5, 10, and 15%). Live weight, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage did not change in response to increased dietary DDGS (P = 0.491, 0.807, 0.316, respectively). After 7 days of retail display, yellowness changed due to DDGS inclusion (P = 0.016). No …

Effects Of Distillers Grains With Solubles (Ddgs) And Paylean® Supplementation On Carcass Quality, Color Stability, And Sensory Characteristics Of Pork, Roman Moreno, Philip S. Miller, Thomas E. Burkey, Steven J. Jones, Susan Cuppett, Timothy Carr, Tommi Jones, Ruth Diedrichsen

Nebraska Swine Reports

Forty pigs (66.6 lb) were used in a 14-week 4-phase regime study conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding varying concentrations of DDGS to growing-finishing pigs formulated on a standardized ileal digestibility (SID) lysine (lys) basis, DDGS withdrawal at the last feeding phase, and ractopamine (RAC) supplementation 4 weeks prior to harvesting on carcass quality, and color stability and sensory characteristics of longissimus muscle (LM) of finishing pigs. Treatments consisted in 0, 15, or 40% dietary DDGS inclusion supplemented with or without RAC (4.5 ppm) 4 weeks prior harvesting. Final body weight, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage were not …

Explanation Of Statistics Used In This Report

Nebraska Swine Reports

Pigs treated alike vary in performance due to their different genetic makeup and to environmental effects we cannot completely control. When a group of pigs is randomly allotted to treatments it is nearly impossible to get an "equal" group of pigs on each treatment. The natural variability among pigs and the number of pigs per treatment determine the expected variation among treatment groups due to random sampling.

At the end of an experiment, the experimenter must decide whether observed treatment differences are due to "real' effects of the treatments or to random differences due to the sample of pigs assigned …

Effects Of Lactose And Co-Dried Milk-Yeast On Growth Performance And Gastrointestinal Health Of Nursery Pigs, Huyen Tran, Justin W. Bundy, Erin Hinkle, Roman Moreno, Jens Walter, Thomas E. Burkey, Philip S. Miller

Nebraska Swine Reports

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary lactose alone or in combination with dried milk-yeast product on growth performance, gastrointestinal microbiota, and immune parameters in weanling pigs. Pigs fed lactose and lactose with milk-yeast tended (P = 0.07) to have greater BW compared to control pigs (19.56 and 19.60 vs. 18.55 lb) at the end of phase 1 (week 1 to 2); however, no differences in BW were observed during phase 2 (week 3 to 4), phase 3 (week 5), or overall (week 1 to 5). With respect to growth performance, pigs fed lactose and lactose plus …

Effects Of Crystalline Lactose On Expression Of Sodium-Dependent Glucose Transporter (Sglt)-1 Mrna, Huyen Tran, Philip S. Miller, Thomas E. Burkey

Nebraska Swine Reports

A preliminary experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of crystalline lactose on the relative abundance of sodium-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT)-1 mRNA in vitro in model porcine jejunal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2). Cells were treated with low (28 mM) or high (56 mM) concentrations of lactose alone or in combination with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 ng/mL). Total RNA and culture media samples from both apical and basolateral compartments were harvested at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours following the addition of respective treatments. With respect to relative abundance of SGLT-1 mRNA, there were no interactions of lactose, LPS, and time; however, a …

2011 Nebraska Swine Report

Nebraska Swine Reports

2011 Nebraska Swine Report

Climate Change And Forest Diseases, R. N. Sturrock, S. J. Frankel, A. V. Brown, P. E. Hennon, J. T. Kliejunas, K. J. Lewis, J. J. Worrall, A. J. Woods

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

As climate changes, the effects of forest diseases on forest ecosystems will change. We review knowledge of relationships between climate variables and several forest diseases, as well as current evidence of how climate, host and pathogen interactions are responding or might respond to climate change. Many forests can be managed to both adapt to climate change and minimize the undesirable effects of expected increases in tree mortality. We discuss four types of forest and disease management tactics – monitoring, forecasting, planning and mitigation – and provide case studies of yellow-cedar decline and sudden aspen decline to illustrate how forest diseases …