Digital Commons Network^™

Nutrient Cycling In Soils: Sulfur, John L. Kovar, Cynthia A. Grant

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

Sulfur is an essential element required for normal plant growth, a fact that has been recognized since 1860 (Alway, 1940). It is considered a secondary macronutrient, following the primary macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but is needed by plants at levels comparable to P. Sulfur deficiency will impair basic plant metabolic functions, thus reducing both crop yield and quality. Deficiencies and responses to S amendments have been reported in crops worldwide (Tisdale et al., 1986; McGrath and Zhao, 1995; Scherer, 2001), and are becoming more common (Haneklaus et al., 2008). The likelihood of a response is determined by the balance …

Disease Management, Timothy C. Paulitz

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

Plants can be attacked by a variety of parasitic microorganisms, primarily fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and viruses. From 2001 to 2003, an average of 7% to 15% of the major world crops (wheat, rice, potato, maize, and soybean) were lost due to fungi and bacteria (Oerke, 2005). Along with weeds and insects, plant pathogens are the major biotic limitation to crop health and yield. Many of these pathogens are foliar and attack aboveground parts of plants, with inoculum spread by wind and rain. Examples are rust, powdery mildew, and foliar leaf pathogens such as the fungus Septoria. However, some of …

Regulatory Considerations Surrounding The Deployment Of Bt-Expressing Cowpea In Africa Report Of The Deliberations Of An Expert Panel, Joseph E. Huesing, Jörg Romeis, Norman C. Ellstrand, Alan Raybould, Richard L. Hellmich, Jeffrey D. Wolt, Jeffrey D. Ehlers, L. Clémentine Dabiré-Binso, Christian A. Fatokun, Karen E. Hokanson, Mohammad F. Ishiyaku, Venu M. Margam, Nompumelelo Obokoh, Jacob D. Mignouna, Francis Nang'ayo, Jeremy T. Ouedraogo, Rémy S. Pasquet, Barry R. Pittendrigh, Barbara A. Schaal, Jeff Stein, Manuele Tamò, Larry L. Murdock

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

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata ssp unguiculata) is adapted to the drier agro-ecological zones of West Africa where it is a major source of dietary protein and widely used as a fodder crop. Improving the productivity of cowpea can enhance food availability and security in West Africa. Insect predation—predominately from the legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata), flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti) and a complex of pod-sucking bugs (e.g., Clavigralla spp)—is a major yieldlimiting factor in West African cowpea production. Dramatic increases in yield are shown when M. vitrata is controlled with insecticides. However, availability, costs and safety …

Relationship Of Cooked-Rice Nutritionally Important Starch Fractions With Other Physicochemical Properties, James Patindol, Harmeet Guraya, Elaine Champagne, Ming-Hsuan Chen, Anna Mcclung

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

Sixteen rice cultivars representing five cytosine-thymine repeat (CT_n) microsatellite genetic marker groups were analyzed for their cooked rice nutritionally important starch fractions (NISFs, which include rapidly digestible (RDS), slowly digestible (SDS), and resistant starch (RS)), basic grain quality indices (apparent amylose (AM), crude protein (CP), alkali spreading value (AS), and gel consistency (GC)), pasting characteristics, and thermal properties. Chemometric tools (bivariate correlation, principal component analysis, multiple linear regression, and partial least squares regression) were used to establish the association of NISF with other milled rice physicochemical properties. CT₁₁ was generally associated with high percentages of RS and …

Regulatory Control Of High Levels Of Carotenoid Accumulation In Potato Tubers, Xiangjun Zhou, Ryan Mcquinn, Zhangjun Fei, Anne-Marie A. Wolters, Joyce Van Eck, Charles Brown, James J. Giovannoni, Li Li

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

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers contain a wide range of carotenoid contents. To decipher the key factors controlling carotenoid levels in tubers, four potato lines (Atlantic, Désirée, 91E22 and POR03) were examined by a combination of biochemical, molecular and genomics approaches. These lines contained incremental levels of carotenoids, which were found to be associated with enhanced capacity of carotenoid biosynthesis as evident from norflurazon treatment. Microarray analysis of high and low carotenoid lines (POR03 versus Atlantic) revealed 381 genes that showed significantly differential expression. The carotenoid metabolic pathway genes b-carotene hydroxylase 2 (BCH2) and b-carotene hydroxylase 1 (BCH1), along …

Invited Commentary: Dietary Pattern Analysis, Fumiaki Imamura, Paul F. Jaques

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

The analytic approaches used in nutritional epidemiology for dietary pattern analyses share common characteristics with those of genetic epidemiology. In this issue of the Journal, Gorst-Rasmussen et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2011;173(10):1097–1104) discuss one such approach. Application of methods used in genetic pattern analyses to nutritional epidemiology could prove valuable but raises important issues that need to be considered because dietary and genetic studies often address different types of questions in analyzing interrelated variables. These different aims require statistical methods that assume different characteristics of the underlying patterns. The authors briefly describe such differences to facilitate interpretation and …

26th Hohenheim Consensus Conference, September 11, 2010 Scientific Substantiation Of Health Claims: Evidence-Based Nutrition, Hans Konrad Biesalski, Peter J. Aggett, Robert Anton, Paul S. Bernstein, Jeffrey Blumberg, Robert P. Heaney, Jeya Henry, John M. Nolan, David P. Richardson, Ben Van Ommen, Renger F. Witkamp, Ger T. Rijkers, Iris Zöllner

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

Objective: The objective was to define the term evidence based nutrition on the basis of expert discussions and scientific evidence.

Methods and procedures: The method used is the established Hohenheim Consensus Conference. The term “Hohenheim Consensus Conference” defines conferences dealing with nutrition-related topics. The major aim of the conference is to review the state of the art of a given topic with experts from different areas (basic science, clinicians, epidemiologists, etc.). Based on eight to 12 questions, the experts discuss short answers and try to come to a consensus. A scientifically based text is formulated that justifies the …

Effect Of Maternal Restraint Stress During Gestation On Temporal Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroendocrine And Immune Responses Of Progeny, C.T. Collier, P.N. Williams, J.A. Carroll, T.H. Welsh Jr, J.C. Laurenz

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

The impact of gestational dam restraint stress on progeny immune and neuroendocrine temporal hormone responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge was assessed. Maternal stress (5-min snout snare restraint stress during days 84 to 112 of gestation) increased (P < 0.05) the magnitude of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-6, epinephrine (E), norepinephrine, and serum amyloid A (SAA) production following LPS infusion in the offspring. Moreover, these effects appear to be dependent on gender for TNF-α, E, and cortisol production. However, maternal stress did not affect (P < 0.05) the normalization of proinflammatory cytokines or neuroendocrine hormones produced following LPS. Collectively, these results indicate that maternal stress impacts aspects of the proinflammatory cytokine and stress hormone response in their progeny following LPS dosing of the offspring. This response is potentially responsible in part for the resultant changes to SAA production. Because several of the changes observed here are dependent on pig gender, these results are also the first evidence that inherent epigenetic factors coupled with maternal stress impact the cumulative response to stress and LPS in young pigs.

Influence Of Ensiling Time And Inoculation On Alteration Of The Starch-Protein Matrix In High-Moisture Corn, P. C. Hoffman, N. M. Esser, R. D. Shaver, W. K. Coblentz, M. P. Scott, A. L. Bodnar, R. J. Schmidt, R. C. Charley

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

The fates of hydrophobic zein proteins, which encapsulate corn starch to create vitreous endosperm, have not been investigated in high-moisture corn (HMC). To assess influences of ensiling time and inoculation on zein proteins in HMC, quadruplicate samples of 2 random corn hybrids (A and B), containing 25.7 and 29.3% moisture, were ground, inoculated with (I) or without 600,000 cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri 40788 (Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Milwaukee, WI), and ensiled for 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 d. Nutrient composition [crude protein (CP), starch, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber], fermentation (pH, lactate, and acetate), and protein degradation …

Changes In Mineral Concentrations And Phosphorus Profile During Dry-Grind Processing Of Corn Into Ethanol, Keshun Liu, Jianchun Han

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

For determining variation in mineral composition and phosphorus (P) profile among streams of dry-grind ethanol production, samples of ground corn, intermediate streams, and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) were obtained from three commercial plants. Most attributes (dry matter concentrations) increased significantly from corn to cooked slurry but fermentation caused most significant increase in all attributes. During centrifugation, more minerals went into thin stillage than wet grains, making minerals most concentrated in the former. Mineral increase in DDGS over corn was about 3 fold, except for Na, S, Ca, and Fe. The first three had much higher fold of increase, …

Oil Productivity And Composition Of Sunflower As A Function Of Hybrid And Planting Date, Valtcho D. Zheljazkov, Brady A. Vick, Brian S. Baldwin, Normie Buehring, Christine Coker, Tess Astatkie, Billy Johnson

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

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a potential cash crop for the southeastern United States for production of cooking oil or biodiesel. Two years (2006 and 2007) of experiments were conducted at each of five locations in Mississippi to evaluate the effect of planting date (April 20, May 20, and June 20), and hybrid (DKF3875, DKF2990, DKF3510, DKF3901, PR63M80, PR62A91, PR63A21, PR63M91, and PR64H41) on seed yield, oil content, and oil composition of sunflower. Seed oil concentration varied from 25 to 47%. The oleic acid concentration in the oil was greater than 85% for DKF3510 and PR64H41, above 65% for …

Alpine Russet: A Potato Cultivar Having Long Tuber Dormancy Making It Suitable For Processing From Long-Term Storage, Jonathan L. Whitworth, Richard G. Novy, Jeffrey C. Stark, Joseph J. Pavek, Dennis L. Corsini, Steven L. Love, Nora Olsen, Sanjay K. Gupta, Tina Brandt, M. Isabel Vales, Alvin R. Mosley, Solomon Yilma, Steve R. James, Dan C. Hane, Brian A. Charlton, Clinton C. Shock, N. Richard Knowles, Mark J. Pavek, Jeffrey S. Miller, Charles R. Brown

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

Abstract Alpine Russet is a later maturing, oblong-long, lightly russeted potato cultivar, notable for having tuber dormancy comparable to Russet Burbank. Processing quality of Alpine Russet from long-term storage is superior to Russet Burbank, with low percent reducing sugars and uniform fry color due to a low percentage difference of sugars between the bud and stem ends. Alpine Russet yields were comparable to Russet Burbank in early harvest trials and were comparable or significantly larger in late harvest trials depending on the location. At two late season locations, Alpine Russet had the largest total and percent No. 1 yields and …

The Synergies Between Tourism Expansion And Development An Analysis Of Economic Growth, Poverty And Human Development In Ecuador, Manuel Antonio Rivera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to answer the question of what has been the effect of tourism expansion and development in Ecuador. We attempt to analyze, both theoretically and empirically, the relationship between tourism and development. There have been an enormous number of studies explaining how tourism can affect the various dimensions of development. However, no research has been undertaken to simultaneously empirically examine the impact that changes in tourism expansion has on poverty, human development, and economic growth. To this end, we propose a cointergation methodology with an error correction model to estimate the impact of tourism expansion on poverty, human …

Adherence Practices Of Caucasian Women With Hypertension Residing In Rural Florida An Exploratory Study, Jeanne M. Hopple

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Elevated blood pressure is often a silent process affecting multiple organ systems. Risk for heart disease is associated with poorly treated or unrecognized hypertension that is more common among women than men. Non-adherence to prescribed treatment regimens has been identified as a major reason for inadequate hypertension management. This exploratory descriptive qualitative study using narrative inquiry investigated adherence practices among Caucasian women with diagnoses of hypertension from a rural area of Florida. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding from women who …

Differential Diagnoses Of Temporal Bone Defects And Zygomatic Bone Lesions Found In Fetal And Infant Individuals From The Kellis 2 Cemetery, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Brittany A. Jardine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Kellis 2 cemetery site within the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt provides a unique study opportunity due to the large number of infant, perinatal, and fetal individuals that have been recovered. Several of the infant and fetal remains have undiagnosed circular defects on the temporal bone, and others have undiagnosed lesions on the zygomatic bone. Of the 268 individuals under one year of age that have been analyzed from the Kellis 2 cemetery, twentysix individuals have the temporal bone defect and six have the zygomatic bone lesions. A survey of clinical and paleopathological research provided possible pathological conditions that could cause …

Three Essays On Applications Of Intrahousehold Resource Allocation Models, Santikorn Pamornpathomkul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three chapters on the topic of intrahousehold resource allocation models. The first chapter tests the unitary and general collective models of intrahousehold resource allocation for various household compositions. I find that, for the quasiquadratic Engel curve specification, the overall results support the previous findings in the literature that the unitary model fails to explain how resources are allocated for all household types. However, when using the QUAIDS specification, the results can reject the unitary model only for smaller-sized households. The general collective model, on the other hand, cannot be rejected in either quasi-quadratic or QUAIDS and …

American Beaver Foraging Ecology: Predation Avoidance, Diet, And Forage Availability, William J. Severud

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Physiological Responses To Double-Pole Ergometry: Standing Vs. Sitting, Jodi Lynn Tervo

All NMU Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Seasonal Changes And Turbidity On Swimming Performance In White Crappie Pomoxis Annularis And Black Crappie Pomoxis Nigromaculatus., Caleb Joseph Gaston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Factors that affect swimming performance in fish can also affect fitness. I tested the effects of time of day, season and turbidity on swimming performance in black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and white crappie Pomoxis annularis. These closely related fish co-occur and their relative abundance is thought to be governed by the levels of turbidity in the form of suspended sediments. Black crappie predominate in clear bodies of water and exhibited significantly greater critical swimming speeds in clear water than did white crappie during spring days and winter nights. A significant reduction in critical swimming speed was observed in black crappie …

Development And Evaluation Of Let's Eat Smart: A Pilot School-Based Nutrition Intervention For Elementry School Children In Kuwait, Sondos Ahmad Kalendar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to nutrition transition, the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing significantly worldwide especially in affluent developing countries such as Kuwait. Obesity is associated with adverse chronic health conditions and financial burdens which provides an incentive for prevention. The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a multi-component school-based nutrition intervention designed to improve healthy eating knowledge, attitudes, self efficacy and dietary behaviors among fourth and fifth graders in Kuwait. The Let's Eat Smart program was based on the social cognitive theory and used short interactive lessons, DVD sessions, posters, food models and parental letters to promote …

A Menu Analysis Of Sorority Meals At The University Of Mississippi, Jessica Lauren Moosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students transitioning to university life face numerous challenges including the problem of making healthy dietary choices. Sorority members are uniquely suited to examining dietary habits because of their access to regular planned meals and because of the social stresses they experience in regards to body image. Menus are not required to follow nutrient specific guidelines and the nutrient content of sorority meals has not been evaluated at the University of Mississippi. The purpose of this study is to analyze nutrient content of sorority meals and determine if members are able to obtain adequate amounts of nutrients from the foods offered. …

Professional Preparation Of Secondary Health Education Teachers In Mississippi, Ensley Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the professional preparation of secondary health education teachers in Mississippi. All four-year institutions of higher learning were contacted to determine the requirements for an approved program in order to obtain a supplemental endorsement in health, to compare the similarities and differences, and to determine the extent to which the approved programs reflect the ten content areas of the Mississippi Comprehensive Health Framework. This study also examined the status of secondary school health education programs in Mississippi by utilizing selected data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease …

Rodents And Other Vertebrate Invaders In The United States, Michael W. Fall, Michael L. Avery, Tyler A. Campbell, Peter J. Egan, Richard M. Engeman, David Pimentel, William C. Pitt, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Contents

Introduction

Assessing impacts of rodents and other vertebrate invaders

Accounts of some important vertebrate invaders
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Roof rat (Rattus rattus)
Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans)
House mouse (Mus Musculus)
Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Gambian giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)
Feral swine (Sus scofa)
Small Indian Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus)
Rock pigeon (Columba livia)
House sparrow (Passer domesticus)
European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)
Brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis)
Burmese python (Python …

Listening To The Voices Of Preschool Aged Children Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Approach, Maureen Turner

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory, three phase qualitative research project gives a voice to preschool aged children experiencing homelessness to identify the significant relationships in their lives. Goals of this research included the exploration of: the central relationships of children experiencing homelessness, who children identify as important people in those relationships, how they describe those relationships, and how those relationships were formed. This research approach utilized a community participatory model in which the children's mothers contributed to the direction of the research project through group interviews. Children were observed for four months and then interviewed while completing three activities. The results suggested three …

Citizen Journalism And Digital Voices: Instituting A Collaborative Process Between Global Youth, Technology And Media For Positive Social Change, Robin Worley

Theses and Dissertations

Millions of youths in developing countries are described by UNICEF as "invisible and excluded." They live at the margins of society, facing challenges to their daily existence, powerless to make positive changes. But the emergence of citizen journalism and digital storytelling may offer these youths a chance to share their voices and positively impact their lives. The Internet and mobile devices have allowed ordinary citizens to become citizen journalists by sharing news when and where it happens with a global audience. Digital storytelling is also growing as a means of sharing one's personal story with a larger audience than ever …

Assessing The Impacts Of A Leadership Development Program On Skill Development And Organizational Performance, Gina Paone

Theses and Dissertations

The quality of an organization's leaders substantially influences organizational effectiveness (Bass, 1990. One way organizations seek to enhance the quality of their leaders is to conduct leadership development training. However, training and development does not automatically produce results (Cook, 2006). Too many organizations conduct training based on the implicit belief that it is beneficial, rather than upon quantifiable evidence. It is important to evaluate what tangible benefits actually can be associated with the training. This study assessed the impact of a leadership development program on one multinational organization, particularly as it concerned skill development and organizational outcomes. This study used …

Does Marketing Have An Image Problem? An Empirical Study In To The Opinion Of Marketing From The Perspective Of Business And Consumers., Tony Ferguson

Theses

In the 50 year period since the marketing concept was first introduced to business strategy, we have witnessed a shift from the post-World War 2 austerity of supply shortages, to a modern day consumerist society, where maturing markets and an excess supply of goods and services pose serious challenges, in a highly competitive business environment. As competition has intensified, businesses have endeavoured to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Billions of dollars have been invested in research to gain an insight in to what motivates a highly sophisticated and increasingly cynical consumer. These challenges have been exacerbated since 2008, by the …

Characterisation Of Bacterial Extracellular Polysaccharides (Eps) And Other Complex Carbohydrates With Prebiotic Potential, Padraigin Murphy

Theses

Prebiotics are selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microbiota that confers benefits upon host well-being and health’ It is not the prebiotic by itself but rather the changes induced in microflora composition that is responsible for its effects. Several sources of prebiotic were used in this study, namely extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) originating from Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), barley, oat. Laminaria digitata. Laminaria hyperborea and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. EPS-producing LAB were isolated from a wide variety of environmental and gastrointestinal niches. The strains were typed and classified according to their EPS-producing ability …

The Exploitation Of Bacteriophages For The Biocontrol Of Spoilage And Pathogenic Bacteria Including Mrsa, David Kelly

Theses

This thesis describes the successful isolation and characterisation of novel phages with applications in the medical/veterinary sector and also in the food and beverage industry. This thesis begins with a comprehensive literature review on the biocontrol applications of phages which will appear as a book chapter in “Phage therapy; Current research and applications” edited by Andrzej Gorski in the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental therapy, Wroclaw, Poland.

Chapters 2 to 5 encompass the technical part of the thesis work, which begins with the isolation and characterization of phages of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus which cause spoilage in the brewing industry'. …

Education And Economy: The Impact Of Investment In Human Capital Through Education On Unemployment, Zafer Pirim

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The impact of investment in human capital on economy has always been discussed in the literature. Existing studies in the literature generally focus on short term impacts of investment in human capital. While some studies see significant impact, some other ones see little or no impact. This study manipulated data that was cover a long span of time, a 25-year period. In this study the researcher inquired whether there is a significant correlation between education and economy in terms of the impacts of investment in human capital on unemployment over a long span of time. In this empirical study panel …