Digital Commons Network^™

The Status Of Canada Goose Branta Canadensis Subspecies In Greenland, Anthony D. Fox, David Sinnett, John A. Baroch, David A. Stroud, Kaj Kampp, Carsten Egevang, David Boertmann

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Three subspecies of the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis interior, B.c. parvipes and B.c. hutchinsii) have been reported from Greenland, where the species has increased dramatically as a breeding and summering bird in the last 30 years. We report results of catch data, new observations, re-examination of archive photographs and museum specimens that show the subspecies interior is the most common and widespread subspecies, which has been present in West Greenland since at least 1864 (predating the previous earliest record from 1976). Re-measurement of museum skins confirmed that all specimens of parvipes relate to individuals of the interior type, …

Mucosal Adjuvants To Improve Wildlife Rabies Vaccination, Tricia Fry, Kaci K. Vandalen, Jerome Hurley, Paul Nash

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

RABORAL V-RGH^®a is a recombinant vaccine used in oral rabies vaccination (ORV) programs for wildlife in the United States. Vaccination rates for raccoons are substantially lower than vaccination rates for gray foxes and coyotes. Research suggests that the low viscosity of the oral vaccine may preclude animals from receiving an effective dose when biting into the vaccine bait delivery system. We evaluated the possibility of using two benign compounds, chitosan and N,N,Ntrimethylated chitosan (TMC), to increase the viscosity of the vaccine and potentially act as adjuvants to improve the immune response in raccoons (Procyon lotor). Forty mildly …

Evaluation Of Elevated Bait Trays For Attracting Blackbirds (Icteridae) In Central North Dakota, George M. Linz, Jamison B. Winter, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) became an economically important crop in North Dakota in the 1970s, providing a major source of food for post-breeding blackbirds (Icteridae). Reducing local blackbird populations with rice grains treated with an avicide is one proposed alternative for reducing sunflower damage. In fall 2007 and 2008, we evaluated the idea of attracting blackbirds to rice-baited trays attached to wire cages supplied with live blackbirds. During our observations (1011 h), we saw 3888 birds, consisting of 25 species and 12 families, on the bait trays. Blackbirds made up 90.4% of the bird observations, whereas sparrows (Emberizidae) made …

Long-Term Effects Of Immunocontraception On Wild Boar Fertility, Physiology And Behaviour, Giovanna Massei, Dave P. Cowan, Julia Coats, Fiona Bellamy, Roger Quy, Stéphane Pietravalle, Matthew Brash, Lowell A. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Fertility control appears as a publicly acceptable alternative to lethal methods for limiting population growth in wildlife. Recently developed single-dose immune-contraceptive vaccines have induced infertility in several mammals. However, the potential side-effects and the long-term effectiveness of these contraceptives have been poorly investigated.

Aims. We tested the long-term effectiveness and potential side-effects of the single-dose gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine GonaCon™ on captive female wild boar.

Methods. We carried out two sequential trials: Trial 1 (n = 6 GonaCon™-treated and 6 control wild boar) and Trial 2 which started two years later and replicated Trial 1. We …

Quantification Of Heterosubtypic Immunity Between Avian Influenza Subtypes H3n8 And H4n6 In Multiple Avian Host Species, Kim M. Pepin, Kaci K. Vandalen, N. L. Mooers, J. W. Ellis, H. J. Sullivan, J. Jeffrey Root, Colleen T. Webb, A. B. Franklin, Susan A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAIV) can lead to epizootics that cause economic losses in poultry or the emergence of human-infectious strains. LPAIVs experience a complex immunity landscape as they are endemic in numerous host species, and many antigenically distinct strains cocirculate. Prevention and control of emergence of detrimental strains requires an understanding of infection/transmission characteristics of the various subtypes in different hosts, including interactions between subtypes. In order to develop analytical frameworks for examining control efficacy, quantification of heterosubtypic immunity interactions is fundamental. However, these data are scarce, especially for wild avian subtypes in natural hosts. Consequently, in this study, …

Producer Survey Of Bird-Livestock Interactions In Commercial Dairies, Stephanie A. Shwiff, James C. Carlson, J. H. Glass, J. Suckow, Martin S. Lowney, K. M. Moxcey, Bruce Larson, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The objective of this producer survey was to identify and estimate damage caused by bird-livestock interactions in commercial dairies. The interactions between birds and livestock have previously been implicated in causing economic damage while contributing to the environmental dissemination of microorganisms pathogenic to livestock and humans. Very little research exists to help producers understand what bird species use dairies, why they use dairies, or the scope and nature of damage created as a result of bird-livestock interactions. To better characterize these interactions, we surveyed dairy operators within Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin. Survey results suggest that the most common and …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Rectal Mucosa Biopsy Testing For Chronic Wasting Disease Within White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Herds In North America: Effects Of Age, Sex, Polymorphism At Prnp Codon 96, And Disease Progression, Bruce V. Thomsen, David A. Schneider, Katherine I. O’Rourke, Thomas Gidlewski, James Mclane, Robert W. Allen, Alex A. Mcisaac, Gordon B. Mitchell, Delwyn P. Keane, Terry R. Spraker, Aru Balachandran

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An effective live animal diagnostic test is needed to assist in the control of chronic wasting disease (CWD), which has spread through captive and wild herds of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Canada and the United States. In the present study, the diagnostic accuracy of rectal mucosa biopsy sample testing was determined in white-tailed deer from 4 CWD-infected captive herds. Specifically, the current study compared the immunohistochemical detection of disease-associated prion protein in postmortem rectal mucosa biopsy samples to the CWD status of each deer as determined by immunodiagnostic evaluations of the brainstem at the obex, the medial …

The Introduction, Impacts, And Management Of A Large, Invasive, Aquatic Rodent In The United States, Gary W. Witmer, Trevor R. Sheffels, Stephen R. Kendrot

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Marshes, both tidal and non-tidal, are productive and complex ecosystems. The water in these systems ranges from fresh, to brackish, to saline as one moves from inland to coastal areas. Marshes are an interface between upland and aquatic habitats, and many biotic and abiotic processes lead to increased species richness and diversity (Gedan et al., 2009). Marshes provide many ecological services, including recharge and discharge of ground water; water quality control; retention, removal, and transformation of nutrients; habitats for many floral and faunal species; biomass production and exports; flood control and storm buffering; and stabilization of sediments and slowing …

Phytosanitary Irradiation For Export Of Fresh Produce: Commercial Adoption In Hawaii And Current Issues, P. A. Follett, Marissa M. Wall

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

Hawaii is a pioneer in the use of phytosanitary irradiation. Irradiation is an approved treatment to control quarantine insect pests in 17 fruits and 7 vegetables for export from Hawaii to the US mainland. The commercial X-ray irradiation facility, Hawaii Pride LLC, has been shipping tropical fruits and vegetables to the US mainland using irradiation since 2000. Hawaiian purple sweet potato is the highest volume product with annual exports of more than 12 million lbs (5,500 tonnes). The advent of generic radiation treatments for tephritid fruit flies (150 Gy) and other insects (400 Gy) has accelerated commodity export approvals and …

Opportunities For Improving Risk Communication During The Permitting Process For Entomophagous Biological Control Agents: A Review Of Current Systems, Oulimathe Paraiso, M. Kairo, N. C. Leppla, J. P. Cuda, M. Owens, M. T. Olexa, S. D. Hight

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

Concerns about potentially irreversible non-target impacts from the importation and release of entomophagous biological control agents (BCAs) have resulted in increasingly stringent national import requirements by National Plant Protection Organizations worldwide. However, there is a divergence of opinions among regulators, researchers, environmentalists, and the general public on ways to appropriately manage associated risks. Implementation of a comprehensive and effective risk communication process might narrow the opinion gaps. Results from a comprehensive survey conducted in the United States were used to describe communication habits of stakeholders involved in biological control and identify areas that are fundamental in an efficient process. In …

Well-Managed Grazing Systems: A Forgotten Hero Of Conservation, Alan J. Franzluebbers, Laura K. Paine, Jonathan R. Winsten, Margaret Krome, Matt A. Sanderson, Kevin Ogles, Dennis Thompson

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

Ecologically sound grazing management is an underused and underappreciated conservation tool in the eastern United States. We contend that significant policy and educational barriers stand in the way of expanding the use of this conservation tool. Well-managed pasture systems combine vigorous perennial vegetation cover, reduced pesticide and fertilizer inputs, and lower costs of production using ecological approaches to generate ecosystem services for society, as well as economic sustainability for the producer. The majority of currently available conservation policy tools were designed to address either rangeland grazing situations in the western United States or conservation cropping in the eastern United States. …

Phylogenomic And Functional Domain Analysis Of Polyketide Synthases In Fusarium, Daren W. Brown, Robert A. E. Butchko, Scott E. Baker, Robert A. Proctor

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

Fusarium species are ubiquitous in nature, cause a range of plant diseases, and produce a variety of chemicals often referred to as secondary metabolites. Although some fungal secondary metabolites affect plant growth or protect plants from other fungi and bacteria, their presence in grain-based food and feed is more often associated with a variety of diseases in plants and in animals. Many of these structurally diverse metabolites are derived from a family of related enzymes called polyketide synthases (PKSs). A search of genomic sequence of Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium solani identified a total of 58 …

A National Survey Of Managed Honey Bee 2010-11 Winter Colony Losses In The Usa: Results From The Bee Informed Partnership, Dennis Vanengelsdorp, Dewey Caron, Jerry Hayes, Robyn Underwood, Mark Henson, Karen Rennich, Angela Spleen, Michael Andree, Robert Snyder, Kathleen Lee, Karen Roccasecca, Michael Wilson, James Wilkes, Eugene Lengerich, Jeffrey S. Pettis

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

This study records the fifth consecutive year that winter losses of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in the USA have been around 30%. In April 2011, a total of 5,441 US beekeepers (an estimated 11% of total US beekeepers) responded to a survey conducted by the Bee Informed Partnership. Survey respondents reported that they had lost an average of 38.4% of their colonies, for a total US colony loss of 29.9% over the winter of 2010-11. One-third of respondents (all classified as backyard beekeepers, i.e. keeping fewer than 50 colonies) reported no winter loss. There was considerable variation …

Induction Of Reproductive Diapause In Habrobracon Hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) When Reared At Different Photoperiods At Low Temperatures, Haoliang Chen, Hongyu Zhang, Kun Yan Zhu, James E. Throne

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

Development of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) at low temperatures was determined to identify rearing conditions that might result in adults that were in reproductive diapause. Diapausing adults would be expected to survive cold storage longer than nondiapausing adults for use in biological control programs. Only a few eggs were found in the ovaries when H. hebetor females were reared during the immature stages at 17.5 and 20°C with a 16-h photoperiod, and the ovaries were poorly developed and contained no eggs when females were reared with a 10-h photoperiod in these low temperatures. Rearing H. hebetor at …

Methane And Carbon Dioxide Production From Simulated Anaerobic Degradation Of Cattle Carcasses, Qi Yuan, Samuel Saunders, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Approximately 2.2 million cattle carcasses require disposal annually in the United States. Land burial is a convenient disposal method that has been widely used in animal production for disposal of both daily mortalities as well as during catastrophic mortality events. To date, greenhouse gas production after mortality burial has not been quantified, and this study represents the first attempt to quantify greenhouse gas emissions from land burial of animal carcasses. In this study, anaerobic decomposition of both homogenized and unhomogenized cattle carcass material was investigated using bench-scale reactors. Maximum yields of methane and carbon dioxide were 0.33 and 0.09 m …

Design Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Non-Peptide Neuropeptide Ff Ligands, Jessica Valentinas Mankus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neuropeptide FF is an endogenous RF-amide with two receptor subtypes originally described as having anti-opioid characteristics. While peptide work helped to elucidate key features for targeting the subtypes of the neuropeptide FF receptor, non-peptide small molecules offer a more refined tool to discover features that affect selectivity and affinity. Improvements in small molecule ligands for neuropeptide FF support lead development and offer a clearer understanding of the binding pocket of each receptor subtype. Previous work on the lead 4–anilindopiperidine structure clarified a key feature between agonist and antagonist behavior. Early modifications of substituents of the piperidine nitrogen were tolerated and …

Discovery, Isolation, And Identification Of Antimalarials From Fungal Endophytes, Andrekeus Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We examined fungal endophytes for their ability to inhibit bacterial, fungal and protozoal pathogens. Once antimalarial activity was discovered and confirmed, we sought to isolate and identify the active constituent(s) of our extracts. Bioassay-guided fractionation techniques were used to isolate our active compound, the structure of which was elucidated using 1H- and 13C-NMR. 2D-NMR and LC-MS analyses helped confirm that our endophytes were indeed producing artemisinin. Growth versus production studies were conducted to optimize our growth and extraction conditions while several other variables, like temperature and culture medium, were evaluated in an effort to improve our yields. Artemisinin production under …

Discovery Of Small-Molecule Natural Products That Target Cellular Bioenergetics, Sandipan Datta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Molecular-targeted antitumor therapy has found favor in antitumor drug discovery programs. Hypoxia (< 5% oxygen) is a comfeature of solid tumors and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) represents an important antitumor target. Bioenergetic homeostasis is typically altered in tumor cells and HIF-1 plays an important role to produce a glycolytic phenotype. Glycolysis inhibitors are an emerging class of potential tumor-selective adjuvant therapeutic agents. Natural product aerobic glycolysis inhibitors may enhance the effectiveness of current therapies. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors in botanical dietary supplements (BDS) possess a potential health hazard which should be identified and appropriately regulated. Chapter one briefly reviews the molecular-targeted natural product antitumor drug discovery process. Descriptions of tumor hypoxia, HIF-1, HIF-1 regulatory pathways and the effect of HIF-1 on tumor cell bioenergetics are presented. Cellular bioenergetic pathways and natural products that inhibit HIF-1 by interfering with cellular bioenergetics are discussed. Mitochondriotoxic small-molecule natural products reported previously are further reviewed. Chapter two discusses the effect of chromatographic media on molecular-targeted antitumor drug discovery. A panel of crude extracts was eluted through columns of various chromatographic media using a step gradient method. Total recoveries from the various columns and various elution protocols were compared and statistically analyzed. The crude extracts and column eluates were evaluated for HIF-1 inhibitory activity. Chapter three discusses the development of a bioenergetics-based screening method to screen crude extracts for glycolysis inhibitors. Crude extracts (10,648) were screened and seven hits (hit rate 0.72%) were identified. Bioassay-guided isolation of Moronobea coccinea crude extract resulted in isolation of a protonophoric compound moronone (1) (false positive). The structure of 1 was determined by a combination of spectroscopic and spectrometric means. The protonophoric compounds must be rapidly dereplicated for successful discovery of glycolysis inhibitors. Chapter four discusses the screening of BDS products and pure compounds for mitochondrial uncouplers or electron transport chain inhibitors. The blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) extract and three saponins cauloside A (3), saponin PE (4) and cauloside C (5) permeabilize the mitochondrial membrane. Sesamin (6) and guggulsterol III (7) and guggul (Commiphora wightii) extract inhibit mitochondrial complex I. These extracts and compounds are cytotoxic in nature.

Adaptive Tolerance To Ocean Acidification In The Marine Sponge: Chondrilla Nucula, Sylvester Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dramatic increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution has led to a 30% increase in ocean acidification over pre-industrial levels. Although most ocean acidification research thus far has focused on calcifying organisms such as corals, the potential of this increase in acidity (H+ ions) to cause acid-base imbalances in soft-bodied animals such as sponges has been grossly overlooked. Furthermore, many studies on ocean acidification have not considered the elevated temperatures that are predicted to accompany future climate change conditions. Sponges are crucial components to coral reef systems, providing food, nutrients, structure, and support. The sponge Chondrilla nucula …

Why The Patently Offensive Just Became More Offensive: The “Pole Tax” And The Texas Supreme Court’S Expansion Of The Secondary Effects Doctrine In Combs V. Texas Entertainment Ass’N, Frances Taylor Bishop

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Sulfuryl Fluoride For Control Of Different Life Stages Of Stored-Product Psocids (Psocoptera), Christos G. Athanassiou, Thomas W. Phillips, M. Jamie Aikins, M. Mahbub Hasan, James E. Throne

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

With the phase-out and impending ban of methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride is among the most promising alternative fumigant insecticides for control of stored-product insect pests. It has been evaluated for control of several stored-product insect pests, but there are few data available on its efficacy for control of stored-product psocids (Psocoptera). We evaluated sulfuryl fluoride for control of different life stages of the psocids Liposcelis paeta Pearman, L. entomophila (Enderlein), L. bostrychophila Badonnel, L. decolor Pearman, and Lepinotus reticulatus Enderlein (Trogiidae) in 48-hr trials at 27.5°C. Adults and nymphs were susceptible to sulfuryl fluoride. Complete (100%) adult and nymphal mortality …

Using A Population Growth Model To Simulate Response Of Plodia Interpunctella Hubner To Temperature And Diet, Emily A. Fontenot, Frank H. Arthur, James R. Nechols, James E. Throne

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

Response to temperature and diet are major factors in the potential population growth of Plodia interpunctella Hubner, a damaging pest of many stored products. A population growth model was used to simulate population development on an optimal wheat-based diet and a sub-optimal diet of raisins at 20–35°C, using different starting values for initial density and life stage. Predicted population development on the two diets increased with temperature and growth patterns were similar regardless of starting population levels at temperatures over 20°C. The predicted population levels on raisins were much less than those predicted for wheat diet, with the same general …

Identification And Characterization Of A Spore-Like Morphotype In Chronically Starved Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Cultures, Elise A. Lamont, J. P. Bannantine, Anibal Armien, Don Sanjiv Ariyakumar, Suelee Robbe-Austerman

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

Mycobacteria are able to enter into a state of non-replication or dormancy, which may result in their chronic persistence in soil, aquatic environments, and permissive hosts. Stresses such as nutrient deprivation and hypoxia provide environmental cues to enter a persistent state; however, a clear definition of the mechanism that mycobacteria employ to achieve this remains elusive. While the concept of sporulation in mycobacteria is not novel, it continues to spark controversy and challenges our perceptions of a non-replication. We investigated the potential role of sporulation in one-year old broth cultures of Mycobacterium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). We show that dormant cultures …

Evaluation Of Protection In A Mouse Model After Vaccination With Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculois Protein Cocktails, J.R. Stabel, A. Barnhill, J. P. Bannantine, Y.F. Chang, M.A. Osman

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

Whole-cell vaccines successfully reduce signs of clinical disease and fecal shedding of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), however, these vaccines have some limitations. The present study was conducted to identify MAP proteins that might be candidates for the development of an improved vaccine. MAP proteins were screened for immunogenicity in naturally infected cattle and selected based upon reactivity in the interferon-􏰀 (IFN-􏰀) and Western blot assays. Proteins (MAP1087, MAP1204, MAP1272c, and MAP2077c) were arrayed into 4 overlapping cocktails containing 3 proteins each. The efficacy of the proteins within these cocktails as vaccine candidates was evaluated by subcutaneous immunization of mice, …

Separation Of Alcohol Soluble Sorghum Proteins Using Non-Porous Cation-Exchange Columns, Deidre L. Blackwell, Scott R. Bean

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

Kafirins, the storage proteins and major protein of the cereal grain sorghum, play an important nutritional role for millions of people in parts of Africa and Asia. Kafirins are non-water soluble, being soluble only in the presence of detergents or aqueous alcohol mixtures and are among the most hydrophobic of the cereal proteins. Limited M_w heterogeneity of kafirins reduces their resolution when separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Charge based separation techniques have been shown to have improved resolution of kafirins, but due to the nature of their solubility, ion-exchange (IE)-HPLC has not been widely used to …

Spillover Of Functionally Important Organisms Between Managed And Natural Habitats, Eleanor J. Blitzer, Carsten F. Dormann, Andrea Holzschuh, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Tatyana A. Rand, Teja Tscharntke

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

Land-use intensification has led to a landscape mosaic that juxtaposes human-managed and natural areas. In such human-dominated and heterogeneous landscapes, spillover across habitat types, especially in systems that differ in resource availability, may be an important ecological process structuring communities. While there is much evidence for spillover from natural habitats to managed areas, little attention has been given to flow in the opposite direction. This paper synthesizes studies published to date from five functionally important trophic groups, herbivores, pathogens, pollinators, predators, and seed dispersers, and discusses evidence for spillover from managed to natural systems in all five groups. For each …

Evidence For A Major Qtl Associated With Host Response To Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Challenge, N. Boddicker, E. H. Waide, R. R. R. Rowland, J. K. Lunney, D. J. Garrick, J. M. Reecy, J. C. M. Dekkers

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

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) causes decreased reproductive performance in breeding animals and increased respiratory problems in growing animals, which result in significant economic losses in the swine industry. Vaccination has generally not been effective in the prevention of PRRS, partially because of the rapid mutation rate and evolution of the virus. The objective of the current study was to discover the genetic basis of host resistance or susceptibility to the PRRS virus through a genome-wide association study using data from the PRRS Host Genetics Consortium PRRS-CAP project.

Three groups of approximately 190 commercial crossbred pigs from 1 breeding …

Influence Of Environmental Temperature On The Physiological, Endocrine, And Immune Responses In Livestock Exposed To A Provocative Immune Challenge, J.A. Carroll, N.C. Burdick, C. C. Chase Jr, S. W. Coleman, D. E. Spiers

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

Although livestock experience many stressors throughout their life, one of the most commonly experienced, and most difficult to control, is stress caused by fluctuations in environmental temperatures that extend beyond the thermoneutral (TN) zone for an animal. In swine, cold stress has long been recognized as a main cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. A possible explanation for this increased morbidity and mortality may be related to their inability to generate a febrile response. Previously, we reported that the acute phase immune response, including the generation of fever, after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; Escherichia coli O111: B4; Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, …

Animal Foraging As A Mechanism For Sediment Movement And Soil Nutrient Development: Evidence From The Semi-Arid Australian Woodlands And The Chihuahuan Desert, David J. Eldridge, Terry B. Koen, Aaron Killgore, Niki Huang, Walter G. Whitford

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

An emerging area of interest in geomorphology over the past two decades has been the effects of biota on ecosystemprocesses.We examinedthe roles of a rangeof vertebrates onsoildisturbance in twomarkedlydifferent environments, the semi-arid woodland of eastern Australia and a Chihuahuan Desert grassland–shrubland in the south-westernUnited States. Foraging pits of soil-disturbingvertebrates variedmarkedly fromsmall scratchings of heteromyid (mainly Dipodomys spp.) rodents (1.8×10⁻⁴m³) to deep (1.0×10⁻² m³) excavations of the burrowing bettong (Bettongia leuseur) and greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis). Vertebratesmoved substantial volumes of soil in both environments, and activity was highly temporally and …

Genomics Of Tropical Fruit Tree Crops, R. S. Arias, James W. Borrone, Cecile L. Tondo, David N. Kuhn, Brian M. Irish, Raymond J. Schnell

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

The genetic improvement of tropical fruit trees is limited when compared to progress achieved in temperate fruit trees and annual crops. Tropical fruit tree breeding programs require significant resources to develop new cultivars that are adapted to modern shipping and storage requirements. The use of molecular markers in tropical fruit tree breeding is greatly assisting in solving a number of difficult challenges for breeders such as the development of complex family structures for recombination mapping and for recurrent selection. A review of the literature on molecular markers development and new techniques for increasing single-nucleotide polymorphic markers is discussed. The development …