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An Inquiry Into Eco-Labeling: The Promise Of Predator Friendly Certification (Pfc), Melissa Ellen Katherine Early

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Agricultural landscapes play key roles in preserving biodiversity through habitat protection while providing ecosystem services necessary for rural livelihoods. There is a small, but growing movement among agricultural producers to live with nature rather than to dominate nature. Within this larger agriculture movement are efforts to live with predators rather than eliminating them through lethal means. This is reflective of the changing conversation around predators in the New West. Means of co-existence include livestock guardian animals, electric fencing, fladry, range rider patrols, rotational grazing, and lights etc. One grassroots effort in this area is Predator Friendly Certification (PFC). PFC is …

Sustainability With An Ethical Aim: Lessons From An American Nun In Amazonia, Stephanie Denise Demaree

Doctoral Dissertations

Research Topic

Human imagination, an ethical aim and action are the progenitors for reconciliation between humans and their environment. Two examples of such reconciliation are found in Brazil and are the result of the tireless work of an American Nun, Sister Dorothy Stang and the staff of the Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research and Conservation Center. The present inquiry portrays the history, current programs, and the potential for the findings to shape the lives of those committed to work toward creating a balance between human endeavors and sustainable environments.

Theory and Protocol

This research is grounded in critical hermeneutics and follows …

Perceptions Of Bilingualism And Home Language Maintenance And Loss: A Study Of Latino Parents At A San Francisco Bay Area Elementary Charter School, Emily Mccormick Enstice

Doctoral Dissertations

There is limited research that investigates parent perceptions with respect to their early elementary school children's home language use. To fill the gap in research, this study explores the relationship between first generation Latino parent perspectives of bilingualism, home language maintenance and loss, and the intersection of culture and identity in an elementary school community. It also investigates how parents create an additive bilingual environment in the home.

This participatory action research (PAR) study involved group dialogue sessions and individual interviews in order to engage co-researchers and participants. PAR provided this study with the structure and tools to change and …

Core Selection By Wolf Packs In A Human-Dominated Landscape: A Case Study In The Mountains Of Southern Poland, Nathan Alan Owens

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The wolf populations in Europe are mostly divided between the largely undeveloped countries of Eastern Europe, and the more developed Western European nations. Poland holds a special importance as a geographical link joining these populations into one contiguous population. The territories of two wolf packs in southwestern Poland were examined through the collection of scat data. Core areas were then defined using fixed-kernel density estimation techniques and 50% isopleths. Habitat variables were then compared between core plots and non-core plots. Scat marking of both packs resembled the Hot Spots pattern of marking proposed by Zub et al. (2003), rather than …

Macro And Microfluidic Flows For Skeletal Regenerative Medicine, Brandon D. Riehl, Jung Yul Lim

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Fluid flow has a great potential as a cell stimulatory tool for skeletal regenerative medicine, because fluid flow-induced bone cell mechanotransduction in vivo plays a critical role in maintaining healthy bone homeostasis. Applications of fluid flow for skeletal regenerative medicine are reviewed at macro and microscale. Macroflow in two dimensions (2D), in which flow velocity varies along the normal direction to the flow, has explored molecular mechanisms of bone forming cell mechanotransduction responsible for flow-regulated differentiation, mineralized matrix deposition, and stem cell osteogenesis. Though 2D flow set-ups are useful for mechanistic studies due to easiness in in situ and post-flow …

Tritimovirus P1 Functions As A Suppressor Of Rna Silencing And An Enhancer Of Disease Symptoms, Brock A. Young, Drake C. Stenger, Feng Qu, T. Jack Morris, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Roy French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is an eriophyid mite-transmitted virus of the genus Tritimovirus, family Potyviridae. Complete deletion of helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro) has no effect on WSMV virulence or disease synergism, suggesting that a different viral protein suppresses RNA silencing. RNA silencing suppression assays using Nicotiana benthamiana 16C plants expressing GFP were conducted with each WSMV protein; only P1 suppressed RNA silencing. Accumulation of GFP siRNAs was markedly reduced in leaves infiltrated with WSMV P1 at both 3 and 6 days post infiltration relative to WSMV HC-Pro and the empty vector control. On the other hand, helper component-proteinase …

Evaluation Of Application Timing Efficacy Of Evito Fungicide On Field Corn In Nebraska, 2010, C. M. Schleicher, T. A. Jackson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

A foliar fungicide efficacy timing trial was conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln South Central Agricultural Laboratory near Clay Center, NE. DeKalb corn hybrid DKC 61-69, rating of “good” (5 out of 9) for gray leaf spot and “very good” (3 out of 9) for common rust, was planted on 29 Apr in 30-in. rows with a target population of 30,000 plants/A. The trial area was disked the previous fall with a crop history of six years of continuous corn. Three treatments and a non-treated control were replicated six times in a randomized complete block design. Each plot was four …

Evaluation Of Foliar Fungicide Application Timing On Efficacy Of Field Corn At Wcrec In Western Nebraska, 2011, C. M. Schleicher, C. Langemeier, G. Kruger, T. A. Jackson-Ziems

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

A foliar fungicide efficacy timing trial was conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte, NE. NuTech corn hybrid 3A513, rating of 5 out of 9 (1=best, 9=worst) for gray leaf spot was planted on 10 May in 30 in. rows with a target population of 32,000 plants/A. The trial area was disked prior to planting with corn as the previous year’s crop. Furrows were built in season for flood irrigation. A herbicide program of Lumax (2.5 qt/A) + Atrazine (1 lb/A) + Glystar (20 oz/A) was applied on 25 Apr. 200 lb …

Evaluation Of Foliar Fungicide Application Timing On Efficacy Of Field Corn At Scal In Central Nebraska, 2011, C. M. Schleicher, T. A. Jackson-Ziems

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

A foliar fungicide efficacy timing trial was conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln South Central Agricultural Laboratory near Clay Center, NE. DeKalb corn hybrid DKC 62-54, rating of “good” (6 out of 9) for gray leaf spot (GLS) and “excellent” (2 out of 9) for common rust (CR), was planted on 5 May in 30 in. rows with a target population of 32,000 plants/A. The trial area had soybean as the previous year’s crop. On 9 May before plant emergence, a herbicide program of Roundup (1 pt/A), Verdict (16 fl oz/A) and Atrazine (1 lb/A) was applied to the trial …

Soybean Disease Profiles Ii: Stem And Root Rot Diseases, Loren J. Giesler, Robert M. Harveson, Tamra A. Jackson-Ziems, Kevin A. Korus, Bo Liu, Stephen N. Wegulo

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Extension Circular 1904 (EC1904).

Photographs and disease descriptions of Brown Stem Rot (BSR), Charcoal Rot, Fusarium Wilt and Root Rot, Phytophthora Root and Stem Rot, Pod and Stem Blight, Phomopsis Seed Decay, Rhizoctonia Root and Cortical Rot, Sclerotinia Stem Rot, Seedling Blights, Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN), Stem Canker, and Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS).

Corn Disease Profile Iii: Ear Rot Diseases And Grain Molds, Tamra A. Jackson-Ziems, Loren J. Giesler, Robert M. Harveson, Kevin A. Korus, Bo Liu, Stephen N. Wegulo

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Extension Circular 1901 (EC1901).

Under certain conditions, corn ear rot and grain mold diseases are common and can lead to loss of grain quality. Moldy grain can be docked or rejected at the elevator. Additionally, some ear and grain pathogens may produce secondary metabolites called mycotoxins, which are toxic to animals and humans consuming the contaminated grain. Mycotoxin-contaminated grain can also be docked or rejected. Mycotoxin production may start in the field and continue after harvest, or it may start during storage if mold infection begins there. When grain storage is necessary, drying grain to less than 15 percent moisture …

Sunflower Disease Profiles Ii: Head And Stalk Rots And Wilts, Robert M. Harveson, Loren J. Giesler, Tamra A. Jackson, Bo Liu, Stephen N. Wegulo, Kevin A. Korus

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Extension Circular 1902 (EC1902).

Photographs and disease descriptions of Phoma/Phomopsis Stalk Rots, Bacterial Stalk Rot, Verticillium Wilt, Rhizopus Head Rot, and White Mold/Sclerotina Diseases.

Corn Disease Update, Tamra A. Jackson, Craig B. Langemeier, Greg R. Kruger

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Goss's Bacterial Wilt and Blight ... Symptoms ... Management ... 2011 Survey ... Literature Cited

Gray Leaf Spot

Seedling Diseases and Stalk/Crown Root Diseases

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Factors Influencing Deoxynivalenol Accumulation In Small Grain Cereals, Stephen N. Wegulo

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by the plant pathogenic fungi Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum. These and other closely related fungi cause a disease known as Fusarium head blight (FHB) in small grain cereals. Other mycotoxins produced by FHB-causing fungi include nivalenol, T-2 toxin, and zearalenone. Ingestion of mycotoxin-contaminated food and feed can lead to toxicosis in humans and animals, respectively. DON is the predominant and most economically important of these mycotoxins in the majority of small grain-producing regions of the world. This review examines the factors that influence DON accumulation in small grain cereals from an agricultural perspective. …

Abortion, Physician-Assisted Suicide And The Constitution: The View From Without And Within, Robert A. Sedler

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

What Sort Of People Do We Want - The Ethics Of Changing People Through Genetic Engineering, Michael J. Reiss

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Proline Dehydrogenase Is Essential For Proline Protection Against Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Cell Death, Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Weidong Zhu, Xinwen Liang, Lu Zhang, Andrew Demers, Matthew C. Zimmerman, Melanie A. Simpson, Donald F. Becker

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Proline metabolism has an underlying role in apoptotic signaling that impacts tumorigenesis. Proline is oxidized to glutamate in the mitochondria with the rate limiting step catalyzed by proline dehydrogenase (PRODH). PRODH expression is inducible by p53 leading to increased proline oxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and induction of apoptosis. Paradoxical to its role in apoptosis, proline also protects cells against oxidative stress. Here we explore the mechanism of proline protection against hydrogen peroxide stress in melanoma WM35 cells. Treatment of WM35 cells with proline significantly increased cell viability, diminished oxidative damage of cellular lipids and proteins, and retained ATP …

Influence Of Peptide Dipoles And Hydrogen Bonds On Reactive Cysteine PkA Values In Fission Yeast Dj-1, Peter Madzelan, Tetyana Labunksa, Mark A. Wilson

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Cysteine residues with depressed pK_a values are critical for the functions of many proteins. Several types of interactions can stabilize cysteine thiolate anions, including hydrogen bonds between thiol(ate)s and nearby residues as well as electrostatic interactions involving charged residues or dipoles. Dipolar stabilization of thiolates by peptide groups has been suggested to play a particularly important role near the N-termini of α-helices. Using a combination of X-ray crystallography, site-directed mutagenesis, and spectroscopic methods, we show that the reactive cysteine residue (Cys111) in Schizosaccharomyces pombe DJ-1 experiences a 0.6 unit depression of its thiol pK_a as a consequence of …

Structure, Function, And Assembly Of Heme Centers In Mitochondrial Respiratory Complexes, Hyung J. Kim, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Pamela M. Smith, Dennis R. Winge

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The sequential flow of electrons in the respiratory chain, from a low reduction potential substrate to O₂, is mediated by protein-bound redox cofactors. In mitochondria, hemes—together with flavin, iron–sulfur, and copper cofactors—mediate this multi-electron transfer. Hemes, in three different forms, are used as a protein-bound prosthetic group in succinate dehydrogenase (complex II), in bc₁ complex (complex III) and in cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV). The exact function of heme b in complex II is still unclear, and lags behind in operational detail that is available for the hemes of complex III and IV. The two b hemes …

Reflections On Plant And Soil Nematode Ecology: Past, Present And Future, Howard Ferris, Bryan S. Griffiths, Dorota L. Porazinska, Thomas O. Powers, Koon-Hui Wang, Mario Tenuta

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this review is to highlight key developments in nematode ecology from its beginnings to where it stands today as a discipline within nematology. Emerging areas of research appear to be driven by crop production constraints, environmental health concerns, and advances in technology. In contrast to past ecological studies which mainly focused on management of plant-parasitic nematodes, current studies reflect differential sensitivity of nematode faunae. These differences, identified in both aquatic and terrestrial environments include response to stressors, environmental conditions, and management practices. Methodological advances will continue to influence the role nematodes have in addressing the nature of …

The Genome Of The Polar Eukaryotic Microalga Coccomyxa Subellipsoidea Reveals Traits Of Cold Adaptation, Guillaume Blanc, Irina V. Agarkova, Jane Grimwood, Alan Kuo, Andrew J. Brueggeman, David Dunigan, James Gurnon, Istvan Ladunga, Erika Lindquist, Susan Lucas, Jasmyn Pangilinan, Thomas Pröschold, Asaf Salamov, Jeremy Schmutz, Donald P. Weeks, Takashi Yamada, Alexandre Lomsadze, Mark Borodovsky, Jean-Michel Claverie, Igor V. Grigoriev, James L. Van Etten

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Background: Little is known about the mechanisms of adaptation of life to the extreme environmental conditions encountered in polar regions. Here we present the genome sequence of a unicellular green alga from the division chlorophyta, Coccomyxa subellipsoidea C-169, which we will hereafter refer to as C-169. This is the first eukaryotic microorganism from a polar environment to have its genome sequenced.

Results: The 48.8 Mb genome contained in 20 chromosomes exhibits significant synteny conservation with the chromosomes of its relatives Chlorella variabilis and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The order of the genes is highly reshuffled within synteny blocks, suggesting that intra-chromosomal rearrangements …

Transgenic Expression Of Lactoferrin Imparts Enhanced Resistance To Head Blight Of Wheat Caused By Fusarium Graminearum, Jigang Han, Dilip K. Lakshman, Leny C. Galvez, Sharmila Mitra, P. Stephen Baenziger, Amitava Mitra

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Background: The development of plant gene transfer systems has allowed for the introgression of alien genes into plant genomes for novel disease control strategies, thus providing a mechanism for broadening the genetic resources available to plant breeders. Using the tools of plant genetic engineering, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial gene was tested for resistance against head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, a devastating disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) that reduces both grain yield and quality.

Results: A construct containing a bovine lactoferrin cDNA was used to transform wheat using an Agrobacterium …

Genetic Transformation Of Fusarium Oxysporum F.Sp. Gladioli With Agrobacterium To Study Pathogenesis In Gladiolus, Dilip K. Lakshman, Ruchi Pandey, Kathryn Kamo, Gary Bauchan, Amitava Mitra

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Fusarium rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. gladioli (Fog) is one of the most serious diseases of Gladiolus, both in the field and in bulbs in storage. In order to study the mechanisms of pathogenesis of this fungus, we have transformed Fog with Agrobacterium tumefaciens binary vectors containing the hygromycin B phosphotransferase (hph) gene and fluorescence reporter genes EGFP (green), EYFP (yellow) or ECFP (cyan) using the AGL-1 strain of A. tumefaciens. Hygromycin B (100 μg/ml) resistant colonies were observed only when acetosyringone was added to the co-cultivation medium. Transformed colonies are more clearly …

Phycodnavirus Potassium Ion Channel Proteins Question The Virus Molecular Piracy Hypothesis, Kay Hamacher, Timo Greiner, Hiroyuki Ogata, James L. Van Etten, Manuela Gebhardt, Luis Villarreal, Christian Cosentino, Anna Moroni, Gerhard Thiel

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Phycodnaviruses are large dsDNA, algal-infecting viruses that encode many genes with homologs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Among the viral gene products are the smallest proteins known to form functional K+ channels. To determine if these viral K+ channels are the product of molecular piracy from their hosts, we compared the sequences of the K+ channel pore modules from seven phycodnaviruses to the K+ channels from Chlorella variabilis and Ectocarpus siliculosus, whose genomes have recently been sequenced. C. variabilis is the host for two of the viruses PBCV-1 and NY-2A and E. siliculosus is the host for the virus EsV-1. …

Assessing Genetic Diversity In The Web Blight Pathogen Thanatephorus Cucumeris (Anamorph = Rhizoctonia Solani) Subgroups Ag-1-Ie And Ag-1-If With Molecular Markers, N. González, James R. Steadman, Robert Higgins, Kent M. Eskridge

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Web blight, an important foliar disease of dry beans in the Americas, is a challenge to manage. We studied genetic variation of 92 isolates of Rhizoctonia solani subgroups AG-1-IE and AG-1-IF using DNA fingerprinting methods and mycelial compatibility grouping. The isolates were collected over 13 years from bean fields in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Puerto Rico. Cluster and AMOVA analysis of combined data from two universal rice primers and two internal sequence repeats revealed significant genetic variation among and within populations of both subgroups. Variation was influenced by geographic origin and sampling year for AG-1-IE isolates and geographic origin …

Relevance Of Lysine Snorkeling In The Outer Transmembrane Domain Of Small Viral Potassium Ion Channels, Manuela Gebhardt, Leonhard M. Henkes, Sascha Tayefeh, Brigitte Hertel, Timo Greiner, James L. Van Etten, Dirk Baumeister, Christian Cosentino, Anna Moroni, Stefan M. Kast, Gerhard Thiel

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Transmembrane domains (TMDs) are often flanked by Lys or Arg because they keep their aliphatic parts in the bilayer and their charged groups in the polar interface. Here we examine the relevance of this so-called “snorkeling” of a cationic amino acid, which is conserved in the outer TMD of small viral K+ channels. Experimentally, snorkeling activity is not mandatory for KcvPBCV-1 because K29 can be replaced by most of the natural amino acids without any corruption of function. Two similar channels, KcvATCV-1 and KcvMT325, lack a cytosolic N-terminus, and neutralization of their equivalent cationic amino acids inhibits their function. To …

Rna-Seq Analysis Of The Sclerotinia Homoeocarpa – Creeping Bentgrass Pathosystem, Angela M. Orshinsky, Jinnan Hu, Stephen O. Opiyo, Venu Reddyvari-Channarayappa, Thomas K. Mitchell, Michael J. Boehm

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Sclerotinia homoeocarpa causes dollar spot disease, the predominate disease on highly-maintained turfgrass. Currently, there are major gaps in our understanding of the molecular interactions between S. homoeocarpa and creeping bentgrass. In this study, 454 sequencing technology was used in the de novo assembly of S. homoeocarpa and creeping bentgrass transcriptomes. Transcript sequence data obtained using Illumina’s first generation sequencing-by-synthesis (SBS) were mapped to the transcriptome assemblies to estimate transcript representation in different SBS libraries. SBS libraries included a S. homoeocarpa culture control, a creeping bentgrass uninoculated control, and a library for creeping bentgrass inoculated with S. homoeocarpa and incubated for …

Modeling An Improvement In Phosphorus Utilization In Tropical Agriculture, David Edelstein, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Studies of Terra Preta soils have generated interest in recreating their fertility elsewhere. Much of the research has focused on soil amendment charcoal (“biochar”). Terra Preta also contains bone fragments, producing a high concentration of phosphorus. Some forecast worldwide declines in phosphorus supplies, and better agricultural system management is required to improve phosphorus use efficiency. A conceptual model is offered to consider the influence of charcoal on bioavailability of phosphorus. The model describes a system where improvements in the chemical and biological condition of the soil result in increased phosphorus availability and cycling. Mechanisms of phosphorus/charcoal interaction are considered, and …

Becoming "Black" In America: Exploring Racial Identity Development Of African Immigrants, Godfried Agyeman Asante

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative study critically examined how African immigrants experience racialization and the process of developing Black racial consciousness. Focus group interviews were conducted to sample the collective racial experience among African immigrants. Thematic analysis was used as the basic methodology for analyzing the data. It was discovered that the participants "become African" and also "become Black" during the process of racial identification. "Becoming African" and "Becoming Black" constituted two sets of processes that simultaneously shaped the identity of African immigrants as they assimilated into the United States. From the study it became evident that there was tension between ethnic identification …

Interest And Its Development, K. Ann Renninger, Stephanie Su , '11

Educational Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.