Life Sciences Commons^™

Increasing Workforce Skills: The Possible Disconnect Between Employers And Potential Job Seekers, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel

Cornhusker Economics

In a multi-year survey of potential job seekers, those who are likely to change jobs in the next year or who are likely to reenter the workforce in the next year, several key training obstacles for improving their employment situation were identified. There seemed to be only slight differences in how they viewed these challenges, regardless of whether they saw their potential job as a career, a steppingstone to a career, or just a job to get by. The cost of training, the lack of available training, the distance or transportation to the training, lack of time, and the knowledge …

Disruption Of The Sorghum Circadian Clock Impacts Sorghum-Sugarcane Aphid Interaction Dynamics And Aphid Feeding Behavior, Kumar Shrestha, Prince Zogli, Lise Pingault, Sajjan Grover, Juan Betancurt Cardona, Joe Louis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Circadian clocks play a pivotal role in orchestrating metabolic rhythms in response to environmental stress. Sorghum bicolor (sorghum), a multipurpose cereal crop, suffers severe growth and yield reduction due to feeding by sugarcane aphids (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari), which are phloem-feeding pests. Previously, it has been shown that sorghum utilizes a multitude of defense mechanisms to curb SCA colonization. However, our understanding of the impact of circadian clock on sorghum-aphid interaction dynamics is limited. To explore this, a time-series transcriptomics was conducted on sorghum plants in disrupted circadian rhythm with and without SCA infestation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a total of …

Relationship Of Tissue Dimensions And Three Captive Bolt Application Sites On Cadaver Heads From Mature Swine (Sus Scrofa Domesticus) < 200 Kg Body-Weight, Karly N. Anderson, Ashlynn A. Kirk, Jennifer Berger, Arquimides A. Reyes, Ruth Woiwode, Perle E. Zhitnitskiy, Kurt D. Vogel

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Penetrating captive bolt (PCB) is a common method of euthanasia for swine but has not been evaluated for mature swine < 200 kg body weight (BW). The objectives were to determine tissue depth, brain contact plane, and visible brain tissue damage (brain damage[BD]) for the common FRONTAL (F) and alternative TEMPORAL (T) and BEHIND EAR (BE) placements for PCB use on sows and boars weighing < 200 kg. Cadaver heads were obtained from 30 sows and 30 boars (estimated BW, mean ± SD; sows: 165.8 ± 22.4 kg; boars: 173.6 ± 21.4 kg) from a slaughter establishment after electrical stunning and exsanguination. Heads were cooled at 2 to 4 °C for approximately 64 h. A Jarvis PAS-Type P 0.25R PCB with a Long Stunning Rod Nosepiece Assembly and a 3.5 GR power load was used for all PCB applications at the following placements: F–3.5 cm superior to the optic orbits at midline, T–at the depression posterior to the lateral canthus of the eye within the plane between the lateral canthus and the base of the ear, or BE–directly caudal to the pinna of the ear on the same plane as the eyes and targeting the middle of the opposite eye. For sows, the bolt path was in the brain for 10/10 (100.0%, 95% CI: 69.2% to 100.0%) F, T, and BE heads. In heads that could reliably be assessed for BD, BD was detected in 10/10 (100.0%, 95% CI: 69.2% to 100.0%) F heads, 9/9 (100.0%, 95% CI: 66.4% to 100.0%) T heads, and 0/10 (0.0%, 95% CI: 0.0% to 30.1%) BE heads. For boars, the bolt path was in the plane of the brain for 8/9 (88.9%, 95% CI: 51.8% to 99.7%) F heads, 9/10 (90.0%, 95% CI: 55.5% to 99.7%) T heads, and 11/11 (100.0%, 95% CI: 71.5% to 100.0%) BE heads. In heads that could reliably be assessed for BD, BD was detected in 8/9 (88.9%, 95% CI: 51.7% to 99.7%) F heads, 7/10 (70.0%, 95% CI: 34.8% to 93.3%) T heads, and 4/11 (36.4%, 95% CI: 10.9% to 69.2%) BE heads. Tissue depth was reported as mean ± SE followed by 95% one-sided upper reference limit (URL). For sows, total tissue thickness differed (P < 0.05) between placements (F: 49.41 ± 2.74 mm, URL: 70.0 mm; T: 62.83 ± 1.83 mm, URL: 76.6 mm; BE: 84.63 ± 3.67 mm; URL: 112.3 mm). Total tissue thickness differed (P < 0.05) between placements for boars (F: 54.73 ± 3.23 mm, URL: 77.6 mm; T: 70.72 ± 3.60 mm, URL: 96.3 mm; BE: 92.81 ± 5.50 mm; URL: 135.3 mm). For swine between 120 and 200 kg BW, the F placement may have the greatest likelihood for successful euthanasia due to the least total tissue thickness and may present less risk for failure than the T and BE placements.

U.S. Cereal Rye Winter Cover Crop Growth Database, Alexandra M. Huddell, Resham Thapa, Guillermo S. Marcillo, Lori J. Abendroth, Victoria J. Ackroyd, Shalamar D. Armstrong, Gautam Asmita, Muthukumar V. Bagavathiannan, Kipling S. Balkcom, Andrea Basche, Shawn Beam, Kevin Bradley, Lucas Pecci Canisares, Heather Darby, Adam S. Davis, Pratap Devkota, Warren A. Dick, Jeffery A. Evans, Wesley J. Everman, Tauana Ferreira De A Lmeida, Michael L. Flessner, Lisa M. Fultz, Stefan Gailans, Masoud Hashemi, Joseph Haymaker, Matthew J. Helmers, Nicholas Jordan, Thomas C. Kaspar, Quirine M. Ketterings, Eileen Kladivko, Alexandra Kravchenko, Eugene P. Law, Lauren Lazaro, Ramon G. Leon, Jeffrey Liebert, John Lindquist, Kristen Loria, Jodie M. Mcvane, Jarrod O. Miller, Michael J. Mulvaney, Nsalambi V. Nkongolo, Jason K. Norsworthy, Binaya Parajuli, Christopher Pelzer, Cara Peterson, Hanna Poffenbarger, Pratima Poudel, Mark S. Reiter, Matt Ruark, Matthew R. Ryan, Spencer Samuelson, John E. Sawyer, Sarah Seehaver, Lovreet S. Shergill, Yogendra Raj Upadhyaya, Mark Vangessel, Ashley L. Waggoner, John M. Wallace, Samantha Wells, Charles White, Bethany Wolters, Alex Woodley, Rongzhong Ye, Eric Youngerman, Brian A. Needelman, Steven B. Mirsky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Winter cover crop performance metrics (i.e., vegetative biomass quantity and quality) affect ecosystem services provisions, but they vary widely due to differences in agronomic practices, soil properties, and climate. Cereal rye (Secale cereale) is the most common winter cover crop in the United States due to its winter hardiness, low seed cost, and high biomass production. We compiled data on cereal rye winter cover crop performance metrics, agronomic practices, and soil properties across the eastern half of the United States. The dataset includes a total of 5,695 cereal rye biomass observations across 208 site-years between 2001–2022 and encompasses …

Hymenopteran Parasitoid Complex And Fall Armyworm: A Case Study In Eastern India, Subhajit Pal, Swarnali Bhattacharya, Tapamay Dhar, Ankita Gupta, Arunava Ghosh, Sandip Debnath, Nikhitha Gangavarapu, Prajna Pati, Nilanjana Chaudhuri, Hirak Chatterjee, Sabita Kumar Senapati, Prateek Madhab Bhattacharya, Mahesh Kumar Gathala, Alison M. Laing

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) has significantly affected maize crop yields, production efficiency, and farmers’ incomes in the Indian Eastern Gangetic Plains region since it was first observed in India in 2018. A lack of awareness by maize growers of the appropriate selection, method, and timing of insecticide application not only creates a barrier to sustainable FAW control but also contributes to increased environmental pollution, reduced human health and increased production costs. We demonstrated that FAW inflicted the most damage in early whorl growth stage of maize, regardless of whether chemical insecticides were applied. FAW egg masses and …

Foraging Rates From Metabarcoding: Predators Have Reduced Functional Responses In Wild, Diverse Prey Communities, Stella F. Uiterwaal, John Delong

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Functional responses describe foraging rates across prey densities and underlie many fundamental ecological processes. Most functional response knowledge comes from simplified lab experiments, but we do not know whether these experiments accurately represent foraging in nature. In addition, the difficulty of conducting multispecies functional response experiments means that it is unclear whether interaction strengths are weakened in the presence of multiple prey types. We developed a novel method to estimate wild predators' foraging rates from metabarcoding data and use this method to present functional responses for wild wolf spiders foraging on 27 prey families. These field functional responses were considerably …

The Emerging Role Of Non-Coding Rnas (Ncrnas) In Plant Growth, Development, And Stress Response Signaling, Amit Yadav, Jyotirmaya Mathan, Arvind Kumar Dubey, Anuradha Singh

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty Publications

Plant species utilize a variety of regulatory mechanisms to ensure sustainable productivity. Within this intricate framework, numerous non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a crucial regulatory role in plant biology, surpassing the essential functions of RNA molecules as messengers, ribosomal, and transfer RNAs. ncRNAs represent an emerging class of regulators, operating directly in the form of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). These ncRNAs exert control at various levels, including transcription, posttranscription, translation, and epigenetic. Furthermore, they interact with each other, contributing to a variety of biological processes and mechanisms associated with stress resilience. …

Embracing Diversity In Agricultural Economics, Timothy Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

To steal an overused cliché, “There’s room in the tent for everyone.” Over the 2023 academic year, I have reiterated this message to all my students, with one addition. Not only is there room for everyone, but all are invited AND welcome. Food is something we all have in common, no matter the background. I think this is why producers in the state of Nebraska feel as strongly as they do about the food they produce; it is life-giving and should be taken seriously. Nebraska Agriculture is part of what makes our state great, and that is not a secret …

Predicting Sedentarism And Its Impact On Caloric Requirements, Jacob Michels, John C. Beghin

Yeutter Institute International Trade Policy Review

A recent study conducted by PhD candidate Jacob Michels and Agricultural economist John Beghin delves into the question of whether global estimates of food insecure populations need a reevaluation of their methodology to account for increasing sedentarism. This reevaluation is prompted by the increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyles worldwide, which calls for a redefinition of caloric thresholds indicating the onset of food insecurity. In this short article, we provide a nontechnical summary of their investigation recently published in Michels and Beghin (2024).

High-Fat Diet Feeding Exacerbates Hiv-1 Rectal Transmission, Saroj Chandra Lohani, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Qingsheng Li

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

High-fat diet (HFD) is well known to impact various aspects of gut health and has been associated with many diseases and inflammation. However, the impact of HFD feeding on HIV-1 rectal transmission has not yet been well addressed. With an increasing threat of HIV-1 infection in men who have sex with men (MSM), where the rectal route is the primary mode of infection, it is imperative to understand the impact of HFD on gut microbiota and inflammation and consequently, its effect on HIV-1 rectal transmission. Here, we utilized our double humanized bone marrow, liver, thymus (dHu-BLT) mouse model to assess …

Taxonomic Advances Driven By The Genomic Analysis Of Butterflies, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

This study presents new findings based on a large-scale analysis of butterfly genomic sequences. Focusing on species identification through comparative genomics, we define subspecies as populations differentiated to a lesser extent than distinct species ("species in the making"). Additionally, we propose further adjustments to the current butterfly classification. As a result, 3 subgenera, 12 species, and 4 subspecies are described as new. New subgenera are (type species in parenthesis): Hyalaus Grishin, subgen. n. (Papilio epidaus E. Doubleday, 1846) of Eurytides Hübner, [1821] (Papilionidae Latreille, [1802]) and Astria Grishin, subgen. n. (Lycaena astraea Freyer, 1851) of Glaucopsyche Scudder, 1872 …

Perspective Of Us Farmers On Collaborative On-Farm Agronomic Research, Carlos B. Pires, Fernanda S. Krupek, Gabriela I. Carmona, Osler A. Ortez, Laura Thompson, Daniel J. Quinn, Andre F. B. Reis, Rodrigo Werle, Péter Kovács, Maninder P. Singh, J. M. Shawn Hutchinson, Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, Charles W. Rice, Ignacio A. Ciampitti

Nebraska Cooperative Extension: Faculty and Staff Publications

On-farm research has emerged in recent years as a unique approach to involve farmers and other agricultural stakeholders as active participants in knowledge development and as an effective method of technology and innovation transfer across farms. This study assessed the perspective and knowledge of US farmers regarding on-farm research via the implementation of a 24-question survey distributed across most of the US Midwest and South-Central regions.We found that farmers generally are willing to engage with universities to conduct on-farm research and were 40% more likely to adopt practices supported by on-farm research findings than research not conducted on-farm. Notably, a …

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 3, Edition 2, February 2024, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

The purpose of this L.I.N.K.S. newsletter is to provide a monthly update of opportunities and resources for K-12 schools to connect with the University of Nebraska's CASNR Food, Energy, Water, and Societal Systems (FEWS²) programs and partners.

Included in this edition:

K-12 curriculum and resources and upcoming events

Career explorations: pathways for students

Teacher and student opportunities

CASNR Ag Tech Day

Data Driven 4-H statistics field day

2024 Summer Soybean Institute

UNL CASNER six interest areas

School of Natural Resources

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture

Environmental stewards spotlight

Seed Your Future Green Career Week

Cultivando Caminos

Kudos to our partners …

Experimental Sars-Cov-2 Infection Of Elk And Mule Deer, Stephanie M. Porter, Airn E. Hartwig, Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Jeffrey M. Marano, J. Jeffrey Root, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

To assess the susceptibility of elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) to SARS-CoV-2, we performed experimental infections in both species. Elk did not shed infectious virus but mounted low-level serologic responses. Mule deer shed and transmitted virus and mounted pronounced serologic responses and thus could play a role in SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology.

Slight Cost Of Production Changes Noted In The 2024 Nebraska Crop Enterprise Budgets, Glennis Mcmclure

Cornhusker Economics

The Nebraska crop budgets are available for the 2024 production season. The 84 enterprise budgets prepared in the October 2023 timeframe use input prices collected as of that time. Overall, estimates reflect slight cost of production decreases in the budgets when compared to the 2023 cost estimates. For 2024, the main drivers of cost decreases are due to decreased fuel and fertilizer costs. In some cases, pesticide costs decreased, yet for some of those products, prices increased. Seed and interest costs have increased for 2024 adding to cash expenses, while land opportunity costs and depreciation costs have continued to rise …

Chromosome‑Level Assembly And Analysis Of Camelina Neglecta: A Novel Diploid Model For Camelina Biotechnology Research, Shuo Wang, Rostislav Y. Blume, Zhi‑Wei Zhou, Shaoping Lu, Tara J. Nazarenus, Yaroslav B. Blume, Weibo Xie, Edgar B. Cahoon, Ling‑Ling Chen, Liang Guo

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Camelina neglecta is a new diploid Brassicaceae species, which has great research value because of its close relationship with the hexaploid oilseed crop Camelina sativa. Here, we report a chromosome-level assembly of C. neglecta with a total length of 210 Mb. By adopting PacBio sequencing and Hi-C technology, the C. neglecta genome was assembled into 6 chromosomes with scaffold N50 of 29.62 Mb. C. neglecta has undergone the whole-genome triplication (γ) shared among eudicots and two whole-genome duplications (α and β) shared by crucifers, but it has not undergone a specific whole-genome duplication event. By synteny analysis …

Metabolic Collaboration Between Cells In The Tumor Microenvironment Has A Negligible Effect On Tumor Growth, Johan Gustafsson, Fariba Roshanzamir, Anders Hagnestål, Sagar M. Patel, Oseeyi I. Daudu, Donald F. Becker, Jonathan L. Robinson, Jens Nielsen

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The tumor microenvironment is composed of a complex mixture of different cell types interacting under conditions of nutrient deprivation, but the metabolism therein is not fully understood due to difficulties in measuring metabolic fluxes and exchange of metabolites between different cell types in vivo. Genome-scale metabolic modeling enables estimation of such exchange fluxes as well as an opportunity to gain insight into the metabolic behavior of individual cell types. Here, we estimated the availability of nutrients and oxygen within the tumor microenvironment using concentration measurements from blood together with a metabolite diffusion model. In addition, we developed an approach …

Influence Of Microbes In Mediating Sorghum Resistance To Sugarcane Aphids, Edith Ikuze, Stephanie Cromwell, Paul A. Ayayee, Joe Louis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Gut microbiomes profoundly influence insect health and mediate interactions between plant hosts and their environments. Insects, including aphids, harbour diverse obligate symbionts that synthesize essential nutrients and facultative symbionts that enhance host fitness in specific ecological contexts. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a significant cereal crop cultivated worldwide that has been negatively affected by the presence of an invasive piercing-sucking insect pest, the sugarcane aphid (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari). We previously identified SC265 and SC1345 as the resistant and susceptible sorghum lines, respectively, among the founder nested association mapping (NAM) population. Here, using these resistant and susceptible lines, we …

Intensifying Rice Production To Reduce Imports And Land Conversion In Africa, Shen Yuan, Kazuki Saito, Pepijn A.J. Van Oort, Martin K. Van Ittersum, Shaobing Peng, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Africa produces around 60% of the rice the continent consumes, relying heavily on rice imports to fulfill the rest of the domestic demand.Over the past 10 years, the rice-agricultural area increased nearly 40%, while average yield remained stagnant. Here we used a process-based crop simulation modelling approach combined with local weather, soil, and management datasets to evaluate the potential to increase rice production on existing cropland area in Africa and assess cropland expansion and rice imports by year 2050 for different scenarios of yield intensification. We find that Africa can avoid further increases in rice imports, and even reduce them, …

Investigation Into Cardiacmyhc-Α 334–352-Specific Tcr Transgenic Mice Reveals A Role For Cytotoxic Cd4 T Cells In The Development Of Cardiac Autoimmunity, Meghna Sur, Mahima T. Rasquinha, Kiruthiga Mone, Chandirasegaran Massilamany, Ninaad Lasrado, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy, Raymond A. Sobel, Jay Reddy

Jay Reddy Publications

Myocarditis is one of the major causes of heart failure in children and young adults and can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy. Lymphocytic myocarditis could result from autoreactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, but defining antigen specificity in disease pathogenesis is challenging. To address this issue, we generated T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic (Tg) C57BL/6J mice specific to cardiac myosin heavy chain (Myhc)-α 334–352 and found that Myhc-α-specific TCRs were expressed in both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. To investigate if the phenotype is more pronounced in a myocarditis-susceptible genetic background, we backcrossed with A/J mice. At the fourth …

Emerging Roles Of Cullin-Ring Ubiquitin Ligases In Cardiac Development, Josue Zambrano-Carrasco, Jianqiu Zou, Wenjuan Wang, Xinghui Sun, Jie Li, Huabo Su

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Heart development is a spatiotemporally regulated process that extends from the embryonic phase to postnatal stages. Disruption of this highly orchestrated process can lead to congenital heart disease or predispose the heart to cardiomyopathy or heart failure. Consequently, gaining an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing cardiac development holds considerable promise for the development of innovative therapies for various cardiac ailments. While significant progress in uncovering novel transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of heart development has been made, the exploration of post-translational mechanisms that influence this process has lagged. Culling-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs), the largest family of ubiquitin ligases, …

Filling The Agronomic Data Gap Through A Minimum Data Collection Approach, Fatima A. Tenorio, Juan I. Rattalino Edreira, Juan Pablo Monzon, Fernando Aramburu-Merlos, Achim Dobermann, Armelle Gruere, Juan Martin Brihet, Sofia Gayo, Shawn Conley, Spyridon Mourtzinis, Nester Mashingaidze, Alex Sananka, Stephen Aston, Jonathan J. Ojeda, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Context: Agronomic data such as applied inputs, management practices, and crop yields are needed for assessing productivity, nutrient balances, resource use efficiency, as well as other aspects of environmental and economic performance of cropping systems. In many instances, however, these data are only available at a coarse level of aggregation or simply do not exist.

Objectives: Here we developed an approach that identifies sites for agronomic data collection for a given crop and country, seeking a balance between minimizing data collection efforts and proper representation of the main crop producing areas.

Methods: The developed approach followed a …

High Target Homology Does Not Guarantee Inhibition: Aminothiazoles Emerge As Inhibitors Of Plasmodium Falciparum, Sandra Johannsen, Robin M. Gierse, Arne KrüGer, Rachel L. Edwards, Vittoria Nanna, Anna Fontana, Di Zhu, Tiziana Masini, Lais Pessanha De Carvalho, Mael Poizat, Bart Kieftenbelt, Dana M. Hodge, Sophie University Of Nebraska-Lincoln,, Daan Bunt, Antoine Lacour, Atanaz Shams, Kamila Anna Meissner, Edmarcia Elisa De Souza, Melloney Dröge, Bernard Van Vliet, Jack Den Hartog, Michael C. Hutter, Jana Held, Audrey R. Odom John, Carsten Wrenger, Anna K.H. Hirsch

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

In this study, we identified three novel compound classes with potent activity against Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous human malarial parasite. Resistance of this pathogen to known drugs is increasing, and compounds with different modes of action are urgently needed. One promising drug target is the enzyme 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5- phosphate synthase (DXPS) of the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway for which we have previously identified three active compound classes against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The close structural similarities of the active sites of the DXPS enzymes of P. falciparum and M. tuberculosis prompted investigation of their antiparasitic action, all classes …

Multivalent Epigraph Hemagglutinin Vaccine Protects Against Influenza B Virus In Mice, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Brigette Corder Kampfe, Amber Gadeken, Matthew J. Pekarek, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Influenza B virus is a respiratory pathogen that contributes to seasonal epidemics, accounts for approximately 25% of global influenza infections, and can induce severe disease in young children. While vaccination is the most commonly used method of preventing influenza infections, current vaccines only induce strain-specific responses and have suboptimal efficacy when mismatched from circulating strains. Further, two influenza B virus lineages have been described, B/Yamagatalike and B/Victoria-like, and the limited cross-reactivity between the two lineages provides an additional barrier in developing a universal influenza B virus vaccine. Here, we report a novel multivalent vaccine using computationally designed Epigraph hemagglutinin proteins …

Augusta: From Rna-Seq To Gene Regulatory Networks And Boolean Models, Jana Musilova, Zdenek Vafek, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Ralf Zimmer, Tomáš Helikar, Karel Sedlar

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Computational models of gene regulations help to understand regulatory mechanisms and are extensively used in a wide range of areas, e.g., biotechnology or medicine, with significant benefits. Unfortunately, there are only a few computational gene regulatory models of whole genomes allowing static and dynamic analysis due to the lack of sophisticated tools for their reconstruction. Here, we describe Augusta, an open-source Python package for Gene Regulatory Network (GRN) and Boolean Network (BN) inference from the high-throughput gene expression data. Augusta can reconstruct genome-wide models suitable for static and dynamic analyses. Augusta uses a unique approach where the first estimation of …

Program Requirements For Beef Cattle Certified As Usda Organic, Carsten Loseke, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

This document provides an overview of the use and production of the USDA Certified Organic program for the beef cattle industry, with an emphasis on the state of Nebraska. We detail what cattle qualify, feed requirements, medical and health standards of cattle, and premiums paid by consumers for USDA certified organic products. All information is taken from the Organic Foods Production Act Provisions available in the Federal Register.

Gene Editing Of Pigs To Control Influenza A Virus Infections, Taeyong Kwon, Bianca L. Artiaga, Chester D. Mcdowell, Kristin M. Whitworth, Kevin D. Wells, Randall S. Prather, Gustavo Delhon, Mark Cigan, Stephen N. White, Jamie Retallick, Natasha N. Gaudreault, Igor Morozov, Juergen A. Richt

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Proteolytic activation of the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein by host cellular proteases is pivotal for influenza A virus (IAV) infectivity. Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses possess the multibasic cleavage site of the HA which is cleaved by ubiquitous proteases, such as furin; in contrast, the monobasic HA motif is recognized and activated by trypsin-like proteases, such as the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). Here, we aimed to determine the effects of TMPRSS2 on the replication of pandemic H1N1 and H3N2 subtype IAVs in the natural host, the pig. The use of the CRISPR/Cas 9 system led to the establishment of homozygous …

Effect Of Dietary Phytase On Water And Fecal Prokaryotic And Eukaryotic Microbiomes In A Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus X O. Niloticus) Mixotrophic Biofloc Production System, Candis L. Ray, Jason Abernathy, Bartholomew Green, Adam Rivers, Kevin Schrader, Steven Rawles, Matthew Mcentire, Miles Lange, Carl Webster

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

In this study we evaluated feed and temporal effects on prokaryotic (16S) and eukaryotic (18S) microbiome dynamics in an outdoor mixotrophic biofloc system used to grow hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis aureus x O. niloticus) to market size. The dicalcium phosphate -free practical feed treated with 6-phytase (3000 FTU/kg; P-Free+ Phytase) and positive (Control) and negative (P-Free) control practical feeds used were formulated to contain 27.7% digestible protein and 4% lipid. Sex reversed, all-male hybrid tilapia (28.9 g/fish) were stocked (29 fish/m³) in 9 outdoor rectangular tanks (16.6 m³) and grown for 154 days. The …

Trade-Offs In Rooting Strategy Dimensions Along An Edaphic Gradient In A Grassland Ecosystem, Yuguo Yang, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

1. Roots are essential to the diversity and functioning of plant communities, but trade-offs in rooting strategies are still poorly understood.
2. We evaluated existing frameworks of rooting strategy trade-offs and tested their underlying assumptions, guided by the hypothesis that community-level rooting strategies are best described by a combination of variation in organ-level traits, plant-level root:shoot allocation and symbiosis-level mycorrhizal dependency. We tested this hypothesis using data on plant community structure, above-and below-ground biomass, eight root traits including mycorrhizal colonisation and soil properties from an edaphic gradient driven by elevation and water availability in sandhills prairie, Nebraska, USA.
3. We found multidimensional trade-offs …

Twenty-Eight Years Of Gm Food And Feed Without Harm: Why Not Accept Them?, Richard E. Goodman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Since the first genetically engineered or modified crops or organisms (GMO) were approved for commercial production in 1995, no new GMO has been proven to be a hazard or cause harm to human consumers. These modifications have improved crop efficiency, reduced losses to insect pests, reduced losses to viral and microbial plant pathogens and improved drought tolerance. A few have focused on nutritional improvements producing beta carotene in Golden Rice. Regulators in the United States and countries signing the CODEX Alimentarius and Cartagena Biosafety agreements have evaluated human and animal food safety considering potential risks of allergenicity, toxicity, nutritional and …