Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Are Too Many Or Too Few Babies Being Born?, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

An additional 1.8 billion people will be added to the world’s population by 2050. At the same time, average incomes are likely to rise. Data from the Groningen Growth and Development Center suggest that average real (inflation-adjusted) GDP per capita increased by a factor of fifteen between 1820 and 2018 and World Bank data indicate that real per capita GDP more than tripled over the past 62 years. It is likely that these trends will continue and there will be more people with higher average incomes in the future straining global food systems and natural resources. Slower population growth rates …

Naturally Derived Phenethyl Isothiocyanate Modulates Induction Of Oxidative Stress Via Its N-Acetylated Cysteine Conjugated Form In Malignant Melanoma, Sotiris Kyriakou, Nikoletta Demosthenous, Tom Amery, Kyle J. Stewart, Paul G. Winyard, Rodrigo Franco, Aglaia Pappa, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) is a secondary metabolic product yielded upon the hydrolysis of gluconasturtiin and it is highly accumulated in the flowers of watercress. The aim of the current study was to assess the role of a naturally derived PEITC-enriched extract in the induction of oxidative stress and to evaluate its anti-melanoma potency through the regulation of its metabolism with the concurrent production of the N-acetyl cysteine conjugated by-product. For this purpose, an in vitro melanoma model was utilized consisting of human primary (A375) cells as well as metastatic (COLO-679) malignant melanoma cells together with non-tumorigenic immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT). …

Course Portfolio For Biochemistry 1: Structure And Metabolism (Bioc431), Didier Mena

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio encapsulates a comprehensive exploration aimed at enhancing the educational landscape of the BIOC431 course, a part of the general biochemistry course series (431 and 432). These courses are designed to offer a general introduction to the structure and function of cells in the body, along with their chemical reactions. Specifically, BIOC431 focuses on the structure, function, and metabolism of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and other major metabolic pathways. The three primary objectives addressed in this portfolio were the reevaluation of learning objectives, reassessment of assessment methods, and documentation of effective classroom strategies. Through background design, the learning objectives …

Vibroscape Analysis Reveals Acoustic Niche Overlap And Plastic Alteration Of Vibratory Courtship Signals In Ground-Dwelling Wolf Spiders, Noori Choi, Pat Miller, Eileen A. Hebets

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

To expand the scope of soundscape ecology to encompass substrate-borne vibrations (i.e. vibroscapes), we analyzed the vibroscape of a deciduous forest floor using contact microphone arrays followed by automated processing of large audio datasets. We then focused on vibratory signaling of ground-dwelling Schizocosa wolf spiders to test for (i) acoustic niche partitioning and (ii) plastic behavioral responses that might reduce the risk of signal interference from substrate-borne noise and conspecific/heterospecific signaling. Two closely related species - S. stridulans and S. uetzi - showed high acoustic niche overlap across space, time, and dominant frequency. Both species show plastic behavioral …

Soil Carbon And Nitrogen After Eight Years Of Rotational Grazing In The Nebraska Sandhills Meadows, Gandura O. Abagandura, Martha Mamo, W. H. Schacht, Aaron Shropshire, Jerry Volesky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Grassland provides many ecosystem services; therefore, sustainable management practices of grassland are crucial for maintaining and enhancing its ecosystem health and resilience. Rotational grazing at a high stocking density (a.k.a., ultrahigh stocking density) is purported to sequester greater amounts of carbon (C) in grassland soils than rotational grazing at low stocking densities. This study was conducted in the Nebraska Sandhills meadows for eight years to evaluate how rotational grazing with different stocking densities can affect soil C and total nitrogen (TN) in bulk soils, soil organic matter fractions, and sequestration rate. The grazing management included a high stocking density with …

Genome-Wide Association And Genomic Prediction For Iron And Zinc Concentration And Iron Bioavailability In A Collection Of Yellow Dry Beans, Paulo Izquierdo, Rie Sadohara, Jason Wiesinger, Raymond Glahn, Carlos Urrea, Karen Cichy

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Dry bean is a nutrient-dense food targeted in biofortification programs to increase seed iron and zinc levels. The underlying assumption of breeding for higher mineral content is that enhanced iron and zinc levels will deliver health benefits to the consumers of these biofortified foods. This study characterized a diversity panel of 275 genotypes comprising the Yellow Bean Collection (YBC) for seed Fe and Zn concentration, Fe bioavailability (FeBio), and seed yield across 2 years in two field locations. The genetic architecture of each trait was elucidated via genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and the efficacy of genomic prediction (GP) was assessed. …

Adolescent Mental Health In The Twenty-First Century, Arthur Maerlander, Patricia Gail Bray

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Parents do not suddenly relinquish medical decision-making to their children and are a vital part of a process construed within the framework of consent and confidentiality laws. In the transition period from childhood to adulthood, adolescents develop unique healthcare needs and concerns at the very time they are gaining autonomy from their parents. Adolescents progress from being recipients of decisions about their care to gradually becoming active participants in their healthcare and emerge as a primary partner in medical decision-making. Building a strong therapeutic alliance with young people can help them become responsible healthcare decision-makers.

Yet while “healthcare,” including …

Associations Of Sex And Sport Contact‑Level With Recovery Timelines Among Collegiate Athletes With Sport‑Related Concussion, Bernadette A. D'Alonzo, Andrea L. C. Schneider, Ian J. Barnett, Christina L. Master, Abigail C. Bretzin, Douglas J. Wiebe, Ivy League-Big Ten Epidemiology Of Concussion Study Investigators

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Background

Growing interest has motivated recent studies to examine differences in recovery after sportrelated concussion (SRC) by sex. However, heterogeneity in study design, participants, and recovery outcomes has led to mixed findings. Further work is needed to evaluate potential differences by sex and to investigate the role of related characteristics, such as sport contact-level, in recovery timelines. This study aimed to investigate whether concussion recovery trajectories differ by sex, considering a priori clinical and demographic covariates, and accounting for the sequence of recovery outcomes. Our secondary question was whether sport contact-level modifies the relationship between sex and time to outcomes. …

Timber Talk, Vol. 62, No. 1, March 2024

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Timber Talk, Vol. 62, No. 1, March 2024

Timber Talk, Vol. 62, No. 4, December 2024

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

Timber Talk, Vol. 62, No. 4, December 2024

Bone Traces And Modifications From Feeding By Dermestes Maculatus, B. V. Adams, Leon G. Higley

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

That Dermestes maculatus feeding can leave marks on bones is established in the literature - that D. maculatus routinely mark bones is not. Our results here, exposing fleshed bones to D. maculatus adults and immatures for almost two months after complete tissue removal, indicate that under natural conditions D. maculatus do not feed on bones. The key issue seems to be the ability of D. maculatus to seek new food sources versus being confined (and eventually starving) on bones. In a natural setting, once a food supply is exhausted, D. maculatus would seek new food …

Retention Of P-Chip Microtransponders And Post-Tagging Survival Of Small-Bodied Stream Fishes, J. Spooner, Jonathan J. Spurgeon

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Reduced Representation Sequencing Reveals Weak Genetic Differentiation Between Canadian And European Larus Hyperboreus (Glaucous Gull), E. Lachance Linklater, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, G. J. Robertson, L. Colston-Nepali, F. Vigfusdottir, V. L. Friesen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Seed Focus, March 2024, Nebraska Crop Improvement Association

Nebraska Seed Focus

Nebraska Seed Focus, March 2024

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 3, Edition 1, January 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

2024 World Food prize Nebraska Youth Institute

Upcoming events on UNL's East Campus 2023-2024

Data Driven 2024: Statistics Field Day

CASNR Ag Tech Day, April 23, 2024

UNL-CASNR six interest areas

Food system futurists spotlight

Career exploration

Summer Camp 2024

Career pathways at Seed Your Future

Student opportunities including: Women in Ag Conference, BioNebraska STEM …

Measuring Mobility: A Quantitative Description Of Sbae Teacher Mobility In Minnesota, Becky Haddad, Lavyne L. Rada, Amy R. Smith

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Considerations around teacher attrition, supply and demand, and retention are incomplete without including teacher mobility. The problem, as it currently stands, finds SBAE ill-equipped, at the professional level, to support mobile teachers. Providing support, however, starts with understanding the population; in this case, mobile teachers. The purpose of our study was to quantitatively describe teacher mobility in [State] over the last 20 years (1999-2021). To describe SBAE teacher mobility in our state, we utilized teacher retention data compiled from state teacher directories over the last 20 years (1999-2021). We corroborated previous findings noting heightened attrition after year one in a …

Proceedings Of The 51st Annual Meeting, Southern Soybean Disease Workers (March 6-7, 2024, Pensacola Beach, Florida), Ian Small, Kiersten A. Wise, Travis R. Faske, Danise Beadle, Paul Patrick Price Iii, Tom W. Allen

Southern Soybean Disease Workers: Conference Proceedings

Success in Extension (moderator: Kiersten Wise)

Institutional currency: What is important at your university? Loren Giesler

Success (and challenges) in extension in the Mid-West, Daren Mueller

Success in extension in the Mid-Atlantic, Alyssa Koehler

Success (and failures) in xxtension in the Southeast, Ed Sikora

Success in extension in the Mid-South, Travis Faske

Student Competition (moderator: Ian Small)

Hiding in plain sight: Disentangling the biology of Cercospora species associated with Cercospora leaf blight of soybean, Ernesto da Silva, J. Searight, J. Richards, P. Price, and V. Doyle

Using spore traps to decipher the epidemiology of Cercospora leaf blight in the mid-south, …

Experimentation On Manual Paper Making Using Mango Seed Fibers, Mercy Wanduara

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This paper seeks to explore the use of Kenyan mango fiber as a core ingredient in papermaking. Mango is a tropical fruit grown in many countries around the world, including Kenya. The fruit tree grows naturally and has a maturity period of approximately three years. When this juicy fruit is ready for harvesting most of the fruits are harvested for consumption but plenty of them find their way into compost because of overproduction and lack of market. Moreover, the fruits are either consumed whole or juiced. The core of the fruit is a hairy seed which has little value to …

Wics Conference 2024: Announcement, Wics Conference

Water and Integrated Cropping Systems Conferences

Announcement for the 2024 Water and Integrated Cropping Systems (WICS) Conference to be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discussing the theme: Creating Connections Together with the goals of addressing Team Science.

Classification Of Sow Postures Using Convolutional Neural Network And Depth Images, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The United States swine industry reports an average preweaning mortality of approximately 16% where approximately 6% of them are attributed to piglets overlayed by sows. Detecting postural transitions and estimating sows’ time budgets for different postures are valuable information for breeders and engineering design of farrowing facilities to eventually reduce piglet death. Computer vision tools can help monitor changes in animal posture accurately and efficiently. To create a more robust system and eliminate varying lighting issues within a day including daytime/ nighttime differences, there is an advantage to using depth cameras over digital cameras. In this study, a computer vision …

Biogeographic Affiliation And Centers Of Richness As Predictors Of Elevational Range-Size Patterns For Malesian Flora, Melissa Whitman, Sabrina E. Russo

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Our goal was to interrogate the idea that “mountain passes are higher in the tropics” by investigating ecological and biogeographic drivers of elevational range-sizes patterns among equatorial flora. We used herbarium records for 60 species-rich plant families, representing 18 535 species total, to estimate distributions over a 4500 m elevational gradient. For each family, we estimated the change in average range-sizes with increasing elevation (i.e. Rapoport's rule, abbreviated as ERR) and quantified 15 metrics of familial richness distribution, evolutionary age, and biogeographic affiliation. We visualized covariation across families using phylogenetic principal components analysis (pPCA). We then evaluated how family-level ERR …

Perennializing Marginal Croplands: Going Back To The Future To Mitigate Climate Change With Resilient Biobased Feedstocks, Salvador Ramirez Ii, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Catherine E. Stewart, Jay Parsons, Daren D. Redfearn, John J. Quinn, Gary E. Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, Ronald F. Follett

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

Managing annual row crops on marginally productive croplands can be environmentally unsustainable and result in variable economic returns. Incorporating perennial bioenergy feedstocks into marginally productive cropland can engender ecosystem services and enhance climate resiliency while also diversifying farm incomes. We use one of the oldest bioenergy-specific field experiments in North America to evaluate economically and environmentally sustainable management practices for growing perennial grasses on marginal cropland. This long-term field trial called 9804 was established in 1998 in eastern Nebraska and compared the productivity and sustainability of corn (Zea mays L.)—both corn grain and corn stover—and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2024, 144th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Aeronautics and Space Science Poster Session

Anthropology: Humans Past and Present

Maiben Lecture: "Platte Basin Timelapse: A Watershed in Motion," Grant Reiner

Applied Science and Technology

Biological Sciences

Biomedical Sciences

Chemistry

Earh Sciences

Environmental Sciences

Physics

Science Education

2024 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow- calf Nutrition, Reproduction, and Management

• Impact of Increasing Level of Milk Production on Cow- Calf Performance in Nebraska Sandhills
• Artificial Insemination of Beef Heifers with Multi- Sire Semen
• Effect of Heifer Percent Mature Body Weight at Breeding on Heifer Performance, Calf Production, and Subsequent Pregnancy Rates
• Effect of Glucogenic Feed Additive on Reproductive Performance in Young Postpartum Range Cows
• The Effect of Late Gestation Supplementation Strategy on Cow- Calf Performance in March- Calving Mature Cows
• The Impact of Pre- partum Supplementation Strategy on Cow- Calf Performance in May- Calving Mature Cows
• The Effect of Postpartum Supplementation Strategy on Performance …

Predicting Live Body Wight Of Yearling Beef Heifers Using 3d Imaging, Dalton J. Anderson, Yijie Xiong, Andrea K. Watson, J. Travis Mulliniks

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This study was conducted to determine the accuracy of using 3D imaging technology as a method to predict shrunk body weight (BW) of growing yearling beef heifers. Red Angus x SImmental heifers (n = 69, BW = 726 ± 62 lbs; 12 months of age) were utilized for data collection. A time-of-flight depth camera (Azure Kinect, Microsoft) was used to collect depth videos as heifers walked out of the chute. Ideal image frames were identified from videos and used to determine the body volume of each heifer. Prediction of BW using images produced an R² (estimate of model fit) …

Impact Of Varying Inclusion Of Modified Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Compared To Constant Inclusion On Feedlot Cattle Performance And Carcass Characteristics, Debora G. Sousa, Rebecca Mcdermott, Mitch M. Norman, J. C. Macdonald, Rick A. Stock, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying inclusion of modified distillers grains plus solubles on a weekly basis with two inclusions of grass hay on the performance of finishing steers. no interaction was observed between modified distillers grains plus solubles inclusion (0%, 25% constant, or 25% varying from 15-35%) and hay inclusion (6% or 12%). When evaluating the effect of hay inclusion on performance, cattle fed 6% grass hay had less dry matter intake than those fed 12% grass hay, and there was a tendency for gains to be greater for cattle fed 6% grass hay. Adding …

Impact Of Feeding New Fractioinated Distillers Grains (Fiber Plus Syrup) On Feedlot Cattle Performance And Carcass Characteristics, Debora G. Sousa, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Mitch M. Norman, James C. Macdonald, Rick Stock, Ryan A. Mass, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Fractionation processes are being explored to supply higher protein distillers grains for premium markets. Resulting distillers grains after a fraction is isolated will still be marketed as a cattle feed so knowing the impact on performance is important. This study evaluated feeding wet or dry conventional distillers grains with wet and dry fractionated distillers (fiber plus syrup) fed at 0, 20, or 40% of diet DM. When compared to the corn control, intake and gain increased for each of the four distillers types were fed, but feed conversion was poorer (i.e., increased) for dry distillers grains and dry fiber plus …

Comparison Of Corn Silage And Earlage In Finishing Diets When Fed As A Roughage On A Neutral Detergent Fiber Basis, Garrett N. Lemon, Rebecca Mcdermott, Alfredo Dicostanzo, Galen E. Erickson, Pablo L. Loza

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The finishing trial was conducted to evaluate the ability of earlage to serve as a roughage source compared to corn silage when both sources were balanced on an NDF basis. Steers were fed in a randomized block design with a 2x2 treatment arrangement, with one factor being NDF source (corn silage or earlage) and the other factor being inclusion ("normal" amount of roughage provided by corn silage or earlage as the only grain source and roughage source). No significant interactions were observed between roughage source and inclusion level on steer performance. Steers fed corn silage and grain had greater intakes …

Nebraska Producer Perceptions On The Role And Implications Of Negotiations In Fed Cattle Transactions, Taralee Hudson, Elliott James Dennis, Brad D. Lubben, James C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A survey of ten feelot operators, as identified through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture's (NDA) 2019-2020 Cattle Feeder's Directory was conducted to identify the important concepts related to negotiated transactions and price discovery within the fed cattle market. The surveyed feedlots account for approximately 10 percent of the cattle on feed identified within the directory, on a one time capacity basis. Conducted in April of 2023 via phone conversation, the questions were related to 1) negotiated cash transactions, 2) the bidding process, and 3) thinning cash trade. Such results lend insight into the marketing practices that currently dominate the fed …