Life Sciences Commons^™

Nebline, July 2001

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Making A Difference The County Fair Way
Vegetable Gardening in the Fall
Start Avocados Seeds
Blue Flowers for the Garden
Viburnums in the Landscape
Horticulture information center
Add a Touch of Fragrance
Explore Spring Creek Prairie
Hey Acreage Owners!
Dispelling The Daddy Longlegs Myth
August Household Hazardous Waste Collections
The Origin of an Acre and Other Land Measures
Calibrating Farm Sprayers
Pesticide Container Recycling Dates Set
Tips for Late Summer Alfalfa Planting
The Acreage Owners Expo
Simplify Lawn Care During Drought
Mulching Can Make Gardening Easier
Healthy Eating: Enjoy Nebraska Foods
The Well-Dressed Salad
Is That Whole Wheat Bread Really …

Benthic Biological Monitoring Program Of The Elizabeth River Watershed (2000), Daniel M. Dauer

Elizabeth River Reports

Executive Summary

A study of the macrobenthic communities of the Elizabeth River watershed was initiated in summer 1999. This report presents the data from the second year of sampling in 2000. The three objectives of the Benthic Biological Monitoring Program of the Elizabeth River watershed are: (1) To characterize the health of the tidal waters of the Elizabeth River watershed as indicated by the structure of the benthic communities. ( 2) To conduct trend analyses on long-term data at 14 fixed-point stations to relate temporal trends in the benthic communities to changes in water and/or sediment quality. Trend analyses will …

Experimental Evaluation Of Vitellogenin As A Predictive Biomarker For Reproductive Disruption, Ann Oliver Cheek, Thea Hoexum Brouwer, Suzanne Carroll, Steve Manning, John A. Mclachlan, Marius Brouwer

Faculty Publications

Vitellogenin (VTG) synthesis in male oviparous vertebrates is used as an indicator of environmental estrogen exposure, but the relationship between elevated VTG levels and the effects of environmental estrogens on reproductive success are poorly understood. To examine whether altered VTG expression predicts reproductive impairment, we exposed medaka (Oryzias latipes) for 2 or 8 weeks posthatch to 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 7.5 ppb of the environmental estrogen o,p ' -DDT. Fish were sampled 2, 4, and 8 weeks after hatch to examine VTG expression and gonad development. After exposure, fish were transferred to clean water, grown to sexual maturity, and …

Registration Of ‘Cougar’ Wheat, P. Stephen Baenziger, B. Moreno-Sevilla, C. J. Peterson, D. R. Shelton, Roger Wesley Elmore, P. T. Nordquist, R. N. Klein, D. D. Baltensperger, Lenis Alton Nelson, D. V. Mcvey, J. E. Watkins, J. H. Hatchett, Robert A. Graybosch

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cougar (Reg. no. CV-900, PI 613098) is a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS and released in 2000. Cougar was selected from the cross NE85707/'Thunderbird' which was made in 1987. The pedigree of NE85707 is ‘Warrior’*5/‘Agent’//‘Kavkaz’/4/NE63218/‘Kenya 58’/3/‘Newthatch’/2* CTMH//‘Ponca’/*2 ‘Cheyenne’. The pedigree of CTMH is Cheyenne-‘Tenmarq’-‘Mediterranean’-‘Hope’, where the order of the crosses is unknown. The pedigree of NE63218 is believed to be CI 12500//‘Red Chief’/Ponca/3/Cheyenne. The pedigree of CI 12500 is ‘Nebraska No. 60’//Mediterranean/Hope. The F1 to F3 generations were advanced using the bulk breeding method. Cougar …

Women Involvement In Food Crop Production, Processing And Marketing In Nigeria, Abiola O., Omoabugan O. B.

Bullion

The paper examines the extent of involvement of women in food crop production, processing and marketing in a typical African locality. Appropriate statistical techniques were employed in the data analyses. The findings show that women are greatly involved in the production, processing and marketing of food crops, especially cassava, which is one of the staple foods in sub-Saharan Africa.

Organic Grapes And Wine : A Guide To Production, Gerry Parlevliet, Steven Mccoy

Bulletins 4000 -

The tastebuds, health concerns and environmental conscience of affluent consumers are demanding more organically grown food than producers worldwide can supply. Growing consumer concerns about the effects of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilisers on human health and the environment have boosted world trade in organic products by a rate of about 20-30 per cent a year for the past 10 years. World trade was estimated to be worth $US 21.6 billion in 2000 and is expected to reach US$100 billion by the year 2006.

The Australian market for organic products alone is valued at $200-$250 million - with exports estimated …

Restoring Tallgrass Prairie Species Mixtures On Leafy Spurge-Infested Rangeland, Robert A. Masters, Daniel Beran, Roch E. Gaussoin

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

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) reduces northern Great Plains rangeland carrying capacity. Treatment strategies were evaluated that suppressed leafy spurge and facilitated establishment of mixtures of native grasses and legumes on range sites near Mason City and Tilden, Nebr. Glyphosate at 1,600 g a.i. (active ingredient) ha^-1 was applied with or without imazapic at 140 or 210 g a.i. ha^-1 in October 1995. In April 1996, standing crop was burned or mowed. Mixtures of native grasses [big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), little bluestem (Schizachyrium …

Modeling Vegetative Buffer Performance Considering Topographic Data Accuracy, Jason M. Brothers, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Matthew J. Helmers, Michael G. Dosskey, Thomas G. Franti

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

Riparian buffers are a promising tool in efforts to reduce sediment contribution to streams. Models that predict the capacity of buffers to trap sediment have recently been developed. A number of parameters that are required to conduct such modeling efforts are derived from the topography of the site. In this study, three topographic data sources were used to generate the model input for an agricultural field with a riparian buffer. The runoff and sediment transport in the system was then simulated for three years. As a result, the area that contributed runoff and sediment to the buffer was substantially different …

Temperature Effects On The Dynamics Of Aedes Albopictus (Diptera : Culicidae) Populations In The Laboratory, Barry W. Alto, Steven A. Juliano

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

We investigated how constant temperatures of 22, 24, and 26 degreesC experienced across the full life cycle affected the dynamics of caged populations of Aedes albopictus (Skuse). All cages were equipped with plastic beakers that served as sites for oviposition and larval development. We measured the per capita daily mortality and emergence rates of the adults and size of adult females, and estimated the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and asymptotic density (K) for each adult population. populations at 26 degreesC had greater intrinsic rates of increase and lower asymptotic densities than populations at 22 and 24 degreesC. Populations at …

Genetic Diversity And Camptothecin Variation In Camptotheca Decaisne, Yuiie Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Camptotheca Decaisne is the major source of the promising anti-cancer alkaloids camptothecins. The main objectives of this study are (1) to reveal the genetic diversity of Camptotheca and to identify taxa with RAPD markers; (2) to determine the camptothecin (CPT) variations within and among different populations and taxa, with tissues, season, and age; and (3) to determine the effects of environmental stress on the camptothecin production in Camptotheca. RAPD markers provide a powerful tool for the identification of some populations (particularly cultivars) and the detection of genetic variation within Camptotheca. Three primers (OPA02, OPA03, and OPA04), generating 44 polymorphic bands …

Symposium 15. Photosynthesis And Respiration Paper S15-022: Lack Of Genetic Adaptation And Its Effect On Dark Respiration, F. Zavala-Garcia, Jerry Eastin, H. Gamez-Gonzalez

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Two sorghum genotypes (Pioneer 8244® and H2183210351) with different degree of adaptation to tropical areas were planted in march in Marin, N.L. Mexico (tropical environment). The objective was to relate dark respiration with the lack of genetic adaptation. The dark respiration measurements were made 85 days after planting, during the grain fill period. The plants in one meter long of the central row were used for the measurements. A plexiglass chamber of 1 m long, 0.8 m width and 1 m tall was seated on top of a wood base to cover all plants in the meter of the row. …

Controlling Nitrate Leaching In Irrigated Agriculture, Roy F. Spalding, Darrell G. Watts, James S. Schepers, Mark E. Burbach, Mary E. Exner, Robert J. Poreda, Glen E. Martin

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The impact of improved irrigation and nutrient practices on ground water quality was assessed at the Nebraska Management System Evaluation Area using ground water quality data collected from 16 depths at 31 strategically located multilevel samplers three times annually from 1991 to 1996. The site was sectioned into four 13.4-ha management fields: (i) a conventional furrow-irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) field; (ii) a surge-irrigated corn field, which received 60% less water and 31% less N fertilizer than the conventional field; (iii) a center pivot-irrigated corn field, which received 66% less water and 37% less N fertilizer than the conventional field; …

Trichodesmium Spp.: Numerical Studies Of Resource Competition, Carbohydrate Ballasting, And Remote-Sensing Reflectance, Tonya Denise Clayton

OES Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, a new appreciation for the role of diazotrophy in the oceans has emerged. This dissertation reports on three modeling studies designed to investigate ecological processes associated with Trichodesmium spp., the most conspicuous marine diazotroph: (1) characterization of a generalized model Trichodesmium and issues of macronutrient resource competition; (2) carbohydrate ballasting by Trchodesmium and implications for the formation of surface accumulations; and (3) the vertical distribution of Trichodesmium and implications for detection from space.

The first study focuses on issues of nitrogen and phosphorus competition and ecosystem structure. It utilizes a simple ecosystem model that includes dissolved nitrogen …

Isoetes Mattaponica (Isoetaceae), A New Diploid Quillwort From Freshwater Tidal Marshes Of Virginia, Lytton John Musselman, W. Carl Taylor, Rebecca D. Bray

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Isoetes mattaponica is a rare quillwort of freshwater tidal rivers of eastern Virginia with a somatic chromosome number of 2n = 22. Megaspores have low rugulate muri on both the proximal and distal surfaces; the girdle is broad. Microspores are echinate-spinose with ornamented spines. Isoetes mattaponica may be one of the parents of several polyploids in the Southeastern United States.

Interactions Among Murine Cytomegalovirus Us22 Family Gene Products That Influence Viral Pathogenesis, Zaruhi Karabekian

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a complex, ubiquitous herpesvirus that is characterized by acute, chronic, and latent infections. Monocytes-macrophages are the key target cell type involved in pathogenesis, which is most effectively studied using the murine model of CMV infection. Previously three murine CMV (MCMV) genes (M139, M140, and M141) were identified to regulate viral expression in cultured macrophages and in mice. These genes are members of the US22 gene family with respect to HCMV homology. There is no function assigned to the proteins encoded by these genes. However, deletion of M139, M140, and M141 significantly curtails growth of MCMV in macrophages …

Regulation Of The Hcmv Ul98 Promoter By Cooperation Of The Cyclic Amp Response Element And Gamma Interferon Response Element, Tabmitha Patricia Young Jervey

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

The HCMV UL98 early alkaline exonuclease gene promoter was examined to determine the DNA sequences as well as viral and/or cellular proteins functional in the regulation of this early gene. To assess promoter activation, UL98 promoter sequences were first cloned upstream of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene and cotransfected with expression plasmids which express the HCMV major immediate early (IE) proteins 1E72 and 1E86. To more specifically determine the importance of individual cis-acting elements in UL98 promoter activation, the promoter region underwent mutagenesis to delete or alter sequences. The variant promoters were again cloned into a reporter-CAT construct and …

Comparison Of A Space Shuttle Flight (Sts-78) And Bed Rest On Human Muscle Function, Scott W. Trappe, Todd A. Trappe, Gary A. Lee, Jeffrey J. Widrick, David L. Costill, Robert H. Fitts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this investigation was to assess muscle fiber size, composition, and in vivo contractile characteristics of the calf muscle of four male crew members during a 17-day spaceflight (SF; Life and Microgravity Sciences Spacelab Shuttle Transport System-78 mission) and eight men during a 17-day bed rest (BR). The protocols and timelines of these two investigations were identical, therefore allowing for direct comparisons between SF and the BR. The subjects’ age, height, and weight were 43 +/- 2 yr, 183 +/- 4 cm, and 86 +/- 3 kg for SF and 43 +/- 2 yr, 182 +/- 3 cm, …

Positive Regulation Of Pka On Human Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (Hgnrh) Gene Expression In Human Placental Jeg-3 Cells, Zhaoyang Wen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Using the human placental choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cell line as an in vitro human placental model, we studied the mechanisms of the PKA positive regulation of the hGnRH gene expression in the human placenta. Studies in JEG3 cells showed that through the PKA catalytic subunit a, human GnRH upstream promoter activity was stimulated by PKA signaling pathway in a cAMP dependent mechanism. The sequence between —202 (Afl II) and —554 (BamH I) base pair in the human GnRH upstream promoter region appeared to be responsible for the PKA positive regulation of the gene expression. Furthermore, Western blot analysis demonstrated the involvement …

Estrogen Regulation Of The Pregnant Baboon Placental 11Β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (11Β-Hsd)-Catalyzed Metabolism Of Cortisol And Cortisone And Its Effect On The Development Of The Fetal Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, William Adair Davies

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Pepe and Albrecht previously demonstrated that the estrogen-regulated change in transuteroplacental metabolism of cortisol (F) and cortisone (E) from preferential reduction (E to F) at midgestation to oxidation (F to E) near term results in a decline of bioactive cortisol crossing the placenta and reaching the fetus culminating in activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis of the baboon and the ontogenesis of rate-limiting steroidogenic enzymes culminating in de novo F secretion. Protein kinase A (PK-A) activity in the baboon fetal adrenal gland cytosolic fraction was increased 2-fold both at term [day 165 of gestation (term = 184 days)] and following …

Systematics Of The Subterranean Amphipod Genus Stygobromus (Crangonyctidae) In Western North America, With Emphasis On Species Of The Hubbsi Group, Daqing Wang

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a study of the systematics of the subterranean amphipod genus Stygobromus of family Crangonyctidae in western North America. A total of 53 species of Stygobromus from western North America (including one species from Wisconsin) are recognized, 28 of which are new to science. All species are described and illustrated using external morphological features. A key to the western North America species of Stygobromus is given, as well as a summary of habitats of the species.

Cladistic analyses are conducted using 32 external morphological characters and two categories of outgroup choices: “all-zero” theoretical ancestor and three non-Stygobromus …

Assembly Of Reca-Like Recombinases: Distinct Roles For Mediator Proteins In Mitosis And Meiosis, Stephen L. Gasior

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Members of the RecA family of recombinases from bacteriophage T4, Escherichia coli, yeast, and higher eukaryotes function in recombination as higher-order oligomers assembled on tracts of single-strand DNA (ssDNA). Biochemical studies have shown that assembly of recombinase involves accessory factors. These studies have identified a class of proteins, called recombination mediator proteins, that act by promoting assembly of recombinase on ssDNA tracts that are bound by ssDNA-binding protein (ssb). In the absence of mediators, ssb inhibits recombination reactions by competing with recombinase for DNA-binding sites. Here we briefly review mediated recombinase assembly and present results of new in vivo experiments. …

An Enzymatic Method For The Detection Of Human Serum Albumin, M U. Javed, S N. Waqar

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Albumin is the most abundant protein in human serum. A dye-binding method is commonly used in clinical laboratories for its estimation using different types of dyes. However, all these dye methods were interfered by a variety of compounds. Here we present a method for the detection of albumin in human serum and other biological fluids. The principle is based on the fact that lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme-5 (LDH-5) binds specifically to Dextran-Blue (DB). Albumin inhibits the binding of LDH-5 with DB. Absence of LDH activity in DB fraction after gel filtration indicates the presence of albumin in sample and vice versa.

State Of The Fisheries Report 2000/2001, Jim W. Penn

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The State of the Fisheries document is designed as an essential supplement to the Annual Report to Parliament and provides a more detailed level of information to support the Department of Fisheries' non-financial performance measures. By summarising management changes, compliance activities and research data including stock assessments and breeding stock levels, this document provides a valuable reference point for Western Australian fisheries of major importance to the commercial and recreational sectors. Information relevant to the State's aquaculture industries and the Department's Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program is also provided. In keeping with the Department's significant 2000/2001 initiative to begin …

Water Rights As Contested Terrain: The Case Of Tenmile Creek, Oregon, Marcie L. Allen

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the complex conflict over water rights at Tenmile Creek, located along the south central Oregon Coast. The research is an exploratory case study identifying the main motivations of actors, the constraints they faced, and the conditions that encouraged or dissuaded collaborative behavior.

The main objectives are (1) to refine the understanding of the relationship between societies and their physical environment in market societies that are both motivated to exploit and preserve natural resources and, (2) to explore the kinds of institutional arrangements that may be required to manage the water supply in a collaborative and sustainable manner. …

The Physiology Of Life History Trade-Offs In Animals, Anthony J. Zera, Lawrence G. Harshman

Anthony Zera Publications

The functional causes of life history trade-offs have been a topic of interest to evolutionary biologists for over six decades. Our review of life history trade-offs discusses conceptual issues associated with physiological aspects of trade-offs, and it describes recent advances on this topic. We focus on studies of four model systems: wing polymorphic insects, Drosophila, lizards, and birds. The most significant recent advances have been: (a) incorporation of genetics in physiological studies of trade-offs, (b) integration of investigations of nutrient input with nutrient allocation, (c) development of more sophisticated models of resource acquisition and allocation, (d) a shift to more …

Complex Effects Arising In Smoke Plume Simulations Due To Inclusion Of Direct Emissions Of Oxygenated Organic Species From Biomass Combustion, Sherri A. Mason, Richard J. Field, Robert J. Yokelson, Michael A. Kochivar, Mark R. Tinsley, Darold E. Ward, Wei Min Hao

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Oxygenated volatile organic species (oxygenates), including HCOOH, H₂CO, CH₃OH, HOCH₂CHO (hydroxyacetaldehyde), CH₃COOH, and C₆H₅OH, have recently been identified by Fourier transform infrared measurements as a significant component of the direct emissions from biomass combustion. These oxygenates have not generally been included in the hydrocarbon-based initial emission profiles used in previous photochemical simulations of biomass combustion smoke plumes. We explore the effects of oxygenates on this photochemistry by using an established initial emission hydrocarbon profile and comparing simulation results obtained both with and without addition of the above six …

New Student Enrollment, John Owens

John Owens: Speeches and Appearances

Good morning! It is my real pleasure to welcome you to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. I want to welcome you to the entire campus, which includes both the City Campus where we are today and the East Campus – famous for its beauty and the university ice cream store!

As a student here you are becoming an important part of the University of Nebraska family, with many exciting challenges and opportunities ahead of you. In fact, often these challenges and opportunities are both sides of the same coin.

Endangered And Threatened Wildlife And Plants: Establishment Of A Nonessential Experimental Population Of Whooping Cranes In The Eastern United States

Endangered Species Bulletin

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will reintroduce whooping cranes (Grus aericana) into historic habitat in the eastern United States with the intent to establish a migratory flock that would summer and breed in Wisconsin, and winter in west-central Florida. We are designating this reintroduced population as a nonessential experimental population (NEP) according to section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. The geographic boundary of the NEP includes the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West …

Lysimachia Terrestris (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb., Loy R. Phillippe, R. L. Larimore

Specimens by Name

No abstract provided.

Increased Plasma Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Concentrations In Prepubertal Gilts From Lines Selected For Increased Number Of Corpora Lutea, J. J. Ford, D. R. Zimmerman, T. H. Wise, K. A. Leymaster, R. K. Christenson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was evaluated in gilts from two studies in which ovulation rate was increased through direct selection for number of corpora lutea (CL) to determine whether selection for ovulation rate affected FSH secretion during prepubertal development. In the first study, 76 control and 110 selected gilts of University of Nebraska gene pool lines were bled twice during prepubertal development. Plasma FSH concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) at 53 (13.5%) and 75 (21.3%) d of age in selected than in control gilts. In the second study, 254 control gilts, 261 gilts from a line selected for ovulation rate, and 256 gilts from a line selected for uterine capacity were bled at three prepubertal ages. Plasma FSH was greater (P < 0.05), relative to controls, on d 34 (> 24%), 55 (> 13%), and 85 (> 10%) in White Composite gilts selected for either increased ovulation rate or for greater uterine capacity. Unilateral ovariectomy and hysterectomy were performed at …