Life Sciences Commons^™

Ecological Correlations Of Dietary Food Intake And Mental Health Disorders, Jordan Hoerr, Joshua Fogel, Benjamin Van Voorhees

Publications and Research

This paper examines the ecological association of dietary food intake with mental health outcomes on the group level across countries. Published data from the World Mental Health Survey were used to compare lifetime prevalence of four categories of mental health disorders (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, and substance use disorders) with a country’s fish/seafood and sugar/sweetener supply quantity using the Spearman rank correlation. Data were compared for 17 countries across the world. Sugar and sweetener supply quantity was significantly and positively associated with anxiety disorders (rho = 0.75, p = 0.001), mood disorders (rho = 0.75, p = …

A Pilot And Feasibility Study To Assess Children’S Consumption In Quick-Service Restaurants Using Plate Waste Methodology, Juliana F.W. Cohen, Susan B. Roberts, Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, Madeleine Mg. Gamache, Vanessa M. Lynskey, Emilia Matthews, Megan P. Mueller, Shanti Sharma, Christina D. Economos

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Children regularly consume foods from quick-service restaurants (QSR), but little is known about the foods that children order, the calories and nutrients consumed, the accuracy of stated calorie information, or the ability to assess food orders and consumption in QSRs. This study evaluated the feasibility of plate waste collection in QSRs and examined children’s orders and consumption of meals from the standard and children’s menus. Additional aims were to examine if the meals ordered met healthier standards for children’s menu items and determine the accuracy of the QSR-stated energy content of foods. Methods: Fifteen QSRs, two malls, and 116 …

Patellar Tendon Straps Decrease Pre-Landing Quadriceps Activation In Males With Patellar Tendinopathy, Adam B. Rosen, Jupil Ko, Kathy J. Simpson, Cathleen N. Brown

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine if patellar tendon straps altered quadriceps’ muscle activity during a drop-jump landing in males with and without patellar tendinopathy.

Design: Case-control.

Settings: Biomechanics Research Laboratory.

Participants: Twenty recreationally-active males participated: ten (age=21.3±2.4 years, height=182.8±5.3cm, mass=81.7±8.6kg) with patellar tendinopathy; ten (age=22.0±1.6 years, height=185.7±4.5 cm, mass=82.2±9.8kg) were healthy with no history of tendinopathy.

Main Outcome Measures: Electromyography (EMG) data for the vastus medialis (VM), rectus femoris (RF), and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles were collected. Five 2-legged 40cm drop-jumps were performed wearing a patellar tendon strap and 5 with no-strap in a counterbalanced order.

Root-mean …

The North American Perching And Dabbling Ducks: Their Biology And Behavior, Paul Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This volume, the fourth in a series of books that collectively update and expand P. A. Johnsgard’s 1975 The Waterfowl of North America, summarizes research findings on this economically and ecologically important group of waterfowl. The volume includes the mostly tropical perching duck tribe Cairinini, of which two species, the muscovy duck and the wood duck, are representatives. Both species are adapted for foraging on the water surface, mostly on plant materials, but typically perch in trees and nest in elevated tree cavities or other elevated recesses. This volume also includes the dabbling, or surface-feeding, duck tribe Anatini, a …

Developmental Trajectories Of Bottle-Feeding During Infancy And Their Association With Weight Gain, Alison K. Ventura

Kinesiology and Public Health

Objective: To describe patterns of bottle-feeding across the first year postpartum and explore whether bottle-feeding trajectories are differentially associated with infant weight gain.

Method: Data came from 1291 mothers who participated in the Infant Feeding Practices Study 2. Mothers completed a prenatal questionnaire and monthly surveys of infant feeding and growth between birth and 12 months. Group-based trajectory mixture modeling was used to describe developmental trajectories of bottle-feeding intensities across the first year. Growth curve modeling was used to explore associations between bottle-feeding intensity trajectory group membership and weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) trajectories from birth to 12 months.

Results: Four qualitatively …

Integrated Biomarker Profiling Of Smokers With Periodontitis, Radhakrishnan Nagarajan, Mohanad Al-Sabbagh, Dolph Dawson Iii, Jeffrey L. Ebersole

Institute for Biomedical Informatics Faculty Publications

Background

In the context of precision medicine, understanding patient‐specific variation is an important step in developing targeted and patient‐tailored treatment regimens for periodontitis. While several studies have successfully demonstrated the usefulness of molecular expression profiling in conjunction with single classifier systems in discerning distinct disease groups, the majority of these studies do not provide sufficient insights into potential variations within the disease groups.

Aim

The goal of this study was to discern biological response profiles of periodontitis and non‐periodontitis smoking subjects using an informed panel of biomarkers across multiple scales (salivary, oral microbiome, pathogens and other markers).

Material & Methods …

The Feasibility Of Using The Super Tracker Website For Behavior Changes In The Adolescent Population, Ebony Taylor, Diana Cuy Castellanos

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Research suggests technology such as health websites may be a viable way to effect lifestyle behavior and promote health. Several websites utilize self-monitoring of physical activity and diet as well as provide health-related education as a method to impact behavior. One such site is the Super Tracker tool on ChooseMyPlate.gov, created by the United States Department of Health. The site was created to encourage healthy diet and physical activity within the US population. Therefore, the aim of this original research was to examine the acceptability and feasibility outcomes of a self-monitoring physical activity intervention delivered by the Super Tracker website …

Isokinetic Dynamometry And 1rm Tests Produce Conflicting Results For Assessing Alterations In Muscle Strength, Paulo Gentil, Fabricio Boscolo Del Vecchio, Antonio Paoli, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Martim Bottaro

Publications and Research

The purpose of this study was to compare strength gains in the lower limbs, assessed by one maximum repetition (1RM) and isokinetic peak torque (PT), in young men undergoing a resistance training (RT) program. Twenty-seven young men performed resistance training twice a week for 11 weeks. Training involved two exercises for the lower body, two for the upper body and one for the midsection performed with three sets of 8-12 repetitions to momentary muscle failure. Before and after the training period, participants performed the 1RM test in the 45° leg press and knee extension PT in isokinetic dynamometry. The Pearson …

Yield Gains In Dry Beans In The U.S., George Vandemark, Mark A. Brick, James D. Kelly, Juan M. Osorno, Carlos A. Urrea

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

INTRODUCTION Yield Gains can be estimated by comparing On-Farm yields vs. Potential yield (a.k.a., realized yield) or measured in common trials. The difference between On-Farm yield and Potential yield is known as the Yield Gap. Plant breeders primarily focus on increasing Potential yield while also attempting to optimize the interaction between genotype, environment, and agronomic practices to increase On-Farm yield and reduce the Yield Gap. In recent years, scientists in developing countries and the U.S. have made major advances in dry bean disease resistance, stress tolerance, and increased yield (Kelly, 2004). Agronomic and biotechnological tools have contributed to these achievements. …

Testing A Differential Set Of Andean And Mesoamerican Common Bean Genotypes To Characterize Rhizobium Isolates, Juan C. Rosas, D. Valle, C. Estevez De Jensen, J. S. Beaver, T. G. Porch

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

INTRODUCTION Nitrogen (N) deficiency is present in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) fields in most production regions in Central America and the Caribbean (CA/C), especially on small hillside farms where no or sub-optimum levels of fertilizer are used. Under these conditions, Rhizobium inoculants could represent a cheap and effective input to increase bean yield. Despite the potential benefits from increased biological nitrogen fixation, Rhizobium inoculation is rarely used by farmers in CA/C. Nodulation and nitrogen fixation (N2) of bean cultivars in response to Rhizobium inoculation is quite variable due to several biological and edaphic factors (Graham et al. 2003). …

Testing A Differential Set Of Andean And Mesoamerican Common Bean Genotypes To Characterize Rhizobium Isolates, Juan C. Rosas, D. Valle, C. Estevez De Jensen, J. S. Beaver, T. G. Porch

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

INTRODUCTION Nitrogen (N) deficiency is present in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) fields in most production regions in Central America and the Caribbean (CA/C), especially on small hillside farms where no or sub-optimum levels of fertilizer are used. Under these conditions, Rhizobium inoculants could represent a cheap and effective input to increase bean yield. Despite the potential benefits from increased biological nitrogen fixation, Rhizobium inoculation is rarely used by farmers in CA/C. Nodulation and nitrogen fixation (N2) of bean cultivars in response to Rhizobium inoculation is quite variable due to several biological and edaphic factors (Graham et al. 2003). On …

Iowa Transplant, Mark Myers

UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

As a professor in the Biology Department at UNI, one of my primary jobs is to teach young Iowans about ecology and the conservation of biodiversity. When I first encounter students in my classes, many view “nature” or “biodiversity” as unfamiliar and distant, perhaps something to be visited or experienced on vacation. I aim to teach these students about the historic transformation of Iowa’s landscape, the ways in which human activities alter the state’s ecosystems, and what ecologists and conservation biologists are doing to promote the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in Iowa. But learning is a two-way street. A …

Reliability Of Pulse Waveform Separation Analysis: Effects Of Posture And Fasting, Lee Stoner, Daniel Credeur, Simon Fryer, James Faulkner, Danielle Lambrick, Bathany Barone Gibbs

Faculty Publications

Objective: Oscillometric pulse wave analysis devices enable, with relative simplicity and objectivity, the measurement of central hemodynamic parameters. The important parameters are central blood pressures and indices of arterial wave reflection, including wave separation analysis (backward pressure component P_b and reflection magnitude). This study sought to determine whether the measurement precision (between-day reliability) of P_b and reflection magnitude: exceeds the criterion for acceptable reliability; and is affected by posture (supine, seated) and fasting state.

Methods: Twenty healthy adults (50% female, 27.9 years, 24.2 kg/m²) were tested on six different mornings: 3 days fasted, 3 …

Nebline, March 2017

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Extension’s Agricultural Apps Put Management Tools in Producers’ Hands

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

and other extension news and events

Proceedings Of The 44th Annual Meeting, Southern Soybean Disease Workers (March 8-9, 2017, Pensacola Beach, Florida), Terry Spurlock, Trey Price, Heather M. Kelly, Danise Beadle, Patricia Bollich, Tom Allen

Southern Soybean Disease Workers: Conference Proceedings

Contents

Agenda for March 8-9, 2017

Contributed papers

Soybean cyst nematode: current status, challenges and opportunities. G Tylka and K Bissonnette

Updates of the 2nd SCN (Soybean Cyst Nematode) Coalition. Albert Tenuta

Developing management zones for nematodes in soybean. C Overstreet, EC McGawley, DM Xavier-Mis, and M Kularathna

Microbial communities associated with long-term tillage and fertilizer management practices. AY Srour, J Hackman, RL Cook, JP Bond, and AM Fakhoury

Microbial profile of SDS-suppressive soils in soybean fields. AY Srour, LFS Leonardo, DK Malvick, JP Bond, and AM Fakhoury

Understanding the phytobiome; using strip trials and spatial analysis to determine concomitant …

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress And Unfolded Protein Response In Cartilage Pathophysiology; Contributing Factors To Apoptosis And Osteoarthritis, Alexandria Hughes, Alexandra E. Oxford, Ken Tawara, Cheryl L. Jorcyk, Julia Thom Oxford

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Chondrocytes of the growth plate undergo apoptosis during the process of endochondral ossification, as well as during the progression of osteoarthritis. Although the regulation of this process is not completely understood, alterations in the precisely orchestrated programmed cell death during development can have catastrophic results, as exemplified by several chondrodystrophies which are frequently accompanied by early onset osteoarthritis. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie chondrocyte apoptosis during endochondral ossification in the growth plate has the potential to impact the development of therapeutic applications for chondrodystrophies and associated early onset osteoarthritis. In recent years, several chondrodysplasias and collagenopathies have been recognized as …

Residual Soil Nitrate Content And Profitability Of Five Cropping Systems In Northwest Iowa, Robert Dehaan, Matt Schuiteman, Ronald Vos

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Many communities in the Midwestern United States obtain their drinking water from shallow alluvial wells that are vulnerable to contamination by NO₃-N from the surrounding agricultural landscape. The objective of this research was to assess cropping systems with the potential to produce a reasonable return for farmers while simultaneously reducing the risk of NO₃-N movement into these shallow aquifers. From 2009 to 2013 we conducted a field-based experiment in Northwest Iowa in which we evaluated five cropping systems for residual (late fall) soil NO₃-N content and for profitability. Soil samples were taken annually from …

On The Origin Of Frictional Adhesion In Geckos: Small Morphological Changes Lead To A Major Biomechanical Transition In The Genus Gonatodes, Timothy E. Higham, Tony Gamble, Anthony P. Russell

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The evolutionary history of vertebrate locomotion is punctuated by innovations that have permitted expansion into novel ecological niches. Frictional adhesion of geckos is an innovation renowned for enabling locomotion on vertical and inverted smooth surfaces. Much is known about the microstructure and function of the fully-expressed gekkotan adhesive apparatus, although how it originated is poorly understood. Therefore, identifying species that exhibit the earliest stages of expression of frictional adhesion will provide significant insights into the evolution of this trait. Our previous investigation of digital proportions, shape, scalation, skeletal form, and subdigital epidermal micro-ornamentation in the genus Gonatodes led us to …

Measuring Extension Program Impacts: 2. Assessing Participant Knowledge Gain, Mark Larese-Casanova

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes how to assess participant knowledge gain from Extension programs and includes participant demographics, pre- and post-testing, participant demonstration, retrospective pre-post assessment, and viable data collection.

Epigenomic Reprogramming In Inorganic Arsenic-Mediated Gene Expression Patterns During Carcinogenesis, Meredith Eckstein, Rebekah Eleazer, Matthew Rea, Yvonne N. Fondufe-Mittendorf

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Arsenic is a ubiquitous metalloid that is not mutagenic but is carcinogenic. The mechanism(s) by which arsenic causes cancer remain unknown. To date, several mechanisms have been proposed, including the arsenic-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, it is also becoming evident that inorganic arsenic (iAs) may exert its carcinogenic effects by changing the epigenome, and thereby modifying chromatin structure and dynamics. These epigenetic changes alter the accessibility of gene regulatory factors to DNA, resulting in specific changes in gene expression both at the levels of transcription initiation and gene splicing. In this review, we discuss recent literature reports …

The Role Of Stress Factors In Skeletal Muscle Development, Growth, And Metabolism; Impacts Of Temporally Spaced Repetition On Long-Term Information Retention In An Anatomy And Physiology Course, Caitlin N. Cadaret

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We sought to identify the effect of sustained maternal inflammation at mid-gestation on fetal mortality, skeletal muscle growth, and development at term. Fetal rats had reduced total mass that coincided with impaired myoblast function, as myoD was reduced and myogenin expression was increased in hindlimb muscle. Fetuses also had increased circulating TNFα at term after maternal inflammation, which decreased TNFR and IL6R mRNA in muscle, reducing sensitivity to cytokines. These findings indicate that sustained maternal inflammation at mid-gestation impairs fetal skeletal muscle growth near-term due to changes in myoblast responsiveness to inflammatory regulation.

To evaluate the acute impact of inflammatory …

Turning Performance Of Brief Squid Lolliguncula Brevis During Attacks On Shrimp And Fish, Rachel A. Jastrebsky, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Although squid are generally considered to be effective predators, little is currently known of how squid maneuver and position themselves during prey strikes. In this study, high-speed video and kinematic analyses were used to study attacks by the brief squid Lolliguncula brevis on both shrimp and fish. Squid attack successwas high (>80%) and three behavioral phases were identified: (1) approach, (2) strike and (3) recoil. Lolliguncula brevis demonstrated greater maneuverability (i.e. a smaller length-specific turning radius) and employed more body adjustments (i.e. mantle angle posturing) during approaches toward shrimp versus fish. Squid exhibited higher linear approach/strike velocities and accelerations …

Measuring Extension Program Impacts: 4. Evaluating Long-Term Impacts, Mark Larese-Casanova

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes efforts needed to evaluate the long-term impacts of Extension programs, and includes descriptions of repeated surveys, follow-up surveys, interviews and case studies, and viable data collection.

Community Supported Agriculture: Marketing & Outreach Strategies To Encourage Membership, Kenna Mcmurray, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

When you market your community supported agriculture (CSA) operation, you should consider the best communication tools to delivering information to potential and current shareholders, engaging your shareholders, and getting feedback. This fact sheet will provide tips on how to do so.

Using The Vehicle Routing Problem To Reduce Field Completion Times With Multiple Machines, Hasan Seyyedhasani, Joseph S. Dvorak

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is a powerful tool used to express many logistics problems, yet unlike other vehicle routing challenges, agricultural field work consists of machine paths that completely cover a field. In this work, the allocation and ordering of field paths among a number of available machines has been transformed into a VRP that enables optimization of completion time for the entire field. A basic heuristic algorithm (a modified form of the common Clarke-Wright algorithm) and a meta-heuristic algorithm, Tabu Search, were employed for optimization. Both techniques were evaluated through computer simulations in two fields: a hypothetical basic …

The Origin And Biogeographic Diversification Of Fishes In The Family Poeciliidae, David N. Reznick, Andrew I. Furness, Robert Meredith, Mark S. Springer

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The fish subfamily Poeciliinae (sensu Parenti, 1981) is widely distributed across the Western Hemisphere and a dominant component of the fish communities of Central America. Poeciliids have figured prominently in previous studies on the roles of dispersal and vicariance in shaping current geographic distributions. Most recently, Hrbek et al. combined a DNA-based phylogeny of the family with geological models to provide a biogeographic perspective that emphasized the role of both vicariance and dispersal. Here we expand on that effort with a database enlarged in the quantity of sequence represented per species, in the number of species included, and in an …

Relb Expression Determines The Differential Effects Of Ascorbic Acid In Normal And Cancer Cells, Xiaowei Wei, Yong Xu, Fang Fang Xu, Luksana Chaiswing, David M. Schnell, Teresa Noel, Chi Wang, Jinfei Chen, Daret K. St. Clair, William H. St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Cancer cells typically experience higher oxidative stress than normal cells, such that elevating pro-oxidant levels can trigger cancer cell death. Although pre-exposure to mild oxidative agents will sensitize cancer cells to radiation, this pre-exposure may also activate the adaptive stress defense system in normal cells. Ascorbic acid is a prototype redox modulator that when infused intravenously appears to kill cancers without injury to normal tissues; however, the mechanisms involved remain elusive. In this study, we show how ascorbic acid kills cancer cells and sensitizes prostate cancer to radiation therapy while also conferring protection upon normal prostate epithelial cells against radiation-induced …

Effect Of Cigarette Smoke Exposure And Mutant Kras Overexpression On Pancreatic Cell Proliferation, Howard P. Glauert, R. Scott Elliott, Sung Gu Han, Mark Athey, Eun Young Lee, C. Gary Gairola

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer‑associated mortality. The major risk factor for pancreatic cancer is cigarette smoking. Kras mutations are commonly observed in human pancreatic cancers. The present study examined the hypothesis that exposure to cigarette smoke and overexpression of a mutant Kras gene in the pancreas affects pancreatic cell proliferation in mice. Mice overexpressing the mutant Kras gene (KRas^G12D) in the pancreas as well as wild‑type mice were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke for 2 weeks. Overexpression of mutant Kras increased cell proliferation in pancreatic ductal, acinar and islet cells. Notably, cigarette smoke exposure …

Developmental Origins Of Cardiovascular Disease: Impact Of Early Life Stress In Humans And Rodents, Margaret O. Murphy, Dianne M. Cohn, Analia S. Loria

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesizes that environmental insults during childhood programs the individual to develop chronic disease in adulthood. Emerging epidemiological data strongly supports that early life stress (ELS) given by the exposure to adverse childhood experiences is regarded as an independent risk factor capable of predicting future risk of cardiovascular disease. Experimental animal models utilizing chronic behavioral stress during postnatal life, specifically maternal separation (MatSep) provides a suitable tool to elucidate molecular mechanisms by which ELS increases the risk to develop cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. The purpose of this review is to highlight current epidemiological …

Neuroimaging Biomarkers Of Caloric Restriction On Brain Metabolic And Vascular Functions, Ai-Ling Lin, Ishita Parikh, Jared D. Hoffman, David Ma

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Purpose of Review

Non-invasive neuroimaging methods have been developed as powerful tools for identifying in vivo brain functions for studies in humans and animals. Here, we review the imaging biomarkers that are being used to determine the changes within brain metabolic and vascular functions induced by caloric restriction (CR) and their potential usefulness for future studies with dietary interventions in humans.

Recent Findings

CR causes an early shift in brain metabolism of glucose to ketone bodies and enhances ATP production, neuronal activity, and cerebral blood flow (CBF). With age, CR preserves mitochondrial activity, neurotransmission, CBF, and spatial memory. CR also …