Life Sciences Commons^™

In-Field Optimization Of Soil Water Parameters For Irrigation Scheduling, Ishani Lal

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Several precision technologies are being developed to assist farmers in informed irrigation decision-making. These technologies aim to enhance irrigation water efficiency, check overirrigation, boost crop water productivity, and promote the sustainable utilization of water resources. We hypothesize that soil moisture parameters used in irrigation decision tools need to be validated to best represent the correct state of soil moisture in the field. This is an important factor that affects the accuracy of the irrigation recommendations forecasted by the decision support tools. In this research, we evaluated different methods of estimating field capacity (FC) and wilting point (WP) to optimize soil …

Establishment Of Wildflower Islands To Enhance Roadside Health, Ecological Value, And Aesthetics, Jackson Ebbers

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Roadsides provide an abundant opportunity to increase connectivity of fragmented landscapes with diminishing floral resources for pollinating insects. The ecological value of these sites is often overlooked as quality habitat for pollinators, particularly monarch butterflies, which have been experiencing severe declines due to loss of habitat and loss of milkweeds that provide food for their larvae. Land managers across the nation are realizing the potential of roadsides to provide high quality floral resources for the benefit of insects and other wildlife. Current wildflower seed mixes used by state transportation departments are often low diversity and may only be implemented following …

Combining Temperature-Dependent Life Table Data Into Insect Life Cycle Model To Forecast Fall Armyworm Spodoptera Frugiperda (Je Smith) Distribution In Maize Agro-Ecological Zones In Africa, Marian Adan, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Cojdo E.F. Kassa, Klaus Greve, Christian Borgemeister, Georg Goergen

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an invasive agricultural pest, has significantly impacted crop yields across Africa. This study investigated the relationship between temperature and FAW life history traits, employing life cycle modeling at temperatures of 20, 25, 28, 30, and 32̊C. The development time for eggs, larvae, and pupae varied from 0–3 days, 10–18 days, and 7–16 days, respectively. The optimal temperature range for immature stage survival and female fecundity was identified as 21–25̊C, with the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and gross reproductive rate (GRR) peaking at 25–28̊C. Model validation confirmed the accuracy of …

The Impact Of One Night Of Sleep Restriction On Perception Of Subsequent Aerobic Exercise Performance, Erin G. Meier

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Introduction: Previous research has established that poor sleep quality negatively impacts aerobic exercise performance. A majority of that research has examined extreme sleep disruption like complete sleep deprivation or multiple nights of reduced sleep. Little research exists examining the effect of a singular night of sleep restriction (SR) on performance, and there is even less research on the associated perceptual feelings and outcomes from SR that may influence performance. Previous research from our laboratory has suggested that a single night of SR may impair performance, but did not account for sleep inertia or examine any perceptual factors. Therefore, the …

Characterization Of Ato Family Transporters In The Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus Neoformans, Will Betsill

All Theses

Fungal pathogens are a significant threat to public health as they are becoming increasingly common and more resistant to treatment. Cryptococcus neoformans contributes greatly to this threat annually by causing an estimated 278,000 cases of cryptococcal meningitis resulting in approximately 181,000 deaths globally according to the CDC. C. neoformans is ubiquitous across most of the globe and can be found in such places as in trees or soil. Exposure to this fungus is especially dangerous to individuals who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed. In these cases, inhalation of spores can lead to infection in the lungs. Once in the lungs, C. …

An Evaluation Of Potential Biocontrol Agents For Anoplophora Glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) In South Carolina, U.S.A., Marina Lupu

All Theses

The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, hereafter ALB) was named one of the world’s top 100 worst invasive species by the Global Invasive Species Database, as it threatens several species of hardwood trees in North America. In May of 2020, the southernmost infestation of ALB in North America was discovered near Hollywood, South Carolina, U.S.A. Current eradication efforts focus on tree removal; however, in ecosystems with rugged or flooded terrain, or otherwise inaccessible and vulnerable natural areas, tree removal is a costly and potentially environmentally damaging endeavor that may not be feasible as a management tactic. In these …

Climate Insurance - Using Weather Data And Ai To Manage Agricultural Risk In Developing Countries, Scott A. Denning

All Theses

Weather index-based crop insurance has promised to be a lifeline for low-income farmers in developing countries. However, high-basis risk, high administration costs, and low willingness to pay have caused the demise of many pilot programs. Building onto the principles of index insurance we propose Climate Insurance, a new form of insurance based on predictive crop models that overcomes most of the primary objections of index insurance while achieving its goals of low administration costs, greatly reduced adverse selection, and the elimination of moral hazard. The crop model presented herein utilizes an artificial neural network to predict county- level yield per …

Tri-Colored Bat Habitat Use And Selection In Northwestern South Carolina, Eduardo Rosales

All Theses

North American bat populations continue to be decimated by many factors, with the largest contributor being white-nose syndrome (WNS). In recent years researchers have noted the importance of fat reserves pre- and post-hibernation (fall and spring) and how they may influence WNS survival and recovery respectively. Tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) are one of the four species most impacted by WNS but have received the least research. Further, thus far all research on tri-colored bat resource selection has been gathered during summer and winter, highlighting the need for habitat selection studies during the fall and spring pre- and post-hibernation …

Yield And Nutritive Quality Of Fresh And Ensiled Reduced Lignin Alfalfa In Monoculture And Diculture With Novel Tall Fescue, Morgan Boss

All Theses

The objectives of this research were to: (1) evaluate the yield, nutritional value, and digestibility of fresh and ensiled reduced lignin alfalfa (RLA; Medicago sativa L.) in monoculture and when mixed with novel endophyte-infected tall fescue (F; Festuca arundinacea) in comparison to a conventional alfalfa (CA) cultivar; and (2) evaluate ensiled samples under varying DM concentrations; with or without inoculant. A trial was prepared as a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates per treatment. Treatments included reduced lignin alfalfa (RLA), conventional alfalfa (CA) and tall fescue (F) plots as well as RLA/F and CA/F plots. Plots were harvested on …

The Spatial And Behavioral Ecology Of The Eastern Box Turtle In A Suburban Landscape, Emma Rogers

All Theses

Urbanization poses a significant threat to wildlife through fragmentation, degradation, and loss of habitats. Species response to urban development is variable, from species that thrive in urban areas to those that avoid them. Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) can live and reproduce in urban areas; however, reports of population decline throughout the species’ range have raised concerns. The objective of this study was to compare home range size and composition, as well as the microhabitat selection of the Eastern box turtle across a developmental gradient in Clemson, SC. We tracked 14 individuals in habitats along a developmental …

Assessing Equitable Distribution Of The Urban Tree Canopy At The Neighborhood Scale In Greenville, South Carolina., April Riehm

All Theses

We are living in an era that necessitates adaptation and resilience. The Earth is warming. Our climate has changed (EPA, 2016). Our planet is also rapidly urbanizing. It is predicted that 68% of people will live in cities by 2050. The City of Greenville is a rapidly growing city in South Carolina that has been losing its tree canopy to development(City of Greenville, 2023). The Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) is a community asset that provides many quality-of-life benefits including improved air quality, stormwater management, carbon sequestration, mental and physical well-being, increased mobility and access, aesthetics, a reduction in energy costs, …

The Historical Biogeography Of Spiny Lobsters In The Genus Panulirus And The Influence Of Environmental Conditions On The Adaptive Evolution Of Mitochondrial Protein-Coding Genes In The Achelata, Alyssa Baker

All Theses

Contemporary and historical changes in marine environmental conditions influence biodiversity drastically. In marine invertebrates with highly dispersive planktonic larvae, diversification is facilitated or constrained by tectonic plate movements altering geography, prevailing current patterns, and climate. The decapod crustacean infraorder Achelata, which contains the spiny (fam. Palinuridae) and slipper (fam. Scyllaridae) lobsters, is characterized by a long-lived phyllosoma larvae stage. Panulirus is the most economically significant and speciose genus of spiny lobsters, with 20 recognized extant species and 5 subspecies distributed throughout shallow tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Diversification within these lineages has been proposed to be primarily driven by geological …

Effect Of Source Of Trace Minerals On Nutrient Digestibility And Rumen Fermentation Of Dairy Cows, Cesar Velasquez Rios

All Theses

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Transcriptomic Profile Of Armillaria Root Rot Fungi Affecting The U.S. Stone Fruit Industry, Jared Weaver

All Theses

Armillaria Root Rot (ARR) is a significant replant disease threatening the future of the United States stone fruit industry. Economic loss in South Carolina peach orchards is estimated to be $8M annually due to approximately 3-4% of annual tree deaths caused by ARR on replant sites. Management solutions are insufficient and can at best extend the life of the orchards on replant sites. The only solution to solving the ARR problem, apart from abandoning the replant site for peach production, is planting orchards on ARR-resistant rootstock. Significant progress has been made towards providing growers with genetically resistant rootstock, however, for …

The Effects Of Fermented Vegetables On The Gut Microbiota For Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease, Melissa Baron, Bin Zuo, Jianmin Chai, Jiangchao Zhao, Alireza Jahan-Mihan, Judy Ochrietor, Andrea Y. Arikawa

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigated the impact of regular consumption of fermented vegetables (FVs) on inflammation and the composition of the gut microbiota in adults at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Eighty-seven adults ages 35–64 were randomized into an FV group, who consumed 100 g FVs daily at least five times per week for eight weeks, or a usual diet (UD) group. Blood and stool samples were obtained before and after the intervention. Dependent samples t tests and adjusted linear models were used for within- and between-group comparisons. The mean age and body mass index of participants were 45 years and 30 …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Population Dynamics Of A Captive Colony Of Diploptera Punctata., Nick Peterson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The unique milk production of Diploptera punctata makes this species a promising model species in entomology for studying the evolution of milk production and for insect endocrinology. Despite this, the genetic diversity of captive populations of the species is not well studied. To better evaluate the captive diversity and population dynamics of Diploptera punctata at UNO we extracted the DNA of 20 random individuals and amplified their DNA using 4 different primers before cleaning the amplified products and sequencing the genes of the samples for use in both individual and concatenated phylogenetic trees. Our results indicate the UNO colony of …

The Anti-Diabetic Drug Metformin Disrupts Feeding And Sleeping Behaviors In Drosophila Melanogaster., Lucas Fitzgerald

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Dimethylbiguanide, also known as metformin, is the single most prescribed oral treatment for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, or type 2 diabetes, in Western countries. The primary mechanism of action that metformin acts through is the activation of AMP kinase, an important regulator of energy homeostasis. While the anti-diabetic effects of metformin are well documented, its effects on feeding and sleeping behaviors are not well characterized. Using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, the mean daily quantity of food consumed was measured and compared between groups treated with several dosages of metformin. Feeding interactions such as meal frequency and length were …

Influence Of Finishing Systems On Carcass Characteristics, Composition, And Fatty Acid Profile Of Bison Bulls, Clay J. Newton, Lydia M. O'Sullivan, Keith R. Underwood, Judson K. Grubbs, Christina E. Bakker, Kristi M. Cammack, Thu Dinh, Carter Kruse, Amanda D. Blair

Animal Science Research Report 2024

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Beef Carcass Weight On Rate Of Desmin Proteolysis In Four Muscles, Clay J. Carlson, Christina E. Bakker, Keith R. Underwood, Amanda D. Blair, Judson K. Grubbs

Animal Science Research Report 2024

No abstract provided.

Utilization Of Camera Grading Technology For Bison Carcass Characteristics, Christina Bakker, Jessica Sparks, Keith Underwood, Kyle Grubbs, Amanda D. Blair

Animal Science Research Report 2024

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of beef camera grading technology to assess characteristics of bison carcasses.

Exploring The Effects Of N,N-Dimethylbiguanide And Ω-3 Pufas On Muscle Stem Cell Differentiation, Enayah Alhshim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid and metformin hydrochloride (Met-HCl) on muscle stem cells differentiation, mimicking the fetal muscle development under gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), were investigated. ω-3 fatty acids have been known for their ability to regulate adipogenic transcription factors such as Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protien (SREBPs) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs). This regulation resulted in gene expression modification for lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation, thus preventing excessive fat accumulation. Additionally, emerging evidence suggested that ω-3 fatty acids may also exert direct effects on myogenic processes that influence muscle stem cells proliferation, differentiation, and maturation. Meanwhile, Met-HCl, an …

5-Year Strategic Direction, 2024–2028: Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Institute Publications

IANR: Integrating Learning, Discovery, and Engagement for an Even Better Nebraska

Includes an introduction, description of the components of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the IANR pillars, stratgeic aims for 2024–2028, and a section on implementation.

Identifying Grassland Cores In The Southeast: Relating Spatial Covariance To Avian Communities And Vegetation Structure, Lauren L. Berry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally, grasslands are declining in range, which is leading to a decline in grassland-dependent taxa. These declines can be attributed to a variety of issues, a major one being the encroachment of woody species into historic grasslands. There is a new framework for strategizing grassland management, referred to as “Defend the Core,” which calls for proactive management of intact grasslands, meaning conserving remaining grasslands by preventing woody encroachment in the first place. To successfully defend the core, it is imperative that we develop rapid methods to identify intact grassland cores for management priority. One method that can be used for …

Dispersal Movement And Overwintering Ecology Of A Cryptic Migratory Forest Owl, Mitchell Lee Pruitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding species’ distributions and how a species uses its environment is a vital aspect of ecology and important for the development and implementation of conservation planning. In migratory species, with distinct breeding and nonbreeding ranges, understanding distributions is a complex endeavor. Nevertheless, evaluating movement behavior by linking seasonal distributions and identifying source areas is vital for understanding a species’ full annual cycle ecology. Understanding distributions is particularly important for predators, like birds of prey, that can exert top-down effects on community structure and ecosystem function through their influence on prey populations. Among raptors, owls are severely understudied in large part …

Assessing Health Implications Of Monarch Butterfly Populations And Behaviors, Kira Goldman, Kelsey E. Fisher Dr.

Honors Scholar Theses

Pollinator populations have seen massive declines over the past decade due to anthropogenic activity and climate change posing serious threats to the health of humans and ecosystems (Ulyshen & Horn, 2023). As agents responsible for the production of about 35% of micronutrient rich food crops necessary for adequate nutrition to lead healthful lives and prevent nutrition associated diseases, pollinator decline is a public health concern (Aizen et al., 2009). Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) serve as bio indicators for the health of pollinator populations because of their analogous habitat and food resources shared with many other pollinator species, including bees and …

Understanding The Role Of Minor Intron Splicing In Spermatogenesis, Jade Rosado, Kazumasa Takemoto, Rahul Kanadia

Honors Scholar Theses

The minor spliceosome is composed of the unique small nuclear RNAs (snRNA), U11, U12, U4atac, and U6atac, and is necessary for the splicing of less than 0.5% of introns, termed minor introns. Minor intron containing genes (MIGs) regulate diverse processes, one of which is spermatogenesis. Specifically, 111 testis-specific MIGs have been identified, suggesting that minor splicing is necessary for spermatogenesis. To interrogate the role of minor splicing in spermatogenesis, we conditionally ablated the Rnu11 gene, which encodes for the U11 snRNA, in the developing testes via Stra8-iCre, creating a Rnu11^Flx/Flx::Stra8-Cre⁺ mutant. We found, at postnatal …

Analysis Of Antibiotic Sensitivity Patterns In Pasteurellaceae Family Isolates: A Microbial And Molecular Investigation, Jillian Barron

Honors Scholar Theses

Bacteria in the Pasteurellaceae family are known to cause disease in both human and animal species. Like all species of bacteria, the pathogens in the Pasteurellaceae family evolve and acquire antimicrobial-resistant traits. Antimicrobial resistance of bacteria is a significant public health concern, as treatment of resistant pathogens becomes more difficult, if not impossible, with current medical capabilities. In this project, phenotypic and genotypic analyses were performed on Pasteurellaceae family isolates sourced from the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. Phenotypic antibiotic sensitivity patterns of each isolate were assessed against a panel of antibiotics through a Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. Disk diffusion …

The Association Between Aerobic Exercise And Changes In Hdl Quality Induced By Egg Consumption – A Post-Hoc Analysis Of A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Dietary Intervention Study, Rachael Woodruff, Catherine J. Andersen

Honors Scholar Theses

Abstract

Objective: Daily intake of whole eggs and aerobic exercise have independently been shown to increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and measures of HDL function, suggesting cardioprotective effects of these lifestyle interventions. However, it is unknown whether exercise volume can synergistically or differentially impact diet responses and egg effects on HDL. Therefore, we evaluated whether exercise volume was associated with distinct effects of consuming different egg-based diets on measures of HDL size, function, and composition.

Methods: Twenty-six healthy men and women completed a 16-week randomized, controlled, crossover intervention study which aimed to investigate the effects of egg-free, egg-white, and whole-egg …

Archaeal Diversity In The Anna's Hummingbird Microbiome, Lauren E. Chance

Honors Scholar Theses

The microbial communities that are present in and on vertebrates are collectively called the microbiome. The composition of a microbiome is dependent upon the host, the environment, and evolution. There has been extensive research on the bacterial composition of host-associated microbiomes, however, there has been much less work on the archaeal composition of host-associated microbiomes. Archaea have previously been assumed to primarily exist in extreme environments, but this may not be true and has been influenced by their generally low abundance and methodological difficulties in detection. It is possible they are consistent members of diverse host-associated microbiomes.

Archaea-specific PCR primers …

Investigating Effects Of Co-Culturing With Vibrio Fischeri On Secondary Metabolite Production Of Hawaiian Bobtail Squid Symbionts, Mariam A. Zedan

Honors Scholar Theses

Microbes are a fruitful source of natural product drug discovery since many of their secondary metabolites show defensive activity and have unique structures. However, extracting and elucidating the structure of those compounds can be challenging in vitro due to particular environmental and nutritional requirements of some bacteria. Those requirements may include proximity to other organisms that the microbes have symbiotic relationships with. Under those conditions, the organism may activate silent biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) responsible for production of certain secondary metabolites not typically expressed otherwise. One method of BGC induction is co-culturing with other microbes since this mimics the natural …