Life Sciences Commons^™

Third Contribution To The Knowledge Of Arabian Onthophagini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Onthophagus Aeneopiceus D’Orbigny, 1902, A New Record For Yemen And For The Palaearctic Ecozone, Stefano Ziani, Denis Keith

Insecta Mundi

Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophag­ini) is recorded for the first time for Yemen and for the Palaearctic region. An integration into the key to the Onthophagini from the Arabian Peninsula (Ziani et al. 2019), is provided.

After Ziani et al. (2019) and Montanaro and Ziani (2022), 30 Onthophagini species were known from the Arabian Peninsula. In this paper a 31st species is recorded: Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902. The species, belong­ing to the 23rd group of d’Orbigny (1913) and until now known from Eastern Africa and, dubitatively, Ivory Coast (Schoolmeesters 2022), has been collected in Yemen. This is …

Una Nueva Especie De Alurnus Fabricius De La Costa Pacífica De Colombia Y Apuntes Sobre Su Biología (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Luis Carlos Pardo-Locarno, Luis Miguel Constantino

Insecta Mundi

Resumen. En este trabajo se describe una nueva especie de Alurnus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), A. chocoensis Pardo y Constantino, con notable coloración rojo sangre en todo el cuerpo, excepto las hembras que presentan el pronoto de color negro. La nueva especie es una plaga importante del follaje en palma de chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) en la costa pacífica de Colombia y es un endemismo propio de las selvas lluviosas de la región biogeografica del Chocó, en el occidente de Colombia. Se presentan apuntes sobre su biología y ecología.

Abstract. In this work, a new species of Alurnus Fabricius (Coleoptera: …

Complet+: A Computationally Scalable Method To Improve Completeness Of Large-Scale Protein Sequence Clustering, Rachel Nguyen, Bahrad A. Sokhansanj, Robi Polikar, Gail L. Rosen

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

A major challenge for clustering algorithms is to balance the trade-off between homogeneity, i.e., the degree to which an individual cluster includes only related sequences, and completeness, the degree to which related sequences are broken up into multiple clusters. Most algorithms are conservative in grouping sequences with other sequences. Remote homologs may fail to be clustered together and instead form unnecessarily distinct clusters. The resulting clusters have high homogeneity but completeness that is too low. We propose Complet+, a computationally scalable post-processing method to increase the completeness of clusters without an undue cost in homogeneity. Complet+ proves to effectively merge …

Bats Increased Foraging Activity At Experimental Prey Patches Near Hibernacula, Winifred F. Frick, Yvonne A. Dzal, Kristin A. Jonasson, Michael D. Whitby, Amanda M. Adams, Christen Long, John E. Depue, Christian M. Newman, Craig K. R. Willis, Tina L. Cheng

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

1. Emerging infectious diseases in wildlife can threaten vulnerable host populations. Actions targeting habitat improvements to aid population resilience and recovery may be beneficial long-term strategies, yet testing the efficacy of such strategies before major conservation investments are made can be challenging.

2. The disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused severe declines in several species of North American hibernating bats. We tested a novel conservation approach targeted at improving foraging conditions near bat hibernacula by experimentally manipulating insect density in the pre-hibernation fattening period and spring emergence recovery period. We measured foraging (feeding buzzes) and echolocation activity of little brown bats Myotis …

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Evaluation Of Gross Energy Concentration Of Neutral Detergent Fiber Contained In Feed And Fecal Samples, J. D. Stypinski, Paul J. Kononoff, W. P. Weiss

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Starch and NDF are usually assumed to contain the same concentration of gross energy (GE), but NDF is more variable in chemical composition and varies more in the extent of digestion. The variable chemical composition of NDF may have direct implications on dairy nutrition models that predict dietary GE and use this estimate for also predicting digestible energy. For example, when NDF is enriched in lignin and protein, the concentration of GE would increase, whereas NDF enriched in ash would have the opposite effect. Current nutritional models, such as the NASEM (2021) and CNCPS (6.55), assume a GE coefficient of …

Paternity Patterns In A Long-Term Resident Bottlenose Dolphin Community, Debbie Duffield, Randall Wells

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Genetic analyses, initiated in 1984, have played a major role in our understanding of the structure and social relationships of the long-term resident community of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida (SBDC). One component of our ongoing study of the community’s social system involves using blood samples from periodic catch-and-release sampling for life history and health assessment studies, as well as skin from biopsy dart sampling studies and strandings, to investigate paternity and mating strategies in this community. These analyses, covering a span of four generations of calves, were originally based on chromosomes and protein electrophoresis, but …

Improving Focality And Consistency In Micromagnetic Stimulation, Hui Ye, Vincent Hall, Jenna Hendee

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The novel micromagnetic stimulation (μMS) technology aims to provide high resolution on neuronal targets. However, consistency of neural activation could be compromised by a lack of surgical accuracy, biological variation, and human errors in operation. We have recently modeled the activation of an unmyelinated axon by a circular micro-coil. Although the coil could activate the axon, its performance sometimes lacked focality and consistency. The site of axonal activation could shift by several experimental factors, including the reversal of the coil current, displacement of the coil, and changes in the intensity of the stimulation. Current clinical practice with transcranial magnetic stimulation …

The Kraft Heinz Company Global Nutrition Targets For The Innovation And Reformulation Of Food And Beverages: Current And Future Directions, Lynn Yu, Véronique Braesco, Sheri L. Cooper, Adam Drewnowski, Bridget Hannon Esteves, Andrea Luigi Budelli

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reformulating packaged foods has the potential to improve the nutrient density of the global diet. The present perspective illustrates The Kraft Heinz Company’s approach to product (re)formulation to develop healthier product lines that are lower in saturated fats, total sugars, and sodium, and contain health promoting components. Here we present the rationale for The Kraft Heinz Company’s global nutrition targets used for the global innovation and renovation of foods and beverages. The global nutrition targets use a category specific approach to set maximum levels for the main nutrients of public health concern: saturated fat, total sugars and sodium, taking into …

Intraguild Predation Is Increased In Areas Of Low Prey Diversity In A Generalist Predator Community, Stella F. Uiterwaal, Amber J. Squires, Bennett A. Grappone, Brian Dillard, Ariadne Castaneda, Sora L. Kim, John P. Delong

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

1. Niche differentiation and intraguild predation (IGP) can allow ecologically similar species to coexist, although it is unclear which coexistence mechanism predominates in consumer communities. Until now, a limited ability to quantify diets from metabarcoding data has precluded the use of sequencing data to determine the relative importance of these mechanisms.

2. Here, we pair a recent metabarcoding quantification approach with stable isotope analysis to examine diet composition in a wolf spider community.

3. We compare the prevalence of resource partitioning and IGP in these spiders and test whether factors that influence foraging performance, including individual identity, morphology, prey community and environmental conditions, …

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The Waxy Mutation In Sorghum And Other Cereal Grains Reshapes The Gut Microbiome By Reducing Levels Of Multiple Beneficial Species, Qinnan Yang, Mallory J. Suhr Van Haute, Scott E. Sattler, Devin J. Rose, Anthony Juritsch, Jing Shao, Kristin A. Beede, Robert J. Schmaltz, Jeff Price, John Toy, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Andrew K. Benson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Waxy starches from cereal grains contain >90% amylopectin due to naturally occurring mutations that block amylose biosynthesis. Waxy starches have unique organoleptic characteristics (e.g. sticky rice) as well as desirable physicochemical properties for food processing. Using isogenic pairs of wild type sorghum lines and their waxy derivatives, we studied the effects of waxy starches in the whole grain context on the human gut microbiome. In vitro fermentations with human stool microbiomes show that beneficial taxonomic and metabolic signatures driven by grain from wild type parental lines are lost in fermentations of grain from the waxy derivatives and the beneficial signatures …

Insights Into Cell-Specific Functions Of Microtubules In Skeletal Muscle Development And Homeostasis, Lathan Lucas, Thomas A Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The contractile cells of skeletal muscles, called myofibers, are elongated multinucleated syncytia formed and maintained by the fusion of proliferative myoblasts. Human myofibers can be hundreds of microns in diameter and millimeters in length. Myofibers are non-mitotic, obviating the need for microtubules in cell division. However, microtubules have been adapted to the unique needs of these cells and are critical for myofiber development and function. Microtubules in mature myofibers are highly dynamic, and studies in several experimental systems have demonstrated the requirements for microtubules in the unique features of muscle biology including myoblast fusion, peripheral localization of nuclei, assembly of …

Ancyronyx Jhoanae Sp. Nov. (Coleoptera: Elmidae), A New Spider Riffle Beetle Species From Luzon, Philippines, And New Records For A. Tamaraw Freitag, 2013, Christalle Beatriz N. Seno, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

Ancyronyx jhoanae sp. nov., a new species of genus Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 from Luzon is described using an integrative taxonomic approach. Illustrations of habitus and diagnostic characters are provided. Molecular analysis of a fragment of the COI 5’-end was employed to support the morphological species concept. Differences from closely related species based on molecular and morphological data are discussed. First records of A. tamaraw Freitag, 2013 from Luzon are reported.

Association Between P2y12 Inhibitor Reloading And In-Hospital Outcomes For Patients With Non-St-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Already On Chronic P2y12 Receptor Inhibitors Therapy In China: Findings From The Ccc-Acs (Improving Care For Cardiovascular Disease In China-Acute Coronary Syndrome) Project, Yintang Wang, Yu Geng, Ou Zhang, Qin Xu, Yajun Xue, Boda Zhou, Ping Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The association between P2Y12 receptor inhibitors reloading and in-hospital outcomes in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) patients who were on chronic P2Y12 receptor inhibitors therapy remained underdetermined.

METHODS: The Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome (CCC-ACS project) is a national registry active from November 2014 to December 2019. 4790 NSTEACS patients on chronic P2Y12 receptor inhibitors therapy were included. Cox proportional hazard models, Kaplan-Meier curves, and subgroup analyses were conducted.

RESULTS: The NSTEACS patients who received reloading of P2Y12 receptor inhibitors were younger and had fewer comorbid conditions. The reloading group had a lower risk …

Effective Treatment Of Low-Risk Acute Gvhd With Itacitinib Monotherapy, Aaron Etra, Alexandra Capellini, Amin Alousi, Monzr M Al Malki, Hannah Choe, Zachariah Defilipp, William J Hogan, Carrie L Kitko, Francis Ayuk, Janna Baez, Isha Gandhi, Stelios Kasikis, Sigrun Gleich, Elizabeth Hexner, Matthias Hoepting, Urvi Kapoor, Steven Kowalyk, Deukwoo Kwon, Amelia Langston, Marco Mielcarek, George Morales, Umut Özbek, Muna Qayed, Ran Reshef, Wolf Rösler, Nikolaos Spyrou, Rachel Young, Yi-Bin Chen, James L M Ferrara, John E Levine

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The standard primary treatment for acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) requires prolonged, high-dose systemic corticosteroids (SCSs) that delay reconstitution of the immune system. We used validated clinical and biomarker staging criteria to identify a group of patients with low-risk (LR) GVHD that is very likely to respond to SCS. We hypothesized that itacitinib, a selective JAK1 inhibitor, would effectively treat LR GVHD without SCS. We treated 70 patients with LR GVHD in a multicenter, phase 2 trial (NCT03846479) with 28 days of itacitinib 200 mg/d (responders could receive a second 28-day cycle), and we compared their outcomes to those …

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 2, Edition 2, February 2023, 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

Career exploration: Pathways for students who like animals and insects

Teacher and student opportunities

Send your students to campus

Kudos to our partners

Success story: University's TAPS program coming soon to high school class rooms

Tree Architecture And Powdery Mildew Resistance Of Yellow-Flowering Magnolias In Tennessee, Usa, Madhav Parajuli, Prabha Liyanapathiranage, Krishna Neupane, Jacob Shreckhise, Donna Fare, Benjamin Moore, Fulya Baysal-Gurel

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Magnolias (Magnolia sp.) are economically important woody ornamental plants; however, plant damage associated with frost and powdery mildew (Microsphaera alni and Phyllactinia corylea) disease is a major production challenge. To understand the tree architecture and powdery mildew resistance, 26 yellow-flowering magnolias (Magnolia sp.) were evaluated in McMinnville, TN, USA (USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6b). One-year-old containerized trees were planted in a field plot during Mar 2006, with 4.6-m plant-to-plant and 3.7-m row-to-row spacing. The experiment was a completely randomized block design with three single-plant replications. Plant height and canopy diameter were measured on Dec 2016 and …

Effect Of Core Shape And Its Side Slopes On Seepage Quantity Of Zoned Earth Dam, Yaseen W. Aziz, Arkan H. Ibrahim, Khalil K. Hamadamin

Polytechnic Journal

Seepage is the main problem of earth dams; most failures are occurred due to excessive amount of seepage. In zoned earth dams clay core is provided to minimize seepage quantity and its dimensions and shape has great influence on seepage quantity. In this study seepage through earth dam with vertical and slanting core case were analyzed for different side slopes and top width. For vertical core cases different side slopes ranges from 0H:1V to 2H:1V and different top width from (3-10) m were analyzed. Due to lower permeability coefficient of core material seepage discharge reduced as side slopes and top …

See Transform Technique For Solving System Of Linear Volterra Integro-Differential Equations Of The Second Kind, Zainab R. Rustam, Nejmaddin A. Sulaiman

Polytechnic Journal

There are many integral transforms that are widely used to solve numerous real-life, science, and engineering problems. In this article, we present SEE transform for determining the solution of the system of linear Volterra integro-differential equations of the second kind. Some applications have been given and solved by using the SEE transform for illustrating the applicability of the SEE transform. Results of the applications assert that the SEE transform is very effective for obtaining the exact solutionof this equation.

Birth Preparedness And Complicationreadiness Among Pregnant Women Attending Primary Health Care Centers In Erbil City, Salih A. Abdulla

Polytechnic Journal

Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) is a plan that helps women to consider all obtainable maternal health care services. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge on key danger signs and components of BP/CR among pregnant women within 3rdtrimester who attending primary health care centers in Erbil city.

Prevalence Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Peshmargas, Whom Fought Against Isis Warin Kurdistan Region Borders, Shireen J. Mohammed, Hoshyar A. Ahmed

Polytechnic Journal

Psychological disturbanceis one of the most significant feature amongst individuals who are served military tasks. This study presentedthe Post Traumatic Disorder (PTSD) among the peshmargas(Kurdish military personnel) who joined in ISIS war. The aim of this study is todetermine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among peshmargas returning from war and to identify the associated factors of PTSD among the study sample.

Gender-Based Differences Of Inflammatory, Coagulation, And Cardiac Markers In Covid-19 Patients In Erbil City, Shukur Wasman Smail, Zhikal Omar Khudhur, Sonia Elia Ishaq, Rebaz Hamza Salih, Karzan Abdullah

Polytechnic Journal

In December 2019, a new coronavirus disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) appeared in Wuhan city and quickly became a global health issue. COVID-19 causes various symptoms ranging from no symptoms to potentially deadly pneumonia. The study aimed to understand the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on immune response and the differences in inflammatory, coagulation, and cardiac biomarkers between male and female patients. Between June 1st and November 1st, 2020, 95 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals were studied at Zanko Hospital. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed using the real-time RT-PCR technique. All cases were analyzed for clinical, epidemiological, …

Performance Of The Gomaspan Dam's Stepped Spillway Against Cavitation Using Cfdcity, Abdulla Abdulwahid Abo

Polytechnic Journal

This study aims to determine how well the stepped spillway at Gomaspan dam performs in terms of cavity index. For this purpose, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code called FLUENT is used. To begin, the code was validated by applying it to the experiments work of (Li et al.2021), and the findings demonstrate great agreement between CFD and the aforementioned experimental data. Second, the algorithm is applied to the designed stepped spillway of the Gomaspan dam, and the cavity index is obtained at eachstep. The results show that the design is unsatisfactory, and the steps are particularly vulnerable to cavitation …

The The Impact Of Dapagliflozin On Aldosterone Hormone In Rats With Heart Failure, Skala Mamand Jawhar, Zana Ahmed Mustafa

Polytechnic Journal

The latest anti-diabetic medication sodium-glucose co-transporter inhibitor along with the lowering of blood glucose has a cardioprotective and reno-protective effect, it has the ability to reduce the development of heart failure and decrease hospitalization in heart failure subjects with and without diabetes. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of sodium-glucose co-transporter inhibitor dapagliflozin alone and in combination with eplerenone on the aldosterone hormone in the treatment of rats with experimentally induced heart failure

Response Of Some Sugar Beet Varieties To Different Sowing Dates Under Two Seasonal Conditions In Khabat, Bilal I. Mohammed, Xaraman N. Hamed

Polytechnic Journal

The research was conducted in the field of Khabat Technical Institute / Erbil Polytechnic University during winter season of 2019-2020 and summer season of 2020. It shows the effect of plantingdate, varieties on growth and yield component of sugar beet under two different seasonal conditions. A factorial experimental design was applied in randomized complete block design with three replication; the first factor represents three planting dates (1stOctober, 16thOctober and 31thOctober, 2019) in winter and (1stMarch, 16thMarch and 31thMarch, 2020) in summer season, the second factor was three varieties of sugar beet (Germany, Turkish and Iranian), had been applied in both …

Effects Of Subminimal Inhibitory Concentrations Of Chlorhexidine On The Chlorhexidine Resistance And Biofilm Formation In Clinical Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Isolates, Hawkar S. Omer, Safaa T. Aka

Polytechnic Journal

Multi-drug resistant microorganisms have caused a remarkable increase in hospital-acquired infections (HAI)during the previous few decades. Moreover, microbiological contamination of antiseptics and disinfectants has been recorded in medical settings.

Molecular Comparative Study Of Virulence Factors Produced By Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated From Several Cancer Cases And Noncancer Patients In Erbil Governorate, Iraq, Saman I. Othman, Fattma A. Ali

Polytechnic Journal

Gram-negative bacteria are one of the most prevalent complications among immunocompromised cancer sufferers and pose the greatest threat to these patients.Our study aimed to conduct research on Gram-negative bacteria isolated from various clinical samplesamong cancerous patients and non-cancerous patients in Erbil city to analyze and compare some virulence genes among them such as tuf, atpD1, atpD2, ms-1, ms-2 and ms-3.

Anomaly-Based Network Intrusion Detection System Using Deep Intelligent Technique, Sardar Kh. Hassan, Muhammadamin A. Daneshwar

Polytechnic Journal

Computer systems and network infrastructures are still exposed to many security risks and cyber-attack vulnerabilities despite advancements of information security. Traditional signature-based intrusion detection systems and security solutions by matching rule-based mechanism and prior knowledge are insufficient of fully protecting computer networks against novel attacks. For this purpose, Anomaly-based Network Intrusion Detection System (A-NIDS) as cyber security tool is considered for identifying and detecting anomalous behavior in the flow-based network traffic alongside with firewalls and other security measures.The main objective of the research is to improve the detection rate and reduce false-positive rates of the classifier using anomaly-based technique.

Biocontrol Activities Of Olive Endophytic Bacteria Isolates Against Pseudomonas Savastanoi, Avin O. Ali, Tavga S. Rashid

Polytechnic Journal

Olive knot disease caused by the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoiaffects olive cultivation in both quality and quantity. Endophytic bacteria are candidates for biocontrol agents according to previous research.

Knowledge Protocol Of Direct And Indirect Veneers Among Dental Practitioners -A Case Study, Sazan M. Azeez, Bassam Kareem Amin, Noor Kaylan Hamid, Ali A. Saber

Polytechnic Journal

Dental veneers are constructed from different materials such as porcelain, pressed ceramic, processed composite, or directly applied composite.The purpose of this study was to ascertain the preferred dental materials for veneers and the knowledge about its procedures by dentists in the Kurdistan region/Erbil city

Preparation Of Curve Number Grid Map Of Rawanduz River Basin In Kri Using Gis Techniques, Israa D. Ahmed, Jehan M. Fattah Sheikh Suleimany

Polytechnic Journal

The study is being conducted with the goal of applying various models and techniques for catchment delineation and providing the opportunity to determine the Curve Numbers (CN) for the Rawanduz river basin (2956 Km2), which is located in the northeastern section of Iraq, Kurdistan region, by utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS). Satellite data (Landsat 8 OLI) for 2020 was utilized to build land cover classes, with a classification accuracy of 90% and a Kappa index of 86.18%. The hydrologic soil map for the region is digitized from the Iraqi soil map. In specifically, Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) is technique …