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Unbridled Insights: Exploring Equine Behavior Through Gps Tracking And Analysis, Madison L. Philbrick Dec 2023

Unbridled Insights: Exploring Equine Behavior Through Gps Tracking And Analysis, Madison L. Philbrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Horse behavior in pasture and grazing environments remains understudied, despite the substantial domestic horse population in the United States. This paper explores the utilization of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to detect equine behavior, specifically focusing on grazing behaviors. By analyzing GPS data from (n=9) Standardbred horses, this study aims to establish the capabilities and accuracy of the Columbus P-1 data logger as a low-cost GPs unit for equine research, without the use of accelerometers. Through the data provided by the GPS unit, a model to distinguish grazing, resting, drinking, walking, trotting, and running was developed with satisfactory detection rates. …

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Towards Understanding The Interactions Between Ospreys And Human-Made Structures In The Tennessee River Valley, Natasha Karina Murphy Dec 2023

Towards Understanding The Interactions Between Ospreys And Human-Made Structures In The Tennessee River Valley, Natasha Karina Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

Raptor nests on human-built structures represent a significant source of conflict as they can result in bird mortality, fires, structure damage, service distribution, or power outages when falling nest materials or animals connect with energized conductors. Power companies, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), wish to mitigate these conflicts to avoid service disruptions. In this dissertation, I present my work towards understanding and mitigating the interactions between Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) and human-made structures. To achieve this, I explored multiple elements of conflict identification, monitoring, and basic ecology of the target species to better inform conflict mitigation. In Chapter I, …

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Using A Toxic Aging Coin To Assess Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Neurotoxicity., Samuel Thomas Vielee Dec 2023

Using A Toxic Aging Coin To Assess Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Neurotoxicity., Samuel Thomas Vielee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are facing an aging crisis, with 20% of the U.S. population projected to be geriatric (65+) by 2030 and live another 40+ years. Age-related diseases accompany a growing geriatric population, emphasizing the need to understand their etiology. Environmental pollutants compound this crisis by: 1) geriatrics are more susceptible, exacerbating age-related diseases and comorbidities, and 2) they accelerate biological aging, inducing age-related diseases at younger ages. We address this crisis using a ‘toxic aging coin’ approach; heads examines how age impacts toxicity, tails examines how chemicals accelerate aging. This thesis applies the heads side for Cr(VI)-induced neurotoxicity across ages. We …

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From Flames To Forage: How Wildfire Affects Elk Behavior And Abundance, Megan M. Whetzel Aug 2023

From Flames To Forage: How Wildfire Affects Elk Behavior And Abundance, Megan M. Whetzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) is an ecologically and culturally important wildlife species in the Intermountain West, but it is facing habitat changes caused by increasing fire activity. Wildfire frequency is projected to continue to change into the future, yet increases in annual area burned and increases in area burned at high severity may actually represent opportunities for some species. Large herbivores like elk may benefit from increased access to regenerating areas where forage abundance and quality are often elevated. Therefore, effective management of wildlife populations may depend on quantifying how large ungulates, like elk, alter …

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Neural Mechanisms Of Resiliency And Susceptibility After Repeated Social Defeat, Christy R. Wayne Jul 2023

Neural Mechanisms Of Resiliency And Susceptibility After Repeated Social Defeat, Christy R. Wayne

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Social defeat is a powerful experience leading to drastic changes in physiology and behavior, many of which are negative. For example, repeated social defeat in vertebrates results in reduced reproductive success, sickness, and behavioral abnormalities that threaten individual survival and species persistence. However, little is known about what neural mechanisms are involved in determining whether an individual is resilient or susceptible to repeated social defeat stress. I used a resident-intruder experiment in the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, to create and investigate the behavior and neural correlates of these two opposing groups. Resilient fish used both searching and freezing behaviors …

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Functional Analysis Of The Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Subunit Alpha-1 (Gabra1) Gene During Zebrafish Development., Nayeli Gabriela Reyes-Nava Jul 2023

Functional Analysis Of The Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Subunit Alpha-1 (Gabra1) Gene During Zebrafish Development., Nayeli Gabriela Reyes-Nava

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The GABRA1 gene encodes for the alpha-1 (α1) subunit of the Gamma-Aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAAR), which are the primary modulators of synaptic inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS). Alpha-1 subunits are essential for maintaining the normal function of native receptors and contribute to over 60% of all GABAARs in the CNS. Remarkably, a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental and epilepsy-associated disorders have been linked with mutations in the GABRA1 gene. However, the developmental, behavioral, and molecular mechanisms underlying GABRA1-associated epileptic disorders remain to be fully understood. Hence, the overarching goal of this dissertation is to investigate the behavioral …

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Characterization Of Antimicrobial Properties Of Excrement And Functional Microbiome Of Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus), Bridgette Gray Jul 2023

Characterization Of Antimicrobial Properties Of Excrement And Functional Microbiome Of Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus), Bridgette Gray

Theses

Black vultures, Coragyps atratus, are obligate scavenging birds that consume and dispose of decaying carcasses and carrion. They fulfill a key ecological niche in the environments in which they live. It has been observed that these vultures sometimes excrete bodily waste onto their legs. This adaptive behavior could help aid them in controlling bacteria and other microbes they encounter while stepping into a carcass to eat. This study directly examined the antimicrobial properties of the excrement of black vultures across various bacterial species utilizing a zone of inhibition test and a nematode species utilizing a survival assay. The black vulture …

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Preparing Non-Human Primates To Study Hand-Eye Coordination In Frontal Eye Fields (Fef) During Delayed Movement Task, Juliusz Cydzik May 2023

Preparing Non-Human Primates To Study Hand-Eye Coordination In Frontal Eye Fields (Fef) During Delayed Movement Task, Juliusz Cydzik

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Preparing Non-Human Primates to Study Hand-Eye Coordination in Frontal Eye Fields (FEF) During Delayed Movement Task by Juliusz Cydzik Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering Washington University in St. Louis, 2023 Professor Lawrence Snyder, Chair Hand-eye coordination enables humans and non-human primates to use their hands and eyes to perform various tasks. We are interested in coordination at the systems level, where saccades and reaches are encoded. The parietal reach region (PRR), situated at the posterior end of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and overlapping portions of the medial intraparietal area (MIP) and V6a, is commonly attributed …

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Striped Blenny (Chasmodes Bosquianus) Presence And Behavior Between Sunrise And Sunset At Oyster Landing, South Carolina, Madeline Schuetze May 2023

Striped Blenny (Chasmodes Bosquianus) Presence And Behavior Between Sunrise And Sunset At Oyster Landing, South Carolina, Madeline Schuetze

Honors Theses

Lunar and diel cycles of fishes can help to interpret their behaviors during their reproductive season. Temperate estuaries are used by many benthic fishes for shelter and reproduction. This study examined the behavior and presence of striped blennies (Chasmodes bosquianus) during diel and lunar cycles. PVC pipe shelters were placed to mimic oyster shell nests, a natural habitat for blennies, and cameras were placed to monitor these shelters in April, May, and June 2022, during the striped blenny reproductive period. Video footage was reviewed and analyzed for the presence and behavior of both male and female blennies. Male presence …

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Drivers Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Behavior, Survival, And Population Growth In The Piedmont Of South Carolina, Michael Muthersbaugh May 2023

Drivers Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Behavior, Survival, And Population Growth In The Piedmont Of South Carolina, Michael Muthersbaugh

All Dissertations

Prey species adjust behaviors in response to various stimuli, responding to both top-down and bottom-up pressures. Large herbivores must attempt to avoid predation either through adjusting behaviors or seeking spatial or temporal refugia, which can scale up to influence individual fitness and ultimately population dynamics. Specifically, predation risk has a great potential to influence ungulate populations by impacting behaviors and survival. Our objective was to quantify ungulate behavioral and population response to a regionally important predator through a case study – white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) responses to coyotes (Canis latrans) on private lands in the Piedmont …

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Effects Of Maternal Disease History On Provisioning, Brooding, And Offspring Outcomes, Sakura Roberts May 2023

Effects Of Maternal Disease History On Provisioning, Brooding, And Offspring Outcomes, Sakura Roberts

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Disease within a population has the ability to shape the development, evolution, and general performance of a species. Pathogen exposure to hosts can influence their physiology and behavioral patterns to further shape offspring immunity. Parental conditions experienced by offspring during early development can benefit survival and fitness (e.g. increasing provisioning rates), as well as help deter against similar diseases experienced by parents. By testing if parental behavior changes can better prepare offspring outcomes for disease exposure, such as disease severity or duration of infection, we can see the beneficial impacts it has on disease dynamics and host-pathogen processes. Incubation temperature, …

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Variations In Thermoregulation Strategies Of Northern And Southern Populations Of Mischocyttarus Mexicanus, Taylor Guild May 2023

Variations In Thermoregulation Strategies Of Northern And Southern Populations Of Mischocyttarus Mexicanus, Taylor Guild

Honors Theses

Mischocyttarus mexicanus is a species of eusocial paper wasp that is found across much of the Southeastern coastal region of the United States. Contrasting wintering strategies have been seen in northern versus southern populations. Anecdotally, northern populations overwinter by clustering on top of palmetto fronds, their preferred nesting substrate, in a sort of "taco" shape, while southern populations stand on their nests that hang on the underside of the palmetto frond throughout the year. I tested three hypotheses related to the adaptive value of northern over-frond clustering behavior: 1) Over-frond clustering is thermoregulation related, meaning it would be temperature driven. …

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Exploring Host-Parasite Interactions In The Euhaplorchis Californiensis-Fundulus Parvipinnis System, Bennett J. Perry Apr 2023

Exploring Host-Parasite Interactions In The Euhaplorchis Californiensis-Fundulus Parvipinnis System, Bennett J. Perry

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Parasites with complex life-cycles may alter their intermediate host’s phenotype to increase the chance of successful transmission to their next host. This parasite-induced host modification often occurs in the form of behavioral changes, such as increased frequency of irregular locomotor behaviors (e.g., conspicuous behaviors), particularly in systems where the parasite is transmitted trophically through a predation event. However, most empirical evidence of host behavioral modification by parasites comes from a few model host-parasite systems and are frequently studied following a stressor (e.g., simulated predator attack). One host species studied is the California killifish Fundulus parvipinnis, which is infected by …

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Early Life Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure Of F0 Zebrafish Causes Hyperactivity In F1 Offspring, Jenna Cripe Apr 2023

Early Life Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure Of F0 Zebrafish Causes Hyperactivity In F1 Offspring, Jenna Cripe

Honors Theses

As cannabis increases in its accessibility, potency, and acceptance across the United States, investigation into the multigenerational effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure during key stages of development is critical. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there would be behavioral impacts in the F1 offspring following a dose-response of THC exposure (0.08, 0.4, or 1 µM) during development in the F0 generation. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were utilized in this study. Behaviors (locomotive activity and anxiety-like behavior) in the F1 generation were evaluated at 120 hours post-fertilization (hpf) with the larval photometer response (LPR) assay, and at 3, 11, …

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How Some Arboreal Salamanders (Genus Aneides) Jump, Glide, And Generate Lift, Christian E. Brown Mar 2023

How Some Arboreal Salamanders (Genus Aneides) Jump, Glide, And Generate Lift, Christian E. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The jumping and subsequent aerial behaviors of arboreal lungless salamanders (genus Aneides) had never been investigated or described. The aims of this research were to (1) compare jumping performance within the family Plethodontidae with a special focus on arboreal species from genus Aneides, (2) describe the biomechanics and kinematics of aerial behaviors after a jump or extended fall, and (3) model airflow over the morphology of the most aerially adept salamanders to investigate if they are capable of generating lift. First, I recorded salamanders jumping, locomoting vertically, dropping, and flying in a vertical wind tunnel. Then, I laser-scanned and reconstructed …

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The Impacts Of Immune Challenges On Fish Behavior And Physiology, Teisha King Jan 2023

The Impacts Of Immune Challenges On Fish Behavior And Physiology, Teisha King

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For species living in dominance hierarchies, social rank dictates access to resources and often contributes to reproductive success. To ensure survival, individuals constantly evaluate trade- offs between crucial biological systems, like the reproductive and immune systems, depending on their social rank and physiological state. Little is known about how social species balance interactions between immune system function, fluctuations in social status and reproductive fitness, and the performance of behaviors necessary for maintaining social status when sick, particularly in fishes, the largest and most diverse group of vertebrates. My dissertation research uses a whole animal approach to examine how physiological profiles …

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Western Gulls’ (Larus Occidentalis) Reproductive And Behavioral Responses To Human Disturbance, Lilamarie 'Asta Bowen Jan 2023

Western Gulls’ (Larus Occidentalis) Reproductive And Behavioral Responses To Human Disturbance, Lilamarie 'Asta Bowen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Human disturbances can negatively affect wildlife by causing stress, altering behavior, or even impacting populations through changes in survival or productivity. Colonial-nesting seabirds are of particular concern due to population declines and their gregarious and conspicuous nature, which may attract human visitors. However, the effects of nearby human activities, though frequently negative, could be neutral or even positive through phenomena like habituation to human activities or subsidization by human-supplied food sources. In this observational study, I evaluated relative support for three hypotheses which may explain how Western Gulls are impacted by human activity: disturbance, habituation, and subsidization. I investigated this …

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Context, Goals, And Operant Behavior: The Role Of The Prelimbic Cortex And Associated Neural Circuitry, Callum Mark Piper Thomas Jan 2023

Context, Goals, And Operant Behavior: The Role Of The Prelimbic Cortex And Associated Neural Circuitry, Callum Mark Piper Thomas

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Operant (instrumental) conditioning is a laboratory model of voluntary behavior. In its simplest form, performing a particular response, such as a lever press, leads to delivery of a reinforcing outcome (e.g., a sucrose pellet). Operant behaviors can be associated with preceding stimuli (“habits”) or outcomes (“goal-directed actions”). A factor that influences performance of operant behaviors is the context in which they are learned. Contexts can be defined as background stimuli that are present during behavior. For example, eating dessert may occur in the context of a restaurant and the sated feeling of a finished meal. The context for eating dessert, …

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Effects Of Nicotine Vs Non-Nicotine E-Cigarettes On The Aggression Behavior Of Crayfish, Alex Kimble Jan 2023

Effects Of Nicotine Vs Non-Nicotine E-Cigarettes On The Aggression Behavior Of Crayfish, Alex Kimble

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study looks at the effects of e-cigarette vapor with and without nicotine on the aggression behavior of crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). The treatment groups were control, nicotine, and non-nicotine. The mass, sex, and condition of their appendages were recorded before random assignment. For the purpose of this study only male crayfish were used as there were not enough female crayfish. The crayfish were then randomly assigned to each group and contained ten crayfish that were subjected to the e-cigarette vapor infused water environment for a twenty-four hour period. The control group did not contain e-cigarette vapor and was exposed to …

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Effects Of Aging On The Reproductive Success Of Female Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammospiza Caudacutus) In Maine And New Hampshire, Isabella Rose Collamati Jan 2023

Effects Of Aging On The Reproductive Success Of Female Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammospiza Caudacutus) In Maine And New Hampshire, Isabella Rose Collamati

Honors Theses and Capstones

The saltmarsh sparrow (Ammospiza caudacutus) is a ground-nesting specialist in coastal salt marshes of the Northeast. Rising sea-levels increase the loss of offspring due to tidal flooding, reducing nest success and resulting in a sharp population decline. In other avian species, age has been shown to affect nest success through altering fertility, behavior, and the number of young produced, favoring older individuals. I investigated age effects on nest success of female saltmarsh sparrows using nest monitoring data collected at four sites of a long-term demographic monitoring project: Chapman's Landing (Stratham, NH), Eldridge Marsh (Wells, ME), Popham Beach (Phippsburg, …

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Understanding The Effects Of Age, Environmental Conditions, And Placement On Cockroach Gel Bait Performance, Isabelle Lucero Jan 2023

Understanding The Effects Of Age, Environmental Conditions, And Placement On Cockroach Gel Bait Performance, Isabelle Lucero

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Cockroach baits are one of the most effective tools used for German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.) control. This is due in part to the number of cockroach baits on the market with various matrix compositions and active ingredients, aiding in the control of resistant (physiologically and behaviorally) cockroach populations through bait rotation. However, it remains unclear how cockroach gel baits perform over time and under different environmental conditions. Therefore, we aged six cockroach gel baits for varying times (24 hours, one month, three months, six months) and at three relative humidities (15%, 40%, and 80%), and tested their performance …

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Methods For Drone Trajectory Analysis Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Jillian D. Bliss Dec 2022

Methods For Drone Trajectory Analysis Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Jillian D. Bliss

Theses and Dissertations

With the increase in the use of UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) for marine mammal research, there is a need for the development of methods of analysis to transform UAS high resolution video into quantitative data. This study sought to develop a preliminary method of analysis that would quantify and present a way to visualize the dynamics and relative spatial distribution and changes in distribution of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the waters of Turneffe Atoll, Belize. This approach employs a previously developed video tracking program ‘Keypoint Tracking’ that enables manual tracking of individual dolphins and the creation of …

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Bobcat Identification, Abundance, And Behavior At Road Mitigation Structures In South Texas, Victoria Hanley Dec 2022

Bobcat Identification, Abundance, And Behavior At Road Mitigation Structures In South Texas, Victoria Hanley

Theses and Dissertations

Highways in South Texas fragment the landscape and result in high road mortality rates for the endangered US ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). In response, the Texas Department of Transportation constructed nine wildlife crossing structures (WCS) on Farm-to-Market (FM) 106 which adjoins Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Cameron County, Texas. With ocelots being rare and elusive, bobcats (Lynx rufus) are often used as a surrogate species to study felid behavior at road mitigation structures in South Texas. Bobcats have unique markings which allow them to be individually identified. Three methods of individual identification of bobcats using camera …

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Importance Of The Microhabitat And Microclimate Conditions In The Northern Gray-Cheeked Salamander (Plethodon Montanus) Across An Elevation Gradient, Trevor Chapman Dec 2022

Importance Of The Microhabitat And Microclimate Conditions In The Northern Gray-Cheeked Salamander (Plethodon Montanus) Across An Elevation Gradient, Trevor Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The southern Appalachian Mountains have among the highest salamander diversity in the world, largely due to local speciation in the family Plethodontidae. Plethodontid salamanders (i.e., lungless salamanders) are particularly sensitive to habitat climate conditions due to their reliance on cutaneous respiration, and their immediate environmental conditions (microhabitat) likely influence their dispersion and activity more than the large-scale atmospheric conditions. The Northern Gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus) is restricted to high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between P. montanus and its microhabitat by examining behavioral preference for climatic conditions, characterizing the microclimate with …

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Brainless But Smart: Investigating Cognitive-Like Behaviors In The Acellular Slime Mold Physarum Polycephalum, Subash Kusum Ray Aug 2022

Brainless But Smart: Investigating Cognitive-Like Behaviors In The Acellular Slime Mold Physarum Polycephalum, Subash Kusum Ray

Dissertations

Evolutionary pressures to improve fitness, have enabled living systems to make adaptive decisions when faced with heterogeneous and changing environmental and physiological conditions. This dissertation investigated the mechanisms of how environmental and physiological factors affect the behaviors of non-neuronal organisms. The acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum was used as the model organism, which is a macroscopic, unicellular organism, that self-organizes into a network of intersecting tubules. Without using neurons, P. polycephalum can solve labyrinth mazes, build efficient tubule networks, and make adaptive decisions when faced with complicated trade-offs, such as between food quality and risk, speed and accuracy, and exploration …

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Neural Stem Cells: Age-Dependent Outcomes During Viral Infections In The Central Nervous System, Manisha N. Chandwani Aug 2022

Neural Stem Cells: Age-Dependent Outcomes During Viral Infections In The Central Nervous System, Manisha N. Chandwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Viral infections in the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral deficits. The outcomes of viral infections can be driven by damage and death of neurons. Neural stem cells (NSCs) play key roles in neurodevelopment, repair, and physiological brain function. During a viral infection, NSC activity can disturbed by direct infection of NSCs by the virus or by anti-viral immune response. Here, we aimed to assess whether the anti-viral immune response can impact NSC activity during an immunocompetent response in the adult brain. We utilized a transgenic mouse model of Measles virus infection where only the CNS …

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Effects Of An Injectable Zinc Solution At Weaning As An Alternative Castration Method In Beef Cattle, Reagan Nicole Cauble Aug 2022

Effects Of An Injectable Zinc Solution At Weaning As An Alternative Castration Method In Beef Cattle, Reagan Nicole Cauble

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted to investigate a 1 mL intratesticular zinc (100 mg Zn) injection administered into each testicle at weaning (Z) and its effects on growth, health, behavior and testosterone. In the first experiment, beef bulls were assigned randomly to treatment at birth: 1) surgically castrated at birth (S; n = 37) or 2) Z (n = 37). Testicular thickness differed by day (P < 0.01) for Z. Testosterone concentrations were greater in Z by d 77 and remained so through d 280 (P = 0.02) compared to S. Zinc injected calves were heavier at the trail’s conclusion (P ≤ 0.04), had greater ADG overall (P < 0.01), heavier hot carcass weight (P = 0.01), and greater lean muscle area (P = 0.01) compared to S; but a lower marbling score (P < 0.01). Yield Grade, dressed carcass yield and fat thickness were similar (P ≥ 0.14). Zinc injected calves had greater haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations (P < 0.01). Zinc injected calves had greater concentrations of white blood cells on d 1 and 2 and greater concentrations and proportions of neutrophils on d 1, 2 and 3 (P < 0.01). Conversely, S had a greater percentage of lymphocytes on d 1, 2 and 3 and a lower ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes during that same time (P < 0.01). Zinc injected calves spent more time on their side or sternum on d 1 and more time on their side on d 2 while S spend more time standing during that time (P < 0.01). During d 3, 4, 5, and 6, Z stood more while S laid on their sternum (P < 0.01). In trail 2, beef bulls were allocated randomly to treatment one week post weaning: 1) banded (B; n = 42) or 2) Z (n = 39). Body weights were similar (P ≥ 0.39) but ADG improved for Z compared to B (P = 0.05). Testosterone concentrations were greater in Z compared to B (P ≤ 0.02). Testicular width in Z differed by d (P < 0.01). Zinc castrated calves spent more time on their side compared to B one day post castration (P = 0.03) until d 3 and 4 where B spent more time on their side (P ≤ 0.02). Banded calves stood more the first two days (P ≤ 0.01). On days 3, 4, 5, and 6, Z stood more (P ≤ 0.01) while B were on their sternum (P ≤ 0.03). Banded calves had lower Hp concentrations compared to Z (P ≤ 0.01). Total white blood cell concentrations, proportions and concentrations of neutrophils, and proportion of lymphocytes were greater in Z compared to B on d 1, 2, and 3 (P ≤ 0.01). There was no interaction between treatments over time for IL1β, IL6, and TNFα expression (P ≥ 0.83). The findings in both studies indicate that intratesticular Zn injections at weaning can improve growth performance and some carcass attributes but produce a heightened inflammatory and immune response and cause discomfort. Injecting zinc, as formulated and administered in these trails, does not result in complete castration of beef calves at this age and therefore cannot be considered a true castration alternative.

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Abundance, Site-Fidelity, And Association Patterns Of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Off Southeast Florida, Graysen D. Boehning Jul 2022

Abundance, Site-Fidelity, And Association Patterns Of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Off Southeast Florida, Graysen D. Boehning

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The coastal bottlenose dolphin is well studied throughout its natural range, however, most of the study areas comprised wide, well-protected habitats such as bays and estuaries, and not narrow coastal sandbanks. This study identifies a residential group of coastal bottlenose dolphins utilizing the narrow sandbanks within the Northwestern Atlantic waters off the coast of Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. From 2014-2020, 313 boat surveys were conducted, and 585 individual dolphins were identified using photo-ID. Twenty-four animals were determined to be full-time and 66 animals were determined to be part-time residents. Full-time and part-time residents associated in three social tribes, with …

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Sodium Mediates Developmentally Plastic Responses In Plants And Herbivores, Luis Santiago-Rosario May 2022

Sodium Mediates Developmentally Plastic Responses In Plants And Herbivores, Luis Santiago-Rosario

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sodium plays a crucial role in organismal performance, trophic-level interactions, and eco-evolutionary dynamics. For plants, sodium impacts osmoregulation, growth, and water uptake. For animals, sodium is essential influencing osmoregulatory processes, muscle and neural development, and blood regulation. My dissertation aims to disentangle why sodium mismatch affects resource-consumer interactions and its influence on morphological and behavioral plasticity. First, I identified how sodium impacts plant performance and sodium accumulation strategies. I initially focused my research on understanding how increasing substrate sodium affects plant growth and tissue sodium accumulation strategies in controlled settings using a systematic review approach. I found that saltier plants …

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Evaluation Of Grazing Techniques As A Nutrition Source For Horses In A Pasture Environment, Brittany Perron May 2022

Evaluation Of Grazing Techniques As A Nutrition Source For Horses In A Pasture Environment, Brittany Perron

All Dissertations

Horses require daily access to forage in order to support their gastrointestinal tract function as well as natural grazing behaviors. Well-managed pasture provides horses with a consistent forage source and diminishes health risks such as colic, ulcers and stereotypies. However, equine grazing behaviors are more intense than other livestock and may be detrimental to plant and soil health. A grazing management technique specifically for horses is necessary to prevent both health and environmental issues. The following dissertation explores both the movement of required maintenance elements, such as feed, shelter, and water, as well as the manipulation of feeding frequency and …

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