Life Sciences Commons^™

Use Of Molecular Genetics To Investigate Population Structure And Swayback In Horses, Navid Yousefimashouf

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

The present research incorporated molecular genetic methods to 1) investigate the genetic basis of Juvenile Onset Lordosis or Swayback in the American Saddlebred horses; and 2) conduct a population genetic study to compare the Persian Kurdish, Persian Arabian and American Thoroughbred horse populations.

Juvenile-onset lordosis, or swayback, is a condition in horses where the conformational topline back curvature drops significantly within the first two years of life. The trait has a higher prevalence in Saddlebreds (5%). Prior research on them quantified the trait using a Measurement of Back Contour (MBC), defining an MBC of >7.0 centimeters as swayback, and8.0) MBC …

Evaluation Of Increasing Levels Of Mycotoxin-Containing Corn Fines On Diet Choice And Growth Performance Of Nursery Pigs, Duncan B. Paczosa

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Pigs fed mycotoxin contaminated diets at high concentrations will result in a detriment to health and performance. An initial study and a follow-up study were conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding increasing levels of mycotoxin-containing corn fines on growth performance, diet preference of pigs, and two possible mitigants.

The initial study was a 3 x 2 factorial containing three levels of fines (0, 10, and 20%, Diets 1-3, respectively) and either 0 ppm (Diets 1-3) or 40 ppm boron (Diets 4-6; Diets 4-6 were Diets 1-3, respectively, plus boron) as sodium tetraborate decahydrate as a possible mitigant. In this …

Effects Of High-Speed Training On Messenger Rna Expression In Two-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses, Mackenzie Grace Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Accumulating high-speed exercise has been identified as a significant risk factor for catastrophic injuries in racing Thoroughbreds. Injuries, regardless of severity, are a main cause of withdrawal from the racing industry, raising animal welfare concerns and resulting in significant economic losses. While most of the current literature focuses on catastrophic injuries incurred during racing rather than training, the present study aims to help fill this gap as well as discuss the associated risk factors. The evaluation of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression changes provides an efficient and straightforward approach to identifying horses at risk for catastrophic injury. While alternative injury risk …

Molecular Genetic Studies Of Horses, Especially With Reference To Aggrecan And Dwarfism, John Edmund Eberth

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

This work consists of studies on dwarfism in Miniature horses and a study on breakdowns in Thoroughbreds in relation to gene aggrecan. A correction of the description and designation of D3 dwarf variant in aggrecan (ACAN) from the master’s thesis Chondrodysplasia-like dwarfism in the Miniature horse (2013). Commercial sequencing showed previous sequencing reads presented an artifact and not a single base deletion. Analysis showed a single base missense mutation in exon 8 identified as D3* was the actual cause. Multiple alleles of ACAN associated with chondrodysplastic dwarfism in Miniature horses by Eberth et al. (2018), corrected the …

Improving Indoor Arenas For The Equine Industry, Staci Mcgill

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Equine indoor arenas are a unique infrastructure investment found at equine farms and facilities. They are semi-indoor structures for exercising horses, exhibiting skills during competitive events, and other equine related activities. These spaces do not always include mechanical ventilation or stirring fans and occupancy by horses and humans can be sporadic and inconsistent, which creates a challenging space for understanding and predicting airflow. Typically, indoor arenas have a sand-based footing over which the horse travels. The impact of the hooves can cause dust to become a concern within the facilities. Environmental concerns within these facilities (temperature, respirable dust, moisture, and …

The Microbiome Of The Equine Roundworm, Parascaris Spp., Jennifer Lynn Cain

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Parasitic nematodes, including the large roundworms colloquially known as ascarids, affect the health and well-being of livestock animals worldwide. The equine ascarid, Parascaris spp., was the first ascarid parasite to develop wide-spread anthelmintic drug resistance, with other species slowly following suit. There are no new classes of anthelmintics currently in development, and a solution to the ever-increasing prevalence of resistance is desperately needed. The microbiome has been shown to be an important factor in the fitness and health of many organisms and changes to microbiome composition have been associated with a plethora of diseases. The microbiome is also important to …

Characterizing The Internal Porous Structure Of Equine Proximal Sesamoid Bones Subjected To Race Training Using Fast Fourier Transforms, Joseph Erik Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

The equine racing industry is one of the main proponents in Kentucky’s economic infrastructure. In this industry there has come a need to investigate the nature of the proximal sesamoid bone (PSB). Breakdowns involving the PSBs are the leading cause in racehorse deaths in the industry, with still little known about what causes this bone to fracture. This study seeks to shed insight by investigating the internal structure of the PSB. Using microCT scanning, the internal porous structure was captured. From there, noticeable differences in the pores were noticed and quantified using fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis.

The dominant peak …

Assessing Ear Pinna Repair In The Mrl/Mpj Mouse Strain, Fatemeh Safaee

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The outcome of tissue repair varies across species. Vertebrates such as salamanders have the ability to not only heal scar-free but also completely regenerate lost appendages. In contrast, most mammals heal their wounds with fibrotic scarring. Understanding the key drivers of these divergent injury responses remains a major unanswered question in animal biology. Previous work with the Murphy’s Roth Large (MRL/MpJ) inbred mouse strain suggested they have the ability to rapidly close small (2mm) ear holes. While this ability was originally published as an example of regeneration, subsequent work by other groups suggested that it might represent something more akin …

Diet Of A Recently Reintroduced River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) Population In Taos County, New Mexico, Gabriela Alexandra Wolf-Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), native to every U.S. state and Canada, experienced extensive population decreases and range reduction until the mid-20th century as a result of overexploitation and habitat loss during European colonization. The last known river otter in New Mexico was killed on the Gila River in 1953, although unverified reports continued thru 2008. After a nearly 60-year absence from New Mexico, 33 adult river otters were reintroduced to the Rio Pueblo de Taos in the northern part of the state between 2008-2010; however, they were not subsequently monitored or studied. I characterized diet of …

Trade-Offs Shape Carotenoid-Based Color Variation In Redheaded Pine Sawfly (Neodiprion Lecontei) Larvae, Maranda Gaines

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Carotenoids serve various ecological roles in animals including coloration, immune responses, and vision. Carotenoid-derived coloration is greatly emphasized in the literature, particularly relating to mate choice and aposematic warning. However, the trade-offs between the color and non-color functions of carotenoids are not thoroughly explored. In the redheaded pine sawfly (Neodiprion lecontei), some larval populations have yellow pigmentation, using carotenoids derived from their diets for aposematic warning coloration. Other larval populations are white in color, having genetically lost the ability to produce the yellow pigment. Because carotenoids are essential to life functions in both the yellow and white populations, we aim …

Effects Of Dietary Amino Acid Supplementation On Measures Of Whole-Body And Muscle Protein Metabolism In Aged Horses, Christine M. Latham

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Sarcopenia is a condition that is most common in aged animals, and is characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass and integrity, and can lead to physical disability and poor quality of life. Since skeletal muscle protein synthesis can be limited by the availability of amino acids, supplementation of limiting amino acids to ameliorate the progression of sarcopenia has become a topic of interest in companion animal research. Although there is some data to support the idea that amino acid supplementation improves maintenance of muscle mass in aged horses, the cellular mechanisms behind that improvement have yet to be …

Towards Determination Of The Threonine Requirement Of Yearling Horses Fed Varying Dietary Compositions Using The Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Method, Kelsey M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The amino acid requirements of growing horses are currently unknown, and studies suggest that threonine is a limiting amino acid in common horse diets. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the threonine requirement of growing horses fed two different forage to concentrate ratios using the indicator amino acid oxidation method. The study consisted of a high concentrate phase (HC; 60% concentrate and 40% forage) and a high forage phase (HF; 25% concentrate and 75% forage). Within each phase, 6 female yearling Thoroughbred horses were randomly assigned each of 6 dietary treatments in a 6 x 6 Latin …

Relationships Between Behavioral Measures And Productivity In Finishing Beef Cattle, Jasmyn Mimiko

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The relationship between measures of temperament, growth performance, and social hierarchy in finishing beef cattle were explored in two experiments. In experiment 1, high OCS (objective chute score) steers had periods of significantly higher ADG (P < 0.01), but OCS had no relationship with dominance ranking (P > 0.47). Conversely, slow exit velocity (EV) correlated with higher ranking (P ≤ 0.06), but EV had no relationship with performance (P > 0.37) in a competitive environment. Rank showed no relationship with performance (P > .58). In experiment 2, steers with fast EV had periods of decreased growth (P ≤ .06), intake (P ≤ .06), and gain:feed (G:F; P = 0.02). There were no interactions between …

Using The Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Technique To Study Threonine Requirements In Horses Fed Different Feed Compositions, Chanhee Mok

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Threonine has been reported to be the second limiting amino acid in typical equine diets, but its actual requirement has not been determined in horses. The indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method has been successfully used for evaluating amino acid metabolism and requirements in animals and humans. The objective of this research was to use the IAAO method to estimate threonine requirements in mature horses fed two different feed compositions. In the first study, 6 Thoroughbred mares (4 – 16 years old) received each of 6 levels of threonine intake in a high concentrate diet, in a randomly determined order. …

The Effect Of Dietary Nucleotides In Sow And Nursery Piglet Diets On Reproduction, Growth, And Immune Response, I-Fen Hung

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objectives of these studies was to evaluate the effects of nucleotide (NT) supplementation of sow diets during late gestation and lactation and in nursery diets to elucidate the potential value of nucleotides for a variety of biological responses.

The studies conducted in the university research facilities showed that supplying nucleotides to sow diets during late gestation and throughout lactation had no effect on routinely measured reproductive responses or piglet growth postweaning. Nucleotides in the nursery diet had no effects on growth performance and intestinal morphology. However, the LPS-challenged pigs that consumed NT diets tended to lose less weight and …

Steroid-Dependent Regulation Of The Oviduct: A Cross-Species Transcriptomal Analysis, Katheryn L. Cerny

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Reproductive success depends on a functional oviduct for gamete storage, maturation, fertilization, and early-conceptus development. The ovarian-derived sex steroids estradiol and progesterone are known to affect functionality of the oviduct. Advances in microarray and NanoString technology allow for gene expression analysis to increase understanding of processes critical for fertility. Studies were conducted to investigate mechanisms regulating oviductal function in cattle and mice by using the Bovine Gene 1.0 ST array and the Mouse Gene 430-2.0 arrays (Affymetrix Inc., CA), respectively.

For the first study, oviducts were collected from heifers assigned to luteal or follicular phase groups. In the second study …

Animal And Pasture Responses To Grazing Management Of Chemically Suppressed Tall Fescue In Mixed Pastures, Jessica A. Williamson

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Treatment of endophyte-infected tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh] with the broad leaf herbicide Chaparral® can mitigate fescue toxicosis and enhance forage quality by suppressing seedhead emergence. Applying the herbicide to fescue pastures also reduces forage mass and promotes severe spot grazing when pastures are continuously grazed. A grazing experiment was conducted with steers (2013) and heifers (2014) to evaluate animal and plant responses in fescue-bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) mixtures treated with Chaparral to determine the effects of grazing management on pasture carrying capacity, nutritive values, botanical composition, and animal performance. Continuous and rotational (i.e., four subdivisions to …

Evaluating Dietary Amino Acid Adequacy In Horses Using Isotopic Techniques, Sara L. Tanner

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Little is known about amino acid (AA) requirements in horses despite muscle mass accretion being of importance to an athletic species. Isotope methods for determining AA requirements and whole-body protein synthesis (WBPS) had not been previously used in growing horses. The first study herein was the first to apply isotope methods to determine WBPS in growing horses. In the study, weanling colts received two different levels of crude protein. Whole-body protein kinetics indicated that WBPS was greater when the weanlings were fed the diet with a greater crude protein content (P<0.05). The second study sought to determine a lysine requirement for yearling horses using the indicator AA oxidation (IAAO) method. Despite using six dietary levels of lysine; three above and three below the current recommendation, no breakpoint could be determined. Phenylalanine kinetics were not affected by lysine level (P>0.05), but plasma lysine increased linearly with lysine intake …

Effect Of Dietary Exposure To Ergot Alkaloids On Contractility Of Bovine Mesenteric Vasculature And Rumen Motility, Amanda M. Egert

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue grass has been associated with fescue toxicosis, a costly syndrome characterized by poor cattle performance and health resulting in significant production losses. The fungal endophyte produces ergot alkaloids, which help the grass thrive in poor conditions but are toxic to mammals. A number of symptoms of fescue toxicosis can be related to vasoconstriction of bovine core, peripheral, and foregut vasculature. The first part of this series of experiments demonstrated ergot alkaloids were also vasoactive in midgut vasculature, with the exception of lysergic acid. Additionally, prior dietary exposure to ergot alkaloids decreased the contractile response of mesenteric …

Effect Of Direct-Fed Microbials And Monensin On In Vitro Rumen Fermentation, Sheryl Wingard

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The impact of supplying a mixed culture of lactate producing bacteria on in-vitro rumen fermentation of forage- (Experiment 1) and concentrate- (Experiment 2) based diets in the presence and absence of monensin was explored. In experiment 1, interactions between DFM and MON were absent (P>0.10) for gas production and fermentative end products. Gas production and fermentative end products were unaffected by DFM alone (P>0.10). Monensin decreased (P<0.001) CH₄ and NH₃ production, rate and total gas production, as well as total VFA concentration and molar proportions of acetate and butyrate. However, MON increased (P<0.001) proportions of propionate, valerate, isobutyrate and isovalerate. Independently, DFM and MON increased (P<0.001) end point pH. In experiment 2, DFM x MON interactions or tendencies (P=0.07, P<0.01, P<0.01) were present, DFM effects were abated by MON, for rate, total gas production and total VFA concentrations. Acetate:propionate ratio was decreased (P<0.01) with MON and was unaffected by DFM. Ammonia-N concentration was increased (P<0.01) by DFM and unaffected (P=0.75) by MON. Both DFM and MON treatment increased (P<0.01) ruminal pH levels. These studies suggest the effects of DFM and MON of in-vitro fermentation are …

Gestational Form Of Supplemental Selenium (Se) Affects Steroidogenic Gene Expression In The Newborn Calf Testis, Stefani R. Garbacik

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Selenium (Se) is an important trace mineral in the diet of cattle. Our objective was to determine whether the form of supplemental Se fed to the dam would affect the expression of genes regulating steroidogenesis in the newborn testis. Twenty-four Angus-cross cows were assigned randomly (n=8) to individual ad libitum access of a mineral mix containing 35 ppm of Se supplied as sodium selenite (inorganic, ISe; Prince Se), Sel-Plex (organic, OSe; Sel-Plex, Alltech) or a 50/50 mix of ISe/OSe (MIX) 4 months prior to breeding and throughout gestation. All male calves were castrated within 2 days of birth and total …

An Assessment Of Two Feed Additives To Improve Feed Utilization In Pigs, Amanda Shaw Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Three experiments were conducted to assess the efficacy of including selected feed additives in the diet of weaning and grow-finish pigs. Experiment 1 utilized 24 crossbred grow-finish pigs and measured the effect of added EHY on DM, N, and energy digestibility. There were no differences in DM, Energy, and N digestibility between diets 1 through 4. Experiment 2 utilized a total of 36 crossbred pigs [18 barrows, 18 gilts] in order to determine if preference would be shown when presented with naturally-contaminated corn. There were three dietary comparisons, Control vs Diet 2 (Comparison 1), Control vs Diet 4 (Comparison 2), …

The Initial Phases Of A Consistent Pricing System That Reflects The Online Sale Value Of A Horse, Curran A. Prettyman

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

Horses are one of the most uniquely priced commodities. This document provides a solution to an industry-wide weakness of inconsistent pricing and confusion. In the following report, an evaluation of the industry flaw is presented, an econometric approach is described in full, and a solution is proposed using insight gained from a regression analysis. This report uses an econometric approach to determine the impact of hunter jumper horse qualities on internet sale prices. Data is compiled from bigeq.com for seventy-eight horses in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. A linear regression analysis for twelve variables establishes that …

Modulation Of Vaccine-Induced Responses By Anthelmintic Treatment In Ponies, Emily Rubinson

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Vaccines and anthelmintics induce an inflammatory response in equids. Since they are commonly given concurrently, it is practical to study any interaction between them. This study evaluated whether IVM and PYR would modulate the acute phase inflammatory response, the systemic gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and vaccine-specific titers induced by WNV, EHV, and KLH vaccines. Naturally-infected, yearling ponies were sorted by gender, then fecal epgs. They were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: IVM, PYR, and control. All ponies received vaccinations intramuscularly on days 0 and 29. Whole blood, serum, and plasma samples were collected 1, 3, and 14 days …

Modeling Digestibility And Rate Of Passage In Horses, Tayler L. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Horses consume large amounts of fiber in their diet, which may affect digestibility and digesta rate of passage. The objective of these studies was to assess the effects of diet composition on digestibility and rate of passage in horses using mathematical models. Using previously published data, forage dry matter digestibility (DMD) was related to forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations and crude protein (CP) concentrations (DMD = 66.1178 – 0.3410*NDF + 0.6356*CP, DM basis; P < 0.001). In a second experiment, horses were fed diets formulated to have high fiber (HF, n= 3; NDF = 55.3%, CP = 11.8%) or low fiber (LF, n = 3; NDF = 40.5%, CP = 13.3%) concentrations. The LF treatment had greater DM, organic matter, and gross energy digestibilities (P < 0.05), whereas the HF treatment had greater NDF digestibility (P < 0.05). Mathematical models were useful to determine mean retention time (MRT) and there were no differences between model MRT and algebraic MRT, or treatment. Some compartmental parameters were different between treatments (P < 0.05), indicating that dietary fiber may alter some components of digesta passage in horses.

Evaluating The Effect Maturity On The Intake And Digestibility Of Switchgrass Hay Consumed By Beef Steers, David H. Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

There has been increased interest in utilizing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as biomass. There are several challenges to developing this industry, and these have led to the potential use of switchgrass as hay for feeding beef cattle in Kentucky. The effect of increasing maturity on crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and nutritive values of switchgrass hay has been well documented, but few in vivo intake and digestibility trials have been conducted to assess this effect on animal performance when feeding beef cattle. Two in vivo intake and digestibility trials were conducted in 2011 …

Comparison Of Th1 Cytokines And T Cell Markers Gene Expressions Between Virulent And An Attenuated Eiav Vaccine Strain, Talia R. Henkle

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

The equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is closely related to HIV and has been used as a model to identify protective mechanisms against lentivirus infection. In horses, EIA infection progresses for about a year before infected horses manage to control virus replication. This naturally-gained protection is absolutely dependent on active immune responses as evidenced by the fact that immunosuppressive drugs can induce the recurrence of disease. As the resolution of initial viremia correlates with the appearance of virus specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), we believe that cellular immune responses play a key role in controlling EIAV in the horse. In …

Equine Serum Antibody Responses To Streptococcus Equi And Streptococcus Zooepidemicus, Rafaela De Negri

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Sz) and Streptococcus equi (Se) share 98% DNA sequence homology, but display different pathogenic properties. Infection by one organism does not cross-protect against the other. To better understand pathogenic differences between these organisms and gain information about which proteins are expressed in horses infected experimentally with Se, intrauterine Sz or naturally with respiratory Sz we compared antibody specificities of convalescent sera using ELISA. These comparisons were based on sets of 8 and 14 immunoreactive recombinant proteins of Se strain CF32 and Sz strain NC78, respectively. Sera from donkeys that were previously naturally affected with strangles and later developed …

Use Of Mtb-100tm, Provided Through A Mineral Mix, To Reduce Toxicity When Lactating Beef Cows Graze Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue, Melanie E. Hoar

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Two experiments were conducted at the University of Kentucky, Eden Shale Farm, Owenton, KY to evaluate the use of MTB-100^TM (Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville, KY) to alleviate the symptoms of fescue toxicity when lactating Angus x Beefmaster cows and their calves grazed endophyte-infected KY-31 tall fescue. Experiment 1 provided a carbohydrate based toxin adsorbent, MTB-100^TM, ad libitum in a commercial mineral supplement to project a daily consumption rate of 0, 20 or 40 g of MTB-100^TM per cow. Cows were weighed, assigned a body condition score (BCS) and hair coat score (HC), rectal temperatures were recorded and …

Effect Of Estradiol Supplementation On Blood Estradiol And Metabolite Levels, And Hepatic Protein Expression, In Growing, Mature, And Senescent Beef Cattle, Edwena D. Miles

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Estradiol (Compudose®, COM) implants are extensively used in beef cattle production systems to alter body composition and feed efficiency. Little information exists about the physiological mechanisms affected by COM treatment in growing, mature, and senescent female cattle. Moreover, no reports describe the level of blood estradiol resulting from COM treatment. The effect of COM on levels of plasma estradiol and blood metabolites and proteins, and relative content of glutamine synthetase (GS) and other amino acid nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes in liver tissue, was studied using three experimental models relevant to cow-calf production regimens: senescent cows (Trial 1), young mature (young) versus senescent …