Life Sciences Commons^™

Ecology Of Sceloporus Undulatus Speari (Sauria: Phrynosomatidae) From North-Central Chihuahua, Mexico, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Geoffrey R. Smith, Royce E. Ballinger, Hobart M. Smith

Papers in Herpetology

We studied the ecology of a population of Sceloporus undulatus speari from the Transmontane Sand Dune region of northern Chihuahua, México. Most of the individuals in our population used fence posts or yucca plants as perches and were only rarely seen on the ground. The majority of individuals in our population were seen in full sun, although a substantial number were in shade. Mean body temperature in our population was 35.2°C. Individuals first seen in full sun had lower T_bs than individuals first seen in shade. Lizards using different microhabitats (e.g., yucca vs. fence post) had different body …

Assessing Animal Welfare At The Farm And Group Level: The Interplay Of Science And Values, D. Fraser

Assessment of Animal Welfare Collection

In the social debate about animal welfare we can identify three different views about how animals should be raised and how their welfare should be judged: (1) the view that animals should be raised under conditions that promote good biological functioning in the sense of health, growth and reproduction, (2) the view that animals should be raised in ways that minimise suffering and promote contentment, and (3) the view that animals should be allowed to lead relatively natural lives. When attempting to assess animal welfare, different scientists select different criteria, reflecting one or more of these value-dependent views. Even when …

Novel Object Test: Examining Nociception And Fear In The Rainbow Trout, Lynne U. Sneddon, Victoria A. Braithwaite, Michael J. Gentle

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

This study aimed to assess fear responses to a novel object while experiencing a noxious event to determine whether nociception or fear will dominate attention in a fish in novel object testing paradigm. This experimentally tractable animal model was used to investigate (1) the degree of neophobia to a novel object while experiencing noxious stimulation, (2) the response of the fish after removing the fear-causing event by using a familiar object, and (3) the effects of removing the nociceptive response by morphine administration and examining the response to a novel object. Control animals displayed a classic fear response to the …

Ua66/5 Newsletter, Wku Agriculture

WKU Archives Records

Newsletter created by WKU Agriculture Department re: faculty/staff, students/alumni, student organizations and clubs and donors.

The Evidence For Pain In Fish: The Use Of Morphine As An Analgesic, Lynne U. Sneddon

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

This paper discusses the evidence for pain perception in fish and presents new data on morphine analgesia in fish. Recent anatomical and electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that fish are capable of nociception, the simple detection of a noxious, potentially painful stimulus and the reflex response to this. To prove pain perception, it must be demonstrated that an animal’s behaviour is adversely affected by a potentially painful event and this must not be a reflex response. The present study examined the acute effects of administering a noxious chemical to the lips of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to assess what changes occurred …

Social Learning Of Prey Location In Hatchery-Reared Atlantic Salmon, C. Brown, A. Markula, K. Laland

Aquaculture Collection

Naïve, hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr were paired with demonstrators that had been pre-trained to accept live prey from the surface or from the benthos. After 6 days of observing demonstrators through a clear perspex partition the naïve fish’s benthic foraging skills were tested. The results revealed that hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon can be taught to target benthic prey items by observation alone and social learning protocols can be utilized to dramatically increase benthic foraging success. The results are discussed with reference to refining hatchery-rearing practices with a view to improving the post-release survival of hatchery fishes. The role of …

Inventory And Analysis Of Plankton In Green River Within Mammoth Cave National Park, Justin H. Laughlin

Masters Theses

National Park Service biological staff are charged with preserving and protecting all creatures within a park’s boundaries. It is only a matter of time before exotic zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) invade all eastern waterways including Green River within Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. The National Park Service, in cooperation with University of Tennessee, initiated this inventory of plankton within Mammoth Cave National Park to establish baseline data prior to zebra mussel invasion. During this two year study (2000-2002), 180 plankton samples were collected at three sampling sites which encompassed all major riverine habitat types within the three flow zones (free-flow, …

Do Fishes Have Nociceptors? Evidence For The Evolution Of A Vertebrate Sensory System, Lynne U. Sneddon, Victoria A. Braithwaite, Michael J. Gentle

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Nociception is the detection of a noxious tissue-damaging stimulus and is sometimes accompanied by a reflex response such as withdrawal. Pain perception, as distinct from nociception, has been demonstrated in birds and mammals but has not been systematically studied in lower vertebrates. We assessed whether a fish possessed cutaneous nociceptors capable of detecting noxious stimuli and whether its behavior was sufficiently adversely affected by the administration of a noxious stimulus. Electrophysiological recordings from trigeminal nerves identified polymodal nociceptors on the head of the trout with physiological properties similar to those described in higher vertebrates. These receptors responded to mechanical pressure, …

Considering Animals—Not “Higher” Primates, Marc Bekoff

Sentience Collection

In this essay I argue that many nonhuman animal beings are conscious and have some sense of self. Rather than ask whether they are conscious, I adopt an evolutionary perspective and ask why consciousness and a sense of self evolved—what are they good for? Comparative studies of animal cognition, ethological investigations that explore what it is like to be a certain animal, are useful for answering this question. Charles Darwin argued that the differences in cognitive abilities and emotions among animals are differences in degree rather than differences in kind, and his view cautions against the unyielding claim that humans, …

Trigeminal Somatosensory Innervation Of The Head Of A Teleost Fish With Particular Reference To Nociception, Lynne U. Sneddon

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Trigeminal somatosensory receptors have not been characterised in teleost fish and studies in elasmobranchs have failed to identify nociceptors. The present study examined the trigeminal nerve of a teleost fish, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to determine what types of somatosensory receptors were present on the head of the trout specifically searching for nociceptors. Single unit recordings were made from receptive fields on the head of the fish innervated by the trigeminal nerve. Each receptive field was tested for sensitivity to mechanical, thermal and chemical stimulation. Five different receptor types were found: fast adapting receptors responding to mechanical stimulation; slowly …

Miedo, Amor, Ternura ... ¿Qué Sienten Los Animales? Emociones A Lo Bestia, Eva NúÑEz-MéNdez

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

A brief inquiry into the question of whether or not animals have feelings, emotions, or possess consciousness. Reviews the current state of scientific research and how it attempts to answer this question.

Reconstructing Cetacean Brain Evolution Using Computed Tomography, Lori Marino, Mark D. Uhen, Nicholas D. Pyenson, Bruno Frohlich

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Until recently, there have been relatively few studies of brain mass and morphology in fossil cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises) because of difficulty accessing the matrix that fills the endocranial cavity of fossil cetacean skulls. As a result, our knowledge about cetacean brain evolution has been quite limited. By applying the noninvasive technique of computed tomography (CT) to visualize, measure, and reconstruct the endocranial morphology of fossil cetacean skulls, we can gain vastly more information at an unprecedented rate about cetacean brain evolution. Here, we discuss our method and demonstrate it with several examples from our fossil cetacean database. This …

Dam Design For Pastoral Stock Water Supplies, J S. Addison, R J. Law, G B. Eliot

Bulletins 4000 -

These notes provide information on many components of water harvesting storage systems designed for use in semi-arid areas. The notion of a water harvesting and storage system is deliberately emphasised. No single design component can be considered in isolation if the goal of a drought-proof water supply is to be achieved.

A drought-proof surface water supply is achieved by integrating the many design components of a water harvesting/storage system into a practical plan.

A Simple Reason For A Big Difference: Wolves Do Not Look Back At Humans, But Dogs Do, Ádám Miklósi, Eniko Kubinyi, József Topál, Márta Gácsi, Zsófia Virányi, Vilmos Csányi

Communication Skills Collection

The present investigations were undertaken to compare interspecific communicative abilities of dogs and wolves, which were socialized to humans at comparable levels. The first study demonstrated that socialized wolves were able to locate the place of hidden food indicated by the touching and, to some extent, pointing cues provided by the familiar human experimenter, but their performance remained inferior to that of dogs. In the second study, we have found that, after undergoing training to solve a simple manipulation task, dogs that are faced with an insoluble version of the same problem look/gaze at the human, while socialized wolves do …

The Bold And The Shy: Individual Differences In Rainbow Trout, L. U. Sneddon

Aquaculture Collection

Boldness and shyness were investigated as ‘personality’ traits in hatchery-reared rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Bold fish spent more time in an open area and were more active than shy fish and these behaviours could be used as indicators of boldness and shyness. These differences were related to learning ability in a simple conditioning task. Bold fish learned the task more quickly than shy fish.

Utah Alert: West Nile Virus, Clell V. Bagley Dvm

All Archived Publications

West Nile Virus (WNV) has killed thousands of crows and caused human and equine deaths in North America since it first appeared in New York City in 1999. It has been detected in 144 species of birds, 22 species of mosquitoes, as well as in horses, bats, cats, rabbits and other animals. Birds carry the virus and mosquitoes spread it to other birds, animals or humans. Animals, other than horses and birds, rarely show any illness from the infection.

Wild Dog Control : Facts Behind The Strategies, Peter Thomson

Agriculture reports

Background information to how strategies for controlling wild dogs have been developed over the years, not just in Western Australia, but also other parts of Australia. The information is based on scientific studies, including detailed evaluations of techniques and strategies, and also considerable practical experience from doggers, operational staff and landholders. This publication focuses on sheep enterprises.

The Influence Of Chop Location On Pork Loin Quality (2003), J W. Homm, R C. Johnson, John A. Unruh

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Pork longissimus muscle quality characteristics were evaluated on 109 center cut boneless loins. After 21 d aging, loins were cut into 1-inch chops and allowed to bloom for 30 minutes before visual measurements (color, marbling and firmness) and instrumental color were recorded for each chop. Overall, visual color was the lightest on the anterior and posterior ends and was the darkest from approximately 50% to 80% of the length of the loin. Marbling was the highest at the posterior end, lowest in mid-loin, then higher toward the anterior end. Loins were the softest at the anterior end and became firmer …

Estimating The Impact Of Animal Health And Death Loss On Economic Performance Of Feedlot Cattle (2003), M. Irsik, Michael R. Langemeier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study examined the impacts of animal health and death loss on the economic performance of feedlot cattle. Using data from two feedlots in western Kansas, the impact of animal health on economic performance was quantified. Death loss and the percentage of animals treated significantly impacted feed conversion, average daily gain, and cost of gain. Feed conversion for a pen of cattle was found to increase by 0.27 lb feed/lb gain and daily gain decreased by 0.08 lb/day for each percentage point increase in death loss. An increase in death loss from 1% to 2% increased cost of gain by …

Farm Disease Crises In The United Kingdom: Lessons To Be Learned, Michael C. Appleby

State of the Animals 2003

Over the last fifteen years, a diverse succession of disease-related crises has befallen farm animal and food industries in the United Kingdom. Some have involved animal health, with little risk to humans. Some have involved human health, with animals acting as a reservoir for infection but little affected themselves. Some, however— including the most alarming— have involved both animal and human health through zoonoses, diseases transmittable from animal to human. All of these crises are linked in the public mind and in many commentaries, and indeed there are issues that many of them share. The most common of these is …

Effects Of Pregnancy In Feedlot Heifers On Performance And Carcass Characteristics (2003), G.L. Bishop, J.R. Brethour, T.T. Marston, T.E. Lawrence

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sixty-eight, spring-born, yearling heifers were raised, estrous synchronized, artificially inseminated once, and then finished at the Kansas State University Western Kansas Agricultural Research Southeast Agricultural Research Center Center at Hays to determine the effects of pregnancy status on feedlot performance and carcass traits. To achieve a common endpoint at slaughter, heifers were allotted to one of two slaughter dates to achieve a backfat measurement of 0.5 inch. Therefore, both open and pregnant heifers were slaughtered at either 105 or 147 days (fetal age averaged 174 days for the pregnant heifers). Initial weight, rate of gain, and final weight were similar …

Heritability And Correlation Estimates Of Warner-Bratzler Shear Force And Marbling Score From Angus-, Charolais-, Hereford-, And Simmental-Sired Cattle (2003), J.A. Minick, E.J. Pollak, D.E. Wilson, E.W. Dressler, Michael E. Dikeman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The objective of this study was to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations for Warner- Bratzler shear force and marbling score of longissimus steaks from Angus-, Charolais-, Hereford-, and Simmental-sired cattle in the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) coordinated Carcass Merit Traits Project funded with Beef Checkoff dollars. There were 700 Angus-sired steers, 691 Charolais-sired steers and heifers, 938 Hereford-sired steers, and 1,167 Simmental-sired steers and heifers in the study. Restricted maximum likelihood estimates of the genetic parameters were determined using a sire model with a sire/maternal grandsire relationship matrix. The heritabilities for Warner-Bratzler shear force and marbling score, respectively, were …

Post-Process Steam Pasteurization Of Packaged Frankfurters Combined With Acid/Buffer Treatments For Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes (2003), A.L. Reicks, H. Thippareddi, Randall K. Phebus, James L. Marsden, Curtis L. Kastner

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The efficacy of a saturated steam-based post-process pasteurization system to reduce/ eliminate Listeria monocytogenes on frankfurters was evaluated. Frankfurters were packaged individually or in a single layer format (4 per package, touching). Samples were surface treated with 2% lactic acid, 4% lactic acid, 2% buffered sodium citrate, or 2% buffered sodium lactate, vacuum packaged, and steam pasteurized to end-point surface temperatures of 160, 170 or 180°F using a Townsend Post-Process Pasteurization system (formerly Stork-RMS Protecon). Pasteurization of inoculated single layer franks to surface end point temperature targets of 160, 170, and 180°F resulted in L. monocytogenes reductions (P0.05) were noted …

The Optimal True Ileal Digestible Lysine Requirement For 22 To 45 Lb Pigs (2003), N A. Lenehan, J L. Usry, Michael D. Tokach, Robert D. Goodband, Jim L. Nelssen, Joel M. Derouchey, Steven S. Dritz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 1,440 pigs (initially 22.5 lb and 21 d after weaning) was used in a 21-d growth assay to determine the optimal lysine level to maximize growth performance of 22- to 45-lb pigs. Pigs were fed one of five dietary treatments with increasing dietary lysine (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5% true digestible lysine). All diets had the same soybean meal level with crystalline amino acids added to achieve the increasing lysine levels while maintaining a minimum ratio of all other amino acids to lysine. Average daily gain and feed efficiency improved linearly (P<0.01) with increasing dietary lysine. Although the response to lysine was linear (P<0.01), it would appear that pigs weighing between 22 and 45 lb require approximately 1.4% true digestible lysine (1.54% total lysine) to maximize growth performance.; Swine Day, 2003, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2003

Effects Of A Prebiotic, Inulin, And A Direct Fed Microbial On Growth Performance Of Weanling Pigs (2003), N Z. Frantz, Jim L. Nelssen, Joel M. Derouchey, Robert D. Goodband, Michael D. Tokach, Steven S. Dritz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A 32-day growth study with a total of 252 weanling pigs (18 ± 3 d of age) was conducted to evaluate the effects of a prebiotic, Inulin (a fructooligosaccharide derivative of chicory), and a direct fed microbial (Lactobacillus strain) in diets for weanling pigs. Pigs were fed one of six experimental diets containing: 1) no antibiotic or prebiotic (negative control); 2) carbadox (50 g/ton, positive control); 3) direct fed microbial (DFM, 0.1%); 4) Inulin (0.5% and 0.2% of phase I and phase II diets, respectively); 5) carbadox plus DFM; or 6) carbadox plus Inulin. Pigs fed carbadox improved (P<0.04) ADG from d 0 to 14, 14 to 32, and overall (0 to 32) compared to pigs fed diets without carbadox. Pigs fed diets containing carbadox increased (P<0.01) ADFI from d 0 to 14 and tended to have increased (P<0.06) ADFI overall compared to pigs fed diets without carbadox. No differences in ADG or ADFI were seen for pigs fed diets containing either Inulin or the DFM compared to pigs fed diets without Inulin or DFM. Pigs fed the DFM had poorer feed efficiency d 0 to 14 (P<0.03), 14 to 32 (P<0.01), and overall (P<0.01) compared to those fed diets without DFM. Also, there was a trend for pigs fed diets containing Inulin to have poorer feed efficiency (P<0.07) from d 14 to 32 and overall when compared to pigs fed diets without Inulin. There were no additive responses for ADG or ADFI when Inulin or DFM were combined with carbadox. Pigs fed diets containing both the DFM and carbadox resulted in poorer feed efficiency (P<0.02) from d 14 to 32 and overall (0 to 32) than pigs fed diets without carbadox or DFM. Pigs fed the diet containing Inulin and carbadox had poorer feed efficiency from d 0 to 14 (P<0.04) compared to pigs fed diets without carbadox or Inulin. In summary, nursery diets containing either Inulin or the DFM did not enhance growth performance; however, carbadox improved ADG and ADFI.; Swine Day, 2003, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2003

Particle Size, Mill Type, And Added Fat Influence Flow Ability Of Ground Corn (2003), C N. Groesbeck, K R. Lawrence, C W. Hastad, Robert D. Goodband, Michael D. Tokach, Jim L. Nelssen, Steven S. Dritz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

We conducted three experiments to determine effect of particle size, mill type, and added fat on flow characteristics of ground corn. In Experiment 1, corn was ground with either a hammer mill or a roller mill to produce six samples with different particle sizes. The particle size for the corn ground with a roller mill ranged from 1,235 to 502 microns with standard deviation ranging from 1.83 to 2.03. Particle size for corn ground with a hammer mill ranged from 980 to 390 microns with standard deviation ranging from 2.56 to 2.12. All samples were dried 12 hours to equalize …

Use Of Dried Distiller’S Grains With Solubles For Swine Diets (2003), C W. Hastad, C N. Groesbeck, K R. Lawrence, N A. Lenehan, T P. Keegan, Michael D. Tokach, Jim L. Nelssen, Robert D. Goodband, Joel M. Derouchey, Steven S. Dritz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A large increase in the number of ethanol plants has lead to increased availability of dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS). New plants also have improved processing techniques, which makes DDGS more attractive to use in swine diets. Two experiments were conducted to determine the energy value of DDGS. In Experiment 1, 360 pigs (each initially 38.5 lb) were used in a 22 d growth assay. Treatments consisted of five corn-soybean meal-based diets with added wheat bran or soy oil to provide five different energy densities ranging from 1,390 to 1,604 Kcal/lb ME. The objective was to use responses to …

Mannanoligosaccharides In Diets For Nursery Pigs (2003), C L. Jones, C W. Starkey, Joe D. Hancock

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 168 pigs (average initial BW of 13.2 lb and avg initial age of 21 d) was used in a 35-d experiment to determine the effects of mannanoligosaccharides on growth performance of nursery pigs fed diets without antibiotics. Treatments were: 1) a positive control with carbadox added at 50 g/ton of diet, 2) a negative control without antibiotic, 3) the negative control with mannanoligosaccharides from dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation solubles (Bio-Mos added at 0.2% of the diet), and 4) the negative control diet with mannanoligosaccharides from the cell walls of yeast (Safmannan added at 0.1% of the diet). …

Changes In Fed Cattle Marketing Methods: Survey Results (2003), C. Ward, J. Lawrence, D. Feuz, Ted C. Schroeder

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Significant changes in fed cattle marketing methods have occurred over time. This report summarizes a survey conducted to determine current and intended marketing practices of cattle feeders. Use of marketing agreements has increased over time. In 1996, 23% of cattle fed by survey respondents were sold under some type of marketing agreement. This increased to 52% in 2001 and was expected to increase to 65% by 2006. Use by cattle feeders of cash live and carcass weight pricing is expected to decline, and grid pricing is expected to increase substantially over time. The percentage of cattle that survey respondents marketed …

Effect Of Information And Information Source On Consumer Preference For Food Irradiation, John A. Fox, Michael A. Boland, W. Grady

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The effect of consumer information about food irradiation and the source of the information was studied through a survey mailed to 400 residents each of Manhattan and Topeka, Kansas. Two-thirds of the surveys contained a brochure providing answers to frequently asked questions about irradiation, one-third did not. Half of the informational brochures were altered to suggest they were from industry, half from the government. The survey questioned consumer choice between irradiated and non-irradiated ground beef patties, with price differentials from 10 cents/lb to 40 cents/lb costlier for irradiated patties. A greater price differential resulted in less preference for irradiated beef …