Other Animal Sciences Commons^™

Materials And Methods Developed For The Recording And Analysis Of Behavior In The Common Marmoset (Callithrix Jacchus)., Christian Wintle

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Materials and methods developed for the recording and analysis of behavior in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

Christian J. Wintle^a, Jordan B. Hernandez^a,b,c, Dobromir Dotov^d, and Jonathan B. Clayton^a,b,e,f,g

^aDepartment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^bNebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

^cDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA

^dDepartment of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^eDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, …

Impact Of Equine Interaction During Psychotherapy On Anxiety And Depression For Residential Treatment Program Patients Experiencing Substance Withdrawal, Molly M. Friend, Molly C. Nicodemus, Clay Cavinder, Caleb Lemley, Pauline Prince, Katherine A. Cagle-Holtcamp, Rebecca M. Swanson

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

As incidences of substance use disorders (SUD) increase in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for more effective treatment approaches. Further, treatment approaches currently available struggle to retain patients during the period of substance withdrawal in early treatment due to patients’ withdrawal symptoms including increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Withdrawal symptoms have been linked to dysregulated cortisol concentrations present in this period. Psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction (PIE) has emerged in other populations as a treatment that decreases cortisol concentrations and improves treatment retention. The present study investigated the impact of 4 weeks of PIE on …

Ethical Issues And Standards Of Responsible Research Conduct And Monitoring In An Adventist Institution Of Higher Learning - The Babcock Experience, Kayode O. Ogunwenmo, Godswill N. Anyasor, Grace O. Tayo

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Ethical issues and standards of responsible research conduct involving human participants are important considerations in any institution of higher learning and in particular Adventist institutions. Research conduct and ethics are reviewed and approved before they begin by the Babcock University Health Research Ethics Committee (BUHREC)

Effect Of Temperature On The Microbiome Of A Laboratory-Reared Colony Of Haemaphysalis Longicornis Ticks, Brianna L. Mitchell

Honors Theses

Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks are invasive to the United States with potential to transmit several tick-borne pathogens that are native to the United States. Based on existing locations of H. longicornis in its native regions in Asia, as well as its invasive populations that are established in the United States, several geographic range prediction models have been produced to help understand future range expansion and distribution of this invasive tick in North America. Unfortunately, these models do not all agree and there is uncertainty associated with the potential geographic range expansion of H. longicornis ticks in North America. Climate can affect …

Effect Of Temperature On The Microbiome Of A Laboratory Reared Colony Of Haemaphysalis Longicornis Ticks, Brianna Mitchell

Poster Presentations

Honors research poster.

Haemaphysalis longicornis is a species of tick native to eastern Asia, including eastern China, Japan, eastern Russia, and Korea. To date, it has invaded and has now established its existence in Australia, New Zealand, and several of the Pacific Islands. This species of tick has recently been introduced to the United States, having a confirmed sighting in November 2017 on a sheep farm in New Jersey and since establishing populations in 18 states along the east coast and Appalachia. Based on the existing locations of H. longicornis in its native regions, as well as in the United …

Examining The Effect Of Varying Dilutions Of Octopamine On The Gut Microbiome Of Lab-Raised And Wild Acheta Domesticus By Brandon Nelson University Of Puget Sound Biology, Brandon Nelson

Summer Research

For my research I am comparing the gut microbiome of lab raised A. Domesticus that are given various levels of Octopamine, a stress hormone, and comparing that to the gut microbiome of wild cricket types. Crickets are a widely used organism across the world for various experiments as both subject and feed. Knowing how the gut microbiome of these crickets is affected by various levels of stress will allow us to better take care of these crickets. This could also help us determine if there are any diseases that lab raised crickets may be susceptible to. A large part of …

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 …

Amphisbaenian Head Movement And Burrowing Forces In Damp Granular Media, Jacob Newell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Damp granular media is a difficult environment to study because it is both practically complex and it lacks equations which fully describe its behavior. In this study, an oscillatory lateral head movement and its effects while penetrating damp granular media were tested using a robophysical model. This experimental research was inspired by the burrowing behavior of the clade Amphisbaenia, a group of usually limbless squamates that employ a variety of different burrowing behaviors, but it can apply to a wide range of burrowers. This research could help with both human burrowing technologies and the further investigation of animal behaviors.

Seroprevalence And Titer Concentration Testing For Leptospirosis In Equine, Ashley Himmelsbaugh

Honors College Theses

The most common best management practice used to combat diseases in horses is vaccination, which can decrease the incidence or severity of illness. However, the duration of immunity will vary for each vaccination and must be considered for revaccination purposes. Titer concentration, which evaluates antibodies in the blood, may be a helpful way of determining how long an animal has immunity to a disease. Leptospirosis, a zoonotic, bacterial disease, can result in uveitis, potentially leading to blindness, and abortion in mares. One serovar, Leptospirosis pomona (L. pomona), is associated with most cases of clinical disease in horses in North America. …

Pilot Testing A Survey To Evaluate Horse Owner And Trainer Perceptions Of The Importance And Ideality Of Equine Hoof Balance, Katherine Gilmore

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Balance plays an integral role in the healthy equine hoof, yet there is a significant deficiency of research investigating horse owner and trainer knowledge of hoof balance. This study aimed to pilot test an online survey instrument evaluating horse owner and trainer perceptions of proper hoof care and balance. The survey instrument sought to collect demographic information of horse owners and trainers, determine horse owners’ and trainers’ abilities to identify ideally balanced equine forehooves, and assess horse owner and trainer knowledge of best hoof trimming and shoeing practices. Ninety-one horse owners and trainers with facilities that were within a 150-mile …

Comparison Of The Humoral Immune Response Following Both Bacterial Challenge And Rnai Of Major Factors On Proliferation Of Bartonella Quintana In The Human Louse, Jake Zina

Masters Theses

Human body lice, Pediculus humanus humanus, and head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, have been hematophagous ectoparasites of humans for thousands of years. Despite being ecotypes, only body lice are known to transmit bacterial diseases to humans, and it appears that lower humoral and cellular immune responses allow body lice to possess a higher vector competence. We previously observed that the transcription level of the defensin 1 gene was up-regulated only in head lice following oral challenge of Bartonella quintana, a causative agent of trench fever, and also that body lice excreted more viable B. quintana in their …

Locked Nucleic Acid Aptamer And 10 Nm Gold Nanoparticles Increases The Sensitivity Of A Prion Protein Detection Assay, Haley Channell

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Cilia Proteins Are Biomarkers Of Altered Flow In The Vasculature, Ankan Gupta, Karthikeyan Thirugnanam, Madhan Thamilarasan, Ashraf M. Mohieldin, Hadeel T. Zedan, Shubhangi Prabhudesai, Meghan R. Griffin, Andrew D. Spearman, Amy Pan, Sean P. Palecek, Huseyin C. Yalcin, Surya M. Nauli, Kevin R. Rarick, Rahima Zennadi, Ramani Ramchandran

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Cilia, microtubule-based organelles that project from the apical luminal surface of endothelial cells (ECs), are widely regarded as low-flow sensors. Previous reports suggest that upon high shear stress, cilia on the EC surface are lost, and more recent evidence suggests that deciliation—the physical removal of cilia from the cell surface—is a predominant mechanism for cilia loss in mammalian cells. Thus, we hypothesized that EC deciliation facilitated by changes in shear stress would manifest in increased abundance of cilia-related proteins in circulation. To test this hypothesis, we performed shear stress experiments that mimicked flow conditions from low to high shear stress …

Dehydration And Mortality Of Feral Horses And Burros: A Systematic Review Of Reported Deaths, John Derek Scasta, Eric Thacker, Jacob D. Hennig, Karl Hoopes

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Water is a requirement for all organisms, including equids. Dehydration-caused mortality of feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) is often cited as a cause of concern and as justification for management of feral horses, yet a paucity of information exists on the matter. We conducted a systematic review from September 1, 2020 through January 15, 2021 of available news reports of feral horse and burro (E. asinus) dehydration mortalities and public interventions to save horses using a public search engine with a priori defined search term combinations and additional snowball sampling. We found 15 uniquely reported mortality …

Kentucky Equestrians: Defining Socioeconomic Contexts For Extension Programming, Kimberly I. Tumlin, Karin Pekarchik, Steven Claas

The Journal of Extension

Understanding relationships between demographic and economic factors and equestrian participation could improve horse program design. We implemented an online survey that characterized associations of participation in equine activities, socioeconomic factors, and economic factors with age. Seventy-five percent of respondents ride, and 34% are recreational, non-competitive participants. Respondents were mostly female, and many participate in the sport throughout life. Many respondents indicated they overspent on equestrian activities. Horse programs should incorporate information and activities that address issues unique to females, should develop skills required by amateur or recreational riders, and should incorporate information on financial wellness.

Compounded Gabapentin For Felines: Associated Metabolic Processes And Analysis Of Potency, Johnny Altwal

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Pharmaceutical compounding provides pharmacists and clinicians the opportunity to create unique drug formulations that are better suited to a specific patient’s needs. This is especially prevalent in veterinary medicine where clinicians treat a variety of maladies in a large number of species, thereby requiring unique formulations to more easily deliver drugs to animals. Several examples of compounded veterinary formulations with sub-therapeutic potencies have been published, but none examine compounded gabapentin. Gabapentin is frequently compounded into an oral suspension for veterinary use from tablets or capsules for the purpose of pain management in felines and other small animals. The project’s goals …

Dirofilaria Immitis Prevalence In Canis Latrans In Kentucky, Melanie Ann Brandon

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Dirofilaria immitis (canine heartworm) was found in forty-two (42) of the two hundred seventy-five (275) Canis latrans (coyote) necropsied in the state of Kentucky from November 27, 2019 through March 3, 2021. Thirty-five (35) of the positive cases were from western Kentucky region with the other seven spread across the state. With this group of coyotes, one hundred fifty-eight (158) were male and the other one hundred six-teen (116) were female. The estimated age ranged from a pup to senior dogs. A little over forty percent of the dogs were obtained through coyote/predator tournaments; the remaining were acquired from pest …

Prevalence And Distribution Of African Swine Fever Virus In Swine Feed After Mixing And Feed Batch Sequencing, C. Grace Elijah, Jessie D. Trujillo, Cassandra K. Jones, Taeyong Kwon, Charles R. Stark, Konner R. Cool, Chad B. Paulk, Natasha N. Gaudreault, Jason C. Woodworth, Igor Morozov, Carmen Gallardo, Jordan T. Gebhardt, Jurgen A. Richt

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

As the United States maintains trade with countries where African swine fever virus (ASFV) is endemic, it is critical to have methods that can detect and mitigate the risk of ASFV in potentially contaminated feed or ingredients. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate feed batch sequencing as a mitigation technique for ASFV contamination in a feed mill, and 2) determine if a feed sampling method could identify ASFV following experimental inoculation. Batches of feed were manufactured in a BSL-3Ag room at Kansas State University’s Biosafety Research Institute in Manhattan, KS. First, the pilot feed manufacturing system …

The Effect Of Live Yeast And Yeast Extracts Included In Lactation Diets On Antimicrobial Susceptibility Of Fecal Escherichia Coli In Sows, Jenna A. Chance, Jordan T. Gebhardt, Joel M. Derouchey, Raghavendra G. Amachawadi, Victor Ishengoma, T. G. Nagaraja, Mike D. Tokach, Jason C. Woodworth, Robert D. Goodband, Qing Kang, Joseph A. Loughmiller, Brian Hotze

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 27 sows (Line 241; DNA Genetics) were used in a study to evaluate the effect of feeding live yeast and yeast extracts to lactating sows on antimicrobial susceptibilities of fecalE. coli. Sows were blocked by BW and parity on d 110 of gestation and allotted to 1 of 2 dietary treatments. Dietary treatments consisted of a standard corn-soybean meal lactation diet or a diet that contained yeast-based pre- and probiotics (0.10% Actisaf Sc 47 HR+ and 0.025% SafMannan; Phileo by Lesaffre, Milwaukee, WI). Diets were fed from d 110 of gestation until weaning (approximately d …

Prevalence And Distribution Of African Swine Fever Virus In Swine Feed After Mixing And Feed Batch Sequencing, C. Grace Elijah, Jessie D. Trujillo, Cassandra K. Jones, Taeyong Kwon, Charles R. Stark, Konner R. Cool, Chad B. Paulk, Natasha N. Gaudreault, Jason C. Woodworth, Igor Morozov, Carmina Gallardo, Jordan T. Gebhardt, Jurgen A. Richt

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

As the United States maintains trade with countries where African swine fever virus (ASFV) is endemic, it is critical to have methods that can detect and mitigate the risk of ASFV in potentially contaminated feed or ingredients. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate feed batch sequencing as a mitigation technique for ASFV contamination in a feed mill, and 2) determine if a feed sampling method could identify ASFV following experimental inoculation. Batches of feed were manufactured in a BSL-3Ag room at Kansas State University’s Biosafety Research Institute in Manhattan, KS. First, the pilot feed manufacturing system …

Effects Of Live Yeast And Yeast Extracts With And Without Pharmacological Levels Of Zinc On Antimicrobial Susceptibilities Of Fecal Escherichia Coli In Nursery Pigs, Jenna A. Chance, Jordan T. Gebhardt, Joel M. Derouchey, Raghavendra G. Amachawadi, Victor Ishengoma, T. G. Nagaraja, Qing Kang, Mike D. Tokach, Jason C. Woodworth, Robert D. Goodband, Joseph A. Loughmiller

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 360 weanling barrows (Line 200 × 400, DNA Genetics; initial BW 12.4 ± 0.05 lb) were used in a 42-d study to evaluate yeast-based pre- and probiotics (Phileo by Lesaffre, Milwaukee, WI) in diets with or without pharmacological levels of Zn on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of fecalEscherichia coli. Pens were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 5 pigs per pen and 18 pens per treatment. Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of live yeast-based pre- and probiotics (none vs. 0.10% ActiSafSc 47 HR+, 0.05% SafMannan, …

Quantification Of Semi-Truck Cab Decontamination, C. Grace Elijah, Cassandra K. Jones, Caitlin Evans, Haley K. Wecker, Charles R. Stark, Jianfa Bai, Elizabeth G. Poulsen-Porter, Allison K. Blomme, Jason C. Woodworth, Chad B. Paulk, Jordan T. Gebhardt

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Evidence suggests that the inside of vehicle cabs used for feed delivery may serve as a potential source for disease, yet there are no standardized protocols or scientific evidence for methods of their disinfection. Therefore, the objective of this project was to evaluate commercially available disinfectants and disinfection application methods against PEDV and PRRSV on various surfaces within semi-truck cabs. Three different surface types common in vehicle cabs (fabric, plastic, and rubber) were cut into 4 × 4 inch coupons and inoculated with either PEDV or PRRSV. Once inoculated, surfaces were placed in one of 3 semi-truck cabs and the …

Feed Mitigant Efficacy For Control Of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus And Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus When Inoculated Alone Or Together In Feed, C. Grace Elijah, Gage E. Nichols, Jordan T. Gebhardt, Cassandra K. Jones, Jason C. Woodworth, Steve S. Dritz, Jianfa Bai, Joe W. Anderson, Elizabeth G. Poulsen Porter, Aaron Singrey, Chad B. Paulk

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Research has demonstrated that swine feed can be a fomite for viral transmission and feed additives can reduce viral contamination. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate two feed additives in feed contaminated with PEDV or PRRSV. Feed additives included: no treatment, 0.33% commercial formaldehyde-based product, and 0.50% medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) blend. Feed samples were inoculated with PEDV and PRRSV alone or together at an inoculation concentration of 10⁶TCID₅₀/g for each virus. Once inoculated, feed was stored at room temperature for 24 h before analyzing via qRT-PCR. For samples inoculated with PEDV …

Effect Of Benzoic Acid And Essential Oil Blends On Viral Load In Swine Feed And Vitamin Premix, Allison K. Blomme, Jordan T. Gebhardt, Cassandra K. Jones, Jason C. Woodworth, Elizabeth G. Poulsen Porter, Jianfa Bai, Chad B. Paulk

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Feed has been shown to harbor viable virus of interest to swine producers over an extended period of time. The use of mitigants and kill steps have been investigated with variable results. This study investigated the use of benzoic acid (BA) and an essential oil blend (EO) to mitigate the presence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), and Senecavirus A (SVA) in a complete diet (Exp. 1) and a vitamin premix (Exp. 2). Four treatments consisting of 0.5% BA; 0.5% BA and 200 ppm EO; 0.3% BA and 120 ppm EO; and 0.25% …

Detection And Investigation Of Atypical Porcine Pestivirus Within A Breed-To-Finish Farm And Off-Site Nursery And Finisher Locations, C. Grace Elijah, Cassandra K. Jones, Jason C. Woodworth, Rachel Palinski, Chad B. Paulk, Tom Petznick, Jordan T. Gebhardt

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) has been associated with congenital tremors (CT) and splay leg (SL) in piglets of infected dams. The major cost of this virus is the increased pre-weaning mortality due to CT or SL interfering with the piglet’s ability to nurse and move around the farrowing stall. A commercial farrow-to-finish farm with replacement gilts coming from an off-site genetic multiplier farm, and semen delivery from a commercial boar stud began to see an increase of CT and SL in the farrowing room in early 2020. Diagnostics on clinically affected pigs’ samples identified APPV RNA and no other suspected …

Modeling Action Potential Reversals In Tunicate Hearts, John W. Cain, Luran He, Lindsay D. Waldrop

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Tunicates are small invertebrates which possess a unique ability to reverse flow in their hearts. Scientists have debated various theories regarding how and why flow reversals occur. Here we explore the electrophysiological basis for reversals by simulating action potential propagation in an idealized model of the tubelike tunicate heart. Using asymptotic formulas for action potential duration and conduction velocity, we propose tunicate-specific parameters for a two-current ionic model of the action potential. Then, using a kinematic model, we derive analytical criteria for reversals to occur. These criteria inform subsequent numerical simulations of action potential propagation in a fiber paced at …

Sexually Dimorphic Oxytocin Receptor-Expressing Neurons In The Anteroventral Periventricular Nucleus Regulates Maternal Behavior, Kaustubh Sharma

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The neurohypophysial hormone oxytocin is involved in the regulation of social behaviors, including social recognition, pair bonding, and sex-specific parental behaviors in a variety of species. Oxytocin triggers these social behaviors by binding to oxytocin receptors (OXTR) in various parts of the brain. Oxytocin-induced sex-typical behavior, therefore, suggests a sexual dimorphic distribution of OXTR in the brain. In recent years, the oxytocin system in the brain received tremendous attention as a potential pharmacological target for treatment of many psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, and even sex-specific psychiatric disorder like postpartum depression (PPD). An important problem and a …

Wild Mice With Different Social Network Sizes Vary In Brain Gene Expression, Patricia C. Lopes, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Appropriate social interactions influence animal fitness by impacting several processes, such as mating, territory defense, and offspring care. Many studies shedding light on the neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior have focused on nonapeptides (vasopressin, oxytocin, and homologues) and on sexual or parent-offspring interactions. Furthermore, animals have been studied under artificial laboratory conditions, where the consequences of behavioral responses may not be as critical as when expressed under natural environments, therefore obscuring certain physiological responses. We used automated recording of social interactions of wild house mice outside of the breeding season to detect individuals at both tails of a distribution …

Brain Complexity, Sentience And Welfare, Donald M. Broom

Animal Sentience

Neither sentience nor moral standing is confined to animals with large or human-like brains. Invertebrates deserve moral consideration. Definition of terms clarifies the relationship between sentience and welfare. All animals have welfare but humans give more protection to sentient animals. Humans should be less human-centred.

Influences Of Anti-Bd Bacteria On Amphibians And Their Microbiomes, Emme L. Schmidt

Honors Thesis

The fungal pathogen Batrochochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been threatening amphibian populations across the globe. Recent work has discovered that bacteria isolated from certain populations of amphibians protect hosts from this pathogen. This project focuses on the anti-fungal mechanisms of Serratia marcescens, a species of bacteria isolated from a Costa Rican frog that dramatically inhibited Bd in culture. Wild-type and recombinant S. marcescens was introduced to the microbiomes of a live amphibian host, Acris blanchardi (Blanchard’s Cricket Frog) and then challenged with Bd to examine the protective effects of this bacteria. The experiment includes recombinant S. marcescens with …