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Effects Of Chronic And Acute Y-Hydroxybutyrate Administration On Mass And The Release Of Growth Hormone And Corticosterone, Eric C. Goshorn

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Eric C. Goshorn on December 10, 1998.

Inorganic Fertilization Of Walleye (Stizostedion Vitreum) Hatchery Ponds, Roderick J. Middleton

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Roderick J. Middleton on December 2, 1998.

Changes In Small Mammal Community Attributes Associated With Increasing Pine Stand Age In Managed Pine Plantations In Southeastern Virginia, James Douglas Dolan

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Loblolly pine plantations were examined at different ages to identify small mammal community attributes in relation to the succession of the plant community. Forest floor and understory plant communities were characterized. Small mammals were collected by Fitch (live) traps and pitfall traps in four age classes during five seasons of study. Fitch live traps and pitfall traps were used in conjunction with one another to obtain the most accurate depiction of the small mammal community. Fitch traps accounted for 65 % of small mammal captures and 7 of 9 species captured. Small mammal abundance and biomass declined with increasing stand …

The Effect Of Exercise Training On Cardiovascular Dynamics In The Diabetic Rat, Nicole Marie Griffith

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology by Nicole Marie Griffith on July 24, 1998.

The Effects Of In Ovo Injection Of Ascorbic Acid On Chick Hatchability And Body Weight, Craig E. Deao

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Seed Dispersal By Livestock: A Revegetation Application For Improving Degraded Rangelands, Ferhat Gokbulak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of experiments was conducted to: 1) investigate how feeding cattle with different amounts of different-sized seeds affects seed passage rate through the digestive tract, and the germinability of passed seeds; 2) examine how the location of seeds in dungpats of different thicknesses influences seedling emergence, development, and survival in cattle dungpats; and 3) characterize seedling emergence in naturally and artificially deposited cattle dungpats. Three perennial, cool-season grasses, bluebunch wheatgrass [Psuedoroegneria spicata (Pursh) A. Love], Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda Presl.), and 'Hycrest' crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) X A. cristatum (L.) Gaert.], were used …

Effects Of Uv-B Radiation On Egg And Larval Golden Shiner (Notemigonus Crysoleucas) In Castle Lake, California, Jai-Ku Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied effects of UV-B radiation on egg and larval golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) in Castle Lake, California, USA. To compare egg hatching and survival of larval golden shiner, I exposed eggs and larval fish to three different UV-B treatments, low UV-B (4% UV-B), high UV-B (92% UV-B), and ambient (100% UV-B). The egg experiment was conducted in lake and pond water, whereas proto- and mesolarval stage experiments were conducted in lake water only.

High and ambient UV-B radiation affected the hatching rate of golden shiner eggs. The mean hatching rate was 13% lower in high UV-B, and …

Kokanee Fry Recruitment And Early Life History In The Lake Tahoe Basin, Christine K. Gemperle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lake Tahoe kokanee salmon have experienced decreasing mean adult size and fluctuating populations since 1970. We proposed to determine whether fish production was limited by spawning and incubation processes in Taylor Creek, or by growth constraints, or by mortality in the lake by studying egg-to-fry survival rates and early life history. Estimated egg-to-fry survival was 15. 9% for the 1994 brood year and 1.5% for the 1995 brood year. Egg-to-adult survival was 3.5% for the 1991 brood year and 5.9% for the 1992 brood year. Of the 35 possible survival scenarios, egg-to-fry survival was 7.5-20% and fry-to-adult survival (inlake phase) …

Rangeland Dynamics And Pastoral Development In The High Andes: The Camelid Herders Of Cosapa, Bolivia, Lita P. Buttolph

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Current models of rangeland system dynamics were evaluated in Cosapa, a pastoral community on the Bolivian altiplano. Two specific models were tested: the "equilibrium" model, which assumes biotic interactions dominate rangeland dynamics and lead to system stability, and the "nonequilibrium" model, in which stochastic, abiotic factors control systems such that equilibrium is never attained. A livestock development project (called "Project Alpaca") working in the community was then assessed in terms of how its assumptions of system dynamics compared with empirical findings. The goal of Project Alpaca was to increase incomes for camelid (i.e., llama and alpaca) herders on the …

The Role Of Ammonia In Reproductive Inefficiency In High-Producing Dairy Cows Fed Excess Rumen Degraded Protein, Douglas Scott Hammon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The role of ammonia in reproductive inefficiency in early lactation dairy cows was studied in a series of experiments designed to determine the concentrations of ammonia in normal bovine follicular fluid (bFF), to determine the effects of ammonia on the bovine embryo during specific stages of development, and to test the hypothesis that elevated plasma urea nitrogen concentration is associated with elevated ammonia and urea nitrogen concentrations in the reproductive fluids.

In the first study, ammonia concentration in different size follicles and the effect of ammonia during in vitro maturation on embryo development were determined. Ammonia concentration in the bFF …

Protein Production In The Milk Of Genetically Engineered Animals, Katherine M. Bates

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are numerous proteins that have potential uses in commercial and scientific applications that are not utilized to their full potential. this is partly because it is not economically feasible to isolate some of these proteins from their natural sources or to produce them using bacterial fermentation methods. The purpose of this research was to target recombinant protein expression to the mammary glands of genetically engineered or transgenic animals. Foreign protein expression has been achieved in the mammary glands of rabbits, sheep, cows, and swine. By using a strong mammary gland promoter and signal peptide fused to the protein, it …

Livestock Watering Practices In The Moroccan Pre-Sahara: Their Effects On Water And Nutrient Metabolism Of Sheep In Different Body Conditions, El Mostafa Darfaoui

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A field survey and a metabolism experiment were conducted to study livestock watering practices in the Moroccan Pre-Sahara and their changes with drought extent, season, ecological zone, pastoral system, and herd size. The metabolism experiment was designed to determine effects of once per 2 days (ID), once daily and twice daily drinking frequencies, and high and low body conditions on water and nutrient utilization by sheep fed high- and low-quality diets.

The way herds are managed in this region exposes all sex and age categories of animals to food and water shortages during annual dry seasons and occasional droughts. Livestock …

Identification Of A Genetic Marker For Litter Size In Sheep, Olivia Price

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if the estrogen receptor gene (ESR) could be used as a genetic marker for litter size in sheep. The estrogen receptor gene was chosen because it has been successfully used as a genetic marker for litter size in swine. In this study, DNA dilutions from two experimental flocks, totaling approximately 200 animals, were used. Amplification of exon 1/intron 1 of the ESR gene was performed using PCR. Initial results indicated a polymorphism in the gene when cut with the restriction enzyme Ava ll. It appeared that the gene contained a deletion with …

The Influence Of Connective Tissue In Meat Tenderness (A Histological And Comparative Study), Rachael Anne Adams

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

There are several means of determining the tenderness of meat. Recently, a great deal of effort has been focused on connective tissue, or collagen, as a measure of tenderness. These foci have included biochemical determination of collagen types, the ratios of soluble and insoluble collagen, changes of collagen with age, and abundance of collagen.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the abundance of collage as a means of differentiating levels of tenderness , using histology. Steaks taken from the bovine tenderloin, inside round, and bottom round (eye) were observed histologically using special stains for connective tissue. This method, …

Distribution Of Fishes And Changes In Biotic Integrity In The New River, Tennessee, R. Brian Evans

Masters Theses

Electrofishing samples of fishes were obtained from forty-two localities in the New River system, Tennessee during summer and fall 1996. Eight of forty-two species collected represent new records from the New River: Notropis telescopus, Moxostoma macrolepidotum breviceps, M. carinatum, Lepomis auritus, L. gulosus, L. microlophus, Etheostoma cinereum, and Stizostedion vitreum. Temporal changes in the distribution of fishes were detected by comparing historical collection records with fish samples from 1996. Older records were also employed in the compilation of a modified index of biotic integrity (IBI) that was used to assess changes in fish assemblage health during the past twenty …

Effects Of Oxygen Variation On The Ecology Of Devil's Hole, Death Valley National Park, Norma J. Azad

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The inability to rear Devil's Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis Wales, in captivity, when captive propagation has been successful with other species of pupfish, led to the examination of environmental factors which are unique to Devil's Hole. It has been suggested that C. diabolis regularly experience developmental arrest due to hypoxic conditions. This arrest may be reversible in areas of the shallow shelf during periods of photosynthetic activity. Oxygen measurements over the shallow shelf reveal a gradient of oxygen variation with the greatest diel variability over the inner portion of the shelf diminishing to nearly imperceptible diel variation toward the outer …

Modeling Environmental Effects On Msx Prevalence And Intensity In Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Populations, Michelle Christine Paraso

OES Theses and Dissertations

An oyster population model coupled with a model for Haplosporidium nelsoni, the causative agent of the oyster disease MSX, was used with salinity time-series constructed from Delaware River flow measurements to study environmentally-induced variations in the annual cycle of this disease. Simulations with this model were designed to investigate the effect of increased or decreased spring freshwater discharge, the timing of high freshwater runoff, the presence or absence of a fall or late spring phytoplankton bloom, and the occurrence of a warm winter on MSX prevalence and intensity in Delaware Bay oyster populations. Model simulations for the lower Bay site …

Effect Of Sampling Errors On Estimates Of Recruitment And Fishing Mortality From Separable Virtual Population Analysis, Emmanis Dorval

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Separable virtual population analysis (SVPA) models provide estimates of historical recruitment and fishing mortality from analyzing catch data based on the separability of fishing mortality into age specific-gear selection and yearly mortality. These models assume that the catch is randomly sampled and that sampling error is a random variable with constant variance and mean equal to zero. These models do not account for sampling measurement errors that occur when the catch partitioned by age is not measured on every sampling unit without error, and spatio-temporal errors that occur when the observed catch is not representative of the harvested population throughout …

Effects Of Fertilization On Water Quality In Grayson Lake, Kentucky., Albert W. Remley Ii

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Albert W. Remley II on January 15, 1998.

Ecology And Natural History Of The Cow Knob Salamander, Plethodon Punctatus Highton, In West Virginia, Robert B. Tucker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Very little has been written on the ecology and natural history of the Cow Knob salamander, Plethodon punctatus Highton, since it was described by Highton (1971). Plethodon punctatus is known only from the higher elevations of Great North (above 2,800 ft) and Shenandoah (above 3,000 ft.) Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia (Highton, 1972; Conant and Collins, 1991). The type locality is Cow Knob, Pendleton County, West Virginia. Plethodon punctatus is a large (up to 75 mm snout-to-vent length) dorso-ventrally flattened salamander with creamish iridiophore spots on the back and sides, webbed feet for a fossorial lifestyle, and large …

The Use Of Isoelectric Focusing To Assess The Genetic Diversity Of The Cyprinid Fishes: Rhinichthys Cataractae And Rhinichthys Atratulus In West Virginia, Fauzia Alam Miah

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In this study, isoelectric focusing is used to separate proteins of Rhinichthys cataractae and R. atratulus and conventional staining is used to identify alleles of six genes. The objective of this work is to determine whether these methods can effectively assay isozymes that may be used to establish the relationship between anthropogenic stress and genetic diversity. Alleles for LDH-A, LDH-B, EST-A, EST-B, EST-C, and EST-D loci were identified for two species of fish, R. atratulus and R. cataractae. Both fish species are known to be sensitive to anthropogenic stress and known to be widely distributed in stressed environments. Alleles …

Ecological Life History Of Caenis Amica Hagen (Emphemeroptera: Caenidae) From The Mitigated Area Of Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Cabell County, West Virginia, Gail Lynn Perrine

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The ecological life history of a population of Caenis amica Hagen from the Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area was studied from November 1996 to November 1997. Water quality data and 2,505 larvae were collected from the newly mitigated area of Green Bottom Swamp. Total body lengths of larvae were measured using a computer-digitizing program. These results indicated a bivoltine life cycle. Most larvae were found in the spring and summer months of April, June, and July. The highest peak of larvae (1,035) occurred in July. The pH values ranged from 7.0 to 8.0 with a mean of 7.6. Temperatures ranged …

Life History, Ecology, And Low Ph Tolerance Of The Freshwater Prawn, Palaemonetes Kadiakensis Rathbun, In A Mitigated Wetland Of The Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, West Virginia, Jennifer Ann Aderman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An ecological life history study of the freshwater prawn Palaemonetes kadiakensis was conducted at the mitigated wetland of the Green Bottom Wildlife management Area (GBWMA). Monthly samples were collected from November 1996 through November 1997. In addition, weekly samples were collected from May through November for growth and reproductive analysis. Monthly samples yielded 520 prawns. Palaemonetes kadiakensis had a one-year life cycle, with all adults dying by September. Males averaged 23.82 mm (range = 14.15 to 36.75 mm) and females averaged 26.78mm (range = 15.06 to 38.60 mm) in length. Males averaged 0.087g (range = 0.014to 0.293 g) and females …

An Assessment Of The Prevalence Of The Bass Tapeworm, Proteocephalus Ambloplitis, And Other Parasites In Five Species Of Basses From River And Lake Ecosystems In West Virginia, J. Alyce Bradbury

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Two-hundred and fifteen basses were collected from four river sites (Racine Locks and Dam, Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam; Ashland, KY—Ohio River; London Locks and Dam—Kanawha River) and five reservoir sites (Beech Fork Lake, East Lynn Lake, Summersville Lake, Burnsville Lake, and Stonewall Jackson Lake,). The five species of bass caught were: largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides; smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieui; spotted bass, Micropterus punctulatus; white bass, Morone chrysops; and hybrid bass, Morone chyrsops x Morone saxatilis. Basses were collected by three methods: 1) local anglers (hook and line), 2) gill netting surveys; and 3) …

The Mechanics And Regulation Of Rat Aortic Smooth Muscle Contraction: Implications Of Cytoskeletal Remodeling, Protein Phosphorylations, And Microtubule-Based Kinase Transport, Alison Summers Battistella-Patterson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The exact nature of the mechanisms and the regulation of vascular smooth muscle contraction is not well understood. To better understand these processes, we examined two systems involved in smooth muscle contraction, the cytoskeleton and the protein kinases. In order to study the role of the cytoskeleton in smooth muscle contraction, we examined the contractile and mechanical effects of cytoskeleton disruption. We found that the relationship between passive tension applied to aortic rings and the resulting increase in tissue length was nearly linear over the range of 1 g to 15 g. However, even with increasing tissue length, within the …

The Role Of Domain I In Laminin Chain Assembly, George D. Kamphaus

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Laminin, a major component of basement membrane, is a trimeric glycoprotein comprised of three chains - α, β and γ (Burgeson et al., 1994). An order for trimer assembly has been deduced: first, the β and γ chains bind to form a dimer and subsequently α is added to complete the trimer (I. Hunter et al., 1990 & 1992; Utani et al., 1994 & 1995). The C-terminal portions, found within the protein structural domain I of the p and y chains, are implicated in dimer and trimer formation by biochemical studies performed extracellularly (Utani, et al., 1994 & 1995; Nomizu …

Oyster Reef Broodstock Enhancement In The Great Wicomico River, Virginia, Melissa Southworth

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Chickens: Exploring The Social And Economic Implications Of Our Food Choices, Laura Bainbridge

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

A century ago chicken was considered a luxury item. In fact, people would eat steak or lobster when they could not afford chicken and ladies' magazines advised on how to substitute veal for chicken in recipes (Gordon, 1996). In 1928, President Hoover promised "a chicken in every pot", but it was not until the 1960's that the poultry industry really took off. Today, there are 15 chickens in every pot; the average American consumes 71.8 pounds of broiler meat annually (Oberholtzer, 1997). Where does all of this chicken come from? Who grows the chicken we eat and how do they …

Physical Parameters Affecting Incubating Temperatures In Loggerhead Sea Turtles, Caretta Caretta, In Virginia, William Mason Jones

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Detailed physical profile of eight transplanted loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, nests were obtained from Virginia and northeastern North Carolina and reburied in Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR), Virginia Beach, Virginia during the summers of 1987, '88, and '89 to determine if the physical location of the egg within the nest had an affect on sex determination. Transplanted nests were reburied in sandy substrate at a depth of 15-60 em on south facing dunes, and a Campbell Scientific data-logger logged synchronously environmental data. The following data were collected: temperatures at various locations within a nest, net absorbed radiation, ambient …

Tagging And Habitat Utilization Of Juvenile Summer Flounder, Paralichthys Dentatus, Richard Thomas Kraus

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.