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Comparing Interrelated Stress Measures To Differentiate Acute And Chronic Stress In Urban Freshwater Turtles, Katherine Caldwell

Honors Program Theses

As urban areas grow in size and number, there are increasing impacts on the wildlife. While some species adapt, others cannot thrive in these conditions. Stress is the biological response to a stimulus that threatens homeostasis, which can be used to understand the condition of an individual. While acute stress is beneficial for survival, chronic stress can lead to deleterious impacts. A majority of turtles can be classified as declining in number or endangered, yet there is little understanding of their physiological stress response. This study examined how various stress measures—including corticosterone (CORT) in plasma, nails and leeches, metabolic measures, …

Range Beef Cow Symposium Xxvii, 2021, Rapid City, South Dakota

Range Beef Cow Symposium

2021 Range Beef Cow Symposium, presented by the Cooperative Extension Services and Animal Science Departments of University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, South Dakota State University, and University of Nebraska—Lincoln.

Biosecurity Measures For Meat Goat And Sheep Managers, Maria Lenira Leite-Browning, Richard Browning Jr., Cassandra F. Vaughn, Kenneth Andries

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Influenza H3n2v: Key Facts For People Exhibiting Pigs At Fairs, Tennessee State University

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Dataset: Effect Of Light Regiment On Farrowing Performance And Behavior In Sows, Shelby Mcloda, Nichole Anderson, Jennifer Earing, Drew Lugar

Faculty Publications - Agriculture

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of light exposure on farrowing performance in sows. Thirty sows were moved to the farrowing unit at d 110 of gestation and assigned a treatment: 12 h light/12 h dark cycle (Dark) or 24 h light (Light). Treatments began upon entry into the farrowing unit. Video was recorded continuously from initiation of the treatments until completion of farrowing. Data collected included duration of farrowing, birthing interval, and behavior during farrowing. Additionally, number of total born, liveborn, and stillborn piglets were recorded. Gestation length was different between treatments, with a shorter …

Progress On Research Regarding Ecology And Biodiversity Of Coastal Fisheries And Nektonic Species And Their Habitats Within Coastal Landscapes, Mark S. Peterson, Michael J. Andres

Faculty Publications

This paper aims to highlight the new research and significant advances in our understanding of links between coastal habitat quality/quantity/diversity and the diversity of fisheries species and other mobile aquatic species (hereafter nekton) that use them within coastal landscapes. This topic is quite diverse owing to the myriad of habitat types found in coastal marine waters and the va-riety of life history strategies fisheries species and nekton use in these environments. Thus, we focus our mini-review on five selective but relevant topics, habitat templates, essential fish habitat, habitat mosaics/habitat connectivity, transitory/ephemeral habitat, and the emerging/maturing approaches to the study of …

No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project, Danna Boshak

All Graduate Projects

Orangutans are critically endangered and if action is not taken, their extinction is imminent. Zoological institutions worldwide serve as an educational means to engage the broader public in conservation awareness and action behaviors. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) created the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) initiative to provide zoos with a platform to expand conservation efforts beyond their institutions. In collaboration with the Orangutan SAFE (OSAFE) education committee, the No Ape Left Behind: Orangutan Conservation Education Project develops educational activity resources that provide information about orangutan behavior and ecology as well as action items that individuals can take …

Using Audio Recording Devices And Multiseason Occupancy Modelling To Evaluate Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga Columbiana) Occurrence In Whitebark Pine Habitats Of Washington's Cascade Mountains, Lauren Taracka

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), both native to the harsh subalpine habitats of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, are being negatively impacted by white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and climate change. As temperatures continue to warm, while many species at lower elevations can move upward in elevation to suit their temperature needs, subalpine species do not have that option. Whitebark pine is a keystone tree species - numerous animals consume its high fat, high energy seeds; it’s a nurse tree, providing shelter …

Resolving Variability In Size Structure In An Individual-Based Model For The North Pacific Krill, Euphausia Pacifica, Roxanne Robertson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Individual-based models (IBMs) have emerged as a powerful tool for ecological research and are particularly well suited to studies of plankton ecology. In this thesis, I develop an IBM for the North Pacific krill, Euphausia pacifica, with the goal of replicating observed variability in size-structure in the northern California Current Ecosystem. Krill, and E. pacifica in particular, are central to the structure and function of the California Current Ecosystem. Their response to environmental forcing translates climate variability to higher trophic levels and underpins broader ecosystem responses. Recent observations indicate environmental and climate-related shifts in E. pacifica size distributions, which …

Phylogeography, Diversification, And Historical Demography Of The White-Toothed Rats (Berylmys) In Indochina, Kristy Lee Tuttle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Berylmys, the White-toothed rats, and other members of the Rattus sl (Rattus, Maxomys, Leopoldamys, Niviventer, Bandicota, and Sundamys) evolved from 3-5 million years ago during a period of dynamic landscape change in Indochinese south Asia wherein climatically stable, warm forests of Miocene and Pliocene Indochina transitioned to a modern landscape regime. From the late Pliocene through the terminal Pleistocene, climate changes, ecological shifts, rising and falling sea levels, and tectonic uplift drove adaptive radiation within Rattus sl, in complex interactions that are still not completely understood. The goal of this study is to understand species relationships and population structure in …

Antibiotic Resistance In Manure- Amended Agricultural Soils, Maranatha Zelt, Zachary Staley, Xu Li, Bing Wang, Daniel N. Miller, Amy Schmidt

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Manure application to agricultural land benefits soil health and agronomic yields. However, as antibiotic resistance becomes a more serious threat to public health, there is concern that antibiotic resistance originating from livestock manure could impact human health through contamination of the environment or food. This study sought to quantify this risk by monitoring concentrations of antibiotic resistance bacteria and genes in fallow soil during the period of October through April, representing fall manure application through spring planting. Resistance to three common antibiotics— tylosin, azithromycin and tetracycline— was monitored following application of fresh, stockpiled, or composted beef feedlot manure, or inorganic …

Morphology Of Rathke’S Glands In The Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys Temminckii (Chelonia: Chelydridae), Stanley E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I examined the morphology of Rathke’s glands (RG) in the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. This species possesses 4 pairs of RG (i.e., an axillary and three inframarginals) that are embedded beneath marginal bones and are named primarily according to the anatomical location of their orifices. These holocrine-type, exocrine, integumentary glands are anatomically and ultrastructurally similar to one another. Each gland contains a single and highly vascularized secretory lobule, which is bounded by a thick tunic of asymmetrically-arranged striated muscle bundles. Two types of secretory vacuoles were identified within the holocrine cells …

Energy Content Of Seeds Of Palmer’S Pigweed (Amaranthus Palmeri) In The Diet Of Scaled Quail (Callipepla Squamata) In Southeastern New Mexico, John L. Hunt, Matthew E. Grilliot, Troy L. Best, Isaac C. Castillo, Paige E. Eddington, Faith A. Johnson, Tyneshia L. Kilgore, Jacob H. Courson

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Palmer’s pigweed (Amaranthus palmeri) is a common grassland plant that occurs across much of North America. It is often considered a weed but is an important source of food for many game birds. We analyzed the energy content of seeds of Palmer’s pigweed obtained from the crops of scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) collected from plains-mesa sand-scrub habitat in Eddy and Lea counties, New Mexico. Seeds were dried for 48 hours at 60°C to remove moisture and then analyzed for gross caloric value (i.e., energy content) in an oxygen bomb calorimeter. Energy content of seeds of Palmer’s …

Bird Usage Of Black Marasmius Fibers As Nest Material, Haris Rana, Shayla Smithson, Jack Jackson, Ragupathy Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Black Marasmius fungal fibers have been frequently observed in neotropical bird nests. We tested to determine if superior tensile strength and temperature moderation contributes to why these fibers are preferred by some species over other available nesting materials. Marasmius fibers from nests of Yellow-olive Flycatchers (Tolmomyias sulphurescens) were compared to grass fibers from a Yellow-tailed Oriole (Icterus mesomelas) nest from the same area in Belize, Central America. We measured tensile strengths by a universal strength tester which stretched the fibers to their breaking point. We also used HOBO data loggers to compare the temperature differential between …

Visual Control Of Refuge Recognition In The Whip Spider Phrynus Marginemaculatus, Kaylyn A.S. Flanigan, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Patrick Casto, Vincent J. Coppola, Natasha R. Flesher, Eileen Hebets, Verner Peter Bingman

Eileen Hebets Publications

Amblypygids, or whip spiders, are nocturnally active arachnids which live in structurally complex environments. Whip spiders are excellent navigators that can re-locate a home refuge without relying on visual input. Therefore, an open question is whether visual input can control any aspect of whip spider spatial behavior. In the current study, Phrynus marginemaculatus were trained to locate an escape refuge by discriminating between differently oriented black and white stripes placed either on the walls of a testing arena (frontal discrimination) or on the ceiling of the same testing arena (overhead discrimination). Regardless of the placement of the visual stimuli, the …

Identification And Quantification Of 11 Airborne Biochemicals Emitted By The Brown Recluse And Another Primitive Hunting Spider Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction-Gc/Ms, Zachary Foulks, Jennifer Parks, William Stoecker, Charles Kristensen, Eileen A. Hebets, Honglan Shi

Eileen Hebets Publications

Loxosceles reclusa, or brown recluse spider, is a harmful household spider whose habitat extends throughout the Midwest in the USA and other regions in the world. The pheromones and other biomolecules that facilitate signaling for brown recluses and other spider species are poorly understood. A rapid and sensitive method is needed to analyze airborne spider signaling biomolecules to better understand the structure and function of these biochemicals in order to control the population of the spiders. In this study, we developed a novel headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME)-GC/MS method to analyze potential pheromones and biomolecules emitted by the brown recluse …

Multisensory Integration Supports Configural Learning Of A Home Refuge In The Whip Spider Phrynus Marginemaculatus, Kaylyn A.S. Flanigan, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Eileen Hebets, Verner Peter Bingman

Eileen Hebets Publications

Predator diets represent a potential interaction between local prey availability, prey antipredator defenses, and predator foraging behavior. Female spider-specialist muddauber wasps (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) collect spiders and provision them intact, but paralyzed, to their developing larvae, providing a unique means of quantifying the diversity and abundance of prey that they capture. Mud-dauber wasps are hypothesized to be a major source of selection on antipredator defenses in web-building spiders, and the spiny and thickened abdomens of female spiny orb-weaving spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) are hypothesized to function as antiwasp defenses. We inventoried spider prey from nests of the mud-dauber wasps Sceliphron caementarium (Drury) …

Spectral Properties Of A Non-Compact Operator In Ecology, Matthew Reichenbach, Richard Rebarber, Brigitte Tenhumberg

Brigitte Tenhumberg Papers

Ecologists have recently used integral projection models (IPMs) to study fish and other animals which continue to grow throughout their lives. Such animals cannot shrink, since they have bony skeletons; a mathematical consequence of this is that the kernel of the integral projection operator T is unbounded, and the operator is not compact. To our knowledge, all theoretical work done on IPMs has assumed the operator is compact, and in particular has a bounded kernel. A priori, it is unclear whether these IPMs have an asymptotic growth rate λ, or a stable-stage distribution ψ. In the case of a compact …

Hydraena (S.Str.) Dinarica, New Species (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae) Along With Further Records Of Hydraena Spp. From Durmitor National Park, Montenegro And Comments On The Dna Barcoding Problem With The Genus, Hendrik Freitag, Rick De Vries, Marta Paterno, Simone Maestri, Massimo Delledonne, Cameron G. Thompson, Helena Lamed, Rebekah Lambert, Michael F. Fox, Mariela C. Gonzalez, Emmanuel D. Delocado, Marc R. Sabordo, Clister V. Pangantihon, Iva Njunjić

Biology Faculty Publications

Background Long-palped Water Beetles were collected during a taxon expedition in Montenegro which involved citizen scientists, students and taxonomists. The material was collected from springs, brooks, fens and the Tara River, at altitudes between 600 m and 1450 m above sea level, using fine-meshed hand-nets and by manual checking of submerged substrates. The morphological species delimitation was supplemented and congruent with mtDNA sequences mainly obtained in the field using the newly-developed MinION-based ONTrack pipeline. New information The new species Hydraena dinarica Freitag & de Vries, sp. n. from Durmitor Mt. is described, illustrated and compared in detail to closely-related congeners …

Prevalence Of Cymothoidae (Isopoda) Infestation In Bigeye Scad (Selar Crumenophtalmus) From Batangas, Philippines, Tanya Faye S. Muji, Joaquin R. Sorreta, Janice A. Ragaza

Biology Faculty Publications

Cymothoid isopod research is relatively scarce in the Philippines, despite the local economic significance of bigeye scad as an inexpensive source of protein and other nutrients. Isopod parasitism has also been shown to have detrimental effects on their fish hosts. The current study aimed to define the host-parasite relationship between cymothoid isopod and bigeye scad by determining cymothoid isopod prevalence, intensity, and host-parasite length correlations in bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) hosts sourced from Batangas, Philippines. Fish samples were sampled from the Tagaytay City Market in Cavite, which sources fish directly from Batangas. Fish samples were immediately measured and …

Science-Based Regulation Of Pharmacological Substances In Competition Horses, Jacob Machin

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Current testing methodologies within equine forensic toxicology focus on arbitrary thresholds and zero-tolerance policy. Modern analytical chemistry’s limits of detection are low enough that oftentimes femtogram-per-milliliter amounts of a substance can readily be identified in both blood and urine of a horse. For most pharmacologically relevant compounds, these concentrations have no relevance to pharmacological effect. It is therefore crucial that testing methodologies to determine appropriate thresholds and cut-offs be developed that are driven by biological activity rather than arbitrary limits of detection. This dissertation looks to address this by suggesting a system of calculated Effective Plasma Concentrations by which a …

Impact Of Masters Choice Corn Silage On Nutrient Digestion In Growing Cattle, Jiehua Xiong, Mitch M. Norman, Hannah C. Wilson, Caleb Crabtree, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Monensin And Protein Type On Performance Of Yearling Steers Grazing Smooth Bromegrass Pastures, Z. E. Carlson, K. Butterfield, Levi Mcphillips, Galen E. Erickson, M. E. Drewnoski, J. C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Two-year study evaluated the effects of monensin on protein type, either rumen degradable or rumen undegradable, with yearling steers grazing smooth bromegrass pastures. Steers were supplemented soybean meal (rumen degradable protein) or nonenzymatically browned soybean meal (rumen undegradable protein) at isonitrogenous levels to dried distillers grains plus solubles provided at 0.50% BW. Likewise, steers were provided either zero or 200 mg/hd/d of monensin for a total of six treatments with a 2 × 3 (no protein, RDP, or RUP) factorial design. There was no interaction of monensin by protein type. Providing monensin to grazing yearlings did not …

2021 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Cow-Calf Nutrition and Management: Metabolic Profile Associated with Pre-Breeding Puberty Status in Range Beef Heifers 5 • Milk Production Impacts on Cow Reproductive and Calf Growth Performance 8 • Genetic Selection Tools: Using Pooling to Capture Commercial Data for Inclusion in Genetic Evaluations 11 • Categorization of Birth Weight Phenotypes for Inclusion in Genetic Evaluations Using a Deep Neural Network 14 • Genetic Parameter Estimates for Age at Slaughter and Days to Finish in a Multibreed Population 16

Growing Calf and Yearling Management: Effects of Monensin and Protein Type on Performance of Yearling Steers Grazing Smooth Bromegrass Pastures 18 • …

Genetic Parameter Estimates For Age At Slaughter And Days To Finish In A Multibreed Population, Lindsay R. Upperman, Larry A. Kuehn, Matthew L. Spangler

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

No abstract provided.

Categorization Of Birth Weight Phenotypes For Inclusion In Genetic Evaluations Using A Deep Neural Network, Andre Ribeiro, Bruce Golden, Matthew L. Spangler

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

No abstract provided.

Using Pooling To Capture Commercial Data For Inclusion In Genetic Evaluations, Johnna L. Baller, Stephen D. Kachman, Larry A. Kuehn, Matthew L. Spangler

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

No abstract provided.

Milk Production Impacts On Cow Reproductive And Calf Growth Performance, Tasha M. King, J. A. Musgrave, R. Funston, Travis Mulliniks

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

No abstract provided.

Metabolomic Profile Associated With Pre-Breeding Puberty Status In Range Beef Heifers, Joslyn K. Beard, Waseem Abbas, J. A. Musgrave, R. Funston, Samodha C. Fernando, Travis Mulliniks

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A 4-yr study utilizing heifers from March and May calving herds collected serum samples prior to breeding to determine puberty status. Serum samples were used for Metabolomics analysis to investigate differences related to circulating serum metabolites in pubertal and non-pubertal heifers. Metabolomics, which is a shotgun approach analysis of a large number of small metabolites, is an emerging technology that can provide a more robust analysis of metabolism. No differences were observed in heifer ADG, pregnancy rate, or the percentage that calved within the first 21 d between heifers classified as pubertal and non-pubertal at the start …

Perceptions Of Barriers And Benefits Of Manure Use In Cropping Systems, Richard Koelsch, Daniel Andersen, Erin Cortus, Leslie Johnson, Amy Schmidt, Siok A. Siek, Melissa Wilson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Animal agriculture is tasked with recycling the nitrogen and phosphorus in manures in an environmentally sound manner, typically as a soil fertility amendment, which often requires voluntary transfer of manures to crop farms on which there may be little or no history of manure use. # e ability of manure to compete with commercially available fertilizers is essential for this transfer. A survey was conducted of farmers’ and their advisors’ perceptions of the benefits and barriers to manure use in crops. There exists a strong recognition of manure’s agronomic, yield, and soil health benefits. However, many challenges associated with manure …