Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Stocking Rate On Growing Juvenile Sunshine Bass, Morone Chrysops × M. Saxatilis, In An Outdoor Biofloc Production System, Bartholomew W. Green, Steven D. Rawles, Carl D. Webster, Matthew E. Mcentire

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The biofloc technology production system is a production intensifying management strategy used primarily for culturing tilapia and penaeid shrimp, both of which can consume the biofloc. Other fish can be grown in biofloc systems because the biofloc serves to maintain water quality, metabolizing the ammonia excreted by intensively fed fish. A dose-response study was conducted in an outdoor biofloc system to begin quantifying the stocking rate-production function for sunshine bass, Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis, advanced fingerlings. Sunshine bass (2.9 ± 0.2 g/fish) were stocked into tanks at 50 to 250 fish/m² in 50 fish/m² increments. After …

Demography And Behavior Of Critically Endangered Alouatta Coibensis Trabeata Troops In Forest Fragments In And Around Mata Oscura, Veraguas On The Azuero Peninsula Of Panamá, Billy Allen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The endemic Azuero howler monkey, Alouatta coibensis trabeata, was studied in three sites in and around the Mata Oscura community in Veraguas, Panamá in the western region of the Azuero Peninsula. A. coibensis trabeata is a critically endangered subspecies of A. coibensis that is threatened by continued habitat destruction and human encroachment throughout its entire distribution on the Azuero Peninsula. Sites included the Mata Oscura community (site 1), the Arenas community periphery (site 2), and the Cerro Hoya National Park (site 3). Demography, behavior, and habitat were assessed over 9 days of study in November. Troops were encountered in sites …

Effect Of Larval Starvation On Lipid Content Of Drosophila Melanogaster Over 15 Days, Fabian Leija, Allen Gibbs

LSAMP Poster Presentations

Starvation-resistant Drosophila melanogaster, common fruit flies, deriving from 121 generations of starvation selection, have resulted in genetically, behaviorally, and physiologically different individuals compared to non-resistant counterparts. Starvation-resistant Drosophila are more obese, containing twice as much lipids as control flies.This is a result of starvation-resistant fly larva feeding for 5 days and then entering the pupa stage while non-resistant flies only feed for 4 days.

In this experiment, we hope to answer the question of whether the starvation-resistant flies are genetically predisposed to be substantially more obese than wild populations or if it is a result of this alternate behavior …

Quality Of United States And Bangladesh Shrimp Due To Growth And Post-Harvest Practices, Murshida Khan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Shrimp is one of the most consumed and traded seafood, and due to its high demand, consumers depend on both wild caught and farmed products. Post-harvest practices can greatly affect health, safety, and quality, and the goal of this project was to study the effects of chemicals, bacteria, and antibiotics on shrimp from Louisiana and Bangladesh. Quality changes (proximate composition, color, texture and total plate count of bacteria) in shrimp from Louisiana (Farfantepenaeus aztecus and Litopenaeus setiferus) and Bangladesh (Penaeus monodon and Macrobrachium rosenbergii) were determined due to the application of melanosis preventing compounds (sulfite powder, …

Welfare-Adjusted Life Years (Waly): A Novel Metric Of Animal Welfare That Combines The Impacts Of Impaired Welfare And Abbreviated Lifespan, Kendy Tzu-Yun Teng, Brecht Devleesschauwer, Charline Maerten De Noordhout, Peter Bennett, Paul Mcgreevy, Po-Yu Chiu, Jenny-Ann L.M.L. Toribio, Navneet Dhand

Assessment of Animal Welfare Collection

Currently, separate measures are used to estimate the impact of animal diseases on mortality and animal welfare. This article introduces a novel metric, the Welfare-Adjusted Life Year (WALY), to estimate disease impact by combining welfare compromise and premature death components. Adapting the Disability-Adjusted Life Year approach used in human health audits, we propose WALY as the sum of a) the years lived with impaired welfare due to a particular cause and b) the years of life lost due to the premature death from the same cause. The years lived with impaired welfare are the product of the average duration of …

Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Prevents Silica-Induced Development Of Pulmonary Ectopic Germinal Centers And Glomerulonephritis In The Lupus-Prone Nzbwf1 Mouse, Melissa A. Bates, Peyman Akbari, Kristen N. Gilley, James G. Wagner, Ning Li, Anna K. Kopec, Kathryn A. Wierenga, Daven Jackson-Humbles, Christina Brandenberger, Andrij Holian, Abby D. Benninghoff, Jack R. Harkema, James J. Pestka

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Ectopic lymphoid structures (ELS) consist of B-cell and T-cell aggregates that are initiated de novo in inflamed tissues outside of secondary lymphoid organs. When organized within follicular dendritic cell (FDC) networks, ELS contain functional germinal centers that can yield autoantibody-secreting plasma cells and promote autoimmune disease. Intranasal instillation of lupus-prone mice with crystalline silica (cSiO₂), a respirable particle linked to human lupus, triggers ELS formation in the lung, systemic autoantibodies, and early onset of glomerulonephritis. Here we tested the hypothesis that consumption of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, influences the temporal profile …

Effect Of Storage Period And Treatment On The Composition And Digestibility Of Olive Pomace In Cattle, Alexis Cecilia Ulloa

Master's Theses

Utilizing local by-products can serve to significantly reduce the current feed costs for ruminant producers. The objective of this study is (1) to evaluate the effects of chemical and bacterial inoculants in combination with ensiling, on the nutritional value and ensiling compatibility of olive pomace (OP) and (2) to identify the most biologically favorable treatment and ensiling day of OP for feeding to cattle. Freshly centrifuged OP (Olivas de Oro Olive Company, Creston, CA) was treated with one of four treatments: (1) no additives (control; CONT); (2) urea applied at 5% of DM (UREA; Agrium U.S. Inc, Loveland, CO); (3) …

The Microbiome Of The Gastrointestinal Tract Of A Range-Shifting Marine Herbivorous Fish, Jacquelyn Jones, Joseph D. Dibattista, Michael Stat, Michael Bunce, Mary C. Boyce, David Fairclough, Michael J. Travers, Megan J. Huggett

Fisheries Research Articles

Globally, marine species’ distributions are being modified due to rising ocean temperatures. Increasing evidence suggests a circum-global pattern of poleward extensions in the distributions of many tropical herbivorous species, including the ecologically important rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens. Adaptability of a species to such new environments may be heavily influenced by the composition of their gastrointestinal microbe fauna, which is fundamentally important to animal health. Siganus fuscescens thus provides an opportunity to assess the stability of gastrointestinal microbes under varying environmental conditions. The gastrointestinal microbial communities of S. fuscescens were characterized over 2,000 km of Australia’s western coast, from tropical to …

An Investigation Of Vocal Learning Propensity In Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata), Tatsuya Hayashi

Theses and Dissertations

The investigator attempted to predict the vocal learning propensity from either family pedigree or early vocal babbling (subsong). Pedigree trees suggest the possibility that vocal learning ability may depend on family. We failed to predict vocal learning propensity from subsong, but suggested that subsong may influence vocal learning outcome.

Detecting A Probiotic Product Within The Gut Of Broiler Chickens, Anneka Pisula

Master's Theses

As of January 2017, the U.S. poultry industry banned the use of antibiotics and now relies on alternatives such as probiotics to help protect animal health. Although probiotic use is not a new concept in the poultry industry, identifying the best combination of bacterial strains to generate an effective probiotic formula requires further investigation. This study aimed to detect a probiotic product of four bacterial strains (Pedioccoccus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Bacillus subtilis) in a feeding trial with broiler chickens. Birds given the probiotic were predicted to show an improved growth performance with …

Assessment Of A Nutritional Rehabilitation Model In Two Modern Broilers And Their Jungle Fowl Ancestor: A Model For Better Understanding Childhood Undernutrition, Mikayla Baxter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization, estimated that 22.9% of children under the age of 5 are stunted. The etiology of stunting is multifactorial and is associated with poor linear growth, villous atrophy, dysbiosis, and increased intestinal permeability. Inclusion of rye in poultry diets induces nutrient deficiencies and increases intestinal permeability, dysbiosis and decreases growth rates. The objective of this dissertation was to determine if chickens consuming a rye based diet exhibited a similar pathophysiology of stunted children to develop a relevant animal model. Therefore, early or late phase malnutrition was induced determine the effects of malnutrition on performance, bone mineralization, intestinal …

Investigating The Potential Of Plant-Derived Antimicrobials For Controlling Campylobacter Jejuni In Poultry And Poultry Products, Basanta Raj Wagle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni infection in humans is strongly associated with the handling and consumption of contaminated poultry products. Interventions reducing C. jejuni contamination in poultry would reduce the risk of subsequent human infections. In the first study, the efficacy of a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) compound, eugenol (EG; derived from cloves), as an antimicrobial dip treatment to reduce C. jejuni in postharvest poultry was evaluated. The antimicrobial efficacy of EG was studied in suspension, emulsion and nanoemulsion delivery systems. EG suspension reduced C. jejuni counts with the greatest reduction of >2.0 Log CFU/sample for the 2% dose of EG (P

Genomic Investigation Of Beta Agonist Supplementation And Heat Stress In Livestock Species, Rachel Marie Kubik

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

β-adrenergic agonists (β-AA), commonly fed to cattle during the last 20-40 days of the finishing period, improve muscle growth by decreasing adipose deposition and increasing muscle accretion. In most cases, final live weights, hot carcass weight and average daily gain have all been shown to increase when β-AA are feed while fed intake, back fat, and marbling all decrease. Two β-AA, Ractopamine HCl (β1-AA) and Zilpaterol HCl (β2-AA) are currently approved for use in beef cattle in the United States. Converse to the beneficial effects of β-AA, heat stress in livestock decreases production efficiency and growth. There have also been …

Effects Of Toxic Fescue Exposure On Vaginal Microbial Communities Of Crossbred Beef Cows, Abby Ratton

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The consumption of toxic fescue by beef cattle results in several adverse physiological effects such as reduced reproductive success, severe vasoconstriction resulting in hoof sloughing, low body condition scores, hyperthermia, decreased prolactin levels, and reduced hair shedding. The purpose of this study is to characterize bacterial community of the reproductive tract as a potential predictor for toxin exposure. One-hundred fall-calving crossbred cows were allocated to graze Toxic (Toxic: n=50) or Novel (Novel: n= 50) fescue pastures for five months (March-August). Treatments were blocked by sire breed (Charolais or Hereford) and by parity (first, second, third). Animals rotated pastures biweekly and …

Modifying The Mineral Profile Of Crickets (Acheta Domesticus) Using A Supplemented Diet, Rhianne Morgan Le Maxwell

Master's Theses

Captive insectivores may consume invertebrates as all, or part of their overall diet. The challenge with feeding captive insectivores involves the limited number of invertebrate species that are commercially available, and the lack of key nutrients provided by these insects. Among these insects, a naturally occurring low concentration of calcium and an inverse calcium to phosphorus ratio may put insectivores at the risk of developing hypocalcemia. A strategy to correct this nutrient imbalance involves supplementing the insect diet with high concentrations of targeted nutrients – a term referred to as gut-loading. Current industry guidelines recommend feeding a supplemented diet for …

Evaluation Of Growth Promoting Implant Strategies And Days On Feed On Finishing Heifer Performance And Evaluation Of Optimal Reimplant Times For Finishing Heifers And Steers, Caitlin A. Ohnoutka

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two experiments evaluated the effects of delayed, long-acting coated implants or uncoated implants to non-implanted heifers fed for constant or varying days on feed. In Exp. 1, heifers were implanted with either Revalor-XH on d 1, Revalor-200 on d 1, Revalor-XR on d 1, or Revalor-200 on d 70 compared to non-implanted control heifers when fed for an average of 198 d. In Exp. 2, heifers were implanted with Revalor-200 on d 1 and reimplanted with Revalor-200 on d 100, Revalor-XH on d 1, or not implanted and fed for different days on feed: 151, 165, 179, or 193. Implanting …

Effect Of Corn Silage Harvest, Hybrid, And Concentration On Performance In Growing And Finishing Beef Cattle, Fred H. Hilscher Jr.

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Six studies were conducted to evaluate effects of corn silage harvest, hybrid, and concentration in growing and finishing diets. Experiment 1, evaluated corn silage DM (37 or 43%) and replacing corn grain with silage (15 or 45% of diet DM) in finishing diets. Experiment 2, evaluated corn silage DM (37 or 43%) and response to rumen undegradable protein (RUP) supplementation in growing diets. Experiment 3, evaluated nutrient digestibility of 37 or 43% DM corn silage at two different intakes. Experiment 4, 5, and 6 evaluated three corn silage hybrids: a standard hybrid control (CON), a brown midrib (bm3) …

Impact Of Basal Diet On Obesity Phenotype Of Recipient Mice Following Fecal Microbiome Transfer From Obese Or Lean Human Donors, Daphne Michelle Rodriguez Jimenez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The composition of the gut microbiome can be affected by environmental factors, such as diet. The Western dietary pattern is associated with microbiome dysbiosis and adverse health outcomes, including obesity and metabolic disorders. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of gut microbiota from lean or obese human donors on metabolism and weight gain in recipient mice fed one of three basal diets: 1) the standard AIN93G diet, which promotes rodent health; 2) the total Western diet (TWD), which mimics the American dietary pattern and promotes inflammation-associated colorectal carcinogenesis; and 3) a 45% high fat diet-induced obesity …

Effect Of Tannin-Containing Legume Hays On Enteric Methane Emissions And Nitrogen Partitioning In Beef Cattle, Elizabeth K. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cattle are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. In particular, the cow-calf phase of production accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total beef production system greenhouse gas emissions. Tannins are chemical compounds found in certain forages and they have the potential to help reduce these negative environmental impacts. Thus, given that the cow-calf phase often relies on feeding hay, feeding tannin-containing hays may represent a significant mitigation practice.

With my MS program, I sought to explore whether tannin-containing hays fed to mother cows and heifers influence methane and nitrogen emissions relative to …

U.S. Consumers’ Perception, Intention, And Purchase Behavior Of Grass-Fed Beef, Elizabeth K. Crandall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research study was to compile regional profiles of the consumers who intend to consume grass-fed beef in the U.S. and to create marketing strategies that would assist producers in marketing their product to consumers. The researcher sent an online survey to a panel of 484 consumers across the U.S. to learn about their perceptions of and intention to purchase grass-fed beef.

Respondents had a weak, positive attitude toward purchasing grass-fed beef but had low knowledge of production practices. These consumers had a desire to eat healthier; however, they wanted meat that was priced right and had …

Identifying Breed Effects For Cow Mature Weight, Madeline J. Zimmermann

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mature weight (MWT) in beef cattle has increased over the past 30 yr. In general, larger cows are costlier to maintain than smaller cows, and their profitability depends on their production environment. A wide range of beef production environments exist in the United States. There are also a variety of beef cattle breeds that can be chosen and mated to create a type of cow which will be optimally suited to excel in a given environment. However, there remains a need for tools allowing effective comparison among breeds to facilitate such decision making. Unfortunately, estimated progeny differences ( …

Evaluation Of The Interaction Of Beta-Adrenergic Agonists Supplementation And Heat Stress On Growth Performance And Carcass Composition In Feeder Lambs, Lauren Elisabeth Kett

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Forty-nine crossbred feeder lambs (wethers, n = 49; 53.3 ± 3.7 kg BW) were utilized to evaluate the interaction of b - adrenergic agonist (bAA) supplementation and heat stress on growth performance and carcass composition. Utilizing and 3 x 2 factorial design, lambs were randomly assigned to one of three bAA supplementation: 1) Control, CON, 2) Ractopamine Hydrochloride at 40 mg/hd/d, RHCL, and Zilpaterol Hydrochloride at 2.5 mg/hd/d, ZHCL for a period of 20 d and one of two environmental conditions (Thermal Neutral: TN and Heat Stress: HS). The TN environment had a constant thermal heat index (THI) of 16.6°C. …

Effect Of Morinda Citrifolia (Noni)-Enriched Diet On Hepatic Heat Shock Protein And Lipid Metabolism-Related Genes In Heat Stressed Broiler Chickens, Joshua Flees

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress (HS) has been reported to alter fat deposition in broilers, however the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well-defined; therefore, the objectives of the current study were to: (1) determine the effects of acute (2 h) and chronic (3 wk) HS on the expression of key molecular signatures involved in hepatic lipogenic and lipolytic programs; and (2) assess if diet supplementation with dried Noni medicinal plant (0.2% of the diet) modulates these effects. Broilers (n=480 males, 1 d) were randomly assigned to 12 environmental chambers, subjected to two environmental conditions (HS at 35°C vs. thermoneutral condition [TN] at 24°C) …

Effect Of Yeast Supplementation During Various Stages Of Beef Production, Elizabeth Palmer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Supplemental dietary yeast products are beneficial during times of stress. Calves experience increased levels of stress during birth, weaning, and the post-weaning receiving period. Therefore, 3 experiments were conducted to determine how yeast supplementation affects growth performance and health during this time. In experiment 1, 2 truckloads of highly stressed calves (n = 175; initial body weight [BW] = 226 ± 24.5 kg) were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatments; unsupplemented control, or supplementation with 2 commercial yeast products (Y1 and Y2). Average daily gain (ADG) was not different (P = 0.99) during the 28 d receiving period; nor …

Towards Sustainable Aquafeeds: Evaluating Substitution Of Fishmeal With Lipid-Extracted Microalgal Co-Product (Nannochloropsis Oculata) In Diets Of Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus), Pallab K. Sarker, Anne R. Kapuscinski, Ashley Y. Bae, Emily Donaldson, Devin S. Fitzgerald, Oliver F. Edelson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Microalgae companies increasingly seek markets for defatted biomass that is left over after extracting omega-3 rich oil for human nutraceuticals and crude oil for fuels. Such a protein-rich co-product is a promising alternative to unsustainably sourced fishmeal in aquaculture diets. We report the first evaluation of co-product of the marine microalga Nannochloropsis oculata(N. oculata co-product) for replacing fishmeal in diets of Nile tilapia, a globally important aquaculture species. We conducted a nutrient digestibility experiment with N. oculata dried whole cells and N. oculata co-product, followed by an 84-day nutritional feeding experiment with N. oculata co-product. N. oculata co-product, more nutrient-dense …

A Retrospective Assessment Of Us Pork Productions: 1960 To 2015, Ben Putman, Jacob Hickman, Prathamesh Bandekar, Marty Matlock, Greg Thoma

Food Systems

The primary goal of this study is to assess the carbon, energy, water and land footprints per kg (2.2 pounds) of live weight (LW) pork produced at five-year increments between 1960 and 2015. This assessment utilizes the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which is a technique to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with a product system by compiling an inventory of relevant energy and material flows, evaluating the associated burdens, and interpreting the results to assist in making more informed decisions and to provide an understanding of the drivers of change over the past 55 years. This LCA is …

The Old Versus The New Equestrian Circus: Demonstrating And Promoting Equine Welfare, Veronica Painter

Theses and Dissertations

Circus is an art form that was originally considered as a humanitarian art, promoting equine welfare by shedding a new light on the horse and human relationship. During a time where horses were used for war, work, and transportation; fancy riding and liberty stood as the framework for a new togetherness between man and beast. The animal activist revolution centered on exotic animals in circus, yet the effects of these demanding pressures caused a major blow to the equestrian circus. This comparative study examines possible improvements to the industry in order to keep this art alive. Keeping up with eclectic …

An Evaluation Of Deterrent Methods Utilized To Prevent Crop Raiding By African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) In The Kasigau Wildlife Corridor, Kenya, Rebecca Lynn Von Hagen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Escalating human elephant conflict (HEC) continues to be a contributing factor

towards elephant decline, and crop raiding is the most common form of negative

human-elephant interactions. For communities that cannot reverse or prevent crop

raiding, it is necessary to contain HEC events through deterrent measures. Few

deterrent measures exist that combine practicality and affordability while also

preventing habituation by elephants. This project focused on comparing the efficacy of

deterrent methods to assess which was the most successful at preventing elephants

from entering crops in the farming community of Sasenyi, Kenya. In this paired-control

study, four deterrent methods were evaluated: acacia …

Morphological Variation In The Genus Chlorocebus: Ecogeographic And Anthropogenically Mediated Variation In Body Mass, Postcranial Morphology, And Growth, Trudy R. Turner, Christopher A. Schmitt, Jennifer Danzy Cramer, Joseph Lorenz, J. Paul Grobler, Clifford J. Jolly, Nelson B. Freimer

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Objectives

Direct comparative work in morphology and growth on widely dispersed wild primate taxa is rarely accomplished, yet critical to understanding ecogeographic variation, plastic local variation in response to human impacts, and variation in patterns of growth and sexual dimorphism. We investigated population variation in morphology and growth in response to geographic variables (i.e., latitude, altitude), climatic variables (i.e., temperature and rainfall), and human impacts in the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus spp.).

Methods

We trapped over 1,600 wild vervets from across Sub‐Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, and compared measurements of body mass, body length, and relative thigh, leg, and foot …

Comparison Of Traditional And Alternative Ingredients On Meat Curing Reactions Using A Model System, Faith Rasmussen

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Consumer’s negative perception of “chemical-sounding” ingredients has increased the use of alternative ingredients. The objective of this study was to determine the effect traditional (sodium nitrite with or without sodium erythorbate) or alternative (celery juice powder with or without acerola cherry powder) curing systems with different ingoing concentrations of sodium nitrite using model meat solutions. Curing systems with reducing agents developed the most cured meat pigment (p < 0.001). Using more than 50 ppm of nitrite did not further increase cured meat pigment (p < 0.001). Curing systems with reducing agents and 50 ppm or greater nitrite had the least residual nitrite (p < 0.001). Alternative curing systems had the most residual sulfhydryl groups when formulated with 100 ppm or more nitrite (p < 0.001). Treatments with reducing agents had greater residual reducing capacity than treatments without reducing agents (p < 0.001). Both alternative and traditional curing systems develop similar cured meat pigment but differences in the nitrosation of cysteine exist.

Advisor: Gary A. Sullivan