Digital Commons Network^™

Formulating The Next Generation Of Cultured Dairy Foods, Phillip S. Tong

Dairy Science

No abstract provided.

Dermatopathy In Juvenile Angus Cattle Due To Vitamin A Deficiency, Thomas J. Baldwin, Kerry A. Rood, E. Jane Kelly, Jeffery O. Hall

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

In juvenile cattle, vitamin A deficiency is reported most commonly as a neurological condition; only rarely are there dermatologic manifestations. In the current study, alopecia, severe epidermal and follicular orthokeratosis, and acanthosis due to hypovitaminosis A are reported in 2 of 32 Angus calves, with a third animal suspected. Affected animals responded to vitamin A supplementation, and no additional calves displayed signs. Vitamin A acts on skin by regulating DNA transcription in keratinocytes, reducing the number of tonofilaments and desmosomes, both involved in cell-to-cell adhesion. Hence, adequate levels of dietary vitamin A are necessary for normal keratinocyte turnover, and deficiencies …

Agricultural Research Magazine May-June 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research

150 Years of Making History

USDA's 150th Anniversary- May 15, 2012

150 Years Of Making History, Don Comis, Tara Weaver-Missick, Robert Sowers

Agricultural Research Magazine

The only thing that stands between the United States and an invasion of cattle-killing screwworms is a daily flight of airplanes flooding a 100-mile-wide section of the Isthmus of Panama with male screwworm flies raised in a laboratory and sterilized with radiation in Panama. The screwworm infestations of the past would probably come back if the releases stopped for a couple of months or so, says Dan Strickman, Agricultural Research Service national program leader for veterinary and medical entomology.

“This is a great example of agricultural research changing the history of this country, and it’s a cutting-edge example of integrated …

2011 Annual Report, Various Authors

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Plasticity Of Boldness In Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss: Do Hunger And Predation Influence Risk-Taking Behaviour?, Jack S. Thomson, Phillip C. Watts, Tom G. Pottinger, Lynne U. Sneddon

Ethology Collection

Boldness, a measure of an individual's propensity for taking risks, is an important determinant of fitness but is not necessarily a fixed trait. Dependent upon an individual's state, and given certain contexts or challenges, individuals may be able to alter their inclination to be bold or shy in response. Furthermore, the degree to which individuals can modulate their behaviour has been linked with physiological responses to stress. Here we attempted to determine whether bold and shy rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, can exhibit behavioural plasticity in response to changes in state (nutritional availability) and context (predation threat). Individual trout were initially …

Returns To The Introduction Of New Sorghum Cultivars Into The Dairy Industry Of El Salvador, Alexis Homero Villacís Aveiga

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

The returns to the introduction of new photo-insensitive sorghum varieties into the dairy industry were analyzed to determine changes in the welfare of consumers, processors, producers and the society. The economic surplus method was used along with a survey data of a stratified sample of 150 farms conducted in 2011 in El Salvador. Results indicate that there are large returns per dollar spent and substantial benefits to consumers, processors and producers. Results also show that the adoption of these new technologies represents advantages in production costs of milk in each farm size. These cost savings per bottle are very small …

Investigation Of A Locus On Chromosome 9 For Contributions To Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome In Broilers, Sriram Krishnamoorthy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although the ascites syndrome in chickens has been investigated for years, it continues to inflict financial losses to the world poultry industry. It is estimated that 8% of the 361 million broiler deaths are due to ascites leading to losses of millions of dollars annually. Efforts to curb the incidence of ascites are typically designed to slow early growth. This limits the birds' ability to show its true genetic potential and impacts later yields. In 1994 lines divergent for susceptibility to ascites were established from a commercial sire line through sibling selection of birds reared at local altitude after testing …

Genomic Analysis Of Characteristics In Swine Contributing To Sow Longevity, Julie Kathleen Tart

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

Selection for improved sow lifetime reproductive longevity is of growing importance to swine producers due to recent increases in sow culling rates. Traditional selection results in minimal response due to low heritability and late expression of the trait; incorporation of DNA markers into selection programs could be a more economically viable tool and improve lifetime reproductive performance.

In order to assess the relationship between markers and reproductive longevity, 967 gilts from two maternal crossbred lines were evaluated for age at puberty (AP), litter size traits, and number of successful parities (SP). Females were culled only for death, unsoundness, or reproductive …

Intake, Digestibility, Insitu Disappearance And Ruminal Fermentation Of Bermuda Grass Hay By Lactating Beef Cows Offered Corn Or Hominy Feed As Supplements, Zibani Madzonga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hominy feed, a co-product of dry corn milling, has been evaluated to a limited extent in feedlot and dairy rations, but has not been evaluated as a supplemental energy source for lactating beef cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of level of hominy feed supplementation on intake, digestibility, in situ DM disappearance, and ruminal fermentation characteristics of medium quality bermudagrass hay. Five ruminally cannulated lactating beef cows (BW = 596 kg, SE = 13.9) were used in an experiment with a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Treatments were low hominy (LH; 0.25% …

Growth Promoting Implants And Nutrient Restriction Prior To Feeding: Effect On Carcass Composition, Carcass Quality, And Consumer Acceptability Of Beef, Jessica Ann Robinette

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Implant strategy and nutrient restriction prior to finishing may alter feedlot performance, as well as carcass characteristics and consumer acceptability of beef. The objectives of these studies were to determine the effect of prefinishing implant strategy and plane of nutrition on prefinishing and feedlot performance, carcass characteristics and quality, and consumer acceptability of beef. In 2 experiments, spring-born calves were weaned in the fall (Exp. 1, n =120; and Exp. 2, n = 96) and were either finished as calves (CALF-FED) or placed on a growing program with a target ADG of 0.45 kg/d (RSTR) or 0.91 kg/d (UNRSTR) before …

Nest And Brood Site Selection And Survival Of Greater Prairie-Chickens In The Eastern Sandhills Of Nebraska, Lars Anderson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnata) are a grassland bird species of conservation concern. Although greater prairie-chickens have declined over much of their range, the Nebraska Sandhills has the largest population in North America. However, the responses of nest and brood site selection and survival to vegetation characteristics are unknown. I studied prairie-chickens on private rangelands in Rock and Brown Counties from 2009-2011. I fitted 139 females with radio collars to locate nest and brood sites and to determine nest and brood survival rates. Females were trapped on leks during the breeding season and I monitored them throughout the …

Endocrine Control Of Ovulation And Coordination Of Fetal And Uterine Interrelationships In Dairy Cattle, Jillian Fain

All Dissertations

Assessing pitfalls in reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle is often confounded by milk production, animal health, energy balance, and animal management practices, among others. Methods to reduce inefficiencies are classified in the following studies as maternal endocrine management, conceptus recognition, and uterine environment. The goal was to derive some insight into the mechanisms pre and post conception that can alter rates of pregnancy establishment. The initial study ascertained the ability to reduce progesterone (P4) dominance through additional PGF2-alpha (PGF) supplementation on efficiency of timed artificial insemination (TAI) in the Ovsynch® program. The single PGF animals received the standard Ovsynch® protocol …

Use Of Rumen Modifiers To Manipulate Ruminal Fermentation And Improve Nutrient Utilization And Lactational Performance Of Dairy Cows, Christopher M. Dschaak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of lactation studies reported in this dissertation hypothesized that supplementing different rumen modifiers would have consistent responses on ruminal fermentation and lactational performance under optimal rumen conditions.

The first experiment investigated the influence of magnesium exchanged zeolite on ruminal fermentation and lactational performance. Intake of dry matter (DM), milk yield, milk fat, and feed efficiency were not affected. Milk protein concentration tended (P = 0.15) to be higher for cows fed the zeolite. Ruminal pH tended to increase (P = 0.11) by feeding the sodium bicarbonate or the zeolite.

A second lactation experiment determined …

Assessments Of An Exogenous Proteolytic Enzyme In Beef Steer Diets To Improve Growth Performance And Ruminal Fermentation, Juan Manuel Vera

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of adding an exogenous proteolytic enzyme (EPE) on growth performance and ruminal fermentation characteristics of beef steers fed growing and finishing diets containing 30% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS).

In the first experiment, 48 beef steers were divided into two treatments: DDGS diets with and without EPE. Dry matter intake (DMI) was increased (P = 0.02) by the addition of EPE, but neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility was decreased on the growing phase. For the finishing phase, average daily gain ( …

Timing Of Exposure To Toxic Tall Fescue: Effects On Beef Cattle Reproduction, Matthew Burns

All Dissertations

Tall fescue [Schedonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub] is a native grass of Europe and was not widely used in the U.S. until the early to mid 1900's. Toxic tall fescue (E+) is the predominate, cool-season forage used in beef cattle production in the southern U.S., but grazing this forage is known to negatively impact growth and may impair reproductive performance. Two- and 3-yr old (young) beef cattle respond differently to synchronization protocols and have higher energy requirements compared with mature cows under normal management conditions. Interestingly, limited data indicate that young cattle reproductive performance is negatively impacted to a greater extent …

Lameness Associated With A Possible Neural Problem In The Lower Spinal Cord Of Chickens, Gallus Gallus, Gurueswar Nagarajan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the second half of the twentieth century lameness in broiler chickens has been known to be caused by different types of disorders, however the etiology of several type of lameness remain unknown. Because of the intense selection of broilers for rapid growth, some birds are more prone to physiological insults resulting in lameness. This study focuses on possible neural problems in the lower spinal cord associated with lameness in broilers. Broilers were raised in pens with wire floors and provided with food and water ad libitum. Three groups of birds 1) birds displaying a normal gait (Controls), 2) lame …

Effects Of Management Strategies And Molecular Breeding Values On Cattle Performance And Carcass Traits, Benjamin Collins Williamson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forty-eight Gelbvieh x Angus steers (265 ¡À 40 kg) were utilized to determine the relationships among molecular breeding values (MBV), steer performance, and carcass traits. Body weight (BW), hip height (HH), hip width (HW), exit velocity (EV; rate at which steers exited the squeeze chute and traversed 1.8 m) and body ultrasound measurements of steers were recorded at d 0, 93 and 154 of grazing mixed stockpiled endophyte-infected and -free tall fescue. Tissue samples were collected for genomic profiling (Igenity, Merial Limited, Duluth, GA). Steers were transported to the Oklahoma State U fed for 159 d, harvested and carcass parameters …

Personality Assessment In African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Kristina Marie Horback

Dissertations

The following study assessed personality in twelve African elephants using both observational behavior coding and standardized trait rating methods, thus demonstrating consistent individual differences across time and contexts. During the summer of 2010 and 2011, over 640 hours of behavioral data were collected onsite at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA. Four coding-based personality traits were determined after analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TOLERANT, and, AGGRESSIVE. This data was then compared to survey ratings completed by the animal keeper staff during both summers. Four rating-based personality traits resulted from this analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TIMID, and, AGGRESSIVE. All eight composite …

Initial Trends In The Kentucky Buck Test Program, Robert S. Kelly

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 Robert S. Kelly on April 20, 2012.

Nutrient Mass Balance And Performance Of Feedlot Cattle Fed Barley Based Diets In Large Pens In Western Canada, Erin M. Hussey

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

Three separate large pen commercial feeding trials with approximately 9,000 heifers with either eight or ten reps/treatment were conducted at a Western Feedlots Ltd.- High River, a commercial feedyard near High River, AB, Canada. For all three experiments, Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to segregate feed barley. In Exp. 1, barley was segregated based on digestible energy (DE) content as predicted by NIRS and heifers were fed low or high DE barley, or a 50:50 blend of the two. Feeding low DE barley improved weight gain, dry matter intake (DMI), and mortality; with little effect on carcass composition compared …

News Of The Department Of Animal Science, Department Of Animal Science

Animal Science Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Response Of Channel × Blue Hybrid Catfish To Chronic Diurnal Hypoxia, Bartholomew W. Green, Steven D. Rawles, Benjamin H. Beck

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

Performance traits and metabolic responses of the channel × blue hybrid catfish (Ictalurus punctatus female × I. furcatus male) in response to chronic diurnal hypoxia were evaluated in this 197-d study. Sixteen 0.1-ha earthen ponds were stocked with 15,169 hybrid catfish/ha (47 g/fish) and managed to maintain the minimum dissolved oxygen concentration greater than 12%, 24%, 36%, or 48% of saturation. Growth and yield of channel × blue hybrid catfish were significantly related to minimum nightly dissolved oxygen concentration. The cumulative effect of nocturnal dissolved oxygen concentration and the duration of exposure to hypoxia (termed dissolved oxygen minutes) …

Digital Detectives Deciper Ingredients, Rosalie Marion Bliss, James M. Harnly, Pei Chen

Agricultural Research Magazine

Television shows featuring crime scene investigators have been keeping viewers intrigued for years. But the Agricultural Research Service’s intriguing “food composition investigators” are just as innovative at deciphering truth from fiction relating to ingredients of plant-based foods and dietary supplements. The researchers are at the ARS Food Composition and Methods Development Laboratory, which is headed by research leader James Harnly. The laboratory is part of the Beltsville [Maryland] Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC).

They’re using new equipment and a metabolomics approach to discover compounds and to accurately identify ingredients in foods and supplements. They are also looking at chemical composition …

A New Approach Tomolecular Plant Breeding, Dennis O’Brien, Jean-Luc Jannink

Agricultural Research Magazine

An ARS scientist in Ithaca, New York, is using a new statistical approach to help speed the development of improved varieties of crops.

Plant breeders constantly strive to breed new varieties that yield more, resist emerging pests and pathogens, tolerate heat and drought, and grow in marginal soils and environments. Increasingly, molecular tools are used to speed those efforts. By identifying genes associated with desirable traits, scientists don’t have to wait for timeconsuming field observations.

“To grow wheat and evaluate it for traits in the field takes 5 to 9 years. Using genomic data, we can do it in about …

What's In Your Blood? The Ongoing Hunt For Metabolites, Marcia Wood, John W. Newman

Agricultural Research Magazine

At any given time, blood circulating through your body carries thousands of small molecules known as “metabolites.” Medical and nutrition researchers are eager to discover more about these compounds—amino acids, sugars, fats, and more—that are formed in and by our bodies.

Metabolites are of interest because the presence and concentrations of some of them can provide meaningful profiles, sometimes referred to as “metabolic signatures” or “fingerprints.”

In the future, for instance, yourmetabolic fingerprint—detected in a small sample of blood taken for your annual physical examination—might prove to be a reliable indicator of your health and a predictor of certain diseases. …

Growing South Dakota (Spring 2012), College Of Agriculture &. Biological Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Powerful Potential: Growing Global Population Spurs Need for Agbioscience
[Page] 4 Spring College News
[Page] 6 Enhanced Education: Students Complement Coursework With Extra-Curricular Opportunities
[Page] 8 Gaining Global Perspective: SDSU Delegation Visits Argentina
[Page] 9 Creative Collaboration: Students, Landowners & Industry Professionals Pair Up for a Positive Experience
[Page] 10 Wondrous Wheat: New Research Agreement & Wheat Varieties Announced
[Page] 12 Here and There
[Page] 14 New Era Underway: SDSU Extension Re-Energizes Programs, Delivery [Page] 16 iGrow Continues to Grow
[Page] 18 Focused on the Future: Field Specialists Strive to Serve Changing Landowner Needs
[Page] 19 Connecting with …

Agricultural Research Magazine April 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Tuning In to Technology

Benefits of Biotech,
Computational Tech,
and Nanotech

The Effects Of Dependent Infants On The Social Behavior Of Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta Palliate), Keziah Katz

Honors Theses and Capstones

Six weeks of observation on eight groups of wild mantled howler monkeys revealed that the presence of a dependent infant alters the frequency of social interactions between a female with an infant and other adult monkeys. Males preferred to spend time with females without infants but still spent more time with females with infants than with males. Females without infants spent significantly less time with females with infants than with males or other females without infants and females with infants decreased their frequency of social interaction overall without preference for males, females or other females with infants.

Utilization Of Corn Residue, Winter Range, Or Dry Lot In Beef Heifer Development Systems, Stetson P. Weber

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

Post-weaning heifer development systems that maximize reproductive efficiency and reduce input costs associated with feed is beneficial for cow/calf producers. Two research experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of post-weaning development systems in beef heifers. In Exp. 1 heifers were developed on corn residue (CR), or dry lot (DL). Heifers developed in DL had increased BW after winter treatment until breeding. Both heifer groups were similar in percent of heifers cycling, AI conception, AI pregnancy, and final pregnancy diagnosis. A subset of AI pregnant heifers were blocked by weight and stratified by winter development system and individually fed using …