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2023 (35th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) are described in its bylaws (NOURC 2010). The committee’s purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. Species for which the NOURC seeks documentation (NOURC Review List) can be found at the NOU website https://noubirds.org/Birds/ReviewList.aspx. Starting in 2020, the NOURC decided to deal mainly with those species deemed as Accidental on the “Official List of the Birds of Nebraska”. Casual species and out-of- range species are now summarized in the “Seasonal Reports” of the …

The Nebraska Bird Review (September 2024) 92(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June–July 2024, by W. Ross Silcock

Correcting the Record: Subspecific Identification of Nebraska’s Lone Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), by Sam Manning, Joel G. Jorgensen, Stephen J. Brenner, and W. Ross Silcock

2023 (35th) Report of the NOU Records Committee, by Mark A. Brogie

Subscription and Organization Information

Summer Field Report, June–July 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This was an intriguing summer in several ways. I am far from being a knowledgeable ecologist, but, like most of us, as a layman I wonder whether and how weather affects birds, and if and how local weather is reflecting the conventional wisdom of climate change. Climate change seems increasingly to be expressed as various extreme or rapidly changing weather events that have differing effects on vegetation and consequently insect and larger prey populations. Every species responds differently it seems, depending on its biological needs, but food supply is the most important issue for birds. It is tempting to assign …

Capeweed And Its Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) is a prostrate, stemless, sprawling annual herb that germinates during autumn and winter. In Western Australia (WA), competition from 7 to 90 capeweed plants per square metre in a wheat crop can reduce crop yield by 28 to 44% and net return by 25 to 76%.

Seal Counting On Our Plages (S.C.O.O.P.), Kaanan Kharwa

Master's Theses

The Vertebrate Integrative Physiology (VIP) lab monitors the population of northern elephant seals at the largest mainland breeding colony, located at Piedras Blancas (San Simeon, CA). As the population expands, more human-seal interactions and conflicts over land use occur. The VIP lab's work informs California State Parks and helps with the management of the rookery. Currently, members of the VIP lab fly a drone over the beaches, capture multiple images, and manually count the seals, which takes around 14 to 21 hours of analysis per survey. Machine learning methods such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks …

Monitoring Marine Animal Interactions With Open Ocean Aquaculture And The Potential For Measuring Impacts, Ryan Richard Yont

Theses

Aquaculture, the farming of water-based organisms, is one of the fastest growing industries in the food production sector globally. Aquaculture farms, regardless of type, are categorized as either coastal or offshore marine aquaculture and are generalized into three categories: fed (e.g., finfish), unfed (e.g., filter-feeding bivalves), and autotrophic (e.g. kelp). Viewed as an agricultural industry, marine aquaculture is tightly regulated, particularly in the U.S. Despite this, an area of concern for the public and management alike is the potential for marine life interactions with aquaculture gear. Even the best-run farms represent a change in the physical and biological characteristics of …

Methodologies For Dry Fixation And Taxidermy Of Education-Oriented Scorpion Specimens, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Scorpions hold a renowned status as iconic creatures across numerous cultures in the world. Traditionally preserved as desiccated specimens for educational purposes, they have been exhibited in museums and pedagogic collections, serving as concrete epistemological conduits for public education on biodiversity. However, these specimens frequently lack meticulous organization, potentially misrepresenting the animals’ ethological characteristics. This brief article aims to offer paradigmatic guidance for taxidermy of scorpions, ensuring a more accurate depiction of their in vivo habitus, achievable through the use of readily obtainable tools and undemanding techniques.

Terrestrial Salinization Impacts On Growth And Behavior Of A Common Detritivore Armadillidium Vulgare (Isopoda), Danielle Harmoney Orcutt

Master's Theses

Climate change and human activities are changing the nutritional landscape by increasing the availability of some essential elements and decreasing others. Sodium (Na) is an essential element in heterotrophs, which is required for water regulation, nerve function, and muscle function. Heterotrophs can acquire Na through diet and environment, often experiencing limited availability of Na due to plants concentrating Na 10-100 times less than heterotrophs need. The Sodium Subsidy-Stress (SSS) hypothesis posits that organismal performance follows a hump-shaped curve of a physiological response, where Na acts as a subsidy, increasing organismal performance such as growth until an optimal threshold is reached, …

Technical Note: Assessing Gps Sensor Accuracy Using Real-Time Kinematic Device For Livestock Tracking, Biquan Zhao, Rebecca Mcdermott, Galen E. Erickson, Yijie Xiong

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The technical aspects of global positioning system (GPS) sensors have been improved substantially over the years, making them valuable and popular tools for livestock tracking. Using GPS sensors allows producers and researchers to locate grazing livestock, monitor their behavior and distribution, and gather referencing information about the health status of the animals and pastures. However, interpreting the behavior of grazing livestock, such as cattle, from GPS data can be difficult due to positioning inaccuracies. Without knowing the positioning accuracy range of GPS sensors, achieving high-level confidence in determining grazing densities and identifying abnormal livestock movement patterns is challenging. …

Three New Species Of Genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 From Tibet, China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), With Implications For The Diagnostic Values Of Qualitative Characters, Victoria Tang, Kaichen Ouyang, Zhenbang Liu, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species of genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 are described from Tibet Autonomous Region, China. S. deshpandei sp. n. is described based on an adult male and an immature pair collected from Mêdog County, Nyingchi, with additional molecular evidence substantiating its validity against S. longimanus Pocock, 1893. S. kovariki sp. n. is featured by a single adult female from Zayü. This species is only weakly supported by its genetic distance from S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994, but empirical understanding of the morphological variation in Scorpiops species motivated us to consider them as distinct. S. matthewi sp. n. is based on …

Improving Bovine Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, Lauren Gatenby

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Despite large efforts, there has been minimal improvements in bovine intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in the last few decades. In this study, we investigate methods to improve embryo development rates with ICSI in cattle through addressing sperm and oocyte factors and modifying injection methods. Inducing the acrosome reaction in bull sperm prior to injection with progesterone increased cleavage (46.2% vs 16.2%) and blastocyst (21% vs 3.8%) rates compared to controls, respectively. Supplementing glutathione during in vitro maturation of the oocyte did reduce free reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the oocyte, but did not improve embryo development rates with ICSI or …

Euscorpius Gulhanimae Sp. N. From The Konya Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Ersen A. Yağmur

Euscorpius

A new species Euscorpius gulhanimae sp. n. is described from southern Turkey (Beyşehir District of Konya Province). It differs by trichobothrial numbers in Pv and et series; these numbers are the highest in all species of Euscorpius in Turkey. E. gulhanimae sp. n. has light greyish yellow mesosoma, dark reddish-brown chela and dark brown metasomal segments III-V; the new species is distinguished by this two-colored feature from all Euscorpius species. With this description, the known number of species in the family Euscorpiidae in Turkey is increased to 21.

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxxiii. Three New Species Of Gint From Ethiopia And Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species, Gint sahil sp. n. from Somaliland and Gint abshiri sp. n. and G. derbiae sp. n. from Ethiopia are described and compared with other species of the genus. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Gint, fully complemented with color photos of specimens of the new species, as well as of their habitats. Furthermore, alongside the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we have provided description of the karyotype of G. abshiri sp. n. This species exhibits karyotype with 2n=27. Included is distribution map and a key for the genus Gint …

Revision Of The Genus Scorpio In Jordan, With A Description Of A New Genus And Three New Species (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Bassam Abu Afifeh, Ersen A. Yağmur, Mohammad Al–Saraireh, Zuhair Amr

Euscorpius

Several new Scorpio populations are studied from various habitats in Jordan, including specimens previously identified as Scorpio kruglovi Birula, 1910 and S. fuscus (Ehrenberg, 1829). A new scorpionid genus, Jordanius gen. n. is described, mainly differentiated from the genus Scorpio Linné, 1758 by the elongation and heavy patterns of granulation of chela manus, and granulated chela fingers. Scorpio granulomanus Al-Saraireh et al., 2023 is transferred to the new genus, and Jordanius maysaraensis gen. et sp. n. is described. Also, Scorpio jordanensis sp. n. and S. wahbehi sp. n. are described. Detailed …

Investigation Of P27 Tumor Suppressor Gene (Cdkn1b) Polymorphisms In Dogs With Malignant Mammary Tumors, Gizem Kırmızıoğlu, Iraz Akış

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Mammary tumors are the most common neoplasm in dogs, with a high mortality rate. The development of canine mammary tumors (CMT) is multifactorial, but different incidence rates between breeds suggest the effects of genetic risk factors. Many CMT-associated candidate genes were reported, mainly involved in cell cycle control. This study aims to investigate p27 tumor suppressor gene polymorphisms in dogs with mammary tumors and analyze the association between variations and CMTs. For this purpose, case and control groups were formed from 22 dogs diagnosed with malignant mammary tumors and 10 dogs with healthy mammary glands. The whole canine p27 gene …

Efficacy Of In-House Nanosilver Polyurethane Hydrogel Dressing On Second-Degree Burn Wounds In A Porcine Model, Pasakorn Brikshavana, Tapanat Songkasupa, Pleansaung Vichit, Onrampa Supsombon, Arunrode Nilrattanaprasert, Theerayuth Kaewamatawong

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hydrogel containing nanosilver particles on a second-degree burn wound in a porcine model. The second degree burn wound was performed using 1 cm in diameter, on 100 °C heated cylindrical brass bar applied to the dorsum of pig skin. Burn wounds were randomly divided into three groups of wound dressings (WDs) including commercial polyurethane hydrogel (Cutinova Hydro®, Gr. A), in-house hydrogel (Gr. B) and in-house nanosilver hydrogel (Gr. C). The wound contraction rate and hyperemic zone were measured and investigated at 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after dressing. …

Productivity Of Young Broilers Fed Phyllanthus Niruri Linn And Melaleuca Cajuput Leaf Meal As A Phytogenic Feed Additive, Listya Purnamasari

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Feed additives from medicinal plants can be used as alternative antibiotics to optimize productivity, growth, and health of livestock. Medicinal plants Phyllanthus niruri Linn (Meniran) and Melaleuca cajuput (Kajuput) as alternative growth promoters contain antioxidants and antimicrobials to improve the quality of animal products. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of medicinal plant leaf meals as phytogenic feed additives on broilers’ productivity and internal organ parameters. For 21 days fed, 80 1-day-old Loughmann broilers (MB202) unsex were distributed in 4 treatments with 4 pens per treatment and 5 birds per pen. The dietary treatments were: T1 …

Image Processing And Machine Learning Approach For Yolk Color Evaluation, Supreeya Thepparak, Chusak Pulmar, Chanwit Kaewtapee

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model for yolk color measurement using machine learning. A total of eight hundred eggs were randomly collected from thirty laying hens (Lohmann brown, 28–35 weeks). The experimental diets were formulated based on broken rice or corn, and further supplemented with canthaxanthin from 10 to 150 mg/kg. The Digital YolkFan™ was used to classify yolk color scales from 0 to 15, whereas the Hunter Lab was used to measure color values. Furthermore, yolk images were obtained from a digital camera and then extracted into red color, green color and blue (RGB) …

Single-Tank Sequencing Batch Bioreactor With A Cellulose Substrate For Simultaneous Nitrification And Denitrification Of An Aquarium, Aranya Ponpornpisit, Malinee Jongjaroenjai, Naowarat Suthamnatpong, Sanit Piyapattanakorn, Surachet Burut-Archanai

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Processing and detoxifying nitrogenous waste in an aquarium is difficult with one tank because nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria need contradictory conditions to grow and survive. Herein, a single-tank sequencing batch bioreactor was used to simultaneously perform aerobic nitrification and denitrification for aquarium filtration. To evaluate its performance at the laboratory-scale, the 8 L bioreactor was connected to a 20 L aquarium with a carbon water filter and containing Oranda goldfish. The bioreactor comprised a bottom layer filled with 2.5 L of polyester sponge, covered with 1 L of carbon pellets and then 2.5 L of cellulose beads or polyester sponge. …

Phylotranscriptomic Relationships Of The Oophila Clade Of Green Algae Associated To Amphibian Egg Masses, Ryan Kerney, Miguel Vences, Maria Sachs, Iker Irisarri, Fabian Bartels, Pontus Eriksson, Sven Künzel, Atsushi Kurabayashi, Ane Laugen, Zachary Vegso, Cory Bishop, Hartmut Arndt

Biology Faculty Publications

Green algae usually assigned to the genus Oophila are known to colonize egg capsules of amphibian egg masses across the Nearctic and Palearctic regions. We study the phylogenetic relationships of these algae using a phylotranscriptomic data set of 76 protein-coding single-copy nuclear genes. Our data set includes novel RNAseq data for six amphibian-associated and five free-living green algae, and draft genomes of two of the latter. Within the Oophila clade (nested within Moewusinia), we find samples from two European frogs (Rana dalmatina and R. temporaria) closely related to those of the North American frog R. aurora (Oophila …

A Comparison Of Diploid And Triploid Eastern Oysters For Aquaculture Production Under Extreme Temperatures And Salinities, Joshua H. Kim

LSU Master's Theses

Off-bottom aquaculture of Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) is a nascent industry that is increasingly supported by the use of triploid oysters, which grow faster than diploids. Despite their growth advantage, elevated triploid mortality compared to diploids under high temperature, low salinity, or a combination of these conditions challenge consistent triploid production. Identifying the environmental thresholds at which differential triploid mortality occurs and predicting its economic impact are important to informing decision-making in oyster aquaculture. The goal of this thesis was to compare the biological and economic performance of diploid and triploid oysters under high temperature and low salinity conditions. …

Knockdown Of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Ii Receptor Impairs Ovulation Rate, Corpus Luteum Development, And Progesterone Production In Gilts, Amy T. Desaulniers, Rebecca Cederberg, Clay A. Lents, Brett White

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Reproduction is classically controlled by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH-I) and its receptor (GnRHR-I) within the brain. In pigs, a second form (GnRH-II) and its specific receptor (GnRHR-II) are also produced, with greater abundance in peripheral vs. central reproductive tissues. The binding of GnRH-II to GnRHR-II has been implicated in the autocrine/paracrine regulation of gonadal steroidogenesis rather than gonadotropin secretion. Blood samples were collected from transgenic gilts, with the ubiquitous knockdown of GnRHR-II (GnRHR-II KD; n = 8) and littermate controls (n = 7) at the onset of estrus (follicular) and 10 days later (luteal); serum concentrations of 16 steroid hormones …

Production, Purification, And Specificity Serologically Determination Of Immunoglobulin-Y (Igy) From Chicken Eggs Against Clostridium Tetani Toxoid, Kürşat Teti̇k, Bariş Sareyyüpoğlu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Tetanus is a life-threatening bacterial disease of humans and many animal species caused by the neurotoxin tetanospasmin (TeNT) produced by Clostridium tetani. Antitoxins obtained from horses and humans are primarily used to treat this disease. However, there are several clinical side effects and disadvantages associated with the use of these antitoxins. Current techniques for diagnosing tetanus use monoclonal antibodies produced in mice. These antibodies have several advantages, such as homogeneity and specificity. In contrast, a notable feature of polyclonal antibodies, especially egg yolk antibodies (IgYs) extracted from poultry, is that they can be generated in greater quantities than mammalian antibodies …

Seroprevalence And Associated Risk Factors Of Toxoplasma Gondii Infections In Dogs In Egypt, Abdelfattah Selim, Mohamed Marzok, Hattan S. Gattan, Omar A. Aljabr, Mohammed H. Alruhaili, Mohamed Salem

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that is found all over the world and has significant importance in veterinary medicine and public health. Dogs are considered as a final host for the parasite and play an important role in spreading of infection via contamination of environment by oocysts. The study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii and analysis risk factors associated with the infections in dogs. A total of 430 blood samples were collected from dogs from three governorates situated at northern Egypt and analyzed using commercial ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii in dogs was 24% …

The Effects Of People, Time Of Day, And Season On Affiliative And Stereotypic Behaviors In Captive Rhinoptera Bonasus And Other Rays Across Two Human-Interactive Enclosures, Wren C. A. Newman

Theses and Dissertations

Cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) are among the most common species found in aquaria, yet the impact of touch enclosures on their welfare remains largely unknown. While research on animal-visitor interactions has produced mixed results for other species, the lack of studies focusing on fish welfare poses a risk of overlooking potential welfare concerns. Therefore, we aimed to establish a baseline for cownose rays regarding stereotypic behaviors, sociality, and activity in captivity, and to examine the influence of human interaction on these behaviors. We collected over 700 hours of footage from two enclosures at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ …

Sex Differences In The Diets Of Forest-Dwelling Baboons (Papio Anubis), Kara Hartunian

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to eat and switch between many food sources is an adaptative feeding strategy utilized for meeting nutritional needs across different environments, seasons, and physiological conditions. Baboons (genus Papio) excel at both dietary flexibility and foraging selectively, and consequently have one of the most widespread geographic distributions in the Order. To further expand to our understanding of baboon feeding ecology, I analyzed foraging activity and the nutritional characteristics of the diets of the relatively understudied rainforest baboons (Papio anubis) living in Kibale National Park, Uganda. I also investigated if there are differences in food type choice …

Maternal And Other Social Influences On Signature Whistle Structure Of A Captive Group Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Riley Synan

Theses and Dissertations

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are social animals that use acoustics as a major method of communicating across a marine environment. They also live in fission-fusion groups and thus interact with many conspecifics over a lifetime. Individual dolphins have a signature whistle that functions as an identity call and serves to maintain group cohesion in murky waters or during reconciliation. Dolphins exhibit vocal learning and the signature whistle of a calf may be modeled after the whistle of their mother or another individual in the pod as they develop. Mother-calf pairs or other related animals sometimes have similar whistle types. Some …

Assessing Comprehension And Competence In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) On The Concept: Do Something Different, Charlotte M. Mulligan

Theses and Dissertations

Many studies have been conducted using a training paradigm based on the research of Pryor et al. (1969) wherein the participants are trained on the abstract concept: do something different. This paradigm challenges working memory and requires the participants to respond with a behavior, either previously trained or novel, which has not yet been offered within the session. The work of Braslau-Schneck (1994) expanded this concept and demonstrated the ability of dolphins to successfully complete this task in synchronized pairs, though the method of accomplishing this task remained unclear. The present research was conducted as part of a broader …

The Role Of Elevation In The Migration, Physiology, And Genomic Diversification Of Birds, Jessie L. Williamson

Biology ETDs

Elevational gradients cause profound eco-climatic variation across short distances. Partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) is a severe challenge that organisms face at high elevations; due partly to specialization on PO₂, most Neotropical bird species have narrow elevational ranges. However, a small fraction are elevational generalists that span sea level to high elevations, and a subset undertake extreme migratory journeys from low to high elevations biannually. My dissertation combines diverse approaches across levels of biological organization to understand how elevation impacts the ecology, evolution, physiology, and migration of montane birds. I examined ‘extreme’ elevational …

Avian Communities Monitored Along A Successional Chronosequence In Bottomland Hardwood Forests In The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Eamonn Alasdair Thurmond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bottomland hardwood forests in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley have been extensively reduced due to agriculture conversion and altered hydrology. Remnant forests have undergone further degradation from sources such as a lack of forest management, invasive species, and reduced regeneration of oaks (Quercus spp.). Recent restoration efforts of bottomland hardwood forests have focused on implementing wildlife forestry practices that prioritize restoring wildlife habitat while retaining profitable timber harvests. In this study I surveyed bird communities in bottomland hardwood forests in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley along a successional chronosequence. Birds were sampled using automated recording units over 10 days …