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Wpa News 95 (2014), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2014), number 95

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Defining The Physiochemical, Biological And Habitat Requirements For The Upper Extant Of Oncorhynchus Mykiss Distribution, Emily Powers

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The distribution of rainbow trout is strongly influenced by their habitat. As climatic conditions change, the distribution of rainbow trout populations will change along with them. The objective of this study was to identify the particular habitat parameters that rainbow trout select for in this lotic system and to specifically assess how this relates to the upper extant of their distribution. By assessing the distribution of the upper extant specifically, future research may be conducted to better assess climatic changes on a small and/or large scale basis. A 9,000 m section of the Clearwater River was used as the study …

The Effects Of Angling Pressure On Northern Pike Size Structure, Ryan Carrow

Journal of Earth and Life Science

A number of conditions within a lake system can affect northern pike (Esox lucius) size structure. Of these conditions, the amount of angling pressure may have the biggest effect on the size structure of northern pike in Minnesota lake systems. In this study, five private and five public lakes were chosen near Bemidji, Minnesota. Each lake was fished for twenty angling hours using live northern hog suckers (Hypentelium nigricans) or golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Total length (mm) and weight (kg) were measured for each northern pike caught. The number of fish houses that were …

Litter Deposition And Nitrogen Return In Rotationally Stocked Smooth Bromegrass Pastures, John A. Guretzky, Walter H. Schacht, Ana B. Wingeyer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Understanding how management systems impact nutrient cycling is important to pasture sustainability. From 2010 to 2011, we investigated how supplementation of beef cattle (Bos taurus) with corn (Zea mays L.) dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) on unfertilized, rotationally stocked smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) pasture (SUPP) affected the litter pool, residual herbage mass, litter deposition, and litter quality relative to unsupplemented beef cattle rotationally stocked on unfertilized control (CONT) and N-fertilized (FERT) smooth bromegrass pastures. As hypothesized based on management for greater herbage mass and animal demand during the grazing season, litter deposition was 48% …

Effects Of Beef Production System On Animal Performance And Carcass Characteristics, C. L. Maxwell, C. R. Lopez, B. K. Wilson, B. T. Johnson, B. C. Bernhard, C. F. O'Neill, D. L. Vanoverbeke, G. G. Mafi, D. L. Step, C. J. Richards

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate conventional (CONV) and natural (NAT) beef production systems from annual pasture through finishing through grazing. Beef steers (n = 180, initial BW = 250 ± 19 kg) were assigned randomly to 2 treatments in the pasture phase. Steers were implanted with 40 mg of trenbolone acetate (TBA), 8 mg estradiol, and 29 mg tylosin tartrate (CONV), or received no implant (NAT). Steers on the 2 treatments grazed wheat or cereal rye for 109 d. Conventional steers had an 18.5% improvement in ADG (1.22 vs. 1.03 kg/d, P < 0.01) and a heavier final BW (385 vs. 366 kg, P < 0.01) compared with NAT steers. Following the pasture phase, steers (n = 160 steers, 5 steers/pen, 8 pens/treatment) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial in the feedlot phase. Production system (NAT vs. CONV) was maintained from the pasture phase, and the second factor was 7 vs. 12% low-quality roughage (DM basis, LOW vs. HIGH). During finishing, CONV steers were given 120 mg of TBA and 24 mg estradiol at processing, fed monensin and tylosin, and fed zilpaterol hydrochloride for the last 20 d of the experiment. There were no program × roughage level interactions (P > 0.07). The CONV steers ate …

System And Method For Analyzing Properties Of Meat Using Multispectral Imaging, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Chris Richard Calkins, Ashok Kumor Samal, Govindarajan Konda Naganathan

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A system and method for obtaining multispectral images of fresh meat at predetermined wavelength bands at a first time, subjecting the images to analysis in an image analysis system comprising a computer programmed to perform such analysis, and outputting a forecast of meat tenderness at a later point in time. Predetermined key wavelength bands are precorrelated with a high degree of prediction of meat tenderness and/or other properties of meat and are used in the multispectral system and method. A system and method for determining the key wavelengths is also disclosed. The multispectral imaging system and method is suitable for …

Western Immunoblotting In Avian Shell Gland Sample Immunoblotting Methods1, K.K. Hansen, R.J. Kittok, Gautam Sarath, Mary M. Beck

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Avian shell gland tissue was subjected to Western blot analysis using anti-human estrogen receptor- α antibody H222. Initial attempts to obtain consistent, high-quality blots were unsuccessful because, as it turned out, excessive lipid in tissue preparations interfered with protein separation. Incremental additions of acetone eventually proved to be the critical step in solubilizing lipids and allowing consistent separation of bands on gels. A detailed description of the methodology is presented.

Miscellaneous Fish Helminth Parasite (Trematoda, Cestoidea, Nematoda, Acanthocephala) Records From Arkansas, C. T. Mcallister, C. R. Bursey, H. W. Robison, D. A. Neely, M. B. Connior, M. A. Barger

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Between June 2012 and January 2014, 147 fishes (10 species) within five families were collected from watersheds in 8 counties of Arkansas and examined for helminth parasites. Almost every fish species examined harbored at least one or more helminth parasite, including 5 trematodes (Alloglossidium sp., Plagioporus sp., Crepidostomum sp., Clinostomum marginatum and unknown metacercaria), 2 cestodes (unknown cyclophyllidean cysticerci and Corallotaenia parva), 3 nematodes (Spiroxys sp., Capillaria catostomi, and Eustrongylides sp.), and 3 acanthocephalans (unknown cystacanths, Neoechinorhynchus sp., and Leptorhynchoides sp.). We document 16 new host and 2 new distributional records for these helminths. In addition, this is the first …

New Host And Distribution Records Of The Leech Placobdella Multilineata Moore, 1953 (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae), W. E. Moser, D. J. Richardson, C. T. Mcallister, J. T. Briggler, C. I. Hammond, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Lactational Performance Of Dairy Cows Fed Yeast Derived Microbial Protein In Low And High Forage Diets, Angela Kristia Manthey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of substituting soybean meal products with yeast-derived microbial protein [(YMP) DEMP; Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY] in diets containing two forage concentrations. Sixteen Holstein cows (4 primiparous and 12 multiparous) were randomly assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Diets contained low (LF; 45% of diet DM) or high forage (HF; 65% of diet DM) and YMP at 0 (NYMP) or 2.25% (WYMP) of the diet. The forage mix consisted of 67% corn silage and 33% alfalfa hay (DM basis). …

First Record Of Ribbon Worms (Nemertea: Tetrastemmatidae: Prostoma) From Arkansas, P. G. Davison, H. W. Robison, C. T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

New Records And Notes On The Ecology Of The Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis Septentrionalis) In Arkansas, D. Blake Sasse, M. L. Caviness, M. J. Harvey, J. L. Jackson, P. N. Jordan, T. L. Klotz, P. R. Moore, R. W. Perry, R. K. Redman, T. S. Risch, D. A. Saugey, J. D. Wilhide

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Road-Stream Crossings On Populations Of The Idaho Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon Aterrimus), Richard K. Honeycutt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Habitat disturbances affect wildlife populations through numerous mechanisms, and determining specific components of habitat disturbances affecting those populations is challenging. For example, a single disturbance can both change local habitat conditions and impose limitations on dispersal of animals. Both of these components can negatively affect biological responses, such as body condition, local movement patterns, or survival. Culverts are a habitat disturbance having both of these components. Culverts affect local habitat conditions by increasing sediment levels in downstream reaches, negatively affecting animals downstream of culverts. Culverts also impose limits on dispersal by blocking passage of stream organisms to upstream reaches, negatively …

Variations In Intra- And Interspecific Response To Mobbing Calls By The Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapillus), Katerina M. Faust

Honors Theses

Mobbing calls are produced by a variety of bird species in response to predator sightings. These mobbing calls often function in intraspecific recruitment, but have recently been shown to have an interspecific response component as well. The mobbing calls produced by the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) are distinct and encode information about the threat level of the predator. Conservation biologists often use playbacks of chickadee mobbing calls to detect species of birds and numbers of individuals in an area with higher accuracy than counts conducted without the use of playbacks. In this study, the factors that could potentially …

The Role Of Underutilized Fish In New England's Seafood System, Taylor Witkin

Honors Theses

The global fisheries crisis has led to an increasing recognition for the need to relieve pressure on overfished, popular food fish stocks. Opportunities exist to shift consumer demand toward more sustainable choices, including fish that may be locally abundant. Attempts have been made to market underused fish (sometimes termed “trash fish”) that represent more sustainable alternatives; however, it is unclear whether consumers will choose to purchase these more sustainable options, particularly if underused fish are also unfamiliar. Chapter 1 reviews existing research and current issues surrounding sustainable seafood and the recent shift toward local, abundant, undervalued species in New England’s …

Effects Of Infectious Bursal Disease (Ibd) On Shank Length And Diameter, Body Weight And Mortality In Broiler Breeder At Rearing Period, Ahmad Salahi, Mozhdeh Moosanezhad Khabisi, Ali Anissian

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Shank length is used as a tool for the determination of fertility, body weight, estimates of frame size, and the monitoring of growth and development of pullets. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of infectious bursal disease (IBD) on shank length, diameter, body weight, shank length and body weight growth curves, and mortality rate in males and females in the rearing period in broiler breeder flocks. In this study, 2 broiler breeder flocks (Ross 308 flocks) and 800 breeder chicks (both females and males) were selected for shank length and diameter assessments. All the management, nutrition, and …

Demographics And Seasonal Diet Composition Of Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus Platorynchus Rafinesque) In Wabash River, Vaskar Nepal

Masters Theses

Shovelnose sturgeon Schaphirhynchus platorynchus Rafinesque, one of the only sturgeon species that support a sustainable commercial harvest, are fished in a substantial caviar fishery in the lower Wabash River. However, ecological information on the population is sparse. In this thesis, I present information on the status and seasonal diet characteristics of the population. A 14-year long shovelnose sturgeon monitoring survey conducted by Illinois Department of Natural Resources shows that the population is in relatively good condition, faces low mortality rates, and has a high potential for recruitment. Study of the seasonal composition of diet suggests that shovelnose sturgeon generally get …

Aspects Of The Trophic Ecology Of An Invertivorous Snake Community, Meagan Amanda Thomas

Masters Theses

Understanding the significance of trophic links has been of interest to ecologists for decades, likely because food web studies have the potential to reveal a considerable amount of information in the fields of ecosystem and community ecology. Despite the intrinsic benefits that come from elucidating food web structures, doing so is often problematic because of the complex and dynamic nature of ecological communities. The dietary ecology of small-bodied invertivorous snakes remains relatively understudied compared to other snake species. Many of these species are abundant throughout their range, making them ideal organisms for studying community-level questions. I employed a combination of …

Animals' Capability To Bond And The Implications That Follow, Falyn Goldfarb

Honors College Theses

This paper explores the ways in which humans have historically viewed animals, with a focus on Descartes theory automata. Further concepts of the problem of different minds, inherent value, empathy, love, friendship, grief, isolation, anthropomorphism, and biochemistry (focusing on oxytocin, cortisol and the prefrontal cortex) are all explored. Numerous literature reviews are used as examples to fight against the argument that animals are merely machines and can therefore be used and abused. Animal social bonds, including parent-child, purely social, and animal-human, are analyzed for their evolutionary and biological purposes in attempt to highlight the relationships that are not obviously valuable …

Culture Of Lobotes Surinamensis (Tripletail), Eric Saillant, Jason T. Lemus, James S. Franks

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Coastal Urbanization On Salt-Marsh Faunal Assemblages In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Michael R. Lowe, Mark S. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Coastal landscapes in the northern Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Mississippi coast, have undergone rapid urbanization that may impact the suitability of salt-marsh ecosystems for maintaining and regulating estuarine faunal communities. We used a landscape ecology approach to quantify the composition and configuration of salt-marsh habitats and developed surfaces at multiple spatial scales surrounding three small, first-order salt-marsh tidal creeks arrayed along a gradient of urbanization in two river-dominated estuaries. From May 3 to June 4, 2010, nekton and macroinfauna were collected weekly at all six sites. Due to the greater abundance of grass shrimp Palaemonetes spp., brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus …

Making A Big Splash With Louisiana Fishes, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Sophie Warny, Valerie Derouen

Special Publications of the Museum of Natural Science

This book is a companion piece to Making a Big Splash with Louisiana Fishes, an exhibit created in 2012 at Louisiana State University’s Museum of Natural Science (MNS)

The Relationship Between Seropositivity And Tissue Cysts In Sheep Naturally Infected With Toxoplasma Gondii, Kader Yildiz, Oğuz Kul, Sami̇ Gökpinar, Hasan Tarik Atmaca, Yilmaz Emre Gençay, Aycan Nuri̇ye Gazyağci, Cahi̇t Babür, İsmayi̇l Safa Gürcan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Skeletal muscles (tongue, masseter, leg, intercostal, and diaphragmatic muscles) and brain samples of 100 sheep at slaughter were analysed for the presence of T. gondii tissue cysts along with serum IgG titres. Two methods of isolation by percoll gradient centrifugation and tissue microarray (TMA) technique with immunoperoxidase staining were used. Seropositivity was detected in 88% (88/100) of sheep sera analysed by indirect fluorescent antibody test. Tissue cysts were observed in 46 (52.3%, 46/88) and 15 (17%, 15/88) of the seropositive sheep with the isolation technique and TMA and immunoperoxidase staining, respectively. The diameters of the tissue cysts were 25–58 × …

Evaluation Of A Novel Feedstuff For Horses, Catherine Whitehouse

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Determining digestibility of feed ingredients is a challenge. While forage type feeds may be fed as the sole dietary component, concentrates cannot. To determine the apparent digestibility of these ingredients a by difference method can be utilized. The study was conducted to investigate the nutritional value of corn germ dehydrated (AAFCO 48.32) for horses in comparison to two processed corns commonly fed to horses. The second objective was to compare total tract digestibility of the treatments to determine differences in digestibility of the various fiber fractions due to added concentrate and to use the difference method to determine nutrient digestibility …

Gestational Form Of Supplemental Selenium (Se) Affects Steroidogenic Gene Expression In The Newborn Calf Testis, Stefani R. Garbacik

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Selenium (Se) is an important trace mineral in the diet of cattle. Our objective was to determine whether the form of supplemental Se fed to the dam would affect the expression of genes regulating steroidogenesis in the newborn testis. Twenty-four Angus-cross cows were assigned randomly (n=8) to individual ad libitum access of a mineral mix containing 35 ppm of Se supplied as sodium selenite (inorganic, ISe; Prince Se), Sel-Plex (organic, OSe; Sel-Plex, Alltech) or a 50/50 mix of ISe/OSe (MIX) 4 months prior to breeding and throughout gestation. All male calves were castrated within 2 days of birth and total …

An Assessment Of Two Feed Additives To Improve Feed Utilization In Pigs, Amanda Shaw Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Three experiments were conducted to assess the efficacy of including selected feed additives in the diet of weaning and grow-finish pigs. Experiment 1 utilized 24 crossbred grow-finish pigs and measured the effect of added EHY on DM, N, and energy digestibility. There were no differences in DM, Energy, and N digestibility between diets 1 through 4. Experiment 2 utilized a total of 36 crossbred pigs [18 barrows, 18 gilts] in order to determine if preference would be shown when presented with naturally-contaminated corn. There were three dietary comparisons, Control vs Diet 2 (Comparison 1), Control vs Diet 4 (Comparison 2), …

The Acoustic Emissions Produced By Escherichia Coli During The Growth Cycle, Traci Jane Cox

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The objective of this study was to determine if acoustic emissions (AE) generated by three strains of Escherichia Coli (5024-parent strain, 8279-mutant strain and 8279-random/unrelated strain) could be used to differentiate each strain during their growth cycle. An acoustic sensor with an operating range of 35 kHz-100 kHz was inserted into the growth vessel and attached to a selected channel to capture AE data. The growth vessel was loaded with 60 ml of tryptic soy broth (TSB) (0.25% fructose) media with alginate (1.1%) or without alginate and inoculated with 1% (10⁸ CFU/ml) of an E. coli strain. The growth …

Assessing Resilience In Stressed Watersheds, Kristine T. Nemec, Joana Chan, Christina Hoffman, Trisha L. Spanbauer, Joseph A. Hamm, Craig R. Allen, Trevor Hefley, Donald Pan, Prabhakar Shrestha

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Although several frameworks for assessing the resilience of social-ecological systems (SESs) have been developed, some practitioners may not have sufficient time and information to conduct extensive resilience assessments. We have presented a simplified approach to resilience assessment that reviews the scientific, historical, and social literature to rate the resilience of an SES with respect to nine resilience properties: ecological variability, diversity, modularity, acknowledgement of slow variables, tight feedbacks, social capital, innovation, overlap in governance, and ecosystem services. We evaluated the effects of two large-scale projects, the construction of a major dam and the implementation of an ecosystem recovery program, on …

Activating The Expression Of Human K-Rasg12d Stimulates Oncogenic Transformation In Transgenic Goat Fetal Fibroblast Cells, J. Gong, Zhongde Wang, I. Polejaeva, R. Salgia, C. Kao, T. Chen, L. Chen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Humane use of preclinical large animal cancer models plays a critical role in understanding cancer biology and developing therapeutic treatments. Among the large animal candidates, goats have great potentials as sustainable sources for large animal cancer model development. Goats are easier to handle and cheaper to raise. The genome of the goats has been sequenced recently. It has been known that goats develop skin, adrenal cortex, breast and other types of cancers. Technically, goats are subject to somatic cell nuclear transfer more efficiently and exhibit better viability through the cloning process. Towards the development of a goat cancer model, we …

Maternal Embryokines That Regulate Development Of The Bovine Preimplantation Embryo, Peter James Hansen, Anna Carolina Denicol, Kyle Bradley Dobbs

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Proper embryonic development depends upon regulatory signals from the reproductive tract called embryokines. This review uses the cow as a model to understand the developmental processes controlled by embryokines. The focus is on 3 embryokines that have been shown to increase competence of embryos to survive after transfer to recipients: CSF2, IGF1, and DKK1. Together, these molecules regulate key events required for development of the embryo to the blastocyst stage including proliferation (enhanced by IGF1), development of the inner cell mass (regulated by CSF2), control of differentiation (modified by DKK1), and inhibition of apoptosis and stress-mediated developmental arrest (IGF1 and …