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The Length-Weight Relationship And Condition Factors Of Coastal Small-Sized Adult And Juvenile Fish Species Following Dense Mucilage In The Sea Of Marmara, Türkiye, Yusuf Şen, İsmail Burak Daban, Alkan Özteki̇n, Adnan Ayaz, Uğur Altınağaç, Ali İşmen, Ahsen Yüksek, Uğur Özeki̇nci̇, Fikret Çakır, Tekin Demi̇rkiran, Gençtan Erman Uğur, Oğuzhan Ayaz, Buminhan Burkay Selçuk

Turkish Journal of Zoology

To understand the ecosystem health of the Sea of Marmara following the dense mucilage event in 2021, growth indicators (length-weight relationships and condition factors) of coastal fish species were investigated. For this purpose, individuals were sampled during experimental fishing trials with beach seine nets between November 2021 and March 2022 from the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. A total of 32 fish species belonging to 19 families were obtained. A total of 12 juvenile and 20 small-sized adult coastal fish species were identified, condition factors and length-weight relationships (LWRs) were calculated. The LWR results of this study reveal first findings as …

Highways For Red Wood Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): A New Method To Increase The Size Of Anthills, Stanislav Stukalyuk, Mykola Kozyr

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Red wood ants (RWA, Formica rufa group) play a key role in forest ecosystems as effective entomophages and participants in the circulation of organic matter. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficiency of using the highway method to accelerate the growth of anthills, specifically focusing on height, diameter, volume. The study was conducted in Kyiv, Ukraine, from May to October 2023. In the experimental group, highways were constructed on ant trails, totalling nine Formica polyctena Forster, 1850 anthills and eight Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761 anthills. These highways consisted of a continuous line of logs ranging from 10 …

Inbreeding Tolerance In Two Isolated Populations Of Harting’S Vole Microtus Hartingi(Rodentia, Arvicolinae), Tanya Zorenko, Larisa Petra Kaija

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The adaptive effects of inbreeding are understudied, but accumulating evidence suggests that it plays a major adaptive role in speciation, as populations with a history of inbreeding are more prone to it. Differences in inbreeding tolerance in two populations of Microtus hartingi voles were studied through a series of experiments on reproductive behaviour and partner choice. Modelling an artificial polygyny via the formation of trios composed of a brother, sister, and an unrelated female has shown an uneven attitude towards inbreeding, which was closely linked to the reproduction strategy: voles of the Rhodopean population (RP) would reproduce communally with only …

Influence Of Maternal Supplementation With Vitamins, Minerals, And (Or) Protein/Energy On Placental Development And Angiogenic Factors In Beef Heifers During Pregnancy, Bethania J. Dávila Ruiz, Carl R. Dahlen, Kacie L. Mccathy, Joel S. Caton, Jennifer L. Hurlbert, Friederike Baumgaertner, Ana Clara B. Menezes, Wellison J. S. Diniz, Sarah R. Underdahl, James D. Kirsch, Kevin K. Sedivec, Kerri A. Bochantin, Pawel P. Borowicz, Sebastián Canovas, Lawrence P. Reynolds

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The effect of vitamins and minerals supplementation (VTM) and/or two rates of body weight gain (GAIN) on bovine placental vascular development and angiogenic factors gene expression were evaluated in two experiments: In Exp. 1, crossbred Angus heifers (n = 34) were assigned to VTM/NoVTM treatments at least 71 days before breeding to allow changes in the mineral status. At breeding, through artificial insemination (AI), heifers were assigned to low-gain (LG) 0.28 kg/d or moderate-gain (MG) 0.79 kg/d treatments, resulting in NoVTM-LG (Control; n = 8), NoVTM-MG (n = 8), VTM-LG (n = 9), and VTM-MG (n = …

Different Levels Of Single-Strain Probiotic (Bacillus Subtilis) With Proteolytic Enzyme (Serratiopeptidase) Can Be Used As An Alternative To Antibiotic Growth Promoters In Broiler, Muhammad Mushtaq, Baseerat Ali, Majid Ali, Neelam Bibi, Rabin Raut, Gamaleldin M. Suliman, Ayman A. Swelum

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

In the current study, the proteolytic enzyme (serratiopeptidase) was used to enhance the efficacy of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) probiotic as a growth promotor in broiler chicken. The effects of serratiopeptidase on the efficacy of different levels of B. subtilis as a growth promotor in broiler chicks were evaluated regarding growth performance traits, villus histomorphometric characterization, and intestinal microbiota count. Day-old broiler chicks (n = 120) were allocated into 4 groups having 3 replicates/group. In the control group (C), the basal diet was kept without supplementation. In treatment groups (P100, P150, and P200), the basal diet was supplemented with 100, …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Large Pelagic Fish Resource, Kimberley A. Smith, Paul Lewis, Kendra Travaille, Brett M. Crisafulli, Liv Rynvis, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos

Fisheries Research Reports

In December 2023, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, the Department) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the Statewide Large Pelagic Fish Resource (Resource). This Resource comprises a range of tropical and temperate species including mackerels, billfish, kingfish, cobia, mahi mahi and tunas. This document contains the background information used to support the ERA risk scoring process, scoring from the workshop and a summary of the workshop discussions that were relevant to the risk scoring. This includes an overview of Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource, with a focus on …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Cephalopod Resource, Cameron J. Desfosses, Kimberley A. Smith, Lachlan W.S. Strain, Dave Murphy, Keyley Hogan-West, Daniel Yeoh, Shannon Burchert, Linda Wiberg, Bec Oliver, Brett M. Crisafulli, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos

Fisheries Research Reports

On 27 October 2023, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, Department) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the statewide Cephalopod Resource (Resource), which comprises a range of octopus, squid and cuttlefish species. This document contains the background information used to support the ERA risk scoring process, and a summary of the workshop discussions that were relevant to the risk scoring. The background information includes an overview of Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource, focusing primarily on the Octopus Interim Managed Fishery (OIMF), Cockburn Sound Line and Pot Managed Fishery (CSLPMF), …

The Nebraska Bird Review (March 2024) 92(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Winter Field Report, December 2023–February 2024, by W. Ross Silcock

Birds and the People They Were Named For

Annual Color Photo Section

2023–2024 Christmas Bird Counts, by Don Paseka

Annual Treasurer’s Report for 2023, by Jan Johnson

Subscription and Organization Information

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Treasurer's Report, December 31, 2023, Jan Johnson

Nebraska Bird Review

No abstract provided.

Annual Color Photo Section

Nebraska Bird Review

Annual color photograph section (the first six pages show examples of this year’s theme: species whose common names include the names of people):

Cassin’s Finch
Cassin’s Kingbird
Steller’s Jay
Cooper’s Hawk
Baird’s Sandpiper
Baird’s Sparrow
Bullock’s Oriole
Hybrid Baltimore × Bullock’s Oriole
Clark’s Grebes
Sprague’s Pipit
Forster’s Tern
Brewer’s Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
Swainson’s Hawk
Swainson’s Thrush
Clark’s Nutcracker
Ross’s Goose
Sabine’s Gull
LeConte’s Sparrow
Harris’s Sparrow
Henslow’s Sparrow
Townsend’s Solitaire
Wilson’s Warbler
Wilson’s Snipe
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Wilson’s Phalarope
Franklin’s Gulls
Pine Grosbeak
Bald Eagle
Pine Siskin
Piping Plover
Ovenbird
Blackheaded Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Long-eared Owl
Horned Grebes

Birds And The People They Were Named For

Nebraska Bird Review

This year the theme for our color photo section was birds named for people. For the purposes of our selections, we looked only at the common names of birds, although some species also reflect the names of people in their scientific names. Many species are named for people, but photos of the ones listed here are on the first six pages of this year’s color section.

Baird’s Sandpiper, Baird’s Sparrow Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887) was the first curator and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and was instrumental in expanding the Institution’s natural history collections. John James Audubon named the …

Winter Field Report, December 2023–February 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As was the case for winter 2022–2023, the big general story was the large number of reports of tardy fall migrants and unexpectedly northerly occurrences in midwinter, an apparent residue of relatively mild early winter temperatures. These reports involved at least 50 species, many of them waterbirds and native sparrows, but including several other passerines as well. Notable were about 12 waterfowl species, five grebe species, an interesting late Dec peak in each of the last three years of Sandhill Cranes, record late Whooping Cranes, a 4th winter record of Dunlin, high numbers of Double-crested Cormorants, a wintering Rock Wren, …

2023–2024 Christmas Bird Counts, Don Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

With the resurrection of the Kearney count, twenty CBCs [Christmas Bird Counts] were run in the 2023–2024 season. This is four more than last year and one more than the previous high number of nineteen from 2021. Although the Crawford, Harrison, and Scottsbluff counts were postponed because of snow, the weather on count days was mild with an average high of 43°F and an average low of 27°F, resulting in mostly open water. Rain and mud eliminated access to several normally productive areas of the Harlan County count which still produced the highest number of species (94). Lake McConaughy produced …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.146 - Yabbie Aquaculture In Western Australia, March 2024, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Policy relating to the assessment of yabbie aquaculture proposals and principles for assessment

Do Nitrogen And Phosphorus Influence Channel Catfish Growth In A Great Plains River?, Camden E. Oathout, Mark A. Pegg

International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Evaluating abiotic environmental factors that influence growth of sportfish is key to understanding population dynamics and making appropriate management decisions. This is especially true in river systems where primary and secondary productivity can vary across temporal and spatial scales. In this study, we assessed fish responses to ambient nutrient levels (total nitrogen and total phosphorus) using growth rates determined from age-1 Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in Platte River, Nebraska. Water quality and growth data were collected from sites across the central and lower Platte River from 2007 to 2013. We analyzed Platte River water quality data to find yearly average …

Metropolitan Monitoring Program 2023, Alissa C. Tate, Lucy J. Rudd, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan

Fisheries Research Reports

Annual surveys of shore- and boat-based recreational fishers within the Metropolitan zone of the West Coast bioregion provide information on human dimensions and catch-per-fisher as well as mean length and weight of key recreationally caught species. For shore-based fishers, estimates of effort, catch and harvest are also presented for key nearshore species. This information is used to support ongoing assessments for key demersal and nearshore species and review the effectiveness of fisheries managements, such as Australian Herring and Southern Garfish.

A roving creel survey of shore-based fishers was used to collect data between Ocean Reef and Point Peron (30% of …

A Dietary Variety: Analyzing The Impacts Of Diverse Vs Worm-Exclusive Diets On The Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii), Caitlin F. Copenhaver

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The endangered Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a species with a generally diverse diet in their freshwater wetland habitats; they consume prey such as crayfish and snails. In captivity, these options often become more limited due to logistical reasons. As ex situ conservation efforts such as captive rearing and head-starting are becoming more popular for this species, it will be important to gain more insight on how these more limited diets might affect these turtles. This study describes a comparison between diets in six captive Blanding’s turtles from September to November of 2023, with three turtles receiving only …

Supply Is Not Limulus: Research Review Of Horseshoe Crab Conservation In The Face Of Intense Pharmaceutical Demand, Zoya Galeev

University Honors Theses

Horseshoe crabs are being used by the pharmaceutical industry to conduct endotoxin tests using LAL derived from the organism’s blood to ensure safe medical practice. Their annual collection and bleeding, while not always leading to mortality, affects horseshoe crab behavior and health. This research seeks to understand how the American horseshoe crab, L. polyphemus, is being used by pharmaceutical agencies and the implications that their harvesting has on the industry and the conservation of the species. Studies were collected from the past decade across two databases, Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed, to assess present conservation techniques to reduce …

Genome Editing Using Crispr-Cas9 In Annual Killifish Species, Keria Moritsugu-Vandehey

University Honors Theses

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has been used successfully to knock out genes in model organisms such as zebrafish, turquoise killifish, and cichlid fish. CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has not been verified in the annual killifish, Austrofundulus limnaeus. We hypothesize that targeted editing of the tyrosinase gene in embryos of A. limnaeus will lead to fish without the ability to produce black pigment. Embryos at the 1-cell stage were injected with a Cas9 cocktail containing a mix of guide RNA molecules that target the genomic sequence of the tyrosinase gene and either an mRNA coding for the Cas9 protein or Cas9 protein. …

In Memoriam Richard F. Ayrey (1948 – 2024), Melinda Deboer-Ayrey, Brandon T. Myers, Robert W. Bryson, Jr., Michael M. Webber, Matthew R. Graham, Graeme Lowe, Victor Fet, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

This is a memorial issue honoring Richard F. Ayrey (1948 – 2024), a US scorpiologist. A full list of his 26 works is appended, as well as a list of scorpion taxa described by Richard (two genera and 19 species of Vaejovidae), and a map of their type localities in the USA and Mexico.

Physical Properties Of Odorants Affect Behavior Of Trained Detection Dogs During Close-Quarters Searches, Daniel Mejia, Lydia Burnett, Nicholas Hebdon, Peter Stevens, Alexis Shiber, Clay Cranston, Lauryn Degreeff, Lindsay D. Waldrop

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Trained detection dogs have a unique ability to find the sources of target odors in complex fluid environments. How dogs derive information about the source of an odor from an odor plume comprised of odorants with different physical properties, such as diffusivity, is currently unknown. Two volatile chemicals associated with explosive detection, ammonia (NH₃, derived from ammonium nitrate-based explosives) and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2E1H, associated with composition C4 plastic explosives) were used to ascertain the effects of the physical properties of odorants on the search behavior and motion of trained dogs. NH₃ has a diffusivity 3.6 times that of …

African Swine Fever Virus Early Protein Pi73r Suppresses The Type-I Ifn Promoter Activities, Danh C. Lai, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Hiep L.X. Vu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

African swine fever virus is known to suppress type-I interferon (IFN) responses. The main objective of this study was to screen early-expressed viral genes for their ability to suppress IFN production. Out of 16 early genes examined, I73R exhibited robust suppression of cGAS-STING-induced IFN-β promoter activities, impeding the function of both IRF3 and NF-κB transcription factors. As a result, I73R obstructed IRF3 nuclear translocation following the treatment of cells with poly(dA:dT), a strong inducer of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. Although the I73R protein exhibits structural homology with the Zα domain binding to the left-handed helical form of DNA known as …

Establishment And Characterization Of Turtle Liver Organoids Provides A Potential Model To Decode Their Unique Adaptations, Christopher Zdyrski, Vojtech Gabriel, Thea B. Gessler, Abigail Ralston, Itzel Sifuentes-Romero, Debosmita Kundu, Sydney Honold, Hannah Wickham, Marco Arriaga, Jacob Galan

School of Medicine Publications

Painted turtles are remarkable for their freeze tolerance and supercooling ability along with their associated resilience to hypoxia/anoxia and oxidative stress, rendering them an ideal biomedical model for hypoxia-induced injuries (including strokes), tissue cooling during surgeries, and organ cryopreservation. Yet, such research is hindered by their seasonal reproduction and slow maturation. Here we developed and characterized adult stem cell-derived turtle liver organoids (3D self-assembled in vitro structures) from painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles spanning ~175My of evolution, with a subset cryopreserved. This development is, to the best of our knowledge, a first for this vertebrate Order, and complements the …

Variations In Life-History Traits In Exploited And Unexploited Populations Of Perth Herring (Nematalosa Vlaminghi): Evidence For Density-Dependent Growth?, Kimberley A. Smith, Sybrand Alexander Hesp, Peter Graham Coulson

Fisheries Research Articles

Results supported the hypothesis of faster growth in exploited populations because of density-dependent processes. Environmental factors may also have contributed to trait differences between populations.

Impact Of Equine Interaction During Psychotherapy On Anxiety And Depression For Residential Treatment Program Patients Experiencing Substance Withdrawal, Molly M. Friend, Molly C. Nicodemus, Clay Cavinder, Caleb Lemley, Pauline Prince, Katherine A. Cagle-Holtcamp, Rebecca M. Swanson

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

As incidences of substance use disorders (SUD) increase in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for more effective treatment approaches. Further, treatment approaches currently available struggle to retain patients during the period of substance withdrawal in early treatment due to patients’ withdrawal symptoms including increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Withdrawal symptoms have been linked to dysregulated cortisol concentrations present in this period. Psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction (PIE) has emerged in other populations as a treatment that decreases cortisol concentrations and improves treatment retention. The present study investigated the impact of 4 weeks of PIE on …

Exploring Definitions Of Daily Enteric Methane Emission Phenotypes For Genetic Evaluations Using A Population Of Indoor-Fed Multi-Breed Growing Cattle With Feed Intake Data, Clodgah V. Ryan, Thierry Pabiou, Deirdre C. Purfield, Donagh P. Berry, Stephen Conroy, Craig P. Murphy, Ross Evans

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Genetic selection has been identified as a promising approach for reducing enteric methane (CH₄) emissions; a prerequisite for genetic evaluations; however, these are estimates of the necessary genetic parameters based on a population representative of where the genetic evaluations will be used. The objective of this study was, therefore, to derive genetic parameters for a series of definitions of CH₄, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and dry matter intake (DMI) as well as genetic correlations between CH₄, CO₂, and DMI in a bid to address the paucity of studies involving methane emissions …

Are Animals Capable Of Using Human Language?, Shiree Karim, Elyse C. Tancini

CAFE Symposium 2024

A study focusing on animals' capability to learn and use human language for communication, understanding the process of language acquisition, the history and evolution of language, alongside findings from experiments involving gorillas, bonobos, parrots and horses.

Determination Of Some Environmental Factors On Milk Yield Traits And Milk Components In Simmental Cows, Onur Şahi̇n, Mehmet İhsan Soysal, Eser Kemal Gürcan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of various environmental factors on milk yield and milk components in Simmental cows. In the present study, 33,813 milk yield records from 1631 cows and milk samples from 233 cows were used for milk component analysis. Lactation milk yield (LMY) and 305-day yield (305-DMY) were the milk yield characteristics studied. Environmental factors considered for milk yield characteristics included province, calving year, calving month, parity, age, and lactation length. Milk components analyzed were fat percentage (FP), protein percentage (PP), lactose percentage (LP), somatic cell count (Log10SCC), and dry matter (DM). Environmental …

Investigation Of Molecular Detection Rate And Associated Risk Factors Of Psittacine Beak And Feather Disease Virus In Psittaciformes In Iran, Mojtaba Khosravi, Shoreh Alian Samakkhah, Rahem Khoshbakht

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Psittacine beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV) is a significant viral pathogen affecting the development of beak and feather cells, leading to feather abnormalities in avian species. This study aimed to investigate the molecular detection rate of PBFDV among Psittaciformes in Iran and to evaluate the influence of factors such as sex, species, season, and bird origin on PBFDV prevalence. Feather samples were collected from 1335 Psittaciformes, including Agapornis roseicollis, Pyrrhura molinae, Myiopsitta monachus, Aratinga solstitialis, Nymphicus hollandicus, Psittacula krameri, Psittacus erithacus, Poicephalus senegalus, Eos bornea, and Agapornis fischeri, and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for PBFDV detection. The …

The Effect Of Housing Environment (Deep Litter With Or Without Access To Different Plant Species Outdoor) On Welfare And Behavior Across Two Strains Of Laying Hens, Brian Tainika, Ahmet Şekeroğlu, Ahmet Akyol, Samet Hasan Abaci, Fatih Mehmet Gür

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The impact of housing environment and strain on welfare and behavior of laying hens was the focus of this study. Lohmann LSL Classic (W) and Lohmann Sandy (S) were assessed under deep litter without outdoor access (DL), deep litter with access to outdoor pens covered with either Mentha piperita (MP), Petroselinum crispum (PC) or Medicago sativa (MS). Duration of tonic immobility, feather condition, footpad dermatitis, and temperatures (comb, breast region, footpad surface, and rectal) were determined at 31, 42, and 52 weeks of age. Hen`s behaviors were observed at 32, 42, and 52 weeks of age. Blood parameters were assessed …