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Initial Evaluation Of Novel Preparations Of Bordetella Avium By Determination Of Antibody Response Titers, Joel Gallagher, Stacy Higgins, Luc Berghman, Billy Hargis

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The efficacy of killed vaccines generally is not equal to live vaccines. However, due to safety and ease of production, they remain a vital part of controlling and preventing diseases. In this study, the immune response to four different vaccination preparation techniques for the agent of bordetellosis of turkeys, Bordetella avium (BA), was compared. Preparation/inactivation techniques included (1) formalin inactivation, (2) opsonization of formalin-inactivated BA, (3) buffered acetic-acid BA inactivation, or (4) opsonization of buffered acetic-acid-inactivated BA. Non-adjuvated suspensions containing equal antigen mass were administered subcutaneously (0.2 mL) at day-of-hatch in all cases. For each treatment (N=40/treatment), plasma samples were …

Associative Memory In Three Aplysiids: Correlation With Heterosynaptic Modulation, Brian A. Hoover, Hoang Nguyen, Laura Thompson, William G. Wright

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Much recent research on mechanisms of learning and memory focuses on the role of heterosynaptic neuromodulatory signaling. Such neuromodulation appears to stabilize Hebbian synaptic changes underlying associative learning, thereby extending memory. Previous comparisons of three related sea-hares ( Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) uncovered interspecific variation in neuromodulatory signaling: strong in Aplysia californica, immeasureable in Dolabrifera dolabrifera, and intermediate in Phyllaplysia taylori. The present study addressed whether this interspecific variation in neuromodulation is correlated with memory of associative ( classical conditioning) learning. We differentially conditioned the tail-mantle withdrawal reflex of each of the three species: Mild touch to one side of the tail …

Comparing Bermudagrass And Bahiagrass Cultivars At Different Stages Of Harvest For Dry Matter Yield And Nutrient Content, Ryan Thomas Dore'

LSU Master's Theses

Rapid growth of warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) is associated with a decline in their nutritional value. This study was initiated to provide production and composition data with different cultivars of bermudagrass (common, Russell, Jiggs) and bahiagrass (Tifton-9, Pensacola, Argentina). Dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) composition and production were evaluated every two weeks for a ten-week period on six different cultivars. Also, Russell bermudagrass was evaluated in a second trial very similar to the first trial for composition and production but was started …

Estradiol Interactions With Dopamine Antagonists In Mares: Prolactin Secretion And Reproductive Traits, Kristian Kandis Kelley

LSU Master's Theses

Two experiments studied the effects of pretreatment with estradiol benzoate before treatment with a dopamine antagonist on prolactin secretion and reproductive traits in mares during 1) the seasonal anovulatory period and 2) the normal breeding season. Experiment 1 was performed in winter with 17 mares selected for low follicular activity. Nine mares received estradiol benzoate injections every other day for a total of 10 injections; 8 mares received similar injections of vehicle. Ten days after onset of injections, all mares were placed on a daily injections of sulpiride (250 mg) for 45 d or until ovulation. Plasma prolactin concentrations were …

Managing Phosphorus In Beef Feedlot Operations, William F. Kissinger, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Richard K. Koelsch

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A commercial feedlot study determined manure nutrient flow in six feedlots using a corn and by-product based diet with an average P content of 0.39% (DM basis), and a range of 0.34 to 0.48%. Mass balances for N and P were conducted on each pen. The average feed nutrient intake was 0.52 lb N/head/day (64.0 + 7.6 lb/animal fed) and 0.09 lb P/head/day (10.9 + 2.2 lb/animal fed). Based upon averages from the 6,366 head of cattle, 11.5% of the feed nitrogen and 16.9% of the feed phosphorus were retained by the animal with the remaining nutrients excreted. The harvested …

The Effect Of A Condensed Tannin Containing Forage, Sericea Lespedeza On Existing And Challenge Infections Of Haemonchus Contortus In Sheep, Leigh Ann Chafton

LSU Master's Theses

Haemonchus contortus is one of the most threatening parasites to small ruminant production. Control has traditionally relied on the use of anthelmintics. Control has waned because the worm population has developed resistance to most of the currently available anthelmintics and alternative control measures are needed. Current consumer pressure is to reduce the use of chemicals in agricultural products, thus pushing control methods to more natural and acceptable approaches. One such approach is the feeding of condensed tannin containing forages either as fresh forage or dried products (hay, meal, pellets, etc). This study was conducted to determine the effect of a …

Vitrification And Dehydration For The Preservation Of Gametes, Allison E. Moisan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Of the 36 species of felines in the world, all except the domestic cat are listed as endangered or threatened. To preserve the genetic diversity of felines and other species, genome resource banks have been established. Due to limited availability of germ cells for research, studies must use models to optimize the techniques before they are applied to endangered species. In this study, preservation of oocytes and spermatozoa was examined using the bovine as a model for felines. In the first series of experiments, bovine and feline oocytes were dehydrated, vitrified, warmed and cultured to assess their ability to undergo …

Cryopreservation And Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection With Bovine Epididymal Spermatozoa, Carlos Andres Guerrero

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recently, interest in the preservation of epididymal sperm as a potential source of valuable genes for genome resource banks has escalated. The development of a successful protocol to recover and cryopreserve sperm harvested from the epididymides would salvage germplasm from genetically valuable males that are injured and can no longer mate or have unexpectedly died and can be used as a model for the preservation of male gametes from endangered species. In a series of experiments, epididymal sperm was successfully harvested, cryopreserved and used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. In Experiment I, ethylene glycol was found to cause significantly (P<0.05) less osmotic damage to bovine sperm during a one step addition and/or removal at 4°C as compared with glycerol in all concentrations evaluated. Furthermore, prolonged exposure (5 days at 4°C) of ethylene glycol was found to be less toxic than glycerol to sperm. In Experiment II, it was demonstrated that glycerol was more effective than ethylene glycol in providing protection against freezing injury during the cryopreservation process in the concentrations evaluated. In Experiment III, it was demonstrated that epididymal sperm retrieval using seminal plasma is beneficial to enhance sperm overall and progressive motility characteristics and to protect it from morphological abnormalities derived from the freezing process. In Experiment IV, a one step dilution process for removal of glycerol from cryopreserved epididymal sperm was found to significantly affect plasma membrane integrity and mitochondrial function of sperm previously exposed to seminal plasma. However, seminal plasma exposure did not have any significant detrimental effect on acrosome integrity. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the longevity and survivability in vitro during a 4-hour incubation period at 37°C of post-thaw epididymal sperm exposed to seminal plasma prior to cryopreservation was not compromised when compared with the control extended sperm. In Experiment V, we have demonstrated that fertilization, blastocyst and fetal development could be achieved with cryopreserved bovine epididymal sperm by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). To our knowledge, this is the first report in the United States and second in the world to use bovine epididymal sperm for ICSI. We achieved far markedly improved blastocyst rates over those results recently reported in the first study originating in Japan.

Gamete And Cell Technologies For Use In Biological Resource Banking, Liesl Nel-Themaat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biological resource banking is becoming important for endangered species conservation. A series of experiments were conducted to address issues concerning collection and utilization of biomaterials from Gulf Coast Native (GCN) sheep (model species) (Ovis aries) and Eland antelope (Taurotragus oryx). In the first experiment, two ejaculates were collected 10 minutes apart from each of five rams three times a week for three weeks to maximize output and minimize handling time. Semen volume, concentration and total number of spermatozoa were significantly greater in first ejaculates, whereas pre-cooled, cooled and post-thaw motility, as well as sperm survival, were greater in second ejaculates. …

A Novel Yogurt Product With Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Senthil Ganesh

LSU Master's Theses

Health benefits of Lactobacillus acidophilus include providing immune support for infections or cancer, providing a healthy replacement of good bacteria in the intestinal tract following antibiotic therapy, reducing occurrence of diarrhea in humans, aiding in lowering cholesterol and improving the symptoms of lactose intolerance. Consumer demand exists for new dairy products. There are several types of yogurt like stir curd, set curd and drinkable yogurt and they all need to be refrigerated. Moreover there are very few dairy products that can be stored at room temperature and not many dairy foods are finger foods. A novel yogurt product like a …

The Effects Of Micronutrients On Pullets And Broilers, Danielle Armantine Lauzon

LSU Master's Theses

Two experiments were conducted to determine the availability of various vitamin E (E) sources (absorbed to verxite or adsorbed to silica) in broilers. In Experiment 1, at 100 and 300 IU supplemental E, an average of 94 and 44% of E intake from verxite and silica, respectively, was excreted in the feces, but at 30 IU E, 49 and 45% of E intake was excreted in the feces. In Experiment 2 at 30 IU, 52 and 43% of E intake from verxite and silica was excreted (source, P < 0.02). Based on these results, E adsorbed to silica is more available. Two experiments were conducted to determine the relative bioavailability of organic versus inorganic sources of either Mn or Zn. In Experiment 1, Mn as MnSO4 or a Mn amino acid complex (Availa-Mn) were compared. In Experiment 2, ZnSO4 or a Zn amino acid complex (Availa-Zn) were compared. The results indicate that Availa-Mn is a more available source of Mn than MnSO4, but Availa-Zn is not as available as a source of Zn as ZnSO4. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of organic sources of Zn, Mn, and Cu on White Leghorn pullet performance. Treatment diets consisted of a control diet with 66 ppm Zn as ZnSO4 or a combination of ZnSO4 and Availa-Zn, 66ppm Mn as MnSO4 or a combination of MnSO4 and Availa-Mn, and 10 ppm Cu as CuSO4 or a combination of CuSO4 and a Cu amino acid complex (Availa-Cu). Diets are inorganic sources (IO), organic Zn (OZ), organic Zn and Mn (OZM), or organic Zn, Mn, and Cu (OZMC). Addition of OZM increased (P < 0.08) intestinal tensile strength and increased (P < 0.06) grams of ash per bone compared with OZMC. Pullets fed OZ had a higher (P < 0.08) bone concentration of all minerals than pullets fed OZM. Total tibia Mn was decreased (P < 0.06) by OZMC, but total tibia Cu was increased (P < 0.08) by OZ addition over IO or OZM.

Physical And Health Assessment Of A Population Of Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) In Northeastern Florida, Eric C. Munscher

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study the potential negative effects that mesopredators have on their environment and to promote control of mesopredator populations. Overabundant predatory species such as the raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) can have significant pernicious effects on populations of autochthonous prey species, particularly when super predators such as the red wolf (Canis rufus) and Florida panther (Felis concolor coryii) are absent. These overabundant species, coined as mesopredators, are often responsible for extreme levels of predation on prey species and/or their young. The mesopredator release hypothesis involves the "release" or increased density of …

Leeches (Annelida: Hirudinida) Of Northern Arkansas, William E. Moser, Donald J. Klemm, Dennis J. Richardson, Benjamin A. Wheeler, Stanley E. Trauth, Bruce A. Daniels

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Twenty-one lotic and lentic environments throughout central and northern Arkansas were surveyed for the presence of leeches during June 2004 and April, July - October 2005. Fourteen species of leeches {Helobdella elongata, Helobdella papillata, Helobdella stagnalis, Placobdella cryptobranchii, Placobdella multilineata, Placobdella ornata, Placobdella papillifera, Placobdella parasitica, Placobdella phaler a, Placobdella picta, Haemopis marmorata, Erpobdella fervida, Erpobdella microstoma, and Erpobdella punctata) representing 3 families were collected. Five species (H. elongata, P. cryptobranchii, P. multilineata, H. marmorata, and E. fervida) are reported from Arkansas for the first time. The natural history of the 22 species of leeches now known from Arkansas is …

Discovery Of A Dicephalic Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus Atrox (Serpentes: Viperidae), From Texas, With A Summary Of Dicephalism Among Members Of The Genus Crotalus, Chris T. Mcallister, Van Wallach

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We document the fourth record of a dicephalic western diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, collected on 17 September 2005 in Tom Green County, Texas, along with features of its external and internal anatomy, which are compared with normal C. atrox neonates. This is only the second reported case of complete anatomical duplication of the respiratory system and nearly complete duplication of the circulatory and digestive systems in dicephalic snakes. In addition, we present a summary of dicephalism among 10 species within the genus Crotalus.

Geographic Distribution And Harvest Dynamics Of The Eastern Spotted Skunk In Arkansas, D. Blake Sasse, Matthew E. Gompper

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is a small carnivore found across much of the central and southeastern United States, and while once common, this species has become rare in most obits range. We used harvest records collected by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission from 1941-2004 to examine historic and current distribution and long-term harvest dynamics of this species in Arkansas. Eastern spotted skunks have historically been most common in the Ozarks and the Ouachitas though the species appears to have been present, but uncommon, in the Gulf Coastal Plain and in some counties in southeastern Arkansas near the …

New Evidence For A Maternity Colony Of The Indiana Bat (Myotis Sodalis) In The Delta Of Arkansas, Stephen C. Brandebura, Rex E. Medlin Jr., Thomas S. Risch

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Unusual Prey Item Found In An Eastern Bluebird Nest, Sarah De Viney Baxter, Richard J. Baxter, Thomas S. Risch

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Hyperinfection With The Bass Tapeworm, Proteocephalus Ambloplites (Cestoda), In The Black Basses Micropterus Punctulatus And M. Dolomieui From Certain Arkansas Reservoir Lakes, James J. Daly Sr., Randal J. Keller, Bruce Deyoung

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

New Distributional Records Of Lampreys From Arkansas, Henry W. Robison, C. Renn Tumlison, James C. Petersen

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Cajun Dwarf Crawfish (Cambrellus Shufeldtii): An Intermediate Host For Southwellina Dimorpha (Acanthocephala), Dennis J. Richardson, William F. Font

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Movement Patterns And Habitat Usage Of Shark Bay Dugongs, David K. Holley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In order to define small and large scale spatial and temporal individual movement patterns of dugongs (Dugong dugon) within the Shark Bay World Heritage Property (SBWHP) a total of 19 dugongs were fitted with remote location recording and transmitting devices. Combined locations from all units totalled over 10,000 locations. This spatial and temporal data was used to define movement patterns of dugongs within Shark Bay as well as areas of high use deemed to be indicative of foraging activity. Platform Transmitting Terminals (PTT?s) using the ARGOS location collection system tracked animals over large temporal scales with 4 animals tracked up …

Pond Production, Bartholomew W. Green, C. Bauer Duke Iii

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

Management strategies for production of tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) in earthen or lined ponds range from chemical and/or organic fertilization only to intensive feeding. Pond water quality for each strategy is discussed. Strategies to optimize standing stock management during grow-out are presented.

Standard And Routine Metabolic Rates Of Juvenile Sandbar Sharks (Carcharhinus Plumbeus), Including The Effects Of Body Mass And Acute Temperature Change, W. Wesley Dowd, Richard W. Brill, Peter G. Bushnell, John A. Musick

Biology Faculty Works

Standard and routine metabolic rates (SMRs and RMRs, respectively) of juvenile sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) were measured over a range of body sizes (n=34) and temperatures normally associated with western Atlantic coastal nursery areas. The mean SMR Q10 (increase in metabolic rate with temperature) was 2.9 ±0.2. Heart rate decreased with increasing body mass but increased with temperature at a Q10 of 1.8−2.2. Self-paired measures of SMR and RMR were obtained for 15 individuals. Routine metabolic rate averaged 1.8 ±0.1 times the SMR and was not correlated with body mass. Assuming the maximum metabolic rate of sandbar sharks is 1.8−2.75 …

Nematodes In Western Australian Vineyards, Vivien Vanstone, Neil Lantzke

Bulletins 4000 -

Nematodes are worm-like microscopic animals that live in the soil. There are numerous soil-inhabiting nematode species, but not all are harmful to plants. Some nematodes are plant-parasitic, feeding on and damaging roots, including those of grapevine. Feeding activities of these nematodes reduce the vine’s ability to take up water and nutrients from the soil, leading to lack of vigour, symptoms of nutrient deficiency, wilting, lower yield, vine decline and, in severe cases, vine death. Nematode feeding sites can also lead to entry of other disease-causing organisms (e.g. fungi or bacteria), resulting in rapid vine decline.

Nematodes can survive in the …

Long-Distance Dispersal And Population Trends Of Moose In The Central United States, Justin D. Hoffman, Hugh H. Genoways, Jerry R. Choate

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Dispersal is a basic feature of the natural history of moose. Most information about moose dispersal pertains to short-distance movements because long-distance movements are uncommon and difficult to observe. Since the 1950s, moose populations have been increasing in Minnesota and North Dakota. This may have contributed to several long-distance dispersal events for moose that recently were reported in the central United States. These dispersal events provide an opportunity to investigate both the causes and the biological implications of this rare phenomenon. Herein, we review long-distance dispersal events based on information obtained from a variety of sources. Dispersal routes that could …

Urine-Marking And Ground-Scratching By Free-Ranging Arctic Wolves, Canis Lupus Arctos, In Summer, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Urine-marking and ground-scratching were observed in an Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus) pack on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, during 16 summers between 1986 and 2005. All previously known urination postures and ground-scratching by breeding males and females were seen, and incidence of marking and scratching was greatest when non-pack wolves were present. Observations of urine-marking of food remains supported the conclusion from a captive Wolf study that such marking signals lack of edible food.

Hyla Squirella (Squirrel Treefrog): Refugia., Louis A. Somma, David Serrano

Papers in Herpetology

HYLA SQUiREUA (Squirrel Treefrog). REFUGIA. Entomologists commonly use trap-nests to monitor cavity-nesting Hymenoptera. These trap-nests consist of 5 x 10 cm pine timber cut into 12-cm lengths. Five lengths are then stacked and strapped together. Each pIece of timber is predrilled in each side to have either a 3.2, 4.8, 6.4, 7.9, or 12.7 Iiundiameterhole, 8 cmindepth. Thus, each trap-nest consisted of five pieces of wood containing 2 holes of each diameter. They are suspended with wire from tree trunks and branches. We set these wooden traps (N = 10) at Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park, Gainesville, Alachua Co., Florida, …

Parelaphostrongylus Odocoilei In Columbia Black-Tailed Deer From Oregon, Jack A. Mortenson, Arthur Abrams, Benjamin M. Rosenthal, Detiger Dunams, Eric P. Hoberg, Robert J. Bildfell, Richard L. Green

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Documenting the occurrence of Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei has historically relied on the morphological examination of adult worms collected from the skeletal muscle of definitive hosts, including deer. Recent advances in the knowledge of protostrongylid genetic sequences now permit larvae to be identified. Dorsal-spined larvae (DSLs) collected in 2003–2004 from the lung and feces of six Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) from Oregon were characterized genetically. The sequences from unknown DSLs were compared to those from morphologically validated adults and larvae of P. odocoilei at both the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome …

Prairie Suite: A Celebration, Twyla Hansen, Paul A. Johnsgard

Paul Johnsgard Collection

25 poems by Twyla Hansen, with illustrations by Paul A. Johnsgard, including:

Walk on the Prairie

There is mystery here, in the shapes of grass,
in the dim movements of an inland sea,
connections to an earlier time. Wander barefoot,
hypothesize the dance of millennia, the unbearable
carvings of the built environment, this ragtag escape.

Let its divine simplicity ooze into your pores.
Comb the steel from your hair, blanket your
tongue with orange. Your breathing will slow.
Breathing slow, unbutton the child within.
Give her permission to go fly a kite.

Glucocorticoid Hormone Levels Increase With Group Size And Parasite Load In Cliff Swallows, Samrrah A. Raouf, Linda C. Smith, Mary Bomberger Brown, John C. Wingfield, Charles R. Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Animals often cope with adverse events by releasing glucocorticoid hormones, which in turn promote increased energy assimilation. In captive animals, crowding also leads to increased glucocorticoid activity, probably because of increased levels of social competition. We investigated how group size and ectoparasite infestations affected endogenous levels of the glucocorticoid hormone, corticosterone, in colonial cliff swallows, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, in southwestern Nebraska, USA. Parasites were removed from some colonies by fumigating nests. Baseline levels of corticosterone in breeding adults varied significantly with whether parasites were present, colony size (measured by total number of active nests at a site), and nesting stage. …