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Burwell Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The meeting of2016 NOU Fall Field Days took place at the Burwell Legion Club on Sept. 30–Oct. 2, 2016. There were about 50 in attendance at the meeting, which was organized by Robin Harding, Lanny Randolph, and Betty Grenon.

On Friday evening Chad Christiansen, who works for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Fort Niobrara/Valentine National Wildlife Refuge Complex, spoke about the goals of the Natural Legacy Project to identify a set of priority landscapes that, if properly managed, would conserve the majority of Nebraska's biological diversity. These landscapes, called Biologically Unique Landscapes, were selected based on …

Western Australian Rock Lobster Fishery Marine Stewardship Council Principle 3, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Governance – Policy – Fishery Specific Management

The Impact Of Tickling Rats On Human-Animal Interactions And Rat Welfare, Megan Renee Lafollette

Open Access Theses

Rats initially fear humans which can lead to negative affect, poor welfare, and difficult handling. Also, modeling and measuring positive affect states in rats can pose an additional challenge. Heterospecific play, or “tickling,” is a handling habituation technique that mimics rat rough-and-tumble play that is being used to study positive affect. It can also be used to reduce fear of human, improve welfare, and elicit a positive affect state. However, current studies implementing the technique in laboratory rats use a wide variety of protocols to achieve differential results. Unlike in laboratory environment, pet store rats experience high levels of novelty …

The Impact Of Sleep Disruption On Mouse Physiology, Behavior, And Welfare, Amanda L. Robinson-Junker

Open Access Theses

Laboratory mice are nocturnal, spending most of their daylight hours asleep. But they live in the diurnal world of human investigators and husbandry staff, who primarily work during this rest period. In humans, lack of sleep or sleep that occurs outside the normal circadian sleep period (as in shift work) has adverse effects. These include increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic disorder, mood disorders, type II diabetes, and obesity. However, it is unknown if mice experience sleep disruption due to these human activities, and, if so, what the adverse effects may be. This is an important question, not only …

The Role Of Hif1alpha And Hif2alpha In Muscle Development And Satellite Cell Function, Shiqi Yang

Open Access Theses

Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) are central mediators of cellular responses to fluctuations of oxygen, an environmental regulator of stem cell activity. Muscle satellite cells are myogenic stem cells whose quiescence, activation, self-renewal and differentiation are influenced by microenvironment oxygen levels. However, the in vivo roles of HIFs in quiescent satellite cells and activated satellite cells (myoblasts) are poorly understood. Expression analyses indicate that HIF1α and HIF2α are preferentially expressed in pre- and post-differentiation myoblasts, respectively. Interestingly, double knockout of HIF1α and HIF2α (HIF1α/2α dKO) in embryonic myoblasts results in apparently normal muscle development and growth. However, HIF1α/2α dKO in postnatal …

Impact Of Dietary Modification On Aflatoxicosis In Poultry, Xi Chen

Open Access Dissertations

Aflatoxin contamination in feed and feed ingredients is of high worldwide prevalence, posing serious risks to the livestock industry. A series of studies were conducted to better understand the comprehensive impact of aflatoxicosis and its interrelationships with dietary modifications in broiler chicks and ducks. Results of these studies emphasize the many factors that the severity of aflatoxicosis depends on, including animal species, age, presence of mycotoxin adsorbent, and concentration of major dietary nutrients. Exposure to 2 mg/kg cultured AFB1 led to reduced feed intake, BW gain, depressed feed efficiency, increased relative liver weight, negatively affected serum measures and complement activity, …

Gonadal Intersex In Teleosts: Mechanisms, Molecular Biomarkers And Diagnostic Assays, Ahmed M.E. Abdel-Moneim Mohamed

Open Access Dissertations

Natural and synthetic estrogenic and androgenic compounds are continuously released into aquatic ecosystems. Exposure of teleost fishes to these contaminants can negatively impact sex differentiation and reproductive output. Specifically, development of gonadal intersex in gonochoristic (fixed sex) fish species has been studied extensively in relation to exposure to this class of compounds. The main objectives of this dissertation were to: 1) conduct field and laboratory studies to investigate the molecular signaling pathways behind the development of gonadal intersex; and 2) establish molecular biomarkers and assays for testing the ability of environmental pollutants to develop this condition using a battery of …

The Effects Of Dietary Probiotic Inclusion On Skeletal Health Of Poultry And Its Possible Mechanisms, Feifei Yan

Open Access Dissertations

Probiotics are live microorganisms which may confer health benefits on the host when administered in appropriate amounts. Numerous studies have shown that probiotics improve bone health in humans and rodents with less information available on the skeletal health of avians given probiotics. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of probiotic supplementation on bone health of egg-laying and meat-type chickens. Dietary supplementation of a multi-species based probiotic reduced the percentage of shell-less eggs beginning at 4 wk following treatment and increased tibial and femoral bone mineral density in egg-laying hens at 7 wk post-treatment. Similarly, bone mineralization …

Mechanistic Insight Into The Role Of Dietary Fibers And Short Chain Fatty Acids In The Regulation Of Metabolism And Inflammation In The Pig, Hui Yan

Open Access Dissertations

Dietary fiber is a diverse mixture of polysaccharides exerting multiple functions as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Besides the influence on nutrient digestibility, dietary fiber affects growth performance and host metabolism via modulation of gut microbial community structure and production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA). A series of in vivo experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary fiber on pig growth performance and gut microbial community as well as host metabolism. In the first study, a comparison between soluble and insoluble fibers was conducted in terms of pig growth, gut microbial structure and SCFA production …

Distribution, Abundance, And Migration Timing Of Greater And Lesser Sandhill Cranes Wintering In The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta Region Of California, Gary L. Ivey, Bruce D. Dugger, Caroline P. Herziger, Michael L. Casazza, Joseph P. Fleskes

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region of California (hereafter, Delta region) is an important wintering region for the Central Valley Population of greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) and lesser sandhill cranes (G. c. canadensis), but basic information about the ecology of these birds is lacking to design a biologically sound conservation strategy. During the winters of 2007-08 and 2008-09, we conducted roost counts, roadside surveys, aerial surveys, and tracked radio-marked birds to define the geographic area used by sandhill cranes in the Delta region, document migration chronology, and estimate subspecies-specific abundance. Radio-marked sandhill cranes arrived in our study area …

Survey Of Nasal Mites (Acari: Rhinonyssidae, Ereynetidae, Turbinoptidae) In Birds From Three States In The United States, Alexis Danel Hilario Perez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Avian nasal mites are obligate endoparasites that spend their entire life in the respiratory system of birds. In North America, bird nasal mites are represented by different unrelated families in three different orders of mites: Rhinonyssidae (Mesostigmata), Ereynetidae (Prostigmata), and the Cytoditidae and Turbinoptidae (Astigmata). The most-diverse and most-abundant family of nasal mites is the Rhinonyssidae, in which mite species may have different levels of host specificity from host orders to families or even species level. Nasal mites in North America have been surveyed in different locations, such as studies ranging from the Gulf Coast of the US to Canada. …

Effect Of Delayed Wrapping And Wrapping Source On Intake And Digestibility Of Alfalfa Silage In Gestating Sheep, Valens Niyigena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Baling silage with oxygen can result in dry matter deterioration and reduce silage intake by animals. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of two different wrapping sources and time intervals between baling and wrapping on intake and digestibility of alfalfa silage. The second objective was to assess the correlation of alfalfa silage fermentation parameters with intake and digestibility parameters in gestating sheep. Alfalfa silage was baled in large round bales then wrapped with plastic either with (KURA) or without (SUN) an oxygen-limiting barrier either the day of baling or 1, 2 or 3 d after baling. Beginning in …

Phenotypic Analysis And Localization Of Leukocytes At The Site Of Intradermal Injection Of Phytohemagglutinin In Chickens, Kallie Alyce Sullivan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) is commonly used to gain insight into an individual’s cellular immuno-competence. PHA is typically injected intradermally (i.d.) into the skin (e.g. wing web) and the tissue swelling response is then monitored, whereby the extent of the swelling positively relates to the individual’s cellular immune system capabilities. Although i.d. injected PHA was shown to stimulate mononuclear cell- and basophil-infiltration to the site of injection, reports on temporal, qualitative and quantitative aspects of the local PHA response are limited. The objective of this study was to use the growing feather (GF) as a cutaneous test-site to assess and monitor the …

Effects Of Acute Heat And Oxidative Stress On The Hepatic Expression Of Orexin And Its Related Receptors, Stephanie Khaldi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is widely known that orexin A and B peptides as well as their receptors are expressed in the hypothalamus and distributed throughout the central nervous system, but there have been few studies regarding its presences in other parts of the body. There is now evidence that orexin (ORX) and its receptors (ORXR1/2) are present in the avian liver; however, their regulation under different environmental conditions is still unknown. In the current study, we sought to determine the effects of heat and oxidative stress using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) on the hepatic expression of ORX and ORXR1/2 in …

Barn Owls (Tyto Alba) Crossing The Road - Examining The Interplay Among Occupancy, Behavior, Habitat Selection, And Roadway Mortality In Southern Idaho, Tempe Regan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Barn Owls (Tyto alba) are killed by vehicle collisions in greater numbers than any other North American bird of prey. Interstate-84 (I-84) in southern Idaho, USA has among the world’s highest known rates of Barn Owl-vehicle collisions. Little is known about Barn Owl occupancy in this region, so it is unclear if owls are killed in proportion to their abundance, or if they are equally abundant in segments with lower mortality and somehow escape collisions. Furthermore, studies of Barn Owl movements and behavior are limited. I was interested in understanding (1) factors that affect Barn Owl occupancy in …

Avian Communities In An Urbanizing Region: Abundance Patterns And Effects Of Local Habitat Features, John S. Brush

Theses and Dissertations

The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas has experience rapid population growth and increase of urban area since the mid-20th century. The goal of this thesis were to: 1) explore patterns of avian communities in suburban and remnant urban woodlands, with particular interest in native forest species, and 2) to assess how local habitat variables, such as number of native trees, affect avian communities in suburban habitats, and 3) provide recommendations to municipalities and homeowners to enhance urban habitats for birds. Results indicated that remnant urban woodlands provided habitat for common native forest bird species that otherwise avoided suburban habitats, …

Deployment And Evaluation Of An Active Rfid Tracking System For Precision Animal Management, Brian Barnes

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A better understanding of animal space utilization in current livestock facilities could lead to improved facility design and animal health. This study was conducted to determine whether an active RFID tag tracking system could accurately provide animal locomotion data on an individual animal basis. The system is composed of four sensors, located in the corners of a swine pen, and compact tags, which attach to the animals and transmit a signal. The sensors use the tag signals to determine 3-D positions in real-time. A data acquisition system was developed to capture raw data from the system software into a database …

Regulation Of Alpha-Herpesvirus Reactivation From Latency By Stress, Insun Kook

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV-1) and Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) are crucial etiological viral agent of clinical diseases. HSV-1 and BHV-1 establish latent infection in sensory neurons. Periodically, reactivation from latency occurs resulting in virus excretion and transmission. Stress increases corticosteroid levels and the incidence of HSV-1 and BHV-1 reactivation from latency. The synthetic corticosteroid, dexamethasone (DEX) mimics stress and induces BHV-1 and HSV-1 reactivation. However, molecular mechanisms by which corticosteroid mediates viral reactivation are not well understood. My dissertation has focused on elucidating events that induce BHV- 1 or HSV-1 reactivation during the early stages of stress-induced escape …

Wolf Predation: Where And How Wolves Kill Beavers, And Confronting The Biases In Scat-Based Diet Studies, Thomas Gable

All NMU Master's Theses

Beavers can be a significant prey item for wolves in boreal systems but how wolves hunt beavers is largely unknown. I inferred how wolves hunt beavers by identifying 22 kill sites using clusters of locations from GPS-collared wolves in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. Where wolves killed beavers varied seasonally with the majority (58%) of kills in the spring occurring below dams and on shorelines while the majority (80%) of kills in the fall were near feeding trails and canals. I deduced that the typical hunting strategy has 3 components: 1) waiting near areas of high beaver use until a beaver …

Foraging Patterns And Population Density Of The Buff-Bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia Yucatanensis) In Hidalgo County, Tx, Megan I. Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this investigation was to examine the foraging patterns and population density of the Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis ) in Hidalgo County, TX. Previous studies showed that hummingbirds use flowers displaying traditional bird pollination (ornithophilous) characteristics: reddish coloration, tubular corolla, and extended anthers. Observation sessions noted type and frequency of flowering species utilized for nectar, characteristics, and number of individuals seen in each area. Amazilia yucatanensis showed higher use of ornithophilous flowers. Significant results found: f-ratio 5.45 > p-value (0.05) 3.24. Two highly utilized species showed the expected 20–40% sucrose content expected in ornithophilous flowers. Population density per …

Physiology And Genetics Shape The Microbiome Of A Seabird Species (Oceanodroma Leucorhoa) More Than Environmental And Social Factors, Douglas Steven Pearce

Masters Theses

The microbiome provides multiple benefits to animal hosts that can profoundly impact health and behavior. Microbiomes are well-characterized in humans and animals in controlled settings, yet assessments of wild bird microbial communities remain vastly understudied. This study examines the multiple factors that affect the microbiome of a burrow-nesting Procellariiform bird species, Leach’s storm-petrel. 16S rRNA-based Illumina Mi-Seq analyses are used to assess the composition and structure of bird and burrow-associated bacterial communities. Results indicate that sex and skin site contribute to bird-associated bacterial community variation, and MHC heterozygosity impacts these bacterial assemblages in a sex and site-specific manner, potentially having …

The Application Of Chitosan On An Experimental Infection Of Pseudogymnoascus Destructans Increases Survival In Little Brown Bats, Torin C. Kulhanek

Masters Theses

This research builds upon a previous study conducted that tested the efficacy of chitosan on experimentally-infected bats as a laboratory model of White-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is a fungal infection caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, formerly known as Geomyces destructans. The pathology of this disease is not yet fully understood, but it is devastating bats throughout Northeastern America and continues to spread. Here we tested multiple application time points and concentrations of chitosan on the wings of experimentally-infected bats and compared them with the controls. We grossly viewed the wings first to get a sense of the amount of …

Bloom Or Bust: Retrospective Analysis Of The Giant Jellyfish, Nemopilema Nomurai (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae), Ecology In The East Asian Marginal Seas, Naomi Yoder

Master's Theses

The Giant Jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai, is a large-bodied bloom-forming jellyfish that occurs in the semi-enclosed basins of the East Asian Marginal Seas. N. nomurai has bloomed more frequently in the past 20 years than in any period previously recorded. In Japan, recent N. nomurai blooms were responsible for millions of dollars in lost revenue and equipment damage to commercial fisheries alone. This study statistically analyzed 21 environmental factors in connection with N. nomurai occurrence (using occurrence as a proxy for blooms). Eight factors resulted in a statistically significant or marginally significant (p ≤ 0.10), linear or non-linear relationship with …

Metabolic Regulation And Cryotolerance Of In Vitro-Produced Holstein Embryos, Melissa Ann Roberts

Master's Theses

In vitro production and transfer of embryos has become a common practice within the dairy industry to efficiently breed superior animals and meet the consumption demand of the growing population. Cyropreservation is necessary for the application of commercialized embryo transfer, however, in vitro-produced embryos show morphological and physiological defects which negatively impact their ability to withstand cryopreservation in comparison to their in vivo counterparts. These artifacts result from culture conditions that cause stress to the embryo during development, leading to an accumulation of intracellular lipids, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ultimately poor ability to withstand freezing and thawing. The objective of …

Oocyte Quality: Molecular Constituents Altered In The Oocyte Due To Various Environmental Factors, Lindsay Cox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An estimated 1.6 million American couples struggle with infertility. Some causes for poor fertility can be clearly defined but in many instances, subfertility is unexplained. Poor oocyte quality is now considered to be a main contributing factor for many causes of infertility. Good oocyte quality is crucial for many processes including embryo development and maintaining pregnancy. There is a possibility that any alterations to the oocyte can have long lasting effects on embryo development and the health of the offspring. The oocyte is very sensitive to any perturbations to its surrounding environment. Transcripts for apoptosis inhibitors and epigenetic modifiers were …

Nuclear Factor [Erythroid-Derived 2]-Like 2’S (Nfe2l2) Gene Expression In Feed Efficiency And Oxidative Stress In Avian Muscle, Devin Wayne Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative stress may play a role in the phenotypic expression of feed efficiency (FE). The transcription factor NFE2L2 (nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2) coordinates antioxidant response to oxidative stress and its activity is tightly regulated in part by KEAP1 (Kelch like-ECH protein 1) and the E3 ligase CUL3 (Cullin3). Thus, one objective was to determine mRNA expression of NFE2L2, KEAP1, and CUL3 as well as three antioxidant targets [glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2)] in breast muscle of immature pedigree broiler males (8 wk), immature Japanese quail males (4 wk) divergently selected for high …

Effects Of Enhancement Solution Ph On Fresh And Cooked Color Of Dark-Cutting Beef, Ryan Stackhouse

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In two experiments, dark-cutting (DC) beef strip loins were used to test the effects of citric acid-enhancement pH on visual and instrumental color of fresh and cooked steaks. Dark cutting and normal pH strip loin were injected to 111% of raw product weight with pH 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, or 5.0 solutions by mixing citric acid in either 0.05% phosphate solution or tap water (Exp 1), or with pH 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 solutions made by mixing citric acid in either a 0.5% orthophosphate solution (PO4) or a 0.5% tripolyphosphate solution (STP) (Exp2). Loin sections were cut into 2.5-cm-thick steaks …

Relationship Among Genetic And Physiological Biomarkers, And Horse Characteristics, Casey Orr

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate relationships among genetic and physiological biomarkers and phenotypic characteristics in horses. Three breeds (Quarter Horse, Thoroughbreds, Miniatures), and five genes of interest (leptin, ghrelin, cytochrome P450, glucocorticoid receptor, and lactate dehydrogenase) were the basis of the investigation. Genomic DNA was extracted from buffy coat samples of Quarter Horses (n = 21), Thoroughbreds (n = 26), and Miniatures (n = 34). Data were analyzed using MIXED MODEL procedures of SAS, with the main effects of breed and SNP genotype. Horse was the experimental unit, and dependent variables were classified as physical, cell differentials, …

Migration Ecology Of American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor), Joseph Daniel Moore

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Improving the understanding of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) migration ecology has been identified as a priority information need for woodcock management. Developments in remote tracking technology and analytical techniques present an opportunity to gain insight into woodcock migratory connectivity and migration phenology and to evaluate the degree in which the current two-region (Eastern and Central) basis for woodcock management represents migratory movements. To analyze woodcock migration using band return records, I excluded observations that took place during the migratory period. Using this dataset, 17.9% of records showed crossover between management regions, higher than the < 5% crossover found in studies including non-migratory band returns. During autumn migration, woodcock from the Central Region largely migrated to destinations within the Central Region, whereas woodcock from the Eastern Region migrated to destinations across their wintering range, mixing with individuals from the Central Region. Between 2013 and 2016, I deployed 75 satellite transmitters on woodcock. I tracked the migration paths of 61 woodcock and documented 88 woodcock migrations. Average migration duration was longer during spring migration (53 days) than during autumn migration (31 days) because woodcock made a higher number of close-together migratory stopovers, not because woodcock stayed at individual stopovers longer during spring migration. Woodcock captured in the Central Management Region used 2 primary migrations routes: a Western Route and a Central Route. The Western Route ran north-south, connecting the breeding and wintering grounds of the Central Management Region. The hourglass-shaped Central Route connected an area on the wintering grounds reaching from Texas to Florida, to sites throughout northeastern North America. Woodcock following the Central Route funneled between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley in western Tennessee during both autumn and spring migration. A higher than anticipated percentage (36%, n = 12) of marked woodcock captured in Texas and Louisiana and monitored during spring migration migrated to breeding-period sites in the Eastern Management Region, raising questions about the biological basis of managing woodcock as separate populations. The supplementary material includes woodcock capture information (Appendix I), information on individual stopovers (Appendix II), and migration maps for individual woodcock (Appendix III).

Effect Of Light Intensity On Production Parameters And Feeding Behavior Of Broilers, Maurice Raccoursier Frost

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project was performed in two parts. The first was focused on light intensity as it affects performance. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was performed. Broilers, Cobb 500 (n = 1584) were housed in 3 commercial houses (121.9 x 12.2 m). In each house birds were randomized and placed in 72 pens of 121.9 x 121.9 cm (22 bird/pen, males and females). All the treatment groups were provided with 24h light (L) during the first week and then 18L:6Dark (D) and 20 lux from day 7 to 14. The 3 intensity treatments of 5 lux (lx), 10 lx and …