Digital Commons Network^™

An Evaluation Of Diazacon As A Potential Contraceptive In Non-Native Rose-Ringed Parakeets, Mark Lambert, Giovanna Massel, Christi Yoder, David Cowan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) have become widely established outside their native range through accidental or deliberate release. Potential economic impacts on agriculture, conservation concerns, and mixed public opinion regarding the species have highlighted the need to develop effective but humane management options. Fertility control might provide such a solution if a safe and environmentally benign contraceptive was available. The chemical 20,25-diazacholesterol dihydrochloride (diazacon) has previously been used to reduce reproductive output in avian species through reduction of blood cholesterol and cholesterol-dependent reproductive hormones. We orally dosed captive rose-ringed parakeets with a solution of either 9 mg/kg or 18 …

Evaluation Of Feral Swine- Specific Feeder Systems, David B. Long, Tyler A. Campbell, Giovanna Massei

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) have been introduced across many portions of the globe, including rangeland ecosystems of the United States. Feral swine populations are expanding because of their adaptability, high reproductive potential, and because they are (accidentally and intentionally) released by humans. Today, feral swine are the most abundant exotic ungulate in the United States.

Rangeland ecosystems are impacted by feral swine primarily through soil disturbance caused by rooting activities. Within these systems, natural disturbances (e.g., burrowing, grazing by native animals, and periodic fire) generally increase or maintain species diversity. However, rooting by feral swine often occurs at …

The Earliest House Sparrow Introductions To North America, Michael P. Moulton, Wendell P. Cropper Jr., Michael L. Avery, Linda E. Moulton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Several authors have argued that three separate introductions of roughly 100 individuals were required initially to establish the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) in the Brooklyn, New York area. We argue that these claims are in error and that the actual record suggests that it is likely the initial introduction of just 16 birds in 1851 was all that was required to establish the species in New York. We further suggest that a similar level of scrutiny of historical records will reveal more examples of misinterpretations and errors, casting doubt on the validity of studies that claim propagule pressure …

Test Of Localized Management For Reducing Deer Browsing In Forest Regeneration Areas, Brad F. Miller, Tyler A. Campbell, Ben Laseter, W. Mark Ford, Karl Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing in forest regeneration sites can affect current and future stand structure and species composition. Removal of deer social units (localized management) has been proposed as a strategy to alleviate deer overbrowsing in forest systems. We conducted an experimental localized removal in a high-density deer population in the central Appalachians of West Virginia, USA, during winter 2002. We removed 51 deer within a 1.1-km² area that encompassed 2 forest regeneration sites (14 ha). During the summer following removal, we detected decreases in distance from the removal area in 8 of 30 (26.7%) adult …

The Versatility Of Graded Acoustic Measures In Classification Of Predation Threats By The Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus Bicolor: Exploring A Mixed Framework For Threat Communication, Kathryn E. Sieving, Stacia A. Hetrick, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many mammal and bird species respond to predator encounters with alarm vocalizations that generate risk-appropriate responses in listeners. Two conceptual frameworks are typically applied to the information encoded in alarm calls and to associated anti-predator behaviors. ‘Functionally referential’ alarm systems encode nominal classes or categories of risk in distinct call types that refer to distinct predation-risk situations. ‘Risk-based’ alarms encode graded or ranked threat-levels by varying the production patterns of the same call types as the urgency of predation threat changes. Recent work suggests that viewing alarm-response interactions as either referential or risk-based may oversimplify how animals use information in …

Potential Attractants For Detecting And Removing Invading Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus), Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Patrick Burke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Native to Africa, Gambian giant pouched rats (Gambian rats; Cricetomys gambianus Waterh.) are a threatening invasive species on a Florida island, Grassy Key. Gambian giant pouched rats shifted from a domestic pet to invading species after suspected release from a pet breeder. Because of the large size of Gambian rats (weighing up to 2.8 kg), they pose a serious threat to native species (particularly nesting species) and agricultural crops, especially if Gambian rats invade mainland Florida. Also, Gambian rats pose a threat from disease, as they were implicated in a monkeypox outbreak in the mid-western United States in 2003. …

Capture Of Ungulates In Central Asia Using Drive Nets: Advantages And Pitfalls Illustrated By The Endangered Mongolian Saiga Saiga Tatarica Mongolica, Joel Berger, Kim M. Murray, Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar, Mike R. Dunbar, Badamjav Lkhagvasuren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The study of mammals suffering intense poaching in remote areas poses an increasingly difficult conservation challenge, in part because the extreme flightiness of such species complicates safe capture. The benefits of handling (an opportunity to obtain biological information and attach radio collars) must be weighed against stress to the animals and potential capture-related mortality. In parts of Central Asia this problem is not trivial, as populations have been heavily harvested and opportunities for restraint are often limited. Mongolian saiga Saiga tatarica mongolica, being both Endangered and poached, typifies these issues. Here we describe capture protocols for adult females handled …

Mite-Filled Cyst On A Brown-Headed Cowbird (Molothrus Ater) In Florida, Usa, Marilyn G. Spalding, James W. Mertins, Matthew J. Reetz, Kandy L. Keacher, Michael L. Avery, Ellis C. Greiner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A large, partly pedunculated mass on the scapular area of a wild-caught captive Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) consisted of a multiloculated keratin cyst inhabited by a new species of harpirhynchid mite (Harpirhynchus quasimodo). The mass did not interfere with flight or behavior. This is the first record of such an infestation of cowbirds in Florida.

Evaluating Commercially Available Rodenticide Baits For Invasive Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys Gambianus), Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, Patrick W. Burke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Gambian giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) are native to Africa, but they are popular in the pet industry in the United States. They were reservoir hosts during a monkeypox outbreak in the Midwestern United States in 2003. A free-ranging population became established on Grassy Key in the Florida Keys, apparently because of a release by a pet breeder. These rodents could cause significant damage to agricultural crops should they reach the mainland. Research under controlled conditions was needed to identify effective rodenticides for Grassy Key or other cases where an invasion of Gambian rats might occur. We tested …

Identification And Management Of Wildlife Damage, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Richard A. Dolbeer, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife management is often thought of in terms of protecting, enhancing, and nurturing wildlife populations and the habitat needed for their well-being. However, many species at one time or another require management actions to reduce conflicts with people, other wildlife species, or other resources. Examples include an airport manager modifying habitats to reduce gull (family Laridae) activity near runways, a forester poisoning pocket gophers (family Geomyidae) to increase tree seedling survival in a reforestation project, or a biologist trapping an abundant predator or competing species to enhance survival of an endangered species. These are just a few of many examples …

Promiscuous Mating In Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa) From Texas, Usa, Johanna Delgado-Acevedo, Angeline Zamorano, Randy W. Deyoung, Tyler A. Campbell, David G. Hewitt, David B. Long

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Feral pigs represent a significant threat to agriculture and ecosystems and are disease reservoirs for pathogens affecting humans, livestock and other wildlife. Information on the behavioural ecology of feral pigs might increase the efficiency and effectiveness of management strategies.

Aims. We assessed the frequency of promiscuous mating in relation to oestrous synchrony in feral pigs from southern Texas, USA, an agroecosystem with a widespread and well established population of feral pigs. An association between multiple paternity of single litters and synchrony of oestrous may indicate alternative mating strategies, such as mateguarding.

Methods. We collected gravid sows at …

Behavioral And Transcriptional Effects Of Acrylamide In Rat Pups / Suzanne M. Seale, Suzanne M. Seale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Mother Memory : Vagina Dentata And The Glorified South In Tennessee Williams, Kay Walraven Attaway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Contest Behaviour Of Maize Weevil Larvae When Competing Within Seeds, Nelsa Maria P. Guedes, Raul Narciso C. Guedes, James F. Campbell, James E. Throne

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

Food limitation induces severe competition for obligate seed-feeding insect larvae that are unable to leave the seed selected by their mother. The number of eggs laid per seed and the number of larvae hatched from the eggs are important determinants of whether larval behaviour within the seed will be of the scramble or the contest type. In maize weevils, Sitophilus zeamais, few adults emerge per seed regardless of the number of eggs laid, which may arise from scramble competition, if the optimum egg density (i.e. egg density leading to maximum total larval fitness) is low compared to the number …

Effects Of The Antimicrobial Tylosin On The Microbial Community Structure Of An Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor, Toshio Shimada, Xu Li, Julie L. Zilles, Eberhard Morgenroth, Lutgarde Raskin

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The effects of the antimicrobial tylosin on a methanogenic microbial community were studied in a glucosefed laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) exposed to stepwise increases of tylosin (0, 1.67, and 167 mg/L). The microbial community structure was determined using quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and phylogenetic analyses of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene clone libraries of biomass samples. During the periods without tylosin addition and with an influent tylosin concentration of 1.67 mg/L, 16S rRNA gene sequences related to Syntrophobacter were detected and the relative abundance of Methanosaeta species was high. During the highest tylosin dose of …

Interaction Of 2-Arachidonoyl Glycerol With The Glutamatergic System In Anxiety, Monica S. Gole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Prototype Bi-Layered Patch With Asymmetric Release For Ocular Drug Delivery, Kanchan Hippalgoankar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Seattle University Law Review

Seattle University Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Ethynylestradiol, Benzo[A]Pyrene And A Mixture Of The Two On The Sex Change Event In The Hermaphroditic Bridled Goby, Coryphopterus Glaucofraenum, Lindsay R.K. O'Donahue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Analogues Based On The Opioid Alkaloid Mitragynine, Marco A. Arribas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Opioid analgesics such as morphine and its derivatives are the most frequently prescribed narcotics for the treatment of severe and chronic pain. Among other side effects caused by the administration of these opioid analgesics, physical dependence and addiction are the most undesirable ones. Currently, pharmacological approaches to treat opioid dependence include mainly methadone and LAAM (mu-agonists), buprenorphine (mu-partial agonist) and clonidine (alpha2-adrenergic agonist). Considering the negative aspects of the relapsing nature correlated to opioid dependence, it is important to search for new ways to overcome this problem. The scope of this work is to study novel compounds based on the …

Efficacy Of Methoprene For Control Of Five Species Of Psocids (Psocoptera) On Wheat, Rice, And Maize, Christos G. Athanassiou, Frank H. Arthur, James E. Throne

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

The insect growth regulator methoprene was evaluated for control of Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel, Liposcelis decolor (Pearman), Liposcelis entomophila (Enderlein), Liposcelis paeta Pearman (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae), and Lepinotus reticulatus Enderlein (Trogiidae) at application rates of 1, 5, and 10 ppm on maize, wheat, and rice. Methoprene did not completely suppress progeny production during the 40-day test period, but did cause a significant reduction in adult progeny in all psocid species at the application rates of 5 and 10 ppm. At 1 ppm, numbers of adults were reduced for all species on wheat and maize, but only for L. paeta on rice. Nevertheless, …

Development Of Soft Computing And Applications In Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Yanbo Huang, Yubin Lan, Steven J. Thomson, Alex Fang, Wesley C. Hoffmann, Ronald E. Lacey

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

Soft computing is a set of “inexact” computing techniques, which are able to model and analyze very complex problems. For these complex problems, more conventional methods have not been able to produce cost-effective, analytical, or complete solutions. Soft computing has been extensively studied and applied in the last three decades for scientific research and engineering computing. In agricultural and biological engineering, researchers and engineers have developed methods of fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, decision trees, and support vector machines to study soil and water regimes related to crop growth, analyze the operation of food processing, and support decision-making …

Genomic And Transcriptomic Studies In Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis, J. P. Bannantine, Adel M. Talaat

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

Microarray technology is an important tool in functional genomic research. It has enabled a deeper analysis of genomic diversity among bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). In addition, the expression of thousands of genes can be studied simultaneously in a single experiment. With the complete genome sequence of a bovine isolate of M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis, and the independent construction of DNA microarrays in our laboratories, transcriptomic studies for this veterinary pathogen are now possible. Furthermore, the bovine genome sequence project is completed and bovine arrays have been developed to examine host responses to infection with M. avium …

Russia’S Agricultural Imports: Will The High Growth Of The 2000s Continue?, William M. Leifert, Olga Liefert, Mathew Shane

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

Russia’s agricultural imports during the 2000s have grown substantially, from €7.4 billion in 2000 to €19.2 billion in 2007 (Figure 1). The import growth has made Russia the second largest agricultural importer among emerging market economies, after China. The main imports are meat, highly processed products, fruits and vegetables (Figure 2). Russia’s agricultural exports have also grown during this time, though from a much lower base in value terms (and with most of the increase coming just from grain).

Europe has benefited strongly from the rise in Russia’s agricultural imports. During this decade, Russia has been the EU’s second largest …

Drivers Impacting The Adoption Of Sustainable Agricultural Management Practices And Production Systems Of The Northeast And Southeast United States, G. F. Sassenrath, J. M. Halloran, D. Archer, R. L. Raper, J. Hendrickson, P. Vadas, J. Hanson

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

Agricultural production responds to social, political, economic, environmental, and technological drivers that influence producers’ decisions and shape the individual systems through modification of management practices, crop and livestock mix, and marketing strategy. We use an interview and discussion approach with producer panels to examine production systems in the eastern United States and explore key drivers impacting their unique characteristics and development. The internal social driver that values the farming lifestyle is a principle factor that leads people to choose farming. Irrespective of location, farming is first and foremost a lifestyle choice. The choice of type of production system is partly …

Cloning, Expression, And Immunogenicity Of Flavobacterium Columnare Heat Shock Protein Dnaj, Oscar Olivares-Fuster, Jeffery S. Terhune, Craig A. Shoemaker, Covadonga R. Arias

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

The Flavobacterium columnare heat shock protein (HSP) gene dnaJ* was isolated, cloned, expressed, and used as an antigen in a recombinant vaccine strategy for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. The F. columnare dnaJ* sequence was obtained from genomovars I and II and showed intraspecies variability. Recombinant protein was expressed and purified from Escherichia coli cultures and injected intraperitoneally (12 lg of purified DnaJ/fish) into fingerling channel catfish. In addition, induced (expressing the recombinant DnaJ) and uninduced (no recombinant protein being produced) E. coli cultures were also used to immunize fish. At 28 d postimmunization, antibody response was evaluated and the …

Comparisons Of Sperm Storage Tubule Distribution And Number In 4 Strains Of Mature Broiler Breeders And In Turkey Hens Before And After The Onset Of Photostimulation, M. R. Bakst, A. M. Donoghue, D. E. Yoho, J. R. Moyle, S. M. Whipple, M. J. Camp, G. Q. Liu, R. K. Bramwell

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

The biological basis of sustained fertility in broiler and turkey hens is their capacity to store sperm in the oviductal sperm storage tubules (SST) located in the uterovaginal junction. The objectives of this study were to determine if the numbers of SST varied between 4 strains of broiler breeders and determine the number of SST in the turkey before (less than 9 d of photostimulation) and after (up to 22 d of photostimulation and laying) photostimulation. No statistical differences were observed in SST numbers in the 4 strains of broilers examined or in turkey hens before and after the onset …

Identification Of Protein Carbonyls In Serum Of The Fetal And Neonatal Pig, Thomas J. Caperna, Amy E. Shannon, Le Ann Blomberg, Wesley M. Garrett, Timothy G. Ramsay

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

Oxidation of serum proteins leads to non-reversible carbonyl formation which alters their function and is associated with stress-related disease processes. The primary objective of this study was to quantify and identify oxidized serum proteins in fetal and newborn piglets. Protein carbonyls were converted to hydrazones with dinitrophenyl hydrazine and quantified spectrophotometrically. For identification, serum protein carbonyls were derivatized with biotin hydrazide, separated by 2D PAGE and stained with FITCavidin. Biotin-labeled proteins were excised from gels and identified by mass spectrometry. At birth, carbonyls were determined to be ∼600 pmole/mg serum protein. Fetuses at 50 and 100 days of gestation had …

Volatiles Emitted From Eight Wound-Isolated Bacteria Differentially Attract Gravid Screwworms (Diptera: Calliphoridae) To Oviposit, M. F. Chaudhury, Steven R. Skoda, A. Sagel, J. B. Welch

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

Bovine blood inoculated with bacteria isolated from screwworm [Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)]-infested animal wounds was tested as an attractant for oviposition for gravid screwworms. Eight species of gram-negative coliform (Enterobacteriaceae) bacteria mixed with bovine blood singly or all species combined and incubated for various times produced volatiles that attracted gravid flies in a cage bioassay in varying numbers. In 15-min duration tests, volatiles from five species of bacteria (Klebsiella oxytoca, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Providencia rettgeri, and Providencia stuartii) attracted more females than volatiles of the three species (Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter …

2010 Across-Breed Epd Table, Larry Kuehn, Mark Thallman

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

The table of adjustment factors to be used to estimate across-breed expected progeny differences (AB-EPDs) for eighteen breeds was presented at the Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting in Columbia, MO, on June 30 (see Table 1). Across-breed adjustment factors have been calculated for growth traits and maternal milk since 1993. Adjustment factors for carcass traits have been calculated since 2008; to be included, breeds must have carcass data in the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) database and report their carcass EPDs on an actual carcass basis using an age-adjusted endpoint. Bulls of different breeds can be compared on the …