Life Sciences Commons^™

Asymmetrical Gene Flow In A Hybrid Zone Of Hawaiian Schiedea (Caryophyllaceae) Species With Contrasting Mating Systems., Lisa E. Wallace, Theresa M. Culley, Stephen G. Weller, Ann K. Sakai, Ashley Kuenzi, Tilottama Roy, Warren L. Wagner, Molly Nepokroeff

College of Arts and Sciences Publications and Scholarship

Asymmetrical gene flow, which has frequently been documented in naturally occurring hybrid zones, can result from various genetic and demographic factors. Understanding these factors is important for determining the ecological conditions that permitted hybridization and the evolutionary potential inherent in hybrids. Here, we characterized morphological, nuclear, and chloroplast variation in a putative hybrid zone between Schiedea menziesii and S. salicaria, endemic Hawaiian species with contrasting breeding systems. Schiedea menziesii is hermaphroditic with moderate selfing; S. salicaria is gynodioecious and wind-pollinated, with partially selfing hermaphrodites and largely outcrossed females. We tested three hypotheses: 1) putative hybrids were derived from natural crosses …

Life History Of An Exotic Soft Scale Insect Phalacrococcus Howertoni (Hemiptera: Coccidae) Found In Florida, Kaushalya G. Amarasekare, Catharine M. Mannion

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

We investigated the life history of an exotic soft scale insect, Phalacrococcus howertoni Hodges and Hodgson that damages croton and several other economically important ornamental and fruit plants in Florida. There was no difference in the development, survival, and reproduction of this scale insect species when reared either on croton or on buttonwood at 27 ± 1°C, 12:12 (L:D) h and 65% R. H. The scale insect practiced ovoviviparity. We observed that eggs that came out from vulva hatched to first instars immediately. Newly hatched nymphs had a tendency stay underneath the female body for somewhat less than approximately 24 …

Effects Of Xenobiotics And Phytotoxins On Reproduction In Food Animals, Kip E. Panter, Bryan L. Stegelmeier

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

The influence of natural toxicants and anthropogenic compounds on reproduction in food animals is significant in its economic impact, and the subject requires more research and further experimental substantiation. Confounding factors such as stress, nutritional status, season of the year, animal species involved, genetic variability, disease conditions, management factors, and so forth exacerbate the difficulty of making an accurate diagnosis and thereby may impede progress to improve reproductive performance on an individual operation. The interaction between the reproductive system and xenobiotics (reproductive toxicology) is a relatively new area of study and a subject of increasing interest, especially in the area …

Analysis Of Long-Term Selection (28 Generations) For Reproduction, Growth, And Carcass Traits In Swine, Wan-Ling Hsu

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objectives were 1) to estimate responses from 28 generations of selection for increased pigs born alive (BA) with additional selection for increased 180 d weight (WT) and longissimus muscle area (LMA) and decreased backfat (BF) in the last eight generations, 2) to estimate genetic parameters for an array of traits, and 3) to investigate whether a plateau in response for BA has occurred. All lines were derived from the same Large White/Landrace composite population. Index selection for ovulation rate and embryo survival (G0-11) was initiated in L2 in 1981; L1 was selected randomly control line for L2 (G0-23). L2 …

Inferring Viral Quasispecies Spectra From 454 Pyrosequencing Reads, Irina Astrovskaya, Bassam Tork, Serghei Mangul, Kelly Westbrooks, Ion Măndoiu, Peter Balfe, Alexander Zelikovskiy

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Background: RNA viruses infecting a host usually exist as a set of closely related sequences, referred to as quasispecies. The genomic diversity of viral quasispecies is a subject of great interest, particularly for chronic infections, since it can lead to resistance to existing therapies. High-throughput sequencing is a promising approach to characterizing viral diversity, but unfortunately standard assembly software was originally designed for single genome assembly and cannot be used to simultaneously assemble and estimate the abundance of multiple closely related quasispecies sequences.

Results: In this paper, we introduce a new Viral Spectrum Assembler (ViSpA) method for quasispecies spectrum reconstruction …

Heifer Development Systems: Dry-Lot Feeding Compared With Grazing Dormant Winter Forage, Richard N. Funston, D. M. Larson

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Two hundred ninety-nine Angusbased, nulliparous heifers (253 ± 2 kg initial BW) from 3 production years were utilized to compare traditional postweaning dry lot (DL) development with a more extensive winter grazing system utilizing a combination of corn residue and winter range (EXT). Heifers developed in the DL were offered a common diet after the weaning period for 208 d in yr 1, 194 d in yr 2, and 150 d in yr 3 until breeding. Heifers developed in EXT grazed corn residue for 135 d in yr 1, 106 d in yr 2, and 91 d in yr 3, …

A Comparison Of Prairie Vole Audible And Ultrasonic Pup Calls And Attraction To Them By Adults Of Each Sex, Thomas A. Terleph

Biology Faculty Publications

Rodent pups of many species emit both ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and calls spanning into a lower frequency range, audible to humans (AUDs), yet there has been little systematic comparison of these different call types, or analyses of how they might differ in signal function. Here the spectral and temporal characteristics of USV and AUD pup calls are described for the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), a model used in studies of monogamous mating and biparental care, and a species with an unusually large functional and anatomical representation of auditory cortex. Findings provide a detailed description of each call type, …

Humane Cat Population Management Guidance, International Companion Animal Management Coalition

Stray and Feral Animal Populations Collection

The International Companion Animal Management Coalition has produced this document to provide government bodies and non-governmental organisations with a detailed resource to support them in their development and implementation of effective and humane programmes to manage cat populations.