Animal Sciences Commons^™

Bat Activity Over Wetlands: Temporal And Spatial Variation, Sarah Stankavich

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Foraging animals face decisions about when and where to forage based, in part, on prey availability, which can fluctuate temporally as well as spatially. For temperate insectivorous bats, wetlands are important forage habitats because they provide water and high abundances of insects. My overall objective was to identify abiotic and biotic factors that influence bat foraging activity over wetlands in the channeled scablands of eastern Washington. I surveyed 12 wetland sites at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) in Cheney, Washington, 3 or 4 times during summer 2012. Ten stations were set up at each site to measure insect abundance using …

Investigating The Role Of Epibiotic Bacteria In Defense Against Chytridiomycosis In The Green Frog, Lithobates Clamitans, Sarah Nalven

Honors Theses

Amphibian populations have been declining for several decades, in part due to the emerging fungal skin disease, chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Chytridiomycosis has caused extinctions and extirpations in many parts of the world, but its influence varies across species, populations, and individuals. The Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans), which inhabits the eastern half of the United States, seems capable of sustaining Bd infections without experiencing die-offs. It is possible that the Green Frog's epibiotic bacteria are contributing to its defense against Bd as the epibiotic bacteria of several amphibian species are known to play …

Effects Of Endophyte Infected Fescue Alkaloid Ingestion On Energy Metabolism, Nitrogen Balance, In Situ Feed Degradation, And Ruminal Passage Rates, Anne F. Koontz

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The decrease in productivity caused by fescue toxicosis has been estimated to cost the United States livestock industry more than $1 billion per year due to reduced growth and diminished reproductive efficiency. This goal of the research presented in this dissertation is to enhance the knowledge base concerning the underlying physiological changes that occur during fescue toxicosis that lead to reduced intake and weight gain in cattle.

As one of the factors associated with fescue toxicosis is a reduction in feed intake, achieving a consistent and adequate intake of toxins can be a complication. Results from experiment 1demonstrate that ruminal …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Vitamin K On Growth Performance And Bone Health In Swine, James S. Monegue

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The role of vitamin K in the blood clotting cascade has been well documented. Vitamin K has recently been implicated in improving bone health. The current studies were conducted to determine the effects of vitamin K in diets with and without mycotoxin contaminated corn on growth performance, bone characteristics, and related blood metabolites in pigs from weaning to market. Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (MSBC, 33% vitamin K) was chosen as the source of supplemental vitamin K because it is the most common form fed to swine. Vitamin K was tested at 0, 0.5, and 2.0 ppm in a corn-soybean meal …

Landscape Characteristics Of Upland Sandpiper Habitat In Michigan, Jacob Lawrence Korte

Wayne State University Theses

Grassland bird populations have declined across North America due to habitat loss but at a disproportionately higher rate in the midwestern United States, where extensive coverage of grasslands and other open land ecosystems have been converted to other land cover types. The upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda Bechstein, UPSA) is a migratory, area-sensitive, terrestrial shorebird that breeds in grasslands and other open land ecosystem types across their North American range. Although breeding habitats of the Great Plains contain the greatest concentrations of this species, anthropogenic openings such as hayfields and pastures serve as surrogate habitat elsewhere, as do remnant patches …

Effect Of Estradiol Supplementation On Blood Estradiol And Metabolite Levels, And Hepatic Protein Expression, In Growing, Mature, And Senescent Beef Cattle, Edwena D. Miles

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Estradiol (Compudose®, COM) implants are extensively used in beef cattle production systems to alter body composition and feed efficiency. Little information exists about the physiological mechanisms affected by COM treatment in growing, mature, and senescent female cattle. Moreover, no reports describe the level of blood estradiol resulting from COM treatment. The effect of COM on levels of plasma estradiol and blood metabolites and proteins, and relative content of glutamine synthetase (GS) and other amino acid nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes in liver tissue, was studied using three experimental models relevant to cow-calf production regimens: senescent cows (Trial 1), young mature (young) versus senescent …

Use Of Mtb-100tm, Provided Through A Mineral Mix, To Reduce Toxicity When Lactating Beef Cows Graze Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue, Melanie E. Hoar

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Two experiments were conducted at the University of Kentucky, Eden Shale Farm, Owenton, KY to evaluate the use of MTB-100^TM (Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville, KY) to alleviate the symptoms of fescue toxicity when lactating Angus x Beefmaster cows and their calves grazed endophyte-infected KY-31 tall fescue. Experiment 1 provided a carbohydrate based toxin adsorbent, MTB-100^TM, ad libitum in a commercial mineral supplement to project a daily consumption rate of 0, 20 or 40 g of MTB-100^TM per cow. Cows were weighed, assigned a body condition score (BCS) and hair coat score (HC), rectal temperatures were recorded and …

Detection Of Antibodies Against Parascaris Equorum Excretory-Secretory Antigens, Steffanie V. Burk

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Parascaris equorum is a nematode parasite that infects young horses, sometimes causing unthriftiness, respiratory signs, or intestinal impaction in severe cases. Infection can be diagnosed by detection of eggs in feces, but this is only possible after the worms are fully mature. The goal of this study was to develop an antibody-based test for prepatent diagnosis of P. equorum infection. To produce western blot (WB) antigen, P. equorum larvae were cultured for collection of excretory-secretory antigens (ESA). Sera from 18 pregnant broodmares, their subsequent foals, and a group of 12 older mares and geldings were analyzed. In order to check …

Phosphorus Digestibility And Phytate Degradation In Long Yearlings And Mature Horses, Ashley Fowler

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Much of the phosphorus (P) in grain-based concentrates fed to growing horses is in the form of phytate-P. Little is known about the ability of young horses to degrade phytate-P or whether age affects mineral digestion in horses. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of age on P, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) digestibility and phytate-P degradation. Four long yearling geldings and 4 mature geldings were fed a diet of alfalfa cubes, timothy cubes and a pelleted concentrate. The diet contained 0.28% total P and 17.4% of that P was in the phytate form. There was …

The Effect Of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction On Protein Metabolism And Insulin Sensitivity In Aged Horses, Laurel M. Mastro

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) typically occurs in horses older than 15 years of age and is characterized by hair coat abnormalities, muscle atrophy and decreased insulin sensitivity. The first objective of this research was to compare the rate of whole body protein metabolism and relative abundance of key factors in the signaling pathways associated with muscle protein synthesis and protein breakdown in response to feeding in Control and PPID horses. No differences (P > 0.05) were seen between the PPID and Control groups in whole-body protein metabolism or post-prandial activation of the muscle signaling pathways regulating skeletal muscle protein …

Evidence For The Maturation Of Cellular Immune Responses In Equine Infectious Anemia Virus-Infected Ponies, Chong Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been used as a model to investigate protective mechanisms against lentiviruses. Unlike other lentiviruses, EIAV replication can be eventually controlled in most infected horses leading to an inapparent carrier state free of overt clinical signs which can last for many years. Maintenance of this carrier state is absolutely dependent on active immune responses as evidenced by the fact that immunosuppressive drugs can induce the recurrence of disease. However, the immune mechanisms that are responsible for this control of infection are not yet identified. As the resolution of the initial infection is correlated with the …

Equine Serum Antibody Responses To Streptococcus Equi And Streptococcus Zooepidemicus, Rafaela De Negri

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Sz) and Streptococcus equi (Se) share 98% DNA sequence homology, but display different pathogenic properties. Infection by one organism does not cross-protect against the other. To better understand pathogenic differences between these organisms and gain information about which proteins are expressed in horses infected experimentally with Se, intrauterine Sz or naturally with respiratory Sz we compared antibody specificities of convalescent sera using ELISA. These comparisons were based on sets of 8 and 14 immunoreactive recombinant proteins of Se strain CF32 and Sz strain NC78, respectively. Sera from donkeys that were previously naturally affected with strangles and later developed …

Development Of A New Allelic Discrimination Real-Time Pcr Assay For The Diagnosis Of Equine Herpesvirus-1 And Characterization Of The Virulence Determinants Of The Virus, Kathryn L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) can cause acute upper respiratory tract disease, abortion, neonatal death and neurological disease in horses. Rapid, accurate and timely diagnosis of EHV-1 infection in horses is important to curtail the spread of this pathogen. It has been reported that the neuropathogenic phenotype of EHV-1 can result from a single non-synonymous nucleotide substitution at position 2254 (A→G₂₂₅₄) in open reading frame 30 (ORF30). This was the basis for the development of an allelic discrimination, real-time PCR assay to distinguish between potential neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic EHV-1 strains. However, PCR analysis of a panel of EHV-1 abortion isolates …

Sceloporus Clarkii—Nocturnal Foraging, Christopher Blair, Noberto Martinez-Mendez, Rafael A. Lara-Resendiz

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Nutritional Modifications On Sow, Litter, And Nursery Performance, Benjamin Edward Bass

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two separate series of experiments were conducted to determine: 1) the influence of dietary arginine supplementation in late gestation on reproductive performance, and 2) the impact of a whole yeast product in gestation, lactation, and weaned pig diets on reproductive, growth, and immune parameters.

In the first study 99 sows were provided a control diet, or the control diet supplemented with 1% L-arginine from gestation d 93 to 110. Compared to control-fed sows, no differences were observed in reproductive parameters, however a tendency for increased gestational weight gain was observed for sows provided supplemental arginine.

In a second study, 98 …

Effects Of Grazing Vs. Resting On Soil Chemistry And Plant Community Dynamics For The Central Coast Of California In 2012, Jessica Combs

Animal Science

No abstract provided.

Timing Of Castration, With Or Without Analgesia, On Growth Performance, Hematology, And Behavior Of Beef Calves, April C. Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angus-sired (n = 30) and Hereford-sired (n = 32) bull calves were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 treatments. Treatments were 1) surgical castration near birth, 2) oral administration of the analgesic meloxicam (1 mg/kg of body weight) followed by surgical castration near birth, 3) surgical castration at weaning, or 4) surgical castration at weaning with oral administration of the analgesic meloxicam (1 mg/kg of body weight). Data was recorded for behavior, hematology, and growth at birth and weaning. Calf standing and lying activity was monitored at both stages by recording x and y axis positions of a data logger …

Economic Contribution Of The Agricultural Sector To The Arkansas Economy In 2010, Katherine Mcgraw, Jennie Popp, Wayne Miller

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

This report is the seventh in a series of reports examining agriculture’s economic contribution on the Arkansas economy. Utilizing data from the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc. (MIG), the economic contribution of agriculture on the Arkansas economy was estimated for the most recent year available, 2010. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State information for Arkansas in 2010 was compared with those of other states in the Southeast U.S. to give a measure of the relative importance of agriculture in Arkansas.2 The total …

Grey Parrot Number Acquisition: The Inference Of Cardinal Value From Ordinal Position On The Numeral List, Irene M. Pepperberg, Susan Carey

Sentience Collection

No abstract provided.

Haemato Biochemical Alterations In Goats Infected With Coccidiosis, J. Anumol, P. V. Tresamol, K. Vinodkumar, M. R. Saseendranath

Biochemistry Collection

Coccidiosis is an important disease which account for anaemia and associated problems like poor growth rate, suppressed resistance and high mortality in kids. While considering the various etiological factors resulting in anaemia among goats of Kerala, coccidiosis account for about 8 per cent, indicating the significance of adopting proper prevention and control measures against this disease. The present study reveals the severity and depth of anaemic changes induced by coccidia in goats. All the haematological parameters, serum biochemical parameters and serum levels of iron, copper and zinc of coccidiosis infected animals are evaluated statistically by comparing with healthy control animals.

Intracellular Expression Of An Ice Nucleation Protein Reduces Cryoinjury In Insect Cells, Avril M. Harder

Student Honors Theses

Exposure of insect cells to subzero temperatures typically leads to cell membrane disruption and lethal intracellular ice formation. This study seeks to examine the cryoprotective value of trangenically expressing a bacterial ice nucleation protein (INP) in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-21) cells. The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae naturally produces a membrane-bound INP (inaZ), capable of structuring water and initiating ice formation at temperatures as high as -2 °C. I hypothesized that intracellular expression of an altered form of inaZ (PsINP) in Sf-21 cells will mediate highly regulated ice nucleation when cells are cooled to -80 °C in a slow, controlled manner, …

Size And Shape Information Serve As Labels In The Alarm Calls Of Gunnison’S Prairie Dogs Cynomys Gunnisoni, C. N. Slobodchikoff, William R. Briggs, Patricia A. Dennis, Anne-Marie C. Hodge

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Some animals have the capacity to produce different alarm calls for terrestrial and aerial predators. However, it is not clear what cognitive processes are involved in generating these calls. One possibility is the position of the predator: Anything on the ground receives a terrestrial predator call, and anything in the air receives an aerial predator call. Another possibility is that animals are able to recognize the physical features of predators and incorporate those into their calls. As a way of elucidating which of these mechanisms plays a primary role in generating the structure of different calls, we performed two field …

Evaluating A Primate Sanctuary: Population Assessment Of The Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri Sciureus) On Sumak Allpa, Ecuador, Claire Leichter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) population on Sumak Allpa was assessed during 33 observation periods between November 5^th and November 24^th of 2012. Sumak Allpa is a 113.15-hectare island on the Napo River in the Orellana Province of Amazonian Ecuador that has been functioning as a primate sanctuary since 2005. Squirrel monkeys were surveyed during 1 to 3 hour observation walks in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. During two occasions, the island was divided among multiple observers at the same time, including one observer in a canoe on the exterior of the island, to allow …

The Effect Of Dam Parity On Progeny Growth Performance, Passive Immunity, And Gastrointestinal Microbiota, Erin E. Hinkle

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

Previous research has shown that parity (P) 4 progeny have greater weaning weights and decreased microbial diversity compared to P1 progeny. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate litter performance, passive immunity, and fecal microbiota among P1 and P3 dams and their progeny. In experiment 1, 56 P1 and 49 P3 dams and their progeny’s litter and growth performance, immunoglobulin (IgG and IgA) concentrations, and gut microbiota were evaluated. In experiment 2, 48 pigs per P were selected to determine growth performance, immunoglobulin (IgG and IgA) concentrations, and gut microbiota. In experiment 3, 8 dams per P were selected. At birth, …

Biosecurity Risk Assessment Of The Fairchild Dairy Nutrition Research Center, Margaret Lynch

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Mother Goats Do Not Forget Their Kids’ Calls, Elodie F. Briefer, Mónica Padilla De La Torre, Alan G. Mcelligott

Sentience Collection

Parent–offspring recognition is crucial for offspring survival. At long distances, this recognition is mainly based on vocalizations. Because of maturation-related changes to the structure of vocalizations, parents have to learn successive call versions produced by their offspring throughout ontogeny in order to maintain recognition. However, because of the difficulties involved in following the same individuals over years, it is not clear how long this vocal memory persists. Here, we investigated long-term vocal recognition in goats. We tested responses of mothers to their kids’ calls 7–13 months after weaning. We then compared mothers’ responses to calls of their previous kids with …

Vocal Expression Of Emotions In Mammals: Mechanisms Of Production And Evidence, Elodie Briefer

Communication Skills Collection

Emotions play a crucial role in an animal’s life because they facilitate responses to external or internal events of significance for the organism. In social species, one of the main functions of emotional expression is to regulate social interactions. There has recently been a surge of interest in animal emotions in several disciplines, ranging from neuroscience to evolutionary zoology. Because measurements of subjective emotional experiences are not possible in animals, researchers use neurophysiological, behavioural and cognitive indicators. However, good indicators, particularly of positive emotions, are still lacking. Vocalizations are linked to the inner state of the caller. The emotional state …

Individual Prey Choices Of Octopuses: Are They Generalist Or Specialist?, Jennifer A. Mather, Tatiana S. Leite, Allan T. Batista

Sentience Collection

Prey choice is often evaluated at the species or population level. Here, we analyzed the diet of octopuses of different populations with the aim to assess the importance of individual feeding habits as a factor affecting prey choice. Two methods were used, an assessment of the extent to which an individual octopus made choices of species representative of those population (PSi and IS) and 25% cutoff values for number of choices and percentage intake of individual on their prey. In one population of Octopus cf vulgaris in Bermuda individuals were generalist by IS=0.77, but most chose many prey of the …

Why (And How) Personalities In Invertebrates?, Jennifer A. Mather

Sentience Collection

No abstract provided.

Immune Responses In Lactating Holstein Cows Supplemented With Cu, Mn, And Zn As Sulfates Or Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelates, L. M. Nemec, J. D. Richards, C. A. Atwell, D. E. Diaz, G. I. Zanton, T. F. Gressley

Physiology Collection

The aim of this study was to compare effects of inorganic sulfate versus chelated forms of supplemental Cu, Mn, and Zn on milk production, plasma and milk mineral concentrations, neutrophil activity, and antibody titer response to a model vaccination. Holstein cows (n = 25) were assigned in 2 cohorts based on calving date to a 12-wk randomized complete block design study. The first cohort consisted of 17 cows that had greater days in milk (DIM; mean of 77 DIM at the start of the trial) than the second cohort of 8 cows (32 DIM at the start of the trial). …