Animal Sciences Commons^™

Various Gaits Of African Elephant Calves, Elizabeth Anne Jennings

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

It is commonly believed that elephants exhibit only one gait, a lateral sequence walk. However, recently there have been several interesting studies on the footfall patterns of adult African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Scientists have recognized that elephants actually exhibit two patterns of locomotion: a lateral sequence walk and an amble. The amble is a slight modification of the lateral sequence gait. The present study extends this work by examining the relationship between gait and speed in African elephant calves at the Indianapolis Zoo. I collected frame-by-frame observational video data from a newborn calf born at the Indianapolis Zoo across a …

Effect Of Plant-Derived Molecules On Acinetobacter Baumannii Biofilm On Abiotic Surfaces, Ryan P. Pelletier

Honors Scholar Theses

The emergence of multiple drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii has lead to an increased interest in finding alternative antimicrobial compounds for controlling the pathogen. The present study investigated the effect of three plant-derived antimicrobials, namely eugenol (EUG), carvacrol (CAR), and thymol (THY), on A. baumannii biofilms. Using concentrations equal to or greater than the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of each compound, the ability of EUG, CAR, and THY to inactivate the mature biofilms of three strains of MDR A. baumannii on polystyrene microtiter plates and stainless steel coupons was examined. All three plant-derived compounds significantly inactivated the bioflims of all …

An Approach For Use Of Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (Didson) To Quantify Behavioral Aspects Of Piscivory At Ecologically Relevant Time And Space Scales, Victoria E. Price

Master's Theses

Predator-prey interactions of large vagile fishes are difficult to study in the ocean due to limitations in the space and time requirements for observations. Small-scale direct underwater observations by divers (<10m >radius) and large-scale hydroacoustic surveys (10s - 100s km2) are traditional approaches. However, large piscivorous predators identify and attack prey at the scale of meters to tens of meters. Dual- Frequency Identification Sonar, or DIDSON, is a high-resolution acoustic camera operating in the MHz range that provides detailed continuous video-like imaging of objects out to 30 m range. This technology can be used to observe predator-prey interactions at ecologically …

Terrestrial Habitat Requirements Of Nesting Freshwater Turtles, D. A. Steen, J. P. Gibbs, K. A. Buhlman, J. L. Carr, B. W. Compton, J. D. Congdon, J. S. Doody, J. C. Godwin, Kerry L. Holcomb, D. R. Jackson, F. J. Janzen, G. Johnson, M. T. Jones, J. T. Lamer, T. A. Langen, M. V. Plummer, J. W. Rowe, R. A. Saumure, J. K. Tucker, D. S. Wilson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Because particular life history traits affect species vulnerability to development pressures, cross-species summaries of life history traits are useful for generating management guidelines. Conservation of aquatic turtles, many members of which are regionally or globally imperiled, requires knowing the extent of upland habitat used for nesting. Therefore, we compiled distances that nests and gravid females had been observed from wetlands. Based on records of > 8000 nests and gravid female records compiled for 31 species in the United States and Canada, the distances that encompass 95% of nests vary dramatically among genera and populations, from just 8 m for Malaclemys to …

Ars Assists In Fight Against Kudzu Bug, Jan Suszkiw, Walker Jones

Agricultural Research Magazine

Sure, this distant relative of the brown marmorated stink bug will feed voraciously on the stems of kudzu, the “Vine That Ate the South.” But Megacopta cribraria also has a taste for soybean and other legumes. In Georgia, where this native of Asia was first discovered in the United States in October 2009, there’s worry that the pest will set its sights on peanut, endangering a $2 billion crop that supplies nearly 50 percent of America’s peanuts (Georgia Peanut Commission, 2009).

Like the brown marmorated stink bug, Megacopta—also known as the “bean plataspid”—seeks shelter inside homes, buildings, and vehicles …

Flow Rate, And More, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

At the Agricultural Research Service’s Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory in Kimberly, Idaho, agricultural engineer Brad King and research leader Dave Bjorneberg compared how irrigation from four commercial center-pivot sprinklers affected potential runoff and erosion on four south-central Idaho soils.

Though their results were inconsistent, they did observe that at the end of six irrigations, a 50-percent reduction in sprinkler flow rate reduced runoff and soil erosion 60-80 percent. They concluded that reducing sprinkler flow rate early in the growing season—before the development of a crop canopy—could help reduce irrigation runoff and soil erosion linked to center-pivot sprinkler irrigation. …

Back Matter Agricultural Research Magazine May-June 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Research Magazine

5601 Sunnyside Ave.

Beltsville, MD 20705-5129

Agricultural Research Magazine May-June 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research

150 Years of Making History

USDA's 150th Anniversary- May 15, 2012

Forum: Alternative Strategies For Keeping Animals Healthy, Cyril G. Gay

Agricultural Research Magazine

The general public needs to know more about the importance of preventing and controlling livestock diseases and the financial impact they would have on our lives and food supply if left unchecked. Part of our mission at the USDA Agricultural Research Service is to conduct research to protect the safety of our nation’s agriculture and food supply through improved disease detection, prevention, and control.

Antibiotics are recognized as one of the most important biomedical discoveries for treating infectious diseases of animals and humans. The use of antibiotics has had a major impact on increases in food-animal production and has resulted …

New Insights Into Irrigation Management, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

Pacific Northwest potato and sugar beet farmers who irrigate their crops with sprinklers need to know a lot more than when to turn on the faucet. The region’s powdery silt loam soils don’t contain much stabilizing organic matter, and existing soil aggregates that facilitate water infiltration can be broken up during irrigation. Afterwards, the loose particles of sand, silt, and clay that remain can dry to form a solid crust that greatly limits infiltration into the soil.

This means that growers not only need to calculate how much water should be supplied during irrigation, but they also need to ensure …

Genetics And Bermudagrass: It's Not Easy Being Uniformly Green, Dennis O’Brien, Karen Harris

Agricultural Research Magazine

Golfers and golf course superintendents expect a lot from their putting greens. They want fine, lush, carpetlike surfaces that a ball will roll smoothly across. They also want a grass that tolerates frequent low mowing, has uniform color and texture, tolerates pests and cold temperatures, and offers a dense canopy that shades out weeds to minimize the need for herbicides.

Southern putting greens are made up of single cultivars of bermudagrass, but golf course superintendents have complained for years about the appearance of nonuniform plants, or “off-types,” that can throw off the green’s appearance and “playability.” The bermudagrass cultivar Tifgreen, …

New Tool Opens A Bigger Window To Insect-Plant Warfare, Dennis O’Brien, Elaine Backus

Agricultural Research Magazine

When an aphid, leafhopper, or psyllid lands on a plant to feed, it begins a process of chamical welfare. As piercing-sucking insects, they use needlelike stylets to insert saliva into plant tissues and open a pathway to ingest fluids critical to the plant’s survival. When punctured, the plant senses the attack and secretes proteins and other chemical defenses to prevent fluids from being pulled out, thus creating a stress on the plant. This warfare costs growers billions of dollars each year in lost ornamentals, vegetables, citrus, and other important agricultural crops.

Because much of the action takes place in the …

Table Of Contents May-June 2012 Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine

4 Strategies That Work: Alternatives to Antibiotics in Animal Health

8 New Insights Into Irrigation Management

10 150 Years of Making History: USDA’s 150th Anniversary, May 15, 2012

20 New Tool Opens a Bigger Window to Insect Warfare

22 ARS Assists in Fight Against Kudzu Bug

23 Genetics and Bermudagrass: It’s Not Easy Being Uniformly Green

150 Years Of Making History, Don Comis, Tara Weaver-Missick, Robert Sowers

Agricultural Research Magazine

The only thing that stands between the United States and an invasion of cattle-killing screwworms is a daily flight of airplanes flooding a 100-mile-wide section of the Isthmus of Panama with male screwworm flies raised in a laboratory and sterilized with radiation in Panama. The screwworm infestations of the past would probably come back if the releases stopped for a couple of months or so, says Dan Strickman, Agricultural Research Service national program leader for veterinary and medical entomology.

“This is a great example of agricultural research changing the history of this country, and it’s a cutting-edge example of integrated …

Big Blue And You: An Interdisciplinary Look At Science And The Ocean, A Students Teaching Students Course, Megan M. Nepshinsky, Alexa Kretsch, Benjamin Negrete

Senior Honors Projects

This class is the second project under the new Honors Program initiative, Students Teaching Students (STS). STS was brought to URI and implemented by Bridget Griffith as part of her Senior Honors Project in 2011. Students apply in their Junior year to design, research, and teach an honors course on a topic about which they are passionate. The STS program allows motivated honors students to have a unique opportunity to lead a class as student professors. This allows students a freedom of creativity on the topic, assignments, and teaching style. Drawing on our own experiences, we were able to create …

2011 Annual Report, Various Authors

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Genetic Variation In Potentially Virulent Vibrio Parahaemolyticus From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Nicholas Felix Noriea Iii

Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V_p) is a gram-negative bacterium found naturally in marine and estuarine environments. V_p is found in oysters including those which are later consumed by the public. Sub-populations of potentially virulent Vp contain specific virulence factors and are relevant human pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis, wound infection, and death. The tdh and trh genes, both encoding hemolysins, have been correlated with the majority of clinical V_p isolates but have not been shown to be the definitive virulence factors.

A total of 146 V_p isolates from the northern Gulf of Mexico were collected and probed …

Effects Of Hypoxia And 4-Tert-Octylphenol On Gene Expression Profiles Of The Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon Variegatus), Arthur Alan Karels

Dissertations

Hypoxia occurs in estuaries of northern Gulf of Mexico and world-wide, with increasing frequency/severity via eutrophication and anthropogenic influences. Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) form transcriptional complex and bind DNA at hypoxia responsive elements (HREs) in promoter regions of genes needed for systemic and cellular adaptation of fish to low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia, DO <2.0 mg/ml). Hypoxia-induced activation of HIF-αs can lead to a cascade of downstream activation, such as erythropoietin (EPO). Return to normal DO levels (normoxia), prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) are activated to degrade HIF-αs back to baseline. Fish are affected by environmental estrogen mimics, like 4-tert-octylphenol (4tOP), binding estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) at estrogen responsive elements (EREs) and activating genes vitellogenin (VTG). Previous research showed overlap or crosstalk between these two mechanistic pathways. Hypoxia triggers unknown factors regulating ERE-mediated ERα signaling pathway, and stressor combinations could increase/decrease hypoxic or endocrine pathway. Research examined molecular/physiological effects of hypoxia (acute and chronic, moderate and severe) and 4tOP (~60μg/L)on adult male and/or female sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus). Three genes identified, cloned, and sequenced (HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and PHD3), plus previously identified genes EPO and VTG, were examined in liver/testes exposed to hypoxia and/or 4tOP for cellular/physiological changes. Endpoints examined included mRNA expression from real-time PCR of HIF-1α, HIF-2α, PHD3, EPO, and VTG using cDNA from total RNA extracts, and microarray analyses of genes expressed during the transition from hypoxia back to normoxia. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed isolation of two HIF-α isofoms (HIF-1α and HIF-2α) and the PHD3 isoform. Significant up-regulation of PHD3 occurred within 10 hrs of chronic hypoxia, and persisted when severe (1.5 mg/L) and declined when moderate (~2.5mg/L). Significant up-regulation of HIF-1α and EPO occurred within 30 minutes to 2 hours of onset of acute severe and very severe (~1.08mg/L) hypoxia. Hypoxia acted similar to an estrogen mimic, with huge up-regulation of VTG gene expression in males, and increased VTG levels (additive effect) when hypoxia was combined with 4tOP. Microarray analyses showed 125 genes with significant transcriptional change, with up- or down-regulation from transitions of: (1) hypoxia (72 hrs) to normoxia (74 hrs) and (2) hypoxia+4tOP (72 hrs) to normoxia+4tOP (74 hrs).

Comparison Of Creel Survey Data To Traditional Sampling Techniques In Pit-Lake Fisheries Of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Derek L. Rupert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Populations of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, and bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, were evaluated from five pit-lakes in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, to determine if accurate proportional stock density (PSD) data can be obtained from a mandatory creel survey. It was hypothesized that the proportion of stock-to-quality (300-400mm) and quality (+400mm) largemouth bass from four years (2007-2010) of creel survey data would be statistically similar to those generated through on-site sampling in 2011. Fish were collected via a combination of gill netting, seining, hook-and-line fishing, and boat-mounted electro-fishing. In two of the pit-lakes, the sampling-generated length frequency data was not significantly …

Host Specificity Of Ecuadorian Bat Flies (Diptera: Streblidae), Eric Stamper

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Diptera: Streblidae are ectoparasites of bat populations found in many locations throughout the world. These ectoparasites are generally known as bat flies. They attach themselves to the wing membranes and bodies of bats to bite and feed on their blood. Using a large sample consisting of over 2,000 bats and 6,000 bat flies, I have conducted a study of the degree of host specificity of these ectoparasites. Host specificity is a measurement of the degree to which a particular parasite is restricted to its host or hosts. Here I find evidence to support more recent findings that bat flies are …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 88, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Plasticity Of Boldness In Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss: Do Hunger And Predation Influence Risk-Taking Behaviour?, Jack S. Thomson, Phillip C. Watts, Tom G. Pottinger, Lynne U. Sneddon

Ethology Collection

Boldness, a measure of an individual's propensity for taking risks, is an important determinant of fitness but is not necessarily a fixed trait. Dependent upon an individual's state, and given certain contexts or challenges, individuals may be able to alter their inclination to be bold or shy in response. Furthermore, the degree to which individuals can modulate their behaviour has been linked with physiological responses to stress. Here we attempted to determine whether bold and shy rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, can exhibit behavioural plasticity in response to changes in state (nutritional availability) and context (predation threat). Individual trout were initially …

Blood Cortisol Concentrations Predict Boldness In Juvenile Mulloway (Argyosomus Japonicus), Vincent Raoult, Culum Brown, Amina Zuberi, Jane E. Williamson

Sentience Collection

There is a growing interest in animal personality because individual variation is the substrate of the evolutionary process. Despite revelations that personality traits affect key fitness variables, little is known about the proximate mechanisms generating consistent behavioural differences between individuals. Boldness, the propensity to take risks, is one of the most widely studied aspects of personality in fishes. We assessed the position of juvenile Argyosomus japonicus on the ‘‘boldness–shyness’’ continuum by repeatedly recording the time taken to exit a refuge and explore a novel environment. Stress-related hormone concentrations after exposure to a mild stressor were analysed 1 month before behavioural …

Minimising Gear Conflict And Resource Sharing Issues In The Shark Bay Trawl Fisheries And Promotion Of Scallop Recruitment, Mervi I. Kangas, Arani Chandrapavan, Y L. Hetzel, Erroll C. Sporer

Fisheries Research Reports

Objectives 1. To determine size specific recapture mortality rates of Amusium balloti as a result of repeated capture and release experiments and gear impacts on newly recruited (juvenile) scallops. 2. To determine the impacts of various scallop mesh sizes for the capture of the target size of Amusium balloti and its impact on damage to and retention of prawns. 3. To investigate if small-scale spatial closures assist recruitment of Amusium balloti by reducing gear impacts and capture mortality but without affecting overall prawn catches. 4. To examine whether existing hydrodynamic models can guide the selection of spatial closures and to …

Personality Assessment In African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Kristina Marie Horback

Dissertations

The following study assessed personality in twelve African elephants using both observational behavior coding and standardized trait rating methods, thus demonstrating consistent individual differences across time and contexts. During the summer of 2010 and 2011, over 640 hours of behavioral data were collected onsite at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA. Four coding-based personality traits were determined after analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TOLERANT, and, AGGRESSIVE. This data was then compared to survey ratings completed by the animal keeper staff during both summers. Four rating-based personality traits resulted from this analysis: PLAYFUL, CURIOUS, TIMID, and, AGGRESSIVE. All eight composite …

Returns To The Introduction Of New Sorghum Cultivars Into The Dairy Industry Of El Salvador, Alexis Homero Villacís Aveiga

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

The returns to the introduction of new photo-insensitive sorghum varieties into the dairy industry were analyzed to determine changes in the welfare of consumers, processors, producers and the society. The economic surplus method was used along with a survey data of a stratified sample of 150 farms conducted in 2011 in El Salvador. Results indicate that there are large returns per dollar spent and substantial benefits to consumers, processors and producers. Results also show that the adoption of these new technologies represents advantages in production costs of milk in each farm size. These cost savings per bottle are very small …

A Study Of The Spawning Ecology And Early Life History Survival Of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, Phaedra E. Budy, Sarah Wood, Brett B. Roper

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

We completed a large-scale field experiment in four tributaries of the Logan River, Utah, where the largest metapopulation of imperiled Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii utah persists. We documented the spatial and temporal distributions of spawners, quantified substrate use versus substrate availability, and evaluated differences in hatch and emergence fry success between and among sites in relation to habitat characteristics. We observed considerable variability in the timing, magnitude, and duration of spawning among study areas (streams), in part as a function of a variable, multipeaked hydrograph. Nevertheless, across study areas, >70% of redds were constructed on the final descending limb …

Evaluating The Performance Of F1 Brahman Sired Calves Compared To F1 Angus Sired Calves, Shari Alicia Mahoney

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Growth Promoting Implants And Nutrient Restriction Prior To Feeding: Effect On Carcass Composition, Carcass Quality, And Consumer Acceptability Of Beef, Jessica Ann Robinette

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Implant strategy and nutrient restriction prior to finishing may alter feedlot performance, as well as carcass characteristics and consumer acceptability of beef. The objectives of these studies were to determine the effect of prefinishing implant strategy and plane of nutrition on prefinishing and feedlot performance, carcass characteristics and quality, and consumer acceptability of beef. In 2 experiments, spring-born calves were weaned in the fall (Exp. 1, n =120; and Exp. 2, n = 96) and were either finished as calves (CALF-FED) or placed on a growing program with a target ADG of 0.45 kg/d (RSTR) or 0.91 kg/d (UNRSTR) before …

Genomic Analysis Of Characteristics In Swine Contributing To Sow Longevity, Julie Kathleen Tart

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

Selection for improved sow lifetime reproductive longevity is of growing importance to swine producers due to recent increases in sow culling rates. Traditional selection results in minimal response due to low heritability and late expression of the trait; incorporation of DNA markers into selection programs could be a more economically viable tool and improve lifetime reproductive performance.

In order to assess the relationship between markers and reproductive longevity, 967 gilts from two maternal crossbred lines were evaluated for age at puberty (AP), litter size traits, and number of successful parities (SP). Females were culled only for death, unsoundness, or reproductive …