Animal Sciences Commons^™

Predictive Ability Of Genome-Assisted Statistical Models Under Various Forms Of Gene Action, Mehdi Momen, Ahmad Ayatollahi Mehrgardi, Ayyub Sheikhi, Andreas Kranis, Llibertat Tussell, Gota Morota, Guilherme J. M. Rosa, Daniel Gianola

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Recent work has suggested that the performance of prediction models for complex traits may depend on the architecture of the target traits. Here we compared several prediction models with respect to their ability of predicting phenotypes under various statistical architectures of gene action: (1) purely additive, (2) additive and dominance, (3) additive, dominance, and two-locus epistasis, and (4) purely epistatic settings. Simulation and a real chicken dataset were used. Fourteen prediction models were compared: BayesA, BayesB, BayesC, Bayesian LASSO, Bayesian ridge regression, elastic net, genomic best linear unbiased prediction, a Gaussian process, LASSO, random forests, reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces regression, …

Linkage Disequilibrium In Brazilian Santa Inês Breed, Ovis Aries, Amanda Botelho Alvarenga, Gregori Alberto Rovadoscki, Juliana Petrini, Luiz Lehmann Coutinho, Gota Morota, Matthew L. Spangler, Luis Fernando Batista Pinto, Gleidson Giordano Pinto Carvalho, G. B. Mourao

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

For genomic selection to be successful, there must be sufficient linkage disequilibrium between the markers and the causal mutations. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the extent of LD in ovine using the Santa Inês breed and to infer the minimum number of markers required to reach reasonable prediction accuracy. In total, 38,168 SNPs and 395 samples were used. The mean LD between adjacent marker pairs measured by r² and |D′| were 0.166 and 0.617, respectively. LD values between adjacent marker pairs ranged from 0.135 to 0.194 and from 0.568 to 0.650 for r² for |D′| …

Estimates Of Genomic Heritability And Genome-Wide Association Study For Fatty Acids Profile In Santa Inês Sheep, G. A. Rovadoscki, S. F. N. Pertile, A. B. Alvarenga, A. S. M. Cesar, F. Pertille, J. Petrini, V. Franzo, W. V. B. Soares, G. Morota, Matthew L. Spangler, L. F. B. Pinto, G. G. P. Carvalho, D. P. D. Lanna, L. L. Coutinho, G. B. Mourao

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background: Despite the health concerns and nutritional importance of fatty acids, there is a relative paucity of studies in the literature that report genetic or genomic parameters, especially in the case of sheep populations. To investigate the genetic architecture of fatty acid composition of sheep, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and estimated genomic heritabilities for fatty acid profile in Longissimus dorsi muscle of 216 male sheep.

Results: Genomic heritability estimates for fatty acid content ranged from 0.25 to 0.46, indicating that substantial genetic variation exists for the evaluated traits. Therefore, it is possible to alter fatty acid profiles through …

Effect Of Differing Ingredients And Packaging Technologies On The Color Of High-Pressure Processed Ground Beef, Jhinuk Gupta, Chad G. Bower, Gary Sullivan, George A. Cavender

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

High-pressure processing (HPP) is a nonthermal pasteurization technique to control pathogens, like Escherichia coli. However, color changes in raw beef induced by HPP restrict its use within the beef industry. ­e objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of adding curing agents (nitrite) and packaging with or without reducing compounds (ascorbic acid/erythorbate) on color retention in high-pressure processed ground beef. Color was measured (CIE L*a*b*) before HPP and on days 3, 7, 12, 14, 19, and 21 after HPP. Statistical analysis (SAS GLIMMIX) was run to identify the main effects of adding curing agents, packaging, and …

The Impact Of Truncating Data On The Predictive Ability For Single-Step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction, Jeremy T. Howard, Thomas A. Rathje, Caitlyn E. Bruns, Danielle F. Wilson-Wells, Stephen D. Kachman, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Simulated and swine industry data sets were utilized to assess the impact of removing older data on the predictive ability of selection candidate estimated breeding values (EBV) when using single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP). Simulated data included thirty replicates designed to mimic the structure of swine data sets. For the simulated data, varying amounts of data were truncated based on the number of ancestral generations back from the selection candidates. The swine data sets consisted of phenotypic and genotypic records for three traits across two breeds on animals born from 2003 to 2017. Phenotypes and genotypes were iteratively …

Do Stronger Measures Of Genomic Connectedness Enhance Prediction Accuracies Across Management Units?, Haipeng Yu, Matthew L. Spangler, Ronald M. Lewis, Gota Morota

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Genetic connectedness assesses the extent to which estimated breeding values can be fairly compared across management units. Ranking of individuals across units based on best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) is reliable when there is a sufficient level of connectedness due to a better disentangling of genetic signal from noise. Connectedness arises from genetic relationships among individuals. Although a recent study showed that genomic relatedness strengthens the estimates of connectedness across management units compared with that of pedigree, the relationship between connectedness measures and prediction accuracies only has been explored to a limited extent. In this study, we examined whether increased …

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Is Associated With Reduced Morbidity And Mortality In Porcine Circovirus Associated Disease, Megan C. Niederwerder, Laura A. Constance, Raymond R. R. Rowland, Waseem Abbas, Samodha C. Fernando, Megan L. Potter, Maureen A. Sheahan, Thomas E. Burkey, Richard A. Hesse, Ada G. Cino-Ozuna

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD) is a term used to describe the multifactorial disease syndromes caused by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2), which can be reproduced in an experimental setting through the co-infection of pigs with PCV-2 and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The resulting PCVAD-affected pigs represent a subpopulation within the co-infected group. In co-infection studies, the presence of increased microbiome diversity is linked to a reduction in clinical signs. In this study, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was investigated as a means to prevent PCVAD in pigs co-infected with PRRSV and PCV-2d. The sources of the FMT …

Generation Of An Equine Biobank To Be Used For Functional Annotation Of Animal Genomes Project, E. N. Burns, M. H. Bordbari, M. J. Mienaltowski, V. K. Affolter, M. V. Barro, F. Gianino, G. Gianino, E. Giulotto, T. S. Kalbfleisch, S. A. Katzman, M. Lassaline, T. Leeb, M. Mack, E. J. Muller, J. N. Macleod, B. Ming-Whitfield, C. R. Alanis, T. Raudsepp, E. Scott, S. Vig, H. Zhou, J. L. Petersen, R. R. Bellone, C. J. Finno

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) project aims to identify genomic regulatory elements in both sexes across multiple stages of development in domesticated animals. This study represents the first stage of the FAANG project for the horse, Equus caballus. A biobank of 80 tissue samples, two cell lines and six body fluids was created from two adult Thoroughbred mares. Ante-mortem assessments included full physical examinations, lameness, ophthalmologic and neurologic evaluations. Complete blood counts and serum biochemistries were also performed. At necropsy, in addition to tissue samples, aliquots of serum, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) plasma, heparinized plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial …

Energy Balance And Diurnal Variation In Methane Production As Affected By Feeding Frequency In Jersey Cows In Late Lactation, J. V. Judy, G. C. Bachman, T. M. Brown-Brandl, S. C. Fernando, K. E. Hales, P. S. Miller, R. R. Stowell, P. J. Kononoff

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Methane (CH₄) production of ruminants typically increases with increased dry matter intake (DMI). However, few studies have observed the effects of feeding multiple times a day and its effects on diurnal variation in CH₄ production and energy balance in late-lactation dairy cattle. A study using headbox-style indirect calorimetry and 12 multiparous (225 ± 16.2 d in milk; mean ± SD) lactating Jersey cows was conducted to determine the effects of feeding twice daily on diurnal variation in CH₄ production and total energy balance. A crossover design with 14-d periods (10 d of adaption and 4 d …

Function And Dysfunction Of Fatty Acid Mobilization: A Review, Joslyn K. Beard, Travis Mulliniks, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Western populations have a growing obesity epidemic due in part to excessive nutrient intake from high-fat diets, which are increasingly common. Overindulgence of nutrients is associated with a greater incidence of metabolic dysfunction and a greater risk for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic disorders that lower quality of life. Research in humans and animal models has improved our understanding of how excess circulating free fatty acids negatively impact the ability of muscle and other tissues to regulate nutrient uptake and utilization. It is generally accepted by the scientific community that excess circulating fatty acids lead to insulin resistance, but …

Investigation Of The Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome In Lambs Fed Β Adrenergic Agonists And Subjected To Heat Stress For 21 D, Rachel Kubik, Shauna M. Tietze, Ty B. Schmidt, Dustin Tyler Yates, Jessica Lynn Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Dietary β-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) are used in livestock to increase muscle protein accretion and decrease adipose deposition during the last 20 to 40 d of the finishing period (Johnson et al., 2014). These β-AA act through specific seven transmembrane receptors and are classified by the receptor isoform to which they primarily bind (Mersmann, 1998). Two β-AA are approved for use in beef cattle in the United States: ractopamine HCl (RAC, β1 agonist) and zilpaterol HCl (ZH, β2 agonist) (Johnson et al., 2014). Supplementation of β-AA increases efficiency of the animal and results in a leaner carcass (Elam et al., 2009). …

Impact Of Pre-And Postpartum Nutrition On March-Calving Cow And Progeny Productivity, Jacki A. Musgrave, Devin L. Broadhead, L. A. Stalker Stalker, Richard N. Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

March-calving cows were fed hay or grazed corn residue prepartum, and then either fed hay or grazed subirrigated meadow postpartum. Combinations of these different feeding strategies impacted body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) during the pre-and postpartum period; however, resulted in similar pregnancy rates. Although differences were not observed in cow pregnancy rates, a benefit in pre-weaning growth was observed for calves from the dams in postpartum meadow treatment. A tendency for an improvement in marbling score was observed for steers born to cows fed hay prepartum, perhaps indicating a higher plane of nutrition prepartum may improve quality …

Block And Bridle Annual 2018, Unl Animal Science Block And Bridle 2018 Team

Block and Bridle Annual (1933–2021)

As a club in the department we are very fortunate to have livestock handling facilities on campus and the opportunities to utilize the facility for livestock judging, Little AKSARBEN, and other events held by the club. I would also like to add that in the spring of 2021, the club will have the opportunity to show case the Animal Science Department and the various livestock sectors of Nebraska, by hosting the 101st National Block and Bridle Convention. We have a group of young ladies who are excited to take on the challenge of planning a convention of this magnitude. They …

Wpa News 107 (2018), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2018), number 107

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Conservation Limnogeology And Benthic Habitat Mapping In Central Lake Tanganyika (Tanzania), Joseph S. Lucas

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Small scale protected zones are valuable for helping the health and productivity of fisheries at Lake Tanganyika (East Africa). Spatial placement of protected areas relies on accurate maps of benthic habitats, consisting of detailed bathymetry data and information on lake-floor substrates. This information is unknown for most of Lake Tanganyika. Fish diversity is known to correlate with rocky substrates in ≤ 30 m water depth, which provide spawning grounds for littoral and pelagic species. These benthic habitats form important targets for protected areas, if they can be precisely located.

At the NMVA, echosounding defined the position of the 30-m isobath …

Climate Change, Cattle, And The Challenge Of Sustainability In A Telecoupled System In Africa, Tara S. Easter, Alexander K. Killion, Neil H. Carter

Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior

Information, energy, and materials are flowing over greater distances than in the past, changing the structure and feedbacks within and across coupled human and natural systems worldwide. The telecoupling framework was recently developed to understand the feedbacks and multidirectional flows characterizing social and environmental interactions between distant systems. We extend the application of the telecoupling framework to illustrate how flows in beef affect and are affected by social-ecological processes occurring between distant systems in Africa, and how those dynamics will likely change over the next few decades because of climate-induced shifts in a major bovine disease, trypanosomosis. The disease is …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Deacue Fields

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 19 2018, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

New For Discovery: Scholarworks@Uark, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Predicting Kidding Date Using Prepartum Milk Calcium Concentrations And Comparing Kid Growth To Colostrum Quality In Goats, Justin M. Hamm

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Goats have an ancient history with humankind and are used as a red meat source around the world. This provides an opportunity in Arkansas agriculture. There is a gap in goat research which facilitated the conception of the study’s objectives to determine whether prepartum milk in goats showed a rise in calcium levels within 24 to 48 hours of kidding and to ascertain whether an increased colostrum density is indicative of increased weight gain in kids. Eleven does were bred out of season and monitored for mammary development. Then, 5 to 15 mL of prepartum milk were collected, and the …

Genome-Wide Association Study For The Relationship Between Temperature And Feed Intake In Beef Cattle, Robel Araya Ghebrewold

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

Environmental conditions, such as changes in ambient temperature, can cause changes in animal behavior and performance. In general, it is believed that as ambient temperature increases, dry matter intake (DMI) of beef cattle decreases. However, our hypothesis was that the degree to which animals adjust their daily DMI due to changes in ambient temperature is partially controlled by genetic effects. Consequently, the objective of this study was to estimate the genetic component of the regression of DMI on ambient temperature using an admixed beef cattle population consisting of various crosses of Angus, Simmental, and Piedmontese (n = 239). Ambient …

Seasonal Fluctuations Of Zooplankton, Dissolved Oxygen, And Temperature In Lake Bemidji, Minnesota, Cody Coyle

Journal of Earth and Life Science

With the current influx of aquatic invasive species in Minnesota lakes, the status of zooplankton has become vital. Zooplankton are at the base of all food chains in aquatic ecosystems, ecosystems that vary greatly throughout a year’s time. The objectives of this study were to 1) track the location of zooplankton throughout the water column for an entire year, and 2) establish relationships between zooplankton location and specific water column characteristics. Zooplankton, dissolved oxygen, and temperature samples were collected bi-monthly at various depths at the deepest point in the southern basin of Lake Bemidji. Zooplankton were most abundant in the …

Age-0 Walleye Growth Rates Following Spiny Water Flea Bythotrephes Longimanus Invasion, Joseph Amundson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Within Voyageurs National Park, spiny water flea Bythotrephes longimanus has reduced Lake Kabetogama and Rainy Lake native zooplankton biomass during summer peak by 40-60%. Subsequently, planktivorous age-0 Yellow Perch Perca flavescens growth has decreased. A possible trophic cascade may influence predatory fish growth rates like that of age-0 Walleye Sander vitreus. Using seine net and electrofishing data, age-0 Walleye growth rates were modeled as a linear function of growing degree days (GDD) and the slope was compared between pre- and post-spiny water flea establishment. Nearby Lake Vermilion, assumed to have been unaffected by spiny water flea until 2015 and …

Burbot Activity In Relation To Light Penetration On Lake Bemidji, Mn, Hunter Weidenborner, Josh Janecek

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Burbot Lota lota is the only freshwater member of the family Gadidae and has a circumpolar distribution in cold-water regions. Information related to Burbot biology is limited in comparison to most fishes. Snow pack depth and ice conditions influence light penetration and therefore primary production levels. Primary production can have cascading effects on higher trophic levels. Therefore, the objective of this study was to observe if light levels penetrating through cleared and covered ice has an effect on Burbot activity in Lake Bemidji, MN. Angling for Burbot occurred for a minimum of 30 four hour sample periods at both cleared …

Rumen Bacterial Community Structure Impacts Feed Efficiency In Beef Cattle, Henry A. Paz, Kristin E. Hales, James E. Wells, Larry A. Kuehn, Harvey C. Freetly, Elaine D. Berry, Michael D. Flythe, Matthew L. Spangler, Samodha C. Fernando

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The importance of the rumen microbiota on nutrient cycling to the animal is well recognized; however, our understanding of the influence of the rumen microbiome composition on feed efficiency is limited. The rumen microbiomes of two large animal cohorts (125 heifers and 122 steers) were characterized to identify specific bacterial members (operational taxonomic units [OTUs]) associated with feed efficiency traits (ADFI, ADG, and G:F) in beef cattle. The heifer and steer cohorts were fed a forage-based diet and a concentrate-based diet, respectively. A rumen sample was obtained from each animal via esophageal tubing and bacterial community composition was …

Using Single Molecule Mrna Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (Rna-Fish) To Quantify Mrnas In Individual Murine Oocytes And Embryos, Fang Xie, Kelsey A. Timme, Jennifer R. Wood

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Changes in abundance of mRNAs during oocyte growth and maturation and during pre-implantation embryo development have been documented using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qPCR), microarray analyses, and whole genome sequencing. However, these techniques require amplification of mRNAs, normalization using housekeeping genes, can be biased for abundant transcripts, and/or require large numbers of oocytes and embryos which can be difficult to acquire from mammalian species. We optimized a single molecule RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) protocol, which amplifies fluorescence signal to detect candidate transcripts, for use with individual oocytes and embryos. Quantification using the software Localize showed patterns of Gdf9 and …

Effects Of Dietary Supplementation Of Formaldehyde And Crystalline Amino Acids On Gut Microbial Composition Of Nursery Pigs, H. E. Williams, R. A. Chochrane, J. C. Woodworth, J. M. Derouchey, S. S. Dritz, M. D. Tokach, C. K. Jones, S. C. Fernando, Thomas E. Burkey, Y. S. Li, R. D. Goodband, R. G. Amachawadi

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Formaldehyde-based feed additives are approved in the US for Salmonella control and reducing bacterial contamination in animal feed. However, we hypothesize formaldehyde inclusion in swine diets may influence gut microbial composition due to its antimicrobial properties which might negatively influence microbial populations and pig growth performance. Also, formaldehyde inclusion in diets is known to reduce the dietary availability of amino acids. Therefore, our study was conducted to characterize if the effects of feed formaldehyde-treatment are due to influences on microbial population or diet amino acid (AA) sources. Dietary treatments were arranged in a (2 × 2) + 1 factorial with …

Synaptogyrin-2 Influences Replication Of Porcine Circovirus 2, Lianna R. Walker, Taylor B. Engle, Hiep Vu, Emily R. Tosky, Dan J. Nonneman, Timothy P. L. Smith, Tudor Borza, Thomas E. Burkey, Graham S. Plastow, Stephen D. Kachman, Daniel C. Ciobanu

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) is a circular single-stranded DNA virus responsible for a group of diseases collectively known as PCV2 Associated Diseases (PCVAD). Variation in the incidence and severity of PCVAD exists between pigs suggesting a host genetic component involved in pathogenesis. A large-scale genome-wide association study of experimentally infected pigs (n = 974), provided evidence of a host genetic role in PCV2 viremia, immune response and growth during challenge. Host genotype explained 64% of the phenotypic variation for overall viral load, with two major Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) identified on chromosome 7 (SSC7) near the swine leukocyte antigen complex …

Effects Of Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn Containing An Α-Amylase Trait On Finishing Cattle Performance And Carcass Characteristics, M. L. Jolly-Breithaupt, M. E. Harris, B. L. Nuttelman, D. B. Burken, J. C. Macdonald, M. K. Leubbe, T. K. Iragavarapu, G. E. Erickson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Two experiments evaluated the effects of feeding a new corn hybrid, containing an α-amylase enzyme trait, Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn (SYT-EFC), on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics at two locations. Experiment 1 utilized 300 calffed steers (298.5 ± 16.3 kg of BW) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center Mead, NE. Treatments were designed as a 2 × 2 + 1– factorial arrangement with factors consisting of 1) corn type (SYT-EFC or conventional [CON]) and 2) byproduct type (with or without Sweet Bran [SB]), or a BLEND of STY-EFC and CON without SB. In Exp. 2, …