Animal Sciences Commons^™

Comparative Analysis Of Small Non-Coding Rna And Messenger Rna Expression In Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer And In Vitro-Fertilized Bovine Embryos During Early Development Through The Maternal-To-Embryonic Transition, Jocelyn Marie Cuthbert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cloning animals using somatic cell nuclear transfer (scNT) was first successfully demonstrated with the birth of Dolly the sheep, but the process of cloning remains highly inefficient. By improving our understanding of the errors that may occur during cloned cattle embryo development, we could obtain a greater understanding of how specific molecular events contribute to successful development. The central dogma of biology refers to the process of DNA being transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and the translation of mRNA into proteins, which ultimately carry out the functions encoded by genes. The epigenetic code is defined as the array of chemical …

The Effects Of Gene Therapy In An Ovine Osteoarthritis Model, Crystal Collier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Humans rely on the health of their joints for stability and mobility in daily life. In a normal, healthy functioning joint, complex processes maintain joint tissues, including remodeling, lubrication, and immune function among many other tasks. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the U.S. It becomes most prevalent in adults 60+ years of age and causes decreased mobility, discomfort, and in some cases, excruciating pain. In the biological processes of osteoarthritis, the metalloproteinase enzymes responsible for the degeneration of cartilage are upregulated. The inhibitors of metalloproteinase activity are known as Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which keep …

Characterization Of Protein And Fat In Dairy Feeds And Implications On Digestibility And Milk Composition, Kassidy Kate Buse

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

A variety of feedstuffs are used to comprise dairy rations, each with their own nutritional contributions. In order to best utilize these feedstuffs to maximize production, characterization of their chemical composition is needed. Through the use of both in vitro and in situ methods, not only can the composition of the feed be determined, but also its digestibility. Also, because of the important role they play in human health, omega 3 fatty acids have received increasing attention. Most individuals consuming Western diets do not meet the recommended requirement for omega 3 fatty acids, and one way to improve that is …

Advancing The Science Of Dry-Aged Beef, Felipe Azevedo Ribeiro

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

In order to tightly control dry aging environmental conditions, we designed and built a computerized dry aging system that is capable of measuring and precisely controlling relative humidity (RH; ± 1%), temperature (± 0.5 °C), air flow (± 0.015m³/min), and mass loss (± 5 g). This dissertation addressed the effects of RH and ultimate pH on meat quality and sensory attributes of dry-aged beef. In study one, we learned that wet-aged steaks had higher L* (P = 0.01), a* (P = 0.03), and b* values (P < 0.001), lower discoloration scores (P < 0.05), and lower TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance) values (P = 0.03) than dry-aged treatments. Under prolonged …

Influence Of Strategic Supplementation And Genetic Potential For Milk Yield On Forage Digestibility, Amino Acid Utilization, And Livestock Production, Tasha M. King

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

When consuming low-quality forages or at times when nutrient demands are high, ruminants may be unable to meet these requirements resulting in a state of negative energy balance. With feed costs contributing a large portion of production costs, providing dietary nutrients to maintain energy balance must be done so strategically. Additionally, producers must ensure consistent reproductive performance and offspring weaned to maintain a successful livestock enterprise. The objective of these studies was to evaluate the effect of glucogenic precursor supplementation and milk yield on forage digestibility, amino acid utilization, and livestock production. In experiment 1, a metabolism study was conducted …

Influence Of Forage Diversity And Condensed Tannins On Livestock Foraging Behavior, Production And Environmental Impact, Sebastian P. Lagrange

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating a combination of forages with different chemistries (i.e., nutrients, beneficial compounds such as tannins) may enhance ruminant nutrition and reduce environmental impacts relative to eating single forages. I explored the influence of offering sheep and cattle all possible combinations of tanniferous (i.e., plants with tannins; birdsfoot trefoil, sainfoin) and non-tanniferous legumes (i.e., plants without tannins; alfalfa) or their monocultures on animal performance, behavior, and methane and nitrogen (N) emissions. Offering choices among these legumes to penned sheep improved intake and diet digestibility relative to feeding monocultures. Mixtures selected by sheep were better digested than mixtures containing equal parts of …

New World Mammarenaviral Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Determinants Of Infection And Disease, Brady T. Hickerson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several New World mammarenaviruses (NWM) are able to cause life-threatening hemorrhagic disease in humans. These agents use human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1), the main protein involved in cellular uptake of iron, to infect cells. Furthermore, use of hTfR1 correlates with the ability of these viruses to cause severe disease in humans. The most prevalent pathogenic NWM is Jun√≠n virus (JUNV), which is the etiological agent of Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF).The pathogenesis of AHF is poorly understood. A cardinal feature of severe cases of AHF is a prolonged increase of serum interferon-a (IFN-a) concentration. This increase is hypothesized to play a …

Enhancing The Production And Sustainability Of Pasture-Fed Beef Using Non-Traditional Legume Forages, Andrea I. Bolletta

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the increasing worldwide demand for beef as a protein source, consumers are concerned about the sustainability of ruminant production systems. Their main concerns are animal welfare for feedlot-fed animals, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, global warming and worker safety. Traditional feedlot-based beef production systems have been associated with locally greater levels of soil, water and air contamination, as well as the overuse of antibiotics and growth hormones. The use of legume pastures such as cicer milkvetch (CMV) and birdsfoot trefoil (BFT), which fix their own nitrogen (N) and often contain beneficial secondary compounds such as tannins and provide for rapid …

An Evaluation Of Bird And Bat Mortality At Wind Turbines In The Northeastern United States, Daniel Y. Choi, Thomas W. Wittig, Bryan M. Kluever

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wind energy offers substantial environmental benefits, but wind facilities can negatively impact wildlife, including birds and bats. Researchers and managers have made major efforts to chronicle bird and bat mortality associated with wind facilities, but few studies have examined the patterns and underlying mechanisms of spatial patterns of fatalities at wind facilities. Understanding the horizontal fall distance between a carcass and the nearest turbine pole is important in designing effective search protocols and estimating total mortality. We explored patterns in taxonomic composition and fall distance of bird and bat carcasses at wind facilities in the Northeastern United States using publicly …

Estimation Of Wildlife Damage From Federal Crop Insurance Data, Sophie Mckee, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Aaron M. Anderson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

BACKGROUND: Wildlife damage to crops is a persistent and costly problem for many farmers in the USA. Most existing estimates of crop damage have relied on direct assessment methods such as field studies conducted by trained biologists or surveys distributed to farmers. In this paper, we describe a new method of estimating wildlife damage that exploits federal crop insurance data. We focused our study on four crops: corn, soybean, wheat, and cotton, chosen because of their economic importance and their vulnerability to wildlife damage.

RESULTS: We determined crop-raiding hot spots across the USA over the 2015–2019 period and identified the …

Genotoxic And Hematological Effects Of Endocrine Disruptive Chemicals, Bisphenol A And Nonylphenol, On Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus), Sahardin Muhammad Faris

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study was performed to evaluate the genotoxicity and hematology effects of single and binary exposure of bisphenol A and nonylphenol towards Oreochromis niloticus. O. niloticus was singly exposed to bisphenol A at concentration of 2 mg/l and nonylphenol at concentration of 0.04 mg/l in 16 L glass tank. O. niloticus was also synergistically exposed to the both concentration of 2 mg/l of bisphenol A and 0.04 mg/l of nonylphenol. Four fishes were randomly used for four exposures after two weeks acclimatization. All of them were exposed to the compound for 96 hours without water change prior observation. Fishes were …

Breeding And Conservation Ecology Of Asian Hornbills (Aves: Bucerotidae) In Kinabatangan, Sabah, Kirpal Singh Ravinder Kaur

Student Works (2020-2029)

Eight species of Asian hornbills persist in the Kinabatangan, Sabah. These are the critically endangered Helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil), endangered Wrinkled hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus) and White-crowned hornbill (Berenicornis comatus), three vulnerable species Rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), Black hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus) and Wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus), the near threatened Bushy-crested hornbill (Anorrhinus galeritus) and the least concern Oriental Pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris convexus). Hornbills are mainly frugivorous and they are known as secondary cavity-nesting birds. In Kinabatangan, the hornbill populations have been declining over the past few decades. Past timber extraction has left behind highly degraded forest patches in the Kinabatangan …

Molecular Characterisation Of Hsp70 Gene Expression, Histopathology And Immune System Of Snakehead Fish, Channa Striata, Under Temperature And Bacterial Stress, Eid Elhussein Ihlam Ibrahim

Student Works (2020-2029)

Snakeheads are air-breathing freshwater fishes containing two genera, Channa (Asia) and Parachanna (Africa). The Asian genus is dominated by Channa striata which is found in southern and Southeastern parts of the continent. In this research, environmental and bacteria stressor to Channa striata were investigated. HSP70 gene was studied as an environmental stress gene (ChHSP70). Results showed a cDNA sequence of the gene to be (~918bp). It was also shown the gene is highly similar to that of other fish species. Constructing a phylogenetic tree of the gene across vertebrate species revealed six main clusters; same class remained conserved by showing …

Spatial Ecology And Resource Selection Of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Ewes In A Prairie Badlands Population, Erin Wood

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The basic spatial ecology and habitat relationships of female bighorn sheep in Nebraska are poorly understood. Establishing seasonal patterns of space use and resource selection for this population at the margin of their historical and current range addresses a key knowledge gap and provides important baseline information for ongoing conservation efforts in Nebraska. We deployed GPS radio-collars on 56 adult ewes in western Nebraska to quantify seasonal space use, movements, and resource selection of ewes. To investigate spatial ecology, we quantified movements of ewes and the factors that influence home range size, seasonal use, and spatial stability across seasons. Home …

Snowy Plover Activity In The Central Platte River Valley In May 2019, Bethany L. Ostrom, Andrew J. Caven, Jenna M. Malzahn, Alyx Vogel

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

During five of eight site visits between 14 and 27 May 2019 we detected up to four Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) near Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, and recorded their behavior using an instantaneous scan sampling approach. We recorded loafing (47%), foraging (43%), mating (4%), flying (4%), and external threat (1%) related behavior. Most notably, we documented a copulation event on 23 May. During the 10-day span from 14 to 23 May when Snowy Plovers were detected, river stage and discharge were near median levels, but from 23 to 27 …

Consider The Agent In The Arthropod, Nicolas Delon, Peter Cook, Gordon Bauer, Heidi Harley

Animal Sentience

Whether or not arthropods are sentient, they can have moral standing. Appeals to sentience are not necessary and retard progress in human treatment of other species, including invertebrates. Other increasingly well-documented aspects of invertebrate minds are pertinent to their welfare. Even if arthropods are not sentient, they can be agents whose goals—and therefore interests—can be frustrated. This kind of agency is sufficient for moral status and requires that we consider their welfare.

Connection Between Contaminants And Marine Mammals In The Southern Ocean, Sean W. Tupper

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The Southern Ocean encircles the continent of Antarctica and was once thought to be unaffected by human activities. However, evidence is increasing that this region has many different contaminants that threaten the region’s marine biodiversity, including marine mammals. Many of these contaminants are heavy metals or persistent organic pollutants and enter the Southern Ocean via both natural and anthropogenic processes. The impacts posed by these contaminants vary according to their type and the organism being exposed. All species of cetaceans and pinnipeds in this study were confirmed to have been exposed to one or more the contaminants reviewed. Although research …

Feeder Cattle Future Price Spreads: Opportunities To Hedge?, Elliott James Dennis

Extension Farm and Ranch Management News

First paragraph:

Feeder cattle future price spreads across all months have recovered to near pre-COVID-19 levels as quarantine restrictions and packing plant capacity issues have been mostly sorted out. For example, for the week of July 17, 2010 [sic], prices reached levels not seen since the beginning of March 2020. Pasture and corn progress are two factors that have the potential to push prices lower in the next coming months. Given current market conditions, producers have some options to lock in a margin.

The Lives, Lore, And Literature Of Cranes: A Catechism For Crane Lovers, Paul A. Johnsgard, Thomas D. Mangelsen

Zea E-Books Collection

This book provides basic information on cranes that should be of interest and importance to crane-loving birders (“craniacs”) as well as to ornithologists and wildlife managers. Primary consideration is given to the sandhill and whooping cranes, but all 13 of the Old World cranes are also discussed. Special consideration is given to the relative abundance and conservation status of all of the world’s species, of which nearly half are declining and a few are in real danger of long-term survival. More than 80 refuges and preserves in the United States and Canada, where the best chances of seeing cranes in …

Effects Of Freshwater Crayfish On Influenza A Virus Persistence In Water, J. Jeffrey Root, Jeremy W. Ellis, Susan A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Several investigations have recently assessed the ability of some aquatic invertebrates to act as tools for avian influenza A virus (IAV) surveillance as well as their potential role(s) in IAV ecology. Because of this, as well as the high IAV seroprevalence rates noted in select mesocarnivores that commonly inhabit aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats, we evaluated the effects that freshwater crayfish have on IAV in water at three dose levels and monitored for the presence of IAV in crayfish tissues (gill and green gland) and haemolymph at multiple time points. At relatively high, medium 432 and low (approximately 10 , 10 …

Growth And Immune Response Of Pond-Reared Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium Osenbergii Post Larvae Fed Diets Containing Chlorella Vulgaris, Gian Carlo F. Maliwat, Stephanie F. Velasquez, Sheila Marie D. Buluran, Melchor Tayamen, Janice A. Ragaza

Biology Faculty Publications

A 70-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Chlorella vulgaris supplementation in diets of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) post larvae. Resistance of the prawns against Aeromonas hydrophila and several immune parameters (total hemocyte count and prophenoloxidase activity) were also assessed in the study. Iso-nitrogenous, iso-lipidic, and iso-caloric prawn feeds were prepared utilizing a fishmeal based positive control diet (F0) and four dietary treatments with C. vulgaris inclusion levels of 2 (F2), 4 (F4), 6 (F6), and 8 (F8) %. Post larvae of M. rosenbergii were stocked randomly (mean initial body weight of 0.39 ± …

Characterization Of A Novel Stat 2 Knock Out Hamster Model Of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Pathogenesis, Charlene Ranadheera, Emelissa J. Valcourt, Bryce M. Warner, Guillaume Poliquin, Kyle Rosenke, Kathy Frost, Kevin Tierney, Greg Saturday, Jinxin Miao, Jonna B. Westover, Brian B. Gowen, Stephanie Booth, Heinz Feldmann, Zhongde Wang, David Safronetz

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne pathogen causing a febrile illness in humans, which can progress to hemorrhagic manifestations, multi-organ failure, and death. Current mouse models of CCHFV infection reliably succumb to virus challenge but vary in their ability to reflect signs of disease similar to humans. In this study, we established a signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2) knockout hamster model to expand the repertoire of animal models of CCHFV pathogenesis that can be used for therapeutic development. These hamsters demonstrated a systemic and lethal disease in response to infection. Hallmarks of human …

Five New Species Of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) From Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, And Serbia, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Five new species are described: Euscorpius bonacinai sp. n. (Albania), E. janstai sp. n. (North Macedonia), E. kabateki sp. n. (Greece), E. sadileki sp. n. (Serbia), and E. scheraboni sp. n. (Greece), fully complemented with color photographs. New species are distinguished from all other species of the genus on the basis of five taxonomic characters. Two other new characters, shape of the pedipalp chela fingers and number of chromosomes, are presented and discussed. In addition to the analyses of external morphology, we also describe karyotypes of two species: E. janstai sp. n. (2n=112) and E. sadileki sp. n. (2n=90).

Wild Mice With Different Social Network Sizes Vary In Brain Gene Expression, Patricia C. Lopes, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Appropriate social interactions influence animal fitness by impacting several processes, such as mating, territory defense, and offspring care. Many studies shedding light on the neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior have focused on nonapeptides (vasopressin, oxytocin, and homologues) and on sexual or parent-offspring interactions. Furthermore, animals have been studied under artificial laboratory conditions, where the consequences of behavioral responses may not be as critical as when expressed under natural environments, therefore obscuring certain physiological responses. We used automated recording of social interactions of wild house mice outside of the breeding season to detect individuals at both tails of a distribution …

Climatic Variability And Climate Change: U.S. College Freshmen Attitudes And Spatio-Temporal Effects On Cavity-Nesting Passerines, Sara Elizabeth Harrod

Student Theses and Dissertations

Despite the scientific consensus that human activities are the primary cause, many people deny the problem of climate change. If mitigation efforts are to be successful, we need to determine young individuals’ attitudes toward and knowledge of climate change. Successful mitigation efforts are important for humans, as well as wildlife and the environment. Wildlife populations are already being affected, with many documented cases of negative impacts. Effects on populations can occur through impacts on demographic parameters, and if parameters are synchronized across species or populations, this could prove disastrous if climate change negatively affects these parameters. Here, I surveyed first-semester …

Identification And Phylogenetic Analysis Of Channa Species From Riverine System Of Pakistan Using Coi Gene As A Dna Barcoding Marker, Muhammad Kamran, Atif Yaqub, Naila Malkani, Khalid Mahmood Anjum, Muhammad Nabeel Awan, Hamed Paknejad

Journal of Bioresource Management

Channa are the freshwater and important food fish species in Pakistan belonging to family Channidae. However, identification and phylogenetic analysis based on molecular tools of these species in Pakistan was not well known. Herein, the current investigation was conceptualized, which dealt with mitochondrial DNA sequences from three geographically distinct populations of this species from Pakistan’s water system. DNA from fin tissues was extracted. COI region of mtDNA was amplified using universal primers for fish. PCR products were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis conducted in the present study, i.e. neighbor-joining (NJ) cladogram, maximum likelihood, K2P genetic divergence and histogram suggests that the studied …

Avoiding Anthropocentrism In Evolutionarily Inclusive Ethics, Simon Fitzpatrick

Animal Sentience

Mikhalevich & Powell are to be commended for challenging the “invertebrate dogma” that invertebrates are unworthy of ethical concern. However, developing an evolutionarily inclusive ethics requires facing some of the more radical implications of rejecting hierarchical scala naturae and human-centered conceptions of the biological world. In particular, we need to question the anthropocentric assumptions that still linger in discussions like these.

Zones Of Precaution, Jonathan Birch

Animal Sentience

My commentary focusses on Mikhalevich & Powell’s criticisms of the Animal Sentience Precautionary Principle. I emphasize the pragmatic nature of my rationale for proposing that, rather than extending the scope of animal welfare protection on a species-by-species basis, we should be willing to protect entire Linnaean orders on the basis of evidence from a single species.

Brain Complexity, Sentience And Welfare, Donald M. Broom

Animal Sentience

Neither sentience nor moral standing is confined to animals with large or human-like brains. Invertebrates deserve moral consideration. Definition of terms clarifies the relationship between sentience and welfare. All animals have welfare but humans give more protection to sentient animals. Humans should be less human-centred.

Invertebrate Cognition, Sentience And Biology, Georges Chapouthier

Animal Sentience

All animal species have adapted for survival and no species is superior overall. For cognitive capacities and sentience, invertebrates such as the octopus, although quite unlike vertebrates, can achieve similar performance levels. So can other invertebrates with small brains; hence they too, as sentient beings, deserve moral consideration from humans. How are we to identify these species? Only though a detailed analysis of their behavior. The decision, which is a moral judgment, depends on biological knowledge that still needs to be acquired.