Animal Sciences Commons^™

Using High-Pressure Processing To Improve Dark-Cutting Beef Color In Tenderloins, Ashley A. Hahn, Leila G. Venzor, Shelley A. Curry, Grace C. Johnson, Mary-Grace C. Danao, Ranjith Ramanathan, Gary A. Sullivan, Jordan C. Wicks

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Dark-cutting beef is a quality defect that negatively impacts consumer appeal and affects the carcass value for both producers and meat processors. These economic losses stem from poor visual appearance and reduced consumer appeal in the retail setting. Notably, different muscles within a carcass exhibit varying degrees of color stability which can influence how dark-cutting manifests across cuts. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of high-pressure processing (HPP) on dark-cutting color-labile muscle. Dark-cutting and normal tenderloins were collected and portioned into two equal sections. Dark-cutting tenderloins were assigned one of 3 treatments: No HPP, 300 …

Defining The Parameters Of High-Pressure Processing To Improve The Quality Of Dark-Cutting Beef, Ashley A. Hahn, Leila G. Venzor, Shelley A. Curry, Grace C. Johnson, Mary-Grace C. Danao, Ranjith Ramanathan, Jordan C. Wicks, Gary A. Sullivan

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Dark-cutting beef is a result of preharvest stress and devalues the resulting carcass. High-pressure processing (HPP) has been recently identified as a potential strategy to improve the undesirable appearance of dark-cutting beef. Dark-cutting beef strip loins were collected from a local processing facility, sectioned, and assigned an HPP pressure (300 or 450 MPa) and holding time (0, 1, 30, 60, or 90 s). Overall, HPP increased the lightness and redness of dark-cutting beef, particularly the longer the pressure was held at both pressure levels. Additionally, negative effects such as increased meat discoloration, decreased tenderness, and increased rancidity …

Evaluating Sorghum X Sudangrass Seed Digestibility, Evan Blank, Thomas E. Aquino, Mary E. Drewnoski

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

A sorghum-sudangrass hybrid was swathed in the hard dough stage and grazed by growing steers from November 2023 to January 2024. Steers appeared to select the seedheads when grazing. The seed made up approximately 12.6% of swathed forage mass, but its energy contribution appears limited due to poor digestibility. When incubated whole, only 23% of dry matter and 13% of starch was digestible. Grinding improved digestibility but still left 40% of the dry matter and over 85% of starch unavailable. Weathering over two months did not improve digestibility, indicating the seed coat remains intact through winter. Compared …

Long-Term Trends Of Annual Herbaceous Expansion In The Nebraska Panhandle: Rangeland Analysis Platform Data, Karley Dieckmann, Mitchell B. Stephenson, Miranda Mueller

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

This descriptive analysis evaluated changes in Annual Forb and Grass (AFG) herbaceous cover in the Nebraska Panhandle from 1986 to 2023 using the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP). It was hypothesized that AFG herbaceous cover would show an increasing trend over time, indicating the potential expansion of the annual invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). County-level RAP data were used to calculate long-term means as an indicator. Results showed an increase in AFG cover across the region. Trends were cyclical, with cover peaking and dipping over time, but the overall trajectory showed increases in AFG in the Panhandle. The increasing …

Impact Of Feeding Palm Oil To Finishing Cattle On Performance, Carcass, And Meat Characteristics, Tate S. Johnson, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Josh R. Benton, Galen E. Erickson, Jessie C. Morrill, Jim C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

This finishing study evaluated the effect of feeding palm oil products on performance and carcass characteristics, and beef quality measures. Dietary treatments included no supplemental fat or feeding: crude palm oil, crude high-oleic palm oil (HOPO), refined, bleached, and de-odorized palm olein oil (RBD olein), or tallow. Supplemental fat was included at 3.5% of diet dry matter. Cattle fed diets containing supplemental fat had improved feed conversion compared to no supplemental fat. Feeding cattle crude palm oil resulted in improved F:G compared to cattle fed RBD olein, with steers fed tallow and crude HOPO being intermediate and …

Comparison Of Spayed Heifer Performance To Intact Heifers Fed Melengestrol Acetate On Feedlot Performance And Carcass Characteristics, Tate S. Johnson, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Halden J. Clark, Jim C. Macdonald, Jessica L. Sperber

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Pregnancy and estrous cycle management are critical considerations when feeding intact heifers in the feedyard. Alternatively, producers can opt to spay heifers, which eliminates hormonal fluctuations associated with the estrous cycle. A proportion of U.S. feedlots have spayed heifers on feed, although there is limited data comparing the performance of spayed heifers to intact heifers. A commercial feedlot experiment was conducted to compare performance between spayed and intact heifers fed melengestrol acetate. Intact heifers had greater ADG and tended to have greater DMI compared to spayed heifers, although no difference in feed conversion was observed. Carcass weight …

Summary Of The Value Of Distillers Grains Plus Solubles For Feedlot Cattle, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Jim C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

An analysis of over 6,100 head of finishing cattle across 50 experiments was conducted to determine the feeding value of full-fat and de-oiled distillers grains. This analysis was limited to studies where dry-rolled corn, high-moisture corn, or a combination of the two corn processing methods were displaced by 15% or more distillers grains. Dry distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS), modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS), and wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) were evaluated as either full-fat or de-oiled. The feeding value of distillers grains was assessed relative to a corn-based control diet containing no distillers. Results …

Optimizing Poultry Production And Enhancing Egg Nutrient Composition Through Kelp Supplementation In Laying Hens, Meghan Clifford

Open Access Dissertations

The development of sustainable feed supplements is a crucial component in addressing the current global need for resilient and environmentally responsible food systems. This dissertation has explored the potential of brown algae (Saccharina latissima) as a sustainable feed supplement for poultry with the potential to benefit production efficiency, product quality, and the global food supply. With both controlled feeding trials and a producer-based survey, the work in this dissertation investigates the nutritional, biological and practical implications of adopting kelp into poultry diets.

Chapter one provides a comprehensive overview of the current literature surrounding the use of marine sources …

Data And Code From: Migration Speed, Timing, And Long-Term Shifts In Age Structure In North American Passerines During Fall Migration, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Martha J. Desmond, Timothy F. Wright

Biology: Datasets

No abstract provided.

Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Allison J. Salas, Patricia L. Cutler, Mara E. Weisenberger, Kerry Mower, Abigail J. Lawon, Timothy F. Wright, Jeanne M. Fair, Martha J. Desmond

Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets

No abstract provided.

Association Of Serotonin And Ergot Alkaloids On Tissue Partitioning And Contractile Response Of Bovine Blood Vessels, Eriton E. L. Valente, David L. Harmon, John May, Huihua Ji, Ronald J. Trotta, James L. Klotz

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Ergot alkaloids can bind serotonin (5-HT) receptors interfering with many physiological functions. However, the mechanism has not been completely established. The objective was to evaluate whether the association of 5-HT and the ergot alkaloid, ergovaline, in a 24-h pre-incubation can affect vascular tissue partitioning and contractile responses. Cross-sections of saphenous veins from five steers were used. In the tissue partitioning experiment, the treatments were the combination of three levels of ergovaline (2.01 × 10⁻⁸ M, 2.01 × 10⁻⁷ M and 2.01 × 10⁻⁶ M) with three levels of 5-HT and a control (5 × 10⁻⁸ M, …

Foundations For Trojan-Y Chromosome Development In Sacramento Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus Grandis): A Novel Strategy For Invasive Species Management In The Eel River, Ca, Raven Mcadams

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Sacramento Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis), an invasive predator in California’s Eel River, contributes to predation pressure on native salmonid populations despite ongoing suppression programs. This study assessed the feasibility of hormonal sex reversal as an initial step toward implementing the Trojan Y Chromosome (TYC) strategy as a novel tool for managing invasive Sacramento Pikeminnow populations in the Eel River, CA. Objectives were to 1) determine the size when gonadal differentiation occurs 2) identify an effective estradiol dosage for producing phenotypic XY females, and 3) identify sex-reversed fish using a sex-specific genetic marker.  Histological examination of juvenile fish was …

The Depuration Of Microplastic Pollution In Aquacultured Indian River Lagoon Oysters, Lee Nguyen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Plastics are widely used in consumer goods and industrial manufacturing, and their degradation into microplastics (MP, size < 5 mm) has created an emergent environmental pollutant. Plastics readily enter aquatic environments, where they accumulate additional contaminants and bioaccumulate in organisms. While MP contamination in marine ecosystems is well documented, less is known about MP presence in aquacultured shellfish. Depuration, the process of purging contaminants from shellfish, is conducted in sterile seawater without food, which may cause oyster starvation and death. To date, MP depuration has not been examined in the aquacultured eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in published studies. This study had 3 goals: 1) evaluate the effects of algal feed on oyster survival during depuration, 2) determine the effect of algal feed on depuration effectiveness, and 3) investigate the effect of a ten-day depuration on MP concentration in aquacultured C. virginica soft tissue. MP were quantified in oyster tissues, biodeposits, and in industrial algal feed. Tissues were digested using alkaline solutions, manually examined via microscopy, and analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to investigate MP polymer …

Effectiveness Of Walleye Stocking In Winter Kill Lakes, Tyler Haus

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Winter kill events, marked by extensive fish mortality due to hypoxic conditions under the ice, are a common phenomenon in shallow eutrophic lakes, especially in the northern lakes in the northern United States. These events can drastically alter fish communities and often result in the elimination of top predators. Though these lakes will typically slowly bounce back to what they were in a couple of years. This study evaluates the effectiveness of walleye, Sander vitreus, stocking in lakes after a winter kill. For this study, four known winter kill lakes that are consistently stocked with walleye were studied. Pre- …

Assessing Urban–Rural Differences In Largemouth Bass Abundance In Minnesota, Jonathan Gates

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Urbanization can significantly alter freshwater ecosystems and influence sport fish populations. This study examined differences in largemouth bass Micropterus nigricans catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) between urban and rural lakes in Minnesota and evaluated temporal changes between 2000–2010 and 2011–2021. Forty lakes (20 urban, 20 rural) were selected using Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries survey data. Lakes were classified using NLCD 2019 land cover data, with ≥10% developed land designated as urban. Nonparametric analyses (Wilcoxon rank-sum and signed-rank tests) were used to assess spatial and temporal differences in CPUE. Results showed that rural lakes had consistently higher median CPUE than urban lakes …

Statewide Northern Pike Response To Minnesota’S 2018 Regulation Change, Elijah Wozniak

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Management of northern pike (Esox lucius) is challenging because it attempts to balance ecological sustainability with angler interests. Northern pike often stunt their own growth by diminishing the size and abundance of prey fish, their food source. Anglers are often displeased when small pike occur in high population densities. In response to populations of small northern pike, the DNR implemented a new, statewide northern pike regulation in 2018. The objective of this study was to determine whether the regulation successfully changed the mean weight, length, and CPUE of northern pike in Minnesota. The secondary objective was to test …

Neonicotinoid Bioaccumulation In Bluegill And Bullhead Within Lake Julia And Lake Zumwalde, Jake Stuber

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus, Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis, and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus are unique in their stark differences. Bullhead are scaleless bottom feeders that can tolerate high pollution and low O₂ conditions. In contrast, Bluegill are scaled, aggressive nesters and are less tolerant of high pollutants or low-oxygen conditions. Among these pollutants include a class of chemicals called neonicotinoids (hereafter referred to as neonics). Neonics are a class of insecticides primarily used within agriculture and pest management. Due to the effectiveness, application has escalated on a global scale. They have been well documented by many toxicology assessments. …

Comparison Of Calcified Structures To Estimate Ages Of Northern Pike Esox Lucius In Various Lakes, Kaed Rauk

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Northern pike Esox lucius are a dominant predatory fish in many aquatic systems. They can have significant impacts on the ecosystems they inhabit and are also a popular game fish among anglers. However, northern pike are a difficult species to age accurately. This study aimed to compare calcified aging structures to identify trends and determine which structure provides the most accurate age estimates. A total of 119 northern pike were sampled, and multiple structures from each fish were independently aged by two readers. The coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated for each structure to assess precision. Sectioned sagittal otoliths exhibited …

Size Structure Comparison Of Bluegill In Lakes With And Without Special Regulations, Jenna Lawin

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Lots of individuals have mixed feelings about special regulations for all sorts of game fish species such as northern pike Esox lucius, crappie Pomoxis spp., sunfish Lepomis spp., and so on. One species commonly sought after by many is bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. Bluegill are often deemed easy to find, catch, and clean. This study looks at three different categories of lakes (all lakes contain bluegill populations). The three categories are lakes with a five sunfish limit, lakes with a ten sunfish limit, and lakes without any special regulations. This study provides valuable insight into the size …

Ovipositional Behavior Of The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres Cingulata) On Stems Of Mockernut Hickory (Carya Tomentosa) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, L. Serviss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres cingulata) is a long-horned beetle that girdles stems of certain species of trees to prepare a habitat for its offspring. The stems eventually die, break, and fall from the tree, but the beetle usually had already laid its eggs within the stems. Eggs are laid singly, almost always at growth rings or leaf bases. Because the space for the young to develop is finite, laying too many eggs could cause reproductive failure and too few eggs would be suboptimal. We hypothesized that the female laying eggs should be able to evaluate the stem and …

Bulletin 4936: Guidelines To Importing And Keeping Regulated Animals In Western Australia, Win Kirkpatrick

Bulletins 4000 -

Updated:

• January 2026 after a review of permit keeping conditions.
• December 2025 for transfer of restricted keeping bird permit business to DPIRD.

Introduced, exotic or alien animals are species that have been brought to a country or location where they do not occur naturally. (Hereafter referred to as introduced species). Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians that are introduced or relocated to new areas often cause problems to agriculture, the environment and the community. Problems occur when introduced species:

• damage agricultural crops
• displace and compete with native animals and plants
• carry disease or parasites
• damage property
• cause land degradation
• have a …

The Rna-Binding Protein Pumilio Limits Polymodal Noiception In Drosophila Larvae, Sara Palega, Hannah Davenport, Rebeccah K. Stewart, Jessica Horton, Andrew Bellemer

Microbiology & Molecular Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Nociception is the process by which the nervous system detects and processes information about potentially harmful environmental stimuli to generate behavioral and physiological responses. The process of nociception undergoes plasticity in response to injury, inflammation, and infection to shape the sensitivity of nociceptive circuits and the behavioral responses they control. We are increasingly aware that post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression shapes the sensitivity and plasticity of nociceptive sensory neurons and nociceptive behavior. In Drosophila, the Pumilio RNA-binding protein interacts with diverse target mRNAs to regulate their abundance and translation in a wide range of contexts including the establishment of …

Western Massasauga (Sistrurus Tergeminus): A Species Conservation Assessment For The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project, Colleen Rothe-Groleau, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) as a Tier I at-risk species. Provided are some general management recommendations regarding western massasaugas. Conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of this at-risk species that will aid in the decision-making process or in identifying research needs to benefit the species.

Criteria for selection as Tier I: State listed, G3

Estimated Population in NE: 1,000–2,500

Estimate based on: Field surveys

Trends since 2005 …

Multi-Omic Characterization Of Immune And Metabolic Responses To Inflammatory Challenges In Sheep, Samanthia Raceine Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To meet the demands of the growing population, it is imperative to develop sustainable and applicable ways to improve animal health and productivity. The first step in doing so is understanding the mechanisms that govern health and immune response and find ways to appropriately modulate them to improve animal health and productivity. The objective of this study is to use multi-omic techniques to understand breed-specific immune responses in sheep that may contribute to their resistance and susceptibility to parasites and to a greater extent, immunocompetence. Known parasite-resistant breed, St. Croix (STC) were compared to parasite susceptible Suffolk (SUF) sheep for …

Does Diverse Seeding Adoption Reduce Production Costs? The Case Of Diverse Forage Seeding Strategies In West Virginia., Ivan Andres Wong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Feed and harvested forage represent a major share of production costs in Appalachian cow-calf systems, where a pronounced summer forage gap forces producers to rely on purchased hay. This thesis evaluates whether adopting diverse forage seeding strategies reduces production costs relative to the existing pasture management practice, accounting for the spatial heterogeneity of West Virginia’s production environments. The analysis proceeds in two steps. First, an unsupervised K-means clustering of 14 farms enrolled in the NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant field trial groups the farms into two agroclimatic clusters, Highland-Cool and LowlandWarm, using elevation, growing-season Growing Degree Days, growing-season precipitation, and soil …

Optimization Of Feed Manufacturing Productive Capacity, Feed Quality, And Feed Safety Utilizing A Variety Of Pellet Die Parameters, Feed Additives, Conditioning Specifications, And Simulated Feed Bin Storages, Lucas Edward Knarr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In Chapter 2, an experiment was conducted to determine if the inclusion of 1.50% mixer-added water (MAW) and/or 0.25% Azomite^® (AZM) would be suitable in alleviating concerns regarding pellet production rate and pellet quality when manufacturing feed with low-moisture corn. Furthermore, the authors aimed to determine if these additives had varying effects when utilizing different pellet die thicknesses. A 2 (Azomite; 0.00% or 0.25%) x 2 (mixer-added water; 0.00% or 1.50%) x 3 (pellet die thickness; 32 mm, 38 mm, or 45 mm) factorial arrangement was utilized to create the twelve experimental treatments, each manufactured …

Multi-Omics Analysis Of Immune-Metabolic Adaptation To Direct-Fed Microbial Supplementation In Newly Weaned Beef Steers, Adekunle Odunayo Ajiboye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Immune and metabolic disruption during weaning represents a major challenge to health and productivity in beef cattle. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that supplementation with multi-strain direct-fed microbials (DFMs) modulates immune regulation and metabolic pathways associated with adaptation to weaning stress. To address this, whole-blood transcriptomics and plasma metabolomics were used to evaluate molecular and metabolic responses in newly weaned beef steers during the receiving period. Transcriptomic analysis identified differential expressions of genes associated with immune signaling and inflammatory regulation, indicating modulation of immune-related pathways without changes in growth performance. Metabolomic analysis revealed alterations in circulating metabolites related to amino …

Reducing Inorganic Phosphorus In Poultry Diets: Nutritional Constraints And Strategies For Successful Implementation, Elizabeth Ann Lynch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Applied poultry nutrition and feed manufacture science can be described as a “three-legged stool” supported by pellet quality, feed hygienics, and nutrient availability, where imbalance in any one component can compromise overall bird performance. The research presented herein primarily addresses feed hygienics and nutrient availability, with pellet quality serving as an underlying theme, to better understand how processing conditions and dietary formulation influence performance and nutrient utilization.

In Chapter 2, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of hygienizer retention time on bacterial reduction during feed manufacture using Enterococcus faecium as a Salmonella surrogate. Pellet mill motor …

Spiders In The World Of Pesticides: A Review, Jackson L. Mendillo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Pesticides and other agrochemicals have varying effects on spiders depending on their mechanism of action and dosage, ranging from behavioral changes and ataxia, to reproductive changes and physiological stress, to lethal non-target effects. Additionally, peptide Hv1a has promising effects as a more narrow-spectrum pesticide.

Relationships Between Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities And Environmental Conditions In Headwater Tributaries Of The Pend Oreille Lake Watershed, Idaho, Devlin Mee

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Benthic macroinvertebrates are widely used indicators of stream condition, and their communities respond to thermal and land-use conditions in headwater streams. This study characterized macroinvertebrate biomass, community composition, and diversity across forested headwater tributaries of the Pend Oreille lake watershed in northern Idaho, and examined their relationships with summer temperature, land development, and road proximity. Samples from thirteen streams collected in 2024 were identified to genus, measured, and converted to estimated biomass using published length–mass regressions; ten streams had recovered temperature loggers. Because environmental variables were characterized once per stream, all analyses were conducted at the stream level.

Estimated total …