Animal Sciences Commons^™

Anthropomorphic Denial Of Fish Pain, Lynne U. Sneddon, Matthew C. Leach

Animal Sentience

Key (2016) affirms that we do not know how the fish brain processes pain but denies — because fish lack a human-like cortex — that fish can feel pain. He affirms that birds, like fish, have a singly-laminated cortex and that the structure of the bird brain is quite different from that of the human brain, yet he does not deny that birds can feel pain. In this commentary we describe how Key cites studies that substantiate mammalian pain but discounts the same kind of data as evidence of fish pain. We suggest that Key's interpretations are illogical, do not …

Why Is Fish “Feeling” Pain Controversial?, E. Don Stevens

Animal Sentience

In his excellent target article, Key (2016) develops a mechanistic argument in an attempt to show why it is unlikely that fish can “feel” pain or for that matter, “feel” anything. The topic is controversial and likely to achieve the goal of getting many hits for the inaugural issue of the new journal, Animal Sentience. In my view, the question is unlikely to be answered, for two reasons. First, because the proponents of the “fish feel pain” controversy are untrained and unskilled in the details and jargon of neurophysiology and/or neuroanatomy, and the opponents of the controversy, like Key, …

How Not To Move The Line Drawn On Pain, Bjorn H. Merker

Animal Sentience

In this second commentary I outline the inadequacy of Key's responses to the many peer critiques of his thesis that have so far appeared in Animal Sentience. I illustrate with examples drawn from his response to my first commentary.

Wildebeest-Associated Malignant Catarrhal Fever: Perspectives For Integrated Control Of A Lymphoproliferative Disease Of Cattle In Sub-Saharan Africa, Lillian Wambua, Peninah Nduku Wambua, Allan Maurice Ramogo, Domnic Mijele, Moses Yongo Otiende

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Wildebeest-associated malignant catarrhal fever (WA-MCF), an acute lymphoproliferative disease of cattle caused by alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1), remains a significant constraint to cattle production in nomadic pastoralist systems in eastern and southern Africa. The transmission of WA-MCF is dependent on the presence of the wildlife reservoir, i.e. wildebeest, belonging to the species Connochaetes taurinus and Connochaetes gnou; hence, the distribution of WA-MCF is largely restricted to Kenya, Tanzania and the Republic of South Africa, where wildebeest are present. WA-MCF is analogous to sheep-associated MCF (SA-MCF) in many aspects, with the latter having sheep as its reservoir host and a more …

Assessment Of The Efficacy Of The Hose-Bridge As A Road-Crossing Structure For Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria Dekayi), Sarah Elizabeth Manka

Masters Theses

Various structures have been integrated into roadways to ensure the road does not impede wildlife movements between adjacent habitats. Where traffic volume is low, the costs of installing and maintaining such structures is typically prohibitive. I tested the efficacy of a hose-bridge deployed temporarily on a State Park road in Illinois that allowed the passage of cars over it and small wildlife species to cross through it. I predicted that, during the 4.5 -week period of peak migratory movement, road-based mortality of Dekay's Brownsnakes (Storeria dekayi) would be less at the site having the hose-bridge, when compared to a similar …

Effects Of Habitat Alteration On Ecomorphology Of Fish Communities In A Restored Stream, Carl Anthony Favata

Masters Theses

Decades of anthropogenic pressure have devastated lotic ecosystems across the riverscapes of North America, resulting in degradation of critical habitat and contributing to sharp declines in biotic integrity. In response, local stream restoration projects have increased in frequency. However, little effort has been allocated to monitoring and project success has been limited. In addition, restoration projects typically focus on ecological effects above the population-level, while relationships with physiological processes are seldom assessed. Lessons from the long-term restoration and ecological monitoring of Kickapoo Creek highlight some of the complex dynamics driving reach-scale restoration projects. Following instream restoration, I predicted that alterations …

Addendum To Encomia And Reflections, Clyde Jones (1935-2015): Encomium, Robert J. Baker, Carleton J. Phillips, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

This is the authors' collective attempt to provide an encomium (an honest song of praise) for Clyde Jones. After some urging from the editors of this volume, the authors conspired to share some memories of Clyde.

Editors’ note: Due to various factors, this encomium was submitted too late to be included in the published memorial volume. However, in consideration of the relationship of the authors to Clyde Jones, we agreed to make this encomium available via electronic format as a supplement to the printed volume.

Sampling Efficiency, Population Characteristics, And Potential Impacts Of Harvest Regulations On Three Riverine Species Of Catfish, Zachary Adam Mitchell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Genetic Structure And Diversity Of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) In Three Large Midwestern Rivers, Vaclav Alexei Sotola

Masters Theses

Little information is available regarding the genetic structure and diversity of sportfishes in large rivers, which can be vital to continuing the sustainable exploitation of these fisheries. Additionally, impoundments often have vast impacts on riverine systems. These impacts include altering the flow regime, changing the nutrient load, and preventing migratory fish from reaching their spawning grounds. If fishes are prevented from reaching their spawning grounds, their genetic diversity and structuring could begin to change relative to historic measures, potentially decreasing their fitness and ability to survive. I screened microsatellite loci to assess the genetic population structure and diversity of channel …

Diel And Seasonal Patterns Of Channel Catfish Movement And Habitat Use In The Lower Wabash River, Hanna Gibbs Kruckman

Masters Theses

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus are commonly found throughout the Mississippi River basin and support commercial and recreational fisheries in many large river systems. Understanding population demographics as well as movement patterns and habitat usage can provide a more holistic approach to species management and conservation. Within a 16-km stretch of the lower Wabash River, 27 channel catfish were implanted with acoustic transmitters to monitor fine scale movement and habitat use from September 2014 through April 2016. Channel catfish were located using active tracking during two types of tracking events. Site tracking occurred only during daylight hours and diel tracking monitored …

Quantifying Bat Detection Survey Methods And Activity Patterns, Tara C. Hohoff

Masters Theses

Bats have an astonishing diversity and provide vital ecosystem services in an array of different niches. In North America, most species of bats are insectivores and tend to be frequently overlooked for their important ecosystem role providing insect control. As bat populations have declined in recent years, farmers, land managers, conservationists, and bat enthusiasts have wondered what we can do to protect our local bat populations. As a first step, we need to develop methods that more effectively survey for rare species of bats. By performing inefficient surveys, we are doing a disservice to our funding agencies providing misinformation that …

The Behavioral, Biochemical And Genetic Effects Of Sleep Deprivation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Jade Catherine Boykin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Vertebrate sleep is a universal phenomenon and encompasses an array of conserved behavioral and physiological characteristics. Studies of sleep in humans have shown that sleep deprivation leads to adverse effects to human health and additional stress. Teleosts have emerged as a useful model species to study the vertebrate stress response, given its stress axis has high levels of homology with the mammals, including humans. For this study, the behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio) subjected to acute (24 hours) and chronic (20 days) extended light exposure was monitored and whole-body cortisol was analyzed as an indication of activation of …

Comparative Evolutionary Approach To Pain Perception In Fishes, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

Arguments against the fact that fish feel pain repeatedly appear even in the face of growing evidence that they do. The standards used to judge pain perception keep moving as the hurdles are repeatedly cleared by novel research findings. There is undoubtedly a vested commercial interest in proving that fish do not feel pain, so the topic has a half-life well past its due date. Key (2016) reiterates previous perspectives on this topic characterised by a black-or-white view that is based on the proposed role of the human cortex in pain perception. I argue that this is incongruent with our …

Could Fish Feel Pain? A Wider Perspective, Yew-Kwang Ng

Animal Sentience

Key’s (2016) target article provides some strong arguments but also makes some logical mistakes. The arguments are not sufficient to support a definite conclusion that fish cannot feel pain. A multi-faceted perspective taking into account brain structure, chemical secretion in brain, animal behavior, and evolutionary biology may be useful and appears, at least in some aspects, to suggest the opposite conclusion from that of the target article.

Should Fish Feel Pain? A Plant Perspective, František Baluška

Animal Sentience

Key (2016) claims fish that fish do not feel pain because they lack the necessary neuronal architecture: their responses to noxious stimuli, according to Key, are executed automatically without any feelings. However, as pointed out by many of his commentators, this conclusion is not convincing. Plants might provide some clues. Plants are not usually thought to be very active behaviorally, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Moreover, in stressful situations, plants produce numerous chemicals that have painkilling and anesthetic properties. Finally, plants, when treated with anesthetics, cannot execute active behaviors such as touch-induced leaf movements or rapid trap closures after localizing …

Fish Pain: An Inconvenient Truth, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

Whether fish feel pain is a hot political topic. The consequences of our denial are huge given the billions of fish that are slaughtered annually for human consumption. The economic costs of changing our commercial fishery harvest practices are also likely to be great. Key outlines a structure-function analogy of pain in humans, tries to force that template on the rest of the vertebrate kingdom, and fails. His target article has so far elicited 34 commentaries from scientific experts from a broad range of disciplines; only three of these support his position. The broad consensus from the scientific community is …

Fish Pain: A Painful Topic, Carl Safina

Animal Sentience

If fish cannot feel pain, why do stingrays have purely defensive tail spines that deliver venom? Stingrays’ ancestral predators are fish. And why do many fishes possess defensive fin spines, some also with venom that produces pain in humans? These things did not evolve just in case sentient humans would evolve millions of years later and then invent scuba. If fish react purely unconsciously to “noxious” stimuli, why aren’t sharp jabbing spines enough? Why also stinging venom?

Pain-Capable Neural Substrates May Be Widely Available In The Animal Kingdom, Edgar T. Walters

Animal Sentience

Neural and behavioral evidence from diverse species indicates that some forms of pain may be generated by coordinated activity in networks far smaller than the cortical pain matrix in mammals. Studies on responses to injury in squid suggest that simplification of the circuitry necessary for conscious pain might be achieved by restricting awareness to very limited information about a noxious event, possibly only to the fact that injury has occurred, ignoring information that is much less important for survival, such as the location of the injury. Some of the neural properties proposed to be critical for conscious pain in mammals …

Mosquito Host Choices On Livestock Amplifiers Of Rift Valley Fever Virus In Kenya, David P. Tchouassi, Robinson O.K. Okiro, Rosemary Sang, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, David Scott Mcvey, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Animal hosts may vary in their attraction and acceptability as components of the host location process for assessing preference, and biting rates of vectors and risk of exposure to pathogens. However, these parameters remain poorly understood for mosquito vectors of the Rift Valley fever (RVF), an arboviral disease, and for a community of mosquitoes. Methods: Using three known livestock amplifiers of RVF virus including sheep, goat and cattle as bait in enclosure traps, we investigated the host-feeding patterns for a community of mosquitoes in Naivasha, an endemic area of Rift Valley fever (RVF), in a longitudinal study for six …

Evaluation Of Tear And Serum Trace Elements (Copper, Selenium, And Cobalt) In Sheep, Duygu Tarhan, Si̇nem Ülgen, Fatma Ateş Alkan, Di̇lek Olgun Erdi̇kmen, Çağla Parkan Yaramiş, Mehmet Erman Or, Ümi̇t Bora Barutçu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Metabolic diseases such as enzootic ataxia, white muscle disease, and white liver disease are among the most important problems of livestock for sheep. The aim of this study was to analyze whether tears can be used as an alternative diagnostic method in determination of diseases that result from lack or excess of copper, selenium, and cobalt. Samples of serum and tears taken from 45 healthy sheep of the Kivircik breed aged between 2 and 4 years were analyzed. The concentrations of copper, selenium, and cobalt were measured in serum and tears as 118.0 ± 36.0, 58.0 ± 15.0, and 0.5 …

Postnatal Expression Profiles Of Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathioneperoxidase In Spermatogenesis In Mice, Ki Youn Jung, Chunmei Lin, Jung-Min Yon, A Young Jung, Seul Gi Park, Sl Bi Chu, Lee Wha Gwon, Sang Yoon Nam

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) is known to be an antioxidant enzyme that may be implicated in spermatogenesis, but its functional significance in the development of testes remains poorly understood. To demonstrate the roles of PHGPx in spermatogenesis during postnatal development, expression profiles of PHGPx mRNA and protein in testes and epididymides obtained from mice 1-9 and 27 weeks after birth were spatiotemporally analyzed. In testes, PHGPx mRNA first appeared in 2-week-old mice, while its protein was first detected in late spermatocytes and round spermatids from 3-week-old mice and levels were greatly increased in elongated spermatids and immature spermatozoa of …

Evaluation Of Renal And Hepatic Functions In Cattle With Subclinical And Clinical Ketosis, Mustafa İssi̇, Yusuf Gül, Onur Başbuğ

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The purpose of this study was to research the changes in renal and hepatic functions of high productive dairy cows diagnosed with subclinical and clinical ketosis. The material of the study consisted of 30 dairy cows of high milk production. Diagnosis of ketosis was made according to anamnesis, physical examination, urine ketone bodies, and serum β-hydroxybutyric acid levels. The animals were divided according to their serum β-hydroxybutyric acid levels into control, subclinical, and clinical ketosis groups, each of which included 10 cows. Serum glucose, urea, creatinine, total protein, aspartate amino transaminase (AST), and total bilirubin levels were determined with an …

Investigation Of Serum Testosterone Level, Scrotal Circumference, Body Mass,Semen Characteristics, And Their Correlations In Developing Mis Lambs, Nevena Maksimovic, Slavca Hristov, Branislav Stankovic, Milan P. Petrovic, Cvijan Mekic, Dragana Ruzic-Muslic, Violeta Caro-Petrovic

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to investigate changes of serum testosterone, scrotal circumference, body weight, and semen characteristics in a Meat Institute Sheep (MIS) population during their developing period (between 3 and 17 months). Correlative relationships among parameters were also tested. Body weight and scrotal circumference were measured monthly, blood samples for testosterone levels were taken bimonthly (3-17 months), and semen samples were collected by an electroejaculator between the ages of 9 and 17 months. The analysis showed that the average serum testosterone levels ranged from 1.83 to 13.28 ng/mL and significantly depended on the age of the lambs …

The Effect Of Ovulatory Follicle Size At The Time Of Insemination Onpregnancy Rate In Lactating Dairy Cows, Abdulkadi̇r Keski̇n, Gülnaz Meci̇toğlu, Ebru Bi̇len, Bariş Güner, Abdülkadi̇r Orman, Hayretti̇n Okut, Ahmet Gümen

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aims of this study were to determine the factors that affect follicle size at the time of artificial insemination (AI) and to detect the relationship between ovulatory follicle size at the time of AI and pregnancy rate in dairy cows. A total of 1428 follicle size measurements were obtained from Holstein-Friesian (HF) and Swedish Red (SR) cows that were inseminated with the fixed-timed AI protocols used in this study. Follicle size was affected by breed (P = 0.0001), milk production (P = 0.01), parity (P = 0.05), and season (P = 0.04). Follicle size was greater (P = 0.0001) …

Detection Of Helicobacter Heilmannii Type Ii And Helicobacter Pylori Indogs And Their Role In The Development Of Gastritis, Si̇nem Ülgen, Sevgi̇ Ergi̇n, Gülbi̇n Şennazli, Utku Bakirel

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter heilmannii type II in dogs and evaluate the role of Helicobacter spp. İn chronic gastritis. Gastroscopy was performed in a total of 40 dogs (22 symptomatic and 18 asymptomatic) admitted to the small animal clinic of İstanbul University. In this study, the density of spiral bacteria and the degree and type of gastritis by histopathology were determined. Rapid urease tests were performed on gastric biopsy samples, and the species identity was determined using nested polymerase chain reaction to assess for the presence of H. Heilmannii …

Quality Of Oocytes In Prepubertal And Pubertal Swine, Rita Grabowska, Barbara Blaszczyk, Tomasz Stankiewicz, Tomasz Banas, Sarah Hale, Jan Udala

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In vitro fertilization is a common method of fertilization in the case of both humans and animals. Although this method has developed very rapidly, there are still many unanswered questions about the optimal characteristics that oocytes should have for performing this procedure. The object of this study was to describe the correlation between the diameter and size of swine oocytes in relation to pubescence. The research was conducted on ovaries of piglets (n = 65) and adult swine (n = 69). Each oocyte was examined with and without the zona pellucida. The analysis showed that the average size of the …

Chemical And Tissue Composition Of Meat From Carcass Cuts Of Localgoats Affected By Different Feeding In Tunisian Arid Lands, Naziha Ayeb, Asma Ghrab, Ahmed Barmat, Touhami Khorchani

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

An experiment was conducted to find out the nutritive value of different cuts of goat carcass. Meat samples were obtained from goat kids in Tunisia. Twenty-six indigenous kids were divided into three groups: oat hay (control), dried olive leaves + dried Stipa tenacissima, and grass hay. The cuts were the shoulder, chest, and leg of each goat carcass. Tissue compositions of different cuts and meat physicochemical parameters were determined. Percentage of muscle was higher in shoulders (61.57%) and legs (58.89%). The percentage of fat was higher in the chest (24.74%). Percentage of bone was higher in legs and shoulders. The …

Purification Of Avian Influenza Virus (H9n2) From Allantoic Fluidby Size-Exclusion Chromatography, Ali Nazari Shirvan, Maedeh Samianifard, Naser Ghodsian

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Avian influenza viruses represent a rising threat of pandemic influenza. Allantoic fluid including influenza virus H9N2 was run on downstream processing to purify the virus. To do this, allantoic fluid was clarified and concentrated. It was applied to size exclusion chromatography. Different parameters such as ovalbumin, protein content, and hemagglutinin activity were determined to confirm the purity. The results may suggest that this method is quite efficient for achieving a purified H9N2 influenza virus and further reveal that size-exclusion chromatography is a practical method for purifying avian influenza viruses. In conclusion, this procedure can be used in vaccine production and …

Immunohistochemical Evaluation Of Canine And Felinemerkel Cell Tumors?A Report Of Two Cases, Mateusz Mikiewicz, Iwona Otrocka-Domagala, Katarzyna Pazdzior-Czapula, Michal Gesek, Anna Mikolajczyk, Agnieszka Blacha

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Merkel cell tumors, a type of cutaneous round-cell tumors, are rarely observed in dogs and cats. This tumor type originates from cutaneous neuroendocrine cells. In the present study, the morphology of canine and feline Merkel cell tumors and their immunoexpression of neuron-specific enolase, cytokeratin, chromogranin A, Ki67, and metallothionein were evaluated using histopathological and immunohistochemical methods. The canine Merkel cell tumor displayed a diffuse morphological pattern, whereas the feline tumor displayed a solid morphological pattern. Both tumors were positive for neuron-specific enolase and cytokeratin, but negative for chromogranin A. The Ki67 indexes in the canine and feline tumors were 7% …

Comparison Of The Development Of Mouse Embryos Manipulatedwith Different Biopsy Techniques, Ali̇ Ci̇han Taşkin, Tolga Akkoç, Hakan Sağirkaya, Haydar Bağiş, Sezen Arat

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis is the detection of inherited diseases and the sex of embryos before implantation in the practice of human medicine as well as in veterinary medicine. The introduction of experimental animal embryo biopsy techniques has been a milestone in the developmental process of preimplantation genetic diagnosis techniques. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vivo and in vitro development of embryos after biopsy in an experimental mouse model and to perform comparisons across different biopsy techniques (blastomere biopsy and trophectoderm biopsy). At the end of the study, no significant difference was observed between the blastomere …