Animal Experimentation and Research Commons^™

Microplastics In Full View: Birds As Bioindicators Of Malta's Coastal Ecosystem Health, Dalton Brauer

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Plastic pollution has recently become a widely studied topic, yet research on microplastics has remained lacking for specific geographic regions. Microplastics are small plastics resulting from degradation or the dumping of raw material and can lead to deleterious impacts on the coastal marine environment and its organisms. To assess Malta’s coastal environmental health, water birds (inshore, offshore and pelagic species) were used as bioindicators by assessing the presence and abundance of plastic within their stomach contents. The project hoped to fill some of the current gaps in knowledge on microplastics within Malta by creating a working baseline, as well as …

Study Of Three Potential Variables That May Impact The Maximum Shear Force And Shear Variation During The Growth And Transport Of Mixed Sex Broilers Grown In Commercial Poultry Houses, Mark Christie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Temperature conditions during the transportation to the processing facility of commercial broilers have a direct impact on the meat texture, specifically maximum shear force and shear variation of cooked breast meat. Analysis of a calendar year of flock data (N=346), reveals that the largest impact of transport conditions, specifically temperature, is on the standard deviation of the flocks range of cooked shear values. The optimal transport temperature that yields broiler breast meat with average flock minimum shear and standard deviation values is approximately 60°F. The shear values for flocks at or near 60°F are on average 1 kg less than …

Optimizing Methods To Determine Metabolizable Energy Values Of Feed Ingredients For Broilers, Skyler P. West

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Determination of metabolizable energy (ME) and amino acid (AA) digestibility values of single feed indigents continues to be two of the most important aspects for successful least-cost poultry feed formulation. It would be advantageous if a common diet type could be utilized to determine both ME and AA digestibility values of feed ingredients within a single assay. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of basal diet type and excreta collection method on the ME value of single feed ingredients determined in broiler chicks using the regression method. In experiment 1, the objective was to investigate the influence of …

Efficacy Of Natural Compounds With Novel Carrier Systems For Controlling Campylobacter Jejuni In Post-Harvest Poultry, Sandip Shrestha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, is strongly associated with the consumption and/or mishandling of raw contaminated poultry products. Thus, interventions aiming to reduce C. jejuni counts on poultry products could greatly reduce the incidence of human campylobacteriosis. In the first study, the efficacy of a generally recongnized as safe (GRAS) compound, carvacrol (CR; derived from oregano oil), as an antimicrobial wash treatment to reduce C. jejuni on chicken skin was evaluated. Three delivery systems of CR: suspension, emulsion and nanoemulsion were used. C. jejuni counts were reduced up to 4 log10 cfu/sample by 2% dose of …

A Two Compartment Pharmacokinetic Model Describes The Intra‐Articular Delivery And Retention Of Rhprg4 Following Acl Transection In The Yucatan Mini Pig, Mark Hurtig, Iman Zaghoul, Heather Sheardown, Tannin A. Schmidt, Lina Liu, Ling Zhang, Khaled A. Elsaid, Gregory D. Jay

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Treatment of the injured joint with rhPRG4 is based on recent observations that inflammation diminishes expression of native PRG4. Re‐establishing lubrication between pressurized and sliding cartilage surfaces during locomotion promotes the nascent expression of PRG4 and thus intra‐articular (IA) treatment strategies should be supported by pharmacokinetic evidence establishing the residence time of rhPRG4. A total of 21 Yucatan minipigs weighing ∼55 Kg each received 4 mg of 131I‐rhPRG4 delivered by IA injection 5 days following surgical ACL transection. Animals were sequentially euthanized following IA rhPRG4 at 10 mins (time zero), 24, 72 hrs, 6, 13 and 20 days later. The …

No Evidence For Kin Protection In The Expression Of Sickness Behaviors In House Mice, Patricia C. Lopes, Per Block, Alice Pontiggia, Anna K. Lindholm, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

When infected, animals change their behaviors in several ways, including by decreasing their activity, their food and water intake, and their interest in social interactions. These behavioral alterations are collectively called sickness behaviors and, for several decades, the main hypotheses put forward to explain this phenomenon were that engaging in sickness behaviors facilitated the fever response and improved the likelihood of host survival. However, a new hypothesis was recently proposed suggesting that engaging in sickness behaviors may serve to protect kin. We tested this kin protection hypothesis by combining a field and a laboratory experiment in house mice. In both …

Development Of A Pd-L1 Pet Imaging Biomarker, Caleb Jack Bridgwater

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Immunotherapy strategies are very promising treatments for cancer patients. Specifically, Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy focusing on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway shows long-lasting positive results in many cancer patients. Unfortunately, not all the patients can benefit from this highly effective treatment. Hence, there is a great need for predictive biomarkers. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining has been used as a way of predicting patient response, yet shows many problems. For example, IHC utilizes an invasive biopsy and sample fixing, which creates an incomplete and delayed picture of the patient’s biochemistry and the tumor microenvironment, consequently ignoring metastases.

The purpose of this study is to …

Diffusion Through The Ex Vivo Vitreal Body – Bovine, Porcine, And Ovine Models Are Poor Surrogates For The Human Vitreous, Sara Shafaie, Victoria Hutter, Marc B. Brown, Michael T. Cook, David Y.S. Chau

Pharmacology and Animal Models in Research Collection

The human vitreous humour is a complex gel structure whose composition and physical properties can vary considerably from person to person and also change with age. To date, the viscoelastic properties of the human vitreous gel has not been thoroughly investigated and despite many years of intensive research, an ideal vitreous substitute remains a challenge. Understanding the physical structure and properties of the vitreous is of fundamental and therapeutic interest, providing a clear insight into diffusion and transport of administered ophthalmic drug molecules into the vitreous. A number of mammalian surrogates, mainly bovine, porcine and ovine vitreous humours have been …

Factors Affecting Gastropod Larval Development And Performance: A Systematic Review, Maria Rosa, Dianna K. Padilla, David Charifson, Alyssa Liguori, Mica Mccarty-Glenn, Allison Rugila

Biology Faculty Publications

The goal of this article was to use a systematic review of studies on the larval stages of gastropods reared to metamorphosis to determine whether there are general patterns for the effects of temperature, rearing density, and food availability on larval development and performance among species, major taxa, and modes of development. Most studies did not include sufficient metadata to be included in many of the analyses. For all analyses, there were differences among major groups of taxa in terms of response to the considered variables. Increased temperature was frequently correlated with decreased development time and increased growth but often …

Brain Endothelial Erythrophagocytosis And Hemoglobin Transmigration Across Brain Endothelium: Implications For Pathogenesis Of Cerebral Microbleeds, Rudy Chang, Juan Castillo, Alexander C. Zambon, Tatiana B. Krasieva, Mark J. Fisher, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Peripheral endothelial cells are capable of erythrophagocytosis, but data on brain endothelial erythrophagocytosis are limited. We studied the relationship between brain endothelial erythrophagocytosis and cerebral microhemorrhage, the pathological substrate of MRI-demonstrable cerebral microbleeds. To demonstrate the erythrophagocytic capability of the brain endothelium, we studied the interactions between brain endothelial cells and red blood cells exposed to oxidative stress in vitro, and developed a new in vitro cerebral microbleeds model to study the subsequent passage of hemoglobin across the brain endothelial monolayer. Using multiple approaches, our results show marked brain endothelial erythrophagocytosis of red blood cells exposed to oxidative stress compared …

Role Of Intrinsic Disorder In Animal Desiccation Tolerance, Brett Janis, Clinton Belott, Michael Menze

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This review compares the molecular strategies employed by anhydrobiotic invertebrates to survive extreme water stress. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play a central role in desiccation tolerance in all species investigated. Various hypotheses about the functions of anhydrobiosisrelated intrinsically disordered (ARID) proteins, including late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) and tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins, were evaluated by broad sequence characterization. A surprisingly wide range in sequence characteristics including hydropathy and the frequency and distribution of charges was discovered. Interestingly, two clusters of similar proteins were found that potentially correlate with distinct functions. This may indicate two broad groups of ARID proteins, composed of …

Uplc-Ms/Ms Analysis Of Dextromethorphan-O-Demethylation Kinetics In Rat Brain Microsomes, Barent N. Dubois, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Formation of dextrorphan (DXT) from dextromethorphan (DXM) has been widely used to assess cytochrome P450 2D (CYP2D) activity. Additionally, the kinetics of CYP2D activity have been well characterized in the liver microsomes. However, studies in brain microsomes are limited due to the lower microsomal content and abundance of CYP2D in the brain relative to the liver. In the present study, we developed a micro-scale enzymatic incubation method, coupled with a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS assay for the quantitation of the rate of DXT formation from DXM in brain microsomes. Rat brain microsomes were incubated with different concentrations of DXM for various times. …

Targeting Neuropeptides To Bone Fractures For Accelerated Healing, Nicholas A. Young, Jeffery J. Nielsen, Philip S. Low

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In patients over the age of 65 especially, bone fractures represent a significant disease burden. Non-invasive drug therapies are not available for bone fractures which represents a problem for this population. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP), two neuromodulator peptides in the glucagon superfamily, have demonstrated positive regulation of osteoblast proliferation and activity. Using acidic oligopeptides, we have developed ligands that target to and accumulate at fracture sites. These targeting ligands can be synthesized in sequence with bone anabolic peptides to minimize off target effects and increase potency at the fracture site to create safer and …

Growth Of Pelagic Age-0 Yellow Perch In Relation To Hatch Dates And Water Temperature In North-Central Minnesota Lakes, Ethan Karppinen

Biology Graduate Theses

Exposure to consistent water warming rates and access to abundant populations of edible sized zooplankton affects growth and increases the probability of survival for newly hatched Yellow Perch Perca flavescens. Seven lakes with varying physical characteristics were selected in north-central Minnesota to study abiotic (water temperature) and biotic (zooplankton community and fish growth) progressions during the spring and early summer (April-June). Mean water temperatures from ice-out to 28 June (11.98-14.62 °C) had significant relationships with mean depth (P < 0.01, R? = 0.85), max depth (P < 0.01, R? = 0.73), and total volume (P < 0.01, R2 = 0.54). Hatch periods ranged from 13 to 19 days in 2015 and 13 to 25 days in 2016. Cumulative degree-days (CDD) were used to predict Yellow Perch hatch periods and explain growth. CDD predicted 21-81% of hatch periods in 2015 and 11-50% in 2016. Mean predicted total lengths at 28 June were 19.65-30.41 mm in 2015 and 20.88-28.54 mm in 2016. There was a significant relationship between CDD and predicted total length (R? = 0.62, P < 0.01) to explain differences in Yellow Perch total length while inhabiting the pelagic zone. Observed gape measurements were highly correlated with predicted gapes from the Schael formula (R? = 0.89, P < 0.01) that was used to assess the availability of edible sized zooplankton for age-0 Yellow Perch in each lake. No predator-prey mismatches were found and earlier hatch dates produced age-0 Yellow Perch with greater predicted total lengths in late June on the majority of lakes. This suggests that earlier hatched Yellow perch have an advantage over later hatched Yellow Perch in attaining greater lengths by late June. Our study provides information on a variety of physical and biological progressions in lakes, which may be used for fisheries management practices in the future.

Identifying The 5’End Of The Camta1 Genes In Zebrafish, Morgan Fronk

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are a significant cause of infant death and are frequently caused by mutations in transcription factors. Camta1 (calmodulin binding transcription activator 1) is a transcription factor that has been proposed as a modulator in embryonic heart development and a possible cause of CHDs. The only other known member of its family in vertebrates is involved in activating a hypertrophy gene program in adult heart failure. Unlike camta2, camta1 is expressed in the embryonic heart during heart looping. However, few studies have been done on camta1. In zebrafish, there are two camta1 ohnologs (homologs created through …

Transcriptomics Of Learning, Pablo Iturralde

Theses

Learning is a basic and important component of behavior yet we have very little empirical information about the interaction between mechanisms of learning and evolution. In our work, we are testing hypotheses about the neurogenetic mechanisms through which animal learning abilities evolve. We are able to test this directly by using experimentally evolved populations of flies, which differ in learning ability. These populations were previously evolved within the lab by creating worlds with different patterns of change following theoretically predicted effects on which enhanced learning will evolve. How has evolution acted to modulate genes and gene expression in the brain …

Kisspeptin Modulates Luteinizing Hormone Release And Ovarian Follicular Dynamics In Pre-Pubertal And Adult Murrah Buffaloes, Vishalkumar Pottapenjera, Srinivasa R. Rajanala, Chandrasekhar Reddy, Arunakumari Gangineni, Kiran Avula, Sandeep K. Bejjanki, Sriravali Sathagopam, Surabhi Kesharwani, Sathya Velmurugan

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide that governs the reproductive axis upstream to GnRH. We wanted to study whether kisspeptin modulates plasma LH and FSH levels and ovarian follicular dynamics in buffaloes and whether kisspeptin can be used for fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI). We carried out these studies in comparison with buserelin, a potent GnRH agonist. Kisspeptin dose-dependently increased plasma LH levels. However, the kisspeptin-induced increase in LH was short-lived as the peak reached in 15–30 min returned to basal values by 1–2 h. The kisspeptin-induced increase in LH level was less compared to buserelin-induced increase in LH level which sustained …

Application Of Fraser’S “Practical” Ethic In Veterinary Practice, And Its Compatibility With A “One Welfare” Framework, Anne Fawcett, Siobhan Mullan, Paul Mcgreevy

Professional Veterinary Ethics Collection

Ethically challenging situations are common in veterinary practice, and they may be a source of moral stress, which may in turn impact the welfare of veterinarians. Despite recognition of the importance of ethical reasoning, some veterinary students may struggle to apply theoretical ethical frameworks. Fraser developed a “practical” ethic consisting of four principles that can be applied to ethically challenging situations. We apply Fraser’s “practical” ethic to three cases that veterinarians may encounter: animal hoarding, animal neglect, and treatment of wildlife. We argue that Fraser’s “practical” ethic is consistent with a One Welfare framework, and may have increasing currency for …

Investigations Of Biotremors In The Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo Calyptratus), Kathryn C. Laslie

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

While substrate-borne vibrations are utilized by different reptile species, true conspecific communication via biotremors has not yet been demonstrated in reptiles. This study follows a preliminary report that the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) could produce biotremors in communicative contexts. I tested chameleon behavioral sensitivity to vibrations by placing them on a dowel attached to a shaker emitting vibrations of 25, 50, 150, 300, and 600 Hz and then measured their changes in velocity before and after the stimulus. I then paired chameleons in various social contexts [anthropogenic disturbance (human disruption of animal); dominance (malemale; female-female C. calyptratus); courtship (male-female C. …

Mapping Molecular Datasets Back To The Brain Regions They Are Extracted From: Remembering The Native Countries Of Hypothalamic Expatriates And Refugees, Arshad Khan, Alice Grant, Anais Martinez, Gully Burns, Brendan Thatcher, Vishwanath Anekonda, Benjamin Thompson, Zachary Roberts, Daniel Moralejo, James Blevins

Selected Works Temporary Series

This article, which includes novel unpublished data along with commentary and analysis,focuses on approaches to link transcriptomic, proteomic, and peptidomic datasets mined frombrain tissue to the original locations within the brain that they are derived from using digital atlasmapping techniques. We use, as an example, the transcriptomic, proteomic and peptidomicanalyses conducted in the mammalian hypothalamus. Following a brief historical overview, wehighlight studies that have mined biochemical and molecular information from the hypothalamusand then lay out a strategy for how these data can be linked spatially to the mapped locations in acanonical brain atlas where the data come from, thereby allowing …

Mapping Molecular Datasets Back To The Brain Regions They Are Extracted From: Remembering The Native Countries Of Hypothalamic Expatriates And Refugees, Khan, Alice Grant, Anais Martinez, Gully Burns, Brendan Thatcher, Vishwanath Anekonda, Benjamin Thompson, Zachary Roberts, Daniel Moralejo, James Blevins

Departmental Papers (Biology)

This article, which includes novel unpublished data along with commentary and analysis,focuses on approaches to link transcriptomic, proteomic, and peptidomic datasets mined frombrain tissue to the original locations within the brain that they are derived from using digital atlasmapping techniques. We use, as an example, the transcriptomic, proteomic and peptidomicanalyses conducted in the mammalian hypothalamus. Following a brief historical overview, wehighlight studies that have mined biochemical and molecular information from the hypothalamusand then lay out a strategy for how these data can be linked spatially to the mapped locations in acanonical brain atlas where the data come from, thereby allowing …

Differential Tissue Response To Growth Hormone In Mice, Ryan Berry, Graham R. Mcginnis, Ronadip R. Banerjee, Martin E. Young, Stuart J. Frank

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

Growth hormone (GH) has been shown to act directly on multiple tissues throughout the body. Historically, it was believed that GH acted directly in the liver and only indirectly in other tissues via insulin‐like growth hormone 1 (IGF‐1). Despite extensive work to describe GH action in individual tissues, a comparative analysis of acute GH signaling in key metabolic tissues has not been performed. Herein, we address this knowledge gap. Acute tissue response to human recombinant GH was assessed in mice by measuring signaling via phospho‐STAT5 immunoblotting. STAT5 activation is an easily and reliably detected early marker of GH receptor engagement. …

Juvenile Amphibian Response To Oak And Maple Leaf Litter, Benjamin Breslau

Honors Scholar Theses

The composition of tree species within New England forests has changed significantly in recent decades, with an increase in maple (Acer spp.) abundance and a decrease in oak (Quercus spp.) abundance. Changing forest structure results in changing leaf litter composition of the forest floor, which influences the ground-dwelling amphibians that live in the litter. To better understand how changes to forest composition alters amphibian habitat quality, we recorded the growth and survival of 27 juvenile wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus or Rana sylvatica) and 27 juvenile American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) in response to leaf litter …

Pyruvate Kinase Isoform M2 Influences Autophagy And Related Processes In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells, Matthew Lin

University Scholar Projects

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer that affects ~14 million people in the world. Like all cancers, HCC is a disease that arises from unstinted cellular growth initiated by genetic alterations, metabolic changes, and dysregulation in key cellular pathways. Of interest is the relationship between metabolism and cell proliferation/degradation for therapeutic targeting. Pyruvate kinase M2 is a dimeric, glycolytically inactive isoform of the final enzyme involved in glycolysis, that is often upregulated in cancerous tissue. It is thought that the enzymatic function of PKM2 outside of glycolysis contributes to the biosynthesis of anabolic intermediates used …

Population Characteristics Of A Closed Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) Catch-And-Release Population In Minnesota, John Kempe

Biology Graduate Theses

Literature regarding catch-and-release populations of Northern Pike are rare and provide a unique perspective on their population dynamics. Shingobee Lake is a 64- ha mesotrophic lake with a maximum depth of 12.2 m located in northern Minnesota. Northern Pike fishing has been catch-and-release only since 2005, and there are no public accesses on the lake. Annual ice-out trap-netting occurred from 2009-2017, and a sizable amount of the Northern Pike recaptured via trapnet or angling had been previously tagged (37-59%). The lack of exploitation and high tagging percentage provided a unique opportunity to study the population dynamics of Northern Pike. Shinogbee’s …

The Impact Of Reinforcement Contingency On Interresponse Time Variability In Rats, Jarod Clark Roberts

Student Theses and Dissertations

Current research in the area of operant variability suggests that response variability can be controlled by operant reinforcement; however, there have been few studies of variation in timing of responses. To investigate the latter phenomenon, five female Wistar rats were exposed to a series of contingencies in which subjects were required to vary the times between lever press responses in order to obtain reinforcement. After a baseline condition, rats were exposed to three increasingly demanding variability contingencies with a return to baseline following each, and finally a comparison phase in which reinforcement probability was limited. It was predicted that subjects …

Effects Of Hypoxia On Swimming And Sensing In A Weakly Electric Fish, Kerri Lynn Ackerly, Rüdiger Krahe, Christopher P. Sanford, Lauren J. Chapman

Faculty Articles

Low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) can severely limit fish performance, especially aerobically expensive behaviours including swimming and acquisition of sensory information. Fishes can reduce oxygen requirements by altering these behaviours under hypoxia, but the underlying mechanisms can be difficult to quantify. We used a weakly electric fish as a model system to explore potential effects of hypoxia on swim performance and sensory information acquisition, which enabled us to non-invasively record electric signalling activity used for active acquisition of sensory information during swimming. To quantify potential effects of hypoxia, we measured critical swim speed (Ucrit) and concurrent electric signalling activity under highand …

Emptying And Refilling Of Slime Glands In Atlantic (Myxine Glutinosa) And Pacific (Eptatretus Stoutii) Hagfishes, Sarah Schorno, Todd E. Gillis, Douglas S. Fudge

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Hagfishes are known for their unique defensive slime, which they use toward off gill-breathing predators. Although much is known about the slime cells (gland thread cells and gland mucous cells), little is known about how long slime gland refilling takes, or how slime composition changes with refilling or repeated stimulation of the same gland. Slime glands can be individually electrostimulated to release slime, and this technique was used to measure slime gland refilling times for Atlantic and Pacific hagfish. The amount of exudate produced, the composition of the exudate and the morphometrics of slime cells were analyzed during refilling, and …

Whole Tart Cherry Improves Disease Activity Index In Rat Model Of Dextran Sulfate Solution – Induced Ulcerative Colitis By Downregulating The Janus 1 And Janus 3 Kinases And Tnf - Alpha, Johana Alexandra Coronel

LSU Master's Theses

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disabling inflammatory bowel disease. UC is characterized by chronic, relapsing inflammation of the colon and rectum. Current treatments such as monoclonal antibodies against TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12/p40, adhesion molecules, Janus kinases (JAK) inhibitors have side effects or lose their effects over time. Alternative approaches with fewer side effects for patients are needed. Montmorency tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) are a good source of anti-inflammatory flavonoids. We hypothesized that regular consumption whole tart cherry (TC) standardized to its major anthocyanin content, namely cyanidin-3-glucosyl-rutinoside, would be effective in reducing inflammation in UC. The aim of this research was to …

Developing New Apparatus For In-Situ Vermicomposting And Varying Diet Parameters To Understand Optimal Conditions For Soil Fertilization., Nataliya Ryzhenko

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Vermicomposting is the process of decomposing vegetable and other food waste using earthworms.

We investigate apparatus for in-situ vermicomposting and vary diet parameters to understand optimal conditions for soil fertilization.

As a pilot project, we created a small in-situ vermicomposting apparatus which can be used in a home or at a small farm. In this setting, we need to ensure that the setup does not produce repulsive odor, since it is meant to be kept indoors. Also, the setup should be easily maintained: the food waste easily added, and the bedding kept moist.

Based on results seen, in-situ vermicomposting farm …