Assessing Reproductive Health In Zoo-Managed African Elephant Bulls (Loxodonta Africana), Kaitlyn Marie Campbell

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Populations of zoo-managed African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) exhibit substantial individual- and population-level variation in reproductive success, yet research has largely focused on females, leaving male fertility poorly understood. Subfertility in bulls, characterized by low libido and inconsistent semen quality, poses significant challenges to genetic management and long-term population sustainability. This study a) systematically evaluates semen quality, b) identifies physiological, behavioral, social, and environmental determinants of fertility, and c) advances ex situ conservation through the expansion of the African elephant sperm bank. Between January 2023 and July 2025, 209 semen collection events were conducted from 13 sexually mature bulls …

Evaluating Viability, Developmental Competence, And Chromatin Configurations Of Cryopreserved Equine Oocytes, Tricia Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Assisted reproduction technology and the use of specialized laboratories have increased in the horse breeding industry over the last decade. This expansion has highlighted the inability to routinely cryopreserve oocytes and preserve female genetics. Oocyte vitrification, a cryopreservation process, continues to be characterized as an experimental procedure in horses. The goal of this dissertation was to evaluate the viability, developmental competence, and nuclear structures of cryopreserved equine oocytes to illuminate potential areas of improvement in the vitrification process. Oocytes were collected from abattoir derived ovaries and exposed to either varying lengths of in vitro maturation (IVM) or pretreated with a …

A Novel Non-Rodent Animal Model Of Hydrochloric Acid-Induced Acute And Chronic Lung Injury, Pavel A. Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Biancatelli, Tierney Day, Christiana Dimitropoulou, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Hydrochloric acid is one of the most prevalent and hazardous chemicals. Accidental spills occur in industrial plants or during transportation. Exposure to HCl can induce severe health impairment, including acute and chronic pulmonary diseases. We have previously described the molecular, structural, and functional aspects of the development of chronic lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis caused by intratracheal instillation of HCl in mice. Although mouse models of human disease have many advantages, rodents are evolutionary far from human and exhibit significant anatomical and physiological differences. Genetic and anatomic similarities between rabbits and humans are significantly higher. Rabbit models of HCl-induced lung …

Distribution Pattern Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes In Escherichia Coli Isolated From Colibacillosis Cases In Broiler Farms Of Egypt, Mona A A Abdel-Rahman, Engy A Hamed, May F Abdelaty, Hend K Sorour, Heba Badr, Wafaa M Hassan, Azhar G Shalaby, Ahmed Abd-Elhalem Mohamed, Mohamed A Soliman, Heba Roshdy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Multidrug resistance (MDR) of

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples from 938 broiler farms were bacteriologically examined for

RESULTS:

CONCLUSION: The study showed a high prevalence of

The Role Of Kisspeptins In Trophoblast Cell Dynamics: Comparative Studies Using The Horse And The Preeclamptic-Like Bph/5 Mouse As Animal Models, Viviane Cristine Leite Gomes

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Kisspeptins, a family of small peptides derived from the Kiss1 gene, have been described in trophoblast cell dynamics, placentation, and pregnancy outcomes. Furthermore, many other physiological functions have been attributed to kisspeptins, including neuroendocrine regulation of puberty and cyclicity, and peripheral and central regulation of metabolism and adipogenesis. Herein, studies were performed in the Blood Pressure High Subline 5 (BPH/5) mouse and the horse to further investigate the role of kisspeptins in pregnancy. The BPH/5 mouse recapitulates the main features of human preeclampsia (PE), a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy associated with maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. BPH/5 phenotypic characteristics include …

Understanding How High Levels Of Noise Affect The Equine Auditory System, Shelby Brown

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

Abstract

Mounted shooting is becoming a very popular sport within the equestrian community, exposing many horses to extreme levels of noise that the animals would not be exposed to otherwise. I selected this project because it is important for me to know how this hobby that I personally enjoy is impacting the health and well-being of my equine partners. Veterinarians can provide an elementary answer by clapping and checking for a physical reaction. However, that does not tell the client much other than the animal responded to one auditory cue.

It is important to understand how firearm exposure could affect …

Can Assisted Reproductive Technologies Help Conserve 300 Million Years Of Evolution? A First Attempt At Developing These Technologies For Male Reptiles, Sean M. Perry

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Biodiversity loss is the most critical environmental problem threatening ecosystem, animal, and human health today. Increases in extinction rates have been observed over the past 50 years, with reptile losses occurring twelve times faster than traditional extinction rates. This demonstrated biodiversity loss is secondary to climate change, habitat destruction, infectious disease, invasive species, poaching, and unsustainable trade. Approximately 20% of all reptiles are threatened with extinction and population declines are approaching rates similar to the current amphibian extinction crisis. Preventing the extinction of reptiles will require humans to acknowledge these losses and develop plans to preserve these evolutionary sentinel species. …