Effect Of Marination And Storage Time On The Properties And Meat Quality Of Broiler Breast,
2025
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Effect Of Marination And Storage Time On The Properties And Meat Quality Of Broiler Breast, Mayra Mabel Herrera Rivera
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Abstract The poultry industry has implemented numerous methods, as marination and aging, to improve meat quality and satisfy consumer demands. Three experiments were developed to assess the effects of vacuum tumble marination and aging on the proteins of chicken breast. These experiments utilized 0.75 % sodium chloride, 0.45 % phosphate, and water in a marinade. In experiment one, 270 fillets were allocated into six treatment groups, each comprising 45 fillets. Six days of storage time were used, marinating and storing the fillets in each group at a temperature of 4°C. Following each day of storage period, the fillets underwent a …
Analysis Of The Scleroderma / Systemic Sclerosis Etiopathology Using The University Of California At Davis (Ucd)-Ssc Chicken Line,
2025
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Analysis Of The Scleroderma / Systemic Sclerosis Etiopathology Using The University Of California At Davis (Ucd)-Ssc Chicken Line, Angeline E. Rodriguez
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Scleroderma/Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a multifaceted autoimmune disorder affecting approximately 300,000 people in the United States. Main features include vasculitis, immune dysfunction (innate and adaptive), autoantibody production, perivascular leukocyte infiltration, and extensive tissue fibrosis. The University of California, Davis (UCD) SSc chicken line was shown to exhibit all clinical and biological manifestations of human SSc. One early and distinctive clinical sign in both humans and UCD-SSc chickens is Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP), characterized by decreased blood flow in extremities and skin lesions. RP-like lesions develop in combs of UCD-SSc chickens within one- to two-weeks post-hatch, progressing from erythema and edema to …
Microbial Guardians Of The Savannah: Unraveling The Gut Microbiome For African Carnivore Conservation,
2025
Northern Michigan University
Microbial Guardians Of The Savannah: Unraveling The Gut Microbiome For African Carnivore Conservation, Laura E. Peirson
All NMU Master's Theses
Non-invasive fecal sampling is essential for wildlife gut microbiome (GMB) research, yet field conditions often limit preservation options. I compared gut bacterial communities in paired fecal samples preserved in stabilization tubes and air-dried in paper bags collected from anesthetized African lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Additional opportunistic samples from carnivore kill sites were also analyzed. No significant differences in alpha or beta diversity were detected between preserved and dried samples, although bacterial beta diversity differed between preserved and opportunistic samples (PERMANOVA). Core bacterial communities remained consistent across sample …
Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina,
2025
Coastal Carolina University
Site Fidelity, Seasonality, Movement, And Fish Associates Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus In North Carolina, Ara L. Mcclanahan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Sand tigers Carcharias taurus are mackerel sharks with a disjunct global distribution in tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic, sand tigers migrate along the coast of the eastern United States from the Gulf of Maine to Florida and occupy structurally complex benthic habitats. The long-term, underwater camera installation, SharkCam, at Frying Pan Tower, off Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA, sits atop an expanse of hard bottom reef frequented by sand tigers. The citizen-science platform Spot A Shark USA (SAS USA) uses images of sand tigers to identify and track individuals. This study utilized image encounters from SAS USA …
A Multi-Isotope Investigation Of Mammoth Diet, Habitat, And Movement Patterns In The Central Great Plains, U.S.A.,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A Multi-Isotope Investigation Of Mammoth Diet, Habitat, And Movement Patterns In The Central Great Plains, U.S.A., Jacob Mccloskey
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Great Plains in Nebraska consisted of wooded parklands and grasslands, whereas spruce (Picea) forests, parklands, and steppe grasslands dominated east of the Missouri River. I analyzed bulk carbon (δ13C), oxygen (δ18O), and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotopes from tooth enamel in isolated mammoth (Mammuthus) molars to compare diet and movement patterns in two late Pleistocene assemblages: one in Nebraska (n = 24), and one in western Iowa and Missouri (n = 17). Furthermore, I identified a morphometric subset of molars as …
Evaluation Of Performance Characteristics And Groundwater Contamination Risks Associated With On-Farm Swine Carcass Disposal Via Composting And Shallow Burial With Carbon,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Evaluation Of Performance Characteristics And Groundwater Contamination Risks Associated With On-Farm Swine Carcass Disposal Via Composting And Shallow Burial With Carbon, Gustavo Castro Garcia
Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–
This dissertation evaluates the performance of three on-farm swine carcass disposal methods: whole carcass composting (WCC), ground carcass composting (GCC), and shallow burial with carbon (SBC), focusing on biosecurity factors and groundwater contamination risks. Foreign animal diseases (FADs), such as African swine fever and classical swine fever, pose severe economic and animal well-being risks if introduced to the United States. With confirmation of an FAD, swine movement will be halted, creating an urgent need for practical, biosecure, and environmentally responsible on-farm disposal strategies for swine carcasses. Nebraska, as a leading swine-producing state, exemplifies the vulnerability of high-density livestock regions to …
Spatial And Thermal Aspects Of The Ecology Of Three Sympatric Rattlesnakes In The Montane Northern Chihuahuan Desert,
2025
University of Texas at El Paso
Spatial And Thermal Aspects Of The Ecology Of Three Sympatric Rattlesnakes In The Montane Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Joshua James Mead
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
To understand how animals coexist on the landscape, the individual aspects of a species life history must first be understood. Animals need to find locations that provide the resources they need to survive. Movement, microhabitats, and temperature can alter such areas where animals occur. Understanding animal movements provide important information on space use and microhabitats on the landscape. Ectothermic animals must acquiesce to ambient temperatures or use behavioral modifications to alter their body temperature. The ability to maintain suitable body temperature is essential for physiological function, reproduction, and ability to avoid predation. Research on the variation in a species ecology …
Temporal Partitioning And Coexistence Among Four Sympatric Felid Species In The Northern Jaguar Reserve,
2025
University of Texas at El Paso
Temporal Partitioning And Coexistence Among Four Sympatric Felid Species In The Northern Jaguar Reserve, Kylie Marie Rezendes
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Coexistence among sympatric carnivores is shaped by behavioral strategies that mediate competition and mortality risk in heterogeneous landscapes. Understanding how sympatric carnivores, such as felids, use space and time in relation to one another requires models that account for both spatial and temporal overlap across landscapes. Models incorporating time-to-event probabilities provide a powerful framework for detecting behavioral dynamics across shared landscapes. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal responses of two apex predators â?? the jaguar (Panthera onca) and mountain lion (Puma concolor) - and two mesopredators - bobcat (Lynx rufus) and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) - across five years of camera trap …
Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of The Lang's Reed Frog Species Complex (Anura: Hyperoliidae: Hyperolius Langi),
2025
University of Texas at El Paso
Phylogenetics And Integrative Taxonomy Of The Lang's Reed Frog Species Complex (Anura: Hyperoliidae: Hyperolius Langi), Dominic Troiani
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The genus Hyperolius (Rapp, 1842) is the most speciose amphibian genus in sub-Saharan Africa. The genus has a complex taxonomic history because of its extensive intraspecific and interspecific morphological variation, large geographic distribution of many taxa, gaps in sampling, and the discovery of significant cryptic diversity within many species. The goal of this study is to understand the relationships and taxonomy of Hyperolius langi via an integrative taxonomic approach that combines molecular, morphological, and bioacoustics data to clarify the systematics of the geographically widespread species Hyperolius langi. Two mitochondrial (16S and cyt b) and one nuclear (RAG1) gene were used …
Advancing Fishery Dependent And Independent Habitat Assessments Using Automated Image Analysis: A Fisheries Management Agency Case Study,
2025
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia
Advancing Fishery Dependent And Independent Habitat Assessments Using Automated Image Analysis: A Fisheries Management Agency Case Study, Scott Evans, Bronson Philippa, Carlo Mattone, Nick Konzewitsch, Renae Hovey, Marcus Sheaves, Gary A. Kendrick, Lynda M. Bellchambers
Fisheries Research Articles
Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have revolutionised data analysis, including in the field of marine and fisheries sciences. However, many fisheries agencies manage sensitive or proprietary data that cannot be shared externally, which can limit the adoption of externally hosted artificial intelligence platforms. In this study, we develop and evaluate two residual network-based automatic image annotation models to process fishery specific habitat data to support ecosystem-based fisheries management in the Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery in Western Australia. Using an extensive dataset of 13,128 manually annotated benthic habitat images, we train a grid-based annotation model and an image-level …
Arginine Vasotocin And Corticosterone In Nesting And Non-Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtles In X’Cacel-X’Cacelito Sanctuary,
2025
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Arginine Vasotocin And Corticosterone In Nesting And Non-Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtles In X’Cacel-X’Cacelito Sanctuary, Krista Blair Reed
Theses and Dissertations
Sea turtles exhibit distinct behaviors before and after egg laying, however, not all individuals successfully oviposit. Some females display disruptions in their typical nesting behavior, returning to the water without laying eggs, which is referred to as a non-nesting emergence (NNE). NNEs can be due to external disturbances on the beach, but why they occur is often unclear. Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is a neuropeptide involved in various physiological processes, including stimulating smooth muscle contraction of the oviduct to facilitate egg deposition in nesting sea turtles. On the other hand, corticosterone is the primary stress hormone in sea turtles and is …
Gut Passage Time In Small Mammals: Influences Of Small Mammal Traits, Digesta Phase, And Particle Morphology,
2025
East Tennessee State University
Gut Passage Time In Small Mammals: Influences Of Small Mammal Traits, Digesta Phase, And Particle Morphology, Noah G. Hale
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Dispersal is crucial in maintaining healthy ecosystems, but little is known about mechanisms influencing fungal spore dispersal by animals. We aimed to develop a more mechanistic understanding of the influence of fungal spore traits and small mammal traits on gut retention time. We fed three species of small mammals (shrew, mouse, vole), which differ in gut morphologies, digestive strategies, and activity a combination of markers including: liquid digesta phase (CrEDTA), small particle (fungal spores with diverse morphologies), and large particles (glitter and beads, representing plant cells and seeds, respectively). We found that hindgut fermenters selectively retained the liquid markers, spores …
Linked Lives In The Riverbed: Integrating Fish Host Dynamics, Community Structure, And Demography For Freshwater Mussel Conservation.,
2025
University of Louisville
Linked Lives In The Riverbed: Integrating Fish Host Dynamics, Community Structure, And Demography For Freshwater Mussel Conservation., Jonathan Patrick Frommeyer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Freshwater mussels are long-lived benthic invertebrates that play key roles in nutrient cycling, water filtration, and habitat stability in rivers and streams. Despite their ecological importance, they are among the most imperiled faunal groups in North America, with their persistence increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and disruptions to host–parasite dynamics. This dissertation integrates host ecology, community structure, and demographic modeling to assess population viability and guide conservation priorities for mussel species in Kentucky river systems. The first chapter introduces the ecological context and conservation urgency surrounding freshwater mussels. In particular, emphasizing the need for multi-scale approaches to understand how parasitic …
Use Of The Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification For Food Safety And Drug Discovery,
2025
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Use Of The Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification For Food Safety And Drug Discovery, Maria R. Benavente Garcia-Huidobro
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by the misfolding of the normal prion protein (PrPC) into its infectious form (PrPSc). While the zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease (CWD) remains uncertain, the presence of prions in food products raises public health concerns. Additionally, therapeutic strategies for prion diseases remain limited. This thesis presents a methodological exploration of the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) technique to address these challenges in two key areas: (1) detecting CWD prions in processed meats subjected to common cooking procedures, and (2) identifying potential anti-prion compounds through a high-throughput PMCA adaptation. …
Evaluation Of Novel Biomarkers As Predictive Measures Of Mastitis – Establishing A Relationship With Health Status, Lamb Performance, And Determination Of Prevalence Of Mastitis In Ewes Under Intensive Management,
2025
Utah State University
Evaluation Of Novel Biomarkers As Predictive Measures Of Mastitis – Establishing A Relationship With Health Status, Lamb Performance, And Determination Of Prevalence Of Mastitis In Ewes Under Intensive Management, Courtney Berghoff
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Inflammation of the mammary gland, also known as mastitis, is a prevalent and financially impactful disease in sheep production. The objectives of this survey were to 1) evaluate current testing methods: somatic cell count (SCC), California Mastitis Test (CMT), and bacterial culture, as well as novel biomarkers: lamb performance, milk composition, and udder conformation, for their impact on ewes categorized as clinically healthy or unhealthy under intensive management systems at 15 days in milk (DIM) and 30 DIM, and 2) identify biological markers that are correlated with clinical and subclinical mastitis. Milk, blood, and fecal samples, a visual and physical …
The Influence Of Retail Display Conditions On Ground Beef Quality And Palatability,
2025
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
The Influence Of Retail Display Conditions On Ground Beef Quality And Palatability, Sarah Lynn Shoup
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The objectives of these studies were to evaluate the impact of retail display case type and muscle type on meat quality attributes, including color, lipid oxidation, texture, and volatile compound profiles, as well as to assess economic implications based on retail color degradation. Case type effects were further evaluated by considering environmental factors such as temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity and their influence on the shelf life of beef patties. An economic analysis was also conducted to estimate the value of patties based on a* (redness) scores at different points during retail display. In Study 1, differences in L* …
Freezing And Shipping Optimization To Increase Quality And Profitability Of Meat E-Commerce,
2025
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Freezing And Shipping Optimization To Increase Quality And Profitability Of Meat E-Commerce, Paul Olaoluwaniyi Dahunsi
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Freezing remains one of the most reliable methods for preserving meat quality and extending shelf life. However, quality deterioration can still occur due to structural and biochemical changes activated during freezing, thawing, and distribution. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers’ preference for bulk purchasing and online meat shopping has increased, raising questions about the best strategies to balance both quality maintenance and profitability. This thesis aimed to evaluate two key stages where frozen beef is most vulnerable to quality degradation: consumer-level freezing and post-purchase shipping. The objectives were (1) to determine the effects of product size and subsequent consumer freezing practices …
Impact Of Lighting Wavelength On Broiler Behavior, Health, And Performance,
2025
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
Impact Of Lighting Wavelength On Broiler Behavior, Health, And Performance, Angela Perretti
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Lighting influences broiler production, health, and behavior. Due to their advanced visual system, avian species perceive a wide spectrum of light. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of white (W, 350 to 780 nm) blue (B, 450 nm), and green (G, 560 nm) light on broiler production, processing performance, activity, fear, stress, blood cell profiles, tibiotarsi (tibia) morphology, and depth perception. Day-of-hatch by-product chicks from a Cobb 500 female line (N=600) were randomly assigned to 12 pens (N=4 treatment replicates). Body weight and feed consumption were recorded on day (D) 0, 14, 28, and 41, and …
Improved Rumen Microbiome Interpretation Via Empirical Filtration Derived From Known Mock Microbiomes,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Improved Rumen Microbiome Interpretation Via Empirical Filtration Derived From Known Mock Microbiomes, Wesley A. Tom
School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The rumen microbiome plays a critical role in ruminant health and performance. As a consequence, many studies investigate microbial community composition using 16S rDNA based sequencing. As such, data quality and data filtering are critical to accurately identify microbial community composition. In this study we use mock communities to empirically select data filtering parameters to reduce artifact populations and compared the effect of filtering using different bioinformatic pipelines using rumen bacterial community data. The filtering parameters identified provides consistent estimates of rumen microbial diversity, regardless of bioinformatic pipeline utilized and provides a more accurate view of microbiome structure and composition. …
Insights Gained From Applying Molecular Techniques To Gray Triggerfish (Balistes Capriscus Gmelin, 1789) In The Mexican Caribbean, The Southern And Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico,
2025
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Insights Gained From Applying Molecular Techniques To Gray Triggerfish (Balistes Capriscus Gmelin, 1789) In The Mexican Caribbean, The Southern And Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Geaceli G. Orive
Theses and Dissertations
This study focuses on Balistes capriscus (Gray Triggerfish), a reef-associated species dependent on hard-bottom habitats in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Using mitochondrial DNA barcoding and phylogenetic analyses, genetic structure across four sites was assessed: Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Veracruz, Chinchorro Bank, and Xahuayxol. Samples from RGV and Veracruz exhibited limited haplotype diversity, minimal nucleotide divergence, and weak genetic differentiation-patterns consistent with recent population expansion and ongoing connectivity within the GOM. While the study centered on B. capriscus, all individuals from Chinchorro and Xahuayxol unexpectedly grouped with Canthidermis maculata (Spotted Oceanic Triggerfish), suggesting misidentification, cryptic diversity, or taxonomic uncertainty in …
