The 15th Annual
NC State University
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Biological Sciences:
Applied Sciences
(Crop, Poultry, Animal,
and Horticultural
Sciences)
Abstracts
Abstracts are listed in alphabetical order by the last name of the
corresponding author.
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Adams, Stephen B. Brown, Dana M. Honeycutt, James A. Maroules, Nicholas S. |
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Department(s): |
Food Science |
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Research |
John E. Rushing/Food
Science Lynn G. Turner/Food
Science Anita M. MacMullan/NCDA&CS |
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Title of Presentation: |
A Proposal for Risk-Based
Inspection for North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Regulated Facilities |
Currently, the North
Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) lacks
the resources required for sufficient regulation of all the firms under their
inspection. This project proposed using
a risk-based assessment method to determine the length of time between
inspections of individual food establishments.
The risk-based assessment method was selected because it could
potentially reduce time spent inspecting low-risk facilities and increase
inspection frequency for high-risk facilities; therefore the NCDA&CS could
use resources where they are most needed.
After potential risks were identified, a survey was distributed to
experts in the food safety field, including NCSU faculty and NCDA&CS food
safety compliance officers. In the
survey, factors were ranked by the experts based on likelihood of a potential
hazard to occur. After gaining this
information, the factors were statistically analyzed to determine level of
potential risk, which determines the weight of the score for each factor. The total score of a facility determines the
date of re-inspection. The developed scoresheet will be tested on facilities currently inspected
by the NCDA&CS to determine its effectiveness. Our group hypothesizes that a risk-based
inspection approach will increase the NCDA&CS inspection efficiency,
therefore better allocating resources.
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Andrason, Andrea O’Reilly, Thomas Rogers, Neal Wells, Justin |
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Department(s): |
Food Science |
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Research |
Brian Farkas/Food
Science Lynn Turner/Food Science Brian Lloyd/Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals Gary Cartwright/NCSU Dairy
Plant |
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Title of Presentation: |
Determination of a Clean
Out of Place (COP) Procedure for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' Vaccine Pilot Plant |
Clean Out
of Place (COP) systems employ a turbulent flow of water and cleaning solution
to clean loose processing equipment parts. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals would like to
utilize COP in their
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Ballard, Matthew M. Thore, Ashleigh M. Fox, Aaron J. Frazak, Ronald A. |
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Department(s): |
Food Science |
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Research |
Brian E. Farkas/Food Science Gary D. Cartwright/Food
Science Lynn G. Turner/Food
Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Non – Conventional Ultra-Pasteurization
of Half and Half Dairy Product |
.
Homogenization of half and half
dairy product is necessary to sustain a quality product for the duration of its
shelf life. A quality problem caused by product separation during storage
has been periodically observed by dairy processors. With a standard steam
injection ultra-pasteurization unit, shelf life can be extended, however the
product must be aseptically homogenized after ultra-pasteurization. The
goal of this project was to test a system that used a tubular heat exchanger
manufactured by Feldmeier Equipment Inc. that
implemented homogenization prior to pasteurization. The process exerts less shear on the half and half product than a conventional
steam injection unit. Steam injected half and half samples were compared
to Feldmeier ultra-pasteurized samples using a
centrifugal particle size analyzer. Fat globule size data was collected
over fourteen days, then analyzed to compare the
stability of each product using the two methods.
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Beyler, Rebecca L. Deal, Holly D. Shepard, LaKendra
St. Louis, Benjamin |
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Department(s): |
Food Science |
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Research |
E. Allen Foegeding/Food Science-Food Polymer and Colloidal Systems |
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Title of Presentation: |
Examination of Plant-based
Polymers for Implementation in Vegetarian Gummy Confections |
Gummy confections that satisfy
vegetarian regulations employ plant-based polymers, specifically pectin, as
their main structural component to replace gelatin, a traditional constituent.
Gelatin and non-gelatin containing gums were rheologically
analyzed to determine whether new polymers could be used as a substitute to
gelatin in such gummy confections. Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) was performed
on market products to establish a base-line texture. Formulations that included
pectin, carrageenan/cellulose gum, and carrageenan/agar were evaluated to compare and contrast
their mechanical parameters of texture to that of gelatin. Preliminary TPA
tests revealed that carrageenan exhibited higher
hardness and lower cohesiveness values compared to gelatin. A focus group will
be performed to measure the desire of the consumer for nom-gelatin gummy
confections. Future research should thus study the combined relationship of
sensorial and rheological properties. This may
contribute to the production of a new, innovative vegetarian gummy product,
utilizing plant-based polymers with a texture more akin to traditional
gelatin-based gummies.
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Boswell, Lauren M. |
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Department(s): |
Poultry Science Population Health and Pathobiology, |
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Research |
Mike Wineland/Poultry
Science H. John Barnes/Population
Health and Pathobiology |
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Title of Presentation: |
Mortality in Broiler
Breeder Flock Hens During the Early Lay Period |
Hen mortality between the onset
of lay and peak egg production can be a significant problem in broiler breeder
operations. Increased early lay mortality results in substantial economic
losses because of the intrinsic value of the hen and lost production potential. In this study, hen mortality in six broiler
breeder flocks was evaluated by necropsy to determine the most likely cause of
death. Two flocks of each of the
following breeds were represented; Arbor Acre Plus, Cobb 500, and Cobb 700. Flocks were evaluated between 25 and 32 weeks
of age. Mortality within a 24-hour time
period was evaluated each week. A total of 128 birds were necropsied:
29 Arbor Acre Plus birds, 35 Cobb 500 birds, and 64 Cobb 700 birds. Most of the mortality (65.6 %) on necropsy
had lesions consistent with non-infectious diseases including vent picking/mate
aggression, musculoskeletal disorders, calcium tetany,
renal disease, and crop impaction/choke.
The greatest single cause of mortality was vent picking/mate aggression
(26.6 %), which was especially prevalent in one flock (65.0 %). Abscesses in
the vertebral column were found in some of the birds that had evidence of
persecution. Infectious disease (salpingitis, peritonitis, arthritis/synovitis)
was found in 21.9 % of the mortality.
Death was undetermined in 12.5 % of the hens.
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Croughwell, Rachel E. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research |
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Title of Presentation: |
Inhibition of Germinal
Vesicle Breakdownin Feline Oocytes
by DRB in the Presence of FSH |
A better understanding of in
vivo oocyte maturation is necessary for us to more
efficiently produce competent oocytes in vitro. One
key phase of mammalian oocyte maturation is a period
during which meiosis is arrested. This occurs at the diplotene
stage of prophase I which is also called the dictyate
stage (Farin and Yang, 1994). This experiment was
designed to test the effect of a transcriptional inhibitor, DRB, on the arrest
of feline oocytes in the presence and absence of gonadotropins. Feline COC cultured in the presence of DRB
and FSH showed a significant increase in the number of GV oocytes
(P = .0355) with 53.78 ± 6.53% arrested for DRB + FSH, 24.36 ± 6.53% for FSH –
DRB, 17.50 ± 8.43% for DRB – FSH, and 22.03 ± 7.30% for –DRB -FSH. There was a
highly significant decrease in the number of ooctyes
that reached MII (P = .0006) for the treatment group containing DRB and FSH
with 20.24 ± 8.14% of DRB+FSH, 63.26 ± 8.14% of FSH –DRB, 64.17 ± 10.51% of DRB
-FSH and 25.88 ± 9.10% of –FSH-DRB oocytes reaching
MII. The increase in oocytes reaching MII in the FSH
group compared to to the FSH+DRB group indicates that
FSH is responsible for transcribing new genes necessary for the resumption of
meiosis. This is evident by the fact that the transcriptional inhibitor DRB
blocks the resumption of meiosis when FSH is in the culture medium. These results are consistent with results
that have been reported for bovine and murine oocytes.
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Dean, Megan N. Ruffin,
April R. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research |
Brenda Alston-Mills/Animal Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Extracellular Matrix Proteins Modulate Mammary Gland Morphology in Prepuberal Mice |
The extracellular
matrix (ECM) is a complex system of glycoproteins and
proteoglycans that determines tissue structure and
regulates biological activities.
Several proteins are involved in degradation of the ECM, promotion of
cell spreading, and tissue morphology. Fibronectin
regulates proliferation and promotes cell spreading. MMP-2 is involved in the degradation of the extracellular matrix allowing for ductal
elongation during the prepuberal period. TIMP-2
inhibits MMP-2. The objective of this
study was to determine how three of the proteins: matrix metalloproteinase 2
(MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2), and fibronectin affect mammary gland development in prepuberal mice from six different treatment groups. Mice were randomly assigned to the following
groups: 1) control; 2) soy; 3) α-lactalbumin (aLA); 4) soy/α-LA; 5) estradiol
benzoate (EB)/α –LA; and 6) EB.
Mice received these treatments through diet with the exception of the EB
groups, which were injected with 2.5ug of EB/20ug corn oil. Whole mount analysis was done for each
group. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed for these
proteins using extracts from the mammary gland.
Groups treated with α-LA alone or in combination with soy or EB had
slightly higher concentrations of fibronectin when
compared to other treatment groups.
α-LA and EB/α-LA had higher concentrations of MMP-2 when
compared to other treatment groups (p<.05).
The soy and α -LA fed groups had the lowest values for TIMP-2
(P<.0001). Low fibronectin
concentrations can occur when MMP-2 is high. MMP-2 can be active without TIMP-2
being active. If TIMP- 2 concentrations are high, MMP-2 must be low. Growth is facilitated when MMP-2 and fibronectin are at high concentrations and TIMP-2 is
low. Both soy and a-LA are reported to
decrease mammary tumor incidence in rodents after receiving a chemical
carcinogen but not necessarily through the same mechanism. From these results, we observed differential ductal growth and branching patterns as a result of
treatment. Such changes may affect
mammary tumor susceptibility at a later age.
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Everidge, Stephanie M. |
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Department(s): |
Clinical Sciences, College
of Veterinary Medicine |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Anthony Blikslager/Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary
Medicine Adam Moeser/Clinical
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine |
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Title of Presentation: |
Mechanisms of Intestinal
Barrier Dysfunction during Weaning Stress of Swine |
Weaning stress is one of the
most prominent causes of economic losses in the swine production industry and
the mechanism of intestinal dysfunction is unknown. The purpose of this research is to find if
CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) acts directly on
the intestine to disrupt barrier function and stimulate hypersecretion. Research will include measurement of transepithelial resistance (TER) and short-circuit current
on Ussing chambers with tissues bathed in oxygenated
Ringer’s. Western Blotting will also be
performed to determine CRH receptor expression in the intestine. The final method involved assessment of
morphological changes of ileum and jejunum by villus
height, villus width, and crypt depth observed under
a standard microscope with 19-day-old weaned and unweaned
tissues. The results of the experiment
backed the hypothesis that CRH may act directly on the gut to produce barrier
dysfunction. TER measurements in the
weaned piglets decreased unlike the unweaned
piglets. Short-circuit current increased
for the weaned piglets demonstrating more mucosal secretory
activity (diarrhea) in the gut. Western
blotting results showed increased CRH receptor expression in weaned piglets
than in unweaned piglets. The last piece of data reviewed was consistent
with previous knowledge about morphological changes. The villus height
decreased for the weaned piglets in both ileum and jejunum mirroring previous
studies. Villus
width was increased for weaned pigs when compared to unweaned
in the results. The crypt depth
increased for weaned piglets in both intestinal segments in the research as
noted by previous studies. The
conclusion of the research demonstrates that later weaning age may be more
beneficial to the production market to combat antigens from crossing the
reduced barrier function of the intestine.
More research is needed on CRH receptors in the gut but it is possible
that this hormone may be the linked to the weaning stress problems.
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George, Rebecca C. |
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Department(s): |
Biological Sciences |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Rebecca
Poston/Embrex, Inc. |
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Title of Presentation: |
Viability Testing of Cryopreserved Eimeria Sporocysts |
Currently, there is little scientific
data available in the literature which addresses the effects of long term cryopreservation on
the viability of Eimeria sporocysts.
Successful cryopreservation of sporocysts is important for investigators conducting
research with Eimeria or other important apicomplexan parasites because it could provide long term
storage options for parasites of commercial or scientific importance.
This study was conducted in order to demonstrate the
viability of Eimeria
sporocysts after a given period of cryopreservation. It
is important to recognize that the oocyst and the sporozoite stages of the parasite are difficult to cryopreserve, and so the sporocyst
life stage is the best option. Live Eimeria sporocyst stocks were frozen in a
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) media
solution using liquid nitrogen storage methods.
After a 50-53 month period of storage, the sporocysts
were thawed, washed and used in an in vivo study to determine viability. Chickens were orally gavaged
with the appropriate dosage and strain of the stored material, and after a
period of growout, the fecal matter was collected in
order to analyze the oocyst output. We found that all of the Eimeria strains, E. acervulina, E.
maxima 1, E. maxima 2, and E. tenella, were still viable after four years of cryopreservation.
Additionally, the oocyst output observed was
comparable to the oocyst output from the same
material cryopreserved for three months.
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Heermann, Maryn L. Park, Sunkyu |
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Department(s): |
Wood and Paper Science |
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Research |
Hasaan Jameel/Wood and Paper
Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
The Effects of Fiber Type
on Cellulose Fiber and Water Interactions |
Since papermaking is essentially a water removal process, characterizing water and fiber interactions could be very useful to paper manufacturers. Previous studies have modeled and characterized the removal of water from fibers by defining a new fiber characteristic, called hard to remove (HR) water. The HR water content is defined as the moisture ratio at the onset point between the constant rate drying zone and the falling rate drying zone. This novel technique has the tremendous potential for characterizing the drying behavior of fibers, and since paper makers use a variety of pulps, characterizing the HR water content could be useful in the processing of different fiber types. This study focuses on investigating the HR water content of various types of pulp, including bleached and unbleached pulps, refined pulps and dried and un-dried pulps. After the HR water content is determined for these pulps, it will be compared to the values obtained using the established techniques of Fiber Saturation Point (FSP) and Water Retention Value (WRV). Initial results reaffirm that HR water content has a high correspondence with WRV and FSP data. Initial results also indicate that in the case of bleached softwood fibers, refined fibers show a higher WRV, FSP and HR water content than unrefined fibers. These results indicate that the processing of refined fibers will require more drying energy than unrefined fibers.
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Hooker, Lauren E. |
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Department(s): |
Food Science |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Leon Boyd/Food Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Antioxidant Activity of Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia) Components in a Lipid Model System |
The antioxidant activity of muscadine leaves and pomace, specifically the seeds and the skins, were investigated using a lipid model system. Synthetic versions of antioxidant compounds known to be found in muscadine seeds were examined for their antioxidant capabilities and then compared to the antioxidant activity of muscadine seeds, leaves, and skins that had been ground, undergone lipid extraction, and dried. Procedures used to obtain and compare values for the antioxidant capabilities of the synthetic compounds and the ground muscadines seeds, leaves, and skins included those of the Oxidative Stability Instrument (OSI), Total Phenol, and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. The Total Phenol procedure, serving as a predictor of antioxidant capability, showed the lipid extracted leaves as having the greatest antioxidant potential, followed by the seeds, then skins. The OSI showed that the seeds had the greatest antioxidant ability, followed by the skins and leaves. It was found that the synthetic forms of the antioxidants quercetin, (+)-catechin, and gallic acid at both 5 and 10 mM concentrations had the most comparable OSI values to the OSI values of 3mL lipid extracted muscadines seeds, leaves, and skins in 5mL safflower seed oil.
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Johnson, Emily M. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Joseph P. Cassady/Animal Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Evidence of Relationships
between Pig Behavior and Performance |
The objective of this research was to estimate relationships between five different measures of behavior and performance. Tests included backtest (BT), resident-intruder, human approach (HAT), novel object (NOT), and open door (ODT) tests. For the backtest, a pig was laid on its back for 60 sec and number of attempts to struggle and time spent struggling were recorded. For the resident-intruder test, pens were divided in half and a resident pig was moved into the empty half. A smaller intruder pig of the same sex was introduced. Latency (LAT) was recorded as time until an attack occurred and resident-intruder score (RIS) indicated if an attack occurred. The test ended with an attack (RIS = 1) or after 3 min (RIS = 0). A person entered and stood in the center of the pen for the HAT. Time started when the person reached the center and all pigs were standing and ended when all pigs had made snout contact with the person or after 5 minutes. The NOT was done in a similar fashion by using a rope to hang a rubber bucket from the ceiling in the middle of the pen and recording time to snout contact. In ODT, the pen door was opened and pigs were allowed 5 minutes to exit the pen. Time for each pig to exit the pen was recorded. Performance data analyzed were birth weight, weaning weight, 56-day weight, preweaning ADG, and nursery ADG, and ADG from 56 to 222 days of age. Repeatabilities of the backtest, RIS, LAT, HAT, and NOT were 0.42, 0.19, 0.15, 0.39, and 0.43, respectively. Performance data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS and included fixed effects of litter, sex, BTS, TTS, RIS, LAT, HAT, NOT, and ODT. Pigs which never attacked had 1.2 mm more backfat than those which attacked twice.
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Leonard, Alisha A. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research Mentor(s): |
William Flowers/Animal
Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Behavioral Differences Between
Sows and Gilts During the Reproductive Cycle |
The characteristics of swine behavior are one of the least understood aspects of swine production. Understanding swine behavior reveals information about animal well being, physiological changes, pathological conditions and management situations. The success of swine production farms is centered on the management of the reproductive female. There are two groups of reproductive females, sows and gilts. The objective of this research was to observe gilts and sows in order to discern behavioral differences that existed between these two reproductive groups, during the breeding, pregnancy, and lactation cycles. Gilts and Sows were observed 2-3 times weekly for a total of 6-9 hours per week during the fall 2005 Semester. Approximately 77 sows and 9 gilts were observed, totaling 86 reproductive females. No notable differences were observed between gilts and sows during the breeding phase. The standing reflex of estrus females as well as the vocalizations were similar in both breeding groups. Differences were observed during the pre-farrowing stage. Gilts showed increased restlessness, and vocalization. Behaviors during lactation were similar between sows and gilts. Both reproductive females were found nursing on their sides a majority of the study time. It is clear, there are noticeable differences present between gilts and sows during the reproductive cycle, particularly during pregnancy. Further research aimed at more critical behavioral observations and analyses is needed before any clear conclusions can be drawn. However, it is possible that formulating specific management regimes for each of the reproductive females may aid in the success and productivity of the hog industry.
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Fogal, Chelsea L. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Carlos Pinto/Population
Health and Pathobiology |
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Title of Presentation: |
Effect of Centrifugation on
Equine Semen Quality Over Time during Cool-storage Incubation |
Seminal plasma plays an
important role in normal sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. However, several studies have shown that
seminal plasma has a deleterious effect on sperm cells in vitro (Pickett et al,
1975). In fact it has been suggested that complete removal of seminal plasma is
protective to sperm DNA integrity (Love et al, 2005). Reduction or removal of
seminal plasma can be achieved through centrifugation. The intent of this study
was to determine the effect of centrifugation over time on equine semen quality
during cool-storage incubation. Twenty ejaculates were collected from 8
stallions of known fertility. Concentration, motility, membrane integrity
(HOST; swelling test), and viability (eosin-nigrosin)
were determined. Samples from each ejaculate were extended with one of five
commercially available semen extenders (four skim-milk based and one egg-yolk
based) to a final concentration of 50 x 106/mL. An aliquot of these samples
were centrifuged at 400 g for 10 min and re-suspended to 50 x 106/mL with its respective extender.
All samples were stored at 5 ˚C and analyzed at 24 h and 48 h. Although
initially centrifuged and noncentrifuged samples
showed no distinguishable differences, at 24 and 48 hours centrifuged semen
displayed superiority to noncentrifuged semen in all
categories examined; motility, viability and membrane integrity. This research
will aid in enhancing current equine reproductive technologies by affirming the
benefits and potential of centrifuged semen samples. For example, centrifuging
semen is helpful when shipping breeding doses of stallions with low quality
semen.
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Lupton, James N. R. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research |
Billy Flowers/Animal
Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Effects of Boron on Swine
Semen |
Twelve boars were divided
into three equal groups and assigned a level of boron, 0, 9.3 or 92.6 ppm per day (TRT 1, 2 and 3) for 8 weeks. Semen was collected and analyzed to determine
any effect the boron had on each week and on each treatment. The results were complied and compared among
the other weeks and treatments. Sperm
concentration, total sperm, volume and motility were found not to be affected
by the amount of boron while progressive motility, velocity and distal droplets
were affected. Progressive motility took
a drop during one week in the middle of the study but this cannot be attributed
to the boron levels. Velocity increased
in treatments 2 and 3, and the amount of distal droplets was affected in a
beneficial-then-toxic manner.
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Marshall, Patrick Andrason, Casey Auman, Ashley Beard, Adam Blumberg, Eric Brown, Brittany Burke, Katherine Carr, Hannah Hanes, Alex Hughes, Shaya Mueck, Rachel Myers, Amber Nivison, Leslie Ramirez, Natalie Schaffer, Brooks Silva, Ivonne Simmons, Kirsten Smith, Arianna |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science Engineering Zoology Biochemistry Biological Sciences Microbiology |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Kenneth Esbenshade/Associate Dean and Director of CALS Academic
Programs |
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Title of Presentation: |
Ebola: A Survey of History
and Research |
Ebola is a zoonotic RNA filovirus that
affects many species but is especially deadly in nonhuman primates and
humans. There are four known strains of
Ebola: Zaire, Sudan, Reston, and Ivory Coast.
Ebola-Zaire is the most virulent strain to both humans and nonhuman
primates, whereas Ebola Reston is asymptomatic in humans. Infection in humans begins with a headache
and fever and then progresses to bloody or black vomit and eventually
death. One of the most probable modes of
transmission in humans is direct contact with bodily fluids or infected
persons. Ebola also affects animals due
to its zoonotic nature but in most species is
asymptomatic. Only nonhuman primates
show symptoms from the virus, which makes finding the natural reservoir
difficult. Current studies speculate
that the most likely reservoir is a species of African fruit bat. There is no standard treatment or vaccine
presently available for this virus. Most
current research is concentrated on prevention and control of the virus. Future research should focus on the areas of
animal infections, treatment options and options for eradication.
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McDowell, Kelli A. |
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Department(s): |
Biological Sciences |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Fred Gould/Entomology |
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Title of Presentation: |
Inbreeding Effects on Heliothis subflexa |
The objective of this
project was to use Heliothis subflexa,
a specialist moth species, as a model for studying inbreeding effects on the
fitness of a population. Twenty-two
adult moths, 11 males and 11 females, were selected at random from a lab colony
and mated using a single pair mating design.
Single pair, sibling matings were continued in
each separate family for three consecutive generations. As expected, the fitness of the moths
decreased with each successive generation of inbreeding. Of the 11 original families, only four
survived until the last generation. A genetic analysis is being conducted to
test the hypothesis that inbreeding resulted in a similar degree of homozygosity on all 31 linkage groups of the families. The
hypothesis that there is a relationship between the number of homozygous loci
in an individual and the degree of physical abnormalities will also be
tested. Amplified Fragment Length
Polymorphisms are being used as indicator loci in this analysis. The results from this experiment could
provide insight into the theories of whether or not inbreeding affects all
linkage groups equally, and whether or not homozygosity
at specific loci has more of an effect on fitness than homozygosity
at other loci.
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McPherson, Christine S. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research Mentor(s): |
Gerald Huntington/Animal
Science Joe Cassidy/Animal Science
Scott Whisnant/Animal
Science Matt Poore/Animal
Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Residual Feed Intake
(RFI), Behavioral, and Physiological Measures in Angus Bulls |
The objective was to measure RFI in 56 registered Angus bulls (285 ± 34 kg BW, 275 ± 21 d old) from one herd and to relate RFI to physiological and economically important traits. After completing a post-weaning vaccination and parasite elimination program, bulls were adapted to a corn silage-based diet (140 g CP, 1.73 Mcal NEm and 1.22 Mcal NEg per kg DM), and trained to use individual feeding gates. They were blocked based on BW and sire into groups of 12 and fed the same diet for 84 d. They were weighed every 14 d, and measures of temperament, chute escape velocity, hip height, scrotal circumference, blood samples, for determination of circulating concentrations of testosterone, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), and ultrasound measures of body composition were collected at d 8, d 58, and d 84. At the end of the study rate of eating was measured on the eight bulls with the highest and lowest RFI (n = 16). Mean ± SD RFI (predicted minus actual) was 0.12 ± 0.73 kg DM/d. Mean ± SD ADG and DMI were 1.42 ± 0.20 and 7.3 ± 1.7 kg. Residual feed intake was positively correlated with eating rate, BW, BW gain, hip height, scrotal circumference, and testosterone on d 8 (P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with T3 on d 8 (P < 0.08). Increased ribeye area (P < 0.07) and calmer temperament (P < 0.13) tended to correlate with RFI. When compared to the 8 bulls with lowest RFI (-1.03 kg/d), the 8 bulls with the highest RFI (1.24 kg/d) ate faster, were taller and heavier, gained weight faster (P < 0.05), and tended (0.05 < P < 0.20) to be calmer in the weigh box, slower to leave the chute, had larger ribeye area, greater increases in subcutaneous fat over the rib and rump, and less increase in hip height from d 58 to d 84. We conclude that differences in physiological and behavioral traits of bulls likely explain important components of RFI.
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Patoka, Jenny |
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Department(s): |
Poultry Science |
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Research |
Matthew D. Koci/Poultry Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Development of |
Astroviruses are small, non-enveloped, positive stranded RNA viruses known to be one of the leading causes of acute enteritis in infants as well as a clinically important pathogen in the elderly and the immunocompromised. In spite of its recognized impact on human health, little is known about how this virus causes disease. Our laboratory studies an astrovirus that causes severe diarrhea in young turkeys (type-2 turkey astrovirus, TAstV2). This model allows us to experimentally examine the histological and molecular events induced by an astrovirus infection. The objective of this project was to develop a plasmid containing the full-length genome of TAstV2 for use in reverse genetics experiments. In order to create this construct, overlapping regions of the virus genome were amplified by RT-PCR and individually cloned. The virus fragments were then subcloned from their original vector and recombined into pGEM –5Zf(+), generating a new construct containing over 75% of the TAstV2 genome. Experiments are currently underway to clone the remaining section of virus with the ultimate goal of generating a construct containing the full-length genome. This will be used to produce mutant recombinant TAstV2 and help characterize the role of individual viral proteins in astrovirus pathogenesis.
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Rush, Christina M. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
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Research |
Kimberly Ange-van Heugten/Animal Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Survey of Spider and
Woolly Monkey Diets and Health Histories at Thirteen Institutions |
Woolly monkeys, a primate
species from
|
Seabolt, Brynn S. |
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Department(s): |
Animal Science |
|
Research |
Kimberly Ange-van Heugten/Animal Science |
|
Title of Presentation: |
Implications of Apartment
Companion Animal Restrictions within Wake County |
It often seems impossible to
find an apartment complex where companion animals are allowed. The reasons for this include apartment
insurance company policies, previous bad experiences with pets, complex owner
preference to certain species, etc. The
research goal was to survey which pets are most commonly restricted in
apartment complexes in Wake County, North Carolina and determine the reason for
the restriction. Furthermore, we wanted
to focus on canines and determine which breed types are typically abandoned,
and whether the abandonment appears linked to apartment restrictions and potential
perceptions related to canine aggression.
81 apartment complexes were surveyed in the test area to learn about
their pet policies. Fifty one percent of
these complexes restricted dogs by breed and 59 % restricted dogs by
weight. Seven percent of the complexes
did not allow pets of any species.
Breeds and breed mixes that were most commonly restricted included, pit
type breeds, rottweilers, chow chow’s, and dobermans. The most
common weight restriction was any animal over 100 pounds. We analyzed owner-surrendered animals taken
in by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of
|
Townsend, Davon
M. |
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Department(s): |
Biochemistry |
|
Research |
Leon Boyd/Food Science |
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Title of Presentation: |
Effects of Processing on the
Sensory and Antioxidant Properties of Blueberry Juices from
Selected |
Fruits and vegetables are
natural sources of antioxidants.
Blueberries contain one of the highest antioxidant activities of any berry
or other domesticated fruit. There is an
intensifying interest in the possible health benefits of blueberries and
blueberry products because of their high antioxidant capacity, which is
strongly related to their anthocyanin and total phenolic content.
These characteristics make it essential to develop strategies to
optimize conditions to maintain high levels of antioxidants in these berries
and design new technologies to preserve their natural values. Using a single processing technique, the
overall goal of this study is to compare the antioxidant and sensory properties
of five blueberry cultivars grown in
The five diverse
Total Phenols Test revealed that pasteurization increased
the phenolic activity of all but one of the cultivars. The largest increase occurred in the Powder
Blue Cultivar. Results from the Anthocyanins Test revealed an increase in the anthocyanin value for all five cultivars with Power Blue
having the largest and Crotan the smallest. Color Indices from the Hue Test show that
processing has a decreasing effect on the color content in all cultivars.
|
Turner, Frances B. |
|
|
Department(s): |
Animal Science |
|
Research |
Billy L. Flowers/Animal
Science |
|
Title of Presentation: |
The Effect of the Neonatal
Environment on Boar Fertility |
The objective of this study is to investigate changes in the neonatal environment and how these changes affect sperm production of mature boars. When delivered, the boars were cross fostered into two different litter sizes; a large litter size which contained ten piglets and a small litter size that had no more than six piglets. They were also separated into two seasons; the first season (fall) were the piglets born in October 2003 and the spring group which consisted of piglets born in March 2004. From then on the piglets were all raised through the same method.
The boars were then trained to mount at week 24. Once able to successfully mount, the boars
were placed on a once-a-week collection schedule. Their samples were analyzed for total sperm
cells per ejaculate, motility, normal head and tail morphology, acrosin activity, capacitating sperm, and abnormal acrosomes.
The litter size seemed to have no effect on the sperm
quantity or quality of the boars. In
contrast, season seemed to have an effect on the boars’ semen quantity and
quality. The total sperm cells per
ejaculate increased in the fall. The
litter sizes were affected for motility but it had opposite effects in the two
different seasons. Morphology was
affected only in the spring. In
comparison, acrosin activity was higher in the
fall. Capacitating sperm in large
litters were significant in the fall but in the spring there was no
change. In the fall there was a decrease
in abnormal acrosomes in comparison to the
spring. In conclusion, season tended to
affect the boars, while litter size did not seem to play a significant role in
semen quantity and quality.
- Biological Sciences abstracts
Applied Sciences (Crop, Poultry, Animal, and
Horticultural Sciences)
Ecology,
Environmental, Conservation, Botanical
Molecular, Biochemical, Genetics, Cell Biology
Zoology, Physiology, Behavior, Neurobiology
- Engineering
& Technology abstracts
- Humanities,
Social Sciences, Psychology abstracts
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences
abstracts
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