Academic literature on the topic 'Degree Discipline: Zoology'

The equine breeding industry for sport’s performance has evolved into a fairly profitable economic activity. In particular, the Caballo de Deporte Español (CDE) is bred for different disciplines with a special focus on Show Jumping. The main aim of this study was to determine the effects of 15 years of selection and to find out whether it has been effective and adequate regarding the CDE main breeding objectives. The whole pedigree of 19,045 horses registered as CDE was used, comprising 47,884 animals (18,799 males and 29,085 females). An analysis performed to check for the pedigree completeness level yielded a number of equivalent complete generations (t) equal to 1.95, an average generation interval (GI) of 10.87 years, mean inbreeding coefficient (F) of 0.32%, an average relatedness coefficient (AR) of 0.09% and an effective population size (Ne) of 204. For the analyses, animals were divided into fourteen breed groups. Additionally, in order to study the evolution of these breeds over time and their influence on CDE pedigree, five different periods were considered according to the year of birth of the animals. Performance data used in the analyses were the estimated breeding values (EBV) of the Show Jumping sport discipline of 12,197 horses in the CDE pedigree, available from the 2020 routine genetic evaluations of the CDE breeding program (starting in 2004). Dressage and Eventing EBV values were also assessed. Results showed values of F higher than expected under random mating; this pointed to some degree of inbred matings. With regard to the evolution of breeding values, we found that, in general, EBVs of offspring were higher than the EBVs of parents. Notwithstanding, there is still a need for improvement in population management and the coordination of the breeders to get higher responses but controlling the loss of genetic diversity in the CDE breed.

The human perception of biological organization has profound implications for the study, management, and conservation of living things. Traditional methods of classification, which imply all-or-nothing group membership, are inconsistent with the modern synthesis, which stresses variability and unique individuals. We propose that fuzzy classification, which allows fractional membership in multiple clusters, can more realistically denote many forms of biological organization, such as populations. We used fuzzy clustering to depict the ambiguous structure of a migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herd, based on affinities in space use, and walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) stocks, based on genetic dissimilarities among multilocus genotypes. In both cases, fuzzy memberships conveyed the degree of uncertainty of belonging while resolving cluster memberships for unambiguous and problematic individuals. Vagueness implies that borderline group identity cannot be remedied with more resolving power. Fuzzy classification is more in tune with the empirical and philosophical foundations of our discipline and can reconcile our need to classify with an inherently vague biological world.

AbstractHeterochrony (changes in the relative timing of development between species) has been studied almost exclusively using morphological characters, with a focus on changes in size and shape (as a surrogate for time) between ancestral species and their descendents. Such an approach is restrictive in that it precludes the investigation of heterochronies in other, non-morphological traits and, therefore, hampers a more integrated approach to heterochrony. Such an integrated approach, where cellular, molecular and genetic approaches are used within a comparative phylogenetic framework to investigate developmental sequences, has been advocated by workers such as Smith and Raff. Here we suggest that equal emphasis should be given to the importance of physiological and ecological mechanisms that relate to changes in developmental sequence. Reviews of the history and status of physiological and ecological heterochrony reveal several examples for each, although progress has been hampered to some degree by a lack of recognition of physiological heterochrony and a lack of mechanistic understanding (heterochronies in evolutionary ecology). What emerges is that each discipline potentially brings something quite different, and complementary, to the study of heterochrony. The emergence of physiological heterochrony has arguably put the emphasis back on the object of selection and how the developing organism works: studies relating ecology and heterochrony have sought to establish whether or not there is an adaptive basis to altered sequences. We propose that any future studies of heterochrony should seek to exploit these different strengths rather than see them as merely complementary approaches.

Abstract An Animal Science degree prepares students for a broad range of career opportunities yet the two most discussed in the literature and assumed by society are in animal science industry or veterinary medicine. However, studies indicate that -60% of our students enter into education as a career path, yet animal science departments typically do not emphasize educational careers or provide opportunities for students to develop skills in methods relevant for animal science related teaching. To combat this lack of representation for educational career opportunities, our research university’s animal science department has acted in two ways:-Developed a laboratory teaching methods course that allows undergraduate students to serve as teaching assistants for an animal handling lab with support and supervision from the course and graduate student lab instructors-Performed a content analysis to identify the type, frequency, and way educational career paths are discussed and/or assessed in introductory animal science courses. These are the first steps in ensuring that students are as prepared for pursuit of a possible educational career at a level equal to that for industry or veterinary careers. Sustainability of animal science includes retaining students in educational careers and actively improving our educational practices within the discipline. These changes better prepare our undergraduate students to have more realistic job expectations and competence in teaching when they pursue graduate school or animal science related educational career options. The university animal science program also benefits, as the undergraduate teaching assistants improve the instructor-to-student ratio thus positively impacting safety and logistics of hands-on large animal labs while increasing one-on-one instruction time with students. These practices increase student engagement and learning. Additionally, the field of animal science will prosper from increased competence in pedagogical techniques providing a richer, more complete educational experience for our students both in and out of university settings.

SUMMARYFarming systems research is a multi-disciplinary holistic approach to solve the problems of small farms. Small and marginal farmers are the core of the Indian rural economy constituting 0·80 of the total farming community but possessing only 0·36 of the total operational land. The declining trend of per capita land availability poses a serious challenge to the sustainability and profitability of farming. Under such conditions, it is appropriate to integrate land-based enterprises such as dairy, fishery, poultry, duckery, apiary, field and horticultural cropping within the farm, with the objective of generating adequate income and employment for these small and marginal farmers under a set of farm constraints and varying levels of resource availability and opportunity. The integration of different farm enterprises can be achieved with the help of a linear programming model. For the current review, integrated farming systems models were developed, by way of illustration, for the marginal, small, medium and large farms of eastern India using linear programming. Risk analyses were carried out for different levels of income and enterprise combinations. The fishery enterprise was shown to be less risk-prone whereas the crop enterprise involved greater risk. In general, the degree of risk increased with the increasing level of income. With increase in farm income and risk level, the resource use efficiency increased. Medium and large farms proved to be more profitable than small and marginal farms with higher level of resource use efficiency and return per Indian rupee (Rs) invested. Among the different enterprises of integrated farming systems, a chain of interaction and resource flow was observed. In order to make farming profitable and improve resource use efficiency at the farm level, the synergy among interacting components of farming systems should be exploited. In the process of technology generation, transfer and other developmental efforts at the farm level (contrary to the discipline and commodity-based approaches which have a tendency to be piecemeal and in isolation), it is desirable to place a whole-farm scenario before the farmers to enhance their farm income, thereby motivating them towards more efficient and sustainable farming.

Abstract Sense of belonging is a student’s sense of feeling accepted, valued, encouraged, and included by others in their discipline. Sense of belonging fundamentally influences behavior and is linked to academic and career outcomes. Recent projections indicate there will not be enough qualified college graduates for requisite STEM agriculture careers. Further, there is an ethnic disparity in STEM agriculture degree recipients. As Black and Hispanic students have higher attrition than White students in STEM, there is an opportunity to implement educational interventions to improve their sense of belonging and increase matriculation into the agriculture workforce. The objective of this study was to evaluate if an experiential learning opportunity, a five-day tour of the beef cattle industry, changed students’ sense of belonging with a focus on ethnicity. Procedures involving human subjects were approved by Texas State University IRB (#8309). Students from two universities attended a beef cattle industry tour in the Texas Panhandle in May 2022. Students toured facilities, interacted with industry professionals, and reflected on their experiences through daily entries in journals. Pre- and post-tests were administered via Qualtrics as identical questionnaire-based survey instruments immediately before and after the tour. Questions were adapted from previously validated instruments. Sense of belonging metrics were scored on a 5-point Likert scale where 1=Strongly disagree and 5=Strongly agree. Cronbach’s alpha for the pre-survey was 0.71 and for the post-survey was 0.74. Statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS v.26. Independent sample t-tests were used to evaluate the change from pre- to post-survey responses and one-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the difference in responses between ethnicities. Students (n = 21) were predominantly female (81%); attended Texas A&M University (67%) or Texas State University (33%); and were White (52%), Hispanic (33%), or Black (14%). We combined “Hispanic” and “Black” into a single independent variable to analyze differences between White (52%) and non-White (48%) students. Before the tour, there was a difference (P = 0.05) in sense of belonging between White (4.33 ± 0.16) and ethnic minority (3.73 ± 0.23) students such that White students had a stronger sense of belonging in agriculture. There was no change (P = 0.55) in White students’ sense of belonging as a result of the tour, from 4.33 ± 0.16 to 4.39 ± 0.44. However, there was a change (P ≤ 0.01) in ethnic minority students’ sense of belonging, from 3.73 ± 0.23 to 4.37 ± 0.27. Ultimately, participating in the tour increased Hispanic and Black, but not White, students’ sense of belonging. One potential benefit of implementing experiential learning opportunities in dynamic social environments is improving students’ sense of belonging, especially in careers/industries where ethnic minorities are underrepresented.

July 7, 2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the renowned scientist in the field of plant physiology and microbiology, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Higher School of Ukraine, Head of the Department of Botany and Zoology of the Ternopil National Pedagogical University and University Svitlana Vasylivna was born in the village of Ishkiv, Koziv district, Ternopil region, to a family of teachers. She started schooling at the Ishkiv eight-year school and later Ternopil Secondary School #8, which she graduated with honours in 1976. In August 1977, she entered Ternopil Pedagogical Institute, Natural Sciences faculty. She graduated with honors in 1982 and got qualification of a teacher of chemistry and biology Since July 1982, Svitlana Vasylivna's work has been associated with the Department of Botany (now the Department of Botany and Zoology of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University), where she became an assistant at the laboratory of plant physiology and biology. As a laboratory assistant, S.V. Pyda commenced her first scientific studies concerned with nitrogen nutrition of legumes supervised by Professor, Head of the Symbiotic Nitrogenation Department of the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine Yukhym Polikarpovych Starchenko, candidates of biological sciences, professor of the Department of Botany of Ternopil Pedagogical Institute Vekirchyk Kuzma Mykolaiovych and associate professor Butnytskyi Ivan Mykolaiovych. From 1989 to 1993 S.V. Pyda carried out scientific research at National Botanical Garden M.M. Hrishko NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv) supervised by professor, head of allelopathy department Holovko Erast Anatoliiovych. May 26, 1994 as a result of scientific research S.V. Pyda became a successful defense of a Ph.D. thesis for the degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences in the specialty 03.00.12 – plant physiology in the specialized scientific council of the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine entitled: «Allelopathic and symbiotic features of lupine at different levels of nitrogen nutrition». During her postgraduate studies, in 1990 S. V. Pyda was transitioned to the position of Assistant Professor of the Department of Botany of Ternopil Pedagogical Institute, and after the defense of her Ph.D. thesis in January 1995 – to the post of Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor of Botany – on December 25, 1997. Pyda S.V. was given the academic title of Associate Professor of Botany. Pyda S.V. managed to combine her teaching career with scientific research concerned with a wide range of questions of plant physiology, biochemistry and ecology, microbiology, agriculture. Her major research focuses on the biological fixation of molecular nitrogen by legumes, allelopathic and biochemical features of species of the genus Lupine and some floral-ornamental plants, problems of chemical interaction between plants in natural and artificial phytocenoses, microorganisms and agriculture. Her 13-year-long scientific work found its expression in the manuscript of the doctoral dissertation, successfully defended on June 14, 2007 for the degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences in the specialized academic council of the Uman Agrarian University (now Uman National University of Horticulture) entitled: “Physiology of symbiosis of Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lupinus) – Lupinus L.: allelopathic analysis” specialty 03.00.12 – plant physiology. On April 1, 2008, after a significant achievement in the scientific and pedagogical field, the decision of the Scientific Council of the Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University Pyda S.V. was appointed the professor of the Department of Botany. On January 20, 2011, by the decision of the Attestation Board of the Ministry of Education and Science, Pyda S.V. was awarded the academic title of Professor of Botany. Since November 26, 2014 prof. Pyda S.V. has been the head of the Department of Botany and Zoology after the merging of the departments of Botany and Zoology. Svitlana Vasylivna Pyda’s legacy comprises 342 works, including 4 monographs, 7 utility model patents, over 30 scientific articles, 2 textbooks, 7 methodological tutorials, 1 bibliographic index, 2 e-courses etc. Professor S.V. Pyda has been teaching at the University for many years the disciplines "Plant Physiology", "Microbiology with the Fundamentals of Virology", "Research Methods", "Nutrition and Productivity of Plants", "Mechanisms of Plant Productivity". She is also a teacher of Ternopil Oblast Territory -Municipal Branch of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, a member of the jury and head at the numerous competitions of city and all-Ukrainian importance, the head of the Ternopil branch of the Ukrainian Society of Plant Physiologists and Ternopil branch of the Society of microbiologists of Ukraine. For a significant contribution to the teacher training courses, the introduction of modern technologies of education and upbringing of student youth and the support of gifted students, Svitlana Vasylivna Pyda was elected Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Higher School of Ukraine, awarded by Ternopil state administration, Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil Oblast Ecological and Naturalistic Center student youth, Ternopil Regional Communal Territorial Branch of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, NAS of Ukraine, Ministry of Education and Science, etc. Svitlana Vasylivna considers herself a happy person because she had the best teachers – Yavonenko A.F., Vekirchyk K.M., Shusta I.V., Barna M.M., Butnytskyi I.M., Shymanska V.A., Kuzmovych L.G., Orchuk K.I., Talposha V.S., Grushka S.I., Yakovleva V.O., Yakovenko B.V., Kuratova T.S., colleagues and scholars such as Y. P. Starchenko, E.A. Golovko, V.P.Patyk, I.P. Grygoryuk, friends, and sincere and friendly people. She is a role model and we all appreciate her dignity, integrity, high spirits and loyalty to Ukraine and science.

Abstract With changing demographics of undergraduate students in the animal science major, it is important to evaluate the curriculum and student learning. The objective of this study was to assess perceived knowledge gained by students in the animal science major. Students took a survey during a senior seminar course that was required for all majors to be taken in their last year of their degree program. Results of this evaluation have been compiled from years 2015–2017 with 253 students responding. There were no significant differences over time in the categories of: understanding, skills, attitudes, integration and knowledge based questions. A majority (62.3%) of the students reported a 3.01 GPA or above across all semesters. Results from all students surveyed indicate that enrolling in the animal science major improved the areas of their understanding, skills, attitudes, integration of learning and knowledge. Students noted a higher rate of understanding when applying biology and chemistry to life sciences and their animal sciences courses than in their biology and chemistry courses alone. The highest percentage (82 to 96.9%) of students noted a great deal of to a lot of improvement in understanding of specific animal science disciplines and terms. Students’ ability to recall what was previously taught has stayed steady through the years based on completion of posttest. While students are confident in how the animal science department has prepared them in certain aspects, a focus on bringing other science backgrounds into use during animal science class is not as strong. At the completion of their degree program, students were enthusiastic about animal science and confident in their future success in an animal science career (greater than 80% agreed). Addressing the strengths of the department will help students in understanding the benefits of the program as they progress through their degree.

Abstract Environmental variables can have profound effects on the biological responses of research animals and the outcomes of experiments dependent on them. Some of these influences are both predictable and unpredictable in effect, many are challenging to standardize, and all are influenced by the planning and conduct of experiments and the design and operation of the vivarium. Others are not yet known. Within the immediate environment where the research animal resides, in the vivarium and in transit, the most notable of these factors are ambient temperature, relative humidity, gaseous pollutant by-products of animal metabolism and physiology, dust and particulates, barometric pressure, electromagnetic fields, and illumination. Ambient temperatures in the animal housing environment, in particular those experienced by rodents below the thermoneutral zone, may introduce degrees of stress and thermoregulatory compensative responses that may complicate or invalidate study measurements across a broad array of disciplines. Other factors may have more subtle and specific effects. It is incumbent on scientists designing and executing experiments and staff responsible for animal husbandry to be aware of, understand, measure, systematically record, control, and account for the impact of these factors on sensitive animal model systems to ensure the quality and reproducibility of scientific studies.

This review examines selected areas of cardiovascular physiology where there have been impressive gains of knowledge and indicates fertile areas for future research. Because arterial blood is usually fully saturated with oxygen, increasing cardiac output is the only means for transferring substantially more oxygen to tissues. Consequently, any behavioural or environmental change that alters oxygen uptake typically involves a change in cardiac output, which in fishes can amount to a threefold change. During exercise, not all fishes necessarily have the same ability as salmonids to increase cardiac output by increasing stroke volume; they rely more on increases in heart rate instead. The benefits associated with increasing cardiac output via stroke volume or heart rate are unclear. Regardless, all fishes examined so far show an exquisite cardiac sensitivity to filling pressure and the cellular basis for this heightened cardiac stretch sensitivity in fish is being unraveled. Even so, a fully integrated picture of cardiovascular functioning in fishes is hampered by a dearth of studies on venous circulatory control. Potent positive cardiac inotropy involves stimulation of sarcolemmal β-adrenoceptors, which increases the peak trans-sarcolemmal current for calcium and the intracellular calcium transient available for binding to troponin C. However, adrenergic sensitivity is temperature-dependent in part through effects on membrane currents and receptor density. The membrane currents contributing to the pacemaker action potential are also being studied but remain a prime area for further study. Why maximum heart rate is limited to a low rate in most fishes compared with similar-sized mammals, even when Q10 effects are considered, remains a mystery. Fish hearts have up to three oxygen supply routes. The degree of coronary capillarization circulation is of primary importance to the compact myocardium, unlike the spongy myocardium, where venous oxygen partial pressure appears to be the critical factor in terms of oxygen delivery. Air-breathing fishes can boost the venous oxygen content and oxygen partial pressure by taking an air breath, thereby providing a third myocardial oxygen supply route that perhaps compensates for the potentially precarious supply to the spongy myocardium during hypoxia and exercise. In addition to venous hypoxemia, acidemia and hyperkalemia can accompany exhaustive exercise and acute warming, perhaps impairing the heart were it not for a cardiac protection mechanism afforded by β-adrenergic stimulation. With warming, however, a mismatch between an animal’s demand for oxygen (a Q10 effect) and the capacity of the circulatory and ventilatory systems to delivery this oxygen develops beyond an optimum temperature. At temperature extremes in salmon, it is proposed that detrimental changes in venous blood composition, coupled with a breakdown of the cardiac protective mechanism, is a potential mechanism to explain the decline in maximum and cardiac arrhythmias that are observed. Furthermore, the fall off in scope for heart rate and cardiac output is used to explain the decrease in aerobic scope above the optimum temperature, which may then explain the field observation that adult sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)) have difficulty migrating to their spawning area at temperatures above their optimum. Such mechanistic linkages to lifetime fitness, whether they are cardiovascular or not, should assist with predictions in this era of global climate change.

The pedagogical project presented here deals with how architecture students in the second year of the Architectural Projects subject have developed an architecture mainly for non-human sentient animals and where humans occasionally become part of it. A small-scale construction, in a "natural" context but strongly anthropized and close to the city, the Henares River. To achieve this goal, the importance of project-based learning, focused on breaking pre-established habits, as well as cooperative learning with students from other disciplines, specifically with two subjects of two grades, is highlighted; Zoology of the degree of Biology and Fauna of the Iberian Peninsula of the degree of Environment, with whom has been working to reach agreements and results where the knowledge of each career can be reflected. El proyecto pedagógico que aquí se presenta trata cómo los estudiantes de Arquitectura de segundo curso de la asignatura de Proyectos arquitectónicos han desarrollado una arquitectura principalmente para animales sintientes no humanos y donde los humanos entran a formar parte de ella puntualmente. Una construcción de pequeña escala en un contexto “natural” pero fuertemente antropizado y cercano a la ciudad, el río Henares. Para alcanzar este objetivo, se destaca tanto la importancia de un aprendizaje basado en proyectos, centrado en romper hábitos preestablecidos, como de un aprendizaje cooperativo con estudiantes de otras disciplinas, -en concreto con dos asignaturas de dos grados; Zoología de Campo del grado de Biología y Fauna de la Península Ibérica del grado de Medio Ambiente, con quienes se ha trabajado para alcanzar acuerdos y resultados donde los conocimientos no propios se vean reflejados.