Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1961. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (May 18, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Meat processing industries in South Africa are faced with the challenge to produce a variety of white meats. This is due to the fact that consumers tend to consume less red meat and more chicken and pork that are perceived to be healthier due to the negative publicity surrounding red meat and health. The nutritional emphasis is on leaner carcasses and an increase in the consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids while reducing the ratio of n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fats in the diet. Another way in which this can be achieved is through introducing rabbit meat which has low fat, low cholesterol content and high protein content, while displaying a positive fatty acid profile. Carcass quality and meat quality in rabbits may to a large extent be affected by age of slaughter and type of breed. This study had a dual purpose. Firstly it aimed at quantifying the effects of breed and age on parameters pertaining to carcass quality and meat quality of commercial rabbits, namely California breed and hybrid (California x Dutch red). Secondly, to determine the differences between ethnic groups on their perceptions towards rabbit meat, thereby providing information on its marketing potential. To accomplish the first objective 50 rabbits from the two breeds were housed in individual cages, weighed on weekly basis and fed ad libitum. The rabbits were slaughtered at 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 weeks of age (n=5 from each breed). For the second objective the perceptions of three ethnic groups on factors affecting consumers' choice of rabbit meat were determined through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was tested for validity beforehand. There was no significant difference between the two breeds regarding body weight, feed intake, carcass weight and drip loss. The California breed had a higher dressing percentage (53.7%) and meat yield (29.2%) compared to the hybrid (52.5% and 27.5% respectively). Age treatments showed a highly significant difference on all parameters investigated. Increasing the age proportionately increased the amount of fat, while the moisture content decreased. The California breed exhibited higher percentages of fat compared to the hybrid at all ages of treatment. California breed contained more phosphorus, magnesium and zinc as opposed to the hybrid, the only exception being copper, where the hybrid had higher concentrations. The total fatty acid (169.2 mg/100 g) of the California breed was higher than that of the hybrid (133.5 mg/100 g). As a result there were more saturated fatty acids (55.4 mg/100 g) and monounsaturated fatty acids (62.3 mg/100 g) in the California breed than in the hybrid (44.2 and 45.6 mg/100 g respectively). Both breeds had 67% unsaturated fatty acids. Although there was no significant difference between the P:S ratio of the two rabbit breeds, the values obtained were higher (+0.9) than the value of 0.7. This is an indication that the rabbit meat contains a P:S ratio that could be considered very desirable. The n-6:n-3 ratio for both breeds were high (11.6 for California and 12.7 for hybrid). The cholesterol and amino acid profile of the two breeds were not affected by the type of breed. The consumer survey indicated that 52% (n=158) of respondents had never eaten rabbit meat before due to reasons such as scarcity, lack of knowledge about the meat, associating rabbits with pets and cultural constraints. Nevertheless, 57% of these people were optimistic about eating rabbit meat. In addition, having eaten rabbit meat before seemed to contribute positively towards acceptance of rabbit meat. Generally, respondents preferred purchasing rabbit meat in portions as opposed to live or whole carcasses. Their decision to purchase rabbit meat was firstly driven by price, thereafter freshness, leanness and tenderness of meat. The respondents expect to buy rabbit meat at a price lower than that of chicken. Rabbit meat contained low sodium and high proportion polyunsaturated fatty acids-some of the most important food attributes required to maintain and improve health. However, most of the respondents in this study were not familiar with the positive attributes of rabbit meat and need to be taught the benefits of this product. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid Afrika is daar 'n uitdaging vir die vleisproduserende voedselindustrieë om 'n verskeidenheid witvleis te bemark. Dit word toegeskryf aan die feit dat verbruikers minder rooi vleis as hoender en vark eet wat as meer gesond beskou word weens die negatiewe publisiteit wat geassosieer word met rooivleis en gesondheid. Die voedingsfokus is op maerder karkasse, groter inname van polionversadigde vetsure, en 'n vermindering in die verhouding n-6:n-3 poli-onversadigde vetsure in die dieet. Een van die maniere waarop dit gedoen kan word, is die bekendstelling van konynvleis wat gekenmerk word deur lae vetinhoud, lae cholesterolinhoud en 'n hoë proteïninhoud, en 'n positiewe vetsuurprofiel. Karkas- en vleiskwaliteit van konyne word tot 'n groot mate geaffekteer deur ouderdom van slagting en die ras. Hierdie studie het 'n tweeledige doel. Eerstens mik dit na die kwantifisering van die effek van ras en ouderdom op die parameters wat met karkas- en vleiskwaliteit van die Kaliforniese ras en die kruisgeteëlde ras (Kaliforniese X Hollandse rooi) verband hou. Tweedens, om die verskille in etniese groepe vas te stel met betrekking tot hulle persepsies van die faktore wat hulle keuse van konynvleis beïnvloed, en op dié wyse inligting te verkry t.o.v die bemarkingspotensiaal daarvan. Om in die eerste doelwit te slaag is 50 konyne van die twee rasse in individuele hokke gehuisves, op 'n weeklikse basis geweeg en ad libitum gevoer. Die konyne was geslag op 9, 11, 13, 15 en 17 weke (n=5 vir elke ras). Vir die tweede doelwit, is die persepsies van drie etniese groepe oor die faktore wat die verbruikerskeuse van konynvleis kan bepaal, m.b.v. 'n gestruktureerde vraelys bepaal. Die vraelys is vooraf vir geldigheid evalueer. Daar was geen beduidende verskil tussen die twee rasse wat betref liggaamsmassa, voedselinname, karkasgewig en dripverlies nie. Die Kaliforniese ras het 'n hoër uitslag-persentasie (53.7%) en vleisopbrengs (29,2%) in vergelyking met die kruisgeteëlde ras (52.5% en 27.5% respektiewelik) gehad. Ouderdom het hoogsbeduidende verskille op al die parameters wat ondersoek was, getoon. Die toename in ouderdom was gepaardgaande met proporsionele toename in karkasvet en afname in vog. Die Kaliforniese ras het, by alle ouderdomsbehandelings, in vergelyking met die kruisgeteëlde ras, 'n hoër persentasie vet opgelewer. Die Kaliforniese ras het teenoor die kruisgeteëlde ras hoër fosfor, magnesium en sink bevat. Die uitsondering was koper waar die kruisgeteëlde ras 'n hoër waarde gehad het. Die totale vetsure vir die Kaliforniese ras (169.2 mg/100 g) was hoër as vir die kruisgeteëlde ras (133.5 mg/100 g). Om dié rede was daar in die Kaliforniese ras meer versadigde vetsure (55.4 mg/100 g) en monoonversadigde vetsure (62.3 mg/100 g) as vir die kruisgeteëlde ras (44.2 mg/100 g en 45.6 mg/100g onderskeidelik). Beide rasse het 67% onversadigde vetsure gehad. Hoewel daar geen beduidende verskille was in die polionversadigde:versadigde (P:V) verhouding nie, was die waardes hoër (+0.9) as die 0.7 wat aanbeveel word. Die n-6:n-3 verhouding vir beide rasse was hoog (11.6 vir die Kaliforniese ras en 12.7 vir die kruisgeteëlde ras). Die cholesterol- en die aminosuurprofiel was nie deur die ras beïnvloed nie. Die verbruikersnavorsing het getoon dat 52% (n=158) van die respondente om verskeie redes nog nie konynvleis geëet het nie, weens redes soos onverkrygbaarheid, gebrekkige kennis van die vleis, die assosiasie van konyne met troeteldiere en kulturele beperkinge. Desnieteenstaande is daar 57% van die respondente wat optimisties is oor die eet van konynvleis. Die eet van konynvleis by vorige geleenthede het bygedra tot die positiewe aanvaarding van konynvleis. Oor die algemeen het die respondente verkies om konynvleis in porsies te koop, in plaas van lewendig of heel karkasse. Die besluit om konynvleis te koop, is hoofsaaklik gedryf deur prys, daarna deur varsheid, maerheid en sagtheid van die vleis. Die respondente verwag dat die prys vir konynvleis laer sal wees as vir hoender. Konynvleis bevat lae natrium en 'n hoë verhouding poli-onversadigde vetsure - van die mees belangrike voedingeienskappe om gesondheid te handhaaf en te verbeter. Ongelukkig was meeste van die respondente in hierdie studie nie vertroud met die positiewe eienskappe van konynvleis nie, en moet hulle geleer word deur middel van omvattende bemarkingsaksies van die voordele van hierdie produk.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

This thesis determines and compares the sparing effect of ketamine on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in rabbits and dogs using two methods in a crossover random design. One method determined the MAC of isoflurane and ketamine combined after previous determination of the MAC of isoflurane during the same day. The second method determined the MAC for the combination without prior determination of the MAC of isoflurane. The concentration of ketamine and norketamine in plasma were also determined in dogs. For the first method, the MAC of isoflurane in rabbits was 2.15 ± 0.09% (mean ± SD) and decreased to 1.63 ± 0.07% during ketamine administration (1 mg/kg bolus and a constant rate infusion [CRI] of 40 µg/kg/min). In dogs, the same ketamine dose decreased the MAC of isoflurane from 1.18 ± 0.14% to 0.88 ± 0.14%. Re-determination of MAC of isoflurane performed after stopping the CRI yielded a MAC value of 2.04 ± 0.11% in rabbits and of 1.09 ± 0.16% in dogs. MAC values of the isoflurane and ketamine combination determined for the second method were 1.53 ± 0.22% in rabbits and 0.79 ± 0.11% in dogs. MAC values of isoflurane after stopping the CRI of ketamine were 1.94 ± 0.25% in rabbits and 1.10 ± 0.17% in dogs. The MAC value obtained in dogs for the isoflurane and ketamine combination with the first method was significantly higher with respect to the MAC value obtained with the second method (0.88 ± 0.14 versus 0.79 ± 0.11%); whereas in rabbits, MAC values were similar. During ketamine administration in dogs, plasma concentrations of ketamine at MAC values were similar for the first and second method (824 ± 195.7 ng/mL and 729 ± 133.4 ng/mL, respectively). After stopping the CRI, plasma concentrations during isoflurane MAC were also similar for the two methods (407 ± 176.2 ng/mL and 347 ± 81.2 ng/mL, respectively). MAC values for the isoflurane and ketamine combination obtained with both methods were statistically different in dogs but not in rabbits, however these findings may be the result of the design of the study and tolerable experimental error derived from MAC studies rather than true species differences.

Conventional methods such as serology and microscopy are unreliable for diagnosis of encephalitozoonosis in domestic rabbits. Previous studies have reported PCR to be insensitive but it is unclear whether this is because of inherent limitations or the lack of assay optimization and validation. The studies described in this thesis assess DNA quality and quantity for combinations of six DNA extractions kits and four spore disruption methods. The resulting DNA underwent PCR using a published primer set. The optimal method had a detection threshold of 100 spores/ml in saline. However, when repeated in urine, the detection threshold was much higher (10,000 spores/ml) and non-target DNA amplification was present. Various methods were used to improve analytical sensitivity and eliminate non-target amplification. One method involving PEG 8000 treatment produced a detection threshold of 1,000 spores/ml and decreased non-target DNA amplification. Ultimately, new primers were designed and when the optimized method was tested with these primers, a detection threshold of 100 spores/ml with no non-target DNA amplification was achieved. The optimal method and new primers were tested using clinical samples of rabbit urine and 32.4% were found to be positive for E. cuniculi. The final assay was shown to be both analytically sensitive and specific; however further clinical investigation is warranted to determine clinical utility. / OVC Pet Trust