This study explored the economic aspects of spring turkey hunting in Virginia. Because spring turkey hu nting is a nonmarket good, a market price does not exist for it. Data on hunters' expenditures on equipment and licenses is useful but does not represent the total economic value of the resource. The total economic value includes the hunters' willingness to pay above the expenditures they currently make. This value is called the net willingness to payor consumer surplus. It can be derived through several methods. In this study, the travel cost method (TCM) and the contingent valuation method (CVM) were used to derive this value. Using the TCM, the net economic value of spring turkey hunting in Virginia was estimated at $9.1 million. This translated into an average value of $166.00 per trip. The contingent valuation method estimated the value per trip at $7.71. This value was extremely low due to problems with the procedures used. It is, at best, a lower bound estimate of the net willingness to pay per trip. The TCM values are more appropriate to use because they are based on hunters' actual behavior. The TCM, unlike the CVM, derives an actual demand curve which allows the estimation of total net economic values. / Master of Science

The pink color defect in cooked, uncured turkey is a sporadic problem which can result in consumer dissatisfaction. Nicotinamide hemochrome may be one of the major pigments responsible for this defect. Reflectance (400-700 nm) methodology was developed to reliably and easily quantify (%R 537 nm/%R 553 nm; r = 0.993) the presence of nicotinamide hemochrome. Fourteen ligands were tested in a ground turkey system to determine their ability to reduce pinking in control samples and in the presence of pinking agents (1.0% nicotinamide or 150 ppm sodium nitrite). Trans 1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N’,N’ tetraacetic acid monohydrate (CDTA); diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenedinitrilo-tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA), and calcium reduced non-fat dry milk (NFDM) were the most effective at reducing pinking with and without pinking agents. These four ligands were evaluated in intact turkey breasts with and without added pinking agents (1.0% nicotinamide or 20 ppm, 100 ppm sodium nitrite). Ligands were evaluated at various levels (50, 100, 200 ppm; except NFDM 1.0% or 2.0%), over three storage times (1, 14, 21 days), and after two minutes of exposure to light and air. When ligands were evaluated without pinking agents, samples were generally lighter and less pink than controls. In the presence of added pinking agents, the ligands were more successful at reducing nicotinamide pink than nitrite pink. As storage time increased, samples became more pink and the addition of ligands was only successful in delaying this affect. One of the most effective ligands, DTPA, reduced the sample CIE a* value 31.7% when tested alone and 30.8% in the presence of nicotinamide. NICHEM was also effectively reduced by DTPA. In general, 50 ppm of added ligand was sufficient to produce a significant reduction in pinking. / Master of Science

Flaked, skinless and boneless turkey thighs were successively washed in 0.03M sodium phosphate buffers at pH 5.8, 7.4 and 8.0. Proximate, mineral and riboflavin composition, as well as protein efficiency ratio (PER) and apparent digestibility (AD) using the rat bioassay technique were determined for three replications. The color modified tissue (CMT) had a higher (P=0.0429) moisture content and less (P=0.0527, 0.1240 and 0.0047, respectively) crude protein, fat and ash than flaked thigh (THI). Percentage of iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and manganese decreased (P=0.0187) after color modification, whereas calcium, zinc and copper concentrations did not change (P=0.1184) and sodium increased (P=0.0058). Riboflavin was reduced by 30%. The PER of CMT evaluated was lower (P=0.0318) than THI, but higher (P=0.0001) than either casein or egg albumin diets. AD of CMT was 90.7% which is comparable to other meat products. The overall nutritional evaluation of CMT determined that it has potential as a raw material in further processed foods. / Master of Science

Population density as high as 0.70 square foot per bird had no apparent effect on growth, feed conversion, mortality, and market quality on Medium White turkeys to 10 weeks of age. At 14 weeks of age body weight and feed conversion decreased slightly for both males and females allowed less than 0.85 square foot per bird. Market quality and mortality were unaffected for both sexes allowed less than 0.85 square foot per bird. It was noted that consideration had to be given to litter management when high density production methods were practiced because wet litter at decreased floor space levels may contribute to potential disease outbreaks and added cost of dry litter for replacement. Both males and females reared on range were significantly heavier at 18 and 22 weeks of age than those reared in confinement at two and three square feet per bird. Bird density of two square feet per bird in confinement did not adversely affect body weight or feed conversion from 14 to 22 weeks of age. Market quality and mortality were approximately equal for confinement and range reared turkeys. Economic returns above poult and feed cost were found to be approximately 13 and 25 cents higher per square foot of floor space for females and males respectively, when allowed 0.70 rather than 1.30 square foot per bird to 14 weeks of age. / Master of Science

The transcription factor, Pit-1, is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the mammalian prolactin (Prl), growth hormone (GH) and thyroid stimulating hormone b-subunit genes (TSHb) as well as its own gene. The role of Pit-1 in avian species is unknown. Three turkey (t) Pit-1 isoforms have been identified that arise from alternative transcription initiation and alternative splicing. Splicing of exon 1 to an alternative acceptor splice site in exon 2 results in a 28 amino acid insertion in tPit-1β* relative to tPit-1*. Both isoforms initiate transcription at exon 1. A tPit-1 transcript unique to the turkey has been identified and arises following transcription initiation upstream of the alternative acceptor splice site in exon 2. Western blot analysis of pituitary extracts has revealed two isoforms of 37 and 40 kDa. The ability of Pit-1 to transactivate the Prl, GH, and Pit-1 promoters was determined with cotransfection assays. The tPrl, tGH, tPit-1 and rat (r) Prl promoters were cloned upstream of the luciferase gene in a reporter construct. Turkey Pit-1 isoforms and rPit-1 were expressed under the control of the Avian Sarcoma Virus Long Terminal Repeat (ASVLTR) promoter. Cotransfection analyses in mouse L cells indicate that tPit-1* activates the tPrl, tGH, tPit-1 and rPrl promoters 4.6-, 3.8-, 1.7-, and 29.0-fold, respectively. Similar results were observed when cotransfection assays were performed in a turkey pituitary-derived cell line and in primary turkey pituitary cells. These results indicate that tPit-1 is not a strong activator of the tPrl, tGH, or tPit-1 genes, whereas Pit-1 does activate these genes in mammals. A point mutation at amino acid position 176 (ser ⟹ leu) in the POU-homeodomain results in a mutant tPit-1 that shows decreased activity on all promoters tested. Turkey Pit-1* (ser-176) activates the rPrl promoter 14-fold lower than the wild type tPit-1* (leu-176). / Master of Science

No

No / The Battle of Mantzikert had profound consequences for both Byzantine and Turkish history, yet the historical sources for this campaign contain significant gaps. This book presents the results of a project that seeks to demonstrate the important role computer simulation can play in the analysis of pre-modern military logistics. In AD 1071, the Byzantine Emperor, Romanos IV Diogenes, set out from Constantinople for the eastern borders of his Empire with an army described as “more numerous than the sands of the sea”. His military campaign culminated in defeat by the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan at the Battle of Mantzikert. This defeat was to have profound consequences for both Byzantine and Turkish history and is still commemorated in the modern state of Turkey. Yet the historical sources for this campaign contain significant gaps and we know more about the political intrigues surrounding the emperor than we do about how the army moved and fed itself. The ‘Medieval Warfare on the Grid’ project (2007-2011) was funded by an AHRC-EPSRC-Jisc e-Science grant and set out to use computer simulation to shed new light on the Mantzikert campaign. In this book we present the results of the project and demonstrate that computer simulation has an important role to play in the analysis of pre-modern military logistics. It can give new context to historical sources, present new options for the interpretation of past events and enable questions of greater complexity to be asked of historical military campaigns. It can also highlight the similarities that exist across time and space when armies need to be mobilised, moved and fed.

Thesis (B.A.)--Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-02

Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

Suicidality is an important problem among adolescents. This study compares Durkheim's and Tarde's perspectives on suicide. While the Durkheimian perspective alleges that integration, regulation, and anomie play the major role on adolescent suicidality, Tarde's theory considers imitation as the most important factor affecting suicidality. Durkheim suggests that individuals with higher integration and regulation are less likely to commit suicide. Individuals with less integration and regulation, on the other hand, are more likely to experience anomie and higher suicidality. Tarde claims that individuals with suicidal peers are more likely to commit suicide. In particular, the effects of school integration, family integration, peer integration, religious integration, neighborhood integration, family regulation, anomie, and suicide imitation on adolescent suicidality in Turkey are examined using binary logistics regression in the current attempt. The results indicate that school integration, family integration, and religious integration have significant negative effects on adolescents' suicidality whereas suicide imitation has a positive effect. The results of the study are expected to help to prevention programs purposed at reducing suicidality among adolescents.