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Forest Grouse Ecology And Management In The Bear River Range Northern Utah, Skyler Y. Farnsworth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To better manage dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), hereafter forest grouse, managers require better information on forest grouse population status and habitat selection. To address this need, from 2015-2017, I conducted research on a sympatric populations inhabiting the Bear River Range of northern Utah to develop a breeding survey protocol, assess habitat selection, evaluate dusky grouse response to livestock grazing, and determine hunter harvest rates.

The breeding census protocol that I developed compared listening intervals with and without electronic playback calls at designated survey stop locations. Using digital mapping software, I plotted …

Evaluation Of A Proprietary Slow-Release Oxytocin Therapy And Return Of The Luteolytic Mechanism In Mares, Brendan Andrew Sarnecky

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prolonging function of the corpus luteum (CL) is a method of suppressing estrus that maintains secretion of endogenous progesterone to keep mares out of heat naturally. The use of oxytocin to prolong CL function is becoming more popular. In these therapies, upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 is inhibited, which impairs prostaglandin F2α ( PGF2α) production. Intramuscular (IM) administration of 60 IU of oxytocin once daily from 7 to 14 days after ovulation is currently the most common treatment protocol. Although that protocol is efficacious in ≥70% of treated mares, the need for daily administration is a drawback to its use. A proprietary …

The Effect Of Lactation And Energy Status On Gene Expression In The Main Reproductive Tissues Of Lactating Dairy Cattle, Sameer M. Alhojaily

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Modern high-yielding dairy cows are currently producing far more milk than their ancestors due to a prolonged and intensive genetic selection for milk production trait accompanied by the revolutionary improvement in technology, management, and nutrition. On the other hand, a noticeable decline in fertility and reproductive performance was undeniably consistent with the increase in milk yield. This decline in fertility and reproductive performance are recognized worldwide and well documented in several studies. Dairy cows typically experience a period of energy deficit during the first few months of lactation due to the rapid increase in milk production and limited feed intake. …

Epigenetic Reprogramming, Apoptosis, And Developmental Competence In Cloned Embryos, Laura A. Moley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cloning through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) remains highly inefficient twenty years after the first demonstration of the technology with the birth of Dolly. By increasing efficiency by selecting the embryos early in development that are most likely to succeed following transfer into a surrogate mother, the technology could be more routinely utilized to enhance animal agriculture production. SCNT is believed to be highly inefficient as a result of incorrect DNA methylation and gene expression that are accumulated because of the SCNT technique. We proposed the use of a non-toxic, non-invasive detector of cell death, to quantitatively assess embryo competency …

Evaluation Of Casein Hydrolysate As An Alternative Dry-Off Treatment And Milk Quality Management Tool In Dairy Cows, Justine Elena Britten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mastitis, an infection of the mammary gland, is the most common and expensive animal health problem for the dairy industry and affects every dairy farm to some degree. This disease complex is painful for dairy cows, increases the on-farm use of antibiotics, presents a threat to milk quality and is a waste of time, money and milk production. Each year, the dairy industry loses as much as a billion dollars to mastitis.

Many cows will experience mastitis at least once during a lactation cycle and some animals will develop recurring mastitis episodes in a single mammary quarter. These mastitic quarters …

Development Of Mouse Models For Respiratory And Neurological Disease Caused By Enterovirus D68 And Evaluation Of Antiviral Therapies, Brett L. Hurst

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a virus that normally causes disease in children. While this virus typically causes a respiratory infection, in 2014, a large outbreak of the virus was associated with patients that had paralysis of the arms or legs. Even though the virus was discovered in 1962, little was known about the life cycle of the virus or its ability to cause disease. An animal model of disease was needed to understand how the virus causes disease and to develop antiviral compounds to target the virus life cycle.

We adapted the virus by serial-passage in lung tissues from mice …

Ruminal Protection And Intestinal Availability Of Rumen-Protected Methionine And Lysine In Lactating Dairy Cows, Sara Menchu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rumen protected Methionine (MET) and Lysine (LYS) are critical for milk protein synthesis in dairy cows. N-acetyl-L-methionine (NALM) is a MET derivative that consists of L-Met protected with an acetyl group that is attached to the α-amino group.N-acetyl-L-lysine (NALL) is a LYS derivative that is similarly protected. The objectives of these studies were to quantify the gastrointestinal availability of NALM and NALL. Three experiments were run as 3 × 3 Latin square using 3 second lactation Holstein cows that have been fitted with cannulas in the rumen and duodenum. The cows …

Male Reproductive Infection And Sexual Transmission Of Zika Virus In An Immunocompromised Mouse Model, Chad S. Clancy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a sexually transmitted viral infection most frequently transmitted by mosquitoes. The source of infectious virions in the male reproductive tract has yet to be elucidated. The goals of the studies included developing and characterizing two mouse models for reproductive transmission studies and demonstration of sexual transmission of virus via artificial insemination. The mouse strains used in the study lacked receptors to interferon molecules, key signaling proteins of the host immune response. Inflammation severity was assessed during acute disease, 5-11 days after infection using a novel histopathology grading system. ZIKV proteins and genome were initially detected in …

Influence Of Environmental Variables On Survival Rates Of Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) Neonates Across Idaho, Brett R. Panting

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was completed to better understand pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) populations found throughout Idaho. Antelope were studied in three separate and distinct study areas. The Big Desert, Camas Prairie, and Little Lost and Pahsimeroi valleys were all selected as study sites. Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is concerned with current pronghorn populations found throughout Idaho. Pronghorn are a valued big game species found in Idaho. Increasing pronghorn populations in Idaho is a focus of IDFG.

We captured and VHF-collared pronghorn fawns found in our three study areas. Fawns were monitored daily with telemetry equipment for …

Identification Of Sperm Chromatin Proteins As Candidate Markers Of Stallion Fertility, Chelsea C. Ketchum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During spermatogenesis, histones are largely replaced by transition proteins and protamines in normal stallions. Incomplete nucleoprotein exchange results in the abnormal retention of histones and transition proteins, which is an indicator of poor sperm quality. Equine nucleoprotein exchange has not previously been investigated in detail, so that equine sperm chromatin quality problems, which are often responsible for poor breeding performance of stallions, are not well understood. In order to characterize chromatin remodeling events in stallion spermatogenesis and to identify proteins indicative of sperm chromatin defects, such as excessive amounts of histones, we identified antibodies that recognize equine testis-specific proteins of …

Development And Application Of A Reverse Genetics System For Zika Virus, Jordan C. Frank

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Zika virus (ZIKV) has emerged in many regions of the world, with infection outcomes spanning from no apparent illness to crippling nervous system disease. ZIKV and its close relatives, West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus are primarily transmitted by mosquitoes. Three ZIKVs were selected: MR-766 (Uganda, 1947), P6-740 (Malaysia, 1966), and PRVABC-59 (Puerto Rico, 2015), whose place of origin and time of isolation differ substantially. Stable, complementary DNA (cDNA) copies of the three ZIKV RNA genomes were cloned to examine the significance of viral and host genetic variations in directing ZIKV infection outcomes. Using …

Efficacy Of Translocation As A Management Tool For Urban Mule Deer In Utah, Channing R. Howard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An increase in urbanization in the United States has led to an increase in human-wildlife interactions with deer (Odocoileus spp.) which have been able to adapt and thrive in these urban environments. In Utah, urbanization has occurred along the Wasatch Front which was once traditional mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) winter range habitat. This urban expansion coupled with an increasing use of these urban areas by mule deer, have led to increasing conflicts with deer. Overabundant urban deer have led to increased concerns over safety from deer-vehicle collisions, and damage to personal property including gardens and landscaping. …

Development And Characterization Of Reporter-Expressing Zika Viruses, Michael E. Woolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, Zika virus (ZIKV) has garnered worldwide attention due to its epidemic spread throughout the Americas and due to the newly recognized link between ZIKV infection and neurological diseases, including microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. ZIKV is a mosquito-borne member of the genus Flavivirus, which includes the other prominent human pathogens Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus. Many questions about the biology of ZIKV and how it causes disease remain unanswered. Furthermore, there currently are no vaccines or licensed antiviral drugs available to treat ZIKV infection. The goal of this study was to …

Evaluation Of Therapeutics For An Enterovirus 71 Infection In An Ag129 Mouse Model, Christopher Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Discovered in 1969 in California, enterovirus 71 (EV-71) is a serious cause of disease in young children. It is one of the major causative agents of hand, food, and mouth disease (HFMD), and can produce neurological complications, such as meningitis, encephalitis, and an acute flaccid paralysis. For serious cases, the fatality rate can be up to 26%, almost exclusively in young children.

While the virus was initially discovered in the United States, it was soon detected in the Eastern hemisphere, causing outbreaks in Europe and Asia. The largest outbreak occurred in Taiwan in 2008, with approximately 490,000 cases and 128 …

Phenotypic Association Between Lactose And Other Milk Components In Western Us Dairy Herds And Japan, Takuji Asami

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lactose in milk has relatively low variation regardless of season, breed, or country. The study of lactose concentration and correlation among other milk components is limited. Furthermore, dairy farmers have limited access to the lactose data and are not familiar with it. This study was conducted to: 1) investigate the phenotypic correlation between lactose and other milk components; and 2) determine the importance of lactose for dairy herds.

Monthly DHIA records from Utah (DHIA), Dairy Herd Performance Test (DHTP) records from Ibaraki, Japan, and California herd average data (CHAD) covering 27 states were used to analyze the relationships between milk …

Assessment Of Microchimerism Following Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer And Natural Pregnancies In Goats (Capra Aegagrus Hircus), Kirsten Karen Gash

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a powerful tool for production of transgenic animals for various biomedical and agricultural applications. For instance, our group is using SCNT to produce transgenic goats to study the role of cardiac fibrosis in initiation and progression of atrial fibrillation. There is a possibility of cell transfer from a transgenic fetus to its non-transgenic surrogate mother, known as fetal microchimerism; from a transgenic mother to non-transgenic fetus, maternal microchimerism and from a transgenic twin to non-transgenic twin in utero. Initially, we have assessed the presence of fetal microchimerism in tissue samples from non-transgenic surrogates …

U.S. Consumers’ Perception, Intention, And Purchase Behavior Of Grass-Fed Beef, Elizabeth K. Crandall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research study was to compile regional profiles of the consumers who intend to consume grass-fed beef in the U.S. and to create marketing strategies that would assist producers in marketing their product to consumers. The researcher sent an online survey to a panel of 484 consumers across the U.S. to learn about their perceptions of and intention to purchase grass-fed beef.

Respondents had a weak, positive attitude toward purchasing grass-fed beef but had low knowledge of production practices. These consumers had a desire to eat healthier; however, they wanted meat that was priced right and had …

Impact Of Basal Diet On Obesity Phenotype Of Recipient Mice Following Fecal Microbiome Transfer From Obese Or Lean Human Donors, Daphne Michelle Rodriguez Jimenez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The composition of the gut microbiome can be affected by environmental factors, such as diet. The Western dietary pattern is associated with microbiome dysbiosis and adverse health outcomes, including obesity and metabolic disorders. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of gut microbiota from lean or obese human donors on metabolism and weight gain in recipient mice fed one of three basal diets: 1) the standard AIN93G diet, which promotes rodent health; 2) the total Western diet (TWD), which mimics the American dietary pattern and promotes inflammation-associated colorectal carcinogenesis; and 3) a 45% high fat diet-induced obesity …

Effect Of Tannin-Containing Legume Hays On Enteric Methane Emissions And Nitrogen Partitioning In Beef Cattle, Elizabeth K. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cattle are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. In particular, the cow-calf phase of production accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total beef production system greenhouse gas emissions. Tannins are chemical compounds found in certain forages and they have the potential to help reduce these negative environmental impacts. Thus, given that the cow-calf phase often relies on feeding hay, feeding tannin-containing hays may represent a significant mitigation practice.

With my MS program, I sought to explore whether tannin-containing hays fed to mother cows and heifers influence methane and nitrogen emissions relative to …

Bovine Mastitis Resistance: Novel Quantitative Trait Loci And The Role Of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells, Jacqueline P. Kurz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bovine mastitis, or inflammation of the mammary gland, has substantial economic and animal welfare implications. A genetic basis for mastitis resistance traits is recognized and can be used to guide selective breeding programs. The discovery of regions of the genome associated with mastitis resistance, and knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible, can facilitate development of efficient mastitis control and therapeutic strategies. The objectives of this dissertation research were to identify sites of genetic variation associated with mastitis resistance, and to define the contributions of the milk-secreting epithelial cells to mammary gland immune responses and mastitis resistance. Twenty seven regions …

Evaluation Of Oocyte Developmental Competence And Potential Strategies To Improve Oocyte Quality, Min Yang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have now been extensively used to promote reproductive efficiency as a fertility treatment not only in human medicine but also animal reproduction. ARTs serve as an important tool to advance the fundamental knowledge of reproductive processes. The quality of female’s eggs defines its ability to undergo maturation, fertilization, and development. This quality is determined by various factors and is crucial for the success of ARTs. Any alternations happening during the egg growth and maturation process can result in the decreased quality, which could have long-lasting effects on development. Improving the developmental efficiency of the egg is …

Targeted-Grazing As A Fuels Reduction Treatment: Evaluation Of Vegetation Dynamics And Utilization Levels, Travis Decker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildfires have caused concern as they have increased in severity and intensity over the last few decades. Land managers have sought management actions to mitigate the risk of wildfire by reducing fuel loads, thus decreasing wildfire intensity. Camp Williams is a National Guard camp near Bluffdale, Utah, where small arms and artillery training occurs. Managers at Camp Williams have created fuel breaks by implementing targeted sheep and goat grazing to remove fine fuel and thin brush. Management objectives set utilization of fine fuels (herbaceous) at 80% by weight. Questions arose regarding the ecological impact of the prescribed grazing rates in …

Development Of An Animal Model For Enterovirus For Evaluation D68 For Screening Of Antiviral Therapies, W. Joseph Evans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) virus has become more prevalent over the last 15 to 20 years. EV-D68 attacks the respiratory system and can cause severe disease in individuals who have underlying respiratory problems. There have also been reports of individuals with EV-D68 showing signs of neurological system problems and acute flaccid paralysis. Because of the increase in patients with EV-D68 and also the potential for neurological disease, an animal model is needed to study the disease and to evaluate experimental therapies for EV-D68 infection.

To develop the animal model, 4-week old AG129 mice that lack alpha and beta interferon receptors, making …

Lactational Performance And Energy Partitioning Of Dairy Cows Supplemented With N-Acetyl-L-Methionine During Mid To Late Lactation, Tyson George Grisenti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The N-acetyl-L-methionine (NALM) molecule is a methionine (Met) derivative produced via acetylation of the L-Met α-amino group with an N-acetyl group. This molecule has been shown to be bioavailable and capable of fulfilling the dietary requirement for Met in animals and humans. The current experiment was conducted to test a hypothesis that lactating dairy cows fed with NALM would increase milk production by increasing N and energy utilization efficiencies in a dose dependent manner. Eight multiparous Holstein cows that were mid lactation (124 ± 13 days-in-milk) with similar milk production were used in a 4 x …

A Comparison Of Five Statistical Methods For Predicting Stream Temperature Across Stream Networks, Maike F. Holthuijzen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The health of freshwater aquatic systems, particularly stream networks, is mainly influenced by water temperature, which controls biological processes and influences species distributions and aquatic biodiversity. Thermal regimes of rivers are likely to change in the future, due to climate change and other anthropogenic impacts, and our ability to predict stream temperatures will be critical in understanding distribution shifts of aquatic biota. Spatial statistical network models take into account spatial relationships but have drawbacks, including high computation times and data pre-processing requirements. Machine learning techniques and generalized additive models (GAM) are promising alternatives to the SSN model. Two machine learning …

Comparison Of Chikungunya Virus Strains In Disease Severity And Susceptibility To T-705 (Favipiravir), In Vitro And In Vivo, Makda Gebre

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chikungunya is a mosquito-transmitted disease caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Symptoms of Chikungunya include debilitating joint pain and swelling, fever and rash. CHIKV was first discovered in 1953 in Tanzania, and has since caused periodic outbreaks of disease. The virus reemerged recently in 2004 and has since spread around the world affecting more than 3 million people. The different strains of CHIKV have been grouped into three phylogenetic clades: West African, Asian and East/Central/South African (ECSA). There are no FDA approved medicines or vaccines used to treat or prevent CHIKV infection. The antiviral drug, T-705 (commercially known as Favipiravir), has …

To What Extent Might Beaver Dam Building Buffer Water Storage Losses Associated With A Declining Snowpack?, Konrad Hafen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dams built by North American Beaver create natural water storage and slow water as it moves through streams. In portions of streams with beaver dams, these effects have been observed to decrease the peak magnitude of floods and increase base flow during annual summer droughts. In the western United States changes to streamflow patterns have been observed in recent decades with large spring floods coming earlier in the year, causing annual summer droughts to start earlier and last longer. These changes are linked to decreasing snowpack which acts as the most significant natural water storage reservoir by holding onto precipitation …

Nitrogen Excretion Of Lactating Dairy Cows Fed An Alfalfa Hay- Or Birdsfoot Trefoil Hay-Based High-Forage Diet, Mohammad Ghelich Khan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Legumes that contain condensed tannins (CT) may have lower protein degradability than alfalfa. The present study investigated the effects of feeding birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) hay on lactation performance and N utilization. Eight multiparous Holstein cows in mid lactation (150 ± 22.3 d-in-milk) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 rations [alfalfa hay-based TMR (AHT) or birdsfoot trefoil hay-based TMR (BFTT)] in a crossover design with 2 experimental periods. Each experimental period lasted 16 d (14 d of adaptation and 2 d of total collection), and the 2 experimental periods were separated by a 7-d washout period. In the …

Evaluating Habitat-Based Niche Requirements And Potential Recruitment Bottlenecks For Imperiled Bluehead Sucker (Catostomus Discobolus), Bryan C. Maloney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Changes to rivers that alter physical and thermal habitat may cause fish population abundance to decline, due to fewer individuals maturing and entering the adult population. The Weber River has become highly degraded with many dams and diversions altering fish habitat, river volume, velocity, and temperature, and limiting movement between reaches. Bluehead suckers (Catostomus discobolus) occupy only 47% of their historical range and the genetically-distinct Weber River (northern UT) population is declining and contains few young, juvenile fish. My objectives were to determine whether spawning and rearing habitat available in the Weber River may be limiting bluehead sucker …

Spatial And Behavioral Patterns Of Captive Coyotes, Jeffrey T. Schultz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Environmental enrichment is a technique used at many captive animal facilities that can improve the well-being of their animals. It seeks to enhance habitat features and promote natural behavior by providing a variety of practical ways for captive animals to control their environmental settings, especially during stressful circumstances. Enclosure features, such as shelter structures, are one tool that promotes wild behavior by adding complexity to an enclosure’s physical environment. Enrichment efforts for captive wildlife are most effective when they are specialized to the biological needs of the animals. Human activity may alter captive animal behavior and utility of enclosure features, …