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The Role Of Dopamine In Resistance To Change Of Operant Behavior, Stacey L. Quick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Psychological disorders such as autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder involve atypically persistent behavior and atypical activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Behavioral momentum theory states that the persistence of behavior in a context is determined by the reinforcement received previously in that context. Contexts previously associated with higher rates of reinforcement yield greater persistence of behavior than contexts previously associated with lower rates of reinforcement. According to a prominent hypothesis in behavioral neuroscience, dopamine mediates the incentive salience of a stimulus. A synthesis of behavioral momentum theory and the incentive salience hypothesis proposes similar roles for dopamine activity …

Body Image Education As A Preventive Measure For Eating Disorders And Obesity In Ninth-Grade Students, Diana K. Keith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Obesity and eating disorders are major public health problems in the U.S. Prevention of these problems in childhood and adolescence is crucial to avoid medical complications and costs associated with these conditions. A growing body of research supports designing and implementing interventions to prevent obesity and eating disorders simultaneously by targeting common risk factors such as poor body image. This study explored the use of a body image education unit as a preventive measure for obesity and eating disorders. Ninth-grade students attending health class in a public school in Northern Utah (n = 117) were assigned to either an intervention …

Parental Attitudes And Perceptions Related To Their Children's Physical Activity And Eating Patterns, Megan Leatham Dubois

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children's physical inactivity and poor eating patterns have received a great deal of attention in our country and worldwide. Studies have been conducted to identify determinates related to children's physical activity and eating patterns and to identify strategies for promoting positive behaviors. Parental support is a well-accepted determinate of children's physical activity and eating patterns. However, little qualitative research has been done to determine parental attitudes and perceptions related to this critical role.

First, the study sought to gain a greater understanding of parental perspectives on their children's physical activity and eating patterns. Second, the study examined parental attitudes and …

A Multi-Component School-Based Intervention Aimed At Increasing Vegetable Preference And Intake Among Elementary-Aged Children, Elizabeth Strasser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study aimed to implement and assess a school-based multi-component intervention aimed at increasing elementary school-aged children's knowledge of, preference for, and intake of vegetables. The multi-component intervention included lunchroom exposure, nutrition curriculum in the classroom, after school program vegetable curriculum, family friendly nutrition newsletter, vegetable fair and parent cooking class. Lunchtime vegetable consumption was assessed by direct observation. Changes in preference, attitude, and knowledge were assessed using a pre- and post-intervention survey.

The multi-component intervention was implemented at Canyon Elementary during the 2008-2009 school year. Classroom teachers provided 20 minutes of nutrition education to students in grades one through …

Fat Taste Transduction In Mouse Taste Cells: The Role Of Transient Receptor Potential Channel Type M5, Pin Liu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A number of studies have demonstrated the ability of free fatty acids to activate taste cells and elicit behavioral responses consistent with there being a taste of fat. Here I show for the first time that long chain unsaturated free fatty acid, linoleic acid, depolarizes taste cells and elicits a robust intracellular calcium rise via the activation of transient receptor potential channel type M5. The linoleic acid-induced responses depend on G protein-phospholipase C pathway indicative of the involvement of G protein-coupled receptors in the transduction of fatty acids. Mice lacking transient receptor potential channel type M5 exhibit no preference for …

A Comparison Of Muscle Activity Responses Of Adults And Children During Whole Body Vibration, Dustin Blair Nash

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Results of recent studies have suggested that attenuation and transmissibility of WBV in adults and children are similar, but due to anatomical differences, it is hypothesized that children employ different strategies. One suggested strategy is that of muscle tuning, whereby muscle activity levels are adjusted to control potentially dangerous accelerations produced by vibration resonance. The purpose of the study was to compare muscle activity responses between children and adults exposed to whole body vibration. It was hypothesized that the muscle activity in children would be greater than that in adults due to muscle tuning strategies. Eleven adults and fourteen children …

Spatial Epidemiology Of Birth Defects In The United States And The State Of Utah Using Geographic Information Systems And Spatial Statistics, Samson Y. Gebreab

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Oral clefts are the most common form of birth defects in the United States (US) and the State of Utah has among the highest prevalence of oral clefts in the nation. The overall objective of this dissertation was to examine the spatial distribution of oral clefts and their linkage with a broad range of demographic, behavioral, social, economic, and environmental risk factors through the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistics. Using innovative linked micromaps plots, we investigated the geographic patterns of oral clefts occurrence from 1998 to 2002 and their relationships with maternal smoking rates and proportion …

Drinking Water Fact Sheet: Lead, Nancy Mesner, Barbara Daniels

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about lead in water. It includes sections about what lead is, where it comes from, health concerns from lead exposure, drinking water standards for lead, how to know if it is in a water supply, what can be done to reduce lead in drinking water.

Drinking Water Fact Sheet: Arsenic, Nancy Mesner, Barbara Daniels

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about arsenic in drinking water. It includes sections about what arsenic is, where it comes from, health concerns from exposure, drinking water standards, how to know if there is arsenic in a water supply and how to reduce arsenic in drinking water.

Drinking Water Fact Sheet: Nitrate, Nancy Mesner, Barbara Daniels

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about nitrates, including sections about what nitrates are, where they come from, health concerns from exposure, drinking water standard for nitrates, how to know if there is nitrate in a water supply, and what can be done to reduce nitrate in drinking water.

Drinking Water Fact Sheet: Coliform Bacteria, Nancy Mesner, Barbara Daniels

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about coliform bacteria. Including sections about what coliform bacteria is, how it enters drinking water, health concerns from exposure, drinking water standards, and how to treat drinking water that contains coliforms.

Drinking Water Fact Sheet: Drinking Water Treatment Systems, Nancy Mesner, Barbara Daniels

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about drinking water treatment systems. This fact sheet discusses different types of water treatment systems available to homeowners. It includes a table with water contaminants or problems, possible causes of the problem, and solutions.

Does Empathic Accuracy Mediate The Relationships Between Individual Psychological Characteristics And Adolescent Romantic Relationship Functioning?, Charles George Bentley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated empathic accuracy in adolescent romantic relationships. The project examined the relationships between psychological characteristics and relationship outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and aggression) to determine if the relationships were mediated by empathic accuracy. Participants were 92 heterosexual couples aged 14-18 years old who lived in rural areas in Utah and Arizona. Couple members completed surveys assessing attitudes and behaviors in their relationships and a video-recall procedure in which partners rated their own and their partner's behaviors during problem-solving discussion.

Empathic accuracy was generally not related to psychological characteristics or outcomes. It became apparent that there were limitations with the …

Mechanisms Of The Extreme Sensitivity Of Turkeys To Aflatoxin B1, Sumit Rawal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The pathogenesis of hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic actions of the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) involves initial bioactivation by microsomal cytochrome P450s (P450) to a reactive and electrophilic intermediate, exo-aflatoxin B1-8,9-epoxide (exo-AFBO). Poultry, especially turkeys, are extremely sensitive to AFB1, a condition associated with efficient epoxidation by P450s. The purpose of this research was to 1) discover and characterize the P450s in turkey liver responsible for AFB1 bioactivation, and 2) determine the relative importance of these P450s in turkey liver.

Initial investigations led to the discovery of CYP1A5. We then identified CYP3A37, a human CYP3A4 homologue from turkey liver, …

Thioester Hydrolysis Reactivity Of Metal Complexes, James Justin Danford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Glyoxalase II is one of two metalloenzymes found in the glyoxalase pathway and is responsible for catalyzing the hydrolysis of a thioester substrate. Its bimetallic active site is found to contain a variety of metal combinations, including Fe(III)Zn(II). A recent report indicates that human glyoxalase II, while containing a Fe(II)Zn(II) center, is catalytically active as a mononuclear Zn(II) enzyme. Detailed mechanistic studies of glyoxalase II enzymes are limited due to uncertainty in the metal ion content of recombinantly prepared samples. The research presented in this thesis is focused on gaining mechanistic insight into thioester hydrolysis promoted by well-characterized metal complexes …

Depression Detection In Hospitalized Cardiac Patients, Martine S. Geddes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Depression has been shown to increase an individual's risk for heart disease. Despite this finding, physicians are not identifying depression in their hospitalized cardiac patients. This study looked at hospitalized cardiac patients and determined whether their physicians were identifying depression in those that scored ≥ 5 on the PHQ-9 depression inventory. Methods included assessing patient depression during their stay at an intensive care unit using the PHQ-9. Those patients scoring ≥ 5 were determined as depressed. Chart audits were performed after the patient discharged from the hospital to discover whether physicians were identifying these patients as depressed. The results showed …

Effects Of Underwater Treadmill Exercise On Mobility Of People With Knee Osteoarthritis, Jaimie Roper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gait, pain, and self-efficacy alterations in osteoarthritis (OA) patients may be precursors for pathological alterations and are important variables to examine in an aquatic therapy study aimed at improving mobility. A greater understanding of these alterations will be useful for the treatment of OA and the prevention of OA progression. The purpose of this thesis was twofold: to review the effects of certain land and aquatic therapies on gait kinematics and mobility of people with osteoarthritis, and to examine the effects of short-term aquatic treadmill exercise on gait kinematics, perception of pain, and mobility in OA patients. A direct comparison …

The Relationship Between Premarital Advice, Expectations And Marital Satisfaction, Cicile M. Rios

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the significance between advice, marital expectations, and marital satisfaction. This study also explored the sources couples use to gather information, or rather where they receive premarital advice, and if it was helpful. Included in this study were husbands (n = 56) and wives (n = 56) who had been married less than one year, to classify them as newlyweds. The relationship between sources of information and expectations was found to be highly significant for variables related to family of origin. It was also found that a high percentage of couples …

Arterial Oxygen Saturation As A Predictor Of Acute Mountain Sickness And Summit Success Among Mountianeers, Jonathan R. Knott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂), as measured by a finger pulse oximeter upon rapid arrival to 4260 m, could be predictive of acute mountain sickness (AMS) or summit success on a climb to 5640 m. In total 73 climbers volunteered to participate in the study. After excluding those taking drugs to counteract the effects of AMS and those with missing data, 48 participants (45 male, 3 female) remained. Climbers were transported from 2650 m to the Piedra Grande hut at 4260 m on Pico de Orizaba within 2 hr. After …

Role Of Protein Kinase C Isotypes In 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Mediated Signal Transduction Through The 1,25d3 Membrane Associated, Rapid Response Steroid Binding Receptors In Chick Intestinal Cells, Sakara Tunsophon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is now accepted that 1,25(OH)2D3 mediates its rapid actions on the control of phosphate and calcium homeostasis through its membrane receptor termed the 1,25D3-MARRS (membrane associated rapid response steroid binding) protein. I determined the various PKC isotypes involved in the rapid regulation of phosphate uptake and calcium extrusion in chick intestinal cells. 1,25(OH)2D3-mediated phosphate uptake was stimulated within 1 min after addition of the hormone. Western blot analyses on isolated intestinal cells treated with steroid hormone resulted in dose-dependent increases in PKC alpha and PKC beta in postnuclear centrifugation fractions, but not in the low speed centrifugation fractions. The …

The Hypericum Perforatum Herb As An Antimycobacterial Agent And Its Implications As An Additional Tuberculosis Medication, Trent W. Mortensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An immediate demand exists for new tuberculosis (TB) antibiotics due to the ever-increasing spread of drug-resistant strains. The drug-development process goes through four phases, the first (Phase 0) of which is to demonstrate and investigate drug effectiveness and toxicity. This research investigated the effectiveness of the Hypericum perforatum herb (commonly St. John's wort (SJW)) in its growth inhibition of mycobacteria and its viability effect on human lung cells.

Organic-solvent SJW extracts were effective at inhibiting every nonpathogenic genetically sequenced Mycobacterium isolate currently available (six isolates) in preliminary studies. Quantitative studies of five Mycobacterium isolates showed an order of concentration sensitivity …

Correlation Of Age-Specific Phenylalanine Levels On Intellectual Outcome In Patients With Phenylketonuria, Krista S. Viau

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study includes data collected from a retrospective chart review of patients with phenylketonuria treated at the University of Utah Metabolic Clinic. Among the
approximately 175 patients treated for phenylketonuria at this clinic, 55 patients (28 female) met the inclusion criteria for the present study. Based on the diagnostic Phe
level, 66.7% were classified as having classic phenylketonuria, 18.5% with moderate phenylketonuria, and 14.8% with mild phenylketonuria.

Subjects’ cognitive status was measured with one of three neuropsychological tests: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children third and fourth editions and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale third edition. Due to structural differences among …

Library Synthesis Of Anticancer And Antibacterial Agents Via Azide Chemistry, Jianjun Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Various anticancer and antibacterial agents have been synthesized via azide chemistry by taking advantage of carbohydrate. Starting from the synthesis of 14 glycosyl azides, a library of carbohydrate-oxazolidinone conjugates and a library of carbohydrate-cyclopamine conjugates with biological interests were synthesized based on a highly efficient "click reaction" assisted by sonication. Some of the conjugates have improved solubility and enhanced anticancer activity.

A library of neomycin B derivatives with various modifications at the 5" position has been synthesized. Two leads exhibit prominent activity against both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Antibacterial activities were measured when combined with other …

The Ecological Influences Of Community Trail Use And Physical Activity Among Female Trail Users, Sarah N. Moulton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite great effort to improve physical activity, little success has come to pass. Due to this, some researchers have shifted from individual approaches to promoting physical activity to multilevel environmental approaches. One of these multifaceted environmental approaches is through community trails. A small body of research has suggested that community trails may be a successful ecological approach to promoting physical activity. However, the research is minimal and inconsistent in supporting effectiveness of community trails for promoting physical activity.

This study sought to examine ecological factors to learn if and how they might influence trail use among women. The ecological factors …

Static Versus Dynamic Stretching Effect On Agility Performance, Patrick Troumbley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to compare effects of static and dynamic stretching on explosive agility movements, and to examine the effect of the interaction of dynamic and static stretching prior to explosive agility movements. Fourteen men and 10 women performed the different warm-up protocols, including no warm-up (NWU), static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS), and dynamic stretching with static stretching (DS+SS). The T-Drill was used to assess agility. The results indicated no difference between the NWU and SS conditions (effect size = 0.40, p = 0.06), as well as no significant difference between the NWU and DS+SS conditions …

Vitamin D Deficiency In The United States: How Common Is It?, Christine N. Arnold

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Vitamin D deficiency in the US is more prevalent than before estimated. Given the numerous roles vitamin D plays in the body, it is becoming apparent that the need for adequate intake is vital. It is generally accepted that adults require 1,000 IU per day.

Methods: Electronic searches were conducted using Google Scholar and Elsevier databases. Search terms included “vitamin D deficiency”, “vitamin D deficiency US”, and “vitamin D screening”. Databases were reviewed for prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the US.

Results: Populations at high risk for deficiency include the elderly, adolescents, people with darker skin, those who …

Evaluation And Validation Of Bodpod Body Scan Method As Compared To Dexa, Effect Of Calcium And Caloric Intake In Female Collegiate Track Athletes, Jennifer Day

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the BODPOD air displacement plethysmography as compared to the DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) in testing body fat percentages in female collegiate runners. The link between caloric intake and body fat distribution, as well as the link between calcium and vitamin D intake and bone density was also evaluated.

Methods: Participants were 8 female collegiate athletes from the USU track team. A 3-day diet history was obtained from each participant and body fat test were performed using both the BODPOD and the DEXA scans within a four month period due …

An Investigation Of Dietary Supplementation As A Potential Source Of Nutrition Misinformation Hindering The Development Of Healthy Eating Habits In The College Population, Mary Dimmick

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Current dietary supplement legislation allows nutrition misinformation to flourish; misleading structure‐function and health‐claims now abound on supplement labels. Meanwhile, college students tend to be open to experimentation and exploration. Hence, this study’s objective was to discover if students at USU are being influenced by such claims to unjustifiably take dietary supplements in a manner which hinders the development of healthy eating habits. During August of 2009, 1,300 USU freshmen were invited to voluntarily participate in an on‐line survey concerning dietary patterns which included a section about dietary supplementation. Five‐hundred‐and‐twelve completed the survey after providing informed written consent to participate. The …

Significant Interactions With The Most Commonly Used Herbal And Nonherbal Supplements Impact Warfarin Safety And Efficacy, Brittany Jean Sagers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Nearly 20% of adult Americans used herbal therapies in 2007, but greater than two-thirds failed to report such use to their medical provider. Significant patient harm may occur when herbal supplements are taken in conjunction with warfarin; however, patients and medical providers may not be aware of these interactions and this may place patients at risk for life-threatening bleeds or thrombotic complications.

Methods: The authors determined the top 25 herbal and 25 nonherbal supplements used by Americans using sales data from 2008, and each product was reviewed for its potential to interact with warfarin. Electronic searches were conducted using …

To What Extent Do Local Farmers' Markets, Community Supported Agriculture Programs, And Community Gardens Help Low-Income Families Improve Access To Fresh, Local Produce?, Christy Gene Somsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Farmers’ Markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs, and Community Gardens have been developed to help farmers. Many times, they also aim to help low-income families improve access to fresh produce. Often, these programs may end up helping a larger amount of middle class families instead of lower class families. There have been many programs developed to try to better help low-income families such as the Women Infant and Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and allowing farmers to accept WIC Cash Value Vouchers (CVV), which allows WIC participants to buy fresh produce. Farm to School Programs have also been …