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The Effects Of A Yoga Intervention On Cognitive Function In Older Adults, Elizabeth Edwards

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Cognitive decline and reduced cognitive function presents a serious risk to the older adult population. As the population of individuals over the age of 65 continues to increase, this presents a need for effective solutions to help people sustain healthy, independent lifestyles. Currently, physical activity is recommended for physical health in older adults and has shown evidence in maintaining cognitive function. In particular, the mind-body practice of yoga is a promising form of physical exercise that shows positive cognitive benefits. While the effects of yoga appear to be promising, the current literature is lacking scientific rigor. This study investigated the …

Direct Effects Of Warming Increase Woody Plant Abundance In A Subarctic Wetland, Lindsay G. Carlson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Climate change is expected to continue to cause large increases in temperature in Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems which has already resulted in changes to plant communities; for example, increased shrub biomass and range. It is important to understand how warmer temperatures could affect the plant community in a wetland system because this region provides crucial high-quality forage for migratory herbivores during the breeding season. One mechanism by which warming could cause change is directly, where warming influences the vital rates of a species; these effects may be either positive or negative. Warmer temperatures may also affect a species indirectly, by …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Climate Change On Plant Populations And Communities In Sagebrush Steppe, Andrew R. Kleinhesselink

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rapid climate change presents humanity with a number of big problems. Foremost among these is the sad fact that the climate we will pass on to our children will likely be nothing like the climate that we inherited from our parents. Ecologists have collected solid evidence that climate change has already begun to affect the living things around us and the ecosystems humans depend on. Unfortunately, predicting the future effects of climate change on life on earth is not easy. We focused on three research goals as part of an effort to improve our ability to predict how plants and …

Effects Of Feeding High-Moisture Corn Grain With Slow-Release Urea In Dairy Diets On Lactational Performance, Energy And Nitrogen Utilization, And Ruminal Fermentation Profiles By Lactating Cows, Braden M. Tye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this experiment was to determine if nutrient utilization and energy partitioning by lactating dairy cows would differ in response to dietary corn grain (CG) types [steam-flaked corn (SFC) vs. high-moisture corn (HMC)] and to test if the types of CG would interact with slow-release urea (SRU) on lactational performance and energy utilization. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (32 ± 8.2 days-in-milk) were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square with one square consisting of ruminally cannulated cows. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was used to test 4 dietary treatments: SFC without SRU, SFC with SRU, …

Effects Of Plant Stress On Facultative Apomixis In Boechera (Brassicaceae), Mayelyn Mateo De Arias

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In flowering plants, apomixis is asexual reproduction by seeds. Apomixis allows the production of offspring with the same genetic characteristics as the mother plant. Fertilization is not required. Apomixis could become a tool for naturally cloning high-yielding crop hybrids through their own seed. However, apomixis does not occur in major crop plants, except for citrus. In the present study, genes that might cause apomixis in naturally occurring apomictic plants were investigated. Sexual and apomictic species of the genus Boechera were exposed to stressed and non-stressed conditions. Effects of these treatments on the expression of apomixis was then measured. Stress triggered …

Effects Of Myxobolus Cerebralis On The Population Dynamics Of Kokanee In Porcupine Reservoir, Utah, Arthur E. Butts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study tracked the chronology and severity of Myxobolus cerebralis infection and related it to survival of age-0 kokanee to determine whether M. cerebralis represented a significant agent of morality in the population. Environmental conditions and losses to predation were identified and linked to age-0 kokanee survival to identify other sources of mortality in the population. We attempted to track survival of age-0 kokanee from the outmigration into the reservoir until the end of the first growing season in September of each year. The number of age-0 kokanee that entered the reservoir was calculated by obtaining estimates of total egg …

Ammonium And Nitrate Effects On Growth, Development And Nutrient Uptake Of Hydroponic Wheat, Thomas M. Hooten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The long-term effects of low and high NH₄⁺/ NO₃^- uptake ratios in a system with rigorous control of pH and nitrogen concentration are poorly understood. In two replicate studies, two cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum) were grown to maturity with three NH₄⁺/ NO₃^- ratios in hydroponic solution: 0/100, 25/75, and 85/15%. Nitrogen was controlled at ample levels throughout the 70-d life cycle and pH was controlled at 5.8 ± 0.2. An equimolar ratio of NH₄⁺ to Cl^- was used to facilitate charge balance. Nitrogen consumption …

The Effects Of Retinoic Acids On The Angiogenic Growth Factors Produced By Solid Tumors, Lynn C. Burgess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

These studies investigated the effects of retinoic acid (RA) on angiogenesis. Three human, neoplastic cell lines were used to examine angiogenic promotion and/or inhibition. The cell lines, U-373MG glioblastoma, DU-145 prostate carcinoma, and TCCSUP bladder transitional cell carcinoma, were treated with the following: all-trans, 9-cis, or 13-cis RA, at doses from 0.0001 to 100 μM. Hypoxia was used to assist the expression of the angiogenic phenotype. Conditioned media (CM) were prepared by growing the tumor cells in the presence of RA and hypoxia for 24 hours, and then the CM was transferred to bovine, capillary endothelial …

Livestock Watering Practices In The Moroccan Pre-Sahara: Their Effects On Water And Nutrient Metabolism Of Sheep In Different Body Conditions, El Mostafa Darfaoui

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A field survey and a metabolism experiment were conducted to study livestock watering practices in the Moroccan Pre-Sahara and their changes with drought extent, season, ecological zone, pastoral system, and herd size. The metabolism experiment was designed to determine effects of once per 2 days (ID), once daily and twice daily drinking frequencies, and high and low body conditions on water and nutrient utilization by sheep fed high- and low-quality diets.

The way herds are managed in this region exposes all sex and age categories of animals to food and water shortages during annual dry seasons and occasional droughts. Livestock …

Effects Of Copper On Oxidative Stress And Growth Of Pseudomonas Putida, Tiffany Marshall

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Oxygen is an essential compound in all aerobic systems; however, it can also take part in toxic reactions involving active oxygen species (AOS) and transition metals. Most of the time, antioxidant enzymes act as defense mechanisms and keep the production of AOS to a minimum. However, if the defense mechanisms are not adequate, damage may occur and possibly lead to the breakdown of biomolecules such as DNA, lipids, and proteins that are vital to both simple and complex organisms. Oxidative damage could also be a contributing factor to many human pathological conditions including, aging, atherosclerosis, carcinogenesis, diabetes mellitus, lung cancer, …

Effects Of Antioxidants On Development Of In Vitro Fertilized Bovine Embryos, Bret L. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Free radicals are short-lived molecules that can cause decreased embryonic development in vitro. Antioxidants are molecules that block free radical formation or guard against their harmful effects. Many studies have linked exposure of media to light and culturing of embryos in high (20%) oxygen concentrations to free radical production. Some of the antioxidants used in culture media are superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, zinc (II), ethylenedinitrilo tetraacetic acid (EDTA), mannitol, vitamin E, dimethyl sulfide, and taurine. Most research involving antioxidants and embryonic development has been conducted on non-farm animals, particularly mouse and rabbit. Studies have shown that antioxidants in vitro culture …

Effects Of Rumen-Protected Amino Acids On Production In Holstein Cows, David Paul Dawson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Six nonlactating Holstein cows fitted with rumen and duodenal cannula were used to determine the efficacy of pH sensitive fatty acid polymer encapsulation as a means protecting amino acids from rumen fermentation and as a post-ruminal amino acid delivery system. The cows were arranged in a 2 X 2 factorial in a Latin Square design. Treatments were 1) the basal ration, and 2) basal ration plus rumen-protected lysine, methionine, and threonine at 10 g each per day.

Rumen parameters measured were pH, ammonia, volatile fatty acids, protozoa, liquid, and dry matter rate of passage, total viable bacteria, and viable cellulolytic …

Effects Of Ketoconazole On Uterine Weight And On Unbound Serum Estradiol Relative To Vaginal Cornification In Rats, Leonard L. Hall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ketoconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal with oral activity and is documented to block steroid biosynthesis in fungi and mammals.

Estradiol-primed ovariectomized rats lose the estradiol-induced, cornified layer of the vaginal epithelium as a result of ketoconazole treatment. This effect is not explained by current knowledge of ketoconazole's mechanism of action.

Ketoconazole's effect on estradiol's binding to either receptors in target tissues (target-cell receptors) or serum-estradiol-carrying proteins in the aforementioned rats was investigated.

The uterus is responsive to estradiol treatment, which causes an increase in uterine size and weight. This tissue is a sensitive means of studying the effects of ketoconazole …

The Effects Of Forest Harvesting On Small Mammals In Western Newfoundland And Its Significance To Marten, Brian Tucker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The depauperate fauna of Newfoundland provides a limited prey base for marten. Only two small mammal prey species, Microtus pennsylvanicus and Sorex cinereus, were found in any abundance in the old-growth forests of the study area. Of these two, Microtus displayed population fluctuations typical of most microtines. Analysis of marten scats indicated that Microtus is a very important prey item to the marten with other food. items being of lesser importance particularly when Microtus are abundant.

Trapping in various habitats indicated that Sorex densities were three to five times higher in logged areas compared to uncut areas. Unfortunately, the …

Investigations Of Field Performance And Physiological Effects Of Metsulfuron And Metsulfuron Combinations On Field Bindweed (Convolvulus Arvensis L.), Hamid Rahimian Mashhadi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) is a noxious perennial weed of many fallow and cropland fields all over the world. Present control methods are not satisfactory for field bindweed. Metsulfuron, 2[[[[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2-yl) amino] carbonyl] amino] sulfonyl] benzoic acid, is a new herbicide that has been shown to have activity on bindweed especially when tank mixed with other herbicides. This study was conducted to investigate the field performance and some physiological effects of metsulfuron on field bindweed.

Neither metsulfuron alone nor metsulfuron combinations gave persistent control of field bindweed. Metsulfuron usually increased the activity of other bindweed herbicides. Herbicide application to …

Effects Of Clearcutting On Forage Production, Quality And Decomposition In The Caatinga Woodland Of Northeast Brazil: Implications To Goat And Sheep Nutrition, Robert D. Kirmse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Clearing of trees from the so-called caatinga woodland that characterizes the vegetation of the semi-arid region of northeast Brazil offers possibilities for increasing forage production. This research analyzed the first-year effects of clearing caatinga on dry season forage for goats and sheep. In addition, factors affecting litter decomposition on cleared and uncleared caatinga were assessed to evaluate the viability of deferring grazing of forages during the wet season for use later in the dry season.

Removing the trees resulted in a sixfold increase in production of herbaceous vegetation, however, 88 percent of the increased yield on the cleared areas was …

The Effects Of Tri-O-Tolyl Phosphate (Totp) On The Immune System Of Mice, Craig R. Brinkerhoff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

TOTP is a prevalent industrial and environmental contaminant which has been shown to be a neurotoxic agent. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of this compound on the immune system. Several techniques were employed to test the humoral as well as cellular effects. Male Swiss Webster mice were administered by gastric gavage with three doses of TOTP (5, 50, and 500 mg/kg) and one dose TMTP (50 mg/kg) in corn oil once a week for 13 weeks. Control animals were given corn oil alone.

Lymphocyte transformation was determined on cultures of splenic cells obtained from animals sacrificed at …

Subtle Teratogenic Effects Of Locoweed In Rats, Benjamin K. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Locoweed, a well-known teratogenic plant affecting livestock, is prevalent in mountain regions of the Western United States. Two common species (Astragalus lentiginosus and A. wootoni), administered to pregnant rats, induced behavioral deviations in their offspring. Treated mothers consumed less feed and gained less wieght during gestation than controls when gavaged locoweed at the rate of 1 gram whole plant per day on days 7 through 17 of gestation. A. lentiginosus reduced pup weight at birth (13% less than controls) and this weight reduction (as much as 29% less than controls) continued at least four weeks. A. lentiginosus also …

The Effects Of Gully Plugs And Contour Furrows On Erosion And Sedimentation In Cisco Basin, Utah, Dee B. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil surface treatments consisting of gully plugs and contour furrows were constructed as a means of reducing erosion and holding sediment on site.

To measure the effectiveness of the gully plugs and furrows, angle iron stakes and profile transects were installed to measure soils loss and accompanying change in the soil profile. The profile transects gave a reliable measure of the change in the height of the soil surface in constructed pits and across contour furrows. Because of the shrinking and swelling of the soil, the change in height of the angle iron stakes was found to be much more …

Anatomical Effects Of Dicamba On Pea Root Tissues, Brent George Ovard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Peas (Pisum sativum L. Var Alaska) were allowed to absorb calcium and magnesium chloride for 8 hours and then were germinated in a potassium phosphate buffer pH 6.5 for 40 hours. Peas were then treated with 0, 0.1, 0.3, or 0.5 ppm dicamba (3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid) and harvested at 24, 48, and 72 hour intervals. The following determinations were recorded: root elongation, nuclear volume, and anatomical modifications.

Root elongation recordings showed that dicamba prevented normal root elongation. Treatments induced very short thick primary roots.

Measurements of nuclear volume indicated that all herbicide concentrations were able to reduce the …

The Effects Of Dcpa And Trifluralin On Northern Root-Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Hapla Chitwood) Infection Of Selected Vegetables, Rulon Kent Romney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The interaction of herbicides and Northern root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne hapla Chitwood) on onions and beans was studied in the greenhouse. Seeds of onions (Allium cepa L.) were planted in soil treated with different levels of dimethyl 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA). Seeds of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were planted in soil treated with different levels of DCPA or α, α, α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine (trifluralin). Seedlings were inoculated with root-knot nematode larvae after 2 week's growth.

DCPA reduced root and shoot growth on onions but did not significantly affect bean growth. Trifluralin significantly reduced root and shoot …

Some Effects Of The Under Snow Environment On Growth And Carbohydrate Content Of Claytonia Lanceolata Pursh, Bryce D. Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Studies were conducted in a mountain habitat to determine the effects of altered light and temperature upon the natural growth and/or carbohydrate cycles of Claytonia lanceolata during the period of winter snow cover. Treatments included natural control, light exclusion, and temperature alteration by insulation and by heating for a brief period. Monthly measurements were made of soil temperature (upper 12 cm), shoot development, soluble sugar, and soluble starch. The quantity and quality of light penetrating the snow cover was also determined.

About 0.0052% of the available visible light (400-750 nm) penetrated 70 cm of snow and 0.02% penetrated 50 cm …

The Effects And Desirability Of Utilizing Dried Whey In Selected Food Products, Katherine P. Robinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects and desirability of utilizing dried whey in pie crust, muffins, and beef gravies were studied using taste panel evaluations and objective testings.

In pastry the addition of whey caused significant changes. As the whey level increased to 10 percent of the flour weight, the crust became browner during baking and the shortometer recorded an increase in tenderness. The taste panel noted as whey levels increased to 10 percent and above that the color became yellow instead of creamy white; the flavor became undesirable; and pastry became less tender and flaky.

Whey significantly increased the desirability of muffins by …

Hydrologic Effects Of Contour Trenching On Some Aspects Of Streamflow From A Pair Of Watersheds In Utah, Robert Dean Doty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Streamflow from two drainages of the Davis County Experimental Watershed, Utah, was evaluated with respect to changes in distribution and volume following trenching of one of the drainages in 1964. Fifteen percent of the Halfway Creek drainage was trenched according to established U.S. Forest Service methods. Twelve years of records before trenching and four years of records after trenching were analyzed.

Analysis of the annual streamflow, the low streamflow period, and the spring streamflow period indicated no significant change in either volume or distribution of streamflow as a result of trenching. This conclusion was further substantiated by supplemental data of …

The Morphological, Anatomical, And Histochemical Effects Of Eptc On Oat Seedlings, Jacinta Yu-Rui Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Morphological, anatomical, and histochemical effects of S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate (EPTC) on Avena sativa var. overland were studied after treatment of seeds at various EPTC concentrations.

The oat seed germination percentage was not affected by EPTC treatment. EPTC delayed initial root and coleoptile development at all concentrations used. Two or three days after treatment, however, the roots of seedlings treated with EPTC concentrations lower than 3 ppm grew at the same rate as the untreated seedlings and showed no abnormalities. Primary and adventitious root growth of seedlings treated with 3 ppm and higher was inhibited. Most of the adventitious roots remained in …

An Economic Analysis Of Range Improvements On Saddle Creek Allotment And Curlew National Grasslands--With Special Consideration On The Effects Of Improvements On Wildlife Management, Jerry Russell Meyers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Range improvements for livestock were analyzed for the Curlew National Grassland and Saddle Creek Allotment. Increases in aum's which were a result of range improvements were calculated and valued at $4.00 each. Internal rates of return for both study areas were computed with a 15-year project life span for estimated grazing capacity and permitted grazing. Rate of return was then set at 10 percent to calculate project life span for both permitted grazing and estimated grazing capacity for the two areas.

Effects of range improvements for livestock on wildlife habitat were studied. Due to a lack of quantitative data, values …

The Effects Of Formaldehyde On The Frequency Of Reversion Of The White-Ivory Mutant Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Ruth Ellen D. Wood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study is an analysis of the effects of formaldehyde, a chemical which is both recombinogenic and mutagenic, on white-ivory (wⁱ) a highly mutable allele of the white locus of Drosophila. Formaldehyde is shown to significantly increase the reversion frequency of wⁱ. The results of this investigation differ from earlier observations in three respects: (1) there is a positive correlation between RNA (ribonucleic acid) concentration and reversion frequency in the presence of formaldehyde, but reversion does not appear to be totally RNA dependent; (2) female germ cells are more sensitive than those of the male; …

Microenvironmental Effects Of Erosion Control Treatments On Seedling Survival In A Southeastern Utah Salt Desert Area, Ross W. Wein

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study of the microclimate of erosion control treatments was carried out in two habitat types in a semiarid southeastern Utah, salt desert shrub area. The soils are highly eroded Mancos shale and support a low density of salt desert shrub species which offers little protection against high intensity summer convectional rainstorms.

Gully plugs and contour furrows had been installed by the Bureaus of Reclamation and Land Management to prevent runoff of soil laden water which results from these summer rainfalls. Formerly this sediment was carried to the Colorado River and deposited in Lake Powell.

The purpose to t he …

The Anatomical And Morphological Effects Of Dcpa On Seedlings Of Selected Species Of Plants, Bijan Shaybany

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seeds of oat, green foxtail, squash and tomato were germinated in soil treated with different levels of DCPA (dimethyl 2, 3, 5, 6-tetrachlorote-rephthalate). The concentrations used varied according to the sensitivity of the plants to the chemical.

The response of oat and foxtail to DCPA was similar. The growth of booth root and shoot was reduced. This reduction was directly related to the concentration of DCPA. Anatomical studies showed that cells in the shoot and root meristems of treated plants were completely disarranged and that some of the cells of these regions were hypertrophied. Some clumping of nuclei was observed …

The Morphological And Anatomical Effects Of Pyrazon On Beans And Pigweed, James E. Rodebush

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Morphological and anatomical effects of pyrazon, 5-amino-4-chloro-2-phenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinone, on Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Amaranthus retroflexus L. were studied after treatment of seeds or seedlings at various pyrazon concentration, exposure times and environmental regimes.

Beans treated with pyrazon developed various chlorotic and necrotic symptoms on the unifoliate leaves. Chlorosis and necrosis were observed first on the leaf margins. Beans treated with pyrazon under a complete dark regime developed symptoms much later than those under an alternating light and dark regime. Pyrazon treated pigweed displayed symptoms similar to those on beans.

Pyrazon induced abnormal chloroplasts and graded cellular collapse in the unifoliate leaves …