Life Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of Change In Ph On Whey Expulsion From Cheddar Cheese Curds Made From Recombined Concentrated Milk, Kanak Bulbul

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Western Dairy Center at Utah State University funded this project to investigate cheese research using concentrated milks. Concentrated milk was provided by the South Dakota State University and starter culture for this study was prepared and donated by Vivolac Cultures Corporation, Greenfield, Indiana.

The project initiated as a continuation of a previous study on effects of protein concentration, coagulum cut size and set temperature on curd moisture loss kinetics while stirring during cheesemaking. It was aimed at determining the extent to which pH drop prior to draining and final cheese moisture when using microfiltered concentrated milk.

We performed twelve …

Latino Stepcouples’ Experiences Two Years After Stepfamily Education And A Narrative Study Regarding Changes In A Latino Stepfamily Two Years After Stepfamily Education, Sheryl Ann Goodey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are two studies in this dissertation. Both are about couples in a stepfamily who attended stepfamily education called, Smart Steps: Embrace the Journey. The first study explored how 13 Latino stepcouples felt the concepts they learned in stepfamily education influenced their couple relationship, parenting, and their family. Participants ranged in age from 25 to 43. They were interviewed two years after participating in the course. They talked about positive changes that happened in their couple relationship, parenting relationship, and their family as a result of participating in stepfamily education. It was also found that the course helped them …

The Spatial Ecology Of Predator-Prey Interactions: A Case Study Of Yellowstone Elk, Wolves, And Cougars, Michel T. Kohl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The loss of large apex predators, and their subsequent reintroduction, has been identified as a substantial driver on the structure and function of ecological communities through behavioral mediated trophic cascades (BMTCs). The reintroduction of wolves (Canis lupus) to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has served as foundational case study of BMTCs. In our system, it has been suggested that wolves have established a ‘landscape of fear’ in which the primary prey, elk (Cervus elaphus), now avoid risky places, which ultimately led to the recovery of the vegetation community. Although this case is frequently cited as a well-understood …

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 …

Phosphorus Rate Effects With And Without Avail® On Dryland Winter Wheat In An Eroded Calcareous Soil, Ryan C. Hodges

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soluble phosphorus fertilizer is bound in the soil rapidly after application in soils high in calcium. A fertilizer additive known as AVAIL® (J.R. Simplot Company) is purported to keep applied phosphorus fertilizer more available to plants by binding to soil minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, thereby reducing phosphorus binding. This could prove useful due to the attraction of AVAIL® with cations such as Ca²⁺, but is fairly unstudied for dryland wheat production on alkaline, calcium-rich soils. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of low-rate fertilizer treatments with AVAIL® on dryland small grain …

Modeling Changes In Cellular Micro-Environment In Mild To Moderate Head Trauma, Xiangfu Zhang, Subhendra N. Sarkar Phd, Rt

Publications and Research

Our work aims to connect and model multiple small, inter-related tissue injuries as a consequence of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI). It has been shown that frontal and temporal lobes are vulnerable regions for brain traumatic injury. A brain injury from a blow or high-speed impact can cause undersurface of the frontal and temporal lobes to deform against the anterior and cranial fossae. This deformation can often trigger damage to the cerebral vasculature, which is ill-understood and can result in chronic damage to larger vessels over time. These physiological injuries can be manifested psychologically; such as patients’ sleep-wake disturbances. The …

Analysis Of Spheno-Occipital Synchondrosis (Sos) Fusion In A Contemporary Southern Nevada Subadult Hispanic Population Using Archival Cone-Beam Computerized Tomography (Cbct) Images, Megan Baker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study employs the three-dimensional visualization capability of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to investigate the relationship between chronological age and timing of fusion of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis in a male/female subadult Hispanic population of Southern Nevada. The sample includes cross-sectional data of 374 orthodontic patients (166 males and 208 females) aged 8-20 years. The SOS is scored by a four-stage scoring system as completely open (stage 0), less than half fused (stage 1), more than half fused (stage 2), or completely fused (stage 3) as visualized in the midsagittal plane in the CBCT image. The relationship between SOS fusion stage …

Physician-Patient Communication About Genomic Tumor Testing: Perceptions Of Oncology Providers, Hayley Mandeville, Eric Anderson, Kimberly Murray, Caitlin Gutheil, Leo Waterston, Lee Lucas, Christine Duarte, Christian Thomas, Susan Miesfeldt, Petra Helbig, Andrey Antov, Jens Rueter, Paul Han

Maine Medical Center

Background:

• Genomic tumor testing (GTT) is a new technology and a cornerstone of the “precision medicine” movement in cancer care.

• GTT uses next-generation genome sequencing technology to identify somatic variants in tumor cells.

• By identifying somatic variants that predict responses to cancer therapies, GTT can help tailor therapy to individual patients, making them more effective.

• However, due to the fact that GTT also detects many variants of uncertain significance, its clinical value is currently unproven.

• When using GTT, physicians counsel patients about both its benefits and its limitations, but the ideal goals and content of …

Options For Improving Dfad Recovery And Accountability To Minimize Marine Coastal Habitat Damage And Marine Litter, Adam Baske, M. Shiham Adam, David W. Kerstetter

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

No abstract provided.

Untangling The Economic And Social Impediments To Producer Adoption Of Organic Wheat, Donya L. Ralph-Quarnstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumer demand for organic products has shown double-digit growth in recent years encouraging the development of a wider range of goods (Greene, 2017). Americans with an annual household income under $30,000 actively purchase organic foods at nearly the same rate as households with over $75,000 in annual incomes, 42% versus 49% (Greene et al., 2017). Previous research observed the adoption of organic farming practices on a combination of different grains, fruits and vegetables, meat, and dairy products from across the globe. However, this is the first study to examine the adoption of organic wheat in the Western U.S. By addressing …

Impacts Of Cattle Grazing As A Tool To Control Phragmites Australis In Wetlands On Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Carbon, Brittany L. Duncan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Phragmites australis is a plant that is causing problems in wetlands by outcompeting native plants that provide food and shelter for millions of migratory birds. Currently, managers try to control Phragmites australis by spraying herbicide, burning, and mowing, but these methods are costly, time consuming, and have low levels of success. Adding grazing as a tool to control Phragmites australis provides a cheap and low labor alternative. However, there are many concerns regarding if grazing will cause nutrient loading in our wetlands that will decrease water quality and alter beneficial functions of wetlands.

To better understand the effects of grazing …

Monitoring Desert Ungulates Via Fecal Dna-Based Capture Recapture, Stephen S. Pfeiler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Estimates of population abundance and survival are critical for effective wildlife management. Obtaining estimates of these kind using traditional wildlife monitoring techniques (i.e. ground and aerial surveys) has proven to be difficult, especially for species that are wide ranging and exist in small, patchily distributed populations.

My objective was to implement fecal DNA-based capture-recapture surveys to estimate abundance and survival of two different ungulate populations that inhabit the deserts of southeastern California. I also compared fecal DNA-based capture-recapture techniques to traditional methods by evaluating the costs and precision associated with both methods. Using artificial water sources as focal sampling sites, …

Telomeric Dna Damage And Repair Machineries In Hiv Infection, Lam Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we investigated T cell homeostasis and DNA damage repair machineries in HIV infection. We found that the frequencies of CD4T cells were low, which is associated with cell apoptosis in HIV patients compared to healthy subjects. Importantly, these events were closely correlated to the increase in T cell exhaustion, senescence, DNA damage, and telomere attrition. Mechanistically, while the DNA damage sensors Mer11, Rad50, and NBS1 (MRN) complexes remained intact, the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase and its downstream checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2) were significantly inhibited during HIV infection. Additionally, telomeric repeat-binding factor 2 (TRF2) that functions to protect …

Interactions Of Fentanyl With Gp120 In The Central Nervous System, Meagan Buchanan

Honors Theses

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has affected more than 75 million individuals worldwide. HIV not only affects the peripheral system through the targeting of T cells, but also causes adverse effects in the central nervous system. Individuals suffering from HIV often experience neuropathic pain and are prescribed opioids to combat the chronic pain. Along with the increase of opioids prescribed to HIV patients, the number of deaths related to the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, has increased drastically. Drug abuse and HIV are interlinked epidemics; individuals who are HIV positive and referred to as “NeuroAIDS.” The HIV envelope protein, gp120, has been …

Correlation Between Sei Whale Distribution And Chlorophyll-A Concentration In The Western North Atlantic, Dawn Parry

Senior Honors Projects

The sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) is an endangered baleen whale species whose distribution and migratory movements are poorly understood. Sei whale populations were decimated by commercial whaling in the 19th and 20th centuries. Much of what is currently known about their distributions comes from historical whaling records. Visual sightings, which may be sporadic and limited by weather and access to remote locations, are the primary source of data for recent research. It is thought that sei whale distributions may be influenced by the distribution of their food, which consists of zooplankton (small crustaceans, like shrimp), small fish, and …

Surveying Apicomplexan Diversity And Dynamics In Narragansett Bay, Evelyn Spencer

Senior Honors Projects

Parasites play an important role in marine ecosystems and their diversity is generally understudied. Apicomplexans, a group of parasitic protists in the phylum Alveolata, infect a wide variety of animal hosts and are abundant in ecosystems spanning from Polar Regions to Neotropical rainforests. Previous data generated from marine sediments in Antarctica, Naples Bay, and off the coast of Oslo, exhibit high diversity and numbers of apicomplexans. Abundance and diversity of these protists are unknown for Narragansett Bay, despite the fact that they infect many commercially important species. The aim of my study was to obtain abundance data and understand genetic …

Determining The Need For Meal Preparation Education In First-Year University Students, Alicia Kunzler

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: In previous research, college students reported low confidence and varying skill in meal preparation ability. This study evaluates first-year university students to determine the acceptability of meal preparation programming for this population.

Objective: To assess university freshmen's skill level, confidence, and interest in food budgeting, meal planning, and cooking techniques to determine potential interventions.

Methods: First-year university students (n=265; 58 men, 205 women) were recruited through Facebook and email invitations to complete a 50-item survey. Survey categories included skills/confidence in food budgeting (8), meal planning (12), and cooking techniques 12); class interest (4), student background information (9), and general …

Effects Of Reproductive Maturity On Neuroplasticity In Male Bumble Bees (Bombus Impatiens), Karlee Eck

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Within the span of an insect's lifetime, new synaptic connections between neurons are made in response to age and experience. This neuroplasticity leads to anatomical changes within individual brain regions that represent investment in different brain functions. The neuroplasticity of female bumble bees has been well studied, but almost nothing is known about how the male bee brain responds to life experiences. Due to the complex sensory requirements of mate finding and copulation for males, neuroplasticity is likely to be an important component of reproduction. These sensory requirements include olfactory and optic inputs, which are processed in the calyces of …

Young Germ Cell Depleted Ovaries In Post-Reproductive Mice And Its Effects On Immune Function, Mckenna Walters

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

It has previously been shown that young, cycling ovarian transplantation in aged female mice increased the general health and life span in regard to their post-reproductive health. It has further been hypothesized that this enhancement of health is directly influenced by the ovarian somatic cells. To address this hypothesis, transplants of young germ cell depleted and germ cell containing ovaries were performed on female mice. The purpose of this study is to continue to discern the reproductive influence on aging health, specifically in the area of immunological well-being. Control group mice were separated by age and treatment mice were subsequently …

Analyzing Fear Free Veterinary Practices And Their Effectiveness In Managing Client And Patient Fear, Anxiety, And Stress, And The Profitability Of These Techniques, Heather Hamblin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Fear-Free veterinary techniques are a new approach to caring for patients and clients in the veterinary clinic that have gained a great deal of popularity and traction. However, many veterinary professionals are left to question whether the utilization of these practices is resulting in a big enough change in client and patient stress levels to make it worth implementing these methods. This research looks into the views of veterinarians and clients on the effectiveness of these practices, and the competitive advantage of having a fear-free certified clinic from a business point of view.

The Effect Of A Surfactant Seed Coating On The Germination And Growth Of Three Native Bulrushes, Anders Hart

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Great Salt Lake (GSL) wetlands provide vital ecosystem services, including habitat for migratory birds. Alkali bulrush (Bolboschoenus maritimus), hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus), and three-square bulrush (Schoenoplectus americanus) play an important role in providing these services, but invasion by Phragmites australis has reduced the extent these species in GSL wetlands. Restoring these native bulrushes following Phragmites removal is a primary goal for GSL managers. However, climate change and increasing human water demands upstream may alter the hydropattem of GSL wetlands, leading to lower soil moisture availability and potentially inhibiting germination and establishment of these species. …

Fermentation Of Prebiotics In Whole Food Powders By Probiotic Lactic-Acid Producing Bacterial Strains To Identify Synbiotic Combinations, Michaela Brubaker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Dietary interventions with probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and prebiotics, complex dietary fibers that promote LAB growth, may favorably shift the gut microbiome to reduce colorectal cancer risk. Our primary hypothesis was that the LAB strains NCFM Lactobacillus acidophilus and HNO 19 Bifidobacterium lactis would thrive in the presence of agave, green banana, black raspberry, baobab fruit, or pomegranate peel whole food powders by fermenting their oligosaccharide (OS) components into lactic acid end products. LAB strains were cultured in media with no carbohydrate, purified OS, or one of the whole food powders. LAB strains cultured with agave appeared to grow …

Localization Of Synapses On Adipocytes And Stromal Vascular Fraction Cells In Adipose Tissue Using Electron And Immunofluorescent Microscopy, Emma Garner

Honors College

Obesity, weight gain and the many metabolic disorders that can arise from being overweight are predominant health issues in America and in the State of Maine. The body’s ability to balance energy intake and energy expenditure is what determines whether a person gains or loses body fat. Although there are many different factors that influence energy storage and expenditure, neural innervation of white and brown fat (or adipose) tissues is an important aspect of energy balance that is not well understood. The Townsend Lab focuses on brain-adipose communication and the role of adipose peripheral nerves in maintaining proper body weight …

Indole Sensitivity In Various Insect Herbivores., Rakhi Patel

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

When plants in nature are attacked by herbivores, they frequently release airborne volatiles. These herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) help plants defend themselves against herbivore attack by calling in natural enemies, but HIPVs may also be directly toxic to herbivores. Indole (C₈H₇N) is a common HIPV that is toxic to caterpillars, but its relative toxicity to different caterpillars has not been explored. I tested the toxicity of indole on six caterpillar species (Spodoptera frugiperda, Trichoplusia ni, Spodoptera exigua, Anticarsia gemmatalis, Heliothis virescens, and Helicoverpa zea). Results show that indole is …

Identification Of Blood Biomarkers Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Collegiate Football Players, Amy Turner

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Fusarium Euwallacea: A Serious Threat To The Native And Ornamental Trees And Shrubs In Southern California, Greg Tyler, Yixing Zheng, Michael Kulinich, Hagop Atamian

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Fusarium Euwallacea is a fungus that has established symbiotic relationship with the beetle Euwallacea aff. fornicata. The beetle bores through the tree bark and into the sapwood making long tunnels inside the trees. The beetle carries the F. Euwallacea in a specialized structure on its body called mandibular mycangia and cultivates the fungus in the tunnels on which the beetle feeds to grow and reproduce. The growth of the fungus obstructs water and mineral transport in the plant xylem tissue, resulting in dieback, wilt and mortality of the host tree. Fungi are known to secrete proteins called effectors in …

The Relationship Between Perfectionism And Self-Determined Motivation In Collegiate Division I Athletes, Christian Sengfelder

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: An athlete’s performance is dependent on both psychological and physical factors. Perfectionism and motivation are two psychological factors that can influence performance of athletes in a positive or negative manner. The relationship between perfectionism and motivation has been studied previously, but the relationship has not been studied with sport specific measurements and the collegiate athlete population has largely been ignored. Purpose: To investigate the levels of perfectionism and motivation in collegiate Division I student-athletes and determine how the forms of perfectionism (adaptive versus maladaptive) are related to the different levels of motivation (controlled vs autonomous forms) in this …

Apnea Training And Physical Characteristics: Enhancement Of The Dive Response, Apneic Time, And Recovery, Nathanael Stanford

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Human breath-hold diving (free diving) has been gaining popularity as new individuals participate in the sport every year. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) breath-hold tables have been widely implemented as a training modality and prescribe constant submaximal apneic durations with gradually decreasing recovery times to increase hypercapnic resiliency. Previous studies implementing maximal duration apnea training have found enhancements in apneic duration and the mammalian dive reflex (MDR), which is elicited by apnea and augmented with facial immersion. The MDR results in bradycardia and peripheral vasoconstriction to redistribute blood to vital organs and elicit oxygen (O₂) conserving resulting in …

The Impact Of Race And Affect On Infant Visual Attention To Faces, Emily Kathryn Grimes

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Observing The Effects Of Aspergillus Oryzae On Combating The Consequences Of Heat Stress In Lactating Dairy Cows, Abigail Lorraine Kesterson

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.