Digital Commons Network^™

Pams: A Growing Field In Pharmacological Drug Development, Marcel Hall, J. Kolb, B. Todd Jr., D. Pugh, B. Vance, B. Klienstuber, R. Drecketts, Doris Jackson, H. R. Arias, S. N. Sudweeks

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) are a growing field in pharmacology. PAM-5 and genisteincause acetylcholine (ACh) to elicit larger currents on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) without activating the channel themselves. In effect, PAMs increase the amplitude of currents at a synapse without altering the normal firing rate of the neurons.

Peopling Of The Western Hemisphere, Norman C. Rothman

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Andrew Targowski, Western Civilization In The 21st Century, Leland Conley Barrows

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Amazonian Civilization?, David Wilkinson

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Ecology Of Gambel's Quail (Callipepla Gambelii) In Relation To Water And Fire In Utah's Mojave Desert, Wesley R. Skidmore

Theses and Dissertations

The efficacy of providing water sources in desert ecosystems to enhance wildlife populations and their distribution continues to be debated among wildlife managers. Some argue wildlife water developments provide a direct benefit to numerous species, while others point to the potential that wildlife water developments alter competition or predation dynamics and disrupt native communities. Additionally, some have argued that the availability of water may become more important to wildlife in the face of vegetative changes associated with expansive fire and conversion of shrub or forest lands to grasslands which alters the thermal landscape available to animals. I evaluated the influence …

An Evaluation Of The Influences Of Extra-Hippocampal Processes On Pattern Separation, Malia L. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Long-term declarative memory depends on pattern separation, which reduces the degree of overlap between similar representations, to maintain memory specificity, and on pattern completion, which occurs when a degraded cue is used to retrieve a previously stored memory. Previous studies aimed at evaluating the underlying neuronal substrates of these computational processes have used a mnemonic discrimination paradigm and fMRI to focus on the hippocampus, to the exclusion of cortical processing. We aim to investigate the influences extra-hippocampal processes have on pattern separation in the following two studies. Study 1. Computational models of pattern completion suggest it occurs cortically and results …

Insulin Treatment Increases Myocardial Ceramide Accumulation And Disrupts Cardiometabolic Function, Aimee Elizabeth Hodson

Theses and Dissertations

Prevalence of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing worldwide. Millions of people are already affected by T2DM and estimates predict over half a billion people will likely be suffering from the disease by 2030. T2DM is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular dysfunction is the leading cause of mortality among type 2 diabetics. Treatment for T2DM has changed over time. Though it was once known as insulin independent, a large portion of type 2 diabetics are now treated with insulin injections. However, type 2 diabetics treated with insulin are more likely to suffer …

Breast Cancer Risk Perceptions Among Relatives Of Women With Uninformative Negative Brca1/2 Test Results: The Moderating Effect Of The Amount Of Shared Information, Deborah O. Himes Msn, Aprn-Bc, Margaret F. Clayton, Gary W. Donaldson, Lee Ellington, Saundra S. Buys, Anita Y. Kinney

Faculty Publications

The most common result of BRCA1/2 mutation testing when performed in a family without a previously identified mutation is an uninformative negative test result. Women in these families may have an increased risk for breast cancer because of mutations in non-BRCA breast cancer predisposition genes, including moderate- or low-risk genes, or shared environmental factors. Genetic counselors often encourage counselees to share information with family members, however it is unclear how much information counselees share and the impact that shared information may have on accuracy of risk perception in family members. We evaluated 85 sisters and daughters of women who received …

Insomnia Is Associated With Suicide Attempt In Middle-Aged And Older Adults With Depression, Daniel Kay, Alexandre Y. Dombrovski, Daniel J. Buysse, Charles F. Reynolds Iii, Amy Begley, Katalin Szanto

Faculty Publications

Background—Insomnia increases in prevalence with age, is strongly associated with depression, and has been identified as a risk factor for suicide in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether insomnia severity varies between those who have attempted suicide (n = 72), those who only contemplate suicide (n = 28), and those who are depressed but have no suicidal ideation or attempt history (n = 35).

Methods—Participants were middle-aged and older adults (Age 44–87, M = 66 years) with depression. Insomnia severity was measured as the sum of the early, middle, and late insomnia items from the …

Secondary Metabolite Production And Biological Activity Of Endophytic Microbes Of Mahonia Aquifolium, Christopher Rufus Sweeney, Bradley Geary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Secondary metabolites are a result of natural evolutionary mechanism used to aid in plant development and defense, and the research of these metabolites have led to important discoveries in medicines, pesticides and even fossil fuels. In this project, we studied secondary metabolites of microorganisms in Mahonia aquifolium, otherwise known as Oregon grape. This plant is known to produce the chemical compound berberine as a secondary metabolite. Berberine has been shown to have similar effects to metformin and other diabetes treatments, as well as a host of other medicinal qualities. We looked at endophytic fungi and bacteria to see if they, …

Badger Behavior At Anthropogenic Water Sources In The Chihuahuan Desert, Robert L. Harrison

Western North American Naturalist

Anthropogenic water sources such as tanks and ponds for livestock and troughs for wildlife (guzzlers) have become ubiquitous features of arid landscapes. Many species of wildlife are attracted to guzzlers, but behavior at guzzlers and effects of guzzlers upon wildlife are often poorly understood. I recorded rates of drinking and visitation by American badgers (Taxidea taxus) at guzzlers in the northern Chihuahuan Desert by use of automatic cameras over a 2-year period. Badgers visited guzzlers throughout the year, and visited primarily at night. Badgers averaged 1.87 visits per site-week and drank during only 58% of visits. The rate …

Population Differentiation In Early Life History Traits Of Cleome Lutea Var. Lutea In The Intermountain West, Lisa Hintz, Magdalena M. Eshleman, Alicia Foxx, Troy E. Wood, Andrea Kramer

Western North American Naturalist

Large-scale restoration is occurring in many areas of the western United States and the use of genetically appropriate native plant seed is expected to increase the success of restoration efforts. Thus, determining intraspecific variation among populations and its driving forces are the first steps in successful seed sourcing. Here, we examine intraspecific variation of characters expressed in early life history stages of Cleome lutea var. lutea, an annual forb native to the western United States that has attracted increasing attention as a restoration species because it provisions diverse pollinators. We conducted a common garden experiment comprised of 9 populations sourced …

Environmental Influences On Wintering Duck Adundance At Great Salt Lake, Utah, Anthony J. Roberts, Michael R. Conover, Josh L. Vest

Western North American Naturalist

North American waterfowl winter throughout a large geographic area, and the choice of wintering site has a direct impact on survival and fitness. Climatic and food variables are the most commonly cited factors influencing abundance and distribution of wintering migratory birds, including waterfowl. We conducted stratified aerial surveys at a northern latitude wintering site, Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, to describe the importance of this wintering area and to examine the influence of weather and food on the abundance of total ducks, Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata), and goldeneye species (Bucephala spp.). Surveys indicated that up to 270,000 …

Role Of Dispersal Timing And Frequency In Annual Grass-Invaded Great Basin Ecosystems: How Modifying Seeding Strategies Increases Restoration Success, Merilynn C. Schantz, Roger L. Sheley, Jeremy J. James, Eric P. Hamerlynck

Western North American Naturalist

Seed dispersal dynamics strongly affect plant community assembly in restored annual grass–infested ecosystems. Modifying perennial grass seeding rates and frequency may increase perennial grass establishment, yet these impacts have not yet been quantified. To assess these effects, we established a field experiment consisting of 288 plots (1 m²) in an eastern Oregon annual grass–dominated shrubsteppe ecosystem. In this study, the amount, timing, and frequency of perennial grass seeding events, soil moisture availability, and annual grass seed bank density were manipulated. We found that more frequent perennial grass seeding events combined with high perennial grass seeding rates produced the …

Biogeochemistry And Nutrient Limitation Of Microbial Biofilms In Devils Hole, Nevada, Hilary L. Madinger, Kevin P. Wilson, Jeffery A. Goldstein, Melody J. Bernot

Western North American Naturalist

Little is known about the role of microbial biofilms in nutrient cycling and ecosystem processes within desert springs. However, biofilms produce microscale physicochemical variation important to ecosystem function. We used microelectrodes to measure microscale physicochemical (temperature, pH, O₂, and H₂S) heterogeneity in biofilms at Devils Hole, Nevada. Additionally, we measured water column and pore water nutrient concentrations in 2 autotrophic (Spirogyra, cyanobacteria) and 1 heterotrophic (Beggiatoa) biofilm types. Spirogyra and cyanobacteria followed similar physicochemical trends; however, Spirogyra had more pronounced diurnal and seasonal variation. Oxygen concentrations within the biofilms varied with sample month, …

A New Springsnail (Hydrobiidae: Pyrgulopsis) From The Lower Colorado River Basin, Northwestern Arizona, Robert Hershler, Hsiu-Ping Liu, Lawrence E. Stevens

Western North American Naturalist

We describe a new springsnail species, Pyrgulopsis hualapaiensis, from the Lower Colorado River basin (northwestern Arizona) that has an ovate- to narrow-conic shell and narrow penis ornamented with a small gland on the distal edge of the lobe. This new species differs from closely similar congeners from the Lower Colorado River basin in several details of female reproductive anatomy and in its mtCOI haplotype (3.0%–5.0% mean sequence divergence). Bayesian, maximum parsimony, and distance-based phylogenetic analyses of COI data congruently resolved P. hualapaiensis as sister to a divergent lineage of Pyrgulopsis thompsoni in the middle Gila River watershed (southeastern Arizona), although …

Seasonal Distribution And Routes Of Pronghorn In The Northern Great Basin, Gail H. Collins

Western North American Naturalist

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) exhibit complex spatial and temporal variation in seasonal movements and range use across their distribution. However, knowledge of seasonal movements, routes, and distribution of pronghorn within the sagebrush-steppe of the northern Great Basin is lacking. From October 2011 to October 2013, I monitored movements of adult female pronghorn across an area of over 1.5 million hectares along the northwestern Nevada and southeastern Oregon border using GPS/VHF-equipped collars. I used 68,834 GPS locations from 32 female pronghorn to determine migration timing, seasonal distributions, individual fidelity to winter and summer ranges, and population-level routes used during the …

Temporary Communal Brooding In Northern Bobwhite And Scaled Quail Broods, Jeremy P. Orange, Craig A. Davis, R. Dwayne Elmore, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf

Western North American Naturalist

Communal brooding, which can occur as a result of brood amalgamation or communal parental care, is a common alternative brooding strategy observed in many precocial bird species. Although the occurrence of long-term communal brooding has been documented in numerous waterfowl species, and to a lesser extent in gallinaceous species, the occurrence and mechanisms facilitating temporary or short-term communal broods is less understood. During the 2013 and 2014 breeding seasons, we anecdotally observed temporary communal brooding in 3 Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) broods and one Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) brood. We present 3 mechanisms that may explain …

Identification Of Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse Lek Sites In South Central Wyoming, Kurt T. Smith, Jeffrey L. Beck, Tony W. Mong, Frank C. Blomquist

Western North American Naturalist

The Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus; hereafter CSTG) occupies approximately 10% of its historic range and is a species of conservation concern in 7 U.S. states and British Columbia. Because little is known about the status of CSTG in Wyoming, we sought to model the relative probability of lek site occurrence within the known distribution of CSTG in the state to identify areas that contained previously undocumented lek sites. The proximity of nesting and brood-rearing habitats to leks advocates their use as a focus of conservation for prairie grouse, including CSTG. We modeled a resource selection function (RSF) …

Front Matter, Vol. 76 No. 1

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

End Matter, Vol. 76 No. 1

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Byu Undergraduates Execute A Familial Study Of Non-Demented Individuals In High-Risk Alzheimer’S Disease Pedigrees, John S. K. Kauwe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Successful enrollment in and completion of graduate programs requires a constellation of skills. Students must be prepared to plan and execute experiments, present their findings both verbally and in manuscript form and interact effectively with senior scientists in the field of their choice. In this MEG I will mentor four undergraduate students (Kevin Boehme, Lyndsay Staley, Kaitlin Bell and Mark Wadsworth) as they develop skills in study design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, presentation and networking while identifying genetic factors that protect individuals from Alzheimer’s disease.

Acoustic Detection Reveals Fine-Scale Distributions Of Myotis Lucifugus, Myotis Septentrionalis, And Perimyotis Subflavus In Eastern Nebraska, Jeremy A. White, Cliff A. Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman

Western North American Naturalist

Before white-nose syndrome arrives in Nebraska, it is important to document the preexposure distributions of cave bats in the state. We examined the distributions ofMyotis lucifugus (little brown myotis), Myotis septentrionalis (northern long-eared myotis), and Perimyotis subflavus (tri-colored bat) in eastern Nebraska by setting acoustic detectors for a single night at 105 sites in wooded habitats during summers of 2012 and 2014. We compared 2 methods of determining presence at each site. Results of our analyses are fine-scale distributional maps for these bats and some range extensions from published records. Results for M. septentrionalis and P. subflavus are largely …

Ecosystem Engineering Of Harvester Ants: Effects On Vegetation In A Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem, Elyce N. Gosselin, Joseph D. Holbrook, Katey Huggler, Emily Brown, Kerri T. Vierling, Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod

Western North American Naturalist

Harvester ants are influential in many ecosystems because they distribute and consume seeds, remove vegetation, and redistribute soil particles and nutrients. Understanding the interaction between harvester ants and plant communities is important for management and restoration efforts, particularly in systems altered by fire and invasive species such as the sagebrush-steppe. Our objective was to evaluate how vegetation cover changed as a function of distance from Owyhee harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex salinus) nests within a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. We sampled 105 harvester ant nests within southern Idaho, USA, that occurred in different habitats: annual grassland, perennial grassland, and native shrubland. The …

Translocation Of The Endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox, Vulpes Macrotis Mutica: A Retrospective Assessment, Jerry H. Scrivner, Thomas P. O'Farrell, Kristie Hammer, Brian L. Cypher

Western North American Naturalist

In 1988, a study of federally endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) was initiated to develop techniques for translocating kit foxes onto Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1 (NPR-1) in California. Our objective is to review the translocation program and provide recommendations for future efforts. There were no problems trapping, translocating, and maintaining foxes in captivity. We released 12 foxes onto NPR-1 in 1989 and 28 foxes in 1990. Of the 12 foxes released in 1989, 10 died within 1 year. Of 28 foxes released in 1990, 1 was still alive, 24 were dead, and the fate …

Conspecific Pollen Loads On Insects Visiting Female Flowers On Parasitic Phoradendron Californicum (Viscaceae), William D. Wiesenborn

Western North American Naturalist

Desert mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum (Viscaceae), is a dioecious parasitic plant that grows on woody legumes in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, produces minute flowers during winter, and is dispersed by birds defecating fruits. Pollination of desert mistletoe has not been examined despite the species’ reliance on insects for transporting pollen from male to female plants. I investigated the pollination of P. californicum parasitizing Acacia greggii (Fabaceae) shrubs at 3 sites at different elevations in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada during February 2015. I examined pollen from male flowers, aspirated insects landing on female flowers, and counted pollen grains in …

Biophysical Actions Of Nsaids And Volatile Anesthetics, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This award led to a wonderful confluence of mentored research experiences for 9 undergraduates and 1 graduate student. The academic goal was to evaluated the role of NSAIDs and general anesthetics in modulating lipid bilayer mechanics, particularly as they influenced pressure area curves and dye absorption rates in purified lipid vesicles. The studies were augmented and informed by molecular dynamics simulations of such molecules being positioned at different levels in the lipid bilayer and measuring the average normal force on the molecules.

Neofunctionalization Of Dual-Targeted Plant Organelle Dna Replication Proteins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Neofunctionalization is the process by which genes gain a new or modified function as a result of gene duplication and modification of one or more of the new genes. This exciting area of research helps explain the diversification of protein functions in cells. The number of documented examples has increased in recent years in all classes of organisms (Deng et al., 2010; Han et al. 2011; Cannela et al. 2014; Sakuma et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2014). In some cases a protein that was previously thought to function in only one cellular compartment has been shown to also function …

Mule Deer Habitat Along The Wasatch Front, Aaron J. Snow, Brad Halsey, Mike Smith, Kaytee Howell

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Mule deer are prominent ruminants across the Northwestern United States. Their sensitive biology makes their habitat hard to come by. Their habitat requires adequate bedding, cover, feeding ground, and close access to water year round. To avoid high winds, low temperatures and heavy snowfall, the winter months often require mule deer to descend from their high elevation homes to the lower elevation valley, particularly in search of food and water. Descending into the valley often means intersecting with urban sprawl. We primarily want to see if the Wasatch Mountains in Utah County provide adequate mule deer habitat and secondly see …

Identifying Genetic Factors In The Development Of Diabetes In The Wasatch Front Population 2013-2014, Julianne H. Grose

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The academic objectives of this MEG were to train undergraduate and graduate students on the scientific process while providing valuable insight into the genetic factors that may play a role in the development of diabetes in the Wasatch front population. We were able to meet these objectives as evidenced by the training of two graduate students and seven undergraduates and by the identification of a novel genetic allele which most likely contributes to diabetes.