Digital Commons Network^™

Manipulation Of Ovarian Function Significantly Influenced Trabecular And Cortical Bone Volume, Architecture And Density In Mice At Death, Jeffrey B. Mason, Boston C. Terry, Samer S. Merchant, Holly M. Mason, Mahdi Nazokkarmaher

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Previously, transplantation of ovaries from young, cycling mice into old, postreproductive-age mice increased life span and decreased cardiomyopathy at death. We anticipated that the same factors that increased life span and decreased cardiomyopathy could also influence the progression of orthopedic disease. At 11 months of age, prepubertally ovariectomized and ovary-intact mice (including reproductively cycling and acyclic mice) received new 60-day-old ovaries. At death, epiphyseal bone in the proximal tibia and the distal femur and mid-shaft tibial and femoral diaphyseal bone was analyzed with micro-computed tomography. For qualitative analysis of osteophytosis, we also included mineralized connective tissue within the stifle joint. …

Long-Term Landscape Changes In A Subalpine Spruce-Fir Forest In Central Utah, Usa, Jesse L. Morris, R. Justin Derose, Andrea R. Brunelle

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Background: In Western North America, increasing wildfire and outbreaks of native bark beetles have been mediated by warming climate conditions. Bioclimatic models forecast the loss of key high elevation species throughout the region. This study uses retrospective vegetation and fire history data to reconstruct the drivers of past disturbance and environmental change. Understanding the relationship among climate, antecedent disturbances, and the legacy effects of settlement-era logging can help identify the patterns and processes that create landscapes susceptible to bark beetle epidemics. Methods: Our analysis uses data from lake sediment cores, stand inventories, and historical records. Sediment cores were dated with …

Selection For Forage And Avoidance Of Risk By Woodland Caribou (Rangifer Tarandus Caribou) At Coarse Andlocal Scales, Madeleine T. Mcgreer, Erin E. Mallon, Lucas M. Vander Vennen, Philip A. Wiebe, James A. Baker, Glen S. Brown, Tal Avgar, Jevon Hagens, Andrew M. Kittle, Anna Mosser, Garrett M. Street, Doug E. B. Reid, Arthur R. Rodgers, Jennifer Shuter, Ian D. Thompson, Et Al.

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The relationship between selection at coarse and fine spatiotemporal spatial scales is still poorly understood. Some authors claim that, to accommodate different needs at different scales, individuals should have contrasting selection patterns at different scales of selection, while others claim that coarse scale selection patterns should reflect fine scale selection decisions. Here we examine site selection by 110 woodland caribou equipped with GPS radio‐collars with respect to forage availability and predation risk across a broad gradient in availability of both variables in boreal forests of Northern Ontario. We tested whether caribou selection for forage and avoidance of risk was consistent …

First Report Of Invasive Crane Fly, Tipula Oleracea, In Utah, A Van Dyke, Ricardo A. Ramirez, B A. Mcgraw

Biology Faculty Publications

The known range of the common crane fly (Tipula oleracea L.) is expanding in the western US, as adults were captured (by me) in Utah while emerging and flying over golf course rough. Adults were collected at The Ridge Golf Course in West Valley City on 15 September, 2014, and identified by Dr. Benjamin McGraw at the Pennsylvania State University Turfgrass Entomology Lab in University Park, PA. Crane fly larvae (known as leather jackets for their tough skin) were previously found (again, by me) with the help of golf course superintendent Brian Roth on 4 August, 2012 damaging putting greens …

Dean Of Engineering Receives Utah Governor’S Medal For Excellence | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Dec. 17, 2015 – Utah State University’s College of Engineering Dean Christine Hailey was among ten state leaders recognized this week by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert for outstanding service in academia, education and industry.

Hailey will receive the Governor’s Medal for Excellence at a special gala event on Jan. 13 at Rio Tinto Stadium along with fellow recipients including three other faculty members from USU.

Comparison Of Coincident Rayleigh-Scatter And Sodium Resonance Lidar Temperature Measurements From The Mesosphere-Lower-Thermosphere Region, Leda Sox, Vincent B. Wickwar, Neal R. Criddle, Tao Yuan

All Physics Faculty Presentations

There are relatively few instruments that have the capabilities to make near continuous measurements of the mesosphere-lower-thermosphere (MLT) region. Rayleigh scatter and resonance lidars, particularly sodium resonance lidar, have been the two dominant ground-based techniques for acquiring mesosphere and MLT vertical temperature profiles, respectively, for more than two decades. With these measurements, the dynamics (gravity waves, tides) and long-term temperature trends (upper atmosphere cooling) of the MLT region can be studied. The Utah State University (USU; 41.7º N, 111.8º W) campus hosts a unique upper atmospheric observatory which houses both a high-power, large-aperture Rayleigh lidar and a sodium resonance Doppler …

Microsolvation Of Anions By Molecules Forming Ch∙∙X- Hydrogen Bonds, Steve Scheiner, Binod Nepal

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Various anions were surrounded by n molecules of CF₃H, which was used as a prototype CH donor solvent, and the structures and energies studied by M06-2X calculations with a 6-31+G∗∗ basis set. Anions considered included the halides F^-, Cl^-, Br^- and I^-, as well as those with multiple proton acceptor sites: CN^-, NO₃ ^-, HCOO^-, CH₃COO^-, HSO₄ ^-, H₂PO₄ ^-, and anions with higher charges SO₄ ^2-, HPO₄ ^2- and PO_{4 …}

Genetic Analysis Of The Henry Mountains Bison Herd, Dustin H. Ranglack, Lauren K. Dobson, Johan T. Du Toit, James Derr

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Wild American plains bison (Bison bison) populations virtually disappeared in the late 1800s, with some remnant animals retained in what would become Yellowstone National Park and on private ranches. Some of these private bison were intentionally crossbred with cattle for commercial purposes. This forced hybridization resulted in both mitochondrial and nuclear introgression of cattle genes into some of the extant bison genome. As the private populations grew, excess animals, along with their history of cattle genetics, provided founders for newly established public bison populations. Of the US public bison herds, only those in Yellowstone and Wind Cave National Parks (YNP …

Comparison Of Coincident Rayleigh-Scatter And Sodium Resonance Lidar Temperature Measurements From The Mesosphere-Lower-Thermosphere Region, Leda Sox, Vincent B. Wickwar, Neal R. Criddle, Tao Yuan

All Physics Faculty Publications

There are relatively few instruments that have the capabilities to make near continuous measurements of the mesosphere-lower-thermosphere (MLT) region. Rayleigh scatter and resonance lidars, particularly sodium resonance lidar, have been the two dominant ground-based techniques for acquiring mesosphere and MLT vertical temperature profiles, respectively, for more than two decades. With these measurements, the dynamics (gravity waves, tides) and long-term temperature trends (upper atmosphere cooling) of the MLT region can be studied. The Utah State University (USU; 41.7º N, 111.8º W) campus hosts a unique upper atmospheric observatory which houses both a high-power, large-aperture Rayleigh lidar and a sodium resonance Doppler …

Paying It Forward - Tyler Olsen, Usu Jon M. Huntsman School Of Business

Jon M. Huntsman School of Business News Collection

Tyler Olsen, proud Huntsman School of Business alumnus and long-time supporter, gives back to help ensure that talented Huntsman students don’t miss out on realizing their potential because of finances.

General Education Subcommittee Agenda, December 15, 2015, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals

Business

• USU Prefixes
• Designation Subcommittee Approval Processes
• Update/Questions on R470

General Education Subcommittee Minutes, December 15, 2015, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals

Business

• USU Prefixes
• Designation Subcommittee Approval Processes
• Update/Questions on R470
• Enrollment Updates

Integrated Step Selection Analysis: Bridgingthe Gap Between Resource Selection And Animal Movement, Tal Avgar, Jonathan R. Potts, Mark A. Lewis, Mark S. Boyce

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

A resource selection function is a model of the likelihood that an available spatial unit will be used by an animal, given its resource value. But how do we appropriately define availability? Step selection analysis deals with this problem at the scale of the observed positional data, by matching each ‘used step’ (connecting two consecutive observed positions of the animal) with a set of ‘available steps’ randomly sampled from a distribution of observed steps or their characteristics. Here we present a simple extension to this approach, termed integrated step selection analysis (iSSA), which relaxes the implicit assumption that observed movement …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes, December 14, 2015, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• USUSA No-Test Week Policy – Trevor Olsen
• USUSA Academic Senate Charter Changes – Trevor Olsen
• Conflict of interest with Faculty who have relatives in their class – Ronda Callister
• Focus group regarding frequency of campus wide emails – Ronda Callister
• EPC Monthly Report Items – Larry Smith
• Council on Teacher Education Report – Francine Johnson
• Scholarship Advisory Board – Taya Flores
• 405.12.1 Annual Review of Faculty (First Reading) – Jerry Goodspeed

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, December 14, 2015, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Items December 2015
• Council on Teacher Education Report
• Scholarship Advisory Board
• 405.12.1 Annual Review of Faculty (First Reading)

On The Construction Of Simply Connected Solvable Lie Groups, Mark E. Fels

Research Vignettes

This worksheet contains the implementation of Theorems 4.2, 5.4 and 5.7 in the paper On the Construction of Solvable Lie Groups. All the examples in the paper are demonstrated here, along with one in Section 6 that was too long to include in the article.

The Utah Statesman, December 10, 2015, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Substituent Effects On The Binding Of Halides By Neutral And Dicationic Bis-Triazolium Receptors, Binod Nepal, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The effects of substituent and overall charge upon the binding of a halide anion by a bis-triazolium receptor are studied by M06-2X DFT calculations, with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. Comparison is also made between a receptor that engages in H-bonds, with a halogen-bonding species. Fluoride is clearly most strongly bound, followed by Cl-, Br-, and I- in that order. The dicationic receptor engages in stronger complexes, but not by a very wide margin compared to its neutral counterpart. The binding is enhanced as the substituent on the two triazolium rings becomes progressively more electron-withdrawing. Halogen-substituted receptors, whether neutral or cationic, …

The First Bromeligenous Species Of Dendropsophus (Anura: Hylidae) From Brazil's Atlantic Forest, Rodrigo Barbosa Ferreira, Julián Faivovich, Karen H. Beard, José P. Pombal Jr

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

We describe a new treefrog species of Dendropsophus collected on rocky outcrops in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Ecologically, the new species can be distinguished from all known congeners by having a larval phase associated with rainwater accumulated in bromeliad phytotelms instead of temporary or lentic water bodies. Phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data confirms that the new species is a member of Dendropsophus; our analysis does not assign it to any recognized species group in the genus. Morphologically, based on comparison with the 96 known congeners, the new species is diagnosed by its small size, framed dorsal color pattern, and …

Restoration Handbook For Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystems With Emphasis On Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat—Part 2. Landscape Level Restoration Decisions, David A. Pyke, Steven T. Knick, Jeanne C. Chambers, Mike Pellant, Richard F. Miller, Jeffrey L. Beck, Paul S. Doescher, Eugene W. Schupp, Bruce A. Roundy, Mark W. Brunson, James D. Mclver

Reports

Sagebrush steppe ecosystems in the United States currently (2015) occur on only about one-half of their historical land area because of changes in land use, urban growth, and degradation of land, including invasions of non-native plants. The existence of many animal species depends on the existence of sagebrush steppe habitat. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a landscape-dependent bird that requires intact habitat and combinations of sagebrush and perennial grasses to exist. In addition, other sagebrush-obligate animals also have similar requirements and restoration of landscapes for greater sage-grouse also will benefit these animals. Once sagebrush lands are degraded, they may …

The Utah Statesman, December 7, 2015, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

How Do Changes To The Railroad Causeway In Utah’S Great Salt Lake Affect Water And Salt Flow?, James S. White, Sarah E. Null, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Managing terminal lake elevation and salinity are emerging problems worldwide. We contribute to terminal lake management research by quantitatively assessing water and salt flow for Utah’s Great Salt Lake. In 1959, Union Pacific Railroad constructed a rock-filled causeway across the Great Salt Lake, separating the lake into a north and south arm. Flow between the two arms was limited to two 4.6 meter wide rectangular culverts installed during construction, an 88 meter opening (referred to locally as a breach) installed in 1984, and the semi porous material of the causeway. A salinity gradient developed between the two arms of the …

Faculty Senate Agenda, December 7, 2015, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Items November 2015
• USUSA Report
• Retention and Student Success
• Athletic Council
• 401.4.3(4) and 402.3.1 FS Reapportionment Proposal (Second Reading)
• 405.6.2(2) and 405.8.2 Promotion Advisory Committee (PAC) - Improve clarity and specificity (to be sent to PRPC)

Mantle-Derived Helium In Hot Springs Of The Cordillera Blanca, Peru: Implications For Mantle-To-Crust Fluid Transfer In A Flat-Slab Subduction Setting, Dennis L. Newell, Micah J. Jessup, David R. Hilton, Colin Shaw, Cameron Hughes

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Fault-controlled hot springs in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru provide geochemical evidence of mantle-derived fluids in a modern flat-slab subduction setting. The Cordillera Blanca is an ~200km-long mountain range that contains the highest peaks in the Peruvian Andes, located in an amagmatic reach of the Andean arc. The Cordillera Blanca detachment defines the southwestern edge of the range and records a progression of top-down-to-the-west ductile shear to brittle normal faulting since ~5Ma. Hot springs, recording temperatures up to 78°C, issue along this fault zone and are CO₂-rich, near neutral, alkaline-chloride to alkaline-carbonate waters, with elevated trace metal contents including …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, December 3, 2015, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Program Proposals

• Offering an Aggies Elevated certificate of proficiency
• Changing the department name from Health, Physical Education and Recreation to Kinesiology and Health Science

Other

• Course syllabus development

The Utah Statesman, December 3, 2015, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Schwarzschild Solution And Timelike Geodesics, Matthew B. Ross

Physics Capstone Projects

General Relativity is a major area of study in physics. It allows us to calculate the motion and interaction of particles in a non-Euclidean space-time. This presentation will examine the process of finding the Schwarzschild metric tensor field by finding a solution of the Einstein Equation for a non-rotating spherical mass. A general form of the Schwarzschild metric tenor field will be used to calculate the Riemann curvature tensor and subsequently the Ricci tensor and Ricci scalar which will be used to find a vacuum solution to the Einstein Equation. Once the solutions of the Einstein Equation are found, they …

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, December 3, 2015, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Course Approvals
• Program Proposals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, December 3, 2015, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Program Proposals

• Offering an Aggies Elevated certificate of proficiency
• Changing the department name from Health, Physical Education and Recreation to Kinesiology and Health Science
• Offering a minor in Wildlife Science

Other

• Course syllabus development

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, December 3, 2015, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Course Approvals
• Program Proposals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee