Digital Commons Network^™

Pasture Management To Improve Dry Matter Intake, Marcus F. Rose, Earl Creech, Blair L. Waldron, S. Clay Isom, Michael Peel, Kara Thornton-Kurth, Jacob Hadfield, Kerry A. Rood

All Current Publications

Agricultural producers are constantly looking for ways to maximize returns while reducing input costs. On dairy operations, a move from confinement feeding to pasture grazing offers the potential to reduce costs associated with harvest and storage of feed. In such a transition, producers sometimes report a decline in milk production and growth of livestock—both of which can strongly correlate to dry matter intake. Fortunately, dry matter intake is something that can be influenced by management practices. In this publication, we discuss the pasture management practices to improve dry matter intake.

Acute Mechanical Stress In Primary Porcine Rpe Cells Induces Angiogenic Factor Expression And In Vitro Angiogenesis, Farhad Farjood, Amir Ahmadpour, Sassan Ostvar, Elizabeth Vargis

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a major cause of blindness in patients with age-related macular degeneration. CNV is characterized by new blood vessel growth and subretinal fluid accumulation, which results in mechanical pressure on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The overexpression of RPE-derived angiogenic factors plays an important role in inducing CNV. In this work, we investigated the effect of mechanical stress on the expression of angiogenic factors in porcine RPE cells and determined the impact of conditioned medium on in-vitro angiogenesis.

Results

The goal of this study was to determine whether low levels of acute mechanical stress during early …

Co Sense And Release Flavonols: Progress Toward The Development Of An Analyte Replacement Photocorm For Use In Living Cells, Marina Popova, Tatiana Soboleva, Abby D. Benninghoff, Lisa M. Berreau

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a signaling molecule in humans. Prior research suggests that therapeutic levels of CO can have beneficial effects in treating a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. To facilitate understanding of the role of CO in biology, molecules that enable fluorescence detection of CO in living systems have emerged as an important class of chemical tools. A key unmet challenge in this field is the development of fluorescent analyte replacement probes that replenish the CO that is consumed during detection. Herein, we report the first examples of CO sense and release molecules that involve combining a common …

Genotyping-By-Sequencing And Ecological Niche Modeling Illuminate Phylogeography, Admixture, And Pleistocene Range Dynamics In Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides), Justin C. Bagley, Neander M. Heming, Eliécer E. Gutiérrez, Upendra K. Devisetty, Karen E. Mock, Andrew J. Eckert, Steven H. Strauss

Ecology Center Publications

Populus tremuloides is the widest‐ranging tree species in North America and an ecologically important component of mesic forest ecosystems displaced by the Pleistocene glaciations. Using phylogeographic analyses of genome‐wide SNPs (34,796 SNPs, 183 individuals) and ecological niche modeling, we inferred population structure, ploidy levels, admixture, and Pleistocene range dynamics of P. tremuloides, and tested several historical biogeographical hypotheses. We found three genetic lineages located mainly in coastal–Cascades (cluster 1), east‐slope Cascades–Sierra Nevadas–Northern Rockies (cluster 2), and U.S. Rocky Mountains through southern Canadian (cluster 3) regions of the P. tremuloides range, with tree graph relationships of the form ((cluster 1, …

Solitary Confinement And Covid-19, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

On March 28th, 2020, Patrick Jones became the first person incarcerated in federal prison to die of coronavirus. At the time of his death, Jones had served 12 years of his 27-year sentence for a non-violent drug charge. He was working hard on appeals, hoping to get out early to live a different kind of life with his children. The spread of coronavirus in prison made that dream an impossibility. Since Jones’s death, four other inmates died of COVID-19 at the institution in Louisiana at which he was being held.

Caterpillars On A Phytochemical Landscape: The Case Of Alfalfa And The Melissa Blue Butterfly, Matthew L. Forister, Su'ad A. Yoon, Casey S. Philbin, Craig D. Dodson, Bret Hart, Joshua G. Harrison, Oren Shelef, James A. Fordyce, Zachary H. Marion, Chris C. Nice, Lora A. Richards, C. Alex Buerkle, Zach Gompert

Biology Faculty Publications

Modern metabolomic approaches that generate more comprehensive phytochemical profiles than were previously available are providing new opportunities for understanding plant‐animal interactions. Specifically, we can characterize the phytochemical landscape by asking how a larger number of individual compounds affect herbivores and how compounds covary among plants. Here we use the recent colonization of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) by the Melissa blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa) to investigate the effects of indivdiual compounds and suites of covarying phytochemicals on caterpillar performance. We find that survival, development time, and adult weight are all associated with variation in nutrition and toxicity, including …

Size And Scope Of Carbon County Agriculture 2019, Ryan Feuz, Ryan Larsen, Steven Price

All Current Publications

Carbon County is located south of Duchesne and Wasatch counties in east-central Utah. Along with Emery County to the south, it is often referred to as Utah’s Castle Country. The county became industrialized very early after statehood with the arrival of the railroads and discovery of many coal beds for which the county is named. It is also a large producer of natural gas within the state. Its primary economic base today comes from regional services, retail, tourism, recreation and resource extraction. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 20,295. Price is the largest city and county seat. This …

Go With Your Gut: The Role Of Gut Microbiota In Health, Lydia Bangerter, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Jeffrey Chapman, Abbigail Sundell, Carrie Durward

All Current Publications

Living within your gastrointestinal tract (gut) are about 100 trillion bacterial cells—your gastrointestinal microbiota—a host of bacteria that play a vital role in your body (Ghaisas, Maher, & Kanthasamy, 2016). Your gut microbiome is responsible for a wide variety of functions that contribute to overall health and may be linked to many chronic diseases including cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (Ghaisaset al., 2016; Peregrin, 2013). This fact sheet will discuss the role the gut microbiome plays in various aspects of health and how to improve your gut health.

Dynamics Of Larkspur (Delphinium Barbeyi) Pellet Consumption And Tolerance Of The Inhibitory Effects Of Larkspur Alkaloids On Muscle Function In Cattle., Benedict T. Green, Jim Pfister, Dale Gardner, Kevin Welch, Daniel Cook

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Larkspurs (Delphinium spp.) are toxic native plants on foothill and mountain rangelands in western North America, which poison cattle grazing on those rangelands. The purpose of this study was to examine in a laboratory setting, the subclinical effects of larkspur intake and toxicosis, by allowing larkspur susceptible and resistant cattle to self-select the amount of larkspur consumed in pellet form. We hypothesized that there would be differences in short term (9 – 11 day) pellet consumption between susceptible and resistant animals. Two trials were completed, each with larkspur resistant and susceptible Angus steers, and larkspur-alfalfa pellets at a 12% …

Utah's Own Habitat Guidelines For Sage-Grouse, David K. Dahlgren, Michel Kohl, Eric Thacker, S. Nicole Frey, Terry Messmer

All Current Publications

Those living and working within western North America’s sagebrush landscapes have most likely been exposed to sage-grouse issues for many years now and may have felt anxiety concerning the potential impacts that could result from implementing conservation measures designed to help this iconic species persist. Society’s challenge to seek the delicate balance between the conservation of nature and the growth related to human endeavors exemplifies the need to use the best available science as we move forward. Representative information, especially at the landscape level related to sage-grouse, has been hard to come by. However, due to the vast amount of …

Discounting Of Delayed Food And Water In Rats, Shasta Rebalkin

Student Research Symposium

Humans often make decisions between outcomes that occur at different times. For example, students may have to decide whether to study to get a good grade on a test tomorrow or hang out with friends tonight. One of the ways we describe how people make these decisions is called delay discounting. Delay discounting is the decline in present value of an outcome because of its delay. Thus, students might prefer hanging out with friends now over a good grade because getting a good grade occurs later and is less valuable. The study of delay discounting is important because a preference …

Comparing Delay Discounting And Delayed Gratification In Rats, Macie K. Nielsen

Student Research Symposium

Humans often make decisions between outcomes that occur at different times. For example, students may have to decide whether to study to get a good grade on a test tomorrow or hang out with friends tonight. One of the ways we describe how people make these decisions is called delay discounting. Delay discounting is the decline in present value of an outcome because of its delay. Thus, students might prefer hanging out with friends now over a good grade because getting a good grade occurs later and is less valuable. The study of delay discounting is important because a preference …

Construction Of Candidate Vectors For Correction Of The Intestinal Cftr Gene Expression In Cystic Fibrosis Sheep Fetal Fibroblast Cells, Kaden Bunch

Student Research Symposium

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a recessive human genetic disease that is caused by mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. This gene is responsible to transport Cl- and HCO3- anions in epithelial cells. Previously, we generated CFTR-/- lambs using CRISPR/Cas9 and SCNT techniques. The CFTR-/- lambs display many features similar to human CF disease, including meconium ileus (MI), pancreatic fibrosis, portal fibrosis and biliary hyperplasia, small gallbladder, and absence of vas deferens. In CF patients, MI affects only 15-20% of human babies, whereas it was observed in 100% of newborn CFTR-/- lambs and was the primary cause …

An Evaluation Of The Susceptibility Of Goats To Larkspur Toxicosis, Kevin D. Welch, Clint A. Stonecipher, Dale R. Gardner, Benedict T. Green, Daniel Cook

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Larkspurs (Delphinium spp.) are a major cause of cattle losses in western North America, whereas sheep have been shown to be resistant to larkspur toxicosis. Goats are often used as a small ruminant model to study poisonous plants, even though they can be more resistant to some poisonous plants. It is not known how susceptible goats are to the adverse effects of larkspurs. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of goats to larkspur toxicosis by performing a dose-response study. We dosed goats with D. barbeyi collected near Cedar City, Utah at 3.3, 4.4, 6.6, 8.8 and 10.0 g …

Theoretical Risk Of Genetic Reassortment Should Not Impede Development Of Live, Attenuated Rift Valley Fever (Rvf) Vaccines Commentary On The Draft Who Rvf Target Product Profile, Thomas P. Monath, Jeroen Kortekaas, Douglas M. Watts, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Angelle Desiree Labeaud, Brian B. Gowen, Clarence J. Peters, Darci R. Smith, Robert Swanepoel, John C. Morrill, Thomas G. Ksiazek, Phillip R. Pittman, Brian H. Bird, George Bettinger

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

In November 2019, The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a draft set of Target Product Profiles (TPPs) describing optimal and minimally acceptable targets for vaccines against Rift Valley fever (RVF), a Phlebovirus with a three segmented genome, in both humans and ruminants. The TPPs contained rigid requirements to protect against genomic reassortment of live, attenuated vaccines (LAVs) with wild-type RVF virus (RVFV), which place undue constraints on development and regulatory approval of LAVs. We review the current LAVs in use and in development, and conclude that there is no evidence that reassortment between LAVs and wild-type RVFV has occurred during …

Narrative Hijacking: Mothman And The Silver Bridge Collapse, Jack Daly

Student Research Symposium

This paper examines the commemoration and folklorization of the events surrounding the Silver Bridge collapse which occurred in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1967 that have become associated with the legendary cryptid Mothman. On December 15, 1967, 46 people died as the bridge that connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio collapsed. During that time, the area around Point Pleasant was being inundated with sightings of a large bird-like creature that came to be known as 'Mothman.' An examination of the narratives surrounding Mothman and the Silver Bridge collapse, which include songs, literature, and film show an intriguing interplay …

Passive In Nature: How May Swenson Approaches The Natural World, Adrian Thomson

Student Research Symposium

The poet May Swenson speaks frequently of the relationship of humans and the environment, as her speakers attempt connection with the natural world. Various studies in ecocriticism have argued whether humankind is 'part of or apart from the natural world,' and how the former association of which can lead to an unhealthy over-revering of nature (Orr). The latter viewpoint, 'apart from,' has become more prevalent now that our planet has entered the Anthropocene, described as 'our contemporary geologic era, marked by humanity's fateful emergence as a climatological force' intent on obtaining the world's resources (Marrs 201). Swenson places humankind's reverence …

The Utah Statesman, March 31, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Understanding The Influence Of Trenbolone Acetate And Polyamines On Proliferation Of Bovine Satellite Cells, Caleb C. Reichhardt, Amir Ahmadpour, Rachael G. Christensen, Nikole E. Ineck, Gordon Murdoch, Kara Thornton-Kurth

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Student Research

Approximately 90% of beef cattle on feed in the United States receive at least one anabolic implant, which results in increased growth, efficiency, and economic return to producers. However, the complete molecular mechanism through which anabolic implants function to improve skeletal muscle growth remains unknown. This study had 2 objectives: (1) determine the effect of polyamines and their precursors on proliferation rate in bovine satellite cells (BSC); and (2) understand whether trenbolone acetate (TBA), a testosterone analog, has an impact on the polyamine biosynthetic pathway. To address these, BSC were isolated from 3 finished steers and cultured. Once cultures reached …

A Systematic Review Of Argumentation Related To The Engineering-Designed World, Amy Wilson-Lopez, Ashley R. Strong, Christina Marie Hartman, Jared Garlick, Karen H. Washburn, Angela L. Minichiello, Sandra Weingart, Jorge Acosta-Feliz

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Background

Across academic disciplines, researchers have found that argumentation‐based pedagogies increase learners' achievement and engagement. Engineering educational researchers and teachers of engineering may benefit from knowledge regarding how argumentation related to engineering has been practiced and studied.

Purpose/Hypothesis

Drawing from terms and concepts used in national standards for K‐12 education and accreditation requirements for undergraduate engineering education, this study was designed to identify how arguments and argumentation related to the engineering‐designed world were operationalized in relevant literature.

Methodology

Specified search terms and inclusion criteria were used to identify 117 empirical studies related to engineering argumentation and educational research. A qualitative …

Uncovering The Relationship Between Dietary Fatty Acids And Fiber Digestion In The Rumen, Fernanda Batistel

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Echomri For Body Composition Measurement In Animal Model Studies Of Basal Diet, Functional Foods And Gut Health, Abby D. Benninghoff

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Application Of Digital Particle Image Velocimetry To Insect Motion: Measurement Of Incoming, Outgoing, And Lateral Honeybee Traffic, Sarbajit Mukherjee, Vladimir Kulyukin

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

The well-being of a honeybee (Apis mellifera) colony depends on forager traffic. Consistent discrepancies in forager traffic indicate that the hive may not be healthy and require human intervention. Honeybee traffic in the vicinity of a hive can be divided into three types: incoming, outgoing, and lateral. These types constitute directional traffic, and are juxtaposed with omnidirectional traffic where bee motions are considered regardless of direction. Accurate measurement of directional honeybee traffic is fundamental to electronic beehive monitoring systems that continuously monitor honeybee colonies to detect deviations from the norm. An algorithm based on digital particle image velocimetry is proposed …

Predictors Of Puma Occupancy Indicate Prey Vulnerability Is More Important Than Prey Availability In A Highly Fragmented Landscape, Courtney A. C. Coon, Peter J. Mahoney, Emilie Edelblutte, Zara Mcdonald, David C. Stoner

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Habitat fragmentation represents the single greatest conservation challenge of the 21st century. This problem is particularly acute for large, obligate carnivores like pumas Puma concolor which have persisted in North and South America in the face of habitat fragmentation and other anthropogenic disturbances. Shrinking habitat and reduced connectivity mean that mapping habitat is increasingly important for species conservation in multiple-use landscapes. Previous work suggests that pumas occupy habitats where sufficient stalking cover and preferred prey are present, yet the intersection of these factors has rarely been assessed. Here we used data from 68 299 camera trap nights collected from 181 …

Introduction To The Special Issue: The Role Of Seed Dispersal In Plant Populations: Perspectives And Advances In A Changing World, Noelle G. Beckman, Clare E. Aslan, Haldre S. Rogers

Biology Faculty Publications

Despite the importance of seed dispersal as a driving process behind plant community assembly, our understanding of the role of seed dispersal in plant population persistence and spread remains incomplete. As a result, our ability to predict the effects of global change on plant populations is hampered. We need to better understand the fundamental link between seed dispersal and population dynamics in order to make predictive generalizations across species and systems, to better understand plant community structure and function, and to make appropriate conservation and management responses related to seed dispersal. To tackle these important knowledge gaps, we established the …

Imported Fire Ants, Ryan Davis, Ann Mull, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Imported fire ants (Order Hymenoptera, Family Formicidae) (IFA) are social insects representing two South American ant species: the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) and black imported fire ant (Solenopsis richteri Forel), along with their hybrid offspring. IFA are native to South America, where their colonies are kept in check by native competitors, predators, and parasites. However, they have invaded other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S., causing agricultural, ecological, economical, nuisance, and public health problems, which are described in more detail in this fact sheet. Management is also addressed.

Molecular Differentiation Of Astragalus Species And Varieties From The Western United States: The Chloroplast Dna Bridge Between Evolution And Molecular Systematics, Marwa Neyaz, Daniel Cook, Rebecca Creamer

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Locoweeds are the most widespread poisonous plant problem in the world and have been reported in the Western United States since the 1800s, causing tremendous losses in livestock. Consumption of locoweeds by grazing animals stimulates the neurological disease, locoism, characterized by weight loss, ataxia, and lack of muscular coordination. The name locoweed is used for Astragalus and Oxytropis species known to contain swainsonine, the toxic principle produced by the plant endophytic fungus Undifilum. Astragalus includes 2,500-3,000 species and many varieties that have almost identical morphological characteristics that overlap among species, leading to improper identification. Therefore, the aim of this study …

How Climate Impacts The Composition Of Wolf-Killed Elk In Northern Yellowstone National Park, Christopher C. Wilmers, Matthew C. Metz, Daniel R. Stahler, Michel T. Kohl, Chris Geremia, Douglas W. Smith

Ecology Center Publications

1. While the functional response of predators is commonly measured, recent work has revealed that the age and sex composition of prey killed is often a better predictor of prey population dynamics because the reproductive value of adult females is usually higher than that of males or juveniles.
2. Climate is often an important mediating factor in determining the composition of predator kills, but we currently lack a mechanistic understanding of how the multiple facets of climate interact with prey abundance and demography to influence the composition of predator kills.
3. Over 20 winters, we monitored 17 wolf packs in Yellowstone National Park …

Estimating Population Abundance With A Mixture Of Physical Capture And Pit Tag Antenna Detection Data, Mary M. Conner, Phaedra E. Budy, Richard A. Wilkison, Michael Mills, Peter D. Mackinnon, Mark C. Mckinstry

Ecology Center Publications

The inclusion of passive interrogation antenna (PIA) detection data has promise to increase precision of population abundance estimates (Nˆ ). However, encounter probabilities are often higher for PIAs than for physical capture. If the difference is not accounted for, Nˆ may be biased. Using simulations, we estimated the magnitude of bias resulting from mixed capture and detection probabilities and evaluated potential solutions for removing the bias for closed capture models. Mixing physical capture and PIA detections (pdet) resulted in negative biases in Nˆ . However, using an individual covariate to model differences removed bias and improved precision. From a case …

Shrub Size Modulates Resource Heterogeneity In A Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem, Lin Liu, Kari E. Veblen, Thomas A. Monaco

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Shrubs create heterogeneity in resource availability, yet the influences of shrub age and size on these conditions in semiarid ecosystems is largely unknown. In order to inform restoration and conservation efforts in global shrub-steppe ecosystems that are currently imperiled, we assessed plant age-size relationships within an Artemisia tridentata stand in southern Idaho, USA, and examined the dependence of 2 resources, soil water content (SWC) and light at the soil surface (photosynthetically active radiation [PAR]), on size of individual plants in understory and interspace microsites. Results included a positive relationship between shrub age and size, a median shrub age of 19 …