Digital Commons Network^™

Altered Gene Response To Aflatoxin B1 In The Spleens Of Susceptible And Resistant Turkeys, Kent M. Reed, Kristelle M. Mendoza, Roger A. Coulombe Jr.

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Susceptibility and/or resistance to aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a threshold trait governed principally by glutathione S transferase (GST)-mediated detoxification. In poultry, domesticated turkeys are highly sensitive to AFB₁, most likely due to dysfunction in hepatic GSTs. In contrast, wild turkeys are comparatively resistant to aflatoxicosis due to the presence of functional hepatic GSTAs and other possible physiological and immunological interactions. The underlying genetic basis for the disparate GST function in turkeys is unknown as are the broader molecular interactions that control the systemic response. This study quantifies the effects of dietary AFB₁ on gene …

Utah State University Commencement, 2019 - Eastern Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2019 Commencement Ceremony for the Eastern Campus of Utah State University.

“Are You A Good Witch Or A Bad Witch?”: An Exercise In Suspending Judgment When Interacting With “Difficult” People, John S. Seiter, Christian R. Seiter

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Courses:

Interpersonal Communication, Health Communication

Objectives:

In this single-class activity, students gain awareness and practice in suspending judgments about “difficult” people in order to understand the reasoning behind certain objectionable behavior.

Bad Behavior During Political Primaries, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

The new presidential election cycle brings with it both a sense of hope for the future and cause for frustration over bad behavior in an increasingly hostile political environment. As primary candidates emerge, it’s worth pausing for reflection on what appropriate behavior during the primary season and beyond looks like.

Multi-Trophic Species Interactions Shape Seascape-Scale Coral Reef Vegetation Patterns, Elizabeth M. P. Madin, Kristin Precoda, Alastair R. Harborne, Trisha B. Atwood, Chris M. Roelfsema, Osmar J. Luiz

Ecology Center Publications

How species interactions shape habitat structure is a longstanding question in ecology. A curious phenomenon reflecting ecological self-organization around reef habitat structures exists on coral reefs: large-scale (hundreds to hundreds of thousands of m2) halo-like patterns surrounding patch reefs, i.e., individual coral reefs that are often separated by seagrass or macroalgal meadows. These “halos,” long known to occur in various locations worldwide, reflect a distinct band of unvegetated sediments surrounding coral patch reefs. However, the full suite of mechanisms controlling them have never been rigorously explored, perhaps due to the common assumption dating back nearly 50 years that they arise …

Marine Reserves Shape Seascapes On Scales Visible From Space, Elizabeth M. P. Madin, Alastair R. Harborne, Aaron M. T. Harmer, Osmar J. Luiz, Trisha Brooke Atwood, Brian J. Sullivan, Joshua S. Madin

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine reserves can effectively restore harvested populations, and ‘mega-reserves’ increasingly protect large tracts of ocean. However, no method exists of monitoring ecological responses at this large scale. Herbivory is a key mechanism structuring ecosystems, and this consumer–resource interaction's strength on coral reefs can indicate ecosystem health. We screened 1372, and measured features of 214, reefs throughout Australia's Great Barrier Reef using high-resolution satellite imagery, combined with remote underwater videography and assays on a subset, to quantify the prevalence, size and potential causes of ‘grazing halos’. Halos are known to be seascape-scale footprints of herbivory and other ecological interactions. Here we …

Sink Hollow Volume 7

Sink Hollow

This issue marks my last as both an undergraduate student and as Sink Hollow's Editor-in-Chief. I have been with this precious publication since I was a freshman, new and green in the creative writing world.

My time with Sink Hollow has been invaluable. It has given me a deep appreciation for the vulnerability of creators and writers alike who share their work with us. It is terrifying to not only bring your creativity into actuality, but to share it publicly for the world to see. I have sat back in awe through every submission period at the bravery of all …

Cultural Value, Charitable Giving, And The Fire At Notre Dame, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

On Monday, April 15, viewers looked on in horror as Notre Dame Cathedral was devastated by fire. Onlookers hoped that the flames would be fought back before too much damage was done, but the cathedral’s spire came crashing down, taking much of the roof with it. The extent of the damage remains to be seen.

Phenological Mismatch Between Season Advancement And Migration Timing Alters Arctic Plant Traits, Ryan T. Choi, Karen H. Beard, A. Joshua Leffler, Katharine C. Kelsey, Joel A. Schmutz, Jeffrey M. Welker

Ecology Center Publications

1. Climate change is creating phenological mismatches between herbivores and their plant resources throughout the Arctic. While advancing growing seasons and changing arrival times of migratory herbivores can have consequences for herbivores and forage quality, developing mismatches could also influence other traits of plants, such as above‐ and below‐ground biomass and the type of reproduction, that are often not investigated.
2. In coastal western Alaska, we conducted a 3‐year factorial experiment that simulated scenarios of phenological mismatch by manipulating the start of the growing season (3 weeks early and ambient) and grazing times (3 weeks early, typical, 3 weeks late, or no‐grazing) …

Life‐History Differences Across Latitude In Common Side‐Blotched Lizards (Uta Stansburiana), Geoffrey D. Smith, Peter A. Zani, Susannah S. French

Biology Faculty Publications

1. Life‐history strategies are known to shift with latitude in many species. While life‐history variation related to body size, reproductive investment, and behavior has been studied for years, another crucial life‐history component is the immune system, which can influence an animal's survival.
2. We measured selected life‐history traits in side‐blotched lizards in southern Utah and Oregon in the field for two consecutive years and conducted a common‐garden experiment in the laboratory to determine how organisms from different latitudes optimize either immunity or reproduction. We observed lizards from southern populations, which are known to be shorter‐lived, had lower immune function during reproduction when …

First Among Equals: The Pre-Nicene Christian Eucharist In The Context Of Greco-Roman Mystery Cults, Jacob Hayden

Student Research Symposium

The Eucharist, a ritual meal which is also called communion, the Mass, and the Lord's Supper, is, for many Christians, the central activity of their worship. This study examines the phenomenon of the Eucharist in its early, Greco-Roman context, focusing on the period between the missions of Paul up to the First Council of Nicaea (approximately 50 C.E. to 325 C.E.). First, it describes the early practice of the Eucharist and then compares it to other ritual meals celebrated in Greek and Roman religion, especially the "mystery cults" of Demeter, Isis, Mithras, Cybele, and Dionysus. Christians of this period, the …

Impact Of The Total Western Diet For Rodents On Colon Mucosal Gene Expression In A Multigenerational Murine Model Of Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer, Sumira Phatak

Student Research Symposium

A Western type dietary pattern is a major risk factor for colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Observations from transgenerational studies suggest that epimutations may be inherited, resulting in persistent aberrant gene expression in offspring. Previously, our group reported that ancestral exposure to the total Western diet (TWD) increased CAC incidence and disease severity in F3 offspring. Moreover, exposure to TWD over multiple generations exacerbated disease in F3 offspring as compared to those fed TWD directly. For the present work, we hypothesized that ancestral or cumulative exposure to TWD will result in differential expression of cancer critical genes, explains the greater tumor …

Evaluation Of A Proprietary Slow-Release Oxytocin Formulation On Corpus Luteum Function In Mares, Brendan Sarnecky

Student Research Symposium

Prolonging function of the corpus luteum (CL) is a method of suppressing estrus that relies on continued secretion of endogenous progesterone to keep mares out of heat naturally. The use of oxytocin treatment to prolong CL function is gaining increasing use, and the most common treatment protocol involves administration of 60 units of oxytocin intramuscularly (IM) once daily on days 7 to 14 after ovulation (8 daily treatments). Although that protocol induces prolonged CL function in â 70% of treated mares, the need for daily administration is a drawback to its use. Therefore, the objective of this study was to …

Computational Prediction Of Host-Pathogen Protein Interactions Between Melioidosis Pathogen Burkholderia Pseudomallei And Human, Chathumadavi Ediriweera

Student Research Symposium

Background:

Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) is a critical biothreat agent, causes Melioidosis: a disease associated with high case-fatality rates in animals and humans; even with treatment, its mortaility is up to 50%. It also infects plants. Yet few effector proteins have been functionally characterized to date and little work has been carried out to understand the host-pathogen protein-protein interactions (PPI) which are important to develop efficient prevention measures. To address these issues, we deployed diverse in-silico methodologies to identify virulence factors and their interactions with host proteins to characterize bacterial infection mechanisms.

Using Animal-Assisted Therapy To Treat Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mary Strong

Student Research Symposium

This paper looks at the studies of the relationship between those with autism spectrum disorder and therapy animals in order to determine how effective therapy animals are in reducing problem behaviors and increasing social interaction. For this literature review, nine different studies have been reviewed to answer the research question over a variety of settings. In the nine different studies that were reviewed the animals used were either dogs, horses, or guinea pigs. These studies were used to determine which of these animals were more effective in a therapeutic setting, and more effective in the improvement of the symptoms in …

Employing Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors For Delivery Of A Therapeutic Timp-3 Transgene To The Equine Distal Extremity, Anisa Rose Samhouri

Student Research Symposium

Equine laminitis is a condition that results in lameness, extreme pain, and in many cases, concludes in euthanasia. The epidermal and dermal layers of the hoof's lamina are stabilized by connective tissues. Homeostatic metabolic factors allow for healthy remodeling of the lamina. When laminitis occurs, the enzymes that degrade lamellar connective tissue are upregulated while the concentration of degradative inhibitors (TIMP-3) is not changed. The unbalanced state of the metabolic factors compromises the structural integrity of the lamina and allows for movement of the coffin bone within the hoof capsule. Gene therapy has manifested promising results for preventing laminitis. The …

Gene Expression Profiles Of Immune Cells Under The Influence Of Bovine Trophoblast Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles, Ana Silva

Student Research Symposium

Embryonic loss is an important problem in the cattle industry. Therefore, an understanding of mechanisms that regulate placental and embryonic development, such as the immune regulatory interactions that exist between placental cells and immune cells during pregnancy, is relevant for this industry. Our hypothesis is that trophoblast cells from functional placentas secrete extracellular-vesicles (EV) that can alter the gene expression profile of immune cells as a mechanism of immune regulation. To test this conjecture, bovine placental cells were isolated and cultured for 48h, conditioned media was harvested, and 50-1000 nm EVs were isolated by a differential ultracentrifugation method. Cells from …

Get The Frack Outta Here, Jordan Love, Jordan Nathan

Student Research Symposium

The term hydraulic fracturing, is a method utilized for the extraction of oil or gas from 'eccentric' supplies, for example, shale (Williams, 2017). This topic of fracking has come with two sides and has created some public misunderstanding on hydraulic fracking, with those who agree with fracking and feel it is an important environmental tool that helps the world, and helps the community bring in more revenue, and then the side that does not agree with fracking and feels the risks outweigh the rewards: contaminate ground water supplies, its hazardous conditions, and the industrialization impacts on communities (Ladd, 2014). There …

Augmenting Anaerobic Digestion Of Microalgal Biomass, Anna Doloman

Student Research Symposium

Anaerobic digestion of microalgal biomass cannot be achieved without specialized hydrolytic microorganisms. Potentially algalytic bacteria belonging to Citrobacter and Alcaligenes species were isolated from a wastewater lagoon system. A combination of two potentially algalytic bacteria was successfully incorporated into the granular anaerobic consortia. A series of anaerobic cultures were prepared with different microbial combinations to test the methane production from algal biomass collected from a local wastewater treating trickling filter. The anaerobic microbial community mixed with two algalytic bacteria produced 10% more methane when compared to the methane produced by a native granular consortium. The presence of the algalytic bacteria …

Emotional Labor, Gender, And Social Interaction In Animal Care, Michael Briscoe

Student Research Symposium

Animal caretakers fill an important role in society - performing both hard and dirty work as they look after animals, and the overwhelming majority of nonfarm animal caretakers are women. This ethnographic study was conducted over the course of 11 weeks at an animal boarding facility. It finds that caring for animals is emotionally taxing labor, and that employees feel this type of work is particularly suited for women - though the exact reasons why vary. The animals themselves often serve as social facilitators between both staff and customers as employees navigate the stressful environment.

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer In Early Bovine Embryo Development Is Associated With Changes In Small Non-Coding Rna Species, Jocelyn Cuthbert

Student Research Symposium

While a useful artificial reproduction technology, the method of somatic cell nuclear transfer (scNT) is generally inefficient, with successful pregnancy rates typically below 10%. Following nuclear transfer, the cellular machinery of the oocyte must reprogram the somatic DNA for proper embryo development. The maternal to zygotic transition (MZT) is associated with marked changes in control of gene expression, as well as marked class changes in small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), as previously identified by our research group in bovine embryos. Failure for these class changes to occur in scNT embryos may drive higher failure rates. The present study is the first …

From Chod To Feeding Your Demons: A Western Approach To Tibetan Tantra, Tanner Mcalister

Student Research Symposium

"From Chod to Feeding Your Demons: A Western Adaptation of Tibetan Tantra Tanner McAlister and Dr. Dominic Sur (Mentor), Religious Studies. This research examines how Chod, a tantric Buddhist ritual traced to eleventh-century Tibet, has been altered in the West by Buddhist teacher, Lama Tsultrim Allione. The analysis aims to uncover whether the soteriological dimension of Chod has been altered from buddhahood to psychological well-being. Chod's transmission to the West and its scope as a non-traditional practice is a recent phenomenon tracing back to just the last decade of the twentieth century. Although publications on Chod as practiced in Tibet …

Alice's Garden: An Interactive Theatre Experience For Infants Ages 0-3, Alyssa Landroche, Elizabeth Bohannon

Student Research Symposium

I believe experiencing art is a human right. Whether it be a stunning painting, a magnificent opera, or a piece of riveting theatre, art can be educational and personally beneficial to the person viewing it. That is why I am exploring a new and upcoming form of theatre called Theatre for the Very Young--or simply TVY. TVY is specifically theatre for children ages 0-5. It is not just a verbal performance but a multi-modal one that is interactive with the young people in the audience. It includes vocal sounds, facial expression, bodily gesture and expressively animated props. Through research, collaborating …

Impact Of The Introduction Of Black Raspberries In A Standard Western-Style Diet On Colitis And Colorectal Cancer Risk In Mice, Daphne Rodriguez, Korry Hintze

Student Research Symposium

Approximately 1.4 million people suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, which is major risk factor for developing colitis associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Dietary interventions with the goal to reduce colon inflammation and encourage gut microbiome homeostasis may be a strategy to reduce the risk of CAC. The antioxidants and antiinflammatory compounds present in black raspberries (BRB) have demonstrated protective effects in the colon epithelium and may alter the composition of the gut microbiome. Previously, we showed that dietary supplementation with black raspberries significantly suppressed coliti and colon tumorigenesis promoted by the consumption of a Western type diet in mice. The goal …

Using Raav-Timp3 Vectors For The Improvement Of Osteoarthritis In An Ovine Model, Crystal Collier

Student Research Symposium

The effect of Timp-3 Transgene delivered using a viral vector on osteoarthritis in an ovine mode Crystal G. Collier, Peter Welsh, Kate C. Parkinson, Anisa Samhouri, McKenna R. Walters, Jeffrey B. Maso Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan, Utah The aim of our current research is to investigate a study of the security and remedial potential of a Timp-3 transgene delivered by a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV) for prevention of osteoarthritis (OA). There is radiographic evidence in more than 80% of those over the age of 65, particularly in post-menopausal …

The Effects Of Ovarian Somatic Cells On Post-Menopausal Health, Tracy Habermehl, Kyleigh Tyler, Mckenna Walters, Steven Gawrys

Student Research Symposium

The Effects of Ovarian Somatic Cells on Post-Menopausal Healt Tracy L. Habermehl, Kyleigh A. Tyler, McKenna R. Walters, Steven T. Gawrys, Jeffrey B. Maso Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan, Utah Reproductively cycling females have a significant health advantage over similarly aged males. At menopause, their ovaries become senescent and the risk of health-related diseases increases. Transplantation of young, intact ovaries into aged mice increased longevity. Germ cell-depleted ovarian transplants displayed a further extension of life and health span. Replacement of young, ovarian somatic cells allows the ovaries to support increased …

Gravitational Anomalies & Elliptic Curves, Michael T. Schultz

Student Research Symposium

A gravitational anomaly is a special type of curvature that is important in string theory. Elliptic curves are very important and ubiquitous in mathematics - for example, it was a special property of some families of elliptic curves that was instrumental in proving the famous Fermat's Last Theorem. In the context of my research, an elliptic curve is a torus defined by a simple polynomial equation. My research shows that every suitably general one parameter family of elliptic curves (called an elliptic fibration with section) has both local and global gravitational anomalies. In my talk, I will explain these anomalies …

Increased Dust Deposition In New Zealand Related To Twentieth Century Australian Land Use, Janice Brahney, Ashley P. Ballantyne, Marcus Vandergoes, Troy Baisden, Jason C. Neff

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Mineral aerosols (dust) generated in the dryland regions of Australia have the potential to reach New Zealand through atmospheric transport. Although a large portion of dust in New Zealand originates in Australia, little is known about how dust deposition has varied over time in New Zealand or what may have caused this variation. We used geochemical dust proxies to examine the recent history of dust deposition to two alpine lakes in Kahurangi National Park, South Island, New Zealand. Geochemical indicators suggest that dust deposition began to increase around 1900, with the greatest deposition rates occurring from ~1920 to ~1990. In …

The Role Of Tourism Impacts On Cultural Ecosystem Services, B. Derrick Taff, Jacob Benfield, Zachary D. Miller, Ashley D'Antonio, Forrest Schwartz

Environment and Society Student Research

Parks and protected areas are recognized for the important ecosystem services, or benefits, they provide society. One emerging but understudied component is the cultural ecosystem services that parks and protected areas provide. These cultural ecosystem services include a variety of benefits, such as cultural heritage, spiritual value, recreation opportunities, and human health and well-being. However, many of these services can only be provided if people visit these parks and protected areas through tourism opportunities. However, with this tourism use comes a variety of inevitable resource impacts. This current research connects potential impacts from tourism in parks and protected areas to …

Is Shaming An Important Moral Tool?, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Misbehaving students at Washington Middle School last month couldn’t expect their bad behavior to go unnoticed by their peers and teachers. A list titled “Today’s Detention” was projected onto the wall of the cafeteria, making the group of students to be punished public knowledge. This particular incident made local news, but it’s just one instance of a phenomenon known as an “accountability wall.” These take different forms, sometimes they involve displays of grades or other achievements, and sometimes they focus on bad behaviors. The motivation for such public displays of information is to encourage good behavior and hard work from …