Digital Commons Network^™

Buckwheat Festival, Eliza Jorgensen

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Having grown up in Preston County, West Virginia, the Buckwheat Festival was a uh festival that was help the last weekend in September the last Saturday of September every year to celebrate the harvest and to uh display some of the animals that the 4Hers and FFA members would would had had raised during the year. There was also a carnival there there was a – buckwheat is a crop that is grow extensively in Preston County and makes very nice flour or buckwheat flour. One of the traditions at the Buckwheat Festival, it’s in Kingwood, West Virginia is the …

Genetic Variants In The Sirt6 Transcriptional Regulatory Region Affect Gene Activity And Carcass Quality Traits In Indigenous Chinese Beef Cattle (Bos Taurus), Lin-Sheng Gui, Sayed Haidar Abbas Raza, Matthew Garcia, Yong-Gang Sun, Irfan Ullah, Yin-Cang Han

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze potential influences of polymorphisms within the regulatory region of the bovine SIRT6 gene on carcass quality traits. Expression analyses suggested that SIRT6 gene is predominately expressed in kidney, compared with other tissues. In 535 indigenous Chinese beef cattle, two novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified within the promoter region of the SIRT6 gene.

Results: Association analysis indicated that G allele of the c.-1100 A > G had a positive effect on fat deposition, and the Hap4/4 diplotype had more favourable results than other dipoltypes with respect to the evaluation of carcass …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, November 1, 2018, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Women, Representation, Revolution, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

As the midterm election rapidly approaches, one thing is obvious—the number of women running for office is truly historic. There are 256 women running for Congress, 234 for seats in the House and 22 for seats in the Senate. The majority of the women running are Democrats. There are 197 Democratic female candidates and 59 Republican female candidates. The previous record for Democratic female nominees to the House was established in 2016, when 120 women were nominated, a record that is shattered by this year’s numbers. Historically, women have never comprised more than one-fourth of the House or the Senate. …

Forecast Or Fall: Prediction's Importance To Postural Control, Chris J. Dakin, David A.E. Bolton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

To interact successfully with an uncertain environment, organisms must be able to respond to both unanticipated and anticipated events. For unanticipated events, organisms have evolved stereotyped motor behaviors mapped to the statistical regularities of the environment, which can be trigged by specific sensory stimuli. These 'reflexive' responses are more or less hardwired to prevent falls and represent, maybe, the best available solution to maintaining posture given limited available time and information. With the gift of foresight, however, motor behaviors can be tuned or prepared in advance, improving the ability of the organism to compensate for, and interact with, the changing …

Alpha-Amino-Beta-Carboxy-Muconate-Semialdehyde Decarboxylase Controls Dietary Niacin Requirements For Nad+ Synthesis, Laura Palzer, Jessica J. Bader, Frances Angel, Megan Witzel, Sydney Blaser, Alexis Mcneil, Miles K. Wandersee, N. Adrian Leu, Christopher J. Lengner, Clara E. Cho, Kevin D. Welch, James B. Kirkland, Ralph G. Meyer, Mirella L. Meyer-Ficca

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

NAD⁺ is essential for redox reactions in energy metabolism and necessary for DNA repair and epigenetic modification. Humans require sufficient amounts of dietary niacin (nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and nicotinamide riboside) for adequate NAD⁺ synthesis. In contrast, mice easily generate sufficient NAD⁺ solely from tryptophan through the kynurenine pathway. We show that transgenic mice with inducible expression of human alpha-amino-beta-carboxy-muconate-semialdehyde decarboxylase (ACMSD) become niacin dependent similar to humans when ACMSD expression is high. On niacin-free diets, these acquired niacin dependency (ANDY) mice developed reversible, mild-to-severe NAD⁺ deficiency, depending on the nutrient composition of the diet. NAD deficiency …

Complexity Is Complicated And So Too Is Comparing Complexity Metrics—A Response To Mikula Et Al. (2018), William D. Pearse, Ignacio Morales-Castilla, Logan S. James, Maxwell Farrell, Frédéric Boivin, T. Jonathan Davies

Ecology Center Publications

In a recent publication (Pearse et al. 2018b), we explored the macroevolution and macroecology of passerine song using a large citizen science database of bird songs and powerful machine learning tools. Mikula et al. (2018) examine a small subset (

Hidden Cost Of Disease In A Free-Ranging Ungulate: Brucellosis Reduces Mid-Winter Pregnancy In Elk, Gavin C. Cotterill, Paul C. Cross, Arthur D. Middleton, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon M. Scurlock, Johan T. Du Toit

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Demonstrating disease impacts on the vital rates of free‐ranging mammalian hosts typically requires intensive, long‐term study. Evidence for chronic pathogens affecting reproduction but not survival is rare, but has the potential for wide‐ranging effects. Accurately quantifying disease‐associated reductions in fecundity is important for advancing theory, generating accurate predictive models, and achieving effective management. We investigated the impacts of brucellosis (Brucella abortus) on elk (Cervus canadensis) productivity using serological data from over 6,000 captures since 1990 in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA. Over 1,000 of these records included known age and pregnancy status. Using Bayesian multilevel models, …

The Importance Of Small Fire Refugia In The Central Sierra Nevada, California, Usa, Erika M. Blomdahl, Crystal A. Kolden, Arjan J.H. Meddens, James A. Lutz

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Fire refugia – the unburned areas within fire perimeters – are important to the survival of many taxa through fire events and the revegetation of post-fire landscapes. Previous work has shown that species use and benefit from small-scale fire refugia (1 m² to 1000 m²), but our understanding of where and how fire refugia form is largely limited to the scale of remotely sensed data (i.e., 900 m² Landsat pixels). To examine the causes and consequences of small fire refugia, we field-mapped all unburned patches ≥1 m² within a contiguous 25.6 ha forest plot that …

Decisions For The Dead: The Moral Dimensions Of Body Disposal, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

When Monique Martinot died of ovarian cancer in 1984, her husband, hoping to achieve immortality for his wife through cryonics, placed her body in an industrial size freezer in his chateau in the town of Neuil–sur–Layon, France. When the husband, Raymond Martinot, realized, years later at the age of eighty, that his own death was imminent, he conveyed to his son that he would like to be frozen alongside his wife until such time that their bodies could be revived. French courts objected to this method of body disposal and demanded that both bodies be removed from the freezer and …

Germ Cell Depletion Influenced Neuromuscular, Sensory, Renal And Metabolic Function In Postreproductive Female Mice, Tracy L. Habermehl, Kate C. Parkinson, Jeffrey B. Mason

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Numerous observations suggest a relationship between reproduction and health. This relationship has been difficult to define, particularly in mammals. At menopause, germ cell-diminished ovaries are relatively senescent. In mice, replacement of these senescent ovaries with young, actively cycling ovaries significantly increased life and health span in recipients. While we were successful in extending life and health span in postreproductive females, these experiments were not designed to distinguish between the contributions of ovarian hormones from actively cycling germ cells and the somatic tissue components of the ovaries. In the current study, we used 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide to deplete ovarian germ cells in …

Coitus-Free Sexual Transmission Of Zika Virus In A Mouse Model, Chad S. Clancy, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, John D. Morrey, Justin G. Julander

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arboviral infection that may be sexually transmitted. The present study aims to determine if accessory sex glands are a potential source of infectious virus and important in sexual transmission. Male interferon type I receptor knockout (Ifnar^−/−) mice were challenged subcutaneously with a Puerto Rican ZIKV isolate. Reproductive tissues were harvested seven days after viral challenge and artificial insemination fluid derived from epididymis or homogenized accessory sex glands (seminal plasma) was obtained. Naïve interferon type I and II receptor knockout (AG129) females were pretreated with progesterone, and inoculated intravaginally with either epididymal flush or …

Mule Deer Impede Pando’S Recovery: Implications For Aspen Resilience From A Single-Genotype Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy

Ecology Center Publications

Aspen ecosystems (upland Populus-dominated forests) support diverse species assemblages in many parts of the northern hemisphere, yet are imperiled by common stressors. Extended drought, fire suppression, human development, and chronic herbivory serve to limit the sustainability of this keystone species. Here we assess conditions at a renowned quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) grove—purportedly the largest living organism on earth—with ramifications for aspen biogeography globally. The “Pando” clone is 43 ha and estimated to contain 47,000 genetically identical aspen ramets. This iconic forest is threatened in particular by herbivory, and current management activities aim to reverse the potential for …

When Strange Bedfellows Go All In: A Template For Implementing Non-Lethal Strategies Aimed At Reducing Carnivore Predation Of Livestock, Julie K. Young, John Steuber, Alexandra Few, Adam Baca, Zack Strong

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

In the Rocky Mountains of the USA, abundances and distributions of grizzly bear Ursus arctos and gray wolf Canis lupus have increased (Bangs et al., 2001; Nicholson & Hendricks, 2018). This has led to increased predation of livestock in areas where livestock producers have not needed to implement conflict prevention methods in recent history. Lethal removal of carnivores that kill livestock remains a common source of carnivore mortalities (Woodroffe, 2001; Broekhuis, Cushman & Elliot, 2017). In the USA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services (USDA-WS) is often asked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or a State’s wildlife …

An Expanded Modern Coexistence Theory For Empirical Applications, Stephen P. Ellner, Robin E. Snyder, Peter B. Adler, Giles J. Hooker

Ecology Center Publications

Understanding long‐term coexistence of numerous competing species is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Progress requires determining which processes and species differences are most important for coexistence when multiple processes operate and species differ in many ways. Modern coexistence theory (MCT), formalized by Chesson, holds out the promise of doing that, but empirical applications remain scarce. We argue that MCT's mathematical complexity and subtlety have obscured the simplicity and power of its underlying ideas and hindered applications. We present a general computational approach that extends our previous solution for the storage effect to all of standard MCT's spatial and temporal coexistence …

Neurobehavioral Evaluation Of Mice Dosed With Water Hemlock Green Seeds And Tubers, Camila F. P. Orlando-Goulart, Kevin D. Welch, James A. Pfister, Daniel S. Goulart, Adilson D. Damasceno, Stephen T. Lee

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Water hemlock are plants of the genus Cicuta and are toxic to animals and humans. The primary toxin is cicutoxin, which is abundant in the tubers, but less abundant in other parts of the plant. Other cicutoxin-like compounds, such as cicutols, which may also contribute to the toxicity of water hemlock, are more abundant in non-tuber plant parts. The objective of this study was to determine the toxicity of different parts of water hemlock and characterize their effects on motor function/coordination in mice. An aqueous extract of green seeds, dry seeds, tubers, flowers and stems of water hemlock was dosed …

A Rolling Perspective: This Is My Normal, Jennifer Holland

Blog Posts

Blog post is about Holland’s perspective on being in a wheelchair.

A Novel Cancer Syndrome Caused By Kcnq1-Deficiency In The Golden Syrian Hamster, Rong Li, Jinxin Miao, Alexandru-Flaviu Tabaran, M. Gerard O'Sullivan, Kyle J. Anderson, Patricia M. Scott, Zhongde Wang, Robert T. Cormier

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The golden Syrian hamster is an emerging model organism. To optimize its use, our group has made the first genetically engineered hamsters. One of the first genes that we investigated is KCNQ1 which encodes for the KCNQ1 potassium channel and also has been implicated as a tumor suppressor gene.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We generated KCNQ1 knockout (KO) hamsters by CRISPR/Cas9­-mediated gene targeting and investigated the effects of KCNQ1­-deficiency on tumorigenesis.

RESULTS: By 70 days of age seven of the eight homozygous KCNQ1 KOs used in this study began showing signs of distress, and on necropsy six of the seven …

The Utah Statesman, October 9, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Delayed Herbivory By Migratory Geese Increases Summer-Long Co2 Uptake In Coastal Western Alaska, A. Joshua Leffler, Karen H. Beard, Katharine C. Kelsey, Ryan T. Choi, Joel A. Schmutz, Jeffrey M. Welker

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The advancement of spring and the differential ability of organisms to respond to changes in plant phenology may lead to “phenological mismatches” as a result of climate change. One potential for considerable mismatch is between migratory birds and food availability in northern breeding ranges, and these mismatches may have consequences for ecosystem function. We conducted a three-year experiment to examine the consequences for CO₂ exchange of advanced spring green-up and altered timing of grazing by migratory Pacific black brant in a coastal wetland in western Alaska. Experimental treatments represent the variation in green-up and timing of peak grazing intensity …

Cooperative Research Agreement Concerning Ecology And Management Of Wild Carnivores, Eric M. Gese

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Landscape Heterogeneity Strengthens The Relationship Between Β-Diversity And Ecosystem Function, Edd Hammill, Charles P. Hawkins, Hamish S. Greig, Pavel Kratina, Johathan B. Shurin, Trisha Brooke Atwood

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Consensus has emerged in the literature that increased biodiversity enhances the capacity of ecosystems to perform multiple functions. However, most biodiversity/ecosystem function studies focus on a single ecosystem, or on landscapes of homogenous ecosystems. Here, we investigate how increased landscape‐level environmental dissimilarity may affect the relationship between different metrics of diversity (α, β, or γ) and ecosystem function. We produced a suite of simulated landscapes, each of which contained four experimental outdoor aquatic mesocosms. Differences in temperature and nutrient conditions of the mesocosms allowed us to simulate landscapes containing a range of within‐landscape environmental heterogeneities. We found that the variation …

Dispersal In Host–Parasitoid Interactions: Crop Colonization By Pests And Specialist Enemies, Edward W. Evans

Biology Faculty Publications

Interactions of insect pests and their natural enemies increasingly are being considered from a metapopulation perspective, with focus on movements of individuals among habitat patches (e.g., individual crop fields). Biological control may be undercut in short-lived crops as natural enemies lag behind the pests in colonizing newly created habitat. This hypothesis was tested by assessing parasitism of cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus) and alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) larvae at varying distances along transects into newly planted fields of small grains and alfalfa in northern Utah. The rate of parasitism of cereal leaf beetles and alfalfa weevils …

Marginalia No. 41, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University

Marginalia

• Message from Dean, page 2
• Lindsay Ozburn, page 3
• Where the Sagebrush Grows, page 4
• In Memoriam..., page 6
• Book artist Brent Wilson, page 8
• The USU Native American Mentorship Program (NASMP), page 9
• New Acquisitions, page 11

Navidad, Lily Ward

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Like most families, we celebrate Christmas. [So um…] In some Mexican and Hispanic families, they open their gifts on December 24^th. My family takes part in this tradition because in Mexico [uh well…] Christmas isn’t called Christmas and isn’t on December 25^th. You can call it Navidad. [Annette paused for a moment, while she pondered how she was going to explain the significance behind celebrating Navidad]. So, in Mexico we don’t have a Santa Clause. Instead, there are three kings who walk down the streets and they have all these exotic zoo animals with them. For …

Muiraquitã, Gianna Patchett

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Portuguese:

Bem, como falei gosto muito da lenda do Muiraquitã. Ele é bem simples, é um amuleto que tem a lenda. Ele é feito pelos índios que moravam na beira do rio. Elas pegavam uma argila tipo de pedra que elas mergulhavam do fundo do rio para tirar essa pedra e elas moldavam com formata de animais, jacaré essas coisas, mas o principal deles é um sapo verde que eles faziam de uma argila e elas davam de presente para os seus maridos e, para eles colocaram no pescoço ou usarem como algum artigo de sorte. Enfim, eh, ela é …

Curupira, Gianna Patchett

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Portuguese:

Vou falar um pouco da lenda do Curupira que é um personagem da Amazônia e ela diz assim, bom, minha avó fala que a avó dela contava para ela que a lenda nos conta que o Curupira é a defensor dos animais, sendo ele um dos mais populares personagens do folclore brasileiro. Então é isso, entendeu? Só que ela continua dizendo que o Curupira gosta de sentar na sombra das mangeiras para comer os frutos. Lá fica entretido deliciando cada manga mas percebendo que está sendo observado, logo sai correndo numa velocidade tão grande que a humana não consegue …

Faculty Senate Agenda, October 1, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report - September 6, 2018
• EPC Annual Report
• Honors Annual Report
• Faculty Senate Meeting Time Change
• Code 403.3.1 Standards of Conduct-Faculty Responsibilities to Student
• Code 403.3.2 Standards of Conduct-Professional Obligations
• Code 407.1.1 Non-punitive Measures
• Code 407.11.2 Inquiry into Allegations of Violation Policies 407.8 and/or 407.9
• Code 407.11.3 Protection of Complainant and Others
• Nominating Committee Code

Faculty Senate Minutes, October 1, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report – September 6, 2018
• EPC Annual Report
• Honors Annual Report
• Faculty Senate Meeting Time Change – Kimberly Lott
• Code 403.3.1 Standards of Conduct-Faculty Responsibilities to Student - Kimberly Lott
• Code 403.3.2 Standards of Conduct-Professional Obligations - Kimberly Lott
• Code 407.1.1 Non-punitive Measures - Kimberly Lott
• Code 407.11.2 Inquiry into Allegations of Violation Policies 407.8 and/or 407.9 - Kimberly Lott
• Code 407.11.3 Protection of Complainant and Others - Kimberly Lott
• Nominating Committee Code

The Lifecycle Of Sustainable Analytics: From Data Collection To Change Management, Mitchell Colver

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

In this age of an ever-increasing list of analytics vendors and endlessly forwarded news articles that trumpet the promises of big data in higher education, it can be easy to become distracted by data science and miss out on another opportuni­ty—supporting increased professionalism amongst university staff, faculty, and administrators. Indeed, like many technologies before it, analytics provides us with an opportunity to catalyze institutional effectiveness, but only when we resist the tenden­cy to believe that technology can replace the need for human ingenuity and judgment. This report will argue that such threats to pro­fessional flourishing can be insulated against if …