Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of High-Tech Stimuli And Duration Of Access On Reinforcer Preference And Efficacy, Audrey N. Hoffmann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reinforcement is commonly used to increase individuals engaging in certain behaviors. We can alter the value of the reinforcers by manipulating how long they get access to the reinforcer (i.e., magnitude) or by varying the type of reinforcer we use. The use of high technology items (i.e., high-tech) as a reinforcer has not been examined. We examined the interaction between high- and no-tech items and duration of access and the effects of that interaction on reinforcer preference and efficacy (i.e., how effective the reinforcer is in increasing behavior) in three individuals with disabilities. We conducted two preference assessments to identify …

The Functional Role Of Cd36 Involved In Fatty Acid Transduction, Han Xu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As one of the most epidemic health concerns in the world, obesity has become a widespread health issue especially for the developed world. It is related to various health conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. It is also quite costly. In United States alone, the medical cost of obesity in 2008 was estimated to be $147 billion. Many underlying mechanisms of obesity have been studied in the past few decades. However, the most prevalent cause appears to be simply an imbalance of energy intake and expenditure, resulting in the accumulation of body fat. On …

The Role Of Trpm5 In Dietary Fat Preference, Intake, And Body Composition, Dulce M. Minaya

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We recently showed a critical role of Trpm5 in the transduction pathway for long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In the present study, I have begun to investigate dietary fat preference and the propensity to develop dietary-induced obesity in Trpm5^-/- mice. My preliminary data shows that in male mice placed on a high fat diet, Trpm5^-/- mice did not enhance their caloric intake as observed in wild type mice. Most surprisingly, however, was that I did not observe the same differences in between female mice, which posits a potential gender effect of this pathway on dietary fat intake. Also, …

An Evaluation Of The Food Web Dynamics And Predator Prey Interactions In Scofield Reservoir, Lisa K. Winters

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reservoirs are artificial, dynamic, and highly manipulated systems, where the appearance of either intentionally or unintentionally introduced species may disrupt interactions within an already complex food web. In some situations, a top predator fish may be stocked as a biological control agent, if these fish-eating predators monopolize on the nuisance and unwelcome prey. Scofield Reservoir, Utah has historically been an extremely popular blue-ribbon fishery. However, a recent decrease in rainbow trout catch and increase in the minnow, Utah chub, have made it difficult to find a balance between providing the public with a trophy sport fishery and maintaining an ecologically …

Predictors Of Persistence And Resurgence: Evaluation Of A Behavioral Momentum-Based Approach, Mary M. Sweeney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mary M. Sweeney, graduate student in the Experimental and Applied Psychological Sciences program at Utah State University, will complete this dissertation as part of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology.

One approach to reducing a behavior with a history of reward is to remove the reward for the target behavior to be reduced and introduce reward for an alternative behavior. When alternative reward is removed, though, relapse termed resurgence can occur. The broad purpose of this dissertation is to examine the variables that contribute to the persistence and resurgence of a behavior. The results of …

Developing A Field Indicator For Suckering Ability Of Quaking Aspen, Abbey M. Hudler Oksness

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quaking aspen is an ecologically valuable deciduous tree species in the high elevation environment typical across many parts of western North America. It is a clonal tree species which primarily depends on vegetative regeneration by root suckering after an aboveground disturbance, e.g., wildfire, removes the stems. A flush of suckers will be stimulated after a disturbance and the resulting regeneration relies on available resources from the undamaged root system for resprouting. Due to wildfire suppression efforts of the last century, many aspen stands are considered mature, overmature, or decadent and lack regeneration to replace the overstory mortality. In the absence …

Beetles, Fungi And Trees: A Story For The Ages? Modeling And Projecting The Multipartite Symbiosis Between The Mountain Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus Ponderosae, And Its Fungal Symbionts, Grosmannia Clavigera And Ophiostoma Montium, Audrey L. Addison

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As data collection and modeling improve, ecologists increasingly discover that interspecies dynamics greatly affect the success of individual species. Models accounting for the dynamics of multiple species are becoming more important. In this work, we explore the relationship between mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) and two mutualistic fungi, Grosmannia clavigera and Ophiostoma montium. These species are involved in a multipartite symbiosis, critical to the survival of MPB, in which each species benefits.

Extensive phenological modeling has been done to determine how temperature affects the timing of life events and cold-weather mortality of MPB. The fungi have also …

Antiviral Activity Of Favipiravir (T-705) Against Lethal Rift Valley Fever Virus Infection In Hamsters, Dionna Scharton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a severe disease affecting both humans and a number of agriculturally important livestock species. The causative agent, RVF virus (RVFV), is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites, with transmission also occurring by exposure to infectious aerosols and direct contact with infected body fluids such as blood. Presently, there are no licensed vaccines or medicines to prevent or treat severe RVFV infection in humans. Favipiravir (T-705) is a novel compound licensed for the treatment of influenza in Japan and presently in Phase III clinical trials in the US, which has demonstrated favorable activity against an attenuated strain …

Ambient Temperature, Calf Intakes, And Weight Gains On Preweaned Dairy Calves, Sheldon D. Holt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There has been little research conducted on the physiological response of calves to temperatures outside thermal neutrality and its effects on intake and weight gain. The effects of ambient temperature on Holstein dairy calves intakes and weight gain were evaluated over a 12-month period at the Utah State University Caine Dairy.

Ambient temperature was monitored using a weather station located 1.3 kilometers from the dairy. Calf health was monitored daily using the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine scoring criteria. Calves were fed whole milk and free choice calf starter. Weight gain, wither and hip height, starter intake, and …

Yield And Quality Of First-Year Corn Silage Following Alfalfa Stand Termination As Affected By Tillage, Herbicide, And Nitrogen Fertilizer, Jason Daniel Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Glyphosate-containing herbicides such as Roundup® are a common and highly effective method to terminate alfalfa stands. With the development of glyphosate-resistant (Roundup Ready®) alfalfa, this tool is no longer an option. The purpose of this research was to determine the optimal termination methods to use when rotating from glyphosate-resistant alfalfa into silage corn. Studies were conducted in 2012 and 2013 in Cache Junction and Cornish, Utah using five different combinations of tillage type and timing (fall conventional till, spring conventional till, fall strip-till, spring strip-till, and no-till), four 2,4-D plus dicamba herbicide timings (fall, spring, in-crop, and a control), and …

Dissociation Of The Effects Of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Fluoxetine In Prelimbic Cortex On Disruption Of Timing And Working Memory For Time By Neutral And Negative Emotional Events, Chance Christensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Learning and memory abilities are altered in disorders of the serotonergic system, in disorders such as such as depression, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Among the processes impaired by emotional distracters, and whose dysregulation is documented in affective disorders, is the ability to time in the seconds-to-minutes range, i.e., interval timing. Presentation of distracters during timing tasks result in delays in responding suggesting a failure to maintain subjective time in working memory, as proposed by the Relative Time-Sharing (RTS) model. We investigated the role of the prelimbic cortex in the detrimental effect of anxiety-inducing distracters on the cognitive ability …

Educating Wonder Away: Charles Dickens' And Lewis Carroll's Attack On Victorian Education, Kolbie Astle

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Charles Dickens lived during a time when great change was occurring for both the lower and upper classes in Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution brought on new technologies that made it possible to mass-produce products of all kinds, effectively eliminating the need for great amounts of independent workers and farmers. Children's education, too, was a controversial topic that underwent much consideration in Parliament, especially because many of the country's children were working alongside the adults in the factories. Beginning in 1833, new legislation gave government-funded grants to schools and allowed children breaks during work hours specifically for their education, and …

Evaluation Of Pro-Inflammatory Biomarkers As Potential Early Indicators Of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (Ards), Makda Solomon Gebre

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Infections with the 2009 pandemic influenza A(HlNl) virus often leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in high-risk patients. In these patients, ARDS has a mortality rate of 40-50 % [1]. Patients may die before any intervention is possible since there are few if any early biomarkers that are indicative of ARDS and can be used for diagnosis. In a search for biomarkers that signal early disease progression in mice, multiple acute phase proteins involved with inflammatory responses to infectious stimuli were proposed. Three biomarkers were evaluated for this project. These included C-reactive protein (CRP), Serum Amyloid A (SAA) and …

Ogden Valley Development Analysis And Plan, Alex Daines, Cooper Larsen, Nate Naegle, Chris Ransom

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

A team of four Huntsman Scholars undertook an intensive, semester-long project, analyzing how the Ogden Valley Planning Commission could best ensure sustainable, wise development in its pristine Valley, preventing unwise overdevelopment down the road. The final presentation, with analysis and recommendations, was made on May 6, 2014, in Ogden before the Ogden Valley Planning Commission and members of the public. The results were praised highly by Planning Commissioner Pen Hollist.

Exploring The Potential Of Video Games As Educational And Story-Telling Tools, Kelsen Amy Kitchen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

For my honors thesis, I have attempted to explore the potential of video games as educational and storytelling tools. The central questions I formulated before beginning this project are twofold:

1. How can video games be used as tools to educate players?

2. How can video games be used to tell stories, and how are they unique from other storytelling methods?

In pursuit of the answer to the first question, I conducted a literature review of articles that explored the educational and cultural potential of various video games. The articles that I surveyed were diverse, ranging from studies of elementary …

Best Practice Recommendations For Publishing A Student Anthology, Ariel Peterson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This document describes the publication process for student anthologies and provides a list of specific, actionable recommendations for students and instructors publishing student anthologies. These recommendations are based upon a literature review of anthology concepts and my own experience publishing a student anthology, Voices in Print, for Utah State University's Intermediate Writing classes. I will introduce the topic of student anthologies with a brief description of their uses and benefits and then describe the publication process with a list of specific recommendations.

Contextual Differences In Reinforcement Affect Self-Control In Shr And Wky Subjects, Jonathan C. Rich

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is the outcome of selectively breeding its progenitor the Wistar Kyoto (WKY) for hypertension. In the present experiment, the context of reinforcement was manipulated to determine its effect on impulsivity across the SHR and WKY strains of rat. An additional block of delays was added onto the end of a standard delay discounting procedure to vary the context of reinforcement from one condition (0 sec.) to the next (60 sec.). Results indicate that both SHR and WKY subjects made fewer impulsive decisions when a shorter delay followed the longest delay in the task - although …

Picture Books And Literacy Development For Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Lichelle Slater

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In the past decade, research has focused on children’s literature and how it can facilitate literacy development (LaCour, McDonald, Tissington, Thomason, 2013; Lee, 2010). Although current research has identified the importance of age-appropriate literacy development for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), few studies have explored the character representations depicted in current picture books, and their cultural and individual impact on children who are DHH. To gain a better understanding of the availability of books in which deafness or hearing loss is addressed, or books in which children who are DHH are featured characters, a search of …

Producing An Ovine Model Of Cystic Fibrosis, Kira Perry Morgado

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease that significantly affects quality of life and lifespan. There are currently no effective animal models of CF that mimic the human disease state. This prevents the development of pharmaceutical treatments for patients. Sheep have been considered for a useful animal model because of their size, life expectancy, and similarities in their anatomy and physiology. In order to generate a sheep transgenic model to study CF we have produced two Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene targeting DNA vectors containing large regions of homology to the CFTR gene in sheep. One of …

Ghrelin Concentrations In Milk And Plasma Of Dairy Cows During Early Lactation, Sameer M. Alhojaily

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ghrelin is a hormone produced mainly by the cells lining the gastric mucosa. Ghrelin was first extracted from human and rat stomachs, and identified as an endogenous stimulator of growth hormone release. Ghrelin is synthesized and produced in several tissues, but the gastric mucosa remains the major source of circulating ghrelin. Besides growth hormone release, ghrelin stimulates appetite and plays some major roles in different organs. In several studies, ghrelin was described as a hormone with multiple functions and diverse biological actions. Ghrelin exists in two major forms, active ghrelin and inactive ghrelin, and only the active from binds to …

The Role Of Obesity, Diabetes, And Hypertension In Cleft Lip And Cleft Palate Birth Defects, Hebah Alawi Kutbi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are birth defects characterized by immediately recognizable disruption of normal facial structure caused by abnormal facial development during the first six to eight weeks of gestation, causing a cleft in the lip or the palate. OFCs are among the most common structural birth defects and a public health problem. Some studies have found that maternal obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or the underlying metabolic abnormalities known as the metabolic syndrome, might be associated with the risk of OFCs, though other studies have been inconsistent. Data of mothers who have had children with OFCs were compared to those of children …

The Effects Of Laser Etching On Biocompatability And Mechanical Properties Of Polyetheretherketone, Andrew I. Deceuster

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a Federal and Drug Administration (FDA) approved biomaterial that has been used as an orthopedic implant material due to its inherent properties. Laser etching has become a popular means to create identification markers on the individual implants as required by the FDA. The interaction of laser energy with polymeric materials could potentially cause changes in the material's biocompatibility and mechanical properties. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of laser energy on the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of implantable PEEK by measuring contact angle, micro-tensile testing, nite-element modeling (FEM), and biocompatibility testing according to …

Computational Models Of Intracellular And Intercellular Processes In Developmental Biology, Ahmadreza Ghaffarizadeh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Systems biology takes a holistic approach to biological questions as it applies mathematical modeling to link and understand the interaction of components in complex biological systems. Multiscale modeling is the only method that can fully accomplish this aim. Mutliscale models consider processes at different levels that are coupled within the modeling framework. A first requirement in creating such models is a clear understanding of processes that operate at each level. This research focuses on modeling aspects of biological development as a complex process that occurs at many scales. Two of these scales were considered in this work: cellular differentiation, the …

Effects Of Condensed Tannins On The Toxicity Of Fireweed (Senecio Madagascariensis) To Cattle, Carolyn L. Wong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) is a noxious and invasive weed affecting pastures in Hawaii, Australia, and South America. Fireweed contains compounds called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to most grazing mammals. Toxic effects to cattle include irreversible damage to liver cells, hardening of the liver, and loss of liver function, which may lead to jaundice, swelling, and the accumulation of fluids in the stomach and other physiological malfunctions. External effects include rough appearance, diarrhea, low energy and dullness, photosensitization, and abnormal behavior, many of which can lead to death. Fireweed also can reduce pasture productivity by as much as …

American Bison Ecology And Bison-Cattle Interactions In An Isolated Montane Environment, Dustin H. Ranglack

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As bison are considered to be ecologically extinct, and negative interactions between bison and cattle are perceived to limit bison restoration and cattle production, I designed a series of studies to test for potential competition between bison (Bison bison) and cattle (Bos taurus) for forage on the Henry Mountains in southern Utah. These studies provide insight into key information gaps previously identified by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), Bureau of Land Management, and the local grazing association. The results indicate that bison and cattle are not strong competitors for forage on the Henry Mountains. …

Evaluating Process- And Constraint-Based Approaches For Modeling Macroecological Patterns, Xiao Xiao

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Macroecological patterns, such as the highly uneven distribution of individuals among species and the monotonic increase of species richness with area, exist across ecological systems despite major differences in the biology of different species and locations. These patterns capture the general structure of ecological communities, and allow relatively accurate predictions to be made with limited information for under-studied systems. This is particularly important given ongoing climate change and loss of biodiversity. Understanding the mechanisms behind these patterns has both scientific and practical merits.

I explore two conceptually different approaches that have been proposed as explanations for ecological patterns – the …

Distribution And Drivers Of A Widespread, Invasive Wetland Grass, Phragmites Australis, In Great Salt Lake Wetlands, Arin Lexine Long

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Non-native invasive plant species can often have negative effects on native ecosystems, such as altered nutrient cycling, decreased habitat for wildlife, and outcompeting native plants. Around the Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, the invasive wetland grass Phragmites australis has become abundant in wetlands around the lake. Phragmites is replacing many native wetland plants provide important waterfowl habitat around the GSL. For successful management of Phragmites in GSL wetlands, it is important to know the current distribution of Phragmites, as well as areas that might be vulnerable to future invasion by Phragmites. To do this, we used multispectral aerial …

Estimating The Effectiveness Of A Seasonal Gas Tax For Controlling Episodic Pm2.5 Concentrations In Cache County, Utah, Leo A. Moscardini

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cache County, Utah boasts an abundance of awe-inspiring natural beauty. However, at times, its air quality rivals the worst in the United States. During the winter months of December through February, particulate matter measuring two and a half micrometers or less, commonly known as PM_2.5, often concentrates to dangerously high levels causing extensive harm to public health. Lawmakers have scrambled to pass legislation aimed at mitigating the risks posed by poor air quality, recently adopting a county-wide vehicle emissions testing program designed to reduce exhaust emissions from on-road mobile sources. However, its efficacy has been hotly debated and many …

Ringtail Distribution, Dermatoglyphics, And Diet In Zion National Park, Utah, Adrian Argie Roadman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Current scientific knowledge of the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is limited, thus impeding appropriate management decisions. Ringtails in Zion National Park, Utah, are rarely seen, but are involved in increasing occurrences of negative interactions with park visitors and employees such as food theft and denning in buildings, interactions which are harmful to both parties. To manage this conflict, an update to the general knowledge about the status of the population is required as the only previous study on ringtails in this area was conducted in the 1960s. Using noninvasive techniques provides dependable large-scale population information. I used two noninvasive detection methods …

The Benefits Of Animal Traceability Systems On A Foot-And-Mouth Disease Outbreak In Utah, Christian Michael Ukkestad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent decades, a number of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks have occurred in countries that had been FMD-free for many years. The last FMD outbreak in the United States occurred in 1929 and the country contains a naïve livestock population, meaning it is susceptible to an outbreak. In the event of an FMD outbreak in the United States, the speed at which the source and contacts between livestock can be identified impacts both the implementation and effectiveness of mitigation strategies. The purpose of this thesis was to analyze the impact of higher levels of animal traceability on the immediate welfare …