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Relationship Between Dietary Calcium Intake And Weight Gain Among College Freshmen At Utah State University, Cara A. Moncur

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study was conducted with the use of data from the Freshmen Health Study, a longitudinal study of college freshmen aged 18 that examined change in diet, physical activity, and weight during the first year of college at Utah State University (USU). Participants were assessed at different data collection periods including the beginning and end of their first semester attending USU. Participants' height and weight were measured and they were given a self-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire at each data collection. Simple linear and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess how dietary calcium intake related to weight change over …

Use Of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy For The Classification And Identification Of Bacteria Of Importance To The Food Industry, Sarah Pegram

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The aim of this work was to use Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to characterize and identify bacteria of particular significance to the food industry. FT-IR spectroscopy is a rapid technique that can be applied to all groups of bacteria. The two objectives were to determine a suitable sampling procedure to record a spectrum and to determine a suitable statistical technique to identify characteristic regions of the spectrum associated with the genus and, potentially, the species. Pure cultures of bacteria were grown in broth, suspended in saline and dried to produce a film on a halide salt crystal. These films were …

The Marriage Of Eolian Rock Properties And Deformation Of The Nugget Formation; Anschutz Ranch East Field: Northeast Utah And Southwest Wyoming, Dustin J. Keele

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Nugget Formation in the Anschutz Ranch East field, northeast Utah and southwest Wyoming, provides an exceptional example of how primary eolian rock properties have a considerable influence on the style of structural deformation. Both new and existing subsurface data were integrated for an overall characterization of sedimentologic and diagenetic heterogeneities, which demonstrate relationships with different styles of structural compartmentalization in reservoirs. The Anschutz Ranch East field is a large asymmetric anticlinal trap in the Utah-Wyoming thrust belt. Three cores were analyzed in order to investigate brittle deformation in eolian facies: dune, apron, and interdune. Selected cores are located along …

The Temporal Relationship Between Environmental Factors And Psychological Symptoms In Native American Adolescents, Georgia Lee Matt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Native American youth often experience high rates of environmental risk factors that may put them at increased risk for developing psychological problems, yet research within this high-risk population is severely limited.

The present study was designed to provide information on the rate of psychological symptoms in a sample of Native American youth, and evaluate the impact of environmental factors (risk, protective, and cultural) on psychological disorder symptoms over time. Data were collected with a sample of Native American youth using the Youth Self Report, the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory–Adolescent 2, and a researcher-designed Biodemographic Questionnaire.

Findings indicate that clinically …

Psychosocial Variables And Their Relationship To Diabetic Outcome Among The Strong Heart Study Cohort, Brian D. O'Leary

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United Sates. Certain Native American groups have been harder hit than the mainstream population, both in prevalence of the disease and in rates of related complications. The highest known prevalence in the world is found among a Southwestern U.S. Tribe, and other Native American Tribes have demonstrated similar prevalence rates. It has been shown that certain psychological factors such as depression and hostility impact both the occurrence and outcome of certain diseases, including diabetes.

This study examined whether those individuals who have not met the criteria …

Efficacy Of A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Weight Loss In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kathy Wickersham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing across all sociodemographic groups. Obesity and overweight are major risk factors in the development of the disease and in the development of complications. Conversely, weight loss improves glycemic control, which reduces likelihood of complications. Interventions combining cognitive and behavioral components show promise in addressing the problem of weight loss maintenance. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral intervention. Participants were 54 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control. The assessment measures utilized in this study were the …

Student Teachers' Explicit And Implicit Perceptions Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Hollie K. Berglof

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined student teachers' explicit and implicit perceptions of ADHD and the relationship between perceptions of ADHD and social desirability. In addition, the relationship between a current measure of implicit perceptions of ADHD and one that was adapted for this study was also investigated. Findings indicate that student teachers view a student portrayed as exhibiting symptoms consistent with ADHD more negatively than a "normal" child in terms of their self-reported first impressions of the child as well as their predictions for the child's future success. Participants' perceptions, as measured by two implicit measures, however, were mixed, with results from …

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 30, 2007, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• President's Report
• Faculty Code Revisions Process
• Committee Assignments
• Commencement
• ADVANCE Report
• Committee-on-Committees Report
• EPC Business
• PRPC Business
• Representation of Extension and RCDE on Faculty Senate402.10.1 and 402.12.1(2)(3) (1st reading)
• Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility 403.1 and 403.3.1
• Faculty Senate Supernumerary 402.3.1
• Senate “Vice-President” 402.12.1(2)

Differential Effects Of Hunting On Pre-Dispersal Seed Predation And Primary And Secondary Seed Removal Of Two Neotropical Tree Species, Noelle G. Beckman, Helene C. Muller-Landau

Biology Faculty Publications

Many of the mammals undergoing drastic declines in tropical forests worldwide are important seed dispersers and seed predators, and thus changes in mammal communities due to hunting will affect plant recruitment. It has been hypothesized that larger-seeded species will suffer greater reductions in seed removal and thus greater increases in predispersal seed predation than smaller-seeded species. We compared primary and secondary seed removal and predispersal seed predation of two tree species between hunted and nonhunted sites in Central Panama. Seeds of Oenocarpus mapora (Arecaceae) are 16-times greater in size than those of Cordia bicolor (Boraginaceae). We quantified primary seed removal …

The Plight Of Large Animals In Tropical Forests And The Consequences For Plant Regeneration, S. Joseph Wright, Kathryn E. Stoner, Noelle Beckman, Richard T. Corlett, Rodolfo Dirzo, Helene C. Muller-Landau, Gabriela Nuñez-Iturri, Carlos A. Peres, Benjamin C. Wang

Biology Faculty Publications

We introduce a special section that addresses the bushmeat or wild meat crisis, its direct impact on game species, and its indirect impact on plants in tropical forests.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, April 16, 2007, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• ADVANCE Report
• Committee on Committees Report
• EPC Business
• Calendar Committee Report
• Faculty Senate Past President (2nd)
• Faculty Forum Membership (2nd)
• EPC Membership (2nd)
• EPC Curriculum Sub-committee Membership (2nd)
• Representation of Extension and RCDE on Faculty Senate (1st)
• Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility (403.1 and 403.3.1)
• Faculty Senate Supernumerary
• Senate "Vice President"
• Faculty Code Revisions Process

Usda And State/Tribal Cooperator Summary For 2006/2007 National Early Detection System For Hpai In Wild Migratory Birds: Accomplishments, Findings, And Future Direction, Brandon Schmit, Kerri Pedersen, Robert Beach, Seth Swafford, Thomas Deliberto

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In late 2005, at the request of the Homeland Security Council's Policy Coordinating Committee for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, the United States Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior began developing a United States Interagency Strategic Plan for the early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) introduction into North America by wild migratory birds. This plan was stepped down by various regional, state, and tribal entities and was implemented nationwide in mid-2006. USDA funded Federal, State, and Tribal cooperators began with a goal of collecting over 75,000 surveillance samples from wild migratory birds during the 2006/2007 surveillance period. The 2006 accomplishments, …

Chromaflair® Crow Buster For Repelling Blackbirds And Crows, Scott J. Werner, Shelagh K. Tupper, John L. Cummings

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Nonlethal alternatives are needed to manage emerging and sustained conflicts between humans and several wild birds. We evaluated the ChromaFlair® "Crow Buster," a device developed in Japan to repel Asian crows from garbage cans, fruit trees, and utility structures. The Crow Buster consists of a strip (1.5-3.5 cm wide) of stiff, shiny plastic cut into a spiral shape. The device is iridescent green-purple in color. We conducted 2 studies to determine the influence of the Crow Buster on the foraging distribution of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) in captivity. For both bird …

The Current Regulatory Environment Of Urban Coyote Control - A Private Wco Perspective, Claude Oleyar

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Social, political, and legal considerations have contributed to an unfavorable regulatory environment for lethal control of urban coyotes (canis latrans). I analyze and break down that environment from a Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) perspective. Currently 3 significant factors frame the issue but a 4th could be emerging. First, our hands are tied: I use the situation in Colorado to illustrate the point. Compounding factors include the need for a paradigm shift in how rules are derived, the lag-time factor in agency response to issues, and the tendency toward bureaucracy/over-regulation. Second, human dimensions rule: I critique the downside of …

Coyote Management In Residential Areas: Human Dimensions Research Needs, William F. Siemer, Heather Wieczorek Hudenko, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

To effectively meet the challenges of urban coyote (Canis latrans) management, wildlife professionals will need human dimensions (and ecological) research to fill information gaps associated with a typical program planning process. Most wildlife agencies use the steps of a rational decision-making approach to plan and develop their programs (i.e., they define goals, identify problems and opportunities, identify management objectives, develop management action alternatives, and implement and evaluate alternatives). We describe general human dimensions (HD) information needs associated with each step, and then suggest corresponding HD research priorities to support urban coyote management decisions. We suggest that HD research …

Management Of Urban Coyotes And Attacks In Green Valley, Pima County, Arizona, Christopher D. Carrillo, Jim Schmidt, David Bergman, Gabriel Paz

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Coyote (Canis latrans) attacks on humans, once thought to be rare, have increased in frequency over the past decade. In Arizona, the number of wildlife human encounters has increased as our urban environments have expanded into the coyote's natural environment. Coyotes have learned to utilize drip irrigation, pet food, household refuse, and pets as prey. The problem of potential coyote attacks is magnified when people intentionally feed coyotes. In some situations, coyotes have begun to act aggressively toward humans, chasing joggers/walkers confronting people walking their dogs, and stalking small children. People who live in areas where coyotes are …

The Urban Coyote Control Program, Robert J. Erickson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

This paper discusses practical considerations of conducting control of problem coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban and suburban settings, from the standpoint of a private wildlife control operator. The author provides advice on dealing with municipalities, the media, the public, and with clientele. Also discussed are appropriate tools and materials that can be effective in such settings, and effective strategies for dealing with suburban coyote problems.

Ecology Of Coyotes In Urban Landscapes, Stanley D. Gehrt, Max Mcgraw

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have become common in many metropolitan areas across the United States. Recent research has focused on the urban ecology of coyotes to better our understanding of how they exist in urbanized landscapes. I summarize findings from a variety of ecological studies of coyotes in or near metropolitan areas, and focus on three areas of coyote ecology: survival rates, home range/activity, and food habits. Most studies have reported relatively high survival rates (annual S = 0.62 - 0. 74), with vehicle collisions often a common cause of mortality. Size of coyote home ranges (mean home range …

Assessing Rodenticide Hazards: Improving The Art And Science Of Risk Assessment, John J. Johnston

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Non-target hazards represent the most significant hurdle to the continued and possibly expanded use of anticoagulant rodenticides. In addition to the possibility of non-target access to the rodenticide bait, non-target scavenger and/or predator species may be exposed to these rodenticides via feeding on the carcasses of poisoned target species. Risk assessments provide a means to estimate the probability of rodenticide associated effects to target and non-target species. Quantification of risk provides critical information for decision-makers to weigh the benefits versus the risks of proposed rodenticide uses. This manuscript reports on the development of a probabilistic risk assessment model for quantifying …

Rodenticide Use In Rodent Management In The United States: An Overview, Gary Witmer, John D. Eisemann

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Rodents occur worldwide and have adapted to most types of ecosystems. Rodents provide many important ecosystem functions and while most rodent species do not cause serious damage problems, a small number of species do. Rodent-caused damage includes crop and stored food consumption and contamination, forestry and nursery damage, rangeland damage, ornamental plant damage, property damage, cable and irrigation pipe damage, disease transmission, and, when introduced to islands, damage and even extinction of native flora and fauna. Many tools are used to reduce rodent populations and damage. Rodenticides are an especially important tool in rodent management. Many types of active ingredients …

Feral Hogs: A Texas Perspective, Douglas S. Steen, Mark E. Mapston, Bruce R. Leland, L. Janean Romines

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Feral hog (Sus scrofa) populations are a growing concern, and evidence of their presence has spread throughout the state. With the exception of a few areas in the northern panhandle and far western Texas, this invasive species successfully exists in almost every county; and evidence of their exponential population growth and the damage they cause is no longer confined to rural areas. Feral hogs affect farmers, livestock producers, private and public industry, and individuals living in suburban and urban areas. Wildlife, agriculture, property owners, animal and public health interests are all experiencing feral hog issues at different levels. …

A Review Of Biomarkers Used For Wildlife Damage And Disease Management, Tricia L. Fry, Mike R. Dunbar

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Biomarkers are distinctive biological indicators used to identify, often through indirect means, when an event or physiologic process of interest has occurred in an animal. Historically, a variety of biomarkers, as well as bait-markers, have been used in wildlife management including radioactive isotopes, stable isotopes, fatty acids, systemic and physical biomarkers. The ability to successfully track, monitor, and identify animals using minimally invasive techniques is becoming increasingly important as wildlife-human interactions increase. This paper is an overview of the benefits and limitations of previously and presently used biomarkers in wildlife damage and disease management with emphasis on the use of …

Efficacy Of 3 In-Burrow Treatments To Control Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Charles D. Lee, Jeff Leflore

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Management of prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) movement by colony expansion or dispersal may involve the use of toxicants to reduce local populations. Hazards associated with the use of toxicants cause concern for non-target species. Applying the bait in-burrow should reduce the primary exposure of the toxicants to non-target wildlife. Some literature suggests prairie dogs will not consume bait when applied in the burrow. In this trial we compared efficacy of Rozol® (chlorophacinone), Kaput-D Prairie Dog Bait® (diphacinone), 2% zinc phosphide oats applied in-burrow and 2% zinc phosphide oats applied on the surface. Results are reported as change in …

Overview Of The First Use Of Gps 1991/Gis 1992 During A Wyoming Skunk Rabies Epizootic, Craig A. Ramey, Kenneth H. Mills, Marshall Robin

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are one of the most important reservoirs of wildlife rabies on the Great Plains of North America. During a skunk rabies epizootic in a previously rabies-free area of northwestern Wyoming, we studied the spread of rabies from the index case occurring in 1988 until the Shoshone River epizootic ended in 1993. All specimens were sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory for Fluorescent Antibody Testing for rabies. The goal of federal, state, county, and local agencies was to address the public's fear about the health and safety of humans and animals. Following several rabid …

Suitable And Effective Coyote Control Tools For The Urban/Suburban Setting, Alan A. Huot, David L. Bergman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Increases in the incidence of human conflict with coyotes in urban/suburban environments fuel a need for suitable coyote tools and methods to reduce these conflicts. Traditional tools, such as foothold traps and snares, face continued problems of acceptability in urban/suburban situations because of public anxiety about the risks to non-targets as well as other animal welfare concerns. We review the major categories of methods and tools used to prevent or reduce urban coyote-human conflicts, including exclusion (fencing), environmental and habitat modification, capture devices (traps, snares, and related devices), and shooting. We briefly discuss future technologies current under development: fertility control, …

Controlling Coyotes In An Urban Environment - Effective Evaluation Of Requests By The General Public For Control Services, Tim J. Julien

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The incidence of request for control services in regards to human conflict with coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban/suburban environments continues to increase countrywide. These incidents have created a need for a systematic means of evaluating the perceived need for control to determine first if control is necessary and would it be effective in solving the problem. Generally we have found the public is uninformed and surprised by their first sighting or encounter with coyotes. We have taken an approach that allows us to evaluate the clients concerns and enable us to make recommendations to them on possible control …

A Broad Perspective On Current And Future Research On Urban Coyotes, John A. Shivik, Kathleen Fagerstone

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A change in wildlife management appears to be occurring. Previous efforts needed to be focused on producing more game species or endangered animals; now, however, tools and training must resolve issues of overabundance and conflict with predators, especially species such as coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban areas. Urban conflicts with coyotes may be growing because of urban development of land and human intrusion, but alteration of habitats that attract coyotes is also a likely factor. Research that will describe basic coyote biology in urban areas will be needed, but managers will also need applied research and development of …

Conserving Cheetahs On Private Land: Using The Namibian Cheetah Acinonyx Jubatus Jubatus As A Case Study, Laurie L. Marker, Amy Dickman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Conflict between humans and large carnivores is well documented in Africa, and is one of the chief causes of population declines seen in species such as lions (Panthera lea), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), and African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). While protected areas provide important refuges for many carnivores, species such as cheetahs cover large areas where protected areas are insufficient to maintain long-term viable populations across much of their range. Over the past century, the world's cheetah population has declined in both numbers and range due to habitat fragmentation, depletion of their natural prey base …

Development Of Test Paradigms For Operant Conditioning Of Wild Norway Rats, Susan M. Jojola, Patrick W. Burke, Gary W. Witmer, Dale L. Nolte

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Many eradication efforts to remove rats (Rattus spp.) from islands have been successful. Eradications are expensive and labor-intensive which make s early detection of, and response to, reinvasion by rats critical. A better understanding of rat behavior could facilitate early detection and rapid response to intercept invaders, such as with trap placement and design, and toxic bait presentation and dispersal. This was a methods development study of test paradigms to operantly condition wild rats to run on an activity wheel and to press a lever for use in future behavior studies. Operant conditioning is the process of associating …

Avian Influenza In Wild Birds: Environmental Sampling For The Rapid Detection Of Avian Influenza Viruses, Robert G. Mclean, Jeffrey S. Hall, Alan B. Franklin, Heather Sullivan, Kaci Vandalen, Susan Shriner, Matthew Farnsworth, Paul Oesterle, Ginger Young, Jenny Carlson, Kacy Cobble, Stacey Elmore, Ted Anderson, Sean Hauser, Kevin Bentler, Nicole Mooers, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Tom Deliberto, Seth Swafford

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

All subtypes of influenza Type A viruses infect wild birds, especially waterfowl and shorebirds, but rarely cause disease or mortality in these aquatic species. Aquatic birds are the natural reservoirs for low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAI) that are distributed globally. However, some AI subtypes can be virulent in other animals and humans and some highly pathogenic AI viruses (HPAI) have caused major outbreaks in poultry and even pandemics in the human population. The emergence of a HPAl H5N1 subtype in southeast Asian poultry in 1997 subsequently involved migratory waterfowl in 2005 and has since spread westward throughout the Asian, …