Digital Commons Network^™

Dogs For Reducing Wildlife Damage To Organic Crops: A Case Study, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan W. Seward, Daniel L. Hirchert, Michael L. Jones, Scott F. Beckerman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Deer (Odocoileus spp.) damage millions of dollars in agricultural crops each year in the United States. A variety of frightening devices and repellants have been developed to reduce crop depredation, however most are effective temporarily (< 6 months). Several types of fences are available, but the most effective are expensive, time consuming to install, and may be considered aesthetically displeasing. Additional means to control wildlife damage to agriculture are needed. We evaluated the efficacy of dogs (Canis familiaris) over a several year period for preventing crop damage caused by white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) and other wildlife at an organic fruit and vegetable farm in south-central Wisconsin. Annual losses at the farm before the introduction of dogs were estimated at $3,177 in 1997 and $4,391 in 1999. One field was protected with 2 crop protection …

Wildlife Master Volunteers: A Multi-County Approach To Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Daniel L. Einarsen, Tom Mason, Deryl E. Waldren, Ray T. Sterner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Wildlife Master (WM) Program in Colorado was modeled after the highly successful Master Gardener volunteer program. In 10 highly populated suburban counties with large rural areas surrounding the Denver Metro Area, Colorado State University (CSU) Cooperative Extension Natural Resources agents train, supervise and manage these volunteers in the identification, referral, and resolution of wildlife damage issues. High quality, research-based training is provided by university faculty and other professionals in public health, animal damage control, wildlife management and animal behavior. Inquiries are responded to mainly via telephone. Calls by concerned residents are forwarded to WMs who provide general information about …

Hunters----Can They Do The Job?, Paul D. Curtis, David Drake, Jody Enck, Gary J. San Julian, David Taylor

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herds at the landscape scale is increasingly difficult. The future of eastern hardwood forests is threatened by inadequate regeneration of valuable timber species, due in large measure to deer browsing. In the northeast, deer damage to crops, landscaping, and vehicles costs more than 640 million dollars annually. Nationally, hunter ranks are decreasing. In the east, white-tailed deer numbers are increasing; state wildlife agencies have expanded season lengths, and increased deer bag limits. While venison is still a highly prized meat, the average hunting family wants to use about 2 deer per year. …

Assessment Of Texas Medical Providers Concerning Rabies Vaccines, Denise M. Ruffino, Scott E. Henke

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Rabies is an important zoonotic disease in Texas and thousands of people each year either request or require rabies prophylaxis because they have 'high risk ' jobs or are exposed to the disease. After experiencing difficulty in receiving rabies prophylaxis from physicians, we conducted a survey of Texas medical providers to assess their knowledge of rabies vaccine procedures and their experience with rabies vaccines. Most providers in Texas (>95% of 297) rarely saw patients for rabies prophylaxis; therefore, providers have minimal, if any, experience with the procedures of acquiring and administering the vaccine. Providers varied greatly in their responses …

Monitoring Racoon Rabies In Alabama: The Potential Effects Of Habitat And Demographics, Wendy M. Arjo, Christine E. Fisher, James Armstrong, Dana Johnson, Frank Boyd

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Density, morphometrics, and disease prevalence of raccoon populations were determined in 4 habitats (agriculture, riverine, managed, and forested) in central Alabama. In addition we monitored 71 collared raccoons to determine survival. Density estimates were similar in the agriculture (ag) and riverine habitats in central Alabama with 8 raccoons/km², and lower in the forested habitat at 5 raccoons/ km². Retention of juveniles did not appear to contribute to observed higher populations in the riverine and ag habitat. Although the riverine and ag, possibly due to supplemental resources, likely provide better habitat for raccoons, we found only body …

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Colony Dynamics In South Dakota Over A 10-Year Period, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Howard P. Tietjen, James F. Glahn, Greg L. Schenbeck, Jean Bourassa

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Between 1968 and 1978, aerial photography was used to monitor distribution of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies on a 400-square mile area in South Dakota, including parts of Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and Badlands National Monument (now Badlands National Park). Aerial photographs were taken of the study area in 1968 and annually from 1974 through 1978 at a scale of 1:20,000 (1968) and 1:15,840 (1974-1978). Prairie dog colonies were identified on the photographs, outlined, and the outline transferred to USGS topographic maps for colony size measurements. This technique reliably detected changes in prairie …

Evaluation Of A New Strategy For Control Of Bovine Tuberculosis In Michigan White-Tailed Deer: Year 1 Progress Report, Stephen Schmitt, Daniel O'Brien, Elaine Carlson, David Smith, Zachary Cooley, Brent Rudolph, Graham Hickling, Graham Nugent, Peter Butchko

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The State of Michigan is striving to eliminate bovine tuberculosis (Tb) infection among free-ranging white-tailed deer in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of the state. Aggressive reduction in the overall deer population abundance may help to further reduce TB prevalence, but this course of action is unacceptable to many hunters and landowners. Targeted culling of sick deer would likely be far more acceptable to these stakeholders, so in the winter of 2003 the Michigan Department of Natural Resources pilot-trialed a new strategy based on live-trapping and Tb-testing of wild deer. The field study was conducted in a township with relatively high …

The Eradication Of Bovine Tuberculosis From Infected Wildlife Populations: A New Zealand Scenario, Garry J.E. Knowles, Mark Hunter, Amy Rush

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Animal Health Board (AHB) is the agency responsible for controlling bovine tuberculosis (Tb) in New Zealand. In 2000, the AHB embarked on a strategy designed to reduce the annual period prevalence of Tb infected cattle and farmed deer herds from 1.67% to 0.2% by 2012/13. Under current rules of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) this would allow New Zealand to claim freedom from Tb. The epidemiology of Tb in New Zealand is largely influenced by wildlife reservoirs of infection and control of Tb vector populations is central to the elimination of Tb from New Zealand's cattle and deer …

Preliminary Serologic Survey Of Selected Diseases And Movements Of Feral Swine In Texas, A. Christy Wyckoff, Scott E. Henke, Tyler Campbell, David G. Hewitt, Kurt Vercauteren

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) populations occur throughout eastern, central, and southern Texas, and their populations appear to be increasing. Despite their abundance and wide distribution, little is known about their range and interaction with domestic animals. In the last decade the national pork production industry has enforced an eradication program for economically detrimental swine diseases such as pseudorabies and brucellosis. It is hypothesized that feral hogs can be reservoirs that could reintroduce diseases to disease-free domestic swine herds. The objectives of this on-going project are to determine the prevalence of selected swine diseases that exist within feral hog …

Use Of Deer Repellents To Preserve Wildlife Food Plots For Game Birds, Wendy M. Arjo, Kimberly K. Wagner, Chad D. Richardson, Dale L. Nolte

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Food plots are a vital element for the survival of game bird species such as bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) on Fort Riley Military Installation in Kansas. However, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) tend to eat the sorghum when it starts to ripen in September and continue feeding on it through November and December, often leaving no food for the quail during the winter. We conducted pen and field trails to determine if repellents were an effective and feasible method to protect grain sorghum food plots from deer damage. Two-choice pen trials with both deer and game bird …

Badger Movement Ecology In Colorado Agricultural Areas After A Fire, Craig A. Ramey, Jean B. Bourassa

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

While investigating the American badger (Taxidea taxus) in eastern Colorado' s wheatlands, we studied 3 badgers which were affected by a 2.1 km² man-made fire and compared them to 2 adjacent badgers unaffected by the fire. All badgers were equipped with radio-telemetry collars and generally located day and night for approximately 1 month pre-fire and 3 weeks post-fire. Three point triangulation locations were converted into a global information system database. Adaptive kernel analyses compared pre- and post-fire horizontal: home ranges (i.e. 95% utilization areas, UAs), core activity areas (50% UAs), movements, den and habitat use patterns. Mean …

Development Of Diazacon™ As An Avian Contraceptive, Christi A. Yoder, Kimberly S. Bynum, Lowell A. Miller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Due to increasing human-wildlife conflicts with birds and growing opposition to lethal techniques, nonlethal methods need to be developed to help manage bird populations. DiazaCon™ is a promising oral contraceptive that acts by directly inhibiting the conversion of desmosterol to cholesterol. Because cholesterol is essential for the production of the steroid reproductive hormones testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol, DiazaCon™ also indirectly inhibits the formation of these hormones. These hormones are essential for sperm and egg production, and the production of egg yolk precursors in the liver. Because DiazaCon™ is cleared slowly from the liver, its contraceptive effects are long-lasting. Initial research …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, May 2, 2005, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• University Business
• Update on searches
• Consent Agenda
• Information Item
• Promotion Advisory Committee Proposal
• Advance Update
• Key Issues and Action Items

Insights, Spring, 2005, Utah State University

Discovery Magazine

Bi-annual alumni newsletter for the College of Science of Utah State University in Logan.

In-Situ Monitoring Of Solid Fat Content By Means Of P-Nmr And Ultrasonics, Silvana Martini, Constantin Bertoli, Maria Lidia Herrera, Ian Neeson, Alejandro Marangoni

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

An ultrasonic technique was developed to study the crystallization process of edible fats on-line. A chirp wave was used instead of the conventional pulser signal, thus achieving a higher signal-to-noise ratio. This enabled measurements to be made in concentrated systems [≈20% solid fat content (SFC)] through a 8.11-cm thick sample without significant signal loss. Fat samples were crystallized at 20, 25, and 30°C at a constant agitation rate of 400 rpm for 90 min. The crystallization process was followed by ultrasonic spectroscopy and a low-resolution pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. Specific relationships were found between ultrasonic parameters [integrated response, time …

The Effect Of Wildfire On Populations Of The Jemez Mountains Salamander (Plethodon Neomexicanus) With Consideration To Arthropod Prey Availability Following The Cerro Grande Fire Of Northern New Mexico, Michelle R. Cummer

Biology

Fire regimes in North America, including the American Southwest, have undergone relatively dramatic shifts in the last century, resulting in novel stand-replacing fires that are changing landscapes in unprecedented ways. Some possible effects of these novel landscape changes on a terrestrial plethodontid salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus) were investigated. Microhabitat temperatures in four burn-severity types following recent fires were measured. Temperatures were significantly greater in high-severity and moderate-severity burn areas than in low-severity and unburned areas. Salamander presence/absence data from four burn-severity types that were documented as having salamanders prior to wildfire are considered. The proportions of presence and absence …

Physiological And Molecular Genetic Mechanisms Of Tetrodotoxin Resistance In The Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis, Shana L. Geffeney

Biology

The focus of this project was the identification of physiological and molecular genetic mechanisms of tetrodotoxin resistance in the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis. Tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin, specifically blocks the activity of voltage-gated sodium channels. Some populations of garter snake have evolved geographically variable resistance to tetrodotoxin in a coevolutionary arms race with their tetrodotoxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha. Variation in tetrodotoxin resistance among snake populations is extreme and spans three orders of magnitude. Here I describe a physiological mechanism of whole-animal tetrodotoxin resistance in four populations of snake that represent two independent evolutionary origins of …

Alternative Futures For The Bear River Watershed, Bioregional Planning Program, Department Of Environmental Society, College Of Natural Resources, Utah State University, R. E. Toth, J. B. Baker, C. L. Bryner, J. Evans, K. E. Hinman, K. R. Kilpatrick, K. Seegmiller

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Monoclonal Antibodies That Recognize Myxobolus Cerebralis, The Causative Agent Of Whirling Disease, Carey A. Wicks

Biology

Twenty-five monoclonal antibodies produced against myxospores and triactinomyxon spores of M. cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease of salmonids, were selected in the initial screening for their reactivity to myxospores. Twelve were found to be effective and accordingly they were characterized fully for their potential as diagnostic reagents for isolated myxospores, pre-spore stages, and spores in frozen sections. Comparative detection assays using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescent assay (IFA), and immuno dot-blot were conducted. Six antibodies bound to developing stages and mature spores of the parasite. Localization of antibody binding in IFA was affirmed by electron microscopy. …

Characterization Of Cytokine Induction And Effects Of Antiviral Treatment In Four Murine Models Of Poxvirus Infection, Corinna W. Knorr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cytokine profiles during cowpox virus (CPV) strain Brighton and vaccinia virus (VV) strain Western Reserve infections were characterized in intranasal (i.n.) and intraperitoneal (i .p.) models in BALB/c mice. The time-course of induction and effects of cidofovir treatment on interferon (IFN)-γ, IFN-γ inducible protein (IP)-10, interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 were determined. The four models have distinct patterns of cytokine induction. CPV i.p. and VV i.n. infections showed increased induction throughout the time studied. CPV i.n. infection resulted in delayed induction of IFN-γ and IP-10. Cytokine levels were fairly constant during VV i.p. infections. Cidofovir treatment (100 mg/kg/day …

The Evolution Of Congress: A Citizen's Ability To Influence Politics Today, Rebecca Ashley Nudd

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

-Constitution of the United States

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus and spurred a year long political bus boycott that helped later change the U.S. Constitution. A mother with a cause rallied a million other moms to march onto Capital Hill and …

New Technologies To Determine Solid Fat Content On-Line, Silvana Martini, Maria Lidia Herrera, Alejandro Marangoni

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The determination of solid fat content (SFC) is an important analytical procedure in the food industry. The most common way to determine SFC is by low-resolution pulsed NMR (p-NMR). Although this technique is very sensitive and easy to use, it has the disadvantage that it cannot be used for on-line measurements. The present work compares new technologies to determine SFC on-line. On-line ultrasonic spectroscopy and NMR-MOUSE (NMR mobile universal surface explorer) techniques were compared with off-line p-NMR measurements and there was a good correlation between the values obtained. Ultrasonic measurements accurately described the SFC variation, whereas NMR-MOUSE determinations need to …

Attenuation Of Ultrasonic Waves: Influence Of Microstructure And Solid Fat Content, Silvana Martini, Constantin Bertoli, Maria Lidia Herrera, Ian Neeson, Alejandro Marangoni

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Ultrasonic technology can be used to monitor the crystallization of fats and determine solid fat content (SFC) online. Ultrasonic waves are attenuated as crystals form and grow, and this attenuation occurs first at higher frequencies. The attenuation of the ultrasonic signal does not depend on the induction times of crystallization of the systems, or on their thermal behavior; but it does depend on SFC and on microstructure, particularly on the crystal size. At low SFC values (≈5%), bigger crystals generate more attenuation. At intermediate SFC values (≈10%), crystal size does not affect signal attenuation and SFC is the key factor …

Constructing A Risk Controversy: The Case Of A Proposed High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository On The Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation, Taunya J. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is a qualitative case study of a risk controversy generated by a proposal to construct a high-level nuclear waste repository on the Goshute Indian reservation in rural, northwestern Utah. Using data taken from local newspapers and public hearings, I examine and compare the claims-making activity of project opponents and project proponents. I explore and analyze variability in claims making along four specific dimensions: risk communication, trust and distrust in science and technology, environmental equity, and tribal sovereignty. My analysis is intended to illuminate the sources of contention between opponent and proponent claims-making groups in this case.

Women's Substance Abuse Treatment With Supplemental Couple's Therapy: Changes In Women's Levels Of Intimacy And Autonomy In Relation To Treatment Outcomes By Treatment Modality, Charles N. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study is a secondary analysis of a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) study in which 122 women received treatment for their substance abuse problems. Three models of substance abuse treatment were administered. One included standard substance abuse treatment alone and two models included supplemental couple's therapy in addition to standard treatment. The current study examined the significance of the relationship between changes in the women's levels of intimacy and autonomy, during and after treatment, and their treatment outcomes according to the treatment modality they received.

It was hypothesized that the relationship would be significant in that levels …

Father Book Reading Behaviors And Pre-Kindergarten Emergent Literacy, Cherri H. Brooks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Conventional literacy is important for academic and life success. Emergent literacy is a precursor to conventional literacy, and parent-child book reading experiences can foster emergent literacy development. Fathers are important figures in children's development and may make important contributions to their emergent literacy development.

This study observed 179 fathers from families who participated in research evaluating the Bear River Early Head Start program. Father-child book reading was videotaped as part of a 10-minute observation session in each child 's home at 14 months, 24 months, 36 months, and pre- kindergarten (age 4 or 5). Book reading observation sessions were coded …

The Relation Between Religiosity And Late-Life Depression In A Community Sample Of Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Lynn Marie Franklin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A secondary analysis of extant data from The Cache County Study on Memory Health and Aging (CCSMHA), this study examines the association between religiosity and new-onset depression between baseline and 4-year follow-up interviews in a sample of 1,439 community-dwelling elderly members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), aged 65 to 100. Logistic regression models found that church attendance, voluntarism in religious groups, and direct experiences of God occurring more often than weekly were (statistically and practically) significantly associated with lower depression risk. No evidence was found for moderator effects of gender or prior depression history; however, …

A Needs Assessment Of Marriage And Family Therapy Approved Supervision In Utah, Daniel J. Woodbury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research presents data gathered through a needs assessment regarding approved supervision in Utah. A sample of ISO therapists in Utah gave descriptive facts about the current need for supervision in Utah as well as the number of therapists that are willing to provide supervision. Additionally, therapists that are not currently approved supervisors indicated whether or not they would be willing to become approved supervisors, what would make the designation more appealing, and what would impede them from becoming an approved supervisor. Therapists in agencies also gave information regarding how agencies currently view marriage and family therapy interns and their …

Comparisons Of Adopted And Non-Adopted Young Adults' Heterosexual Relationships, Bryan W. Winward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adoption has been seen as a good solution for providing each party involved in the traditional adoption (i.e. , young birth parents, infants, and infertile couples) with a positive outcome. Adoptions, however, are generally more complex and diverse than supposed. Variables such as age of placement, levels of abuse and neglect, and foster care have been shown to place adopted children at risk for later struggles and challenges. Research studying outcomes of adopted young adults and their formation of heterosexual relations has been very limited.

Most adoption studies have focused their attention on young school-age or teenage children, or on …

Bedroom Design And Decoration: A Context For Investigating Developmental Theory In Adolescence, Denise E. Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Most developmental theories propose reasons for behavior and changes in behavior due to influences from genetic and environmental factors. A behavioral change that occurs during development, from infancy to adulthood, is the increasing number of choices that are made. The purpose of this study was to investigate developmental theory as it relates to adolescent choice (influences, interactions, activity, preference, and acceptance) in the environment most readily controlled by adolescents, their bedrooms.

Two hundred thirty-four eighth- and ninth-grade students responded to the Adolescent Development and Environments Research Survey. The survey assessed gender, grade, pubertal status, negative/positive passive and active genotype-environment …