Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of The Tailoring Steps In Pradimicin Biosynthesis, Kandy L. Napan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research focused on the investigation of the late steps in the biosynthetic pathway of the novel antifungal and antiviral pradimicins A-C. Pradimicins were first isolated from the soil bacterium Actinomadura hibisca. These bioactive molecules are assembled by a type II polyketide biosynthetic pathway. Although the biosynthetic gene cluster of pradimicin has been identified, the functions of the biosynthetic genes and how they work collaboratively to form the final structures of pradimicins remain unknown. This research aims to functionally characterize the enzymes involved in the late steps of the biosynthetic route.

The early biosynthetic steps of pradimicins have been …

Barriers To Health Care Access For Refugees In Cache County, Utah, Michael Timo Hoggard

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The United States has a rich history of resettling refugees. The United States resettled hundreds of thousands of refugees at the conclusion of World War II, and has resettled more than 3 million refugees since 1975 (Refugee Council USA, 2016). A refugee is a forcibly displaced person who will not or cannot return to their country of origin because of fear of physical harm or persecution (United Nations, 1951). Refugees are distinct from other forms of immigrants in many ways: refugees do not choose their country for resettlement, they receive government assistance upon arrival, their residency and work permits are …

Perceived Alzheimer's Disease Threat As A Predictor Of Behavior Change To Lower Disease Risk: The Gray Matters Study, Christine Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health concern with an estimated five million Americans currently afflicted. That number is projected to triple by 2050 as the baby boomer generation approaches age 65, the most common age where people begin to show symptoms of cognitive decline stemming from changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s. Since there is currently no cure or preventive pharmacological treatment, AD prevention research is now recognized as an important enterprise. Modifiable lifestyle factors that can reduce AD risk or delay its onset have been identified as reasonable targets for behavioral intervention, including increased physical activity, healthier …

A Spatiotemporal Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Model Predicting Severity, Cycle Period, And Invasion Speed, Jacob P. Duncan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus ponderosae), a tree-killing bark beetle, has historically been part of the normal disturbance regime in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests. In recent years, warm winters and summers have allowed MPB populations to achieve synchronous emergence and successful attacks, resulting in widespread population outbreaks and resultant tree mortality across western North America. We develop an age-structured forest demographic model that incorporates temperature-dependent MPB infestations: the Susceptible-Infested-Juvenile (SIJ) model. Stability of equilibria is analyzed as a function of population growth rates, and indicates the existence of periodic outbreaks that intensify as growth rates …

Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationship Study, And Mode Of Action Study Of 1,4-Naphthoquinone Based Anticancer And Antimicrobial Agents, Jaya P. Shrestha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The first three projects involve the synthesis and the mode of action study of 1,4-naphthoquinone based anticancer agents. These anticancer agents are highly potent against a wide range of cancer cell lines. These compounds showed ~8-fold selectivity towards the lung cancer cell line than the normal cell line. We also studied the mode of action and observed that generation of reactive oxygen species is the primary mode of action.

The final project involves the synthesis of multi-cationic antimicrobial agents. These compounds are active against both bacteria and fungi. These compounds are very easy to synthesize and can be scaled up …

“One Health” Or Three? Publication Silos Among The One Health Disciplines, Kezia R. Manlove, Josephine G. Walker, Meggan E. Craft, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Maxwell B. Joseph, Ryan S. Miller, Pauline Nol, Kelly A. Patyk, Daniel O'Brien, Daniel P. Walsh, Paul C. Cross

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The One Health initiative is a global effort fostering interdisciplinary collaborations to address challenges in human, animal, and environmental health. While One Health has received considerable press, its benefits remain unclear because its effects have not been quantitatively described. We systematically surveyed the published literature and used social network analysis to measure interdisciplinarity in One Health studies constructing dynamic pathogen transmission models. The number of publications fulfilling our search criteria increased by 14.6% per year, which is faster than growth rates for life sciences as a whole and for most biology subdisciplines. Surveyed publications clustered into three communities: one used …

Latina/O Adolescents' Funds Of Knowledge Related To Engineering, Amy Wilson-Lopez, Joel Alejandro Mejia, Indhira María Hasbún, G. Sue Kasun

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Background: According to a growing body of research, many Latinas/os experience dissonance between their everyday cultural practices and the cultural practices prevalent in engineering. This dissonance contributes to many Latinas/os' sense that engineering is “not for me.”

Purpose: This study sought to explore the meaning in the relationship between engineering cultural practices and the funds of knowledge found in Latina/o adolescents' familial, community, and recreational settings.

Design/Method: This ethnographic study followed seven groups of Latina/o adolescents as they identified problems in their communities and solved them through engineering design processes. Using a modified form of constant comparative analysis, we analyzed …

The Utah Statesman, February 29, 2016, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Concentration And Ratio Of Essential Fatty Acids Influences The Inflammatory Response In Lipopolysaccharide Challenged Mice, Korry J. Hintze, J. Tawzer, Robert E. Ward

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of both the % of dietary, 18-carbon PUFA (2.5%, 5% and 10%) and the n-6:n-3 ratio (1:1, 10:1 and 20:1) on the acute inflammatory response. Mice were fed diets for 8 weeks and injected intraperitoneally with LPS to induce acute inflammation. After 24. h mice were sacrificed and plasma cytokines measured. Diets significantly affected the erythrocyte PUFA composition and the effect of PUFA ratio was more prominent than of PUFA concentration. The % dietary PUFA affected feed efficiency (p

Good Agricultural Practices (Gap): Certification Basics, Tiffany Maughan, Dan Drost, Shawn Olsen, Brent Black

All Current Publications

This publication provides guidelines for for agriculture producers to obtain GAP certification.

Use Of A Mouse Model To Evaluate The Effect Of Statins On The Immune Response To An Influenza Virus Vaccine, Calvin Olsen, Bart Tarbet

Biology Posters

Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs that have shown a profound effect on human health by reducing cardiovascular disease. However, two recent publications in the Journal of Infectious Diseases showed that statin use had a negative impact on the influenza vaccine response in elderly individuals [1, 2]. We propose to evaluate the immune response following vaccination in mice undergoing statin treatment. An initial study will determine the therapeutic window for statin treatment of mice fed a lipid-enriched diet. From the literature this window is expected to be between 21-28 days. That therapeutic window will be used for evaluation of the immune …

Cultivate Spring/Summer 2016, Utah State University

Cultivate Magazine

No abstract provided.

Lack Of Human Awareness And The Need For Increased Public Education Regarding The Zoonotic Parasite, Baylisascaris Procyonis, Jacob L. Ogdee, Scott E. Henke, David B. Wester

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Baylisascaris procyonis is a large parasitic nematode found in the small intestines of raccoons (Procyon lotor), the definitive host, and causes larva migrans in humans and other animals. Humans can become infected by ingesting B. procyonis eggs, which can remain viable in the environment for years and adhere to vegetation, soil, water, raccoon feces, or hands. Parasitic infections manifest in humans with neural and ocular larva migrans, characterized by clinical symptoms of head and body tilt, circling, recumbency, ataxia, blindness, nervous behavior, paralysis, and coma, leading to death. Prevalence of B. procyonis in humans is unknown. However, human …

A Benefit-Cost Analysis Decision Framework For Mitigation Of Disease Transmission At The Wildlife–Livestock Interface, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Steven J. Sweeney, Julie L. Elser, Ryan S. Miller, Matthew L. Farnsworth, Pauline Nol, Steven S. Shwiff, Aaron M. Anderson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The economics of managing disease transmission at the wildlife–livestock interface have received heightened attention as agricultural and natural resource agencies struggle to tackle growing risks to animal health. In the fiscal landscape of increased scrutiny and shrinking budgets, resource managers seek to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of disease mitigation efforts. To address this issue, a benefit-cost analysis decision framework was developed to help users make informed choices about whether and how to target disease management efforts in wildlife and livestock populations. Within the context of this framework, we examined the conclusions of a bene� t-cost analysis conducted …

The Utah Statesman, December 10, 2015, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Intrastate And Interstate Travel Requirements For Horses, Karl Hoopes, Barry Pittman, Cody James

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the requirements for transporting horses within Utah and to other states.

The Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Favipiravir Protects Guinea Pigs From Lethal Lassa Virus Infection Post-Disease Onset, David Safronetz, Kyle Rosenke, Jonna B. Westover, Cynthia Martellaro, Atsushi Okumura, Yousuke Furuta, Joan Geisbert, Greg Saturday, Takashi Komeno, Thomas W. Geisbert, Heinz Feldmann, Brian B. Gowen

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

With up to 500,000 infections annually, Lassa virus (LASV), the cause of Lassa fever, is one of the most prevalent etiological agents of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans. LASV is endemic in several West African countries with sporadic cases and prolonged outbreaks observed most commonly in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Additionally several cases of Lassa fever have been imported into North America, Europe and Asia making LASV a global threat to public health. Despite this, currently no approved therapeutic or vaccine exists to treat or prevent LASV infections. Here, using a passaged strain of LASV that is …

The Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Favipiravir Protects Guinea Pigs From Lethal Lassa Virus Infection Post-Disease Onset, David Safronetz, Kyle Rosenke, Cynthia Martellaro, Heinz Feldmann, Jonna B. Westover, Brian B. Gowen, Atsushi Okumura, Yousuke Furuta, Takashi Komeno, Greg Saturday, Joan Geisbert, Thomas W. Geisbert

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

With up to 500,000 infections annually, Lassa virus (LASV), the cause of Lassa fever, is one of the most prevalent etiological agents of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans. LASV is endemic in several West African countries with sporadic cases and prolonged outbreaks observed most commonly in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Additionally several cases of Lassa fever have been imported into North America, Europe and Asia making LASV a global threat to public health. Despite this, currently no approved therapeutic or vaccine exists to treat or prevent LASV infections. Here, using a passaged strain of LASV that is …

Calibration Of Neon's Airborne Imaging Spectrometers, Nathan Leisso, Joe Boardman, Thomas Kampe

The Characterization and Radiometric Calibration for Remote Sensing Annual Meeting (CALCON)

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental-scale ecological observation facility currently under construction by the National Science Foundation (NSF). NEON’s mission is to enable understanding and forecasting of the impacts of land-use change and invasive species by providing the infrastructure and consistent methodologies for the collection of continental-scale ecological data. The Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) will play a unique role in scaling individual in-situ measurements collected by NEON to those collected by external satellite-based remote sensing systems. The airborne payload consists of the NEON Imaging Spectrometer (NIS), a waveform LIDAR, and a high-resolution digital camera integrated into a …

Large Wildlife Removal Drives Immune Defence Increases In Rodents, Hillary S. Young, Rodolfo Dirzo, Kristofer M. Helgen, Douglas J. Mccauley, Charles L. Nunn, Paul Snyder, Kari E. Veblen, Serena Zhao, Vanessa O. Ezenwa

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Anthropogenic disturbances involving land use change, climate disruption, pollution and invasive species have been shown to impact immune function of wild animals. These immune changes have direct impacts on the fitness of impacted animals and, also, potentially indirect effects on other species and on ecological processes, notably involving the spread of infectious disease. Here, we investigate whether the selective loss of large wildlife can also drive changes in immune function of other consumer species.
2. Using a long-standing large-scale exclosure experiment in East Africa, we investigated the effects of selective removal of large wildlife on multiple measures of immune function in …

Utah State Magazine, Fall 2015, Utah State University

Utah State Magazine

The quarterly magazine for friends and alumni of Utah State University.

Virulence Evolution Of Fungal Pathogens In Social And Solitary Bees With An Emphasis On Multiple Infections, Ellen G. Klinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The health of pollinators, especially bees, is of the utmost importance to success of many agricultural ecosystems. Microorganisms can cause diseases in bees; such microbes are pathogenic. The ability of a pathogen to cause harm to its host (such as a bee) is termed its virulence. Studying the evolution of different levels of virulence can lead researchers to a better understanding of pathogens, and potentially predict how much harm a pathogen can cause in the future. We studied the evolution of virulence levels for a fungal disease of bees. This group of fungi is composed of 28 species, and some …

Effect Of Aggregation At A Winter Feeding Station On Intestinal Parasite Load In Elk (Cervus Canadensis), Morgan Jaromilla Hughes

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Winter feeding stations are used throughout the western US to reduce elk depredation of crops and haystacks on private lands. Many of the unintended effects of such artificial congregation remain unexamined, but generally, across species, locally increased host densities result in increased parasite loads. This adds physiological stress to individual animals and in game species such as elk it could reduce their value to sportsmen. Through laboratory analyses of fresh samples, we recorded nematode egg densities in elk feces collected during two periods ( early and late) in the supplementary feeding season. Mean nematode egg density remained fairly constant in …

The Effects Of Zno Nanoparticles On Egg, Larva, And Adult Rough-Skinned Newts (Taricha Granulosa), Austin Reid Spence

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on egg, larva, and adult rough-skinned newts, Taricha granulosa. To date, little research has been done to investigate the potentially detrimental effects of nanoparticles on amphibians, especially salamanders and newts (caudates). Chronic toxicity was tested on eggs and larvae, and acute toxicity was tested on eggs, larvae, and adults. For eggs, chronic exposure to ZnO nanoparticles caused higher mortality at 10.0 and 100.0 mg/L compared to 0.0, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/L. When given an acute exposure (24h) to nanoparticles at a late incubation stage, …

Meta-Analysis On Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Between Humans And Non-Human Primates, Madalyn R. Page

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Due to genetic similarity, non-human primates are often the focus of zoonotic infectious disease research. The objective of zoonotic disease research can vary depending upon whether the study is focusing on human health or the health of wild non-human primate populations. Research with non-human primates is often associated with their use in medical laboratories for the benefit of human health. However, other studies focus on both the health of wild non-human primate populations and human interactions. This study reviews zoonotic disease research published in three main primatology journals: American Journal of Primatology, International Journal of Primatology, and Primates. …

Increasing Vaccine Accessibility Through Cost Alternative Manufacturing And Elimination Of The Cold Chain, Jorgen Madsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Millions of people die each year from infectious diseases. This is partly due to the difficulty of transporting temperature dependent vaccines through what is called the cold chain in developing countries. I hypothesize that we can increase vaccine accessibility by finding cost effective alternatives to vaccine production and by eliminating the cold chain through vaccine stabilizers. The gold standard in purification of influenza virus is by means of ultracentrifugation. Although effective, this process is very expensive and thus impractical for developing countries. I hypothesize that column chromatography can be a cost efficient alternative that is as effective as ultracentrifugation. The …

Synthesis Of Fluorogenic Probes For Studying Biomass Degradation And Synthesis Of New Antifungal Aminoglycosides, Qian Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For the first project, a library of fifteen commercially purchased and synthetic fluorogenic probes were employed for the investigation of biomass degradation using extract of white-rot fungi. These discoveries prove that it is possible to employ fungi for selective degradation or release of hemicelluloses from biomass. This work is supported by Sun Grant Western Regional Center/DOT "Bioprospecting for Enzymes to Break Lignin-Hemicellulose Bond" ($300,000,09/01/2011-08/31/2013)

The second project is focused on synthesizing new aminoglycoside analogs and exploring the potential to revive traditional antibacterial kanamycin as new type of antifungal agents. Although aminoglycosides antibiotics are mainly used as antibacterial agents, this project …

Development Of Genetic Goat And Hamster Models Of Atrial Fibrillation And Long Qt Syndrome; And Genetic Hamster Models Of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Dane A. Rasmussen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and long QT syndrome (LQTS) are potentially lethal heart rhythm disorders that can be caused by mutations in the potassium channel gene KCNQ1. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral infection with the potential to replicate the devastating effects of the SARS outbreak in 2003. All three of these diseases are in need of genetic animal models.

To address these needs, my thesis project focused on the development of genetic goat and hamster models of AF and LQTS, and genetic hamster models of MERS. Because of the goat’s similar organ size/physiology and the hamster’s similar lipid …

Rift Valley Fever Virus Infection In Golden Syrian Hamsters, Dionna Scharton, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Kevin W. Bailey, Zachary Vest, Jonna B. Westover, Venkatraman Siddharthan, Brian B. Gowen

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a formidable pathogen that causes severe disease and abortion in a variety of livestock species and a range of disease in humans that includes hemorrhagic fever, fulminant hepatitis, encephalitis and blindness. The natural transmission cycle involves mosquito vectors, but exposure can also occur through contact with infected fluids and tissues. The lack of approved antiviral therapies and vaccines for human use underlies the importance of small animal models for proof-of-concept efficacy studies. Several mouse and rat models of RVFV infection have been well characterized and provide useful systems for the study of certain aspects …

Impact Of Detergent On The Biophysical Properties And Immune Response Of The Ipadb Fusion Protein, A Candidate Subunit Vaccine Against Shigella Spp., X. Chen, S. P. Choudhari, F. J. Martinez-Becerra, J. H. Kim, N. E. Dickenson, R. T. Toth, S. B. Joshi, J. C. Greenwood, J. D. Clements, W. D. Picking, C. R. Middaugh, W. L. Picking

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Shigella spp. are causative agents of bacillary dysentery, a human illness with high global morbidity levels, particularly among elderly and infant populations. Shigella infects via the fecal-oral route, and its virulence is dependent upon a type III secretion system (T3SS). Two components of the exposed needle tip complex of the Shigella T3SS, invasion plasmid antigen D (IpaD) and IpaB, have been identified as broadly protective antigens in the mouse lethal pneumonia model. A recombinant fusion protein (DB fusion) was created by joining the coding sequences of IpaD and IpaB. The DB fusion is coexpressed with IpaB's cognate chaperone, IpgC, for …