Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Biosynthetic Steps Of An Angucycline Antifungal, S. Gabrielle Gladstone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The species of bacterium Streptomyces sp. SCC-2136 which has the American Type Culture Collection index 55186 naturally produces two chemical compounds, labeled Sch 47554 and Sch 47555. These compounds were previously reported to posess antifungal activity. This thesis sets out to confirm the mechanism by which the bacterium produces these compounds; specifically which genes are responsible for producing the enzymes that make and shape the molecules.

The genes and enzymes that were characterized are the minimal polyketide synthase, the ketoreductase that specifically acts on the ninth carbon, the first-ring aromatase, the subsequent ring cyclase, and two oxygenases. Also elucidated …

Urban Agriculture And Small Farm Irrigation: Case Studies From Cache Valley, Utah, Tyler Pratt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The socioeconomic landscape of water in Utah is rapidly changing due to population growth, conversion of agricultural land to urban development, and increasing awareness of future water scarcity. The Utah Division of Water Resources (DWRe) forecasts that the currently developed water supplies will not be enough to provide for Utah’s future population, and is pursuing conservation and new development to be able to meet the state’s needs.

Along with the urban growth Utah is experiencing a quickly growing sector of urban and small farm agriculture, but knowledge of water use and current practices in this area is limited. Further research …

Investigation Of Solubilization, Cold Gelation, And Rennet Coagulation Properties Of Highly Concentrated Micellar Casein Concentrate For Use In Cheese Making, Ying Lu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This work demonstrated potentials to use a microfiltrated, diafiltrated, and vacuum-evaporated milk protein concentrate-highly concentrated micellar casein
concentrate (HC-MCC) for use in cheese making. Previously, ultrafiltrated milk concentrate has been used for cheese making to improve cheese yield and increase milk processing ability. However, ultrafiltrated milk contains high level of serum protein, which negatively impact cheese quality during aging. Microfiltrated milk is more suitable for cheese making with most serum proteins removed.

The project evaluated the potential of cheese making using recombined concentrated milk (RCM) by mixing HC-MCC and cream. We identify the method to solubilize …

Examining The Effects Of Caregiver Coping Strategies On Care Recipient Outcomes, Joseph S. Wanzek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dementia is a progressive syndrome with declines in cognitive and functional abilities. As the world’s population becomes increasingly older, prevalence rates are expected to increase exponentially to over 80 million affected by the year 2040. Individuals with dementia and their caregivers experience various difficulties associated with progression that increases stress for both parties. Caregiving can be burdensome and caregivers may employ a number of strategies to manage problems as they arise. Renewed interest has been focused on the care environment as one way to modify dementia progression as caregivers can be an influential person in the care recipient’s life. Two …

Effects Of A Flavonoid-Rich Diet On Gut Microbiota Composition And Production Of Trimethylamine In Human Subjects, Justin S. Bell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is a major public health concern worldwide. It has been theorized that diets rich in fruits and vegetables may be protective against the development of cardiovascular disease mainly through their high content of flavonoids. Flavonoids were thought to influence traditional risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as blood pressure, lipid profile, and systemic inflammation. Recent clinical studies have shown that this may not be the case. The production of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) by the gut microbiota from dietary sources of choline has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The objectives of this …

Relationships Between Riparian Vegetation, Hydrology, Climate And Disturbance Across The Western United States, Nathaniel Hough-Snee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Flow regime, the magnitude, duration and timing of streamflow, controls the development of floodplain landforms on which riparian vegetation communities assemble. Streamflow scours and deposits sediment, structures floodplain soil moisture dynamics, and transports propagules. Flow regime interacts with environmental gradients like climate, land-use, and biomass-removing disturbance to shape riparian plant distributions across landscapes. These gradients select for groups of riparian plant species with traits that allow them to establish, grow, and reproduce on floodplains – riparian vegetation guilds. Here I ask, what governs the distributions of groups of similar riparian plant species across landscapes? To answer this question, I identify …

Soil Nutrient Cycling And Water Use In Response To Orchard Floor Management In Stone-Fruit Orchards In The Intermountain West, Catherine Mae Culumber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An organic peach orchard trial evaluated the effectiveness of different organic management approaches to enhance soil quality and conserve water without compromise to fruit tree growth and fertility. Two tree-row treatments: ‘straw mulch’ (Triticum aestivum L.) and ‘living mulch’ (Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.) were tested in combination with two alleyway groundcovers: ‘grass’ (Festuca rubra L. with Lolium perenne L.) and a legume, ‘Birdsfoot trefoil’ (Lotus corniculatus L.). The novel treatments were compared with tillage and weed fabric tree-rows with grass alleyways. After mowing, cuttings from the trefoil alleyway were deposited into tree-rows, which provided additional N …

Identifying And Reducing Risk Of The Female Athlete Triad In Division I Athletes, Jennifer Day

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Physically active females, or female athletes, are at risk for the condition known as the female athlete triad (Triad). The Triad is made up of three components that are distinctly separate, but intertwined: consuming inadequate energy for how much they are exercising, poor bone health, and problems with their menstrual periods. When female athletes don’t consume enough energy for how much they exercise, there can be hormonal imbalances, causing the body to conserve energy from some important functions including menstruation, and increased bone turnover resulting in a higher risk of stress fractures and early osteoporosis. Female athletes at risk for …

Rhizosphere Interactions Between Copper Oxide Nanoparticles And Wheat Root Exudates In A Sand Matrix; Influences On Bioavailability And Uptake, Paul Mcmanus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) are extremely small particles (less than 1 nm in one or more dimension, or one billionth (10^-9) of a meter) used in a diverse range of industries. They have been shown to travel through water systems, and like pharmaceuticals, can end up in wastewater treatment plants and then be land applied as biosolids, where crops are grown for animal consumption, potentially leading to food chain accumulation.

Cu is an essential micronutrient for plants, but is phytotoxic at higher concentrations. CuO NPs present an increasingly real environmental threat to agriculture in soils treated with …

Stable Isotopes And The Ecology And Physiology Of Reptiles, Andrew M. Durso

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When animals don’t have enough food, they have to “choose” between “spending” their limited energy on themselves or on their offspring. Biologists think that reptiles can make this choice quickly in response to different environments. But, it can be hard to study these choices because it is hard to convert between, for example, the number of eggs laid and the speed of healing a wound. By using stable isotope chemistry, we can collect more detailed and comparable information about how lizards and other animals spend their limited resources than with any other method. For example, lizards in the wild have …

Revegetation Of Bulrushes Bolboschoenus Maritimus, Schoenoplectus Acutus, And S. Americanus In Great Salt Lake Wetlands: Seed Biology And Influence Of Environmental Factors On Rhizomes, James Marty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A primary goal of ecological restoration is to establish desirable plant species. This goal is particularly important following the removal of invasive plants. Understanding biological characteristics of plant species important to revegetation is crucial to plant establishment. In the globally important Great Salt Lake (GSL) wetlands, native habitat-forming bulrushes Bolboschoenus maritimus, Schoenoplectus acutus, and S. americanus are frequently displaced by the invasive grass Phragmites australis. Bulrush seeds require very specific germination conditions and are also dormant, therefore they do not germinate consistently even when exposed to appropriate germination conditions. Additionally, wetland environments are often associated with water …

Crystallization Behavior Of Waxes, Sarbojeet Jana

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) has no longer GRAS status. However, PHO is one of the important ingredients in bakery and confectionary industry and therefore the food industry is seeking for an alternative fat to replace PHO. Waxes have shown promise to fulfill that demand because of its easy availability and cheap in price. Waxes with high melting points (> 40 °C) help in the crystallization process when mixed with low melting point oils. A crystalline network is formed in this wax/oil crystallization process where liquid oil is entrapped in wax crystal network. A new material is formed which is neither …

Salt Tolerance Of Forage Kochia, Gardner's Saltbush, And Halogeton: Studies In Hydroponic Culture, Joseph Sagers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus) is a halophytic, invasive species that displaces Gardner’s saltbush (Atriplex gardneri) on saline rangelands. Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata) is a potential species to rehabilitate these ecosystems. This study compared the salinity tolerance of these species and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Plants were evaluated for 28 days in hydroponics where they were maintained at 0, 150, 200, 300, 400, 600, and 800 mM NaCl. Shoot growth and ion accumulation were determined. Alfalfa and tall wheatgrass were severely affected by salt with both species’ shoot …

Family And Consumer Sciences Teacher Needs Assessment Of A Stem-Enhanced Food And Nutrition Sciences Curriculum, Cathy A. Merrill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has long taught abstract science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts in contextualized settings. In 2014, a new CTE Food and Nutrition Sciences curriculum was written by a pilot group of CTE family and consumer sciences teachers, enhancing the STEM education teaching opportunities available in a food and nutrition course. This study is a teacher needs assessment of the implementation of the new STEM-enhanced curriculum.

The curriculum objectives were measured for perceived importance and self-perceived ability to teach by the teachers. Curriculum feedback, educational background and general demographics were also gathered. The curriculum objectives data …

An Economic Analysis Of Factors Affecting Pre-Weaned Dairy Calf Growth And Profit Optimization In Dairy Calf Operations, Vincent T. Hess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was an extension of a study submitted in April 2014 by Sheldon D. Holt entitled “Ambient Temperature, Calf Intakes, and Weight Gains on Preweaned Dairy Calves”.

A major component in a profitable dairy operation is the raising of female calves as replacement heifers; but since no direct income is generated by calf raising alone, it is often overlooked as a potential profit area on a dairy farm. Calf management practices that ultimately impact milk productivity and reproductive performance during a heifer’s lifetime begin at birth. This study examines the effect of calf starter intake on calf growth, measuring …

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 …

Staff Interactions And Affect In Persons With Dementia: An Observational Study Of A Memory Care Unit, Keirstin V. Meyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is estimated that the number of people in the United States living with dementia in 2015 will nearly triple by the year 2050. With no cure for dementia, we are faced with providing care in a way that maximizes well-being. The majority of prior research focused on the best ways to reduce behavioral problems and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to increase knowledge about the social influences on well-being in persons with dementia, particularly from staff in residential memory care units. This study found that the most common interaction type from …

Anaerobic Hydrogen And Methane Production From Dairy Processing Waste: Experiment And Modeling, Jianming Zhong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dairy processing waste (DPW) is the waste produced from manufacturing dairy products: cheese, yogurt, ice cream, milk, butter, etc. DPW is high in chemical oxygen demand (COD) due to its lactose, fat and protein content, and therefore needs to be appropriately treated. An investigation was conducted to produce energy (hydrogen and methane) from DPW by anaerobic digestion. This project developed an effective engineering method for stable methane production from DPW without adding pH control chemicals. This study also explored the optimal operational condition for hydrogen production from DPW. We further built a mathematical model to help us monitor and predict …

Effects Of Thermosonication On Microbial Population Reduction And Solubility Index In Skim Milk Powder, Nicola F. Beatty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thermosonication has been researched as a means to improve shelf life, quality, and functional properties in dairy products. This study explored the effects of thermosonication on the inactivation of Geobacillus stearothermophilus in concentrated skim milk as a function of total solids content, temperature, and time and investigated changes in the solubility of the skim milk. Results showed thermosonication had an increased bactericidal effect on both vegetative cells and spores as compared to heat treatment alone without affecting solubility. A model was developed using response surface analysis showing that log reductions produced by thermosonication can be predicted based on a polynomial …

The Demography And Determinants Of Population Growth In Utah Moose (Alces Alces Shirasi), Joel S. Ruprecht

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Moose (Alces alces) occur widely in northern regions of the world. Across their distribution, the species is considered to be of high intrinsic, ecological and recreational value. Populations of moose along their southern range limit in North America have shown erratic population dynamics in recent decades including severe numeric declines in some areas. Moose in Utah belong to the Shiras subspecies, which is a relatively understudied population segment. Additionally, moose in Utah represent the southernmost naturally occurring moose populations worldwide. Concerns over possible declines and a paucity of baseline data on moose within the state prompted the Utah …

Greater Sage-Grouse Vital Rate And Habitat Use Response To Landscape Scale Habitat Manipulations And Vegetation Micro-Sites In Northwestern Utah, Charles P. Sandford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) has been a species of conservation concern since the early 20^th century. The decline of populations has largely been attributed to loss and degradation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. To contribute to the knowledge of sage-grouse ecology and quantify the effectiveness of landscape scale habitat manipulations intended to benefit sage-grouse, I monitored habitat use and vital-rates (i.e., nest and brood success) of 45 sage-grouse females in the Box Ender Sage-Grouse Management Area (SGMA) in northwestern Utah. Using telemetry locations of sage-grouse females with known nest and brood fates, I generated …

What In A Good Cause Men May Both Dare And Venture, Karen Schwarze

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this thesis, I present a short story in the historical fiction genre. I researched the plight of Bavarian schoolteachers during the 1848 revolution and integrated this historical information into the story. The Cultural Minister at the time, Karl von Abel, had instituted strict measures against schoolteachers. For example, they were forbidden to read certain books (a key element in the story), attend taverns, and meet outside of regulated teachers conferences. Teachers also were denied civil servant status, which meant that no pension was available to them.

In my short story, the main character, Franz Schuler, must decide whether or …

Effects Of Carboxymethyl-Lysine In Heat Processed Foods On The Plasma Metabolome In Mice, Zhou Fang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), an advanced glycation end product (AGEs), is formed during the cooking process and may induce toxic effects on human health. The effect of dietary CML on the plasma metabolite profile was investigated. Mice were fed with one of five different diets: AIN93 diet (negative control), a 45% kcal from fat Diet Induced Obesity diet (DIO; positive control); CML0, TWD (Total Western Diet) with low CML; CML1, TWD with medium CML, and CML2, TWD with high CML for 8 weeks, and the plasma metabolome was determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition quantitative analysis of plasma glucose level …

Anthropogenic And Natural Stressors And Their Effect On Immunity, Reproduction, And The Stress Response, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Animals must be able to cope with many natural and human-made stressors in order to successfully survive and reproduce. These stressors can come in many forms and are increasing as human activities become more and more prevalent across the globe. In order to cope with these stressors, organisms must allocate limited energy away from processes such as reproduction to mount a stress response. This stress response involves the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and results in a cascade of hormones and down-stream effects, such as changes in reproduction and immune function. In order to understand how reptiles and amphibians cope …

Establishment And Trends In Persistence Of Selected Perennial Cool-Season Grasses, Craig W. Rigby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The choice of plant materials is an important factor in restoration or revegetation of disturbed rangelands. To better identify plant materials that could be adapted to increased competition from invasive grasses and fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, there is a need to understand potential seedling establishment, plant persistence, and dry-matter yield (DMY) as a measure of plant vigor in the newly developed varieties across a wide range of environmental conditions. Experiments were conducted on four semiarid range sites to compare these traits in 14 perennial cool-season grass species currently used for revegetation in the Western U.S.A. There were location differences, …

The Role Of Farmers' Market Incentives On The Fruit And Vegetable Intake And Food Security Status Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participants, Mateja R. Savoie Roskos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Public health professionals in the United States are implementing various interventions in effort to improve dietary intake in low-income individuals. One intervention strategy that has gained attention over the past several years is providing financial incentives for federal nutrition assistance users when they purchase fruit and vegetables at local farmers' markets. The overall objective of the research studies included in this dissertation were to develop, implement, and evaluate farmers' market incentive programs in Utah in effort to determine if this intervention increases fruit and vegetable intake and improves food security status among low-income individuals.

The first study conducted in the …

The Role Of Gpr84 In Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acid Taste Transduction, Yan Liu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prevalence of overweight or obese in adults has nearly doubled during the past two decades, and obesity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even some types of cancer. One of the factors closely linked with the obesity epidemic is overconsumption of dietary fat. Accumulating evidence has supported the existence of the "taste of fat", and more and more studies have focused on identifying the mechanisms of fatty acid detection by gustatory system. In this study, I showed for the first time that medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs) were able to activate taste cells isolated from mice, and …

Effects Of Feeding High-Moisture Corn Grain With Slow-Release Urea In Dairy Diets On Lactational Performance, Energy And Nitrogen Utilization, And Ruminal Fermentation Profiles By Lactating Cows, Braden M. Tye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this experiment was to determine if nutrient utilization and energy partitioning by lactating dairy cows would differ in response to dietary corn grain (CG) types [steam-flaked corn (SFC) vs. high-moisture corn (HMC)] and to test if the types of CG would interact with slow-release urea (SRU) on lactational performance and energy utilization. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (32 ± 8.2 days-in-milk) were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square with one square consisting of ruminally cannulated cows. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was used to test 4 dietary treatments: SFC without SRU, SFC with SRU, …

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 …

Does Experience With Sagebrush In Utero And Early In Life Influence The Use Of Sagebrush By Sheep?, Ashley T. Longmore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Learning from mother begins early in the developmental process and can have lifelong effects when it comes to forage preferences. Recent research suggests that mothers are a powerful and positive influence before birth. Pregnancy is not an incubation period buy a staging period for well-being and disease later in life. Better understanding the developmental processes which take place in utero and the effects they have later in life may help us create management plans that utilize grazing animals to their full potential as landscape manipulators.

Using in utero and early-life programming as a management tool is a relatively new concept, …