Digital Commons Network^™

Anaerobic Digestion Process Stability And The Extension Of The Adm1 For Municipal Sludge Co-Digested With Bakery Waste, Morris Elya Demitry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The anaerobic digestion process is used to treat and convert waste organic matter to biogas (principally methane and carbon dioxide) through biological, chemical and physical reactions. The biogas can be used as a source of energy recovery. In order to increase the biogas production rate, two different kinds of waste (municipal wastewater treatment sludge and bakery waste) were mixed together to enhance the anaerobic process and increase the biogas production in pilot scale reactors. The process succeeded in increasing biogas production and at the same time kept the process of treatment effective when high rates of organics were fed to …

Hydra Effects In Stable Communities And Their Implications For System Dynamics, Michael H. Cortez, Peter A. Abrams

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

A hydra effect occurs when the mean density of a species increases in response to greater mortality. We show that, in a stable multispecies system, a species exhibits a hydra effect only if maintaining that species at its equilibrium density destabilizes the system. The stability of the original system is due to the responses of the hydra-effect species to changes in the other species’ densities. If that dynamical feedback is removed by fixing the density of the hydra-effect species, large changes in the community make-up (including the possibility of species extinction) can occur. This general result has several implications: (1) …

Multi-Generational Effect Of Western Diet On Colorectal Cancer And Impact Of Green Tea On Cancer Prevention, Sumira Phatak, Canyon Neal, Kevin Contreras, Tess Armbrust, Daphne Rodriguez, Braden Abercrombie, Katie Pontsler, Deanna Larson, Ashli Hunter, Hector Esquer, Jocelyn Cuthbert, Michael Lefevre, Korry Hintze, Robert Ward, Abby Benninghoff

Student Research Symposium

Diet is widely recognized as an important factor in lifetime cancer risk, yet Americans routinely consume foods that are energy-dense and nutrient-poor. Animal model studies to identify functional foods for cancer prevention generally do not account for typical Western dietary patterns with respect to macro- and micronutrient content. The primary objectives of this study were to determine the impact of ancestral and multi-generational consumption of a Western-style diet in a murine model of inflammation-associated colorectal carcinogenesis. Additionally, we sought to determine the efficacy of green tea for prevention of Western diet-enhanced colon tumorigenesis. Previously, our group developed the Total Western …

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, April 1, 2016, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The American Campus in Flic en Flac, Mauritius is a newly accredited university. They are required for a minimum of five years to partner with other universities to offer degrees. They have approached USU and the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences is seeking cooperation in offering the B.A. International Agribusiness and the B.S. Agribusiness degrees from the department of Applied Economics.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, April 1, 2016 - Agricultural Science, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The School of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education (ASTE) at Utah State University (USU), in conjunction with Utah State University Eastern and the Regional Campuses, are developing an Agricultural Science Associate of Science with the intent, if approved, to begin fall of 2016.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, April 1, 2016 - Discontinue Food Technology Management Emphasis, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Utah State University requests approval to discontinue the Food Technology Management emphasis.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, Emma Eccles Jones College Of Education And Human Services, April 1, 2016 – Department Of Kinesiology And Health Science, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Rename the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation to the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science.

Enhancing Teaching & Learning: Libraries And Open Educational Resources In The Classroom, Erin Davis, Britt A. Fagerheim, Becky Thoms, Dory Cochran

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Academic libraries continually adjust services to adapt to the ever-changing landscape in higher education. In response to the broken textbook market, libraries are becoming actively involved in the open educational resources (OER) movement. Although there is not a formal program in place, librarians at Utah State University explored a collaborative approach to integrate OER in faculty members' courses. One goal of the effort was to work closely with faculty to consider course objectives and learning outcomes when evaluating and incorporating OER. This article identifies a streamlined process for targeting courses most suited for OER adoption and outlines a process of …

Maximal Stomatal Conductance To Water And Plasticity In Stomatal Traits Differ Between Native And Invasive Introduced Lineages Of Phragmites Australis In North America, V. Douhovnikoff, S. H. Taylor, Eric L. G. Hazelton, C. Smith, J. O'Brien

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

The fitness costs of reproduction by clonal growth can include a limited ability to adapt to environmental and temporal heterogeneity. Paradoxically, some facultatively clonal species are not only able to survive, but colonize, thrive, and expand in heterogeneous environments. This is likely due to the capacity for acclimation (sensu stricto) which compensates for the fitness costs and complements the ecological advantages of clonality. Introduced P. australis demonstrates great phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature, nutrient availability, geographic gradient, water depths, habitat fertility, atmospheric CO₂, interspecific competition, and intraspecific competition for light. However, no in situ …

Shear Induced Changes In Rheology And Structure Of A Model Mozzarella-Type Cheese, Prateek Sharma, Peter A. Munro, Tzvetelin T. Dessev, Peter G. Wiles

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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

The Utah Statesman, February 11, 2016, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Wic Participation As A Risk Factor For Loss To Follow-Up In The Wisconsin Ehdi System, Elizabeth L. Seeliger, Rebecca A. Martin, Andrea N. Gromoske, Anne B. Harris

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

In 2011, Wisconsin’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program, Wisconsin Sound Beginnings (WSB), developed multiple strategies to reduce loss to follow-up (LTFU) for babies who did not pass their newborn hearing screening: Medical Outreach, Family Outreach, Regional Outreach and WIC Alert. WSB evaluated the outcomes of babies identified as at-risk for LTFU to determine whether WIC participation was an indicator of their risk for LTFU. Additionally, WSB evaluated whether babies who were identified as at-risk for LTFU and receiving WIC services in two WIC projects serving areas and populations with known health disparities, were at even greater risk for …

Professional Competence To Promote Resilience For Children Living In Poverty, Jenna M. Voss, Susan Lenihan

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Poverty has a tremendous impact on the educational results of all children, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. With targeted, evidence-based interventions during the first three years of life, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) professionals can protect children from the numerous risk factors which impede development. While EHDI professionals often serve children and families living in poverty, it remains the case that the professional preparation programs offer limited instruction and experience in how to best serve children and families living in poverty. The purpose of this study was to explore professional preparedness to serve children who …

Ungulate Reproductive Parameters Track Satellite Observations Of Plant Phenology Across Latitude And Climatological Regimes, David C. Stoner, Joseph O. Sexton, Jyoteshwar Nagol, Heather H. Bernales, Thomas C. Edwards Jr.

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The effect of climatically-driven plant phenology on mammalian reproduction is one key to predicting species-specific demographic responses to climate change. Large ungulates face their greatest energetic demands from the later stages of pregnancy through weaning, and so in seasonal environments parturition dates should match periods of high primary productivity. Interannual variation in weather influences the quality and timing of forage availability, which can influence neonatal survival. Here, we evaluated macro-scale patterns in reproductive performance of a widely distributed ungulate (mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus) across contrasting climatological regimes using satellite-derived indices of primary productivity and plant phenology over eight degrees of …

Herbivore Density Mediates The Indirect Effect Of Herbivores On Plants Via Induced Resistance And Apparent Competition, Ricardo A. Ramirez, Micky D. Eubanks

Biology Faculty Publications

Herbivore-induced plant resistance and apparent competition are two indirect ways herbivores interact. If a less damaging herbivore indirectly suppresses the abundance of a more damaging herbivore via these mechanisms, then plants may ultimately benefit. Changes in herbivore density, however, can dictate the intensity of species interactions and may play a critical role in determining the outcome of plant- and predator-mediated herbivore interactions. We tested the effects of herbivore density on the strength of indirect interactions among phloem-feeding aphids and herbivorous caterpillars and the outcome of these interactions for their shared host plant, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). We quantified the …

Approximating Optimal Release In A Deterministic Model For The Sterile Insect Technique, Sergio Ramirez, Luis F. Gordillo

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

Cost/benefit analyses are essential to support management planning and decisions before launching any pest control program. In particular, applications of the sterile insect technique (SIT) are often prevented by the projected economic burden associated with rearing processes. This has had a deep impact on the technique development and its use on insects with long larval periods, as often seen in beetles. Under the assumptions of long adult timespan and multiple mating, we show how to find approximate optimal sterile release policies that minimize costs. The theoretical framework proposed considers the release of insects by pulses and finds approximate optimal release …

The Utah Statesman, January 28, 2016, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Beyond The Fiber: Novel Spider Silk Coatings And Adhesives, Danielle A. Gaztambide, Breton A. Day

Research on Capitol Hill

Natural spider silks have long been recognized for their combination of incredible strength and elasticity. Spider silk is more elastic than nylon, tougher than Kevlar, and stronger than steel by weight. Due to an inability to farm spiders, much work has been done to produce spider silks in transgenic hosts for large -scale production. Our work was done using recombinant spider silk proteins produced in transgenic goats and the bacteria E. coli.

More recently spider silks have also been recognized for their biocompatibility and lack of immunogenicity. Spider silks' incredible strength and ability to be implanted safely within the body …

The Utah Statesman, January 21, 2016, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Differential Toxicity Of Bare And Hybrid Zno Nanoparticles In Green Pea (Pisum Sativum L.): A Life Cycle Study, Amab Mukherjee, Youping Sun, Erving Morelius, Carlos Tamez, Susmita Bandyopadhyay, Genhua Niu, Jason C. White, Jose R. Peralta-Videa, Jorge L. Gardea-Torresdey

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The effect of surface or lattice modification of nanoparticles (NPs) on terrestrial plants is poorly understood. We investigated the impact of different zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs on green pea (Pisum sativum L.), one of the highest consumed legumes globally. Pea plants were grown for 65 d in soil amended with commercially available bare ZnO NPs (10 nm), 2 wt% alumina doped (Al2O3@ZnO NPs, 15 nm), or 1 wt% aminopropyltriethoxysilane coated NPs (KH550@ZnO NP, 20 nm) at 250 and 1000 mg NP/kg soil inside a greenhouse. Bulk (ZnO) and ionic Zn (zinc chloride) were included as controls. Plant fresh and dry …

Jujube: A New Fruit Crop For Utah Production And Edible Low Water Landscapes 2012-14, Roger Kjelgren

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

1. Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.; also known as a Chinese date) is a drought tolerant fruit tree unknown in Utah but is widely grown in Asia for fruit quality and health benefits, both fresh and dried. Jujube tolerance of cold and dry conditions in China ostensibly suggests that it should tolerate Utah’s cold, dry and high pH conditions. Jujube’s drought tolerance is partly due to small, glossy leaves and deep root system that are also attractive for low water landscaping, particularly edible landscaping, and possibly small fruit production in Utah. However, there has been no systematic evaluation of jujube …

The Identification And Characterization Of Bacterial Endosymbionts In The Planthopper Family, Caliscelidae (Sternorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea, Ghazal Abu-Salim, Kathryn Weglarz

Biology Posters

Plant-sap sucking insects with deficient nutritional diets contain symbiotic microorganisms in a specific organ in the abdomen (bacteriome). Such symbionts were discovered to belong to various bacterial lineages. Ongoing genomic research concluded that these symbiotic organisms provide the essential nutrients that are absent in the insect’s diets such as amino acids and vitamins. While the identities and functions of several sap-sucking lineages have been studied, some lineages such as Fulgoroidea are not understood because recent results failed to confirm the presence of the symbiotic microbes even though older microscopy studies identified microbes in the bacteriomes. The objective of this research …

Wolbachia And Sex, Ian J. Aper, Katie Weglarz, Carol Von Dohlen

Biology Posters

Insects with complex life cycles provide an ideal system for investigating the relationship between sex-skewing bacterial symbionts and the secondary loss of sexual reproduction. This research utilized the insect family Adelgidae, a group notorious for having peculiar and complex life cycles. In this family, some species have lost their sexual generation entirely, trapping them in asexual reproduction. Additionally, these insects are known to harbor multiple symbionts, both obligate and facultative. The array of facultative symbionts that have been detected includes the infamous sex-skewing symbiont Wolbachia. This symbiont is known to induce male killing, cytoplasmic incompatibility, and parthenogenesis in insects. Additionally, …

The Identification And Characterization Of Bacterial Endosymbionts In The Planthopper Family, Issidae (Sternorrhyncha:Fulgoroidea), Lina Ghabayen

Biology Posters

Many insects live on nutrient-poor diets; to compensate, they have evolved obligate associations with microorganisms that are transmitted directly between generations. The bacterial associates of some Hemiptera insects have been identified and understood, but several remain unknown. Our objective is to identify the diversity of bacterial endosymbionts in Issidae using modern microscopy and molecular methods, and compare their identities to known symbionts from related insects. To do so, we will extract DNA from insect samples, amplify bacterial symbiont 16S genes, sub-clone PCR products, sequence the products, and determine their phylogenetic relationships to other insect symbionts and free-living bacteria. Our study …

Make Everyday Count And Always Believe In Yourself, Marissa Kee

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

My Stem Experience, Catari Curley

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Stem Program Summer 2016: Biol-2988, Kameica R. Yazzie

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Stem Program, Marty Brown

Biology Posters

No abstract provided.

Cultivate Fall/Winter 2016, Utah State University

Cultivate Magazine

No abstract provided.