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Utah State University Commencement, 2003 – Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

110th Annual Commencement of Utah State University

Rapid Effects Of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 On Calcium Uptake In Isolated Chick Enterocytes, Ruta Phadnis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

25-Hydroxyvitamin D₃[25(OH)D₃] is a metabolite of vitamin D₃ that has long been considered to be an inactive precursor of the hormonally active metabolite 1,25- dihydroxyvitamin D₃[l,25(OH)₂D₃]; consequently very few studies have addressed the potential biological activity of 25(OH)₂D₃. However, it is known that 100 nM 25(OH)₂D₃ increases calcium transport in the perfused duodenal loop of the chicken to 200% of controls within 20 minutes. The hypothesis of the current study is that 25(OH)₂D₃ may be a hormonally active metabolite …

The Invasion Of The Exotic Cladoceran Daphnia Lumholtzi To Willard Bay Utah: Alterations Of The Pelagic Food Web., Olivia Lester

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Willard Bay, a freshwater impoundment of one of the arms of the Great Salt Lake, is shallow, with a mean volume of 9,900 acres and a maximum summer depth of six meters. This reservoir is highly productive, with a mean secchi depth of 4 meters and chlorophyll a concentrations peaking in summer at 9 micrograms per liter.

Portion Distortion Plays A Major Role In The American Obesity Epidemic, Amanda Kay Larsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the American population is on the rise. This epidemic can be attributed to an increase in energy intake. Research has shown that increased consumption is associated with both individual and societal factors including an increase in the size of portions, the influence of the food industry, and confusion on the part of the consumer. The findings indicate that dietitians and other healthcare providers need to do their part by informing society of the importance of decreasing portions and helping the consumer recognize appropriate portion sizes.

The Herbal Supplement Market In The United States: A Look At St. John's Wort, Lorena Lanford

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Herbal supplements have become increasingly popular in United States during the past decade. This trend begs the question: why are so many people turning to supplements?

The increased use of herbal supplementation appears to stem from a public demand for changes in health care. This paper will focus on the regulations placed on the supplement market and the impact that supplementation has on patient care. To illustrate these points, St. John's Wort (SJW) will be examined in detail.

Currently regulation in the United States comes from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and voluntary organizations within the supplement industry, such …

Social Stratification And Health In Dynastic Egypt: The Differential Effect Of Disease Among The Elite And Working Classes, Jerilyn Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Social stratification in Dynastic Egypt between the elite and working class is suspected to have created differential health conditions for these two social classes. It is hypothesized that due to differing living conditions, resulting in varying levels of exposure to infectious pathogens, workloads, and quality of diet, the elite and working class will have dissimilar health conditions. Specifically, it is expected that the working class of Dynastic Egypt suffered ill health more often, and more severely, than the elite. The health conditions of the elite and working class were measured by the prevalence of the density-dependent disease tuberculosis, the workload-related …

Vitamin K As A Prophylaxis In The Infant, Michelle Whipple

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Since the mid-1960's, all infants in the US have received intramuscular vitamin K (IMVK) as a prophylactic measure against hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (HDN). Because the human race has obviously survived for so many years without this medical intervention, there is some question concerning the universal necessity of this practice.

Infants are born with comparatively low levels of vitamin K, a compound vital for the carboxylation of serum clotting factors. In the absence of adequately carboxylated clotting proteins, infants are at risk for developing HDN. This condition can cause severe complications, including mental retardation and death. IMVK significantly reduces …

Effect Of Drought, Flooding, And Potassium Stress On The Quantity And Composition Of Root Exudates In Axenic Culture, Amelia Henry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Root exudates include important chelating compounds and can change the rhizosphere pH by several units. These changes are essential for nutrient uptake and can also alter solubility of soil contaminants and increase plant uptake. Mild root-zone stress may increase exudation and more severe stress can damage membranes and increase root turnover, all of which increase root-zone carbon. Increased carbon from this rhizodeposition can increase microbial activity, which might help degrade contaminants. We studied the effect of three types of stress on root exudation of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum): low K⁺, drought, and flooding. These stresses were …

Use Of Ground-Based Canopy Reflectance To Determine Radiation Capture, Nitrogen And Water Status, And Final Yield In Wheat, Glen L. Ritchie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ground-based spectral imaging devices offer an important supplement to satellite imagery. Hand-held, ground-based sensors allow rapid, inexpensive measurements that are not affected by the earth’s atmosphere. They also provide a basis for high altitude spectral indices.

We quantified the spectral reflectance characteristics of hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Westbred 936) in research plots subjected to either nitrogen or water stress in a two year study. Both types of stress reduced ground cover, which was evaluated by digital photography and compared with ten spectral reflectance indices. On plots with a similar soil background, simple indices such as the …

Correlation Between The Usu Stretch Test And The Pizza Fork Test, Bryce L. Moyes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A correlation between the USU stretch test and the pizza fork test would allow the stretch properties of Mozzarella cheese to be measured objectively. The Utah State University (USU) Stretch Test uses a modified texture-profile analyzer to pull strands of cheese from a melted reservoir, measuring the load exerted on the probe during stretching. Parameters measured by the USU stretch test include Melt Strength (F_M), which is the maximum load exerted on the probe, Stretch Load (SL), which is the load exerted on the probe at any specified point following F_M, and Stretch Extension (SE), which …

Rapid Detection Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Wim Lippens

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodbome pathogen that can cause severe illness and even death. It is found in dairy and meat products. The focus is on rapid detection since conventional methods are time consuming (4-5 days). Pre-enrichment steps, as part of those methods, are time consuming. Our objective was to develop a detection system without a pre-enrichment step, giving a final result within 2 to 4 h.

In the concept of "the need for speed," a detection system with an antibody-based capture technique, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was developed. Glass beads coated with a Listeria polyclonal antibody were …

Production Of Volatile Sulfur Compounds From Inorganic Sulfur By Lactococci, Supriyo Ghosh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Production of volatile sulfur compounds in cheese is associated with desirable flavors. The direct source of these compounds has been assumed to arise from the metabolism of methionine and cysteine. However, the methionine concentration in cheese rises above the amount found in casein during aging, suggesting that alternative sulfur sources are present in milk. This led us to hypothesize that lactococci may acquire sulfur from the inorganic sulfur pool of milk, in addition to methionine and cysteine, to generate volatile sulfur compounds during cheese ripening.

A turbidimetric method to determine total sulfate content in milk samples was developed. The average …

The Influence Of Fat And Water On The Melted Cheese Characteristics Of Mozzarella Cheese, Robert Lloyd Fife

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of reducing the fat content of low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese from 19% to less than 5% on melted cheese properties, i.e., apparent viscosity, cheese melt, and cook color, was investigated. Functional properties of melt and stretch and cook color were evaluated at d 1, 7, 14, and 28. A rapid microwave oven method underestimated the moisture content of the low fat cheeses by approximately 10%. Low fat cheese did not melt as well as did the low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese although the moisture content of the low fat cheese (moisture content ranged from 62.5% to 63.6%) was greater …

The Effects Of Alternative-Site Blood Glucose Monitoring On Testing Frequency, Pain Rating, And Glycosylated Hemoglobin, Nancy Bennion

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A crossover design study was conducted to determine if reducing pain, by using alternative sites off the finger tip, would increase testing frequency and improve clinical outcome as measured by glycosylated hemoglobin. Subjects with type 1 and type 2 diabetes tested with the FreeStyle alternative-site meter (group 1) or tested with their original meter (group 2). After 3 months the subjects used the alternate meter. Testing frequency and blood glucose concentrations were recorded for the month before the study began and monthly thereafter. Glycosylated hemoglobin was tested initially, at the crossover point, and at study conclusion. Insulin users increased testing …

Influence Of Storage Duration, Temperature, And Oxygen On Quality Of Stored Dehydrated Foods, Omima Ali Darag

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of oxygen absorber packets (OAP) (AGELESS Z.300 E) in improving the shelf-life of selected dried food products, including dried potato pearls, dried sliced apple, dried carrot, white rice, nonfat dry milk, all purpose flour, rolled oats, and wheat. Items were stored at four different temperatures (-20, 10, 21, and 29.5°C) over a period of 24 months with observations at 6-month intervals. Hunter colorimeter, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) germination rate, gluten weight, and volume were parameters used as quality indicators of various dried foods.

Statistical analysis indicated a significant time and temperature …

Determining The Influence Of The Extracellular Proteinase From Brevibacterium Linens On The Metabolism Of Lactococcus Lactis Spp. Lactis Using Functional Genomics, Yi Xie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the catabolism of amino acids in cheese results in the formation of most volatile flavor compounds, a proper intracellular pool of amino acids must be established in order to produce a desirable flavor production in cheese. Generation of this pool of amino acids requires complex interactions among casein and its derivatives, proteolytic enzymes, and transport systems in the associated bacteria, including lactococci. In this project, we hypothesized that casein hydrolysis by the extracellular proteinases of Brevibacterium linens BL2 modulates the expression profile of proteolytic related genes in Lactococcus lactis spp. lactis IL1403.

In order to monitor the …

Foraging Behavior And Habitat Use Patterns Of Brown Bears (Ursus Arctos) In Relation To Human Activity And Salmon Abundance On A Coastal Alaskan Salmon Stream, Anthony P. Crupi Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past decade, demand for recreation has increased as part of Alaska's doubling growth in tourism. Along the Chilkoot River, near Haines, fishing and bear viewing have become increasingly popular. I investigated the ecological and behavioral interactions there between brown bears, salmon, and humans between 2000 and 2002. My objectives were to: (1) determine if specific human activities differentially influenced bear activity and foraging behavior, (2) identify temporal and spatial habitat use patterns, (3) evaluate brown bear response to natural and human disturbances and quantify related flight distances, (4) investigate changes in bear foraging behaviors in response to prey …

Determining The Factors That Control Respiration And Carbon Use Efficiency In Crop Plants, Jonathan M. Frantz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the literature on plant respiration, there are two viewpoints concerning the source of respiratory control: supply (photosynthate availability) or demand (temperature dependent) limitations. While different studies indicate the primary dependency for respiration is either the supply or demand side, the two paradigms cannot both be true. The relative importance of each paradigm may depend on a number of factors including period of time during which respiration is measured, phase of plant development, environmental conditions, and species.

Studies were performed using continuous CO₂ gas-exchange instrumentation to monitor short- and long-term changes in whole canopies of lettuce, tomato, soybean, and …

Sampling Considerations In Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Needs Assessments, Ryan K. Loo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reduces the number of healthy immune cells in the human body. When the immune cells drop below a certain level, the person is diagnosed as having acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which increases the likelihood of opportunistic infections. As a result, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A) have an elevated need for medical and support services. HIV/AIDS needs assessments identify unmet needs, and the results are used in the allocation of resources. Failure to accurately identify needs due to nonrepresentative samples may result in PLWH/A failing to receive needed services. Random sampling is rarely used, but convenience …

Physiological And Biochemical Aspects Of Agrobacterium-Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Interactions, David L. Parrott Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Agrobacterium tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes are the causal agents of gall or hairy root disease, but normally the bacteria do not cause disease in wheat. However, both bacteria grew without inhibition when exposed to intact or wounded wheat roots or embryos, and they colonized wheat root surfaces to levels similar to dicotyledonous plants. A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes induced 23% cell death after a 1-h exposure to wheat embryo cells grown in 7.4 mM O₂, while the extent of cell death at 2.1 mM O₂ was 8%. Contact with A. tumefaciens or A. rhizogenes caused cultured wheat …

Phylogenetic Position Of Pterocommatinae And Cavariella, And Implications For The Origins Of Host Alternation In Aphids, Carol A. Rowe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aphids are morphologically simple. Their numerous hypothesized convergent reductions, such as reduced siphunculi length in association with ant attendance, have made it difficult to define morphological synapomorphies that are necessary for phylogenetic studies. Thus, I used molecular characters both to reexamine the phylogenetic relationships of Cavariella and Pterocommatinae within Aphididae, and to further map host associations and life cycles onto these phylogenies to better understand the evolutionary lability of host alternation within Aphididae. Independent and combined analyses were performed under unweighted parsimony and maximum likelihood criteria for sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II plus tRNA-Leucine plus partial cytochrome oxidase I …

Pastoralism Under Pressure: Tracking System Change In Southern Ethiopia, D. Layne Coppock, Solomon Desta

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

While economic development has proven elusive in African pastoral systems, change is pervasive. The Kajiado Maasai, for example, have endured declines in terms of per capita livestock holdings and other aspects of human welfare over the past 50 years. Activity diversification has occurred in Maasailand as the population copes with pressure from human population growth. We surveyed up to 317 Borana households during the late 1990s to see if similar patterns occurred in southern Ethiopia. Once viewed as an example of sustainable pastoralism, the Borana system now confronts numerous challenges. Decline in per capita cattle holdings has spurred household-level diversification …

For Pastoralists The Risk May Be In The Drinking Water: The Case Of Kargi, N. Kenya, D. Layne Coppock, William A. Shivoga

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Inadequate quantity of water is a common problem for pastoral people in East Africa. For the Rendille community of Kargi in northern Kenya, however, water quality has also been identified as a critical issue. Residents report that water-borne diseases commonly affect human health in dry seasons, and livestock may die soon after drinking water from some of the older, deep wells. We collected water samples from four key wells and one earthen dam to analyze physiochemical and bacteriological quality. Preliminary results indicated that the centrally located, oldest wells tested far below technical quality guidelines in several respects. Especially notable were …

Utilizing Non-Fat Dried Milk In Sheep, C. Kim Chapman

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

How To Start Growing Beef Calves On Feed, Dale Zobell

All Current Publications

A well developed feeding program will reduce stress on newly weaned beef calves resulting in lower costs of gain. In consultation with a veterinarian and nutritionist effective processing and feeding can be achieved.

Wildlife Damage Management Class And Curriculum At The University Of Georgia, Michael T. Mengak, Douglas I. Hall

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Warnell School of Forest Resources at the University of Georgia offers a course in wildlife damage management. The 3-credit hour course is taught at the undergraduate/graduate level. Enrollment is restricted to 10 students. The course is offered in spring semester every year and co-taught by a wildlife faculty member and the State Director of USDA - Wildlife Services (WS), who holds adjunct faculty status. The course consists of 2 hours of classroom lecture and a minimum of 3 hours laboratory time each week. Lectures cover basic principles of wildlife damage control. Lab time is devoted to field exercises related …

Charismatic Mega-Fauna Or Vermin Vertebrate - Where Are You?, Gary J. San Julian

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife populations throughout much of the United States were decimated by the end of the 1800s. Many states established game agencies to protect wildlife and generate revenue through the sale of hunting licenses. These efforts were successful, populations grew, and citizens enjoyed seeing the large herbivores and camivores--the charismatic mega-fauna. In the past, most citizens and students had some tie with the farming community. Today's students often lack that link to the land and hunting. Wildlife agencies and universities are looking at ways to improve young professionals' understanding of the role hunting plays in management. Citizens that once left their …

The Glycemic Index, Pauline Williams, Wendy Stubbs

All Current Publications

The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrate containing foods. Foods are ranked according to their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. The higher a food raises blood sugar, the higher its glycemic index

Prevented Planting, Unknown Unknown

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Parker Mountain Adaptive Resource Management Plan 2002 Annual Report, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.