Digital Commons Network^™

Water Use In Jujube (Ziziphus Jujuba) With Applications In Irrigation Timing And Quantity, Preston S. Colver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) is a major fruit crop in China where it has been a favored cash crop and successfully used to address erosion problems in the Loess Plateau region of western China. Further use of jujube in forestry projects and improved agricultural efficiency are very promising. This study sought to repeat a water-use study in two climates: a hot, semi-arid climate in Yangling, Shaanxi, China and a dry-summer, continental climate in Logan, Utah, USA. The study took physiological measurements on the trees with the aim of characterizing the way that jujube uses water. This would help to …

Demographics, Accuracy, And Impact Of Feed Laboratories In The United States, Jerald H. Severe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Feed analysis is very important to modern society. In the United States feed analysis is used to optimize production of food animals. Feed analysis is also used as a tool to place value on crops. As important as feed analysis is to society, little research has been done that describes which feed laboratories are the most popular and why people use them. It has been thought by some patrons that different results from the same feed sample are obtained by different laboratories. Is this true? If so, what is the effect on those that use feed laboratories to produce animals, …

Understanding The Microbial Population Of Lactococcus Lactis. Subsp. Strains During Cheese Making And Initial Storage, Rhitika Poudel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cheddar cheese is manufactured by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria added as Lactococcus lactis. The two major subspecies used are lactis and cremoris. Starter culture for this study was prepared and donated by Vivolac Cultures Corporation, Greenfield, Indiana. Cheddar cheese was made in duplicate using two strains of lactis and cremoris. Milled curd was salted with 2.0, 2.4, 2.8, 3.2 and 3.6% salt, pressed for 3 h and stored at 6¬∞C. The curd was sampled during cheese making and after 6d storage. Two different methods of enumeration were employed. One method involved plate counting which only …

Nodulation And Growth Of Shepherdia × Utahensis ‘Torrey’, Ji-Jhong Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ (Elaeagnaceae) is a hybrid of two native actinorhizal plants in the Intermountain West, S. argentea (silver buffaloberry) and S. rotundifolia (roundleaf buffaloberry). Due to actinorhizal symbiosis, atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) can be converted to ammonium, a bioavailable form. Actinorhizal plants have great value in sustainable nursery production and urban landscape use. However, nitrogen fertilizer negatively affects the nodulation of actinorhizal plants. As a newly developed hybrid, both the symbiont identity and nodule formation of S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ remain largely unknown. Therefore, experiments were conducted to investigate the nodule formation of S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ inoculated with field …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health Outcomes In Adulthood, Sallie Mack

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to many negative physical and mental health disorders in adulthood. Many individuals in the United States have ACEs, and rates are higher among people of color. Less is known about how to prevent these physical and mental health disorders and symptoms for individuals with ACEs. Five different factors may help in intervening on the negative effects of ACEs. These include: mental wellness, healthy relationships, physical activity, sleep and nutrition (Burke Harris, 2018). This study investigated how these factors influence health in adulthood for individuals with ACEs. The current researcher used data from the …

Rumen Fermentation Responses To Purified Palmitic, Stearic, Or Oleic Fatty Acids And The Impact Of A Palmitic Acid-Enriched Supplement On Animal Performance, Austin Paul Sears

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Our research examined the responses of palmitic, stearic and oleic fatty acids on neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility and rumen fermentation and the impact of a palmitic acid-enriched supplement on animal performance. In the first research chapter, we evaluated the effect of purified palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids on NDF digestibility and rumen fermentation. Palmitic acid increased NDF digestibility and total production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) compared with oleic acid. Bacterial fatty acid composition was altered by palmitic acid, increasing anteiso-C15:0, C18:2n6 and C18:3n3 fatty acids compared with oleic acid. Compared with control, …

Assessment Of Compost On Dryland Wheat Yield And Quality, Soil Fertility And Water Availability In Utah, Kareem A. Adeleke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 2014-2016 Kareem Adeleke undertook a graduate project under the supervision of Utah State University (USU) Plants, Soils and Climate professors, Drs. Jennifer Reeve, Astrid Jacobson, and Earl Creech. Organic wheat producers face numerous challenges, such as low soil moisture, soil erosion, and low soil fertility. Organic wheat growers generally do not apply fertilizer due to inability to recoup the costs in the short-term. Compost enhances long-term improvement in soil quality, soil fertility and increase yield in low input environments. Understanding of compost carryover effects in dryland wheat systems is necessary for increased yield that will allow adequate supply of …

Soil Health, Phosphorus And Carbon Dynamics In Response To A One-Time Compost Application And Cover Crops In Organic Dryland Winter Wheat, Idowu Ademola Atoloye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Organic dryland winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growers in the U.S. are faced with high interannual variability in yields. This is related to the low annual precipitation and low soil fertility on the cultivated soils. Improving soil health is the key to increasing and maintaining crop yields. In this study, we compared the effects of different rates (0, 12.5, 25 and 50 Mg DW ha^-1 compost and 2 Mg ha manure^-1) of large quantities of steer manure compost and the inclusion of cover crops versus fallow on soil health and on carbon and phosphorus dynamics in …

Effects Of Premortem Stress On Heat Shock Protein Abundance, Oxidation, And Color In The Longissimus Lumborum Of Holstein Steers Following Harvest, Reganne K. Briggs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumers consider tenderness and steak color to be two important attributes associated with meat quality. However, inconsistencies in both tenderness and steak color remain despite similar production practices of beef cattle. Stressful events before harvest may impact meat quality by initiating certain pathways such as abundance of heat shock proteins (HSP) and oxidation within the skeletal muscle. Heat shock proteins have been associated with tenderness while oxidation may affect steak color and flavor. In this study, 40 Holstein steers were administered adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) to mimic a stressful event before harvest. Animals were harvested at different times following the ACTH …

Development Of Molecular Sensor And Imaging Analysis Techniques For Improving Life Quality, Wei Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As life science advances, we are getting closer and closer to understanding the truth about life. Some specific cell types or molecules play a vital role in regulating routine functions of life. The imperceptible changes of these critical components can lead to serious diseases. Traditionally, histopathological techniques are widely employed to study and diagnose human diseases. However, these methods are time consuming and invasive. Herein, we introduce multiple types of biosensors that are sensitive, easy to use and most importantly non-invasive. First, I developed a smartphone based colorimetric sensor for detection of water hardness in a convenient way by introducing …

Automation Of Feature Selection And Generation Of Optimal Feature Subsets For Beehive Audio Sample Classification, Aditya Bhouraskar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The last couple of decades have witnessed an abnormal phenomenon of reduction in the bee population, this is a serious matter of concern as three out of four crops available globally have honey bee as their sole pollinator causing significant economic losses and an unbalance in the ecosystem. There have been many theories about the cause of bee colony collapses such as parasites, pesticides and poor nutrition however conclusive evidence of this phenomenon is yet to be identified.

Human inspection of beehives requires precision. It takes an experienced beekeeper to determine the health of a hive by the sounds generated …

Market Steer Projects: Getting Started, Jacob Hadfield, Joshua Dallin, Jessie Hadfield

All Current Publications

Raising a market steer as a 4-H project can be a very rewarding experience for youth. However, it is important to note up front that raising a market steer requires higher input costs and larger living spaces than all other 4-H livestock projects. A successful market steer project involves a lot of time and effort to train, feed, and clean your animal. If the necessary time and resources are available, raising market steers can be one of the most enjoyable livestock projects that 4-H has to offer. This fact sheet has some tips to get you started with your market …

The Utah Statesman, November 30, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

The Utah Statesman, November 23, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

The Utah Statesman, November 16, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, November 16, 2020, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report
• Spring Calendar Update
• Course Fee Policy
• Dixie State Faculty Senate resolution to change university name
• Faculty Senate Meeting dates for Spring 2021
• Center for Student Analytics Student Insights Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• Faculty Forum Task Force
• Term Appointment Faculty Task Force
• Code 404.3.6 Changes/Final (first reading)

Impacts Of Climate Change On Multiple Use Management Of Bureau Of Land Management Land In The Intermountain West, Usa, Elaine M. Brice, Brett A. Miller, Hongchao Zhang, Kirsten Goldstein, Scott N. Zimmer, Guenchik J. Grosklos, Patrick Belmont, Courtney G. Flint, Jennifer E. Givens, Peter B. Adler, Mark W. Brunson, Jordan W. Smith

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Although natural resource managers are concerned about climate change, many are unable to adequately incorporate climate change science into their adaptation strategies or management plans, and are not always aware of or do not employ the most current scientific knowledge. One of the most prominent natural resource management agencies in the United States is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is tasked with managing over 248 million acres (>1 million km²) of public lands for multiple, often conflicting, uses. Climate change will affect the sustainability of many of these land uses and could further increase conflicts …

Impacts On Climate Change On Multiple Use Management Of Bureau Of Land Management Land In The Intermountain West, Usa, Elaine M. Brice, Brett A. Miller, Hongchao Zhang, Kirsten Goldstein, Scott N. Zimmer, Guenchik J. Grosklos, Patrick Belmont, Courtney G. Flint, Jennifer E. Givens, Peter B. Adler, Mark W. Brunson, Jordan W. Smith

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Although natural resource managers are concerned about climate change, many are unable to adequately incorporate climate change science into their adaptation strategies or management plans, and are not always aware of or do not always employ the most current scientific knowledge. One of the most prominent natural resource management agencies in the United States is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is tasked with managing over 248 million acres (>1 million km²) of public lands for multiple, often conflicting, uses. Climate change will affect the sustainability of many of these land uses and could further increase …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, November 5, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Subcommittee Reports

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Other Business

• Revised EPC/Curriculum Handbook
• Course Objectives
• Curriculog Justification Language
• Graduate School Updated
• IDEA Evaluations for 7-Week Courses

Preventing Allergies In Infants: What Foods To Introduce And When, Annika Israelsen, Stacy Bevan, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos

All Current Publications

Food allergies have become increasingly common over the past several years among children in the United States (Comberiati et al., 2019; Sicherer et al., 2017). Food allergies are a negative immune response occurring in the body after eating a specific food (Sicherer et al., 2017). Unlike food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance which causes uncomfortable symptoms in the stomach and intestines, allergic reactions to food can cause a wide range of serious and sometimes fatal symptoms (Konek & Becker, 2020). Food allergies can affect a child’s health and quality of life, while also impacting their caregivers’ lives (Sicherer et al., …

The Utah Statesman, November 2, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

Fostering Community Supported Agriculture In Utah, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

This curriculum contains seven modules that describe the fundamentals of CSA, CSA marketing and outreach, CSA management, CSA pricing, CSA crop planning, legal concerns for CSA operations, and additional resources.

The Utah Statesman, October 26, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

The Utah Statesman, October 12, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Human–Wildlife Conflicts In The Kenya Greater Tsavo Ecosystem, Joseph M. Mukeka, Joseph O. Ogutu, Erustus Kanga, Eivin Røskaft

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Biodiversity conservation in developing countries is faced with many and mounting challenges, including increasing human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). In Africa and other developing countries, increasing HWCs, particularly those adjacent to protected areas, can adversely affect local stakeholder perceptions and support for conservation. We analyzed HWC reports for multiple wildlife species compiled >23 years (1995–2017) from the Greater Tsavo Ecosystem (GTE) in Kenya to determine HWC trends. The GTE is the largest protected area in Kenya, covering 22,681 km². Overall, 39,022 HWC incidents were reported in 6 GTE regions (i.e., Taveta, Mutomo, Kibwezi, Rombo, Galana, Bachuma). The 5 wildlife species …

Intake Of Supplemental Deer Pellets Containing Ground Blueberry Juniper By Wild Pigs, Jessica L. Glasscock, Travis R. Whitney, David G. Hewitt, Susan M. Cooper, Fred C. Bryant, Christina M. Toenjes

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Supplemental feeding of cervid species such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; deer) is now a common management practice in the United States. Supplemental feeding can be costly and more expensive when supplements are consumed by non-target species such as wild pigs (Sus scrofa; pigs). From May 13 to June 17, 2015, we evaluated the effects of using ground blueberry juniper (Juniperus ashei) or cottonseed (Gossypium spp.) hulls as a roughage ingredient in a supplemental deer pellet to deter pig consumption at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in San Angelo, Texas, USA. We analyzed …

Indigenous Guardianship And Moose Monitoring: Weaving Indigenous And Western Ways Of Knowing, Jesse N. Popp, Pauline Priadka, Megan Young, Kevin Koch, James Morgan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Increasing global rates of wildlife species extinctions, extirpations, and declines warrant improvements to population monitoring and management approaches. To address regional environmental and wildlife issues, Indigenous communities globally are re-establishing traditional roles as stewards of the land through emerging Indigenous Guardianship Programs (IGPs). By providing the opportunity for community-level participation in monitoring and management, IGPs help foster cohesive solutions for long-term conservation of species while promoting environmental stewardship at the community level. Addressing challenges in monitoring and management of wildlife is especially critical for species that are of cultural and ecological importance at both community and distribution-wide scales. Herein, we …

The Female Athlete Triad In Adolescent Athletes, Elise Withers, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Stacy Bevan, Katie N. Brown

All Current Publications

The number of teenage girls participating in sports has dramatically increased in the last few decades (Brown et al., 2017). With increased sports participation, the positive effects of physical activity have become obvious (Thein-Nissenbaum & Hammer, 2017). However, a set of health-related problems specific to female athletes, known as the female athlete triad (triad), has emerged. This fact sheet will cover what the triad is, why the triad occurs, and triad prevention and treatment.

Faculty Senate Agenda, October 5, 2020, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Call to Order

• Approval of Minutes

University Business

Information

• EPC Monthly Report

Reports

• Educational Policies Committee Annual Report
• Honors Program Annual Report

Old Business

• Code 403 - Academic Freedom

Nutrition Guide For Rabbits, Amanda Pratt, Melanie Stock, Jessie Hadfield

All Current Publications

Feeding rabbits a healthy diet is important for their long term health. This fact sheet provides lists of appropriate food for pet rabbits, healthy portions, and foods that should be avoided. A family-friendly, visual list format is used to make this guide a straightforward reference that can be posted in the home.