Digital Commons Network^™

Three-Dimensional Mapping Of Mineral Densities In Carious Dentin: Theory And Method, J. H. Kinney, G. W. Marshall Jr., S. J. Marshall

Scanning Microscopy

X-ray tomographic microscopy (XTM), a three-dimensional X-ray imaging technique, has been used to quantitatively map mineral concentrations in carious dentin. Data analysis from the XTM study indicates that variations in the mineral concentration surrounding the caries can be imaged in three dimensions with a spatial resolution that is sufficient to detect calcified and enlarged tubule spaces in the lesion. A three-dimensional image of the subsurface lesion indicates that lesion penetration is along the direction of the tubules. The mineral concentration in the uninfected dentin was measured by the XTM to be 1.29 ± 0.14 g/cm³ based upon the tabulated …

A New Versatile System For Freeze-Substitution, Freeze-Drying And Low Temperature Embedding Of Biological Specimens, H. Sitte, L. Edelmann, H. Hässig, H. Kleber, A. Lang

Scanning Microscopy

A universal system for freeze-substitution (FS), freeze-drying (FD) and low temperature embedding (LTE) has been developed, suited to perform standardized procedures of cryoprocessing biological and medical specimens as well as systematic studies of dehydration and embedding at various low and high temperatures. In a 35 I Dewar vessel with 110 mm neck diameter an aluminum tube is mounted to the bottom of the liquid nitrogen (LN_2x) reservoir and extends to the lower part of the cylindrical neck. At its top an aluminum plate serves as a contact surface for either the FS chamber or the FD chamber. FS …

Utah State University Commencement, 1994 – Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

101st Annual Commencement of Utah State University

Quantitative Biological Electron Probe Microanalysis With A Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometer, A. Pogorelov, V. Pogorelova, N. V. Repin, I. Mizin

Scanning Microscopy

This paper describes the details of quantitative electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) performed with a wavelength dispersive spectrometer (WDS). EPMA was carried out on the giant neuron of a fresh frozen ganglion from the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The freeze-dried cryosections were compared with sections of freeze-dried, embedded tissue. It was found, that in the ganglion there are two kinds of neurons with a different chlorine concentration of 11 mmole/liter and 32 mmole/liter. Isolated neurons in culture were shown to differ in elemental composition from those in the ganglion tissue.

Is There A Cell-To-Cell Contact Effect On The X-Ray Dose-Survival Response Of Mammalian Cells?, Nandanuri M. S. Reddy, Krystyna A. Cieszka, Samuil Rozenblyum, Christopher S. Lange

Scanning Microscopy

While a cell-to-cell contact effect has been reported for a Chinese hamster subline V79-171B, this was not observed for another subline V79 171-S. Therefore, we tested whether the cell-to-cell contact effect on cell survival depended on the cell line or the experimental conditions used. We have cultured and compared both sublines under identical conditions. Both sublines, cultured in Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM) with 15% serum, bad nearly identical cell doubling times and radiosensitivities. For both sublines, the survival of spheroid and monolayer cells subcultured immediately after irradiation were nearly the same, i.e., a radio-protective contact effect for spheroid cells …

Confocal Fluorescence Ratio Imaging Of Ion Activities In Plant Cells, M. D. Fricker, M. Tlalka, J. Ermantraut, G. Obermeyer, M. Dewey, S. Gurr, J. Patrick, N. S. White

Scanning Microscopy

Fluorescent probes allow measurement of dynamic changes of calcium and pH in living cells. Imaging using confocal scanning laser microscopy provides a route to spatially map these dynamics over time in single optical sections or in 3-D images. We have developed a dual-excitation confocal system to allow ratio measurements of pH and calcium, that compensate for changes in dye distribution, leakage and photobleaching. Application of these techniques to plant tissues is complicated by the difficulty in loading the tissues with dye. We describe a new technique to assist dye loading in intact leaves of Lemna using a pre-treatment with cutinase. …

An Experimental Scanning Electron Microscopic Study Of Human Cerebellar Cortex Using The T-Butyl Alcohol Freeze-Drying Device, Teruyuki Hojo

Scanning Microscopy

Specimen preparation methods are very important in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of nerve tissues. In the present study, a t-butyl alcohol freeze-drying device was used to prepare cerebellar cortex of the human and that of the rat at 15°C and 160 mm Hg. This method has been previously used with success in the preparation of other tissues, such as pancreas and trachea. Relatively large specimens (about 10 mm x 15 mm x 1 mm) of formalin-fixed human and glutaraldehyde-Millonig buffer perfused (1 hour) Wistar rat were rinsed in water, dehydrated in a series of ethanols, immersed in t-butyl …

Proton-Induced And Electron-Induced X-Ray Microanalysis Of Insulin-Secreting Cells, Eva Pålsgård, Ulf Lindh, Lisa Juntti-Berggren, Per-Olof Berggren, Godfried M. Roomans, Geoffrey W. Grime

Scanning Microscopy

Elemental redistribution induced by insulin secretion, was investigated by electron and proton probe X-ray microanalysis. In particular, ion fluxes following immediately upon stimulation were studied. As the sensitivity of the electron probe was insufficient, the proton microprobe was employed. In order to see whether the cell is asymmetric with respect to Ca²⁺ influx, the cells were stimulated in the presence of Sr²⁺ (as a Ca²⁺ analog). Insulin-secreting cells (RINm5F cells and isolated mouse β-cells) were cultured on grids and shock-frozen at 2-30 seconds after stimulation. In a large number of cells, the major elements and and large …

Conventional And High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy And Cryofracture Techniques As Tools For Tracing Cerebellar Short Intracortical Circuits, Orlando J. Castejón, Robert P. Apkarian, Consuelo Valero

Scanning Microscopy

The present paper shows the potential contribution of conventional and high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to trace short intracortical circuits in cryofractured fish, primate and human cerebelli. Conventional SEM slicing technique allowed us to identify afferent mossy and climbing fibers and their synaptic relationship in the granular layer. SEM freeze-fracture method exposed the mossy glomerular synapses and the axo-dendritic connections of climbing fibers. At the Purkinje cell layer, the cryofracture process removed the satellite Bergmann glial cell layer, displaying a partial view of the supra-and infra-ganglionic plexuses of Purkinje cells and the ascending pathways of climbing fibers. High resolution …

Intercellular Interactions In Pc12 Cells Overexpressing Beta/A4 Amyloid, Gladys E. Maestre, Barbara A. Tate, Ronald E. Majocha, John Maguire, Charles A. Marotta

Scanning Microscopy

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is an integral membrane component of eukaryotic cells. A variety of research approaches have addressed the contribution of the β amyloid peptide region of the APP to neuritic plaque structure and formation in the Alzheimer disease brain as well as the relationship between β amyloid accumulation and the occurrence of dementia. However, there is limited information available concerning the cellular consequences of amyloid deposition. The present studies were undertaken to investigate the relationship between β amyloid and intercellular junctions. Transfected PC12 cell lines, that overexpress the β amyloid peptide, exhibit structural and functional alterations at …

Insights, Spring, 1994, Utah State University

Discovery Magazine

Bi-annual alumni newsletter for the College of Science of Utah State University in Logan.

A Proposed Analysis Of Planning Factors Within The Interpretive Planning Process, Christopher W. Sands

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Every year, millions of people visit parks and preserves and in the process, learn about the natural and cultural resources of these areas. These resources typically include, but are not limited to, unique features of geology, hydrology, wildlife, vegetation, and historical and prehistorical influences. Many of these resources may be fragile, which is often the reason for park or preserve establishment, and therefore vulnerable to the impacts created through uncontrolled visitor use. If these resources are not protected from improper recreational use, the activities have the potential to influence the species composition and diversity of vegetation, soil properties and stability …

Cloning And Characterization Of Syr2: A Gene From Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Involved In The Response To Syringomycin, Paul Cliften

Biology

To study syringomycin's mode of action, a gene that confers sensitivity to specific syringomycin-resistant mutants was cloned and characterized. SYR2 was identified by complementing syringomycin-resistant strains 13N-F2 and 28N-D6 with a wild-type genomic library. Several overlapping clones were isolated. A 2 kilobase DNA fragment was subcloned and sequenced. The sequence revealed an open reading frame of 1047 nucleotides that encodes a protein of 349 amino acids. The sequence was identical to the yeast gene SUR2. Comparisons with sequences in the SwissProtein database showed that Syr2 had no significant homology to know proteins. Syr2 showed significant similarity to a protein …

The Importance Of Dominance Interactions To Juvenile Birds, Joanna Leary

Biology

I conducted a field study of dominance interactions among a flock of free-living, individually-marked juvenile dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) to determine if attaining high dominance status conferred any short-term benefits. A priori, I predicted that dominant juvenile juncos in this population would have greater foraging success and spend less time on vigilance behavior than would subordinate juveniles. Hematocrit values, heterophil numbers, and a heterophil/lymphocyte ratio were also documented for each bird to determine whether physiological condition was correlated with dominance status. Dominant juveniles did have greater foraging rates and took less time to handle each food item and …

Autoantibodies To Neurofilament Proteins In Autistic Subjects, Rex Elbert Averett

Biology

Immunological studies of autistic subjects have revealed certain features that are also found in subjects with other autoimmune diseases. Autoantibodies to neural tissue antigens and neurofilament proteins have been implicated in several disease conditions (e. g. autism, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, retinitis pigmentosa, spongiform virus encephalopathies, and perhaps other neurological disorders). Sera from patients with these diseases have been examined with immunoblotting, immunofluorescence microscopy, and enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay and each has found antibodies that react with proteins of neurofilaments. At present, the etiology and pathological mechanisms of most of these diseases are unknown. This study was undertaken to investigate the …

Detection Of Immunoreactive S100 Protein In Lymphoid Cells, Jui-Fen Cheng

Biology

Brain S100 protein (S100), a Ca²⁺-binding protein, may be involved in the pathogenesis of certain neurodegenerative diseases. Nervous and immune systems have recently been shown to express common proteins. Therefore, this research investigated the hypothesis that S100 is present in immunocytes, the cells of the immune system. For the detection of S100, three techniques were used: enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA), protein-immunoblotting (PIB), and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-gels). By using rabbit antibodies to bovine brain S100 protein (R⍺BS100), immunoreactive proteins were detected in immunocytes isolated from the peripheral blood of normal donors. Antigens were found in lymphocytes, but not in …

The Organization Of Shrub-Steppe Spider Assemblages: A Hierarchical Evaluation Of Deterministic And Stochastic Influences, William James Ehmann

Biology

This dissertation addresses deterministic and stochastic factors that are expected to influence the co-occurrence of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in a shrub-steppe environment. First, a field test assessed the role of substrate diameter in spider habitat selection using artificial habitat modules. Second, the effect of alternative spider dispersal modes (passive, long-distance, aerial transport versus active, local ground transport) on assemblage patterns on sagebrush (Artemisia) shrubs was evaluated using an exclosure design. Spider counts from exclosure and reference shrubs were compared at two spatial scales (shrub and plot) and among three potential levels of spider assemblage organization (individuals, species, and …

Conceptual Design And Master Planning For The Fisheries & Wildlife Research Center, David T. Anderson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The College of Natural Resources (CNR) at Utah State University has long been a leader in natural resources education, research and extension. CNR's commitment and concern reaches from the local to a broad International level. Its Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife and Range Science stand among the top departments in the nation in their respective disciplines.

Relationships Among Dictyostelium Plasmids And Study Of The Ddp1 Plasmid Origin Of Replication, Hidenori Kiyosawa

Biology

Three new Dictyostelium plasmid families were established: the Ddp1 plasmid family contains Ddp1, Dmp1, and Dmp2; the Dpp1 plasmid family contains Dpp1A, Dpp1B, and Dpp2; and the Dpp3 plasmid family contains Dpp3, Dpp4, and Dpp5. Plasmids Dpp1B, Dpp4, and Dpp5 were discovered in this work. The Ddp1 plasmid family contains two characteristic open reading frames: a G1 or G1-like open reading frame and a G5 G5-like open reading frame. These, along with an origin of replication, appear to comprise the basic replicon of the Ddp1 plasmid family. Besides the basic replicon, Ddp1 possesses four extra genes, G2/G3/D4, G4/D5, …

Transcriptional Regulatory Elements Of The Phosphodiesterase Gene Of Dictyostelium Discoideum, Yin-Shan Tai

Biology

The Dictyostelium discoideum cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) is synthesized during growth and at different developmental stages and is controlled by three stage-specific promoters. The aggregation-specific promoter is induced by extracellular 3', 5' -cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and is developmentally regulated. Regulatory elements of the aggregation-specific promoter were analyzed by serial deletions and by subcloning promoter segments. The full-length promoter was found to consist of disperse and redundant developmental regulatory elements. A region -556 to -450 upstream of the transcription start site is critical for extracellular cAMP-mediated expression. This region was used as a probe in gel shift assays to detect …

Disturbance In Alpine Tundra Ecosystems: The Effects Of Digging By Northern Pocket Gophers (Thomomys Talpoides), Eve F. Davies

Biology

This study examined the extent to which northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides: Geomyidae) influence an alpine tundra ecosystem on Niwot Ridge, Colorado. Experiments and observations were designed to determine (1) whether gopher density and associated disturbance was proportional throughout vegetation types on the site; and (2) whether the plants that colonize old gopher mounds are determined by the immediately adjacent plants, or by plant species that characterize disturbed alpine tundra. To quantify pocket gopher disturbance on the site, three 1-ha study plots were established. On each plot, the percentage of each major vegetation type was determined, all active …

Interactions Of Harvester Ants And Seeds In A Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem: The Effect Of Trunk Trail Foraging, John F. Mull

Biology

The primary goal of this study was to document spatial variation in the interactions between a granivore, the western harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis), and its seed resources in the semiarid sagebrush-steppe of southwestern Wyoming. A major focus of this research was the effect of foraging trail use by P. occidentalis on spatial patterns of seed predation. Three seed removal experiments, soil seed sampling and an experiment designed to test the role of visual landmarks on foraging trail formation were the major elements of this investigation. In the first two seed experiments, seed removal rates, from both high- and …

A Walk On The Wild Side: Conceptual Master Plan And Vegetation Management Plan For The Ogden Nature Center, Beth G. Pyle

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This report provides an introduction describing: 1) Ogden Nature Center site planning history; 2) background of the problem a) lack of a conceptual master plan which responds to current management objectives, b) lack of a vegetation management plan, and; 3) thesis objectives and methodology for the creation of conceptual master plan and vegetation management plan for the Ogden Nature Center. Chapter 2 presents a written discussion of the Ogden Nature Center site inventory drawings and site analysis. Chapter 3 delineates strategies for management of weedy vegetation including; a general discussion of management techniques, general criteria for the selection of weedy …

Differential Parental Participation In A Comprehensive Early Intervention Project: Is More Active Better?, Gary Percival

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study examined the level of participation by families who have been involved between 1 and 3 years with the Community-Family Partnership (CFP) project. The CFP project is 1 of 34 Comprehensive Child Development Projects funded by the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families through the Head Start Bureau. The CFP makes available comprehensive, on-going services to enrolled families. Twenty-six families were identified as the Low Participation Group. Twenty-three families were identified as the High Participation Group. Children from each group were tested using the Battelle Developmental Inventory on a yearly basis. Results of a repeated measures ANOVA indicated …

Cognitive Style As A Mediator Of Premarital Sexual Attitudes, Motivations, And Behavior, Susan Campbell Bowman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between adolescent premarital sexual attitudes, motivations, behavior, and cognitive style (style of decision-making process). A review of the literature indicated that deviant behaviors among youth are related to one another and that they are also related to ego identity and cognitive style. No previous study had specifically examined sexual behavior, attitudes, and motivations in relation to cognitive style.

A self-report questionnaire was employed to gather information about cognitive style and sexual behaviors, attitudes, and motivations. The sample was comprised of 579 university students ages 17 to 25 …

Alcohol, Abstinence, Efficacy, And Social Normative Expectancies: The Relationship To Alcoholics' Level Of Drinking Following Inpatient Treatment, Martin John Toohill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It has been argued that individuals receiving traditional alcohol treatment do not necessarily perceive life-long abstinence from alcohol as a favorable treatment outcome, and that negative expectations associated with this abstinence goal may have an adverse effect on treatment outcome. However, "abstinence expectancies" have never been systematically explored. This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior to investigate the relationship between the abstinence outcome expectancies of alcoholics beginning treatment and subsequent alcohol consumption. The independent and combined effects of abstinence outcome expectancies, alcohol outcome expectancies, self-efficacy expectancies (to abstain from alcohol use), and the normative beliefs of individuals beginning inpatient …

Factor Analytic Study Of Spatial Abilities In Second-Grade, English-Speaking Navajo And Non-Navajo Children, Laurie Sullivan-Sakaeda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to continue the investigation of apparent differences in cognitive abilities between Navajo Indian children and non-Navajo children. Subjects were 248 second-grade students, ranging from 7 to 9 years old. The Navajo sample lived in the Shiprock, New Mexico, area of the Navajo Indian Reservation, and the non-Navajo sample lived on the east side of Salt Lake City, Utah. Data were collected using six tests designed to measure spatial abilities in primary grade children. Results indicated that the non-Navajo children scored significantly higher on two individual tests and on the total test score under timed conditions, with …

Phenotypic Profiles Of Lymphocytes In Adult C57bl/6n Mice Infected With Cryptosporidium Parvum, Diane Rose Bienek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to quantitate the populations o f lymphocytes in the spleens and intestines of normal and immunosuppressed adult C57BL/6N mice that were noninfected or infected with Cryptosporidium parvum. This was accomplished by using the following methodologies: immunohistochemistry, ELISA-spot assay, and flow cytometry.

Mice in groups 1 and 2 were immunosuppressed, but only group 2 was infected. Mice in group 3 were only infected, whereas group 4 served as the normal control. Mice were immunosuppressed with dexamethasone (DEXI at a dosage of 125µg/mouse/day. Infected mice received 10⁶ oocysts per os. The numbers of lymphocytes were …

Effect Of Iron Binding On The Ability Of Crocidolite To Cause Dna Single-Strand Breaks, Jeanne Ann Hardy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fibrous carcinogens, such as crocidolite asbestos, are known to catalyze many of the same reactions as iron, namely O₂ consumption, generation of reduced oxygen species, and damage to DNA, such as strand breaks, and modifications of bases. Upon inhalation, fibers are also known to become coated with an iron-rich material. The mechanism by which this iron is bound to fibers in the lung is not known, and the effect of this additional iron on the reactivity of the fibers is also not well understood. The studies described here were undertaken to elucidate the abilities of crocidolite asbestos, in its …

Competence And Acceptance Of Children With Developmental Disabilities: An Examination Of Self-Concept, Cindy S. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship of the self-concepts of a sample of 248 children with developmental disabilities with demographic variables and measures of child functioning and family situational variables. In addition, responses on a measure of self-concept were compared with those of a normative sample provided by Harter. Results indicated that, using this measure and these populations, there were no differences in the self-concept of children with disabilities and those without disabilities. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that children's cognitive achievement and independent functioning skills were moderately related to their self-concepts, but demographic variables and family …