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Effects Of Different Salinities On The Metabolic Rate, Mitochondrial Morphology And Glycogen Content In The Brine Shrimp, Artemia Salina, Ya Sheng Juan

Biology

The effect of different salinities (1X, 2X, 4X and 8X sea water) on the metabolic rate, glycogen content, mitochondrial morphology and LDHase activity of the immature male brine shrimp, Artemia salina, ranging 5-7 mm in body length, was studied. The metabolic rate was determined by measuring the O2 uptake and CO2 release of the brine shrimp using a Gilson micro-respirometer. Glycogen content was determined by chemical assay and electron microscopic study. Fine structure studies were limited to the skeletal muscle and only the organelles or components of this tissue that were affected by the treatments are described. LDHase activity was …

Nothing Succeeds Like Succession: Ecology And The Human Lot, James A. Macmahon

Faculty Honor Lectures

An Honor Lecture provides a rare opportunity for me as a scientist. First, I have the chance to share, and in a sense to justify, my chosen and cherished discipline, ecology, before an eclectic audience. Second, I have a reason to consider my profession in a broader perspective than I normally do, given the pressures of day-to-day teaching, of grantsmanship, and of acting the role of stern taskmaster to my graduate students. I relish the opportunity to dabble, with an ecological perspective, in history, in philosophy, and in other areas. First, I will discuss my discipline in the context of …

Development Of A Microflotation System To Continuously Sample Water For Reovirus Concentration And Detection, Daniel Dalton Marton

Biology

In order to monitor virus levels in most water systems, a virus concentration step is necessary for current assay systems to detect the presence of the virus. Microscopic fluorescent particles were used to determine the efficiency of a microflotation apparatus developed for use in a virus concentration method. The adsorption of particles or viruses onto bubbles in water, enhanced by added or natural foaming agents, is the governing principle of the concentration method investigated. Tests were conducted with organic fluorescent particles in distilled water containing different foaming agents: skim milk, protease peptone, yeast extract, and polyethylene glycol 20M. Tests were …

Production And Characterization Of Monoclonal Antibody And Its Comparison To Polyclonal Antibody For Detection Of Virus, Bruce G. Harper

Biology

Monoclonal antibodies used in serological procedures have the potential to recognize and identify one single antigenic determinant on a virus that is not shared by closely related viruses. This procedure would have the advantage of reducing non-specific background and would allow differentiation between a mixture of viruses. In this investigation, a monoclonal antibody to reovirus type 1 was produced and compared with polyclonal antibody for immunoassay detection of virus. The tests compared were the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA), and the immunofluorescent cell count assay. A comparison of monoclonal antibody to polyclonal antibody in an immunofluorescent …

Utah State University Commencement, 1983 – Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

Ninetieth Annual Commencement of Utah State University

Induction And Characterization Of Cold-Sensitive, Recessive, Sex-Linked Lethal Mutation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Faisal M. Abu-Tarboush

Biology

The study was conducted to induce and characterize cold-sensitive lethal mutations in the Basc stock of Drosophila melanogaster and then to identify the effective lethal phase (LP) and temperature-sensitive period (TSP) for the mutants. Ethyl methanesulfonate was used as the mutagenic agent in this study. Basc EMS-treated males were mated to virgin Canton-S females. The progeny from their mating was individually mated and tested for lethality at 18°C and then for viability at 25°C. The stable stocks obtained were then retested for lethality at 18°C. Two different sex-linked, recessive, cold-sensitive lethal mutants were obtained out of 884 individually tested F1 …

Absence Of Photosynthetic Reaction Center Polypeptide H In Rhodopseudomonas Sphaeroides, Kevin Gillies

Biology

An Mr 27,500 membrane protein from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides strain 8-17, a non-photosynthetic bacteriochlorophyll-less mutant, has been reported to be the photosynthetic reaction center subunit H found in all photosynthetic isolates of R. sphaeroides. The possible occurence of reaction center polypeptide H in mutant strain 8-17 would indicate that, unlike reaction center subunits L and M, complete bacteriochlorophyll is not required for its synthesis or insertion into the membrane. In experiments reported here, however, purified reaction center subunit H differed from the mutant 8-17 polypeptide in net charge, mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, and 125I-labelled peptide map patterns. Further, aerobic …

In Vivo Development Of Acosphaera Aggregata Skou In The Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee, Megachile Rotundata(Fabricus): A Light And Electron Microscope Study, William R. Mcmanus

Biology

The present light and electron microscope study revealed that the in vivo pattern of development of A. aggregata resembles that of the in vitro development of A. apis, the only other member of the Ascospheraceae to be studied in detail by Spiltoir in 1955. As well as documenting the similarities between the two species, this study also revealed several distinct differences between the two species and answered several developmental questions left unanswered by Spiltoir's study. Nongerminated and germinating ascospores were seen within the gut lumen of the feeding larvae. After germination minimal hyphal development occurred within the gut lumen. The …

Fluoride Effects On The Growth And Morphology Of Two Thermophilic Cyanophytes Synechcoccus Lividus And Phormidium Laminosum, Ibrahim A. Arif

Biology

The effects of various concentrations of fluoride on growth of two thermophilic cyanophytes, Synechococcus lividus (unicellular) and Phormidium laminosum (filamentous) were studied. Growth of both algae was inhibited by fluoride in the concentrations tested. As the concentrations of fluoride increased, an extended adaptation lag phase was encountered. Synechcoccus lividus was more sensitive to fluoride than was Phormidium laminosum, being inhibited in total growth as well as growth rate. Fluoride effects on growth were compared to chloride and to chloride plus fluoride. The growth of S. lividus was stimulated by chloride alone and in combination with fluoride at all concentrations used; …

Yellow-Headed Blackbird Nest Defense: Aggressive Responses To Marsh Wrens, Stephen Robert Bump

Biology

Behavioral interactions between Yellow-headed Blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) and Marsh Wrens (Cistothorus palustris) were studied in northern Utah. Marsh Wrens were important predators on Yellow-headed Blackbird eggs. On marshes where Marsh Wrens were present, they were implicated in the destruction of between 5.3 and 15.3% of all active Yellow-headed Blackbird nestings, but only nests within 25 m of Marsh Wren home ranges were depreciated by wrens. Films of Marsh Wrens destroying Yellow-headed Blackbird eggs suggest that wrens consume egg contents. Yellow-headed Blackbirds crushed only one of 19 Marsh Wren nests tied 2 m from prelaying Yellowhead nests. Wren nests provide convenient …

A Taxonomic Study Of Leymus Ambiguus And L. Salinae (Poaceae), Riley J. Atkins

Biology

Morphological studies of populations in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and Colorado belonging to three taxa of Leymus Hochst. revealed that L. salinae (M. E. Jones) A. Love is comprised of two subspecies, subsp. salinae and subsp. salmonis (C. L. Hitchcock) R. J. Atkins comb. nov. Leymus ambiguus (Vasey & Scribner) D. R. Dewey is distinct from these two taxa and occurs in the Colorado Front Range. Tetraploid (2n=28) and octoploid (2n=56) races occur in both L. salinae subsp. salinae and L. ambiguus, but only tetraploids were found among L. salinae subsp. salmonis. A naturally occurring hexaploid (2n=42) was discovered in one …

Murine Rotavirus Infection: Characterization Of The Disease And Influence Of Host Malnutrition And Dietary Protein, Roger Lee Noble

Biology

A possible correlation between malnutrition and the increased incidence and severity of rotavirus-associated gastroenteritis in human infants was investigated using a mouse model originally described by others, but which was further defined and characterized as . a part of these studies. Two- or three-day-old specific-pathogen free Swiss Webster mice were orally infected with a 10% homogenate of intestines from mice infected with murine rotavirus. In the resulting disease, gross signs (diarrhea, alteration in intestinal appearance, failure to gain weight) and histologic changes typical of rotaviral gastroenteritis were manifest. Although quantification was not feasible by immunofluorescent staining, this technique did reveal …

Seasonal Patterns Of Ss-Endorphin, Ss-Lipotrophin, Acth, Α-Msh And Cortisol And Diurnal Rhythms Of Serum Melatonin, Pineal Nat Activity And Hypothalamic Mao Activity As Related To The Annual Furring Cycles In Mink (Mustela Vison), Robert Wesley Mcmullen

Biology

The purpose of this study was to determine seasonal patterns of five hormones in male mink of three different color phases during a year-long observation period. Four statistically significant pulses of cortisol were observed on November 4, February 3, April 28 and June 9. These adrenocorticoid peaks of activity corresponded with similar peaks of plasma ACTH. Concomitant with the fall and spring pelage changes (moults), α-MSH secretion was high from September through November and from May through June, but was reduced during the winter months except for a small secondary rise in January and February. Cortisol, ACTH and α-MSH levels …

The Effects Of The Antifertility Agent Af1312/Ts On The Testis And The Epididymus Of The Laboratory Mouse: A Light And Electron Microscope Study, Lyla M. Wagley

Biology

AF1312/TS, an antifertility agent synthesized by Silvestrini and associates in Italy, has the potential to be developed as a contraceptive in human males. This chemical's action is extremely specific, affecting initially, only the elements of the seminiferous epithelium. The drug's action is reversible, and dose, and species specific. This study was undertaken to observe the general morphplogical changes in the testis and epididymis of the mouse due to oral dosing with AF1312/TS. Damage was so drastic, it was evident with the light microscope. Fine structural analysis was used to determine the cell types involved, as well as the organelles damaged …

A Comparison Of The Vegetation On Soils Derived From Dolomite And Quartzite In The Bear River Range, Utah And Idaho, Elizabeth E. Neely

Biology

A comparison was made of the vegetation on soils derived from the Swan Peak Quartzite and the Fish Haven Dolomite Formations in the Bear River Range of northern Utah and southern Idaho. Eight sites on open slopes were selected for study along the contact line between the two geologic formations. Two 600 m2 plots with similar elevation, slope and aspect were established at each site. The vegetation was analyzed over two field seasons by determining the species present and their percentage of canopy cover. Soils were analyzed for nutrient levels, moisture content and texture. Differences were found in vegetation patterns …

Taxonomy And Distribution Of The Stratiomyidae (Diptera) Of The Intermountain Region Of The United States, Mikky Abdulla Amoudi

Biology

A study was carried out on the species composition of the Stratiomyidae in the Intermountain Region, their distribution, seasonal occurrence and habitats. Over 12,000 adult specimens were examined at collections in the area. A total of 83 species and sub-species were found to occur or potentially occur in the Intermountain Region. These belong to 20 genera in 7 subfamilies. Of the subfamilies, Stratiomyinae, Nemotelinae and to a lesser extent, Clitellariinae were the most prevalent in terms of numbers of genera and species. Slightly more than two-thirds of the species and genera in the Intermountain Region belong to these subfamilies. Included …

The Robber Flies (Diptera: Asilidae) Of Utah, Charles Riley Nelson

Biology

As a result of taxonomic investigations, 157 species of Asilidae are recognized as occurring in Utah. Keys for subfamiles, genera, and species are given, along with information on seasonal and distributional occurrence in Utah. Seventy-six maps and fifty-seven figures are included, which show the Utah distribution of each species and illustrate important characters used in the keys. Trends in distributional patterns are discussed.

Efficiency Of Converting Iron Into Hemoglobin As An Assay For Evaluating Iron Bioavailability, Paul Whittaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of iron absorption on subsequent hemoglobin regeneration was investigated by repletion and subsequent analysis of an anemic weanling rat model. Primary assay procedure in these studies was the Regeneration Efficiency method.

As repletion or curative assay techniques form the central body of investigative research in iron utilization, the first subject of inquiry was the effect of repletion interval and degree of depletion upon the animals as monitored by physical indicators such as blood volume, growth and hematinic response. Percent blood volume is a particularly useful figure in the calculation of the amount of hemoglobin iron but was found …

Differential Behavior Of Coyotes With Regard To Home Range Limits, Charles E. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to examine coyote behavioral responses to novel stimuli in familiar and unfamiliar environments and the implications of this behavior with regard to specific coyote management and research techniques. A series of pen studies with captive coyotes was undertaken at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Predator Ecology and Behavior Project research site, Logan, Utah, to observe the range and type of behaviors coyotes showed towards small novel objects and standard scent stations in familiar and unfamiliar 1-ha enclosures. The initial response to these novel stimuli in familiar environments was one of neophobia and caution, whereas in …

Nonpoint Source Pollution To Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho: Magnitude, Periodicity, And Watershed Management Alternatives, Victor J. Kollock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

From April of 1981 to June of 1982 a Clean Lakes Program Phase 1 Diagnostic Feasibility Study was conducted on Bear Lake, a 282 km² (109m²) fresh-water lake located in southeastern Idaho and northeastern Utah. A portion of this Clean Lakes Program required an itemized inventory of all nonpoint sources affecting the lake's water quality.

A 16 month lake tributary monitoring program, which included the spring runoff periods of 1981 and 1982, provided data from which nutrient loading values (kg/day and kg/yr) were calculated. Analysis of these data, along with land use percentages within the Bear Lake …

Evaluation Of The Early Establishment Phase Of Agropyron Desertorum, Medicago Sativa And Atriplex Canescens In Monocultures And Mixtures, Oscar Luis Prado Escobar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the early establishment phase of various monocultures and mixed species plantings of Agropyron desertorum (AGDE), Medicago sativa (MESA), and Atriplex canescens (ATCA). The study was conducted under both greenhouse and field conditions. In the greenhouse, the experimental design was a split-plot, randomized-block design in time, using transplanted seedlings. The treatments were exposed to three water levels to determine species response to varying moisture availability. Plastic pots of 15.4 cm (diameter) by 17.9 cm (depth) were filled with 2,800 g of sandy-loam soil and brought to field capacity. The pots were weighted twice weekly and the water lost …

Rhizosphere N2 Fixation In A Forest Ecosystem In Situ Assays And Evaluation Of The Acetylene Reduction Technique, Inger Börjesson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In situ assays of N₂ fixation activity, using the acetylene reduction technique, were performed in four successional stages of a Northern Wasatch Mountain subalpine forest ecosystem, elevation 2,800 m. Emphasis was made on rhizosphere fixation in association with Antennaria microphylla and Achillea millefolium. The vegetation period was approximately 100 days.

Assays were performed in Saran bags. A defined amount of propane was injected at initiation of the assay and acetylene was generated from CaC₂. Samples were analyzed for ethylene and propane. Data were evaluated assuming that the ethylene production was directly proportional to the increase in …

Stages Of Contemplative Mysticism: A Description And Taxonomy, Kenneth Burton Kaisch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to describe and classify the stages of contemplative mystical development in the major world religions. To accomplish this task, a sample of five major world religions was chosen from the total population. From each religion, a contemplative author who was regarded as an authority by the members of that religion was chosen. The major work of each author was described in order to make explicit his/her conceptualization of the stages of contemplative development. These conceptualizations were then compared together, resulting in two models of contemplative development. The first model was composed of those stages …

The Prediction Of Tenure And Job Performance Based On The Job Activity Preference Questionnaire (Japq): A Concurrent Study, Nolan R. Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity of the JAPQ in predicting the work output and tenure levels of persons employed in the occupation of Data Entry Operator-Financial Keyer. Three separate hypotheses were tested: (1) JAPQ-D² differences based on employee tenure and output loads; (2) JAPQ dimension preference differences, which may not be reflected in JAPQ-D² scores; and, (3) the relationship between employee tenure and employee output. Separate research questions focused on the applicability of the JAPQ in predicting employee tenure and employee output, based on multiple regression results.

Sixty financial keyers were administered …

The Effects Of So2 On N2-Fixation, Carbon Partitioning, And Yield Components In Snapbean, Phaseolus Vulgaris L., Stephen M. Griffith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary air pollutant sulfur dioxide has been shown to affect plant biochemistry and physiology, although very little is known about its effects on N₂-fixation in legumes.

This study was designed to determine if N₂-fixation, carbon partitioning , and productivity are affected under short term low level, so₂ exposures.

Greenhouse grown snapbeans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Earliwax), 29 days from planting, were exposed to 0.0, 0.4, and 0.8 parts per million sulfur dioxide for 4 hours day^-1 for 5 days in a fumigation chamber. At these concentrations there was no visible damage of …

Use Of Clearcut Habitats By Black Bears In The Pacific Northwest, Kim R. Barber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Patterns of vegetation use by black bears (Ursus americanus) on Long Island, Washington were documented using radio-telemetry in 1973-74 and 1980-81. Secondary succession altered the vegetative compostion of clearcut areas through this time, reducing the areas dominated by productive brush species by nearly 50%. Seasonal food habits, consisted primarily of grasses and forbs in spring (den emergence-May) and flowers and fruits of shrub species in summer (June-September) and fall (October-den entrance).

Bears selected for clearcuts (5-21 years of age) over all other vegetation types for feeding but preferred areas dominated by large trees when inactive during both the …

Effects Of Physical And Emotional Stress, Catecholamines And Naloxone On Hdl And Ldl Cholesterol Levels In Rats And Man, Andrew G. Goliszek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of investigations were undertaken to determine whether physical or emotional stress, catecholamines or naloxone (B-endorphon blocker) would increase serum total cholesterol and LDL and HDL levels. Physical stress given daily over a period of time caused a steady increase in serum total cholesterol and LDL without a significantly altering high density lipoproteins (HDL) or serum triglycerides. Daily injections of epinerphrine in oil caused an increase in both serum total cholesterol and LDL levels while daily injections of norepinephrine did not. Reversal of the treatments caused a reversed response in both groups of rats. Similar increases in both total …

Mule Deer Reproduction And Survival In The Lasal Mountains, Utah, Randall B. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) reproduction and survival on the LaSal Mountains, Utah were studied from 1978-81. Reproductive rates were high, suggesting that summer and fall forage quality was adequate and was not responsible for low recruitment observed in recent years. The combined fetal rate, determined from laparotomies and carcasses, was 1.72 for all females older than 1 year (N = 114). Fetal rates were 1.15 for yearlings (N = 20), 1.80 for prime females (2-7 years, N = 78), and 1.75 for old females (8+ years, N = 16). No evidence of breeding was found among fawns (N …

A Method For Separating Casein Micelles From Whey Proteins For Determining Casein In Milk, Robert N. Carpenter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if size exclusion chromatography could be used to separate casein micelles from whey proteins for a rapid, direct test to measure percent casein in milk. A size exclusion chromatography column was developed for the separation having dimensions 100 by .4 cm. Packing material selected was glycophase coated porous glass supports. A Beckman DU-8B spectrophotometer monitored the casein and whey protein peaks as they eluted and a Tektronix 4052 computer accepted data points every 4 sec, storing these on tape. Absorbances and areas of each peak were used in the evaluation of samples. …

Longitudinal Pantothenic Acid Status Of Pregnant And Lactating Women, Won Oack Song

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pantothenic acid nutritional status was evaluated in a cohort of twenty-nine Caucasian pregnant women, aged 20-35, during their third trimester of pregnancy, at two-weeks postpartum and at three months postpartum. Seventeen non-pregnant, non-lactating women who had similar demographic backgrounds as the pregnant women were selected as a control group and followed the same experimental schedule as the pregnant women. A fasting blood sample, two days 24-h urine specimens and diet record were obtained for each of two days from each subject at each period.

The mean dietary pantothenic acid intakes of the women during pregnancy (5.30±1.74 mg/day) and during lactation …