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Blood Chemistry And Biliverdin Differ According To Reproduction And Tourism In A Free-Living Lizard, Susannah French

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Changes in the physiological health of species are an essential indicator of changing conditions and environmental challenges. Reponses to environmental challenges can often induce stress, influence physiology, and change metabolism in organisms. Here we tested blood chemistry parameters indicative of stress and metabolic activity using an i-STAT point-of-care blood analyzer in seven populations of free-ranging rock iguanas exposed to varying levels of tourism and supplemental feeding. We found significant differences in blood chemistry (glucose, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hematocrit, hemoglobin, calcium, potassium, and biliverdin levels) among populations exposed to varying levels of tourism, and also some variation between sexes and reproductive …

Data From: Complex Tourism And Season Interactions Contribute To Disparate Physiologies In An Endangered Rock Iguana, Susannah French

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To promote survival and fitness, organisms use a suite of physiological systems to respond to both predictable and unpredictable changes in the environment. These physiological responses are also influenced by changes in life history state. The continued activation of physiological systems stemming from persistent environmental perturbations enable animals to cope with these challenges but may over time lead to significant effects on the health of wildlife. In the present study, we tested how varying environmental perturbations driven by tourism and associated supplemental feeding affects the energetics, corticosterone and immunity of six discrete populations of the northern Bahamian rock iguana (Cyclura …

Survival Of The Fattest: How Body Fat And Migration Influence Survival In Highly Seasonal Environments, Kristin Denryter, Mary M. Conner, Thomas R. Stephenson, David W. German, Kevin L. Monteith

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Energy stores and migration are important adaptations for animals in seasonal environments, but their roles may vary relative to an animal's endogenous and exogenous environment. In partially migratory populations, migrants and residents experience different seasonal environments; thus, the influence of energy stores on survival may differ relative to migratory tactic, with potential consequences to survival and fitness.

2. Using data from Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae; hereafter, Sierra bighorn), we tested the hypothesis that body fat (energy stores) buffers animals against their environment, but that buffering capacity differs across environments experienced by high-elevation residents (using …

A Modern Two-Layer Hypothesis Helps Resolve The ‘Savanna Problem’, Andrew Kulmatiski, Karen H. Beard

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

For over a century, deep roots have been assumed to allow trees to avoid competition with grasses (i.e., the two-layer hypothesis). Yet, in part because it remains difficult to measure water uptake in the field, there has been a shift in savanna ecology away from the two-layer hypothesis and towards alternative explanations of tree-grass coexistence. Here, we combine hydrologic tracer experiments and soil water flow models to demonstrate how the distribution of active roots affects water uptake across a range of savanna conditions. Grass roots were shallower and provided pre-emptive access to enough soil water to allow nearly continuous grass …

Performance Evaluation Of Deep Transfer Learning On Multi-Class Identification Of Common Weed Species In Cotton Production Systems, Dong Chen, Yuzhen Lu, Zhaojian Li, Sierra N. Young

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Precision weed management offers a promising solution for sustainable cropping systems through the use of chemical-reduced/non-chemical robotic weeding techniques, which apply suitable control tactics to individual weeds or small clusters. Therefore, accurate identification of weed species plays a crucial role in such systems to enable precise, individualized weed treatment. Despite recent progress, the development of a robust weed identification and localization system in the presence of unstructured field environments remains a serious challenge, requiring supervised modeling using large volumes of annotated data. This paper makes a first comprehensive evaluation of deep transfer learning (DTL) for identifying common weed species specific …

Growing Space Management In Boreal Mixedwood Forests: 22 Year Results, Richard Kabzems, George Harper, Che Elkin

Aspen Bibliography

Boreal mixed forests of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and white spruce (Picea glauca) can provide higher outputs of many ecosystem goods and services, combined with resilience for changing environmental conditions. In this study, we examine the growth of white spruce and aspen over a range of stand compositions created by spot and broadcast treatments of broadleaves using manual and chemical means, aspen spacing, and untreated control. Twenty-two growing seasons postharvest, treatment responses created a range of broadleaf densities and spatial arrangements, reflected in significant differences in heights and diameters of the spruce mixedwood component. At this …

Space Bioprocess Engineering On The Horizon, Aaron J. Berliner, Isaac Lipsky, Davian Ho, Jacob M. Hilzinger, Gretchen Vengerova, Georgios Makrygiorgos, Matthew J. Mcnulty, Kevin Yates, Nils J. H. Averesch, Charles S. Cockell, Tyler Wallentine, Lance C. Seefeldt, Craig S. Criddle, Somen Nandi, Karen A. Mcdonald, Amor A. Menezes, Ali Mesbah, Adam P. Arkin

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Space bioprocess engineering (SBE) is an emerging multi-disciplinary field to design, realize, and manage biologically-driven technologies specifically with the goal of supporting life on long term space missions. SBE considers synthetic biology and bioprocess engineering under the extreme constraints of the conditions of space. A coherent strategy for the long term development of this field is lacking. In this Perspective, we describe the need for an expanded mandate to explore biotechnological needs of the future missions. We then identify several key parameters—metrics, deployment, and training—which together form a pathway towards the successful development and implementation of SBE technologies of the …

A Colorimetric Method To Measure In Vitro Nitrogenase Functionality For Engineering Nitrogen Fixation, Lucía Payá-Tormo, Diana Coroian, Silvia Martín-Muñoz, Artavazd Badalyan, Robert T. Green, Marcel Veldhuizen, Xi Jiang, Gema López-Torrejón, Janneke Balk, Lance C. Seefeldt, Stefan Burén, Luis M. Rubio

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the reduction of N2 into NH3 in a group of prokaryotes by an extremely O2-sensitive protein complex called nitrogenase. Transfer of the BNF pathway directly into plants, rather than by association with microorganisms, could generate crops that are less dependent on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and increase agricultural productivity and sustainability. In the laboratory, nitrogenase activity is commonly determined by measuring ethylene produced from the nitrogenase-dependent reduction of acetylene (ARA) using a gas chromatograph. The ARA is not well suited for analysis of large sample sets nor easily adapted to automated robotic determination of nitrogenase activities. …

Water Availability Dictates How Plant Traits Predict Demographic Rates, Alice E. Stears, Peter B. Adler, Dana M. Blumenthal, Julie A. Kray, Kevin E. Mueller, Troy W. Ocheltree, Kevin R. Wilcox, Daniel C. Laughlin

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

A major goal in ecology is to make generalizable predictions of organism responses to environmental variation based on their traits. However, straightforward relationships between traits and fitness are rare and likely to vary with environmental context. Characterizing how traits mediate demographic responses to the environment may enhance the predictions of organism responses to global change. We synthesized 15 years of demographic data and species-level traits in a shortgrass steppe to determine whether the effects of leaf and root traits on growth and survival depended on seasonal water availability. We predicted that (1) species with drought-tolerant traits, such as lower leaf …

Recovery Of Trembling Aspen, Tamarack, And White Spruce Seedlings From Nacl Stress Following Winter Dormancy: Implications For Increased Foliar Potassium, Necrosis, And Sodium Management As Stress Resistance Mechanisms, Nathan T. Lauer

Aspen Bibliography

Revegetation of boreal forest lands disturbed by surface mining for bitumen can be challenging due to fluctuating levels of soil NaCl and harsh winter temperatures. These stressors may hinder the growth and survival of planted tree seedlings. Two experiments were carried out to examine the processes of recovery from NaCl stress and overwintering in trembling aspen, tamarack, and white spruce seedlings. In the recovery experiment, seedlings were treated with 0, 50, or 100 mM NaCl for 60 days and then allowed to recover for 60 days. Most of the examined physiological variables (total dry weight, chlorophyll concentration, photosynthesis, and transpiration) …

Sexual Complexity: A Comparison Between Men And Women In A Sexual Minority Sample Of Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, William S. Bradshaw, John P. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher

Psychology Faculty Publications

We report here some of the results from an online survey of 1612 LGBTQ members and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLDS, Mormon). The data permitted an exploration of diversity—individual similarities and differences within and between the sexes. Men and women were compared with respect to sexual identity self-labeling and behavior (i.e., identity development, disclosure, activity), orientation change efforts, marital relationships, and psychosocial health—these variables in the context of their religious lives. More women than men self-identified in the bisexual range of the sexual attraction continuum. Both men and women had engaged in extensive …

Intermediate Help With Using Digital Devices And Online Accounts: Understanding The Needs, Expectations, And Vulnerabilities Of Young Adults, Hanieh Atashpanjeh, Arezou Behfar, Cassity Haverkamp, Maryellen Mcclain Verdoes, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

With the revolution in digital technologies, users face challenges to learn, understand, and use modern devices and online services. Thus, they seek intermediate help, i.e., assistance from others to avail the benefits of technological advancement. The prior studies showed that people with special needs, including the users with visual impairments, and older adults ask for help from their caregivers as they encounter problems with technology use. However, there is a gap in existing literature to systematically investigate the expectations, and challenges of users in availing help from others with using digital devices (e.g., computers, mobile phones) and online accounts. We …

Evidence For Multiple Potential Drivers Of Increased Phosphorus In High-Elevation Lakes, J. Scholz, Janice Brahney

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Total phosphorus (TP) concentrations have increased in many remote mountain waterbodies across the western United States, and reports of algal blooms in these systems have increased in frequency. Explanations for observed TP increases are uncertain, and typical landscape drivers, such as agricultural/urban runoff, are implausible. We investigated multiple atmospheric and terrestrial-P loading mechanisms to explain the observed decadal increase in TP, including a novel hypothesis that warming soils may lead to elevated P fluxes to receiving water bodies. Using northern Utah mountains ranges as a case study, we measured prospective inputs of total and bioavailable P via dust deposition. Terrestrial …

Autonomy And Privilege In Doctoral Education: An Analysis Of Stem Students' Academic And Professional Trajectories, Jennifer M. Blaney, Annie M. Wofford, Soojeong Jeong, Jina Kang, David F. Feldon

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Guided by theories of socialization and possible selves, this study examines how STEM doctoral students perceive their academic and professional trajectories. More specifically, we rely on four years of interview data from 66 doctoral students in the biological sciences to explore students' perceived trajectories, focusing on the salient identities and experiences that shape the way students identify and describe their graduate experiences over time. Findings reveal wide variation in terms of how students described their trajectories, with some students describing linear trajectories and/or unchanging career interests, while others described their developmental trajectories as highly turbulent and non-linear. These perceived trajectories …

Short-Term Effects Of Experimental Goose Grazing And Warming Differ In Three Low-Arctic Coastal Wetland Plant Communities, Ryan T. Choi, Matteo Petit Bon, A. Joshua Leffler, Katharine C. Kelsey, Jeffrey M. Welker, Karen H. Beard

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Question: Understanding the sensitivity and magnitude of plant community responses in tundra wetlands to herbivory and warming is pressing as these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by changes in grazing pressure and higher temperatures. Here, we ask to what extent different low-Arctic coastal wetland plant communities are affected by short-term goose grazing and warming, and whether these communities differ in their responses.

Location: Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska.

Methods: We conducted an experiment where we simulated goose grazing by clipping the vegetation and summer warming by using open-top chambers in three plant communities along a 6-km coastal–inland gradient. We assessed plant community compositional …

Compensatory Phenolic Induction Dynamics In Aspen After Aphid Infestation, Rajarshi Kumar Gaur, Ilka Nacif De Abreu, Benedicte Riber Albrectsen

Aspen Bibliography

Condensed tannins (CTs) are polyphenolics and part of the total phenolic (TP) pool that shape resistance in aspen (Populus tremula). CTs are negatively associated with pathogens, but their resistance properties against herbivores are less understood. CTs shape resistance to pathogens and chewing herbivores and could also shape resistance to aphids. Being chemical pools that are highly variable it can further be questioned whether CT-shaped resistance is better described by constitutive levels, by the induced response potential, or by both. Here, aspen genotypes were propagated and selected to represent a range of inherent abilities to produce and store foliar …

An Inventory And Assessment Of Sample Sources For Survey Research With Agricultural Producers In The U.S., Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Shuang Li, J. G. Arbuckle, Edem Avemegah, Kathryn J. Brasier, Morey Burnham, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Weston M. Eaton, Wei Gu, Tonya Haigh, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Alexander L. Metcalf, Amit Pradhananga, Linda S. Prokopy, Matthew Sanderson, Emma Wade, Adam Wilke

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Researchers need probability samples to collect representative survey data about the behaviors and attitudes of agricultural producers they study in relation to the natural resources that they manage, yet obtaining accurate and complete sampling frames is challenging. We extract data from a publication database to identify the most commonly used sampling frame sources in survey research of agricultural producers in the U.S., finding that government program participant lists are used most often, while private vendor samples are increasingly being purchased. Based on our research experience, we find that for many projects, private vendors can provide the most rigorous samples. Given …

Collaborative Research: From Cooperation To Exploitation: Context-Dependent Effects Of Nectar Microbes On Pollination Mutualisms, Robert Nelson Schaeffer

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Research: Surface-Specific Aerosol Chemistry: Direct Observations, Kinetics, And Environmental Impact, Yi Rao

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Utah Women And Stem: A 2022 Update, Rebecca Winkel, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are expanding faster and pay better than other careers.¹ The median annual wage for STEM occupations in 2020 was nearly $90,000, more than double the median annual wage for all occupations (about $42,000).² STEM opportunities abound in Utah, one of the top 10 states for tech job growth, net tech employment concentration, and net tech employment job gains in 2020.³ In fact, Salt Lake City is ranked the second-best city in the country for professional opportunities in STEM.⁴

Yet, …

Normal-Mode Oscillations For The Circular And Dipolar States Of A Filled Hexagonal Magnetic Dipole Cluster, Peter T. Haugen, Andrew D. P. Smith, Boyd F. Edwards

All Physics Faculty Publications

We analyze the rotational dynamics of six magnetic dipoles of identical strength at the vertices of a regular hexagon with a variable-strength dipole in the center. The seven dipoles spin freely about fixed axes that are perpendicular to the plane of the hexagon, with their dipole moments directed parallel to the plane. Equilibrium dipole orientations are calculated as a function of the relative strength of the central dipole. Small-amplitude perturbations about these equilibrium states are calculated in the absence of friction and are compared with analytical results in the limit of zero and infinite central dipole strength. Normal modes and …

Pandemics & People: Designing A Virtual Epidemic Event For Immersive, Connected, And Playful Participation In An Infectious Disease Outbreak, Deborah Fields, Amanda Strawhacker, Michael Giang, Yasmin Kafai, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Tyler Hansen, Jen Sun, Mark Dinan

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Researchers and educators have identified an urgent need for more rigorous teaching and learning about epidemiology topics and practices, such as engaging in behaviors that prevent the spread of viral disease such as COVID-19. Responding to this need, we designed a virtual epidemic as a special event hosted in a virtual world. In this paper we share the strategic, tactical, and detailed design of the SPIKEY-20 virtual epidemic and data that reflects back on the design in terms of player participation. Reflecting on the design, we ask: What kinds of players participated in the SPIKEY-20 virtual epidemic? How did players …

The Antidepressant And Anxiolytic Effects Of Cannabinoids In Chronic Unpredictable Stress: A Preclinical Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Noa Reuveni, Cole A. Carlson, Sarah Schwartz, Diana Meter, Tyson S. Barrett, Sara M. Freeman

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Neuroscience research presents contradictory evidence in support of both the protective and destructive effects of cannabinoids in depression. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing preclinical literature on the effects of cannabinoid administration in the chronic unpredictable stress model of depression in order to evaluate the effects of cannabinoids and identify gaps in the literature. After protocol registration (PROSPERO #CRD42020219986), we systematically searched Scopus, Embase, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, APA PsychINFO, PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global from the earliest record of the databases, February 1964, to November 2020 for articles that met inclusion …

Young Forests And Fire: Using Lidar–Imagery Fusion To Explore Fuels And Burn Severity In A Subalpine Forest Reburn, Kristin H. Braziunas, Diane C. Abendroth, Monica G. Turner

Aspen Bibliography

Anticipating fire behavior as climate change and fire activity accelerate is an increasingly pressing management challenge in fire-prone landscapes. In subalpine forests adapted to infrequent, stand-replacing fire, self-limitation of burn severity in short-interval fire is incompletely understood. Spatially explicit fuels data can support assessments of landscape-scale fire risk and fuel feedbacks on burn severity. For a ~1450-km² largely forested landscape in the US Northern Rocky Mountains, we used airborne lidar and imagery to predict and map canopy and surface fuels. In a fire that burned mature (>125-year-old) and also reburned young (~30-year-old) subalpine forest, we then asked: (1) …

Understanding The Drivers And Limiting Factors Of Tui Chub In Pyramid Lake, Nv As The Most Important Food Source For Recovering Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Phaedra Budy

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Social And Ecological Drivers Of Life History Evolution In Wild Bees, Karen Kapheim

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Asian Longhorned Beetle, Ann Mull, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a large wood-boring pest that threatens maple and other North American hardwood tree species. This fact sheet describes its life stages, plant hosts, damage symptoms, and monitoring, prevention, and management.

Broom Snakeweed Extracts Dosed To Late-Term Pregnant Cattle Do Not Cause Premature Parturition, Dale R. Gardner, Benedict T. Green, Bryan L. Stegelmeier, Kevin D. Welch

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Broom snakeweed [Gutierrezia sarothrae (Pursh) Britton and Rusby] and threadleaf snakeweed [G. microcephala (DC.) A. Gray] are found on many rangelands in western North America. Snakeweeds are generally unpalatable; however, animals will graze them when other forage is not available and there are field reports that pregnant cows that graze snakeweeds may abort calves. Subsequent feeding studies using fresh cut snakeweed, ground and gavaged into pregnant cattle have failed to reproduce abortions, though it was evident that at high doses snakeweed quickly damaged the rumen microflora resulting in severe rumen atony, bloating and acidosis. We report here an …

Model Averaging In Agriculture And Natural Resources: What Is It? When Is It Useful? When Is It A Distraction?, Philip M. Dixon

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture and Natural Resources

I use two examples to illustrate three methods for model averaging: using AIC weights, using BIC weights, and fully Bayesian analyses. The first example is a capture-recapture study that estimates the population size by averaging over 4 models for capture probabilities. The second is an analysis of a study of logging impacts on Curculionid weevils using a before-after-control-impact (BACI) study design. The estimated impact is averaged over 4 ecologically relevant models.

Both examples demonstrate the sensitivity of model weights, or posterior model probabilities, to the choice of prior model probabilities and prior distributions for parameters. The model averaged estimates and …

Random Regression For Modeling Semen Fertility In Hf Purebred And Crossbred Bulls Using A Bayesian Framework, Vrinda Ambike, R. Venkataramanan, S. M. K. Karthickeyan, K. G. Tirumurugaan, Kaustubh Bhave, M. Swaminathan

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Data on insemination records of Holstein Friesian (HF) purebred (n=45,497) and crossbred (n=58,497) collected from the BAIF Research Foundation were utilized. The conception rate was modeled as a binary trait, using linear repeatability models. Random regression models (RRM) were used to obtain the trajectory of variance components across age of the bulls. Legendre Polynomials up to order of fit of 4 were used for the random effects of additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. 200,000 Gibbs samples were generated with a burn-in of 20,000 and thinning interval of 50 using the THRGIBBS1F90 program. Heritability estimates were very low (0.1) in …