Digital Commons Network^™

Principal Response Curve Analysis Of Arthropod Community Abundance Data With Sparse Subsets, Changjian Jiang, C. R. Brown, P. Asiimwe, Chen Meng, Adam W. Schapaugh

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Principal response curve (PRC) analysis was applied to an assessment of the ecological impact of the genetically-modified (GM), insect-resistant, cotton MON 88702 on predatory Hemiptera communities in the field. The field community was represented by ten taxa collected ten times across the season at six sites, in which individual taxa were not observed in at least 25% of the time (unique site x collection combinations). These complete absences and those nearly so, called sparse subsets of the data in this investigation, were the result of geoclimatic and seasonal variations, which are both independent of the treatment effect for which the …

Overview Of Optimal Experimental Design And A Survey Of Its Expanse In Application To Agricultural Studies, Stephen J. Walsh

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Optimal Design of Experiments is currently recognized as the modern dominant approach to planning experiments in industrial engineering and manufacturing applications. This approach to design has gained traction among practitioners in the last two decades on two-fronts: 1) optimal designs are the result of a complicated optimization calculation and recent advances in both computing efficiency and algorithms have enabled this approach in real time for practitioners, and 2) such designs are now popular because they allow the researcher to ‘design for the experiment’ by working constraints, cost, number of experiments, and the model of the intended post-hoc data analysis into …

Effective Conservation Of Desert Riverscapes Requires Protection And Rehabilitation Of In-Stream Flows With Rehabilitation Approaches Tailored To Water Availability, Casey A. Pennock, Phaedra Budy, William W. Macfarlane

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Desert riverscape rehabilitation practitioners must contend with compounding effects of increasing human water demand, persistent drought, non-native species establishment, and climate change, which further stress desert riverine ecosystems such as rivers in the Colorado River basin, United States. Herein, we provide our perspective on the importance of natural flows, large floods in particular, for successful conservation and rehabilitation of riverscapes. We present ideas developed from our experience with rehabilitation projects across multiple desert tributary rivers with varying levels of habitat degradation and water abstraction. We propose spatially extensive measures such as protection of in-stream flows, tailoring rehabilitation efforts to available …

Transforming Curriculum: A Process For Implementing Problem-Based Learning In A College-Level Course, Morgan Robertson, Marla K. Robertson

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Transforming curriculum by implementing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in the college-level classroom helps students internalize the concepts of a course, improve their critical and reflective thinking skills, learn to problem-solve using questioning, and ultimately construct a better understanding of course concepts in a personally relevant way. This article introduces a process for implementing PBL in a college-level course. Each of the four main ideas in PBL, motivation, collaboration, reflection, and facilitation, are addressed with a particular focus on the role of the educator in designing and implementing PBL in the classroom. An …

Pre-Service Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Themselves As Learners Of Mathematics And Science, Diana L. Moss, Rachel Wilson, Danielle Divis

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

This study investigated how prospective elementary teachers view themselves as learners of mathematics and science during their last year in a teacher preparation program at an American university. Using drawing and reflections as the method for collecting data, prospective teachers were prompted to draw themselves and reflect on learning mathematics and draw themselves and reflect on learning science prior to and after their mathematics and science methods courses. Drawings (n = 147) were coded according to the presence or absence of several themes including physical objects, teachers, students, and environment. …

Quantifying Impacts Of Grazing And Poor Land Management Strategies On Erosion Through A Semi-Automated Change Detection Workflow In Ka’Amola, Molokai, L. Kalai Ellis, Richard A. Gill

Utah Space Grant Consortium

A challenge faced by those working in a system plagued by non-native vegetation invasion and disturbance from ungulates is the ability to collect landscape-level information about land cover change and the mass movement of soils associated pulsed rainfall events. Our goal was to conduct high-precision change detection of land cover and surface features during a two-year period that included several mass sediment flux events associated with tropical storms. We present here preliminary results of the development and testing of a rule set based classification algorithm used to classify imagery from 2019 and 2021 of a single watershed in Molokai to …

Biophysical Factors Control Invasive Grass Hot Spots In The Mojave Desert, Tanner C. Smith, Tara B. B. Bishop, Michael C. Duniway, Ryan R. Jensen, Richard A. Gill

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Invasive annual grasses are a nuisance in the American Southwest through promotion of the grass-fire cycle. Annual grasses such as Bromus rubens, Bromus tectorum, Schismus barbatus, and Schismus arabicus have invaded the Mojave Desert and increased fire occurrence, thus it is important to identify and characterize the areas where persistent invasion has occurred and subsequently fire risk is increased by understanding the distribution of these invasive grasses. Here we use a remote sensing framework to map persistent and productive populations of invasive annual grass, called hot spots, in the entire Mojave Desert ecoregion over 12 years, identify …

Exploration Of An Electrochemical Sensor For Continuous Monitoring Of Estradiol In Application To Fertility Tracking, Julia S. Dominesey, Shad J. Roundy

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Estradiol is one of three estrogens, the primary female sex hormone; it fluctuates diurnally, and monthly, dictating the menstrual cycle. We developed a bench-top electrochemical sensor to detect estradiol with the intention of future realization into an implantable, continuously sampling sensor to be used as an aid for fertility health. The electrochemical sensor is comprised of a three electrode system which utilizes a gold working electrode, platinum counter electrode, and Ag/AgCl reference electrode to perform cyclic voltammetry. A monolayer of estradiol aptamers and mercaptohexanethiol coat the working electrode surface. The monolayer was exposed to 10ng/mL, 100n/mL and 1,000ng/mL of estradiol. …

Spatial Exploration Of Microbial Biodiversity Of Great Salt Lake, Alvin Sihapanya, Paulina Martinez-Koury, Bonnie K. Baxter

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Our research focused on the collection of water, microbialites, gypsum, and halite samples to analyze and compare the biodiversity found in each arm of the lake. Each was analyzed using various microscopy and cultivation techniques, and molecular methods to assess genetic diversity. This survey serves the purpose of seeking combinatorial methods to elucidate microbial diversity. Future work will further examine gaps in data, especially searching for overlooked fungi, protists, and cyanobacteria. How does the population of microorganisms vary among the distinct micro-environments at Great Salt Lake?

Thermoregulation In Deer, Elk, And Pronghorn Antelope: The Structure Of Hollow Hair And How It Helps In Winter Conditions, Taylor Millett, Wendy Schatzberg, Samuel Tobler

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Thermoregulation in animals is an adaptation made to live through hot summers and cold winters. Big game animals such as: deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope have the adaptation more commonly known as a summer coat and a winter coat. We measured and compared an animal's winter coat and summer coat using a scanning electron microscope to show why an animal can survive outdoor temperatures. We used a scanning electron microscope to identify the different topography of the individual hair and focused on the thermodynamics of each individual hair.

Investigating The Effects Of Radiation And Microgravity On Human Brain Organoids, Bailey Mcfarland, Chen Cheng, Yu Huang

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The brain is arguably the most important and complex component of any crewed mission. New technological developments must be made to gauge the damage of space to the brain, especially in complex and long-term missions. While it is understood that microgravity and radiation cause changes in the brain of astronauts, the nature and effects of these changes are largely unknown. To aid in elucidating these effects, we conducted experiments using a rotary cell culture system (RCCS) and are working actively with NASA to implement a chronic low-dose gamma radiation system. Initial trends in the effects of microgravity on brain organoids …

The Potential Of Semi-Structured Citizen Science Data As A Supplement For Conservation Decision-Making: Validating The Performance Of Ebird Against Targeted Avian Monitoring Efforts, Erica F. Stuber, Orin J. Robinson, Emily R. Bjerre, Mark C. Otto, Brian A. Millsap, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Michael G. Brasher, Kevin M. Ringelman, Auriel M. V. Fournier, Aaron Yetter, Jennifer E. Isola, Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Methods are being developed to capitalize on citizen science data for research and monitoring, but these data are rarely used within established decision-making frameworks of wildlife agencies. Citizen science data are often collected at higher resolution and extent than targeted monitoring programs, and may provide complementary information. Here, we demonstrate that carefully filtered semi-structured citizen science observations, when paired with targeted survey data, can produce ecological predictions at higher resolution and extent than targeted surveys alone, and both datasets can represent complementary aspects of species' ecology. We present case studies demonstrating how citizen science data can enhance or supplement decision-making …

Utah State University Commencement, 2022 - Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2022 Commencement Ceremony for the Main Campus of Utah State University.

Quagga Mussel And Zebra Mussel, Ann Mull, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Quagga mussel and zebra mussel can cause significant ecological, economical, and recreational impacts. This fact sheet describes these two-sided mollusks and reviews impacts, monitoring, and management of these invasive species.

Tremblings, May 2022, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

Wolf-elk-aspen interactions: Trophic cascade or trickle?

Elaine Brice

Dan MacNulty

As one of the world’s first National Parks, Yellowstone is renowned for a dynamic landscape that is home to many charismatic species. As one of the few deciduous trees in the Park, aspen is a valuable member of the ecosystem. A century of decline is mostly attributed to elk herbivory of aspen recruitment, while climatic factors are often regarded as unimportant.

The Effects Of Seed Mix Composition, Sowing Density, And Seedling Survival On Plant Community Reassembly In Great Salt Lake Wetlands, Rae Robinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wetlands are known for their valuable benefits (e.g., providing habitat, improving water quality, lessening the negative impacts of drought and flooding). Invasive wetland plant species are species that cause harm to ecosystems, the economy, or human health, and replace native wetland plant communities. The revegetation of native plants may be one way to improve wetlands that have been impacted by invasive species. In Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA) wetlands, the invasive, non-native grass Phragmites australis (common reed) reduces the quality and quantity of habitat for both wildlife and humans (e.g., birdwatchers, waterfowl hunters). Even when P. australisis greatly reduced, native …

Identifying Optimal Stocking Strategies To Support Recovery Of An Endemic Lake Sucker, Dale R. Fonken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Endemic fishes in the intermountain west experienced significant population declines in the 20th century due to a variety of disturbances, including habitat fragmentation, water development, and the introduction of non-native, predatory fish species. The combination of habitat degradation with increased predation risk can severely limit natural recruitment for native fish species, and in response, fisheries managers have employed a variety of recovery strategies to prevent extinction. Among the most prominent strategies is artificial propagation and subsequent release of individuals into the natural environment (i.e., stocking). Artificial propagation is an expensive endeavor, and when not coupled with a research component, can …

Global Change Effects On Carbon Cycling In Terrestrial Ecosystems, Guopeng Liang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since terrestrial ecosystems store approximately 3 times more carbon (C) than the atmosphere, they have a significant effect on the atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Although many studies have been conducted to determine global change effects on C cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, I utilized meta-analysis, laboratory experiments, and soil microbial community analysis.

In chapter 2, I conducted a meta-analysis to examine whether effects of long-term N addition on plant productivity can shift over time. I found that 44% of studies showed a marked trend (increase or decrease) in the strength of …

An Exploration Of Parent Management Training Programs And Their Cultural Relevance, Maria De La Caridad Alvarez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Behavioral parent training is a research-supported treatment for improving child behavior and increasing parenting skills. Despite many programs sharing a theoretical foundation and common elements, there is great variety in terms of treatment targets, populations served, treatment length, delivery setting, and expected outcomes. The purpose of this research was to first systematically organize and categorize relevant program information for the most frequently referenced Parent Management Training (PMT) programs. To this end, 19 programs were identified for review. We summarized each program and their available research evidence which ranged from 1 to 72 studies. The findings from this first project informed …

Role Of Mitochondria In Postmortem Proteolysis And Meat Tenderness, David Son Dang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Among all eating quality characteristics in beef, tenderness is regarded as one of the most important traits. Previous research indicates that consumers are willing to pay a premium for beef guaranteed to be tender. Yet, tenderness is difficult to control and predict as it is influenced by a multitude of factors. Among these factors, meat aging has been shown to be a strong determinant of tenderness. Meat aging describes a process in which muscle tissue is broken down by other proteins within the muscle, resulting in a more tender product after cooking. Two well-recognized proteins that participate in the breakdown …

Opportunities For Optimal Apple Production Management In Arid Conditions, Sam Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Apple trees are susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses in the Intermountain West. The arid climate along with non-ideal soils make apple production challenging. Also, as high-quality agricultural land is developed, crop production gets pushed to land that often is saline. Apple trees grow poorly in saline soils. If apples are going to be grown in Utah, rootstocks must be identified that will tolerate saline soils. The USDA rootstock breeding program produced some rootstocks that may show salt tolerance. This project assessed the salt tolerance of these apple rootstocks in the greenhouse and in the field. Test rootstocks were compared …

Oystershell Scale: An Invasive Threat To Aspen Conservation, Amanda M. Grady, Connor D. Crouch, Nicholas P. Wilhelmi, Richard W. Hofstetter, Kristen M. Waring

Aspen Bibliography

Aspen decline is an acute and chronic problem in Arizona, where high levels of overstory mortality and a lack of recruitment continue to be observed. Oystershell scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi; OSS), an invasive sapsucking insect, has recently become widespread in native aspen stands in the southwestern U.S., further contributing to aspen mortality. Damage is severe in lower elevation stands and within ungulate exclosures created to conserve aspen. Young recruiting aspen that are rare on the landscape incur high levels of OSS-caused mortality when infested (Fig. 1). OSS has only recently become a pest of concern in the Southwest and …

Estimating Cattle Density Using Wildlife Cameras, Emily Bonebrake

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Quantifying the abundance and distribution of animal populations is critical for effective wildlife research and management. Due to their cost-effectiveness, wildlife cameras have become an increasingly popular tool for estimating population densities. Previously, this technique relied on ‘capture-recapture’ models that utilized re-sightings of individually marked animals, but in recent years methods have been developed to estimate the population densities of unmarked animals. One such method is the random encounter and staying time (REST) technique, which does this by assuming that the cumulative time animals stay within the view of the camera scales linearly with the number of individuals. This allows …

Visions Of Science: An Art Historical Exploration Of Medieval Scientific Manuscripts, Olivia Brock

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The late 16th century saw a new movement in the world of science to push scientific ideas and practice out of academia and into the hands of the layman. No longer were scholars the sole proprietors of science –everyday laborers, craftsman, and artists now had practical scientific principles at their fingertips that they could incorporate into their professions. This new spread of science was facilitated in several ways, including the publication of books incorporating detailed, explanatory images, new utilitarian instruments, and public lectures. Though science was disseminated through a variety of means, I have been particularly interested in the ways …

Antimicrobial Assay Of Sagebrush Roots, Lauren Rachel (Moody) Mcfadden

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Plants produce secondary metabolites for various functions, one of which is antibacterial activities. Sagebrush has historically been used by Native Americans for different medicinal purposes, suggesting that it may have secondary metabolites that would have medicinal values, including antimicrobial activities, and can be a natural source for antibiotics. This study aims to carry out the antimicrobial activity of Sagebrush root extract against a handful of bacteria. We tested the antimicrobial activity of root extract of Sagebrush against six bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, E. coli DHSα (Lab cloning strain), Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101 (Lab cloning strain), Pseudomonas …

A Study On The Impact Of Diet On Unified Fire Authority Firefighter Performance, Marin Easton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Objective: This project aimed to examine the impact of nutrition knowledge, dietary intake, and physical activity on firefighters’ performance on their routine physical assessment (RPA).

Methodology: Members of the Unified Fire Authority, the largest fire agency in Utah with more than 400 sworn firefighters serving 15 communities representing 440,000 residents, were invited via email to participate in this cross-sectional study. Participants (N=92) completed a 40- question survey that assessed specialized diet adherence, dietary intake, nutrition knowledge (using questions from the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire;1 point for each correct answer [26 points possible]), regular physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and …

Utah Tick Surveillance An Animated Public Service Announcement, Keith Wilson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As the United States’ population grows, we develop more land into housing and recreate farther into wilderness areas, consequentially encountering ticks with increasing frequency. As the climate continues to change, tick population distributions are also changing, influencing our population’s exposure to tick-borne diseases. Lyme disease, a tick-borne disease named after Lyme, Connecticut, is one of the fastest growing emerging diseases in North America, and the most prevalent vector-borne infection in the United States. There are two species of tick in North America, Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus, known to be carriers of the causative agent of Lyme disease, a …

Evolution Of Floral Microbes And The Resulting Effects On Pollinator Preference, Hailey Hatch

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Floral microbes are an overlooked aspect of the extended floral phenotype. Through altering floral nectar chemistry, they can mediate interactions between flowers, pollinators, and other floral microbes, with significant implications for plant and pollinator health. Interactions between floral microbes and pollinators are critically important to understand, as pollinators provide important ecosystem services in both natural and agriculture systems. Here, I explored how floral nectar traits affected both evolution and competition within the floral yeast Metschnikowia reukaufii, the floral bacterium Bacillus subtilis, and other microbes isolated from Brassica rapa nectar, an important plant model system and oilseed crop. To …

Standardization Of A Protocol To Propagate Gateway Vectors, Kayla Suisse

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Cloning is an important technique in functional genomics, particularly genetics and molecular biology. Cloned genes can be used to facilitate protein expression; this is an essential step in understanding gene function. In traditional cloning, the gene of interest is amplified and tagged with a restriction enzyme sequence and ligated to the digested open vector. However, the GATEWAY™ Cloning Technology provides a speedy and more efficient route to insert the gene of interest in the desired vector, known as Destination vectors or Expression vectors, using site-specific recombination sites and recombinase enzymes.¹ Once DNA segments from the gene of interest are …

Effect Of Basal Diet And Black Raspberry Supplementation On Gene Biomarkers Of "Leaky Gut" In A Mouse Model Of Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer, Eliza Catherine Stewart

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Colorectal cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer death in the world. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases significantly in individuals who suffer from colitis, which is inflammation of the colon lining, seen in Irritable Bowel Disease. The term “leaky gut” is often used to describe increased intestinal permeability and is closely related to colitis. Leaky gut is associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, which can occur through diet. This dysbiosis leads to prolonged inflammation and affects genes that encode for proteins involved in the tight junctions between cells. Compromised intestinal integrity allows for translocation of …