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The Utah Statesman, April 26th, 2021, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Utah State University Commencement, 2021 – Uintah Basin Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2021 Commencement Ceremony for the Uintah Basin Campus of Utah State University.

Prescribed Fire Alters Structure And Composition Of A Mid-Atlantic Oak Forest Up To Eight Years After Burning, Cody L. Dems, Alan H. Taylor, Erica A. H. Smithwick, Jesse K. Kreye, Margot W. Kaye

Aspen Bibliography

Background

Prescribed fire in Eastern deciduous forests has been understudied relative to other regions in the United States. In Pennsylvania, USA, prescribed fire use has increased more than five-fold since 2009, yet forest response has not been extensively studied. Due to variations in forest composition and the feedback between vegetation and fire, Pennsylvania deciduous forests may burn and respond differently than forests across the eastern US. We measured changes in forest structure and composition up to eight years after prescribed fire in a hardwood forest of the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains in central Pennsylvania.

Results

Within …

Constraining The Atmospheric Limb Of The Plastic Cycle, Janice Brahney, Natalie Mahowald, Marje Prank, Gavin Cornwell, Zbigniew Kilmont, Hitoshi Matsui, Kimberly Ann Prather

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental and social issues of the 21st century. Recent work has highlighted the atmosphere’s role in transporting microplastics to remote locations [S. Allen et al., Nat. Geosci. 12, 339 (2019) and J. Brahney, M. Hallerud, E. Heim, M. Hahnenberger, S. Sukumaran, Science 368, 1257–1260 (2020)]. Here, we use in situ observations of microplastic deposition combined with an atmospheric transport model and optimal estimation techniques to test hypotheses of the most likely sources of atmospheric plastic. Results suggest that atmospheric microplastics in the western United States are primarily derived from secondary re-emission …

General Education Subcommittee Minutes, April 20, 2021, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals
• SOC 3430 (DSS)
• General Education Assessment Report Feedback
• Nominations/Election of General Education Subcommittee Chair
• Gen Ed Appeals to Excuse Depth Requirements and Minors

Special Topic: 50th Anniversary Of The Wild Free-Roaming Horses And Burros Act Of 1971, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human-Wildlife Interactions is interested in publishing papers that synthesize the management, policy, human dimensions, and biological science that have contributed or can contribute to achieving sustainable wild horse and burro (WHB) management in the United States and globally. In particular, we are interested in case studies of local community involvement in WHB management and policy, synthesis of the applications of fertility control in managing WHB populations, public knowledge and perceptions of WHBs and their management, and research evaluating the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of management options to achieve sustainable WHB management. We also encourage letters to the editor that share and …

Chinche De La Semilla Del Olmo, Ryan Davis, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

En julio del 2014, el Laboratorio de Diagnóstico de Plagas de Plantas de Utah y USDA APHIS confirmaron el primer reporte de chinche de semilla del olmo (Lygaeidae: Arocatus melanocephalus) en el estado de Utah. Originaria de Europa, la chinche de la semilla del olmo se identificó por primera vez en los Estados Unidos en Idaho en 2012. Desde entonces se ha encontrado en Oregón, Washington, Columbia Británica, Canadá y en varios lugares de Asia y Europa. Si bien el primer reporte en Utah se originó en el condado de Salt Lake, la chinche de la semilla del olmo ahora …

Onion Epithelial Membranes As A Scaffold For Generating Connective Tissue, Andrea Peterson, Anna Scribner, Annika Saunders

Student Research Symposium

Scaffolds are used for several functions in tissue engineering, including providing structural support and promoting cell adhesion and differentiation. In this study, we examined the value of using onion epithelial membranes (OEM) as a scaffold for skin cell growth. We tested the growth of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts on decellularized and non-decellularized OEM and compared the cell growth to that in typical tissue flask culture conditions. We examined cell growth, viability, and attachment in each culture condition. We found that NIH 3T3 fibroblasts grew on the non-decellularized OEM, but the decellularized OEM was too fragile to use practically. Cell growth on …

Consequences Of Host Life Cycles For Symbiont Genome Evolution, Ashley Dederich

Student Research Symposium

Obligate symbionts play a crucial role in both the survival and evolution of their host. However, symbiont genomes degrade substantially over evolutionary time, sometimes losing genes presumed essential to the partnership. Buchnera aphidicola (Buchnera), the obligate nutritional symbiont of aphids, serves as a model for studying genomic degradation in obligate symbiotic systems. Previous literature has theorized that the patterns of Buchnera genome degradation may result partly from aphid gall formation, as galls generally have elevated levels of nutrients. However, the association of aphid life cycle type with patterns of Buchnera genome degradation has not been tested. To test this, I …

In Silico Screeing Of Natural Compounds As Novel Drug Targets For Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma, Rousselene Larson

Student Research Symposium

In Silico Screening of Natural Compounds as Novel Drug Targets for The Treatment of Multiple MyelomaRousselene Larson1 2, Naveen Duhan1, and Rakesh Kaundal1 2 *1Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences; 2Bioinformatics Facility, Center for Integrated BioSystems; Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322 USA* corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected])Telephone: +1 (435) 797-4117Fax: +1 (435) 797-2766Abstract: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological malignancy cancer characterized by excessive clonal plasma cell proliferation in the bone marrow. In the United States, MM is the second most prevalent type of cancer that affects about 4 in 100,000 Americans. Toxicity …

Investigating The Direct Effect Of Phosphorylation On The Oligomeric State And Activity Of Yprmt1, Emily Wilson, Anthony Peidl

Student Research Symposium

Protein arginine methylation is an essential post-translational modification that significantly affects various eukaryotic cellular processes by mediating protein-protein, protein-RNA, and protein-DNA interactions. Arginine methylation is catalyzed by a family of proteins called protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). Proper regulation of PRMT activity is imperative, as dysregulation is found to contribute to cardiovascular disease and cancer. In the study described herein, we investigated how phosphorylation of PRMT1 might affect both the oligomerization and activity of the enzyme. A recent study demonstrated that the yeast analog of yPRMT1 (yPRMT1) can be phosphorylated at serine residue 9. Using in vivo studies, the authors claimed …

Correlational Study Of Frog Toe-Tip Morphology And Microhabitats, Taylor Mendenhall

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of our research is to examine whether there is a correlation between frog toe tip morphology and ecology (microhabitat). We hypothesized that if frog toe tip morphology is correlated with environmental factors, then aquatic and semi-aquatic species will have larger measured distances of toe tip widths. We predict that aquatic and semi-aquatic species will have larger measured toe tip widths across phylogeny to enhance swimming abilities. Anuran samples of 217 species were used in our correlational analysis. Using the package geomorph in R, we placed 3D landmarks on the toe tip of the second digit. We then performed …

Possible Mechanisms Behind Impaired Glucose Metabolism In Niacin-Deficient Mice, Sierra Lopez

Student Research Symposium

Niacin, a component of vitamin B3, is necessary for the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme in many biologic functions, including a number of metabolic processes that regulate glucose and fat homeostasis. Humans obtain niacin in its dietary form, common in meats, nuts, legumes and some leafy vegetables. While severe niacin deficiency, or pellagra, has been drastically reduced in the United States, some populations remain vulnerable to deficiency, particularly pregnant women, cancer patients, the elderly and alcoholics. Age-related NAD deficiency is emerging as being positively correlated with cognitive decline and impaired dermal repair.. At the …

Winter Wheat Resistant To Increases In Rain And Snow Intensity In A Semi-Arid System, Martin C. Holdrege, Karen H. Beard, Andrew Kulmatiski

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

As the atmosphere warms, precipitation events have been predicted and observed to become fewer and larger. Changes in precipitation patterns can have large effects on dryland agricultural production, but experimental tests on the effects of changing precipitation intensity are limited. Over 3 years, we tested the effects of increased precipitation intensity on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; Promontory variety) in a temperate dryland agricultural system that was on a rotation of crop and fallow years. We used 11 (2.1 × 2.5 m) shelters to collect and redeposit rain and snow as larger, more intense events. Total precipitation was the …

Secondary Effects Of Stair Striping On Stair Negotiation, Travis Boman

Student Research Symposium

Stairs can be a concern for injury, with falls negatively impacting one’s health. A proposed strategy to reduce fall risk during stair negotiation involves enhancing the visual contrast of stairs, or adding clear demarcations of where the stairs begin and end. Stair negotiation walk speed (m/s), may provide insight on the visual contrast striping effects. In addition, distractions such as mobile phone use during stair negotiation could increase fall risk, and may alter handrail risk. Therefore our secondary (fall risk – primary) objectives were to determine if: (1) if staircase striping would increase walk speed, and (2) if mobile phone …

Effect Of Bird Age On The Likelihood Of Fatal Window Collisions At Utah State University's C&Ss Building, Taylor Kenyon

Student Research Symposium

Around 97.6–975.6 million birds fatally collide with windows each year in North America. Bird age could be a contributor to the collisions. The central focus of our research project is to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between the age of an individual bird and the likelihood of a fatal collision with a human-made window. Personally, collected data regarding window collisions, will be obtained from daily surveys of the Classroom and Student Services (CSS) Building at the Utah State University-Brigham City campus (Brigham City, UT 84302). These data will be combined with census data from three previous years. …

Initial Screeing Of Interactions Between Probiotics And Natural Products, Mark Mortensen

Student Research Symposium

Natural products have a variety of biological activities. Quercetin, Berberine and Resveratrol are natural products that act as antioxidants. These natural products are taken as medicine for a variety of health conditions. Probiotics are taken to improve digestive health. This research was screening the interaction between the two to see if the probiotics were stimulated by or if they could metabolize the natural products. Presentation Time: Thursday, 12-1 p.m.

Functional Complementation Of The Ppgcn4 And Ppnhx2 Genes In Arabidopsis Thaliana To Study Salt Tolerance, Amanda Moravek

Student Research Symposium

Climate change induces unexpected weather and causes abiotic and biotic stresses in plants. These stresses negatively affect crop growth and production. Additionally, a steady increase in the world population has been leading to higher food demand. Therefore, the development of more stress-resilient crops is essential to combat these problems. One such stress is a salinity that affects crop production. Almond is a salt-sensitive crop, so there is a need to identify salt-tolerant almond rootstocks. AtGCN4 is a novel gene that was identified in Arabidopsis thaliana to play a significant role in host-pathogen interaction and drought tolerance when overexpressed. The preliminary …

Human-Accelerated Biodiversity Loss During Climate Change Threatens Human Health & Food Security, Miles Robertson

Student Research Symposium

Humans have been the single most impactful species to the biosphere for the past few thousand years. Usually, consequences of human-caused ecological changes come about on a time scale larger than our normal cause-and-effect perception allows. However, with the onset of climate change, the effects of human-accelerated biodiversity loss are set to expose vulnerabilities in human health and food security. My research explores three arenas in which climate change is set to exacerbate the effects of biodiversity loss: zoonotic disease, US corn crops, and the Chinese fishing industry. Presentation Time: Wednesday, 1-2 p.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/87892002075?pwd=Ym1Tcy9NOVhaaGZWczZWY1JCL3owUT09

Determining Transfer Rates Of Chlorpyrifos From Alfalfa Leaves To Provisions In Alfalfa Leaf Cutting Bee Nests, Calvin Luu

Student Research Symposium

Alfalfa Leaf Cutting Bees (ALCBs) (Megachile rotundata) are a species of managed solitary bees that are essential pollinators for alfalfa seed crops. Understanding the threatscape for the ALCB is necessary; developing risk assessments of pesticides and understanding exposure routes for ALCBs will increase awareness of the dangers pesticides pose to both managed and wild solitary bees. One route of exposure for ALCB larvae is through ingestion of a contaminated nectar-pollen provision mass, which is the larvae’s sole food source until they pupate. The provision mass can be contaminated two ways: the nectar and pollen used to make the provisions were …

Patch Clamps, Electrophysiology, And The Optimistic Future Of Neuroscience At Usu, Riley Conover-Elmer

Student Research Symposium

The Neuroscience department is a small, yet nonetheless rapidly growing field at Utah State University. While many students are encouraged to take classes from related fields such as psychology and biology, an official Bachelor's degree has not yet been published for the university. As one of those students, digging deeper into the world of neuroscience has yielded many discoveries on biology/behavior relations that go largely unnoticed by the general student population. However, in preparation for a coming Neuroscience Major, I was given the opportunity to assist Dr. Sara Freeman in preparing for a Neurophysiology Lab course in the Spring of …

Development Of A Lethal Rodent Model Of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection For Preclinical Antiviral Drug Testing, Rhett Fackrell

Student Research Symposium

Lymphocyctic Choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is an Old World arenavirus belonging to the family Arenaviridae. The natural host is the common house mouse, with about 5% of the population persistently carrying and shedding the virus. LCMV is spread to humans through the aerosolized excrements of rodents or passed from mother to fetus through the placenta. Some of these cases lead to aseptic meningitis or meningoencephalitis with permanent neurological damage possible. Studies indicate that 2-5% of people are positive for serum LCMV antibodies [1]. LCMV infection has also occurred in organ transplant recipients, with nearly all cases being fatal [2]. There are …

Maintenance Of Water Systems With The Bear River Health Department, Kaden Bunch

Student Research Symposium

The Bear River Health Department (BRHD) is one of the 13 local health departments that work to promote and protect the citizens of Utah. Within the department, there are dozens of divisions, one such overseeing maintenance and approval of public water systems and pools. Public water systems are prone to bacterial growth, whether caused by those that use these systems, construction, or simply an animal that slipped in. To solve this issue, BRHD and the state of Utah actively monitor these public systems to ensure the health of those that use them. This is done by measuring chlorine levels in …

Using Handmade Cloning To Reduce Oocyte Mitochondria In Reconstructed Embryos, Laura Adams

Student Research Symposium

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy, the presence of more than one population of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in one cell, can cause metabolic issues and reduced ATP synthesis, even at relatively low levels. The presence of this condition in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos likely contributes to reduced prenatal and postnatal viability: the majority of the oocyte’s mitochondria is still present at the time of nuclear transfer, as well as through any further embryonic development post-fusion and activation. Though the somatic cell also contributes its mitochondria (which can successfully communicate with its nucleus), the oocyte’s mitochondria compose a greater proportion of the total …

Bioactive Excipients In Cytomegalovirus Treatment, Andrew Kjar

Student Research Symposium

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a herpes class virus, is prevalent among the U.S. population. Congenital CMV infection is a leading cause of progressive hearing loss in children. Current treatments focus on ganciclovir, an engineered small-molecule drug. While ganciclovir treatments are the clinical gold standard, toxic side effects such as reduced blood cell counts can occur with prolonged treatment. In an effort to improve treatments, quercetin and Pluronic F68 nanoparticles (QF68) were screened as an excipient. Excipients are added to drug formulations to improve treatment properties; in this study QF68 and ganciclovir were coadministered.Two cell lines were investigated: (1) fibroblasts (connective tissue) and …

Weather Patterns And Seasonal Effects On Bird-Window Collisions At Usu's C&Ss Building, Brigham City, Utah, Braxton Martin

Student Research Symposium

An estimated 365 to 988 million birds die from window collisions in the United States each year. Weather patterns are likely to contribute to these collisions. Our research pertains to these bird-window collisions. The focal point of our study is to determine if there is a significant relationship between the season/type of weather and the likelihood of birds striking windows. We are conducting a daily survey of the Classroom and Student Services (CSS) Building at the Utah State University-Brigham City campus (Brigham City, UT 84302). We plan to analyze the number of fatal bird-window collisions that are occurring at the …

Hagfish Protein Threads As Three Dimensional In Vitro Scaffolds For Skeletal Muscular Tissue, Emilee Rickabaugh, Brandon Pace, Trent Peterson

Student Research Symposium

Native and transgenic silkworm silk have been shown to be capable of supporting skeletal muscle cell growth with the use of a three-dimensional acrylic cell-culture chassis. Additionally, this silk has been shown to be preferable to the standard two-dimensional polystyrene cell culture surface in its ability to simulate native tissue 1. The protein threads produced from hagfish slime have also been shown to have potential applications in three-dimensional cell culture 2. To compare the capacity for three-dimensional cell growth and simulation of native tissue to native and transgenic silkworm silk, hagfish protein threads were synthesized and woven around an acrylic …

Plant Tissue Decellularization For Complex Vascular Scaffold Applications, Teren Teeples, Mikelle Kearnes

Student Research Symposium

The rapidly expanding field of scaffolding within tissue engineering has produced plant tissue decellularization techniques to create cellulose scaffolds that replicate complex vasculature. Spinacia oleracea (Spinach) leaves have been the primary focus of decellularization research in creating scaffolding due to their wide availability and highly vascularized structure. To expand on previous research, this experiment has been conducted to compare S. oleracea, Brassica oleracea var. sabellica (kale) and Lactuca sativa (romaine lettuce) in the visualization and density of vasculature. The decellularization process has been adapted from previous literature using the detergent sodium lauryl sulfate to remove cellular matter and residual DNA. …

Use Of Cancer-Associated Mutations To Probe The Role Of Dimerization In Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 1 Catalysis And Physiological Dysfunction, Owen Price

Student Research Symposium

Communication within and between cells, either in the context of normal biological activities or in response to stressors or other stimuli, is a crucial aspect of cell function. One strategy parts of a cell uses to communicate with other parts involves protein arginine methylation. This is a post-translational modification that is catalyzed by the members of the Protein Arginine Methyltransferase (PRMT) family of enzymes. PRMTs are ubiquitous in eukaryotic organisms and they are involved in many signaling pathways in many tissues. Given this broad activity, along with the fact that aberrant arginine methylation is associated with a variety of life-threatening …

Ὁ Δρόμος: Testing The Charge At Marathon, 490 Bce, Daniel Porter

Student Research Symposium

In 490 BCE, a heavily outnumbered Greek force of mainly Athenians fought an invading Persian army at Marathon to preserve their freedom. According to Herodotus, the Hellenes charged at a run (δρόμος) across the plain, a distance of eight stades (.9 miles), to engage and subsequently repel the Persians. Herodotus continues on to claim that this was the first Greek charge. The reason for this was that the phalanx, the Greek military formation, required close ranks and heavy armor, so running was not easy. Modern historians have questioned Herodotus’ veracity as well as the actual plausibility of this event due …