Digital Commons Network^™

Optimal Control Of Algae Biofilm Growth In Wastewater Treatment Using Computational Mathematical Models, Gerald Jones

Student Research Symposium

Microalgal biofilms are comprised of a syntrophic consortium of microalgae and other microorganisms embedded within an extracellular matrix. Despite significant processes in the application of microalgal biofilms in wastewater treatment, mechanistic understanding and optimization of microalgal biomass yield and productivity under environmental constraints is still lacking. This paper identifies theoretical insights on this challenging biological problem by leveraging novel mathematical and computational tools. In particular, this is a systematic parameter study in utilizing a computational mathematical model to advance the understanding of microalgal biofilm growth kinetics under environmental constraints. Moreover, the design of algae biofilm reactors for optimal biomass yield …

Pathogen Survey Of Natural Osmia Lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Nests Collected From Utah, Mary-Kate Williams

Student Research Symposium

Understanding pathogen presence in Osmia lignaria populations is critical. Suppose we do not understand pathogen distributions, let alone their presence. In that case, we may be spreading pathogens to environments without localized infections and other bee species, including other bee species used in orchard pollination. To better comprehend pathogens, we utilized molecular techniques to identify some of the pathogens present in natural populations, seldom done throughout the United States. Presentation Time: Wednesday, 1-2 p.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/87892002075?pwd=Ym1Tcy9NOVhaaGZWczZWY1JCL3owUT09

Role Of Novel Receptor Gpr171 In Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain, Taylor Edwards

Student Research Symposium

First-line chemotherapies against solid tumors are highly efficacious in reducing the tumor burden, but have many adverse side-effects including nerve damage, leading to chronic pain. Non-addictive, efficacious pain relievers are an area of active interest, and we propose a novel target to address this pressing issue. GPR171 is a G-Protein Coupled Receptor that was recently deorphanized and was identified to be expressed in the brain in regions that regulate reward, anxiety, and pain. Within the pain circuit, it was shown previously that systemic administration of the GPR171 agonist enhances morphine antinociception in acute pain tests. Preliminary data from our lab …

Comparing L-368,899 And Als-Iii-61 As Human-Selective Oxytocin Receptor Antagonists, Blake Nielson, Matthew Webb

Student Research Symposium

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that influences social behavior in animals and humans. One way to test the effects of oxytocin on social behavior is by blocking oxytocin receptors (OXTR) with an antagonist. The commercially-available OXTR antagonist L-368,899 (the “Merck compound”) is commonly used for such studies despite inadequate evidence of its affinity and selectivity for OXTR in the brain. The Freeman Lab has used the custom-synthesized antagonist ALS-III-61 (the “Smith compound”), which has high specificity and affinity for OXTR in the brain but is not commercially available. Due to our diminishing supply of the Smith compound, we sought evidence that …

Sensitivity And Specificity Of Sex For Detecting Differences In The Kinetics Of Depth Jumps Performed By Ncaa Athletes, Alex Woster

Student Research Symposium

It is well established that female athletes have a greater incidence of lower extremity injuries when compared to males of the same sport. There is interest in using the depth jump as a practical screen for lower extremity injury risk, however, prior research is inconclusive. There is evidence that males and females tend to adopt distinct motor strategies when anticipating and reacting to the landing impact phase of depth jumping. From this, it is reasonable to expect that depth jump kinetics are influenced by sex, yet there is a need for comprehensive analysis. Gaining a better understanding of which kinetic …

Widespread Mortality Of Trembling Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Throughout Interior Alaskan Boreal Forests Resulting From A Novel Canker Disease, Roger W. Ruess, Loretta M. Winton, Gerard C. Adams

Aspen Bibliography

Over the past several decades, growth declines and mortality of trembling aspen throughout western Canada and the United States have been linked to drought, often interacting with outbreaks of insects and fungal pathogens, resulting in a “sudden aspen decline” throughout much of aspen’s range. In 2015, we noticed an aggressive fungal canker causing widespread mortality of aspen throughout interior Alaska and initiated a study to quantify potential drivers for the incidence, virulence, and distribution of the disease. Stand-level infection rates among 88 study sites distributed across 6 Alaska ecoregions ranged from < 1 to 69%, with the proportion of trees with canker that were dead averaging 70% across all sites. The disease is most prevalent north of the Alaska Range within the Tanana Kuskokwim ecoregion. Modeling canker probability as a function of ecoregion, stand structure, landscape position, and climate revealed that smaller-diameter trees in older stands with greater aspen basal area have the highest canker incidence and mortality, while younger trees in younger stands appear virtually immune to the disease. Sites with higher summer vapor pressure deficits had significantly higher levels of canker infection and mortality. We believe the combined effects of this novel fungal canker pathogen, drought, and the persistent aspen leaf miner outbreak are triggering feedbacks between carbon starvation and hydraulic failure that are ultimately driving widespread mortality. Warmer early-season temperatures and prolonged late summer drought are leading to larger and more severe wildfires throughout interior Alaska that are favoring a shift from black spruce to forests dominated by Alaska paper birch and aspen. Widespread aspen mortality fostered by this rapidly spreading pathogen has significant implications for successional dynamics, ecosystem function, and feedbacks to disturbance regimes, particularly on sites too dry for Alaska paper birch.

Historic Declines In Growth Portend Trembling Aspen Death During A Contemporary Leaf Miner Outbreak In Alaska, Melissa A. Boyd, Logan T. Berner, Adrianna C. Foster, Scott J. Goetz, Brendan M. Rogers, Xanthe J. Walker, Michelle C. Mack

Aspen Bibliography

Climate change-driven droughts and insect outbreaks are becoming more frequent and widespread, increasing forest vulnerability to mortality. By addressing the impacts of climate and insects on tree growth preceding death, we can better understand tree mortality risk under a changing climate. Here, we used tree stature and interannual growth (basal area increment; BAI) to assess processes leading to trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) survival or mortality during an unprecedented leaf miner (Phyllocnistis populiella) outbreak in boreal North America. We identified eight sites (22 plots) in the longest running forest monitoring network in Alaska, spanning ~350 km of …

The Effects Of Interface Views On Performing Aerial Telemanipulation Tasks Using Small Uavs, Sierra N. Young, Ryan J. Lanciloti, Joshua M. Peschel

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a human-robot interaction (HRI) study of a dedicated Mission Specialist interface for performing telemanipulation tasks using a small unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV). Current literature suggests that the successful completion of aerial manipulation tasks in real-world environments requires human input due to challenges in autonomous perception and control. Visual information of the remote environment in a telemanipulation interface can significantly affect performance under direct control; however, the effects of interface visualizations on task performance have not been studied for UAV telemanipulation. This work evaluated the effects of interface viewpoint on aerial manipulation task performance. The interfaces evaluated in …

Substrate Purity And Its Effect On Prmt1 Activity, Tate Shepherd

Student Research Symposium

Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to specific arginine residues of a target protein. This type of reaction can impact the activity of the target protein and is an important regulatory process in human cells. Dysregulation of PRMT1 has been associated with severe disease in humans, including cancer. Accurate data concerning PRMT1 activity is important to the characterization of the enzyme. The activity of PRMT1 is studied by combining the enzyme with AdoMet and a target protein for methylation and measuring the amount of methylation that occurs over time. AdoMet that …

High Tunnel Pest Management - Aphids, Nick Volesky, Zachery R. Schrumm

All Current Publications

Aphids are a common pest found on high tunnel crops such as fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, grasses, and weeds. Four aphid species commonly found in Utah in high tunnels are green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), melon aphid (Aphis gossypii), potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), and cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae). This fact sheet describes different aphids and reviews the aphid life cycle. It also addresses how to monitor for damage caused by aphids and cultural, biological, and chemical controls.

Anion–Anion Interactions In Aerogen-Bonded Complexes. Influence Of Solvent Environment, Anna Grabarz, Mariusz Michalczyk, Wiktor Zierkiewicz, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Ab initio calculations are applied to the question as to whether a AeX₅− anion (Ae = Kr, Xe) can engage in a stable complex with another anion: F−, Cl−, or CN−. The latter approaches the central Ae atom from above the molecular plane, along its C₅ axis. While the electrostatic repulsion between the two anions prevents their association in the gas phase, immersion of the system in a polar medium allows dimerization to proceed. The aerogen bond is a weak one, with binding energies less than 2 kcal/mol, even in highly polar aqueous solvent. The complexes are …

The Utah Statesman, April 5, 2021, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Prediction Of Freeze Damage And Minimum Winter Temperature Of The Seed Source Of Loblolly Pine Seedlings Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Yuzhen Lu, Trevor D. Walker, Juan J. Acosta, Sierra N. Young, Piyush Pandey, Austin J. Heine, Kitt G. Payn

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The most important climatic variable influencing growth and survival of loblolly pine is the yearly average minimum winter temperature (MWT) at the seed source origin, and it is used to guide the transfer of improved seed lots throughout the species’ distribution. This study presents a novel approach for the assessment of freeze-induced damage and prediction of MWT at seed source origin of loblolly pine seedlings using hyperspectral imaging. A population comprising 98 seed lots representing a wide range of MWT at seed source origin was subjected to an artificial freeze event. The visual assessment of freeze damage and MWT were …

Past Perceptions, Present Usage: Latinx Students And Academic Libraries, Niki S. Fullmer, Brittany Paloma Fiedler

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Over the last two decades, the population of Latinx students enrolled in higher education has increased by 142%, but they are still underrepresented overall. According to 2015 United States census data, only 16% of Hispanic adults have a Bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 54% of Asian Americans, 36% of (non-Hispanic) white people, and 23% of Black people. The needs of Latinx students in higher education are obviously not being met. Academic libraries have long seen themselves as integral to student success, but there is little research about how they are (or are not) serving Latinx students specifically. The IFLA/UNESCO …

Experience, But Not Age, Is Associated With Volumetric Mushroom Body Expansion In Solitary Alkali Bees, Mallory A. Hagadorn, Makenna M. Johnson, Adam R. Smith, Marc A. Seid, Karen M. Kapheim

Biology Student Research

In social insects, changes in behavior are often accompanied by structural changes in the brain. This neuroplasticity may come with experience (experience-dependent) or age (experience-expectant). Yet, the evolutionary relationship between neuroplasticity and sociality is unclear, because we know little about neuroplasticity in the solitary relatives of social species. We used confocal microscopy to measure brain changes in response to age and experience in a solitary halictid bee (Nomia melanderi). First, we compared the volume of individual brain regions among newly emerged females, laboratory females deprived of reproductive and foraging experience, and free-flying, nesting females. Experience, but not age, …

Lymphocyte Soluble Factors From Pregnant Cows Modulate Mrna Transcript Abundances Encoding For Proteins Associated With Trophoblast Growth And Development, Kelsy A. Leppo, Preston Collins, Kira Morgado, Ana C. Silva, Aaron Thomas, Heloisa M. Rutigliano

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to determine whether T cell populations are responsible for modulating placental development during gestation in cattle. It was hypothesized that CD4+CD25+ and γ/δ+ T cells modulate gene expression, based on mRNA transcript abundances, and promote proliferation and survival of trophoblast cells. Peripheral blood was collected from cows at 160 to 180 days of gestation and non-pregnant cows, T cell populations CD8+, CD4+, CD4+CD25+, CD24+CD25-, and γ/δ+ T cells were isolated, cultured for 48 h, and supernatant was collected. Placental samples were digested, and trophoblast cells were cultured for 24 h. Trophoblast cells were cultured with 50 …

Autistic College Students And Covid-19: Anxiety, Support Needs And Responses By Specialized Programs, Jessica Monahan, Laurie Ackles, Amy D. Edwards, Brian Freedman, Pamela Withers Lubbers, Sara Sanders Gardner, Cherie A. Fishbaugh, Jane Thierfeld Brown

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Providing resources and support to college students during the COVID-19 global pandemic has produced unique challenges for all students, particularly those with autism. In March 2020, halfway through the spring term, the COVID-19 global pandemic forced most institutions of higher education across the country to move all instruction and support to an online, remote format, including those for students with autism. Colleges and autism support programs are now grappling with how to effectively support students amid a global pandemic. Yet there is little information available about how students’ needs have changed with this new environment. In this exploratory study, 76 …

Working With Substance Use Disorder: An Evidence-Based Practice Guide For Practitioners Working With Sud Clients, Joe Kotynek

Evidence-Based Social Work Practice Guide Series

Counseling individuals with substance use disorder using mindfulness based practice.

Herbivory Changes Soil Microbial Communities And Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In A High-Latitude Wetland, Karen M. Foley, Karen H. Beard, Trisha B. Atwood, Bonnie G. Waring

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Herbivory can have strong impacts on greenhouse gas fluxes in high-latitude ecosystems. For example, in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta in western Alaska, migratory goose grazing affects the magnitude of soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄₎ fluxes. However, the underlying drivers of this relationship are unclear, as few studies systematically tease apart the processes by which herbivores influences soil biogeochemistry. To examine these mechanisms in detail, we conducted a laboratory incubation experiment to quantify changes in greenhouse gas fluxes in response to three parameters altered by herbivores in situ: temperature, soil moisture content, and nutrient inputs. These …

Pando: Charismatic Megaflora And The Populus Paradox, Paul C. Rogers, Lance Oditt

Aspen Bibliography

Within the field of landscape ecology, the Pando aspen grove on the Fishlake National Forest of Utah is legendary—and it is in danger of dying from hotter, drier temperatures and other threats. Pando is one of the largest and oldest known still-living organisms on Earth. Quaking aspen are an important tree species in Greater Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountain West. Enjoy this essay written by a scientist who studies Pando and a photographer who celebrates this arboreal mega-being.

Noncovalent Bonds Through Sigma And Pi-Hole Located On The Same Molecule. Guiding Principles And Comparisons, Wiktor Ziekiewicz, Mariusz Michalczyk, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Over the last years, scientific interest in noncovalent interactions based on the presence of electron-depleted regions called σ-holes or π-holes has markedly accelerated. Their high directionality and strength, comparable to hydrogen bonds, has been documented in many fields of modern chemistry. The current review gathers and digests recent results concerning these bonds, with a focus on those systems where both σ and π-holes are present on the same molecule. The underlying principles guiding the bonding in both sorts of interactions are discussed, and the trends that emerge from recent work offer a guide as to how one might design systems …

The Annual Rhythmic Differentiation Of Populus Davidiana Growth–Climate Response Under A Warming Climate In The Greater Hinggan Mountains, Ruixin Yun, Yuting Jin, Junxia Li, Zhenju Chen, Zhaoyang Lyu, Ying Zhao, Di Cui

Aspen Bibliography

The stability and balance of forest ecosystems have been seriously affected by climate change. Herein, we use dendrochronological methods to investigate the radial growth and climate response of pioneer tree species in the southern margin of cold temperate coniferous forest based on Populus davidiana growing on the Greater Hinggan Mountains in northeastern China. Correlations of P. davidiana growth with temperature and precipitation in a year (October–September) were rhythmically opposed: while temperatures in previous October–June (winter and spring) and in May–September (growing season) respectively inhibited and promoted radial growth on P. davidiana (p < 0.01), precipitation in the same periods respectively promoted and inhibited of growth (p < 0.01). High temperature or less rain/snow in winter and early spring, and low temperature or excess rainfall in summer, are inconducive to P. davidiana growth and vice versa …

Goatsrue (Galega Officinalis) Identification And Management In Pastures And Croplands, Jacob Hadfield, Corey Ransom, Cody Zesiger, Clark Israelsen

All Current Publications

Goatsrue is an aggressive invasive plant and a declared Utah state noxious weed (Category 1B). It was introduced into the Cache Valley in 1891 and spread through the irrigation canals, streams, and rivers of the Bear River drainage. Cache County has one of the largest goatsrue infestations in the nation. Luckily, only small infestations are found in neighboring counties (Box Elder, Rich, Weber, and Davis). Goatsrue’s rapid growth, prolific seed production, and ability to spread quickly through waterways make it a problem and concern for many residents of Cache County. Properly identifying and managing goatsrue can help reduce the size …

Fatigue And The Female Nurse: A Narrative Review Of The Current State Of Research And Future Directions, Brennan J. Thompson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The female nurse exhibits a multitude of personal and environmental characteristics that renders this population especially prone to fatigue. The consequences of fatigue in nurses are widespread and impactful at the personal, organizational, and societal levels. These include high injury rates and burnout in the nurse and poor patient and organizational outcomes. Objective: This article discusses the implications of fatigue in female nurses, including the impacts of fatigue across multiple entities (e.g., worker, patient, organization). It also reviews the current state of the research, including recent work on nurse fatigue and work schedule characteristics, and key areas for future …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, March 15, 2021, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report
• Budget and Faculty Welfare Committee Annual Report
• Honorary Degrees and Awards Annual Report
• New Faculty Startup Policies
• Faculty Senate Calendar AY 2021-2022
• Faculty Senate Elections

A Pathway For Citizen Science Data To Inform Policy: A Case Study Using Ebird Data For Defining Low-Risk Collision Areas For Wind Energy Development, Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez, Emily R. Bjerre, Mark C. Otto, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Brian A. Millsap, Daniel Fink, Erica F. Stuber, Matthew Strimas-Mackey, Orin J. Robinson

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. The research and conservation community has successfully harnessed the wealth of ecological knowledge found in unprecedented volumes of citizen science (CS) data world-wide. However, few examples exist of the use of CS data to directly inform policy.

2. Current examples of applications of CS data mainly stem from programs that are restricted in scope (e.g. defined protocols, restricted sampling time frame), and the potential use of unrestricted CS data to inform policy remains largely untapped.

3. Here, we make a call for moving beyond questioning the reliability of CS data and present a case study of how the US …

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology Proves An Effective And Efficient Technique To Identify Critical Native Fish Habitat, Paul D. Thompson, Emanuel A. Vasquez, Ian Gowing, Tim Edgar, Ann Neville, Allison Jones

AggieAir Publications

Stream drying, especially in the western U.S., is becoming more common as climate warms and precipitation patterns become less predictable; consequently, fisheries managers need to prioritize conservation efforts where water (and fish) will persist in the future. Yellow Creek in the Upper Bear River watershed (Utah and Wyoming) contains one of the largest remaining populations of Northern Leatherside Chub (NLC) Lepidomeda copei, an imperiled fish. Lower reaches are drying during summer months, partly due to water withdrawals, thus reducing NLC populations and relegating remaining fish to isolated pools until water returns. This study utilized an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) …

Investigating The Morphological And Genetic Divergence Of Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus) Populations In Lakes Of Arctic Alaska, Stephen L. Klobucar, Jessica A. Rick, Elizabeth G. Mandeville, Catherine E. Wagner, Phaedra Budy

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Polymorphism facilitates coexistence of divergent morphs (e.g., phenotypes) of the same species by minimizing intraspecific competition, especially when resources are limiting. Arctic char (Salvelinus sp.) are a Holarctic fish often forming morphologically, and sometimes genetically, divergent morphs. In this study, we assessed the morphological and genetic diversity and divergence of 263 individuals from seven populations of arctic char with varying length-frequency distributions across two distinct groups of lakes in northern Alaska. Despite close geographic proximity, each lake group occurs on landscapes with different glacial ages and surface water connectivity, and thus was likely colonized by fishes at different times. …

Potential, Field, And Interactions Of Multipole Spheres: Coated Spherical Magnets, Jeong-Young Ji, Boyd F. Edwards, J. Andrew Spencer, Eric D. Held

All Physics Faculty Publications

We show that the energy, force, and torque between two spherically symmetric multipole density distributions are identical to those between two point multipoles, and apply this point-sphere equivalence to coated spherical dipole magnets. We also show that the potential and field of such a distribution are equivalent to those due to point multipoles located at the center of the distribution. We expand the inverse-distance potential in terms of harmonic (Hermite irreducible) tensors, whose properties enable us to express the potential energy, force, and torque for two arbitrary source distributions in a series of point-multipole interactions. This work generalizes recent work …

Scc-Civic-Pg Track B: Data And Tools To Build Resilience In Western Gateway And Natural Amenity Region Communities, Jordan Smith

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.