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Vascular Conditions, Risk Factors And Depression Chronicity In Late-Onset Major Depression, Robert D. Lisota

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research examining a possible relationship between vascular factors and late-life depression in the elderly has produced both evidence for and against a "vascular depression" hypothesis, which posits that late-life depression may have a vascular or neurological etiology. It was hypothesized that a depressive disorder that is primarily the result of structural changes in the brain due to vascular conditions in late-life may be related to increased depression chronicity. We examined data from the Cache County Study on Memory, Health, and Aging to determine whether support for the concept of vascular risk for depression and increased chronicity were present in an …

Effects Of A Synthetic Cannabinoid On The Reinforcing Efficacy Of Ethanol In Rats, Ericka M. Bailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The co-abuse of alcohol and marijuana is widespread, although the mechanisms underlying this behavior are unclear. There is some evidence of a relationship between the neural processes that mediate the effects of ethanol and marijuana. For example, research has shown that exposure to marijuana increases responding for, and intake of, ethanol. The alcohol deprivation effect is an anima l model of alcoholism that suggests that the reinforcing efficacy of ethanol, as measured by intake, increases following a period of deprivation. Recent research indicates that rats chronically exposed to marijuana during periods of alcohol deprivation consume ethanol above and beyond deprivation …

Use Of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy For The Classification And Identification Of Bacteria Of Importance To The Food Industry, Sarah Pegram

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The aim of this work was to use Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to characterize and identify bacteria of particular significance to the food industry. FT-IR spectroscopy is a rapid technique that can be applied to all groups of bacteria. The two objectives were to determine a suitable sampling procedure to record a spectrum and to determine a suitable statistical technique to identify characteristic regions of the spectrum associated with the genus and, potentially, the species. Pure cultures of bacteria were grown in broth, suspended in saline and dried to produce a film on a halide salt crystal. These films were …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Analysis Of Amino Acid Metabolism In Lactobacillus Helveticus Cnrz 32, Jason K. Christiansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated genetic predictions for amino acid biosynthesis and catabolism by Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ 32, a commercial cheese flavor adjunct that reduces bitterness and intensifies flavor notes. Conversion of amino acids into volatile and nonvolatile flavor compounds by L. helveticus and other lactic acid bacteria in cheese is thought to represent the rate-limiting step in the development of mature cheese flavor and aroma. One of the primary mechanisms for amino acid breakdown by these microbes involves the reversible action of enzymes involved in biosynthetic pathways, so our group investigated the genetics of amino acid biosynthesis in L. helveticus CNRZ …

Relationship Between Dietary Calcium Intake And Weight Gain Among College Freshmen At Utah State University, Cara A. Moncur

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study was conducted with the use of data from the Freshmen Health Study, a longitudinal study of college freshmen aged 18 that examined change in diet, physical activity, and weight during the first year of college at Utah State University (USU). Participants were assessed at different data collection periods including the beginning and end of their first semester attending USU. Participants' height and weight were measured and they were given a self-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire at each data collection. Simple linear and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess how dietary calcium intake related to weight change over …

Control Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Ready-To-Eat Meat Containing Levulinate, Lactate, Or Lactate And Diacetate, Rebecca L. Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Control of the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meats is a major concern in the food industry. The objective of this study was to compare the growth of L. monocytogenes on refrigerated RTE meats containing sodium levulinate (4-oxopentanoic acid, a five carbon organic acid with GRAS status), sodium lactate, or a combination of sodium lactate and sodium diacetate. Turkey roll and bologna were prepared to contain (wt/wt) sodium lactate (2%); sodium lactate in combination with sodium diacetate (1.875% sodium lactate, 0.125% sodium diacetate); sodium levulinate (1, 2, or 3%); or no antilisterial additive. Samples were sliced, inoculated with a …

Preparation For Remarriage: Utilization Of Different Forms And Their Rated Helpfulness, Julie J. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Remarriage has gained special attention in the past couple of decades from clinicians, researchers, and educators because of the unique issues faced by individuals entering such a relationship. Recognition of these issues increased marriage practitioners' hope that a shift in the social climate had led individuals to prepare for remarriage through various means. This study sought to, one, gain a current perspective on remarriage preparation; two, learn how individuals rate the helpfulness of preparation; and three, note any differences in remarital quality (remarital satisfaction and adjustment) and perceptions of preparedness between individuals who did or did not participate in preparation. …

Parenting Stress And Child Attachment: Child Age Of 10 And 36 Months/Father And Mother, Jeng Hyun Ok

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parents are the most affective human environmental resources to children. Although the influences from parents continue even after parents passed away, very young children (up to age 3) get the biggest impact from their parents. According to children's independency to parents, parents' psychological well-being determines children's emotional-social development. However, in parenting stress, children also have their own influence to parents in the family context. Regarding parenting stress, many studies have been dedicated to defining the occurrence, co-occurrence, and predictors of parenting stress of parents in various conditions.

This longitudinal research conducted from surveys with 201 Early Head Start families reexamines …

Congruence Of Perceptions Of Motivation Between Adolescent Clients, Their Therapist, And Parent, Amberly R. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of adolescent's motivation to change in therapy, specifically while residing in a residential treatment center (RTC) and participating in family therapy. Motivation for change was examined in three contexts. The first context for examining the adolescent's motivation for change was in relation to their stage of therapy. The second and third contexts for examining the adolescent's motivation for change was in relation to perceptions the adolescent's therapist and parent had of their motivation to change. In addition, the study explored whether there was a relationship between the congruence of perceptions of …

Premarital Preparation And Marital Satisfaction: What Utah Individuals Are Doing To Prepare For Marriage And How Premarital Preparation Can Enhance Marital Satisfaction, Fay L. Belnap Foster

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This is a systematic representative sample study of newlyweds designed to investigate aspects of participation in marriage preparation activities as well as determine what effect participation in activities had on marital satisfaction. A retrospective survey instrument was utilized which included the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale.

Statistical analysis revealed that the majority of individuals in Utah prepare for marriage by visiting with parents or relatives, visiting with other married couples, and talking with religious leaders, and considered these activities to be helpful in their preparation. The smaller percentage of individuals who participated in more formal preparation activities also considered these activities …

Comparison Of Water Dynamics In Aspen And Conifer: Implications For Ecology Water Yield Augmentation, Eric Martin Lamalfa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Differences in water dynamics between deciduous aspen (Populus tremuloides) and co-occurring evergreen conifer species in the Northern Rocky Mountains result from complex physical and biological interactions. A comprehensive evaluation of individual water transfer mechanisms was used to elucidate the relative importance of several components of the hydro logic cycles of aspen and conifer, and determine which water transfer mechanisms have potential to cause differences in net water yield.

Adjacent aspen and conifer stands were monitored to determine snow accumulation and ablation (snow survey), soil moisture recharge (capacitance probes), snowpack sublimation (sublimation pan), transpiration period (thermal dissipation probes), and …

Bats And Mines: Evaluating Townsend's Big-Eared Bat Maternity Colony Response To Reclamation, Gabrielle F. Diamond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With the loss or modification of natural roosting habitat afforded by caves, abandoned mines have assumed increased importance as surrogate roosting sites for Townsend's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) and other chiropteran species. However, increasing concerns for human safety have led to accelerated programs for mine closure. In efforts to protect roosting sites in mines showing significant bat activity, "bat compatible" gates are installed, thus allowing continued access to mine workings. Aside from ensuring public safety, these structures afford protection from disturbance to roosting bats. To date few posting-gating studies have been conducted to obtain information on the effects …

Breeding Behavior And Space Use Of Male And Female Mule Deer: An Examination Of Potential Risk Differences For Chronic Wasting Disease Infection, Leslie R. Mcfarlane

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The dynamics of pathogen and host relationships relative to disease transmission in wildlife populations are important ecological processes to understand, particularly since spatial dynamics of disease can be driven by movement, behavior, and dispersal of animals. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an example of this important interface, where little is known regarding origin of the disease or routes of transmission. Surveillance data for CWD in free-ranging mule deer indicates that breeding-age male deer have 2-4 times higher prevalence rates than females or younger age males. In an effort to understand differences that might increase risk for exposure to CWD infective …

Factors Influencing Epiphytic Lichen Communities In Aspen-Associated Forests Of The Bear River Range, Idaho And Utah, Paul C. Rogers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In western North America, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is the most common hardwood in montane landscapes. Fire suppression, grazing, wildlife management practices, and climate patterns of the past century are some of the threats to aspen coverage in this region. Researchers are concerned that aspen-dependent species may be losing habitat, thereby threatening their long-term local and regional viability. Though lichens have a rich history as air pollution indicators, I believe that they may also be useful as a metric of community diversity associated with habitat change. To date, few studies have specifically examined the status of aspen's epiphytic lichen …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Supplemental Labels In Museum Exhibits, Clint B. Eliason

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study used an experimental design to investigate the efficacy of using short (12 words or less), prominently placed supplemental labels to increase the effectiveness of select extant labels in museum exhibits. The experimenter-developed supplemental labels were designed to leverage exogenous/bottom-up and endogenous/top-down sources of influence on selective attention. Measures of patron behavior, knowledge retention, and attitude found no significant differences between group means under control and treatment conditions. These outcomes were surprising and inconsistent with findings from similar research conducted by Hirschi and Screven. The supplemental labels in the present study might have failed to capture attention because …

The Temporal Relationship Between Environmental Factors And Psychological Symptoms In Native American Adolescents, Georgia Lee Matt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Native American youth often experience high rates of environmental risk factors that may put them at increased risk for developing psychological problems, yet research within this high-risk population is severely limited.

The present study was designed to provide information on the rate of psychological symptoms in a sample of Native American youth, and evaluate the impact of environmental factors (risk, protective, and cultural) on psychological disorder symptoms over time. Data were collected with a sample of Native American youth using the Youth Self Report, the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory–Adolescent 2, and a researcher-designed Biodemographic Questionnaire.

Findings indicate that clinically …

Effects Of Quaternary Climate Change On Tributary Sedimentation And Geomorphology In Eastern Grand Canyon, Benjamin D. Dejong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Climate variability has had a dramatic impact on eastern Grand Canyon tributaries over the past ~100 ky. This is readily observed in the Lava Chuar and Comanche catchments, which host well preserved colluvial remnants and river terraces that resulted from several climate-induced cycles of aggradation and incision. This study investigates these climate responses using surveying, sedimentology, and luminescence geochronology methods to investigate the mechanisms and timing of their deposition.

The survey data demonstrate that the concavity of terrace treads is lower than modern drainages. The sedimentology suggests the prevalence of stream-flow reworking of debris flow deposits and portrays an expected …

Hydroacoustic Substrate Classification Accuracy And Faunal Assemblage Variation Between Artificial And Natural Rock Regions: Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Mike Moon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research designed to elucidate artificial reef efficacy in attraction and production is lacking. Delineation of the rock reef habitat, coupled with faunal patterns of substrate use within artificial and natural reef regions, will allow elucidation of the potential of artificial reefs to attract sport fishes, and function as surrogate natural habitat for the conservation of endemic fish species. We compared faunal assemblages and habitat complexity between artificial and natural reefs to access the efficacy of artificial reefs in conservation of the native community, and attraction of sport fishes.

We used hydroacoustics to map artificial and natural rock reefs within Bear …

The Timing And Magnitude Of Channel Adjustments In The Upper Green River Below Flaming Gorge Dam In Browns Park And Lodore Canyon, Colorado: An Analysis Of The Pre- And Post-Dam River Using High-Resolution Dendrogeomorphology And Repeat Topographic Surveys, Jason S. Alexander

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Channel narrowing on the Green River in Utah and Colorado has been well documented by several authors and has been attributed to reductions in flow after 1930, the construction of Flaming Gorge Dam (FGD), and the invasion of the woody riparian plant Tamarisk (tamarix ramosissima). Narrowing has occurred through the deposition of inset floodplains, which have vertically accreted within a previously larger active channel. Prior to closure of FGD, lower magnitude floods aggraded surfaces in the areas of the channel that had the highest divergence in the velocity flow field (i.e. bars and banks). These surfaces later became …

Dynamics Of Spatial Pattern Formation: Cases Of Spikes And Droplets, Yuya Sasaki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis studies the gradient system that forms spatial patterns such that the minimum distances of pairs among various points are maximized in the end. As this problem innately involves singularity issues, an extended system of the gradient system is proposed. Motivated by the spatial pattern suggested by a numerical example, this extended system is applied to a three-point problem and then to a two-point problem in a quotient space of ℝ² modulo a lattice.

The Red Top Model: A Landscape-Scale Integrodifference Equation Model Of The Mountain Pine Beetle-Lodgepole Pine Forest Interaction, Justin Heavilin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Under normative conditions the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) has played a regulating role in healthy lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests. However, recently eruptive outbreaks that result from large pine beetle populations have destroyed vast tracts of valuable forest. The outbreaks in North America have received a great deal of attention from both the timber industry and government agencies as well as biologists and ecologists.

In this dissertation we develop a landscape-scaled integrodifference equation model describing the mountain pine beetle and its effect on a lodgepole pine forest. The model is built upon a stage-structured model …

Utah’S Sage-Grouse Summit Special Report, Utah Community-Based Conservation Program

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 30, 2007, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• President's Report
• Faculty Code Revisions Process
• Committee Assignments
• Commencement
• ADVANCE Report
• Committee-on-Committees Report
• EPC Business
• PRPC Business
• Representation of Extension and RCDE on Faculty Senate402.10.1 and 402.12.1(2)(3) (1st reading)
• Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility 403.1 and 403.3.1
• Faculty Senate Supernumerary 402.3.1
• Senate “Vice-President” 402.12.1(2)

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Natural Resources, April 19, 2007 - New Emphases Within The Bachelor Of Science In Environmental Studies, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to create seven new emphases within the existing Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, effective Spring 2007.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Natural Resources, April 19, 2007 - New Emphases In Bachelor Of Science In Geography, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to create four new emphases within the existing Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, effective Spring 2007. The proposed new emphases are (1) Cultural/Social Geography, (2) Human Impacts on the Environment, (3) Planning and Analysis, and (4) Geographic Perspectives.

Differential Effects Of Hunting On Pre-Dispersal Seed Predation And Primary And Secondary Seed Removal Of Two Neotropical Tree Species, Noelle G. Beckman, Helene C. Muller-Landau

Biology Faculty Publications

Many of the mammals undergoing drastic declines in tropical forests worldwide are important seed dispersers and seed predators, and thus changes in mammal communities due to hunting will affect plant recruitment. It has been hypothesized that larger-seeded species will suffer greater reductions in seed removal and thus greater increases in predispersal seed predation than smaller-seeded species. We compared primary and secondary seed removal and predispersal seed predation of two tree species between hunted and nonhunted sites in Central Panama. Seeds of Oenocarpus mapora (Arecaceae) are 16-times greater in size than those of Cordia bicolor (Boraginaceae). We quantified primary seed removal …

The Plight Of Large Animals In Tropical Forests And The Consequences For Plant Regeneration, S. Joseph Wright, Kathryn E. Stoner, Noelle Beckman, Richard T. Corlett, Rodolfo Dirzo, Helene C. Muller-Landau, Gabriela Nuñez-Iturri, Carlos A. Peres, Benjamin C. Wang

Biology Faculty Publications

We introduce a special section that addresses the bushmeat or wild meat crisis, its direct impact on game species, and its indirect impact on plants in tropical forests.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, April 16, 2007, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• ADVANCE Report
• Committee on Committees Report
• EPC Business
• Calendar Committee Report
• Faculty Senate Past President (2nd)
• Faculty Forum Membership (2nd)
• EPC Membership (2nd)
• EPC Curriculum Sub-committee Membership (2nd)
• Representation of Extension and RCDE on Faculty Senate (1st)
• Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility (403.1 and 403.3.1)
• Faculty Senate Supernumerary
• Senate "Vice President"
• Faculty Code Revisions Process

Usda And State/Tribal Cooperator Summary For 2006/2007 National Early Detection System For Hpai In Wild Migratory Birds: Accomplishments, Findings, And Future Direction, Brandon Schmit, Kerri Pedersen, Robert Beach, Seth Swafford, Thomas Deliberto

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In late 2005, at the request of the Homeland Security Council's Policy Coordinating Committee for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, the United States Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior began developing a United States Interagency Strategic Plan for the early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) introduction into North America by wild migratory birds. This plan was stepped down by various regional, state, and tribal entities and was implemented nationwide in mid-2006. USDA funded Federal, State, and Tribal cooperators began with a goal of collecting over 75,000 surveillance samples from wild migratory birds during the 2006/2007 surveillance period. The 2006 accomplishments, …

The Current Regulatory Environment Of Urban Coyote Control - A Private Wco Perspective, Claude Oleyar

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Social, political, and legal considerations have contributed to an unfavorable regulatory environment for lethal control of urban coyotes (canis latrans). I analyze and break down that environment from a Wildlife Control Operator (WCO) perspective. Currently 3 significant factors frame the issue but a 4th could be emerging. First, our hands are tied: I use the situation in Colorado to illustrate the point. Compounding factors include the need for a paradigm shift in how rules are derived, the lag-time factor in agency response to issues, and the tendency toward bureaucracy/over-regulation. Second, human dimensions rule: I critique the downside of …