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Morgan-Summit Greater Sage-Grouse Local Conservation Plan, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Strawberry Valley Greater Sage-Grouse Local Conservation Plan, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Flower Insects And Related Pests, Larry A. Sagers

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Marital Transitions And The Sandwich Generation: The Implications Of Divorce And Remarriage, Brian Higginbotham, Katie Henderson

All Current Publications

The “sandwich generation” refers to persons in middle adulthood who have simultaneous commitments to help their adult children and their elderly parents.

Print Names And Classification, Larry A. Sagers

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Integrated Pest Management, Larry A. Sagers

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Science, June 9, 2006, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to offer a Master of Science Degree in Applied Environmental Geoscience in the Department of Geology effective Fall Semester 2006.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Humanities And Social Sciences, June 9, 2006, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to offer a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Communication and Journalism through the Department of Agricultural Systems Technology and Education effective Fall 2006.

Eutrophication In Farmington Bay, Great Salt Lake, Utah 2005 Annual Report, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Amy M. Marcarelli

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Role Of Sac9 In Arabidopsis Thaliana Stress Response And Phosphoinositide Signaling, Elizabeth J. Drake

Biology

The SAC9 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana encodes a protein, Sac9, which is a putative 5-phosphatase involved in phosphoinositide stress signaling pathways in plants. The SAC domain of Sac9 has sequence homology with yeast and mammalian phosphoinositide phosphatases that catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P₂]. The loss of the Sac9 protein in A. thaliana leads to an increase in the quantity of PtdIns(4,5)P₂ in the plant. This increase in PtdIns(4,5)P₂ in the sac9-1 mutant A. thaliana likely causes plants grown under non-stress conditions to exhibit several phenotypes normally associated with stress. The focus of this thesis …

Systematics Of The Sympetrine Dragonflies With Emphasis On The Phylogeny, Taxonomy, And Historical Biogeography Of The Genus Sympetrum (Odonata: Libellulidae), Erik M. Pilgrim

Biology

Within dragonflies and damselflies, the family Libellulidae is the largest. The systematics have never been analyzed in a phylogenetic context. Using both molecular and morphological characters, this dissertation is the first study to address the phylogenetics of the Libellulidae, the phylogenetics and historical biogeography of Sympetrum, and several species-level disputes within Sympetrum. Phylogenetic study of the family Libellulidae revealed that many of the libellulid subfamilies (Brachydiplactinae, Leucorrhininae, Sympetrinae, Trameinae, Trithemistinae, and Urothemistinae) were paraphyletic. Wing venation characters were not useful for delineating the hierarchy of taxa within Libellulidae. Study of the systematics of Sympetrum shows that S. navasi …

Genetic And Phenotypic Variability Of Metarhizium Anisoplae For Virulence And Tolerance To Uv-B Radiation And Heat, Drauzio E. N. Rangel

Biology

The fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is an important agent for biological control of insects and has great advantages over chemical insecticides. However, ultraviolet radiation and heat from sunlight are serious obstacles for the use of M. anisopliae in agriculture, where the conidia may be impaired in a matter of a few hours in the field. Therefore, isolate selection and/or generation of conidia with increased tolerance to UV radiation and heat are a major goal of this dissertation. High variability in heat and UV-B tolerance was found among 17 isolates of M. anisopliae from different geographic origins, but there was very low …

Creating Mechanistic Ion Channel Models Using Genetic Algorithms, Jonathan Neal Hurst

Biology

Modeling ion channel function is often problematic, especially for channels that have not been physically characterized, because transitions between many conformational states cannot be directly observed. Myriad voltage clamp protocols have been developed to study these transitions, but model parameterization remains difficult because either all transitions must be culled from one protocol, or the data from multiple protocols must be non-redundantly combined. One solution to this problem is to use a genetic algorithm to create models that fit all desired voltage clamp data. This method has the distinct advantage of producing accurate ion channel models without manipulating the voltage clamp …

Utah State University Commencement, 2006 – Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

115th Annual Commencement of Utah State University

On The Geomorphology, Hydrology, And Biogeochemistry Of Stream-Lake Interactions In The Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, Usa, Christopher D. Arp

Biology

This dissertation focuses on the geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry of streams and lakes as coupled, interacting ecosystems in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, USA. The study design used intensive field studies of several ecosystems nested within a broader comparative study of many ecosystems. Stream geomorphology was affected by lakes due to the glacial legacy of lakes and subsequent modification of water and sediment flux. Hydrologically, streams below lakes had more frequent and longer duration floods, and lakes were shown to attenuate summer floods, but not spring snowmelt floods. Biogeochemically, nutrient uptake among streams showed high phosphate and low nitrate uptake downstream …

Evolutionary Consequences Of An Introduced Predator: Adaptive Change In Daphnia Melanica In Response To Exotic Salmonids In The Sierra Nevada, Debra L. Fisk

Biology

The introduction of exotic species into a novel habitat, like all drastic environmental alterations, can lead to rapid evolution of both native and exotic species. Few studies have focused on the rapid adaptive evolution of native species to the introduction of a foreign species. Therefore, I wanted to determine if the introduction of exotic size-selective predators (salmonids) to alpine lakes in the Sierra Nevada, CA, has led to an adaptive response in the native prey species, Daphnia melanica. I conducted two common garden experiments with D. melanica from multiple populations, and collected data for morphological and life-history traits. With …

Mycobacterium-Plant Interactions In Bioremediation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds, Robert D. Child

Biology

Five mycobacterium isolates that degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons colonize the surface of barley roots from a seed inoculum. Colonization was maintained in the presence of an aggressive root-colonizing pseudomonad. All five of the mycobacterium strains utilized components in root washes for growth but they differed in their potential for biofilm formation. Components in the barley root washes did not impede the mineralization of pyrene. An inexpensive, portable, flexible microcosm chamber system was constructed and implemented in pyrene mineralization experiments. The system facilitated control of sterile conditions, air flow-through, and collection of volatilized radiolabeled compounds. Mineralization rates of pyrene were higher …

A Survey Of The Bees Of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah: Incidence, Abundance, And Community Dynamics, Olivia Messinger

Biology

A survey of the bees of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah, was conducted over a period of four years. Six hundred and fifty-six species were discovered within the monument, including numerous range extensions, several new species, and three genera new to the state of Utah. This is the richest bee landscape studied to date; reasons for the high diversity include the large elevation gradient, the richness of flowering plants, many of which are limited in distribution and require specific pollinators, and the many small local populations of species. To test the significance of these features on patterns of bee …

Anurans Of The Solomon Islands, Gerald W. Scoville

Biology

Studies of Northern Melanesia have contributed prominently to our understanding of evolution, but knowledge of the distribution, abundance, and diversification of amphibians of the region remains poor. In 2004, I accompanied members of the American Museum of Natural History to the New Georgia group, Western Province of the Solomon Islands, to conduct an investigation of the anurans of the area. Data consist of descriptions of morphology, behavioral traits, ecological settings, and relative abundance and diversity, as well as a review of historical information. Platymantines of the Solomon Archipelago are exceedingly distinctive, and are likely the product of an autochthonous radiation.

Catalase Activity Mediates The Inhibitory Actions Of 24,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3, Sven L. Peery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The steroid hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [1,25(OH)₂D₃] rapidly stimulates the uptake of phosphate in isolated chick intestinal cells, while the steroid 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [24,25(OH)₂D₃] inhibits the rapid stimulation by 1,25(OH)₂D₃. Earlier work in this laboratory has indicated that a cellular binding protein for the 24,25(OH)₂D₃ is the enzyme catalase. Since binding resulted in decreased catalase activity and increased H₂O₂ production, studies were undertaken to determine if pro-oxidant conditions mimicked the inhibitory actions of 24,25(OH)₂D₃, and anti-oxidant conditions …

Towards A More Comprehensive View Of The Use Of Power Between Couple Members In Adolescent Romantic Relationships, Charles George Bentley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the construct of power in adolescent romantic couples using multiple measures. The project examined gender differences in power, created models of powerlessness for each gender, and examined relations between power and aggression and relationship quality. Participants were 90 heterosexual couples, aged 14-18 years old, living in rural areas in Utah and Arizona. Couple members completed surveys assessing attitudes and behaviors in their relationships and a video-recall procedure in which partners rated their own and their partner's behaviors during problem solving discussion.

Few gender differences emerged in reports of perpetration of aggression, but boyfriends reported higher levels of …

Electroporation Of Pediococcus Pentosaceus And The Curing Rate Of Plasmids, Heidi E. Shields

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Genetic engineering is a relatively new process and is a major focus of research in various fields, such as medicine, plant genetics, and food science. The potential applications of genetic engineering include designer drug production, mass protein production, and enhanced food processing. Finding an appropriate host organism to be used in genetic engineering is an important preliminary step. Pediococcus pentosaceus has been suggested as a bacterial species with such potential. Since plasmids are often the vector of choice in genetic recombination, this research tests the ability of P. pentosaceus to take up and incorporate plasmids into its genome. Two plasmids …

Milk Intake In Early And Late Adulthood And Risk Of Osteoporotic Hip Fractures In Utah, Melanie Jean Slavens

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between milk intake and risk of osteoporotic fractures is uncertain. Associations between milk intake and milk avoidance in relation to osteoporotic hip fracture were examined in the Utah Study of Nutrition and Bone Health (USNBH), a statewide case-control study. Cases were ascertained at Utah hospitals treating 98 percent of hip fractures during 1997-2001 and included 1188 men and women aged 50-89 years. Age- and gender-matched controls were randomly selected from Utah driver's license and Medicare databases (N= 1324). In-person interviews were conducted and participants reported frequency of milk intake per week at age 18 and during pregnancy among …

Historical Biogeography Of North American Nightsnakes And Their Relationships Among The Dipsadines: Evidence For Vicariance Associated With Miocene Formations Of Northwestern Mexico, Daniel G. Mulcahy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I used a hierarchical approach to study historical biogeography in a group of colubrid snakes found in western North America. I combined small regions of mtDNA sequence data from a large number of individuals, with complete mt-genomic data. First, I investigated the relationships among leptodeirines—a presumed subgroup of dipsadines, including nightsnakes (Pseudoleptodeira, Eridiphas, and Hypsiglena)—using ~1.5 kb of data (cob and nad4). The relationships differed among parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian analyses. All analyses supported the monophyly of the nightsnakes; however, none supported the monophyly of the leptodeirines. Instead, these data supported a new hypothesis …

The Relative Effects Of Education And Cognitive Complexity Of Employment Experience On The Rate Of Cognitive Decline In Elderly Women, Janet M. Lundahl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis examined the lifetime exposure of women's employment on cognitive functioning and cognitive decline in late life.

From the Cache County Study on Memory, Health, & Aging data, a sample of 2,588 women, aged 65 and older gave retrospective occupational history and were screened using the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam at study entry and approximately 3 years later. Non-demented women were used.

Ordinary least squares regression was used cross-sectionally and longitudinally to test the association between cognitive complexity level of the longest job and baseline cognitive status, and rate of cognitive decline over approximately 3 years.

Cross-sectional analysis revealed …

Culture, Gender, Identity, And Adolescents' Niche-Building Behavior: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, Archana Singh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A cross-cultural examination of a selected group of Indian and American adolescents was conducted to understand the influence of cultural expectations, gender, and identity on adolescents' niche-building behavior. For the purpose of the present study, adolescents' niche was limited to their bedrooms. Data were collected from 285 American adolescents of which 151 were females and 134 were males. The Indian sample consisted of 198 adolescents of whom 75 were females, 118 were males, and 5 adolescents who did not mention their gender. Participants from both cultures were from eighth and ninth grades, with an age range of 12.17 to 16.50 …

Cognitive Autonomy In Adolescence, Ruth A. Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the relationship between areas of cognitive autonomy and adolescent development. Differences in cognitive autonomy between age groups were analyzed. Students attending Grades 7, 9, and 11, and college students in Northern Utah participated in this study. Three hundred and ninety-six participants responded to the Cognitive Autonomy and Self-Evaluation(CASE) inventory, which examined the subcategories of evaluative thinking, voicing opinions, comparative validation, decision making, and self-assessment.

Scores were compared by grade and by gender. Results showed that college students scored significantly higher in three of the five areas of cognitive autonomy. Additionally, females in both ninth grade and college …

Single Parenting Of Early Adolescents: Clinical Application To A More Helpful Perspective, Ane Weed

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to discover the most important self-identified areas for a particular group of single parents to focus their limited time. Single parents have been pathologized and compared to two-parent families. A strength-based perspective that acknowledges single parent families as a legitimate family system with the possibility for being healthy may be more helpful. The objective of this study was to identify common strengths between self-reported satisfied single parents (n = 86) and early adolescent children of single parents (n = 67) through data collected with the use of the Parent Success Indicator (PSI) …

Burnout In Marriage And Family Therapists, Cory A. Eddington

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Among the profession of marriage and family therapy, the goal is to help those individuals, couples, and families that are struggling in life. While working with these clients there is the possibility that the therapists may become stressed themselves and experience burnout. The following is a descriptive study of 30 marriage and family therapists (MFTs) in the state of Utah. The demographic variables of clinical experience, sex, case load, setting of practice, education level, and marital status were studied as to their relation to the experience of burnout. Statistically significant findings demonstrated that the variables of sex and caseload were …

Marital Quality, Context, And Interaction: A Comparison Of Individuals Across Various Income Levels, Victor W. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research compared measures of marital quality between married respondents who were classified as adults currently receiving government assistance (GA) or adults not currently receiving government assistance (NGA). Additional demographic/contextual variables such as gender, age, age at first marriage, religiosity, income, education, cohabitation, mental health, and substance abuse along with four interactional variables - escalating negativity, criticism, negative interpretation, and withdrawal - were measured as potential correlates with marital quality.

Results indicated statistically significant differences between GA and NGA individuals on all of the marital quality measures and on 8 of the 11 demographic/contextual variables. Additionally, the four interactional variables …