Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Deer Repellents To Preserve Wildlife Food Plots For Game Birds, Wendy M. Arjo, Kimberly K. Wagner, Chad D. Richardson, Dale L. Nolte

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Food plots are a vital element for the survival of game bird species such as bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) on Fort Riley Military Installation in Kansas. However, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) tend to eat the sorghum when it starts to ripen in September and continue feeding on it through November and December, often leaving no food for the quail during the winter. We conducted pen and field trails to determine if repellents were an effective and feasible method to protect grain sorghum food plots from deer damage. Two-choice pen trials with both deer and game bird …

Badger Movement Ecology In Colorado Agricultural Areas After A Fire, Craig A. Ramey, Jean B. Bourassa

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

While investigating the American badger (Taxidea taxus) in eastern Colorado' s wheatlands, we studied 3 badgers which were affected by a 2.1 km² man-made fire and compared them to 2 adjacent badgers unaffected by the fire. All badgers were equipped with radio-telemetry collars and generally located day and night for approximately 1 month pre-fire and 3 weeks post-fire. Three point triangulation locations were converted into a global information system database. Adaptive kernel analyses compared pre- and post-fire horizontal: home ranges (i.e. 95% utilization areas, UAs), core activity areas (50% UAs), movements, den and habitat use patterns. Mean …

Development Of Diazacon™ As An Avian Contraceptive, Christi A. Yoder, Kimberly S. Bynum, Lowell A. Miller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Due to increasing human-wildlife conflicts with birds and growing opposition to lethal techniques, nonlethal methods need to be developed to help manage bird populations. DiazaCon™ is a promising oral contraceptive that acts by directly inhibiting the conversion of desmosterol to cholesterol. Because cholesterol is essential for the production of the steroid reproductive hormones testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol, DiazaCon™ also indirectly inhibits the formation of these hormones. These hormones are essential for sperm and egg production, and the production of egg yolk precursors in the liver. Because DiazaCon™ is cleared slowly from the liver, its contraceptive effects are long-lasting. Initial research …

Small Molecule And Polymer Effects On Bio-Mimetic Sensors, Ignacio J. Garcia, Nicole Branan, Todd A. Wells

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Formation of biomimetic membranes for the purpose of producing a protein based infrared biosensor has proven to be a difficult obstacle. Several methods have been employed and reproducibility is becoming more frequent. The use of polystyrene as an adhesion layer between the biomimetic and diamond surfaces is the most reliable form of reproducibility yet encountered. Unique properties of acetylcholine esterase based biosensors include infrared absorption bands that are not present in either the organo-phosphorous compounds or polystyrene used in this study. This information lends further weight for the practical use of infrared-ATR biosensor for the use of detecting organo-phosphorous nerve …

Insights, Spring, 2005, Utah State University

Discovery Magazine

Bi-annual alumni newsletter for the College of Science of Utah State University in Logan.

The Effect Of Wildfire On Populations Of The Jemez Mountains Salamander (Plethodon Neomexicanus) With Consideration To Arthropod Prey Availability Following The Cerro Grande Fire Of Northern New Mexico, Michelle R. Cummer

Biology

Fire regimes in North America, including the American Southwest, have undergone relatively dramatic shifts in the last century, resulting in novel stand-replacing fires that are changing landscapes in unprecedented ways. Some possible effects of these novel landscape changes on a terrestrial plethodontid salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus) were investigated. Microhabitat temperatures in four burn-severity types following recent fires were measured. Temperatures were significantly greater in high-severity and moderate-severity burn areas than in low-severity and unburned areas. Salamander presence/absence data from four burn-severity types that were documented as having salamanders prior to wildfire are considered. The proportions of presence and absence …

Physiological And Molecular Genetic Mechanisms Of Tetrodotoxin Resistance In The Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis, Shana L. Geffeney

Biology

The focus of this project was the identification of physiological and molecular genetic mechanisms of tetrodotoxin resistance in the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis. Tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin, specifically blocks the activity of voltage-gated sodium channels. Some populations of garter snake have evolved geographically variable resistance to tetrodotoxin in a coevolutionary arms race with their tetrodotoxic prey, newts of the genus Taricha. Variation in tetrodotoxin resistance among snake populations is extreme and spans three orders of magnitude. Here I describe a physiological mechanism of whole-animal tetrodotoxin resistance in four populations of snake that represent two independent evolutionary origins of …

Ecology And Physiology Of Tetrodotoxin Toxicity In The Newt Genus Taricha: Ramifications For A Coevolutionary Predator-Prey Interaction, Charles T. Hanifin

Biology

I examined the ecology and physiology of tetrodotoxin (TTX) toxicity in the newt genus Taricha (family Salamandridae) to understand the forces that have shaped the adaptive evolution of TTX toxicity in this group. In particular, this work sought to explore how coevolution with a TTX-resistant predator (the garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis) has shaped patterns of phenotypic diversity in TTX toxicity among populations of Taricha. I developed a set of techniques to directly measure levels of TTX in the skin of newts, and used those measurements to estimate the amount of TTX a snake predator would be exposed to …

A Qualitative And Quantitative Characterization Of Emergent, Distributed Computation As A Possible Mechanism For Biological Information Processing In Stomatal Networks, Susanna M. Messinger

Biology

This research presents an exploration of the qualitative and quantitative properties of emergent, distributed computation in artificial cellular networks with the goal of better understanding the same computational mechanism as it might occur in biological systems, particularly plants. Stomata are tiny pores on the surface of a plant. As the sole pathway for the exchange of gasses between a plant and the atmosphere, stomata are responsible for both CO₂ assimilation and water loss. By adjusting their pore size in response to environmental conditions, stomata appear to maximize carbon assimilation while minimizing water loss—a constrained optimization problem. Stomata interact with …

Responses Of Stream-Breeding Amphibians To Riparian Buffers In Headwater Streams: Ameliorating The Effects Of Regeneration Harvest, Kathleen Louise Pollett

Biology

This study focused on steep (>10 °) headwater streams in a volcanic geologic region in southwestern Washington. The presence and abundance of Rhyacotriton cascadae, Ascaphus truei, and Dicamptodon spp. (D. copei and D. tenebrosus) were assessed in four treatment types (unbuffered (clearcuts), buffered (12 to 23 m wide), second-growth (35 to 50 years old stands), and unmanaged (not previously logged)). No difference among treatments for R. cascadae or Dicamptodon spp. presence was found. R. cascadae abundance did not differ statistically between buffered and second-growth streams or between buffered and unbuffered streams. R. cascadae densities did …

Functional Diversity In Autotrophic Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria From Agricultural Soils, Teresa E. Koper

Biology

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria carry out the first step of nitrification, producing nitrite that is subsequently converted to nitrate, which may contribute to environmental pollution. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the functional diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in agricultural soils. We investigated the urease encoding gene sequences of several nitrifying bacteria and the kinetics of nitrification of soils treated with different nitrogen sources. Many, but not all, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria produce urease and are capable of hydrolyzing urea for their source of ammonium. The urease operons were sequenced from the betaproteobacterial Nitrosospira sp. NpAV and the gammaproteobacterial Nitrosococcus oceani. …

Biotic And Abiotic Determinants Of Species Distribution: Desert Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma Platyrhinos) And Ants In A Shrub-Steppe Ecosystem, T. A. Scott Newbold

Biology

The primary objective of this study was to attempt to disentangle the relative importance of biotic vs. abiotic factors on the distribution and abundance of desert horned lizards (Phrynosoma platyrhinos). Research was conducted along a Great Basin shrub-steppe bajada that examined interactions among P. platyrhinos, ants, plants, and soil characteristics. Studies focused on: (1) pattern description and habitat associations of P. platyrhinos, and (2) evaluating specific biotic and abiotic pathways underlying observed patterns of lizard abundance and distribution. Examination of lizard habitat associations along the elevational gradient revealed that unvegetated spaces and cryptobiotic crust cover were …

Evolutionary History Of The Clitellariinae And Stratiomyidae (Insecta: Diptera) Using Molecular, Morphological, And Total Evidence Approaches, Colin A. Brammer

Biology

Stratiomyidae is a diverse, cosmopolitan family of Diptera (true flies). One of its twelve subfamilies, Clitellariinae, is distributed in all major biogeographic regions except Antarctica. Understanding the evolutionary history of Clitellariinae is key to reconstructing the phylogeny of Stratiomyidae as a whole because Clitellariinae is united only by shared ancestral characters, and, thus, may not be a natural group. This research investigates the relationships between the genera currently placed within Clitellariinae and the subfamilial relationships of Stratiomyidae using morphology, molecules, and combined data. Morphology was analyzed with the method of parsimony using 97 adult characters. Molecular analyses were performed with …

Alternative Futures For The Bear River Watershed, Bioregional Planning Program, Department Of Environmental Society, College Of Natural Resources, Utah State University, R. E. Toth, J. B. Baker, C. L. Bryner, J. Evans, K. E. Hinman, K. R. Kilpatrick, K. Seegmiller

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

Validating Surface Energy Balance Fluxes Derived From Airborne Remote Sensing, José Luis Chávez Egüez

Biological Engineering

Remote sensing-derived energy balance components were compared against measured eddy covariance energy balance terms using heat flux source area models to validate the airborne multispectral remote sensing procedure in the estimation of instantaneous and daily evapotranspiration rates.

A procedure was developed to generate raster layers of the footprint weights for weighting/integrating the different components of the energy balance model and obtain meaningful comparisons to similar energy balance terms measured at eddy covariance and/or Bowen ratio stations.

Soil heat flux and surface aerodynamic temperature models were studied in an effort to improve the remote sensing estimation of distributed evapotranspiration rates. Aerial …

Yellow Starthistle In Utah: An Investigation Of Centaurea Solstitialis Invasion Patterns, Processes, And Population Dynamics, Julie Patrice Rieder

Biology

In a series of observational studies and experiments in the field, I investigated the general biology of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) within a landscape in Utah in light of three main phases of invasion: arrival and establishment, spread, and equilibrium. During the establishment phase, the effect of disturbance on yellow starthistle establishment and performance was context dependent; disturbance positively influenced establishment and fecundity on relatively large disturbed plots that were artificially seeded, but had no significant effect on YST performance on small disturbed plots receiving ambient seed rain. Importantly, disturbance was not essential for establishment of yellow starthistle. …

A Kinetic Analysis Of Bluetongue Virus Messenger Rna And Protein, Margaret K. Buccambuso

Biology

Bluetongue virus (BTV) of the family Reoviridae has a segmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome with ten dsRNA segments which encode seven structural proteins and four nonstructural proteins. Previous studies have revealed that newly synthesized RNA transcripts during viral replication were found in equimolar ratios within BTV virions. However, synthesized mRNA transcripts intended for translation into viral proteins are not equimolar. The levels of expression of these BTV mRNAs are still unknown although the number of viral proteins present in each BTV virion had been defined. The purpose of this research was to establish a kinetic analysis of the ten BTV …

Testing Species Disputes And Population Genetics In The Genus Phragmatopoma Using Molecular Characters, Carrie A. Drake

Biology

Phragmatopoma californica (found in the Pacific Ocean) and P. caudata (found in the Atlantic Ocean) are intertidal, marine reef-building polychaete worms that have been found to produce viable larvae in a laboratory setting, but are otherwise geographically isolated. The first study was aimed at determining their specific status by analyzing the DNA sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and the first internal transcribed spacer region (ITS-1). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that P. californica individuals shared no COI haplotypes or ITS-1 sequences with P. caudata individuals and formed well supported separate clades. The molecular data therefore supports the status of …

Characterization Of Monoclonal Antibodies That Recognize Myxobolus Cerebralis, The Causative Agent Of Whirling Disease, Carey A. Wicks

Biology

Twenty-five monoclonal antibodies produced against myxospores and triactinomyxon spores of M. cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease of salmonids, were selected in the initial screening for their reactivity to myxospores. Twelve were found to be effective and accordingly they were characterized fully for their potential as diagnostic reagents for isolated myxospores, pre-spore stages, and spores in frozen sections. Comparative detection assays using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescent assay (IFA), and immuno dot-blot were conducted. Six antibodies bound to developing stages and mature spores of the parasite. Localization of antibody binding in IFA was affirmed by electron microscopy. …

Hypoxia Signaling In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Julie C. Johnson

Biology

The oxygen level at or below which respiration is limited is termed hypoxia. Hypoxia can be induced by several different environmental factors, including flooding and microgravity. Plants have developed mechanisms to survive and acclimate to these conditions through changes in morphology, metabolic pathways, and protein synthesis. One mechanism used by plants to signal stress environments is a signal transduction pathway involving membrane phospholipids that can induce calcium mobilization, or the movement of calcium into the cytosol from extracellular or in-tracellular stores. However, the data from this study indicates that hypoxic stress did not result in phosphoinositide accumulation or calcium mobilization …

The Relation Between Religiosity And Late-Life Depression In A Community Sample Of Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Lynn Marie Franklin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A secondary analysis of extant data from The Cache County Study on Memory Health and Aging (CCSMHA), this study examines the association between religiosity and new-onset depression between baseline and 4-year follow-up interviews in a sample of 1,439 community-dwelling elderly members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), aged 65 to 100. Logistic regression models found that church attendance, voluntarism in religious groups, and direct experiences of God occurring more often than weekly were (statistically and practically) significantly associated with lower depression risk. No evidence was found for moderator effects of gender or prior depression history; however, …

Comparisons Of Adopted And Non-Adopted Young Adults' Heterosexual Relationships, Bryan W. Winward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adoption has been seen as a good solution for providing each party involved in the traditional adoption (i.e. , young birth parents, infants, and infertile couples) with a positive outcome. Adoptions, however, are generally more complex and diverse than supposed. Variables such as age of placement, levels of abuse and neglect, and foster care have been shown to place adopted children at risk for later struggles and challenges. Research studying outcomes of adopted young adults and their formation of heterosexual relations has been very limited.

Most adoption studies have focused their attention on young school-age or teenage children, or on …

Bedroom Design And Decoration: A Context For Investigating Developmental Theory In Adolescence, Denise E. Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Most developmental theories propose reasons for behavior and changes in behavior due to influences from genetic and environmental factors. A behavioral change that occurs during development, from infancy to adulthood, is the increasing number of choices that are made. The purpose of this study was to investigate developmental theory as it relates to adolescent choice (influences, interactions, activity, preference, and acceptance) in the environment most readily controlled by adolescents, their bedrooms.

Two hundred thirty-four eighth- and ninth-grade students responded to the Adolescent Development and Environments Research Survey. The survey assessed gender, grade, pubertal status, negative/positive passive and active genotype-environment …

David Hume On Miracles, Kyle G. Sessions

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Albert Einstein once said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is." A quick study of David Hume's Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding reveals that he believed strongly in the first way. Why is this? First of all, it is in his definition of miracle. Hume defines a miracle as a violation of the laws of nature. This is a problematic definition to begin with, as it appears to preclude the possibility of there ever being a miracle. If a miracle is something that violates …

The Adverse Health Effects Of Trans Fatty Acids, And Implications For Public Policy, Jonathan D. Atkin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Subject: Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are produced either by the process of bacterial hydrogenation in the stomachs of ruminant animals, or the commercial method called industrial hydrogenation. The latter began early in the 20^th century based on purported health benefits and lowered costs. Alarming results from scientific studies in the early 1990's began to raise questions about whether TFAs should be regulated in our food supply.

Findings/Statistics: Scientific research initially discovered that TFAs raise the LDL/HDL ratio, thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Recent large, prospective, population-based studies have indicated a 25% increased risk of ischemic …

Cardiac Protein Rgs2: Structural And Functional Determinants, Stephanie Jan Chambers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In this study, I explored the structure-function relationships of a cardiac RGS (regulator of G-protein signaling) protein, RGS2.

Contractions of the heart are triggered by calcium ions (Ca) entering heart cells through L-type Ca channels (1a). The activity of L-type channels (and thereby Ca influx) is modulated by cell surface receptors that couple to intracellular G proteins. G proteins in turn, are regulated by a newly-discovered family of proteins called RGS. RGS proteins speed the hydrolysis of GTP by G proteins, and thereby control the strength and duration of G protein-mediated signals. Stimulation of G proteins, which are coupled to …

Modulation Of L-Type (Cav1.3) Calcium Channels, Brian Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

L-type Ca_V1.3 calcium channels perform critical functions in auditory hair cells, cardiac pacemaker cells, and pancreatic β-cells, but little is currently known about how these channels are modulated by cell signaling mechanisms. To begin to address this issue, we have tested the ability of various G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to modulate Ca_V1.3 expressed in a mammalian cell line. Expression plasmids encoding Ca_V1.3 and auxiliary calcium channel subunits α2-δb and β3 were transiently coexpressed in HEK293 cells along with plasmids encoding a single type of GPCR. As a control for functional expression of the GPCR, …

The Macrobiotic Diet May Have Benefits In Cancer Prevention, Brittany Lewis

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Macrobiotics is one of the most popular alternative or complementary approaches to fighting cancer. The diet is primarily plant-based, is centered on the idea of an all encompassing "yin-yang" concept in life, mind, environment and food. The dietary components of the macrobiotic diet, along with the many lifestyle implications are shown to have beneficial effects in cancer prevention and therapy. The diet has many anti-carcinogenic compounds, as well as a decrease in foods thought to promote cancer. A cause for concern is the vitamin deficiencies that may ensue in following a strict macrobiotic diet, which typically results from an all …

A Study Of Social Carrying Capacity In Motorized Recreation Settings, Rachel Lyn Turk

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the summer of 2004, I served as a recreation planning intern with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), at the Ely Nevada Field Office. I was responsible for the preparation of the "Recreation Project Plan for the Chief Mountain Motorized Trailheads" (Appendix 1), which was a tremendous learning opportunity for me, since I had little experience with planning and designing for motorized use. The project piqued my interest into learning more about motorized recreation on public lands, which in turn led to this thesis on social carrying capacity of motorized users. This is a new area of research that …

The Composition And Comparison Of Essential Oils And Their Nutritional Benefits To Enhance And Decrease Risk For Chronic Disease, Heather Wollschleger

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper reviews the current status of our knowledge of essential oils and their nutritional contribution to our diet. The effects of dietary fats on our health differ markedly from the type and form of the fat. Special emphasis is placed on omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and their dietary involvement. Specific oils increase our levels of vital vitamin E and the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fats humans need for mental and physical health. Chronic diseases remain a major cause of death and disability, and risk factors include diets high in saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids. This risk …