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Analysis Of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Biphosphate And Inositol 1,4,5-Triphosphate In Dehydration And Cold-Stressed Arabidopsis Thaliana, James E. Thompson

Biology

During dehydration and cold stress, Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) plant cells mobilize calcium into their cytosol to elicit changes in gene expression that enable them to tolerate stress. It has been unclear how dehydration-stressed plant cells receive and transmit the signal that results in promoting increases in intracellular calcium concentration. Previously, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P₂) and inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P₃) have been shown to accumulate and cause calcium mobilization in osmotically stressed A. thaliana. However, it was unknown whether the same occurred in plants exposed to other abiotic stresses. Data presented in this thesis …

Stoichiometric And Environmental Controls Of Consumer-Driven Nutrient Recycling In Steams, John D. Rothlisberger

Biology

I investigated the environmental control of consumer-mediated nutrient recycling (CNR) in sub-alpine streams by evaluating the effects of water temperature and food elemental composition on the rates and ratios of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion by macroinvertebrates. I predicted that biomass-specific excretion rates would be positively correlated with temperature whereas N:P ratios would primarily relate to food N:P ratio. I measured nutrient release by heptagenaiid larvae eating periphyton of varying elemental composition grown on nutrient-diffusing substrates. I hypothesized that skewed ratios of N:P release would result from differential retention of nutrients in the food. Excretion rates of N and …

Studies Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Sphingolipid C4 Hydroxylation And Ipt1 Function And Their Roles In Syringomycin E Action, Jolanta Idkowiak-Baldys

Biology

Sphingolipids are ubiquitous membrane components of all eukaryotic cells with important regulatory functions. The roles and biochemistry of two structural features of sphingolipids were studied: C4 hydroxylation and the addition of a terminal phosphoinositol. Structure-function studies of the yeast sphingolipid C4 long chain base hydroxylase (Sur2p) revealed that alanine replacement of any of eight histidine residues from three histidine-rich motifs, as well as additional histidine 249, eliminated hydroxylase activity. Seven additional residues were also found to be important elements of the active site. These results show that Sur2p is a member of the family of eight-histidine motif hydroxylases and desaturates. …

Practicum Students' Beliefs About Developmentally Appropriate Practice For Infants And Toddlers, Kaelin Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined practicum students' beliefs and experiences about developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) prior to a practicum experience and following it. Another goal was to examine differences between the practicum students' majors and their pre- and posttest DAP beliefs and experiences scores. Finally, this investigation sought to determine the differences between practicum students' DAP beliefs and experiences and the amount of time they spent in a practicum setting.

A total of 95 students completing a practicum in the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory in the infant (Group I) or the 2-year-old classroom (Group 2) participated in the study. …

Role Of Iron In The Mechanism Of Asbestos-Induced Apoptosis In Human Lung And Pleural Target Cells, Aleksander Baldys

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Occupational exposure to asbestos has been associated with increased incidence of pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, mesothelioma of the pleura, and bronchogenic carcinoma. Although the mechanism by which asbestos causes cancer remains unknown, iron associated with asbestos is thought to play a role in the pathogenic effects of fibers.

The aim of this research was to examine and compare the asbestos-induced signaling phenomena in relevant human lung and pleural target cells, and to determine the role of iron from asbestos fibers in these events. Exposure of human airway epithelial (A549) cells, human pleural mesothelial (MET5A) cells, and normal human small airway epithelial …

Cattle As Grazing Management And Seed Dispersal Tools For Increasing Native Species Diversity On Great Basin Rangelands, Marina K. Whitacre

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of experiments evaluated: 1) the influence of seed intake and gut retention time on seed passage, recovery, and germinability; 2) fecal seeding and broadcast /trampling as techniques to incorporate seeds into a well-established Agropyron desertorum (Fisch.) Schult. stand in Skull Valley , Utah; 3) intensive grazing as a means to reduce Agropyron biomass and increase establishment and survival of seeded species; and 4) the recovery and germinability of seed extracted from dung collected from the field. Two shrubs (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young and Atriplex confertifolia Torr. & Frem.), a grass (Elymus elymoides (Raf.) …

The Role Of Deception In Mediating Relationship Involvement Of Couples Interacting On The Internet: Stages Of Intimate Formation, Dustin W. Edgerton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A vast majority of individuals involve themselves in an intimate relationship at one time or another. This study looks at a new, but increasing, forum of relationship development, that of the Internet. More specifically, this study addresses various stages of Internet relationship development, and deception individual 's use during the process of forming and maintaining these relationships.

This research gathered quantitative and qualitative information from 134 individuals involved in online relationships. The quantitative analyses provided only a few significant findings and it is suggested that the current methods of measuring deception are inadequate and do not appear to represent the …

The Skull Valley Goshute And Nuclear Waste: Rhetorical Analysis Of Claims-Making Of Opponents And Proponents, Jesse T. Weiss

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the greatest challenges to modem society is the management and disposal of hazardous by-products that have accompanied the industrial advances of the twentieth century. One of the most difficult by-products to deal with has been radioactive waste. Previous research has shown that due to the real and perceived risks associated with this type of waste, the burden of storing said waste has fallen on minority communities, including Native American groups. This research examines the proposed temporary nuclear waste storage facility to be located on the Skull Valley Indian Reservation in Utah. Using an ethnographic case study approach, this …

Computational Scattering Models For Elastic And Electromagnetic Waves In Particulate Media, Timothy Edwin Doyle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Numerical models were developed to simulate the propagation of elastic and electromagnetic waves in an arbitrary, dense dispersion of spherical particles. The scattering interactions were modeled with vector multipole fields using pure-orbital vector spherical harmonics, and solved using the full vector form of the boundary conditions. Multiple scattering was simulated by translating the scattered wave fields from one particle to another with the use of translational addition theorems, summing the multiple-scattering contributions, and recalculating the scattering in an iterative fashion to a convergent solution. The addition theorems were rederived in this work using an integral method, and were shown to …

Influence Of Fall Grazing By Sheep On Plant Productivity, Shrub Age Class Structure And Herbaceous Species Diversity In Sagebrush Steppe, Ryan Duncan Woodland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Traditional chemical and mechanical treatments of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) are costly and have typically focused solely on increasing forage for livestock production. Managing these systems biologically with grazing can potentially reduce costs and increase both biodiversity and understory production as well as rejuvenate Wyoming Big Sagebrush (ARTRWY). This experiment was conducted on Deseret Land and Livestock Ranch in northern Utah in October 2003. One hundred and twenty sheep (dry ewes) grazed 3, 60m x 40m plots (40 sheep plot^-1). Sheep were provided a protein-energy supplement to facilitate use of the secondary metabolites …

Genetic Analysis Of Acetone Carboxylase In Azotobacter Vinelandii, Jessica Gardner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Acetone carboxylase, an inducible multimeric enzyme found in several bacteria, catalyzes the carboxylation of acetone to produce acetoacetate. This is an important reaction for the bacteria because, upon addition of coenzyme A, the acetoacetate can be converted to acetyl-CoA, a common metabolic intermediate. Azotobacter vinelandii, one of the bacteria that produces acetone carboxylase, has two different genes encoding this enzyme. We knocked out the first of these by disrupting it with a kanamycin cassette to help us understand the function of the second gene. Knocking out the gene will also make possible the use of site-directed mutagenesis to further study …

Alkaloids And Old Lace: Pollen Toxins Exclude Generalist Pollinators From Death Camas, Melissa Weber

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Many plants produce toxins to which specialist herbivores - typically insects - have evolved counter-adaptations, sometimes resulting in a co-evolutionary arms race. Although many non-social bee species are likewise taxonomic host specialists, the pollination guilds at their floral hosts frequently include diverse floral generalists as well, even on plants that are otherwise chemically defended. In this study, we show that pollen and nectar of foothills death camas (Toxicoscordion [=Zigadenus] paniculatum) contains zygacine, the alkaloid responsible for this plant's notorious mammalian toxicity. Many adults and larvae of the generalist solitary bee, Osmia lignaria (Megachilidae), were paralyzed and …

Magnesium Intake And Its Relationship With Type 2 Diabetes, Caralee Wilcock

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal and is the second most abundant cation in the human body. Magnesium plays important roles in the structure and the function of the human body; it is involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions in the body. Magnesium has been implicated in the prevention and treatment of many diseases including diabetes. Magnesium depletion is commonly associated with both insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent diabetes. A significant number, (between 25% and 39%) of diabetics have been shown to have decreased serum levels of magnesium. There are many possible reasons and mechanisms for this. Diabetics …

Field Calibration Of The Float Method In Open Channels, Jorge Escurra

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Surface velocity coefficients were calculated at five locations in three different irrigation canals in Logan, Utah. First, the total flow' rate was measured using current meters and calculated cross-sectional flow area. Second , the surface velocity was measured using four trials of the float method , and the average float travel time was calculated for each location and measurement instance. The measurements were taken on different days for various water depths in the canals. Third, the surface and mean cross-sectional velocities were divided , yielding the surface velocity coefficient, for every measurement at each of the five locations. Several channel …

Alternative Future Growth Scenarios For Conserving Open Space Along Utah's Wasatch Front: A Case Study For The Mountain Land Association Of Governments, Richard E. Toth

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Over the past 20 years, rapid suburban and second-home development along Utah's Wasatch Front has threatened to irreversibly alter the region 's character and quality of life. This rapid development has raised concern among federal, state, county and community leaders with respect to the protection of surface and subsurface water; public health, safety and welfare; public services and infrastructure, and open space. The major areas being developed include the valley edges and bottom lands, riparian zones, agricultural lands and bench areas. Since most of these areas are under private ownership, they are highly vulnerable to an array of development activities.

Snow Avalanche Disturbance In Intermountain Spruce-Fir Forests And Implications For The Spruce Bark Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), Elizabeth G. Herbertson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Spruce beetle outbreaks are the primary biotic disturbance affecting forests in the Intermountain spruce-fir zone. Major snow avalanches can produce large quantities of host material for spruce beetle colonization; however, few studies have examined the influence of avalanche disturbance on outbreak initiation. The purpose of my research was to investigate potential relationships between these two disturbance agents. In the first study, I used dendro-ecological analyses to date major avalanche years on the Wasatch Plateau in south-central Utah, and then determined what climate factors were associated with avalanche occurrence. The results indicated that mean January snowfall was significantly related to the …

Methods For Detection Of Salmonella Spp., Parichaya Attaphongse

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Worldwide concern about food safety and associated health costs is increasing, and Salmonella contamination of foods is one of the most important causes of foodborne disease outbreaks. Although conventional detection methods for Salmonella offer high sensitivity and low cost, they require many different steps and are very time consuming. Ideally, methods to detect Salmonella in foods should be rapid, provide high specificity and sensitivity, be cost-effective, and low labor-intensive. Many rapid tests have been developed to address these goals, including DNA-based tests such as nucleic acid hybridization and PCR, immunoassay-based tests such as ELISA, ELF A and immunomagnetic method, and …

Development And Characterization Of Eukaryotic Biomimetic Liposomes, Bradley Jay Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study developed and characterized phospholipid vesicles, or liposomes, that mimic cell surfaces. Microemulsified liposomes contained biotinylated phosphatidylethanolamine, allowing them to be immobilized to avidin-coated glass. Laminin (LN), glycosphingolipids (GMl and GM3), and Escherichia coli's mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (EcoMscL) were embedded into liposome membranes. It was determined whether these embedded molecules exhibited their physiological roles of adhesion, cell recognition, and mechanosensation, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was employed to examine the interaction of fluorescently probed proteins, toxins, and bacteria with the immobilized microemulsified liposomes. Capture of individual and simultaneous multiple species of bacteria by GMl, GM3, …

Cultivation Of Mushroom Mycelia Using Whey Products As A Growth Substrate, Boyd S. Inglet

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of a project designed to utilize common dairy waste products profitably, reconstituted dry whey permeate and delactosed whey were tested as growth substrates for mycelia of the edible mushroom Lentinus edodes. This mushroom was chosen because it is possible to profitably cultivate it due to its popular culinary appeal and perceived medical benefits.

Growth experiments were performed in petri dishes containing either reconstituted dry whey permeate or delactosed whey as a growth substrate, and the measured response was the size of the growing mycelia colony. When reconstituted dry whey permeate was utilized as a growth substrate, the …

Casein Supramolecules: Structure And Coagulation Properties, Bonney S. Oommen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The changes in quaternary structure of casein supramolecules with various physical and chemical treatments were studied using transmission electron microscopy, and a model to account for the changes is put forth. The effects of casein structure on coagulation properties were also studied. The sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy involved physical methods of fixation and flash freeing to preserve the structure of caseins in the sample.

The structure of caseins in sodium and calcium caseinate varied with sodium caseinate not exhibiting any spherical structure as opposed to the spherical structure seen in calcium caseinate, non-fat dried milk and native milk. …

Nutrition And Bone Density In Children With Cystic Fibrosis, Joanna K. Davidson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of these studies was to further research on bone density in children with cystic fibrosis, particularly as it pertains to nutritional parameters and care. The first paper presented a comparison of a group of 50 children with cystic fibrosis to a group of 32 control children. There were no significant differences between the groups in any of the pertinent bone density measurements. Serum 25(OH) vitamin D was positively correlated with spine density z score in the cystic fibrosis group.

The second paper, incorporating all of the information obtained from the first paper, describes an intervention study with the …

The Ability To Taste 6-N-Propylthiouracil (Prop) And Its Relation To A Parent's Emotional Investment In The Infant, Deann Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research on parenting is increasingly being studied from a biological perspective. An understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to individual differences in maternal behaviors can help direct research toward more focused intervention resulting in closer mother-infant attachment relationships, and therefore, positive child outcomes. This research was a preliminary study that tested mothers' ability to taste a harmless chemical, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), in relation to their responses to a questionnaire about the emotional investment they experience towards their infant. Although research attempting to relate these two variables together has not been carried out before, individual studies show potential links between these two. …

Parents' Knowledge And Attitudes About Immunization In India, Anne George

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood immunization is acknowledged as being a crucial health intervention for children. Immunization rates of children may vary depending on their parents' knowledge and attitudes about the issue. The focus of this study is on parents' knowledge and attitudes about immunization, and employs Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. A questionnaire was administered to 233 parents in India to explore the issues of parental immunization knowledge and attitudes. Correlates of parental knowledge and attitudes that were explored included gender, education, respondents' immunization status, and children's immunization status. Sources of parental knowledge about immunization were also examined. Overall, parents in this sample …

Quantifying Losses Of Understory Forage In Aspen Stands On The Dixie And Fishlake National Forests, Barton R. Stam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The West has lost up to 60% of its historic aspen stands over the last century, probably as a result of the successional tendency of aspen to be replaced by coniferous species in the absence of periodic fires. One of several major impacts of this change is the loss of understory forage as conifer canopy cover increases. I measured understory biomass in aspen stands ranging from 0% to 81 % absolute conifer cover in the canopy and found that understory production declines exponentially as conifers replace aspen. I also did an economic analysis to determine the value of the forage …

Response Of A Peatland Ecosystem To Stratospheric Ozone Reduction In Tierra Del Fuego, Thomas Matthew Robson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tierra del Fuego, at the southernmost tip of South America, is influenced by ozone depletion. The landscape of southern and western Tierra de! Fuego is dominated by peatlands; they are important locally and in the context of global climate change, because they store large quantities of organic carbon.

To determine the influence of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) on a Tierra de! Fuego peatland, we selectively filtered solar UV-Bin ten pairs of plots. Polyfluorine filters were used to create the Near-Ambient-UV-B Treatment (90% solar UV-B), and polyester filters to create the Reduced-UV-B Treatment ( 17% solar UV-B). These filters were first …

Watershed Management To Control Pollution In The Ayuquila River, Jalisco, Mexico, Luis Manuel Martinez Rivera

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Ayuquila River watershed is important to western Mexico because of its biodiversity, physiography, fisheries resources, and water production. However, human activities are continuingly affecting natural resources within the basin. Soil erosion, as result of land use change, agriculture in steep land, extensive grazing activities and forest fires; and water diversion and pollution of the Ayuquila River are two relevant issues that have affected the natural resources of this watershed.

This river system plays an important role in wildlife conservation, containing 29 fish species, of which 12 are found inside the BRSM. The River also contains nine species of crustacean, …

The Effects Of Auditory Stimulation On Academic And Behavior Performance In Children With And Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Penny L. Sneddon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the relationship between noise and academic performance and behavior of children with ADHD (n = 15) and without ADHD (n = 18). Children completed math sheets under four noise conditions: no noise, standard classroom noise, classroom noise with verbalizations, and classroom noise with classical music. There were no differences in math performance between the two groups. Children with ADHD exhibited more problem behaviors than children without ADHD. Group-by-condition interactions were not significant. Significant effects were found for noise condition; children completed more math problems and had fewer inappropriate behaviors in the no-noise condition. However, there …

Power Distance Perceptions In Post-Soviet Russia: Understanding The Workplace Environment, Olga Kamenchuk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The modem business economy is characterized by increased collaboration among different organizations across nation al boundaries. Post-Soviet Russia is one of the regions that is witnessing rapid economic growth and development of international business relations. Because of the challenges in intercultural communication the current study focuses on the problem of power distance, specifically in the workplace (in post-Soviet Russia).

A phenomenological perspective, based on qualitative methodology, guided this research into the meaning of power experiences for individuals. Symbolic interactionism was used as a research paradigm of the study to view humans as active participants of the workplace, who engage in …

Predictors Of Outcome Of Surgery For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Clayton T. Manning

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wrist surgery is a common method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) although few studies have examined patient outcomes or predictive correlates of such procedures. The objectives of this study were to characterize Utah workers who received surgery for CTS in terms of relevant presurgical and outcome variables and to identify presurgical correlates of patient outcomes. Participants were 75 Utah workers' compensation patients who underwent surgery for CTS from 1999-2002 and were at least 6 months postsurgery at time of follow-up. A retrospective cohort design was utilized consisting of a review of presurgical medical records and a postsurgical telephone survey. …

Developmental Changes In The Structure Of Affect: Is The Tripartite Model Equally Valid For Younger And Older Children?, Bryan B. Bushman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many studies investigating the validity of the Tripartite model of affect in children have been supportive of the model. However, few studies have examined if older and younger children structure affect similarly. The current study used confirmatory factor analytic techniques (SEM) to test the validity of the tripartite model in two developmentally distinct populations of children (third and sixth grade). Confirmatory factor analytic methods examined one-factor, two-factor correlated, and two-factor uncorrelated models. Furthermore, the pattern of correlations between positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and dependent measures of anxiety and depression was calculated.

The results indicated the two-factor correlated and …