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Some Environmental Relationships Of Undergrowth Species In Aspen Communities Of The Intermountain West, W F. Mueggler

Aspen Bibliography

This analysis results from an opportunity to explore plant-environmental relationships from data collected for a different purpose. Origin of the data is a study designed to develop an aspen community-type classification for southern Idaho, western Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada which resulted in the publication "Aspen Community Types of the Intermountain Region" GTR INT-250 by W.F. Mueggler (1988).

2002 Annual Report, Various Authors

Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

An Anesthesia Display For A Space Station: Clinical Validation Of Neuromuscular Blockade Models, Rose Mills, Steve Kern

Utah Space Grant Consortium

An anesthesia drug display that shows the predicted effects of medication may be extremely useful on a space station and in situations where an inexperienced person could be performing experiments on animals or emergency treatments to fellow astronauts. Such a drug display shows drugs given and predicts their effects on the person or animal. In order for such a display to be useful, the predictions must be validated to ensure accuracy of and instill confidence in those who use the display. This study consists of validation of rocuronium which is a drug used for neuromuscular blockade (muscle relaxation). The effects …

Optimization Of Wastewater Design Using Genetic Algorithms, David S. Stanfield, Brent Borup

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Recently, at Brigham Young University, graduate students in the Environmental Engineering Laboratory have been exploring the possibility of using Genetic Algorithms for the optimization of wastewater treatment design. This research applies the IA WRC ASM no. 1 model for solving a four-stage Bardenpho process system using a tournament style selection genetic algorithm. The mathematical model was solved in Maple, and programmed in C++ using a Gauss-Seidel iterative method. Final results will be available in June 2003.

The Role Of Pleckstrin Homology Domains In Phosphoinositide Binding, Evan D. Christensen

Biology

Phosphoinositides are membrane-bound lipids that exist as eight different isoforms resulting from the phosphorylation of their inositol head group at three distinct positions. Proteins with Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domains bind to phosphoinositides involved in the regulation of cellular processes. The binding of several yeast PH domains to phosphoinositides was examined using dot-blot overlay assays, Surface Plasmon Resonance, and in vivo localization methodologies. While most of these yeast PH domains exhibited low specificity and/or low binding affinity, several proteins showed strong in vivo localization to either the plasma membrane or the Golgi membrane in mammalian cells. The role of the YPR115 …

Muscarinic Modulation Of Neuronal Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels, Roger A. Bannister

Biology

Ca²⁺ entry through voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels contributes to the regulation of neuronal membrane excitability, neurosecretion, and gene expression. The nervous system regulates these physiological processes through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which strongly modulate Ca²⁺ channel activity. This dissertation provides significant new information concerning modulation of neuronal L-, N,- and R-type Ca²⁺ channels by muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. The major findings of this work are: 1) Ca_V2.3 channels are differentially modulated by Gαq-coupled muscarinic receptors; 2) reconstituted slow muscarinic inhibition of Ca_V1.2c can be triggered by either M1, M3, or M5 muscarinic receptors; 3) …

Real-Time Image Analysis Of Living Cellular-Biology Measurements Of Intelligent Chemistry, J.C. Solinsky, Scott E. Budge, P.D. Majors, B. Rex

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper reports on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) DOE Initiative in Image Science and Technology (ISAT) research, which is developing algorithms and software tool sets for remote sensing and biological applications. In particular, the PNNL ISAT work is applying these research results to the automated analysis of real-time cellular biology imagery to assist the biologist in determining the correct data collection region for the current state of a conglomerate of living cells in three-dimensional motion. The real-time computation of the typical 120 MB/sec multi-spectral data sets is executed in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, which has …

Habitat Associations Of Rare Species: A Case Study Using Columbia Spotted Frogs (Rana Luteiventris) In Utah, Nathan E. Welch

Biology

Conservation plans benefit from basic ecological information about factors that limit the distribution of focal species. This study illustrates two observational approaches used to investigate the ecology of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris), a rare species in Utah. First, hypothesized frog-habitat associations were evaluated by comparing occupied and apparently unoccupied ponds. Data were analyzed using Akaike's Information Criterion to quantify evidence for hypotheses and to select predictive models. Although variable, results suggest frogs are more likely to be found in ponds that do not shrink in size seasonally, maintain a relatively constant seasonal water temperature, and have …

The Behavioral And Chemical Ecology Of A Predator That Consumes Toxic Prey, Becky L. Williams

Biology

The Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) preys upon the Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), which contains tetrodotoxin (TTX). I investigated how snakes consume potentially deadly newts and the consequences thereof. Individual snakes assess their resistance relative to newt toxicity and reject prey too toxic to consume. Behavioral moderation of toxin exposure provides the association between individual resistance and fitness necessary for the coevolution of lethal toxins and resistance. After newt consumption, snakes experience tremendous toxin loads. Because TTX is extremely toxic, present in large quantities in newts, and highly resistant snakes ingest multiple newts, snakes can harbor …

Secondary Electron Emission Study Of Annealed Graphitic Amorphous Carbon, Jodie Corbridge

Senior Theses and Projects

In the 1880s a curious phenomena was observed: when a ray of light, no matter how weak, hit certain metals; electrons were emitted from the surface. Called the “photoelectric effect”, this puzzle was never explained until much later. In 1905, Albert Einstein put forth one possible explanation, which is currently accepted as correct. Einstein proposed that light propagated in discrete energy packets rather than as a continuous wave. While most scientists disbelieved Einstein theory, it was later proved in detail by Robert Milikan.1 Rays of light traveling in discrete packets hit metal surfaces, depositing energy. If the energy is high …

Continuing Studies Of Water Quality In Farmington Bay And The Great Salt Lake, Utah, Amy M. Marcarelli, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

For the past three years, an Aquatic Ecology Practicum class at Utah State University has conducted research examining the limnology of Farmington Bay. In 2000, our class discovered that Farmington Bay could be classified as hypereutrophic, and had significantly higher levels of chlorophyll and phytoplankton than the Great Salt Lake proper (Marcarelli et al. 2001). In 2001, individual student projects identified high phosphorus loading into Farmington Bay from surrounding sewage treatment plants, brine shrimp biomass five times lower than in the Great Salt Lake, and that the water in the bay lost all oxygen on a windy night in October …

Rapid Effects Of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 On Calcium Uptake In Isolated Chick Enterocytes, Ruta Phadnis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

25-Hydroxyvitamin D₃[25(OH)D₃] is a metabolite of vitamin D₃ that has long been considered to be an inactive precursor of the hormonally active metabolite 1,25- dihydroxyvitamin D₃[l,25(OH)₂D₃]; consequently very few studies have addressed the potential biological activity of 25(OH)₂D₃. However, it is known that 100 nM 25(OH)₂D₃ increases calcium transport in the perfused duodenal loop of the chicken to 200% of controls within 20 minutes. The hypothesis of the current study is that 25(OH)₂D₃ may be a hormonally active metabolite …

A Personal Journey Through Instructional Technology: A Vision Of Excellence Approached From A System Of Magnanimity, Virginia Ellen Gilbert

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

This paper is a summary of what I have learned through my studies and observations in the eclectic field of Instructional Technology. In order to provide a comprehensive narrative, I desire to take the reader on a phenomenological journey into some personal insights acquired from my academic studies in Instructional Technology as well as my past and present experiences, my teaching, medical and musical background and my beliefs. Throughout this journey, I will endeavour to substantiate the need for Instructional Technologists and all educators to design and implement tools and methods that address all aspects of the human intelligence and …

Shared Book Reading, Home Visit Processes, And The Relation With Low-Income Infants' Language Development, Katie Christiansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Language is important for children to succeed in school. Language development begins early in a child's life and can be facilitated by a supportive language environment. Shared book reading is an important aspect of the language environment a child experiences.

This study utilized data from twenty children living in low-income families. These children are part of the Rural Utah Child Development Head Start and receive weekly visits from home visitors. Two home visits were videotaped and coded for parental and home visitor language facilitation behaviors. A parent interview was also completed to obtain participant demographic information and measure child and …

Quaternary Geology And Landscape Evolution Of Eastern Grand Canyon, Arizona, Matt D. Anders

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tectonics and drainage evolution are controlling overall landscape incision in eastern Grand Canyon. Superimposed on downcutting are dynamic responses of hillslopes, tributary streams, and the Colorado River to glacial-interglacial climate cycles. Five tributary stream fill terraces have been identified, and luminescence dating indicates aggradation was occurring 50- 34 ka {S3), 12-7 ka (S2), and 5-3.5 ka (S1). Seven Colorado River fill terraces have been identified, and luminescence and U-series dating indicate deposition was occurring 343-322 ka (M5), 151-118 ka (M4), and 71-64 ka (M3).

Aggradation by the Colorado River in eastern Grand Canyon begins during glacial advances and continues into …

The Invasion Of The Exotic Cladoceran Daphnia Lumholtzi To Willard Bay Utah: Alterations Of The Pelagic Food Web., Olivia Lester

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Willard Bay, a freshwater impoundment of one of the arms of the Great Salt Lake, is shallow, with a mean volume of 9,900 acres and a maximum summer depth of six meters. This reservoir is highly productive, with a mean secchi depth of 4 meters and chlorophyll a concentrations peaking in summer at 9 micrograms per liter.

Student And Parent Views On School And Community Strengths And Concerns, Tricia Hill Danielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Lincoln Elementary School needs assessment surveyed students in the third through fifth grades and their parents in order to identify strengths and concerns in their school and community. It also investigated whether or not participants considered family counseling skills as a concern or a strength. The results showed that the concerns and strengths identified by participants fell into three categories: family, community, and school. Parents' primary concern was children watching TV, while children's primary concern was getting enough sleep. Group differences were identified by ethnicity, gender, and marital status. These differences included English/Spanish skills, children showing respect for authority, …

Adolescent Peer Perceptions Reflected In The Yearbooks Of Mormon Homosexual And Heterosexual Men, David C. Pruden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the peer perceptions of adolescent heterosexual males and their homosexual counterparts who had not disclosed their feelings of erotic same-sex attraction to their classmates. The study focused on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a conservative Christian denomination with clear doctrinal prohibitions against homosexual behavior. The handwritten messages from peers found in the senior high school yearbooks of 30 heterosexual and 30 same-sex attracted adolescent men were content analyzed to examine similarities and differences in the themes that emerged from the data.

The results indicated that there is a difference in the kind …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Adolescent Deviant Behavior, Jennifer R. Lance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis summarizes a study conducted to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and adolescent deviancy. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relation between 1) overall emotional intelligence plus its subscales and overall normative deviant behavior, and 2) emotional intelligence subscales and subscales of a deviancy measure. Tapia's Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EII) and Vazsonyi's Normative Deviancy Scale (NDS) were used to measure the two variables of this study. Subjects included 152 high school students, aged 14-18, from a small city in Northern Utah. One hundred seventeen students came from a local high school comprising grades 10-12 …

Rituals And Adoptive Families, Michelle Amber Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to discover the type of rituals utilized by adoptive families to welcome a child into their home. Family members obtain a sense of identity through the enactment of rituals. Forming family identity is especially important to the adoption process. This study examined the types and amount of rituals reported by 20 adoptive couples. The top five most helpful rituals were obtained. The rituals were then divided up into categories. The results of this study found that patterned interaction rituals are used most often and are most helpful in welcoming an adoptive child. Family traditions …

Predicting Mountain Pine Beetle Development With The Extended Von Foerster Model, Jeffrey Tullis Leek

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) represents a significant threat to ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine stands in the western United States, and has the potential to threaten commercially valuable jack pine in both the United States and Canada. The success of the mountain pine beetle is based on synchronization of developmental events to time cold-hardened life stages for extreme winter temperatures and to facilitate mass attack and overwhelm the defenses of the host. This paper presents a solution methodology for an extended McKendrick - von Foerster model for the development of the mountain pine beetle in varying …

Recreational Use Of Montane Streams Of The Puerto Rican Rainforest, Summer Kartchner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As the population of the small island of Puerto Rico increases, so do the number of recreationists in natural areas. With increasing pressure on finite resources, managers must understand how humans are using these resources in order to conserve without limiting visitor satisfaction.

Autoantibodies To Select Brain Regions In Autism, Wyatt Harlan Rivas

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder, may involve abnormal immune reaction such as autoimmunity to the brain. Autoimmunity is generally characterized by the presence of organ-specific autoantibodies, for example the brain-specific autoantibodies in autism. Thus, we conducted a study of autoantibodies against three brain regions, including the caudate-putamen nucleus (CP), cerebral cortex (CC), and cerebellum (CE). These brain regions were dissected out from the brain of a Sprague-Dawley rat and homogenized for protein separation by SDS-PAGE. Autoantibodies were detected by immunoblotting technique in the serum of autistic children (n=42) and normal children (n=11 ). We found that many autistic children had autoantibodies …

Vitamin K As A Prophylaxis In The Infant, Michelle Whipple

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Since the mid-1960's, all infants in the US have received intramuscular vitamin K (IMVK) as a prophylactic measure against hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (HDN). Because the human race has obviously survived for so many years without this medical intervention, there is some question concerning the universal necessity of this practice.

Infants are born with comparatively low levels of vitamin K, a compound vital for the carboxylation of serum clotting factors. In the absence of adequately carboxylated clotting proteins, infants are at risk for developing HDN. This condition can cause severe complications, including mental retardation and death. IMVK significantly reduces …

The Garr Family Saga The Connecting Power Of Oral Narrative, Margaret Garr Jaggi

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

When I was a child, my mother often told me a "true" story about a beautiful Shoshone maiden who married a handsome American cowboy. The setting was the 1850s in the fertile valley of Cache County, Utah. The man's name was John Turner Garr and the woman was called Susie. This young couple was my paternal great-great grandparents. Together they lived a life that defied their disparate cultures. I envisioned them, young, wild, and free; he, dressed in buckskin leggings, riding among the Shoshone men; she, in soft doeskin supporting a papoose on her back. The idyllic life of my …

Effect Of Drought, Flooding, And Potassium Stress On The Quantity And Composition Of Root Exudates In Axenic Culture, Amelia Henry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Root exudates include important chelating compounds and can change the rhizosphere pH by several units. These changes are essential for nutrient uptake and can also alter solubility of soil contaminants and increase plant uptake. Mild root-zone stress may increase exudation and more severe stress can damage membranes and increase root turnover, all of which increase root-zone carbon. Increased carbon from this rhizodeposition can increase microbial activity, which might help degrade contaminants. We studied the effect of three types of stress on root exudation of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum): low K⁺, drought, and flooding. These stresses were …

Rapid Detection Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Wim Lippens

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodbome pathogen that can cause severe illness and even death. It is found in dairy and meat products. The focus is on rapid detection since conventional methods are time consuming (4-5 days). Pre-enrichment steps, as part of those methods, are time consuming. Our objective was to develop a detection system without a pre-enrichment step, giving a final result within 2 to 4 h.

In the concept of "the need for speed," a detection system with an antibody-based capture technique, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was developed. Glass beads coated with a Listeria polyclonal antibody were …

The Influence Of Fat And Water On The Melted Cheese Characteristics Of Mozzarella Cheese, Robert Lloyd Fife

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of reducing the fat content of low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese from 19% to less than 5% on melted cheese properties, i.e., apparent viscosity, cheese melt, and cook color, was investigated. Functional properties of melt and stretch and cook color were evaluated at d 1, 7, 14, and 28. A rapid microwave oven method underestimated the moisture content of the low fat cheeses by approximately 10%. Low fat cheese did not melt as well as did the low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese although the moisture content of the low fat cheese (moisture content ranged from 62.5% to 63.6%) was greater …

Determining The Influence Of The Extracellular Proteinase From Brevibacterium Linens On The Metabolism Of Lactococcus Lactis Spp. Lactis Using Functional Genomics, Yi Xie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the catabolism of amino acids in cheese results in the formation of most volatile flavor compounds, a proper intracellular pool of amino acids must be established in order to produce a desirable flavor production in cheese. Generation of this pool of amino acids requires complex interactions among casein and its derivatives, proteolytic enzymes, and transport systems in the associated bacteria, including lactococci. In this project, we hypothesized that casein hydrolysis by the extracellular proteinases of Brevibacterium linens BL2 modulates the expression profile of proteolytic related genes in Lactococcus lactis spp. lactis IL1403.

In order to monitor the …

An Ecological/Life History Comparison Of Two Whitefish Species In Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Brett W. Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecological traits of the endemic Bear Lake whitefish Prosoopium abyssicola and the Bonneville whitefish prosopium silonotus were investigated. Spatial distributions indicated distinctive differences in depth contour preference. Catch per unit effort data indicated that Bonneville whitefish prefer shallow depths and warmer water temperatures, whereas Bear Lake whitefish prefer deep, cold water.

Diet differences between the two species were large. Differences in both age distribution and growth rate patterns were also observed. The Bonneville whitefish population was predominantly composed of juvenile age classes. Very large adults reached ages of 12-14 years. Bear Lake whitefish exhibited a different population structure with few …