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Tolerance To Peptides From The Third Hypervariable Region (Hvr-3) Of Hla-Drβ1 In Autism, Dwight D. Wray

Biology

The exact pathogenesis of autism is not known, but experimental evidence shows that there are genetic, immunologic, and even microbial factors involved in its development. A potential genetic and immunologic link to the development of autism is the presence of the HLA-DRβ1*0101 and *0401 genes in autistic children or their mothers. These genes have been found 5 to 6 times more often in autistic children or their mothers than in normal subjects. It has also been shown that people expressing these genes might be tolerant to self-peptides from the third hypervariable region of the HLA-DRβ1 protein. The third hypervariable region …

The Reproductive Ecology, Demography, And Population Genetic Structure Of Arctomecon Californica Torrey & Fremont (Papaveraceae) In Fragmented And Unfragmented Habitat, Laura L. Hickerson

Biology

Arctomecon californica (the Las Vegas bearpoppy) is endemic to gypsum outcrops of the northern Mojave Desert. Native habitat of this plant in the Las Vegas Valley has been severely fragmented, while relatively undisturbed, unfragmented habitat still exists in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. I studied the reproductive ecology and population genetic structure of this rare plant. Comparisons were then drawn between fragmented and unfragmented habitat. Arctomecon californica flowers are mostly self-incompatible, and require a pollen vector for successful seed production. Evidence of pollinator limitation was found in both habitat types, but plants in fragmented habitat were much less successful …

The Effect Of Biofeedback Training On Marital Communication And Physiological Arousal, Kent E. Nabers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is well documented that the communication patterns of distressed couples are characterized by more negative and fewer positive behaviors. It has also been postulated that there is an association between physiological arousal and negative behaviors. According to this theory, as individuals become increasingly aroused, the number of negative behaviors also increases. This study explored the relationship between physiological arousal and marital communication. The three couples participating in the study received intensive biofeedback training with the hypothesis that an ability to control physiological arousal would result in improved marital communications. The Rapid Couples Interaction Scoring System was employed as a …

An Investigation Of Crystalline Intensity Of The Wood Of Poplar Clones Grown In Jiangsu Province, China, Bernard R. Parresol, Fuliang Cao

Aspen Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Expression And Iron Loading Of Recombinant Ferritin Homopolymers, Jia-Hsin Guo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ferritin is an iron storage protein consisting of H and L chains to form a 24-subunit heropolymer. Ceruloplamin oxidizes Fe(II) and then loads the iron into ferritin. This research was conducted to determine which ferritin subunit is involved and whether a proposed iron-loading channel is required for iron loading by ceruloplasmin.

Recombinant rat liver H and L chain ferritin homopolymers, designated as rH-Ft and rL-Ft, respectively, were produced using insect cell-baculovirus and Escherichia coli expression systems. The expressed rH-Ft strongly suppressed the growth of the host. The rH-Ft expressed in the E. coli contained approximately 150 iron atoms/ferritin and was …

Perceptions And Use: A Survey Of Visitors In The Lakes Management Area, Kamas Ranger District, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah, Ronald E. Vance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

New planning and management paradigms for the USDA Forest Service suggest that future Forest Plans incorporate the best available science and the public's values into Forest Plan revisions. Revised plans should focus on the ecological capabilities of the land and how to sustain them. The means to manage the land for these outcomes should be developed with considerable and ongoing public involvement. One outcome of this public involvement can be the development of a "desired future condition" for the area being managed and the needed regulations to maintain and monitor the desired conditions.

In order to provide preliminary information on …

Protein Production In The Milk Of Genetically Engineered Animals, Katherine M. Bates

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are numerous proteins that have potential uses in commercial and scientific applications that are not utilized to their full potential. this is partly because it is not economically feasible to isolate some of these proteins from their natural sources or to produce them using bacterial fermentation methods. The purpose of this research was to target recombinant protein expression to the mammary glands of genetically engineered or transgenic animals. Foreign protein expression has been achieved in the mammary glands of rabbits, sheep, cows, and swine. By using a strong mammary gland promoter and signal peptide fused to the protein, it …

Limitations On Canada Goose Production At Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Utah, Dorie S. Stolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) recently have become management problems in some areas due to overpopulation. At Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), managers are concerned with the opposite situation. Despite attempts to boost production, only 18 to 34 goslings of the western Canada goose (B. c. moffitti) were produced per year, from 1989 to 1993. I studied the breeding population from March to July in 1996 and 1997. Results suggest that production is limited in 3 ways: low gosling survival, low nesting success for ground nests, and low number of breeding pairs.

Gosling survival to fledging …

Identification Of Non-Nuclear Receptors For 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 In Chick Kidney And Brain, Zhiheng Jia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25(OH)₂D₃) has been shown to mediate the rapid, non-nuclear stimulation of calcium and phosphate transport in chick intestine through binding to a receptor localized in the basal lateral membrane. By using an antibody to the N-terminus of the membrane receptor, studies were undertaken to determine whether a comparable protein exists in kidney and brain, and whether it is present in a particular subcellular fraction.

The first step was to establish fractionation protocols to separate subcellular organelles as judged by marker enzyme analyses. Differential centrifugation and Percoll gradient fractions were prepared from chick kidney …

Antioxidant Activity Of Carnosine And Phytate: Application As Meat Preservatives, Beom Jun Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The antioxidant activity of carnosine and phytic acid was investigated using several model systems. Carnosine and phytic acid alone inhibited metal ion-catalyzed deoxyribose degradation. Carnosine strongly inhibited metal ion-catalyzed lipid peroxidation in liposomes and in ground beef homogenates. Phytic acid facilitated oxidation of Fe (II) to Fe (III), and it inhibited hemeprotein + H₂O₂-catalyzed lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid micelles.

Antioxidant and color stabilizing effects of carnosine and phytate were investigated in a beef model system. Both compounds increased the rate of pH decline in pre-rigor beef muscle and stabilized fresh meat color by inhibiting metmyoglobin …

Parameter Estimation Using Artificial Neural Network And Genetic Algorithm For Free-Product Migration And Recovery, J. Morshed, Jagath J. Kaluarachchi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Artificial neural network (ANN) is considered to be a universal function approximator, and genetic algorithm (GA) is considered to be a robust optimization technique. As such, ANN regression analysis and ANN-GA optimization techniques can be used to perform inverse groundwater modeling for parameter estimation. In this manuscript the applicability of these two techniques in solving an inverse problem related to a light-hydrocarbon-contaminated site is assessed. The critical parameters to be evaluated are grain-size distribution index α and saturated hydraulic conductivity of water Ksw, since these parameters control free-product volume predictions and flow. A set of published data corresponding to a …

Identification Of A Genetic Marker For Litter Size In Sheep, Olivia Price

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if the estrogen receptor gene (ESR) could be used as a genetic marker for litter size in sheep. The estrogen receptor gene was chosen because it has been successfully used as a genetic marker for litter size in swine. In this study, DNA dilutions from two experimental flocks, totaling approximately 200 animals, were used. Amplification of exon 1/intron 1 of the ESR gene was performed using PCR. Initial results indicated a polymorphism in the gene when cut with the restriction enzyme Ava ll. It appeared that the gene contained a deletion with …

Predicting Family Strength In Families Caring For Children With Disabilities, Katrina J. F. Ericson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research sought to identify factors that might be useful in helping to predict family strengths in families caring for a child with a disability. Based on the ABCX model designed for families in crisis, this research examined severity of child's disability (A); the family's existing resources of household income, education of the mother, and mother's marital status (B); the family's perception of family resources, family support, and parenting stress (C); and how these influence family strength (X) over time. In relation to the ABCX model, it was hypothesized that the aforementioned constructs would be associated with each other, and …

Familial And Extrafamilial Correlates Of Children's Child-Care Perceptions, Michael K. Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to identify the individual, familial, and child-care characteristics related to children's perceptions of their nonparental child-care environments. One-hundred seventy-five children, their families, and child-care providers participated in this study. Children attended one of three forms of child care: large center-based child-care settings, home-based child-care settings, and a preschool. Correlates of children's perceptions of their child-care experiences came from variables classified into six categories: individual child characteristics, family structure, family processes, previous child-care experiences, child-care structure, and child-care processes.

Children's perceptions were elicited through the Child Care Game Assessment (CCGA), a role-playing game-like experience for …

Risk Factors In Adolescent Problem Behaviors Among Native And Nonnative Americans, Roger B. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The high incidence of adolescent problem behaviors in the United States raises major concerns. These problem behaviors include: sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies, suicide, depression, substance abuse, crime against persons and property, and delinquency. Consequently, there continues to be a high level of concern and interest in different ethnic populations of adolescents and their level of risk.

This study evaluated the following problem behaviors: substance abuse, suicide, delinquency, and sexual intercourse; and the risk factors that increase the probability of these problem behaviors occurring. Specifically, the study identified the profiles of the population in relationship to the problem behaviors comparing …

Characterization Of The Prion Protein (Prp) Gene In Ten Breeds Of Sheep, A. R. Stephens, S. Wang, G. R. Holyoak, O. G. Timofeevskaia, T. L. Shay, W. Vernon, S. Ellis, J. Beever, Noelle E. Cockett

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE's) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by a long generation time, spongy degeneration in the cerebral gray matter, neuronal loss and proliferation and hypertrophy of glial cells. An abnormal form of the prion protein (PrP) plays a major part in TSE pathogenesis and has been hypothesized to be the only component of the infectious agent. Some animals exposed to scrapie, the TSE affecting sheep and goats, seem to be resistant to development of the disease. Alleles encoding amino acid substitutions at codons 136 (A/V) and 171 (Q/R/H) have been associated with scrapie resistance. Other amino acid substitutions at …

Determination Of Intracellular Glutathione Concentration Using Monobromobimane, Ryan R. Owens

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Asbestos is a general term for a group of fibrous silicates. Diseases such as asbestosis, bronchogenic carcinoma, and mesothelioma have been linked to asbestos exposure (1,2). The 1 two classes of asbestos, serpentine and amphibole, are distinguished by differences in structure and chemical composition (3). The amphibole crocidolite contains 27% iron while the serpentine chrysotile contains only 2-3% iron. The higher iron content of crocidolite is proposed to be a contributing factor for a much higher incidence of cancer with crocidolite exposure compared with chrysotile exposure ( 4). Iron mobilized intracellularly from asbestos fibers may participate in the formation of …

Ailing Hearts, Go Home: Ethnographic Storytelling And The Levels Of Experience, Bryan D. Tilt

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

I visited Primary Children's Medical Center on a fresh snow morning near the beginning of last winter. The hospital was not where it had been in my childhood, a quiet neighborhood in "the avenues" section of Salt Lake City; several years ago the hospital moved to a new location farther east on the Wasatch Mountain foothills, near the University of Utah Medical Center. The old brick building now sits sedate and empty at the top of a shaded hill. My memory of the old hospital is as a bright and oppressive place, full of the stuff of life and death. …

Genetic Differentiation Between Populations Of Erythronium Grandiflorum As Contributed By Isolation By Distance Vs Isolation By Phenology, Ashley Noel Egan

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Erythronium grandiflorum, a montane herb, was sampled to address the degree of genetic differentiation allocated to populations by isolation by distance vs. the amount of genetic differentiation produced by different flowering times, or isolation by phenology. Isozyme analysis was used to obtain genetic data from five populations of E. grandiflorum, three comprising the elevational scale which addressed isolation by phenology, and three comprising the spatial scale which explored isolation by distance. Based on the small sample size used in this study, the elevational scale shows a slightly higher degree of genetic differentiation than the spatial scale. Future studies …

The Beneficial Effects Of Supplemental Vitamins C And E In Diabetic Subjects, Jessica Rupp Gibbons

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Few reviews have been written related to the benefits of supplementing vitamin C and E in diabetic individuals. Excessive protein glycosylation is seen in persons with diabetes, and vitamin E and C have been shown to be beneficial in decreasing the glycosylation of proteins. In addition, vitamins E and Care potent antioxidants and actively reduce oxidation, triglycerides, and free fatty acid levels in diabetics. Diabetics may benefit from supplementing vitamins E and C.

Obesity: Environment Vs. Genetics, Kammi Marie Reeder Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals is rising. Between 1980 and 1990 there was an 8% increase in the prevalence of obesity. Obesity is associated with many diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Over $39 billion dollars is spent annually on the illnesses associated with obesity. Our American culture has been blamed for the rise in obesity, yet there are obviously many people living in the American culture that are not obese. Researchers have turned to genetics to explain this phenomenon. This article will examine the many environmental factors that contribute to obesity and …

Poseidon American Society Of Civil Engineers/Master Builders Rocky Mountain Regional Concrete Canoe Competition, William Spencer Guthrie

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The concrete canoe team has been selected in behalf of the Utah State University Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers to prepare an entry for the 1998 ASCE Rocky Mountain Regional Concrete Canoe Competition. This event is co-sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers and Master Builders, Inc., and has become a tradition at annual ASCE regional conferences nationwide.

The Role Of Ferritin In Iron Regulation, Rick White Obray

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Iron plays a critical role in biological systems. Its variable redox properties make it a tremendously versatile element. It is involved in numerous cellular processes including; oxygen transport, nucleotide synthesis, nitrogen fixation, electron transport and a host of metabolic reactions. Without it, nearly all life would cease to function. However, under certain circumstances iron can be extremely detrimental to biological systems and has been linked to numerous pathologies, including cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and atherosclerosis. In the presence oxygen, Fe(II) is rapidly oxidized to Fe(III), and oxygen is reduced to potentially deleterious oxygen radicals (1). These radicals, especially the …

Parameter Estimation Of The Mountain Pine Beetle-Host Tree System, Zy Frederick Biesinger

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The spatial redistribution of organisms in an ecosystem is often a complex process. Many ecosystems exhibit spatial complexity on a broad range of scales, driven by the physical environment and biotic interactions [1]. As different species aggregate and disperse in spatially complex ways, even an initially uniform environment will soon evolve spatial heterogeneity.

The Role Of An Invasive Exotic Plant On The Structure Of Aquatic Invertebrate Assemblages: Tamarix In The Southwest United States, Bert Lewis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past 100 years, riparian vegetation communities throughout the Southwest United States have been extensively invaded by Tamarix spp. (saltcedar). Saltcedar derives its common name from its physiological adaptation to excrete salts. The production of Tamarix detritus with associated secondary chemicals may affect the quality of aquatic invertebrate food and habitat resources. An alteration in food and habitat quality may affect the composition and structure of aquatic invertebrate assemblages.

A series of experiments was conducted contrasting aquatic invertebrate assemblage densities, colonization rates, and growth rates associated with Tamarix versus native vegetation, Populus fremontii (cottonwood) and Salix exigua (willow), to …

Designing, Developing, Producing, And Evaluating Interactive Geography Education Multimedia Materials, Michael Forrest Harper

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

Through experiences on a variety of projects with the Utah Geographic Alliance, it has become increasingly apparent that there needs to be a greater emphasis placed on project-oriented geography education multimedia materials for both teacher and student use. Through direct participation and extensive involvement with UGA projects and activities the importance, value and potential of computer based technology for geography education has become very obvious. Over the past three years USU students and Alliance teachers have been intensely involved with Dr. Cliff B. Craig in spearheading UGA and Department of Geography & Earth Resources efforts in conducting both state and …

Influence Of Boat Density Levels On Boaters' Satisfaction At Hyrum Lake, Utah, Floyd Alma Powell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of boat density on boaters' satisfaction at Hyrum Lake State Park, Utah. The study evaluated relationships between boaters' satisfaction with their Hyrum Lake experience and density of boats at different locations on the lake and among participants in different boating activities.

The participants in this study were boaters who used Hyrum Lake between May and September of 1996. An oral, on-site interview survey was randomly given to 282 boaters as they left the lake for the day. The surveys were conducted on high-density days (weekends) and low-density days (weekdays), which …

Management Of Microbial Nitrate Production In Agricultural Soils, Wei Shi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nitrate (NO₃^-) is of central importance in the internal soil nitrogen (N) cycle. While animal wastes and nitrification inhibitors have been used in modern agriculture for decades, their effects on soil NO₃^- concentrations in relation to microbial NO₃^- production have not been well characterized. The objective of this research was to determine microbial NO₃^- production in relation to ammonium (NH₄⁺) availability and nitrifier population activity in agricultural soils receiving animal wastes or nitrification inhibitors.

Several laboratory and field studies assessed the impacts of variously treated dairy wastes and …

The Role Of Ammonia In Reproductive Inefficiency In High-Producing Dairy Cows Fed Excess Rumen Degraded Protein, Douglas Scott Hammon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The role of ammonia in reproductive inefficiency in early lactation dairy cows was studied in a series of experiments designed to determine the concentrations of ammonia in normal bovine follicular fluid (bFF), to determine the effects of ammonia on the bovine embryo during specific stages of development, and to test the hypothesis that elevated plasma urea nitrogen concentration is associated with elevated ammonia and urea nitrogen concentrations in the reproductive fluids.

In the first study, ammonia concentration in different size follicles and the effect of ammonia during in vitro maturation on embryo development were determined. Ammonia concentration in the bFF …

Traditional And Contemporary Lakota Death, Dying, Grief, And Bereavement Beliefs And Practices: A Qualitative Study, Joseph B. Stone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bereavement beliefs and practices in the modern, American culture have been well documented. However, virtually no research has been conducted on traditional and contemporary death, dying, grief, and bereavement beliefs and practices among native tribes, such as the Lakota.

The present study was conducted with the Lakota, and fulfilled two goals. iii First, the contemporary and traditional death, dying, grief, and bereavement beliefs and practices of the Lakota were documented and summarized. Such documentation may help bereaved Lakota tribal members who are experiencing problems with death and bereavement, and may help preserve traditional knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Second, the consensus …