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Labops Hesperius Uhler: Abundance And Dispersal In Relation To Vegetation, Kenneth R. Ostlie

Biology

Labops hesperius Uhler abundance and ground dispersal in relation to vegetation were studied on three semiarid range sites in central Utah during 1977 and 1978. The objectives of this study were to: 1) verify quantitatively a common observation that L. hesperius populations reach infestation levels within reseeded range but not within native or unimproved range; 2) investigate activity levels of potential arthropod predators to determine if predation might account for the observed differences in L. hesperius abundance; and 3) examine the role which various vegetation components play in shaping this distribution of L. hesperius. Sampling with a modified "D-Vac" technique …

Evaluation Of Semen And Techniques Of Massage For Eliciting Semen From Captive Avian Species, Joseph Alan Russin

Biology

Individuals representing twelve species of birds were selected from the San Diego Zoo's avian collection to investigate optimal semen collection techniques and semen quality. Each bird was manually massaged to elicit ejaculation twice a week over a two month period. During massage, the state of cloacal excitement was evaluated by scoring the characteristics of protrusion, tissue hardness and color, and twitch, on a scale of one to five (one being the least excited state). The most successful method of massaging the bird was found to be a technique used to collect semen in domestic poultry, with slight modifications for each …

A Revision Of The Subgenus Pachynomada Of The Genus Nomada (Hymenoptera : Anthopohoridae), Ali S. Moalif

Biology

This is a revision of the subgenus Pachynomada of the genus Nomada in North America including Mexico. Diagnostic characters separating Pachynomada from other subgenera, especially the closely related sub- genus Callinomada, are discussed. Eleven species are included in the subgenus; of these four are new to science. The subgenus appears to be restricted to North and Central America. Synonymized with Nomada vincta Say is N. vincta heterochroa Cockerell as is N. aztecorum Cocketell, N. aztecorum pratensis Cocketell and N. (Holonomada) suffossa Cockerell. N. adducta Cresson and N. morrisoni Cockerell are removed from Pachynomada. The new species are Nomada (Pachynomada) dreisbachi, …

The Effect Of Photoperiod And Temperature On Testicular Growth In Captive Black-Billed Magpies, Lee R. Jones

Biology

1. Photoperiods of 12 or 15 hr duration stimulate testicular growth in captive black-billed magpies (Pica pica hudsonia) at both 2 and 20°C; 9-hr photoperiods do not initiate growth at 20°C. 2. Cold temperatures (2°C) inhibit testicular development at 12-hr photoperiods; a slight inhibition occurs at 15-hr photo-periods. The inhibitory effect of cold temperatures on testicular growth in magpies at 12-hr photoperiods is greater than in any species similarly investigated. 3. An estimate of the effect of cold temperature on vernal testicular growth in wild magpies is calculated, and the adaptive value of temperature modulation of photoperiodically induced testicular growth …

Effects Of Salinity And Drought Stress On The Rhizobium-Symbiosis And Nitrogen Fixing Ability Of Legumes, John F. Walsh

Biology

Two legume species were evaluated for their potential use as cover crops in rehabilitating arid and semi-arid saline soils. Vicia villosa and Melilotus officinalis were tested for their ability to nodulate and maintain an effective symbiosis in saline soils when soil moisture was adequate and under drought conditions. Calcium chloride and sodium chloride were added to a silt loam soil at a rate which provided soil saturation extracts with electrical conductivities (ECe) of 4, 8 and 12. For drought studies, soil water potential was measured in pots, using thermocouple psychrometers. Nitrogen fixing activity was assessed by the acetylene reduction assay. …

The Effects Of High Temperature And Low Relative Humidity On Survival Of Nondiapausing Pupae Of Bathyplectes Circulionis, Nazar Nowman Hama

Biology

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of high temperature and low and moderate relative humidity on the survival of 1 to 3-day old nondiapausing pupae of Bathyplectes curculionis (Thomson). Temperature and time, independently and dependently, were significant factors to mortality, but relative humidity was not. No mortality was shown at 25°C and 60 to 70% relative humidity at exposures of 24 h or less. As temperatures were raised above 25°C the initially low mortality increased but in a nonlinear pattern, reaching 100% with high correlation for short exposures at 43°C or higher. At each temperature near …

Lifeforms And The Environment: A Study Of Sonoran Desert Subtrees On Bajadas, Kathryn Marie Mutz

Biology

Local and broad geographic patterns of distribution of Sonoran desert subtrees were studied on four bajadas along a southward gradient of increasing moisture. Subtrees are non-riparian desert trees, generally small in stature but having a definite trunk. Percent vegetation cover (m2 of plant canopy/10000 m2) and average size (m2 per plant) of widely distributed species were used to compare environmental favorability among sites. Percent cover of subtrees and total perennials (subtrees plus all other perennials) generally increases up bajadas and southward. Cover of shrubs is variable on bajadas. Subtree importance is most closely correlated with mean summer rainfall (r2= 0.83) …

The Progesterone And Lh Levels In Female Goats During Selected Reproductive Stages And Following Hormone Treatment, Stephanie R. Romm

Biology

Observations were made on 12 Spanish goats and 6 dairy goats from a flock in Logan, Utah, from January of 1977 to January of 1978. Estrus was detected visually and by the use of vasectomized teaser bucks. The breeding season for the majority of the goats was from September to February. Some breeding activity was observed in early March and late August. The mean estrous cycle length was 20.32 ± 7.12 days. Progesterone and LH levels were measured in 10 Spanish goats in Utah during the normal estrous cycle. Samples were taken daily through at least one cycle. LH levels …

Pollination Dynamics In Two Subalpine Flower Meadows, Peter Andrew Beedlow Iii

Biology

Plant-pollinator interactions were studied in two subalpine meadows to determine the role of pollination in structuring the herbaceous flower communities. The majority of the entornophilous plant species set significantly less seed when caged to prevent visitation than when exposed to flower visitors. Visitation rate was directly related to temperature and radiation. The number of animal species visiting flowers each week was directly related to the number of plant species in bloom. Most visitor species used ≤3 species of plants, while most plant species hosted ≤8 species of flower visitors. Floral niche breadth increased with increasing animal species diversity, but animal …

The Humoral Immune Response Of Rabbits To Mycoplasma Bovis Immunization, Jay Dee Terry

Biology

Domestic New Zealand white rabbits were immunized using various routes of administration and concentrations of viable Mycoplasma bovis antigen. The humoral antibody response was monitored weekly using the following serological techniques adapted for use with the microtiter titration system: the complement fixation test, the latex agglutination test, and the tetrazolium reduction inhibition test. The growth inhibition test was also utilized. The antibody response was dependent on the route of antigen administration of both the primary and booster immunizations. Primary immunization utilizing Freund's complete adjuvant produced consistently higher initial antibody titers when administered by the foot pad route than either subcutaneous …

Prepuparian Development In The Tumorous-Head Strain Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Scott W. Rogers

Biology

A secondary mechanism by which an autosomal, semidominant, and sex-linked recessive gene controlling a maternal effect specify abnormal head growth in the Utah State University tumorous-head strain of Drosophila melanogaster is under investigation. A model that predicts abnormal developmental commitments in the antenna-eye imaginal disc complex of late third instar larvae has been developed. The model reflects wide variability in abnormal expression through ten distinct morphological groups which are derived from key modifications of sequential developmental pathways determined in the early embryo. Homoeosis, the temperature sensitive period, cellular degeneration, and specific aldehyde oxidase activity are described by the model. The …

The Development Of A Viral Bioassay System To Detect Ribavirin In Human Serum And Urine, Donald Frederick Smee

Biology

The minimum viral-inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ribavirin (1-ß-D-ribofuranosy1-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) was determined in the presence of human serum and urine for use as a bioassay for the drug. Since ribavirin's antiviral activity varies with the cell line and virus used, the sensitivity of four viruses to ribavirin dissolved in Eagle's medium containing serum or urine was evaluated using at least two different cell lines for each virus. The viruses studied included type 3 parainfluenza, type 1 herpes, type 1 reovirus, and measles. To eliminate the viral inhibitory effects of measles anti- body, the serum was filtered through immersible molecular separators (Millipore). Reovirus …

Interviewing Process Currently Being Utilized By Cache Valley Businesses In Hiring Office Workers, Angela M. Grimaldi

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

The interview has been the "nerve center" in the hiring process for many years. The job interview has been defined by Heck and O'Neil (1976) as "A process of mutual inquiry between two individuals involving transmission and evaluation of information. Thus, the interview is a direct and mutual process of sharing and evaluating information" (p. 10).

Efficient utilization of an employment interview requires a clear definition of the specific purposes of the interview. First, the interview process is used as a preliminary screening to determine whether a more extensive interview is needed. Second, the interview is used as a primary …

Management Studies: Roosevelt City Fire Department And Vehicle Maintenance Division, Roosevelt, Utah, Rendal D. Esplin

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

The recent and rapid development of energy producing natural resources experienced in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming has created major growth problems for roosevelt City as well as all other political subdivisions located within the region. Emphasis on efficient management of public programs has been one of several methods utilized by Roosevelt City to meet the growing demand for municipal services. This is necessary as some services such as fire protection, are managed jointly with other municipalities. Then too, with inflation driving up operating costs, it is essential to carefully control expenditures of all public programs. The management studies conducted on …

Competencies Required Of High School Distributive Education Students For Entry-Level Employment In Selected Cedar City Businesses, Mervin W. Prince

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

"The preparation of youth to succeed in the world of work is an important objective of the American high school."¹ Students enroll in high school distributive education to develop an employable skill. The instructional program provides students with a variety of learning activities related to their occupational goals.

Distributive education has expanded to serve the whole range of distributive occupations, after starting mainly as a means of training retail sales persons. An important characteristic of distributive education has been the necessity for rapid adjustment to the changing business conditions.

Cow Brain Glutaminase: Purification, Characterization, And Mechanism Of Action, Fulung John Chiu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A simple, quick, and sensitive radiometric assay for glutaminase has been established. This assay uses L-(U-¹⁴C)-glutamine as the substrate and measures the ¹⁴CO₂ produced when the reaction is coupled to glutamate decarboxylase. An efficient purification procedure for cow brain glutaminase has also been developed; the yield is 12%. Steps include acetone extraction, ammonium sulfate fractionation, calcium phosphate gel treatment, and differential gel filtration on Sepharose 4B. The final preparation has a specific activity of 385 μmole/min/mg and shows a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate; this band corresponds to a …

The Use Of Symbolic Modeling On Generalized Imitation In Children, Emmett G. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ten experimentally naive children between the ages of six and eight served in three generalized imitation experiments using symbolic models. Subjects were presented videotaped behaviors to imitate via closed circuit television, and their responses were mechanically defined, recorded, and reinforced in an effort to control social influences from the presence of the experimenter. In Experiment 1, imitation of three behaviors was reinforced and imitation of a fourth behavior was never reinforced for four subjects. Two other subjects received noncontingent reinforcement. The following independent variables were tested: (1) the presence and absence of an experimenter, (2) instructions to "Do that," and …

Economic Implications Of Phenologically Timed Irrigation In Corn Production, Dawuda Tsalhatu Gowon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Corn production data was fitted into a Translog production function. Analysis of the resultant equation was based on what impact irrigation keyed to the crop's phenology would have on yield. A crop product cost function was developed to determine if there is profit (loss) in adapting water application to corn by phenological time period. Reasons for not adapting phenology as a key variable in irrigation include institutional constraints. Without modifying these institutional constrains, adopting the proposed technology may prove prohibitive.

Parent-Child Affinity As Perceived By Basque Adolescence, Catherine K. Coombs-Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess parental preference as perceived by Basque adolescents. A questionnaire was administered to adolescents during the summer months of 1977 in Boise, Idaho and Salt Lake City, Utah. The questionnaire included the Parent- Affinity Perception Scale (Miller, 1972) with a Likert-type scale showing how much the adolescent preferred mother or father and a cover sheet to determine the degree of "Basqueness" of the subjects. The sample included 27 males and 37 females.

The findings indicate a strong preference for "mother" over "father" by both males and females at all ages. Basque adolescent males". …

The Prior Distribution In Bayesian Statistics, Kai-Tang Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A major problem associated with Bayesian estimation is selecting the prior distribution. The more recent literature on the selection of the prior is reviewed. Very little of a general nature on the selection of the prior is formed in the literature except for non-informative priors. This class of priors is seen to have limited usefulness. A method of selecting an informative prior is generalized in this thesis to include estimation of several parameters using a multivariate prior distribution. The concepts required for quantifying prior information is based on intuitive principles. In this way, it can be understood and controlled by …

Feeding Behavior And Habitat Selection Of Deer And Elk On Northern Utah Summer Range, William B. Collins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined feeding behaviors and habitat preferences of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) in aspen (Populus tremuloides) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) types. Specific purposes were 1) to determine where deer and elk, undisturbed by humans, prefer to graze and rest within these two types and 2) to consider what species- specific characteristics contribute to their differing forage and habitat preferences.

Tame free-ranging mule deer and elk were observed for 24-hour periods biweekly through summer to determine their grazing and resting preferences for various habitat subunits. …

Nutritional Understanding Of Preschool Children Taught In The Home And Child Development Laboratory, Thomas R. Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was devised to determine the readiness of preschool children to learn about basic concepts of nutrition. Sixty preschool children enrolled in the Utah State University Child Development Laboratory, comprised the sample. Twenty children were taught at home by parents, 20 were taught at the Laboratory, and 20 received no instruction. The curriculum was based on the concept of nutrient density and used the Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) in developing instructional materials. INQ is an index for comparing the amount of nutrients to the amount of calories in a food. Food Profile Cards, visual representations of this information …

Effects Of Perceived Child Rearing Practices On Moral Character, Melody T. Beutler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived child rearing practices and the moral character or pro-social behavior of students in their late teens and early twenties.

A questionnaire was administered to forty-eight students to test their moral character which was the dependent variable on the following traits: ambitious, broadminded, capable, cheerful, clean, courageous, forgiving, helpful, honest, imaginative, independent, intellectual, logical, loving, obedient, polite, responsible and self-controlled. The child rearing practices used by the mothers and fathers were also tested as the independent predictor variables according to the following terms: autonomy, coercion, companionship, guilt, inconsistency, love …

Factors Affecting The Amount Of Leisure Time Of Utah Adults, Sherry Ann Swapp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The amount of leisure time available to Utah adults and its relationship to the factors of sex, employment, age of children, place of residence, income, and education was investigated. A time diary was kept for two days recording the time use allocation of each respondent. Data were gathered from May 1977 to August 1978. The sample consisted of 210 men and 210 warner from Iron, Washington, and Salt Lake counties in Utah.

The adults reported an average of 4.6 hours of leisure time per day. Employment and educational level were related to the amount of leisure time reported by women. …

Consumer Satisfaction In Ownership Of Prebuilt Homes, Myrl Newman Nish

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated reasons buyers invest in prebuilt houses, and if the reasons prompting that selection are being satisfied. The study was taken in Box Elder County, Utah, and measured wife and husband satisfaction with their prebuilt home independently.

Objective No. 1 was to determine the reasons why these consumers purchased prebuilt homes. The most frequent reason was price. There was no significant difference between the husbands' and the wives' responses to the reasons for purchasing the houses.

Objective No. 2 was to determine the satisfaction of the owners of prebuilt homes with those homes. In general, the wives were …

The Salience Of Parent Education For Adolescents: Gender And Gratification Orientations, Katrina H. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to test the relevance of parent education for high school students in terms of interest, concerns, expectations and experiences of the adolescents regarding children. The ability to delay gratification and gender served as independent variables. Weaver's (1977) "Adolescent Interest Survey" was administered to 179 high school students enrolled in three different programs in semi-rural northern Utah. These programs were objectively classified to represent two levels of ability to defer gratification. Regular high school stud ents, male (N=51) and female (N=52) were treated as "deferrers of gratification". Potential dropout students, Males (N=26) and females (N=23) …

Tradition And Household Tasks, Jennifer Hogge Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Utah husbands and wives thought household tasks should be allocated and how they actually were allocated in their own homes. The sample was 191 two-parent, two-child families residing in Iron, Washington, and Salt Lake Counties. Urban/rural residence, wife's employment status, educational level of both the husband and wife, family income, religious activity, and the husband's occupation were studied in relation to household task allocation.

Eight hypotheses were tested. Husband's religious activity and wife's employment status were found to be related to a traditional pattern of household task allocation. There was a …

Contributions To Household Work By Children In Two-Parent/Two-Child Families In Utah, Lundie Lee Osborne

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate children's contributions to household work and to determine what factors affected the amount of time children spent in household work activities. Data for the study came from the Utah portion of the "Interstate Comparison of Urban/Rural Families' Time Use" which involved 210 two-parent/two-child families in Utah. Data were collected through interviews with the homemakers in each family using time diaries and an information questionnaire.Time use was recorded for two 24 hour days for all family members over the age of five . For the present study an analysis was made of the …

Family Meal Patterns In Utah, Brenda Taylor Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted as part of an 11-state study on family time use coordinated by Cornell University. The particular emphasis of this research was family meal patterns. The independent variables were (1) homemaker's education, (2) homemaker's employment, (3) income of the family, and (4) place of residence of the family. These were analyzed in relation to the amount of time (1) spent in meal preparation, (2) the number of meals the family ate together, and (3) where the family ate their meals. The literature indicated that in the past the homemaker has done most of the meal preparation. It …

The Development Of Empathy, Role-Taking And Listening As A Function Of Preschool Experience, Joseph P. Demarsh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The major purpose of this investigation was to assess the potential effects of preschool education on indices of social competency. In specific, it was proposed that preschool education effects would be observed on measures of empathy, role-taking and listening.

A Solomon Four Group Design was employed to accomplish this task, using exposure of preschoolers to the Utah State University Child Development Laboratories for one quarter as the experimental treatment condition. While the typical Solomon design uses only one pretest-posttest experimental group, two groups were identified in this investigation since children were drawn from two preschool labs taught by different head …