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The Demography Of The Sagebrush Defoliator,Aroga Websteri Clarke (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), And Its Impact On Artemisia Tridentata, Anne Kristin Temte

Biology

The demography of the sagebrush defoliator, Aroga websteri Clarke, and its impact on the productivity of Artemisia tridentata were studied during 1974 and 1975. Four objectives were pursued: 1) to continue demographic studies begun in 1971 to determine causes for population fluctuations, 2) to correlate temperature and precipitation records from the study site with changes in the defoliator populations and with sagebrush quality, 3) to assess the impact of defoliator infestation on the subsequent productivity of Artemisia tridentata, and 4) to assess the long-term impact of severe defoliation on the survival and regrowth of Artemisia tridentata. The defoliator population was …

Effect Of Arginine Vasotocin On Testosterone Metabolism By Rat Liver In Vitro, Paul R. Findell

Biology

UDPGA fortified rat liver homogenates were incubated with various concentrations of the pineal polypeptide, arginine vasotocin (AVT), and testosterone-4-14C to determine if AVT influenced the rate at which the ∆4-3-ketosteroid molecule was inactivated by the liver. In order to ascertain where in the inactivation mechanism AVT exerts its effect: 1) Mitochondria-free rat liver homogenates fortified with NADPH and various concentrations of AVT were incubated with testosterone as the substrate to determine if AVT influenced ∆4-reductase activity, and 2) rat liver microsomal preparations fortified with UDPGA and various concentrations of AVT were incubated with androsterone-7α-3H as the substrate to determine if …

An Experimental Investigation Of Some Aspects Of The Tendency To Be Social In The House Sparrow (Passer Domesticus), John R. Watson

Biology

The purpose of this investigation was to examine different aspects of the social tendency among three age classes of House Sparrows (adults, first-year, and juvenals). The social preferences of these birds were studied in relation to: (1) different flock sizes of conspecifics and nonconspecifics; (2) the sexes of conspecifics; (3) the playback of conspecific vocalizations in the presence of flocks of conspecifics; and (4) abstract models displaying configurations considered relevant from House Sparrow plumage patterns of either sex. This investigation was undertaken at the Green Canyon Ecology Station, Logan, Utah from June 1968 to May 1969. These experiments were carried …

Soybean Mitochondrial Membrane Configuration Associated With Respiratory State And The Effect Of Inorganic Fluoride, Richard William Nunes

Biology

Oxidative respiration and morphological changes in soybean mitochondria isolated from etiolated hypocotyls were investigated, Aliquots from mitochondria in defined respiratory states were negatively stained with isotonic aqueous ammonium molybdate, pH 7.2. Similar experiments were conducted with mitochondria incubated for three minutes in an assay medium containing either 1.5, 3.0 or 6.0 x 10-2 M KCl or KF prior to the addition of either L-malate or succinate. Neither KCl nor KF affected the biochemical integrity of mitochondria judged on their ability to reduce both ADP/0 and respiratory control ratios, even though KF had a definite inhibitory effect on the rate of …

Potassium And Calcium Cycling By Eupterotegaeus Rostratus (Acari: Cryptostigmata), A. Carter, J.B. Cragg

Aspen Bibliography

Recent studies in an aspen woodland ecosystem in the Canadian Rockies have elucidated the biology of particular soil organisms and their roles in energy flow and, to a lesser extent, in chemical cycling.

Thermoregulatory And Water-Conserving Capabilities Of A Diurnal And A Nocturnal Desert Rodent, Margaret Faye Merritt

Biology

Thermoregulatory and water-conserving capabilities of the nocturnal Perognathus parvus were compared with those of the diurnally active Eutamias minimus. Animals were trapped in Curlew Valley, part of the Great Basin Desert, Utah, and subjected to two experimental phases: Phase I tested their adaptations to normally encountered ambient temperatures; Phase II tested their responses to reversed thermal environments. Testing included definition of the circadian activity rhythm, food and water consumption, fecal water loss, urine osmolality and sodium concentration, body temperature lability, and evaporative water loss. Kidney structure and pelage reflectivity were also examined.

P. parvus was more efficient in conserving …

Role Specialization In The Parental And Territorial Behavior Of The Killdeer (Charadrius Vociferus), John Thomas Mundahl

Biology

This study attempts to quantify role specialization in breeding Killdeers with respect to territorial and parental behavior. Individual birds were trapped at the nest and marked. Birds were sexed by their positions in copulation. Behavioral units were determined and described and the occurrences of discrete and continuous behaviors were tabulated and timed. Statistical comparisons of the frequency of occurrence, and the mean and total amounts of time spent performing agonistic and parental behaviors are used to quantify the degree of role specialization in this species and to document changes in behavior through different stages of the breeding cycle.

The degree …

The Use Of Candicidin In Thayer-Martin Medium For The Recovery Of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, George K. Hinde

Biology

Through investigation of several antifungal agents, candicidin was chosen to replace nystatin in Thayer-Martin medium. This compound has proven to be nontoxic to Neisseria gonorrhoeae and more active against species of Candida than nystatin. Although unstable, its high activity against yeast and nontoxicity toward the gonococci allows it to be used in a concentration which gives a shelf life of at least seven weeks and still be economically feasible. In clinical comparisons Thayer-Martin with candicidin was as sensitive and more selective against yeast than Thayer-Martin with nystatin. Its use in Thayer-Martin medium has the potential of yielding greater recovery rates …

Histochemical And Radiochemical Evaluation Of Monoamine Oxidase Inhibition In The Rat Brain By Low Molecular Weight Pineal, Neurohypophyseal, And Synthetic Substances, Philip Eugene Mccleary

Biology

The radiochemical method for assay of monoamine oxidase developed by McCaman et al. (60) and modified by Urry and coworkers (85) was adapted for use in the rat cerebral cortex. Using this method it was confirmed that monoamine oxidase catabolism of serotonin in the rat brain is significantly inhibited by 10^-5 M or greater pargyline and 10^-8 M or greater clorgyline. Several pineal, neurohypophyseal, and synthetic substances were evaluated as monoamine oxidase inhibitors in the rat brain using the histochemical technique of Williams et al. (91). These substances included clorgyline, pargyline, arginine vasotocin, arginine vasopressin, Pro-Leu-Gly-NH₂ , …

The Localization And Partial Characterization Of Rat Testicular Phospholipase A2, James R. Boccio

Biology

Preparations of mature rat testes were assayed for phospholipase A₂ activity. Two separate phospholipase A₂ enzymes were observed with two pH optima: one at pH 3.5 and the second at pH 7.5-8.0. Further investigation suggested that the acidic phospholipase A₂ was associated with the interior of the lysosomes (i.e., was a soluble enzyme) whereas the alkaline phospholipase A₂ was associated with the lysosomal and plasma membranes. Acid optimal pH phospholipase A₂ activity was observed primarily in the lysosomes and germinal elements that were ' manually extruded from the seminiferous tubules. Some alkaline pH optimal phospholipase …

Social, Psychological, Economic Factors, And The Migration Intentions Of Senior High School Students In Utah, Elias Toumeh Nijim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study deals with a comparison between rural, urban, and metropolitan students as to their migration intentions and factors associated with their migration intentions. The study is based on the initial stage of a larger longitudinal panel study of 2,500 high school seniors in public high schools in the state of Utah in 1975. Survey research was the principal method of investigation. Stratified random sample was used for choosing the students and administered questionnaire was used to collect the information. Proportions and crosstabulations were the statistical techniques used in the analysis with chi square and gamma as the statistics for …

A Study To Determine What Utah Secondary Business Teachers Should Understand About Vocational Funding From The State Level To The School Level, Debbie L. Hymas

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

The Vocational Education Act of 1963 was designed to eliminate the unresolved problems of the Smith-Hughes Act and the George-Barden Act. The main purpose of the Vocational Education Act of 196) was to assist the States in strengthening and improving their existing vocational programs . The Vocational Education Act of 196) has within its structure a plan whereby it is constantly updated . All groups and occupations were included in the Vocational Education Act of 196) , except those who were professionals or working toward bachelor 's or higher degrees. "The act requires each State and each community to plan …

Examination Of The Effect Of Age, Education, Parity, Pregravid Weight, Pregnancy Weight Gain, And County Of Residence On Incidence Of Low Birth Weight Infants In Utah And Nevada, Marsha H. Read

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the primary purposes of the investigation was to examine the impact of a number of variables on the incidence of low birth weight in two states, Utah and Nevada, that have divergent low birth weight incidences. The sample size obtained from birth certificate data for this purpose was 51,147 (1969-1974) for Nevada and 26,464 (1970) and 29,422 (1974) for Utah. Additionally, separate analyses were made for Utah and Nevada data available for the year 1974. The respective sample sizes for this year were 29,422 (Utah) and 8,256 (Nevada). Least squares analysis indicated sex of the infant, race of …

Economics Of Carry-Over Forage Production, Increased Grazing Season Length, And Increased Livestock Production From Rangeland Fertilization, Dean L. Roberts Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper entails the economic and biological responses of both rangeland grasses and livestock grazing rangeland grasses to nitrogen fertilization. Five sites received graduated rates of fertilizer in previous studies. Analysis showed all sites failed to exhibit a significant carry-over response to fertilization. Determination of optimum rate or optimum reapplication schedule was not possible due to residual nitrogen present in the soil. Spring application of fertilizer produced the greatest returns from one site while the other site studied failed to produce a profitable response from either spring or fall application.

Calf weight gains were shown to be curvilinear and resulted …

An Evaluation Of Using In-Field Evaporation Pans To Schedule Irrigation On Potatoes, Michael J. Tremblay

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research project was undertaken to determine if an evaporation pan would accurately predict evapotranspiration when placed in an actual irrigated field situation. Two potato fields in Southern Idaho with different micro-climates and soil types were used in this study. The in-field evaporation pan method was compared with the gravimetric method and the Jensen-Haise and modified-Penman climatic methods. Yield and quality responses were evaluated by varying the amount of sprinkler-applied water so that three distinct moisture regimes were evaluated. It was also necessary to evaluate recent crop coefficient (K_c) curves on potatoes to see if the K_{c …}

Browse Evaluation And Survey Techniques For The Uinta North Slope Moose Herd, William H. Babcock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study was conducted on the North Slope of the Uinta Mountains from January, 1972 through June, 1974, to determine the effects of three simulated levels of moose utilization on the crude protein content, phosphorus content, digestibility and vigor of willow plants. A comparison was also made on the crude protein content, phosphorus content and digestibility of current year's versus past years' willow growth. Finally, the validity of direct and indirect population enumeration methods was compared for the possible development of a standardized moose survey technique.

Clipping caused a highly significant increase in crude protein and phosphorus content between treatment …

A Multi-Year Analysis Of Irrigation Practices Affecting Salt Outflow: A Case Study In Uintah Basin, Joel R. Cannon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Colorado River is subject to a salinity problem which affects the downstream user. It has been suggested that approximately 40% of the salinity in the Colorado River results from irrigation return flow. The evapotranspiration process extracts nearly pure water for plant use leaving behind soluable salts which may become part of the return flow. These salts adversely affect the crop yield for the downstream user.

Farmers' contributions to the irrigation return flow have been criticized. With the criticisms have been many suggestions on salinity control, including restriction of salt outflow at the farm level through either voluntary or mandatory …

The Effect Of Sagebrush Reduction Practices On Sharp-Tailed Grouse Use In Southeastern Idaho, Barry Anthony Mcardle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of vegetation-manipulative practices on habitat use by sharp-tailed grouse (Pedioecetes phasianellus columbianus) were studied during the period 1974-1975 in Curlew National Grasslands, Oneida County, Idaho. Vegetational transects were run twice each month during the growing season of May-August, 1974-1975, to assess vegetational differences between treatments. Transects were run to estimate sharp-tailed grouse use on the eight study areas twice monthly. Vegetational plots were used at each sharp-tailed grouse observation site to determine correlates of vegetation types and grouse use. Chained areas were used heaviest by grouse during the study period suggesting that chaining created the most …

Social Behavior And Social Organization In An Unconfined Population Of Uinta Ground Squirrels, Richard T. Paul

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Social interactions and relationships in an unconfined population of Uinta ground squirrels were studied for two years following a 60% reduction in population size. Frequencies and patterns of interactions were evaluated in the context of the breeding cycle and compared to similar data collected before the population reduction.

Males defended territories in early spring, within which they courted females. They were highly aggressive toward other males. After the first month of activity, male aggressiveness declined and they occupied individual home ranges for the remainder of the year. Females were tolerant of other squirrels until early in pregnancy, when they became …

Possible Impacts Of The Expected Shift From Cow-Calf To Cow-Calf-Yearling Enterprises On Beef Production And Beef Prices, Suliman H. Abdalla

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Retention of young cattle and marketing older cattle from the range has been suggested as one of the profitable means of adjustment for the cow-calf operator. This study was to determine the impacts of the shift from cow-calf ranching operation to cow-calf-yearling operation on the feed energy budget of the ranch, cow herd size, beef production and market price of beef. Ten alternative livestock management options involving cow-calf-yearling operations were tested for these impacts, using two representative Utah size ranches (150 and 300 cow ranches).

The extra feed needed to accomodate the increased number of yearlings and the decrease required …

The Impact Of Pesticides On The White-Faced Ibis, David E. Capen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) which nested in northern Utah was assessed as a species with a relatively low reproductive potential. Ibises normally laid either three or four eggs in a clutch and did not renest persistently, nor with good success, if initial nesting attempts failed. Evidence indicated that the birds did not breed until at least 2 years old. Competition for food, exposure to severe weather, and predation were conspicuous sources of nestling mortality. White-faced ibises usually fed in irrigated agricultural areas, where they came into direct contact with insecticides, such as DDT which was used routinely …

Synecology And Faunal Succession Of The Upper Mississippian Great Blue Limestone, Bear River Range And Wellsville Mountain, North-Central Utah, Alan P. Sweide

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The late Mississippian Great Blue Limestone was studied at four locations around Cache Valley, Utah. One location was at Dry Lake in the Pisgah Hills to the west of Cache Valley. Three locations were in the Bear River Range to the east of Cache Valley. From north to south the locations are: 1) Beirdneau Peak, 2) Logan Peak, and 3) the ridge to the north of East Fork Canyon. The Dry Lake location represents the upper, middle, and some of the lower part of the section. The base of the section is covered. Locations in the Bear River Range represent …

Relationships Of Vegetation To Environment In Canyonlands National Park, Walter Lee Loope

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The vegetation of Canyonlands National Park, Utah, has been described from 157 samples located throughout the Park. Species frequency, density and cover were recorded along with measurements of soil thickness, slope, aspect, elevation and geologic substrate at each site. Measurements of soil texture, pH, and electrical conductivity were taken for a representative subsample. A map of the vegetation of the Park was made by relating the sample points to their corresponding spectral signatures on vertical aerial photographs and locating boundaries between vegetation units by means of changes in photo signatures.

Vegetation in these arid to semi-arid environments appears to be …

A Comparative Study Of The Goals Of Middle-Aged Student And Non-Student Homemakers, Ann Buttars

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study compared the goals of middle-aged student and non-student homemakers. Achieved, current and future goals were investigated.

The student sample was composed of twenty-five married, female, full-time students between the ages of thirty and fifty enrolled at Utah State University and was matched with a non-student sample as closely as possible. At least one full year of college had been attained by all subjects before marriage.

Data were collected through interviews conducted by the researcher during fall quarter, 1973. A non-directional t test was used to analyze the differences between the number of goals identified by both samples. Three …

Structural Geology Of The Southern Part Of Elkhorn Mountain, Bannock Range, Idaho, George A. De Vries

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The area of southern Elkhorn Mountain, a previously unmapped area, is located north of Malad City, Idaho, in the Bannock Range. The mapped area is within the Basin and Range province. The mapped area measures 5.9 miles in the north-south direction and approximately 8.8 miles in the east-west direction.

The oldest stratigraphic unit, in the mapped area, is the Ute Formation of Middle Cambrian age. Other units of Cambrian age, in ascending order, are: Blacksmith Formation, Bloomington Formation, Nounan Formation, and St. Charles Formation. The units of Ordovician age are the Garden City and the Swan Peak Formations. The youngest …

Evaluation Of The Home Management House Residency By Former Students, Joy Wadley Erekson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The usefulness of the home management house residence course at Utah State University as perceived by former students was studied.

The sample consisted of 112 students, residents of the home management house between 1967 and 1975.

The instruments used were: a background questionnaire and a management skill usefulness scale. The statistical tests used were the t test and analysis of variance.

The course was rated as being very useful, both personally and professionally by the graduates. It was found that the three variables being tested (professional employment, grade earned from the course and graduate resident advisor) did not make significant …

Religious And Geographic Correlates Of Breast Feeding, Joan Boyington Sellers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused mainly upon regional and religious variables influencing a mother's decision for a particular infant feeding practice. The problem of this study was to investigate the breast feeding and maternal attitudes of Mormon and non-Mormon mothers who were raised within the Mountain States region and compare them to the attitudes of Mormon and non-Mormon women who are not residents of this region.

No significant differences were found between the resident and non- resident women in their practice of bottle or breast feeding, nor was any significant difference found between the number of Mormon and non-Mormon women who breast …

Maternal Reactions To Children With Visible And Non-Visible Handicaps, Doral R. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reactions of mothers to their handicapped child to determine if there is an association between visible and non-visible handicaps, and the mother's reaction to the handicapped child.

A null hypothesis was employed which asserted that the mother's reaction to the handicapped child would not be related to the visible nature of the handicap. It was further hypothesized that the variables of mother's age at the birth of the handicapped child, education, and rigidity, child's birth order and the husband's occupation would be unrelated to the mother's reaction to her child

The …

Children's Attitudes Toward The Dental Experience, Tom Leo Day

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of children toward the dental visit. A group of children who had undergone dental treatment with the use of nitrous oxide-oxygen served as the experimental group while children who had received dental treatment without the use of nitrous oxide-oxygen served as the control group. Attitudes toward the dental experience among these two groups were compared to determine any differences or similarities due to the type of treatment used. Data were also collected on the parents of the children to determine whether the child's attitude toward the dental visit tended to …

Decision Making In Two Types Of Working Families, Nancy Ann Bueche

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate actual decision making in two types of families in which both spouses worked and their perceptions of decision making responsibility in the ideal family. The two family types were composed of (1) Professional wives with professional husbands; and (2) nonprofessional wives with nonprofessional husbands.

Questionnaires were completed by 34 professional couples and 63 nonprofessional couples who resided in Flint, Michigan during the fall of 1976. Factor analyses were completed on the husbands' and wives' self reported responses to questions concerning who should make decisions in the ideal family and who actually mode …