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Quaternary Amino Acid Geochronology Of The Lahontan Basin, Nevada, And The Chewaucan Basin, Oregon, Jeffrey Bigelow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Amino acid geochronology based on fossil molluscs provides a useful approach to determining the Quaternary history of Great Basin lakes. The Lahontan basin, Nevada, and the Chewaucan basin, Oregon, in the northwest corner of the Great Basin, both contained lakes during the Quaternary. The aim of this study is to improve the Quaternary geochronology in these two basins by measuring time-dependent changes in amino acids preserved in fossil molluscan shells. The abundance of D-alloisoleucine relative to Lisoleucine (All) characterizes the extent of racemization, which increases with age and Ul forms the basis of relative and correlated ages. An age-calibration curve …

Modeling Soil Loss To Determine Water Erosion Risk At Camp Williams National Guard Base, Utah, Kevin P. Bartsch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil erosion was assessed at Camp Williams National Guard Base by creating an erosion risk classification map and comparing the erosion impact of disturbance regimes on different hillslopes. Soil erosion does not appear to be a problem for most of Camp Williams.

The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation was applied using GIS to create a soil erosion risk map for the entire Camp Williams facility. The map indicated where problem areas occurred and showed relative erosion risk, but its lack of quantitative accuracy should be noted. Areas of concern included landscapes with little or no protective vegetation such as roads, …

Regeneration Ecology Of Chrysopogon Aucheri And Cymbopogon Jwarancusa In Grasslands Of Upland Balochistan, Pakistan, Sarfraz Ahmad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Field experiments were conducted to investigate the seed attributes, movements and fates of dispersal units, and seedling establishment of Chrysopogon aucheri and Cymbopogon jwarancusa in a representative grassland ecosystem in upland Balochistan, Pakistan.

Cymbopogon jwarancusa had more filled and viable caryopses than Chrysopogon aucheri. Seeds (spikelets) of both species had similar morphological features. Chrysopogon aucheri had one dispersal unit, a triplet spikelet. Cymbopogon jwarancusa had four types of dispersal units: a paired spikelet, a partial raceme, an entire raceme, and a partial inflorescence comprised of two racemes.

Paired spikelets and partial racemes of Cymbopogon jwarancusa had greater …

Livestock Watering Practices In The Moroccan Pre-Sahara: Their Effects On Water And Nutrient Metabolism Of Sheep In Different Body Conditions, El Mostafa Darfaoui

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A field survey and a metabolism experiment were conducted to study livestock watering practices in the Moroccan Pre-Sahara and their changes with drought extent, season, ecological zone, pastoral system, and herd size. The metabolism experiment was designed to determine effects of once per 2 days (ID), once daily and twice daily drinking frequencies, and high and low body conditions on water and nutrient utilization by sheep fed high- and low-quality diets.

The way herds are managed in this region exposes all sex and age categories of animals to food and water shortages during annual dry seasons and occasional droughts. Livestock …

Relationship Between Teton Science School Programs And Teachers' Ability To Teach About The Environment, Jennifer A. Levy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents an analysis of 1996/97 survey research data regarding the relationship between three types of Teton Science School (TSS) programs and classroom teachers ' ability to teach about the environment. Based on observations by resident instructors and faculty at TSS, three research questions were developed. The primary objective of the research questions was to consider the relationship between TSS residential education programs and participating teachers' ability to teach about the environment.

Analyses are based on comparing descriptive statistics of teachers who have participated in one of the three types of TSS programs or a combination of the three …

Seed Dispersal By Livestock: A Revegetation Application For Improving Degraded Rangelands, Ferhat Gokbulak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of experiments was conducted to: 1) investigate how feeding cattle with different amounts of different-sized seeds affects seed passage rate through the digestive tract, and the germinability of passed seeds; 2) examine how the location of seeds in dungpats of different thicknesses influences seedling emergence, development, and survival in cattle dungpats; and 3) characterize seedling emergence in naturally and artificially deposited cattle dungpats. Three perennial, cool-season grasses, bluebunch wheatgrass [Psuedoroegneria spicata (Pursh) A. Love], Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda Presl.), and 'Hycrest' crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) X A. cristatum (L.) Gaert.], were used …

Effects Of Uv-B Radiation On Egg And Larval Golden Shiner (Notemigonus Crysoleucas) In Castle Lake, California, Jai-Ku Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied effects of UV-B radiation on egg and larval golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) in Castle Lake, California, USA. To compare egg hatching and survival of larval golden shiner, I exposed eggs and larval fish to three different UV-B treatments, low UV-B (4% UV-B), high UV-B (92% UV-B), and ambient (100% UV-B). The egg experiment was conducted in lake and pond water, whereas proto- and mesolarval stage experiments were conducted in lake water only.

High and ambient UV-B radiation affected the hatching rate of golden shiner eggs. The mean hatching rate was 13% lower in high UV-B, and …

Short-Eared Owl Post-Fledging Survival And Breeding Season Diet, Thomas A. Rivest

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

My research primarily focused on the survival of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) from leaving the nest until their emigration from their natal territories during 1993 and 1994. I attached tarsal-mounted radio transmitters to nestlings prior to fledging. Of 25 fledgling short-eared owls monitored, 16 (64%) died prior to dispersal and one (4%) died after dispersing. Mammalian predation (5, 29.4%) was the primary cause of mortality followed by starvation (4, 23.5%), exposure (2, 11.8%), auto collision (1, 5.9%), burial (1, 5.9%), and unknown causes (4, 23.5%). Hatch date was found to be negatively correlated with fledgling survival.

A secondary …

A Geographic Information System Assessment Method For Fire Management: Identifying Fire Danger Areas, Richard D. Stratton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to create a wildland fire assessment methodology. GIS layers (or themes) include topography, infrastructure, vegetation, climate, "sensitive" natural values, and fire history. Two phases of assessment are presented: a preliminary analysis designed for planning use at the landscape level, and a detailed analysis for site-specific use.

Results of the phase 1 assessment are density grids delineating areas of high fire occurrence and suggesting to managers where a phase 2 assessment is needed. By using the environmental, …

Aspen Regeneration And Response To Fire In The Intermountain West, Kelly J. Mccloskey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The history of Populus tremuloides regeneration in the Intermountain West, particularly western Wyoming, is one of prolific vegetative reproduction following wildland fire. The reproductive physiology of aspen and its disturbance-response characteristics are explored through a review of previous studies. The combination of fire suppression and increased herbivory on aspen by wild and domestic ungulates is likely facilitating conifer invasion of areas historically dominated by aspen as has been observed in parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado over the past 100 years. A case study of the regenerative response of aspen to wildland fire in western Wyoming demonstrates how physiology, life …

Dna-Protein Cross-Linking By Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids, Gail L. Drew

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are natural plant compounds found in hundreds of plant species worldwide and are reported to have cytotoxic, carcinogenic, antimitotic, and genotoxic activity. PAs are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system to the pyrrole or the N-oxide form. The pyrroles are bifunctional electrophilic alkylators that bind cellular nucleophiles such as DNA and proteins and sirupt normal cell processes, including DNA replication and gene transcription and can cause megalocytosis. The pyrroles dehydrosenecionine (DHSN) and dehydromonocrotaline (DHMO) are among the most potent PA cross-linkers and inducers of megalocytosis. DHSN and DHMO-induced cross-links in cultured normal (MDBK) and neoplastic (MCF7) …

Evaluation Of Translocation Criteria For Trumpeter Swans Reintroduced To Northern Utah: Habitat Quality And Interactions With Tundra Swans, Katharina A. M. Engelhardt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fifty-seven Trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) were translocated to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the Bear River Club Company in northern Utah. The purpose of this effort was to encourage dispersal of the Rocky Mountain population of Trumpeter swans during the winter, and to reestablish a migratory route to southern wintering grounds. I assessed the success of the translocation by evaluating 13 translocation criteria proposed in the literature. In this study I addressed two of these criteria in detail by evaluating habitat quality at the translocation sites and by analyzing potential competitive interactions with Tundra swans ( …

The Role Of Cold Acclimatization On The Biogeography Of The Mountain Chickadee (Parus Gambeli) And The Juniper Titmouse (Parus Ridgwayi), Sheldon J. Cooper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Biogeographic patterns of animals are shaped by biotic interactions, such as competition, and by abiotic factors, such as climate. Mountain Chickadees (Parus gambeli) and Juniper Titmice (Parus ridgway) are permanent residents of regions of western North America and are ecologically similar, but have different northern range limits. l measured several physiological variables, including basal metabolic rate (BMR), peak metabolic rate (PMR = maximal thermogenic capacity), metabolic response to varying environmental temperature (MRT), evaporative water loss (EWL), and daily energy expenditure (DEE) for summer-and winter-acclimatized Mountain Chickadees and Juniper Titmice to determine if seasonal and interspecific variation in cold tolerance and …

Mean Length Of Utterance In Relation To Gender And Preschool Activity Area, Angela Sisson Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Factors influencing language development and use are many. Teacher influences such as teacher:child ratio and teaching experience can affect the types of language children produce. Classroom influences including activities, size of the room, and length of the day also play a role in the development of language. All of these areas need to be considered in order to provide the best possible language environment for the preschool child.

In this study, the researchers examined the mean length of utterance (MLU) values of preschool children while participating at three areas in a preschool classroom: art, dramatic play, and snack. Gender differences …

The Effects Of Temperature Regime And Food Availability On Growth Rates Of Young-Of-The-Year Colorado Squawfish (Ptychocheilus Lucius) In The Green River, Utah, Craig J. Schaugaard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of different daily temperature regimes and food availability on growth rates of Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) were determined using field and laboratory experiments. Daily temperature and food gradients were observed in river backwaters (important nursery habitat for juvenile Colorado squawfish). High fluctuating temperatures (± 5-8° C) were observed daily in the shallow, terminal ends of backwaters. Where backwaters were in contact with the river (mouth), daily temperature fluctuations decreased (± 2° C). Food availability also varied spatially between the mouth and end of each backwater. To test whether Colorado squawfish growth rates varied in different areas …

Interaction Of The Human Serine Protease Inhibitor Alpha-1-Antitrypsin With Cryptosporidium Parvum, John Russell Forney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The human serine protease inhibitor (serpin) alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) was studied for potential interaction with components of the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. A homogenate prepared from C. parvum oocysts was incubated with purified human AAT, and complexes formed between the serpin and components of the homogenate were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serpin:parasite infections were effectively blocked by preincubating AAT with a cognate target enzyme, porcine pancreatic elastase, prior to performing the ELISA on the homogenate. Incubation of a mixture of C. parvum oocysts and sporozoites with AAT demonstrated preferential fluorescence labeling of the sporozoite surface membrane by indirect …

Aflatoxin B1 Metabolism In Mammalian Pulmonary Tissue, J. Michael Eichelberger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a potent dietary hepatocarcinogen and may be a lung carcinogen when inhaled. To study the relative ability of lung and liver to metabolize AFB₁, a susceptible (Swiss-Webster rat) and resistant species (Syrian golden hamster) were pretreated with inducing agents in order to identify specific AFB₁ metabolizing enzymes in each tissue.

Analysis of AFB₁-exo-epoxide (AFBO) formation, O-dealkynation assays, and protein immunoblots demonstrated that cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A proteins were overexpressed in both the lung and liver of hamsters pretreated with 3-methylchyolanthrene (3-MC). Only CYP1A1 was expressed in the lung …

Preventive Predation Management: An Evaluation Using Winter Aerial Coyote Hunting In Utah And Idaho, Kimberly Kessler Wagner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To evaluate preventive aerial coyote hunting as a depredation management technique, I compared sheep losses to coyote (Canis latrans) predation and the hours of corrective predation management required on summer grazing areas with and without hunting the prior winter from helicopters. Correlations were used to test for relationships between the extent, intensity, and timing of aerial hunting and lamb losses to coyote predation. Data on the age, sex, and reproductive status of coyotes killed using aerial hunting on coyote populations.

Winter aerial hunting reduced confirmed and estimated lamb losses to coyote predation and the hours of effort required …

Wetland Delineation Of Camp Ripley In Minnesota, Richard A. Spencer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Department of Defense (DoD) maintains approximately 25 million acres of land that is used for military training in the continental United States. Currently, federal and state laws and regulations require that the DoD land be managed so that any activity, including training, will have a minimal effect on the natural environment.

The Relationship Between Graduate Students' Education In Research Ethics And Their Attitudes Toward Research Misconduct, Perry Sailor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A mail survey of a nationwide sample of department heads in university departments of mechanical engineering, physiology, and psychology was conducted, in order to determine what these departments were doing to educate their Ph.D. students in research ethics. Department heads were also asked to supply names of the Ph.D. students in their departments. Based on the survey responses, departments within each discipline were then divided into those placing a relatively high versus low emphasis on teaching research ethics. Random samples of students in each emphasis category for each discipline were then surveyed and asked to rate the seriousness of 44 …

An Investigation Of Internalizing Social-Emotional Characteristics In A Sample Of Lakota Sioux Children, Michael Shawn Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It has only been recently that research in childhood psychopathology has focused on a group of disorders referred to as internalizing disorders. Internalizing disorders can include such problems as depression. anxiety, social withdrawal, and somatic complaints.

Even though research has begun to focus on internalizing disorders with majority children. there has been very little research conducted on ethnic minority children, Native American children in particular. The present study involved obtaining a Native American sample and determining their internalizing symptomology utilizing the Internalizing Symptom Scale for Children (ISSC), the Reynolds Child Depression Scale (RCDS), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory for …

A Study Of The Interactions Between Milk Proteins And Soy Proteins, Venkatachalam Narayanaswamy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research investigates the protein interactions that occur when soy protein is added to milk and subjected to renneting or heating. Milk was fortified with 20% soy protein and enzymic coagulation studied at 35°C at various pH's and CaCl₂ levels. The first part deals with the interaction between milk and soy proteins during rennet-induced milk coagulation. The first goal was to determine how soy proteins affected milk coagulation. The effects of native versus heat-denatured soy proteins on rennet coagulation time and curd firmness were compared. lmmunogold labeling along with transmission electron microscopy was used to identify and localfze soy …

Isolation And Biochemical Characterization Of Acid- And Bile- Tolerant Strains Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus And Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Lan-Szu Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lactic acid bacteria have been reported to be used as a health adjunct in food for u many years. However, these health benefits have not been proven. and how these bacteria pass through the digestion process and remain viable in the human intestinal tract is still not clear. The aim of this work was to isolate mutants from Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium bifidum that could tolerate the conditions of the digestion process (low pH and bile conduction) and to characterize these isolated mutants.

Acid- and bile-tolerant mutants of L. acidophilus were isolated from parental strains successfully using natural selection techniques. …

Relative Absorption Of Iron And Magnesium From Sulfate Salts, Amino Acid Chelates Complexed And/Or Mixed With Vegetables, And Taste-Free Supplements, Jennifer A. Bowden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Common methods for determining mineral absorption by the body are invasive and frequently utilize radioisotopes. In experiment one. rats were given a dose of radiolabeled ferrous sulfate. Relative absorption was estimated by changes in serum iron and by appearance of the radiotracer in the serum. There were no differences in relative absorption determined by the methods, although the low overall absorptions by the iron-replete rats may have decreased the sensitivity.

In experiments two and three. iron and magnesium supplements were given orally to 12 women age 19-25. Each subject received iron and magnesium supplements once each week for 5 weeks. …

Evaluation Of Methods Used In Meat Iron Analyses And Iron Content Of Raw, Cooked, And Cured Meats, Eldred Merlyn Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research project was divided into three parts. In the first part, heme, nonheme, and total iron methodologies for meats were evaluated. The accuracy, precision, and specificity of each method were determined by spike recoveries of heme and nonheme iron, and by analysis of National Institute of Science and Technology standard reference materials. The most reliable and practical methods were then used to determine the total, nonheme, and heme iron contents of various meats before and after cooking. The meats analyzed were beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and turkey. The wet-ashing technique was a novel procedure in which nitric acid was …

Effect Of Ph, Fat Level, And Various Browning Agents On Composition, Color, Texture, And Sensory Characteristics Of Dark-Cutting Beef Patties, Igor V. Moiseev

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extra lean (3.3% fat) and lean (20.0% fat) hamburgers in three pH groups (≤ 6.0; 6.01-6.49; 6.50-6.92) were evaluated for cooking-temperature profile, total process lethality, and physical properties after cooking to 71°C by double-side frying on an electric grill. Neither cooking-temperature profile nor cooking time was affected by hamburger fat content or pH. Double-side frying to 71.1°C internal temperature was adequate for more than 6-log destruction of viable E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella at the geometrical center of extra lean and lean hamburgers. The coldest spot was on the circumferential surface, as indicated by the presence of a red ring …

Physiological Effects Of Chitosan And Chitorichtm On Rats Fed At Two Levels Of Lipid And Fiber, Hyung-Suk Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chitin is a polysaccharide derived from the shell of crustaceans. Chitosan is a deacylated chitin derivative and ChitoRich™ is a chitosan-based formulation. Chitosan is known to inhibit dietary fat absorption. ChitoRich™ and chitosan were evaluated for their ability to control fat absorption in growing rats.

Forty-eight rats (about 150 g) were fed for 4 weeks on 12 different diets containing two levels of vegetable shortening (15 and 5%) and fiber (5 and 2.5%) with cellulose, chitosan, or ChitoRich™ as the dietary fiber sources.

Rats fed ChitoRich™ ate less and gained less body weight than rats fed the other fiber sources. …

Quantitation Of Bovine Serum Albumin In Cow's-Milk-Based Infant Formulas And Removal Of Bovine Serum Albumin From Cow's Milk And Whey Protein Isolates, Patricia Z. Marincic

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Early introduction of cow's-milk-based infant formulas, in particular the ABBOS epitope of bovine serum albumin (BSA), has been implicated as an autoimmune trigger in the pathogenesis of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). A direct enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), using polyclonal anti-BSA antibodies, was developed to determine the BSA content of cow's milk and 15 infant formulas. Powdered high-whey (60%) formulas averaged 41 mg BSA/100 ml; 2% milk contained 52 mg BSA/100 ml; and the high-casein formulas averaged 13 mg/100 ml. BSA content of powdered polymeric formulas and cow's milk varied directly with the whey protein concentration (correlation coefficient = 0.8445, …

Evaluation Of Physical And Behavioral Traits Of Llamas (Lama Glama) Associated With Aggressiveness Toward Sheep-Threatening Canids, Sandra M. C. Cavalcanti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Canid predation poses a serious threat to the sheep industry in the United States. Llamas are becoming popular among livestock producers as part of their predation management programs but there is little information on the factors associated with llama guarding behavior. This study examined several physical and behavioral attributes of individual llamas to assess whether they might predict the aggressiveness llamas display coward canids. The study was conducted in three phases. The first involved determining some physical and behavioral traits of individual llamas. Twenty individuals were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 5/group) and frequencies with which …

Identification Of Belowground Woody Structures Using Molecular Biomarkers, Benny R. Bobowski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the last two decades substantial progress has been made in understanding seed bank dynamics and the contribution of the soil seed bank to a post-disturbance plant community. There has been relatively little progress, however, in understanding perennial bud bank dynamics and the contribution of the soil bud bank to secondary succession. This lack of information is due primarily to the inability to reliably identify roots, rhizomes, and lignotubers that lie dormant beneath the soil surface. This scientific investigation, therefore, addressed the issue of identification of belowground woody structures.

The first objective was to develop a methodology that utilizes molecular …