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Immunological Effects Of Ketoconazole, Itraconazole And Fluconazole On Lymphocyte Cell Proliferation And Natural Killer Cell Activity In Immune-Normal, Cyclosporine-Compromised And Cyclophosphamide-Compromised Mouse Models, Jeffrey Tullis Mitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past several years there has been a steady increase in the incidence of immunologically compromised patients. This has been the result of both chemical agents, such as those used in cancer chemotherapy, and biological agents such as HIV, the cause of Acquired lmmunodefeciency Syndrome (AIDS). The increase in immune-suppressed patients has lead to an increase in life-threatening mycoses requiring treatment with antifungal agents. Pharmaceutical companies have increased research for the development of new antifungal agents which are more effective and less toxic than those that are currently used. Several researchers have reported on antifungal agents that demonstrate both …

Seasonal Movement Patterns Of Coyotes In The Bear River Mountains Of Idaho And Utah, Glen F. Gantz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Coyotes (Canis latrans) prey upon domestic sheep. The Animal Damage Control (ADC) program currently relies heavily on aerial gunning in winter to control coyote depredations on mountain grazing allotments. Some people claim that winter aerial gunning is not effective because coyotes migrate to lower elevations during winter, following herds of big game animals, and may not be on the allotments where summer depredations occur. I studied the seasonal movement patterns of coyotes in the Bear River Range of Utah and Idaho to determine if coyotes in montane habitats move on a seasonal basis. Radio-collared coyotes were located from fixed-wing aircraft …

Immunosuppression By Aflatoxin B1 In C57bl/6 Mice And Its Relationship With Neuroendocrine Mechanisms, Yasuhiko Hatori

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), a secondary metabolite of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, is known for its potent carcinogenicity and immunosuppressive effects. It is also known that AFB₁ toxicity appears in different degrees in different animal species and strains.

The present study was performed to reveal the involvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland (HPA) axis in the immunosuppressive effects of AFB₁ on C57BL/6 mice. Splenic lymphocytes were assayed to investigate their phenotyping using flow cytometry, proliferative response against mitogen and allogenic lymphocytes, cytolytic cell activity, and IL-2 production. In addition, antibody-mediated immunocompetence was checked using sheep …

Burning, Flaming And Herbicides For Control Of Jointed Goatgrass (Aegilops Cylindrica Host.), Blake D. Willis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Winter wheat stubble and dried plant residue in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields were burned in the fall and spring to evaluate effects on jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host.) seed survival and germination. Laboratory studies were also conducted to determine minimum temperatures and heat duration needed to reduce jointed goatgrass seed viability. Maximum air temperatures attained during various field burns reached from 74 C to over 700 C. Temperatures 2.5 cm above the soil surface remained above 400 C for over 10 seconds and above 600 C for 2 to 8 seconds in burning CRP stubble. Results for the …

An Experimental Analysis Of Second-Order Conditioned Taste Aversion: Drug Pairing Facilitated Through Excitation Of Geotactic Behavior, John H. Gatling

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In two experiments, second-order conditioned taste aversion techniques were employed to develop aversions in rats, with a geotactic-excitation procedure as the independent variable. Periodic tilting of an experimental apparatus resulted in angular orientation changes of all subjects located within compartments of the chamber. The effect was excitation of geotactic behaviors, expressed as locomotor activity within the confines of these compartments.

In the first experiment, two groups of rats (n = 6) were exposed to experimental protocols which were identical with the exception of the independent variable. Three conditioning trials were presented, separated by five to seven days, within which …

A Descriptive Study Of Range Livestock Operations In The Somali Central Rangelands, Abdinasir M. Abdulle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Information on livestock operations, particularly what kind of livestock operations are practiced in the Somali central rangelands, and how these operations differ for different herders in different vegetation types and farming systems, could serve as a major tool in making management decisions. This study provides a detailed description of range livestock operations in the Somali Central Rangelands. It also answers some important management questions.

Range livestock operations were inventoried through personal interviews with the owners and herders. Data are supplemented by previous nation-wide and regional survey statistics. Herd productivity data which include herd structures, age, age-related sales, slaughters, gifts, and …

The Effects Of Disease, Prey Fluctuation, And Clear-Cutting On American Marten In Newfoundland, Canada, Richard J. Fredrickson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Individual variation in survival and behavior of American marten (Martes americana) was studied in relation to disease, prey fluctuation, and clear-cutting from 10 January 1986 through 20 August 1987 in Newfoundland, Canada. Thirty-seven of forty marten captured on the study area were telemetered and monitored for part or all of the study.

Marten mortality was concentrated in two intervals, fall 1986 and late winter 1987. Mortality during fall 1986 was attributable to encephalitis, while marten deaths during late winter 1987 resulted from predation and starvation attributable to the prey decline. Nonsuppurative encephalitis was first detected 7 October 1986; …

Interrelationships Among Magnesium Deficiency, Ketogenic Diet, And Fasting On Seizure Susceptibility, Hamdia Mohammed Shahwan Ai-Hamdani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fasting and ketogenic diet prevent seizures in epileptic children, magnesium-deficient rats and other animal models of seizure disorders. This effect has been attributed to increased levels of circulating ketone bodies. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of serum ketone bodies, measured as beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), in preventing audiogenically-induced seizures in weanling rats fed a magnesium-deficient diet for 17 days.

The effect on seizure susceptibility was investigated by feeding a magnesium-deficient diet to weanling rats for 17 days. Fasting and ketogenic diet (dietary medium chain triglycerides, MCT) markedly decreased seizure incidence that was associated with increased serum BHB …

Cognitive And Attributional Correlates Of Depression: An Analysis Of The Redundancy Between Beck's Cognitive Triad And Seligman's Attributional Styles, Kent W. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree vi of redundancy between two prominent cognitive theories of depression: Beck's cognitive triad and Seligrnan's attributional triad. Three hundred and eighteen subjects were recruited from nine different psychology courses at Utah State University and affiliated locations across the state. Subjects completed the Cognitive Triad Inventory (CTI), the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results indicate that the three CTI subscales (self, world, and future) and the three ASQ subscales (internal, global, and stable) did not correlate sufficiently to merit integration across measures. However, factor analyses reduced …

Self-Consciousness And Body Image Issues Among College Females, Mary E. Doty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined some of the procedures used in eating disorder research. Body size estimation procedures, in light of their similarity to procedures in social psychology, were used to create self-focus and self-consciousness conditions. If the procedures in the present study create self-consciousness effects, it is possible that the results of those studies have been affected by a heightened state of self-awareness. The present research also explored the relationships between self-consciousness, self-esteem, body esteem, body perception, and eating disorder proneness.

The research was conducted with a nonclinical sample from a university population, controlling for age and body development factors. Baseline …

A National Survey Of Enterprise Budget Development And Use By The Extension Service, Douglas W. Eck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis investigates the development and use of viii agricultural enterprise budgets. An enterprise is a single crop or livestock commodity, and enterprise budgets are valuable management tools. They serve as the basic building blocks of complete farm planning.

Two separate surveys gathered information from the Extension Service concerning the use and development of enterprise budgets. Analysis of the survey results identified the most common methods used to create enterprise budgets as well as factors that contribute to their use.

A regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing the number of times county agents directly refer to published …

The Effects Of Methionyl Bovine Somatotropin Administration On Luteinizing Hormone In Dairy Cattle, Joseph Charles Dalton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sixteen lactating regularly cycling dairy cows (14 primiparous, 2 multiparous) were used to determine the effects of somatotropin administration on basal, peak, and pulse luteinizing hormone concentrations during the breeding period. In addition, the effects of somatotropin administration on the pituitary response to a gonadotropinreleasing hormone challenge was studied. The experimental group received daily somatotropin treatments (25mg) for 24 days. The control group received a daily placebo. All animals were treated with three injections of prostaglandin F2-alpha (25 mgjtreatment) for estrus synchronization. Somatotropin and placebo treatments began with the second prostaglandin injection. Sixty hours following the final prostaglandin injection, all …

Endocrine Interrelationships During Early Postpartum In St. Croix Sheep, Richard Michael Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationships of estradiol-17-beta, progesterone, and LH in the early postpartum St. Croix ewe were monitored during the breeding season in 1988. A second group of non-postpartum, ovariectomized St. Croix ewes were used to determine non-ovarian levels of progesterone for comparison. Results of this study indicate that:

1. The short duration rise in progesterone exhibited by some ewes is indicative of an ovulation.
2. Ewes that do exhibit a short luteal phase prior to the first "normal" luteal phase have a longer period from parturition to the first "normal" luteal phase.
3. Serum levels of LH increase beginning 3 days postpartum.
4. There is …

A Comparison Of Three Estrous Detection Management Schemes For Dairy Heifers, Ann Lagerstedt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heifers should represent the greatest genetic potential within a dairy herd. To maximize this potential, heifers must be inseminated to proven sires, a practice requiring management changes on many dairies. Holstein heifers (n=115) were allotted to one of three groups to compare alternatives to daily estrous detection that may facilitate the management of a program of artificial insemination for heifers. Group 1 heifers (Controls) received no treatment but were observed twice daily for signs of estrus. Group 2 heifers (2X-PGF) were synchronized with two injections of prostaglandin F2 alpha given 11 days apart and observed for estrus. Group 3 heifers …

Chromosome Abnormalities As A Possible Cause Of Reduced Fertility In Dairy Heifers, Stanley L. Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chromosome evaluations were made on leukocyte blood samples from 169 phenotypically normal nulliparous Holstein heifers. These were from three different reproduction groups collected in sets of threes from 10 different herds in the western United States. Group 1, the control group, consisted of heifers diagnosed pregnant after one or two breedings; Group 2 consisted of heifers diagnosed pregnant after three or four breedings; and Group 3 consisted of heifers diagnosed open after four or more breedings. Metaphase chromosome spreads used in these analyses were obtained through 72-hour leukocyte cultures from heparinized whole blood. Processed cells were dropped onto a slide, …

Effects Of Cannulation, Bst Administration And Protein Degradability On Rumen And Duodenal Characteristics And Milk Production Response In Holstein Dairy Cows, Margaret D. Winsryg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a protein synthesized at the base of the brain and released by the pituitary gland into the circulatory system. BST is transported by the circulatory system and absorbed only by cells of target organs that possess cell surface receptors for the protein (11, 41). Its effect is initiated via a protein receptor initiation and cyclic AMP cascade. This effect on the cell continues well past the degradation of the bST molecule. BST is likely transported into the cell, where it is degraded. Its constituent blocks, amino acids, are used to synthesize new proteins or converted to …

Reproductive Ecology Of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata Ssp. Wyomingensis) : Effects Of Herbivory And Competition, Richard T. Decker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Herbivory and plant competition affect sexual reproduction of plants in various ways. Exclusion of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and cattle, removal of plant competition (both inter- and intraspecific), and all combinations of the above treatments were used to examine the individual and combined affects on Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (Wyoming big sagebrush) reproduction. Reproduction of Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis was divided into hierarchical levels of the number of: (1) modules per current-year ' s growth (CYG), (2) nodes per module, (3) inflorescence heads per node, (4) achenes per inflorescence head and (5) percent viable achenes. Counts at hierarchical …

Yellowstone's Northern Elk Herd: Critical Evaluation Of The "Natural Regulation" Paradigm., Charles Edward Kay

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior to 1968, the National Park Service contended that an unnaturally large population of elk had severely damaged Yellowstone Park's northern winter range, including aspen and willow communities. However, under "natural regulation" management adopted in the earl y 1970s the agency now believes that vegetation changes in the park are due to normal plant succession, climatic change, or fire suppression, not ungulates. The agency also believes that large numbers of elk (12, 000 - 15, 000) have wintered on the park's northern range for the last several thousand years. This study tested several of the major assumptions or predictions of …

Recreation Specialization And Preferences Of Utah Anglers, Bruce P. Andersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study were to gain a better understanding of anglers and angler preferences and to examine differences between subgroups of anglers based on level of specialization. Understanding these similarities and differences between user groups will provide valuable input for more effective fisheries management.

A randomized mail survey was sent to resident, adult fishing-license holders in Utah. A 68% response rate yielded 1216 usable returns for data analysis. An analysis of three recreation specialization dimensions (participation, equipment and investment, and lifestyle) and further analysis of participation and investment variables were used to develop a typology of Utah anglers. …

Some Factors Affecting The Postpartum Interval In Sheep, Jose Pedro Cannas Simoes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of genotype on the occurrence of ovulation and estrus during the interval from lambing to ovulation accompanied by estrus (postpartum interval) was measured in White-Face and Black-Face ewes that lambed during the breeding season in 1986 and 1987. A group of St. Croix ewes was added to the study in 1987. The influence of lactation on the events of the postpartum interval was measured by comparing intact and mastectomized White-Face and Black-Face ewes. The effect of prolactin on postpartum interval was measured in these two genotypes and in a group of bromocriptine-treated Black-Face ewes that lambed in 1986. …

Development Of A Computer-Adapted Form Of The Scientific Literacy Test, Douglas M. Allred

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to computer-adapt the Scientific Literacy Test. The challenges in doing so were: (1) developing a programming procedure that would make it possible to present complex graphics on an Apple lIe while administering the computerized Scientific Literacy Test, (2) designing equivalent graphic test-items, and (3) developing a program that a majority of students favor.

Factors that may affect student performance on computer-administered tests are reviewed, the program developed to present complex graphics is listed, assessment of test-item equivalency and student attitude are discussed, and suggestions regarding further development of the product are proposed.

Effects Of Methylene Chloride On Immune Function In Mice And The In Vitro Effect Of Methylene Chloride In Immunologic Assays, Man-Ping Wang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A number of toxicities associated with methylene chloride have been found in both human subjects and mice. However, relatively few studies have probed immunotoxicities of methylene chloride. In order to examine possible immunotoxicities or immunomodulating effects of methylene chloride, several tests of cellular immune function were performed using both human in in vitro studies and a mouse model.

Body weights and specific organ weights of thymus, spleen, liver, and kidney were normal in CD-1 mice given various concentrations of methylenechloride. However, a significantly reduced mitogenic response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA} and reduced interleukin-2 (IL-2} production was found in these methylene-chloride-treated mice. …

Mate Selection In Contemporary America: An Exchange Theory Perspective, Margaret H. Young

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of exchange theory as it applies to human relations has escalated dramatically in the past 20 years. The present study applies exchange theory as the basis of mate selection in contemporary society. Whereas an actual barter system was used in the past and families played a major role in choosing prospective mates, participants in the mate selection process are not virtually on their own and must rely upon their own bargaining skills to present their assets on the marriage market. A number of characteristics are thought to enhance or detract from a person's "worth" on the marriage market. …

An Investigation Of Stability, Change, And Observed Associations During Infant-Mother Face-To-Face Interaction, Sarah Elizabeth Gable

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers of social development during infancy have long viewed social competence as a reflection of the infant's experiences during early social interactions. In this context of social interaction, the infant's earliest developmental task involves the ability to regulate arousal; with continued development and the accumulation of interactional experiences, the infant takes a more active role as an initiator/elicitor of interaction. A particularly salient type of social exchange during infancy occurs when mother and infant engage in face-to-face interaction. Consequently, it was the goal of this study to examine maternal and infant behavior in the context of face-to-face interaction in order …

Public School Preschool For Disadvantaged Children: Program Quality And Long-Term Effects, Ellen Frede

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although preschool for disadvantaged children is strongly supported nationally as a beneficial endeavor, the research that underlies this support has mostly been limited to small-scale, high-quality experiments. Some have questioned the ability of public schools to provide similar experiences for young children and to produce long-term effects. This study is a long-term follow-up in first-grade children who attended preschool in a statewide public school program. The classrooms were observed to assess the quality of treatment. It was determined that children who attended classrooms that provided medium- to high-quality experiences outperformed those in poor-quality classrooms, as well as comparison children who …

Characterization Of Anti-Pichinde Virus Monoclonal Antibodies For The Directed Delivery Of Antiviral Drugs And Toxins, Noah Jefferson Burns Iii

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mouse monoclonal antibodies directed against Pichinde virus (PCV) were produced to evaluate their application as vehicles for the delivery of antiviral drugs or toxins to virus-infected cells. Four monoclonal antibodies, PC4.9A6, PC4.9D3, PC4.7C2, and PC4.8D3, were of the IgG2a subisotype and reacted with acetone-fixed and live PCV-infected Vero-76 cells. In vivo stained splenic macrophages derived from PCV-infected hamsters that had been injected with fluorescein-labeled PC4.9A6 (FITC9A6) demonstrated a 400% increase in total fluorescence over similarly treated, non-infected cells when analyzed by flow cytometry. This is an indication that FITC-9A6 does have some ability to specifically target PCV infected cells in …

Diel Vertical Migration And Feeding Of Underyearling Bear Lake Sculpin Cottus Extensus (Pisces, Cottidae), Darcy Neverman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Underyearling Bear Lake sculpin exhibit a diel pattern of vertical migration throughout the pelagic region of Bear Lake (Utah-Idaho) until they are approximately 22 mm standard length. Individuals move from the bottom of the lake (5° C) during the day into the water column (13-16° C) at night. The migration, however, is not related to feeding. Although the dominant copepod in the water column, Epischura nevadensis, do undergo a similar diel vertical migration, stomach analysis of juvenile sculpin captured by trawling shows that they do not feed in the water column. Instead, from July through October, their diet is dominated …

Purification And Characterization Of A Chemically Induced Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Deoxyribonuclease, Guang-Yuh Hwang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Purification of Epstein-Barr virus-associated deoxyribonuclease (EBV-DNase) from Raji and P₃HR-1 cells treated with 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and sodium butyrate was performed by sequential ion-exchange column chromatography and fast protein liquid chromatography. The enzyme activity, protein concentration, yield, specific activity, purification profiles, and polypeptide patterns by electrophoretic analysis in each column purification step were determined. The characteristics of the partially isolated EBV-DNase were demonstrated by the enzyme activity, DNA binding affinity, and inhibition by the nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient sera and rabbit polyclonal antibodies against the partially purified EBV-DNase. A nonisotopic assay was developed as a new method in detecting the nuclease. …

Immunologic, Hematologic, And Endocrine Responses To Subacute And Subchronic Exposures To Graded, Subanesthetic Levels Of Nitrous Oxide In Cd-1 Mice, Charles E. Healy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) oxidizes vitamin B12. disrupting deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis. Occupational exposures to subanesthetic levels of the gas have been documented that may result in suppressed proliferative cell activities. Male CD-I mice were exposed to 0, 50, 500, and 5000 parts of N₂O per million parts of air (ppm) for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 2 and 13 weeks. Splenic lymphocytes were assayed for responsiveness to mitogens and for the ability to produce interleukin-2 (lL-2) . Tritiated-thymidine ([³H]-TdR) uptake was measured in CD-I splenic lymphocytes cultured in a mixed-lymphocyte culture (MLC). Cytolytic cell …

Relationships Between Motivational Orientations And Participants' Perceptions Of An Electronic Distance Education Learning Environment, Charles Wynn Wilkes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between students' motivational orientations and their perceptions of an electronic distance education (EDE) environment. Subjects were 156 participants (81 women, 75 men; 83 undergraduates, 73 graduate students) enrolled in Utah State University's electronic distance education system, Com-Net.

A comparison group was also utilized, that consisted of 85 participants (64 females, 21 males; 34 undergraduates, 51 graduates) from rural Utah enrolled in Utah State University extension programs. These students were from seven classes which were taught by the traditional method with an instructor physically present.

Correlation coefficients were computed to test …