Digital Commons Network^™

Consumption Of A Western Diet Enhanced Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer And Dysbiosis Of The Fecal Microbiome In Mice Notwithstanding Dietary Intervention Or Fecal Microbiome Transfer, Daphne Michelle Rodriguez Jimenez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In a rodent model of inflammation-associated colorectal cancer, consumption of a Western-style diet increases gut inflammation and enhances risk of developing colon tumors. The goal of this dissertation was to understand the contribution of bacteria within the large intestine on colon inflammation and colon tumorigenesis. Two pre-clinical animal studies were performed using two different intervention strategies to shift the microbiome, and potentially gut inflammation and tumor development: 1) an experiment using dietary supplementation with black raspberries, a functional food enriched in bioactive anthocyanins with purported antiinflammatory activity, and 2) an experiment using fecal microbiota transfer from mice fed a healthy …

Surface-Functionalized Silica Nanocarriers For Mitigating Water Stress In Wheat And Benefiting The Root Microbiome, Anthony Cartwright

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Changes in climate and shifting patterns of drought threaten the growth of important cash crops like wheat. The element silicon serves as a plant nutrient and shows promise for strengthening wheat against drought while remaining safe to both the crop and the positive bacteria that grow on its roots. Silicon can be added to wheat in the form of silicon-dioxide nanoparticles featuring protective coatings made from plant-beneficial nutrients. These nanoparticles can be engineered with high surface area or porous structures allowing them to be loaded with additional nutrients that can be delivered to crops. In a laboratory setting, such nanoparticles …

Investigating Mitochondrial Influence On The Rate Of Anaerobic Glycolysis In An In Vitro Model, Mackenzie Jenna' Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rate at which the muscle acidifies after an animal is harvested has a profound effect on the quality of the resulting pork. When acidification increases gradually, desirable pork quality characteristics are developed. In contrast, rapid acidification deteriorates pork quality, exemplified by the pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork defect. The rate of acidification is determined by the rate of anaerobic metabolism in postmortem muscle. Yet the processes controlling postmortem anaerobic metabolism are not well understood. Recent research suggests that mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, may influence this process by competing for substrate (pyruvate) with anaerobic metabolism, thereby reducing …

Antimicrobial Peptides In Transgenic Silkworm Silk, David Jaden Turner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Overview: People in India and China have produced silk textiles for thousands of years. Silk is a biodegradable, biocompatible compound used in the production of clothing, bedding, furniture, industrial materials, and medical applications. Over the last 30 years, research has increasingly investigated silk’s antimicrobial effects and how to augment its natural abilities. Antimicrobial peptides, or AMPs, are also an area of increasing interest as the rise of antibiotic resistance reduces the efficacy of current treatments. This project plans to systematically synthesize a fusion protein that incorporates the beneficial properties of each constituent into commercial silkworms.

Innovation: This project seeks to …

Statistical Graph Quality Analysis Of Utah State University Master Of Science Thesis Reports, Ragan Astle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Graphical software packages have become increasingly popular in our modern world, but there are concerns within the statistical visualization field about the default settings provided by these packages, which can make it challenging to create good quality graphs that align with standard graph principles. In this thesis, we investigate whether the quality of graphs from Utah State University (USU) Plan A Master of Science (MS) thesis reports from the years 1930 to 2019 was affected by the rise of graphical software packages. We collected all data stored on the USU Digital Commons website since November 2021 to determine the specific …

A Mechanistic Examination Of Interspecific Competition Between Wild And Domestic Herbivores, Courtney Check

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Large herbivores, such as mule deer and cattle have similar life histories and likely compete for resources. However, quantifying the extent to which these species compete and the specific resources they compete for has proved challenging. My research examines if cattle influence deer abundance and behavior due to competition for forage, competition for shade, and/or by affecting the predation risk of deer. Using a grid of autonomous trail cameras, I was able to determine if cattle abundance influences local deer abundance in relation to specific resources and habitat features. Using GPS data from collared deer, I was also able to …

The Influence Of Secondary Principals' Perceived Trust Of Assistant Principals And Central Office Supervisors On Principal Self-Efficacy For Instructional Leadership, Cody J. Reutzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although self-efficacy has been studied widely in education, variables associated with the self-efficacy of principals have received relatively limited attention. The current study investigated the relationship between secondary principals’ perceptions of trust in their assistant principal and central office supervisor and their own self-efficacy for instructional leadership. Surveys were collected from 80 secondary principals. Open-ended questions were utilized to gain greater understanding of the behaviors contributing to principals’ perceptions of trust and feelings of self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression. Quantitative results revealed that no statistically significant relationship is present between trust perceptions in the relationships investigated …

Greater Sage-Grouse Response To Tree Canopy Removal: Habitat Vegetation Composition And Sage-Grouse Use 10–15 Years Post Treatment In The Southern Periphery Of The Species Range, Benjamen Donnelly

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pinyon juniper woodland expansion into Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter ‘sage-grouse’) habitat in southern Utah continues to threaten sage-grouse survival. Habitat restoration after pinyo-juniper removal treatment is key to the continued persistence and survival of sage-grouse along the southern edge of their range. Few long-term studies are available that examine sage-grouse use of areas treated to remove pinyon-juniper forests (i.e., ‘restored habitat’). The purpose of this research was to determine if sage-grouse used ‘restored’ areas in the long-term, as a measure of the actual effectiveness of pinyon-juniper woodland control treatments. I compared vegetation composition, shrub height and shrub …

From Flames To Forage: How Wildfire Affects Elk Behavior And Abundance, Megan M. Whetzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) is an ecologically and culturally important wildlife species in the Intermountain West, but it is facing habitat changes caused by increasing fire activity. Wildfire frequency is projected to continue to change into the future, yet increases in annual area burned and increases in area burned at high severity may actually represent opportunities for some species. Large herbivores like elk may benefit from increased access to regenerating areas where forage abundance and quality are often elevated. Therefore, effective management of wildlife populations may depend on quantifying how large ungulates, like elk, alter …

An Evaluation Of Stress Tolerance In Restoration Plant Species In Response To Fire, Drought, And Invasive Plants Through The Lens Of Functional Traits, Adam M. Clifford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sagebrush communities in the Great Basin face many threats. Cheatgrass, a winter annual from Eurasia, has invaded these communities, increasing wildfire and lowering species diversity. Additionally, climate models project warmer and drier conditions throughout much of the Great Basin, likely increasing drought, cheatgrass invasion, and wildfire. Intact stands of native and introduced perennial grasses have been shown to limit invasion by cheatgrass and restore ecosystem functions. The objective of this research was to identify the functional traits and growth characteristics needed by restoration species to survive periods of drought and to evaluate varieties of commonly used restoration species for establishment, …

Mountain Lion (Puma Concolor) And Feral Horse (Equus Ferus) Interactions: Examining The Influence Of A Non-Native Ungulate On Predator Behavior In A Semi-Arid Environment, Peter C. Iacono

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A non-native is a species that evolved in one ecosystem and has established within another. Non-native species can thrive in new ecosystems as they can spread quickly, outcompete and replace native species, and disrupt food webs. Domestic horses were brought to North America by Europeans in 1493. They are now found in 11 states across the western United States. Feral horses can negatively impact vegetation, endangered species habitat, compete with native species, and be important prey for mountain lions under certain conditions. But do feral horses affect the food web? Feral horses are managed by large removals to reduce the …

Exploring Body Image Related Cognitive Fusion As A Maintenance Mechanism Of Eating Disorder Pathology, Jennifer L. Barney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can have serious negative effects on a person’s physical and mental well-being. These disorders are typically complex, and individuals are often struggling with one or more comorbid mental health problems, making them difficult to treat. To address this complexity and hopefully improve treatment outcomes for those with eating disorders, psychology research examining individual differences that appear to be related to differential treatment responses is needed. Better understanding how these factors relate to each other can help treatment providers identify the treatment methods most likely to work best for a specific individual based …

Status And Enhancement Of Trissolcus Japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) For Biological Control Of Halyomorpha Halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Northern Utah, Kate V. Richardson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a major insect pest that invades human structures causing nuisance issues and attacks numerous fruit and vegetable crops in Northern America. As this pest threatens $23 billion worth of specialty and agricultural crops in the U.S. and is difficult to manage due to insecticide resistance, control practices such as the use of biological control through egg parasitoid wasps are critical. In its native range of Asia, BMSB populations are controlled primarily by members of the Trissolcus genus such as the samurai wasp, but U.S. native wasps have demonstrated low success of BMSB …

Use Of Protective Lactic Acid Bacteria Adjunct Cultures To Decrease The Incidence Of Gas Defects In Cheddar Cheese, Rhees T. Crompton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gas production in cheese making is becoming increasingly prevalent in the dairy industry. This gas is produced by microbes that are naturally found in the cheese, and when they metabolize sugar or other sources of energy, they can produce gas. This gas causes slits and cracks in the cheese, which causes the cheese to be worth less and causes issues during slicing and shredding. There are many microbes that cause unwanted gas in cheese, this research focuses on four know gas producers and five other protective microbes that use the same energy sources or have the ability to inhibit the …

Effect Of Increasing Levels Of Gossypol And Fatty Acids Coming From Whole Cottonseed On Rumen Fermentation, Nutrient Digestibility And Microbial Community Composition In Continuous Culture Fermenters, Camila Castro Veloz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this study we determined the impact of increasing dietary whole cottonseed (WCS) on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and microbial community composition. This study contributes novel information to the dairy community deepening the understanding of how including different levels of WCS can affect the rumen environment. This research was conducted in continuous culture fermenters. Treatments included a control diet without WCS, or the control diet plus 5, 10, or 15% (dry matter) WCS. The control diet was a 50:50 orchardgrass hay:concentrate mixture fed twice daily. In the second experiment, soybean meal and cottonseed meal (CSM) were included, and rations were …

Opportunities And Challenges For Cooperative Extension Becoming A Major Actor In Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation, Dakoeta R. Pinto

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Addressing climate change in the United States is an increasingly complex issue that requires social and technological changes throughout the country, which the Cooperative Extension System (Extension) can influence. Based at land-grant universities, their goals are to bring relevant science and innovation to the people of the United States. For a successful low-carbon transition, there are certain elements of society that must be influenced by innovators like Extension. Extension’s historical roots in agriculture prevail today with most of their programming focusing on this sector. However, there is a movement within Extension to expand their programmatic efforts to address more contemporary …

Ars, Virtus, Impetus: Gladiatorial Training And Roman Legionaries, Daniel Porter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 105 BCE, the Roman consul Publius Rutilius Rufus employed gladiatorial training for his legionaries. This thesis examines the physiological and psychological consequences of this style of training on the human body in an effort to understand why these particular soldiers were so effective. I used experiential testing alongside primary and secondary source research to examine how this process better prepared Roman troops for engaging in actual combat.

Consequences Of Host Life Cycles For Symbiont Genome Evolution, Ashley Elizabeth Dederich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aphids are small insects that feed exclusively on plant sap, a notoriously low source of nutrients due to the high sugar content and low amino acid content. To make up for these deficiencies in nutrition, aphids harbor Buchnera aphidicola, a bacterial endosymbiont that resides in a specialized organ called the bacteriome. B. aphidicola provides essential amino acids and vitamins for the aphid in exchange for a safe place to live. Over the course of the symbiosis (established 160 million years ago), B. aphidicola has lost much of its genome, including essential genes for cell envelope synthesis, DNA replication and …

Using Genome Analysis Methods To Screen Lactococcus Starter Cultures For Bitter‐Related Genes And Establish A Differentiation Method Using Qpcr For Lactococcus Lactis And Lactococcus Cremoris Species In Cheddar Cheese, Brantzen R. Wood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumers of Cheddar cheese expect consistent flavor and texture in the cheese they eat. Cheese flavor and texture is highly influenced by the bacteria cheese makers add during cheese production. These bacteria are generally responsible for the flavors and textures consumers associate with Cheddar cheese and are referred to as starters.

Sometimes during cheese manufacture off-flavors and textures can arise that make the cheese unappealing to eat. One such flavor that is off putting is bitterness. The bitter taste in cheese arises while the cheese is aging and is largely due to the same flavor producing starters added to the …

Young Children's Nutrition, Growth, And Cognitive Development In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Kristin N. Murphy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The first few years of life are viewed as a critical period for development. Children who do not grow and develop well in these early years can experience life-long negative implications. Many children under the age of five in Ecuador suffer from high rates of malnutrition, stunting (low height-for-age), and delayed cognitive development. This dissertation aims to better understand why children from Ecuador, specifically from the Amazon region, are experiencing such high rates of delayed development. Fifty children and their mothers living in the Amazon region of Ecuador participated in this research study.

First, interviews were conducted by an Ecuadorian …

Assessing Stream Ecosystem Structure And Function In An Urban Canal And Logan River In Logan, Utah, Ellie Smith-Eskridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Humans have constructed canals to support agriculture, to mitigate flooding, and to discharge stormwater, especially in the Intermountain West. These canals are common in Cache Valley, where they receive flows from the Logan River during summer months. However, the ecological structure (e.g., water quality, freshwater invertebrates) and function (e.g., leaf decomposition) of these canals remains largely unknown. Studying ecosystem structure and function of these urban waterways is important because it can inform us of the health of these waterways.

My research had three objectives. First, I compared water chemistry, invertebrate assemblages, and leaf decomposition in an urban canal and the …

Increasing Production Of Therapeutic Mabs In Cho Cells Through Genetic Engineering, Charles Barentine

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Between 2014 and 2018, the global market for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) rose from $60 billion to $115.2 billion with a projected value of $300 billion by 2025. These molecules are used to effectively treat some of the most challenging illnesses from auto-immune diseases to cancer. While mAbs are highly valuable with potent applications, their production at scale remains an outstanding challenge. These molecules are largely produced in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells that require highly specific conditions to produce a useful product.

Genetic engineering presents one solution to overcome productivity limits. With the advent of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced …

Together, Our Voices Will Strengthen The Weaving: Using Autoethnography And Narrative Inquiry To Indigenize Sense Of Belonging In Higher Education, Devon S. Isaacs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Native American students in higher education are often asked to find a sense of belonging in places and spaces that do not reflect their cultures or worldviews. This can lead to isolation and a feeling of having to choose between themselves and their identities as Indigenous peoples. This contributes to poorer mental health, loss of well-being, and decreased academic success. The purpose of this study was to ask seven Native American participants how they defined sense of belonging from their own worldviews. Participants were also asked about spaces and places in higher education that helped or did not help them …

Quantifying Floral Resource Availability Using Unmanned Aerial Systems And Machine Learning Classifications To Predict Bee Community Structure, Jesse Anjin Tabor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bees are important for agricultural and non-agricultural ecosystems because they pollinate both wild plants and commercial crops. Flowers provide pollen and nectar resources that bees use to survive and reproduce. Measuring the relationship between the floral community and bee community may help apiarists and land managers to make informed decisions in managing wild and domesticated bee species. Manual methods to describe and count flowering vegetation is costly in time and personnel. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology may be an efficient way to describe and count flowering vegetation on a large scale. UAVs with classification analysis and ground transect surveys were …

Immunological Tradeoffs And The Impacts Of Urbanization On The Reproductive Ecology And Physiology Of The Side-Blotched Lizard (Uta Stansburiana), Emily E. Virgin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Investing resources into reproduction can limit energy available to other competing demands, such as fighting off an infection; yet, both processes are necessary for organisms to survive and pass on their genes to the next generation. These strategies often follow patterns associated with lifespan, such that shorter-lived animals are more likely to invest more resources into reproduction over survival, and vice versa in long-lived animals. However, environmental change caused by urbanization can disrupt these relationships, and the within- and transgenerational costs of urbanization on females and offspring are unknown. I address these uncertainties in three research chapters to better understand …

Approaches To Supplementing Silicon In Soilless Media And The Value Of Silicon In The Mitigation Of Drought Stress, Mackenzie Grace Dey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Silicon (Si) is not considered an essential element for plants to complete their lifecycle, but is known to be beneficial for plants under environmental stress such as drought. Unlike natural soils, Si is minimally bioavailable in soilless media. With indoor agriculture and greenhouse production increasing, the benefits of Si have been seen and Si should be supplemented. This work aimed to characterize and quantify the dissolution of Si from media substrates and additives to achieve a steady-state release of Si in soilless media. Typical media components such as coconut coir, peat moss, perlite, rock wool, sand, and vermiculite minimally released …

Rainfall Increases Alpha And Has No Effect On The Beta Diversity Of Animal-Dispersed Shrubs In Panama, Rosemary Hopson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Climate patterns affect where plants can grow and survive. In tropical areas, the main form of precipitation is rain, and rainfall has been demonstrated to influence tree species distributions. For this thesis, I examined the relationship between rainfall and the diversity of animal-dispersed tropical shrubs. To do this, I used data on shrub diversity collected in the summer of 2017. Plots were established across the Isthmus of Panama, from the drier Pacific side to the wetter Atlantic side, to survey animal-dispersed shrubs. I analyzed three metrics of diversity that weigh rare and common species differently. The first weighs rare species …

Dairy Breed, Grass-Birdsfoot Trefoil Mixture, And Pasture Nutrition Effects On Intake, Feed Efficiency, And Grazing Adaptation, Michael Greenland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dairy cattle have lower dry matter intake (DMI) on pastures thus leading to less weight gain and milk production than feedlot cows. This study was conducted to determine whether different dairy breeds are better adapted to lower or higher quality pastures as measured in DMI and feed efficiency. The eight treatments consisted of Jersey, Holstein, Holstein-Jersey crossbreds, and 3-breed crossbreds (Montbéliarde-Swedish Red-Holstein) heifers on grass monocultures and grass-BFT mixtures. We observed greater DMI on grass-BFT mixtures. Among breeds, Holstein had the greatest DMI, then the two crossbreds, and Jersey had the least. Feed efficiency was most favorable for Jersey, less …

Cuo Nanoparticles Solubility As Influenced By Soil Pore Water, Native Microorganisms, And Wheat Rhizosphere Chemistry In A Sand Matrix, Dakota Sparks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nanoparticles (NPs) are particles less than 100 nm (~4 millionths of an inch) in a direction. NPs, due to their small size, are used in a variety of products, such as silver (Ag) NPs as an antimicrobial in clothes. Copper Oxide (CuO) NPs are used in electronics as semiconductors and other fields as antimicrobials and purposefully or accidentally end up in the environment. Copper (Cu) is a necessary nutrient for plants, but at higher amounts is toxic to plants and beneficial soil microbes.

In order to understand how the CuO NPs interacts with plants, wheat seedlings were grown in sand …

Finding Relationships Between Physical Properties Of Butter And Water Loss, Annalisa Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Butter is a desirable fat rich product used for laminated pastries, like croissants, because of its flavor and consumer acceptance. However, butter has some functional aspects that reduce its performance and quality. In manufacturing of butter for laminated pastries, large blocks of butter are pushed through a rectangular opening to form a thin sheet. In this process it is not unusual to see water dripping, indicating water loss in the butter. The purpose of this study was to understand the properties of butter and their role in water loss during processing.

The properties of commercial butters were tested to understand …