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Revegetation Of Bulrushes Bolboschoenus Maritimus, Schoenoplectus Acutus, And S. Americanus In Great Salt Lake Wetlands: Seed Biology And Influence Of Environmental Factors On Rhizomes, James Marty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A primary goal of ecological restoration is to establish desirable plant species. This goal is particularly important following the removal of invasive plants. Understanding biological characteristics of plant species important to revegetation is crucial to plant establishment. In the globally important Great Salt Lake (GSL) wetlands, native habitat-forming bulrushes Bolboschoenus maritimus, Schoenoplectus acutus, and S. americanus are frequently displaced by the invasive grass Phragmites australis. Bulrush seeds require very specific germination conditions and are also dormant, therefore they do not germinate consistently even when exposed to appropriate germination conditions. Additionally, wetland environments are often associated with water …

Crystallization Behavior Of Waxes, Sarbojeet Jana

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) has no longer GRAS status. However, PHO is one of the important ingredients in bakery and confectionary industry and therefore the food industry is seeking for an alternative fat to replace PHO. Waxes have shown promise to fulfill that demand because of its easy availability and cheap in price. Waxes with high melting points (> 40 °C) help in the crystallization process when mixed with low melting point oils. A crystalline network is formed in this wax/oil crystallization process where liquid oil is entrapped in wax crystal network. A new material is formed which is neither …

Salt Tolerance Of Forage Kochia, Gardner's Saltbush, And Halogeton: Studies In Hydroponic Culture, Joseph Sagers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus) is a halophytic, invasive species that displaces Gardner’s saltbush (Atriplex gardneri) on saline rangelands. Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata) is a potential species to rehabilitate these ecosystems. This study compared the salinity tolerance of these species and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Plants were evaluated for 28 days in hydroponics where they were maintained at 0, 150, 200, 300, 400, 600, and 800 mM NaCl. Shoot growth and ion accumulation were determined. Alfalfa and tall wheatgrass were severely affected by salt with both species’ shoot …

Family And Consumer Sciences Teacher Needs Assessment Of A Stem-Enhanced Food And Nutrition Sciences Curriculum, Cathy A. Merrill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has long taught abstract science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts in contextualized settings. In 2014, a new CTE Food and Nutrition Sciences curriculum was written by a pilot group of CTE family and consumer sciences teachers, enhancing the STEM education teaching opportunities available in a food and nutrition course. This study is a teacher needs assessment of the implementation of the new STEM-enhanced curriculum.

The curriculum objectives were measured for perceived importance and self-perceived ability to teach by the teachers. Curriculum feedback, educational background and general demographics were also gathered. The curriculum objectives data …

An Economic Analysis Of Factors Affecting Pre-Weaned Dairy Calf Growth And Profit Optimization In Dairy Calf Operations, Vincent T. Hess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was an extension of a study submitted in April 2014 by Sheldon D. Holt entitled “Ambient Temperature, Calf Intakes, and Weight Gains on Preweaned Dairy Calves”.

A major component in a profitable dairy operation is the raising of female calves as replacement heifers; but since no direct income is generated by calf raising alone, it is often overlooked as a potential profit area on a dairy farm. Calf management practices that ultimately impact milk productivity and reproductive performance during a heifer’s lifetime begin at birth. This study examines the effect of calf starter intake on calf growth, measuring …

Perceived Alzheimer's Disease Threat As A Predictor Of Behavior Change To Lower Disease Risk: The Gray Matters Study, Christine Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health concern with an estimated five million Americans currently afflicted. That number is projected to triple by 2050 as the baby boomer generation approaches age 65, the most common age where people begin to show symptoms of cognitive decline stemming from changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s. Since there is currently no cure or preventive pharmacological treatment, AD prevention research is now recognized as an important enterprise. Modifiable lifestyle factors that can reduce AD risk or delay its onset have been identified as reasonable targets for behavioral intervention, including increased physical activity, healthier …

Staff Interactions And Affect In Persons With Dementia: An Observational Study Of A Memory Care Unit, Keirstin V. Meyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is estimated that the number of people in the United States living with dementia in 2015 will nearly triple by the year 2050. With no cure for dementia, we are faced with providing care in a way that maximizes well-being. The majority of prior research focused on the best ways to reduce behavioral problems and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to increase knowledge about the social influences on well-being in persons with dementia, particularly from staff in residential memory care units. This study found that the most common interaction type from …

Anaerobic Hydrogen And Methane Production From Dairy Processing Waste: Experiment And Modeling, Jianming Zhong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dairy processing waste (DPW) is the waste produced from manufacturing dairy products: cheese, yogurt, ice cream, milk, butter, etc. DPW is high in chemical oxygen demand (COD) due to its lactose, fat and protein content, and therefore needs to be appropriately treated. An investigation was conducted to produce energy (hydrogen and methane) from DPW by anaerobic digestion. This project developed an effective engineering method for stable methane production from DPW without adding pH control chemicals. This study also explored the optimal operational condition for hydrogen production from DPW. We further built a mathematical model to help us monitor and predict …

Effects Of Thermosonication On Microbial Population Reduction And Solubility Index In Skim Milk Powder, Nicola F. Beatty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thermosonication has been researched as a means to improve shelf life, quality, and functional properties in dairy products. This study explored the effects of thermosonication on the inactivation of Geobacillus stearothermophilus in concentrated skim milk as a function of total solids content, temperature, and time and investigated changes in the solubility of the skim milk. Results showed thermosonication had an increased bactericidal effect on both vegetative cells and spores as compared to heat treatment alone without affecting solubility. A model was developed using response surface analysis showing that log reductions produced by thermosonication can be predicted based on a polynomial …

The Demography And Determinants Of Population Growth In Utah Moose (Alces Alces Shirasi), Joel S. Ruprecht

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Moose (Alces alces) occur widely in northern regions of the world. Across their distribution, the species is considered to be of high intrinsic, ecological and recreational value. Populations of moose along their southern range limit in North America have shown erratic population dynamics in recent decades including severe numeric declines in some areas. Moose in Utah belong to the Shiras subspecies, which is a relatively understudied population segment. Additionally, moose in Utah represent the southernmost naturally occurring moose populations worldwide. Concerns over possible declines and a paucity of baseline data on moose within the state prompted the Utah …

Greater Sage-Grouse Vital Rate And Habitat Use Response To Landscape Scale Habitat Manipulations And Vegetation Micro-Sites In Northwestern Utah, Charles P. Sandford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) has been a species of conservation concern since the early 20^th century. The decline of populations has largely been attributed to loss and degradation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. To contribute to the knowledge of sage-grouse ecology and quantify the effectiveness of landscape scale habitat manipulations intended to benefit sage-grouse, I monitored habitat use and vital-rates (i.e., nest and brood success) of 45 sage-grouse females in the Box Ender Sage-Grouse Management Area (SGMA) in northwestern Utah. Using telemetry locations of sage-grouse females with known nest and brood fates, I generated …

What In A Good Cause Men May Both Dare And Venture, Karen Schwarze

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this thesis, I present a short story in the historical fiction genre. I researched the plight of Bavarian schoolteachers during the 1848 revolution and integrated this historical information into the story. The Cultural Minister at the time, Karl von Abel, had instituted strict measures against schoolteachers. For example, they were forbidden to read certain books (a key element in the story), attend taverns, and meet outside of regulated teachers conferences. Teachers also were denied civil servant status, which meant that no pension was available to them.

In my short story, the main character, Franz Schuler, must decide whether or …

Effects Of Carboxymethyl-Lysine In Heat Processed Foods On The Plasma Metabolome In Mice, Zhou Fang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), an advanced glycation end product (AGEs), is formed during the cooking process and may induce toxic effects on human health. The effect of dietary CML on the plasma metabolite profile was investigated. Mice were fed with one of five different diets: AIN93 diet (negative control), a 45% kcal from fat Diet Induced Obesity diet (DIO; positive control); CML0, TWD (Total Western Diet) with low CML; CML1, TWD with medium CML, and CML2, TWD with high CML for 8 weeks, and the plasma metabolome was determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition quantitative analysis of plasma glucose level …

Anthropogenic And Natural Stressors And Their Effect On Immunity, Reproduction, And The Stress Response, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Animals must be able to cope with many natural and human-made stressors in order to successfully survive and reproduce. These stressors can come in many forms and are increasing as human activities become more and more prevalent across the globe. In order to cope with these stressors, organisms must allocate limited energy away from processes such as reproduction to mount a stress response. This stress response involves the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and results in a cascade of hormones and down-stream effects, such as changes in reproduction and immune function. In order to understand how reptiles and amphibians cope …

Establishment And Trends In Persistence Of Selected Perennial Cool-Season Grasses, Craig W. Rigby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The choice of plant materials is an important factor in restoration or revegetation of disturbed rangelands. To better identify plant materials that could be adapted to increased competition from invasive grasses and fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, there is a need to understand potential seedling establishment, plant persistence, and dry-matter yield (DMY) as a measure of plant vigor in the newly developed varieties across a wide range of environmental conditions. Experiments were conducted on four semiarid range sites to compare these traits in 14 perennial cool-season grass species currently used for revegetation in the Western U.S.A. There were location differences, …

The Role Of Farmers' Market Incentives On The Fruit And Vegetable Intake And Food Security Status Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participants, Mateja R. Savoie Roskos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Public health professionals in the United States are implementing various interventions in effort to improve dietary intake in low-income individuals. One intervention strategy that has gained attention over the past several years is providing financial incentives for federal nutrition assistance users when they purchase fruit and vegetables at local farmers' markets. The overall objective of the research studies included in this dissertation were to develop, implement, and evaluate farmers' market incentive programs in Utah in effort to determine if this intervention increases fruit and vegetable intake and improves food security status among low-income individuals.

The first study conducted in the …

The Role Of Gpr84 In Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acid Taste Transduction, Yan Liu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prevalence of overweight or obese in adults has nearly doubled during the past two decades, and obesity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even some types of cancer. One of the factors closely linked with the obesity epidemic is overconsumption of dietary fat. Accumulating evidence has supported the existence of the "taste of fat", and more and more studies have focused on identifying the mechanisms of fatty acid detection by gustatory system. In this study, I showed for the first time that medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs) were able to activate taste cells isolated from mice, and …

Effects Of Feeding High-Moisture Corn Grain With Slow-Release Urea In Dairy Diets On Lactational Performance, Energy And Nitrogen Utilization, And Ruminal Fermentation Profiles By Lactating Cows, Braden M. Tye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this experiment was to determine if nutrient utilization and energy partitioning by lactating dairy cows would differ in response to dietary corn grain (CG) types [steam-flaked corn (SFC) vs. high-moisture corn (HMC)] and to test if the types of CG would interact with slow-release urea (SRU) on lactational performance and energy utilization. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (32 ± 8.2 days-in-milk) were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square with one square consisting of ruminally cannulated cows. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was used to test 4 dietary treatments: SFC without SRU, SFC with SRU, …

Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationship Study, And Mode Of Action Study Of 1,4-Naphthoquinone Based Anticancer And Antimicrobial Agents, Jaya P. Shrestha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The first three projects involve the synthesis and the mode of action study of 1,4-naphthoquinone based anticancer agents. These anticancer agents are highly potent against a wide range of cancer cell lines. These compounds showed ~8-fold selectivity towards the lung cancer cell line than the normal cell line. We also studied the mode of action and observed that generation of reactive oxygen species is the primary mode of action.

The final project involves the synthesis of multi-cationic antimicrobial agents. These compounds are active against both bacteria and fungi. These compounds are very easy to synthesize and can be scaled up …

Does Experience With Sagebrush In Utero And Early In Life Influence The Use Of Sagebrush By Sheep?, Ashley T. Longmore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Learning from mother begins early in the developmental process and can have lifelong effects when it comes to forage preferences. Recent research suggests that mothers are a powerful and positive influence before birth. Pregnancy is not an incubation period buy a staging period for well-being and disease later in life. Better understanding the developmental processes which take place in utero and the effects they have later in life may help us create management plans that utilize grazing animals to their full potential as landscape manipulators.

Using in utero and early-life programming as a management tool is a relatively new concept, …

Anaerobic Digestion Process Stability And The Extension Of The Adm1 For Municipal Sludge Co-Digested With Bakery Waste, Morris Elya Demitry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The anaerobic digestion process is used to treat and convert waste organic matter to biogas (principally methane and carbon dioxide) through biological, chemical and physical reactions. The biogas can be used as a source of energy recovery. In order to increase the biogas production rate, two different kinds of waste (municipal wastewater treatment sludge and bakery waste) were mixed together to enhance the anaerobic process and increase the biogas production in pilot scale reactors. The process succeeded in increasing biogas production and at the same time kept the process of treatment effective when high rates of organics were fed to …

Examining The Association Between Children's Fruit And Vegetable Intake At And Away From School, Velarie Yaa Ankrah Ansu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several school-based interventions aimed at increasing fruit and vegetables (FV) intake among children have demonstrated success in short-term interventions. The Fit Game is a school-based intervention aimed at encouraging children to consume increasing amounts of FV during a game, which is a narrative. Just as children are being encouraged to eat FV at school, so is it equally important for them to eat FV at home. Parents strongly influence the amount of FV children consume at home. The aim of this thesis is to examine associations between factors that influence consumption of fruits and vegetables at and away from school …

The Impact Of The Updated National School Lunch Program Meal Standards On Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Among Elementary School Students In Cache County Utah, Jillian C. Fox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Due to the short time the updated National School Lunch Program standards have been in place since fall of 2012, few research studies have explored what effect these new standards have had on fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption, particularly among elementary school students. Because the new standards require schools to offer students more F/V than before, researchers are interested to know if F/V consumption has indeed increased.

The participants in the study were enrolled in a program to motivate students to eat more F/V – the Food Dudes program. The results of the data analysis found that most students, regardless …

Late Taino Occupation Of Jamaica: A Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Faunal Materials From The Bluefields Bay Site, Diana M. Azevedo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

My thesis seeks to answer the broad questions: can early foragers alter marine resources in island settings and can archaeological data provide insights into these changes. These questions highlight two important issues. The first issue reflects the common belief that small-scale societies did not affect their environments. The second issue centers on growing concern over the collapse of fisheries across the globe.

To answer these questions, I use fish bones recovered from an archaeological site located in Belmont, Jamaica near the Bluefields Bay marine sanctuary. The Bluefields Bay site dates to the late Taíno occupation of Jamaica. The name Taíno …

Lifestyle Intervention In Emerging Adulthood: A Brief Acceptance-Based Behavioral Intervention With Young Adults, Spencer M. Richards

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Across the U.S., obesity and overweight represent a rapidly growing public health concern that have been associated with expensive and debilitating outcomes such as depression, cancers, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and significant disruption in quality of life, in addition to the tremendous public health costs. The current study examined a brief, randomized-controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with overweight and obese young adults.

Study participants were randomly assigned to a 4-week experimental ACT group or an information control group, which received psychoeducational materials regarding lifestyle behaviors recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

Image Blur Detection With Two-Dimensional Haar Wavelet Transform, Sarat Kiran Andhavarapu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Efficient detection of image blur and its extent is an open research problem in computer vision. Image blur has a negative impact on image quality. Blur is introduced into images due to various factors including limited contrast, improper exposure time or unstable device handling. Toward this end, an algorithm is presented for image blur detection with the use of Two-Dimensional Haar Wavelet transform (2D HWT). The algorithm is experimentally compared with two other image blur detection algorithms frequently cited in the literature. When evaluated over a sample of images, the algorithm performed on par or better than the two other …

Characterization And Performance Of Algal Biofilms For Wastewater Treatment And Industrial Applications, Maureen Kesaano

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was carried out on algal biofilms grown using rotating algal biofilm reactors (RABRs) with the aim of: i) characterizing their growth in terms of photosynthetic activity and morphology ii) evaluating their performance as a wastewater treatment option and a feedstock for biofuels production, and iii) examining the algal-bacteria interactions.

A review of algal biofilm technologies currently employed in wastewater treatment processes was made to compare nutrient removal efficiencies, factors that influenced algal biofilm growth, and the different bioproducts generated from algal biomass. Consequently, research efforts were directed towards addressing pertinent issues identified in literature in order to optimize …

Structural And Compositional Patterns In Forest Communities In The Intermountain West Across Multiple Scales, Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) strives to use science-based research to both protect and enhance the management of natural resources. From this overarching goal, the USDA has a specific objective to protect the health and sustainability of forest and rangeland ecosystems. Based on this specific objective, an Advisory Board of natural resource scientists within the Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR) was awarded a National Institute of Food and Agricultural (NIFA) grant to train two PhD and two MS students. Their research would focus on managing for resilient forest ecosystem in the Intermountain West.

With input from the …

Mitigation Of Medusahead (Taeniatherum Caput-Medusae) Through Grazing And Revegetation On The Channeled Scablands Of Eastern Washington, Clinton A. Stonecipher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A large portion of the historical steppe and shrub-steppe habitats in eastern Washington have been altered through biotic and abiotic processes resulting in the annual grass medusahead becoming a large component of the altered vegetation. Experiments were conducted to determine: 1) if supplementing cattle with protein would help increase utilization of medusahead, 2) the grass species that could establish in the region, and 3) if mechanical disturbance would aid in such revegetation efforts. Cattle grazing medusahead-infested rangeland increased consumption of medusahead after all forage matured due to a reduction in the quality of forage alternatives. Cattle supplemented with protein increased …

Investigation Of Sugar/Polyols As Weakly Interacting Cosolvents And Their Influence On Hardening Of High-Protein Nutrition Bars, Sami Kadhim Hassan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Western Dairy Center (WDC) at Utah State University demonstrated opportunities to improve the quality of high-protein snack foods that becoming more prevalent in western diets. Previously, such high-protein nutrition bars became too hard during storage and they had a limited shelf life, resulting in disappointment by consumers or loss of product as older products needed to be discarded.

With sponsorship as a doctoral student by the Iraq Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and in conjunction with WDC researchers, an investigation was conducted into the chemistry of high-protein nutrition bars and how the various components (protein, carbohydrate and …