Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Lipids On Recognition Thresholds And Intensity Ratings Of The Five Basic Tastes, Jennifer Ellen Thurgood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In addition to the contribution of lipids to food texture and aroma, the effect of lipids on taste perception is now commonly studied. It has been found that lipids may affect taste perception through lipid composition (i.e., cis-polyunsaturated fatty acids).

This study assessed the effect of lipid composition on the recognition thresholds of the basic tastes (i.e., sour, umami, bitter, salty, sweet) in emulsion model systems as well as taste intensities perceived at low suprathreshold concentrations. Taste thresholds and intensities in corresponding aqueous systems were determined for comparison. To evaluate the effect of lipid chemical composition on tastant detection, …

Isolation And Characterization Of Different Aggregates Of Lipid From Bovine Milk, Ankur Jhanwar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bovine milk fat globules naturally vary from less than 0.2 µm to 15 µm in diameter. Milk has at least two distinct distributions of fat globules. While the majority (~90%) of globules in milk are of the smaller distribution (average diameter of 0.4 µm), virtually all the fat is carried in the larger globules (average diameter 3.5 µm). This distribution suggests some compositional and/or functional significance might exist between the two populations of fat globules, which may be related to origin of these globules in the lactating cell.

Milk fat globules have a unique structure, composed of a core droplet …

An Evaluation Of The Allocation Of Funding For Assistive Technology: A Case Study, Cindy L. Ollis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although benefits of assistive technology (AT) to people with disabilities are widely apparent, barriers, primarily funding, still inhibit access to needed AT. All agencies receiving federal funding are required to show no discrimination with regard to age, race, disability, and gender. This case study of a state run agency providing funding for AT to enable independent living among people with disabilities involved analyzing spending data from 2003 2008 to determine who used the fund, what was purchased, and whether it was equitably distributed according to age, ethnicity, gender, and population density. Additionally variables predictive of amount spent per person were …

Vegetation Characteristics Of Wyoming Big Sagebrush Communities Historically Seeded With Crested Wheatgrass In Northeastern Great Basin, Usa, Justin Rodney Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertn.) is one of the most commonly seeded grass species in the western United States and dominates thousands of hectares in the Great Basin. Although many degraded Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) plant communities have been seeded with crested wheatgrass, successional pathways, influence of soil attributes, and cultivation history on the vegetation of these communities have not been fully characterized. I sought to identify community phases, vegetative differences, and soil attributes that explain variation among 35 Wyoming big sagebrush communities historically seeded with crested wheatgrass. All communities were more than …

Goatsrue (Galega Officinalis) Seed Biology, Control, And Toxicity, Michelle Oldham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Goatsrue is an introduced perennial plant that has proven to have great invasive potential, leading to its classification as a noxious weed in many states and at the federal level. This research focused on seed biology, herbicide control, and toxic dynamics of goatsrue. Physical dormancy of mature goatsrue seed was tested through scarification using sulfuric acid with exposures of up to 60 minutes resulting in 100% germination. Comparison of dormancy for 26-year-old and 6-month-old goatsrue seed indicated aged seeds had reduced dormancy levels compared to newly harvested seeds, but had similar viability. Goatsrue seedling emergence was inversely related to burial …

The Bioactive Properties Of Syringomycin E-Rhamnolipid Mixtures And Syringopeptins, Mekki F. Bensaci

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The need for new antimicrobial agents has become important in the last decade due to emerging resistance to a number of conventional antimicrobial agents. New approaches and sources are needed to generate novel and effective antimicrobials. For example, synergistic combinations between two or more agents may lead to new antimicrobial therapies. Furthermore, the increase in health problems caused by the exposure to agricultural crop pesticides and synthetic fungicides and the emerging development of organic farming has increased the necessity to develop natural products than can be used safely in controlling crop diseases.

In this work, I present the first studies …

Seed Banks Of Sagebrush Communities Seeded With Crested Wheatgrass, Kevin L. Gunnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertn.) is one of the most commonly seeded exotic species in the western United States. Although many degraded Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) plant communities have been seeded with crested wheatgrass during rehabilitation efforts, seed banks of these communities have not been characterized. I sought to characterize and explain the variation among 33 seeded communities in the northeastern Great Basin. Hierarchical clustering and principal components analysis identified four possible seed bank categories in these communities. Seed bank categories varied from high to low crested wheatgrass dominance. The crested wheatgrass-dominated category …

Intuitive Eating And Its Relationship With Physical Activity Motivation, Amy Campbell Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research has shown that restrictive eating, or dieting, can be devastating to one's health. A new paradigm, intuitive eating, suggests that individuals eat based off of their physiological cues, and not for emotional or social ones. To date, restrictive eating has been extensively researched, but intuitive eating has not. The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between intuitive eating and its relationship between physical activity motivation and physical activity maintenance, using the self-determination theory.

Participants completed a survey to determine their intuitive eating level, their physical activity motivation, and their physical activity maintenance (n = …

The Regulation Of Epithelial Sodium Channels In Mammalian Taste Receptor Cells, Arian F. Baquero Gonzalez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nutrient recognition is one of the main physiological roles of the gustatory system. In mammals, it is well established that the taste of sodium salts is primarily mediated by sodium influx through the epithelial sodium channel. The epithelial sodium channel is a sodium-specific ion channel that is expressed across a wide range of transporting epithelia such as colon, kidney, and taste. In addition to its role as a salt taste receptor, sodium influx through the epithelial sodium channel is important systemically for maintaining sodium balance and blood pressure. Following our earlier work on the endocrine regulation of salt taste at …

Targeting Fat-Sensitive Pathways In Enteroendocrine Cells Using Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery, Bhavik P. Shah

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current epidemic of obesity has been linked to an increase in fat intake associated with the Western diet. Nutrient-induced stimulation of enteroendocrine cells in the small intestine leads to the release of hormones that contribute to satiety and the control of food intake. In particular, ingested fat, specifically in the form of free fatty acids, is potent activator of enteroendocrine cells in the proximal small intestine. However, the underlying signaling cascade that free fatty acids initiate in these enteroendocrine cells, which leads to secretion of satiety hormones, is not known. In general, my research is focused on identifying nutrient-responsive …

Social Cognitive Predictors Of College Students' Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Denice C. Ahlstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the social cognitive theory factors of home availability of fruits and vegetables, nutrition knowledge, food preparation ability, and cooking self-efficacy and the demographic factors of race/ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, living situation, and meal plan participation in relation to college students' fruit and vegetable consumption. The study sample was comprised of students attending on-campus classes at Utah State University during spring semester of 2009. Data were collected via traditional pencil-and-paper surveys distributed during classes with students in varying stages of their college education and from different fields of study. In total, 207 surveys were used for the …

Making Healthy Choices: Adolescent Preference Ratings Of School-Based Health Interventions, Nicholas Glover Baird

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effect of a Making Healthy Choices lesson on junior high school students' preference rankings of items used to motivate students to increase academic performance. Results indicated that the lesson resulted in increased ranking scores on healthy items. This study used an assessment procedure that may be used to identify healthy rewards that may motivate students to increase academic performance as well as practice healthy decision making to prevent obesity.

Inducing A Normal Phenotype In Breast Epithelial Cells Using A Three-Dimensional Basement Membrane Extract Culture System: A Study On The Reversion Of Cancer, Ross H. Booth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Experimentally, traditional developmental models and transgenic animals consistently underscore the importance of studying cell behavior in the correct tissue context. However, live animal experimentation is inherently complex, and systematic assessment of the effects of individual variables, such as cell shape and matrix compliance on cell behavior, is extremely difficult at best. Two-dimensional monolayer culture of key individual cell types has provided abundant, fundamental information on cell response, but cannot be used to show the normal phenotype of breast epithelial cells. Furthermore, their results often fail to translate into in vivo and clinical studies. It has been previously established that normal …

The Effectiveness Of The Teens Reaching Youth 4-H Model In A Childhood Nutrition And Physical Activity Education Program, Kristen Rae Stokes Strong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood obesity rates are on the rise. There are detrimental physical and psychological health effects associated with childhood obesity. Society needs proven methods of delivering nutrition and physical activity education to children. The Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) 4-H model has been shown to be effective at delivering curriculum in a variety of topics. To assess the effectiveness of the TRY 4-H model at delivering nutrition and physical activity education to youth, grades third through sixth. The program's objectives were to increase youth participants' nutritional knowledge, improve youth participants' eating and fitness habits, and improve leadership and life skills of the …

Nitrogen Transport, Transformation And Cycling Through A Mountain Lake, Bull Trout Lake, Idaho, Usa, Ryan Settle Lockwood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of a mountain lake on nitrogen dynamics in a sub-alpine watershed were examined via watershed monitoring, mesocosm experiments, microcosm experiments, and enzymatic assays during spring and summer of a single year. Our study addressed the questions: (1) How does hydrologic transport through the lake affect the net fluxes of dissolved nitrogen (N) species? (2) What are the net effects of the littoral zone biota on dissolved N fluxes? (3) What are the seston and benthic uptake rates of nitrate? (4) What is the magnitude of N retention in littoral zone sediments? (5) What role does microbial hydrolysis of …

Maladaptive Schemas As A Predictor Of Residential Treatment Outcomes In Females With Eating Disorders, Jodi Leigh Cullum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between maladaptive schemas and treatment outcomes of adolescent and adult women with an eating disorder receiving residential treatment. Existing data were obtained from 67 females aged 11 to 47 years (m =18.61) that had entered residential treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) at a Western United States residential eating disorder treatment facility. Pre- and posttreatment data were collected by the personnel at the facility on eating disorder symptomatology, mood, and core beliefs. Three hypotheses were tested: (a) that maladaptive schemas would be …

Assessing The Effects Of The Holidays On Body Composition And Weight Change Using Air Displacement Plethysmography, Jessyka Nicholle Larson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to determine the change in weight and body composition over a 6-week holiday period. Change in body composition was measured using air displacement plethysmography technology (Bod Pod^®). Thirteen men and 21 women ranging in age from 23-61 years were participants for this study. Baseline testing occurred the week of Thanksgiving Day (November 24 or 25), and the post-holiday assessment was the week after Utah State University's holiday break (January 5 or 6). Results from a nutrition and exercise questionnaire revealed a significant difference between pre-holiday and post-holiday consumption of vegetables (8.6 ± 8.3 vs. …

Biological And Economic Effects Of Grazing Spring-Calving Cow-Calf Pairs On Improved Irrigated Pastures Using Creep Supplementation, Adam F. Summers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent trends to develop farmland into improved irrigated pastures raise questions regarding the profitability of creep supplementing terminal-sired calves on these production systems. This study was initiated to answer these questions. Two previously established adjacent sprinkler-irrigated plots were separated into 2 paddocks. One plot (3.4 ha) consisted of a monoculture of Seine tall fescue while the other plot (3.9 ha) consisted of a mixture of Seine tall fescue, AC Grazeland Alfalfa, and Norcen birdsfoot trefoil. The mixture of the second plot consisted of 50% tall fescue, 37.5% alfalfa, and 12.5% birdsfoot trefoil. Plots were designated as monoculture no-creep supplement (MONOC) …

Production Performance And Profiles Of Milk Fatty Acids Of Lactating Dairy Cows Fed Whole Safflower Seed Containing High Fat And Low Fiber, Christopher M. Dschaak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Oil seeds are natural sources of fat and protein in diets for lactating cows, and are usually fed whole or crushed. A recently released variety of safflower seed, 'Nutrasaff,' contains high fat (47% crude fat) and low fiber (26% NDF), and has a potential to be effectively used as a fat supplement for lactating dairy cows. Therefore, a lactating dairy cow trial was conducted to assess production performance of dairy cows when fed graded levels of whole Nutrasaff safflower seed (NSS), to determine the optimum level of NSS supplementation in the diet and to identify its impact on milk fat …

Microbial Growth Inhibition And Decomposition Of Milk Mineral And Sodium Tripolyphosphate Added To Media Or Fresh Ground Beef, Rossarin Tansawat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Milk mineral (MM) is a type II antioxidant (metal chelator) that can bind iron and prevent iron catalysis of lipid oxidation. Thus, MM might have microbial growth inhibition effects on iron-dependent bacteria. Objective 1 was to evaluate effects of MM on growth of non-pathogenic iron-dependent bacterial strains (Listeria innocua, Eschericia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens). MM (1.5 % w/v) did not significantly inhibit growth of Listeria and E. coli. However, growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens was consistently and significantly reduced by ~1 log colony forming units per ml (CFU/ml) with all levels of MM (0.5, 0.75, 1.5 % …

Greater Sage-Grouse Ecology, Chick Survival, And Population Dynamics, Parker Mountain, Utah, David K. Dahlgren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We estimated survival of ~ 1-day-old chicks to 42 days based on radio-marked individuals for the Parker Mountain greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population. Chick survival was relatively high (low estimate of 0.41 and high estimate of 0.50) compared to other studies. Brood-mixing occurred for 21 % of radio-marked chicks, and within 43 % of radio-marked broods. Our study showed that brood-mixing may be an important ecological strategy for sage-grouse, because chicks that brood-mixed experienced higher survival. Additionally, modeling of chick survival suggested that arthropod abundance is important during the early brood-rearing period (1 - 21 days). We also …

Optimal Compost Rates For Organic Crop Production Based On A Decay Series, Jeffrey B. Endelman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the more challenging aspects of organic farming is the development of an appropriate fertility plan, which may include crop rotation, cover crops, and/or soil amendments. When fertility is maintained by applying manure and/or compost, a pressing question is how much should be used. A framework was developed to address this question based on the idea of a decay series, which is a sequence of numbers quantifying the effects of compost on crop yield over a multi-year period. Prior research has focused on decay series expressed in nitrogen fertilizer equivalents. Given this information, I show how to calculate what …

The Role Of Flavor-Flavor Conditioning And Sensory-Based, Vegetable-Themed Education In Increasing Vegetable Consumption In Elementary School-Aged Children, Meagan Roxanne Latimer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study aimed to increase vegetable consumption and preference in elementary school-aged children using two interventions: 1) flavor-flavor conditioning; and 2) sensory-based, vegetable-themed education. In both interventions, increase in consumption was measured by visual observation of how many vegetables children took and consumed from a vegetable buffet. Preferences were measured with a self-administered survey.

In the flavor-flavor intervention, children ages 5 to 11 (n=59) were exposed to sweetened and nonsweetened vegetable purees. Preferences were assessed prior to intervention using a rating and ranking system. Nine paired tastings were presented. Children received a posttest immediately after the final conditioning (n=27) and …

A Novel Role For Non-Heme Iron In Myoglobin Oxidation: An Examination Of The Antioxidant Effects Of Iron Chelating Compounds In Meat And Myoglobin Model Systems, Karin E. Allen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Myoglobin (Mb) oxidation, and the subsequent browning, is the primary basis for consumer rejection of fresh retail beef. Considerable effort has been directed by the industry towards the development of techniques that can enhance color stability. However, the underlying mechanism of Mb oxidation has been studied extensively, but is still not entirely understood. Current models focus on the role of lipid oxidation byproducts, pH, and anionic ligands as promoters of Mb oxidation. It is known that chelation of iron and copper delays Mb oxidation and browning, but a clear role for these metals has not been established in any current …

Validation Of A Peer-Teaching-Peer Paraprofessional Model In Teen Parenting Nutrition Education, Sylvia D. Keller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Each year, teen pregnancy occurs in 750,000 15-to-19 year-old women in the United States (U.S.). Utah has the youngest population and the lowest teen abortion rates in the U.S. Approximately 73% of teen pregnancies in Utah result in live births. The prevalence of teen pregnancy and the nutritional risk to mother and child result in a much greater need for social support, such as nutrition education. Current literature shows that the paraprofessional model is effective in increasing positive behavior change through nutrition education. Presently, there is a lack of evidence that paraprofessional teens are capable of accurately and effectively teaching …

Measurement Of Air Pollutant Emissions From A Confined Poultry Facility, Olumuyiwa Omotola Ogunlaja

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Air emissions from animal feeding operations have become a growing concern. Much work has been done to study occupational exposures and the exhaust concentrations associated with animal facilities; however little information has been provided about air quality around the houses. Ammonia (NH₃ ), ethanol (EtOH), nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and particulate matter (PM _2.5 and PM₁₀) emissions were monitored in two different buildings for laying hens in northern Utah. Over the six-month sampling period, the observed average temperatures for the west and east fan banks of the high-rise building were 21.2±4 …

Mycorrhizae In Sagebrush-Steppe Community Restoration: Mycorrhizal Dependency Of Invasive And Native Grasses With Intraspecific And Interspecific Competition, Dara S. Scherpenisse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mycorrhizae have been used in restoration for decades. However, studies assessing the use of mycorrhizae in Bromus tectorum-invaded areas of the Great Basin are limited. Two greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to assess the role of mycorrhizae in sagebrush restoration.

The first objective (Chapter 2) was to determine the response of Pseudoroegneria spicatum, Elymus elymoides, and B. tectorum to mycorrhizal symbiosis by altering phosphorus, density, species, presence of mycorrhizae and water levels in a 5 factor design. To assess the mycorrhizal response, a variety of morphological and physiological traits were measured, such as tissue P concentration, specific …

Centering Pregnancy And Traditional Prenatal Care: A Comparison Of Health Practices, Kaylynn Shakespear

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Centering Pregnancy is an alternative method of providing prenatal care with increased education and social support with health assessment in a group setting. This study, a cross-sectional, correlational, convenience-sample design, sought to determine the difference between women who receive prenatal care in Centering Pregnancy prenatal care and those in traditional prenatal care in regards to health behaviors. Adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation. The sample comprised primarily White low-income women. Using multiple linear regression, it was determined that women in Centering Pregnancy had significantly lower index health behavior scores compared with …

Safety-Focused Altruism: Valuing The Lives Of Others, Kevin Lee Brady

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The value of statistical life is an estimate of the monetary benefits of preventing an anonymous death. Society's willingness to pay to eliminate private health risks determines agencies' value-of-statistical-life estimates. Most estimates ignore society's willingness to pay to eliminate others' health risks. There are two possible reasons. First, altruism does not exist: Peter is not willing to pay to save Paul's life. The second possible reason is a bit more complicated. Certain economists argue that increasing benefit estimates to account for altruism involves double-counting.

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate these possibilities. Accounting for altruism, it turns out, …

Ethylene Synthesis And Sensitivity In Crop Plants, Joseph F. Romagnano

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene is a small molecule that regulates developmental change. Research was conducted in three areas: sensitivity, synthesis, and alterations to synthesis. Vegetative pea plants were more sensitive than radish plants to atmospheric ethylene. Light intensity did not affect ethylene sensitivity. Ethylene synthesis rates were measured for unstressed cotton, corn, soybean, and tomato plants. The per-plant ethylene synthesis rate ranged from 0.1-80 pmol plant^-1 s^-1. However, when normalized to net photosynthetic rate, this range was 1-4 µmol of ethylene synthesis per mol of CO₂ uptake. Diurnal cycles in ethylene synthesis were present in …