Digital Commons Network^™

Factor Analytic Study Of Spatial Abilities In Second-Grade, English-Speaking Navajo And Non-Navajo Children, Laurie Sullivan-Sakaeda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to continue the investigation of apparent differences in cognitive abilities between Navajo Indian children and non-Navajo children. Subjects were 248 second-grade students, ranging from 7 to 9 years old. The Navajo sample lived in the Shiprock, New Mexico, area of the Navajo Indian Reservation, and the non-Navajo sample lived on the east side of Salt Lake City, Utah. Data were collected using six tests designed to measure spatial abilities in primary grade children. Results indicated that the non-Navajo children scored significantly higher on two individual tests and on the total test score under timed conditions, with …

Phenotypic Profiles Of Lymphocytes In Adult C57bl/6n Mice Infected With Cryptosporidium Parvum, Diane Rose Bienek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to quantitate the populations o f lymphocytes in the spleens and intestines of normal and immunosuppressed adult C57BL/6N mice that were noninfected or infected with Cryptosporidium parvum. This was accomplished by using the following methodologies: immunohistochemistry, ELISA-spot assay, and flow cytometry.

Mice in groups 1 and 2 were immunosuppressed, but only group 2 was infected. Mice in group 3 were only infected, whereas group 4 served as the normal control. Mice were immunosuppressed with dexamethasone (DEXI at a dosage of 125µg/mouse/day. Infected mice received 10⁶ oocysts per os. The numbers of lymphocytes were …

Sedimentology And Foraminiferal Taphonomy In Siliciclastic Environments: The Northern Gulf Of California, Mexico, Liping Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Holocene sediments from intertidal and shallow subtidal zones in Bahia la Choya, Mexico exhibit significant differences based on their mineralogical content, constituent composition, textural parameters, and foraminiferal assemblages. The intertidal sediments are characterized by low calcium carbonate content, being dominated by quartz, and are moderately well sorted and coarse skewed with a fine mean grain size {M_z = 2.73 phi}. Total numbers {living and dead} of benthonic Foraminifera per ml of sediment are relatively low (12/ml) in the intertidal zones. In contrast, the subtidal sediments are characterized by high calcium carbonate content, being dominated by molluscan shell fragments, and …

Molecular Toxicology Of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids, Hea-Young Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are cytotoxic, carcinogenic, and anti-carcinogenic in vivo and in vitro, and they produce many hazardous effects in humans and animals. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) also cross-link with DNA and/or protein. However, whether such cross-linking is important to the toxic action of PAs is not known. In addition, the exact mechanism underlying these DNA cross-links or cytotoxicity is also not clear.

In three separate studies, I characterized the nature of PA-induced DNA cross-links and the relationships between PA structures and cross-linking potency. In the first study (Chapter II), I found that cross-linking potency of PA congeners coincided with their …

The Pharmacodynamics And Toxicodynamics Of Inotropic Drugs In Calves With Natural And Artificial Hearts, Scott D. Everett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Inotropic support for the failing myocardium as the therapy for congestive heart failure (CHF) is intended to achieve an increase in cardiac output via positive responses in myocardial contractility and vasodilation. A novel approach to differentiate these two responses is the use of an animal with an implanted total artificial heart (TAH). Three inotropic drugs, dobutamine, enoximone, and pimobendan, were tested in eight animals with their natural heart intact and five animals implanted with a TAH. Baseline values of the TAH and natural heart (NH) were compared to determine their hemodynamic similarities. Each of the three drugs was given randomly …

Incorporating Vegetative Diversity Measures In Forest-Level Planning: A Case Study On The Utah State University School Forest, David N. Holland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three indices of forest stand structural and compositional diversity were incorporated into a linear programming, timber-harvest scheduling model to examine the tradeoffs between managing stands for timber production and biodiversity objectives. While harvest-level objectives were fairly compatible with the maintenance of biodiversity, present net worth maximization resulted in substantial reductions in all three measures of biodiversity.

Factors Associated With The Highway Mortality Of Mule Deer At Jordanelle Reservoir, Utah, Laura A. Romin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Highway mortality of deer (Odocoileus sp.) is a nationwide concern. In 1991, 538,000 deer-vehicle collisions occurred nationwide. Property damage to vehicles, human injuries and fatalities, and potential impacts to local deer populations occur from deer-vehicle collisions. Techniques have been evaluated to reduce highway mortality of deer; however, an effective, cost-efficient solution does not exist for widespread use. If mitigative technologies are to be successful, we need to understand deer behavior and movement patterns associated with highway relationships. Most research about highway deer kills has focused on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in mixed hardwood habitat types. The …

Assessing Mourning Dove Population Declines: Changes In Nesting Dynamics And The Role Of Perch Sites, Paul M. Meyers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I replicated a nesting study carried out 40 years ago in southern Utah to assess reasons for long-term population declines of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) in the western United States. I compared current nesting patterns to similar data collected in 1952. I saw little difference in nest success and nest predation, but reproductive output and nest density decreased dramatically. The number of young fledged per pair of adults was only 64% of that estimated in 1952. A 1-2 week delay in the nesting season contributed to this decrease, but cannot explain it entirely. Nest density was about 20% …

The Response Of Five Tropical Plant Species To Natural Solar Ultraviolet-B Radiation, Peter S. Searles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tropical regions currently receive the highest global levels of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-320 nm) even without ozone depletion. Thus, the influence of natural, present-day UV-B irradiance in the tropics was examined for five tropical species, including three native rainforest tree species and two economically important species. Solar UV-B radiation conditions were obtained vi using either a UV-B excluding plastic film or a near-ambient UV-B transmitting film in a small clearing on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama (9 ° N). Significant differences were often exhibited as increased foliar UV-B absorbing compounds, increased leaf mass per area, and reduced leaf blade …

Study Of Circulating Antibodies To Heat-Shock Proteins 60 And 70 In Autistic Subjects, Fang-Yi Chiu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Autism is a behavioral syndrome characterized by a severe impairment of reciprocal social relations, and of verbal and nonverbal communications. Many different etiologic factors such as viral infection and genetic predisposition have been proposed to explain the development of this disorder. Immune abnormalities, such as a decreased lymphoblastic response to T-cell mitogen, defective antibody responses to rubella vaccine, and decreased numbers of T lymphocytes, also have been identified in a subpopulation of patients with autism, which implies that the development of autism in some cases may be due to autoimmune mechanisms.

Recent evidence suggests that immune response to the heat-shock …

Pantothenate-P-Nitroanilide As A Substrate For Pantetheinase Assay, Robert T. Davidson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pantothenate-p-nitroanilide has been synthesized for use as a substrate in a continuous spectrophotometric assay of pantetheinase activity monitoring absorbance at 410 nm. Pantothenate-p-nitroanilide is a crystalline compound with a molecular weight of 338.0 and a melting point of 146-149°C. Use of this substrate in the described assay is suitable for enzyme activity determination in high protein content media such as blood serum. Serum pantetheinase activity was determined for rats of varying pantothenate nutriture. Rats with mildly (but significantly, p < 0.05) lower serum pantothenate levels had significantly higher serum pantetheinase activities than the control group (6.24 nmol/min/ml ± 0.72 and 16. 16 nmol/min/ml ± 4. 14, respectively, p=0.0005).

Uptake, Absorption, And Adsorption Kinetics Of Ferrous And Ferric Iron In Iron-Replete And Iron-Deficient Rats, Madhavi Ummadi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Various concentrations of ferrous and ferric iron solutions were held at room temperature for 60 min before they were assayed for ferrous iron, which may be unstable due to oxidation. The ferrous and ferric solutions (in pH 2 HCl) were maintained as such for 60 min without the use of chelators. There was no significant oxidation of ferrous iron. Also, four different levels of each ferrous and ferric iron were injected into proximal duodenal loops of rat intestine and uptake was determined at four different time intervals. Two iron-replete rats were assigned to each of the treatments. The in situ …

A Response Surface Study Of Extruded Corn Starch/Skim Milk Powder Blends, Sachin Singh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Skim milk was ultrafiltered to three lactose/protein ratios and spray dried. The skim milk powder was extruded with pearled corn starch at different moisture contents, protein contents, lactose/protein ratios, and feed rates (control variables). Response surface methodology and a central composite in cube experimental design were used. This design required 30 experimental runs with 16 factorial points, 8 axial points, and 6 center points for replication. The physical and functional properties evaluated were expansion ratio, product temperature, bulk density, color, shear stress, viscosity, and water absorption index (response variables). Scanning electron microscopy was done to evaluate the microstructural attributes of …

In Vivo Biopotency Evaluation Of Chromium-Containing Complexes, Jay Rulon Keller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seven chromium-containing complexes were tested for effects on blood glucose regulation, serum cholesterol levels, serum triglyceride levels, and body composition. The compounds included Cr picolinate, Cr chelidonate, chromate, Cr chelidamate, Cr arginate, nichrome, and Cr chloride.

The study was divided into two major sections, a rat study and a chicken study. In the rat study all seven chromium-containing complexes were tested. They were administered to the rats in four different testing periods at 1 ppm, 5 ppm, and 25 ppm of chromium. Methods of administration varied for each testing period. After the chromium compounds were administered, a glucose tolerance test …

Consumption Of Iron-Fortified Cheese And Lipid Peroxidation In Females, Gene Joseph Giunti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Dairy products are important sources of calcium and other nutrients but are a poor source of dietary iron. Cheese comprises a substantial portion of dairy food consumption and has been determined an appropriate medium for iron-fortification. However, iron may promote the potentially harmful process in food and biological systems known as lipid peroxidation. Therefore, the safety of consuming iron-fortified cheese was examined.

Commercial-scale batches of Cheddar cheese were iron-fortified to a level of two milligrams of iron per ounce with either ferric chloride, ferric-casein complex, or ferric-whey protein complex. Fifty-four premenopausal females were divided into three treatment groups and supplemented …

Adolescents' Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Their Grandparents, Dennis P. Barrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of youth toward each of their individual grandparents. The subjects were students ranging in age from 12-19 years with the majority being between 14-17 years of age. These students were enrolled in a release time religious class that allowed them one hour a day off campus to take a seminary course.

The sample of data consisted of 148 girls and 108 boys, which was approximately 25% of the high school population. The youth were from a small northern Utah community. The average age of the youth respondents was 16.2 years. …

Prophets And Preference: Constructing And Maintaining A Homosexual Identity In The Mormon Church, Richard D. Phillips

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is a descriptive ethnography of homosexuals and homosexuality in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church, The study employs the labeling perspective in sociology and uses gay Mormons to examine how an individual constructs and maintains a homosexual identity in an environment where such an orientation is stigmatized and devalued. Qualitative interviews and documentary analysis are the chief methodological tools for this study.

The contradictions between a homosexual lifestyle and Mormon theology are outlined, and a history of Mormon church policy concerning homosexual members from 1959 to the present is presented. The study finds …

Anaerobic Treatment Of Whey Permeate Using Upflow Sludge Blanket Bioreactors, Seokhwan Hwang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whey permeate was anaerobically digested in laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors. Nine hydraulic retention times between 5 and 0.2 days were examined with a fixed influent concentration of 10.6 ± 0.2 g COD/L.

Chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency ranged from 99.0 to 18.9% and maximum production rate of methane gas was 2.67 L/L/day at a hydraulic loading rate of 12.97 kg COD/m³/day. About 70% of the chemical oxygen demand removed was converted to methane.

Both the nonlinear least square method with 95% confidence interval and linear regression were used to evaluate kinetic coefficients. The maximum substrate …

Gregarious Behavior In Large Mammals: Modeling, Methodology, And Application, Thomas L. Morton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gregarious behavior of ungulates was considered in four ways. The first concern was W. D. Hamilton's hypothesis that a simple movement rule could reduce predation risk and encourage grouping behavior. Simulations showed little effect of this nearest-neighbor rule on predation risk. Similar, more complicated rules reduced predation risk by up to two thirds.

The second focus was on the accuracy of ground observers in diagramming individual animal locations in small herds of elk. A remotely controlled airplane was used to photograph the herds from above. A substantial distance discrepancy was found between "true" and "observed" animal locations. This discrepancy increased …

Influence Of The Ruminant Digestive Process On The Germinability Of Range Forage Species, Mohammed S. Al-Mashikhi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ingestion and dispersal of seeds of desirable species by domestic livestock is potentially important as a range improvement practice, but the passage of seed by livestock has only been studied in a fragmented way, particularly for species adapted to rangelands of western North America. The objectives of this research were to examine the effects of different periods of exposure to in vitro and in vivo digestion processes in cattle on the germinability of several grass species, and determine if the in vitro incubation technique is a good predictor of seed fate following passage through the ruminant digestive tract.

Seeds of …

Analysis Of Cutthroat Flume Discharge Ratings, Liyan Ren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sixteeen sets of original laboratory data collected by many investigators for various Cutthroat flume sizes are thoroughly reviewed and organized. Best-fit discharge parameters are obtained by performing the free-flow analysis and the submerged-flow analysis. Then, the transition submergence can be calculated. Afterwards, the unified free-flow and submerged-flow discharge parameters are developed for each flume size in order to generalize the calibrations for Cutthroat flumes. This is a very tedious process requiring a trial-and-error approach. Finally, comparisons are made of the measured laboratory discharges with the predicted discharges for both free flow and submerged flow using both the best-fit and the …

Postbreeding Ecology Of Adult Male Northern Pintails And Cinnamon Teal Near Great Salt Lake, Utah, Robert R. Cox Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied nutrient reserves, digestive organs, molt intensity, diets, and seasonal changes in food resources available to postbreeding adult male Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) and Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) in marshes near Great Salt Lake, Utah. Total lipid and protein reserves of Northern Pintails were lower during the flightless period than before or after. For Cinnamon Teal, total protein was lowest during the flightless period, and total lipid showed a similar trend. Total mineral did not differ among plumage classes in either species. Use of nutrient reserves in these species may be an endogenous rhythm in …

Fat Content Of American Kestrels (Falco Sparverius) And Sharp-Shinned Hawks (Accipiter Striatus) Estimated By Total Body Electrical Conductivity, Shari M. Harden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) is a noninvasive method for the estimation of lean mass in live subjects. Lipid content can be calculated from the body mass measured and the lean mass estimated from TOBEC. I used live American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) to study the accuracy of this method. TOBEC measurements were compared to actual body content determined by Soxhlet fat extraction using petroleum ether as the solvent. TOBEC estimated 73.7% of the variation in lean mass in a sample of 21 kestrels. The use of restraining devices (Vetrap and cardboard cylinders) altered the TOBEC measurement but only …

Marital Satisfaction Over The Family Life Cycle Among Taiwanese Couples, Sheng-Te Chang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there were different subjective reports of marital satisfaction or dissatisfaction across the life cycle for Taiwanese couples. In examining this question two of the three selected instruments demonstrated sufficient reliability so as to be included in the overall study, namely, the Marital Adjustment Scale (MAS) and the Spanier Dyadic Adjust Scale (SDAS). These instruments were translated from English to Chinese, then administered to 259 couples volunteering to participate in the study. Couples were grouped according to their placement along the life cycle.

The results of the study indicate that …

Conceptualizing The Youthful Male Sex Offender: A Meta-Analytic Examination Of Offender Characteristics By Offense Type, Roger B. Graves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A review of the literature demonstrates that, to date, no concerted effort has been made to conceptualize and develop typologies for youthful male sex offenders on the basis of offense type. Such typologies are deemed important to the understanding of possible developmental antecedents for sexual offending, as well as to the development of theory-driven, empirically based interventions and preventions. This study attempts to begin the conceptualization process through a meta-analytic examination of 140 research samples that provide data on over 16,000 individuals who have committed sexual offenses as youth. Three subtypes of offenders are identified on the basis of offense …

Preschool Children's Perceptions Of Their Parents: A Comparison Of Children From Married And Divorced Homes, Sondra Moe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young children's perceptions of their parents have been shown to affect responses to parents, and to be relevant in personality development and self-esteem. Typically, research examining children's perceptions of their parents focused on children from intact families. Yet, with the frequent occurrence of divorce in our society, and the trauma and lifestyle changes often associated with marital dissolution, it is possible that children's perceptions of their parents may also change.

This study compared two groups of preschool children's perceptions of their parents. Forty - two children (23 males, 19 females) came from two parent, first marriage families. Thirty-two children (16 …

The Relationship Between Marcia's Ego Identity Status Paradigm And Erikson's Psychosocial Theory, Lawrence Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While Erikson's psychosocial theory continues to dominate theoretical explanations of adolescent identity development. Marcia's ego identity status paradigm has become the primary basis to empirically measure such notions. Though Marcia's paradigm has its roots in psychosocial theory. questions have surfaced regarding the communality of Marcia's and Erikson's notions on identity. Issues of scope. connectedness. definition. terminology. and measurement have marked a potential divergence among the two approaches-views which until recently seemed almost unified. This study addressed the relationship between Erikson's psychosocial theory and Marcia's ego identity status paradigm. By administering identity and psychosocial stage-specific measures to a sample of college-age …

Influence Of Microphytic Crusts On Selected Soil Physical And Hydrologic Properties In The Hartnet Draw, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah., John Dana Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microphytic crust influences on selected physical and hydrologic soil properties were examined at one location in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Designed experiments were conducted in a sandy loam soil where microphytic crusts were present without the concomitant development of confounding physical or chemical soil conditions. Three treatments were used for all experiments: control, chemically killed (microphytes killed but left in place), and scalped (microphytic crusts mechanically removed).

A portable wind tunnel was used to deter-nine if microphytic crusts contribute to soil stability and reduce the erosive effect of wind. Significantly lower threshold friction velocity and greater wind-entrained material were …

The Role Of Gender Differences In The Relationship Between Guilt- And Shame-Proneness And Depressive Symptomatology, Julie Bingham Shiffler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by gender in the relationship between the degree of depressive symptomatology and levels of adaptive guilt-, maladaptive guilt-, and shame-proneness in a college population. A measure of depressive symptomatology (the Beck Depression Inventory) and a measure of guilt- and shame-proneness (the Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory - Revised) were administered to 299 college students (113 males and 186 females). Females reported higher total levels of depressive symptomatology than males. Statistically significant gender differences were found for nine BDI items. Females also had higher levels of adaptive guilt-, maladaptive guilt-, …

The Impact Of Adolescent Pregnancy And Childbearing Experiences On Adolescent Psychosocial Development, Kwisun Huh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the number of teen pregnancy studies in the past, there is a dearth of empirical data relevant to the issue of psychosocial and/or developmental changes in adolescent mothers. Most previous studies have addressed the negative and devastating impact of teen pregnancy on adolescent development. The premise of these early studies was that adolescents have pathological reasons for becoming pregnant. Contrary to these studies, an underlying assumption of this study was that teen pregnancy as a life crisis could entail the same facilitating and inhibiting factors that emerge with other adolescent life crises. Based on Erikson's theoretical framework, this study …