Digital Commons Network^™

Beneficial Fungal Interactions Resulting In Accelerated Germination Of Astragalus Utahensis, A Hard-Seeded Legume, Sean D. Eldredge

Theses and Dissertations

Seed germination is pivotal in the life cycle of native plants in a restorative context because initiation of the metabolic processes critical to establishment is key to survival in such a competitive environment. Dormancy characteristics of some native plants including the subject species, Astragalus utahensis, have evolved mechanisms to control germination in order to maintain a seed bank and ensure germination at the right time under optimal conditions. In vitro germination studies confirm beneficial interactions between Alternaria and Aspergillus fungi and Astragalus utahensis seed. Inoculated seed trials (1.0 x 106 spores/mL) exhibited a highly significant difference in percent germination between …

Tribal College Culture-Based Education Impacts American Indian Students In North America, Loann Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Life Circle Tribal College (a pseudonym), as other tribal colleges, claims its purpose for existence is to help increase American Indians' access to affordable and culturally relevant vocational and academic postsecondary education. This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) How did students and staff at Life Circle Tribal College perceive Life Circle Tribal College as fulfilling the cultural portion of its mission? (2) What impact did students and staff feel the culture-based education approach used at Life Circle Tribal College had on students' lives in their educational pursuits at the tribal college, in their current and future relationships …

Social Isolation Meets Technological Innovation: Towards Developing A Model Of Communication Among Parents Who Homeschool, Megan Nicole Tollefson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how a sample of homeschoolers were using blogs. In this study of homeschoolers and their blog use, a content analysis of 25 blogs with entries from September 2006, February 2007, and June 2007 were studied. The subjects were homeschoolers who blogged; 19 were females, three were males, and six did not clearly identify themselves as male or female. Seven themes emerged through a content analysis: resources, succeeding at homeschooling, homeschooling and fun, advice, questioning homeschoolers, current events, and socialization. These themes were verified through a word count listing from the software used …

Built Environment And Rural Women: A Case Study Approach, Jeanine Esther Gangeness

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a worldwide concern resulting in disease and disability which disproportionately impacts women and rural populations. Rural women tend to be physically inactive and are at higher risk for obesity. The purpose of this case study was to describe and explain 1) the perceptions of rural women regarding rural built environments conducive to physical activity, and 2) what influences availability, accessibility, acceptability, and maintenance of these built environments for physical activity of rural women. March 2006 through April 2007 data collection occurred in two rural communities with populations of less than 1,000. The ecologic model and feminist underpinnings guided …

Coordinating Student Experiences In The Health Care Setting - A Design For Efficient And Effective Learning, Communication And Patient Care, Mary Amundson

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical courses are an essential part of the curriculum for any major involving health care careers. These courses provide the health care student the opportunity to transition from the classroom to the health care environment prior to graduation through guided practice in the provision of patient care. Clinical experiences leave the student with a greater understanding of wellness as well as the pathophysiology of disease, recognition of the relationship between interventions and outcomes, realization of the interplay of culture, spirituality and emotional status with the physical response of the body and provide the student with the ability to provide care …

Community Breastfeeding Attitudes And Beliefs, Patty Ryan Vari

Theses and Dissertations

Breastmilk is designed by nature to meet the specific needs of the human species and provides all that is necessary for normal infant growth, development, and health for the first six months of life. Efforts to extend that message publicly have resulted in an increase of breastfeeding rates, yet still have not reached the goals of Healthy People 2010. This paper adds to the body of breastfeeding literature to understand why some women breastfeed and others do not by exploring some of the individual characteristics of a Midwestern university community, including their breastfeeding and bottle feeding (formula) beliefs, attitudes, and …

The Ecology Of Translocated Greater Sage-Grouse In Strawberry Valley, Utah, Rick Joseph Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

Manuscript No. 1 Translocations of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been attempted in 7 states and one Canadian province with very little success. To recover a small remnant population and test the efficacy of sage-grouse translocations, we captured and transported 137 adult female sage-grouse from 2 source populations to a release site in Strawberry Valley, Utah during March-April 2003-2005. The resident population of sage-grouse in Strawberry Valley was approximately 150 breeding birds prior to the release. We radiomarked each female and documented survival, movements, reproductive effort, flocking with resident grouse, and lek attendance. We used Program MARK to calculate annual …

The Effectiveness Of Prophylactic Eye Drops On The Reversal Of Uv-Light Induced Cataracts, Contessa Bly Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

Cataracts are a cloudiness of the lens within the eye which obstructs vision. They are found in many species including rats, dogs, and humans. Vision is hindered where this "cloudiness", made of water build up and broken crystalline, proteins take form. Oculvet is an eye medication, used by veterinarians, containing carnosine as its active ingredient. Topical application of carnosine is reported to be an effective treatment for the prevention and removal of pre-existing cataracts. For this experiment, Sprague- Dawley rats were anesthetized and exposed to ultraviolet radiation, UVB and UVC. They were divided into four groups (n = 32), three …

A Bioeconomic Model Of Recirculating Shrimp Production Systems, Xia Vivian Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

To prevent disease outbreaks and increase competitiveness of U.S. shrimp products, U.S. aquaculture researchers have developed super-intensive, bio-secure, recirculating shrimp production systems since the early 1990s. The general objective of this research is to determine an optimal production strategy to maximize the net revenue for the system. An inventory optimization model was built to determine the optimal harvesting week, shrimp size, and number of crops per year for experimental trials conducted at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, MS), the Waddell Maricultural Center (Bluffton, SC), and the Oceanic Institute (Oahu, HI). Survival rate and selling price sensitivity analyses were …

Growth Responses Of Marigold, Zinnia And Vinca Grown In 288 Plug Trays Coated With Zinc Chloride Compounds, Pamela Gail Reid Rhoades

Theses and Dissertations

Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine effects of zinc chloride compounds on foliar and root growth of Marigold (tagetes patula), Zinnia (zinnia elegans) and Vinca (catharanthus roseus). Four different experiments were conducted using zinc chloride compounds applied as a spray on 288 plug trays at rates of 0 (paint only), 3.5, 7, and 14 percent. Experiment I includes examining uptake of zinc into potting media. Experiment II examined plant growth at the various application rates and included a visual survey. Experiment III used microscopic studies to determine effects of zinc compounds on root growth. Experiment IV examined the effect of …

Effects Of 6/85-Strain Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Inoculation Alone At 10 Weeks Of Age Or In Conjunction With Fmg Inoculation Overlays At 22 Or 45 Weeks Of Age On The Performance, Egg, Blood, And Visceral Characteristics Of Commercial Egg Laying Hens, Kristin Allo Viscione

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of 6/85-strain M. gallisepticum (6/85MG) inoculation alone or in conjunction with a F-strain M. gallisepticum (FMG) over-lay and its timing on the performance, egg, blood, and visceral characteristics of commercial egg laying hens were investigated. The applied treatments did not affect layer performance, but did affect yolk moisture and fatty acids, liver moisture, and plasma protein. The plasma protein and liver moisture changes may be indicative of the effects of the treatments on the hydration statuses of the birds during lay, whereas alterations in yolk palmitic, oleic, and linolenic acid levels with treatment may have been manifested by …

Genetic And Virulence Diversity Of Flavobacterium Columnare, Esteban Soto

Theses and Dissertations

Flavobacterium columnare is a freshwater fish bacterium responsible for columnaris disease, the second leading cause of mortality in pond raised catfish in the southeastern United States. Pulsedield gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is a particularly powerful tool in epidemiology and is now regarded as the gold standard for molecular typing of microorganisms. We developed methods for conducting PFGE on F. columnare, and determined its efficacy for characterizing F. columnare strains isolated from different locations in the Southeastern United States. Virulence diversity was observed in two different immersion challenge experiments conducted with 16 different isolates in channel catfish fingerlings. A direct correlation was …

The Effect Of Pasteurization Temperature On Consumer Acceptability, Sensory Characteristics, Volatile Compound Composition, And Shelf-Life Of Fluid Milk, April Lynne Gandy

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship among consumer acceptability, descriptive sensory attributes, and shelf-life was determined for 2 % milk pasteurized at 77, 79, 82, or 85?aC. Pasteurization temperature had no effect (p>0.05) on shelf-life. Consumers preferred (p<0.05) 79?aC over other treatments on day 0; however, six days post-pasteurization 79?aC milk was only preferred (p<0.05) over 77?aC. Consumers were grouped into eight clusters based on product liking for both day 0 and 6 evaluations. The largest cluster liked all pasteurization treatments, and 79?aC was highly acceptable to all consumers that liked milk. Similar sensory descriptors indicated the end of shelf-life for all pasteurization treatments even though treatments could be differentiated by descriptors on day 0. This research reveals that altering pasteurization temperature from 79?aC may cause a decrease in consumer acceptability to some consumers. Altering pasteurization temperature does not affect shelf-life or sensory descriptors and volatile compound profiles at the end of shelf-life.

The Effects Of The Secondary Carbon Source Glycerol On The Lipid Accumulation And Fatty Acid Profile Of Rhodotorula Glutinis, Emily Ruth Echols Easterling

Theses and Dissertations

Producing biodiesel from triacylglycerol (TAG) generates glycerol as a byproduct which could be recycled and used to grow the oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula glutinis. R. glutinis has the ability to produce up to 70% of its weight in the form of TAG. This study is designed to determine the effects of glycerol on the TAG and fatty acids produced by R. glutinis. After 24 hrs, R. glutinis cultured on medium containing dextrose, xylose, glycerol, dextrose and xylose, xylose and glycerol, or dextrose and glycerol accumulated 16, 12, 25, 10, 21, and 34% TAG on a dry weight basis, respectively. The fatty …

The Influence Of Probiotic Lactobacilli On Glucose Uptake By Caco-2 Cells, Arun Kumar Rooj

Theses and Dissertations

The resident microbes of human gastrointestinal tract cause both harmful and beneficial effects and these effects can be modulated by the administration of beneficial probiotic bacteria. Probiotics attribute several therapeutic and preventive beneficial effects, for both humans and animals. Despite the good effects of probiotic bacteria, the role of probiotic bacteria or their metabolites on the nutrient uptake by enterocytes is very less known. Most studies describe the genomic effects of probiotic bacteria on the transport properties. This thesis describes the short term (10 min or less) non-genomic effects of probiotic bacteria on the glucose uptake by human enterocytes like …

The Relationship Of Diet, Stress, Intestinal Nitric Oxide Production, And Intestinal Microflora In Chickens, Monticha Putsakum

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were first, to investigate the effect of stress and ascorbic acid (AA) supplement during stress on intestinal microflora of broilers and layers, and secondly, to determine nitric oxide (NO) production in intestinal tract of broilers during stress, when supplemented with L-arginine, and NO production in cecal bacteria. The intestinal microflora from broilers and layers were analyzed for bacterial populations during stress and when supplemented with ascorbic acid. In both studies, stress response was induced by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) via a mini osmotic pump for 7 days, and intestinal samples were collected before and after stress …

Understanding The Nifm Dependence Of Nifh In Azotobacter Vinelandii: Functional Substitution Of Nifh By A Nifh-Chll Chimeric Construct In A Nifm- Strain, Kelvin Harris Jr

Theses and Dissertations

The enzyme nitrogenase catalyzes the energy-dependent reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia via biological nitrogen fixation. Nitrogenase is composed of two metalloproteins known as the molybdenum-iron (MoFe) protein and the iron (Fe) protein. The Fe protein, a 60-kDa dimer of the product of the nifH gene, contains a single 4Fe-4S cluster and two Mg-ATP-binding sites, one at each subunit. The Fe protein is the obligate electron donor to the MoFe protein. To date, no other mutual protein has shown to substitute Fe protein in biological fixation, and the NifH is functional only in the presence of the nifessory protein NifM. Interestingly, …

Maternal High-Salt Diet During Pregnancy In Sprague Dawley Rats Programs Exaggerated Stress-Induced Blood Pressure And Heart Rate Responses In Adult Female Offspring, Summer Hayes King

Theses and Dissertations

The prenatal environment has been shown to have lasting effects on cardiovascular health. In the present study, pregnant rats were fed a 0.7% NaCl normal salt (NS) diet or an 8% NaCl high salt (HS) diet throughout pregnancy. Adult offspring were fitted with radiotelemetry probes to continuously measure blood pressure and heart rate. Rats were placed in restraining cages to test for a programmed acute stress hyperresponsiveness. Offspring were challenged with HS diet for one week to determine if blood pressure salt sensitivity had been programmed by the prenatal HS diet. Animals were killed following resting and acute stress conditions, …

Identification Of Psychological Stressors For Long Duration Space Missions: Psychological Stressors Among Five Astronauts And Cosmonauts, Melinda S. Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

As humans continue to experience space missions of longer and longer duration, more and more high intensity stressors are going to be experienced. Although physiological stressors have been studied, there have been few studies on the psychological stressors. Those that are present primarily focused on the polar environment as a space analogue. In order to answer the question of how stressors may affect future astronauts and cosmonauts, the evolutoinary reasons behind stress must be considered not only the type and intensity of the stressors.

Five astronauts and cosmonauts representing three space agencies were surveyed regarding their experiences with ten types …

The Relationship Of Epidural Labor Analgesia And Apgar Scores, Nikki J. Eckman

Theses and Dissertations

Childbirth can be a very painful process. Pain that accompanies labor induces the stress response which is a very dynamic process and can cause maternal and fetal complications. Maternal responses to the stress of labor and delivery include hyperventilation, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. These effects can adversely impact the fetus by inducing abnormal fetal heart rates and rhythms, fetal acidosis, and low placental blood flow. Epidural labor analgesia is a pain relieving modality that reduces the stress response in the laboring woman.

The purpose of this study was to discover if relationships between epidural labor analgesia and …

Questioning The Consumer Culture: A Qualitative Study On Voluntary Simplicity, Timothy S. Beecher

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study documents an understanding of the experiences of people who have adopted a voluntary simple lifestyle. Included in this analysis is the meaning of voluntary simplicity to those who have chosen this lifestyle and their values motivating them to adopt such a lifestyle. Specifically, questions were asked regarding participants’ meaning of voluntary simplicity, values and beliefs that motivate living such a lifestyle, how the participants maintain this lifestyle, and the role their possessions play in their life. Twelve participants were interviewed through telephone correspondence. Participants were recruited through online voluntary simple networks namely, A Center for a New …

Cloning And Characterization Of The Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (Sos1) Gene In Chenopodium Quinoa Willd., Taylor Brian Turner

Theses and Dissertations

Salt tolerance is a commercially important trait that affects plant species around the globe. Cellular response to saline environments is a well studied but complex system that is far from being completely understood. The SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE 1 (SOS1) gene is a critical component of salt tolerance in many species, encoding a plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter that plays an important role in germination and growth in saline environments. Here we report a preliminary investigation of salt tolerance in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). Quinoa is a halophytic grain crop of the Chenopodiaceae family with impressive nutritional content and an increasing world-wide …

Protein Coevolution And Coadaptation In The Vertebrate Bc1 Complex, Kimberly Kay Baer

Theses and Dissertations

The cytochrome bc1 complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain accomplishes the enzymatic reaction known as the modified Q-cycle. In the Q-cycle the bc1 complex transports protons from the matrix to the intermembrane space of the mitochondria, creating the proton gradient used to make ATP. The energy to move these protons is obtained by shuttling electrons from the coenzyme ubiquinol (QH2) to coenzyme ubiquinone (Q) and the mobile cytochrome c. This well studied complex is ideal for examining molecular adaptation because it consists of ten different subunits, it functions as a dimer, and it includes at least five different active …

Development And Characterization Of Microsatellite Markers For The Grain Amaranths (Amaranthus Spp. L.), Melanie Ann Mallory

Theses and Dissertations

The grain amaranths (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L., A. cruentus L., and A. caudatus L.) are important pseudocereals native to the Americas that have received increased attention for their nutritional content, specifically their balance of amino acids. The objective of this project was to produce and characterize a set of highly informative, reproducible microsatellite markers for the grain amaranths. A total of 1457 clones were sequenced from three genomic libraries enriched for the microsatellite motifs AAC, AAT and AC. Of these, 353 (24%) contained unique microsatellites. An additional 29 microsatellite loci were identified among 728 BAC-end sequences of a newly developed amaranth …

The Prolamins Of Pearl Millet, Christian B. Ricks

Theses and Dissertations

Although work on the prolamins of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) has revealed partial amino acid sequences for several alcohol-soluble storage proteins (Marcellino et al. 2002) the genes encoding them have not yet been isolated. We constructed a cDNA library from developing P. glaucum seed tissue and screened it using maize zein gene probes to isolate several α-prolamin-like gene sequences. The proteins encoded by these genes generally fall into two size classes: 20.6kD and 27.1kD, which we call the 21kD and 27kD pennisetins. Both proteins are similar in composition and sequence to α-prolamins from maize, sorghum and Coix. Protein bodies that …

Self-Esteem As A Predictor Of Treatment Outcome Among Women With Eating Disorders, Suzanne F. Plowman

Theses and Dissertations

Current empirical evidence suggests that true recovery from eating disorders is not possible without a corresponding improvement in body image and self-esteem. Ten studies in current literature evaluate this relationship between self-esteem and clinical eating disorders during inpatient treatment or during follow-up studies but do not provide both pre- (baseline) and post-treatment self-esteem scores. As a result, many questions about the nature of the relationship between eating disorders and self-esteem remain unanswered. The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate whether a comprehensive measure of self-esteem, given to women at the beginning of inpatient treatment for eating disorders, reliably …

Eating And Substance Use: A Comparison Of Latter-Day Saint And Non-Latter-Day Saint College Females, Monika Sandberg

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined differences between Latter-Day Saint (LDS) and non-Latter-Day Saint (non-LDS) females across six universities in the United States regarding desire to engage in substance use and eating behaviors in response to negative emotion. Additionally, this study explored differences between LDS and non-LDS females regarding body image, as well as body image differences between LDS females residing inside Utah and outside Utah. Findings suggested that non-LDS females were more likely to experience increased urges to use substances in response to negative emotion than LDS females, consistent with LDS doctrine teaching the avoidance of substance use. LDS females also did …

Dietary Fiber Intake And Body Fat Gain: A Prospective Cohort Study Of Middle-Aged Women, Kathryn Suzanne Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the extent to which changes in dietary fiber consumption affect weight and body fat percentage (BF%) over time. An auxiliary objective was to examine the influence of age, total caloric intake, and physical activity (PA) on the relationship between changes in fiber intake and changes in body composition over time. Design/ Subjects: Prospective cohort design with baseline and follow-up assessments 20 months apart and 252 middle-aged women (40.1±3.0 y). Diet, particularly caloric and fiber intake, was measured using 7-day weighed food records. Body fat was assessed via the Bod Pod, and PA was measured …

C-Reactive Protein Levels According To Physical Activity And Body Weight For Participants In The Coronary Health Improvement Project, Michael T. Massey

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. Evaluate C-reactive protein (CRP) levels according to weight and physical activity. The study explored how changes in CRP were associated with baseline CRP, weight, and physical activity and changes in these variables.

Methods. A randomized controlled study design assigned 348 individuals to the intervention or control group with measurements taken at baseline, 6 weeks, and 6 months of body weight, physical activity, and serum CRP levels. Participants attended an intensive 40-hour educational course delivered over a four-week period.

Results. At baseline, CRP was negatively associated with total steps/week, and positively associated with weight, BMI, percent fat, and saturated fat …

Emotional Health And Weight Gain: A Prospective Study Of Middle-Aged Women, Ann Bahr

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which risk of gaining weight or body fat is affected by emotional health in women. A secondary objective was to determine the influence of age, baseline weight and body fat, physical activity (PA), energy intake, and changes in PA and energy intake, on the relationship between emotional health and gains in weight and body fat. The study was a prospective cohort investigation over 20 months of 256 healthy, non-obese females (age: 35-45 y, BMI < 30 kg/m2). All subjects were assessed for several variables using objective measurements at baseline and again at 20 months. Emotional health was assessed using the General Well-Being Schedule. Body fat percentage was indexed using the Bod Pod. PA was measured objectively using MTI (CSA) accelerometers, and energy intake was measured using weighed, 7-day food records. The results of the study demonstrated that risk of gains in weight and body fat were no greater in depressed women compared to their counterparts. However, 171 (66.8%) subjects demonstrated less than positive (LTP) emotional health at baseline, and 37.4% of these subjects gained weight during the 20-month study. Conversely, 85 (33.2%) subjects had positive emotional health at baseline, but only 23.5% gained weight over the investigational period. With no variables controlled, women with LTP emotional health had 59% greater risk of weight gain over the study period than women with positive emotional health (RR 1.59, 95% CI = 1.04-2.44). Women with LTP emotional health were at no greater risk of gains in body fat percentage than women with positive emotional health (RR 0.96, 95% CI = 0.70-1.33). After adjusting for each potential confounder individually, risk of gaining weight or body fat did not change. However, after adjusting for all of the potential confounders simultaneously, risk of weight gain was weakened (RR 1.43, 95% CI = 0.93-2.21). These results seem to demonstrate that middle-aged women with LTP emotional health may be at increased risk of gaining weight compared to women with positive emotional health.