Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Affecting The Harvest Vulnerability Of Trumpeter Swans, Heidi L. Tangermann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two species of swan are regularly found in Utah, tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) and trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator). Tundra swans migrate through Utah. During the fall migration period they are hunted in the state under guidelines established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Trumpeter swans are occasional visitors to Utah during the same migration period. Because trumpeter swans are difficult to distinguish from tundra swans in flight, they 11 are at risk of being harvested during the swan hunt. In my thesis, I examine the factors that may influence trumpeter swan vulnerability to …

Application Of Biophysical Data To An Unsupervised Classification To Map Ecoregional Boundaries In The Desert Southwest, Paxton R. Mcclurg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An unsupervised classification was applied to continuous biophysical variables in an attempt to delineate ecoregional boundaries in the desert southwest. Output was then compared with ecoregions delineated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Forest Service at the national level. An attempt was made to use the same biophysical variables for input into the unsupervised classification as was emphasized by the various agencies with their ecoregional classifications at the desert level. Major constraints included data availability at such a large study area, data resolution, and data that were continuous. This eliminated categorical data …

Effects Of Physical Activity And Religiosity On Psychophysiological Reactivity In An Aging Population, Tera L. Lensegrav Benson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Physical activity is known to offer health benefits. Additionally, research has linked religious involvement with health. Psychophysiological reactivity has links to coronary heart disease. This study examines the relationship between physical activity and religiosity in light of psychophysiological reactivity. The sample included 75 subjects, with a mean age of 71. 7 (SD = 6.11 ), with no history of cardiac incident. Religiosity was measured with the Religious Orientation Scale (ROS). Physical activity was assessed utilizing the Typical Week Physical Activity Scale. Psychophysiological reactivity was measured by blood pressure, heart rate, and self-report anger ratings in response to interpersonal challenge. …

Identifying The Bases For Gender Differences In Guilt And Shame, R. Shawn Edmondson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gender differences are frequently revealed on the popular TOSCA-2 measure of guilt- and shame-proneness. These gender differences could reflect biases in the eliciting conditions that participants evaluate and confounds between them. A new instrument, the Gender Relevant Test of Self-Conscious Affect (GR-TOSCA), was developed to eliminate these confounds, thereby introducing a gender-sensitive, and therefore more valid, measure of guilt and shame proneness. The psychometric integrity of the new instrument, hypotheses regarding condition-specific gender differences in the two emotions, and relationships of guilt- and shame-proneness scores to gender role endorsement were examined in a sample of undergraduate students (93 men and …

Stratigraphy And Paleoecology Of The Morrison Formation, Como Bluff, Wyoming, Melissa V. Connely

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Morrison Formation at Como Bluff, Wyoming, has been historically known for containing a rich source of Late Jurassic vertebrate fossils. However, when collected, most of these fossils were not positioned into a stratigraphic or sedimentologic framework. Research shows that the Morrison Formation at Como Bluff can be divided into three members. These members can be identified by lithologic and paleontological characteristics. The lower Morrison members include the Windy Hill Member and the recently described Lake Como Member. The Windy Hill Member primarily contains near-shore marine sandstone. Megavertebrate fauna is lacking. The Lake Como Member contains illitic clay in red …

A Conceptual Model To Characterize Internal Structure Of Plant Communities Based On Functional Traits In Camp Williams, Utah, And Camp Grayling, Michigan, Patricia Hernandez De La Rosa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

How plants from a common species pool form community has been considered from a variety of approaches. A promising approach involves the search for assembly rules based on plant functional traits. This approach has potential to provide insight into community and ecosystem processes In this research. a general and simple conceptual model based on life forms and independent of species is used as a framework for assessing the internal structure of plant communities. Plant functional traits are used to identify patterns within and between plant communities in the contrasting environments of Camp Williams, Utah, and Camp Grayling, Michigan.

The conceptual …

Analyses Of Diet And Geographic Variation In Leaf-Nosed Snakes, Phyllorhynchus, Stephanie A. Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study revealed that P. decurtatus primarily eat squamate eggs, and that the diet of P. browni appears to consist entirely of squamate eggs; gecko tails constitute a very small proportion of the diet of P. decurtatus. Feeding in both species occurred throughout their active seasons and both species increased prey consumption in August. The sexes of P. browni, but not P. decurtatus showed different monthly feeding patterns. Desert-of-collection did not affect P. decurtatus monthly feeding patterns. Phyllorhynchus decurtatus collected from the Sonoran Desert and P. browni, which is found only in the Sonoran Desert, showed similar …

Patterns And Processes Of Population Differentiation In The Chuckwalla (Sauromalus Obesus) In Southern Nevada, Paul C. Ustach

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I examined both present-day and historical patterns in the herbivorous desert lizard, Sauromalus obesus (chuckwalla), within the Mojave Desert ecoregion in Nevada. My goal was to determine the process or processes that led to their present-day distribution. I expected to recover distinct haplotypes unique to each mountain range. These unique haplotypes were expected to reveal a pattern of geographic partitioning with sequence divergence among populations increasing as a function of distance. I characterized the distribution of chuckwallas in Nevada by means of a simple model using a geographic information system (GIS). This simple model was used to enhance sampling efficiency …

The Role Of Brown Bears (Ursus Arctos) In Nutrient Transport Into Forests Near A Salmon Stream In Coastal British Columbia, Canada, Arthur Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nutrients from spawned salmon contribute to the fertility of rivers and riparian areas. Adjacent forests, even far from rivers, could receive substantial amounts of nitrogen and other nutrients from salmon. Since brown bears feed heavily on spawning salmon, bears probably influence the movement of nutrients from salmon into surrounding forests. Because salmon-derived nitrogen is high in ¹⁵N, increased isotopic enrichment is expected in forest soils and vegetation if this transport is occurring. Based on relative ¹⁵N enrichment of spawning areas, a quantitative estimate of marine-derived nitrogen (MDN) can be obtained using a linear two-source mixing model. To evaluate …

The Role Of The Arabidopsis Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase In Vacuolar Protein Transport, Christopher A. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In all eukaryotic organisms vesicle-mediated protein transport is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Over the past decade significant strides have been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing this complex process. Both genetic and biochemical studies have demonstrated the unequivocal involvement of class III phospatidylinositol 3-kinases (PtdIns 3-kinases) in regulating vesicle transport. While PtdIns 3-kinases have been well studied in both yeast and mammalian systems, the role of these enzymes in plants is poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that the Arabidopsis Ptdlns 3-kinase is localized to the cytoplasm, and perhaps the Golgi apparatus. Moreover, we show that …

The Development Of A Bluetongue Virus Diagnostic Assay Using Peptides Derived From The Structural Protein Vp7 And Nonstructural Protein Ns2, Yi Lu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Several peptides derived from viral proteins, VP7 and NS2 of bluetongue virus (BTV), were synthesized for an immunologic detection assay: distinguishing between bluetongue virus infected, vaccinated, and noninfected animals (ruminants) with dot blot analysis. The School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, supplied the serum samples from 24 bovine, 18 caprine, 23 ovine. Another 205 bison serum samples were obtained in Utah. The serum samples of BTV-infected animals revealed detectable antibodies to both VP7 and NS2 peptides, whereas vaccinated animals only exhibited antibodies against VP7. Noninfected animals did not display antibody against either viral peptide. These data confirmed the …

Movement Patterns Of Phrynosoma Mcallii And Phrynosoma Platyrhinos In Response To Substrate Texture, Daniel H. Foley Iii

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During the summers of 1999 and 2000 the apparent habitat partitioning of two species of sympatric horned lizards was investigated at the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range near Yuma, Arizona. The flat-tailed horned lizard, Phrynosoma mcallii, and the desert horned lizard, P. platyrhinos, overlap in range in portions of the Sonora desert in the southwestern United States. However, upon finer scale examination, it appeared that these horned lizards were partitioning the available habitat according to soil substrate texture. Phrynosoma mcallii appeared to be exclusively found in areas of fine, loose, wind-blown sands, in contrast to P. platyrhinos, …

Adoption Of Range Management Innovations By Utah Livestock Producers, Elizabeth Anne Didier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent years have seen changes in ecological conditions, ownership patterns, and political-legal forces that affect the sustainability of Western range livestock production. Enterprise diversification and implementation of improvements are advocated as ways for ranchers to cope with marginal returns from ranching while better managing resources. However, relatively few ranchers make such substantive changes in their operations, and previous research suggests that rates of adoption may be especially low in Utah.

Using a qualitative approach, this study explored innovation adoption among Utah ranchers. During preliminary interviews with 13 key informants, commitment to traditional ranching lifestyles, the state's settlement pattern, and availability …

Rescue Of Embryonic Dysmorphogenesis In Diabetic Rats By Using The Antioxidant Α- Lipoic Acid, Muhaira Hamad Majed Al Ghafli

Theses

Background:

The risk of congenital anomalies in children of diabetic mothers is three to four times that in offspring of non-diabetic mothers. The exact mechanisms of these birth defects are not known. Of the several factors suggested to contribute to embryonic maldevelopment in diabetic pregnancy, the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent disturbances to cellar defenses appears to be a plausible hypothesis. Antioxidants have been reported to rescue the embryos from being malformed in animal experiments. This study was aimed to determine if the ideal antioxidant lipoic acid would ameliorate the embryos from maternal diabetes-induced anomalies.

Methods:

Female …

The Bg News May 1, 2002, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. May 1, 2002. Volume 89-Issue 69.

Design And Implementation Of Web-Based Gis For Forest Fragmentation Analysis, Fei Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The advantages and limitations of current web GIS software for forest fragmentation information and analysis functionality were investigated using Landsat Thematic Mapper data of 1987 to 1999 for a test site in northern West Virginia. ESRI's ArcIMS technology was used to build a Web-based forest fragmentation analysis system to query, represent, and analyze the status of forest fragmentation using landscape metrics. Both ArcIMS HTML and Java fragmentation analysis tools were constructed. The web GIS was evaluated with respect to accessibility, navigation, interactive cartographic functionality, and spatial analysis functionality. The current ArcIMS approach was found to offer only limited support for …

Comparison Of Broiler Breeder Production And Fertility In A Colony Cage System With Two Different Floors Versus A Slat-Floor System, Joseph Wayne Massey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Two separate trials were conducted to compare egg production, egg weight, shell thickness, albumin height, fertility, and mortality of naturally mated broiler breeders maintained on either a slat and litter floor or in two tiered colony cages. In the first trial there was no difference (P > 0.05) in egg production between the two treatments. There was also no significant difference in hen mortality. Higher (P < 0.05) egg shell quality, albumin height, and shell thickness were observed in the cage maintained hens. Lower fertility (P < 0.05) was observed in the cage maintained hens. In the second trial production parameters were compared in naturally mated broiler breeders maintained on slat and litter floor, in colony cages on the original slats, and in colony cages on a modified slats. The modified slats were constructed from plastic and had a two piece design which produced a slight cushioning on the top of the slats. Egg production and mortality were not different (P > 0.05) among the three treatments. Eggshell thickness, albumin height, and shell thickness were lower (P > 0.05) in the litter and slat floor but not between the two cage treatments (P > 0.05). Fertility was higher (P …

Effects Of Intertrial Interval And D-Amphetamine On Temporally Organized Behavior Of Pigeons, Lori Marie Lieving

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present experiment examined the effects of intertrial interval and d-amphetamine on pecking of pigeons maintained by an interval bisection task. The side-tracking group responded based on the location of the key and the color-tracking group responded based on the color of the key. Intermediate stimulus durations were tested, separated by either a 10- or 100-s intertrial interval and a range of d-amphetamine doses and saline were administered. Acquisition of performance in the side-tracking group occurred in fewer sessions relative to the color-tracking group. In both groups, the proportion of long responses increased as a function of stimulus duration. These …

Assessing The Perceived Impact Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On Physical Therapy Education, Mia L. Erickson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) is becoming more common in allied health education. Research on CAI has provided mixed results. The purpose of this study was to compare uses of CAI in entry-level physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs. Secondary purposes included determining faculty attitudes toward CAI, determining how faculty select and evaluate CAI, and describing faculty perceptions of CAI and the computer-based licensing exam. Results indicate no significant differences in the amount of CAI in PT and PTA programs. Positive aspects reported include improved knowledge of technology and improved independence with information gathering. Negative aspects reported include …

Effects Of Morphine, D-Amphetamine, And Food Deprivation On Temporally Organized Behavior, Todd William Knealing

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Two experiments examined the effects of morphine and d-amphetamine on behavior that was temporally organized under several schedule arrangements. Two body weights were assessed for each experiment. Experiment 1 made use of fixed-interval (FI) schedules, the peak procedure, and a two-key (free-operant psychophysical) procedure. Indexes of timing performance under each of these schedules were assessed and compared. Timing indexes were decreased by both drugs in the two-key procedure, but were not reliably altered in the peak procedure. Both drugs produced clear rate-dependent effects on behavior in both procedures. In Experiment 2, FI performance was assessed both alone and with a …

Antitumor Activity Of Antimalarials In Human Breast Cancer Cells, Qun Zhou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previously we showed that quinidine arrested MCF-7 cells in G1 phase of the cell cycle and led to a G1 to G0 transition followed by apoptotic cell death (Wang et al., 1998). The present experiments demonstrate that MCF-7, MCF-7ras, T47D, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-435 cells transiently differentiate before undergoing apoptosis in response to quinidine. The cells accumulated lipid droplets and the cytokeratin 18 cytoskeleton was reorganized. Hyperacetylated histone H4 appeared within 2 h of the addition of quinidine to the medium, and levels were maximal by 24 h. Quinidine treated MCF-7 cells showed elevated p21/WAF1, hypophosphorylation and suppression of retinoblastoma protein, …

Influence Of Mass Of Ruminal Contents On Voluntary Intake And Digesta Passage Of A Concentrate And A Forage Diet, Marcela Ana Whetsell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To evaluate the influence of mass of rumen contents on voluntary intake and rumen function, five ruminally cannulated steers (500 kg) were fed a hay diet ad libitum in a 5 x 5 Latin square experiment. Mass of ruminal contents was altered by adding varying weights of modified tennis balls to the rumen before the initiation of each experimental period. Treatments consisted of 50 balls with a specific gravity (SG) of either 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 or 1.4 and the total weight of the balls was 7.45 kg, 8.50 kg; 9.25 kg, 10.55; and 11.55 kg, respectively. Daily DMI was …

Analysis And Robust Decentralized Control Of Power Systems Using Facts Devices, Karl E. Schoder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Today's changing electric power systems create a growing need for flexible, reliable, fast responding, and accurate answers to questions of analysis, simulation, and design in the fields of electric power generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption. The Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) technology program utilizes power electronics components to replace conventional mechanical elements yielding increased flexibility in controlling the electric power system. Benefits include decreased response times and improved overall dynamic system behavior. FACTS devices allow the design of new control strategies, e.g., independent control of active and reactive power flows, which were not realizable a decade ago. However, FACTS …

Small Mammal Communities On A Reclaimed Mountaintop Mine/Valley Fill Landscape In Southern West Virginia, Howard Douglas Chamblin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mountaintop mine/valley fill is a large-scale form of strip mining whose effects on small mammals had not previously been examined. Small mammals were captured by Sherman trap and drift fence array (pitfall and funnel traps) on 3 treatments representing the mined landscape and intact forests representing the unmined condition. Peromyscus ( P. leucopus and maniculatus) dominated Sherman captures and were the most common array capture. Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), woodland jumping mice (Napaeozapius insignus), woodland voles (Microtus pinetorum), northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda), and pygmy shrews (Sorex hoyi) were more common in forest treatments; Peromyscus, house mice (Mus musculus), southern …

Nest-Site Resources For Cavity-Nesting Birds In The Southern Allegheny Mountain Forests Of West Virginia, Harry A. Kahler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cavity-nesting birds may be negatively impacted by a lack of proper nesting sites. Southern Allegheny Mountain forests of West Virginia are unique due to the juxtaposition and diversity of forest cover types. Management must focus on monitoring wildlife population levels as well as habitat requirements within each cover type. Cavity tree abundance significantly differed among central hardwood (x¯ = 16.4; SE = 5.3), northern hardwood (x¯ =12.7; SE = 6.8), and boreal forest cover types (x¯ = 7.2; SE = 3.6) ( P < 0.0001). Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia) were most likely to have tree cavities, yet beech may be influenced by increased mortality from recent outbreaks of beech bark disease initiated by the beech scale insect (Cryptacoccus fagisuga). Nesting bird community density, richness, and abundance do not differ among mature forests of the 3 cover types. Cavity-nesting species dependent on available tree holes were found most in the central hardwoods (P = 0.009). Forest managers should consider landscape level effects, as well as forest stand composition, when recommending silvicultural treatments.

Effect Of Increased Energy In A Restricted Diet On Bone Mineral Composition And Breaking Load Of Young Rat Tibias, Marcia Ann Romanchak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Osteoporosis is a major health problem in the United States and those that are on energy restricted diets such as anorectic subjects. Thirty Wistar strain, young male rats were fed diets with varying quantities of fat for a period of four weeks (energy intake 67--75% of requirement). The rat tibias' physical properties were measured. Bone mineral composition testing was conducted for calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, on the tibia shaft. There were no significant differences among the parameters of length, diameter, volume, density, bone bending (elasticity), fracture load, and minerals between experimental diets. There was a negative association between bending and …

Comparison Of Herpetofaunal Species Composition And Response To Edge On The Camp Dawson Collective Training Area, Preston County, West Virginia, Amy B. Spurgeon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Herpetofaunal species composition, abundance, and diversity were evaluated on the Camp Dawson Collective Training Area, Preston County, West Virginia, as a requirement of the Sikes Act (16 USC 670a et seq.), Army Regulation 200-3, and Department of Defense Instruction 4715.3. Herpetofauna were sampled using pitfall traps with drift fences and double-ended funnel traps, and also from area searches. Redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus), red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus v. viridescens ), eastern American toad (Bufo a. americanus), and wood frog (Rana sylvatica) were most common in pitfall arrays; mountain dusky salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus), Appalachian seal salamander (Desmognathus m. monticola), and redback salamander were …

Retention Of Early Pregnancy And Its Relationship To Serum Progesterone In Dairy Cattle, Melanie J. Starbuck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Factors affecting pregnancy maintenance between 28 and 67 days of gestation were studied in dairy cows (N = 211). Beginning on day 28 to 37 post breeding, cows were examined by ultrasonography for a viable pregnancy. Pregnant cows were re-examined for pregnancy losses during the late embryonic (≤day 45) and early fetal stages up to day 67. Overall pregnancy loss was 11%, mostly occurring before day 45. Cows with two corpora lutea maintained fewer pregnancies than cows with one corpus luteum. Pregnancy retention was less when concentrations of progesterone were low during days 28 to 37. The embryo apparently died …

Relationship Between Maternal Prenatal Vitamin Use And Infant Iron Status, Jennie Pringle Wilkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Subjects were fifty-six women and their infants who were between the ages of six months and twenty-four months. They were clients of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) clinics. The WIC clinics were in the West Virginia counties of Ritchie, Gilmer, Calhoun, Braxton, Mason, Jackson, Pleasants, and Greenbrier where the anemia rates were greater than 10%.;Information concerning WIC participation, prenatal vitamin use, history of breast feeding, infant birth weight, and pre-term delivery were obtained through questionnaires. Infants' serum ferritin level was obtained through venous blood and analyzed.;This ex post facto study found no significant result in …

The Impact Of Visual Imagery Upon Congregants' Involvement In The Sermon, Daniel M. Bilkert

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.