Life Sciences Commons^™

Non-Suitable Habitat A Cause For Declining Bobolink Populations In Northern Utah, Bethany Q. Unger

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryxivories, populations are declining in Utah. I characterized the habitat conditions of known bobolink nesting sites in Utah and compared these conditions to those for nest sites in Wisconsin where bobolinks are abundant. My habitat assessment included identifying vegetation species, vegetation cover, pH, temperature, and precipitation at each site location. Vegetation cover different between Utah and Wisconsin nest sites. Precipitation varied for both locations with no correlation between water availability and bobolink presence. One possible driver for the reduction in bobolinks throughout Utah is the drastic increase in temperature. Other possible external factors include livestock grazing, edge distance, …

Effect Of Aggregation At A Winter Feeding Station On Intestinal Parasite Load In Elk (Cervus Canadensis), Morgan Jaromilla Hughes

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Winter feeding stations are used throughout the western US to reduce elk depredation of crops and haystacks on private lands. Many of the unintended effects of such artificial congregation remain unexamined, but generally, across species, locally increased host densities result in increased parasite loads. This adds physiological stress to individual animals and in game species such as elk it could reduce their value to sportsmen. Through laboratory analyses of fresh samples, we recorded nematode egg densities in elk feces collected during two periods ( early and late) in the supplementary feeding season. Mean nematode egg density remained fairly constant in …

Dna Methylation Analysis Of Lin28a & Hand1 In Electrostimulated Genetically Unmodified Porcine Fibroblast Cells Grown In Vitro, Sara E. Calicchia

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Pluripotent (undifferentiated) cells are important for their applications in regenerative medicine. However, gene-based nuclear reprogramming of adult somatic cells is a slow and inefficient process, and poses some risk to recipient patients. Therefore, a major goal within the field of stem cell biology is to find a way to accomplish adult somatic cell de-differentiation using small chemical modulators of gene expression or other non-genomic mechanisms. Pilot studies in our laboratory have suggested that cells exposed to silver ions generated by the passage of a weak electrical current through a silver wire show morphological and gene expression changes reminiscent of de-differentiation. …

The Influence Of Invasive Plants On The Small Mammal Community In A Cold Desert, Trinity N. Smith

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Exotic invasive species can alter ecosystem health. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Russian thistle (Salsola kali) and tall tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) are widely distributed invasive plants occurring throughout desert and shrub-steppe communities in the western United States. Due to the relative ease of capture, small mammal community metrics are often used to quantify overall ecosystem health. Studies examining small mammal communities are numerous but few have specifically examined the effects of invasive plants at the community level in arid ecosystems. In this study I examined community level small mammal responses to changes in microhabitat features, …

Development Of Genetic Goat And Hamster Models Of Atrial Fibrillation And Long Qt Syndrome; And Genetic Hamster Models Of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Dane A. Rasmussen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and long QT syndrome (LQTS) are potentially lethal heart rhythm disorders that can be caused by mutations in the potassium channel gene KCNQ1. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral infection with the potential to replicate the devastating effects of the SARS outbreak in 2003. All three of these diseases are in need of genetic animal models.

To address these needs, my thesis project focused on the development of genetic goat and hamster models of AF and LQTS, and genetic hamster models of MERS. Because of the goat’s similar organ size/physiology and the hamster’s similar lipid …

Effects Of Beef Finishing Diets And Muscle Type On Meat Quality, Fatty Acids And Volatile Compounds, Arkopriya Chail

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumer evaluation, proximate data, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), fatty acid (FA) composition and volatile compounds were analyzed from the ribeye steaks (LT) finished on conventional feedlot (FL) and forages, including a perennial legume, birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; Lotus corniculatus), and a grass, meadow brome (Bromus riparius Rehmann, Grass). Representative retail forage (USDA Certified Organic Grass-fed, COGF) and conventional beef (USDA Top Choice, TC) were investigated (n = 6) for LT. Additionally, the effects of diet on round (GM) and chuck (TB) muscles FL, BFT and Grass were explored. Forage-finished beef was less liked in most of the affected …

Improvement Of Nutrient Utilization Efficiency, Ruminal Fermentation And Lactational Performance Of Dairy Cows By Feeding Birdsfoot Trefoil, Rachael G. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Condensed tannins (CT) are compounds that have shown potential to reduce the environmental impact of dairy farming waste products. In two live animal studies and a continuous culture study, it was hypothesized that feeding birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus, BFT), a CT-containing legume, would improve nutrient utilization, milk, and component yield of dairy cows compared with feeding alfalfa hay or grass pasture in two studies, while feeding BFT forage would decrease methane production and improve rumen fermentation in addition to concentrate supplementation was the hypothesis of the third study. Reduction in milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and …

Growth Performance, Ruminal Fermentation Characteristics, And Economic Returns Of Growing Beef Steers Fed Brown Midrib, Corn, Silage-Based Diet, Christopher Scott Saunders

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sustainable beef production is extremely important to the beef cattle industry. Sustainability influences the environment, overall profits, and public concerns. One
factor that influences sustainability is the composition of cattle feed. This study compared conventional corn silage (CCS), which is most commonly used in beef steer feed, to brown midrib corn silage (BMR). Steers fed the two different diets were compared to determine differences in the areas of growth/animal performance, ruminal fermentation (digestion), and economic returns. The study included 24 beef steers randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Treatment groups were a total mixed feed ration that included …