Life Sciences Commons^™

Strategies For Increased Lactic Acid Production From Algal Cake Fermentations At Low Ph By Lactobacillus Casei, Tom J. Overbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We explored using de-oiled algal biomass (algal cake) as a low-value substrate for production of lactic acid in fermentations with Lactobacillus casei, and strategies for increasing lactic acid production at low pH. L. casei 12A algal cake (AC) fermentations showed carbohydrate and amino acid availability limit growth and lactic acid production. These nutritional requirements were effectively addressed with enzymatic hydrolysis of the AC using α-amylase, cellulase, and pepsin. Producing 0.075 g lactic acid per g AC from AC digested with all three enzymes. We explored heterologous expression of the cellulase gene (celE) from Clostridium thermocellum and the …

Identifying And Reducing Risk Of The Female Athlete Triad In Division I Athletes, Jennifer Day

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Physically active females, or female athletes, are at risk for the condition known as the female athlete triad (Triad). The Triad is made up of three components that are distinctly separate, but intertwined: consuming inadequate energy for how much they are exercising, poor bone health, and problems with their menstrual periods. When female athletes don’t consume enough energy for how much they exercise, there can be hormonal imbalances, causing the body to conserve energy from some important functions including menstruation, and increased bone turnover resulting in a higher risk of stress fractures and early osteoporosis. Female athletes at risk for …

Pregenomic And Genomic Effects Of 24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, Yang Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the United States, the major dietary source of protein is poultry meat, particularly chicken. Phosphorus absorption in chickens is a critical problem in poultry production. It therefore is important to understand the cellular and molecular regulation of phosphorous absorption in intestine to increase efficiency of the process. This would provide the benefits of reducing feed costs and reducing phosphorous excretion, thereby contributing to the sustainability of agriculture in the United States. Therefore, the focus of this thesis is determining the effect of vitamin D metabolites involved in phosphate homeostasis using the chicken as a model.

The Triad Trial: Online Education For Coaches On The Prevention Of The Female Athlete Triad, Megan Jane Ostler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

High school coaches play a huge role in establishing a healthy environment for their athletes and often students. The coach‐athlete relationship has proven to be a strong and useful bond in prevention of adverse behaviors of athletes or in prevention of health problems such as concussions. The female athlete triad (triad) is a common health problem among female athletes. Many high school coaches are unaware of the triad or the serious health and performance consequences for their athletes. The triad is a syndrome marked by 3 interrelated adverse effects: decreased energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and decreased bone mineral density.

The …

Ebt At Farmer's Markets Is A Snap, Amanda Spackman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Research Question: How can farmers' markets best implement the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to increase sales and provide low income individuals with access to fresh, local produce?

This paper will discuss the use of SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) at farmers' markets, with particular emphasis on the Cache Valley Gardener's Market as an example. Lack of access to adequate food is a major issue in the US. When farmers' markets work in conjunction with the federal SNAP program they can help individuals who struggle with food security to gain access to local food. There are many benefits …

Nutrition And Fitness Guide For Graduating Student-Athletes, Anna Fukunaga

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

For the last four years of your life, you have been supported by strength coaches, academic advisors, athletic trainers, tutors, mentors, and coaches. Your life is dedicated to your sport, and your body is molded into the ideal build to compete at the highest level you can achieve. As soon as your competitive days are over, your life dramatically changes and the needs of your body change as well. Because you typically do not sustain the same level of activity, you do not have the same nutritional needs. The demands you place on your body for your sport are higher …

Improving Patient Satisfaction In A Hospital Foodservice System Using Low-Cost Interventions: Determining Whether A Room Service System Is The Next Step, Vanessa A. Theurer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A survey was used to assess patient foodservice satisfaction at an acute care hospital. Results were then used to identify the lowest scoring areas of foodservice. Low-cost interventions were implemented to address the areas of needed improvement. Patient satisfaction was reassessed by re-issuing surveys. Group T-tests were used to compare the results of the baseline and follow-up surveys (P

Role Of Protein Kinase C Isotypes In 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Mediated Signal Transduction Through The 1,25d3 Membrane Associated, Rapid Response Steroid Binding Receptors In Chick Intestinal Cells, Sakara Tunsophon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is now accepted that 1,25(OH)2D3 mediates its rapid actions on the control of phosphate and calcium homeostasis through its membrane receptor termed the 1,25D3-MARRS (membrane associated rapid response steroid binding) protein. I determined the various PKC isotypes involved in the rapid regulation of phosphate uptake and calcium extrusion in chick intestinal cells. 1,25(OH)2D3-mediated phosphate uptake was stimulated within 1 min after addition of the hormone. Western blot analyses on isolated intestinal cells treated with steroid hormone resulted in dose-dependent increases in PKC alpha and PKC beta in postnuclear centrifugation fractions, but not in the low speed centrifugation fractions. The …

The Hypericum Perforatum Herb As An Antimycobacterial Agent And Its Implications As An Additional Tuberculosis Medication, Trent W. Mortensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An immediate demand exists for new tuberculosis (TB) antibiotics due to the ever-increasing spread of drug-resistant strains. The drug-development process goes through four phases, the first (Phase 0) of which is to demonstrate and investigate drug effectiveness and toxicity. This research investigated the effectiveness of the Hypericum perforatum herb (commonly St. John's wort (SJW)) in its growth inhibition of mycobacteria and its viability effect on human lung cells.

Organic-solvent SJW extracts were effective at inhibiting every nonpathogenic genetically sequenced Mycobacterium isolate currently available (six isolates) in preliminary studies. Quantitative studies of five Mycobacterium isolates showed an order of concentration sensitivity …

Cognitive Inference And Resulting Behaviors In Response To Ambiguous Threat In The Coyote, Canis Latrans, Sarah Shawnee Dawson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While antipredator strategies have been a focus of behavioral research for decades, scientists generally study the responses of prey toward overt, explicit threat. However, risk can also be significant when a threat is covert, such as when an ambush predator may be nearby or a secondary threat remains after a predator's departure. Little is known about the mechanism that prey use to assess risk in a predator's absence. Tests were conducted to determine the manner in which coyotes respond to these ambiguous threats. Specifically, I tested whether coyotes respond to prior anthropogenic activity that has occurred near their only food …

Evaluation Of An Interactive Health Communication Trans Fat Website, Tara Banks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to evaluate the short-term educational and behavioral impact of the American Heart Association's "Face the Fats" web application had upon college students, a study involving 116 Utah State University undergraduate students was conducted. A one-group pre-posttest design was utilized to answer eight research questions focusing on: health risks associated with trans fat, general trans fat knowledge, ability to identify foods containing trans and saturated fats, food label information, healthy alternatives to trans fat, and readiness to change trans fat intake. Participants completed an online pretest survey and then viewed the "Face the Fats" website at their own pace. …

Pathophysiology Of Arbroviral Encephalitides In Laboratory Rodents, Aaron L. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) is an arboviral pathogen naturally found in North America. The primary disease phenotype associated with WEEV infection in susceptible hosts is a relatively long prodromal period followed by viral encephalitis. By contrast, in the current work, experimental inoculation of WEEV into the peritoneum of Syrian golden hamsters produced rapid death within approximately 96 h. It was determined that direct virus killing of lymphoid cells leads to death in WEEV-infected Syrian golden hamsters, and that inflammatory cytokines have the potential to enhance virus-induced lymphoid cell destruction. It was further concluded that WEEV retains its ability to …

Glycemic Load And Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease: The Cache County Study On Memory, Health, And Aging, Eun Young Choi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Carbohydrates are a major energy source for the human body and particularly glucose is the only energy source for the brain. Thus glucose metabolism is important to maintain normal brain function. Evidence showed insulin resistance and diabetes are associated with cognitive decline and a large amount of highly processed carbohydrate intake; in other words, a high glycemic load diet, which increases blood glucose faster and insulin demand, is associated with increased risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Based on this premise, the hypothesis that a high glycemic load (GL) diet increases the risk of incident Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was examined …

Regulation Of Cardiac Fibroblast Metalloprotease Secretion, Glen De Guzman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes secreted by cardiac fibroblasts. Altered expression of MMPs plays an important role in congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases^1,2. Emerging evidence has led us to consider the role of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PtdIns 4-kinase) in regulating MMP secretion in cardiac fibroblast cells^3-7. PtdIns 4-kinase is a lipid kinase involved in various cellular processes including protein secretion. This project was designed to test the hypothesis that PtdIns 4-kinase controls MMP secretion. Techniques such as cardiac cell culture, transfection, and in-gel zymography were used for this experiment. Results demonstrated that PtdIns 4-kinase …

Electroporation Of Pediococcus Pentosaceus And The Curing Rate Of Plasmids, Heidi E. Shields

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Genetic engineering is a relatively new process and is a major focus of research in various fields, such as medicine, plant genetics, and food science. The potential applications of genetic engineering include designer drug production, mass protein production, and enhanced food processing. Finding an appropriate host organism to be used in genetic engineering is an important preliminary step. Pediococcus pentosaceus has been suggested as a bacterial species with such potential. Since plasmids are often the vector of choice in genetic recombination, this research tests the ability of P. pentosaceus to take up and incorporate plasmids into its genome. Two plasmids …

Investigation Of The Toxic Affect Of Manganese On Ruminal Microbial Digestion And Growth, Erin Dearing

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This research investigated the toxic effect of manganese, in a reduced chemical state, on rumen microbial metabolism and growth. The reduced form of manganese is the soluble state found in subsurface waters and has a high red-ox potential. In the study, we investigated the effects of reduced manganese at varying concentrations, on rumen microbial ability to replicate and metabolize carbohydrates. The hypotheses that we tested were as follows: (1) reduced manganese decreases the rate of pH drop associated with rumen culture fermentation of a com based diet and (2) reduced manganese decreases the bacterial growth in rumen culture, as measured …

The Effect Of Ginkgo Biloba On Alzheimer's Disease, Allison Marie Wozney

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive dementia associated with increasing loss of memory, intellectual function, and disturbances in speech. It is the most common form of dementia. It is an incurable disease and has four stages which culminate in coma and death. The average survival rate for Alzheimer's is seven years. Presently, the only treatments approved in the United States for Alzheimer's are the drugs tacrine and donepezil. These drugs improve cognitive function in early Alzheimer's. However, Ginkgo biloba has recently been looked at as another treatment option and has been approved for use in Germany. Ginkgo Biloba was originally used …

Comparative Study Of Elongated Chromosomes In Sheep And Goats And A Proposed Standard, Stephen H. Mensher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A cell synchronization technique was used that consistently yielded numerous elongated chromosomes, which are necessary for producing high-resolution G-banding. The prometaphase stage of contraction was determined to have the greatest utility for detailed comparative analysis and, therefore, was used in the preparation of the proposed standard high-resolution karyotypes and idiogram.

A proposed standard high-resolution G-band karyotype of the domestic sheep and goat is presented, along with a high-resolution G-band idiogram of the goat. The karyotypes presented contain considerably more bands than contemporary karyotypes and provide much greater resolution for linear differentiation. The X chromosome of the sheep is acrocentric, rather …

Detailed Description And Nomenclature Of High Resolution G-Banded Horse Chromosomes And Cytogenetic Analysis Of Hereditary Multiple Exostosis In Horses, Alma Maciulis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A reliable technique for obtaining late prophase, prometaphase and greater numbers of metaphase chromosomes is presented. The increased number of mitoses and high resolution chromosomes were obtained using a modification of the typical three-day blood culture technique in which the cell cycle was temporarily blocked at the G₁-s border with methotrexate. A high resolution G-band idiogram is presented using a system similar to the standardization of human chromosomes. The use of this technique and system of nomenclature will facilitate routine analyses of horse chromosomes and provide a basis for the identification and recording of chromosome aberrations in this …

Longitudinal Pantothenic Acid Status Of Pregnant And Lactating Women, Won Oack Song

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pantothenic acid nutritional status was evaluated in a cohort of twenty-nine Caucasian pregnant women, aged 20-35, during their third trimester of pregnancy, at two-weeks postpartum and at three months postpartum. Seventeen non-pregnant, non-lactating women who had similar demographic backgrounds as the pregnant women were selected as a control group and followed the same experimental schedule as the pregnant women. A fasting blood sample, two days 24-h urine specimens and diet record were obtained for each of two days from each subject at each period.

The mean dietary pantothenic acid intakes of the women during pregnancy (5.30±1.74 mg/day) and during lactation …