Life Sciences Commons^™

Expression Of Wnt-Signaling Pathway Genes And Their Associations With Mirnas In Colorectal Cancer, Martha L. Slattery, Lila E. Mullany, Lori C. Sakoda, Wade S. Samowitz, Roger K. Wolff, John R. Stevens, Jennifer S. Herrick

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

The Wnt-signaling pathway functions in regulating cell growth and thus is involved in the carcinogenic process of several cancers, including colorectal cancer. We tested the hypothesis that multiple genes in this signaling pathway are dysregulated and that miRNAs are associated with these dysregulated genes. We used data from 217 colorectal cancer (CRC) cases to evaluate differences in Wnt-signaling pathway gene expression between paired CRC and normal mucosa and identify miRNAs that are associated with these genes. Gene expression data from RNA-Seq and miRNA expression data from Agilent Human miRNA Microarray V19.0 were analyzed. We focused on genes most strongly associated …

Investigation Of Conical Spinneret In Generating More Dense And Compact Electrospun Nanofibers, Aya Hamed, Nader Shehata, Mohammad Elosairy

Biology Faculty Publications

Electrospinning is an important, widely used process to generate nanofibers. However, there is still an open window for different designs of both spinneret and collector electrodes to be investigated. This paper introduces the impact of new design of conical spinneret electrode on the generated electrospun nanofibers. In this work, the conical feeder is used to generate electrospun Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers, and being compared to the traditional needle feeder at the same processing conditions. The jet’s mechanism is simulated using discrete bead model along with estimated calculations of both deposition area and fiber radius. The electric field distribution that is …

Small-Animal Models Of Zika Virus, Justin G. Julander, Venkatraman Siddharthan

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can result in serious consequences, including severe congenital manifestations, persistent infection in the testes and neurologic sequelae. After a pandemic emergence, the virus has spread to much of the new world and has been introduced to many countries outside of endemic areas as infected travelers return to their home countries. Rodent models have been important in gaining a better understanding of the wide range of disease etiologies associated with ZIKV infection and for the initial phase of developing countermeasures to prevent or treat viral infections. We discuss herein the advantages and disadvantages of small animal models …

Road Dust Correlated With Decreased Reproduction Of The Endangered Utah Shrub Hesperidanthus Suffrutescens, Matthew B. Lewis, Eugene W. Schupp, Thomas A. Monaco

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Roads associated with energy development have fragmented much of the Uinta Basin, the Colorado Plateau in general, and other areas of western North America. Beyond reducing available habitat, spreading exotic species, and creating barriers to dispersal, unpaved roads also increase dust loads on plants and pollinators, which may reduce plant growth and reproduction. We studied the effects of an unpaved road on reproduction of an endangered Utah endemic shrub. We measured the size and reproductive output of 156 plants and the dust deposition in plots at increasing distances from the road. We also hand outcrossed 240 flowers from 80 plants …

Data From: Target Sequence Capture Of Nuclear-Encoded Genes For Phylogenetic Analysis In Ferns, Paul G. Wolf, Tanner A. Robison, Matthew G. Johnson, Michael A. Sundue, Weston L. Testo, Carl J. Rothfels

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Premise of the study: Until recently, most phylogenetic studies of ferns were based on chloroplast genes. Evolutionary inferences based on these data can be incomplete because the characters are from a single linkage group and are uniparentally inherited. These limitations are particularly acute in studies of hybridization, which is prevalent in ferns; fern hybrids are common and ferns are able to hybridize across highly diverged lineages, up to 60 million years since divergence in one documented case. However, it not yet clear what effect such hybridization has on fern evolution, in part due to a paucity of available biparentally inherited …

Fates Of Rare Species Under Siege From Invasion: Persistence Of Coccinella Novemnotata Herbst In Western North America Alongside An Invasive Congener, Edward W. Evans

Biology Faculty Publications

Species invading new geographic regions may threaten continued existence of similar, indigenous relatives, particularly those species whose rarity may reflect an already tenuous existence. The spectacular colonization of North America in recent decades by Coccinella septempunctata L. has generated widespread concern over potentially adverse effects on population viability of native species of ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae). Coccinella novemnotata Herbst in particular has been hypothesized to be at great risk, as this species apparently dwindled in numbers across much of North America during the twentieth century. Here results of sampling diverse habitats over three decades are examined to address the fate of …

Effect Of Sonication On The Viscosity Of Reconstituted Skim Milk Powder And Milk Protein Concentrate As Influenced By Solids Concentration, Temperature And Sonication, Vidita K. Desphande, M. K. Walsh

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Skim milk powder (SMP) and milk protein concentrates (MPCs) are manufactured by evaporation followed by spray drying and are widely used as functional and nutritional ingredients. This study investigated the effects of temperature (40–60 °C) and total solids content (TS) on the viscosity of reconstituted MPC (rMPC) (≥30% TS) and SMP (rSMP) (≥46% TS) in laboratory conditions. Additionally, the influence of sonication in batch (70% amplitude) and flow through systems (90% amplitude) was studied in a laboratory setting. The viscosity increased for all treatments with an increase in TS and decreased with an increase in temperature. Overall, sonication in both …

Heritable Sperm Chromatin Epigenetics: A Break To Remember, Ralph G. Meyer, Chelsea C. Ketchum, Mirella L. Meyer-Ficca

UAES Publications

Sperm chromatin not only has a unique structure to condense and protect the paternal DNA in transit, but also provides epigenetic information that supports embryonic development. Most of the unique sperm nuclear architecture is formed during the sweeping postmeiotic chromatin remodeling events in spermiogenesis, where the majority of nucleosomes are removed and replaced by protamines. The remaining histones and other chromatin proteins are located in structurally and transcriptionally relevant positions in the genome and carry diverse post-translational modifications relevant to the control of embryonic gene expression. How such postmeiotic chromatin-based programming of sperm epigenetic information proceeds, and how susceptible the …

Efficacy Of Two Hortiled Fixtures, Jakob Johnson, Paul Kusuma, Bruce Bugbee

Controlled Environments

We tested the efficacy of the Full Spectrum and Red-Blue HORTILED TOP LED fixtures manufactured by PL Light. Both fixtures had an 80° light distribution.

The efficacy of the fixtures was measured using flat plane integration as described by Nelson and Bugbee (2014)¹ (see adjacent photo). The fixtures were suspended at 0.65 m above the floor in a 3 × 3 m room with flat black walls. The photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD, μmol · m^-2 · s^-1) was measured with a recently calibrated quantum sensor (LI-COR model 190R). Measurements were made 2.5 cm apart near …

Northern Utah Turfgrass Management Calendar, Kelly Kopp, Michael Caron, Helen Muntz, Jaydee Gunnell

All Current Publications

This is a calendar for turfgrass management for northern Utah and includes guidelines for seeding, overseeding, sodding, fertilization, mowing, aeration, weed control, and irrigation.

Oystershell Scale Impacts And Mitigation Options On The Kaibab And Coconino Nf’S, Amanda M. Grady

Aspen Bibliography

This report documents a site visit to evaluate aspen stands experiencing oystershell scale damage on the Kaibab and Coconino National Forest’s. The site visit was requested by Kaibab NF, foresters including; Josh Giles, Jessi Outzs, Michael Sedgeman, Woody Rokala and Coconino Silviculturist, Mark Nabel. On November 19, 2016, Amanda Grady accompanied the individuals listed above, to evaluate stand conditions within three aspen exclosures. Two were located on the Williams Ranger District, Kaibab NF in the vicinity of Spring Valley. The third exclosure was located on the Flagstaff RD, Coconino NF and accessed from HWY 89-A via the Pump House Wash …

Preparing Soil For Turfgrass Establishment - Southern Utah, Michael Caron, Candace Schaible, Rick Heflebower, Grant Cardon, Taun Beddes, Kelly Kopp

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information for successfully establishing a lawn including planning, soil preparation, appropriate seed or sod choice, and an understanding of turfgrass requirements in southern Utah.

Verrucosis Del Duraznero, Claudia Nischwitz, Brent Black, Michael Pace

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

The Economic Impact Of Snowmobiling In Utah, Jordan W. Smith, Chase C. Lamborn

All Current Publications

This report is an analysis of the value of snowmobiling to Utah's economy, the sociodemographic composition of participants, and more.

2017 Outlook Letter, A Report To The National Association Of State Park Directors, Jordan Smith, Yu-Fai Leung

All Current Publications

This is a simple and concise presentation of the vital statistics that characterize the operation and use of the nation's 50 state park systems.

St. George, Utah, Turfgrass Management Calendar, Kelly Kopp, Rick Heflebower, Steven J. Price

All Current Publications

This is a calendar for turfgrass management for St. George, Utah, and includes guidelines for seeding, overseeding, sodding, fertilization, mowing, aeration, weed control, and irrigation.

Southeast Utah Turfgrass Management Calendar, Kelly Kopp, Michael Johnson, Steven J. Price

All Current Publications

This is a calendar for turfgrass management for southeast Utah and includes guidelines for seeding, overseeding, sodding, fertilization, mowing, aeration, weed control, and irrigation.

Quinoa For Utah, Kristine Bunkland, Earl Creech, Jennifer R. Reeve, Grant Cardon, Michael Pace

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides insight into some of the opportunities and limitations to quinoa production in Utah.

4-H Agricultural Systems Technology, Joshua Dallin

All Current Publications

4-H gives youth an opportunity to explore different career paths, learn and practice new skills, and experience what a career in agricultural systems technology might be like.

4-H Agricultural Economics, Joshua Dallin

All Current Publications

4-H gives youth an opportunity to explore different career paths, learn and practice new skills, and experience what a career in agricultural economics might be like.

4-H Agribusiness, Joshua Dallin

All Current Publications

4-H gives youth an opportunity to explore different career paths, learn and practice new skills, and experience what a career in agribusiness might be like.

Utah 4-H, Creating A Foundational County Contest Structure, Kelsey W. Romney, Alicia Teuscher, Joshua Dallin

All Current Publications

This booklet gives guidelines for structuring county contests in 4-H.

The Leadership Puzzle, Putting The Pieces Together, Cindy Nelson

All Current Publications

This curriculum relates leadership to putting together a puzzle, including the five steps of leadership, understanding the value of each person in the leadership process/puzzle, learning the four corners of leadership: communication, commitment, cooperation, and character.

Helping Children Identify And Cope With Emotions, Elizabeth Davis, Naomi Brower

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides tips on approaches to help children work through their emotions.

Secadera/Marchitez De Las Plantulas, Michael Johnson, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Davis County Agriculture Profile, Shawn Olsen

All Current Publications

This fact sheet presents an agricultural profile of Davis County, Utah, including area, population, location, agricultural snapshot and growing season.

Survey Data From Ecochallenge Workshop, Tyson Sorensen, Kelsey Hall, David Francis, Joshua Dallin

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The Borich calculator analyzed the data from the EcoChallenge (Explore) workshop to determine professional development needs of educators for future workshop planning. The calculator takes into account IMPORTANCE and PERCEIVED COMPETENCE of each item and calculates Mean Weighted Discrepancy Scores (MWDS). Those are then ranked and the data shows those results. The survey instrument is attached. The workshop was student-centered but allowed for educational professionals to engage with the materials (Exploring careers in AFNR).

Survey Data From Utah Urban Agricultural Workshop, Tyson Sorensen, Kelsey Hall, David Francis, Joshua Dallin

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Forty-two teachers who attended the Urban Agriculture Workshop were surveyed after the workshop to assess the value of various aspects of the workshop and to measure pre-post gains in knowledge, ability, and importance. Also to measure attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and behavioral intention. Demographics were also collected. Data show the results. Survey Instrument is attached. Scaling varies (see instrument).

Curriculum: Careers In Urban Agriculture (Grades 7-12), Tyson Sorensen, Kelsey Hall, David Francis, Joshua Dallin

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Materials were created for school-based agricultural educators (7th-12 grade) to use for students in Utah. This curriculum covers multiple days of instruction but 3-5 (50-minute sessions) days is what it is intended for. Includes a unit plan for the instructor, presentation slides (PPT and PFD), worksheets, and other materials. This curriculum focuses on careers in urban agriculture.

Linkage, Whole Genome Sequence, And Biological Data Implicate Variants In Rab10 In Alzheimer’S Disease Resilience, Perry G. Ridge, Celeste M. Karch, Simon Hsu, Ivan Arano, Craig C. Teerlink, Mark T. W. Ebbert, Josue D. Gonzalez Murcia, James M. Farnham, Anna R. Damato, Mariet Allen, Xue Wang, Oscar Harari, Victoria M. Fernandez, Rita Guerreiro, Jose Bras, John Hardy, Ronald G. Munger, Maria Norton, Celeste Sassi, Andrew Singleton, Steven G. Younkin, Dennis W. Dickson, Todd E. Golde, Nathan D. Price, Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner, Carlos Cruchaga, Alison M. Goate, Chris D. Corcoran, Joann T. Tschanz, Lisa A. Cannon-Albright, John S. Kauwe, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initative

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

While age and the APOE ε4 allele are major risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a small percentage of individuals with these risk factors exhibit AD resilience by living well beyond 75 years of age without any clinical symptoms of cognitive decline.

Methods

We used over 200 “AD resilient” individuals and an innovative, pedigree-based approach to identify genetic variants that segregate with AD resilience. First, we performed linkage analyses in pedigrees with resilient individuals and a statistical excess of AD deaths. Second, we used whole genome sequences to identify candidate SNPs in significant linkage regions. Third, we replicated SNPs …