Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Statmod: A Tool For Interfacing Arcview® Gis With Statistical Software To Facilitate Predictive Ecological Modeling, Christine M. Garrard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As geographical information systems and spatial data become more accessible, predictive spatial modeling in ecology is becoming more common. Unfortunately, not all ecologists possess the necessary skills to successfully combine statistical models and geographical information systems. In response to this problem, I wrote an extension for ArcView^® GIS called StatMod. This extension interfaces ArcView GIS with SAS^® and S-PLUS^® statistical software and walks the user through creating and mapping logistic regression and classification and regression tree models.

StatMod was then used to run a series of analyses that would have been difficult without such a tool. A …

Post-Tillage Dynamics Of Soil Structural And Hydraulic Properties Induced By Capillary Forces And External Loading, Teamrat Afewerki Ghezzehei

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tillage modifies the soil structure to create conditions favorable for plant growth. However, the resulting loose structure is susceptible to collapse by internal capillary forces and external compactive stresses with concurrent changes in soil hydraulic properties. Presently, limited understanding of these complex processes often leads to consideration of the soil plow-layer as a static porous medium. The objective of this dissertation was to develop physically based modeling of soil structural dynamics at the pore scale, based on soil mechanical and rheological properties. The basic geometrical framework of the models was based on regular packing of monosized spherical aggregates forming unit-cells. …

Effectiveness Of Earthen Escape Ramps In Reducing Big Game Mortality In Utah, Mary L. Hammer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One-way escape gates and earthen escape ramps are structures used to enable deer to exit the highway right-of-way along fenced roads. I compared the use of one-way escape gates and earthen escape ramps by mule deer on two highways in Utah to determine if deer exhibited a preference for either structure. Results showed that earthen escape ramps were used by mule deer 8-11 times more frequently than one-way gates. Highway mortality data suggest that the installation of the escape ramps likely reduced mortality of mule deer in both study locations, because we could not attribute reductions in mortality to decreased …

Rangeland Resources Monitoring: Concepts And Practical Applications, Benny R. Bobwski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

How does one person manage and monitor a half million acres of rangelands towards a sustainable future? Through a journey that begins with the understanding of sustainability, I explore the monitoring concept, two of its applications, and summarize with an emphasis on the art and science of management. Sustainability is a concept that confuses many managers because it is so complex. However, if one considers adaptability as the complement to sustainability, and realizes that an adaptable organism is a sustainable organism, then a manager can relate because the emphasis shifts from that of stability for the future to that of …

Relationship Between Cag Repeats Of The N Terminal Region Of The Androgen Receptor And Body Shape, Michael John Wen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Androgen receptor (AR) gene CAG polymorphisms may be associated with body shape, and are associated with certain breast and prostate cancers. In addition, body shape is associated with risk for a variety of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. The CAG repeat in exon l of the AR gene was quantified using Perkin Elmer Applied Biosystems GeneScan analysis software in 96 and 59 healthy Caucasian men and women, respectively, who were over the age of 50 years. All participants had body measurements taken and donated a blood sample. Waist measurements included circumferences at the 1) umbilicus …

Biochemistry And Application Of Exopolysaccharide Production In Mozzarella Cheese Starter Cultures, Brent Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study sought to investigate the role of the C₅₅ undecaprenol lipid carrier in the production of exopolysaccharide (EPS), the effect of exopolysaccharide producing (EPS⁺) starter cultures on the viscosity of Mozzarella cheese whey, and the possible protective characteristics of capsular EPS against freezing and freeze drying. Efforts to investigate the role of the lipid carrier in EPS production employed pAMbacA, a plasmid that encodes an enterococcallipid kinase that confers bacitracin resistance by increasing intracellular levels of undecaprenol phosphate lipid carrier. Unfortunately, this avenue of study was thwarted by the inability to demonstrate bacA …

Intensification In A Risky Environment: The Case Of Improving Private Grazing Land For Beef Production In Utah, Louise D. Sainsbury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah ranchers commonly face risks to their livelihoods. The objective of this work was to determine if ranchers could make profitable improvements to private land forage given the combined threat of low beef prices, drought, and possible loss of public grazing.

We used linear programming (LINDO) to identify the most profitable solutions for private land investment with an 11-year simulation. Operations were divided into small, medium, and large size classes. Various forage improvements and public permits were options. Two phases of a beef price cycle (peak and trough) and 2 precipitation patterns (wet and drought) were combined as joint favorable …

Recreation, Livestock Grazing, And Protected Resource Values In The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Lael Palmer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis reports the results of a project which identified differences in characteristics of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument user groups as they related to their perceptions of how they experience the Monument as recreationists. It explored opinions of four groups: hikers vs. hunters and pre-designation users vs. post-designation users. Responses of these groups were compared for attribution of perceived resource damage, feelings of crowding, acceptability of management action, and importance of identified monument values to their visit. In addition, characteristics of the users were examined to determine if demographic characteristics accounted for differences in perception toward the resources. Finally, how …

Morphometric Evaluation Of The Whitefish Complex In Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Alan Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whitefish populations around the world have long been difficult to categorize taxonomically. The whitefish of Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho are no exception. There are three recognized species of Prosopium that are endemic to the lake. Two of these species, Prosopium spilonotus and Prosopium abyssicota, have previously been indistinguishable outside of spawning times. Previous studies have proposed additional taxa within P. spi/onotus to further complicate the identification among these taxa.

Morphological characteristics were quantified on wild whitefish from Bear Lake, as well as from progeny reared in the laboratory from the wild adult fish. The purported taxa were separated in the field …

The Arginine Deiminase Pathway In Lactococci: Physiological Role And Molecular Characterization, Lan-Szu Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lactococcus is an economically important group in lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that are often used in the dairy industry as starters for cheese production. Good starter strains should possess the ability to grow, ferment milk sugar, and produce desirable flavor compounds during cheese making. Therefore, it is essential to understand the physiology of these starters during cheese processing in order to obtain high-quality cheese products.

Cheese manufacturing compromises several stress factors that affect the growth of starter lactococci. Among these stressed environmental parameters, sugar starvation is the most important one to overcome to obtain energy for cellular processes. It is …

Economic Impact Of Snowmobiling In Utah, Ikuko Fujisaki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to estimate statewide and local economic impact resulting from snowmobiling activities in Utah to gain a better understanding of preferences and opinions of Utah snowmobilers. The results will provide valuable information for snowmobiling management.

The survey instrument was designed to describe trip behavior, snowmobiling-related trip and annual expenditures, level of satisfaction with Utah snowmobiling opportunities, and demographics. A telephone survey was conducted with randomly selected households with registered snowmobiles during the period from April to June 2000. A 54.5% response rate yielded 373 usable completed questionnaires for data analysis.

For economic impact analysis, an …

Reproductive Allocation And Survival In Grasshoppers: Effects Of Resource Availability, Grasshopper Density, And Parasitism, David Heath Branson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A major challenge in ecology is to understand intraspecific variation in life histories. Variation in resource availability can lead to differences in reproductive allocation and life histories. Grasshoppers are a good organism for the study of variation in life histories, since they exhibit life history plasticity in response to biotic and environmental factors. An optimality model for grasshoppers was developed that predicts optimal total allocation to reproduction and optimal effort-per-offspring as functions of resource availability and mortality. Relative allocation to reproduction is predicted to increase with resource availability, while relative allocation to survival declines. A resource-based trade-off between egg size …

Energy, Fractal Movement Patterns, And Scale-Dependent Habitat Relationships Of Urban And Rural Mule Deer, Mark F. Mcclure

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied the behaviors, movement dynamics, habitat relationships, and population characteristics of Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using urban and rural winter ranges in Cache Valley, Utah, from January 1994 to February 1998. There were 2 goals to my research endeavors. The first was to assess how and why the behaviors and demographic characteristics of urban deer differed from those of rural deer. The second was to assess the scale-dependent responses to habitat and the scale-dependent patterns of habitat use by deer living in each area. To accomplish the first goal, I compared the prevalence of migration, the spatial …

Development Of A Bird-Avoidance Model For Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, Edward J. Zakrajsek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bird strikes (collisions between birds and aircraft) pose a significant threat to aviation safety. For example, Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, lost an F-18 jet to a bird strike in October 1995. To help combat the bird-strike threat at Naval Air Facility El Centro, I developed a bird-avoidance model as a risk-management tool for the installation. It can be used to schedule flights at NAF El Centro and its two associated practice-bombing ranges during times of low-bird activity. I calculated bird-strike risks and published them in web-page format on both the installation's server and the USGS/Utah State University, College …

Ecology Of Treeline Whitebark Pine (Pinus Albicaulis) Populations In Central Idaho: Successional Status, Recruitment, And Mortality, And A Spring Temperature Reconstruction From Whitebark Pine Tree Rings, Dana Lee Perkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research investigated the successional status of treeline whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) populations on 14 stands in central Idaho and used empirical statistical models to determine the principal factors affecting recruitment and mortality. The longest lived whitebark pines from four additional high-elevation sites were used to develop a tree-ring chronology to reconstruct over 1,000 years of average April-May temperature.

The assessment of stand structures using size-frequency distributions generally provides evidence that treeline whitebark pine populations are currently self-sustaining in areas of low to nonexistent incidence of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). However the presence of …

Genetic Relationships Between Two Rare Plant Species, Aliciella Caespitosa And A. Tenuis, And Their Putative Progenitor, A. Subnuda, Carrie L. Mccracken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Isolated populations have potential to become new species that should have less genetic variation than their ancestors. Small populations are more likely to lose genetic variation, which is, thus, expected to be greater in ancestors. Aliciella caespitosa and A. tenuis, two endemic species, may be derived from small populations of A. subnuda, a widespread species. Chloroplast DNA sequences were used to test this hypothesis. Allozyme data were used to compare genetic variation and numbers of alleles. Chloroplast data do not support the proposed relationships between A. subnuda and the other two species. Allozyme data were not more variable …

The Relationship Of Milk Urea Nitrogen And Dhia Production Variables In Western Commercial Dairy Herds, Rachael G. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Monthly individual cow DHIA test records (approximately 90,000) from 96 Holstein and Jersey herds from Utah, Idaho, and Montana were analyzed used the Mixed procedure in SAS to determine the relationships of milk production parameters to milk urea N (MUN). Records spanned two consecutive years ending December 2000. Means for Holsteins were 34.1 kg/d milk yield, 15.2 mg/dl MUN, 3.18% milk protein, 3.5% milk fat, and 280,000 somatic cell count. Mean MUN for Holsteins was lowest in fall (Oct.-Dec) and highest in winter and spring. Cows with highest milk protein percent (≥ 3.2%) had lowest MUN over all levels of …

Benthic Invertebrate Assemblage Structure In Mountain Streams: The Influence Of Spatial Scale Of Observation And Organism Size On Relationships With Environmental Factors, James N. Hogue

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The description of pattern in nature depends on the size and scale of both the observer and the phenomena being observed. The relative influence that different environmental factors have on organism distributions depends not only on scales of variation inherent to each factor, but also on the size and scale of the organisms. 

I used data from 649 sites within 45 mountain streams in California to quantify relationships between environmental factors and organism distribution. I compared these relationships across analyses conducted at different spatial and biotic scales of resolution. I also examined relationships between environmental variation and assemblage size structure …

Health And Lifestyle Among Ute Native American Elders, Laura L. Prestwich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A basic health and lifestyle questionnaire was given to a convenience sample of 103 Ute elders, age 50 and older. Fifty-three percent reported being diagnosed with diabetes. The mean BMI (body mass index) was 33.31 (SD=8.72). For descriptive purposes, BMI was divided into three categories: less than 25, 25-29.99, 30 or above. Eleven percent were in the BMI category of less than 25. Thirty percent of Ute elders reported a BMI between 25-29.99. Fifty two percent had a BMI of 30 or above. Diabetes rates among this Ute elder sample were significantly lower with a lower income, lower education level, …

Effects Of Ph And Calcium Level On Extrusion-Textured Whey Protein Products, Andrea B. Hale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of altering pH and calcium level during whey protein extrusion were assessed by measuring the protein solubility and WHC of the textured whey protein (TWP). TWP samples were produced by extruding dry mixtures of 2/3 WPC 80 (80% protein) and 1/3 cornstarch using screw speed of 200 rpms, feed rate of 23 g/min, water flow rate of 11 g/min, and product temperature of 150°C. The levels of acid and base were adjusted by adding concentrated HCl or NaOH, respectively, to the water source. Calcium was added to the raw mix in the form of calcium chloride dihydrate before …

Responses Of Sphagnum And Carex Peatlands To Ultraviolet-B Radiation, And A Meta-Analysis Of Uv-B Effects On Vascular Plants, Peter S. Searles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The severity of stratospheric ozone depletion in the temperate and polar latitudes has raised concerns about the sensitivity of terrestrial vegetation and ecosystems to solar ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation. This dissertation examined the responses of plants and microbes to solar UV-B for 3 years in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (55° S). This region is under the influence of the Antarctic "ozone hole" during the austral spring. Additionally, a quantitative review of the UV-B literature was conducted using a set of statistical techniques known as meta-analysis.

For the field studies in Tierra del Fuego, plots were established in a Sphagnum moss peatland …

The Effect Of Exopolysaccharide-Producing Cultures On The Moisture Retention And Functional Properties Of Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese, David B. Perry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Low fat Mozzarella cheese was made using exopolysaccharide-producing starter cultures consisting of single strains of Streptococcus thermophilus MR-1C and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus MR-1R with or without the addition of mesophilic exopolysaccharide-producing adjunct mixed culture consisting of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris. A control cheese was made using a non-exopolysaccharide-producing starter culture consisting of S. thermophilus TA061 and Lactobacillus helveticus LH100. Cheeses were analyzed for moisture, melt, fat, and protein. Cheeses made with the addition of the mesophilic exopolysaccharide-producing adjunct culture showed significant differences in moisture, but not in melting properties when compared to cheeses …

An Investigation Of The Cone And Seed Insects Of Whitebark Pine And Alpine Larch Emphasizing The Western Conifer Seed Bug (Hemiptera: Coreidae) And The Larch Cone Fly (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), Laurel K. Anderton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Laboratory and field feeding tests with Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann proved that both immature and mature seed bugs can use cones and foliage of whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis Engelmann, as a food source for 1- to 2-week periods. Damage to unprotected whitebark pine cones by seed bugs ranged from 0.3 to 2.1 % of seeds per cone, and for bagged cones averaged 0.7% of seeds per cone. Total insect damage ranged from 0.4 to 7.2% of seeds per cone. A seed chalcid, Megastigmus sp., was documented for the first time on whitebark pine and damaged 4.7% of examined seeds at one …

Affinity Purification Of Bovine Lactoferrin And Bovine Transferrin From Using Immobilized Gangliosides, Seung-Hee Nam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bovine lactoferrin (BLF) and bovine transferrin (BTF) are major-iron transport and regulation proteins found in bovine whey. BLF and BTF must interact with the eukaryotic cell surface to mediate their biological function of iron delivery and cellular functions of inflammatory and immunological modulation. As common components of the eukaryotic cell surface, gangliosides were used for affinity purification of BLF and BTF.

Bovine gangliosides were isolated from fresh buttermilk and covalently immobilized onto controlled-pore glass beads (66 μg/g beads). After the matrix was loaded with whey protein (WPI or WPC), lactoferrin was eluted with 1 M NaCl and identified by N-terminal …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Single Season Wild-Strain Mallard Releases On Local Breeding Population Densities, Charles E. Dixon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 1993, to determine if wild-strain mallard releases could be used as a management practice to increase local mallard breeding populations, I released 2,344, 4.5- week-old mallard ducklings (1,200 females and 1,144 males) to wetlands on 12,10.4-km² sites (approximately 200 per site, 100 females, 100 males) in the North Dakota Prairie Pothole Region. I monitored the release sites to determine if any relationship existed between site characteristics and time of release to duckling survival estimates. I conducted breeding pair surveys during 1994 and 1995 on treatment and paired control sites to compare post-release population levels. Lastly, I analyzed return …

Influence Of Limited Proteolysis, Heat Treatment, And Ph On The Whiteness Of Skim Milk, Xiaoshan Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Health consciousness drives people to drink skim milk. Yet, improving the blue-white appearance and watery texture of skim milk is necessary to make consumers happy with skim milk. In this study, the influence of limited proteolysis with soluble or immobilized proteases, heat treatment, and pH on the whiteness of skim milk were examined to meet this goal.

Limited proteolysis with milk-clotting enzymes increased the whiteness of skim milk. the proteases porcine pepsin and chymosin were immobilized onto nonporous ceramic, glass, and controlled pore glass (CPG) beads. The enzymes were coupled to beads either directly or via crosslinker proteins. Pepsin, immobilized …

The Effect Of Buttermilk Fraction Concentrates On Growth And Iron Uptake And Transport By Caco-2 Cell Cultures, Yoo-Hyun Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To examine the effect of buttermilk fractions on growth, iron transport, and uptake, Caco-2 cells (human colon adenocarcinoma) were grown in a bicameral chamber. The Caco-2 cell culture system is a useful model to study micronutrient utilization in the human enterocyte, because Caco-2 cells continuously differentiate and form a monolayer, which has high polarity, a well-developed brush border, and a tight junction.

Iron bioavailabilty in various milks is very different depending upon milk composition. The fat fraction especially is known to be associated with iron absorption, because the fat fraction has milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), which contains bioactive molecules …

Studies On The Roles Of Atp In Nitrogenase Catalysis, Wei Wu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nitrogenase is the enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia in a reaction requiring MgATP hydrolysis. Two component proteins of nitrogenase are the iron protein (Fe protein) and the molybdenum-iron protein (MoFe protein).

Nitrogenase contains two nucleotide binding sites. During catalysis, the Fe protein binds two MgATP first. The conformational changes induced upon MgATP binding allow the Fe protein to associate with the MoFe protein. After the formation of the Fe protein-MoFe protein complex, a single electron is transferred from the Fe protein to the MoFe protein, an event that is coupled to MgATP hydrolysis in the Fe …

Altered T Cell-Mediated Immunity And Infectious Factors In Autism, Yong Hu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three major questions were addressed in this dissertation: 1) Do immune abnormalities associated with autism primarily alter CD4+ T cell-mediated or humoral immune responses? 2) Are specific T cell clones expanded in autism? 3) Which, if any, infectious agents play a role in autism?

CD4+ T cell-mediated (Th1) or humoral (Th2) immune responses can be distinguished on the basis of the cytokines expressed. CD4+ T-cells secrete interleukin type 2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ, whereas a Th2 response is associated with secretion of interleukin type 4(IL-4). mRNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear nuclear cells (PBMC) showed significantly increased levels of IL-2 and …