Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Retinoic Acids On The Angiogenic Growth Factors Produced By Solid Tumors, Lynn C. Burgess

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

These studies investigated the effects of retinoic acid (RA) on angiogenesis. Three human, neoplastic cell lines were used to examine angiogenic promotion and/or inhibition. The cell lines, U-373MG glioblastoma, DU-145 prostate carcinoma, and TCCSUP bladder transitional cell carcinoma, were treated with the following: all-trans, 9-cis, or 13-cis RA, at doses from 0.0001 to 100 μM. Hypoxia was used to assist the expression of the angiogenic phenotype. Conditioned media (CM) were prepared by growing the tumor cells in the presence of RA and hypoxia for 24 hours, and then the CM was transferred to bovine, capillary endothelial …

Relationship Between Teton Science School Programs And Teachers' Ability To Teach About The Environment, Jennifer A. Levy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents an analysis of 1996/97 survey research data regarding the relationship between three types of Teton Science School (TSS) programs and classroom teachers ' ability to teach about the environment. Based on observations by resident instructors and faculty at TSS, three research questions were developed. The primary objective of the research questions was to consider the relationship between TSS residential education programs and participating teachers' ability to teach about the environment.

Analyses are based on comparing descriptive statistics of teachers who have participated in one of the three types of TSS programs or a combination of the three …

Seed Dispersal By Livestock: A Revegetation Application For Improving Degraded Rangelands, Ferhat Gokbulak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A series of experiments was conducted to: 1) investigate how feeding cattle with different amounts of different-sized seeds affects seed passage rate through the digestive tract, and the germinability of passed seeds; 2) examine how the location of seeds in dungpats of different thicknesses influences seedling emergence, development, and survival in cattle dungpats; and 3) characterize seedling emergence in naturally and artificially deposited cattle dungpats. Three perennial, cool-season grasses, bluebunch wheatgrass [Psuedoroegneria spicata (Pursh) A. Love], Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda Presl.), and 'Hycrest' crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) X A. cristatum (L.) Gaert.], were used …

Water Uptake, Water Relations, Tree Growth, And Root Distribution Under Herbaceous Competition, Bertha Alicia Hernandez-Leos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are numerous situations where trees are grown together with herbaceous plants. In these situations there will be some degree of competition between their root zones, depending on the water content of the soils and crop and tree root distribution. Two studies were conducted: the first with maple (Acer platanoides) grown in turf grass, and the second with willow (Salix matsudana) grown in more deeply rooted barley. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effect of herbaceous competition of potential tree water stress under irrigation and when the soil is allowed to dry-down. Soil …

Effects Of Uv-B Radiation On Egg And Larval Golden Shiner (Notemigonus Crysoleucas) In Castle Lake, California, Jai-Ku Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied effects of UV-B radiation on egg and larval golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) in Castle Lake, California, USA. To compare egg hatching and survival of larval golden shiner, I exposed eggs and larval fish to three different UV-B treatments, low UV-B (4% UV-B), high UV-B (92% UV-B), and ambient (100% UV-B). The egg experiment was conducted in lake and pond water, whereas proto- and mesolarval stage experiments were conducted in lake water only.

High and ambient UV-B radiation affected the hatching rate of golden shiner eggs. The mean hatching rate was 13% lower in high UV-B, and …

Perceived Fairness And Effectiveness Of Rangeland Collaborative Processes, Kimberly J. Richardson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Involvement in collaborative partnerships in natural resource management has become a popular method for natural resource management agencies to collect public input, cope with conflicts, and develop ecosystem management plans. This thesis evaluates various collaborative processes, emphasizing multiple-owner partnerships. Qualitative interviews of 46 landowners in Utah were conducted to reveal concerns and suggestions regarding multiple-owner landscape-level collaborative partnerships. Landowners were concerned about private property rights infringement and losing control of their private land. Landowners were primarily concerned about the fairness and effectiveness of any partnership in which they were involved.

However, they were willing to consider participating if certain procedural …

Limitations On Canada Goose Production At Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Utah, Dorie S. Stolley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) recently have become management problems in some areas due to overpopulation. At Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), managers are concerned with the opposite situation. Despite attempts to boost production, only 18 to 34 goslings of the western Canada goose (B. c. moffitti) were produced per year, from 1989 to 1993. I studied the breeding population from March to July in 1996 and 1997. Results suggest that production is limited in 3 ways: low gosling survival, low nesting success for ground nests, and low number of breeding pairs.

Gosling survival to fledging …

Bahamian Reef Communities: Composition, Recruitment And Change (10 Meters To 250 Meters), William E. Avery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The composition, recruitment rates and fine-scale spatial dynamics of the sessile benthic community occupying hard substrata off Lee Stocking Island, The Bahamas, was determined through photography and the deployment of artificial substrata from September 1993 to September 1996. The study spanned 10 to 250 meters in depth. The benthic community exhibited a pronounced bathymetric zonation. Filamentous and macroalgae dominated the shallow communities, but were replaced by corals, sponges and endolithic algae with increasing depth. Living cover was high above 100 m, but declined significantly below this depth, being replaced by increasing amounts of bare and sediment-covered rock surfaces. Benthic zonation …

Rangeland Dynamics And Pastoral Development In The High Andes: The Camelid Herders Of Cosapa, Bolivia, Lita P. Buttolph

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Current models of rangeland system dynamics were evaluated in Cosapa, a pastoral community on the Bolivian altiplano. Two specific models were tested: the "equilibrium" model, which assumes biotic interactions dominate rangeland dynamics and lead to system stability, and the "nonequilibrium" model, in which stochastic, abiotic factors control systems such that equilibrium is never attained. A livestock development project (called "Project Alpaca") working in the community was then assessed in terms of how its assumptions of system dynamics compared with empirical findings. The goal of Project Alpaca was to increase incomes for camelid (i.e., llama and alpaca) herders on the …

A Geographic Information System Assessment Method For Fire Management: Identifying Fire Danger Areas, Richard D. Stratton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to create a wildland fire assessment methodology. GIS layers (or themes) include topography, infrastructure, vegetation, climate, "sensitive" natural values, and fire history. Two phases of assessment are presented: a preliminary analysis designed for planning use at the landscape level, and a detailed analysis for site-specific use.

Results of the phase 1 assessment are density grids delineating areas of high fire occurrence and suggesting to managers where a phase 2 assessment is needed. By using the environmental, …

Fuels Inventory And Appraisal In Intermountain Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Communities, Janet A. Beales

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Field research was conducted in quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx., communities. Fifty-one plots were established in seven major locations in the Bear River Range of northern Utah. The locations inventoried were divided into two age classes: young aspen (under 70 yr) and old aspen (over 70 yr). Custom fuel models were developed for each age class and the data were analyzed for relationships between fuel loads and other measurable factors, including: basal area, average diameter at breast height (d.b.h.), fuel depth, litter loads, tree regeneration, shrub loads, herbaceous loads, slope, tree height, aspect, percent aspen in the plot, grazing intensity, …

Short-Eared Owl Post-Fledging Survival And Breeding Season Diet, Thomas A. Rivest

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

My research primarily focused on the survival of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) from leaving the nest until their emigration from their natal territories during 1993 and 1994. I attached tarsal-mounted radio transmitters to nestlings prior to fledging. Of 25 fledgling short-eared owls monitored, 16 (64%) died prior to dispersal and one (4%) died after dispersing. Mammalian predation (5, 29.4%) was the primary cause of mortality followed by starvation (4, 23.5%), exposure (2, 11.8%), auto collision (1, 5.9%), burial (1, 5.9%), and unknown causes (4, 23.5%). Hatch date was found to be negatively correlated with fledgling survival.

A secondary …

Relative Absorption Of Iron And Magnesium From Sulfate Salts, Amino Acid Chelates Complexed And/Or Mixed With Vegetables, And Taste-Free Supplements, Jennifer A. Bowden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Common methods for determining mineral absorption by the body are invasive and frequently utilize radioisotopes. In experiment one. rats were given a dose of radiolabeled ferrous sulfate. Relative absorption was estimated by changes in serum iron and by appearance of the radiotracer in the serum. There were no differences in relative absorption determined by the methods, although the low overall absorptions by the iron-replete rats may have decreased the sensitivity.

In experiments two and three. iron and magnesium supplements were given orally to 12 women age 19-25. Each subject received iron and magnesium supplements once each week for 5 weeks. …

Physiological Effects Of Chitosan And Chitorichtm On Rats Fed At Two Levels Of Lipid And Fiber, Hyung-Suk Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chitin is a polysaccharide derived from the shell of crustaceans. Chitosan is a deacylated chitin derivative and ChitoRich™ is a chitosan-based formulation. Chitosan is known to inhibit dietary fat absorption. ChitoRich™ and chitosan were evaluated for their ability to control fat absorption in growing rats.

Forty-eight rats (about 150 g) were fed for 4 weeks on 12 different diets containing two levels of vegetable shortening (15 and 5%) and fiber (5 and 2.5%) with cellulose, chitosan, or ChitoRich™ as the dietary fiber sources.

Rats fed ChitoRich™ ate less and gained less body weight than rats fed the other fiber sources. …

Relationship Between Taste And Smell Sensitivity To Preference Of A Milk-Based Beverage: Young Versus Elderly Adults, Sally Donahoo Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With aging, there is a putative loss of taste and smell that may lead to decreased food enjoyment. We determined the relationships among age, detection, and recognition thresholds for taste and smell, and preference for flavored milk.

Ninety young (20-40 years) and 90 elderly (over 64 years) subjects evaluated chocolate mint-, lemon-, or strawberry-flavored milk. Detection and recognition thresholds were determined for sucrose and for the assigned flavor in milk systems. Sucrose was dissolved in milk, and flavors were dispersed in milk with flavor identification. Preference was determined using a 9-point hedonic scale to evaluate all combinations of five sucrose …

Merits Of Using Tranquilizer Trap Devices On Leg-Hold Traps Used To Capture Gray Wolves (Canis Lupus), Duane P. Sahr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) are frequently captured with leg-hold traps for reintroduction, relocation to reduce depredations on livestock, or as subjects for research projects. Wolves captured with leg-hold traps often sustain injuries to their feet, legs, and teeth during struggles to escape. Other studies have shown that the use of tranquilizer devices on leg-hold traps reduces such injuries to coyotes. This study (1) assessed whether use of tranquilizer trap devices (TTDs) on leg-hold traps reduced the severity of injuries sustained by captured wolves, and (2) examined the effects TTDs have on nontarget species caught during wolf capture operations. Data were …

Identification Of Belowground Woody Structures Using Molecular Biomarkers, Benny R. Bobowski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the last two decades substantial progress has been made in understanding seed bank dynamics and the contribution of the soil seed bank to a post-disturbance plant community. There has been relatively little progress, however, in understanding perennial bud bank dynamics and the contribution of the soil bud bank to secondary succession. This lack of information is due primarily to the inability to reliably identify roots, rhizomes, and lignotubers that lie dormant beneath the soil surface. This scientific investigation, therefore, addressed the issue of identification of belowground woody structures.

The first objective was to develop a methodology that utilizes molecular …

Evaluation Of Methods Used In Meat Iron Analyses And Iron Content Of Raw, Cooked, And Cured Meats, Eldred Merlyn Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research project was divided into three parts. In the first part, heme, nonheme, and total iron methodologies for meats were evaluated. The accuracy, precision, and specificity of each method were determined by spike recoveries of heme and nonheme iron, and by analysis of National Institute of Science and Technology standard reference materials. The most reliable and practical methods were then used to determine the total, nonheme, and heme iron contents of various meats before and after cooking. The meats analyzed were beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and turkey. The wet-ashing technique was a novel procedure in which nitric acid was …

Effect Of Ph, Fat Level, And Various Browning Agents On Composition, Color, Texture, And Sensory Characteristics Of Dark-Cutting Beef Patties, Igor V. Moiseev

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extra lean (3.3% fat) and lean (20.0% fat) hamburgers in three pH groups (≤ 6.0; 6.01-6.49; 6.50-6.92) were evaluated for cooking-temperature profile, total process lethality, and physical properties after cooking to 71°C by double-side frying on an electric grill. Neither cooking-temperature profile nor cooking time was affected by hamburger fat content or pH. Double-side frying to 71.1°C internal temperature was adequate for more than 6-log destruction of viable E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella at the geometrical center of extra lean and lean hamburgers. The coldest spot was on the circumferential surface, as indicated by the presence of a red ring …

Development Of Super-Dwarf Wheat Under Stress Conditions Simulating Those On The Space Station Mir, Liming Jiang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Super-Dwarf wheat plants were grown in simulation growth chambers under 12 treatments with three photoperiods (18 h, 21 h, 24 h) and four carbon-dioxide levels (360, 1200, 3000, and 7000 μmol/mol). Carbon-dioxide concentrations affected flower initiation rates of Super-Dwarf wheat. The optimum CO₂ level for flower initiation and development was 1200 μmol•mol^-1. Super-optimum CO₂ levels delayed flower initiation, but did not decrease final flower bud number per head. Longer photoperiods not only accelerated flower initiation rates, but also decreased deleterious effects of super-optimum C0². Flower bud size and head length at the same developmental …

A Study Of The Interactions Between Milk Proteins And Soy Proteins, Venkatachalam Narayanaswamy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research investigates the protein interactions that occur when soy protein is added to milk and subjected to renneting or heating. Milk was fortified with 20% soy protein and enzymic coagulation studied at 35°C at various pH's and CaCl₂ levels. The first part deals with the interaction between milk and soy proteins during rennet-induced milk coagulation. The first goal was to determine how soy proteins affected milk coagulation. The effects of native versus heat-denatured soy proteins on rennet coagulation time and curd firmness were compared. lmmunogold labeling along with transmission electron microscopy was used to identify and localfze soy …

Isolation And Biochemical Characterization Of Acid- And Bile- Tolerant Strains Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus And Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Lan-Szu Chou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lactic acid bacteria have been reported to be used as a health adjunct in food for u many years. However, these health benefits have not been proven. and how these bacteria pass through the digestion process and remain viable in the human intestinal tract is still not clear. The aim of this work was to isolate mutants from Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium bifidum that could tolerate the conditions of the digestion process (low pH and bile conduction) and to characterize these isolated mutants.

Acid- and bile-tolerant mutants of L. acidophilus were isolated from parental strains successfully using natural selection techniques. …

Use Of A Self-Administered Food Frequency Questionnaire In A Population 65 Years And Older, Karri Lynn Hoyt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Little is known of the elderly's ability to use a food frequency questionnaire to describe their dietary intake. This study examines the elderly's ability to reliably describe their diets and how age, education, cognitive status, and gender may affect their ability to complete and return a food frequency questionnaire. The reproducibility of the questionnaire was tested by a repeated administration among 85 participants 65 years of age and older from the Preston, Idaho, area. Correlation coefficients between nutrient scores from the first and second administration ranged from 0.48-0.79 (total population), 0.44-0.88 (males), and 0.39-0.86 (females). Median values for the correlation …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Potassium Loss As A Result Of Different Processing Methods, Patricia M. Klefbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Compliance with the strict dietary regimen for the dialysis patient can be very challenging. Many foods are limited from the diet of a renal patient because of the high potassium content. The physiological consequences of failure to follow a diet prescription can be fatal for the dialysis patient. In an effort to improve patient compliance with nutritional protocols, several potato cooking methods and centrifugation of tomato sauce were investigated for their effects in reducing potassium content.

All methods with a 24-hour soak were found to be significant in reducing potassium content of potatoes (P < 0.05). However, some of the methods in which the potatoes were not soaked were also found to be effective in reducing potassium content. Slice thickness and volume of cooking water used were found to be two important factors in determining potassium loss. The 4-mm sliced potatoes, which had a mean potassium value of 84 mg/100 g, lost more potassium than the 8-mm potatoes with a mean potassium value of 182 mg/100 g (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the potatoes cooked in 10 times the amount of water lost more potassium (124 mg/100 g) than those cooked in only 5 times the amount of water (148 mg/100 g) (P < .005). Soaking in cold versus hot water, agitation of the soak water, or the addition of chemical chelators to the soak water were not shown to be any more effective in reducing the potassium content than the other methods. Sensory data indicated that participants did not have a strong taste preference for potatoes cooked by any one particular method (P < 0.05).

Centrifugation of …

Quantitation Of Bovine Serum Albumin In Cow's-Milk-Based Infant Formulas And Removal Of Bovine Serum Albumin From Cow's Milk And Whey Protein Isolates, Patricia Z. Marincic

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Early introduction of cow's-milk-based infant formulas, in particular the ABBOS epitope of bovine serum albumin (BSA), has been implicated as an autoimmune trigger in the pathogenesis of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). A direct enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), using polyclonal anti-BSA antibodies, was developed to determine the BSA content of cow's milk and 15 infant formulas. Powdered high-whey (60%) formulas averaged 41 mg BSA/100 ml; 2% milk contained 52 mg BSA/100 ml; and the high-casein formulas averaged 13 mg/100 ml. BSA content of powdered polymeric formulas and cow's milk varied directly with the whey protein concentration (correlation coefficient = 0.8445, …

The Effects Of Temperature Regime And Food Availability On Growth Rates Of Young-Of-The-Year Colorado Squawfish (Ptychocheilus Lucius) In The Green River, Utah, Craig J. Schaugaard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of different daily temperature regimes and food availability on growth rates of Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) were determined using field and laboratory experiments. Daily temperature and food gradients were observed in river backwaters (important nursery habitat for juvenile Colorado squawfish). High fluctuating temperatures (± 5-8° C) were observed daily in the shallow, terminal ends of backwaters. Where backwaters were in contact with the river (mouth), daily temperature fluctuations decreased (± 2° C). Food availability also varied spatially between the mouth and end of each backwater. To test whether Colorado squawfish growth rates varied in different areas …

Evaluation Of Translocation Criteria For Trumpeter Swans Reintroduced To Northern Utah: Habitat Quality And Interactions With Tundra Swans, Katharina A. M. Engelhardt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fifty-seven Trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) were translocated to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the Bear River Club Company in northern Utah. The purpose of this effort was to encourage dispersal of the Rocky Mountain population of Trumpeter swans during the winter, and to reestablish a migratory route to southern wintering grounds. I assessed the success of the translocation by evaluating 13 translocation criteria proposed in the literature. In this study I addressed two of these criteria in detail by evaluating habitat quality at the translocation sites and by analyzing potential competitive interactions with Tundra swans ( …

The Role Of Cold Acclimatization On The Biogeography Of The Mountain Chickadee (Parus Gambeli) And The Juniper Titmouse (Parus Ridgwayi), Sheldon J. Cooper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Biogeographic patterns of animals are shaped by biotic interactions, such as competition, and by abiotic factors, such as climate. Mountain Chickadees (Parus gambeli) and Juniper Titmice (Parus ridgway) are permanent residents of regions of western North America and are ecologically similar, but have different northern range limits. l measured several physiological variables, including basal metabolic rate (BMR), peak metabolic rate (PMR = maximal thermogenic capacity), metabolic response to varying environmental temperature (MRT), evaporative water loss (EWL), and daily energy expenditure (DEE) for summer-and winter-acclimatized Mountain Chickadees and Juniper Titmice to determine if seasonal and interspecific variation in cold tolerance and …

Preventive Predation Management: An Evaluation Using Winter Aerial Coyote Hunting In Utah And Idaho, Kimberly Kessler Wagner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To evaluate preventive aerial coyote hunting as a depredation management technique, I compared sheep losses to coyote (Canis latrans) predation and the hours of corrective predation management required on summer grazing areas with and without hunting the prior winter from helicopters. Correlations were used to test for relationships between the extent, intensity, and timing of aerial hunting and lamb losses to coyote predation. Data on the age, sex, and reproductive status of coyotes killed using aerial hunting on coyote populations.

Winter aerial hunting reduced confirmed and estimated lamb losses to coyote predation and the hours of effort required …

Evaluation Of Physical And Behavioral Traits Of Llamas (Lama Glama) Associated With Aggressiveness Toward Sheep-Threatening Canids, Sandra M. C. Cavalcanti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Canid predation poses a serious threat to the sheep industry in the United States. Llamas are becoming popular among livestock producers as part of their predation management programs but there is little information on the factors associated with llama guarding behavior. This study examined several physical and behavioral attributes of individual llamas to assess whether they might predict the aggressiveness llamas display coward canids. The study was conducted in three phases. The first involved determining some physical and behavioral traits of individual llamas. Twenty individuals were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 5/group) and frequencies with which …