Life Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Ketoconazole On Uterine Weight And On Unbound Serum Estradiol Relative To Vaginal Cornification In Rats, Leonard L. Hall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ketoconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal with oral activity and is documented to block steroid biosynthesis in fungi and mammals.

Estradiol-primed ovariectomized rats lose the estradiol-induced, cornified layer of the vaginal epithelium as a result of ketoconazole treatment. This effect is not explained by current knowledge of ketoconazole's mechanism of action.

Ketoconazole's effect on estradiol's binding to either receptors in target tissues (target-cell receptors) or serum-estradiol-carrying proteins in the aforementioned rats was investigated.

The uterus is responsive to estradiol treatment, which causes an increase in uterine size and weight. This tissue is a sensitive means of studying the effects of ketoconazole …

Effects Of Chiselling And Sulfur Fertilization On Infiltration, Soil Water Content, Peak Season Biomass Production, And Botanical Composition In The Ait Rbaa Perimeter, Mohammed Tigma

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the effectiveness of chiselling and elemental sulfur fertilization in improving an upland and a swale range site with fine loamy, carbonatic, typic calcixeroll soils in the Ait Rbaa Perimeter of central Morocco. Ponding infiltration, soil water content on a mass basis of the 0- to 10-cm and 10- to 20-cm soil layers, peak season biomass production, and botanical composition were monitored during the two growing seasons following the treatments (1984/85 and 1985/86). Chiselling significantly improved infiltration on both sites, although the improvement was greater on the finer and less stony swale site, where chiselling resulted in more …

Comparative Foraging Ecology Of Sheep And Goats In Caatinga Woodland In Northeastern Brazil, Scott L. Kronberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Small-ruminant production is an important part of the agricultural economy of northeastern Brazil. However, mild-to-severe undernutrition of livestock is an annual occurrence. Goats can tolerate the marginal forage conditions better than sheep, but the mechanisms underlying their superior tolerance are not understood.

An analysis of animal liveweights at the end of the year-long study indicated that reproducing mixed-race goats gained nearly twice (P<.05) the weight of reproducing hair-sheep of the Santa Ynez breed, and non-reproducing goats gained about 1.2 times more (P<.05) weight than non-reproducing sheep. Daily weight gains of lambs were less (P<.10) than those of kids for their first 80 days of life.

In the wet season, reproducing sheep and goats gained similar (P>.05) weight, while non-reproducing sheep gained more (P≤.05) than non-reproducing goats. Non-reproducing goats had greater (P<.05) forage organic matter intake (OMI) than the corresponding sheep in the two wet periods. In the late-wet period, non-reproducing goats had greater (P<.05) digestible energy intake (DEI) than corresponding sheep did but had similar (P>.05) digestible protein intake (DPI) as sheep.

In the dry …

A Comparison Of Three Estrous Detection Management Schemes For Dairy Heifers, Ann Lagerstedt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heifers should represent the greatest genetic potential within a dairy herd. To maximize this potential, heifers must be inseminated to proven sires, a practice requiring management changes on many dairies. Holstein heifers (n=115) were allotted to one of three groups to compare alternatives to daily estrous detection that may facilitate the management of a program of artificial insemination for heifers. Group 1 heifers (Controls) received no treatment but were observed twice daily for signs of estrus. Group 2 heifers (2X-PGF) were synchronized with two injections of prostaglandin F2 alpha given 11 days apart and observed for estrus. Group 3 heifers …

The Effects Of Methionyl Bovine Somatotropin Administration On Luteinizing Hormone In Dairy Cattle, Joseph Charles Dalton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sixteen lactating regularly cycling dairy cows (14 primiparous, 2 multiparous) were used to determine the effects of somatotropin administration on basal, peak, and pulse luteinizing hormone concentrations during the breeding period. In addition, the effects of somatotropin administration on the pituitary response to a gonadotropinreleasing hormone challenge was studied. The experimental group received daily somatotropin treatments (25mg) for 24 days. The control group received a daily placebo. All animals were treated with three injections of prostaglandin F2-alpha (25 mgjtreatment) for estrus synchronization. Somatotropin and placebo treatments began with the second prostaglandin injection. Sixty hours following the final prostaglandin injection, all …

Reproductive Ecology Of Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata Ssp. Wyomingensis) : Effects Of Herbivory And Competition, Richard T. Decker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Herbivory and plant competition affect sexual reproduction of plants in various ways. Exclusion of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and cattle, removal of plant competition (both inter- and intraspecific), and all combinations of the above treatments were used to examine the individual and combined affects on Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis (Wyoming big sagebrush) reproduction. Reproduction of Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis was divided into hierarchical levels of the number of: (1) modules per current-year ' s growth (CYG), (2) nodes per module, (3) inflorescence heads per node, (4) achenes per inflorescence head and (5) percent viable achenes. Counts at hierarchical …

Burning, Flaming And Herbicides For Control Of Jointed Goatgrass (Aegilops Cylindrica Host.), Blake D. Willis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Winter wheat stubble and dried plant residue in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields were burned in the fall and spring to evaluate effects on jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host.) seed survival and germination. Laboratory studies were also conducted to determine minimum temperatures and heat duration needed to reduce jointed goatgrass seed viability. Maximum air temperatures attained during various field burns reached from 74 C to over 700 C. Temperatures 2.5 cm above the soil surface remained above 400 C for over 10 seconds and above 600 C for 2 to 8 seconds in burning CRP stubble. Results for the …

Immunosuppression By Aflatoxin B1 In C57bl/6 Mice And Its Relationship With Neuroendocrine Mechanisms, Yasuhiko Hatori

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), a secondary metabolite of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, is known for its potent carcinogenicity and immunosuppressive effects. It is also known that AFB₁ toxicity appears in different degrees in different animal species and strains.

The present study was performed to reveal the involvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland (HPA) axis in the immunosuppressive effects of AFB₁ on C57BL/6 mice. Splenic lymphocytes were assayed to investigate their phenotyping using flow cytometry, proliferative response against mitogen and allogenic lymphocytes, cytolytic cell activity, and IL-2 production. In addition, antibody-mediated immunocompetence was checked using sheep …

Energetic Requirements For Bacterial Protein Export, John Andrew Corbett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bacterial protein export involves the translocation of precursor proteins across the inner cytoplasmic membrane. Over 100 proteins are exported from Escherichia coli. This study showed that energy in the form of ATP and membrane gradient energy is essential for the export of leucine specific binding protein and β-lactamase precursors. Ionophores or combinations of ionophores (SF6847, valinomycin/nigericin and valinomycin/monensin) which dissipate protonmotive force inhibit protein export. Valinomycin alone also inhibits export, but not as well as reagents which dissipate protonmotive force. Nigericin or monensin alone slightly stimulate protein export. These results suggest that the transmembrane electrical potential (∆Ψ) is the …

The Relationship Between Leaf Area Index And Photosynthetic Temperature Response In Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Canopies, David B. Meek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of increasing leaf area index on the photosynthetic temperature response of a wheat canopy. Hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Veery-10) was grown hydroponically in a growth chamber, which also served as the gas-exchange chamber. Gas-exchange parameters were measured on single leaves and on wheat canopies at various leaf area indices. The temperature response curves of the canopy shifted from being steeper with a high temperature optimum to being flatter with a lower temperature optimum as leaf area index increased from 0 to 20.0 m²m …

Recreation Specialization And Preferences Of Utah Anglers, Bruce P. Andersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study were to gain a better understanding of anglers and angler preferences and to examine differences between subgroups of anglers based on level of specialization. Understanding these similarities and differences between user groups will provide valuable input for more effective fisheries management.

A randomized mail survey was sent to resident, adult fishing-license holders in Utah. A 68% response rate yielded 1216 usable returns for data analysis. An analysis of three recreation specialization dimensions (participation, equipment and investment, and lifestyle) and further analysis of participation and investment variables were used to develop a typology of Utah anglers. …

The Effect Of Seasonal Cattle Grazing On California Bighorn Sheep Habitat Use, Melanie J. Steinkamp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of seasonal cattle grazing on a newly reintroduced population of California bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana) in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Idaho, was studied. The hypothesis that bighorn sheep avoid cattle was tested. The issue of avoidance between bighorn sheep and livestock is arguable. Some studies have found that bighorn sheep avoid cattle while others have found no response of bighorn sheep to cattle.

Evidence was found to document the avoidance of cattle by bighorn sheep. The size of the bighorn's home range and core area decreased with the movement of cattle into areas of high bighorn …

The Importance Of Cover For Juvenile Rainbow Trout In Lentic Systems: Field Observations And An Experimental Study On Predation, Roger Allen Tabor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss stocked into mid-elevation reservoirs in Utah are vulnerable to predation from piscivorous fish and birds. I determined how effectively juvenile trout used cover to avoid these predators by (1) direct observations (snorkel transects) of habitat selection in two reservoirs and (2) measurements of survival and growth rates in a pond experiment where adult brown trout Salmo trutta were predators. Observations of juvenile trout were conducted within five weeks of stocking in 1988 and 1989. During the day, juvenile trout were abundant in complex inshore habitats and avoided simple habitats such as sand and gravel. Measurements …

The Response Of Coyotes To Novel And Familiar Visual And Olfactory Stimuli, Yiting Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore the response v of coyotes (Canis latrans) to certain olfactory and visual stimuli. It was assumed that the findings would be of value in refining techniques used in sampling and controlling coyotes. The specific objectives were to determine (1) if coyotes were more likely to approach and remain in the vicinity of a familiar than unfamiliar scent, (2) if the response to olfactory and visual stimuli differed, (3) if positively reinforcing an approach to the stimuli differentially altered the response to visual and olfactory stimuli, and (4) if the response …

Interrelationships Among Magnesium Deficiency, Ketogenic Diet, And Fasting On Seizure Susceptibility, Hamdia Mohammed Shahwan Ai-Hamdani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fasting and ketogenic diet prevent seizures in epileptic children, magnesium-deficient rats and other animal models of seizure disorders. This effect has been attributed to increased levels of circulating ketone bodies. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of serum ketone bodies, measured as beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), in preventing audiogenically-induced seizures in weanling rats fed a magnesium-deficient diet for 17 days.

The effect on seizure susceptibility was investigated by feeding a magnesium-deficient diet to weanling rats for 17 days. Fasting and ketogenic diet (dietary medium chain triglycerides, MCT) markedly decreased seizure incidence that was associated with increased serum BHB …

Immunological Effects Of Ketoconazole, Itraconazole And Fluconazole On Lymphocyte Cell Proliferation And Natural Killer Cell Activity In Immune-Normal, Cyclosporine-Compromised And Cyclophosphamide-Compromised Mouse Models, Jeffrey Tullis Mitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past several years there has been a steady increase in the incidence of immunologically compromised patients. This has been the result of both chemical agents, such as those used in cancer chemotherapy, and biological agents such as HIV, the cause of Acquired lmmunodefeciency Syndrome (AIDS). The increase in immune-suppressed patients has lead to an increase in life-threatening mycoses requiring treatment with antifungal agents. Pharmaceutical companies have increased research for the development of new antifungal agents which are more effective and less toxic than those that are currently used. Several researchers have reported on antifungal agents that demonstrate both …

Endocrine Interrelationships During Early Postpartum In St. Croix Sheep, Richard Michael Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationships of estradiol-17-beta, progesterone, and LH in the early postpartum St. Croix ewe were monitored during the breeding season in 1988. A second group of non-postpartum, ovariectomized St. Croix ewes were used to determine non-ovarian levels of progesterone for comparison. Results of this study indicate that:

1. The short duration rise in progesterone exhibited by some ewes is indicative of an ovulation.
2. Ewes that do exhibit a short luteal phase prior to the first "normal" luteal phase have a longer period from parturition to the first "normal" luteal phase.
3. Serum levels of LH increase beginning 3 days postpartum.
4. There is …

Chromosome Abnormalities As A Possible Cause Of Reduced Fertility In Dairy Heifers, Stanley L. Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chromosome evaluations were made on leukocyte blood samples from 169 phenotypically normal nulliparous Holstein heifers. These were from three different reproduction groups collected in sets of threes from 10 different herds in the western United States. Group 1, the control group, consisted of heifers diagnosed pregnant after one or two breedings; Group 2 consisted of heifers diagnosed pregnant after three or four breedings; and Group 3 consisted of heifers diagnosed open after four or more breedings. Metaphase chromosome spreads used in these analyses were obtained through 72-hour leukocyte cultures from heparinized whole blood. Processed cells were dropped onto a slide, …

Effects Of Cannulation, Bst Administration And Protein Degradability On Rumen And Duodenal Characteristics And Milk Production Response In Holstein Dairy Cows, Margaret D. Winsryg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a protein synthesized at the base of the brain and released by the pituitary gland into the circulatory system. BST is transported by the circulatory system and absorbed only by cells of target organs that possess cell surface receptors for the protein (11, 41). Its effect is initiated via a protein receptor initiation and cyclic AMP cascade. This effect on the cell continues well past the degradation of the bST molecule. BST is likely transported into the cell, where it is degraded. Its constituent blocks, amino acids, are used to synthesize new proteins or converted to …

Morphological Responses Of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) To Changes In Phytochrome Photoequilibria, Blue Light And Photoperiod, Charles Barnes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) plants were exposed to three different levels of phytochrome photoequilibria (φ), two different photoperiods, end-of-day far-red radiation, two different levels of blue (400-500 nm) light, three levels of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and two types of high intensity discharge lamp types. Tillering was reduced by lowered φ, by reduced amounts on blue light and by end-of-day far-red. Main culm development was increased by lowered φ, by increased PPF, and was reduced by shortened photoperiod and by reduced blue light. Leaf length was increased by increased PPF, lowered φ, and reduced blue light but was …

Substrate Concentration, Calcium Concentration And Κ-Casein Hydrolysis In Milk Coagulation, Fenjin He

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Milk coagulation consists of four overlapping phases: enzymic hydrolysis, micelle aggregation, gelation and syneresis. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of added CaCl₂ on milk coagulation and the relationship between enzymic hydrolysis and micelle aggregation with substrate at different concentrations.

Addition of CaCl₂ to milk is widely practiced in industry and in laboratories. This changes calcium concentration, pH and ionic strength. It is impossible to separate these three variables and investigate each one independently.

Addition of low levels of CaCl₂ shortens coagulation time and increases curd firming rate. Low levels of CaCl_{2 …}

The Effects Of Disease, Prey Fluctuation, And Clear-Cutting On American Marten In Newfoundland, Canada, Richard J. Fredrickson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Individual variation in survival and behavior of American marten (Martes americana) was studied in relation to disease, prey fluctuation, and clear-cutting from 10 January 1986 through 20 August 1987 in Newfoundland, Canada. Thirty-seven of forty marten captured on the study area were telemetered and monitored for part or all of the study.

Marten mortality was concentrated in two intervals, fall 1986 and late winter 1987. Mortality during fall 1986 was attributable to encephalitis, while marten deaths during late winter 1987 resulted from predation and starvation attributable to the prey decline. Nonsuppurative encephalitis was first detected 7 October 1986; …

Visitor Characteristics And Attitudes Toward Policies In The Irish Wilderness Of Southern Missouri, Debra Lynn Bumpus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Questionnaires which assessed attitudes toward wilderness policies and behavioral norms were distributed to individuals at the Irish Wilderness, in the surrounding communities, and to conservation groups. Questions were designed to describe general wilderness policies and also those policies specific to the Irish Wilderness. The Irish Wilderness, located in southeastern Missouri, was designated as a national wilderness area in 1984. Prior to this 1986 study, no previous studies had been conducted in the area to describe visitor characteristics and attitudes toward wilderness management policies. A comparison was also made between the attitudes of the Irish Wilderness visitor and of Pacific Northwest …

A Descriptive Study Of Range Livestock Operations In The Somali Central Rangelands, Abdinasir M. Abdulle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Information on livestock operations, particularly what kind of livestock operations are practiced in the Somali central rangelands, and how these operations differ for different herders in different vegetation types and farming systems, could serve as a major tool in making management decisions. This study provides a detailed description of range livestock operations in the Somali Central Rangelands. It also answers some important management questions.

Range livestock operations were inventoried through personal interviews with the owners and herders. Data are supplemented by previous nation-wide and regional survey statistics. Herd productivity data which include herd structures, age, age-related sales, slaughters, gifts, and …

Yellowstone's Northern Elk Herd: Critical Evaluation Of The "Natural Regulation" Paradigm., Charles Edward Kay

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior to 1968, the National Park Service contended that an unnaturally large population of elk had severely damaged Yellowstone Park's northern winter range, including aspen and willow communities. However, under "natural regulation" management adopted in the earl y 1970s the agency now believes that vegetation changes in the park are due to normal plant succession, climatic change, or fire suppression, not ungulates. The agency also believes that large numbers of elk (12, 000 - 15, 000) have wintered on the park's northern range for the last several thousand years. This study tested several of the major assumptions or predictions of …

Autecological Characteristics Of Chrysopogon Aucheri And Cymbopogon Jwarancusa, Dominant Rangeland Grasses In Baluchistan, Mohammad Saleem

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Controlled environment experiments were designed to study the germination, seedling development, and defoliation responses of Chrysopogon aucheri and Cymbopogon jwarancusa to better understand their autecology and potential use in range improvement programs in Baluchistan.

In experiment 1, Cymbopogon jwarancusa had greater seed fill and viability than Chrysopogon aucheri. When incubated at six different alternating temperature regimes, seeds of Cymbopogon jwarancusa had greater cumulative germination at five temperature regimes and faster germination at the colder temperature regimes than Chrysopogon aucheri.

In experiment 2, seedling shoot and root development was characterized at 15-day intervals over a 60-day period. Seedlings of …

Forest Canopies: Form And Functional Relationships, Steven B. Jack

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Forest canopy structure is strongly influenced by stand density due to changing competitive interactions among the individual trees and in turn directly influences stemwood volume production. The structure and dynamics of forest canopies, particularly in relation to the production of stemwood, were examined in unmanaged, even-aged stands of two dissimilar tree species, Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. and Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. The analysis of structure-production relationships was guided by a conceptual model which generated hypotheses and led to examination of assumptions incorporated in the model.

Mean crown dimensions were related to stand density through a negative exponential function for …

Carbon Dioxide Toxicity In Wheat, Robert Spanarkel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research was conducted to quantify short- and long-term effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide on wheat. Growth, development, and yield of the spring wheat cultivar Veery-10 were measured in response to CO₂ concentrations of 340 (ambient), 1200, and 2500 μmol moI^-1 of CO₂ air. These 3 CO₂ levels were chosen to provide a control group, a predicted optimal CO₂ environment, and a potentially toxic CO₂environment, respectively. A recirculating hydroponic system provided a near-optimal root-zone environment that was identical for all CO₂ treatment levels. Environmental factors, other than CO₂, were …

Seasonal Movement Patterns Of Coyotes In The Bear River Mountains Of Idaho And Utah, Glen F. Gantz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Coyotes (Canis latrans) prey upon domestic sheep. The Animal Damage Control (ADC) program currently relies heavily on aerial gunning in winter to control coyote depredations on mountain grazing allotments. Some people claim that winter aerial gunning is not effective because coyotes migrate to lower elevations during winter, following herds of big game animals, and may not be on the allotments where summer depredations occur. I studied the seasonal movement patterns of coyotes in the Bear River Range of Utah and Idaho to determine if coyotes in montane habitats move on a seasonal basis. Radio-collared coyotes were located from fixed-wing aircraft …

Purification And Immunological Reactivity Of Commercial Microbial Milk Clotting Enzyme Preparations, Chima I. Osuala

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Commercial microbial milk clotting enzyme preparations were purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using purified antibody covalently coupled to porous glass beads as the column matrix. Commercial enzyme preparation diluted in 1 mM sodium acetate buffer at pH 5.0 was then biospecifically adsorbed to the column matrix by end-over-end mixing of the glass-antibody complex in the enzyme solution for 12 h at 5°C. The antibody bound enzyme adsorbed glass beads were soaked in .2 M glycine or ethanolarnine at pH 7.0 to block uncoupled reactive sites on the matrix. Following this, the column was washed with 1 mM sodium acetate …