Life Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Substrate Dispersion Method And Particle Size On In Vitro Digestibility, Gas Production Kinetics And Composition, And Fermentation Characteristics In Different Feed Types, Luiz C. O. Sousa, Ellem M. A. Matos, Ronald J. Trotta, Edenio Detmann, David L. Harmon

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Our objective was to evaluate the influence of substrate dispersion method and particle size on in vitro digestibility, gas production kinetics and composition, and fermentation characteristics of different feed types. Alfalfa hay, tall fescue hay, ground corn, soybean meal, and a total mixed ration (TMR) were used as substrates. Treatments were designed according to a 2 × 2 × 5 factorial arrangement: two substrate dispersion methods (loose substrate and in filter bags), two particle sizes (1 mm and 2 mm), and five feeds. Filter bags decreased (P ≤ 0.001) digestibility and gas production compared with loose samples. Filter bags decreased …

Menstrual Cycle Phase Effects On Alcohol-Impaired Driving Performance And Risk Awareness, Annie K. Griffith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Growing evidence indicates that risky behavior among women is elevated during the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, likely due to increased estradiol levels. Furthermore, alcohol-induced impairment of women’s inhibitory control is significantly greater during the late versus early follicular phase. Consequently, cycle phase may influence outcomes of poor inhibitory control while intoxicated, such as alcohol-impaired driving. Alcohol-impaired driving risk manifests in two ways: risk-taking while driving, and risk awareness regarding the decision to drive. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that alcohol-induced increases in driver risk-taking and decreases in risk awareness would be exacerbated during the late versus early …

Daily Rhythms In Psychosocial Stress, Sleep, And Mood: A Multimethod Approach To Transdiagnostic Psychopathology Risk And Intervention, Gabriel Gilmore

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Rhythms are central to nearly every core physiological and psychological process and have profound influences on overall health and well-being, particularly in the context of mood disorders. This dissertation emphasizes a rhythm-centered framework for understanding transdiagnostic psychopathology, proposing that the temporal organization of psychosocial stress, sleep, and mood provides crucial information for the development and treatment of mood disorder symptomology. Current literature relies primarily on mean symptom levels, overlooking day-to-day patterns in psychosocial experiences. To address this key methodological gap, three studies are examined. Study 1 develops and validates the Psychosocial Stress Regularity Measure (PSRM), a brief single-item measure of …

Dwarf Tomato Cultivar Selection Guide, Abigail Lazier, Noah Langenfeld

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

This cultivar guide provides information on eighteen dwarf tomato cultivars grown at Utah State University. The goal is to help growers compare varieties based on plant size, productivity, fruit characteristics, and quality. Each cultivar profile includes a photograph of the plant along with key information on growth habit, size classification, yield, fruit size, and soluble solids (°brix). Whether you are selecting tomatoes for a patio, indoor garden, greenhouse, or other space-limited growing system, this guide offers an easy-to-use resource for identifying cultivars that best match your available space and production goals.

Biphasic Calcium Disturbance In Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Report Of Recovery Phase Severe Hypercalcemia, Maham Shahid, Jean C. Ramos-Cardona, Maria Toustsoglou, Gunjan Y. Gandhi

South Atlantic Division GME Research Days 2026

No abstract provided.

Long Biogeographic Separation Corresponds With Fewer Herbivores On Eastern Asian Plants Introduced To Eastern North America, Robert Warren

Biology Faculty Datasets

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Full Femur Imaging For Early Detection Of Incomplete Atypical Femur Fractures, Ashley B. Humrickhouse, Donald Eagerton, Anne G. La Rochelle

South Atlantic Division GME Research Days 2026

No abstract provided.

Regrowth Of Thyroid Gland After Total Thyroidectomy, Amy Duff, Mikayla Kidd, Donald Eagerton

South Atlantic Division GME Research Days 2026

No abstract provided.

When Covid Unmasks More Than Infection: A Case Of Post-Viral Lada, Mikayla Kidd, Amy Duff, Reggie Skains Iii, Sahana Parthasarathy

South Atlantic Division GME Research Days 2026

No abstract provided.

Building A Cell Specific System For In Vivo Rna Imaging Of The Endogenous Actin Gene In C. Elegans, Jasmine A. Huerta Canete

Theses and Dissertations

Messenger RNA (mRNA) plays a crucial role in protein synthesis and cellular processes, important for the development of cells such as neurons. When dysregulation occurs, it can lead to outcomes such as aberrant translation, causing neurodegenerative conditions to arise. Unfortunately, the localization of mRNA in an in vivo cell specific manner is still not understood. To address this, we decided to develop a cell-specific system to image RNA in vivo, within the organism known as C. elegans with a focus on the actin gene. The Actin gene encodes for an important cytoskeleton protein expressed ubiquitously, vital for the cell …

Orexin Receptor Modulation In Amygdalar Stress Circuitry Differentiates Resilient And Vulnerable Phenotypes, Megan Marie John

Dissertations and Theses

Social stress is important for evaluating threats and resource opportunities, however, chronic exposure initiates the onset of psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Stress responsiveness varies between individuals and sexes, resulting in disproportionate diagnoses and ineffective treatment outcomes. Enhancing therapeutic efficacy requires understanding of stress responsivity, phenotype development, and neurocircuitry modifications. Key contributors to stress responsiveness, such as threat of aggression and motivational initiation, influence the development of resilient or vulnerable phenotypes through behavioral and molecular adaptations to stress-related neurocircuitry. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a brain region associated with fear learning and integrates stress …

Varied Environmental Enrichment Schedules Differentially Affect Behavioral Performance, Davis Aschemann

Research Honors

Cognitive decline is a widespread phenomenon affecting a significant proportion of older adults. The mechanisms that cause cognitive decline are still being investigated, with recent evidence indicating that senescent cells are a primary cause of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Environmental enrichment has been linked with the potential curbing and reversal of cognitive decline, specifically the restoration of immune cell function and improved neuroplasticity. Despite the amount of research showing the beneficial effects of environmental enrichment for cognitive decline, paradigms for environmental enrichment are heterogeneous across the literature. A primary factor that differs across studies is the duration of administration of environmental …

The Effects Of Hyperthyroidism On Mouse Corneal Innervation: Implications For Human Cornea Re-Innervation, Anjali Malali

Research Honors

To test the effects of elevated TH during cornea development, our lab has collaborated with Dr. Juan Davila (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) to develop an embryonic mouse model of hyperthyroidism. Embryos were exposed to high levels of TH in utero by adding TH to the pregnant mother’s drinking water. Upon collection of the embryos, elevated blood thyroid levels in the pregnant mother were analyzed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and eye tissues were collected and preserved for analysis of corneal nerve innervation patterns. By utilizing immunohistochemistry in order to visualize corneal innervation in mouse embryos, this project studied whether …

First Report Of A Trematode Infection In An Invasive Population Of Pomacea Maculata: Evidence Of A Phaneropsolid (Trematoda: Microphalloidea) And Recommended Methods For Surveillance, Jonah A. Nguyen, Lori Tolley-Jordan, Annie P. Slayton, Bradley M. Richardson, Thomas G. Rosser

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Giant apple snails, Pomacea maculata (Caenogastropoda: Ampullariidae), are native to South America but are now invasively established in subtropical freshwater habitats worldwide. In May 2017, P. maculata from an urban pond in Mobile, Alabama, USA were found infected with a larval trematode, prompting further collections to determine prevalence and investigate effects of infection by snail sex and size. In total, 284 snails (n = 184 female, n = 100 male) were collected in May, August, and October of 2017 and 2018. Of these, 60 females and 23 males were infected with prevalence per sampling event ranging from 4 to …

Colorimetric Measurement Of Ammonium (Nh4+): A Comparison Of Hanna And Lamotte Meters, Abby Laughlin, Dalton Palmer, Bruce Bugbee

Techniques and Instruments

Both meters were similarly accurate. The LaMotte meter is about 25% lower initial cost than the HANNA meter, but the HANNA meter has other advantages: lower cost and more available test kits, greater range, and ease of use.

South Asian Nutrition Guide For Heart Health: A Practical Guide To Sodium, Saturated Fat, Packaged Foods, Recipes And Meal Planning, Ashwini Wagle

Open Educational Resources

South Asians, including people with ancestry from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives, have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes than many other populations. They often develop heart disease at younger ages and sometimes at lower body weights. (Jose, 2024; Patel et al., 2021; Volgman et al., 2018).

This increased risk is not caused by a single factor. Evidence points to a combination of inherited, metabolic, lifestyle, and social influences. Common contributors include insulin resistance, abdominal or visceral fat, type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated lipoprotein(a), family history, stress, migration-related changes …

Tree Composition And Carbon Turnover Dynamics Across 22 Years In A Costa Rican Premontane Moist Forest Fragment, Milena Cambronero, Fabián Araya-Yannarella, Lauren Holmes, Jill Cass

Student Publications [Scholarly]

Aim of study: Tropical forests are increasingly threatened by deforestation and fragmentation. In Costa Rica, extensive land-use change has left forest fragments whose long-term ecological dynamics remain poorly understood. This study assessed changes in tree diversity, composition, structure, and aboveground carbon stocks during a 22-year period (2000-2022) in a premontane moist forest fragment in Costa Rica. Area of study: Municipal Forest of Atenas (26.4-ha), Alajuela, Costa Rica. Material and methods: Tree inventories were conducted in 32 plots (10 m radius) in 2000 and 33 plots in 2022. We analysed diversity and composition using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, Hill numbers, and Importance Value …

Activity-Dependent Remodeling Of Muscle Architecture During Distinct Locomotor Behaviors In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Adina Fazyl, Akash Anbu, Sabrina Kollbaum, Andres G. Vidal-Gadea

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Muscle structure is dynamically shaped by mechanical use, yet how distinct locomotor behaviors influence sarcomere organization remains poorly understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, crawling and swimming constitute discrete gaits that differ in curvature, frequency, and mechanical load, providing a tractable model for studying activity-dependent remodeling. Using confocal imaging of phalloidin-stained body-wall myocytes, we quantified myocyte geometry, sarcomere length, and sarcomere number across anterior, mid-body, and posterior regions in animals reared exclusively under crawling or swimming conditions. Quantification and hypothesis testing used linear mixed models that accounted for repeated myocyte measurements within animals, with interaction terms testing region-specific effects of locomotor …

Variable Infections But No Evidence Of Immune Priming In Bumble Bee Hosts Against Novel Exposure To A Honey Bee Virus, Austin C. Calhoun, Ben M. Sadd

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Ongoing global change presents novel challenges to species persistence, including heightened emerging infectious disease (EID) exposure. While invertebrates lack vertebrate acquired immunity, many species exhibit “immune priming” with enhanced protection to repeated pathogen exposures. This phenomenon could be critical for species of conservation concern, such as for wild bumble bees, where EID risk is amplified through contact with managed bee pollinators. We investigate the potential for immune priming against the honey bee-derived Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) in Bombus impatiens bumble bees. We test the hypothesis that prior pathogen-associated exposure affords greater resistance and tolerance upon secondary pathogen exposure, due …

The Synergy Between A Silver-Ruthenium Antimicrobial And Aminoglycosides Is Based On Severe Macromolecular Damage, Emmanuel P. Oladokun, Gracious Y. Donkor, Julius K. Narh, Grady D. Jacobson, Cade Ward, Patrick O. Tawiah, Lisa K. Polzer, Kevin A. Edwards, Kyle A. Floyd, Jan-Ulrik Dahl

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens, including uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), highlights the urgent need for alternative treatment strategies to restore antibiotic efficacy. The silver-ruthenium antimicrobial AGXX exerts potent bactericidal effects through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, its potential synergy with antibiotics has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we show that sublethal concentrations of AGXX strongly enhance aminoglycoside-mediated killing across a diverse panel of Gram-negative and Gram-positive MDR clinical isolates, including highly aminoglycoside-resistant strains. Combinational treatments significantly reduced the effective concentrations of gentamicin, tobramycin, kanamycin, and amikacin required to kill bacteria. Mechanistic analyses revealed that AGXX/aminoglycoside …

Examining The Factor Structure And Subgroup Invariance Of The Deliberate Denial Of Disordered Eating Behaviors Scale, Lindsay Howard, Sage Hawn, Kayla D. Pitchford, Riley Mcgrath, Aubri Farniok, Arturo Sesma, Kristin E. Heron

Psychology Faculty Publications

The denial, concealment, or omission of disordered eating behaviors has received limited attention in the eating disorder literature, partly due to the lack of reliable and valid measures. This study re-examined the factor structure of the Denial of Disordered Eating Behaviors Scale (DDEBS-12) and tested measurement invariance across gender identity, racial identity, and levels of disordered eating in a non-clinical undergraduate sample (N = 3285). Confirmatory factor analyses did not support the original unidimensional structure. Instead, a seven-item model assessing denial of dietary restriction demonstrated the best fit and was renamed the DDEBS-restriction. The revised scale showed good internal consistency …

From Molecules To Minds: Integrative Multi-Omics In Psychiatry, Hossein Abbasi, Sage E. Hawn, Arash Javanbakht, Soraya Seedat, Kyle Bourassa, Sinead M. Sinnott, Antonia V. Seligowski, Sian Hemmings, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Alicia K. Smith, Leslie Brick, Divya Mehta

Psychology Faculty Publications

Psychiatric disorders are biologically complex conditions arising from interactions across genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and metagenomic layers. Single-omics approaches rarely capture more than a fraction of the variance in complex conditions, underscoring the importance of integrative multi-omics frameworks. This mini-review summarizes key methodologies and their application in psychiatric research, with a focus on systems-level integration of genomic risk scores, transcriptomic networks, and neuroimaging data to advance biological understanding of disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. We also outline the infrastructural requirements for effective multi-omics research, including standardized biobanking, Laboratory Information Management Systems, adherence to FAIR data principles, …

Best Practices For Using Biological Data In Psychological Research, Sage E. Hawn, Sinead M. Sinnott, Alicia K. Smith, Kyle Bourassa, Leslie Brick, Sian Hemmings, Soraya Seedat, Arash Javanbakht, Lauren Smith, Antonia V. Seligowski, Nathan A. Kimbrel, Divya Mehta, Hossein Abbasi, Erika Wolf

Psychology Faculty Publications

Advances in statistical techniques for analyzing biological data have driven the need for larger sample sizes, which are ultimately made possible through team science efforts. Findings from these efforts have led to a significant shift in approaches to biological data collection over the past decade, from traditional approaches relying on single measures or assays collected by individual investigators in small lab-based studies to high-dimensional methodologies embedded within large cohorts or multi-site studies. These recent large scale consortium efforts necessitate careful consideration across the full data pipeline, from pre-data generation and sample collection to processing and statistical analysis, while addressing challenges …

Love In The Fast Lane: Rapid Physiological Senescence At Sexual Maturity In Male Colorado Brown Tarantulas (Aphonopelma Hentzi), Spencer Poscente

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Sexual dimorphism in longevity represents a striking example of natural selection favoring reproductive success over survival: in Colorado brown tarantulas (Aphonopelma hentzi), females live over two decades while males survive just months after reaching sexual maturity. I collected sexually mature males at three time points (August, September, October) across two years and quantified metabolic rates, locomotor performance, and survival under controlled laboratory conditions. This thesis comprises two articles examining complementary dimensions of that decline: metabolic senescence and locomotor performance. Open-flow respirometry revealed significant seasonal shifts: minimum metabolic rate increased through October, and metabolic scope peaked in September before declining. Survival …

The Sequence (S) Index As A Marker Of Diminished Step-To-Step Transition Efficiency In Older Adults, Elham Alijanpour, Ashwini Kulkarni, Peter G. Adamczyk, Daniel M. Russell

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Age-related declines in walking efficiency are often attributed to musculoskeletal and neuromuscular changes, yet the mechanisms underlying these inefficiencies remain poorly understood. One key contributor is the step-to-step transition (STST), during which the center of mass (CoM) is redirected between limbs. The Sequence (S) index quantifies the temporal overlap between push-off and collision forces during STST, with higher values indicating greater mechanical energy loss. This study investigated whether aging affects STST efficiency, as quantified by the S index, and examined the timing and impulse characteristics underlying observed differences.

Methods: Thirteen young and eleven older healthy adults walked at five …

Ultrasound-Based Assessment Of Talar Cartilage In Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability: A Systematic Review, Amin Mohammadi, Saeed Eshghi, Iman Mohammadi, Patrick Wilson, Ryan Mccann

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose

To systematically synthesize ultrasound (US) evidence on talar cartilage morphology and load-induced deformation in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI), and to map methodological approaches (acquisition, outcome definitions, loading paradigms, and normalization) to inform protocol standardization.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO were searched (March 31, 2025). Eligible studies reported quantitative US-derived talar cartilage morphology (e.g., thickness, cross-sectional area [CSA]) and/or deformation following standardized loading in CAI and comparison groups. Due to heterogeneity in imaging protocols, loading tasks, and outcome definitions, findings were synthesized narratively and organized by outcome domain.

Results

Across available cohorts, load-induced deformation was the …

Nonlinear Differences In Postural Sway Across Attentional Focus Conditions In Individuals With And Without Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Natalie L. Ferguson, Brian L. Cone, Christopher K. Rhea, Anne Beethe, Breanna Studenka

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The structure of variability in postural sway reflects the adaptability and health of the postural control system. Entropy quantifies this structure by measuring the regularity of repeated fluctuations over time. Although entropy has been used to examine sway in neurological populations, little is known about how sway complexity changes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Attentional focus may also influence postural control, with external focus typically promoting more efficient and automatic regulation than internal focus.

AIM: To examine how attentional focus (internal vs. external) influences the structure of postural sway in individuals with and without ACLR.

METHODS: Forty-three participants …

Eeg Signatures Of Motor Development In Early Childhood: A Systematic Review, Sonia Khurana, Ashwini Kulkarni, Thomas C. Bulea, Hunter J. Bennett

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Early identification of motor developmental disorders is limited due to lack of objective neural markers that characterize typical neurodevelopmental patterns. This systematic review interprets and synthesizes existing evidence to propose a framework of EEG signatures associated with motor development in children aged 0-5 years, which may help inform future benchmarks for early assessment and intervention.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched published and gray literature across five databases between 2000 and 2025 (registered protocol). Included studies examined EEG during task-based, resting-state, or sleep studies linked to motor milestones, task performance, or standardized motor assessments. Study quality was assessed using …

The Epidemiology Of Catastrophic Head And Neck Injuries In High School And College Non-Football Sports: A 4-Decade Review, Courtney M. Meyer, Kristen L. Kucera, Samantha E. Scarneo-Miller, Zachary K. Winkelmann, Susan W. Yeargin

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background:

Catastrophic head and neck injuries (CHNIs) in sport are rare but can have disabling or fatal outcomes. Prior studies have focused on football, equipment-laden sports, or different injury severities, not CHNI in nonfootball sports.

Purpose:

To describe the epidemiology of CHNI across levels (high school vs collegiate) in nonfootball sports and evaluate differences in injury rates (IRs) by sport, sex, and decade.

Study Design

Descriptive epidemiological study.

Methods:

This study utilized 40 academic years (1982-1983 to 2021-2022) of surveillance data from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. Descriptive statistics summarized athlete, event, and injury characteristics. IRs were …

Walking It Off: Habituation Of Gait At Virtual High Elevation, Kelly Poretti, Toby J. Ellmers, Christopher K. Rhea, Tiphanie Raffegeau

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Fear and anxiety about falling can disrupt gait control, leading to activity restriction and increased fall risk in older adults. VR can be used to induce postural threat (e.g., by simulating high elevation settings) within a controlled environment, inducing fall-related anxiety and cautious gait (i.e. slower, shorter steps) in young and older adults. However, it is unknown how emotional and motor responses to VR postural threat habituate across time because existing studies feature short exposures (10 seconds or less). Before VR-induced postural threat can be translated into an intervention, it is critical to understand threat-related gait habituation across time. …