All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

On the Behavioral Responses of Free Uinta Ground Squirrels to Trapping

David F. Balph — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:14:37 PDT

Biologists often trap animals to obtain information on them. If trapping is selective toward some animals, the information may be inaccurate. Most mammalogists know or suspect that their trapping techniques (reviewed by Hayne, 1949; and Stickel, 1954) contain sources of bias. Since trapping remains the only feasible way to obtain information on many animals, researchers have tried to discover sources of sampling error and refine their techniques. They have found that one major source of difficulty may lie in the behavior of animals. Individual animals seem to respond differently to trapping, both initially and through learning (Geis, 1955; Crowcroft and Jeffers, 1961; and others). However, researchers seldom observe the behavioral responses of animals to traps. They infer information from capture data. Perhaps an empirical approach would shed more light on the relationship between behavior and trapping. The present study is such an approach.

The study concerns the behavioral responses of adult Uinta ground squirrels, Citellus armatus, to trapping. I based the study on the direct observations of known individuals in a wild population. My primary objective was to learn how animals respond to a trap, to capture, and to recapture. My approach was both that of a population ecologist interested in factors affecting trapping success and that of a behaviorist interested in the effect of trapping procedures on the behavior of animals.

I conducted a broad ecological and behavioral study of the population (Balph and Stokes, 1963) before beginning the research on trap response, which helped me select parameters and develop procedures. I also conducted a pilot study on deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, in the laboratory to test some procedures and the design of the trap-response investigation.

A Method to Quantify Road Safety Audit Data and Results

Joshua Reid Jones — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:41 PDT

The research presented in this thesis is the result of field data collection conducted by the Utah Local Technical Assistance Program (Utah LTAP) in conjunction with the Utah Department of Transportation. The first step of the research was data collection from 18 road safety audits conducted throughout the state of Utah. These Road Safety Audits (RSA's) provided a wide variety of data that was used for the validation of the road safety audit quantification methodology. The purpose of this research is to provide quantification to the RSA process that will increase the benefits gained from implementing the RSA recommendations. Benefits derived from the implementation of RSA recommendations were found by assessing the change of risk from before and after safety improvements. The RSA quantification tool was developed to analyze projects in both urban and rural settings. The implementation of the RSA tool will help practitioners show the benefits that can be gained from the safety recommendations and help decision makers in allocating funds to the areas that pose the most risk. The tool will show the difference in risk that the improvements make and the cost effectiveness of different project alternatives.

Characterization of Lactose Monolaurate for its Antimicrobial and Emulsification Properties and its Effect on Crystallization Behavior of Anhydrous Milk Fat

Ashwini Wagh — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:35 PDT

There is a constant need of new synthetic emulsifiers in the food industry. Sugar esters are widely used as food grade synthetic emulsifiers, amongst which sucrose esters are the most common. Although sucrose esters are used very frequently, little is known about the use of lactose esters in food. There is a need for characterization of lactose esters before they can be used in foods. The objective of this study was to characterize a lactose ester, lactose monolaurate (LML) as an antimicrobial agent on food pathogens, evaluate its effect on 20 % oil-in-water emulsions as an emulsifier, and to explore its effect on crystallization behavior of anhydrous milk fat. In the first study (Chapter 3), the effect of LML was evaluated on survival of some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. For Listeria monocytogenes, a concentration of 1 mg/ml showed some inhibition in growth media whereas the cells were completely killed at 5 mg/ml. For Mycobacteria, an LML concentration between 0.1-1mg/ml was lethal. Scanning electron microscopy was also conducted to examine any changes in the morphology of cells. Listeria exhibited a change in morphology and a wrinkling effect was shown in Mycobacteria. In the second study (Chapter 4), the effect of LML as an emulsifier was evaluated in 20 % oil-in-water emulsions. The use level of LML was comparable to commercially available emulsifier polysorbate 20, and produced comparable stabilization in the emulsions upon use. In this study, an attempt was also made to optimize the synthesis of LML with respect to the immobilized enzyme and solvent combination. It was concluded that for 20 % oil-in-water emulsions, LML is a promising emulsifier at 0.5%. In the third study (Chapter 5), the effect of LML was evaluated at two concentrations on the crystallization behavior of anhydrous milk fat at two temperatures with high and low supercooling. On application of high intensity ultrasound (HIU) to anhydrous milk fat (AMF) at 31°C and 0.05 % LML the effect on viscosity of sample and crystallization behavior was evaluated. It was concluded that the viscosity of AMF decreased with the addition of 0.05% LML. The lower viscosity of anhydrous milk fat on addition of LML could be restored with the application of HIU.

Needs Assessment for Promoting Livestock and Equine Safety for Diné Youth

Karah L. Shumway — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:29 PDT

The purpose of the research was a formative assessment of Diné (Navajo) parents and community leaders' needs for a training program for the prevention of livestock injuries including those that are horse-related. The research objectives were to identify parents' perceived livestock and horse related injury risks to Diné children and describe Diné community stake holder input on prevention interventions for reducing injury risks to children associated with livestock and horse-related activities on the farm or ranch. The assessment utilized a survey constructed of closed and open-ended questions to gauge Diné farmers' and ranchers' perceptions of injury risks to children who live or work on an agricultural operation. Additional questions were asked to gauge Diné acceptance of an online training program as a prevention intervention to reduce livestock and horse-related injuries to children. A total of 96 individuals agreed to participate in the survey and provided usable responses. A total of 53% of participants were female. There were 58 individuals who perceived that a youth who worked with intact male livestock was at a high risk for injury. A total of 25 individuals perceived that a youth who rides a horse without an equestrian riding helmet was at a high risk for injury. There were 48 individuals who strongly agreed that they would utilize an interactive internet resource to promote agricultural safety for Diné youth. There were 22 individuals who strongly agreed that they would utilize internet social networks to promote agricultural safety and health for Diné youth. This project may serve as a model of collaboration to help researchers address the agricultural safety needs of other vulnerable populations. When participants were asked if there were safety issues associated with having youth working on the farm or ranch, a very large portion felt that the biggest issue was a lack of education and instruction from their elders.

Evidence of Agrarian Urbanism: Land Use Preferences of Residents Living on Small Acreage Farms or Large Lots with Animal Rights in Cache Valley, Utah

Laurie B. Hurst — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:23 PDT

Until the last half century, land development patterns in the Intermountain West were designed after the Mormon settlement pattern. With its gridiron streets and in-town farmsteads, this pattern gave families the opportunity to grow crops and raise a few animals on their one acre or less in town with the added advantage of having a social life. Over the last century, small farms have dwindled and large farms have increased in size. However, in the Intermountain West the farmstead tradition continues with families who grow gardens and raise animals on their large city lots, who value self-sufficiency, and who thrive in wide open spaces. To better understand the land uses and preferences of this population, a research survey was mailed to a sample pool of residents of Cache Valley, Utah who live on large lots with animal rights. They contributed an array of data about their backgrounds and how they are specifically using their land. Their responses validated the existence of a continued agrarian culture and gave insight on how they felt about trends in conservation subdivisions and common open space. A range of opinions about ideal lot size supported rural planners' suggestions to develop lots of varying sizes to meet the needs of a diverse population. Small farms on large lots can be a valuable part of a sustainable urban and rural environment. Local vegetables and agricultural products bring nature and natural processes back to an urban setting and reduce the environmental footprint imposed by extensive shipping. Culturally, small farmers provide a connection to the past and fulfill a lifestyle choice for a rural-minded population. Particularly in the Intermountain West, planners need to integrate these small farms into their developments to preserve the rural character of towns and cities of the region.

Characterization and Potential Utility of Porcine Trophoblast-Derived Stem-Like Cells

Edison A. Suasnavas — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:17 PDT

In mammals, the trophoblast lineage of the embryo is specified before implantation. It is restricted to become the fetal portion of the placenta. We have isolated and cultured trophoblast-derived cells from day 10 and day 13 porcine embryos. These cells demonstrate morphological and biological characteristics that make them unique. We have demonstrated that these cells can grow in vitro in a defined, serum-replacement medium for over a year without showing any signs of senescence. Trophoblast-derived cells placed into serum-containing medium, however, rapidly senesce and fail to proliferate. Gene expression analysis by RT-PCR and Fluidigm analysis of cells in culture from 0-30 days confirmed expression of genes involved in trophoblast function (CDX2, TEAD4, CYP17A1, HSD17B1, FGFR2, PLET, HAND1) as well as some genes known to mediate pluripotency (POU5F1, KLF4, CMYC). These experiments revealed changes in gene expression over time and in response to serum-containing medium. We have demonstrated that these trophoblast-derived cells are easily stably transfected with an exogenous transgene (eGFP) by a variety of methods, and show the ability to survive and to be passaged repeatedly after transfection. Also, immunofluorescence analysis results demonstrated that these cells do not only demonstrate epithelial characteristics by the expression of KRT18, but also they show expression of VIMENTIN which is a protein found in mesenchymal cells. These findings contradict studies done by Ramsoondar in 1993 and Flechon in 1995 which reported the negative expression of VIMENTIN in similar cells. In summary, early embryonic porcine trophoblast-derived cells have demonstrated unique characteristics which have taken us to the conclusion that they could be used as valuable tools for laboratory work. Anticipated applications include the study of trophoblast physiology as well as possible solutions for improving efficiency of transgenesis by somatic cell nuclear transfer and for pluripotency reprogramming of cells.

Cougar Predation Behavior in North-Central Utah

Dustin L. Mitchell — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:10 PDT

Cougar (Puma concolor) predation has been identified as being one of several factors contributing to the decline of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) throughout the Western United States. In order to better understand how these elusive felines utilize their surroundings and prey, I examined and analyzed cougar predation behavior in North-Central Utah, using global positioning systems (GPS) data from 2002-2010. Twenty-three cougars were fitted with GPS collars and monitored for prey caching behavior. In total 775 potential cache sites were visited and 546 prey remains found. Mule deer comprised the majority of prey at cougar cache sites, but 11 other species were also found. Collectively, adult female mule deer were killed more than any other demographic class. Proportionally there was no difference in the sex or age class of deer killed by cougars in three different population segments, but seasonal differences were found in the number of kills made between cougar groups. Female cougars with kittens had a higher predation rate than males or solitary females, and seasonally more kills were made in the winter vs. summer. Cougars spent an average of 3.3 days on deer kills, and 6.2 days on elk kills. Habitat analyses suggested that cougars preferentially used Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) over other land cover types when caching prey, as well as selected unburned over burned areas for caching and foraging on prey. These results suggest that cougars utilize dense stands of vegetation cover when stalking and concealing their prey. Wildlife managers may want to consider the use of prescribed burns in areas of high cougar predation on mule deer. This habitat manipulation tool could simultaneously help mule deer populations by reducing the percent of stalking cover afforded to cougars when attempting to kill prey, along with increasing nutrient levels of newly burned foliage and allow for an increased diversity in forb and shrub species available to mule deer.

Hazard Classification and Hydraulic Remediation Options for Flat-Topped and Ogee-Crested Low-Head Dams

Riley J. Olsen — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:01 PDT

The dangerous hydraulic conditions that can form downstream of a low-head dam were investigated. These dangerous hydraulic conditions have been the cause of hundreds of drowning incidents since the construction of the first low-head dams. Two primary objectives were identified for this study, each of which were primarily performed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics software, Flow-3D®, with physical models used to verify the numerical results. The first objective was the identification of a risk factor made up of easily measured parameters that could accurately predict when the dangerous hydraulic conditions are present at a low-head dam. The risk factor that was found to achieve this objective was calculated as (hu - hd)/P, where hu and hd are the upstream and downstream water depths, respectively, and P is the dam height. For the flat-topped dams tested, the dangerous condition was present within the range of risk factors from 0.343 to 0.708. For the ogee-crested dams tested, the dangerous conditions were present between risk factors of 0.093 and 0.798. The second objective was to identify possible remediation options that would be capable of eliminating the dangerous hydraulic conditions, therefore reducing risk to the public. It was also desired to keep the options easily and inexpensively implemented. Two different remediation options were found to this end, and consisted of either upstream facing ramps spaced along the width of the channel below a low-head dam, or spaced platforms protruding from the downsteam face of the dam slightly below its crest. Three different designs of each configuration were tested, with those for the ramp configuration being identified as R1, R2, and R3. The platform designs were identified as P1, P2, and P3. The options were evaluated based on how long it took for human dummies introduced into the flow to pass through the high risk region of the simulations, with the maximum allowed time being 50 seconds. Any test in which a dummy remained in the danger region for longer than 50 seconds was deemed ineffective. The option found to perform the best was the P2 design, which had an overall performance time of about 17.4 seconds.

Effects of Non-Surface-Disturbing Restoration Treatments on Native Grass Revegetation and Soil Seed Bank Composition in Cheatgrass-Invaded Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystems

Alexandra D. Reinwald — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:56 PDT

The conversion of sagebrush-steppe communities of the Great Basin into cheatgrass-dominated communities is one of the most dramatic ongoing land conversions in North America. Although restoration of these communities is a high priority to landowners and land management agencies, restoration of native vegetation is difficult. Several restoration treatments intended to increase the success of aerially‐seeded perennial grasses in cheatgrass-invaded sagebrush ecosystems were assessed to determine their effects on perennial seedling emergence and soil seed bank density and composition. Assessed restoration treatments were: 1) vegetation manipulation (sagebrush thinning and prescribed burning); 2) imazapic herbicide application; 3) seedbed amendments (aerial seeding with activated carbon addition, aerial seeding with sucrose addition); and 4) seeding frequency. The effects of these treatments were evaluated in two distinct sagebrush shrubland ecosystems in northern Utah. One is characterized as a remnant sagebrush stand with a cheatgrass-dominated understory and the other as a cheatgrass near-monoculture, completely lacking a sagebrush component. In the seed bank study, responses were assessed immediately and 1 year following treatment while in the seedling emergence study, they were assessed 2 and 3 years following treatment. Main effects of vegetation manipulation, herbicide application, and seedbed addition treatments and their interactions on perennial seedling emergence are described in Chapter 2. The effects of seeding frequency on perennial seedling emergence are also described in Chapter 2. Herbicide demonstrated potential for increasing native perennial grass emergence, although this response was delayed and not seen until 3 years post-application. Burning showed potential for increasing the emergence of perennial grasses 2 years post-burn. Results also suggest that potential exists to increase native perennial grass emergence through an increase in seeding frequency. In Chapter 3 I evaluated the effects of vegetation manipulation, herbicide application, and seedbed addition on seed pool dynamics. These results suggest that herbicide and sucrose may be useful tools for reducing exotic species richness in cheatgrass-invaded systems. Herbicide also showed potential for reducing cheatgrass seed bank densities. Additionally, results demonstrated that the reductions in cheatgrass seed bank densities observed immediately after fire are still observed 1 year post-burn.

Modern Technology and an Aging Population: Can the Use of Wii Fit Gaming System Improve Functional Balance in Community Dwelling Seniors?

Curtis N. Phillips — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:50 PDT

Seniors are a growing segment of the population of the United States. By 2030 they will make up nearly 20% of the general population. Senior citizens face many health challenges as they age. Injury due to falling is a major concern for many in this age group. Research shows that approximately one third of seniors will fall each year. Injuries that result from falls have been identified as the number one cause of accidental death in this age group each year. While falls have been studied by researchers for a number of years, and some progress has been made in finding ways to improve balance in seniors, the high incidence of falls continues to plague this demographic. Many of the current treatments to improve balance are too expensive, not accessible, or not motivating for seniors. This research project explored the effect of using a readily available video-game system to address these barriers. The Wii Fit gaming system was used with participants three times each week for 30 minutes and the resulting changes were documented. The Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go test, both frequently used by professionals to assess balance in seniors, were used to document balance change. Every participant showed improvement. The Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, which is used to measure a person's fear of falling, was also used to assess the participant's confidence in their balance as well as the level of fear associated with falling. The results of this test were positive but not to the extent of the balance tests. Finally, each participant was interviewed to assess how easy to use the participants felt the Wii Fit was as well as the motivational qualities of the Wii Fit as a balance tool. Answers given by the participants in the interview were generally positive. These results indicate that the Wii Fit gaming system may be beneficial for improving balance in seniors.

Race and Ethnic Differences in Parent Time Spent on Children's Education

Zurishaddai A. Garcia — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:45 PDT

Academic achievement disparities exist across race and ethnic groups. Parents may be a good resource to their children for their educational success. Parental academic involvement is associated with student academic achievement across race and ethnicity. This study explored the relationship between race and ethnicity and parent time-use on children's education. In addition to studying parental academic involvement across race and ethnic groups, the Latino American ethnic group was examined. Heterogeneity exists within race and ethnic groups. Understanding differences in parental academic involvement within the Latino American ethnic group is a step toward addressing education disparities across race and ethnic groups. The last aim of the study was to see if structural differences within families were associated with group differences. The sample was obtained from the 2010 American Time Use Survey and included parents with household children younger than 18 years. Logistic regression results indicated that race and ethnicity was associated with time spent on children's education. However, when the structural variables were accounted for, the race and ethnic differences became statistically nonsignificant. Many of the structural variables were associated with parent time spent on children's education. Parent demographics and other structural variables may make it more or less likely that parents spend time on their children's education. Study findings also showed that for the Latino American subgroup, one group, Central/South Americans, look more likely to spend time on children's education. Puerto Rican parents were statistically significantly more likely to spend time on their children's education for one model tested, but not the other. Controlling for structural variables did not remove the association in the Central/South American group. The results for the Latino American ethnic group analyses differed slightly from the race and ethnic group analyses. The results suggest that there are differences across groups regardless of parent demographics and family structure. The findings also suggest that teachers and school administrators may improve parental academic involvement by targeting programs to fathers and full-time employed Latino American families.

The Use of Family and Consumer Sciences County Extension Faculty to Provide Emergency Preparedness Education in the Western Region of the United States

Sara A. Beck — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:39 PDT

As the number of people affected by natural and man-made disasters increases, so does the need for emergency preparedness education. Previous research has indicated that education and training can have an impact on the resiliency of individuals, families, and communities. The use of Extension professionals in regional and county offices across each state is an effective means for education. In this study, family and consumer sciences (FCS) county Extension faculty in the Western Region of the United States were surveyed to determine the best practices used and perceptions of the importance and their ability to educate individuals, families, and communities on emergency preparedness. Many respondents agreed on effective strategies to recruit individuals to Extension programming. Overall, FCS county Extension faculty indicated that emergency preparedness being offered was important; however, they did not think they had adequate knowledge or ability to educate on many emergency preparedness topics.

Extracting Atmospheric Profiles from Hyperspectral Data Using Particle Filters

Dustin Rawlings — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:33 PDT

Removing the effects of the atmosphere from remote sensing data requires accurate knowledge of the physical properties of the atmosphere during the time of measurement. There is a nonlinear relationship that maps atmospheric composition to emitted spectra, but it cannot be easily inverted. The time evolution of atmospheric composition is approximately Markovian, and can be estimated using hyperspectral measurements of the atmosphere with particle filters. The difficulties associated with particle filtering high-dimension data can be mitigated by incorporating future measurement data with the proposal density.

Study of Genes Relating To Degradation of Aromatic Compounds and Carbon Metabolism in Mycobacterium Sp. Strain KMS

Chun Zhang — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:27 PDT

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, produced by anthropological and natural activities, are hazardous through formation of oxidative radicals and DNA adducts. Growth of Mycobacterium sp. strain KMS, isolated from a contaminated soil, on the model hydrocarbon pyrene induced specific proteins. My work extends the study of isolate KMS to the gene level to understand the pathways and regulation of pyrene utilization. Genes encoding pyrene-induced proteins were clustered on a 72 kb section on the KMS chromosome but some also were duplicated on plasmids. Skewed GC content and presence of integrase and transposase genes suggested horizontal transfer of pyrene-degrading gene islands that also were found with high conservation in five other pyrene-degrading Mycobacterium isolates. Transcript analysis found both plasmid and chromosomal genes were induced by pyrene. These processes may enhance the survival of KMS in hydrocarbon-contaminated soils when other carbon sources are limited. KMS also grew on benzoate, confirming the functionality of an operon containing genes distinct from those in other benzoate-degrading bacteria. Growth on benzoate but not on pyrene induced a gene, benA, encoding a benzoate dioxygenase α-subunit, but not the pyrene-induced nidA encoding a pyrene dioxygenase α-subunit; the differential induction correlated with differences in promoter sequences. Diauxic growth occurred when pyrene cultures were amended with benzoate or acetate, succinate, or fructose, and paralleled delayed expression of nidA. Single phase growth and normal expression of benA was observed for benzoate single and mixed cultures. The nidA promoters had potential cAMP-CRP binding sites, suggesting that cAMP could be involved in carbon repression of pyrene metabolism. Growth on benzoate and pyrene requires gluconeogenesis. Intermediary metabolism in isolate KMS involves expression from genes encoding a novel malate:quinone oxidoreductase and glyoxylate shunt enzymes. Generation of C3 structures involves transcription of genes encoding malic enzyme, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and phosphoenolpyruvate synthase. Carbon source modified the transcription patterns for these genes. My findings are the first to show duplication of pyrene-degrading genes on the chromosome and plasmids in Mycobacterium isolates and expression from a unique benzoate-degrading operon. I clarified the routes for intermediary metabolism leading to gluconeogenesis and established a potential role for cAMP-mediated catabolite repression of pyrene utilization.

Air Vent Sizing in Low-Level Outlet Works for Small- to Medium-Sized Dams

Nathan W. Wright — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:21 PDT

The majority of dams contain low-level outlet works, which typically consist of closed conduits that run through the dam, and are used to release water from the reservoir when the water level is below the level of the surface spillways. It is also used to flush the reservoir of sediments and to control the elevation of the reservoir. Low-level outlet works typically consist of a gate that controls the flow within a closed conduit that runs through the dam and an air vent that supplies air behind the gate. In the absence of properly designed air vents, negative pressures may develop downstream of the gate. These negative pressures could potentially lead to cavitation and vibration damage. Properly sized air vents help maintain the downstream air pressure at or near atmospheric pressure and/or provide air to absorb the energy generated by cavitation, reducing the potential for damage. The majority of research done on air vent sizing is for dams having large dam geometry, which consist of a pressurized conduit leading to a vertical slide gate that is followed by a discharge tunnel. The typical air vent design for these large dams uses the water flow rate and the Froude number measured at the vena contracta downstream of the gate. The low-level outlet works for small-to-medium-sized embankment dam geometries typically have an inclined slide gate, installed at the inlet on the upstream face of the dam slope, followed by an elbow that connects to a conduit that passes through the dam and discharges downstream. This type of outlet geometry does not produce the typical vena contracta. Consequently, the use of the Froude number, at the vena contracta , as a characteristic parameter for characterizing airflow demand is not practical. Recently a laboratory study was performed calculating the head-discharge characteristics of low-level outlets for small-to-medium sized dam geometries. In addition to validating some of the previous laboratory-scale air venting research, the objective of this study was field verification of air-demand/air vent sizing predicted by the laboratory-based method. The influence of conduit slope, air port location, and hydraulic jumps on air demand was also evaluated in the laboratory. The findings of this study can be found within this thesis.

ncreased Production and Extraction Efficiency of Triacylglycerides from Microorganisms and an Enhanced Understanding of the Pathways Involved in the Production of Triacylglycerides and Fatty Alcohols

Robert M. Willis — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:15 PDT

The continued increase in the demand for fossil fuels combined with their ever dwindling supply has prompted the search for a suitable alternative fuel. The research contained within this dissertation seeks to increase the lipid content of cellular feedstocks, improve extraction efficiencies of lipids, and understand the pathways involved in the production of fatty alcohols and triacylglycerides from microbial feedstocks. As part of this research the diatom, Cheatoceros gracilis, was grown at small and large scale to determine optimal growing conditions. No apparent nutrient stress trigger was required to initiate the accumulation of the biodiesel precursor triacylglyceride, unlike other documented algal strains. A follow-up to this project demonstrated that the microalga C. gracilis may utilize light intensity as a trigger for lipid production. A major difficulty in the production of biofuels from microorganisms is the expensive process of dewatering, drying, and extracting the lipid compounds from the cells. As part of this research, a process has been developed that allows for lipid extraction to occur in the presence of water at a point as low as 2 percent solids or 98 percent water. This process utilizes a single organic solvent that mixes well with microbial lipids, but poorly with water allowing for efficient extraction of lipids and fast solvent to water separation. This process greatly decreases the cost of the microbial biofuels production associated with the removal of water from cell slurries. Triacylglycerides and fatty alcohols are oleochemicals that are commonly used in industrial, pharmaceutical, and consumable processes. A predicted fatty acyl CoA reductase enzyme was cloned into an E. coli vector, expressed, characterized and shown to be active as a dual reductive enzyme reducing a fatty acyl CoA to its respective fatty alcohol, constituting the first enzyme of this type discovered in a bacterium. The process of triacylglyceride production in microbes is fairly well understood; however, the process that regulates this production has not yet been fully explored. As part of this research, the model yeast organism, Yarrowea lipolytica, is utilized to identify essential genes for citrate transport that if removed could result in increasing triacylglyceride production in vivo.

Overcomming Misconceptions in Religious Education: The Effects of Text Structure and Topic Interest on Conceptual Change

Seth J. King — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:10 PDT

The aim of this study was to quantitatively measure refutation text's power for conceptual change while qualitatively discovering students' preference of refutation or expository text structures. This study also sought to examine if religious interest levels predict conceptual change. Participants for this study were 9th, 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade seminary students from the private religious educational system of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The study was conducted in two sessions. Session 1 involved pretesting, interventions, and posttesting. Session 2 involved delayed posttesting and participant interviews. Results were predominately measured quantitatively with some qualitative interview analysis added to enrich the study. This research study provides insight into the refutation text effects in LDS religious education. Results of the study showed significant differences in conceptual change between participants reading refutation texts and those reading expository texts. In every case, the refutation text group performed higher on posttests than did the expository group. Results also showed participant preference toward refutation text structures. Furthermore, the study found significant correlations that verify topic interest as a possible predictor of conceptual change. Insights are valuable in aiding curriculum developers in implementing effective ways to teach doctrinal principles by utilizing refutation text interventions. The advantages of this research study add to educational research and identify areas for improvement and exploration in further research. This study of refutation text effects in religious education also broadens researchers' understanding of refutation text's power for conceptual change in subjects outside of K-12 science. Results of this study are of interest to researchers, teachers, curriculum writers, and LDS seminary teachers and administrators.

Evaluation of the Division of Securities Investor Education Seminars

KristiLyn J. Wilkinson — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:05 PDT

It is important that consumers are not only financially literate, but that they are also capable of making prudent financial decisions. Effective financial education programs should empower individuals to make wise financial decisions and avoid financial scams. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Investor Education Seminars taught by the Utah Division of Securities. The effectiveness of the educational program was measured by changes in financial knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and behavior compared to individuals who did not participate in the course. A logic model was used to outline program objectives and to determine the research questions. Data for this study were collected from participants through three online questionnaires. A comparison group, who had not yet attended the Investor Education Seminars, was asked to answer the same three surveys. Initially, there were 81 respondents in this study, 46 seminar participants, and 35 comparison group participants. Results from chi-square crosstabulations showed that age, ethnicity, and employment status were the only significant group differences between seminar participants and the comparison group. The results of this study suggest that the Investor Education Seminars were beneficial in helping participants increase their financial confidence and progress to a higher stage in the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM). Hierarchical regression analyses found a significant increase from pretest to posttest in financial confidence for seminar participants. Although there was no significant change in financial knowledge from pretest to posttest for the treatment group, the knowledge scores were high on the pretest. The average financial attitude score decreased for the treatment group. Results for the Transtheoretical Model for Change (TTM) showed that many participants in the treatment group moved from struggler to saver in the Stages of Change. The majority of participants reported being satisfied with the seminar and would recommend it to others.

Token reinforcement and resistance to change

Eric A. Thrailkill — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:48:59 PDT

Interventions based on a token economy effectively reduce problematic behavior. Yet, treatment gains deteriorate once an intervention is discontinued. It is important to better understand the persistence of behavior maintained by token reinforcement in simple experimental procedures. A Pavlovian association with primary reinforcement is said to endow neutral stimuli (e.g., coins, poker chips, lights, signs, stickers, etc.) with their own function to strengthen behavior as conditioned reinforcers. Behavioral momentum theory suggests that resistance to change under conditions of disruption is the appropriate measure of response strength. However, some animal studies have suggested that conditioned reinforcement may not affect resistance to change of a response. Here, a novel token reinforcement procedure was developed to investigate the resistance to change of responding maintained by token reinforcement. Pigeons responded on a key to produce tokens displayed on a touchscreen monitor in two signaled token-production components. Tokens accumulated over the two production components prior to a common exchange component where pecks to the tokens on the touchscreen produced food reinforcement. Resistance to change of responding maintained by different rates of token reinforcement was assessed by disrupting baseline token-production responding with presession feeding. Token reinforcement rates had inconsistent effects on baseline token-production response rates. However, small effects of token reinforcement rate on resistance to change were found. Results provide weak support for a response-strengthening account of conditioned reinforcement and insightful directions for future studies of token reinforcement in related procedures.

Spatially Indexed Functional Data

Oleksandr Gromenko — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:48:53 PDT

The increased concentration of greenhouse gases is associated with the global warming in the lower troposphere. For over twenty years, the space physics community has studied a hypothesis of global cooling in the thermosphere, attributable to greenhouse gases. While the global temperature increase in the lower troposphere has been relatively well established, the existence of global changes in the thermosphere is still under investigation. A central difficulty in reaching definite conclusions is the absence of data with sufficiently long temporal and sufficiently broad spatial coverage. Time series of data that cover several decades exist only in a few separated regions. The space physics community has struggled to combine the information contained in these data, and often contradictory conclusions have been reported based on the analyses relying on one or a few locations. To detect global changes in the ionosphere, we present a novel statistical methodology that uses all data, even those with incomplete temporal coverage. It is based on a new functional regression approach that can handle unevenly spaced, partially observed curves. While this research makes a solid contribution to the space physics community, our statistical methodology is very flexible and can be useful in other applied problems.