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Climate Considerations for Quaking Aspen Conservation
No full textHuman-caused climate change alters ecosystem processes ranging from local to global scales. As a consequence of climate change we should expect increased rates and intensities of disturbance events. Though we are only beginning to understand what those impacts might be to aspen forests and their diverse plant and animal assemblages, recent science suggests there may be unavoidable effects. In the face of anticipated climate-ecosystem challenges, contemporary managers are searching for guidance on preserving aspen resilience. We suggest crafting strategic yet cautious approaches to minimize effects and facilitate broad resilience. For instance, monitoring conditions in and near aspen forests will help land managers remain nimble in response to potentially abrupt changes. Although in its infancy, here we synthesize current research that focuses on climate adaptation strategies to improve aspen resilience
Anthropogenic Forcing Leads to an Abrupt Shift to Phytoplankton Dominance in a Shallow Eutrophic Lake
No full text1. The timing and causes of lake eutrophication are often obscured when multiple anthropogenic disturbances coincide in space and time. This issue is particularly problematic for shallow lakes in arid regions that experience strong climatic forcing which alters lake hydrology and water levels, and further conflates causal drivers.
2. We used Utah Lake (Utah, U.S.A.) as a model system to examine how natural hydrological variability and anthropogenic forcing influence ecosystem structure of large shallow lakes in arid climates. Paleolimnological analyses of sedimentary biogeochemistry, pigments, DNA, and morphological fossils were used to identify shifts in primary production and evaluate the relative influence of regional climate-driven hydrological variability and of humans on ecosystem structure.
3. Sediment cores revealed that the phase prior to non-indigenous settlement included numerous macrophyte and gastropod remains, sedimentary DNA from plants, low organic matter, and low algal production. An abrupt transition occurred in the late 19th century concomitant with agricultural and urban expansion and the introduction of common carp, which was characterised by a loss of macrophytes and an increase in phytoplankton abundance as indicated by sedimentary DNA and pigment concentrations. A further shift to increased cyanobacteria occurred c. 1950 when exponential population growth increased wastewater influx, as recorded by sedimentary δ15N values.
Taken together, our data demonstrate that the current eutrophic state of Utah Lake is a function of anthropogenic forcing rather than natural climate-driven hydrological fluctuations. Furthermore, large lakes in arid regions can exhibit similar patterns of abrupt ecosystem change between alternate states as those observed in northern temperate/boreal and subtropical ecosystems
Multi-year Effectiveness of PZP-22 in Free-roaming Suburban White-tailed Deer
No full textTo address the challenge that is posed to the use of fertility control to mitigate human–deer (Cervidae) conflicts by the need to regularly re-inoculate free-roaming animals, we captured, ear-tagged, and hand-injected 68 individual adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with the PZP-22 immunocontraceptive vaccine from February through April, 2014 to 2017, in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA. Approximately 2.5 years after initial treatments, we booster-darted 29 of the previously treated females with either PZP-22 or native PZP (ZonaStat-D). We observed fawn production between 2014 and 2021. The combination of initial PZP-22 hand-treatments followed by single dart-delivered PZP boosters reduced fawning by \u3e80% relative to pre-treatment fawning rates over at least 5 years, with no difference in efficacy between the 2 booster preparations. This PZP-based protocol should significantly expand the potential for practical application of deer fertility control in urban and suburban environments
Integrating Moral Norms and Stewardship Identity Into the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Altruistic Conservation Behavior Among Hunters in Southwestern Utah (USA)
Get PDFWe integrate moral norms and stewardship identity into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict the use of non-lead ammunition in the California condor recovery zone of southwestern Utah. Data were collected from licensed hunters via an online survey. Structural equation models of the TPB without and with the moral norms and stewardship identity constructs were compared to evaluate the utility of integrating these constructs into the TPB. Moral norms did have a significant direct influence on hunters’ behavioral intentions. Both moral norms and stewardship identity had significant indirect influences on behavioral intentions via the core constructs of the TPB. The inclusion of moral norms and stewardship identity into the TPB marginally improved model fit and predictive power. Managers can emphasize a moral obligation to use non-lead ammunition and tap into hunters’ desire to steward the landscape and the hunting tradition in their communication and outreach efforts
On the History and Semantics of Burble in Aerodynamic Theory
Get PDFThe term burble has been in use in aerodynamic theory for over a century. While burble may be unfamiliar to most contemporary aerodynamicists, the word has a rich history based in aerodynamic theory and experimentation. The present paper outlines the fluidity of burble\u27s meaning over time. From analyzing subsonic flow over an airfoil, to the implementation of stochastic turbulence in aircraft carrier landing simulations, the term burble has had a significant impact on the study of aerodynamics. The term burble has fallen out of use in aerodynamic engineering circles. Why did this happen? And what can be learned from the decline in use of the term burble
The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Immunomodulation During Bovine Pregnancy
Get PDFDuring pregnancy, the maternal immune system must be altered to protect the partially non-self fetus from attack. Our previous studies show an inflammatory response in the uterus of cows carrying somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), commonly known as cloned, pregnancies due to abnormalities in proteins expressed by placental trophoblast cells. Between 30 and 90 days the rate of pregnancy loss is 50-100% for SCNT compared to 2-10% for artificial insemination (AI) pregnancies. Abnormal communication between the maternal and fetal systems during placentation is a major cause of this loss. The trafficking of extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound cargo carriers, potentially represents a form of fetal-maternal crosstalk. The aims of this study were to determine the role of trophoblast-derived EVs in bovine pregnancies established by AI and SCNT. We hypothesized that maternal immune cells treated with EVs from SCNT pregnancies will stimulate a more pro-inflammatory immune response than cells treated with AI EVs.
Cattle pregnancies were established by AI or SCNT (n = 6/group) and collected at 42±3 days, a time of major embryonic loss in cattle. Placental tissue was cultured in EV-free medium for 21 days. EVs were collected from trophoblast supernatant by size exclusion chromatography, a method of separating particles by size. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from day 35-70 AI pregnant cows and isolated by density gradient centrifugation. PBMC populations were sorted for CD4+ helper T cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, and CD14+ macrophages/monocytes and cultured with EVs for 24 hours. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reactions using primers for pro- and anti-inflammatory genes were performed on the collected cells using the Fluidigm BioMark system to assess relative gene expression. Experimental data were analyzed as a randomized block design using SAS® University Edition Version 3.8, where block was cow and experimental unit was the cell culture well. The interaction between treatment and block was investigated.
Our data reveal changes in the relative gene expression level in maternal immune cell populations between AI EV-treated and SCNT EV-treated cells. Rather than inducing either a solely anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory immune response, our findings suggests that EVs from both healthy and abortion-prone pregnancies may mediate communication between the fetal and maternal systems to establish balance between the expression of anti- and pro-inflammatory genes during early gestation
Cambrian Trilobites From the Nounan Dolomite and Lower St. Charles Formation (Upper Marjuman to Lower Sunwaptan; Miaolingian to Furongian Series), Smithfield Canyon, Northern Utah
Get PDFThe trilobite faunas that occur with the Steptoean Positive Isotope Carbon Excursion (SPICE) at Smithfield Canyon, Utah, have been reported, but not illustrated. Given the importance of the SPICE at this section for international correlations, the trilobites from new collections from the upper Nounan Dolomite to lower St. Charles Formation at Smithfield Canyon are reported herein and integrated with the previously reported taxa. Trilobite assemblages indicate that the upper Cedaria to the Ellipsocephaloides biozones (Miaolingian Series, Guzhangian Stage to Furongian Series, Jiangshanian Stage) are present stratigraphically below or above the SPICE.
Some of the taxa reported herein may represent new species, but they are not represented by well-enough preserved specimens and are left in open nomenclature. However, Kingstonia smithfieldensis n. sp. and Bromella utahensis n. sp. are named on the basis of common and well-preserved specimens.
New carbon isotope data from Smithfield Canyon from an overlapping section of the lower St. Charles Formation, that add to the overall shape of the SPICE curve, are presented. The new δ13C values above the Elvinia Biozone range from –0.36‰ to +1.5‰, confirming that the SPICE concludes within the Elvinia Biozone
Educational Policies Committee Minutes February 1, 2024
Get PDFSubcommittee Reports Curriculum Subcommittee (Mateja Savoie-Roskos) Academic Standards Subcommittee Report (Renee Galliher) General Education Subcommittee Report (Matt Sanders) Other Busines
Engineering Model Development of LunaCube: 6U Dual-Satellite Lunar Navigation and Communication System
Get PDFLunar navigation and communication satellite systems are now recognized as important infrastructure for more efficient lunar exploration. While establishing a full constellation system will take several more years, lunar surface explorations are already becoming more active. To address the immediate demand for positioning and communication relay, especially in the South Pole region, a nimble technology demonstration mission named Lunar Navigation CubeSat (LunaCube) has been proposed. Following the completion of preliminary design in 2021 and detailed design in 2022, the engineering model was developed in 2023. This paper presents updated orbit analysis that considers trade-off between orbit maintenance costs and positioning accuracy in low lunar orbits. Additionally, this paper details the development results of engineering models for components, such as the lunar navigation transmitter and the store-and-forward radio. It also summarizes the results of the system\u27s environmental tests
Sustainable Waste-to-Bioproducts Engineering Center Laboratory Safety Project
Get PDFLaboratory accidents are common in teaching and research labs; these accidents can be injurious or even fatal. The consequences of each type of laboratory accident are different based on the activities performed and the hazardous materials used in each facility. However, the most common issue related to laboratory accidents is the lack of proper safety measures (e.g., poor handling of hazardous materials, not reporting incidents immediately, etc.). This project aimed to establish and strengthen best practices and procedures to ensure laboratory safety at the Utah State University Sustainable Waste-to-Bioproducts Engineering Center. To achieve this goal, different practices and measures were taken such as writing standard operating procedures for different biosafety-level organisms, organizing monthly laboratory cleanings, and implementing yearly laboratory inspections. A biosafety binder was created to summarize these actions and help guide future student researchers. The biosafety binder includes information about safety training, standard operating procedures, injury reporting, emergency contact information, proper waste disposal, a chemical hygiene plan, and laboratory self-inspection forms. The implementation of holding regular laboratory cleanings, maintaining an updated chemical inventory, and completing a laboratory self-inspection have provided valuable insights into identifying the main safety issues and how to make the laboratory a safer space to work. The results of these actions showed that the main issues in the laboratory were unlabeled solutions, uncapped sharps, unlabeled gas tanks, and unsafe fume hood conditions. These findings were presented to the Sustainable Waste-to-Bioproducts Engineering Center laboratory staff to show them actions they could take to improve these conditions. The contents of the biosafety binder were also discussed, so the staff would be able to access information needed to handle hazardous materials, biosafety measures, and laboratory accidents. By emphasizing the importance of laboratory safety and increasing accessibility to safety resources, this facility can minimize the risk of laboratory injuries and fatalities