Interpreting Utah\u27s Wetlands

Utah’s wetlands provide a constellation of recreational opportunities, from sailing to photography, fishing to bird- and wildlife-watching, hunting to picnicking

Public Support for Utah\u27s State Parks

Utah’s 44 scenic, heritage, and recreation State Parks host more than seven million visitors annually

A Study of Arc Strong Connectivity of Digraphs

My dissertation research was motivated by Matula and his study of a quantity he called the strength of a graph G, kappa\u27( G) = max{lcub}kappa\u27(H) : H G{rcub}. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

Stage-specific vertical distribution of Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) eggs in the eastern Bering Sea

The stage-specific distribution of Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) eggs in the southeastern Bering Sea was examined with collections made in mid-May in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. Eggs in the early stages of development were found primarily offshore of the 40-m isobath. Eggs in the middle and late stages of development were found inshore and offshore of the 40-m isobath. There was some evidence that early-stage eggs occur deeper in the water column than late-stage eggs, although year-to-year variability in that trend was observed. Most eggs were in the later stages of development; therefore the majority of spawning is estimated to have occurred a few weeks before collection—probably April—and may be highly synchronized among local spawning areas. Results indicate that sampling with continuous underway fish egg collectors(CUFES) should be supplemented with sampling of the entire water column to ensure adequate samples of all egg stages of Alaska plaice. Data presented offer new information on the stage-dependent horizontal and vertical distribution of Alaska plaice eggs in the Bering Sea and provide further evidence that the early life history stages of this species are vulnerable to near-surface variations in hydrographical conditions and climate forcing

Capital Punishment of Kids: When Courts Permit Parents to Act on Their Religious Beliefs at the Expense of Their Children\u27s Lives

Criminal liability of parents who treat their children\u27s illnesses through spiritual means or prayer alone is the subject of increasing debate. When children die as a result of their parents\u27 religious practices, prosecutions for crimes such as felony child endangerment, manslaughter, and murder may follow. Most states have codified some type of religious accommodation statute which provides a criminal liability exemption for parents who engage in spiritual healing or prayer treatment for their sick children instead of seeking traditional medical assistance. The scope, purpose, and language of these statutes, however, vary. Even when statutes appear to be similar in content, courts have disagreed on the correct interpretation and applicability of the liability exemptions. A primary problem facing courts in these cases is how to interpret the language in the statute and whether two or more statutes involved in a case should be construed together in defining criminal behavior. Moreover, defendants in accommodation statute cases have forced courts to decide several constitutional issues dealing with the Establishment Clause, the Due Process Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, and the First Amendment freedom of religion. While the other concerns implicated by these statutes are significant, this Note will focus on the issues of statutory construction, freedom of religion, and the notice requirement of due process. Part II discusses the legal background of religion\u27s role in the law. Part III describes two cases, one from California and the other from Florida, that illustrate the debate over the conviction of parents who rely on similar prayer exemption provisions as criminal defenses. Part IV analyzes the reasoning utilized by both courts in reaching their holdings and examines the ramifications of each holding. Part V concludes that religious accommodation statutes should not protect parents from criminal prosecutions for the death of or serious bodily harm to their children

Differentially expressed genes in aortic cells from atherosclerosis-resistant and atherosclerosis-susceptible pigeons

Representational Difference Analysis (RDA) was used to identify genes that were differentially expressed between White Carneau (WC) and Show Racer (SR) pigeon aortic smooth muscle cells. The gene(s) responsible for atherosclerotic resistance in cultured SR smooth muscle cells (SMC) were hypothesized to be silent or down regulated in the WC. In the reciprocal experiments, it was hypothesized that the gene(s) contributing to the spontaneous atherosclerotic phenotype in cultured WC SMC would not be expressed in the SR. Total RNA was extracted from primary cultured cells of each breed, converted to cDNA, and compared in four reciprocal RDA experiments. Seventy-four transcripts were identified exclusively in the WC cells, and 63 were unique to the SR. Genes representing several biochemical pathways were distinctly different between aortic cells from susceptible (WC) and resistant (SR) pigeons. The most striking genetic differences were observed in energy metabolism and smooth muscle contractility. The WC cells derived their energy from glycolysis, while the SR cells utilized oxidative phosphorylation to produce energy. Myosin light chain kinase and alpha actin were exclusively expressed by the SR SMC, whereas beta actin and collagen were dominant in the WC. Because of the compressed in vitro time frame compared with in vivo development, it was not obvious whether insufficient ATP synthesis is preventing the WC aortic cells from performing their contractile function or if the lack of functional contractile elements in the WC causes the mitochondrial ATP synthesis to down regulate. Either way, energy production was successfully coupled to muscle contraction in the SR, but not in the WC. This difference was observed prior to lipid accumulation in the WC cells, and appears to be a major contributing factor in pigeon atherogenesis. One hundred forty five pigeon transcripts were homologous to the chicken. However, the mitochondrial genes expressed in the pigeon were more closely related to non-domestic birds such as the turkey vulture and oriental stork. Despite this categorical exception, the recently published chicken genome was an ideal resource for identifying differentially expressed genes in the pigeon. The results were interpreted in the context of current hypotheses of human atherogenesis. The pigeon transcripts can also be used in comparative studies of avian genomics

Avian articular cartilage: effects of age, genotype and disease

The degradation of articular cartilage, causing degenerative joint disease (DJD), is a documented cause of lameness in broiler strain fowl, which is a major welfare problem. Broiler strain fowl are both heavier and more susceptible to DJD than laying strain fowl. In this thesis the biochemical and morphological basis for this susceptibility has been investigated, particular attention has been paid to the effects of body weight and genotype on avian articular cartilageArticular cartilage from three distinct sites was analysed. Samples from mature broiler strain females, susceptible to DJD, had higher hydration and uronic acid content than age matched, non -susceptible, laying strain fowl. In addition to these biochemical features (also seen in mammalian DJD), broiler strain fowl exhibited DJD histopathology including cartilage thinning and chondrocyte cluster formation. In general, both strains at one day old showed no significant biochemical differences between the articular cartilage sites sampled. However the cartilage from the broiler strain distal tibiotarsus (DTT) at one day old appeared to be biochemically and morphologically distinct from the cartilage of the layer strain DTT and from the other broiler strain joint surface of the same age.Production of an infectious arthritis by inoculation of mycoplasma into the tibiotarsal joint of broiler strain fowl resulted in variable biochemistry of articular cartilage form this joint. However in the non -injected, contralateral joint, sampled from the DTT, there was an increase in hydration and uronic acid content which is dependent upon the degree of lameness. This indicates the importance of in vivo loading in the biochemical composition of avian articular cartilage.Broiler strain birds fed ad libitum, feed restricted and J -line (wild type) were surveyed over the course of one year. Only the ad libitum fed birds developed overt DJD, which suggests that the mass of the bird, and not an overriding genetic element, is the major cause of the susceptibility of broiler strain fowl to DJD. The joint surface which presented the first and most severe signs indicative of early cartilage degeneration was the DTT. The biochemical results obtained from articular cartilage samples of the three groups include hydration, uronic acid, DNA and hydroxyproline content. Histology of the samples was assessed using haematoxylin and eosin stained sections. Proteoglycan content was investigated further by using selected samples for sulphated glycosaminoglycan assays and staining selected sections with Toludine blue and Safranin O. Samples from diseased and non -diseased groups were assayed for pyridinium in order to investigate the role of mature collagen crosslinking in DJD.The exact role of load and the metabolic consequences of body weight in the development of DJD is controversial. A method for artificially loading non -obese birds has been developed. Loading feed restricted broiler strain fowl with an additional 10% of their body weight over a three week period initiated a response including significant biochemical changes in the cartilage of the DTT. These results again emphasise the importance of load on the articular cartilage and the susceptibility of the DTT to DJD