Digital Commons Network^™

Detecting Soil Macrofauna Using Ground-Penetrating Radar, Melanie N. Stock, David J. Hart, Nicholas J. Balster

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Fossorial amphibians spend up to ten months belowground, but research into this critical habitat has been impeded by a lack of noninvasive detection methods. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), however, offers a promising tool because amphibians have theoretically strong electromagnetic (EM) contrasts relative to the soil matrix, and thus potentially high detectability. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate GPR by (2) experimentally-inducing three soil thermal regimes that promote stratification in the burrowing depths of 15 Eastern American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus americanus) during the winter of 2011–2012 in Madison, WI, USA. We calculated reflectability and established the unique …

A Residential Camp’S Impact On Youths’ Leadership Skills And Natural Resource Knowledge, Shandra Nicole Frey, Vernon Parent

Extension Research

Learning transcends the classroom. To better understand the natural world around them, it is critical that youth have opportunities to make connections and apply their learning in real-world settings. Improving youths’ perceived skills and knowledge contributes to increased academic motivation and continued leadership development. Multi-day residential natural resource camps have shown the ability to teach ecological concepts and develop land management skills, critical thinking skills, and decision-making skills. We tested the ability of a remotely located residential camp to improve leadership skills and natural resource knowledge, using a pre- and post-camp self-assessment, combined with a pre- and post-camp knowledge test. …

Animated Encounters: Transnational Movements Of Chinese Animation, 1940s-1970s By Daisy Yan Du (Review), Li Guo

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

In her groundbreaking monograph, Daisy Yan Du offers a rigorous discussion of Chinese animation by highlighting the historical course of Chinese animation and how animated filmmaking contests the notion of nationhood and opens up a spatialized conception of intercultural encounters and collaboration. The book contains a theoretical introduction essay, four substantial chapters, a concise epilogue, and three appendices on animated films by Mochinaga Tadahito, on leaders of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and on major publications on Chinese animation. It contributes valuable discussions on the “disjuncture between politics and aesthetics in the sense that politics cannot fully control arts” (Du 2020, …

Next Steps For Training And Education In Professional Psychology: Advancing The Science And Expanding Our Reach, Debora J. Bell, Jennifer L. Callahan, Georita M. Frierson, Theodore R. Burnes, Susan Lynn Crowley, Stephen R. Mccutcheon

Psychology Faculty Publications

As TEPP’s new editorial team begins their term, the authors discuss their vision for the journal as a forum for thoughtful conceptual examination and sound empirical investigation of current issues in health service psychology (HSP) education and training. The editorial team articulates three primary goals for the journal, including (1) engaging the broad training community in sharing its best conceptual and empirical work relevant to the varied levels, settings, and areas of education and training in HSP; (2) advancing the science of education and training through strong empirical research; and (3) expanding our emphasis on the sociocultural context in which …

Identifying And Preventing Porcupine Damage To Trees, Michael R. Kuhns, Megan Dettenmaier, Jessica Tegt

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the basic ecology and behavior of the porcupine and identifies ways to determine if porcupines are damaging trees on your property. We explain specific techniques for protecting trees and property from porcupine damage.

Which Voices Matter? Ballot Initiatives, Marijuana, And Legislative Paternalism In Utah, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Drivers headed toward Salt Lake City on I-15 are sure to notice two things—the breathtaking Wasatch mountain range (when the thickness of inversion doesn’t obscure it) and a striking number of billboard ads warning citizens of the dangers of the misuse of opioids. This is not without good reason—Utah ranks 9th on the CDC’s list of states hit the hardest by opioid overdose. Misuse of opioids is responsible for 23 deaths every month, according to the Utah Department of Health. Empathy is called for when it comes to addiction in general, and addiction to opioids in particular. After all, many …

A Potent Lassa Virus Antiviral Targets An Arenavirus Virulence Determinant, Ikenna G. Madu, Megan Files, Dima N. Gharaibeh, Amy L. Moore, Kieh-Hoon Jung, Brian B. Gowen, Dongcheng Dai, Kevin F. Jones, Shanthakumar R. Tyavanagimatt, James R. Burgeson, Marcus J. Korth, Kristin M. Bedard, Shawn P. Iadonato, Sean M. Amberg

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Arenaviruses are a significant cause of hemorrhagic fever, an often-fatal disease for which there is no approved antiviral therapy. Lassa fever in particular generates high morbidity and mortality in West Africa, where the disease is endemic, and a recent outbreak in Nigeria was larger and more geographically diverse than usual. We are developing LHF-535, a small-molecule viral entry inhibitor that targets the arenavirus envelope glycoprotein, as a therapeutic candidate for Lassa fever and other hemorrhagic fevers of arenavirus origin. Using a lentiviral pseudotype infectivity assay, we determined that LHF-535 had sub-nanomolar potency against the viral envelope glycoproteins from all Lassa …

Parent And Household Influences On Calcium Intake Among Early Adolescents, Jinan Banna, Jessica O'Driscoll, Carol J. Boushey, Garry Auld, Beth Olson, Mary Cluskey, Miriam Edlefsen Ballejos, Christine Bruhn, Scottie Misner, Marla Reicks, Siew Sun Wong, Sahar Zaghloul

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Calcium intake during early adolescence falls short of requirements for maximum bone accretion. Parents and the home food environment potentially influence children’s calcium intakes. This study aimed to quantify parental psychosocial factors (PSF) predicting calcium intakes of Asian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white (NHW) early adolescent children from a parental perspective.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving the administration of a validated calcium-specific food frequency questionnaire to a convenience sample of children aged 10–13 years and the primary individual responsible for food acquisition in the child’s household. Based on Social Cognitive Theory, parental factors potentially associated with children’s calcium …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 2, Issue 2, Fall 2018

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full Spring 2018 issue (Volume 2, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence, Fall 2018

Proceedings For The 10th International Symposium On Poisonous Plants (Isopp)., Kevin D. Welch

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

The 10^th International Symposium on Poisonous Plants (ISOPP) was held on September 16-20, 2018 at the Red Lion Conference Center in St. George, Utah, USA. The meeting was truly international with 55 attendees from across the globe. The attendees were a diverse mix of research scientists, academicians, students, veterinarians, private industry representatives, extension agents and government regulators. Dr. Joseph Betz, Acting Director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, was the plenary speaker for the symposium, wherein he spoke regarding the safety of botanical supplements. There were six sessions of oral presentations including sessions …

The Neuromodulatory And Hormonal Effects Of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation As Evidenced By Salivary Alpha Amylase, Salivary Cortisol, Pupil Diameter, And The P3 Event-Related Potential, Christopher M. Warren, Klodiana D. Tona, L. Ouwerkerk, Jeroen Van Paridon, Fenna Poletiek, Henk Van Steenbergen, Jos A. Bosch, Sander Nieuwenhuis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a new, non-invasive technique being investigated as an intervention for a variety of clinical disorders, including epilepsy and depression. It is thought to exert its therapeutic effect by increasing central norepinephrine (NE) activity, but the evidence supporting this notion is limited.

Objective

In order to test for an impact of tVNS on psychophysiological and hormonal indices of noradrenergic function, we applied tVNS in concert with assessment of salivary alpha amylase (SAA) and cortisol, pupil size, and electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings.

Methods

Across three experiments, we applied real and sham tVNS to 61 healthy participants …

Extension Of Longevity And Reduction Of Inflammation Is Ovarian-Dependent, But Germ Cell-Independent In Post-Reproductive Female Mice, Tracy L. Habermehl, Kate C. Parkinson, Gene B. Hubbard, Yuji Ikeno, Jennifer I. Engelmeyer, Björn Schumacher, Jeffrey B. Mason

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular disease, rare in premenopausal women, increases sharply at menopause and is typically accompanied by chronic inflammation. Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that replacing senescent ovaries in post-reproductive mice with young, actively cycling ovaries restored many health benefits, including decreased cardiomyopathy and restoration of immune function. Our objective here was to determine if depletion of germ cells from young transplanted ovaries would alter the ovarian-dependent extension of life and health span. Sixty-day-old germ cell-depleted and germ cell-containing ovaries were transplanted to post-reproductive, 17-month-old mice. Mean life span for female CBA/J mice is approximately 644 days. Mice that received germ …

Phylogeographic Analyses Of A Widely Distributed Populus Davidiana: Further Evidence For The Existence Of Glacial Refugia Of Cool‐Temperate Deciduous Trees In Northern East Asia, Zhe Hou, Zhaoshan Wang, Zhanyang Ye, Shuhui Du, Shuya Liu, Jianguo Zhang

Aspen Bibliography

Despite several phylogeographic studies had provided evidence to support the existence of glacial refugia of cool‐temperate deciduous trees in northeast China, the species used in these studies were limited by the species ranges, which could not exclude the possibility that northern populations were the colonists from southern refugial populations during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Here, we estimated the nucleotide variation in Populus davidiana, a widespread species distributed in Eurasia. Three groups in northeast, central, and southwest China were constructed according to the simulation results from SAMOVA, composition of chloroplast haplotypes and structure results. We revealed that the northeast …

Parental Habituation To Human Disturbance Over Time Reduces Fear Of Humans In Coyote Offspring, Christopher J. Schell, Julie K. Young, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Rachel M. Santymire, Jill M. Mateo

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

A fundamental tenet of maternal effects assumes that maternal variance over time should have discordant consequences for offspring traits across litters. Yet, seldom are parents observed across multiple reproductive bouts, with few studies consider‐ ing anthropogenic disturbances as an ecological driver of maternal effects. We ob‐ served captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs over two successive litters to determine whether among‐litter differences in behavior (i.e., risk‐taking) and hormones (i.e., cortisol and testosterone) corresponded with parental plasticity in habituation. Thus, we explicitly test the hypothesis that accumulating experiences of anthropogenic disturbance reduces parental fear across reproductive bouts, which should have disparate phenotypic …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, December 10, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report - December 6, 2018
• USUSA Annual Report
• Professional Responsibilities and Procedures Committee Annual Report
• Council on Teacher Education Annual Report
• Scholarship Advisory Board Annual Report
• USUSA Recommendations (ASR 2018-2019-03 | ECR 2019-02)
• 405.8.2 Code – Faculty with Tenure below the Rank of Professor

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes December 10, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report – December 6, 2018
• USUSA Annual Report
• Professional Responsibilities and Procedures Committee Annual Report
• Council on Teacher Education Annual Report
• Scholarship Advisory Board Annual Report
• USUSA Recommendations (ASR 2018-2019-03 | ECR 2019-02) - Sierra Wise | Sam Jackson
• ASR 2018 – Sierra Wise
• 405.8.2 Code – Faculty with Tenure below the Rank of Professor

The Textbook Game, Cy Robinson

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

The spouse game. My friend came up with this game during a biology class in 7^th grade. The game is played as such. Each participant looks through the textbook that both students have, usually one provided in class. Each would sign to the others a page number containing an “attractive” person and then make eyes as the other flipped to the respective pages. The other person would try not to smile or make eyes back to the other person as they signed the next page back to them. The game started off really juvenile until we realized that the …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, December 6, 2018, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Program Proposals

• Adding an Associate of Science Degree in Veterinary Technology
• Offering a Certificate of Completion in Ranch Horse Science at the Blanding Regional Campus
• Changing the name from Master of Science International Food and Agribusiness to MS Agribusiness
• Offering a BA/BS Degree in Business Administration with Emphases
• Renaming the BA/BS Degree in Business Administration to Management
• Adding a Social Media Emphasis
• Changing the department name from Geology to Earth Sciences

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Other

• Zero Credit Course Discussion
• Changing January’s meeting date
• Future Discussion Items
• Introduction of the new catalog editor

Banshee: An Irish Superstition, Cy Robinson

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

So um from um Irish people are really superstitious we have a lot of superstition. So One when my .. nana was a young girl she was walking home one night and she said she heard the banshee shriek. So it was like this really loud high pitched scream. And she said she didn’t sound like it came from an animal and it most definitely couldn’t have come from a human and then the next morning one of her neighbors sh.. were dead. And so that’s like the superstition with the banshee if you hear it then either you or …

Broken Turf Birth, Cy Robinson

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

And then there’s one where if you throw a piece of turf at a pregnant woman and it hits her and falls and breaks then her waters will break and that actually happened to my mom. She went on a walk when she was pregnant with me and her brother threw a piece of turf at her and it hit her and it fell to the ground and it broke and she finished like the loop and walked back home and she was at home for a couple of minutes and then she stood up and her waters broke.

Optimizing Robotic Milk: A Qualitative Research Approach To Understanding Challenges That May Inhibit Optimal Usage Of Automatic Milking Systems In Northern Utah, Jessica Felts

Fall Student Research Symposium 2018

Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) – or robotic milkers – have been on the market for over twenty years. However, AMS introduction is relatively new to the Western U.S., and requires challenging adjustments and new management systems.

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, December 6, 2018, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Curriculum Subcommittee report
• Academic Standards Subcommittee report
• General Education Subcommittee report
• Zero Credit Course Discussion

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, December 6, 2018, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Program Proposals

• Adding an Associate of Science Degree in Veterinary Technology
• Offering a Certificate of Completion in Ranch Horse Science at the Blanding Regional Campus
• Changing the name from Master of Science International Food and Agribusiness to MS Agribusiness
• Offering a BA/BS Degree in Business Administration with Emphases
• Renaming the BA/BS Degree in Business Administration to Management
• Adding a Social Media Emphasis
• Changing the department name from Geology to Earth Sciences

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Other

• Zero Credit Course Discussion
• Changing January’s meeting date
• Future Discussion Items

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, December 6, 2018, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Zero Credit Course Discussion

Priming Of Grasping Muscles When Viewing A Safety Handle Is Diminished With Age, David A.E. Bolton, Sarah E. Schwartz, Manhoud Mansour, Garrett Rydalch, Douglas W. Mcdannald

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Merely viewing objects within reachable space can activate motor cortical networks and potentiate movement. This holds potential value for smooth interaction with objects in our surroundings, and could offer an advantage for quickly generating targeted hand movements (e.g. grasping a support rail to maintain stability). The present study investigated if viewing a wall-mounted safety handle resulted in automatic activation of motor cortical networks, and if this effect changes with age. Twenty-five young adults (18–30 years) and seventeen older adults (65+ years) were included in this study. Single-pulse, transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the motor cortical hand representation of young …

Assessment Of The Effects Of Climate Change On Evapotranspiration With An Improved Elasticity Method In A Nonhumid Area, Lei Tian, Jiming Jin, Pute Wu, Guo-Yue Niu

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Climatic elasticity is a crucial metric to assess the hydrological influence of climate change. Based on the Budyko equation, this study performed an analytical derivation of the climatic elasticity of evapotranspiration (ET). With this derived elasticity, it is possible to quantitatively separate the impacts of precipitation, air temperature, net radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed on ET in a watershed. This method was applied in the Wuding River Watershed (WRW), located in the center of the Yellow River Watershed of China. The estimated rate of change in ET caused by climatic variables is −10.69 mm/decade, which is close to the …

High School Elvish, Taylor Mcdougal

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

In high school I spoke elvish with my friends but that’s all. I was a normal kid!

Me: How did you learn Elvish

I didn’t know the language I just had some of my friends liked to write notes in it and give them to me. I had to look up the words on the internet to read them! [threw hands in the air and laughed]. The boys in choir would write in elvish on the board too.

Baking Days, Alana Miller

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

So the first one is a Christmas tradition but it’s not at actually Christmas it’s more like Christmas time, cuz you know how everyone usually does a holiday neighbor gifts or whatever, well, we have what we call Baking Days where it’s about three days in total where my dad and Kaitlyn, my sister, and me and my mom are all in the kitchen just baking. My dad I think last year he, we baked 75 loaves of bread in two days. And that’s what we give to people. And so that is actually how I learned how to make …

Christmas Eve Tradition, Alana Miller

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Actually Christmas Eve, we have the full tradition of, um, so we read, we get pajamas that night and we all change into our pajamas and we get ready for bed. And then we read “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” And I am always the voice of um, ah Cindy Lou Who. I have been since I was a little girl. And every single time now Brittney (her sister) or someone, another person of my family will tell me, it’s like, “You are a little old for this aren’t you Annika.” Um Brittney usually tries to make gestures like the …

The Utah Statesman, December 4, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.