Digital Commons Network^™

Body Condition Scoring For Sheep, Abigail Johnson, Reganne K. Briggs, Chad Page

All Current Publications

Body condition scoring is a helpful tool for sheep producers to use to evaluate the status of their flock. This fact sheet illustrates how to condition score sheep and the importance of condition scoring on production.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda November 18, 2024, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report
• Library Budget
• 3:45 Report
• Faculty Evaluation Committee Annual Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• 3:55 Old Business
• 4:00 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:10pm

The Utah Statesman, November 18, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Utah Statesman, November 11, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Importance Of Monitoring Beef Cattle Body Condition, David Secrist

All Current Publications

A body condition scoring system commonly used in the U.S. is an objective effort to quantify a cow’s body condition with ratings from 1 (severely emaciated and weak) to 9 (excessively obese), resulting in a body condition score (BCS). Optimal BCS in commercial cow/calf operation is from 5 to 7, depending on the production stage, feed resources, and the animal’s age. Reproductive efficiency is critical to operational success and is closely tied to BCS. This fact sheet discusses why BCS is important and how to apply BCS to a herd effectively.

Leveraging The Power Of Storytelling To Encourage And Empower Children Towards Strong Passwords, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

With the increasing use of computer and smartphones by children, their online safety has been of major concern due to their limited security knowledge and skills. User authentication is pivotal for their security protection, where a body of work focused on children’s password practices. The insights from these studies highlight children’s lack of awareness and skills in creating a strong password. However, there is a dearth in existing literature to understand the scopes of designs for encouraging and empowering children towards strong passwords. As we begin to address this gap, we leveraged the power of storytelling to foster user attachment, …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes November 7, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00pm

Education Policy Committee Agenda November 07, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Subcommittee Reports
• Other Business
• Adjourn

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda November 7, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:30pm

Faculty Senate Agenda November 4, 2024, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report
• 3:40 Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• Athletic Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• 4:00 Old Business
• 4:05 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Education Policy Committee Minutes November 07, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Subcommittee Reports
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00

The Utah Statesman, November 4, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Tremblings November 2024, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

Aspen Stewardship With PBR

Paul C. Rogers, Director, Western Aspen Alliance, Adjunct Professor (Environment & Society), Associate (Ecology Center), Utah State University

How do we effectively piece together aspen science for better management? This question has been the nexus of the Western Aspen Alliance's (WAA) mission since our 2008 inception. If you participated in one of more than 40 WAA field-based workshops you can attest that evolving research findings from numerous interlacing disciplines makes for a challenging science-management landscape. However, this clear departure from historical and linear 'command and control' approaches, though demanding, incorporates vital multi-dimensionality (e.g., social, cultural, institutional …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda November 7, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 3, 2024
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Program Proposals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda November 7, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 3, 2024
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews: https://usu.curriculog.com/
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Zoographics In The Journal Of The Experimental Analysis Of Behavior: Increasing Inclusion Of Female Animals, Amy L. Odum, Kiernan T. Callister, Mariah E. Willis-Moore, Daniel S. Da Silva, David N. Legaspi, Lucy N. Scribner, Josephine N. Hannah

Psychology Faculty Publications

We examined the zoographics, or the characteristics of nonhuman animal subjects, reported for the entirety of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) through the most recent complete year (1958–2023). Animal sex in particular was evaluated to determine whether the lack of inclusion of female subjects in other disciplines extends to JEAB. Through systematic coding of all nonhuman empirical articles, we found consistent underreporting of most zoographics and a disproportionate use of male subjects relative to female subjects. Additionally, animal sex was commonly unreported and the inclusion of both male and female subjects was sparse. …

The Utah Statesman, October 28, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Climate Change And The Logan River: Past, Present, And Future, Mercy Smith, Kendall Becker, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

The Logan River runs through Idaho and northern Utah, beginning in the Bear River Mountains and flowing through Logan Canyon to Cutler Reservoir. The river is socially and ecologically significant to the Cache Valley community. Throughout its history, the Logan River’s water and energy have sustained life within the valley. However, climate change is threatening the Logan River’s support of both human and animal communities. Rising water temperatures and reduced flow caused by declining snowpack may impair the river’s ability to maintain healthy ecosystems.

The Primacy Of Density-Mediated Indirect Effects In A Community Of Wolves, Elk, And Aspen, Elaine M. Brice, Eric J. Larsen, Daniel R. Stahler, Daniel R. Macnulty

Aspen Bibliography

The removal or addition of a predator in an ecosystem can trigger a trophic cascade, whereby the predator indirectly influences plants and/or abiotic processes via direct effects on its herbivore prey. A trophic cascade can operate through a density-mediated indirect effect (DMIE), where the predator reduces herbivore density via predation, and/or through a trait-mediated indirect effect (TMIE), where the predator induces an herbivore trait response that modifies the herbivore's effect on plants. Manipulative experiments suggest that TMIEs are an equivalent or more important driver of trophic cascades than are DMIEs. Whether this applies generally in nature is uncertain because few …

Differential Hepatic Expression Of Mirna In Response To Aflatoxin B1 Challenge In Domestic And Wild Turkeys, Kade Jorud, Kristelle M. Mendoza, Thomas Kono, Roger A. Coulombe, Kent M. Reed

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB₁) is a major foodborne mycotoxin that poses a significant economic risk to poultry due to a greater degree of susceptibility compared to other agricultural species. Domesticated turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are especially sensitive to AFB₁; however, wild turkeys (M. g. silvestris) are more resistant. A lack of functional isoforms of hepatic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), an enzyme that plays a role in the detoxification of aflatoxin, is suspected as the reason for the increased sensitivity. Previous studies comparing the gene expression of domesticated and wild turkeys exposed to AFB₁ identified …

The Utah Statesman, October 21, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Differences In Susceptibility To Sars-Cov-2 Infection Among Transgenic Hace2-Hamster Founder Lines, Scott A. Gibson, Yanan Liu, Rong Li, Brett L. Hurst, Zhiqiang Fan, Venkatraman Siddharthan, Deanna P. Larson, Ashley Y. Sheesley, Rebekah Stewart, Madelyn Kunzler, Irina A. Polejaeva, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Stefan Moisyadi, John D. Morrey, E. Bart Tarbet, Zhongde Wang

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Animal models that are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and develop clinical signs like human COVID-19 are desired to understand viral pathogenesis and develop effective medical countermeasures. The golden Syrian hamster is important for the study of SARS-CoV-2 since hamsters are naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. However, infected hamsters show only limited clinical disease and resolve infection quickly. In this study, we describe development of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) transgenic hamsters as a model for COVID-19. During development of the model for SARS-CoV-2, we observed that different hACE2 transgenic hamster founder lines varied in their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 lethal infection. The …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Wildlife Monitoring Using Bioacoustics, Kaitlin Campbell, Rita Hagevik, Kathy Cabe Trundle

All Current Publications

Animals use sounds to communicate with each other, just like humans. Humans can listen in on animals by using a bioacoustic monitoring device, a passive device that quietly records surrounding sounds. Bioacoustic monitoring devices blend in with the environment, allowing us to know what types of animals appear when we’re gone. The device collects and stores data and allows us to visualize, analyze, and identify animals from the sounds they make.

Irrigation Companies And The Great Salt Lake: Managing Water In Utah Amidst Climate Change, Chloe Francis, Kendall Becker, Matt Yost, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

The Great Salt Lake, a key ecosystem and major component of Utah’s identity and economy, is threatened by rapidly declining water levels. This problem has caused widespread and ongoing concern from the public, and the Utah Legislature is faced with making water allocation and management decisions to adapt to the state’s growing population and changing environment. One important group in this discussion is irrigation companies. Here, we examine how irrigation companies receive and maintain water rights in Utah, their significant role in water management, and recent legislative efforts to incentivize efficient water use so more water reaches the Great Salt …

Faculty Senate Minutes October 7, 2024, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

MINUTES

• Call to Order
  
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information - EPC Report September 5, 2024; Human Resources Policies 330 & 392
• Report - Educational Policies Committee Annual Report; Honors Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn: 4:07 pm

The Utah Statesman, October 7, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Faculty Senate Agenda October 7, 2024, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report
• Human Resources Policies 330 & 392
• 3:55 Report
• Educational Policies Committee Annual Report
• Honors Annual Report
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Composting, Larry Krissek, Kathy Cabe Trundle, Rita Hagevik

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about composting, such as what compost is, how to compost, and the benefits of composting in your garden.

A Retrospective Analysis Of Sheep Generated By Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, Ying Liu, Rusty Stott, Misha Regouski, Zhiqiang Fan, Iuri Viotti Perisse, Tayler Patrick, Jacob Keim, Qinggang Meng, Irina A. Polejaeva

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is one of the primary methods for production of genetically engineered sheep, which allows for gene editing or transgene introduction in somatic cells. The use of SCNT eliminates the risk of genetic mosaicism in embryos and animals that is commonly observed after zygote micromanipulations. This retrospective analysis of SCNT in sheep performed at Utah State University, spanning from 2016 to 2021, examined parameters that may impact pregnancy and full-term development, including donor oocytes (donor age), donor cell lines, SCNT parameters (time of oocyte activation following SCNT, number of transferred embryos, in vitro maturation and culture …

The Intersection Of Place And Game Design: The Case Of Two Classic African Board Games, Rebecca Y. Bayeck, Joseph M. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The concept of game design is often associated with a computational creative task or a creation with technology. Automatically linking game design to computational activity or technology may have contributed to the scarce research on the interaction between place and game design. The focus on technology may have excluded indigenous games from game design conversation in the game design literature. This article explores design in the context of two classic African board games. We examine the influence of place on the design of these games. Building on game design and place literature, the article shows the situatedness of game design …