Digital Commons Network^™

Consequences Of Host Life Cycles For Symbiont Genome Evolution, Ashley Dederich

Student Research Symposium

Obligate symbionts play a crucial role in both the survival and evolution of their host. However, symbiont genomes degrade substantially over evolutionary time, sometimes losing genes presumed essential to the partnership. Buchnera aphidicola (Buchnera), the obligate nutritional symbiont of aphids, serves as a model for studying genomic degradation in obligate symbiotic systems. Previous literature has theorized that the patterns of Buchnera genome degradation may result partly from aphid gall formation, as galls generally have elevated levels of nutrients. However, the association of aphid life cycle type with patterns of Buchnera genome degradation has not been tested. To test this, I …

Constructive Criticism: Analyzing And Implementing Student Feedback As A Tutor, Gracie Jo Averett

Tutor's Column

Writing centers are subject to student feedback as they operate, collecting both negative and positive comments through exit surveys after appointments. This essay analyzes these types of feedback and how tutors and writing centers can use both types of feedback to their advantage when serving their students. Being able to analyze the feedback that they receive can allow a tutor to make adjustments, when needed, to their tutoring process.

Landlord Perceptions Of Homelessness In The Bear River Region, Claire Wever, Alyssa Cronin, Heather Hopkins

Student Research Symposium

Homelessness has been rising at an alarming rate in the Bear River Region of Utah. Between 2017 and 2019, there has been a 400% increase in unsheltered homeless (HUD, 2019). Research indicates a lack of affordable housing is a likely cause (Lucero & Barker Tolman Shuler, 2020). Armed with the knowledge that finding housing is a key aspect to reduce homelessness, the present study set out to ascertain landlords’ awareness and attitudes of homelessness, as well as types of interventions they would support. Collaborating on a community-engaged project, USU social work students and faculty developed a survey of knowledge and …

Education In The Digital Age: Video Games In The Classroom, Jace Jones

Student Research Symposium

Video games show great potential for pedagogical use inside of high school classrooms; however, despite this video games remain underutilized. Video games can be employed to create engagement among students which shows great promise to improve the classroom experience for students. Through accessing their “power to play,” as Marc Carnes described it in his work, Minds on Fire, pedagogical practices like video games can deepen students’ understanding and retention of course materials. This project will examine how video game pedagogy is currently used, the compatibility of this pedagogy to adhere to Utah's state standards, as well as estimate the standard …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, April 12, 2021, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report – April 1, 2021
• Committee on Committees on Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Recruitment and Retention Annual Report
• Review Code Status | Faculty Code Rewrite
• Faculty Senate President Elect

Maintenance Of Water Systems With The Bear River Health Department, Kaden Bunch

Student Research Symposium

The Bear River Health Department (BRHD) is one of the 13 local health departments that work to promote and protect the citizens of Utah. Within the department, there are dozens of divisions, one such overseeing maintenance and approval of public water systems and pools. Public water systems are prone to bacterial growth, whether caused by those that use these systems, construction, or simply an animal that slipped in. To solve this issue, BRHD and the state of Utah actively monitor these public systems to ensure the health of those that use them. This is done by measuring chlorine levels in …

Contextual Effects On Listeners' Word Recognition In Combined Degradations, Kari Loehr

Student Research Symposium

Although contextual information can help improve listeners’ perception and understanding of speech, it may not always help in certain conditions. Reasons for this are that when a speech signal is masked by background noise and/or the speaker has a speech disorder, listeners seem to rely most heavily on the acoustic phonetic content of the words in a sentence, rather than the contextual information (Dongilli, 1994). For this study, we aimed to identify and analyze the impact of context effects on spoken word recognition in the presence of a degraded speech signal and various levels of background noise. To do so, …

Central-Bank-Digital-Currency Blockchains; Us Economic Influence Threatened – Requires Quantum Network Development And Deployment, Erika Mueller

Student Research Symposium

Traditional, digitally secured Information and Communications Infrastructures (ICI) whose encryption, transmission and reception architectures are approved for sensitive data will soon be vulnerable to quantum penetration. This leads to security compromises impacting public and private spheres. The state which first achieves Quantum Supremacy will have a window of opportunity to compromise its adversaries’ ICI and gain valuable information, while protecting their own sensitive data. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) reliance on Blockchain technology for financial transactions poses economic and security challenges to the US, by undermining global reliance on Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Transactions (SWIFT) and the US Dollar …

Explorations Of Designing Spatial Classroom Analytics With Virutal Prototyping, Jiwoong Jang, Jaewook Lee, Vanessa Echeverría, Luettamae Lawrence, Vincent Aleven

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite the potential of spatial displays for supporting teachers’ classroom orchestration through real-time classroom analytics, the process to design these displays is a challenging and under-explored topic in the learning analytics (LA) community. This paper proposes a mid-fidelity Virtual Prototyping method (VPM), which involves simulating a classroom environment and candidate designs in virtual space to address these challenges. VPM allows for rapid prototyping of spatial features, requires no specialized hardware, and enables teams to conduct remote evaluation sessions. We report observations and findings from an initial exploration with five potential users through a design process utilizing VPM to validate designs …

Novel Approach For Sex Identification In Equine Forensic Samples Using Pcr Amplification, Jessica Felts

Student Research Symposium

DDX3 is a ubiquitous gene in mammals that codes for a protein in the DEAD-box protein family. This protein is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, which denotes its involvement in altering the structure of RNA1, functions as a transcriptional regulator1, and is proposed to be involved in the nuclear export of retroviral RNA1. The DDX3 gene is located on the X-chromosome between base pair 34,831,836 and base pair 34,847,409 (15,573 total base pairs). In addition, there is a homologous gene located on the Y-chromosome between base pair 6,194,312 to bp 6,199,142 (4,917 total base pairs). The Y-chromosome homolog, however, contains unique …

The Influences Of Individual Differences In Working Memory Capacity And Multiple Narrators On Adults’ Story Comprehension: A Pilot Study, Stephanie Johnson

Student Research Symposium

It is well-known that people struggle to listen and comprehend spoken language in environments where multiple talkers are present. It is cognitively demanding to communicate in these difficult listening environments that occur commonly in everyday life (Plomp, 1994); therefore, one’s working memory abilities may play a role in how successful they can communicate when multiple talkers are present (Schneider et al., 2007). This preliminary study aimed to explore the relationship between working memory capacity (WMC) and spoken language comprehension in the context of multiple talkers. Six participants performed complex span tasks to assess their WMC abilities. Participants also listened to …

Design Solutions That Impact Mental Health, Elise Buck

Student Research Symposium

Design is about solving problems in the most beautiful and functional way possible. Within the profession it is the designer’s responsibility and obligation to provide practical, meaningful, and healthy spaces wherein people will thrive. Similar to most design projects, the sector of workplace design focuses significantly on the mental health and psychological wellness of the employees that use the space in order to combat the negative effects of bad design on long term health. According to an article published by Gettysburg College, the average person will spend approximately one-third of their life, or about 90,000 hours at work over a …

Financial Knowledge And Debt Repayment Behavior Of U.S. Households, Ellie Hansen

Student Research Symposium

A substantial amount of research indicates that debt is a problem in the United States. Financial knowledge has the potential to help U.S. households understand the impacts of holding high debt loads and the importance of positive debt repayment behavior. Research indicates that although U.S. households are in significant debt, those with financial knowledge were more likely to have healthy financial behaviors such as paying credit card balances in full, taking on the appropriate amount of student loan debt, and making on time mortgage payments (Mitchel & Lusardi, 2015). Using data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this …

Crispr And The Transhumanism Movement: Civilian And Military Ethics Reassessment Looming, Jennifer Ha

Student Research Symposium

CRISPR/Cas9 is an emerging biotechnology that allows scientists to edit genes and modify, delete, or correct exact regions of a person’s DNA. This technology could be the future of medicine in eradicating different genetic diseases and disorders and enhancing the quality of life around the world. CRISPR can be used to treat different cancers, blood disorders, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and a variety of other diseases by going in and changing specific regions of DNA. However, why just eradicate disease when CRISPR can also enhance different characteristics, such as increase metabolism, improve eyesight, or enhance athletic ability? With the potential of …

Rotc Cadets' Nutrition Knowledge & Behaviors: A Pilot Study, Mikaela Blake, Annika Israelsen, Tori Gossling, Jacob Lamb

Student Research Symposium

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) prepares college students for future military service. The ROTC includes a rigorous physical training program. As such, effective nutrition practices are necessary to maintain performance. The purpose of this study was to assess USU Cadets’ nutrition knowledge and practices to inform future research and intervention needs. Cadets were recruited through email and classroom announcements. Participants completed an online survey that gathered demographic, fitness, nutrition knowledge, nutrition behaviors, Intuitive Eating, perceived stress, and food security data. Results indicated that most cadets had a moderate knowledge of nutrition with a deficit in sports nutrition. This study …

Small-Amplitude Oscillations That Pass Through The North Pole, Cade Pankey

Student Research Symposium

As seen by an earthbound observer that rotates with the earth, objects that move without friction on its ellipsoidal surface are subject to the Coriolis force, which produces oscillatory motions called inertial oscillations. This project analyzes inertial oscillations that pass through the North Pole using a perturbation expansion in the velocity amplitude. The frequency of small-amplitude oscillations is found to be twice the frequency of the Earth’s rotation. Presentation Time: Wednesday, 2-3 p.m.Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/87892002075?pwd=Ym1Tcy9NOVhaaGZWczZWY1JCL3owUT09

Reducing Anger Race Bias Through Emotion Recognition Training: A Proposal, Marisa Davis, Joana Rousseau

Student Research Symposium

Since January 1st, 2015, 119 unarmed Black males have been shot and killed by police (Washington Post, 2020). Anger race bias is the tendency to misidentify expressions of emotion, specifically anger, in Black or racially ambiguous faces (Hutchings & Haddock, 2008). Anger race bias and misidentification of expressions of emotion contribute to police perceiving Black suspects to be more hostile and dangerous than White suspects, and unarmed minorities are twice as likely as their white counterparts to be shot by police (Nix et al., 2017). Hutchings & Haddock (2008) found that Black faces are more likely to be perceived as …

Eye Tracking Patterns And Processing Times Of Children With And Without Language Disorder During Sentence Processing, Lexie Scott

Student Research Symposium

This study examined the online processing of sentence comprehension in two groups of children ages 9-14: children who are typically developing (TD) and children with development language disorder (DLD). The literature shows that children with DLD have difficulty with complex sentence comprehension compared to their TD peers based on studies of offline processing. Few studies demonstrate how children process sentences using online processing measures. We used behavioral and eye tracking measures of online processing to answer: How does sentence processing of canonical and non-canonical sentences in children in the TD and DLD groups differ?Eye movements were recorded while participants listened …

Role Of Novel Receptor Gpr171 In Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain, Taylor Edwards

Student Research Symposium

First-line chemotherapies against solid tumors are highly efficacious in reducing the tumor burden, but have many adverse side-effects including nerve damage, leading to chronic pain. Non-addictive, efficacious pain relievers are an area of active interest, and we propose a novel target to address this pressing issue. GPR171 is a G-Protein Coupled Receptor that was recently deorphanized and was identified to be expressed in the brain in regions that regulate reward, anxiety, and pain. Within the pain circuit, it was shown previously that systemic administration of the GPR171 agonist enhances morphine antinociception in acute pain tests. Preliminary data from our lab …

Historic Declines In Growth Portend Trembling Aspen Death During A Contemporary Leaf Miner Outbreak In Alaska, Melissa A. Boyd, Logan T. Berner, Adrianna C. Foster, Scott J. Goetz, Brendan M. Rogers, Xanthe J. Walker, Michelle C. Mack

Aspen Bibliography

Climate change-driven droughts and insect outbreaks are becoming more frequent and widespread, increasing forest vulnerability to mortality. By addressing the impacts of climate and insects on tree growth preceding death, we can better understand tree mortality risk under a changing climate. Here, we used tree stature and interannual growth (basal area increment; BAI) to assess processes leading to trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) survival or mortality during an unprecedented leaf miner (Phyllocnistis populiella) outbreak in boreal North America. We identified eight sites (22 plots) in the longest running forest monitoring network in Alaska, spanning ~350 km of …

Anion–Anion Interactions In Aerogen-Bonded Complexes. Influence Of Solvent Environment, Anna Grabarz, Mariusz Michalczyk, Wiktor Zierkiewicz, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Ab initio calculations are applied to the question as to whether a AeX₅− anion (Ae = Kr, Xe) can engage in a stable complex with another anion: F−, Cl−, or CN−. The latter approaches the central Ae atom from above the molecular plane, along its C₅ axis. While the electrostatic repulsion between the two anions prevents their association in the gas phase, immersion of the system in a polar medium allows dimerization to proceed. The aerogen bond is a weak one, with binding energies less than 2 kcal/mol, even in highly polar aqueous solvent. The complexes are …

Visual Reinforcers Designed For Children With Developmental Disabilities, Angela Yarnell Bonino, Amanda Hemann, Deborah Mood, Emily Kay, Elizabeth S. Pancoast, Kristin K. Sommerfeldt

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

A library of visual reinforcers has been created to facilitate visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) testing in children with developmental disabilities. The library includes 45 reinforcer sets – photos or videos grouped by a common theme – that were created based on commonly reported interests of children with developmental disabilities. Each reinforcer set contains a minimum of 20 unique photo or video files that can be download in two formats: one for commercially available VRA reinforcement systems and another for a custom setup. The library is freely available for download online under a Creative Commons License (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International …

Evaluation Of A Group Music Intervention To Support School-Readiness Skills In Preschool Children With Hearing Loss, Glynnis Dubois, Joanne Deluzio, Michael Thaut, Stephanie Nixon

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Although children with hearing loss are now often integrated into mainstream classrooms, many do not begin school with age-appropriate school-readiness skills. Traditional therapies in early listening and spoken language programs rarely focus on developing the social skills, executive functions, and motor abilities needed for the typical classroom environment of friends, academics, and play. The question, then, is how to incorporate group activities into traditional therapies in order to build skills in these areas, and whether or not the use of music and its social aspects could support this. A quasi randomized, group, facilitated, music intervention was conducted to help support …

The Effects Of Early Intervention On Language Growth After Age 3 For Children With Permanent Hearing Loss, Lisa Davidson, Andrea Osman, Ann E. Geers

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Purpose: The overall goal of this study was to examine language performance in children with permanent hearing loss who were enrolled in a Listening and Spoken Language program. The influence of time spent in Early Intervention (EI) on language trajectories and ability to attain age-appropriate language skills was examined.

Methods: Retrospective data were obtained from children (N=48) who attended Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) for various lengths of time between 2004 and 2017. Children were grouped into those who had received EI prior to age 3 years versus those who did not. Standardized tests of receptive and …

Journal Of Early Hearing Detection And Intervention: Volume 6 Issue 1

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Freeze Damage And Minimum Winter Temperature Of The Seed Source Of Loblolly Pine Seedlings Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Yuzhen Lu, Trevor D. Walker, Juan J. Acosta, Sierra N. Young, Piyush Pandey, Austin J. Heine, Kitt G. Payn

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The most important climatic variable influencing growth and survival of loblolly pine is the yearly average minimum winter temperature (MWT) at the seed source origin, and it is used to guide the transfer of improved seed lots throughout the species’ distribution. This study presents a novel approach for the assessment of freeze-induced damage and prediction of MWT at seed source origin of loblolly pine seedlings using hyperspectral imaging. A population comprising 98 seed lots representing a wide range of MWT at seed source origin was subjected to an artificial freeze event. The visual assessment of freeze damage and MWT were …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, April 1, 2021, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Approval of 4 March 2021 Minutes

Program Proposals

• Create a Student Money Management Center.
• Create a Community Development Economics Minor.
• Change the CIP Code for the BS Aviation Technology- Professional Pilot degree from 49.0102 to 49.0101.
• Discontinue the Computer Science MS Plan C degree program.

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Other Business

• EPC/Curriculum Handbook Update
• New Curriculum Committee Chair Appointment

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, April 1, 2021, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Approval of 4 March 2021 Minutes

Program Proposals

• Create a Student Money Management Center.
• Create a Community Development Economics Minor.
• Change the CIP Code for the BS Aviation Technology- Professional Pilot degree from 49.0102 to 49.0101.
• Discontinue the Computer Science MS Plan C degree program.

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Other Business

• Claudia Radel has become the new Department Head for Environment and Society.
• EPC/Curriculum Handbook Update
• New Curriculum Committee Chair Appointment
• Worked with the Provost and had discussions regarding a new chair for the Curriculum Committee.
• Matt Sanders as the new chair.

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, April 1, 2021, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Subcommittee Reports

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Other Business

• Communication Intensive Outcomes - Rubrics - Narrative
• EPC/Curriculum Handbook Updates
• Educational Policy Committee Chair Nominations

Rethinking Behavior - Spring 2021, Midwest Symposium For Leadership In Behavior Disorders

ReThinking Behavior Magazine

A magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs.

Spring 2022, Volume 4, Issue 3