Digital Commons Network^™

Genomic And Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal Polygenic Architecture For Ecologically Important Traits In Aspen (Populus Tremuloides Michx.), Jennifer F. L. Riehl, Christopher T. Cole, Clay J. Marrow, Hilary L. Barker, Carolina Bernhardsson, Kennedy Rubert-Nason, Pär K. Ingvarsson, Richard L. Lindroth

Aspen Bibliography

Intraspecific genetic variations in foundation species such as aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) shapes their impact on forest structure and function. Identifying genes underlying ecologically important traits is key to understanding that impact. Previous studies, using single-locus genome-wide association (GWA) analyses to identify candidate genes, have identified fewer genes than anticipated for highly heritable quantitative traits. Mounting evidence suggests that polygenic control of quantitative traits is largely responsible for this "missing heritability" phenomenon. Our research characterized the genetic architecture of 30 ecologically important traits using a common garden of aspect through genomic and transcriptomic analyses. A multilocus association model revealed …

Faculty Senate Committee Agenda October 2, 2023, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order. Maureen Hearns
• 3:05 University Business. Elizabeth Cantwell, President | Larry Smith, Provost
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business. Maureen Hearns | John Ferguson | Grant Cardon
• 3:25 Information
• 3:40 Reports
• 3:50 Old Business
• 4:05 New Business
• Adjourn:

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda October 5, 2023, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 7, 2023
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Educational Policies Committee Agenda October 5, 2023, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September, 2023
• Subcommittee Reports - Curriculum Subcommittee, Academic Standards Subcommittee, General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Storing Eggs Safely, Christine Jensen, Charlotte P. Brennand

All Current Publications

Storing eggs safely is important for your health and that of your family. A method called "water glassing" for storing eggs was popular in the early 1900s, and some still continue using this method, but it is unsafe. This fact sheet addresses proper and safe ways to store eggs, including refrigeration, freezing, and freeze-drying.

Irrigation Water Quality Sampling Guide, Burdette Barker, Matt Yost, Erin N. Rivers, Rhonda Miller, Kalen Taylor, Tiffany Evans

All Current Publications

Understanding irrigation water quality is an important part of irrigation water management. Water quality testing begins with identifying constituents for which to test. Proper sample collection is important for characterizing a water source. This fact sheet addresses water sampling, what to sample or test, irrigation equipment concerns, pollutants, and when, where, and how to sample.

The Utah Statesman, September 25, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Measuring The Phytochemical Richness Of Meat: Effects Of Grass/Grain Finishing Systems And Grapeseed Extract Supplementation On The Fatty Acid And Phytochemical Content Of Beef, Lucas Krusinski, Isabella C. F. Maciel, Stephan Van Vliet, Muhammad Ahsin, Guanqi Lu, Jason E. Rowntree, Jenifer I. Fenton

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Grass-finished beef (GFB) can provide beneficial bioactive compounds to healthy diets, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and secondary bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals. The objective of this study was to compare fatty acids (FAs), micronutrients, and phytochemicals of beef fed a biodiverse pasture (GRASS), a total mixed ration (GRAIN), or a total mixed ration with 5% grapeseed extract (GRAPE). This was a two-year study involving fifty-four Red Angus steers (n = 54). GFB contained higher levels of n-3 PUFAs, vitamin E, iron, zinc, stachydrine, hippuric acid, citric acid, and succinic …

A First Look Into Software Security Practices In Bangladesh, Ankit Shrestha, Tanusree Sharma, Pratyasha Saha, Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Software security practices are critical in minimizing vulnerabilities and protecting unauthorized access to the code and the system. However, software security practices outside Western countries need to be better understood. This need for understanding security practices is further necessitated by the increased outsourcing of software development that can result in vulnerabilities on a global scale. This article addresses this gap, focusing on Bangladesh, a country that represents a booming software industry in the Global South. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 developers to understand their security perceptions and identify the factors influencing software security practices in Bangladesh. …

Heterochronic Serum Proteins, Jeffrey Mason

Browse all Datasets

Mechanism of ovarian-dependent enhancement of health and longevity in postreproductive female mice

Development And Initial Validation Of Scales For Coming Out Vigilance And Positive Coming Out Responses, Samuel J. Skidmore, G. Tyler Lefevor, Kiet D. Huynh, Connor O. Berg

Psychology Faculty Publications

Coming out involves sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) disclosing their identity to others, and is often related to improved health, well-being, and social support. However, coming out is not always perceived as a positive event, and outcomes of identity disclosure may vary depending on how coming out is approached and how others respond. The present study reports on the development and validation of the Coming Out Vigilance (COV) and the Positive Coming Out Responses (PCOR) measures. Two subsamples of SGMs with varying degrees of outness— totaling 399 individuals—were utilized in the development and validation of these measures. Exploratory and confirmatory …

Rising Coastal Groundwater As A Result Of Sea-Level Rise Will Influence Contaminated Coastal Sites And Underground Infrastructure, K. Hill, D. Hirschfeld, C. Lindquist, F. Cook, S. Warner

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Sea-level rise (SLR) will cause coastal groundwater to rise in many coastal urban environments. Inundation of contaminated soils by groundwater rise (GWR) will alter the physical, biological, and geochemical conditions that influence the fate and transport of existing contaminants. These transformed products can be more toxic and/or more mobile under future conditions driven by SLR and GWR. We reviewed the vulnerability of contaminated sites to GWR in a US national database and in a case comparison with the San Francisco Bay region to estimate the risk of rising groundwater to human and ecosystem health. The results show that 326 sites …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes September 18, 2023, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order - Maureen Hearns
• Approval of Minutes - August 21, 2023
• University Business - President Cantwell and Provost Smith
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information - Educational Policies Committee, Academic Standards Subcommittee, and Human Resource Policies
• Reports - Educational Policies Committee Annual Report and Honors Program Annual Report
• Old Business - Update on Divestment Task Force and Greenhouse Waste Emissions
• New Business - Issue of Faculty Concern
• Adjourn 4:40 pm

Dietary Patterns Of Children From The Amazon Region Of Ecuador: A Descriptive, Qualitative Investigation, Kristin N. Murphy, Lisa Boyce, Eduardo Ortiz, Marcela Santos, Gloria Balseca

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Many young children in Ecuador suffer from high rates of malnutrition and stunting that affect their long-term growth and development. Little is known about the dietary patterns of children from the Amazon region who experience some of the highest rates of stunting (height-for-age) within Ecuador. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 mothers of young children living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In addition to descriptions of overall dietary patterns, three themes emerged from the interviews relating to strengths mothers have in feeding their children healthy diets: knowledge, autonomous and independent children, and supportive and responsive parenting. Five themes were found relating …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda September 18, 2023, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:30 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - August 21, 2023
• 3:35 University Business
• 3:50 Faculty Senate Business .
• 4:00 Information
• Education Policies Committee
• Human Resources Policies - 351
• 4:20 Reports
• Educational Policies Committee Annual Report
• Honors Program Annual Report
• 4:30 Old Business
• Update on Divestment Task Force
• Greenhouse Waste Emissions
• 4:40 New Business
• Issue of Faculty Concern
• Adjourn:

The Utah Statesman, September 18, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

A Novel Fuzzy Relative-Position-Coding Transformer For Breast Cancer Diagnosis Using Ultrasonography, Yanhui Guo, Ruquan Jiang, Xin Gu, Heng-Da Cheng, Harish Garg

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women worldwide, and early detection is crucial for successful treatment. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have been developed to assist doctors in identifying breast cancer on ultrasound images. In this paper, we propose a novel fuzzy relative-position-coding (FRPC) Transformer to classify breast ultrasound (BUS) images for breast cancer diagnosis. The proposed FRPC Transformer utilizes the self-attention mechanism of Transformer networks combined with fuzzy relative-position-coding to capture global and local features of the BUS images. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated on one benchmark dataset and compared with those obtained by …

Sudden Oak Death And Ramorum Blight, Marion Murray, Ann Mull

All Current Publications

Sudden oak death (SOD) and ramorum blight are caused by Phytophthora ramorum, a non-native water mold (oomycete) that originates from parts of Asia. Sudden oak death was given its name due to the appearance that entire trees were dying in just 2 to 4 weeks. In reality, the disease progresses over an extended period, estimated at more than 2 years after initial infection. Ramorum blight is nonlethal, typically causing foliar browning and wilting. This fact sheet discusses impact, damage and symptoms, plant hosts, disease cycle, and management.

Demographic Data In The Built Environment And Human Health Studies, Huaqing Wang, Louis G. Tassinary

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Demographic data is widely used in both built environment and population health studies. Traditional data sources include national, state, and local surveys as well as archived data from longitudinal studies and newly emerging sources such as digitally accessible administrative data and real-time data from mobile devices. The value of these diverse data sets hinges on their accuracy, completeness, reliability, relevance, and timeliness. This chapter reviews the literature published in this field, provides a selective overview of the extant published research based on such data, and offers suggestions for the continuing access and use of such datasets.

An Improved Digestion And Analysis Procedure For Silicon In Plant Tissue, Noah James Langenfeld, Bruce Bugbee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Silicon (Si) in plant tissues reduces abiotic and biotic stress, but it is incorporated as silica (SiO₂), which is difficult to solubilize for analysis. We modified an oven-induced tissue-digestion and analysis method to improve Si solubilization and validated its accuracy by quantifying the mass-balance recovery of Si from the hydroponic solution and plant tissues of cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Leaf, stem, and root tissues were dried, finely-ground, and digested in 12.5 molar sodium hydroxide at 95°C for 4 hours. Solutions were then acidified with 6 molar hydrochloric acid to achieve a pH below 2 for measurement of …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda September 7, 2023, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports

• Curriculum Subcommittee (Chad Simon)

• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)

• General Education Subcommittee (Matt Sanders)

• Other Business

Assessing Capacity In Rural Nonprofits, Jayme Walters, Aaron R. Brown, Dorothy Wallis, Janice Snow

Social Work Faculty Publications

Organizational capacity is necessary for nonprofits to meet their missions and contribute to society. Less is known about rural nonprofits’ organizational capacity and characteristics, as most research focuses on urban nonprofits. The present study first considers the utility of an organizational capacity assessment and identifies pertinent areas of organizational capacity in rural nonprofits. The second objective of the study is to examine relationships between areas of organizational capacity and organizational-level characteristics. In May 2019, nonprofits (n = 290) from persistently poor, rural counties in 14 southern states participated in a survey providing organizational characteristics and assessing organizational capacity. An …

The Utah Statesman, September 4, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Environmental Conditions And The Fertility Intentions Of Utahns, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, Jennifer E. Givens

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

One of the most important decisions a person may make in their lifetime is whether to have children. Many factors shape fertility intentions and outcomes. A better understanding of individual reproductive intentions can shed light on current fertility patterns, enable more accurate population projections^1-2 and planning efforts, and improve our ability to address environmental drivers and implications.

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda September 7, 2023, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - April 6, 2023
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business - New baccalaureate programs template and cross/dual listed info for the EPC handbook
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes - August 21, 2023, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• University Business - New president Elizabeth Cantwell still getting used to USU
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information - Committe assignments and Periodic College Reporting with faculty
• Reports - Empowering Teaching Excellence Annual Report
• Old Business - Committee on Committees Nomination and Task Force Updates
• New Business - Faculty Code changes
• Adjorn

The Utah Statesman, August 28, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Pediatric Hearing Aid Management: Experiences And Perspectives Of Spanish-Speaking Parents, Karen Muñoz, Diego Guillen, Carlos Muñoz, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of the study was twofold: (a) to explore hearing aid management experiences of Spanish-speaking parents who have young children using hearing aids and (b) to explore parents' access to the Internet and perceptions about remote audiology services.

Method: The study used a mixed methods design. Data were collected through a phone interview.

Results: Eleven mothers of children aged 14-60 months participated. Most of the children (9/11) had a bilateral hearing loss, and two had an additional disability. Three themes emerged for hearing aid management experiences: audiology services, routines, and emotional challenges/supports. Parents had variable levels of confidence …

Mrs. His Name: Reparative Description As A Tool For Cultural Sensitivity And Discoverability, Elspeth A. Olson

Journal of Western Archives

Reparative description, a term coined by La’el Hughes-Watkins to describe the role of revising archival metadata in social justice, becomes a tool of both practical discoverability and cultural sensitivity toward the past when applied to the issue of married women’s names in legacy metadata in finding aids. The Mrs. His Name Project at the University of Nevada, Reno, represents a case study in balancing the practical with the ethical in identifying married women formerly identified solely by their husband’s names in finding aids. The project further suggests methodology which may be applied to other reparative description projects in archives, and …

A Multi-Tiered Assessment Of Primary Production In Great Salt Lake, Soren Brothers, Melissa Cobo, R. Douglas Ramsey, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Erin N. Rivers

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Great Salt Lake (GSL) is the largest saline lake in the western hemisphere. Despite this, relatively little is known regarding ecological functioning within the lake, including detailed assessments of rates of primary productivity and ecosystem productivity. Analyses of primary production in GSL are complicated by the high heterogeneity of the system, including a broad salinity gradient from near-fresh conditions at the river confluences in Farmington and Bear River Bays to the hyper-saline conditions of the lake’s northwest arm (Gunnison Bay). Further complicating estimates of primary productivity is the possibility of high rates of benthic primary production (by benthic algae and …