Digital Commons Network^™

Outdoor Recreation Use And Indicators Of The Ecological, Physical, And Social Characteristics Of Recreation Settings In The Central Wasatch: Phase 1 Interim Report, Jordan W. Smith, Anna B. Miller, Chase C. Lamborn, Christopher Monz, Danya Rumore

All Current Publications

The purpose of this study is to explore how outdoor recreation use and its associated impacts can be quantified and monitored over time within the canyons. Establishing indicators of the ecological, physical, and social characteristics of recreation settings throughout the canyons is an essential first step to quantifying and monitoring change. Our goal is to establish a set of indicators that are collaboratively generated and grounded in the best-available science and reflect the unique needs and concerns of the diverse stakeholders and interest groups who use, manage, and depend on the canyons. Through the work detailed below, the Central Wasatch …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Utah Women And Work: Caregiver Experiences, Marin Christensen, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–21 has affected workers across the globe, and women in the workforce have been disproportionately impacted, including those who live in Utah. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah reported that from 2019 to 2020, jobs held by women declined at a rate more than double that of men, and unemployment rose more for females than males. One major reason for these discrepancies is likely the disproportionate burden women have carried for childcare and homeschooling children as daycare facilities and schools have been closed in efforts to curb the spread of the …

Temporal Trends And Drivers Of Mountain Lion Depredation In California, Usa, Justin A. Dellinger, Daniel K. Macon, Jaime L. Rudd, Deana L. Clifford, Steven G. Torres

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Increasing human populations and expanding development across the globe necessitate continual progress in understanding and mitigating human–wildlife conflict. California, USA has the largest human population and at least half of the state is suitable mountain lion (Puma concolor) habitat. The juxtaposition of high human abundance within and adjacent to mountain lion habitat make California relevant for understanding human–large carnivore conflict. We compiled 7,719 confirmed incidents of mountain lions depredating domestic animals over a 48-year period (1972–2019) to examine temporal trends in mountain lion depredations as well as factors influencing annual depredation rates at the county level. Linear regressions …

Professional Education To Reduce Provider Stigma Toward Harm Reduction And Pharmacotherapy, Sandra H. Sulzer, Suzanne Prevedel, Tyson Barrett, Maren Wright Voss, Cassandra Manning, Erin Fanning Madden

Extension Research

Aims: A novel professional training was developed to reduce stigma toward harm reduction and pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders.

Methods: The training was delivered over three sessions to n = 147 health professionals in Utah between 2019 and 2020, including n = 40 substance use disorder treatment professionals. Pre and post-training survey measures provided evaluation information on knowledge, attitudes, and planned action regarding harm reduction and pharmacotherapy. Items were grouped into a stigma score, and multilevel modeling, regression analyses, and McNemar tests were used to quantify changes in overall stigma toward harm reduction interventions both before and after the training. …

Association And Agreement Between Reactive Strength Index And Reactive Strength Index-Modified Scores, Talin Louder, Brennan J. Thompson, Eadric Bressel

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Since the reactive strength index (RSI) and reactive strength index-modified (RSI-mod) share similar nomenclature, they are commonly referred as interchangeable measures of agility in the sports research literature. The RSI and RSI-mod are most commonly derived from the performance of depth jumping (DJ) and countermovement jumping (CMJ), respectively. Given that DJ and CMJ are plyometric movements that differ materially from biomechanical and neuromotor perspectives, it is likely that the RSI and RSI-mod measure distinct aspects of neuromuscular function. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association and agreement between RSI and RSI-mod scores. A mixed-sex sample of NCAA …

Understanding User Behavior, Information Exposure, And Privacy Risks In Managing Old Devices, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen, Tanjina Tamanna, Swapnil Nandy, Huzeyfe Kocabas

Computer Science Student Research

The goal of this study is to understand the behavior of users from developing countries in managing an old device (e.g., computer, mobile phone), which has been replaced by a new device, or suffers from technical issues providing a notion that it may stop working soon. The prior work explored the ecology and challenges of repairing old devices in developing regions. However, it is still understudied how the strategies of people from developing countries in managing their personal information on old devices could impact their digital privacy. To address this gap in existing literature, we conducted semi-structured interview with 52 …

Sheep Models Of F508del And G542x Cystic Fibrosis Mutations Show Cellular Responses To Human Therapeutics, Iuri Viótti Périssé, Zhiqiang Fan, Arnaud J. Van Wettere, Ying Liu, Shih-Hsing Leir, Jacob Keim, Misha Regouski, Michael D. Wilson, Kelly M. Cholewa, Sara N. Mansback, Thomas J. Kelly, Zhongde Wang, Ann Harris, Kenneth L. White, Irina A. Polejaeva

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Student Research

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The F508del and G542X are the most common mutations found in US patients, accounting for 86.4% and 4.6% of all mutations, respectively. The F508del causes deletion of the phenylalanine residue at position 508 and is associated with impaired CFTR protein folding. The G542X is a nonsense mutation that introduces a stop codon into the mRNA, thus preventing normal CFTR protein synthesis. Here, we describe the generation of CFTRF^{508del/F508del} and CFTR^G542X/G542X lambs using CRISPR/Cas9 and …

Reducing Occupational Distress In Veterinary Medicine Personnel With Acceptance And Commitment Training: A Pilot Study, M. B. Spitznagel, A. S. G. Updegraff, Michael P. Twohig, M. D. Carlson, C. M. Fulkerson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Aims

To determine whether an educational programme targeting the reaction of veterinary personnel to difficult client interactions reduced burden transfer, stress and burnout in veterinary staff.

Methods

Employees of three small-animal veterinary hospitals in the south-western United States of America were recruited and randomised to intervention (educational programme; n = 16) or control (no intervention; n = 18) groups. Participants of this randomised, parallel arms trial completed pre-programme assessment including the Burden Transfer Inventory (BTI), Perceived Stress Scale, and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Assessment was followed by two, group-format educational sessions, based on acceptance and commitment training, tailored to reducing reactivity …

Pregnancy And Substance Use, Elise Withers, Krista Thompson, Emily Hamilton, Maren Wright Voss

All Current Publications

The use of alcohol and other harmful substances, such as cocaine, opioids, and marijuana during pregnancy has increased over the last decades (Sebastiani et al., 2018). Using these substances can be very harmful to the unborn baby and mother (Viteri et al., 2015). This fact sheet covers (1) the consequences of substance use and (2) the current recommendations for substance use during pregnancy.

Creation, Destruction, And The Ethics Of “Murderabilia.”, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

On March 30th 1981, 25-year-old John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Regan. He was convinced that doing so would earn him the affection of the young woman with whom he was obsessed — the 19-year-old actress Jodie Foster, who had recently starred in the film Taxi Driver. Hinckley was successful at shooting the president in the chest, and in the process he also shot Press Secretary James Brady in the head, Secret Security Agent Timothy McCarthy in the side, and District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty in the neck. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of …

Tree Establishment On Post-Mining Waste Soils: Species, Density, And Mixture Effects, Degi Harja Asmara, Suzanne Allaire, Meine Van Noordwijk, Damase P. Khasa

Aspen Bibliography

Tree establishment to restore degraded boreal post-mining lands is challenged by low soil productivity, a harsh microclimate, and potentially high contaminant levels. The use of mixed vegetation can facilitate the microclimate but increase competition for soil resources. A statistical accounting of plant–plant interactions and adaptation to multispecies conditions is hard to achieve in field experiments; trials under controlled conditions can distinguish effects of planting density and species interactions in the early stages of plant establishment. A greenhouse trial was established in containers (“mesocosms”) with waste rock or fine tailings from gold mines. Pregerminated (1-week-old) seedlings (Alnus viridis subsp. crispa …

Plant Biodiversity In Residential Yards Is Influenced By People's Preferences For Variety But Limited By Their Income, Allison Blanchette, Tara L.E. Trammell, Diane E. Pataki, Joanna Endter-Wada, Meghan L. Avolio

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Residential yards are a unique component of the urban environment and harbor high cultivated plant biodiversity; however, why and how people create yards with so many plant species is not well understood. To investigate this pattern, we studied the relationships between residents’ preferences, income, and yard plant biodiversity in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah, USA where most of the urban vegetation is intentionally cultivated. We conducted in-person interviews, distributed written surveys, and inventoried the biodiversity (i.e., genus and species richness) of ornamental herbaceous flowering plants and lawn plants in residential yards located in neighborhoods across income levels. We found that …

Effects Of Cognitive Restructuring And Defusion For Coping With Difficult Thoughts In A Predominantly White Female College Student Sample, Jennifer Krafft, Korena S. Klimczak, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Student Research

Background: Understanding how cognitive processes are naturally used by untrained individuals in the moment to cope with difficult thoughts may help inform effective and efficient interventions.

Methods: This study investigated self-reported naturalistic use of two evidence-based processes, cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion, in an untrained, predominantly White female college student sample (n = 194) through ecological momentary assessments over seven days.

Results: Cognitive restructuring and defusion had a large positive relationship. Both processes were also positively associated with increased momentary use of suppression and distraction. Only momentary defusion was associated with decreased rumination and negative affect at the same timepoint, …

Advancing Transparency And Impact Of Research: Initiating Crosstalk Between Indigenous Research And Mainstream “Open Science”, P. Priscilla Lui, Monica C. Skewes, Sarah Gobrial, David Rollock

Journal of Indigenous Research

To answer questions about human psychology, psychological science needs to yield credible findings. Because of their goals of understanding people’s lived experiences and advocating for the needs of the Native communities, Indigenous scholars tend to use community-based participatory research (CBPR) or approach science from a constructivist framework. The primary goal of mainstream psychological science is to uncover generalizable facts about human functioning. Approached from a postpositivist framework, mainstream psychological scholars tend to assume the possibility of identifying researcher biases and achieving objective science. Recently, many psychological findings failed to replicate in new samples. The replication crisis has raised concerns about …

Transport-Based Pattern Recognition Versus Deep Neural Networks In Underwater Oam Communications, Patrick L. Neary, Jonathan M. Nichols, Abbie T. Watnik, K. Peter Judd, Gustavo K. Rohde, James R. Lindle, Nicholas S. Flann

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Comparisons between machine learning and optimal transport-based approaches in classifying images are made in underwater orbital angular momentum (OAM) communications. A model is derived that justifies optimal transport for use in attenuated water environments. OAM pattern demultiplexing is performed using optimal transport and deep neural networks and compared to each other. Additionally, some of the complications introduced by signal attenuation are highlighted. The Radon cumulative distribution transform (R-CDT) is applied to OAM patterns to transform them to a linear subspace. The original OAM images and the R-CDT transformed patterns are used in several classification algorithms, and results are compared. The …

Fruits, Frugivores, And The Evolution Of Phytochemical Diversity, Susan R. Whitehead, Gerald F. Schneider, Ray Dybzinski, Annika S. Nelson, Mariana Gelambi, Elsa Jos, Noelle G. Beckman

Biology Faculty Publications

Plants produce an enormous diversity of secondary metabolites, but the evolutionary mechanisms that maintain this diversity are still unclear. The interaction diversity hypothesis suggests that complex chemical phenotypes are maintained because different metabolites benefit plants in different pairwise interactions with a diversity of other organisms. In this synthesis, we extend the interaction diversity hypothesis to consider that fruits, as potential hotspots of interactions with both antagonists and mutualists, are likely important incubators of phytochemical diversity. We provide a case study focused on the Neotropical shrub Piper reticulatum that demonstrates: 1) secondary metabolites in fruits have complex and cascading effects for …

Molecular Sensors For Metabolic Programming Of The Sperm Epigenome And Offspring Physiology, Mirella L. Meyer-Ficca

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Farmers Feeding Utah: Increasing Healthy Food Access And Supporting Local Agriculture, Heidi Leblanc, Casey Coombs

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The need for food assistance increased by 300% among Utah families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers and ranchers were also adversely impacted by market losses and processing shortages. In response, Farmers Feeding Utah was developed to facilitate access to fresh agricultural produce for families in need.

A Substance Misuse Prevention Program To Youth In Rural Utah, Stacey Macarthur, Timothy Keady, Paige Wray, Christine Jensen, Mary Sorenson, Claire Warnick, Lendel Narine

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

A major issue in rural counties is substance misuse. USU Extension implemented a substance prevention program with youth in rural counties. The program included family- and school-based education activities to promote youth resilience and development. Evaluation results showed youth exhibited strong anti-drug attitudes after the program.

A Hybrid Peer Support Training Model For Mental Health And Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Maren Wright Voss, Amy Campbell, Amelia Van Komen

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University (USU) Extension created a hybrid educational program to address barriers to participation of the Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) trainings before and during COVID 19. This article provides an overview of the CPSS pilot program and discusses early program outcomes.

Usu Extension’S Focus On Stress And Mental Health In Rural Agriculture, Tasha Howard, Paige Wray, Jacob Hadfield, Joshua Dallin, Callahan K. Ward

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Many agriculture producers are seeking help to combat stress, mental illness, and suicide. Although some resources exist, there is a gap in resources specific to mental health in rural farm and ranch life. In response, Utah State University (USU) Extension developed a mental health education course to address stressors within agriculture.

Exercise And Chronic Pain, Maren Wright Voss, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Casey Coombs, Gabriela Murza, Cindy Nelson, Elise Withers

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is perhaps the most pervasive medical issue in the United States. The long-term impacts of chronic pain often cause individuals to reduce or eliminate physical activity. Chronic pain can impact physical, mental, and emotional well-being, which can limit daily activity and quality of life. The purpose of this fact sheet is to address the common barriers to being physically active with chronic pain and provide suggestions for safe ways to be physically active even when chronic pain is present.

Community Supported Agriculture: Accepting Snap Payments, Kelsey Hall, Roslynn Mccann

All Current Publications

Participating in a community supported agriculture (CSA) share is one way for individuals with low income to use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in buying local, seasonal fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) authorizes businesses to accept SNAP benefits, including direct marketing farmers and nonprofit food buying cooperatives operating a CSA. SNAP is the largest federal nutrition assistance program, formerly known as food stamps. Eligible individuals and families use an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card, to purchase eligible food at SNAP authorized vendors. In Utah, …

Resilient Pedagogy: Practical Teaching Strategies To Overcome Distance, Disruption, And Distraction, Travis N. Thurston, Kacy Lundstrom, Christopher González, Jesse Stommel, Lindsay C. Masland, Beth Buyserie, Rachel Welton Bryson, Rachel Quistberg, David S. Noffs, Kristina Wilson, Rebecca M. Quintana, Jacob Fortman, James Devaney, Briana D. Bowen, Christina Fabrey, Heather Keith, Steven R. Hawks, Kosta Popovic, Eric M. Reyes, Jennifer B. O'Connor, Kay C. Dee, Ella L. Ingram, Christopher Phillips, Jared S. Colton, Jenae Cohn, Elizabeth Winter, Michele C. Clark, Christopher Burns, Rebecca Campbell, Kevin Kelly, Miriam Moore, Jessica Rivera-Mueller, Kresten Erickson, Maggie Debelius, Susannah Mcgowan, Aiyanna Maciel, Clare Reid, Alexa Eason

Resilient Pedagogy

Resilient Pedagogy offers a comprehensive collection on the topics and issues surrounding resilient pedagogy framed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movements that have swept the globe. As a collection, Resilient Pedagogy is a multi-disciplinary and multi-perspective response to actions taken in different classrooms, across different institution types, and from individuals in different institutional roles with the purpose of allowing readers to explore the topics to improve their own teaching practice and support their own students through distance, disruption, and distraction.

Introduction, Travis N. Thurston

Resilient Pedagogy

Introduction for Resilient Pedagogy.

Chapter 1- Resilient Pedagogy And Self-Determination: Unlocking Student Engagement In Uncertain Times, Lindsay C. Masland

Resilient Pedagogy

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring of 2020, like many educators, I experienced a definite disruption in the structure and plans I had designed for my courses. I was teaching a mix of graduate and undergraduate classes—some with as few as seven students, others with as many as 98, some upper-level skills-based courses, others in the broad general education arena, but all of them designed exclusively for face-to-face delivery. In fact, due to some long-standing institutional prejudices against online instruction, the opportunity to teach in a mode other than face-to-face had never materialized over the 10 years I had …

Chapter 4- Advancing An Approach Of Resilient Design For Learning By Designing For Extensibility, Flexibility, And Redundancy, Rebecca M. Quintana, Jacob Fortman, James Devaney

Resilient Pedagogy

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on educational systems requires actors across those systems to develop adaptive capacity and embed resilient thinking into approaches and frameworks for decision-making and design (DeVaney & Quintana, 2020). Events surrounding the COVID-19 crisis have set off a period of rapid adaptation across the higher-education ecosystem and have necessitated that educators consider new pedagogical approaches and frameworks that are responsive to the changes we are witnessing in our contexts of teaching and learning (Chraa et al., 2020; Donovan, 2020; Moorhouse, 2020; Quintana & Quintana, 2020; Zhu & Liu, 2020).

Chapter 2- Productive Disruptions: Resilient Pedagogies That Advocate For Equity, Beth Buyserie, Rachel Welton Bryson, Rachel Quistberg

Resilient Pedagogy

When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered universities in March 2020, many students and faculty were thrown into shifting uncertainties regarding course delivery and pedagogy. As the pandemic persisted, faculty and students experienced new stressors caused by social isolation, unequal access to technology and resources, economic distress, and many other factors. In addition, the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others in the Black community sparked widespread social unrest that added to and compounded the emotional and material weight of the pandemic. Amid this tumult, higher-education faculty began asking questions about how to move forward with pedagogies resistant to unpredictable and …

Chapter 6- Resilient And Flexible Teaching (Raft): Integrating A Whole-Person Experience Into Online Teaching, Christina Fabrey, Heather Keith

Resilient Pedagogy

When venturing into wild or unknown territory such as a swiftly moving and ever-changing mountain river, a raft may be a necessary tool for basic survival. But what if during the careful navigation of rapid currents around rocks and other obstacles, you discover that your buoyant and flexible tool helps you to float through the fast and turbulent waters in a way that is meaningful, awe-inspiring, and exciting? As COVID-19 first hit our campuses, many of us switched to emergency remote education as a survival raft, just trying to stay afloat long enough to get to the other side of …

Chapter 5- Lessons From Anticipatory Intelligence: Resilient Pedagogy In The Face Of Future Disruptions, Briana D. Bowen

Resilient Pedagogy

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted universities across the globe in unprecedented ways, requiring many teaching faculty to reexamine and transform approaches to pedagogy. As higher-education institutions have grappled with various methods of hybrid and remote delivery in an effort to best preserve student instruction through the pandemic, most have fervently looked ahead for a more satisfying “new normal.” Yet this moment of unease and transformation is one of critical opportunity for universities and their teaching faculty. Educators are seeing in vivid form how an unexpected “threat”—in this case, a global health challenge—can profoundly disrupt pedagogy, and the immense adaptive innovation …