Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Consulting In Inclusive Preschool Classrooms, Natalie E. Forsythe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consulting is a method of delivering special education services in inclusive preschool classrooms (consisting of both students with disabilities and typically developing peers) where special education teachers and related service providers (consultants) visit the classroom and support general education preschool teachers (consultees) in implementing special education services and accommodations. This thesis examined the results of a survey gathering perspectives of both consultants and consultees on the definition of the consulting role and factors in building positive consulting relationships. Providers from both groups who responded to this survey defined the consultant role as working with both students and consultees, but primarily …

Using Social Media To Assess The Impact Of Weather And Climate On Visitation To Outdoor Recreation Settings, Emily J. Wilkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When people post photos on social media, these photos often contain information on the location, time, and date the photo was taken; all of this information is stored as metadata and is often never seen or used by the individuals posting the photos. This information can be used by researchers however, to understand the total number of visitors to parks and protected areas, as well as specific places people visit within those parks and protected areas. The first study in this dissertation reviews all the ways social media has been used to understand visitation and visitors’ experiences in parks. Researchers …

Soil Health, Phosphorus And Carbon Dynamics In Response To A One-Time Compost Application And Cover Crops In Organic Dryland Winter Wheat, Idowu Ademola Atoloye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Organic dryland winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growers in the U.S. are faced with high interannual variability in yields. This is related to the low annual precipitation and low soil fertility on the cultivated soils. Improving soil health is the key to increasing and maintaining crop yields. In this study, we compared the effects of different rates (0, 12.5, 25 and 50 Mg DW ha^-1 compost and 2 Mg ha manure^-1) of large quantities of steer manure compost and the inclusion of cover crops versus fallow on soil health and on carbon and phosphorus dynamics in …

The Role Of The Recently Deorphanized G-Protein Coupled Receptor, Gpr171, In Morphine Tolerance And Withdrawal, Leela Afrose

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Opioid analgesics, such as morphine, represent the gold standard pain killer and the most frequently used drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. Despite being a potent analgesic, morphine has unwanted and dangerous side effects with repeated use, such as tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance is a state when a person no longer responds to a drug and a higher dose is required to achieve the same initial pain relief. Withdrawal is a set of undesirable psychological and physiological symptoms that occur after someone stops taking a drug or reduces the dose. Morphine tolerance and withdrawal play a vital …

Acquisition, Processing, And Analysis Of Video, Audio And Meteorological Data In Multi-Sensor Electronic Beehive Monitoring, Sarbajit Mukherjee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, a widespread decline has been seen in honey bee population and this is widely attributed to colony collapse disorder. Hence, it is of utmost importance that a system is designed to gather relevant information. This will allow for a deeper understanding of the possible reasons behind the above phenomenon to aid in the design of suitable countermeasures.

Electronic Beehive Monitoring is one such way of gathering critical information regarding a colony’s health and behavior without invasive beehive inspections. In this dissertation, we have presented an electronic beehive monitoring system called BeePi that can be placed on top …

Effects Of Effort Training On Effort-Based Impulsive Choice, Sara Peck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because impulsive decision-making is correlated with many maladaptive tendencies, researchers have increasingly studied methods for reducing impulsive choice. Most research in this area has focused on reducing delay-based impulsive choice, as measured by choices between smaller, immediate or larger, delayed rewards. A second type of impulsive choice is selecting a smaller, less-effortful reward over a larger, more-effortful one. Little nonhuman research has examined experimental methods for reducing effort-based impulsive choice. Within the realm of delay-based impulsive choice, extended exposure to reinforcer delays has proven effective in reducing impulsive choices in rats. The current study took a similar tac by evaluating …

Micro Grid Control Optimization With Load And Solar Prediction, Shaju Saha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Using renewable energy can save money and keep the environment cleaner. Installing a solar PV system is a one-time cost but it can generate energy for a lifetime. Solar PV does not generate carbon emissions while producing power. This thesis evaluates the value of being able to make accurate predictions in the use of solar energy. It uses predicted solar power and load for a system and a battery to store the energy for future use and calculates the operating cost or profit in several designed conditions. Various factors like a different place, tuning the capacity of sources, changing buy/sell …

Development Of Molecular Sensor And Imaging Analysis Techniques For Improving Life Quality, Wei Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As life science advances, we are getting closer and closer to understanding the truth about life. Some specific cell types or molecules play a vital role in regulating routine functions of life. The imperceptible changes of these critical components can lead to serious diseases. Traditionally, histopathological techniques are widely employed to study and diagnose human diseases. However, these methods are time consuming and invasive. Herein, we introduce multiple types of biosensors that are sensitive, easy to use and most importantly non-invasive. First, I developed a smartphone based colorimetric sensor for detection of water hardness in a convenient way by introducing …

Propagation Of Two Utah Native Plants: Ceanothus Velutinus And Cercocarpus Montanus, Asmita Paudel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Among various water conservative approaches, the use of native plants in landscape, such as Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush ceanothus) and Cercocarpus montanus (alder-leaf mountain mahogany), is attractive. Efficient propagation methods are required to allow these native species to use in water-efficient landscaping. Sexual (seed) and asexual/vegetative (cuttings and micropropagation) propagation methods were evaluated.

Seeds of both C. velutinus and C. montanus were scarified and/or stratified and treated with gibberellic acid (GA₃) to break dormancy. The results showed hot water scarification and 2-3 months of stratification effectively broke the dormancy of C. velutinus seeds, and stratification for 2-3 months was …

Automation Of Feature Selection And Generation Of Optimal Feature Subsets For Beehive Audio Sample Classification, Aditya Bhouraskar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The last couple of decades have witnessed an abnormal phenomenon of reduction in the bee population, this is a serious matter of concern as three out of four crops available globally have honey bee as their sole pollinator causing significant economic losses and an unbalance in the ecosystem. There have been many theories about the cause of bee colony collapses such as parasites, pesticides and poor nutrition however conclusive evidence of this phenomenon is yet to be identified.

Human inspection of beehives requires precision. It takes an experienced beekeeper to determine the health of a hive by the sounds generated …

Current And Projected Water Reuse For Irrigation In Utah, R. Ryan Dupont, Joan E. Mclean, Randal S. Martin, Courtney Flint, L. Niel Allen, Jennifer L. Weidhaas

Reports

Reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation in some cases can help meet increasing agriculture and urban water demands in Utah. The last report describing existing and potential reuse efforts in Utah was in 2005 (Utah Division of Water Resources, 2005). This report provides information on existing and proposed water reuse and perceptions among water providers and users regarding the use of reclaimed wastewater. Wastewater reuse is one of many practices to conserve water and improve water quality. In a broad sense, water reuse occurs by downstream users, but in some cases, deliberate strategic reuse of water is undertaken to provide …

Conservation Conversations Webinar Summary - Conservation And Outdoor Recreation: Challenges And Solutions To Keeping Our Parks And Public Lands From Being Loved To Death, Jordan W. Smith

All Current Publications

Americans love their public lands. They have turned to them to connect with their families, to maintain an active lifestyle, and to escape 24-hour news cycles that seem to bring nothing but bad news. The recreational use that our public lands receive is not a new trend however. Over the past 10-years, visitation to all types National Park Service units (e.g., parks, monuments, historic sites, etc.) has increased by 16%, with national parks alone seeing a 28% increase in visitation. Visitation to many national parks reaches record levels every year. At the same time, the ecosystems of our parks and …

The Utah Statesman, November 30, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

Faculty Senate Agenda, November 30, 2020, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report – November 5, 2020
• Spring Calendar Update
• Course Fee Policy
• Dixie State Faculty Senate resolution to change university name
• Faculty Senate Meeting dates for Spring 2021
• Center for Student Analytics Student Insights Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Faculty Forum Task Force
• Term Appointment Faculty Task Force

North American Forest Grouse Harvest Regulations, Melissa Chelak, Justin Small, David K. Dahlgren

All Current Publications

This bulletin reviews North American forest grouse harvest regulations. Forest grouse are a highly sought-after wildlife resource across North America, both for their intrinsic value and as game species. Their unique breeding displays and the habitat they rely on are part of North America’s incredible natural heritage. Most forested landscapes in the upper latitudes of North America have the potential to provide habitat for one or more forest grouse species. This includes a large variety of vegetation types including the aspen forests of the upper Midwest, the coniferous boreal forest of Canada, the Pacific coastal rain forests that extend from …

The Utah Statesman, November 23, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

The Utah Statesman, November 16, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, November 16, 2020, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report
• Spring Calendar Update
• Course Fee Policy
• Dixie State Faculty Senate resolution to change university name
• Faculty Senate Meeting dates for Spring 2021
• Center for Student Analytics Student Insights Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• Faculty Forum Task Force
• Term Appointment Faculty Task Force
• Code 404.3.6 Changes/Final (first reading)

Beginning And Small Acreage Farms: Nonmotorized Tool Selection, Sheriden M. Hansen, Melanie Stock, Dan Drost, Katherine Wagner

All Current Publications

Farming on 2 acres or less can be challenging, especially when considering equipment selection. It is important to carefully consider the equipment options available. Tools should be cost-effective, task and operation appropriate, of high quality and durability, and provide labor savings. Appropriate equipment contributes to farm viability by enhancing labor efficiency and crop quality. This fact sheet briefly describes equipment beginning farmers commonly need or use on small farms.

Research And Publishing During Covid-19, Avery C. Edenfield, Annie Isabel Fukushima, Becky L. Thoms, Elizabeth Vargis, Christy M. Glass

Intersections on Inclusion: Critical Conversations about the Academy

This discussion will explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scholarly research and publishing. Travel restrictions, retracted funding, delayed or halted projects, and an increase in caretaker and other personal responsibilities at home compound to create unprecedented challenges for producing and publishing research. Early indicators show women, those with significant unpaid care responsibilities, and members of minoritized groups have been disproportionately impacted. For graduate students and early career faculty who depend on research and publication for promotion and tenure, the stakes are especially high. Join our panelists for a conversation about the how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Multiple Use Management Of Bureau Of Land Management Land In The Intermountain West, Usa, Elaine M. Brice, Brett A. Miller, Hongchao Zhang, Kirsten Goldstein, Scott N. Zimmer, Guenchik J. Grosklos, Patrick Belmont, Courtney G. Flint, Jennifer E. Givens, Peter B. Adler, Mark W. Brunson, Jordan W. Smith

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Although natural resource managers are concerned about climate change, many are unable to adequately incorporate climate change science into their adaptation strategies or management plans, and are not always aware of or do not employ the most current scientific knowledge. One of the most prominent natural resource management agencies in the United States is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is tasked with managing over 248 million acres (>1 million km²) of public lands for multiple, often conflicting, uses. Climate change will affect the sustainability of many of these land uses and could further increase conflicts …

Impacts On Climate Change On Multiple Use Management Of Bureau Of Land Management Land In The Intermountain West, Usa, Elaine M. Brice, Brett A. Miller, Hongchao Zhang, Kirsten Goldstein, Scott N. Zimmer, Guenchik J. Grosklos, Patrick Belmont, Courtney G. Flint, Jennifer E. Givens, Peter B. Adler, Mark W. Brunson, Jordan W. Smith

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Although natural resource managers are concerned about climate change, many are unable to adequately incorporate climate change science into their adaptation strategies or management plans, and are not always aware of or do not always employ the most current scientific knowledge. One of the most prominent natural resource management agencies in the United States is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is tasked with managing over 248 million acres (>1 million km²) of public lands for multiple, often conflicting, uses. Climate change will affect the sustainability of many of these land uses and could further increase …

The Utah Statesman, November 9, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

Be Students Engage With Industry Leaders At Virtual Conference, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Nov. 9, 2020 — The Biological Engineering Department hosted its third annual Intermountain Biological Conference on Oct. 30 and 31. This year’s theme was Biological Engineering’s Impact on Public Health. Featured speakers came from industry partners and government agencies. The event was held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. For the poster session, students were required to submit a video explaining their research along with a digital poster.

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, November 5, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Subcommittee Reports

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Other Business

• Calendar Committee – Spring 2021 Calendar
• Revised EPC/Curriculum Handbook
• Course Objectives
• Curriculog Justification Language
• Graduate School Updated
• IDEA Evaluations for 7-Week Courses

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, November 5, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Approval of 1 October 2020 Minutes

Program Proposals

• Correct the acronym from Police Officers Standards and Training to Peace Officer Standards and Training.
• Offer an Associate of Arts in Art at the USU Eastern campus.
• Create a new Consulting Minor.
• Change the name of the Center for Persons with Disabilities to the Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice.
• Create a certificate of proficiency in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
• Discontinue the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Biology Ecology/Biodiversity as well as the Biology: Environmental Bachelor of Arts and Science emphasis.
• Discontinue the Biology: Environmental program.
• Change …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, November 5, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Subcommittee Reports

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Other Business

• Revised EPC/Curriculum Handbook
• Course Objectives
• Curriculog Justification Language
• Graduate School Updated
• IDEA Evaluations for 7-Week Courses

Preventing Allergies In Infants: What Foods To Introduce And When, Annika Israelsen, Stacy Bevan, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos

All Current Publications

Food allergies have become increasingly common over the past several years among children in the United States (Comberiati et al., 2019; Sicherer et al., 2017). Food allergies are a negative immune response occurring in the body after eating a specific food (Sicherer et al., 2017). Unlike food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance which causes uncomfortable symptoms in the stomach and intestines, allergic reactions to food can cause a wide range of serious and sometimes fatal symptoms (Konek & Becker, 2020). Food allergies can affect a child’s health and quality of life, while also impacting their caregivers’ lives (Sicherer et al., …

The Utah Statesman, November 2, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan

Faculty Senate Minutes, November 2, 2020, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report – October 1, 2020
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee Annual Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Libraries Advisory Council Annual Report
• Faculty Forum Discussions
• Changes of the Spring Calendar