Digital Commons Network^™

Innovative Identification Of Substance Use Predictors: Machine Learning In A National Sample Of Mexican Children, Alejandro L. Vázquez, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Tyson S. Barrett, Sarah E. Schwartz [email protected], Nancy G. Amador Buenabad, Marycarmen N. Bustos Gamiño, María De Lourdes Gutiérrez López, Jorge A. Villatoro Velázquez

Psychology Faculty Publications

Machine learning provides a method of identifying factors that discriminate between substance users and non-users potentially improving our ability to match need with available prevention services within context with limited resources. Our aim was to utilize machine learning to identify high impact factors that best discriminate between substance users and non-users among a national sample (N = 52,171) of Mexican children (i.e., 5th, 6th grade; Mage = 10.40, SDage = 0.82). Participants reported information on individual factors (e.g., gender, grade, religiosity, sensation seeking, self-esteem, perceived risk of substance use), socioecological factors (e.g., neighborhood quality, community type, peer influences, parenting), and …

Lgbtq+ Emerging Adults Perceptions Of Discrimination And Exclusion Within The Lgbtq+ Community, Joshua Glenn Parmenter, Renee Vickerman Galliher, Adam D. A. Maughan

Psychology Faculty Publications

Research on LGBTQ+ emerging adult populations has primarily focused on discrimination that is experienced within the heterodominant culture. Due to systems of oppression and the forces of power and privilege, some sexual and gender minorities experience isolation and discrimination not only within the heterodominant culture, but within the LGBTQ+ community as well. Fourteen lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) young adults (20-25 years) with a diverse array of intersecting identities (e.g., gender, racial, ethnic, religious, cultural) participated in semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups. Participants reported on experiences of biphobia, acephobia, transphobia, gatekeeping the community, LGBTQ+ people of colour’s …

The Utah Statesman, January 14, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Comparison Of A-Mode And B-Mode Ultrasound For Measurement Of Subcutaneous Fat, Dale R. Wagner, Masaru Teramoto, Trenton Judd, Joshua P. Gordon, Casey Mcpherson, Adrianna Robison

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

With lower-cost devices and technologic advancements, ultrasound has been undergoing a resurgence as a method to measure subcutaneous adipose tissue. We aimed to determine whether a low-cost, 2.5-MHz amplitude (A-mode) ultrasound, designed specifically for body composition assessment, could produce subcutaneous fat thickness measurements comparable to an expensive, 12-MHz brightness (B-mode) device. Fat thickness was measured on 40 participants (20 female, 20 male; 29.7 ± 11.1 y of age; body mass index 24.9 ± 4.5 kg/m²) at 7 sites (chest, subscapula, mid-axilla, triceps, abdomen, suprailiac and thigh) with both devices. Intraclass correlations exceeded 0.75 at all measurement sites. Mean …

Social Media Interaction As Informal Science Learning: A Comparison Of Message Design In Two Niches, Lisa Lundgren, Kent J. Crippen, Richard T. Bex Ii

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Social media provides science learners opportunities to interact with content-specific messages. However, most science-specific social media content is designed to disseminate information instead of encouraging dialog. In this novel, ex post facto exploratory study of a science social media community, we sought to understand the relationships among community member interaction, design elements of messages, and post type on two digital niches (i.e., Facebook and Twitter). Framed by the theory of symbolic interactionism, we conducted a content analysis of 1370 messages that were systematically created by an informal science learning project and found that usage frequency of messaging elements varied by …

Integrating Agriculture And Ecosystems To Find Suitable Adaptations To Climate Change, Anastasia W. Thayer, Aurora M. Vargas, Adrian A. Castellanos, Charles W. Lafon, Bruce A. Mccarl, Daniel L. Roelke, Kirk O. Winemiller, Thomas E. Lacher

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Climate change is altering agricultural production and ecosystems around the world. Future projections indicate that additional change is expected in the coming decades, forcing individuals and communities to respond and adapt. Current research efforts typically examine climate change effects and possible adaptations but fail to integrate agriculture and ecosystems. This failure to jointly consider these systems and associated externalities may underestimate climate change impacts or cause adaptation implementation surprises, such as causing adaptation status of some groups or ecosystems to be worsened. This work describes and motivates reasons why ecosystems and agriculture adaptation require an integrated analytical approach. Synthesis of …

Show Me, Don’T Tell Me: A Picturesque View Of Perceptions Of Police, Nancy Marion, Jason Twede

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

A positive relationship between law enforcement and the public is critical for the effective operation of the agency and continued safety of the community. The public’s perception of law enforcement officers is one indication of the nature of that relationship. Past research on perception of the police has used questionnaires to untangle how the public views officers. This research uses an alternative method to measure the public’s perceptions of the police by asking respondents to draw a picture of a police officer. By analyzing the drawings, it can be seen what characteristics people identify with law enforcement. This study analyzed …

Native American Engineering Student Featured In "Winds Of Change", Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Jan. 9, 2020 — Cedric Mannie grew up in a small rural Native American community called Kinlichee on the Navajo Reservation. The closest grocery store was an hour away, and the only access he had to the internet was at his school.

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, January 9, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Approval of 5 December 2019 Minutes

Program Proposals

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

• Offer a Minor in Community-Based Education

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

• Suspend Specialization in Program

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

• Create a Certificate

College of Sciences

• Add an Emphasis to Existing BA Degree

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, January 9, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Approval of 5 December 2019 Minutes

Program Proposals

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

• Offer a Minor in Community-Based Education

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

• Suspend Specialization in Program

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

• Create a Certificate

College of Sciences

• Add an Emphasis to Existing BA Degree

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Other Business

• Curriculog will be shutting down on March 18 and will reopen the first part of July.
• Will be discussing curriculum complexity in the EPC Committee today.

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, January 9, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Course Approvals

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, January 9, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

A Qualitative Evaluation Of Double Up Food Bucks Farmers’ Market Incentive Program Access, Jennifer A. Garner, Casey Coombs, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Carrie M. Durward, Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective

Explore factors affecting access to and use of Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), a farmers’ market program that doubles Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for use toward the purchase of fruits and vegetables (FV).

Design

Focus groups.

Setting

Metro and nonmetro counties in Utah and western Upstate New York.

Participants

Nine groups composed of 62 low-income adults (3–9/group).

Phenomena of Interest

Satisfaction with, barriers to, and facilitators of program use; suggestions for improvement.

Analysis

Transcribed verbatim and coded thematically in NVivo 11 software according to template analysis.

Results

Program satisfaction was high and driven by FV affordability, perceived support …

The Utah Statesman, January 7, 2020, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Faculty Senate Agenda, January 6, 2020, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report - December 5, 2019
• Interim Day Expectations for Faculty
• Student Analytics Report
• Council on Teacher Education (One Pager) - Annual Report
• Scholarship Advisory Board Annual Report
• 401.3.3 Tenured and Tenure-Eligible Faculty (first reading)
• 405.3.1 Tenure and Promotion: Criteria for Librarians (first reading)
• 407.2 | 407.4 Procedures for Sanctions and other Reprimands (first reading)

Faculty Senate Minutes, January 6, 2020, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Call to Order - Patrick Belmont

Approval of Minutes

University Business

• USU New and World Report
• 2020 Legislative Session

Information

• EPC Monthly Report
• Interim Day Expectations of Faculty
• Student Analytics Report

Reports

• Council on Teacher Education
• Scholarship Advisory Board Annual Report

New Business

• 403.3.3 Tenured and Tenure-Eligible
• 405.3.1 Tenure and Promotion
• 407.2 | 407.4 Procedures for Sanctions

Acceptability, Feasibility, And Efficacy Potential Of A Multimodal Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Intervention To Address Psychosocial And Advance Care Planning Needs Among Anxious And Depressed Adults With Metastatic Cancer, Joanna J. Arch, Joel N. Fishbein, Michelle C. Ferris, Jill L. Mitchell, Michael E. Levin, Elizabeth T. Slivjak, David J. Andorsky, Jean S. Kutner

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Adults with metastatic cancer frequently report anxiety and depression symptoms, which may impact health behaviors such as advance care planning (ACP).

Objective: The study leveraged acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach for reducing distress and improving health behaviors, and adapted it into a multimodal intervention (M-ACT) designed to address the psychosocial and ACP needs of anxious and depressed adults with metastatic cancer. The study evaluated M-ACT's acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy potential.

Design: The study was designed as a single-arm intervention development and pilot trial.

Setting/Subjects: The trial enrolled 35 anxious or depressed adults with stage IV cancer …

Sink Or Swim? A Case-Study Approach To Teaching Information Evaluation, Katie Strand, Rachel Wishkoski

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper is part of the LOEX 2019 conference proceedings and reports on an engaging information evaluation lesson designed by a team of librarians at Utah State University. Teaching evaluation skills in the highly emotional world of fake news is a daunting task. The lesson described here uses realistic case studies to give students the critical distance necessary to practice evaluation before diving into their personal research and biases. The article outlines the lesson’s case study activity and rationale in teaching students adaptable evaluation skills that they can apply in their academic, professional, and personal lives.

Voices Of Usu: An Anthology Of Student Writing, Vol. 13, Utah State University Department Of English

Voices of USU

This collection of student writing represents the voices of over 2,000 students who enroll each academic year in Utah State University’s second-year composition course, Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode. Voices of USU celebrates excellence in writing by providing undergraduate students of diverse backgrounds and disciplines the opportunity to have their work published.

Cereus Fun: An Introduction To Microbiological Techniques, Holly Ahern, Jessica Habashi

Course Materials

Microbiology is a field of science devoted to the study of organisms that are too small to see; therefore, an engaging laboratory experience is often the key to capturing students' interest. It was with this in mind that this book was first conceived and developed. The goal was to provide undergraduate microbiology students with an engaging and meaningful laboratory experience that nurtured a sense of discovery and encouraged greater interest in microbiology as a topic, a field of study, or a career.

This lab manual – which has been field-tested by hundreds of microbiology students over several years – builds …

Control Of Episodic Air Pollution In Utah's Wasatch Front Region Through Investment In Preventative Capital, Ramjee Acharya, Arthur J. Caplan

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

We address the issue of optimal investment in "preventative capital" to mitigate episodic, mobile-source air pollution events in Utah's Wasatch Front region. We calibrate Berry et al.'s (2015) endogenous-risk model using a unique dataset related to the region's "red air day" episodes occurring over the past decade. Our analysis demonstrates that, under a wide range of circumstances, the optimal steady-state level of preventative capital stock – raised through the issuance of a municipal "clean air bond" that can be used to fund more aggressive mitigation efforts – meets the standard for PM2.5 concentrations with positive social net benefits. We estimate …

In Or Out? Perceptions Of Inclusion And Exclusion Among Ais Members, Jaime Windeler, Stacie Petter, Kathy Chudoba, Emma Coleman, Grace Fox, Thomas A. Chapman

Data Analytics & Information Systems Faculty Publications

People want a sense of community, a benefit that a professional association such as the Association for Information Systems (AIS) can provide to members. When attempts to create a shared experience fall short and we feel excluded, we disengage and stop further attempts to participate. In this paper, we lay a foundation for individual and association inclusion practices in the AIS. First, we describe the current state of inclusion practices in the academy and in the AIS. Then, we describe findings from a survey of AIS members that measured their perceptions about inclusion and exclusion and factors that cultivated these …

Staying Safe In A Tornado: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Public Knowledge, Access, And Response To Tornado Warnings, Jayme E. Walters, Lisa Reyes Mason, Kelsey N. Ellis

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Tornadoes in the southeastern United States continue to cause substantial injury, death, and destruction. The present study seeks to 1) understand inadequate warning access, less understanding, and/or less likelihood of responding to tornado warnings; 2) examine public attitudes about NWS communications; and 3) explore the perceptions of NWS personnel regarding public response to tornado warnings, factors that might influence response, and how their perceptions impact their communication. Participants include a purposive sample of NWS forecasters in Tennessee (n = 11) and residents (n = 45) who were identified as having low access to, low knowledge of, or an unsafe response …

Suffering In Medical Contexts: Laughter, Humor, And The Medical Carnivalesque, Lisa Gabbert

English Faculty Publications

This article argues that a primary context for medical humor is a culture of suffering that permeates the medical profession and suggests that this laughter–suffering connection is part of a broader phenomenon called the medical carnivalesque that is found in medical culture.

"Let's Go On A Gym Raid Tonight!": Video Game Affinity Spaces In English Language Instruction, Marta Dominika Halaczkiewicz

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

The present article describes a study that analyzed practical applications of informal online spaces in formal instruction. It was conducted in an intermediate ESL course at an American University. The concept of affinity spaces was used to guide the research. Students in the course were instructed to play the video game, Pokémon Go as an inspiration for their writing. This qualitative study examined the types of affinity space participation, the participant attitudes toward those spaces and to using video games in formal instruction. The data sources consisted of weekly gaming journals and interview transcripts. The findings showed that the participants …

Empty Parks: An Observational And Correlational Study Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs), Keunhyun Park, Sungmin Lee, Dong-Ah Choi

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

If a neighbourhood park fails to meet the needs of its residents usage may decrease, which potentially makes the park vulnerable to crime and social disorder. Despite the popularity of studying park visitation or park-based physical activity, there is a lack of studies on factors associated with empty parks. This study explores factors related to the underutilisation of neighbourhood parks in Salt Lake County, Utah, USA, using a novel data collection approach – unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The findings from exploratory video analysis and inferential statistical modelling show that park programs and neighbourhood environments, as well as temporal aspects, are …

A Pedagogical Retrospective: Gamifying The Konza Prairie Through An Interdisciplinary Studio, Howard Hahn, Brent C. Chamberlain

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Recently we embarked on developing an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach that integrates concepts of virtual reality and gaming design to leverage these technologies’ potential to influence how we interpret, visualize, design and analyze environments. The approach was developed as part of an advanced studio at Kansas State University led by two professors and represented by students across three different disciplines: landscape architecture, education and computer science. The entire project consisted of a core studio, buttressed by a seminar and technical module. We refer to the courses and project as “Studio Konza.” This retrospective paper highlights why this effort was undertaken, what …

La Segunda Vida De Isidora Rufete: Insomniac Dreams Of Self In La Desheredada, Tess C. Rankin

Decimonónica

The protagonist of Benito Pérez Galdós’s La desheredada (1881), Isidora Rufete, is plagued by delusions of falsely promised nobility that she believes to be etched into her face and her character. Her misunderstanding, which goes hand in hand with a ruinous personal economy, shapes her self-conception, one that ultimately leads to her choosing prostitution as her only tenable relation to the market, one that reflects the worth placed in her body. Isidora is also an insomniac. Galdós recounts her nighttime flights of fancy, describing them as a second life that she fully populates with the friendships, the well-being, and above …

¡Mi Hijo Es Mío, Puñales! Excessive Paternal Devotion In Benito Pérez Galdós’S Torquemada Novels, Gabrielle Miller

Decimonónica

While Margaret Mead’s provocative statement that “motherhood is a biological necessity, but fatherhood is a social invention” may be inherently problematic, it successfully underlines “the role of the father” as a culturally-inscribed rather than universal construct (cited in Garbarino 13). In industrialized Western countries of the nineteenth century, the dominant gender ideology of the so-called separate spheres defined the “good father” as a “distant breadwinner” who, as unequivocal family patriarch, provided for his family’s material needs through monetarily-compensated work (Lupton and Barclay 14). Unsurprisingly, the dominant model of fatherhood that emerged in Spain in the second half of the nineteenth …

The Icy Bride And The Invisible Husband: Shivering Solitary Pleasure In Horacio Quiroga’S “El Almohadón De Plumas” (1917), Natalie Love

Decimonónica

Despite the extensive scholarship on Horacio Quiroga’s “El almohadón de plumas,” no study has established a direct correlation between the enigmatic illness of the sexually frustrated bride and prevalent nineteenth-century medical discourses on female frigidity and masturbation. When taking into account these treatises, the infamous deathly “parasite” found lurking inside of Alicia’s feather pillow can be reinterpreted as a metaphor for her wasteful onanistic indulgences caused by sensual dissatisfaction.¹ Given the warnings in masturbation treatises surrounding the parasitical nature of feather bedding, Alicia’s vampiric pillow not only points to her solitary pleasures, but she also displays several other characteristics …