Digital Commons Network^™

A Review Of Aaq Variants And Other Context-Specific Measures Of Psychological Flexibility, Clarissa W. Ong, Eric B. Lee, Michael E. Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Psychological flexibility refers to a way of interacting with internal experiences and the external environment that advances one toward chosen values whereas psychological inflexibility reflects rigid adherence to ineffective responses such that valued living is compromised. Psychological flexibility is a critical variable of interest in acceptance and commitment therapy, thus, accurate assessment of this construct is pertinent to professionals in the field. Numerous measures of psychological flexibility for specific conditions exist and the psychometric validation of each of these measures varies in breadth and depth. To orient professionals to the scope of available measures as well as their psychometric properties, …

Next Steps For Training And Education In Professional Psychology: Advancing The Science And Expanding Our Reach, Debora J. Bell, Jennifer L. Callahan, Georita M. Frierson, Theodore R. Burnes, Susan Lynn Crowley, Stephen R. Mccutcheon

Psychology Faculty Publications

As TEPP’s new editorial team begins their term, the authors discuss their vision for the journal as a forum for thoughtful conceptual examination and sound empirical investigation of current issues in health service psychology (HSP) education and training. The editorial team articulates three primary goals for the journal, including (1) engaging the broad training community in sharing its best conceptual and empirical work relevant to the varied levels, settings, and areas of education and training in HSP; (2) advancing the science of education and training through strong empirical research; and (3) expanding our emphasis on the sociocultural context in which …

Longitudinal Effects Of A 2-Year Meditation And Buddhism Program On Well-Being, Quality Of Life, And Valued Living, Brooke M. Smith, Clarissa W. Ong, Tyson S. Barrett, Ellen J. Bluett, Timothy A. Slocum, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objectives: Most research on mindfulness and meditation has focused on structured therapeutic interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, or meditation retreats. Such programs have received moderate empirical support for improving psychological outcomes in clinical and nonclinical populations, but there remains a paucity of research on intensive or long-term mindfulness or meditation programs for experienced practitioners, especially those that incorporate Buddhist teachings. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of a long-term integrated mindfulness/meditation and Buddhism program, Dharma in Daily Life (DIDL).

Methods: Well-being, quality of life, valued living, and theorized processes of change were …

The Potential Benefits Of Flexibility For Dissemination And Implementation: Acceptance And Commitment Therapy As An Example, Michael E. Levin, Brooke M. Smith, Gregory S. Smith

Psychology Faculty Publications

Our commentary on the article by Fixsen and Blase (2018) highlights some of the converging and diverging strategies between the Teaching-Family Model (TFM) and the dissemination and implementation of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). We focus primarily on the potential benefits of flexibility in areas including theory, methodology, and intervention protocols. Examples include the use of middle level terms, randomized controlled trial methods, protocols focused more on function than specific topography, and an open, collaborative approach to dissemination. We also note how this broader set of strategies can be made coherent and progressive through a careful connection back to contextual …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Clinical Perfectionism, Clarissa W. Ong, Eric B. Lee, Jennifer Krafft, Carina L. Terry, Tyson S. Barrett, Michael E. Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Clinical perfectionism is characterized by imposing excessively high standards on oneself and experiencing severe distress when standards are not met. It has been found to contribute to the development and maintenance of various clinical presentations including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and eating disorders. The present study tested the efficacy of ten weekly individual sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) relative to a waitlist control on clinical perfectionism and global outcomes among 53 individuals with clinical perfectionism. ACT is a process-based therapy that targets maladaptive underlying processes (e.g., rigid adherence to unrealistic high standards) rather than symptom topography (e.g., anxiety, depression). Participants …

Evaluating The Open And Engaged Components Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy In An Online Self-Guided Website: Results From A Pilot Trial, Julie M. Petersen, Jennifer Krafft, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Online acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is promising for treating a range of psychological problems. Component research can further clarify which components are needed for optimal outcomes in what contexts. Online platforms provide a highly controlled format for such research. In this pilot trial, 55 adults were randomized to: ACT-Open (i.e., acceptance, defusion components), ACT-Engaged (i.e., values, committed action), or ACT-Combined (i.e., acceptance, defusion, values, committed action). Each condition was 12 sessions over six weeks, with assessments at baseline, posttreatment, and four-week follow-up. ACT-Open, ACT-Engaged, and ACT-Combined all significantly improved from pre- to post-treatment on mental health, psychosocial functioning, and …

Does A Brief Mindfulness Training Enhance Heartfulness In Students? Results Of A Pilot Study, Myriam Rudaz, Thomas Ledermann, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

(1) Background: There is robust evidence that mindfulness trainings enhance mindfulness as operationalized in Western psychology, but evidence about their effect on aspects of heartfulness is sparse. This study seeks to test whether a brief mindfulness training enhances heart qualities, including self-compassion, gratitude, and the generation of feelings of happiness.

(2) Methods: Eighteen students enrolled in a mindfulness training that was offered as part of an interdisciplinary class. The training consisted of five training sessions and four booster sessions of 45 minutes each over the course of nine weeks. Mindfulness was measured with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form (FFMQ-SF) …

Preliminary Evidence Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Death Anxiety In Iranian Clients Diagnosed With Ocd, Mohammad Hassan Davazdahemami, Abolfazl Bayrami, Julie M. Petersen, Michael P. Twohig, Maryam Bakhtiyari, Mohammad Noori, Ali Kheradmand

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study investigated the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on death anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with eight adult females in Iran. The ACT protocol was conducted in 8 weekly solo sessions (45 minutes each). The results were analyzed by visual analysis method and improvement percentage. ACT resulted in decreases in death anxiety (60-80%) and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (51-60%), thereby indicating promise for ACT as a treatment for OCD and death anxiety.

An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Investigating The Function Of Hoarding, Jennifer Krafft, Clarissa W. Ong, Rick A. Cruz, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the function of hoarding behaviors and the relations between hoarding and a series of cognitive and affective processes in the moment using ecological momentary assessment. A matched-groups design was used to compare college students with higher hoarding symptoms (n = 31) and matched controls (n = 29). The two groups did not differ in what function they reported acquiring served, and positive automatic reinforcement was the most commonly reported function in both groups. Engaging in hoarding-relevant behaviors did not predict change in positive or negative affect when controlling for previous affect. Emotional reactivity and experiential avoidance in …

Vegetable Irrigation: Leafy Greens, Dan Drost, Tiffany Maughan

All Current Publications

Different irrigation methods are commonly used to irrigate leafy greens, each with different management considerations. Furrow irrigation is quite common but many growers are converting to use drip irrigation to save water, improve plant growth, and optimize productivity. Regardless of the irrigation system used, there are some basic principles to understand that will help ensure proper irrigation. This fact sheet discusses these basic principles.

Identifying And Preventing Porcupine Damage To Trees, Michael R. Kuhns, Megan Dettenmaier, Jessica Tegt

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the basic ecology and behavior of the porcupine and identifies ways to determine if porcupines are damaging trees on your property. We explain specific techniques for protecting trees and property from porcupine damage.

Learning And The Practice Of Social Media In Informal Science Education Centers, Lisa Lundgren, Kent J. Crippen

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Both social media and informal learning spaces have the potential to foment knowledge-building. This article aims to bridge theory and practice with an analysis of the social media practices across informal science learning centers through the lens of the Contextual Model of Learning. We evaluate strategies through directed content analysis of phone interviews, online surveys, and researcher field notes. Our findings reveal that informal science learning centers create marketing-related social media strategies as opposed to ones which align with contemporary learning in informal settings. Implications for researchers who seek to use social media in an educative manner are discussed.

Spotted Lanternfly [Lycorma Delicatula (White)], Lori R. Spears, Ann Mull

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper that is native to China and first detected in the U.S. in 2014. It includes information on plant hosts, damage symptoms, life history, monitoring, and management,

A Guide To Municipal Water Conservation Pricing In Utah, Eric C. Edwards, Sara A. Sutherland

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on the use of price to encourage water conservation in Utah.

Which Voices Matter? Ballot Initiatives, Marijuana, And Legislative Paternalism In Utah, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Drivers headed toward Salt Lake City on I-15 are sure to notice two things—the breathtaking Wasatch mountain range (when the thickness of inversion doesn’t obscure it) and a striking number of billboard ads warning citizens of the dangers of the misuse of opioids. This is not without good reason—Utah ranks 9th on the CDC’s list of states hit the hardest by opioid overdose. Misuse of opioids is responsible for 23 deaths every month, according to the Utah Department of Health. Empathy is called for when it comes to addiction in general, and addiction to opioids in particular. After all, many …

A Potent Lassa Virus Antiviral Targets An Arenavirus Virulence Determinant, Ikenna G. Madu, Megan Files, Dima N. Gharaibeh, Amy L. Moore, Kieh-Hoon Jung, Brian B. Gowen, Dongcheng Dai, Kevin F. Jones, Shanthakumar R. Tyavanagimatt, James R. Burgeson, Marcus J. Korth, Kristin M. Bedard, Shawn P. Iadonato, Sean M. Amberg

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Arenaviruses are a significant cause of hemorrhagic fever, an often-fatal disease for which there is no approved antiviral therapy. Lassa fever in particular generates high morbidity and mortality in West Africa, where the disease is endemic, and a recent outbreak in Nigeria was larger and more geographically diverse than usual. We are developing LHF-535, a small-molecule viral entry inhibitor that targets the arenavirus envelope glycoprotein, as a therapeutic candidate for Lassa fever and other hemorrhagic fevers of arenavirus origin. Using a lentiviral pseudotype infectivity assay, we determined that LHF-535 had sub-nanomolar potency against the viral envelope glycoproteins from all Lassa …

Parent And Household Influences On Calcium Intake Among Early Adolescents, Jinan Banna, Jessica O'Driscoll, Carol J. Boushey, Garry Auld, Beth Olson, Mary Cluskey, Miriam Edlefsen Ballejos, Christine Bruhn, Scottie Misner, Marla Reicks, Siew Sun Wong, Sahar Zaghloul

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Calcium intake during early adolescence falls short of requirements for maximum bone accretion. Parents and the home food environment potentially influence children’s calcium intakes. This study aimed to quantify parental psychosocial factors (PSF) predicting calcium intakes of Asian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white (NHW) early adolescent children from a parental perspective.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving the administration of a validated calcium-specific food frequency questionnaire to a convenience sample of children aged 10–13 years and the primary individual responsible for food acquisition in the child’s household. Based on Social Cognitive Theory, parental factors potentially associated with children’s calcium …

Design And Development Of An Mph Program For Online Delivery, Steven R. Hawks, Julie A. Gast

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is growing in popularity and is now delivered fully online by a large number of highly respected, fully accredited universities. This paper offers an overview of program design and development strategies that promote successful online delivery of MPH programs. Design and development challenges are discussed in terms of new accreditation standards, student demand, faculty development, user needs, course content, and plan of study. The development of an online MPH program at Utah State University with a concentration in health education and promotion is used to highlight and consider various aspects of this important …

About This Issue, Kim Hales

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The Fall 2018 issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence focuses on the development of teaching and learning communities. Topics include peer feedback, cultural responsiveness, bringing research into the classroom, and training faculty through mentorship and online certification programs. The issue finishes off with a review of the design and development of an online Master's of Public Health degree.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 2, Issue 2, Fall 2018

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full Spring 2018 issue (Volume 2, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence, Fall 2018

Dependence Of Aspen Stands On A Subsurface Water Subsidy: Implications For Climate Change Impacts, D. M. Love, M. D. Venturas, J. S. Sperry, P. D. Brooks, J. L. Pettit, Y. Wang, W. R. L. Anderegg, X. Tai, D. S. Mackay

Aspen Bibliography

The reliance of 10 Utah (USA) aspen forests on direct infiltration of growing season rain versus an additional subsurface water subsidy was determined from a trait- and process-based model of stomatal control. The model simulated the relationship between water supply to the root zone versus canopy transpiration and assimilation over a growing season. Canopy flux thresholds were identified that distinguished nonstressed, stressed, and dying stands. We found growing season rain and local soil moisture were insufficient for the survival of 5 of 10 stands. Six stands required a substantial subsidy (31–80% of potential seasonal transpiration) to avoid water stress and …

Proceedings For The 10th International Symposium On Poisonous Plants (Isopp)., Kevin D. Welch

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

The 10^th International Symposium on Poisonous Plants (ISOPP) was held on September 16-20, 2018 at the Red Lion Conference Center in St. George, Utah, USA. The meeting was truly international with 55 attendees from across the globe. The attendees were a diverse mix of research scientists, academicians, students, veterinarians, private industry representatives, extension agents and government regulators. Dr. Joseph Betz, Acting Director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, was the plenary speaker for the symposium, wherein he spoke regarding the safety of botanical supplements. There were six sessions of oral presentations including sessions …

Dependence Of Aspen Stands On A Subsurface Water Subsidy: Implications For Climate Change Impacts, D. M. Love, M. D. Venturas, J. S. Sperry, P. D. Brooks, Joseph L. Pettit, Y. Wang, W. R.L. Anderegg, X. Tai, D. S. Mackay

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The reliance of 10 Utah (USA) aspen forests on direct infiltration of growing season rain versus an additional subsurface water subsidy was determined from a trait‐ and process‐based model of stomatal control. The model simulated the relationship between water supply to the root zone versus canopy transpiration and assimilation over a growing season. Canopy flux thresholds were identified that distinguished nonstressed, stressed, and dying stands. We found growing season rain and local soil moisture were insufficient for the survival of 5 of 10 stands. Six stands required a substantial subsidy (31–80% of potential seasonal transpiration) to avoid water stress and …

Validating The Satisfaction With Travel Scale As A Measure Of Hedonic Subjective Well-Being For Commuting In A U.S. City, Patrick A. Singleton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The relationships between transportation and well-being are of increasing interest to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Stakeholders seeking to improve quality of life and traffic safety require valid and reliable ways of gauging the emotional states of travelers. Psychological scales exist for measuring subjective well-being (SWB), but these instruments have rarely been applied to the travel domain. The Satisfaction with Travel Scale (STS) is a nine-item measure of travel-related hedonic SWB, capturing core affect (emotions) and cognitive evaluations of overall satisfaction associated with personal transportation. Although the STS has been used in an increasing number of studies, questions remain regarding its …

The Neuromodulatory And Hormonal Effects Of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation As Evidenced By Salivary Alpha Amylase, Salivary Cortisol, Pupil Diameter, And The P3 Event-Related Potential, Christopher M. Warren, Klodiana D. Tona, L. Ouwerkerk, Jeroen Van Paridon, Fenna Poletiek, Henk Van Steenbergen, Jos A. Bosch, Sander Nieuwenhuis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a new, non-invasive technique being investigated as an intervention for a variety of clinical disorders, including epilepsy and depression. It is thought to exert its therapeutic effect by increasing central norepinephrine (NE) activity, but the evidence supporting this notion is limited.

Objective

In order to test for an impact of tVNS on psychophysiological and hormonal indices of noradrenergic function, we applied tVNS in concert with assessment of salivary alpha amylase (SAA) and cortisol, pupil size, and electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings.

Methods

Across three experiments, we applied real and sham tVNS to 61 healthy participants …

Extension Of Longevity And Reduction Of Inflammation Is Ovarian-Dependent, But Germ Cell-Independent In Post-Reproductive Female Mice, Tracy L. Habermehl, Kate C. Parkinson, Gene B. Hubbard, Yuji Ikeno, Jennifer I. Engelmeyer, Björn Schumacher, Jeffrey B. Mason

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular disease, rare in premenopausal women, increases sharply at menopause and is typically accompanied by chronic inflammation. Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that replacing senescent ovaries in post-reproductive mice with young, actively cycling ovaries restored many health benefits, including decreased cardiomyopathy and restoration of immune function. Our objective here was to determine if depletion of germ cells from young transplanted ovaries would alter the ovarian-dependent extension of life and health span. Sixty-day-old germ cell-depleted and germ cell-containing ovaries were transplanted to post-reproductive, 17-month-old mice. Mean life span for female CBA/J mice is approximately 644 days. Mice that received germ …

Communicating Information On Nature-Related Topics: Preferred Information Channels And Trust In Sources, Emily J. Wilkins, Holly M. Miller, Elizabeth Tilak, Rudy M. Schuster

Environment and Society Student Research

How information is communicated influences the public’s environmental perceptions and behaviors. Information channels and sources both play an important role in the dissemination of information. Trust in a source is often used as a proxy for whether a particular piece of information is credible. To determine preferences for information channels and trust in various sources for information on nature-related topics, a mail-out survey was sent to randomly selected U.S. addresses (n = 1,030). Diverse groups of people may have differing communication preferences. Therefore, we explored differences in channel preferences and trust by demographics using regression models. Overall, the most preferred …

Parental Habituation To Human Disturbance Over Time Reduces Fear Of Humans In Coyote Offspring, Christopher J. Schell, Julie K. Young, Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf, Rachel M. Santymire, Jill M. Mateo

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

A fundamental tenet of maternal effects assumes that maternal variance over time should have discordant consequences for offspring traits across litters. Yet, seldom are parents observed across multiple reproductive bouts, with few studies consider‐ ing anthropogenic disturbances as an ecological driver of maternal effects. We ob‐ served captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs over two successive litters to determine whether among‐litter differences in behavior (i.e., risk‐taking) and hormones (i.e., cortisol and testosterone) corresponded with parental plasticity in habituation. Thus, we explicitly test the hypothesis that accumulating experiences of anthropogenic disturbance reduces parental fear across reproductive bouts, which should have disparate phenotypic …

Tertiary Ammonia Treatment Of Lagoon Effluent Using Microvi MneTm Technology, Bryan Burbank, Sydney Burtenshaw, Nathan Guymon, Mike Langston, Luke Lemmon

Biological Engineering

Nutrient pollution is a growing problem threatening many waterways. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in water can cause algae to grow rapidly. This growth decreases water quality, kills aquatic life, and elevates toxin levels creating health hazards for people. Due to increases in nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, the Logan City regional wastewater treatment plant is currently updating from a lagoon system to a mechanical plant to meet future discharge limits imposed by federal, state, and local governments. The intent of our design is to add a tertiary nitrification system using Microvi MicroNiche Engineering^TM (MNE^TM) technology.

Tertiary Wastewater Treatment Through Mbbr Technology, Ethan Ackerman, Grant Harris, Gregory Jensen, Christopher Ruben, Stephen Sadler

Biological Engineering

Wastewater treatment is an essential component to public health as it removes harmful compounds and allows for water reuse and recycle. Biological nutrient removal has entered into the public spotlight as effluent flows with high nitrogen concentrations have detrimental effects on water discharge bodies. Traditional suspended growth biological treatment methods are expensive and produce excess biomass that can reduce the efficiency of nutrient removal if not maintained. Research on the benefits of attached growth processes, namely moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) technology, presents an exciting innovation in wastewater treatment that can increase nutrient removal efficiency and reduce overall cost.

As …