Digital Commons Network^™

A Systematic Review Of Language Therapy In Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors, Ari Watt

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Purpose: Brain tumors and associated treatments in children have been shown to cause long term neurological damage. While there is a large body of research focusing on treating associated cognitive deficits, relatively little research has focused on improving linguistic ability in this population. This systematic review identified and summarized the available evidence related to language treatment for pediatric brain tumor survivors.

Methods: A systematic electronic database search resulted in the identification of four relevant treatment studies, two position papers and one online forum. A data extraction manual and form was used to methodically extract study information related to participant demographics, …

The Relationship Between Narrative Proficiency And Syntactic Complexity Of Spontaneously Generated Stories Elicited From Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Megan Israelsen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a narrative program designed to increase narrative language proficiency was associated with improved syntactic complexity for 5, school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Method: A multiple-baseline across participants design was employed. Children participated in a narrative intervention for 45 minutes, twice weekly for a period of time ranging from 19 to 33 sessions. Spontaneously generated narratives were collected after every other intervention session and analyzed for narrative and syntactic complexity.

Results: Results indicated that during baseline, three of the student’s spontaneous stories contained syntactically complex utterances that were comparable …

Examining Quadratic Relationships Between Traits And Methods In Two Multitrait-Multimethod Models, Fredric A. Hintz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Psychological researchers are interested in the validity of the measures they use, and the multitrait-multimethod design is one of the most frequently employed methods to examine validity. Confirmatory factor analysis is now a commonly used analytic tool for examining multitrait-multimethod data, where an underlying mathematical model is fit to data and the amount of variance due to the trait and method factors is estimated. While most contemporary confirmatory factor analysis methods for examining multi-trait multi-method data do not allow relationships between the trait and method factors, a few recently proposed models allow for the examination of linear relationships between traits …

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 30, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Academic Freedom and Tenure (AFT) Annual Report
• Committee on Committees (CoC) Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Koch Task Force Update
• Code Change
• Faculty Senate President & President-Elect Coverage for 2018-2019

Faculty Senate Minutes, April 30, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Empowering Teaching Excellence (ETE) - Neal Legler | Travis Thurston
• Student Code Revision – Richard Inouye
• EPC Voting Clarification - Becki Lawver
• EPC April Report - Edward Reeve
• Policy 403 and 407 Revision Schedule - Kimberly Lott
• Academic Freedom and Tenure (AFT) Annual Report - Michael Lyons
• Committee on Committees (CoC) Annual Report - Rebecca Blais
• Calendar Committee Annual Report - Andi McCabe
• Koch Task Force Update - Kimberly Lott
• Code Change - Becki Lawver
• Faculty Senate President & President-Elect Coverage for 2018-2019 - Kimberly Lott
• Concluding Remarks, Passing of the Gavel - Kimberly Lott
• College Caucus to Elect FSEC …

Utah State University Commencement, 2018 - Eastern Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2018 Commencement Ceremony for the Eastern Campus of Utah State University.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, April 27, 2018 – Bachelor Of Science – Nutrition Science, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to offer the following Baccalaureate degree(s): Bachelor of Science - Nutrition Science effective Fall 2018.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Humanities And Social Sciences, April 27, 2018, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to offer the following Baccalaureate degree(s): Portuguese effective Fall 2018.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, April 27, 2018 – Bachelor Of Science In Dietetics, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to offer the following Baccalaureate degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Dietetics effective Fall 2018.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, April 27, 2018 – Bachelor Of Science In Food Science, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Utah State University requests approval to offer the following Baccalaureate degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Food Science effective Fall 2018.

Anthropogenic Food Subsidy To A Commensal Carnivore: The Value And Supply Of Human Faeces In The Diet Of Free-Ranging Dogs, James R. A. Butler, Wendy Y. Brown, Johan T. Du Toit

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

As the global population of free-ranging domestic dogs grows, there is increasing concern about impacts on human health and wildlife conservation. Effective management of dog populations requires reliable information on their diet, feeding behavior, and social ecology. Free-ranging dogs are reliant on humans, but anthropogenic food subsidies, particularly human faeces (i.e., coprophagy) have not previously been fully quantified. In this study we assess the contributions of different food types to the diet, and their influences on the social behaviour of free-ranging dogs in communal lands of rural Zimbabwe, with a focus on coprophagy. Free-ranging dog diets, body condition, and sociology …

Regional Trends In Early-Monsoon Rainfall Over Vietnam And Ccsm4 Attribution, Rong Li, S.-Y. Simon Wang, Robert R. Gillies, Brendan Buckley, Jin-Ho Yoon, Changrae Cho

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The analysis of precipitation trends for Vietnam revealed that early-monsoon precipitation has increased over the past three decades but to varying degrees over the northern, central and southern portions of the country. Upon investigation, it was found that the change in early-monsoon precipitation is associated with changes in the low-level cyclonic airflow over the South China Sea and Indochina that is embedded in the large-scale atmospheric circulation associated with a “La Niña-like” anomalous sea surface temperature pattern with warming in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans and cooling in the eastern Pacific. The Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) …

Identification Of Genes Directly Responding To Dlk1 Signaling In Callipyge Sheep, Hui Yu, Jolena N. Waddell, Shihuan Kuang, Ross L. Tellam, Noelle E. Cockett, Christopher A. Bidwell

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Background

In food animal agriculture, there is a need to identify the mechanisms that can improve the efficiency of muscle growth and protein accretion. Callipyge sheep provide excellent machinery since the up-regulation of DLK1 and RTL1 results in extreme postnatal muscle hypertrophy in distinct muscles. The aim of this study is to distinguish the genes that directly respond to DLK1 and RTL1 signaling from the genes that change as the result of muscle specific effects.

Results

The quantitative PCR results indicated that DLK1 expression was significantly increased in hypertrophied muscles but not in non-hypertrophied muscles. However, RTL1 was up-regulated in …

The Utah Statesman, April 24, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Fetal Demise And Failed Antibody Therapy During Zika Virus Infection Of Pregnant Macaques, Diogo M. Magnani, Thomas F. Rogers, Nicholas J. Maness, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Nathan Beutler, Varian K. Bailey, Lucas Gonzalez-Nieto, Martin J. Gutman, Núria Pedreño-Lopez, Jaclyn M. Kwal, Michael J. Ricciardi, Tereance A. Myers, Justin G. Julander, Rudolf P. Bohm, Margaret H. Gilbert, Faith Schiro, Pyone P. Aye, Robert V. Blair, Mauricio A. Martins, Kathrine P. Falkenstien, Amitinder Kaur, Christine L. Curry, Esper G. Kallas, Ronald C. Desrosiers, Pascal J. Goldschmidt-Clermont, Stephen S. Whitehead, Kristian G. Andersen, Myrna C. Bonaldo, Andrew A. Lackner, Antonito T. Panganiban, Dennis R. Burton, David I. Watkins

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection of pregnant women is associated with pathologic complications of fetal development. Here, we infect pregnant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with a minimally passaged ZIKV isolate from Rio de Janeiro, where a high rate of fetal development complications was observed. The infection of pregnant macaques with this virus results in maternal viremia, virus crossing into the amniotic fluid (AF), and in utero fetal deaths. We also treated three additional ZIKV-infected pregnant macaques with a cocktail of ZIKV-neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies (nmAbs) at peak viremia. While the nmAbs can be effective in clearing the virus from …

Modeling Temperature And Moisture Dependent Emissions Of Carbon Dioxide And Methane From Drying Dairy Cow Manure, Enzhu Hu, Pakorn Sutitarnnontr, Markus Tuller, Scott B. Jones

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Greenhouse gas emissions due to biological degradation processes of animal wastes are significant sources of air pollution from agricultural areas. The major environmental controls on these microbe-induced gas fluxes are temperature and moisture content. The objective of this study was to model the effects of temperature and moisture content on emissions of CO₂ and CH₄ during the ambient drying process of dairy manure under controlled conditions. Gas emissions were continuously recorded over 15 d with paired fully automated closed dynamic chambers coupled with a Fourier Transformed Infrared gas analyzer. Water content and temperature were measured and monitored with …

Impulsive Choice And Pre-Exposure To Delays: Iv. Effects Of Delay- And Immediacy-Exposure Training Relative To Maturational Changes In Impulsivity, C. Renee Renda, Jillian M. Rung, Jay E. Hinnenkamp, Stephanie N. Lenzini, Gregory J. Madden

Psychology Faculty Publications

Impulsive choice describes preference for smaller, sooner rewards over larger, later rewards. Excessive delay discounting (i.e., rapid devaluation of delayed rewards) underlies some impulsive choices, and is observed in many maladaptive behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, gambling). Interventions designed to reduce delay discounting may provide therapeutic gains. One such intervention provides rats with extended training with delayed reinforcers. When compared to a group given extended training with immediate reinforcers, delay-exposed rats make significantly fewer impulsive choices. To what extent is this difference due to delay-exposure training shifting preference toward self-control or immediacy-exposure training (the putative control group) shifting preference toward impulsivity? …

Self-Efficacy Change Associated With A Cognitive Load-Based Intervention In An Undergraduate Biology Course, David F. Feldon, Joana Franco, Jie Chao, James Peugh, Cathy Maahs-Fladung

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Cognitive load theory (CLT) holds that discovery learning and other instructional strategies imposing high levels of extraneous load on novice learners hinder learning. Such learning conditions are also associated with significant drops in persistence, a key measure of motivation. However, research within the CLT framework typically engages motivation as a necessary precursor to learning, rather than as an outcome of instruction. In this study, we examine changes in motivational beliefs as outcomes of learners' cognitive processes through a CLT lens as they engage with instruction. Using a double-blind quasi-experimental design, we manipulate the level of cognitive load imposed on participants …

Light May Have Triggered A Period Of Net Heterotrophy In Lake Superior, Soren Brothers, Paul Sibley

Ecology Center Publications

Recent studies of Lake Superior, the Earth's largest freshwater lake by surface area, describe it as net heterotrophic (primary production < community respiration), making it a net source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. This conclusion is largely based on measurements made between 1998 and 2001. We present a long‐term (1968–2016) analysis of ice‐free (April–November) surface oxygen (O2) saturation data collected by monitoring agencies. These data indicate that Lake Superior's surface waters are typically supersaturated with dissolved O2 from May to September (May–September mean is 103.5% ± 0.6%; pooled mean from April, October, and November is 97.6% ± 1.1%, standard error of the mean). However, these data also support prior studies which describe a state of net heterotrophy from 1998 to 2001. We investigated potential triggers for a transient heterotrophic period and discuss the sources of organic carbon necessary to fuel net heterotrophy in a large oligotrophic lake. We conclude that net heterotrophy likely resulted from an increase in light period and penetration driven by declines in cloud cover, increases in water clarity, and a reduction of winter ice cover following the 1997–1998 El Niño. Together, these could have depleted a pre‐existing pool of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) via photomineralization and/or photochemical degradation. Our results indicate that Lake Superior is typically net autotrophic (calculated annual CO2 influx = ∼ 0.4 Tg C). These results highlight how water clarity and aquatic DOC pools may interact to induce net metabolic shifts in large oligotrophic aquatic ecosystems.

From Outside To Online: Unanticipated Directions For Utah Master Naturalist, Mark Larese-Casanova, Jennifer Perkins

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Utah Master Naturalist is an award-winning Utah State University Extension program that promotes stewardship of Utah’s natural world through place-based, experiential field courses across the state. Although successful in eliciting positive short- and long-term impacts, Utah Master Naturalist’s traditional five-day field courses were unavailable to many students and instructors due to constraints of time and location. This case study examines Utah Master Naturalist’s first hybrid course, Desert Explorations, and describes the positive results from our pilot study, how a hybrid course solves availability issues, and how field-based learning theories can be adapted to online education through careful design.

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 2, Issue 1

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full Spring 2018 issue (Volume 2, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence.

The Utah Statesman, April 17, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Short-Term Regeneration Dynamics Of Wyoming Big Sagebrush At Two Sites In Northern Utah, Sara J. Germain, Rebecca K. Mann, Thomas A. Monaco, Kari E. Veblen

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) is a widespread shrub across the western United States, and there is great interest among scientists and land managers in its ecology and conservation, particularly with regard to maintaining structural heterogeneity of sagebrush stands for wildlife habitat and livestock forage. Yet little is known about its short-term regeneration dynamics and the implications of those dynamics for changes in stand structure. We examined changes among sagebrush size classes across 3 years, as well as emergence of sagebrush from seed bank and seed rain samples at 2 sagebrush shrub land sites in northern …

Interpreting Mmse Performance In Highly Proficient Bilingual Spanish-English And Asian Indian-English Speakers: Demographic Adjustments, Item Analyses, And Supplemental Measures, Lisa H. Milman, Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah, Chris D. Corcoran, Deanna M. Damele

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: Performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), among the most widely used global screens of adult cognitive status, is affected by demographic variables including age, education, and ethnicity. This study extends prior research by examining the specific effects of bilingualism on MMSE performance.

Method: Sixty independent community-dwelling monolingual and bilingual adults were recruited from Eastern and Western regions of the United States in this cross-sectional group study. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare two bilingual groups (Spanish-English and Asian Indian-English) with matched monolingual speakers on the MMSE, demographically adjusted MMSE scores, MMSE item scores, and a nonverbal cognitive …

Living Well With Chronic Conditions Workshop Starts May 1, Jolynne Lyon

Blog Posts

The blog post is about chronic conditions workshops.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, April 16, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Academic Freedom and Tenure (AFT) Annual Report
• Committee on Committees (CoC) Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Koch Task Force Update
• Code Change
• Election of Faculty Senate President-Elect

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes, April 16, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Empowering Teaching Excellence (ETE) - Neal Legler | Travis Thurston
• Student Code Revision - Krystin Deschamp
• EPC Voting Clarification - Becki Lawver
• EPC April Report - Edward Reeve
• Policy 403 and 407 Revision Schedule - Kimberly Lott
• Academic Freedom and Tenure (AFT) Annual Report - Michael Lyons
• Committee on Committees (CoC) Annual Report - Rebecca Blais
• Calendar Committee Annual Report - Andi McCabe
• Koch Task Force Update - Kimberly Lott
• Code Change - Becki Lawver
• Election of Faculty Senate President-Elect - Kimberly Lott

Use Of Unpalatable Forages By Ruminants: The Influence Of Experience With The Biophysical And Social Environment, Roberto A. Distel, Juan J. Villalba

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Unpalatable forage resources (low nutrient density, potentially toxic metabolites) are widespread and represent a challenge for ruminant nutrition, health, and welfare. Our objective was to synthesize the role of biophysical and social experience on the use of unpalatable forages by ruminants, and highlight derived behavioural solutions for the well-being of soils, plants, and animals. Environmental experiences early in life modulate gene expression and promote learning, which alters morpho-physiological and psychological mechanisms that modify behavioural responses and change food and habitat selection. In this process, ruminants can become better adapted to the habitat where they are reared. Moreover, experiential learning provides …

Financial Strain, Employment, And Subjective Stressors Over Time Among Caregivers Of Individuals With Dementia, Mindy Dokos

Student Research Symposium

This study examined how financial strain and employment impact subjective stress over 12 months in 184 family caregivers of individuals with dementia. Subjective stressors of role overload, role captivity, and employment status were measured at baseline, 6-, and 12-months. Self reports on financial insufficiency were measured at baseline only. Growth curve analyses were conducted to examine within-person changes in subjective stress of caregiving and associations with employment and financial strains. The findings showed that caregivers with greater financial strain at baseline had higher levels of overload and increasing captivity longitudinally. Although caregivers who were consistently unemployed reported lower role overload, …

Association Between Food Shopping Motivators And The Home Food Environment, Abiodun Atoloye

Student Research Symposium

Objective: To examine whether the home food environment (HFE) is related to food shopping motivating factors. Method: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants were interviewed about their HFE, factors motivating them while shopping, and food security status, using Perceived Nutrition Environment Measure Survey and 6-item US Household Food Security Survey questionnaires. Composite home food environment scores were derived by summing availability and accessibility to healthy food and deducting unhealthy access and availability. Analysis included multiple linear regression models. Results: Being motivated by nutrition and food security were positively associated with HFE (ß= 4.70, p= 0.03 and ß= 1.44, p= 0.06 respectively). …