Digital Commons Network^™

Putting The Yard And Garden To Bed, Jaydee Gunnell, Michael Caron, Taun Beddes, Linden Greenhalgh

All Current Publications

This fact sheet gives tips for getting the yard and garden ready for winter.

Create Family Meals Curriculum, Carolyn Washburn, Melanie Jewkes, Jaqueline Neid, Teresa Hunsaker

All Current Publications

This curriculum is intended to give family members a hands-on experience in planning nutritious and delicious meals, as well as improving their cooking skills, and spending time together as a family. CREATE Family Meals lessons focus on developing healthy families through encouraging healthy eating patterns and increasing daily physical activity.

Water Main Break Rates In The Usa And Canada: A Comprehensive Study, Steven Folkman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The economic prosperity of modern cities is based on a complex infrastructure network located both above and below ground. A critical component to public health and economic well-being is our drinking water which is brought to the tap through an elaborate network of underground pipe distribution systems. Since most of this infrastructure is underground, it is out of sight and often neglected. Empirical data on water main breaks helps utilities in their repair and replacement decision making processes in order to deliver clean drinking water to their customers at an affordable price. This report documents the survey results of water …

Monitoring Of Dung Beetle (Scarabaeidae And Geotrupidae) Activity Along Maryland's Coastal Plain, Patrick Simons, Michael Molina, Mallory A. Hagadorn, Dana L. Price

Biology Faculty Publications

Our understanding of how human activities impact insect communities is limited. Dung beetles, well known for the ecosystem services they provide, are faced with many conservation threats, particularly from deforestation and agriculture. Here we used 200-m transects and human-dung—baited pitfall traps to examine dung beetle populations in 7 forests of Maryland's Coastal Plain. We set traps once a month, from May 2014 to April 2015, to determine species presence, abundance, range, and seasonality. We collected 6463 individuals representing 22 species; Janes Island State Park (JISP) had the highest abundance (2705 individuals) and Martinak State Park (MSP) had the highest species …

High Tunnel Blackberry Production For Northern Utah, Reagan Wytsalucy, Brent Black, Tiffany Maughan

All Current Publications

This fact sheet explains how blackberries can be grown under high tunnels as a method of frost protection and extend the season later into the fall.

Combinations Of Plant Water-Stress And Neonicotinoids Can Lead To Secondary Outbreaks Of Banks Grass Mite (Oligonychus Pratensis Banks), Alice Ruckert, L. Niel Allen, Ricardo A. Ramirez

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Spider mites, a cosmopolitan pest of agricultural and landscape plants, thrive under hot and dry conditions, which could become more frequent and extreme due to climate change. Recent work has shown that neonicotinoids, a widely used class of systemic insecticides that have come under scrutiny for non-target effects, can elevate spider mite populations. Both water-stress and neonicotinoids independently alter plant resistance against herbivores. Yet, the interaction between these two factors on spider mites is unclear, particularly for Banks grass mite (Oligonychus pratensis; BGM). We conducted a field study to examine the effects of water-stress (optimal irrigation = 100% …

Advancing Distributed Data Management For The Hydroshare Hydrologic Information System, Hong Yi, Ray Idaszak, Michael Stealey, Chris Calloway, Alva L. Couch, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

HydroShare (https://www.hydroshare.org) is an online collaborative system to support the open sharing of hydrologic data, analytical tools, and computer models. Hydrologic data and models are often large, extending to multi-gigabyte or terabyte scale, and as a result, the scalability of centralized data management poses challenges for a system such as HydroShare. A distributed data management framework that enables distributed physical data storage and management in multiple locations thus becomes a necessity. We use the iRODS (Integrated Rule-Oriented Data System) data grid middleware as the distributed data storage and management back end in HydroShare. iRODS provides a unified virtual file system …

The Utah Statesman, February 27, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Zika Virus-Induced Acute Myelitis And Motor Deficits In Adult Interferon Αβ/Γ Receptor Knockout Mice, Katherine Zukor, Hong Wang, Venkatraman Siddharthan, Justin G. Julander, John D. Morrey

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) has received widespread attention because of its effect on the developing fetus. It is becoming apparent, however, that severe neurological sequelae, such as Guillian-Barrë syndrome (GBS), myelitis, encephalitis, and seizures can occur after infection of adults. This study demonstrates that a contemporary strain of ZIKV can widely infect astrocytes and neurons in the brain and spinal cord of adult, interferon α/β receptor knockout mice (AG129 strain) and cause progressive hindlimb paralysis, as well as severe seizure-like activity during the acute phase of disease. The severity of hindlimb motor deficits correlated with increased numbers of ZIKV-infected lumbosacral spinal …

Stormwater Management And Ecosystem Services: A Review, Liana Prudencio, Sarah E. Null

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Researchers and water managers have turned to green stormwater infrastructure, such as bioswales, retention basins, wetlands, rain gardens, and urban green spaces to reduce flooding, augment surface water supplies, recharge groundwater, and improve water quality. It is increasingly clear that green stormwater infrastructure not only controls stormwater volume and timing, but also promotes ecosystem services, which are the benefits that ecosystems provide to humans. Yet there has been little synthesis focused on understanding how green stormwater management affects ecosystem services. The objectives of this paper are to review and synthesize published literature on ecosystem services and green stormwater infrastructure and …

Phosphofructokinase And Mitochondria Partially Explain The High Ultimate Ph Of Broiler Pectoralis Major Muscle, Sulaiman K. Matarneh, Con-Ning Yen, Jennifer M. Elgin, Mariane Beline, Saulo Da Luz E Silva, Jordan C. Wicks, Eric M. England, Rami A. Dalloul, Michael E. Persia, Islam I. Omara, Hao Shi, David E. Gerrard

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

During postmortem metabolism, muscle pH gradually declines to reach an ultimate pH near 5.6 across most meat species. Yet, broiler pectoralis major (P. major) muscle generates meat with high ultimate pH (pH ∼ 5.9). For better understanding of the underlying mechanism responsible for this phenomenon, we evaluated the involvement of breast muscle chilling on the extent of postmortem metabolism. Broiler breast muscles were either subjected to chilling treatment (control) or left at room temperature (RT) for 120 min. P. major muscle from the RT treatment had lower ultimate pH, greater glycogen degradation and lactate accumulation. While these findings suggest that …

Walking (And Cycling) To Well-Being: Modal And Other Determinants Of Subjective Well-Being During The Commute, Patrick A. Singleton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Although transportation’s impacts on physical health are relatively well-established, the relationship between transportation and subjective well-being (SWB) has been the subject of recent focus. Policymakers attempt to improve the health and well-being of populations through interventions to improve transportation experiences and promote sustainable transport modes, while researchers studying these connections seek valid and reliable measures of SWB in the travel domain. Studies consistently find travel by walking and bicycling to be rated more positively than automobile travel, yet many use single measures of travel SWB, obscuring nuanced variations between modes.

Using the results of a Portland, Oregon, survey of nearly …

The Utah Statesman, February 20, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, February 20, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC February Report
• Koch Task Force Framework

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes, February 20, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Comprehensive Year-Seven Self-Study for NWCC - Michael Torrens
• EPC February Report - Edward Reeve
• Koch Task Force Framework - Kimberly Lott

Landscape-Scale Effects Of Supra-Seasonal Drought On Semi-Aquatic Snake Assemblages, Philip N. Vogrinc, Andrew M. Durso, Christopher T. Winne, John D. Willson

Biology Faculty Publications

Climate change is predicted to alter the frequency and intensity of precipitation events, placing stress on freshwater aquatic ecosystems and their associated wildlife. Thus, understanding interspecific variation in drought sensitivity and the repeatability of those responses across heterogeneous landscapes is critical. Semi-aquatic snakes serve important roles within aquatic ecosystems and several species are threatened. Yet, little is known about the effects of drought on semi-aquatic snake populations or assemblages. We systematically trapped 20 isolated wetlands in South Carolina before (2006) and after (2013) a multi-year supra-seasonal drought to determine drought-induced shifts in occupancy and detection for five semi-aquatic snake species. …

The Utah Statesman, February 13, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Orthotopic Ovarian Transplantation Procedures To Investigate The Life- And Health-Span Influence Of Ovarian Senescence In Female Mice, Jeffrey B. Mason, Kate C. Parkinson, Tracy L. Habermehl

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Ovarian transplantation was first conducted at Utah State University in 1963. In more recent work, heterochronic transplantation of mammalian ovaries is being used to investigate the health-protective effects of young ovaries in young females. The current procedures employ an orthotopic transplantation method, where allogenic ovaries are transplanted back to their original position in the ovarian bursa. This is in contrast to the more commonly used heterotopic transplantation of ovaries/ovarian tissue subcutaneously or under the kidney capsule. All three locations provide efficient revascularization of the transplanted tissues. However, orthotopic transplantation provides the ovary with the most natural signaling environment and is …

Authors And Editors Assort On Gender And Geography In High-Rank Ecological Publications, Kezia R. Manlove, Rebecca M. Belou

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Peer-reviewed publication volume and caliber are widely-recognized proxies for academic merit, and a strong publication record is essential for academic success and advancement. However, recent work suggests that publication productivity for particular author groups may also be determined in part by implicit biases lurking in the publication pipeline. Here, we explore patterns of gender, geography, and institutional rank among authors, editorial board members, and handling editors in high-impact ecological publications during 2015 and 2016. A higher proportion of lead authors had female first names (33.9%) than editorial board members (28.9%), and the proportion of female first names among handling editors …

Counseling Skill Development In Audiology: Clinical Supervision Considerations, Karen F. Muñoz

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Faculty Publications

Audiologists play a critical role in supporting patients as they provide diagnostic information about their hearing and in the delivery of treatment services. Graduate training related to counseling, however, varies among programs in the extent students are prepared to engage effectively and intentionally with patients. Instruction is needed to provide students with a framework that supports their ability to learn and implement evidence-based counseling services. This article addresses the impact patients can experience when counseling gaps exist, shares clinical instruction strategies that can support students' acquisition of counseling skills, and discusses considerations for integration of counseling education into graduate training …

Counseling In Audiology: Aud Students’ Perspectives And Experiences, John J. Whicker, Karen F. Muñoz, Jared C. Schultz

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education Faculty Publications

Counseling in audiology is an important aspect of service delivery. How audiologists interact with patients and foster counseling relationships to help patients and families understand and live with hearing loss can impact outcomes of audiological interventions. Currently, variability exists in how graduate training programs are teaching counseling skills, and the extent to which counseling skills development is supported in clinical experiences is unclear. This article seeks to explore the perspectives related to the importance of counseling and counseling training experiences received through clinical instruction of Au.D. students beginning their final year of study, to identify where counseling training might be …

Opportunities For Audiologists’ To Use Patient-Centered Communication During Hearing Device Monitoring Encounters, Corinne K. Coleman, Karen F. Muñoz, Clarissa W. Ong, Grayson M. Butcher, Lauri Nelson, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Patient-centered care incorporates patient's priorities, values, and goals. Audiologists can increase patient engagement when they use patient-centered principles during communication. Recent research, however, has revealed counseling gaps in audiology that could be detrimental to the intervention process. The present study sought to understand the extent patient-centered communication strategies were used during hearing device monitoring visits by analyzing audio recordings. Counseling portions of the appointments were transcribed using conversation analysis. Missed opportunities were observed, including not validating patients' emotional concerns, providing technical responses to emotional concerns, providing information without determining patient desire for the information, and not engaging the patient in …

The Utah Statesman, February 6, 2018, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Battle Of The Blooms | Sustainable Waste-To-Bioproducts Engineering Center, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Harmful algal blooms or HABs for short are a growing problem in the United States and many parts of the world.

The Status Of Women Leaders In Utah Nonprofits: A 2018 Update, Susan R. Madsen, Ashlie Hew-Len, Amber Thackeray

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

In 2014, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) published a research and policy brief titled “The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Nonprofits.” The document was the second of four Utah studies published that year; the others focused on the status of women’s leadership in politics, education, and business. This brief gives a four-year update to decide what, if any, progress has been made in women’s leadership within Utah’s nonprofit sector. The brief compares Utah data with national data, reviews the applicable literature, and compares these results to the data in the 2014 brief.

Faculty Senate Agenda, February 5, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC January Report
• Budget and Faculty Welfare Annual Report
• Athletic Council Annual Report
• 405.6.2 (2) Promotion Advisory Committee (third reading)
• 401.4.2 Faculty with Term Appointments – the Rank of State Cooperator
• Koch Task Force Resolution

Faculty Senate Minutes, February 5, 2018, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Faculty Senate Membership Update - Rebecca Blais
• Accreditation Update - Michael Torrens
• EPC January Report - Edward Reeve
• Budget and Faculty Welfare Annual Report - Lisa Gabbert | Alison Cook
• Athletic Council Annual Report - Ed Heath
• 405.6.2 (2) Promotion Advisory Committee (third reading) - John Gilbert
• 401.4.2 Faculty with Term Appointments – Rank of State Cooperator - Kimberly Lott
• Koch Task Force Resolution - Kimberly Lott

The Development Of A Learning Dashboard For Lecturers: A Case Study On A Student-Centered E-Learning Environment, Harry B. Santoso, Alivia Khaira Batuparan, R. Yugo K. Isal, Wade H. Goodridge

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

Student Centered e-Learning Environment (SCELE) is a Moodle-based learning management system (LMS) that has been modified to enhance learning within a computer science department curriculum offered by the Faculty of Computer Science of large public university in Indonesia. This Moodle provided a mechanism to record students’ activities when engaged in learning with e-Learning software. However, while the software captured the data and presented it adequately, there is room for enhancement and further refinement. The purpose of this research is to investigate and understand lecturer needs as they monitor student activities in SCELE and then develop a learning monitoring tool capable …

Accelerating The Implementation Of Secondary Water Metering In Utah, Western Resource Advocates

All In-stream Flows Material

Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the US, ⁱ and among the most arid. Water conservation has been identified by the state and many local communities as a key strategy for managing water supplies under these conditions. ⁱⁱ

Women Agricultural Landowners—Past Time To Put Them “On The Radar”, Peggy Petrzelka, Ann Sorensen, Jennifer Filipiak

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

While women own 25% of the acres rented out for farming, little has been done in terms of federal policy that focuses on these women. In this policy analysis, we detail how (1) lack of data on these women landowners and (2) the invisibility of these women to federal natural resource and agricultural agency staff contribute to women nonoperating landowners (WNOLs) not being on the federal policy radar. We discuss how the persistence of these factors continues to marginalize WNOLs in federal agricultural policy, despite the mandate of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies to be serving underserved populations such …