Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of An Aquatic Environment On Dual-Task Performance In Older Adults, Devin Patterson

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

Background: Older adults tend to have difficulty maintaining balance. It has been suggested that the aquatic environment may provide a safer and more challenging alternative to land for balance training. It has also been suggested that the performance of a dual cognitive-balance task paradigm may increase the competition for cortical resources needed to maintain balance. There is a need to evaluate the influence of an aquatic environment on the performance of a combined cognitive and motor task paradigm in older adults. Purpose: To assess the effects of an aquatic environment on the performance of cognitive and motor tasks in older …

The Effects Of Training On Parent Knowledge And Expectations Of Student Postschool Outcomes, Robert Hunsaker

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

Most students with disabilities have poor postschool outcomes related to employment or postsecondary education. Very few of these students gain meaningful jobs or go to college. A key predictor of successful postschool outcomes for students with disabilities is high parental expectations. This project examined the effects of parent training on transition agency services on increasing parents’ knowledge and expectations for postschool outcomes for their young adult with disabilities. Participants included English-speaking parents/guardians of young adults with disabilities from Alpine school district in Utah. Participants’ knowledge was measured by correct answers on identical pretests and posttests. Participants’ expectations were measured on …

The Efficiency Of Liquidity Resiliency, Nathan Burton

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

Using a VECM to estimate the dynamics of liquidity, in this case bid-ask spread, I run simulations for stocks of varying market capitalizations and find that lower market cap stocks require more orders to return to equilibrium spread following a shock, suggesting less efficiency of price discovery in lower cap stocks. Despite the greater number of order necessary for lower cap stocks, the return to equilibrium spread is still very fast, suggesting a relatively efficient market for NYSE and NASDAQ stocks in the upper three market cap quartiles.

Prediction Of Stress Increase In Unbonded Tendons Using Sparse Principal Component Analysis, Eric Mckinney

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

While internal and external unbonded tendons are widely utilized in concrete structures, the analytic solution for the increase in unbonded tendon stress, Δ���, is challenging due to the lack of bond between strand and concrete. Moreover, most analysis methods do not provide high correlation due to the limited available test data. In this thesis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Sparse Principal Component Analysis (SPCA) are employed on different sets of candidate variables, amongst the material and sectional properties from the database compiled by Maguire et al. [18]. Predictions of Δ��� are made via Principal Component Regression models, and the method …

Nature & Nation: The Civilian Conservation Corps In Zion And Bryce Canyon National Parks, Valerie Jacobson

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

CCC experiences have been written about other camps and areas across the United States, however, an in depth look at the CCC involvement in Zion and Bryce has not been attempted. The CCC camps in Zion and Bryce created a mark on the landscape through the projects and improvements, but also left a mark on the “boys” who were in the program. The experiences and projects the young men did with the CCC altered the land in the parks in southern Utah. The changes included new or improved trail systems in the park, better roads and maintenance, soil and erosion …

Dynamics Of War: Culture, Society, Environment, And Pedagogy, Breanne Jacobsen

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

War is an ever-present feature of human civilization. Nearly all cultures and societies show accounts of human conflict. This portfolio seeks to provide both a multidimensional analysis of war and a means of instructing students to appreciate its significance as a driving force of history using three different components.

The syllabus project provides a long-term view of how the various wars and conflicts came to be and progressed in Western Civilization in the modern era.

The chapter-length paper shows the ravaging effects that war and conflict can have on a physical landscape and the environment in which the conflict takes …

Mindful Eating: Benefits, Challenges, And Strategies, Cindy Nelson, Shannon Cromwell

All Current Publications

Mindful eating focuses on wellness and how we eat, not what we eat. This fact sheet describes the benefits of mindful eating, the challenges, and strategies for incorporating mindful eating into our daily lives.

Aphid Pests On Vegetables, Cami Cannon, Bonnie Bunn, Erin Petrizzo, Diane G. Alston, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on four of the most common aphids that are pests of vegetable crops in Utah: green peach aphid, potato aphid, melon or cotton aphid, and cabbage aphid.

Suppression And Control Of Field Bindweed - (Perennial Morning Glory) In Residential Areas, Taun Beddes, Michael Caron, James Barnhill, Kelly Kopp

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes field bindweed (perennial morning glory). It tells how to identify it, its life cycle, suppression and control options, including prevention, non-herbicide options, and herbiicide options.

Three-Dimensional Printing Of "Green" Fuels For Low-Cost Small Spacecraft Propulsion Systems, Stephen A. Whitmore

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper details the advantages of employing modern additive manufacturing methods to fabricate hybrid rocket fuels for intrinsically safe and green small spacecraft propulsion systems. Using additive manufacturing overcomes multiple issues frequently associated with hybrid propulsion, including poor volumetric efficiency, system ignitability, and low fuel regression rates. When certain three-dimensionally printed thermoplastics are subjected to a high-voltage low-wattage charge, electrostatic arcing along the surface pyrolizes a small amount of material that, with the introduction of an oxidizer, “seeds” combustion and produces immediate and reliable ignition. Thermoplastic fuel grains can be printed with port shapes that enhance burn properties and increase …

The Association Between Employment- And Housing-Related Financial Stressors And Marital Outcomes During The 2007-2009 Recession, Robert C. Stewart, Jeffrey P. Dew, Yoon Lee

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

This study examined the association between recession-related employment problems, recession-related housing problems, and marital quality. It used a national sample of married couples between the ages of 18 and 55. The analyses revealed that housing problems were negatively associated with wives' reports of marital satisfaction and positively associated with wives' and husbands' reports of divorce proneness. Feelings of economic pressure fully mediated the association between housing problems and wives' marital satisfaction and housing problems and husbands' feelings of divorce proneness. Feelings of economic pressure only partially mediated the association between housing problems and wives' reports of divorce proneness. Interestingly, recession-related …

What Can Be Done About Human Trafficking?, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

On July 23, 10 people were found dead in the bed of a swelteringly hot tractor-trailer found in a WalMart parking lot in San Antonio, Texas. Authorities found 39 people in the vehicle, but had reason to believe that there had at one time been as many as 100 in the small space. All of the individuals appeared to be suffering from heatstroke, and many will likely have related injuries and other health problems from which they will suffer for the rest of their lives. It appears that the individuals involved were undocumented immigrants, seeking to gain access into the …

The Interaction Of Mindful Awareness And Acceptance In Couples Satisfaction, Jennifer Krafft, Jack Haegar, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Past studies indicate that the awareness and acceptance facets of trait mindfulness both independently predict relationship satisfaction. However, this study hypothesized that the combination of awareness and acceptance might be a stronger contributor to relationship functioning than either in isolation. Regression analyses were used to test whether mindful awareness and acceptance interact in predicting couples satisfaction in a sample of dating or married college students (n = 138). Acceptance was positively associated with couples satisfaction, while awareness was unrelated. These two mindfulness facets interacted such that greater awareness was related to poorer satisfaction when acceptance was low, but was …

The Utah Statesman, July 12, 2017, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Case For Re-Framing Māori Suicide Prevention Research In Aotearoa/New Zealand: Applying Lessons From Indigenous Suicide Prevention Research, Keri Rose Lawson-Te Aho Dr

Journal of Indigenous Research

The aim of this paper is to present a case for reframing Māori suicide prevention research away from a strong emphasis on clinical research towards research that is more self-determining and historically and culturally contextualised. Rising levels of indigenous suicide have produced an intensified global focus on suicide prevention in indigenous, migrant and LGBTIQ populations.

Suicide research in Aotearoa/New Zealand has largely disregarded the potential explanatory power of historical trauma and the inter-generational transfer of collective suffering on Māori suicide levels. Similarly, the effects of regular exposure to racism, daily micro-aggressions and structural violence are often overlooked as explanatory of …

Rural Social Work: Recruitment, Job Satisfaction, Burnout, And Turnover, Aaron R. Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Omotola Akinsola

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Rural agencies have unique challenges related to recruitment and retention of social workers. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine job satisfaction, burnout and turnover among rural social workers. Based on 28 included articles, results indicate: (a) rural social workers tend to be from rural areas or have completed training in rural settings; (b) poor job satisfaction predicts turnover among rural social workers; (c) rural vs. urban differences for satisfaction, burnout, intention to leave, and turnover are mixed; and (d) greater work-life balance and supervisory support increase retention among rural social workers. This study provides recommendations for informing education, …

Collaborative Research: Refining And Testing Methods For Identifying And Quantifying Gaseous Oxidized Mercury In Air, Seth Lyman

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Discovered Regularities In Blood Glucose Readings Across Two Data Collection Approaches Used With A Type 1 Diabetic Youth, Victor R. Lee, Travis Thurston, Chris Thurston

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Type 1 diabetes requires frequent testing and monitoring of blood glucose levels in order to determine appropriate type and dosage of insulin administration. This can lead to thousands of individual measurements over the course of a lifetime of a single individual, of which very few are retained as part of a permanent record. The third author, aged 9, and his family have maintained several years of written records since his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes at age 20 months, and have also recently begun to obtain automated records from a continuous glucose monitor.

Objectives: This paper compares regularities identified …

Utah State Magazine, Summer 2017, Utah State University

Utah State Magazine

The quarterly magazine for friends and alumni of Utah State University.

Public Vs. Private Accounting: A Guide To Choosing Which Field Is Best For You, Katelyn Nelson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Usually the big question among accounting students is whether to work in tax or audit. However, there is a third option. Accounting students may find a career in private accounting a better fit for them. This thesis is designed to discuss the aspects of both private and public accounting, and the opportunities available in each field. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine which field of accounting will provide a student's desired lifestyle and will lead the student to his or her ultimate career goal. It was easier for me to decide which field I wanted to pursue after experiencing public …

Cache Valley Resident Exposure To Pm2.5, Kristina Krepinski

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Air pollution poses one of the largest environmental risks to human health, and greatly contributes to increased mortality within populations. Of the different types of pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has the most adverse health effects. Long-term exposure to PM_2.5 is known to have serious health outcomes; however, evidence has indicated that even short-term exposure to moderate concentrations of PM_2.5 is detrimental to human health. While PM_2.5 does contribute to various respiratory conditions by affecting lung function, it also significantly affects the cardiovascular system. Elevated PM_2.5 exposure increases risk for cardiovascular disease, congestive heart …

To Stress Or Not To Stress: Physiological Responses To Tetrodotoxin In Resistant Garter Snakes Vary By Sex, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Edmund D. Brodie Jr., Tyler Hansen, Edmund D. Brodie Jr., Susannah S. French

Biology Faculty Publications

The activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the most important physiological processes in coping with any deviation in an organism’s homeostasis. This activation and the secretion of glucocorticoids, such as corticosterone, allow organisms to cope with perturbations and return to optimal physiological functioning as quickly as possible. In this study, we examined the HPA axis activation in common gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) as a response to a natural toxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX). This neurotoxin is found in high levels in the Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), which is a prey item for these snakes. …

Evaluating An Adjunctive Mobile App To Enhance Psychological Flexibility In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Michael E. Levin, Jack Haegar, Benjamin G. Pierce, Rick A. Cruz

Psychology Faculty Publications

The primary aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility and potential efficacy of a novel adjunctive mobile app designed to enhance the acquisition, strengthening, and generalization of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) skills being taught in therapy. A sample of 14 depressed/anxious clients receiving ACT used the ACT Daily app for two weeks in a pre-post, open trial design. Participants reported a high degree of program satisfaction. Clients significantly improved over the two-week period on depression and anxiety symptoms as well as a range of psychological inflexibility measures. Analyses of mobile app data indicated effects of …

Trees And Climate Change, Megan Dettenmaier, Michael R. Kuhns, Bethany Unger, Darren Mcavoy

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the complex relationship between forests and climate change based on current research. It explains ways that trees can mitigate some of the risks associated with climate change. It details the impacts that forests are having on the changing climate and discuss specific ways that trees can be used to reduce or counter carbon emissions directly and indirectly.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug [Halyomorpha Halys (Stal)], Mark Cody Holthouse, Diane G. Alston, Lori R. Spears, Erin Petrizzo

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive insect pest from eastern Asia. It includes a description of where it is found in Utah, host plants, crop injury and plant damage, general description of life stages, agricultural risks, monitoring, management, insecticides, and what to do if you find it.

Grape Irrigation, Tiffany Maughan, Brent Black, L. Niel Allen, Dan Drost, Grant Cardon

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes how to properly manage irrigation of grapes for the long-term health and productivity of your planting.

Elm Seed Bug, Ryan S. Davis

All Current Publications

In July 2014, the Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab and USDA APHIS confirmed the first reported occurrence of elm seed bug (Lygaeidae: Arocatus melanocephalus) in the state of Utah (Fig. 1). A native of Europe, the elm seed bug was first identified in the U.S. in Idaho in 2012. It has since been found in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Canada and in various locations throughout Asia and Europe. While Utah’s first submission originated from Salt Lake County, elm seed bug is now widely distributed along the Wasatch Front and Cache Co., and has been reported west to Duchesne Co., east …

Making Lifestyle Choices To Reduce Late-Life Depression Risk, Maria C. Norton, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Jessica Weyerman

All Current Publications

Depression is a complex condition involving insufficient levels of brain chemicals, life stressors, thought processes, behaviors, and coping mechanisms. Medications and counseling therapy are effective in treating depression, and research suggests that several lifestyle practices also help to protect us from depression, and speed up our recovery if we do experience it. These behaviors, such as being socially connected, eating healthy and exercising, cost little to nothing but can have profound benefits on our overall quality of life and help us to stay depression-free.

Three Steps For A Happier Life, Kailee Hansen, David G. Schramm

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides three steps for a happier life.

Marriage Principles From A National Extension Model, Kailee Hansen, David G. Schramm

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes seven research-based principles that shape healthy relationships: choose, care for self, know, care, share, manage, and connect, and how to apply them in your life.