Digital Commons Network^™

Partnerships Create Success For The Devil’S Garden Wild Horses, Laura K. Snell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Many wild horse (Equus ferus caballus) populations that inhabit designated federal land in the United States currently exceed management objectives. Overabundant wild horse populations can adversely impact the ecosystem, native wildlife, and other land uses. Unfortunately, there is not a universal solution, as each impacted area may differ ecologically, economically, socially, and politically. Wild horse management is not just a 1-time project but a long-term program where buy-in is needed from the federal and state agencies, local governments, and private partners. Local county governments and private partners can have important insights and significant influence on the development and …

A Tale Of Five Case Studies: Reflections On Piloting A Case-Based, Problem-Based Learning Curriculum In English Composition, Katie Strand, Rachel Wishkoski, Alex J. Sundt, Deanna Allred

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Part of a volume about storytelling in academic library contexts, this chapter reflects on the use of case studies in a sequenced information literacy curriculum in ENGL 2010 (Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode). In highly interactive sessions across the semester, students collaboratively researched a case study topic and co-created artifacts that reflected their shared journey as researchers. The chapter is organized into the following sections, consistent with the other chapters in the book: classroom vignette, storytelling goal, audience, delivery, theory, cultural considerations, and practical examples. Readers will learn about things to consider when using case-based problem-based learning …

Utah State University Graduate & Professional Student Survey: Report Of Findings, Merrill-Cazier Library, Ithaka S+R Survey

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

The Utah State University implementation of the Ithaka S+R Graduate & Professional Student Survey was launched on November 8^th, 2021, and was closed to new responses on December 13^th, 2021, with a total of 365 complete responses. The questionnaire covers topics in several key areas including: students’ use of assigned course materials; practices and preferences for curricular and non-curricular information discovery; the role of the library; use of library space; objectives in obtaining an advanced degree; and understanding of and interest in conducting or contributing to original research. The following report provides a high-level overview of …

Agricultural Ecosystem Services: Exploring Models And Methods For Scenario Development Along The Wasatch Front, Utah, Daniella Hirschfeld

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

A Student’S Access To Practice-Linked Resources In An Elementary Unplugged-To-Plugged Computer Science Unit, Umar Shehzad, Jody Clarke-Midura, Victor R. Lee, Mimi Recker

Publications

This paper presents a case study of a student’s participation in an expansively-framed unplugged computer science (CS) instructional unit that leverages activities and materials not typically associated with CS: playing an “unplugged” tabletop board game and designing a paper prototype of a new game level. We use the practice-linked identity framework as a lens to characterize resources available in our instructional design and how they afforded or hindered the student’s participation across the instructional activities. Our findings highlight the importance of relational resources in influencing participation, both positively and negatively, and provide implications for the design of future CS learning …

Examining A Mediation Model Of Body Image-Related Cognitive Fusion, Intuitive Eating, And Eating Disorder Symptom Severity In A Clinical Sample, Jennifer L. Barney, Tyson S. Barrett, Tera Lensegrav-Benson, Benita Quakenbush, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Purpose: This study sought to explore the associations between Intuitive Eating (IE), eating disorder (ED) symptom severity, and body image-related cognitive fusion within a clinical sample. IE was also examined as a possible mediator in the relationship between body image-related fusion and ED symptoms.

Methods: This study includes cross-sectional analyses with data from 100 adult females and 75 adolescent females seeking residential treatment for an ED. Self-reported demographic information, ED symptoms, IE behaviors, and body image-related cognitive fusion were collected from participants within the first week of treatment following admission to the same residential ED treatment facility.

Results: …

Cutting Expenses Guidebook, Melanie Jewkes, Amanda Christensen, Alicia Nelson-Bell

All Current Publications

This booklet will help you strategize how to make small (or big) adjustments in your spending, freeing funds to put toward your goals. Topics such as boosting savings, and tips for addressing grocery, medical, utility, entertainment, clothing, transportation, home, holiday, and miscellaneous expenses are covered.

The Utah Statesman, December 13, 2021, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Survey Of Utah Onions For Bulb Rot Pathogens, Elizabeth Hansen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Bacterial pathogens cause an estimated $60 million in damages every year in the USA. Little information is currently known about the bacterial bulb rot pathogens found in Utah that impact the onions. Surveys of onion fields and packing sheds have been conducted over the past two years to find symptomatic leaves and bulbs. Symptomatic onions were collected and cultured to grow bacterial strains and identified using PCR and DNA sequencing of the partial 16S gene. Individual isolates went through pathogenicity testing using onion scale as well as leaf assay tests. There was a total of 191 isolates from 2019 and …

Explicit Synchronized Solitary Waves For Some Models For The Interaction Of Long And Short Waves In Dispersive Media., Bruce Brewer

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Four systems have recently been proposed for the study of the interaction of long and short waves in dispersive media. This poster establishes the synchronized solitary wave solutions for one of these systems.

Establishing A Framework Of Nitrogen Acquisition For Martian Agriculture, Tyler Wallentine

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Nitrogen (N) forms a crucial part of DNA, proteins, and other biomolecules and is an essential element to life. Luckily, N is abundant in Earth’s and Mars’ atmospheres in its atmospheric form (N₂); however, plants and humans are unable to metabolize it in this state. N₂ gas is only able to be consumed by undergoing nitrogen fixation, an intensive process that breaks the extremely-stable N ≡ N bond in order to form bioavailable ammonia (NH₃). Many prokaryotes are capable of nitrogen fixation. Plants may uptake fixed N from these, which are then consumed by other …

True Grit (1969) And Feminism: How It Succeeds And Why We Should Expect Better, Courtney Isom

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Hollywood Westerns are certainly not renowned for their contribution to feminist plots or characters, but True Grit (1969) is one of the more forward thinking movies with respect to women’s roles. However, the movie still portrays traditional power structures of patriarchy that undermine the female character’s autonomy. Looking at this film through the lens of both Critical Rhetoric and a Gender Diversity Perspective allows us to see the nuances of Mattie Ross' stand against oppressive traditional roles, while also examining the ways in which she is still dominated by discursive patriarchal practices. Celeste Condit’s gender diversity perspective encourages ditching traditional …

Halotolerant Rhizosphere Bacteria: Isolation Of Rhizosphere Bacteria From Native Utah Plant Ceanothus Velutinus, Alyssa Nielsen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Increasing incidences of drought forced farmers to use the secondary, degraded water for irrigation. These water sources are rich in salt concentrations. This project has started with the hopes of finding bacteria from the rhizosphere of a native to Utah plant, Ceanothus velutinus, that helps the plant survive the saltier conditions of Utah. The rhizosphere, a layer of soil attached to the roots of a plant, contains microorganisms that may contribute to the plants' abiotic and biotic stress resistance. These microorganisms are known as Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). The roots and rhizosphere samples were collected from Tony Grove in …

Violent Crime With The Influx Of Immigrants Along The Southern Us Border., Jesse Clark

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The United States citizens have a perception that the foreign-born, especially “illegal aliens,” are responsible for the carnage and the reported increase in violent crime rates along the U.S.and Mexico border, and the media and popular myth often perpetuate this mentality. But these perceptions are not supported empirically; instead, they are proven wrong by the scientific evidence. If we understand “carnage” to mean criminal violence and killings, state and national crime data doesn’t support this narrative. Although an increase of property crimes, due to the sheer number of border crossers, have been attributable to traveling migrants — like break-ins, cut …

Identification And Isolation Of Halotolerant Endophytes In Ceanothus Velutinus May Lead To Plant Health In Saline Conditions, Katherine Hewitt

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Plant-microbe relations are integral to plant survival and crop productivity. Part of a plant’s biosphere are endophytes, microbes found between the cells of a plant. Endophytes can be beneficial to help a plant cope with abiotic stressors such as salinity. In Utah, our soils are high in salinity due to topography and climate. Climate change has increased soil salinity across the world, and water availability is becoming scarcer leading agriculture to use more saline sources to irrigate. Thus, salt is a concern for farmers. We aim to identify halotolerant endophytes from Ceanothus velutinus, Snowbrush which is native to the …

Film And The British Empire, Mckenna Broadhead

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

My research focused on film and the way it has changed because of imperialism, more specifically the imperialism of the British Empire. During the time of the British empire, film became an important form of propaganda. As a result, many of the cliches we often see in movies, like 'Gunga Din' were created. These cliches were used to emphasize the importance of Britain's role in shaping foreign lands and their people.

The Power Of Booktok: An Analysis Of The Influence Of Tiktok On College Students' Leisurely Reading, Mya Bethers

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Social media is an ever-growing and present tool in the lives of college students. One of the most popular social media apps among young adults is TikTok. Its short video gratification keeps viewers scrolling well beyond their expected app use, and in consequence, exposes them to a variety of brands, commercials, and products (purposefully marketed or not). Over the pandemic, thousands of TikTok users have shared their book recommendations on the app, which created the side of TikTok known as BookTok. This study analyzes the power and influence BookTok has had on college students’ leisurely reading choices. The methods used …

Change In Social Movement Engagement And Leadership Should Equal A Change In Civic Education, Tess Tureson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

It seems as if almost everything in our world has changed with the introduction of the internet, personal computers, iPhones, and social media. We write emails instead of letters. We listen to podcasts and read articles online instead of buying a newspaper. Presidents communicate with the world on Twitter. The way we engage with politics has entirely changed. Yet, we are still going about civic education in schools the same way, teaching students to give speeches in city council meetings, write letters to their representative, and find current events from traditional news sources. This study offers new statistical evidence that …

These Are The Droids You're Looking For: Tagging And Content In Fanfiction, Virginia Beikmann

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

What do fanfiction readers look for when given the ability to specifically seek certain content through tagging? Fanfiction is often broadly defined by a variety of definitions, but the easiest way to understand it is simply by the name: It is fiction of existing works/media of any sort, expounded upon by fans of the content to create something original, while still using characters, plots, themes and so on of the original work. For instance, a fanfiction may take characters and write them out in new scenarios but having the original content having still happened in that character’s background, or fanfiction …

Coping Strategies In Utah State Students With Depression, Mekenzie Orton, Emma Wirtz, Lauren Ambuehl

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

In this study, a Sociology student research group looked at previous and ongoing coping strategies of college students at Utah State University. Previous research indicates that college students suffer from depression and use copious coping strategies to deal with this debilitating mental illness. They may be positive or negative in nature. Previous research is dated, and new material should be conducted to continue the education on coping strategies students use to deal with depression. This paper will outline the steps taken, research done, and an overall analysis of data of Utah State University students and their coping strategies for depression. …

Vape Prevention In Rural Populations: Teacher Education, Jenna Hawks

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Background: The increased use and initiation of e-cigarette use (more commonly referred to as vape or vaping) in youth is a growing health concern. “Be Epic”, implemented in November of 2020 to May of 2021, is a multi-component e-cigarette preventative program targeting teachers, parents, and youth grades 5-12 in the Rural Southeast Utah counties of Carbon, Emery, and Grand. Methods: Be Epic teacher trainings were assessed with pre- and post- surveys measuring teachers’ knowledge, and confidence. Significance was measured utilizing aggregated sample t-tested pre- and post- survey means. Results: Participants showed an increase in knowledge and confidence pertaining to e-cigarette …

A Highly Versatile Fungal Glucosyltransferase For Specific Production Of Quercetin-7-O-Β-D-Glucoside And Quercetin-3-O-Β-D-Glucoside In Different Hosts, Jie Ren, Wenzhu Tang, Caleb Don Barton, Owen M. Price, Mark Wayne Mortensen, Alexandra Phillips, Banner Wald, Simon Elgin Hulme, Logan Powell Stanley, Joan Hevel, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Glycosylation is an effective way to improve the water solubility of natural products. In this work, a novel glycosyltransferase gene (BbGT) was discovered from Beauveria bassiana ATCC 7159 and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified enzyme was functionally characterized through in vitro enzymatic reactions as a UDP-glucosyltransferase, converting quercetin to five monoglucosylated and one diglucosylated products. The optimal pH and temperature for BbGT are 35 ℃ and 8.0, respectively. The activity of BbGT was stimulated by Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+, but inhibited by Zn2+. BbGT enzyme is flexible and can glycosylate a variety of substrates such as curcumin, …

The Utah Statesman, December 6, 2021, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Increasing Affordability, Energy Efficiency, And Ridership Of Transit Bus Systems Through Large-Scale Electrification, Ziqi Song

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Uptpu: Improving Energy Efficiency Of A Tensor Processing Unit Through Underutilization Based Power-Gating, Pramesh Pandey, Noel Daniel Gundi, Koushik Chakraborty, Sanghamitra Roy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The AI boom is bringing a plethora of domain-specific architectures for Neural Network computations. Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), a Deep Neural Network (DNN) accelerator, has replaced the CPUs/GPUs in its data centers, claiming more than 15 × rate of inference. However, the unprecedented growth in DNN workloads with the widespread use of AI services projects an increasing energy consumption of TPU based data centers. In this work, we parametrize the extreme hardware underutilization in TPU systolic array and propose UPTPU: an intelligent, dataflow adaptive power-gating paradigm to provide a staggering 3.5 ×-6.5× energy efficiency to TPU for different input …

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, December 2, 2021, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of 4 November 2021 Minutes
• Curriculum Subcommittee Report
• Academic Standards Subcommittee Report
• General Education Subcommittee Report
• Other Business

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, December 2, 2021, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Curriculum Subcommittee Report
• General Education Subcommittee Report

Buy Produce For Your Neighbor: Supporting Local Agriculture, Lacee Jimenez, Hiram Wigant, Casey Coombs, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

For Utahns experiencing food insecurity, eating adequate fruits and vegetables may be difficult due to limited access to fresh produce. Buy Produce for Your Neighbor is a healthy food drive that increases the amount of fresh produce in community food pantries and supports local agriculture.

Usu’S Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (Heart) Initiative Completes Three Years Of Impactful Programming, Ashley C. Yaugher, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Verlina Adame, Gabriela Murza, Maren Wright Voss, Timothy Keady, Sadie Wilde

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

USU’s Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, & Teaching (HEART) Initiative addresses the opioid epidemic and other pressing public health issues in Utah. Data collected from HEART collaborations, acquired funding, and programming over the past three years demonstrates HEART’s collective impact on the state’s opioid epidemic.

Pottery Business Plan, Jessi Clark

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

BrickEarth Pottery sells quality homemade ceramic pieces. Specifically, we specialize in ceramics that have a simple, elegant, and functional design. The product line includes things like mugs, vases, tableware, pots for plants, berry bowls, nativity scenes among other things. A few things that set BrickEarth Pottery apart from other competitors include our commitment to sustainability, our fair prices, and our strong online presence. To explain these ideas a bit more at BrickEarth we value sustainability by working to keep minimal packaging when items are shipped and maintain this in mind when making our pieces, like always reusing clay and using …