Digital Commons Network^™

Simultaneous Simulation Of Microgravity And Ionizing Radiation In A Laboratory Environment, Achal Duhoon

Student Research Symposium

A novel system was developed to simulate the combined effects of reduced gravity and ionizing radiation present during spaceflight on biological and particulate samples. The miniature rotary cell culture system (mRCCS) was designed to synchronously rotate up to five independent vessels containing particulate samples suspended in fluid media, constructed using radiation tolerant, biocompatible, and vacuum compatible materials. Reduced gravity conditions were achieved when suspended particles (e.g., 200 μm polystyrene microcarrier beads with or without adhered cell clusters) were suspended inside the vessels moving near terminal velocity in viscous neutral-buoyant fluid media with densities matched to the suspended particles to achieve …

Could Differences In Aerobic Capacity Between Lower Limbs Negatively Impact Mobility Among Older Adults?, Daxton Kennington, Chayston Brown

Student Research Symposium

Falls are a primary cause of injury and mortality among older adults with 28.7% reporting falling each year. Previous research has found lower limb asymmetries are not strictly due to strength differences or previous injury among young, healthy individuals. Our proposed strategy will assess aerobic capacity between limbs and quantify asymmetries by comparing VO2 peak and power in single limb cycling vs. double limb cycling tests. We hypothesis that individuals with asymmetries (limb differences) will have greater fall risk and worsened mobility than individuals without asymmetries. Our sampling will include individuals 65 years of age and older. Limb dominance will …

Dietetic Student Perceptions Of Interdisciplinary Teams, Mckenna Voorhees

Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Interdisciplinary/interprofessional collaboration (IDC) is an important component of healthcare delivery through which providers can efficiently and effectively meet the diverse and complex care needs of patients/clients. Interprofessional education (IPE) enables the acquisition of skills needed for IDC. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) function as important members of interdisciplinary teams; as such, shifts in dietetic program accreditation standards currently require the incorporation of IPE in curricula. A broad exploration of interdisciplinary dietetic student attitudes is needed to pinpoint target areas of improvement in IPE to promote effective participation in future IDC among RDNs. Objectives: To examine overall dietetic student attitudes of …

Docosahexaenoic Acid May Reduce Risk Factors Of Cancer Development In A Mouse Model Of Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer, Eliza Stewart, Marcus Hayden

Student Research Symposium

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and has increased incidence in developed countries. There is a close link between CRC and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A main symptom of IBD is colitis, which is inflammation of the colon. Diet plays a key role in the development of CRC, specifically a Western-type diet, which is characterized by energy dense and nutrient deficient foods. This dietary pattern is associated with both increased inflammation and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome, two factors that contribute to the development of CRC. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that …

Factors That Influence Dietetic Interns' Dietary Practices, Jenna Sacks, Breann Mcfarlane, Courtney Weese, Katie Thompson

Student Research Symposium

Background: The dietetic internship is a rigorous supervised practice experience that all future registered dietitians must complete. Research suggests that environmental and social factors may affect dietary choices. No studies have been done to evaluate if the rigorous internship experience affects interns’ dietary practices. Objective: The objective of this focus group research study was to gather opinions from various dietetic interns to understand what factors of the internship experience, if any, affected interns’ dietary habits and preferences. It was hypothesized that environmental and social factors from the dietetic internship would impact interns’ dietary habits. Design: Qualitative data was collected via …

The Effect Of Diet On Muc2 Gene Expression In The Colon Mucosa, Abi Weaver

Student Research Symposium

The objective of this study is to determine how a change in diet affects the expression of Muc2 in the colon mucosa at three different timepoints of inflammation.

Creating Sustainable, High-Performance Silkworm Fibers Inspired By Neurodegenerative Disease (Amyloids), Gavin Christensen

Student Research Symposium

Amyloids present in neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s, have a devastating effect on neurons at a microscopic level. The aggregation of amyloid plaque in neuronal synapses prevents communication between brain cells, resulting in decreased cognitive function. The ability of amyloids to form these plaques on a microscopic scale can potentially increase the strength of silkworm silk fibers when utilized on a macroscopic scale. Amyloids, by nature, have a high beta sheet concentration that forms beta nanocrystals when incorporated into the silkworm genome via CRISPR-Cas9. Silkworm silk, with select amyloid and spider silk gene sequences, poses a strong candidate for a biosynthetic …

The Effects Of Strength And Conditioning Training On The Health Of College Students, Brynli Bleak

Student Research Symposium

Does participation in Strength and Conditioning (S & C) classes have a positive effect on the physical, emotional, mental, and social health of college students? This study was designed to measure and explore different markers of physical, mental, emotional, and social health from participants in Strength and Conditioning classes. Class participants were asked to complete a survey to self report the effects of the training on various aspects of their life. Data were analyzed and compared to national averages for college students, and correlation tests were conducted to identify relationships in the reported effects. The study found that no significant …

A Study On The Impact Of Diet On Unified Fire Authority Firefighter Performance, Marin Easton

Student Research Symposium

Objective: This project aimed to examine the impact of nutrition knowledge, dietary intake, and physical activity on firefighters’ performance on their routine physical assessment (RPA) Methodology: Members of the Unified Fire Authority were invited via email to participate in this cross-sectional study. Participants (N=92) completed a 40-question survey that assessed specialized diet adherence, dietary intake, nutrition knowledge (using questions from the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire; 1 point for each correct answer [26 points possible]), regular physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and perceived physical performance on their RPA. Based on their responses, participants were categorized into one of two groups: …

Fruits Of Nandina Domestica Are (Sometimes) Cyanogenic And (Sometimes) Hazardous To Birds, Scott Zona

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

A 12-month survey of cyanogenesis in the fruits and leaves of Nandina domestica (Berberidaceae) revealed that the leaves are strongly cyanogenic throughout the year, as measured by the Feigl-Anger test. Fruits vary in their cyanogenic potential depending on the degree of ripeness and clone. Green fruits are strongly and rapidly cyanogenic, but most ripe fruits are weakly and slowly cyanogenic. Some fruits tested negative for cyanide. Fruits tend to become less cyanogenic the longer they remain on the plant, so birds feeding on older fruits are at a lower risk of poisoning. More than other frugivores, cedar waxwings (Bombycilla …

The Utah Statesman, April 4, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Cultural Competency In Usu Extension: Impact Of Professional Development For Latino Outreach Programs, Celina G. Wille, Lendel K. Narine

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

In response to the growing Latino population in Utah, USU Extension faculty participated in trainings to build their cultural competency and engage with Latino audiences. The professional development series were attended by 186 Extension professionals. A 2021 follow-up study reported that 52% of respondents who participated in the training are currently engaging in Latino outreach programs.

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, April 7, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

1. Approval of 3 March 2022 Minutes
2. Program Proposals
3. Semester Course Approval Reviews https://usu.curriculog.com/
4. Other Business New Curriculum Subcommittee Chair appointment. Acceptance of membership for 2022-2023 academic year.

Program Proposals

• Request from the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences to offer a new specialization (Bioinformatics and Computational Biology) to the MS and PhD degrees of Plant Science.
• Request from the Department of Theatre Arts in the Caine College of the Arts to change the name of the Theatre Arts Theatre Education Certification Option BFA to Theatre Arts Education BFA.
• Request from the Department …

Goose Feces Effects On Subarctic Soil Nitrogen Availability And Greenhouse Gas Fluxes, Karen H. Beard, Katharine C. Kelsey, Ryan T. Choi, Jeffrey M. Welker, A. Joshua Leffler

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Vertebrate herbivore excrement is thought to influence nutrient cycling, plant nutrition, and growth; however, its importance is rarely isolated from other aspects of herbivory, such as trampling and leaf removal, leaving questions about the extent to which herbivore effects are due to feces. We hypothesized that as a source of additional nutrients, feces would directly increase soil N concentrations and N₂O emission, alleviate plant, and microbial nutrient limitations, resulting in increased plant growth and foliar quality, and increase CH₄ emissions. We tested these hypotheses using a field experiment in coastal western Alaska, USA, where we manipulated goose …

The Utah Statesman, March 14, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes March 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of 3 February 2022 Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 2:49 pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Meeting Agenda, March 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Agenda

• Approval of 3 February 2022 Minutes
  
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews https://usu.curriculog.com/
• College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences AVTE = 27
• Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services COMD = 11 ELED = 1 HDFS = 1 KHS = 1 ITLS = 12 SPED = 2 TEAL = 1
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences SOCA = 1 IELI = 2
• S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources WILD = 2
• Other Business

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, March 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Agenda

• Approval of 3 February 2022 Minutes.
  
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Matthew Sanders) Course Approvals – 61
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher) Minutes – No meeting
• General Education Subcommittee (Lee Rickords) Minutes – January 18, 2022 and February 15, 2022
• Other Business
• Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning CIP Code Change

Double Up Food Bucks Csa Program, Hannah Martin, Kelsey Hall

Applied Sciences, Technology and Education Faculty Publications

Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up) is a statewide produce incentive program that allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers to access more locally growth, fresh vegetables and fruits at farmers markets, farm stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs. A program of the Utah Department of Health, the benefits of Double Up and SNAP are four-fold: (1) families with low income eat more healthy food, (2) local farmers gain new customers and make more money, (3) more food dollars stay in the local economy, and (4) your community gains increased awareness of your CSA for participation in the Double …

Double Up Food Bucks Farm Stand Program, Hannah Martin, Kelsey Hall

Applied Sciences, Technology and Education Faculty Publications

Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up) is a statewide produce incentive program that allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formally known as food stamps program, customers to access more locally grown, fresh vegetables and fruits at farmers markets, farm stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs. A program of the Utah Department of Health, the benefits of Double Up and SNAP are three-fold: families with low income eat more healthy food, local farmers gain new customers and make more money, and more food dollars stay in the local economy.

Factors Contributing To Bee Decline, Ann Mull, Jaydee Gunnell, Sheriden M. Hansen, Ricardo Ramirez, Andree' Walker Bravo, Cody Zesiger, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Bees provide an important ecosystem service by contributing to the pollination of crop and wild plant species. Many factors have been attributed to bee declines, including habitat loss, improper apiary management, pesticide usage, climate change, pests and pathogens, competition among native and introduced bee species, poor nutrition, and other factors (Koh et al., 2016; Goulson et al., 2015; Graves et al., 2020; Soroye et al., 2020). Acting together, these factors intensify the pressure for survival beyond the adaptability of many species. This fact sheet reviews the factors contributing to decline in bee populations and what can be done to protect …

How To Promote Intuitive Eating In Adolescents, Madeline Peterson, Stacy Bevan, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Brooke Parker

All Current Publications

Intuitive eating is a pattern of eating that includes awareness of hunger and fullness cues and encourages an appropriate and respectful response to them. It is a non-diet approach to eating and is not focused on weight loss or weight gain—although changes in weight can occur for individuals who adopt or practice intuitive eating. This fact sheet discusses how to promote intuitive eating in adolescents as a way to build a healthier relationship with food and improve body image.

Assessing The Psychometric Properties Of The Who-Das 2.0 In An American Indian Community, Thoin F. Begum, Gayle Skawennio Morse, Dedra Buchwald, David O. Carpenter

Journal of Indigenous Research

American Indians and Alaska Natives report disability at rates higher than the general United States population. This disproportionate prevalence of disability warrants further investigation. We therefore administered the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) to 119 Akwesasne Mohawk adults over 50 years of age residing along the St. Lawrence River in New York. We used exploratory factor analysis to summarize the 36-items comprising the WHODAS 2.0. The 7 factors retained by the analyses correspond to the 6 summary domains of disability, suggesting that the data are sound and measure the intended constructs. Our assessment concludes that WHODAS 2.0 …

Precipitation Is A Strong Predictor Of Airborne Ammonia Levels., Bridger Jorgensen, Casey Olson, Connor Snow

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Connor has lived in the Uintah Basin all his life and studies kinesiology. Senior Casey, a Cache Valley native, studies climate science and works at the Utah Climate Center. Junior Bridger, also of Cache Valley, studies nutrition science. They led and funded this project through a student grant. Casey was alarmed by the ammonia data he was collecting at the Climate Center. “I immediately began to wonder how this issue would evolve over the coming decades.” The three teamed up to take a look at how Logan’s record-breaking amount of ammonia in our air is impacting those who …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Minutes

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes
  
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews https://usu.curriculog.com/
• College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences ADVS = 8 APEC = 3 ASTE = 11 AVTE = 49 (BCIS & BUSN hold all requests | including BCIS & BUSN all) LAEP = 30 NDFS = 21 OPDD = 1 PSC = 1
• Caine College of the Arts MUSC = 1 THEA = 9
• Jon M. Huntsman School of Business ACCT = 10 ECN = 9 DATA = 35 MSLE = 1
• Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services COMD = 10 HDFS = 1 …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Minutes

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes Minutes approved as distributed.
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Matthew Sanders Course Approvals – 280
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)
• General Education Subcommittee (Lee Rickords)
• Other Business

Interdevice Reliability Of A-Mode Ultrasound To Measure Body Composition, Megan Bigler, Dale R. Wagner, R. Stephan Lowry

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

A-mode ultrasound is a noninvasive, rapid method for measuring subcutaneous fat thickness and estimating body fat percentage (%BF). Validity and reliability of the BodyMetrix BX2000 A-mode ultrasound has been reported; however, this study aimed to compare results from two machines to determine interdevice reliability. Ultrasound measures were repeated with two BX2000 machines at 10 body sites (chest, biceps, triceps, scapula, lower back, hip, waist, thigh, calf, axilla) on 42 males of varying age and leanness (age: 28.6±11.9 y, BMI: 25.4±4.6 kg/m2). The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.939 to 0.998 with standard errors of measurement from 0.31 to 0.58 mm …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of 2 December 2021 Minutes. Minutes approved as distributed.
• Subcommittee Reports
• a. Curriculum Subcommittee
• b. Academic Standards Subcommittee
• c. General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business (USHE)

Which Exercise Interventions Can Most Effectively Improve Reactive Balance In Older Adults? A Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis, Youngwook Kim, Michael N. Vakula, David A. E. Bolton, Christopher J. Dakin, Brennan J. Thompson, Timothy A. Slocum, Masaru Teramoto, Eadric Bressel

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: Reactive balance is the last line of defense to prevent a fall when the body loses stability, and beneficial effects of various exercise-based interventions on reactive balance in older adults have been reported. However, their pooled evidence on the relative effects has yet to be described. Objective: To review and evaluate the comparative effectiveness of various exercise-based interventions on reactive balance in older adults. Methods: Nine electronic databases and reference lists were searched from inception to August 2021. Eligibility criteria according to PICOS criteria were as follows: (1) population: older adults with the mean age of 65 years or …