Digital Commons Network^™

Surveying And Evaluating Pests And Beneficial Insects In Utah's Vegetable Production, Nick Volesky, Amelia Olds, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

The Utah State University (USU) Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program conducted a season-long survey evaluating arthropod pests, plant diseases, pollinators, and other beneficials on a ¼-acre vegetable farm and adjacent pollinator habitat located in Logan, Utah. Understanding the roles of these groups on plant health and the efficacy of nonchemical pest management approaches critically impacts the sustainability of Utah’s vegetable industry. Survey findings have been used as a reference for developing video content, fact sheets, and presentations to educate Utah’s commercial and small-acreage farmers.

Ozgene: To Advance Humanity – Inspire Curiosity, Maarit Patrick, Mike Dixon

Huntsman School of Business Teaching Scholarship Series

The case introduces the students to Ozgene, an Australian firm that experienced a dramatic reduction in lead time of their products because of implementation of Lean principles. The case can be used in undergraduate or graduate courses in operations management or supply chain management as an introduction to Lean principles. The case also encourages students to consider the challenges that make-to-order differ from those of make-to-stock and explore production design principles.

Changes In Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites In Captive Coyotes (Canis Latrans): Influence Of Gender, Time, And Reproductive Status, Eric M. Gese, Patricia A. Terletzky, Cole A. Bleke, Erika T. Stevenson, Susannah S. French

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Reproduction is considered an energetically and physiologically demanding time in the life of an animal. Changes in physiological stress are partly reflected in changes in glucocorticoid metabolites and can be measured from fecal samples. We examined levels of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) in 24 captive coyotes (Canis latrans) to investigate responses to the demands of reproduction. Using 12 pairs of coyotes (five pairs produced pups, seven pairs did not), we analyzed 633 fecal samples covering 11 biological periods (e.g., breeding, gestation, and lactation). Levels of fGCMs showed high individual variability, with females having higher fGCM levels than males. …

“...I Have My Dad, Sister, Brother, And Mom’S Password”: Unveiling Users’ Mental Models Of Security And Privacy-Preserving Tools, Prakriti Dumaru, Ankit Shrestha, Rizu Paudel, Cassity Haverkamp, Maryellen Mcclain Verdoes, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Purpose: Security and privacy-preserving tools (for brevity, we term them as ‘security tools’ in this paper, unless otherwise specified) are designed to protect the security and privacy of people in the digital environment. However, inappropriate use of these tools can lead to unexpected consequences that are preventable. Hence, it is significant to examine why users do not understand the security tools.

Methodology: We conducted a qualitative study with 40 participants in the USA to investigate the prevalent misconceptions of people regarding security tools, their perceptions of data access, and the corresponding impact on their usage behavior and data protection strategies. …

Merging Acceptance And Commitment Therapy With Exposure Exercises To Treat Social Anxiety In A Teen, Caleb D. Farley, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) often develops during teenager years, and it is important to conceptualize developmentally appropriate interventions. Exposure therapy framed from a perspective of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) shows promise for decreasing pathology and increasing wellbeing. This case illustrates the process through which exposure therapy was integrated with ACT to elicit meaningful outcomes in a case of SAD with a 16-year-old female. Treatment outcomes assessed included engagement in values-based activities as well as assessments of depression, social anxiety, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, experiential avoidance, and contextually targeted school-based wellbeing. Intervention centered on learning ACT principles through relatable metaphors …

Provoking Gut-Level Reactions: A Study On Journalistic Framing During The 2020 Meatpacking Crisis, Michelle Rossi, Patrick Ferrucci

Journalism and Communication Faculty Publications

This study investigates news frames used by mainstream news media in the United States to portray the 2020 meatpacking crisis. By integrating framing and animal standpoint theory, it reveals the mechanisms that perpetuate social ignorance about daily practices within the meat industry, particularly those that exclude the perspectives of farmed animals. Through an engagement with intersectional ecofeminism and Critical Animal and Media Studies (CAMS), the investigation probes the cyclical patterns of violence inflicted upon farmed animals in the meat industry as portrayed by news outlets, a phenomenon that simultaneously impacts marginalized human communities. The inclusion of farmed animals as news …

The Utah Statesman, November 13, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Relation Between Halogen Bond Strength And Ir And Nmr Spectroscopic Markers, Akhtam Amonov, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The relationship between the strength of a halogen bond (XB) and various IR and NMR spectroscopic quantities is assessed through DFT calculations. Three different Lewis acids place a Br or I atom on a phenyl ring; each is paired with a collection of N and O bases of varying electron donor power. The weakest of the XBs display a C–X bond contraction coupled with a blue shift in the associated frequency, whereas the reverse trends occur for the stronger bonds. The best correlations with the XB interaction energy are observed with the NMR shielding of the C atom directly bonded …

Microbial Glycosylation Of Antitubercular Agent Chlorflavonin, Jie Ren, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Flavonoids have shown health-benefiting properties, such as antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities, and are commonly used as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Although flavonoids are predominantly identified from plants, several filamentous fungal species have also been reported to produce bioactive flavonoids, including chlorflavonin from Aspergillus candidus, a novel halogenated flavonoid with potent antifungal and antitubercular (anti-TB) activities. Unfortunately, the low water-solubility of this molecule may hinder its bioavailability. Glycosylation is an effective method to enhance the polarity of natural products and alter their physicochemical properties. This work focuses on the development of novel water-soluble chlorflavonin derivatives to combat the threat of drug-resistant …

Invading Nonnative Frogs Use Different Microhabitats And Change Physiology Along An Elevation Gradient, Jack R. Marchetti, Susannah S. French, Emily E. Virgin, Erin L. Lewis, Kwanho C. Ki, Layne O. Sermersheim, George A. Brusch Iv, Karen H. Beard

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) was introduced to the island of Hawai'i in the 1980s, and has spread across much of the island. There is concern they will invade higher elevation areas where negative impacts on native species are expected. It is not known if coqui change behavior and baseline physiology in ways that allow them to invade higher elevations. We investigated where coqui are found across the island and whether that includes recent invasion into higher elevations. We also investigated whether elevation is related to coqui's microhabitat use, including substrate use and height off the forest floor, …

Are Plant–Soil Feedbacks Caused By Many Weak Microbial Interactions?, Julia K. Aaronson, Andrew Kulmatiski, Leslie E. Forero, Josephine Grenzer, Jeanette M. Norton

Wildland Resources Student Research

We used high-throughput sequencing and multivariate analyses to describe soil microbial community composition in two four-year field plant–soil feedback (PSF) experiments in Minnesota, USA and Jena, Germany. In descending order of variation explained, microbial community composition differed between the two study sites, among years, between bulk and rhizosphere soils, and among rhizosphere soils cultivated by different plant species. To try to identify soil organisms or communities that may cause PSF, we correlated plant growth responses with the microbial community composition associated with different plants. We found that plant biomass was correlated with values on two multivariate axes. These multivariate axes …

Curriculum Subcommittee Meeting Agenda November 2, 2023, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 5, 2023
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Education Policies Committee Meeting Agenda November 2, 2023, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 5, 2023
• Subcommittee Reports
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

The Utah Statesman, October 23, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Forest Composition Change And Biophysical Climate Feedbacks Across Boreal North America, Richard Massey, Brendan M. Rogers, Logan T. Berner, Sol Cooperdock, Michelle C. Mack, Xanthe J. Walker, Scott J. Goetz

Aspen Bibliography

Deciduous tree cover is expected to increase in North American boreal forests with climate warming and wildfire. This shift in composition has the potential to generate biophysical cooling via increased land surface albedo. Here we use Landsat-derived maps of continuous tree canopy cover and deciduous fractional composition to assess albedo change over recent decades. We find, on average, a small net decrease in deciduous fraction from 2000 to 2015 across boreal North America and from 1992 to 2015 across Canada, despite extensive fire disturbance that locally increased deciduous vegetation. We further find near-neutral net biophysical change in radiative forcing associated …

Student Goal Setting, Goal Tracking, And Goal Accomplishment, Jared Hansen, Paul Wilson, Jeff Christensen

Browse all Datasets

This dataset came from the research paper "Sustainably engaging student personal development in a distracting digital world through experiential goal setting and weekly goal tracking" coauthored by the researchers. The project examines the effects of student weekly goal tracking reports on student goal achievement. It also examines the effect of SMART goal elements and if the goal is sustainability focused. It controls for student biological sex and for student work team drama. Using student goal achievement (0/1) as the dependent variable, the authors apply binary logistic regression analysis to the data.

"It Doesn't Just Feel Like Something A Lawyer Slapped Together." Mental-Model-Based Privacy Policy For Third-Party Applications On Facebook, Rizu Paudel, Ankit Shrestha, Prakriti Dumaru, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Users are often unaware of the information that applications collect and are surprised by unexpected data collection and sharing practices. With numerous third-party applications on Facebook potentially accessing the personal information of billions of users, it is essential to understand users’ mental models of data sharing to help them make informed decisions. To achieve this, we conducted semi-structured interviews using drawings and think-aloud protocol with 32 participants. Our participants had misconceptions regarding third-party applications’ data sharing practices with varied mental models. Based on these findings, we created mental model-based privacy policy design that prompts users to consider a specific scenario …

Leveraging The Strengths Of Citizen Science And Structured Surveys To Achieve Scalable Inference On Population Size, Andrew N. Stillman, Paige E. Howell, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Emily R. Bjerre, Brian A. Millsap, Orin J. Robinson, Daniel Fink, Erica F. Stuber, Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Population size is a key metric for management and policy decisions, yet wildlife monitoring programmes are often limited by the spatial and temporal scope of surveys. In these cases, citizen science data may provide complementary information at higher resolution and greater extent.

2. We present a case study demonstrating how data from the eBird citizen science programme can be combined with regional monitoring efforts by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to produce high-resolution estimates of golden eagle abundance. We developed a model that uses aerial survey data from the western United States to calibrate high-resolution annual estimates of …

The Utah Statesman, October 9, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Psychosocial Development Measures Modification For Adolescents With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Myles Maxey, Troy E. Beckert, Diana Meter, Trenton Landon

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Background: Although diagnosis and identification of IDD is improving, adolescents with IDD receive limited attention in research, particularly concerning their psychosocial development. Measures developed and normed with typically developing populations may not be appropriate for IDD populations and may result in biased assessment. Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate modified psychosocial development assessments for adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), addressing the absence of such assessments.

Method: It involved two phases: modifying existing instruments and validating the revised versions. Four stakeholder groups participated: adolescents with IDD, parents, and scholars in adolescent developmental and disabilities. Validation included two …

Genomic And Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal Polygenic Architecture For Ecologically Important Traits In Aspen (Populus Tremuloides Michx.), Jennifer F. L. Riehl, Christopher T. Cole, Clay J. Marrow, Hilary L. Barker, Carolina Bernhardsson, Kennedy Rubert-Nason, Pär K. Ingvarsson, Richard L. Lindroth

Aspen Bibliography

Intraspecific genetic variations in foundation species such as aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) shapes their impact on forest structure and function. Identifying genes underlying ecologically important traits is key to understanding that impact. Previous studies, using single-locus genome-wide association (GWA) analyses to identify candidate genes, have identified fewer genes than anticipated for highly heritable quantitative traits. Mounting evidence suggests that polygenic control of quantitative traits is largely responsible for this "missing heritability" phenomenon. Our research characterized the genetic architecture of 30 ecologically important traits using a common garden of aspect through genomic and transcriptomic analyses. A multilocus association model revealed …

Cercocarpus Ledifolius Var. Intricatus ‘Doubledown’, Asmita Paudel, Youping Sun, Larry A. Rupp

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Bonsai (tray landscape, potted scenery, potted landscape, miniature trees, and rockery) is an artistic horticulture practice of developing aesthetically formed trees and landscapes in miniature with appropriately aesthetic containers. This has been practiced over a few thousand years in oriental cultures, including the ancient Chinese tradition of penzai or penjing, from which the art originated; the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ; and the Japanese variations of bonsai and “tray planting” (Gustafson 1995). To produce bonsai plants that share similar shapes and styles of mature, full-size trees, cultivation techniques are used, including leaf trimming, …

Irrigation Water Quality Sampling Guide, Burdette Barker, Matt Yost, Erin N. Rivers, Rhonda Miller, Kalen Taylor, Tiffany Evans

All Current Publications

Understanding irrigation water quality is an important part of irrigation water management. Water quality testing begins with identifying constituents for which to test. Proper sample collection is important for characterizing a water source. This fact sheet addresses water sampling, what to sample or test, irrigation equipment concerns, pollutants, and when, where, and how to sample.

Measuring The Phytochemical Richness Of Meat: Effects Of Grass/Grain Finishing Systems And Grapeseed Extract Supplementation On The Fatty Acid And Phytochemical Content Of Beef, Lucas Krusinski, Isabella C. F. Maciel, Stephan Van Vliet, Muhammad Ahsin, Guanqi Lu, Jason E. Rowntree, Jenifer I. Fenton

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Grass-finished beef (GFB) can provide beneficial bioactive compounds to healthy diets, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and secondary bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals. The objective of this study was to compare fatty acids (FAs), micronutrients, and phytochemicals of beef fed a biodiverse pasture (GRASS), a total mixed ration (GRAIN), or a total mixed ration with 5% grapeseed extract (GRAPE). This was a two-year study involving fifty-four Red Angus steers (n = 54). GFB contained higher levels of n-3 PUFAs, vitamin E, iron, zinc, stachydrine, hippuric acid, citric acid, and succinic …

Long-Term Herbivore Removal Experiments Reveal How Geese And Reindeer Shape Vegetation And Ecosystem Co2-Fluxes In High-Arctic Tundra, Matteo Petit Bon, Brage B. Hansen, Maarten J. J. E. Loonen, Alessandro Petraglia, Kari Anne Bråthen, Hanna Böhner, Kate Layton-Matthews, Karen H. Beard, Mathilde Le Moullec, Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir, René Van Der Wal

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Given the current rates of climate change, with associated shifts in herbivore population densities, understanding the role of different herbivores in ecosystem functioning is critical for predicting ecosystem responses. Here, we examined how migratory geese and resident, non-migratory reindeer—two dominating yet functionally contrasting herbivores—control vegetation and ecosystem processes in rapidly warming Arctic tundra.

2. We collected vegetation and ecosystem carbon (C) flux data at peak plant growing season in the two longest running, fully replicated herbivore removal experiments found in high-Arctic Svalbard. Experiments had been set up independently in wet habitat utilised by barnacle geese Branta leucopsis in summer and in …

Development And Initial Validation Of Scales For Coming Out Vigilance And Positive Coming Out Responses, Samuel J. Skidmore, G. Tyler Lefevor, Kiet D. Huynh, Connor O. Berg

Psychology Faculty Publications

Coming out involves sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) disclosing their identity to others, and is often related to improved health, well-being, and social support. However, coming out is not always perceived as a positive event, and outcomes of identity disclosure may vary depending on how coming out is approached and how others respond. The present study reports on the development and validation of the Coming Out Vigilance (COV) and the Positive Coming Out Responses (PCOR) measures. Two subsamples of SGMs with varying degrees of outness— totaling 399 individuals—were utilized in the development and validation of these measures. Exploratory and confirmatory …

Rising Coastal Groundwater As A Result Of Sea-Level Rise Will Influence Contaminated Coastal Sites And Underground Infrastructure, K. Hill, D. Hirschfeld, C. Lindquist, F. Cook, S. Warner

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Sea-level rise (SLR) will cause coastal groundwater to rise in many coastal urban environments. Inundation of contaminated soils by groundwater rise (GWR) will alter the physical, biological, and geochemical conditions that influence the fate and transport of existing contaminants. These transformed products can be more toxic and/or more mobile under future conditions driven by SLR and GWR. We reviewed the vulnerability of contaminated sites to GWR in a US national database and in a case comparison with the San Francisco Bay region to estimate the risk of rising groundwater to human and ecosystem health. The results show that 326 sites …

Dietary Patterns Of Children From The Amazon Region Of Ecuador: A Descriptive, Qualitative Investigation, Kristin N. Murphy, Lisa Boyce, Eduardo Ortiz, Marcela Santos, Gloria Balseca

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Many young children in Ecuador suffer from high rates of malnutrition and stunting that affect their long-term growth and development. Little is known about the dietary patterns of children from the Amazon region who experience some of the highest rates of stunting (height-for-age) within Ecuador. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 mothers of young children living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In addition to descriptions of overall dietary patterns, three themes emerged from the interviews relating to strengths mothers have in feeding their children healthy diets: knowledge, autonomous and independent children, and supportive and responsive parenting. Five themes were found relating …

The Utah Statesman, September 18, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

A Novel Fuzzy Relative-Position-Coding Transformer For Breast Cancer Diagnosis Using Ultrasonography, Yanhui Guo, Ruquan Jiang, Xin Gu, Heng-Da Cheng, Harish Garg

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women worldwide, and early detection is crucial for successful treatment. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have been developed to assist doctors in identifying breast cancer on ultrasound images. In this paper, we propose a novel fuzzy relative-position-coding (FRPC) Transformer to classify breast ultrasound (BUS) images for breast cancer diagnosis. The proposed FRPC Transformer utilizes the self-attention mechanism of Transformer networks combined with fuzzy relative-position-coding to capture global and local features of the BUS images. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated on one benchmark dataset and compared with those obtained by …