Digital Commons Network^™

Early Sibling Play Interactions As A Source Of Developmental Support For Toddlers: Observation Of Young Children's Developmental Support During Play With Toddler Siblings, Tasha L. Olson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The sibling relationship is a unique and important context for infant and early child development. Despite the important role of siblings and the unique aspects of the sibling relationship, sibling interactions are largely overlooked by scholars as a resource of potential developmental support. Identifying and fostering developmentally supportive interaction (DSI) behaviors in sibling relationships may expand available supports for children’s early development and may also support family well-being.

This study used a sample of 15 child-toddler sibling pairs to identify DSI behaviors in interactions between young children and their toddler-aged siblings, determine if and how well DSI behaviors could be …

Forecasting Fine Fuels In The Intermountain West Rangelands, Mira Ensley-Field

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this thesis project was to develop a fine fuels forecast to help fire managers anticipate spatial variation in fuel loads before the start of the fire season. In Chapter 1 we compile and analyze the methodologies of the historical record of fine fuel loads reported to the Great Basin Coordination Center. Based on our data analysis, we developed a series of recommendations for improving the methods used to sample fine fuels in the future as well as more broad ideas for how land managers can use emerging technologies to more effectively monitor fine fuels. In Chapter 2, …

Utah State University Commencement, 2022 - Uintah Basin Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2022 Commencement Ceremony for the Uintah Basin Campus of Utah State University.

Utah State University Commencement, 2022 - Eastern Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2022 Commencement Ceremony for the Eastern Campus of Utah State University.

Parents’ Perceptions Of The College Experiences Of Twice-Exceptional Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Joseph Madaus, Emily J. Tarconish, Shannon Langdon, Ashley Taconet, Nicholas W. Gelbar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder are accessing college in increasing numbers, and within this group, there is a cohort of academically talented students who can be considered twice-exceptional, or 2e-ASD. While research about college students with ASD is increasing, there is a relative dearth of literature about 2e-ASD college students, and their secondary transition and college experiences. The current study presents the results of individual interviews that were conducted with 10 parents of 2e-ASD college students to explore their perceptions of their children’s experiences, including what things went well and what were problematic areas. Parents described clear and early expectations …

Big Bud Disease In Tomatoes And Peppers, Claudia Nischwitz, Erin Petrizzo

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on the symptoms of big bud on tomatoes and peppers. It reviews the disease cycle and recommendations on controlling beet leafhopper and managing big bud disease in Utah.

Comparison Of Themes In Medieval And Modern French Literature, Lily Bourret

WLC/CSPH Symposium

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Avian-Inspired Morphing For Uav Flight Control, Christina Harvey, Lawren L. Gamble, Christian R. Bolander, Douglas F. Hunsaker, James J. Joo, Daniel J. Inman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The impressive maneuverability demonstrated by birds has so far eluded comparably sized uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). Modern studies have shown that birds’ ability to change the shape of their wings and tail in flight, known as morphing, allows birds to actively control their longitudinal and lateral flight characteristics. These advances in our understanding of avian flight paired with advances in UAV manufacturing capabilities and applications has, in part, led to a growing field of researchers studying and developing avian-inspired morphing aircraft. Because avian-inspired morphing bridges at least two distinct fields (biology and engineering), it becomes challenging to compare and contrast …

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 25, 2022, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Agenda

• Call to Order- Boyd Edwards, Approval of Minutes, March 28, 2022
• University Business- Noelle Cockett, President | Frank Galey, Provost
• Information- Paul Barr, Education Policies, April 7, 2022
• Reports

Budget and Faculty Welfare Annual Report-Jan Thornton

Committee on Committees Annual Report-Crissa Levin

Calendar Committee Annual Report -Renee Galliher

Recruitment and Retention Annual Report-Heidi

Kesler/Katie Jo North

• Old Business
• New Business

Faculty Code 403 Current | Changes | Final Clean-Scott Hunsaker

Faculty Senate President Elect- Boyd Edwards

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Membership-Boyd Edwards

(College of Engineering – USU Eastern) Format for 2022-2023 Faculty Senate Meetings-John Ferguson

May …

The Utah Statesman, April 18, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Utah State University Commencement, 2022 - Brigham City, Kaysville & Tremonton Campuses, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2022 Commencement Ceremony for the Brigham City, Kaysville & Tremonton Campuses of Utah State University.

Soil Depth And Precipitation Moderate Soil Textural Effects On Seedling Survival Of A Foundation Shrub Species, Kari E. Veblen, Kyle C. Nehring, Michael C. Duniway, Anna Knight, Thomas A. Monaco, Eugene W. Schupp, Janis L. Boettinger, Juan J. Villalba, Stephen Fick, Colby Brungard, Eric Thacker

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

In drylands, there is a need for controlled experiments over multiple planting years to examine how woody seedlings respond to soil texture and the potentially interactive effects of soil depth and precipitation. Understanding how multiple environmental factors interactively influence plant establishment is critical to restoration ecology and in this case to broadscale restoration efforts in western U.S. drylands dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). We planted sagebrush seedlings across a range of soil textures and depths in the southern portion of the species' range, on the Colorado Plateau, USA. We evaluated survival of repeated plantings of caged and …

Working At The Intersections: Critical Race Scholarship And Pedagogy Today, Avery C. Edenfield, Isaiah Jones, Emma Mecham, Christy M. Glass

Intersections on Inclusion: Critical Conversations about the Academy

Recent conversations in Utah and nationwide highlight the debate and division surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT) in education. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the ways CRT informs and deepens our teaching, research, and community engagement in higher education. Panelists will explore how they use CRT in the classroom and in their research, and discuss how doing so advances USU’s mission of “cultivating diversity of thought and culture" and “serving the public through learning, discovery, and engagement.” Join us for an engaging—and celebratory—discussion that will reenergize our shared purpose in this work and build connections across our university.

Life And Death In A Dynamic Environment: Invasive Trout, Floods, And Intraspecific Drivers Of Translocated Populations, Brian D. Healy, Phaedra Budy, Mary M. Conner, Emily C. Omana Smith

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Understanding the relative strengths of intrinsic and extrinsic factors regulating populations is a long-standing focus of ecology and critical to advancing conservation programs for imperiled species. Conservation could benefit from an increased understanding of factors influencing vital rates (somatic growth, recruitment, survival) in small, translocated populations, which is lacking owing to difficulties in long-term monitoring of rare species. Translocations, here defined as the transfer of wild-captured individuals from source populations to new habitats, are widely used for species conservation, but outcomes are often minimally monitored, and translocations that are monitored often fail. To improve our understanding of how translocated populations …

The Utah Statesman, April 11, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Novel Nano-Sized, Chitosan-Coated, Meta-Vivianite And Its Solubility In An Electrolyte Solution And A Soil Saturated Paste Extract, Li-Ting Yen

Student Research Symposium

Iron (Fe) plays a vital role in plant growth as an essential micronutrient. However, Fe deficiency is common in plants cultivated in calcareous soils due to the formation of insoluble Fe oxides at high pH. Phosphorus deficiency (P) is also common in calcareous soils due to precipitation with calcium and or sorption to mineral surfaces. Metavivianite (metaVT) is a hydrated iron phosphate mineral containing both ferrous and ferric iron (Fe3-x2+Fex3+(PO4)2(OH)x∙(8-x)H2O). Chitosan (CTS), the N-deacetylated derivative of chitin, has antifungal and antibacterial properties in various applications, and it has been reported that chitosan improves plants’ defenses against a wide range of …

Synthetic Hagfish Slime: Mechanical Characterization, Hayden Johns, Spencer Walker

Student Research Symposium

Hagfish are ancient animals that eject a strong slime when attacked by predators. The slime that the hagfish emit is composed of protein strands that cause it to have incredible strength. To defend against foes, the Navy launches plastic ropes into the propellers of enemy warships in order to decrease the thrust of the motors. In a push to find a more biodegradable solution, the utilization of hagfish slime has shown greatpromise in stopping propellers.We hope to understand how this remarkable biomaterial withstands the impact of a sharp and quickly rotating propeller, while simultaneously reducing the thrust of the propeller. …

Utah Tick Surveillance, Keith Wilson

Student Research Symposium

As vectors of numerous dangerous pathogens, ticks are a public health concern around the world. In Utah, investigations are currently underway to determine the abundance of ticks in publicly accessible wilderness, as well as their capacity to be reservoirs for B. burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Current investigations are follow-up to prior surveillance in Utah and will help illuminate changes in tick distributions over time. The findings of these investigations will be of great value not only to researchers but also to the public as they recreate in tick habitat. This project presents one way to condense and …

Effects Of Patch Size And Nest Density On Artificial Nest Survival In Grasslands, Victoria L. Simonsen, Erica F. Stuber, Joseph J. Fontaine

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Habitat patch size is sometimes negatively associated with nest predation rates, but there remains considerable variation in its effect size. The area, shape, amount of edge, and quality of vegetation associated with a patch all correlate with patch size, and each can alter nest predation rates independently; however, the picture is further complicated because the patch itself is part of a larger landscape that may influence processes within the patch. To separate the effect of patch size from other ecological correlates of nest predation, we used artificial nests within a full factorial design where treatments included small and large habitat …

Impacts Of Cftr Mutations On Pulmonary Development In Sheep, Kaden Bunch

Student Research Symposium

Due to various mutations, the loss of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) function causes cystic fibrosis (CF), predisposing the lungs to chronic infection and inflammation. In young infants with CF, structural airway defects are increasingly recognized before the onset of significant lung disease, which suggests a developmental origin and a possible role in lung disease pathogenesis. The function of CFTR in lung development is unclear and developmental studies in humans with CF are not feasible. Young CF sheep show similar lung development and spontaneous postnatal lung disease similar to humans impacted by CF. We studied lung development in the …

Strawberry High Tunnel Effects On Different Forms Of Soil Nitrogen, Mark Kindred

Student Research Symposium

Nitrogen is an important component of plant nutrition. However, nitrogen in the soil comes in many different forms including some proteins, amino acids, and mineral nitrogen. Not all of these forms are available to plants. Things that affect the availability of nitrogen are temperature, moisture, and chemical composition of the material. It is difficult for organic farmers sourcing nitrogen because of low nitrogen content and availability from organic sources. However some plants can better utilize organic forms of nitrogen when it is available. This experiment examines how temperature affects different forms of inorganic and organic nitrogen. Additionally, it will explore …

Transgenic Mice Demonstrate The Level Of Contribution Of Protein Cd38 To Nad+ Decline Seen In Human Aging, Abby Tucker

Student Research Symposium

Niacin (NAD+) is a a vital molecule in human metabolism. NAD+ decline with age is well documented and low NAD+ levels may cause aging symptoms, however the molecular cause of NAD+ decline is poorly understood. Few pathways in the human metabolism fully consume NAD+ as it is usually recycled to NADH. One protein found on immune cells, called CD38, does fully consume NAD+ in its reaction, and so it may contribute to niacin deficiency by depleting the NAD+ in the body over time. To determine CD38’s role in causing niacin deficiency and aging, we knocked out the CD38 gene in …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Oxytocin Receptor Mutations, Oxytocin Receptor Binding And Autism, Ethan Dayley

Student Research Symposium

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common neurological disorder with a wide range of symptoms, many of them social in nature. Although there is a large body on research regarding ASD, up until now there is no gene-brain-behavior link that has shown the exact cause of ASD. In 2018, Dr. Sara Freeman's research showed differences in oxytocin receptor (OXTR) binding density in two brain regions between typically developing and ASD individuals. Here we show that about 50% of the variation seen in Dr. Freeman's study can be explained by genetic variations (single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) in the OXTR gene, …

Prosthesis Grip Optimization, Taylor Thompson

Student Research Symposium

Custom prosthetics can be extremely expensive and any that are covered by health insurance have limited mobility. Those issues can become compounded when a young child outgrows their prosthetics quickly. One current solution to overcome these problems is 3D printed prosthetic hands. These can be produced quickly and be custom fit for the user, however, they are limited in mobility and grip options.The goal of this project was to develop a prosthesis that allowed each finger to move independently to increase mobility and grip options. After researching, designing, modeling, and printing, that goal was accomplished. The end product is a …

Meso-Biliverdin Ixα Production By Conversion Of Cyanobacteria-Derived Phycocyanobilin​, Clayton Lords, Matt Armbrust, Abby Edward, Nathan Harward, Keetch Mecham

Student Research Symposium

Meso-biliverdin IXα (MBV) is a valuable bioproduct with antioxidant and cytoprotective properties that is of great interest and importance forthe medical industry as an anti-inflammatory, agricultural industry as a livestock feed additive, and other commercial applications. MBV is aheme-derivedbilinthat can be synthesized by chemical conversion of cyanobacterial phycocyanobilin (PCB). Phycocyanin (PC) is an abundantpigment composed of protein complexed with PCB and responsible for harvesting light for photosynthesis by cyanobacteria. Logan LagoonsCyanobacteria 2 (LLC2) is a novel strain of cyanobacteria recently discovered in Logan, Utah that produces PC in appreciable amounts. LLC2 iscapable of growing with shale/oil extraction-derived produced water as …

The Need For Gender Neutral Spaces, Ainsley Statham

Student Research Symposium

An ongoing problem all over the country are universities and the lack of gender-neutral spaces. Students all over are asking for safe and welcoming spaces so they do not have to fear for their safety while on campus. Over the last 10 years, universities have started to adapt their already built spaces to accommodate the needs of their students and faculty by making them gender neutral. I started to research what universities in the country are going above and beyond to make sure their students are safe in contrast to the not-so-great campuses that choose to ignore their students needs. …

Ecofeminism And The Domination Of Women In Moana, Jessica Marinho

Student Research Symposium

A rhetorical analysis of Moana through an ecofeminist theory lense, drawing on the parallels of the objectification and domination of women through the character of Maui.

Modeling The Extended Low And Sudden High Periods Of Activity In Infectious Diseases, Dana Strong

Student Research Symposium

This research explores how the aggregation of individuals during disease spread may, in conjunction with noise, explain how some diseases’ trajectories spend some time at low numbers after which there is a sudden outbreak.

Assessing Bacterial Adhesion To Metallic Coating On Silicone For Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters, Lexi Phillips, Trent Peterson, Mark Mortensen

Student Research Symposium

The aim of this project is to design a test to demonstrate the effectiveness of a coating applied to the lumen of peritoneal catheter extensions to reduce biofilm formation. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients currently struggle with infections caused by biofilm growth in the intraluminal tubing. Once established, biofilms are very difficult to get rid of and can cause reoccurring infection issues which can lead to a discontinuation of PD, poorer quality of life, and a greater risk of death. Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) has recognized similar problems with their patients and seeks to reduce infection rates. Fresenius Medical …

Bioprinting Of Hagfish Keratin Proteins, Nathan Harward

Student Research Symposium

Proteins make up most tissue scaffolding within the human body, making novel proteinaceous biomaterials highly sought-after since they can be designed to mimic the natural ECM of various tissues. Hagfish secrete a proteinaceous slime when threatened that clogs the gills of predators, and the keratin proteins found in the slime show promise as a potential tissue scaffold material. In this study, recombinant hagfish proteins were used to formulate a bioink which was crosslinked into hydrogels. Characterization of the hydrogel porosity and mechanical properties revealed a tunable nature valuable for artificial tissue scaffold engineering. The availability of in-house genetic modification of …