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Antimicrobial Activity Of Artemisia Tridentata, David Suisse, Kayla Suisse Apr 2021

Antimicrobial Activity Of Artemisia Tridentata, David Suisse, Kayla Suisse

Student Research Symposium

Many plants and fungi secrete substances to adjust their environment to be more favorable to their needs. These secondary metabolites include chemicals emitted to kill other plants or microbes that would otherwise endanger or compete with the original plant. One such example is that of penicillin—extracted from a mold by Alexander Fleming in the 1920s. Fleming found that the growth of staphylococci, a bacterium, which shared the plate with the mold was inhibited. Penicillin, a secondary metabolite created by the mold, quickly became a well-known and useful antimicrobial agent and an ingredient in many drugs. Aspirin has a similar, if …

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Factors Associated With Financial Stress In The U.S., Paula Andrea Lopez Apr 2021

Factors Associated With Financial Stress In The U.S., Paula Andrea Lopez

Student Research Symposium

Overall consumer debt reached $4.1 trillion in the U.S. (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2020). When individuals find themselves under challenging financial circumstances, they can become susceptible to emotional side effects and experience severe financial stress. It is, therefore, timely and important to examine to what extent certain financial stressors increase individuals’ financial stress levels. Using data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this study examined the relationship between financial stressors and financial stress and investigated factors associated with financial stress among adults in the U.S. In this study, financial stress level was measured by summing three …

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Lunar Exploration Key For Advancing American Technology, International Status, Access To Resources, Cara Frischkorn Apr 2021

Lunar Exploration Key For Advancing American Technology, International Status, Access To Resources, Cara Frischkorn

Student Research Symposium

In 1962, President Kennedy challenged America to reach the moon within the decade. America succeeded, but did not leave any infrastructure behind for a continued presence there. Since then, various American Presidents have attempted to invoke similar challenges for space exploration, to little avail. Progress has been made in the exploration of space, and the International Space Station has provided countless scientific breakthroughs along with encouraging international cooperation. However, humans have not left low Earth orbit since 1972. With China’s space program steadily accelerating and many other countries rapidly increasing their own space capabilities, this would be an ideal time …

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Roles Of Nad In Dna Repair And Response To Oxidative Stress, Micah Forbush Apr 2021

Roles Of Nad In Dna Repair And Response To Oxidative Stress, Micah Forbush

Student Research Symposium

It has become a common trend for people to start their families at a later age, often due to lifestyle choices like achieving career goals first and waiting to achieve financial stability. Along with this trend of increasing parental age comes another, the decrease in fertility. While it is well established that female fertility declines significantly with age, current research is showing that male fertility may be impacted just as much. NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is an important biochemical cofactor in most metabolic reactions, and importantly, is it also essential for DNA repair. As age increases in humans, the amount …

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Variation In Anuran Digit Lengths Between Microhabitats, Rylee Dalton Apr 2021

Variation In Anuran Digit Lengths Between Microhabitats, Rylee Dalton

Student Research Symposium

Anuran species occupy a wide variety of microhabitats, including arboreal, semiarboreal, burrowing, aquatic, semi-aquatic, torrent, and terrestrial habitats. Previous research found relationships between pelvic and limb morphology and microhabitat in anurans, providing insight into how the anuran skeleton may have evolved in response to selection pressures associated with microhabitat. In this study, we analyze the relationship between anuran digit length and microhabitat to determine if and how digit length varies by microhabitat. We measured individual digit segments in over 250 species using microcomputed topography scanning and Meshlab. We used phylogenetic generalized least squares to test the relationship between digit segment …

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Time-Domain Simulation Of Acoustic Wave Scattering And Internal Propagation From Gas Bubbles Of Various Shapes, Jiacheng Hou Apr 2021

Time-Domain Simulation Of Acoustic Wave Scattering And Internal Propagation From Gas Bubbles Of Various Shapes, Jiacheng Hou

Student Research Symposium

The acoustic scattering of a resonant entity can be applied to various areas including underwater acoustics, biomedical acoustics, physical acoustics, and bioacoustics. It is convenient to detect mine under the seabed, school fish swim bladders, and diagnose human organs based on the voiceprint of their acoustic scattering. Therefore, understanding the behaviors and properties of scattering is important. Theoretical studies for scattering field outside an ideal spherical gas bubble have been well-developed and compared with numerous simulation and experimental researches, and the concept of shape factor was obtained for more general cases of an ideal gas bubble. The resonance frequency and …

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Wabi-Sabi: Improving Mental And Physical Health In The Built Environment, Kyler Sullivan Apr 2021

Wabi-Sabi: Improving Mental And Physical Health In The Built Environment, Kyler Sullivan

Student Research Symposium

Japanese design (Wabi-sabi) influences far beyond aesthetics and form; it is instilled in interiors and lifestyles of the people. Philosophies stemming from Shintoism and Japanese Buddhism formed over centuries to create the seven pillars of Wabi-sabi: Kanso (simplicity), Fukinsei (asymmetry), Shibui (beauty in the understated), Shizen (naturalness), Yugen (subtle grace), Datsuzoku (freedom from habit), and Seijaku (tranquility). These principles have been incorporated extensively in Japan for many generations due to their positive effect on mental health and individual spirituality.Mental health has risen to be a high priority among any who deal with the daily stresses of life. In 2013, the …

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China Becoming The First Artificial Intelligence Superpower Widens Tech Gap, Poses New Threats, Henry Blackburn Apr 2021

China Becoming The First Artificial Intelligence Superpower Widens Tech Gap, Poses New Threats, Henry Blackburn

Student Research Symposium

President Xi Jinping declared in October 2017 “We will….speed-up development of intelligent military [AI], and improve combat capabilities for joint operations based on the network information system and the ability to fight under multi-dimensional conditions. China continued in 2017 and was among the first nations to advance in a national-AI development strategy that broadly address AI’s role in economic development.This presentation is focused on these technological developments of AI and what that means for the US. Presentation Time: Wednesday, 3-4 p.m.

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Could Video Intervention Be The Future? Effectiveness Of Informational Video On Autism Spectrum Disorder Knowledge, Jennifer Ha Apr 2021

Could Video Intervention Be The Future? Effectiveness Of Informational Video On Autism Spectrum Disorder Knowledge, Jennifer Ha

Student Research Symposium

The aim of this project is to research whether an informatic video and/or a written infographic will increase knowledge of autism spectrum disorder. The research question is: how effective is an informatic video intervention in increasing knowledge about ASD? The design of this project is a pre-test-post-test design. Participants will complete an ASD knowledge test and then receive either the video intervention, reading intervention, or no intervention (control), and then complete the ASD knowledge test after the condition has been administered. The ASD knowledge test will be randomized to prevent memorization. Participants who have a child with ASD will be …

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Psychosocial Well-Being Of Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Kelsey Baughman Apr 2021

Psychosocial Well-Being Of Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Kelsey Baughman

Student Research Symposium

Background: Psychosocial well-being can interfere with engagement in activities of daily life. Consideration of psychosocial domains within hearing health care can expand audiologists’ ability to understand treatment barriers and provide an opportunity to jointly address challenges. Purpose: This study explored psychosocial well-being and predictors among adults who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Research Design: Cross-sectional survey.Study Sample: Two-hundred and sixty-nine surveys were included in the analysis.Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected online. Backward elimination regression analyses were used to identify significant predictors of psychosocial well-being.Results: Findings indicated most (70–80%) of the respondents’ scores were below clinical cut-off …

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Music's Emotional "Journey", Nicholas Welch, Indigo Rollins-Carlson, Jacob Page, Stanley Ogden Apr 2021

Music's Emotional "Journey", Nicholas Welch, Indigo Rollins-Carlson, Jacob Page, Stanley Ogden

Student Research Symposium

Music has an emotion-evoking effect on its audience through form. This is exemplified throughout history, but we will be focusing on 'Don't Stop Believin' ' by Journey as a prime example. Part of this influence is due to the fact that it contrast with other widely-used forms. Presentation Time: Thursday, 3-4 p.m.

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Revegetation Of Native Plant Communities In Great Salt Lake Wetlands: The Effects Of Native Seed Mix Composition And Sowing Density, Laura Beck Apr 2021

Revegetation Of Native Plant Communities In Great Salt Lake Wetlands: The Effects Of Native Seed Mix Composition And Sowing Density, Laura Beck

Student Research Symposium

One of the threats currently facing Great Salt Lake wetlands is Phragmites australis. Its rapid expansion since 1987 has displaced native vegetation and changed the composition of plant communities. Removal is very costly and takes multiple years of different treatments like herbicide, mowing, and flooding. To ensure Phragmites australis does not return, native seeds will need to be sown. This experiment is to determine the best seed composition and sowing density. In the USU greenhouse, I will sow four different native seed mixes: 100% desirable perennial natives, 75% perennial natives and 25% fast growing natives, 50% perennial natives and 50% …

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Ensemble Kernel Density Estimators, Ethan Ancell Apr 2021

Ensemble Kernel Density Estimators, Ethan Ancell

Student Research Symposium

Kernel density estimators are nonparametric techniques used to estimate probability density functions of random variables. Recent work has shown that optimally weighted ensembles of nonparametric estimators can be used to achieve a parametric rate of convergence in various problems, including the problem of estimating information divergence functionals. However, this theory has not yet been adapted to kernel density estimators and is currently being explored. The differences between the information divergence problem and the kernel density estimation case are discussed, as well as various unproven theoretical properties that would imply the existence of a weighted ensemble of kernel density estimators that …

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Extendable And Invertible Manifold Learning With Geometry Regularized Autoencoders, Andres Duque Apr 2021

Extendable And Invertible Manifold Learning With Geometry Regularized Autoencoders, Andres Duque

Student Research Symposium

A fundamental task in data exploration is to extract simplified low dimensional representations that capture intrinsic geometry in data, especially for faithfully visualizing data in two or three dimensions. Common approaches to this task use kernel methods for manifold learning. However, these methods typically only provide an embedding of fixed input data and cannot extend to new data points. Autoencoders have also recently become popular for representation learning. But while they naturally compute feature extractors that are both extendable to new data and invertible (i.e., reconstructing original features from latent representation), they have limited capabilities to follow global intrinsic geometry …

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Red Velvet By: Lolita Chakrabarti, Designs & Research By: Lauren Haskins, Lauren Haskins Apr 2021

Red Velvet By: Lolita Chakrabarti, Designs & Research By: Lauren Haskins, Lauren Haskins

Student Research Symposium

My project was to research and design the play 'Red Velvet' by Lolita Chakrabarti. The play is primarily set in the 1830's during the anti-slavery protests. The play follows the actor Ira Aldridge as he discovers what it is like being a black performer during this time. My presentation will include research about the clothing of this era, the accessories, and hairstyles. Along with my design plates for each character. Presentation Time: Thursday, 3-4 p.m.

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Ai-Driven Drone Swarms Pose Multiple Security Threats To The Us Military, Andy Pierucci Apr 2021

Ai-Driven Drone Swarms Pose Multiple Security Threats To The Us Military, Andy Pierucci

Student Research Symposium

The United States (US) faces threats from a variety of state actors including strategic competitors (i.e. China and Russia), regional powers (i.e. Iran), weak or failed states (i.e. North Korea) and numerous non-state actors including international and domestic terrorist organizations and lone wolf radicals. As drones become more autonomous, nimbler, and less expensive they are becoming easier for state and non-state actors to manufacture or purchase and improve. Artificial intelligence (AI) driven drone swarms pose a unique threat for the US military. Advances in AI technology in the next five to ten years will expand drone capabilities, strategies, and tactics, …

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Ὁ Δρόμος: Testing The Charge At Marathon, 490 Bce, Daniel Porter Apr 2021

Ὁ Δρόμος: Testing The Charge At Marathon, 490 Bce, Daniel Porter

Student Research Symposium

In 490 BCE, a heavily outnumbered Greek force of mainly Athenians fought an invading Persian army at Marathon to preserve their freedom. According to Herodotus, the Hellenes charged at a run (δρόμος) across the plain, a distance of eight stades (.9 miles), to engage and subsequently repel the Persians. Herodotus continues on to claim that this was the first Greek charge. The reason for this was that the phalanx, the Greek military formation, required close ranks and heavy armor, so running was not easy. Modern historians have questioned Herodotus’ veracity as well as the actual plausibility of this event due …

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Bodily Autonomy And Mobility In The Book Of Margery Kempe, Sophia Thimmes Apr 2021

Bodily Autonomy And Mobility In The Book Of Margery Kempe, Sophia Thimmes

Student Research Symposium

Although women were faced with many rigid social and legal customs that favored men during the Middle Ages, they were still able to find ways to exercise a strong voice and fight for their desires while living in a sexist society, as The Book of Margery Kempe explores. The Book of Margery Kempe exemplifies the unethical constraints that were placed upon women’s mobility and bodily autonomy during the Middle Ages through exploring a narrative of a vocal, strong-willed woman as she navigates the societal restrictions of her time yet never hesitates to stand up for herself or for what she …

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The Integrative Trust-Expectancy Framework For Understanding Hearing Aid Non-Use: An Introduction And Call For Research, Heather Reid Apr 2021

The Integrative Trust-Expectancy Framework For Understanding Hearing Aid Non-Use: An Introduction And Call For Research, Heather Reid

Student Research Symposium

Research shows that 80% of the people who would benefit from hearing aids (HAs) are not using them (McCormack & Fortnum, 2013), despite the fact that HA use elevates quality of life for individuals (Yamada et al., 2017), reduces fatigue in daily life (Holman et al., 2019), and facilitates communication (Perepa, 2017). Increasing the number of people using HAs would benefit them in many aspects of their lives. Audiology research alone has not led to a significant increase in HA use to date, and thus a different approach is warranted. For this paper, we surveyed the literature at the intersection …

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Pharmacological Characterization Of The Oxytocin Receptor Antagonist L-368,899 For Coyote Receptors, Mckenna Rich, Hillary Ihrig Apr 2021

Pharmacological Characterization Of The Oxytocin Receptor Antagonist L-368,899 For Coyote Receptors, Mckenna Rich, Hillary Ihrig

Student Research Symposium

The neurohormone oxytocin influences many physiological pathways in animals, aiding in social behaviors, pair bonding, social recognition, and maternal behavior. A common strategy used to observe the influence of oxytocin on these behaviors is to disrupt oxytocin signaling, by blocking the oxytocin receptor (OXTR). This blockade can be achieved using antagonists which bind to the receptor and inhibit the subsequent activation of intracellular signaling pathways. We aimed to determine whether the commercially-available OXTR antagonist L-368,899 selectively binds to OXTR in coyote brains. L-368,899 selectively binds to OXTR in primates and has been used in animal behavior studies to block oxytocin-dependent …

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Fecal Microbiota Transfer (Fmt) From Tumor-Bearing Mice Fed The Total Western Diet (Twd) Does Not Contribute To A Higher Tumor Burden In Mice Fed A Healthy Diet, Porter Green Apr 2021

Fecal Microbiota Transfer (Fmt) From Tumor-Bearing Mice Fed The Total Western Diet (Twd) Does Not Contribute To A Higher Tumor Burden In Mice Fed A Healthy Diet, Porter Green

Student Research Symposium

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Diet and gut microbiome have shown to influence the development of colitis associated colorectal cancer (CAC). For this study, the goal was to determine the association between colon inflammation, diet and microbiome in the development of CAC in mice. The primary objective of this study was to determine the contribution of gut microbiota from mice donors who have previously consumed one of two basal diets: 1) the standard AIN93G diet, which is designed to promote rodent health; and 2) the total Western diet (TWD), …

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Shallow Slow Slip Events Documented With Hematite Themochronometry And Structural Analysis In An Exhumed Fault Zone In Mecca Hills, Ca, Alexandra Dimonte Apr 2021

Shallow Slow Slip Events Documented With Hematite Themochronometry And Structural Analysis In An Exhumed Fault Zone In Mecca Hills, Ca, Alexandra Dimonte

Student Research Symposium

Transient slow slip events are observed in the shallow portion of faults and are an important part of the earthquake cycle, but the influence of mineralogy on the mechanics of slow slip is poorly constrained. Outcrop to nanoscale structures and mineral textures observed in faults exhumed to the surface record evidence of varying slip rates in the past and may inform ongoing fault slip mechanisms. Hematite, an iron oxide mineral that precipitates in shallow faults, exhibits textures potentially diagnostic of slip rate and is amenable to (U-Th)/He thermochronometry. We report field and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of structures and …

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Financial Knowledge And Debt Repayment Behavior Of U.S. Households, Ellie Hansen Apr 2021

Financial Knowledge And Debt Repayment Behavior Of U.S. Households, Ellie Hansen

Student Research Symposium

A substantial amount of research indicates that debt is a problem in the United States. Financial knowledge has the potential to help U.S. households understand the impacts of holding high debt loads and the importance of positive debt repayment behavior. Research indicates that although U.S. households are in significant debt, those with financial knowledge were more likely to have healthy financial behaviors such as paying credit card balances in full, taking on the appropriate amount of student loan debt, and making on time mortgage payments (Mitchel & Lusardi, 2015). Using data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), this …

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Measuring Stress-Induced Hormone Levels In Dusky Grouse, Dominique Davis Apr 2021

Measuring Stress-Induced Hormone Levels In Dusky Grouse, Dominique Davis

Student Research Symposium

Very little is known ecologically about dusky grouse, an understudied upland game bird that is found throughout western North America. They are commonly hunted without comprehensive knowledge of their ecological importance, physiology, and life history. Our study is focused on dusky grouse that inhabit the eastern Great Basin ranges in White Pine County, Nevada where the landscape is predominantly open sagebrush valleys and patchy montane habitats. This species has adapted to living in this harsh, arid environment that is influenced by hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Stressors such as changes in climate, human interference, predation, habitat fragmentation, and …

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Effects Of Surface Roughening On Electron Yields Of Polished Cu And Al Samples, Trace Taylor Apr 2021

Effects Of Surface Roughening On Electron Yields Of Polished Cu And Al Samples, Trace Taylor

Student Research Symposium

The effects of imposing surface roughness on the electron yield (EY) of highly polished aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) samples were studied. Measured characteristics such as surface roughness, composition, contamination, oxidation, and charging are known to significantly affect EY, though quantitative models are not well established. Surface roughness is generally thought to cause the EY to decrease as the surface roughness increases for most incident electron energy levels by increasing the surface area for emitted secondary electrons to collide with the material, although recent studies have shown the interactions may be more complicated. Surface roughness for this study was characterized …

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Public Opinion Of Uas Integration, Katelynn Hall Apr 2021

Public Opinion Of Uas Integration, Katelynn Hall

Student Research Symposium

Recent innovations in both technology and regulations mean UAVs are rapidly moving forward and are expected to be introduced into communities for the delivery of goods and packages in the near future. The private sector is advancing UAV technology, and the public sector is preparing for its integration through new regulations and the determination of appropriate landing sites and other infrastructure needed for UAVs. However, prior research into the public opinion of the integration of this technology has been limited in depth and scope. As with any disruptive technology, public opinion is vital to UAVs successful integration. As a negative …

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Medicine And The Media, Baylee Dusenberry Apr 2021

Medicine And The Media, Baylee Dusenberry

Student Research Symposium

PROBLEM: The media has become a normalized part of American society. The use of media in reporting COVID-19 is a prime example of how media can impact a public's medical knowledge and opinion. The main concern: are people properly filtering the influx of information between evidence-based practices and medical opinion? With the accessibility of information comes a likelihood that the public isn't doing their part to fact-check what they're given. Inaccurate information can cause health issues among the public. STUDY DESIGN: The study design will be a representational online survey sent to American Adults ages 18 years and older. Univariate-ANOVA …

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Effects Of Irrigation Technology And Rate On Hemp Production, Tina Sullivan Apr 2021

Effects Of Irrigation Technology And Rate On Hemp Production, Tina Sullivan

Student Research Symposium

The industrial hemp industry is rapidly emerging in Utah - nearly 1,200 acres were permitted in the state in 2019, and new growers registered for 2020. Many questions remain on optimal production practices for this new and potentially high-value crop. Research throughout the United States is limited as more and more states issue hemp, smokable flower, and medical marijuana licenses. One for the first Utah outdoor research sites was set up for the 2020 growing season and will be repeated in 2021. Trials on fertilizer, variety, and irrigation and rate were tested in different spans (sections) of a lateral irrigation …

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Crispr And The Transhumanism Movement: Civilian And Military Ethics Reassessment Looming, Jennifer Ha Apr 2021

Crispr And The Transhumanism Movement: Civilian And Military Ethics Reassessment Looming, Jennifer Ha

Student Research Symposium

CRISPR/Cas9 is an emerging biotechnology that allows scientists to edit genes and modify, delete, or correct exact regions of a person’s DNA. This technology could be the future of medicine in eradicating different genetic diseases and disorders and enhancing the quality of life around the world. CRISPR can be used to treat different cancers, blood disorders, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and a variety of other diseases by going in and changing specific regions of DNA. However, why just eradicate disease when CRISPR can also enhance different characteristics, such as increase metabolism, improve eyesight, or enhance athletic ability? With the potential of …

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Rotc Cadets' Nutrition Knowledge & Behaviors: A Pilot Study, Mikaela Blake, Annika Israelsen, Tori Gossling, Jacob Lamb Apr 2021

Rotc Cadets' Nutrition Knowledge & Behaviors: A Pilot Study, Mikaela Blake, Annika Israelsen, Tori Gossling, Jacob Lamb

Student Research Symposium

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) prepares college students for future military service. The ROTC includes a rigorous physical training program. As such, effective nutrition practices are necessary to maintain performance. The purpose of this study was to assess USU Cadets’ nutrition knowledge and practices to inform future research and intervention needs. Cadets were recruited through email and classroom announcements. Participants completed an online survey that gathered demographic, fitness, nutrition knowledge, nutrition behaviors, Intuitive Eating, perceived stress, and food security data. Results indicated that most cadets had a moderate knowledge of nutrition with a deficit in sports nutrition. This study …

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