Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Complexity Leads To Declining Productivity Of Innovation In The Algal Biofuel Industry (Supplemental Information), Michelle Arnold

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Liquid biofuels are widely promoted as renewable, lower-emission alternatives to fossil fuels. Yet despite their promise, this sector faces a critical constraint: a long-term decline in the productivity of innovation. This decline—measured by a decreasing number of patents per inventor—suggests that generating technological breakthroughs is becoming more difficult, expensive, and uncertain. As innovation becomes more resource-intensive, the feasibility of replacing petroleum with liquid biofuels grows more tenuous. This is especially problematic given the pre-existing technical disadvantages of biofuels, including their relatively low energy return on energy investment (EROEI) and energy density compared to fossil fuels. Our findings show that the …

Data Accompanying "Landscape Composition Surrounding Restoration Projects Modulates Use By Wildlife: A Case Study Of Mule Deer In Utah", Jaylin Solberg

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With mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), hereafter, deer, populations in decline, wildlife managers have increased their efforts to improve factors that limit population growth. In the State of Utah (hereafter, Utah), these efforts have included habitat restoration which is expected to improve environmental conditions for deer. Some of these efforts include pinon-juniper removal, prescribed burning, and spraying of invasive plant species. Although previous work has demonstrated the local impacts of restoration on deer populations, it is unknown how the environmental conditions in the landscape surrounding restoration treatments may modify local restoration impacts. Identifying how both local and landscape-scale conditions influence deer …

Data And Code Used For The Manuscript, "Robust Native Aquatic Plant Propagule Banks Limit Curly-Leaved Pondweed", Meghan Slocombe

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The relationship between the invasive curly-leaf pondweed (CLP) and native aquatic plants was explored via a sixteen month mesocosm experiment and annual surveys of the passive revegetation of the newly restored Provo River Delta (Utah, USA) (PRD). These studies took place in 2023 and 2024.

Strengthening The Utah Diabetes Cook Along Program For Statewide Extension Delivery: Curriculum Refinement And Randomized Controlled Trial, Carrie Durward

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Minutes November 3, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - October 6, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - October 2, 2025
• Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn - 4:06pm

Educational Policies Committee Agenda November 6, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 2, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Water-Wise Gardening, Kathy Cabe Trundle, Lawrence Krissek

All Current Publications

Water-wise gardening, also known as xeriscaping, involves using water efficiently and effectively to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing landscape for residential and commercial properties. This fact sheet defines water-wise gardening, its benefits, and provides ideas for planning and improving a landscape to conserve a precious resource: water.

Starting An Equine-Assisted Services Program, Makenna L. Pahlke

All Current Publications

Starting an equine-assisted services (EAS) program requires more than just access to horses and a passion for helping others. This fact sheet outlines the key considerations for communities and individuals interested in developing safe, sustainable, and impactful equine-assisted programs.

What Are Equine-Assisted Services? A Practical Guide For Families And Communities, Makenna L. Pahlke

All Current Publications

Horses are very present animals, meaning they provide immediate, nonjudgmental feedback. Their nature and size can often encourage confidence, responsibility, and self-regulation. Families and communities considering equine-assisted services (EAS) for themselves or a loved one need to understand terms, as they will help guide them to the type of program best suited to meet their expected needs, as well as help them find quality programs.

Selecting Irrigated Alfalfa Varieties, Mckenna S. Barney, Earl Creech, Matt Yost

All Current Publications

Selecting an alfalfa variety is one of the most important decisions an alfalfa producer can make and is the cornerstone of successful alfalfa production. Variety selection directly impacts yield potential, forage quality, stand persistence, pest and disease resistance, and environmental adaptation—all factors that can have a major economic impact. Informed decisions can be made by carefully considering the goals of your operation and adhering to the criteria outlined in this fact sheet.

Tremblings, November 2025, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

An Aspen Community: Roots, on Roots, on Roots

Paul C. Rogers, Director, Western Aspen Alliance; Dept. of Environment & Society; Ecology Center; Utah State University

In a flicker of foliage, a glimmer of light, time passes and a career senesces. Dappled highlights alongside stochastic frustrations, bureaucratic pathologies, and unforeseen opportunities tremble across the forest floor of one’s vocation. We call that an occupation, but it could be seen as a succession of disturbances, recoveries, and, well, growth. I have been fortunate to spend the bulk of my career focused on the aspen sciences and spending time with many of …

Dusky Grouse Seasonal Resource Selection In The Great Basin Isolated Mountain Ranges Of Nevada, Usa, Stephanie Landry, Brian Smith, Erica Stuber, Shawn Espinosa, David Dahlgren

Aspen Bibliography

Dusky grouse Dendragapus obscurus are a montane forest grouse species with a paucity of information regarding their temporal and spatial resource use during critical times of high mortality and reproductive output. This lack of vital data may leave dusky grouse at risk of sub-optimal management in many areas of their distribution, especially in the isolated ‘sky island’ mountain ranges of the Great Basin, where high elevation habitats are surrounded by sagebrush and salt desert shrub land flats. Many of these high elevation habitats are being altered and lost rapidly from increasing disturbance events and effects of climate change. Our objective …

Ai Recipe Blog Is Evaluated Similarly To A Recipe Blog Created By Nutrition And Dietetic Students, Katie N. Kraus, Stacy L. Bevan, Sarah Moore Smith, Maeci H. Armstrong, Brooke Campbell Jeppesen, Catherine Fish, Heidi J. Wengreen

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

With the growing use of AI, it is important to know target audiences’ perceptions of its use. A convenience sample of students were invited to take an online survey in which they were randomly assigned to Group 1 (evaluated a student-generated blog; n = 456) or Group 2 (evaluated an AI-generated blog; n = 492). The results of independent t-tests and chi-squared tests indicated no group differences in ratings of ease of recipe preparation, time to prepare the recipe, utilization of common ingredients, and frequency of intended use of the blog. The student-generated blog was rated higher on budget …

Strategies For Increasing Methane Removal In Methanotroph Stirred-Tank Reactors For The Production Of Ectoine, Jaden Storrer, Tansley M. Mazurkiewicz, Bodee Hancock, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Student Research

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that requires its emissions to be mitigated. A significant source for methane emissions is in the form of the biogas that is produced from anaerobic digestion in wastewater reclamation and landfill facilities. Biogas has a high valorization potential in the form of its bioconversion into ectoines, an active ingredient in skin care products, by halotolerant alkaliphilic methanotrophs. Cultures of Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z were grown in bench scale stirred-tank reactors to determine factors to improve methane uptake and removal. Tangential flow filtration was also implemented for a bio-milking method to recover ectoine from culture media. …

Better Budgeting - Budget Mastermind Booklet, Melanie Jewkes, Amanda Christensen, Andrea Schmutz, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, Kelan Combe, Rochelle Allen, Lauren Olsen, Mckenzie Walsh, Jenny Weller

All Current Publications

This booklet helps you reflect on your finances and improve budgeting decisions. It helps you explore your values and motivators, set financial goals, learn zero-based budgeting, and brainstorm ways to increase your income and reduce expenses. It also helps you learn principles for tracking expenses and increasing savings.

General Education Subcommittee Agenda November 6, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - October 2, 2025
• Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals
• New Business
• Depth Discussion
• Additional Items
• Adjourn: 9:30 am

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda November 6, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 2, 2025
• Program Proposals
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Digital Media And Political Engagement: Shaping Youth Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors In Four European Societies, Tyler Hansen, Chloe K. Taylor, Ryan T. Knowles

Psychology Student Research

This study investigates the relationship between students’ political engagement, civic knowledge, socioeconomic status, gender, and digital media use and their pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and Romania. To do this, we use data from the International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS:22) and employ hierarchical level modeling. We found that students with higher civic knowledge and greater confidence in their ability to be active citizens were more likely to report both pro-environmental behaviors and positive attitudes in every country studied. Socioeconomic status also showed positive links with environmental engagement. Digital media use was linked to more pro-environmental behaviors …

Faculty Senate Agenda November 3, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes October 6, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:30 Information
• EPC Report - October 2, 2025
• 3:45 Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• 4:10 Old Business
• 4:15 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

A Guide To Breaking Seed Dormancy Of Common Wetland Plant Species, Samantha R. Kurkowski, Rae Robinson, Sandra E. Johnston, Montana M. Horchler, Adrienne E. Ernst, Margaret D. Haney, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

This guide was developed from a series of seed dormancy break and germination experiments conducted over 4 years with 41 species. The purpose of this guide is to synthesize the information we learned through these experiments and present the findings for those interested in breaking seed dormancy, such as land managers, restoration practitioners, and wetland researchers. Ultimately, we hope this guidance catalyzes further wetland restoration throughout the Intermountain West.

Designing Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure To Benefit Residents In A Near-Port Community, Polly Parkinson, Emma Mecham, Fawn Groves, Amy Wilson, Ivonne Santiago

Teacher Education and Leadership Student Research

In the rush to meet electric vehicle (EV) adoption goals that address environmental and health concerns, transportation planners, engineers, and community policy experts cannot separate the context of socioeconomic factors from transportation needs. This data analysis indicates that because transportation decisions are backgrounded by health, work, and housing, EV adoption must also address multifaceted human needs. Communities focused on building more electric vehicle charging stations motivated this research to find ways for all households to benefit. This primarily qualitative study, including a community survey and individual interviews, engaged residents in the planning process. The inductive research project grew from a …

Awe Amtm Geolocation Algorithms, Eric Mckinney, Keith Blonquist, Zack Hatfield, Connor Waite, Pedro Sevilla, Ludger Scherliess, Harri Latvakoski, Greg Cantwell

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Mission Introduction

The AWE instrument images atmospheric gravity waves from the ISS, quantifying energy and momentum fluxes into the ionosphere-thermosphere system to better understand how tropospheric weather influences space weather.

Mission of Opportunity for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Heliophysics Division.

Capacity Of Microbial Strains And Communities To Degrade Sewerage Fats, Oils, And Grease Clog Deposits, Allondra M. Woods, Catherine J. Pettinger, Catherine Harris, Tanya Soule, Garth Farley, Erica L.-W. Majumder

Biological Engineering Student Research

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) deposits are hardened, sticky, insoluble solids that accumulate in sewage systems globally. These deposits contribute to pipe blockages and sanitary sewer overflows, releasing pathogens and pollutants into the environment, posing significant environmental and public health risks. Current removal methods are labor-intensive and costly, emphasizing the need for alternatives. While biological strategies offer a viable alternative, the microbial breakdown of FOG is poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the potential of individual microbial strains and synthetic microbial communities to biodegrade wastewater-derived FOG deposit samples. These biological agents were applied to a range of FOG samples, …

Visible Image-Based Machine Learning For Identifying Abiotic Stress In Sugar Beet Crops, Seyed Reza Haddadi, Masoumeh Hashemi, Richard C. Peralta, Masoud Soltani

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Previous researches have proved that the synchronized use of inexpensive RGB images, image processing, and machine learning (ML) can accurately identify crop stress. Four Machine Learning Image Modules (MLIMs) were developed to enable the rapid and cost-effective identification of sugar beet stresses caused by water and/or nitrogen deficiencies. RGB images representing stressed and non-stressed crops were used in the analysis. To improve robustness, data augmentation was applied, generating six variations on each image and expanding the dataset from 150 to 900 images for training and testing. Each MLIM was trained and tested using 54 combinations derived from nine canopy and …

The Genome Sequence Of The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Adelges Tsugae Annand 1924, Bryan M.T. Brunet, Dustin T. Dial, Gaelen R. Burke, Carol D. Von Dohlen, Julia Douglas Freitas, Haley Sanderson, Afiya R. Chida, Samantha J. Jones, Fergal J. Martin, Leanne Haggerty, Stephen W. Scherer, Ioannis Ragoussis, Steven J.M. Jones, Robert G. Foottit, Nathan P. Havill

Biology Faculty Publications

The genome of the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) is presented in 10 chromosomal pseudomolecules along with 132 unplaced scaffolds for a combined length of 216.56 Mb. The genome is highly contiguous with an N50 of 20.54 Mb and its longest scaffold 37.41 Mb in length. The assembly recovered 97.7% of benchmarked universal single-copy Hemiptera orthologs (BUSCO) with an overall completion score of 98.6%. On the basis of chromosomal synteny with other aphid genomes, the hemlock woolly adelgid’s genome is composed of eight autosomes and two sex (X) chromosomes. Annotation of the assembly identified 11,800 coding genes, 1,930 …

Systems Intelligence Manager: Warfighter Dominance 2025 Technical Review Key Program, Daniel Hornberger

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Objective & Background

• Objective
• Provide a governing network framework that reduces network congestion and improves connectivity, stability, and resilience
• Provide a single point for systems to connect to on varied networks, which also federates data to required entities
• Manage complex military CONOPs, controlling one or many heterogeneous unmanned platforms while coordinating collection efforts of varying sensor suites on each platform

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes October 20, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - September 22, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - October 2, 2025
• Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn: 3:55 pm

Goals Reconsidered: From Brute Prelusory States Of Affairs To The Lusory Complexity Of Sport, Francisco Javier López Frías

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, I examine Bernard Suits’ conceptualization of goals in his influential definition of gameplay, focusing on how his account falls short of capturing the complexity of sporting practices. Suits famously describes games as voluntary attempts to overcome unnecessary obstacles in achieving an identifiable state of affairs. By referring to this state of affairs as the prelusory goal of games, he frames gameplay as structured teleologically around this goal, converting it into the most fundamental element of his notion of gameplay. Although elegant and very intuitive, this conception of games raises tensions when applied to the complex, multilayered activities …

“Your Neighbors Are New Every Week”: Short-Term Rentals, Housing, And Community Wellbeing In High-Amenity Rural Places, Alexander Theophilus, Jessica Ulrich-Schad

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Student Research

Amenity driven in-migration, seasonal home ownership, and tourism are long standing processes impacting housing affordability and community wellbeing in high natural amenity rural communities. Short-term rental (STR) accommodations, such as Airbnb and Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO), are a relatively new phenomenon that can further limit housing options for full-time residents and members of the seasonal workforce. There is tremendous variation across communities in their efforts to regulate STRs. To assess the impacts of STRs on housing affordability and community wellbeing in a high-amenity rural place, we analyze and discuss interviews with 28 residents of the Bear Lake area in …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda October 20, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes September 22, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - October 2, 2025
• 3:40 Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm