Digital Commons Network^™

Influential Individuals Can Promote Prosocial Practices In Heterogeneous Societies: A Mathematical And Agent-Based Model, Stefani A. Crabtree, Colin D. Wren, Avinash Dixit, Simon A. Levin

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

In this paper, we examine how different governance types impact prosocial behaviors in a heterogenous society. We construct a general theoretical framework to examine a game-theoretic model to assess the ease of achieving a cooperative outcome. We then build a dynamic agent-based model to examine three distinct governance types in a heterogenous population: monitoring one's neighbors, despotic leadership, and influencing one's neighbors to adapt strategies that lead to better fitness. In our research, we find that while despotic leadership may lead towards high prosociality and high returns it does not exceed the effects of a local individual who can exert …

Evaluating 45 Years Of Collaborative Range Livestock Education, Melanie Heaton, Andrew Brischke, Ben Scow

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The Arizona/Utah Range Livestock Workshop & Tour builds cooperation and understanding between public land grazing permittees and federal agency personnel through science-based education. The workshop provides information on livestock production practices and addresses controversial grazing issues in a non-confrontational environment. Topics range from animal handling, vaccination, and health to solar development, partnering with public land agencies, and recreation effects.

What Wayne County Leaders And Residents Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Girls And Women In Their Area, Deborah Lin, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2024 gathering of leaders and residents in Wayne County, with input from 20 individuals. Girls and women face challenges unique to the area in which they live, and the goal of this gathering was to identify those barriers and determine strategies and initiatives that local leaders and residents can implement to address them. This document includes recommendations in the following areas: business and economics, home and family, government and community, education, and culture.

Mental Health In Park City: A Report On Community Perspectives, Kristen Koci, Jessica Ulrich-Schad

Publications

This report is from a research project conducted at the end 2022 that focuses on mental health in Park City. Dr. Kristen Koci conducted interviews in Park City to understand community members' perspectives on and factors affecting mental health in the area. Community leaders from government and local organizations were interviewed along with general community residents, for a total of 22 interviews. The report that follows summarizes themes and perspectives gathered during these interviews.

Short-Term Rentals: How Are They Impacting The Bear Lake Community?, Alexander Theophilus, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

Publications

Bear Lake is a popular recreation and tourist destination split between the borders of Northeastern Utah and Southeastern Idaho. Bear Lake's beaches, watersports, and other outdoor recreation opportunities have attracted tourists for decades. Communities around Bear Lake include Garden City and Laketown, Utah, as well as Paris, Montpelier, Fish Haven, St. Charles, and Bennington, Idaho. Additionally, Bear Lake lies in close proximity to larger metropolitan areas along the Wasatch Front of Utah, such as Salt Lake City and Logan.

Never Solved, Only Outgrown: The Most Important Problem(S) Facing Utah, Thomas C. Terry

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Nearly 90 percent of Utahans surveyed identified the most important problem (MIP) facing the state as either the environment (50%) or population growth and development (40%) in the inaugural Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP) conducted in March-May 2023 (see Figure 1). Eleven percent of Utahns identified air quality issues – including pollution and its negative impacts – as the single largest component within the MIP environment and climate change category. According to the results of the poll, water and air pollution, affordable housing, pressure on the environment and threats to habitat boil down to “too many . . . …

Quantifying And Classifying Streamflow Ensembles Using A Broad Range Of Metrics For An Evidence-Based Analysis: Colorado River Case Study, Homa Salehabadi, David G. Tarboton, Kevin G. Wheeler, Rebecca Smith, Sarah Baker

Outreach

Using the Colorado River Basin as a case study, this research article highlights the need for streamflow ensembles that accurately represent potential future conditions rather than solely relying on historical data. The comprehensive set of statistical metrics introduced can be used to evaluate and classify these streamflow ensembles. This evidence-based framework can inform water resource management in the face of uncertain conditions.

Impact Of The 2023 Central Utah Grazing Expo, Trenton Wilde, Eric Thacker, Ryan Larsen, Chad Page, Burdette Barker, Mark Nelson, Matt Palmer, Steven Price, Jacob Hadfield, Kalen Taylor, Ethan Gilliam

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

A collaboration between Extension Agriculture and Natural Resource specialists and county faculty responded to a need to educate public land grazing permit holders, public land management agency personnel, and public members on regulations, management, economics, and social values associated with public land grazing permits.

The Utah Urban And Small Farms Conference: A Model For Small Acreage Producer Extension Programming, Katie Wagner, Ruby Ward, Kynda R. Curtis, Sheriden M. Hansen, Melanie Stock

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The Utah Urban and Small Farms Conference (USFC) provides outreach to small acreage and urban producers facing urbanization and environmental challenges and offers marketing and profitability opportunities. The annual event attracts new and existing farmers, stakeholders, and representatives. The USFC model may assist communities facing similar challenges, helping producers navigate obstacles and opportunities through localized information sharing.

Sw: Library Resources For Practicum Students, Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Your practicum will include activities that help you develop CSWE Competency 4: "Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice." You may need to research populations, treatments, models, interventions, evidence-based practices, and more. This module brings together tips and resources for doing so in one place.

Sw: Accessing Research After Graduation, Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

As a practicing social worker, you'll "engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice" (CSWE Competency 4). This module contains pages on the following topics:

• What changes after graduation, including how you can still use the USU Libraries
• Free research databases
• Information about Open Access
• Tips for finding free copies of articles
• Other helpful sources, including reports, dissertations/theses, evidence-based practices, data/statistics, and tests/measures

Evaluating Sources (2024), Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

In this module you'll complete these objectives:

• Understand the importance of source evaluation
• Learn strategies for addressing bias when evaluating sources
• Learn evaluation criteria
• Effectively employ evaluation criteria for academic and personal purposes

Sw 1010: Finding And Using Research (Library Module), Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

In this module you'll learn:

• What a peer-reviewed source is and why you'll want to use them for your research assignment
• How to avoid paywalls and get full access to peer reviewed sources for free
• How to break your research topic into keywords for database searching
• How to cite your sources using APA citation style

Soc Proseminar - New Grad Students (Library Module), Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

This library module contains a few pages to help you get to know what library resources you have access to and strategies for using them:

• Sociology research resources
• Accessing materials
• Demography and data resources
• Organizing materials
• And more!

Anth 1099 (Library Module), Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

This library module contains a few pages to help you get to know what library resources you have access to for Anthropology research:

• Anthropology research resources
• Finding articles with Anthropological Literature
• Tips for accessing articles
• Finding books and ebooks with the library catalog
• Citing your sources

Musc 3190 Library Module (2025), Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

This library module contains a few more pages to help you get started with your research:

• Using Oxford Music Online
• Using RILM
• Finding related sources
• Evaluating your sources
• Organizing your research

Computational Models As Tools For Supporting Responsive Teaching, Hillary Swanson, Luettamae Lawrence, Jared Arnell, Bonni Jones, Bruce Sherin, Uri Wilensky

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

It is widely agreed that science instruction should help students build new knowledge on the foundation of their prior knowledge. Responsive teaching refers to a family of teaching strategies that pursue and build on student ideas. We introduce a particular approach to responsive teaching and examine how it can be supported by the use of computational models. We analyze an 8^th grade science teacher's facilitation of a class discussion near the end of a lesson on sound. We present a moment-by-moment characterization of her responsive teaching moves, highlighting the ways she used a computational model to help students articulate …

A Process Evaluation Of Utah’S Food Security Council, Palak Gupta, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah’s Food Security Council (FSC) brings together diverse stakeholders to address food security across the state. As FSC concluded its inaugural year of work, a process evaluation assessed its progress. Findings will inform FSC’s future strategic improvements, partnerships, and community outreach activities.

A National Perspective Of Mental Health Awareness Among Agricultural Workers, Anna Gilliam, Ethan Gilliam

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The knowledge and perceptions of mental health resources for agricultural workers were explored at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) National Conference. Data were gathered via a voluntary survey conducted at the event. With 137 completed surveys, the study revealed that the participants desired more information regarding agricultural mental health resources and revealed their preferences for receiving this information. These findings will lead USU Extension to create impactful educational resources to better address mental health awareness and education needs in agricultural workers.

Mental Health In Price: A Report On Community Perspectives, Kristen Koci, Jessica Ulrich-Schad

Publications

This report is from a research project conducted at the end 2022 that focuses on mental health in Price. Dr. Kristen Koci conducted interviews in Price to understand community members’ perspectives on and factors affecting mental health in the area. Community leaders from government and local organizations were interviewed along with general community residents, for a total of 27 interviews. The report that follows summarizes themes and perspectives gathered during these interviews.

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) Thermal Control System: From Design Through On-Orbit Thermal Performance, Matthew I. Ralphs, Mike Holt

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) will provide the first global characterization of atmospheric waves that originate in Earth’s lower atmosphere and affect space weather. The instrument has been installed on the International Space Station (ISS) ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC) 1 since November 2023. The main thermal control system consists of a passive, ambient temperature, bi-directional radiator to which pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) thermal straps connect four independent detectors, whose temperatures are actively controlled by thermoelectric coolers (TECs). This paper discusses the thermal design, thermal model correlation efforts (both with test temperature data and flight temperature data), and how the predictions …

Echinacea For Cut Flower Production In Utah, Ali Harrison, Melanie Stock, Lorin Harrison, Amanda Pratt, Claudia Nischwitz, Nick Volesky

All Current Publications

Echinacea, commonly known as coneflower, is an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance cut flower crop. As a perennial, plants can be expected to last up to 5 years in production before replacement is needed. Known for delicately arching petals and strong stems, echinacea comes in a wide range of colors that lend a wildflower look to floral design. Seed heads are also popular and can be harvested for their rust-orange cone shape.

Serial Mediation Analysis Of Psychological Inflexibility And Daytime Insomnia Rumination In The Relationship Between Dysfunctional Beliefs About Sleep And Insomnia In College Students, Guadalupe G. San Miguel, Mercedes G. Woolley, Eric B. Lee, Brooke M. Smith, Demi Culianos, Michael E. Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Emerging research suggests that psychological inflexibility may be a factor contributing to the development and maintenance of insomnia. However, less is known about the potential cognitive pathways that may explain this relationship. In this study, we investigated the serial mediating effects of psychological inflexibility and daytime insomnia related rumination on the association between dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep (DBAS) and insomnia symptoms. The sample included 490 college students who underwent assessments at two time points over a one-month period. The results of our mediational tests yielded significant indirect effects, supporting the prediction that psychological inflexibility and daytime insomnia rumination …

Children's Mathematical Engagement Based On Their Awareness Of Coding Toy Design Features, Joseph Kozlowski, Jessica Shumway, Patricia Moyer-Packenham, Jody Clarke-Midura, Victor Lee

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Tangible coding toys are designed to make coding accessible to young children, and because of their tangible and spatial nature, they are also viewed as tools for engaging children in mathematics. Research is needed to understand children's awareness of toys' design features and how they afford mathematical engagement. We conducted a qualitative study of 106 5-to-6-year-old children completing coding tasks (42 hours of video). Our research questions focused on children's perceptions of design features, mathematical engagement, and how different design features afforded mathematics engagement. Results indicated (a) children perceived a variety of design features across coding toys; (b) children engaged …

A Structural Role For Tryptophan In Proteins, And The Ubiquitous Trp CΔ1—H&Centerdot;&Centerdot;&Centerdot;O=C (Backbone) Hydrogen Bond, Michal Szczygiel, Urszula Derewenda, Steve Scheiner, Wladek Minor, Zygmunt S. Derewenda

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Tryptophan is the most prominent amino acid found in proteins, with multiple functional roles. Its side chain is made up of the hydrophobic indole moiety, with two groups that act as donors in hydrogen bonds: the N^ε—H group, which is a potent donor in canonical hydrogen bonds, and a polarized C^δ1—H group, which is capable of forming weaker, noncanonical bonds. Due to adjacent electron-withdrawing moieties, C—H···O hydrogen bonds are ubiquitous in macromolecules, albeit contingent on the polarization of the donor C—H group. Consequently, C^α groups (adjacent to the carbonyl and amino groups of flanking peptide …

An Introspective Understanding Of Livestock Movement, Ethan Gilliam

All Current Publications

This fact sheet creates a framework for understanding how human presence influences the movement of livestock animals. Although this work references sheep and cattle, the introspective approach to understanding livestock movement can be applied to a variety of livestock species. This fact sheet highlights self-confidence in livestock handling and training through calm working experiences.

Storing And Managing Water For The Environment Is More Efficient Than Mimicking Natural Flows, Sarah E. Null, Harrison Zeff, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Anna M. Sturrock, Gokce Sencan, Kristen Dybala, Barton Thompson

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Dams and reservoirs are often needed to provide environmental water and maintain suitable water temperatures for downstream ecosystems. Here, we evaluate if water allocated to the environment, with storage to maintain it, might allow environmental water to more reliably meet ecosystem objectives than a proportion of natural flow. We use a priority-based water balance operations model and a reservoir temperature model to evaluate 1) pass-through of a portion of reservoir inflow versus 2) allocating a portion of storage capacity and inflow for downstream flow and stream temperature objectives. We compare trade-offs to other senior and junior priority water demands. In …

What Sanpete County Leaders And Residents Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Girls And Women In Their Area, Deborah Lin, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2024 gathering of 33 leaders and residents in Sanpete County. Girls and women face challenges unique to the area in which they live, and the goal of this gathering was to identify those barriers and determine strategies and initiatives that local leaders and residents can implement to address them. This document includes recommendations in the following areas: education, home and family, government and business, mental health and physical safety, and culture.

Comparison Of Sheep And Goats To The Acute Toxic Effects Of Foothill Death Camas, Kevin D. Welch, Stephen T. Lee, Clint A. Stonecipher, Dale R. Gardner, Daniel Cook

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Death camas (Zigadenus spp) is a perennial forb found throughout the western United States, which is known to kill both sheep and cattle. In a previous study, goats appeared to be somewhat resistant to the adverse effects of death camas. Therefore, the objective of this study was to directly compare the susceptibility of goats and sheep to the acute toxic effects of death camas. Sheep and goats were dosed at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 g death camas per kg BW. The data presented in this manuscript suggest that goats are more susceptible to death camas than sheep. …

Benefits Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For Chronic Pain, Maria Kleinstaeuber, Ashley Yaugher, Emily Roundy, Michael Levin

All Current Publications

Chronic pain is a common experience for people and can be difficult to manage. However, there are many evidence-based and effective psychological treatments for chronic pain to help people improve their lives. One of these is acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT. ACT teaches how to accept pain and live a life full of meaning and quality, with pain. It helps individuals increase their quality of life through mindfulness-based methods, experiential processing, and a focus on values, goals, and actions. ACT has been shown to be effective in reducing pain and improving pain management and personal well-being. Consult the resources …