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Supporting data for Novel approach for quantifying the impact of coherent structures on the turbulent kinetic energy decay rate
No full textThis project investigates the influence of coherent structures on the decay of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The work was conducted as part of the PhD research in Mechanical Engineering by Ankit Gautam at Utah State University
Factors Associated With Substance Use Treatment Seeking During COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study Applying the Gelberg–Andersen Model for Vulnerable Populations
No full textTreatment seeking among individuals who misuse substances can be a complex process, with many factors contributing to treatment seeking. Guided by Gelberg–Andersen’s Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, this research seeks to establish predisposing, enabling, and need factors contributing to treatment seeking during COVID-19. A total of 201 individuals participated in the study. Contrary to existing literature, no predisposing factors were associated with treatment seeking during COVID-19. However, variations were seen in enabling and need factors. Perceiving a need for treatment and having reliable transportation to treatment were associated with treatment seeking during COVID-19, underlying the importance of addressing both physical barriers to treatment and readiness for treatment. Additional enabling factors contributing to treatment seeking were a history of past treatment and differing types of recovery supports, underscoring the importance of addressing structural access barriers and individual-level determinants of treatment seeking. More research is needed on individual differences in perception of need that lead to treatment seeking
General Education Subcommittee Minutes February 5, 2026
No full textCall to Order Approval of Minutes - January 8, 2025 Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals New Business Catalog Language Changes Utah\u27s Public Lands Adjourn: 9:30 a
Seeds of Change - Building Community and Resilience With Plant Guilds
No full textThe goals of this Grade 6 living systems/biodiversity curriculum are to highlight Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) contributions to science, technology, and sustainable agriculture, with a focus on relational worldviews, permaculture practices, and respect for Mother Earth. Students will conduct plant experiments, learn Indigenous stories, make corn husk dolls, create a recipe, and enjoy eating their soup creation
Evaluating the Feasibility, Acceptability, And Preliminary Efficacy of an Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program to Improve Dietary Quality in Highly Stressed Adults
No full textStress can negatively affect both mental and physical health, which can increase the risk for chronic illness. When people feel stressed, they may also find it harder to make healthy food choices, which can further impact their health. Despite this, there are limited treatments designed to help people improve their dietary quality while managing stress. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological approach that helps people respond more effectively to difficult thoughts and emotions while behaving in ways that are aligned with their personal values. This study tested whether a brief, online ACT-based program, combined with coaching phone calls, could help adults experiencing high levels of stress improve their diet and related psychological skills. Sixty-one adults participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to either complete the ACT program or be placed on a waitlist. Results showed that participants found the program to be reasonable to deliver online and rated it highly. Compared to the waitlist control group, participants who completed the ACT program showed improvements in their ability to manage difficult thoughts and feelings (psychological flexibility), motivation to eat healthfully, and confidence in their ability to make healthy food choices. However, the program did not lead to improvements in overall dietary quality. Additional analyses suggest that improvements in psychological skills may have contributed to small improvement in diet over time, though more research is needed. This study suggests that a brief, online ACT program may be a helpful resource for highly stressed adults to improve psychological skills. Future research should explore whether longer or more personalized programs can lead to stronger improvements in dietary quality
Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes February 5, 2026
No full textApproval of Minutes - January 8, 2026 Program Proposals Semester Course Approval Reviews Other Business Adjourn: 3:00 p
Civic Center Curriculum Committee Agenda January 22, 2026
No full textCall to Order New Business Course Titles and Descriptions Adjourn: 10:00 a
Effects of Training and Self-Monitoring on Paraeducators\u27 Use of Behavior Specific Praise
No full textParaeducators support students with disabilities in special education classrooms but often receive limited training in effective behavior support strategies. This study examined whether training combined with self-monitoring increased paraeducators’ use of positive, specific praise and reduced the use of reprimands during instruction. Paraeducators were trained to use and track their own praise while working with students. Results showed increased use of positive praise and decreased reprimands following the intervention. These findings suggest that brief, low-cost training and self-monitoring can improve paraeducator instructional practices and support positive classroom environments for students with disabilities
Characterizing Metabolic Flux of Plant Secondary Metabolites From Diverse Animal-Source Foods to Humans
No full textThere is a popular saying: “You are what you eat.” But does this also mean, “You are what your food eats”? This dissertation explores that question by examining how farming practices shape the nutritional quality of meat—and what, if anything, those differences mean for the people who consume it. While modern livestock production and nutrition research often emphasize protein and fat, this work tests the idea that animals function as biological mediators, linking soil and plant conditions to human diets through the chemical composition of meat and milk. To evaluate this hypothesis, we tracked health-relevant plant compounds— phytonutrients—across the soil–plant–animal–human continuum through five complementary studies. First, a comprehensive review of scientific literature found that ruminants (such as cows and goats) do not simply accumulate plant compounds; they can bio-transform plant material into distinct antioxidants detectable in meat and milk, supporting the view that animal foods participate in a broader phytochemical ecology. Next, we analyzed beef produced under grass-fed and grain-based finishing systems, spanning local research sites and a large North American survey of more than 100 operations. Across these datasets, production system was associated with consistent nutritional differences: grass-fed beef contained higher concentrations of antioxidant-related compounds, including vitamin E, β-carotene, and multiple plant-derived phenolics, whereas grain-fed beef tended to be higher in several B-vitamins. These results indicate that what cattle eat leaves measurable “metabolic fingerprints” in the food they produce. To place these findings in an evolutionary context, we compared domesticated livestock products to a reference benchmark—wild game species such as elk, deer, and nilgai. Because wild herbivores forage from highly diverse plant communities, their tissues exhibited substantially greater phytochemical richness (ranging from 260 to 1030%-fold higher concentrations) and more unique metabolite profiles than feedlot-finished meat, highlighting the extent to which dietary simplification in production systems can dilute bioactive food compounds. Finally, we asked whether food-level differences translate into measurable changes in humans. In a controlled randomized crossover trial, participants consumed diets sourced from either regenerative or conventional agricultural systems for six weeks. Regenerative foods generally contained higher concentrations across multiple phytonutrient classes, but the human response was selective: plant-derived markers increased, whereas other compounds (including carotenoids) appeared more tightly regulated and did not shift rapidly over the study period. Importantly, a whole-food dietary pattern improved several health-related markers regardless of production system, underscoring that overall diet quality remains a major driver of health outcomes. Together, these studies demonstrate that agricultural management can meaningfully reshape the bioactive chemistry of animal foods. Meat from diverse, pasture-based systems may offer a nutritional “bonus” in specific compounds, but the translation to human biology is nuanced—suggesting that improving both agricultural practices and overall dietary patterns will be most important for advancing public health
Utah\u27s Value-Added Food Processing Options
No full textThis fact sheet provides an overview of the benefits of producing and marketing value-added foods and outlines key considerations for new ventures. It also details the two primary programs available to smaller-scale processing in Utah—the Cottage Food Program and the Homemade Food Act—assisting producers in evaluating their products, markets, and resources to choose the best path forward