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The Remote Online Initiative (ROI) was a legislative response to growing unemployment and limited job opportunities in rural Utah. The ROI program seeks to reduce unemployment in rural Utah communities via remote job placements. Since 2018, the ROI program has expanded to include three flagship certificate courses – Certified Remote Work Professional (CRWP), Certified Remote Work Leader (CRWL), and Certified Tech Sales Professional (CTSP). To date, evaluation results show that 411 Utah graduates found remote jobs after completing the CRWP course, 55% of participants said their department created a remote work environment and hired, on average, 19 remote employees upon completing the CRWL course, and MarketStar hired two CRWP graduates after they completed the CTSP course.

The What’s Up Down South economic summit is southern Utah’s largest business gathering. The event provides the business community with economic insights to assist them in making informed decisions. USU Extension evaluated the 27th annual What's Up Down South economic summit. Results showed the event was an effective platform for disseminating information and advancing knowledge on economic and business topics. Participants felt the summit provided a valuable experience to the business community. These findings support the continuation of the summit's information dissemination activities in the future.

A significant number of researchers have applied deep learning methods to image fusion. However, most works require a large amount of training data or depend on pre-trained models or frameworks to capture features from source images. This is inevitably hampered by a shortage of training data or a mismatch between the framework and the actual problem. Deep Image Prior (DIP) has been introduced to exploit convolutional neural networks' ability to synthesize the 'prior' in the input image. However, the original design of DIP is hard to be generalized to multi-image processing problems, particularly for image fusion. Therefore, we propose a new image fusion technique that extends DIP to fusion tasks formulated as inverse problems. Additionally, we apply a multi-channel approach to enhance DIP's effect further. The evaluation is conducted with several commonly used image fusion assessment metrics. The results are compared with state-of-the-art image fusion methods. Our method outperforms these techniques for a range of metrics. In particular, it is shown to provide the best objective results for most metrics when applied to medical images.

Many people migrate out of rural communities in Utah in search of job opportunities. Meanwhile, businesses in urban areas struggle to find workers. The Master Remote Work Leader (MRWL) certificate course was developed to provide specialized training for Utah’s organizational leaders in managing hybrid-remote and fully distributed employees.

The Rural Online Initiative program at Utah State University Extension supported this quantitative study investigating the factors explaining the process of remote work adoption by organizations in the U.S. Given the potential for remote work with respect to technological advances, shifts in traditional work arrangements, and its impact on organizational/operational efficiency, there was a need to investigate how organizational characteristics and leaders’ perceptions of remote work relate to its adoption. This study was guided by Rogers’ theory of diffusion of innovations where research objectives were to (1) determine where organizations range in the innovation-decision process of remote work adoption, (2) categorize organizations’ level of innovativeness with respect to remote work adoption over time, (3) describe how organizational characteristics relate to remote work adoption, (4) describe how the attributes of remote work relate to the likelihood of remote work adoption among organizations, and (5) describe the extent to which organizations have implemented remote work in response to COVID-19 and their favorability towards the practice. This study followed a non-experimental design with a correlational analysis, collecting cross sectional data from a sample of 1,259 organizational leaders recruited through the use of opt-in panels. Data collection was facilitated by an online survey instrument using Qualtrics software, and principles of the Tailored Design Method were used to substantiate construct and face validity. Results showed that the practice of remote work has been implemented by most organizations in the U.S. Findings indicated organizational leaders perceived the practice of remote work positively and international organizations were twice as likely to adopt remote work compared to those operating only domestically. Results also demonstrated how remote work has become a widespread workplace practice that is becoming increasingly standard across organizations in the U.S. Leaders can use the results to develop formal remote work arrangements in their organizations and should consider training existing employees and leaders in the best practices of remote work operations. Findings from this study also provide the Cooperative Extension System with insights into how it should respond to the widespread adoption of remote work with relevant, research-based educational programming in their local communities.

Governed by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, program performance benchmarks within the Cooperative Extension System relate to (a) relevance, (b) quality, and (c) accomplishments. This study discusses the development and implementation of data dashboards for the Rural Online Initiative, adhering to GRPA���s benchmarks of performance.

Rural Utahns experience high levels of unemployment. Under the Rural Online Initiative, USU Extension created the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course, a specialized training that equips rural residents with skills needed for remote employment. Although legislatively funded pre-pandemic, remote work employment opportunities further benefit rural communities impacted by COVID-19.

Supporting dataset for the publication "Spatially dense integration of micron-scale devices from multiple materials on a single chip via transfer-printing"

This fact sheet provides a profile of an E-commerce seller for a remote location, including job description, average salary skills and tools needed, and career path.

This fact sheet provides a profile of a virtual assistant for a remote location, including job description, average salary skills and tools needed, and career path.

This fact sheet provides a profile of a sales representative for a remote location, including job description, average salary skills and tools needed, and career path.

This fact sheet provides a profile of a web developer for a remote location, including job description, average salary skills and tools needed, and career path.

This fact sheet provides a profile of a social media manager for a remote location, including job description, average salary skills and tools needed, and career path.

This fact sheet explains what artificial intelligence is, AI tools, benefits of AI and how to use AI technology.

Utah 4-H and Fidelity Investments collaborated on a program for increasing the financial literacy of teens and children. The collaboration resulted in positive impacts for both Extension and Utah youths. Extension benefited through partnership with a corporation that provided content expertise, volunteers, and funding for a financial literacy program. Youths benefited from improved financial literacy. A Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) team approach was used for the training of 81 teens, who then taught 530 youths statewide. The curriculum addressed research-based financial concepts through activities and technologies that were interactive, appealing, and engaging. The program development and implementation processes may serve as models for other Extension programs, and the curriculum is free to download.

Converging cognitive and neuroimaging evidence reveals that episodic memory and episodic future thinking (EFT) share component processes. Much less is known about the relationship between EFT and working memory (WM) processes. We hypothesized that WM capacity might provide a crucial componential cognitive role during EFT by supporting the translation of information from discrete episodic memories into a novel future event. We tested this hypothesis in two studies. In Study 1, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data during a dual-task interference paradigm that varied WM load and processing demands during EFT. Events imagined while actively maintaining bound item-location representations were less vivid than those imagined during low WM load control trials. Measures of functional and effective connectivity indicated that this behavioral effect corresponded with reduced coupling between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction. Events imagined while simultaneously manipulating items in WM took longer to construct than events imagined during control trials and were associated with less functional coupling between the right hippocampus and posterior visuospatial regions. In Study 2, participants completed a similar WM dual-task while simultaneously recalling past events or imagining future events during scalp-recorded encephalography (EEG). As in Study 1, future events imagined while maintaining item-location representations were less vivid than control trials. This effect was specific to future events and corresponded to reduced theta reactivity over bilateral temporoparietal sites. Relative to episodic memory, EFT was associated with alpha synchronization over frontal and parietal sites as well as greater theta-gamma phase amplitude coupling in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In contrast, episodic memory was associated with greater cross-frequency coupling between frontal theta and occipital gamma oscillations. These results provide novel empirical support for previous theoretical accounts suggesting that WM capacity provides the cognitive workspace necessary to temporarily store and recombine details from discrete episodes into a future event representation. PHD

Crowdfunding is a new tool available for Extension professionals and their clients to use to creatively offset the abatement of traditional funding sources. A fund-raising campaign can be set up in minutes, as demonstrated by the work of the 4-H members profiled in this article. Whether there is a need for new equipment or added help for a special event or some other financial requirement, crowdfunding can be a proactive way to ask people for financial assistance. Moreover, crowdfunding can provide validation for ideas; on the other hand, if funds fail to come in, it may be time to conclude an endeavor.

Das Forschungsvorhaben untersucht den Prozess der geplanten und realisierten Institutionalisierung von Partnerschaft und Familie unter dem Einfluss prekärerer Beschäftigungsverhältnisse in Deutschland. Der Fokus ist dabei auf zentrale Entscheidungen in der Lebensführung von Paaren gerichtet, die zu einem höheren Verfestigungsgrad der Beziehung führen und für die sowohl die Möglichkeit einer langfristigen Planbarkeit als auch ein geringes Arbeitsmarktrisiko zuträglich sind. Dazu gehören Heirats- und Fertilltätsabsichten, aber auch hochbudgetierte Investitionsentscheidungen wie etwa der Erwerb einer Immobilie zur gemeinsamen Vermögensbildung. Im vorliegenden Bericht werden das Erhebungsdesign, Ausschöpfungsstatistiken, der Codeplan und die Randauszählungen aller Variablen dargestellt.

Das primäre Ziel des Forschungsprojektes AGIPEB besteht in der Analyse realisierter und geplanter Institutionalisierungsschritten von Paaren unter dem Einfluss befristeter Beschäftigungsverhältnisse in Deutschland. Dabei wird der Fokus auf zentrale Entscheidungen in der Lebensführung von Paaren gerichtet, die den Verfestigungsgrad der Partnerschaft erhöhen und eine materielle oder immaterielle Investitionsbereitschaft erfordern. Dazu gehören sowohl Entscheidungen wie der Erwerb einer Immobilie zwecks gemeinsamer Vermögensbildung als auch Heirats- und Fertilitätsentscheidungen, deren langfristige Planbarkeit unter einem erhöhten Arbeitsmarktrisiko gefährdet ist. Ausgehend von einem rationalen Investitionsmodell konnte in der ersten Phase des Forschungsprojektes gezeigt werden, dass die Form des Beschäftigungsverhältnisses das Entscheidungsverhalten in Hochkostensituationen beeinflusst. So ergab sich im Laufe der Analyse der 1.083 per Zufallsauswahl erhobenen Personen im Alter zwischen 20 und 36 Jahren, dass die Geburt des ersten gemeinsamen Kindes von Paaren mit mindestens einem von befristeter Erwerbsarbeit betroffenen Partner in der Partnerschaftsbiographie aufgeschoben wird, während der erste gemeinsame Urlaub im Vergleich zu Beziehungen mit Partnern im Normalarbeitsverhältnis vorgezogen wird.

Prozesse partnerschaftlicher Institutionalisierung werden, folgt man aktuellen soziologischen Gegenwartsdiagnosen, unter den Einflüssen der Flexibilisierung des Berufs- und Alltagslebens zunehmend riskant und unsicher. Einerseits, so die gegenwartsdiagnostische Annahme, sorge die Pluralisierung von Lebensformen dafür, dass klassische familiale Bindungen zugunsten neuer, riskanter Partnerschaftsarrangements in den Hintergrund treten. Andererseits drohen, so eine zweite Annahme, prekäre Beschäftigungsformen die Planung des Privat- und Familienlebens zunehmend zu erschweren. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht auf Basis eines handlungstheoretischen Analysemodells, inwieweit sich die Ausprägungen von Heiratsneigungen und Kinderwünschen unter jungen Paaren in Deutschland auf die besagten makrosozialen Entwicklungen zurückführen lassen. Der empirische Teil der Studie stützt sich dabei auf eine knapp 1.100 Personen umfassende repräsentative Stichprobe erwachsener Paare im Alter zwischen 18 und 36 Jahren, die im Winter 2012/13 rekrutiert wurde. Tendenziell zeigt sich, dass die die subjektive Wahrnehmung von Pluralisierungsphänomenen einen stärkeren Einfluss auf besagte Institutionalisierungsabsichten zeitigt als die subjektive Verarbeitung prekärer Beschäftigung. Allerdings ist dieser Befund stets im Kontext weiterer sozialstruktureller Kontrollvariablen zu betrachten, weshalb die Erklärungsstärke des berichteten Effekts vergleichsweise gering ausfällt.

Knowing how to utilize Google Search is powerful. Search skills are an essential 21st century skill that will serve you in finding, organizing, and leveraging information faster and more reliably, thereby increasing productivity and improving your quality of life online.

Knowing how to utilize Google Search is powerful. Search skills are an essential 21st century skill that will serve you in finding, organizing, and leveraging information faster and more reliably, thereby increasing productivity and improving your quality of life online.

Knowing how to utilize Google Search is powerful. Search skills are an essential 21st century skill that will serve you in finding, organizing, and leveraging information faster and more reliably, thereby increasing productivity and improving your quality of life online.

Zwar gibt es inzwischen eine Fülle an empirischen Forschungen, die die objektiven Formen prekärer Beschäftigungsverhältnisse - Befristung, Teilzeitarbeit, Leiharbeit, Zeitarbeit usw. - in ihrem quantitativen Ausmaß erfassen. Und auch die empirische Erforschung partnerschaftlicher und familialer Institutionalisierungsprozesse ist in den vergangenen Jahren große Schritte vorangekommen. Dennoch ist der Aspekt der subjektiven Prekaritätsverarbeitung auf partnerschaftlicher Ebene in Zeiten schwieriger werdender Planbarkeit familiärer Beziehungsverläufe bislang eher unterbelichtet geblieben. Um diese Lücke zu schließen, wird, basierend auf einem handlungstheoretischen Modell zur Analyse partnerschaftsstabilisierender Hochkostenentscheidungen eine eigens entwickelte Skale zur Erfassung subjektiver Verarbeitungsformen befristeter Beschäftigungssituationen vorgestellt und auf Konstruktvalidität und Reliabilität überprüft. Hierfür werden zunächst aktuelle Untersuchungen im Bereich der Familiensoziologie und Arbeits- und Sozialpsychologie im hier interessierenden Forschungsfeld als empirische und konzeptionelle Ausgangsbasis aufgearbeitet. Die Ausarbeitung eines den späteren empirischen Analysen voranzustellenden Modells partnerschaftlichen Institutionalisierungshandelns erfolgt sodann in Anknüpfung an klassische und neuere Ansätze zur Erforschung modernisierungsbedingter Arbeitsmarkt- und Lebensunsicherheiten, die sich vor allem in den Arbeiten Jahodas, Lazarsfelds und Zeisels (1975), Pierre Bourdieus (2000) und Klaus Dörres (2009). Ziel ist es, besagte soziographisch und gesellschaftstheoretisch orientierte Ansätze mit einem rational-choice-basierten Modell zur Erklärung partnerschaftlicher Institutionalisierungsprozesse in Einklang zu bringen, das es erlaubt, die Wirkungen der subjektiven Verarbeitung objektiver Arbeitsmarktkrisenphänomene auf partnerschaftliche Institutionalisierungsprozesse empirisch-erklärend nachzuvollziehen. Hierfür wird im späteren empirischen Teil auf Basis multivariater Analysen der Einfluss von Befristungserfahrungen sowie weiterer sozialstruktureller Merkmale auf die Ausprägung subjektiver Unsicherheitswahrnehmungen untersucht.

The 4-H junior livestock program develops life skills in thousands of youth across Utah. Youth gain confidence and responsibility as they feed and care for quality animals in preparation for exhibition and marketing of their project.

The 4-H junior livestock program develops life skills in thousands of youth across Utah.

This is the second in a series of technology-based factsheets focusing on helpful web 2.0 applications you may not be aware of.

This is the first in a series of technology based factsheets focusing on helpful web 2.0 applications you may not be aware of.

RWTH-Themen : Berichte aus der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen 2009(1), 26-28(2009). special issue: "Wasser und Leben / [hrsg. im Auftr. des Rektors: Dezernat Presse und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit der RWTH Aachen. Verantw.: Toni Wimmer]", Published by RWTH, Aachen

"Die Zukunft der Familie, ihre Krise oder allgemein Entwicklungstendenzen des familialen Lebens sind immer wieder Thema der veröffentlichten Meinung. 'Ehe light' oder 'Das Ende der bürgerlichen Familie' sind dabei die Schlagworte. Begründet werden diese Thesen dabei nicht nur durch Einzelfälle, sondern auch fast immer mit dem Hinweis auf die sinkenden Heiratszahlen und die zurückgehenden Geburten. Lassen sich diese Thesen aber nun wirklich mit den Entwicklungen des Heiratsverhaltens und der Fertilität untermauern? Um diese Frage wenigstens ansatzweise zu beantworten, sollen im folgenden diese beiden, für das gesamte familiale Handeln zentralen Entscheidungen, in einer längerfristigen historischen Perspektive betrachtet werden, wobei hierzu eine Längsschnitts- und Kohortenperspektive eingenommen wird." (Autorenreferat)

´In dem Beitrag wird der Versuch unternommen, die Konzepte "Identität", "Identitätsbewußtsein", "Selbstkonzept" und "Selbstwertgefühl" zu spezifizieren und einen allgemeinen Ansatz zu einer Erklärung des Wandels von Identität zu formulieren. Der Autor geht auf soziologische und sozialpsychologische Identitätstheorien ein (Mead, Goffman, Krappmann), kritisiert diese dem symbolischen Interaktionismus zuzurechnenden Ansätze und stellt Ansätze der Selbstkonzeptforschung vor. Insbesondere Ansätze der Selbstkonzeptforschung, die den Schwerpunkt auf die Informationsverarbeitung legen, sieht er als theoretisch verheißungsvoll an. Nach diesem Überblick entwirft er selbst eine Identitätstheorie unter Bezugnahme auf die Wert-Erwartungs-Theorie (SEU-Theorie). Aus dieser Perspektive werden wiederholt erfolgreiche Sequenzen von Handlungen zu relativ dauerhaften Reaktionsmustern. Diese von den Individuen wahrgenommenen und kategorisierten Reaktionsmuster werden als "Identitäten" bezeichnet. Der Autor zeigt, wie mit dieser Sichtweise verschiedene soziologische Identitäts-Konzepte und sozialpsychologische Annahmen von "habits" und "traits" und "traits" theoretisch integriert werden können. (PF)

Der Beitrag vergleicht unterschiedliche Operationalisierungen von egozentrierten Netzwerken (Bezugsgruppen) hinsichtlich ihrer Erklärungskraft von Einstellungsbildungen. Als Beispiel dient die Erklärung ethnozentrischer Einstellungen. Im Anschluß an eine knappe Darlegung der theoretischen Fragestellung erfolgt die Datenanalyse zunächst in der Beschreibung der Verteilung der relevanten Variablen nach den unterschiedlichen Operationalisierungen. Dann wird mittels einer multiplen Regressionsanalyse die Erklärungskraft der einzelnen Variablen ermittelt, um schließlich durch Pfadanalysen zu klären, ob die verschiedenen Modelle eine einheitliche Kausalstruktur reproduzieren. (KO)

This atlas contains maps of wetlands and surface mining activity in the Western Kentucky Coal Field, and focuses on a 3960 km2 (1530 mi2) region where approximately 90 percent of surface mining in the Coal field occures. Some present and potential competition exists between surface coal mining and wetland protection. A wetland classification, based on the recent FWS classification, includes six types of palustrine systems and one each of riverine and laucstrine systems. Wetlands and surface mines are located on twenty-seven 7.5 minute USGS quadrangles that define the study region. A total of 460 km2 (177 mi2) of wetlands are identified. Approximately 84 percent are broad-leaved deciduous forested wetlands, mostly as periodically-flooded riparian hardwood forests along broad alluvial bottom-lands. Also, several significant persistent emergent wetlands, shrub-scrub wetlands, and needle-leaved deciduous forested wetlands (bald cypress swamps) are identified in the study region. Summaries of geology and coal mining, hydrology, water quality, wetland vegetation and unique fish and wildlife species are presented for each quadrangle. Effects of existing and potential future surface mining of coal on wetland structure, function, and value are discussed. Species lists for vegetation and fish and wildlife and recent water quality data for the study region are given in the Appendices. Funding information: The work upon which this report is based was supported in part by funds provided by the United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., as authorized by the Water Research and Development Act of 1978. Public Law 95-467.

This is the first research report of a three-year project on wetland identification and management criteria in the western Kentucky coal field. The region is approximately 12,000 square kilometers and, due to its slight relief, contains many wetlands, some contiguous with surface coal mining operations. The overall objectives of the research project are 1) to identify, classify, and map wetlands in the western Kentucky coal field; 2) to evaluate the major biotic and abiotic factors that affect those wetlands; and 3) to develop strategies for the proper management of those wetlands. The first report of this three-year project has involved the following tasks related to wetlands in the coal fields of western Kentucky: 1. establishment of three intensive study sites in major wetlands for identification and assessment of management impacts, 2. sampling tripe in May, July, and September to the intensive study sites, to measure water quality and ecological structure, 3. development of a classification specifically for wetlands in western Kentucky and an application of the classification to the three intensive study sites, and 4. development of conceptual models of the region, watersheds, and specific ecosystems, and preliminary simulations of a wetland model. Our specific sites in western Kentucky are Cypress Creek Wetlands in Muhlenberg County, which are affected by mine drainage and channelization; Clear Creek Swamp in Hopkins County, which is affected by mine drainage and higher water levels; and Henderson Sloughs in Henderson County, which are affected by oil wells and clearing for agriculture. Preliminary analysis of field surveys demonstrates that several activities, particularly coal mining and oil 'extraction, may affect the health of wetlands in western Kentucky. Drainage, logging, channelization, and impoundments have also caused significant alterations. Funding information: The work upon which this report is based was supported in part by funds provided by the Office of Water Research and Technology, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., as authorized by the Water Research and Development Act of 1978. Public Law 95-467.

Background: Monitoring the properties of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil water is frequently used to evaluate changes in soil quality and to explain shifts in freshwater ecosystem functioning. Methods: Using >700 individual soils (0-15 cm) collected from a 209,331 km(2) area we evaluated the relationship between soil classification (7 major soil types) or vegetation cover (8 dominant classes, e. g. cropland, grassland, forest) and the absorbance properties (254 and 400 nm), DOC quantity and quality (SUVA, total soluble phenolics) of soil water. Results: Overall, a good correlation (r(2) = 0.58) was apparent between soil water absorbance and DOC concentration across the diverse range of soil types tested. In contrast, both DOC and the absorbance properties of soil water provided a poor predictor of SUVA or soluble phenolics which we used as a measure of humic substance concentration. Significant overlap in the measured ranges for UV absorbance, DOC, phenolic content and especially SUVA of soil water were apparent between the 8 vegetation and 7 soil classes. A number of significant differences, however, were apparent within these populations with total soluble phenolics giving the greatest statistical separation between both soil and vegetation groups. Conclusions: We conclude that the quality of DOC rather than its quantity provides a more useful measure of soil quality in large scale surveys.