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Participation And The Poor: Social Accountability Institutions And Poverty Reduction In Brazil, Michael Touchton, Brian Wampler, Natasha Borges Sugiyama

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Democracy, according to a large body of research, contributes to human development by improving citizens' lives (Prezeworkski et al. 2000; Gerrign et al. 2012; McGuire 2010; Baum and Lake 2003; Gerring et al. 2015). Broad evidence demonstrates that democracies provide higher standards of living, on average, for their citizens than authoritarian countries (Boix 2001; Brown and Hunter 2004; Brown and Mobarak 2009; Besley and Kudamatsu 2006; Lake and Baum 2001). But what is it about democratic practice that enhances the quality of its citizens' lives? Proponents argue that democratic practices such as competitive elections, checks and balances, and protection of …

Scholarworks Statistics - January Through December 2015, Scholarworks

ScholarWorks Reports

During 2015, ScholarWorks recorded a total of 339,066 full-text and additional file downloads and 144,173 page views.

A Preliminary Assessment Of Water Partitioning And Ecohydrological Coupling In Northern Headwaters Using Stable Isotopes And Conceptual Runoff Models, James P. Mcnamara

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

We combined a conceptual rainfall-runoff model and input–output relationships of stable isotopes to understand ecohydrological influences on hydrological partitioning in snow-influenced northern catchments. Six sites in Sweden (Krycklan), Canada (Wolf Creek; Baker Creek; Dorset), Scotland (Girnock) and the USA (Dry Creek) span moisture and energy gradients found at high latitudes. A meta-analysis was carried out using the Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV) model to estimate the main storage changes characterizing annual water balances. Annual snowpack storage importance was ranked as Wolf Creek > Krycklan > Dorset > Baker Creek > Dry Creek > Girnock. The subsequent rate and longevity of melt were reflected in calibrated parameters …

Augmenting The Immersed Boundary Method With Radial Basis Functions (Rbfs) For The Modeling Of Platelets In Hemodynamic Flows, Varun Shankar, Grady B. Wright, Robert M. Kirby, Aaron L. Fogelson

Mathematics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a new computational method by extending the Immersed Boundary (IB) method with a geometric model based on parametric Radial Basis Function (RBF) interpolation of the Lagrangian structures. Our specific motivation is the modeling of platelets in hemodynamic flows, though we anticipate that our method will be useful in other applications involving surface elasticity. The efficacy of our new RBF-IB method is shown through a series of numerical experiments. Specifically, we test the convergence of our method and compare our method with the traditional IB method in terms of computational cost, maximum stable time-step size and volume loss. We …

Scholarworks Statistics - December 2015, Scholarworks

ScholarWorks Reports

For the month of December 2015, ScholarWorks recorded a total of 25,053 full-text and additional file downloads and 10,705 page views.

Natural Degradation Of Earthworks, Trenches, Walls And Moats, Northern Thailand, Spencer H. Wood, Layle R. Wood, Alan D. Ziegler

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

“………..structures of this kind are hidden away securely under the thick overgrowth: thus does nature preserve what man would surely destroy” (from Sumet Jumsai, 1970)

We investigate the geometry, age, and history of several enigmatic northern Thailand earthwork entrenchments that are mostly located on hills and could not have held water to form moats. The earthworks are either oval or rectangular in map view; and they typically encircle 0.3-to-1-km² areas that do not have potsherd debris indicative of former towns. Most trenches are 3-5 m deep with inner walls 4.5-8 m high. Some encircling earthworks are concentric double trenches …

Infrasound From Volcanic Rockfalls, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Timothy J. Ronan

CGISS Publications and Presentations

Proximal infrasound arrays can robustly track rapidly moving gravity-driven mass wasting, which occurs commonly at erupting volcanoes. This study reports on detection, localization, and quantification of frequent small rockfalls and infrequent pyroclastic density currents descending the southeast flanks of Santiaguito’s active Caliente Dome in January of 2014. Such activities are identified as moving sources, which descend several hundred meters at bulk flow speeds of up to ~10 m/s, which is considerably slower than the descent velocity of individual blocks. Infrasound rockfall signal character is readily distinguishable from explosion infrasound, which is manifested by a relatively fixed location source with lower …

Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations, Their Solutions, And Properties, Prasanna Bandara

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Although valuable understanding of real-world phenomena can be gained experimentally, it is often the case that experimental investigations can be found to be limited by financial, ethical or other constraints making such an approach impractical or, in some cases, even impossible. To nevertheless understand and make predictions of the natural world around us, countless processes encountered in the physical and biological sciences, engineering, economics and medicine can be efficiently described by means of mathematical models written in terms of ordinary or/and partial differential equations or their systems. Fundamental questions that arise in the modeling process need care that relies on …

Men And The Socially Created Stigma Of Anorexia, Marcus Ogawa

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study illuminates how college men negotiate and communicate their body image in a culture that is placing greater emphasis on the importance of body image for men. Embracing the theory of Social Construction, this study offers a communicative perspective to explore men’s articulation of body image and how they make sense of anorexia. Existing research reveals anorexia as a problem primarily associated with women, and consequently men demonstrating anorexic behaviors often find it difficult to receive help. Literature also affirms that our culture often expects men to be ashamed of behaving in any way that does not conform to …

Internal Workings, Earle D. Swope

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Converging my various identities as artist, educator, firefighter and city employee I delved into the City of Boise’s LIV campaign. LIV’s intent is the reimagining of municipal government and its engagement with employees, residents, and business. I pursued three different projects: interning in Human Resources, sitting on the Vista revitalization committee, and coordinating art students with the Boise Farmers Market “Mobile Market” project. I found myself in a very Boise story. This project has several more years until it reaches a maturation point where the final outcomes are known.

My response is the visual documentation of the relationships formed and …

Electrolyte Optimization Study For Tio2 Nanotube Electrode In Sodium Ion Batteries, Richard Wendel Cutler

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Batteries are ubiquitous in daily life. Sodium-ion batteries have the potential to become inexpensive alternatives to the current market products such as Lithium-ion batteries. TiO₂ nanotubes have proven potential as an anode for Na-ion batteries. Electrolytes made by NaClO₄ salt and carbonate-based solvents make up commonly used electrolytes in sodium ion battery research. We used electrochemical and physical characterization tests to evaluate the optimum electrolyte for this anode material in the Na system. We determined that the ClO₄^- ion decomposes at the TiO₂ surface and promotes the formation of an unstable solid electrolyte interphase. A …

Viticulture Performance And Cold Hardiness Attributes Of Select Winegrape Cultivars In The Western Snake River Plain Of Idaho, Jacob Joseph Cragin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This two part study was carried out in the Snake River Valley American viticulture area (SRV AVA) in Idaho. This area is a northern latitude, high elevation plateau where growing season is delimited by cold temperature. For the first part of the study, the performance of red and white-skinned winegrape cultivars (Vitis vinifera, L.) were compared to that of the widely grown cultivars Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Phenology, juice composition, yield, cold injury, and cold hardiness were observed during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. Phenological events occurred later in the cooler 2011 season than the warmer 2012 …

Plant Toxins Influence Diet Selection And Intestinal Parasites In A Specialist Herbivore, Marcella Rene Fremgen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Herbivores select plants and patches that generally maximize nutrient intake and minimize intake of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). Protein is important for growth, reproduction and maintenance, but maximizing intake of protein is often limited by concentrations of PSMs that are potentially toxic to herbivores and energetically expensive to process. However, the consequences of ingesting PSM are often dose-dependent. At high doses, PSMs generally have negative physiological effects and are avoided, but some PSMs can be therapeutic against parasites at low doses and could therefore be selected. We used Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter, sage-grouse) to test how PSMs influence …

“Right From Hades”: Water And Politics In Boise, Idaho, Molly Lorraine May

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The western United States has, arguably, been shaped by water—both through its presence and its absence. This thesis examines the history of the artesian and geothermal water resources of Boise, Idaho. The development of these resources has taken a trajectory that is defined by busy periods of expansion punctuated by long stretches of inactivity or stasis. These stages of development closely align with major trends in environmental history. Beyond merely providing additional insight to the history of the region, the commoditization of nature in Boise provides further elucidation of national trends of conservation, environmentalism, and green energy. By examining the …

Plastic Deformation And Effective Strain Hardening Coefficient Of Irradiated Fe-9wt%Cr Ods Alloy By Nano-Indentation And Tem, Corey Kenneth Dolph

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to characterize changes in the yielding, and effective strain hardening coefficient of an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy upon exposure to irradiation. It is well known that irradiation produces a supersaturation of defects, which alters the mechanical properties of a material. In order to engineer materials for use in advanced nuclear reactors, the long-term effects of neutron irradiation on mechanical performance must be understood. However, high-dose neutron exposure is often simulated using ion bombardment. Unfortunately, ion irradiation results in a shallow damage layer that prevents traditional bulk mechanical characterization methods from being utilized. A …

Mobility And Economy Of The Evenkis In Eastern Siberia, Karl Mertens

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Mobility is an aspect of human activity that is highly contextual but also in need of a framework for comparative analysis through time and space. This thesis examines Evenki mobility patterns and how these patterns relate to the economic practices of hunting, fishing, and reindeer herding, and utilizes a framework for considering mobility cross-culturally. The Evenkis are an indigenous minority living throughout central and eastern Siberia in the Russian Federation. In the fall and winter of 2011/2012, fieldwork among two groups of Evenkis documented patterns of resource use, foraging, and mobility. One group lives in a village and disperses to …

A Small Acoustic Goniometer For General Purpose Research, Michael Pook

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Understanding acoustic events and monitoring their occurrence is a useful aspect of many research projects. In particular, acoustic goniometry allows researchers to determine the source of an event based solely on the sound it produces. The vast majority of the acoustic goniometry research projects used custom hardware targeted to the specific application under test. Unfortunately, due to the wide range of sensing applications, a flexible general purpose hardware/firmware system does not exist for this research. This dissertation focuses on the development of such a system which encourages the continued exploration of general purpose hardware/firmware and lowers barriers to research in …

Effects Of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 And Parathyroid Hormone-Related Peptide On Collagen Xi During Skeletal Development, Neda Shefa

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Long bones develop via endochondral ossification, a process in which cartilage precedes bone. During endochondral ossification prechondrogenic cells undergo proliferation and apoptose as cells of the periosteum differentiate into bone. The process of endochondral ossification is regulated by a group of endocrine as well as paracrine molecules that includes bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). Collagens are extracellular matrix molecules that are present in a spatiotemporal manner during endochondral ossification. Collagen XI alpha 1 (Col11a1) is a minor fibrillar collagen that is alternatively spliced during development and can result in up to eight different spliceforms. During endochondral …

Dual-Input Dc-To-Dc Converter Topologies And Control Schemes, Shaun Alan Stickel

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Dual-input DC-to-DC converters are power supplies that draw power from two sources simultaneously and deliver power to a single load, the ratio of power drawn from each source and be held constant with changes in the load. Applications for dual-input power supplies are computer systems, mobile systems using energy harvesting, and systems needing redundant power supplies. This writing covers the operation and control of dual-input DC-to-DC converters that implement a non-inverting buck-boost function and utilize only a single power path.

Traditionally, a dual-input power supply is created by placing two standard power paths in parallel. This adds considerable control complexity …

Lekuak: The Basque Places Of Boise, Idaho, Meggan Laxalt Mackey

History Graduate Projects and Theses

Lekuak ("Places") traces how Basque places in Boise reflect the evolution of each generation’s expression of ethnic identity in response to American societal forces of the times. The first-generation Amerikanuak (late 1800s to 1920s) predominantly expressed their ethnicity as an internally-focused, solely-Basque ethnic group and built places such as boardinghouses and frontons that met communal needs. The Tartekoak, ("in-between" second generation, 1930s to the 1950s), mostly expressed a dual Basque and American ethnic identity. Tartekoak places often revealed the individuation of this generation with single-family residences and Americanized businesses, and the Basque Center with ancestry-based membership. The Egungoak ("today" …

The Validation Of An Instrument For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Professional Development Program On Teaching Online, Jui-Long Hung, Dazhi Yang

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Attending professional development (PD) on teaching online is becoming popular for teachers in today’s K-12 online education. Due to the unique characteristics of the online instructional environments, surveys become the most feasible approach to evaluate the effectiveness of PD programs. However, there is no validated, open-access instrument available to satisfy the needs. Purpose of this study is to conduct construct validity, content validity, concurrent validity, and reliability tests on an open-access instrument for K–12 PD for online teaching. With the exception of a few items that have minor issues on content and construct validity, results show that the survey is, …

A Bystander Bullying Psychoeducation Program With Middle School Students: A Preliminary Report, Aida Midgett, Diana Doumas, Dara Sears, Amanda Lundquist, Robin Hausheer

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief, stand-alone bystander bullying psychoeducation program for middle school students. The purpose of the program was to train students to take action as peer advocates. Pre- and post-tests indicated that after completing the 90-minute psychoeducation program, students reported an increase in their ability to identify what different types of bullying look like, knowledge of bystander intervention strategies, and general confidence intervening as peer advocates. Implications for school counselors are discussed, including (1) taking a leadership role in program implementation, (2) having access to a brief, cost-effective bystander training intervention, and (3) applying the …

Modification Of Cellular Dna By Synthetic Aziridinomitosenes, Chris M. Mallory, Ryan P. Carfi, Sangphil Moon, Kenneth A. Cornell, Don L. Warner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two synthetic aziridinomitosenes (AZMs), Me-AZM and H-AZM, structurally related to mitomycin C (MC) were evaluated for their anticancer activity against six cancer cell lines (HeLa, Jurkat, T47D, HepG2, HL-60, and HuT-78) and tested for their DNA-modifying abilities in Jurkat cells. Cytotoxicity assays showed that Me-AZM is up to 72-fold and 520-fold more potent than MC and H-AZM, respectively. Me-AZM also demonstrated increased DNA modification over MC and H-AZM in alkaline COMET and Hoechst fluorescence assays that measured crosslinks in cellular DNA. Me-AZM and H-AZM treatment of Jurkat cells was found to sponsor significant DNA-protein crosslinks using …

Determinants Of Seat Belt Use: Regression Analysis With Fars Data Corrected For Self-Selection, Frank Goetzke, Samia Islam

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We develop a methodology to use FARS data as an alternative to NOPUS in estimating seat belt usage. The advantages of using FARS over NOPUS are that (i) FARS is broader because it contains more variables relevant for policy analysis, (ii) FARS allows for easy multivariate regression analysis, and, finally, (iii) FARS data is more cost-effective. Methodology: We apply a binary logit model in our analysis to determine the likelihood of seat belt usage given various occupant, vehicle, and built environment characteristics. Using FARS data, we derive coefficient estimates for categories such as vehicle occupants' age and night time …

Young In Class: Implications For Inattentive/Hyperactive Behaviour Of Canadian Boys And Girls, Kelly Chen, Nicole Fortin, Shelley Phipps

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using data from the Statistics Canada National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), this paper investigates the impact of school entry age on inattentive/hyperactive behaviours. We employ both a cross-provinces-time differences-in-differences approach, and a within-province regression discontinuity design. We find that being young in class causes greater inattentive/hyperactive behaviour, exacerbating any inattentive/hyperactive behavior exhibited prior to school entry. These results also also hold in sibling fixed effect models. Though we do not find gender differences in the effects, because boys are more likely to be inattentive/hyperactive at school entry, they are more affected. These effects persist into early adolescence.

Modeling Trade-Offs Between Plant Fiber And Toxins: A Framework For Quantifying Risks Perceived By Foraging Herbivores, Meghan J. Camp, Lisa A. Shipley, Timothy R. Johnson, Jennifer Sorenson Forbey, Janet L. Rachlow, Miranda M. Crowell

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

When selecting habitats, herbivores must weigh multiple risks, such as predation, starvation, toxicity, and thermal stress, forcing them to make fitness trade-offs. Here, we applied the method of paired comparisons (PC) to investigate how herbivores make trade-offs between habitat features that influence selection of food patches. The method of PC measures utility and the inverse of utility, relative risk, and makes trade-offs and indifferences explicit by forcing animals to make choices between two patches with different types of risks. Using a series of paired-choice experiments to titrate the equivalence curve and find the marginal rate of substitution for one risk …

Early School Leavers In Belize: Perspectives On School Experiences, The Purpose Of School And Why They Left, Bevin Etheridge

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The research herein focuses on how early school leavers described why they left school, their school experiences, and their beliefs about school’s purpose in their lives. This interpretive, multiple case study is based on 21 semi-structured interviews with early school leavers, a Likert-scale survey generated from the themes that emerged in the interviews, as well as national and school policy documents, evaluative reports on education and social issues, and various media pertaining to youth and education (Stake, 2005a). In order to understand the perspectives of participants, I tie them into the larger sociocultural, historical and economic context.

Although secondary education …

Skills, Division Of Labor, And Economies Of Scale Among Amazonian Hunters And South Indian Honey Collectors, Paul L. Hooper, Kathryn Demps, Michael Gurven, Drew Gerkey, Hillard S. Kaplan

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In foraging and other productive activities, individuals make choices regarding whether and with whom to cooperate, and in what capacities. The size and composition of cooperative groups can be understood as a self-organized outcome of these choices, which are made under local ecological and social constraints. This article describes a theoretical framework for explaining the size and composition of foraging groups based on three principles: (1) the sexual division of labor; (2) the intergenerational division of labor; and (3) economies of scale in production. We test predictions from the theory with data from two field contexts: Tsimane' game hunters of …

An Open-Source, Automated Chemical Vapor Deposition System For The Production Of 2d Materials, Dale Brown

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

While interest in two-dimensional materials has exploded in recent years, the high cost of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems can act as a barrier to entry for some researchers interested in studying these materials. This thesis presents an open-source design for an automated CVD that can be built for a fraction of the cost of similarly capable commercial systems and that can easily be customized and expanded.With a CVD built as described,growth of high quality graphene and graphene foam is demonstrated.These results highlight the flexibility of the open-source design in producing a variety of nanomaterials, which are at the forefront …

The Classical Theory Of Rearrangements, Monica Josue Agana

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

One type of conditionally convergent series that has long been considered by mathematicians is the Alternating Harmonic Series and its sum under various types of rearrangements. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce results from the classical theory of rearrangements dating back to the 19th and early 20th century. We will look at results by mathematicians such as Ohm, Riemann, Schlömilch, Pringsheim, and Sierpiński. In addition, we show examples of each classical result by applying the Alternating Harmonic Series under the different types of rearrangements, and also introducing theorems by Lévy and Steinitz, and Wilczyński which are modern extensions …