Digital Commons Network^™

A Flexible Consent Management System For Master Person Indices, Aditya Pakalapati

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In healthcare, a Master Person Index (MPI) is a system that integrates information of individual from multiple data sources. To ensure confidentiality, such systems, particularly in healthcare, need to respect individual and organizational constraints on the sharing of data. This report describes a reusable consent management system that enforces such constraints and how it has been tested in the context of the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) MPI for public health.

Hydraulic Modeling: Pipe Network Analysis, Trevor T. Datwyler

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Water modeling is becoming an increasingly important part of hydraulic engineering. One application of hydraulic modeling is pipe network analysis. Using programmed algorithms to repeatedly solve continuity and energy equations, computer software can greatly reduce the amount of time required to analyze a closed conduit system. Such hydraulic models can become a valuable tool for cities to maintain their water systems and plan for future growth. The Utah Division of Drinking Water regulations require cities to maintain hydraulic models of their culinary water systems, and before additional connections can be made to the water system, a licensed professional engineer must …

Effective Use Of Interactive Learning Modules In Classroom Study For Computer Science Education, Goldee Jamwal

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is spending substantial resources to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States. The ultimate goal of these programs is to produce students with a better knowledge of math and science and who are more likely to pursue careers in STEM fields. Interactive learning modules can be used in the classroom environment for effective learning.

This study examines the learning preferences of Logan High School (located in Logan, Utah) students and evaluates the impacts of using interactive learning modules with classroom lectures compared to other traditional methods of teaching.

Effects Of Training Peer Tutors To Deliver Praise Statements, Prompts, And Correction Procedures On Academic Skills Of Students Who Have Severe To Moderate Disabilities, Lyndi Brooks

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Peer tutors have been utilized in many settings to work with various individuals, including those with disabilities. There has not been considerable research into the training of peer tutors for students who have severe disabilities in the junior high setting and the effect the training has on the performance of students with disabilities. The purpose of this project was to determine whether training junior high school-­‐aged peer tutors on the use of praise statements, a prompt hierarchy, correction procedures, and data collected to track tutee performance increased academic skills of students with disabilities. Seven peer tutors participated. Five students (i.e., …

Learning: A Teaching Philosophy, Stephen Allen Warren

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio presents the author’s current understanding of second language teaching. The main section of the portfolio consists of a teaching philosophy that expresses the author’s believe that definitions of learning direct second language teaching. Three artifacts explore language, culture, and literature and express the development of the author’s teaching philosophy. An annotated bibliography covers the essential readings done in the course of study and provides the foundations for the author’s ontological arguments.

Folding Forms, Susan Tibbitts

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

“Folding Forms” is a creative research project that examined the process of converting two-dimensional graphics into three-dimensional forms for architectural and interior use. The work required a non-linear, design process involving hand sketching, digital graphics, printing, scoring, cutting and folding, resulting in conceptual, folded paper forms. Extensive prototype and exploratory models were built to achieve the desired outcome. The seemingly simple graphics produce complex forms.

Effects Of Flooding And Tamarisk Removal On Habitat For Sensitive Fish Species In The San Rafael River, Utah: Implications For Furture Restoration Efforts, Daniel Louis Keller

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Part I of this report is focused on assessment of habitat changes on the San Rafael River after the abnormally high water year in 2011. Having habitat data and aerial imagery collected in 2010 (pre-flood) provided an opportunity to assess how a flood of this magnitude changed river habitat. In 2011 we commissioned a second aerial flight of the San Rafael River to serve as post flood imagery, then used Geographic Information Systems (GIS, ArcMap 10) to analyze river changes due to tamarisk removal and flooding. Our tamarisk removal project appears to have increased the potential for spring floods to …

Web Based Virtual Environment For Education - S'Cape, Atul Thapliyal

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Simulations provide an environment to experiment safely, openly, and repeatedly for learning mastery. However, many simulation environments experienced within a classroom fail to include automated assessment components or automated data collection. Even when assessments are included, often they fail to account for the unpredictable nature of decision-making within a complex, 3D, open-ended simulation environment. Embedding assessments within a virtual simulation environment poses several challenges. First, the program must provide assessments aligned with educational requirements that will not take the learner cognitively “away” from their activities. Second, the program must not detract from the game-like experience that learners find engaging. Third, …

A Report On The Scenic Design For Seussical The Musical, The Scenic Design For The Three Musketeers, And The Costume Design For Step On A Crack, Andrea Lyman Burdzy

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

It isn't often that a man as beloved as Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, comes along. Dr. Seuss wrote more than 60 books in his lifetime, many of which have become classics in the world of children’s literature. His poetic tongue twisters and inventive illustrations have become iconic to several generations of children all over the world. Dr. Seuss' books are not only fun and full of imagination, but more often than not they teach powerful lessons of self-confidence, kindness, and even political awareness.

In April 2010, I was asked to design the set for Seussical the …

A Study Of The Bioherms Of The Early Ordovician Garden City Formation And A Literature Review Of Early Ordovician Organic Buildups, Heidi Pearce

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

During the Early Ordovician organic buildups formed in shallow seas across the world. This project contains a literature review on these organic buildups with a focus on those occurring in the warm, shallow seas of North America, but also includes a study on organic buildups formed in the cold water region of Russia. The goal of the study was to characterize these Early Ordovician organic buildups in order to identify similarities and differences in their occurrence. The second part of this project is a preliminary study on organic buildups occurring in the Early Ordovician Garden City Formation in Boss Canyon, …

Geomorphic Changes Following Beaver Dam Failure And Abandonment, Sonya Britt Welsh

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Beaver, their dams and associated networks of dens, side-channels and pools have a profound influence on habitat heterogeneity and the complexity of the environments they occupy. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the hydrologic and geomorphic interactions between beaver dam establishment and the greater ecosystem as well as quantify the potential geomorphic changes following beaver dam failure and the influence those changes have on the riparian and fluvial ecosystem in a semi-arid environment.

I use a case study of beaver dam breaches in a small unregulated stream, Bridge Creek, in eastern Oregon to illustrate the concepts. Dam breaches …

The Effects Of The High-Probability Procedure On Compliance When Paired With Precision Commands, Whitney Teter

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Noncompliance to teacher directions is an issue in nearly every early childhood classroom. It is necessary for young children to comply with directions so that teachers may assess their knowledge and their progress in the curriculum. Three preschool aged children (N = 3) with developmental delays participated in this study. The high probability command procedure was used with two children and was shown to be successful at increasing compliance. The third child did not show an increase in compliance when the high probability command procedure was used, nor did compliance increase when precision commands (escape extinction) were paired with the …

Effects Of Choice Of Reinforcement On The On-­Task Behavior Of Kindergarten Students With Developmental Delays, Karen Binette

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A high degree of external control is maintained in classrooms serving students with behavioral and developmental disabilities. However, decision making is an important developmental objective related to personal control and dignity. Choice making and discriminating preferred over less preferred outcomes is an important skill that is seldom taught to students with developmental disabilities. Previous research includes studies conducted in clinical settings or with populations with severe disabilities.

Investigation Of The Noise Floor Of The Standard Piv Cross-Correlation Algorithm, Kyle L. Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a powerful measurement technique used to acquire instantaneous measurements of entire flow fields at a given instant in time. Quantifying the uncertainty and error in PIV is a critical part of realizing the full potential of PIV as a flow measurement technique.

The noise floor of PIV is the minimum amount of random error that can be achieved for a particular standard cross-correlation (SCC) algorithm. The noise floor of the SCC used by DaVis in correlating image pairs is explored. Two methods for creating image pairs for correlation are compared, namely pseudo image pairs and …

Tarp Repayment, Lobbying And Political Connectivity, Ian Simmons

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In their paper "Corporate Lobbying, Political Connections, and the Bailout of Banks," Blau, Brough, and Thomas (2012) present significant evidence that firms that engaged in lobbying and maintain political connection with the federal government were more likely to receive funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), received more funds on average, and received the funds earlier than those firms that did not lobby or maintain political connections. These results fit into a large body of work showing similar results showing that lobbying has positive economic benefits to lobbying firms (Chen and Yang, 2010; Cooper and Ovtchinnikov, 2010; Faccio, 2010; …

Towards A Classroom Community: Interaction, Culture And Mindfulness In Second Language Learning, Janae Suzanne Hollenback

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of the author’s works while a student in the Master of Second Language Teaching Program at Utah State University. The core of this work is the Teaching Philosophy, which is prefaced with the author’s observations of “what works” and “what doesn’t work” in education based on her experience as a student. This is followed by a brief description of the author’s intended professional environment. The Teaching Philosophy itself explores various research and other influences which have inspired the author’s direction and preferences for effective language teaching. The three artifacts in this portfolio constitute the author’s …

Curriculum Design For An Integrated Language Arts Class At The High School Level Utilizing A Multi-Genre American Studies Approach, Susan K. Biddulph

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Curriculum integration and multi-genre approaches to education are acknowledged to be beneficial to both student learning styles and skill development; however, due to time and budget constraints, many teachers do not implen1ent these approaches. This language arts curriculum utilizes a theme-centered approach that smoothly integrates many subject areas and encourages skill development while adhering to the Utah Common Core Curriculum and incorporating multiple lean1ing styles. The theme of the curriculum is gender role expectations throughout history. While the units primarily rely on primary texts, they also incorporate numerous secondary texts in multiple subject areas and require both formal and informal …

Western Legacy, Jeremiah M. Watt

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A selection of photos portraying Western Legacy.

Behavioral Life-Cycle Models Under Alternative Demographic Regimes, Timothy F. Harris

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Social security in the United States will encounter financial strains due to an aging population. The decreasing worker to retiree ratio will reduce retirement benefits relative to today’s benefits so long as the tax rate and eligibility age are not altered. Policy makers assume that they should make policies to maintain the current benefit levels.

In contrast to this assumption, this paper does not presume that policy makers should preserve current benefits. An analysis of the required tax rate to maintain lifetime utility across the current and future demographic regimes is undertaken rather than just a calculation of the tax …

Urban Trail System Planning In The Western United States: An Analysis Of The Trail-Specific Planning Efforts Of Four Cities That Have Implemented Urban Trail Systems, Kenneth C. Richley

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

States in the Western United States are growing at rates outpacing the rest of the nation. This growth is placing pressure on communities to develop their current open space for residential or commercial use. As cities develop a comprehensive open space plans, several elements arise. One critical element is connectivity. This connectivity is most often realized in the form of greenways. In many cities these greenways contain urban trail systems that provide significant recreation and connectivity benefits.

This thesis investigates the current recommended models used to plan for greenway, synthesizes them into a recommended model process, and analyzes case studies …

Comparative Analysis Of Healthcare Expenditure In The United States And Canada, Chris N. Anazia

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Total healthcare expenditures and expenditures as a percentage of GDP have been substantially higher in the U.S. than in Canada between 1975 – 2008. Hospitalcare, physician and clinical services, and drug prescription expenditures have been the principal components contributing to growth in healthcare expenditures in the U.S. compared to Canada. This study reviews the literature on increasing healthcare costs and establishes some comparative and descriptive analysis for high healthcare costs in the two countries during this time period. The study also analyses and compares the growth of healthcare costs.

A Multifunctional Solar Panel Antenna For Cube Satellites, Olutosin C. Fawole

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This work presented the design of a single antenna structure that can perform the functions of about four antennas. The antenna is to be applied on a new kind of very tiny satellites. These satellites are called CubeSats. In contrast to an ordinary antenna that works at a single frequency band, the antenna designed will be able to work at about three different usable frequencies. In addition, it will be possible to make the waves emitted by the antenna to have multiple senses of rotation or no rotation at all. The multiple functional capability of the antenna will lead to …

The Effects Of Bison On Cattle Winter Range In The Henry Mountains Of South Central Utah: Resolving A Conflict, Ian M. Ware

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American Bison in the Henry Mountains are one of the last free-roaming, genetically pure herds of bison remaining in North America. Over the last decade, the herd has used a cattle winter range during the summer and early fall, creating a conflict between the wildlife officials who manage the bison population, and Bureau of Land Management officials and local ranchers who manage the rangeland. At the heart of this conflict is the question of whether bison are negatively impacting the rangeland resource, potentially reducing the abundance of preferable plant species. Negative impacts could include reduced forage availability in the …

Perspective And Practices To Address Rough-And-Tumble Play In The School Setting: A Survey Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Teams In Utah, Jason C. Basinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior research of rough-and-tumble play (RTP) has shown mixed results—different definitions, varying functions, and positive and negative outcomes. Few researchers have studied interventions to address RTP in school settings. With unclear evidence of RTP outcomes and the extent school interventions are addressing RTP in school settings, this study explored the extent and effectiveness of intervention programs being implemented to prevent/reduce negative outcomes of RTP in elementary schools.

A survey was created and conducted with 30 school problem-solving teams in a western state to obtain information concerning RTP in elementary school settings. Teams provided estimated percentages of RTP leading to beneficial …

Equivalent Fraction Learning Trajectories For Students With Mathematical Learning Difficulties When Using Manipulatives, Arla Westenskow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study identified variations in the equivalent fraction learning of students with mathematical learning difficulties when using physical and virtual manipulatives. The study compared three interventions: physical manipulatives, virtual manipulatives, and a combination of physical and virtual manipulatives. The research used a mixed-method approach to collect and analyze data. Two types of learning trajectories were used to compare and synthesize the result. For this study, 43 fifth-grade students with mathematical learning difficulties participated in 10 sessions of equivalent fraction intervention.

Pre- to postdata analysis indicated significant gains for all three interventions. Effect size scores were used to compare the effects …

Closed-Loop Thrust And Pressure Profile Throttling Of A Nitrous Oxide/Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene Hybrid Rocket Motor, Zachary W. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hybrid motors that employ non-toxic, non-explosive components with a liquid oxidizer and a solid hydrocarbon fuel grain have inherently safe operating characteristics. The inherent safety of hybrid rocket motors offers the potential to greatly reduce overall operating costs. Another key advantage of hybrid rocket motors is the potential for in-flight shutdown, restart, and throttle by controlling the pressure drop between the oxidizer tank and the injector. This research designed, developed, and ground tested a closed-loop throttle controller for a hybrid rocket motor using nitrous oxide and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene as propellants. The research simultaneously developed closed-loop throttle algorithms and lab scale …

I Would Teach It If I Knew How: Inquiry, Modeling, Shared Writing, Collaborative Writing, And Independent Writing (Imsci), A Model For Increasing Secondary Teacher Self-Efficacy In Integrating Writing Instruction In The Content Areas, Melanie M. Landon-Hays

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Framed in theories of pragmatism, self-efficacy, and ecology, this design-based research study attempted to make explicit connections between theory and field-based research. The pedagogical goal of this study was to expose in-service teachers to a scaffolded model of professional development for writing (IMSCI) that could be implemented in their own teaching. This model of professional development also served to place research participants in a professional learning community. Teachers worked in focus groups made of another teacher in their own discipline, and a collective focus group, and worked through the steps of the scaffolded model in consideration of their own writing …

Synthesis And Biological Activity Of Aminoglycosides And 1,4-Naphthoquinone Derivatives, Marina Fosso Yatchang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The research described in this dissertation is at the interface of organic chemistry and biology, and it aimed at designing and synthesizing biologically active molecules for the possible development of therapeutic agents.

Spinal muscular atrophy is an incurable disease that affects 1 in every 6000 babies, making it the leading genetic cause of infant mortality. While no treatment is available, efforts are being taken to solve this issue. Part of the work outlined in this dissertation was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the University of Missouri to investigate a potential therapeutic for this disease.

In addition, the continuous …

Examination Of Nonpoint Source Nutrient Export From A Snowfall-Dominated Watershed, Lindsey Deboer Carrigan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined nonpoint source pollution via tributaries to Pineview Reservoir. Since few literature values of export coefficients are available for snowfall-dominated watersheds such as Pineview, locally scaled rates were quantified using an upstream-downstream bracketing technique. Nitrogen and phosphorus grab samples were manually collected and discharge measurements were conducted during the annual study period. Additionally, high-frequency monitoring sensors that measured EC, temperature, turbidity, and water level were deployed at the up- and downstream sites to represent short-duration transport events and to examine watershed processes on a more representative time scale.

Daily nutrient loads were estimated from grab samples and flow …

Visual Data Mining Techniques For Functional Actigraphy Data: An Object-Oriented Approach In R, Abbass Sharif

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Actigraphy, a technology for measuring a subject's overall activity level almost continuously over time, has gained a lot of momentum over the last few years. An actigraph, a watch-like device that can be attached to the wrist or ankle of a subject, uses an accelerometer to measure human movement every minute or even every 15 seconds. Actigraphy data is often treated as functional data. In this dissertation, we discuss what has been done regarding the visualization of actigraphy data, and then we will explain the three main goals we achieved: (i) develop new multivariate visualization techniques for actigraphy data; (ii) …