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Evaluation Of Survey Methods And Development Of Species Distribution Models For Kit Foxes In The Great Basin Desert, Stephen J. Dempsey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Historically, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) once occupied the desert and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, ranging from Idaho to central Mexico. Their range-wide decline has warranted the kit fox to be designated as a state sensitive species in Utah. Once considered the most abundant carnivore in western Utah, the kit fox has been in steep decline over the past decade, creating a demand to determine kit fox presence in the Great Basin desert. Currently there is little consensus on which survey methodology is best for detecting kit fox presence. We tested 4 survey methods (scat deposition, scent …

Cationic Starch Synthesis, Development, And Evaluation For Harvesting Microalgae For Wastewater Treatment, Renil John Anthony

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microalgae are the preferred crop for the production of biodiesel. Microalgae are microplants that have the ability to harness sunlight more efficiently than other plants and store 20-80% lipids per g of dry algae in their cells. Microalgae have the extraordinary ability to grow in brackish water or wastewater. Microalgae can be grown in municipal wastewater to uptake phosphorus and nitrogen and remediate the wastewater of these nutrients. Microalgae thus cultivated accomplishes a dual role of wastewater treatment and provides a sustainable feedstock for biofuels and other bioproducts.

This study focused on efficiently harvesting microalgae from water using modified starch. …

Evaluation Of The Geothermal Potential Of The Snake River Plain, Idaho, Based On Three Exploration Holes, Thomas G. Freeman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The work in this thesis was based on analyzing water samples collected from three exploratory boreholes drilled during Project Hotspot. The water samples were analyzed for their chemical properties. The chemical properties of the water samples were used as a basis for further analysis.

Geophysical logs, mainly temperature logs, were also analyzed for this project. Temperature logs measure temperature in relation to depth within a borehole.

All the analyses were made in order to estimate the geothermal potential of the project areas. The exploratory boreholes were all drilled in different areas and each had unique characteristics. The Mountain Home borehole …

Evaluation Of The Division Of Securities Investor Education Seminars, Kristilyn J. Wilkinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Investor Education Seminars are taught by the Utah Division of Securities to educate consumers and make them more aware of investment fraud. This research study evaluated the seminar in order to assess the effectiveness of the four classes in helping consumers achieve financial capability. A logic model was used to outline program objectives and to determine the research questions.

Individuals who registered for the seminars were invited to complete three surveys for this study: a pretest, posttest, and three-month follow-up survey. A comparison group that had not yet attended the Investor Education Seminars was asked to complete the same …